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Manhunt underway after 65-year-old woman killed in drive-by shooting

<p>A police manhunt is underway in Sydney’s south-west after a woman was fatally shot in a brazen drive-by attack overnight.</p> <p>Emergency services were called to a home on Dickens Road in Ambarvale about an hour south-west of the Sydney CBD at around 11pm on Monday night, following reports of gunfire. A 65-year-old woman was found with a gunshot wound to the leg and died at the scene despite efforts to save her.</p> <p>According to police, the shots were fired from an unknown vehicle that fled the area shortly after the attack. The home was peppered with bullets, with at least 10 yellow bullet-casing markers seen on the road outside the property.</p> <p>Two other occupants – a 21-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man – were inside the home at the time but were not injured.</p> <p>Detectives from the local police command and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad are investigating the incident. On Tuesday morning, police vehicles remained at the scene as forensic teams combed the area for clues.</p> <p>Authorities have appealed to the public for information, stating that community cooperation will be crucial to identifying the perpetrator.</p> <p>“This is a shocking incident, and we’re asking anyone who saw or heard anything suspicious in the area to come forward,” police said.</p> <p>Witnesses or anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage from the area at the time of the shooting are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.</p> <p><em>Images: ABC News screenshots</em></p>

Legal

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Beloved actor dies during performance of A Christmas Carol

<p>Canada's theatre community is mourning the sudden loss of veteran stage actor Julien Arnold, who collapsed and died on stage during a performance of <em>A Christmas Carol</em> at Edmonton's Citadel Theatre on Sunday. He suffered a medical emergency in front of a shocked audience and was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.</p> <p>Arnold, a cherished figure in Edmonton's theatre scene, was known for his magnetic performances and decades of contributions to the arts. The Citadel Theatre, where he performed numerous times throughout his career, issued a heartfelt statement:</p> <p>“Julien’s passing is a profound loss to his family, friends, fellow Carol company members, Citadel staff, and the Edmonton community he loved so dearly. His presence brought joy, heart, and depth to every role, and his artistic contributions – and big hugs – will be deeply missed.”</p> <p>Arnold was performing dual roles as Marley and Mr Fezziwig in this season's run of <em>A Christmas Carol</em>, which the theatre has now dedicated to his memory. His stage credits also included playing Bob Cratchit in <em>A Christmas Carol</em> (2009), The Cowardly Lion in <em>The Wizard of Oz</em> (2009), Cogsworth in Disney’s <em>Beauty and the Beast</em> (2010), and Bottom in <em>A Midsummer Night’s Dream</em> (2012).</p> <p>Friend and audience member Lianna Makuch described Arnold as “a generous and magnetic performer – a true artist deeply cherished by the theatre community he loved so much.”</p> <p>The Theatre Network echoed these sentiments, noting that Arnold’s legacy “will live on through the stories he told, the lives he touched, and the community he inspired. He will be deeply missed.”</p> <p>In addition to his artistic legacy, <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/celebrating-julien-arnold-supporting-sheiny?attribution_id=sl:ead3dd04-3f01-4ee2-b862-700323dca048" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a fundraiser has been launched</a> to support his wife, Sheiny, with funeral expenses, daily living costs and time to grieve.</p> <p>Arnold’s sudden passing has left a void in the hearts of his colleagues, friends, and the wider Edmonton community. His talent, warmth, and dedication to his craft will be remembered as a cornerstone of Edmonton’s vibrant theatre scene.</p> <p><em>Images: Citadel Theatre</em></p>

Caring

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"We are with you": Hero cop embraced at Bondi candlelight vigil

<p>The victims of the Bondi Junction stabbing attack have been honoured at a candlelight vigil, with police officer Amy Scott, who ended the terror by shooting Joel Cauchi, stepping out for the first time. </p> <p>Hundred of tearful mourners fathered at Bondi on Sunday night, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, NSW Minister Chris Minns also joined in the sombre event to pay their respects to those who died in the Bondi Junction Westfield one week ago. </p> <p>The community gathered to farewell Ashlee Good, 38, Dawn Singleton, 25, Jade Young, 47, Pikria Darchia, 55, Yixuan Cheng, 27, and Faraz Tahir, 30, who were all fatally stabbed by 40-year-old Joel Cauchi. </p> <p>Cauchi was shot dead by police officer Amy Scott, who greeted and embraced emotional mourners at the vigil. </p> <p>Scott's actions were praised by the Prime Minister and the NSW Premier, who recognised her bravery in protecting the crowds of innocent people at the shopping centre.</p> <p>Speaking to the crowd, Mr Minns condemned Cauchi’s actions and the fear he instilled in the city’s residents. </p> <p>“Every Australian woman deserves to feel safe in her community. This is your state and your city,” he told the emotional crowd.</p> <p>“This is your home you have every right to live your life as you choose – free from fear and violence.”</p> <p>“We will not be a state where a woman is forced to change their behaviour because of the feelings or anger of other people.”</p> <p>The NSW Premier reminded mourners that millions of Australians shared their grief over the violent incident and were “in (their) corner” in the months to come. </p> <p>“Grief can be a terrible burden, but it doesn’t have to be a lonely one,” he said.</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reinforced that all of Australia was grieving for “all that has been stolen from us”, including “all the possibility and potential, all the kindness and humanity, all the love and laughter of the six lives snatched away” last Saturday.</p> <p>He said the vigil was being held for those killed in the attack and for everyone affected, including the dozen people injured and the “survivors carrying the invisible scars of trauma and of fear.”</p> <p>“We think of everyone still trying to come to terms with a hole in their life where a loved one should be,” Mr Albanese said.</p> <p>“Every Australian is thinking of you. We are with you. "</p> <p>"As a community, as a country today, tomorrow and always made those we have lost rest in eternal peace forever in our hearts.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Caring

