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Aussie Vietnam vet reunited with lost war medals just in time

<p>A Vietnam veteran has been reunited with his lost war medals that were missing for a year, just in time for Remembrance Day. </p> <p>When attending a Remembrance Day event in New Zealand last year, Townsville veteran Malcolm Edmiston lost his medals somewhere along the journey to Christchurch from Brisbane. </p> <p>The medals were left sitting unclaimed in Brisbane Airport's lost and found after being found in an airport terminal, before airport staff launched a social media campaign to find their owner. </p> <p>After seeing a post on Facebook, Edmiston was finally reunited with his precious medals just in time for this year's Remembrance Day events. </p> <p>"It's very good to have them back, great to have them back, I thought they were gone and gone for good," Malcolm told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/lost-war-medals-returned-to-vietnam-veteran-in-time-for-remembrance-day/b03bf4df-0d3c-440b-9783-1e6c7ac73a11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Today</a></em>.</p> <p>"The zip was opened on my case and somehow they fell out, so it's a good reminder for us to take extra care when we pack."</p> <p>Malcolm was not the only one in his family to serve the country, sharing how his father served in the Royal Navy, he had uncles in the Royal Australian Air Force and and the Royal Air Force and a brother who served in Naval Reserve.</p> <p>His son also served in the Navy and with so many of his fellow Vietnam veteran soldiers no longer alive, having his medals back today is something special.</p> <p>"Remembrance Day is a very important day for me," he said.</p> <p>Brisbane Airport's media manager Peter Doherty added that he was thrilled to see the medals return to their rightful owner. </p> <p>He said, "For Malcolm's lifetime of service, the least we could do was the door-to-door service to get the medals back to him."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

Retirement Life

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Elizabeth Hurley reunites with Shane Warne's kids

<p>Two years after Shane Warne's death, his ex-fiancé, Elizabeth Hurley has reunited with his three kids. </p> <p>Elizabeth and her son Damian Hurley, 22, caught up with Brooke Warne, 27, Jackson Warne, 25, and Summer Warne, 23, at Oaks Day.</p> <p>"Today deserves a double upload," Brooke captioned a series of photos with Warne's kids. </p> <p>"Special memories with this bunch, a special day with our special people!"</p> <p>In one photo, the 59-year-old actress had her arm around Brooke as the pair smiled for the camera. </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/DCEGMZMyMpD/?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/DCEGMZMyMpD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by B R O O K E 🍿 W A R N E (@brookewarne)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Elizabeth and her son flew out to Australia for the race, with Damian opening up about how important the trip was for him in his own Instagram post. </p> <p>"My forever family ♥️ Coming back to Australia was always going to be hard. Part of me wanted to put it off forever, knowing that once here, the reality of SW’s passing would truly sink in," he wrote on Instagram. </p> <p>"Now, being back in this beautiful place which I was once lucky enough to call home, I’m overwhelmed with more love than I’ll ever be able to put into words. My heart is full." </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/DCEsxMxviXc/?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/DCEsxMxviXc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Damian Hurley (@damianhurley1)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Brooke also shared a video on her Instagram stories with Damian, with the caption: "Baby brother, missed you." </p> <p>Elizabeth and Shane were together from 2010-2013 and they got engaged in 2011. </p> <p>The former couple often made appearances together at race days, including Royal Ascot in the UK and the 2011 Melbourne Cup Carnival. </p> <p>Despite their split, Shane and Elizabeth stayed good friends. </p> <p>On Tuesday, the actress opened up about how "bittersweet" it was to be back in Australia. </p> <p>"Bittersweet to be back in Melbourne - home to so many memories. Thank you @flemingtonvrc for inviting me and my son. We had a beautiful day," she wrote. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Mother and son reunited after rigid aged care rules divided them

<p>An elderly woman and her disabled son are celebrating after they successfully beat a bureaucratic blockage that threatened to <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/red-tape-threatens-to-remove-a-man-with-down-s-syndrome-from-his-elderly-mother" target="_blank" rel="noopener">split</a> them up for good. </p> <p>Anne Deans, 81, and her 56-year-old son, Mark, who suffers from Down's syndrome, were hoping to live together in Anne's aged care facility, but the pair were met with countless hurdles when trying to get Mark a room of his own. </p> <p>Now, Mark's sister Sharon shared the happy news that the mother and son are to be reunited.</p> <p>"We're very happy today. We've got a great result," Sharon told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/melbourne-mum-and-son-living-with-downs-syndrome-reunited-in-aged-care-facility/ff023844-be2d-4ab8-be95-75bf91f17b4a" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>"I'm so grateful that people understood and they listened. That's all I ever wanted through this whole thing, was someone to listen."</p> <p>The problems began when authorities originally refused Mark's request to move into Anne's aged care facility, with federal government policy saying that aged care is "not appropriate for people under 65".</p> <p>But Mark's relatives argued that given the life expectancy of people living with Down's syndrome is 60 years, an exception should be made.</p> <p>A new assessment was done and Mark has been granted a place at the same nursing home as his mother, as Mark's other sister Michelle said, "We got what we wanted. Everything worked out perfectly, the way it's supposed to."</p> <p>After Anne received the exciting news, she said, "I'm feeling great. He's staying with Mum!"</p> <p>Sharon and Michelle hope that their experience will assist other families with unique circumstances.</p> <p>"My advice is to keep pushing," Sharon said. "Only you know your family and you have to be their voice.</p> <p>"There's a lot of difference out there and a lot of people who are individuals [and] they need to be looked at individually."</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair </em></p>

