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Three Aussie men may face death penalty over fatal Bali shooting

<p>Three Australian men have been arrested by Indonesian police over <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/new-details-emerge-after-aussie-shot-dead-in-bali" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a deadly shooting</a> at a villa on the resort island of Bali that left one Australian dead and another seriously injured.</p> <p>Bali police chief Daniel Adityajaya confirmed the arrests on Tuesday, stating the men had “prepared and executed” the shooting, which took place just after midnight on Saturday at Villa Casa Santisya near Munggu Beach in Badung, north of Kuta.</p> <p>“We have arrested three suspects,” Adityajaya said, adding that the men face charges of premeditated murder. If convicted, they could face the death penalty under Indonesian law.</p> <p>The incident claimed the life of 32-year-old Zivan Radmanovic and left another Australian, 35-year-old Sanar Ghanim, seriously wounded. Radmanovic was shot in a bathroom where police later recovered 17 bullet casings and two intact bullets.</p> <p>Radmanovic’s wife, Gourdeas Jazmyn, 30, told police she awoke to her husband’s screams shortly before midnight. She hid under a blanket as she heard multiple gunshots, later finding Radmanovic dead and Ghanim critically injured. Ghanim, who was also beaten during the attack, was taken to hospital and has since been released under police supervision. He is considered a key witness in the case.</p> <p>Authorities initially arrested one of the suspects at Soekarno-Hatta airport near Jakarta as he attempted to leave the country. The two others were detained abroad with the assistance of Interpol in South-East Asia, although police have not revealed where those arrests took place.</p> <p>Officers seized a nine-millimetre firearm, a motorcycle, and two cars believed to have been used in the suspects’ escape.</p> <p>Police have not disclosed a motive for the crime and say investigations are ongoing. Adityajaya noted that a fourth suspect, believed to be the mastermind behind the attack, may still be identified.</p> <p><em>Images: Singapore police / 9News</em></p>

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Dramatic rescue operation after tourist boat sinks off Bali coast

<p>There were dramatic scenes off the southeast coast of Bali on Wednesday when a tourist boat carrying dozens of passengers capsized near Nusa Lembongan.</p> <p>The vessel, known as <em>The Tanis</em>, had just departed Lembongan Village around 4.30pm local time with 89 people on board – 77 foreigners and 12 Indonesian nationals – when it was struck by a wave from behind and began taking on water.</p> <p>Eyewitnesses rushed to assist as the vessel tilted, causing passengers to slip into the sea. A large-scale rescue effort was launched immediately, and by 6.30pm all passengers had been safely evacuated, with authorities confirming there were no fatalities or serious injuries.</p> <p>Divers were later deployed to search the sunken boat and surrounding seabed as a precaution, ensuring no one had been left behind.</p> <p>Footage of the incident was shared by @bali.info.official, who reported that the boat was still relatively new, having only been in operation for about three months. According to their post, the boat was offloading passengers from Gili at Mushroom Bay, with its bow resting onshore, when powerful waves began to strike its stern.</p> <p>“The captain made the decision to move the boat back out to sea,” the post explained, “but because the boat was already filled with water, it became unstable. The panic among passengers made the situation worse, causing the boat to tilt and eventually sink.”</p> <p>Despite the chaos, locals and nearby responders coordinated to recover both passengers and their belongings. "A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped rescue the passengers and recover their belongings," the post concluded.</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/reel/DKe5vZHSciB/?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/DKe5vZHSciB/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by BALI INFO (@bali.info.official)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Most of the rescued tourists opted to remain in Nusa Lembongan for the night, while only two chose to continue their journey to Sanur Harbor– the original destination of <em>The Tanis</em>, which has a total capacity of 125 passengers.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Fallout after French President shoved in the face by wife

<p>French President Emmanuel Macron has found himself at the centre of an unexpected media storm after a moment of apparent tension with his wife, Brigitte Macron, was caught on camera as the couple disembarked from a plane in Hanoi.</p> <p>Arriving on Monday for a six-day tour of Southeast Asia, the Macrons made headlines not for diplomacy, but for a brief, seemingly physical exchange at the top of the aircraft stairs.</p> <p>Brigitte, 72, dressed in a striking red suit, appeared to shove her husband’s face with both hands as the cockpit door opened – just as members of the international press and Vietnamese officials looked on.</p> <p>The 47-year-old president appeared visibly taken aback, momentarily flustered before regaining his composure. He smiled awkwardly and waved before descending the stairs without his wife, who remained momentarily behind, partially obscured by the fuselage and refusing to take his arm.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rwST8m0dRlM?si=Q9p9oNRkdbPSqowR" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>When questioned about the moment, Macron dismissed it with a laugh, telling reporters, “We are squabbling and, rather, joking with my wife. I’m surprised by it – it turns into some kind of global catastrophe where people are even coming up with theories to explain it. It’s nonsense.”</p> <p>The Elysee Palace echoed the president’s tone, describing the incident as “a moment of closeness” and “a laugh” shared between the couple before beginning their official engagements.</p> <p>Still, the footage quickly went viral on social media, prompting a flurry of speculation, jokes and criticism. While some observers saw it as harmless marital banter, others questioned the optics and tone, calling it an “embarrassing” spectacle for the French head of state.</p> <p>Gilbert Collard, a former member of the European Parliament, sarcastically commented, “Everyone is laughing,” referencing the well-known age gap and history of the couple, who met at a Jesuit high school where Brigitte was Macron’s drama teacher. He was 15 at the time.</p> <p>Social media users piled on, with one post noting, “Looks like even world leaders have to navigate a little domestic turbulence! Just goes to show, no matter how high you fly, there’s always someone to keep you grounded.”</p> <p>Others shared screenshots of Macron’s seemingly clenched jaw and balled fist in the seconds following the push, scrutinising his body language in search of deeper meaning.</p> <p>The Hanoi visit marks the first by a French president in nearly a decade, aimed at bolstering France's diplomatic and economic presence in the region – especially in its former colony. Yet for now, global attention remains fixed not on policy, but on a fleeting, dramatic moment between two of Europe’s most scrutinised public figures.</p> <p>As the tour continues, so too does speculation about what really happened on those stairs – and whether the Macrons will manage to shift the narrative back to matters of state.</p> <p><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

