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Pauline Hanson sued over racially insensitive tweet

<p>Pauline Hanson has been taken to court over a racially insensitive tweet aimed at Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi, with Hanson's lawyers claiming she was merely responding to Faruqi's "provocative" comments. </p> <p>In 2022, Hanson sent a public message on Twitter to Ms Faruqi, telling her to "pack (her) bags and piss off back to Pakistan".</p> <p>Hanson's outburst was prompted by a post by Faruqi following the Queen's death, in which she wrote she could not mourn the passing of the leader of a "racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonised peoples".</p> <p>Senator Mehreen Faruqi is suing the One Nation leader in the Federal Court over alleged racist discrimination, with the trial beginning on Monday. </p> <p>Faruqi's barrister Saul Holt KC said the "demeaning and insulting" tweet was targeted towards his client as a Muslim woman of colour who had migrated to Australia, adding that such language from a public figure was extremely damaging to Faruqi and other migrants. </p> <p>Holt went on to say that the tweet was part of a pattern of racially insensitive behaviour from Hanson, saying the public message was "pernicious and deeply harmful". </p> <p>"A tweet of this kind in the Twittersphere, the dogwhistle doesn't just stand on its own," Holt said.</p> <p>Faruqi is seeking court orders that the One Nation leader donate $150,000 to a charity of the Greens senator's choice.</p> <p>Hanson's barrister Sue Chrysanthou SC called the lawsuit "unmeritorious", arguing her client had responded to an offensive tweet by the Greens senator which was designed to provoke a response.</p> <p>"The wording used by my client ... is directed to Senator Faruqi and Senator Faruqi alone," Chrysanthou said.</p> <p>Chrysanthou went on to say Faruqi's comments were hypocritical, given that she had previously sworn an oath of allegiance to the former monarch when she became an Australian senator. </p> <p>Ms Faruqi is due to appear in the witness box as the trial continues. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Mark Latham sued over homophobic tweet

<p>Mark Latham is being sued by New South Wales independent MP Alex Greenwich, after he failed to apologise for a "disgusting" homophobic tweet. </p> <p>Greenwich said he will initiate defamation proceedings against the One Nation NSW leader in the coming days, after he gave Latham until Thursday May 18th to issue an apology for the tweet against the openly gay member for Sydney. </p> <p>Greenwich confirmed the legal action would proceed after being by Latham's lawyers that he had no intention of apologising. </p> <p><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/mark-latham-under-fire-over-disgusting-homophobic-tweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Latham's tweet</a> made headlines in March, after the politicians became engaged in a war of words over Twitter when discussing <span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">the violent protest at St Michael's Church in Sydney's west, which saw members of the LGBTQIA+ community be attacked by religious extremists. </span></p> <p class="_39n3n" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">More than a dozen LGBTQIA+ protesters were ambushed by hundreds of men outside an event at the church where Mr Latham spoke about parental rights and religious freedom. </p> <p class="_39n3n" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">In an article Mr Greenwich called Mr Latham a "disgusting human being" who risks causing a "great deal of damage to our state". </p> <p class="_39n3n" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif;">Latham was quick to respond on Twitter, saying "That's disgusting?" What about..." followed by a graphic and homophobic comment that OverSixty has chosen not to publish. </p> <p>Greenwich said his decision to take legal action against Latham was something that required much consideration, but something he feels he must do. </p> <p>"This is not a process I enter into lightly, and a process I wish I didn't have to engage in," Greenwich said in a statement.</p> <p>"However, Mr Latham's homophobic, sexualised attack has exposed me to contempt, ridicule and extreme abuse, based on my sexuality, and demands actions."</p> <p>Greenwich has lodged a complaint of homosexual vilification and sexual harassment against Latham with Anti-Discrimination NSW.</p> <p>He has also made a police complaint against Latham for using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend.</p> <p>"It's 2023 and LGBTQIA+ Australians shouldn't have to put up with abuse that targets our sexuality, character, or ability to do our jobs," Greenwich said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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“Pattern of bigotry”: Pauline Hanson being sued by senator over tweet

<p>Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi has launched legal action against Pauline Hanson over a tweet telling her to "pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan”.</p> <p>Documents filed in the Federal Court on May 3 allege the One Nation leader breached section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act with the tweet in 2022.</p> <p>Faruqi is seeking a sum of $150,000 be donated to a not-for-profit or community organisation of her choice.</p> <p>She also wants Hanson to undertake anti-racism training and pay legal fees.</p> <p>Faruqi revealed in a statement that she had “taken on bullies” her whole life and had no choice but to take on Hanson.</p> <p>"I refuse to let Senator Hanson get away with racist bullying and harassment," she said.</p> <p>"Senator Hanson crossed a line when she tweeted those hateful comments and I am hoping the Federal Court puts an end to this pattern of bigotry.</p> <p>"Not just for me, but for the almost 30 per cent of Australians born overseas, and their next generations.</p> <p>"I shouldn't have to take the personal risk and trauma of taking Senator Hanson to court."</p> <p>In 2022, the Greens attempted to reprimand Hanson in the upper house but the motion was amended by the government and opposition to instead condemn all forms of racism.</p> <p>Hanson defended her comments and denied she is racist.</p> <p>Farqui said she decided to launch proceedings following Hanson’s refusal to apologise for her tweet and her rejection of conciliation attempts from the Australian Human Rights Commission.</p> <p>"Senator Hanson has used her decades in the spotlight and immense public platform to spew vicious hate towards people of colour," Faruqi said.</p> <p>"She has caused incalculable harm and gotten away with it for far too long.</p> <p>"It's time that she was held accountable.</p> <p>"Senator Hanson has been contacted for comment on the court action."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty/Instagram</em></p>