Legal

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Dr Chris Brown to reunite with Amanda Keller on new show

<p>Dr Chris Brown and Amanda Keller will be reunited on screen for the first time in two years. </p> <p>Keller confirmed on her WSFM breakfast show that she will reunite with Brown for his new series <em>Once in a Lifetime, </em>and will be travelling across the globe to film the show. </p> <p>“It’s a show called Once in a Lifetime, and Chris Brown is hosting this," she told listeners on Tuesday morning. </p> <p>“And this is a show I know that he’s wanted to do for years … I do know which country I’m going to, but I’m not allowed to say. It’s in Africa.</p> <p>“It’s Chris’s show. He and I are hanging out, and I’m going to be having experiences.</p> <p>“My nature is to over-research things and there’s nothing I can do. I can’t do that. So it’s a TV show where I can go into it floating, I can get on a plane and not have to be anxious about having to prepare something.</p> <p>“It’s a real gift for me, so I’m excited. But I have arranged for people to come in and play with you while I’m away.”</p> <p><em>Once in a Lifetime</em> will air on Channel 7, and was announced last year. </p> <p>It is an animal adventure series starring Brown, where he will be "pushed to his limits in the pursuit of the ultimate animal encounter," according to a Channel 7 spokesperson. </p> <p>“But he will not be travelling to the furthest corners of the globe alone. In the most delicious twist, Chris will be taking the country’s most intriguing and entertaining personalities along … as his veterinary assistant," they added. </p> <p>This is the first time the duo are reuniting on screen after working on <em>The Living Room</em> together for a decade before it was axed in 2022. </p> <p><em>Images: Ten</em></p>

TV

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ABBA members reunite for knighthood

<p>ABBA has reunited to receive the Royal Order of Vasa knighthoods in Sweden. </p> <p>All four members of the iconic group were handed the honours by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia at the Royal Palace in Sweden.</p> <p>Bjorn Ulvaeus, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Benny Andersson received one of the country's most prestigious awards, establishing them as Commanders of the First Class, for “very outstanding efforts in Swedish and international music life.”</p> <p>The Royal Order of Vasa is an order of chivalry given in recognition of personal efforts for Sweden or for Swedish interests, and was last handed out almost 50 years ago. </p> <p>The pop band were recognised by the King and Queen for their cultural impact, which has taken Swedish pop music to a huge global audience, following their win in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest with their smash hit <em>Waterloo</em>. </p> <p>Candidates for this year's Royal Order of Vasa honours were nominated by the public and approved by the Swedish government and the King. </p> <p>It has been forty years since the group last performed live together. </p> <p>In 2021 they released a comeback album called <em>Voyage</em>. </p> <p>The group also gathered at the ABBA Arena in London on Thursday to celebrate the second anniversary of <em>Abba Voyage, </em>the avatar show that has been successfully playing at the venue. </p> <p>They have declined to perform at at this year's Eurovision, marking 50 years since their win. </p> <p><em>Image: Henrik Montgomery/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

Music

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Spice Girls reunite for Victoria Beckham's 50th birthday

<p>The Spice Girls have reunited and performed one of their most iconic songs at Victoria Beckham's lavish 50th birthday party. </p> <p>The birthday bash – which cost an estimated $480,000 – was hosted at Oswald’s, a private members’ restaurant in London, with all five Spice Girls, plus host of star guests, including Tom Cruise and Eva Longoria in attendance. </p> <p>David Beckham took to Instagram to share what Spice Girls fans have been dying to see - a video of the girl group singing and dancing to "Stop". </p> <p>“I mean come on x," he captioned the post. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6AWKeaoENX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6AWKeaoENX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fans were over the moon and even British supermodel Adwoa Aboah commented: “What dreams are made of!”</p> <p>“David you are the best social media manager out there, thank you for giving the people CONTENT,” one fan wrote. </p> <p>“I am crying happy tears! OMG! I love Spice Girls so freaking much! Happy birthday, Victoria!” another commented. </p> <p>“The moment the entire planet has been waiting for,” a third added. </p> <p>"The way a whole generation is SHAKING," commented a fourth. </p> <p>Just last month, during an appearance on UK talk show <em>Loose Women</em>, Mel B hinted at a Spice Girls reunion of some kind, which she said would "definitely" be happening this year. </p> <p>“We are definitely doing something,” she told co-host Christine Lampard.</p> <p>“I’m probably going to get told off (for revealing that), but I’ve said it. There you go. I’m in trouble now.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

