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Former Home and Away star's joyful baby news

<p>Former <em>Home and Away</em> stars Rebecca Breeds and Luke Mitchell are expecting their first child together. </p> <p>The Australian actress and her co-star turned husband confirmed the happy news on Instagram. </p> <p>The 37-year-old actress made her little baby bump debut at the Adelaide Film Festival and shared a picture of herself on the red carpet looking stunning in a form-fitting pink dress. </p> <p>“VERY excited to share baby Mitchell and @kangarooislandmovie coming sooooooooon! Thanks @adlfilmfest for having us and everyone who came to support us🙏🤍,” she wrote on Instagram on Tuesday.</p> <p>The mum-to-be rested one of her hands on top of the baby bump as she proudly smiled for the cameras. </p> <p>The actress was at the festival for the premiere of her new film <em>Kangaroo Island</em> on the event's closing night. </p> <p>Her husband commented on the post with a series of heart-eyed emojis. </p> <p>Breeds' co-stars and fellow actors were quick to congratulate the couple in the comments. </p> <p>“Congratulations Bec and Luke! Very exciting news,”<em> Home and Away </em>star Lynne McGranger said.</p> <p>“Ahhhhh amazing you guys! This is the best news!” former <em>Home and Away </em>actress Jessica McNamee added. </p> <p>“Congrats!!!!!” <em>A Perfect Pairing </em>actor Adam Demos said.</p> <p>The couple first met on the set of <em>Home and Away</em> in 2009 and quickly became a fan-favourite off-screen relationship.</p> <p>Breeds played Ruby Buckton on the soap between 2008 and 2012, while Mitchell played Romeo Smith between 2009 and 2013.</p> <p>The couple tied the knot in January 2013 and went to live and work in the US for years before returning to Australia. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ Seven</em></p>

Relationships

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Beloved Star Trek and Marvel star passes away at age 49

<p>The entertainment world is mourning the loss of a talented actor and beloved individual, Kenneth Mitchell, who passed away at the age of 49 after bravely battling ALS for five years.</p> <p>Mitchell, recognised for his roles in notable productions such as <em>Star Trek: Discovery</em> and <em>Captain Marvel</em>, leaves behind a legacy that extends far beyond the screen.</p> <p>In a heartfelt statement shared through X and Instagram, Mitchell's family announced his passing, remembering him as a cherished father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend.</p> <p>“With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Kenneth Alexander Mitchell, beloved father, husband, brother, uncle, son and dear friend,” his family wrote. “Ken was widely known as an actor in many films and television shows. He’s portrayed an Olympic hopeful, an apocalypse survivor, an astronaut, a superhero’s dad, and four unique Star Trekkers.</p> <p>“For five and a half years Ken faced a series of awful challenges from ALS. And in truest Ken fashion, he managed to rise above each one with grace and commitment to living a full and joyous life in each moment.</p> <p>“He lived by the principles that each day is a gift and that we never walk alone. His life is a shining example of how full one can be when you live with love, compassion, humour, inclusion, and community.” </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/C3wkUg9tOmj/?utm_source=ig_embed&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/C3wkUg9tOmj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kenneth Mitchell (@mr_kenneth_mitchell)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Mitchell's journey with ALS, a progressive neurodegenerative disease, began in 2018 when he received the diagnosis. Despite the challenges it presented, he faced his condition with courage and resilience. By 2019, Mitchell had transitioned to using a wheelchair, and in 2020, he chose to share his health struggles publicly, shedding light on the realities of living with ALS.</p> <p>In an interview he gave during that time, Mitchell expressed the profound impact of his diagnosis on both himself and his wife, emphasising the strength they found in facing adversity together. He spoke of the initial shock and uncertainty surrounding his condition, highlighting the process of grieving and adjusting to a new reality marked by unknown challenges.</p> <p>For fans of <em>Star Trek</em>, Mitchell's portrayal of Klingon characters Kol, Kol-Sha, Tenavik, and Aurellio in <em>Star Trek: Discovery</em> resonated deeply, showcasing his talent and versatility as an actor. Additionally, his voice acting contributions to <em>Star Trek: Lower Decks</em> further solidified his place within the cherished franchise.</p> <p>The outpouring of tributes from the Star Trek community, as well as from his colleagues and fans worldwide, speaks volumes about Mitchell's impact both on and off the screen. A statement from StarTrek.com conveys condolences to Mitchell's family, friends, and loved ones, underscoring the profound loss felt by all who were touched by his work.</p> <p>Mitchell is survived by his wife Susan May Pratt and their two children, and has requested any gifts be directed towards ALS research or in support of his children.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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"What a life I’ve had": Author announces own death after years of battling dementia

<p>Wendy Mitchell has died aged 68 after documenting her brave battle with dementia. </p> <p>The author from Walkington, East Yorkshire, became the best-selling writer after she was diagnosed with early onset vascular dementia and Alzheimer's in July 2014. </p> <p>She shared her philosophical outlook on living with the condition in her acclaimed 2018 memoir <em>Somebody I Used To Know </em>and in her 2022 book <em>What I Wish I Knew About Dementia</em>.</p> <p>In an <a href="https://whichmeamitoday.wordpress.com/2024/02/22/my-final-hug-in-a-mug/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open letter</a> shared online, the author announced her death and revealed that she had refused to eat or drink towards the end of her battle. </p> <p>"If you’re reading this, it means this has probably been posted by my daughters as I’ve sadly died," she began. </p> <p>"Sorry to break the news to you this way, but if I hadn’t, my inbox would eventually have been full of emails asking if I’m OK, which would have been hard for my daughters to answer… </p> <p>"In the end I died simply by deciding not to eat or drink any more," she wrote. </p> <p>She added that the last cup of tea she had, her "final hug in a mug" was "the hardest thing to let go of". </p> <p>"Dementia is a cruel disease that plays tricks on your very existence. I’ve always been a glass half full person, trying to turn the negatives of life around and creating positives, because that’s how I cope." </p> <p>Mitchell said that the language used by doctors can "make or break" how someone copes with dementia, and instead of saying there's "nothing they can do" it is better to tell them they will have to "adapt to a new way of living". </p> <p>"Well I suppose dementia was the ultimate challenge. Yes, dementia is a bummer, but oh what a life I’ve had playing games with this adversary of mine to try and stay one step ahead," she wrote in her final blog post. </p> <p>She also said that she had always been resilient, which has helped her cope with whatever life throws in her way. </p> <p>Mitchell has been an advocate for assisted dying in the UK, and said that "the only legal choice we shouldn’t have in life is when to be born; for everything else, we, as humans, should have a choice; a choice of how we live and a choice of how we die." </p> <p>She added that the way she died was an active choice as she doesn't want "to be an inpatient in a hospital, or a resident in a Care Home," as "it’s just not the place I want to end my years."</p> <p>"My girls have always been the two most important people in my life. I didn’t take this decision lightly, without countless conversations. They were the hardest conversations I’ve ever had to put them through. </p> <p>"This was all MY CHOICE, my decision. So please respect my daughters' privacy, as they didn’t choose the life I chose, of standing up to and speaking out against dementia." </p> <p>She then thanked everyone for their support and left with a touching final message. </p> <p>"So, enjoy this knowing that dementia didn’t play the winning card – I did."</p> <p><em>Images: Daily Mail</em></p>

