Parents under fire for taking their sick toddler on a long-haul flight

<p>A couple has come under fire after documenting their experience online of boarding a long-haul flight with their toddler, despite the child being sick. </p> <p>Alina and her husband were excited to go on their long-awaited holiday to Thailand with their one-year-old son in tow, taking off on their first big family trip. </p> <p>However, shortly before they were set to take off, their child developed a raging fever, and they decided to go on the trip anyway. </p> <p>Taking the experience to social media, Alina said her son’s temperature soared to around 40 degrees, with their little boy’s condition escalating so rapidly that the parents were considering calling off their entire trip. </p> <p>“My husband and I even wanted to cancel the flight,” she confessed in the video, which has received around 1.4 million views.</p> <p>However, after realising they would be out of pocket by several thousands of dollars if they cancelled the trip at such short notice, they decided to take the risk and board the plane. </p> <p>“Our tickets would have been wasted, and the trip that cost us $3,000 would have been wasted,” the mum wrote. "One plus of this flight was that the flight was at night, and the child could sleep and recover.”</p> <p>In the clip, the parents were seen walking their son around the plane, cradling the sick toddler as he cried uncontrollably.</p> <p>Luckily, the parents “managed to bring down the temperature”, but they weren’t convinced their son would keep quiet for the rest of the trip. </p> <p>“We were so worried about how the baby would feel on an eight-hour flight,” she continued, walking the baby up and down the corridors of the airport, trying to calm him down. </p> <p>As they tried to settle the child, they realised that their hopes that he would sleep the whole way were misguided. </p> <p>“The flight turned out to be difficult,” Alina confessed. “The baby kept waking and crying.” </p> <p>In the middle of the night, their son’s fever returned, which forced the parents to “bring the temperature down again” and left them “very worried” about their son’s health. </p> <p>Their baby’s fever took a toll on the parents as well, who complained of feeling “squeezed like a lemon” while trying to keep his temperature down, as Alina recalled, “We took turns looking after the baby so each of us could sleep.”</p> <p>In a later video, the parents defended their choice to take their son on the flight despite his intense fever and blamed it on his teething, not sickness. </p> <p>“Our baby wasn’t sick, he was teething, and that’s why he had a fever,” she said. “If our child had been sick, we would have cancelled everything … I consider myself a wonderful mother.”</p> <p>Despite the mother's clarification of her son's fever, the parents were slammed for even considering taking a sick child on such a long flight. </p> <p>“It’s OK, don’t worry about making anyone else on that flight sick,” a sarcastic comment read. “This is so tremendously selfish, you are appalling for doing this to him and others.” </p> <p>“I was in the same situation,” another parent said. “I lost all bookings, but who cares, my daughter comes first always and forever, no matter the amount of money!”</p> <p>“Trips come and go; your baby’s health is priceless!” read another comment. “Forty degrees is a hospital admission! Not a flight to Thailand!”</p> <p>However, not everyone was as judgmental, with many parents extending their sympathies to the first-time parents, as one person wrote, “You know what’s best for your baby. Everyone will say things. But only you will know when you are in that situation.”</p> <p>“Everyone is a first-time parent,” another defended. “This was a lesson learned. A baby’s health is of utmost importance. No holiday is more important than that. I hope he is OK now.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Trouble

“Absolutely livid”: Woman discovers she’s been fired via text on her wedding day

<p dir="ltr">A woman has recalled the moment she discovered she had lost her job after her boss delivered the news via text on the woman’s wedding day.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bride shared that she got the message from her boss just 30 minutes after she walked down the aisle. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman shared the story with Ben Askins, who regularly shares stories online of toxic employers, as she read out the messages she received on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On my wedding day, half an hour after the ceremony, I got a text from my boss to let me know I had been fired,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">The message from her boss read, “Hey, I hope your wedding went well and that you had a nice time away. I just wanted to let you know that the decision has been made to unfortunately let you go.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“An email has been sent to your personal email address detailing this. I'm really sorry that it didn't work out and wish you all the best moving forward x.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As she was surrounded by loved ones, the bride struggled to contain her emotions as she quickly checked her emails.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope your wedding went well and you had a good time. This email is to inform you that your employment will be terminated effective the 20th of May,” the email read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Your employment has been terminated as we unfortunately feel your performance doesn't meet the expectations that we require for the role.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman explained how she felt her manager's email was a “coward's way” of letting her go while she wasn't at work, and was unable to defend herself. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I wasn't going to let it go but what they did... I was really angry at them,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“They had the opportunity to do it in person. Everyone was let go in person except for me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Askins said the woman’s story was one of the “worst things” he's ever heard a boss do to an employee. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It's meant to be one of the best, most amazing days ever and they've done that to you,” he told the woman. “You have every right to be absolutely livid with them.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Askins' video of the woman’s story has been viewed more than 600,000 times, with many taking particular issue on the bride's boss for being “petty” and “inappropriate”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This person could have waited a day. It's done on purpose to ruin your special day. Only narcissists would do that,” one said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another added, “The fact that she texted her to let her know about the email is so petty. She wanted her to know on her wedding day.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Legal

Dental staff fired for mocking cancer patient’s private diary

<p>Shocking video has emerged of two dental staff reading a cancer patient's private diary aloud while laughing and mocking her concerns. </p> <p>The video which captured the American employees at  Premier Dental Group (PDG) of Knoxville laughing as they read the private diary entries was captioned: "Found a patients journal and now it's story time lmao."</p> <p>The footage was reportedly filmed by another staff member who could be heard giggling throughout the video, according to the<em> New York Post.</em> </p> <p>A woman in black scrubs was filmed reading passages from the diary to others in the room and describing the radiation treatments  the worried patient faces. </p> <p>Another woman was sitting cross-legged on the office floor and listening intently, a male employee was also in the room but he did not intervene or join in with the women.</p> <p>It’s not clear how staff obtained access to the patient’s private journal, or why they decided to read it.</p> <p>The video sparked outrage across social media, with  Premier Dental Group of Knoxville having to share an apology on Facebook acknowledging the incident. </p> <p>"Premier Dental Group of Knoxville is aware of a recent incident involving an inappropriate video created and shared by some of our employees that addressed an individual’s medical condition in a disrespectful and unprofessional manner.”</p> <p>“We deeply regret this incident and the hurt [it] has caused,” they wrote in the statement which has now been deleted. </p> <p>A spokesperson for PDG confirmed to the <em>New York Post</em> the female employees involved in the incident were fired “effective immediately”.</p> <p>After an investigation it was determined that the male employee in the video did not participate and kept his job. </p> <p>“We are committed to maintaining a respectful and professional environment for everyone, and we will continue to take necessary actions to uphold these standards,” the practice said.</p> <p><em>Images: news.com.au</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Chinese zoo's "panda" display under fire

