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Little girl praised for shielding baby brother for 36 hours in quake

A seven-year-old girl and her younger brother have been rescued after a 7.8 magnitude quake in southeast Turkey and northern Syria destroyed their home and trapped them beneath tonnes of heavy concrete. Mariam and Ilaaf, along with the rest of their family, were asleep at home in Besnaya-Bseineh, a small village in Haram, Syria, when the Monday quake occurred. It is believed the siblings were confined in the debris for 36 gruelling hours before rescuers located them. Footage has emerged of the moment the children were found, and has revealed that despite the horrors of their situation, Mariam had one priority - protecting her little brother. Their father has since informed reporters that Illaf’s name is an Islamic one meaning ‘protection’. With an arm sheltering his head and covering his face from the dust and debris, Mariam can be seen stroking Ilaaf’s hair in what some believe to be the remains of their bed. A concrete slab lies precariously above them, pinning the two to the spot. “Get me out of here,” Mariam pleads to the rescuers in the now viral clip, “I’ll do anything for you.” To the relief of millions, the children were pulled safely from the scene of the disaster, and transferred to hospital to receive medical treatment. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> While under the rubble of her collapsed home this beautiful 7yr old Syrian girl has her hand over her little brothers head to protect him. Brave soul They both made it out ok. <a href="https://t.co/GrffWBGd1C">pic.twitter.com/GrffWBGd1C</a> — Vlogging Northwestern Syria (@timtams83) <a href="https://twitter.com/timtams83/status/1623060122695004169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2023</a></blockquote> UN representative Mohamad Safa took to Twitter to urge people to “share positivity” in light of the rescue. With a death toll in the thousands - a number only predicted to rise - and aid a desperate need, the siblings’ story has become a moment of bittersweet brightness in a time of tragedy. Around the world, people who heard their story have taken to social media to praise Mariam for her bravery, hailing her as a hero for her actions and love in a time of disaster. “Oh bless her,” tweeted one, “children's love and resilience makes me weep.” “Miracles happen. What a great big sister. Lovingly protective under such stressful circumstances,” wrote another. “Hope for all those still trapped. Respect for all the rescuers working tirelessly.” Their father, Mustafa Zuhir Al-Sayed, has confirmed that their family - he, his wife, and their three children - were asleep when it all happened. “We felt the ground shaking,” he said, “and rubble began falling over our heads, and we stayed two days under the rubble. We went through, a feeling, a feeling I hope no one has to feel.” “People heard us,” he explained, after recounting how he and his family prayed for someone to find them, “and we were rescued – me, my wife and the children. Thank God, we are all alive and we thank those who rescued us.” Images: Twitter

