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World No.1 golfer breaks silence after bizarre arrest

World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler has broken his silence after he was arrested and charged by police on Friday, ahead of the second round of the PGA Championships. Scheffler was detained by Louisville Metro police, after he drove onto a curb to try and get around a fatal accident that occurred in front of the Valhalla Golf Club. Earlier that morning, a man who was working for a vendor at the tournament, was hit and killed by a shuttle bus while attempting to cross the street near the golf club. The tragic incident caused the road to close in both directions, but Scheffler reportedly “refused to comply and accelerated forward” when Detective Bryan Gillis stopped the golfer to give instructions. The police report obtained by ESPN also said that the detective who stopped him “suffered pain, swelling and abrasions to his left wrist and knee." Scheffler was charged with felony assault on a police officer, criminal mischief, reckless driving and disregarding signals from an officer directing traffic and was released almost four hours later. He returned to the golf course and issued a statement on the incident before completing his second round. “This morning I was proceeding as directed by police officers,” Scheffler began. “It was a very chaotic situation, understandably considering the tragic accident that had occurred earlier and there was a big misunderstand of what I thought I was being asked to do. “I never intended to disregard any of the instructions. “I am hopeful to put this to the side and focus on golf today. “Of course, all of us involved in the tournament express our deepest sympathies to the family of the man passed away in the earlier accident this morning. It truly puts everything into perspective.” After completing the second round, he spoke further about the incident and said: “My head is still kind of spinning, I can’t really explain what happened this morning." He also recalled stretching and doing his warm-ups in the jail cell, in attempt to lower his heart rate. “I was never angry. I was just in shock, and I think my body was just -- I was shaking the whole time. I was shaking for like an hour. It was definitely a new feeling for me," he said. An officer even offered him a sandwich. “I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll take a sandwich’. I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. I mean, they were really kind. I’m grateful that we have such strong police, and they’re our protectors out there, and like I said, we just got into a chaotic situation this morning. That’s really all it was," he recalled. Scheffler’s lawyer Steve Romines said that there was a bit of confusion as the officer directing traffic didn’t appear to be part of the tournament traffic detail “and that’s where the miscommunication arose”. He also said that they will be pleading not guilty and told The Golf Channel that charges against Scheffler “will either be dropped or we will go to trial because Scottie didn’t do anything wrong. “We’re not interested in any sort of settlement negotiations or anything like that. It was just a big miscommunication.” Images: Twitter

Legal

Cameron McCarthy's family break silence

Cameron McCarthy's have broken their silence following the former AFL player's <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/afl-player-found-dead-at-just-29" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shock death</a> at just 29. The former Fremantle and GWS player died last Thursday after he was found unresponsive by paramedics at a house in Lake Coogee, Perth. McCarthy's family have shared a heartfelt obituary in The West Australian a week after his death. “CAMERON ALEX: Our beautiful son and brother, Cameron,” they wrote. “It is with heavy hearts that we’ve had to say goodbye for now. “A huge hole now exists in our lives. It will never be the same without you. Through the ups and downs we all rode with you, and you knew that we loved you so much. “You lit up every room with that gorgeous smile, and we will cherish our memories with you forever. “Until we meet again. Rest peacefully. Love you always, Dad, Mum, Jessica, Hannah, Drew, Ryan, Poppy.” Just two days ago, West Coast defender Tom Barrass also shared a heartbreaking tribute to his best mate. “Last week, this earth lost a beautiful man named Cameron McCarthy,” Barrass wrote. “A man who wasn’t concerned with money or power, instead creativity and experience. A man who approached all things with energy and excitement, as if viewing them for the first time. “A man whose presence will be sorely missed, but whose outlook and opinion can be heard any time we wish to listen. Enjoy the journey and lean in. Trust your intuition and have conviction, as that’s all you’ve really got in the end. “Men like these are hard to come by; so full of love, kindness and laughter. But that’s why they’re so special, and the lessons they teach last a lifetime. “I’m gonna miss you Universal Brother. Say Gday to the big fella for me and put in a good word please. Rest in Peace," he concluded his post, with AFL players sending their love and condolences in the comment section. Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

Airbnb launches real-life "Up" house - and it actually floats!

Airbnb is taking its latest listing to the sky - literally. The accommodation provider has announced a partnership that will see the iconic house from Pixar's hit film Up being lifted into the air, balloons and all. In their ongoing quest to redefine hospitality, Airbnb has launched a permanent category called “Icons,” which features partnerships with brands and celebrities that promise unforgettable experiences. Suspended over the New Mexico desert with the aid of a crane, the property looks like an exact replica of the home and contains adorable easter eggs from the film - including the Adventure Book. “Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination — until now,” Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky said in a statement. “As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world … we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth." The house offers a stunning view of the desert, which you can enjoy while sitting on replica's of Ellie and Carl's chairs or have breakfast with a view in the kitchen. Alternatively, you could look at the stars while sitting on the front porch - but don't look down because the adventure is out there. Of course there are questions about the logistics of the stay, including plumbing and electricity, but the accommodation giant has assured that the house is “fully functional,” connected to generators and utilities that will be seamlessly managed before and after its flight. Other fantastical listings include a replica of the mansion from the “X-Men ’97” cartoon, a stay at the Ferrari Museum in Italy, and Prince's house that was featured in the legendary film Purple Rain. Check out the <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/1126185893236246260?_set_bev_on_new_domain=1715826165_M2NkZDdkODdhMjcy&source_impression_id=p3_1715826166_A20M4770EGAtl8AV&modal=PHOTO_TOUR_SCROLLABLE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Up</a> listing here, be warned the sweet listing may make you shed a tear or two. Images: Airbnb

