Latest news with #Bert
The Journal
2 days ago
- Climate
- The Journal
Here are the top five home insurance claims and how to avoid them
KEEPING YOUR HOME safe is a priority that cannot be taken lightly, which is exactly why it's so essential to make sure you have the right kind of insurance in place in case something unexpected were to happen. Beyond getting the right insurance, though, there are preventative measures you can take to avoid damage before it occurs. Using data compiled by Allianz from 2024, we have the top reasons people needed to claim on their home insurance and how you can take crucial steps to reduce your risk of common dangers such as water damage, fire and theft. Allianz is here to give you peace of mind, but you can also take comfort in knowing that you've done all you can to take precautionary steps to prevent potential claims from occurring. 1. Burst pipes Accounting for a whopping 33% of all home insurance claims received by Allianz in 2024, water damage is by far the most common misfortune affecting homeowners in Ireland. The good news is that keeping your home safe against water damage is a matter you can take into your own hands by staying vigilant and implementing the following advice: Ensure current pipes are well equipped to deal with any renovations such as extra toilets, en suites, underfloor heating and showering facilities Regularly inspect the sealing around baths, showers and sinks to prevent wear and tear Regularly check the external pipes and pipes located in unheated areas during temperature fluctuations To prevent freezing pipes during winter, it is beneficial to keep your water heated at a low temperature During times of very little usage (over a holiday), turn off the water supply if you can Regularly check overflow on toilets, sinks, baths and tanks Regularly inspect hosing going to and from washing machines, dishwashers, water heaters and refrigerators. 2. Storms Shutterstock / Karlo Curis Shutterstock / Karlo Curis / Karlo Curis We know all about storms in Ireland, having already experienced several intense storms earlier this year. Hundreds of thousands of homes were left without power in the aftermath of Storm Eowyn, and last year also brought many more named storms: Isha, Ashley, Bert, and Darragh. A sharp reminder that your home needs the best protection possible when it comes to standing strong against the elements. Storm damage accounted for 28% of Allianz home insurance claims in 2024, according to the latest data, so the following steps should be the top priority for any homeowners hoping to avoid finding themselves in that same situation. First and foremost, you want to safely store loose garden items away, which can even include locking your trampoline to the ground. Otherwise, you can also secure gates and shed doors. And be sure to check again for damage to your home after the storm has passed. 3. Accidents Accidental damage is defined as sudden or unforeseen damage caused as a result of an unexpected action or event. While the very nature of accidents makes them hard to predict or prepare for, Allianz does provide additional options for those who want extra peace of mind regarding important belongings which could be affected by accidental damage. You can add accidental damage cover to your Allianz home insurance policy to further insure household goods, clothing, furniture & furnishings, and personal effects such as smart devices, wallets, jewellery and more. Accidents account for 18% of all home insurance claims, and you can learn more about what protections are available to you through Allianz here . Advertisement 4. Fire Shutterstock Shutterstock Fire accounted for 10% of all home insurance claims last year, and while it can be catastrophic, many such fires are also very preventable. Safe practices such as avoiding leaving candles unattended, being diligent about what you do in the kitchen, and making sure chimneys are regularly cleaned, can significantly reduce the chances of a fire breaking out. The Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government has issued a useful mnemonic to help you stay wise to the risk of fire in your home: STOP. S is for smoke alarms, which should be on every floor of your home and ideally in every room. T is for testing your smoke alarms, which you should ideally do once a week for each alarm. O is for obvious dangers. Always be vigilant about obvious fire hazards in your home, whether that's overloaded plug sockets, unattended candles, or hot appliances such as hair straighteners or curling irons being left plugged in or switched on. P is for planning your escape route. Always make sure that there is clear access to the exit of your home and that you know where your keys are. 5. Theft Nobody likes thinking about the worst-case scenario and while being burgled is an awful experience, it did sadly make up 5% of all home insurance claims. This means that a theft at your home is unlikely, but it still makes sense to be as prepared as possible. There are steps that you can take that reduce the likelihood of being burgled. Data from the Garda Analysis Service shows that nearly half of burglaries (46%) occur between 5pm and 11pm. Burglars also commonly target back doors (26%), back windows (24%) and front windows (8%), with one in five cases involving a burglar getting access through an unsecured door or window. An Garda Síochána's 'Lock Up and Light Up' has several suggestions on how you can keep your home safe, including: Make sure all doors, windows and entrances to the home are locked Keep some lights turned on Use an alarm system Avoid keeping large amounts of cash on the premises Store spare keys in secure areas away from windows and letter boxes. By being prepared and well informed your likelihood of experiencing incidents of crime or damage in your home will be much lower. Allianz p.l.c. is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Standard acceptance criteria, terms & conditions apply. This guidance is for general information purposes only. Allianz accepts no responsibility or liability for any losses that may arise from any reliance upon the information contained in this guidance.
