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Over 350k Aussies to be forced back into the office

<p>Opposition leader Peter Dutton has vowed to end working from home arrangements for public servants, forcing them back into an office five days a week. </p> <p>The leader of the Coalition will end flexible work arrangements for federal government employees, which currently allows them to work from home for two days a week.</p> <p>According to a report in the <a href="https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/coalition-to-force-public-servants-to-return-to-the-office-20250303-p5lge3" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline"><em>Australian Financial Review</em>,</a> the Coalition will also make massive job cuts, slashing about 36,000 jobs, which will save about $6 billion per year, if elected in the upcoming federal election.</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned that the drastic move would impact frontline workers, meaning slower delivery times for Aussies on benefits, including veterans.</p> <p>Opposition spokeswoman Jane Hume said the government has offered a “blank cheque to work from home” to employees, saying it was “unsustainable” and “not an arrangement that works for everyone”.</p> <p>On Tuesday, <em>7News</em> reporter Nick McCallum and Founding Director of Western Sydney Women, Amanda Rose, spoke with Nat Barr about the policy on <em>Sunrise</em>.</p> <p>“Nick, would there be a revolt if public servants are ordered back to the office?” Barr asked.</p> <p>“I have no doubt there would be. I actually like the policy. I think it is ridiculous that, what is it now, more than 60 per cent of federal public servants have ability to work at home,” McCallum said.</p> <p>“There is a big ‘but’ to all of this: Peter Dutton, it’s a perfect policy for him to sound tough, sound Donald Trump-like, bang his chest and say ‘I am going to demand they come back’ but they’ve recently signed a workplace agreement and under that there is a presumption that they can work at home."</p> <p>“All people in the public service can at least request it. There is a presumption they can do it and there is no limit on the number of days they can actually work from home."</p> <p>“So, he can’t really change that until 2027 anyway. So, call me cynical but it’s a perfect policy for him but at the moment he can’t do a lot about it.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: STEVEN MARKHAM/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Money & Banking

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Couple forced to sit next to dead passenger on international flight

<p>A couple has recalled the distressing moment they were forced to sit next to a dead passenger on an international flight. </p> <p>Mitchell Ring and Jennifer Colin were en route from Melbourne to Venice with Qatar Airlines, via the city of Doha, when a female passenger died mid-flight. </p> <p>The crew decided to put the dead passenger's body in Ring and Colin's row for the remaining four hours of the flight, which the couple said left them traumatised.</p> <p>The incident unfolded when a woman walked out of the bathroom and collapsed next to their row.</p> <p>"Unfortunately the lady couldn't be saved, which was pretty heartbreaking to watch," Ring told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/couple-forced-to-sit-next-to-corpse-for-hours-on-flight/24d51b24-9a7f-4e6c-be04-ec2dbf6df1c4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>A Current Affair</em></a>.</p> <p>"They tried to wheel her up towards business class, but she was quite a large lady and they couldn't get her through the aisle."</p> <p>"They looked a bit frustrated, then they just looked at me and saw seats were available beside me, my wife was on the other side, we were in a row of four."</p> <p>"They said, 'Can you move over please?' and I just said, 'Yes no problem'. Then they placed the lady in the chair I was in."</p> <p>The couple claims cabin crew did not offer them a different seat to move to, with a passenger in the row behind them instead offering a spare seat to nervous-flyer Colin.</p> <p>"There were a few spare seats I could see around us," Ring said.</p> <p>Ring spent the remaining hours of the flight in the same row as the corpse, saying he was told to stay seated after the plane landed as medical crews took off blankets covering the body.</p> <p>"I can't believe they told us to stay … it wasn't nice," he said.</p> <p>The couple said they have not been offered any support from Qatar Airways, with Ring saying, "They have a duty of care towards their customers as well as their staff, we should be contacted to make sure, do you need some support, do you need some counselling."</p> <p>"I don't really know how I feel and would like to speak to somebody to make sure I'm alright."</p> <p>Colin said the pair was now trying to make the best of their Italian holiday of a lifetime after the disturbing flight. </p> <p>"I'm trying to make the best of a pretty hard situation, but, you know, we're on holidays so we're really trying to have a good time," she said.</p> <p>Since <em>A Current Affair</em> spoke to the couple, Qatar Airways says it is looking into the situation.</p> <p><em>Image credits: A Current Affair </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"So frustrating ": Daryl Braithwaite forced to cancel tour

<p>Daryl Braithwaite has been forced to cancel shows on his Australian tour amid a recent health scare. </p> <p>The Aussie music icon, 76, announced on Facebook that he had to cancel his scheduled gig in Cronulla, Sydney "due to a medical condition", just days after postponing a show in Torquay, Victoria.</p> <p>"It is so frustrating trying to make my voice work when it breaks down, you try all of the old and new secret remedies and hope," he wrote on Sunday morning.</p> <p>He also apologised for cancelling his Torquay gig on Thursday in light of his health condition. </p> <p>"Due to a medical condition, I have had to postpone tonight's Torquay Hotel show. I am sorry for the disappointment," he wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>The Torquay show has been rescheduled for Friday February 14th, but Braithwaite's Cronulla show has not yet been rescheduled.</p> <p>While Braithwaite did not disclose what condition he was suffering with, he did announce it was greatly affecting his voice.</p> <p>Hundreds of fans flocked to the comment section to share their well wishes, as one person wrote, "You need to rest and take it easy your health is more important Daryl take care."</p> <p>"You are more important, Daryl. Don't be too frustrated, these setbacks happen and you'll come back stronger. We all love you," wrote another.</p> <p><em>Image credits: SplashNews.com/Shutterstock </em></p>