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"The time's right": Neil Mitchell signs off

<p>After 34 years on the air, 3AW radio veteran Neil Mitchell is signing off. </p> <p>Neil Mitchell has been a staple of Australian radio for decades, growing a reputation for being fair, decent, honest and sometimes "a bit grumpy".</p> <p><em>A Current Affair</em>'s Ally Langdon joined the 3AW veteran to reflect on a stellar career that earned him a legion of loyal listeners.</p> <p>"I've always wanted to be a journalist from about age 14," he told Langdon.</p> <p>"But not for a moment did I think that I would end up doing something such as I have, editing a newspaper and doing this."</p> <p>His passion as a radio presenter lies in the "real people" who call in each morning, saying, "You can go from a person laughing and telling you jokes and carrying on to great stories."</p> <p>"And then a couple of calls later there's somebody in tears that you need to help. It is real people."</p> <p>"I regularly shed tears on air ... And if we can make a difference, I shed tears again because we've had success."</p> <p>Over his decades on air, Mitchell clashed with many Aussie politicians, sharing how he took it upon himself to be a spokesperson for everyday Australians. </p> <p>"They've established a system where they don't have to be accountable," he said.</p> <p>"And [if] anybody attempts to make them accountable ... they resented it. Accountability is disappearing I'm afraid."</p> <p>While he is stepping back from his flagship show, he has assured listeners he isn't signing off forever. </p> <p>"I'll still be here. I'll be doing podcasts and all sorts of things. I'm really looking forward to it. It's going to be an interesting change."</p> <p>"I'm going to miss it, stepping away. But the time's right."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine </em></p>

Music

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Edwina Bartholomew's husband shares encouraging health update

<p>Edwina Bartholomew's husband Neil Varcoe has shared an encouraging health update, just months after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue. </p> <p>In June, the father-of-two revealed how he was struck down with chronic fatigue syndrome after suffering from a virus that “knocked him”.</p> <p>At the time, he told <em>Australian's Women Weekly</em> that he had to cut back on his work after his energy depletion made him feel like he "had nothing left" to give to his job. </p> <p>Now, Varcoe has shared a positive update on his condition, saying he has returned to work as a communications teacher at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. </p> <p>The university campus is a 40 minute drive from Carcoar, where Neil, Edwina and their two children moved last year with plans to renovate a historic hotel. </p> <p>Neil shared in a heart-warming update on Instagram that he has taught his final class in feature writing and data journalism, with his wife Edwina joining in via Zoom. </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/CyPCQMQBeUq/?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/CyPCQMQBeUq/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Neil Varcoe (@neilwrites)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“I wrapped my final class at Charles Sturt University Bathurst yesterday with a chat with a journalist I greatly admire — my wife Edwina,” Neil’s caption began.</p> <p>“For the past three-and-a-half months, I’ve taught feature writing and data journalism to a talented group of students.”</p> <p>He went on to thank his colleagues and students, before teasing a return to the regional university in the new year. </p> <p>Neil's followers took to the comments to share praise for his return to university, and wish him all the best on this health journey. </p> <p>One person wrote, “Well done 🤩 So rewarding to get back on the bike as the saying goes!"</p> <p>Another local added, “I hope you both keep returning to us at Charles Sturt! Congratulations…I’m sure the students loved you.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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Radio veteran steps down after 34 years on the air

<p>Radio veteran Neil Mitchell has announced he will be stepping back from hosting his 3AW Mornings show after 34 years on the air.</p> <p>Mitchell shared the news to his dedicated listeners on Friday morning in an emotional statement. </p> <p>“Apart from my family, radio has been my life and my love. I will miss enormously the energy, excitement, and occasional whack that the audience dishes out to me daily,” he said. </p> <p>“But it is time, after 34 years of 4am starts, peddling flat out is getting a little hard.”</p> <p>In his statement, Mitchell said he will stay on with 3AW and Nine in a new role, including hosting his successful new podcast, Neil Mitchell Asks Why. </p> <p>“I will still appear on 3AW as an analyst, will do a weekly podcast, and hope to continue writing and TV work as well,” he continued. </p> <p>“And, don’t celebrate yet Daniel Andrews, I am here until December. Thanks to all for the superb support over the years."</p> <p>In a follow-up statement, Mitchell assured listeners he will stay true to himself and his beliefs in his new roles. </p> <p>“I have been acutely conscious of that privilege of the microphone every day I have been on air for over 36 years,” he wrote. </p> <p>“It is a tough decision to step away from the daily program. It is the best job I have ever had. But I promise I will continue my philosophy and attitude through this new role. It is one I have crafted carefully with the approval of 3AW and Nine management because I want to continue to have an impact and continue to work for the audience as the media landscape changes.”</p> <p>Mitchell has been a key player at 3AW since beginning his radio career with the station in 1987, where he started working part-time on weekends and as a morning fill-in host for former broadcaster Derryn Hinch.</p> <p>From there, he got his big break hosting the Drive show before moving to the Mornings slot, where he has been ever since. </p> <p>Mitchell has won several awards during his time as a radio journalist, while also devoting his time to helping those less fortunate, and helping to raise over $10 million for charities and causes close to his heart. </p> <p>Tom Malone, Managing Director of Nine Radio, thanked Mitchell for his service in his career.</p> <p>“Thirty four years hosting Mornings on 3AW is a record that’s likely never to be beaten. Neil has been at the top of his game and the top of ratings for nearly all of that time. It’s an incredible run. We’d have loved him to stay on, but Neil is adamant it’s time.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: 3AW</em></p>