TV

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Husband and wife with dementia reunite after 30 years apart

<p>A former husband and wife with dementia have been reunited after 30 years apart when they moved into the same care home. </p> <p>Nancy, 86, and Stan, 91, were first married in 1957 in Edinburgh, despite their parents "forbidding" their romance and not approving of their union. </p> <p>The couple went on to have three children and lived happily, until Nancy was nearly killed by a brain haemorrhage when she was in her mid-50s. </p> <p>Nancy had to undergo life-altering surgery and a lengthy recovery time, which ultimately led to the downfall of her relationship with Stan and they filed for divorce. </p> <p>After their split, Stan met another woman when he was in his 70s, while Nancy never had another romance. </p> <p>When Nancy and Stan entered their 80s, they both began to show signs of dementia and could no longer care for themselves. </p> <p>Around Christmas time last year, their daughter Karen made the decision to put her father Stan, who suffered a fall while being cared for in Scotland, in the same home as Nancy, which is where she captured the heartwarming footage of them being reunited.</p> <p>In the clip, Nancy tells Stan he is "not bad looking for his age", while her ex-husband replies, "I recognise your face but I couldn't place who it was".</p> <p>The couple then agree to go on a date together and have a cup of tea, before having a kiss for "old time's sake."</p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #323338; color: #323338; font-family: Figtree, Roboto, 'Noto Sans Hebrew', 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; outline: currentcolor !important;">The video was posted to TikTok by Karen's daughter Sarah-Ashleigh, who spoke to the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13196325/Heartwarming-moment-former-husband-wife-dementia-reunited-care-home-30-years-apart.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a></em> about the family's decision to put both Nancy and Stan in the same care home. </p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7341697620181519648&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40sarahashleighflorals%2Fvideo%2F7341697620181519648&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-useast2a.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast2a-p-0037-euttp%2F4189e3105ed04778a3de6a83a40077b6_1709372224%3Fx-expires%3D1712448000%26x-signature%3DcpIHZABQ%252FDnAqGU7bJYeryVnJlU%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>"We were so worried how this would go. It's so good to see them be friends again," she said.</p> <p>"Dementia is a horrible disease, but it's moments like this which we really just hold on to."</p> <p>"Granny struggles a bit more in general and gets anxious and confused but I think having someone there who she knows has done wonders for her."</p> <p>"She's always looking for him (even when he's right next to her) and they sit together a lot and bicker like the married couple they used to be."</p> <p>"Love might not be the same kind of love forever, it is a shape shifter, but it never leaves."</p> <p>"Their marriage didn't last forever but just seeing them have a friendship again just shows that love never dies."</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Caring

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"I thought I was gone": Grandfather reunited with rescuers after pier fall

<p>John Mirabelli, 88, has been reunited with the three men who saved his life after he accidentally fell into the ocean. </p> <p>The great-grandfather was fishing off Portsea Pier in Victoria last month, when he lost his footing and fell off the pier and into the bay. </p> <p>"I thought I was gone, because when I fell in, I went straight down," Mirabelli told<em> 9News</em>. </p> <p>Dressed in just a raincoat and a pair of gumboots, the 88-year-old was drenched and holding on to a slippery pylon for almost an hour, and just when he thought all hope was lost,  local surfer Ben Buxton luckily walked by.</p> <p>"I looked over and I saw John holding onto a little wire and the look on his face, it was kinda terrifying, because he appeared to only have a few moments left until he had to let go of the wire," he said. </p> <p>"I just thought if I can get a board to where John is then he's possibly got a chance."</p> <p>As he paddled over to Mirabelli, police officers Oliver Waters and Adam Gardner arrived, after a call to triple zero. </p> <p>Between them Buxton and Waters took turns reassuring the great-grandfather and convinced him to hold on to the board, as they floated him around the pier for almost 20 minutes to get him back on dry land. </p> <p>"In that time, we were talking to John to try and get him relaxed," Buxton said.</p> <p>"And he kept talking about the calamari that he'd had to let go when he'd fallen into the pier."</p> <p>After a stint in hospital, Mirabelli was reunited with his rescuers. </p> <p>"It's special for us, we really appreciate the chance to catch up with John again," Waters said. </p> <p>"He's a lovely man."</p> <p>Mirabelli embraced the three men and expressed his gratitude: "If it was not for you, I would not be alive."</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The 88-year-old has </span>fished at the same spot for decades and said that he won't be scared away anytime soon. </p> <p>He even joked about how he will search for the calamari that got away. </p> <p>"Next time I'll fix him up - if it's the same one," he said. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Caring

