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"Treated as fools": Prime Minister hits out at supermarkets

<p>On Thursday night the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released an interim report on its supermarket inquiry, and found the price of a typical basket of groceries has increased by more than 20 per cent since 2019. </p> <p>The report found that low-income households spent more than a fifth of their income on food. </p> <p>While prices across all grocery products have increased, the most considerable hikes were in staples such as dairy products by 32 per cent, bread and cereal items by 28 per cent and meat and seafood prices have increased by a fifth. </p> <p>The price of fruit and vegetables has increased by 19 per cent between the March 2019 quarter to the June 2024 quarter. </p> <p>The ACCC released the interim report after examining whether supermarket giants were dudding suppliers and ripping off customers due to a lack of competition. </p> <p>In a statement on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned major supermarkets. </p> <p>“Customers don’t deserve to be treated as fools by the supermarkets. They deserve better than that,” he said. </p> <p>“This is an important piece of work and we will study it closely.</p> <p>“My government is taking a range of actions to make sure Australians are paying a fair price at the checkout and Australian suppliers are getting a fair price for their goods.”</p> <p>Assistant Minister for Competition Andrew Leigh said this was the most comprehensive inquiry they've had in 15 years. </p> <p>“Businesses need to do the right thing by Australians,” he said.</p> <p>“Greater competition is critical for lifting dynamism, productivity and wages growth, putting downward pressure on prices and delivering more choice for Australians dealing with cost-of-living pressures.”</p> <p>The report also found that due to "excessive" prices, many shoppers were buying less food and focusing on cheaper products to stay within their budgets. Others were eating less frequently and have smaller meals, or changing their shopping habits by comparing online prices before going in store. </p> <p>As a result, ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh said Australians were “losing trust in the sale price claims by supermarkets”.</p> <p>“These difficulties reportedly arise from some of the pricing practices of some supermarkets, such as frequent specials, short-term lowered prices, bulk-buy promotions, member-only prices and bundled prices,” he said. </p> <p>In Australia, Woolworths and Coles contribute to 67 per cent of supermarket sales, with Aldi accounting for 9 per cent and IGA contributing 7 per cent. </p> <p>The ACCC will release their recommendations in their final report due in February 2025. </p> <p>This follows the ACCC launching <a href="https://o60.me/2ssagq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">legal action</a> against Coles and Woolworths over allegations of misleading customers with fake discount prices. </p> <p><em>Image: Daria Nipot / Shutterstock.com/ </em><em>MICK TSIKAS/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Tim Tam Jatz: How an April Fool's joke became a real product line

<p>Snack enthusiasts have been left both bewildered and ecstatic as Arnott’s has announced the release of the long-awaited Tim Tam Jatz – a fusion biscuit that promises to revolutionise the sweet and salty game. What started as a mere April Fool’s prank has now escalated into a reality stranger than fiction.</p> <p>For years, brands like Arnott’s and Macca’s have toyed with our taste buds, teasing us with tantalising new product announcements on April 1st, only to dash our hopes with the cold reality of jest. But Arnott’s, oh Arnott’s, they decided to take it one step further.</p> <p>Last year, amid the chaos of April Fool’s 2023, they dropped the bombshell: Tim Tam Jatz was on its way. The internet erupted in a cacophony of disbelief and desire. Comments flooded in, ranging from desperate pleas to joyous declarations of snack nirvana.</p> <p>Fast forward to the present, and Arnott’s has delivered the unthinkable. The Tim Tam Jatz is no longer a figment of our collective imagination but a tangible delight that will soon grace the shelves of Coles, bringing joy to snack enthusiasts everywhere. Combining the decadent chocolatey goodness of a Tim Tam with the unmistakable crunch of a salty Jatz cracker, this biscuit is poised to redefine the very essence of snack time.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5fBOF1veqy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5fBOF1veqy/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Arnott's Biscuits (@arnottsbiscuits)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Rebecca Chan, the mastermind behind this stroke of genius and Tim Tam’s marketing manager, expressed her delight at bringing this unconventional creation to life. “We love getting behind an April Fool’s prank, and dreaming up new ways to tap into Australia’s love of Tim Tam,” she wrote.</p> <p>“But following the overwhelming number of comments and requests, we knew we had to bring Tim Tam inspired by Jatz to the shelf and make it available for every Aussie to enjoy.</p> <p>"We can’t wait to share the latest Tim Tam creation, where consumers can expect something a little bit sweet, and a little bit salty in every bite.”</p> <p>The announcement sent shockwaves across social media, with food bloggers and snack enthusiasts alike losing their collective minds over the prospect of this culinary marvel. </p> <p>As word spread like wildfire, social media erupted in a frenzy of anticipation. “My sister is obsessed with Tim Tams and Jatz, so she will love this,” proclaimed one user, already envisioning the delight on their sibling’s face. “OMG I need it immediately,” cried another, echoing the sentiments of snack lovers everywhere.</p> <p>But amidst the jubilation, there were voices of caution. “Ooh, I will be trying, but I seem to only ever buy a new Tim Tam once and then run straight back to my beloved double coat,” confessed a hesitant fan, torn between loyalty and curiosity.</p> <p>Only time will tell if Tim Tam Jatz will live up to the hype, but one thing is for certain: Arnott’s has unleashed a culinary juggernaut that is sure to leave a lasting impression on snack history. So brace yourselves; the sweet and salty revolution is upon us, and there’s no turning back.</p> <p><em>Image: Arnott's</em></p>

Food & Wine

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"Surely this is a prank": Council slammed for ridiculous parking restriction

<p>Melbourne City Council has been slammed online for offering free parking, but only for a measly 15 minutes. </p> <p>The new initiative, which was shared in a video to the City of Melbourne Instagram account, details how parking fees will be waived for drivers needing to run a quick errand in the CBD, as long as they return to their vehicle within 15 minutes.</p> <p>Drivers can park in a “green signed” parking space such as a ‘2P Meter’, and start a 15-minute session on the Easy-Park app to claim the offer.</p> <p>The council said they introduced the initiative for those who want to “run an errand, support a local business and take in city vibes”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lApxrt35h/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C0lApxrt35h/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by City Of Melbourne (@cityofmelbourne)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The initiative, however, has been rinsed online, with many people pointing out that 15 minutes is not enough time to do anything, especially in the CBD.</p> <p>“Surely this is a prank?” one person questioned.</p> <p>“As if you can take in the vibes in 15min. And based where the carpark spots are, you’d barely make it to the shop or restaurant and back in 15,” said another.</p> <p>“15 mins? Such overwhelming generosity,” another commented. </p> <p>“How can you support any business in 15 minutes time? By sprinting to a shop and run back to the car only to find a ticket on the dashboard?,” wrote another person. </p> <p>Despite the negative feedback, City of Melbourne said more than 90,000 people had taken up the free parking offer since it was first introduced in the central city in July. </p> <p>"Drivers are embracing the flexibility of our new free 15-minute parking system, which is opening up the city by giving more drivers access to free parking outside more businesses and services,” Lord Mayor Sally Capp said in a statement in November. </p> <p>“Early data shows our parking improvements are working exactly as intended – keeping spaces turning over outside city businesses, while making it easier to find a park.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"It's not the time for jokes": Bride humiliated by groom's prank at the altar

