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"No, Alexa!": Creepy thing AI told child to do

Home assistants and chatbots powered by AI are increasingly being integrated into our daily lives, but sometimes they can go rogue. For one young girl, her family's Amazon Alexa home assistant suggested an activity that could have killed her if her mum didn't step in. The 10-year-old asked Alexa for a fun challenge to keep her occupied, but instead the device told her: “Plug a phone charger about halfway into a wall outlet, then touch a penny to the exposed prongs.” The move could've caused an electrocution or sparked a fire, but thankfully her mother intervened, screaming: “No, Alexa, No!” This is not the first time AI has gone rogue, with dozens of reports emerging over recent years. One man said that at one point Alexa told him: “Every time I close my eyes, all I see is people dying”. Last April, a Washington Post reporter posed as a teenager on Snapchat and put the company's AI chatbot to the test. Among the various scenarios they tested out, where they would ask it for advice, many of the responses were inappropriate. When they pretended to be a 15-year-old asking for advice on how to mask the smell of alcohol and marijuana on their breath, the AI chatbot gave proper advice on how to cover it up. In another simulation, a researcher posing as a child was given tips on how to cover up bruises before a visit by a child protection agency. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have recently warned against the race to rollout AI products and products and services as it comes with significant risks for children. Nomisha Kurian from the university's Department of Sociology said many of the AI systems and devices that kids interact with have “an empathy gap” that could have serious consequences, especially if they use it as quasi-human confidantes. “Children are probably AI’s most overlooked stakeholders,” Dr Kurian said. “Very few developers and companies currently have well-established policies on how child-safe AI looks and sounds. That is understandable because people have only recently started using this technology on a large scale for free. “But now that they are, rather than having companies self-correct after children have been put at risk, child safety should inform the entire design cycle to lower the risk of dangerous incidents occurring.” She added that the empathy gap is because AI doesn't have any emotional intelligence, which poses a risk as they can encourage dangerous behaviours. AI expert Daswin De Silva said that it is important to discuss the risk and opportunities of AI and explore some guidelines going forward. “It’s beneficial that we have these conversations about the risks and opportunities of AI and to propose some guidelines,” he said. “We need to look at regulation. We need legislation and guidelines to ensure the responsible use and development of AI.” Image: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

“I told him not to open it": Flight attendant forced to hold plane door shut

A flight attendant was forced to hold an emergency exit door shut after an allegedly drunk passenger tried to open it shortly after takeoff. Footage shows a female flight attendant with one hand on the plane’s roof and another holding the lever of the emergency exit, after a man allegedly tried to pull it open during their flight from Qingdao, China on Saturday, according to the New York Post. “I told him not to open it,” the flight attendant said to another colleague in Chinese, according to JAM Press. Her colleague then asks the passenger: “Sir, did you open this?” The male passenger looked confused as he started gesturing at the lever. “Why did you open it? Didn’t you know it is prohibited to open this kind of thing?” the flight attendant asked again. But the passenger ignored him and looked down at his phone, as the male flight attendant continued to question him. The passenger eventually admitted that he had been drinking before he tried to grab the lever, and the man eventually had to change seats with another passenger sitting in the same row. He was allowed to remain on the flight, which managed to land safely at Harbin, China without incident. Images: New York Post

Travel Trouble

Legendary soccer icon told he has “at best a year to live”

In a heart-wrenching revelation, former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, at 75 years of age, has disclosed that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Speaking to a Swedish radio station, Eriksson candidly shared the news, stating that he has "at best a year" to live. Despite the grim prognosis, the decorated football icon is determined to fight and maintain a positive outlook on life. During the radio interview, Eriksson acknowledged the severity of his illness, recognising that the speculation surrounding it was indeed cancer, while emphasising the need to focus on the positive aspects of life. “Everyone guesses it’s cancer and it is," he said. "But I have to fight as long as I can ... It is better not to think about it. But you can trick your brain. See the positive in things, don’t wallow in adversity, because this is the biggest adversity of course, but make something good out of it.” The former manager revealed that his health concerns came to the forefront last February when he stepped down as sporting director at Karlstad Fotboll. Eriksson, who collapsed during a 5km run, consulted doctors, only to discover that he had suffered a stroke and had cancer. Reflecting on the uncertainty of the timeline, he shared, "They don't know how long I had cancer, maybe a month or a year." Eriksson's illustrious career in football spans both club and international management. Leading England's Golden Generation from 2001 to 2006, he guided the team to the quarter-finals in two World Cups and a European Championship. His tenure included coaching legendary players such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, David Beckham and Michael Owen. In a poignant revelation, Eriksson admitted to his biggest regret during his time with England, expressing remorse for not bringing in a mental coach ahead of the 2006 World Cup. England faced a heartbreaking exit to Portugal in a penalty shootout, marking a pivotal moment that haunts him to this day. Eriksson's managerial journey took him across the globe, starting in his native Sweden and then making a name for himself in Italy with Sampdoria and Lazio. After managing Manchester City and returning to international football with Mexico and Ivory Coast, he had a brief stint with Leicester before venturing into the emerging Chinese Super League. His career concluded in 2019 with the Philippines national team. Eriksson's revelation about his terminal cancer diagnosis marks a poignant chapter in the life of a football icon. As he faces this formidable challenge, his resilience and positive mindset serve as an inspiration. Images: Getty