News

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"Forever cherish the memories": Hunter Valley groom speaks

<p>Mitchell Gaffney, the groom who lost 10 friends in the Hunter Valley bus crash incident, has spoken out for the first time. </p> <p>The newlywed spoke at his friend Zachary Bray’s funeral in Sydney, three weeks after the devastating collision.</p> <p>The 29-year-old was remembered as a loveable larrikin and an adored brother and son, who had survived a battle with bowel cancer and was dedicated to raising awareness to the disease. </p> <p>Gaffney and Bray met playing football and became friends off the field.</p> <p>“Although you’ll never get the chance to put the jumper on again, you’ll always be there by our side,” Gaffney said.</p> <p>Bray was known as Labrador or Lab to his footy mates, with the affectionate nickname speaking to his gentle character. </p> <p>“They’re pretty smart dogs,” Gaffney said.</p> <p>“They’re extremely loveable but no matter what they do, they do it with that big goofy smile."</p> <p>“That was the first impression he made and it still holds true.”</p> <p>Gaffney said Bray was the ultimate team player, who “had the ability to make everyone feel included”.</p> <p>“We will forever cherish the memories that we are lucky enough to hold together.”</p> <p>Bray’s family and friends including his girlfriend Georgie Copeland, came together to honour Bray in the emotional ceremony. </p> <p>“My heart hurts,” Copeland said. “I can’t deny it.”</p> <p>“But I know that it hurts deeply because it was deeply real.”</p> <p>Bray’s mother Jacqui Varasdi also spoke at the funeral, and said being his mother was her “greatest achievement”.</p> <div> <p>“And to see you here, laying in this box, just doesn’t make any sense.”</p> <p>Many of the guests will gather again next week to honour the lives of Nadene and Kyah McBride, who were also killed in the Hunter Valley bus crash. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p> </div>

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Former X-Factor star charged with murder of baby

<p dir="ltr">Mitchell David Callaway, a former <em>X-Factor </em>contestant who appeared alongside Johnny Ruffo in the show’s 2011 season, has been charged with murder for the death of a nine-month-old girl in 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">Emergency services had been called out over reports of an unresponsive baby girl in the Central West, and despite the best efforts of medical professionals and transport to Coonabarabran Hospital, she passed away. </p> <p dir="ltr">Callaway was arrested on June 8 - five years after her death - at a house in Bowraville, New South Wales. That same day, the 37-year-old faced Macksville Local Court, and was refused bail with instruction to attend court again the following week. </p> <p dir="ltr">The arrest was the culmination of a five year investigation under Strike Force King, after police officials received new information and executed a crime scene warrant at another property - actions which eventually led them to Callaway’s door. </p> <p dir="ltr">And now, the young girl’s mother has spoken out on social media about his arrest, and the devastating loss of her baby. </p> <p dir="ltr">“After almost five years to the day, an arrest has finally been made,” she wrote. “All the years of pain, suffering and grief and following my mother’s intuition.</p> <p dir="ltr">She spoke of how there was still a “long road ahead” in getting justice for her daughter, with court proceedings still to occur, but that it was good to see “the beginning of justice” in the wake of her heartbreak.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She has been the reason I have continued to fight, live and have made it this far,” she added. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Not a day goes by that I do not miss you and wish you were here.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This doesn’t bring you back but it does bring you some peace and the justice you deserve. Forever my little girl. Mummy loves you, xx”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Additional online tributes - from the time of her passing - described her as a “precious daughter”, and someone who was also an “adored and loved great-granddaughter, granddaughter, niece, and cousin”.</p> <p dir="ltr">A funeral was held for the girl, where more heartfelt words were shared, and her loved ones came together in a flurry of bright colour to “celebrate the first birthday she never got to have.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“She was the definition of perfect,” an obituary for her declared. “She was the happiest, smiliest, cheekiest baby who melted the hearts of everyone that met her.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: NSW Police</em></p>

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Edwina Bartholomew announces surprising new living arrangement with husband

<p><em>Sunrise</em> star Edwina Bartholomew has shared her unusual new living arrangement with her husband.</p> <p>The Seven presenter and Neil Varcoe, who tied the knot in 2018, will be transitioning into a long-distance relationship as she continues her Monday to Friday donair duties and her partner moves full time to their Capertee Valley home to become a farmer.</p> <p>Varcoe, a former journalist, left his job at Twitter after Elon Musk took over and plans to be the “chief farming officer” at Warramba, the 1980s farm that he and his wife have restored.</p> <p>He will also become the project manager of The Victoria — a historic hotel in the Blue Mountains.</p> <p>It is believed that Bartholomew, 39, will remain in Sydney with their two children, Molly, three, and Tom, one, throughout the week, with the trio joining Varcoe at the rural property on weekends.</p> <p>The <em>Sunrise</em> star announced the news on Instagram, describing it as “a big day” for their family</p> <p>“Neil was born and raised in Lithgow and went to school in Bathurst, so it’s pretty exciting he now gets to contribute to the extraordinary growth in the Central West,” she wrote.</p> <p>“He is also the proud new owner of a very big jacket and beard to survive the winter.</p> <p>“We have our first stay in Carcoar as a family this weekend. We will miss him during the week but let the commuting, designing, renovation fun begin!”</p> <p>Varcoe also shared the news on his Instagram page, praising the “courage” of his wife, saying that “this wild scheme was her idea”.</p> <p>He wrote that he was “excited to build a business for his family” from the ground up.</p> <p>“The chance to contribute to the extraordinary growth that’s occurring in my home region is irresistible,” Varcoe wrote.</p> <p>Earlier in 2023, Bartholomew sparked debate when she revealed she and her husband have <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/works-like-a-charm-edwina-bartholomew-s-surprising-trick-for-a-happy-marriage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slept in different beds</a> for the past seven years.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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"The beat goes on": Neil Diamond opens up about life with Parkinson’s

