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Love is in the air! Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend before take off

<p>A pilot has proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend just minutes before take off in a heart-warming display of love. </p> <p>Polish pilot Konrad Hanc was captured emerging from the cockpit before embarking on a flight to Kraków to make a surprising announcement over the PA system. </p> <p>Hanc introduced himself to the passengers before explaining the real reason for his message. </p> <p>“On today’s flight there is a very special person," he began.</p> <p>“Ladies and gentlemen, about one and a half years ago in this job I met the most wonderful person that completely changed my life."</p> <p>“You are most precious to me. You are my greatest dream come true. This is why I have to ask you a favour, honey."</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/reel/C6EHHyQskLc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6EHHyQskLc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by LOT Polish Airlines (@flylot)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Will you marry me?” he asked while getting down on one knee, as another flight attendant handed him a bouquet of flowers. </p> <p>His girlfriend, Paula, sprinted up the aisle of the plane before leaping into the arms of her future husband. </p> <p>Passengers watched on in anticipation for her answer with one yelling, “Did she say yes?” to which the beaming captain responded: “She said yes!”</p> <p>Hanc explained that he chose to pop the question on the flight to the Polish city as he met Paula on the same flight just 18 months ago. </p> <p>As the pair embraced in a hug and kiss, passengers erupted in applause, with many taking to the now viral Facebook post to send them well wishes. </p> <p>“I love this! Sweet couple!” one person wrote.</p> <p>”TOTALLYYYYY LOVE IN THE AIR,” another enthusiastic person commented, to which the airline responded: “YES, love IS in the air!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: LOT Polish Airlines</em></p>

Relationships

“Love is so sweet": Man's sweet mid-air proposal goes viral

<p>Love is in the air! </p> <p>A smitten passenger took his love to the skies and proposed to his girlfriend while on board an Air Peace flight, with the romantic moment captured on camera. </p> <p>A social media user took to TikTok to share the sweet proposal, with the caption: “POV: My friend was proposed to in a plane.”</p> <p>The minute-long video showed a man getting out of his seat on board the packed plane to use the aircraft’s PA system so that he could ask for his girlfriend’s hand in marriage.</p> <p>“She’s so precious and her name is Precious,” the man said before popping the question. </p> <p> “Please, my Precious, I want to ask, will you marry me?”</p> <p>“If you will, just come out and say ‘yes’ to me, my precious,” he added before walking down the aisle of the aircraft. </p> <p>Other passengers cheered for the couple, and in a second video, the man is seen greeting Precious, then getting down on one knee to offer her the ring.</p> <p>Precious was overjoyed at the proposal and said yes, hugging her new fiance. </p> <p>While it is unclear where the plane was travelling, Air Peace is a Nigerian carrier that operates flights to destinations in West Africa and the Middle East, according to the NY Post. </p> <p>TikTok users were also touched by the romantic act, with many of them congratulating the couple. </p> <p>“This is beautiful,” one wrote. </p> <p>“Love is so sweet for real,” another swooned. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

“People don’t understand boundaries”: Woman ruins couple’s romantic proposal

<p dir="ltr">A young couple has been left devastated and mortified after their marriage proposal was crashed by an inconsiderate “Karen” on the beach. </p> <p dir="ltr">Zenicca Llanza, a 24-year-old from the Philippines, shared a video of her boyfriend getting down on one knee at the beach and asking her to marry him. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her partner had arranged a romantic set up on the beach, complete with a tent, picnic table, proposal sign, a cake and rose petals. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, when the time came for him to pop the question, a beach goer began to interfere and rearrange the set up, interrupting the romantic moment. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the video posted to TikTok, Zenicca’s partner got down on one knee and began to recite a speech, as the unnamed woman walked into shot. </p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7269928964536192298&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40warngwarng%2Fvideo%2F7269928964536192298&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F80e87476646048bca323b002688ff427_1692662253%3Fx-expires%3D1692910800%26x-signature%3D2CX7o9uY0RsEB7creGyXnWP8mas%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p dir="ltr">She then moves the proposal sign before walking over to the couple to get a look at the ring, before Zenicca even got a chance to wear it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“How to quickly ruin a proposal,” Zenicca wrote on TikTok.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Please be mindful of other people's once in a lifetime event! You never know you're already ruining it,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video has racked up tens of thousands of views, with many people being outraged on Zenicca’s behalf. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You could excuse the first few seconds w good intentions but the rest I feel like we’re just really bad manners and not having any self awareness,” commented one person. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This made me physically ill. I'm so sorry omg,” added another. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Aw I could tell she had good intentions but was ignorant in the moment that she was slightly ruining something y’all would cherish forever,” commented a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just tell her it’s a personal moment. Sometimes people don’t understand boundaries.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

Man proposes to high school sweetheart after rekindling their romance

<p dir="ltr">Over 60 years ago, Thomas and Nancy met when they were in high school and fell in love. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite their feelings for each other, their romance didn’t last and they fell out of touch as life moved on. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sixty years on, Thomas and Nancy rekindled their relationship and spent three weeks having phone conversations to discover their affection for each other never died. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy then decided to fly to Thomas’ home state of Florida for an emotional reunion, and was shocked by the surprise she arrived at. </p> <p dir="ltr">Walking off the plane in the city of Tampa, Nancy was greeted by Thomas on one knee, delivering an emotional speech about how much he loves her, before he asked her to marry him. </p> <p dir="ltr">The heart-felt moment, captured by a fellow traveller and posted to TikTok, shows Thomas dressed up in a suit, waiting nervously for Nancy to arrive with a big smile on his face.</p> <p dir="ltr">Upon seeing her, he handed her a bouquet of roses and gave her a tender kiss before he pulled out his ring and started professing his love. </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/reel/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuQIG3Mr0GA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by PerezHilton.com (@perezhilton)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“My dear Nancy, it's been 60 years since we first met, 56 years since we first dated, 10 years since I last saw you, and 20 days since we began this,” he said, his voice shaky with emotion. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You have always been the one I've had a crush on, since your cheerleader days.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It brings a smile to my face, it makes my heart skip a beat [to see you]. For the last three weeks, I have thought of you every day, every hour and have talked to you every night for hours.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have longed to see you again, hold you in my arms, and tell you how much you mean to me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“So Nancy, I come to you humbly today, June 30, with a proposal. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and cherish every moment we will have together.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love you more than words can express, more than you can ever comprehend. I want to spend the rest of my life proving that to you and making you the happiest woman in the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Will you Nancy, give me the honour of being my soulmate in life? My partner in every sense of the word, my beloved wife forever? Will you marry me?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Nancy, who had started to cry while Thomas was talking, quickly said yes to the proposal, which resulted in Thomas cheering and a group of strangers who had stopped to watch clapping for the couple before they embraced in a big hug. </p> <p dir="ltr">The TikTok creator also shared a snap of Thomas and Nancy posing together while holding up a sign that read, “She said yes!”</p> <p dir="ltr">The video has gained millions of views, and it sparked a slew of comments from people who said they were “sobbing” over Nancy and Thomas' love story.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were meant to be, nor time or distance tore them apart,” one person wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another said, “When two souls are meant to be, they will find each other.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