Real Estate

"It seems crazy": Shane Dixon's gambling friend breaks his silence

The man who befriended Shane Dixon on a P&O Cruise before he plunged overboard has broken his silence, saying he too fell victim to seductive gambling tactics. The man, James, and his friends met Shane on the first day of the Elvis themed cruise and casually socialised throughout the entire trip. James, his friends, and Shane all spent time together in the onboard casino, where James was shocked by the blatant practices used by the cruise line to lure gamblers to the table. "We all got given free cruises to use in the next six months from the casino director and I myself racked up almost $2,000 gambling which was charged to my credit card, something I would never normally do in a million years," James told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13415149/p-o-cruises-gambling-shane-dixon-suicide-pacific-adventure.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail Australia</a>. "He [Shane] was a great guy and it’s so wrong how the casinos push so hard to get you to gamble more.'" When onboard a P&O cruise, customers use their room key, or "cruise card", as a form of currency to pay for various items onboard the ships. Passengers can either pay "cash" by topping their cruise card up with set cash amounts using machines located around the vessel or by "card" by linking it to a credit or debit card. James said the same payment methods extend to the casino, as every time a passenger plays a game in the casino they need to scan their cruise card, regardless of which type of payment arrangement they have set up. When funds are depleted, players have the option to select "charge room" to add more money and the bill will be charged to the card associated with your room at the end of every day. James said paying with this method makes it difficult to track how much you have spent, particularly as there is no internet on board to monitor transactions through online banking. When James, luckily, won back most of his debt and chose to walk away from the table before any more damage occurred, he asked the cashier if he could enter a self-exclusion arrangement to bar him as he didn't trust himself to not spend the cash. However, James said the cashier told him self-exclusion was not an option. "They should have been able to [disable my room key] just like they do with minors, but the cashier said they don’t know how or if it’s even possible," he said. "It seems crazy!" According to P&O's website, self-exclusion is one of the initiatives punters can access under the company's "commitment to the responsible delivery of gaming on our ships". The last time James saw Shane was while they were all dancing together in a bar at midnight on Monday. While he left to go to a club, Shane went back to the casino and just four hours later, the father-of-three was dead. "We were all drinking heavily but he was full of energy and happy," James said, recalling their last encounter. "He had been saying how he had lost heaps at the casino but we didn't know his situation so didn’t know how much of a big deal it was. He didn’t seem overly upset about it at the time. He seemed fine." Shane had racked up over $4,000 in gambling debt, and went overboard while the ship was making its way into Sydney Harbour. Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock

Cruising

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helena-blumen-1231899">Helena Blumen</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/albert-einstein-college-of-medicine-3638">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</a> <h2>The big idea</h2> Social ballroom dancing can improve cognitive functions and reduce brain atrophy in older adults who are at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. That’s the key finding of my team’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1123/japa.2022-0176">recently published study</a> in the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity. In our study, we enrolled 25 adults over 65 years of age in either six months of twice-weekly ballroom dancing classes or six months of twice-weekly treadmill walking classes. None of them were engaged in formal dancing or other exercise programs. The overall goal was to see how each experience affected cognitive function and brain health. While none of the study volunteers had a dementia diagnosis, all performed a bit lower than expected on at least one of our dementia screening tests. We found that older adults that completed six months of social dancing and those that completed six months of treadmill walking improved their executive functioning – an umbrella term for planning, reasoning and processing tasks that require attention. Dancing, however, generated significantly greater improvements than treadmill walking on one measure of executive function and on processing speed, which is the time it takes to respond to or process information. Compared with walking, dancing was also associated with reduced brain atrophy in the hippocampus – a brain region that is key to memory functioning and is particularly affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers also know that this part of our brain can undergo neurogenesis – or grow new neurons – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0611721104">in response to aerobic exercise</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/unmbhUvnGow?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Research shows those who regularly dance with a partner have a more positive outlook on life.</figcaption></figure> While several previous studies suggest that dancing has beneficial effects <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afaa270">on cognitive function in older adults</a>, only a few studies have compared it directly with traditional exercises. Our study is the first to observe both better cognitive function and improved brain health following dancing than walking in older adults at risk for dementia. We think that social dancing may be more beneficial than walking because it is physically, socially and cognitively demanding – and therefore strengthens a wide network of brain regions. While dancing, you’re not only using brain regions that are important for physical movement. You’re also relying on brain regions that are important for interacting and adapting to the movements of your dancing partner, as well as those necessary for learning new dance steps or remembering those you’ve learned already. <h2>Why it matters</h2> Nearly 6 million older adults in the U.S. and 55 million worldwide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2019.01.010">have Alzheimer’s disease</a> or a <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia">related dementia</a>, yet there is no cure. Sadly, the efficacy and ethics surrounding recently developed drug treatments <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2022.2129858">are still under debate</a>. The good news is that older adults can potentially <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6">lower their risk for dementia</a> through lifestyle interventions, even later in life. These include reducing social isolation and physical inactivity. Social ballroom dancing targets both isolation and inactivity. In these later stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, a better understanding of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/23337214211005223">indirect effects of COVID-19</a> – particularly those that increase dementia risk, such as social isolation – is urgently needed. In my view, early intervention is critical to prevent dementia from becoming the next pandemic. Social dancing could be a particularly timely way to overcome the adverse cognitive and brain effects associated with isolation and fewer social interactions during the pandemic. <h2>What still isn’t known</h2> Traditional aerobic exercise interventions such as treadmill-walking or running have been shown to lead to modest but reliable improvements in cognition – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691617707316">particularly in executive function</a>. My team’s study builds on that research and provides preliminary evidence that not all exercise is equal when it comes to brain health. Yet our sample size was quite small, and larger studies are needed to confirm these initial findings. Additional studies are also needed to determine the optimal length, frequency and intensity of dancing classes that may result in positive changes. Lifestyle interventions like social ballroom dancing are a promising, noninvasive and cost-effective path toward staving off dementia as we – eventually – leave the COVID-19 pandemic behind.<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/194969/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helena-blumen-1231899">Helena Blumen</a>, Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/albert-einstein-college-of-medicine-3638">Albert Einstein College of Medicine</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/kick-up-your-heels-ballroom-dancing-offers-benefits-to-the-aging-brain-and-could-help-stave-off-dementia-194969">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

