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Why prices are so high – 8 ways retail pricing algorithms gouge consumers

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-tuffley-13731">David Tuffley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> The just-released report of the inquiry into <a href="https://pricegouginginquiry.actu.org.au/">price gouging and unfair pricing</a> conducted by Allan Fels for the Australian Council of Trades Unions does more than identify the likely offenders. It finds the biggest are supermarkets, banks, airlines and electricity companies. It’s not enough to know their tricks. Fels wants to give the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission more power to investigate and more power to prohibit mergers. But it helps to know how they try to trick us, and how technology has enabled them to get better at it. After reading the report, I’ve identified eight key maneuvers. <h2>1. Asymmetric price movements</h2> Otherwise known as <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25593733">Rocket and Feather</a>, this is where businesses push up prices quickly when costs rise, but cut them slowly or late after costs fall. It seems to happen for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0140988323002074">petrol</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S105905601730240X">mortgage rates</a>, and the Fels inquiry was presented with evidence suggesting it happens in supermarkets. Brendan O’Keeffe from NSW Farmers told the inquiry wholesale lamb prices had been falling for six months before six Woolworths announced a cut in the prices of lamb it was selling as a “<a href="https://pricegouginginquiry.actu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/InquiryIntoPriceGouging_Report_web.pdf">Christmas gift</a>”. <h2>2. Punishment for loyal customers</h2> A <a href="https://theconversation.com/simple-fixes-could-help-save-australian-consumers-from-up-to-3-6-billion-in-loyalty-taxes-119978">loyalty tax</a> is what happens when a business imposes higher charges on customers who have been with it for a long time, on the assumption that they won’t move. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has alleged a big <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-qantas-might-have-done-all-australians-a-favour-by-making-refunds-so-hard-to-get-213346">insurer</a> does it, setting premiums not only on the basis of risk, but also on the basis of what a computer model tells them about the likelihood of each customer tolerating a price hike. The insurer disputes the claim. It’s often done by offering discounts or new products to new customers and leaving existing customers on old or discontinued products. It happens a lot in the <a href="https://www.finder.com.au/utilities-loyalty-costing-australians-billions-2024">electricity industry</a>. The plans look good at first, and then less good as providers bank on customers not making the effort to shop around. Loyalty taxes appear to be less common among mobile phone providers. Australian laws make it easy to switch <a href="https://www.reviews.org/au/mobile/how-to-switch-mobile-carriers-and-keep-your-number/">and keep your number</a>. <h2>3. Loyalty schemes that provide little value</h2> Fels says loyalty schemes can be a “low-cost means of retaining and exploiting consumers by providing them with low-value rewards of dubious benefit”. Their purpose is to lock in (or at least bias) customers to choices already made. Examples include airline frequent flyer points, cafe cards that give you your tenth coffee free, and supermarket points programs. The purpose is to lock in (or at least bias) consumers to products already chosen. The <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/advertising-and-promotions/customer-loyalty-schemes">Australian Competition and Consumer Commission</a> has found many require users to spend a lot of money or time to earn enough points for a reward. Others allow points to expire or rules to change without notice or offer rewards that are not worth the effort to redeem. They also enable businesses to collect data on spending habits, preferences, locations, and personal information that can be used to construct customer profiles that allow them to target advertising and offers and high prices to some customers and not others. <h2>4. Drip pricing that hides true costs</h2> The Competition and Consumer Commission describes <a href="https://pricegouginginquiry.actu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/InquiryIntoPriceGouging_Report_web.pdf">drip pricing</a> as “when a price is advertised at the beginning of an online purchase, but then extra fees and charges (such as booking and service fees) are gradually added during the purchase process”. The extras can add up quickly and make final bills much higher than expected. Airlines are among the best-known users of the strategy. They often offer initially attractive base fares, but then add charges for baggage, seat selection, in-flight meals and other extras. <h2>5. Confusion pricing</h2> Related to drip pricing is <a href="https://www.x-mol.net/paper/article/1402386414932836352">confusion pricing</a> where a provider offers a range of plans, discounts and fees so complex they are overwhelming. Financial products like insurance have convoluted fee structures, as do electricity providers. Supermarkets do it by bombarding shoppers with “specials” and “sales”. When prices change frequently and without notice, it adds to the confusion. <h2>6. Algorithmic pricing</h2> <a href="https://pricegouginginquiry.actu.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/InquiryIntoPriceGouging_Report_web.pdf">Algorithmic pricing</a> is the practice of using algorithms to set prices automatically taking into account competitor responses, which is something akin to computers talking to each other. When computers get together in this way they can <a href="https://www.x-mol.net/paper/article/1402386414932836352">act as it they are colluding</a> even if the humans involved in running the businesses never talk to each other. It can act even more this way when multiple competitors use the same third-party pricing algorithm, effectively allowing a single company to influence prices. <h2>7. Price discrimination</h2> Price discrimination involves charging different customers different prices for the same product, setting each price in accordance with how much each customer is prepared to pay. Banks do it when they offer better rates to customers likely to leave them, electricity companies do it when they offer better prices for business customers than households, and medical specialists do it when they offer vastly different prices for the same service to consumers with different incomes. It is made easier by digital technology and data collection. While it can make prices lower for some customers, it can make prices much more expensive to customers in a hurry or in urgent need of something. <h2>8. Excuse-flation</h2> <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-09/how-excuseflation-is-keeping-prices-and-corporate-profits-high">Excuse-flation</a> is where general inflation provides “cover” for businesses to raise prices without justification, blaming nothing other than general inflation. It means that in times of general high inflation businesses can increase their prices even if their costs haven’t increased by as much. On Thursday Reserve Bank Governor <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/inflation-is-cover-for-pricing-gouging-rba-boss-says-20240215-p5f58d">Michele Bullock</a> seemed to confirm that she though some firms were doing this saying that when inflation had been brought back to the Bank’s target, it would be "much more difficult, I think, for firms to use high inflation as cover for this sort of putting up their prices." <h2>A political solution is needed</h2> Ultimately, our own vigilance won’t be enough. We will need political help. The government’s recently announced <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/review/competition-review-2023">competition review</a> might be a step in this direction. The legislative changes should police business practices and prioritise fairness. Only then can we create a marketplace where ethics and competition align, ensuring both business prosperity and consumer wellbeing. This isn’t just about economics, it’s about building a fairer, more sustainable Australia.<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/223310/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-tuffley-13731">David Tuffley</a>, Senior Lecturer in Applied Ethics & CyberSecurity, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/griffith-university-828">Griffith University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-prices-are-so-high-8-ways-retail-pricing-algorithms-gouge-consumers-223310">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Schumacher’s family suing German magazine over fake interview

