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Workmates win $30m powerball in twist of fate

A group of Perth workmates have won the incredible $30 million Powerball after a twist of fate. 15 men and women, ranging from their 30s to 60s, will each take home $2 million after becoming the state's first Powerball winners of the year. The group of friends have been trying to win the Saturday Lotto for years, but when one of them forgot to buy their weekly ticket, they decided to buy the Powerball ticket on a whim. “We all put money into a kitty and I buy a Saturday Lotto ticket every week, plus one for any jackpots of $50 million or more,” the ticket buyer said. "I couldn’t believe it when I realised I forgot to buy our ticket for Saturday Lotto. I was thinking of the grief I was going to get on Monday at work. “I saw that Powerball was at $30 million and bought a ticket for that instead on a whim.” “We should never have had a ticket for this draw," he added. “I’ve never expected to win but play happily knowing that some of the money goes to helping the community.” The man said he now has a plan to retire early and go caravaning around the country with his wife. Other members of the group have decided to help their children and book holidays they had always wanted to take. One woman joked that when she heard the good news she immediately bought her favourite treat - a pineapple. Lotterywest spokeswoman Zoe Wender said the three-week Powerball jackpot run raised $5.9m for Lotterywest’s grants program, which provides supports community groups throughout WA. “It was incredible welcoming this group of 15 winners into the Lotterywest Winners Room and seeing how ecstatic they were,” she said. “This is a life-changing win for this group of workmates, and how fantastic that they are sharing the joy of winning together.” Image: Lotterywest

Money & Banking

Cleo Smith’s abductor learns fate

Terence Kelly has learned his fate after his lawyers attempted to have his sentence reduced. Kelly abducted Cleo Smith from her parents' tent at a remote West Australian campsite north of Carnarvon in late 2021, sparking a massive manhunt before she was found at his home by police 18 days later. The 37-year-old appealed to have his 13 year and six months sentence shortened, with the decision handed down in court on Monday that the sentence would stand. After being jailed in April 2023 following his admission that he kidnapped Cleo, his lawyers argued his mental impairments, including severe personality dysfunction, contributed to his decision to snatch the young girl. His lawyers also maintained the sentencing judge erred in finding Kelly's use of methamphetamine had a "significant and causal role in the offending". They also say the judge didn't give enough consideration to Kelly's childhood disadvantage and trauma. In sentencing, WA District Court Chief Judge Julie Wager said Kelly's actions were at the "highest level of seriousness" and that Cleo and her family would be "permanently impacted". In the court's ruling on Monday, the court accepted the sentence was "severe" but found it reflected the seriousness of the crime. "On any view, the appellant's abduction of such a young and highly vulnerable child from her parents, at night, and then holding her captive in his house for 18 days was extraordinarily serious," Justices Robert Mazza and Stephen Hall found. "As tragic as the appellant's background is, the sad fact remains that his risk of reoffending required that the sentence imposed upon him have regard to the sentencing objective of public protection." Kelly had faced a maximum of 20 years in jail but he got a 25 per cent discount of five years for his early guilty plea. Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram

Legal

Hunter Valley bus driver learns his fate

The judge has handed down his sentence to Hunter Valley bus driver Brett Button, who was behind the wheel of one of Australia's deadliest crashes that killed 10 people and injured 25 others. After a three-day hearing, Button, 59, was sentenced before Judge Roy Ellis at Newcastle District Court on Wednesday afternoon to 32 years behind bars with a non-parole period of 24 years beginning May 8th. He will be eligible for release on parole on May 7th, 2048. When the judge read his sentence, gasps were heard within the courtroom from survivors of the crash, while many victims' families broke down in tears. In sentencing, Judge Ellis said Button was under the influence of the opioid-based painkiller tramadol and had “abandoned his responsibility” to his 35 passengers at the time of the crash. “Words cannot adequately express the pain, anger, and sadness that permeated the first two days of these proceedings as victim impact statement after victim impact statement was read by and for absolutely distraught, depressed, and devastated family members of the deceased and survivors," Judge Ellis said. Judge Ellis said that in his 50 years in the justice system he had never “dealt with, seen, or even read about a case that involved anywhere near the same extent of extraordinary devastation”. “Surviving passengers described the trauma of their injuries and scenes of the crash, with unwanted memory of the carnage still present and easily triggered,” Judge Ellis told the court. Outside the courtroom after the sentence had been handed down, Leoni Bowey, who lost her sister Nadene McBride and niece Kyah McBride in the crash, said the family was surprised by the result but she didn’t “think there was ever an end to this”. “I don’t think closure ever happens,” she said. “Listening to the stories, I realised many of the victims that were on the bus that night are all living with trauma, depression, and anxiety - all things that will be with us for the rest of our lives." “I was having an anxiety attack because it was taking so long to get the numbers, and I had no idea what it all meant... but I will say I didn’t think we would get that sentence. I am really surprised.” <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Image credits: 7News