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Mark Latham under fire over "disgusting" homophobic tweet

<p>Mark Latham has been condemned by both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and One Nation senator Pauline Hanson for a "disgusting" homophobic tweet. </p> <p>The One Nation NSW leader took aim at <span style="font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Segoe UI, Roboto, Helvetica Neue, Arial, sans-serif;">independent MP Alex Greenwich, an openly gay man, who was discussing the recent violent protest at St Michael's Church in Sydney's west which saw members of the LGBTQIA+ community be attacked by religious extremists. </span></p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">More than a dozen LGBTQIA+ protesters were ambushed by hundreds of men outside an event at the church where Mr Latham spoke about parental rights and religious freedom. </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">In an article Mr Greenwich called Mr Latham a "disgusting human being" who risks causing a "great deal of damage to our state". </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">Latham was quick to respond on Twitter, saying "That's disgusting?" What about..." followed by a graphic and homophobic comment that OverSixty has chosen not to publish. </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">Mr Greenwich said he didn't want to directly respond to the now-deleted tweet. </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">"I understand this tweet has been taken down, and I don't intend to engage with the matter further," he said in a statement.</p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">"My focus in the parliament will be working with the majority of members who support the LGBTQ community to progress important reforms." </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">One Nation founder and leader Pauline Hanson said she and her party associates did not condone the remarks and she has asked Mr Latham to apologise publicly. </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">"I think (the comments) are disgusting," she said in a video on Facebook. </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">"I've actually tried to ring Mark a couple of times to no avail and I have clearly sent a text message to him telling him my views."</p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">Anthony Albanese also condemned Latham's comments, telling 10 News "hateful speech" is never warranted and added nothing to public disclosure. </p> <p class="_39n3n" 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;">"I am concerned that with social media we seem to have a circumstance whereby people would say things through various applications they'd never say to someone face to face and we know that can be very hurtful and it can have drastic consequences."</p> <p class="_39n3n" 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>

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Kamahl demands apology over racial tweet

<p>Singer Kamahl has demanded that radio host Philip Adams issue him a public apology over the racial tweet he made in December where Adams dubbed Kamahl an “honorary white” over his relationship with the late cricketer Donald Bradman. </p> <p>Adams claims to have contacted Kamahl, who says he has been “humiliated” by the incident, but the Malaysian-born singer claims the apology never made it to him. </p> <p>“My understanding is that Mr Adams has written to Kamahl apologising for that,” ABC boss David Anderson said of the situation. “Privately written to him, apologising for that.” </p> <p>As reported by <em>The Australian</em>, Kamahl had plenty to say in response to Anderson. </p> <p>“I resent the fact that you have used the incident on public record as a defence of how you and your management have effectively dealt with this issue,” he wrote. “You stated on the public record that Adams had in fact reached out to me to apologise personally for his highly inappropriate comment.</p> <p>“Mr Anderson, let me clarify, the only action that Adams has taken to date in dealing with this issue is to block me on Twitter and double down on his initial slur in which he referred to me as an ‘honorary white’.” </p> <p>“Bradman refused to meet Mandela?” Adams posted in a now deleted tweet. </p> <p>“Why do you think Sir Donald Bradman refused to meet Mandela?” Kamahl responded. “Why do you think the greatest ever 'spotsman' welcomed me at his home from August 1988 every year, till he left us in 2001?”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Why do you think Sir Donald Bradman refused to meet Mandela ? Why do you think the greatest ever 'spotsman' welcomed me at his home from August 1988 every year, till he left us in 2001? <br />He also left me letters he wrote every year. <br />Why Phillip ?<a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialKamahl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficialKamahl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PhillipAdams_1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PhillipAdams_1</a></p> <p>— Kamahl AM (@OfficialKamahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialKamahl/status/1607369967628095489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>“Clearly, Kamahl, he made you an Honorary White. Whereas one of the most towering political figures of the 20th century was deemed unworthy of Bradman's approval," Adams fired back. </p> <p>Kamahl went on to tell Adams that  responded he “may be white, but oh your soul is black!”</p> <p>The term ‘honorary white’ is said to have originated during South Africa’s Apartheid regime in the 1960s to grant the rights and the privileges of white people to those who would otherwise be considered ‘non-white’ at the time. </p> <p>Many share Kamahl’s belief that Adams’ apology should be as public as his initial words. </p> <p>As reporter Peter Ford said on <em>6PR Breakfast</em>, “you get the feeling that they told him to write this apology and send it to get him off our backs and it’d all go away, and I don’t think that’s good enough.” </p> <p>Kamahl and his followers have been vocal on Twitter about his desire for an appropriate apology, and the impact of Adams’ words, but only time will tell if Adams is to step up and offer one. </p> <p><em>Images: Twitter </em></p>

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Kirstie Alley slammed over deleted Ukraine tweet