Michael Schumacher’s family is preparing to take legal action against German tabloid magazine Die Aktuelle, for publishing an AI-generated “interview” with the star. The publication has been slammed for using Michael’s face on their April 15 front cover, promoting the piece as “the first interview” since the star’s skiing accident in December 2013. “No meagre, nebulous half-sentences from friends. But answers from him! By Michael Schumacher, 54!” read the text in the magazine. “It sounded deceptively real,” they added in the strapline, which was the only indicator that the piece was fake. The “interview” included quotes that insensitively described Schumacher’s recovery, following the accident where he suffered a serious brain injury. “I was so badly injured that I lay for months in a kind of artificial coma, because otherwise my body couldn’t have dealt with it all,” the quote read. “I’ve had a tough time but the hospital team has managed to bring me back to my family,” they added. It was only at the end of the article that the publication revealed that they used Character.ai, an AI chatbot, to create the interview. A spokesperson for Schumachers confirmed their intention to take legal action against Die Aktuelle to Reuters and ESPN. This isn’t the first time Schumacher’s family have taken action against Die Aktuelle. In 2015, Michael’s wife, Corinna Schumacher filed a lawsuit against the magazine after they used Corinna’s picture with the headline: “Corinna Schumacher – a new love makes her happy.” The story was actually about their daughter, Gina, but the lawsuit was dismissed. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Obese yet malnourished toddler mummy sheds light on life in 17th century aristocratic Austria

In a creepy discovery published, a collaboration of German scientists have performed a ‘virtual autopsy’ on a mummified toddler’s body, found in a 17th century Austrian crypt. Buried in a wooden coffin that was slightly too small and deformed the skull, the young child’s body appeared to be both obese and malnourished. Researchers say the findings might provide a rare insight into historical Austrian aristocratic society. By using CT scanning, scientists were able to perform a ‘virtual autopsy’ on the mummy which was naturally mummified in the conditions of the crypt. Well-preserved soft tissue showed the child was a boy, overweight for his age, and radiocarbon dating suggests a date of death between 1550 and 1635 CE. By examining the formation and length of the body’s bones, plus evidence of tooth eruption, the researchers were able to estimate that the child was about one year old when he died. The bones also showed that despite being well-fed, the boy was malnourished, with his malformed ribs displaying signs of rachitic rosary. This condition presents in a pattern of prominent bony knobs at points where the rib joins cartilage and results from diseases associated with specific vitamin deficiencies such as rickets (vitamin D) and scurvy (vitamin C). Vitamin D is found in foods like salmon, tuna, mackerel and beef liver and egg yolks, but we typically only get around 10% of our required Vitamin D from our diets – the rest is made by our bodies when exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) from the sun. “The combination of obesity along with a severe vitamin-deficiency can only be explained by a generally ‘good’ nutritional status along with an almost complete lack of sunlight exposure,” said Dr Andreas Nerlich of the Academic Clinic Munich-Bogenhausen and lead researcher. The child appears to have died from pneumonia, judging by the evidence of inflammation in the lungs. Rickets is known to make children more vulnerable to pneumonia, suggesting that, sadly, not only was the child malnourished, but that this condition may have also led to his untimely demise. “We have to reconsider the living conditions of high aristocratic infants of previous populations,” said Nerlich. Relatively little is known about aristocratic childhood in the late Renaissance period, so these mummified remains give key insights into life in Europe of a period generally known for its fervent creativity and intellectual development. “This is only one case,” said Nerlich, “but as we know that the early infant death rates generally were very high at that time, our observations may have considerable impact in the over-all life reconstruction of infants even in higher social classes.” To understand more about this period, researchers scoured historical records of the crypt and the family to whom the crypt belonged. Curiously, the child was buried in a simple, unmarked, wooden coffin, although he was dressed in an expensive silk hooded coat. The unmarked coffin appeared to have been slightly too small for the body such that the skull became deformed and was the only infant buried amongst the identifiable adult metal coffins in the crypt. Historical records of renovations on the crypt confirmed the radiocarbon dating, indicating the child was likely buried sometime after 1600 CE. The crypt belonged to the Counts of Starhemberg and traditionally was kept exclusively for the burial of heirs to their titles, and their wives, making the body likely to be that of the first-born (and only) son, Reichard Wilhelm, of Count Starhemberg. “We have no data on the fate of other infants of the family,” Nerlich said, regarding the unique burial. “According to our data, the infant was most probably [the count’s] first-born son after erection of the family crypt, so special care may have been applied.” This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/toddler-mummy-17thcentury-austria/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Clare Kenyon. Image: Andreas et al. (2022)

Travel Trouble

State-run German museums disclose works acquired during Nazi era

A Munich-based foundation that oversees the art collections of museums located throughout the titular German state is set to publicly disclose the origins of over 1,000 works acquired during the Nazi rule. The Bavarian State Painting Collections is launching an extensive database that includes information regarding over 1,200 paintings that researchers have found were acquired during the National Socialist period, or had ownership links to Nazi officials. There are a series of artworks that were given to museums and galleries during this time that are often subject to legal claims from descendants of persecuted Jewish families. Operating since 1999, a specialised unit dedicated to origin research has been reviewing all the ownership records of each and every artwork in the Bavarian State Paintings Collections that were created before 1945, and have been acquired since 1933. Throughout the database notes, a statement will accompany each artwork to alert people of its proper origins. This protocol is in keeping with the 1998 Washington Principles and the 1999 Joint Declaration of the Federal Government, both of which mounted calls for greater transparency surrounding the provenances of artworks believed to be subject to restitution claims. Other initiatives have been put into practice around the world, with <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/art/new-york-museums-now-required-to-acknowledge-art-stolen-under-nazi-rule">museums and galleries in New York</a> now now legally required to acknowledge art stolen under the Nazi regime. The new state law requires New York museums to display signage alongside works of art from before 1945 that are known to have been stolen or forcibly sold during the Nazi rule. According to legislation and expert testimony, the Germans looted 600,000 works of art during World War II. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

ALDI looking for fresh meat (graduates)