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Gogglebox star reunites with cast amid dementia diagnosis

<p>The <em>Gogglebox Australia</em> cast has reunited with beloved grandma Emmie Silbery over the weekend, amid her ongoing battle with dementia. </p> <p>The 94-year-old TV star personality was showered with love and affection from co-stars Tim Lai, Faye Kontos, Kate and Matt Dalton, and Keith and Lee Riley in a clip shared on Instagram. </p> <p>"It was great to see our darling Emmie again..❤️"  the captioned read, with Stevie Wonder's <em>Isn't She Lovely</em> playing in the background. </p> <p>This is the first time the cast have seen Emmie since her dementia diagnosis last year. </p> <p>In the clip, Keith and few other cast members were filmed hugging Emmie. </p> <p>Emmie, her daughter Kerry Silbery and granddaughter Isabelle Silbery first appeared on the show in 2016. </p> <p>After almost seven years and 14 seasons of the trio being couch critics, they announced that Emmie would not be joining them in the latest season because of her dementia diagnosis. </p> <p>But the Silbery's have been sharing updates on Emmie's health, and the moment she <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/heartwarming-moment-gogglebox-star-introduces-newborn-to-grandma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met her great-granddaughter</a> just last month. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C1y_nv_hs9i/?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/reel/C1y_nv_hs9i/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lee and Keith (@lee_and_keith)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In another <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C1yu_0ePuCG/?hl=en&img_index=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> shared by co-star Kate Dalton, she revealed that the cast members also met Isabelle's newborn daughter, Ruby, who was named after Emmie's aunt. </p> <p>"Meeting the newest Gogglebox family member, Ruby," Kate captioned the photo, tagging Isabelle. </p> <p>"Special guest Emmie ❤️" she added. </p> <p>Fans of the show have shared how much they miss seeing Emmie on TV. </p> <p>"So good to see her looking so well…miss seeing her on the couch," one wrote. </p> <p>"How wonderful! Miss seeing Emmie so thank you so much for sharing this with us! ❤️" added another. </p> <p>"Miss seeing her on the couch," commented a third. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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Nine-year-old Hamas hostage believed dead is reunited with her father

<p>Dozens of hostages are recovering after being freed from their captors, after a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect. </p> <p>Almost eight weeks of violence came to a halt as the truce began, with Hamas so far releasing 41 hostages in the first two days of the truce. </p> <p>Among those who were freed by the radical Palestinian group was nine-year-old Emily Hand, who's father thought <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/death-was-a-blessing-why-father-was-glad-to-hear-his-daughter-was-killed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she was dead</a>. </p> <p>When Emily was at a sleepover on October 7th, the neighbourhood was bombed and her father Thomas, was told his daughter had died. </p> <p>Now, Thomas and Emily have been reunited, with their emotional reunion just one of many as families across Israel saw the return of their loved ones. </p> <p>Also released by Hamas was four-year-old Abigail Edan, an American-Israeli dual citizen who was abducted by Hamas almost eight weeks ago. </p> <p>US President Joe Biden commented on Abigail's release, saying she has been through "the unthinkable", as the four-year-old saw her mother get killed, before her father was also killed as he tried to shield her from the bombings.</p> <p>Biden said Abigail is receiving love, care and “the supportive services she needs” and adding he hoped “this is not the end of the temporary truce”.</p> <p>“What she endured was unthinkable. She has been through a terrible trauma,” he said. </p> <p>All 41 hostages released by Hamas from captivity in Gaza are stable, according to local medical professionals.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2023/11/24/israel-hamas-truce-comes-into-effect-how-it-could-now-unfold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">truce</a> between Israel and Hamas came into effect on Friday morning, marking the end of seven weeks of constant fighting since the bombing of southern Israel on October 7th. </p> <p>The four-day pause is expected to see the exchange of 150 Palestinian women and children imprisoned in Israeli jails for 50 women and children hostages held by Hamas. </p> <p>Israeli officials, while adamant that the truce is not an end to the war, have also agreed to pause fighting for an additional day for every further 10 captives freed by Hamas.</p> <p><em>Image credits: CNN</em></p>

Caring

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Injured mother and son finally reunited after Daylesford crash

