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7NEWS
14 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Lotto: Luckiest Saturday Lotto numbers of last forty years revealed ahead of $30 million mega draw on July 26
They may be drawn completely at random, but historic records held by Lotterywest reveal some Lotto numbers are in fact luckier than others. Ahead of this Saturday's $30 million Lotto Megadraw, many West Aussies will roll out the same sequence of sentimental digits they always have, whether fruitful in the past or not. But statistically speaking, it might just pay to study the trends instead of banking on your children's birthdays to make you an instant millionaire. Crunching the winning numbers from the past 40 years, from July 1985 to mid-this month, Lotterywest reports the number one itself has been the most frequently drawn, or luckiest, contributing to the winning set of numbers 417 times in that period. The next luckiest figures are eleven and eight, drawn 414 and 407 times, respectively. With a total of 45 numbers available for selection in the popular weekend game, 44 has been statistically the least reliable for players, drawn on just 329 occasions. This represents a 'luck' disparity of 26 per cent between the most and least frequently drawn numbers. And for some, perhaps motivation to rethink 'trusty' 44. See below for the full list of luckiest to least lucky Saturday Lotto numbers (inclusive of draws 413 to 4589). Many players use Playslips to select their preferred numbers, but most often, it's randomly generated figures at the point of sale that result in Division One wins. 'WA players often play using special numbers like meaningful dates, including birthdays or anniversaries, though winning numbers are entirely random,' a Lotterywest spokesperson told The Sunday Times. 'Slikpiks, where numbers are randomly generated by the terminal, are responsible for around 65 per cent of Division One wins across all games. The most popular Saturday Lotto ticket sold in WA is a Slikpik 12, which costs $11.40.' Since the beginning of 2025, 33 tickets sold in WA have resulted in a Division One Saturday Lotto prize. In May, a Warnbro couple planned an 'extra luxurious haircut for their beloved dog' after bagging a $1.2 million Saturday Lotto pay day from just a $6.65 Playslip. With a whopping $30 million on the table this weekend, Lotterywest advises pooling funds with family or friends in a syndicate to maximise the chances of raking in a life-changing haul.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Elderly Brit couple held by Taliban ‘may die in Afghan prison' as mum is ‘numb' & dad ‘chained up in basement shaking'
AN ELDERLY Brit couple wrongfully jailed by Taliban may die in prison soon, their children fear. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie , 76, were Advertisement 5 Peter and Barbie Reynolds were scooped up in February and thrown into a brutal prison Credit: Supplied 5 The couple moved to Afghanistan in 2009, where they run training project The parents-of-four had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years managing training projects - but were kidnapped on February 1 with no explanation. They were locked up separately at the maximum security Pul-e-Charkhi in Kabul, and later moved to an underground cell beneath the Taliban's intelligence HQ. Speaking to the According to UN experts, Peter needs heart medication and, during his detention, has had two eye infections and convulsions in his head and down his left arm. Advertisement more on the couple He recently collapsed, the experts added, while Barbie suffers from anaemia and remains weak. Jonathan said: "My dad's health is deteriorating fast. "Now he's maybe got something like early Parkinson's - tremors and shakes down the right side of his body, his arms and face." Peter had a mini stroke in 2023, and is thought to have suffered another one or a silent heart attack while being held prisoner. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Barbie, meanwhile, is struggling with dizzy spells and numbness linked to anaemia - which can be caused by a lack of sunlight. "She has blue hands and feet to do with anaemia, malnutrition, just not getting the right healthcare," Jonathan added. I lived with Taliban for year secretly filming bloodthirsty terrorists' horror secrets… then orders were sent to kill me Alice Edwards, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, said: 'We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' Advertisement In April, Peter described the excruciating conditions as "the nearest thing to hell". In a phone recording heard by The Sunday Times, he said: 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.' He continued: "The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. "The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. Advertisement "It's a horrible atmosphere — the nearest thing to hell I can imagine." The Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi rejected concerns about rights violations. 5 Faye Hall, the couple's interprator, was arrested with them but later released Credit: AP 5 Hall was received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul and confirmed to be in good health Credit: Reuters Advertisement He said: They are in constant contact with their families [and] consular services are available. "Efforts are underway to secure their release. These steps have not yet been completed. Their human rights are being respected. "They are being given full access to treatment, contact and accommodation." He did not say what steps were being taken to secure their release. Advertisement The Reynolds were some of the only foreigners not to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban seized back power four years ago. They had been living peaceful lives in the mountainous region of Bamain - famous for the giant Buddha statues blown up by the previous Taliban regime. Their family said they had never encountered any trouble from the regime since settling there in 2009. Last week was the pair's 55th wedding anniversary. Advertisement Barbie told a Foreign Office official this week: 'We have been told we are guests of the government but this is no way to treat a guest." Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 along with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. The group was detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan. They bundled into vans and taken to separate parts of maximum-security Pul-e-Charki. Advertisement On May 22 the couple were moved to the headquarters of the GDI — the General Directorate of Intelligence — and put in an underground cell. Although the couple are now together, they have had almost no access to phones since being moved. The last time their four children spoke to them was over a month ago. It was initially thought they had been Advertisement The Taliban later bizarrely claimed the arrest was Hall, their interpretor, 5 The couple, aged 80 and 76, have received no explanation for their imprisonment
Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Times
Independence or more immigration? Why Scotland can't have both
T here was a fascinating piece in The Sunday Times by my colleague David Leask about English folk becoming SNP candidates for the Holyrood election. One was Math Campbell-Sturgess, a 42-year-old former army reservist from Cambridgeshire. 'Independence isn't about where you come from,' he said. 'It's about who makes the decisions that matter in your life.' Campbell-Sturgess is not typical of English folk living in Scotland. Leask unearthed hitherto-unseen polling data that breaks down people's views on independence according to their country of birth. Only 35 per cent of English-born voters in Scotland support independence, and 65 per cent prefer a UK that sticks together. Immigrants to Scotland from further afield have similar views: only 40 per cent are in favour of breaking up Britain while 60 per cent are opposed.