Baby Reindeer's "real life stalker" breaks silence

The woman believed to be the inspiration for the stalker "Martha" in Richard Gadd's Netflix hit Baby Reindeer has denied the allegations that she stalked the show's creator. The show depicts an aspiring comedian - Donny Dunn, played by Gadd himself - who meets a woman at a bar and she quickly develops an unhealthy obsession with him. Fiona Harvey, 58, the person believed to be "real life Martha", spoke to Piers Morgan on his Uncensored YouTube show on Thursday and said that she was planning to take legal action against both Netflix and Gadd for the attention the semi-autobiographical show got her. “You’re 100 per cent it’s not you?” Morgan asked. "Yes,” she replied. Harvey reportedly received death threats after internet sleuths tracked her down within hours of the show's premiere. She also said that she only met a him a few times, and that the show's portrayal of events - including the one where they first met - were completely fictionalised. “He didn’t offer me a cup of tea. No one gets anything free from the Hawley Arms,” she told Morgan, referencing the real-life pub Gadd worked at. “He interrupted a conversation with another barman he said, ‘Oh, you’re Scottish,’ and basically commandeered the conversation. “You know, I was talking to somebody. It’s pretty rich. So he seemed to be obsessed with me from that moment onwards.” In the show, Gadd also claimed that he had received 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 106 pages of letters and 350 hours of voicemail from the woman who Martha is based off, and Harvey denied this, although she did send him a few emails. “There may have been a couple of emails exchanged. Just some jokey banter,” she said. “I have no idea (where the other emails and communications came from). I think it’s probably made up himself. “I don’t see how anyone could do 41,000 emails.” When asked to put a number on the emails she had sent, she replied: “A handful, 10? Not 41,000”. “Even if the email thing was true, the rest is not,” she added and said that “I wouldn’t be suing if there were 41,000 emails out there." She also said that she never sexually assaulted him, contacted his parents or attacked his girlfriend and was never charged – let alone convicted – of any offence, another claim that the show made. When asked by Morgan if she thought Gadd was “mentally unwell,” she replied "yes". ”I think he always was. Whether that rape was real or conceived in his mind. He's completely off his head,” she said. “He’s crazy and wants to make this up," she added. “My mind is made up – he is a lair”. Morgan then asked her if she had a message for Gadd, and she went straight to the point: “Leave me alone please. Get a life. Get a proper job. I am horrified at what you’ve done”. Image: Piers Morgan / Netflix

Catriona Rowntree shares her Europe travel hacks she picked up from locals

After decades of hosting Getaway, Catriona Rowntree has learned a thing or two about travelling. Along the way, the 52-year-old has picked up some must-know secrets from locals that every traveller should know before heading to Europe. While in Mallorca in Spain, Rowntree quizzed locals on how to make the most out of her experience, and what faux pas to avoid. She was given advice on the best way to start a day at the markets, told why you should never rent an Airbnb or buy seafood on a Monday, why takeaway coffee is a bad idea and the secret to a longer, healthy life. The TV host shared a little known secret when it comes to buying fresh fish, and said travellers should not buy fish on Monday, because fishermen don’t fish on Sundays, meaning fish purchases on Mondays won’t be fresh. “The life expectancy of a Spaniard is 84, they're a healthy lot, loving a Mediterranean diet, a dollop of sun and a good climate,” she added. The presenter also discovered that all the locals she has spoken to don't like Airbnb accommodation and prefer for tourists to stay in hotels. “All the locals I've spoken to say that's what's pushing them out of their apartments as the town centres are slowly gentrified,” she said. “The average wage is low, most locals rent, sadly landlords prefer the higher fee of an Airbnb. Not cool!” Catriona's final tip is not to get your coffee takeaway, but rather sit down in a cafe, enjoy your coffee and take it slow. “People sit down to enjoy their coffee, they don't get a takeaway: 'If you can't sit for five minutes and talk to a person what's wrong with you!',” she said. Catriona said she was told by a local that the best way to start your day is to explore the markets by getting a hot chocolate and some churros. “Not every day as you'll be round, but market day for sure," she said. Image credits: Instagram

Travel Tips

Adorable Collie sells for world record-breaking price

A border collie has been sold for a world record-breaking amount at the Ray White Rockhampton Working Dog Sale and Trial. Helen and James Parker paid $40,000 for Liz, a border collie who they describe as the "whole package". The couple, who run a wagyu cattle farm in Monto, Queensland are keen to welcome the pup who will help them muster cattle as part of the day-to-day running of the farm. "We leave in the morning early, they might do three to four hours mustering in the morning, then we get the cattle to the yard and then in the afternoon we'll walk them away," Helen said. "Our mustering round's about a week, so all day for a week, so some big days and it's hot up here in summer so they need to be able to travel and follow us on a horse and big days in hot conditions so we can't do the job without them." Liz, who was raised by Joe Leven, is the second dog the couple have purchased from Joe, and they say the price was worth it. "We weren't planning on breaking records but we're happy to have her," Helen told 2GB's Ben Fordham. "She's the whole package, she's got breeding behind her, she has all herding ability, natural instinct. I just think she's a great asset to our team." Although Liz is an unusual name for a cattle dog, it is actually a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth. "Joe named them and there's a bit of a story behind how Liz got her name. She was born the year that Queen Elizabeth passed away, so she's really upheld her name, she's the queen," Helen explained. The Rockhampton Working Dog trial and Sale was a success for Joe and Cabra Glebe Working Dogs, who managed to sell another dog, Jenny for $38,000. Image: Ray White Working dog sale Facebook

