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Signed, Sealed, Delivered: Stevie Wonder snaps up lavish LA mansion

<p dir="ltr">Music legend Stevie Wonder has recently bought himself a<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2147-Ravensfield-Ln_Los-Angeles_CA_90077_M27108-95842" target="_blank">luxe mansion in Bel-Air</a>, dropping $USD 13.85 million ($NZD 20.46 million).</p> <p dir="ltr">According to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dirt.com/gallery/entertainers/musicians/stevie-wonder-house-bel-air-los-angeles-1203443140/" target="_blank"><em>Dirt</em></a>, the elaborate estate was formerly owned by Prince Mohammed bin Faisal bin Saud al-Saud, who hasn’t spent much time in the area and has apparently been renting the home for $USD 75,000 a month.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home was<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/stevie-wonder-reportedly-buys-wonderful-mansion-in-bel-air-for-14m/" target="_blank">first listed for sale</a><span> </span>in 2017 for a whopping $USD 25 million ($NZD 36.93 million), before the price began to nosedive.</p> <p dir="ltr">In early 2018, the price fell to $USD 23.5 million, followed by a reduction to $USD 20 million eight months later and a final discount to $USD 17.95 million at the end of the year. Still failing to find a buyer, the home was eventually floated off the market for a few years before it returned in April 2021 with a price tag of $USD 14.7 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was eventually snapped up by Wonder at an almost 50 percent discount off its initial price.</p> <p dir="ltr">Built in 2009, the<span> </span><em>Superstition</em><span> </span>singer’s new 1858-square-metre home includes 11 bedrooms, 15 bathrooms, high ceilings, and a mix of wood and stone floors throughout.</p> <p dir="ltr">The home also boasts a formal dining room, professional kitchen, home theatre, bar, and entertainment room with its own pool table, card table, and pinball machines, and a wine cellar that can hold up to 2550 bottles.</p> <p dir="ltr">On the second floor, the master bedroom comes with a private sitting area and a balcony that overlooks the pool.</p> <p dir="ltr">The lavish estate also includes space for guest or staff quarters, and a lift connecting all three floors.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside, the half-acre grounds include a pool, spa and waterfall, as well as a patio and outdoor fireplace.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images, Realtor.com</em></p>

Real Estate

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Prince Philip’s will to be kept sealed for 90 years

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The UK High Court has ruled that Prince Philip’s will is to remain secret so as to protect the “dignity” of Queen Elizabeth, owing to her constitutional role. Philip died in April at the age of 99 following almost 74 years as the Queen’s consort.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sir Andrew McFarlane, president of the Family Division of the High Court, heard arguments from lawyers representing Philip’s estate and the attorney general, who represents the public interest, in a private hearing in July, and published the court’s ruling on Thursday. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the ruling, McFarlane ordered that Philip’s will remain sealed for 90 years, and even after that date, may only be opened in private. The judge said: “I have held that, because of the constitutional position of the sovereign, it is appropriate to have a special practice in relation to royal wills. There is a need to enhance the protection afforded to truly private aspects of the lives of this limited group of individuals in order to maintain the dignity of the sovereign and close members of her family.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 387.71676300578036px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844160/gettyimages-514906468.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/9e70da170abc437c8899459ac81d545a" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/sep/17/prince-philip-duke-edinburgh-will-secret-90-years-queen-dignity"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">it has been convention for over a century that following the death of a senior member of the royal family, an application to seal their will is made to the president of the family division of the High Court. This means their wills are not publicly available the way most wills are.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McFarlane also ruled that any future judgements on applications to seal wills belonging to members of the royal family would remain closed, and therefore will not be made public.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, died on April 9th of this year, following a 73-year marriage to Queen Elizabeth, making him the longest-serving royal consort in world history. At the time, Buckingham Palace released a statement reading, "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Danny Lawson - WPA Pool/Getty Images, Bettmann/Getty Images</span></p>

Legal

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Dinner to die for: how fish use their spines to fend off hungry seals

