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Farmer Wants a Wife star breaks silence after split

Farmer Wants a Wife fan favourite Farmer Andrew has confirmed his split from Claire Saunders after the pair cancelled their upcoming wedding. The pair, who met each other on the 2023 season of the show, initially shared that their wedding had been postponed in July for “reasons out of our control”. On Monday, Andrew confirmed that the relationship ended in a lengthy Instagram post. “It feels the right time to share what’s been happening in my life on the farm and beyond,” he began. “For someone who’s more used to being surrounded by sheep and nature than the buzz of social media, this is a bit out of the box. But here goes.” He explained that a few years ago he wanted to share the farm life with "someone special" so he decided to sign up for the show. “I never imagined meeting such an amazing group of women, each with their own spirit and story. It was exciting and humbling, reminding me of how important love and connection are,” he said. “Amidst it all, one extraordinary woman captured my heart, and we decided to give it a shot. “We moved in together, dreaming of a future where our love would grown alongside the farm. It was fast-paced, passionate and fun. He continued saying that life had other plans for them and despite their love and effort, "sometimes things just don’t work out." “Living together brought its own challenges, and we realised our paths weren’t meant to stay intertwined.” He said that while it was "sad" the relationship had to end, they gave it their all. “Though it didn’t lead us where we hoped, it helped us grow. It’s been a huge outlay of heart and soul. And while it’s painful to walk away, we’ve both emerged stronger, wiser, and more attuned to what really matters.” He then went on to thank his family, friends and followers who helped him through tough times, and shared his plan going forward. “As I move forward, I’m choosing to celebrate the love we shared, the lessons learned, and the strength gained. “No regrets, just gratitude. Now, it’s time to dive back into farm life. here’s never a dull moment with the challenges, adventures and pleasures that come from living and working on the land, and I look forward to sharing this journey, hoping we can all find inspiration," he ended the post. The former couple announced their engagement in March 2021, after Claire moved to Andrew's farm in Narromine, regional NSW. Images: Instagram

Relationships

"Violent threats": The Block star opens up after sudden exit

Paige and Jesse, contestants on the 2024 season of The Block, have finally addressed the intense backlash they've received following their portrayal on the popular reality show. The couple, who became social media’s latest "villains" due to multiple on-screen arguments, have opened up about the toll it has taken on their mental health. Fans of the show have accused the duo of having a "toxic relationship", and some online commentators have left harsh, often cruel comments directed at them. The 27-year-old Paige expressed her dismay at the negativity, calling it "really sad" to see so many of her fellow contestants also receiving hate. “It's just a TV show as well," she told <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/lifestyle/what-you-dont-see-on-tv-the-block-star-on-horrific-consequence-of-being-a-reality-villian-053436673.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo Lifestyle</a>. "I don't think it's appropriate whatsoever.” The attacks have gotten so bad that Paige revealed that Jesse has taken control of her Instagram to filter hateful messages, and she has deleted her Facebook presence completely, to avoid the barrage of negativity. In her interview with Yahoo Lifestyle, Paige revealed how serious the situation has become, explaining that the constant harassment has led her to turn off comments on her social media to safeguard her “sanity”. “I've had a lot of death threats, violent threats, and nasty comments that are unimaginable. I turned the comments off for my own wellbeing,” she said, explaining that the online abuse began almost immediately after the first episode aired. While Channel Nine has provided counselling and mental health resources for them, Paige says that her biggest support has come from her family and from Jesse. Her family, who have moved in with them temporarily, have been a source of strength, with Paige explaining that her brother also experienced severe online bullying when they were younger. “I think just being around grounded people, it's a lot harder to fall into those traps,” she shared. Jesse also opened up about the difficulties of watching themselves on TV, admitting that the negative portrayal has made them question their self-identity. However, they’ve found comfort in reconnecting with their co-stars, who remind them of the fun, positive moments that weren’t aired. “You start to question yourself when you’re watching yourself on TV,” Jesse said, adding that they often reflect on the good times during filming, despite what viewers see. Despite the negative attention, Paige and Jesse have also experienced an outpouring of support. Following Paige’s <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@paigebeechey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">candid three-part TikTok series</a>, where she revealed details about their experience on the show and their decision to leave on bad terms, the couple received a flood of encouraging messages. “The response that I got was pretty huge,” Paige said. “I received so many wonderful messages from women, men, current contestants, past contestants.” Jesse echoed her sentiments, sharing that for every few negative comments, there were significantly more positive ones. “It’s like, okay, there actually are people who understand and care and realise that it's more than just a show,” he said. As part of her post-exit TikTok series, Paige levelled a parting shot at the long-running renovation show itself, saying “The Block is over to me. All I want to do now is implore the network that when this show continues, there needs to be serious reform on how you prepare contestants.” Images: Channel Nine

