Bex medicine was a major killer

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 29 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

We take them to relieve pain, but what exactly is Panadol and Nurofen and are some pain relief claims really true?

Killed more than pain ... Housewives were urged to "have a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down" to help them get through the day in the 1960s. Source: Supplied

EXCLUSIVE: It was billed as mothers little helper but "a cup of tea, a Bex and a good lie down" turned out to be a killer prescription and new research shows kidney cancers plunged after the pain killer was banned.

Bex, Vincents, APC and Veganin contained the addictive pain killer phenacetin. They were heavily advertised as pick me ups from the 1930s to the late seventies.

Some housewives took as many as three doses a day of the powder that could be dissolved in water or a cup of tea to help them get through the day.

When they were linked to high rates of kidney disease, the over the counter medications were banned in 1977.

In the mid-1970s kidney failure caused by the medicines was the reason 15-20 per cent of patients using dialysis needed the treatment and it also boosted the need for kidney transplants.

Now new research from Cancer Council NSW has mapped the effect the ban had on rates of a type of kidney cancer — renal pelvis cancer.

Bex ... Renal pelvis cancer deaths plummeted when the medicine was banned, says Cancer Council NSW. Source: News Limited

Cancer Council NSW, World Health Organisation research has found that incidence rates of renal pelvis cancer decreased by 52 per cent in women and 39 per cent in men between 1983-1987 and 2003-2007.

"The drastic drop in incidence of renal pelvis cancer, documented in this latest report, is another reminder of the importance of being able to monitor cancer rates after legislative changes are introduced to reduce risks among our population," Cancer Council NSW research director Professor Freddy Sitas said.

There are around 1,000 cases of this type of kidney cancer diagnosed each year and the survival rate is not good.

How to get through the day ... Bored housewives were urged to take a Bex, a cup of tea and a good lie down. Source: News Limited

Australian nephrologist Professor Priscilla Kincaid-Smith discovered the connection between the drug and kidney cancer when she noticed people presenting with neuropathological changes in the tubules around the pelvis, Professor Sitas said.

Women were most affected because the pain killers were heavily advertised in women's magazines.

"You could get it over the counter and it was quite addictive," Professor Sitas said.

The decline of renal pelvis cancer incidence in women was stronger in states where the use of products containing phenacetin was the most widespread, particularly in NSW and Queensland.

Rates for cancers in other unaffected parts of the kidney like the ureter have remained about the same over this period.

Other research has found that the proportion of patients needing renal dialysis as a result of pain killer use has fallen from 25 per cent in the seventies to just under 10 per cent in 1998.

"By documenting the direct impact of this legislation on Australian health we have brought some closure to a 40-year story," Professor Sitas said..

"Thanks to almost complete cancer registration in Australia, we have been able to track the decline of this epidemic of kidney cancers that affected Australian women and men over almost 40 years.

"Without continued funding into cancer research, studies such as this would not be possible."

Similar evidence is available following campaigns which publicised the link between lung cancer and smoking.


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What destroying ISIS will take

Dozens of Twitter accounts. Thousands of media-savvy followers. Slick propaganda videos. The Web-based branding efforts of the extremist group the Islamic State show that they're waging a war online as well as on the ground in Iraq and Syria.

THE area now under the control of the Islamic State is so vast it has already begun to mark out and control its proposed caliphate. It runs from the southern border of Turkey to the north-eastern gates of Baghdad.

The United States — and perhaps, soon, Australia and a handful of other airborne allies — are in the invidious position of trying to bomb what is not so much a scrupulously organised force, but an idea, from existence.

The ISIS fighters, according to international observers who are mapping the changing fronts of the war on a daily basis, do not have a grounded physical presence over the entire extensive patch of desert they now dominate.

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But for those ordinary citizens who live in these places, they know who is in charge.

As Afghanistan's Taliban and the subsequent insurgency showed, creating a state of absolute fear assures absolute population loyalty, making the winning of hearts and minds — a most valuable commodity in any war — difficult to buy at any price.

ISIS fighters have full control of the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the first city to fall to the terror state, and from where Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf posted images of his seven-year-old son holding a man's severed head.

Shocking picture ... a boy security agencies believe to be Australian Khaled Sharrouf's son holds the decapitated head of a soldier in the Syrian city of Raqqa. It was posted on Twitter. Source: Supplied Source: Twitter

It is from here that they appear to be running their war and building their caliphate headquarters, reportedly painting parts of it black to reflect their forbidding flag, and where their own version of total Sharia law has been instigated.

Raqqa is most likely the first port of call for foreign ISIS recruits — including up to 500 Britons, 300 Americans, a large but unknown number of Chechens, and 60 Australians and another 100 loosely described as "supporters".

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ASIO and the federal government said during the week that 15 Australians have most likely died fighting for IS to date. The numbers are unconfirmed and the full list of names has not been released.

Taking over ... a member loyal to the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham waves a flag in Raqqa, Syria. Source: Supplied

To the east of Raqqa, members of the minority Yazidi sect have mostly fled in Iraq's Mount Sinjar after being surrounded and slaughtered by IS; and across to the enormous Mosul Dam, the area has not been declared IS-free despite heavy US air strikes in both locations.

If anything, IS is gathering strength in northern Syria and has not been blunted in Iraq, where its fighters are running amok across the country. Tribal leaders are fleeing for their lives as IS issues execution orders for any who fail to swear allegiance.

Evil terrorists ... US journalist James Foley, who was abducted in Syria in 2012. Foley has now appeared on ISIS media channels, as they broadcasted his death. A black-hooded member of ISIS is seen decapitating the war reporter. Picture: Twitter Source: Twitter

On the route south to Baghdad, the Institute for the Study of War has pinpointed IS actions of recent days, where the terrorists have attacked the Baiji oil refinery and conducted mass executions. They adhere to no known rules of war.

The US air strikes appear to be intensifying in areas north and west of Baghdad, perhaps reflecting the increase in IS activity in these areas; or confirming the already considerable extent of their reach.

Moving in ... fighters from the al-Qaida linked Islamic State group during a parade in Raqqa, Syria. Picture: AP Source: AP

During the Libyan conflict of 2012, President Barack Obama made it clear that the US was tired of being the free world's first strike weapon against murderously oppressive regimes and rebel uprisings.

Obama insisted others step up and share the responsibility so that the US was not always seen as the anti-Islamic intervening force. That has not occurred in the fight against IS.

The unlikely coalition of countries whom the US is reportedly seeking to initially enlist for potential air support are Britain, Australia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.

Clearly, the US hopes the Arab factor in this line-up demonstrates an anti-terror, rather than anti-Islam, resolve.

Obama has faced continued international criticism for failing to intervene in Syria, but has been constrained by China and Russia, both of who have vested interests in Syria and have refused to act as peacemakers or peacekeepers.

The air strikes are the "acceptable" face of American intervention, so long as its troops do not hit the ground.

Alleged execution ... young men in underwear being marched barefoot along a desert road by Islamic State militants at an undisclosed location in Syria's Raqa Province. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

The most obvious place for the US to hurt IS is to bomb the hotbed of Raqqa, though this creates another problem because it plays to the desires of pariah Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who also wants IS routed.

Much commentary this week has been that Obama would need to form a temporary alliance with al-Assad in order to conduct air strikes over Syria.

However, the Obama Administration — increasingly taking a tough line — ruled that out, saying any decisions would be made among genuine allies, not Syria.

"We're not going to ask for permission from the Syrian regime (for air strikes)," said Jen Psaki from the US State Department.

Australia now weighs what role it will play in the distant war. The federal government has seemed a little overanxious to help, making clear its Super Hornet strike force is ready to go the war.

On standby ... RAAF F/A-18 Hornet fighter pilots are ready to assist the US in an air strike mission in iraq and Syria. Picture: Gary Ramage Source: News Corp Australia

It has since cooled its rhetoric, and Britain is standing back, insisting it will not join air strikes without giving it considerably more thought.

But the nature of the Australian alliance with the US is real. It will not be one of the many who sit back hoping the US overinvests in Iraq and Syria and eventually gets dragged into a ground war.

Australia hopes, like the US, that IS can be weakened from the air, if not destroyed, before the boundaries of its caliphate become permanent lines on the map, and from there begin to strike out at the world using terror.

In the absence of a genuine worldwide response, Australia's planes may be needed.


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Australia’s boozy black spots revealed

A new survey has revealed the alcohol consumption habits of Australians. So what generation drinks the others under the table?

Silhouette of an alcoholic Source: ThinkStock

MORE than 700,000 Australians are binge drinking on at least 11 drinks in a sitting on a weekly basis and it's a growing middle class problem.

Today we reveal the grogged up hot spots of Australia based on the latest National Health Survey figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The information has been broken down by Medicare Local area and shows North Brisbane houses the nation's highest number of irresponsible drinkers.

More than 40,000 adults consume 11 or more standard drinks in one sitting at least once a week in this region which takes in middle class inner Brisbane suburbs.

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Binge drinking ... More than 700,000 adults consumer 11 drinks in a day once a week. Source: Supplied

Townsville — Mackay comes next with 32,200 people getting blind drunk at least once a week.