<p>What price are you willing to pay for food?</p> <p>For most of us, that’s a question about money. But what if the cost were actual pain, injury and death? For some seals and dolphins, this a real risk when hunting.</p> <p>We took a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03473">close look</a> at a New Zealand (or long-nosed) fur seal that stranded at Cape Conran in southeastern Australia, and discovered it had numerous severe facial injuries. These wounds were all caused by fish spines, and they show the high price these animals are willing to pay in pursuit of a meal.</p> <p><strong>Victim or perpetrator?</strong></p> <p>When the unfortunate seal was first spotted dead on the beach, it was clear something was amiss: the animal was emaciated, and had a large fish spine stuck in its cheek.</p> <p>A team of scientists from the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP), Museums Victoria and Monash University decided to investigate, and took a CT scan of the seal’s head. The results were striking: fish spines had penetrated not just both cheeks, but also the nose and jaw muscles.</p> <p>On closer examination, we also found ten stab wounds, likely from further fish spines that had been pulled out. The wounds were spread all over the face and throat, and at least some appear to have festered. They may have made feeding difficult, and ultimately may have caused the animal to starve.</p> <p>These wounds were likely not the result of unprovoked attacks. They were probably inflicted by prey that simply did not want to be eaten.</p> <p><strong>How to fight off a hungry seal … or at least teach it a lesson</strong></p> <p>Many fish species have evolved elaborate defence systems against predators, such as venomous spines that can inflict painful wounds.</p> <p>Our seal appears to have been done in by two species of cartilaginous fish. One was the elusive <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_ghostshark">Australian ghostshark</a> (also known as elephant fish), a distant relative of true sharks that has a large serrated spine on its back.</p> <p>The other was a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urolophidae">stingaree</a>: a type of small stingray with a venomous tail barb that can be whipped around like a scorpion’s tail. Its sting is normally aimed at would-be predators, but sometimes also catches the feet of unwary humans.</p> <p><strong>How to eat a spiky fish</strong></p> <p>Until recently, most of what we knew about the diet New Zealand fur seals was based on bony remains left in their poo. This technique largely overlooks cartilaginous fish, whose skeletons are made of cartilage instead of bone. As a result, we didn’t realise fur seals target these creatures.</p> <p>New <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12686-016-0560-9">studies of the DNA of devoured prey</a> in the seals’ scats now suggest they commonly feed on ghostsharks. Stingarees and other rays are less common, but evidently still form part of their diet. So how do the seals handle such dangerous prey on a regular basis?</p> <p>It all comes down to table manners. Ghostsharks and rays are too large to be swallowed whole, and hence must be broken into smaller chunks first. Fur seals achieve this by violently shaking their prey at the water’s surface, largely because <a href="https://theconversation.com/sharp-claws-helped-ancient-seals-conquer-the-oceans-92828">their flippers are no longer capable of grasping and tearing</a>.</p> <p>Fur seals can eat small fish whole, but need to tear large prey into edible chunks.</p> <p>Shaking a fish in the right way (for example by gripping it at the soft belly) may allow seals to kill and consume it without getting impaled. Nevertheless, some risk remains, whether because of struggling prey, poor technique, or simply bad luck. The wounds on our seal’s cheeks suggest that it may accidentally have slapped itself with a ghostshark spine while trying to tear it apart.</p> <p><strong>Fish spines – a common problem?</strong></p> <p>One of the challenges we face as scientists is knowing how to interpret isolated observations. Are fish spines a common problem for fur seals, or was our individual just particularly unlucky? We don’t know.</p> <p>New techniques like analysing DNA from scats means that we are only just beginning to get a better idea of the full range of prey marine mammals target. Likewise, medical imaging techniques such as CT scanning are rarely applied to marine mammal strandings, and injuries like the ones in our seal may often go unnoticed.</p> <p>Nevertheless, fish spine injuries have been observed in other ocean predators, including dolphins, killer whales, and rays. One wedgefish described in <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.170674">another recent study</a> had as many as 62 spines embedded in its jaw! Now that we know what to look for, we may finally get a better idea of how common such injuries really are.</p> <p>For now, this extraordinary example vividly demonstrates the choices and dangers wild animals face as they try to make a living. For our seal, the seafood ultimately won, but we will never know if the fish that killed it got away, or if the wounds they left are evidence of the seal’s last meal.</p> <p><em>Written by David Hocking, Felix Georg Marx, Silke Cleuren and William Parker. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/dinner-to-die-for-how-fish-use-their-spines-to-fend-off-hungry-seals-133627">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Cruising