ALDI Australia is looking to hire a fresh batch of graduates for their insanely popular program. The German retailer’s graduate program is inundated with applications each year thanks to the attractive $92,000 starting salary, a company car and iPhone, as well as five weeks annual leave. Successful applicants will undertake a comprehensive program over a two-year period while rotating through the exciting challenge of the business. “Our graduate jobs aren’t easy but the greater the challenge, the greater the reward,” their <a href="https://www.aldicareers.com.au/Graduate-Program-Application-Process" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> reads. “You’ll have exposure to serving customers on registers, managing sections in our distribution centre, undertaking site meetings with our property team, and developing your skills as a leader - a career achievement you can be proud of.” Applicants who succeed in their training will take on the role of an Executive Manager, giving them the opportunity to run up three-to-five stores. Peter Slaven recently completed the program and is now an Executive Manager of Store Operation in NSW. “I was prepared for a lot of observation and structured training, however I was pleasantly surprised with how hands-on ALDI’s graduate program is,” he told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/careers/aldis-insane-92000-job-for-uni-graduates/news-story/fbba33620c65bfad5a5f80df3e730155?utm_campaign=EditorialSB&utm_source=news.com.au&utm_medium=Facebook&utm_content=SocialBakers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “During the program I worked in three cities and over 30 stores, building relationships with close to 500 people. No two days are the same and I learnt to adapt quickly to constant change and I am still learning new things every day.” ALDI group director of human resources and projects Hayden Rydberg said the program attracted people from all walks of life. “It’s an opportunity for ambitious future leaders to hit the ground running in a supportive environment where you will learn directly from industry leaders, all while accelerating your career with a rewarding and dynamic retail business,” he said. Applicants must be in their final year of study or recently completed a master’s degree in any subject. Applications for ALDI's 2023 graduate program close on Monday March 28, 2022. Image: Shutterstock

Money & Banking

I chose the electricity retailer offering the best deal for my home. That’s not what I got

Households in most of Australia have been able to choose between electricity retailers for more than a decade. The main reason is to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/restoring-electricity-affordability-australias-competitive-advantage" target="_blank">reduce their bills</a>. But past research by the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.vepc.org.au/" target="_blank">Victoria Energy Policy Centre</a> (at Victoria University) has found only marginal benefits in switching retailers. Our study of more than 48,000 bills from Victorian households in 2018, for example, found households typically saved <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/victorians-who-switched-energy-retailers-only-save-45-a-year-leaving-hundreds-on-the-table-122786" target="_blank">less than A$50 a year</a> by switching energy providers. Has anything improved since then? A few weeks ago I decided to test the market for my own household supply. To guide my choice, I evaluated 357 competing offers from 30 retailers using my half-hourly consumption and solar export data for the last year. The 357 offers came from the Victorian government’s price comparison <a rel="noopener" href="https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/" target="_blank">website</a>, the only comprehensive source of all commonly available offers. After having found the deal I wanted, it was a painless and quick online process to switch to the new retailer. Two weeks later I checked what had actually happened. I discovered my new retailer had not switched me to its cheapest offer, but to one of its most expensive. I estimate I’ll still save about $143 for the year. But I would have saved about $100 more if the company had put me on its cheapest advertised offer (which, after all, was the reason I chose this retailer). These numbers might not be large, but I have a small bill because I have solar panels and consume much less electricity than typical customers. For the typical customer, the differences would be bigger. I have asked my new retailer to explain, but am yet to receive a reply. How I worked out my (lack of) savings My electricity bill has several elements: a daily charge, two consumption rates and a solar feed-in rate. You might note such elements in the offer you choose and then compare them to the offer the retailer actually puts you on. But you’d need to be highly motivated with time on your hands to do so. To do my sums I used special software to scrape and price all competing offers. This software, developed over several years and used in our previous research, is not publicly available. The outcome of my test is broadly consistent with the findings of our previously mentioned research. That analysis – <a rel="noopener" href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11149-020-09418-9" target="_blank">using more than 48,000 bills</a> voluntarily uploaded to the Victorian government’s price comparison website in 2018 – found typical households could theoretically save A$281 a year, or about 20% of their bill, by switching to the best possible advertised deal. In reality, however, customers who switched retailers saved only A$45 a year – or about 3% of their annual bill. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431880/original/file-20211115-13-1wdrcv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Child using light switch" /> In theory customers who switch electricity retailers should be able cut their annual bill by 20%. In reality it turns out to be about 3%. Image: Shutterstock I cannot be sure my recent experience is typical. But I think it likely other switchers will have had a similar experience. My study of the 357 competing offers available to me suggests many retailers seem to use “bait and switch” – or “tease and squeeze” – marketing strategies to attract new customers. What should be made of this? Choice can be valuable. Competition can lead to innovations – such as solar and battery packages with zero upfront payment that are now appearing in the the market. But the benefit of reforms making it easier to choose and switch between electricity retailers are not being fully realised. The more complex the market becomes as electricity generation is progressively decentralised and electricity buyers also become sellers, the harder it becomes to assess the merits of the complicated offers from energy retailers. Or even to know if what you signed up for is what you are actually getting. Had I known my new retailer would not switch me to its best offer (the one that attracted me in the first place), I wouldn’t have switched. This underlines the need for governments and regulators to look at how the market is working in practice, not just in theory. Examples of this approach are the 2017 independent review of Victoria’s electricity and gas retail markets <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/about-energy/policy-and-strategy" target="_blank">chaired by former deputy premier John Thwaites</a> and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/restoring-electricity-affordability-australias-competitive-advantage" target="_blank">2018 inquiry into electricity affordability</a>. But these are exceptions. The devil lies in the detail of how customers search for better offers and then switch to retailers in pursuit of those better offers. Regulations to clean up possibly misleading advertising and “sharp” business practices should flow from that.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171676/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-mountain-141253" target="_blank">Bruce Mountain</a>, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175" target="_blank">Victoria University</a> This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/i-chose-the-electricity-retailer-offering-the-best-deal-for-my-home-thats-not-what-i-got-171676" target="_blank">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

I chose the electricity retailer offering the best deal for my home. That’s not what I got

