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Creepy footage of an almost paranormal-looking sea creature has been captured showing the beast dragging an unfortunate fish to its death. Diver Pedro Valencia was lucky enough to capture the footage and watch the bizarre phenomenon unfold in front of his eyes. He knew he was seeing something special when he came across the bizarre 'creature' during a nocturnal dive, which had an eerie glow and had what looked like a pulsating head and tassels flowing from its body. READ MORE: Rampaging killer whales who sank family's boat attacked another within hours But what Valencia had found wasn't a single creature after all, despite how it appeared - it was a siphonophore, a carnivorous colony made up of multiple organisms working together to survive that lives off a diet of copepods, small crustaceans, and small fish. Siphonophores are extremely fragile, and to see them alive is extremely rare - making Valencia's experience all the more astonishing. The eagle-eyed diver, 34, … [Read more...] about Ghostly sea beast that’s almost invisible swallows fish whole in stunning encounter

A drunk bloke was buried alive in a coffin after passing out at a weird ceremony - and only realised when he woke up in the middle of the night to pee. Víctor Hugo Mica Álvarez, 30, attended a ceremony dedicated to the Toba people of South America, an indigenous population spread across Argentina, Paraguay and Bolivia, where this party was. Álvarez was invited by a mate to have a few beers at the ceremony and, he says, ended up being given up as a sacrifice to Pachamamma, or Mother Earth. READ MORE: Met Office predicts exactly when heatwave will peak and issues sleep warning “We've gone dancing, I'm the guide, and I don't remember anymore. The only thing I remember is that I thought I was in my bed and I got up to go pee, and I couldn't move anymore. "And when I pushed the coffin I barely broke the glass and, through the glass, dirt began to enter and so I managed to get out. I have been buried," he told local media. The young man broke out of the coffin and asked a … [Read more...] about Drunk bloke buried alive in coffin only realised when he tried to get up to pee

CHINA has threatened to impose “re-education” on Taiwan to make its citizens “patriotic” if it successfully invades the island. The warning is a chilling echo of the policy of mass re-education camps in China where millions of  Uyghurs have been held , which has been described as genocide by several countries. China regards the democratic and self-governing island of Taiwan as being part of its territory and vowed to re-unify it with the mainland, by force if necessary. Beijing was infuriated when senior US politician Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan and launched six days of war games around the island, which encroached just a few miles from its shore. In the wake of Pelosi’s visit , two of China’s ambassadors said that Beijing would impose its will on the population by re-educating them to think correctly. “We will re-educate,” Lu Shaye, China’s ambassador to France to local TV. READ MORE ON CHINA BLITZED TO BITS China would destroy … [Read more...] about China threatens to open mass ‘re-education’ camps if it invades Taiwan in chilling echo of Uyghur genocide

Chris Skidmore has become the first Conservative MP to publicly switch his backing from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in the in the Tory leadership race. Announcing his defection in an article for The Telegraph, Mr Skidmore said he had became “increasingly concerned” by the Sunak campaign’s “consistently changing position ” on policy. He urged other Tory MPs to join him in switching support to the Foreign Secretary , saying: “It is never too late to make the right decision”. The switch is especially noteworthy as Mr Skidmore, one of the most prominent Tory supporters of Net Zero , is seen as being on the party’s liberal wing, while many of Ms Truss’s most prominent backers are on the traditionalist Right. A Truss campaign source claimed the “floodgates could open” now Mr Skidmore, the MP for Kingswood and a former universities minister, had flipped support, with other defections possible later this week. Mr Skidmore wrote: “The status quo cannot be an option. Initially, … [Read more...] about First Tory MP switches support from Rishi Sunak to Liz Truss in leadership race

This weekend’s events in the capital will take you to the depths of the universe and into the spiritual world. Stage and theatre Man Lessons, The Live Show BATS Theatre, August 11 to 20, 7pm, $20-$40 Over the past six years, a feature length documentary has been in production following Adam Rohe’s transition. Now – you are invited behind-the-scenes. A visually stunning, live expose adventure into an already intimate and earnest film. Tickets: bats.co.nz Celestial Nobodies BATS Theatre, until August 13, 7.30pm, $18-$22 Celestial Nobodies written by Evangelina Telfar is a witty and comical play that follows the ‘personified planets’ in our universe. Combining astronomical science, theatrical monologues and a hint of musical theatre, Celestial Nobodies is a fresh take on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) with a healthy dash of queer cosmic sparkle. Tickets: bats.co.nz Apartment Gryphon Theatre, until August 13, various times, … [Read more...] about Wellington’s culture calendar for August 12-18

