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Breaking the silence on prostate cancer: man’s family legacy highlights importance of early detection

<p>James Murray, 55, an architect from Melbourne, always knew he was living with a genetic "time bomb." A fifth-generation prostate cancer sufferer, his family’s battle with the disease spans over 170 years. From his great-great-grandfather, who chronicled his symptoms in 1847, to his uncles and father who also faced the disease, prostate cancer has been a grim constant in his family.</p> <p>“My family has what's been called a ‘spectacular history’ with prostate cancer,” James reflects. “But that’s not the kind of thing you want to hear. My great-great-grandfather had it, though they couldn’t test for it back then. My grandfather died from it, my father got it, and both of his brothers had it as well. It’s been a constant in our family for generations.”</p> <p>James' great-great-grandfather, Robert William Felton Lathrop Murray, a soldier and the founder of the <em>Hobart Town Gazette</em>, documented his battle with the disease long before modern medicine could provide a diagnosis. Since then, generation after generation of Murrays has grappled with the same fate. </p> <p>For James, however, early detection was key. Diagnosed in February 2022, he underwent surgery just a few months later in May, removing what doctors described as an aggressive form of the disease. But his story, unlike his ancestors, had a different ending.</p> <p>“In a way, we’ve been cursed by prostate cancer," explains James. "But it’s also been a blessing because it made us all hyper-aware of the importance of early detection. My dad was incredibly diligent, and that saved his life. He made sure I was on top of my PSA testing from my mid-40s, and that’s how we caught it early for me.” </p> <p>Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) testing and early detection are now recognised as crucial, particularly for men with a family history of prostate cancer. Yet, dangerous myths surrounding prostate cancer testing continue to cost lives, warns Associate Professor Weranja Ranasinghe, Deputy Leader of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand’s (USANZ) GU-Oncology Special Advisory Group.</p> <p>“Many men believe that they need to have urinary symptoms to be concerned about prostate cancer,” explains Ranasinghe. “The reality is that most prostate cancers develop without any symptoms at all. Urinary symptoms are not reliable – most of these symptoms are caused by non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate but advanced cancer can also give you urinary symptoms. So it is important to get checked.”</p> <p>An even greater barrier, however, is the outdated belief that prostate cancer screening requires an invasive rectal exam. Ranasinghe stresses that this is no longer the case: “A simple PSA blood test, combined with advanced imaging like MRI, is now the standard approach. Many men are avoiding tests due to this outdated fear, but in the GP setting, a rectal exam is currently not required for detecting prostate cancer."</p> <p>With over 26,000 Australian men expected to be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year, the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) is raising awareness during Prostate Cancer Awareness Month about the importance of early testing and debunking these misconceptions.</p> <p>Ranasinghe also points out that men with a strong family history should be particularly vigilant. “Men with female relatives who have had breast or ovarian cancer are also at an increased risk of prostate cancer due to the same genetic mutations. So we recommend that men with a strong family history get a PSA test at the age of 40, which is earlier than the recommended age.”</p> <p>For James Murray, the decision to undergo surgery quickly after his diagnosis proved life-saving. “When my PSA levels started rising in February 2022, I wasn’t shocked," he recalls. "I had always known this day would come. It wasn’t something I feared, but more something I was prepared for. I told myself, ‘Okay, it’s here, let’s deal with it,’ and I just focused on getting through the surgery as quickly as possible.”</p> <p>James feels fortunate compared to his uncles, whose diagnoses came much later in life, leading to more severe outcomes. His surgery went well, and he's had a quick recovery, returning to work and feeling grateful that they caught it early. That's why James is advocating for early PSA testing, particularly for men with a family history of prostate cancer. He plans to ensure his 19-year-old son is aware of the need for testing in the future.</p> <p>"We often see men wait until a friend or relative is diagnosed before thinking about getting a prostate cancer PSA test done," says Ranasinghe. "This reactive approach is dangerous. Men need to be proactive and take ownership of their prostate health and talk to their GPs about this, just like they would with cholesterol or other routine health checks."</p> <p>As prostate cancer awareness grows, James hopes his story will encourage others to get tested. It’s something no one wants to face, but the sooner you catch it, the better chance you have.</p> <p>For more information on prostate cancer screening and to find a urologist, visit the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ) at <a href="https://www.usanz.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.usanz.org.au</a>.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Caring

My Kitchen Rules star dies at just 46

<p><em>My Kitchen Rules New Zealand </em>contestant Michael Murray has passed away at just 46. </p> <p>An extended family member, who asked not to be named, has confirmed his death on Monday afternoon. </p> <p>“It’s a shock to all those who know him,” the relative told <em>Daily Mail Australia</em>. </p> <p>No cause of death has yet been released. </p> <p>Murray, of Ngāti Maniapoto heritage, competed in the 2024 season of the popular cooking show with his cousin Piki Knap. </p> <p>According to their biography for the series, the pair grew up together in Te Kūiti, south of Auckland, and developed their love of cooking from entertaining family guests.</p> <p>Murray was a huge Jamie Oliver fan, and was comfortable in front of the camera, after spending 12 years in Mexico where he worked on telenovela soap operas and did small stints on other shows. </p> <p>He returned to New Zealand after the pandemic. </p> <p>“My background is modelling and acting,” he told <em>The New Zealand Herald</em>.</p> <p>“I was Mr New Zealand back in 2005, and that’s what took me overseas and eventually to Mexico. Obviously, I’m not Mexican, but they thought I was Latino! </p> <p>"I did some great work there, then to come home and be a part of this whole journey with MKR is a blessing in disguise. I’ve always put my hand up to opportunity.”</p> <p>Murray's family are now dealing with the devastation of losing another loved one after Murray's aunt passed away from terminal cancer a few months after the duo started filming for MKR. </p> <p><em>Images: My Kitchen Rules NZ</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

"It’s a nightmare": Star golfer's cause of death revealed

<p>Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray has died at the age of 30. </p> <p>Golf officials announced his death on Sunday morning, with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan releasing a statement. </p> <p>“We were devastated to learn — and are heartbroken to share — that PGA Tour player Grayson Murray passed away this morning,” Monahan said. </p> <p>“I am at a loss for words. The PGA Tour is a family, and when you lose a member of your family, you are never the same"</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Murray's parents later confirmed that their son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from the second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge - a PGA Tour event - due to illness. </span></p> <p>“We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone,” his parents, Eric and Terry Murray said in a statement.</p> <p>“It’s surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It’s a nightmare.”</p> <p>"We have so many questions that have no answers. But one. Was Grayson loved? The answer is yes. By us, his brother Cameron, his sister Erica, all of his extended family, by his friends, by his fellow players and — it seems — by many of you who are reading this. He was loved and he will be missed.</p> <p>“Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now.”</p> <p>They have also asked for privacy and for people to honour Murray by being kind to one another. </p> <p>Murray has previously been open about his battle with depression and alcoholism, according to <em>The NY Post</em>. </p> <p>He talked about turning the corner in his life and being eight months sober, after winning the Sony Open in Honolulu in January. </p> <p>“It's not easy,” Murray said immediately after winning. "I wanted to give up a lot of times. Give up on myself. Give up on the game of golf. Give up on life, at times.”</p> <p>Murray tied for 43rd last week in the PGA Championship, which earned him a spot in the US Open next month at Pinehurst No.2 in North Carolina.</p> <p>The PGA Tour commissioner said he spoke with Murray's parents about halting play, but they insisted the golf tournament to continue. </p> <p>“We mourn Grayson and pray for comfort for his loved ones. I reached out to Grayson’s parents to offer our deepest condolences, and during that conversation, they asked that we continue with tournament play. They were adamant that Grayson would want us to do so," he said. </p> <p>Monahan flew to Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday to be with players, and many of them wore black-and-red pins on their caps - the colours of the Carolina Hurricanes, Grayson's favourite NHL team - to honour the golfer. </p> <p><em>Image: Daniel Lea/Csm/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Caring

