EXCLUSIVE It ends with me: A vanishingly rare genetic mutation means Dean must battle a disease feared by millions - yet a scientific miracle means his daughters will be safe
Dean Kizi set himself a goal: to travel to 30 countries before he turned 30.
At the age of 29, he'd completed that mission. By then, the Sydney-based designer was newly engaged to his now-wife Anda, had a master's degree in architecture and was the owner of a thriving business. Life was, as he puts it, 'amazing'.
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Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
‘There are more luxury hotels that welcome dogs than disabled guests'
When luxury travel is done right, it anticipates your needs before you even arrive. Whether it's setting your villa to exactly 22.5C, choosing the thread count of your sheets, or dispatching a 'bath butler' to prepare your soak with hand-picked salts and a curated soundtrack, no request is too niche. This is what luxury promises: personalisation, exclusivity and ease; everything money can buy and, more enticingly, everything it can't. It's precisely this culture of precision and guest-centred service that should make luxury travel the ideal environment for disabled guests. After all, in a world where pillows can be tailored to your cervical curve and a preferred brand of spring water shipped in ahead of arrival, surely accommodating access requirements, like a roll-in shower or sensory-friendly dining space, should be par for the course. And yet, the needs of disabled travellers have long been absent from the luxury travel conversation. While properties the world over have rushed to become pet-friendly, family-friendly, eco-friendly, few have stopped to consider what it means to be truly human-friendly. But at the intersection of luxury and accessibility lies an overdue truth: the highest standard of service is one that includes everyone. As a wheelchair user, I've experienced the jarring disconnect between how luxury is presented and how it's actually delivered for disabled guests. Physical barriers are more common than you would expect (steps into reception or stairs within the rooms) but equally as limiting are the attitudinal (staff who check me in with a confused or awkward look on their face) and financial (stays costing more because only suite-level rooms have been adapted for wheelchair users) barriers. Last week, Inclusive Luxury Hotels (IHL) – a new discovery and booking platform from accessibility specialist IncluCare, part of the Inclu Group – launched, along with a promise to revolutionise what it means to be both luxurious and inclusive. For the first time, disabled travellers now have a trusted, independent way to find high-end hotels that don't just claim accessibility, but prove it. To make the cut, each property has undergone a rigorous audit, encompassing not only physical access but also service and booking transparency. That last part is crucial; accessible rooms must be visible and instantly bookable online as, according to Inclu, an estimated $1.5 billion (£1.1 billion) in accessible room stock goes unsold each year simply because it's invisible. Making that inventory discoverable is quietly radical, long overdue and a win-win for both travellers and the industry. Behind this effort is travel industry stalwart Richard Thompson, chief executive and co-founder of Inclu, himself disabled following a spinal cord injury in 1986. Thompson has long been one of the most vocal disrupters in this space and launched ILH with trademark candour. 'There are more luxury hotels that welcome dogs than disabled guests.' It's a shocking line, but painfully true. The World Health Organisation counts 1.6 billion disabled people worldwide; add travelling friends and families and you're staring at a spending power north of $13 trillion. In Britain alone the 'purple pound' is worth £274 billion. Most of that money is eager to flow, but with little information on where we can spend it, our choices are limited from the outset. IncluCare's verification process is both rigorous and refreshingly holistic. It begins with a comprehensive appraisal of the property's infrastructure and guest experience, followed by a bespoke and thorough education programme for all staff. Adjustments are then made, from physical adaptations to improved booking processes, before a property earns Verified status. Only then can it appear on the ILH platform. Amilla Maldives was the first hotel in the world to achieve Verified status and my stay there was genuinely unforgettable. I didn't have to advocate for myself at every turn. The access was already there, elegant, thoughtful and seamlessly woven into my stay. Other hotels currently on the platform include urban retreats Pan Pacific London and Conrad London St James. Top-tier properties are also awarded star ratings, indicating the extent to which they've evolved. A five-star rating, for instance, signifies at least two years of continuous development, staff-wide training and the introduction of assistive technology such as pool or spa access for guests with reduced