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Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Another Aussie council makes change to strict caravan rule: 'Huge difference'
As several councils across Australia move to limit where residents can park their caravans and trailers, and introduce red tape for landowners hosting short-stay travellers on their properties, one council has announced it's taking a decidedly different approach. It will formally allow people to park their motorhomes and tiny homes and live on private properties, in a measure aimed at offering some relief to the housing crisis. Across Australia, several councils have recently introduced restrictions on where caravans and trailers can be parked, especially in residential areas, citing concerns about limited street parking and safety. Meanwhile a number of Queensland councils have made it harder for large land owners to accomodate farm stays for travellers in caravans. But with a suffocating housing crisis gripping the country, the Shire of Manjimup, in Western Australia's southwest and taken the complete opposite tack. Speaking to Yahoo News, Shire President Donelle Buegge said the council had adopted a policy that allows people to apply to live in caravans or tiny homes on wheels on private land for up to two years, offering a rare show of housing flexibility from local lawmakers. Back in August, the WA government announced reforms to the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Regulations Act, which came into effect in September. The changes allowed local governments to approve the use of caravans or tiny homes on wheels as temporary accommodation on private land for up to two years, with the possibility of renewal – something the council is now embracing. On Tuesday, the Shire of Manjimup voted to enact the policy and to allow council greater discretion to approve applications from those who are ageing in place, or facing other personal circumstances that require temporary accommodation. "The state government was very broad with what we could do, this now gives us the policies, it gives our officers clear guidelines," Buegge told Yahoo. "People can stay in tiny homes on wheels and caravans for up to two years as long as they meet health and safety requirements. As long as they have water, a place for waste to go, and things like that. Buegge said the region is under increasing strain from a "huge housing shortage," with the rental market unable to keep up with demand. "Every house that becomes available for rent is getting 30 to 35 applications. And we're not alone in this— it's happening everywhere," she said. "But we don't have a short-term fix. I know of around 37 kids who are couch surfing right now because they can't stay at home while finishing school. Even just a small sense of stability can make a huge difference." Buegge said the new policy could provide that difference. "This gives people a little bit of leeway, a little bit of security while we continue to work towards longer-term solutions. Having your own space, even temporarily, can do so much for someone's self-confidence and sense of safety." She also acknowledged that she believes many people had already been living this way. "I think it's already happening — people just don't talk about it because they're worried they'll be told to move on. This policy removes that fear and legitimises what, for some, is the only option," she said. "If something this small can make life a bit easier for someone, then I think it's the least we can do." It comes as Lockyer Valley Regional Council, 90km west of Brisbane, announced last week residential use of caravans will now be permitted for up to six months in a 12-month period if the person is parked on a family or friend's property. The change in that local government area means the landowner and the caravan occupant will not require council approval and this arrangement has been locked in until the end of 2027. "While the state and federal governments carry the responsibility for meeting housing demand, allowing for the temporary use of caravans is a practical step local governments can take," Cheryl Steinhardt, Lockyer Council's Regulatory Services Councillor said. "Not only does it benefit people waiting for a rental to become available or for a property to settle, it also supports people doing it tough." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Incredible creature spotted just metres from shore thrills Aussie tourists: 'Rarely come so close'
Various species of whales are putting on a show for eager spectators as they move along the east and west coasts of Australia, with the annual migration now in full swing. A group of tourists were treated to an incredible spectacle when they were gathered on rocks at Cheynes Beach, a popular stop-off for caravanners on Western Australia's south coast, hoping to catch a glimpse of at least one of the animal's leaping out of the water. In that lucky group last Saturday was Brian Willey who told Yahoo News he and his wife travel to the area a couple of times every winter to photograph the whales. However, this weekend was a little different, with Willey catching sight of a species he had never seen before roughly 15 metres from the shore. The keen wildlife photographer was flying his drone, filming a humpback with his telephoto lens, when a much bigger whale suddenly 'came around the corner'. 'Straight away I could see it was a distinctive blue colour, and the length was much longer than a normal humpback,' he said. 