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Movies that received zero stars

<p>There are good movies, so-so movies and bad movies. Is there anything worse, though, than a bad movie? Yes, there is. And I have seen my share.</p> <p>For decades, <em>Newsday </em>has used a four-star rating system for its film reviews. When I became the paper's movie critic in 2008, I had to figure out how to approach this system. Obviously, it's rare to see a four-star movie – even if it's not <em>Citizen Kane</em>, it has to be something truly outstanding.</p> <p>Three stars signals a wholehearted recommendation, though not exactly a masterpiece. Many movies fall into the two-and-a-half-star range: They're just meh. Tougher to call is the one-star or half-star movie – how do you decide between a D grade and a D-minus?</p> <p>Then there's the nuclear option: zero stars. What makes a movie so awful that it deserves zero stars? Like the four-star movie, this is a rare breed.</p> <p>This is a movie whose redeeming qualities are either infinitesimal or non-existent. It's a movie that fails so spectacularly it doesn't get credit for decent lighting or being in focus. A zero-star movie doesn't even get credit for existing.</p> <p>Every zero-star movie is unique in its own way, but over the years I've noticed that the worst of the worst tend to fall into a few different categories.</p> <p>Here are four examples.</p> <p><strong>Vanity projects</strong></p> <p>It's easy to poke fun at A-list stars and their outsize egos, but they often bring it upon themselves. Remember when John Travolta thought that <em>Battlefield Earth</em> would turn us all into Scientologists? Or when Mariah Carey played a version of herself in <em>Glitter</em>? Remember almost every movie Madonna ever made?</p> <p>For sheer self-centredness, though, nothing beats last year's <em>By the Sea</em>, written and directed by Angelina Jolie-Pitt and starring herself and her husband, Brad. (They produced it as well.) They play an American writer and his wife who stay in a beachside French hotel during the 1970s.</p> <p>He's depressed, she's depressed, they never have sex. With little dialogue and even less action, the movie mostly features the two stars standing around in chic outfits, smoking cigarettes and gazing with despair upon million-dollar views of the coast.</p> <p>Kinder critics praised the cinematography and scenery, but I couldn't find a reason to give this extended Chanel No. 5 commercial even a half-star. I figured the two actors got enough gratification just admiring themselves on screen for two hours.</p> <p><strong>Insults to intelligence</strong></p> <p>Filmmakers often assume their audiences will swallow just about anything. In the sci-fi failure <em>Transcendence</em>, Johnny Depp uploaded his consciousness into the cloud – a literal one, in the sky. (I gave that movie a half-star for sheer nuttiness.)</p> <p>In the zero-star fantasy<em> Jupiter Ascending</em>, the Wachowskis told the story of a housemaid (Mila Kunis) who sells her eggs to buy a telescope but discovers she's a princess. These movies took years to make, yet we spotted their idiocy within minutes.</p> <p>Then there's <em>Aloha</em>, Cameron Crowe's zero-star comedy-drama from 2015.</p> <p>Among its many terrible ideas were casting Emma Stone as a native Hawaiian (as if nobody would notice?), hoping we'd swoon when Bradley Cooper says cheesy things like "Would you stop getting more beautiful?" and creating a baffling climax in which an orbiting space object is destroyed by rock music.</p> <p>Filmmakers tend to be smart people, but moviegoers are no dopes, either.</p> <p><em>Aloha </em>made just US$26.3 million on its US$37 million budget, one of the year's major flops.</p> <p><strong>Lapses in taste</strong></p> <p>Taste is subjective, of course, but some movies cross a line just to cross it. Adam Sandler's zero-star comedy <em>That's My Boy </em>(2012), whose plot hinged on statutory rape and incest, marked a new low – until Peter Farrelly reset the bar with<em> Movie 43</em>.</p> <p>An anthology comedy spearheaded by Farrelly with several directors and writers, <em>Movie 43</em> (2013) rounds up more than a dozen A-list stars in an orgy of nastiness and vulgarity.</p> <p>Among the more hideous highlights are Chris Pratt and his real-life wife, Anna Faris, as lovers with a scatological fetish; Richard Gere as the CEO of a product that hacks off its customers' penises; and Chloe Grace Moretz as a teenager getting her period.</p> <p>"Once you see it, you can't unsee it," the trailers promised.</p> <p>As for the cast, they probably wish they could un-be in it.</p> <p><strong>Sheer ineptitude</strong></p> <p>Finally, some movies are so badly made that they barely qualify as movies. <em>Left Behind</em>, for instance, a faith-based rapture-fantasy starring Nicolas Cage, was so sloppy and disorganised that it literally couldn't keep track of night and day.</p> <p>At least that film was made by relative amateurs. <em>The Last Airbender</em> (2010), a fantasy-adventure based on the Nickelodeon series, was directed by M Night Shyamalan, the maestro who gave us <em>The Sixth Sense</em>. Here, Shyamalan completely loses his ability to coherently tell the story of Aang (Noah Ringer), a boy with mystical powers trying to unite four tribes. The dialogue is so crammed with fictional exposition that the actors sound like they're reading a Pokemon manual, while the choppy editing seemed almost random.</p> <p>Not even the special effects deserved a half-star: The postproduction 3-D made the whole movie look as flat as a View-Master slide. With its US$150 million budget, <em>The Last Airbender</em> was an inexcusable, zero-star disaster.</p> <p>As a last note, a truly terrible movie is just as exceptional as a truly great one, and in some ways just as fascinating. It's my job, though, to sit through them so you don't have to.</p> <p>You're welcome.</p> <p><strong>THE WORST OF THE WORST</strong></p> <p><strong>10. <em>All About Steve</em> (2009)</strong></p> <p>There's a reason you've never heard of this romantic comedy starring A-listers Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper: It's because she plays an irritating crossword fanatic and he plays an uninteresting person. In terms of on-screen chemistry, they're the equivalent of bleach and ammonia.</p> <p><strong>9. <em>Moms' Night Out</em> (2014)</strong></p> <p>This botched comedy (starring Trace Adkins and Patricia Heaton) stands out for many things, but one is a technical reason: The filmmakers somehow managed to capture the weirdest, ugliest facial expression on nearly every actor in nearly every scene. It's like a 90-minute flip-book of ruined family photos.</p> <p><strong>8. <em>Jem and The Holograms</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>Aubrey Peeples plays an aspiring singer who is shocked – shocked! – to discover that global stardom requires personal and artistic sacrifice. File this movie's profound message under Things a 9-Year-Old Could Have Told You.</p> <p><strong>7. <em>Remember Me</em> (2010)</strong></p> <p>In this saccharine yet creepy romance, Robert Pattinson plays a young, moody guy – no stretch there – who sleeps with a woman to get revenge on her father. Aww, how cute! The plot also hinges on the World Trade Centre attacks. Double cute!</p> <p><strong>6. <em>Jupiter Ascending</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>This sci-fi fantasy from the Wachowskis (The Matrix) defies description, but here's an attempt: A humble house-cleaner (Mila Kunis) discovers she's a galactic princess thanks to a part-wolf warrior (Channing Tatum). It's a statistical marvel whose 127 minutes include not a single good idea.</p> <p><strong>5. <em>Rock The Kasbah</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>A washed-up rock manager (Bill Murray) decides to make a pop star out of an Afghan singer (Leem Lubany). Magically, she reverses centuries of religious and cultural stigmas by performing the songs of Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam. Possibly the most misguided comedy ever made.</p> <p><strong>4. <em>Aloha </em>(2015)</strong></p> <p>Cameron Crowe's cloying romance stars Bradley Cooper as an ex-military man trying to bed a happily married woman (gross!) while flirting with a native Hawaiian (played by Emma Stone?) and trying to stop an outer-space missile (say what?). The movie is so wide of the mark that you can't even tell where it was aiming.</p> <p><strong>3. <em>Movie 43</em> (2013)</strong></p> <p>Richard Gere, Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman and many other talented people run through the most repulsive, unimaginative and unfunny skits ever filmed. The whole thing almost literally stinks. <em>Movie 43</em> currently holds a difficult-to-attain 4 per cent rating on RottenTomatoes.com.</p> <p><strong>2. <em>The Last Airbender</em> (2010)</strong></p> <p>M Night Shyamalan's fantasy-adventure is so disjointed and disorganised that you might think the reels got mixed up – possibly with a whole other movie. You could watch it 10 times and still not understand a thing, though by then you'd have gone permanently insane.</p> <p><strong>1. <em>By The Sea</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>Think back to the most pretentious European art-film you've ever had to endure. Now imagine Angelina Jolie making that movie, and you've got <em>By the Sea</em>, starring herself and Brad Pitt as depressed Americans who visit France and smoke a lot. Remember how Jean-Paul Sartre said hell is other people? That's because he hadn't seen this movie.</p> <p><em>Written by Rafer Guzman. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Columbia Pictures</em></p>

