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Surprise joey born at Sydney zoo with no males

The last male wallaby left Taronga Zoo more than a year ago – so where did this new joey come from?
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Delighted visitors at Sydney’s Taronga Zoo have been treated with the appearance of a joey peeking out of its mother Mica’s pouch this month – somewhat to the surprise of keepers, given the only resident male left the zoo more than a year ago.

“We weren’t planning for another joey, so it was quite a shock when we started seeing something moving inside the pouch,” said Tony Britt-Lewis, a Keeper at the zoo.

The unexpected birth is the result of a phenomenon called ’embryonic diapause’, which enables certain mammals to extend their gestation period and time the birth of their young. “It’s an interesting survival mechanism that allows the mother to delay the development of the embryo in drought conditions or if she already has a joey in the pouch,” explained Tony.

Mum, Mica – a brush-tailed rock wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) – was carrying another joey in her pouch until August last year, about five months after the only resident male, Sam, had moved to another wildlife park. Zoo keepers suspect Mica mated with Sam soon after giving birth to her previous joey, and the resulting embryo stayed dormant while her pouch was occupied.

IMAGE CREDIT: Paul Fahy

According to a statement released by Taronga Zoo, the new joey looks to be about six months old, and its sex is yet to be determined.

Brush-tailed rock wallabies are listed as an endangered specied in NSW. They were hunted extensively for their fur in the 1900s and continue to be threatened by habitat loss and introduced predators such as foxes and cats.

This story originally appeared on Australian Geographic.

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Would you eat this rainbow cheese sandwich?

It's gooey, cheesy and very colourful. But would you eat it?

This melty, gooey pile of coloured cheese has been created by Kala Toast in Hong Kong.

According to [@hkfoodiexblogger] https://www.instagram.com/hkfoodiexblogger/|target=”_blank”), the rainbow grilled cheese toast costs 42 HKD, or a little over $7.

The different colours have different flavours: “lavender (blue), basil (green), tomato (red) and the yellow one is actually the combination of 4 kinds of cheese (mozzarella, cheddar, emmental and gruyere).”

“The toast was crispy but I reckon both the flavour of the lavender and tomato were subtle,” the review continues.

“The basil flavour was the most outstanding one comparatively but the cheese flavour still was not as strong as my expectation. It was also a bit oily in general. I would say the quality was rather average but we all cannot deny that it is photogenic.”

Would you give it a go?

A version of this story first appeared on Cosmopolitan

Via @hkfoodiexblogger

Via @hkfoodiexblogger

Via @nadiasham

Via @kalatoast

Via @mellifemelwork

Via @ahna_fooddiary

Via @bo_kwong

Via @bealice

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Khloe Kardashian’s latest selfie sparks bum implant speculation

The reality star’s incredible derriere has some eagle-eyed fans wondering if it’s au naturel.
Khloe Kardashian

It’s usually Khloe Kardashian’s older sister Kim having to weather butt implant allegations (which, for the record Kimmy K vehemently denies).

But after KoKo published a close-up short of her backside and abs over the weekend, she’s been inundated with surgery accusations.

In the photo, the 31-year-old lies in bed wearing nothing more than a Calvin Klein crop-top and a pair of grey tackpants.

This is the photo that triggered the deluge of accusations.

Her toned stomach is on full display, while her right bum cheek spills out to the side in all its glory.

“Good morning,” Khloe captioned the image.

It didn’t take long for the image to be flooded with thousands of comments, many of which questioned her booty.

“Those implants look so snug in you’re a– cheeks,” one used said.

“Implants,” another simply alleged.

While others were quick to point Khloe has always had a shapely bottom.

“You guys she doesn’t have implants you can get that big of a butt when you workout all the time. Not everyone has to get surgery to get a bigger butt,” a user defended.

Taking to Twitter to address the speculation, the outspoken beauty put her haters in their place with one swift post.

Then and now: Khloe strikes a pose in 2008. Last year, she flaunted her backside in a pair of tight white jeans.

“You know if you don’t like something you don’t have to look at it right? Let alone waste your energy to comment. Thirsty thirsty thirsty,” she penned.