Ian Thorpe opens up on darkest moment of his career

Ian Thorpe has recalled the moment an irregular drug test almost upended his life and destroyed his reputation. The Aussie swimming legend opened up about a few key moments in his personal life that coincided with the height of his swimming career in a tell-all new book. The 41-year-old athlete singled out the drug test chapter as one of the darkest moments of his career in a new book Profiles In Hope, written by former NSW Liberal leader John Brogden. In 2006, Thorpe underwent a routine drug test that returned an irregular result, with French newspaper L’Equipe reporting that he had returned an unusual level of testosterone. However, results also showed a hormone called leutenising hormone, another naturally occurring substance. The news of the test gained international attraction, and resulted in Thorpe launching a lawsuit against the newspaper. “An irregular test isn’t uncommon. They happen. So firstly, no one should know that information to begin with,” Thorpe says in the book, according to the <a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/olympics/article-13845887/Ian-Thorpe-goes-public-never-heard-devastating-admission.html">Daily Mail</a>. “An irregular test means nothing. An irregular test gets thrown out." He said at the time the speculation that he was a cheat was “so upsetting” and the way the information was leaked to French journalist made him feel “deeply alarmed”. He also admitted that during the media storm around the testing, he did not want to leave his home and says now he had thoughts about taking his own life and staging it as an accident. The “Thorpedo” now has the tools in place for his mental health to look back and think he could have handled it better. “In that kind of state, you’re entirely irrational, your logic is warped,” he tells Brogden. “It’s only in the periods when you have clarity of mind, when your mental health is good, that you can actually reflect on things and say, ‘Well, I could have done this’. “I realised what I was doing wasn’t working, and that I needed help. So I got that help, and even though I was still in a long-term depressive state, I got better. I wasn’t at the point of suicide.” Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or <a href="http://lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="http://lifeline.org.au" data-sk="tooltip_parent">lifeline.org.au</a> Image credits: Shutterstock

Caring

Jackie O breaks down over baby scalded in Brisbane park

Jackie O has broken down live on air while talking to the heartbroken mother whose baby boy was scalded in a Brisbane Park. Baby Luka and his mother were enjoying the sun in Hanlon Park on August 27th when a stranger approached and poured boiling hot coffee over the baby boy. Luka has since undergone three surgeries, while the man accused of the horrific attack has allegedly fled the country, according to police. The grief-stricken mother, who has not been publicly identified, spoke with Kyle and Jackie O on Friday morning and said her infant son will continue to have surgery every four days for the next four weeks at the least, as doctors attempt to repair the nine-month-old’s burns. “After that it's once a week for two weeks. And then it should okay, all going well and everything healing,” she said. “But then after there's scar management stuff as well on top of that.” The mother provided a heartwarming update on Luka’s progress after he was released from hospital on Monday, saying he is “smiling” and “walking”. "He's not letting this - he (the alleged attacker) hasn't taken away my son's soul,” she said. “Like, he is beautiful, and he is strong, and he is brave and resilient. And I'm so lucky to be his mum. I'm just really sad this has happened." Jackie O was visibly moved while talking to the woman, breaking down in tears live on air. The KIISFM host told Luka's mother, "You can't imagine that kind of evil, and your poor bubba, it's so evil." "It makes you so angry because he's just a little innocent boy who never did anything to anyone," she added as she became overwhelmed with emotion. Her co-host Kyle Sandilands also shared his devastation as he admitted he was left in floods of tears when he first heard of Luka's brutal injuries on the news. "In all honesty, I was in tears in the lounge when I saw the story. Everyone understands it's s**t, but when you've got your own child running around you while you're in tears watching the news," he shared. Kyle and Jackie vowed to give $10,000 to the <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/baby-lukas-medical-treatments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> set up to help raise funds for Luka's hospital treatment, adding to the $160,000 that has already been donated. With an original target of just $5,000, the mother gushed, "I cannot believe the generosity of the community and you know, it warms my heart and, you know, all the messages and the kindness and yeah, it makes the process a little bit easier." Image credits: KIISFM / 9News

Caring

Grief-stricken father breaks silence after sons found dead

The devastated father of the two young boys who were <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/mother-arrested-after-two-boys-found-dead-in-blue-mountains-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found dead</a> in their home in the Blue Mountains has spoken out about the "unimaginable" tragedy. Nick Smith found the bodies of his sons, Russell, 11, and Ben, 9, in their home in Faulconbridge on Tuesday afternoon. The children's mother and Nick's estranged ex-wife Trish Smith was arrested and spent Tuesday night under police guard in hospital, where she arrived in a stable condition but with self-inflicted wounds. Nick said the loss of their “beautiful boys” had caused “unimaginable pain and distress”. “Russell and Ben were happy, funny, outgoing boys, and were very much loved by their family and friends,” he said in a statement on Thursday. “Like other boys their age, they loved sports, soccer, the Penrith Panthers, fishing, books, music, spending time with their friends and Max their pup." “We cannot understand how our boys have been taken this way and we appreciate the kindness and compassion shown by the community.” Nick added they were requesting privacy at this time. Police are continuing their investigation into the tragedy and have refused to speculate on the events leading up to the deaths of the two boys, however, they confirmed hey are not looking for any other parties who could be involved. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Blue Mountains Mayor Mark Greenhill expressed the community’s grief in a statement over the tragedy, writing, "Our community has lost two precious souls in the most awful circumstances. Now is a time to come together and remember these two beautiful children." <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb acknowledged the profound emotional toll the incident has had on law enforcement officers. "I think the older and more experience you get in this job, things like this still cut to the core. It’s a tragic situation," she said. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone. <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit lifeline.org.au <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">SANE: 1800 187 263; saneforums.org <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">Image credits: NSW Police

