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"It's always a tough day": What has changed in the 20 years since Daniel Morcombe's death

<p>Daniel Morcombe's parents have reflected on the day their son was kidnapped and murdered, on the 20th anniversary of his disappearance. </p> <p>Bruce Morcombe appeared on <em>Sunrise</em> on Thursday morning, sharing how the date is always a painful one to live through. </p> <p>Daniel was 13-years-old old when he was kidnapped from a bus stop on Queensland's Sunshine Coast on December 7th 2003, with Peter Cowan later being convinced for his murder in 2014. </p> <p>“It’s always a tough day but what we think about is Daniel’s brothers, our other two sons, and our grandkids,” he said.</p> <p>“They lost a brother, a twin brother. They will be hurting equally the same.”</p> <p>Since Daniel disappeared, the Morcombes have dedicated their lives to keeping other children safe, establishing the Daniel Morcombe Foundation shortly after his murder. </p> <p>As well as raising awareness on child safety, the couple offer practical advice for families, such as creating a “family password” with your kids as a way to keep them safe.</p> <p><em>Sunrise</em> host Monique Wright became emotional while speaking to the Morcombes, saying, “Bruce and Denise Morcombe, they have just changed so many lives through their tireless work.”</p> <p>“It’s irrefutable that they have stopped so much child abuse over the years, just extraordinary,” she added.</p> <p>Bruce added that while it is a sad day as they remember their son, it is important to remind people of his legacy while keeping others safe.</p> <p>“Remember this was a young boy of 13, 12 days short of turning 14. He never made it to 14,” he said.</p> <p>“It happened to Daniel, it can happen to you. Daniel was an innocent kid, like anybody else.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise</em></p>

Caring

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Ambulance report contradicts Daniel Andrews’ car crash statement

<p>A newly discovered ambulance report has contradicted Daniel Andrews’ statement about a 2013 car accident on the Mornington Peninsula that almost killed a teenager.</p> <p>The Victorian premier was being driven by his wife Catherine in their family Ford Territory when it collided with a bike being ridden by 15-year-old Ryan Meuleman.</p> <p>The incident occurred near the Melbourne Rd and Ridley St intersection in Blairgowrie around 1:30pm on January 7, 2013.</p> <p>Meuleman suffered a punctured lung, broken ribs, internal bleeding and was left with just 10 per cent of his spleen. He was in The Royal Children’s Hospital for 11 days.</p> <p>Mrs Andrews wasn’t breathalysed following the accident, and the teen wasn’t given a chance to give a statement to police.</p> <p>Mr Andrews and his wife have held up their claims that Mueleman was at fault as the premier told reporters in 2017 that the teen was “moving at speed” when he “absolutely T-boned the car”.</p> <p>However, a document obtained by the <em>Herald Sun</em>, put together by Ambulance Victoria paramedics who were present at the scene, challenges the couple’s claims that they came to a “complete stop” and “turned right from a stationary position” moments before the collision.</p> <p>The “Patient Care Report” reads, 15YO on bike. Struck on L side by car travelling 40 to 60kmh … PT onto bonnet, then onto windscreen which cracked on impact … thrown onto roadway.”</p> <p>The document has only now been uncovered as Mr Mueleman, now 25, has escalated legal action.</p> <p>Speaking to the<em> Herald Sun</em>, barrister Daryl Dealehr said, “The serious injuries to the left side of Ryan’s body and the observations made by the ambulance officers who attended the crash are completely inconsistent with the claims to police made by Mr Andrews and his wife that their vehicle was travelling at a low speed,”</p> <p>“The evidence appears completely at odds with what Daniel and Catherine Andrews have been claiming since the collision.”</p> <p>The outlet reported in late 2022, before the November state election, that Meuleman had contacted lawyers to re-examine the accident and the circumstances surrounding the investigation and legal settlement that followed.</p> <p>The ambulance report was not in the files that were originally handed over by law firm Slater &amp; Gordon.</p> <p>According to the<em> Herald Sun</em>, The Meuelemans are seeking pre-trial discovery against the law firm and the Transport Accident Commission (TAC) in an attempt to uncover any further “missing” documents.</p> <p>After the accident, Mueleman was paid $80,000 by the TAC, though his family have raised “concerns” over the proceedings.</p> <p>The teen’s parents insist they never engaged Slater &amp; Gordon, a Labor-aligned law firm, to represent their son while the firm refuses to reveal what led to its involvement.</p> <p>“I hadn’t seen this report until a week ago,” Mueleman told the Herald Sun.</p> <p>“The lawyers never showed it to me. They just told me to agree to the deal and kind of, you know, shut up. I was 15 years old, mate. I was a kid. Seriously, I was 15. I am pretty blown away to be honest. I just wish I had it to show everyone 10 years ago. It would have changed everything. People would have known that they hit me, not the other way around.”</p> <p>In 2017, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission examined the police response to the crash, including failing to use a breathalyser after the crash.</p> <p>Mr Andrews and his wife were not formally interviewed until nearly a month after the incident.</p> <p>In November 2017, uncovered police photographs obtained by the</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> saw the extent of damage to the vehicle.</p> <p>In his signed statement on February 2013, the Premier said, “We had turned right from a stationary position into Ridley St. Moments after we turned, a cyclist collided heavily with the side of our vehicle … the cyclist was travelling at speed and hit our car at a perfect right angle very heavily. I want to make it clear — the cyclist hit our vehicle.”</p> <p>In the statement, Mrs Andrews said, “I turned from Melbourne Rd after coming to a complete stop … just after we turned into Ridley St our car was struck heavily on the front driver’s side by a cyclist who it seems was attempting to cross Ridley St at speed from the bike path.”</p> <p>In a press conference in November, shortly after Mr Mueleman's new claims were revealed, Mr Andrew rejected several questions from reporters.</p> <p>“I’ve got nothing further to say,” he said.</p> <p>A spokesperson for the Premier said that the matter had been "dealt with" by Tourism Minister Steve Dimopoulos at a press conference that morning.</p> <p>“This is over a decade old,” Mr Dimopoulos told reporters.</p> <p>“The most appropriate authorities have investigated this thoroughly and have made no adverse findings. Beyond that, the Premier himself has answered questions on this almost as many times as he’s answered questions on Covid. This has been thoroughly examined and I really don’t have any more to say.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

