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Karl fires up on Sussan Ley over “ruthlessly personal” purge

<p>A major reshuffle of the Coalition’s frontbench has erupted into political controversy, with Liberal leader Sussan Ley facing accusations of conducting a “ruthlessly personal” purge in her first major test since taking the reins from Peter Dutton.</p> <p>In a fiery interview on the <em>Today</em> Show, host Karl Stefanovic grilled Ms Ley over her decision to dump high-profile Senator Jane Hume – architect of the Coalition’s controversial work-from-home policy – and Victorian MP Sarah Henderson from the shadow cabinet.</p> <p>“I am not saying this is a bad thing, but you are ruthlessly personal,” Stefanovic said.</p> <p>“That’s not my view, Karl,” Ms Ley replied, defending the overhaul as part of building a “fantastic team” focused on challenging the Labor government. “Our job is to take the fight up to Labor to be the strongest possible Opposition on behalf of the Australian people.”</p> <p>When asked if she simply didn’t like Senator Hume, Ms Ley deflected: “Jane is a fantastic colleague and contributor and will remain in exactly the role she has as senator for Victoria.”</p> <p>The exclusion of Senator Hume, alongside the demotions of Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and other senior women, has fuelled discontent within the party, especially amid concerns over gender representation. Ms Ley insisted that 40% of her shadow ministry are women when the outer ministry is included, but the shadow cabinet now includes just eight women out of 27 – fewer than under Peter Dutton.</p> <p>The removal of Senator Price from the shadow cabinet, now relegated to the defence industry portfolio in the outer ministry, has also raised eyebrows. Ms Ley said Price was “excited” about the new role and emphasised the Coalition’s focus on national security under Angus Taylor, who has moved from Treasury to Defence.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Senate leader Michaelia Cash has taken on the powerful foreign affairs portfolio, squaring off against Labor’s Senator Penny Wong. Ted O’Brien has replaced Taylor as Treasury spokesman, while Senator James Paterson has been elevated to the finance and government services portfolio.</p> <p>Leadership hopeful Andrew Hastie also earned a promotion, stepping into the home affairs role after requesting a shift from Defence.</p> <p>But the reshuffle has created clear winners and losers, with former Nationals leaders Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack both axed from the front bench. Mr McCormack hinted at ongoing tensions in the Nationals over their separation from the Liberals, telling <em>Sky News</em> he had more to say on key issues like net zero.</p> <p>Asked if his demotion was due to past criticisms of party leadership, McCormack replied, “You would have to ask David Littleproud.”</p> <p>That leadership is now under fresh scrutiny. Nationals MP Colin Boyce has accused Mr Littleproud of misleading the party room over negotiations with Ms Ley, saying, “How can you support a bloke that misleads the partyroom? I’m calling him out.”</p> <p>Senator Matt Canavan, who recently challenged Mr Littleproud for leadership, also weighed in, warning the Liberals to stay out of National Party business.</p> <p>Back in Liberal ranks, Senator Hume’s dumping remains one of the most contentious decisions. While Ley allies insist there’s no bad blood, others suggest a falling out between the two women and suspicions over Hume’s factional allegiances played a role.</p> <p>“She’s just collateral damage,” one Liberal MP said, hinting that internal tensions and past disagreements – including Hume’s controversial remarks during the last election – contributed to her downfall.</p> <p>The reshuffle, intended to position the Coalition as a stronger force heading into the next election cycle, has instead exposed deep rifts within both the Liberal and National parties. Whether this bold shake-up will unify the Opposition or deepen divisions remains to be seen.</p> <p><em>Images: Today show</em> </p>

"Of course it's Demi!" World's Most Beautiful Person named for 2025

<p>Demi Moore has been named <em>People</em> magazine’s World’s Most Beautiful Person for 2025, joining the ranks of past honourees like Cindy Crawford, Tom Cruise and Michelle Pfeiffer. At 62, the actress is not only making headlines for her timeless beauty but also for her candid reflections on body image, ageing and self-worth.</p> <p>In an exclusive interview accompanying the annual issue, Moore opened up about her evolving relationship with her body. “I think I've evolved into greater gentility toward myself,” she shared. Admitting that she once had a tendency to "punish" herself, the <em>Ghost</em> star revealed that she's now in a more accepting and appreciative place.</p> <p>“I have a greater appreciation for all that my body has been through that brought me to now,” she said. Though she still experiences moments of insecurity – “It doesn't mean that sometimes I look in the mirror and don't go, 'Oh God, I look old,' or 'Oh, my face is falling' – I do” – Moore said that acceptance has become a key theme in her life.</p> <p>Moore’s resurgence in the spotlight has been bolstered by her acclaimed performance in the 2024 thriller <em>The Substance</em>, alongside Margaret Qualley and Dennis Quaid. The film, which delves into the pressures of ageing in the entertainment industry, drew strong reviews and generated significant Oscar buzz.</p> <p>While she ultimately lost the Academy Award for Best Actress to Mikey Madison, Moore took home her first Golden Globe for the role. In her emotional acceptance speech, she urged the audience to reevaluate how they measure self-worth. “Know the value of your worth,” she said, “by putting down the measuring stick,” drawing cheers from the crowd.</p> <p>With a celebrated career spanning decades, Demi Moore’s new title is not just a recognition of beauty – it’s a tribute to reinvention and the power of self-acceptance.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Prince William shares deeply personal message over fallen war hero