Households in most of Australia have been able to choose between electricity retailers for more than a decade. The main reason is to <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/restoring-electricity-affordability-australias-competitive-advantage">reduce their bills</a>. But past research by the <a href="https://www.vepc.org.au/">Victoria Energy Policy Centre</a> (at Victoria University) has found only marginal benefits in switching retailers. Our study of more than 48,000 bills from Victorian households in 2018, for example, found households typically saved <a href="https://theconversation.com/victorians-who-switched-energy-retailers-only-save-45-a-year-leaving-hundreds-on-the-table-122786">less than A$50 a year</a> by switching energy providers. Has anything improved since then? A few weeks ago I decided to test the market for my own household supply. To guide my choice, I evaluated 357 competing offers from 30 retailers using my half-hourly consumption and solar export data for the last year. The 357 offers came from the Victorian government’s price comparison <a href="https://compare.energy.vic.gov.au/">website</a>, the only comprehensive source of all commonly available offers. After having found the deal I wanted, it was a painless and quick online process to switch to the new retailer. Two weeks later I checked what had actually happened. I discovered my new retailer had not switched me to its cheapest offer, but to one of its most expensive. I estimate I’ll still save about $143 for the year. But I would have saved about $100 more if the company had put me on its cheapest advertised offer (which, after all, was the reason I chose this retailer). These numbers might not be large, but I have a small bill because I have solar panels and consume much less electricity than typical customers. For the typical customer, the differences would be bigger. I have asked my new retailer to explain, but am yet to receive a reply. <h2>How I worked out my (lack of) savings</h2> My electricity bill has several elements: a daily charge, two consumption rates and a solar feed-in rate. You might note such elements in the offer you choose and then compare them to the offer the retailer actually puts you on. But you’d need to be highly motivated with time on your hands to do so. To do my sums I used special software to scrape and price all competing offers. This software, developed over several years and used in our previous research, is not publicly available. The outcome of my test is broadly consistent with the findings of our previously mentioned research. That analysis – <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11149-020-09418-9">using more than 48,000 bills</a> voluntarily uploaded to the Victorian government’s price comparison website in 2018 – found typical households could theoretically save A$281 a year, or about 20% of their bill, by switching to the best possible advertised deal. In reality, however, customers who switched retailers saved only A$45 a year – or about 3% of their annual bill. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431880/original/file-20211115-13-1wdrcv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Child using light switch" /> In theory customers who switch electricity retailers should be able cut their annual bill by 20%. In reality it turns out to be about 3%. Shutterstock I cannot be sure my recent experience is typical. But I think it likely other switchers will have had a similar experience. My study of the 357 competing offers available to me suggests many retailers seem to use “bait and switch” – or “tease and squeeze” – marketing strategies to attract new customers. <h2>What should be made of this?</h2> Choice can be valuable. Competition can lead to innovations – such as solar and battery packages with zero upfront payment that are now appearing in the the market. But the benefit of reforms making it easier to choose and switch between electricity retailers are not being fully realised. The more complex the market becomes as electricity generation is progressively decentralised and electricity buyers also become sellers, the harder it becomes to assess the merits of the complicated offers from energy retailers. Or even to know if what you signed up for is what you are actually getting. Had I known my new retailer would not switch me to its best offer (the one that attracted me in the first place), I wouldn’t have switched. This underlines the need for governments and regulators to look at how the market is working in practice, not just in theory. Examples of this approach are the 2017 independent review of Victoria’s electricity and gas retail markets <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/about-energy/policy-and-strategy">chaired by former deputy premier John Thwaites</a> and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/restoring-electricity-affordability-australias-competitive-advantage">2018 inquiry into electricity affordability</a>. But these are exceptions. The devil lies in the detail of how customers search for better offers and then switch to retailers in pursuit of those better offers. Regulations to clean up possibly misleading advertising and “sharp” business practices should flow from that.<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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/171676/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-mountain-141253">Bruce Mountain</a>, Director, Victoria Energy Policy Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/victoria-university-1175">Victoria University</a> 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/i-chose-the-electricity-retailer-offering-the-best-deal-for-my-home-thats-not-what-i-got-171676">original article</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Retirement Income

Wild Republic: The new drama thriller set in the Alps

Dubbed the “Lord of the Flies for a new generation”, Wild Republic is the latest series to take inspiration from the classic novel. The German television series starts with a bunch of juvenile delinquents who are undergoing an experiential rehabilitation program in the rugged German Alps. <img style="width: 500px; height:250px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843508/luis_zeno_kuhn-fotografie-munchen-03363.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2e998bf45e6343b482cc559525562674" /> Image: SBS Following the sudden death of one member, the troubled youths face a tough choice: wait for the authorities to investigate the crime or take fate into their own hands and make an escape? <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tO0LVkF-Vuk" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Directed by Markus Goller and Lennart Ruff, the eight-part series tackles issues about how to survive, what choices are made, and at what cost. <img style="width: 500px; height:238.57142857142858px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843509/wild_republic.jpeg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/584d5f7e05394894bbb871d15f9e9387" /> Image: SBS The series is now exclusively streaming in German with English subtitles at <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/wild-republic" target="_blank">SBS On Demand</a>. Image: SBS

Broadcaster apologises for offensive bungle

A Dutch public broadcaster has been forced to apologise for wrongly subtitling the German national anthem using Nazi-era lyrics while it was being played before the team’s Euro 2020 match against England. NPO issued the apology on Twitter, with the account saying “the wrong verse was accidentally shown” and apologising to viewers who were offended by the error during the match on the morning of Wednesday, June 30 (NZST). “During the live subtitling of the German national anthem at the European Championship match England-Germany, the wrong verse was displayed by mistake,” NPO said on Twitter. “This was a mistake by one of our subtitlers. We apologise to viewers who were disturbed by this.” The verse beginning with the words “Deutschland, Deutschland ueber alles” was removed in 1945 following the end of World War II due to its association with the Nazi regime. The lyrics include the line “Germany, above all, above everything in the world” - which summed up Hitler’s desire to take over the world. Image: NPO

Mind

Germans turn to the woods for mindfulness

Of all the German words without a direct English equivalent, one has seen a resurgence during the coronavirus epidemic. Waldeinsamkeit - which translates to “solitude of the forest” according to Google Translate - can be best described as the sublime feeling that can come from being completely alone and at peace in the forest. With more free time, flexibility, and pressure at home - without many other options to occupy free time - Germans are visiting forests to find that kind of solitude in greater numbers than before. Recent research by the European Forest Institute has confirmed it, finding that visits to a monitored tract of woods in North-Rhine-Westphalia experienced an unprecedented jump in visitors during the first and second lockdowns. The authors concluded that forests were a critical infrastructure for national public health and society at large, with the German people once again seeking forest solitude during the pandemic. “In our recent study, visitors said finding tranquility was by far the number one motivation to go to the forest,” European Forest Institute researcher Jeanne-Lazya Roux said. “Another new study we are working on shows there is a renaissance in valuing forests for their spiritual attributes, or re-spiritualisation of the forest, as we call it.” A resurgence Professor Nikolaus Wegmann, a Germanist and literary historian at Princeton University, told the BBC waldeinsamkeit is seeing revalidation as people absorb the philosophy of the word in their post-pandemic lives. “On one level, waldeinsamkeit is a simple compound of the word ‘forest’ (wald) and ‘loneliness’ (einsamkeit), but on another it represents the soul and deeper psyche of Germany,” said Wegmann. “Nowadays, the term is taking on a new meaning because of coronavirus: the isolation and loneliness of the forest, in contrast to the world of the city, is increasingly attractive.” With 90 billion trees, 76 tree species and about 1,215 species of plants within Germany’s forest, which cover 33 percent of the country’s land area, it’s not hard to see where the attraction comes from. “The concept of going into the woods is part of everyday life for us Germans,” Wegmann said. “Even though we’re one of the most industrialised nations in the world, you don’t need to go looking for a forest here. We are forest people, even as far back as the Roman empire when the Romans described us as such.” Over time, the term has come to represent Germany’s culture too, with many throughout history citing the practice as a cure for stress. “Waldeinsamkeit is a visible strain throughout German culture and history and the term might have fallen out of favour, but it continues to convey a very romantic notion of the country,” said Austen Hinkley, a doctoral candidate at Princeton’s Department of Comparative Literature. “The claim the term is untranslatable and indescribable to non-Germans is also important. It can only really be explained by first-hand experience - total immersion in the German landscape.” Image: dinner / Instagram