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Captain Tom Moore's 100th birthday sealed with special postmark from Royal Mail

<p>A special postmark has been made in order to celebrate the 100th birthday of NHS fundraiser Captain Tom Moore.</p> <p>He’s set to celebrate his birthday on the 30th of April, and the special postmark will be used on all mail sent from Monday until May 1.</p> <p>The postmark reads: "Happy 100th Birthday Captain Thomas Moore NHS fundraising hero 30th April 2020.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Today we launch a very special postmark to celebrate Captain Thomas Moore's 100th Birthday!<br /><br />The postmark will pay tribute to the work of the inspiring NHS fundraiser who has captured the hearts and minds of the nation in the midst of the ongoing crisis.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CaptainTomMoore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CaptainTomMoore</a> 👏 <a href="https://t.co/EGC9f8nfTw">pic.twitter.com/EGC9f8nfTw</a></p> — Royal Mail (@RoyalMail) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalMail/status/1254665226341023744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>The World War II veteran has touched the hearts of people worldwide, as thousands of cards continue to be sent in to celebrate his birthday.</p> <p>Captain Tom set out to complete 100 laps of his yard before his 100th birthday in order to raise much needed funds for the NHS and completed his final laps on the 17th of April surrounded by a military guard in honour of his achievements.</p> <p>His initial aim was to raise £1,000 ($NZD 2,047) but his goal was completed in around 24 hours and he extended his challenge to 200 laps after completing the challenge two weeks ahead of schedule.</p> <p>More than 1.3 million people around the world have donated an incredible £29,353,122 ($NZD 60,100,810).</p> <p>There are calls for Tom to be knighted and he was even part of a chart-topping hit and became the oldest person in the UK to reach number 1.</p> <p>“What wonderful news to receive today, a number one single and a record breaker too – my grandchildren can’t believe I am a chart-topper,” he said.</p> <p>“I have to thank Michael Ball, the NHS Voices of Care Choir and everyone behind the scenes, who shared their talents and expertise in order to raise money for the NHS, to whom we owe so much.”</p> <p>Many around the world have also sent Captain Tom cards ahead of his birthday, with more than 100,000 cards being processed and many more being expected as his birthday draws closer.</p> <p>Royal mail has adapted its sorting machines in the South Midlands Mail Centre to re-route all of his post to a dedicated collection box.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Happy birthday, <a href="https://twitter.com/captaintommoore?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@captaintommoore</a>!🎉<br /><br />The WWII veteran has received over 120,000 cards for his 100th birthday after raising over £29 million for Britain’s NHS. <a href="https://t.co/a6tXpq1iew">https://t.co/a6tXpq1iew</a> <a href="https://t.co/s0ICZiF23Y">pic.twitter.com/s0ICZiF23Y</a></p> — Cheddar🧀 (@cheddar) <a href="https://twitter.com/cheddar/status/1254857682340610048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>David Gold, director of public affairs and policy at Royal Mail says that Captain Tom’s achievements are “truly phenomenal”.</p> <p>“What Captain Thomas Moore has achieved is truly phenomenal, and this is reflected in the affection shown for him across the world.</p> <p>"As Royal Mail works to keep the country connected during these challenging times, we are honoured to issue a special postmark in celebration of his 100th birthday.</p> <p>"We continued to deliver the many tens of thousands of birthday cards from well-wishers across the UK and abroad as people look to show their gratitude for all he has achieved on a more personal level."</p>

Retirement Life

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Sick contents of Ivan Milat's final sealed letter revealed