Caring

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Airline forced to apologise over controversial tourism ad

<p>An airline has copped major backlash over a controversial tourism campaign that promotes their return flights to Paris.</p> <p>Pakistan International Airlines posted a photo of a plane flying at the Eiffel Tower on X as part of its campaign to mark the first flight from Islamabad to Paris after a safety ban was lifted.</p> <p>“Paris, we’re coming today,” the ad reads. </p> <p>The campaign has been viewed more than 21 million times, but after receiving thousands of negative comments, the airline was forced to issue an apology. </p> <p>Many social media users drew comparisons with the Al-Qaeda attacks on New York’s Twin Towers on September 11th 2001 when two planes were hijacked and flown into the skyscrapers, killing nearly 3,000 people.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/qUoNCyL385">pic.twitter.com/qUoNCyL385</a></p> <p>— PIA (@Official_PIA) <a href="https://twitter.com/Official_PIA/status/1877555588533485884?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>“This advertisement is sickening to see. Please do better with your imagery,” an irate user wrote. “Do you not see the airplane heading for the Eiffel Tower? Do you not know what it will be perceived as?”</p> <p>Another wrote, “Who tf made this graphic to further ruin Pakistan’s image in the world,” while others questioned how the graphic was approved, adding, “Who thought this ad was a good idea?”</p> <p>“Is this (an) advertisement or threat?” another user asked.</p> <p>After being online for a week, the airline issued an apology saying it was “blown out of proportion”.</p> <p>“Unfortunately, this was blown out of proportion with connations and perceptions that were not intended,” PIA spokesman Abdullah Khan told AFP.</p> <p>“It might have triggered some negative emotion, for which we truly apologise.” </p> <p>Despite the controversy, the ad remains on the airline's official X account.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Pakistan International Airlines</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Entire block of flats forced to evict before Christmas

<p>An entire block of flats have been subject of a mass eviction, just days before Christmas. </p> <p>More than 150 residents units are facing uncertainty in the new year after they were served notice to vacate their South London homes.</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8ykm23lrko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a>, some tenants only signed their lease a few months ago. </p> <p>Aitch Group, which owns the building, said tenants were asked to leave to facilitate refurbishments, with all 83 flats in the building receiving their notices over December. </p> <p>Every resident has been given an individual notice with varying dates, they said, which has contributed to widespread confusion and stress, the BBC reported.</p> <p>The tenants were turfed out after being served a Section 21 notice, which means the landlord wants you to leave and does not need to provide a reason for eviction. </p> <p>These clauses have been outlawed in Victoria and New South Wales. </p> <div id="paragraph-14"> <div> <p>One resident of the building, Kamelia Yotava, said her hair has been falling out due to the stress of the eviction. </p> </div> </div> <div id="paragraph-15"> <div> <p>“It’s not humane what they are doing,” she told the BBC. “Instead of spending time with family and enjoying the holidays, people need to stress about moving."</p> </div> </div> <div id="paragraph-16"> <div> <p> </p> <p>“There’s not many houses available and now they’re going to put 150 people on the market looking for houses, it’s going to make it even harder.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Google Maps</em></p> </div> </div> <p> </p>

Legal

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KIIS FM star's stunning countryside wedding

<p>Woody Whitelaw is officially married! </p> <p>The co-host of KIIS FM's <em>Will & Woody </em>exchanged vows with his long-time love Mimi Gibbs in a stunning ceremony in Victoria over the weekend. </p> <p>"The Whitelaw’s 🤍"  captioned a series of highlights from their wedding posted to Instagram.</p> <p>The pair tied the knot at the at the picturesque Euroa Butter Factory in front of friends and family including their two-year-old daughter Remi, who walked down the aisle and greeted her dad with a big hug. </p> <p>Whitelaw's co-host Will McMahon fulfilled his groomsmen duties at the wedding, which took less than four months to plan. </p> <p>The bride looked stunning in a white floor-length gown that featured a side split, while the radio star kept it classic with a black tuxedo and bow tie. </p> <p>Gibbs then opted for a shorter off-shoulder mini dress for the reception. </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/DB5ZxHSysrZ/?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/DB5ZxHSysrZ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by MIMI • GIBBS (@mimgibbs)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Last week, KIIS FM made a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DB0TnmDv-qQ/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video tribute</a> to the couple in honour of their wedding, and Whitelaw could be seen getting emotional as the big day approached. </p> <p>“I feel like the luckiest person in the world getting to marry Mim because she is truly the most amazing person I’ve ever come into contact with,” he said in the video shared to Instagram. </p> <p>“She’s always putting others before herself. She’s just so much fun. At all times, she just makes any situation very silly and very childish. I just can’t believe I will be calling her my wife, and I get to spend the rest of my life with her.”</p> <p>Gibbs also appeared in the clip with a sweet message to her husband. </p> <p>“I love him so much and I just am so excited to spend the rest of my life with him and loving him for an eternity,” she said.</p> <p>The wedding comes two years after the radio host proposed to Gibbs in their backyard, surprising her with a diamond ring as she lounged on a sunbed. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ </em><em>Mimo Weddings</em></p>