Movies

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Police finally reveal motive behind murder of campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay

<p>Police have alleged that the two secret lover campers, Russel Hill and Carol Clay, were "childhood sweethearts" who had started their affair 15 years ago.</p> <p>In a summary of the case against Gregory Lynn, who allegedly killed the pair, police believe that Mr Hill and Ms Clay had rekindled their romance 15 years prior, and would go on regular camping trips to "spend time together".</p> <p>The pair allegedly drifted apart and had children with other partners, according to the documents provided to the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.</p> <p>Mr Hill was married to another woman for 51 years, and according to the police facts provided to the court, his wife believed that he had gone camping alone.</p> <p>“Those close to them believe that they kept their relationship a secret to spare Hill’s family from distress,” the police statement read.</p> <p>The pair had gone camping in Wonnangatta Valley on March 19 2020, and they vanished sometime after 6 pm the next day.</p> <p>Police alleged that Mr Lynn killed the pair after an altercation over a drone, with Mr Hill fatally stabbed and Ms Clay shot in the head.</p> <p>Police also believed that he returned to the area in May and November 2020 to try and "destroy" evidence by setting the pair's remains on fire.</p> <p>Their bodies were buried around 40km from the campsite in Dargo on November 2021.</p> <p>Mr Lynn was in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court this week for a committal hearing to decide whether there is enough evidence for him to stand trial in the Supreme Court.</p> <p><em>Images: Victoria Police</em></p>

News

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Princess of Wales shows off her tree-decorating skills