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Kochie reportedly eyeing off top job in AFL

<p>Port Adelaide chairman David Koch is reportedly positioning himself to succeed Richard Goyder as the next AFL chairman, in a potential shake-up that could ripple through both the league and the Power’s leadership structure.</p> <p>According to veteran journalist Damian Barrett, Koch, who has chaired Port Adelaide since 2012, is “eyeing off” what is widely regarded as the most powerful position in Australian rules football.</p> <p>“David Koch, along with Ken Hinkley, has transformed this footy club from what it once was, but he is eyeing off a potential spot on the AFL Commission as well,” Barrett said on <a href="https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/afl/david-koch-could-depart-port-for-juicy-afl-role/cmavnwl5200240hns3gw35cke" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nine’s Footy Classified</a>. “Not just a spot on the commission, but potentially to be the chair of it.”</p> <p>The current AFL chairman, Richard Goyder – also the former Qantas chairman – has led the AFL since 2017, succeeding Carlton great Mike Fitzpatrick. While many within the league had expected Goyder to step down when his current term ends in early 2026, The Age reported in late 2024 that he is seeking another term, which would extend his tenure until 2028.</p> <p>This ambition reportedly blindsided several AFL clubs, who were under the impression a leadership transition was imminent. Goyder has served on the AFL Commission since 2011, and prominent football figures are now calling for a change.</p> <p>“After serving the game admirably as a commissioner since 2011 and chairman since 2017, it's simply time for Richard Goyder to pull up stumps, this year,” Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy told SEN. “At worst, orchestrate a 12-month handover to the incoming chairman, who can get to work immediately.”</p> <p>Barrett suggested that Koch’s potential move to the AFL Commission – and possibly into the chairman’s seat – adds to the uncertainty surrounding Port Adelaide, especially as the club prepares for life after long-serving coach Ken Hinkley.</p> <p>“I raise that as part of the backdrop of instability and uncertainty at Port Adelaide as it wades through this Ken Hinkley to Josh Carr transition,” Barrett said. “You’ve got the chair of the club also unknown.”</p> <p>Koch, a former TV presenter best known for co-hosting <em>Sunrise</em>, has played a key role in Port Adelaide’s revival over the past decade. However, his possible pursuit of a league-wide role could usher in a new era of change for both club and code.</p> <p>Whether Goyder chooses to extend his reign or step aside for new leadership, the months ahead promise to be significant for the AFL's executive future – and Port Adelaide’s.</p> <p><em>Images: 9 Network</em></p>

Money & Banking

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"We are deeply sorry": Qantas faces record-breaking penalty ruling

<p>Qantas could be forced to pay more than $121 million in penalties after the High Court unanimously rejected its appeal over the illegal outsourcing of more than 1,800 ground workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>A three-day Federal Court hearing began in Sydney on Monday to determine the financial penalty for the airline’s 2020 decision, which has been ruled to contravene the Fair Work Act.</p> <p>During the hearing, Qantas People Manager Catherine Walsh acknowledged the company’s wrongdoing and expressed regret over the years-long legal battle and its impact on affected workers. “We are deeply sorry, and we apologise for the impact on the workers, the TWU, to the court for their time, and to the family and friends that felt the impacts,” she said. “We hope we can get to the stage where there can be some finality for them in this.”</p> <p>However, the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) continued to press Qantas on its internal decision-making and corporate culture. Barrister Noel Hutley SC challenged Walsh over the airline’s motives and the role senior managers played in the decision to outsource jobs, suggesting the move was driven by a desire to sidestep potential protected industrial action.</p> <p>“It is extraordinary that nothing was said about a matter that was obviously an illicit reasoning for outsourcing,” Hutley said, questioning whether Qantas leadership ever scrutinised the justification for the move.</p> <p>Hutley argued that the outsourcing had caused “massive or irreparable harm” to workers, many of whom had been loyal, long-serving employees. He described the case as the “largest ever instance” of contravening the Fair Work Act and urged the court to impose the highest penalty available.</p> <p>The TWU has formally called for Qantas to be fined the maximum $121 million, in addition to a $120 million compensation fund already being administered to affected workers.</p> <p>“Not only was it an appalling act to get rid of a loyal workforce, it was the biggest case of illegal sackings in Australian corporate history,” said TWU national secretary Michael Kaine in a statement. “The penalty to Qantas must reflect this and send a message to every other company in Australia that you cannot sack your workers to prevent them from using their industrial rights.”</p> <p>Kaine also criticised current outsourcing arrangements, citing severe understaffing and high turnover among external contractors like Swissport. “This cannot be a business case for outsourcing,” he said. “Qantas should not only pay the maximum legal penalty for its actions but commit to funding fair standards throughout its supply chain.”</p> <p>The Federal Court had previously found that Qantas’ outsourcing was driven, at least in part, by a desire to avoid industrial action – a motivation that breached employee protections under the Fair Work Act. The airline lost its appeals in both the Federal and High Courts.</p> <p>Following the High Court’s ruling, the airline entered mediation with the TWU to determine the extent of financial compensation owed to the dismissed workers. The hearing before Justice Michael Lee continues this week.</p> <p><em>Image: Qantas</em></p>