Bride-to-be defends the proposal that divided the internet

<p>When Erica Murphy posted her engagement announcement to social media, she could never have anticipated the response she’d find online, or the wave of vocal criticism over her fiance’s ‘simpler’ approach to the whole affair. </p> <p>Erica had been preparing for a day at work when then-boyfriend Monta Homes proposed - through an all-important question scrawled on a torn sheet of lined paper. </p> <p>The handwritten question had been left on the bathroom counter, alongside a dazzling ring and a lit candle, for Erica to find. She, of course, said yes, and immediately took to social media to share the couples’ happy news. </p> <p>“So it’s been an amazing year with my guy,” she wrote on Twitter. “This morning before I left for work he left this in the bathroom for me to find. I said YES!”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">So it’s been an amazing year with my guy. This morning before I left for work he left this in the bathroom for me to find. I said YES! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FutureMrsHomes?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FutureMrsHomes</a> <a href="https://t.co/Yf5EijKrFz">pic.twitter.com/Yf5EijKrFz</a></p> <p>— Erica Murphy (@EricaMurphyTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricaMurphyTV/status/1652839933063692288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Many rushed to offer their congratulations, gushing over the love between the two, and Erica’s obvious excitement. However, there were hundreds of critics who stopped by too, all too eager to offer their take on what they considered to be an “underwhelming” proposal from Monta. </p> <p>“Umm…a note? Torn out like that?” one user replied. </p> <p>“Congratulations that's thrilling I don't think anybody's going to accuse your man of being romantic though LOL,” said one, who seemed to be on the fence about it all. </p> <p>“A text message basically as a marriage proposal? Not for me,” shared another. </p> <p>Thankfully, there were those who were more than happy to rise to Monta’s defence, noting that proposals are - at the end of the day - all about the thought and the love behind them, not the spectacle. </p> <p>“That needs to be framed and hung on a wall. Simplicity can be romantic!” one user wrote. </p> <p>“I think this is awesome! There is no wrong way to propose. Humans know they’re human. It’s about the soul and the love! Congratulations!” another said. </p> <p>“Sweet. Sincere. Genuine. Simple. Old Fashion. I love it. I would cherish that paper and have it framed! Congratulations! I wish you and The Mr. the very best!” one said. </p> <p>And as one more put it, “I think this is brilliant and different and truly believe this relationship will last longer than any grand proposal”.</p> <p>The negative take was disappointing for Erica, who admitted to <em>Today </em>that the attention was “one thing when you see someone else go viral and, you know, clicking and laughing and all that kind of stuff. But it's a totally different feeling when it's you”.</p> <p>She took the time to “set the record straight” though, sharing that Monta’s approach had not simply been an after-thought, but instead a very touching gesture that had meant a lot to her. </p> <p>"I had a really rough day the day before,” Erica, who is a journalist, shared. “I've never seen so many Confederate flags in my life. I was just, like, really exhausted.</p> <p>"He had flown in the night before, and he was laying there with his boxers looking so comfortable, and I've just been in the battlefield.</p> <p>"I was just so irritated. It was a carryover irritation from before.”</p> <p>Monta told the publication that he had known Erica would be heading into the bathroom after him that morning, and had opted for his handwritten approach as "this is the type of person I am. I wanted to catch her when she least expected it.</p> <p>"I know other people wanted me to get the blimp with 'the world is yours' and all that other stuff. But that's just, I mean, I could have done that. But I like this better.”</p> <p>And it seems that Erica agreed, with the happy bride-to-be informing <em>Today</em> - and critics all over - that “it was very sweet. I mean, this morning, for instance, I woke up because I still have this piece of paper that everyone's talking so badly about. </p> <p>“I woke up, he's back in Detroit, and I looked at this piece of paper, and I just smiled and said, 'Monta, you're so adorable', because I think it was really heartfelt.”</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Relationships

