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Thief returns stolen truck with note of apology – and gifts!

<p>In the bustling world of Auckland cafés, where flat whites and smashed avocados reign supreme, one café owner recently found himself entangled in a plot that could rival a sitcom script.</p> <p>Varun Chada, the proud owner of Kati Street, had his beloved 4WD truck snatched right out from under his nose, leaving him in a state of disbelief that could only be rivalled by a magician's audience.</p> <p>Picture this: a sunny afternoon, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the air, and Chada minding his own business when, suddenly, his trusty truck disappeared faster than a piece of cake at a weight loss support group meeting. The audacity! The cheek! Someone had the gall to pull off a vehicular heist right outside his beloved eatery.</p> <p>But it gets better.</p> <p>Four days later, as if the universe had decided to play a cosmic prank on poor Varun, the stolen truck made a triumphant return. Parked in the exact same spot, as if it had never embarked on a wild joyride. It was like the vehicular version of Houdini's vanishing act, only with less smoke and mirrors and more caffeinated confusion.</p> <p>To add a sprinkle of absurdity to the mix, the returned truck came with a heartfelt, handwritten letter of apology. Now, we applaud any criminal with the decency to apologise, but it seems this particular ne'er-do-well could use a grammar lesson or two. The apology note featured the word "sorry", albeit with a creative twist on spelling that would make any English teacher cringe.</p> <p>“I couldn’t believe it,” Chada <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/watch-cafe-owners-stolen-truck-returned-with-sorry-note/VTWKKMRGR5AOTNIQGJNKBP6H7E/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The NZ Herald</a>. "The first time I thought I was losing my mind because I’d just walked inside, and the second time I rocked up, and it was parked there."</p> <p>As it turns out, the thief, in an attempt to excuse their vehicular misdeed, claimed to be a bit 'drunk' and in desperate need of a ride home. Because, you know, grand theft auto is a completely acceptable solution to a night out with one too many beers.</p> <p>"It was exactly where I’d parked it," Chada explained, "and I walked up to the window and there was a note inside it saying ‘hey mate sorry but I borrowed your car, was a bit drunk’ and none of us could believe it." </p> <p>But here's the twist that turns this tale into a comedy goldmine – the thief not only returned the truck unscathed but also left some new toys in the back for Chada's young son! It's like they momentarily transformed from a rogue car bandit to the world's most peculiar Santa Claus.</p> <p>Despite the surreal nature of the ordeal, Chada seems to be taking it all in stride. “I’m not condoning what they did is fine, but I mean, they gave it back and they said sorry, so, I don’t know, I’m just stoked to get it back, put it that way.”</p> <p>The saga has become the talk of the town, with Chada's Facebook and community pages buzzing with activity. Social media, the modern-day town square, has played a pivotal role in the unfolding drama, with hundreds of likes, shares and comments turning the café owner into an unintentional social media influencer.</p> <p>As for the truck, it's currently parked at Chada's house, awaiting the forensic scrutiny of the police. The investigation continues, but in the meantime, Aucklanders are left scratching their heads, wondering if their next caffeine fix might come with a side of unexpected vehicular shenanigans.</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

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How mistaken identity can lead to wrongful convictions

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hayley-cullen-423538">Hayley Cullen</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a></em></p> <p>In March 1976, American Leonard Mack was convicted of sexual assault and holding two female victims at gunpoint. In September 2023, Mack’s wrongful conviction was finally overturned by a New York judge on his 72nd birthday with the help of the <a href="https://innocenceproject.org/news/hit-in-dna-database-proves-leonard-macks-innocence-after-47-years-of-wrongful-conviction/">Innocence Project</a>, an organisation that uses DNA evidence to prove factual innocence.</p> <p>Mack’s conviction took 47 years to overturn. He served seven-and-a-half of these years in a New York prison. His case is the <a href="https://innocenceproject.org/news/8-moving-moments-from-leonard-macks-historic-exoneration-after-47-years/">longest</a> in United States history to be overturned using DNA evidence.</p> <p>In June 2023, a similar historic moment occurred in Australia. Kathleen Folbigg was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/05/kathleen-folbigg-pardoned-after-20-years-in-jail-over-deaths-of-her-four-children">pardoned and released</a> after 20 years in prison for the murder and manslaughter of her four young children.</p> <p>Considered one of the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/folbigg-release-would-make-chamberlain-case-pale-into-insignificance-20230307-p5cpya.html">worst miscarriages of justice</a> in Australian history, Folbigg’s release has sparked discussion over whether Australia needs a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/12/not-a-rare-case-kathleen-folbigg-pardon-sparks-calls-for-new-body-to-review-possible-wrongful-convictions">formalised body</a> to deal with post-conviction appeals.</p> <p>Mack and Folbigg are only two individuals on different sides of the world who have spent decades fighting to prove their innocence.</p> <p>Many others are still fighting. The prevalence of wrongful convictions is hard to determine. The <a href="https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx">National Registry of Exonerations</a> in the United States has recorded 3,396 exonerations nation-wide since 1989.</p> <p>But data on official exonerations fail to capture the many individuals whose convictions are yet to be overturned.</p> <p>Estimates of the prevalence of wrongful convictions in the United States range from <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/08874034221106747?casa_token=DL_gPkxNcI8AAAAA:uI-en9junmLXXScDGthXAuC9JcLsxp5OF1J4QB1WdA2L2cZRcwRuwtxVmIMiKYbYaSDj_ji4EdPSLA">0.5 to 5%</a>. The exact prevalence in Australia is less clear but we do know <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.801706351305383?casa_token=cpZBfZmh944AAAAA%3Ax_zYUlnogLjuDWl81jc38vmeOovzw44M171rP7G3ibNnU35rvWS0yeIO_Ad0eBa54nE54KxaKzIb3w4">71 cases of wrongful convictions</a> have been identified in Australia between 1922 to 2015.</p> <p>Some have argued there could be <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.308199161216493">350 convictions per year</a> of individuals who are factually innocent in Australia.</p> <p>A witness mistakenly identifying an innocent suspect is common in many wrongful conviction cases.</p> <p>Eyewitness misidentification is the leading contributing factor in wrongful convictions overturned by the <a href="https://innocenceproject.org/exonerations-data/">Innocence Project</a>, present in 64% of their successful cases.</p> <p>In Australia, <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/pdf/10.3316/informit.801706351305383?casa_token=cpZBfZmh944AAAAA%3Ax_zYUlnogLjuDWl81jc38vmeOovzw44M171rP7G3ibNnU35rvWS0yeIO_Ad0eBa54nE54KxaKzIb3w4">6%</a> of recorded wrongful convictions involved an eyewitness error.</p> <p>This may be an underestimate given many applications to innocence initiatives in Australia alleging wrongful conviction, such as the <a href="https://bohii.net/">Bridge of Hope Innocence Initiative</a>, report <a href="https://bohii.net/blog/positiononestablishingccrcas">eyewitness evidence</a> as a potential contributing factor.</p> <p>In Mack’s case, two victims misidentified him as the perpetrator. These identifications proved to be instrumental in his wrongful conviction. How did the two victims get it wrong?</p> <h2>How problematic procedures influence eyewitnesses</h2> <p>Eyewitness identification evidence relies on witnesses to accurately remember criminal perpetrators. Several factors affect eyewitness memory accuracy. Features of the crime can impact memory, such as whether it was light or dark, or whether the perpetrator wore a disguise.</p> <p>Memory can also be affected by characteristics of the witness at the time of the crime, such as their stress or intoxication levels.</p> <p>These factors are present at the time of the crime and cannot be changed. What is perhaps more crucial is that eyewitness memory can also be affected by the procedures law enforcement use to collect identification evidence.</p> <p>In <a href="https://innocenceproject.org/news/hit-in-dna-database-proves-leonard-macks-innocence-after-47-years-of-wrongful-conviction/">Mack’s case</a>, there were serious problems with the procedures used to get the identifications from the victims. One of the victims made three separate identifications of Mack. Witnesses should only complete one identification procedure for each suspect, because the first identification will bias future identification attempts.</p> <p>For two of the identifications the victim made, she was only shown Mack by himself surrounded by police. Showing a lone suspect without any other lineup members may <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-29406-3_2">increase mistaken identifications</a>, particularly when the context in which they are shown is highly suggestive.</p> <p>Seeing Mack in handcuffs and in the presence of police may have led the victim to identify him. Mack was the only person shown to the witness in these identification attempts, so the police officers organising the process knew he was the suspect.</p> <p>“Single-blind” administration of identification procedures – where the police officers organising the lineup know who the suspect is – increase the likelihood of <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-49224-002">mistaken identifications</a>.</p> <p>For the other identification this victim made, she picked Mack out of a photo lineup containing seven images. Mack’s photo was the only photo in the lineup that contained visible clothing and the year (1975) in the background. All members of a lineup must be matched and no one lineup member <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/lhb-lhb0000359.pdf">should stand out</a>, but Mack’s photo was distinct.</p> <p>With all these problematic practices combined, we can see how Mack was misidentified and convicted.</p> <p>In 2020, a team of eyewitness experts published <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/lhb-lhb0000359.pdf">nine evidence-based recommendations </a>for conducting identification procedures.</p> <p>These recommendations serve to reduce mistaken identifications and enhance accurate ones.</p> <p>The recommendations address the problematic practices in Mack’s case, but also include things like making sure there is sufficient evidence to place a suspect in a lineup, and giving appropriate instructions to witnesses during the procedure.</p> <p>Identification procedures should also be video recorded to identify any poor practices.</p> <p>While these recommendations will go a long way to reducing wrongful convictions resulting from faulty eyewitness identifications, they will only be effective if followed by police.</p> <p>The next step is ensuring these recommendations are embedded into everyday policing practice.<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/214844/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hayley-cullen-423538"><em>Hayley Cullen</em></a><em>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-mistaken-identity-can-lead-to-wrongful-convictions-214844">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Reality TV star welcomes identical twin girls