Caring

"I don't call that a life": Couple sign up to die in double suicide pod

Warning: This article contains sensitive content that some readers may find distressing. A couple from the UK has signed up to be the first to die in a double suicide pod, invented by an Australian doctor, after 46 years of marriage. Peter and Christine Scott, from Suffolk in England’s east, have shared their plans to travel to Switzerland to die together after Ms Scott, a former nurse, was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia. After meeting at a jazz club, the pair married 46 years ago, and shared that they have opted out of potentially years of hospital treatment and the crippling costs of care which could eat into their life savings. “We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you,” Mr Scott, 86, told<a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13825105/Former-RAF-engineer-nurse-wife-sign-British-couple-use-double-suicide-pod-Switzerland-dementia.html"> The Daily Mail</a>. “The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris’s mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me,” the former Royal Air Force pilot added. “Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life”. “I would not want to go on living without her,” he said of his 80-year-old wife. “I don’t want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don’t call that a life”. As English law does not allow for euthanasia, the couple have planned their trip to Switzerland for the procedure, where Ms Scott has planned out her final days with her husband. “I’d like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river. I’d have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper, and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot,” she said. “I’d make a playlist including Wild Cat Blues and The Young Ones by Cliff Richard and I’ve found a poem called Miss Me But Let Me Go, which sums up exactly how I feel”. The suicide pod, known as Sarco, can be turned on with a simple flick of a switch from inside the futuristic capsule that resembles a modern car. The machine was invented by Australian Dr Philip Nitschke, who has long been behind a number of initiatives to allow legal euthanasia in Australia. The 3D printed Sarco capsule ends the lives of those inside by pumping the pod with nitrogen which replaces the oxygen in the pod, which renders the occupants unconscious within about a minute without, its claimed, any panic or distress. With falling oxygen, the person eventually suffocates. Dr Nitschke said the machine is activated by a button from inside the pod. “The capsule for two people works exactly the same as the single Sarco but there is only one button so they will decide between them who will push it,” he told <a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13825105/Former-RAF-engineer-nurse-wife-sign-British-couple-use-double-suicide-pod-Switzerland-dementia.html">The Daily Mail</a>. “Then they’ll be able to hold each other”. Image credits: Courtesy of Exit International

Legal

Amanda Keller breaks down over simple question about her husband

Amanda Keller couldn't hold back her tears during a recent episode of ABC's heartwarming new series, The Assembly, where high-profile figures are interviewed by a classroom of journalists-in-training, who are all autistic and can ask whatever they want. One student, Savannah, asked her the simple question: “Do you love your husband?” The Jonesy and Amanda radio host teared up as she told the student her question was "beautiful", before opening up about her husband, Harley Oliver. “I think I’m going to cry, because my husband is going through some stuff at the moment,” Keller told her. “My husband has Parkinson’s disease, and we've been married 34 years, and life is changing around us. “He’s so good with it, in a way that I’m not, actually. We’re learning to find ourselves in the midst of changing circumstances, and part of me thinks – it’s easy for me to say, he’s the one going through it – but part of me thinks it’s a real privilege to be with someone long enough that you go through these changes with them.” She wrapped up her answer saying: “So yes, I love him very much, even though we’ve got some stuff going on.” Another student, Evie, then asked her what prompted the pair to go public with Oliver's diagnosis and she admitted that she'd had to think "long and hard” about sharing the news for a few reasons. “One is that I work on breakfast radio, and a big part of that is sharing your life – and even though it wasn’t my story to tell, it affected me too, and our lives,” she told the class. “ … Another reason I wanted to was that I wanted to open the window into why people look at us strangely when we’re out," she continued. “I wanted to free us up by saying, ‘Here's what’s going on.’ I think that’s why I did it.” However she admitted that opening up about their personal struggle has been "hard" at times but she is "glad" she did it. Keller first revealed the heartbreaking news about her husband's Parkinson's diagnosis in an episode of her Double A Chattery podcast last October. As the interview session wrapped up, she told the students that it had been a high point of her career. “What a life highlight this has been,” she told the class. “Thank you, I’ve loved it.” Images: ABC/Instagram

Relationships

‘It’s time to give up on normal’: what winter’s weird weather means for the warm months ahead