<p>A zoo in China has come under fire after visitors noticed something strange about the baby panda display. </p> <p>Taizhou Zoo, in the eastern Jiangsu Province, advertised their baby panda enclosure, which was actually just two small Chow Chow dogs dyed black and white. </p> <p>The tickets to the display which are believed to have gone public late last week, read "Xiong Mao Quan" which translates to "panda dogs", Chinese newspaper The Global Times reported.</p> <p>Footage of the animals in the enclosure has gone viral, with many sharing their confusion over the zoo's special enclosure. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Taizhou Zoo in Jiangsu Province dyed two chow chow puppies black and white and promoted them as so-called “panda dogs.” <a href="https://t.co/Jo7q1dBzZJ">pic.twitter.com/Jo7q1dBzZJ</a></p> <p>— Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/shanghaidaily/status/1786948655880290806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p>A staff member at the zoo, Liu Qiuming, told the local publication the panda scheme was used to attract more visitors and better their experience, as the zoo does not have any pandas of its own.</p> <p>The display has reportedly raised concerns of fraud but another staffer has insisted the zoo has not tricked or manipulated its visitors, given the direct translation of the exhibit. </p> <p>"This is just a new display we offer to visitors. We are not charging extra," a ticket seller told The Global Times.</p> <p>"The wording featuring Chow Chow dogs is correct and exactly describes what they are, so we are not cheating our visitors."</p> <p><em>Image credits: X (Twitter)</em></p>

International Travel

Hall of Fame fighter hospitalised after saving elderly parents from fire

<p>In the heart of Ohio, a story of heroism and sacrifice has emerged from the flames of a devastating house fire.</p> <p>Mark Coleman, a revered figure in the world of mixed martial arts (MMA) and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), found himself in the midst of a harrowing ordeal, where his actions transcended the octagon to demonstrate unparalleled bravery and love for family.</p> <p>On a fateful Tuesday morning, as the dawn painted the sky over Fremont, Ohio, tragedy struck the Coleman household. Details of the fire initially emerged through local news outlets, shrouded in anonymity. However, it wasn't long before the truth surfaced – it was Mark Coleman, the UFC legend, who had selflessly rushed into the inferno to rescue his elderly parents from imminent danger.</p> <p>Reports indicated that Coleman, aged 59, wasted no time in the face of adversity. With unwavering determination, he courageously carried both of his parents, Dan and Connie Foos Coleman, to safety, braving the engulfing flames that threatened to consume their home. Yet, his valour knew no bounds as he plunged back into the fiery abyss, driven by an instinctive urge to save another beloved member of the family – their loyal dog, Hammer.</p> <p>Tragically, despite his desperate efforts, the canine companion did not survive the blaze. Coleman's daughter, Kenzie, revealed on social media that Hammer's persistent barking had roused her father from slumber, ultimately saving his life. This heartbreaking loss added another layer of sorrow to an already traumatic event.</p> <p>As news of Coleman's heroic act spread, an outpouring of support and prayers flooded social media platforms. His second daughter Morgan, in an emotional Instagram post, recounted her father's selfless deeds and pleaded for continued prayers during this trying time. To the Coleman family, Mark wasn't just a UFC pioneer; he was a beacon of strength and resilience, a cherished father and a beloved friend.</p> <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/C4bQHaopteq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/C4bQHaopteq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Morgan Coleman (@mocoleman18)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Mark Coleman's legacy in the world of MMA is undeniable. Dubbed "The Godfather of Ground-and-Pound", he etched his name in the annals of UFC history as the organisation's inaugural heavyweight champion in 1997. His contributions to the sport earned him a well-deserved place in the UFC Hall of Fame in 2008, solidifying his status as a true icon.</p> <p>However, beyond the glitz and glory of the octagon, Coleman's journey has been marked by personal struggles and triumphs. In 2020, he battled a heart attack, a testament to his resilience in the face of adversity. A year later, he confronted his demons, seeking rehabilitation for alcoholism, and emerged stronger, embracing a healthier lifestyle.</p> <p>Author Jonathan Snowden, who shared a close bond with Coleman and was poised to document his remarkable life story, offered a glimpse into the aftermath of the fire. Through poignant images capturing the devastation, Snowden provided a raw and unfiltered portrayal of the ordeal. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is what's left of the house Mark Coleman and his family were in last night.</p> <p>Mark's dog Hammer woke him up to a house in flames. He saved both his parents and is fighting for his life. <a href="https://t.co/hicYhv7SDm">pic.twitter.com/hicYhv7SDm</a></p> <p>— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/JESnowden/status/1767637195555299781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2024</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Images: Instagram / Twitter (X)</em></p>

Caring

Stevie Nicks faces wild backlash over Hawaii fires post

<p>Stevie Nicks, the celebrated icon from Fleetwood Mac, has drawn a mixed response among her admirers due to her extensive reflection on the Maui fires, with even her most devoted supporters not hesitating to express their concerns.</p> <p>The legendary artist took to social media to convey her thoughts regarding the tragic Maui fires, a subject close to her heart. However, her detailed account of how the catastrophe impacted her, particularly in relation to her niece's disrupted holiday plans, has drawn a divisive reaction.</p> <p>In a post entitled "“Lahaina is not gone ~ It is just away,” Nicks opened up about her personal connection to the coastal town that fell victim to the destructive fires, claiming the lives of at least 96 individuals.</p> <p>“As I am sure you have heard – the island, Maui, where I own a house I have been staying at since the 80s – and the small village, city, most magical place on earth, Lahaina, burned to the ground over the last few days,” she wrote.</p> <p>She further explained the distressing situation involving her young niece, her spouse, and their child, who had just embarked on a much-needed vacation before the niece's return to her studies in psychology. Regrettably, their vacation was cut short due to the onset of the fire.</p> <p>Nicks also delved into the profound connection that the members of Fleetwood Mac share with Maui. “This island, in so many ways, defines Fleetwood Mac and me and our families. My truth was that I wanted a house here just so I could spend time in Lahaina walking the streets; visiting the art galleries – sitting on the rock wall – Most all the opals I wear on my fingers came from a store on Front Street. I hope the sweet lady who owned that store was able to grab all her opals and run. I hope she made it out.”</p> <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/Cv3LAiCLf03/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/Cv3LAiCLf03/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Stevie Nicks (@stevienicks)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The response among her fan base has been polarised. Some voiced disappointment with Nicks for placing emphasis on her niece's disrupted vacation rather than the tragic loss of nearly 100 lives in the fires. They also questioned the absence of any links or information directing her substantial Instagram following, which numbers 1.4 million, towards aiding the fire survivors.</p> <p>One Instagram user commented, “I’ve been a Stevie fan forever and a day but this is Completely tone deaf! There are people who have LOST THEIR HOMES, their livelihood and their loved ones. Regular people – not rich, and not tourists. “Ruining” someone’s well deserved holiday is the absolutely LEAST of it all. True colours are shining and it’s such a disappointment.”</p> <p>While detractors were vocal, others stood up for Nicks, contending that her personal connection to the island warranted her sharing her story just as much as anyone else – with one post in particular offering a particularly insightful explanation:</p> <p>"People commenting with criticism: I sincerely understand but what you don’t realize is that this is a woman who doesn’t go on the internet or understand how any of that works. She hand writes these notes to express her heart and has an assistant post them. She has always given back without advertising it. The concept of crowdfunding donations on social media is something she really just has no idea about. If she knew better, I could understand the frustration but she’s just not a part of social media discourse whatsoever. I can guarantee that she is not only giving back but reaching directly out to individuals she has crossed paths with there over the years. Stevie has always been charitable, but has never been a citizen of the internet."</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Tourists flock to the Mediterranean as if the climate crisis isn’t happening. This year’s heat and fire will force change