More than 10,000 Americans have now tested positive in the monkeypox outbreak across the U.S., according to figures published late Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as federal health officials say they are still racing to contain the virus. Cases have been reported in every state but Wyoming while 15 states and the District of Columbia have reported more than a hundred cases. The largest numbers are in New York, California and Florida. No U.S. deaths have so far been reported, out of the 12 monkeypox fatalities the World Health Organization has tallied so far this year. Health officials say the virus is mostly spreading through close interactions between men who have sex with men, either through direct skin-to-skin contact or shared linens like towels and bedding. However, the CDC has tallied at least 50 cases in people who were female at birth, including at least one pregnant woman . A handful of suspected infections have also been … [Read more...] about U.S. monkeypox cases surpass 10,000 as CDC still aims for “containment”

1. More shelling damages radiation sensors at Ukraine nuclear plant Several radiation sensors at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia power plant were damaged on Thursday following more bombings. “The situation is worsening, radioactive substances are located nearby and several radiation sensors have been damaged,” said Ukrainian operator Energoatom, reporting that the site had once again been hit earlier today. Kyiv and Moscow blame one another for the strikes on Europe's largest nuclear plant. According to Energoatom, the attacks "damaged [a] sewage pumping station" and caused smoke to begin rising around the nuclear plant in southern Ukraine. "At present, no contamination has been detected at the station and the level of radioactivity is normal," said one Ukrainian official, pointing out that "several tons" of radioactive waste is stored at the site. The strikes came ahead of a UN meeting on Thursday afternoon over Zaporizhzhia, called by Russia, who seized the site early … [Read more...] about Ukraine war: Zaporizhzhia bombed, more military aid, Swiss ‘no longer’ neutral

CULT of the Lamb has a huge range of weapons and curses - its version of magic - which appear randomly as you play. You don’t get to choose what comes up, but you can increase the chances of powerful items by sacrificing followers, or completing the weapons and curses upgrade tree. Through this you can unlock new weapon types such as Merciless, Vampiric, and Necromantic. This guide is all about the weapons and curses you can find. For Cult of the Lamb rituals , and Cult of the Lamb doctrines , you can find them both in the link above. Here are all the weapons and curses you can find. Cult of the Lamb: List of weapons There is a big range of weapons; from fast weapons like daggers to devastating hammers. More in Gaming Guides MULTIVERSUS MADNESS Playing MultiVersus? Here's the characters you should use CAMPUS HERO Here are some tips to get you started in Two Point Campus They are grouped by their types; … [Read more...] about Cult of the Lamb guide: All weapons and curses

As a teenager, Olivia Newton-John had no dreams of stardom. Hollywood, Grammy Awards and celebrity were not in her vision for her future. She wanted a husband, children and “the picket fence”, she once said. “I always wanted that.” Yet from the moment her mother dragged her to an audition of Johnny O’Keefe’s talent show S ing, Sing, Sing in the early 1960s, stardom rather than domesticity would shape Newton-John’s life. And not always for the better. READ MORE: Forget Grease, if you want to remember Olivia Newton-John at her best, watch Xanadu From Grease to Physical and Koala Blue: Olivia Newton-John’s fashion legacy Olivia Newton-John's most iconic video moments Newton-John faced heartbreak, grief, illness and disappointments, which were amplified by the scrutiny of fame, especially during what she called her “Britney Spears years”. The vulnerability and bravery with which she faced them made Australians love her all the more. But in her autumn … [Read more...] about Newton-John’s road to ‘picket fence’ of her dreams was rocky – but she finally found it

Swathes of England and Wales are braced for "exceptional" risk from wildfires, as temperatures rise towards an expected 36C peak. During the record-breaking heatwave last month, dozens of blazes broke out around the country, torching homes and fuelling the busiest day for London's fire service since the Second World War, mayor Sadiq Khan said. Where is the fire risk? The Met Office has raised the fire severity index to exceptional - the highest level - for much of southern England, stretching as far west as Abergavenny in Wales, for this weekend. Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said the risk is "very high across much of central, southern and eastern England". Advertisement "Going into Friday and the weekend, it starts to increase further, going into the highest category of exceptional risk." The Met Office has also issued an amber heat warning in place between Thursday and Sunday. The temperature could surpass by far the threshold for a … [Read more...] about What and where is the ‘exceptional’ fire risk – and does climate change cause wildfires?