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Aussie music icon passes away aged 86

<p>Australian music legend Frank Ifield, best known for his beloved country music performances and unique yodelling style, passed away peacefully on Saturday night at the age of 86. His friend and renowned music journalist Glenn A Baker confirmed the news, describing Ifield as a "remarkable man" whose contributions to music left an indelible mark.</p> <p>"There is so much to be said about this remarkable man, who had four number ones in Britain, three of them before the Beatles (who he had briefly support him in concert)," wrote Baker on Facebook.</p> <p>Ifield's career was marked by major international success, particularly in the UK where he scored four number one hits. Among his most celebrated tracks was the classic single "I Remember You", which gained widespread fame from its performance in the movie <em>The Fleet’s In</em>. The song is often speculated to have been inspired by writer Johnny Mercer's affair with Judy Garland.</p> <p>Ifield's influence extended beyond his chart-topping hits. He was inducted into the Australian Roll of Renown in 2003 and the ARIA Hall of Fame in 2007. In recognition of his substantial contributions to the arts, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2009.</p> <p>Ifield's musical journey began at a young age. His parents gifted him a ukulele for his 11th birthday, and after performing in class, he realised music was his true calling. By the age of 19, Ifield had already released 44 records and was the top recording artist in Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania.</p> <p>In 1959, Ifield took his talents abroad, moving to London where he quickly established himself as a household name. His unique singing style, which blended yodelling with an enthralling falsetto, set him apart and made him a standout act. This was highlighted by his notable performance in the 1962 Eurovision Song Contest, where he finished second in that year’s heat.</p> <p>Ifield's talents were not confined to music alone. He found success in film and television as well. In 1965, he starred in the feature film <em>Up Jumped A Swagman</em>. He also led two television specials, <em>The Frank Ifield Show</em> (1964) and <em>Frank Ifield Sings</em> (1965), and made appearances on numerous popular programmes including In <em>Melbourne Tonight</em>, <em>Top Of The Pops</em>, <em>Celebrity Squares</em>, and <em>Spicks & Specks</em>.</p> <p>Ifield's influence on the music industry extended to helping launch the careers of other artists. Notably, he is credited with playing a part in The Beatles' rise to fame, as the iconic band once opened for him before becoming global superstars.</p> <p>Ifield's legacy is one of innovation and success, both in Australia and internationally. His remarkable career and unique contributions to music will be remembered and celebrated for years to come. As the world mourns the loss of this extraordinary artist, his music and legacy continue to inspire and resonate with fans old and new.</p> <p><em>Images: IMDB</em></p>

Music

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Husband arrested over murder of beloved Nonna

<p>Frank Dimasi, 91 has been charged over the murder of his wife, Maria, 85, who was found dead inside the couple's home over the weekend.</p> <p>Maria was found with multiple stab wounds inside the couple's home in Findon, Adelaide, at around 11:20pm on Saturday. </p> <p>Frank was arrested at the scene and charged over the murder of his wife of over 50 years on Monday.</p> <p>He is currently under police guard at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, having suffered from self-inflicted and non-life threatening wounds, according to SA police. He is also reported to suffer from a "neurological disability". </p> <p>Maria was a beloved member of the Italian community in Adelaide. </p> <p>She was regarded as the "neighbourhood matriarch” and was well-known because of her love for cooking, including making meals for the vulnerable.</p> <p>She was heavily involved with the family's taxpayer-funded meal service, Nonna’s Cucina, that even Health Minister Mark Butler recognised her hard work and described her as "extremely generous".</p> <p>“Maria lit up the kitchen at Nonna’s Cucina,” he said. “She was always extremely generous and made sure no one ever left her company hungry.</p> <p>“Maria gave so much to her community and will be greatly missed by her loved ones and everyone who had the pleasure to meet her.”</p> <p>South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas also paid tribute to the beloved great-grandmother and described the murder as "tragic". </p> <p>“On a personal level, Maria Dimasi was a very significant contributor to our state, particularly in the western suburbs’ Italian community,” said the premier. </p> <p>“Nonna’s Cucina, which will be very well-known to a lot of South Australians, did amazing work delivering meals to people that are vulnerable, particularly the elderly.</p> <p>"This is a good person who has lost their life in tragic circumstances.”</p> <p>The premier is currently facing increasing pressure to authorise a Royal Commission into domestic violence in the state, after five women have allegedly been killed at the hands of a partner since November 16, according to <em>The Advertiser</em>.</p> <p>The publication also reported that this is "the worst DV toll in Australia's history".</p> <p>In their first public statement issued through the police late Monday, the couple's family paid tribute to Maria, who they described as “loving mother to her four children, her 10 grandchildren and a great grandmother to 13”. </p> <p>“Maria had a caring nature and shared love and happiness to those around her,” they said in the statement obtained by <em>The Advertiser</em>. </p> <p>“Maria was the centre of our family, bringing us together to care for and support each other. Family was everything to Maria, and she was everything to her family.</p> <p>“Maria has warmed the hearts of many and we would like to extend our gratitude for the support the community has provided as we come to terms with our loss.”</p> <p>They added: “The support truly shows that Maria was loved by many and has made a positive impact to the community.</p> <p>“We will always remember Maria for her warmth, caring nature, compassion and her beautiful smile.”</p> <p>They also thanked Nonna’s Cucina for allowing her to spread joy with the community and said that they will come together as a family in the coming days to celebrate Maria's life. </p> <p>“We thank Nonna’s Cucina for supporting Maria to share her joy with the community.</p> <p>“The past few days have been difficult for our family as we process the grief of losing our beautiful mother and Nonna.”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook/ Nine News. </em></p>

Legal

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Shocking moment Glenn McGrath grabs three snakes with bare hands