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Coalition faces leadership crisis after devastating defeat

<p>The Coalition is reeling from a crushing federal election defeat that has triggered a leadership vacuum, widespread soul-searching, and an urgent need for reinvention. After suffering an historic landslide loss, the party is now sifting through the wreckage of what many insiders are calling one of the most chaotic and miscalculated campaigns in recent memory.</p> <p>Opposition Leader Peter Dutton fronted the media on election night to accept responsibility for the outcome, which saw the loss of several senior Liberal figures and a significant erosion of the party's base.</p> <p>"There are good members, good candidates who have lost their seats or their ambition. And I'm sorry for that," Dutton said in a sombre concession speech.</p> <p>Nationals leader David Littleproud pointed to what he described as a brutal character assassination campaign by Labor, which he claimed rendered Dutton "unelectable in his own electorate and across the country".</p> <p>But political analysts say the problems run much deeper than Dutton’s public image. Nine’s national affairs editor Andrew Probyn argued that the Coalition failed to present a coherent and inspiring vision to voters, despite widespread discontent over cost-of-living pressures.</p> <p>Among the missteps was a proposal to end remote work for public servants – a plan that was swiftly abandoned early in the campaign – and a pledge to cut 41,000 public service jobs. The job-slashing rhetoric drew uncomfortable comparisons to the political style of Donald Trump, a connection reinforced by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s controversial “make Australia great again” remark.</p> <p>“Restoring a viable opposition will start with recognising what went wrong,” Probyn said. “And it’ll need a new leader who’s prepared to take the party in a new direction.” Among those tipped to contest the leadership are Angus Taylor, Andrew Hastie, Sussan Ley and Dan Tehan.</p> <p>Former Coalition Minister Christopher Pyne echoed calls for change, urging the party to shift back towards the political centre if it hopes to win back mainstream support.</p> <p>Treasurer Jim Chalmers, fresh from Labor’s emphatic win, said voters had rejected what he termed the Coalition’s “backward-looking pessimism”.</p> <p>Nine political editor Charles Croucher said the result reflected a “seismic shift” in the electorate. “Labor ran a very disciplined campaign, surprised the electorate with tax cuts, and executed brutally effective attacks on Peter Dutton,” he said.</p> <p>Croucher also pointed to external factors that compounded the Coalition’s woes, including the global impact of Donald Trump’s tariffs and the party’s faltering stance on nuclear power. “For the Coalition, the campaign was disastrous,” he said. “Bad plus bad plus bad equals really bad for Peter Dutton.”</p> <p>As the dust settles, the Coalition must not only choose a new leader, but also decide what kind of party it wants to be in a rapidly changing political landscape.</p> <p><em>Image: ABC News</em></p>

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Three seriously injured in helicopter crash off Vic coast

<p>Three people have survived a serious helicopter crash that took place near Point Lonsdale on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula on Friday morning, according to Victoria Police.</p> <p>Emergency services were called to the scene just after 10:00am, when the helicopter is believed to have crashed into shallow water off Fellows Road, between Point Lonsdale and Ocean Grove. Footage obtained by the Nine News shows the wreckage lying partially submerged on a beach.</p> <p>Police confirmed that all three occupants of the aircraft sustained serious injuries. Two of the individuals – a man and a woman – were airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital, while a third man was transported by road to Geelong University Hospital.</p> <p>“The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be determined at this stage,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said, adding that the identities of the victims are still to be formally confirmed.</p> <p>Ambulance Victoria said paramedics responded swiftly and worked in coordination with other emergency services to stabilise and transport the injured. Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) reported that its firefighters arrived within two minutes of receiving the call and found the helicopter 30 to 50 metres offshore.</p> <p>FRV personnel, alongside Surf Life Saving teams and paramedics, helped safely bring the three occupants ashore.</p> <p>The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has launched an investigation and is currently gathering information to determine the cause of the crash.</p> <p>Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant information to contact Crime Stoppers or the ATSB.</p> <p><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Cruise passenger facing life sentence after onboard discovery

<p>A Brazilian passenger has been charged with drug-related offences after authorities discovered a significant quantity of cocaine hidden in his cruise ship cabin upon docking in Sydney Harbour on Saturday.</p> <p>The Australian Federal Police (AFP) allege that the 48-year-old man had concealed 10kg of cocaine within the ceiling cavity of his room aboard the vessel, which had arrived from Argentina. During a search conducted by Australian Border Force (ABF) officials, officers reportedly uncovered 28 individually wrapped parcels of the substance, which tested positive for cocaine.</p> <p>In addition to the drugs, authorities also discovered "body packing material" hidden in the ceiling cavity and the wardrobe. According to the AFP, such materials are commonly used by drug couriers attempting to smuggle narcotics across international borders and security checkpoints.</p> <p>An examination of the suspect’s mobile phone allegedly revealed further evidence linked to drug trafficking. The AFP subsequently charged the man with one count of importing a commercial quantity of a border-controlled drug and one count of possessing a commercial quantity of an unlawfully imported border-controlled drug. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.</p> <p>AFP Detective Superintendent Kristie Cressy highlighted the potential impact of the drug haul, noting that the seized cocaine could have been distributed in 10,000 individual street deals, with an estimated street value of $3 million.</p> <p>“This amount of cocaine could have been sold in the community as 10,000 individual street deals of 1 gram for about $3 million,” Cressy stated. “Drug traffickers are motivated by greed, and they do not care about the harm they cause. These drug deals put pressure on the health system.”</p> <p>The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare reports that between 2022 and 2023, there were more than two hospitalisations per day in Australia due to drug-related incidents.</p> <p>ABF Superintendent Matt O’Connor acknowledged the increased risk of drug smuggling during the cruise season but reassured the public of law enforcement's vigilance in tackling such operations.</p> <p>“The cruising season brings with it additional opportunities for criminal syndicates to attempt to smuggle illicit drugs into the country; however, Border Force officers are very attuned to their pivoting tactics,” O’Connor said. “Our ABF officers process and border-clear thousands of passengers and crew members on every international cruise ship which arrives into Sydney and are ready to respond to any threat which may present itself.”</p> <p>The accused is set to appear in court as investigations continue into the broader implications of the smuggling attempt.</p> <p><em>Images: Australian Federal Police</em></p>