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-bowman-4397">David Bowman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Heavy winds struck south-east Australia over the weekend as a series of cold fronts moved across the continent. It followed a <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/australia-weather-update-nsw-and-victoria-damaging-winds-high-fire-danger-warnings/0f9b19d8-dc81-44c9-8df4-679cbb67c055">high fire danger</a> in Sydney and other parts of New South Wales last week, and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-28/fire-grass-emergency-warning-firefighter-horningsea-park/104281180">a fire in south-west Sydney</a> that threatened homes. The severe weather rounds out a weird winter across Australia. The nation’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/26/winter-heat-records-broken-as-australia-set-for-more-temperatures-over-10c-above-average">hottest ever winter temperature was recorded</a> when Yampi Sound in Western Australia reached 41.6C on Tuesday. Elsewhere across Australia, winter temperatures have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/28/nsw-weather-forecast-fire-danger-warnings-sydney-bom">way above average</a>. We can look to the positives: spring <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/26/australias-early-spring-brings-budding-flowers-chirping-birds-and-climate-alarm">flowers are blooming early</a>, and people have donned t-shirts and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/spring-comes-early-after-warm-winter-with-more-heat-on-the-way-20240828-p5k63i.html">hit the beach</a>. But there’s a frightening undercurrent to this weather. Earth’s climate has become dangerously <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/extreme-weather/">unstable</a>, and it’s only a matter of time before we get the bad combination of hot and dry weather, strong winds and a spark. None of this should come as a surprise. The sooner we stop expecting Australia’s weather to be “normal”, the sooner we can prepare for life in a wild climate. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/003XSg5AZBk?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>The green is deceiving</h2> The landscape around Sydney – and in fact, across much of south-east Australia – is very green at the moment. That’s because we’ve had a couple of years of good rains which triggered an explosion of vegetation growth. The below NASA satellite image reveals the picture in stark detail. It’s certainly lush out there at the moment. But the problem with climate change is that weather conditions can turn on a dime. This August was a case in point. At month’s end, much of Australia was hit by a record-breaking heatwave and <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/synoptic_col.shtml">damaging winds</a> – conditions that can dry out a green landscape with devastating efficiency, turning it into fuel for a bushfire. The dangerous fire weather that struck Sydney this week came as a surprise to many. But in reality, these abnormal conditions are the new normal. We must open our minds to this, if we want to be prepared. <h2>A climate off the rails</h2> The year 2023 was Earth’s <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/2023-was-warmest-year-modern-temperature-record#:%7E:text=The%20year%202023%20was%20the,decade%20(2014%E2%80%932023).">hottest on record</a>. And <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/state-of-the-climate-2024-now-very-likely-to-be-warmest-year-on-record/">2024 looks likely</a> to be hotter still. In Australia, the last 12 months have provided all the evidence we need that our climate is wobbling on its rails. In October 2023, Victoria’s Gippsland region suffered unseasonably early bushfires, then soon after battled <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-05/gippsland-fires-and-multiple-floods-breeding-resilience/103179368">heavy rain and flooding</a>. And Tasmania, where I live, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-07/tas-drought-conditions-as-dry-tasmania-looking-very-brown/103546058">has been gripped by drought</a>. This February was Hobart’s third driest in 143 years. But over the weekend we were hammered by a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-01/tas-flood-warnings-severe-weather-sunday/104296092">deluge of rain and wind</a>. This climate instability is setting up bad fire conditions. Not everywhere in south-east Australia will be hit by fire, but it will happen somewhere. It could be the hinterlands or the coast. It will depend on how our erratic climate behaves in the coming months. Let’s stick with the Tasmania example. Sure, the surface soils are now nicely saturated. But that will lead to a burst of grass and other vegetation in spring. If the dry weather returns and the temperatures heat up in summer, the fine fuels will dry out and become dangerously combustible. All we need then is a windy day and a spark, and a nightmare fire will soon be racing across the landscape. <h2>Canada on fire</h2> Of course, Australia is not the only country facing climate instability and a worsening fire risk. Canada suffered a catastrophic wildfire season in 2023 – one of the most severe on record. It burnt almost 15 million hectares and forced the evacuation of 232,000 people. Smoke produced by the fires affected communities up to 1,000 km away, such as in southern Canada and on the east coast of the United States. A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-024-02653-6">recent paper</a> in the journal Nature Communications outlined why. It pinpointed early snowmelt, early-season drought conditions and intense heat. In fact, the average temperature in Canada from May to October last year was 2.2°C higher than the 30-year average. The researchers said human-caused climate change exacerbated the fire’s effects. It went on: <blockquote> The disproportionate effect a few days of extreme weather can have on the total area burned is also evident in this fire season, leading to worrisome prospects given projected future conditions. </blockquote> <h2>Normal no longer exists</h2> It’s always been difficult to forecast fire seasons in Australia, due to our natural climate variability. But now we are seeing climate instability <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/state-of-the-climate/previous/state-of-the-climate-2018/australias-changing-climate">layering over itself</a>: background dryness, wet seasons bringing a proliferation of fuels, and above-average temperatures. Eventually we’ll get unlucky and experience extremely strong winds thrown into the mix. That’s when catastrophic fires are most likely to occur. As we saw in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-black-summer-of-fire-was-not-normal-and-we-can-prove-it-172506">Black Summer of 2019–20</a>, and again in Canada last year, some fires are so intense they completely overwhelm fire suppression strategies. Under climate change, the likelihood of getting a bad combination of weather conditions is increasing. So what’s the remedy? Australia really must start making our communities more resilient. Serious and sustained adaptation is needed. As my <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/full/10.1126/science.adi8066">research has outlined</a>, this requires the careful integration of: <ul> <li>community education programs</li> <li>research and development to design fire-safe homes, gardens, communities and bushland</li> <li>incentives and penalties to ensure adaptation measures are implemented.</li> </ul> As this winter has shown, Australia’s climate is entering a different phase. It’s time to give up on “normal” weather. The game is changing and we have to adapt.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237857/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-bowman-4397">David Bowman</a>, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-tasmania-888">University of Tasmania</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-time-to-give-up-on-normal-what-winters-weird-weather-means-for-the-warm-months-ahead-237857">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Trouble