Relationships

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Drunk couple forces emergency landing after mid-air meltdown

<p>A Ryanair flight to Ibiza had to be diverted after a drunk couple allegedly assaulted cabin crew and other passengers. </p> <p>The plane, carrying holiday-makers from Manchester to Ibiza had to make an emergency landing in Toulouse, where police hauled the intoxicated passengers off the plane. </p> <p>A British traveller on the flight, who asked to remain anonymous, recalled the man "swigging duty free vodka" on the first hour of the flight, before he started arguing with a male cabin crew member and punched him in the face. </p> <p>As they tried to restrain him, the intoxicated man assaulted another passenger and spat at a woman, hurling verbal abuse at her. </p> <p>“He was kicking off with everyone, he was out of control,” the witness said.</p> <p>Flight attendants reportedly warned him that the flight would have to be diverted if he didn't calm down, but he replied: “I don’t give a f***.” </p> <p>The altercation lasted for about 40 minutes until Flight FR2626 had to land in Toulouse, and 12 police officers took him away in custody. </p> <p>Video of the attack showed the man shouting and swearing at the police, before assaulting another traveller as he was being escorted off the flight. </p> <p>After he left the plane, his partner started harassing another traveller, hitting him and calling him a "paedo". </p> <p>In another video, police were filmed physically restraining the woman, before removing her from the plane. </p> <p>The flight spent just over an hour and a half on the tarmac at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport before continuing its journey to Ibiza.</p> <p>Just last week Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary called for flyers to be limited to two drinks at airports to crack down on disorderly behaviour on flights. </p> <p>“We don’t want to begrudge people having a drink," he said. </p> <p>“But we don’t allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000ft.</p> <p>“In the old days, people who drank too much would eventually fall over or fall asleep. But now those passengers are also on tablets and powder.</p> <p>“It’s the mix. You get much more aggressive behaviour that becomes very difficult to manage.”</p> <p>The airline has started carrying out hand luggage checks to stop passengers on flights to Ibiza and the Greek islands from smuggling duty-free alcohol on-board. </p> <p>A Ryanair spokesperson has apologised for the incident saying:  “This flight from Manchester to Ibiza diverted to Toulouse after a small group of passengers became disruptive in-flight." </p> <p>“The crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Toulouse and offloaded two passengers before this flight continued to Ibiza.</p> <p>“We sincerely apologise to passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of these unruly passengers’ behaviour, which was beyond Ryanair’s control. This is now a matter for local police.”</p> <p><em>Image: news.com.au</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Rod Stewart "puts the record straight" over family rift

<p>Rod Stewart has taken to social media to hit back at the tabloids claiming his marriage to Penny Lancaster is on the rocks. </p> <p>The 79-year-old singer explained that he "wanted to put the record straight" and disputed the reports that his marriage is in trouble. </p> <p>"There is absolutely no rift between Penny and I and no disagreement over where we should reside, in fact it's the opposite," he wrote on Instagram. </p> <p>"We moved permanently back to our beloved Britain a year ago but are fortunate to also have homes in different countries, which we love to visit."</p> <p>"Originally we did think it made sense to sell our house in LA, but having spent a wonderful time there this summer with family and friends during my Vegas residency we realised that it makes sense to keep our house there," he explained. </p> <p>"Two of my eldest children still live in Celtic House (the LA residence)."</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_QbYc5gS_u/?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_QbYc5gS_u/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>He ended the message saying he could not be more in love with his wife after almost three decades together. </p> <p>"Penny and I could not be more in love with each other after 27 glorious years. Please trust me on this..... there's no disharmony in our marriage.</p> <p>"Rod 'a very lucky man' Stewart."</p> <p>Fans praised the rockstar for standing up to the media. </p> <p>"It was none of our business and I’m sorry you had to stand up for yourself like this. Stronger together for sure!" one wrote. </p> <p>"Very sad when you have to put out statements like this because of intrusive media speculation. Glad you're both very happy and in love," another added.</p> <p>"As if you'd be silly enough to let Penny go!!! She's absolutely incredible and you are indeed a lucky guy ❤️ you make a wonderful couple, ignore the rubbish, you know the truth and that's all that matters!" a third commented.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Rod Stewart forced to cancel milestone concert

<p>Rod Stewart has been forced to cancel a milestone concert after falling ill. </p> <p>The 79-year-old rockstar shared an emotional message with his fans on Instagram saying he has had to pull out of his 200th show as part of his Las Vegas residency at Caesars Palace due to strep throat.</p> <p>In his post, Stewart said he was "desperately sorry" and "absolutely gutted" over the cancellation.</p> <p>"I'm desperately sorry to miss this 200th show celebration," Stewart began. "Most people can work with strep throat but obviously not me."</p> <p>"I'm absolutely gutted. I've been looking forward to this concert for so long. My deepest regrets for any inconvenience this has caused."</p> <p>Stewart finished the post by adding that he'll be returning to the stage next year to make it up to fans.</p> <p>"Thankfully we'll now be returning in 2025 and I hope to see you all there," he finished, adding a heartbroken emoji.</p> <p>Just days before sharing news of the cancellation, Stewart announced his plans to extend his Las Vegas residency into 2025.</p> <p>"Vegas, I'm having too much fun for this to end so we are coming back for an encore!" he said, adding that he will be playing shows until May next year.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Caring