<p>Aussie Cricket legend Glenn McGrath has turned into a part time snake wrangler after having to remove three snakes from his rural Queensland property with his bare hands.</p> <p>McGrath found the carpet pythons slithering inside his home on Wednesday, and decided to share the footage of him removing the unwelcome guests in different locations in his house. </p> <p>One python was inside his pantry, another was in the living room and third was making its way across the hall.</p> <p>"After plenty of encouragement and support from my wife, all three Coastal Carpet Pythons that were in the house were safely released back into the bush," he captioned the video. </p> <p>In the video, his wife Sara screamed in absolute horror as he removed one of the snakes by grabbing its tail, carefully wrapping it around a mop, and taking it outside.</p> <p>"You're going to get bitten," she screamed. </p> <p>McGrath calmly reassured her that he had it all under control. </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/Cw3aLO5yCV1/?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/Cw3aLO5yCV1/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Glenn McGrath (@glennmcgrath11)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fortunately, the carpet pythons are a non-venomous breed, so there was no real threat to McGrath. </p> <p>However, many fans of the cricketer still applauded his bravery in the comments. </p> <p>"Haha good technique mate. Steve Irwin couldn't have done it any better," wrote one fan. </p> <p>"This is better than his 50 he scored against New Zealand," quipped another. </p> <p>"Keeping a good line and length between self and snake! Good work!" wrote a third. </p> <p>"This 🐍 knows he’s being handled by a CHAMP.. " commented a fourth. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Does private health insurance cut public hospital waiting lists? We found it barely makes a dent

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuting-zhang-1144393">Yuting Zhang</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jongsay-yong-10803">Jongsay Yong</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ou-yang-937801">Ou Yang</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>The more people take up private health insurance, the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/senate/community_affairs/completed_inquiries/1999-02/pubhosp/report/c05">less pressure</a> on the public hospital system, including <a href="https://www.privatehealthcareaustralia.org.au/australians-sign-up-to-private-health-insurance-in-record-numbers-to-avoid-hospital-waiting-lists/#:%7E:text=%22Private%20health%20insurance%20is%20the,and%20keep%20pressure%20off%20premiums.">shorter waiting lists</a> for surgery. That’s one of the key messages we’ve been hearing from government and the private health insurance industry in recent years.</p> <p>Governments <a href="https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/surcharges_incentives/index.htm">encourage us</a> to buy private hospital cover. They tempt us with carrots – for instance, with subsidised <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Private-health-insurance-rebate/">premiums</a>. With higher-income earners, the government uses sticks – buy private cover or pay the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Medicare-and-private-health-insurance/Medicare-levy-surcharge/">Medicare Levy Surcharge</a>. These are just some of the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/delivering-australias-lowest-private-health-insurance-premium-change-in-21-years#:%7E:text=Home-,Delivering%20Australia's%20lowest%20private%20health%20insurance%20premium%20change%20in%2021,be%202.70%20percent%20in%202022">billion-dollar strategies</a> aimed to shift more of us who can afford it into the private system.</p> <p>But what if private health insurance doesn’t have any meaningful impact on public hospital waiting lists after all?</p> <p>That’s what we found in our <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/publications/working-papers/search/result?paper=4721936">recent research</a>. Our analysis suggests if an extra 65,000 people buy private health insurance, public hospital waiting lists barely shift from the average 69 days. Waiting lists are an average just eight hours shorter.</p> <p>In other words, we’ve used hospital admission and waiting-list data to show private health insurance doesn’t make much difference.</p> <h2>What we did</h2> <p>Our <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/publications/working-papers/search/result?paper=4721936">work</a> looked at data from 2014-2018 on hospital admissions and waiting lists for elective surgery in Victoria.</p> <p>The data covered all Victorians who were admitted as an inpatient in all hospitals in the state (both public and private) and those registered on the waiting list for elective surgeries in the state’s public hospitals.</p> <p>That included waiting times for surgeries where people are admitted to public hospitals (as an inpatient). We didn’t include people waiting to see specialist doctors as an outpatient.</p> <p>The data was linked at the patient level, meaning we could track what happened to individuals on the waiting list.</p> <p>We then examined the impact of more people buying private health insurance on waiting times for surgeries in the state’s public hospitals.</p> <p>We did this by looking at the uptake of private health insurance in different areas of Victoria, according to socioeconomic status. After adjusting for patient characteristics that may affect waiting times, these differences in insurance uptake allowed us to identify how this changed waiting times.</p> <h2>What we found</h2> <p>In our sample, on average <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/4721936/wp2023n09.pdf">44% of people</a> in Victoria had private health insurance. This is close to the national average of <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/private-health-insurance-annual-coverage-survey">45%</a>.</p> <p>We found that increasing the average private health insurance take-up from 44% to 45% in Victoria would reduce waiting times in public hospitals by an average 0.34 days (or about eight hours).</p> <p>This increase of one percentage point is equivalent to 65,000 more people in Victoria (based on <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3101.0Main+Features1Jun%202018?OpenDocument">2018 population data</a>) taking up (and using) private health insurance.</p> <p>The effects vary slightly by surgical specialty. For instance, private health insurance made a bigger reduction to waiting times for knee replacements, than for cancer surgery, compared to the average. But again, the difference only came down to a few hours.</p> <p>Someone’s age also made a slight difference, but again by only a few hours compared to the average wait.</p> <p>Given the common situation facing public and private hospitals across all states and territories, and similar private health insurance take-up in many states, our findings are likely to apply outside Victoria.</p> <h2>Why doesn’t it reduce waiting lists?</h2> <p>While our research did not address this directly, there may be several reasons why private health insurance does not free up resources in the public system to reduce waiting lists:</p> <ul> <li> <p>people might buy health insurance and not use it, preferring to have free treatment in the public system rather than risk out-of-pocket costs in the private system</p> </li> <li> <p>specialists may not be willing to spend more time in the public system, instead <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1753-6405.12488">favouring working</a> in private hospitals</p> </li> <li> <p>there’s a growing need for public hospital services that may not be available in the private system, such as complex neurosurgery and some forms of cancer treatment.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>Why is this important?</h2> <p>Government <a href="https://www.privatehealth.gov.au/health_insurance/surcharges_incentives/index.htm">policies</a> designed to get more of us to buy private health insurance involve a significant sum of public spending.</p> <p>Each year, the Australian government spends about <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-greg-hunt-mp/media/delivering-australias-lowest-private-health-insurance-premium-change-in-21-years#:%7E:text=Home-,Delivering%20Australia's%20lowest%20private%20health%20insurance%20premium%20change%20in%2021,be%202.70%20percent%20in%202022">$A6.7 billion</a> in private health insurance rebates to reduce premiums.</p> <p>In the 2020-21 financial year, Medicare combined with state and territory government expenditure provided almost <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/hospitals/australias-hospitals-at-a-glance/contents/spending-on-hospitals">$6.1 billion</a> to fund services provided in private hospitals.</p> <p> </p> <p>There might be an argument for this public spending if the end result was to substantially take pressure off public hospitals and thereby reduce waiting times for treatment in public hospitals.</p> <p>But the considerable effort it takes to encourage more people to sign up for private health insurance, coupled with the small effect on waiting lists we’ve shown, means this strategy is neither practical nor effective.</p> <p>Given the substantial costs of subsidising private health insurance and private hospitals, public money might be better directed to public hospitals and primary care.</p> <p>In addition, people buying private health insurance can skip the waiting times for elective surgery to receive speedier care. These people are often <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/4682822/wp2023n08.pdf">financially well off</a>, implying unequal access to health care.</p> <h2>What’s next?</h2> <p>The Australian government is currently <a href="https://consultations.health.gov.au/medical-benefits-division/consultation-on-phi-studies/">reviewing</a> private health insurance.</p> <p>So now is a good time for reforms to optimise the overall efficiency of the health-care system (both public and private) and improve population health while saving taxpayer money. We also need policies to ensure equitable access to care as a priority.</p> <p>When it comes to reducing hospital waiting lists, we’ve shown we cannot rely on increased rates of private health insurance coverage to do the heavy lifting.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211680/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yuting-zhang-1144393">Yuting Zhang</a>, Professor of Health Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jongsay-yong-10803">Jongsay Yong</a>, Associate Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ou-yang-937801">Ou Yang</a>, Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-private-health-insurance-cut-public-hospital-waiting-lists-we-found-it-barely-makes-a-dent-211680">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"We cannot judge": Nat Barr's frank question on war crimes for Army veteran