"Fresh chapter": Channel 7 reveals new star line-up

Channel 7 has revealed yet another shake-up in its news presenter lineup, following months of significant reshuffles and the departures of several high-profile television personalities from the network. On Sunday, the network announced what it described as a "fresh chapter" for its 7News Sydney team, with veteran broadcasters Angela Cox and Mark Ferguson appointed as co-anchors for the flagship 6pm bulletin. Cox, who has served as a weekend news co-presenter for the past four years, temporarily filled in for Ferguson while he was on leave during the Olympics. This period of transition occurred amid a series of changes initiated by Seven's news and current affairs director, Anthony De Ceglie. The timing of Ferguson's leave had sparked speculation about his future at the network, particularly against the backdrop of reported cost-cutting measures due to a significant drop in ad revenue. However, the latest announcement puts those rumours to rest, affirming Ferguson's continued role at the helm of 7News Sydney. Cox, who has spent two decades with Channel 7, including a notable seven-year tenure as a foreign correspondent in the US, expressed her excitement about the new role. "Mark’s warmth, integrity and authority behind the news desk has rightfully earned him a loyal following," she said. "He’s also a great bloke, always professional, very funny and a great husband and family man. "The news landscape has changed so much. The way we consume news is radically different now than even 10 years ago and 7NEWS is evolving too." Cox is set to co-anchor her first bulletin with Ferguson on Sunday, September 8, following his return from filming a special series of news reports. Ferguson, who has been the face of the 7News Sydney bulletin for a decade, celebrated his 40th year in the media industry in February. His vast experience and reputation as one of Australia's most trusted news voices make him a key figure in this new co-anchor format. "This new co-anchor approach brings a new sense of dynamism, innovation, and flexibility to the hour-long program," said De Ceglie in a statement. "I am incredibly excited to see Mark and Angela work together." Sunday's announcement is the latest in a series of changes within Channel 7's newsrooms. In July, star Brisbane newsreader Sharyn Ghidella <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/apparently-my-time-is-up-veteran-channel-7-anchor-s-abrupt-departure" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was unexpectedly axed</a> after nearly two decades with the network, a move she revealed on social media after being informed of her departure while at a hairdresser's appointment. August saw the departure of veteran sports presenter Shane Webcke from the news desk, though he will continue contributing NRL insights for the network. Additionally, senior journalist Steve Hart <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/channel-seven-loses-veteran-reporter-to-rival-network" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced his exit</a> from the Brisbane newsroom in an internal email to staff last month. In contrast to these exits, Channel 7 has also made strategic hires, including the recent addition of former ABC journalist Karina Carvalho as a 7News presenter in Melbourne. As Channel 7 continues to navigate these changes, the network's commitment to refreshing its news lineup is evident, with the Cox-Ferguson co-anchor team set to usher in this "fresh chapter" for 7News Sydney. Images: 7News

Hero cop breaks silence on Westfield Bondi Junction stabbing

Amy Scott, the hero police officer who shot Joel Cauchi during his stabbing rampage at Westfield Bondi Junction in April, has spoken about her brave act. On Sunday, the Sydney Roosters publicly recognised all emergency services during the NRL match against Canberra, in what will become an annual event. There were tributes for NSW Police, NSW Ambulance, Fire and Rescue, VRA Rescue NSW, SES, Rural Fire Service, Marine Rescue, Surf Life Saving Australia and St John Ambulance. Scott was the star of the event arriving in a PolAir helicopter to present the game ball to Roosters captain, James Tedesco. She was given a standing ovation from the NRL crowd, as she spoke about her brave act. “I was just doing my job that day, absolutely” she said. “It was a job I hoped the community would expect from us. I know any of my colleagues would have done exactly the same. I’m grateful that we were able to get there and do what we did as quickly as we did. “Look, I’m a very big believer in taking the support that is offered to you. I had done that significantly prior to anything that happened at Bondi. “The people you go home to, your family and friends, are key. For me, it’s my wife Emma because they deal with trauma you deal with in a different light and she has been incredible. We got married in February and we have two young boys. I’m excellent, I’m doing really well," Scott continued. “I’m enjoying being back at work. I actually just had some annual leave, which was nice. I love my job, I love where I work and I love my team. I’m grateful to be there with them doing day-to-day stuff again. It is (a thankless task) at times, absolutely. “It’s a wonderful day to recognise so many different emergence services and I’m incredibly grateful to the Roosters and NRL for making this happen because there are so many unsung heroes out there, not just with the NSW Police Force, but with all other emergence services, so it’s so nice to have a wonderful, positive, light shed on us all. “It was unreal, a fantastic experience. It’s a privilege.” When asked who she supported in the NRL, the hero police said: “Today I’m a Roosters fan," but she will always remain a Knights fan as she is a "one-town, one-team kind of girl." NSW Police Minister Yasmin Catley and NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb also attended the match and praised her for her actions. “What courage Amy Scott has shown this year. She really epitomises policing in NSW. She is very humble,” Catley said. “This is an opportunity for us to say to her: ‘Thank you so much for her courage’. Without her actions, we could have ended up with a different situation that day in Bondi. “She (Scott) is an amazing officer every day of the week,” Webb said. Images: Nine