Legal

Jury decides fate of accused murderer Justin Stein

The jury has handed down their verdict to Justin Stein after a lengthy trial into the murder of schoolgirl Charlise Mutten. Stein, Mutten's stepfather, was found guilty of murdering the nine-year-old and disposing of her body in barrel in the Blue Mountains. Charlise's body was found near the Colo River, northwest of Sydney on January 18th 2022, with gunshot wounds to her face and lower back. The jury deliberated for almost two weeks before delivering its verdict on Wednesday morning, following a four-week trial. Throughout the trial, Stein admitted to disposing of Charlise's body after her death in January 2022, but maintained that the young girl's mother, Kallista Mutten, had been the one to murder the child. Kallista denied having any involvement in her daughter's death and broke down in tears when faced with the accusation in court. As she dismissed the jurors, Justice Helen Wilson thanked them for their service. She said "quite a lot of people" had told her at the beginning of the proceedings that they did not feel they could listen to evidence about the death of a child. <div data-component="EmphasisedText"> "It's not an easy thing to hear evidence about something as distressing as the violent death of, particularly, a child," she said. </div> "That's upsetting, I think, for most people. It's also difficult to sit in judgement on a fellow member of the community." "In being willing to do both those things, you've played a very important role in our criminal justice system." Stein will now face a sentence hearing on August 23rd, where is he faced with life in prison for the murder charge. Image credits: 9News / NSW Police

Legal

Charlie Teo’s fate after guilty finding

The recent guilty finding of "unsatisfactory professional conduct" against renowned neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo by the NSW Health Care Complaints Commission has raised questions about the potential ramifications for his career. Known for his expertise in treating complex brain tumours, Dr Teo has been the subject of controversy and scrutiny in recent years. Amid allegations and concerns over his high fees and unconventional treatment methods, a disciplinary inquiry was launched to examine his professional conduct. Following that inquiry, Dr Teo was <a href="https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/nsw/NSWMPSC/2023/2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found guilty of "unsatisfactory professional conduct"</a>. This finding suggests that his actions or omissions have fallen short of the expected standards of professional behaviour within the medical field. While the finding is significant, it is crucial to understand its specific implications. Dr Teo's guilty finding will almost certainly negatively impact his professional reputation, as it raises questions about his adherence to ethical guidelines and best practices. This development could affect his relationships with patients, colleagues, and medical institutions. Of course, the guilty finding may also have legal ramifications, potentially resulting in disciplinary actions such as fines, suspension, or even revocation of his medical license. The finding could also erode the trust and confidence that patients have in Dr Teo's abilities. Other medical professionals and institutions may also hesitate to collaborate with Dr Teo in the future due to concerns about his professional conduct. However, it's important to note that a guilty finding does not necessarily invalidate all of Dr Teo's contributions and achievements as a neurosurgeon. His expertise and experience in treating complex brain tumours have undoubtedly helped numerous patients in desperate situations. However, the finding does highlight areas where improvements in professional conduct may be necessary if Dr Teo is to rebuild his professional trust. While this guilty finding is undoubtedly a significant setback, Teo's future prospects are not entirely predetermined. It will depend on how he responds, whether he takes steps to address the concerns raised, and his ability to rebuild trust with patients, colleagues and the broader medical community. The guilty finding of unsatisfactory professional conduct against Dr Teo carries significant implications for his career. It has the potential to affect his professional reputation, legal standing, patient confidence, and collaborative opportunities. However, Dr Teo had already alleged to the media several times that the inquiry was instigated solely because his "enemies" had manipulated and coerced two grieving widowers into lodging complaints against him. Considering Dr Teo's previous statements about the lack of support from Australian surgeons, leading him to practically abandon surgery in his home country, it remains to be seen in real terms how this recent decision will affect his career, if it does at all. With appropriate actions and a commitment to addressing these concerns, Dr Teo may be able to navigate this challenging period and work towards rebuilding trust and maintaining his contributions in the field of neurosurgery. Image: Instagram