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susanne-becken-90437">Susanne Becken</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/johanna-loehr-1457342">Johanna Loehr</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p>Thousands of people on the beach. Children reportedly falling off evacuation boats. Panic. People fleeing with the clothes on their backs. It felt like “the end of the world”, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/23/british-tourists-tell-of-nightmare-in-rhodes-fires-greece">one tourist</a>.</p> <p>The fires sweeping through the Greek islands of Rhodes and Corfu are showing us favourite holiday destinations are no longer safe as climate change intensifies.</p> <p>For decades, tourists have flocked to the Mediterranean for the northern summer. Australians, Scandinavians, Brits, Russians all arrive seeking warmer weather. After COVID, many of us have been keen to travel once again.</p> <p>But this year, the intense heatwaves have claimed <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/world/heatwave-pictures-wildfires-worsen-greece-italy-spain-europe-us-2488556">hundreds of lives</a> in Spain alone. Major tourist drawcards such as the Acropolis in Athens have been closed. Climate scientists are “stunned by the ferocity” of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/25/northern-hemisphere-heatwaves-europe-greece-italy-wildfires-extreme-weather-climate-experts">heat</a>.</p> <p>This year is likely to force a rethink for tourists and for tourism operators. Expect to see more trips taken during shoulder seasons, avoiding the increasingly intense July to August summer. And expect temperate countries to become more popular tourist destinations. Warm-weather tourist destinations will have to radically change.</p> <h2>What will climate change do to mass tourism?</h2> <p>Weather is a major factor in tourism. In Europe and North America, people tend to go from northern countries to southern regions. Chinese tourists, like Australians, often head to Southeast Asian beaches.</p> <p>In Europe, the north-south flow is almost hardwired. When Australians go overseas, they often choose Mediterranean summers. Over the last decade, hotter summers haven’t been a dealbreaker.</p> <p>But this year is likely to drive change. You can already see that in the growing popularity of shoulder seasons (June or September) in the traditional Northern Hemisphere summer destinations.</p> <p>Many of us are shifting how we think about hot weather holidays from something we seek to something we fear. This comes on top of consumer shifts such as those related to sustainability and <a href="https://theconversation.com/flight-shaming-how-to-spread-the-campaign-that-made-swedes-give-up-flying-for-good-133842">flight shame</a>.</p> <p>What about disaster tourism? While thrillseekers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/22/death-valley-tourism-extreme-weather-california">may be flocking</a> to Death Valley to experience temperatures over 50℃, it’s hard to imagine this type of tourism going mainstream.</p> <p>What we’re more likely to see is more people seeking “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09669582.2016.1213849?journalCode=rsus20">last-chance</a>” experiences, with tourists flocking to highly vulnerable sites such as the Great Barrier Reef. Of course, this type of tourism isn’t sustainable long-term.</p> <h2>What does this mean for countries reliant on tourism?</h2> <p>The crisis in Rhodes shows us the perils of the just-in-time model of tourism, where you bring in tourists and everything they need –food, water, wine – as they need it.</p> <p>The system is geared to efficiency. But that means there’s little space for contingencies. Rhodes wasn’t able to easily evacuate 19,000 tourists. This approach will have to change to a just-in-case approach, as in other <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/willyshih/2022/01/30/from-just-in-time-to-just-in-case-is-excess-and-obsolete-next/?sh=195cd054daf7">supply chains</a>.</p> <p>For <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261517712002063">emergency services</a>, tourists pose a particular challenge. Locals have a better understanding than tourists of risks and escape routes. Plus tourists don’t speak the language. That makes them much harder to help compared to locals.</p> <p>Climate change poses immense challenges in other ways, too. Pacific atoll nations like Kiribati or Tuvalu <a href="https://www.pacificpsdi.org/assets/Uploads/PSDI-TourismSnapshot-TUV3.pdf">would love</a> more tourists to visit. The problem there is water. Sourcing enough water for locals is getting harder. And tourists use a lot of water – drinking it, showering in it, swimming in it. Careful planning will be required to ensure local carrying capacities are not exceeded by tourism.</p> <p>So does this spell the end of mass tourism? Not entirely. But it will certainly accelerate the trend in countries like Spain away from mass tourism, or “overtourism”. In super-popular tourist destinations like Spain’s Balearic Islands, there’s been an increasing pushback from locals against <a href="https://theconversation.com/were-in-the-era-of-overtourism-but-there-is-a-more-sustainable-way-forward-108906">overtourism</a> in favour of specialised tourism with smaller numbers spread out over the year.</p> <p>Is this year a wake-up call? Yes. The intensifying climate crisis means many of us are now more focused on what we can do to stave off the worst of it by, say, avoiding flights. The pressure for change is growing too. Delta Airlines is being sued over its announcement to go carbon neutral by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/may/30/delta-air-lines-lawsuit-carbon-neutrality-aoe">using offsets</a>, for instance.</p> <h2>Mountains not beaches: future tourism may look a lot different</h2> <p>You can already see efforts to adapt to the changes in many countries. In Italy, for instance, domestic mountain tourism is <a href="https://www.euromontana.org/en/neve-diversa-how-mountain-tourism-can-adapt-to-climate-change/">growing</a>, enticing people from hot and humid Milan and Rome up where the air is cooler – even if the snow is disappearing.</p> <p>China, which doesn’t do things by halves, is investing in mountain resorts. The goal here is to offer cooler alternatives like northern China’s <a href="https://english.news.cn/20230714/9ae6f89a6b7b433ebde3ec689b87f6db/c.html">Jilin province</a> to beach holidays for sweltering residents of megacities such as Beijing and Shanghai.</p> <p>Some mountainous countries are unlikely to seize the opportunity because they don’t want to draw more tourists. Norway is considering a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidnikel/2022/12/03/norway-to-consider-introducing-tourist-tax-from-2024/?sh=710871eb1b27">tourist tax</a>.</p> <p>Forward-thinking countries will be better prepared. But there are limits to preparation and adaptation. Mediterranean summer holidays will be less and less appealing, as the region is a <a href="https://www.unep.org/unepmap/resources/factsheets/climate-change">heating hotspot</a>, warming 20% faster than the world average. Italy and Spain are still <a href="https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/severe-drought-western-mediterranean-faces-low-river-flows-and-crop-yields-earlier-ever-2023-06-13_en">in the grip</a> of a record-breaking drought, threatening food and water supplies. The future of tourism is going to be very different. <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/210282/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susanne-becken-90437">Susanne Becken</a>, Professor of Sustainable Tourism, Griffith Institute for Tourism, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/johanna-loehr-1457342">Johanna Loehr</a>, , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>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/tourists-flock-to-the-mediterranean-as-if-the-climate-crisis-isnt-happening-this-years-heat-and-fire-will-force-change-210282">original article</a>.</em></p>