Caring

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

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

Family & Pets

Restaurant charges diners $95 to slice up birthday cake

A restaurant in Italy has been slammed online after charging a group of diners a hefty cost to simply cut a birthday cake into slices. A family attended the high-end restaurant in the southern area of Arezzo to celebrate their mother's birthday, after they had asked the restaurant in advance if they could bring in an outside cake. After enjoying their meal, which came to a whopping €659 or $1,083 AUD, they were slapped with another fee of €58 or $95 to cut the cake and bring it to the table. Local news outlet <a href="https://corrierefiorentino.corriere.it/notizie/24_agosto_26/arezzo-ristorante-chiede-58-euro-solo-per-tagliare-la-torta-lo-scontrino-diventa-virale-e-il-gestore-quasi-si-scusa-267975fd-2227-4beb-9621-3bffb3aa4xlk.shtml" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">Corriere Fiorentino</a> reported that the cost of slicing the cake was more than the cake itself. Two of the dinner guests shared the story of the expensive fee on a local Facebook page, claiming the restaurant said it is the rule of their establishment and they were required to pay it. The owner of the restaurant told the Italian media site, "We do not charge a cover charge and we mainly serve dishes of our own production, so we try to discourage those who bring things from outside." "If we consider that in Arezzo the average cover charge is 2.5 euros per person, there is not such a big difference," they said as they explained the group of diners was 13 people. "My restaurant has to pay for the waiter who serves at the table, the dishwasher and other related services. We have to recover them somehow." However, the owner did admit, "I wasn't there that evening and my employees were perhaps too fussy in managing the situation that had arisen, perhaps cutting the usual price a little or even not charging anything for the cake." "Better 50 euros less and people going home happy than this misunderstanding in which we are all damaged." Image credits: Corriere Fiorentino / Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

"I was going to die": Grant Denyer's brutal wake up call

Grant Denyer has spoken candidly about a brutal wake up call he received from a doctor, when he was told he would die if he didn't start looking after himself. The TV host opened up on the Mental As Anyone podcast about how he would repeatedly push himself too far, and the moment he was forced to reevaluate his priorities. “I was skinny as a rake and unhealthy as hell and the doctor said my organs were running at about seven per cent,” Denyer told the podcast. “He goes, ‘if you don’t do something about this in the next four weeks, you’re going to die. It took two lessons for me to realise that I had to change my mindset and how I was approaching life and what I prioritised as important until I learned the lesson and I feel like if I hadn’t learned it the second time, it would have been fatal the third.” The first lesson came to Denyer in the form of a brutal car crash, and the second being chronic fatigue telling him his body needed to stop. “I broke my back, which I firmly now believe was not as a result of jumping seven cars in a monster truck but as a result of ignoring all my bodily signs, ignoring all the signals my body was trying to give me to slow the hell down,” he said. “You can’t sustain this pace and this grind and this aggressive chase for the next rung of the ladder, because you will die. As my body was deteriorating and my mental health was deteriorating, the monster truck crash came along to sit me on my arse.” Denyer also opened up about having to rely on prescription painkillers after his car accident, and how he struggled battling the pain and the effects of the medication. “It messed with me instantly and majorly,” he said. “To give you an idea, the moment you close your eyes at night time, you fall into your worst nightmares every time instantly and you can’t differentiate between dream and reality so when you wake up, you firmly believed what you have just dreamt, indeed actually just did happen. It was horrible.” "It is important to reflect on because it is the lows that make the highs and those euphoric moments feel high and that was one of the lows. I think in recognising (and) giving voice to those moments of low, that you can celebrate mediocre a lot more and enjoy that.” Image credits: Instagram

Caring

Hero security guard tears up while speaking about girl he saved

Laila Johnson, 11, and her mother Samantha, 34, from Candelo near Bega in regional NSW, were sightseeing in London when the young girl was stabbed in a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/11-year-old-australian-girl-identified-as-london-stabbing-victim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">random attack</a> in Leicester Square. Abdullah, a security who was working nearby during the random attack, had jumped into action and saved her life by holding down the alleged attacker, Ioan Pintaru, until police arrived. On Thursday, Laila and her mum talked about the terrifying incident on Sunrise, and spoke about the incredible bond they had formed with the hero security guard. When shown the clip of Laila and her mum on Sunrise the day after, Abdullah was moved to tears by the heartfelt interview. “I will try to be in contact with them all my life,” Abdullah said, wiping away tears from his eyes. “She is just like my little sister now.” Abdullah was hailed as a hero for his bravery, and recognised at the Pakistan High Commission in London as part of their Independence Day celebrations on the 14th of August. Samantha had told Sunrise that Abdullah “is an absolutely gorgeous human”. “He’s just been checking in on Laila and myself and, yeah, we’ve just been keeping in contact,” she said. “He’s quickly taken Laila in as a little sister, and I think that he will continue to check in on her for a very long time." Pintaru — a Romanian citizen with no fixed address — was not asked to enter any pleas and was remanded in custody before his next hearing on September 10. He was charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Images: Seven