Body

Fate of Graceland finally decided

Reports have finally confirmed that the iconic Memphis, Tennessee estate, Graceland that famously belonged to Elvis will go to Lisa Marie Presley's daughters, following her death from cardiac arrest at 54 years of age. Elvis’ granddaughters will inherit the estate after ownership was called into question. Graceland was first passed down to Lisa Marie when she was just nine, following the death of her legendary father in 1977. Graceland will now be entrusted to Lisa Marie's daughters, actress Riley Keough, 33 and 14-year-old twins Finley and Harper Lockwood. Lisa Marie will also be honoured with a public memorial service at Graceland following her death. A representative Riley has said that "Riley, Harper, Finley, and Priscilla are grateful for the support, well-wishes, and outpouring of love honouring their beloved Lisa Marie. A public memorial service has been arranged on the front lawn of Graceland at 9:00 am on Sunday, January 22 in Memphis, Tennesee." Her final resting place will be at Graceland next to her son Benjamin, who sadly died by suicide in 2020. Riley is the daughter of Lisa Marie and her first husband, Danny Keough, who also tried to save her life after she went into full cardiac arrest the day she died. Finley and Harper are the daughters of Lisa Marie and her fourth husband, musician Michael Lockwood, who Lisa Marie officially split from in 2021. According to the official website of Graceland, the estate was left to Lisa Marie in trust when she was nine. The trust officially dissolved on her 25th birthday in 1993, which gave her full ownership of the home. Lisa Marie later formed The Elvis Presley Trust to manage the property alongside her mother, Priscilla Presley, and the National Bank of Commerce. Images: Wikipedia / Getty Images

Real Estate

Father’s fury over Charlise Mutten’s fate

Image: Facebook The biological father of missing girl, Charlise Mutten, whose body was found inside a barrel in NSW’s Blue Mountains overnight has paid tribute to his “beautiful” daughter. The 9-year-old was holidaying with her mother Kallista Mutten and stepfather Justin Laurens Stein at a wedding estate in Mt Wilson when she was reported missing at 8:20 am on Friday. Stein, the fiance of Ms Mutten, has since been charged with her murder. Her biological father spoke out about the situation in a Facebook post earlier on Wednesday. “Goodbye you beautiful little girl. I love you so much. I miss you every day! You have captured the hearts of the nation and the world, and now those hearts are breaking, with mine,” he wrote. “This doesn’t happen! Kids need to be safe. What is wrong with you people???? “We will get the answers for you baby, and we will honour you properly. This is not the end of you or your story.” Police, SES and RFS crews spent the past five days searching bushland around the multimillion-dollar Wildenstein wedding venue, where the girl was staying with her mum and her mum’s fiance. Charlise usually lives with her grandmother in Coolangatta, Queensland, but was spending two weeks with her mother during the school holidays. According to acting Commissioner Webb said the cause of the child’s death is yet to be determined and the investigation remains ongoing. “The search will remain ongoing to look for any clues to help us identify the cause of the death,” she said. “I encourage people to come forward with information. There are still many elements of this investigation that we have to work through to determine exactly what happened from the time the young girl was reported missing up until last night when those remains were found.” Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson said while investigators are still uncertain of exactly what happened, they were “certain” about a number of facts, sharing that police have alleged the accused placed her body in the barrel. "Things will unravel over the next week or so to find a cause of death, the purpose for a death, and try and identify exactly what happened so that the remaining family have some comfort in that,” he told reporters. He said the investigation is ongoing and that there is no evidence to support anything other than that the accused acted alone.