In NSW it's the wine region of the Hunter and the mainstream suburbs of the Central Coast that tie for the title of containing the largest number of the state's biggest boozers.

More than 23,000 adults are guzzling more than 11 drinks a day at least once a week in each of these areas and hot on their heels comes South Western Sydney where 21,200 adults drink at this level.

In Victoria it's the Bayside Medicare Local area which includes parts of Toorak, St Kilda and Port Phillip that boast the highest number of binge drinkers.

Nearly 19,000 adults in Tasmania are drinking more than 11 standard drinks of alcohol a day at least once a week.

And in Northern Territory there are 8200 drinking more than 11 standard drinks at least one day a week.

In South Australia it's the very middle class Central Adelaide and Hills Medicare Local that also takes in the wine growing region of Adelaide Hills that houses the largest number of problem drinkers.

More than 13,700 adults in this area binge on more than 11 drinks in a single sitting at least once a week.

Emergency physician and AMA vice president Dr Steve Parnis sees the effects of this binge drinking daily.

"There is a huge variety of ways the people affected by this present. There are road trauma victims, domestic violence victims, mental illness because drinkers get depressed or violent, even gastrointestinal bleeding," he said.

People drinking 11 drinks a day often present with delirium tremens — body tremors, hallucinations, agitation and delirium caused by alcohol withdrawal, he said.

"I've treated people who've died as a direct result of alcohol abuse, they got so drunk they vomited and aspirated it into their lungs and couldn't be revived," he said.

Less than a week ago he said he had to treat someone who badly fractured their ankle while drunk. It needed plates and screws and the person was off work for two months while they recovered.

In December last year the Australian College of Emergency Medicine surveyed Australia's hospital emergency wards at 2am on a Saturday and found one in seven beds were taken by people as a direct result of alcohol abuse, he said.

Alcohol is responsible for 81,000 hospitalisations and 3,200 deaths in Australia each year, with research putting us in the top three countries for alcohol abuse in the world.

Studies have found one in three Australian teenagers and one in seven adults who drink at risky levels admit consuming so much alcohol at least once a months they lose their memory.

The data underlines the serious nature of Australia's drinking problem and he says the AMA is so concerned its holding an alcohol summit in October to work on a new national alcohol strategy, he says.

"There is no one single answer but we need to change the culture, we can't view it as acceptable to get drunk and have a laugh, we can't tolerate alcohol abuse," he said.

"We're not advocating abstinence but for centuries Australia has had an unhealthy relationship with alcohol," he said.

Responsible drinking needed ... Alcohol is responsible for 81,000 hospitalisations and 3,200 deaths in Australia each year Source: News Corp Australia

The AMA is campaigning to end the loophole that allows alcohol advertisements to be run on television before 8.30pm during broadcasts of cricket, rugby and AFL.

Professor Paul Haber and alcohol expert from Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney says people who are able to consume this much alcohol in a single sitting must have built up tolerance.

"The mere ability to do this is evidence of damage to their brain," he said.

The price and availability of alcohol was a key part of the binge drinking problem, he said.

"You can still buy a four litre cask of wine for less than $10, that's 40 standard drinks, enough to get 4-6 people drunk for less than 42 a head, it's a very cheap high," he said.

Foundation of Alcohol Research and Education chief Michael Thorn says the data is further evidence of the polarisation of Australia's drinking culture.

"Those who drink a little are drinking less and those who drink a lot are drinking more," he said.

"This is a direct consequence of the way we have normalised alcohol as a commodity in our society," he said.

"We need to look at its availability, its price and the way its marketed," he said.

Binge drinking ... Eleven alcoholic drinks consumed in a session once a week. Source: News Limited

Dr Richard Kidd the clinical lead for the Metro North Brisbane Medicare Local says doctors in the region have identified harmful use of alcohol as an issue in the region.

"More than 11 drinks a day once a week is really quite scary," he says.

There are large pockets of social disadvantage and homelessness in some parts of the Medicare Local region and 15,000 indigenous residents, he said.

Doctors have noticed problems with childrens development and behaviour linked to Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (brain damage) in the region.

"The area of Caboolture and Deception Bay there is high alcohol intake in women that are pregnant," he said.

For men and women consuming more than just four drinks on a single occasion puts you at greater risk of a motor vehicle accident fighting or domestic violence, Dr Kidd said.

There was growing evidence young people who started drinking before age 20 were at risk of brain damage and too many women were unaware the guidelines for drinking during pregnancy now state there is no safe level of drinking while expecting a child.

Dealing with real alcoholics ... Dr Daniel Byrne with Dr Kerry Hancock (left) and Dr Carolyn Lawlor-Smith. Source: News Limited

Dr Daniel Byrne, the clinical adviser to Central Adelaide Hills Medicare Local, says GPs in his region are dealing with real alcoholics who are difficult to help because "they are killing themselves and developing liver failure".

"What's more surprising to me is how much alcohol the average adult is drinking, he said.

New practice guidelines now require doctors to ask patients about their alcohol consumption.

Most of his patients say they share a bottle of wine a night.

"They think that's two glasses of wine each between a couple but it's actually four standard drinks each, he says.

A standard drink of wine which contains 12-13 per cent alcohol is just 100ml and most people don't realise there are nearly eight standard drinks in a wine bottle, he said.

"My general practice is in Happy Valley, your average middle class suburb, and you've got a silent drinking problem because people are just not aware," he said.

His patients liver function tests start to go off, they gain weight and are at risk of pre-diabetes, he says.

"With screw tops you should be able to make a bottle of wine last two nights," he tells his patients.

Alcohol comes in all shapes and sizes ... Emily Webber in her parent's bottle shop, Berkeley Vale Cellars, on the NSW Central Coast. Source: News Limited


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A car that can avoid a kangaroo

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 27 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

Kangaroo crash test dummies ... Holden has tested its cars in kangaroo crash tests dummies for decades, but Volvo will go one giant leap further. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Volvo introduces autonomous driving so you never have to park your car again. Courtesy: Volvo

SWEDISH car maker Volvo says it is a step closer to coming up with technology that can spot a kangaroo and slam on the brakes to avoid impact — and has already started testing in Australia.

The latest Volvo cars can already brake automatically to avoid rear-ending the vehicle in front, and can spot pedestrians and cyclists day or night, but it has now turned its attention to animals.

Volvo safety engineers say they are starting with big, slow moving animals first, such as cows and sheep, but they say trying to detect and then avoid a jumping kangaroo is "not impossible".

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Common site on Australia's roads ... A kangaroo warning road sign in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. Source: ThinkStock

Volvo has sent two engineers to Australia over the past 12 months to study the roadside behaviour of kangaroos, and filmed hours of footage to take back to Sweden when developing the software.

"As we have discovered, kangaroos are really unpredictable and difficult to avoid, but we don't think (avoiding them) is impossible," said Volvo safety expert Martin Magnusson.

"Kangaroos are smaller than the other animals we are trying to detect and their behaviour is more erratic, but we are working on it very intensively."

Mr Magnusson said the technology that can avoid kangaroos and other animals is still a few years away, but he is confident of finding a solution.

"We are sure we have the technology to detect a kangaroo, either standing or on the move, the next thing we need to understand is what action to take with the car, when should it brake, and so on," he said at the launch of the new Volvo XC90 in Sweden overnight, which the company claims is the world's safest SUV.

There are about 20,000 collisions with kangaroos in Australia each year, according to insurance industry data.

"We are starting with the large animals first, the ones that pose the greatest risk to drivers, such as a moose, a horse, or a cow, then we are working on ways to detect other animals, including kangaroos," Magnusson said.

Unfortunately man's best friends — dogs and cats — are not on the list of those to save. "Driver safety is not an issue when it comes to a collision with those animals. Of course it's a pity, and I happen to like cats, but there are no plans to [detect dogs or cats]," Magnusson said.

Volvo is yet to create a kangaroo crash test dummy similar to the one used by Holden in the 1990s.

Road Kill ... Hitting a kangaroo in a vehicle cannot only be deadly for the animal. Source: News Limited

But Volvo says it hopes to return to Australia in the next year or so to test the system on real kangaroos, during development.

"Eventually, we will have to test it in an environment with real kangaroos," said Mr Magnusson.

The system will not swerve the car to avoid a kangaroo (which safety experts strongly advise against) it will instead apply the brakes at full force to reduce the impact speed from, say, 110km/h to 70km/h.

A radar sensor in the grille scans the road 100 metres ahead to detect cars, cyclists and pedestrians. A camera in the windscreen works in parallel with the radar to detect which way the object is moving and help the computer decide what action to take, if any.

The system processes 15 images every second and can react to an emergency in half the time of a human, Volvo claims.

Magnusson says it takes 1.2 seconds for an attentive driver to detect danger and then apply the brakes, compared to about 0.5 second for the computer system.

"This truly is state of the art technology, because the brakes can be primed in milliseconds, much faster than a human," Magnusson said. "And we are only at the beginning of what is possible."

Volvo says it is not designed to take responsibility away from drivers. "It is a back-up in case they are distracted," Magnusson said.