Caring

Netflix actress' sudden death at 36

Actress Busisiwe Lurayi, the star of Netflix’s comedy series How to Ruin Christmas, has passed away aged 36. Lurayi, a prolific stage and screen actress known as Busi, died at her South African home over the weekend. Her sudden death was confirmed in a statement shared on the official Instagram account of her Johannesburg-based talent agency, Eye Media Arts. “We are deeply saddened to notify you of the passing of our beloved Busisiwe Lurayi," the statement read. "Busisiwe passed away suddenly and was pronounced dead at her residence on Sunday [July 10, 2022] by medical personnel.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf3ePghj6gz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf3ePghj6gz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by EYE MEDIA ARTISTS (@eyemediaartists)</a> </div> </blockquote> The cause of her death is still unknown, according to the statement. "We humbly request that you allow us as the family to come to terms with this tragic news,” the statement continued. “We thank you for the support that has been given so far and will provide further information as soon as it has been made available." Lurayi was best known for her role as Tumi Sello in How to Ruin Christmas, which earned her the SAFTA Golden Horn Award for Best Actress in a TV Comedy in 2021. She also starred in various South African shows, including City Ses’la, which she received the SAFTA Golden Horn Award for Best Actress in a TV Comedy for in 2011 and the SAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2006. Lurayi was also known for her roles in the shows Ses’Top la and Wild at Heart, and guest-starred in an episode of ER in 2006. Tributes to Lurayi have poured in since the news of her passing, with fans, Netflix South Africa and the SAFTAs praising her as an “incredible light” and “brilliant actor”. “An incredible light has gone out in the South African entertainment industry. We are deeply saddened by the passing of award-winning stage & screen actor Busi Lurayi. We will hold onto the laughs, the beauty & the moments of joy she brought us,” Netflix South Africa tweeted. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> An incredible light has gone out in the South African entertainment industry. We are deeply saddened by the passing of award-winning stage & screen actor Busi Lurayi. We will hold onto the laughs, the beauty & the moments of joy she brought us. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPBusiLurayi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPBusiLurayi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HowToRuinChristmas?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HowToRuinChristmas</a> <a href="https://t.co/eUdcpqtTfG">pic.twitter.com/eUdcpqtTfG</a> — NetflixSA (@NetflixSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NetflixSA/status/1546518948488908801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> At this time of loss, we are deeply saddened by the passing of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BusiLurayi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BusiLurayi</a>. We’ll remember her as an incredibly talented actress who was a winner of her first <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Safta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Safta</a> for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Comedy in 2006. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPBusiLurayi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPBusiLurayi</a> <a href="https://t.co/hKlMKUZelM">pic.twitter.com/hKlMKUZelM</a> — #SAFTAs (@SAFTAS1) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAFTAS1/status/1546489832418992130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> RIP: Busi Lurayi The prolific Stage & Screen ctress has passed on. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RIPBusiLurayi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RIPBusiLurayi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Jtje4Efqfj">pic.twitter.com/Jtje4Efqfj</a> — Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilMphela/status/1546438519182315521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2022</a></blockquote> "At this time of loss, we are deeply saddened by the passing of #BusiLurayi. We'll remember her as an incredibly talented actress who was a winner of her first #Safta for Best Supporting Actress in a TV Comedy in 2006,” the SAFTA’s wrote. One fan replied: “She was remarkable. Condolences to her family🙏🏽." Kgopolo Phil Mphela, a South African celebrity commentator, wrote: “RIP: Busi Lurayi. The prolific Stage & Screen actress has passed on.” “I remember Busi Lurayi from City Ses’la that’s where I fell in love with her, she was a brilliant actor she will definitely be missed,” another fan <a href="https://twitter.com/Collen_KM/status/1546448898809647104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “Sad to hear about Busi Lurayi’s passing,” celebrity blogger and TV presenter Lelo Boyana <a href="https://twitter.com/MsLeloB/status/1546534845869965315" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “She was an incredibly talented artist, one of the best we’ve had, and I’m glad we gave her flowers while she was here. “Sending love and comfort to friends, family and colleagues 🕯️🙏🏽.” Image: Twitter

News

Tradie faces 36 offences after destroying 68-year-old’s home

An unlicensed tradie has left a man’s house in ruin and drained his life savings - but he’s just one of the builder’s many victims. Tevita Ungounga has received multiple public warnings and convictions for various building offences, and has become well-known to Fair Trading and police. Ian O'Connor, one of Mr Ungounga’s victims, paid the builder $235,000 to build a seawall and renovate his house. Two years after the job commenced, the 68-year-old’s home is filled with unfinished rooms, holey walls, and still has no running water. <img style="width: 396px; height: 223px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845577/tradie4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/540e3d1b51e44be8b5c85991b011cce1" /> Mr O’Connor sits in his unfinished home. Image: A Current Affair “He’s a pig, a disgusting pig,” Mr O’Connor told <a rel="noopener" href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/fake-tradie-who-destroyed-mans-home-draining-him-of-life-savings-exposed/a1de65e0-e586-447f-bb60-f761a0968c64" target="_blank">A Current Affair</a>. “He seemed quite nice, very friendly, but I guess you could say most conmen are.” Mr O’Connor lost his life savings, and has had to delay his retirement and continue working so he can rebuild his home. Mr Ungounga has since been accused of fraudulently obtaining more than $220,000 from homeowners for incomplete or defective work to their homes. He is currently facing these allegations in court. However, complaints about Mr Ungoungu date back to 1998, when he was jailed for 60 days after failing to declare an estimated income of $1.4 million to Hawaii’s tax department. In a civil case, Hawaii’s Regulatory Industries Complaints Office was quoted by the media saying Mr Ungounga was “just very, very good at what he does”. <img style="width: 396px; height: 223px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845578/tradie3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/844a284e694e4545a429e5c8b34f21da" /> Mr Ungounga and his wife Siosiana. Image: A Current Affair In 2015, Mr Ungounga and his wife Siosiana received a combined fine of $90,000 under the company name T & T Sandstone. They were fined for engaging in significant residential building work in Australia without a licence. After the incident with Mr O’Connor, Mr Ungoungu was sentenced to a 14-month intensive corrections order this year. He has also been charged with 36 offences by NSW Police, and has been the subject of three public warnings issued by Fair Trading in the last two years. The warnings related to his status as an unlicensed and uninsured tradie, with the organisation urging customers to do their checks before employing Mr Ungoungu. “I never take the money and go, I do the job,” Mr Ungoungu told A Current Affair. Images: A Current Affair