<p>Prince William has shared a deeply personal message in remembrance of John 'Paddy' Hemingway, the last surviving pilot from the Battle of Britain, who passed away on St Patrick's Day at the age of 105.</p> <p>The Prince of Wales, a former Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot himself, took to social media on Tuesday to express his condolences and gratitude for Hemingway’s service.</p> <p>"I was sad to hear about the passing of John 'Paddy' Hemingway this morning, the last of 'The Few'," the 42-year-old royal wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "We owe so much to Paddy and his generation for our freedoms today. Their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered. We shall never forget them."</p> <p>Hemingway, born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1919, joined the RAF as a teenager and became one of the young airmen who defended Britain during the pivotal 1940 Battle of Britain. These pilots, immortalised as "The Few" following a famous speech by then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill, played a crucial role in thwarting the German air offensive during World War II.</p> <p>Churchill’s words – "Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" – have since become a testament to the bravery and sacrifice of Hemingway and his fellow pilots.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I was sad to hear about the passing of John ‘Paddy’ Hemingway this morning, the last of “The Few”. We owe so much to Paddy and his generation for our freedoms today. Their bravery and sacrifice will always be remembered. We shall never forget them. W</p> <p>— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1901914010863202506?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>Current Prime Minister Keir Starmer also paid tribute to Hemingway, acknowledging his extraordinary courage and contribution to securing the nation's freedom.</p> <p>"Very sad to hear of the passing of Group Captain John 'Paddy' Hemingway, the last known Battle of Britain pilot," Starmer wrote on X. "His courage, and that of all RAF pilots, helped end WWII and secure our freedom. We will never forget their bravery and service. Thank you, John 'Paddy' Hemingway."</p> <p>King Charles has yet to make a public statement, but RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton honoured Hemingway’s remarkable legacy, remembering him as "an amazing character" who carried the spirit of camaraderie and bravery throughout his life.</p> <p>"Paddy always had a twinkle in his eyes as he recalled the fun times with colleagues in France and London," the RAF said in a statement announcing his passing.</p> <p>Hemingway’s passing marks the end of an era, but his service and sacrifice will live on in history. As the last of 'The Few', he leaves behind a legacy of courage that will continue to inspire generations to come.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram \ Royal Airforce</em></p>

Caring

From sunscreen to essential oils, why some personal care products could be harmful to your health

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asit-kumar-mishra-1458839">Asit Kumar Mishra</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-college-cork-1321">University College Cork</a></em></p> <p>Each time you apply sunscreen to your face, you may inhale somewhere between <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/11/5944">10 to 30 milligrams of ethanol</a>, the type of alcohol used in alcoholic drinks. While the ethanol in sunscreen may not give you a buzz, it could make you think about what other chemicals you might be exposed to from personal care products.</p> <p>Products that are applied to the face, like sunscreen, can increase the inhalation of some chemicals by ten times or more than you would inhale from your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816489/">home air in the entire day</a>.</p> <p>The levels of ethanol in cosmetics and skincare products may be reasonably safe – although it can still dry out the skin, causing pain, redness and swelling, and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ethanol-properties-uses-and-incident-management/ethanol-general-information">irritate the eyes</a>, causing tears, burning and stinging – but personal care products such as shampoos, skin creams, deodorants, cosmetics and perfumes contain fragrances and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which can be inhaled, absorbed through skin or ingested and some are more toxic than others.</p> <p>Unfortunately, manufacturers of personal care products <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-015-0327-6">do not have to disclose</a> every fragrance compound used. This is concerning when you consider the potential effects of toxic compounds that <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816489/">have been detected</a> in the air from personal care products. For example, hair-smoothing products have released formaldehyde, a toxic chemical that can cause <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597627/">a range of symptoms</a> from dermatitis to low sperm count. Some perfumes and deodorants have generated monoterpenes, chemicals which <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8912113/#sec1-molecules-27-01716">can prove toxic</a> for some users.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cfloNXKeyX8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Some of the VOCs found in personal care products <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36976159/">may trigger</a> skin irritation, headaches – and difficulty breathing, which can develop into an asthma attack in some users. The highest or peak concentration of these VOCs are likely to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22406137/">occur within ten minutes</a> of application. But these concentrations may take up to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34816489/">two hours to decrease to background levels</a>, depending on your home’s ventilation.</p> <h2>Natural doesn’t mean risk free</h2> <p>But even if the levels of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20659630/">VOCs in personal care products</a> are kept <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22406137/">within safe limits</a>, they can still cause discomfort and a variety of health issues, including irritation of the eyes and airways, migraines and asthmatic reactions, in those who’re <a href="https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-020-00311-y">fragrance sensitive</a>. In the UK, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-018-00655-8">27% of the population</a> self reports as fragrance sensitive.</p> <p>It makes sense then that some people attempt to avoid potentially toxic synthetic chemicals in cosmetics by opting for “natural” or “clean” personal care products. But, <a href="https://enveurope.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s12302-020-00311-y">natural does not mean safer</a>.</p> <p>For instance, essential oils are often used in “natural” personal care products as fragrance. Essential oils, though, are a source of terpenes, some of which can be <a href="https://www.lung.org/blog/essential-oils-harmful-or-helpful">toxic if absorbed, inhaled or swallowed</a>.</p> <p>Indoor concentration of terpenes are often at levels where you can smell them but not high enough to cause <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28126407/">eye or respiratory tract irritation</a>. However, the terpenes from essential oils can react with other chemicals, such as ozone from outdoor air, producing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32162221/">byproducts like formaldehyde, a known carcinogen</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22250748/">allergens</a>.</p> <h2>Beauty salon safety</h2> <p>Beauty salons can be particularly risky environments for exposure to VOCs. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/7/4176">Studies have found</a> contaminants such as formaldehyde, ammonia and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/toluene-properties-incident-management-and-toxicology/toluene-toxicological-overview">toluene</a>, a potentially harmful ingredient used in many personal care products, at high levels in salons, putting staff who work there at the highest risk.</p> <p>Formaldehyde levels in some salons have reached <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31321727/">above safety limits</a>. <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/protection/npi/substances/fact-sheets/methyl-methacrylate#tabs-2">Methyl methacrylate</a>, which can cause skin irritation, allergic reactions and potential <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3072694/">respiratory issues</a> has been <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30276513/">detected in the air of nail salons</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ydRklqO01fE?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>These contaminants are not necessarily limited to the places in a salon <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23765035/">where a certain product is being used</a>. Beauty salons with poor ventilation are likely to expose workers and customers to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29494285/">much higher levels of contaminants</a>. Some of the components of personal care products are known, harmful contaminants and carcinogens.</p> <p>Regulations specifically related to ventilation in environments where large volumes of these products are used do reduce exposures. For instance, studies show that after ventilation regulations came into effect in Boston, US in 2011, the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31622145/">air quality inside nail salons improved</a>.</p> <p>When visiting your nail salon or hair stylist, check with them about their ventilation system and other steps they are taking to reduce exposure to VOCs.</p> <p>To limit exposure to potential VOCs at home when using personal care products, try to open windows and use extractor fans in wet rooms. Be especially careful when applying products to the face or when using a high temperature application – <a href="https://occup-med.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12995-018-0213-x">high temperatures can increase emissions</a>.<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/248273/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/asit-kumar-mishra-1458839"><em>Asit Kumar Mishra</em></a><em>, Research Fellow in School of Public of Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-college-cork-1321">University College Cork</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/from-sunscreen-to-essential-oils-why-some-personal-care-products-could-be-harmful-to-your-health-248273">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