<p>Sunrise host Natalie Barr surprised viewers when she confronted a war veteran after he referred senior Australian Defence Force leaders to the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan.</p> <p>Glenn Kolomeitz, a military lawyer and army veteran, signed the referral alongside Senator Jacqui Lambie.</p> <p>The referral to The Hague had the criminal court examine the country’s high commanders “through the lens of command responsibility”.</p> <p>Kolomeitz and Lambie claimed senior commanders have avoided investigation over alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.</p> <p>“I've got to ask you. This is a question I get asked every time we discuss this general issue,” she said.</p> <p>“We trained these people to kill, and we trained them to operate in a war setting. None of us as civilians have any idea what that's like and we cannot judge them for when they go over there to war. What do you say to that?”</p> <p>Kolomeitz insisted that defence force personnel, regardless of rank, must be investigated if they’ve committed or covered up a criminal act.</p> <p>“I worked with these guys on a couple of rotations, and quite frankly, they are amazing advocates for our country, but if they've done the wrong thing, they must be properly investigated, and they must be vigorously prosecuted. That's the reality,” he said.</p> <p>“You can't ignore the commanders. You vigorously investigate and prosecute those who have done the wrong thing, including those with command responsibility.”</p> <p>The TV presenter then asked if an investigation was necessary for the chief of the defence force, Angus Campbell.</p> <p>Kolomeitz replied, “Every joint task force 633 commanders in that job during the period of the enquiry.”</p> <p>The army veteran drafted the letter that would be sent to the International Criminal Court.</p> <p>“If Australia does nothing about it, the ICC can potentially assume jurisdiction over the higher command and excise the higher command investigation from the ongoing investigation of junior soldiers,” he said.</p> <p>The 2020 Brereton report found “credible” evidence that 25 current or former Australian SAS soldiers unlawfully killed 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners between 2005 and 2016.</p> <p>The report strongly recommended administrative action be taken against ADF personnel where there is credible evidence of misconduct, but not enough for a criminal conviction.</p> <p>It ruled that senior commanders were not criminally to blame for the alleged crimes.</p> <p>Senator Lambie noted leadership had not been held to account for their actions.</p> <p>“The government is no doubt hoping this will all just go away,” she told the Senate.</p> <p>“They're hoping Australians will forget that when alleged war crimes in Afghanistan were investigated, our senior commanders got a free pass while our diggers were thrown under the bus.</p> <p>"Well, we don't forget. I won't forget. Lest we forget.</p> <p>“There is a culture of cover-up at the highest levels of the Australian Defence Force. It is the ultimate boys' club.”</p> <p>Image credit: Instagram/LinkedIn</p>

TV

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Harry Potter star bares all for Vogue at 82