<p>A thoughtless groom has been slammed online for "humiliating" his bride with a "cheap" prank as they exchanged vows on their big day. </p> <p>A video of the painful "joke" was captured by a wedding guest and shared to TikTok, where thousands of people have flocked to the comments to condemn the groom's actions. </p> <p>The video shows a happy couple standing on the altar, as the groom is instructed to read his vows to his bride. </p> <p>He explains he has written them on a piece of paper as he reaches inside his jacket, while the bride beams with excitement. </p> <p>However, her face quickly dropped as her groom pulled out a piece of paper with the words "HELP ME!" written, in what he explained was supposed to be a joke. </p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: none !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7282793773845843243&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40overtime%2Fvideo%2F7282793773845843243%3Flang%3Den&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F0ba0ce284a6049d2afed7b65dd727652_1695657582%3Fx-expires%3D1696723200%26x-signature%3DHqwVuu4WyUrpOMQe8nkeppOHT7E%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>His bride was furious however, as she hit him with her flower bouquet, as the groom said, "I'm only kidding, it's a joke."</p> <p>"It's not funny," she began to respond before the video cut off.</p> <p>The woman who shared the video, a life coach named Shawnda, said she has "no respect" for the "kind of man" who would "humiliate" his bride on her special day to try to "get a cheap laugh".</p> <p>"I have no respect for the kind of man that takes that day, that opportunity, to get themselves a cheap laugh," she said. </p> <p>"It's not the time for jokes. A 'help me' sign like she's holding you hostage? The crowd was dry."</p> <p>"It wasn't even worth it, the juice wasn't even worth the squeeze. You humiliated this woman for what? So the one woman holding the camera could give a little laugh?"</p> <p>The video has been viewed over 800,000 times, with countless people flocking to the comments to slam the groom's callous actions on the couple's big day. </p> <p>One person wrote, "Her face... She was crushed," while another added, "She was so excited to hear those vows too."</p> <p>"The way the bride is genuinely excited to hear what he has to say until she realises," someone else said alongside a crying emoji. </p> <p>"I would've walked out," a fourth comment read, while a fifth added, "Why do these people beg for a girl to go out with them, cry if she tries to leave, propose to her, spend a tons of money on a wedding then do this?"</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Relationships

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Hilarious reason dad couldn't be fooled by online scam

<p>One savvy dad has outwitted a scammer who posed as his daughter, after the scammer made one hilarious error. </p> <p>Ian Whitworth, a dad from Sydney, took to his LinkedIn page to share the message a scammer texted him in a classic phishing scam that targets parents. </p> <p>He shared the photo of what he thought was the "funniest phishing text any parent has ever received".</p> <p>The text read, "Hey dad, dropped my phone in the sink while doing the dishes. Its unresponsive this is my new number for now just text me here x."</p> <p>Despite the terrible grammar and punctuation that would immediately alert anyone to the possibility of a scam, it was something else that caught the dad's attention. </p> <p>Instead, Whitworth said it was the fact his daughter would never do the chore mentioned by the scammers.</p> <p>Still, he thought it was worth sharing a photo of the text in a bid to warn others, which he uploaded along with the comment, "Cybersecurity update. I just got this."</p> <p>"Perhaps the funniest phishing txt any parent has ever received. 'Doing the dishes', yeah, for sure."</p> <p>In a reply to one of the people who commented on his post, Whitworth joked that his daughter "at age four emerged from my parents' kitchen with a shocked look on her face. 'What's pop doing?'. He was washing up in the sink."</p> <p>Another commenter wrote, "Haha! There is NO WAY this is from my son or daughter, that's for sure."</p> <p>Another commenter said the giveaway that it wasn't from his own child was that they didn't immediately ask for money, to which Whitworth replied, "Ha, yeah, the phishers are like the seven step ladder of confidence before the money issue gets raised. Actual kids: MONEY NOW."</p> <p>According to the federal government's Scamwatch website run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the "Friends/Family Hi Mum" impersonation scam was common.</p> <p>"Scammers send messages pretending to be a family member or a friend desperate for money," it said.</p> <p>"They say they have a new phone and they need you to pay money to help them out of a crisis."</p> <p>Scamwatch warns: "Don't assume a person you are dealing with is who they say they are" and offers the following advice.</p> <p>"If someone you know sends a message to say they have a new phone number, try to call them on the existing number you have for them, or message them on the new number with a question only they would know the answer to," it said.</p> <p>"That way you will know if they are who they say they are."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / LinkedIn</em></p>

Legal

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Man fakes own death to teach his family a tough life lesson

<p>A Belgian TikToker has become the subject of the internet’s scorn after playing a prank on the loved ones and mourners gathered to bid him farewell at what they believed to be his funeral. </p> <p>They were under the assumption that the service was being held for the recently-departed David Baerten - their 45-year-old friend who was not, it turns out, dead after all. </p> <p>Instead, Baerten had devised a plan with his wife and children to trick everyone into believing he’d passed on, all so that he could teach them a ‘valuable’ lesson in the importance of staying in touch.</p> <p>In a bid to make Baerten’s friends and followers believe the lie, one of his daughters even posted to social media about his passing, writing “rest in peace Daddy. I will never stop thinking about you.</p> <p>“Why is life so unfair? Why you? You were going to be a grandfather, and you still had your whole life ahead of you. I love you! We love you! We will never forget you.”</p> <p>The ‘funeral’ was held near Liege for the TikToker - who uses the name Ragnar le Fou for his social media antics - with his family and friends coming together for what they thought was a final farewell. But as they prepared for that difficult task, things took a sharp turn. </p> <p>Baerten, who had been alive the entire time, descended in a helicopter with a camera crew in tow to surprise them all. In a video later shared to social media, he could be heard telling them “cheers to you all, welcome to my funeral.” </p> <p>Another user - who was present at the time - shared a clip of Baerten in the arms of his sobbing loved ones, while others took the opportunity to complain about the entire “joke”. </p> <p><iframe style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; display: block; font-family: proxima-regular, PingFangSC, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; text-align: center; background-color: #ffffff; width: 605px; height: 740px; visibility: unset; max-height: 740px;" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7243399474553425179?lang=en-GB&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-12190705%2FMan-fakes-death-arrives-funeral-helicopter-teach-family-lesson.html&amp;embedFrom=oembed" name="__tt_embed__v11218062736010092" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin"></iframe>They were complaints that continued online, as the videos gained traction and many raced to condemn him for the heartless stunt. </p> <p>“Really shocking, it should be punishable by law!” one user declared. </p> <p>“I'm shocked,” another said, before asking how he’d been able to do that to those close to him. </p> <p>“He wanted to see who would be there with his eyes,” one said, “what narcissism”.</p> <p>Someone else agreed, noting that “you really have to be full of yourself to do such a thing.”</p> <p>The feedback was so strong that Baerten was forced to explain his actions, claiming that “what I see in my family often hurts me. I never get invited to anything. </p> <p>“Nobody sees me. We all grew apart. I felt unappreciated. That’s why I wanted to give them a life lesson, and show them that you shouldn’t wait until someone is dead to meet up with them.”</p> <p>And while he is yet to share his own professional footage from the day, his plan had worked.</p> <p>“Only half of my family came to the funeral,” he said. “That proves who really cares about me. Those who didn’t come, did contact me to meet up. </p> <p>“So in a way I did win.”</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"I fell for it!": Boys in blue crash gender reveal party