<p>Ballroom dancing champion and former Dancing With the Stars contestant Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who’s been posting live updates from inside war-torn Ukraine, has called out Kirstie Alley for tweeting that she doesn’t know what’s “real” and “fake” about Russia invading his home country.</p> <p>Maksim Chmerkovskiy, who’s been posting live updates from Ukraine has called out Kirstie Alley for tweeting she doesn’t know what’s “real” and “fake” about Russia invading his home country.</p> <p>“I don’t know what’s real or what is fake in this war. So I won’t be commenting. I’ll pray instead,” Alley wrote in a since-deleted tweet.</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/New-Project-3.jpg" alt="" width="585" height="503" /></p> <p>Chmerkovskiy then posted a screenshot of the tweet, writing, “Dear Kirstie, We haven’t spoken in a while, but I clearly remember being right next to you while you were organising trucks of aid during hurricane Sandy and I remember all that you were saying to me about situations where innocent are suffering.”</p> <p>“That same energy is needed right now.”</p> <p>He added, “No one needs your prayer if you don’t know what’s real or fake.”</p> <p>The US Dancing With the Stars alum has been in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, as Russia’s attacks on the country continue.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">“I’m safe,” he assured fans on Friday. “We haven’t been told to move, and I’m just following instructions. That’s all I can say.” He also shared that citizens are “being mobilised” and “the whole country is being called to go to war.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">It’s unclear if he was including himself in that, but it’s unlikely as he became a US citizen in 2019. The pro dancer’s wife Peta Murgatroyd who’s also a <em style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;">DWTS</em> alum pleaded on social media for his safe return.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">Meanwhile, Alley took down the tweet and posted instead, “I’m sorry that I’m not an expert on APPARENTLY EVERYTHING. like some of you jack wagons. It’s OK to admit you don’t know things.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">She added, “OMG people are obsessed with hatred. they wait to pounce like rabid dogs no matter what is said. They will TWIST any words to fit their hateful agendas. I think these type of people are the saddest people on Earth.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;">However, it only took a few days before she was posting links to her 1.5 million followers of places they can donate to help Ukraine.</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"> </p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; color: #323338; font-family: Roboto, Arial; background-color: #ffffff; outline: none !important;"><em>Images: Twitter &amp; Getty </em></p>

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“Who are the Dees?”: Author’s controversial AFL tweet divides social media

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Australian author Jane Caro has divided Twitter for her take on sport’s place in Australian culture.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Melbourne Demons broke a 57-year bout of premiership losses after winning against the Western Bulldogs over the weekend, and fans and players were overjoyed with the long-awaited win.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Caro wasn’t watching the game and shared her divisive views on Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Dear most Aussies, who are the Dees? What is the thing you all care so much about? Actually, no, please (PLEASE) don’t explain. This tweet is just for all those kids like I once was who could not give a toss &amp; felt weird &amp; had to pretend. It’s OK. One day you can just ignore it,” Caro wrote.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Dear most Aussies, who are the Dees? What is the thing you all care so much about? Actually, no, please (PLEASE) don’t explain. This tweet is just for all those kids like I once was who could not give a toss &amp; felt weird &amp; had to pretend. It’s ok. One day you can just ignore it.</p> — Jane Caro (@JaneCaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/JaneCaro/status/1441707021846265862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The author and journalist continued to share her thoughts in response to comments agreeing and disagreeing with her.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After one person wrote, “you do not know what you’re missing,” she replied: “No. Lovely way to live, frankly. Have you read all of Dickens and Austen and Gaskell? If not, you don’t either. Such is life.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In another reply, Caro shared: “I don’t like any sport. I don’t even watch the Olympics. I make no judgement as to which is good or bad. All equally incomprehensible to me.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She went on to say “it can make you feel isolated when you don’t feel what everyone else feels” and that “it’s an interesting ride being an Aussie who does not like sport. I feel your pain”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her tweet received a large response from many with their own shared experiences, along with a significant number who opposed her views.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some argued her attitude was condescending to Australian sports fans, with sports journalist Matt Gottlieb describing her take as the “most sneeringly snobbish thing I’ve seen on social media for a while”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’m gonna turn up to the opera and loudly tell everyone that I don’t care about the opera because it’s important that the people who like opera know that I don’t care about opera,” he tweeted.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other journalists described Caro as a “wet blanket” and called her out for yucking “someone else’s yum”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In total, more than 1500 people “liked” Caro’s initial tweet.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Jane Caro, Getty Images</span></em></p>

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Sacked journalist hits back over "racist" royal tweet

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A columnist who was fired from </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Telegraph</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> over a “racist” tweet about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s baby has released a follow-up essay blaming “snowflake sociopaths” and “cancel culture” for her firing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Julie Burchill lost her job after mocking the name of the Sussexes’ daughter Lillibet Diana on Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What a missed opportunity,” she wrote. “They could have called it Georgina Floydina!”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The journalist took to Facebook to announce she had been sacked after working for </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Telegraph</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for five years, claiming she had been complaining about the paper rejecting her “edgy column ideas” recently.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burchill reiterated that she wasn’t “upset in the least” about losing her column in a </span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9686037/JULIE-BURCHILL-reveals-wont-silenced.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">new essay</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> published in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Daily Mail</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Newspapers with no original voices will decline even more rapidly than they would anyway in the digital age. It’s ironic that a conservative newspaper which castigates cancel culture cancelled me for castigating wokery.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burchill insisted her tweet was “sober, wry and entirely without racist intent”, and that she could not “stress enough how much I deplore the murder of George Floyd”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What I was mocking was the type of people who - like H&amp;M - live in gated communities while espousing BLM’s politics of social upheaval, without giving any thought to the damage that pro-BLM riots do to poor and black Americans.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This goes against research conducted by </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/10/16/this-summers-black-lives-matter-protesters-were-overwhelming-peaceful-our-research-finds/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Washington Post</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> last year which found the Black Lives Matter protests involved very little violence and property damage from protesters. Instead, most of the violence reportedly came from police or counterprotesters directed at BLM protesters.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She has attributed the backlash to a “sexist and misogynist element” within “wokeness”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We live in an age of cultural insanity, a topsy-turvy land where men are women, harassment is justice and the Left are jostling to tug their forelocks and call for those of us who criticise royalty to be punished,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burchill also touted her new publication on Substack - an online platform that allows writers to create and send email newsletters to paying subscribers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In the autumn, I’ll be back with my book, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Welcome To The Woke Trials</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">,” she wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“And thanks to Twitter, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Telegraph</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and a pair of hypocritical fibbers whose fantasy land is so fragile brilliant journalists (me) must be silenced in order to maintain the illusion - it will have a whole new ending.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Daily Mail</span></em></p>

