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Keanu Reeves wants to be Batman

<p dir="ltr">Keanu Reeves said it's his dream to play Batman. </p> <p dir="ltr">The loveable actor was the voice for Batman in DC League of Super-Pets but said it would be his dream to play the live-action character instead. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love Batman, as a character. I love him in the comic books, in the films, so to get the opportunity to voice, to play Batman was awesome,” the 57-year-old said. </p> <p dir="ltr">He said it would make sense to play the role, especially if they needed an older actor to be Batman. </p> <p dir="ltr">But he said he’d wait for now while Robert Pattinson has the role of the infamous character. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Pattinson’s got Batman right now, and he’s doing awesome. Maybe down the road. Maybe when they need an older Batman,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have a small part in this film, a bit of a cameo, but even that just to be a part of a project that [Dwayne] Johnson and Kevin Hart are a part of is awesome, and I got to play Batman.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Movies

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Bon Scott’s brother discusses AC/DC frontman’s death for the first time

<p dir="ltr">For the first time since the rockstar’s untimely death in 1980, Bon Scott’s closest friends and family have spoken out about his success and reliance on vices.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bon’s brother Derek said while Bon’s devil-may-care attitude was a key part of his public persona as a rockstar, it would eventually lead to his downfall as his penchant for risk-taking would backfire.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bon Scott, lead singer of AC/DC, was found dead in a car in London in 1980 after a night of heavy drinking, drug use and partying at just 33 years old. </p> <p dir="ltr">Bruce Howe, a close friend of the rockstar, said he would rely on dangerous vices while on the road, specifically when boredom would set in. </p> <p dir="ltr">“That‘s when he would start taking risks, doing wild things,” Howe said on the ABC’s <em>Australian Story</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On days when he was bored, there was no future, there was only now.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He didn‘t give a bugger about whether he lived or died the next day. He’d try anything — magic mushrooms, marijuana, alcohol — and he would take risks on his motorbike.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I said, ‘You are going to f***ing kill yourself. Do something about it!’”</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking for the first time on the death of his brother, Derek Scott said Bon’s alcoholism had always worried those closest to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He did get bored very quickly,” he said. “That was the biggest problem. When he got bored, he drank.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“He never worried about tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When Bon Scott joined AC/DC and rose to international fame, his stardom became another vehicle of self-destruction. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Within the next 12 months, they were expected to be one of the biggest acts on the planet,” Murray Engleheart, author of the book AC/DC Maximum Rock and Roll, said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The next album was going to be the one that was really going to kick them over the goalposts.”</p> <p dir="ltr">But after barely five years of AC/DC becoming a global act, the Bon Scott era was over.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Bon’s passing as he did, on his own in a car in the freezing cold, after all his hard work and all his heartbreak getting there, was just an incredibly sad, lonely and unglamorous way to go out,” Mr Engleheart said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Howe said he was gutted by the news of his death, but knew deep down that an early death was always a possibility for his friend.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He drank far too much,” Mr Howe said. ”I did wonder if he would push it too far one day. And sadly, he obviously did.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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Julia Child's iconic home hits the market

<p dir="ltr">The Washington DC home of famed chef Julia Child has hit the market with an asking price of $3.5 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">Child lived at the 290-square metre yellow clapboard house, where she created some of her most famous dishes that appeared in her book,<span> </span><em>Master the Art of French Cooking</em>, between 1948 and 1959.</p> <p dir="ltr">The three-bedroom and three-and-a-half bathroom home has been restored and renovated by its current owner, Rory Veveers-Carter, since he purchased it for $935,000 in 2015.</p> <p dir="ltr">It also underwent renovations during Child’s time, when she installed a $400 Garland Model stove that is now on display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, the kitchen features stainless steel Viking appliances, an eight-burner cooktop stove, double stacked ovens, a wooden hearth, and a wine fridge.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the original kitchen walls and window that appeared on Child’s cooking shows have remained untouched.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Encased in glass, this window to history that sparked an American food revolution is a classic conversation starter for guests,” the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/2706-Olive-St-NW-Washington-DC-20007/428757_zpid/" target="_blank">listing</a><span> </span>said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The listing also revealed that Mr Veveers-Carter's grandmother was an "avid watcher of Julia's cooking shows" and was drawn to the home after "the building fell into disrepair … work(ing) tirelessly to preserve this landmark house".</p> <p dir="ltr">Along with the famed kitchen where Child created many of her well-known recipes, the house has an open-plan design including an office, living room, foyer, fireplace and powder room.</p> <p dir="ltr">The upstairs floor houses a master bedroom and ensure, as well as two other bedrooms, with one that comes with an adjacent full bath.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Veveers-Carter also transformed the space under the kitchen into a den, laundry area and private Turkish steam room.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the<span> </span><em>Washington Post</em>, the home was first built in 1869 by African American architect Edgar Murphy, who lived there with his family until his death in 1908.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images, Zillow</em></p>