<p>One Sydney couple have taken their friends and family by surprise with their high-stakes gender reveal, where the father-to-be was apparently put under arrest by two police officers. </p> <p>Mina Ibrahim revealed their elaborate prank with a video posted to his TikTok account. Mina’s video begins with footage of the moment of his ‘arrest’, before it cuts to the TikToker at a later date, explaining that “that’s me being arrested at my baby’s gender reveal.” </p> <p>He goes on to share the full video, and a promise that the ending will answer any questions his viewers may have.</p> <p>In the clip, the parents-to-be can be seen talking to two uniformed NSW ‘police officers’, guests all around them, with Mina asking for onlookers to get their phones out. He then pushes one of the officers, telling them to leave, and both grab him before attempting to handcuff him, while his pregnant partner attempts to intervene. </p> <p>As family members rush to assist, one of the officers calls for everyone to calm down, then delivers news that takes them all by surprise - and delight - by telling them, “it’s a baby girl.” </p> <p>“So it was the cops who announced to everyone that I was having a baby girl,” present-day Mina informed his audience, before noting that there was a fake balloon inside to throw their guests off the surprise scent. </p> <div class="mol-embed" style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; letter-spacing: -0.16px; text-align: center; font-family: graphik, Arial, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;"> <blockquote id="v34606683345148116" class="tiktok-embed" style="margin: 18px auto; padding: 0px; min-height: 1px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; position: relative; width: 605px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.15; overflow: hidden; text-size-adjust: 100%; font-family: proxima-regular, PingFangSC, sans-serif; max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@mina.ibs/video/7232964823296773383" data-video-id="7232964823296773383" data-embed-from="oembed"><p><iframe style="letter-spacing: -0.01em; border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 605px; height: 735px; display: block; visibility: unset; max-height: 735px;" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7232964823296773383?lang=en-GB&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-12082153%2FGender-reveal-party-prank-sees-cops-arrest-father-be.html&amp;embedFrom=oembed" name="__tt_embed__v34606683345148116" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin"></iframe></p></blockquote> </div> <p>The prank attracted thousands of views online, with many flocking to his comments section to share their congratulations with the parents-to-be. </p> <p>Others, while thrilled for them and their happy news, were open about their concern, having fallen for the trick right along with the couple’s loved ones. </p> <p>“I fell for it and I was worried for your wife!!!,” one confessed. “I was freaking out hahahah you got me”.</p> <p>“I was worried too haha … you scared me,” another said. </p> <p>“Omygosh! I was ready to sue them coppas with you!” came one response, “but congratsss! What a way to reveal!”</p> <p>One other simply wanted to know if the entire situation was even allowed, believing that impersonating the police may not be. </p> <p>And another had simply been suspicious from the very start, noting “Broooo the whole time I was like … something ain’t right! He’s not carrying his gun”.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Puzzles April 2023 Answers

<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The Free OverSixty Newspaper is regularly with Crosswords, Sudokus, Word Finders and more for your entertainment and to keep that grey matter limbered up.</span></p> <p>So! Without further ado, here are the solutions to <a href="https://over60newspapers.azurewebsites.net/OverSixty_April_2023_Digital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all of the puzzles from the April 2023 issue</a> of the FREE OverSixty Newspaper. Enjoy!</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Crosswise Answers:</strong></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/04/Crosswise_solution_april2023.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="1276" /></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Sudoko Answers:</strong></p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/04/Sudoku_solution_april2023.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="1245" /></strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Before and After Answer:</strong></p> <p>MOUTH [ PIECE ] MEAL</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Word Finder Answers:</strong></p> <p>We found all of these words below in this issue's Word Finder. Did you find any more? Let us know via <a href="mailto:newspaper@oversixty.com.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">newspaper@oversixty.com.au</a></p> <ol> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">EIGHT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ERG</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FOE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FOES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FOR</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FORE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FORESIGHT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FORT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FORTH</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FREIGHT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FRIES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FRIGHT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FRO</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FROTH</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">GIRT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">FIRTH</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">GRIEF</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">GROT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HIE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HIRE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HIRES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HIS</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HOE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HOER</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HOERS</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HOES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HORSE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">HOT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">IRE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">IRES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ORE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ORES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ORGIES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ORT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">REF</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">RHO</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">RIG</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">RIGHT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">RISE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ROE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ROES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ROT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">ROTH</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">SERF</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">SIGH</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">SIGHT</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">SIR</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">SIRE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">THIEF</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">THIS</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">THOR</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">THRO</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">THROE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">THROES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TOE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TOES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TOR</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TORE</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TORES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TORI</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TORIES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TORS</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TORSI</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TREF</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TRIES</li> <li class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">TRIG</li> </ol> <p> </p> <p><strong>Word Pyramid Answer:</strong></p> <p>For this puzzle you were given a number of clues. The first answer had two letters, the second three letters, the third four – and so on. Each answer consisted of the same letters as the previous one with the addition of one letter.</p> <p><strong>SOLUTION:<br /></strong><strong>French article (LE)<br /></strong><strong>Falsehood (LIE)<br /></strong><strong>Reside (LIVE)<br /></strong><strong>Large organ (LIVER)<br /></strong><strong>Splinter (SLIVER)</strong></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Word Circles Answer:</strong></p> <p>We asked you to unscramble the letters in each circle to produce two words that are opposite in meaning to each other.</p> <p><strong>SOLUTION: EQUALITY, IMPARITY</strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Mind

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"That was flawless": Sunrise host falls for hilarious April Fools prank