The Volvo system will join a long line of gadgets designed to avoid crashes with kangaroos. Australian inventions mounted to the front of cars include plastic "whistles" and electronic sound transmitters that apparently only kangaroos can hear.

However, a 2006 study by the CSIRO found electronic sound emitters were not effective at deterring kangaroos. It tested one such device by switching it on in a paddock full of kangaroos and they didn't budge.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling


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Rape cases: ‘Stop being so drunk’

'It's Your Fault' parody video taking on controversial comments by public figures towards rape in India. Courtesy All India Backchod

Women should not get so drunk ... A retired judge says that rape convictions would increase. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

A RECENTLY retired judge said the number of rape convictions will not rise until women "stop getting so drunk".

Judge Mary Jane Mowat said it is an inevitable fact of being "one person's word against another" in rape trials and the burden of proof necessary being that you have to be sure before you convict that sees rape cases fail.

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In the UK, where Judge Mowat retired as a judge at the age of 66 on August 1, the conviction of rape cases that go to trial stands at 60 per cent.

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"I will ... say, and I will be pilloried for saying so, but the rape conviction statistics will not improve until women stop getting so drunk," Judge Mowat told the Oxford Mail.

"I'm not saying it's right to rape a drunken woman, I'm not saying for a moment that it's allowable to take advantage of a drunken woman.

"But a jury in a position where they've got a woman who says 'I was absolutely off my head, I can't really remember what I was doing, I can't remember what I said, I can't remember if I consented or not but I know I wouldn't have done'. I mean when a jury is faced with something like that, how are they supposed to react?"

Alleged rape victim ... a police officer escorts a distressed young woman to an ambulance. Source: News Limited

A Rape Crisis England & Wales spokesperson told The Independent that while Judge Mowat makes clear that it is never "allowable" to rape a "drunken woman", her remarks could still be potentially "very harmful".

"The point that she and other influential people within the criminal justice system should be making clearly and publicly is that the legal responsibility is with the defendant in a rape case to evidence how they sought and received consent," said Katie Russell.

"And if a woman is incapacitated through drink or drugs then she is not capable of giving her consent."

Russell said only an estimated 15 per cent of all rape victims go to the police, often because of feelings of shame and self-blame or for fear of not being believed or taken seriously.

"If we are ever to improve levels of reporting, and levels of criminal justice for sexual violence survivors, we must remain focused on the behaviour and culpability of perpetrators, not victims. One hundred per cent of the responsibility for any act of sexual violence lies with its perpetrator."

Natalie Brook, of Oxford Sexual Abuse and Rape Crisis Centre, said that Judge Mowat's comments on rape were 'an outrageous, misguided and frankly dangerous statement to make".

"Rape convictions will improve when those who perpetrate it, who are disproportionately male, stop raping and when society stops blaming women for somehow being complicit in this act of violence.

'Rape is 100 per cent the fault of the perpetrator."


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Zimbabwean axed for sharing Mitch video

Mitchell Johnson has again proved he is no slouch with the bat, smashing a six into the commentary box during Australia's ODI against Zimbabwe.

Mitchell Johnson's bowling has claimed another victim, albeit in unusual circumstances. Source: AFP

MITCHELL Johnson's path of inadvertently destruction has continued in Harare with a Zimbabwean cricketer sacked — apparently for posting a video of the Australian bowling fast.

In what must rank as one of the harshest firings in cricket history, Zimbabwe fast bowler Tinashe Panyangara has paid the price for sharing a video with teammates on social media app Whatsapp of Johnson in action against England during the last Ashes series.

Sending around the video of Johnson's bouncers, and implying Zimbabwe's batsmen might be in for a tough time against the quickest man in world cricket, has been deemed worthy of a $US1000 ($A1,082) fine and being stood down for the rest of the tri-series.

Zimbabwe bowler Tinashe Panyangara won't have to face Johnson again in this series. Source: AFP

Panyangara allegedly shared the video on Sunday night, on the eve of Zimbabwe's opening ODI clash with Australia.

Several media outlets reported its distribution cost him his place in the side and the fine.

The bizarre news comes two days after Johnson smashed the window of the Harare Sports Club commentary box with a straight six, sending callers flying.

Zimbabwe Cricket issued an official statement which made no mention of the reasons for Panyangara's punishment, however it said the team's disciplinary committee had found the side's most experienced seamer "disruptive in the build-up to the first ODI of the triangular series".

Johnson took one wicket and struck Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura on the helmet, in a match Australia won by 198 runs.

It's not the first iron-fisted decision made by Zimbabwe coach Steve Mangongo in recent times.

He dropped Luke Jongwe for breaching team curfew and the team's best player Brendan Taylor for an unexplained reason.

Mangongo reportedly sets a tight 9.30pm curfew for Zimbabwe players and doesn't let them consume alcohol.

Originally published as Zimbabwean axed for sharing Mitch video

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Witty church signs ignite social media storm

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 26 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

Gosford Anglican Church's Father Rod Bower with his wife Kerry. Source: Supplied

AN ANGLICAN reverend has become a social media sensation for his irreverent and witty signs that often fly in the face of the traditional views people expect from the church.

Gosford Anglican Church's Father Rod Bower is not afraid of controversy, using the notice board outside his church to call for compassion for boat people and to support gay marriage and action on climate change.

His signs went viral after he started posting them on Facebook and Twitter.

In an interview with ABC's 7.30, Father Bower said his most popular post was probably one about gay marriage that he put up in July last year, which some estimate has been seen by about 50 million people around the world.

It said: "Dear Christians. Some people are gay. Get over It. Love God".

Possibly Father Bower's most popular sign. Source: Supplied

The post got more than 7000 likes, while the church's Facebook page has over 14,000 likes.

While some have found his views refreshing, Father Bower said he had also lost the support of some people in his congregation.

"And that's really sad because these people are still considered to be friends, I've known them for a long time but they have felt that they in good conscience can't continue in a community that holds certain views," Father Bower said.

"What inspires me and us as a faith community of course, is the life and teachings of Jesus.

"We stand for what he stood for: justice, equity and compassion."

Father Bower said his social media following also reached the 25-54 year old age group, exactly the demographic missing from church congregations.

"We stand for what he (Jesus) stood for: justice, equity and compassion". Source: Supplied

He said this age group also seemed to be the ones interested in asking the deeper questions, such as "what sort of society do we want to be? What sort of group of people do we want to be?"

Despite his sometimes controversial views, Father Bower said he had never been censored.

"The bishops may not always agree with what I say but they feel very strongly that we have to have these conversations."

"It's not about being right or wrong. It's about evolving as a society into something that's hopefully better than what we are now."

Here is a collection of some of his best:

He started his own team:

While giving advice to Immigration Minister Scott Morrison:

Labor also gets a serve:

While gay marriage is also one of Father Bower's favoured subjects:

He throws in support for action on climate change for good measure:

And also proves he has a sense of humour:

Thank God It's Friday. Source: Supplied


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Dan to have 45kg scrotum removed

A Michigan man is making a plea to the public to help him raise money for a life-changing surgery to rectify his 100 lb. scrotum. Courtesy: Fox News

Having his 45kg scrotum removed ... Dan Maurer, 39, has scrotal lymphedema. Picture: Dan Maurer / Facebook Source: Facebook

Queensland man Tyrone Bowd has a scrotum the size of a watermelon. He is desperately seeking help for life-saving surgery in the United States.

A MAN, whose life is almost unbearable with a 45kg scrotum, is to have it surgically removed on Thursday.

Dan Maurer, 39, of Burlington, Michigan, has had an inflamed scrotum since his late twenties. His doctors blamed it on his obesity but it continued to grow when he shed more than 20kgs.

"I knew there was something else going on," Maurer told New York Daily News.

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He found out about his condition watching the TLC documentary about Wesley Warren Jr, "The Man with the 132-Pound Scrotum." Warren Jr had scrotal lymphedema and had it surgically removed by urologist Dr Joel Gelman of the University of California, Irvine.

But Maurer was broke and he knew he could not afford to go to California to see Dr Gelman and undergo surgery.

"I just put it off on the backburner, thinking 'this is never gonna happen,'" Maurer said.

But when he went to his mother's church, a fellow parishioner wanted a word.

"She said she heard God tell her it was her task to take this on," Maurer said. "She don't know me from Adam, (but) she took it upon herself (to help)."

The woman, together with Maurer and his mother, joined forces to raise funds. They rang media outlets, held fundraisers (a spaghetti dinner attracted 200 people) and through social media directed people to a GoFundMe page.

More than 1,000 people donated via the page, raising over $27,000.

"It just touches me to such an extent," Maurer said.

He expressed his gratitude to all of his donors, especially "the ones who donate the minimum $5 because I know they're strapped. No one would take the time and effort it would take to do it for $5 if it wasn't all they had."

Maurer can now afford the surgery and is flying to California to have the operation on Thursday.

Maurer on Facebook wrote: "I went to the Doctor on Friday and not only did I lose 23 pounds in 5 weeks but I am super healthy based on my pre surgery test I should be able to handle the surgery great and heal very fast. we fly out in about a week wish me luck."