<p>Reality TV star Dani Dyer has welcomed two baby girls with her partner, footballer Jarrod Bowen. </p> <p>The <em>Love Island UK</em> winner, who won the show in 2018 with her ex-partner Jack Fincham in 2018, shared the happy news on her Instagram on Thursday. </p> <p>Dani didn't reveal the identical twin girls' names, but confirmed the date of their birth, May 22nd, in the caption. </p> <p>Dani is already mum to Santiago, two, who she shares with with ex Sammy Kimmence.</p> <p>Her <em>Love Island UK</em> co-stars were quick to send their congratulations, with season one winner Cara De La Hoyde writing, "Congratulations Dan they are beautiful ❤️."</p> <p>"Congratulations to your beautiful family ❤️," Zara McDermott added, while season four winner Molly-Mae Hague added, "Congratulations beautiful 😭😭😭."</p> <p>Dani is the daughter of English actor and presenter Danny Dyer, who's well known for his role in British soap <em>EastEnders</em>.</p> <p>Dani shared the news of her pregnancy with a sweet announcement post, showing her son Santiago holding a letter board with the ultrasound pictures of her new babies. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnpWIihrD1x/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnpWIihrD1x/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by ♡ Dani Dyer ♡ (@danidyerxx)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"We have been keeping a little secret... Our little TWINS!" she wrote.</p> <p>"So excited to meet our babies and watch Santi be the best big brother.. The biggest surprise of our lives but feeling SO blessed.. our family is getting a lot bigger and we can’t wait."</p> <p>Just weeks after announcing the pregnancy, Dani confirmed the gender of their babies in another Instagram post. </p> <p>"A lot of you have been asking on the gender of our babies and we are so excited to share with you all that we are having identical twin girls. Half way our little darlings."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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Inspiration, influence and theft: what the Ed Sheeran case can tell us about 70 years of pop music