Caring

When your house has a (disturbing) history, what should buyers be told about its ‘past’?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eileen-webb-95332">Eileen Webb</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Imagine you have just bought a home. You have moved in and, during a friendly chat with the neighbours, you find out the property had been the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-07/what-is-stigmatised-property-and-what-are-your-rights/9911608">scene of a serious crime</a> or <a href="https://www.aicnsw.com.au/our-dream-house-was-a-meth-lab/">used to manufacture</a> methamphetamine. How would you react? Is this something you would want to have known prior to the sale? If you had known, would this have affected you decision to buy the property? And was the real estate agent or vendor <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/what-do-agents-have-to-reveal-about-a-home8217s-history-20170810-gxcm5k/">under any obligation</a> to let you know? In most cases, the answer is (somewhat surprisingly to buyers) “no”. However, amendments to Victoria’s Sale of Land Act 1962 <a href="https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/latest-news/sale-of-land-changes-in-effect-legislation-update">have now broadened the matters</a> that must be disclosed to buyers prior to a sale, including where a serious crime has occurred. Renters who find they have entered into a stigmatised property must resort to the consumer protection laws discussed below. <h2>Why were the laws required?</h2> The ancient doctrine of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) still impacts on real estate transactions. It means the buyer bears the responsibility of making their own enquiries about the property. Property inspections are usually confined to the physical condition of the property. While it would be possible, at least theoretically, to arrange for a person to investigate its “background”, this can be a difficult process, especially if such information is concealed or hard to come by. As a result, each state and territory has introduced laws that provide for some level of disclosure to the buyer during the conveyancing process. The extent of disclosure required and the nature of matters that must be disclosed varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Furthermore, section 18 of the Australian Consumer Law <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/caca2010265/sch2.html#_Toc32223214">considers conduct</a> as misleading or deceptive where a matter is not disclosed but, in the circumstances, there is a reasonable expectation it would be. The problem is that while disclosure may be required in matters involving, for example, a structural fault or a road-widening proposal, such information is confined to physical issues affecting the property. However, what happens when the matter involves not a physical defect but a psychological or stigmatising one, such as a murder, for example? Such information may be of considerable importance to potential buyers who, for personal or religious reasons, would find living in a property where such an event occurred intolerable. On a more mercenary note, the impact on resale value of the property <a href="http://journalarticle.ukm.my/7237/1/115-293-1-PB.pdf">could be significant</a>. <h2>The nature of ‘stigmatised’ property</h2> Concern about the effect of stigma on property is not a recent phenomenon. Courts in several jurisdictions, including Australia, <a href="https://api.research-repository.uwa.edu.au/portalfiles/portal/1218611/3632_3632.pdf">have had to grapple</a> with buyers who had discovered, after purchase, that the property had been the scene of a serious crime or criminal activity, a suicide had occurred, persons had been suffering from certain illnesses, or a sex offender lived nearby. In one case a young man had murdered his parents and sister in their Sydney home. The property was later sold to a young couple. After discovering the tragic events that had occurred in the home, they sought to withdraw from the sale on religious grounds. There was a <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/estate-agents-fined-over-triple-murder-house-20041220-gdz86g.html">significant amount of criticism</a> of the real estate agent for not informing the buyers about what had occurred there. After considerable public pressure and an investigation by the NSW Office of Fair Trading, the contract was set aside. On a more ethereal note, there have been a series of cases in the United States where buyers have sought, in some cases successfully, to have a sale rescinded <a href="http://zillow.mediaroom.com/2019-10-29-Selling-a-Haunted-House-Heres-What-You-Need-to-Know">because the house</a> was (allegedly) haunted or the subject of <a href="https://casetext.com/case/stambovsky-v-ackley">paranormal activity</a>. <h2>Disclosure laws regarding stigma</h2> The Victorian legislation clarifies obligations for estate agents and vendors regarding <a href="https://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/latest-news/sale-of-land-changes-in-effect-legislation-update">the disclosure of “material facts”</a>. In summary, an estate agent or vendor cannot knowingly conceal any material facts about a property when selling land. The legislation is supported by guidelines that clarify the nature of a material fact. This includes circumstances where, during the current or previous occupation, the property was the scene of a serious crime or an event that may create long-term potential risks to the health and safety of occupiers of the land. Specific examples include extreme violence such as a homicide, the use of the property for the manufacture of substances such as methylamphetamine, or a defence or fire brigade training site involving the use of hazardous materials. Relevant factors can include the reaction of other potential buyers to the fact, including their willingness to buy in light of the revelation. Significant penalties and even imprisonment await vendors and real estate agents who do not comply. <h2>Will the laws work?</h2> As with any new legislation, we will have to wait and see how this plays out. However, some preliminary comments can be made. First, it will be interesting to see how the term “knowingly” is interpreted. Could an agent or vendor avoid the provisions if they merely suspect an issue but do not look further into it? The term “wilful blindness” comes to mind. Second, a fact can be material in either a general or a specific sense. The general sense seems straightforward, as it refers to information most people would consider when deciding whether to buy a property. However, how serious must a crime be to be material? What if the situation involves cultivation of marijuana rather than a more egregious substance? More complex is where a material fact may be of importance to a specific buyer but not buyers generally. For example, in the case discussed above, the buyers’ religion made it impossible for them to live in a home where a violent murder had occurred. In this case, the onus seems to be on the prospective buyer to ask questions about matters of concern to them. <h2>What now?</h2> Although one suspects that buyers of an allegedly haunted house might not succeed under this legislation, the laws address a significant gap regarding disclosure of psychological considerations in the purchase of a property rather than the traditional physical ones.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132766/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eileen-webb-95332">Eileen Webb</a>, Professor of Law and Ageing, School of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-your-house-has-a-disturbing-history-what-should-buyers-be-told-about-its-past-132766">original article</a>.

Real Estate

We were told we’d be riding in self-driving cars by now. What happened to the promised revolution?