'I followed it for about five minutes and took about a dozen photos. People were so excited to see such a huge whale so close.' It wasn't until afterwards Brian learned he had likely captured footage of a pygmy blue whale, which 'rarely come so close' to the shore, Catherine, assistant manager at the Cheynes Beach Caravan Park, told Yahoo. While it's typical to see a lot of whale activity in the area this time of year, she said locals have been thrilled to see 'quite a few blue whales coming past as well'. Both pygmy blue whales and Antarctic blue whales, the two subspecies of blue whales found in Australia, can be found in the waters near Albany, Alexia Wellbelove, the Australian Marine Conservation Society's threatened species campaign manager, told Yahoo. Because of this, it's hard to be 'totally certain' about the species seen in Willey's photos, but it's 'very possible that it is a pygmy blue whale, as they are sighted along the coastline at this time of year travelling north', she said. 'In the field it is very hard to tell the two apart as the main difference is the size — with around six metres difference in adult whales between the two,' Wellbelove explained. 'However, pygmy blue whales are found in the Great Australian Bight and along the coastline of Western Australia from November through to May when they start to migrate north.' 🔧 Tradies dismantle wharf after massive find in water underneath 🛥️ Tourists witness brutal event as whales 'change their behaviour' in seconds 🐳 Amazing drone footage confirms start of exciting phenomenon off Aussie coast Every year, endangered pygmy blue whales travel from southern and western Australia where they feed up to Indonesia to breed — which is why they are also known as the 'Indo-Australian pygmy blue whale', Wellbelove said. Incredibly, they can grow up to 24-metres long and live for 90 years. Despite their size, 'very little is known about the population size of blue whales' Wellbelove told Yahoo. 'Much more is known about the Antarctic blue whales which was last estimated to be around 2,000 individuals.' Sadly, like most whales, they face a 'plethora of threats', including climate change impacting ocean temperatures and upwellings where they feed, and collisions with vessels involved in commercial, recreational or industrial activities. 'Blue whales are under increasing threat in our busy oceans and so are listed as endangered under our national environment law, the EPBC Act, Wellbelove said. 'It is essential that the most critical places — where these whales feed and breed — are protected from these threats as we continue to learn more about their populations to better understand how to assist their recovery.' Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Techday NZ
4 hours ago
- Business
- Techday NZ
Most high-traffic email domains still vulnerable to phishing
New research from EasyDMARC has found that 92% of the world's top 1.8 million email domains lack adequate protection against phishing attacks. The EasyDMARC 2025 DMARC Adoption Report has revealed that only 7.7% of these domains are fully protected using the strictest DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance) policy, known as 'p=reject'. This policy is designed to actively block malicious emails from being delivered to inboxes. DMARC is an email authentication protocol that builds on existing standards such as SPF and DKIM, allowing domain owners to specify how they want mail servers to handle emails that fail authentication checks. The protocol also enables domain owners to receive reports on emails sent under their domain name, providing vital records of authentication attempts and potential abuse. EasyDMARC's analysis demonstrates that although there has been a noticeable increase in DMARC adoption since 2023 — largely due to regulatory initiatives and mandates from major providers including Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft — most organisations opt for the weakest available configuration, 'p=none'. This setting only monitors for threats, rather than thwarting attacks by blocking illegitimate emails. The report, which reviewed security practices across the most-visited websites globally as well as Fortune 500 and Inc. 5000 companies, shows a continued gap between DMARC adoption and meaningful implementation. More than half (52.2%) of the surveyed domains have not implemented DMARC at any level, leaving them exposed to phishing and spoofing risks. Among domains that do have a DMARC record, most have not configured enforcement policies or reporting mechanisms necessary for full protection. The research also found that over 40% of the domains with a DMARC record did not include any reporting tags. This omission means these organisations have little to no visibility into authentication failures or an understanding of who might be sending emails on their behalf. Gerasim Hovhannisyan, Chief Executive Officer of EasyDMARC, addressed the misconception surrounding DMARC adoption: "There's a growing perception that simply publishing a DMARC record is enough. But adoption without enforcement creates a dangerous illusion of security. In reality, most organisations are leaving the door wide open to attacks targeting customers, partners, or even employees." Mandates have had a measurable effect. In the United States, where regulatory enforcement is strong, the proportion of phishing emails accepted dropped from 68.8% in 2023 to just 14.2% in 2025. Similar progress was