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"World's biggest" amber nugget worth over $1 million used as doorstop for decades

An elderly woman in Romania has unknowingly used one of the largest known amber nuggets in the world - worth over €1 million ($1.6 million) - as her doorstop for decades. The woman found the stone in the bed of a stream in Colti, a village in the southeast Romania, and used it as her doorstop for years without realising its value. Members of her family also reported that thieves had once broken into her home, but only stole a few pieces of gold jewelry, missing the seemingly insignificant rock. “In their frantic search for valuables, they overlooked the real treasure that was there before their eyes,” they said. It wasn't until after the woman died in 1991 that a relative who inherited her home suspected the doorstop might be more than meets the eye - and he was right. When he sold the amber to the Romanian state, experts at the Museum of History in Krakow, Poland appraised the rock and found that the amber is likely between around 38 and 70 million years old. “Its discovery represents a great significance both at a scientific level and at a museum level,” Daniel Costache, director of the Provincial Museum of Buzau, told local news outlet El Pais. The expert also claimed that the amber is one of the largest pieces in the world and the largest of its kind weighing a hefty 3.5-kilograms. It has now been classified as a national treasure of Romania, and can be found in the Provincial Museum of Buzau, where it has been since 2022. Romania is one of the countries with significant deposits of amber, with Buzau County being one of the areas where you can find these beautiful stones in abundance. The protected area also contains the old Stramba amber mine, which was very productive during the first half of the 21st century, before it was shut down by the communist regime as it was considered unprofitable. Image: Buzău County Museum

Home & Garden

Juror reveals why Depp won

A juror from the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial has spoken exclusively to Good Morning America about the trial verdict. The verdict ruled that Heard defamed Depp when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed alluding to her past claims of domestic violence. Heard is ordered to pay $US10.35 million (approx. $14.65 million) in damages to Depp. The juror, one of five men on the seven-person jury, shared that Heard's emotional testimony during the trial was not realistic. "The crying, the facial expressions that she had, the staring at the jury. All of us were very uncomfortable," the juror said. "She would answer one question and she would be crying, and two seconds later she would turn ice cold. Some of us used the expression 'crocodile tears.'" "A lot of the jury felt what [Depp] was saying, at the end of the day, was more believable," the juror added. "He just seemed a little more real in terms of how he was responding to questions. His emotional state was very stable throughout." Heard's team has claimed that social media and all of the vitriol against Heard on platforms such as TikTok swayed the jury in favor of Depp. As Heard said this week, "I think even the most well-intentioned juror... it would have been impossible to avoid this." The juror denied such accusations about social media, saying, "We followed the evidence... myself and other jurors don't use Twitter or Facebook. Others who had it, made a point not to talk about it." "What I think is truthful is that they were both abusive to each other," the juror concluded. "I don't think that makes either of them right or wrong... but to rise to the level of what she was claiming, there wasn't enough or any evidence that really supported what she was saying." The jury noted that one "fiasco" that hurt Heard during the trial was the reveal that she had not yet donated her $US7 million (approx. $9.9 million) divorce settlement to charity, despite claiming to do so. "She goes on a talk show in the U.K. and the video shows her sitting there, telling the host she gave all that money away," the juror said. "The terms she used in that video clip were, 'I gave it away, I donated it, it's gone.' But the fact is, she didn't give much of it away at all." Image: Getty