Sophia Loren rushed to hospital

<p>Hollywood Icon Sophia Loren, aged 89, has been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery following a fall at her residence in Switzerland.</p> <p>The revered Italian actress sustained multiple fractures, including a severe fracture of her femur, as disclosed by a source to <em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>.</p> <p>The source elaborated that Loren had an unfortunate accident in her bathroom, necessitating an extensive period of rehabilitation. Nevertheless, her family holds "cautious optimism" regarding her eventual recovery.</p> <p>Reliable sources have informed us that Loren's sons, Carlo and Edoardo, have been faithfully at her side during her hospitalisation.</p> <p>The shocking news of Loren's fall and her subsequent hospitalisation were also shared by a restaurant named after her, <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">disrupting plans for the grand opening of the restaurant in the Italian city of Bari, scheduled for September 26.</span></p> <p>Additionally, the event was intended to honour Loren with honorary citizenship in the city. However, all preparations for these festivities have been abruptly canceled.</p> <p>The restaurant conveyed its support for Loren's journey to recovery through a social media post, assuring everyone that she is on a "road to rehabilitation".</p> <p>The post offered solace by stating, "Thankfully everything worked out for the best, and the Lady will be back with us very soon."</p> <p>The entire post from the restaurant, translated from Italian, reads:</p> <p>"Today, a fall at her home in Geneva caused Mrs. Loren to suffer hip fractures. Having undergone a successful operation, she will now have to undergo a short period of convalescence followed by a rehabilitation process. Fortunately everything went well and the Lady will be back with us very soon.</p> <p>The entire Sophia Loren Restaurant team takes this opportunity to wish her a speedy recovery."</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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cxlhjd-r4bI/?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/p/Cxlhjd-r4bI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sophia Loren Restaurant (@sophialorenrestaurant)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Prior to this unfortunate incident, Loren's most recent public appearance occurred at the Venice Film Festival on September 2.</p> <p>With a remarkable career spanning over six decades, her latest film credit came in 2020 with a Netflix production titled <em>The Life Ahead</em>.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

"Embarrassed": Andy Murray's hilarious daughter revelation

<p>It seems that while the world showers him with praise at Wimbledon, UK tennis great Andy Murray's own flesh and blood knows just how to bring him back down to earth.</p> <p>In a pre-Wimbledon press conference, the former champ shared a delightful tale about his seven-year-old daughter, Sophia. Brace yourself for cuteness overload.</p> <p>“My eldest daughter is aware, now, of what I do, but I don’t think she really sees it as a good thing,” he said, according to talkSPORT.</p> <p>“I think she gets more embarrassed by it, to be honest. We went to pick her up from school on Friday, and she will never properly acknowledge me at the school gates or around the other kids at school."</p> <p>Naturally, Andy was baffled by little Sophia's reaction and demanded an explanation later that evening.</p> <p>“I asked her that night, ‘Why wouldn't you give me a hug at school today?’ She said, ‘Because people know you. You’re number 39 in tennis or something!’</p> <p>“She doesn’t see it as a cool thing. It is more embarrassing.”</p> <p>It seems little Sophia doesn't see her dad's tennis prowess as cool or impressive. Quite the opposite. She finds it utterly cringeworthy.</p> <p>To add to the hilarity, Sophia has adopted a rather unconventional approach when referring to her dad in front of her friends. Instead of a simple "dad," she nonchalantly drops the name "Andy Murray" like it's the punchline of a joke.</p> <p>Moving on to more serious matters, Murray faced a monumental challenge in his second-round match against Greek sensation Stefanos Tsitsipas (at least, at the time of writing, it was still going, with the match suspended due to curfew). </p> <p>But let's not forget Murray's triumphant first-round victory over fellow Brit Ryan Peniston. In a display of dominance, he dispatched his compatriot in straight sets, all while being observed by the illustrious Princess of Wales and the legendary Roger Federer from the Royal Box.</p> <p>With his daughter keeping him grounded and his tennis skills on display, Murray is surely experiencing quite the rollercoaster at Wimbledon. Who knows what other humorous anecdotes will come to light during his epic journey? One thing's for certain: Sophia won't let him forget how "embarrassing" he can be, even as a global tennis star.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / Resurfacing </em></p>

Family & Pets

“Where’s Andy Murray?” Famous family fires up over Wimbledon faux pas

<p>The family of Andy Murray are up in arms after the tennis champion was left out of a promotional artwork ahead of the annual Wimbledon competition. </p> <p>On Tuesday, the All England Club unveiled the promotional image to their social media accounts, which shows 15 past tennis champions, past and present, walking down the stairs of the main building at Wimbledon. </p> <p>At the forefront of the image are members of the “next generation of headline acts” Spaniard world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner, surrounded by sporting legends such as Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and the Williams sisters Serena and Venus.</p> <p>Despite the image being filled with famous tennis faces, there is no image of Andy Murray, a two-time Wimbledon champion, whose famous victory in July 2013 ended 77 years of waiting for a homegrown British male singles winner.</p> <p>Andy's family and fans reacted with outrage that Murray, who was officially knighted in May 2019, was left out of the composition.</p> <p>Murray’s uncle Niall Erskine tweeted, “Appalling at every level, all about the men in the forefront and your own British history-maker nowhere to be seen. You should be ashamed of yourselves.”</p> <p>Elder brother Jamie – who has won two Wimbledon mixed doubles titles – asked, “Where’s Andy Murray?”</p> <p>LA-based freelance illustrator Grant Gruenhaupt responded to the criticism by saying, “Worry not Jamie, there are more paintings on the way.”</p> <p>He added, “Back with Wimbledon on another fun series celebrating historic moments and players!"</p> <p>“This one featuring the greatest rivalries of the past and present as they make the historic walk through the clubhouse and onto Centre Court."</p> <p>“A lot of nuance in this one. Definitely one of the more challenging scenes I’ve had to tackle.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: All England Club / Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