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Why you should revisit the classics, even if you were turned off them at school

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/johanna-harris-305384">Johanna Harris</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p>Throughout my school years I had an exuberant, elderly piano teacher, Miss Hazel. She was one of five daughters (like me) and, like many young women of her generation, had never married her sweetheart because he did not return from the war.</p> <p>Her unabashed gusto for life and infectious, positive outlook left an indelible impression upon me. So too did the memorable fact that Miss Hazel read Jane Austen’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84979.Pride_and_Prejudice">Pride and Prejudice</a> from beginning to end once every year.</p> <p>As a younger girl I wondered about the ways Pride and Prejudice could be so important to a woman in her eighties that she would want to read it annually. Was it to do with Austen’s depiction of a family with five daughters, or to relive an endearing love story?</p> <p>Since those years I have seen, more through lived experience than through academic study, just how deeply meaningful the reading of classic books, like Pride and Prejudice, can be.</p> <figure class="align-left zoomable"></figure> <p>I no longer simply read this book for Elizabeth Bennett’s love story, but for the finely crafted replication Austen gives us of human character, with all its flaws. Hers are imaginary yet imaginably real situations, all depicted with humour and a sensitively calibrated dose of sympathy for even the most unlikeable literary figures.</p> <p>The clergyman Mr Collins, Elizabeth’s distant cousin and her rejected suitor, was always repellent for his obsequiousness but I see more readily now his self-serving nature cloaked in altruism. The haughty snobbery of Darcy’s aristocratic aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, hints at a deeper layer of sadness and fragility only rereading can illuminate.</p> <h2>Box-ticking and speed</h2> <p>When we’re at school or university we may read for speed. I remember managing my reading of Ann Radcliffe’s 432-page gothic romance <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93135.The_Romance_of_the_Forest?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=oU6912stkW&amp;rank=1">The Romance of the Forest</a> to work out how many pages per hour I would need to read across a weekend in order to finish the novel before my university tutorial. (It was an ungodly ratio and I don’t recall much of the novel.)</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> <p>Or we may read for the tick-box exercise of writing for assessment requirements: accumulating knowledge of a novel’s original metaphors, descriptions that best capture a prescribed theme (“belonging” or “identity”), or of poetry by which we can demonstrate a grasp of innovative metre.</p> <p>But how and why do we reread classic books, when we are not constrained by class plans or prescribed exam themes. And why should we?</p> <h2>‘Like a graft to a tree’</h2> <p>Rebecca Mead’s <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20924311-the-road-to-middlemarch?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=Cm2E7fwgeL&amp;rank=1">The Road to Middlemarch</a> offers a compelling exploration of one writer’s five-yearly revisitation of George Eliot’s masterpiece, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19089.Middlemarch?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=CRcxE3ftkB&amp;rank=1">Middlemarch</a>.</p> <p>Mead first read the novel at school, and Eliot’s subtitle to the novel, “A Study of Provincial Life”, captured precisely what Mead was trying to escape at that time: provinciality.</p> <p>Eliot’s central character, Dorothea Brooke, captivated Mead as an unconventional intellectual heroine yearning for a life of meaning and significance. Mead marked out important moments with a fluorescent pen, such as when the intellectual and spiritual inadequacies of Dorothea’s husband, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Edward-Casaubon">Casaubon</a>, dawn upon her. Mead writes, quoting Eliot:</p> <blockquote> <p>‘Now when she looked steadily at her husband’s failure, still more at his possible consciousness of failure, she seemed to be looking along the one track where duty became tenderness […]’ These seemed like things worth holding on to. The book was reading me, as I was reading it.</p> </blockquote> <figure class="align-left zoomable"></figure> <p>This idea of books “reading us” can sound like an odd animism. But books can prompt us to reflect on our own lives, too. Eliot makes Middlemarch almost compulsory to reread later in life: the idealism of youth captures the young reader, while the novel’s humour becomes more sympathetic as we age. To reread a novel like Middlemarch is to trace the ways we too have experienced idealism turn to illusion, or have seen the restless pursuit of change turn to a retrospective gratitude and a recognition of grace.</p> <p>Our ability to acknowledge new depths of meaning in our own lives and to recognise within ourselves a subtler sympathy for the lives of others can be articulated almost as precisely as lived experience itself. As Mead says, “There are books that grow with the reader as the reader grows, like a graft to a tree.”</p> <h2>Feeling for Lear</h2> <p>The same can be said of Shakespeare. As young readers, we won’t necessarily capture the full vision <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12938.King_Lear?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=nowKY1f5aB&amp;rank=1">King Lear</a> offers us of the tragicomic paradoxes sometimes presented by old age. The play depicts the loss of power and control over one’s life and decision-making, the tender fragility of family relationships when the care of aged parents is suddenly an urgent question and the madness that can prevail when an inheritance is at stake.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"></figure> <p>Some of these things might abstractly be understood when taught to us in the classroom, but they are far more powerfully seen when revisited after we have lived a little more of that imaginably real life ourselves.</p> <p>As students we might have squirmed with discomfort at the literal blinding of Lear’s loyal subject the Earl of Gloucester (the horror of witnessing a visceral, grotesque injury).</p> <p>But as we age it is the tragedy of moral blindness that lingers, making the final scene so extraordinarily moving: “Do you see this? Look on her. Look, her lips. Look there, look there,” Lear pleads, as if to say that Cordelia, lifeless in his arms, still breathes.</p> <p>Does he really see her lips quiver? Does he really believe she lives? Is this some consolation with which he dies or is it delusion? Lear’s heart is broken. So is mine.</p> <p>Each time I revisit this final scene, the grief of Lear as a father is profoundly felt, but my heart is broken even more so by his continuing blindness; his vision (what he thinks he sees) is desperate, untrue, and ultimately meaningless.</p> <h2>Sites of discovery</h2> <p>When we read we inhabit imaginary worlds and each time the reading can be different. Philip Davis, a professor of literature and psychology <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/reading-and-the-reader-9780199683185?cc=au&amp;lang=en&amp;">has written</a>,</p> <blockquote> <p>Rereading is important in checking and refreshing that sense of meaning, as the reader goes back and re-enters the precise language once again.</p> </blockquote> <p>Davis points to an idea advanced by the novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch, of the reader’s collection of special, memorable fragments, which serve as metaphors for the reader’s self-utterances, developed over time. These are “nascent sites for thinking and re-centring”.</p> <p>This is a similar idea to the novelist and journalist Italo Calvino’s description in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9814.Why_Read_the_Classics_?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=RALd1Dx5a9&amp;rank=1">Why Read the Classics?</a> of the way classic books “imprint themselves on our imagination as unforgettable” and “hide in the layers of memory disguised as the individual’s or the collective unconscious.”</p> <p>Works of imaginative literature are not manuals for life, though they might along the way gift us with some wisdom; they are sites of discovery and rediscovery.</p> <p>The classic works we are introduced to at school may establish such sites for thinking about ourselves and others, but it is in rereading them as we grow older that we can better see the ways we have grown as imaginative, moral beings.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/246147/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/johanna-harris-305384">Johanna Harris</a>, Associate Professor, Literature, Western Civilisation Program, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>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/why-you-should-revisit-the-classics-even-if-you-were-turned-off-them-at-school-246147">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Books