News

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Pat Rafter delves into “rift” between Ash Barty and US player

<p>Aussie great Pat Rafter has opened up about the tension during Ash Barty’s match against her 2022 Australian Open final opponent, Danielle Collins.</p> <p>The now retired tennis star smashed the American 6-3 7-6 (7-2) which saw Barty claim her first home slam and the third of her career.</p> <p>Almost 12 months later, Rafter has opened up about the tension the pair had in which Barty didn’t want to lose to the American star and vice versa.</p> <p>“I knew with her and Danielle, they had a bit of a … what’s the word? There was no love lost anyway,” Rafter told reporters ahead of the United Cup.</p> <p>“Danielle’s pretty feisty. And Ash didn’t want to lose to her.”</p> <p>He said that there was a bit of worry when he saw Barty get “rattled” on court before getting out of her head and smashing the game.</p> <p>“It was pretty funny, I don’t know how much you can pick up on the on-court subtleties of it but I’m pretty aware of Ash and I understand where her mind’s at and I can see all her little movements and ticks,” Rafter continued.</p> <p>“I was going, ‘oh no, she’s getting rattled, she’s not good’. But she was able to pull it out which was pretty important.</p> <p>“I would have hated to see her get to the final and lose because she was the dominant player. I like seeing the best players win.”</p> <p>After her successful win, the now 26-year-old shocked the tennis world by announcing her retirement from the game.</p> <p>She recently got married to her longtime partner Garry Kissick and is currently working at Optus.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

News

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Daniel Radcliffe speaks out against J.K. Rowlings's transphobic allegations

<p>Daniel Radcliffe has spoken out about J.K. Rowling amid ongoing transphobic allegations. </p> <p>In a recent interview with IndieWire, the <em>Harry Potter</em> actor claimed he "wouldn't be able to look at himself" if he didn't take a stand against her harmful views. </p> <p>Radcliffe said he felt it was his responsibility to protect his fans from Rowling's rhetoric, while making clear he does not share the same views. </p> <p>He said, “The reason I felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing ‘Potter,’ I’ve met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with ‘Potter’ on that.”</p> <p>“And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.”</p> <p>Radcliffe’s letter was aired on the website of The Trevor Project, a non-profit organisation which focuses on suicide prevention efforts in the LGBTQI+ community.</p> <p>“It was really important as I’ve worked with the Trevor Project for more than 10 years, and so I don’t think I would’ve been able to look myself in the mirror had I not said anything,” Radcliffe added. </p> <p>“But it’s not mine to guess what’s going on in someone else’s head.”</p> <p>Rowling, 57, has come under fire numerous times for sharing messages on Twitter of a transphobic nature, which began with a tweet in June 2020, in which she disparaged use of the inclusive term “people who menstruate”.</p> <p>After several trans-exclusionary tweets, Radcliffe decided to share his own message of support, writing a piece addressing the saga, saying “Transgender women are women."</p> <p>“Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo [Rowling] or I.”</p> <p>Radcliffe added, “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the [‘<em>Harry Potter</em>’] books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you." </p> <p>“I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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“We’ve been expecting you”: Daniel Craig receives royal honour