<p dir="ltr"><em>Sunrise </em>host Monique Wright got tricked by co-host Matt Doran’s elaborate April Fools’ Day prank on Saturday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wright was convinced that she had scored an exclusive interview with US President Barack Obama, when in fact she was interviewing an impersonator called Reggie.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Mr Obama, what an absolute thrill to have you in the country,” she gushed “Gosh we love you here, and it was fantastic to have you on our programme.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you so much, safe travels home,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">To make the prank believable, the <em>Sunrise </em>team had intentionally distorted Wright’s screen so that she couldn’t recognise who she was speaking with over Zoom.</p> <p dir="ltr">Doran waited until after the interview to reveal the truth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just before we let you go, perhaps it might be an opportune time just to let Mon know that we’re actually speaking to Reggie from LA who is the top Obama impersonator in the world,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“G’day Reggie! That was flawless.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Wright was left fuming and blamed her gullibility on bad technology.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Reggie, they’ve actually used a monitor which looks very strange, I can’t see you properly,” she said, to which Doran joked that it wasn’t a valid excuse.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then acknowledged the “extraordinary” acting abilities of the <em>Sunrise</em> team and exclaimed: “I hate you, I was so excited!”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I ran down to get changed with two minutes' notice, so I would like to apologise to Chrissy the producer who saw me in my underwear,” she said, revealing how excited she was for the interview.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hate all of you but I mostly hate you!” she jokingly said to Doran.</p> <p dir="ltr">Doran then tried to make her feel better by saying that anyone would’ve fallen for the same prank.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You were given no notice, Reggie was so convincing,” he said, adding that he was terrified of what Wright might do to get him back.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wright then joked that he should be terrified after throwing everyone into a frenzy and getting the “whole building” involved in his elaborate prank.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Watch this space, stay comfortable Matt,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Channel Seven</em></p>

TV

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Protest is dangerous, but feminists have a long history of using humour, pranks and stunts to promote their message

<p>Protest was dangerous in feminism’s formative years.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/transformingsociety/electionsvoting/womenvote/overview/startsuffragette-/">suffragettes</a> in the United Kingdom initially began by trying to persuade and educate to win women the right to vote. </p> <p>When that didn’t work they became frustrated – and, by 1903, radical.</p> <p>By the 1910s, they adopted militant tactics, with women on hunger strikes being force-fed in prison. </p> <p>It climaxed in 1913 when Emily Wilding Davidson, holding the suffragette flag, stepped in front of the horse of King George V at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qkU_imbFoE">Epsom Derby</a>. </p> <p>Her funeral, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EIFDSb7tWc">reportedly</a> watched by 50,000 people, gave a global profile to the women’s right-to-vote campaign.</p> <p>But while protest was very dangerous for first-wave feminists, subsequent Western activists often adopted pranks.</p> <p>There is an adage that feminists and women aren’t funny. However, the history of activism reveals humour as a successful strategy for change.</p> <p>Here are four great contemporary feminist pranks that demonstrate the power of humour for advocacy.</p> <h2>1. A chain reaction</h2> <p>On March 31 1965, feminist activists Rosalie Bogner and Merle Thornton walked into Brisbane’s Regatta hotel, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/curious-brisbane-when-was-the-ban-on-women-drinking-in-public/9518222">chaining themselves</a> to the foot rail of the front bar.</p> <p>They were protesting the exclusion of women from Queensland public bars. </p> <p>The police were called, smashed the padlock, and told them to leave. They refused.</p> <p>After some bemused and sympathetic men gave them glasses of beer, the officer gave up, telling the women to have “a good time” and “don’t drink too much”. </p> <p>They inspired women nationally to do the same. Laws had changed across Australia by the early 1970s. </p> <p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-08/curious-brisbane-when-was-the-ban-on-women-drinking-in-public/9518222">According to</a> historian Kay Saunders, it was the “beginning of second-wave feminism” in Australia.</p> <h2>2. Guerrilla Girls</h2> <p>In 1985, the New York activist group Guerrilla Girls began their quest to counter the art world’s sexism, racism and inequality. They used gorilla masks to remain anonymous and emphasise that the message was paramount, not the activist. </p> <p>Guerrilla Girls famously erected posters and placed stickers protesting the lack of women in art galleries, asking “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met Museum?”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uKg7hb2yoo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Humour and statistics enhanced awareness, got people involved, and illuminated issues such as how few women of colour have their work exhibited. </p> <p>Since the Guerrilla Girls began four decades ago, their messages have continued to spread and hold institutions accountable. They have expanded their mission to important causes such as poverty and war, while continuing to change the art world’s attitudes and to merging art and politics. </p> <p>But the gender imbalance in art galleries is still a global issue. This is currently being countered with initiatives such as the National Gallery of Australia’s <a href="https://nga.gov.au/knowmyname/">Know My Name</a> campaign and efforts to write women <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-21/australian-women-artists-national-gallery-of-australia/12890818">back into art history</a>.</p> <h2>3. Switcheroo</h2> <p>In 1993 the Barbie Liberation Organization <a href="https://beautifultrouble.org/">undertook</a> a Christmas prank, swapping the voice boxes of 50 Barbie and G.I. Joe dolls. </p> <p>G.I. Joe now said “I love to shop with you” or “Let’s plan our dream wedding”. Barbie hollered “Dead men tell no lies” or “Attack!”.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cxiDlJ7nfLo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>With an aim to teach children about stereotypes, the <a href="https://beautifultrouble.org/toolbox/tool/barbie-liberation-organization/">spectacle</a>made a huge media splash for the cause.</p> <p>The tactic is known as “shop-dropping”. The activist bought, altered and then dropped the dolls back on the shelves. </p> <p>The organisation arranged for children to comment to the media on gender stereotyping, and the press reported there were hundreds of dolls instead of just 50.</p> <p>Although impact is hard to measure, the prank created unprecedented media attention leading to the visibility of the organisation’s issues based video. It questioned the status quo regarding what girls can do and should think, promoting social change in exposing how toys shape ideology. </p> <p>It revealed the impact of gender stereotypes and their insidious sexism; the way war toys are role models; and the need for playthings to be more inclusive and diverse. </p> <p>Mattel, the company that makes Barbie, did not react, but later released toys indicating it had received the message. These include the <a href="https://creations.mattel.com/collections/barbie-inspiring-women-series#?page=1">Inspiring Women series</a> featuring the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Ella Fitzgerald and Jane Goodall.</p> <h2>4. Sausage fest!</h2> <p>At the 2016 Australian Film Institute’s premier event, the AACTA Awards, protesters from Women in Film and Television NSW blocked the red carpet dressed as sausages and chanting “end the sausage party”. </p> <p>The event was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&amp;v=562946123902893">livestreamed on Facebook</a> after security gave them access, thinking they were part of the event.</p> <p>The women <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/dec/07/protesters-gatecrash-aacta-awards-red-carpet-chanting-end-the-sausage-party">were protesting</a> for a quota system to improve the number of women working in the film and television industries. </p> <p><a href="https://www.wiftaustralia.org.au/nsw-advocacy">They wanted</a> to highlight a lack of feature film judging transparency, the low proportion of nominations for women, and how few films were directed and driven by female creatives. </p> <p><a href="https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/getmedia/1ee452a2-3567-4398-86c3-56535f7d9827/screen-australia-proportion-of-women-in-creative-roles-all-formats-2021-2.jpg?ext=.jpg">Only 20%</a> of Australian-funded feature films have a female director. AACTA does not fund films and it is therefore the broader industry that urgently needs to lift female participation.</p> <p>Since the sausage prank, AACTA entry forms also ask about the diversity of the filmmakers, triggering producers to reflect on inclusion in their films.</p> <p>AACTA has also changed its eligibility rules, engaging with Women in Film and Television to expand eligibility beyond just films that received a theatrical release.</p> <p>This reduced barriers to entry; opportunities for women and diverse filmmakers are more frequently in independent or low-budget sectors, which don’t always attain release in commercial cinemas. This change in eligibility was <a href="https://www.filmink.com.au/public-notice/aacta-feature-film-eligibility-policy-changes-new-online-video-award-announced/">reported</a> as allowing greater inclusion and diversity. </p> <p>Recognition across society has come from a long line of feminist pranksters. But slow progress means there is still a long way to go to achieve equality and equity.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/protest-is-dangerous-but-feminists-have-a-long-history-of-using-humour-pranks-and-stunts-to-promote-their-message-199298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Caring