<p>Australian serial killer Ivan Milat wrote a letter 48 hours before his death, demanding the government shell out the costs for his funeral.</p> <p>Just days before the convicted killer’s imminent death, Milat wrote a one-page letter on Thursday, addressed to his brother Bill and sister-in-law, instructing for it to remain sealed until his death.</p> <p>He died a mere 48 hours later, at the age of 74, in Long Bay jail’s hospital after being diagnosed with esophageal and stomach cancer in May.</p> <p>Milat was sentenced in 1996 to seven consecutive life sentences for murdering seven backpackers.</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/B4GbjL-h3kX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/B4GbjL-h3kX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Nicole Currie (@nikkivamps21)</a> on Oct 26, 2019 at 4:50pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Their bodies were found discarded in shallow graves, in the Belanglo State Forest in the 1990’s.</p> <p>“It's the taxpayer that put him in there (prison) so the taxpayer has to pay. Corrective Services had him all this time so Corrective Services can foot the bill,” Ivan’s brother, Bill Milat told Channel 10 on Monday.</p> <p>The backpack murderer signed off the letter with his name and a small drawing of a figure with a halo above the word innocent.</p> <p><strong>Ivan Milat’s final letter</strong></p> <p><em>Hello and may all be well with both of you and your family. Things are fairly crook with me but while I in mind and senses I would like you to know that years ago you were nominated as my next of kin contact person by CS NSW, that's Corrective Services New South Wales.</em></p> <p><em>Due to my health issues, I wish to leave you all I have. All funds, moneys held in my prison account and to possessions of all other items of property, legal and trial and appeal reviews documents held on my behalf by Corrective Services NSW. Above all I request be given to William [Address] I thank you for this.</em></p> <p><em>I realise and am aware that this letter my wishes may not be legal will and testament CS NSW Government Services and probate procedures may come into play I believe. But hope this letter may clearly show my intentions and wishes that you Bill receive my funds and legal documents.</em></p> <p><em>Keep this letter to show it to your solicitor that you may sole beneficiary. Please don't pay for my funeral services or contribute in any way. CS NSW to fund it all. A paupers burial or whatever is suitable. I have assured the commissioner of CS of NSW of my wishes.</em></p> <p><em>I am innocent of the crimes convicted of.</em></p> <p><em>Ivan Milat</em></p> <p><em>24/10/2019</em></p> <p>Bill told 10 Daily he was sorry for the young backpackers who died, but maintains his brother is innocent.</p> <p>“Awfully sorry that these people have lost their loved ones, you've got to feel for them, they're kids and kids should be entitled to roam the country wherever without being hindered or picked up of molested.</p> <p>“I just hope this doesn't happen again.”</p> <p>He says the family will not have a private funeral for Ivan, and instead he will be cremated and scattered.</p> <p>“Have a funeral and every kook in the country will be there -- if he was buried they'd desecrate the grave and make a mess of the place,” he explained.</p> <p>Correctional Services on Monday said its commissioner had not received any recent correspondence from Milat.</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/B4Gs-x0Fc8p/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/B4Gs-x0Fc8p/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Tyler Dunstan (@dunstan.tyler)</a> on Oct 26, 2019 at 7:22pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Corrective Services NSW will under no circumstances be paying for this funeral,” a spokeswoman stated.</p> <p>Boris Milat, another brother of Ivan, is the only member of the Milat family to speak out against the convicted killer,.</p> <p>“I am definitely embarrassed to be a Milat,” Boris Milat told the Nine Network.</p> <p>“To me, he died a long time ago ... he's nothing but an evil killer.”</p> <p>However, most of Ivan's family don't believe he's a serial killer.</p> <p>“They're denying that he killed anybody. They are saying that the police made it all up,” Boris Milat said.</p> <p>“I'm putting it out there on the family now, these mongrels hate my guts because I'm the one guy that speaks out ... I just want the truth out there.”</p> <p>Milat did not admit to any murders while alive, and investigators believe he is responsible for many more.</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/B4Gi73Sje7K/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/B4Gi73Sje7K/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chris Sharry (@christophersharry84)</a> on Oct 26, 2019 at 5:55pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Former detective Clive Small, who led the NSW Police investigations into the backpacker killings, believe Ivan omitted any information to keep his “power”.</p> <p>“Ivan, having information that he knew others didn't have, he saw himself as being the boss or in control of the situation,” he told 2GB radio.</p> <p>“I think he believed that once he gave that information up he no longer had the power.”</p> <p>In a bid to bring closure to his victim’s families, detectives repeatedly tried to coax a confession out of Milat in the final hours before his painful death.</p> <p>However, the convicted murderer gave nothing away.</p> <p>Police remained tight-lipped about the details of the interviews conducted and the tactics they employed, until they were laid out on Monday.</p> <p>“You could blow me eyes with a blowtorch and I still could not tell you one word about any of them missing people,” Milat said when speaking about the unsolved murders police suspect he committed.</p>