<p>a US court <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/04/ed-sheeran-verdict-not-liable-copyright-lawsuit-marvin-gaye">ruled in favour of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran</a>, agreeing his song <em>Thinking Out Loud</em> did not breach musical copyright. </p> <p>The high-profile court case, brought by the estate of soul singer Marvin Gaye, claimed Sheeran’s song was too similar to Gaye’s song <em>Let’s Get It On</em>.</p> <p>On the stand, Sheeran <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/apr/28/ed-sheeran-sings-in-court-as-part-of-marvin-gaye-copyright-case">defended his songwriting process</a>, stating: “I draw inspiration from a lot from things in my life and family.”</p> <p>Sheeran’s case brought up some difficult questions around what we understand as inspiration and influence, and what we may hear as theft.</p> <p>Musical copyright cases are part of songwriting history. Radiohead’s <em>Creep</em> was found to be <a href="https://entertainment.time.com/2013/08/22/11-suspiciously-sound-alike-songs/slide/the-hollies-the-air-that-i-breathe-1974-vs-radiohead-creep-1992/">too similar</a> to the Hollies’ <em>The Air That I Breathe</em>, and in 2018, Lana Del Rey’s <em>Get Free</em> <a href="https://variety.com/2018/biz/news/lana-del-rey-claims-lawsuit-with-radiohead-is-over-watch-1202736177/">was found to plagiarise Creep</a>. </p> <p>Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars altered the credits to <em>Uptown Funk</em> to <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lawsuit-bmg-uptown-funk-royalties-gap-band-heirs-1234660379/">acknowledge the similarity</a> to The Gap Band’s <em>Oops Upside Your Head</em>. </p> <p>Here in Australia, the flute solo in Men at Work’s <em>Down Under</em>, which quoted the melody of folk song <em>Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree</em>, was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jul/06/men-at-work-down-under">ruled as plagiarism</a>.</p> <p>In this case against Sheeran, the song’s chord progression was at the heart of the claim. The prosecution argued Sheeran’s chord progression was too similar to the chord progression of Gaye’s.</p> <p>But can we copyright a chord progression if it is used extensively in other pop songs? </p> <p>Gaye’s song uses four chords that gradually move upward (I-iii-IV-V). These same chords can be heard in the Beach Boys’ <em>I Can Hear Music</em>, the Seekers’ <em>Georgy Girl</em>, the Beatles’ <em>I Feel Fine</em>, in the Motown tune <em>This Old Heart of Mine</em> by the Isley Brothers, Elvis Presley’s <em>Suspicious Minds</em>, Cher’s <em>Believe</em> and ABBA’s <em>Knowing Me Knowing You</em>, among many others. </p> <p>This chord progression and many others are part of the songwriting toolkit of rock and pop and have been heard continuously over the past 70 years. </p> <h2>The 12 bar blues</h2> <p>A chord progression is the main instrumental part you hear in most pop music, usually played by a guitar, piano or synth. </p> <p>One of the oldest chord progressions in pop is the 12-bar blues – a looping pattern of three chords that is very identifiable. </p> <p>As the name suggests, this set of chords stems from early blues and was a way for musicians to easily play together and improvise. A version of this progression can be heard in Muddy Waters’ I<em>’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man</em> or John Lee Hooker’s <em>Boom Boom</em>. </p> <p>You can also hear this progression in a number of other pop songs – listen to verses of Queen’s <em>I Want to Break Free</em> and <em>Kiss</em> by Prince – both use the same chord progression, but sound very different to each other. </p> <p>More recently, Lizzo’s <em>Better in Colour</em> uses the 12-bar blues in a way that makes an old formula fresh.</p> <h2>The ‘doo-wop’ progression</h2> <p>The “doo-wop” progression has appeared in pop music for close to 80 years, and is named because most doo-wop songs feature this chord progression – it was an essential part of its sound. </p> <p>You can hear it in 1950s hits such as the Penguins’ <em>Earth Angel</em> and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers’ <em>Why Do Fools Fall in Love?</em>.</p> <p>The strength of these chords means they are used in pop music of all kinds, including ELO’s <em>Telephone Line</em>, <em>Don’t Dream it’s Over</em> by Crowded House, Destiny’s Child’s <em>Say My Name</em>, <em>Blank Space</em> by Taylor Swift, and <em>Flowers</em> by Miley Cyrus. </p> <p>Despite its consistent use, these chords still cross genres and eras, and still catch our ears. </p> <p>Comedy act Axis of Awesome use a similar progression in their video for 4 Chords, where they cleverly play almost 50 different songs with a variation on these four simple chords.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oOlDewpCfZQ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <h2>The I-IV-V (the ‘one, four, five’)</h2> <p>Perhaps the most common chord progressions in rock and pop are those that use the I, IV and V chords in various combinations.</p> <p>They’re usually the first three chords you learn on an instrument and open up thousands of songs to play – from the rock and roll of <em>Summertime Blues</em> by Eddie Cochran, the garage rock of <em>Wild Thing</em> by the Troggs, the bubblegum of Hanson’s <em>Mmmbop</em> and the indie rock of Coldplay’s <em>Yellow</em>, to the modern pop of <em>bad guy</em> by Billie Eilish and <em>good 4 u</em> by Olivia Rodrigo.</p> <h2>Going forward</h2> <p>Rock, pop, blues, doo wop and other musical genres can often be defined by their use of repeated chord progressions. These chord progressions are part of a songwriter’s toolkit in a similar way to how an artist may use different paint brushes. </p> <p>As Sheeran’s lawyer Ilene Farkas <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/04/ed-sheeran-verdict-not-liable-copyright-lawsuit-marvin-gaye">noted</a>, chord progressions are, "the letters of the alphabet of music […] these are basic musical building blocks that songwriters now and forever must be free to use."</p> <p>It is how these “building blocks” are used, and in what combinations, that gives us a great variety of pop songs over many decades. The true craft of great pop music is to take these formulas and turn them into something unique (while simultaneously making it sound easy).</p> <p>The ruling in Sheeran’s case supports the rights of musical artists to continue to use these progressions as part of a songwriter’s toolkit, and to build from the artists who came before them. It also acknowledges that influence and inspiration from previous works are part of the construction of the pop music we love.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/inspiration-influence-and-theft-what-the-ed-sheeran-case-can-tell-us-about-70-years-of-pop-music-204747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Funeral director accused of stealing from dead woman

<p dir="ltr">An 82-year-old woman, Teresa had to sadly lay her 56-year-old daughter Helen Moratias to rest after her untimely death.</p> <p dir="ltr">A devastated Teresa sensed something was off when she said the funeral director refused to open the casket at the church. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I was screaming and crying," Moraitis told A Current Affair.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I wanted to see my daughter and all my relatives wanted to see, to say goodbye.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After months of emotional torture, Teresa made the decision to exhume her daughter's remains from the above ground mausoleum. </p> <p dir="ltr">A Current Affair’s cameras were invited onto the scene, to bring to light what Teresa claims is the dark side of Australia’s unregulated funeral industry.</p> <p dir="ltr">After travelling to the mortuary facility, embalmers opened the casket to find Teresa’s naked remains in a blue body bag with her arm up behind her head. </p> <p dir="ltr">Thousands of dollars of gold jewellery and clothing that were given to the funeral director, Peter Tziotzis, were also missing. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite paying for her daughter to be embalmed and plans for an open casket funeral, no preparation had been done on the corpse, according to mortuary staff who examined the remains.</p> <p dir="ltr">Teresa claimed on the day of the funeral, her family was told the casket had to be sealed shut as it was the coroner’s order.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family said the coroner later confirmed that no such order ever came about.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I feel betrayed," Teresa said. </p> <p dir="ltr">After Helen’s body was exhumed, detectives arrested Tziotzis, while allegedly finding the missing jewellery and clothes at the funeral parlour.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tziotzis released a statement, saying, “I wish to state in the clearest terms that A Current Affair’s version of events is incorrect and without factual basis. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I did not steal any jewellery or clothing, I did not fail to prepare Ms Moraitis’ daughter’s body for the funeral and burial and I was not dishonest in any way in my dealings with Ms Moraitis. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I also have not been charged with any criminal offence by Victoria Police.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Tziotzis still denies all claims.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: A Current Affair</em></p>

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Julia Faustyna takes DNA test to prove wild identity claims

<p>Julia Faustyna, the Polish woman who is convinced she is the missing Madeleine McCann, has reportedly taken a DNA test to prove her claim.</p> <p>However, in a stunning twist to the tale, Faustyna’s private investigation with spokesperson Dr Fia Johansson has led the young woman to consider the possibility that she may actually be another missing child - Livia Schepp, who went missing with her twin sister in Switzerland in 2011. </p> <p>“I’ve spoken to her about this and she is open to the fact she could be any missing child out there,” Dr Johansson said while speaking to <em>The Sun</em>. “Not just Madeleine. Julia wants to know the truth about who she is.” </p> <p>While Faustyna’s main argument has involved the physical similarities between herself and Madeleine McCann, one of the pivotal points in her story is how she recognised a suspect from McCann’s case - a man she has named as her own abuser. </p> <p>“One of the reasons she made the connection to Madeleine is because one of the suspects in Madeleine’s case looks very much like a man who she says abused her as a child,” Dr Johansson explained. “But the same man could be connected to Madeleine and other missing children, this is how predators and traffickers work.”</p> <p>“Julia has taken a DNA test,” she confirmed, “and we are investigating if it’s possible to check her DNA with that of [the] missing Livia. We are investigating all possibilities at this stage.” </p> <p>Livia Schepp - and her twin sister Alessia - went missing when they were six, after their father abducted them from Switzerland in 2011. Days later, he took his own life in Italy, and when police discovered the body, the twins were nowhere to be seen. </p> <p>Faustyna, who claims to have post-traumatic amnesia due to sexual abuse in her childhood, lacks clear recollection of her formative years, and has stated while she can recall holidays, she doesn’t “recall my mother being there, for example, or my stepfather, much less my dad.”</p> <p>Whether or not any of Faustyna’s theories are true, the public will have to keep speculating, as no results have yet been shared. </p> <p>However, Faustyna’s viral “@iammadeleinemccan”, where she was sharing updates and side-by-side comparisons with her followers, has since been deleted from the platform. </p> <p>The removal coincides with reports of the DNA test, and after Faustyna closed both her Facebook and Tiktok accounts, disputing her parent’s claim that she was only in this for attention when she said “if you don’t like me, please unfollow. I don’t want fans or followers.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram, Twitter</em></p>