<p dir="ltr">Daniel Craig has been awarded one of the highest royal honours - the same one held by the character he is most well-known for playing: James Bond.</p> <p dir="ltr">Craig was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">In Ian Fleming’s Bond novel, <em>From Russia With Love</em>, a Soviet spy chief notes that 007 received the honour in 1953, and that it’s “an award usually given only on retirement from the Secret Service”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside of fiction, spies aren’t the only recipients of the honour, with diplomats and Brits working overseas also receiving it in recognition of their services to the UK “internationally”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-478ce96c-7fff-9a7f-a77e-852543e43824"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Craig, who holds citizenship in the US and is listed on the Investiture roll as being from New York, received the CMG in recognition of his service to film and theatre in the 2022 New Year Honours.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We’ve been expecting you…</p> <p>🎖️The Princess Royal presents Daniel Craig with The Order of St Michael and St George - the same honour held by his character James Bond - in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film and theatre. <a href="https://t.co/X20TP6BogL">pic.twitter.com/X20TP6BogL</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1582319162307018752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">He was presented with the medal during Tuesday’s ceremony by Princess Anne, with the royal family sharing a photo of the pair on social media with the playful caption, “We’ve been expecting you”.</p> <p dir="ltr">After 15 years, Craig ended his time as the martini-slinging spy in 2021, starring in the film <em>No Time To Die</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for who will take the reins after Craig, Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson told <em><a href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/bond-producers-barbara-broccoli-and-michael-g-wilson-on-the-fate-and-future-of-007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Empire</a></em> that <em>No Time To Die</em> wasn’t the end of the story for 007 - but it could take some time to find the actor’s replacement.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When you change the actor you have to reimagine the direction the film's gonna go in. When you hire an actor, you're hoping you're going to spend a decade at least with them and make four or five or six films with them,” Broccoli said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's not just flicking through <em>Spotlight</em> and saying, 'Oh, there's a guy who's 6'1"' We're going to take our time. We want to get a sense of where we want to go with the series and we want to do that before we bring anybody else on.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d8cb95c6-7fff-c6e0-95a1-43d9141b8e48"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @RoyalFamily (Twitter)</em></p>

Movies

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Daniel Johns discusses Silverchair shooting tragedy

<p dir="ltr">In 1995, a 16-year-old boy in the state of Washington, aided by his friend, opened fire and killed both his parents and brother. </p> <p dir="ltr">When the shooter was apprehended, they were allegedly playing Silverchair’s <em>Israel’s Son</em>, which was released the same year and boasts controversial and hateful lyrics. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, 27 years on, Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns has opened up about the tragedy. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s pretty devastating to write a song when you’re a teenager and then have lives taken because apparently it influenced the people to murder someone — that’s too much,” Johns told American radio personality Megan Holiday on <em>In The Mind of Daniel Johns</em> docuseries. </p> <p dir="ltr">An in-depth report on the murders published by Spin magazine in their September 1996 issue cited evidence that the shooter pulled a blood-spattered cassette out of his father’s hand, shrieking “That’s my f***ing tape!” It was Silverchair’s debut album <em>Frogstomp</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooter’s friend alleged that he put the tape in the stereo and rewound it to the track <em>Israel’s Son</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The witness’s version of events, which unfolded at his trial in January 1996, had his friend kicking the deceased bodies of his parents as the song played.</p> <p dir="ltr">The shooter’s lawyer Tom Copland would cite the lyrics of <em>Israel's Son</em> at an evidentiary hearing: “Hate is what I feel for you/I want you to know that I want you dead’. </p> <p dir="ltr">They petitioned the court to be allowed to play the song in his opening statement, as he claimed the song’s lyrics were “almost a script” for the killings.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johns, who was just 16 at the time, said he internalised his trauma after hearing the horrific news. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It affected me, but I had to act like it didn’t,” he said. “I couldn’t acknowledge it, I guess that was part of the patterns.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie rocker said he didn’t want fans to look to him for meanings or “guidance”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t like that people look to me for guidance in the songs. I don’t like it,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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“What a low act!": Daniel Morcombe's parents outraged at upcoming film