Maurer said he has been unable to have sex with his wife, Mindy, for seven years, and he was hopeful to rectify that after the surgery

Maurer told the News: "I feel that I have been blessed enough to have it removed, but I want to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else, (and) that's why I want to put myself in the light."

"With the surgery, my life is on the line and losing my penis is on the line," he said. "I guarantee almost all men would go for the best (doctor)."

Maurer said he has been unable to have sex with his wife, Mindy, for seven years, and he was hopeful to rectify that after the surgery and has a message for everyone who has backed him.

"After the surgery, if I don't lose the weight and get healthy I'm letting them down. They're holding me accountable to my word and I value my word quite a bit," Maurer said.

He wants to take the baton from Wesley Warren Jr and let people know about scrotal lymphedema.

"Wesley passed away before he could really be the representation, to give people hope," Maurer said. "I want to be the success story."


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Government giveaway you’ll want to know about

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop chats about her memories of her first overseas trip at the launch of the New Colombo Plan for Australian undergraduates.

Federal Government is offering young people the chance to visit places like China. Source: Supplied

TENS of thousands of young Australians will have the choice of living, studying and working in dozens of countries under a massive upgrade of the Government's New Colombo Plan.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop today said a pilot scheme limited to four countries would next year be expanded to a full program offering visits to 35 nations.

Ms Bishop said the scheme's participants would gain experiences that would add to "the productivity and prosperity of our country".

"But so much more importantly, they will be part of generations of young Australians interacting with young people in countries in our region," she said.

"And that kind of connection is gold."

The program, to cost more than $100 million over four years, is actually a reverse Colombo plan.

Young people will be able to travel to places like Japan. AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko Source: AP

From 1951 to the 1980s the original Colombo Plan saw thousands of young men and women from our regional neighbours educated in Australia. Many now are senior figures in government and business in their homelands.

The New Colombo Plan will do the same for young Australians, providing them with study and business experiences overseas.

It has become a flagship program in regional contacts following the $7.6 billion in cuts to foreign aid from the Budget in May – the largest single spending reduction.

"Of all the policies, and of all the rhetoric that engagement in the region, it's investing in our young people, it's investing in our future, that will ensure Australia is a strong and prosperous in a safe and secure region," Ms Bishop said.

She said at a recent Association of South East Asian Nations conference "about a dozen of the foreign minister present there raised the New Colombo Plan in their set speech as an example of the kind of activity, engagement, that our region was seeking to embrace".

"So Australia's new Colombo Plan , like the original historic Colombo Plan of the 1950s, is all about building people-to-people links and networks of friendships and engagement that will last a lifetime," she said.

Scholarship program is available for those aged 18 to 28 years old and there are 35 countries you can visit. Source: News Limited

Julie Bishop and senior tertiary education figures developed an outline for the program in Opposition and had to convince Prime Minister Tony Abbott it would work.

It is open to undergraduates aged 18 to 28 at Australian universities and provides internships and mentorships in the region. Arrangements are made between home universities and host institutions.

Next year the New Colombo Plan will provide around 60 scholarships and $8 million in assistance known as "mobility grants".

Nations taking part in the scheme are:

Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, Kiribati, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, East Timor, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vietnam.


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Porn stars: squeeze our boobs for charity

Written By Unknown on Senin, 25 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

News.com.au's Debra Killalea sits down with adult film superstar, James Deen.

Japanese porn stars ... raising money for AIDS research by having their breasts squeezed. Source: News Limited

A GROUP of Japanese porn actresses are preparing to have their breasts squeezed by fans for 24 hours this weekend for a charity event loosely translated as "Boob Aid".

The nine adult movie stars told local media on Monday they could barely contain their excitement about the "Stop! AIDS" campaign event — which will be televised live — but asked, perhaps somewhat optimistically: please be gentle.

"I'm really looking forward to lots of people fondling my boobs," Rina Serina told Tokyo Sports.

"But I would be very happy if you would please be delicate."

PORN: Three stars tell why they love it

TEEN BEAUTY QUEEN: Becomes porn star

Squeeze boobs for charity ... A group of Japanese porn stars are trying to raise money for research into AIDS. Source: Supplied

The event, the 12th since its launch in 2003, will be broadcast on adult cable television, with punters donating to the anti-AIDS campaign in exchange for a feel.

It comes after sexist heckling of a Tokyo assemblywoman hit the headlines, highlighting old-fashioned views towards women that still permeate Japanese society.

"I never thought my boobs could contribute to society," added the ponytailed Serina, apparently unaware of any contradiction.

Fellow porn actress Iku Sakuragi had no qualms about being groped by hundreds of pairs of hands.

"It's for charity," said the 21-year-old.

"Squeeze them, donate money — let's be happy."

Lawmakers from Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling party sparked a public outcry in June when they subjected Tokyo assemblywoman Ayaka Shiomura to sexist taunts, shouting "Why don't you get married?" at her during a debate on motherhood.

Japan has one of the lowest rates of female workforce participation in the developed world and a lack of childcare facilities, poor career support and deeply entrenched sexism are blamed for keeping women at home.

The 24-hour "squeeze-a-thon" begins at 7pm (Eastern Standard Time) on Saturday and is backed by the Japan Foundation for AIDS Prevention.

WORLD'S BEST BOOBS POLL


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Will cartoons help smokers quit?

Learn how to identify the triggers of your smoking. Courtesy: Quit

The animated videos show a range of circumstances they hope any smoker will recognise. Source: Supplied

AN anti-smoking organisation is taking a radically different approach to persuading Australians not to light up.

In a dramatic departure from the gruesome images used in existing campaigns, Quit Victoria has employed lighthearted animated videos with a cheerful tone.

The cartoon series, entitled "Triggers", is made up of four short videos that suggest ways smokers can curb their cravings.

The campaign identifies Saturday night as a key moment when smokers trying to quit may fail. Source: Supplied

How to deal with the Saturday night trigger. Courtesy: Quit

So will the campaign actually work, or is it just silly?

The first begins with a voiceover saying: "Ever noticed how some things trigger your smoking? Coffee, parties, smoking buddies, stress and after meals.

"Ask yourself, what are your triggers? Everyone's different, so you need to work out your own ways of dealing with them. Thinking ahead and being prepared is the key to quitting for good."

The ads will be carefully targeted across all platforms, with online adverts pushed out around the time of morning coffee breaks, radio ads played on Saturday nights before people go out, and images placed in the back of taxis, where passengers might face stress over traffic.

Quit Victoria acting director Craig Sinclair said: "We found that more than 80 per cent of smokers have tried to quit. Most have had at least eight attempts.

"It can be hard to stay quit due to addiction to nicotine, living with a smoker, negative withdrawal symptoms and these common triggers.

The "coffee trigger" animation will be targeted to coincide with mid-morning work breaks. Source: Supplied

How to deal with the coffee trigger. Courtesy: Quit

"We want smokers to understand what their triggers are so they can be prepared to manage them."

He said the cute drawings will stop people from "self-exempting" because they don't look like an actor, and instead they will identify with the circumstance portrayed.

The anti-tobacco group's research shows that having friends who smoke is the trigger people find hardest to resist. Women are most likely to pick up a cigarette when under stress, while men tend to crave cigarettes during work breaks.

The organisation hopes the campaign will be imitated across other states and at an international level.

But it insists the new style does not negate the impact of plain packaging and graphic images currently used to deter people from smoking.

The animations will be placed in taxis, where people might become stressed over traffic. Source: Supplied

How to deal with the stress trigger. Courtesy: Quit

"There is no question that in our history of creating anti-tobacco ads, the most confronting need to continue," said Mr Sinclair.

"These campaigns have been remarkably successful, but 15.1 per cent of Australians still smoke.

"We need a two-pronged approach, with hard-hitting attempts to motivate people but also things like this to assist smokers in quitting.

"It's a key departure from previous campaigns, designed to help them quit and see it as a process, not just one step."


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How you’re being fooled by Ikea

Ikea have used their store as a setting for a time travel experiment, involving the hypnotism of shoppers.

IKEA'S success is no accident. The Swedish furniture giant is messing with your head — and you love them for it.

It's a psychological trick used by everyone from pick-up artists to big corporations, a trick that was notably used by American founding father Benjamin Franklin.

Way back in the 18th century, Benjamin Franklin wanted to get on the good side of a rival legislator, so he asked to borrow a rare book. The legislator obliged, and the two became lifelong friends.

It turns out, if you do someone a favour, you'll like them more. That's because your brain subconsciously alters your thoughts and feelings towards that person to rationalise your behaviour — "I did this person a favour, therefore I must like them".

We value Ikea products more because we've had a hand in creating them.

By forcing customers to "finish the job" and build the furniture themselves, Ikea tricks you into valuing its products more, according to consumer psychologist and Gruen Transfer panellist Adam Ferrier.

Mr Ferrier is the head of strategy at advertising agency Cummins&Partners. He said the "Ikea Effect", a term coined by researchers from the Harvard Business School in 2011, is now being used by all kinds of brands to bring consumers on board.