Legal

Natalie Barr and David Koch taken to task over interview

Sunrise hosts David ‘Kochie’ Koch and Natalie Barr have been slammed for allowing a controversial critic to go on their show in the wake of the Amber Heard and Johnny Depp trial. US commentator and critic Cooper Lawrence appeared on the breakfast show on Wednesday slamming Heard following her loss against ex-husband Depp. She said that the Aquaman 2 actress was still trying to “continue the toxic relationship” with Depp despite filing for divorce herself in 2016. “Remember they had divorced in 2017, things were over, she said I want him to move on, I want to move on, but then she wrote this article and she’s been poking the bear ever since because she still wants him in her life even if it’s in a negative way … They do have a toxic relationship and she clearly wants to continue it,” Lawrence told the hosts. “I was kinda looking for her to be more likeable and more honest here and to say all the things we’ve been hoping she’d say all along which she does for like two seconds, but then she goes back to her whole, ‘Johnny’s an abuser, he’s a liar, etc’ … it’s weird.” The 36-year-old lost the defamation case in which Depp argued that she had defamed him by referring to herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse” in an op-ed for The Washington Post in 2018. Depp was awarded $14.4 million (AUD) in damages after the jury ruled his side. Heard has an interview coming up in which she admits to having “so much regret” with her marriage to Depp. Lawrence accused the actress of “lying again” and that she just wanted the attention on herself. “I think she’s on the ‘you need to listen to me tour’,” Lawrence said. “Yet she has these awkward moments that she had during the trial where you’re kind of like ‘Wait, are you lying again?’ It’s like she can’t get her own story straight that she memorised for this interview, and she’s not even under oath.” Australian feminist writer Clementine Ford called out the program for allowing Lawrence on the show, particularly when Heard in fact won the case in the UK. “Why is @sunriseon7 so invested in wheeling out people to continually pile on to a woman who has already had 12 out of 14 allegations of domestic abuse against her agreed with in a UK court? Why is it so important to them that their viewers be fed the villainous woman fiction?” she tweeted. Others agreed with Ford but there is still strong support for Depp after he won the case. Images: Sunrise

Could the Depp v. Heard case make other abuse survivors too scared to speak up?

Johnny Depp has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-02/verdict-delivered-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial/101115246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won his defamation suit</a> against his ex-wife Amber Heard for her Washington Post op-ed article published in 2018, which <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/06/01/arts/johnny-depp-amber-heard-verdict">stated</a> she was a “public figure representing domestic abuse”. The facts in every case are unique, and the jury is always in a better position to judge these facts than commentators relying on media reports. Nevertheless in such a high profile case as this, the verdict has a ripple effect that can go beyond the facts. The unfortunate reality is the Depp Heard case is likely to reinforce the fear that women who come forward with claims of sexual and domestic abuse will encounter a system in which they are unlikely to be believed. Reform is needed to better balance the protection of men’s individual reputations with the rights of women to speak about their experiences. Defamation a tool of elite men Depp was awarded more than US$10 million in damages after convincing the jury Heard was a malicious liar. This is despite the fact a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/06/01/johnny-depp-libel-law-uk-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UK judge determined</a> in 2020 that it was “substantially true” Depp had assaulted Heard repeatedly during their relationship. After the verdict, Heard commented she was “heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway” of her famous ex-husband. Historically, the common law of defamation was built to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09612025.2021.1949822" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protect public men in their professions and trades</a>. It worked to both defend their reputations individually and shut down speech about them as a group. <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/comulp2&div=6&g_sent=1&casa_token=fybEy5Ip_goAAAAA:mZwcFssrx7DMteRZh-2VpbadOiPG52vukVjaL_zAG2Rr-r9-GIbN1HpUADIArNrKIooONYOmpoKf&collection=journals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Data from the United States in the late 20th century</a> shows women comprise only 11% of plaintiffs bringing defamation suits. As legal scholar Diane Borden <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/comulp2&div=6&id=&page=" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has noted</a>, the majority of libel plaintiffs are “men engaged in corporate or public life who boast relatively elite standing in their communities”. Defamation trials – which run according to complex and idiosyncratic rules – are often lengthy and expensive, thus favouring those with the resources to instigate and pursue them. Various defences exist, including arguing that the comments are factually true, or that they were made on occasions of “qualified privilege”, where a person has a duty to communicate information and the recipient has a corresponding interest in receiving it. But in one way or another, disputes concerning allegations of sexual and domestic abuse usually come down to matters of credibility and believability that play on gendered stereotypes. It becomes another version of “he said, she said”, and as we’ve seen from the social media response to Amber Heard, women making these types of allegations are often positioned as vengeful or malicious liars before their cases even reach the courts. This is despite the fact <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/0375553f-0395-46cc-9574-d54c74fa601a/aihw-fdv-5.pdf.aspx?inline=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sexual assault</a> and <a href="https://www.safesteps.org.au/understanding-family-violence/who-experiences-family-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">intimate partner violence</a> are common, and <a href="https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2017-09/apo-nid107216_1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">false reporting</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26679304/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">is rare</a>. In fact, most victims don’t tell the police, their employer or others what happened to them due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/almost-90-of-sexual-assault-victims-do-not-go-to-police-this-is-how-we-can-achieve-justice-for-survivors-157601" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fears</a> of not being believed, facing professional consequences, or being subject to <a href="https://pursuit.unimelb.edu.au/articles/the-online-hate-for-amber-heard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shaming and further abuse</a>. Heard has received thousands of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/amber-heard-says-she-receives-death-threats-every-day-over-depp-claims-2022-05-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">death threats</a> and suffered relentless mockery on social media. Time for reform The global #MeToo movement and recent Australian campaigns, such as those instigated by Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins, encourage survivors to speak out and push collectively for change. But now, ruinous and humiliating defamation suits could further coerce and convince women to keeping their experiences quiet and private. Measures must be taken to better protect public speech on such matters. One potential way forward is for defamation trials involving imputations of gendered abuse to incorporate expert evidence about the nature of sexual and domestic violence in our society. For decades, <a href="https://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/hwlj19&div=8&g_sent=1&casa_token=&collection=journals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feminist legal scholars</a> fought for the inclusion of such evidence in criminal trials, especially those relating to matters of self-defence in domestic homicides and issues of consent in rape proceedings. Expert sociological and psychological evidence can combat and discredit ingrained patriarchal assumptions and myths – comments and questions such as “what was she wearing?”; “why didn’t she fight back?”; “why didn’t she just leave him?”; “why was she nice to him afterwards?” or “why didn’t she tell people at the time?” Otherwise, pervasive gender bias – often held by both men and women, judge and jury – can undermine the voices and accounts of women before they even set foot in court, before they even open their mouths. Defamation trials have not traditionally included such expert evidence. But now that they have become a powerful forum for silencing speech about gendered harm, perhaps it’s time they did so.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184324/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jessica-lake-126813" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jessica Lake</a>, Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Catholic University</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/could-the-depp-v-heard-case-make-other-abuse-survivors-too-scared-to-speak-up-184324" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Inside Amber Heard's remote desert hideaway

