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Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mom's Bizarre Social Media Posts Revealed as She's Charged with the Death of Her 3-Year-Old Daughter
Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, allegedly stabbed her three-year-old daughter, Sophia Rose, in the front yard of their home in Queensland, Australia, on Monday, May 26 The case was briefly mentioned at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, after Flanigan was arrested and charged with murder The incident came a day after Flanigan shared a series of disturbing posts on social media, according to multiple news outletsA mother's eerie social media posts have been revealed after she was charged with the death of her three-year-old daughter. Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, has been accused of fatally stabbing her daughter, Sophia Rose, in the front yard of their Moore Park Beach home in Central Queensland, Australia, on Monday, May 26. Chief Inspector Grant Marcus said police received several calls from neighbors, but the toddler was dead when emergency services found her just before 5 p.m. local time, per 7 News and 9 News. Flanigan was arrested at the scene and charged in custody with killing Sophia, while a knife that police allege was the murder weapon was also seized, the outlets reported. 'There were two other children at the address at the time, both younger – aged one and two,' Superintendent Brad Inskip said, per 'Neither of them were injured in the incident yesterday, and they're currently being cared for by family members.' Inskip told 7 News that there were 'multiple attempts' to revive Sophia before she succumbed to her injuries. 'No doubt it was a horrific scene, it's a terrible, terrible incident for everybody, including the witnesses and the neighbors, including the emergency services police and ambulances who attended and investigators who are doing the ongoing investigation,' Inskip said, per 7 News. 'This is not something that we or one of us wanna attend, but we're one of the people who have to deal with [it],' he continued. 'We have reached out to council to support the community as well, and there are welfare options available on the QPS website as well.' Inskip didn't specify if there were any concerns about Flanigan's mental health before the incident. However, he confirmed to that her mental health 'will play a part in our inquiries' amid their investigation. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Flanigan had shared several photos on social media of her children and a blossoming baby bump in 2021. She appeared to be an advocate for taking action against domestic violence and digital work for moms, according to However, recent Instagram posts appeared to have a darker tone, Sky News Australia reported. On Sunday, she allegedly shared a video of a woman with bruises on her arm that was captioned, 'Remember your pain as it fuels your purpose.' The mom allegedly included lyrics from the heavy metal group Disturbed's song 'Prayer,' which say, 'Another nightmare about to come true. Will manifest tomorrow. Another love that I've taken from you.' In other posts, Flanigan allegedly referenced training 'like it's war' and being a 'warrior of light,' according to She captioned a photo of her children 'my divine babies,' while other posts allegedly referenced trauma, with one saying that people are 'shaped by the rocks we've been broken against.' 'This is how our Creator sees us. Not defined by the damage, but deeply loved for the story we carry,' Flanigan added. Following Monday's incident, the family home has been declared a crime scene, with specialist police from Brisbane traveling to the area to assist with the investigation. Jai Ruane, an MMA fighter and father of the three children, was away for work at the time of the murder. He and Flanigan are believed to be separated, ABC News Australia reported. Inskip said Ruane has since returned and is 'no doubt absolutely devastated,' per 9 News. Speaking of his daughter, according to 9 News, Ruane said, 'Always smiling, always wanting to help. Just full of life and love.' He then added, 'She just had such a huge heart.' Social media photos throughout the years show Ruane celebrating his daughter's birthday and wishing Flaning a Happy Valentine's Day in 2022, reported. 'Sophia and I both love you very much,' he wrote at the time. Flanigan's case was briefly mentioned on Tuesday, May 27, at Bundaberg Magistrates Court, before being adjourned until July, ABC News Australia reported. Bundaberg Magistrates Court and Queensland Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mom's Bizarre Social Media Posts Revealed as She's Charged with the Death of Her 3-Year-Old Daughter
Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, allegedly stabbed her three-year-old daughter, Sophia Rose, in the front yard of their home in Queensland, Australia, on Monday, May 26 The case was briefly mentioned at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Tuesday, after Flanigan was arrested and charged with murder The incident came a day after Flanigan shared a series of disturbing posts on social media, according to multiple news outletsA mother's eerie social media posts have been revealed after she was charged with the death of her three-year-old daughter. Lauren Ingrid Flanigan, 32, has been accused of fatally stabbing her daughter, Sophia Rose, in the front yard of their Moore Park Beach home in Central Queensland, Australia, on Monday, May 26. Chief Inspector Grant Marcus said police received several calls from neighbors, but the toddler was dead when emergency services found her just before 5 p.m. local time, per 7 News and 9 News. Flanigan was arrested at the scene and charged in custody with killing Sophia, while a knife that police allege was the murder weapon was also seized, the outlets reported. 'There were two other children at the address at the time, both younger – aged one and two,' Superintendent Brad Inskip said, per 'Neither of them were injured in the incident yesterday, and they're currently being cared for by family members.' Inskip told 7 News that there were 'multiple attempts' to revive Sophia before she succumbed to her injuries. 'No doubt it was a horrific scene, it's a terrible, terrible incident for everybody, including the witnesses and the neighbors, including the emergency services police and ambulances who attended and investigators who are doing the ongoing investigation,' Inskip said, per 7 News. 'This is not something that we or one of us wanna attend, but we're one of the people who have to deal with [it],' he continued. 'We have reached out to council to support the community as well, and there are welfare options available on the QPS website as well.' Inskip didn't specify if there were any concerns about Flanigan's mental health before the incident. However, he confirmed to that her mental health 'will play a part in our inquiries' amid their investigation. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Flanigan had shared several photos on social media of her children and a blossoming baby bump in 2021. She appeared to be an advocate for taking action against domestic violence and digital work for moms, according to However, recent Instagram posts appeared to have a darker tone, Sky News Australia reported. On Sunday, she allegedly shared a video of a woman with bruises on her arm that was captioned, 'Remember your pain as it fuels your purpose.' The mom allegedly included lyrics from the heavy metal group Disturbed's song 'Prayer,' which say, 'Another nightmare about to come true. Will manifest tomorrow. Another love that I've taken from you.' In other posts, Flanigan allegedly referenced training 'like it's war' and being a 'warrior of light,' according to She captioned a photo of her children 'my divine babies,' while other posts allegedly referenced trauma, with one saying that people are 'shaped by the rocks we've been broken against.' 'This is how our Creator sees us. Not defined by the damage, but deeply loved for the story we carry,' Flanigan added. Following Monday's incident, the family home has been declared a crime scene, with specialist police from Brisbane traveling to the area to assist with the investigation. Jai Ruane, an MMA fighter and father of the three children, was away for work at the time of the murder. He and Flanigan are believed to be separated, ABC News Australia reported. Inskip said Ruane has since returned and is 'no doubt absolutely devastated,' per 9 News. Speaking of his daughter, according to 9 News, Ruane said, 'Always smiling, always wanting to help. Just full of life and love.' He then added, 'She just had such a huge heart.' Social media photos throughout the years show Ruane celebrating his daughter's birthday and wishing Flaning a Happy Valentine's Day in 2022, reported. 'Sophia and I both love you very much,' he wrote at the time. Flanigan's case was briefly mentioned on Tuesday, May 27, at Bundaberg Magistrates Court, before being adjourned until July, ABC News Australia reported. Bundaberg Magistrates Court and Queensland Police did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Read the original article on People
India Today
6 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Men without women forcing China to smuggle wives from Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar
In a warning issued on Sunday, the Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh urged its citizens to steer clear of illegal cross-border marriages and deceptive online matchmaking schemes. The statement, widely reported in Chinese state-run media, cautioned people against the notion of "buying a foreign wife". But, what is behind this deceptive cross-border marriage scheme is called shengnan shidai, or "the age of leftover men" in China. Not just from Bangladesh, women are smuggled into China from several other countries, including Nepal and Myanmar, according to a Human Rights Watch seems to have become a "quick-fix" for a long-festering demographic imbalance in the first generation of those born under the peak of sex-selective abortion in the 1980s reaches middle age, the pressure is mounting. The number of men of marriageable age far outnumbers that of