Real Estate

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Rolling Stone ranks Australia’s 200 Best Albums of All Time

<p>If there's one thing music fans love to debate over, it's a "Greatest of All Time" list.</p> <p>The list causing the most recent debate comes from Rolling Stone, who have ranked the top 200 best albums to come from the Australian music scene.</p> <p>It came as no great shock that the list was conquered by Australian music greats AC/DC and their rock classic album <em>Back in Black</em>.</p> <p>First released in 1980, the record remains the second highest selling album in the world, with more than 50 million copies sold worldwide.</p> <p>Despite AC/DC taking out the top spot, the most impressive feat in the list comes from the two bands that managed to secure two spots each in the top 20 list.</p> <p>The first was Midnight Oil, for their 1982 album titled <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> – which came in at number 19 on the list – and their 1987 classic <em>Diesel and Dust</em>, which took out the number five spot.</p> <p>Then, equally as impressive, were Powderfinger, who secured the 18th spot with their 1998 album <em>Internationalist</em>, as well as the 16th spot with <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000).</p> <p>Despite the list featuring a host of up-and-coming Aussie artists and their latest releases, the majority of the top 20 was reserved for the classics.</p> <p>Coming in second to AC/DC on the list was the massive INXS record <em>Kick</em>, which was first released in 1987.</p> <p>Also featured in the top 20 were John Farnham's <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986), Cold Chisel's <em>East</em> (1980) and Crowded House's self-titled album from 1986.</p> <p>Kylie Minogue's 2001 album <em>Fever</em> was the highest ranking for a female artist, and was joined in the list by fellow female hitmakers such as Sia, Kasey Chambers and Sarah Blasko.</p> <p>Despite the top 20 being largely dominated by 20th century records, some relative newcomers pushed their way to the top.</p> <p>5 Seconds of Summer's 2014 self-titled album landing the number 17 spot, and Tame Impala's 2015 experimental record <em>Currents</em> came in at number 12.</p> <p>Although some newer artists were featured in the top spots on the list, the winners really go to show that there's nothing quite like some classic Aussie rock.</p> <p><strong>Check out the TOP 20:</strong></p> <p>20. Dr. G Yunupingu - <em>Gurrumul</em> (2008)</p> <p>19. Midnight Oil - <em>10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1</em> (1982)</p> <p>18. Powderfinger - <em>Internationalist</em> (1998)</p> <p>17. 5 Seconds of Summer - <em>5 Seconds of Summer</em> (2014)</p> <p>16. Powderfinger - <em>Odyssey Number Five</em> (2000)</p> <p>15. The Go-Betweens - <em>16 Lovers Lane</em> (1988)</p> <p>14. Regurgitator - <em>Unit</em> (1997)</p> <p>13. Nick Cave &amp; The Bad Seeds - <em>Murder Ballads</em> (1996)</p> <p>12. Tame Impala - <em>Currents</em> (2015)</p> <p>11. You Am I - <em>Hourly, Daily</em> (1996)</p> <p>10. Kylie Minogue - <em>Fever</em> (2001)</p> <p>9. Savage Garden - <em>Savage Garden</em> (1997)</p> <p>8. The Avalanches - <em>Since I Left You</em> (2000)</p> <p>7. Crowded House - <em>Crowded House</em> (1987)</p> <p>6. Silverchair - <em>Frogstomp</em> (1995)</p> <p>5. Midnight Oil - <em>Diesel and Dust</em> (1987)</p> <p>4. Cold Chisel - <em>East</em> (1980)</p> <p>3. John Farnham - <em>Whispering Jack</em> (1986)</p> <p>2. INXS - <em>Kick</em> (1987)</p> <p>1. AC/DC - <em>Back In Black</em> (1980)</p> <p>And you can peruse the full 200-strong list <a rel="noopener" href="https://au.rollingstone.com/rolling-stones-200-greatest-australian-albums-of-all-time/page/1/the-teskey-brothers-run-home-slow/" target="_blank">here</a>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