<p>Neil Diamond has opened up about his experience living with Parkinson’s, and how it has taken a long and uphill battle to come to terms with his 2018 diagnosis. </p> <p>In a candid interview with Anthony Mason for <em>CBS Sunday Morning</em>, the 82-year-old singer - best known for his hit song ‘Sweet Caroline’ - detailed how he moved from denial to acceptance, and the impact it has had on his life and his career ever since.</p> <p>“When the doctor told me what it was, I was just not ready to accept it,” he said. “I said, ‘oh, okay, I’ll see you whenever you want to see me, but I have work to do, so I’ll see you later’.”</p> <p>For “the first year or two”, Diamond admits he refused to accept his condition,  but as acceptance finally came to him, so did a sort of calm and peace of mind</p> <p>“I think this has just been in the last few weeks,” he explained to Mason, “but somehow, a calm has moved in and the hurricane of my life, and things have gotten very quiet.</p> <p>“And I like it. I find that I like myself better. I’m easier on people. I’m easier on myself and the beat goes on and it will go on long after I’m gone.”</p> <p>He went on to note his understanding that “this is the hand that God’s given”, and how his only option was “to make the best of it”.</p> <p>“There’s no cure, there’s no getting away from it. You can’t just say ‘okay, enough already, let’s get back to life’. It doesn’t work like that,” he said. </p> <p>“But I’ve come to accept what limitations I have and still have great days.”</p> <p>And while Diamond retired from touring in 2018 in the wake of his diagnosis, he can still find those great days in music, with his life playing out in the musical A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical on Broadway.</p> <p>As for how it feels to see his story performed on the stage, he admits that initially it was difficult, and that he felt some embarrassment, before going on to add that he “was flattered, and I was scared. </p> <p>“Being found out is the scariest thing you can hope for because we all have a facade. And the truth be known to all of them. I’m not some big star - I’m just me.”</p> <p>“The show is part of my psychotherapy,” he explained, “and it hurt.”</p> <p>On opening night, Diamond even returned to the stage for a singalong performance of ‘Sweet Caroline’, and as he told Mason, “I can still sing. I’ve been doing it for 50 years and I enjoy it. It’s like all the systems of my mind and my body are working as one.</p> <p>“I’ve had a pretty amazing life, it’s true.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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Top politicians not so calculated after all

<p>New South Wales Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and her counterpart in the opposition, Prue Car, were put to the test while appearing live on <em>2GB</em>.</p> <p>The two were chatting to radio host Ben Fordham after a pre-election debate when he presented them with a challenge: a problem from the Year 7 NAPLAN test’s Numeracy section.</p> <p>NAPLAN tests typically consist of multiple choice questions and ones where students must write their answers in the spaces provided. While calculators are permitted outside of the short non-calculator sections, they were far from the hands of Sarah and Prue as Ben sprung his test upon them. </p> <p>Ben opened by explaining to the two that they had to solve the question without the use of the handy devices, and that they had room to show their working, just as any Year 7 would when faced with the same test. </p> <p>“Pears cost $4 per kilogram,” Ben explained, reading from the question posed to the ministers, “Ben buys 4.15 kilograms of pears. How much does Ben pay for the pears?”</p> <p>The two wasted no time in putting pen to paper and getting started, with Ben chuckling that they were “busily working away.” </p> <p>Prue finished working first, cradling her chin in her hand as Ben asked if she wanted to hand in her sheet, before he explained to Sarah when to fill in her answer. </p> <p>“Just like the students do,” he said, “this is a test environment. Your Year 7 students in New South Wales have got to face these questions.” </p> <p>“You’ve outdone yourself with this today, Ben,” Prue remarked, while Sarah continued her calculations. </p> <p>After roughly one minute, both sheets were in Ben’s hands, and he was ready to announce the results. </p> <p>Prue, despite finishing first, got her answer wrong. Upon hearing the news, the minister burst into laughter, with an amused Sarah piping up that she “might be too, Prue.” </p> <p>Ben went on to repeat the question, and shared Prue’s answer of $4.15. </p> <p>“The minister Sarah Mitchell,” he continued, “has got this one right!” </p> <p>The correct answer to the problem? $16.60. </p> <p>“Can I just say, English was my strong suit,” Prue declared in light of her defeat. </p> <p>And to the great amusement of both Prue and Ben, Sarah announced, “so was mine, Prue!” </p> <p><em>Images: 2GB</em></p>

News

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"I just went numb": Man recalls helicopter crash that gravely injured wife and stepson