<p dir="ltr">The devastated parents of murdered Queensland boy Daniel Morcombe have blasted an upcoming film about their son’s death. </p> <p dir="ltr">Daniel Morcombe was only 13 years old when he was abducted and murdered on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in December, 2003.</p> <p dir="ltr">In August 2011, Brett Peter Cowan was arrested and later found guilty of Daniel’s murder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now parents Denise and Bruce Morcombe have come out attacking the film <em>The Stranger</em>, which tells the story of an undercover detective trying to catch a killer in Australia.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Stranger</em> premiered at Cannes earlier this year and will play at the Melbourne International Film Festival in August.</p> <p dir="ltr">A statement from the Morcombe’s was shared on the Daniel Morcombe Foundation Facebook page calling the film a “low act” and have asked people not to watch it. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The movie “The Stranger” is not supported by the Morcombe family. Individuals who make money on a heinous crime are parasites. They are callously disrespectful to Daniel, the DMF &amp; the Morcombe family. We find the making of the movie morally corrupt and cruel. Shame on you. <a href="https://t.co/9FEFAp5g0G">pic.twitter.com/9FEFAp5g0G</a></p> <p>— Denise Morcombe OAM (@DeniseMorcombe) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeniseMorcombe/status/1547358728286261248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“What a low act! I won’t be going to watch this movie. I won’t be recommending anyone go. The movie is not supported or sanctioned in any way by the Morcombe family,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s appalling storyline ignores our family‘s pain and chooses to profit from 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Next year will mark 20 years since we lost Daniel. The passage of time does not make it any easier. Personally, I find the making of this movie morally corrupt and a cruel, callous, selfish cash grab by all involved. Shame on you.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I recommend the public stay away from it and either save their money or consider donating it to the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mrs Morcombe took it further and called the movie makers “parasites” for disrespecting her son. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are not amused! How can anyone give oxygen to a crime that is so, so evil? Connections of the movie have blood on their hands.</p> <p>— Bruce Morcombe (@BruceMorcombe) <a href="https://twitter.com/BruceMorcombe/status/1547361223804481536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“The movie ‘The Stranger’ is not supported by the Morcombe family. Individuals who make money on a heinous crime are parasites,” she wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">“They are callously disrespectful to Daniel, the DMF &amp; the Morcombe family. We find the making of the movie morally corrupt and cruel. Shame on you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Morcombe responded to his wife’s tweet saying: “We are not amused! How can anyone give oxygen to a crime that is so, so evil? Connections of the movie have blood on their hands.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Director Thomas M Wright said he made the film to share a different perspective of the story because he could not “presume” what the family was going through. </p> <p dir="ltr">“One reason I chose not to show the child or family (in The Stranger) was to make a film with a clear moral perspective,” he previously said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I couldn’t presume to know anything of the experience of that family. But I could see that there was a story about empathy and making meaning in the wake of violence, not violence itself.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Hollywood reporter, “the film offers a fictionalised portrait of the massive undercover operation that cracked the infamous cold case of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe, who went missing in 2003.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Daniel Morcombe Foundation</em></p>

Movies

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Daniel Johns ordered to complete community service over drunk driving incident

<p>Daniel Johns has narrowly avoided jail time with a 10-month intensive corrections order to be served in the community over a high-range drink-driving car crash.</p> <p>The former Silverchair frontman has also been disqualified from driving for seven months and ordered to fit an alcohol-reading interlock device to his car for 24 months when he gets his driver's licence back.</p> <p>In March this year, Johns was charged with high-range drink driving after a head-on crash at North Arm Cove, north of Newcastle.</p> <p>When tested, he returned a blood alcohol reading three times the legal limit.</p> <p>The police report states that Johns was heading north when his SUV crossed onto the wrong side of the Pacific Highway and collided with a light commercial truck travelling in the opposite direction.</p> <p>Both vehicles ended up on a nearby nature strip, with the 51-year-old driver of the van and his 55-year-old female passenger being treated at the scene by paramedics. </p> <p>Johns entered rehabilitation of his own will for four weeks after the crash and the court was told he had not touched alcohol since.</p> <p>In his sentencing submission, defence lawyer Bryan Wrench said his client suffered from complex mental health issues from his time as a child musical star.</p> <p>"He was a very successful musician. He was 14 when that came to him in an unwanted fashion and that came with attacks and vitriol," Mr Wrench said.</p> <p>"He is a recluse, his house is his only safe place."</p> <p>These defence submissions are what helped Johns avoid time behind bars, as Magistrate Ian Cheetham said Johns was best served to continue with psychiatric treatment in the community.</p> <p>"There is no doubt a custodial sentence will not achieve an appropriate result for him or the community," Magistrate Cheetham said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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Singer’s fiancée dies on wedding day