women. The problem seems to be far more severe in China's rural areas. Between 2020 and 2050, some 30 to 50 million Chinese men will likely never marry, according to media situation has reached such a point that political figures are proposing to lower the marriage age for women to increase the marriageable pool."The growing demand for these brides, particularly in rural areas, has fuelled a rise in illegal marriages," writes Lund University researcher Ming Gao. "This includes marriages involving children and women who have been trafficked into China primarily from neighbouring countries in South-East Asia."FOREIGN BRIDES FOR THE 'LEFTOVER' MEN IN CHINAadvertisementThere has been a rise in bride-trafficking, with tens of millions more men than women in and Nepal have become a hunting ground for human traffickers looking for young women. Both countries have vast rural populations living in poverty, and traffickers exploit this is quietly "importing wives" from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, and Vietnam. Many of those trafficked are from vulnerable communities, according to a Human Rights Watch report from trend is part of a desperate attempt for the continuation of family lines for many in has witnessed extreme gender imbalance. Reports suggest 121 boys were born for every 100 girls in the early response, a shadow industry has emerged. Chinese brokers and traffickers operate under the guise of employment or migration services, entering remote, underserved communities in these countries. They offer women and girls from countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar the promise of a job or a better life in China.'AT THE MERCY OF TRAFFICKERS': LIFE OF A FOREIGN BRIDEUpon reaching China, these women find themselves at the mercy of traffickers. Their documents are taken, and their movements are "sold" to men for sums ranging between $5,000 and $20,000, depending on age and appearance, an Australian media outlet, reported in many cases, the transaction is seen as a "marriage", but there is little consent "purchased", many women are taken to far-flung rural villages, locked up, raped, and pressured to bear children as quickly as Rights Watch in 2019 documented dozens of such cases, particularly from northern Myanmar, but the same patterns are now appearing in Nepal and are sold through informal and often illegal networks, with little protection or recourse. Those who attempt to escape are often treated as illegal immigrants by Chinese authorities and face stringent Chinese men — many of them farmers or manual labourers — are lured by these human traffickers with promises of affordable "foreign wives" through expensive matchmaking services and "marriage tours".These traffickers take advantage of their loneliness and fear of being left behind in a society that still equates manhood with marriage and fatherhood.A 112-page report titled 'Give Us a Baby, and We'll Let You Go: Trafficking of Kachin Brides' from Myanmar to China reveals harrowing testimonies from 37 women who escaped the trafficking trade, along with accounts from several families of the women, primarily from Myanmar's conflict-hit Kachin and northern Shan states, were deceived with promises of jobs, and then sold across the border in China for sums ranging from $3,000 to $13, stories follow a devastating pattern: confinement, repeated sexual assault, and forced childbirth. Locked away in remote Chinese homes, these women were treated not as wives but as vessels for Chinese government knows this is happening. But its response has been tepid. Most likely because any clampdown on such societal imbalance could see fierce paper, marriage agencies are legal, but they're barred from facilitating cross-border marriages. In practice, though, little is done to prevent or punish Reel
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
What are the viral Labubu dolls and why are the fluffy toy monsters so popular?
Labubu dolls first hit the market in 2019, but in 2025 they're sustaining a viral moment. We should ask ourselves why. reports that recent 'drops' of the toy in Australia have seen queues form for blocks around its distributor, Pop Mart, with 3am-risers racing to meet the arrival of restocked merchandise. A Pop Mart spokesperson insists such a mania in pursuit of the highly-collectible plushies and miniatures has gripped Australia 'like never before'. If this isn't aggressive sales hyperbole, it's an admission of touching innocence from someone too young to know about the Cabbage Patch Kid riots of 1983, the Tamagotchi State Repression of 1996 or the brawl economics of the Beanie Baby bubble in the late 1990s. Child, sit by me and let me tell you the tale of when I, as a nine-year-old, somehow blackmailed my mother into chaperoning me to the Northgate shopping centre, Hornsby, before dawn, so we could be first in line to acquire a soft-bodied, vinyl-faced Cabbage Patch Kid with a unique birth certificate. 'Fifty bucks for that thing,' my incredulous mother said, forever thereafter, whenever my prized adoptee entered her field of vision. 