Barry Humphries' personal collection fetches millions at auction

<p>A collection of Barry Humphries' personal items has fetched $9 million at a London auction. </p> <p>Just one pair of Barry Humphries’ Dame Edna Everage glasses sold for more than 25 times their pre-sale high estimate, with the yellow-lacquered Possum spectacles fetching a whopping £37,800 ($75,185 AUD).</p> <p>His personal collection totalled £4,627,224 ($9.2 million AUD) at auction, including buyer’s premium, according to Christie’s auction house, which welcomed bidders from 41 countries to the sale.</p> <p>The top price of the sale was lot 42, Charles Conder’s painting Sand dunes, Ambleteuse, which sold for £239,400 ($476,170 AUD).</p> <p>Among the star’s costumes up for sale was a scarlet chiffon evening gown, worn by Humphries as Dame Edna when he surprised the then Prince Charles and Duchess of Cornwall in the royal box at the Royal Variety Show in 2013, which sold for £21,420, or $42,604 AUD.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SpotlightSaturday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SpotlightSaturday</a> Christie’s is delighted to present six lots in Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection sale being sold to benefit the Royal Variety Charity (Registered Charity No.206451) on 13 February. Explore more here: <a href="https://t.co/fwfXGUOe9k">https://t.co/fwfXGUOe9k</a> <a href="https://t.co/fFsl6Gh7gC">pic.twitter.com/fFsl6Gh7gC</a></p> <p>— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChristiesInc/status/1888196325801676946?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>“These fantastic results are a testament to Barry’s unique vision and lifelong passion for collecting,” said Benedict Winter, head of sale, private and iconic collections, Christie’s London.</p> <p>“Extraordinary prices were achieved for Symbolist art, works on paper, books and of course Dame Edna’s ‘face furniture’ and dresses."</p> <p>“Christie’s is incredibly proud to have offered this iconic collection at auction, with the results paying a fitting tribute to Barry Humphries and his remarkable legacy.”</p> <p>The Australian star, who was known for his satirical characters including the high camp of Dame Edna and the offensive cultural attache Sir Les Patterson, died in April 2023 at the age of 89.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <div id="div-gpt-inline-02-inner" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; --tw-border-spacing-x: 0; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(59,130,246,0.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;" data-google-query-id="CKbj15KqyYsDFQQLigMdumYUIw"></div>

Money & Banking

Most retirees who rent live in poverty. Here’s how boosting rent assistance could help lift them out of it

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-coates-154644">Brendan Coates</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joey-moloney-1334959">Joey Moloney</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-bowes-2316740">Matthew Bowes</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a></em></p> <p>Most Australians can look forward to a comfortable retirement. More than three in four retirees own their own home, most report feeling comfortable financially, and few suffer financial stress.</p> <p>But our new Grattan Institute <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/renting-in-retirement-why-rent-assistance-needs-to-rise/">report</a> paints a sobering picture for one group: retirees who rent in the private market. Two-thirds of this group live in poverty, including more than three in four single women who live alone.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="x2VND" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/x2VND/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <hr /> <p>Retirees who rent often have little in the way of retirement savings: more than half have less than A$25,000 stashed away. And a growing number of older Australians are at risk of becoming homeless.</p> <p>But our research also shows just how much we’d need to boost Commonwealth Rent Assistance to make housing more affordable and ensure all renters are able to retire with dignity.</p> <h2>Today’s renters, tomorrow’s renting retirees</h2> <p>Home ownership is falling among poorer Australians who are approaching retirement.</p> <p>Between 1981 and 2021, home ownership rates among the poorest 40% of 45–54-year-olds fell from 68% to just 54%. Today’s low-income renters are tomorrow’s renting retirees.</p> <p>Age pensioners need at least $40,000 in savings to afford to spend $350 a week in rent, together with the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/age-pension">Age Pension</a> and <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/rent-assistance">Rent Assistance</a>. That’s enough to afford the cheapest 25% of one-bedroom homes in capital cities.</p> <p>But Australians who are renting as they approach retirement tend to have little in the way of retirement savings. 40% of renting households aged 55-64 have net financial wealth less than $40,000.</p> <h2>Rent assistance is too low</h2> <p>Our <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/renting-in-retirement-why-rent-assistance-needs-to-rise/">research</a> shows that Commonwealth Rent Assistance, which supplements the Age Pension for poorer retirees who rent, is inadequate.</p> <p>The federal government has <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/jim-chalmers-2022/speeches/budget-speech-2024-25">lifted the maximum rate of Rent Assistance</a> by 27% – over and above inflation – in the past two budgets. But the payment remains too low.</p> <p>A typical single retiree needs at least $379 per week to afford essential non-housing costs such as food, transport and energy.</p> <p>But we found a single pensioner who relies solely on income support can afford to rent just 4% of one-bedroom homes in Sydney, 13% in Brisbane, and 14% in Melbourne, after covering these basic living expenses.</p> <p>With Rent Assistance indexed to inflation, rather than low-income earners’ housing costs, the maximum rate of the payment has increased by 136% since 2001, while the rents paid by recipients have increased by 193%.</p> <h2>A boost is needed</h2> <p>Our analysis suggests that to solve this problem, the federal government should increase the maximum rate of Rent Assistance by 50% for singles and 40% for couples.</p> <p>The payment should also be indexed to changes in rents for the cheapest 25% of homes in our capital cities.</p> <p>These increases would boost the maximum rate of Rent Assistance by $53 a week ($2,750 a year) for singles, and $40 a week ($2,080 a year) for couples.</p> <p>This would ensure single retirees could afford to spend $350 a week on rent, enough to rent the cheapest 25% of one-bedroom homes across Australian capital cities, while still affording other essentials.</p> <p>Similarly, retired couples would be able to afford to spend $390 a week on rent, enough to rent the cheapest 25% of all one- and two-bedroom homes.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="EZBuw" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/EZBuw/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <hr /> <h2>Unlikely to push up rents</h2> <p>One common concern is that increasing Rent Assistance will just lead landlords to hike rents. But we find little evidence that this is the case.</p> <p>International studies suggest that more than five in six dollars of any extra Rent Assistance paid would benefit renters, rather than landlords.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="qGxQE" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: 0;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qGxQE/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p> <hr /> <p>In Australia, there’s little evidence that recent increases in Rent Assistance have pushed up rents.</p> <p>Our analysis of NSW rental bond lodgement data suggests areas with higher concentrations of Rent Assistance recipients did not see larger rent increases in the year after the payment was boosted.</p> <p>That’s not surprising. Rent Assistance is paid to tenants, not landlords, which means tenants are likely to spend only a small portion of any extra income on housing.</p> <p>Since rates of financial stress are even higher among younger renters, we propose that any increase to Rent Assistance should also apply to working-age households.</p> <p>Boosting Rent Assistance for all recipients would cost about $2 billion a year, with about $500 million of this going to retirees.</p> <p>These increases could be paid for by further <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/super-savings-practical-policies-for-fairer-superannuation-and-a-stronger-budget/">tightening superannuation tax breaks</a>, <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/housing-affordability-re-imagining-the-australian-dream/">curbing negative gearing and halving the capital gains tax discount</a>, or counting more of the value of the family home in the Age Pension assets test.<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/249134/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-coates-154644">Brendan Coates</a>, Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joey-moloney-1334959">Joey Moloney</a>, Deputy Program Director, Housing and Economic Security, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-bowes-2316740">Matthew Bowes</a>, Associate, Housing and Economic Security, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</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/most-retirees-who-rent-live-in-poverty-heres-how-boosting-rent-assistance-could-help-lift-them-out-of-it-249134">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