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Mum slammed for cruel cling wrap ‘prank’

<p><strong><em>Warning: This article contains disturbing content which some readers may find distressing. </em></strong></p> <p>Tiktok influencer Savannah Glembin and her husband have come under fire for their decision to wrap their distressed toddler’s entire torso in cling wrap. </p> <p>In the now deleted video, the couple can be seen taking a concerning approach to discipline with their “stubborn” child. While Enya’s ‘Only Time’ plays in the background, Savannah’s husband Hank is standing behind their son, Gunner, as the toddler perches on a bed, his arms trapped against his sides in layers of cling wrap.</p> <p>“Grumpy toddler all day?” Savannah can be heard asking her audience, while over the video the text “this is the only way” is displayed. </p> <p>The family’s dog appears, before Hank lays Gunner on the bed, facedown, and states that “he’s a worm”. Gunner, then on his back, cries as he rolls to his side, unable to move any further. </p> <p>Although Savannah removed the incident from her feed, many accounts stitched the original video (the TikTok equivalent of a repost with additional commentary) beforehand. One user, known on the app as Aunt Karen, offered a trigger warning at the beginning of hers, stating that “this feels like abuse.”</p> <div class="element-embed clear-both" style="box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 20px; color: #333333; font-family: roboto_regular, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: #ffffff;"> <blockquote id="v13272776541841646" class="tiktok-embed" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 605px; margin: 18px auto; line-height: 1.15; overflow: hidden; text-size-adjust: 100%; font-family: proxima-regular, PingFangSC, sans-serif; max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@auntkaren0/video/7207105964476992811" data-video-id="7207105964476992811"><p><iframe style="box-sizing: border-box; border-width: initial; border-style: none; max-width: 100%; width: 605px; height: 740px; display: block; visibility: unset; max-height: 740px; margin-left: auto !important; margin-right: auto !important;" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7207105964476992811?lang=en-GB&amp;referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tvanouvelles.ca%2F2023%2F03%2F07%2Fune-video-tiktok-seme-lindignation-alors-quun-bambin-est-la-proie-du-jeu-lugubre-de-son-pere" name="__tt_embed__v13272776541841646" sandbox="allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-scripts allow-top-navigation allow-same-origin"></iframe></p></blockquote> </div> <div id="magnite_outstream" class="splitbox-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: roboto_regular, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: #ffffff;"></div> <div id="fsk_splitbox_992_onscreen" class="fsk_splitbox_992_onscreen" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; color: #333333; font-family: roboto_regular, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div id="fsk_splitbox_992" class=" fsk_splitbox_992" style="box-sizing: border-box; max-width: 603px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; height: 0px; text-align: center;"><iframe id="fsk_frame_splitbox" style="box-sizing: border-box; width: 602.998px; height: 0px; border-width: initial; border-style: none; margin: 0px;" name="fsk_frame_splitbox" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> </div> <p>"I don't see what's funny here,” Aunt Karen concludes. “I don't understand how putting your toddler in an uncomfortable position is funny and then posting it for views. </p> <p>“Not only did you not just do this for your own entertainment, you thought this was going to be everybody's entertainment. </p> <p>"This is why I don't like family channels like this, because they will go to any length for views."</p> <p>People from all around the world were in agreement, outraged at the treatment of the toddler. </p> <p>The uproar grew so loud that child protective services in the US - where the family reside - got involved, and Savannah was forced to post a tearful ‘apology’ to her account.</p> <p>“I made the biggest mistake of my life posting this video. Genuinely and truly he was laughing and smiling and was out of the plastic in under five minutes,” she said. Many were quick to point out that while Savannah had apologised for posting the content, she hadn’t actually owned up to what they’d done to their son. </p> <p>“Right now, we're dealing with a situation where Gunner has been taken from us until CPR can evaluate our home,” Savannah told followers in another video, “because I posted a video of my husband and son playing."</p> <p>Savannah insisted that her son was not upset, despite his distressed demeanour in the original post. </p> <p>"That video was skewed in a way [and led to] people thinking we were abusing our child,” she said. “But he was laughing and smiling and it was just a funny thing Hank did because Gunner was getting into the stove that day and tried putting a fork in a socket.</p> <p>"Hank playfully wrapped him in cling wrap, he had room to move, he looked like a little cucumber. At no point was he in distress or crying.</p> <p>"We would never hurt our son. He is the best thing that's ever happened to us.”</p> <p>Savannah noted that they hadn’t expected the response their video received, and claimed that they hadn’t realised anyone felt negatively “until yesterday when cops showed up and our door and separated us, his family.”</p> <p>"We made a mistake,” Savannah concluded, “and we don't deserve our child taken away because of it."</p> <p>Gunner has since been returned to the couple, with Savannah captioning yet another TikTok update “home where he belongs”.</p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Neighbours reveals which stars are moving back to Ramsay Street