"As soon as you do something for someone else, you post-rationalise that action and begin to like that person more," Mr Ferrier told the audience at the Xerocon conference last week.

"The reason why that's important today is all communications can now be interactive. If you're in small business it's even more important, because you can build your business by asking favours of your clients — and they'll like you more for doing it."

According to the 2011 study, when instant cake mixes were first introduced in the 1950s, housewives were resistant — the mixes made cooking too easy, undervaluing their labour.

"As a result, manufacturers changed the recipe to require adding an egg," the authors write. "While there are likely several reasons why this change led to greater subsequent adoption, infusing the task with labour appeared to be a crucial ingredient."

Coke asked customers to buy a bottle for a friend instead of themselves. Source: News Limited

Coca-Cola is another brand which used this concept to great effect. Its 'Share a Coke' campaign was arguably one of its most successful ever, and played on the same idea — rather than asking people to buy a Coke for themselves, it invited people to buy one for a friend.

The reason psychological tricks such as these are so important, according to Mr Ferrier, is that consumers don't respond to rational messaging. "Actions change attitudes much faster than attitudes change actions," he said.

"It's almost impossible to get someone to change their behaviour through rational argument — if you've ever gone to a psychologist and they laid you down on the couch and sat behind you and asked you to speak about your mother, they were wasting your time and taking you for a ride.

"That type of psychology, based around coming to some insight about yourself and then changing your behaviour as a result, has never been proven in science. The relationship between insight and action is vast."

Mr Ferrier said most psychologists — and brands — had moved on instead to trying to encourage people to approximate the behaviours they wanted to see.

"Having an insight doesn't mean you're going to act on that insight," he said. "Knowing you're an a**hole and the reasons why doesn't stop you being an a**hole."

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

Referring to the psychological tension caused by holding two conflicting beliefs, the principle is illustrated by Aesop's classic fable 'The Fox and the Grapes', in which the fox, unable to reach a bunch of grapes, convinces himself he doesn't want them anyway — they're sour.

THE IKEA EFFECT

Coined by researchers from the Harvard Business School in their 2011 paper, the Ikea Effect shows that when people construct products themselves — from flatpack furniture to origami — they come to overvalue their creations, no matter how poorly made.

THE ENDOWMENT EFFECT

The Endowment Effect means people value more what they already have — it's why salespeople are always so keen to put things in your hands (think car test drives). In general, people are thought to value something around twice as much if they already own it.


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Key suspect in Foley beheading named

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 24 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

The UN has strongly condemned the 'heinous and cowardly' murder of journalist James Foley by IS militants.

Brave journalist ... James Foley on assignment in Aleppo, Syria. Picture: Nicole Tung Source: AP

THE British security services MI5 and MI6 have reportedly identified a British hip-hop artist as the key suspect in the hunt for the killer who beheaded American journalist James Foley.

The Sunday Times newspaper said Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, from Maida Vale in West London, had become a crucial part of the investigation.

The paper attributed the information to "senior government sources."

Bary, 23, is the son of an Egyptian-born militant who is awaiting trial on terror charges in New York tied to the deadly 1998 bombings of embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Former hostages held by ISIS have said he is one of several jihadists they nicknamed "the Beatles" due to their British accents, with two of his cronies referred to as "George" and "Ringo."

Bary — who recently tweeted a photo of himself holding up a severed head — was among three Brits identified as possibly being the masked killer known as "John".

In June, The Sunday Times revealed a threat made by Bary on Twitter. "The lions are coming for you soon you filthy kuffs (infidels)," he wrote. "Beheadings in your own backyard soon."

Sickening ... Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary recently tweeted a photo of himself holding up a severed head. Source: Supplied

Bary, who went to Syria last year to fight in its bloody civil war, has a build, skin tone and ­accent all similar to those of "John," according to The Telegraph.

Before becoming a jihadist, he was an aspiring rapper known as "L Jinny," whose music was played on BBC Radio 1.

Bary also appeared in music videos posted on YouTube for songs titled Overdose, Flying High and Dreamer.

But he was reportedly radicalised by followers of firebrand ­Islamic preacher Anjem Choudary and walked out of his family's plush West London home last year, saying he was "leaving everything for the sake of Allah."

Earlier this month, he was seen in a photo posted to Twitter wearing camouflage clothing and a black balaclava while holding a severed head with his left hand — the same hand "John" is seen using to draw a knife across Foley's throat in his execution video.

Slain ... James Foley, a freelance contributor for GlobalPost, in Benghazi, Libya. Source: AP

Also under investigation are Abu Hussain Al-Britani, 20, a computer hacker from Birmingham, and Abu Abdullah al-Britani, in his 20s, from Portsmouth, the MailOnline reported.

Mail Online reported that al-Britani was jailed in 2012 for stealing personal information from former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Since joining ISIS' brutal campaign in Syria al-Britani, real name Junaid Hussian, has worked to fund the ISIS war chest by mounting jihadist cyber attacks on British banks and celebrities.

Glamorising murder ... The Twitter profile pic of Abu Hussain Al-Britani, 20, a computer hacker from Birmingham. Picture: Twitter Source: Supplied

Abu Abdullah Al-Britani, meanwhile, is active on social media using Twitter to post pro-ISIS propaganda. According to Mail Online, he is believed to be behind an account on the ask.fm social media site giving young people advice on how to travel to Syria and Iraq and encouraging them to join the jihad.

Overcome ... After speaking with US President Barack Obama by phone, John and Diane Foley, parents of murdered journalist James Foley, talk to reporters outside their home in Rochester, New Hampshire. Picture: Jim Cole Source: AP

Other possible identities for "John" include the brother of a British doctor once charged with kidnapping two Western war correspondents, and a former gang member who converted to Islam and travelled to Syria, Britain's Telegraph newspaper reported.

A dozen American counterterrorism experts are expected to fly to the UK "within days" to help identify Foley's killer, the Daily Mail reported.


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Block ‘cheaters’ say prank just harmless fun

On The Block Glasshouse, the judges find a mobile phone recording their conversation as the room was revealed. Courtesy: The Block, Network Nine

Simon and Shannon are caught red handed. Source: Huffington Post

IN what has been dubbed "the biggest Block scandal ever", brothers Simon and Shannon were tonight revealed as the "cheaters" who placed a phone under the bed to record the judges' secret conversations.

Judges Shayna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Neale Whitaker, as well as host Scotty Cam were not

impressed when they discovered Simon had deliberately hidden a mobile in the room to eavesdrop on the judges feedback.

"That is not on" said Shayna. "That is really bad. Is that cheating?"

Added Darren: "I don't know if it's cheating, but it's definitely giving them something that everybody else doesn't get. Scott delivers our judgments, recording them - that's never been done on The Block before."

Darren Palmer discovers the phone under the bed during judging. Source: Huffington Post

While Scotty Cam said: "So you don't trust me? You had to record the feedback? You don't trust what I was saying?"

Simon told news.com.au it was just a harmless prank borne out of frustration at not getting enough constructive criticism from the judges.

"They spend an hour in each room and we only get to hear a two minute spill of what they think, we never even get to see them (the judges), so I wanted to know more of their feedback, but it was mainly to do something cheeky to see what they're saying and then go from there.

"I don't think when I do stuff stupid things. It wasn't to get the upper hand, I'm not that clever, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed," he laughed.

Scotty Cam was not impressed. "Don't you trust me?" he said. Source: Channel 9

The boys maintain the whole thing was a harmless prank that was blown out of proportion, refuting Nine's claim that it was the "biggest scandal" ever seen on The Block.

"It can't be," said Shannon, "the biggest (scandal) is those twins. It was just a cheeky little thing to do."

While Simon added: "No way, they're just trying to make a mountain out of an ant hill to try and get viewers, but if they want to play it like that, that's fine."

They also strongly refuted it was "cheating", saying they are honest blokes with good morals.

"I told all the other teams that I did it, so it's obviously not cheating. I don't know how that gives us the upper hand and judges thought it was just a cheeky prank too," said Simon.

Simon said when he went back to the room and discovered the phone had been found and removed he became nervous and was "packing it" at the consequences.

Darren Palmer, Shayna Blaze and Neale Whitaker discuss the "spy phone." Source: Huffington Post

He then confessed to his brother about what he'd done.

"I just called him a cheeky little d--khead, as brothers do," said Shannon of his brother's decision to hide the phone without telling him, "because that's what he is, he is a cheeky little d--khead.

"It didn't surprise me at all that he did it. No word of a lie, he came on the show just to prank people and it's probably not the best place to have fun, but that's what Simon brings to the show, likes to have fun and stir the pot a bit."

Simon said the only repercussion was a slap on the wrist from Scotty and everyone took the prank in good faith.

"I did the walk of shame out to Scotty to get the phone and he said I'm not angry, I'm just disappointed, which is way worse".

Shannon and Simon only got a slap on the wrist. Source: Supplied

But despite all the drama, Simon said he would do it again in a heartbeat.

"To be honest, I'd do it again tomorrow. Why not? I don't regret that I did it, I know my intention wasn't to cheat, it was just something in my character.