Meanwhile on a recent episode of Kocktails with Khloe, she did admit to freshening up her face but said she wasn’t a fan of it.

“Everyone says I’ve had my nose done and I swear I haven’t,” Khloe explained.

“I don’t know if it’s Botox or filler, [but] I did one of them and my whole face went numb and I could not make [an expression].” I had to dissolve everything. I looked crazy and I still think the effects are like, in there.”

Watch Khloe talk about her views on plastic surgery in the player below. Post continues after the video!

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She added: “My face was so f—-d, I had to go and get this whole thing, like, dissolved. It was a bummer because now I’m afraid to do it again, but I swear, I think things are still in my face.”

Whatever the case, there’s no denying the reality star is looking fit and fabulous at the moment.

Last year, Khloe told the New York Magazine that her toned bum was simply the fruits of her labour and she worked very hard to achieve it.

“I always wanted a great, round butt. [Personal trainer Gunnar Peterson] and I, for like two and a half years, we really worked on my butt and strengthening my legs,” she explained to the publication.

“I always wanted a great, round butt,” Khloe, pictured meeting with fans last year, has said.

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Mariah Carey and James Packer’s on-air wedding!

Mariah Carey’s wedding to billionaire James Packer is set to be featured on her upcoming reality show, Mariah’s World.
Mariah Carey James Packer

Mimi with her billionaire beau, James Packer.

It seems that Mariah Carey’s upcoming wedding to James Packer will be a public affair, according to a new US Weekly report.

“Her team wants it on the show,” a source close to the singer revealed in the new issue of the publication.

And with Mariah’s love for anything extravagant combined with the 48-year-old’s reported $AUD5 billion dollars of networth, we’re expecting a pretty lavish shindig!

The 46-year-old songstress is currently in the process of filming the E! reality series, Mariah’s World, which is expected to take fans behind the curtain of her Las Vegas residency show and two-month European Sweet Sweet Fantasy tour.

“Her manager is a reality TV producer and got her the deal,” an insider previously told US, with another source revealing that in front of the lens, Mariah is a hoot!

“It’s nuts. Mariah is very funny on camera,” a source said.

Mariah, pictured performing on stage of her Sweet Sweet Fantasy tour, is apparently hilarious on her upcoming reality show.

The spouses-to-be announced their engagement in January after James got down on one knee and presented the songbird with a 35 carat ring, worth an estimated $10 million.

Although they are yet to set a date for their wedding, the insider reveals that wherever Mariah decides to tie the knot, James will “go along with” whatever she chooses.

“He does what Mariah wants,” the source added.

See James talk about his love life in the video player below! Post continues…

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The news of the highly-anticipated, television wedding comes shortly after the We Belong Together singer shared a sweet snap of her posing with her hubby-to-be, as he surprised her on tour.

“#Surprise visit,” she captioned the pic to her 3.4 million followers.

It’s the first time either party has shared a photo together in weeks, which was a topic that caused speculation that the wedding had been called off following some very harsh words from James’ mother, Roslyn.

Over the weekend, James visited Mimi. The singer shared this cute shot from the moment.

“Ros is a woman raised in the country with very traditional values who has maintained a dignified silence for all the years she and Kerry were in the spotlight … Mariah is all bells, whistles and flashbulbs … they are very different women,” a long-term family friend explained to the Sydney Morning Herald’s Private Sydney column last month.

But despite the billionaire’s mother’s protestations, it seems that the wedding of the year is set to go ahead in full, luxurious swing.

“Mariah is all bells, whistles and flashbulbs … they are very different women,” a family insider said of Mariah and Roslyn’s opposing personalities.

In an interview with Page Six, the mother-of-two revealed that her impending nuptials will be nothing less than “grand.”

“It’s not going to be a big wedding, but it’s going to be grand,” she said before adding, “I’m most excited about the grandeur, darling.”

We wouldn’t expect anything less!

The We Belong Together wearing her 35 carat engagement ring worth an estimated $10 million.

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McDonald’s introducing all-you-can-eat fries

‘Would you like never-ending fries with that?’

