Author: admin

  • Christmas Jumpers for Raith Rovers Game!

    Christmas Jumpers for Raith Rovers Game!

    The club are delighted to advise that the wearing Christmas Jumpers is positively encouraged for our sold-out Hospitality on Saturday, December 20 when…

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  • Pope Flag Wins Third Consecutive State Championship

    Pope Flag Wins Third Consecutive State Championship

    December 17, 2025—In many ways, this Division 5 state championship matchup was inevitable. McEachern and Pope have two of the most successful Flag Football programs in the state, and maybe the entire country. The Lady Indians and Greyhounds…

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  • Building Maitland’s future: City’s first Community Infrastructure Strategy now on public exhibition

    Maitland residents are being invited to have their final say on a new city-shaping plan, with the first ever Community Infrastructure Strategy (CIS) now on public exhibition. 

    Designed to guide the delivery of Maitland’s future community infrastructure, the CIS will help Maitland City Council make effective decisions about projects, aligning the community’s priorities and expectations with long-term financial sustainability and resilience.

    Earlier this year, Council sought feedback from locals on 10 key categories of community infrastructure including aquatic facilities, playspaces, libraries and museum, community facilities, Maitland Regional Art Gallery and public art, public open spaces, outdoor recreation facilities, indoor sports facilities, outdoor sports facilities and public toilets. 

    Maitland City Council General Manager Jeff Smith says the Strategy has now been drafted and “is ready for more community input.”

    “During our initial engagement period, we heard lots of great feedback from the community including how much they value public open spaces like parks and reserves, community facilities and outdoor recreation,” Mr Smith said. 

    “We’ve taken that feedback and created Maitland’s first Community Infrastructure Strategy (CIS) which will help guide and prioritise how we plan, fund and deliver community infrastructure over the next 20 years. 

    “The CIS is now on public exhibition for an extended period of 60 days, and I strongly encourage all residents to jump online, have their say and contribute to Maitland’s future as the heart of the Hunter.” 

    Once finalised, the Strategy will be used alongside Council’s asset management processes to drive future capital works programs, supporting both new and existing assets. 

    The CIS is now on public exhibition until 14 February 2026, and locals can provide feedback via mait.city/CISPublicExhibition

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  • Trio earns CSC Academic All-America honors

    Trio earns CSC Academic All-America honors

    GREENWOOD, Ind. – Texas Tech graduate student Macy Blackburn was named a College Sports Communicators (CSC) First Team Academic All-American while GK Faith Nguyen and MF Sam Courtwright took home second team honors, the organization announced…

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  • Drug turns lung cells into slow-release antibiotic depots

    A new designer drug that turns lung immune cells into slow-release antibiotic dispensers can clear a lethal pneumonia infection in mice, researchers report. 

    In the study, researchers created a compound known as a prodrug, an…

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  • Ford to Represent Singapore at World Athletics Cross Country Championships

    Ford to Represent Singapore at World Athletics Cross Country Championships

    MONACOFaith Ford was selected to race for her home country of Singapore at the 46th World Athletics Cross Country Championships, slated for Jan. 10, 2026, in Tallahassee, Fla.
     
    More than 500 athletes from over 60 countries are set to…

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  • Providence mayor says team investigating Brown shooting is focused and working well – NPR

    Providence mayor says team investigating Brown shooting is focused and working well – NPR

    1. Providence mayor says team investigating Brown shooting is focused and working well  NPR
    2. Removal of Uzbekistanis from the United States  U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan (.gov)
    3. An aspiring neurosurgeon and a campus Republican died in the Brown campus…

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  • Bulldog Nation Celebrates Alumna’s Inspiring National Run

    Alabama A&M University alumna Jazz McKenzie delivered a powerful and unforgettable performance during Monday night’s live finale
    of NBC’s “The Voice,” closing out a life-changing journey on…

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  • ACCC warns major retailers to not mislead or deceive consumers during Boxing Day sales

    ACCC warns major retailers to not mislead or deceive consumers during Boxing Day sales

    The ACCC has written to a number of major retailers ahead of the Boxing Day sales to remind them of their obligations under the Australian Consumer Law when advertising sales and promotions.