News

Vandals of the UK’s Edward Colston statue learn their fate in court

At the height of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, that were sparked by the murder of George Floyd by a US police officer, protestors all around the world took it upon themselves to remove commemorative statues of slave traders. In the UK city of Bristol, four people removed a monument of Edward Colston from a town square, before pushing the statue into the nearby harbour. Many protestors joined the four in spray-painting and destroying the statue, with many onlookers filming the destruction on their phones. Edward Colston was a member of the Royal African Company, and was responsible for transporting thousands of slaves from Africa during the mid 17th century. The four protestors - Rhian Graham, Jake Skuse, Sage Willoughby, and Milo Ponsford - were all charged with criminal damage when they removed the statue without permission. According to the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/05/four-cleared-of-toppling-edward-colston-statute">Guardian</a>, the protestors did not deny that they had toppled the monument, but maintained their innocence over the charges. Despite admitting their involvement, the four protestors were found not guilty and set free. The graffitied monument of Colston has since gone back on view in view in Bristol in a museum, with historian David Olusoga saying that it is “the most important artifact you could select in Britain if you wanted to tell the story of Britain’s tortuous relationship with its role in the Atlantic slave trade.” Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Man who helped his father die finds out his fate

Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide which may be distressing to some readers. After a lengthy battle against aggressive bowel cancer, in May 2021, Colin Stratton decided he'd had enough. Just a few days shy of his 81st birthday, the loving man asked his family to do something for him. Colin, along with his late wife, had been long term supporters of the voluntary euthanasia bill and members of Dying with Dignity. On May 24th, Colin visited his GP and asked for a suicide pill in order to die on his own terms. When the doctor hold him the paperwork would take up to two weeks, he informed his GP he would simply take matters into his own hands. Impaired from extensive chemotherapy, Colin was unable to complete the task of ending his life by himself. Instead, he asked his 54-year-old son Glenn to help him. Glenn initially refused. “Don’t make me make a bloody mess of it, I can’t do it by myself,” Colin told the middle of his three children. Glenn and his father exchanged "I love yous", and Glenn completed one last task for his father. “The psychological pressure on you must have been enormous,” Victorian Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said in a renewed hearing on Wednesday. “You finally pulled the trigger spontaneously out of love and respect for his wishes,” she said. Glenn explained to the court that his father had always done everything he could for his family, and in return they would've done anything for him. His family are all supportive of his actions, as they saw the impact Colin's illness had on the last years of his life. “They also understand how important it was for him to be able to end his life on his own terms when the pain and burden of illness became too great for him,” Justice Hollingworth said. “They describe your actions in helping your father achieve his wish as loving, courageous and selfless.” Glenn Stratton was initially charged with murder after confessing his actions to police, and he spent 46 days behind bars, causing him to miss his father's funeral. Glenn pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting his father's suicide, and Justice Hollingworth declared there would be no benefit to keeping him in jail. He was instead ordered to undergo mandatory counselling. Mr Stratton's family have said they hope voluntary euthanasia will become more widely available so other families don't have to go through the same thing. If you or a member of your family need help in a crisis, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Image credit: 7News