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Victorian mother jailed for forced marriage that ended in daughter's murder

<p>In a landmark case, a Victorian mother, Sakina Muhammad Jan, has become the first person in Australia to be jailed under forced marriage laws.</p> <p>Jan was sentenced to three years in prison, with a minimum of 12 months to be served, for coercing her daughter, Ruqia Haidari, into marrying a man who later murdered her.</p> <p>The case unfolded in Melbourne's County Court, where Jan was surrounded by emotional family and community members. Jan, an Afghan Hazara refugee, had arranged for her daughter to marry Mohammad Ali Halimi, a match brokered by a local Islamic community member in Shepparton. Despite Haidari's reluctance, Jan pressured her into a full marriage after initial dowry arrangements of $14,000 had been made.</p> <p>Haidari then relocated to Perth with her new husband, Halimi. Six weeks later, she was brutally murdered, her throat slashed with a kitchen knife. Halimi was subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment by a Western Australian court.</p> <p>Judge Fran Dalziel, who presided over Jan's case, noted that Haidari had expressed her desire not to marry, preferring instead to pursue education and work. However, Jan had insisted, telling her daughter (according to Judge Dalziel): “Are you my mother or am I your mother? I can make decisions for you ... Do you think it is up to you? No matter what, you need to listen to me; your mother.”</p> <p>Jan's lawyers argued that she believed she was acting in her daughter's best interests, reflecting her own experiences of being married at a young age without formal education. Nonetheless, Judge Dalziel condemned Jan's actions, stating that she had "abused" her maternal power and made it clear that forced marriage is illegal and carries significant consequences for perpetrators. “It must be made clear to everyone in our country that forced marriage is against the law,” she said. “You abused your power as her mother to override her desire to not marry Mr Halimi.”</p> <p>After the sentencing, Jan had an emotional outburst, refusing to accept the judge's decision or sign a recognisance release order, which would have allowed her to serve two years of her sentence in the community under certain good-behaviour conditions. The courtroom scene escalated, requiring additional security and paramedics when another woman collapsed during the proceedings.</p> <p>This case marks the first known conviction under Australia's forced marriage laws, which were introduced in 2013. Authorities have noted an increase in such cases, particularly involving young women and girls.</p> <p><em>Images: Australian Federal Police \ 9News \ ABC News</em></p>

Legal

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Second marriage asset protection: What you need to know

<p>Of paramount importance for many people in a second marriage is how to protect their assets if their relationship breaks down, or in the event of their death. Although second marriages bring a level of complexity, there are a number of strategies that you can implement to ensure that your assets are protected.</p> <p>Let’s explore some of the options available to you and what you need to know to protect your assets.</p> <p><strong>Binding Financial Agreement</strong></p> <p>A Binding Financial Agreement, often referred to as a pre-nup, allows you and your spouse to put in place a legal agreement which outlines how your assets will be dealt with in the event that your relationship breaks down. Should you wish, it can also extend to the provision of financial support for either party. The intention is for each party to protect their own assets, and such agreements can be put in place prior to a marriage or during a marriage if both parties consent.</p> <p>Like any legal document, a Binding Financial Agreement needs to be well drafted to ensure that it encompasses all relevant information, and it is important that you seek the advice of a family lawyer to assist you with putting this important document in place.</p> <p><strong>Joint Assets v Individual Assets</strong></p> <p>The manner in which you hold your assets is of paramount importance. All joint assets pass to the surviving party. If you and your spouse own a property as joint proprietors upon your death this property will automatically pass to your spouse. By changing the manner in which you hold the property from joint proprietors to tenants in common allows you and your spouse to deal with your individual interest in the property in your respective Wills.</p> <p>Additionally, you need to be mindful of any bank accounts or other investments that you hold jointly with your spouse as these are not individual assets that you can make provision for and will pass to your spouse upon your death.</p> <p><strong>Your Will</strong></p> <p>It is imperative that you put a Will in place that is reflective of your current circumstances and adequately provides for both your spouse and your children from a previous relationship in the manner that you desire. For many parents in second marriages with children from a previous relationship, protecting their children’s inheritance is of paramount importance.</p> <p>Discretionary Testamentary Trusts which are created in accordance with the provisions of your Will, can make provision for your spouse during their lifetime, whilst also ensuring that most of your assets go to your children. </p> <p>If you are the sole registered proprietor of your residence in which you and your spouse reside you may make provision in your Will providing a life interest in your residence to your spouse subject to some conditions being adhered to. This will allow your spouse to reside in your residence for the duration of their life then subsequent to their death the property may then pass to your children.</p> <p>Dying without a valid Will in place deems that you died intestate, and your assets will be distributed in accordance with a government formula and may not end up with the people who you would like to receive them. Your spouse would be entitled to a share of your assets, however this may not have been your intention, or the share that they would receive may be significantly more than you would like them to receive.</p> <p>It is therefore crucial that you take the time to put a well drafted Will in place so that your assets pass to those who you would like to receive them upon your death.</p> <p><strong>Mutual Wills Agreement</strong></p> <p>A Mutual Wills Agreement is a separate document to your Will and essentially is an agreement between you and your spouse that both of you will not change your Will without the consent of the your spouse or their legal personal representative upon their death. </p> <p>This document is intended to prevent the remaining spouse from altering their Will and disinheriting step-children or making other adverse changes to their Will.</p> <p><strong>The Right People in Key Roles</strong></p> <p>The roles of executor of your Will and your attorney in respect to your Power of Attorney documents are important roles and it is paramount that you appoint trusted people to undertake these roles as essentially you are handing control of your assets to those who assume these roles.</p> <p>Your attorney is entrusted to look after your finances and provide the best care for you in the event that you become incapacitated so you need to choose wisely.</p> <p><strong>Communication is Crucial</strong></p> <p>It is important that there is transparency for you and your family. By having important conversations with your spouse and children you can openly discuss your intentions and expectations so that all parties are relevantly informed and fully understand what your wishes are and what you have put in place. </p> <p>In order to evaluate the best options for you it is important that you obtain the appropriate professional advice to determine which is the best strategy for your own individual circumstances so that the relevant documents are put in place which offer you the best asset protection possible.</p> <p><em><strong>Melisa Sloan is principal of Madison Sloan Lawyers and author of Big Moments: Expert Advice for Conquering those moments that define us. www.melisasloan.com.au</strong></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Money & Banking