We've all learnt an awful lot about Johnny Depp and Amber Heard in light of the recent, very public trial. As the trial has <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/verdict-reached-in-depp-versus-heard-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached its conclusion,</a> yet another interesting piece of information about Heard has made its way into the public domain. Reportedly, the 36-year-old actor confirmed in her opening testimony that she lives in a sleepy town called Yucca Valley, which is located in the beautiful Mojave Desert. The town is roughly 200-kilometres east of Los Angeles and the rural locale is not a place where you'll find many A-listers. The locale only has about 22,000 residents total, and it's known for its art culture, as well as its proximity to celebrated places like Joshua Tree, Coachella and Palm Springs. The house itself was purchased by Heard in 2019; however, property records show the abode was bought through a trust attached to Heard's accountant. Costing USD $570,000 ($795,000) at the time, the unique 2015-built residence hoasts three bedrooms, three bathrooms and sits on 24,281-square-metres of arid but beautiful land. Features include a large open-plan kitchen, living and dining area with vaulted ceilings, fireplace and floor to ceiling windows that no doubt provide Heard with exceptional views of the surrounding desert. Another distinct benefit of the property is a custom 34-metres bridge that enables occupants to cross a dried-up creek and access an elevated gazebo perched on a rocky hill. Although Heard purchased the property back in 2019, the mother-of-one only started living in the house earlier this year. Image: Domain

Real Estate

Verdict reached in Depp versus Heard trial

A verdict has been reached in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard defamation trial in Virginia, USA. Coming out largely in Depp's favour, Heard must pay him a total of $US15 million ($20.8 million) in damages, the jury have decided. However, as a result of her counterclaims, the jury said Depp must pay Heard $US2 million ($2.78 million). The jury unanimously found that Depp was defamed by Heard's op-ed titled, "I spoke up against sexual violence – and faced our culture's wrath. That has to change". They found the op-ed was about Depp despite him not being named in the piece. An exert read: "Then two years ago, I became a public figure representing domestic abuse, and I felt the full force of our culture's wrath for women who speak out." The jury also agreed that Heard acted with malice and further stated that she also made a defamatory statement when she said, "I had the rare vantage point of seeing, in real time, how institutions protect men accused of abuse." The jury then addressed Heard's countersuit, and supported one of her claims of defamation. In total, Heard was found to have been defamatory to Depp in all three of his claims, but Depp was only found to be defamatory in one of Heard's three counterclaims. The verdict was read out in the Virginia courtroom about 3:20 pm on Wednesday (5:20 am on Thursday AEST) but prior, after they first reached a decision, the judge asked for them to leave the court and fill out a form. Heard was present in the courtroom, and showed little to no reaction as the verdict was read out. Depp was not present at the time of the verdict. Depp's awarded damages total to $US15 million (approx. $20.8 million), but are comprised of $US10 million (approx. $14 million) in compensatory damages and $US5 million (approx. $7 million) in punitive damages. Under state law in Virginia, however, the maximum amount of punitive damages that can be paid is $US350,000 (approx. $490,000), which means Depp's ultimate monetary award is $US10.35 million (approx. $14.4 million). Image: Getty