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Search for missing fisherman called off

<p>Police have suspended their search for fisherman Paul Barning who fell overboard his boat during a fishing competition in New South Wales. </p> <p>The 58-year-old was competing in the Game Fishing Association state tournament off the Port Stephens coast on Sunday, when he fell overboard while trying to reel in   large mako shark. </p> <p>Barning was helping his crew when became entangled in fishing wire and was dragged into the water as the shark darted back into the ocean.</p> <p>After a major three-day search, NSW Police have called off the search on Tuesday morning, with his family saying they “have no words” to describe how they are feeling. </p> <p>“Despite the efforts of searchers, the man has not yet been located and the search was suspended at 5pm today and will not resume (on Wednesday),” NSW Police said.</p> <p>The fisherman's wife, Leonie told <em>7News</em> that the family have mixed emotions after the search was suspended, but are extremely grateful to everyone involved. </p> <p>“We just want to send out a huge thank you to everyone involved in the search and rescue, we were informed every step of the way,” she said.</p> <p>“And a huge thank you to the whole fishing community. We have been overwhelmed with kindness from everyone.</p> <p>“Our family meant everything to Paul, he would never hesitate to do the same for anyone else.”</p> <p>It is understood the fisherman was not wearing a life jacket when he went overboard. </p> <p>Barning, a father-of-three, was an experienced game fisherman and the secretary and past president of the Port Hacking Game Fishing Club.</p> <p>A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-barning-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe </a>has since been launched by NSW Game and Fishing Association president Steve Lamond, to assist Barning's family during this difficult time, with over $148,000 raised. </p> <p>“We are raising funds to assist the family through this tragic time so they can focus on processing their grief," the fundraiser read. </p> <p>“Anything you could give to assist will be greatly appreciated.”</p> <p><em>Image: NSW Marine Rescue/ Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Bruce Lehrmann faces fresh charges

<p>Bruce Lehrmann has found himself back in court over charges of stealing a car in Tasmania. </p> <p>The former Liberal staffer fronted Hobart Magistrates Court on Monday morning over allegations of stealing a Toyota Prado.</p> <p>The court heard the 29-year-old was alleged to have stolen a car from Mountain River, about 30km from Hobart CBD, on November 20th.</p> <p>Mr Lehrmann did not enter a plea and his matter was adjourned until June 19th. </p> <p>In a statement to <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/courts-law/bruce-lehrmann-faces-motor-vehicle-stealing-charge-in-tasmania/news-story/d3500e0dea6d7cdb069b453022846e32" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em> the state’s Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management said Mr Lehrmann was arrested in December over the charges. </p> <p>“A 29-year-old man has been charged with motor vehicle stealing in relation to a matter at Mountain River on 20 November 2024,” it said.</p> <p>“He was arrested, charged and bailed on December 2nd 2024.”</p> <p>As part of his strict bail conditions, Mr Lehrmann has been ordered to not contact two women named in the proceedings.</p> <p>The Hobart court appearance is the latest in a seemingly never-ending legal battle for the law student and former federal government adviser, after last year when he was found by a Federal Court judge to have raped his one-time colleague Brittany Higgins in March 2019.</p> <p><em>Image credits: MICK TSIKAS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Legal

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Nine pulls reality TV series off the air over "staging" claims