Family & Pets

"Doesn't add up": New theory emerges in Perth brothers' deaths

A private security worker in Mexico has cast doubt on the police narrative on how two brothers from Perth were found dead. According to Mexico police, Callum and Jake Robinson were caught up in a robbery gone wrong while they were on a surfing holiday in Baja California with an American friend. “They approached, with the intention of stealing their vehicle and taking the tyres and other parts to put them on the older-model pick-up they were driving,” Baja California Attorney-General Maria Elena Andrade Ramírez said. “When they (the victims) came up and caught them, surely, they resisted." “And these people, the assailants, took out a gun and first they killed the one who was putting up resistance against the vehicle theft, and then others came along and joined the fight to defend their property and their companion who had been attacked, and they killed them too.” However, those with intimate knowledge of the turbulent area have offered another theory about how the Robinson brothers were killed, suggesting a much more sinister alternative. A source who does private security work in Mexico told the New York Post that the police narrative "doesn't add up", and it is far more likely that the trio were killed by cartel members who were in search of a rival gang. “Basically, the reasoning of them being carjack victims gone wrong makes very little sense,” the source said. The source described the situation as “deeply disturbing”, while also sharing how Baja California is in the midst of a drug war. “These surfers were well travelled and would most likely know better than to try to fend off a truck jacking. My guess is they were mistakenly identified as a rival criminal organisation and murdered." “That being exposed would create an ongoing investigation that no cartel wants to deal with and would create a devastating impact on tourism in the area, which is popular with surfers and visitors from the US," the source explained. Three people have been arrested in connection with the deaths of the three men, although no charges have yet been laid. Travel website SmartTraveller notes Mexico as a dangerous destination, warning tourists of Baja California in particular, as one of multiple areas most affected by drug-related and gang violence. “Mexico has a high risk of violent crime, including murder, armed robbery, sexual assault and kidnapping. Don’t travel at night outside major cities. Drug-related violence is widespread,” Smartraveller warns. “Kidnapping and extortion are serious risks. Don’t draw attention to your money or business affairs. Only use ATMs in public spaces and during the daytime. Stop at all roadblocks, or you risk getting killed.” According to the New York Post, Baja California is one of Mexico’s most violent states because of organised crime gangs, and their relationships with corrupt police officers. Heritage Foundation Latin America expert Andres Martinez-Fernandez said corruption could easily be at play with the Perth brothers and the true nature of their deaths. “The case is highly unusual, as presented by Mexican police, who say the supposed robbery was done by small-time criminals who ended up destroying the vehicle they were allegedly trying to steal,” he told the Post. “Given the deep and widespread corruption in the Mexican police, it hard to dismiss the possibility of a cover-up, potentially to shift blame away from a powerful drug cartel. This would certainly align with the Mexican government’s efforts to downplay the severity of cartel violence in Mexico,” he added. Just days after they went missing, the bodies of Callum and Jake Robinson, along with Jack Carter Rhoad, were found down a well with fatal gunshot wounds to the head. Image credits: Instagram / 7News <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; 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; vertical-align: baseline;">

Travel Trouble

Parents of murdered brothers break silence in tearful address

As Australia continues to mourn the loss of Callum and Jake Robinson, two adventurous souls whose lives were tragically cut short during a surfing trip in Mexico, the news that broke the hearts of many has brought profound grief not only to their family and friends but also to the broader community who admired their passion for life and the waves. Martin and Debra Robinson, the grieving parents, have now issued a heartbreaking statement through tears from San Diego, California, where they confirmed and shared the devastating account of their sons' untimely deaths. The brothers, Callum aged 33 and Jake aged 30, along with their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, 30, met their fate in what is believed to be a bungled robbery while camping at San Miguel beach in the Mexican state of Baja California. The details paint a grim picture: the trio's pick-up truck and tents caught the eye of <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/arrests-made-over-aussie-surfers-missing-in-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assailants passing by</a>, leading to a senseless act of violence that claimed their lives. As the Robinsons recounted the harrowing ordeal, the weight of their loss and the injustice of such a senseless tragedy was keenly felt. Days turned into an agonising search when the brothers and their friend vanished on April 27, prompting a desperate hunt that ended in the worst possible outcome. Their bodies, discovered in a well on a nearby cliff, signify the end of a chapter filled with promise and joy, leaving behind a void that can never be filled. In their heartfelt statement, Martin Robinson thanked those who had offered their condolences and said they had been “overwhelmed with the outpouring of emotions and support”. Debra Robinson then spoke through tears, remembering her sons as vibrant individuals who lived life to the fullest. “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that Callum and Jake have been murdered,” she said. “Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us. “We also mourn the loss of Carter Rhoad, a close friend. “They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together. “Now it’s time to bring them home to family and friends, and the ocean waves in Australia. Please: live bigger, shine brighter and love harder in their memory.” The Robinsons' journey to Mexico, culminating in the grim task of identifying their sons' bodies, stands as a testament to a parent's love and the lengths one would go to honour their children. Instagram posts, now <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/my-heart-is-shattered-girlfriend-s-tribute-to-partner-killed-in-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">haunting reminders of happier times</a>, capture the essence of their final days – a snapshot frozen in time, a poignant reminder of the fragility of life. Amidst the grief, questions linger, and justice remains elusive. Mexican authorities have apprehended suspects linked to the heinous crime, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy. Yet, no amount of closure can fill the void left by the absence of loved ones whose lives were taken too soon. In the wake of tragedy, Debra Robinson's plea resounds louder than ever: live bigger, shine brighter, and love harder – in memory of those we've lost and the moments we hold dear. Images: Facebook / News.com.au

Family & Pets

Woman fined after paid car park gets set up around her parked vehicle

Josephine Williams had been leaving her car in a gravel clearing at Westgate in Auckland, alongside other commuters to catch the bus into the city for months. The New Zealand woman was left with a "nasty surprise" when she returned from work on Monday to find a NZ $85 ($77) fine sitting on her windshield. "To my unfortunate surprise - and many others - I was greeted by an $85 parking ticket for a breach and a flyer from Wilson Parking saying paid parking had started that day," Williams told Stuff. "But what breach exactly was made? How was I supposed to know paid parking started that day when there was nothing at all displayed anywhere in the car park?" Williams claimed that the Wilson Parking car park had been set up around her already parked car, even providing dash cam footage that showed her pulling into the gravel clearing at 7.45am, with no paid parking signs or Wilson branding in sight. By 6pm, a large red and white Wilson sign had been put up at the entrance, with "12 hours for $4" written on it. "Wilson deliberately put their sign up sometime after 9am and then took it upon themselves to fine every single car that was already parked there from the morning," Williams said. "$85 is a lot of money - it would have been two weeks' worth of grocery shopping for me," she added. "I'm lucky that I know the law and my rights, but some other people might not. What about students or the elderly or people who don't know English well?" She estimated that there was usually around 50 and 100 cars in the gravel clearing. Wilson argued that the carpark was always there and they had just added more signage, but have since waived Williams' fine after she lodged a request to have it reviewed by Parking Enforcement Services. Wilson Parking also said that they had started to set up the car park and installed a "clear signage" on April 22. "It was not set up around parked cars on 29 April as suggested," a Wilson spokesperson said. "Several payments were made by customers via the Parkmate app from 22 April proving that signage on the site was clear and effective," they said. They added that on April 29 more signs were added to all entry points of the car park. "In acknowledgment of the increased signage added on the 29th at the entry we've made the decision to refund all payments made until 30 April and waive any breach notices issued up to this date." They also denied issuing any breach notices before the signs were put up. "Payment options were available and signed from 22 April - but no infringement notices were issued prior to the 29th." Images: Stuff