Benedict Cumberbatch fearing for his life after terrifying home invasion

<p>Benedict Cumberbatch and his family have reportedly been left fearing for their lives as a knife-wielding man broke into the star’s North London home and threatened him.</p> <p>The <em>Daily Mail </em>reported that 35-year-old Jack Bissell, who previously worked as a chef at the Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, kicked his way through the front gate of the Marvel star’s multimillion-dollar property, allegedly shouting, “I know you’ve moved here. I hope it burns down.”</p> <p>Cumberbatch, 46, his wife, Sophia Hunter, 45, and their three children were reportedly in the home at the time of the break-in and could hear the intruder screaming outside, according to <em>Page Six</em>.</p> <p>Bissell also allegedly took one of the family’s plants and threw it at the garden wall, and ripped the intercom off the building after spitting on it.</p> <p>The intruder reportedly fled the scene before police arrived but, authorities were able to track him down due to DNA evidence he left on the intercom.</p> <p>Bissell was reportedly arrested, fined and slapped with a three-year restraining order from the Cumberbatch family.</p> <p>A source told the outlet, “Naturally all of the family were absolutely terrified and thought this guy was going to get in and hurt them.</p> <p>“Luckily it never went that far. Benedict and Sophie have had many sleepless nights since, worrying that they may be targeted again,” the insider said.</p> <p>“The fact that it was a targeted intrusion makes it a lot more scary.”</p> <p>During the trial, prosecutors said Bissell allegedly told a nearby shopkeeper that he had planned to break into the actor’s home and burn it down.</p> <p>Bissell pleaded guilty and was sentenced on May 10. However, details surrounding the date of the incident have not been disclosed.</p> <p>According to the Daily Mail, facts of the case could not be reported until they “successfully challenged blanket reporting restrictions this week”.</p> <p>No clear connection between Bissell and Cumberbatch has been established.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Instagram</em></p>

News

Influencer divides internet with Steve Irwin stingray costume

<p> An Aussie influencer has issued an apology after posting a video of her dressed up as the stingray that killed Steve Irwin for an Australian-themed costume party.</p> <p>Sophia Begg, 19, divided the internet with her choice of costume, and has since deleted her TikTok that pictured her in the outfit she was wearing for “an Aussie dress-up party in a duo costume”.</p> <p>“They’re going as Steve Irwin and I’m going as a stingray,” she noted in the comment section, after one viewer wrote, “Steve Erwin (sic) could never.”</p> <p>The late and beloved "Crocodile Hunter" was killed on September 4, 2006, when he was pierced in the chest by a stingray barb at Queensland’s Batt Reef.</p> <p>After saying that she loved Irwin and “would never want to offend his family/loved ones”, Begg apologised in a short text video on TikTok.</p> <p>“Hi guys, I just wanted to jump on here to clear up some things,” she wrote.</p> <p>“I love Steve Irwin and would never want to cause disrespect to his family or legacy. He is an iconic aussie and no offence was meant by my costume.</p> <p>“I have thought about and reflected on my costume, and I will not be wearing it, and apologise wholeheartedly to anyone who was offended by it, that was definitely not my intention.</p> <p>“I apologise sincerely.”</p> <p>Followers were divided about whether the 19-year-old’s costume was “fine and funny” or “disrespectful and offensive” to Irwin’s family.</p> <p>“Oh lighten up. It’s been 20 years,” one commented.</p> <p>“Not the people getting offended over a stingray,” a second added.</p> <p>Another TikTok user said, “I think it’s funny and I loved Steve Irwin. Life’s too short to take seriously.”</p> <p>“I feel like Steve would have laughed at this,” someone else added.</p> <p>People in the comments noted that it would’ve been far less “disrespectful” had she “dressed as a crocodile”.</p> <p>Her post sparked more debate after appearing on an influencer watchdog account @influencer.updates.au, “Disrespectful. She could have gone as a crocodile. This is just in poor taste,” one woman said.</p> <p>“There’s dark humour and then there’s mocking how an Aussie icon died, leaving his wife and kids behind.”</p> <p>“I’d just ask myself one question. Would I wear this in front of [Irwin’s kids] Bindi and Robert? No. That’s a huge no,” one person added.</p> <p>One follower pointed out it was unlikely that Begg had “any ill intent… she should have chosen another costume”.</p> <p>“I think it’s just in really bad taste. I think Steve Irwin would have been a bit before her time but for a lot of us ‘older’ Australians, he was an absolute icon and I think it would be upsetting for his wife and children.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

News

“How is that normal?”: Andy Murray speaks out on Texas school shooting

<p dir="ltr">Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray has said he “can’t understand” how nothing has changed in the US following the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, with one survivor’s account being similar to his own experience 26 years ago.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooting, which saw an 18-year-old gunman <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/victims-of-the-texas-primary-school-shooting-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">storm an elementary school and kill 19 children and two teachers</a>, came just 10 days after 10 people died in a shooting in Buffalo, New York and has reignited the national debate over US gun control.</p> <p dir="ltr">The British tennis star, who survived the 1996 Dunblane massacre in Scotland, said the recent shooting made him “angry”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-c9af191b-7fff-159f-2c35-4403afa12e00">“It’s incredibly upsetting and it makes you angry. I think there’s been over 200 mass shootings in America this year and nothing changes. I can’t understand that,” Murray, per the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-31/murray-angry-over-texas-shooting/101115202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/andy-murray-child.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Andy Murray, who grew up in the Scottish town of Dunblane, was at school when a gunman entered and killed 17 people in 1996. Image: @andymurray (Instagram)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">“My feeling is that surely at some stage you do something different. You can’t keep approaching the problem by buying more guns and having more guns in the country. I don’t see how that solves it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I could be wrong. Let’s maybe try something different and see if you get a different outcome.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Murray grew up in Dunblane and was hiding down the hall when a gunman killed 16 pupils and a teacher before killing himself at Dunblane Primary School, in an incident which is the deadliest mass shooting in modern British history. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I heard something on the radio the other day and it was a child from that school,” he told the BBC.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I experienced a similar thing when I was at Dunblane, a teacher coming out and waving all of the children under tables and telling them to go and hide.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And it was a kid [in Uvalde] telling exactly the same story about how she survived it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They were saying that they go through these drills, as young children… How? How is that normal that children should be having to go through drills, in case someone comes into a school with a gun?”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fec07e37-7fff-3e13-2aa9-b59b7bf3da31"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @andymurray (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