Sky News AU
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Patti Newton, 80, shares recovery update from Melbourne hospital bed after full hip replacement: 'Thank you to my wonderful surgeon'
Beloved Australian entertainer Patti Newton has revealed she recently underwent a full hip replacement, sharing the news with fans via social media. The 80-year-old posted a photo from her hospital bed on Wednesday, cuddled up beside her four-year-old grandson Alby, as she thanked her medical team for their care. "Had a full hip replacement and feeling fine," she wrote. "Thank you to all at Epworth Hospital and my wonderful surgeon. I'll be chasing Alby around again in no time." Fans were quick to respond with messages of support, many expressing their shock at the surprise announcement. "Patti, I didn't know you were having an operation!" one follower commented, while another said: "Oh Patti that's no good but I'm glad to see you happy and smiling as always." Celebrity friends, including Jessica Rowe, Anthony Callea, Shayna Blaze and Erin Holland, also flooded the post with well wishes. Jessica Rowe wrote, "Oh Patti- rest up!!! You'll be shaking those hips again in no time!!!" Anthony Callea added, You'll be hula hooping in no time. Get well soon and as Gloria Estefan said… Get On Your Feet! Xx." This marks the second health update from Patti in 2025, following her battle with Covid earlier in the year. In January, she was forced to temporarily step back from her role in Grease: The Musical during its Sydney run due to illness. "So sorry to be missing the previews for Grease," she shared on Instagram at the time. "Unfortunately Covid has hit me again. Looking forward to being back next week." The update came with a photo of Patti dressed in costume as Miss Lynch, the role she has played in both the Melbourne and Sydney seasons of the production. Patti has thrown herself back into performing in recent years following the 2021 death of her beloved husband, legendary Australian entertainer Bert Newton. The couple were married for 47 years before Bert died at the age of 83. Shortly after his passing, Patti returned to the stage in a national tour of Mary Poppins, later joining Grease as a tribute to the couple's lifelong connection to show business. Her grandson Monty, nine, appears to be following in her footsteps, recently starring in the film Magic Beach, adapted from Alison Lester's beloved children's book. Speaking to Woman's Day in October, Patti said Bert would have been thrilled to see Monty on screen. "Bert would be extremely proud of him. I feel a bit sad that he's not here to see Monty," she said. "Bert always felt that he had something special about him. He'll always have a little part of Poppy with him." Monty and Alby are two of six children shared by Patti's daughter Lauren Newton, 46, and former Olympic swimmer Matt Welsh, 48. The family live close to Patti in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. Meanwhile, Patti's son Matthew Newton, 48, resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife Catherine Schneiderman. It's understood that the couple do not have any children.
Los Angeles Times
20-05-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Tracing History, One Trip at a Time
Sitting in the lounge at LAX with one of those 'too small to hold' teacups and saucers, I scanned the boards every two minutes, despite the plane being an hour from departure. It's a habit I chalk up to a genetic 'gift' of OCD – one I can trace directly to my maternal grandfather. It got me thinking about what else passes down through generations. How the idea of 'home and family' blurs and stretches over time. I'd been living in the U.S. for a decade, and although I'd flown back to England more times than I could count, this trip felt different. A big family gathering was planned – one of those multi-generational reunions where someone brings a favorite dessert and someone else brings a stack of old, yellowing photos no one's seen in years. My father, a self-declared professional war historian and part-time volunteer at Churchill's Chartwell estate, had been deep in the archives. He'd uncovered new and surprising details about both his own father and my mother's – threads of family history that were about to come alive again. We were all converging on a rented farmhouse in Sevenoaks, Kent – not far from where I grew up. It had been too long since I'd seen many of them. Life in L.A. has a way of making the past feel far away. At the dinner table that night, over roast lamb and wine, the talk turned – as it always does in families like mine – to stories. Old ones. We discussed how it was an interesting quirk that our Italian heritage comes, independently, from both sides of the family. Sicily on my father's side and mainland Italy on my mother's. Immigrants searching for better lives in the devastation of World War 1 and World War 2, respectively. Then someone asked the question that always brings the room to a hush: 'How exactly did Nonna Elisa meet Grandad Bert?' It's a love story, of course. But it's also a war story. And as my father had been researching – it began in a barn soaked with blood. Bert had recounted the tale to my father years prior, and most in the family had seen Bert's war wound; a deep scarring in the left shoulder, but few knew the real story behind it. Tonight, we would hear it. Herbert Alec Meyers – 