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Hollywood legend targeted on the street in unprovoked attack

<p>During an increase in unprovoked attacks in New York City, a Hollywood A-lister has been targeted in broad daylight. </p> <p>Actor Steve Buscemi was strolling through Kips Bay in mid-town Manhattan last Wednesday when a man walked up and struck the actor in an attack just before midday.</p> <p>The attack on the 66-year-old star is one of the latest unprovoked assaults in the five boroughs, law enforcement sources told <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/12/us-news/boardwalk-empire-star-steve-buscemi-attacked-by-rock-wielding-maniac-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The New York Post</em></a>.</p> <p>The actor, who starred in <em>Fargo</em> and <em>Boardwalk Empire</em>, suffered swelling to his face and left eye and was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.</p> <p>His attacker fled the scene and is still at large, according to police. </p> <p>“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” Buscemi’s publicist said in a statement to <em>The Post</em>.</p> <p>“He is OK and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York.”</p> <p>A worker in the area who witnessed part of the assault told the publication, “I saw he was with a woman, and then through the corner of the window I saw him trip and fall backwards.”</p> <p>“He right away got up and ran in the opposite direction. I didn’t see who hit him."</p> <p>“It worries me for when we close because we close at 11 and it can get scary around that time,” said the woman.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock / NYCPD</em></p>

Legal

Prince William delivers surprise address at star-studded Steve Irwin gala

<p>Prince William has delivered a surprise address at the Steve Irwin Gala in Las Vegas on Saturday. </p> <p>The royal filmed a special video message for the star-studded event, as he welcomed guests to the gala, “which celebrates the life and legacy of the brilliant Steve Irwin.”</p> <p>“Tonight is all about conservation and continuing Steve’s global mission to protect life on our planet,” the Prince of Wales said. </p> <p>“His dream was to have the cleanest water, the freshest air and wildlife in abundance. But most of all, he wanted a future for our children."</p> <p>“Advocating for the preservation of life on our planet, it is a passion that I share, and it is why I launched the Earthshot Prize to search for and scale innovative solutions to the world’s greatest environmental challenges," he continued.</p> <p>"Our mission is to protect and restore our planet in this critical decade leading up to 2030.”</p> <p>He then thanked the Irwin's and said he was “hugely grateful" for their support of Earthshot, with a special mention to Robert Irwin who is an advocate and ambassador for the prize. </p> <p>The Earthshot Prize, launched in 2020, is awarded to five winners each year for their contributions towards environmentalism.</p> <p>“And I'm proud to join you virtually tonight to celebrate their work through Wildlife Warriors,” Prince William continued. </p> <p>“Seeing the global impact of the charity, founded by Steve and Terri in 2002, brings hope for the future.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C62jRMaLiP9/?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/C62jRMaLiP9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Wildlife Warriors (@wildlifewarriorsworldwide)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>He then went on to say that “never before has it been so important for every single one of us to make environmentally conscious choices that will ensure the health and future of our planet.”</p> <p>“I hope you have an enjoyable night, and thank you for caring about the future of our wildlife, our wild places, and our planet.</p> <p>“Together, we can make a difference," he concluded. </p> <p>Robert and Prince William have combined their platforms to advocate for the environment for several years now. </p> <p>Last November, Robert even praised the royal and his conservation contributions through the Earthshot prize. </p> <p>“It’s hard to put into words just how massive Earthshot is for wildlife conservation, for climate action, for the world,” he told <em>People</em> at the time. </p> <p>“For Prince William, who has such a great platform, to lend his voice, his resources into creating positive change is such a refreshing, wonderful thing to see. I applaud what he is doing.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