Huge reward to solve baby's mystery death

<p>NSW Police have offered a massive $250,000 reward for information that solves what happened to toddler Jayleigh Murray. </p> <p>The 11-month-old girl was found unresponsive in her home in Dubbo on June 6th 2019 and was treated at the scene before being flown to Westmead Children's Hospital. </p> <p>Tragically, Jayleigh died six days later. </p> <p>A post-mortem examination revealed that Jayleigh had suffered from non-accidental head trauma and other suspicious injuries before her death.</p> <p>Despite extensive investigation efforts, no arrests have been made in relation to Jayleigh's death.</p> <p>Police are now appealing to the local community to come forward with any information that could lead them to solve what happened to young Jayleigh. </p> <p>Child abuse and sex crimes squad commander Detective Superintendent Jayne Doherty said she hoped the hefty financial reward would prompt people to share any information they may have.</p> <p>“Family and friends have told us that Jayleigh had a vibrant smile and an infectious laugh … we cannot imagine what would lead someone to hurt such a beautiful, helpless little girl,” she said.</p> <p>“We need people in the Dubbo community to come forward and tell Jayleigh’s story for her to help us give meaning to her short life."</p> <p>“Investigators believe there are people living in the community who hold the key to unlocking Jayleigh’s story. We need those people to be courageous and come forward with that information in tribute to a life ended so tragically early."</p> <p>“If we can’t stand up for our children, to defend and protect them, what do we stand for?”</p> <p><em>Image credits: NSW Police</em></p>

Legal

Andy Murray finds stolen wedding ring after issuing plea on social media

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tennis legend Andy Murray took to Instagram on Thursday to issue an unusual plea: help finding his missing wedding ring. According to the video, Murray had left his tennis shoes outside to air them out, and naturally, his wedding ring was tied to his shoes as he can’t wear it when he’s playing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Last night after dinner here in Indian Wells, I got back in the car to go back to the hotel and the car didn’t smell great,” he said. “I’d left my tennis shoes in there. It’s been like 38-39 degrees so the shoes are damp, sweaty and smelly.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I decided when I got back to the hotel that the shoes needed some air, I needed to dry them out a little bit. I have no balcony in my room and didn’t want to leave them in my room because it would stink the room out. “So I thought I’m going to leave the shoes underneath the car to get some air to them and dry them out overnight.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUt3I1jMnCS/?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> <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/CUt3I1jMnCS/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfortunately, when he got back to the car, the shoes were gone. “I had to go to a local pro shop to buy different shoes to what I normally wear — different brand and everything — which isn’t the end of the world but obviously not ideal.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It wasn’t until later, when his physio pointed out his wedding ring was missing, that Murray realised something far more valuable had been lost. “Needless to say I’m in the bad books at home so I want to try and find it,” he said. “If anyone can share this or may have any clue where it may be, it would be very helpful so I can try get it back.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fortunately, the saga has a happy ending. Murray posted an update on Thursday afternoon, letting his followers know that the shoes and the ring had been found. He thanked his fans for sharing the story, and explained that after making a few calls and chatting to hotel security, the incredibly smelly shoes and the ring were both returned to him.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUvmTIzoVM7/?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> <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/CUvmTIzoVM7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They still absolutely stink, but the shoes are back, the wedding ring is back, and I’m back in the good books. Let’s go!”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Murray is in California for the Indian Wells tournament, with Murray set to play France’s Adrian Mannarino in his first round match on Saturday.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Andy Murray/Instagram</span></em></p>

Relationships

Aus Open panic as Andy Murray tests positive to COVID

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Tennis legend Andy Murray has tested positive for coronavirus before his flight to Melbourne to compete in the Australian Open, leaving his attendance to the tournament in jeopardy.</p> <p>Murray is currently isolating at home and is still hopeful of travelling to Australia when it is safe and is possible.</p> <p>He is said to be in good health and is hoping to still take part in the tournament which begins on the 8th of February.</p> <p>Tournament organisers have spent several months coming up with an arrangement that was acceptable to local and national government agencies regarding the admission of more than 1,000 tennis players and associated personnel to Australia.</p> <p>The new rules for players are they are set to arrive in Australia soon, complete a two week period of quarantine and be cleared of coronavirus before competing in the tournament.</p> <p>A statement from the Australian Open didn't provide any answers as to whether Murray would be playing.</p> <p>"Andy Murray has advised that he has tested positive to COVID-19 and is isolating at home in the UK.</p> <p>"Unfortunately this means he will be unable to join the official AO charter flights arriving in Australia in the coming days to go through the quarantine period with the other players.</p> <p>"The AO fans love Andy, and we know how much he loves competing here in Melbourne and how hard he'd worked for this opportunity."</p> </div> </div> </div>

News

Don’t count your fish before they hatch: experts react to plans to release 2 million fish into the Murray Darling