Voluntary assisted dying is legal in Australia – but many of us don’t know

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-white-15387">Ben White</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindy-willmott-15386">Lindy Willmott</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-feeney-140352">Rachel Feeney</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>Voluntary assisted dying is lawful in <a href="https://www.unswlawjournal.unsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Issue-464-10-Waller-et-al.pdf">all Australian states</a>. This allows terminally ill adults who are suffering and have decision-making capacity to choose to receive help to die.</p> <p>Victoria’s law was the first, coming into effect <a href="https://theconversation.com/voluntary-assisted-dying-will-soon-be-legal-in-victoria-and-this-is-what-you-need-to-know-111836">in 2019</a>. New South Wales was the last state, with its <a href="https://theconversation.com/voluntary-assisted-dying-is-now-available-in-all-australian-states-how-do-the-nsw-laws-compare-217261">voluntary assisted dying law</a> beginning in late 2023.</p> <p>Voluntary assisted dying will be <a href="https://www.act.gov.au/health/topics/end-of-life-and-palliative-care/voluntary-assisted-dying-in-the-act">allowed in the Australian Capital Territory</a> in November, and a <a href="https://cmc.nt.gov.au/project-management-office/voluntary-assisted-dying">Northern Territory report</a> has recommended it pass a voluntary assisted dying law too.</p> <p>While the vast majority of Australians now live in jurisdictions where voluntary assisted dying is permitted, accessing voluntary assisted dying depends on knowing it’s a legal option. But our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07481187.2025.2452490">new research</a> suggests many Australians don’t know this.</p> <h2>A study in Queensland</h2> <p>Voluntary assisted dying became legal <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/voluntary-assisted-dying/explained/overview">in Queensland</a> on January 1, 2023. We conducted <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/255019/">an online survey</a> of 1,000 Queensland adults in mid-2024 to find out if the community knew about this new end-of-life choice.</p> <p>We set quotas for age, gender and geographical location to ensure the people we surveyed represented the overall Queensland population.</p> <p>First, we asked whether people thought voluntary assisted dying was legal in Queensland. Only <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/voluntary-assisted-dying-regulation/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2025/01/Do-people-know-VAD-is-legal-Research-briefing.pdf">one-third (33%) correctly identified</a> it was. Of the 67% who didn’t, 41% thought voluntary assisted dying was illegal and 26% said they didn’t know.</p> <p>People who did know voluntary assisted dying was legal had generally found out in one of three ways:</p> <ul> <li> <p>from the media</p> </li> <li> <p>from professional experience (for example, working in health care)</p> </li> <li> <p>from personal experience (for example, knowing someone who had asked about, requested or accessed voluntary assisted dying).</p> </li> </ul> <p>We then told our survey participants voluntary assisted dying was legal in Queensland and asked if they would know how to go about accessing it if they wished to. Only one-quarter (26%) answered yes.</p> <p>The survey also asked people where they might look for information about voluntary assisted dying. Most people said they would seek this information online, but asking health practitioners, especially doctors, was also important.</p> <h2>Legal and cultural barriers</h2> <p>Perhaps it’s not surprising so few members of the surveyed public know voluntary assisted dying is a legal choice. It’s still a relatively new law. But there are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hex.13867">specific barriers</a> in Australia that can prevent people finding out about it.</p> <p>One major barrier is health practitioners are often <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.52183">not able to freely discuss</a> voluntary assisted dying with their patients. The laws in all states control how conversations about voluntary assisted dying can occur.</p> <p>For example, in Queensland, only doctors and nurse practitioners <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_act/vada2021302/s7.html">can raise voluntary assisted dying</a> and only if they also discuss available treatment and palliative care options and their likely outcomes.</p> <p>But the most problematic are <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/vada2017302/s8.html">Victorian</a> and <a href="https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/sa/consol_act/vada2021302/s12.html">South Australian</a> laws which prohibit health practitioners from raising the topic with patients altogether. Many people rely on their doctor to tell them about treatment options, so it’s a problem if the onus is on the patient to bring it up first.</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.52183">Conscientious objection</a> is another significant barrier. Some doctors are opposed to voluntary assisted dying and even if they practise in a state where they can legally raise it, may choose not to tell their patients about it. This is another reason patients may not know voluntary assisted dying could be a choice for them.</p> <p>It’s important to note our study was only done in Queensland, so we can’t be confident the findings represent the wider Australian population. But given these barriers to knowing about voluntary assisted dying, it’s reasonable to anticipate similar trends in other states.</p> <h2>A national challenge</h2> <p>Raising community awareness of voluntary assisted dying is a challenge around the country. Voluntary assisted dying oversight boards from five states (<a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/1362124/vad-annual-report-2023-24.pdf">Queensland</a>, <a href="https://www.health.tas.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/voluntary_assisted_dying_annual_report_2023-24.pdf">Tasmania</a>, <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/voluntary-assisted-dying-review-board_annual-report-2023-24.pdf">Victoria</a>, <a href="https://www.health.wa.gov.au/%7E/media/Corp/Documents/Health-for/Voluntary-assisted-dying/VAD-Board-Annual-Report-2023-24.pdf">Western Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/73a3fd16-46c4-4ad4-bd82-7a03a924c1bc/VAD+Review+Board+Annual+Report+2023-2024+-+FINAL.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-73a3fd16-46c4-4ad4-bd82-7a03a924c1bc-pdMyZ1p">South Australia</a>) have all discussed this issue in their most recent annual reports.</p> <p>In addition, Western Australia recently reviewed its voluntary assisted dying laws, identifying lack of community knowledge as a problem. The <a href="https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/4113439a2331593cd11da0ae48258be300355868/%24file/voluntary+assisted+dying+act+2019+final+report.pdf">review called for a strategy</a> to fix this.</p> <p>We see this challenge as one of “voluntary assisted dying literacy”. Greater voluntary assisted dying literacy will enable members of the public to know the options available to them, and how to make the choices they want.</p> <h2>What can we do about this?</h2> <p>We need community awareness initiatives to increase knowledge that voluntary assisted dying is legal and ensure people know where to find information about this option. Information about voluntary assisted dying is already available from all <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/voluntary-assisted-dying">state government health departments</a>, but more action is needed to ensure it reaches more people.</p> <p>Respondents in our survey suggested using social media campaigns, advertising, and sharing information through Centrelink, health clinics and other trusted community channels.</p> <p>We also propose targeted information for particular patient groups who may be eligible for voluntary assisted dying, such as people with cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. This means they will know voluntary assisted dying may be one of the treatment options available to them, and how to navigate the process should they wish to.</p> <p>These initiatives would need to be designed sensitively with a focus on providing information to avoid any perception that people could feel induced or directed to access voluntary assisted dying.</p> <p>Training for health practitioners is also important. This is particularly needed for GPs and specialists working in end-of-life care. Training will support health practitioners to facilitate informed discussions with patients and families.</p> <p>Strong community support was a <a href="https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/4af889/contentassets/1fa966ea0b6c4034a82bca04f57a19b9/lsic_58-05_text_web.pdf">key argument</a> in legalising voluntary assisted dying in Australia. The public wanted this as an end-of-life choice. But that choice is only a real one if people know it exists.</p> <p><em>Our online resource <a href="https://end-of-life.qut.edu.au/assisteddying">End of Life Law in Australia</a> has more information about voluntary assisted dying and contact points for accessing it in each state.</em><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/248114/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-white-15387"><em>Ben White</em></a><em>, Professor of End-of-Life Law and Regulation, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindy-willmott-15386">Lindy Willmott</a>, Professor of Law, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-feeney-140352">Rachel Feeney</a>, Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</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/voluntary-assisted-dying-is-legal-in-australia-but-many-of-us-dont-know-248114">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Legal

