The Mustang GTD is the first American production car to lap the 20.8km Nürburgring in less than seven minutes, achieving the Ford CEO's goal.
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Anthony Albanese promises three days of subsidised child care for families earning less than $530k
All Aussie households earning less than $530,000 could access three days of subsidised child care under a Labor election push to woo parents.
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Labor makes election pitch to parents with promise of three days of subsidised childcare
Labor is making a fresh election pitch to the parents of 1.4 million children in childcare with a promise to guarantee three days of care to everyone eligible for subsidies.
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WAFL 2024: Outgoing West Perth president Neale Fong leaves Falcons on a high
Outgoing West Perth president Neale Fong has ended his reign at the Falcons on a high, leaving the WAFL club with record profits.
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Lotto: One Australian pockets $50 million in Tuesday’s Oz Lotto draw
One Australian has scored the ultimate gift this festive season after taking a punt on Tuesday’s Oz Lotto draw.
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Controversial MAFS star Polly shows off incredible transformation as she reveals she’s lost FOUR stone in nine months
MARRIED At First Sights star Polly Sellman has shown off her impressive weight loss, which sees her four stone lighter.
MAFS star Polly, who was partnered with her MAFS UK groom Adam Nightingale, looks happy and healthy as she showed off the results of a nine month weight loss plan.
The careers adviser has undergone a dramatic transformation since filming for the E4 series wrapped, which she revealed to fans on Instagram.
The star was previously told by husband Adam that she wasn’t his type when they met, as he said that he usually goes for “petite brunettes”.
Sharing a picture of herself to her Instagram Stories, she explained: “I’ve just weighed myself (I know you shouldn’t at night) and I’m honestly gobsmacked that I’ve now lost nearly 4 stone… 4!!!! Since March!!!
“I finished filming and I was 16 stone (have been there or there abouts for 2 years) and now I’m 12.5.”
Last month Polly showed off her ongoing body transformation in a plunging black swimsuit, when she told fans she had lost two stone but has since gone on to lose more.
Previously The Sun exclusively revealed that Polly is no longer in a relationship with Adam, who she married on the E4 show.
Earlier this year, Polly revealed the secret to her two-stone weight loss as she explained how she was transforming her body.
She told fans that she has followed a simple three-part method since March; upping her water intake, eating less and moving about more.
Polly added that she has found a “real passion” for fitness, and keeps to a regular workout routine.
Alongside a ‘before and after’ comparison, she said: “It’s not until I look at these photos back that I really do see how different I look.
“It’s been a case of upping my water intake, eating less and moving more. And I love that I’ve found a huge passion for fitness again because of the routine I really kept to, and still do.”
Revealing that she’s not ready to stop, Polly continued: “I still have a little way to go to get to my goal weight then when I’m there it’s going to be building strength and maintaining the weight I’ve lost without living a restricted lifestyle and keep a healthy relationship with food and drink.
“I’ve always been confident, however not so much with my body. Now have a lot more self confidence and feel so much more comfortable in certain clothing whereas I didn’t before.
“I dressed well for my shape and size but never felt hugely comfortable just the fact I knew how to dress to hide certain insecurities.
“However that’s now changed and I don’t think as much about covering certain things when I’m ordering clothes and it feels sooooo good 
Roll on the next 8 weeks to see what we can achieve.”
I don’t have space for a Christmas tree so made my own staircase decorations with FOOD WASTE – B&M buys were key too
A SAVVY woman has revealed that she doesn’t have space for a Christmas tree, so decided to get creative with her other decorations this festive season.
Instead of having a huge tree take over her living room, Vick Natzy paid close attention to giving her staircase a glow up for December.
But keen to keep the costs low, not only did she nab bargains from B&M and eBay, but she also got savvy with food waste too – yes, you heard that correctly.
Rather than throwing her pear branches into the bin, Vick got imaginative and turned them from drab to fab in seconds.
So if the cost of living crisis has made your purse feel tighter than ever before, and you can’t afford to splash the cash on pricey decorations, you’ll need to check this out.
Keen to share a close up look at her stunning staircase, Vick, who describes herself as a ‘frugal queen’, took to social media to reveal all, leaving many open-mouthed.
Posting on BARGAIN LOVERS Poundland, Home Bargains, B&M, Primark, The Range, a public Facebook group with 620,000 members, Vick posted pictures of her hallway, which has been decorated with greenery, bows, baubles and pear branches.
Alongside her images, the savvy woman, who is from the UK, penned: “With me being the queen of frugality and having hardly any space for a Christmas tree, I focused on the staircase.
“I sprayed dried out pear branches with gold paint, attached it to the staircase and started decorating it like a tree.”