International Travel

"Do better": Subway under fire over "distasteful" sign

<p>A Subway store in the US has come under fire for poking fun at the Titan submersible implosion on a promotional sign. </p> <p>The fast food store, located in the Atlanta capital of Georgia, referenced the recent disaster in which five people were killed on an excursion to the Titanic wreckage, as their vessel imploded after it lost contact with its mothership. </p> <p>Their sign read, "Our subs don't implode". </p> <p>Following immense backlash, the store manager told a local radio station that the sign had been taken down. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/SUBWAY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SUBWAY</a> this is at your store in Rincon, GA. Not only is it distasteful, it’s just sad. Do better. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/subway?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#subway</a> <a href="https://t.co/PfgABPU8ML">pic.twitter.com/PfgABPU8ML</a></p> <p>— Amanda Butler (@Amanda72118560) <a href="https://twitter.com/Amanda72118560/status/1675599325613654018?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“We have been in contact with the franchise about this matter and made it clear that this kind of comment has no place in our business,” a statement from Subway to Fox News said.</p> <p>Social media users were quick to condemn the "distasteful" sign, after it went viral on Twitter. </p> <p>One person shared a photo of the sign and wrote, "Not only is it distasteful, it’s just sad. Do better."</p> <p>Another commenter took a stance against the fast food chain, saying, "I’ll never eat at Subway ever again. It is distasteful and disrespectful to families who lost loved ones."</p> <p>Despite the online backlash, some people believed the sign was not the worst thing Subway has done in terms of controversies, with many pointing out the sign is "far less worse than Jared [Fogle]", in reference to the spokesperson for the restaurant in the early 2000s who was arrested for possession of child pornography.</p> <p>Others chose to see the lighter side of the joke on the promotional sign, with one person adding, "No, but Subway subs make your insides explode."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

Legal

“Where’s Andy Murray?” Famous family fires up over Wimbledon faux pas

<p>The family of Andy Murray are up in arms after the tennis champion was left out of a promotional artwork ahead of the annual Wimbledon competition. </p> <p>On Tuesday, the All England Club unveiled the promotional image to their social media accounts, which shows 15 past tennis champions, past and present, walking down the stairs of the main building at Wimbledon. </p> <p>At the forefront of the image are members of the “next generation of headline acts” Spaniard world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner, surrounded by sporting legends such as Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and the Williams sisters Serena and Venus.</p> <p>Despite the image being filled with famous tennis faces, there is no image of Andy Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion, whose famous victory in July 2013 ended 77 years of waiting for a homegrown British male singles winner.</p> <p>Andy's family and fans reacted with outrage that Murray, who was officially knighted in May 2019, was left out of the composition.</p> <p>Murray’s uncle Niall Erskine tweeted, “Appalling at every level, all about the men in the forefront and your own British history-maker nowhere to be seen. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”</p> <p>Elder brother Jamie – who has won two Wimbledon mixed doubles titles – asked, “Where’s Andy Murray?”</p> <p>LA-based freelance illustrator Grant Gruenhaupt responded to the criticism by saying, “Worry not Jamie, there are more paintings on the way.”</p> <p>He added, “Back with Wimbledon on another fun series celebrating historic moments and players!"</p> <p>“This one featuring the greatest rivalries of the past and present as they make the historic walk through the clubhouse and onto Centre Court."</p> <p>“A lot of nuance in this one. Definitely one of the more challenging scenes I’ve had to tackle.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: All England Club / Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

“They snack-shamed my three year old”: Mum fires up on school note

<p>An American mother has taken to social media to share her Pringle problem with the world. </p> <p>As Megan Peavey explained in her TikTok video, she’d sent her three-year-old son to school with some chips in his lunchbox to enjoy when snacktime rolled around. </p> <p>However, the staff at the school weren’t exactly of the opinion that Pringles were the right choice, going so far as to suggest Megan had purposefully done the wrong thing and given her child something ‘unhealthy’. </p> <p>“Look at what happened to me today,” she said in the now-private clip. “I sent my son to school with Pringles, which is a very age appropriate snack for a three year old.” </p> <p>She went on to explain that the school had responded by sending the boy home with his empty chip container, the line “please help us make healthy choices at school” written across it in bold black marker. </p> <p>“They wrote that on his Pringles cup,” she said, “they snack shamed my three year old, they snack shamed me, by writing that passive-aggressively on his trash.</p> <p>After asking viewers what they might do in that situation, she described how she got in touch with the school, calling them out on what they’d done, and they “did not label things as healthy and unhealthy” in their house “because that starts eating disorders”.</p> <p>“Do you think that’s ridiculous?” came her final question. “Because I f***ing do.” </p> <p>Megan later shared an update on the entire situation, outlining how she had spoken to the school’s director, and was told “it was passive-aggressive of me to keep sending Pringles after the note”. </p> <p>But, as she pointed out, she didn’t believe Pringles to be an ‘unhealthy’ snack like they did.</p> <p>“I consider things like Doritos, Cheetos, and Milky Way bars to be unhealthy,” she noted, before adding that she regularly sends her son to school with the likes of granola bars with his other snacks, and that she just would have appreciated the school speaking to her directly without leaping to the note. </p> <p>Megan stood her ground and didn’t apologise to the educators, before she “walked downstairs and I just checked my son out - we’re done there.”</p> <p>Her comments were flooded by fellow parents who were more than eager to back her up, with many noting that they may not have handled it so well themselves - one even wrote that she’d have sent her child with an entire tub and a handwritten “no thank you” the next day. </p> <p>“I cannot even explain how out of line and wild this seems to me - on the school's part," another said.</p> <p>“On his birthday…send pringles for EVERY kid in the class,” someone suggested.</p> <p>And one pre-k teacher even came forward to share her take, noting “never would I ever tell a family to 'make healthy choices'. My girls get a bag of chips with their sandwiches, along with fresh fruit."</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

