Placeholder Content Image

American influencer shocked to discover speed cameras are real

<p dir="ltr">An American influencer currently living in Sydney has learned an expensive lesson in obeying the rules of the road, particularly while in full view of speed cameras.</p> <p dir="ltr">TikToker Sophia Kim was caught racing through Sydney’s Cross City Tunnel at 21 km/h over the speed limit - 101 km/h in an 80 km/h zone - and took to social media to share her surprise at receiving a ticket for her actions.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a video posted to her TikTok account, Sophia broke the news to her followers, running through what had transpired - her ‘reasons’ for speeding, and sharing images of her car between lanes in the tunnel, along with the caption “this is BS and I was only going 60 mph”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I got a speeding fine because I was going 100km in the Cross City Tunnel when it was 80km,” she explained in the now-viral post, “and apparently there are cameras in the tunnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">“As an American, I got a licence here without taking any test, without learning about the Australian [driving] laws here, and I didn’t realise that you guys have cameras for speeding in the tunnels.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And apparently there are signs everywhere.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Sophia went on to describe how she’d been “so focussed on driving” and “stressed out” trying to navigate while “driving for the first time in a different country on the other side of the road”.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the TikToker, at home in America there might be cameras involved when it came to running red lights, but that speeding offences fell to police officers and their scanners. At this stage, Sophia was talking over an image of her car with an 80 km/h sign clear on the ceiling of the tunnel.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The fine is $295,” she announced, before revealing that she’d been having a great day, on her way to Fashion Week events, and “was rushing to get there.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought I was saving money by driving and not Ubering but no, it’s actually more when you get a fine.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It turns out that Sophia had borrowed the car from a friend, who informed her that he couldn’t afford “to lose 3 points over this”, and had to transfer the fine into her name.</p> <p dir="ltr">And despite claiming that she would pay the fine and have the points deducted from her licence, she then asked her followers if she “should fight this”.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7237487133483814187&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40sophiainsydney%2Fvideo%2F7237487133483814187&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2Ff969d5dac251496aa62d08dfdb8a417f_1685108800%3Fx-expires%3D1685433600%26x-signature%3D%252FwZf1iguRsEhBEcz37LOvMtuELI%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p dir="ltr">Her post attracted more than 9,000 comments, and while some took Sophia’s side, most were of the opinion that fighting the fine would be a waste of time, and had many thoughts to share about the whole situation.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s no fighting this one,” one told her, “if there’s a speed sign that says 80 right in front of you they’re not gonna be forgivable”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That's a fair bit over the limit. Maybe just don't speed hey!” one suggested.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If only there were large LED displays hung above the road every 1 km to tell you the maximum speed you can do,” another mused.</p> <p dir="ltr">And as a like-minded soul put it, “[it’s] almost like speed signs exist for a reason and not decoration”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Because the signs with the speed limit and the fact they tell you every 100m there’s a speed camera don’t help,” someone else added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, one was of the opinion that it could have been worse, sharing that “in QLD that would be a $646 fine for 21km over the limit. NSW is cheap”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lesson learned I guess,” one more supposed, before noting that at least “now you know."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

"A tunnel of grief": King Charles' biggest regret from Princess Diana's funeral

<p>A royal biographer has revealed the one regret King Charles has from Princess Diana's funeral. </p> <p>According to author Christopher Andersen, the monarch "deeply regrets" making his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, join the procession behind their mother's coffin. </p> <p>“I think it haunts him because it haunts them, and they’ve spoken about it,” he told <a title="www.usmagazine.com" href="https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/king-charles-regrets-william-harry-procession-at-dianas-funeral/">Us Weekly</a>. “I’ve written that I believe it’s a form of PTSD.”</p> <p>The writer of the new biography, <em>The King: The Life of Charles III</em>, added that while researching the book, he learned that the Prince Harry has found it “triggering” to fly into London at times.</p> <p>“[He said] it reminds him of that day when he had to walk behind the coffin, and they were more or less bullied into doing it by the palace – by the men in grey who really run the palace, the people that Diana used to complain about,” he explained.</p> <p>“[Charles, Earl Spencer], Diana’s brother … has also said that he felt that he was tricked into doing it and regrets it. </p> <p>“He said it was like walking through a tunnel of grief.”</p> <p>At the time of their mother's death, Prince William was 15 and Prince Harry was just 12-years-old. </p> <p>Princess Diana died at age 36 after being chased by paparazzi in Paris, resulting in the fatal car crash in 1997. </p> <p>“I think both William and Harry thought, ‘Who are these strangers who never met her?’” said Andersen. “So, they were angry about what had happened. And Charles, I think, understands that to some extent he was responsible for them having to suffer through [that].”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