<p>The New South Wales government <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/two-million-fish-to-be-released-into-murray-darling-system-20200608-p550gu.html">plans to release</a> two million native fish into rivers of the Murray-Darling Basin, in the largest breeding program of its kind in the state. But as the river system recovers from a string of mass fish deaths, caution is needed.</p> <p>Having suitable <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/aquaculture/publications/species-freshwater/collecting-finfish-broodstock">breeding fish</a> does not always guarantee millions of healthy offspring for restocking. And even if millions of young fish are released into the wild, increased fish populations in the long term are not assured.</p> <p>For stocking to be successful, fish must be released into <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/Strategies-to-improve-post-release-survival-of-hatchery-reared-threatened-fish-species_0.pdf">good quality water, with suitable habitat and lots of food</a>. But these conditions have been quite rare in Murray Darling rivers over the past three years.</p> <p>We research the impact of human activity on fish and aquatic systems and have studied many Australian fish restocking programs. So let’s take a closer look at the NSW government’s plans.</p> <p><strong>Success stories</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/two-million-fish-to-be-released-into-murray-darling-system-20200608-p550gu.html">According to</a> the Sydney Morning Herald, the NSW restocking program involves releasing juvenile Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch into the Darling River downstream of Brewarrina, in northwestern NSW.</p> <p>Other areas including the Lachlan, Murrumbidgee, Macquarie and Murray Rivers will reportedly also be restocked. These species and regions were among the hardest hit by recent fish kills.</p> <p>Fish restocking is <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233194500_Stocking_Trends_A_Quantitative_Review_of_Governmental_Fish_Stocking_in_the_United_States_1931_to_2004">used worldwide</a> to boost species after events such as fish kills, help threatened species recover, and increase populations of recreational fishing species.</p> <p>Since the 1970s in the Murray-Darling river system, <a href="https://www.bnbfishing.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Assessment-of-stocking-effectiveness-of-Murray-cod-and-golden-perch.pdf">millions of fish</a> have been bred in <a href="https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/centres/narrandera-fisheries-centre">government</a> and <a href="https://www.murraydarlingfisheries.com.au/">private</a> hatcheries in spring each year. Young fish, called fingerlings, are usually released in the following summer and autumn.</p> <p>There have been success stories. For example, the endangered <a href="https://www.fishfiles.com.au/media/fish-magazine/FISH-Vol-23-2/Back-from-the-brink">trout cod</a> was restocked into the Ovens and Murrumbidgee Rivers between <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235774467_Reintroduction_success_of_threatened_Australian_trout_cod_Maccullochella_macquariensis_based_on_growth_and_reproduction">1997 and 2006</a>. Prior to the restocking program, the species was locally extinct. It’s now re-established in the Murrumbidgee River and no longer requires stocking to maintain the population.</p> <p>In response to fish kills in 2010, the Edward-Wakool river system <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aec.12424">was restocked</a> to help fish recover when natural spawning was expected to be low. And the threatened Murray hardyhead is now increasing in numbers thanks <a href="https://www.environment.gov.au/water/wetlands/publications/wetlands-australia/national-wetlands-update-february-2020/murray-hardyhead#:%7E:text=In%20November%202018%2C%20around%20800,fish%20to%20NSW%20river%20systems.">to a successful stocking program</a> in the Lower Darling.</p> <p>After recent fish kills in the Murray Darling, breeding fish known as “broodstock” were <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/worldtoday/mass-fish-rescue-gets-underway-in-darling-river/11492042">rescued from the river</a> and taken to government and private hatcheries. Eventually, it was expected the rescued fish and their offspring would restock the rivers.</p> <p><strong>Words of caution</strong></p> <p>Fish hatchery managers rarely count their fish before they hatch. It’s quite a challenge to ensure adult fish develop viable eggs that are then fertilised at high rates.</p> <p>Once hatched, larvae must be transported to ponds containing the right amount of plankton for food. The larvae must then avoid predatory birds, be kept free from disease, and grow at the right temperatures.</p> <p>When it comes to releasing the fish into the wild, careful decisions must be made about how many fish to release, where and when. Factors such as water temperature, pH and dissolved oxygen levels must be carefully assessed.</p> <p>Introducing hatchery-reared fish into the wild does <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848610004540?casa_token=NbFwq0hZLSgAAAAA:SntmSZkoWH387KKTDvXn-rHg-I6P0P0Q-OfgI6hvb6gp_Hxy82Y9AMIndcMYR3yarSkeFOY_cWE">not always deliver</a> dramatic improvements in fish numbers. Poor water quality, lack of food and <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/A-review-of-domestication-effects-on-stocked-fish-in-the-MDB.pdf">slow adaptation to the wild</a> can reduce survival rates.</p> <p>In some parts of the Murray-Darling, restocking <a href="https://researchers.cdu.edu.au/en/publications/contribution-of-stocked-fish-to-riverine-populations-of-golden-pe">is likely to</a> have slowed the decline in native fish numbers, although it has not stopped it altogether.</p> <p><strong>Address the root cause</strong></p> <p>Fish stocking decisions are sometimes motivated by economic reasons, such as boosting species sought by anglers who pay licence fees and support tourist industries. But stocking programs must also consider the underlying reasons for declining fish populations.</p> <p>Aside from poor water quality, fish in the Murray Darling are threatened by being sucked into irrigation systems, cold water pollution from dams, dams and weirs blocking migration paths and invasive fish species. These factors must be addressed alongside restocking.</p> <p>Fish should not be released into areas with unsuitable habitat or water quality. The Darling River fish kills were caused by <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/managing-water/drought-murray-darling-basin/fish-deaths-lower-darling/independent-assessment-fish">low oxygen levels</a>, associated with drought and water extraction. These conditions could rapidly return if we have another hot, dry summer.</p> <p>Stocking rivers with young fish is only one step. They must then grow to adults and successfully breed. So the restocking program must consider the entire fish life cycle, and be coupled with good <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2019-08-28/more-fish-kills-expected-as-nsw-government-announces-rescue-plan/11457826">river management</a>.</p> <p>The Murray Darling Basin Authority’s <a href="https://www.mdba.gov.au/sites/default/files/pubs/Native%20Fish%20Emergency%20Response%20Plan%20-%20October%202019_0.pdf">Native Fish Recovery Strategy</a> includes management actions such as improving fish passage, delivering environmental flows, improving habitat, controlling invasive species and fish harvest restrictions. Funding the strategy’s implementation <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-good-plan-to-help-darling-river-fish-recover-exists-so-lets-get-on-with-it-110168">is a key next step</a>.</p> <p><strong>Looking ahead</strong></p> <p>After recent rains, parts of the Murray Darling river system are now flowing for the first time in years. But some locals say the flows are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-11/lower-darling-flows-hit-pooncarie-first-time-in-18-months/12137306">only a trickle</a> and more rain is urgently needed.</p> <p><a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/outlooks/#/rainfall/median/weekly/0">Higher than average rainfall</a> is predicted between July and September. This will be needed for restocked fish to thrive. If the rain does not arrive, and other measures are not taken to improve the system’s health, then the restocking plans may be futile.</p> <p><em>Written by Lee Baumgartner, Jamin Forbes and Katie Doyle. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-count-your-fish-before-they-hatch-experts-react-to-plans-to-release-2-million-fish-into-the-murray-darling-140428">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Cruising

Andy Murray plays dress-up with daughters amid coronavirus lockdown

<p>Andy Murray has kept his daughters entertained amid the coronavirus lockdown by playing dress up.</p> <p>The three-time Grand Slam champion took to Instagram on Sunday to share his outfit of the day as styled by his two daughters, Sophia and Edie.</p> <p>In the photograph, Murray could be seen wearing a grey T-shirt, a turquoise crown and a multi-coloured kilt.</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/B_KxJN1JC-6/?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/B_KxJN1JC-6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">When your daughters want to play dress up and say “daddy put on your skirt!”. I tried to explain it was a kilt not a skirt but they assured me it was definitely a skirt😂 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿. #kids #meninkilts #skirts</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/andymurray/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Andy Murray</a> (@andymurray) on Apr 19, 2020 at 8:55am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“When your daughters want to play dress up and say ‘daddy put on your skirt!’” the 32-year-old wrote.</p> <p>“I tried to explain it was a kilt not a skirt but they assured me it was definitely a skirt.”</p> <p>As the UK remains in lockdown, Murray has stayed with his family in their Surrey residence. Murray and wife Kim Sears share the two daughters as well as son Teddy, who was born last year.</p> <p>In an Instagram exchange with Novak Djokovic on Friday, Murray said he was grateful for being able to spend quality time with his family during the self-isolation.</p> <p>“It’s been nice,” Murray said.</p> <p>“I saw my kids going out cycling on their own for the first time, swimming on their own for the first time.</p> <p>“You’re so used to the travelling and the structure that the Tour brings. You get injured, or what’s happening now, and you’re home all the time with your family. It’s a big change.</p> <p>“But the positives certainly outweigh the negatives. I realise, once tennis is done for me, I’ll be just fine. I was always worried about what that might look like, being in just one place all the time. I’ve enjoyed it. It was good.”</p>