<p>Two survivors of the Daylesford crash have been reunited in hospital, nearly two weeks after the tragedy that claimed the lives of five people. </p> <p>Among those killed were Vivek Bahtia and his 11-year-old son Vihaan, while his 36-year-old wife Ruchi and younger son, aged six, were injured and taken to separate hospitals.</p> <p>Now, Ruchi and her six-year-old boy have been reunited at the Royal Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, after a gruelling 11 days apart. </p> <p>After the emotional reunion, the mother was taken back to the Royal Melbourne Hospital to continue treatment.</p> <p>Members of their family told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/car-accidents-melbourne/daylesford-pub-crash-victim-update-as-surviving-mum-and-son-reunite-c-12574232" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>7News</em></a> that the mother and son still have a long way to go in their recovery, and are also devastated by the loss of their family.</p> <p>To help the grieving family, a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/daylesford-tragedy-helping-the-bhatia-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page was set up after the crash to help cover medical and funeral costs, with the page raising more than $140,000.</p> <p>“We request the community to get behind the Bhatia family — Vivek and his 11-year-old son have lost their lives and Ruchi and her youngest son are hospitalised,” the fundraiser, organised by family friends Preet Singh and Ruby Kaur, states.</p> <p>“It will be a long way to recovery and to get over this unbearable loss.”</p> <p>Last week, Ruchi’s friend Ruby Kaur told <em>7News</em> the mother didn’t see the car coming before it hit her family.</p> <p>“They were enjoying their meal and then she woke up at the hospital. She says she does not know anything. She did not even see the car coming,” she said. </p> <p>Kaur said Ruchi has been asking questions about the crash, mainly about the driver.</p> <p>“She’s asking: ‘Where is that person? Why did he do that?’,” Kaur said.</p> <p>The driver, a 66-year-old man, has been questioned by police, but no charges have been laid as their investigation continues. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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Bondi Rescue lifeguard reunites with child he saved

<p>A <em>Bondi Rescue</em> lifeguard has been reunited with a child he saved earlier this year. </p> <p>On New Year's Day, Anthony 'Harries' Carroll helped save the life of eight-week-old Magnes, after the lifeguard was approached by a distraught man who alerted him to a "dead" baby who had somehow fallen and hit his head on the road.</p> <p>Despite being off-duty after just finished a 13-hour shift, Harries grabbed a defibrillator kit and ran to the child in distress. </p> <p>With several other lifeguards running to assist while hundreds of beachgoers looked on, Harries desperately attempted CPR before placing a ventilation mask and bag over the baby's face. </p> <p>Young Magnes was eventually brought back to life and let out a cry before paramedics took over and whisked the baby away in an ambulance.</p> <p>Ten months on from his miraculous revival, Magnes returned to Bondi Beach with his grateful parents to pay Harries a visit. </p> <p>The delighted lifeguard shared a video of the heartwarming reunion to his Instagram account, saying the clip, "This little man Magnes I resuscitated and pretty much brought him back to life."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CypSD5qREZA/?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/reel/CypSD5qREZA/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Harries (@harriesbondi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"This is pretty much the greatest day of my lifeguarding career to have this little boy in the tower with me."</p> <p>The camera then zooms in the boy's parents, as the lifeguard tells them, "This is my dream to do this for you guys, it's the best thing I have ever done in my career."</p> <p>Harries vowed to help Magnes' parents who have been doing it tough financially.</p> <p>"I am so grateful and happy that I was in the right place at the right time," he captioned the video on Instagram.</p> <p>"The family and little Magnes need help as the cost of medical bills have been really hard on the family. I'll do whatever it takes to help his family and this beautiful child."</p> <p>The incident was featured on the hit Channel 10 show <em>Bondi Rescue</em> earlier this year, where an emotional Harries choked back tears as he relived the harrowing ordeal.</p> <p>"If this is a baby, this is the most important thing ever," he explains in a piece-to-camera as his eyes welled up with tears.</p> <p>"Survival of life for a child surpasses anything I've done in my career."</p> <p>"The father was literally on top of me and to be a father and look up at him and to see water coming out of his eyes."</p> <p>"You know, a dad to a dad, you just want to give it your all."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Family & Pets

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"Reunited at last": Slim Dusty's wife passes away

<p>Award-winning singer and songwriter Joy McKean has died at the age of 93. </p> <p>EMI Music confirmed the news of her death after a long battle with cancer, sharing that she died peacefully while surrounded by her family. </p> <p>McKean was the wife and manager of music legend Slim Dusty, with McKean writing many of his hit songs. </p> <p>Joy was the first ever recipient of the <span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">first Golden Guitar awarded at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in 1973 for the song <em>Lights on the Hill</em>.</span></p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">The song was inspired by McKean's experience towing a heavy caravan up the then-notorious Devil's Pinch, near Guyra, on the New South Wales Northern Tablelands.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Alongside Slim Dusty, she produced more than 100 albums, sold more than eight million albums and earned 45 Golden Guitars over the course of her extraordinary career. </p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">"She will be remembered as a pioneer in Australian music," the company statement said. </p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Golden Guitar and ARIA award-winner Fanny Lumsden took to social media to pay tribute to the icon.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Lumsden said she would "draw strength" from McKean as she continued to play her music in halls throughout regional Australia.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">"Thank you Joy," she wrote.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Many country music fans paid tribute to the late singer online, sharing their memories of listening to her music. </p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Others hoped "her and Slim are together again", saying they have been "reunited at last" in the afterlife. </p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">McKean is survived by her children Anne and David Kirkpatrick, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__3Hrfa" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Woman reunites with family 50 years after her abduction