    These letters follow a Black Friday Sales sweep by the ACCC to identify misleading or deceptive sales advertising by retailers.  

    Initial findings from the ACCC’s sweep indicate that retailers are still using a range of potentially misleading strategies during promotions, including misleading time representations (such as the use of countdown timers that may not align with the full duration of the sale), and promotions that may misrepresent the true scope of discounts available to consumers.

    The ACCC will continue to assess the results of its sweep and will take next steps as appropriate.

    “All retailers must ensure that any sales or discount claims they make during the Boxing Day sales are accurate, clear and not likely to mislead or deceive consumers,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

    “We are concerned that despite many warnings, some retailers are still using a range of tactics to misrepresent the size or scope of discounts and the duration of sales to consumers.”

    “Misleading pricing practices in the retail sector is a compliance and enforcement priority for the ACCC, and we will continue to closely monitor any sales or discount claims made, particularly by large retailers,” Ms Lowe said.

    Retailers should review the ACCC’s guidance on advertising and promotions to ensure they are complying with the Australian Consumer Law.

    “If a retailer is found to be in breach of the law, we will not hesitate to take enforcement action,” Ms Lowe said.

    Sales and discounts are persuasive techniques used by retailers to influence consumer purchasing decisions.

    “As sales periods become longer and more frequent, we want to ensure that the discounts being advertised to consumers are genuine,” Ms Lowe said.

    The ACCC encourages consumers to be wary of broad claims about discounts or savings during sales periods and to check for any disclaimers or conditions in sales advertisements.

    “We encourage consumers to shop around, compare, and keep an eye on prices before big sales events like Boxing Day, particularly if you have been waiting to make a significant purchase. Focus on the final price, not the advertised discount or promotion, to assess whether you are getting a good deal,” Ms Lowe said.

    The best way for consumers to report any potentially misleading or deceiving sales representations is by the ACCC website, where images and specific detail can be provided.

    Background

    The ACCC expects retailers to not make the following representations in any sales promotions:

    • Misleading time representations, including, the use of phrases such as ‘3 days only’ and devices such as countdown timers that don’t align with the true duration of the sale.
    • Claims of store-wide or site-wide sales, when in fact the sales involve exclusions.
    • Fine print or disclaimers that seek to limit headline claims about the sale, including member-only deals or excluding a range of products.
    • ‘Up to X% off’, where the ‘up to’ text is not prominently displayed, or where few or very few products are on sale at X% off.
    • Misleading ‘was/now’ or ‘strikethrough’ pricing representations.

    In 2024, the ACCC conducted a sweep of sales advertising by Australian retailers online and in store to target the Black Friday and Boxing Day sale periods. The 2024 sweep uncovered a range of concerning practices, including those listed above.

    Following the sweep, the ACCC launched a number of investigations into specific retailers and wrote to those retailers where the most concerning conduct was identified and asked them to justify their claims.

    In June 2025, Michael Hill, My House and Hairhouse online paid penalties for allegedly making false and misleading representations about their Black Friday sales. The ACCC has a number of other investigations relating to misleading and deceptive sales practices underway.

    Examples of advertising that may raise concerns

    Above: Example of the use of a countdown time which, if not accurate, can create a false sense of urgency.

     

    Above: Example of a retailer that advertises a ‘sitewide’ sale when in fact there are a range of products which are excluded from the sale.

    Above: Example of an ‘Up to’ X% off claim, where ‘up to’ text is easily missed by consumers.

     

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  • Best e-reader deal: Save $20 on the Kobo Clara Colour

    Best e-reader deal: Save $20 on the Kobo Clara Colour

    SAVE $20: The Kobo Clara Colour is on sale for $139.99 at Amazon, down from the usual price of $159.99. That’s a 13% discount and a new record low at Amazon.


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