News

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“Such lowlifes”: Alleged thieves steal charity donation tin

<p dir="ltr">Two people are wanted by police over the theft of a charity donation bin captured on CCTV.</p> <p dir="ltr">The footage shows a man and woman standing next to each other inside the Gold Coast’s Club Helensvale on Friday, November 25, when he allegedly steals the tin for a charity aimed at preventing youth violence.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the video, released by police in an appeal to find the pair, the man is seen subtly and slowly placing it in a bag slung across his shoulder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police are urging the man and woman to come forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tin that was allegedly stolen was collecting donations for the Jack Beasley Foundation, set up after 17-year-old Jack Beasley died from being stabbed in the heart on the Gold Coast.</p> <p dir="ltr">The charity has also shared an image of the suspected thieves on social media in a bid to identify them.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hey guys if anyone recognises these two please contact the QPS or send us a message. They stole Jacko’s Donation box from the bar at Club Helensvale on Friday night. Thanks 🙏,” the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JackBeasleyFoundation/posts/pfbid0fgzrLvGVinZfzjqEweJfTqr3RbMKvnT4qHjDcKvUW5Xw1KascA7AiAmDqToEnbqsl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Followers were quick to share their anger in the comments, with some providing information about where they had seen the man before.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Such lowlifes maybe they should get a job instead of stealing from charities,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope they get found, shame on them,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr">One commenter even alleged that the man had committed similar acts before, stealing the “dog donation box” from the Boathouse Tavern in Coomera “the other day”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stealing from charity is pitiful and devious! They may have taken dollars and cents, but they have no sense,” another said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ab4e272a-7fff-e469-d984-7a5612774b3e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: </em><em>Queensland Police Service</em></p>

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How a new art project in Bathurst is embracing the many identities of the town

<p>For many, Bathurst’s Mount Panorama is exclusively a car racing venue. For Indigenous Australians it is a place called Wahluu, where First Nations women once offered their sons for tribal initiation.</p> <p>It is a cherished Wiradyuri territory that hosts dreaming and creation stories. Earlier this year, further development on the site <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2021/05/03/wahluu-womens-site-be-protected-says-federal-environment-minister">was blocked</a>, with the federal government acknowledging the cultural significance of the location for the Wiradyuri people.</p> <p>In some respects, the conflicting identity of Bathurst’s mountain can be reconciled through the forms of masculinity it represents: the male-centric sport of car racing – so central to the town’s present-day image – and the rite of passage of young Aboriginal men into adulthood.</p> <p>Now, a new art project, <a href="https://kateofthesmiths.com.au/fast-cars-dirty-beats/">Fast Cars &amp; Dirty Beats</a> is navigating these cultural differences by fostering a sense of community.</p> <p>Created by artistic director Kate Smith, Fast Cars &amp; Dirty Beats embraces Mount Panorama’s/Wahluu’s dual identity that, for some, is representative of a cultural divide between black and white Australia. Smith’s vision is not culturally constrained, but rather expressive of a location that is complex and multicultural.</p> <p>Liaising with Bathurst Wiradyuri Elders, Smith and her artistic collaborators have developed a series of community-focused projects revolving around the cultural significance of Wahluu/Mount Panorama.</p> <p>One of these initiatives, Mountain Tales, was launched on the first of July as part of Bathurst’s Winter Festival. Mountain Tales is the culmination of a year-long community engagement connecting local schoolchildren, teachers and parents with skilled craftspeople and musicians, fashioning decorative lanterns and the cultivation of a drumming community.</p> <p><strong>A lantern procession</strong></p> <p>Although it was raining for the July launch, more than 300 locals formed a dramatic lantern procession on the cold winter’s night.</p> <p>I was swept up in the pageantry unravelling across the CBD, eventually settling at Bathurst’s historical <a href="https://tremainsmill.com/">Tremain’s Mill</a>. Here the community proudly displayed their beacons of light, paying homage to the Chinese presence in Bathurst since the 1800s.</p> <p>Supporting the procession, Rob Shannon’s drummers created a collective heartbeat, fostering a sense of joy and belonging.</p> <p>After this ceremony of light and sound, members of the community told stories about the significance of Mount Panorama/Wahluu. Yarns were shared concerning the mountain being a place where locals experienced a first kiss or participated in some youthful skylarking.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=800&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473106/original/file-20220707-22-kkwl50.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=1005&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="A paper lantern in the shape of a car." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Cars are central to Australia’s image of Bathurst – but they’re not the whole story.</span> <span class="attribution">Kate Smith</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Wiradyuri Elder Wirribee Aunty Leanna Carr-Smith explained to the group how the area plays host to both women’s and men’s business. But such stories are only for the ears of Indigenous women and men.</p> <p>There is a secrecy about Wahluu. Some stories are off limits to white Australians.</p> <p><strong>Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country</strong></p> <p>The most breathtaking project launched at the Mountain Tales event is Aunty Leanna/Wirribee and Nicole Welch’s collaboration with Smith, <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/4hanss4771t8aim/SacredCountryV6_withAudio.mp4?dl=0">Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country</a>, a film emblazoned across Tremain’s Mill.</p> <p>The old mill precinct is a reminder of colonisation and its violence. For this occasion it operated as a backdrop through which Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians connected. Beaming the film’s panoramic landscapes across this built environment juxtaposed the two cultures.</p> <p>Considering the urgency of global warming, the film brings together drone footage of Wahluu/Mount Panorama and aerial photography of other Indigenous landscapes in the region. It is an ethereal perspective. The soundscape is as rich and textured as the landscape, conveying an extraordinary, yet fragile, beauty.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=516&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=649&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=649&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473108/original/file-20220707-12-yw20iu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=649&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Film still." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Projected onto the wall of Tremain’s Mill, Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country is a meeting of Indigenous landscapes with colonial Australian history.</span> <span class="attribution">Kate Smith</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country also explores shared understandings between First Nations and non-First Nations women. Their interracial connection is enacted through a seamless editing style that bridges the Tarana landscape to the Wahluu/Macquarie River, and then eventually to Wahluu/Mount Panorama.</p> <p>The film’s boundless landscapes evoke an all-embracing hospitality that traverses cultural differences. Sometimes the imagery creates vaginal shapes that feminises the country. The land and its creatures come across as alive and vibrant.</p> <p>Sky and earth are mirrored, inspiring our contemplation of eternity and the Indigenous custodianship of Country.</p> <p>Departing later that night, I pondered eternity. One lifetime is nothing compared to 65,000 years of Indigenous connection to Country. This awareness was both profound and comforting. But the night of collective celebration and storytelling also encouraged me, and no doubt others, to delight in life’s briefest moments.</p> <p><em>Wiradyuri Ngayirr Ngurambang – Sacred Country is playing at Tremain’s Mill, Bathurst, until July 17.</em> <img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185860/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/suzie-gibson-111690" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suzie Gibson</a>, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/charles-sturt-university-849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charles Sturt University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-new-art-project-in-bathurst-is-embracing-the-many-identities-of-the-town-185860" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Kate Smith</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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5 times the Mona Lisa was threatened