noted in the UK and the Czech Republic, countries that also enforce DMARC usage. However, countries without strict requirements, such as the Netherlands and Qatar, showed minimal improvement in reducing phishing acceptance rates. Recent high-profile cyber attacks, including those targeting retailers such as M&S and Co-op, serve as a backdrop for the report's release. In these incidents, attackers exploited weaknesses in email security through social engineering, costing affected businesses hundreds of thousands in losses. According to EasyDMARC, the increasing sophistication of phishing, partly driven by the use of AI, magnifies the risks for organisations that are inadequately protected. Hovhannisyan further commented: "Misconfigurations, missing reporting, and passive DMARC policies are like installing a security system without ever turning it on. Phishing remains one of the oldest and most effective forms of cyberattack, and without proper enforcement, organisations are effectively handing attackers the keys to their business. As threats grow more sophisticated and compliance pressures mount, stopping halfway with DMARC enforcement is no longer an option." The report methodology combined public DNS data with proprietary data collected through EasyDMARC's platform. It involved the review of aggregate DMARC reports from major mailbox providers and included a survey of 980 IT professionals across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands. This allowed for insights into regional differences in phishing trends, adoption challenges, and the varying influence of regulatory mandates. The research concludes that while DMARC adoption has increased, genuine protection against phishing relies on both enforcement and visibility — elements still missing for the vast majority of high-traffic domains worldwide.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Stock market today: Dow, S&P 500, Nasdaq futures slip as Trump's tariffs run into legal trouble
US stock futures edged lower as Wall Street absorbed a fresh wave of tariff uncertainty after a federal appeals court reinstated President Trump's global tariffs. Futures attached to the Dow Jones Industrial Average (YM=F) slipped 0.1%. Futures attached to the benchmark S&P 500 (ES=F) fell 0.2%. Futures attached to the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 (NQ=F) dropped 0.3%. A US appeals court on Thursday temporarily paused a ruling from a trade court that had blocked many of Trump's tariffs as illegal just the day before. The pause gives the appeals court time to consider the case, and the Trump administration must file its briefings by June 9. Read more: The latest on Trump's tariffs The White House said it's prepared to go to the Supreme Court if needed and, in the meantime, will explore other ways to implement Trump's tariffs without relying on emergency powers. By subscribing, you are agreeing to Yahoo's Terms and Privacy Policy On Friday, Wall Street's attention will turn to the April reading of the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE). Any indication of tariffs putting upward pressure on inflation will be in high focus, although many analysts don't expect levies to impact the data until the following month. Overall, stocks this week steadily rose. Highlights for investors included signs of improving prospects of a US-EU trade deal early in the week as well as Nvidia's earnings report on Wednesday.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legal Trouble Is on the Horizon for Kevin Costner Following Stunt Performer's Lawsuit
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." 1955–present A stunt performer has sued Kevin Costner over an alleged unscripted rape scene in the 2024 western Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2. Devyn LaBella, the lead stunt double for star Ella Hunt, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles court on May 27 accusing Costner, in his capacity as the movie's director, and Horizon's production companies of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment. In the lawsuit, LaBella alleges the 70-year-old director improvised a rape scene 'without proper notice, consent, preparation, or appropriate safeguard measures in place.' The scene took place between actor Roger Ivens and LaBella, who was standing in for Hunt's character Juliette. According to LaBella, Costner added the unrehearsed scene at the last minute and filmed on an open set without her consent and without the presence of a mandatory intimacy coordinator. The suit further claims she faced retaliation after reporting the 'violent' incident and wasn't called back to continue her work on the film series. Costner's attorney Marty Singer denied the allegations, telling Rolling Stone that the lawsuit had 'absolutely no merit.' Singer also said the Oscar winner 'always wants to make sure that everyone is comfortable working on his films and takes safety on set very seriously.' Award-winning actor and director Kevin Costner has starred in the movies Dances With Wolves, The Untouchables, and Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, as well as the hit TV show Yellowstone. After studying at California State University, Costner broke into Hollywood and established a reputation as a lead actor in the critically acclaimed 1980s features The Untouchables, Bull Durham, and Field of Dreams. He then directed and starred in the 1990 epic film Dances With Wolves, which won seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director. Although