<p dir="ltr">Tom Mann, a former contestant on The X Factor in the UK has been left heartbroken after his fiancée and mother of his child died on the morning of their wedding. </p> <p dir="ltr">The singer shared the tragic news to his Instagram on Monday revealing that “the love of my life” Danielle Hampson died on June 18. </p> <p dir="ltr">The touching post was accompanied with a black-and-white selfie of Dani holding the couple’s son, Bowie. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I can’t believe I am writing these words but my darling Dani - my best friend, my everything and more, the love of my life - passed away in the early hours of Saturday morning, 18th June,” the post began. </p> <p dir="ltr">“On what was supposed to be the happiest day of our lives ended in irreversible heartbreak. I feel like I have cried an ocean. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We never made it to the alter; or got to say our vows, or dance our first dance, but I know you know that you were my entire world and the best thing that has ever happened to me, Danielle.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Tom said he will continue wearing the ring she gave him to show his “unconditional love” toward her saying that he is lost but will do everything he can to raise their son. </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/CfCO8xPj1mH/?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/CfCO8xPj1mH/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tom Mann (@tommanninsta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I will wear this ring that I was always supposed to wear as a sign of my unconditional love to you.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am completely broken trying to process this and I honestly don’t know where to go from here, but I do know I need to use any strength I can muster for our little boy. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I will not be a mark on the parent that you had already become but I promise I will do my everything to raise Bowie just the way we always wanted. I promise you he will know how amazing his mummy was. I promise to make you so so proud.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The most beautiful person inside and out. The most incredible soul. We have lost such a special person and I am sure we are about to see an abundant outpouring of love that reflects that. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I will try to find peace in your messages and comments, but right now I am grieving and I will be for a very, very long time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My darling Dani, the brightest light in any room, my world is nothing but darkness without you. I will miss you forever.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Danielle’s cause of death is still unknown. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Daniel Johns facing jail time

<p dir="ltr">Former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns risks being thrown into jail following a horrific head-on collision while drink-driving.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 42-year-old, who is in a rehabilitation centre, entered a guilty plea to high-range drink driving through his lawyer Bryan Wrench. </p> <p dir="ltr">Wrench told the court that his client wanted the matter dealt with immediately because it was causing him anxiety during his three month stint in rehab. </p> <p dir="ltr">Magistrate Ian Cheetham rejected the premise saying the matter was too serious and that Johns could face jail time.</p> <p dir="ltr">The case was adjourned to June 22 for sentencing with Johns ordered to contact Corrective Services NSW officers to complete an assessment report.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wrench previously submitted documents to the courts to avoid his client being interviewed by Corrective Services.</p> <p dir="ltr">He noted that Johns knew the serious nature of the offence was suffering from mental health issues. </p> <p dir="ltr">The lawyer told the court that Johns was also prepared to stop drinking alcohol as part of an intensive corrections order if it would help him avoid jail. </p> <p dir="ltr">Police allege that Johns was three times over the legal alcohol limit when his car merged onto the other side of the road and crashed into a van in the NSW Hunter region about 10.30pm on Wednesday, March 23.</p> <p dir="ltr">The van driver, 51, and his female passenger, 55, were treated at the scene and the woman was taken to hospital.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johns was breathalysed and returned a shocking blood alcohol level of 0.157.</p> <p dir="ltr">He admitted himself to a rehabilitation facility telling his followers on Instagram that he was focusing on his mental health. </p> <p dir="ltr">“As you know, my mental health is a work in progress. I have good days and bad days but it’s something I always have to manage,” Johns wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Over the last week I began to experience panic attacks. Last night I got lost while driving and I was in an accident. I am OK, everyone is OK.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have to step back now as I’m self-admitting to a rehabilitation centre and I don’t know how long I’ll be there. Appreciate your love and support as always.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Daniel Craig opens up on private moment with the Queen