<p dir="ltr">The Princess of Wales has given fans another glimpse into her Christmas spirit ahead of the holiday season.</p> <p dir="ltr">A few hours before her second annual <em>Royal Carols: Together at Christmas</em> concert, the Princess shared a video of herself decorating a tree.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Final touches before the #TogetherAtChristmas' Carol Service tomorrow," the caption read.</p> <p dir="ltr">The video shows a cheerful Kate dressed in a white turtle neck as she decorates a festive fir at Westminster Abbey.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fans commented on the video, wishing the Royal Family a Merry Christmas.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to Prince and Princess,” someone wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Season greetings your RH Catherine Princess of Wales,” another commented.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Final touches ahead of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TogetherAtChristmas?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TogetherAtChristmas</a> Carol Service tomorrow 🎄 <a href="https://t.co/mixjI8d5TD">pic.twitter.com/mixjI8d5TD</a></p> <p>— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1603129389927071749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“What a beautiful video. I’m so excited,” someone else wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">The concert was a family affair with the support of Prince William, King Charles and the Queen Consort.</p> <p dir="ltr">The concert also celebrated the life of Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8.</p> <p dir="ltr">There were several choir performances of Christmas classics, including readings by the Prince of Wales and an introduction from The Princess of Wales.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Royal Carols: Together at Christmas </em>is set to air on ITV on Christmas Eve.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Kochie's big Carols in the Domain surprise

<p>The biggest festive event of the year is back, with <em>Carols in the Domain</em> returning in full force. </p> <p>Hosted by <em>Sunrise</em> presenters Kochie and Nat Barr, the country's biggest musicians will be performing the biggest festive hits on the 40th anniversary of the iconic event. </p> <p>With the event returning in full swing, Kochie and Nat are looking forward to getting in the festive spirit. </p> <p>''Kochie and I can't wait, and I think Australia can't wait too,'' says Nat.</p> <p>''Last year we needed Carols to brighten up our year after Covid, this year we're all back to normal, but everyone I talk to says they've been shocked at the frantic pace of life."</p> <p>''I think we all need a break and Carols will signal that it's really Christmas and we can join with our families and friends and relax, reflect and be thankful.''</p> <p>''I'm absolutely busting for it,'' Kochie adds.</p> <p>Joining the pair this year will be performers including Todd McKenney, Rhonda Burchmore, The Wiggles, Mark Vincent, Lachie Gill, Paulini and more, with special guest via satellite, Grammy-winning singer Andrea Bocelli performing a duet with his daughter Virginia.</p> <p>Nat has promised there will be big surprises on the night, but kept tight-lipped about what viewers can expect. </p> <p>''I can't tell you what they are because then they wouldn't be surprises,'' Nat says.</p> <p>''But I just think the whole night is beautiful (with) gorgeous gowns, incredible singing, some of Australia's most powerful voices combined with an amazing orchestra and choir."</p> <p>''I really do love being part of it and I know Australia will love what we've got planned for this year.''</p> <p>The duo said viewers shouldn't hold their breath for a duet performance, but Kochie said he might belt out a tune. </p> <p>''I belt out Holy City when Mark Vincent is singing it and I reckon I've nailed it after so many years,'' he jokes.</p> <p>''I reckon I sound pretty good, Nat disagrees, so I think it's time for Australia to decide.''</p> <p><em>Carols in the Domain</em> will be airing on Saturday December 17th on Channel Seven.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Supplied</em></p>

Music

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Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy By the Sea: a claustrophobic portrait of a terrible pandemic year