<p dir="ltr"><em>Harry Potter</em> actress Miriam Margolyes has graced the cover of <em>British Vogue</em> and bared all for a shoot with the publication, stripping down to share her thoughts on life, love, career, and everything in between. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was an important step for Miriam - best known for her role as Professor Pomona Sprout in the <em>Harry Potter </em>and her BAFTA-winning performance in <em>The Age of Innocence </em>- who confessed during her interview for the magazine’s Pride issue that “I like my face. I think my face is kind and warm and open and smiley. </p> <p dir="ltr">“But I hate my body. I hate [having] big tits, a drooping belly, and little twisted legs.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not thrilled with that. But you can just make the best of it. You have to. You do the best you can.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Miriam’s beaming smile was front and centre in the ‘nude’ shot, which saw the 82-year-old star sitting at a table and dressed only in a pearl necklace, an array of carefully arranged desserts in the foreground to cover her. </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/Ctb2pb0NruE/?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/Ctb2pb0NruE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by British Vogue (@britishvogue)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">A self-confessed “bit of a child” who “can’t resist naughtiness”, Miriam came armed with her wit and humour as she opened up about her life - from her feelings about her own body, to her experience as a Jewish lesbian since coming out as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community in 1966. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I never had any shame about being gay or anything really,” she told <em>Vogue</em>’s Chris Godfrey. “I knew it wasn’t criminal because it was me. I couldn’t be criminal.” </p> <p dir="ltr">As Miriam confessed, however, her parents hadn’t quite seen it from the same perspective. Her mother, she explained, had made her swear on the Torah that she wouldn’t have sex with a woman again, and that she has regrets about revealing that part of herself to them. </p> <p dir="ltr">Both of her parents have since passed away - her mother of a stroke just months after Miriam came out - and while Miriam doesn’t think they ever came to accept her sexuality, she never stopped loving either of them. </p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to share that she and her partner of 54 years, Heather, have a civil partnership but don’t live together - and never have. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We were able to lead our lives without diminishing them,” she said. “I didn’t want her to have to give up anything. And I didn’t want to give up anything.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I wanted my cake and I wanted to eat it too. And so far, it’s worked.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Gay people have the luck to be able to fashion the relationship they want,” she added. “It’s much more flexible for us.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And as for why Miriam is so open when it comes to topics others might shy away from, she had a simple answer in store, explaining that “it’s a strong position if you’re not afraid to be who you are.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re all so insecure. People are frightened such a lot of the time and what I’ve always tried to do is to make people feel more relaxed, make people feel good about themselves, and just try and lessen the torture for people a bit.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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“I didn’t have a voice”: Natt Barr's frank question for Candice Warner

<p>Candice Warner has spoken candidly of her experience following her 2007 bathroom ‘scandal’ with rugby’s Sonny Bill Williams, revealing the real reason she kept her silence for so long. </p> <p>It was during an interview on <em>Sunrise</em> with host Natalie Barr, where Candice was promoting her memoir <em>Running Strong</em>, that she faced another round of questioning over the 16-year-old incident. And it was one question in particular, from Natalie, that prompted the floodgates to open.</p> <p>“Did you think about coming out straight away and talking more about it?” Natalie asked. </p> <p>“This was 16 years ago,” Candice responded. “16 years ago, we lived in a society where we didn’t have the voice, women didn’t have the voice that we do now. I didn’t have the opportunity.</p> <p>“Back then, I was forced to apologise for - I was single - for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Nowadays that just wouldn’t happen.</p> <p>“I didn’t have a voice back then, now I do, and our society has changed. </p> <p>“It still has a long way to go, but I feel like as a woman, I now have the confidence to be able to tell my side of the story and be heard.”</p> <p>The former ironwoman - who now dedicates her time to her family and her career with Triple M radio and Fox Sports - went on to explain that the reason she hasn’t previously opened up was because of her three daughters with husband David Warner. </p> <p>“In part it was for my three daughters,” she told Natalie, “who in time will be able to read the book, and I wanted them to get a better understanding of my story without any interference or judgement from outside.”</p> <p>Candice has offered a similar explanation in the past, after confronting abuse at the cricket in 2022. </p> <p>“A long time ago, when I was young, I got myself in a compromising position, which I regret,” she said during her appearance on <em>SAS Australia</em>. </p> <p>“It had a huge impact on my family. Huge. It was just a personal situation. Too many drinks.</p> <p>“Living with that and having to explain to my kids in the future is going to be very difficult. Especially when you’ve got three girls.</p> <p>“I remember sitting on the side of the street and not being able to take it anymore.</p> <p>“Yes, I’d made a mistake. But is that really worth, every single day, the media trying to drag me down? I don’t think so.</p> <p>“It’s not something I am proud of but it’s something I can never take back.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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“I could barely finish”: Sandra Sully’s most embarrassing on-air moment

<p>Television isn’t always all glitz and glamour, and as Sandra Sully knows, it can come with its fair share of embarrassment too. </p> <p>Over the course of her decades in the industry, she’s braved no few memorable moments - the good and the bad - and during an appearance on the <em>I’ve Got News For You</em> podcast, she opened up about the most embarrassing of them all. </p> <p>It was in 2007 that the sports team at Ten decided to run some footage from the day - without letting Sully in on their shenanigans - of when play was halted at the Australian PGA Tour by a kangaroo who had made its way onto the course, and decided to play with its own testicles in front of South Africa’s top golfer Rory Sabbatini. </p> <p>“I would throw to sport and they always had a ‘play of the day’ and I generally got a chance to look at it,” Sully explained to <em>I’ve Got News For You</em> host Andrew Bucklow, “and for whatever reason, I was busy and they deliberately didn’t let me see it – they didn’t put it in the rundown.”</p> <p>“It was international coverage, with the kangaroo, and the team at Sports Tonight put music to it with bells, ‘ding dong, ding dong’,” she added, “and I wasn’t expecting it. </p> <p>“I could barely finish the bulletin.”</p> <p>After airing the footage from the tour during their on-air segment, Sully and sports presenter Brad McEwan could be seen laughing at their desk, with Sully wheezing that she “can’t go on.” </p> <p>As Sully tried to bring things back around to a more sensible footing, McEwan cracked a joke about it all, sending the pair into another round of giggles, before Sully steered them straight into the weather report - though it wasn’t all smooth sailing from there, with the newsreader barely able to get her words out through her own amusement, despite one “I don’t think I’ll forgive you” making it through. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ohnd98mZybs" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Sully went on to explain things like that had happened “so many times” throughout her career, and that to go on in her industry, she really had “to have a sense of humour”. </p> <p>And while humour is important to Sully, she admitted to Bucklow that nerves also factor in before each and every show, despite having so many years of experience under her belt.</p> <p>“It’s not extreme nerves,” she said, “but there’s always a moment with about 10 seconds to go that, you know, there’s a mental register.</p> <p>“You’re on a tightrope, and anything can go wrong. It’s live television.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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Alicia Silverstone bares all for cause she truly believes in

