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Sam Mac's surprising career move after becoming a father of two

<p>Sam Mac has announced a surprising career move after becoming a father of two. </p> <p>The <em>Sunrise</em> weatherman has released a heartwarming children's picture book titled <em>Suddenly One</em>, inspired by his now two-year-old daughter Margot. </p> <p>Mac explained on <em>The Morning Show</em> on Tuesday that when Margot turned one, he was inspired by her milestone birthday to write some touching words about his firstborn. </p> <p>“When Margot turned one, you want to celebrate that and all those little moments that happen in that first year so, I just jotted down some thoughts,” Mac explained to Larry Edmur and Kylie Gillies.</p> <p>“(I was on a) long flight to Perth … (and) I thought, ‘Oh, maybe this could be a poem’. So, a few days later I refined it and posted it with some video to match the words and it had over a million views overnight."</p> <p>“It really took me by surprise, and (publishing house) Penguin got in touch and said, ‘We think that this is a universal experience. Everyone gets excited about their little ones and those first milestones. Let’s turn it into a picture book’."</p> <p>“So, over the past year, we’ve been in the process of picking the illustrator, the wonderful Deb Hudson, and refining the text.”</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/C8mAT6FyWT8/?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/C8mAT6FyWT8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sam Mac (@sammacinsta)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Mac said he hopes the book helped families connect, saying, “(I think it’s) for parents and grandparents to sit down and read it with their little ones.”</p> <p>“I hope what comes from the book is a great connection point for families. That’s what I’m excited to see.”</p> <p>Mac first announced the project on his Instagram page in June, telling his social media followers the inspiration behind the book. </p> <p>"Some of you might remember the piece I wrote in celebration of Rebecca & I surviving our first year as parents. In a way it was a love letter to Margot. I needed her to know the magic she’d brought to our lives. Even if it would be a few years before she could fully understand it," he said. </p> <p>"This project has been almost a year in the making & it has already brought me immense joy. The thought of grandparents or uncles or friends sharing this book with the little ones in their lives to celebrate their first birthday makes my heart sing!"</p> <p><em>Image credits: The Morning Show / Instagram </em></p> <p class="css-lwtmuq e4e0a020" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word; margin: 0px 0px 1.125rem; line-height: 25px; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: HeyWow, Montserrat, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; caret-color: #292a33; color: #292a33;"> </p>

Family & Pets

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Royals issue public birthday message to Prince Harry amid rift

<p>The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a public birthday message to the Duke of Sussex amid their family rift. </p> <p>Kate and William wished Prince Harry a happy 40th birthday, with an old photo of him shared on Instagram. </p> <p>“Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex,” the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote on Sunday morning. </p> <p>The royal family's official Instagram account also marked the occasion, sharing their first public post for Harry since 2021. </p> <p>“Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” they wrote in the caption. </p> <p>Many royal fans applauded their decision to acknowledge the occasion and wished the Duke a happy birthday. </p> <p>“The Royals have class &amp; it’s a milestone birthday that’s it. Nothing else should be interpreted into that,” one person wrote on X.</p> <p>“It's great you've done this. Unify &amp; lead, go towards peace, the world will watch &amp; applaud,” another commented. </p> <p>While a few others were "in disbelief" following the tensions created by the release of Prince Harry's memoir, <em>Spare</em> last year. </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/C_7ey6lMCDE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_7ey6lMCDE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>On Monday, <em> Sunrise</em> royal correspondent Rob Jobson spoke about the public message.</p> <p>“I think it is better than nothing. I mean, the fact that they did it … They would have gotten more bother if they hadn’t done it, so by doing it they cover themselves,” Jobson said.</p> <p>“(It would have been nicer) If it had been a bit more brotherly … rather than ‘we wish the Duke of Sussex a good day’, I think he could have been more personal. But it is better than nothing.”</p> <p>Prince Harry, who turned 40 on September 15, is spending the milestone birthday with his wife Meghan and their two kids. He will then reportedly embark on a group trip with a few close friends to an unknown location.  </p> <p>In a statement to the BBC ahead of his birthday, the Duke of Sussex said: "I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40." </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"Welcome to the world": Sophie Delezio shares first photos with baby boy

<p>Sophie Delezio has announced the birth of her and fiancé Joseph Salerno’s first child on Friday. </p> <p>"Welcome to the world, Frankie," she announced on Instagram, with a blue heart emoji and a black and white photograph of her newborn son holding her finger. </p> <p>"Our hearts are so full."</p> <p>A few days later she thanked fans for their support and well wishes and shared a few snaps of her holding baby Frankie. </p> <p>“Thank you all for the kind words and well wishes!” she captioned another a  black-and-white photo of her snuggling with her newborn son.</p> <p>“We’re soaking in every moment with out little one and feeling like we’re on cloud nine.”</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/C_2PrNXzAhw/?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/C_2PrNXzAhw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sophie Delezio (@soph.delezio)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The new mum also offered a peek into Frankie's bedroom on her Instagram stories, with a wooden crib, animal atlas artwork and a personalised blanket. </p> <p>“I can’t believe he’s finally here, and this room is now being used!” she captioned the nursery photo.</p> <p>“It’s been such a wonderful journey watching it come together throughout my pregnancy."</p> <p>Delezio and Salerno, who live in Sydney’s Northern Beaches, started dating during covid in 2021. Salerno proposed two years later on Valentine's day. </p> <p>Delezio, who came to national attention after two horrific accidents as a child, announced that she was pregnant on her 23rd birthday. </p> <p>Her journey has since been closely followed by Australians, with one of her followers saying: “I’ve followed your story since you were a tiny little girl and this had made me so happy today! Congratulations! Enjoy every second!” </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Five signs in your senior pet you shouldn’t ignore