Not only did Vick use pear branches to give her staircase an overhaul, but she also used decorations that she has been collecting over the years.
Vick hung her gorgeous decorations from the gold branches, creating a stunning display, without breaking the bank.
She continued: “My decorations are from previous years – charity shops, Poundland, B&M, The Range and Home Bargains, eBay and One Below.”
Not only did she hang her decorations from her stairs, but she also dressed up her photos with beautiful bows too.
Social media users were clearly very impressed with Vick’s post, as many quickly flocked to the comments to praise her DIY skills.
Fabulous idea and it looks amazing!
Facebook user
Not only did people describe her decorations as ‘gorgeous’, but others were stunned by her ‘fabulous idea’ to use her pear branches.
One person said: “Brilliant, it looks lovely.”
How to look after your real Christmas tree
HERE'S what you need to know if you're buying a real Christmas tree:
First thing’s first: buy a pot (if it doesn’t come in one already).
You’ll need to treat your tree just like a houseplant and give it water and attention.
Make sure the container has good drainage – and it’s a good idea to put something underneath to catch the excess water.
Check the soil everyday to make sure it’s not drying out.
If it feels dry, give it some water. If it still feels moist, leave it alone as too much water can also kill a tree.
Also check the LED bulbs on your tree lights aren’t too hot as they could burn it, and keep your tree away from radiators.
When Christmas is over, try planting it in the garden so you can dig it up and use it again next year.
It’s a good idea to take it out of its pot when you do re-plant it though, as large trees don’t survive well in pots as their roots need space to grow.
Another added: “Looks gorgeous.”
A third commented: “Fabulous idea and it looks amazing! Love it.”
Meanwhile, someone else beamed: “Gorgeous, well done you.”
At the same time, one DIY fan simply wrote: “Lovely job.”
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Mysterious ‘Disease X’ outbreak that’s killed 31 spreads as WHO warns it could be two diseases
A MYSTERIOUS flu-like illness that’s spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has caused at least 31 deaths – and two diseases could be to blame, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.
The unidentified disease, which the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling ‘Disease X’, has infected 406 people in recent weeks, with the majority of cases recorded in the Kwango Province, approximately 435 miles southeast of the capital Kinshasa.
More than half of the 31 people who have died were children under the age of 5 who were severely malnourished, the WHO said in a statement on Sunday.
The actual number of deaths, which are occurring in the remote Panzi region, is difficult to determine, with some reports saying as many as 143 have died.
A team of scientists from the WHO are currently on the ground investigation the illness that’s believed to have started circulating in October.
Samples are being collected for laboratory testing to provide a more detailed characterisation of the illness, to find out the transmission dynamics, and to actively find additional cases.
But WHO officials have said they’ve struggled to uncover the origin of the pathogen.
Because the outbreak is in a remote area with poor road conditions and there’s been heavy rain, it took the WHO’s team around two days to get there.
It’s also been harder to trace the exact source of ‘Disease X’ as the most serious cases of the illness have also involved the patient suffering from severe malnutrition.
“These challenges, coupled with limited diagnostics in the region, have delayed the identification of the underlying cause,” the WHO said.
The WHO’s initial findings suggest the deaths might be related to other diseases currently spreading in the south west of the DRC.
“Given the clinical presentation and symptoms reported, and a number of associated deaths, acute pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, measles and malaria are being considered as potential casual factors with malnutrition as a contributing factor,” the WHO said.
Another common disease in the area it said may be causing or contributing to cases is malaria – a life-threatening disease transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito.
The likelihood of ‘Disease X’ spreading to Europe
According to Dr Bruno Silvester Lopes, lecturer in microbiology at Teesside University, there’s no cause for widespread concern at this stage.
The only way for a virus of this nature to spread to Europe is if an infected individual were to travel to the region and act as an index case.
He explained: “The likelihood of a virus from the DRC reaching the UK depends on multiple factors, including its transmission mode and global travel patterns.
“Currently, no direct evidence suggests a high probability of significant outbreaks from recent DRC-related cases or other emerging infections spreading globally.
“However, monitoring is essential as outbreaks in the DRC often involve regions with limited healthcare infrastructure, which can amplify disease spread if containment measures are not implemented effectively.”
Symptoms of the mysterious illness
Doctors have said the disease, which has killed at least 31 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo, presents much like a respiratory infection.
Symptoms include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Body aches
Concerns first raised in October
An alert was sent to WHO on October 29 by the DRC’s Ministry of Public Health raising concerns over a mysterious illness that had caused “increased” deaths.
In a press briefing on December 5, the WHO said the mortality rate was about 8 per cent and that several deaths had been reported outside health facilities.