"I didn't think Darren would get on his knees looking for an electric point, but if I was doing it properly, I would have thought to have hidden it way better, I didn't think it would turn into what it did."

Scotty Cam told news.com.au that while he was disappointed with the boys dishonesty, he has decided to forgive and forget.

"This has never happened before. I'm a trustworthy bloke so whatever I say in the judges feedback is gospel. I think they got the message from me and I'm sure they'll never do it again."

Meanwhile, Maxine and Karstan won the master suite room reveal with a score of 28.

The boys say they would never cheat. Source: Supplied


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Rap mogul shot at during party

Shot at ... Marion "Suge" Knight was injured in a shooting at a nightclub. Source: AP

DEATH Row Records founder Suge Knight is undergoing surgery after being shot twice - once in the arm and stomach - during a nightclub party in West Hollywood.

Knight walked out of the club following the shooting, police told TMZ. He was then put in an ambulance and taken to hospital.

The 49-year-old rap mogul was one of three victims taken to LA's Cedars Sinai Hospital after the incident at the 1OAK nightclub, TMZ reports.

One of the shooting victims is reportedly in a critical condition.

Unscathed ... Singer Chris Brown, pictured at the basketball in New York last week, was hosting the nightclub party. Picutre: AP Source: AP

Knight was attending a party hosted by controversial singer Chris Brown, who was reportedly caught up in the shooting but not hurt.

An hour-and-a-half prior to the shootout, Game got into a fight with security guards after being denied entry and left - his mates stayed on, according to TMZ.

A divisive figure in hip-hop, Knight was accused by his former friend Snoop Dogg of being involved in the 1996 murder of troubled rapper Tupac Shakur.

He was also implicated in the shooting murder of rap legend Christopher "Biggie" Smalls, which was said to be a revenge killing for Shakur's death.


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Five lessons from the Aussie horror show

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 23 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

Kurtley Beale of the Wallabies looks dejected after losing to the All Blacks in Auckland tonight. Photo by Cameron Spencer. Source: Getty Images

HOW demoralising was that?

Tonight, a week after outplaying New Zealand in Sydney and shamelessly giving hope to the dozens of Aussie fans who still follow rugby, the Wallabies were humiliated. They lost 51-20, and they lost the Bledisloe Cup for a 12th consecutive year.

No team would have beaten the All Blacks tonight. They were that good. But the 31-point scoreline certainly contained a few interesting lessons, such as:

Israel Folau takes it all in. Photo: Cameron Spencer. Source: Getty Images

1. Last week's draw was a terrible result

Most Aussies interpreted the 12-12 draw in Sydney as a sign of progress, but it was actually a blown chance. The Wallabies had an extra man for 20 minutes, at home, against a Kiwi side playing well below par, and they couldn't get across the line. That meant they had to win in Auckland — and no Aussie team has done that since 1986.

MATCH REPORT: All Blacks run riot to retain Bledisloe

2. Rugby officials are having a torrid love affair with their cards

Referees Jaco Peyper and Romain Poite brandished five yellow cards between them during the opening two Bledisloe Tests. All of those calls were pretty harsh. Perhaps Peyper and Poite were watching the recent FIFA World Cup a little too closely — or maybe the referees have just decided to stop tolerating cynicism from the players. That isn't such a bad thing, really.

The All Black pose for a photo with the Bledisloe Cup/ Photo: Ross Setford. Source: AP

3. New Zealand's forwards have lovely hands

No, I'm not saying they should give up rugby to become hand models. The All Blacks are better than any other team in the world because they're multi-talented — the forwards can pass and the backs can clean out rucks. Those short balls at the line, with forwards passing to other forwards, tore the Wallabies apart tonight. Our boys should learn how to do that.

4. The Wallabies really are dangerous

They barely seemed to touch the ball until the score had blown out to 44-6, but after that, the Wallabies were quite excellent in attack. They scored two quick tries, and temporarily shut up the Kiwi crowd. Israel Folau offloaded at every opportunity. Michael Hooper, a forward, sprinted around defenders like a Honey Badger with rocket boots. The potential of this team is obvious, but at the moment, it's also unfulfilled.

Kurtley Beale is tackled by New Zealand's Liam Messam. Photo: Ross Setford. Source: AP

5. The All Blacks are not in decline

In the lead-up to this Test, it was suggested that several of New Zealand's star players, such as its captain Richie McCaw, were past their prime. McCaw went on to score two tries. The All Blacks have still lost just one Test since the last World Cup, and they haven't been defeated at home since 2009 — clearly, they're still a mile ahead of anyone else.

What did you think of the game? Join the conversation on Twitter @newscomauhq

Originally published as Five lessons from the Aussie horror show
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All Blacks run riot to retain Bledisloe

The All Blacks have put on a show against the Wallabies in game two of the Bledisloe Cup, winning 51-20 at Eden Park.

Richie McCaw grabbed a double after he had earlier been sin-binned. Source: Getty Images

MASSACRE. The fierce Blacklash was without mercy in Auckland on Saturday night when the Wallabies were hammered into their Eden Park grave with such contempt that it may be another 28 years before they win there.

Bye-bye Bledisloe for another year was the funeral march that should send shivers down the spines of the Wallabies because they are as far away as ever from winning back the previous silverware they have not held since 2002.

The 51-20 pummelling delivered by the All Blacks shouted a message over every fallen Wallaby body trying to make a tackle or caught out by wave after wave of All Black raiders.

"Fading are we?" Crunch. "Losing our mojo?" Cop another try. The Wallabies were smashed and 33-year-old titan Richie McCaw could leer more than anyone. He scored back-to-back tries midway through the second half in bulldozing pack drives to turn it into a rout after his sinbinning of the first half.

No win at Eden Park since Kylie Minogue was first getting steamy on Neighbours in 1986 has turned Test visits to Auckland into Australia's longest running soap opera.

Downcast fullback Israel Folau was forced to admit closing the gap on the All Blacks was still a mirage.

"For sure, it's one of the most disappointing games of my whole football career," Folau said.

"We're still really confident within the group but with the result tonight it obviously seems that the gap is still pretty big.

"The All Blacks have been a great team for a long time but there was no urgency shown when they scored back-to-back tries. Simple mistakes and easy turnovers let us down. You string some good points together and it all came too late."

McCaw more than made up for his yellow card. Source: Getty Images

The agony of another squandered Bledisloe campaign was the 14-0 rupture in the first half when the Wallabies were reduced to 14 men by the sinbinning of lock Rob Simmons.

The All Blacks dismantled a seven-man Wallabies scrum for a penalty try and then danced away on an 80m counter-attack try for winger Julian Savea when the wasteful Aussies coughed up the ball when on full attack.

Instead of turning a scintillating counter-attack run over 50m from Folau into a try, lock Sam Carter coughed up the ball out wide, the All Blacks pounced and Savea was gone. So was the Bledisloe Cup.

It was clinical. It was the same old script. It was the All Blacks at their primal Eden Park best as giants above the mortals as they knocked the wind from another Wallabies challenge. It is 15 straight losses now at Eden Park and 10,213 days and counting since the Wallabies last win there over the Kiwis.

All the expectation of a golden glory night dissipated as a tight 9-6 contest blew out to 23-6. It was 44-6 before the All Blacks declared with 20 minutes to play.

Most tellingly, the All Blacks did what the Wallabies could not against 14 men.

The side chasing could generate nothing on the scoreboard when All Blacks skipper McCaw was binned in the 12th minute for a professional foul for interfering with Michael Hooper's clearance of the ball from a ruck.

"The All Blacks made a statement to themselves more than anyone else that they weren't a spent force," former All Black Ian Jones said.

They lifted and organised with McCaw off and soared when he returned.

Kurtley Beale's pot for the penalty goal and 6-all was all the Wallabies could squeeze from their 10 minutes of advantage.

The writing was written on the wall in a bizarre game of musical chairs. The sin bin chair was still warm as the desolate Simmons (dangerous play in a maul) trotted to it and McCaw ran back on.

The Aussies were brave when Nic White was mopping up a dangerous kick and Slipper was chopping down a winger but they were outclassed.

The ferocity of the tackling in the early exchanges showed how much the night meant because the full house winced just as James Slipper did when crunched by Richie McCaw or when Matt Toomua wrapped up Aaron Cruden.

There was a ball-running intent to the All Blacks from the whistle that was never there in the wet of Sydney. It only emphasised the greatest foreboding out that 12-all draw...the Wallabies blew their best chance and the All Blacks don't give you a second.

Relive all the action from our live blog below and check out Match Centre for live stats and video!

Originally published as All Blacks run riot to retain Bledisloe
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Could this be the end of ‘Quiet, please’?

Seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe has backed Novak Djokovic to win the US Open, despite a poor run since Wimbledon.

Maria Sharapova screams as she celebrates a victory. Source: News Limited

TENNIS is about to get loud.

As we head towards the most boisterous tournament of the year, the US Open in New York, leading players are calling for an end to the game's silence.

It would be a dramatic break from tradition. Indeed, the famous "Quiet, please" call from the chair umpire would cease to exist.