<p>DNA testing has confirmed the identity of a Texas woman who was allegedly abducted by her own babysitter when she was 22 months old, and reunited with them after 51 long and painful years apart. </p> <p>The Fort Worth Police Department announced that they had “completed official DNA testing which confirmed Melissa Highsmith’s identity”, while noting their hope that “this test result will offer additional closure for the Highsmith family”. </p> <p>While they requested that anyone with more information come forward, the criminal statute of limitations expired 20 years after Melissa’s 18th birthday. </p> <p>As <em>NBC Dallas-Forth Worth</em> reported, Melissa’s own mother was initially suspected of possibly killing her and then covering up the crime, and the family claimed that a babysitter had been responsible for taking her back in 1971. </p> <p>Melissa’s disappearance had been one of America’s oldest missing persons cases, according to <em>WFAA</em>. </p> <p>And while Melissa’s family had spent decades searching for their long lost loved one, it wasn’t until November 2022 that they made their first major breakthrough, when a 23andMe DNA test presented a link between Melissa and her biological parents. It was these same results that the Fort Worth Police Department was seeking to confirm.</p> <p>"I feel like I am dreaming,” Melissa told <em>WFAA</em> upon reuniting with her parents after their life changing discovery, “and I keep having to pinch myself to make sure I'm awake.”</p> <p>"I’m just elated, I can't describe my feelings,” Melissa’s mother, Alta Apantenco, added, “I'm so happy to see my daughter that I didn't think I would ever see her again.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, her father Jeffrie Highsmith admitted that he “cried like a baby”.</p> <p>Melissa went on to tell her family that she had had a difficult life, even going so far as to run away from home, and that she’d done “what I had to do to get by”.</p> <p>“I didn’t feel loved as a child,” she said. “It was abusive, and I ran away at 15 years old.” </p> <p>And the whole time, she’d been living just 20 minutes from her biological family. </p> <p>That same family who are overjoyed to have their beloved Melissa back with them, and took to social media to update followers, sharing the delightful news that their search was - finally - over. </p> <p>“The results were exactly what we already knew. She was in fact Melissa Suzanne HIghsmith!” they wrote on their Facebook page. “We now have the OFFICIAL confirmation that she is ours! Our daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece. We are thrilled! We are thankful and grateful for all the love and support we have received over the years and especially since we found Melissa. </p> <p>“Our family is whole and we look forward to the time we will be able to spend as a family of 7!”</p> <p><em>Images: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Neighbours icons reunite

<p>Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan are planning a small-screen reunion.</p> <p>The Neighbours icons are reuniting for a special episode of the hit BBC sitcom <em>Ghosts</em> as part of this year’s comic relief fundraiser.</p> <p>It’s been 37 years since the pair first starred as Charlene and Scott on Neighbours, and they will take on new roles in the one-off special of <em>Ghosts</em>.</p> <p>Kylie and Jason, who were previously romantically involved, have already shot the episode, according to The Sun, with the show set to air on Friday, March 17.</p> <p>The episode of <em>Ghosts</em>, which portrays a group of spirits haunting a country house, will reportedly include nods to their pop career, including their 1988 duet <em>Especially For You</em>.</p> <p>A TV insider told<em> The Sun</em>, “Getting Kylie and Jason back together is a real coup, and the results are hilarious.”</p> <p>“The episode is really tongue in cheek and they crack gags about their history and music.</p> <p>“It was all kept hush-hush on set to keep the secret that they were both reuniting for the show.”</p> <p>The pair also appeared on screen together in 2022 in what was thought to be the end of an era, the final episode of <em>Neighbours</em>.</p> <p>Jason and Kylie appeared in a brief cameo in the last episode of the soap, which has since been renewed for a new run starting 2023.</p> <p>Kylie parted ways with <em>Neighbours</em> in June 1988, having become the first person to win four Logie Awards in one year and the youngest ever recipient of a Gold Logie.</p> <p>She furthered her career and became a pop sensation, selling more than 80 million albums worldwide.</p> <p>Jason left Neighbours in 1989 and, like Kylie, pursued a pop career. Although he wasn’t as successful as his on-screen love, he had a string of hits, including <em>Too Many Broken Hearts </em>and <em>Sealed With A Kiss</em>.</p> <p>The two stars dated from 1986 to 1989.</p> <p>They were so popular at the time that they recorded the Christmas Number 1 single Especially For You.</p> <p>In 2016, Jason told Mirror, “It was an extremely painful parting of the ways and, without a doubt, I took a long time to recover from it. Years, definitely.”</p> <p>Kylie then went on to date the late INXS frontman, Michael Hutchence. She is now romantically involved with British CQ’s Creative Director Paul Solomons, and Jason is married to Angela Malloch.</p> <p>Comic Relief airs on BBC on March 17.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

TV

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Back to the Future stars reunite