<p>A father has recounted the horrifying moment he watched his wife and stepson plummet to the ground in a wrecked helicopter after a mid-air collision on the Gold Coast. </p> <p>Neil De Silva told the <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_WRE170_a&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Fnews%2Fvictoria%2Fgeelong-mum-son-among-sea-world-chopper-casualties%2Fnews-story%2Fc3de255af1ae5ea3e8b5611b2eeae87c&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=dynamic-high-control-score&amp;V21spcbehaviour=append" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald Sun</a> that he felt powerless to help as he watched his family collide with another helicopter at high speeds. </p> <p>“Winnie and Leon’s helicopter took off, it only went about 200 metres in the air,” Mr De Silva said.</p> <p>“I could see the other helicopter that was due to land … it looked like they were going to crash into one another."</p> <p>“As it got closer, I was thinking ‘this is crazy, this looks really bad’ and I just went numb”.</p> <p>After a pain-staking two hour wait, Neil was eventually informed that his wife Winnie, 33, and stepson Leon, 9, had survived the devastating crash, but had been rushed to hospital in critical condition. </p> <p><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/helicopter-crash-victims-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four others</a> on their flight were killed in the collision, while another young boy, 10, also remains critical in hospital. </p> <p>In a heart-wrenching twist to the De Silva's story, Neil revealed that the Geelong family were celebrating the end of a challenging year by treating themselves to a budget Gold Coast getaway. </p> <p>Mr De Silva shared that it had always been Winnie’s dream to take her son Leon on a chopper ride, so they decided to treat themselves to the adventure ride. </p> <p>“It was Winnie’s dream to take Leon on a helicopter,” Mr de Silva said.</p> <p>“I thought I would shout them a 10-minute flight."</p> <p>“We were on a budget holiday, trying to save money but I wanted them to have that experience.”</p> <p>Winnie remains critical but stable in the Gold Coast University Hospital with two broken legs, a damaged left knee, a broken right shoulder and a broken collarbone.</p> <p>Leon remains in a coma with facial and head injuries, a cracked skull and severe trauma to the brain in Brisbane’s Queensland Children’s Hospital.</p> <p>Mr De Silva has organised a<a title="www.gofundme.com" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-winnie-leon-seaworld-crash-victims?qid=8e66b72e6929303fe5aef72a4eb79661"> GoFundMe</a> to support the family as he takes time off work to be by their side.</p> <p>Leon moved from Kenya to Australia about a year ago to be with Winnie, and his life Down Under was set to be full of new experiences.</p> <p>“This was his first helicopter flight,” he said. “Everything is a new experience for him.”</p> <p>“I feel blessed that Winnie and Leon survived."</p> <p>“Four people died — they are blessed to be alive.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe</em></p>

Caring

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With the strokes of a guitar solo, Joni Mitchell showed us how our female music elders are super punks

<p>The iconic Joni Mitchell’s recent surprise performance at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxiluPSmAF8&amp;feature=youtu.be">2022 Newport Folk Festival</a> prompted a world-wide outpouring of love and respect. </p> <p>This was her first musical performance since suffering from a brain aneurysm in 2015 that left her unable to walk and talk. Last year, she spoke of having <a href="https://www.nme.com/en_au/news/music/joni-mitchell-addresses-health-issues-in-rare-speech-at-2021-kennedy-center-honors-3112447">polio as a child</a> as “a rehearsal for the rest of my life”. </p> <p>The tributes for Mitchell celebrated her triumph from illness to recovery, but they also paid homage to Mitchell’s career that has pivoted on protest. </p> <p>Mitchell is largely associated with folk scenes of the 60s and 70s. She has produced a prolific body of work, advocating for social change. As a committed activist she has spoken against environmental degradation, war, LGBTQI+ discrimination, and most recently, removed <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/29/22907696/joni-mitchell-spotify-joe-rogan-podcast-misinformation-covid-19">her music catalogue</a> from Spotify in a protest against anti-vaccine propaganda. </p> <p>Now, with the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7wOdpxGctc">strokes of a guitar solo</a> she repositioned herself from folk hero to punk provocateur, defying the “permissible” ways older women “should” behave. </p> <p>In commanding public space and using one of the most traditionally masculinised expressions of popular music practice, she directly challenged the sorts of expectations many people have around gendered norms, particularly what women in their elder years look and sound like.</p> <h2>Not everyone gets to age on stage</h2> <p>Some of the most persistent social restrictions placed on women and gender diverse musicians are in relation to age. </p> <p>Ongoing expectations of older women are to be passive, quiet and very much in the background. They are rarely asked, or expected, to “take up space” in the same ways their male counterparts do. </p> <p>Whereas men step through phases of youthful experimentation into established music legends, there are tiresome obstacles for female and gender diverse people to do the same. </p> <p>And while exceptions are often exceptional, they are not plentiful.</p> <p>It’s not just age. Women have long been sidelined when it comes to acknowledging their skills on the electric guitar. Much like Mitchell.</p> <p>The electric guitar has been an important part of rock and punk genres. There is a symbiotic relationship between how these genres – and the instrumentation that defines them – have unwittingly become gendered. The electric guitar solo in particular has come to be associated with machismo: fast, loud, expert, brave. </p> <p>If you like to imagine a world where women don’t exist, google “best guitar solos ever”. </p> <p>A recent <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/04/02/opinion/grammys-rock-guitar-solo.html">New York Times article</a> suggested things are starting to change. Citing guitarists like Taja Cheek and Adrianne Lenker, the Times suggested the guitar solo has shifted from a macho institution into a display of vulnerability, a moment (perhaps many) of connectivity. </p> <p>Mitchell’s performance sits somewhere in this domain. </p> <p>For the hundreds of thousands of women and gender diverse guitarists world-wide, myself included, the electric guitar and the genres it is entwined with offer a cool, optional extra: to test the cultural norms of gender with other markers of identity like class, culture, sexuality and age, to blur ideas of what we should and shouldn’t do.</p> <h2>Australian women to the front</h2> <p>Australian women and gender diverse rock and punk musicians are often subject to a double act of erasure – missing from localised histories, and also from broader canons of contemporary music, which often remain persistently rooted in the traditions of the UK and the US.</p> <p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55669013-my-rock-n-roll-friend">Tracey Thorn’s brilliant biography</a> of the Go-Between’s drummer Lindy Morrison is a love lettered homage that steps out the complex local, emotional, personal and structural ways that Australian women and gender diverse people are often omitted from cultural spaces. </p> <p>“We are patronised and then we vanish,” writes Thorn.</p> <p>The work of women and gender diverse artists is often compared to the glossy pedestal of the male creative genius.</p> <p>In this light, we don’t play right, we don’t look right, we don’t sound right. </p> <p>And then, somehow, we don’t age right. </p> <p>Other reasons are far more mundane. Women contribute around <a href="https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/blog/economics-blog/2019/Value-unpaid-work-care.html">13 hours more unpaid work</a> than men each week. </p> <p>Carrying plates overflowing with generous gifts of labour, the maintenance of a music practice – a largely underpaid endeavour – is often the first to fall by the wayside. </p> <p>Add to the mix ingrained social networks of knowledge sharing, and the dominance of men making decisions higher up the chain, and it is easy to see how women and gender diverse musicians stay submerged as men rise to the limited real estate of music elders. </p> <p>The problem isn’t so much about starting up. It’s about finding the time to keep up.</p> <h2>Our female and gender diverse music elders</h2> <p>There are so many Australian female and gender diverse music elders. Some are visible, but many ripple beneath the surface. </p> <p>Regardless of genre, in maintaining decades-long practice, they are the super punks whose legacy can be heard in venues across the country. </p> <p>The challenge now is to support the current crop of excellent musicians beyond the flushes of youth so that we have a more sustainable, textured and diverse Australian music culture. One where Mitchell’s defiance of expectations represents the status quo of how older women should and can be.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/with-the-strokes-of-a-guitar-solo-joni-mitchell-showed-us-how-our-female-music-elders-are-super-punks-188075" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Music