After the US recently phased out their healthier Premium McWraps from McDonald’s menus across the country, they’re now sticking to what they know – food that well, isn’t healthy.

“A lot of people who eat at restaurants aren’t interested in health and wellness,” Jack Russo, an analyst at Edward Jones, told Bloomberg.

“You’ve got to give the people what they want.”

And what the people want is ENDLESS FRIES.

According to St Joseph’s News-Press, a franchise owner in Missouri is planning on opening a McDonald’s that has kiosks which allow customised burgers and desserts, plus all-you-can-eat fries.

No word on whether this option could catch on to Aussie stores, but we can dream. Or just book a flight to the US right now.

Trending video: Check out this crazy optical illusion

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Amber Heard pleads guilty in Johnny Depp dog smuggling case

Johnny Depp's wife, Amber Heard, has pleaded guilty to falsifying quarantine documents over the smuggling of her two Yorkshire terriers into Australia last year.
Johnny Depp and Amber Heard

It was humorously dubbed “the war on terrier” but now actress Amber Heard can breathe a sigh of relief with the hyped trial ending after only one day at court.

Escaping conviction in a Queensland court the starlet, who will celebrate her 30th birthday on Friday, was fined $1000 and received a one month good behaviour bond.

Watch the couple leave court in the player below. Post continues after the video.

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Thankfully for Mrs Depp, she avoided the possible punishment of jail time.

On Monday, her lawyer Jeremy Kirk explained to the court that the actress thought Johnny’s staff had handled Pistol and Boo’s travel forms when they flew in on the private jet last April.

He later remarked that the paperwork had simply “slipped through the cracks” and there was “nothing in it” for the 29-year-old starlet to fill out.

Amber’s legal representation went on to discuss how sleep deprived and exhausted she was at the time, adding, “It was a terrible, terrible mistake.”

After flying into Coolangatta Airport on Sunday morning, reporters from Nine News observed that Johnny was laughing and appeared relaxed in the courtroom.

Johnny and Amber seemed in good spirits.

Staying mum, the actor barely addressed the media swarming outside the court, replying to one question with “fine, thank you.”

The debacle began last year in May when the actor was on the Gold Coast filming the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

It is alleged the dogs were not declared to customs officials on arrival, and their presence was only realised by officials when their visit to a Gold Coast dog grooming salon was made public through a snap on social media.

The couple faced a barrage of reporters and an onslaught of police.

The matter was significantly heightened when Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce threatened to have the dogs euthanized if they didn’t “bugger off” back to the America.

“Now Mr. Depp needs to take his dogs back to California or we’re going to have to euthanize them,” he infamously told reporters.

“If we start letting movie stars, even if they’ve been ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ twice, to come into our nation then why don’t we just break the laws for everybody. It’s time that Pistol and Boo buggered off back to the United States.”

Twelve witnesses, including Johnny, are listed to give evidence and the actress is required to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court hearing.

Amber Heard with one of her adorable pups.

Last year, agriculture minister Barnarby Joyce made international headlines when he issued the famous couple an ultimatum.

Amber is facing two charges of illegal importation of an animal and one count of producing a false document.

Magistrate Joan White showed her amusement last year when she read the letter requesting discretion over the witness list.

“They don’t want to be disruptive to the court,” she said.

Prosecutor Peter Callaghan however said that distraction was no excuse.

“The laws apply to everyone,” he said.

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Why you shouldn’t use electric hand dryers

They’re in public toilets across Australia – but you should think twice before using a high-powered hand dryer!

Dyson Airblades spread 1300 times more germs than paper towels, a new study has claimed.

A University of Westminster study published in Applied Microbiology found that hand-dryers spread significantly more germs than their tech-free paper counterparts.

Researchers dipped their hands water containing a virus and then dried them using either a Dyson Airblade, a standard hot air dryer or a paper towel, The Sun reports.

The study found the Dyson device – which uses a 690kph blast of air to dry hands in less than 90 seconds – propelled the virus up to three metres across the bathroom.