<p>It’s been 37 years since the cinematic masterpiece, Back to the Future part 1, graced our screens. You might be wondering where they are now, although the appropriate question would be, “when the hell are they?”</p> <p>The Back to the Future stars joined up at a fan convention in Portland, USA, and the excitement from fans sighting Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and Thomas Wilson used up a lot more energy than 1.21 gigawatts.</p> <p>Last year, Fox and Lloyd came together on stage at Comic-Con in New York in an emotional display, which brought fans in the audience to tears.</p> <p>On stage, Fox said, referring to his co-star Lloyd, “The best part of the movie was working with Chris,” going on to say he was a genius, also revealing there was “immediate chemistry” between the pair.</p> <p>Fox played the iconic Marty McFly in the 1985 movie. Director Robert Zemeckis had originally cast Eric Stolz as Marty, however, due to conflict with his schedule on Family Ties, Stolz couldn’t continue with the project.</p> <p>Stolz started filming in November 1984 but was replaced by early January. Aside from the schedule conflict with Stolz, it was reported that early footage was also underwhelming. Now that’s heavy!</p> <p>Fox officially joined the production in mid-January of 1985.</p> <p>Fox played Marty McFly in all three Back to the Future movies, Great Scott!</p> <p>The fans are on a sweet nostalgia trip seeing the cast back together after over three decades.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Movies

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Woman reunited with family 51 years after being abducted

<p>A family from the US have been reunited with their long-lost daughter and sister, 51 years after she was abducted as a toddler. </p> <p>Melissa Highsmith went missing in 1971 when, at just 22 months old, she was taken from her parents’ Texas home by a babysitter.</p> <p>Now, with the help of a 23andMe DNA test, the Highsmiths tracked down their missing loved one “without help from law enforcement or other outside involvement.”</p> <p>Melissa was last seen by her family in August 1971, when her mother Alta Apantenco was in need of a babysitter, and hired a woman who expressed interest in the job without meeting her in person.</p> <p>While Apantenco was at work, her roommate handed baby Melissa to the babysitter who allegedly abducted her and never returned. </p> <p>Melissa's family never stopped looking for her, and in recent years even created a Facebook page named “Finding Melissa”.</p> <p>After a recommendation from a genealogist, the Highsmith family used Ancestry and 23andMe to track down Melissa. </p> <p>The family said their mother was hesitant since she had done DNA tests with six different women throughout the years and they all came back negative.</p> <p>“Every time my mother got her hopes up. After 51 years, she didn’t want to submit another DNA test. She was tired and she was hurt and guilty from carrying this all these years,” said Victoria Highsmith, Melissa’s sister, <span style="caret-color: #323338; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Rubik, 'Noto Kufi Arabic', 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">told NBC.</span></p> <p>“I’m thankful that we got her to agree to submit her DNA ... It is because of that, and my dad submitting, that we were able to find Melissa.”</p> <p>“Within three weeks we found my sister. It was like, ‘boom, boom, boom,’ we found her,” said Victoria Highsmith.</p> <p>Victoria also said she is so happy that her mother can now feel vindicated after being accused by police when she had nothing to do with Melissa’s disappearance.</p> <p>“She has carried this pain and this guilt for 51 years and I have watched her cry for three days of joy. I have never seen my mother so happy,” said Victoria Highsmith.</p> <p>When the family met up in an emotional reunion, Melissa with her mother, her father and two of her four siblings, shared tears, hugs and smiles.</p> <p>“I couldn’t stop crying. I was overjoyed and I’m still walking around in a fog trying to comprehend that my sister is right in front of me and that we found her,” said Victoria Highsmith.</p> <p>“It’s a Christmas miracle! It’s amazing meeting her. It was like looking into myself, she looks like me, like us. She’s overjoyed to be in our lives.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Highsmith family </em></p>

Family & Pets

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"The missing boy has been found": Baby Vinh reunited with grandmother