International Travel

Don’t leave me: Dog tries to stop trainer from retiring

Viral footage from China has captured the touching moment a detection dog tried to stop its retiring handler from leaving. The German Shepherd, named Bei Bei, can be seen holding onto the officer’s duffel bag with its mouth, unwilling to let go. It even tries to stop the car door from closing, and chases the moving vehicle after the trainer bids a tearful goodbye to his loyal friend. Millions of social media users were moved by the animal helper and the “true comradeship and love” between the sergeant and his four-legged partner. The retiring sergeant, Zhang Wei, was leaving the barracks in China’s north-western region Xinjiang when the <a rel="noopener" href="https://weibo.com/tv/show/1034:4542480302145580?from=old_pc_videoshow" target="_blank">footage</a> was filmed, according to Chinese media reports. During his retirement ceremony, the officer is seen handing over the sniffer dog to his colleague as he prepares to leave. As Zhang hugs another officer to say goodbye, Bei Bei suddenly bites the corner of his duffel bag, seemingly trying to stop its handler from leaving. The sergeant immediately bends down and gives the detection dog a kiss, trying to hold back tears. After Zhang climbs into the military van, Bei Bei barks profusely before eagerly running towards the officer again. The hound is seen resting its paws on the vehicle door, unwilling to move, as the officer rubs its head and waves goodbye. Bei Bei even tries to chase the moving car carrying its beloved best friend, before being pulled back by another officer. The heart-warming video has touched millions of Chinese citizens, with one commenter writing: “This has brought me to tears. This is the kind of real and inseparable friendship!” IMAGES: Weibo/js7tv

Family & Pets

Madeleine McCann case leads to German police digging in back garden

German police are currently investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann in Portugal in 2007 and have searched a garden plot in the city of Hannover in connection with their probe. Julia Meyer, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office in Braunschweig, confirmed to local media that police investigators had been at the garden plot since Monday. Meyer said she could not give any further details on the procedure, adding only that police would “still need some more time to finish.” At the time of writing, it is not clear what police believe might be at the site they are searching. Sniffer dogs, a tent with observation technology, an excavator as well as a large team of police have been spotted at the scene. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837107/maddy-body.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3705bfcb53964e92964ac0e7e10e0e23" /> It is understood that the investigation of the site will continue until Wednesday. Madeleine was three years old at the time of her 2007 disappearance from an apartment while her family vacationed in the town of Praia da Luz in Portugal. German authorities have since identified a 43-year-old German citizen as a suspect in the McCann case and are investigating him on suspicion of murder.

Legal

Madeleine McCann’s parents respond to German prosecutor’s claim

Madeleine McCann’s parents have denied they received a letter from German authorities stating that their daughter is dead. In a statement released Tuesday on the Find Madeleine website, Kate and Gerry McCann said they have not received a letter regarding proof of their daughter’s death. “The widely reported news that we have a received a letter from the German authorities that states there is evidence or proof that Madeleine is dead is FALSE,” the parents said in the statement. “As we have stated many times before, we will not give a running commentary on the investigation – that is the job of the law enforcement agencies and we will support them in any way requested.” The statement came after German prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters told UK newspapers he had sent the family a letter explaining German authorities believed Madeleine was dead but could not reveal the evidence. Wolters said German police has “concrete evidence” that the missing British girl was murdered by Christian Brückner, a 43-year-old convicted sex offender. “We have concrete evidence that our suspect has killed Madeleine and this means she is dead,” Wolters was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail. “I sympathise with the parents but if we reveal more details to them it might jeopardise the situation.” He insisted his team had sent a letter to the McCanns. “I’m not able to say whether the letter has reached the family or is still on the move,” Wolters told The Sun. Madeleine McCann disappeared from the Portuguese resort of Praia da Luz in 2007. She was three years old at the time of her disappearance.

Legal

Fast fashion: how retailers can use pandemic to change our terrible relationship with clothes