<p dir="ltr">Just like humans, pets can become susceptible to health complications as they age. </p> <p dir="ltr">Cats are considered senior at around 11 years, and many dogs are considered senior from about seven years old, depending on their breed. </p> <p dir="ltr">As your furry friends get older, it's important to look out for these five changes in your pet, because if caught early, addressing them promptly may significantly improve their well-being, lifespan and quality of life. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Dramatic weight changes</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If your pet either loses or gains weight dramatically, it’s time to book an appointment at the vets. </p> <p dir="ltr">Significant weight changes can signal issues such as heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, or alterations in metabolism and muscle tone, which are sometimes associated with ageing.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Increased thirst</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">An increase in thirst, and in turn an increase in urination, could be the sign of several health conditions such as kidney disease or diabetes. </p> <p dir="ltr">Addressing these symptoms early can help manage the condition and drastically improve your pet's quality of life.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Changes in appetite</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Several health problems in pets can manifest in a change of appetite, whether it's a decrease or increase in hunger. </p> <p dir="ltr">Changes in appetite might be due to dental issues, gastrointestinal problems, diabetes or more severe conditions like cancer. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Signs of chronic pain</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Chronic pain can present in pets in many different ways, such as Repeated chewing, biting, or scratching at a specific area, altered activity levels, reluctance to move or jump, or poor response to medications.</p> <p dir="ltr">If your furry friend looks like they are struggling to move, or are slower when getting up and down, it's time to schedule a trip to the vet.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Changes in demeanour </strong></p> <p dir="ltr">As pets age, they can experience similar symptoms to humans, such as changes in vision, hearing and general confusion. </p> <p dir="ltr">Some pets can even experience dementia, with symptoms including anxiety, aimless wandering, decreased appetite, and notable shifts in behaviour. </p> <p dir="ltr">Although there is no cure, management is possible through medication, dietary adjustments, and lifestyle changes and available under veterinary guidance.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Family & Pets

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New rendered image holds hope in William Tyrrell disappearance 10 years on

<p>A new rendered image has shown what William Tyrrell would look like now on the 10-year anniversary of his disappearance. </p> <p>On September 12th 2014, the then three-year-old disappeared from his foster grandmother's home in Kendall on the NSW Mid North Coast and has not been seen since, making his disappearance one of the nation's most enduring mysteries. </p> <p>Now, 10 years on, <em>Ten News</em> have released a rendered image of what William might look like now at 13, with experts hoping it might prompt someone to come forward with information. </p> <p>Criminologist Xanthe Mallett said the image was a way to keep William’s face in the public eye.</p> <p>“An image such as this could encourage someone who knows what happen to unlock the mystery,” Dr Mallett told <em>Ten News</em>.</p> <p>A $1million reward has been offered for information to help locate William, with a coronial inquest into his disappearance to take place at the end of this year.</p> <p>As William's family continue to struggle with the mystery around his disappearance, Close friends of Tyrrell’s foster parents, Clare and Alice Collins, have told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/how-william-tyrells-loved-ones-are-spending-the-10-year-anniversary-of-his-disappearance-c-16030683" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>7News</em></a> reporter Michael Usher the family was “crushed” to still have no answers on the 10-year anniversary.</p> <p>“They remember William every minute of every day,” Clare said. “They’re living a nightmare.”</p> <p>Alice added, even a decade on, they believed “hope is the key”.</p> <p>“You hear cases from around the world with kids who had been abducted, and they turn up 10, 20 years later,” she said.</p> <p>“There is still a chance that he is out there ... it’s a big reach ... but in light of the fact that there is absolutely no evidence that William is deceased there is that very, very slim chance.”</p> <p>The pair appealed to anyone across the country with information as to where William might be to “make the call”.</p> <p>“It’s as though he’s just vanished ... we need answers ... Australia needs answers. Help bring William home ... and we will do everything in our power,” Alice said. “We are never giving up.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: NSW Police / Ten News</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Readers response: What’s your most memorable birthday party?