<p>In her latest novel, Lucy by the Sea, Elizabeth Strout captures the bewilderment of us all at the onset of the pandemic. Her character Lucy Barton admits not only did she not see it coming, but even when she did notice the virus’s existence, she did not really believe it would ever reach New York.</p> <p>It is March, 2020, and Lucy, a writer, had been scheduled to travel to Italy and Germany, a book tour which she had, with fortuitous prescience, cancelled back in December. Lucy is a woman who is given to sudden flashes of insight – much like her mother, who was known for having “visions” – which is why, looking back at those early days of the pandemic, not having sensed its threat surprises her.</p> <p>Even when her ex-husband William’s oldest friend is put on a ventilator and subsequently dies, it is still difficult for her to accept that this is happening to people she knows. With hindsight, Lucy remarks: “It’s odd how the mind does not take in anything until it can.”</p> <p>William has been quicker to spot the looming danger. He pleads with their two daughters Becka and Chrissy to leave New York city with their husbands, before hastily scooping up Lucy from her apartment and carrying her away to the town of Crosby on the coast of Maine.</p> <p>At this point in the book, devotees of Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Olive Kitteridge, will experience a shiver of recognition and anticipation, for the fictional coastal town of Crosby is “Olive territory”. With this one deft move, Strout draws together the separate threads of much of the fiction she has written since Olive Kitteridge was published in 2008.</p> <p>Before establishing herself as a successful writer in New York, Lucy Barton’s territory was the small Midwest town of Amgash, Illinois. The deprivation of her Amgash childhood has haunted Lucy through Strout’s earlier novels, My Name is Lucy Barton, and Oh William! (the latter now <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-01/booker-prize-shortlist-best-books-2022/101482730" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize</a>) and in two of the short stories in Anything is Possible. Now it continues to tug at her in the house beside the sea in Maine.</p> <p>In My Name is Lucy Barton, Lucy is told by a writer she admires:</p> <blockquote> <p>You will have only one story … You’ll write your one story many ways don’t ever worry about story. You will have only one.</p> </blockquote> <p>The story Lucy has to tell, over and over, and in many different ways, is the story of her childhood, its poverty and isolation, and her complex relationship with a mother who was unable to tell her own child that she loved her.</p> <p>Even as an adult, Lucy does not know her mother’s story. In Lucy by the Sea she has invented for herself a “nice mother” she can talk to in private as distinct from the real mother with whom the silences that fell between them were necessarily more poignant than words.</p> <h2>Emotional lockdown</h2> <p>Locked down in a house on a cliff with a view of the waves, Lucy and William endeavour to fill their days. Lucy struggles to read, and as for writing, she believes she will never write another word. This sense of being frozen and unable to concentrate was all too common at that uncertain and anxiety-inducing point in the pandemic, especially among writers. But for Lucy there is the realisation that this is a state she recognises, having spent her childhood in a kind of emotional lockdown.</p> <p>In Maine, unable to retreat into the activities that usually soothe her, Lucy is also grieving for her husband David, a cellist with the New York Philharmonic, who has died only a year earlier. William, too, is unexpectedly single since his wife, Estelle, walked out and took their daughter Bridget, along with a good bit of their furniture.</p> <p>With no escape from the monotony of their self-isolation, Lucy, who in ordinary circumstances is endearingly quick to declare her love – especially for people – finds herself continually finding things to hate: she hates being in other people’s houses, hates the smell; she hates being cold, but hates sitting inside a house with a coat on; she hates the jigsaw puzzle of Van Gogh William insists they try; she hates snow, and she hates William after dinner when she suspects he is not really listening to her. With extraordinary patience, William tells Lucy to stop hating everything.</p> <p>To make matters worse, far from being welcome in Maine, some locals are so antagonistic towards the couple that a message urging them to go back to New York is anonymously attached to their car. Then, on a visit to a grocery store, a woman shouts at Lucy: “You goddamn New Yorkers! Get the hell out of our state!”</p> <p>When Lucy reproaches William for not being nice to her after the woman yelled, William, becoming uncharacteristically emotional, answers that hers is the life he has wanted to save.</p> <blockquote> <p>‘My own life I care very little about these days. But Lucy, if you should die from this, it would –’ He shook his head with weariness. ‘I only wanted to save your life, and what if some woman yelled at you.’</p> </blockquote> <p>When their daughters experience difficulties – one still in New York, the other in Connecticut – Lucy and William must support them as best they can from Maine. Many readers will recognise the torment of handling family crises at arm’s length, and of not being able to hug loved ones even when distance is finally overcome.</p> <h2>Not Olive</h2> <p>Elizabeth Strout has captured perfectly the fear, frustration, and boredom experienced by so many of us during the first year of Covid. Even her fragmentary writing style adds authenticity to a time when few of us could concentrate, when we flicked from news broadcast to news broadcast, to tallies of the latest case numbers, and deaths, while feeling that the very air we breathed carried risk.</p> <p>Among Strout fans Lucy Barton is a much-loved character, but it is Olive Kitteridge who has most often made headlines, with the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012698/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">television mini-series</a> based on the book, starring Frances McDormand, winning multiple awards. The polarising nature of Olive’s character stirs a strong response in readers, whereas the more reticent Lucy speaks quietly, like someone whispering in the reader’s ear.</p> <p>Strout’s extraordinary achievement as a writer has been to illuminate so many flawed, ordinary, yet far from unremarkable lives, through a series of interconnected stories and novels. Though each book is complete, they work satisfyingly together as a cohesive whole, so that reading them we come to know not just a handful of characters but entire communities in a few small towns on the coast of Maine, and in New York and Illinois.</p> <p>Olive Kitteridge and its sequel are elegantly wrought, with their third-person (and at times omniscient) point of view allowing for more nuanced storytelling. Lucy Barton’s intimate, first-person voice in the reader’s ear, with its tendency to speak in run-on sentences that often end with ‘"… is what I mean"’ or “‘… is what I’m saying"’, can become tiresome.</p> <p>In the end, one feels as if one has spent a year in lockdown inside the head of a small, loving, anxious, slightly neurotic person named Lucy Barton.</p> <p>Lucy By the Sea is a pitch-perfect portrait of a terrible year, and oh, how sweet it is to get out and about, to breathe fresh air, and to see the world from other, less claustrophobic angles, both for Lucy Barton and the reader.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/elizabeth-strouts-lucy-by-the-sea-a-claustrophobic-portrait-of-a-terrible-pandemic-year-191073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Images: Yahoo/Penguin</em></p>

Books

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Prince Andrew demands "trial by jury"

<p>As Prince Andrew continues to fight against a sexual assault lawsuit, he has demanded a "trial by jury" to clear his name. </p> <p>New York court documents show that Prince Andrew has denied all allegations against him and <span>“hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the complaint”.</span></p> <p>The civil sex assault suit was brought about by Virginia Giuffre, 38, who has accused the royal of forcing her to sleep with him more than 20 years ago at the home of convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. </p> <p>In an 11-page document, Prince Andrew's lawyers responded to Ms Giuffre's allegations, saying the Duke denies any allegation that he sexually abused Ms Giuffre when she was under 18 years of age.</p> <p>The document, which was submitted to the <span>United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, sets out a series of defences “without assuming the burden of proof, and expressly denying any and all wrongdoing”.</span></p> <p><span>The Duke's defence also claims that the case should be dismissed because Ms Giuffre is a permanent resident of Australia and that by entering into the 2009 agreement with Jeffrey Epstein she “waived the claims now asserted in the complaint”.</span></p> <p><span>After Judge Lewis Kaplan denied his motion to dismiss the civil complaint, Prince Andrew was previously thought to be seeking an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre for an estimated $18 million: the amount he got from selling his chalet in Switzerland. </span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Hundreds gather to mourn Charlise Mutten