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‘Racist’ tweets take aim at Harry and Meghan’s baby

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A ‘racist’ tweet about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s baby has seen a UK lawyer suspended from her job.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Joanna Toch of Family Law Cafe had responded to a tweet from UK columnist Julie Burchill, who wrote, “What a missed opportunity. They could have called it Georgina Floydina!”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was seen as a callout of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who had both spoken out about racism and the Black Lives Matter movement in the past.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In response, Toch commented, “No Doria? Don’t black names matter?” in a reference to Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JulieBurchill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JulieBurchill</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JoannaToch?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JoannaToch</a>'s Twitter accounts have now been deactivated. Well done Twitter 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾❤️ <a href="https://t.co/hbf18KLQgo">pic.twitter.com/hbf18KLQgo</a></p> — Cromwell (@Cromwell606) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cromwell606/status/1401940093917614086?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After deleting and apologising for the tweet, Toch was suspended from her role.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I am very sorry for the comment and what I saw as a joke. I’ve fought during my professional life against racism which is abhorrent. I’m not a judge and I have children of colour and I apologise unreservedly,” she wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a statement, the directors of the law firm said, “FLC considers her comments as offensive, unacceptable and highly contradictory to the inclusive manner in which FLC has always and will continue to work with members of all communities in managing the challenges of matrimonial and family disputes.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burchill also lost her job at </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Telegraph</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> due to the offending tweet, with many followers taking issue with her referring to the baby as “it”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In an initial attempt to defend the tweet, she responded with: “I called the baby IT as a nod to non-binary bollocks … Have a good time with your pearl-clutching life-wasting woo-woo, ya clowns!”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burchill’s social media activity has caused her trouble in the past, having been found to have defamed journalist and activist Ash Sarkar in a series of tweets and Facebook posts in December 2020.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burchill and Toch have since deleted their Twitter accounts.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: 9honey</span></em></p>

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Harvey Norman slammed for "revolting irresponsible" tweet

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Department store Harvey Norman has been slammed on social media for a "revolting" response to a tweet from its official company account.</p> <p>The company replied to a tweet from a former employee who claimed that working for the company made them "suicidal".</p> <p>"Working for your god forsaken company drove me to suicide in 6 months," they wrote.</p> <p>"To the 50 people paid $200k a year to manage one account — go f*** yourselves."</p> <p>The HarveyNormanAU Twitter account tweeted two emojis, which were a facepalm and a waving hand.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Lol <a href="https://twitter.com/HarveyNormanAU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harveynormanau</a> blocking people for talking about the wage strikes<br /><br />Working for your god forsaken company drove me to suicide in 6 months<br /><br />To the 50 people paid $200k a year to manage to one account - go fuck yourselves. I know you do, that Sydney conference is a fucking mess</p> — Sisyphysical (@sisyphysical) <a href="https://twitter.com/sisyphysical/status/1398244255043260420?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>Twitter users were furious about the company's response.</p> <p>“I made the decision to never step into one of their stores last year,” one man said.</p> <p>“This is the most revolting, irresponsible response to a tweet containing sensitive health information I’ve seen from a corporate entity,” a woman wrote, saying she will never spend another cent there.</p> <p>“Congrats Harvey Norman, you have lost me, my friends and family as customers,” another man said.</p> <p>The day prior to the “out of line” response, the same Twitter handle posted: “Twitter is no longer a customer service channel and is unmanned.”</p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"><span class="like-bar-component"></span> <div class="right-box-container"> <div class="post-editor-container"></div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Money & Banking

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ABC star’s shocking tweet causes fury after Bob Fulton’s death

<p><em>ABC</em> election analyst Antony Green has caused a stir after he shared a distasteful tweet after the death of rugby legend Bob Fulton was announced.</p> <p>Fulton passed away at age 74 on May 23, which resulted in a prompt flood of tributes from his largest fan base: the footy community.</p> <p>Green was accused of failing to read the room as plenty of mourners paid their respects to the sportsman.</p> <p>“A fulsome apology for raising this, but the headline ‘Rugby League Immortal Bob Fulton has died’ does contain a significant level of conflict with dictionary meaning,” Green tweeted.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841380/bob-fulton-tweet-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/2b839449f17c44fb8788cb4a1a43bd0f" /></p> <p>Twitter users were not impressed with the ABC analyst’s words, with one person writing: “Hardly the time, hardly the place, and just hardly altogether. Delete.”</p> <p>Another said: “You’d have been better advised not to send that tweet at this time.”</p> <p>A third also chimed in, saying: “Pretty poor taste. Unfollow coming up. What is the purpose of this little English lesson? Tasteless.”</p> <p>Green reportedly deleted his tweet moments later.</p> <p>Veteran broadcaster Ray Hadley announced the death of his close friend on his radio show.</p> <p>“It’s a very sad day for the Fulton family and rugby league generally,” Hadley said on <em>2GB</em>.</p> <p>“I’ve announced some sad things on radio but this could be the saddest.</p> <p>“I’m going to miss him, he was a great man … the most loyal friend I’ve ever had. He’ll be sadly missed.”</p> <p>NRL Commission chairman Peter V’landys also paid his respects to the legendary sportsman, saying rugby league has “lost a true legend of the game”.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841379/bob-fulton-tweet-3.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/232398fe34254546bbeb097a978f7d4c" /></p> <p>“The word legend is used a lot in tributes, but Bob was a genuine legend of rugby league,” V’landys said.</p> <p>“He was an original Immortal, a Kangaroo, a Blue and a club legend of Manly, winning three premierships as a player, including Man of the Match in the 1973 Grand Final.</p> <p>“As a coach he led the Kangaroos to two World Cup victories and Manly to two premierships. He was also a great promoter of our game. His role on the Continuous Call team over many years provided great humour and insight to fans every weekend.</p> <p>“Bob will forever be part of rugby league’s DNA and our game is richer for having had Bob part of it.</p> <p>“Today we’ve lost a giant of our game. On behalf of the Rugby League community, I send our deepest condolences to Bob’s family.”</p> <p>Fulton was surrounded by his family and other close friends when he passed away on Sunday morning.</p> <p>Fulton is survived by wife Anne, daughter Kirsty and sons Brett and Scott.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images / Twitter</em></p>