Eight people take their own lives after being denied voluntary assisted dying

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains discussions on suicide which some readers may find distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>Eight people with declining health who were denied access to voluntary assisted dying have taken their own lives after the laws came into effect in Victoria, a coroner said. </p> <p>Coroner Simon McGregor reviewed cases in which people had died by suicide after failing to meet the strict eligibility requirements for voluntary assisted dying, and has asked the state's Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to take the suicides into consideration.</p> <p>He did this while investigating the death of Melbourne man Geoffrey McConachy, who suffered from a stroke in late 2022 while on a trip to visit his son overseas, and as a result had lost his life enjoyment after his speech was profoundly impacted. </p> <p>McConachy took his own life year later in September 2023, aged 83, after he was deemed not eligible for voluntary assisted dying because he did not have a terminal prognosis.</p> <p>The coroner found that McConachy had a “greatly reduced quality of life” after he developed a depression and lost interest in life. </p> <p>Under Victorian law, voluntary assisted dying is accessible to those who are suffering from an incurable disease, are experiencing intolerable suffering and are expected to die within six months (or 12 months in the case of neurodegenerative conditions).</p> <p>Coroner McGregor said there had been eight deaths by suicide since the laws came into effect in 2017, and found that their decline in health was irreversible, but their access to voluntary assisted dying were denied “because they did not meet the strict criterion”. </p> <p>“A recurring theme throughout many of these deaths was the impact that voluntary assisted dying refusal had on the deceased,” McGregor said in his findings.</p> <p>“Family members often reported that when people believed they would have access to voluntary assisted dying they maintained hope that they would be able to exercise control over how they died; when their access to voluntary assisted dying was refused, their consequent despair and frustration contributed to their decision to take their own life." </p> <p>“I would ask the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to remain open to considering this finding as part of a developing body of evidence about where there may be opportunities to improve the operation of voluntary assisted dying in the state.”</p> <p>Image: Shutterstock</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone.</span></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lifeline: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">13 11 14</span>, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au </a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">SANE Support line and Forums: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1800 187 263,</span> <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://saneforums.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saneforums.org</a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Headspace: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1800 650 890,</span> <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a></em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Beyond Blue: <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bolder;">1300 224 635</span>, <a style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #258440; text-decoration-line: none; background-color: transparent; transition: 0.2s ease-in-out;" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au </a></em></p>

Caring

"My favourite person": NRL star announces engagement

<p>Penrith Panthers star Liam Martin has shared the exciting news of his engagement to his partner Chelsea Leary. </p> <p>The 27-year-old NRL player took to Instagram to reveal the news, sharing pictures of himself and his new fiancée smiling and showing off her diamond ring while at a secluded beach.</p> <p>"My favourite person 🤍," Martin captioned his post, receiving messages of congratulations from his fellow sports stars and fans.</p> <p>"Yes Martini," NRL star and Sydney Roosters player Angus Crichton commented, while fellow Penrith Panthers star Nathan Cleary added: "Congrats guys <3."</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/DDOwtcbT1G3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDOwtcbT1G3/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Liam Martin (@marto_97)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The couple first went public with their relationship in 2019 when they attended the Merv Cartwright Medal together, sharing photos of them dressed up for the event. </p> <p>"Merv Cartwright Medal with his stunner," Martin wrote at the time.</p> <p>The sports star, who hails from Temora in NSW, and made his NRL debut back in 2019.</p> <p>He also plays for the Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos and has played for NSW in the State of Origin.</p> <p>After making his debut in the NRL for the Panthers, he wrote in one Instagram post, "Such a surreal moment it was making my NRL debut on Saturday night."</p> <p>"Incredibly proud to be panther no. 584 and couldn't think of a better bunch of blokes to play alongside. Certainly not the result we wanted but want to say a massive thank you to all the fans, family and friends for the messages."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