mobility, or tools to support those with sensory and cognitive disabilities. These aren't surface-level tweaks that merely meet basic accessibility compliance; they're operational shifts grounded in a new understanding of inclusivity, excellence and, of course, luxury. Only when staff can read a set of access needs the way a sommelier reads a wine list, suggesting the perfect combination of equipment, room category and accessible experiences, will Thompson be satisfied. IncluCare's training covers everything from how to guide a blind guest to a sunset bar to how to offer a quiet dining corner for someone with sensory sensitivity and how to phrase assistance without stripping us of our agency. What really sets this platform apart is its mindset. Thompson calls it 'conscious inclusivity' – a shift away from tick-box accessibility, towards a broader, more human view of what it means to be welcoming. It's about acknowledging that disabled guests don't just want to be accommodated – they want to enjoy, indulge and experience luxury on their own terms, just like anyone else. With 11 more hotels in the pipeline, give it 24 months and we will soon see a global map of verifiably inclusive hideaways. ILH guarantees a layer of certainty that this sector – and the industry at large – has mistakenly overlooked: a promise that in these hotels, everyone can check in knowing their needs, no matter what they are, will be met. And if that's not the very definition of five-star hospitality, I don't know what is.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
Fraud victims among top crypto ATM users, Australian regulator says
June 25 (Reuters) - Australia's financial crimes monitoring agency said on Wednesday that it has identified 90 scam victims, money mules and suspected offenders as the top crypto ATM users in the country, amid efforts to address crimes enabled by digital currency. A nationwide operation led by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) examined the most prolific crypto ATM users in each state, and based on the transaction values, identified cases likely linked to scams or fraud. "We suspected that a large volume of crypto ATM transactions were probably illicit, but disturbingly, our law enforcement partners found that almost all of the transactions we referred involved victims rather than criminals," AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said. In one instance, AUSTRAC identified a woman in her 70s who had deposited more than A$430,000 into crypto ATMs after falling victim to romance and investment scams. Earlier this month, AUSTRAC had placed conditions and limits on crypto ATM providers after flagging compliance concerns, with the number of active machines exceeding 1,800. Lately, the Australian corporate regulator has been cracking down on cryptocurrency exchanges as well, with Binance and Blockchain Global coming under scrutiny.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Babcock hails ‘new era of defence' as global threats prompt greater spending
Defence giant Babcock International has hailed a 'new era for defence' with rising global threats prompting governments around the world to strengthen spending, especially on the burgeoning nuclear sector. The London-listed company reported higher profits and raised its financial outlook. It generated an operating profit of £364 million in the year to the end of March, 51% higher than the previous year. Revenues grew by 11% to £4.8 billion, with particularly strong growth in the nuclear and marine sectors. It also said it was now expecting to meet its target underlying operating margin in the next financial year – one year earlier than it previously thought. Babcock maintains the UK's fleet of submarines, and also provides engineering support across the marine, nuclear, land and aviation sectors. UK defence spending made up nearly two-thirds of the group's sales last year, but it also operates in countries including Australia, Canada, France, and Ukraine. The company told investors that rising global threats and ongoing insecurity had contributed to governments across all its markets strengthening their stance on defence and security. This was set to drive significant spending and investment, particularly in the civil nuclear sector for the foreseeable future. It also highlighted the UK Government's renewed commitment to defence spending, with the Prime Minister earlier this month committing to spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on national security. On Wednesday, it was announced that the UK is set to buy a fleet of new fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons, with Sir Keir Starmer saying the country can 'no longer take peace for granted'. 'This is a new era for defence,' Babcock's chief executive David Lockwood said on Wednesday. 'There is increasing recognition of the need to invest in defence capability and energy security, both to safeguard populations and to drive economic growth.' Babcock also announced the launch of a £200 million share buyback programme, which will take place over the course of the 2026 financial year.