<p>Missing baby Hoang Vinh Le has been reunited with his grandmother after a gruelling 16 months of being hidden from authorities. </p> <p>"The missing boy has been found," grandmother Kim Huong Tran said as she showed off Vinh to <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/missing-aussie-baby-hoang-vinh-le-reunited-with-grandmother-after-being-found/56590f5a-cdfb-4634-a715-49e11d70167a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Current Affair</a> cameras.</p> <p>"Finally I got him back."</p> <p>Vinh was being kept away from his grandmother as a bitter custody dispute played out for more than a year. </p> <p>However, Kim said her sleepless nights and tears were worth the moment her and Vinh reunited. </p> <p>At only two-years-old, Vinh's first few years have been complicated by the behaviour of his parents. </p> <p>Kim helped raise Vinh herself when the couple split shortly after he was born in June 2020.</p> <p>When his parents later decided to reconcile, they wanted to leave Vinh in Kim's care, until they changed their mind about their son when he was nine-months-old. </p> <p>The couple got a court order for Vinh to live with his father Thanh, but due to his history of violence, Kim didn't want to hand baby Vinh over. </p> <p>Not taking no for an answer, Thanh snatched baby Vinh from a doctor's waiting room in April 2021. </p> <p>"I've got the order from the federal court saying that the child's to live with me until 18, or else I wouldn't be snatching the kid off," Thanh told police at the time.</p> <p>A judge then ordered the parents to give Vinh back, but they refused.</p> <p>The last time Vinh was seen alive was in May 2021, in photos Thanh posted on Facebook.</p> <p>Thanh's Facebook post said: "Just informing everyone that myself and my partner and our son Hoang Vinh Le is safe and all living happy together there for (sic) we are not missing. So I don't know why we are listed as missing people LOL."</p> <p>After not hearing any updated on Vinh for several months, on September 25th Kim was notified by police they had found her grandson. </p> <p>Vinh had been abandoned at a childcare centre in Campsie, in Sydney's south-west.</p> <p>NSW Police Detective Inspector Timothy Liddiard led the investigation to find Vinh for a year and a half.</p> <p>"Oh look, it's an extremely unique case. Certainly it's not one I've been involved in previously, of this complexity," Liddiard said.</p> <p>After a paternity test confirmed Vinh's identity and an emergency court sitting granted Kim custody, she was finally allowed to bring him home.</p> <p>Kim said she was still in shock and added the only reason Vinh was found was because whoever was looking after him had given him up.</p> <p>"So good to have him back finally, thank you everyone," Kim said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Dogs cry ‘happy tears’ when reunited with their favourite humans

<p dir="ltr">Along with frenzied tail-wagging and plenty of face licks, new research suggests that dogs can even shed tears when they’re happy to see you.</p> <p dir="ltr">Takefumi Kikusui, a researcher in the school of veterinary medicine at Japan’s Azabu University, first observed the phenomenon six years ago while watching his poodle nurse her puppies, when he noticed there were tears in her eyes.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That gave me the idea that oxytocin might increase tears,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Oxytocin is known as the maternal or “love hormone”, Kikusui explained, with previous research finding that the hormone is released in both dogs and their owners when they interact.</p> <p dir="ltr">To test their teary theory, Kikusui and his colleagues decided to run an experiment where they reunited dogs with their familiar humans, as well as with strangers, and measured the volume of tears in the dogs’ eyes before and after.</p> <p dir="ltr">Publishing their findings in the journal <em><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.031" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Current Biology</a></em>, the scientists found that tear volume increased when the pooches returned to their favourite humans, but not with a person they didn’t know.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a second experiment, the team added oxytocin to the dogs’ eyes to see whether there was a connection to the tears. With the tear volume also going up after oxytocin was added, they concluded that it was proof that oxytocin plays a role in tear production when dogs interact with their owners.</p> <p dir="ltr">Surprisingly, when they asked people to rate dog faces with and without tears, people gave more positive responses to photos of teary-eyed pups, suggesting that tear production in dogs also helps them and their owners forge stronger connections.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We had never heard of the discovery that animals shed tears in joyful situations, such as reuniting with their owners, and we were all excited that this would be a world first!” Kikusui said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Having found that dogs produce tears in situations we’d consider ‘happy’, future work will look to see how teary they get in response to negative emotions and whether being teary plays a social role in how dogs interact with each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Dogs have become a partner of humans, and we can form bonds,” Kikusui said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“In this process, it is possible that the dogs that show teary eyes during interaction with the owner would be cared for by the owner more.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2be14e3c-7fff-ae30-980c-cb1393604fd2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"We all need a big warm hug": Melissa Doyle and Kochie reunite after a decade

<p>For the first time in nine years, Melissa Doyle has made an unexpected return to <em>Sunrise</em>. </p> <p>Melissa was all smiles on the couch as she reunited with former co-anchor Kochie on Thursday morning's show. </p> <p>While she is not back in the hosting chair, Mel appeared on the morning show to promote her latest TV venture. </p> <p>The 52-year-old shared her role as the presenter of the <em>This Is Your Life</em> reboot, which showcases the life of a guest celebrity, sports star, performer or high achiever in a certain discipline each episode, with contributions from family and friends.</p> <p>"It's just time for feel-good, warm nostalgia," she said of the show, which last aired on Channel Nine in 2011.  </p> <p>"I think we all need a big warm hug, so hopefully that's what it'll do."</p> <p>Mel also shared an update on her personal life, revealing her son Nick is now 21 and studying abroad, while her daughter Tully, 18, just started university.</p> <p>"They were all born during the show!" Kochie exclaimed.</p> <p>"I know," Mel replied. 'Everyone knows them since they were tiny little babies. It's nice to come back and see you guys." </p> <p>Mel hosted Sunrise from 2002 until 2013, when she was replaced by Sam Armytage. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise</em></p>

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