<p dir="ltr">A sombre, candlelight vigil<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/tears-flow-at-vigil-for-murdered-schoolgirl-charlise-mutten-211910839.html" target="_blank">has been held</a><span> </span>for nine-year-old Charlise Mutten, who was allegedly murdered while holidaying with family in the NSW Blue Mountains.</p> <p dir="ltr">The vigil, held at Tweed Heads near the Queensland-NSW border, saw locals gather from 7.15 pm on Wednesday night.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mourners held candles and left bouquets and messages outside the gates of Tweed Heads Public School, the school Charlise had been attending.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846947/vigil1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/70b616652e7e46529b4b3413b3ad7893" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>More than 100 people gathered for the candlelight vigil held for Charlise Mutten outside Tweed Heads Public School, which she attended. Images: 9News</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the light rain, about 150 people gathered outside the school for the vigil, where several speakers shared emotional tributes to the young girl.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Charlise loved coming to our little lunchtime drama club,”<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/vigil-for-nine-year-old-girl-found-in-barrel-held-tweed-heads-man-charged-murder/3644467d-5827-412f-bde6-6ac33c28b31d?ocid=Social-9NewsGC" target="_blank">said</a><span> </span>Emily Carey, a teacher at Tweed Heads Public School.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was always funny, very entertaining, and full of wit.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another message, written by a classmate, read: “Dear Charlise, I was in your class in year two, it makes me really sad what happened to you.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You were a really nice person and I wish you were coming back to school with me.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Rest in Peace.”</p> <p dir="ltr">A message on the school’s notice board read: “don’t count the days, make the days count”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement on Wednesday morning, the school said it was “absolutely devastated” by the young girl’s death.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Ftweedheadspublicschool%2Fposts%2F339127968218848&amp;show_text=true&amp;width=500" width="500" height="770" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">“Charlise was a much loved member of our school who brightened all our days, every day,” the statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">The school<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/devastated-more-details-released-on-charlise-mutten-as-community-mourns" target="_blank">shared</a><span> </span>a recent photo of Charlise holding a literacy award she received at their end-of-year presentation day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Prime Minister Scott Morrison also shared his condolences for the family after the five-day search for the missing girl tragically ended.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You hope for the best, you pray for it, but it doesn’t always occur,” Mr Morrison said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846946/vigil2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/6cb3d994e5344e3fa6a866a6f5ecb986" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Students who knew and attended school with Charlise were among those who left messages for her at Wednesday night’s vigil. Images: 9News</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Charlise’s body was discovered near the Colo River after police and volunteers from the Rural Fire Service and SES searched bushland around the Wildenstein Private Gardens at Mount Wilson, about 120 kilometres northwest of Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detectives searched the property - where Charlise was last seen alive - for several hours on Tuesday before her body was found.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her stepfather, Justin Stein, has been<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/charlise-mutten-s-accused-killer-fronts-court-with-two-requests" target="_blank">arrested and charged</a><span> </span>with her murder, with police alleging he attempted to dispose of her body in inner Sydney before travelling back to the Colo River.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Stein appeared before a magistrate’s court on Wednesday, where he was refused bail.</p> <p dir="ltr">The case is due back in court on March 18.</p> <p dir="ltr">Investigations into Charlise’s death are ongoing, with police yet to determine how she died or whether there was a motive behind her murder.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 9News</em></p>

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Tom Walker discusses carols performance with Kate Middleton

<p>Scottish singer-songwriter Tom Walker has discussed his "top secret" rehearsal with the Duchess of Cambridge ahead of their performance together at the Royal Carols in December. </p> <p>Appearing on Good Morning Britain, Tom said Kate Middleton is "fantastic" and a "really talented musician".</p> <p>Kate played piano for Tom for his emotional performance of the song <em>For Those Who Can't Be Here</em> at the carols event at Westminster Abbey, surprising royal fans with her musical talent. </p> <p><span>"We had a rehearsal together, a 'top-secret' rehearsal, just to make sure we were both comfortable with playing with each other and so she could get her head around the arrangement of the song," he explained.</span></p> <p><span>Walker explained that the rehearsal took place at London's Metropolis Studios, and how he was sworn to secrecy. </span></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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6kRgzhTCb/?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> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CX6kRgzhTCb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Tom Walker (@iamtomwalker)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span>"I'm sure I'm allowed to say that at this point. At the time it was very top secret," he continues.</span></p> <p><span>The duchess, who also hosted the event, wrote on Instagram, "Together at Christmas brought together so many inspirational individuals for a night of wonderful carols and music. </span></p> <p><span>"But above all, it was about celebrating the goodwill, acts of kindness, love, empathy, and compassion which have helped people come through these difficult times.</span></p> <p><span>"Thank you to all involved for making this happen."</span></p> <p><span>In an interview with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/17149039/tom-walker-owes-kate-middleton-big-time/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>, Tom said his performance with the duchess was a "wonderful experience" and described her as "so warm".</span></p> <p><span>"She made the effort to thank all the musicians but it was us who felt so grateful to be part of something so special," he explains.</span></p> <p>Royal fans were stunned by Kate's hidden talent, with one person writing on social media, <span>"She plays the piano too? Now I love her even more."</span></p> <p>Check out the performance below. </p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yw95R0Vl4_c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @iamtomwalker</em></p>

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Allison Langdon shuts down Karl's festive request