<p dir="ltr">Since the <em>Mona Lisa</em> began hanging in the Louvre Museum in Paris in 1804, many have attempted to either vandalise or steal the priceless artwork. </p> <p dir="ltr">Leonardo da Vinci’s <em>Mona Lisa</em> is widely considered one of the most beloved artworks in the world, with millions of people each year flocking to see her elusive smile. </p> <p dir="ltr">This level of fame has left the <em>Mona Lisa</em> vulnerable to threats of vandalism and theft, with five notable attempts leaving the artwork subject to much higher security. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>1911: The <em>Mona Lisa</em> is stolen</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">In 1911, Italian handyman Vincenzo Peruggia and his two accomplices hid in a closet in the Louvre until the museum closed to steal the <em>Mona Lisa</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The artwork, which was considered a minor work by da Vinci at the time, was taken by the men and stashed in the floorboards beneath Peruggia’s Paris apartment. </p> <p dir="ltr">Two years after the theft, Peruggia attempted to sell the work to a dealer in Florence, Italy, who inevitably called the police on the thief. </p> <p dir="ltr">Peruggia spent six months in prison and the painting was returned to the Louvre. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>1956: A rock is thrown at the <em>Mona Lisa</em></strong></p> <p dir="ltr">In the year of 1956, the <em>Mona Lisa</em> was vandalised twice by two different assailants. </p> <p dir="ltr">First, the vandal attempted to take a razor blade to the painting, though no damage ended up being inflicted. </p> <p dir="ltr">Then, a Bolivian man named Hugo Unjaga Villegas tossed a rock at the painting. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I had a stone in my pocket and suddenly the idea to throw it came to mind,” he said at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thankfully, the painting was already behind glass, meaning the rock did no permanent damage. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>1974: The <em>Mona Lisa</em> is nearly damaged while on tour in Tokyo</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">When da Vinci’s masterpiece was on display for a limited time at the National Museum in Tokyo, 1.15 million people came to see the painting. </p> <p dir="ltr">One of those people was Tomoko Yonezu, a 25-year-old Japanese woman who tried to spray paint the canvas in red on its first day on view.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the days before the opening, the presentation had been the subject of discussion among disability activists, who claimed that in refusing access to those who needed assistance in the name of crowd control, the National Museum was discriminating against the disabled. </p> <p dir="ltr">In an act of defiance, Yonezu managed to spray between 20 and 30 droplets of paint on the artwork, which was able to be restored. </p> <p dir="ltr">Yonezu was convicted of a misdemeanour and made to pay a fine of 3,000 yen, as the National Museum set aside a day when the disabled could exclusively visit the <em>Mona Lisa</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2009: The <em>Mona Lisa </em>is hit with a teacup</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">On an otherwise ordinary day at the Louvre, a Russian woman came to the gallery in 2009 and smashed a teacup against the iconic artwork. </p> <p dir="ltr">She had come to the museum with the cup concealed in her bag, with representatives at Louvre claiming she had let loose because she had been denied French citizenship. </p> <p dir="ltr">Thanks once again to her glass case, the <em>Mona Lisa</em> was not damaged. </p> <p dir="ltr">Still, some took the attempted vandalism as proof that greater security was needed, as the Louvre eventually upgraded the glass on the <em>Mona Lisa</em> in 2019. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2022: The <em>Mona Lisa </em>gets caked</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">In May 2022, the painting was targeted by climate change activists who <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/mona-lisa-gets-caked-in-climate-activist-stunt">smeared cake</a> on the protective glass of the artwork. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 36-year-old man who staged the vandalism had arrived at the museum in a wheelchair dressed as a woman, as some caught the aftermath of the event on video and posted it to social media. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There are people who are destroying the Earth,” the man said in one video, speaking in French. “All artists, think about the Earth. That’s why I did this. Think of the planet.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The man was immediately detained, and the Louvre has filed a criminal complaint, with the <em>Mona Lisa</em> once again remaining intact. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

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Daylight robbery: Men arrested for nicking a bridge

<p dir="ltr">Eight men have been arrested in the Indian state of Bihar for stealing an iron bridge in broad daylight.</p> <p dir="ltr">When several men arrived in the village of Amiyavar with an excavator and gas torches, locals believed the government was finally removing an old metal bridge that had become more of a nuisance than useful.</p> <p dir="ltr">The men, including some from the state government’s irrigation department, arrived at 7am and worked until dusk for three days. They cut the iron with gas torches and loosened the ground with excavators before taking the metal away in a rented van.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, a local journalist told the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-61066473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em> that no one knew the men were actually stealing the metal, before depositing it at the warehouse of a local scrap dealer for a profit.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-32b2bcb9-7fff-ed56-770b-ab3f202e8b92"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“No-one suspected it was a heist,” Jitendra Singh, a journalist who lives “200 metres from the bridge”, told the outlet.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unique theft in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bihar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bihar</a>, thieves became officers of the irrigation department and stole a 60 feet long iron bridge</p> <p>In Nasriganj, Rohtas, thieves posing as officers, with the help of local personnel, 1/2<a href="https://twitter.com/UtkarshSingh_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UtkarshSingh_</a> 📽️ <a href="https://t.co/jhnTbUSYDw">pic.twitter.com/jhnTbUSYDw</a></p> <p>— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) <a href="https://twitter.com/sirajnoorani/status/1512521001719894017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The operation was reportedly supervised by Arvind Kumar, who worked part-time at the irrigation department. He allegedly told anyone who asked that “the work had an official sanction”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ashish Bharti, the senior police official leading the investigation, said Mr Kumar was one of the men arrested.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Irrigation department official Radhe Shyam Singh, the van owner and the owner of the scrapyard are also among those arrested. We are looking for at least four more people,” Mr Bharti said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Even three days ago, the structure of the bridge was there but suddenly it disappeared and we informed local officials,” Amiyaway local Suresh Kumar told <em><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/thieves-make-away-with-500-tonne-iron-bridge-in-bihar/article65305774.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hindu</a>.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Pawan Kumar, who lives in a neighbouring village, made the discovery that the operation wasn’t legitimate after he tried contacting Mr Singh and couldn’t reach him.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c265fe8a-7fff-0d81-4d02-497620f9bfa8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I tried calling irrigation department official Radhe Shyam Singh, but when he didn’t answer, I called a senior official to ask why they had not followed procedure - the authorities are expected to issue a tender and the work is given to the lowest bidder,” Mr Kumar told the <em>BBC</em>.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The remnants of the 500 tonne bridge that was stolen in Rohtas, Bihar. Pic via <a href="https://twitter.com/AmarnathTewary?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmarnathTewary</a> <a href="https://t.co/AaB3Ohc41x">pic.twitter.com/AaB3Ohc41x</a></p> <p>— Nistula Hebbar (@nistula) <a href="https://twitter.com/nistula/status/1512713303797035011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The official told him he was unaware that the bridge had been taken down, prompting a complaint to be lodged with police.</p> <p dir="ltr">After conducting several raids, police have recovered 24.5 tonnes of iron scrap from the bridge, as well as the pick-up van and tools used to strip the bridge, per <em><a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bihar-bridge-theft-case-water-resources-dept-official-seven-others-arrested/article65310750.ece" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Hindu</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The bridge in question was in a serious state of disrepair and had been out of use since the early 2000s, when a concrete bridge was built nearby.</p> <p dir="ltr">Journalist Jitendra Singh said the head of the village had sent a petition to authorities to remove the bridge since it had become a health hazard. </p> <p dir="ltr">He said bodies of cattle and even people would get stuck under the bridge after floating from upstream.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Over the years, all the wood used in the bridge had disintegrated and the iron had rusted. Thieves had stolen bits and pieces of the metal to put it to other use or sell it as scrap for a few rupees,” Shailendra Singh, who lives in the village, told the <em>BBC</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But what happened last week was daylight robbery.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Metal is stolen in many parts of India, as well as the US, UK and parts of Europe. </p> <p dir="ltr">In India, manhole covers and water pipes are common targets, while signalling and power cables, overhead line equipment, and clips to hold train tracks in place in England have caused thousands of hours of delays each year.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Legal