Music

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Denzel Washington to star in R-rated Macbeth

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Academy Award winner Denzel Washington will be taking on the titular character of Macbeth in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Tragedy of Macbeth</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a new adaptation of the famous Shakespearean tragedy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://movieweb.com/the-tragedy-of-macbeth-teaser-a24/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">new teaser</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> sees Washington depict the fictional Scottish lord in stark black-and-white in an eerie and otherworldly version of medieval Scotland.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845673/_0-19-screenshot-1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6feccf71e63c402d99b87f90984344e9" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frances McDormand will star alongside Washington in the new adaptation. Image: A24</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In meticulously world-weary performances, a strikingly inward Denzel Washington is the man who would be king, and an effortlessly Machiavellian Frances McDormand is his Lady,” the New York Film Festival’s announcement of the film reads.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film is directed by Joel Coen - one half of the Coen brothers - though this time he will be working solo. </span></p> <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CRoxy5pIXjd/?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> <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/CRoxy5pIXjd/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by A24 (@a24)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Famed actress Kathryn Hunter will also join the cast as a trio of ‘weird sisters’, alongside Brendan Gleeson as King Duncan, Corey Hawkins as Macduff, and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Queen’s Gambit </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">star Moses Ingram as Lady MacDuff.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Though it echoes the forbidding visual designs - and aspect ratios - of Laurence Olivier’s classic 1940’s Shakespeare adaptations, as well as the bloody medieval madness of Kurosawa’s </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Throne of Blood</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Coen’s tale of sound and fury is entirely his own,” the announcement reads.</span></p> <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUDKPNFrkku/?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> <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/CUDKPNFrkku/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by A24 (@a24)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Coen previously shared his aspirations for the film, with hopes it will be a “boldly inventive visualisation of the Scottish Play” and “an anguished film that stares, mouth agape, at a sorrowful world undone by blind greed and thoughtless ambition”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The film made its debut at the 2021 New York Film Festival in September and is due to be released in select theatres on December 25. It will then be streaming on Apple TV+ on January 14, 2022.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See the latest teaser trailer below.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Bk6VArB6_us" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: A24</span></em></p>

Movies

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Reporters’ book holds new insights on Trump

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A new book penned by </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Washington Post </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">reporters Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta has become a source of </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jun/29/trump-white-house-covid-taskforce-fauci" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">shocking revelations</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about the Trump administration at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Titled </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/nightmare-scenario-yasmeen-abutalebdamian-paletta" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nightmare Scenario</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">: Inside the Trump Administration’s Response to the Pandemic that Changed History</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the authors reported on Trump’s contempt for the COVID taskforce chaired by vice-president Mike Pence, which Trump took to referring as “that f****ing council that Mike has” as the pandemic worsened.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The authors wrote that his derisive term for the taskforce was “a signal that he wished it would go away” and “didn’t want anyone to exert leadership”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Many on the taskforce didn’t want the responsibility either, fearful of the consequences.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The book also revealed that Trump wanted to send Americans infected with the virus to Guantanamo Bay and that he hoped his former aide John Bolton would be “taken out” by COVID-19.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The book also examined the influence of “outside consultants” on Trump that undermined the work of the president’s scientific advisors.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This included unofficial advisor Stephen Moore, who the authors said acted as Trump’s “emissary [from] the conservative establishment” and “strode into the Oval Office to convince the president” to end shutdowns and kickstart the economy as cases continued to spiral and the death toll in the US passed 1,000 people.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moore is an economist who was nominated to the board of the Federal Reserve in 2019 by Trump, but withdrew after the Guardian and other outlets reported on controversies in his past.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Moore told Abutaleb and Paletta that Trump’s promise to reopen the US economy by Easter 2020 was “the smart thing to do” because “the economic costs of this are mounting and there’s not a lot of evidence that lockdowns are working to stop the spread”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He has also been quoted attacking Dr Anthony Fauci, a former member of the COVID taskforce and the current chief medical advisor to Joe Biden.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Fauci is the villain here,” Moore said. “He has the Napoleon complex, and he thinks he is the dictator who could decide how to run the country.”</span></p>