<p>Actor Daniel Craig has reflected on the time he spent with Queen Elizabeth while filming the opening <em>James Bond</em> skit for the London 2012 Olympics. </p> <p>The 53-year-old actor appeared on <em>The Late Show with Stephen Colbert</em> on Wednesday, where the talk show host asked what Her Majesty is like behind closed doors. </p> <p>"I understand that you may not be able to answer this question, but I'm gonna ask anyway: What's she like in private?" the US TV host said.</p> <p>To which the 007 star replied, "Very funny. Very funny."</p> <p>He said the Queen was "cracking a joke" at the actor's expense when they were posing for a photo opportunity. </p> <p>Daniel recalled, "We were having our photographs taken and she just went, 'Oh no, he's the one that doesn't smile. Fair enough!'"</p> <p>He also admitted that in between filming the skit in Buckingham Palace, he was "rolling around on the floor" with the Queen's corgis.</p> <p>He said, "I think they have their own footmen, they're very friendly."</p> <p>In the famous skit, Daniel Craig portrays his famous <em>James Bond</em> persona, as he arrives at Buckingham Palace to escort the Queen to the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. </p> <p>The memorable scene ended with stunt performers, doubling for Bond and the Queen, jumping out of the helicopter and parachuting into the stadium.</p> <p>Speaking about the skit in 2012, Daniel said, "It wasn't supposed to be funny. It was supposed to be serious."</p> <p>"She was fun, incredibly game. We had a short space of time and I was a bit grumpy as it was my day off and suddenly I am at the Palace with the Queen at her private chamber."</p> <p>"And she improvises a little bit. She was supposed to be sitting at the desk and she asked if she could write, so she pretended to write."</p> <p>In 2019, the Queen's dressmaker and confidante Angela Kelly revealed it took "just five minutes" to persuade Her Majesty to appear in the skit. </p> <p>You can watch the iconic skit below. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1AS-dCdYZbo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credits: YouTube - Olympics</em></p>

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Protestors force Daniel Andrews to abandon press conference

<p dir="ltr">Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews cancelled a press conference on Wednesday, following advice from police after protestors picketed his appearance at the opening of a regional TAFE.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andrews was touring a new TAFE in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo, but after protestors, chanting “kill the bill” and “coercion is not consent”, arrived outside the campus, the premier decided not to take questions from the media because of safety concerns raised by Victorian Police.</p> <p dir="ltr">The protestors were demonstrating against new pandemic laws introduced by the state government, as well as vaccine mandates.</p> <p dir="ltr">Before leaving, Andrews told the crowd, "to perhaps give you a quieter time, I'm going to go now". Protestors could be heard shouting insults such as “sack Dan Andrews” as the premier was ushered into a waiting car.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Daniel Andrews shows his face in public once and this is what happens... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DanNext?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DanNext</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KillTheBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KillTheBill</a><br /><br />Shot in Bendigo after a press conference. <a href="https://t.co/GLuHkjgUhW">pic.twitter.com/GLuHkjgUhW</a></p> — The Altruistic Capitalist (@kimchi2613) <a href="https://twitter.com/kimchi2613/status/1458269530283593732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The incident coincided with daily protests in Melbourne’s CBD, including a protest on Monday night that saw roughly 200 people gather on the steps of the Victorian Parliament. COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar and Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had to be escorted by police through the crowd.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meeting again on Tuesday, the crowd of protestors outside Parliament included Shadow Treasurer David Davis and Liberal Democrat David Limbrick.</p> <p dir="ltr">The laws being protested have been strongly criticised by Victorian Liberals and the Victorian Bar for being too broad and lacking proper scrutiny. Despite this, they passed the Legislative Assembly last month and are now awaiting the support of three crossbench MPs to pass the Legislative Council.</p> <p dir="ltr">The proposed laws seek to replace existing state of emergency powers, and would empower the premier and health minister of the day to declare pandemics and enforce health directions. Under existing laws, only the state’s chief health officer, who is not an elected official, has these powers.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images</em></p>

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Why Daniel Johns will never perform live again

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He was once the frontman of one of Australia’s biggest homegrown acts. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But now Silverchair lead singer Daniel Johns has said he will never perform live again. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a candid interview with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, the 42-year-old musician said he has long struggled with shutting down persistent rumours that Silverchair, who split up in 2011, would eventually reform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was like, 'This is really starting to affect my mental health'. Because I am saying 'that's it', and every time I try to tell the truth, someone told a lie."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"So I was like, 'I wouldn't get Silverchair back together with a gun to my head for $1 million'. Maybe that was too harsh in hindsight."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He discussed how Silverchair’s sudden rise to fame after the release of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frogstomp</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in 1995, when Daniel was just 16, took a toll on his emotional wellbeing. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just months after the album’s release, Silverchair saw international notoriety, as they even opened for Red Hot Chili Peppers at New York’s Madison Square Garden. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daniel said that the level of fandom was “extreme”, as he was always looking over his shoulder. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"And I have pretty much constantly had that since the second album, since I saw the hysteria of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frogstomp</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">," he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When discussing why he would not reform the band, he said there is too much emotional baggage from the highest points of the band’s fame to consider it. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"It's not that I am not proud of the work – I am actually really proud of the work. It's just that it's emotionally triggering for me."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said he needed to walk away from the band to be "internally happy", something he has achieved since the band’s end in 2011.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"But it took me years and years and years of really, really heavy, heavy therapy.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"And if I didn't do that work, I don't think I'd be here."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trauma of the band’s success prompted Daniel to say he has no desire to play live again, but that doesn’t mean he won’t release new music in the future. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I don't even go to live shows because I hate that environment. So why would I want to be the focus? I honestly don't think you ever will [see me play live].”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"There is so much music coming and I am really proud of it. You don't need to see it live. Just listen."</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can check out the full interview with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Project</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> here:</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2N53j1Own8c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Daniel Craig shares how Hugh Jackman helped him deal with fame