Caring

"He was at peace": Sam Landsberger’s parents break silence after sudden death

The heartbroken family of Sam Landsberger have revealed what he was doing in his final moments before he tragically <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/prominent-sports-journo-killed-at-just-35" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> at the age of 35. Landsberger, 35, was struck by a truck driven by a 45-year-old Seaford man at the intersection of Bridge Rd and Church St in Richmond, Melbourne on Tuesday morning. According to Sam's father Jake, his son's final moments were spent on the phone to his mother Anne while he was walking to meet a friend. “Anne was on the phone with Sam when it happened, heard the hit, she heard the commotion, and we’ve been beside ourselves worrying whether she actually possibly distracted him,” Jake told The Herald Sun on Wednesday. ‘The next thing there was commotion, a stranger picked up the phone, and said: ‘Who am I talking to’, so Anne said: ‘I’m Sam’s mother, who are you’." “And he said, ‘I’m sorry to say but your son has just been hit by a vehicle … he’s lying on the ground’. “The man conversed with Sam initially until he lost consciousness’.” Landsberger was rushed to hospital but later died from his extensive injuries. His father said the family received a message from the man who helped Landsberger on Wednesday, saying, “He messaged us and said, ‘I told Sam I was on the phone with his mother and he was at peace knowing that he was communicating with you through me’." Victoria Police have since confirmed the truck driver, 45, who stopped at the scene, underwent “standard” roadside alcohol and drug tests, which were both negative. “He was requested by Melbourne Highway Patrol officers to provide a blood sample as per standard procedure under the Road Safety Act being a driver involved in a serious collision,” a spokesman said. “The driver allegedly refused and was charged on summons with refusing to provide a blood sample.” The man was “immediately” given a notice banning him from driving, and is due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on September 19th. Sam's father said that while his family are "angry" over what happened, they have been overwhelmed by the amount of love they have received since Sam's tragic passing. “I can’t put into words the comfort, the joy and the pride we are getting from that,” Jake said. “By the time we both took two sleeping pills to go to bed about 9pm on Tuesday, I personally had received in excess of 250 messages and Anne probably the same." “The tributes, watching AFL360, seeing The Tackle had been postponed, the stories all over the media … I said to Anne while we sat at our table bawling our eyes out, I wish I could go back to the morgue in the coroner’s court, just wake Sam up briefly and say, ‘Sam, look how much you were loved, look how much you were admired’." “Because he had no idea. He did not realise. The degree to what we’ve seen has blown us to smithereens.” Image credits: Twitter

Caring

Lawyer warns drivers over little-known road rule with $2200 penalty

While some say it's just "the Aussie way", one lawyer has warned against this common act that could cost you up to $2200. Speaking to 7NEWS Astor Legal principal lawyer Avinash Singh, said that there has been a spike in motorists caught flashing their high beams on the road, to alert other drivers of police. “I’ve received an increased number of inquiries from people who have been caught flashing their high beams, warning oncoming drivers of police,” he said. “Most of my clients have been caught doing this by a mobile speed camera or an RBT, which they don’t realise can catch them out on this offence.” Drivers caught in the act could get an on-the-spot fine of $112 and one demerit point, and a maximum penalty of $2200. According to the Australian Road Rules, it is considered an unlawful use of headlights on high-beam. “It is an offence to drive on a road with high-beam headlights on if there is another vehicle in front, travelling in the same direction within 200m; or if there is another oncoming vehicle within 200m,” Singh said. “Similarly, road rules state that a driver must not use any light fitted to their vehicle to dazzle, or in a way that is likely to dazzle, another road user.” “It is arguable that flashing your headlights to warn of police would fall into the definition of ‘hindering police’ in the execution of their duty “ Motorists on Reddit have described headlight flashing as representing “a camaraderie between motorists” and one even called it “the Aussie way”. But others have argued that the act could impact the safety of other drivers. “Traffic laws are meant to act as a deterrent for dangerous driving, flashing a fellow motorist has the same effect the ticket is meant to but with more immediate results. It should be widely encouraged,” one commenter wrote. “I feel it only changes the driver’s behaviour for a few seconds, but removes the deterrent of getting a fine. So it probably makes traffic, in general, more dangerous,” another said. Image: Shutterstock

Legal

Captain of superyacht breaks silence as missing passengers identified

The captain of the ill-fated superyacht that capsized off the coast of Sicily after being struck by a tornado has spoken out, as the six missing passengers have been identified. Of the 22 people who were on board, 15 were rescued with one tragically pulled dead from the water, believed to be the vessel’s chef. Among those still missing are billionaire tech tycoon <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/billionaire-tech-tycoon-and-daughter-missing-after-tornado-strikes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Lynch</a>, 59, who organised the special voyage as a celebration, and was accompanied by his wife Angela and their 18-year-old daughter Hannah. Angela was one of the passengers who were rescued, while Mike and Hannah remain missing. Mike Lynch’s long-term friend Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy are also among the missing, as well as Lynch's lawyer Chris Morvillo. Mr Morvillo’s wife, the American jewellery designer, Neda Morvillo, is also missing. The captain of the $27 million Bayesian, James Calfield, 51, is one of the many onboard who are recovering in hospital, as he spoke to local news outlet La Repubblica, saying he had no idea the tornado was heading towards the luxury yacht. “We didn’t see it coming,” he said. The captain of a nearby ship that helped rescue passengers in the aftermath of the incident spoke to Reuters about the moment he noticed the superyacht had vanished. “I don’t absolutely know what they did. I only know that they went flat with a mast on the water and that they sank in two minutes,” he told the agency. Image credits: IPA/Shutterstock Editorial