Legal

“This is what I remember”: Turia Pitt reflects 10 years after fateful day

10 years on from the moment that changed her life, Turia Pitt is looking back on what happened that fateful day. While competing in a 100km ultra-marathon in September 2011, Turia was trapped in a grassfire. The mining engineer suffered “full-thickness burns to 65 percent” of her body, had to undergo 200 medical procedures, lost seven fingers, and spent “two gruelling years” recovering. Taking to Instagram, Turia shared a photo of herself and her family, as well as an image of her and her partner, Michael Hoskin, taken prior to her accident. “Ten years on from the fire, this is what I remember…,” she began in her caption. “In September 2011, I was trapped by a grassfire during an ultramarathon. “I remember the hot Kimberly sun beating down, burning my already burnt skin. “I remember accidentally sitting on a bull ant nest. Staring in confusion as the ants started swarming across my legs. “I remember trying to drink some water but spitting it out because it was boiling hot. “I remember seeing bits of my skin stuck to the rocks and spinifex. “I remember the small group of us, banded together. The guys trying to construct some shade for Kate and I, a parasol of fluoro material lit up against the sky.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTwmYSVJ1nG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTwmYSVJ1nG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Turia (@turiapitt)</a> </div> </blockquote> Turia continued to recount how she felt that the hours “dragged on” and how she thought about her partner. “I remember telling myself, ‘Think of his warm face, think of his honey voice, think of his golden skin. Keep thinking about Michael’. “I remember the bubbling feeling of panic as the hours dragged on. Wanting to be rescued. Needing someone to tell me everything was going to be okay. “I remember the sun starting to set, the heat starting to dissipate, the breeze becoming cold. “I remember saying ‘I don’t know if I can stay much longer’.” Turia continued, recalling the moment she was rescued by a helicopter. “And then, I remember salvation. The tch-tch-tch-tch of a helicopter racing across the sky.” Since that day, the 34-year-old has gone on to see success as a motivational speaker and author. She and her husband have two children, Hakavai and Rahiti. Images: turiapitt / Instagram

Beauty & Style

Guy Sebastian’s fate on The Voice 2021 revealed

With The Voice airing on Channel 7 in 2021, speculation about whether the coaches will remain the same has been circulating online. On Wednesday, Guy Sebastian’s brother Chris revealed that the 39-year-old would definitely be returning as a coach. “I’m going to say I’m 98 per cent sure he’s back. He’ll be back for it, yeah,” Chris, who won in 2020, told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.who.com.au/the-voice-2021-guy-sebastian-chris-sebastian" target="_blank">Who magazine</a>. He did admit that he had “no idea” about whether Delta Goodrem will be returning. “I don’t know but I’ve got a gig with Delta in a week or two so I’ll ask her then but I’m not too sure,” the 32-year-old admitted. Delta joined The Voice in its debut season in 2012, whereas Guy became a coach on the show in 2019. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s unlikely Boy George and Kelly Rowland will be returning in 2021, as travel has been limited. Although last month, Boy George admitted that he had “kindly” taken a pay cut from Channel 9 in order to secure a spot on the coaching panel in 2021. “Truth is, I kindly took a pay cut from @TheVoiceAU because of the corona. I am also decent, and they agreed to have me next season,” the British singer tweeted. “If I had known they would swap networks I still would have taken a financial hit because I’m decent and I never burn bridges!” His comments came after New Idea reported that he and Kelly had been dumped from the show.

Music

Australian swimmer Shayna Jack learns fate on career-ending doping ban

Aussie swimmer Shana Jack has been given a suspension of only two years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decided to half her four-year doping ban. Jack was dumped from the Australian team for the 2019 world titles after she tested positive in July last year, resulting in a possible four-year ban. The 22-year-old has always maintained her innocence and claimed that the positive test to non-steroid anabolic agent Ligandrol may have been due to cross-contamination. The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday ruled that Jack did not knowingly take the banned drug Ligandrol and elected to reduce her four-year ban to just two years. "The Sole Arbitrator in charge of this matter found, on the balance of probabilities, that Shayna Jack did not intentionally ingest ligandrol and considered that she had discharged her onus of proving that the anti-doping rule violation was not intentional," CAS said in its ruling. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHpcdQLgwFY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHpcdQLgwFY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Shayna Jack (@shayna_jack)</a> </div> </blockquote> "As a consequence, the Sole Arbitrator imposed a reduced period of ineligibility of two years, commencing on the date of her provisional suspension." Jack can continue her career next year but will not be able to take part in the rescheduled Tokyo 2021 Games. "The anti-doping rules are far from satisfactory and can produce results that are far from fair. In my case, I have proven that I have NOT ever cheated, nor used prohibited substances intentionally or knowingly," she wrote on Instagram. "I cannot change the rules and the rules will remain as they are for the time being. Therefore, I accept this decision with a positive attitude and with gratitude that my career as a swimmer will resume next year. "I have never doubted myself for a minute throughout this ordeal and I have never allowed my integrity to be compromised. I walk a little taller tonight with the fact that this ordeal is finally over. I am returning to swimming – the sport that I have loved all my life and the sport that I will cherish just that little bit more ongoing."