Books

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Birds of Prey renamed after flopping at the box office

<p>Margot Robbie’s <em>Birds of Prey </em>has been renamed after a disappointing opening weekend in the cinemas.</p> <p>Warner Bros. has changed the film’s name from <em><span>Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) </span></em><span>to <em>Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey</em>, less than a week after its debut.</span></p> <p><span>A studio representative told <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/2/11/21132868/harley-quinn-birds-of-prey-name-change-seo-warner-bros-opening-weekend-trailers?utm_campaign=theverge&amp;utm_content=chorus&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter"><em>The Verge</em></a> the name change is part of an effort to make it easier for moviegoers to find the flick. </span></p> <p><span>While the R-rated film opened at number one at the US box office, it only grossed US$33 million, coming short of the studio’s US$45 million projection. Industry expectations were around US$50 to US$55 million.</span></p> <p><span>The opening for <em>Birds of Prey</em> is the lowest so far for a DC Comics title, overtaking <em>Shazam!</em>’s record of US$53.5 million.</span></p> <p><span>In Australia, the film also earned <a href="https://mumbrella.com.au/birds-of-prey-flies-straight-to-the-top-of-the-australian-box-office-taking-almost-4m-in-its-first-weekend-616648">the top spot at the box office</a>, taking in $3.85 million across 528 screens on its first weekend.</span></p> <p><span>Directed by Cathy Yan, <em>Birds of Prey </em>depicts the story of Harley Quinn (played by Margot Robbie) who finds herself becoming allies with Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) after her breakup with the Joker.</span></p>

Movies

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Bei Bei the giant panda leaves Washington for China

<p>Bei Bei the giant panda was born at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C in 2015.</p> <p>However, he’s heading back to China after an agreement with the zoo. It means that giant pandas go back to China after the giant panda turns 4.</p> <p>Bei Bei was named by former First Lady Michelle Obama and China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan and was the first generation of pandas to live at the National Zoo.</p> <p>"Bei Bei is part of our family," Steve Monfort, a zoo director, told <em><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/17/us/bei-bei-giant-panda-national-zoo-trnd/index.html">CNN</a></em>. "Our team has cared for him, learned from him and, along with millions, loved watching him grow."</p> <p>“We’re sad he’s leaving, but excited for the contributions he will make to the global giant panda population. Bei Bei is an ambassador for conservation and part of a 47-year program that proves bringing species and habitats back from the brink is possible through global cooperation.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Bei Bei always sticks the landing. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ByeByeBeiBei?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ByeByeBeiBei</a> <a href="https://t.co/gEFU641UGs">pic.twitter.com/gEFU641UGs</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1196422839672475648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>If you’re worried about how he’s travelling, Bei Bei gets his own private jet for the journey from Washington to China.</p> <p>It’s called the Panda Express and he has great snack options on board, including 66 pounds of bamboo, snacks and water. As giant pandas eat 20 to 40 pounds of bamboo each day, this should last Bei Bei a day and a half on his long journey.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Wheels up on the FedEx Panda 🐼 Express! ✈️ You can track Bei Bei’s flight FDX9759 here: <a href="https://t.co/PizokJyYDt">https://t.co/PizokJyYDt</a> Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/FedEx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FedEx</a>! <a href="https://t.co/N93Y7HVS3r">pic.twitter.com/N93Y7HVS3r</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1196844909979938818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">19 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Bei Bei is the third giant panda that was born at the zoo to move to China, following Tai Shan who moved in 2010 and Bao Bao who moved in 2017.</p> <p>In order to celebrate his time at the zoo, Bei Bei was awarded with an ice cake which had some of his favourite treats, such as sugar cane and sweet potato.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">🐼🎂 Here’s a close up of Bei Bei’s ice cake! It featured some of his fav treats like sugar cane and sweet potato! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ByeByeBeiBei?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ByeByeBeiBei</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PandaStory?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PandaStory</a> <a href="https://t.co/MJYuLAoHEG">pic.twitter.com/MJYuLAoHEG</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1196115384354721792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">17 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>He has now arrived safely in China and is in safe hands at the Bifengxia Panda Base. The animal care team at the Smithsonian zoo will stay with him for a few days to make sure that Bei Bei adjusts well to his new home.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">🐼 🛬 Bei Bei has arrived safely in China. Our animal care team will go with Bei Bei to his new home and stay with him for a few days at the Bifengxia Panda Base. Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/FedEx?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FedEx</a> and their crew! Thanks for the outpouring of support for Bei Bei ❤️and our panda team! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ByeByeBeiBei?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ByeByeBeiBei</a> <a href="https://t.co/rFf9aXZYQc">pic.twitter.com/rFf9aXZYQc</a></p> — National Zoo (@NationalZoo) <a href="https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/1197090641177649153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">20 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>There are an estimated 1,800 giant pandas left in the wild and they are listed as “vulnerable” in the wild by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.</p>