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Greta Thunberg’s parting shot to Donald Trump

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <p>Teenage climate change activist Greta Thunberg has farewelled former US President Donald Trump with a clever tweet.</p> <p>Thunberg used Trump's words against him as she wrote: "He seems like a very happy old man looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!"</p> <p>The remark was just one of many Trump made about Thunberg in the past.</p> <p>The quote came from Trump after Thunberg's address to the Davos summit in 2020, saying that she "seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future."</p> <p>Thunberg's tweet was a hit with fans, reaching over 690,000 likes on Twitter.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">He seems like a very happy old man looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see! <a href="https://t.co/G8gObLhsz9">pic.twitter.com/G8gObLhsz9</a></p> — Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/GretaThunberg/status/1351890941087522820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>As many social media platforms banned Trump from using their services, he is unable to respond to Thunberg at this time.</p> <p>This isn't the first time the two have had a war of words, with Trump claiming that Thunberg's 2019 Time "Person of the Year" was "so ridiculous".</p> <p>"Greta must work on her Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Greta, Chill!" he tweeted at the time.</p> <p>Thunberg sat on his words until Trump prompted electoral officials to "STOP THE COUNT" during the Presidential election race.</p> <p>"So ridiculous. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill!" Thunberg tweeted.</p> <p>Thunberg and Trump never met during his presidential term, with Thunberg saying it would have been a "waste of time".</p> <p>"I don't think I would have said anything because obviously he's not listening to scientists and experts, so why would he listen to me?" she told BBC Radio 4.</p> </div> </div> </div>

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Sam Newman slated for “vile” Joe Biden tweet

<p><span>Sam Newman has been crucified on social media after he called US President-elect Joe Biden “mentally retarded” in a tweet that was swiftly deleted moments later.</span><br /><br /><span>Newman was let go from his media gig earlier this year when he made offensive comments about George Floyd.</span><br /><br /><span>This time, the Australian media personality has possibly topped the cake with his latest controversy.</span><br /><br /><span>The 74-year-old went berserk on Twitter on Sunday after Biden was declared the winner of the US election.</span><br /><br /><span>“Great day for inclusion and diversity,” Newman said.</span><br /><br /><span>“Shows someone who is mentally retarded and has special needs, can attain high office. Congratulations, Joe Biden.”</span></p> <p><span>The comments were blasted by hundreds of people, with several labelling him “vile” and others calling for his account to be shut down.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7838668/sam-newman-joe-biden-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/bed2c9e0862d45dfa3e6c968e13ad8ef" /></p> <p><em>Sam Newman's now delete tweet about Joe Biden</em><br /><br /><span>Newman was slammed in June for calling Floyd “a piece of s***” in a scathing attack after AFL players supported the Black Lives Matter movement by kneeling before games.</span><br /><br /><span>That crude comment got him sacked and his latest controversy follows just days after comedian Dave Hughes copped a lashing for accidentally mocking Biden’s stutter.</span><br /><br /><span>“Joe Biden just had a mad struggle stringing sentences together. Is it the autocue?” Hughes wrote on Twitter.</span><br /><br /><span>He deleted the tweet and quickly apologised.</span><br /><br /><span>“I genuinely didn’t know Biden has always had a speech impediment. Good on him. Thanks for the heads up,” Hughes said.</span><br /><br /><span>“I was commenting on Joe’s struggle to read the autocue.</span><br /><br /><span>“I didn’t think it had anything to do with a stutter.</span><br /><br /><span>Sorry for my ignorance.”</span></p>

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Karl Stefanovic storms off Today show live on air after Allison Langdon’s hurtful tweets

<p><span>Karl Stefanovic could not hide his hurt when it was revealed a colleague had “bagged him out” on social media on Friday morning. </span><br /><br /><span>The Today show host, 45, walked off set during a live broadcast after being told his co-anchor Allison Langdon had seemingly made a hurtful tweet about him. </span><br /><br /><span>Karl surprised viewers by calling out Langdon, 41, for making disparaging remarks about him and sports reporter Alex Cullen on Twitter. </span><br /><br /><span>Following Alex's sports update, Karl said: “I don’t think they'd be alone in bagging colleagues out privately, obviously.”</span><br /><br /><span>“Yeah, it happens,” Alex solemnly responded. </span><br /><br /><span>Karl went on to say: “It does happen, and it's not very nice. I've actually managed to intercept a tweet Ally sent Tim [Davies, Today's weather presenter], and this is what it says here.”</span><br /><br /><span>He then read aloud the hurtful Twitter post to his co-hosts and viewed at home.</span><br /><br /><span>“Hey Tim, I think Alex and Karl are LAZY and letting the team down. I'm so sick of carrying them every morning,” it read.</span><br /><br /><span>“So that's Allison Langdon to Tim. That's good, isn't it?” Karl said, bitterly.</span><br /><br /><span>“Alex added: “That hurts. That hurts me right in the bread basket.”</span><br /><br /><span>Allison defended her hurtful words: “Look, I stand by it!”</span><br /><br /><span>Karl then stood up and began to walk off set in protest, but stopped to confer with Alex, who was also pretending to have hurt feelings.</span><br /><br /><span>The pair swiftly moved on to talk about the NRL, and Allison went into a weather segment with Tim.</span><br /><br /><span>Karl's walk-off was revealed to simply be a joke, however, as a quick glance at Allison's verified Twitter account shows that she hasn't tweeted since May 29.</span><br /><br /><span>There are several websites that allow users to generate “fake tweets”, which seems to be what the Today show producers did for the cheeky segment.</span></p>