Travel Trouble

Flight attendant shares travel tips for loved-up couples

A flight attendant has shared what loved-up couples should not do when taking a trip together. Seasoned cabin crew member Suzanne Bucknam has warned couples to be wary of appropriate behaviour, and advised against these travel “icks”. Suzie told <a href="https://www.skyparksecure.com/">SkyParkSecure</a>, that one thing couples should be aware of when travelling are public displays of affection (PDA), which could land you in trouble. "A kiss on the lips or handholding doesn't warrant ick status but making out and putting a blanket over each other's laps gets very uncomfortable for everyone in the vicinity," Suzanne explains. "I've seen several couples attempt to join the mile-high club either in the bathroom or, worse, at their seats with said blanket over them. In fact, I've caught a couple with their pants down in the back of our plane once. We did an emergency landing and had them escorted off the plane, then got back in the air without them.” "It should be known that you can be arrested for public indecency, and flight attendants won't be afraid to call the authorities if they see you trying to get too cosy with your partner." Another must do for travelling couples is to book your plane seats together, rather than ask other passengers to change seats. "A simple boarding process can become a nightmare if couples don't book seats together but demand another passenger to move," she says. "Not only does it slow the process down significantly, but it often causes an altercation between passengers when someone won't move. Someone picked and paid for that seat, so they are well within their right to turn down a request to switch." Suzie said that while she understands couples, especially honeymooners, are excited about their travels, that doesn’t give them the right to make demands, and being difficult will get you nowhere. "What I wish all honeymooners knew before travelling somewhere is that, just because they're celebrating, it doesn't mean others have to celebrate or contribute to that celebration. If you do get a free upgrade or a free drink, fantastic! But please don't demand one from an unsuspecting flight attendant," she explains. "And as an employee who has been in that situation, it's just plain awkward if there are no upgrades available, and it's against the airline's policy to give freebies." Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

Channel Nine revamps Today show line up

Big changes are coming to Channel Nine's flagship Today show, following the <a href="https://o60.me/7hh8v2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">departure</a> of popular newsreader Brooke Boney. The shake-up to the morning show's line-up was confirmed on Monday and will affect both the weekday and weekend programs. Jayne Azzopardi, a former Sydney news reporter, will replace Boney on the morning news desk. Azzopardi's role as co-host of Weekend Today will now be taken over by Sophie Walsh, who will co-host alongside fellow veteran Nine presenter Clint Stanaway. Walsh has worked at Channel Nine for 15 years, after first joining the broadcaster as a news reporter in 2009. In another change for Weekend Today, senior journalist Lizzie Pearl will cover the news while Dan Anstey will present the weather. Renee Bargh, who has regularly featured on the Today show in the past has been officially welcomed to the team as an entertainment reporter. Confirmation of the changes comes after an emotional week among staff at the Today show with Boney's departure last Friday. "Thank you for accepting me. I know that I don't fit the mould and I'm grateful for each and every one of you for tuning in every day," Boney said during her farewell. The journalist, who was joined by her mother on the couch, became emotional as she reflected on her experience. "I'm so grateful for every opportunity that I've been given here, I've done things I never dreamed possible," Boney said. "For someone like me, I grew up in housing commission, so this is really beyond my wildest dreams. "I mean, I just spent a month at the Olympics. I've been to the Oscars... all around the world to do things that most people don't get to do." During her final show last week Today host Karl Stefanovic also told her that she was well loved and respected. “We love you and everything you represent, how hard you work,” he said. Boney announced her departure earlier this year after she was offered a position to study at Oxford University. Image: Nine/ Instagram

"Devastated": Raygun finally breaks silence

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, otherwise known as Raygun, has broke her silence on all the hate she's received since her Olympic performance went viral. Everyone was talking about Raygun during the Paris Games after she competed in the breakdancing competition, which ran for the first time this year, and failed to make it through the first round. Now, the 36-year-old has taken to Instagram to share how "devastated" she is by the online barrage, while thanking all her supporters and discussing the impact the torrent of negativity and "misinformation" have had on her since the sport's Olympic debut. "I really appreciate the positivity, and I'm glad I was able to bring some joy into your lives. That's what I hoped," she said, in a video filmed on a street in France. <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/C-sDDtfokE4/?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/C-sDDtfokE4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)</a> </div> </blockquote> "I didn't realise that that would also open the door to so much hate, which has frankly, been pretty devastating." “I went out there and I had fun, I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all, truly." “I am honoured to have been a part of the Australian Olympic team and to be part of breaking's Olympic debut.” In her video, Raygun added a “fun fact” about how battles are scored. “Bit of a fun fact for you: there are actually no points in breaking. If you wanted to see how the judges thought I compared to my opponents, you can actually see the comparison percentages across the five criteria on <a title="" href="https://olympics.com/" data-skimwords-word="Olympics.com" data-skim-creative="500005">Olympics.com</a>. All the results are there.” Her comments came after an anonymous online petition falsely accusing her of "manipulating the selection process to her own advantage", which quickly gathered tens of thousands of signatures. The Australian Olympic Committee issued a scathing statement debunking the claims and labelling the petition "vexatious, misleading and bullying" and called for the petition to be taken down. She also urged everyone to “stop harassing” her family, friends, and the Australian breaking and the broader street dance community. “Everyone has been through a lot as a result of this so I ask you to still respect their privacy,” she added. Image credits: Paul Kitagaki, Jr/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

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