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"Force of nature": Tributes flow for Shannen Doherty

<p>Shannen Doherty has passed away aged 53. </p> <p>The beloved actress, known for her roles on <em>Little House on the Prairie</em>, <em>Charmed</em> and <em>90210</em>, died over the weekend following a nine-year battle with breast cancer. </p> <p>Doherty's death was confirmed by her publicist, Leslie Sloane, who said in a statement: "It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the passing of actress Shannen Doherty. On Saturday, July 13, she lost her battle with cancer after many years of fighting the disease."</p> <p>"The devoted daughter, sister, aunt and friend was surrounded by her loved ones as well as her dog, Bowie. The family asks for their privacy at this time so they can grieve in peace."</p> <p>Tributes have flowed in for Doherty from friends, co-stars and loved ones, who have remembered her as a "force of nature". </p> <p>"Shannen Doherty had the heart of a lion," fellow<em> Charmed </em>co-star Rose McGowan wrote in a tribute shared to Instagram. </p> <p>"Passion for craft is often mislabelled as trouble. Shannen was passion," McGowan continued.</p> <p>"I met her in the 90s and was awed. Getting to really know her later in life, a beautiful gift. This woman fought to live," McGowan added, before praising Doherty's work ethic which was "inspiring to the end".</p> <p>"Shannen's great love for directing, for acting, Holly [Marie Combs], her friends, her parents, dog and her beloved fans was legendary."</p> <p>"Our lives had been intertwined in a unique way. We laughed at dark forces who wanted us to hate each other, instead we chose love and respect. A soft-hearted badass as there ever was. A force of energy that will live forever in hearts," McGowan wrote. </p> <p>"Rest now warrior, we will never forget you dear sister."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9aLxGVvLH_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9aLxGVvLH_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fellow Charmed co-star Alyssa Milano - who Doherty had a complicated relationship with - also paid tribute to her via a statement shared with<em> People</em>. </p> <p>"It's no secret that Shannen and I had a complicated relationship, but at its core was someone I deeply respected and was in awe of," Milano wrote.</p> <p>"She was a talented actress, beloved by many and the world is less without her. My condolences to all who loved her," she concluded.</p> <p>Meanwhile, actress Olivia Munn, who bonded with Doherty over their shared breast cancer battle, shared a lengthy tribute to her Instagram story. </p> <p>"I am absolutely heartbroken over the passing of Shannen Doherty. When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer I remembered how she bravely let the world into her journey and reached out to her," Munn wrote.</p> <p>"We became instant friends – which I honestly couldn't comprehend at times because watching her on 90210 was everything to me when I was 10."</p> <p>"Looking back on the last text she sent me just a couple months ago, she asked how I was doing and if she could do anything for me.... True to form, Shannen was offering her support even though she was in the final stages of fighting this horrific disease," Munn continued.</p> <p>"Cancer is really f---ing scary and Shannen faced it with such dignity, strength and grace.</p> <p>"I'm sending all my love to her mother who was her best friend, hero and champion every step of the way. Fly so high, my friend 💔💔💔💔".</p> <p>Doherty's <em>Beverly Hills</em> and <em>90210 </em>co-star Jason Priestly described her as a  "force of nature" in an Instagram post. </p> <p>"I will miss her," he wrote.</p> <p>"Sending love and light to her family in this dark time."</p> <p>"Shocked and saddened by news of Shannen Doherty's death," Carol Potter, who played her on-screen mum in <em>90210</em>, wrote on Instagram.</p> <p>"What a journey she has been on! Gone too soon. Throughout, she stayed true to herself and gave us an example of courage and perseverance in facing her own death. May she rest in peace.❤️🙏"</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Rod Stewart shares the secret to a perfect marriage