Real Estate

Simon Baker debuts relationship with 36-year-old designer

Simon Baker has debuted his relationship with fellow Aussie Laura May Gibbs. People reported the 51-year-old was spotted with the activewear designer, 36, at a beach off the NSW town of Byron Bay. Gibbs is the founder of fashion and lifestyle brand Nagnata, a creative design collaborative with her sister Hannah Gibbs. In January, The Mentalist star announced his separation from Aussie actress Rebecca Rigg, 53, his wife of close to 30 years. They share three children together: Stella, 27, Claude, 22, and Harry, 19. "We remain close friends and our three children will always be the most important focus of our lives," the couple — who met in the early 1990s and starred on the Aussie soap E Street together — said in a joint statement at the time.

Relationships

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Palm Beach mansion sells for eyewatering $36 million

An oceanfront Palm Beach estate that was once owned by celebrity John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono has sold for a whopping $36 million. Reports say the El Solano is located on South Ocean Boulevard, which is referred to as Billionaires’ Row. The sprawling mansion with intricate detailing and expansive views was bought by the famous singer around 1980, according to the book Nowhere Man: The Final Days of John Lennon, by Robert Rosen. Mr. Lennon was shot to death a few months later after they bought the beautiful home, and his and Ms. Ono’s grand dream to renovate the home never came to fruition. Yoko sold the property in 1986. The 1920s-era, Spanish-style property is about 14,000 square feet and has seven large bedrooms. It was deigned by Society architect Addison Mizner, and has rare features not seen in most homes including an oceanfront dining room, a library fit for any bookworm and a grand salon with a wet bar. The Wall Street Journal also reported when it hit the market that the estate also includes a tennis court, two swimming pools, a three-car garage and a beachfront cabana.

Real Estate

Thomas Cook bosses’ took home more than $36 million despite the company being in debt