Family & Pets

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Iconic Washington Monument set to reopen this month

<p><span>Washington Monument is slated to reopen to the public later this month after years of refurbishment works.</span></p> <p><span>For much of the past ten years, visitors were only able to enjoy the iconic American monument from a distance on the National Mall in Washington DC. The site of the obelisk structure was closed in 2011 after a rare 5.8-magnitude earthquake damaged the tower and its elevator, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/washington-monument-will-reopen-august-180972754/"><em>Smithsonian</em></a> magazine reported.</span></p> <p><span>It took more than two years and US$15 million in repair work before the site reopened in May 2014. However, a couple years later a snapped cable on the elevator that takes people to the 500-foot observation level led to another closure.</span></p> <p><span>Apart from repairs, the National Park Service also added a new glass-and-steel visitor screening centre with “full ballistic and blast protection”, a security office, and a queuing space for 18 to 20 visitors at a time, <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/washington-monument-reopening-washington-dc/index.html"><em>CNN Travel</em></a> reported.  </span></p> <p><span>“The modernization of the monument’s elevator is substantially complete, with just final testing and certification of the safety systems remaining,” a representative said in late July.</span></p>

International Travel

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“We’ve been in the studio”: AC/DC confirms new music is in the works

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There have been rumours surrounding Aussie rock band AC/DC and whether or not they have been working on a new record.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Their sound engineer, Mike Fraser, can confirm that the band have been back in the studio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With guitarist Malcolm Young passing away in 2017, fans were worried about the sound of the new album. However, he </span><a href="https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/late-acdc-guitarist-malcolm-young-new-album/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">reportedly</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> worked on “hundreds” of songs with Angus Young, with insiders saying that some of his riffs will be featured on the new album.</span></p> <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM698gqBts2/" 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="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BM698gqBts2/" target="_blank">Thunderstruck ⚡️ Photo by @rp_goldenfotos #rockorbust</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/acdc/" target="_blank"> AC/DC</a> (@acdc) on Nov 17, 2016 at 10:30am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fraser let it slip on Tony Mantz </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mastering Music Mastering Life</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> podcast that the band were back in the studio.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Well, yeah, I could say that we’ve been in the studio doing something,” Fraser said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What’s come of that I can’t discuss yet.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With Fraser being the sound engineer for the band since 2000, he explained on the podcast why he’s been with the band for so long.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They found a lot of guys they work with are always trying to change [their sound],” Fraser explained.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Lucky for me, I was a huge AC/DC fan, so I kind of knew what it is, and what it should be. I think that sort of helped. They keep coming back to me.”</span></p>

Music

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The 5 best US cities to retire in

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Retirement offers many options so you can get the most enjoyable experiences imaginable. Whether that be sitting at home, working on your fitness, or taking a few cruising trips a year. If you’re a retiree looking for a way to get the best out of where you live and are thinking of a relocation to enjoy your golden years, why not try out a completely different country altogether. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The US offers unique experiences and often an affordable lifestyle that promises you a whole new way of living. </span><em><a href="https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mjf45ejhd/25-best-cities-for-an-active-retirement/#120ccdf46f27"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Forbes</span></a> </em><span style="font-weight: 400;">identified cities that rank high based on outdoor cycling and walking facilities, volunteering opportunities, crime rates and availability of doctors. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Scroll through the gallery above to see the safest, most comfortable and beautiful cities in the US to retire in.   </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Have you been to any of these US cities? Let us know in the comments below. </span></p>

Retirement Life

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The real tragedy of Bon Scott