Rebel Wilson reveals personal tragedy

<p>Rebel Wilson has been struck with personal tragedy, just days after celebrating Thanksgiving with her growing family. </p> <p>On Saturday, the actress took to Instagram to share that her beloved grandfather has died aged 97. </p> <p>"RIP Poppy – 97 years young. The best grandpa!" she wrote on her Instagram story over the weeked, alongside a photo of herself with her beloved Poppy. </p> <p>It comes just days after the <em>Pitch Perfect</em> star shared a glimpse at her family Thanksgiving with wife Ramona and two-year-old daughter Royce in an Instagram post. </p> <p> "Happy Thanksgiving everyone 🥰 so grateful and lucky to have such an awesome family! Love you all so much 😘," she wrote. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DC7WYi4ycVn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DC7WYi4ycVn/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rebel Wilson (@rebelwilson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In one photo, Rebel and Ramona cuddled up aboard a yacht, while another image showed the actress happily helping her daughter walk along a picturesque beach. </p> <p>In another playful photo, Rebel posed with family and friends in front of a stunning view. </p> <p>The post also included a photo of Wilson and Royce during their <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/first-look-at-rebel-wilson-s-italian-wedding" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lavish wedding</a> in September.</p> <p>It's been a busy year for the actress, who not only got married this year, but celebrated her daughter's second birthday with a trip to Disneyland, California. </p> <p>"Can't believe our little Royce Lillian is already 2! We took her to Disneyland, her first ride was DUMBO, when she saw the big castle she just said 'cool!'," Wilson shared at the time. </p> <p>She also released her memoir, <em>Rebel Rising</em>, and debuted the first film she directed, <em>The Deb</em>, at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival in September.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

Joel Creasey announces exciting personal news on air

<p>Radio host Joel Creasey has shared the exciting news that he and his partner are now engaged after being together for seven years.</p> <p>Creasey announced the news on his Instagram, also sharing the news with his co-hosts of the <em>Ricki-Lee, Tim and Joel radio show</em> on Nova, recalling how his boyfriend, Jack Stratton-Smith, had surprised him with the proposal on their final night in Monopoli, southern Italy.</p> <p>“Well, you asked what happened on my trip to Italy … I did get engaged to the love of my life after seven and a half years,” Creasey told his co-hosts and listeners on Monday.</p> <p>“He finally popped the question! It was very last-minute, it was the day before we left, actually … It was just on a little rooftop and we had a couple of friends there, and I had no idea. I genuinely had no idea.”</p> <p>He added, “We had many a drink that night and it was very special.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAiEIlBBnRf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAiEIlBBnRf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Joel Creasey (@joelcreasey)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The engagement ring reportedly took a year and a half to make, and was inspired by Creasey's favourite musical Wicked.</p> <p>Creasey explained that the news of his engagement had surprised many people for an unexpected reason.</p> <p>He said, “We’ve been together for ages, a lot of people were like, ‘I thought you were already married!’”</p> <p>Joel and Jack started dating in 2017 after they met at an Adele concert.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Relationships

Tragic flaw sees man use voluntary assisted dying drugs prescribed for his wife

<p><strong><em>Warning: This article contains discussions of suicide and depression that some readers may find upsetting</em></strong></p> <p>A Queensland coroner has criticised the state's voluntary assisted dying laws, after an elderly man took his own life using drugs prescribed for his wife.</p> <p>The Coroner's Court in Brisbane held an inquest into the May 2023 death of a man in his 80s, referred to by the pseudonym ABC.</p> <p>The man's partner, who had a terminal illness, was found eligible for the voluntary assisted dying [VAD] program in March 2023. </p> <p>Under that law a person can self-administer a VAD substance in a private location but they must nominate a "contact person" who will be legally required to return any unused or leftover portion within 14 days.</p> <p>The self-administered drug was delivered to the couple's home a month later, and the man was the "contact person" responsible for the substance. </p> <p>On the same day the drug arrived, his wife was admitted to hospital with Covid, where they decided to take an intravenous VAD drug. She died in hospital on May 8, 2023.</p> <p>The man was told to return the drug within two days of his partner's death, but he failed to do so, using it to take his own life eight days later. </p> <p>He did not return the drug as he was unable to leave his home, and there was no arrangement made for a health professional to collect it. </p> <p>ABC’s adult daughter recalled the moment she found her lifeless father after returning from running errands. </p> <p>“I thought he was asleep in the chair. I put my arms around him. He was cold,” she told the inquest. </p> <p>The woman became emotional and said that she found an empty box in the kitchen and “knew immediately it was the VAD”.</p> <p>In his findings, coroner David O’Connell said he was not judging the merits of VAD, but it had led to a "tragedy" only 107 days after it was legalised. </p> <p>“Persons should not be placed in a position where they can be led into unwise decisions,” the coroner said in his findings handed down on Wednesday.</p> <p>O'Connell said that the laws had failed to find a balance between a patient's autonomy and lethal medication safety. </p> <p>“The VAD law has (the substance) provided to persons with no medical training, no regulatory oversight, and in a period of great personal and emotional turmoil,” he said.</p> <p>The inquest heard ABC had previously been diagnosed with, and received medication for depression, which should've been considered before approving someone as a contact person. </p> <p>"The fact that ABC had been medically diagnosed with depression and took medication was not something the VAD authorities considered, or even enquired on, when approving them to be a Contact Person. Indeed, there are simply no checks or enquiries of the Contact Person's suitability," he said. </p> <p>He added that while there was no breach of protocol or legislative processes by QVAD personnel, it was "not a well-considered law".</p> <p>O'Connell recommended the Queensland government implement an earlier draft of VAD laws that required oversight by a medical professional at all times.</p> <p>Queensland Health Minister Shannon Fentiman said the government would consider the coroner’s recommendations. </p> <p>“Following that case, we are working on a review of that legislation coming up to three years that will start next year, and that will obviously be one of the things that we look at,” she said.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Caring

Readers response: Who’s the most interesting person you’ve met while travelling?