<p>Rod Stewart has shared the secret behind his 17-year marriage with Penny Lancaster, and how the couple continue to make their relationship work. </p> <p>Chatting candidly with <a href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/704566/rod-stewart-penny-lancaster-secret-to-their-happy-marriage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Hello!</em></a> magazine, Stewart, 79, and Lancaster, 53, shared their ultimate secret to a happy and prosperous marriage.</p> <p>"We love life and make date nights for one another, among touring and family time," the rockstar told the publication.</p> <p>"We listen to each other and try to resolve all our disagreements, the dirty laundry as Penny says, right away, and before we go to bed."</p> <p>After a career spanning 62 years, Stewart says he has no desire to slow down and stop performing, while his wife says she admires her husband's drive and work ethic. </p> <p>"He loves what he does so much and will never retire. He's a workaholic and constantly on the move," she said.</p> <p>Stewart went on to say that despite his love of performing, he has learned to balance work and family.</p> <p>"I used to be much more preoccupied with myself and my career. But I've learnt from my mistakes and am more present," he said.</p> <p>The couple first met when Lancaster when she was hired to photograph Stewart on a tour in the '90s.</p> <p>"When we first met, I got her phone number – I had just broken up. I gave it to the bass player … and he kept it for six months," Stewart said in a <a title="2015 interview" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POEc1TlDLSk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015 interview</a>.</p> <p>He eventually called her and they began dating for several years before marrying in Italy on June 16th 2007.</p> <p>The couple now share two children, Alastair, 18, and Aiden, 13.</p> <p><em>Image credits: SplashNews.com/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Relationships

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Three children dead after allegedly being forced into house fire

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains disturbing content that readers may find distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>Three children have tragically died in a house fire in Sydney's west, with police allegedly treating the incident as a domestic violence attack. </p> <p>At 1am on Sunday morning, neighbours raised the alarm after spotting the fire in a family home in the suburb of Lalor Park.</p> <p>Firefighters arrived on the scene in six minutes to battle what neighbours called an "intense" blaze. </p> <p>"The flames were shooting out the front window at 20 feet," Brett said.</p> <p>Two adults and seven young children were inside when the fire broke out, with neighbours saying they were awoken by screaming. </p> <p>Two boys aged three and six years old were given CPR on the street but could not be revived, and a 10-month-old baby girl was also found dead inside the home.</p> <p>As rescue crews, emergency services and locals battled to extinguish the powerful flames and rescue those inside, father Dean Heasman was allegedly seen pushing the children back in.</p> <p>"We're alleging that 28-year-old man took direct actions to prevent the rescue of those young lives that were lost," NSW Police Homicide Squad Superintendent Danny Doherty said.</p> <p>"We will allege that this 28-year-old man's actions were directly the cause of the death of these three young people."</p> <p>"We've seen three young lives have just been taken away in the most tragic of circumstances, quite unimaginable how the family is coping with this."</p> <p>A 29-year-old woman, a nine-year-old girl, and three boys aged four, seven and 11 were also in the house during the blaze, but escaped and were rushed to Westmead hospital. </p> <p>Neighbours said the surviving children told them the man ordered them to stay inside the home as it burned, one of them claiming he tried to fight in a bid to save his siblings.</p> <p>"Dad tried to kill us," the child allegedly told rescuers.</p> <p>Residents claimed they saw the man attempting to drag the terrified children back inside, as they said he was shouting "leave me here to die".</p> <p>It's understood the man, who was arrested at the scene and remains in a coma with significant injuries, was not previously known to police and had no existing apprehended violence order against him.</p> <p>NSW Premier Chris Minns labelled the incident "horrifying and senseless" and offered the family support, as an investigation into the cause of the blaze begins. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p> <p> </p>

Legal

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"Blew our marriage to smithereens”: Keith Urban's emotional admission

<p>Keith Urban has opened up about the rocky start to his marriage with Nicole Kidman in an emotional speech in front of the Hollywood elite. </p> <p>During his speech at the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Nicole Kidman, which was filmed in April but aired over the weekend, Urban spoke candidly about their relationship and the early days of their marriage, when Urban spent time in rehab. </p> <p>Taking to the stage, he said, “We got married in June 2006, and barely four months into our marriage, the addictions that I had done really nothing about blew our marriage to smithereens.”</p> <p>“I went into the Betty Ford Center for three months,” Urban continued.</p> <p>“Four months into a marriage, and I’m in rehab for three months with no idea what was going to happen to us.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8dWHBDIC7c/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8dWHBDIC7c/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by American Film Institute (@americanfilminstitute)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“If you want to see what love in action really looks like, give that a whirl,” he said. </p> <p>“Nic pushed through every negative voice — I’m sure even some of her own — and she chose love. And here we are tonight 18 years later.”</p> <p>Urban went on to say his wife has “the capacity to love like no one I’ve ever met”.</p> <p>He went on to recall how they met at an event in 2005, where he got her digits on a “tiny piece of paper” that he carried “in his pocket for well over a week.”</p> <p>“I was scared,” the singer recalled. “I was nervous to call her and as prone as I might have been at the time to all sorts of delusional thinking, even I couldn’t stretch that to think that this extraordinary woman would ever see anything in a guy like me.”</p> <p>Urban finally plucked up the bravery to ring Kidman, and he said that when he did, it felt like they had “known each other our whole lives.”</p> <p>“It turned out that this mystic creature was really just a wide-eyed, vivacious giddy girl from the Sydney suburbs and despite being born in Honolulu, she was utterly Aussie through and through,” he said.</p> <p>“The thing about Nic, she loves life,” Urban added. “I’ve actually never met anyone who has such a passion for being alive. She knows the importance of expressing feelings as well. I wasn’t raised like this at all so our girls are very lucky to be learning from you, baby. I’m learning too.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Relationships