News

"You will be a massive failure": Steve Price unleashes on Kyle Sandilands

<p>The feud between Steve Price and Kyle Sandilands has taken a new turn, as Price unleashed on Sandilands over the launch of The <em>Kyle and Jackie O Show</em> in Melbourne. </p> <p><em>The Project</em> panel were discussing the show's first episode in the Victorian capital which was met with a mixed reception, given the use of coarse language. </p> <p>Price took the discussion to the next level as he made it clear he is not a fan of the KIISFM show or its host. </p> <p>“Kyle, last time I mentioned you on this program I called you a grubby buffoon. That was a compliment in hindsight,” Price said on Monday night's episode of <em>The Project</em>. </p> <p>“That garbage you put to air this morning, sexualised rubbish, toxic, nobody should listen to it and you will be a massive failure in Melbourne.”</p> <p>Price continued his tirade, accusing Sandilands of sending him a “threatening message” last November after his “grubby buffoon” comments, and he dared the KIIS FM star to “do it again”.</p> <p>He ended the spray by saying, “I do note that you didn’t have the guts to sit down and do an interview with me to talk about your new radio show, perhaps because you’ve got the intellect of a cumquat”.</p> <p>Sandilands responded to Price's comments live on air on Tuesday morning, taking aim at the co-host and the show at large. </p> <p>“[<em>The Project</em>] is no good,” he said about the Channel 10 program. “It’s a piece of s**t”.</p> <p>“No one watches it, and they don’t like us.”</p> <p>As for Price's claims, Sandilands accused the fellow broadcaster of being “fake”, and claimed that Price sent a revealing note to his manager last month.</p> <p>The note allegedly said, “I’m very aware Kyle and I have had some interesting whacks at each other over the years but as we know, it’s all part of the game.”</p> <p>“See, I’m right, it is feigned outrage,” Sandilands said.</p> <p>“Does he mean what he says or is he just full of s**t?”</p> <p>Kyle and Jackie O tried to call Price on Tuesday morning to address their ongoing feud, but he didn’t answer.</p> <p><em>Image credits: The Project / Instagram </em></p>

"Welcome home, Harold": Iconic Neighbours actor returns to Ramsay Street

<p>More than 15 years after his departure, Harold Bishop is returning to Ramsay Street. </p> <p>Ian Smith's character has long been a fan favourite on <em>Neighbours</em>, after originally starring on the soap between 1987 and 1991, before he returned in 1996 until his departure in 2009. </p> <p>Since then, Harold has made multiple guest appearances, including in the 2022 finale.</p> <p>When Amazon picked up the Aussie show, Smith rejoined the cast for a short time but quickly left after a health scare.</p> <p>But now, Harold is making another comeback. </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/C5fVoAlvJEJ/?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/C5fVoAlvJEJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Neighbours (@neighbours)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The official <em>Neighbours</em> Instagram shared the exciting news of his return, writing, “After 15 years of living away, the legendary Harold Bishop is returning to Erinsborough."</p> <p>“We are thrilled to welcome Ian Smith back to the show and the opening titles, where he belongs.”</p> <p>Fan were quick to flood the comment section with excitable messages, rejoicing in the fact that a fan favourite character was returning. </p> <p>“The best news. The show misses an elder character like Harold,” one person wrote.</p> <p>Another commented, “Absolutely amazing news to wake up too. Welcome home, Harold.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / YouTube </em></p>

"Words fail me": Rod Stewart devastated by passing of iconic rocker

<p>The world of music is mourning the loss of one of its iconic figures as Steve Harley, the frontman of British rock band Cockney Rebel, has passed away at the age of 73. News of his death, reported by BBC, came as a shock to fans and fellow musicians alike.</p> <p>According to reports, Harley's family confirmed that he "passed away peacefully at home". This sad news marks the end of an era for the music industry, as tributes pour in from across the globe.</p> <p>One of the most heartfelt tributes came from Sir Rod Stewart, who expressed his devastation over the loss of his fellow musician. "Absolutely devastated, words fail me," he wrote. "The Cockney Rebel has left us. Loved you and admired you Steve and always will," said Stewart, as reported by the PA news agency.</p> <p>Harley's recent cancellation of tour dates due to cancer treatment had already alerted fans to his health struggles. "Whoever you know him as, his heart exuded only core elements. Passion, kindness, generosity. And much more, in abundance," his family wrote in a statement.</p> <p>"The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren.</p> <p>"We know he will be desperately missed by people all over the world, and we ask that you respectfully allow us privacy to grieve."</p> <p>The announcement of Harley's hiatus from touring, made through his official website, shed light on his ongoing health journey. "Due to ongoing treatment for cancer, Steve cannot commit to any concerts in 2024," the statement read. However, there was a glimmer of hope for the future as it conveyed Harley's optimism for a different outcome in the following year.</p> <p>Born Stephen Malcolm Ronald Nice in Deptford, UK, in 1951, Harley's journey in music began to take shape in the 1970s when he became the frontman of Cockney Rebel. The band, known for its contribution to the glam rock genre, left an indelible mark on the British music scene.</p> <p>Harley's distinctive voice and songwriting prowess, evident in hits like "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)," endeared him to fans and secured his place as a legendary figure in rock history.</p> <p>As fans and the music community come to terms with Harley's loss, his legacy will undoubtedly endure through his timeless music and the memories he created.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram \ Wikimedia</em></p>