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Australian Hall of Fame footballer killed in car accident

<p dir="ltr">The AFL world is in mourning after legendary footy player Neil Kerley AM died in a horrific car accident. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 88-year-old was towing a trailer in Walker Flat in the Murraylands, South Australia just before 5:30pm on Wednesday when he crashed through a fence and into a paddock.</p> <p dir="ltr">He tragically died at the scene. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Australian Hall of Fame icon, nicknamed Knuckles and King and Kerls, was affectionately known as the “King of South Australian football”.</p> <p dir="ltr">With a career spanning over 17 years, Kerley made a name for himself after playing 265 games in the South Australian National Football League (SANFL).</p> <p dir="ltr">He represented South Australia 32 times, six times of which he was captain. </p> <p dir="ltr">Kerley then went on to coach 628 games and was a two-time premiership coach and two-time premiership captain-coach.</p> <p dir="ltr">Eventually Kerley was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, as well as the South Australian Football Hall of Fame.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter/Getty</em></p>

News

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Neil Diamond's incredible rare treat for fans

<p dir="ltr">Baseball fans were given a surprise treat from singer Neil Diamond who made an appearance at the Boston Red Sox game.</p> <p dir="ltr">Diamond gave a heartwarming performance of his classic “Sweet Caroline” at the game on June 18 at Fenway Park in Boston. </p> <p dir="ltr">Heartwarming footage shows Diamond enthusiastically singing along while sporting the black and red Boston Red Sox letterman jacket as the crowd joined in. </p> <p dir="ltr">This was Diamond’s first performance since 2018 after he retired due to his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Neil Diamond singing "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park is incredible 🎤 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/P1yRDJR5ho">pic.twitter.com/P1yRDJR5ho</a></p> <p>— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBONFOX/status/1538345916490473472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">He previously sang the song at the same stadium in 2013 when the Red Sox played their first home game since the Boston Marathon bombing. </p> <p dir="ltr">The song has now become a part of tradition for the Red Sox who play “Sweet Caroline” during the eighth inning of each home game. </p> <p dir="ltr">Despite retiring from live touring, Diamond said that he would “continue his writing, recording and development of new projects”.</p> <p dir="ltr">There is a musical about Diamond’s life currently in pre-production and is expected to open on Broadway later in the year. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Music

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Australian artist and philanthropist Neil Balnaves dies in boating accident

<p dir="ltr">Australian arts philanthropist Neil Balnaves has died at 77 following a boating accident. Balnaves was reportedly holidaying with his wife, Diane, near Tahiti when the accident occurred.</p> <p dir="ltr">Leading figures from the art industry have paid tribute to Neil, as a man who had a vision to “create a better Australia”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Balnaves Foundation released a statement on Tuesday, confirming his death. “The Balnaves family sends their heartfelt thanks for people’s kind words and wishes and kindly requests privacy at this difficult time,” it read.</p> <p dir="ltr">Balnaves had a successful career in TV, running Southern Star production house and producing popular shows including Big Brother, Bananas in Pyjamas, Water Rats and McLeod’s Daughters.</p> <p dir="ltr">After a string of successes, he became chair of the Ardent Leisure Group, which ran theme parks such as Dreamworld on the Gold Coast  from 2003 until 2016.</p> <p dir="ltr">After a boating accident on the Gold Coast in 2002, which almost killed him, Balnaves became an avid philanthropist. He gave away $20m of his fortune to arts organisations.</p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/22/neil-balnaves-australian-arts-philanthropist-dies-aged-77-after-boating-accident">Guardian Australia</a> was just one of the beneficiaries of his philanthropic foundation, which also donated to Sydney’s Ensemble and Belvoir Street theatres, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of South Australia, the Adelaide festival and Bangarra Dance Theatre.</p> <p dir="ltr">The foundation gave a grant to Guardian Australia for in-depth reporting on Indigenous affairs, and an in-depth reporting project on Australian art.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Balnaves Foundation also funded Indigenous and health research.</p> <p dir="ltr">Balnaves is survived by his wife, Diane Balnaves, whom he married in 1971, and his children, Hamish and Victoria.</p> <p dir="ltr">Kilmurry described Balnaves as a champion for the creative community, not just with his philanthropy but his personal passion for the arts.</p> <p> </p> <p dir="ltr">“We will miss his generous and fearless spirit,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Image: Getty</p>

Art

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Neil Young’s ultimatum to Spotify shows streaming platforms are now a battleground where artists can leverage power