<p>One of the best parts of birthdays is celebrating with your loved ones, whether it's a milestone birthday or not. </p> <p>We asked our readers to share the stories from their most memorable birthday parties, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Jill Harker </strong>- My 80th birthday last November! My family organised it! Had no idea who was coming! I'm a big Elvis fan and when I got to the hotel for lunch everybody was holding up an Elvis face in front of their face so I still had no idea who was there! When they took the faces down there were all my family from Queensland including grandchildren and great grandchildren! Plus my 2 sons organised a birthday video message from Tex Walker my favourite footballer! Plus my granddaughter organised a ride in a Cadillac for me! So many wonderful surprises! It was fantastic!</p> <p><strong>Judi Baker </strong>- My 21st. My Mum and Dad were there. Plus my late Mum's 70th and 80th. Both so funny.</p> <p><strong>Annette Guernier Clay</strong> - In 2007 when two good friends and I celebrated our 60th birthdays with a party at the old Cairns Yacht Club. Live band, lots of dancing, loads of friends.</p> <p><strong>Lesley Peacock</strong> - My 21st, as it was the only one I had.</p> <p><strong>Christine Whyte </strong>- Never had children’s birthday party as mine was always with immediate family, but had a memorable 70th last year with my family and 3 grandkids in Townsville.</p> <p><strong>Barbara Jaramenko</strong> - Didn’t have one as there was no money, but just had a homemade birthday cake with siblings which was lovely. </p> <p><strong>Margie Buckingham</strong> - On my 40th, I was a single mum and I held a combined party- my 40th, end of 3rd term (teacher) &amp; taking leave service leave, the Parliamentary election &amp; going overseas! I took a cruise from Singapore for a week, beginning with a Singapore Gin Sling in the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel. that was pretty memorable. </p> <div dir="auto"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></div>

Family & Pets

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Simon Dorante-Day calls for "four-way paternity test" to prove royal lineage

<p>Simon Dorante-Day has called for a "four-way paternity test" to prove his royal lineage, while also casting doubt on if Prince William and Prince Harry are actually sons of the monarch. </p> <p>The Queensland man, who has been claiming to be the secret son of King Charles and Queen Camilla since 2005, has called for an official DNA test to prove his claims in a lengthy Facebook post. </p> <p>Dorante-Day's post highlights a photo comparison of himself, King Charles and William and Harry as evidence supporting his demand for answers from the royal family. </p> <p>“This comparison of William, Myself, Charles, and Harry demonstrates something very clearly, there is no consistency. The fact that the left side of my face identically matches Charles whilst neither William nor Harry’s does, raises the obvious question, just who are Charles’s real sons?”</p> <p>"This is why my wife, Dr. Elvianna, and I believe a 4-way Paternity test is the only way to resolve this issue once and for all. The truth of the game that has been played by the Monarchy, the Government, and the Establishment for 58 years needs to be exposed."</p> <p>"It's not just what happened to me as a child, and what I remember from growing up in England, but it’s also what’s happened since to myself, my wife, and my children in Australia that supports our argument. These covert and illegitimate activities that are targeted towards us constantly are an attempt to stop us on this journey, nothing more. They will not succeed. They will only strengthen our argument and provides us with evidence to demonstrate what has occurred, in a court room, to judges."</p> <p>"My question to all of you is how will you truly react when you hear the truth of what has occurred? Would you still want them on the throne?"</p> <p>Dorante-Day was born in Portsmouth in the UK in 1966, and was adopted at just eight months old. According to his claims, his adoptive mother, who worked for Queen Elizabeth II confessed on her death bed that he was the son of Charles and Camilla.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Robbie Williams and wife share heartbreaking family update

<p>Robbie Williams and wife Ayda have been left heartbroken following the death on their beloved dogs, Poupette and Walle. </p> <p>The British pop star, 50, took to Instagram on Friday to share the devastating news, saying that the two dogs died together in their sleep. </p> <p>In a heartfelt tribute to Instagram, his wife Ayda shared that Poupette had been with her for nearly two decades. </p> <p>“Today, our dogs Poupette &amp; Walle left this planet to start an adventure in an infinite galaxy far, far away," she began.</p> <p>“They died together in bed, listening to ‘Dancing Queen’, surrounded by tremendous love.</p> <p>“For those of you who don’t know about Poupette and Walle, here’s some backstory …</p> <p>“Poupette’s been with me 18 years. From the day we met, she was my soulmate. I was a single girl, and all of a sudden, with Poupette, I was a single mum.</p> <p>“Everyone that knows me, called Poupette ‘my shadow’ … because wherever I’d go, she was right behind me.</p> <p>“It’s weird how you can share so much with a being that can’t communicate back in the same language.</p> <p>“But, that’s the beauty of unconditional love … it needs no words.”</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/C_hicKtx3R5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C_hicKtx3R5/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ayda Field Williams (@aydafieldwilliams)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>She explained that when she started dating Robbie, he fell in love with Poupette "instantly" and took her on as his own dog. </p> <p>“Rob, at the time, had 3 big dogs &amp; I assumed he’d baulk at the idea of having to take a tiny, white, fluffy dog on the streets, shouting ‘Poupette’ with a Northern English accent," she said.</p> <p>“But, Rob immediately fell in love with her and all of a sudden, the big tattooed, popstar … became a small-fluffy-dog kinda guy.”</p> <p>The couple decided to get Walle a year later, and “from that day forward, on 4th of July, we officially became a blended family.”</p> <p>Their dogs even played a big role on their wedding day in 2010, with Poupette as Ayda's maid of honour, and Walle as Robbie's best man. </p> <p>“Through the years, Poupette &amp; Walle have been there for the birth of all 4 children, multiple tours, countries, &amp; all the ups &amp; downs that life has thrown our way the past 14 years since we said, ‘I do’.”</p> <p>“As time has gone on, we have had to say our sad goodbyes to each of those bridesmaids &amp; groomsmen … Miraculously, Poupette &amp; Walle have held on.</p> <p>“Recently, Rob and I renewed our marriage vows. There’s a lot of things we’re facing now (more on that another time) and we wanted to celebrate what was good in our lives; family &amp; love.</p> <p>“Just as 14 years ago … Poupette was my maid of honor &amp; Walle was Rob’s man.”</p> <p>The star admitted that she would be taking the next few days to grieve over her "fur bestie" and how she loves them "with all her heart." </p> <p>Many fans shared their condolences for the couple, with one writing:  “Oh that is so sad, they will be truly missed! Sending you all the biggest hugs!”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Parents of Aussies killed in Mexico share heartwarming update