<p>After hosting <em>Today</em> together for two years, Allison Langdon is putting her foot down after a request from Karl Stefanovic. </p> <p>Karl approached Allison and asked if he could host the annual <em>Carols by Candlelight</em> event with her, to which she said no.</p> <p>Speaking with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/tv/allison-langdon-christmas-carols-by-candlelight-70373" target="_blank">Woman's Day</a>, Allison explained why he won't be making an appearance. </p> <p>“I just told him no,” she admitted.</p> <p>“He was desperate to co-host but David Campbell and I have such amazing singing voices - a real talent that unfortunately Karl lacks!”</p> <p>Despite Karl's forced absence, Allison said she is very excited to have a live audience at <em>Carols</em> this year, after last year's crowd was unable to be present due to the pandemic. </p> <p>“I can't wait to be surrounded by people, particularly the little kids, singing together at the top of our lungs farewelling a year that has been pretty [tough] on a lot of people,” she added.</p> <p>“I can't wait to celebrate with our families and loved ones, all the things we are grateful for.”</p> <p>The 84th annual event will see a host of Australian musicians take to the stage to celebrate the festive season with fan-favourite Christmas carols. </p> <p>Performers including Dami Im, Casey Donovan, Lucy Durack and Isaiah Firebrace will belt out their favourite festive tunes, before <span>the cast of the musicals </span><em>Hamilton, Moulin Rouge </em><span>and </span>Frozen will also take to the stage.</p> <p><em>Carols by Candlelight</em> will air on Nine at 8:00pm on December 24th. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Iconic sitcom star dies just three weeks after cancer diagnosis

<p>Saved by the Bell actor Dustin Diamond has died aged 44.</p> <p>The former child star - who was known for playing Screech in the popular 90s sitcom - had stage 4 lung cancer and was diagnosed just three weeks ago.</p> <p>Taking to Facebook to announce the tragic news, his team revealed he passed away Monday morning, local time.</p> <p>He was being treated in a hospital in Florida.</p> <p>“We are saddened to confirm of Dustin Diamond’s passing on Monday, February 1st, 2021 due to carcinoma,” Diamond’s official social media page read.</p> <p>“He was diagnosed with this brutal, relentless form of malignant cancer only three weeks ago.</p> <p>“In that time, it managed to spread rapidly throughout his system; the only mercy it exhibited was its sharp and swift execution. Dustin did not suffer. He did not have to lie submerged in pain. For that, we are grateful.”</p> <p>According to TMZ he was taken off breathing machines to transfer to hospice care.</p> <p>A close friend of Diamond, Dan Block, said he had a "huge lump" on his neck for a long time but avoided going to the hospital out of fear people would take photos of him and post them online.</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/CKwtHtvjpTj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CKwtHtvjpTj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Saved by the Bell: NOW!🐯 (@sbtbnow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“I know that the reason he didn’t get help is because when he goes out people take pictures, put it on the internet and say not nice things about him,” Block told the publication last month.</p> <p>“He’s subject to public ridicule all the time and it sucks. People need to know he is a human.”</p> <p>His Saved by the Bell co-star Mario Lopez told Variety that he had urged his former colleague to seek treatment a few weeks ago.</p> <p>“I actually just spoke with him a couple of weeks ago. He was reluctant to go in (to hospital) for a while because he didn’t know if anything was going to get out,” Lopez said.</p> <p>And I said, ‘Bro, that’s foolish, you’ve got to get in there and take care of yourself and forget what people are saying.’</p> <p>“Some people thought his illness was a joke, which is awful, but the internet always spills tales. When all of this was happening, I was optimistic that he would make a recovery, but it was obviously too late.</p> <p>“From when I found out he was sick to his passing, it’s been incredibly quick. It’s so fresh, it’s incredibly hard to process.”</p> <p>Diamond started his first round of chemotherapy just two weeks ago.</p> <p>His family has a history of the disease, with his mother dying of breast cancer.</p>

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Duchess Kate’s mum Carole reveals what Christmas will be like at the Middletons

<p>Carole Middleton has given royal fans a glimpse into how Prince William, Duchess Kate and their three adorable children will be spending Christmas Day this year.</p> <p>In a new interview with the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/"><strong><em style="font-weight: inherit;"><u>Telegraph</u></em>,</strong></a> the 63-year-old grandma discussed the measures they take to ensure their £4.7million mansion in Bucklebury is looking festive.</p> <p>To get Prince George, Princess Charlotte and now Prince Louis excited for Christmas, Carole likes to put several trees indoors, saying “she likes to have as many as possible in the house".</p> <p>The royal grandchildren will also have their own tree in their room “so that they can decorate it themselves”.</p> <p>Carole revealed that she also has one “fashionable” tree with a clear theme, another decorated with sentimental baubles from over the years and a final tree that the grandchildren can decorate however they want.</p> <p>Kate’s mother also admitted that it takes a lot of planning to take care of everything in the lead up to the holidays, with the self-described “list-maker” saying that she began planning just after Halloween.</p> <p>The Middleton family spend Christmas Day by attending church in the morning before going on a walk and then returning home to open up their presents together.</p> <p>The clan will be served smoked salmon for lunch with champagne and then feast on a traditional Christmas dinner in the evening.</p> <p>Since Carole turned flexitarian, there will also be vegan options for all their holiday meals.</p> <p>Carole told the <em style="font-weight: inherit;">Telegraph</em>: “I’ve recently gone vegan. Or maybe that should be flexitarian.</p> <p>“If I go to someone’s house for dinner, I’m not going to make a fuss. For Christmas, I’d probably have two options – very traditional and something vegan.”</p> <p>Carole also revealed that her three Christmas essentials are mince pies, mulled wine and mistletoe.</p> <p>Although the day takes a lot of effort, Carole said it’s important to remember what it is all about.</p> <p>“Don’t get hung up on perfection. Often it’s the mistakes that make things memorable.”</p> <p>Although her eldest grandson Prince George will be king one day, Carole described herself as a “normal” and “hands-on” grandmother, whose family comes first in her life.</p> <p>Carole and husband Michael Middleton are also parents to Pippa, 35, and James, 31. </p>

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The $5 Kmart hack caravanners swear by