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Apple to update AirTags amid claims of stalking and theft

<p dir="ltr">Apple has announced it will add <a href="https://7news.com.au/technology/apple-plans-airtag-security-updates-to-curb-unwanted-tracking-c-5654390" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more safeguards</a> to AirTags, a tracking device used to find keys and other personal items, amid reports of the devices being used to stalk people and steal cars.</p><p dir="ltr">The tech giant said in a <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/02/an-update-on-airtag-and-unwanted-tracking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog post</a> that it had worked with safety groups and law enforcement agencies to identify more ways of improving its AirTag safety warnings.</p><p dir="ltr">These new measures include alerting people sooner if the tracker is suspected to be tracking someone, as current notifications that the tracker has been separated from its owner can take hours.</p><p dir="ltr">Other updates will include adjusting the tone sequence of the tracker so it is louder and easier to find and allowing someone to see the distance and direction of an AirTag, which are expected to be introduced later this year.</p><p dir="ltr">Apple will also add warnings during the setup process, informing users that tracking people without their consent is a crime.</p><p dir="ltr">Stories of people realising they are being tracked using the Apple devices have increased in recent months, including the case where a Melbourne student was notified through her iPhone that someone had been tracking her for three hours while she was out with friends.</p><p dir="ltr">Her mother Sue, who spoke to <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em> on condition of anonymity, said her daughter had found the AirTag in her handbag before destroying it in a panic.</p><p dir="ltr">Other stories have emerged online of people, especially young women, discovering the devices hidden in their vehicles.</p><p dir="ltr">“We’ve become aware that individuals can receive unwanted tracking alerts for benign reasons, such as when borrowing someone’s keys with an AirTag attached, or when travelling in a car with a family member’s AirPods left inside,” Apple said in a statement.</p><p dir="ltr">“We also have seen reports of bad actors attempting to misuse AirTags for malicious or criminal purposes.</p><p dir="ltr">“We condemn in the strongest possible terms any malicious use of our products,” the company said.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-96a6b3a5-7fff-6b68-d02a-e5cd8f38ca1e"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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Heartbroken tradie's ute stolen with mother's ashes in glovebox

<p>A man from Queensland has been left heartbroken after his ute, with his mother’s ashes in the glove box was stolen.</p><p>Carpenter Kayden Holmes had left his key in the ignition of his white Holden Colorado as he loaded tools into the boot when a thief jumped in and sped off on Sunday.</p><p>The incident was captured on a neighbour’s security camera and the footage was shared on social media. The clip shows Mr Holmes’ attempt to stop the grab and dash before he was dragged along the road in Holmview, a residential suburb of Logan.</p><p>The tradie was left with an ankle injury after his foot was run over during the scuffle. He is now desperate for the return of his mother’s ashes, which had been placed inside a piece of jewellery following her death from cancer in 2015.</p><p>It’s unlikely the alleged thief knew the precious item was inside the glove box of the ute when it was taken.</p><p>“The car is replaceable, everything in that car is replaceable, but the ashes aren’t,” he told 7NEWS on Tuesday.</p><p>“I need them back, I don’t want them, I need them.”</p><p>Mr Holmes told Sunrise that he was now offering “a reward to anyone that comes forward with information leading to the name or the arrest, even just the ashes”.</p><p>“That’s just the last thing I have of mum and it takes a lot to make me upset, and we’ve gone through a lot of humps in this road, but this one has knocked me about a bit.”</p><p>Mr Holmes said he kept the ashes in his car as he liked to have his mother near him at all times.</p><p>“I just thought that having her in the car with me, she can come everywhere I go kind of thing, just to have that kind of reassurance.”</p><p>Queensland Police are investigating the incident and urge anyone with information to contact them.</p><p><em>Image: 7 News</em></p>

Legal

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Flight attendant caught using dead man’s identity for 20 years

<p dir="ltr">A Brazilian flight attendant has been accused of stealing a dead boy’s identity and using it for more than 20 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ricardo Cesar Guedes, 49, who works as a flight attendant for United Airlines, has been accused of stealing the identity of William Ericson Ladd, an Atlanta boy who died in a car crash in Washington in 1979. He allegedly used it to apply for a passport in 1998, and has renewed the document six times since then. In addition, he has also been accused of using Ladd’s identity while getting married and taking out a mortgage in Houston. There is no record of him applying for US citizenship or naturalisation using the false identity.</p> <p dir="ltr">Investigators uncovered Mr Guedes’ real identity by comparing fingerprints he submitted for his Brazilian national identity document in the 1990s, and he was arrested at Houston Airport in September after entering a secure area for crew members.</p> <p dir="ltr">William Ladd’s mother Debra Lynn Hays confirmed to investigators last July that her son died in 1979, and she did not recognise the social security number issued to Mr Guedes in her son’s name some 17 years after his death.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Guedes has been charged with aggravated identity theft, making false statements on a passport application, and other counts. He allegedly worked on 40 flights for United Airlines in 2020 while using Ladd’s name, and remains detained pending trial.</p> <p dir="ltr">A United Airlines spokesperson confirmed his prior employment, but added that he was no longer employed by the company.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Guedes had no prior criminal record, and upon being presented with evidence of his fraud, reportedly told the arresting agents, “I had a dream, and the dream is over. Now I have to face reality.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Eric Ladd/Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Woman's $940k theft from vet hospital to play pokies app