"When I'm watching other sports I see, for example, in NBA, how it works, and how entertaining it is for the crowd to see big screens and always something happening in the timeouts when they're not playing," he said. "And even during play, you're able to scream, shout, whistle, do whatever you like," world No. 1 Novak Djokovic told the New York Times.

Should tennis allow crowds to make constant noise? Vote in the poll below

Novak Djokovic would like to see tennis get louder. Source: AFP

Andy Murray, the 2012 US Open champion, added that he would have no problem playing with sound so long as it was "constant".

"Players would get used to it if it was kind of loud all of the time," Murray said.

"It's just when it's very quiet and then someone makes a noise, or when everyone is sitting down and someone stands up behind the court, then it's off-putting.

"But if people were moving around all of the time and always making noise, then the players would adjust."

Andy Murray says he wouldn't mind playing with crowd noise, so long as it was constant. Source: AFP

Five-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova has been criticised for over-the-top shrieking during matches.

The Russian said she always looked forward to playing at Flushing Meadows, NY, where the crowds have a knack for stretching tennis' no-noise rules.

"As the match goes on, of course you expect a few more people to get a bit more buzzed than at the beginning, which is normal," Sharapova said.

"I actually quite like it, because you feel the energy, and they're not so shy anymore.

"You also have to understand, a bunch of people come to a tennis match for their very first time, without knowing what's going on — a good percentage of the stadium. And those are always fun, because you hear them more than the others."

Maria Sharapova has one of the loudest screams in tennis. Crowd noise would drown it out. Source: News Corp Australia

There is at least one player who wants tennis to stay quiet.

Czech Tomas Berdych said he preferred the silence of Wimbledon to the scream of New York.

"I prefer the British crowds, London crowds," Berdych said.

"It's very special for tennis. When you stand on the baseline and start to bounce the ball, probably everybody can hear that. And then when you finish the rally, all the people are into it — probably that's the best feeling in tennis.

"I'm not saying it's bad in New York, definitely not. It's very unique, very special atmosphere, because to play on the stadium where it could be over 20,000 people, it's not really a daily experience.

"But they are a bit more loud."

Should tennis allow crowds to make constant noise?


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Cult businesses you need to know

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 22 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

Gelato Messina today serves 30,000 customers per week. Source: News Corp Australia

Many business owners are too busy to create a personal financial plan, but that can be a mistake. MarketWatch's Robert Powell talks with three financial advisers about how business owners can manage their personal investments.

YOU know that one shop that's so good, you tell all your friends about it?

In marketing jargon it's called "word-of-mouth", and for most companies it's the holy grail. As the old adage goes, the worse your product is, the more you have to spend on advertising.

According to Declan Lee of Gelato Messina, the ice cream chain fast becoming a national phenomenon, all the clever tricks in the world are no good if the product doesn't stack up.

"If you get a referral from a friend, someone whose taste you trust implicitly, if they endorse something — that is better than any marketing you can put in front of their face," he said.

Mr Lee has been running Messina's brand development for the past four years alongside founder Nick Palumbo, his brother Danny Palumbo and chef Donato Toce.

The Shark-Lado cone. Source: Supplied

From somewhat shaky beginnings in Sydney's Darlinghurst in 2002, Messina has today expanded to six stores nationally and serves more than 30,000 customers per week.

He says the decision was made early on to not spend a single cent on traditional advertising. Instead, Messina relies on mouth-watering updates on its Facebook page to get people talking.

It also engages in "creative collaborations" — basically, anything that takes the team's fancy. That can range from creating custom gelato flavours for a wedding, to a blood-filled "heart" to promote HBO's True Blood, to a Sharknado-themed gelato cone.

"The early thing that contributed to our success was simply using social media," Mr Lee said. "It sounds ridiculous to say now, but when we started our Facebook page, people in this space weren't really using it very well. We used it as a signpost for us, as a point for conversing with our customers."

Sharyn Smith, founder of marketing company Social Soup, said as long as you can make your product remarkable, it will get talked about. "Just as word-of-mouth is the best kind of advertising, it's also the worst way for a bad product to advertise," she said. "It's killed many bad products."

SMALL BUSINESSES WITH BIG CULT FOLLOWINGS

GELATO MESSINA

Famous for absurd ice cream concoctions, on some nights queues at Gelato Messina's Surry Hills store run around the block. Messina has now expanded to six stores nationally.

BLACK MILK CLOTHING

Based out of a small design studio in Brisbane, Black Milk Clothing is the fastest-growing company you've never heard of, and it has a rabid Facebook following.

Black Milk Clothing's Cameron Parker showing off the new 3D interactive website. Source: News Limited

DEJOUR JEANS

The only place to go for cheap, tailored jeans — but be prepared to wait in line. Founded by denim specialist Nam Huynh in 1989, Brunswick's Dejour Jeans has become a Melbourne institution.

THE GROUNDS

Sydney cafe The Grounds of Alexandria hit the headlines late last year when resident pig Kevin Bacon was abducted, but even before then the converted warehouse was drawing visitors from all over.

The super-trendy Grounds of Alexandria. Source: Supplied

PULP FICTION COMICS

Just around the corner from Rundle Mall in the centre of Adelaide's CBD, Pulp Fiction Comics is the place to go for hardcore comic geeks and casual pop-culture fans alike.

Peter Moore, owner of Pulp Fiction Comics in Adelaide. Source: News Limited

BLACK STAR PASTRY

Suburbanites wait patiently in lines stretching up the street for Black Star Pastry's famous strawberry watermelon cake. Black Star operates out of a hole in the wall in Newtown, in Sydney's Inner West.

The famous strawberry and watermelon cake. Source: News Limited

LUNE CROISSANTERIE

Some customers have queued for an hour to buy six pastries — the maximum per person — from Melbourne patisserie Lune Croissanterie, run by former aeronautical engineer Kate Reid.

AQUABUMPS

Based out of Bondi, surf photographer Eugene Tan's website and print store, Aquabumps, dedicated to all things early morning beach life, has a massive Facebook following.

Eugene Tan shoots daily at sunrise. Source: Supplied

OOBI

From a tiny market stall to a booming children's clothing label, Oobi has developed a loyal community of mothers — fans have even been known to throw Oobi-themed parties.

BASS & FLINDERS DISTILLERY

Located an hour's drive south of Melbourne on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, Wayne Klintworth and Bob Laing's boutique distillery has been generating buzz in the bar scene.

Wayne Klintworth (left) and Bob Laing of Bass & Flinders Distillery. Source: News Corp Australia

RAW CLOTH

For those in the know, Raw Cloth is a must visit for any visitor to Darwin. The tiny store in Nightcliff specialises in dresses and fabrics handpainted by indigenous artists from Maningrida and Merrepen.

Raw Cloth owner Rhonda Dunne (right) and work partner Kerrie Horgan. Source: News Limited

OISHI-M

Based in Torquay in Victoria, Oishi-M is another kids' clothing brand with a serious following. As the name suggests, Oishi-M mixes Japanese, vintage and retro fabrics to create a unique look.

Which business do you recommend to all your friends? Leave your suggestions in the comments below.


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Jihadist butcher could be former rapper

Twitter image of US journalist James Foley, who was abducted in Syria in 2012 and later beheaded. Picture: Twitter Source: Twitter

Tributes are flowing in for US Journalist James Foley, after he was beheaded at the hands of IS militants. US President Barack Obama and British PM David Cameron have condemned the killing.

A LONDON rapper and a former drug dealer, both of whom turned to extremist Islam, are among the UK's potential suspects for the execution of US journalist James Foley.

Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary, 23, the so-called 'hip-hop jihadist' from Maida Vale, west London, went to Syria last year and has tweeted a picture of himself holding up a severed head while Aine Davis, 30, from Hammersmith, west London, is a former drug dealer and gang member who joined the militants in Syria.

MORE: Net closes on extremist 'John'

Bary's father, who had been accused of having close ties to late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, faces a possible life prison sentence after being extradited to the US on charges regarding the 1998 US embassy bombings in Africa.

Scotland Yard detectives and MI5 will look closely at the physical profiles of both Bary jnr, whose music at one stage featured on the BBC, and Davis in comparison with the shocking Foley execution video.

Bary jnr had used the Twitter name Terrorist and had also posted photos of himself in fatigues, hooded and brandishing a machine gun under the caption "soldier of Allah".

Video still of US journalist James Foley, who was beheaded by ISIS militants. Source: Supplied

Separate to the Foley murder investigation, Mohammed Junaid Thorne, 25, is a radical self-appointed Imam who has come to the attention of Australian security agencies after posting messages of support for Islamic State on Facebook and, while analysts say he is deliberately inflammatory, has told his followers Jew and Christian "pigs" were responsible for the rape of Muslim women.

He has praised Islamic fighters as "the ones who are on the front lines, in the battle fields, backing their words with actions".

It emerged yesterday that Foley's captors had sent the US a "laundry list" of demands including the release of a terrorist dubbed "Lady al Qaeda" and $142 million in ransom.

Aafia Siddiqui, an MIT-educated Pakistani neuroscientist, is currently serving 86 years in a Texas jail for planning a "mass casualty attack' in the US, including infecting people with Ebola and planning a 'dirty' bomb detonation.