News

Kate Moss takes to the stand to defend Johnny Depp

Kate Moss has taken to the stand in former boyfriend Johnny Depp's defamation trial, denying a rumour he had pushed her down a staircase. Moss’ testimony during this high profile court battle is a huge blow to Depp’s ex-wife Amber Heard, as it contradicts claims the actress has made. Depp is suing Heard for $US50 million ($A70 million), saying she defamed him by saying she was a victim of domestic abuse in a newspaper opinion piece. His attorney previously called Kate Moss as a rebuttal witness after Heard had earlier testified about “rumours” of Depp pushing Moss down a flight of stairs. Moss, who dated Depp from 1994 to 1998, told the court that she slipped on a staircase and injured her back during a vacation the couple took in Jamaica. Depp rushed to help her, carried her to a room and called for help, she said. “I screamed because I didn’t know what happened to me and I was in pain and he came running back to help me and carried me to my room and got me medical attention.” Depp’s attorney asked Moss if Depp had ever pushed her down the stairs during the course of their relationship. “No. He never pushed me, kicked me or threw me down any stairs,” Moss testified. The high-profile court case is still ongoing.

Legal

The plot thickens in Amber Haigh case

Less than a week after the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/million-dollar-reward-offered-20-years-after-woman-disappeared" target="_blank" rel="noopener">million-dollar reward for information was announced</a>, a couple has been arrested in relation to the disappearance of Amber Haigh in 2002. Robert Samuel Greves and Anne Margaret Greeves appeared in Cowra Local Court on charges for murder, with a second charge laid against Mr Geeves for aggravated sexual assault of someone with a serious intellectual disability, as reported by the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-05/couple-accused-of-murdering-amber-haigh-appear-in-court/101039800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a>. The court heard that police would tender evidence that Mr Geeves bought a chainsaw shortly after the alleged murder, along with phone intercepts that included the words, “Have you taken the rest of her up there?” Mr Geeves appealed for bail, with his lawyer arguing that the case against him was circumstantial and that he would need time to find his own witnesses if he was refused. With 17 pages of evidence, 20 witnesses, and phone intercepts of the couple talking about how to dispose of the body around the time of Ms Haigh’s disappearance, Magistrate Jillian Kiely refused Mr Geeves’ application. “There’s a very strong circumstantial case based on the facts before me,” she said, as reported by <a href="https://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/story/7727013/bail-refused-in-strong-circumstantial-case-in-alleged-murder-of-amber-haigh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central Western Daily</a>. “There is a very lengthy and detailed background of events leading up to certain behaviours allegedly displayed by the defendant towards the young woman. “There are telephone intercept materials very soon after her disappearance suggestive of potential discussions of disposal of remains or disposal of property. “Conversations where he is asking the co-accused not to roll on him and saying he doesn’t want to go to jail.” In one recorded conversation, Ms Kiely said Ms Geeves said: “Where are we going to take the rest of her now?”, to which Ms Kiely said Mr Geeves replied: “Somewhere close to here”. Ms Geeves, who separated from Mr Geeves eight years ago but remained friends with him, appeared separately and didn’t apply for release, with her case then adjourned until May 17. Ms Haigh, who was 18 at the time, disappeared on June 5, 2002 and was reported missing two weeks later after she didn’t return to her home in Kingsvale, NSW. A 2011 Coronial inquest found Amber to have died, but a review of the case in 2020 resulted in the investigation re-commencing. Image: NSW Police