News

Widow of man who died fighting bushfires opens up on fateful moment that saved her life

The widow of a man who tragically passed away alongside his father while trying to protect their NSW family property from bushfires has spoken out for the first time. Renee Salway lost her husband Patrick Salway, 29, on New Year's Eve. Mr Salway died along with his 63-year-old father Robert as the Cobargo fire ripped through their community. His mother returned to the burnt-out property to find her son’s body alongside her husband. Before tragedy struck the Salway family, Renee says her husband had made a promise that he would be safe and return to their three-year-old son before he left to fight the bushfires ravaging his home alongside his family. “The last words he said (were): “I promise I’ll be safe and I’ll be here for Harley,” she told Seven News. “I’ll never forget that.” Ms Salway recalled the horrifying moment she learnt her husband and father-in-law had died on New Year’s Eve. “Everything just falls out of you... you feel like a vacant space,” she said. Ms Salway is pregnant with the couple’s second child and had started dating Mr Salway when she was just 15. She described her husband as a loving father who loved the “simple life” they shared. “If you ever wanted to see love, it was in Patrick’s eyes when he looked at Harley. It was something so special,” she said. The young mother revealed if it wasn’t for her son, she too may have perished in the fire. Ms Salway said she had planned to help her husband and father-in-law as the fire encroached on their family property but had received a call from her mother saying Harley had awoken from a nap and had become restless. In that moment, she made the snap decision to return to her mother and son just hours before the fateful fire swept through, and by doing this sealed her own fate. “He is the reason why I’m here,” she revealed. Patrick Salway was a proud member of the dairy industry and a fifth-generation Cobargo farmer. Hours after his death, Ms Salway took to Facebook to share a touching tribute to her childhood sweetheart. “I will see you again Patrick, my best friend,” she declared. NSW Emergency Services Minister David Elliott declared that the day of their funeral this bushfire season was the "darkest summer" in the state's history. "I'm hoping we don't have a repeat next year, or the year after or for the next 10 years, but the reality is, we probably will.”

Caring

Supermarket customer meets violent fate for “taking too long”

A 69-year-old man has been charged after he punched a customer at a supermarket in Florida for taking too long. Henry Harvey was waiting in line with his wife at American store, Walmart, when he became angry at the customers in front of him on December 4, around 7.15 pm. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7833201/walmart-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0c11b8ebf4a44f91a7f27d97003d87b2" /> According to Cape Coral Police Department, Harvey became involved in an argument with the customer ahead of him about how long they were taking. The argument resulted in Harvey punching the victim in the head. CNN reported. Later, Harvey was arrested at his home for battery. Police said the victim was not seriously injured after the assault. Image credit: Lee County’s Sheriff's Office.

Caring

Juror reveals the words that sealed Bill Cosby's fate

One of the jurors who <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2018/04/bill-cosbys-outburst-in-court-after-guilty-verdict/" target="_blank">found Bill Cosby guilty of sexual assault</a> during a retrial has appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America to explain how the comedian’s own words sealed his fate. <a href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank">News.com.au reports</a>Harrison Snyder conceded in his interview that the trial, “wasn’t an open and shut case”, and the jury was greatly influenced by what happened in court. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNYDNVideo%2Fvideos%2F448843655567000%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> The 22-year-old says it was ultimately Cosby’s deposition, in which he confessed to giving women drugs to have sex with them, was the evidence needed to let him know he was guilty. “I think it was his deposition, really. Mr Cosby admitted to giving these Quaaludes to women, young women, in order to have sex with them,” Snyder said on Monday. The deposition was part of a civil case brought by accusers Andrea Constand and Snyder said he had no doubt the jury landed on the right decision of convicting the 80-year-old. Cosby has maintained his innocence and his lawyers have vowed to appeal. The jurors presiding over Cosby’s case released a statement about their decision. “After thoughtful and meticulous consideration of the information and evidence provided to us, we came to our unanimous verdict,” the jury said in the statement. “Not once were race or the #MeToo movement ever discussed, nor did either factor into our decision, as implied in various media outlets.” What are your thoughts?