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Magda Szubanski slams nurse for tweeting about her hospital visit

<p>Magda Szubanski said she was left feeling “very vulnerable and unsafe” after a person claiming to be a nurse posted online about her recent hospital stay.</p> <p>The <em>Kath &amp; Kim </em>star, who recently underwent an operation, expressed her outrage after finding a Twitter post from a medical professional who claimed to have looked after her.</p> <p>“Post-op is an extremely vulnerable time and I think your employers would be very concerned for the privacy of any patients in your “care”,” the 58-year-old wrote in response to the tweet, which has now been deleted.</p> <p>“I have to say it was quite upsetting to find that in my feed. Made me feel very vulnerable and unsafe.</p> <p>“I bloody love nurses and medical professionals and am a huge supporter of their rights. I wanted to be a doctor when I was young. But I have to say this has quite shaken me up. The thought that I’m not safe at my most vulnerable.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">By the way which hospital was this? Post-op is an extremely vulnerable time and I think your employers would be very concerned for the privacy of any patients in your “care” <a href="https://t.co/MnTC2Yx9zR">https://t.co/MnTC2Yx9zR</a></p> — Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagdaSzubanski/status/1199472550675283968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Thanks. I have to say it was quite upsetting to find that in my feed. Made me feel very vulnerable and unsafe. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 <a href="https://t.co/OF5gxU04kc">https://t.co/OF5gxU04kc</a></p> — Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagdaSzubanski/status/1199478929943252992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">I bloody love nurses and medical professionals and am a huge supporter of their rights. I wanted to be a doctor when I was young. But I have to say this has quite shaken me up. The thought that I’m not safe at my most vulnerable <a href="https://t.co/wDgA8UH25Y">https://t.co/wDgA8UH25Y</a></p> — Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagdaSzubanski/status/1199501224153796608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Following an outpouring of support from her fans and followers, Szubanski said she would follow the matter up “through the appropriate channels” if she decided to do so.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Everyone I so appreciate your support but if I decide to follow this matter up it will be done properly through the appropriate channels. 🙏🏻</p> — Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagdaSzubanski/status/1199539520548376577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2019</a></blockquote>

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Terri Irwin’s hilarious tweet to Bindi about Chandler Powell

<p>There’s something about parents trolling their kids online that’s entertaining to watch, and this week, Terri Irwin took home the prize.</p> <p>On November 10, Bindi Irwin tweeted a photograph of her fiancée, Chandler Powell holding a snake, where she captioned it: “Can’t wait to marry this guy”.</p> <p>Her mum was quick to respond, replying with “I’m assuming you’re marrying the one on the right”.</p> <p>Terri’s tweet has been liked over 155,000 times and retweeted over 10,000.</p> <p>“Chandler and I can’t stop laughing,” replied Bindi. “I love you SO MUCH”.</p> <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/B4s5d9FBIbL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B4s5d9FBIbL/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">I have the greatest Mum on the planet. Still laughing at her tweet... ❤️</a></p> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/bindisueirwin/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Bindi Irwin</a> (@bindisueirwin) on Nov 10, 2019 at 2:23pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Chandler also addressed the tweet, saying “I got so lucky with the best mother-in-law in the world!”.</p> <p>The photo was liked over 16,000 times with over 250 retweets and hundreds of comments from people commending the mum-of-two for her witty comment.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">I got so lucky with the best mother in law in the world! 😁</p> — Chandler Powell (@chandlerpowell9) <a href="https://twitter.com/chandlerpowell9/status/1193372675332161536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">10 November 2019</a></blockquote> <p>“Haha Terri, we all thought the same,” one person replied, while others said they loved the classic “mum” humour.</p> <p>Bindi and Chandler announced their engagement on her 21st birthday in July. A date hasn’t been set yet for the wedding.</p>

Relationships

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“We’re all human, right?”: New Masterchef Judge Melissa Leong defends old negative tweets on The Project