'Bert' to the family – was born in 1922 in Limehouse, East London. He was the ninth of eleven children raised in a working-class home where money was tight and loyalty ran deep. When war came, five of the Meyers brothers put on a uniform. The father, Frank, was a German immigrant from Dortmund after WW1, brutally rounded up and interred by the British Government on the Isle of Man when war broke out for a second time. Bert enlisted in the British Army Royal Hampshire Regiment on 19th Feb 1942 and found himself shipped out with the 1/4th Battalion to North Africa in 1943. His unit fought in Tunisia, then later landed at Salerno in Italy under heavy fire. My father continued to explain Bert's movements through Italy – the road was a long one: through the Garigliano River valley, into the hellscape of Monte Cassino (where Bert's brother George had been fighting), and finally pushing north through Tuscany toward the Gothic Line. He produced a hand drawn map – a surviving document from the war. It was a brutal march, day after day, town after town. By late September 1944, Bert'sbattalion had seen more death than rest. The allies were making progress, but the Germans were devastating adversaries determined to hold ground. And then came the barn. In the early hours of September 23rd 1944, his small 'band of brothers' stopped near a farmhouse to rest for the night – just a handful of men, bedding down under wooden beams, their rifles leaned nearby. The war felt distant for a moment. Respite. Bert closed his eyes and let the exhaustion overtake him. In the pitch of night, the doors exploded open. A German patrol had discovered them. The air lit up with machine-gun fire. Wood splintered. Screams rose and fell. Bertfelt a searing pain in his left shoulder and hit the ground. As the gunfire tore through the barn, he rolled instinctively behind a bale of hay, scanning desperately for any way out – but there was none. Just walls, timber and the sound of death. He caught glimpses of his friends lying twisted and unmoving. The air reeked of blood and dust. Somewhere in the shadows, he heard the clipped German shouts – orders barked out over the still-whimpering remnants of the ambush. Then the silence came. Bert realized he was the only one still alive. Should he surrender to the Germans and hope for mercy? Should he capitalize on the adrenaline now surging through his veins and launch his own frenzied attack – maybe he could use the element of surprise to get to an opening, out into the fields and run, run, run. Bert, who happened to be known for an amazing intellect for numerics and calculations, ran the odds in his head. Both of those scenarios ended in certain death. He didn't move. He didn't breathe. His face pressed against the cold floor, he forced his muscles into stillness, willing his body to mimic death. He could hear his heartbeat pounding in his ears, terrified that the sound alone would give him away. The Germans, stepping over the bodies, assuming the job was done, fled. They feared other British soldiers were in the area and weren't willing to risk a counter-attack. That decision saved my grandfather's life. He lay still until daylight; too afraid to break the repose that had kept him among the living, too weak to do anything else. When the rest of his company finally reached the farmhouse, they found him barely conscious, bleeding out, surrounded by the bodies of his mates. A medic worked fast. The bullet had passed clean through his shoulder, narrowly missing his heart. He was stretchered to a field hospital, then transferred to the 8th Army headquarters in Caserta to recover. When fit again, he enlisted in the 8th Army Police, Caserta, to continue his service in Italy, removed from the direct horrors of front-line conflict. And that's where the story begins again – because that's where he met Elisa. She was 21, local, and working with the NAAFI, the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes. She didn't speak English. He didn't speak Italian. But something worked. They married in Caserta in 1947 and honeymooned in Sorrento. Then she left everything she knew behind and sailed to England with him, the bullet now long healed but the memory never gone. As we sat around the table that night, my father pulled out the newspaper clipping from 1944 – a piece about the five Meyers brothers at war, along with the official record of the wounding incident held by British National Archives. Someone else had a photo of Bert in uniform marrying Elisa. We passed them around like relics. I thought of the barn again. Of the silence after the gunfire. Of the fact that if he'd so much as groaned, if the bullet trajectory was an inch closer to his heart, 90% of the people at this table would not be here. The margins of fate are much smaller than most of us like to admit. The next morning, I woke early and walked out into the fog-thick fields behind the farmhouse. The English countryside was still. Peaceful. I thought about how far we'd come – from East London to Los Angeles, from wartime Italy to a table of great-grandkids eating sticky toffee pudding. History lives in places, but more than that, it lives in us. Bert passed away in 2017 at the age of 96, but the man who played dead, who survived, who came home with a wife and a story – and started everything that came next, is still very much with us in the stories that are passed down.