<p>Alicia Silverstone bared it all and posed nude in only faux leather boots for PETA’s new campaign.</p> <p>The campaign is an effort to promote more sustainable, vegan versions of the material.</p> <p>“If it takes me getting naked for you to care about animals then that is what I’m after,” the Clueless star, 46, said in a campaign video.</p> <p>“I never, ever, get naked in TV, in film, nothing, never, nope — but I’ve done it for PETA because that’s how much it matters to me,” the actress explained.</p> <p>“I’d rather go naked than wear animals,” Silverstone declared.</p> <p>“There’s this idea that leather is somehow better for the earth but what they don’t realise is the amount of resources – water, food, oil for transport – the amount of energy that goes into making leather is extraordinary. It’s just not sustainable. The Earth can’t handle it,” she refuted.</p> <p>Silverstone also posed with a cactus to encourage people to buy different types of vegan leather.</p> <p>“DON’T BE A PRICK,” the PETA picture proclaims. “Wear Vegan. Buy cactus, mushroom or apple leather instead!”</p> <p>This isn’t the first time the Clueless star has stripped down for a cause she loves. In 2019, she took it all off for PETA to encourage everyone to ditch wool, featuring on a Times Square billboard.</p> <p>Her new campaign will have its own billboard just in time for the New Year’s Eve ball drop.</p> <p>Silverstone has been a vegan since 1999 when she was 21 and has continued to live meat-free.</p> <p><em>Images: Peta</em></p>

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Sam Armytage's frank admission about getting older

<p>Sam Armytage has made a refreshingly honest declaration about the harsh realities of ageing. </p> <p>In her column for Stellar Magazine, the <em>Farmer Wants a Wife</em> host said she is no longer worrying about the small things that used to bother her. </p> <p>“It turns out that as you get older, you don’t actually figure anything out,” she wrote in her November column.</p> <p>“You just don’t have the energy to care any more.”</p> <p>While she admitted it's not about giving up, she explained why she has felt more freedom since ditching the worries of passing fads and fashions of youth.</p> <p>“There are few things that have brought me more pleasure recently than hearing that the skinny jeans fad is kaput,” she joked, before noting that she’d now started adding retinol into her skincare routine.</p> <p>She added that she had reached the point of constantly turning down the volume in the car - or wanting someone else to turn it down in the bar or restaurant.</p> <p>“And a dose of the COVID Delta virus seems to have somehow affected the shape of my feet; I simply can’t wear high heels all day anymore,” she added.</p> <p>But rather than letting these things get her down, Armytage, 46, said she has felt the liberation of getting older. </p> <p>Not having the energy to care about “figuring stuff out” wasn’t keeping her awake at night - it was more likely the uncomfy pillow or crick in the neck that was responsible for that problem.</p> <p>“I must say I’m finding wide-leg jeans, flat shoes and the salads and greens on my dining table at home - complete with background music at normal levels - all very joyful,” she wrote.</p> <p>After posting her latest column to Instagram, she received an outpouring of praise from her followers for "keeping it real". </p> <p>“Sounds like you’re really in tune with everything,” one follower observed.</p> <p>“You’re happy and content. It’s the little things in life that you notice change when you feel that contentment.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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Jennifer Aniston bares all to share struggles with infertility

<p>Jennifer Aniston has bared all in her latest cover shoot, while opening up about her desperate struggle to have children. </p> <p>The 53-year-old actress admitted to <a href="https://www.allure.com/story/jennifer-aniston-december-2022-cover-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Allure magazine</a> that she regrets the decision to not freeze her eggs when she was younger, revealing that she "threw everything" at her infertility battle, including going through IVF in a desperate attempt to conceive. </p> <p>"I was trying to get pregnant. It was a challenging road for me, the baby-making road," she said of her IVF journey, which the magazine notes was "several years ago". </p> <p>"All the years and years and years of speculation... It was really hard. I was going through IVF, drinking Chinese teas, you name it. I was throwing everything at it."</p> <p>She also slammed speculation that any of her former husbands, including Brad Pitt and Justin Theroux, initiated a divorce because she "wouldn't give him a kid", noting that the constant rumours about her relationship made her infertility battle all the more difficult. </p> <p>The actress added that she wishes someone had told her to freeze her eggs when she was younger, adding that she has now come to terms with the fact that she will never conceive children. </p> <p>"I would’ve given anything if someone had said to me, 'Freeze your eggs. Do yourself a favour.' You just don’t think it. So here I am today. The ship has sailed," she said. </p> <p>Aniston admitted that she was too focused on her career at the height of her fame from starring on the sitcom <em>Friends</em> to think about the possibility of having a family. </p> <p>"I just cared about my career. And God forbid a woman is successful and doesn’t have a child," she said.</p> <p>"And the reason my husband left me, why we broke up and ended our marriage, was because I wouldn’t give him a kid. It was absolute lies. I don’t have anything to hide at this point."</p> <p>Jennifer went on to say that she has come to terms with the fact she won't have children, saying she found some "relief" in the fact that the possibility of kids is no longer lingering over her as never-ending "maybe".</p> <p>She has found self-confidence in her age, saying she no longer cares what anyone thinks about her.</p> <p>"I would say my late 30s, 40s, I’d gone through really hard s***, and if it wasn’t for going through that, I would’ve never become who I was meant to be," she explained.  </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram - Allure</em></p>

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Waleed Aly goes head-to-head with mayor calling for IS brides’ citizenships to be revoked