News

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Highest seal of approval: The Queen awards Duchess Kate with significant honour

<p>The Duchess of Cambridge has been bestowed with the highest honour as a gift from the Queen.</p> <p>The 37-year-old has been made a Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, which is the highest rank equivalent of a Knight, according to <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/8966354/kate-middleton-dame-grand-cross-of-the-royal-victorian-order-queen/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>.</em></p> <p>The mother-of-three received the special title on her eighth wedding anniversary to Prince William on April 29.</p> <p>Her Majesty gifted the Duchess of Cornwall the same title on the seventh anniversary of her and Prince Charles' wedding.</p> <p>Awards in the Royal Victorian Order are bestowed personally by the Queen as a recognition for their services to the Sovereign.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">The Queen has been pleased to make the following appointment to the Royal Victorian Order. <a href="https://t.co/34sJOY8WYt">https://t.co/34sJOY8WYt</a></p> — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1122904013534638080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">29 April 2019</a></blockquote> <p>It is said that the Duchess shares a special relationship with her grandmother-in-law, and this award further seals that theory as her work as a member of the royal family has been officially acknowledged.</p> <p>Kate will join the likes of the Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne, the Countess of Wessex and the Duchess of Gloucester who have also been given the title.</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/BvMcaxsFldO/" 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/BvMcaxsFldO/" target="_blank">Today The Queen, accompanied by The Duchess of Cambridge, visited King's College London to officially open Bush House, the latest education and learning facilities on the Strand Campus. The Queen and The Duchess viewed a robotics demonstration — including robotic surgery — and a demo showing how sensors made from textiles can measure useful information about the body. They also visited King’s virtual trading floor at the Entrepreneurship Institute, which supports entrepreneurial thinking, skills and experiences among Kings’ students, staff and alumni. 📷PA/Royal Communications</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/kensingtonroyal/" target="_blank"> Kensington Palace</a> (@kensingtonroyal) on Mar 19, 2019 at 8:10am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, was appointed the order in 2017 and Prince Harry was officially named Knight Commander of the order in 2015.</p> <p><em>Majesty Magazine</em> reported that the ceremony will take place this week, on Friday May 3, at Windsor Castle.</p> <p>After being bestowed with the honour, Kate will wear a blue sash at her next public appearance while also having the letters GCVO after her name.</p>

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Seal of approval: The Queen invites Meghan to attend royal event – without Prince Harry