<p>The grieving parents of the two Aussie brothers who were killed in Mexico while on a surfing trip have shared a heartwarming update more than four months after their deaths. </p> <p>Jake and Callum Robinson were tragically killed in the province of Baja California in Mexico on April 27th, as their bodies were discovered at the bottom of a 15-metre-deep well during a large scale police operation. </p> <p>Following their deaths, more than $520,000 was raised by the community to help the boy's parents, Martin and Debra, who have revealed the money has helped create a foundation to continue their sons' legacy through philanthropic activities.</p> <p>The heartwarming update was shared by Perth not-for-profit group Indian Ocean Paddlers on the family's behalf on Monday. </p> <p>The group was among thousands of donors, who rallied behind the family to assist with costly expenses, including repatriation and funeral costs.</p> <p>The Robinsons are "forever grateful" for the support received, writing, "We have been overwhelmed by the love we have received in Australia."</p> <p>"To drive this initiative, we have created a foundation as a tribute to Callum and Jake and will be guided by people well versed in caring for others."</p> <p>"Although it’s early days, we hope to have a webpage available soon which will provide information on how your precious donation money will be spent. Your support is more than just a financial gift; it’s testament to the power of community and the belief that together, we can create lasting change."</p> <p>"You have played a crucial role in making our vision a reality, and for that, we will be forever grateful."</p> <p>The Robinsons also opened up on how they're coping four months on from losing their sons, saying, "Not a day goes by when we don’t think about our beautiful sons, the connections they had with people like you and the lives they could have had."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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Sophie Delezio reflects on pregnancy journey

<p>Sophie Delezio has reflected on her incredible story of survival as she prepares to become a mother. </p> <p>After defying death twice before the age of five, the now 23-year-old and her fiancé are getting ready to welcome their baby boy to the world. </p> <p>"[I'm feeling] very good, very pregnant, very tired, very much over this, but loving every part of the journey," Delezio told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/inside-sophie-delezios-baby-nursery-as-she-prepares-to-welcome-first-child/cbc135b3-663b-4128-b17b-f636e292da99" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>Delezio faced her first challenge in December 2003 when a car crashed into her daycare centre, where the two-year-old was taking a nap.</p> <p>She suffered third-degree burns to 90 per cent of her body and lost both feet, one of her hands and her ear.</p> <p>Three years later, young Sophie faces another challenge, as she recalled, "So I was crossing the road and a driver got blinded by the sun and hit my stroller, flew 18 meters in the air, landed head first on the pavement."</p> <p>"Yeah, simple as that, again, freak accident."</p> <p>Despite facing so much at a young age, Sophie remains optimistic about the future. </p> <p>"I've made peace with it. There's nothing I can do to change it, no matter what," she said of her ordeals.</p> <p>Sophie and her fiancé are now getting ready for another big change in their life, as Salerno shared he was "the happiest I've ever been" to be welcoming a child with his partner. </p> <p>"I'm over the moon," he said.</p> <p>"I think once she came back from [studying in] London and we started catching up, even our friendship blossomed even more," Joseph said.</p> <p>"I just knew I'm not gonna wait another year or two to figure it out. I just knew what I wanted."</p> <p>Delezio said she anticipated her other half to be "a beautiful dad", as she said, "He is really a very kind and caring guy and I know he's just going to look after little bubba so well."</p> <p>Sophie is partnering with DrinkWise throughout her pregnancy ahead of International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Awareness Day on September 9th, saying, "I think supporting a cause like fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, it is 100 per cent preventable."</p> <p>"It's not impacting your life, it's impacting someone else's life, at the end of the day your child, coming into this world, and I think, give them the best opportunity possible to thrive."</p> <p>Sophie is pleased to be joining DrinkWise and key medical practitioners to advise women on the importance of abstaining from alcohol when planning a pregnancy, during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. For more information on DrinkWise’s annual FASD campaign, please visit <a title="http://drinkwise.org.au/" href="http://drinkwise.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow noreferrer" data-outlook-id="f9db50a7-26e6-43bc-86ec-bb7d8f1f0901">DrinkWise.org.au</a>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair </em></p>