New York Post
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Sesame Street' gets lifeline with Netflix streaming deal — but will still air on PBS
Netflix has thrown 'Sesame Street' a safety net with a new streaming deal that offers the popular children's staple a broad reach while keeping it on its long-standing home, PBS, at the same time, the companies announced Monday. Starting later this year, new episodes will run on Netflix, PBS and the PBS Kids app on the same day. No specific premiere date was immediately announced. Select past episodes will be available on Netflix worldwide. The change for the more than 50-year-old show comes after Warner Bros. Discovery — which had aired the show since 2016 — last year decided not to renew its deal for new episodes that air on HBO and Max, though episodes will remain there until 2027. 3 The change for the more than 50-year-old show comes after Warner Bros. Discovery — which had aired the show since 2016 — last year decided not to renew its deal for new episodes that air on HBO and Max AP 'This unique public-private partnership will enable us to bring our research-based curriculum to young children around the world with Netflix's global reach, while ensuring children in communities across the US continue to have free access on public television to the 'Sesame Street' they love,' Sesame Workshop said in its press release. Sal Perez, the show's executive producer and a Sesame Workshop vice president, told The Associated Press recently that segments on the new season will be longer and 'really focused on character,' while also focusing on its audience's emotional well-being and development. For Season 56, episodes will revolve around one 11-minute story, the Netflix release said. 'The more kids want to hang out with our characters on 'Sesame Street,' the more they're going to take in those lessons,' said Perez, adding that there would also be updates to the show's look and feel. The new season will also feature more exploration of the 'Sesame Street' neighborhood and a look inside the legendary two-story brownstone at 123 Sesame Street that houses Elmo, Bert and Ernie and more. 3 Select past episodes will be available on Netflix worldwide. AFP via Getty Images 'I strongly believe that our educational programming for children is one of the most important aspects of our service to the American people, and 'Sesame Street' has been an integral part of that critical work for more than half a century,' said Paula Kerger, president and CEO of PBS. 'We're proud to continue our partnership in the pursuit of having a profound impact on the lives of children for years to come.' 'Sesame Street' has been shown in more than 150 countries, amassing more than 200 Emmys in addition to Grammy and Peabody awards and a Kennedy Center Honor for lifetime artistic achievement. 3 Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie speak with Sal Perez, the show's executive producer. AP Its fan-favorite characters like Oscar the Grouch, Big Bird and the Cookie Monster will now reside along the likes of Ms. Rachel, Blippi and the residents of 'CoComelon Lane.' Netflix says 'Kids and Family' programming makes up 15% of the streamer's total viewing.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kansas State women's golfer Sophie Bert claims medalist honors in Big 12 Championship
Kansas State women's golfer Sophie Bert shot a final round of 5-under-par 66 to climb the leaderboard and claim the Wildcats' first-ever individual conference title Thursday in the Big 12 Championship at Houston Oaks Golf Club in Hockley, Texas. Bert, a senior from Deurle, Belgium who transferred to K-State from East Tennessee State, moved up 13 spots on the leaderboard to win the championship with a 54-hole total of 2-under-par 211. She was the only player to break par for the tournament. Advertisement K-State senior Carla Bernot also made a charge, moving up eight spots with a 1-under 70 to tie Arizona State's Beth Coulter and Arizona's Nena Wongthanavimok for second at even-par 213. Junior Noa van Beek also broke par Thursday with a 1-under 70 and finished in a tie for 40th place. K-State was the only team to break par during Thursday's final round, shooting a combined 5-under 279. More: Kansas State football transfer portal tracker: Who is in, out for the Wildcats in spring Related: Kansas State football assistant Brian Lepak embraces new challege with offensive line Kansas State golfer Sophie Bert follows through on a shot during the women's Big 12 Championship this week at Houston Oaks Golf Club in Huckley, Texas. Bert shot was individual medalist with a 54-hole total of 2-under-par 211. K-State moved up six spots from 11th place in the final round to finish fifth as a team with a 25-over 877 total. The Wildcats, who were third last year, recorded back-to-back top five finishes for the first time in school history. Advertisement 'What a comeback from the ladies today,' K-State coach Stew Burke said. 'Yesterday was the low point of our season, and we were looking for a reaction from them today. They certainly delivered by shooting the only team round under par all week. We are very proud of Sophie for winning the individual championship and Carla for her runner-up finish. 'As a group, I am extremely proud of them and how they kept great poise in difficult conditions. They deserve their NCAA Regional opportunity, and we look forward to Wednesday as we find out where we will be headed for the postseason.' Arizona needed a playoff to win the team championship after tying Oklahoma State and Arizona State for first at the end of 54 holes. K-State now waits for the NCAA Division I selection show next Wednesday to learn whether they qualify for their sixth-ever NCAA Regional berth and their first since 2017. Advertisement Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@ or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Big 12 women's golf championship: Kansas State's Sophie Bert medalist