'Fifty bucks!' Ah, but what price for childhood joy? Well, you can snaffle Labubu keychain figures for a lobster or two, but joy's price tag comes in at A$300 (€170) for some popular models of Labubu on eBay, and goes up to a truly eye-popping $1,580 (€900) for some items on the Pop Mart website. The queues and the cost aren't the only reason for media interest in the fad. The explosion of Labubu popularity can be traced to the appearance of the toy, not with aspirational child models in a heavily capitalised, after-school-television marketing campaign, but in the possession of adults. Lisa from K-pop band BlackPink was photographed with one of the miniatures dripping from a luxury handbag last year. The Barbadian icon Rihanna followed suit. Then everyone was in on it. Cute fluffy ears are quite the contrast with sharp-looking teeth; some wear farmers' overalls, others what appear to be trans-pride helmets. Picture: Pop Mart What's the aesthetic appeal? Uh, subjective! The dolls are the creation of Hong Kong-born, Netherlands-raised artist Kasing Lung, who was inspired by Nordic mythology when he created his 'Monsters' characters for a series of picture books in 2015, of which Labubu is but one. The style that emerged (and has since been rendered by brand partnerships into fluffy polyester and vinyl) most resembles what would happen if a Cabbage Patch Kid had a love child with a Tim Burton Nightmare Before Christmas claymation and then grew up to be a bunny furry. Cute fluffy ears are quite the contrast with sharp-looking teeth; some wear farmers' overalls, others what appear to be trans-pride helmets. You can dress them yourself – people do, look up the hashtag on Bluesky – or accessories are available for purchase. Pop Mart will generously sell you tiny plastic shoes for $22 (€12.5). The hybrid visual identity of the object provides a neat metaphor for the hybrid marketing assault that has stoked its popularity. It's not just that the doll speaks to a contemporary K-pop/anime aesthetic that has achieved near-global familiarity. Pop Mart has also replicated the restricted-supply concept of distribution that drove the Beanie Babies craze, releasing waves of variations, some in very limited numbers, and then cutting them off – creating hype around new releases, as well as the use of collectibles markets like eBay as an ongoing, unpaid-for marketing front. Add to this, Labubu are predominantly sold in 'blind boxes', like the LOL Surprise Dolls of 2017; at purchase, you don't know which precise model of Labubu you'll acquire. There's a lottery element of possibly acquiring a rare doll with a higher potential resale value than others. No wonder the Pop Mart spokesperson was able to claim to 'This isn't just about 'toys' but a collectible, pop-culture movement.' Maybe a fluff ball with a monster face is the comfort object that today's bleakness recognises. Picture: Pop Mart That this 'movement' is targeted not to children but to adults is the other conspicuous difference here. The queues, the celebrity vaunting and the online fandoms exist in a conspicuously grown-up consumer conversation. Men's fashion mag GQ has already run an article about the doll as a popular accessory in the growing market of men's luxury handbags. The American design academic Gozde Goncu Berk observes that trends exerting this level of heft do not exist in a vacuum; they are embedded in a cultural context. Fads catch on because they encapsulate a convergence of social anxieties, technological shifts, and shared desires that we may struggle to articulate but attach to with instant familiarity. In this framework, the doll becomes a totem for collective introspection. Like blockbuster comic book adaptations, Ghostbusters reboots, adult colouring books, video games, Lego masters and the increasing popularity of dollhousing, maybe Labubu offer a retreat into an illusion of childhood simplicity, to escape the complexities that presently overwhelm our adult world. We might consider that in a consumer society where possession defines us but has already stuffed 300,000 objects into the typical home, a doll on a handbag represents the desperate seizure of a diminishing real estate opportunity. In a moment of global markets and – now, thanks to AI – mass production of everything, maybe the fantasy of limited availability substitutes for creativity or specialness. Maybe a fluff ball with a monster face is the comfort object that today's bleakness recognises. But if we're getting up at 3am to queue for them, friends, one thing is certain. We are the Labubu. And the Labubu is us. Where to buy Labubu in Ireland? While there are several Pop Mart stores in the UK, none are currently in Ireland. However, they offer online shopping. Forbidden Planet Dublin sometimes has Labubus in stock. Check their social media for updates on availability. Van Badham is a Guardian Australia columnist
Herald Sun
21-05-2025
- Herald Sun
‘Outrageous': NSW couple faces $1m fine or ‘homelessness' for living in tiny house