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"Ding dong, the witch is dead": Daughter's scathing obituary for late mother

<p>A woman has taken her last chance to call out her "terrorising" mother in a damning obituary. </p> <p>Florence “Flo” Harrelson, 65, died back in February, although her notice of death wasn't published until August 29th by her estranged daughter Christina Novak.</p> <p>The delay in the obituary came as a result of Novak not finding out about her mother's death until months after she passed. </p> <p>Novak noted in the obituary that her mother, a former U.S. Marine who served as a Maine prison guard, died “on Feb. 22, 2024, without family by her side due to burnt bridges and a wake of destruction left in her path.”</p> <p>Her daughter confirmed that Flo had been suffering from cancer but ultimately died of heart failure.</p> <p>She went on to say that it had been 10 years since she spoke to her estranged mother. </p> <p>“Florence did not want an obituary or anyone including family to know she died,” reads the obituary.</p> <p>“That’s because even in death, she wanted those she terrorised to still be living in fear looking over their shoulders. So, this isn’t so much an obituary but more of a public service announcement.”</p> <p>She also shared the obit to Facebook, and punctuated it with a line from The Wizard of Oz, writing, “Ding dong, the witch is dead.”</p> <p>Novak told the <em><a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/08/30/central-maine/central-maine-culture/maine-wake-of-destruction-obituary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bangor Daily News</a></em> she was “giggling to myself” while composing the obit, admitting she originally set out to write a traditional obituary, but kept drifting into sarcasm.</p> <p>Novak even considered listing the ways in which her mother wronged her relatives, before stopping short but saying the reaction to the obituary was “priceless.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook</em></p>

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38-year-old message in a bottle washes up on beach

<p>A message in a bottle written almost 40 years ago has been discovered by a four-year-old at a beach in Perth. </p> <p>Meg Prideaux took her son Leo, 4, “looking for treasure” at the beach in their hometown of Lancelin, when he spotted the bottle with a rolled-up note inside.</p> <p>“We brought it home and we waited for my daughter and my husband to come home, but we couldn’t get it open,” she said.</p> <p>“There was a bit of corrosion and a few barnacles had started to grow, so it had been there for a while.”</p> <p>After a bit of trouble, they got the bottle open and unfurled the soggy, but still legible, letter and found it dated from 1985. </p> <p>The message had been written 39 years ago by then-teenagers Joanne Hunter and Louise Pocock, who were 15 when they wrote the note while on holiday. </p> <p>Their note came with a simple request — that anyone who finds the bottle send a return letter to the girls in suburban Perth.</p> <p>With the help of <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/message-in-a-bottle-thrown-into-sea-in-1985-washes-up-on-wa-beach-c-15876207" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>7News</em></a>, Meg and Leo Prideaux were able to track down Joanne Hunter, who is now Joanne Evans and aged 54.</p> <p>“I was like, ‘Oh my god. Is that really that?’ I haven’t thought about that in forever,” Evans said.</p> <p>“We wrote it at night and sealed it with wax and then we actually swam it out into the water because, at first, we threw it from the beach and it kept washing back in, so we swam out the next morning."</p> <p>“My family had a beach house directly across the road and Louise came with my family for the school holidays. She was always full of excitement and had such a great imagination, it was her idea to do it.”</p> <p>Pocock died of leukaemia six years ago but her sister, Sarah Martin, said she would have enjoyed “such a kick” knowing the message had been found.</p> <p>“Oh, she’d be so happy, she really would — especially that a little boy found it as well after 39 years just sitting in the sand,” Martin said.</p> <p>“She was a really great, fun, happy-go-lucky sort of person and really did well in her life, very artistic and creative, and she met a wonderful man and married him and had a beautiful little girl.</p> <p>“As time goes on, you feel like they’re slipping further away from you and then this message is such a wonderful thing that just came out of the blue.”</p> <p>The Prideaux family now plan to meet Evans to return the bottle and the message to its original author some time in the near future.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News / Prideaux family</em></p>

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Popular names Generation Alpha believe are “for old people”