<p>Neil Young has given Spotify an ultimatum: remove the Joe Rogan Experience podcast or Neil Young walks. In a letter to his management team and label, the 79-year-old rocker lambasted Spotify for spreading Rogan’s misinformation about COVID vaccinations.</p> <p>“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/neil-young-demands-spotify-remove-music-vaccine-disinformation-1290020/">said Young to his management team</a> and record label.</p> <p>“They can have Rogan or Young. Not both.”</p> <p>Young is the first high-profile artist to condemn Spotify for its handling of COVID misinformation, but far from the first person to single out Rogan’s podcast on the platform.</p> <p>The Joe Rogan Experience podcast has the highest amount of subscribers on Spotify. In 2020 the podcast became a Spotify exclusive through a deal <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/19/21263927/joe-rogan-spotify-experience-exclusive-content-episodes-youtube">estimated at $100m</a>. Despite its massive popularity, the Joe Rogan Experience has been frequently criticised for promoting conspiracy theories, misinformation and other problematic content.</p> <p>In January 2022, 270 medical health practitioners and researchers submitted <a href="https://spotifyopenletter.wordpress.com/2022/01/10/an-open-letter-to-spotify/">an open letter</a> calling on Spotify to moderate misinformation on its platform. The letter was prompted by an episode that featured a controversial physician who openly promoted conspiracy theories and baseless claims about COVID vaccinations.</p> <p>“This is not only a scientific or medical concern; it is a sociological issue of devastating proportions and Spotify is responsible for allowing this activity to thrive on its platform,” the letter read.</p> <p>Two days later, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/music-news/spotify-neil-young-joe-rogan-1235081916/">Spotify has reportedly removed Young’s music from its platform</a>. This isn’t the first time Young has removed his songs from Spotify, citing poor sound quality as the reason when he temporarily <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/neil-young-interview-archives-crazy-horse-upcoming-albums-784773/">pulled his entire catalogue</a> from Spotify in 2015.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442842/original/file-20220126-14-1914439.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/442842/original/file-20220126-14-1914439.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">Joe Rogan on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. A few weeks ago, 270 doctors, scientists, healthcare professionals and professors wrote an open letter to Spotify, expressing concern about medical misinformation on Rogan’s podcast.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">YouTube</span></span></p> <h2>Stream of conscience</h2> <p>Neil Young is not the first musical artist demanding change from the streaming giant.</p> <p>Spotify and other music streaming platforms have become a battleground where artists can leverage their power, notably over disputes concerning artists’ revenues and the value of music in an era of streaming.</p> <p>In 2015, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/9/15767986/taylor-swift-apple-music-spotify-statements-timeline">Taylor Swift briefly removed her album 1989</a> from Apple Music due to the platform offering a three month free trial that would not generate royalties for artists.</p> <p>In 2021, the artist payout debate was reignited after the publication of a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/10/music-streaming-debate-what-songwriter-artist-and-industry-insider-say-publication-parliamentary-report">Parliamentary report in the UK</a> calling attention to Spotify’s handling of artists’ rights management, revenue rates, and commercial fairness.</p> <p>Recently, following the release of her latest album 30, <a href="https://theconversation.com/adele-has-successfully-asked-spotify-to-remove-shuffle-from-albums-heres-why-thats-important-for-musicians-172301">Adele took aim at Spotify</a> demanding the shuffle feature be removed from albums encouraging users to listen to the tracks in their intended order.</p> <h2>Self-regulation</h2> <p>Spotify has taken action to regulate harmful content on its service in the past. In 2017, Spotify <a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/8/17/16162146/spotify-removing-white-supremacist-neo-nazi-bands">announced it would remove content</a> from bands connected to white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements.</p> <p>Spotify also joined several other social media and streaming platforms including Facebook, Apple Music and podcast platform Stitcher to remove the <a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/8/6/17655516/infowars-ban-apple-youtube-facebook-spotify">polemical right wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones</a> and his podcast InfoWars for spreading misinformation and lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting.</p> <p>In 2018, Spotify added <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/spotify-is-officially-policing-the-music-it-hosts-627638/">a new hate conduct policy</a> to its terms of use that included guidelines for removing music that “promotes, advocates, or incites hatred or violence.” Spotify developed the policy in partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League. The platform faced immediate backlash when it <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/10/arts/music/rkelly-spotify-accusations-xxxtentacion.html">cited the policy to defend</a> removing American artists R. Kelly and XXXTentacion from its editorial and algorithmically curated playlists. The two artists’ catalogues were not removed from Spotify’s streaming library, but would be far less visible to listeners.</p> <p>Critics viewed Spotify’s use of the policy an attempt to censor music. With such a sweeping definition of hate conduct, some observers wondered, why were R. Kelly and XXXTentacion removed and not the dozens, if not hundreds, of other artists with controversial pasts or criminal convictions?</p> <p>The move prompted other prominent artists, most notably Kendrick Lamar, to threaten <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/kendrick-label-head-confirms-he-threatened-to-pull-music-from-spotify/">withdrawing their music from Spotify</a> entirely. Shortly afterwards, Spotify rolled back the policy. In a <a href="https://newsroom.spotify.com/2018-06-01/spotify-policy-update/">corporate statement</a> announcing the shift, Spotify also minimised its responsibility in political matters or public controversies: “That’s not what Spotify is about. We don’t aim to play judge and jury.”</p> <p>Digital platforms have taken steps to moderate misinformation. For example, in the lead up to the 2020 US election, Twitter began <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/twitter-adds-fact-check-warning-trump-tweets/">adding fact-check labels</a> to tweets shared by former president Donald Trump. Later that year, Facebook’s Oversight Board <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/22/tech/facebook-oversight-board/index.html">began hearing cases</a> to oversee key decisions related to content moderation.</p> <p>Throughout the COVID pandemic, academics and public health officials <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-a-virus-goes-viral-pros-and-cons-to-the-coronavirus-spread-on-social-media-133525">have called on social media platforms</a> to help fight the spread of dangerous health-related misinformation.</p> <h2>Policing platforms</h2> <p>Reliance on platforms to moderate podcast content is a tenuous proposition. As commercial entities operating internationally, platforms simultaneously seek to serve their corporate interests and comply with regulations and laws in multiple jurisdictions.</p> <p>Significant change can be achieved when platforms act in unison, such as in <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/12/28/792078881/spotify-becomes-latest-tech-company-to-hit-on-pause-political-ads">the decision to ban political advertising</a> implemented by several major digital platforms including Spotify after facing significant public pressure. Still, users and advocates should not hold their breath waiting for platforms to do the right thing.</p> <p>Failures to moderate harmful content are harder to ignore when they involve bigger name artists. Neil Young has never shied away from political action in a musical career spanning nearly six decades. The singer’s demands were bolstered by a credible threat: he’s removed his music before and now he’s done it again.</p> <p>Ideally, the pressure from Young’s fans and other prominent artists will push Spotify to take effective action against misinformation so users can spend time rockin’ in the free world instead of listening to COVID conspiracy theories.<!-- 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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/175732/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><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/d-bondy-valdovinos-kaye-1046676">D. Bondy Valdovinos Kaye</a>, Lecturer, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></span></p> <p>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/neil-youngs-ultimatum-to-spotify-shows-streaming-platforms-are-now-a-battleground-where-artists-can-leverage-power-175732">original article</a>.</p>