<p>One of the best parts of travelling is the people you met along the way. </p> <p>Whether it's as part of a tour group or an interesting character you meet by chance, interacting with interesting people in interesting places can bring a lot to your travel experience. </p> <p>We asked our readers to tell us about the most interesting person they've encountered on their travels and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Diana Jason</strong> - Cargo Holly Harrison. He walked 15000 miles from the bottom of South America to the top of Alaska. A truly fascinating man.</p> <p><strong>Margie Buckingham</strong> - While caravanning around Oz, every night we would meet interesting ppl enjoying pre-dinner drinks & nibbles around the campfire. We all had personal stories to tell or the best places to camp.</p> <p><strong>Ann Smith</strong> - Myself. Travelled to the UK and found my independence and confidence, two and a bit years after I lost love of my life to cancer.</p> <p><strong>Pamela Cari</strong> - We met the lady who played the mother of Apollonia Vitelli in The Godfather when we were in Savoca.</p> <p><strong>Rosalie Busch</strong> - A couple who grew up behind the wall in East Berlin. </p> <p><strong>Sue Velvin</strong> - Shaquille O'Neal when my daughter and I had a holiday in the states a few years ago! Awesome man.</p> <p><strong>Wendy Farnham</strong> - A Buddhist Nun in Cambodia who lost her husband and 6 of her 7 children to starvation under Pol Pot’s regime.</p> <p><strong>Lyn Schuemaker</strong> - Everybody. They all have stories to tell.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

International Travel

Brittany Higgins' sad personal news

<p>Brittany Higgins has revealed that she has lost a close family member just weeks after announcing her first <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/beyond-excited-brittany-higgins-announces-pregnancy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pregnancy</a> with husband David Sharaz.</p> <p>In a post shared to Instagram, Higgins announced that her grandmother had passed away, with friends and loved ones sharing their condolences to the grieving mum-to-be. </p> <p>“Processing the loss of the strongest woman I have ever known. I love and already miss you grandma x," she wrote alongside a gallery of images of moments she shared with her grandmother throughout the years. </p> <p>In one of the photos a teen Higgins can be seen cuddling up to her grandmother, while in another her grandmother held her as a baby. </p> <p>Higgins’ mother, Kelly, replied to the post with a heartfelt message.</p> <p>“She loved you, and was so proud of you,” she wrote.</p> <p>“It was so special she got to celebrate your wedding and be excited about the news of great-grandchild. She was a remarkable woman who taught us truth strength. I love you beautiful.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-Z3n8dM9Fu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-Z3n8dM9Fu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Brittany Higgins (@brittanyhiggins___)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"So sorry Brittany: sending condolences. Your grandmother would be so proud of you," wrote appearance activist Carly Findlay with a red heart emoji. </p> <p>"I'll bet that you were the strongest woman she's ever known. Sorry for your loss, Brittany. Keep her alive in your heart forever x" one follower wrote. </p> <p>"And you are the strongest woman so many of us know. Sorry for your loss x," added another. </p> <p>"I am sorry for your loss and all the pain you are enduring. Strength and luck to you," commented a third. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Second person dies during Legionnaires outbreak

<p>A man in his 60s has become the second person to die from Legionnaires amidst the outbreak in Victoria. </p> <p>The man became unwell on July 27th and was admitted to hospital, where he died on August 1st.</p> <p>His death comes just days after a woman in her 90s also died from the disease. </p> <p>Victoria's Chief Health Officer Clare Looker confirmed that the state is now grappling with 77 confirmed cases, including two in the past 24 hours and another seven suspected cases.</p> <p>Most people with the disease are over 40 years of age and are believed to have been exposed between July 5th and July 20th. </p> <p>Despite the worrying case number, Looker confirmed that authorities have seen a reduction in cases and believe the situation is stabilising. </p> <p>The source of the outbreak is being linked to a cooling tower in the Laverton North and Derrimut area of Melbourne, after more than 50 sites have been inspected. </p> <p>Authorities believe there is a high likelihood they have already tested and treated the source, while sharing that weather patterns could explain the extent of the outbreak. </p> <p>They have contacted another 1000 businesses across Melbourne, telling them to self-test and report to the Department of Health, Looker said.</p> <p>Legionnaires’ disease is caused by the legionella bacteria, which is found in natural bodies of water as well as spas, warm water systems, potting mix and artificial systems that use water for cooling.</p> <p>Symptoms usually include a chest infection, aches, headache, fever, cough and chills.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

Caring

Fourth person arrested over alleged murders of Perth brothers

<p>A fourth person has been arrested over the alleged murders of Perth brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, who went missing in Mexico earlier this year. </p> <p>The brothers were on a surf trip and were camping in the Baja California region of Mexico, near Ensenada, along with their American friend Jack Rhoad, when they disappeared on April 27. </p> <p>They were found weeks later near their remote campsite and three people were arrested soon after, with one of the suspects carrying a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims. </p> <p>It is believed that the brothers were shot dead in a "robbery gone wrong".</p> <p>Now, another man has been arrested in connection to their alleged murders, just one month after the brothers' bodies were found 10 metres down a well. </p> <p>According to 9News, authorities have not yet provided any further details or the identity of the man. </p> <p>The Robinson brothers were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/love-harder-perth-brothers-farewelled-at-emotional-memorial-service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laid to rest</a> earlier this month, with hundreds grieving friends and family watching the memorial service at Perth's Sacred Heart College, where the brothers attended high school. </p> <p>Debra Robinson paid tribute to her sons, along with her husband Martin during the service. </p> <p>“We loved that Jake was curious, kind and happy and never judgmental,” Mrs Robinson said at the time. </p> <p>“Callum always made a conscious decision to wake up and be positive every day. He saw so much fun in life. We miss you beyond description, Callum and Jakey boy, please shine on us.”</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Legal

Jason Donovan's wild personal update

<p>Jason Donovan has revealed that his beloved pet cat has finally returned after it went missing for almost half a year. </p> <p>The ex <em>Neighbours</em> star was devastated when his pet cat of 14 years went missing and had lost hope of getting her back, but life had other plans. </p> <p>Donovan took to Instagram to share the incredible update revealing: “After nearly 5 months missing, Pixie our 14-year-old family cat was found alive yesterday on the other side of London.”</p> <p>After months in the wild, a family had found Pixie and looked after her for the last few months before she was reunited with her owner. </p> <p>“Apparently she’d been looked after by an unknown for two months. what transpired before who knows! What an incredible feeling to know that she was well and healthy and that she’d survived what could’ve only been an extremely traumatic experience.”</p> <p>“It’s funny … before she disappeared early Jan we [Pixie and myself] really started to bond and when I left for Australia earlier this year I feared something might happen. It was just a funny feeling I had," he continued. </p> <p>"Yesterday … a miracle a phone call proving that hope, a good heart and a bit of modern technology [microchip] have brought this traumatic chapter to a happy end. Good to have you back in the hood Pixie … You have been missed.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8FlRNON6PK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8FlRNON6PK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jason Donovan (@jdonofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Donovan speculated that because Pixie was a very sociable cat, she might've "jumped into an Amazon van or something and got transported across town" when she was out in front of the house. </p> <p>Many fans were amazed and shared their joy with the actor. </p> <p>"That's a neighbours storyline. Taking notes from old hazza," quipped one fan. </p> <p>"How lovely ❤️ my cat Delilah went missing nearly five years ago, I still hope and pray that one day we’ll get that call," added another. </p> <p>"Wow what amazing news that after 5 months Pixie has been found and reunited with u all. Cats are such resilient amazing animals," wrote a third. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