Costner has largely worked in film, his television roles have been memorable. He won an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his performance in the 2012 History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys before starring as John Dutton in the neo-Western series Yellowstone, which ended after five seasons in 2024. FULL NAME: Kevin Michael CostnerBORN: January 18, 1955BIRTHPLACE: Lynwood, CaliforniaSPOUSES: Cindy Silva (1978-1994) and Christine Baumgartner (2004-2024)CHILDREN: Annie, Lily, Joe, Liam, Cayden, Hayes, and GraceASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Capricorn Kevin Michael Costner was born on January 18, 1955, in Lynwood, California. He is the son of a power company employee, and his father's job necessitated a number of moves during Costner's youth. In his high school years, Costner struggled with insecurities because of his short stature. He hadn't yet hit his major growth spurt and has said he was between 5-foot-2 and 5-foot-4. Eventually, he did grow and now stands around 6 feet, 1 inch. Costner attended California State University in Fullerton, where he studied marketing. During college, he developed an interest in acting and decided to pursue the craft professional after graduating in 1978. Costner spent years as a struggling performer in the late 1970s. He sometimes worked as a carpenter and also had a behind-the-scenes job as a gofer for Raleigh Studios for a time. Finally, he broke onto the scene and has consistently worked since the '80s. Costner is sometimes compared to such screen legends as Gary Cooper and Jimmy Stewart. A selection of his most notable movies and TV shows are below. Costner landed a role as a suicide victim in the 1983 ensemble drama The Big Chill, with Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum, and others. What looked like his first big break ended in disappointment when all of his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. 'I rehearsed for a month with the whole cast and shot for about a week. I knew when I was shooting it that if anything would be cut it would be my scenes,' Costner later explained. But The Big Chill's director, Lawrence Kasdan, remembered Costner and later signed him for the 1985 western Silverado. The movie—which also starred Kline, Scott Glenn, and Danny Glover—proved to be a springboard to other opportunities in Hollywood. In 1987, Costner's career really took off with two hit films. He starred with Sean Young in the popular thriller No Way Out and played the legendary crime fighter Eliot Ness in The Untouchables, with Sean Connery and Robert De Niro. Untouchables director Brian De Palma praised Costner's work on the movie, saying that 'he can take those old western lawman lines and make them real.' Continuing his winning streak, Costner starred in the baseball romantic comedy Bull Durham (1988), with Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. With 1989's Field of Dreams, Costner again won over audiences with his everyman appeal. He played a farmer who creates a baseball diamond on his land on the instruction of a voice he hears. The fantastical yet heartfelt film did well both critically and commercially. Costner, now an established box office star, got the green light to work on his directorial debut, Dances with Wolves. The movie, based on the Michael Black novel of the same name, followed a Civil War soldier who befriends a tribe of Sioux Indians. The film's production was a labor of love with shooting stretching out over 18 months, five of which were spent on location in South Dakota. In addition to directing and producing, Costner also starred in the lead role of Lieutenant Dunbar. When Dances with Wolves arrived to theaters in November 1990, it was incredibly well received. The movie sold north of $184 million in tickets worldwide, making it the third highest-grossing release of the year behind Home Alone and Ghost. Critics loved it, too. The movie garnered a whopping 12 Academy Award nominations, including nods for Costner's acting and directing. On Oscars night, Costner accepted two of the film's trophies, for Best Picture and Best Director. Costner continued to enjoy box office success with the adventure tale Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and the romantic drama The Bodyguard (1992) with Whitney Houston. But Costner soon ran into a series of disappointments. While earning kudos from critics, his film with Clint Eastwood, A Perfect World (1993), failed to make much an impression on moviegoers. Then, his turn as the famous western icon in Wyatt Earp (1994) received mixed reviews and did mediocre business at the box office. Working as its star and producer, Costner faced a tremendous amount of challenges with the post-apocalyptic film Waterworld (1995). This futuristic tale of a nearly landless Earth had problems from the start. Filming largely took place on the open ocean on specially built platforms, one of which sank but was subsequently recovered. The cast and crew also battled seasickness and the elements, which sometimes delayed the production. The movie, which also starred Dennis Hopper and Jeanne Tripplehorn, opened strong with a $21 million first weekend, but it soon lost steam at the box office. It also received a tepid reception from critics. Undaunted, Costner worked on another futuristic epic, The Postman (1997). He played the title character, a man who pretends to be a letter carrier in a post-Apocalyptic America fractured by