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Jessica Rowe fires back at ridiculous Peter Overton claims

<p>Jess Rowe has clapped back at a magazine that claims her marriage to Peter Overton is in "crisis". </p> <p>The presenter made the "shocking" discovery on the front page of a magazine while walking through the shopping centre, and took to her TikTok account to debunk the wild claims. </p> <p>The cover of the <em>Woman's Day</em> mag shows paparazzi photos of the couple looking distressed alongside the title: Pete and Jess in Crisis: Why She’s Standing By Him.</p> <p>“Look at what I learned when I was at the supermarket checkout today,” Rowe said in the opening of the facetious video, which has been viewed more than 40,000 times.</p> <p>“I was staring back at myself on the front of the magazine … According to the magazine, we are in crisis. I had to open the magazine to discover why I’m standing by Petey – let me tell you why.”</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7376185418213084417&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40craphousewife%2Fvideo%2F7376185418213084417&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FoMZXsDXJQAQ2OOEEwBeEaagUXI6RgpFBm6BmUf%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-alisg-i-0068%2Fo0A6eXXpDQCZW63mA0FAQrRVtCfxmABIEFgMEX.image%3Fx-expires%3D1717894800%26x-signature%3DXOjZhuATPOIRhqQpkKsQ9VSSCpA%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>She continued to joke about the “flattering photo” that the tabloid used, where she describes herself as “suitably puffy underneath the eyes”, saying pointedly, “I’m looking like I am in crisis."</p> <p>She then shows a photo of the full cover story, titled: Pete and Jess: This Won’t Break Us.</p> <p>“What is going to break us?” Rowe posed. “It turns out, there’s this article all about possible changes to the news that really aren’t based on anything, just some anonymous quotes.”</p> <p>At the video’s conclusion, she read the final quote provided in the “nonsensical article”.</p> <p>“‘But whatever happens they’ll come through it all stronger than ever – that’s just the way they are’,” Rowe quoted. “Oh phew, I was reassured reading that standing at the supermarket line that Petey and I, we’re going to come through it. We’re not in crisis.”</p> <p>The video racked up thousands of likes and comments, with fans of Rowe also condemning the gossip tabloid. </p> <p>“Sometimes you need a magazine to tell you how you’re feeling,” one commenter quipped.</p> <p>“It’s like work gossip,” another said. “I generally need to ask people what is going on in my life that I don’t know is happening.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

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Dad forced to live in tent amid housing crisis

<p>An Aussie dad is the latest to fall victim to the housing crisis, with soaring rent and low vacancy rates forcing him to live in a tent. </p> <p>Peter Woodforde, 58, has been forced to live makeshift gazebo wrapped in tarps that's set up in an Adelaide park, and while his children know that he is doing it tough, they don't know that he is homeless and living in a tent. </p> <p>The father has yet to tell his kids, who live with their mother, that he's unable to find a suitable place to live as he said that they would be distraught if they found out. </p> <p>He admitted his 15-year-old daughter once told him that it "hurt her" to know her dad was struggling to find a comfortable place to live - but she doesn't know the extent of it. </p> <p>Speaking to <em>7News</em>, Woodforde said it's been difficult not being able to offer his kids a place to sleep. </p> <p>“Every parent wants to give their kids everything they possibly can and wants to give them the best chance of having a good life,” he told the publication. </p> <p>“What I say to them is that this is only temporary, Dad will get back on his feet.</p> <p>“(But) you’re missing out on some golden years ... I help where I can, I might pick them up and drop them off from school, but now they’re too far for me to do that,” he added. </p> <p>"I have to get myself off the street. I have to get my family into a house." </p> <p>Woodforde is sharing his story because he believes that homelessness is in a “state of emergency”,  especially with winter approaching. </p> <p>He is also unsure about whether his makeshift tent will collapse when heavier rain hits, and hopes that more could be done to help these people facing desperate circumstances. </p> <p>“We’re coming into the colder months - what’s the bill going to be for all the health problems that are going to arise out of this?" he said. </p> <p><em>Images: 7News</em></p> <p> </p>

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Family of eight forced to live in tent amid rental crisis