<p dir="ltr">Waleed Aly has gone head-to-head with a mayor from western Sydney who slammed the government’s decision to resettle the repatriated brides and their children in the area.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The Project</em> co-host was speaking to disappointed Fairfield Mayor Frank Carbone, who questioned why western Sydney was the “dumping ground” for the women and their children.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Carbone explained that members of the community have gotten in touch with him expressing deep concerns over the decision, particularly those who escaped Syria from the terrorist IS group.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don't think he [the prime minister] has taken into account the tens of thousands of refugees that fled their home, had their homes burnt back in Syria, have lost their loved ones, have watched a lot of their families be beheaded and burnt, and have come and resettled in Western Sydney,” Mr Carbone began.</p> <p dir="ltr">He argued that Syrians who helped the Australian army fight IS terrorists were more “Australian citizens than anyone else” before he was cut off by Waleed.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Legally they're not, Australian citizens are a different category. We have obligations to Australian citizens that we don't have to refugees,” he pointed out.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Carbone did not accept the excuse, saying the IS brides committed treason under the “Commonwealth criminal code section 80” and should have their citizenships revoked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Treason is when you leave your country and you aide and abet, doesn't matter if you're baking a cake or scones and assisting ISIS, you're committing treason,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Under that act, you can have your citizenship revoked.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Waleed then pointed out that the brides would have to be convicted first to have their citizenship revoked and “that hasn’t happened”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You're talking a lot about kids here, in fact mostly about kids. Would you leave kids in camps overseas when they are Australian citizens?” he asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Carbone did not hesitate when he continued addressing the people’s concerns as to why Western Sydney was the dumping ground.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why is it Western Sydney? Why is it Western Sydney when we have tens of thousands of people that fled ISIS?” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Australia is a big country, they [ISIS families] don't necessarily have to be in Western Sydney.”</p> <p dir="ltr">His comments come just a day after Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun, and Campbelltown Mayor George Greiss made the same accusation about their area being the dumping ground.</p> <p dir="ltr">Australia repatriated four women and their 13 children after being stuck in al-Hol and al-Roj camps in the northeastern Syria region since 2019.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is expected more women and children will follow in the next few weeks.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: The Project</em></p>

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The Aussie company revolutionising how we stay fresh

<p dir="ltr">While applying deodorant is part of our daily hygiene routine, some aerosols and roll-ons have been known to irritate the skin with long-term use. </p> <p dir="ltr">On top of the elements of sensitivity, the long list of chemicals in these products can actually be counterproductive to stopping or limiting perspiration. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily, there are now all-natural deodorants on the market that help to nourish the skin without causing irritation, while still keeping you clean, fresh and dry throughout the day. </p> <p dir="ltr">Australian-made and owned brand FRANK + BARE is the first Aussie company to create AHA deodorants. </p> <p dir="ltr">AHA, or Alpha Hydroxy Acids, are 100% natural ingredients that work together as a skin performance product, while also being incredibly effective as a natural deodorant. </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/p/Cb04skDtU53/?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/Cb04skDtU53/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 🌿Clean Green Skincare Deo ♻️ (@frankandbare_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The 5 AHA’s included in the FRANK + BARE range, namely glycolic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid, work to exfoliate the armpit and improve skin tone, while assisting with ingrown hairs and hyperpigmentation. </p> <p dir="ltr">The result is a gentle deodorant that provides effective odour control as well as smoother, brighter and clearer skin.</p> <p dir="ltr">Housed inside recyclable zero-waste packaging, the seven  natural deodorants in the revolutionary range have a smooth and creamy consistency, which make them easy to apply, while also being perfectly pH balanced and actively preventing odour-causing bacteria from developing while improving axilla health. </p> <p dir="ltr">The range includes scents of Magnolia + Black Pepper, Oakmoss + Myrrh, Coconut + Lime, Ylang Ylang + Grapefruit, Spearmint, Frangipani and a Fragrance Free product. </p> <p dir="ltr">So if you’re looking for a more natural alternative to your deodorants, look no further than FRANK + BARE for a more simple and sustainable option to add to your hygiene routine. </p> <p dir="ltr">You can try out the entire FRANK + BARE range on their official website <a href="https://frankandbare.com.au/">here</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Hollywood heavyweight barely recognisable in new Marvel movie

<p dir="ltr">A Hollywood superstar has shocked fans with how completely unrecognisable he is in the new <em>Thor</em> movie.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trailer for <em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em> was released a couple of days ago and follows Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on his journey of self-discovery.</p> <p dir="ltr">His journey is however interrupted by Gorr the God Butcher who wants to get rid of the gods. </p> <p dir="ltr">But which A-lister plays the unrecognisable role of Gorr?</p> <p dir="ltr">None other than Christian Bale. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Go8nTmfrQd8" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">Gorr…or Bale for that matter, appears completely different thanks to the full face of makeup which has gotten rid of his hair and completely changed his facial structure. </p> <p dir="ltr">His terrifying new look shows him all bloody and scarred as he prepares to take down the gods.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em> will be released in cinemas on July 7.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: YouTube </em></p>

Movies

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Baring it all: Britney Spears and Hilary Duff spark debate on how we react to nudity