<p>Channel Nine's real estate reality show <em>Find My Beach House</em> has been  pulled off air after producers were caught out "staging" scenes for the cameras.</p> <p>The show hosted by <em>The Block's </em>Shelley Craft, focuses on couples hunting to buy their "dream home".</p> <p>However, according to Media Watch, one couple featured on the show already owned the property that was showcased on a recent episode. </p> <p>According to the Media Watch report, couple Toneya and Lochie had owned the luxury pad for eight years.</p> <p>"In fact, days after the show was broadcast, Toneya and Lochie put the house on the market – asking price $3.8 to $4.15 million. Can’t buy advertising like that," Media Watch host Linton Besser said.</p> <p>Media Watch also claimed that another property featured on the show was owned by "home seeker" Kirsty, who had it listed on Airbnb for $4,000 a week. </p> <p>The show was pulled from 9Now after Media Watch made their enquiries </p> <p>In a statement shared with viewers of Media Watch, the producers admitted "reversed engineered the house-hunting process".  </p> <p>"Abode Entertainment produces Find My Beach House, which is licensed to Channel 9,' the statement began.  </p> <p>"The show is designed as light entertainment, offering viewers engaging tours of stunning homes. </p> <p>"At its core, the series follows a couple’s journey, adding a compelling narrative that keeps audiences invested," they continued. </p> <p>"To enhance storytelling and ensure a satisfying viewing experience, we sometimes reverse-engineer the house-hunting process." </p> <p>"Each episode is based on real property searches and purchases. In some cases, aspects of the home-buying journey have been reconstructed for storytelling purposes. </p> <p>"This means the buyers have already purchased their home before filming, and we then showcase additional properties to capture their reactions and insights authentically.</p> <p>"Moving forward we are making the change to include a disclaimer on each episode."</p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

TV

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Should you use your retirement savings to pay off debt? Three things to keep in mind

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bomikazi-zeka-680577">Bomikazi Zeka</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jasmine-kinsman-1438670">Jasmine Kinsman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nelson-mandela-university-1946">Nelson Mandela University</a></em></p> <p>A host of countries have taken steps to reform the terms under which people can access their retirement benefits. South Africa is the most recent. In 2024 it <a href="https://theconversation.com/south-africa-has-changed-its-retirement-rules-to-help-boost-country-savings-how-it-will-work-233287">introduced changes</a> that allow access to some retirement savings while ensuring that most of the money is still preserved for later.</p> <p>Other countries that have changed the rules to allow members to dip into their savings before retirement include Australia, Chile, India and Portugal. Changes were introduced to ease the financial strain caused by COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. People across the world are grappling with debt and the cost of living.</p> <p><a href="https://www.treasury.gov.za/comm_media/press/2024/2024%20Two-pot%20System%20Updated%20%20FAQ%20August%202024.pdf">Policymakers</a> have considered this an avenue that offers financially distressed fund members the flexibility to access their retirement funds while still supporting long-term retirement savings. Retirement funds are also often the only sizeable savings that fund members have.</p> <p>A recent report by South Africa’s <a href="https://www.discovery.co.za/portal/business/top-reasons-for-two-pot-withdrawal-requests">Discovery Corporate and Employee Benefits</a>, which represents 3,000 employers that provide pension and provident funds for just over one million employees, found that people aged between 35 and 45 made the most claims to access the savings component of their retirement.</p> <p>When asked what they used the funds for, 24% of members said their withdrawals were for financing home or car expenses. Another 21% of members were using their funds to pay off short-term debt. The majority of members who withdrew their retirement savings were low-income earners (earning up to R125,000 or US$7,000 a year). On the other hand, withdrawals were lowest among high-income earners (earning more than R1 million or US$56,000 a year).</p> <p>This data provides evidence that most low- to middle-income South African consumers are grappling with the trade-off between preserving their capital for retirement and meeting their monthly financial obligations.</p> <p>Given that everyone’s financial situation, goals and needs are different, it’s always best to speak to a financial advisor to assess whether using your retirement savings to pay off debt will be a sound move. But, as academics who have focused on financial planning, we offer three pointers to consider:</p> <ul> <li> <p>understand what you owe, to whom, and what it’s costing you</p> </li> <li> <p>plan beyond paying off debt</p> </li> <li> <p>weigh the pros and cons carefully.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>Know which debt to settle first</h2> <p>Debt with a high interest rate often takes longer to repay, because at the start of the loan repayment period, most of the repayments are going towards interest payments – not reducing the capital amount. If you use your retirement proceeds towards this, it could shorten the period that it would take to settle the loan and reduce the interest repayments, which are compounded according to the outstanding loan balance.</p> <p>Short-term loans, such as those with a repayment term of up to 18 months, tend to have higher interest rates. Unsecured debt, which is debt that is not tied to an asset, also attracts high interest rates because they have little to no collateral requirements. Collateral provides the lender with a guarantee of compensation in the event of default. When there is no collateral, the cost of debt becomes more expensive. Using your retirement proceeds towards settling these short-term loans can free up cash that can be used towards settling other debt and will improve your credit score.</p> <h2>Understanding borrowing behaviour</h2> <p>Using your retirement savings to settle debt should be a priority if you have a plan in place to ensure that your overall financial position will improve. Once the debt is cleared, consider how you can use your free cash in your favour. This could mean boosting your savings or acquiring assets and investments.</p> <p>But if retirement savings are being used to pay off debt while you accumulate more debt, this indicates on ongoing cycle of debt. For example, paying off the minimum amount due on a loan but also consuming the balance that becomes available on the same loan is a sign of poor borrowing behaviour. A more extreme example is taking on more debt to service existing debt.</p> <p>Without a change in borrowing behaviour, using your retirement savings to pay off debt will leave you worse off. You will have missed out on the opportunity to grow your retirement savings and you will have got into more debt.</p> <h2>Debt repayments vs retirement returns</h2> <p>When considering withdrawing from your retirement savings to pay down debt, it’s also important remember this will be at the expense of building your retirement nest egg. For instance, if a 35-year-old were to draw down R30,000 from their retirement fund, that same amount could have grown their retirement capital by over R200,000 by the time they reached 55 years old (assuming an investment return of 10%).</p> <p>Withdrawing your retirement savings on a frequent basis could also mean you may need to work longer and past your intended retirement age to compensate for the withdrawals. Or you may need to find ways to supplement your retirement savings through other investments, or consider reducing your standard of living at retirement.</p> <h2>Is this a sound move?</h2> <p>Remember, withdrawal from retirement savings is subject to tax.</p> <p>While retirement may seem far off when there are more pressing financial needs, using your savings to pay down debt has its advantages and drawbacks. Since withdrawals are being used to pay for expenses and service debt, it’s also important to reflect on borrowing behaviours that may need to be corrected. Otherwise, using retirement savings could become a financial crutch that could make your retirement income less secure.</p> <p>Settling debt using your retirement savings should be done after careful consideration and planning. If in doubt, speak to a financial advisor.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/244837/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bomikazi-zeka-680577"><em>Bomikazi Zeka</em></a><em>, Associate Professor in Finance and Financial Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jasmine-kinsman-1438670">Jasmine Kinsman</a>, Senior Lecturer in Financial Planning and Certified Financial Planner, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/nelson-mandela-university-1946">Nelson Mandela University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>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/should-you-use-your-retirement-savings-to-pay-off-debt-three-things-to-keep-in-mind-244837">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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TV star shot in the face at husband's birthday party