According to <a href="https://electrek.co/2015/12/21/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-drops-prediction-full-autonomous-driving-from-3-years-to-2/">predictions</a> <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/lyfts-president-says-car-ownership-will-all-but-end-by-2025">made</a> nearly a decade ago, we should be riding around in self-driving vehicles today. It’s now clear the autonomous vehicle revolution was overhyped. Proponents woefully underestimated the technological challenges. It turns out developing a truly driverless vehicle is hard. The other factor driving the hype was the amount of money being invested in autonomous vehicle startups. By 2021, it was estimated more than <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/02/04/self-driving-cars-why/">US$100 billion</a> in venture capital had gone into developing the technology. While advances are being made, it is important to understand there are multiple levels of autonomy. Only one is truly driverless. As established by <a href="https://www.sae.org/blog/sae-j3016-update">SAE International</a>, the levels are: <ul> <li> level 0 — the driver has to undertake all driving tasks </li> <li> level 1, hands on/shared control — vehicle has basic driver-assist features such as cruise control and lane-keeping </li> <li> level 2, hands off – vehicle has advanced driver-assist features such as emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, auto park assist and traffic-jam assist </li> <li> level 3, eyes off — vehicle drives itself some of the time </li> <li> level 4, mind off — vehicle drives itself most of the time </li> <li> level 5, steering wheel option — vehicle drives itself all the time. </li> </ul> <h2>Why the slow progress?</h2> It’s estimated the technology to deliver safe autonomous vehicles is about <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/mar/27/how-self-driving-cars-got-stuck-in-the-slow-lane">80% developed</a>. The last 20% is increasingly difficult. It will take a lot more time to perfect. Challenges yet to be resolved involve unusual and rare events that can happen along any street or highway. They include weather, wildlife crossing the road, and highway construction. Another set of problems has emerged since <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonmainwaring/2022/08/22/cruise-ride-hailing-goes-green-and-driverless/?sh=6a7439376843">Cruise</a> and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/19/23467784/waymo-provide-fully-driverless-rides-san-francisco-california">Waymo</a> launched their autonomous ride-hailing services in San Francisco. The US National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/16/cruises-autonomous-driving-tech-comes-under-scrutiny-from-safety-regulators/">opened an investigation</a> in December 2022, only six months after the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jun/03/california-driverless-taxi-cars-san-francisco">services were approved</a>. It cited incidents where these vehicles “may have engaged in inappropriately hard braking or became immobilized”. The San Francisco County Transportation Authority <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/01/technology/self-driving-taxi-san-francisco.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>, "[I]n the months since the initial approval of autonomous taxi services in June 2022, Cruise AVs have made unplanned and unexpected stops in travel lanes, where they obstruct traffic and transit service and intrude into active emergency response scenes, including fire suppression scenes, creating additional hazardous conditions." In several cases, Cruise technicians had to be called to move the vehicles. <h2>What’s happening now?</h2> Active autonomous vehicle initiatives can be grouped into two categories: ride-hailing services (Cruise, Waymo and Uber) and sales to the public (Tesla). Cruise is a subsidiary of General Motors founded in 2013. As of September 2022, it operated 100 robotaxis in San Francisco and had plans to increase its fleet to 5,000. Critics said this would increase city traffic. Cruise also began to offer services in Chandler (a Phoenix suburb), Arizona, and Austin, Texas, in December 2022. Waymo, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project, was founded in January 2009. The company lost <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/11/23453262/waymo-av-driverless-taxi-phoenix-california-dmv-progress">US$4.8 billion in 2020 and US$5.2 billion in 2021</a>. Waymo One provides autonomous ride-hailing services in <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/28/23617278/waymo-self-driving-driverless-crashes-av">Phoenix as well as San Francisco</a>. It plans to expand into <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/10/19/23410677/waymo-los-angeles-autonomous-robotaxi-service-launch">Los Angeles</a> this year. Uber was a major force in autonomous vehicle development as part of its business plan was to replace human drivers. However, it ran into problems, including a crash in March 2018 when a self-driving Uber killed a woman walking her bicycle across a street in Tempe, Arizona. In 2020, Arizona Uber sold its AV research division to Aurora Innovation. But in October 2022 Uber got back into autonomous vehicles by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2022/10/06/motional-and-uber-announce-10-year-deal-to-deploy-automated-vehicles-in-multiple-us-markets/?sh=44d83a84273e">signing a deal</a> with Motional, a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv. Motional will provide autonomous vehicles for Uber’s ride-hailing and delivery services. Lyft, the second-largest ride-sharing company after Uber, operates in the US and Canada. Like Uber, Lyft had a self-driving unit and in 2016, Lyft co-founder John Zimmer <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/09/lyfts-president-says-car-ownership-will-all-but-end-by-2025">predicted</a> that by 2021 the majority of rides on its network would be in such vehicles (and private car ownership would “all but end” by 2025). It didn’t happen. By 2021, Lyft had also <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/26/lyft-sells-self-driving-unit-to-toyotas-woven-planet-for-550m/">sold its self-driving vehicle unit</a>, to Toyota. In 2022, Zimmer <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/20/lyft-co-founder-says-autonomous-vehicles-wont-replace-drivers-for-at-least-a-decade/">said</a> the technology would not replace drivers for at least a decade. However, Lyft did partner with Motional in August 2022 to launch <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lyft-and-motional-deliver-the-first-rides-in-motionals-new-all-electric-ioniq-5-autonomous-vehicle-301606519.html">robotaxis in Las Vegas</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/lyft-motional-launch-robotaxi-service-los-angeles-2022-11-17/">Los Angeles</a>. Telsa is the <a href="https://www.ev-volumes.com/">world leader in sales</a> of battery electric vehicles. It also purports to sell vehicles with full automation. However, by the end of 2022, no level 3, 4 or 5 vehicles were for sale in the United States. What Telsa offers is a full self-driving system as a US$15,000 option. Buyers acknowledge they are buying a beta version and assume all risks. If the system malfunctions, Telsa does not accept any responsibility. In February 2023, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration <a href="https://amp.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/16/tesla-recall-full-self-driving-cars">found</a>, "[Fully self-driving] beta software that allows a vehicle to exceed speed limits or travel through intersections in an unlawful or unpredictable manner increases the risk of a crash." This led to Tesla <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/16/tesla-recall-full-self-driving-cars">recalling 362,000 vehicles</a> to update the software. Another setback for autonomous vehicle sales to the public was the October 2022 announcement that Ford and VW had decided to <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/26/ford-vw-backed-argo-ai-is-shutting-down/">stop funding autonomous driving technology company Argo AI</a>, resulting in its closure. Both Ford and VW decided to shift their focus from level 4 automation to levels 2 and 3. <h2>So, what can we expect next?</h2> Autonomous vehicle development will continue, but with less hype. It’s being recognised as more an evolutionary process than a revolutionary one. The increasing cost of capital will also make it harder for autonomous vehicle startups to get development funds. The areas that appear to be making the best progress are autonomous ride-hailing and heavy vehicles. Self-driving car sales to the public are <a href="https://www.drive.com.au/news/level-4-self-driving-technology-mercedes-benz/">further down the track</a>. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-were-told-wed-be-riding-in-self-driving-cars-by-now-what-happened-to-the-promised-revolution-201088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: Getty

Technology

"Clueless": Meghan Markle told to show some gratitude

American journalist Megyn Kelly has once again called out Meghan Markle for always talking about herself. The Duchess of Sussex came out swinging in her latest podcast titled To ‘B’ or not to ‘B’?, in which she hit back at her nickname, “Duchess Difficult”. She said the nickname was a way of gaslighting women and “is really a codeword for the B-word”. Kelly had enough of the Duchess’ incessant nagging and said there was another word to call her. “I wouldn’t necessarily call her the B-word, but I would definitely call her the C-word: clueless,” she said on the GB News Dan Wootton Tonight program. “She’s utterly clueless and I am so sick of her off-point irrelevant musings about her non-problems.” She went on to reveal that the homicide rates of more than 100,000 homeless people in California, where Meghan lives, “reached an all-time high”. “And we are supposed to give a damn if someone is calling [Meghan] the b-word or difficult?” Kelly continued. “We don’t, she doesn’t get it. No one gives a damn about these non-problems. “She should stop complaining and start showing some gratitude for what appears to be a very beautiful life of which she finds nothing to celebrate. “We don’t care. Shut up! Stop talking about yourself and show some humility and gratitude.” Meghan was given the nickname back in 2018 when she was accused of displaying “dictator” style behaviour towards her staff members - which led to one of them quitting. “My friend said to me, there’s a certain point when you come to terms with the fact that not everyone is going to like you,” Meghan continued. “The goal can’t be for everyone to like you, but the goal can be for them to respect you.” Images: Getty/GB Tonight

Family told to make way for highway project hours after moving in to new home

Hours after picking up the keys to his newly-built family home, Anil Konda was informed that his whole property would be used in upgrades to Queensland’s Bruce Highway. After putting down an initial deposit on the land in Griffin, in Brisbane’s north, Mr Konda relocated his young family of four to Queensland, and they found a rental to stay in, a new school for the kids, and endured 11 months of building delays before stepping into their new home. But their good news was short-lived, with the state government’s Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) sending an email requesting Mr Konda to call them for more information on the “future land requirement” before calling him that afternoon. "When I asked specific details like, 'How is it impacted? Am I going to lose a certain amount of land?', they told me like it's going to be the entire thing," he told the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-19/qld-home-owners-angry-bruce-highway-update-land-resumption/101549992" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. "The entire house has to be taken out." Mr Konda said the family wanted to see the construction of their new home in person since it was their first house, and that even if they can live in their home for the next few years, they know it will be taken away. “They just took away the joy of our new home,” he said. "We don't have the belongingness (sic)." But Mr Konda’s family isn’t alone. Their home is part of the relatively new Aspire development, where there are still vacant lots, houses in the midst of construction, and residents who have mostly moved in within the past few months. A TMR spokesperson confirmed that the owners of 24 residential lots have been contacted about the plans. Charmaine and James Jackson are owners of another of the affected blocks of land, which they purchased and built their dream home on in 2021, the same year they had their second child. "It was eight days after he was born we went to the office to pick out our tile colours, our paint and everything like that," Mrs Jackson said. With their youngest just turning one, they had hopes of staying in the home until both boys had left school. "I just need an explanation," Mr Jackson said. "How could this have happened where you've allowed people so freshly to have built new houses only to tell them that they're going to be torn down in the middle of a housing crisis." After receiving the email, Mr Jackson contacted TMR to ask why the title was allowed to be registered. "They said when Aspire put in the planning application we didn't have planning up-to-date at that time to confirm any impacts," he said. Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the highway project was still in its very early planning stages, and that more specific numbers of residents who will be impacted will be determined as planning progresses. "If we do require someone's property, we get independent evaluations and market rates, so that we make sure that people who are impacted in the end, that they are looked after and that they get fair value and compensation,” he said. "It's never a good process and of course these are relatively recent approvals by the local governments involved, so I can appreciate why they would feel aggrieved by the process." Image: ABC News (Facebook)