<p>After playing James Bond for 15 years, Daniel Craig has health with his fair share of the perks that come with international fame. </p> <p>However, the 53-year-old actor claims his time as 007 hasn't all be smooth sailing. </p> <p>In a new Apple TV documentary titled <em>Being James Bond</em>, Daniel discusses how taking over the iconic role from Pierce Brosnan was riddled with challenges. </p> <p>He admits how he was initially reluctant to accept the high profile role, <span>insisting he told film bosses, “I would not know what to do with it.”</span></p> <p><span>After indulging in a night of martini's when he landed the role, he stayed up all night reading negative reactions to his new casting. </span></p> <p><span>He said, "</span>I read everything, because that is what happens if you do that. And it was tough — really tough and hate-filled."</p> <p>“I woke up the following morning, and I went f**k it. I know the film is going to be good. I knew we were doing something really special.”</p> <p>After a steamy paparazzi shot emerged of Daniel filming a scene of <em>Casino Royale</em> at a beach in Barbados, everything changed for the actor. </p> <p>He says, “My personal life was affected by being that famous all of a sudden."</p> <p>“I used to lock myself in and close the curtains, I was in cloud cuckoo land. I was physically and mentally under siege."</p> <p>“I didn’t like the new-found level of fame. It was Hugh Jackman who helped me to come to terms with it and appreciate it.”</p> <p>Producer of many of the James Bond films Barbara Broccoli insists she was determined to cast Daniel Craig as 007 despite his reluctance. </p> <p><span>She says, “I always thought whenever he was on the screen you could not watch anyone else. He is lit from within. It was clear he is a movie star and a great actor to boot.”</span></p> <p><span>Craig claims he didn't think he live up to the incredible actors who had played the role previously, adding to his </span>hesitancy. </p> <p>He said, “As far as I was concerned I was already more ­successful then I would ever be as an actor — I did not have a cool persona."</p> <p>“Pierce had done <em>Remington Steele</em>, Roger Moore had done <em>The Saint</em> — they had done these parts where ­people had gone, ‘That’s James Bond’."</p> <p>“I had done weird arty movies. It was a harder sell. And I didn’t really want to do it, because I thought I wouldn’t know what to do with it."</p> <p>Now, 15 years after the release of <em>Casino Royale</em>, Daniel Craig is gearing up for the highly anticipated release of <em>No Time to Die</em>, which has been consistently rescheduled due to the pandemic. </p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

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Ben Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife ‘caught lying under oath,’ court told

<p>Ben Roberts-Smith’s lawyers have told a court they have ‘proof’ his former wife, Emma Roberts, was lying about a crucial matter in his high-profile defamation case</p> <p>The former elite soldier is suing Nine newspapers for defamation over a series of articles alleging he committed war crimes in Afghanistan and domestic violence – all of which he denies.</p> <p>But Roberts-Smith is also suing his former wife in a separate case.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith claims his ex-wife released his private communications to Nine ahead of the defamation trial.</p> <p>Ms Roberts, in sworn affidavits, denied she had given her friend Danielle Scott access to the email accounts and leaked emails.</p> <p>But the SAS veteran‘s legal team this week told the Federal Court they had objective proof that was a lie.</p> <p>“The only person who had access to that (Roberts-Smith) email was an email address associated with Ms Danielle Scott or her husband,” the soldier’s barrister Arthur Moses SC said on Wednesday.</p> <p>“(Ms Roberts) has been caught out lying on the objective evidence,” he added.</p> <p>Mr Moses said Telstra and website records showed the email address from the Scotts was used to access the soldier’s email at least 101 times.</p> <p>This allowed Nine to become “armed” with “private and confidential” information for their defamation defence, Moses said.</p> <p><strong>The court may now bring Ms Roberts in for questioning</strong></p> <p>Moses told the court Ms Roberts may now be brought into court for examination.</p> <p>Ms Roberts’ own lawyer acknowledged there was evidence Scott had accessed the email but said there was no proof Ms Roberts had given Scott access.</p> <p>Further, her lawyer Jason Murakami told the court that Roberts-Smith had never been able to show what information had been leaked to Nine.</p> <p>“Never once has (Roberts-Smith) been able to refer the court to the confidential information he says he’s trying to protect,” Murakami said on Wednesday.</p> <p>The lifelong friendship between Scott and Ms Roberts has been an enduring front in the legal battle after it emerged Ms Roberts would testify against her former husband.</p> <p>Nine accused Roberts-Smith of burying USBs containing important evidence in the backyard of his matrimonial home and returning to collect them after separating from his wife.</p> <p>Last month the courts were shown images of what appeared to be freshly disturbed earth at the Roberts-Smith Queensland home.</p> <p>The court was told Scott and Ms Roberts had dug up the USBs and copied their contents.</p> <p>Text messages between Scott and Ms Roberts have also been aired in court showing intimate discussions of Roberts-Smith’s relationship with another woman.</p> <p>The SAS veteran denies it was an affair, insisting he struck up the chaotic relationship with the woman as his marriage quietly disintegrated in 2017.</p> <p>Nine claims Roberts-Smith pressured his wife to lie about the time they separated to protect his public image.</p> <p>The defamation trial is expected to resume in November after being delayed because of Sydney’s COVID outbreak.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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“Did it break you?”: Daniel Andrews braces himself before answering deeply personal question