Even before the pandemic, the UK fashion retail industry <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43240996">was struggling</a>. John Lewis, M&S and Debenhams had all announced losses, job cuts and store closures, while House of Fraser was taken over. Since lockdown, Oasis and Warehouse <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52285231">have entered administration</a>, and John Lewis <a href="https://www.theweek.co.uk/106801/will-john-lewis-close-some-stores-permanently">has said</a> that not all its stores will reopen. <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43240996">One of the challenges</a> for these retailers is cut throat price competition from international rivals like Primark and H&M, and online retailers like Pretty Little Thing and Misguided. <a href="https://researchonline.gcu.ac.uk/en/publications/doing-it-for-the-kids-the-role-of-sustainability-in-family-consum">Low-price garments</a> became all the more attractive to consumers after their spending power was weakened by the financial crisis of 2007-09. This brought about the era of fast fashion – low quality clothes needing replaced more quickly, and consumers who see them as disposable. The price of these garments doesn’t reflect their true cost. It ignores both the workers who make them and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/apr/07/fast-fashion-speeding-toward-environmental-disaster-report-warns">carbon footprint</a> from more production, more transportation and more landfill. Rays of hope At the turn of the year, there <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/jan/01/fashion-climate-sustainability-greta-thunberg-i-d-gucci-zero-emissions-carbon-neutral">was a feeling</a> that sustainability might be moving back up the agenda. A surge of consumer protests, led by Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg, seemed to herald a public desire for change. To <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/fast-fashion-is-the-second-dirtiest-industry-in-the-world-next-to-big--1882083445.html">raise awareness</a> that fashion is the second-worst polluter after oil, Extinction Rebellion <a href="https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/extinction-rebellion-london-fashion-week-climate-change-protests">held a funeral</a> during London Fashion Week 2019. It seemed possible that consumers might be galvanised to shop more sustainably – especially given the extreme weather conditions of 2019, and fears that there are <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-un-report-greenhouse-gases-carbon-dioxide-methane-sea-level-rise-global-warming-a8646426.html">just ten years left</a> to halt the irreversible consequences of climate change. Then came the pandemic. With many high street shops forced to suspend trading, the whole industry has been in flux. Brands like Primark and Matalan have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/mar/27/put-earth-first-can-a-greener-fairer-fashion-industry-emerge-from-crisis">cancelled or suspended</a> orders in places like Bangladesh, causing some factories <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/apr/02/fashion-brands-cancellations-of-24bn-orders-catastrophic-for-bangladesh">to close</a>. There may have been <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200422-how-has-coronavirus-helped-the-environment">big environmental benefits</a> from the world at a standstill, but it will be little consolation to garment workers who are furloughed or jobless. Yet amidst <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/healthcare-systems-and-services/our-insights/beyond-coronavirus-the-path-to-the-next-normal">all this upheaval</a>, there is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/mar/27/put-earth-first-can-a-greener-fairer-fashion-industry-emerge-from-crisis">an opportunity</a> for the fashion industry – both to help these workers and more broadly to put sustainability at the heart of their business. The decisions by fashion retailers like <a href="https://www.theindustry.fashion/burberry-retools-factory-to-make-non-surgical-gowns-and-masks-and-funds-vaccine-research/">Burberry</a> and <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/fashion-industry-masks-protective-equipment-covid-19/index.html">Prada</a> to divert into making medical gowns and masks for healthcare workers are a good starting point. If companies can make positive changes to help manage coronavirus, they can also address fast fashion. If, for example, companies paid garment workers the <a href="https://labourbehindthelabel.org/our-work/faqs/#1441884831979-53ad6cf0-86251441886042060">living wage</a> for their part of the world, they could use it in their marketing to garner a competitive advantage. Paying a living wage <a href="https://thefableists.wordpress.com/2014/04/03/tailored-wages-new-report-investigates-clothing-brands-work-on-living-wages/">doesn’t significantly increase</a> the cost of garments. Take the example of a T-shirt with a retail price of £29, for which the worker receives 0.6% or 18p. If that was doubled to 36p, it would not increase the overall price by very much. Paying a living wage <a href="https://labourbehindthelabel.org/our-work/faqs/#1441884831979-53ad6cf0-86251441886042060">should enable workers</a> in developing countries to afford nutritious food, clean water, shelter, clothes, education, healthcare and transport, while leaving some left over. One fashion entrepreneur that has developed a different way of helping garment workers during the pandemic is Edinburgh-based Cally Russell. He set up the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/may/30/lost-stock-its-like-buying-your-future-self-a-present">Lost Stock initiative</a>, which sells the garments from orders cancelled by UK fashion retailers by purchasing garments directly from manufacturers in Bangladesh. <a href="https://loststock.com/pages/costs">A Lost Stock box</a> of clothes costs £39. Almost a third is donated to the Sajida Foundation, which is giving food and hygiene parcels to Bangladeshis struggling during the pandemic. For maximum transparency, Lost Stock also provides a price breakdown that outlines the costs to the manufacturer, the charity and the initiative itself. Cool to care Another tactic that fashion marketers could use is to encourage in consumers a similar cool-to-care ethos to that brought out by the pandemic – as seen with the UK’s weekly clapping for key workers, for example. Business in numerous sectors are already focusing their marketing message on supporting NHS workers to capitalise on this spirit of collective solidarity. Fashion marketers could channel people’s desire for self-gratification towards buying clothes that contribute to the social good. My <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/QMR-09-2019-0113/full/html">research illustrates</a> the discomfort consumers experience when aware of allegations of both garment-worker and environmental exploitation, so it should be possible for marketers to benefit from doing the reverse. <a href="https://www.toms.com/">TOMS (Tomorrow’s Shoes)</a> is an example of a fashion business with giving at the core of its strategy: for every pair of shoes sold, a pair is donated to a child in need. Since 2006, 100 million pairs of shoes have been donated, and TOMS <a href="https://www.toms.com/about-toms">has since branched</a> into areas like eyewear.Another example is <a href="https://snagtights.com/pages/our-philosophy#:%7E:text=Sustainable,first%20fully%20bio%2Ddegradable%20tights.">Snag Tights</a>, which is supporting NHS frontline workers with a free pair of tights for every order placed. The company markets its tights as vegan friendly and free of plastic packaging, and is trying to develop the world’s first fully bio-degradable tights. Swaps and seconds One other trend that should definitely be encouraged is initiatives that expand the lifecycle of fashion and textiles. <a href="https://www.stylus.com/hmzhcg">London Fashion Week hosted</a> a fashion swap shop in February for the first time. Similarly, the flagship Selfridges store on London’s Oxford Street <a href="https://www.retail-week.com/fashion/selfridges-opens-second-hand-clothing-boutique/7033360.article?authent=1">began selling</a> second-hand luxury fashion and high-end brands with resale site Vestiaire Collective in 2019. There has also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/dec/22/fashion-libraries-ethical-clothing-borrowing">been a rise</a> in fashion libraries that rent fashion garments and accessories, allowing consumers affordable access to higher quality and luxury items. Fashion retailers could move in this direction, while also supporting customers by hosting workshops for upcycling garments into something new. In sum, the fashion industry should take advantage of the pandemic pause and the current mood to show constructive leadership to the global economy. It should use its power to help change our relationship with clothing into something more equal and sustainable for the long term. Written by Elaine Ritch. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/fast-fashion-how-retailers-can-use-pandemic-to-change-our-terrible-relationship-with-clothes-140210">The Conversation.</a>