One person’s cringe is another’s dream Spongebob proposal

<p dir="ltr">Sometimes it’s best to keep your opinions to yourself, especially when it comes to the one of the most important days of your friend’s life, as one woman has learned the hard way. </p> <p dir="ltr">After witnessing her best friend’s “super cringey and uncomfortable” proposal, she was left with some feedback. Some feedback she felt compelled to share, though her friend - unsurprisingly - was not too thrilled with what she heard. </p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to Reddit’s ‘Am I the A***ole’ (commonly known as AITA), the woman asked other users for their take, wanting to find out if she really was in the wrong, as she just didn’t [get why she’s [her friend] so upset.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“My friend invited a group of us over for her birthday last night. During dinner, her bf leaves the room and comes back playing the harmonica,” she began, before explaining how it had seemed a little odd to her, but that she’d just assumed he was “showing off or something.” </p> <p dir="ltr">That was when things took a turn for the bizarre, with the groom-to-be switching out the harmonica to instead serenade his would-be fiancée with <em>Spongebob</em>’s ‘<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzGH_AtmfRw">Gary Come Home</a>’. She noted that he wasn’t a particularly good singer, and that everyone in the room appeared to have the same idea about how cringe-inducing the whole thing was.</p> <p dir="ltr">“After he finishes singing,” the woman continued, “he goes over to my friend [and] gets down on one knee and proposes. She said yes and we all congratulated her but the rest of dinner I was having severe second hand embarrassment.” </p> <p dir="ltr">These thoughts got the better of her in the end, and she went on to explain how she’d approached her friend while the two were cleaning up, and asked what she’d thought of the proposal, adding “I told her it was weird especially since she’s never watched/liked <em>Spongebob</em>. They haven’t really talked about marriage before so she was completely surprised and I told her that makes it even weirder.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her friend was offended, and made the accusation that the original poster just wasn’t “happy for her”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I pointed out [that] she seemed embarrassed too during his charade,” she said. It was then revealed that the two hadn’t spoken for the remainder of their evening, and that she still couldn’t understand why her friend had gotten upset, as “a proposal should be romantic, not whatever the f*** that was.” </p> <p dir="ltr">And of her question as to whether or not she was the bad guy in the situation, her fellow Redditors had plenty to say. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Are you the proposal police?” one asked. “It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of the proposal but your friend! When she asked you for your opinion all you had to do was say, ‘as long as you are happy I’m happy for you’ instead you went on a long tirade about how weird it was.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“What you feel is romantic could well be someone else’s version of horrific. It wasn’t your place to feel second hand embarrassment. It wasn’t your place to tell your friend it was weird,” another chastised. “If she was happy, you should have been happy for her, but instead you’ve made her upset. There was no need for you to do that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">One was of the mind that while yes, she had been out of line with her sharing her opinion, “that proposal was weird and the fiancé forced people to be a part of it with no heads up? It’s cool if they’re both into bad harmonica music and SpongeBob but keep the proposal private. Or let people know what they’re in for.</p> <p dir="ltr">“OP [original poster] deserves a trophy for not laughing during. The friend clearly knew it was weird, but asked anyway. OP should have bit her tongue and had this conversation later, but proposing before ever talking about marriage is also strange. Real friends can be honest with each other, but some more tact was needed.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

"Why would you do that?" Cringe-worthy proposal goes viral

<p>A woman has been filmed looking particularly uncomfortable after being summonsed onto a stage for her boyfriend to propose to her at a New Year's Eve party in Hawaii, in a cringe-worthy video that has since gone viral.</p> <p>The unidentified partygoer's discomfort was on show for all to see after the music was stopped at the swish roof-top bar.</p> <p>She stepped towards a raised platform, then stood awkwardly as her partner, whose identity has also not been shared, began to gush while on bended knee.</p> <p>“I want to say, I'm crazy in love with you. You are the love of my life” he says as the crowd enthusiastically cheer while taking swigs off their cocktails.</p> <p>The unidentified woman who appears embarrassed by the public display of affection, appears stone-faced as spectators watching the romantic scene unfold hold their cell phones eager to capture the spectacular moment.</p> <p>“You make me the happiest man in the world. Will you marry me?” as he presented her with a diamond ring.</p> <p>The woman watched her beau drop to his knees, as he pours his heart out in a gushing monologue in front of all the partygoers as the popular Queen ballad, “Love of my Life,” played in the background.</p> <p>The young woman stands astonished and silent as the nervous boyfriend waits for her response holding out the sparkling ring with an outstretched arm.</p> <p>“It’s a simple yes or no,” he says awkwardly after the woman paused.</p> <p>As the crowd waits for to reply one person who appeared annoyed is overhead saying, “Oh my gosh”.</p> <p>Seconds later the woman says, “Yes” in an uncertain tone, before kissing her man.</p> <p>After the exciting moment ended and the couple walked off the stage they were seen allegedly having a lovers spat.</p> <p>The woman was reportedly mouthing “Why would you do that”?</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@caesthetically/video/7183785754173246766" data-video-id="7183785754173246766"> <section><a title="@caesthetically" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@caesthetically?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@caesthetically</a> WAIT UNTIL THE END. That was the most awkward thing I’ve ever witnessed. 💀 <a title="nye" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/nye?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#nye</a> <a title="proposal" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/proposal?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#proposal</a> <a title="♬ original sound - cass" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7183785756803058474?refer=embed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ original sound - cass</a></section> </blockquote> <p>The TikTok video went viral after a partygoer captured the unfortunate situation.</p> <p>Many critiqued the loving gesture claiming that it may have been the “most awkward proposal of all time”.</p> <p>Some even took it apart rehashing some of the scenes and claiming when it is their turn to walk down the aisle they wouldn't be onboard with a public display of affection like they just witnessed.</p> <p>The video has been viewed more than 4 million times.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

"Kids are quick": Romantic proposal takes wild turn

<p dir="ltr">What was meant to be a beautiful proposal took a turn for the worst when the engagement ring plunged right through the jetty cracks and into the ocean below.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke was down on one knee ready to propose to his pregnant girlfriend Stephanie on the Hervey Bay jetty while two-year-old Harper Jane watched on.</p> <p dir="ltr">But before they saw what was happening, Harper Jane quickly grabbed the engagement ring from the box and it slipped out of her hands.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Kids are quick, much quicker than you think - I didn’t actually realise she had grabbed it,” Luke said in a TikTok.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke called out Harper Jane's name before immediately throwing off his thongs and taking his phone and wallet out of his pocket, ready to jump into the water.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: initial; vertical-align: baseline; width: 619px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7141170167098117402&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40alarcon_sinverguenza%2Fvideo%2F7141170167098117402%3Fis_from_webapp%3D1%26sender_device%3Dpc%26web_id%3D7070374670839465473&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Blindsided in the moment, his friend called out that he couldn’t jump because it was too shallow causing him to change his landing mid way through which left him with an earache.</p> <p dir="ltr">But Luke was on a mission to find the ring and was excited when he heard Stephanie’s dad call out to say that he could see it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can see it! Stop there, by your right hand,” he could be heard calling out.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thanks to the crystal clear waters of Hervey Bay, Luke was able to find the ring quickly and get back to shore.</p> <p dir="ltr">The ring eventually ended up on Stephanie’s finger, with the couple then revealing that Luke also wanted to ask Harper if he could be her step-dad.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m committing to them both so I felt like both of them should be present,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s just funny. Even if we had lost (the ring), there would have been humour in it - just sadness, too.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That will go down in the history books for us.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

"It's your time now": Bride helps orchestrate another proposal at her own wedding