Firing squad demanded for teen in Bali

<p>Prosecutors are calling for a 19-year-old woman to be executed by firing squad after she was arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs into Bali.</p> <p>The Brazilian teenager, Manuela Vitoria de Araujo Farias, has been in custody since her initial arrest in January 2023, after allegedly being sprung with 3kg of cocaine in her luggage.</p> <p>According to global press agency <em>Newsflash</em>, prosecutors demanded the maximum penalty.</p> <p>If she is convicted of trafficking drugs into Indonesia, she could face execution by firing squad or a lifetime prison sentence.</p> <p>Authorities allege she was involved with a drug gang, but according to her lawyer, Davi Lira da Silva, the teen sold lingerie and perfume for a living and was tricked by people she trusted.</p> <p>Mr da Silva claimed the 19-year-old was tricked into cooperating after the gang who hired her told her about temples in Bali where they pray for the ill.</p> <p>Her mother had recently suffered a stroke and her lawyers claimed she was going to seek Buddhist prayers for a cure.</p> <p>They also alleged that the gang had promised to pay for surf lessons for Ms Farias following her arrival to the country.</p> <p>Her arrest made international headlines after the case was confirmed to local media by Bali Police Chief Inspector Gen Putu Jayan Danu Putra in Denpasar on January 27, 2023.</p> <p>The <em>Bali Sun</em> reported that Ms Farias had arrived at Bali Airport around 3 am on January 1 on a Qatar Airways flight, travelling from Brazil to Bali via Qatar.</p> <p>“The drug smuggling attempt was thwarted by the Bali airport customs. We really appreciate what customs have done,” Chief Inspector Putra said at a press conference on January 27, according to the outlet.</p> <p>Ms Farias’ case has been adjourned with the sentences to be announced on a later date in April.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Streets on fire after controversial raising of retirement age

<p>French Emmanuel Macron has ignited a furious spark in the people of France with controversial new pension reforms - those that would see the country’s pension age raised from 62 to 64. </p> <p>The changes were reportedly pushed through their parliament without a proper voting process - it has been said that Macron employed “special constitutional powers” to see it through. </p> <p>Protesters flocked to the streets in response, with over 250 different protests organised nationwide, in a move that has been praised by union leaders. </p> <p>However, while hundreds of thousands of participants experienced peaceful marches through some of the country’s largest cities, tensions were high in Bordeaux, and the town hall felt the full brunt of it when it was set alight. </p> <p>While it is not known who was responsible for the fire, it was quickly extinguished. </p> <p>In Paris, where the majority took part in peaceful demonstrations, violence did rear its head, with a number of clashes between protestors and police officers breaking out - shop windows were broken, street furniture demolished, and fast food establishments attacked. </p> <p>It has also been reported that while police were the target of various projectiles, they made use of tear gas to push back those responsible for any rioting behaviour. And at Place de l’Opera, the location at which demonstrators concluded their march, the tear gas was back, covering a portion of the area in a haze of fumes.  </p> <p>The official demonstration in Paris - which had drawn people from all over the French social spectrum - was not the only one to take a violent turn, with the cities of Nantes, Rennes, Lorient, and Lyon facing similar fates. </p> <p>The protests, coupled with strikes and industrial action across the country, disrupted transport and prompted the cancellation of flights, with airport authorities claiming roll-on effects from the chaos. Protestors also succeeded in blocking off Terminal 1 of France’s largest international airport, the Charles de Gaulle airport. </p> <p>As to why the French had taken this approach to fighting the reforms, one demonstrator in Nantes summed it up by declaring “the street has a legitimacy in France. </p> <p>“If Mr Macron can't remember this historic reality, I don't know what he is doing here.”</p> <p>And as another told <em>Reuters</em>, "I oppose this reform and I really oppose the fact that democracy no longer means anything. We're not being represented, and so we're fed up."</p> <p>"It is by protesting that we will be able to make ourselves heard because all the other ways ... have not allowed us to withdraw this reform," another explained to <em>AFP</em>.</p> <p>The women on the streets were furious, seeing Macron’s move as one that targeted them in particular, especially those that had been forced to step away from their careers to dedicate their time to raising their children. </p> <p>As one social worker told <em>The Guardian</em>, “everyone is angry. Everyone thinks this law is unfair, but it particularly penalises women who are expected to produce future generations of the nation, and then find they are punished for doing so.”</p> <p>“They want to raise it to 64 today. Will it be 66, 67, 68 tomorrow?” a teacher implored. “They tell us life expectancy is longer but are we to work until we collapse and are carted off to the crematorium?”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Retirement Life

Man caught setting fire outside Buckingham Palace

<p>A man has been arrested outside Buckingham Palace after setting a fire outside the gates of the royal residence.</p> <p>The shocking video shows the small blaze at the front gates of the King’s official residence, while a man can be seen on the floor after being tackled and handcuffed by two police officers.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/DailyMailUK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyMailUK</a> Protester burning stuff at Buckingham Palace <a href="https://t.co/Tn1O2twyoK">pic.twitter.com/Tn1O2twyoK</a></p> <p>— Kai Jiun (@CogenJ10) <a href="https://twitter.com/CogenJ10/status/1605326244111056896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>He was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage. Witnesses say the police arrived at the scene “within seconds” of the fire starting.</p> <p>In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: “Shortly after 11:08 pm on Tuesday, 20 December, a 30-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of causing criminal damage after a small fire was seen near the Buckingham Palace gates.</p> <p>“The man has been taken into custody. The fire has been extinguished.”</p> <p>The motivations behind the fire are unknown.</p> <p>Images: <em>Twitter</em></p>