"Light at the end of the tunnel": ScoMo announces federal finance package

<p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a proposal for new financial supports to National Cabinet for states and territories in Australia impacted by the COVID-19 snap lockdowns.</p> <p>The "prospective changes" include a range of support measure, including payments for a COVID support system and a waiver of the liquid assets test.</p> <p>"Payments for a Covid support payment would still be paid in the second week of a pandemic, they would be paid basically on an arrears basis on that first seven days," Morrison explained in a press conference on Thursday afternoon.</p> <p>"Secondly, the liquid assets test will be waived from the outset."</p> <p>"Thirdly, the payment that will be made will be at that December quarter JobKeeper figure for last year, which is the payment that in NSW they're about to go into," he continued.</p> <p>"At the end of 14 days, we would be providing to all states and territories the same arrangements that we are entering into now with the NSW Government, for business."</p> <p>These payments, Mr Morrison said, would be administered by the Commonwealth.</p> <p>"To remind you about those arrangements, that is if you had your turnover reduced by more than 30 per cent, you would have for businesses between $75,000 annual turnover to $50 million annual turnover, you have 40 per cent of your payroll made in a payment with a minimum payment of $1500 and a maximum payment of $10,000. That would be done based on that first two weeks of any possible lockdown."</p> <p>He was also asked about the current state of the country and was wondering what the "light at the end of the tunnel" is.</p> <p>Morrison believes it's "both the continue resilience and strength of Australians to persevere, because we get through everything as Australians".</p> <p>"No matter what is thrown at us, we get through it. This is the test that our generation is facing. And our generation is up to it," he said.</p> <p>"And we'll persevere and come out the other side and we can have the great confidence of this in the Australian spirit that will be achieved. That we'll not be overcome by this. That we'll not be defeated by this, nor will we give up as a country into the frustration or the exasperation that can come with these challenges.</p> <p>"The second thing is this – the vaccination program continues to gather pace. The rollout continues to ensure that by the end of this year all of those seeking a vaccine can receive one. That means we can go into the next phase and the next phase after that.</p> <p>"The other hope I give you is this – because Australia has had the success of date, where we've saved over 30,000 lives, where we've got one million people back in work, that shows the strength of the Australian economy to rebound. It shows the strength of the Australian people to come back.</p> <p>"And so, all we need to keep doing is putting our heads down, go forward, keep our spirits up, get the job done, and Australia will not just get through this, we'll come out the other side stronger."</p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Time to rescue these spaces from the conspiracists