A NSW couple say they are facing 'homelessness' or a $1 million fine after being ordered by local council to 'demolish' the tiny house they've lived in for two years. Facing possible homelessness due to the ongoing devastation wrought by the Black Summer bushfires in 2019, Manu Bohn and his partner built a tiny house on a friend's farm in the Bega Valley, on NSW's South Coast, in 2023. 'If you live in the Bega Valley you will have seen homelessness, limited rental stock, soaring rents and property sales prices all contributing to people living in caravans and other movable dwellings,' the 30-year-old, who moved to Australia from Brazil in 2018, wrote in a petition launched on 'The sad reality is that many families who love this place are leaving because they can't afford to stay here any more.' The 'simple and happy life of work, study, volunteering, and sport' he and his partner have enjoyed since 2023, however, was interrupted last month when he received a draft order from a Bega Valley Shire Council Compliance Officer. In the letter, shared by Mr Bohn to social media, the couple was told the 'unauthorised structure … being used as a residential dwelling' needs to be removed or demolished in line with NSW Environmental Planning legislation. Failure to comply could trigger legal proceedings, the letter continued, with a potential court-imposed fine of $1 million, and a further $10,000 for every day they continue to live in the tiny house. has contacted Mr Bohn for comment. MORE: 'Evil': Stubborn Aus neighbour back in spotlight The decision, Mr Bohn told SBS's The Feed, could make the couple 'one of (Bega's) homeless numbers'. A tiny home can cost anywhere between $20,000 to $200,000. It's a much more affordable alternative to that of an actual dwelling – the median home price in Bega was $630,000 in the 12 months to April this year, an increase of 2.6 per cent. 'For someone living (in) a tiny house and not being able to afford a home, to get this letter where you have to pay a million dollars … it just seems to be so outrageous and not very understanding,' he said. For Mr Bohn and his partner, 'tiny houses (are) basically the only affordable way of living to us, as we don't own land and would rely on staying in someone else's property'. 'Everything that I have at the moment, I built myself … but if that's taken out of me, basically I'm just left with the tiny house – and that means according to the letter – that I can't even park it anywhere,' he said. 'So it means I don't have a place to stay.' MORE:Wild plan to remove Boomers, unlock 60k homes Though he and the property's owner did not seek council permission or apply for a development approval (DA) for the tiny house, Mr Bohn said he built it 'based on state legislation'. 'Our understanding was and still is that our tiny house built on wheels is considered a mobile dwelling under NSW legislation, which doesn't require (a DA), and allows us to move it to maybe our own future land,' he said. There is no fixed definition of a tiny home under the NSW planning framework – meaning it could be anything from a granny flat to a caravan, depending on its use and how it's built – Bega Valley Shire Council Director of Community, Environment and Planning, Emily Harrison, explained to in a statement. 'In NSW, a land use approval is required in most cases to give consent to use the land as a dwelling,' she said, by lodging a DA under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (NSW). 'The development consent process has been designed to ensure that health, sanitation, safety and environmental impacts are considered, including vegetation removal, disposal of wastewater and building standards including fire safety. 'If the development consent process has not been followed, Council cannot be assured that these impacts have been addressed or that the development is able to be approved.' Though council cannot discuss individual cases, Ms Harrison said draft orders (like the one Mr Bohn received) 'explain that failure to comply with the Order is an offence under section 9.37 of the Act'. 'Council cannot impose a $1 million fine, however the Land and Environment Court is empowered to as part of proceedings brought before their jurisdiction,' she said. 'Compliance matters are raised with the property owners in line with legislated requirements.' In his petition, Mr Bohn has called on Bega Valley Shire Council to enact a moratorium on tiny house evictions, and urged it to work with the NSW Government 'on a pathway to tiny homeownership to address the current housing crisis'. 'A viable solution to the housing crisis is not only being ignored, but fought against,' the petition reads. 'The Bega Valley community will be left behind as other councils move forward with pathways for legal tiny homeownership. 'We are fortunate to be in a position where we can (and will) use our voices to advocate for change on this issue. But we know not everyone is in such a fortunate boat. What happens when Compliance Officers come for a young mother in a tiny home who is fleeing domestic violence? Or for seniors who have nothing left after a bushfire or flood. Or a young person in a caravan escaping homelessness? 'To the council we simply say that is not good enough.' Originally published as 'Outrageous': NSW couple face $1m fine or 'homelessness' for living in tiny house