<p>Today's youth have a very different idea of what constitutes an "old person" name, and one mum was left flabbergasted after a conversation she had with her six-year-old daughter about her classmates’ names.</p> <p>“You know what I find wild? I have an eight-year-old and a six-year-old, and the names of their friends, I can’t even pronounce some of them,” Australian entrepreneur and mum-of-two Steph Pase said in a now viral TikTok. </p> <p>“I asked her, so do you have anyone in your year called Sarah, Alex, Jack or Daniel?</p> <p>“She laughed and said ‘they’re old people names!’.”</p> <p>She then probed her daughter with a few other common names saying: “I asked, what about Steph … Michelle … she’s like no,” she laughed.</p> <p>“It just makes me realise, that we are that generation … our parents’ generation. Names like Helen, Karen or Joanna … now we’re that generation.</p> <p>“We have the old people names.”</p> <p>She captioned her video with the text "Millennial names are officially old" and many of her followers agreed with the upsetting revelation. </p> <p>“In my classes we have Vision, Stoney, Diesel, Hennesy, Blaze, Cruze, Kingdom, Ace, Boss, Oasis, Mercedes, Destiny,” one shared.</p> <p>“Luna, Harper &amp; Arlo are the new Ashley, Jessica &amp; Stephanie,” another said.</p> <p>“The names in my kids classes are Lamb, Honey, Hazard, Blu, Bambi,” another added. </p> <p>“My six year old has a girl in his class named ‘Summah’ and another called ‘Phox’ because Fox was too mainstream,” a fourth wrote. </p> <p>“My daughter has a Moses, Twayla, Lorde it’s wild …” a fifth commented. </p> <p>Baby name expert and CEO of Fifth Dimension Consulting Lyndall Spooner told <em>news.com.au</em> that there are a few reasons why there's been a shift in children's names over the years, including popularity, less pressure to follow traditional family names, and a trend towards more gender-neutral names. </p> <p>“Parents want their children to be unique and so they use nouns or verbs as names, or character names from books, TV shows, movies, shopping chains or cars," she said. </p> <p>And while the "millennial names" are not as common, "they are not extinct". </p> <p>“We will continue to see changes in baby names and the ‘recycling’ of older names that become popular again,” she told the publication. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p> <p> </p>

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"Skippy ain't playing": Urban kangaroo stuns with epic leap

<p>A landscaper has captured the moment a hopping mad kangaroo leapt metres into the air and over a fence. </p> <p>Nathan Xuebsy was at work with his colleagues in the town of Beveridge, 37 kilometres north of Melbourne's CBD, when they were confronted with the bounding kangaroo. </p> <p>The marsupial jumped past their bobcat and into a vacant lot, when the workers opened a gate to the fenced-off area to help let the animal out, but the kangaroo had its own escape plan. </p> <p>The kangaroo jumped onto the fence and then used it to vault metres higher to clear it, stunning Xuebsy, who filmed the whole thing.</p> <p>The trio of workers immediately went to check on the kangaroo, who was uninjured and hopped away unfazed. </p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A9vjuJ1xmbI?si=jUe2vJC_7WiK8Yxo" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>"I took a screenshot of the video when the kangaroo was at its highest," Xuebsy said. "I put it on Facebook and said I think I just took the best photo I ever will in my life."</p> <p>The video quickly went viral, raking up thousands of hilarious comments as one person wrote that the roo was going "Straight to the next Olympics", while another added, "Oh, Skippy ain't playing."</p> <p>Another person said, "Poor suburban roo looks like that ain't his first rodeo," while others said the roo was showing off his dance moves with the jump saying "Roo did a better job than RayGun."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / Nathan Xuebsy</em></p>

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David Campbell's tearful acceptance of heartwarming award

<p>David Campbell was unable to hold back his tears as he delivered an emotional speech after he and his father Jimmy Barnes jointly won the 2024 Australian Father of the Year Award. </p> <p>The <em>Today Extra</em> host became emotional when he accepted the award on Thursday, reflecting on what being a father means to him. </p> <p>“I can honestly tell you we won the lottery, we really did,” Campbell said, slowly tearing up.</p> <p>“They teach us how to parent them as individuals for all their own needs, their talents and their unbelievable zest for life, I am the father that I am today - of the year - because I fathered them.”</p> <p>“So to Leo, Billy and Betty, thank you for being patient, I had no idea what I was doing, but you make me laugh and the most part you listen to your mum and I when we try to guide you through this fantastical life that you’re going to live,” he added, wiping the tears from his eyes and trying to retain his composure.</p> <p>David Campbell's own father Jimmy Barnes was unable to be at the award ceremony after undergoing emergency surgery to his hip, but that didn't stop Campbell paying tribute to his famous dad. </p> <p>“He takes fatherhood really, really personally, he had a very traumatic childhood growing up and it was really, really difficult for him,” Campbell explained.</p> <p>“He had a lot of trauma, a lot of abuse, which he’s written about and he’s had to overcome all of that and of course, he had a lot of problems in his life."</p> <p>“But the fact that he then became a parent with Jane, to my brothers and sisters and to me, has been the thing that he’s been able to improve his past and change the future by raising us and giving us the tools that we needed to be better.” </p> <p>“And for me, no matter what, he’s been my North Star, even with his mistakes, because I watch him improve on that all the time and he’s an incredible grandfather to not only my kids, but the 127 grandkids he has."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today Extra</em></p>

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Bindi Irwin sparks controversy over photoshop claims