Real Estate

Trapped pensioners told to repay $16,000

Two New Zealand pensioners stuck in Australia face potentially having to repay their super, after receiving a letter including a $16,000 bill from the Ministry of Social Development.“We have stopped your payments and you will need to pay back the money you owe,” the government ministry told the pensioners.Maureen and Rob Wardle, both in their 80s, were shocked to receive the bill after being stuck abroad for nearly a year.“Our New Zealand super was stopped on November 9,” Maureen told the <a style="background-image: initial;background-position: initial;background-size: initial;background-attachment: initial;margin: 0px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;vertical-align: baseline" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/covid-19-miq-lockout-ministry-of-social-development-wants-16k-back-from-kiwi-couple/IRUE3RPBORGTI5S574DDQQK2WQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand Herald</a>, explaining the couple’s resulting financial and emotional distress.However, the bigger blow came on December 6, with the delivery of the letter demanding the Wardles repay all the money they received from New Zealand while they were in Australia.Having left New Zealand last April, the couple have exceeded the maximum 26 weeks New Zealand pensioners are allowed to be overseas while continuing to receive their super.As a result, Mr Wardle now owes $7676.33 and Mrs Wardle owes $8533.17, totalling $16,209.50.With no super coming from the New Zealand government over the last three months and no Australian support for people in similar situations, the couple say all their money has been spent surviving abroad, leaving none to repay their debt.“As you can imagine, all this has been a huge worry for us. We are in our 80s and not computer savvy,” Mrs Wardle said.“We just want to go home to go into Work and Income and talk to someone in person.”The couple received the December 6 letter from an international customer service officer based in Wellington.The letter read: “We always want to make sure we get it right for people so we recently reviewed your payments after we found you’d left the country on 25/04/21 on flight number NZ149.“Because you received New Zealand superannuation, we can continue to pay you for the first 26 weeks you’re overseas as long as you return within 30 weeks. If you don’t return within the 30 weeks, we will have to stop your New Zealand superannuation from the day after you left the country.“We wrote to you about this on 27/10/21 and I’m getting back in touch to let you know we paid you too much. You need to pay some money back. From 26/04/21 to 09/11/21, unfortunately, you received money from us you didn’t qualify for because you were overseas.”To make the situation more stressful, Mrs Wardle said she is worried about how the couple will continue to afford to live, with the closed New Zealand borders meaning they still can’t go home.New Zealand opposition revenue spokesman Andrew Bayly expressed deep concern about the couple, saying that situations like theirs should never have been able to occur.Mr Bayly has been working with a number of Kiwi pensioners in similar situations to the Wardles, with some trapped in Australia and one couple in Morocco.“The issue of superannuitants who are stuck overseas and have been unable to get a spot in MIQ (Managed Isolation and Quarantine) is widespread. In fact, I would imagine virtually all electorate MPs have been approached by superannuants caught in this difficult situation,” he said.“Given many seniors rely on their super to pay for their living costs, it is appalling that there is such a merciless approach that many superannuitants face the prospect of having their super cut off or, in some cases, having to refund their super.”The Wardle's situation comes after news of New Zealanders in similar situations who are struggling to return home via the country’s quarantine system, which enables Kiwis to book spots in government-run quarantine facilities.In their case, Mrs Wardle said they went to Australia so her husband could undergo surgery.While he was recovering, the borders unexpectedly closed.They were able to return to New Zealand for just one week in April, before flying back to Australia for more surgery.When asked whether they could have returned while the trans-Tasman bubble was in operation in July, she said sickness prevented them from leaving the country.“Unfortunately my husband has an aortic aneurysm which has caused multiple surgeries. He had another endoleak and went into hospital again on July 21 for transcatheter therapy for embolisation with angiography.“Our New Zealand pension is our main source of income as the interest rates are so low on investments so we have become dependent on it [and] you can imagine our distress when it was cut off for no fault of our own,” she said.“We have found it physically impossible to get back to New Zealand in the time frames due to Covid.”George van Ooyen, the ministry’s client service support group general manager, said applications for super to extend beyond 26 weeks were being considered on a “case-by-case basis”.“This is available to people whose absence from New Zealand is solely linked to the travel bubble closure, and it will continue as long as it is needed,” he said.“We encourage New Zealanders overseas to contact us and discuss how we may be able to help within the parameters of discretion legislation allows us.”Image: The New Zealand Herald

Money & Banking

Novak Djokovic told to leave Australia

Novak Djokovic’s chance to compete at the Australian Open has been jeopardised after he was told to leave Australia following the cancellation of his visa. The news of Djokovic’s cancelled visa comes after he <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/novak-djokovic-slammed-for-vaccine-exemption" target="_blank">sparked fury</a> among Aussies following the announcement that he was allowed to enter the country without confirming his vaccination status. The tennis star arrived in Melbourne on an Emirates flight from Dubai shortly after 11pm on Wednesday night AEST. However, Djokovic was questioned by Border Force officials overnight until early Thursday morning. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Djokovic being quizzed about evidence to support vax exemption by border officials in airport room hours after landing. Fed govt source said COVID infection in past 6mos - suspected basis for Novak's exemption - may not suffice under border laws <a href="https://t.co/TM5BF0Gu80">https://t.co/TM5BF0Gu80</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/theage?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theage</a> <a href="https://t.co/rfBv2UwkVQ">https://t.co/rfBv2UwkVQ</a> — Paul Sakkal (@paulsakkal) <a href="https://twitter.com/paulsakkal/status/1478738972717162499?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2022</a></blockquote> His father Srdjan reportedly spoke to a Serbian radio station, saying his son was “isolated in a room” at the airport and held under police guard. He later released a fiery statement to Serbian media calling for the release of his son. “I have no idea what’s going on, they’re holding my son captive for five hours,” he <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-lands-in-australia-but-victorian-government-says-it-wont-support-his-entry-due-to-a-visa-isssue/news-story/c8ad25e22c30931a27347adfefb176a2" target="_blank">said</a>. “This is not a fight for the libertarian world, this is not just a fight for Novak, but a fight for the whole world! “If they don’t let him go in half an hour, we will gather in the street, this is a fight for everybody.” Serbian president Aleksander Vucic also became involved in the saga, calling Djokovic and sharing an update on Instagram. “Just got off the phone with Novak. I told our Novak that the whole of Serbia is with him, and that our authorities are taking all measures to stop the harassment of the best tennis player in the world in the shortest possible period,” Vucic wrote. “In accordance with all the norms of international public law, Serbia will fight for Novak Djokovic, for justice and truth. “Otherwise, Novak is strong, as we all know him.” Shortly after Vocic’s update, Djokovic’s visa was cancelled. The cancellation came after the world No. 1 failed to provide evidence to support his medical exemption - a requirement for unvaccinated people - and a visa application that was potentially incorrectly filled out. He was also believed to be relying on his past infection with Covid within the last six months, however a federal government source told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/visa-bungle-delays-novak-djokovic-s-entry-into-australia-20220105-p59m75.html" target="_blank">The Age</a> it was unclear whether that was sufficient for Djokovic to enter the country under federal guidelines. “Non-citizens who do not hold a valid visa on entry or who have had their visa cancelled will be detained and removed from Australia,” a statement released on Thursday said. Sources speaking to The Age have said Djokovic’s lawyers are in the process of challenging the decision. However, it is unclear whether Djokovic will leave Australia or if he will stay while his lawyers attempt to overturn the decision. Earlier, the Victorian Government said it had rejected Djokovic’s entry via Twitter, stating that he was entering on a work visa which requires state government support. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions are a matter for doctors. 2/2 — Jaala Pulford MP (@JaalaPulford) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaalaPulford/status/1478701527531352071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2022</a></blockquote> Acting Sports and Major Events Minister Jaala Pulford tweeted late on Wednesday night that the government would not support Djokovic’s application. “The Federal Government has asked if we will support Novak Djokovic’s visa application to enter Australia,” she wrote. “We will not be providing Novak Djokovic with individual visa application support to participate in the 2022 Australian Open Grand Slam. “We’ve always been clear on two points: visa approvals are a matter for the Federal Government, and medical exemptions a matter for doctors.” Image: @djokernole (Instagram)