<p>One of the new Masterchef Australia judges has been forced to defend herself on<span> </span><em>The Project</em><span> </span>last night over negative tweets she made in the past about the show.</p> <p>Not long after the announcement yesterday of the new judges, who are Melissa Leong, Andy Allen and Jock Zonfrillo, tweets from 2012 of Leong’s resurfaced.</p> <p>They weren’t exactly complimentary about the show she is now the face of.</p> <p>One of Leong’s tweets from 2012 said:</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7831699/masterchef-tweets.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/36a65d9a2fea4f5b9de8540aa4137dd0" /></p> <p>Another tweet was a retweet of someone’s comment about Masterchef, which said:</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7831698/masterchef-tweets-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/07af99042f9d428c8c2e5ea950ddd475" /></p> <p>The new trio of Masterchef judges appeared on<span> </span><em>The Project</em><span> </span>and host Waleed Aly brought up the elephant in the room.</p> <p>“Now Melissa, I’m sorry to have to do this, but there are some questions that simply have to be asked,” Aly said.</p> <p>“You’ve tweeted in the past and some of your old tweets have surfaced today … my first question is: Why didn’t you find the delete button?”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">It’s Channel 10’s biggest reveal since The Masked Singer on Tuesday night. Introducing, the new MasterChef judges for 2020! <a href="https://t.co/KNsCt96R3C">pic.twitter.com/KNsCt96R3C</a></p> — The Project (@theprojecttv) <a href="https://twitter.com/theprojecttv/status/1182212586869334019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Leong didn’t hold back in her response.</p> <p>“We’re all human, right?” Leong, a successful food and travel writer, said.</p> <p>“We all have perspectives on things that change over time and so, you know, why should I scrub all my social media clean of former opinions that I’ve had?</p> <p>“I may not believe the same things I did before but I also don’t believe in presenting a sanitised version of myself that’s highly edited because that’s not who I am.”</p> <p>At the time of writing, t<span>he posts appear to have been deleted.</span></p> <p><span>There will be a lot of pressure on the new three judges when season 12 of Masterchef starts next year, as many fans were fond of the old judges, Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan and George Calombaris.</span></p>

Food & Wine

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Fake tweets and no bums on seats: The real reason Rove was axed after just two shows

<p>Rove McManus’ TV show<span> </span><em>Saturday Night Rove</em><span> </span>has been cancelled after just two episodes.</p> <p>The comedy show proved to be a ratings disaster for Channel 10. Premiering with 244,000 metro viewers on August 24 and dropping down to a disappointing 138,000 metro viewers for episode two.</p> <p>Speaking to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://tvtonight.com.au/" target="_blank"><em>TV Tonight</em></a>, Rove said: “It was clear looking at the numbers that the audience we hoped would find a freewheeling live show on a Saturday night just weren’t there. We spoke with 10 today and we both called it.</p> <p>“The opportunity to play live in front of Australia again was fun, no matter how brief, and I would like to thank my amazing co-stars, the behind the scenes team and everyone at 10 who got behind<span> </span><em>Saturday Night Rove</em>.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">"Say hi to your mum for me!" <a href="https://twitter.com/Rove?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Rove</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaturdayNightRove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaturdayNightRove</a> <a href="https://t.co/nfAomwumJw">pic.twitter.com/nfAomwumJw</a></p> — Saturday Night Rove (@SatNightRove) <a href="https://twitter.com/SatNightRove/status/1165214723052191745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">24 August 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Also releasing a statement to the website was a spokesperson for Network 10, saying: “Unfortunately<span> </span><em>Saturday Night Rove</em><span> </span>hasn’t resonated with viewers the way we had hoped, so Rove and 10 have made the decision to remove it from the schedule. Rove is a sensational entertainer and a close friend of 10, and we thank him for all his hard work, and all the laughs, on<span> </span><em>Saturday Night Rove</em>.”</p> <p>The show was aired during Channel 10’s Pilot Week in 2018 and was soon given a six-episode run in 2019.</p> <p>But despite warnings over the dead time slot, Rove was convinced that he could somehow make it work.</p> <p>Before the first episode aired, the host spoke to<span> </span><em>Hit TV</em>, saying he knew the challenges that would come his way.</p> <p>“Finding a way of getting people’s attention is the big one – there are so many options for an audience now,” he said. “But not only is the audience fractured, within each household the audience is fractured. You could have each individual member of the house watching their individual program on a laptop or a tablet or a phone. So how do you get everyone in a household together to watch something?”</p> <p>Viewers who tuned in took to Twitter to express their disappointment, saying the show fell flat, but the network was busted after they heavily edited the feedback and aired an ad featuring glowing reviews from those who watched the first episode.</p> <p>Reported by industry blog<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://tvblackbox.com.au/" target="_blank"><em>TV Blackbox</em></a>, one tweet that was shown by Ten exclaimed “ROVE! Fantastic to have you back!!!”</p> <p>But in reality, it read: “Rove it’s fantastic to have you back, but you need to listen to your loyal fans and change the format please.”</p> <p>Another tweet Ten displayed said: “Amazing … FUNNY!” but the original read: “Soo I kinda liked it, it’s not amazing but it’s funny and can we get some musical performances please?”</p> <p>“The inclusion of these tweets was human error. We have updated our processes to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” a spokesperson from Ten told<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://tvblackbox.com.au/" target="_blank">TV Blackbox</a>.</em></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaturdayNightRove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaturdayNightRove</a> I'm a Huge Rove fan. I hate to say this it'ss F#!king Terrible!!! So awkward! So un funny! Judith Lucy is so annoying! the new sidekicks are just as bad. Bring back the old format....Rove behind a desk with Peter Helliar to support him</p> — James (@nutcase12) <a href="https://twitter.com/nutcase12/status/1167744651840778241?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">31 August 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">When Kevin Rudd is the funniest thing on your show, ou have a problem <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaturdayNightRove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaturdayNightRove</a></p> — 💧Dr Jos 🇦🇺🇫🇷🇱🇧 (@redruby17) <a href="https://twitter.com/redruby17/status/1167746240160813057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">31 August 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Channel 10 has yet to announce a replacement for<span> </span><em>Saturday Night Rove</em>.</p>

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5 of the funniest tweets from actor Sam Neill