<p>A bride who helped orchestrate another proposal at her own wedding has gone viral for a very touching reason.</p> <p>Instead of throwing the bouquet into the crowd, she intentionally handed it to her own mother.</p> <p>In the moment, the mother-of-the-bride looked confused. That's when the bride's future father-in-law emerged from the crowd, got down on one knee, and proposed in front of a crowd of excited wedding guests.</p> <p>The young bride, Chloe shared the video on social media, saying:</p> <p>"Dear Mum, it's your time now <3," she wrote. "She gave me away so I wanted her to match me."</p> <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@chloerobinson1993/video/7118811878964350214" data-video-id="7118811878964350214"> <section><a title="@chloerobinson1993" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@chloerobinson1993" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@chloerobinson1993</a></p> <p> </p> <p><a title="♬ Marry You - Bruno Mars" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Marry-You-6563162929061956354" target="_blank" rel="noopener">♬ Marry You - Bruno Mars</a></section> </blockquote> <p>Most commenters loved the video and thought it was a very compassionate act from the bride. "How selfless of the bride on her day," said one.</p> <p>Another said, "What a beautiful way to be able to say 'thanks Mum for all you have done and by my side' so sweet."</p> <p>Though a small minority of viewers disagreed, the TikTok has gained over one million views. Proposing at another wedding is a very controversial topic, with an expert on wedding etiquette weighing in, saying if it were to happen the proposal should occur once festivities are winding down.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

Jennifer Lopez shares the story of how Ben Affleck proposed

<p dir="ltr">Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are engaged again!</p> <p dir="ltr">And this time round, JLo shared the beautiful details of when Affleck proposed in her <em>On the JLo</em> newsletter.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Saturday night while at my favorite place on earth (in the bubble bath), my beautiful love got on one knee and proposed,” the entry titled <em>How It Went Down</em> begins.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was taken totally off guard and just looked in his eyes smiling and crying at the same time trying hard to get my head around the fact that after 20 years this was happening all over again, I was quite literally speechless.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And he said, ‘is that a yes?’ I said YES of course that’s a YES.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was smiling so big and tears were coming down my face, feeling so incredibly happy and whole.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was nothing fancy at all, but it was the most romantic thing I could’ve ever imagined...just a quiet Saturday night at home, two people promising to always be there for each other. Two very lucky people. Who got a second chance at true love.”</p> <p dir="ltr">JLo went on to detail the stunning ring Affleck proposed to her with which is her favourite colour green. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Green has always been my lucky color and now, for sure, it always will be.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

Avril Lavigne shows off massive engagement ring in Paris

<p dir="ltr"><em>He was a sk8er boi she said YES</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne has shown off her huge and absolutely stunning engagement ring. </p> <p dir="ltr">After just one year of dating, Derek Ryan Smith who goes by the name Mod Sun, got down on one knee in Paris in front of the Eiffel Tower and proposed. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Oui! Je t’aime pour toujours. Dimanche. 27. Mars. 2022,” Avril wrote in a series of heartwarming photos of the proposal. </p> <p dir="ltr">A simple translation from French, Avril’s message reads “Yes! I love you forever” along with the date.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mod Sun went a step further and wrote a loving message to his now fiancée also sharing sweet snaps of the treasured moment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The day we met I knew you were the one. Together forever til our days are done,” his message began.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I had a dream where I proposed in paris. I pulled out a ring + asked you to wear it. I was on one knee as I looked in your eyes. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You’re too beautiful for my words to describe. I grabbed your hand + took one last breath…I said “will you marry me?” + she said “yes”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I love you Avril.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The endearing photos show the loved-up couple kissing, smiling at one another, as well as Avril showing off the heart-shaped engagement ring which glows on her left finger. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

How could you say no?

<p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">With the rise of social media and viral and elaborate marriage proposals, the pressure sure is on for a unique and romantic proposal.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">A good way to overcome the pressure of staging something expensive and elaborate is to propose in a fun, quirky way using something you both love.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">For Scottish man Jim Lardner, he thought using a takeaway food container would do the trick.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">"Can you write will you marry me on the box with the onion toastie. She will be ecstatic. Thanks."</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">It doesn't seem Jim had considered his proposal would be unsuccessful.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">He shared the sad news on Twitter which reads: "Shoutout to Kilbowie Cafe . . . She said no."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shoutout to Kilbowie Cafe . . . She said no ❤ <a href="https://t.co/A3uNs4WgRS">pic.twitter.com/A3uNs4WgRS</a></p>— Jim Lardner (@jimlardner) <a href="https://twitter.com/jimlardner/status/1489970974632157192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2022</a></blockquote><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">The man's Twitter followers did their best to try and cheer him up.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">One writes: "Who eats a toastie with a fork?"</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">Another questioned his previous partner's request to have onions added to hers.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">"How could you say no to that," writes another.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">"You'd have said yes if it was ham and cheese," says one Twitter follower.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">One hospitality worker said requests like this used to make their day.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">"Nah when I worked in hospitality this s**t would have made my day, I'd be like 'phone us and tell us if she says yes'," they write.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff">Thankfully Jim seems to have taken the proposal rejection in his stride.</p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff"> </p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 5px;padding: 0px;border: 0px;font-size: 16px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #323338;font-family: Roboto, Arial;background-color: #ffffff"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Relationships

Labor’s proposed $10 billion social housing fund isn’t big as it seems, but it could work