News

Art expert fired over gross underestimation of artefact

<p dir="ltr">A French art expert has been fired after grossly undervaluing a Chinese vase at 4,000 times less than its sale price.</p> <p dir="ltr">The vase in question, which was originally estimated at €2,000 ($3,119 AUD), sold for €9 million ($14,000,000 AUD) at French Osenat auction in Fontainebleau house in early October.</p> <p dir="ltr">The original estimate reflected the expert’s view that it was a 20th-century decorative piece, however buyers suspected that it might date back further to the 18th-century.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the date discrepancy, it is still unclear as to what drove the price so much higher. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The expert made a mistake. One person alone against 300 interested Chinese buyers cannot be right,” auction house president Jean-Pierre Osenat told T<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/07/why-chinese-vase-valued-at-euros-2000-sold-for-euros-8m-france">he Guardian</a> last week. </p> <p dir="ltr">“He was working for us. He no longer works for us. It was, after all, a serious mistake.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The anonymous seller found the Chinese ‘Tianqiuping’ style vase while clearing out her mother’s estate. </p> <p dir="ltr">While the dragon and cloud motif is greatly sought after among Asian collectors, some believe to have spotted a stamp belonging to 18th-century Chinese emperor Qianlong on the vase.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t know whether [the vase] is old or not or why it sold for such a price,” explained Cédric Laborde, the director of the auction house’s Asian arts department. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The valuation corresponded to what the expert thought. In China, copying something, like an 18th-century vase, is also an art.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The unnamed and now-fired expert is reportedly standing by his original valuation of the Chinese vase.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Osenat</em></p>

Art

Melbourne pub under fire for tasteless posts about Queen Elizabeth

<p dir="ltr">A Melbourne pub is under fire for its tasteless social media posts following Queen Elizabeth’s death. </p> <p dir="ltr">Kelly’s Hotel in Cranbourne in Melbourne’s southeast shared Facebook updates after news broke of Queen Elizabeth’s death on September 8. </p> <p dir="ltr">One of the posts shows a photo of Prince Harry looking down at his grandmother smiling with the caption, “Do lunch before they die. The opportunities after are extremely limited”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another post shows a photo of the queen with an inset of Prince Harry arriving to the palace after news broke of the late monarch’s death.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Yep, he cancelled lunch, time and time again," the post read.</p> <p dir="ltr">"'She’ll keep till next week!' he said, ‘It’s not as if it’s my Mum’s Mum’, he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But next week never arrived for Grannie Windsor. Do lunch with your oldie!!"</p> <p dir="ltr">The posts, which have since been deleted, received plenty of backlash from locals and social media users who are calling for a boycott of the pub. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Disgusting and very distasteful. After our last visits we'd never go there again. It's just a no go zone," someone wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I know a few of us that will never go back...There is a difference between funny and grubby,” another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">The hotel’s manager Michael Goldie however defended the posts saying the point was misunderstood. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Over the last two years they’ve been stuck in homes...we thought it might be good to remind younger people the importance of older people in their life," he said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

Veteran newsreader reportedly fired for "going grey"

<p>A veteran newsreader has reportedly been fired from one of Canada’s most-watched television news programs after "going grey". </p> <p>Lisa LaFlamme announced she would be leaving the CTV National News presenter said she was “blindsided” and left “shocked and saddened” by the allegedly sudden decision to end her contract.</p> <p>“At 58, I still thought I’d have a lot more time to tell more of the stories that impact our daily lives,” she said in the Twitter video.</p> <p>“It is crushing to be leaving CTV National News in a manner that is not my choice.”</p> <p>The news anchor said she was asked to keep the details of her termination confidential, as the company released a statement saying the decision had nothing to do with LaFlamme’s hair colour or age and was simply “a business decision”.</p> <p>LaFlamme, like many people around the world, stopped dying her previously brown hair throughout the pandemic, a decision she told viewers she wished she had made sooner.</p> <p>“I finally said, ‘Why bother? I’m going grey.’ Honestly, if I had known the lockdown could be so liberating on that front I would have done it a lot sooner,” she said during the network’s year-in-review special.</p> <p>LaFlamme has been in the anchor job since 2011 but has been with the news outlet for 35 years, and still had two years left on her contract at the time of the “blindside”.</p> <p>Bell Media, which owns CTV National News, said it knew many viewers would be disappointed LaFlamme “would be leaving her position”, and regretted the way the news had been revealed.</p> <p>It added it would launch an independent investigation into newsroom practices.</p> <p>“CTV regrets that the way in which the news of her departure has been communicated may have left viewers with the wrong impression about how CTV regards Lisa and her remarkable career,” Bell Media tweeted in a statement.</p> <p>“We have always taken matters regarding any discrimination very seriously and are committed to a safe, inclusive and respectful work environment for all our employees, devoid of any toxic behaviour."</p> <p>“Consistent with our policies, we are taking steps to initiate an independent third-party internal workplace review of our newsroom, which will take place over the following weeks.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: CTV News</em></p>

TV

“A tragedy for our nation”: Reason for Scott Morrison’s firing 16 years ago revealed

<p dir="ltr">The woman who sacked former Prime Minister Scott Morrison from Tourism Australia has finally opened up about the mysterious end to his time there and shared how she was “gobsmacked” that he went on to become PM.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Morrison’s firing from Tourism Australia in 2006 has long been shrouded in mystery, but Fran Bailey - who was Tourism Minister at the time and ordered the Chair of Tourism Australia to fire Mr Morrison - has now spoken about the decision in a brutal interview with the <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-was-gobsmacked-when-he-became-prime-minister-20220826-p5bd19.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday Age</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Bailey reportedly chose to finally speak on the record after she was left incensed by the revelations that Mr Morrison <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/andrew-bolt-leads-the-charge-on-scott-morrison-tirade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secretly swore himself into five additional ministerial positions</a> while he was Prime Minister.</p> <p dir="ltr">"What has changed my mind is that all of those characteristics that make up Scott Morrison – the secrecy... the supreme belief that only he can do a job, the lack of consultation with those closest to him – those characteristics were evident 16 years ago, and perhaps we’re seeing the end result of those now," she told the paper’s longtime columnist, Jon Faine.</p> <p dir="ltr">Echoing a common criticism of Mr Morrison, Ms Bailey said he took a bullying approach to his work, which eventually led to those in senior positions having less trust that he could do his job.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It came down to a complete lack of trust. It’s not something that I have stewed over for all those 16 years, but I certainly have become very concerned as he worked his way through the ministry, and I was gobsmacked when he became prime minister," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Because I knew what he was really like to work with, and I think that’s been a tragedy for the Liberal Party and it has been a tragedy for our nation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Bailey is one of many critics calling on Mr Morrison to leave Parliament following the revelations, as former High Court judge Virginia Bell is expected to head an inquiry into his actions and hand down a report on November 25.</p> <p dir="ltr">The inquiry will examine Mr Morrison’s ministerial appointments and the functioning of departments, government business enterprises and statutory bodies.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes after advice released last week from Australia’s solicitor-general found that Mr Morrison didn’t break any laws, but that his actions undermined the principles of “responsible government”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b515b564-7fff-c497-b6b2-a263d150c2a3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