<p>The Duchess of Sussex is set to complete her first royal engagement without her husband Prince Harry, but she will instead be at the right-hand side of a different royal companion – the Queen.</p> <p>The royal pair are departing for Cheshire today and they will travel on the luxury Royal Train overnight, reported <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/6522302/meghan-markle-sleepover-royal-train-queen/" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Sun</span></strong></em></a>.</p> <p>The luxury Royal Train has nine carriages and Meghan will sleep in one of the ensuite bedrooms and dine with the Queen in her 12-seater dining room.</p> <p>The trip is a huge honour for Meghan and reportedly even Prince Harry, Prince William and Kate have not yet ridden on board the Royal Train.</p> <p>Generally, a train ride from London to Cheshire only takes around two hours, however, the Queen’s train moves at a much slower pace</p> <p>The Queen opts to take the Royal Train to official engagements when she wants to make the long-distance journey overnight, rather than waking up early in the morning.</p> <p>Meghan’s day with the Queen will consist of watching her officially open the Mersey Gateway Bridge in Widnes and the Storyhouse cultural centre in Chester.</p> <p>The pair will then watch a performance by a dance company called Fallen Angels, which exists for recovering addicts.</p> <p>The royals will then enjoy a medley of songs from the Storyhouse’s latest production A Little Night Music and then, watch local schoolkids perform songs with actors from Swallows and Amazons.</p> <p>Meghan’s bonding with Her Royal Majesty will be concluded with a lunch outing to Chester Town Hall.</p> <p>Described as “Buckingham Palace on wheels”, the Royal Train was launched in 1842 during Queen Victoria’s reign as she disliked travelling by coach.</p> <p>The royal family use the train for extended holidays around the country and it is fitted with a full kitchen staff who cook meals to the standard of the royal palaces.</p> <p>The Queen’s private quarters are 75ft long and is decorated with a plush carpet, paintings of Scottish landscapes and air suspension to avoid a rocky ride.</p> <p>There is a roster of 150 special drivers who are allowed to take control of the Royal Train.</p>

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Juror reveals the words that sealed Bill Cosby's fate

<p>One of the jurors who <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2018/04/bill-cosbys-outburst-in-court-after-guilty-verdict/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>found Bill Cosby guilty of sexual assault</strong></span></a> during a retrial has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to explain how the comedian’s own words sealed his fate.</p> <p><a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>News.com.au reports</strong></em></span></a>Harrison Snyder conceded in his interview that the trial, “wasn’t an open and shut case”, and the jury was greatly influenced by what happened in court.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNYDNVideo%2Fvideos%2F448843655567000%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p> <p>The 22-year-old says it was ultimately Cosby’s deposition, in which he confessed to giving women drugs to have sex with them, was the evidence needed to let him know he was guilty.</p> <p>“I think it was his deposition, really. Mr Cosby admitted to giving these Quaaludes to women, young women, in order to have sex with them,” Snyder said on Monday.</p> <p>The deposition was part of a civil case brought by accusers Andrea Constand and Snyder said he had no doubt the jury landed on the right decision of convicting the 80-year-old.</p> <p>Cosby has maintained his innocence and his lawyers have vowed to appeal.</p> <p>The jurors presiding over Cosby’s case released a statement about their decision.</p> <p>“After thoughtful and meticulous consideration of the information and evidence provided to us, we came to our unanimous verdict,” the jury said in the statement.</p> <p>“Not once were race or the #MeToo movement ever discussed, nor did either factor into our decision, as implied in various media outlets.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p>

Legal

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The call that sealed the fate of Titanic victims