<p dir="ltr">Taking part in a nude photo shoot has been an easy way for celebrities to go viral for years now, but the latest risque photoshoot of <em>Lizzie Mcguire</em> star Hilary Duff has raised some questions about how our reactions can differ depending on who the subject is.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5a98dc54-7fff-7d65-163e-b4111461ebe4">Duff, who starred on the hit Disney show when she was just 14, recently went viral for her Women’s Health magazine cover shoot, which was accompanied by a candid interview where she discussed body positivity and acceptance, and opened up about her eating disorder and the pressure she felt to look a certain way.</span></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/CdYgFl3LKs-/?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/CdYgFl3LKs-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hilary Duff (@hilaryduff)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, ‘I am on camera and actresses are skinny’,” she told the magazine.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m proud of my body. I’m proud that it’s produced three children for me. I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also want people to know a makeup artist was there putting glow all over my body and someone put me in the most flattering position.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The 34-year-old actress received a flood of praise for her “liberating” shoot and for being a “badass gorgeous woman”, with one person describing it as a “perfect example of how a childhood star can actually grow up to be a well-adjusted, loving, ‘normal’, strong and fantastic example of a working woman and human in entertainment and beyond”.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the praise has come in stark contrast to the reactions other stars have received for sharing similar images, with pop icon Britney Spears being a prime example.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1dd1dae4-7fff-a1a0-cbee-11d3a8c062c0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Spears has been posting minimally censored photos of herself on Instagram for the past few months and has previously explained she was doing so in a bid to reclaim her body after feeling constrained under her 13-year conservatorship.</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/Ca0b3kjPBRF/?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/Ca0b3kjPBRF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">However, the slew of images she’s self-shared on social media have attracted more of a negative response in comparison to Duff, with some critics calling the photos “disturbing” and “embarrassing”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a now-deleted Instagram caption on a post from earlier this year, Spears defended her images, writing: “Alrightyyy then folks… showing my bod in French Polynesia as a rebel and free WOMAN!!!!!”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-86a760f8-7fff-c652-efc8-b06bde07c271"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I WILL DO BIG LETTERS CAUSE I THINK THAT MEANS IT’S IMPORTANT AND I DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Spot the difference.</p> <p>You just love to criticize Britney Spears for everything she does. Jus admit it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/britneyspears?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#britneyspears</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hilaryduff?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hilaryduff</a> <a href="https://t.co/U3eUsz2ti1">pic.twitter.com/U3eUsz2ti1</a></p> <p>— Dolly Arthur (@DollyArthur_) <a href="https://twitter.com/DollyArthur_/status/1524107226549469185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Fans have begun questioning the difference between reactions to Spears’ and Duff’s photos, with some noting that the difference in image quality - Duff’s glamorous magazine shoot versus Spears’ low-quality photos seemingly taken with a mobile phone - may be part of the reason.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I adore Hilary and she looks incredible, but the difference in comments on her post compared to Britney doing the same thing is astounding,” one popular tweet reads.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-55b14785-7fff-df25-441a-161c2e75b7d8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“People are so brainwashed by social media that they think nudity is wrong unless you’ve hired a photographer,” they added.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I adore Hilary and she looks incredible, but the difference in comments on her post compared to Britney doing the same thing is astounding.</p> <p>People are so brainwashed by social media that they think nudity is wrong unless you've hired a photographer and glam team. <a href="https://t.co/QCII2KSfAp">pic.twitter.com/QCII2KSfAp</a></p> <p>— Fan Account (@breatheonmiley) <a href="https://twitter.com/breatheonmiley/status/1524089441899397122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Both Britney Spears and Hilary Duff look amazing. Just because one was professionally photographed shouldn’t make a difference,” someone else tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another user shared a screenshot of their Twitter feed, showing a headline about the mixed reaction to Spears’ nudity above one from TMZ that reads: “You NEED to see these photos of Hilary Duff in the buff!”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop policing women’s bodies… except Britney Spears!” they captioned the image.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hilary Duff posts a nuded photoshoot and everyone praises her, Britney Spears posts her own nudes from her phone and she’s shamed. Can someone explain the difference?” another person tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Britney Spears and Hilary Duff trending today in a ‘you painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her’ vs ‘put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting “vanity”, morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for your own pleasure’ kind of way,” a third said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c1962d61-7fff-ff49-1cf8-43fe37da2f87"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The debate around this double standard comes amid a wider debate about how female celebrities have been held to particular standards in the past, such as former Disney star Miley Cyrus who was forced to publicly apologise for a 2008 Vanity Fair photoshoot that was deemed too risque by Disney.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">IM NOT SORRY</p> <p>Fuck YOU <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/10yearsago?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#10yearsago</a> <a href="https://t.co/YTJmPHKwLX">pic.twitter.com/YTJmPHKwLX</a></p> <p>— Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) <a href="https://twitter.com/MileyCyrus/status/990682726440226817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2018</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The singer and actress later retracted the apology, sharing a photo of a New York Post newspaper from 2008 with the headline “Miley’s Shame” to Twitter in 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’M NOT SORRY. F***K YOU,” she captioned the post.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the praise for Duff and other celebrities - such as 78-year-old model <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/lauren-hutton-poses-topless" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lauren Hutton</a> - who engage in topless or nude photoshoots is a good thing and a sign that the times might be changing, the reactions the likes of Spears receive for similar images shows that we still have a problem with female nudity - and that there is plenty of work left to be done.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-89ee2454-7fff-19fd-16c6-d66fd5cf7b24"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @britneyspears (Instagram) / @hilaryduff (Instagram) / @harpersbazaaraus (Instagram)</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Warnie's frank divorce confession on live TV

<p>Cricket legend Shane Warne has opened up about his divorce from ex-wife Simone Callahan in 2005.</p> <p>After being married for a decade, the pair split in what Warnie described as the "lowest time in his life".</p> <p>He made the admission during a rain delay from the Ashes commentary box on Sunday, discussing how he was going through the pressure of his marriage breakdown during his own Ashes series. </p> <p>“Getting divorced was a difficult time in my life and for my children — and it was my fault,’’ Warne said on Fox Cricket.</p> <p>“So I have to live with that for the rest of my life so it wasn’t easy."</p> <p>“A week before the Ashes series to do that, and then have to drag myself off the canvas and get out there and play in 2005, play against a quality England side … to have the Barmy Army for six hours a day, not just 10 minutes, singing songs, singing ‘where’s your missus gone?'"</p> <p>“I’m sitting there worrying about my children that I was hoping I was going to spend three months of the Ashes series with, but because of my own doing they had to turn around and find a flight so I was pretty devastated with that."</p> <p>“That was the lowest point in my life and then I had to go out and play an Ashes series so that was really tough.”</p> <p>Shane also went on to describe how much of an impact the paparazzi and fame have impacted both his and his children's lives. </p> <p><span>“Some people think I court that. The other day I was sitting on my balcony and I get papped with my shirt off … I said are you serious, I’ve got my big fat guts out on the balcony.”</span></p> <p><span>Despite the downsides of fame, Warnie still claims he is grateful for everything his fans have given him. </span></p> <p><span>He said, “I’ve been very, very lucky in my life. I’m very grateful for the life I’ve had."</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Relationships