<p>Bindi Irwin has responded to claims that she photoshopped a series of photos featuring a red panda named Teddy and her three-year-old-daughter Grace. </p> <p>Earlier this month, the wildlife warrior shared the images of the red panda sitting on Grace's lap on social media with the caption: “Meet Teddy. The sweetest red panda with a true love for snack time. I hope you can meet him on your next #AustraliaZoo adventure.”</p> <p>Fans were quick to speculate whether Teddy was real and if the image had been digitally manipulated. </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/C-gS9r-TWIP/?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/C-gS9r-TWIP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Pretty sure that’s a Photoshop image," one wrote. </p> <p>“He looks Photoshopped into the second one!”, another added.</p> <p>"That guy looks wild! Almost looks fake," a third added. </p> <p>Bindi responded to their speculation in the comments saying: “I think it’s so funny how some people think that our sweet red panda was Photoshopped,” she said.</p> <p>“I can tell you with absolute certainty that these photos are 100 per cent real (thank you @kateberryphotography for taking such beautiful pictures) and Teddy is in no way Photoshopped.”</p> <p>She ended her message with: “Hope you have a wonderful day and just a note … I’ll always share real wildlife moments with you. That’s kinda my thing …”</p> <p>Other fans supported Bindi, responding to haters: “You’re literally commenting on an Irwin’s pic.”</p> <p>“Why would this page ever Photoshop themselves with an animal, it’s a ZOO,” another said.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Mother furious after toddlers escape daycare onto busy road

<p>A young mother is demanding answers after her toddler managed to flee his daycare centre and walk onto a busy road. </p> <p>Adelaide mum Makayla Lill dropped her son Wyatt off at the Goodstart Early Learning Blair Athol on Monday, when only hours after, Wyatt and another toddler were seen climbing through a hole in a broken fence. </p> <p>The two children ran out towards the busy road, which is regarded as a notorious accident blackspot, forcing traffic to slow down to avoid hitting the children.</p> <p>The staff quickly realised the children had escaped and ran to retrieve them. </p> <p>"I am pretty furious. There’s no excuse,” Makayla said.</p> <p>After the children were secure, the staff rang Ms Lill to inform her of the incident, which is now under investigation. </p> <p>“The first thing she said was ‘I’m just letting you know Wyatt is safe’”, Ms Lill said. “That straight away makes you think ‘What’s happened?’”</p> <p>"They said he was there for a maximum, this is what makes me upset, 10 seconds," Lill said.</p> <p>The mother said staff told her the gap in the fence was missed on a routine perimeter check.</p> <p>George Mavromatis was nearby when the incident occurred and said he heard the staff's screams from across the road.</p> <p>"This is a very bad intersection. We've seen multiple car accidents, it was very lucky to come out of that lightly to tell you the truth," he told <em><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/two-children-found-wandering-near-busy-road-after-leaving-childcare-centre-adelaide/3c0164f9-d799-45e2-806b-1db00bc67e22" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">Nine News</a></em>.</p> <p>Makayla Lill has made a formal complaint with the centre, as some parents have pledged to remove their children from the daycare centre, while others have said they hoped it was just an isolated incident.</p> <p>The incident is now under multiple investigations by the centre and the Education Standards Board of South Australia, as South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said SafeWork may have a role to play in the investigation. </p> <p>"I think any parent would be horrified when they see these images. They're pretty confronting. I think it begs the question of what went wrong in this circumstance," Malinauskas said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine</em></p>

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"My heart is broken": Mariah Carey reveals sad double tragedy

<p>Mariah Carey has revealed a devastating double tragedy, as both her mother and sister passed away on the same day. </p> <p>In a heartbreaking statement to <em><a href="https://people.com/mariah-carey-mom-patricia-sister-alison-both-died-same-day-exclusive-8701561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a></em>, the singer announced the deaths of her mum Patricia, 87, and sister Alison, 63, who died over the weekend. </p> <p>Carey's statement read, "My heart is broken that I've lost my mother this past weekend. Sadly, in a tragic turn of events, my sister lost her life on the same day."</p> <p>"I feel blessed that I was able to spend the last week with my mom before she passed."</p> <p>"I appreciate everyone's love and support and respect for my privacy during this impossible time."</p> <p>No cause of death has been revealed for either member of the family. </p> <p>Carey famously had a turbulent relationship with her mother and sister over the years, and was estranged from Alison for three decades before her untimely death.</p> <p>In 2016, Alison, who was a recovering drug addict, made a plea to her famous sister through the Daily Mail to ask for support, saying, "Mariah I love you, I desperately need your help."</p> <p>As well as substance abuse, Alison endured homelessness throughout her life and tested positive for the HIV virus. </p> <p>Mariah opened up about complicated relationships with her mom and sister in her 2020 memoir, <em>The Meaning Of Mariah Carey</em>.</p> <p>"Like many aspects of my life, my journey with my mother has been full of contradictions and competing realities. It's never been only black-and-white — it's been a whole rainbow of emotions," she explained. </p> <p>She said their relationship was a "prickly rope of pride, pain, shame, gratitude, jealousy, admiration, and disappointment", however the book was still dedicated to Patricia.</p> <p>"And to Pat, my mother, who, through it all, I do believe actually did the best she could," the singer penned in the dedication. "I will love you the best I can, always."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Paul Archuleta/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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Family divided over unique baby name choice