<p>The centrepiece of Labor’s election program so far is its A$10 billion social housing policy, officially called the <a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/housing_future_fund">Housing Australia Future Fund</a>.</p> <p>In the first five years the fund would be used to build</p> <ul> <li> <p>20,000 social housing properties for people on low incomes - 4,000 of the 20,000 for women and children fleeing violence and for low income older women at risk of homelessness</p> </li> <li> <p>10,000 “affordable” housing properties</p> </li> <li> <p>$200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities</p> </li> <li> <p>$100 million for crisis and transitional housing for women and children fleeing violence and for low income older women at risk of homelessness</p> </li> <li> <p>$30 million to build more housing and fund specialist services for veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness</p> </li> </ul> <p>Although needed, its a far short of the 100,000 extra social housing units we would have had if social housing been growing in line with total housing in recent years, a gap that is climbing by 4,000 homes a year.</p> <p>And, like the frilled-neck lizard, the $10 billion looks much bigger than it is.</p> <p>Labor could probably do what it has promised to do for $450 million per year.</p> <p>Instead, it says it would borrow $10 billion at low interest rates, invest the money for much higher returns, and use the proceeds to pay for the program.</p> <p>If the fund earns 4.5% more than the cost of borrowing it’ll get the $450 million per year. Rather than use the money to build the houses it will use the money to fund service payments to community housing providers who build them.</p> <p>As Labor points out, it’s a mechanism used by the current government, which has set up five such funds in addition to the <a href="https://www.futurefund.gov.au/">Future Fund</a> used to fund public service pensions (of which more later).</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440171/original/file-20220111-13-1erhnaj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440171/original/file-20220111-13-1erhnaj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption"></span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/housing_future_fund" class="source">Extract from Labor's Housing Australia Future Fund election policy</a></span></p> <p>Two of these funds, the Medical Research Future Fund and the Disability Care Australia Fund are actually bigger than the proposed Housing Fund.</p> <p>A problem with this structure designed to make the commitment look bigger than it is is that spending on social housing will depend on the returns of the fund.</p> <p>Allocating money from one source to spending on one particular purpose is called <a href="https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2015/07/pm75.pdf">hypothecation</a>, a word closely related to “<a href="https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/429589/is-hypothecate-anything-to-do-in-origin-or-meaning-with-hypothetical/570700">hypothetical</a>”.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440181/original/file-20220111-19-6m0mfi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440181/original/file-20220111-19-6m0mfi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">Medicare funding is independent of the levy.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dean Lewins/AAP</span></span></p> <p>The Medicare Levy of 2% of most taxable incomes is intended to be for funding Medicare, but funds only part of it.</p> <p>In contrast, there doesn’t appear to be any plan to guarantee payments for social housing if in any year the Social Housing Fund fails to make money.</p> <p>The bigger question is whether it makes sense for governments to use funds like the Future Fund to put money into income-generating investments in private companies (the Future Fund invests in <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1918/20200630_-_Top_100_largest_listed_equity_holdings.pdf">Apple, Microsoft and the Commonwealth Bank</a>) or to use any available funds to pay down government debt.</p> <p>The answer depends in part on whether the profits the funds earn are genuine or mere compensation for the risky business of investing in shares, which can always go wrong.</p> <p>My work on the so-called “equity premium”, the excess return for investing in shares, suggests that is <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/15061616.pdf">genuine</a> and exceeds what’s needed to compensate for risk, making investment in the stock market an appealing option for governments in the absence of better opportunities.</p> <p>But the premium is not limitless, for two reasons.</p> <p>One is that if governments borrow enough and buy enough shares, we can reasonably expected the government’s cost of borrowing to rise and the rate of return on shares to fall, reducing the equity premium.</p> <p>The other is that if buying shares is pursued far enough, governments will become major, or even majority, shareholders in large businesses, effectively becoming owners.</p> <h2>Future funds should invest in what governments do best</h2> <p>Long experience suggests that while governments are quite good at running some types of businesses (especially those involving infrastructure and requiring large amounts of capital) they are not nearly as good at running others. Retailing comes to mind.</p> <p>If we accept that large debt-financed public investment can make sense, it follows that governments should own as much as 100% of some types of businesses (businesses such as Telstra come to mind) and little or none of others, such as shopping centres, which Australia’s government <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7139681/the-sale-of-belconnen-mall/">did indeed once own</a>.</p> <p>And that was generally the way Australia’s economy worked during the brief period of broadly shared-prosperity in the mid-20th century.</p> <p>Governments borrowed at low rates and invested in physical and social infrastructure, such as roads and communications services.</p> <p>The more funds there are like Labor’s proposed Housing Australia Future Fund the more likely it is we will get back there.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174406/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-quiggin-2084">John Quiggin</a>, Professor, School of Economics, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></span></p> <p>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/labors-proposed-10-billion-social-housing-fund-isnt-big-as-it-seems-but-it-could-work-174406">original article</a>.</p>

Real Estate

Woman gets proposed to while fast asleep

<p dir="ltr">A woman was woken up to the surprise of her life after her partner slipped an engagement ring on her finger.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jamila Williams slept soundly, and while doing so, Michael Mayorga held a ring box up to the camera and posed for a photo next to her.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to Facebook, Mayorga announced that he had slipped a ring on his assumed-to-be fiance at 5 am while she slept.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's 5:00AM. For weeks now I have been planning on how to pop the question.... you know all my moves and you are one very hard woman to surprise," he wrote in the Facebook post.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But the joke's on you because now you're going to wake up with three surprises!"</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839253/sleeping-proposal-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2808660ad16a43729abbe0e8c187aa2b" /></p> <p dir="ltr">Mayorga said she would wake up to the surprise of a "phone full of congratulations notifications and texts," the engagement ring, and most hilarious of all, a picture of her sleeping that she wouldn't want "all over the internet."</p> <p dir="ltr">"Surprise!!" he exclaimed in the post.</p> <p dir="ltr">He promised to let everyone know his partner’s "verdict when she wakes up."</p> <p dir="ltr">The proposal story has gained more than 330,000 likes on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The fact I've checked her page like 4 times to see if she woke up yet and I never met this lady a day in my life lol. Let us know how you feel Jamilah!" wrote one user.</p> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MikeDaSituation/posts/10221004679060165" data-show-text="true" data-width=""> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>Jamilah Williams You're an answered prayer 🙏 💝</p> Posted by <a href="#">Michael Mayorga</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MikeDaSituation/posts/10221004679060165">Monday, October 12, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> <p dir="ltr">"What a surprise to wake up to LOL this is so beautiful congrats you guys...." another commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">Finally, Williams woke up and delivered a resounding "yes".</p> <p dir="ltr">"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! When a man finds a good thing you won't have to beg for ANYTHING!" Williams wrote in a post on her own personal Facebook account.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's his loyalty, commitment, Respect, and genuine LOVE for ME! I am overwhelmed with so much love and joy!"</p> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MikeDaSituation/posts/10221392281669988" data-show-text="true" data-width=""> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>It's 5:00AM 😩 for weeks now I been planning on how to pop the question.... you know all my moves and you are one very...</p> Posted by <a href="#">Michael Mayorga</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MikeDaSituation/posts/10221392281669988">Wednesday, December 9, 2020</a></blockquote> </div> <p dir="ltr">"Thank you to everyone for your love and support. We are overwhelmed and words can't express how truly blessed we are. This is only the beginning to the lifetime of blessings straight from God."</p>