Meghan Markle confirms fire in Archie's nursery

<p>Meghan Markle has revealed that her son narrowly escaped a fire that broke out in his nursery while on a tour of Southern Africa in 2019.</p> <p>The Duchess of Sussex shared the story on the first episode of her new podcast, <em>Archetypes</em>, which featured her "dear friend" and tennis champion Serena Williams. </p> <p>During the hour-long conversation, Markle discussed the devastating incident with her then four-month old son Archie while aboard on a royal engagement. </p> <p>This ill-fated tour to Southern Africa in October 2019 was the last official engagement for Harry and Meghan before they stepped back from being senior working royals. </p> <p>In the podcast, Meghan explained how their family had only been in the township of Nyanga for a few hours before the incident took place in Archie's nursery. </p> <p>She said, "I'm giving this speech to women and girls, and we finish the engagement, we get in the car and they say, 'There's been a fire at the residence. There's been a fire in the baby's room.' What?"</p> <p>She went on to explain how Archie's nanny Lauren had taken him downstairs briefly before he was put to bed for a nap, and the heater in the room caught fire. </p> <p>Luckily, no one was injured during the fire, but Meghan said both her and her husband were rattled by the experience and were rushed out to attend another engagement, rather than stay with their son. </p> <p>She said, "And we came back. And of course, as a mother, you go, 'Oh my God, what?' Everyone's in tears, everyone's shaken. And what do we have to do? Go out and do another official engagement?"</p> <p>"I said, 'This doesn't make any sense'. I was like, 'Can you just tell people what happened?' And so much, I think, optically, the focus ends up being on how it looks instead of how it feels."</p> <p>The first episode of <em>Archetypes</em> is available now on Spotify, and will feature a new guest each week, with next week's guest being music legend Mariah Carey. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Spotify</em></p>

Family & Pets

New research in Arnhem Land reveals why institutional fire management is inferior to cultural burning