IOL News
2 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
King Charles accused of overworking and underpaying staff at Highgrove Estate
King Charles's idyllic Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire may be picture-perfect from the outside, but behind the scenes, staff unrest has reached boiling point. Image: YouTube King Charles is facing a growing crisis at his beloved Highgrove estate as 11 of his 12 full-time gardeners have resigned within the past year, according to an explosive report by The Sunday Times. The staff exodus follows a wave of complaints that workers felt 'overwhelmed and underpaid' while struggling to meet the King's escalating demands - including cutting the lawns by hand. Among those who quit were two heads of gardens and a deputy head gardener - key figures in maintaining the 15-acre organic gardens that King Charles has spent over four decades cultivating. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ One long-time staffer left after decades of loyal service, while another reportedly lost the monarch's trust after failing a probation period due to not knowing enough about a particular flower. 'Don't put that man in front of me again,' King Charles allegedly said, according to sources quoted in the report. The estate, purchased by Charles in 1980, is now the subject of intense scrutiny. Complaints to management have described a work environment marked by low morale and unreasonable expectations. One employee, writing in late 2023, said the team was 'overwhelmed, under-resourced and constantly struggling to fulfil the King's requests.' Several staff members reportedly suffered physical injuries while trying to meet the rigorous pace and volume of tasks, some of which were delivered in red-ink memos said to be "strikingly specific and emotional." Gardeners were expected to act on instructions given during the monarch's daily walkabouts, all of which had to be completed before his return. A source added that King Charles frequently corrected grammar in staff reports and required all employees to refer to him as 'Your Majesty' at all times. 'There was anger boiling at the surface, very impatient, no politeness at all,' claimed one former gardener. Wage concerns were a recurring theme, with insiders revealing that in March 2022, three gardeners earned the UK minimum wage of £11.98 per hour (R285), while others earned slightly more at £12.78 per hour (R304). These pay levels remain concerning, particularly considering Highgrove generated over £8 million ( R190 million) in revenue last financial year - the highest of any royal residence. The King's Foundation, which manages the estate's operations, has since commissioned an independent HR consultancy to investigate the claims. The investigation confirmed 'staff shortages,' 'poor management practice,' and acknowledged that pay had become a key issue affecting recruitment and retention. The report recommended a number of interventions, including management training, improved mental health support, counselling for staff, and a comprehensive pay review. One of the King's closest advisers, Constantine 'Costa' Innemée, the current executive director of Highgrove, was also named in the staff complaints. Innemée allegedly insisted that King Charles's orders be followed, even when staff warned that certain actions, such as relocating plants, would damage or kill them. 'If the king wanted a plant to be moved from A to B but the gardener's professional opinion was that it would die as a consequence, Innemée's position would be to insist on it anyway,' one former gardener told The Sunday Times. IOL Entertainment Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Health
- New Straits Times
UK battles anti-vax misinformation
LONDON: A child's death from measles has sparked urgent calls from British public health officials to get children vaccinated, as the United Kingdom faces an onslaught of misinformation on social media, much of it from the United States. Measles is a highly infectious disease that can cause serious complications. It is preventable through double MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) jabs in early childhood. Health Secretary Wes Streeting on July 14 confirmed to parliament that a child had died in the UK of measles. No details have been released, but The Sunday Times and Liverpool Echo newspapers reported the child had been severely ill with measles and other serious health problems in Alder Hey hospital in the northwestern city. Anti-vaxxers quickly posted unconfirmed claims about the death on social media. One British influencer, Ellie Grey, who has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram, posted a video denying the child died from measles. "Measles isn't this deadly disease... it's not dangerous," she said. Grey criticised Alder Hey for posting a video "really, really pushing and manipulating parents into getting the MMR vaccine". Her video was reposted by another British influencer, Kate Shemirani, a struck-off ex-nurse who posts health conspiracy theories. "No vaccine has ever been proven safe and no vaccine has ever been proven effective," Shemirani claimed falsely. Liverpool's public health chief Matthew Ashton attacked those "spreading misinformation and disinformation about childhood immunisations" in the Echo newspaper, saying "they need to take a very long, hard look at themselves". "For those of you that don't know, measles is a really nasty virus," he said in a video, adding that the jab is a way of "protecting yourself and your loved ones." Alder Hey said it had treated 17 children with measles since June. It posted a video in which a paediatric infectious diseases consultant, Andrew McArdle, addresses measles "myths", including that the MMR jab causes autism. This false claim comes from a debunked 1998 study by a British doctor, Andrew Wakefield, who was later struck off. But it sparked an international slump in vaccinations. Benjamin Kasstan-Dabush, a medical anthropologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said there were still "lingering questions around the Wakefield era". He talked to parents who had delayed vaccinating their children, finding reasons included life events and difficulty getting health appointments, but also misinformation. In a video in response to the reported death, Vanessa Saliba, a consultant epidemiologist, explained the MMR jab protects others, including those "receiving treatment like chemotherapy that can weaken or wipe out their immunity". AFP