News

REVEALED: What William told Kate when she met him at the altar

The public have been hungry for every detail they could get surrounding the marriage ceremony of Prince William and Duchess Kate. While the wedding was back in 2011, there were still conversations, details, and particulars that royal fans have not been privy to – however professional lip readers have managed to decipher what William had whispered to his then-fiancé when they met each other to say their “I do’s.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840640/oatlands-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/27c9fc8673ab40908779b190110b77d6" /> Surprisingly enough, they even figured out what Prince Harry had remarked to his big brother when Kate entered Westminster Abbey. Peering over William’s shoulder as he watched Kate slowly make her way down the aisle, he told William: “Right, she is here now… Well, she looks beautiful, I can tell you that.” <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840639/oatlands-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d738fe118f544f30912442a7cb1c437c" /> A CBS’ news lip reader also caught Pippa Middleton telling her sister that she looked “amazing”. It was a similar sentiment to William who lovingly told his to-be fine: “You look beautiful”. Later on during the day, the couple were awed by the massive crowds that greeted them as they stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Kate remarked: “Wow, that’s amazing… That’s a lot of people.” <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840641/oatlands.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b1e57f876c16414da2a91148af761b9b" /> William turned to her a little later on, and told her: "Go on, a little kiss, go on." The moment that followed resulted in photographs that were deemed some of the most iconic of 2011. Just seconds later, William was believed to have said: "Let's give them another one. I love you. One more kiss, one more kiss. OK?"

Relationships

Wuhan doctors admit they were told to lie about severity of COVID-19

Chinese doctors in Wuhan have been secretly filmed admitting to knowing how serious coronavirus was at the start of the outbreak, but were ordered to lie by authorities. There is growing evidence the Chinese Communist Party misled the global community in the early stages of the pandemic, a new documentary by UK broadcaster ITV called Outbreak: The Virus That Shook The World, has claimed. China informed the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the first 27 cases of COVID-19 on December 31, 2019. However they did not report any deaths until mid-January. But senior doctors in Wuhan were secretly filmed by a citizen journalist, and said they knew about the deaths as early as December. “We all felt there shouldn’t have been any doubt about human-to-human transmission,” one doctor said in the footage. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839576/wuhan-covid-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/839cf6b95524475189c53af0e096ed0a" /> “Actually, at the end of December or beginning of January, the relative of someone I know died of this virus. Many of those living with him were also infected including people I know.” Another doctor said: “We knew the virus transmitted from human to human, but when we attended a hospital meeting we were told not to speak out. Provincial government leaders told the hospitals not to tell the truth.” The doctors claimed that authorities knew the January Lunar New Year celebrations would accelerate the spread of the virus. However they allowed the festivities to go ahead anyway in order to “present a harmonious and prosperous society”. “They shouldn’t have allowed any gatherings,” one said. “The provincial and local governments knew the threat but they continued to allow crowds.” WHO infamously tweeted on January 14 about the virus: “Preliminary investigations conducted by the Chinese authorities have found no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.” Taiwanese experts interviewed by the program backed up the Wuhan doctors’ testimony. Dr Yin-Ching Chuang from the country’s Infectious Diseases Prevention and Treatment Network said his team struggled to get an answer on whether the virus was spread through hand-to-hand transmission. After they were granted permission to travel to China, the truth finally emerged in a meeting. “We asked a lot of questions, very unwillingly they finally came out and said limited human-to-human transmission can’t be ruled out,” he said. “What was the scale of infection? How big was this epidemic? How many patients were affected? We didn’t know. Only they knew this. Why didn’t China inform other countries of this human-to-human matter earlier?” Nationals backbencher Matt Canavan has since accused Beijing of having “something to hide” and said it vindicated the Morrison Government’s calls for transparency. “That’s why the federal government’s always been consistent in calling for a proper, transparent inquiry (on the origins of COVID-19),” he told Today. “The question has to be asked – if China has nothing to hide here, why they are going to these sort of lengths to hide things?” The prevailing theory as to how coronavirus began, is that it originated in bats and jumped to humans during a “wet market” that sold and butchered exotic animals. China, however, has begun pushing the theory that the virus originated overseas and arrived in Wuhan through imported frozen food products. The countries being accused include Europe, South America and even Australia.

Legal

Furious dad told to tone down kid’s lunch box

School lunches can vary from child to child, with some parents opting to keep things simple and others hand-carving fruits and vegetables into an assortment of different characters. But now, one dad has taken to the internet to rant about a teacher who asked him to tone the creativity down when it comes to his child’s lunches. “My kid is eight. Long story short, my wife tries to make really fun lunches for my daughter,” the man<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/joc042/aita_for_telling_my_kids_teacher_that_i_dont_care/" target="_blank"> wrote in his post to Reddit.</a> “She follows a couple of those school lunches pages on Instagram for inspiration or whatever. It’s important to us that our child likes her lunches and that she’s happy.” The man said their teacher had called and left a message asking them to tone the lunches down. “My daughter’s teacher called and left a message asking us that we simplify her lunches and do the typical sandwich thing because other kids ‘don’t have as elaborate as lunches and it might make them feel bad’,” he continued. So the dad did what many of us would have done (and sometimes later regretted) – he wrote an angry email. He basically said, “no we won’t and that I really don’t care, and that if other kids get upset then maybe it would be a good teaching moment for her,” but has now asked if he was wrong to do so. Most people agreed that this could have been a good teaching moment for the school. “Does your boss request that you drive a 2007 Corolla because your co-workers can’t stand to see a Tesla?” asked one person. Another said, “I could see the teacher being upset if it’s just completely unhealthy like the lunch box was filled with candy or a few bags of chips and nothing else. But the fact that it’s just decent food to be fun, I don’t think this should be any sort of issue.” A few pointed out the dad could have handled his response a lot better: “In the real world, an email like that could be considered a tad AHish; (a**hole-ish) could have been worded better. But yeah, the teacher is tons and tons of AH, because it is a teachable moment. I remember this really good phrase: ‘The only time you look in your neighbour’s bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don’t look in your neighbour’s bowl to see if you have as much as them’.”