<p>On the night the <em>Titanic </em>sank, there was one fateful call that sealed the fate of the victims.</p> <p>Just after midnight on April 15, 1912, two boats received distress calls that the “unsinkable” ship was sinking.</p> <p>The nearest boat to the <em>Titanic</em>, the<em> Californian</em>, was less than 20km from the disaster, yet when Captain Stanley Lord received the news, he decided not to act.</p> <p>Surrounded by icebergs, he didn’t move his ship, didn’t contact the <em>Titanic</em> and didn’t wake up his wireless operators.</p> <p>“The hazard to himself and his command was too great to risk responding,” Titanic researcher Daniel Allen Butler told <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/true-stories/his-blood-ran-cold-call-that-sealed-fate-of-titanic-victims/news-story/9e292cc59fb35c3767370b8da6648f8e" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">news.com.au</span></strong></a>. “The <em>Californian</em> did nothing.”</p> <p>Captain Lord later argued that he did not realise the rockets were a distress signal and was further away from the ship than 20km, however, a British inquiry found that if the Captain had decided to push through, the <em>Californian</em> “might have saved many, if not all, of the lives that were lost”.</p> <p>“Such conduct, whether arising from indifference or gross carelessness, is most reprehensible, and places upon the commander of the <em>Californian</em> a grave responsibility,” a US senate inquiry decided.</p> <p>While Captain Stanley decided to ignore the strange activity, another captain who was more than 100km away, decided to act immediately and his heroism led to the rescue of 705 people.</p> <p>The<em> Carpathia</em>’s wireless operator, Harold Cottam, had sent a message to his counterpart on the <em>Titanic</em> to let him know there were messages from shore for his passengers.</p> <p>The response “literally made Cottam’s blood run cold” Butler said.</p> <p>The response he received was a distress call with the <em>Titanic’</em>s call letters followed by coordinates.</p> <p>The operator ran to Captain Arthur Rostron’s cabin, ignoring protocol and said, “The <em>Titanic</em> has sent out a distress call, she needs our assistance immediately.”</p> <p>The Captain immediately directed his first officer, “Mr Dean, turn this ship around. I’ll work out the course for you in a moment. Now, Cottam, are you sure it’s the <em>Titanic</em> and are you sure she needs our assistance?”</p> <p>As the ship turned around to assist the<em> Titanic</em>, officers were instructed to make room for up to 2000 people, moving passengers into new cabins and transforming pump rooms into temporary dormitories.</p> <p>The rescue mission was dangerous and the captain later said that he believed “some other hand than mine was on the helm that night”.</p> <p>The ship arrived at 4am, nearly an hour-and-a-half after the <em>Titanic </em>sank.</p> <p>When they arrived and didn’t see the ship, they realised the only survivors were in lifeboats.</p> <p>For the next four hours, the ship rushed back and forth collecting boats.</p> <p>Most of the survivors were hauled up into the ship because they didn’t have the strength to climb the ropes.</p> <p>Captain Rostron counted the 705 survivors his ship had collected and decided to return to New York.</p> <p>At daybreak, the <em>Californian</em> arrived at the scene of the <em>Titanic’</em>s historic tragedy.</p> <p>“By the time the captain of the <em>Californian</em> had decided to act and arrived on the scene, passengers would have been dying of hypothermia,” Butler said. “Most, if not all, would have died.</p> <p>“He would have been collecting boats full of corpses.”</p>

Travel Trouble

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Elvis the seal finally released back to the wild

<p>Elvis the seal is only 18 months old, but he’s already had quite an eventful life.</p> <p>After heavy storms lashed Sydney’s north in June, this long-nosed fur seal was found malnourished and exhausted on South Curl Curl beach in Sydney’s north.</p> <p>Elvis was found and quickly taken to Taronga Wildlife Hospital and nursed back to health. Quite the charmer (like his famous namesake), Elvis earned his moniker for the manner in which he shuffled around the soft matting flooring in the hospital ward.</p> <p>Before too long Elvis was health again and ready to be released.</p> <p>Taronga’s Senior Veterinarian, Larry Vogelnest said, “He was initially a bit hesitant to get in the water, but eventually he dived in and started swimming strongly.”  </p> <p>To see Elvis’ recovery, watch the video above. Have you ever been to Taronga Zoo? What was your favourite attraction when you were there?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments.</p> <p><em>Video credit: YouTube / Taronga Sydney</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2016/07/seals-put-on-show-at-sydney-opera-house/"><em><strong>Seals put on show at Sydney Opera House</strong></em></a></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/03/penguin-5000-miles-reunite-71-year-old-man/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Penguin swims 5,000 miles every year to reunite with 71-year-old man</em></strong></a></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2016/03/sammy-the-seal-crosses-road-for-fish/"><span><strong><em>Seal crosses road to visit favourite restaurant</em></strong></span></a></span></p>

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Seals put on show at Sydney Opera House