Meanwhile, an East London doctor who had faced kidnapping charges in Syria, is expected to be questioned by British authorities about any knowledge of IS hostage operations and the potential identity of Foley's killer.

Shajul Islam, 28, of Stratford, East London, was charged with kidnapping a British journalist, John Cantlie, in 2012 but his trial collapsed and the charges were withdrawn.

Islam's younger brother, Razul Islam, 21, has joined IS fighters and will also be assessed in relation to the British man named 'John' who featured in the Foley beheading footage.

Shajul Islam, who is now suspended from medical practice, has maintained his innocence of the kidnapping allegations, saying he had gone to Syria in a humanitarian capacity.

Captives, whose government had paid ransoms for their freedom, have stated John was among three British militants they dubbed 'The Beatles' because of their accents.

As UK, European and US security analysts continue to work comparing height, voice and eye records with the image of the man who executed Foley, it is understood British Prime Minister David Cameron has authorised a British special forces team to be on standby for any bid to capture the killer.

Former Secret Intelligence Service chief Richard Barratt told UK media he was confident Foley's executioner, who hid his face behind a hood in the video, would be identified by both security agencies and the English Islamic community.

"They will be able to identify him ... I think the community will be able recognise this person and I am sure many in the community will be keen to do so, the intelligence community certainly but also the community from which this man comes," Mr Barratt said.

"I don't think anyone is prepared to forget this sort of crime and therefore the long arm of justice will eventually catch him."

mark.dunn@news.com.au

Originally published as Jihadist butcher could be former rapper
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McEvoy serves it up to sprint kings

Cameron McEvoy (left) and James Magnussen after the 100m final. Source: AFP

CAMERON McEvoy became swimming's new giant-killer on Friday night when he smashed the sport's greatest swimmer of all-time, an Olympic champion and a two-times world champion in a stunning 100m freestyle upset at the Pan Pacs.

The 20-year-old hometown hero stunned everybody with a comprehensive start-to-finish 100m victory in a time of 47.82sec ahead of Olympic champion Nathan Adrian (48.30), reigning world champion James Magnussen (48.36) and 18-times Olympic gold medallist Michael Phelps (48.51).

Just three weeks after he was beaten by Magnussen at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, McEvoy turned the ­tables with a win that will ­resonate around the world and stamp the baby-faced assassin as a major gold medal threat for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"To me it felt pretty perfect," McEvoy said. "I was just happy to be there with such great company in the race. Going out, I just wanted to enjoy it because when is the next time I will be in a race with people like that?

"You always have to have in the back of your mind you have the possibility of winning. In saying that, I would not have been disappointed if I didn't win.

"It was just an honour to be in a race with such great men and what those guys have ­accomplished.

"I worked out today between those three there are 28 Olympic medals so it's something and just great to be in their company."

Cate Campbell (right) and sister Bronte celebrate after the women's 100m final. Cate won and Bronte came second. Source: AP

Magnussen revealed afterwards he had been in hospital a week ago with severe back problems, but wanted to take nothing away from his teammate for a superb victory.

Instead, the 22-year-old will turn defeat into motivation for 2015, just as he did after the London Olympics and when McEvoy upset him at the ­selection trials in April.

"I always seem to be able to get real good motivation out of these things (defeats)," Magnussen said.

"Cam just swam a really good tactical race tonight and I'm not disappointed with my performance at all. You've just got to be happy for Cam.

"This time a week ago I had all but ruled myself out.

"I was in hospital getting an epidural and a couple of cortisones so I wasn't in a good way."

World champion Cate Campbell reclaimed her world No.1 ranking for 2014 with a 52.62sec heat swim in the 100m freestyle yesterday, then backed it up with a 52.72sec ­finals victory over younger sister Bronte (53.45).

Campbell is now the world, Commonwealth and Pan Pacs champion, with only an Olympic title left to add to her remarkable resume.

"Absolutely I'm so excited, I almost don't want to have a break," Campbell said.

"I will definitely be taking a bit of time off. We've got two years to go (until Rio) and it's looking very good."

Originally published as McEvoy serves it up to sprint kings
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US Ebola patient to leave hospital

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 21 Agustus 2014 | 20.01

Discharged ... Dr. Kent Brantly (L) has recovered from the Ebola virus. No word yet on Nancy Writebol's condition. Source: AFP

AT LEAST one of the two American aid workers who were infected with the Ebola virus is to be discharged from an Atlanta hospital, a spokeswoman for the aid group said.

Emory University Hospital planned to hold a news conference to discuss both patients' discharge.

Alison Geist, a spokeswoman for Samaritan's Purse, said she did not know the exact time Dr Kent Brantly would be released but confirmed it would happen on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, said in a statement that Brantly has recovered.

"Today I join all of our Samaritan's Purse team around the world in giving thanks to God as we celebrate Dr Kent Brantly's recovery from Ebola and release from the hospital," Graham's statement said.

Family support ... Dr Kent Brantly and his wife, Amber, are seen in an undated photo provided by Samaritan's Purse. Source: AP

Brantly and Nancy Writebol were flown out of the west African nation of Liberia earlier this month and have been getting treatment for the deadly disease in an isolation unit at the hospital. The two were infected while working at a missionary clinic outside Liberia's capital.

The Ebola outbreak has killed 1350 people and counting across West Africa.

Ebola is only spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of sick people experiencing symptoms.


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Say it with a card, you cheater

Cheating on the wife ... Greeting cards for affairs. Picture: mistresscards.com Source: Supplied

This video of Korean women dancing in leotards has emerged as the likely 'sex tape' Kim Jong-Un used to justify the execution of his ex-girlfriend.

IN today's society where almost anything goes, it had to come.

With divorce rates on the rise again, it is hard-pressed for an adult not to know someone, male or female, who has had or is having an extra-marital affair.

WHAT THE: Man divorces bride on wedding night

Celebrating what society has kept behind bedroom doors ... Extra-marital affairs are being celebrated. Picture: mistresscards.com Source: Supplied

A new website has come up with greetings cards for adulterers to send to their mistresses.

mistresscards.com, which is the brainchild of UK dating website for married people Illicit Encounters, has nine different versions available for adulterers to send their mistresses.

REVEALED: The real reasons women seek affairs

An anniversary or perhaps just a celebration ... Greeting cards for extra-marital affairs. Picture: mistresscards.com Source: Supplied

"Roses are red, violets are blue. forget that I'm married ... I'm hitting on you," is a favourite.

"My marriage lacks warmth, closeness and spice. We shouldn't be doing this but it's so naughty but nice," is another.

Metro newspaper in the UK reported that the best was:

"Roses are red, violets are blue, it's a good thing my wife doesn't know I'm screwing you."

Which fool said romance is dead.

Special greeting to your illicit lover ... Should affairs be celebrated? Picture: mistresscards.com Source: Supplied


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Guess which uber Aussie model has given birth?

GO behind the scenes with Australian model Kirsty Hinze as she does a photoshoot for The <i>Sunday Magazine</i>.

RENOWNED Aussie model and philanthropist Kristy Hinze-Clark has given birth to her second child, another girl, that she and computer guru husband Jim have named Harper.

Kristy happily announced the new addition, telling close friends before sharing her news via her social media platforms.

Welcome to the world, baby Harper x Source: Supplied

Harper joins 3-year-old "big sis"' Dylan in the Clark family fold.

''#becauseimhappy #myangels Welcome Harper!'' Hinze-Clark said in her Facebook post with a picture of the 3 Clark chicks.

Kristy also posted a note on Twitter:

''Elated to announce the birth of our 2nd daughter Harper. August 19, 2014 we are happy and healthy and completely in love''.

Kristy and her Texan born husband were in New York for the birth and were joined by Kristy's parents, Vivienne and Rod, who flew in just in time for the new arrival.

Over the last few years Hinze-Clark, 34, has also become quite the ecowarrior, taking up many issues, all with an environmental cause.

Clark, a computer scientist and Silicon Valley notable founded Netscape, is described as one of the founding fathers of 3-dimensional computer images.

Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze arrive for an exclusive Bon Jovi concert at Star City on December 15, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. Source: Getty Images

The Clark family live in Florida and are also huge yachting enthusiasts with Jim's latest, 100 foot, state-of-the-art boat hoping to be here for this years Rolex Sydney to Hobart race which starts on Boxing Day.

Kristy and Jim married in 2009 on the British Virgin Island named Virgin Gordo in a four-day celebration which included guests having a pre-wedding party on Richard Branson's Necker Island.

Kristy Hinze with billionaire husband Jim Clark during their wedding ceremony on the beach at the Little Dix Day Resort in the Caribbean. Source: News Limited

Guests like Naomi Watts, Ed Norton and director Bennett Miller joined the celebrations Hinze has never let celebrity, fortune or fame go to head, always sticking by the friends and the family she adores.

Many of those same friends and family travelled to the Dominican Republic in March to celebrate Clark's 70th birthday, with a mega 4-day celebration.

Congrats to the Clarks!

Follow Melissa on Instagram & Twitter


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