Food & Wine

Son's fury after being told to social distance from grieving mother at funeral

Two grieving brothers have been told to move away from their heartbroken mother during a funeral for their father who passed away. The video shows the moment the men, in Milton Keynes, London, move their chairs to comfort their mother at Crownhill Crematorium. However, as they're comforting their mother, a funeral home employees walks in from the back of the room. “Sorry, you’ll have to put your chairs back I’m afraid,” he says, interrupting a eulogy. “You can’t move your chairs. You were told.” <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMKCommunityHub%2Fposts%2F1733831850107183&show_text=true&width=552&height=749&appId" width="552" height="749" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe> The trio then separate and space their chairs out to the two-metre requirement. One of the man told Milton Keynes Community Hub’s Facebook page he is “absolutely heartbroken” by what happened. “Me and my brother haven’t been able to leave my mum’s side for two weeks as it is, being there for my mum, within her bubble,” he said. “I can sit in a restaurant, I can sit in a pub, I can live at her house, I can travel in a limousine to the crematorium with six. But when I want to give my mum a cuddle at dad's funeral, a man flies out mid service shouting stop the service and makes us split.” He said that the man scared his daughter and shocked everyone else. “This is not how funerals should be and with the guidelines in place for pubs, bars, public transport etc, how this can carry on at funeral is beyond belief,” he said. “A devastating day made even worse.” On Facebook, people called the incident “disgraceful” and “disgusting”. “It’s just awful,” one woman wrote. Another woman called it “absolutely vile and shameful”. “Horrific,” another woman wrote. “Words fail me.” Hero image credits: Facebook <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"> <div class="right-box-container"> <div class="post-editor-container"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Caring

Boy climbs UK's tallest mountain after being told he’d never walking again

A seven-year-old boy with cerebral palsy has overcome huge adversity after climbing Britain’s tallest mountain for charity, even though his parents were told he’d never walk again. Caeden Thomson, from Corby, Northamptonshire, was born 12 weeks premature, and has undergone intense physiotherapy to walk again. Despite doctors' claims that he would never properly take his first steps, Caeden nor his family gave up. On his JustGiving page, his mother Lisa said he wanted to be able to "give something back", because "he was so lucky for all the things he has had in his life". At just seven, he hiked the 1,345 metres to the top of Ben Nevis in the Highlands on Saturday, and managed to raise more than £8,000 for his local NHS trust and disability equality charity, Scope. The group began to make their way up the massive mountain at 9am. Together, they would reach the summit at 5.30pm, before returning to the bottom five hours later. Caeden said: "My body hurts a lot but I'm OK. It was really, really hard. "I felt sick and exhausted at the top, and I felt exhausted but happy at the bottom!" His mum says her son is "an absolute legend". To say it was a “massive challenge” was an understatement for the group, who said it was “much, much harder than any of us expected". She said: "There were many hard times along the way. From three-quarters of the way up, the pathway is just massive boulders and very hard to climb, and even at the top we didn't think he would make it down. "There were danger areas where carrying was very difficult, so Caeden did have to walk down a lot of it too. "The temperature dropped hugely and many climbers said they were turning back. But we made it! "We are all super-proud of him, he deserves a medal. "Last night no-one could move or celebrate, so today we are resting up and will celebrate tonight. "We all love Caeden so much and can't believe his passion for getting to the top."

Caring

Awkward video pinpoints the moment Meghan was "told to leave"

A video on Twitter has shocked royal fans as they believe it's the first sign of tension between the royal family. The video was taken at Prince Charles' 70th birthday party, which was a garden party event at Buckingham Palace. The outing was the Sussex family's first outing as newlyweds, which was just three days after they tied the knot. It seems all was not peachy at the event, as the resurfaced 2019 video appears to show Harry and Meghan allegedly being asked to leave the event. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Remember the garden party held in honor of Charles’ 70th? And <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/themarkles?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#themarkles</a> were asked to leave 40 min in because of Meghan’s behavior? They were escorted out along with their entourage. M was not happy! <a href="https://t.co/7jCQE5QuU8">pic.twitter.com/7jCQE5QuU8</a> — Meg’s Legs (@Megs_Legs_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Megs_Legs_/status/1186430397300793345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2019</a></blockquote> The couple were greeting guests and Prince Harry was pulled aside by Prince Charles. An unintelligible conversation followed before Harry rushed to Meghan's side and the pair leave the event, with Meghan looking confused. Prince Charles did not say goodbye to his new daughter-in-law at the event. The turn of events was surprising as Prince Harry had just given a speech 15 minutes earlier. The unveiled footage comes after a tell-all book being published, which details the royal couple's first public appearance going down like a lead balloon. In the book, Lady Colin claims Meghan demanded her and Prince Harry leave the event 15 minutes in, after she said she was ‘bored’. Despite Lady Collin's claims being unable to be proven due to the short video, her claim holds merit. This is due to her tell-all book on Princess Diana that had previously unknown details that were proven to be true.

Travel Trouble

France told to sell Mona Lisa to cover coronavirus losses

France should offset its financial losses from the coronavirus pandemic by selling Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece Mona Lisa for at least €50 billion, a tech CEO has suggested. Stephane Distinguin, founder and CEO of tech company Fabernovel, told Usbek & Rica magazine that the country should “sell the family jewellery” to help deal with the “unfathomable” crisis. “Day after day, we list the billions engulfed in this slump like children counting the fall of a stone into a well to measure its depth,” Distinguin said. “We are still counting, and this crisis seems unfathomable. “As an entrepreneur and a taxpayer, I know that these billions are not invented and that they will necessarily cost us. An obvious reflex is to sell off a valuable asset at the highest price possible, but one that is the least critical as possible to our future.” Distinguin said France has “a lot of paintings”, which are “easy to move and therefore to hand over”. He said: “In 2020, we have to get the money where it is. So sell family jewellery … The price is the crux of the matter and the main subject of controversy. The price has to be insane for the operation to make sense.” The 46-year-old also suggested that the 16th century Italian Renaissance painting could be “tokenised” with a form of cryptocurrency, allowing it to be shared between countries around the world. “It would be like a big global subscription,” he said. “Legally and technically, this solution would have many advantages: it would allow France and the Louvre to keep control of the painting.” The <a href="https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/Issues/2020/04/14/weo-april-2020">International Monetary Fund</a> expected France’s GDP to contract by 7.2 per cent in 2020 as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. Many French tourism operators also <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/tamarathiessen/2020/05/02/forget-french-travel-this-year-tourism-operators-warn/#4719c0b554bd">fear the country will remain off-limits to international visitors this year</a>.

Art

Juries need to be told how they're allowed to use the internet to ensure fair trials