<p>Two seals have enjoyed a week in the sun on the steps of the iconic Sydney Opera House.</p> <p>Visitors have rushed to catch a glimpse (as well as photographic evidence) of the two New Zealand fur seals. The smaller of the seals even treated onlookers to a show when he played in the water.</p> <p>It has been confirmed the seals are not mother and pup.</p> <p>Lawrence Orel from the National Parks and Wildlife service says the seals are healthy and what they’re doing is normal behaviour.</p> <p>"It is a great opportunity for Sydneysiders to see the seals relatively close in one of the most spectacular harbours in the world," Mr Orel said.</p> <p>He added that people should keep a distance to the seals.</p> <p>It’s not the first time seals have visited the stairs of the Opera House to sunbake. In 2014, a sleepy fur seal was spotted on the steps of the iconic landmark. It’s unclear if this pair of seals has ever visited before, but they’re welcome back any time.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the adorable mammals up close. </p> <p>Have you seen the seals on the steps of Sydney Opera House? Share your pictures with us in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/05/things-you-did-not-know-could-poison-your-pet/"><em>8 things you didn't know could poison your pet</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2014/09/9-foods-you-should-never-feed-your-pet/"><em>9 foods you should NEVER feed your pet</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/06/what-different-cat-meows-mean/"><em>Understanding your cat’s meow</em></a></strong></span></p>

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Seal crosses road to visit favourite restaurant

<p>Not every seal is lucky enough to live near a seafood restaurant. But this seal in Howth Harbour in Dublin, Ireland has a pretty good situation going.</p> <p>Nicknamed Sammy, this seal pops his head out and crosses a two-lane street with the hopes of getting free fish from The Lighthouse Seafood Restaurant and most of the time he’s successful.</p> <p>Our favourite moment is when he looks both ways before crossing the road.</p> <p>Locals are aware of Sammy, and always slow down when they’re driving down that section of road.</p> <p>We’re sure Sammy gives this restaurant his seal of approval. </p> <p><em>Video credit: YouTube / Charlie G Vinall</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/03/last-official-interview-with-jon-english/">Watch the last interview Jon English gave</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2016/03/penguin-5000-miles-reunite-71-year-old-man/">Penguin swims 5,000 miles every year to reunite with 71-year-old man</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><a href="/news/news/2016/03/85-year-old-man-finds-lost-wallet-71-years-later/"><strong>85-year-old man finds lost wallet, 71 years later</strong></a></em></span></p>

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80-year-old hasn’t watered this sealed bottle garden since 1972

<p>In an experiment almost 60 years in the making, David Latimer has created the ultimate proof for the viability of gardens in a bottle.</p> <p><img width="265" height="269" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/sealed-bottle-garden-david-latimer-1.jpg" alt="sealed-bottle-garden-david-latimer-1" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-29745" style="float: left;"/></p> <p>80-year-old Latimer planted the garden on Easter Sunday in 1960 “out of idle curiosity” by adding compost and water to a glass carboy before inserting a spiderwort sprout using wires.</p> <p>“At the time the chemical industry had changed to transporting things in plastic bottles so there were a lot of glass ones on the market,” he said.</p> <p>“Bottle gardens were a bit of a craze and I wanted to see what happened if you bunged the thing up.”</p> <p> </p> <p>He then forgot about the garden for 12 years when in 1972 he broke the seal to add a bit of water. With that one exception, Latimer’s garden has remained completely sealed from the outside world for the last four decades years.</p> <p>“It’s 6 foot from a window so gets a bit of sunlight. It grows towards the light so it gets turned round every so often so it grows evenly,” Latimer says.</p> <p>“Otherwise, it’s the definition of low-maintenance. I’ve never pruned it, it just seems to have grown to the limits of the bottle.” </p> <p><img width="422" height="280" src="http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/sealed-bottle-garden-david-latimer-3.jpg" alt="sealed-bottle-garden-david-latimer-3" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-29747" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/01/how-to-sharpen-knife-with-mug/">Genius trick to sharpen knives without sharpener</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/01/natural-ways-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches/">8 natural ways to get rid of cockroaches</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/home-garden/2016/01/ways-to-loosen-a-stuck-jar-lid/">The best ways to open a stuck jar lid</a></em></strong></span></p>

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