Relationships

Man accidentally burns house down in proposal gone wrong

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text " style="text-align: left;"> <p style="text-align: left;">A man’s romantic candlelit proposal went completely south after he accidentally set his home on fire - leaving the couple’s house destroyed.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Albert Ndreu spent two weeks carefully plotting the perfect proposal after buying a ring for his girlfriend of one year, Valerija Madevic.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">The 26-year-old used 100 tea lights and around 60 balloons to transform their Sheffield, UK home as he spelt “Marry Me?” with the candles.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">He even had a bottle of champagne and a “non-stop romance” playlist on loop, ready to surprise Valerija when she finished work.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">But disaster soon struck when Albert left home to collect Valerija, leaving the candles unattended.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">As they returned, they saw witnesses watching their home “burning down”.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“I was planning the proposal for over two weeks – I kept struggling to find the right thing to do to mark the special moment,” Albert said.</p> <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fdreamweddingsmagazine%2Fposts%2F3313697575361378&width=500" width="500" height="789" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div> <div class="body_text ">“I wanted to do something from my heart even if it didn’t go exactly as planned.” <p style="text-align: left;">Despite the moment going horribly wrong, it didn’t stop Albert from getting down on one knee and luckily for him, Valerija said “yes”.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“I was so worried about everything going wrong I never imagined I could set the house on fire,” he said.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“But it will always be an unforgettable day for us and a story which will be amazing to tell our children.”</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Speaking of the proposal, Valerija said she started the evening thinking her now fiancé had done something stupid after he came to her work with flowers.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“When I got the flowers I thought he must have broken something or destroyed something in the house,” she said.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“Little did I know he had destroyed our entire living room.”</p> <p style="text-align: left;">But she was even more stunned after Albert got down on one knee among the ashes of their belongings. </p> <p style="text-align: left;">“He pulled out a box from his pocket and I was just speechless.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“He said that he messed up – our house was literally in flames – but asked me if I would marry him.</p> <p style="text-align: left;">“And I said yes.”</p> <p style="text-align: left;">After the dramatic proposal, three fire crews were able to extinguish the flames, leaving the home filled with ashes.</p> </div> </div> </div>

Relationships

Martha Stewart receives 14 proposals after sultry snap

<p>Martha Stewart has sent fans into a frenzy with a recent pool selfie, taken just over a week before her 79th birthday.</p> <p>So much so, 14 men have slid into her DMs with “proposals”, she revealed this week.</p> <p>The US lifestyle guru shared the sultry snap as she enjoyed a sunny day in her East Hampton pool, pouting to the camera with her garden on display in the background.</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/CC7Jt__gG4P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="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/CC7Jt__gG4P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Change of plans: From now on you can find us at @marthastewart48’s pool with a Martha-rita in hand. 🍹 #regram via @marthastewart48 . Pomegranate Martha-ritas - serves 4 large drinks 2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice 2 cups tequila blanco 1/2 cup triple sec 1/2 cup pomegranate concentrate Add ice cubes and blend! . 📺 Watch Martha make the recipe on our IGTV tab</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/marthastewart/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Martha Stewart</a> (@marthastewart) on Jul 21, 2020 at 5:28pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Speaking to<span> </span><em>E! Online’s</em><span> </span>podcast<span> </span><em>Daily Pop</em><span> </span>this week, the 78-year-old said it attracted quite a bit of attention.</p> <p>“I’ve had 14 proposals, I don’t know what for, but they’re proposals,” Martha told E!’ s Morgan Stewart. ”I haven’t checked lately, that was the first day.”</p> <p>The star is set to celebrate her 79th birthday in a few short days.</p>

Food & Wine

Never seen before snap: How Robert Irwin hilariously helped prep for Bindi’s big proposal

<p>Bindi and Chandler only just tied the knot in an intimate and emotional private ceremony last week at Australia Zoo, but it has only just been revealed that Robert Irwin played a big role in helping his brother-in-law prep for the big proposal.</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/B-KCyAlh_LY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-KCyAlh_LY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chandler Powell (@chandlerpowell)</a> on Mar 25, 2020 at 5:39am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Chandler initially met his wife in 2013 after his family took a tour of the famous Australian Zoo that has become a national treasure thanks to Bindi’s dad, Croc hunter Steve Irwin.</p> <p>From there, the couple fell in love and last year on Bindi’s 21st birthday, Chandler popped down on one knee and asked his long-term girlfriend to marry him. The moment was one that the 21-year-old Australian conservationist labelled as the “most beautiful surprise.”</p> <p>The special moment was elevated by the help of her little brother Robert who secretly photographed his family’s intimate proposal.</p> <p>“We were in the gardens of Australia Zoo and it was beyond perfect. I never even knew Robert was there photographing and I’ll always be grateful to have these special memories of the most amazing day of my life.”</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/B0UaYDXBCNg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0UaYDXBCNg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a> on Jul 24, 2019 at 5:04pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>However, a<span> </span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/freuye/if_youre_in_need_of_wholesome_content_robert/" target="_blank">reddit</a><span> </span>post has shared a hilarious gaffe between Robert and Chandler.</p> <p>The photograph featured Powell getting on one knee with his arms outstretched to none other than Rob. </p> <p>The caption of the post reads: “If you’re in need of wholesome content, Robert Irwin helped Bindi’s now husband practice the proposal.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.20805369127515px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7835391/irwin-famikly-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/adcd038893d44a0ba456751b49624656" /></p> <blockquote class="reddit-card" data-card-created="1585625717"><em><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/freuye/if_youre_in_need_of_wholesome_content_robert/">If you’re in need of wholesome content, Robert Irwin helped Bindi’s now husband practice the proposal</a> from <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/aww">r/aww</a></em></blockquote> <p>It appears the snap of Rob and Chandler mucking around originates from the family’s show<span> </span><em>Crikey! It’s The Irwins.</em></p> <p>The post amassed over 800 comments after just 24 hours online, with one writing: Talk about a wholesome family. The Irwins never fail to impress me with their positivity and genuine spirit. I'm grateful for them right now especially.”</p> <p>Another added: “They're basically our version of a royal family.”</p> <p>Chandler took to social media to share a photograph of Bindi cosying up to a koala in her arms.</p> <p>“My beautiful wife,” he wrote, alongside a love heart emoji. </p> <p>It was just last week that he first took to social media since tying the knot with his bride to write: “We’re finally married! Today, March 25, 2020, marks the most amazing day of my life. I married my best friend.”</p> <p>“After almost a year of planning, we changed everything so that we could enjoy a safe and small private ceremony at our home, Australia Zoo. As we embark on this new life chapter I hope that we can share some love in the world, especially during this challenging time.”</p>