Legal

Police accused of "straight up revenue raising" after controversial act

New South Wales Police has been called out for the controversial way an officer hid to catch unsuspecting motorists during the double demerits public holiday over the Anzac Day weekend. Motoring journalist David McCowen accused the police of "straight up revenue raising" after capturing a video of an unmarked police car blocking a busy cycle path in a “hidden” spot on the Alfords Point Bridge in Sydney’s southwest on Sunday. “This is bulls**t,” McCowen said in the clip which has been viewed more than 500,000 times. “This is a highway patrol dude that is blocking a cycleway and running path here at Alfords Point Bridge between St George and Sutherland Shire, trying to book people hidden behind a concrete wall in an unmarked car on a double demerits weekend on a long downhill descent on a bridge." “That’s just crap. That is not serving the community. That is straight up revenue raising and I’m not about it. You can’t see him.” <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7362726836784205074&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40davemotoring%2Fvideo%2F7362726836784205074&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2Fac9931ef2d86483a85d43e726da22594_1714268444%3Fx-expires%3D1714532400%26x-signature%3DzVrZCNweB4EiqQwi%252BTl1M3l7ThE%253D&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> He added that “what you can see though” was how dozens of people had marked the location of “this bloke that’s trying to rip you off” on the popular navigation app Waze. “That is a cool thing,” he said. The video quickly raked in hundreds of comments condemning the "hypocritical" police behaviour, with one person writing, “Isn’t that a parking violation?” Another woman said, “My husband got a $300 fine recently for ‘park on footpath/verge’. Old mate should issue himself the same fine.” “It’s why people have lost respect for police,” one person added. While most people were frustrated by the police officer's act, others sided with law enforcement, as one person said, “If you live in the area you already know not to speed there,” one said. “He’s hidden for a reason, the amount of people that slow down then speed up again. It's not safe." Image credits: TikTok

Legal

"It's up to men": Anthony Albanese joins violence against women rally

Anthony Albanese has joined a rally in Canberra to protest the recent spate of acts of violence against women, admitting his government hasn't "done enough" to ensure Aussie women are protected. Addressing the 5,000-strong crowd at Parliament House, Mr Albanese delivered a fiery speech, demanding nationwide change to all levels of Australian society and asking protesters to hold him “accountable” for his government’s actions. Mr Albanese said Australia needed to change its “culture”, “attitudes” and “legal system” to end the scourge of violence against women that has already allegedly claimed the lives of 26 women this year. “We’re here today to demand that governments of all levels, must do better, including my own, and every state and territory government,” he said. “We’re here as well to say that society, and Australia, must do better. We need to change the culture, we need to change attitudes, we need to change the legal system." Mr Albanese spoke about some of the actions his government had taken to address the problem, including the introduction of domestic violence payments. A protester interrupted, saying “it’s not enough”. The prime minister replied, “I agree it’s not enough. I said that. We need to do more.” Mr Albanese finished his speech by calling the problem a “national crisis” and said one or two months of funding would not be enough to solve it. “It’s up to men to change men’s behaviour as well,” he said. “Yes, people do need to be made accountable and I’ll be accountable for what my government does.” Thousands took to the grounds of Parliament House on Sunday to listen to Albanese's address, where one of the event organisers Sarah Williams from the company WWYW (What Were You Wearing?), claims the Prime Minister lied to the crowd at the start of his stirring speech. In his speech in the afternoon, Mr Albanese suggested he had asked the rally organisers for permission to speak but had been knocked back. “We did ask to speak, myself and (Finance minister) Katy (Gallagher) and we were told that’s not possible,” he said to the 5000 strong crowd. “And that’s fine, we respect the organisers’ right to do that.” However, Ms Williams took to social media after the event to say the Prime Minister had "lied to the country". “The Prime Minister of Australia lied to his country today,” she began. “Representatives from (Finance Minister Katy) Gallagher and Albanese’s offices both said this morning that they were sure Katy would be happy to speak. Not the Prime Minister.” “He never asked to speak. For him to not only demand he speak because he was being heckled, but lie was disgraceful." “He demonstrated today what entitlement looks like. A man with power trying to diminish a vulnerable young woman.” In an awkward and tense exchange, Ms Williams then demanded the politicians show their commitment to the organisation’s demands, and declare that the recent spate of murders of women by men was a national emergency. However, the Labor ministers appeared non-responsive and confused, initially refusing to front the rally, a move which brought boos and heckling from the audience. “Why are you even here?” one protester yelled from the crowd. “Shame on you,” shouted another. Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram

Caring

"You can't make this up": Project hosts mocked for trainwreck interview

The Project hosts have found itself in a storm of laughter and tears after a trainwreck interview with an unfortunate Melbourne mum who was recently booted from a comedy show with her crying baby. It all started innocently enough when a breastfeeding mother Trish Faranda found herself ousted from an Arj Barker comedy show because her seven-month-old bundle of joy was proving too distracting. In a flurry of events that could rival a sitcom script, Faranda then embarked on a media tour to share her side of the story, which, let's just say, didn't exactly go as smoothly as a well-rehearsed stand-up routine. On Monday night's episode of The Project, host Sarah Harris – in a moment that can only be described as a classic case of foot-in-mouth syndrome – hinted over the sounds of very loud crying that maybe baby Clara "can go to dad just for a quick second... a mum with three little kids, I reckon you need to laugh." As Waleed Aly chuckled nervously in the background, social media exploded faster than a punchline at a comedy club, forcing The Project to quickly disable comments. However, viewers were quick to point out the hilarity of The Project's own struggle with disruptive babies, all while criticising Arj Barker for his comedic inconvenience. “There’s something really really funny about The Project host asking for the baby to leave for being disruptive during the interview and then going right back to empathising with the mother about being asked to take her baby out during a comedy show for being disruptive,” posted one follower. “Hilarious. The Project takes aim at comedian Arj Barker because he asked a mother/baby to leave & avoid disrupting a live show. At the 3 min mark Sarah Harris kicks the same baby off the air to avoid disrupting the show. You can’t make this up,” posted another. “This is hilarious. Well done The Project and Sarah Harris for showing how distracting a whining baby can be when you’re trying to entertain people," wrote a third. <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/C6EL8Kfvv7N/?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/C6EL8Kfvv7N/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Project (@theprojecttv)</a> </div> </blockquote> Meanwhile, over at A Current Affair, baby Clara once again stole the show, or rather, disrupted it entirely. The interview turned into a symphony of cries and babbling, leaving viewers wondering if they had accidentally tuned in to a sitcom pilot. But let's not forget the man of the hour, Arj Barker himself, who stood by his decision to evict the tiny troublemaker from his comedy haven. In a series of radio interviews, Barker defended his actions, citing the sacredness of comedic timing and the sheer audacity of bringing an infant to a 15-plus comedy show. In the end, amidst the laughter and the tears, one thing became abundantly clear: comedy, like life, is unpredictable. Whether it's a crying baby stealing the spotlight or a tone-deaf remark from a well-meaning host, one thing's for sure – you can always count on the unexpected. Images: The Project

Two-up, Gallipoli and the ‘fair go’: why illegal gambling is at the heart of the Anzac myth

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-moore-291912">Bruce Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> Two-up is an Australian gambling game in which two coins are placed on a small piece of wood called a “kip” and tossed into the air. Bets are laid as to whether both coins will fall with heads or tails uppermost. It is one of the core activities of Anzac Day celebrations - and a beloved tradition. The word <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/ANZAC">ANZAC</a> was created in 1915 as an acronym from Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. By 1916 it was being used emblematically to reflect the traditional view of the virtues displayed by those in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Gallipoli-Campaign">Gallipoli campaign</a>, especially as these are seen as national characteristics. This cluster of national characteristics includes mateship, larrikin daredevilry, anti-authoritarianism, and egalitarianism. The game of two-up became indicative of these qualities. Mateship was evident in the way the game brought together people of disparate backgrounds. Larrikinism was evident in the defiant rejection of authority and convention. Two-up was always illegal, because the game is an unregulated form of gambling (although from the 1980s it became legal in most Australian states on Anzac Day). But in spite of the illegality, it was widely regarded as the fairest of gambling games, and at the time of the First World War the verbal command for the coins to be spun was not “come in spinner” (as it is now) but “fair go”. Indeed, the important Australian concept of the “fair go” was in part cemented by its role in the game. Two-up was the common pastime of the urban working-class man, and it feeds into the elements of egalitarianism and anti-authoritarianism that are central to both the Anzac myth and the Australian myth. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/458543/original/file-20220419-17-6mgarp.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption>Two original 1915 Australian pennies in a kip from which they are tossed. Roland Scheicher/ Wikimedia</figcaption></figure> <h2>Two-up and wartime life</h2> From the very early period of the First World War, two-up assumed great importance among the Australian troops. Soldiers reported that two-up was played on the battlefield during the Gallipoli campaign, even when under shellfire. As the war dragged on, numerous stories were told about Australian soldiers’ obsession with playing it. In 1918 the <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P10676229">war correspondent Charles Bean</a> studied the daily life of a company of Australian soldiers stationed at a brewery in Querrieu in northern France. He places great emphasis on two-up, writing in his diary in 1918: "Two-up’ is the universal pastime of the men. … It is a game which starts in any quarter of an hour’s interval or lasts the whole afternoon. The side road outside becomes every evening a perfect country fair with groups playing these games in it - a big crowd of 70 or 80 at the bottom the street, in the middle of the road; a smaller crowd of perhaps twenty on a doorstep further up. … The game is supposed to be illegal, I think; but at any rate in this company they wink at it." Two-up was important not just in taking soldiers’ minds off the realities of the war, but also in creating a strong sense of community. Photographs from the war that show the men playing two-up reveal how it brought them together physically in a communal activity. This helps explains why men, who in civilian life may have had little or no interest in gambling, joined in the camaraderie and fun of the two-up fair, and by so doing blotted out the boredom, isolation, and loneliness of much wartime experience. <h2>Anzac Day and tradition</h2> Playing two-up became an integral part of the diggers’ memories of the experience of war, especially when commemorated on Anzac Day. By the 1930s the playing of two-up outdoors after the Anzac Day march had become an entrenched tradition. As the ranks of diggers from the two world wars declined, so the structure of Anzac Day changed in emphasis. In recent years the Dawn Service has increased greatly in popularity, while the Anzac Day march has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-07/concern-over-australias-dwindling-number-of-world-war-veterans/10911602">suffered from dwindling numbers</a> of veterans. The streets of Sydney and similar cities are no longer dotted with two-up games in the afternoon. The games have shifted to pubs and clubs, and they are largely played by people with no experience of war. Those people who play the game on this day do so not for any deep-seated gambling impulse or because they would love to play the game on every other day of the year. They play two-up because it has become part of the meaning of Anzac Day. Anzac Day has always combined solemnity and festivity. The Dawn Service commemorates the landing at Gallipoli, and the sacrifices that ensued. Its mood is solemn. In the past, returned soldiers reminisced, told war yarns, drank, and played two-up. The soldiers have passed on, but their larrikinism survives in the tradition of the game they have bequeathed to their descendants. We should not underestimate the significance of rituals of this kind—the playing of two-up is a way in which Australians can become not just observers of, but participants in, their history and their myths. Two-up is a ritual that links the present with the past on this one day of the year.<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/181337/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-moore-291912">Bruce Moore</a>, Honorary Associate Professor in the School of Literature, Languages, and Linguistics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/two-up-gallipoli-and-the-fair-go-why-illegal-gambling-is-at-the-heart-of-the-anzac-myth-181337">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