<p>Digital communications have <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-conspiracy-theories-on-the-rise-in-the-us-121968">spread conspiracy theories more widely than ever before</a>, particularly in this uncertain and tumultuous year. QAnon, for example, is <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-conspiracy-theories-spread-online-its-not-just-down-to-algorithms-133891">a movement</a> that seeks to identify a “deep state” or “global elite” complicit in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-church-of-qanon-will-conspiracy-theories-form-the-basis-of-a-new-religious-movement-137859">human trafficking, “Pizzagate” and the orchestration of a global pandemic</a>. One conspiracy theory “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-factcheck-children-rescued-tunnels/fact-check-35000-malnourished-and-caged-children-were-not-recently-rescued-from-tunnels-by-us-military-idUSKBN23M2EL">going viral</a>” is that extensive operations are taking place to rescue children held in secret underground locales beneath densely populated cities.</p> <p>Tunnel networks beneath major Australian cities such as <a href="https://twitter.com/BushmansMum/status/1287181188860227586">Melbourne</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/timetowakeupsw1/status/1246785772268683265">Sydney</a> have <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarah.shanahan.58/posts/10157286425985685">received similar treatment</a>. Misconceptions of their form and purpose are communicated via social media. The stuff of urban legends, once circulated among acquaintances, is now online.</p> <p>The misunderstandings of these spaces reveal a more glaring oversight: of wartime histories, transportation follies, essential services and the unique geologies and climates that require drainage infrastructure. These tunnels are hidden by necessity. But they are close enough to the surface to be easily accessible, preventing their use for any large-scale conspiracy.</p> <p><strong>Why the fixation with tunnels?</strong></p> <p>Abandoned or atypical urban spaces have <a href="https://theconversation.com/reopening-londons-mail-rail-why-its-so-hard-to-recreate-the-thrill-of-exploring-urban-ruins-54423">long piqued the public imagination</a>. Sites of abandonment are also associated with notions of freedom and excitement. Urban exploration has increased significantly within the past decade, amplified by social media sharing of imagery and aesthetics.</p> <p>Rumours abound of complex tunnel networks in major Australian cities, created in the wake of the second world war. Larger air raid shelters were often located close to urban settlement, but escaped use. They remained in public memory as mythology: bunkers can be located across Australia, from Dover Heights in Sydney, to Prospect and Glenelg in Adelaide. <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/the-only-air-raid-pipe-shelters-in-brisbane-still-remain-a-mystery-20190425-p51h4u.html">Over 20 air raid shelters exist in Brisbane alone</a>.</p> <p>The fabled “<a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/a-tunnel-in-the-banks-of-the-merri-creek-has-finally-been-filled-in-by-darebin-council/news-story/5c811dc980967ebc61e9321ec222a0b4">Northcote Tunnel</a>” in Melbourne was the subject of decades of rumour. It was eventually found to be the result of a search for an underground stream, not the large-scale 1940s American construction it was said to be.</p> <p>Tunnels beneath Sydney served similar purposes, either by design or as the result of a failed transport infrastructure project. The St James tunnels are a prime example. This “hidden” space is about to be converted to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/st-james-tunnel-vision-plan-to-revive-abandoned-sydney-railway-20181001-p5073u.html">a tourism precinct</a>.</p> <p>Beneath the streets of Melbourne, Sydney and beyond, mail and precious cargo were often transported about the city in underground tunnels from nearby railway stations or ports to parliament or the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Post_Office,_Melbourne">General Post Office</a>.</p> <p><strong>So what are these spaces used for today?</strong></p> <p>Today, urban tunnels carry telecommunications, gas, electricity, water and sewerage infrastructure.</p> <p>Exact locations remain secret for security and operational reasons. Access is allowed in rare cases. In the case of the <a href="http://www.health.vic.gov.au/healthvictoria/sep11/tunnel.htm">Royal Melbourne Hospital steam tunnels</a>, members of the public can book a place on once-yearly tours.</p> <p>Stormwater drains are most abundant in urban areas; perhaps this is why they feature so heavily in conspiracies. Where depressions, undulations or linear tracts of open space exist in the landscape, a stormwater drain is likely lurking beneath the surface. These drains are needed to divert rainwater from areas where hard surfaces would otherwise lead to flooding.</p> <p>In Melbourne, the <a href="https://www.melbournewater.com.au/water-data-and-education/water-facts-and-history/history-and-heritage/timeline-our-history">Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works</a> started building these drains in the early 20th century. I have explored many of these complex networks, <a href="https://www.melbournewater.com.au/water-data-and-education/water-facts-and-history/flooding/drainage-system">over 1,400 kilometres of drains</a> that span almost all of metropolitan Melbourne and its fringes. These drains are literally beneath the feet of city dwellers: many would be surprised to find that a drain runs <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/a-plan-to-turn-melbournes-elizabeth-street-into-a-rainforest-canal-20150304-13uk1x.html">beneath the major thoroughfare of Elizabeth Street</a>, historically Williams Creek.</p> <p>The Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board built similar infrastructure in Sydney. Open and closed conduits were built in concrete and brick — as well as bluestone in Melbourne, and limestone in Sydney — throughout the past century. Sydney’s stormwater network <a href="https://www.sydneywater.com.au/sw/water-the-environment/how-we-manage-sydney-s-water/stormwater-network/index.htm">totals 454 kilometres</a> of drains and spans 73 water catchments. These drains ultimately carry <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/where-does-all-the-stormwater-go-after-the-sydney-weather-clears-20150430-1mx4ep.html">500 billion litres into Sydney Harbour or Botany Bay</a>.</p> <p><strong>Dangerous, yes, but for more mundane reasons</strong></p> <p>These hidden spaces <em>can</em> be controversial or dangerous, but not for the reasons put forth by QAnon and its ilk.</p> <p>Social groups have emerged around drain exploration, with the Melbourne-based Cave Clan the best-known example. They have clear rules to ensure the safety of their members. “No drains when it rains” is one such rule: sudden rain can catch out explorers as water levels rise quickly inside drains.</p> <p>Drownings have been reported in both <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/graffiti-drain-survivor-i-wish-i-had-died/news-story/40a663ce61814480552ad5348ea0d698?sv=d13fa3e80fab16b57ee6743c223cf149">Sydney</a> and <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/fears-for-lives-of-underground-explorers/news-story/e9a23d2f83212308d5a3b8928700fa07">Melbourne</a>. The unpredictability of sudden torrential flows means these spaces are fundamentally unsuited to the purposes suggested in conspiracy theories.</p> <p>Frequent visits by urban explorers would also quickly identify any secretive mis-uses of drainage infrastructure. This would equally apply to other underground spaces such as steam and service tunnels – maintenance staff would soon spot anything amiss.</p> <p>More crucial, however, is that the design of these drains means they could not play any part in supposed trafficking networks. Some of these drains are large enough for adults to explore. The vast majority, though, are too small to be accessed, with diameters as narrow as 300mm.</p> <p>Even the most cavernous drains would not be suitable for storage. Larger drains are designed to hold larger flows, often at a confluence of catchment areas. While they these drains <em>could</em> host human beings, they would be at risk of drowning whenever it rained. Tidal flows or litter traps can also prevent access.</p> <p>Child trafficking is a very <a href="https://theconversation.com/human-trafficking-and-slavery-still-happen-in-australia-this-comic-explains-how-112294">relevant</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/jeffrey-epsteins-arrest-is-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-human-trafficking-is-the-worlds-fastest-growing-crime-120225">issue</a>, but it is certainly not taking place under cities across the nation. Rather than abandoning subterranean spaces to conspiratorial narratives or urban mythology, these spaces are important for other reasons. These point to the need to build a common understanding not only of their form and function, but also of the ethos underlying their existence, a concern for the common good.</p> <p>That something as impressive and as everyday as our civic infrastructure inspires such fascination and fear is indeed curious. Ultimately, these spaces are too utilitarian to serve the purpose claimed by viral social media posts.</p> <p><em>Photo: Victoria Kolankiewicz,</em></p> <p><em>Written by Victoria Kolankiewicz. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-lies-beneath-tunnels-for-trafficking-or-just-a-subterranean-service-time-to-rescue-these-spaces-from-the-conspiracists-144276">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