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A woman has pleaded guilty to stealing $940,000 from her employer, after using the funds to fuel her addiction to an online gambling game that doesn’t pay out real money.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tasmanian woman Rachel Naomi Perri appeared before Hobart’s Supreme Court on Monday facing 25 charges of computer-related fraud and one count of fraud.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Perri, 49, stole the money over the three years she worked at the Tasmanian Veterinary Hospital as an account manager.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “anomalies” in bank transactions were only discovered after Ms Perri was made redundant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The full extent of her theft was uncovered after a full investigation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Crown prosecutor Simone Wilson told the court that Ms Perri made 475 fraudulent transactions over the course of three years and four months, with the final amount totalling $940,221.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Wilson told the court that Ms Perri was the only person managing the hospital’s bank accounts and transferred money from the accounts to a variety of credit cards, personal loans, and other bank accounts in her name.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Police also discovered that Ms Perri had fraudulently taken out a $30,000 credit card in her husband’s name in 2015, racking up $24,000 in debt without her husband’s knowledge.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When she was interviewed by police in 2019, Ms Perri “immediately said, ‘I’m guilty’.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The court heard that Ms Perri told police she had been playing a game called Heart of Vegas for the past four years, which is where all of the money had gone.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is similar to playing pokies and you shop to purchase coins or credits,” Ms Wilson told the court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[But the] credit purchased never turned into actual money. She couldn’t explain why she was playing that game when there was no return.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heart of Vegas claims to feature “real Vegas slot machines just like the ones you know and love”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Its terms and conditions also state that players “may be required to pay a fee to obtain virtual items”, but that “virtual items may never be redeemed for ‘real world money’”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Wilson read out Ms Perri’s interview with police to the court and said she was in her “own little world” while playing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I got myself into so much trouble but decided I’d keep going until [I] got caught,” she </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-23/woman-pleads-guilty-to-stealing-940k-from-her-workplace/100639450" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the record of the interview.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I knew I couldn’t get away with it. I was waiting for a knock on the door from police.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Greg Barns, Ms Perri’s lawyer, told the court that the accused had a “lengthy history of gambling” that started when she turned 18 in Launceston.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She began to use poker machines and she won $26 from placing a dollar into a machine and, as she described it, it went from there,” he told the court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Grant said his client had moved from Launceston to Hobart for a fresh start, but began gambling 2008-09.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She described spending consecutive hours on poker machines,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“One session she spent 16 hours continuously playing on the machine.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When Ms Perri discovered Heart of Vegas, Mr Barns said she became so addicted that she would keep spending money just to “keep playing the game”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She got so addicted that she’d play it first thing in the morning,” he told the court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“She would set it up at night so it played in auto.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Perri was diagnosed as having a severe gambling disorder by forensic psychiatrist Dr Michael Jordan.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He considered that Perri’s gambling disorder was the most significant factor in her fraud activity,” Mr Barns told the court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[Her gambling was mindless, with no hope of any financial gain.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Barns told the court that Ms Perri voluntarily entered therapy and would need to continue once she was in prison.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said it was unlikely that his client would be able to pay back the veterinary services, after they instituted civil proceedings to recover the money.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Wilson said the accused’s behaviour was “planned” and “calculated”, and that she only stopped because she was made redundant.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The prospects of her recovering are slim to non-existent,” she told the court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Perri has been remanded in custody until she is sentenced next month.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Legal

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"This is just theft": Bride's disgust over wedding act

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A bride has been left heartbroken and disgusted after she discovered a wedding guest had stolen more than 35 items during their wedding reception.</p> <p>In a Facebook post shared on Reddit, the bride revealed that her estranged sister-in-law had taken 30 wedding favours, four bridesmaids bouquets (and the vase they were kept in) as well as the bride's own flowers.</p> <p>She heartbreakingly revealed that a memorial charm with her mother's photo had also been stolen as it was attached to the bridal bouquet.</p> <p>“So I married the love of my life Friday,” the bride wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>“Everything went perfectly .... except one little issue and I am curious (as to) all your thoughts on it.</p> <p>“My brother and his wife are separated but I still invited her because my nephew was a ring bearer and I know she wanted to be there.</p> <p>“Anyhow, at the end of the night she helped herself to a centrepiece, about 30 favoured, four bridesmaid bouquets and the vases they were sitting in. And MY BOUQUET!</p> <p>“Which had a memorial charm with my mum’s photo on it.”</p> <p>“I didn’t find out for sure until the next day. I gave her that whole following day to speak up about it. Nothing,” she said.</p> <p>“Finally I confronted her yesterday. When I asked her why, she replied, ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just thought they were nice.’</p> <p>“Is it me, or is this a complete WTF?! moment?”</p> <p>Reddit users were absolutely furious with the act, saying it was "very uncouth".</p> <p>“Very uncouth. Take ONE centrepiece. It’s almost like she was looting!” said one.</p> <p>“The centrepiece isn’t so uncommon. I let guests take mine, it was mostly family, many of whom still have them as they weren’t perishable. Taking people’s bouquets and the bridal bouquet is just crazy!”</p> <p>Wrote a third: “This is just theft. And last I heard, stealing stuff is a criminal act.”</p> <p>Added one more: “Taking the Bride’s Bouquet is the real WTF. Like the other stuff is rude but not unheard of but seriously who takes that?!”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Relationships

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Guess the age: Disbelief over identical mum and daughter

<p>One woman is defying her age in a viral video on social media app, TikTok.</p> <p>Veronika Zolotova, 18, couldn’t help showing off to her followers her incredibly youthful mother, Tatochka Vselennaya.</p> <p>The pair, from Minsk, Belarus, shocked viewers with their near identical looks – with many not being able to tell who is older.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQGmI88leol/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CQGmI88leol/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Татьяна (@tatochkavselennaya)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In one clip of the duo, it is barely noticeable that there is 22 years between the pair.</p> <p>With 13.2 million followers on social media, Veronika who usually shares clips of herself, could not help but show off her youthful and glowing mum.</p> <p>However, despite the disbelief, the social media star brought her mother in front of the camera to show the 40-year-old woman is not her twin by testing out the “Under age of 25” test – where a high-pitched noise plays that only anyone under the age of 25 can be able to hear.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B2bkCyGgqD7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/B2bkCyGgqD7/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Татьяна (@tatochkavselennaya)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>As it happens, only Veronika claimed she could hear the sound, while her mother stood confused.</p> <p>However, Veronika’s fans continue to be in disbelief over the age of her mother.</p> <p>“Her mum literally just said copy and paste,” one person wrote.</p> <p>“Now I understand why you look so young, gurlssss you look like sisters,” another wrote.</p> <p>Tatochka is a YouTuber who shares with fans her love of knitting and sewing.</p>

Beauty & Style

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Nurse swipes credit card from dead patient and USES it in vending machine

<p>UK healthcare worker, Ayesha Basharat, has been slammed as she stole a dead patient's card and used it at the hospital's vending machine.</p> <p>She had taken an 83-year-old woman's card from her room in the heartlands Hospital's COVID-19 ward and used the card six times at the vending machine, making contactless payments.</p> <p>Basharat had stolen the card from the woman just moments after she died on January 24th, according to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://west-midlands.police.uk/news/hospital-worker-used-dead-patients-bank-card-buy-sweets-and-fizzy-pop?fbclid=IwAR0zaC47A9DaQWcq_aaGVGjmJOOV9ccbobeGBpAjHpu-SHpTsADEfOmeqso" target="_blank">West Midlands Police</a>.</p> <p>Police caught up to her after she continued to use the credit card despite the family of the woman cancelling it.</p> <p>Basharat has been given two concurrent jail terms of five months each, both of which were suspended for 18 months.</p> <p>Detective Constable Andrew Snowdon said the act was an "abhorrent breach of trust".</p> <p>“This was an abhorrent breach of trust and distressing for the victim’s family," he said.</p> <p>“They were having to come to terms with the death of a loved one from Covid when they found the bank card missing – and then of course the realisation that the card was taken by someone who should have been caring for her.</p> <p>“I wish the family all the best for the future and with this conviction hope they can move on from this upsetting episode.”</p>

Legal

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Archie and Meghan are identical!