<p>Actress Christy Carlson Romano has opened up about a terrifying accident that left her fearing for her life. In a candid video shared with her 735,000 Instagram followers, the former Disney star revealed that she was shot in the eye while participating in a clay pigeon shooting activity for her husband Brendan Rooney's birthday.</p> <p>Romano explained that an unidentified member of their party "unsafely fired in the wrong direction", resulting in her being struck in the face. Displaying her injuries on camera, she showcased a visibly bruised eye and disclosed that she sustained multiple hits, with one fragment landing only centimetres from her right eye.</p> <p>Recalling the ordeal, Romano shared that her husband immediately rushed her to the hospital. Medical professionals determined that a fragment was still lodged behind her eye, but said it was too risky for surgical removal at the time. She also pointed out another fragment embedded in her forehead.</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/reel/DF0dgT5uibG/?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/DF0dgT5uibG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Christy Carlson Romano (@thechristycarlsonromano)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Despite the severity of the incident, the actress reassured her fans that she could still see normally and was under medical supervision. "With everything that happened, all I can think about is how grateful I am to be alive," Romana wrote. "I love my daughters, husband, family, and friends so much. I saw my life flash before my eyes and I’m telling you, hug the people around you every chance you can. Life can change in an instant."</p> <p>Fans and fellow celebrities quickly flooded her post with messages of support, and hours later Romano took to her Instagram Story to express her gratitude, writing, "This has been scary and your positivity is meaningful to my healing."</p> <p>Romano, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with roles in Disney Channel’s <em>Kim Possible</em> and <em>Even Stevens</em> alongside Shia LaBeouf, has since transitioned into podcasting. She currently hosts "Vulnerable", a show where she discusses personal and industry-related topics.</p> <p>Married to producer Brendan Rooney since 2013, the couple shares two children together. As Romano continues to recover, fans remain hopeful for her swift and full healing.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Andrew O'Keefe faces more drug charges

<p>Troubled former TV host Andrew O'Keefe has once again faced court over allegations of driving under the influence of drugs. </p> <p>Andrew O’Keefe, 53, was stopped at 11:30am on July 28th for random testing while driving his Mercedes in Rose Bay, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.</p> <p>Police say he recorded a positive result for the roadside drug test, while he returned a negative result for the roadside breath test.</p> <p>The former <em>Deal or No Deal</em> host was taken to Waverley Police Station where he underwent a second oral fluid test that returned another positive reading.</p> <p>He was charged with driving a vehicle with an illicit drug present in his system.</p> <p>The former host of The Chase was represented by his lawyer Jahan Kalantar in Waverley Local Court on Monday, where Magistrate Stephen Barlow adjourned the matter until early next month.</p> <p>O’Keefe will remain out on bail.</p> <p>The new charge comes after O’Keefe received a 30-month community corrections order and $2,500 in fines after pleading guilty to drug-related offences in October last year.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Channel Seven</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p>

Legal

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Brave pensioner fights off robber using a pair of jeans

<p>A 84-year-old man has been praised for his heroic actions as he fought off a robber with a pair of jeans. </p> <p>Ron Croker, from Yorkshire in the UK, was doing his washing at a laundromat when the would-be robber burst in and demanded, "Give me you f****** money now!" </p> <p>Mr Croker stood his ground and refused to give up his wallet, slowly walked towards the man and managed to force him out, all while holding a pair of his jeans in one hand.</p> <p>As he went to return to his washing, the robber reentered the laundromat for a second try, when Mr Croker jumped into action. </p> <p>The man screamed "get off!" and whipped him with the jeans as he again bundled him out the launderette.</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/DE2taf2IkXx/?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/DE2taf2IkXx/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by KTVU Channel 2 News (@ktvu2)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I've worked all my life for my money. He's not having it," Mr Croker <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgyzy6weqeo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the <em>BBC</em></a>.</p> <p>"I gave him an almighty shove and he went rolling into the road," he added.</p> <p>Despite his heroic actions, he admits the experience has left him "shaken" and "struggling to sleep", saying, "I do think about it when it's quiet at night. That's when the thoughts come. But I don't regret it."</p> <p>Police said a 42-year-old man had been charged with attempted robbery, and while Mr Croker sustained some bruises during the incident, a GoFundMe page has so far raised nearly £2,500 for him.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Coin-Op Launderette Maltby via Storyful / Instagram</em></p> <p style="box-sizing: content-box; font-size: 21.999962px; margin: 0px auto 1.5rem; max-width: var(--article-body-width-l); transition: padding 0s ease-in-out 0s; word-break: break-word; caret-color: #4a4a4a; color: #4a4a4a; font-family: 'Sky Text', sans-serif; padding: 0px var(--site-gutter) 0px var(--site-gutter);"> </p>