World's most expensive house up for sale

A French chateau, once owned by a member of the Rothschild family and, later on, the King of Morocco, has gone up for sale with a £363 million (AU$699) price tag. Chateau d’Armainvilliers located at Seine-et-Marne, 48km east of the Eiffel Tower, is the world's most expensive home. Built upon the foundations of a 12th century castle, the sprawling mansion boasts 1,000 hectares of land, 100 rooms across 2,500 square metres of living space, a private lake, and plenty of sequoia trees - the largest trees in the world. Ignace Meuwissen, a self-acclaimed "real estate advisor to the global elite" described the property as a display of "opulence and grandeur". "It is the most expensive castle in France and perhaps in the world. The price of €425million is justified by the property itself but also by the 1,000 hectare land which offers numerous possibilities," he told Paris Match magazine. "An investor could build thousands of apartments there if he wanted." The chateau was first bought by the Rothschild banking empird in the late 19th century, before King Hassan II of Morocco bought it in the 1980s. He then made the chateau more fit for a king, adding a hammam spa, a beauty and hairdressing salon, and a fully-equipped medical and dental facility. The Moroccan King also added a basement level, which has a network of tunnels, kitchens, cold rooms, storage spaces and staff quarters. The lucky owner will also find Moroccan mosaics and wall tiles decorating the home, and for any avid equestrians, the home also has a stable big enough for 50 horses. However, some luxury property agents have expressed their doubts on whether the property would sell with its nine-figure sum, with one saying it was an "unrealistic" price tag. "It doesn’t make sense, it’s absurd Properties of this type could sell for 20-25 million, or even 30 million if we really fall in love with them. I’m not even sure that Vaux-le-Vicomte (a Baroque French château), which has no marketing plans, would sell at this price," one agent told French real estate publication Le Figaro Immobilier. Others were unsure whether the changes made by the King in the 1980s would suit modern tastes. Images: Whisper Auctions

Real Estate

Woolies faces up to $10b fine after pleading guilty to 1000 charges

In what seems like a cascade of misfortune for Woolworths, the retail giant has found itself embroiled in yet another controversy. A week fraught with bad press took a turn for the worse when outgoing CEO Brad Banducci <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/last-chance-mr-banducci-woolies-ceo-threatened-with-jail-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faced the threat of jail time</a> for his refusal to address questions in a Senate inquiry probing supermarket price gouging. Now, the company is grappling with the repercussions of admitting to underpaying over a thousand former Victorian employees for their long service leave entitlements. The admission, made in a Melbourne court, revealed that Woolworths fell short in compensating at least 1,235 former workers, amounting to a staggering $1.24 million in underpayments spanning from November 2018 to January 2023. While some employees were owed only modest sums, others were deprived of significant entitlements, with figures reaching up to $12,000 in the most severe cases. The Melbourne Magistrates' Court learned that Woolworths, alongside its related company Woolstar, breached Victoria's Long Service Leave Act on a startling 1,227 occasions. The revelation came to light during an internal audit of the company's IT systems, prompting Woolworths to self-report the discrepancies to Victoria's Wage Inspectorate. Woolworths' barrister, Saul Holt KC, highlighted the company's commitment to rectifying the situation, after discovering the discrepancies during an audit of its IT systems and self-reporting it to Victoria's Wage Inspectorate. "That's just the right thing to do," he said. However, the gravity of the breaches places Woolworths at risk of facing a potentially astronomical fine, with a theoretical maximum exceeding $10.25 billion. While such a penalty could spell financial catastrophe for many, including a corporate behemoth like Woolworths, legal experts suggest that a more realistic figure would be capped at approximately $480,000, in line with typical penalties in Victorian magistrates courts. The magistrate presiding over the case, Nahrain Warda, has deferred her decision until Wednesday, April 24, leaving Woolworths in a state of uncertainty. In addition to the impending financial penalty, Kathleen Crennan, representing the Wage Inspectorate of Victoria, advocated for Woolworths to be convicted, denouncing the underpayments as inexcusable. "There's really no excuse for this to have happened in the first place," she said. In the face of mounting legal challenges and public scrutiny, Woolworths' reputation as an employer is under scrutiny. Despite assertions of being an "exemplary employer", founded on principles dating back to 1924, the company's track record is marred by repeated instances of underpayment scandals. As Woolworths awaits the magistrate's verdict and braces for the fallout from its legal battles, the spectre of underpayment casts a long shadow over the company's corporate governance and raises broader questions about accountability within the retail industry. Images: Woolworths

Legal

"I am lucky to be here": Julie Goodwin opens up on childhood trauma

Julie Goodwin has opened up about the childhood abuse she experienced in her latest memoir. The 53-year-old MasterChef Australia star wrote about how she was sexually abused as a child and later attempted suicide as a teenager in her autobiography, Your Time Starts Now. Speaking to The Australian Women's Weekly, Goodwin recalled how the memory of the abuse which she had buried for a long time returned when she was 16. "Nothing triggered it, it was just like the memory was always there, like a dusty book on a library shelf," she said. "And one day I took it down and looked at it and went, 'Holy crap, how have I not thought about that for nine years?'" Goodwin, however kept the resurfaced memory to her self and maintained an excellent academic record at high school, even becoming school captain, until a year later when she attempted suicide at the age of 17. She shared that following her hospitalisation, she returned to school a few days later and acted as if nothing serious had happened. The TV star then opened up on her road to recovery and the tremendous amount of help she received from her husband Mick, who gave her the love and support she needed. "I am living my second life," she told Women's Weekly. "I am lucky to be here." Images: Channel 10