<p>New details have emerged over which <em>Neighbours</em> cast members will be returning to Ramsay St when the series launches on Amazon’s FreeVee late 2023. </p> <p>The show - axed after 27 years on air - will benefit from the presence of a few fan favourite faces, with Annie Jones, Rebekah Elmaloglou, Georgie Stone, and Tim Kano reprising their roles as Jane Harries, Terese Willis, Mackenzie Hargreaves, and Leo Tanaka respectively. </p> <p>And for those hoping to see Ramsay St’s iconic faces in the mix again, have no fear, Ian Smith will be returning at Harold Bishop. He will, however, only be returning as a guest, along with April Rose Pengilly (the actress behind Chloe Brennan), and Melissa Bell (Lucy Robinson). </p> <p>The announcement is not the first to delight fans of the long-running soap, with the likes of Stefan Dennis (Paul Robinson), Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy), Alan Fletcher (Karl Kennedy), and Ryan Moloney (Toadie Rebecchi) already having confirmed their commitment to the revival. </p> <p>Georgie Stone took to Instagram to share the news of her return, along with a series of snaps with her fellow cast members. </p> <p>“Ramsay Street here we come… (again!),” she captioned the image, noting her excitement and that fans should “stay tuned”.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpNEXARrsfH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CpNEXARrsfH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Georgie Stone (@georgiestone)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fans were thrilled with the news, and showered Georgie with their enthusiasm in the comments - a few, however, were miffed that they’d been through an entire finale only to have to pick it all back up again. </p> <p>“Fantastic to see the familiar favourites all coming back!” gushed one fan. “Can't wait for <em>Neighbours</em> to start back again! Honestly, I barely watch TV anymore without my daily fix of Neighbours.”</p> <p>“Yes, can't wait for watch <em>Neighbours </em>again,” echoed one. </p> <p>“Cannot wait to have you back on our screens,” wrote another.</p> <p>And in a comment that appeared to speak for the masses, one declared “love that you guys are all back!” </p> <p>The news was also shared to Neighbours’ official twitter account, with a special video from the cast members to commemorate the announcement. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We're so excited to announce that Annie Jones, Georgie Stone, Rebekah Elmaloglou and Tim Kano will be reprising their roles in the new episodes of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Neighbours?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Neighbours</a> later this year! 🎉✨ Plus we will have special guest appearances by Ian Smith, April Rose Pengilly &amp; Melissa Bell! <a href="https://t.co/6ZLKkmKJWE">pic.twitter.com/6ZLKkmKJWE</a></p> <p>— Neighbours (@neighbours) <a href="https://twitter.com/neighbours/status/1630529084013834240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>Neighbours</em>’ producers have announced that the series will not be jumping around with its timeline, instead picking up where the finale left off. </p> <p>The series is set to go into production in the next few months, with new episodes likely in the spring - Australians will be able to catch the first-run episodes on Channel 10, and one week later on Amazon Prime Video. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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"You have got to be kidding me": Huge prank saved for Ally Langdon's last day

<p>Ally Langdon's last day on the <em>Today Show</em> has been immortalised with a series of hilarious pranks. </p> <p>After two years in the hosting chair, Friday marked Langdon's last day on the Channel Nine breakfast show before moving to her new gig as the host of <em>A Current Affair</em>. </p> <p>True to form, co-host Karl Stefanovic couldn’t resist getting in a number of last digs at the star before her exit.</p> <p>Ally was shocked as she was relentlessly tormented throughout the show, as her colleagues pranked her by having her car towed, clearing out her desk and teasing her about her alleged flatulence.</p> <p>In one brutal stunt, weatherman Tim Davies appeared in the network’s carpark with a towing company hooking Ally’s car up to vacate it’s official Today parking spot.</p> <p>"What? You have got to be kidding me,” Ally exclaimed as her vehicle was pulled away.</p> <p>“We are having an Allison Langdon fire sale – including her car,” Tim joked.</p> <p>“How much does a German junk like this get? Never looked after. A bit like Ally,” he added.</p> <div id="indie-campaign-rHsIzpAmAj7xkA4llYlH-2" data-campaign-name="NCA ENTERTAINMENT newsletter" data-campaign-indie="newsletter-signup" data-jira="TSN-268" data-from="1640955600000" data-to="1677502800000"></div> <p>“We will shift it on out as she goes off to the bright lights of prime time and we will park it somewhere else. Wherever <em>A Current Affair</em> park.”</p> <p>Later in the show, Tim was filmed from the Channel 9 offices dumping Ally’s photos and belongings in a cardboard box.</p> <p>It was announced on Sunday night that Ally would be leaving <em>Today</em> to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/it-s-daunting-a-current-affair-and-today-show-hosts-finally-confirmed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">take over the spot</a> vacated by Tracy Grimshaw, who left <em>A Current Affair</em> after 17 years this week.</p> <p><em>60 Minutes</em> reporter Sarah Abo will join the network’s morning show alongside Karl, Alex Cullen, Brooke Boney and Tim Davies on January 16th, as Ally starts her role at <em>A Current Affair</em> on January 30.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today</em></p>

TV

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“No-one is safe”: Nat Barr and Kochie jump out of their skin after spooky prank

<p dir="ltr"><em>Sunrise </em>hosts Nat Barr and David ‘Kohie’ Koch have been the latest victims of some Halloween shenanigans.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a two-part video, a Channel Seven employee can be seen donning a <em>Scream </em>mask before going around scaring people at Brekky Central, including Barr and Koch.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-05518cdc-7fff-3528-3db1-e477a6ea9870"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s Halloween time! Watch me scare the crew,” the caption of the first clip read.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkEf9ZjByde/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkEf9ZjByde/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sunrise (@sunriseon7)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">After frightening two producers, the prankster crept up behind Edwina Bartholemew and Mark Beretta, who were sitting at their desks.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Oh s**t!” Bartholomew exclaimed.</p> <p dir="ltr">Beretta let out a small scream and wheeled his chair away, shouting, “Far out!” before bursting into laughter.</p> <p dir="ltr">Switching to a <em>Friday the 13th </em>hockey mask and a fake bloody knife, the employee went on to give <em>The Morning Show</em> hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies a fright.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sneaking up behind their chairs, the employee tapped Gillies on the shoulder, prompting her to squeal in terror and throw her papers on the floor when she saw them.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-1b249727-7fff-80ef-53c7-8d5f54be4c63"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Could we get some adult diapers to studio one please?” Emdur joked, unaffected by the prank.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/edwina-scary.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Edwina Bartholemew gets the fright of her life during a Channel Seven employee’s Halloween pranks. Images: @sunriseon7 (TikTok)</em></p> <p dir="ltr">In part two of the prank, the employee went back to wearing the <em>Scream </em>mask to frighten Barr and Koch.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No one is safe 🎃🎃,” they captioned the clip.</p> <p dir="ltr">In it, the masked employee can be seen appearing behind the couch Barr and Koch are sitting on while discussing a story about Lindsay Lohan.</p> <p dir="ltr">Koch was the first to spot the figure, shouting in horror while Barr screamed and moved away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whoa! Oh f**k!” he shouted. “Oh f**k. Why would you do that? Oh f**k.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d9bba3f2-7fff-a35e-3c9f-12ee12d47bb2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I guess you can’t use that take,” Nat joked to the producers.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" 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);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkHD89dhwda/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <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> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </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;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkHD89dhwda/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sunrise (@sunriseon7)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In a third clip, shared on the show’s TikTok page, the scarer dons a horrifying green witch mask and enters a lift to terrify even more <em>Sunrise </em>employees.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I may not have a job after this so @MarkBeretta will take over 😂,” they captioned <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@sunriseon7/video/7158370910477552897?is_from_webapp=1&amp;sender_device=pc&amp;web_id=7112642336690570754" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the third clip</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The first victim, a woman from the wardrobe department waiting to get on the lift, leaps back and lets out a small scream when she sees the masked employee, before laughing and bringing another coworker over to have a look.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not getting in the lift!” she says, walking quickly away as the lift doors close.</p> <p dir="ltr">The next victim is one of the producers, who screams “Don’t do that!” and slaps the prankster, with a second producer putting her hands in front of herself and wheeling her chair back when she spots the employee.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trio of clips went down a treat with viewers on Instagram and TikTok, with many finding them hilarious and saying they made their day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Koch’s daughter, Georgina, commented: “I cannot stop watching this.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Gotta love Halloween,” one viewer wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sorry guys, but that was so funny,” another said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f14146a1-7fff-df73-53f9-1439e5d94f39"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @sunriseon7 (Instagram)</em></p>