Legal

Petition to strike Amber Heard’s character from new flick

A petition calling for Amber Heard’s character to be removed from the Aquaman sequel has hit a massive three million signatures. Heard is currently being sued by Johnny Depp for $50 million for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse”. The publicly reported case has seen fans from all over the world call for Heard’s character to be removed from Aquaman and The Lost Kingdom, in which she plays Princess Mera. At the time of publication, the <a href="https://www.change.org/p/dc-entertainment-remove-amber-heard-from-aquaman-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">change.org</a> petition had clocked a whopping 2,948,764 signatures. Questions are not being raised on whether or not Warner Bros. will remove Heard’s character from the sequel, which is currently in post-production. However, it has also been revealed by journalist Grace Randolph that Heard has “less than 10 minutes screen time” in Aquaman 2. The trial between Heard and Depp began on April 11 and is set to last about six weeks. Image: Getty

Movies

Court warned to stop laughing during Johnny Depp’s testimony

Johnny Depp has concluded his testimony in the defamation trial he has launched against his ex-wife Amber Heard after being on the stand for four days, as reported by <a href="https://7news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/johnny-depp-trial-judge-warns-fans-to-stop-laughing-during-courtroom-testimony-c-6585879" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a>. Depp is suing Heard for $50 million for defamation over a 2018 op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in which she describes herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse”. Although Depp wasn’t named, he claims the article cost him lucrative acting work. Both he and Heard have also accused each other of acts of violence during their relationship, which lasted from 2015 to August 2016, when they settled their divorce. The final day of his testimony saw Depp come under cross-examination by Heard’s attorney, Ben Rottenborn. When asked about audio recordings of arguments between him and Heard and whether she was the only one who had a problem with his drinking, Depp answered: “Sir, if anyone had a problem with my drinking, at any time in my life, it was me.” “The only person I’ve abused in my life is myself.” Remaining on the stand for redirect examination from his attorney, Jessica Meyers, Depp explained some of the text messages introduced as evidence by Heard’s attorney were meant to be “irreverent” or references to Monty Python movies and that he often handles “difficult” situations with humour. Some of his fans had to be warned by Judge Penney Azcarate to contain their laughter in the courtroom when Depp admitted he had trouble remembering some of the movies he starred in. He was asked to name films he appeared in besides the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and faltered after quickly naming Alice in Wonderland. “I’m so pathetic when it comes to knowing what movies I’ve done,” Depp said. “I’m sorry. I just, I don’t watch them. I feel better not watching them. What was the question again?” When his response prompted laughter in the courtroom, Judge Azcarate issued a warning. “Order in the court or I will have you removed. Understood? Thank you,” she said. Before the trial commenced, Judge Azcarate ordered that Depp and Heard were not allowed to pose for photos or sign autographs outside the Virginia courtroom, as reported by People. She also ordered that fans weren’t allowed to camp overnight outside and that spectators in the courtroom must “dress in a manner consistent with the decorum of a judicial proceeding”. “Audible comments of any kind during the court proceedings or provocative or uncivil behaviour within the courtroom or courthouse will not be tolerated,” a court document read. “There shall be no gestures, facial expressions, or the like, suggesting approval or disapproval during the proceedings. “Anyone violating this Order will be expelled immediately from the courtroom and will not be able to return during the pendency of the trial.” When Meyers played a 2016 recording of a conversation between Heard and Depp where Heard expressed concern about her reputation after reports of abuse in their relationship emerged, Meyers asked how Depp responded. “What did you say in response when Ms Heard said, ‘Tell the world, Johnny. Tell them, Johnny Depp, I, Johnny Depp, a man, I’m a victim too, of domestic violence’?” Meyers asked. “I said, ‘Yes, I am’,” he responded. The trial, which has been live streamed on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoW1SIeAWaWb1IDY_WuLKvZygiJudUBSd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, began on April 11 and is expected to last for six weeks, with Heard yet to testify. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Young girl found after Amber Alert issued