Books

Keep warm this winter without breaking the bank

With winter right around the corner, many of us (me included) are dreading the frost-bitten mornings, increased heating bills, and feeling too frozen to enjoy our days. However, with winter comes a long list of simple things to appreciate, such as layering up with your favourite scarf before heading out, curling up under a blanket with a good book, endless cups of tea, and of course, the ultimate season for soup. Another thing to add to this unspoken list of winter essentials is the very thing that keeps us warm all day everyday: our most trusted pair of ugg boot slippers. This winter, it’s never been more important to make sure your uggs are in tip top shape, as there’s nothing more miserable than having cold toes in the middle of June. Luckily, Ugg Express is here to help. This Australian owned and based footwear brand has been crafting a wide range of high-quality ugg boots, street wear shoes and accessories for the Australian community for over 30 years. From <a href="https://uggexpress.com.au/collections/ugg-boots-for-women">women’s</a> and <a href="https://uggexpress.com.au/collections/mens-ugg-boots">men’s</a> collections to styles made for little feet, every pair of UGGs is meticulously constructed using a combination of robust soles, reinforced stitching and high-quality suede or leather exteriors to deliver long-lasting wear and endless warmth. If it's boots you’re looking for, or if slip-on slippers are more your speed, Ugg Express have what you’re after, with their entire range coming in at very affordable prices. I was lucky enough to be sent a pair of <a href="https://uggexpress.com.au/products/as-ugg-slippers-homey-unisex-sheepskin-slippers?variant=19690173005882">sheepskin Ugg slippers</a>, and can confidently say I have found my go-to Uggs for winter. These slippers are not a full boot, making them easy to slip on and off if you struggle with mobility issues, while still keeping your heels and ankles snug. As someone who has long suffered with circulation problems (even in the depths of summer will be fingers and toes be entirely too cold) these sheepskin slippers have answered my winter prayers. The ultra-soft sheepskin lining gently moulds to the contours of your feet, providing a cushioned and cloud-like sensation with every step, without leaving your feet feeling overheated or sweaty. Sheepskin also contains natural antimicrobial properties that wick away moisture and help keep nasty odours at bay, so your pair of Uggs smell fresh and new, even with extended wear. The warmth and comfort of these Uggs are unmatched, with a comfy sole adding much needed support, so you can wear them all day long. You can shop the entire range of Uggs, slippers, boots and much more <a href="https://uggexpress.com.au/">online</a>, with the Ugg Express website offering free shipping on orders over $100, and a no risk 30-day returns policy to ensure every customer is happy with their purchase. If you prefer to try before you buy, Ugg Express have stores located all across Australia. Don’t wait before you’re frozen solid to make your ultimate winter purchase! Explore the range today to discover a pair of stylish UGG boots you’ll be reaching for whenever the temperature dips. Image credits: Shutterstock

Beauty & Style

"Just doing her job": Hero cop Amy Scott breaks silence after Bondi stabbing

The hero police officer who shot Joel Cauchi after his killing spree has spoken out after the devastating incident. NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott was confronted by the knife-wielding 40-year-old after he had fatally stabbed six people and injured several others at Bondi Junction Westfield on Saturday afternoon. Witnesses of the incident recall hearing the officer shout for Cauchi to "put it down" before the knifeman charged at her, prompting her to fire her weapon and shoot him dead. “Amy is content with what she had to do," Police Association of NSW boss Kevin Morton said. “I spoke to her last night and again this morning and she said, ‘It was a night with not a lot of sleep’.” Mr Morton said the officer, who he has known personally for years, was playing down the praise she had received after being dubbed a "hero" for her actions. “She knows she has been tagged a hero but to her she was doing her job. I didn’t ask her about the exact incident, because she is yet to be formally interviewed,” he said. “Everyone will be keeping an eye on her obviously, there will be a lot of support from everyone,’’ he said She also drew praise from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and NSW Premier Chris Minns, as well as NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb. “She showed enormous courage and bravery,” Ms Webb said. Witnesses backed up the officer's actions at the shopping centre, as Bondi man Jason Dixon witnessed Inspector Scott's response firsthand. “All she said was ‘Put it down’. Just once. Then she shot him in the chest and he went down,” Mr Dixon told The Sunday Telegraph. “Then when he fell on the ground she was giving him CPR,” Mr Dixon said. “She had to shoot him, because he just kept coming,” Mr Dixon said. “He had a knife and he wasn’t going to stop. “He was advancing at her and he was running, coming to get someone else,” Mr Dixon said. “She shot him once in the heart or the chest,” he said. “I’m glad she got him, because if she didn’t he would have stabbed her too.” Inspector Scott will be formally interviewed by police later this week as part of the major investigation into the stabbing. Image credits: news.com.au / X (Twitter) <div class="media image side-by-side" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin-bottom: 24px; display: flex; flex-direction: column; align-items: center; width: 1209.375px; max-width: 100%; font-family: Charter, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px;"> </div>

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Keep warm this winter without breaking the bank

"Just doing her job": Hero cop Amy Scott breaks silence after Bondi stabbing

Our Partners

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Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

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Information

Keep up to date

Search

World No.1 golfer breaks silence after bizarre arrest

Cameron McCarthy's family break silence

Airbnb launches real-life "Up" house - and it actually floats!

"It seems crazy": Shane Dixon's gambling friend breaks his silence

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Baby Reindeer's "real life stalker" breaks silence

Catriona Rowntree shares her Europe travel hacks she picked up from locals

Adorable Collie sells for world record-breaking price

"Doesn't add up": New theory emerges in Perth brothers' deaths

Parents of murdered brothers break silence in tearful address

Woman fined after paid car park gets set up around her parked vehicle

Police accused of "straight up revenue raising" after controversial act

"It's up to men": Anthony Albanese joins violence against women rally

"You can't make this up": Project hosts mocked for trainwreck interview

Two-up, Gallipoli and the ‘fair go’: why illegal gambling is at the heart of the Anzac myth

World's most expensive house up for sale

Woolies faces up to $10b fine after pleading guilty to 1000 charges

"I am lucky to be here": Julie Goodwin opens up on childhood trauma

Keep warm this winter without breaking the bank

"Just doing her job": Hero cop Amy Scott breaks silence after Bondi stabbing

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