Australia

A 16-year-old girl died on Saturday after being mauled by a shark in a river in Western Australia’s state capital Perth after she jumped in the water to swim with a pod of dolphins. Police said they were called to the scene of the attack on Saturday afternoon local time near a traffic bridge in the Swan River, in the Fremantle port area of Perth. The girl was pulled from the water with critical injuries and she died at the scene, police said in a statement. Police believe the victim was with friends and jumped off a jet ski to swim with a pod of dolphins in the river when the shark attack occurred. Authorities were not sure what kind of shark attacked the girl, the Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. People were being urged to take extra caution in the Swan River around Fremantle in the wake of the mauling. The last fatal shark attack in Western Australian waters was in November 2021 when a 57-year-old man was killed by a great white shark at Perth’s Port … [Read more...] about Girl killed in shark attack on Australia’s west coast

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Hsing Yun, a Buddhist abbot who established a thriving religious community in southern Taiwan and built universities overseas, has died. He was 95. He established Fo Guang Shan monastery in 1967, aiming to propagate Buddhist humanitarian values. It would go on to operate hundreds of temples and seminaries around the world, along with universities in the Taiwan, Australia, the U.S. and Philippines. Hsing Yun died peacefully Sunday, Fo Guang Shan said. He had largely withdrawn from public life years ago following declining health and a series of strokes. Born Lee Kuo-shen in mainland China’s Jiangsu province in 1927, Hsing Yun first developed an interest in Buddhism at age 12 while visiting a famous temple in the provincial capital Nanjing. Hsing Yun moved to Taiwan as the officially atheist Communist Party swept to power on the mainland in 1949. He became a major donor to Buddhist institutions on the mainland and advocated exchanges between China and … [Read more...] about Hsing Yun, Buddhist abbot who built universities, dies at 95

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter A woman has been fined $18,500 (125,000 CNY) after she posted a video of herself illegally buying, preparing, and eating a great white shark . The food blogger , who goes by the online name Tizi, was identified by officials as Jin Moumou. According to a statement from officials in Nanchong, in the southwestern province of Sichuan, Jin reportedly purchased the great white shark in April 2022 and posted a video of herself preparing and eating the wild animal in July that year. The video was in violation of the “Wild Animal Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China,” the statement said. Illegal possession of a white shark can also lead to a prison term of between five to 10 years. In the clip, which was posted to social media sites Douyin and Kuaishou, Tizi … [Read more...] about Chinese food blogger fined $18,500 after cooking and eating great white shark

Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Expectant parents may want to consider moving to Scandinavia, as a new report has revealed Denmark, Sweden and Norway top the list of best countries in the world for raising a child. The findings are according to the annual Best Countries Report, conducted by US News & World Report and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, which point to the Scandinavian countries’ “generous paternal and maternal leave” and free preschool. “These countries tend to have generous paternal leave and maternal leave, offer free preschool, and have good overall public education systems,” Deidre McPhillips, senior data editor at US News & World report, told CNN . Rounding out the top five countries on this year's list are Canada and the Netherlands, in fourth … [Read more...] about The best countries in the world to raise a child, ranked

Around the world, nations make a call for their brave to uphold the freedom of mankind. Many of them fight for freedoms they can't use themselves. From the UK to the U.S. to France to Australia to Canada, countries honor the sacrifice of soldiers through observed holidays. As important as those holidays are in reaching veterans, how brands reach them when the world is not watching is often more important for the civically engaged consumer. I've learned this through my past work helping brands launch products and have collected my insight into how brands can reach this segment of consumers. Different Voices Acknowledging the different voices of veterans in a unifying message is key. Veterans like the rest of the world are dynamic in culture and sexual orientation. In essence, keeping LGBTQ, women and diverse groups in mind, while serving them and marketing to them, is of high importance. In the U.S. alone, the number of female veterans is projected to increase from around 2 … [Read more...] about The Global Veteran Consumer: Cause Meets Luxury

A World Cup final for the ages delivered a crowning glory for soccer icon Lionel Messi on Sunday as Argentina beat reigning men's champion France on penalty kicks. One of the most dramatic major sporting events in history had the teams tied 3-3 after extra time, with the French ultimately missing twice in the shootout before Gonzalo Montiel converted to seal an exhausting and emotional victory. Argentina had dominated the bulk of the match, leading 2-0 with just about 10 minutes to go, but France burst into life with star forward Kylian Mbappé scoring twice in as many minutes. Both sides traded missed chances and then late goals again in the 30 minutes of extra time before the tension of penalty kicks. The game capped a month of sporting drama and geopolitical controversy in Qatar. The tournament featured surprise results and fairy-tale runs , but the final had two giants of the game compete for the title — headlined by a pair of stars. The speedy and skillful Mbappé … [Read more...] about Argentina wins World Cup on penalty kicks over France

Follow our live coverage of Nancy Pelosi’s Taiwan visit . TAIPEI, Taiwan — In Washington, there has been anxious debate over whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi should risk the visit. In Beijing, there have been anger and threats . In Taiwan, where Ms. Pelosi landed late Tuesday, the new flare-up in tensions has been met with a subdued defiance. Politicians from Taiwan’s two main political parties have offered support for the trip, a sentiment echoed by many in the self-ruled democracy of more than 23 million people, which China claims as its own. While China released videos of planes and missiles flying to menacing music, one popular meme in Taiwan remade Ms. Pelosi as a powerful Taoist goddess. A Taiwanese politician wagered a chicken cutlet giveaway over her visit. Inured to living in one of the world’s most dangerous geopolitical flash points, Taiwanese people have largely taken the prospect of the visit in stride. That steely nonchalance belies a political reality that … [Read more...] about As Pelosi Arrives, Quiet Defiance in Taiwan

A couple have revealed they are now living on cruise ship as they've found it "made more financial sense" than paying a mortgage. The pair, who are originally from Seattle , have opened up about their current living situation and say they don't plan on returning to living on dry land any time soon. Angelyn Burk and Richard Burk say they packed one suitcase each and left their jobs back in May 2021. Angelyn, a former accountant, told Australia’s 7News that the pair love to travel and says they have always searched "for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense". After crunching the numbers, the pair then realised that they could continue travelling for the rest of their lives for as little as £35.48 ($43.92 USD) a day. The pair say they're finding living on a cruise ship cheaper than paying mortgage ( Image: Facebook) Thanks to a combination of savings and the anticipated sale of their home, the pair have been able to fund their … [Read more...] about Couple living on cruise ship as it makes ‘more financial sense’ than paying mortgage

c *We may receive a referral fee from some of the companies featured in this article. This is not a financial advice article. Refer to a professional for financial advice. (Ad) When it comes to protecting your retirement account against market volatility and inflation, a gold-based IRA may be one of the best options at your disposal. Also referred to as a precious metals IRA, a gold IRA is a self-directed retirement account that allows you to invest in precious metals such as physical gold, silver, and platinum. Unlike a traditional IRA account, which can easily be setup by most investors, setting up a gold IRA account is a little more complicated and involves a few moving parts. That's why many people rely on the best gold IRA companies to facilitate the process for them. We’ve reviewed the best gold ira companies in the industry to help you find the right gold IRA investment firm. We rated each gold ira provider below on a variety of factors including reputation, annual … [Read more...] about 10 Best Gold IRA Companies for Precious Metals Investing in 2023