Relationships

Royal Proposal: Prince William's romantic reflection with Duchess Kate

<p>The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hosted a special reception on behalf of the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Monday evening to mark the UK-Africa summit.</p> <p>The couple were joined by Prince Edward and his wife, the Countess of Wessex along with Princess Anne.</p> <p>During the event, Prince William spoke candidly about his own love for the African continent, and included a sweet anecdote about his proposal to Duchess Catherine that took place almost a decade ago.</p> <p>"The African continent holds a very special place in my heart,” the Duke began.</p> <p>"It was the place my father took my brother and me shortly after my mother died.</p> <p>"And when deciding where best to propose to Catherine, I could think of no more fitting place than Kenya to get down on one knee," he said with a smile.</p> <p>At the time he proposed to his then-girlfriend with his late mother’s famous blue Ceylon sapphire and diamond ring.</p> <p>He continued, "Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to spend time in many other parts of Africa.</p> <p>"I'm also honoured to be the Patron of the Royal African Society and as Catherine and I have said to several of you here tonight we hope to have a chance to visit man more countries in the future and share our mutual love of your continent with our children."</p> <p>Duchess Catherine was a picture of ruby red perfection in a sheer and sequinned gown by Needle & Thread, which she paired with matching suede pumps and elegant waves.</p> <p>Countess Sophie, who was also in the midst of celebrating her 55th birthday, also opted for stunning red Alaia dress with capped sleeves.</p> <p>Just like his younger brother Prince Harry, the Duke of Cambridge holds Africa incredibly close to his heart.</p> <p>The Duke of Sussex said visiting Africa allowed him to heal after the tragic loss of his mother, calling the place his “second home”.</p> <p>It has also been recently revealed, that years before meeting Duchess Meghan, he reportedly confessed to royal reporter Rebecca English about wishing he could walk away from royal life, move to Africa and become a tour guide.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see the Duchess of Cambridge in her stunning red ball gown.</p>

Caring

The internet's founder wants to "fix the web" but his proposal isn't ideal

<p>On March 12, the 30th anniversary of the World Wide Web, the internet’s founder Tim Berners-Lee said we needed to “<a href="https://webfoundation.org/2019/03/web-birthday-30/">fix the web</a>”.</p> <p>The statement attracted considerable interest.</p> <p>However, a resulting manifesto released on Sunday, and dubbed the <a href="https://contractfortheweb.org/">Contract for the Web</a>, is a major disappointment.</p> <p>Endorsed by more than 80 corporations and non-government organisations, the campaign seeks a return to the “<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/10/1301496/">open web</a>” of the 1990s and early 2000s – one largely free of corporate control over content.</p> <p>While appealing in theory, the contract glosses over several key challenges. It doesn’t account for the fact that most internet content is now accessed through a small number of digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook.</p> <p>Known as the “<a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/129830/">platformisation of the internet</a>”, it’s this phenomenon which has generated many of the problems the web now faces, and this is where the focus should be.</p> <p><strong>An undercooked proposal</strong></p> <p>Berners-Lee identified major obstacles threatening the future of the web, including the circulation of malicious content, “<a href="https://webfoundation.org/2019/03/web-birthday-30/">perverse incentives</a>” that promote clickbait, and the growing polarisation of online debate.</p> <p>Having played a central role in the web’s development, he promised to use his influence to promote positive digital change.</p> <p>He said the Contract for the Web was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/24/tim-berners-lee-unveils-global-plan-to-save-the-internet">a revolutionary statement</a>.</p> <p>In fact, it’s deeply conservative.</p> <p>Berners-Lee claims it’s the moral responsibility of everybody to “save the web”. This implies the solution involves engaging civic morality and corporate ethics, rather than enacting laws and regulations that make digital platforms more publicly accountable.</p> <p>The contract views governments, not corporations, as the primary threat to an open internet. But governments’ influence is restricted to building digital infrastructure (such as fast broadband), facilitating online access, removing illegal content and maintaining data security.</p> <p><strong>Missing links</strong></p> <p>The contract doesn’t prescribe <a href="https://www.iicom.org/intermedia/intermedia-past-issues/intermedia-jul-2019/taking-aim-at-big-tech">measures</a> to address power misuse by digital platforms, or a solution to the <a href="http://www.lse.ac.uk/media-and-communications/assets/documents/research/T3-Report-Tackling-the-Information-Crisis.pdf">power imbalance</a> between such platforms and content creators.</p> <p>This is despite <a href="https://www.iicom.org/intermedia/intermedia-past-issues/intermedia-july-2018/platforms-on-trial">more than 50 public inquiries</a> currently taking place worldwide into the power of digital platforms.</p> <p>The most obvious gaps in the contract are around the obligations of digital platform companies.</p> <p>And while there are welcome commitments to strengthening user privacy and data protection, there’s no mention of how these problems emerged in the first place.</p> <p>It doesn’t consider whether the harvesting of user data to maximise advertising revenue is not the result of “<a href="https://contractfortheweb.org/principles/principle-5-respect-and-protect-peoples-privacy-and-personal-data-to-build-online-trust/">user interfaces and design patterns</a>”, but is instead baked into the <a href="https://www.hiig.de/en/data-colonialism-nick-couldry-digital-society/">business models of digital platform companies</a>.</p> <p>Its proposals are familiar: address the digital divide between rich and poor, improve digital service delivery, improve diversity in hiring practices, pursue human-centered digital design, and so forth.</p> <p>But it neglects to ask whether the internet may now be less open because a small number of conglomerates are dominating the web. There is <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Digital%20Platforms%20Inquiry%20-%20Final%20report%20-%20part%201.pdf">evidence</a> that platforms such as Google and Facebook dominate search and social media respectively, and the digital advertising connected with these.</p> <p><strong>Not a civic responsibility</strong></p> <p>Much of the work in the contract seems to fall onto citizens, who are expected to “<a href="https://contractfortheweb.org/principles/principle-9-fight-for-the-web/">fight for the web</a>”.</p> <p>They bear responsibility for maintaining proper online discourse, protecting vulnerable users, using their privacy settings properly and generating creative content (presumably unpaid and non-unionized).</p> <p>The contract feels like a document from the late 1990s, forged in the spirit of “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/wired25-louis-rossetto-tech-militant-optimism/">militant optimism</a>” about the internet.</p> <p>It offers only <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/016344387009001005">pseudo-regulation</a> for tech giants.</p> <p>It also implies if tech giants can demonstrate greater diversity in hiring practices, allow users to better manage their privacy settings, and make some investments in disadvantaged communities, then they can avoid serious regulatory consequences.</p> <p><strong>Legacies of internet culture</strong></p> <p>A big question is why leading non-government organisations such as the <a href="https://www.eff.org/">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.publicknowledge.org/">Public Knowledge</a> have signed-on to such a weak contract.</p> <p>This may be because two elements of the original legacy of internet culture (as it started developing in the 1990s) are still applicable today.</p> <p>One is the view that governments present a greater threat to public interest than corporations.</p> <p>This leads non-governmental organisations to favour legally binding frameworks that restrain the influence of governments, rather than addressing issues of market dominance.</p> <p>The contract doesn’t mention, for instance, whether governments have a role in legislating to ensure digital platforms address issues of online hate speech. This is despite evidence that social media platforms are used to <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmhaff/609/60904.htm#_idTextAnchor005">spread hate, abuse and violent extremism</a>.</p> <p>The second is the tendency to think the internet is a different realm to society at large, so laws that apply to other aspects of the online environment are deemed inappropriate for digital platform companies.</p> <p>An example in Australia is <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/law-should-treat-social-media-companies-as-publishers-attorney-general-20191120-p53cch.html">defamation law not being applied to digital platforms such as Facebook</a>, but being applied to the comments sections of news websites.</p> <p>Berners-Lee’s manifesto for the future of the web is actually more conservative than proposals coming from government regulators, such as the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/focus-areas/inquiries-ongoing/digital-platforms-inquiry">Digital Platforms Inquiry</a>.</p> <p>The ACCC is closely evaluating issues arising because of digital platforms, whereas the Contract for the Web looks wistfully back to the open web of the 1990s as a path to the future.</p> <p>It fails to address the changing political economy of the internet, and the rise of digital platforms.</p> <p>And it’s a barrier to meaningfully addressing the problems plaguing today’s web.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127793/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/terry-flew-3944">Terry Flew</a>, Professor of Communication and Creative Industries, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-internets-founder-now-wants-to-fix-the-web-but-his-proposal-misses-the-mark-127793">original article</a>.</em></p>