TV

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Mum’s fool-proof hack to dry your clothes in half the time

<p dir="ltr">A clever mum has shared the ultimate laundry tip that will ensure your clothes air-dry in no time. </p> <p dir="ltr">With surging energy bills crippling households, air drying items is a much more efficient way of doing laundry. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, colder winter months can sometimes mean clothes and linen may take days to dry in the fresh air. </p> <p dir="ltr">One mum has found the answer to this problem, sharing her hack on the Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/mumswhoclean">Mums Who Clean</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I have recently been staying with my elderly parents. While there, I did some washing for them," she says. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Mum said to me, 'Don't forget to do an additional spin cycle after the cycle has finished.'”</p> <p dir="ltr">"Her response was that it wouldn't take as long for the washing to dry on a cold winter's day when there isn't as much sun.”</p> <p dir="ltr">"And guess what, she was right!"</p> <p dir="ltr">The mum tried it for herself when she got home, saying it helped to dry her clothes in half the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Since returning home this week to Sydney and the rain, I tried this on a load of towels (bath sheets) before putting them in the dryer," she says.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Normally, the load would take one and a half to two hours to dry, and they took just under 60 minutes."</p> <p dir="ltr">Other group members were impressed with the hack, with many saying they would give it a go. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Oh wow, I'm going to give this a go!" said one person. </p> <p dir="ltr">Others said they’ve been doing this hack “for years”, and were happy others were going to try the handy tip. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Parachutes and underwater roller coasters: Did you fall for these pranks?

<p dir="ltr">Companies have made a tradition of making bogus, out-of-this-world announcements on April Fools Day - and even days before it they really want to get the jump on people - and travel companies are no exception.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-79aac467-7fff-1897-d967-1c98a3f53d1e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">This year, Destination Gold Coast got in on the festivities with their announcement of the world’s first underwater rollercoaster.</p> <p><iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FDestinationGoldCoast%2Fposts%2F5393004644043691&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="757" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">The tourism company revealed that the ride would be 40 metres tall, standing 20 metres above the water at full take, and would take riders on a 1-kilometre underwater journey.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though plenty were fooled by their joke, their posting of the announcement on March 31 saw them become the butt of plenty of other jokes, including some from their competitors.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Maybe don’t leave the work experience kid in charge of social media, shame, would have been funny … tomorrow!” Brisbane travel agency Premium Flyer commented on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Someone better look at a calendar … 31 days in March people,” another commenter wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-cf4dfa94-7fff-3727-a11e-8ffefc018818"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, <a href="https://mumbrella.com.au/april-fools-day-2022-round-up-here-we-go-again-731149" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Webjet New Zealand</a> announced the launch of a new seating option for passengers involving parachutes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/20220224-WJNZ-BRAND-April-Fools-Day-header-banner-711-x-400.2-002-1.jpg" alt="" width="711" height="400" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Webjet NZ</em></p> <p dir="ltr">But, when you go to the <a href="https://www.webjet.co.nz/travel/outdoor-adventure/skydive-seats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> to find out more, a pop-up appears with the message, “April Fools!”</p> <p dir="ltr">“We asked legal and they said we’d have a lawsuit on our hands if we pushed people out of planes,” the pop-up continues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If you’re not too upset with us and are still looking for cheap domestic flights, you can search and compare the best deals online.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-68f4bcc8-7fff-4df5-d8ee-aea4469ad7a8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Webjet NZ / Destination Gold Coast (Facebook) </em></p>

Domestic Travel

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P&O Cruises Australia Cancels More Sailings Until April 2022

<p><em>Image: Cruise Passenger </em></p> <p>P&amp;O Cruises Australia has cancelled further cruises until mid-April 2022.</p> <p>The extension of the government’s cruise ban in Australia marks two years since the line has sailed Down Under. Cruises departing from March 3 till April 16, 2022 from Sydney and Brisbane will be cancelled and this also marks the 23rd cruise cancellation announcement since the pandemic.</p> <p>President of <span>P&amp;O</span> Cruises Australia Sture Myrmell said that during this entire period guests had displayed incredible patience and loyalty to <span>P&amp;O</span> and cruising.</p> <p>“However, as we approach the two-year mark in our rolling pause in operations, it is understandable that our guests will be very disappointed and frustrated that there is still no agreed restart plan for cruising in Australia,” Mr Myrmell said.</p> <p>“Federal and state governments are yet to outline their requirements for restart despite the nation’s high vaccination rate, the cruise industry’s comprehensive health protocols, vaccination policies for guests and crew and the successful resumption of cruising in other international markets.</p> <p>“Our loyal guests, travel agents and many suppliers whose businesses depend on cruising along with thousands of jobs are simply looking for certainty so that they can plan for the future. Reaching this two-year anniversary is discouraging for so many of them.”</p> <p>Late last week, the Federal Government extended Australia’s cruise ban by another two months.</p> <p>“After an absence of two years, it will take us several months and significant cost to manage the complex logistics necessary to return a ship to service before sailing back to Australian waters,” Mr Myrmell said.</p> <p>“This includes engaging our crew and re-training them to meet new operating protocols when they are known as well as re-stocking the ship with local fresh produce and refreshing onboard guest service operations that have also been on-hold for such a long time.</p> <p>“It is a big task and we need to understand the operating environment before we begin the process of returning. To date, no government authority, federal or state, has provided feedback on the industry’s proposed operational guidelines to enable an informed decision on bringing our ships back to Australia.”</p> <p> </p>

Cruising

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Victorian radio duo under fire for “cruel” prank on unsuspecting NSW resident