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Actor and wine maker Sam Neill has taken to Twitter with ease, much to the delight of his fans and other celebrities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jurassic Park</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> actor frequently documents life on his farm with his animals that have names of celebrities as an “insurance policy”. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It doesn’t always end well,” he told </span><a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/07/sam-neill-farm-animals-interview.html">Vulture.</a></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Meryl Streep was killed by a ferret recently … Hugo Weaving was another unfortunate end, but he died happy. He was a ram. He was doing what rams do — he fell off the back of a female sheep.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also shares videos of his grandson, as seen below.</span></p> <p><strong>1. Sam playing with his grandson</strong></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">My grandson . Hilarious . Great kid . Don't worry ...picks himself up, laughs and back into it . <a href="https://t.co/cyuOOHfztO">pic.twitter.com/cyuOOHfztO</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1121741516031057920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">26 April 2019</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a popular tweet by fans, but you have to watch until the end to really appreciate it. </span></p> <p><strong>2. Getting angry at James Corden for being a “murderer”</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Neill played Mr McGreggor in the reboot of </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Peter Rabbit</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, who met an unfortunate end thanks to Peter, who is voiced by Corden.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He let his anger be known in the tweet below, calling Corden a “murderer” and that he has “no idea why HE’S [Peter Rabbit] the hero &amp; not old Mr.McG.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Spent this morning listening to the excellent <a href="https://twitter.com/JKCorden?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JKCorden</a> as Peter, voicing the Badger for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PeterRabbit2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PeterRabbit2</a>. I couldn't be Old Mr. McGregor again because ...well...he died . Peter Rabbit's fault. No idea why HE's the hero &amp; not old Mr.McG. Peter Rabbit MURDERER ! <a href="https://t.co/ubx5jV9U1A">pic.twitter.com/ubx5jV9U1A</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1151684396534996995?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 July 2019</a></blockquote> <p><strong>3. This selfie with a “random fan”</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neill makes a point for his twitter feed to be humorous and refreshing as he “enjoys Twitter”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He told </span><a href="https://www.thecut.com/2019/05/sam-neill-interview-about-twitter.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Cut</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> about how he got started on the platform.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“They [co-workers in Two Paddocks office] told me that social media was important,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’d never heard of it. I started Facebook, but I didn’t like it at all. It filled me with existential dread.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But I found I enjoyed Twitter. The economy of 140 characters was really appealing; every tweet was like a lame haiku”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although he usually posts photos and videos of his farm animals, he made an exception for a selfie with a “random fan”. The fan just so happens to be Chris Hemsworth.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Yours truly plus random fan .<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThorRagnarok?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThorRagnarok</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TaikaWaititi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TaikaWaititi</a> took this as best I remember. <a href="https://t.co/aU1nW1B8bI">pic.twitter.com/aU1nW1B8bI</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/917554962997035009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">10 October 2017</a></blockquote> <p><strong>4. Singing with pigs</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As Neill lives on a farm in Otago, New Zealand, he has “so many free-range animals that they’re almost feral”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He shared with his Twitter followers a “duet” with his pig.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">Singing With Pigs. My old pig friend is always up for a duet . Its more his kind of song really . Took me years to learn Pigsong . It's paid off bigtime. <a href="https://t.co/a3mprZ6AMR">pic.twitter.com/a3mprZ6AMR</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1088972409229664256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">26 January 2019</a></blockquote> <p><strong>5. Getting mistaken for Hugo Weaving</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although people might recognise Sam Neill from somewhere, it’s clear that not many know who he is.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Neill documented an experience with a fan saying that he’s Hugo Weaving.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">LIFE IN THE CITY<br />Coming out of my local with a coffee this morning , a bloke with a dog yells "Are you an Actor ?'<br />"Yes' I say.<br />"Who are you then ? " he says <br />"Hugo Weaving" I reply<br />"That's right..apparently you're good"<br />"Not really" I mutter as I walk away <a href="https://t.co/00lt7jJBA2">pic.twitter.com/00lt7jJBA2</a></p> — Sam Neill (@TwoPaddocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/TwoPaddocks/status/1145886981722820608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">2 July 2019</a></blockquote>

Technology

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The palace bungles Princess Eugenie wedding tweet – can you spot the blunder?

<p>The official Royal Family twitter account was forced to delete one tweet about Princess Eugenie’s upcoming wedding because of a glaring error.</p> <p>The Queen’s granddaughter is set to say “I do” to her fiancé later today in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle – the same location as Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding earlier this year.</p> <p>Although it is the second royal wedding of the year, the error in the tweet led fans to question whether less attention is being given to Eugenie’s nuptials.</p> <p>Can you spot the mistake in this tweet?</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 275.97402597402595px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7821307/2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a6f0971ae6f14875a778ebcfa720ace4" /></p> <p>The tweet bungled the name of Eugenie’s partner, referring to him as Mr Jacksbrook rather than his correct surname, Mr Brooksbank.</p> <p>The account, which has 3.81 million followers, quickly received backlash for the typo.</p> <p>One person replied: “I believe “Bank Jacksbrook” is his super secret spy name.”</p> <p>Another said: “It’s Jack Brooksbank, or Jacksbrook to his rapper crew.”</p> <p>The tweet stayed on the account for 40 minutes until someone alerted the Royals to the error.</p> <p>The tweet was later reposted with the correct spelling.</p> <p>Eugenie, 28, will have a traditional church service which will be followed by the newlyweds embarking on a carriage ride through the streets of Windsor.</p> <p>Guests will then move to the Queen’s residence for an afternoon reception at Windsor Castle.</p> <p>In the evening, there will be a formal sit-down dinner at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, the residence of her parents Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.</p> <p>The following day, the newlyweds and their friends and family will be enjoying a festival-themed afternoon party.</p> <p>Princess Eugenie first met Jack when she was 20 years old while at a Swiss holiday resort in Verbier.</p> <p>Will you be tuning in to watch Princess Eugenie’s wedding tonight? Let us know in the comments. </p>

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