nuclear war. His charade brings hope to an isolated community. Some critics called The Postman the worst film of the year, while others noted that it was 'a misfire' and 'way too long, too pretentious and too self-indulgent.' After The Postman, Costner's star power seemed to fade somewhat. He didn't help his reputation by getting into a very public dispute with Universal over edits made to his next baseball film, For the Love of Game (1998). However, the actor showed that he still could give an impressive performance with Thirteen Days (2000), a true-life drama about the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Remaining busy into the new millennium, Costner starred in the heist film 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) and in the 2005 romantic comedies The Upside of Anger and Rumor Has It... with Jennifer Aniston and Shirley MacLaine. Following the 2008 election comedy Swing Vote, he appeared in the 2010 drama The Company Men, with Chris Cooper, Ben Affleck, and Tommy Lee Jones. In 2012, Costner tackled a juicy role on the small screen, starring in and producing the History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys as Devil Anse Hatfield, the leader of a famous feuding family. His nemesis, Randall McCoy, was played by Bill Paxton. Hatfields & McCoys earned Emmy and Globe Globe nominations as one of the best shows of the year, and Costner left both ceremonies with awards for best actor in a miniseries. A busy 2014 had Costner appearing in Man of Steel as Superman's adoptive Earth father—a role he reprised for 2016's Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice—as well as in Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, 3 Days to Kill, Draft Day, and Black or White. After starring as coach Jim White in the inspirational sports drama McFarland, USA (2015), he had prominent supporting roles in Hidden Figures (2016) and Molly's Game (2017). Beginning in 2018, Costner found more success on the small screen with the Paramount series Yellowstone. The drama had the veteran actor starring as John Dutton, owner of a sprawling ranch, with a cast that included Kelly Reilly, Luke Grimes, and Wes Bentley as his children. For his performance, Costner won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a TV Drama in 2023. Despite the show's success, Costner became embroiled in drama behind-the-scenes. In August 2023, he spoke out about his lengthy dispute with Paramount over finances, claiming in his divorce proceedings that the network owed him $12 million in wages. It was later reported that he was also in a feud with series creator Taylor Sheridan. 'I made Yellowstone the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong,' Costner told Deadline in May 2024. 'I don't know why they didn't stick up for me.' The turmoil led the actor to exit the show early before it abruptly ended in its fifth season in December 2024. Costner starred in Netflix's The Highwaymen (2019) as Frank Hamer, the former Texas Ranger who spearheaded the successful hunt of the infamous crime duo of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. He then went in a different direction after years of leading man roles, voicing the character of Enzo the dog in The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). Costner's latest major production has been Horizon: An American Saga. He directs and stars in the Western epic, initially slated to encompass four films. Chapter 1 arrived in 2024 to mixed reviews and disappointing box office numbers. Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 released just months and fared worse. The movies' poor performances have put the future films in jeopardy, though Costner has promised 'to go as far as my money takes me.' He has reportedly invested around $100 million of his own money. The third Horizon film is in production. Then, in May 2025, a stunt performer who worked on Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 2 filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Costner and the film's production companies over an unscripted rape scene. In the lawsuit, Ella Hunt's stunt double Devyn LaBella accused him of improvising an unscheduled and unrehearsed rape scene without her consent and without a mandatory intimacy coordinator on set. Costner's attorney denied the allegations. In 2005, Costner turned to one of his other passions: music. He started working with a country rock band called Modern West. They released their first album, Untold Truths, in 2008, and followed with 2010's Turn It On and 2011's From Where I Stand. In 2012, the group put out Famous for Killing Each Other: Music from and Inspired By Hatfields & McCoys. Kevin Costner & Modern West has since released the tracks 'Alive in the City' (2014) and 'Love Shine' (2017). Costner has been married and divorced twice. Most recently, the actor was married to Christine Baumgartner from 2004 until February 2024. Together, they share three children: Cayden, Hayes, and Grace. Costner also has three children—Annie, Lily, and Joe—from his first marriage to Cindy Silva. Additionally, he has a son, Liam, from his relationship with socialite Bridget Rooney. In everything he does, Costner seems to be listening to his own counsel, not following any typical Hollywood playbook. 'You've got to blaze your own trail or you're just going to feed at the trough,' he once explained. 'Feeding at the trough can get you pretty fat. But I choose to go my own way.' Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