As hundreds of thousands of tourists are stranded across the country, there have been furious calls for the top earners of travel firm Thomas Cook to hand back their multimillion dollar bonuses. In the past five years alone, 12 of the company’s top earners took home a shocking $36 million despite the company facing debts of $2.9 billion when it collapsed. This is according to the UK’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/22/thomas-cook-bosses-received-20m-bonuses-last-5-years-company/" target="_blank">The Telegraph.</a> Chief executive officer Peter Fankhauser took home $15.23 million since he took on the job in 2014, whereas chief financial officers Michael Healy and Bill Scott earned a combined $12.84 million since 2014. The UK’s opposition Labour Party finance spokesman John McDonnell has said that the executives should repay their bonuses. “I think they need to really examine their own consciences about how they’ve brought this about and how they themselves have exploited the situation,” he said on BBC radio. The company was one of the world’s oldest and largest travel operators and fell into compulsory liquidation after it was unable to secure the $368 million demanded by lenders. Mr McDonnell also attacked the British Government for not doing more to help out the company. “I’m worried for the holiday-makers. I really feel for them. But also 13,000 people will lose their jobs over this and I just think the government should have been willing to do more intervene, stabilise the situation, then allow a longer term plan to develop,” he said. “This company once was in public ownership and as a result of privatisation it’s had real problems over the years I think because of issues around management and the lack of long-term planning.” However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it would be a “moral hazard” to save the company. The liquidation has left more than 21,000 people out of work and stranded more than 600,000 holiday goers overseas. In Tunisia, things took a turn for the worse as tourists were locked inside a hotel by security guards. “Do not come to Les Orangers hotel (in) Hamamet, Tunisia, as we’re all being held hostage because Thomas Cook haven’t paid for our stays!” she said. “Everyone’s being charged nearly 3000 pounds to leave. The security gates are locked and no-one can leave nor can any coaches get in to take people out.” A spokesman for Thomas Cook later said the issue had been resolved and guests allowed to leave. "We are aware that a small number of customers were asked to pay for their hotel room before leaving Les Orangers in Tunisia … this has now been resolved and customers flew home as planned. We continue to support our customers in all our resorts," they said.

Travel Tips

Roger Federer's fantastic career first at 36

Roger Federer has claimed his 98th ATP title with a 6-4 7-6 (7-3) victory over Milos Raonic in the Stuttgart Cup final. The Swiss superstar, who won his first Stuttgart title, will be chasing a ninth Wimbledon triumph next month. “I’m just very happy how I played this week,” the 20-time grand slam champion said. “I never felt bad on the court, to be honest. “That’s a very encouraging feeling. In the last couple of days I’ve not dropped serve. “I was there in the most important moments, breaking Milos (in the first set) was a good effort. It’s been a great week for me.” The 36-year-old will take the honour from Rafael Nadal and regain the World No. 1 ranking when he pays at Halle next week. He continues his dominant form on grass after skipping the clay-court season. “It’s a great comeback for me,” Federer said after completing his 78-minute win. “I’m so happy to win this tournament in my third attempt. We’ll see if being number one again will probably give me a boost.” “I think I played very well not having played for a while,” Federer added. “Maybe I was a bit better on the big points.” Federer isn’t looking too far ahead at the All England Club yet. “That’s the plan for now, for Wimbledon I still have time. I have a quiet pre-tournament week, not many things going on, which is fine. “I just hope to stay injury-free and healthy.”

News

Can 36 questions make you fall in love again? Watch these senior couples try

How can you scientifically study something like love? Well, psychologist Arthur Aron has been researching it for over 50 years with his wife Elaine, and together, they developed three dozen questions designed to bring people closer together and strengthen ties. In fact, the Arons were able to make two strangers fall in love in a lab. In 2015, the questions reappeared in a New York Times column and subsequently went viral – <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/2015/03/36-love-questions/" target="_blank">you can read them here</a> – and just a couple of months ago, they returned to the spotlight once again when the newspaper posed the questions to a group of senior couples. The aim? To make them fall in love again – or simply fall even deeper in love than they already were. So, how did it turn out? Watch the video below to find out! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v2jnL9gPX7U" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Image credit: The New York Times.

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Little girl praised for shielding baby brother for 36 hours in quake

Netflix actress' sudden death at 36

Tradie faces 36 offences after destroying 68-year-old’s home

Simon Baker debuts relationship with 36-year-old designer

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Palm Beach mansion sells for eyewatering $36 million

Thomas Cook bosses’ took home more than $36 million despite the company being in debt

Roger Federer's fantastic career first at 36

Can 36 questions make you fall in love again? Watch these senior couples try

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

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Little girl praised for shielding baby brother for 36 hours in quake

Netflix actress' sudden death at 36

Tradie faces 36 offences after destroying 68-year-old’s home

Simon Baker debuts relationship with 36-year-old designer

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Palm Beach mansion sells for eyewatering $36 million

Thomas Cook bosses’ took home more than $36 million despite the company being in debt

Roger Federer's fantastic career first at 36

Can 36 questions make you fall in love again? Watch these senior couples try

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