Lisa Wilkinson reveals her secret health battle

<p>After 20 years of suffering the painful, uncomfortable condition, <em>Today</em> co-host Lisa Wilkinson has finally sought treatment for her carpal tunnel syndrome. The 57-year-old was noticeably absent from the morning show on Wednesday, posting a cryptic photo on Instagram by way of explanation.</p> <p><img width="499" height="570" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/38542/image__499x570.jpg" alt="Image_ (363)" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>“So, I didn’t quite make it in to work today, because this happened…” she captioned the snap.</p> <p>On Thursday, Wilkinson was back on air, explaining she was first struck down by the condition following the birth of her son Louis. After 20 years of enduring the discomfort, which had progressively gotten worse, the star finally resorted to surgery.</p> <p>“Basically, my arm was going dead when I woke up in the morning,” she told viewers. “I’d wake up and have pins and needles, but it’s been getting worse and worse and worse, to the point where for the last two months I haven’t been able to sleep for much more than an hour at a time every night because my arm is just completely dead.”</p> <p>Despite only her left wrist being operated on, Wilkinson revealed both sides were affected. Surprisingly, as <em>Today</em> panellist Dr Ric Gordon explained, it’s not uncommon for women to experience the condition during pregnancy.</p> <p>“You have the median nerve which runs through a tiny little tunnel in your wrist,” he said. “That median nerve supplies sensation and motor function to the thumb and those fingers. If you put a lot of fluid in to a little tunnel, you’ve got to compress the nerve. That’s why people get that numbness in that side of their hand and it can progress up the arm as well.”</p> <p>Have you ever suffered carpal tunnel syndrome before? Did you seek treatment? Share your story with us in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Lisa Wilkinson/Instagram.</em></p>