<p>Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews took a long pause this morning before revealing how he personally coped in the last five months of hard lockdown and all the criticism he was faced with due to his response to the pandemic.</p> <p>The moment came as he was being interviewed by Karl Stefanovic on the Today show, and was asked whether he struggled handling the health crisis that claimed 819 Victorian lives.</p> <p>"Did it ever break you at any point, the pressure? Did it break you personally with your family?" Stefanovic asked.</p> <p>Andrews steeled himself before answering.</p> <p>"These are not easy jobs, and this is not an easy time," Andrews said.</p> <p>"The challenge of leadership (is) to have a clear strategy and not to be distracted by the loudest voices, not to be run around the place by critics, but to have the courage of your convictions and get the job done.</p> <p>"That is what we have done. We have built a precious thing, (but) this is not over," he said, before adding 25 days of zero cases is not equal to a vaccine.</p> <p>Over the last five months, Andrews has dealt with an extreme amount of criticism as Melbourne plunged into a hard lockdown.</p> <p>Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted to clashing with the Victorian leader, stating they had disagreements over "difficult issues".</p> <p>Stefanovic asked Andrews what it was like dealing with such pressure.</p> <p>"On a personal note Dan, in the past months you have faced enormous criticism. How do you deal with that?" he asked.</p> <p>Andrews said it is just part of his job.</p> <p>"That's the job that I have. That's to lead the state; be responsible for the things that go well, and the things that don't," he said.</p> <p>"I send my condolences and sympathies to every family who has lost someone.</p> <p>"It is a wildly infectious and deadly virus. It is a global pandemic.</p> <p>"There is no rule book for this but we have to push on, have a strategy and do the very best we can.</p> <p>"That is what Victorians have done and what I have tried to do."</p> <p>Victoria yesterday recorded its 25th day of no new COVID-19 cases or deaths.</p>

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Father breaks down as daughter recalls alleged abuse from Kyle Daniels

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>A father of a young girl broke down in court after recalling his daughter telling him about the alleged sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her swim coach Kyle Daniels.</p> <p>The man, who cannot be identified, recalled vividly that he was riding the bus to work when his wife rang him to tell him their daughter had said she was touched by her swimming teacher.</p> <p>“I got off at the next stop and walked back home as quick as I could,” he said.</p> <p>There, his daughter told him: “My instructor touched me when I was in class, touched me on my privates when I was in class.”</p> <p>“I recall I said to her, are you OK? You are brave for telling me,” the father said.</p> <p>The man was asked if his daughter had offered any more details, to which he said: “She did say that the instructor had gone under her costume with his fingers and sometimes fingers went inside her.”</p> <p>The man stopped his testimony as he began to cry and stopped speaking. He resumed 40 seconds later after wiping tears from his eyes.</p> <p>His daughter is among nine young girls who police alleged were touched by Kyle Daniels, 22, as he taught them at Mosman Swim Centre between February 2018 and February 2019.</p> <p>Eight of the girls had their prerecorded evidence played to a jury, with several parents also taking the stand.</p> <p>The girl whose father gave testimony had prerecorded evidence played to the jury on Wednesday, and said that Mr Daniels had touched her 3-5 times per lesson in eight different classes.</p> <p>The trial continues.</p> <p><em>Photo credits: </em><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/kyle-daniels-trial-dads-breakdown-over-daughters-confession/news-story/b366882c3b562629b6772f183310f322" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">news.com.au</a></em></p> </div> </div> </div>

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