Legal

The call that sealed the fate of Titanic victims

On the night the Titanic sank, there was one fateful call that sealed the fate of the victims. Just after midnight on April 15, 1912, two boats received distress calls that the “unsinkable” ship was sinking. The nearest boat to the Titanic, the Californian, was less than 20km from the disaster, yet when Captain Stanley Lord received the news, he decided not to act. Surrounded by icebergs, he didn’t move his ship, didn’t contact the Titanic and didn’t wake up his wireless operators. “The hazard to himself and his command was too great to risk responding,” Titanic researcher Daniel Allen Butler told <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.news.com.au/" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “The Californian did nothing.” Captain Lord later argued that he did not realise the rockets were a distress signal and was further away from the ship than 20km, however, a British inquiry found that if the Captain had decided to push through, the Californian “might have saved many, if not all, of the lives that were lost”. “Such conduct, whether arising from indifference or gross carelessness, is most reprehensible, and places upon the commander of the Californian a grave responsibility,” a US Senate inquiry decided. While Captain Stanley decided to ignore the strange activity, another captain who was more than 100km away, decided to act immediately and his heroism led to the rescue of 705 people. The Carpathia’s wireless operator, Harold Cottam, had sent a message to his counterpart on the Titanic to let him know there were messages from shore for his passengers. The response “literally made Cottam’s blood run cold” Butler said. The response he received was a distress call with the Titanic’s call letters followed by coordinates. The operator ran to Captain Arthur Rostron’s cabin, ignoring protocol and said, “The Titanic has sent out a distress call, she needs our assistance immediately.” The Captain immediately directed his first officer, “Mr Dean, turn this ship around. I’ll work out the course for you in a moment. Now, Cottam, are you sure it’s the Titanic and are you sure she needs our assistance?” As the ship turned around to assist the Titanic, officers were instructed to make room for up to 2000 people, moving passengers into new cabins and transforming pump rooms into temporary dormitories. The rescue mission was dangerous and the captain later said that he believed “some other hand than mine was on the helm that night”. The ship arrived at 4am, nearly an hour-and-a-half after the Titanic sank. When they arrived and didn’t see the ship, they realised the only survivors were in lifeboats. For the next four hours, the ship rushed back and forth collecting boats. Most of the survivors were hauled up into the ship because they didn’t have the strength to climb the ropes. Captain Rostron counted the 705 survivors his ship had collected and decided to return to New York. At daybreak, the Californian arrived at the scene of the Titanic’s historic tragedy. “By the time the captain of the Californian had decided to act and arrived on the scene, passengers would have been dying of hypothermia,” Butler said. “Most, if not all, would have died. “He would have been collecting boats full of corpses.”

International Travel

David Warner decides on his cricketing fate

David Warner, who was widely expected to appeal his 12-month ban handed down to him by Cricket Australia, has instead followed in the footsteps of his former skipper Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft. Warner tweeted on Thursday afternoon that he had "fully accepted" Cricket Australia's punishment for his involvement in the ball tampering scandal. Warner has previously fronted the public in a charged press conference on Saturday when he said he would be seeking advice about his ban. The investigation had found the 31-year-old former vice-captain was the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2018/03/the-mastermind-behind-the-ball-tampering-scandal-revealed/">mastermind behind the ball-tampering scandal.</a> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I have today let Cricket Australia know that I fully accept the sanctions imposed on me. I am truly sorry for my actions and will now do everything I can to be a better person, teammate and role model. — David Warner (@davidwarner31) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidwarner31/status/981767390332465152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2018</a></blockquote> Warner was seen meeting with advisers on Wednesday where he confirmed he would be looking at whether to appeal the penalty. However, he’s ultimately decided against appealing and announced he accepted the sanctions 90 minutes before the CA imposed 5pm deadline "I have today let Cricket Australia know that I fully accept the sanctions imposed on me," said Warner in a statement. "I am truly sorry for my actions and will now do everything I can to be a better person, teammate and role model." Warner is banned from all cricket in Australia for 12 months and forbidden from ever holding a leadership position again in Australian cricket.