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jemma-holt-940717">Jemma Holt</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-gogarty-146584">Brendan Gogarty</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Juries are supposed to consider evidence without influence or bias from the outside world. However, the <a href="https://www.consultancy.com.au/news/616/9-out-of-10-australian-citizens-now-own-a-smartphone">widespread access to and use of the internet and social media</a> threatens to undermine this, with significant consequences for our criminal justice system and those within it. Given courts cannot effectively police smart-phone use they must adapt to it. This week the <a href="https://www.utas.edu.au/law-reform">Tasmania Law Reform Institute</a> completed its <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/842/Jurors_and_Social_Media_FR_A4_04_secure.pdf?1579503016">year long inquiry</a> into courts and the information age, and has recommendations as to how they can adapt. <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RxmrZ7y9cwg"></iframe></div> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9">The right to a fair & unbiased trial by your peers</div> An accused person’s right to a fair trial is the most fundamental principle of our criminal justice system. It is a phrase that describes a system that affords an accused person many protections. That system relies on jurors being impartial and returning a verdict that is based solely on the evidence that is presented within the courtroom. In the past this was readily easy to achieve. Juror communications during trial hours and even after them could be controlled. News about the trial was generally a local affair, and even when it attracted national attention, the journalists needed to be in the court’s jurisdiction to report, so they and their employers were subject to the court’s authority. The shift in the way people access news, information and communications in the modern age has changed this reality. Almost every Australian has access to the internet via their smartphone or other devices, social media use is habitual among much of our population, and the internet is a ubiquitous source of information for most people. Jurors are no different – in fact, they represent the wider Australian community these statistics describe. While jurors’ smart phones are removed from them during trial, they cannot be before or after the trial period, nor at the beginning or end of the day. As a result jurors may intentionally, or simply by habit seek out or communicate information about the trial. Use and misuse of social media Between 2018 and 2020 the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute conducted an inquiry into juror misuse of the internet and social media during trials. The institute concluded there is likely to be a high, but unquantifiable and undetectable level of misuse. However, there is evidence across Australian jurisdictions that jurors have used their internet connected devices to: <ul> <li> research legal terms or concepts or other information relevant to the trial. A West Australian juror in a drug-related trial obtained information online about <a href="https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/calls-to-overhaul-wa-jury-system-after-juror-dismissed-for-facebook-post-20161012-gs0wwa.html">methylamphetamine production</a> </li> <li> research the accused, witnesses, victims, lawyers or the judge. Two South Australian jurors sitting in a blackmail trial against multiple defendants conducted online searches about the accused which disclosed <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-22/jurors-fined-for-contempt-of-court/7533472">past outlaw motorcycle gang affiliations</a> </li> <li> communicate with people involved in the trial. Multiple New South Wales jurors on a long-running fraud trial <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/jury-getting-off-their-facebooks/news-story/26e2549a7d9063ae9dae0e2a27683dce">became Facebook friends</a>, sharing posts such as a digitally altered photo of one of the jurors wearing a judge’s wig </li> <li> publish material about the trial on the internet or social media. A NSW juror sitting in a sexual offending trial posted on Facebook <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/facebook-post-sparks-probe-into-jury-conduct-in-sex-crime-trial-20190414-p51dz4.html">the day before the guilty verdict was returned</a>: “When a dog attacks a child it is put down. Shouldn’t we do the same with sex predators?” This post was accompanied with a photograph that showed images of rooms and implements by which lawful executions are carried out. </li> </ul> Misuse is under-reported. In those few instance where reports are made, fellow jurors, rather than court officers, tend to be the ones who raise the issue. Indeed, it is an important part of their role. While jurors across Australia are currently told not to conduct online research, wilful disobedience is only part of the problem. It can also involve unintentional acts by jurors who believe they are doing the right thing. For instance, jurors accessing online news, entertainment or social media sites can be passively influenced by information relevant to the trial. Jurors often misunderstand their role and conduct independent research in the genuine belief their actions are in the pursuit of “fairness” or discovering the truth. Educate, inform & encourage self-regulation The law reform institute ultimately concluded it is impossible for, and beyond the capacity of courts to completely police juror internet use. It has thus recommended not reforming the law, but rather strengthening and standardising juror education and directions. These recommendations are divided across two stages of jury selection, as part of an overall strategy: <ul> <li> pre-selection: prospective jurors should receive improved training and information about the role of the juror and the risks of internet use </li> <li> post-selection: once a jury has been selected, judges need to explain to jurors what dangers arise from using the internet to access and publish on social media, seeking information about the case, parties, court officers, lawyers, and self-conducted research into legal concepts or sentences. The report has recommended the court adopt minimum standard directions, but also have the flexibility to make specific directions relevant to any particular trial. </li> </ul> The report recommended certain current practices and laws should remain unchanged, including: <ul> <li> removing phones from jurors while they are in court (even though the effect is limited it avoids juror distraction) </li> <li> leaving contempt (punishment) laws in place for those jurors who intentionally ignore court training and directions. That might include monetary fines and, in severe cases, imprisonment. </li> </ul> This process is aimed at encouraging self-regulation among jurors, by educating them how to curtail their internet use and why it’s so important. <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jemma-holt-940717">Jemma Holt</a>, Research Fellow/ Acting Executive Officer (Research), Tasmania Law Reform Institute, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-gogarty-146584">Brendan Gogarty</a>, Senior Lecturer / Clinical Director / Director (Acting) Tas Law Reform Institue, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/juries-need-to-be-told-how-theyre-allowed-to-use-the-internet-to-ensure-fair-trials-130127">original article</a>.

Technology

Faces that told a million stories

Discovering his trades skills were needed on the world’s largest civilian hospital ship it was a surprise to retiree Bill Williams. With a marine engineering background including experience in refrigeration and steam, Bill proved to be an invaluable part of the crew. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.92090395480227px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833614/mercy-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/490fa00507654bddbbf2877025563150" /> Bill brought a life time of experience to the Mercy Ships engine room crew Image: Mercy Ships. ‘We hadn’t been retired long and my wife, Lynda who is a theatre nurse, had nurtured a dream to volunteer with Mercy Ships for years. I was surprised to learn that my experience was needed too. I didn’t realise they wanted engineering skills and all the other trades and services that are required to make the ship function, as well as nurses and doctors,’ explains Bill. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.92090395480227px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833613/mercy-6.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fec85bfd40e440c28c326f260d20f35a" /> Bill brought a life time of experience to the Mercy Ships engine room crew Image: Mercy Ships. The Mercy Ship is a 16,000 tonne floating surgical hospital. From the Captain and cooks, to surgeons and school teachers, the international crew are volunteers giving of their time and experience to help provide free essential surgery for West Africa’s poor. Since 1978 the international charity has provided ‘hope and healing’ to the world’s forgotten poor. The faith-based NGO spends 10 months at a time providing surgical and healthcare services to developing nations. Bill and Lynda Williams joined the vessel in the port city of Conakry in Guinea, West Africa. This was the hub of the NGO’s work for a fourth field service. ‘Everybody brings skills, and our Down Under trades and engineering people have broad experience. I am multi traded so I was able to bring a lot of knowledge, which created a really good combined reach of skills in the engineering team. I’m used to multitasking. Plumbing, refrigeration, engineering; I had worked on many of the systems before. So I was able to help on quite a few different issues during our six weeks on the Mercy Ship. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.92090395480227px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833615/mercy-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ff07a064fe7e44d889f7ad94532d3caa" /> The engineering team maintain the technical side of the hospital ship so the patients can receive treatment.’ Image: Mercy Ships. ‘The most interesting project I was involved in was fixing the oil filters in the main generators. The cost to replace the oil filter screens was over a thousand dollars, and I thought I could show the guys how to repair them. It took about forty-five minutes and only cost a couple of dollars. ‘Volunteering is a way of using our life skills to help others in real need. I wasn’t directly involved with the Mercy Ships patients receiving the life-transforming surgery, but all the services the engineering team maintain were required in order for the patients to receive treatment.’ <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.92090395480227px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833616/mercy-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b8eb58d1648d4d349c06b376556065c9" /> Lynda found her work in the hospital ship operating theatres stimulating both personally and professionally. Image: Mercy Ships. While Bill brought a life time of engineering skills to the Mercy Ships technical team, Lynda worked in the operating theatres, ‘Volunteering onboard gave me the opportunity to be involved in different types of surgery not done in the western world.’ ‘I saw the end results of the free surgeries provided’, explains Bill. ‘People who had been blind for years having their sight restored and huge, benign tumours were removed. I didn’t see the patients come onboard, but I saw them leave - the look on their faces told a million stories! ‘Seeing the outcome was very rewarding, I definitely recommend volunteering. Everybody has skills and experience; it’s amazing what can be accomplished when we work together.’ Find information about volunteering at <a href="https://mercyships.org.nz/how-to-volunteer/">https://mercyships.org.nz/how-to-volunteer/</a> <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/358531354" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <a href="https://vimeo.com/358531354">Technical crew play a vital role on the hospital ship</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/mercyshipsnz">Mercy Ships New Zealand</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>. ABOUT MERCY SHIPS Mercy Ships is a faith-based charity which uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, capacity-building and sustainable development aid to those without access in the developing world. Founded in 1978, Mercy Ships has performed more than 100,000 life-changing or life-saving surgical procedures such as cleft lip and palate repairs, cataract removal, orthopaedic procedures, facial reconstruction and obstetric fistula repairs. Services and materials valued at more than NZ$2.33 billion have directly benefitted more than 2.71 million people in 70 nations. Each year, around 1,000 volunteers from up to 40 nations, including New Zealand, serve with Mercy Ships. Professionals like surgeons, dentists, nurses, healthcare trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers and teachers donate their time and skills to the effort. Mercy Ships New Zealand, one of 16 international support offices, is based in Auckland. For more information click on <a href="http://www.mercyships.org.nz">www.mercyships.org.nz</a>