Family & Pets

Climate change is beating Aussie winemakers

<p>There is <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-03595-0">growing evidence</a> that Earth’s systems are heading towards climate “tipping points” beyond which change becomes abrupt and unstoppable. But another tipping point is already being crossed - humanity’s capacity to adapt to a warmer world.</p> <p>This season’s uncontrollable bushfires overwhelmed the nation. They left <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/six-firefighters-injured-three-dead-within-10-hours-20200124-p53uc4">33 people</a> dead, killed an estimated <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2020/01/08/australian-bushfires-more-than-one-billion-animals-impacted.html">one billion animals</a> and razed more than 10 million hectares – a land area <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-50951043">almost the size of England</a>. The millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide the fires spewed into the atmosphere will accelerate climate change further.</p> <p>Humans are a <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/humans-may-be-most-adaptive-species/">highly adaptive species</a>. In the initial phases of global warming in the 20th century, we coped with the changes. But at some point, the pace and extent of global warming will outrun the human capacity to adapt. Already in Australia, there are signs we have reached that point.</p> <p><strong>Wine woes</strong></p> <p>For Australia, the first obvious tipping point may come in agriculture. Farmers have gradually adapted to a changing climate for the last two decades, but this can’t go on indefinitely.</p> <p>Take wine grapes. In the space of just 20 years, a warming climate means grape harvest dates have come back by <a href="https://www.theland.com.au/story/6559752/the-wine-industry-is-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine/">roughly 40 days</a>. That is, instead of harvesting red grapes at the end of March or early April many growers are now harvesting in mid-February. This is astounding.</p> <p>The implications for wine quality are profound. Rapid ripening can cause “unbalanced fruit” where high sugar levels are reached before optimum colour and flavour development has been achieved.</p> <p>To date, wine producers have <a href="https://www.theland.com.au/story/6559752/the-wine-industry-is-the-canary-in-the-coal-mine/">dealt with the problem</a> by switching to more heat-tolerant grape varieties, using sprinklers on hot days and even adding water <strong>to wine?</strong> to reduce excessive alcohol content. But these adaptations can only go so far.</p> <p>On top of this, the recent fires ravaged wine regions in south-eastern Australia. Smoke <a href="https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/food-and-wine/the-hidden-cost-of-bushfires-smoke-taint-in-vineyards-20200120-p53szt">reportedly ruined many grape crops</a> and one wine companies, Tyrrell’s Wines, expects to produce <a href="https://www.afr.com/companies/agriculture/tyrrell-s-loses-80pc-of-grapes-due-to-fires-20200122-p53tr1">just 20% of its usual volume</a> this year.</p> <p>At some point, climate change may render grape production uneconomic in large areas of Australia.</p> <p><strong>The Murray Darling crisis</strong></p> <p>Farmers are used to handling drought. But the sequence of droughts since 2000 – <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-australias-current-drought-caused-by-climate-change-its-complicated-97867">exacerbated by climate change</a> – raises the prospect that investment in cropland and cropping machinery becomes uneconomic. This in turn will negatively impact suppliers and local communities.</p> <p>The problems are most severe in relation to irrigated agriculture, particularly in the Murray–Darling Basin.</p> <p>In the early 1990s, it became clear that historical over-extraction of water had damaged the ecosystem’s health. In subsequent decades, policies to address this – such as extraction caps – were introduced. They assumed rainfall patterns of the 20th century would continue unchanged.</p> <p>However the 21st century has been characterised by <a href="https://watersource.awa.asn.au/environment/natural-environment/murray-darling-basin-drought-most-severe-on-record/">long periods of severe drought</a>, and policies to revive the river environment have largely failed. Nowhere was this more evident than during last summer’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-wrote-the-report-for-the-minister-on-fish-deaths-in-the-lower-darling-heres-why-it-could-happen-again-115063">shocking fish kills</a>.</p> <p>The current drought has pushed the situation to political boiling point - and perhaps ecological tipping point.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/the-water-crisis-has-plunged-the-nats-into-a-world-of-pain-but-they-reap-what-they-sow-128238">Tensions</a> between the Commonwealth and the states have prompted New South Wales government, which largely <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/08/nsw-minister-altered-barwon-darling-water-sharing-plan-to-favour-irrigators">acts in irrigator interests</a>, to flag <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/feb/13/states-threaten-to-quit-murray-darling-basin-plan-over-water-recovery-target">quitting</a> the Murray Darling Basin Plan. This may mean even more water is taken from the river system, precipitating an ecological catastrophe.</p> <p>The Murray Darling case shows adaptation tipping points are not, in general, triggered solely by climate change. The interaction between climate change and social, political and economic systems determines whether human systems adapt or break down.</p> <p><strong>Power struggles</strong></p> <p>The importance of this interplay is illustrated even more sharply by Australia’s failed electricity policy.</p> <p>Political and public resistance to climate mitigation is largely driven by professed concern about the price and reliability of electricity – that a transition to renewable energy will cause supply shortages and higher energy bills.</p> <p>However a failure to act on climate change has itself put huge stress on the electricity system.</p> <p>Hot summers have caused old coal-fired power stations to <a href="https://www.tai.org.au/content/september-gas-coal-power-plants-have-broken-down-100-times-so-far-2018">break down more frequently</a>. And the increased use of air-conditioning has increased electricity demand – particularly at peak times, which our system is ill-equipped to handle.</p> <p>Finally, the recent bushfire disaster <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/energy-grid-under-threat-as-bushfires-bear-down-on-power-lines-20200103-p53om1.html">destroyed</a> substantial parts of the electricity transmission and distribution system, implying yet further costs. Insurance costs for electricity networks are tipped to rise in response to the bushfire risk, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-23/power-prices-rise-blackouts-increase-bushfire-season-intensifies/11890646">pushing power prices even higher</a>.</p> <p>So far, the federal government’s response to the threat has been that of a failed state. A <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-16/cabinet-dumps-clean-energy-target-for-new-plan/9056174">series</a> of <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjmuvPLvZvnAhWmxjgGHe_ZB0cQFjACegQIPBAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fclimatechangeauthority.gov.au%2Fsites%2Fprod.climatechangeauthority.gov.au%2Ffiles%2Ffiles%2FSpecial%2520review%2520Report%25203%2FClimate%2520Change%2520Authority%2520Special%2520Review%2520Report%2520Three.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3Po_SKPoPYvtjR0eKx9PA5">plans</a> to reform the system and adapt to climate change, most recently the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/08/scott-morrison-says-national-energy-guarantee-is-dead">National Energy Guarantee</a>, have floundered thanks to climate deniers in the federal government. Even as the recent fire disaster unfolded, our prime minister <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fire-what-fire-it-s-business-as-usual-in-morrison-s-canberra-bubble-20191206-p53hom.html">remained paralysed</a>.</p> <p><strong>The big picture</strong></p> <p>Australia is not alone in facing these adaptation problems – or indeed in generating emissions that drive planetary warming. Only global action can address the problem.</p> <p>But when the carbon impact of Australia’s fires is seen in tandem with recent climate policy failures here and elsewhere, the future looks very grim.</p> <p>We need radical and immediate mitigation strategies, as well as adaptation measures based on science. Without this, 2019 may indeed be seen as a tipping point on the road to both climate catastrophe, and humanity’s capacity to cope.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-quiggin-2084">John Quiggin</a>, Professor, School of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</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/humans-are-good-at-thinking-their-way-out-of-problems-but-climate-change-is-outfoxing-us-129987">original article</a>.</em></p>