A young girl has been found safe and well after an Amber Alert was issued overnight. The five-year-old disappeared from Kingston, a suburb in the city of Logan in Queensland’s south east. Queensland Police issued a <a href="https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/news/2022/03/03/final-amber-alert-kingston/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final update</a> on Thursday morning, confirming the little girl had been found and thanking the public and media for their assistance. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> FINAL AMBER ALERT, KINGSTON - The 5yo girl subject of an Amber Alert yesterday (March 2) has been located safe and well. The media and public are thanked for their assistance <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/amberalertKingston?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#amberalertKingston</a> <a href="https://t.co/H9OWzYNt47">pic.twitter.com/H9OWzYNt47</a> — Queensland Police (@QldPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/QldPolice/status/1499140137598349312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 2, 2022</a></blockquote> The initial Amber Alert was issued after the child went missing on Wednesday afternoon, after a man known to her put her in the back of a car which was driven away by a second person. Police released <a href="https://www.river949.com.au/news/local-news/127288-amber-alert-urgent-assistance-to-locate-5-year-old-girl-missing-from-kingston" target="_blank" rel="noopener">images</a> of the young girl and of Kaitlyn Compton, who they believed was with the child. Concerned comments flooded the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/QueenslandPolice/posts/322426419918217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a> shared by Queensland Police on social media on Thursday, with many sharing their relief at the news. “Great work to all our Police Officers,” one person shared. “Such good news in troubling times,” another wrote. “Located safe & well! Thank goodness,” a third commented. “That’s great news 👍. Well done QPS 👏,” another user said. The welcome news comes as the area faces ongoing floods, with Logan City Council <a href="https://disaster.logan.qld.gov.au/Home/viewnews?title=City%20of%20Logan%20flood%20update%20Wednesday,%20March%202" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> that at least 59 homes were inundated and 200 roads were closed on Wednesday. Image: River 94.9 (Facebook)

Caring

Inside Princess Mary’s marriage to Prince Frederik

Princess Mary’s close friend, Amber Petty, has revealed sweet details surrounding the Aussie royal’s marriage to Prince Frederik. The pair’s love story is one for the books, having met a Sydney bar in 2000. Petty, who is an author, shared that while it was “surreal” to watch her best friend fall in love with a member of the royal family, she was happy for Mary. She told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/royal-bridesmaid-amber-petty-on-how-princess-marys-wedding-impacted-her/news-story/cd21d37f119f969b99639dac00466e51" target="_blank">Stellar Magazine</a> that Mary and Frederik’s romance was "just a story of two people falling in love and choosing to do life together". Petty also revealed that it was bizarre watching her friend change from being Mary the Marketing manager, to Mary the Crown Princess of Denmark. Petty made is clear that one of her "coping mechanisms" was to anchor her and Mary's friendship. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CN9YXKjrwB0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CN9YXKjrwB0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Stellar (@stellarmag)</a> </div> </blockquote> She also boiled the princess’ royal relationship to “basic human elements”. Fortunately, it seems to have worked as the women remain close friends, 20 years on. Petty said the pair still have a deep connection even though COVID-19 prevents travel. "Distance has always been hard, and not knowing when you'll see and hug the people you love again is perhaps harder than ever," Petty said. Instead, Petty has learned to be "patient" and has now penned a The author says she has learnt to be “patient”, in her new book called This Is Not A Love Song. She touched on her friendship with Mary in the book, and even mentioned the day she attended the royal’s wedding. However, she did say while she shared “real moments” but wanted to honour Mary’s privacy. Mary and Frederik married in a royal ceremony in 2004. In 2005, Mary said to Andrew Denton's Enough Rope that she had a strong feeling the crown prince was her soul mate. "Something clicked. It wasn't the fireworks in the sky or anything like that but there was a sense of excitement," she said.

Relationships

Urgent plea after 3-year-old girl and man go missing

An Amber Alert was sent out on Sunday afternoon after a three-year-old girl was taken from her home in the south of Brisbane. Queensland Police have grave fears the young child may be at “significant risk”. Police say that a 33-year-old man was last seen leaving a Beenleigh address with the girl about 3.40pm. He is described as being caucasian, atleast 180cm tall, of a proportionate build with brown hair and has blue eyes. The young girl is described as caucasian, 80cm in height, of a slim build with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen in a bright green shirt and blue shorts. Concern arose after the pair did not return to the home as planned. Anyone with information is urged to call 131 564.