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Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness rumoured to face "messy" divorce

<p>Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness have yet to file for divorce, according to the Daily Mail. </p> <p>Insiders told the publication that their split could get "messy" as the former couple struggle to divide their estimated $250 million fortune. </p> <p>They are now planning to file in New York "in the next couple of weeks."</p> <p>"One of the biggest reasons why they haven’t yet filed is that they never had a prenup," the source told the Daily Mail. </p> <p>"When they got married, they thought it would be forever. Who doesn’t? At the time, neither of them expected Hugh’s career to get as enormous as it has.</p> <p>"Because there was no prenup, and he made a fortune during their marriage, this divorce is not going to be cut and dry. It may even get messy because the stakes are high.</p> <p>"A lot of moving parts need to be worked out and there is a huge amount of money involved.</p> <p>The insider insisted that the couple both want to "make this as easy as possible," but after three decades together and Jackman's huge rise to fame, "it’s not quite that easy."</p> <p>Furness and Jackman announced their <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/hugh-jackman-devastated-after-marriage-split" target="_blank" rel="noopener">split</a> in September 2023, and not long after, rumours of the <em>Wolverine</em> actor's new relationship with Broadway co-star Sutton Foster started emerging, with the pair finally confirming their romance last week. </p> <p>His new relationship has reportedly added to the growing tension between Jackman and Furness, who had struggled with "resentment and an imbalance of power" towards the end of their marriage. </p> <p>The division of assets, including their properties in East Hampton, New York, Sydney, and Manhattan, is also complicated by the fact that they are "no longer friends". </p> <p>"Hugh and Deborra-Lee are cordial to each other, but they are no longer friends," the insider said.</p> <p>"They put their differences aside to co-parent and he cares a lot about is children."</p> <p>The insider clarified that there was no overlap with Jackman and Furness by the time he started dating Foster. </p> <p>Just a few days ago, Furness said that she was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/deborra-lee-furness-reacts-to-hugh-jackman-s-new-relationship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relieved </a>to see images of Jackman and Foster as it finally confirmed her "suspicions" that the pair would get together. </p> <p><em>Image: Guerin Charles/ABACA/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

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Today entertainment reporter signs off for special assignment

<p><em>Today</em> entertainment reporter Renee Bargh has been farewelled by her co-hosts as she prepares to give birth to her baby daughter. </p> <p>The 38-year-old journalist, who welcomed her first child Tide with partner Andrew Lange in 2023, was joined by Karl, Sarah and the entire <em>Today</em> cast on Wednesday morning to commemorate her last day on the show before becoming a mum of two. </p> <p>"I'm going to miss you guys a lot and I love that everyone keeps saying, 'how excited are you going on maternity leave? You're going to get so much rest, like, no more alarm clocks'," Renee laughed at the idea of having two children under the age of three to look after.</p> <p>With Renee ready to welcome her little girl into the world, the <em>Today</em> team gave her a fitting send off, with a bouquet of pink flowers and an adorable <em>Today</em> onesie for the newborn to wear proudly.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DE0wExuOBbU/?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/DE0wExuOBbU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by thetodayshow (@thetodayshow)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"From all of us here, it's such a special time and you're a special lady - it's wonderful to see you off and we can't wait to meet the little one," Karl beamed.</p> <p>Renee first <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/today-entertainment-reporter-announces-special-news-on-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> her pregnancy in August during a live cross for <em>Today</em>, just weeks after joining the panel of the show. </p> <p>Bargh debuted her growing baby bump while on hosting duties for the TV Week Logies, sharing an Instagram post of her in full glam the bump with the caption, "Baby girl's first red carpet."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

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The Block billionaire faces unlawful lottery charges

<p>Adrian Portelli has responded after being charged by South Australian authorities for unlawful lottery. </p> <p>The billionaire his business Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd, which trades as LMCT+, have had charges brought against them by South Australia’s Consumer and Business Services.</p> <p>The charges come just days after the 35-year-old was praised for <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/the-block-billionaire-s-generous-christmas-stunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">giving away $150,000 </a>in grocery vouchers at two Coles in Western Sydney. </p> <p>Portelli has been charged with nine counts of conducting or assisting in the conduct of an unlawful lottery, while his business has been charged with 10 counts of the same offence.</p> <p>He has since responded to the charges, writing  “It’s okay SA we still love you," in a post shared to his business Instagram account. </p> <p>“Your gambling commissioner won’t allow you to win major life-changing prizes so I’ve decided to run exclusive, DAILY $1000 cash giveaways to you guys instead,” he added. </p> <p>“We still love you and I’ll definitely be visiting to do more grocery voucher handouts.”</p> <p>His business, LMCT+, is a shopping tool and rewards club which has three membership tiers that all offer different prizes for their regular giveaways. </p> <p>The first prize in these giveaways can range from a new car to major cash prizes of $500,000 and $1,000,000, with each membership tier having different benefits including the amount of entries into the giveaways. </p> <p>Consumer and Business Service alleged unlawful lottery activity occurred between January 29, 2023, and May 16, 2024.</p> <p>The matter is set to be mentioned in Adelaide Magistrate’s Court on January 15.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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