Princess Diana's brother shares "immensely sad" personal news

<p>Princess Diana's younger brother Charles Spencer has shared that he and his wife are divorcing after 13 years of marriage. </p> <p>The Earl's relationship with his wife, Karen Gordon, reportedly broke down while Spencer was writing his harrowing memoir which detailed the physical and sexual abuse he suffered at boarding school. </p> <p>Revealing the split to the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13509355/charles-spencer-sad-divorce-wife-memoir.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mail on Sunday</a></em>, the 60-year-old said, "It is immensely sad."</p> <p>"I just want to devote myself to all my children, and to my grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future."</p> <p>Spencer and Gordon, a Canadian philanthropist, first met on a blind date at a restaurant in Los Angeles in 2010, and got married just one year later in June 2011 on the Althorp estate, where Princess Diana is buried. </p> <p>The couple share a 12-year-old daughter named Charlotte Diana, while Spencer also has four children from his previous marriage to his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, and two children with his second wife, Caroline Freud.</p> <p>Karen was notably absent at events held at Althorp and Spencer House in London in mid-March to launch the Earl's tell-all book, <em>A Very Private School</em>.</p> <p>Charles Spencer told the <em>Mail on Sunday</em> that the five years of work on his memoir has deeply affected him and led to him undergoing residential treatment for trauma late last year.</p> <p>In a March interview with <em><a href="https://people.com/charles-spencer-reveals-he-was-sexually-abused-by-a-woman-as-a-child-at-boarding-school-8606246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a></em>, Spencer opened up about how “supportive” Karen had been throughout his healing journey as he recalled the traumatic details of his childhood.</p> <p>“I think it was very challenging for her to have a husband going through what was essentially four and a half years of the most profound therapy with very difficult undertones to it. And she supported the idea of me doing it,” he said.</p> <p>“I think she always hoped I would come out happier and healthier and that seems to be the case very much. So, I’m grateful to have her standing by me while I went through this, what I now realise was an essential process.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Splashnews.com/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Relationships

Tourism Australia staff caught spending $140k of taxpayers' money on personal travel

<p>Three Tourism Australia employees have been fired after spending $137,441 of taxpayers' money for personal travel expenses, with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) called in to investigate. </p> <p>Tourism Australia is the government agency in charge of promoting Australia's tourism industry abroad. </p> <p>Tourism Australia chief executive Phillipa Harrison appeared before a Senate committee in Canberra on Tuesday and confirmed the breach of the agency’s travel policy. </p> <p>The spending had been uncovered in October 2023 when the agency's own staff detected the misuse of funds and “immediately reported and escalated” it. </p> <p>“The three employees undertook personal travel that was booked through Tourism Australia’s corporate travel agent and was invoiced to Tourism Australia,” she told the committee. </p> <p>“Tourism Australia demanded that the three individuals repay the full amount of this travel.”</p> <p>She added that the full amount was repaid to Tourism Australia last December, and the three employees have since been sacked. </p> <p>Harrison also said that Deloitte was hired to do an extensive audit dating back to 2021 “to ensure that we understood the full extent of the issue” but “no further instances of wrongdoing were identified”.</p> <p>“Off the back of the audit I have overseen a strengthening of our travel policy processes to ensure the conduct cannot be repeated,” she said.</p> <p>Tourism Australia have referred the matter to the NACC and are awaiting a response. </p> <p>When asked by New South Wales Nationals senator Ross Cadell about the identities of the staff and whether the agency's chief financial officer was among those involved, she replied: "The NACC has advised me that I'm unable to provide the further details on the roles and the people involved until they have finished their investigations." </p> <p>"To do so may compromise current or potential investigations, and prematurely impact the reputations of individuals in circumstances where the legislation enacted by parliament intends to avoid that by requiring that investigations, generally, be conducted in private and that information concerning them is not to be disclosed."</p> <p>She took a question on notice about how many trips were booked by the staff and the destinations for the travel. </p> <p>Her refusal to answer the questions caught the senator off-guard and he said: “I am shooketh, shaken, by not being able to ask these questions,” before calling a short suspension to discuss the concerns. </p> <p>On return, she officially claimed “public interest immunity” and was told she had to outline the situation in writing. </p> <p>"I have to say, this is the first time in my experience where a direction from the NACC has directed an official not to make a public statement," Tourism and Trade Minister Don Farrell said. </p> <p>"This does present some significant issues which I myself would like to get clarified.</p> <p>"You and I both voted for this legislation and obviously this is how it's being applied. The witness, obviously, has to comply with the direction of the NACC, she has no choice."</p> <p>The matter has not been referred to authorities. </p> <p><em>Image: Tourism Australia/ news.com.au</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Airport worker steals half a million dollars of personal items

<p>A trusted worker at Sydney Airport has been jailed for two years after stealing more than $450,000 worth of personal items from airport cargo. </p> <p>The 38-year-old man from Western Sydney, who was a freight handler at the airport, was identified as a potential suspect when the thefts of personal electronic items were first reported in February 2022.</p> <p>Several months later, he was found with $189,000 cash in the boot of his car, according to Australian Federal Police. </p> <p>The AFP then found that a further $261,000 had been transferred into the man’s personal bank accounts, after a number of stolen devices had been “sold, gifted, or kept for personal use”.</p> <p>“This money, which totalled $450,000, was criminal proceeds generated from the sale of the stolen electronic devices,” AFP said.</p> <p>The man was charged with receiving stolen property and knowingly dealing with proceeds of crime, while his partner, a 45-year-old woman, was charged with two counts of dealing with money or other property reasonable to be suspected of being proceeds of crime under $100,000.</p> <p>The pair pleaded guilty to the charges in December 2023, and on Wednesday the man was sentenced to three years and four months in jail, with a non-parole period of two years.</p> <p>The woman was to an intensive corrections order of 70 hours community service.</p> <p>AFP Sydney Airport Police Commander Morgen Blunden said the pair was “motivated by profit and greed”.</p> <p>“People with trusted access in an airport precinct are critical to the successful operation of Australia’s tourism and trade sectors,” Blunden said.</p> <p>“But the AFP will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those who abuse this trust. AFP has zero tolerance for those to abuse their access to air-side operations for their illegal pursuits.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

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