<p>A family of eight have been forced to live in a tent for over six months as they wait to find suitable accommodation after their last rental lease ended. </p> <p>Cameron and Tameka Fletcher and their six children, aged between one and 10, have been living in a tent and have had to move from campsite to campsite since September. </p> <p>The couple claimed that the government can't support them because they have "too many children", and are waiting for public housing, but they might not meet the criteria to be eligible for it. </p> <p>They were reportedly staying in a makeshift tent city in a suburban park north of Brisbane.</p> <p>"We've always had a house, we've never done this," Cameron Fletcher told <em>Nine News</em>. </p> <p>"Everyone here is going through the same thing. But it's the only way to get help."</p> <p>“We can only do what’s best for our kids, to keep a roof over their heads,” his wife added. </p> <p>One of the couple's daughters is due to start school next year, and they have been struggling to enrol her as the family doesn't have a permanent address. </p> <p>The family said they are also struggling with day-to-day activities like finding breakfast, washing their clothes and getting the kids ready for school, and are using solar camping showers purchased from Kmart to clean themselves.</p> <p>According to <em>Nine News</em>, the family would be happy with a three-bedroom home but were told by state housing officials that they can only be offered a five-bedroom home to avoid overcrowding, but there are currently none available. </p> <p>In a statement issued to <em>Yahoo News</em>, a spokesperson for Department of Housing said it “has been working with the family since September last year, including providing accommodation which they chose to leave”.</p> <p>"As we’ve been assisting them to find longer-term options, they have declined further offers of accommodation," the spokesperson said.</p> <p>"With regards to social housing, there are eligibility factors that need to be met, including income thresholds. However, the department continues to work with the family to find a private rental and give any other support they might need."</p> <p>This comes as new <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/real-estate/rent-shock-what-youll-be-paying-in-every-australian-suburb-in-2024/news-story/10b67da9ebe170a2e2d37caa7e66bf40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PropTrack</a> data, released in March, revealed that rent has increased by 17 per cent over the past 12 months, across all the capital cities in Australia. </p> <p>More than half of Queenslanders who have applied for social housing are reportedly homeless and have had to wait for over two years amid a lack of supply and increased demands.</p> <p>Earlier this year, the Queensland government announced it was aiming to build another 53,500 social homes by 2046, with a $3.1 billion funding boost to deliver one million homes. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

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Matt Shirvington opens up on marriage and fatherhood

<p>Matt Shrivington has opened up about marrying his "first crush" when he tied the knot with his wife in 2001. </p> <p>The <em>Sunrise</em> host spoke candidly to <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em> about the early days of his relationship with his wife Jessica, sharing how the pair "made it official" when they were just 18 years old. </p> <p>The 45-year-old reflected on his whirlwind romance, sharing how the couple met at a house party when they were teenagers. </p> <p>“We went to separate schools but had mutual friends and saw one another often at house parties,” Shirvo said.</p> <p>The former Olympian said the couple had a “false start” after Jess came down with chickenpox, while he was focused on his athletics career.</p> <p>“But by the time we’d finished our Higher School Certificate (Year 12, in NSW), we’d made it official. We moved in together aged 18 and started our lives as a couple,” he added.</p> <p>Jess and Matt married in 2001 and moved to London a year later, after Matt was based in England for his athletics training. </p> <p>Their family grew in 2006 when they welcomed their first child Sienna, before deciding to return to Australia in 2008. </p> <p>The couple had a second daughter, Winter, soon after, and went on to have a son, Lincoln, who is six.</p> <p>Shirvo shared how much he loves raising daughters and getting to see their sense of independence grow.</p> <p>“They’re great young women, strong and powerful, and I love seeing their desire for independence,” Shirvo said.</p> <p>“Sienna is extremely artistic and Winnie is ambitious about sport – she just competed in the under-17s National Rowing Championships."</p> <p>“It doesn’t matter what it is, if your kids have a passion for something and love waking up in the morning to do it, you’ll back it to the end of the earth as a parent.” </p> <p>On Monday morning's episode of <em>Sunrise</em>, Nat Barr praised the article and Shirvo for his heartwarming words about his family. </p> <p>“Interesting article in the paper over the weekend about our very own Shirvo — who got candid about life, love, and family,” Barr said, referring to the piece.</p> <p>“I wanted to give you a shout-out — it was really lovely, I loved reading it.”</p> <p>“My favourite part was when you said, ‘I never had a celebrity crush growing up, but I did marry my first crush’ It was a really gorgeous story,” Barr said of the piece.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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“I told him not to open it": Flight attendant forced to hold plane door shut

<p>A flight attendant was forced to hold an emergency exit door shut after an allegedly drunk passenger tried to open it shortly after takeoff. </p> <p>Footage shows a female flight attendant with one hand on the plane’s roof and another holding the lever of the emergency exit, after a man allegedly tried to pull it open during their flight from Qingdao, China on Saturday, according to the <em>New York Post</em>. </p> <p>“I told him not to open it,” the flight attendant said to another colleague in Chinese, according to <em>JAM Press</em>. </p> <p>Her colleague then asks the passenger: “Sir, did you open this?”</p> <p>The male passenger looked confused as he started gesturing at the lever. </p> <p>“Why did you open it? Didn’t you know it is prohibited to open this kind of thing?” the flight attendant asked again. </p> <p>But the passenger ignored him and looked down at his phone, as the male flight attendant continued to question him. </p> <p>The passenger eventually admitted that he had been drinking before he tried to grab the lever, and the man eventually had to change seats with another passenger sitting in the same row. </p> <p>He was allowed to remain on the flight, which managed to land safely at Harbin, China without incident.</p> <p><em>Images: New York Post</em></p> <p> </p>

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