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Snake catchers with very little understanding of their trade are putting their lives - and those of homeowners - at risk because of lax regulations governing the industry, experts have warned.  Seasoned Brisbane herpetologist Jonathan Lucas said aspiring snake handlers and re-locators can now get automatically approved to respond to call-outs by the Queensland government's online system. He said the application would go through straight away even if the person submitting had uploaded blank documents into the portal. 'Basically you submit your first aid certificate and accreditation from a snake handling course to an online portal and it's approved straight away,' the Fauna Solutions director told Daily Mail Australia. Pictured: Brisbane herpetologist Jonathan Lucas. He said lax government checks meant snake catchers could get approved to respond to call-outs 'No-one contacts the course either so there's no checks and balances - it's all trust. Any man and hi

Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said she will seek to stay on as head of the U.S. House of Representatives if her fellow Democrats keep their majority after the November 3 general election. The 80-year-old veteran politician is looking to cement her hold on the party as it seeks to regain control of the White House and the Senate. Asked if she planned to run for another term as U.S. House speaker if her political party maintains control, she told CNN in an interview: 'Yes, I am.' Pelosi, 80, again took the mantle of House speaker after her Democrats won the lower chamber of Congress in 2018, two years into Donald Trump's term. She previously held the top job of speaker from 2007 to 2011. Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday said she will seek to stay on as head of the U.S. House of Representatives if her fellow Democrats keep their majority after the November 3 general election While a small but vocal group of Democrats had urged a change in leadershi

Donald and Melania Trump skipped passing out the candy at this year's Halloween celebration at the White House and waved to the trick-or-treaters instead at a down-sized event due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first couple came out to the music of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller,' holding hands and waving to the crowd.  They did not wear face masks as they greeted the children, who walked in a line in front of them at the South Portico of the White House.  It was a parade of angels, astronauts, pirates, cartoon characters, skeletons, witches, unicorns and tyrannosaurus rex.  Spooky music - from the 'Game of Thrones' theme song to the 'Phantom of the 'Opera' - played in the background as costume parade marched by the first couple.  LOOK-A-LIKES: Children dressed as the Presidential couple pose in front of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at a Halloween celebration at the White House HAPPY HALLOWEEN: President Trump asked the boy if h

Police have seized more than 13 million cannabis plants worth $40million in one of the biggest drug busts in Australian history. Fourteen Vietnamese nationals were arrested during a two-day search of three properties near Taree on the New South Wales mid north coast. They were each charged with a string of offences and remanded in custody with their visa status now being investigated by the Department of Home Affairs. Strike force operation Harthouse was part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged criminal syndicate behind the large-scale cultivation and supply of cannabis.  NSW Police Drug and Firearms Squad Commander Detective Superintendent John Watson described the bust as one of the most significant in Australian history, adding police hadn't seen a cannabis seizure that size since the 1970s. Police seized more than 13 million cannabis plants during a two day operation last week Harthouse was set up 12 months ago to investigate the cultivation and supply of cannabis acr

Hospital patients will be able to order meals around the clock to their bedside under plans to revolutionise NHS food. A blueprint for hospital catering has been issued by the Government following a year-long review led by Bake Off judge Prue Leith. Kitchens will be upgraded so that food, snacks and hot drinks are available 24 hours a day, for example allowing tired new mothers to have a warm meal after giving birth in the night. Digital menus will also be introduced across the NHS by 2022, meaning patients could order meals and snacks on phones or iPads at their bedsides.   A blueprint for hospital catering has been issued by the Government following a year-long review led by Bake Off judge Prue Leith Hospital patients will be able to order meals around the clock to their bedside under plans to revolutionise NHS food allowing tired new mothers to have a warm meal after giving birth in the night (file image) The review was commissioned by Boris Johnson last August after six patients di

El Paso County in Texas has ordered a curfew between 10pm and 5am as the number of cases COVID-19 skyrocket and all hospitals reach 100 percent capacity.  The drastic move was announced late Sunday afternoon by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and will remain in place for the next two weeks. Samaniego said El Paso is now 'at a crisis stage', with all of its hospitals and intensive care units now full as the region grapples with a troubling surge in COVID-19 cases.    The fine for breaking the curfew is $500 and anyone caught not wearing a face mask will face a $250 penalty.    El Paso County in Texas has ordered a curfew between 10pm and 5am as the number of cases COVID-19 skyrocket and all hospitals reach 100 percent capacity  The drastic move was announced late Sunday afternoon by El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and will be in place for the next two weeks Samaniego made it clear, however, that the curfew does not apply to essential workers or citizens accessing

Never before has a vacation felt so vital. And never before has it been such a pain to organize, what with travel restrictions, state hotspot lists and quarantine rules to contend with. Fortunately, Massachusetts has made life easier in this respect. It has and continues to be very much open for business.  And what with the fall upon us there is no better time to go. For my much needed escape from New York, I chose Chatham Inn - a federal-style, 18-room Relais & Châteaux property in Chatham that was built in the early 1800s and thoroughly renovated in 2019. Year after year it ranks among the best hotels in the North East and repeatedly in America's top 20 most romantic. This is down to the staff's warmth, the wide-plank wood floor rooms with crisp white Matouk lines, two-person tubs and roaring fires - and renowned chef Issac Olivo heading up what has now become Cape Cod's most celebrated fine dining restaurants, The Cuvee at Chatham Inn.  Located at the eastern edge of

More than a third of doctors believe the Government's three-tier lockdown system will have no impact on the spread of coronavirus.  Liverpool, Manchester and other parts of the North East have been plunged into the strictest measures seen since the country went into full-scale lockdown in March, but questions are growing over how effective Tier 3 is at preventing the spread of Covid-19. Areas in the 'very high,' category of the Government's scheme have to close pubs and bars, while households are banned from mixing. A survey from the British Medical Association revealed 37 per cent of healthcare staff feel the Government's tiered lockdown system would have no impact on Covid infection rates. It also revealed nearly two thirds of workers are worried about staff shortages over winter But a survey of 6,000 healthcare workers has revealed a third do not believe the system will prevent the spread of the pandemic.  The British Medical Association poll also uncovered major