<p><span>The royal family has strong DNA in the gene pool, but Meghan and Archie are in a league of their own.</span><br /><br /><span>New footage has revealed just how alike the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s son is to his mother.</span><br /><br /><span>Compared to an older photo of his mother pulled from the archives, it seems like shares her spirit and looks as well.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Archie been looking a lot like Meghan 😭💞 <a href="https://t.co/U8DeZUg94F">pic.twitter.com/U8DeZUg94F</a></p> — Julieth🌻 (@troubleshade) <a href="https://twitter.com/troubleshade/status/1396164452370747396?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>A picture shared on Twitter, which was a snapshot taken from Prince Harry's new Apple TV+ series with Oprah Winfrey, The Me You Can't See, shows little Archie playing happily on a swing set in the garden of the family's Montecito, California home.</span><br /><br /><span>The caption reads, "Archie been looking a lot like Meghan," and she's definitely not wrong!</span><br /><br /><span>Meghan Markle is currently in the last stages of her pregnancy, as Archie Harrison prepares to meet his little sister.</span><br /><br /><span>The couple first announced they were expecting for a third time on Valentine's Day this year.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLSL_aqARfv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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/CLSL_aqARfv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Misan Harriman (@misanharriman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><span>The Duke and Duchess confirmed in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that they were expecting a little girl, just a few months after Meghan revealed she had suffered a miscarriage.</span><br /><br /><span>In Prince Harry's new TV show, the royal spoke honestly about the death of his mother, Princess Diana.</span><br /><br /><span>He admitted that had tried using alcohol and drugs to cope with the emotional pain and trauma he subsequently experienced.</span><br /><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841431/archie.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2d9846aa4f6b43818f21d26daca74183" /><br /><span>Between the ages of 28 to 32, Harry said: "I was just all over the place mentally. Every time I put a suit on and tie on, having to do the role and go 'right, game face' in the mirror...</span><br /><br /><span>“Before I even left the house I was pouring with sweat. I was in fight or flight mode."</span><br /><br /><span>On the topic of alcohol and drugs, the prince went on to say, "I was willing to drink, I was willing to take drugs, I was willing to try and do the things that made me feel less like I was feeling."</span><br /><br /><span>Thankfully, with the help of therapy, Harry has revealed he came out of the traumatic experience a better, recovered man.</span></p>

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Football club accused of artistic theft

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An Indigenous artist has accused Port Adelaide Football Club of using a stolen design for their 2021 Indigenous Round guernsey, prompting an investigation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The club recently revealed the new jumper and associated merchandise ahead of their match with Fremantle on May 30.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The design was chosen after the club asked high school students to “design a guernsey that represents their family, culture and heritage”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The teen who won the competition last year, which COVID-19 delayed the use of, said at the club’s press conference on Wednesday that she had spent months painting it after finding inspiration from designs she saw on Instagram.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is a big accomplishment for me to have so many people see my artwork,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But South Australian woman Elle Campbell claims the design was her “exact painting” shared online and displayed at an exhibition as early as May 2019.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 281.1418685121107px; height:500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841368/75e502b4955fd26e13b005e9c56763f0872bea54.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5c690d694e07457fa0685707e13b1890" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Wow. This is MY painting, someone has submitted it as their own and PAFC are using it for their guernsey,” Campbell wrote alongside a photo of herself holding the painting and a screenshot proving it was on public display two years ago.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I am deeply hurt by the use of this painting and the ‘artist’ claiming this work (to) be their own,” Campbell continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The meaning behind this painting was one of my families’ ancient burial ground at Kingston S.E. and the connection we still have with the native flora and fauna on those lands.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My mother had sent me a photo of some kangaroos coming out from the scrub to go have a dip in the water, which was the inspiration for this painting.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the press conference, the student said the top half of her design represented “the ancestors, Dreamtime stories and people looking over us” while the bottom half “represents the skin colour, the sand, the animals, the dirt, anything”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The line in the middle that’s the river, represents food source, water, it’s a way - a river that we follow in order to go somewhere.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The footprint in the river is, as I said before, the food source.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Port Adelaide confirmed they had commenced an investigation into the claims on Friday, May 21, less than 48 hours after the unveiling.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Port Adelaide is aware of allegations that surfaced on social media last night regarding the design of its Indigenous guernsey for the upcoming Sir Doug Nicholls Round,” the club said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Port Adelaide is investigating the allegations and will not make further comment until it has all the information at hand.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Campbell said she was feeling “pretty heartbroken that another Aboriginal woman has stolen my artwork that not only means so much to me but is also one of my first paintings”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The most heartbreaking part is wanting my art to be seen on my own merit, not because something like this happening. That’s now been taken away from me.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Port Adelaide and Campbell have since removed their posts from social media.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: 7NEWS</span></em></p>

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Twins steal from grandparents and get to KEEP the money

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Two Scottish pensioners have been left devastated after their grandchildren stole their life savings from them and refused to pay them back.</p> <p>Crawford <span>Pirrie, </span>73m and wife Marlene, 75, were heartbroken when their grandchildren, twins Clair and Louise Smith stole $14,000 from them in 2018.</p> <p>The twins had been trusted with the elderly couple's debit card to run errands for them after their grandfather had a stroke, but instead, the twins cleaned out their grandparents.</p> <p>Crawford has said he's yet to get an apology from the twins and that he's "ashamed" to be related to them.</p> <p>The elderly couple tried to get their funds back via a compensation order but were denied by a judge who decided to give a three-month restriction of liberty order.</p> <p>This means that the twins were fitted with electronic tags for three months as well as being ordered to abide by 7 pm to 7 am curfew for the same period.</p> <p>“Not only have the twins refused to pay the money they stole from us but they haven’t even said sorry,” Mr Pirrie said.</p> <p>“They have been acting like they are the victims ever since the court hearing, insisting they haven’t done anything wrong.</p> <p>“They are creatures of the lowest form and we are ashamed to be related to them.”</p> <p>The twins confessed to their crimes, but have not given the money back to their grandparents. </p> <p>Mr Pirrie said that the bank had refused to pay them back as the grandparents gave the twins the debit card willingly.</p> <p><em>Photo credit: </em><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/twin-sisters-steal-grandparents-savings-and-dont-have-to-return-it/news-story/96eba7ac9cf8f3df0fde4a22b5400f95" target="_blank">news.com.au</a></em></p> </div> </div> </div>

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