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Inside Frank Sinatra's most-filmed mansion

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frank Sinatra’s seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom home has been put on the market for a whopping $USD 21.5 million ($AUD 29.4 million).</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fans of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mad Men</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Californication</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dreamgirls</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> or </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ali</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> are sure to recognise the residence, which has been used as a backdrop for countless films and tv shows over the years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Widely known as the Frank Sinatra Byrdview Estate, the singer called the 758-square-metre mansion home during the 1950s and 60s.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The home sits on 13.7 acres in Chatsworth, California, and overlooks the 1,325-acre Chatsworth Reservoir nature reserve.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Inside, the home has undergone a $USD 1 million renovation and boasts light wood accents set against white walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and an open-plan design.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Along with a formal dining room and living room with a full bar, the house also features a deluxe ensuite that overlooks the backyard, a formal sitting room, and a piano room where Sinatra reportedly spent most of his time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside, the home has a patio and a 15-metre swimming pool that includes its own wet bar.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The property also features a guest house where Marilyn Monroe reportedly stayed, which has its own backyard and pool, as well as a gym and massage room in a separate building.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Boss Hunting</span></em></p>

Real Estate

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How Frank Sinatra was caught singing 20 years after his death

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fans were confused in 2020 when seemingly footage of Frank Sinatra went viral of him singing about hot tubs.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The iconic singer died in 1998, so many were wondering how old audio clips of him surfaced, but the audios were actually new. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, they weren’t Frank Sinatra singing at all.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The song, titled Hot Tub Christmas, was the product of a new technology known as a “deepfake” that mimicked Sinatra’s iconic voice. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The video came from a San Francisco tech company who used their AI system, known as Jukebox, to generate new songs and vocals that almost sound exactly like real artists. </span></p> <p><strong>So, what is a deepfake?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deepfakes are realistic video or audio of events that never actually took place and are generated by artificial intelligence.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These videos have been used to trick online users into thinking their favourite celebrities said things they never actually did. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The tech has been used to create fake videos of Hollywood actor Tom Cruise, which set off alarm bells in national security circles. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Deepfakes can also be used to manipulate images, where people’s faces have been added into random events and videos. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Audio deepfakes, like this unusual track of Frank Sinatra’s have received less attention in the media so far. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One audio deepfake that has garnered a lot of criticism is a recreation of the voice of late chef Anthony Bourdain for use in his upcoming documentary. </span></p> <p><strong>How are deepfakes made?</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These audios are created by artificial intelligence ingesting and examining 1.2 million songs, their corresponding lyrics and information, such as artist names, genres and years of release.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Using this data, AI can create new music samples from scratch and make them seem like they came from the original artist. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While some celebrities who have been spoofed in deepfakes have expressed their discomfort and irritation in the new tech, one singer named Holly Herndon believes they are here to stay</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She said, "Vocal deepfakes are here to stay. A balance needs to be found between protecting artists and encouraging people to experiment with a new and exciting technology."</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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Heroic mum fights off mountain lion with her bare hands

<p>A mother in California is being hailed a hero after fighting off a dangerous mountain lion that attacked her son.</p> <p>The woman used her bare hands to fend off the animal after it lunged at her five-year-old son and dragged him along the front lawn of his home. </p> <p><span>The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said the boy was playing near his house, west of Los Angeles, when the mountain lion attacked. </span></p> <p><span>After the mother heard the boy's screams, her protective instincts kicked in and she rushed to the rescue. </span></p> <p>"She ran out of the house and started punching and striking the mountain lion with her bare hands and got him off her son," Department spokesman Patrick Foy told the Associated Press.</p> <p>"The true hero of this story is his mom because she absolutely saved her son’s life."</p> <p>Once the boy was free from the jaws of the mountain lion, he was immediately taken to the hospital where law enforcement were notified of the attack. </p> <p>Mr Foy shared that the five-year-old boy had sustained traumatic injuries to his head and torso.</p> <p>Authorities also confirmed that following the attack, the mountain lion has been shot and killed by a wildlife officer. </p> <p>The officer was sent to the scene shortly after the attack, arriving to find the mountain lion crouching in the bushes with its “ears back and hissing” at him.</p> <p>“Due to its behaviour and proximity to the attack, the warden believed it was likely the attacking lion and to protect public safety shot and killed it on site,” the wildlife department said in a statement Saturday.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Hillsong founder will “set the record straight’ on new charges

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brian Houston, the founder of the Hillsong Church, has said he will fight to clear his name after he was charged with allegedly concealing information about child sex abuse committed by his father.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Police will allege in court the man knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that to the attention of police,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His father, Frank Houston, was a Pentecostal Christian pastor who faced multiple allegations of child sex abuse in the years leading up to his death in 2004.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Frank Houston admitted to the abuse at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse, which occurred several decades ago in Australia and New Zealand.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Before the abuse became public, Frank Houston was allowed to retire from the church.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Brian Houston was charged following a two-year investigation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After police served his Sydney-based lawyers, Mr Houston, who received an exemption to leave Australia with his wife during the pandemic, released a statement concerning the allegations.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These charges have come as a shock to me,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges, and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement, Hillsong said it was “disappointed” that Mr Houston had been charged.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“[We] ask that he be afforded the presumption of innocence and due process as his right. He has advised us that he will defend this and looks forward to clearing his name,” the church said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Given that this matter is now before the court, neither Pastor Brian or Hillsong Church will be making further statements.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We thank all who are part of our church for their support and prayers at this time.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Houston will be required to appear before a Sydney magistrate at Downing Centre Local Court on October 5.</span></p>

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