TV

Placeholder Content Image

World’s longest train tunnel to open under Swiss Alps

<p>Travelling around Europe is about to get a whole lot quicker with the opening of Switzerland’s Gotthard Base Tunnel, the world’s longest and deepest railway tunnel.</p> <p>The tunnel, constructed over 17 years at the cost of $12 billion will run through the rocky Swiss Alps at depths that of 2.3km deep. The line is 57 km in length and will offer a speedy, green alternative to flying with travellers able to journey from Zurich to Milan in two and half hours.</p> <p>The tunnel is also expected to connect areas like Rotterdam, Holland and Antwerp with Adriatic ports, which will hopefully reduce air pollution along trade routes.</p> <p>During a period of rising European tension, this new project is hoped to be an example of what can be achieved when the nations cooperate and band together.</p> <p>Swiss president Johann Schneider-Ammann was joined by German chancellor Angela Merkel, French president François Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi where all there to enjoy the maiden voyage and opening of the tunnel.</p> <p>Have you ever caught a train through Europe? Or do you prefer flying? Do you think the opening of this new route will change your decision to fly/train in future?</p> <p>Share your thoughts in the comments. </p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/04/10-happiest-countries-in-the-world/" target="_blank">10 happiest countries in the world</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/travel/cruising/2016/04/10-river-cruise-ports-you-must-experience/">10 river cruise ports you must experience</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/travel/international-travel/2016/02/spectacular-hikes-around-the-world/">10 spectacular hikes to do around the world</a></strong></em></span></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

Man fined $71 for riding push scooter through Sydney tunnel

<p><em><span class="irc_ho">Image credit: www.dailymail.co.uk</span></em></p> <p>A man who was filmed riding a scooter through Sydney’s busy Cross City Tunnel has been hit with a $71 after turning himself into Surry Hills police.</p> <p>The 42-year-old pushed his way through the tunnel yesterday about 3:30pm, much to the shock and frustration of surrounding drivers. The footage filmed by a passenger in a nearby vechile shows the smartly dressed man travelling in the tunnel's left lane with little sense of urgency.</p> <p>A spokesman for the Cross City Tunnel said the man forced several cars in the tunnel to slow down behind him, prompting warnings from staff.</p> <p>By the time road crews had arrived, the man had already left the area.</p> <p>Under NSW law, all foot scooters, skateboards and rollerblades are illegal to use on roads with speeds greater than 50 kilometres per hour or on any one-way road with more than one marked lane.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/man-gives-shivering-stranger-the-shirt-off-his-back/">Man gives shivering stranger the shirt off his back</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/2016/01/eat-like-an-okinawan-and-live-until-100/">Eat like an Okinawan and live until you’re 100</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/body/2015/11/best-outdoor-exercise-options/">The best ways to exercise outdoors</a></strong></span></em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

Secret underground tunnels below Disney World unearthed

<p>Disney World is a place known for its magic, but it has one secret that has gone generally unknown to the public until now.</p> <p>Walt Disney World, Florida has a network of tunnels used only by the Disney staff to keep them from being seen by guests whilst travelling.</p> <p>Apparently. Walt Disney saw a cowboy walking through a science-fiction theme part to reach Frontierland, and having witnessed this believed it detracted from the magic of Disney.</p> <p>This led Walt to have tunnels built, to avoid this problem. Today, the tunnels, referred to as “utilidoors” have offices, wardrobes and cafeterias, all beneath the iconic theme park.</p> <p>For US$79 visitors can see the tunnels for themselves, with purchase of a “Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour”.</p> <p><img width="491" height="552" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/8470/tunnels.png" alt="Tunnels" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/08/blind-photographer/">Blind photographer takes stunning black and white photos</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/08/cockatiel-lip-syncs-nelly-dilemma/">This cockatiel can perfectly lip-sync</a></span></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="/news/news/2015/08/parents-choose-gender-of-babies/">Parents are choosing baby’s gender with controversial new method</a></span></em></strong></p>

News

Our Partners