Beauty & Style

New Madeleine McCann suspect allegedly tipped off by hotel worker

The latest man suspected of abducting three-year-old Madeleine McCann in 2007 was allegedly alerted to the empty hotel room by a worker at the hotel the family were staying at. Christian Brueckner, a 43-year-old convicted German sex offender, was allegedly told by an employee of the Ocean Club in Praia da Luz that the McCann parents would be out for dinner and their apartment would be easy to break into. A receptionist for the holiday complex left a note at the staff register about the family’s dinner reservation, which is something that Madeleine’s mother Kate remembered in horror a year after the horrific abduction. “It wasn’t until a year later, when I was combing through the Portuguese files, that I discovered that the note requesting our block booking was written in a staff message book, which sat on a desk at the pool reception for most of the day,” she wrote in her book titled Madeleine. “To my horror I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had written the reason for our request. “We wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently.” A friend of Brueckner is suspected of seeing the note and letting him know about the unsupervised apartment. Police have since identified the employee who is believed to pass on the information, who also had Brueckner’s number in his mobile contacts. Brueckner received a half hour phone call in Praia da Luz around an hour before Madeleine went missing. It’s alleged that Brueckner went to raid the holiday accommodation and found Madeleine sleeping next to her younger brother, twins Sean and sister Amelie. Brueckner is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence for the rape of a 72-year-old American woman in 2005 and also has criminal records for the distribution of child pornography, sexual abuse of children and violations of the Narcotics Act, according to German media. Hans Christian Wolters, a spokesman for the Braunschweig Public Prosecutor’s Office, told journalists “we are assuming that the girl is dead”. “In connection with the disappearance of the three-year-old British girl Madeleine McCann on May 3, 2007 from an apartment complex in Praia da Luz, in Portugal, the Braunschweig prosecution is investigating against a 43-year-old German on suspicion of murder. “With the suspect, we are talking about a sexual predator who has already been convicted of crimes against little girls and he’s already serving a long sentence.” German authorities are now appealing for more information. “The hard evidence we don’t have, we don’t have the crucial evidence of Madeleine McCann’s body,” he told Sky News. “We expect that she is dead, but we don’t have enough evidence that we can get a warrant for our suspect in Germany for the murder of Madeleine McCann. “At the moment, we also don’t have enough proof for a trial at court, but we have some evidence that the suspect has done the deed. “That’s why we need more information from people, especially places he has lived, so we can target these places especially and search there for Madeleine.”

News

New prime suspect identified in Madeleine McCann case

In a rare update, British police have revealed they are investigating a German prisoner as a suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. At the time of the three-year-old’s disappearance, the 43-year-old German national is known to have been in and around Praia da Luz on Portugal's Algarve coast around May 3, 2007. The child had been on holiday with her parents Kate and Gerry McCann, along with her twin siblings, Sean and Amelie. A half-hour long phone call was made to the German man's Portuguese mobile phone around an hour before Madeleine is assumed to have gone missing. The suspect who remains behind bars in a German prison for an unrelated matter, has been linked to a camper van that was photographed in the Algarve in 2007. Scotland Yard said he was driving the vehicle in the Praia da Luz area just days before Madeleine's disappearance. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836368/madeleine-mccann-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9ac7da3229cf482181bbd874f2a424ff" /> The suspect has additionally been linked to a 1993 Jaguar XJR6 that had a German number plate seen in Praia da Luz and surrounding areas in 2006 and 2007. The day after young Madeleine went missing, the man got the car re-registered in Germany under someone else's name. However, it is believed the vehicle was still in Portugal. Both vehicles have been seized by German police. Scotland Yard is in the process of launching an appeal with the Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany (BKA) and the Portuguese Policia Judiciaria (PJ), which will include a STG20,000 ($A36,000) reward for information leading to the conviction of the person responsible for Madeleine's disappearance. The Met's investigation has revealed that there are more than 600 people who may be significant to the case and were tipped off about the German national, already known to detectives, following a 2017 appeal 10 years after she went missing. <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ZOc2z_llQX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ZOc2z_llQX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Nomi Cooper-Rosenberg (@nomicr)</a> on May 12, 2013 at 1:53pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Madeleine vanished just a short while before her fourth birthday and would have turned 17 in May. Madeleine’s parents issued a statement, read by Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, welcoming the new police appeal with open arms. "All we have ever wanted is to find her, uncover the truth and bring those responsible to justice," the statement said. "We will never give up hope of finding Madeleine alive, but whatever the outcome may be, we need to know as we need to find peace." Det. Chief Insp. Cranwell took the unusual step of releasing two mobile phone numbers as part of the appeal. The first, (+351) 912 730 680, is believed to have been used by the suspect. The second is suspected to have received a call from another Portuguese mobile, (+351) 916 510 683, while in the Praia da Luz area on the night of May 3, 2007. The caller is not thought to have been in the Praia da Luz area but is not being treated as a suspect. Police say the person may be a "key witness" in the case. Det. Chief Insp. Cranwell are appealing to anyone who knows the suspect and who may have information in relation to Madeleine's case to come forward. "You may know, you may be aware of some of the things he has done. He may have confided in you about the disappearance of Madeleine," the police officer said.

News

First class mistake: Greta Thunberg caught out on German trains slip-up

Climate change activist Greta Thunberg has been hit with a new wave of criticism online after a recently made speech and social media post were called out online. The new attacks on the 16-year-old teenager came after she shared a picture of her journey home to Sweden after months of travelling the world calling for climate action. Ms Thunberg shared a photograph of herself sitting on the floor of a train, surrounded by a heap of luggage onto her social media accounts. She has kept vocal about her decision not to travel by plane, as they are considered major contributions to climate change. "Traveling on overcrowded trains through Germany. And I'm finally on my way home!" the caption accompanying the image said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Traveling on overcrowded trains through Germany. And I’m finally on my way home! <a href="https://t.co/ssfLCPsR8o">pic.twitter.com/ssfLCPsR8o</a> — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1205969006982815751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">14 December 2019</a></blockquote> The German railway company she was travelling with, Deutsche Bahn, quickly responded to Ms Thunberg’s post, wishing the young teen a safe journey home. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Noch schöner wäre es gewesen, wenn Du zusätzlich auch berichtet hättest, wie freundlich und kompetent Du von unserem Team an Deinem Sitzplatz in der Ersten Klasse betreut worden bist. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Greta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Greta</a> 2/2 — Deutsche Bahn AG (@DB_Presse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DB_Presse/status/1206182674949382145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15 December 2019</a></blockquote> Deutsche Bahn added the company were working hard on improving connections, trains and seats. However, the German railway company later released a statement saying Ms Thunberg had a first-class seat between Kassel and Hamburg. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> OMG even German Rail companies are now dunking on the fraud that is <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GretaThunberg</a>! 🤣 <a href="https://t.co/aAQjJJNWAt">pic.twitter.com/aAQjJJNWAt</a> — Raheem Kassam (@RaheemKassam) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaheemKassam/status/1206290440523255808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15 December 2019</a></blockquote> The statement revealed further that other members of her team were sitting in first class from Frankfurt onwards. Deutsche Bahn also took to twitter twice more to speak on Ms Thunberg's train travels through Germany. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> It seems Greta is now telling a few untruths to further her agenda. The German National train service were forced to publicly correct her untruths after they were condemned on twitter because Greta suggested she was forced to sit on the foor, when in fact she was in 1st class. <a href="https://t.co/IYl4g8YYjY">pic.twitter.com/IYl4g8YYjY</a> — The Niall Boylan Show (@Niall_Boylan) <a href="https://twitter.com/Niall_Boylan/status/1206394630738251776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">16 December 2019</a></blockquote> "Dear #Greta, thank you for supporting us railroad workers in the fight against climate change! We were pleased that you were on the ICE 74 with us on Saturday. And with 100 per cent green electricity," the company posted. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> So, young <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GretaThunberg</a> has apologized for saying something awful. Welcome to life. Forgive her. Hope she thinks twice. Also, I'm doubting these posts are hers alone. Greta has a movement behind her. This all feels sculpted. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Skeptical?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Skeptical</a> Consider this tweet and the reaction. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/THNA?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#THNA</a> <a href="https://t.co/Bn6BOAglky">pic.twitter.com/Bn6BOAglky</a> — Mike Opelka (@stuntbrain) <a href="https://twitter.com/stuntbrain/status/1206272060433084417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15 December 2019</a></blockquote> Ms Thunberg later clarified that while she had initially been sitting on the floor, she later got a seat. The teenager also added that while she did sit on the floor, it was not an attack against the railway line. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Our train from Basel was taken out of traffic. So we sat on the floor on 2 different trains. After Göttingen I got a seat.This is no problem of course and I never said it was. Overcrowded trains is a great sign because it means the demand for train travel is high! — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1206203503363985408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">15 December 2019</a></blockquote> "This is no problem of course and I never said it was. Overcrowded trains is a great sign because it means the demand for train travel is high!" she said.