News

Amber Heard claims Johnny Depp “pushed Kate Moss down the stairs”

Amber Heard claims she was forced to intervene after Johnny Depp attempted to throw her sister Whitney Henriques down a flight of stairs, saying she remembered a “rumour” of the same thing happening to Kate Moss. Telling London’s High Court on Tuesday, the 34-year-old admitted to hitting Depp but justified her actions by saying it was in defence of her sister. “I did strike Johnny that day in defence of my sister, he was about to push her down the stairs,” she told the court about the alleged incident in March 2015. “The moment before that happened, I remembered information I had heard (that) he pushed a former girlfriend – I believe it was Kate Moss – down the stairs,” she said. “I had heard this rumour from two people and it was fresh in my mind. “In a flash I reacted in defence of her.” “For years, Johnny’s punched (me) and for years I had never even hit him. I never so much as landed a blow and I will never forget this incident … it was the first time after all these years (I hit him back),” she said. Eleanor Laws, QC, acting for Johnny Depp, said “you just added that bit in about Kate Moss. You’ve changed your story.” Heard denied it, saying “that’s always what it has been.” “This is the first time you’ve mentioned it, do you agree?” Laws pressed, to which Heard replied “I don’t know.” Kate Moss and Johnny Depp dated in the ‘90s when she was 20 and he was 31. Depp has denied hitting her while they were together. The court was also shown vision of Heard speaking at a hearing in the US on 13 August 2016 which she described stepping in to protect her sister and that she feared for her sister’s life. Depp has strenuously denied domestic violence against Heard.

Legal

Princess Mary’s best friend reveals what it’s really like to be a royal bridesmaid

Bridesmaid and best friend of Princess Mary, Amber Petty, has shared a candid account of what it was like to a part of a royal wedding. The former columnist and radio host told <a href="http://https//www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar/royal-bridesmaids-advice-dont-trust-anybody/news-story/63e16c967c7392d20f974eec5de1f418" target="_blank">Stellar</a> magazine that while going through the intimidating experience, she experienced “grief” knowing their friendship would never be the same again. “I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was grieving the loss of a friendship that was never going to be the way it was,” she said. “It did feel like all anyone wanted to talk about was ‘the fairytale’, which wasn’t how my heart was processing it for me.” Amber was one of the three bridesmaids who found themselves in the media’s spotlight when Mary Donaldson married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2004. <img width="500" height="673" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7818706/1_500x673.jpg" alt="1 (141)"/> Amber Petty (left) with Princess Mary's sisters at the royal wedding Amber confessed that she’d hoped she would be a part of Mary’s special day, but she was worried royal protocol wouldn’t allow it as she was not a relative. “That would have broken my heart a little. It would have been further proof I was losing a person I loved to a very unexpected life event,” she said. “I think every girl who loves her best friend would understand this feeling.” But five months before the royal wedding, Amber’s dream came true and she was asked to join the bridal party. Two weeks before the big day, Amber arrived in the Danish capital and felt like “a lost bogan extra in a beautiful European film” while the last-minute wedding preparations were finalised. “My fear was always of making a fool of myself by not greeting certain royals and dignitaries in the correct way … I felt very much like a fish out of water,” she said. Amber describes her experience of the wedding itself as “uncomfortable” due to all the cameras and reporters. While honest accounts of being a royal bridesmaid are rare, earlier this year, Princess Diana’s bridesmaid India Hicks spoke about the morning of the wedding. In an interview with E!, India recalled the “mayhem” of the morning of Princess Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles in 1981. “Diana had her tiara on as she was getting ready and there was a little fuzzy TV and the Cornetto ice cream advertisement came on and we all just stopped and sang along,” she said. “I remember Diana getting to the bottom of this huge sweeping staircase in Clarence House and she paused and said, ‘I'd like a glass of water’ … she hadn't seemed nervous before then.” India, who was 13 years old at the time of the royal wedding, also recalled a memory with the King of Tonga’s wife. “I remember my shoes pinching, they were a size too small, and I remember the King of Tonga's wife passing sweeties across to me," she told E!. India’s mother, Lady Pamela Hicks (formerly Mountbatten) had been one of Queen Elizabeth’s bridesmaids when she married Prince Philip. Lady Pamela previously confessed that there had been some mishaps while the Queen was getting ready before the wedding. “People may imagine that big royal events go like clockwork. They do not,” she told the Daily Mail in 2017. “There was a moment of panic when, as the bride’s veil was being fitted, her tiara broke. An aide was bundled into a taxi and sent hurrying to the jeweller’s.” On top of that, then-Princess Elizbeth’s bouquet was missing when she was supposed to leave for Westminster Abbey. “It had been popped in a cupboard to remain fresh – and forgotten,” Lady Pamela, who was 18 at the time, recalled. “Yet throughout all this mayhem, the bride was totally unflustered. As ever.”

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