<p>One of the conclusions of this week’s shocking <a href="https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of the Environment report</a> is that climate change is lengthening Australia’s bushfire seasons and raising the number of days with a fire danger rating of “very high” or above. In New South Wales, for example, the season now extends to almost eight months.</p> <p>It has never been more important for institutional bushfire management programs to apply the principles and practices of Indigenous fire management, or “cultural burning”. As the report notes, cultural burning reduces the risk of bushfires, supports habitat and improves Indigenous wellbeing. And yet, the report finds:</p> <blockquote> <p>with significant funding gaps, tenure impediments and policy barriers, Indigenous cultural burning remains underused – it is currently applied over less than 1% of the land area of Australia’s south‐eastern states and territory.</p> </blockquote> <p>Our <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-12946-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent research</a> in <em>Scientific Reports</em> specifically addressed the question: how do the environmental outcomes from cultural burning compare to mainstream bushfire management practices?</p> <p>Using the stone country of the Arnhem Land Plateau as a case study, we reveal why institutional fire management is inferior to cultural burning.</p> <p>The few remaining landscapes where Aboriginal people continue an unbroken tradition of caring for Country are of international importance. They should be nationally recognised, valued and resourced like other protected cultural and historical places.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Different indigenous fire application today with a country full of weeds. First burn of of two applications this year. This is what we have to do to make country have less flammable vegetation. Walk through, More time and love put into country. <a href="https://t.co/pnoWFQbq6C">pic.twitter.com/pnoWFQbq6C</a></p> <p>— Victor Steffensen (@V_Steffensen) <a href="https://twitter.com/V_Steffensen/status/1505384041402748930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Ancient fire management</strong></p> <p>The rugged terrain of the Arnhem Plateau in Northern Territory has an ancient human history, with archaeological evidence <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2017-07-20/aboriginal-shelter-pushes-human-history-back-to-65,000-years/8719314#:%7E:text=New%20excavations%20of%20a%20rock,earlier%20than%20archaeologists%20previously%20thought." target="_blank" rel="noopener">dated at 65,000 years</a>.</p> <p>Arnhem Land is an ideal place to explore the effects of different fire regimes because fire is such an essential feature of the natural and cultural environment.</p> <p>Australia’s monsoon tropics are particularly fire prone given the sharply contrasting wet and dry seasons. The wet season sees prolific growth of grasses and other flammable plants, and dry season has reliable hot, dry, windy conditions.</p> <p>Millennia of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-worlds-best-fire-management-system-is-in-northern-australia-and-its-led-by-indigenous-land-managers-133071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skilful fire management</a> by Indigenous people in these landscapes have allowed plants and animals needing infrequently burnt habitat to thrive.</p> <p>This involves shifting “mosaic” burning, where small areas are burned regularly to create a patchwork of habitats with different fire histories. This gives wildlife a diversity of resources and places to shelter in.</p> <p>Conservation biologists suspect that the loss of such patchy fires since colonisation has contributed to the <a href="http://132.248.10.25/therya/index.php/THERYA/article/view/236/html_66" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calamitous demise</a> of wildlife species across northern Australia, such as northern quolls, northern brown bandicoots and grassland melomys.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">"Fire is the way to really look after the land and the people. Since we started here, we've been using fire. And we need to bring it back because it unites the people and the land." Jacob Morris, Gumea-Dharrawal Yuin man. 🎥 Craig Bender &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/VeraHongTweets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@VeraHongTweets</a> <a href="https://t.co/Afh6iwIrOX">pic.twitter.com/Afh6iwIrOX</a></p> <p>— FiresticksAlliance (@FiresticksA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FiresticksA/status/1436177617049296901?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Collapse of the cypress pine</strong></p> <p>Our study was undertaken over 25 years, and wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support and close involvement of the Traditional Owners over this time.</p> <p>It compared an area under near continuous Indigenous management by the Kune people of Western Arnhem Land with ecologically similar and unoccupied areas within Kakadu National Park.</p> <p>We found populations of the cypress pine (<em>Callitris intratropica</em>) remained healthy under continual Aboriginal fire management. By contrast, cypress pine populations had collapsed in ecologically similar areas in Kakadu due to the loss of Indigenous fire management, as they have across much of northern Australia.</p> <p>The population of dead and living pines is like a barcode that records fire regime change. The species is so long lived that older trees were well established before colonisation.</p> <p>The timber is extremely durable and termite resistant, so a tree killed by fire remains in the landscape for many decades. And mature trees, but not juveniles, can tolerate low intensity fires, but intense fires kill both.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><em><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475072/original/file-20220720-22-odbe84.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Cypress pine timber can remain in the landscape decades after the tree died.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Michael Hains/Atlas of Living Australia</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>Since 2007, park rangers have attempted to emulate cultural burning outcomes. They’ve used aircraft to drop incendiaries to create a coarse patchwork of burned and unburned areas to improve biodiversity in the stone country within Kakadu.</p> <p>Unfortunately, our research found Kakadu’s fire management interventions failed to restore landscapes to the healthier ecological condition under traditional Aboriginal fire management.</p> <p>While the Kakadu aerial burning program increased the amount of unburnt vegetation, it didn’t reverse the population collapse of cypress pines. Searches of tens of kilometres failed to find a single seedling in Kakadu, whereas they were common in comparable areas under Aboriginal fire management.</p> <p>Our study highlights that once the ecological benefits of cultural burning are lost, they cannot be simply restored with mainstream fire management approaches.</p> <p>But that’s not to say the ecological impacts from the loss of Aboriginal fire management cannot be reversed. Rather, restoring fire regimes and ecosystem health will be slow, and require special care in where and how fires are set.</p> <p>This requires teams on the ground with deep knowledge of the land, rather than simply spreading aerial incendiaries from helicopters.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">After 60 years of fire exclusion, another magic day restoring fire to Arakwal-Bundjalung-Bumberlin country. <a href="https://t.co/xRRNb4ELdQ">pic.twitter.com/xRRNb4ELdQ</a></p> <p>— Dr. Andy Baker (@FireDiversity) <a href="https://twitter.com/FireDiversity/status/1537768580455931905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>There’s much to learn</strong></p> <p>There remains much for Western science to learn about <a href="https://theconversation.com/fighting-fire-with-fire-botswana-adopts-indigenous-australians-ancient-burning-tradition-135363" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traditional fire management</a>.</p> <p>Large-scale institutional fire management is based on concepts of efficiency and generality. It is controlled by bureaucracies, and achieved using machines and technologies.</p> <p>Such an “industrial” approach cannot replace the placed-based knowledge, including close human relationships with Country, underpinning <a href="https://www.firesticks.org.au/about/cultural-burning/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cultural burning</a>.</p> <p>Cultural burning and institutional fire management could be thought of as the differences between home cooking and fast food. Fast food is quick, cheap and produces the same product regardless of individual needs. Home cooking takes longer to prepare, can cater to individual needs, and can improve wellbeing.</p> <p>But restoring sustainable fire regimes based on the wisdom and practices of Indigenous people cannot be achieved overnight. Reaping the benefits of cultural burning to landscapes where colonialism has disrupted ancient fire traditions take time, effort and resources.</p> <p>It’s urgent remaining traditional fire practitioners are recognised for their invaluable knowledge and materially supported to continue caring for their Country. This includes:</p> <ul> <li>actively supporting Indigenous people to reside on their Country</li> <li>to pay them to undertake natural resource management including cultural burning</li> <li>creating pathways enabling Indigenous people separated from their country by colonialism to re-engage with fire management.</li> </ul> <p>Restoring landscapes with sustainable cultural burning traditions is a long-term project that will involve training and relearning ancient practices. There are extraordinary opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike to learn how to Care for Country.</p> <hr /> <p><em>The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Victor Steffensen, the Lead Fire Practitioner at the Firesticks Alliance Indigenous Corporation, who reviewed this article.</em><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/184562/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-bowman-4397" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Bowman</a>, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Tasmania</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christopher-i-roos-1354187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christopher I. Roos</a>, Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/southern-methodist-university-1988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Southern Methodist University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/fay-johnston-90826" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fay Johnston</a>, Professor, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Tasmania</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-research-in-arnhem-land-reveals-why-institutional-fire-management-is-inferior-to-cultural-burning-184562" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: @FireDiversity (Twitter)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

Princess Diana's childhood home catches fire

<p dir="ltr">Soaring temperatures in the UK have caused fires to spark across the nation - with London’s firefighters recording their busiest day since WWII - with one of the many homes at risk including at Althorp House, the childhood home of Princess Diana.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home is now owned by Earl Charles Spencer, Diana’s brother. His wife, Karen Spencer, shared the news of the blaze on social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Fire in one of our fields today,” Countess Spencer wrote in an Instagram story on Tuesday.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bc80c0bc-7fff-87a4-506b-d99e4e28410d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">She later shared a follow-up video reassuring followers the situation was “under control” thanks to the “amazing” local fire department and team at Althorp.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/diana-fire2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Karen Spencer documented the fire that sparked at Althorp House and praised the “amazing” work of firefighters in quenching it. Images: Instagram</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Later that day, Earl Spencer posted a photo on his Instagram page of the home after it began to rain.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c3f339c8-7fff-b093-203d-d766ca2603ec"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Althorp enjoying a few drops of rain tonight that follow the hottest recorded day England has ever had,” he captioned the shot.</p> <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/CgNO32OsTdC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/CgNO32OsTdC/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charles Spencer (@charles.earl.spencer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The country experienced temperatures of 40.3 C in Coningsby on Tuesday, breaking 2019’s record by 1.6 degrees.</p> <p dir="ltr">The heat was followed by a welcome downpour that brought temperatures down to 19 C overnight in London.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, told Sky News it prompted a huge surge in calls to the city’s emergency services.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yesterday was the busiest day for the fire services in London since the Second World War,” he told the program on Wednesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fire service received more than 2,600 calls - significantly higher than its usual 350-600 a day - with 41 properties destroyed and 16 firefighters injured.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The challenge in London is we have a lot of grass, a lot of green spaces and a lot of that impinges on properties. And when you have not had rain for a long period, when the grass is incredibly dry, fires can start very quickly and spread even faster because of wind and that leads to properties being destroyed,” Khan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A lot of the problems we have here today are a direct consequence of climate change, excess death because of the heat wave.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A lot of these problems can be solved by tackling climate change expediently, rather than kicking the can down the road.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the heat is expected to continue over the next couple weeks, the 14-day forecast has predicted significantly lower temperatures with tops of 28 C.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f7476775-7fff-f53f-ed8c-ed22aadd874a"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

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