Technology

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern reveals how Clarke Gayford proposed to her

<p>New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has revealed more details about her surprise proposal from long-term partner Clarke Gayford, as well as explaining why she doesn’t wear her engagement ring on her left hand.</p> <p>Despite her best attempts, a coy Ardern wasn’t able to dodge reporters’ questions about her recent proposal in a post-cabinet press conference in Wellington.</p> <p>Naturally, she was reluctant to spill too many details.</p> <p>“There are some things I don't mind keeping for ourselves,” Ms Ardern told reporters.</p> <p>“This is a very public job and I'm quite happy to put quite a bit of ourselves out there. But there are some things I wouldn't mind keeping to ourselves.”</p> <p>However, Ardern was more than happy to confirm where the proposal happened. It took place with a beautiful backdrop at the top of Mokotahi Hill in Mahia, which is on North Island’s east coast.</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/BhKwza3Fwta/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BhKwza3Fwta/" target="_blank">A post shared by Jason Lau (@meetjasonlau)</a> on Apr 4, 2018 at 5:11pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Ardern revealed who was on site when the proposal took place.</p> <p>“It was Clarke, myself, a member of the DPS (Diplomatic Protection Squad), a couple of locals from Mahia and a dog which tried to eat the chocolate that Clarke bought me at the same time, so it was very romantic,” she explained.</p> <p>She also admitted her partner didn’t get down on one knee, so the DPS member wasn’t aware of what was happening.</p> <p>"The DPS had no idea what had happened so that should be a giveaway," she said.</p> <p>As for why she doesn’t wear her new engagement ring on her left hand's ring finger?</p> <p>“I have not been trying to hide our news from anyone," Ardern explained.</p> <p>“It simply doesn't fit on the right finger, so that's why it's sitting in the middle.”</p> <p>Ardern, who welcomed her daughter Eliza, 10 months with Clarke in 2018, has also said she has “absolutely no idea” when she will walk down the aisle.</p> <p>"I was surprised by the question and as with probably many other couples we haven't made any plans at all," she said.</p> <p>She was quick to end personal questions at the conference, saying “I think we’re done? Good."</p>

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Love is in the air! Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend before take off

“Love is so sweet": Man's sweet mid-air proposal goes viral

“People don’t understand boundaries”: Woman ruins couple’s romantic proposal

Man proposes to high school sweetheart after rekindling their romance

Bride-to-be defends the proposal that divided the internet

One person’s cringe is another’s dream Spongebob proposal

"Why would you do that?" Cringe-worthy proposal goes viral

"Kids are quick": Romantic proposal takes wild turn

"It's your time now": Bride helps orchestrate another proposal at her own wedding

Jennifer Lopez shares the story of how Ben Affleck proposed

Avril Lavigne shows off massive engagement ring in Paris

How could you say no?

Labor’s proposed $10 billion social housing fund isn’t big as it seems, but it could work

Woman gets proposed to while fast asleep

Man accidentally burns house down in proposal gone wrong

Martha Stewart receives 14 proposals after sultry snap

Never seen before snap: How Robert Irwin hilariously helped prep for Bindi’s big proposal

​Royal Proposal: Prince William's romantic reflection with Duchess Kate

The internet's founder wants to "fix the web" but his proposal isn't ideal

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern reveals how Clarke Gayford proposed to her

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Royal Proposal: Prince William's romantic reflection with Duchess Kate