<p>Once Scotland Yard issued an announcement on Wednesday, 20 February 1980, the news quickly spread around the world: Bon Scott, the 33-year-old lead singer of Australia’s greatest ever rock band, AC/DC, had been found dead in a parked car in London. There were “no suspicious circumstances". By Friday that week, coroner Sir Montague Levine had ruled his demise a ‘death of misadventure’ caused by acute alcohol poisoning.</p> <p>It was an open and shut case – or was it?</p> <p>For decades, many conspiracy theories around Scott’s mysterious death have emerged; some of them worthy of investigation – a possible drug overdose, others patently absurd – murder. But to be able to solve what I regard as the Da Vinci Code of rock, it required going back much further than 1980 – back to AC/DC’s first tour of the United States in 1977. For it was in America that the road to Scott’s death, his last highway, began.</p> <p>As a biographer of Bon Scott, the challenge for me was answering one simple question: "Just how had a rough-edged and sometimes inarticulate but charming, witty, street-smart young man with a bent for reinvention and a talent for lyric writing end up a chronic alcoholic with two heroin overdoses under his belt by age 30? Why did his life end just as AC/DC was on the cusp of fortune and international superstardom?"</p> <p>There had to be more to it than just one fateful night out on the town that ended in a tragic accident. And there was – much more. In <em>Bon: The Last Highway</em>, I delved deep into Scott’s unknown past, meeting friends and lovers he had during three years of touring America. They all told a similar story: he was troubled, conflicted, sometimes depressed, and sick of playing the role he’d created for himself as a sort of rock ’n’ roll Fagin.</p> <p>The pressures and loneliness of life on the road were getting to him, and he was masking a lot of his inner torment by drinking alcohol, using drugs such as Quaaludes and cocaine, and bedding groupies as AC/DC moved from gig to gig, city to city across America.</p> <p>The real Bon Scott liked reading Doris Lessing and Colette. He listened to The Pretenders and Steely Dan. He wanted stability and commitment in his romantic life, but he wasn’t getting it from the few women he was genuinely interested in. He was too wayward, too unpredictable, too uncertain about his own identity for them to consider a serious relationship. He was even unsure whether he wanted to stay in the band.</p> <p>And so, by the time Scott got to London in early 1980, he was not in a good way. Though AC/DC had finally cracked the US market with <em>Highway to Hell</em> and money was finally starting to appear in his bank account, physically he looked haggard and tired, and wasn’t his customary fit self. Emotionally, he was at a weak point and susceptible to temptation.</p> <p>London, flooded with brown heroin from Iran, was a not a good place to be.</p> <p><span><em><a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/bon-the-last-highway-9780857988928">Bon: The Last Highway</a></em></span> by Jesse Fink, published by Penguin Random House, is available now for RRP $34.99.</p> <p>What are your memories from when the news hit of Bon Scott’s death?</p> <p><em>Written by Jessie Fink. Republished with permission of <span><a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/entertainment/the-real-tragedy-of-bon-scott.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></span></em></p>

Music

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Terrified crowd looks on in horror as plane bursts into flames

<p>Terrified crowds looked on in horror as a Hawaiian Airlines Airbus A330 plane burst into flames when landing on the tarmac at Seattle airport on Tuesday.</p> <p>The plane was reportedly on a ferry flight from Washington, intended to deliver the aircraft back to its base with members of the crew the only people on board.</p> <p>The shocking footage was captured by people waiting at the terminal.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Waiting to taxi to our gate at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/seatac?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#seatac</a><br />A plane just landed with what appears to be an engine fire. It went out on its own before fire trucks arrived. Hopefully everyone is ok! <a href="https://t.co/Cc8yZgMwSv">pic.twitter.com/Cc8yZgMwSv</a></p> — Cheryl Mander (@messymoose) <a href="https://twitter.com/messymoose/status/928128643347501056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 8, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Hawaiian Airlines <a href="http://www.cbs.com/" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>told CBS news</strong></span></em></a> the aircraft, “experienced a left engine issue on final approach”.</p> <p>“A left engine fire reported upon landing was extinguished by the aircraft fire extinguishing system and local fire officials,” the airline said.</p> <p>Interestingly, the US Federal Aviation Administration has a different version, telling <a href="http://www.cbs.com/" target="_blank"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>CBS</strong> </span></em></a>the plane “experienced a right engine flyer fire upon landing. The fire had already been extinguished by the time fire crews arrived at the aircraft”.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Have you ever encountered an aircraft issue?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / Cheryl Mander‏</em></p>

International Travel

Over 60

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