Domestic Travel

Andy Murray opens up about UK mass shooting

<p>Tennis legend Andy Murray has opened up about his traumatic past in a new Amazon documentary called<span> </span><em>Andy Murray: Resurfacing</em>.</p> <p>The film documents his long journey back from injury, but also touches on a certain incident in his childhood that has impacted his life.</p> <p>Murray revealed in the documentary that he knew the man who shot 16 children and their teacher dead at his primary school in 1996.</p> <p>The 32-year-old said that the shooting had been “difficult” for him and that tennis was a way he could “escape”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Excited and proud to announce that for last two years I've been filming my (long) journey back from injury. Andy Murray: Resurfacing hits <a href="https://twitter.com/primevideouk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@primevideouk</a> on Friday the 29th of November and I look forward to hearing what you all think about the film.<br /><br />😄🎾🎥<a href="https://twitter.com/primevideosport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@primevideosport</a> <a href="https://t.co/IJe8QZ9YAy">pic.twitter.com/IJe8QZ9YAy</a></p> — Andy Murray (@andy_murray) <a href="https://twitter.com/andy_murray/status/1192442231795453952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">7 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Murray was a student at Dunblane Primary School in Scotland when gunman Thomas Hamilton stormed into the gym, carrying four handguns and 743 rounds of ammunition.</p> <p>Hamilton opened fire and teacher Gwen Mayor and 15 of her kindergarten students were killed instantly. Another child passed away later in hospital.</p> <p>Another 15 were wounded in the massacre, which took just five minutes, before Hamilton turned the gun on himself.</p> <p>Hamilton had been an assistant Boy Scouts leader but asked to leave due to complaints about his behaviour towards some of the boys. He then organised several boys’ clubs, which Murray attended as a child.</p> <p>“You asked me a while ago why tennis was important to me. Obviously, I had the thing that happened at Dunblane when I was around nine,” Murray says in the documentary.</p> <p>“I am sure for all the kids there it would be difficult for different reasons. The fact we knew the guy, we went to his kids club, he had been in our car, we had driven and dropped him off at train stations and things,” he said.</p> <p>“My feeling towards tennis is that it’s an escape for me in some ways. Because all of these things are stuff that I have bottled up,” he revealed.</p> <p>The conversation was much too painful for Murray to have in person, as he left his thoughts in a voicemail for director Olivia Cappuccini instead of a face-to-face interview.</p> <p>Murray is hoping to make a full comeback at the Australian Open next year after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in January.</p> <p>The injury had threatened to end his career, and Murray was planning to retire after Wimbledon.</p> <p>He told reporters before the release of the documentary that he was working on building up his fitness and hoped soon to be able to endure five-set matches.</p> <p>“I know I’ll be able to compete in major tournaments without having to worry about it,” he said, according to <em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/andy-murray-opens-up-about-uk-mass-murderer-in-new-amazon-documentary/news-story/3d385c20253ba8e4eee10f205239aabe" target="_blank">news.com.au</a></em></p> <p>“I’ve played three-set matches and some long ones recently, but the best of five is an extra hour, hour-and-a-half on top of that so I’ll find out in Australia.”</p>

International Travel

It's a boy! Andy Murray celebrates as he becomes a dad for the third time

<p>Sir Andy Murray is sure to be celebrating after the birth of his third child, and first son, with his wife, Kim Sears. </p> <p>Baby no. 3 was welcomed to the world last week and according to relatives, the two-time Wimbledon champ got to meet their new addition on Monday evening. </p> <p>While the name has not been made public to the world, it is understood the baby boy was born at a hospital in London, near the family home. </p> <p>The couple, both 32, already have two girls, Sophia, three and Edie, two. </p> <p>Murray’s grandfather Roy Erskine, 88, said the former World no. 1 has already shown off his newborn son with his relatives. </p> <p>He also told<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Sun</a></em><span> </span>his wife Shirley, 84, travelled to her grandson to meet the newest Murray. </p> <p>“It’s a wee boy. He was born during the week, I don’t know what his name is yet.</p> <p>“My wife is away down, she went down this morning,” said Erskine.</p> <p>When asked if Sophia and Edie were excited about the arrival of their baby brother, Erskin said: “Absolutely. I’ve seen photographs on my wife’s phone. </p> <p>“They’re both doing fine. I’m just glad that it’s all over.”</p> <p>The arrival of their son comes almost 10 months after Murray had hip surgery.</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/BtNiST6FrYn/?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/BtNiST6FrYn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Andy Murray (@andymurray)</a> on Jan 29, 2019 at 12:18am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>He recently joked about needing to get back on the road because the size of his family was getting “out of control”. </p> <p>“I’ll definitely be taking some time off as we’ll be pretty busy with three children under the age of four,” he said. </p> <p>“I’ll try to be around as much as possible in the next year, but I know my tennis career won’t go on forever, so there will need to be a balance between me maximising the next few years and spending quality time with my family.</p> <p>“I’m lucky in that I can train close to home, so that lets me do things like the school run whenever I can.”</p> <p>Kim sparked pregnancy rumours in July when it was believed she was wearing a maternity top to watch her hubby play at Wimbledon. </p> <p>The couple tied the knot in his hometown in April 2015.</p>