<p dir="ltr">Victorian radio duo Will and Woody, who were looking to prank Sydneysiders enjoying ‘Freedom Day’ on Monday, came unstuck after their stunt backfired.</p> <p dir="ltr">The duo had posted on social media asking listeners to ‘dob in’ friends in NSW they wanted to prank on Monday, the first day of many COVID-19 restrictions easing in NSW. They explained, “On behalf of a Victorian we are going to stitch up someone in NSW who is enjoying their freedoms”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One such Victorian was Annaleigh, who was feeling “a bit salty” that her NSW-based best friend Mia had dinner plans that evening. She explained that like many other NSW residents, Mia had recently moved her second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine forward so she could take advantage of the eased restrictions on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Woody then called an unsuspecting Mia, introducing himself as “Trent Summers from the NSW Health department” and warning that he was “unfortunately not calling with great news”. He informed Mia that a number of people during her booking window had been injected with saline solution instead of the vaccine, but kindly reassured her that it wasn’t harmful, “it just means that you potentially haven’t had the second vaccination”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the only way to confirm would be to perform a blood test, and then, after asking if she had plans that evening, proceeded to suggest she wear a “hazard suit, face shield and gloves” to dinner with her friends. To this, she responded, “Oh, really? Umm, I’d probably just rather not go out.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The host continued, saying, “You’d probably also have to bring your own drinks and food. And you’d probably have to sit by yourself.” At this point, all she managed was a, “Yep,” her voice breaking – at which point Woody revealed it was a “stitch up” and let Mia know her friend was on the line. “What the hell? I’m literally tearing up in the gym. My god,” Mia said. “I was thinking, ‘I’ll have to cancel everything!’ I hate needles! That was so mean.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Listeners were quick to share their thoughts on social media, with one describing it as “not funny at all” and wondering if it was “potentially an offence”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/willandwoody?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@willandwoody</a> calling young woman - as a prank - impersonating <a href="https://twitter.com/NSWHealth?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NSWHealth</a>, telling woman that her second dose may have been saline, not vaxx, has to get a blood test, wear full PPE and stay away from other people when out in public. Pretty fucked up. She was distressed, crying.</p> — Shane Bazzi (@shanebazzi) <a href="https://twitter.com/shanebazzi/status/1447439206888837120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Another user pointed out that<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tga.gov.au/media-release/impersonation-commonwealth-public-officials#:~:text=Impersonating%20Commonwealth%20public%20officials%20is,that%20may%20lead%20to%20prosecution" target="_blank">impersonating Commonwealth public officials</a><span> </span>was certainly an offence under the<span> </span><em>Criminal Code Act 1995</em>, Division 148. A Melbourne man was<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/courts-law/abdulfatah-awow-faces-extraordinarily-serious-allegations-for-posing-as-a-health-official-for-sex/news-story/5c28e4896baa68a06d8a05616df46f14" target="_blank">charged in August</a><span> </span>for impersonating a health worker and threatening her if she didn’t perform certain sex acts. Per the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2010-127#sec.115" target="_blank">NSW<span> </span><em>Public Health Act 2010</em></a><em>,<span> </span></em>it is an offence to impersonate an authorised officer, as well as under the<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/phawa2008222/s184.html" target="_blank"><em>Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008</em></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Others<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Aaron_OBrien9/status/1447472128702369795" target="_blank">tweeted</a><span> </span>that the stunt “wasn’t remotely funny”, and that there was a<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Schmallky/status/1447507276223299589" target="_blank">time and a place</a><span> </span>for jokes, “and this ain’t it, Chief.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: KIIS FM</em></p>

Legal

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Jacki O completely fooled by Masked Singer reveal

<p>Two more celebrities were revealed on Sunday night’s episode of<span> </span><em>The Masked Singer<span> </span></em>– one of them n international music superstar, and the other a very recognisable face who left one of the judges foundering for excuses.</p> <p>It was none other than radio shock-jock Kyle Sandilands inside a Paw Patrol costume belting out Train’s<span> </span><em>Drops of Jupiter<span> </span></em>and somehow, his on-air partner of more than 20 years didn’t guess it was him from her position on the judging panel.</p> <p>“This is the worst you can get, I’m never living this down….this is so embarrassing,” judge Jackie O said after Kyle took his mask off.</p> <p>The embarrassment wasn't hers alone though, as Kyle pointed out that he knows every single member of the judging panel, and none of them picked it was him. Other guesses included Russell Crowe, Anthony LaPaglia and Guy Pearce.</p> <p>Jackie O couldn’t believe she’d been fooled so easily. “When you were singing, there was a flash of you in my mind, but then I was like ‘No.’ You never even let on once. We work together every morning, I’ve been telling you about<span> </span><em>Masked Singer<span> </span></em>every day. All the while, you knew you were gonna be on it!”</p> <p>Later in the episode, contestant Atlantis was unveiled as none other than US soul singer Macy Gray, best-known for global smash hit<span> </span><em>I Try.</em><br />With one of the most recognisable voices in music history, it was slightly surreal to hear the judges’ guesses after her rendition of the Elle King song<span> </span><em>Exes and Ohs.<span> </span></em>She was instantly recognisable from the very first note – but the judges guessed Delta Goodrem, Rhianna and Noni Hazelhurst.</p>

Music

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Prince William reveals Prince Philip’s favourite prank

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince William has revealed his late grandfather’s favourite prank in a new documentary. According to William, Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, had a go-to prank that involved a tube of mustard and a big old mess.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the documentary, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince Philip: The Royal Family Remembers, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">William describes the prank thusly, “He used to take the lid off and put it in your hands… and then he’d squish your hands together to fire the mustard onto the ceiling. He used to get in a lot of trouble from my grandmother for covering most of the places we had lunch and things with mustard on the ceiling.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">William added, “He enjoyed those jokes, he enjoyed messing around the children and being a grandfather.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zara Tindall, daughter of Princess Anne, also remembered Philip’s pranks fondly: “I can’t remember exactly what he says but he ends up slamming your hands together…. It goes all over the ceiling.” Her brother Peter Phillips added: “I actually think the marks are still there.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height:372.5px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844288/gettyimages-495106702.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/90327556240d4442ba24fdff0452d882" /></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The documentary features all four of Philip and Queen Elizabeth’s children, along with their grandchildren. It was filmed before and after Philip’s death on April 9, and was originally planned to mark his 100th birthday on June 10th.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another clip from the documentary, William revealed that the Queen and Philip “loved” when things went wrong during public appearances. “They’ve lived a life where everything has to go right the whole time and so when things go wrong, they both chuckle an awful lot.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Everyone else gets mortally embarrassed. They love it.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Prince Harry also features in the documentary, making it the first time he has worked on something with his family since stepping back from royal duties in January 2020. “More than anything I miss his sense of humour. But I miss him more for my grandmother because I know how incredibly strong she was with him there. I also know she will be okay without him.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the time of his death, Prince Philip had been married to Queen Elizabeth II for 73 years, making him the longest-serving royal consort in world history.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Images: Leon Neal-WPA Pool/Getty Images, Phil Walter/Getty Images</em></span></p>

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