Music

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Neil Young demands his music is removed from Spotify

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an open letter to his management team, record label, and Spotify executives, Neil Young has demanded his entire music catalogue be removed from the streaming service.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">His reasoning behind the demand stems from Spotfiy giving a platform to podcasters who spread vaccine misinformation and dangerous rhetoric about the Covid-19 pandemic. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He wrote, “</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform,” he continued. “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young. Not both.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neil’s callout directly targets right-wing podcaster Joe Rogan, who regularly pedals an anti-vaccine sentiment on his show </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joe Rogan Experience</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and even claimed he used livestock medication ivermectin to “cure” his bout of coronavirus. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“With an estimated 11 million listeners per episode, JRE, which is hosted exclusively on Spotify, is the world’s largest podcast and has tremendous influence,” the letter reads. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Spotify has a responsibility to mitigate the spread of misinformation on its platform, though the company presently has no misinformation policy.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Just 48 hours after Neil Young issued his public demand, Spotify confirmed they would be removing his music from their platform. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The company said they regretted the turn of events and hoped to “welcome him back soon”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We want all the world’s music and audio content to be available to Spotify users,” it said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“With that comes great responsibility in balancing both safety for listeners and freedom for creators. We have detailed content policies in place and we’ve removed over 20,000 podcast episodes related to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neil Young responded to Spotify’s move, saying he was willing to take the hit to his yearly revenue, and urged other artists to contemplate a similar move. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Spotify represents 60 per cent of the streaming of my music to listeners around the world. Almost every record I have ever released is available – my life’s music. (It is) a huge loss for my record company to absorb,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I truly want to thank the many, many people who have reached out to me thanking me for taking this position – people who are health professionals on the front lines, people who have lost loved ones to Covid or who are worried for their own children and families. I have never felt so much love coming from so many,” said Young.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I sincerely hope that other artists and record companies will move off the Spotify platform and stop supporting Spotify’s deadly misinformation about Covid.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Music

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Scott Morrison's nephew faces new charges

<p>Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s nephew has been charged with a number of crimes.</p> <p>Builder, Mitchell Cole, is facing charges for allegedly committing 20 offences, with many claiming he worked on their homes unlicensed and without insurance.</p> <p>In a 2019 segment,<em> A Current Affair</em> revealed that customers had been irritated by the builder who had bragged about his politician-uncle to gain more business.</p> <p>They alleged he took off with their money and left their homes a mess and incomplete.</p> <p>Fay Voyiatsis revealed to the Channel 9 program that she had paid Mr Cole $56,000 to undergo a balcony extension, pergola and some retaining walls.</p> <p>However, she says it became clear he never intended to finish the job.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841601/scomo-nephew-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ec0f2cc7bb734162b82d95823e9cb381" /></p> <p>"He was just trying to get as much money out of us and walk away," she claimed.</p> <p>Father of two James McCall also had his own experience with the politician’s nephew, claiming he paid Mr Cole $23,000 to tile his pool and erect some fencing.</p> <p>However, the small amount of work he did was riddled with issues which Mr Cole claimed would cost another $15,000 to fix.</p> <p>Couple, Vanessa Corsar and Peter Flanagan, also allege they gave Mr Cole $26,000 for an extension on their house, but later found out that allegedly Mr Cole didn't even hold a building licence.</p> <p><em>A Current Affair</em><span> </span>revealed Mr Cole was well known to fair trading and had been convicted six times.</p> <p>He had also been fined more than $60,000 for carrying out work without a licence.</p> <p>He allegedly continued his operation and changed his business name multiple times.</p> <p>The Prime Minister made it clear he did not have much contact with his nephew but found the information about Mr Cole “deeply concerning”.</p> <p>Mr Cole faces court next week.</p> <p><em>Image: Channel 9</em></p>

Legal

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Home and Away star sells Sydney apartment

<p>US-based­ ­expatriate actress Rebecca Breeds has sold her ­investment apartment home in Sydney, securing $810,000 for the Narrabeen property.</p> <p>The Australian actress appears to have done well for herself living in Los Angeles as she is set to appear in the series<span> </span><em>Clarice.</em></p> <p>She originally bought the lakeside apartment for $490,000 in 2009 and moved to the US seven years ago with her husband, Luke Mitchell.</p> <p>The pair met in 2009 when Mitchell, who originally was on Neighbours, made his way on to the Summer-Based soapie<span> </span><em>Home and Away</em>.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7839294/home-and-away.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5deab8f9bd60450584d2695f48bc8ca5" /></p> <p>He starred as Romeo Smith while breeds played Ruby Buckton.</p> <p>Since moving to the US, Breeds has secured roles in <em>Pretty Little Liars</em> and <em>The Originals. Clarice</em> is the Silence of the Lambs ­reboot with Breeds reprising Jodie Foster’s Oscar-winning role.</p> <p>The lakeside Goodwin St property sold just before the northern beaches cluster lockdown and had been making income for Breeds as a rental property.</p> <p>Breeds and Mitchell still share their three-bedroom Cronulla apartment, which they rent out after purchasing for $1,425,000 back in 2017.</p>

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