Relationships

Bill Murray goes classical and releases an album

<div class="article-body"> <p>It was on a trans-Atlantic flight from Berlin to New York in early 2013 when actor and comedian Bill Murray met German cellist Jan Vogler. Through this chance encounter the pair struck up a friendship, sharing enthuse for each other’s artistic worlds and interests, and soon after, decided to work together on a musical project.</p> <p>The result? An unexpected and enchanting collaboration of music and literature, marking Murray’s first classical music album.</p> <p>“After we knew each other [for] a little bit, I invited him one night to go to this Poetry Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, and then a couple of days later said:<span> </span><em>You know, we could do this. We could do a show with this</em>,” says Bill Murray.</p> <p>The debut album<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://umusi.cc/BMNewWorldsMR" target="_blank"><span><em>New Worlds</em></span></a>, features songs paired with literary readings, which are brought to life with classical music.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8mBD3ylGE-U"></iframe></div> <p>Murray – as both singer and narrator – brings his charm and wit to songs by George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein, and recites the works of Walt Whitman, Ernest Hemingway, and Mark Twain.</p> <p>He is joined by musicians Jan Vogler (cello), Mira Wang (violin), and Vanessa Perez (piano) – each at the top of their fields to bring together an unexpected collective of creative forces.</p> <p>“We are from four different continents,” Murray told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/arts/music/bill-murray-new-worlds-jan-vogler.html" target="_blank"><span><em>The New York Times</em></span></a>. “And when the continents come together, the music moves right across the peninsulas from one to the other. It’s just a short journey from one continent to the other.”</p> <p>The 67-year-old<em><span> </span>Groundhog Day</em><span> </span>star recognises no limits. With a penchant for<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://time.com/3378575/bill-murray-crashed-birthday-danced-to-turn-down-for-what/" target="_blank"><span>crashing parties</span></a><span> </span>or showing up in the most<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://www.billmurraystory.com/" target="_blank"><span>unexpected places</span></a>, Murray has however had an ever-present passion for literature, particularly poetry.</p> <p>He has also made past vocal appearances. A recent musical collaboration was with former<span> </span><em>The Late Show</em><span> </span>bandleader, Paul Shaffer for the upbeat song ‘Happy Street’, and performed festive tunes with George Clooney and Miley Cyrus on his 2015 Netflix special,<span> </span><em>A Very Murray Christmas</em>.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bSuB4Su6wCM"></iframe></div> <p>Though the classical direction may be a bit of a surprise, the eccentric comedian and actor has forged an independent Hollywood career and seems to love exploring new and serendipitous opportunities.</p> <p>“I am bathing in this experience, really. I can’t get enough of it,” Bill Murray comments.</p> <p>One recording has Murray reading a painful passage from<span> </span><em>The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn</em><span> </span>as the group plays ‘Moon River’. The classical crossover showcases American values in literature and music, and the bridges artists have built between America and Europe.</p> <p>Cellist Jan Vogler’s distinguished career adds credence to the concept, whose strong curatorial approach to his music making and contemporary style of performance has pushed the boundaries of classical music.</p> <p>Tracks from the album include, Van Morrison’s ‘When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God’ and Stephen Foster’s ‘Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair’ as well as numbers from West Side Story.</p> </div>

Music

“National disgrace”: Aussie taxpayers fork out $40 million to expand irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australian taxpayers have given a large corporation more than $40 million, which has enabled it to expand irrigation in the Murray-Darling Basin under an environmental scheme that has been labelled a national disgrace.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Four Corners revealed that more than $4 billion in Commonwealth Funds have been handed over to irrigators. This has allowed them to expand their operations and use more water under the $5.6 billion water infrastructure scheme.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The scheme is intended to recover water for the rivers by giving farmers money to build water-saving infrastructure in return for some of their water rights.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some beneficiaries of the scheme are foreign-owned corporations according to </span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-08/taxpayers-helping-fund-murray-darling-basin-expansion/11279468"><span style="font-weight: 400;">the ABC.</span></a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maryanne Slattery, a former director at the Murray-Darling Basin Authority says that it’s horrifying a scheme that’s designed to help the environment has allowed irrigators to use more water.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"That program was supposed to reduce the amount of water that was going to irrigation, when it's actually increased the opportunities for irrigation … all subsidised by taxpayers," she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I think Australian taxpayers will be really shocked to find out that that money is actually going to foreign investors as well."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">UNSW river ecologist Professor Richard Kingsford has been studying the Murrumbidgee River for more than 30 years. He has said that the new dams are trapping water that would have otherwise flowed downstream into habitats and farming communities in the Murray-Darling Basin.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I find that astounding. I mean, why are we building these large dams for private gain at public cost?" he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"Essentially it increases the take from the river system and ultimately decreases the amount of water in the river. That to me is where, in fact, we may be seeing more water taken out of the rivers than water savings."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Maryanne Slattery says that the region is unsuitable for dams because of the high rate of evaporation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"You just see dam after dam after dam, these massive on-farm dams, in a place that is as flat as a table, that just should not have dams," said Ms Slattery, who is now a senior water researcher at the Australia Institute.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"And then when you realise they're being paid for by the Commonwealth, under a supposedly environmental program, that's just horrifying."</span></p>

Domestic Travel

Sophia Grace: The little girl from Ellen now looks very grown-up

<div> <div class="replay"> <div class="reply_body body linkify"> <div class="reply_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>You may remember her as the adorable little girl who performed a cover of Nicki Minaj’s <em>Super Bass </em>in a pink tutu and tiara.</p> <p>Now, Sophia Grace Brownlee is all grown up.</p> <p>The British girl and her cousin Rosie McClelland shot to fame in 2011 after their rendition of the rap song racked up more than 50 million views on YouTube.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C7hTAp6KrGY"></iframe></div> <p>The viral video also earned the two girls an invitation to appear on <em>The Ellen DeGeneres Show</em>, where they soon became regular guests with their own segment. Worldwide recognition followed as the pair went on to release their own songs, story books and dolls.</p> <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f9573kGBtuE"></iframe></div> <p>Today, Sophia Grace is 16 years old and almost unrecognisable with her maturing look. She regularly shares snaps on Instagram to her 1.4 million followers.</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/BsonygEDzCe/" 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/BsonygEDzCe/" target="_blank">here’s my #10yearchallenge 😱🤣🖤5/15</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/therealsophiagrace/" target="_blank"> 💕💕💕</a> (@therealsophiagrace) on Jan 14, 2019 at 4:14pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <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/Bs_NbOLhVxd/" 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/Bs_NbOLhVxd/" target="_blank">A post shared by 💕💕💕 (@therealsophiagrace)</a> on Jan 23, 2019 at 10:47am PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <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/Byxk_OrBTDS/" 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/Byxk_OrBTDS/" target="_blank">💙#fathersday</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/therealsophiagrace/" target="_blank"> 💕💕💕</a> (@therealsophiagrace) on Jun 16, 2019 at 7:51am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <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/Bys2S4Mhbml/" 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/Bys2S4Mhbml/" target="_blank">A post shared by 💕💕💕 (@therealsophiagrace)</a> on Jun 14, 2019 at 11:46am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">how does this little sophia grace turn into.. this.. anna ou- <a href="https://t.co/hddkTpkh9l">pic.twitter.com/hddkTpkh9l</a></p> — 𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐚 (@massiveshet) <a href="https://twitter.com/massiveshet/status/1143687942780706822?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Can y’all stop hating on Sophia grace? She’s 16 lmfao, she can wear whatever she wants without people trying to limit her into a 12 year old image just because of her Ellen show past. It’s so annoying<br /><br />News flash! 16 year olds aren’t and don’t need to act 5! <a href="https://t.co/1aSjXP8nHQ">pic.twitter.com/1aSjXP8nHQ</a></p> — ᴶᵘˡᶦ ♡ (@flwrytae) <a href="https://twitter.com/flwrytae/status/1143701501774372864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Meanwhile, Rosie – who has shared the spotlight with Sophia Grace throughout the years – is now 12 years old. Her YouTube channel has more than 650,000 subscribers and over 69 million views.</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/BzMSKvPD92d/" 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/BzMSKvPD92d/" target="_blank">A post shared by Rosie McClelland (@rosiergm)</a> on Jun 26, 2019 at 4:46pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <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/tv/BzD8MLrDsis/" 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/tv/BzD8MLrDsis/" target="_blank">A post shared by Rosie McClelland (@rosiergm)</a> on Jun 23, 2019 at 11:05am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

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