Travel Trouble

Why we resort to retail therapy

We all have our own ways to blow off steam – but for some, making an impulse purchase seems to be the answer. A study from the University of Michigan found that shopping can reduce sadness by restoring one’s sense of control in life. The researchers discovered that making buying decisions helped reduce negative emotions by subverting the belief that “situational forces control the outcomes in one’s life”. Although some may worry that impulse treats may put a dent in their wallet and therefore make their mood even worse, another <a href="https://northstarpsych.com/files_uploaded/8df9f1b646b4900b8dd33849f6e898c5.pdf">study</a> published in Psychology & Marketing suggested that buyer’s remorse is not an issue. “There seem to be few, if any, downside consequences of engaging in the unplanned purchase of treats,” the researchers wrote. The study participants, they wrote, “did not experience anxiety, guilt, or buyer’s remorse,” nor did they “attempt to engage in compensatory activity” or “suffer a downturn in mood post-purchase”. However, retail therapy can only go so far in repairing mood and reducing stress. The study said shopping helps temporary and mild slumps but not “chronic negative conditions” such as loneliness. “We are currently dealing with small transactions and fleeting emotions. I am interested in larger purchases and chronic conditions,” said Scott Rick, a marketing professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. “How far can the healing go?” If you want to reap the benefits while still keeping your budget in check, there are a few tricks you can apply. Katherine Burson, a marketing professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business recommended using your imagination. “The people who simply imagine that they are buying have less sadness at the end of the experiment, suggesting that imaginary shopping may have some of the restorative benefits we see in real shopping, which might be the ultimate solution,” said Burson. You can also make the shopping experience a little less practical by using cash instead of card and removing your credit card details online – you are <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/07/30/can-shopping-become-an-addiction_a_23057029/">less likely</a> to buy on a whim if you have to produce bills or manually enter your information. Finally, wait it out – making decisions in a tight time span can cloud your judgment over the true necessity of the item. Plan ahead and give yourself some time before committing to fork out some money.

Retirement Income

Retailer mocked for T-shirt mistake

A supermarket giant has been criticised after a customer spotted a grammatical error on the retailer’s Father’s Day T-shirt. The angry shopper took to <a href="https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3275585-To-think-Asda-need-a-kick-up-the-arse-for-this?pg=1" target="_blank">Mumsnet</a>, to rant about the misplaced apostrophe on the $7 shirt. The shopper explained that they were annoyed over the “errant apostrophe” in the word “Dad’s”, which should’ve read “Dads”. <img width="425" height="568" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819192/1.jpg" alt="1 (154)"/> “I do think large retail chains ought to have someone checking their products for spelling, punctuation and grammar,” the user wrote. “I’m sure most parents would prefer it if their children were not exposed to such errors, given that they’ll be tested on them all the way up to A level …” Another user revealed her plans to show the photo of the shirt to her Year 5 English class. “I’m 95% sure they will know what’s wrong with it straight away.” One Mumsnet user suggested Asda should employ a proofreader, while another posted on their social media accounts to call the supermarket out on their mistake. "I've posted x2 on their FB page and tweeted them, I'll revisit and keep at it when I've got a minute and report back if I get responses," the user wrote. "Join in anyone?" An Asda spokesperson told Fabulous, “We dropped the ball here, and not the apostrophe, which was a mistake.”

Beauty & Style

“I am Prince Charles’ brother”: German man’s explosive claims

Just over a month after Simon Dorante-Day, an Australian man claiming to be the “love child” of Prince Charles and Camilla, <a href="/news/news/2018/02/prince-charles-camilla-aussie-love-child-speaks-out/" target="_blank">spoke out in an interview with New Idea</a>, yet another man claiming to be a long-lost member of the royal family has emerged. Guenther Focke, a German private eye, claims he is the result of an affair between Prince Philip and his barmaid mum, Marie-Karoline. “I am Prince Charles’ brother,” he told Globe magazine. “I have the same ears as him. But when I was younger, I looked almost identical to Philip.” <img width="496" height="315" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7816533/5aaefe3d3cfe7_charles_5aaefceab18bd_496x315.jpg" alt="5aaefe 3d 3cfe 7_charles _5aaefceab 18bd" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/> Given that Guenther was born on July 12, 1946, the affair would have occurred prior to Philip’s 1947 wedding to the Queen. In his 2008 book Not in Her Majesty’s Service, he claims he was conceived during Philip’s time as a naval lieutenant in Germany in 1945. Guenther’s claims come after <a href="/lifestyle/relationships/2017/09/shocking-new-allegations-about-prince-philip-being-unfaithful/" target="_blank">decades of speculation</a> that Philip was less than faithful throughout his marriage to Her Majesty. “I don't want to hurt the Royal Family, but I need some sense of closure,” Guenther told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/columnists/article-353920/Riddle-Philips-secret-son.html" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a> in 2005. “Buckingham Palace refuse to allow me to meet Prince Philip. I have no option but to publish my story in the hope I will get some acknowledgement from the Royal Family.” Tell us in the comments below, what do you think of Guenther’s claims? Do you see any resemblance between him, Prince Charles or Prince Philip?

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