Legal

Quick-thinking airline attendant saves young girls from terrible fate

A quick-thinking airline attendant has saved two teenage girls from a terrible fate, when they showed up at her counter with one-way flights and no identification. The duo, aged 17 and 15, turned up to Sacramento International Airport with two small bags and two first-class tickets to New York, booked by another person. Airline worker Denice Miracle knew something was wrong. “Between the two of them, they had a bunch of small bags. It seemed to me as if they were running away from home,” American Airlines worker Miracle said. “They kept looking at each other in a way that seemed fearful and anxious. I had a gut feeling that something just wasn’t right.” What she did next could have saved the girls’ lives. After refusing to let them board the plane, Ms Miracle called the police and explained the situation. Deputy Todd Sanderson soon arrived on the and talk to the girls. It didn’t take long to realise just how close they’d come to an unsightly fate. Sanderson found out the girls had met a man named “Drey” on Instagram, who’d purchased the tickets offering them $US2000 ($2530) to model and feature in music videos. “When I told them that they didn’t have a flight home, that’s when it kind of sunk in that maybe I was actually telling the truth,” Sanderson said. “In my opinion, what was going to happen was they were going to go back to New York and become victims of sex trafficking. They said they wouldn’t have let that happen, and I said they probably wouldn’t have had a choice.” Sanderson praised Miracle for her quick-thinking. “I fully believe she probably prevented these girls from becoming victims,” he said. What are your thoughts?

Travel Trouble

2 questions that determine fate of relationships

Apparently there are just two questions you need to ask to determine if your marriage will last… or not. A University of Virginia study, conducted by Leora Friedberg and Steven Stern, asked 4,242 couples two simple questions to assess the quality of the marriage. They then followed up on the couples six years later. The questions were: 1. How happy are you in your marriage relative to how happy you would be if you weren’t in the marriage? (The answer choices are: much worse; worse; same; better; much better.) 2. How do you think your spouse answered that question? In other words, would you still be just as happy if you weren’t married? After analysing the data, the study authors found only 40 per cent of couples were able to correctly predict what their partner would say – which means 60 per cent of married couples were not quite on the same page. The results also indicated a higher divorce rate in couples where one spouse overestimated how unhappy their partner would be if they were separated. The pairs that remained wedded were when both partners said they would be “worse” or “much worse” if they broke up. The study researchers warned that couples misjudging each other’s emotions could unknowingly cause a divorce. Professor Stern explains: “If I believe my wife is really happy in the marriage, I might push her to do more chores or contribute a larger portion of the family income. If, unbeknownst to me, she’s actually just lukewarm about the marriage, or she’s got a really good-looking guy who is interested in her, she may decide those demands are the last straw, and decide a divorce would be a better option for her.” “In this scenario, pushing a bargain too hard, based on misperception of a partner’s happiness, will result in a divorce that wouldn’t otherwise have occurred.” Professor Friedberg added the research indicated how important it was to pick your battles in relationships. “This data shows that people aren’t being as tough negotiators as they could be, and then we realised that we needed to include caring in the model for it to make sense,” she says. “The idea of love here is that you get some happiness from your spouse simply being happy. For instance, I might agree to do more house chores, which reduces my personal happiness somewhat, but I get some offsetting happiness simply knowing that my partner benefits.” While there are plenty of other reasons marriages break up, their advice is still good to keep in mind. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/dating/2015/08/sexual-health-of-over-60s/">An expert opinion on sex over 60</a> <a href="/lifestyle/dating/2015/08/cheeky-older-couples/">11 cheeky couples who prove love only gets better with age</a> <a href="/lifestyle/dating/2015/07/reasons-couples-fall-out-of-love/">Top 6 reasons couples fall out of love</a>

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Juror reveals the words that sealed Bill Cosby's fate

The call that sealed the fate of Titanic victims

David Warner decides on his cricketing fate

Quick-thinking airline attendant saves young girls from terrible fate

2 questions that determine fate of relationships

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