<p><span>There is nothing quite like hitting the open road with your caravan, with endless towns to visit and sights to take in.</span></p> <p><span>But no matter where you travel, chances are that you are going to encounter some bumpy roads.</span></p> <p><span>After stocking your caravan kitchen cupboards with various tumblers and wine glasses, the last thing you want is to have them break while rolling around in your cupboards.</span></p> <p><span>To keep your crockery safe, caravanners recommend purchasing a $5 Kmart product before you start your trip.</span></p> <p><span>Caravanners can purchase non-slip matting from Kmart, which can be cut to size depending on the purpose.</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span><img width="500" height="163" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7819689/1_500x163.jpg" alt="1 (169)"/><br /></span></p> <p><span>Another option is to buy small slabs of foam and cut out mug and bowl-sized holes.</span></p> <p><span>And if you have any kitchen appliances, pack them in a drawer with towels to avoid any damage.</span></p> <p><span>When you are travelling on rocky roads, it is also guaranteed that anything that is not sealed or stored properly will make a mess.</span></p> <p><span>To avoid this surprise, put a rubber band around any item that can unravel or pop open, even toilet paper rolls. </span></p> <p><span>It is also important to make sure all cupboards and drawers are latched. To save space inside your caravan, also consider buying collapsible homewares that fold into themselves, such as collapsible washing up tubs.</span></p> <p><span>What is your best caravan hack? Share it in the comments below. </span></p>

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Keith Urban: “The one thing I wish I’d done earlier”

<p>Keith Urban might be one of our greatest exports and one of our most successful home-grown country music talents, but that doesn’t mean the Queensland-raised superstar doesn’t have any regrets about how his career has progressed.</p> <p>Speaking at a packed session at South by Southwest Music Conference (SXSW) in Texas over the weekend, Urban admitted he wished he hadn’t waited so long to get sober.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wl-JuomB--k" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The 50-year-old believes his alcohol addiction stopped him from fulfilling his full potential, and still relies on his sobriety sponsor to keep anxiety about his career at bay.</p> <p>“I wished I had gotten sober many years before I did, but I’m glad I finally got here,” says Urban.</p> <p>“It has made it possible to do the things I do. I wasn’t at my full potential. I was enslaved, is what I was.”</p> <p>Urban, who famously entered rehab in 1998, is set to announce details about a new album <em>Graffiti U</em> in the coming weeks.</p> <p>“I have a very good (sobriety) sponsor; He said to me, ‘Keith, do you know how much people think of you?… Rarely.’ It’s a great leveller.”</p> <p>Urban also credited his wife, actor Nicole Kidman.</p> <p>“The way I approach it (now) is, ‘Let’s do it. We can scrap it after the fact.’ I learned that from my wife,” he added.</p> <p>What are your thoughts? Are you a Keith Urban fan?</p>

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10 best Carole King songs ever

<p>Few songwriters have had as much success as the legendary Carole King. Not only did she write and perform all her own songs, but she wrote some of the biggest hits for other artists, including The Shirelles, The Drifters, Aretha Franklin and Bobby Vee</p> <p>So, to celebrate her birthday today, we’re counting down 10 of her all-time best songs. Have a listen and tell us in the comments, which is your favourite.</p> <p><strong>10. “Where You Lead”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: center;"> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/e3xwcji1BLQ" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></span></p> <p><strong>9. “Up on the Roof”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ySAmXOy0CuE" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>8. “Locomotion”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7nGRVh7TCzY" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>7. “Beautiful”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/R398YOIyqp8" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>6. “It’s Too Late”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Msmnb676RxI" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>5. “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WMGBcS0h-Ng" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>4. “One Fine Day”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IJFTVKOQKQA" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>3. “I Feel the Earth Move”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9ZwEMAX0oEU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>2. “You’ve Got a Friend”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w4mNDS5rIRU" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><strong>1. “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”</strong></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MOyvYnkdEcc" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>

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8 weird companies started by musicians

<p>As if it’s not busy enough being a singer and entertainer, these musicians decided to do more. Below you’ll find well known artists who have diversified their talents into entertainment, alcohol, technology companies and more.</p> <p><strong>1. Gwen Stefani’s</strong> L.A.M.B. sells fashionable accessories such as shoes, bags and sunglasses – further endorsed by celebrity pals like Cameron Diaz.</p> <p><strong>2. Snoop Dogg</strong> is one of the co-owners of Reddit, a social media news site. He invested in the company with other celebs such as Jared Leto.</p> <p><strong>3.</strong> If you’re a vegan needing a home delivered meal, look no further than 22 Days Nutrition, co-founded by <strong>Beyoncé.  </strong></p> <p><strong>4.</strong> Speaking of vegans, <strong>Moby</strong> opened a vegan tea house in New York with his (now-ex) girlfriend. It has since closed down.</p> <p><strong>5. Bono</strong> from U2 bought a two-star hotel in Dublin and refurbished it into a five-star luxury retreat.</p> <p><strong>6. Céline Dion</strong> spent millions on a golf course in Canada, and loves hosting fellow celebs. Even Willie Nelson got in on the action – he’s got his own course too.</p> <p><strong>7. Dr Dre</strong> became a money-making machine when he saw a hole in the market for high quality headphones. Beats by Dre became the go-to brand worldwide (celebrities love them too, which helps).</p> <p><strong>8. Mark and Donnie Wahlberg</strong> and their brother Paul have a chain of burger restaurants with possibly the best name ever – Wahlburgers. There’s even a reality show of the same name.</p> <p>Have we missed anything? Let us know about your favourite celebrity’s side hustle in the comments.</p>

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