By comparison, the standard hot air dryer spread germs 75cm, and the paper towel just 25cm.

But a Dyson representative has claimed the study is flawed, telling the Herald Sun researchers used “unrealistically high levels of virus contamination on unwashed, gloved hands”.

“The machine has been proven to be as hygienic as paper towels, through research conducted by the University of Bradford (published in the Journal of Applied Microbiology), Institut de Recherche Microbiologique, the College of Medicine (University of Florida), and Campden BRI,” a statement read.

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What colour are these hearts?

This optical illusion is crazy!

What colour do these hearts look like to you?

Purple and orangey red?

Scroll down for video

Surprisingly, they’re exactly the same colour – pink!

The optical illusion was examined on a video by YouTube channel Bite Size Psych which explains that it’s the intersecting colours of the heart that appear to make it change.

The narrator explains: “If you zoom in on the picture you find that the striped bars aren’t actually the same colour.”

“These surrounding blue bars make the heart seem purple while these surrounding green bars make the heart seem orange.”

The illusion appears this particular way to us because our brains perceive an object’s colour based on its proximity and how it compares to the colours around it.

Crazy, right?

VIDEO: Watch the optical illusion be explained below

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Why you shouldn’t work more than 25 hours a week

Long office hours can damage your brain, a new study has found.

Australians are working longer hours than ever before and our brains are suffering as a result.

A new study conducted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research found that people working 60 hours a week have poorer mental function than those who don’t work at all.

The study examined the working hours and cognitive abilities of 6500 Australians aged 40 and over. It found that brain function steadily increased for every hour worked up to 25 hours a week.

Every hour beyond that, however, cognitive function steeply declined, so that those working 60 hours or more were worse off than those who were unemployed.

“For cognitive functioning, working far too much is worse than not working at all,” one of the researchers Colin McKenzie, economics professor at Keio University in Japan, said.

“In the beginning work stimulates the brain cells. The stress associated with work physically and psychologically kicks in at some point and that affects the gains you get from working.”

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Kerri-Anne’s touching photo with John at hospital

Their family dog came for a visit!

It’s been an incredibly difficult few months for Kerri-Anne Kennerley and her husband John however the TV veteran has shared a gorgeous photo of their family.

She posted a photo to her Instagram account of their dog Digger visiting John in hospital writing, “Today was the first time Digger recognised John and made us all happy. So true, pets really are therapy.”

John currently remains in intensive care at Royal North Shore Hospital following a tragic fall.

“It’ll be a year before we know what he’ll be left with, and we don’t know,” Kerri-Anne told Channel Seven’s Sunday Night program recently.

John has been diagnosed with incomplete quadriplegia and Kerri- Anne has sadly revealed that a full recovery looks doubtful.

“I’d love to be wrong but I think it would be a miracle.”

“He can’t eat. He’s being fed by a tube. He can’t speak. He can’t breathe. He’s trapped in his mind, he’s trapped in his body. He can’t touch me. All I can do is ever so gently hold his head and one shoulder and kiss him,” she said.

She also revealed in the interview that before John was put into a coma, she was told by surgeons to “have some words with him” and was made to say her final goodbye should he not make it through the surgery.

“I just wake up every day thinking ‘what a nightmare that was!’ But it’s not a nightmare, it’s life. I didn’t want to get out of bed.”

“As exhausting as it is going to the hospital and spending hours and hours there every day, I get very antsy and excited when I go in there because I really look forward to seeing him,” she said.

Having spent every day since the accident at the hospital by his side, Kerri-Anne revealed she’s seen John’s communication skills slowly improve, from pointing to letters on an alphabet chart to being able to mouth words.

“I want him back so bad. I want him to actually be as happy and have the creativity that he’s always loved and enjoyed.”

She then went on to say she had accepted that her life as she knew is now over.

“My life as I knew it is over … That’s history. Life as we knew it, just being able to, you know, walk in the park and just go out to parties – no, that’s gone, it’s over – it just doesn’t exist anymore.”

“This is now a new life, because he is my priority and getting him back home would be the best thing since sliced bread. But that’s way in the future.”

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