<p dir="ltr">A woman has asked for advice after her choice of baby name sparked a family feud. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman, a new mother, took to Reddit to explain that when she found out she was pregnant, she and her husband decided to use a traditional Irish moniker for their baby boy. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My husband is Irish and not in the Boston, my great great, great grandfather came over in the 1800s kind of way. But in the born in Galway kind of way,” the woman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">They decided on the name ‘Oisín’ for their son to honour the Irish heritage. </p> <p dir="ltr">Tensions soon arose when the woman’s brother and sister-in-law also announced they were expecting a baby, and quickly fell in love with the name Oisín and wanted it for their own son. </p> <p dir="ltr">“My brother and his wife have as much right to name their child whatever they want. I do not own the name. I have no right to dictate to my brother what he names his kid,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">“However, neither my family nor my sister-in-law have any other connection to Ireland.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She got pregnant right around when I did, and her son was born two months before ours. They named him ‘Oisín Miguel’,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I didn’t get upset or anything,” she added. “But she has flipped out that two cousins will have the same name. She is nuts because our family is Hispanic, and half of our cousins are named ‘Carlos’ or ‘Camilla’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s sister-in-law is now “trying to insist that the couple call him by his middle name or change his name”, to which the woman said, “I told her to p*** off.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“My mum is staying neutral, but she was very surprised that my brother gave his son an Irish name which he knew I was planning on using. She expected him to name him after our late father.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman finished her post by saying that her “husband’s family thinks the whole thing is hilarious, my family thinks my sister-in-law is a ‘weirdo,’ and she thinks I’m an a**hole for copying her”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s post quickly went viral with thousands of people siding with the original poster. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Your husband’s family is right. So is your family. She doesn’t own the name,” said one.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not the a**hole. You’re right, anyone can use a name,” added a second.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You’re not the a**hole, sounds like someone in the family likes to manufacture drama,” said a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Honestly, it sounds like your sister-in-law is overreacting. You had that name picked out long before she got pregnant, and it’s not like you’re trying to steal her son’s identity,” added another.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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"Heartless": Widows told they cannot be buried next to their late husbands

<p>A group of heartbroken widows in Perth have been told they cannot be buried next to their husbands in pre-purchased plots because of a technicality. </p> <p>The women paid for the plots more than two decades ago when their partners passed away, but were never told the leases for the plots were only valued for 25 years. </p> <p>Now, the local council has closed the cemetery and told the women they cannot be buried there next to their loved ones. </p> <p>Sheila Goble, who was married to her husband Fred for 40 years before he died, said the council's decision was "heartless" and "nasty". </p> <p>"Oh good grief, it's just nasty of the council, it really is, how can they do this to all the widows," Sheila told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/perth-widows-told-they-cant-be-buried-beside-their-husbands-over-technicality/39c4bbd9-b0ef-4cf0-a552-a77927bc4763" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>"He thinks we're going to be buried together there, it's heartless, it really is," Sheila said of her husband.</p> <p>Prior to Fred's death, the couple has decided they wanted to be buried next to each other. </p> <p>"We knew we were losing, and I said 'shall I go and buy a plot?', and he said 'yes'," she said.</p> <p>That plot, as well as Sheila's, was purchased in 1998, for the pair to be buried side by side at Perth's East Rockingham Pioneer Cemetery.</p> <p>The Governor of Western Australia then closed the ceremony in 2009, with the City of Rockingham then adopting a policy which allowed it to "provide persons who do not hold a Grant of Right of Burial", meaning a current lease, the right to be buried with family".</p> <p>That policy was scrapped in April this year, and after Sheila's lease expired one year ago unbeknownst to her, she was told she could not renew it and had to find other burial plans. </p> <p>"(They) told me I could dig my husband's marble grave stone up, I could dig my husband up at my expense, he mentioned, take him to the new cemetery which is about eight to ten kilometres away buy another plot and bury him there."</p> <p>Gayle Parker's mother Lorna is experiencing the same plight, as she is also fighting for the pre-purchased plot next to her husband, as both widows claim they were never told about the 25 year lease. </p> <p>"No one's been contacted, if they're saying, okay you should have renewed your lease or something, why didn't someone contact us and say that?" Gayle asked.</p> <p>"Lets face it, Mum's 94, she's not going to be thinking in 25 years down the track after dad went 'oh hang on, I've got to go renew a lease' because they forget about it."</p> <p>A social media post on the women's issues has attracted dozens of comments, and the City of Rockingham has confirmed it's aware of at least 20 other cases of people fighting for their pre-purchases plots. </p> <p>The City of Rockingham issued a statement on the matter, saying, "Although the City is responsible for cemetery management - burial functions, including the issuing of grants, must comply with legislation, therefore there is no avenue for the City to grant an exemption or to permit a burial in these circumstances."</p> <p>Because it is the Governor's closure it can only be rectified by our advice to the Governor, a potentially lengthy process that could leave widowers and families in limbo.</p> <p>Gayle said it is hard to take in that her parents might not be buried together, while Sheila said she just "wants to be buried in a nice dress with a bottle of wine" next to her husband, who was buried with a beer. </p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair </em></p>

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