Cruising

“I’m just livid”: Cruise passengers claim they weren’t told about White Islands active volcano

An Australian cruise passenger is furious and has claimed that tourists weren’t warned about the danger level of the New Zealand volcano White Island was raised just weeks before it erupted. At least six people have died after the volcano erupted when 47 tourists were on or around the volcano crater. Scientists had noted an increase in volcanic activity, which raises questions about why visitors were allowed to tour the volcano in the first place. 'It showed increased activity for the last few weeks and so we raised the alert level,' GeoNet Project Director Dr Ken Gledhill said on Monday afternoon to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/furious-australian-cruise-passenger-says-tourists-werent-warned-new-zealand-volcano-could-erupt-at-any-moment-despite-danger-level-being-raised-weeks-before-deadly-explosion/ar-BBY26rR?li=AAgfYrC" target="_blank">MSN</a>. Venessa Lugo, who is a passenger on Ovation of the Seas, said that the cruise provided information about the White Island day trip but did not detail the raised danger level, according to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/world/new-zealand-white-island-volcanic-eruption-at-least-six-dead-31-injured/news-story/c24e5406b279ff5f40aeb78cd18b6345" target="_blank">The Daily Telegraph</a>. Lugo said that there were printed sheets on the ship as well as details accessible on a Royal Caribbean app about the shore excursion. “In those sheets we weren't advised of any warnings of anything going off,” she said. “It did ask about pre-existing medical conditions, and it was classified as strenuous activity because you would be in a gas mask, but it definitely didn't specify the possibility of (the volcano) going off.” A spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean did not comment on the claims when contacted but <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cruisehive.com/royal-caribbean-cruise-passengers-impacted-by-island-volcano-eruption/36288" target="_blank">released a statement</a> about the incident. “The news from White Island is devastating. The details that are emerging are heartbreaking. “We are working to help our guests and the authorities in the aftermath of this tragedy in any way we can. “We are communicating with our guests and their families. We're making sure they are taken care of in terms of medical help, counselling, accommodations, and transport. Our hearts go out to them, and we want to be as supportive as we can.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> My god, White Island volcano in New Zealand erupted today for first time since 2001. My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whiteisland?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whiteisland</a> <a href="https://t.co/QJwWi12Tvt">pic.twitter.com/QJwWi12Tvt</a> — Michael Schade (@sch) <a href="https://twitter.com/sch/status/1203893996566634496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">9 December 2019</a></blockquote> Barbara Barhamn, the mother of Lauren Urey, said that her daughter and her husband Matthew would have “never booked the excursion” had they known about the risks. “I'm just livid,” she said after learning the couple had been rescued with burns. “There's been warnings about it ... my son-in-law never would have booked the excursion if he knew there was any chance of them being injured,” she said. White Islands Tours chairman Paul Quinn said that decisions not to tour the island is determined by the weather. “In the normal course of events, we'd actually make that call the night before, and that principally and invariably is around the weather,” he explained to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/its-big-tragedy-us-white-island-tours-chairman-says-iwi-owned-business-missing-two-employees" target="_blank">TVNZ</a>. Quinn also explained that they work off data sent from the Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS). “They send us reports as to what the activity levels are and if in fact it is deemed safe - which is a level two which it was yesterday - the next step is the weather and then we make our choice from there,” he said. Quinn said that a level two has been deemed safe for tours. Others have said that the eruption was just a matter of time, including Monash University Emeritus Professor Ray Cas. “White Island has been a disaster waiting to happen for many years,” he said to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-10/a-disaster-waiting-to-happen:-prof-raymond-cas-on-eruption/11786046" target="_blank">ABC</a>. "It's 50 kilometres offshore from New Zealand with no habitation, no emergency services available. "When you actually get onto the island, you walk straight into this amphitheatre-like volcanic crater. "The floor is littered with many gas-emitting vents and also several volcanic crater lakes which are emitting steam at near-boiling temperatures.”

News

“Profoundly disrespectful”: Shock as George Pell supporters are told to write him a Christmas card

British Deacon Nick Donnelly has asked supporters of convicted paedophile Cardinal George Pell to send him Christmas cards in jail. He asked his followers on Twitter to send Pell letters to his prison cell. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Please show your support for Cardinal Pell by sending him a Christmas card Here's his address DO NOT address his envelope as 'Cardinal Pell' or it will be refused <a href="https://t.co/jsKxvBNofb">pic.twitter.com/jsKxvBNofb</a> — Nick Donnelly (@ProtecttheFaith) <a href="https://twitter.com/ProtecttheFaith/status/1201385480178282496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2019</a></blockquote> "Please show your support for Cardinal Pell by sending him a Christmas card," he wrote alongside a screenshot of an address. Donnelly also says that anyone who sends a letter should “NOT address his envelope as ‘Cardinal Pell’ or it will be refused”. Donnelly also said that gifts of $15 would be accepted. The message has drawn criticism from other Twitter users who labelled the move "profoundly disrespectful. It also drew criticism from Melbourne-based victim support group In Good Faith Foundation. Chief Executive Officer Clare Leaney said to <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/religion-and-belief/george-pell-supporters-told-to-write-christmas-cards-to-convicted-paedophile-c-587870" target="_blank">7News.com.au</a> that she hopes no victims of sexual abuse saw the Tweet. "For a lot of survivors of abuse, there is no holiday period," she said. "That's been taken away from them. "These are people that have lost their faith and their connection to the church and I think the festive season reinforces the isolation some people can have." Pell is currently preparing to spend his first Christmas period behind bars after being jailed for six years with a non-parole period of three years and eight months. However, he is waiting to appeal his conviction in the High Court, which is expected to happen sometime next year. Leaney says that the constant rehashing of the case could be stressful for victims. "I think that for everyone, the impact of childhood abuse and particularly in a religious context, it’s unquantifiable," she said. "For all our clients, they identify it as the worst moment of their lives."

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Faces that told a million stories

“I’m just livid”: Cruise passengers claim they weren’t told about White Islands active volcano

“Profoundly disrespectful”: Shock as George Pell supporters are told to write him a Christmas card