Caring

"Wokeness gone mad": Steve Price slams AO Australia Day boycott

<p>Steve Price has slammed Australian Open organisers for choosing not to celebrate Australia Day for the second year in a row. </p> <p>The decision came after the Victorian government axed its Australia Day parade last year, amid growing backlash from athletes about celebrating on January 26. </p> <p>“This started last year and ended Australia Day celebrations, they used to feature fireworks, the playing of the national anthem and special musical events to mark the day at the tennis,” the Sky News host said. </p> <p>“So we have First Nations day, no drama from me about that, then the organisers have set aside a day for Australian Open Pride Day, an Australian Open All Abilities Day and an Australian Open Glam Slam for the LGBTI+ folk that will run across January 26 to 28.</p> <p>“You can’t make this stuff up.”</p> <p>Price also slammed the AO's decision to move the induction day for the tennis player who made it into this year's Australian Tennis Hall of Fame. </p> <p>The event normally takes place on January 26, but this year Lleyton Hewitt’s induction has been moved to the 24th of January. </p> <p>“This year it’s going to be Lleyton Hewitt – you couldn’t get a more Australian Australian than Lleyton Hewitt,” Price said. </p> <p>“They’ve changed the date of that event from Australia Day, when it used to be, to the 24th, two days earlier.</p> <p>“This is just crazy wokeness gone mad.</p> <p>“Can anyone at Tennis Australia defend this disgraceful snubbing of our national day by a tournament that carries the name of our nation," he ranted. </p> <p>Price then slammed the AO organisers for their decision. </p> <p>“It’s a pity the woke directors who run Tennis Australia don’t have the courage to drag the South African bloke running the organisation Craig Tiley into line and insist we recognise the great nation that lends its name to his tennis tournament," he said. </p> <p>A few others have agreed with Price, including Journalist Joe Hildebrand, who said that the decision is “counter-productive” in terms of making any meaningful difference. </p> <p>“The idea that these sorts of ridiculous virtue-signalling gestures are going to make any difference … is absolutely ridiculous – in fact, it puts people off even considering or wanting to address these issues,</p> <p>“This sort of stuff is what cost the Yes vote its victory … and it’s just so counter-productive, self-destructive, idiotic – you could use any name.”</p> <p>Radio Personality Tom Elliott, also called the move ridiculous. </p> <p>“If you’re going to call yourself the Australian Open and it happens that our national day takes place during the tournament, you have to acknowledge Australia Day,” he said. </p> <p>“Maybe the date will change down the track, but right now it’s January 26.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty/ Sky News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Kyle Sandilands leaves brutal voicemail for Steve Price

<p>In the latest episode of "Australia's Got Voicemails", shock jock extraordinaire Kyle Sandilands unleashed a verbal tempest upon fellow broadcaster Steve Price. What sparked this war of words? Apparently, Price had the audacity to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/steve-price-slams-buffoon-kyle-sandilands-over-move-to-melbourne-airwaves" target="_blank" rel="noopener">label Sandilands a "grubby buffoon"</a> on national television. And you thought your family gatherings were awkward.</p> <p>Let's rewind to the moment when Price, with all the subtlety of a kangaroo in a china shop, decided to throw some shade on <em>The Project</em>. With the finesse of a wordsmith, Price declared, "I don't think grubby buffoons work in Melbourne." Ouch. Melbourne, known for its coffee, culture, and now apparently, a grubby buffoon ban.</p> <p>In response, Sandilands, not one to be outdone in the art of verbal gymnastics, left Price a voicemail that would make a sailor blush. "Hey, you piece of sh*t," Sandilands began, setting the tone for a heartfelt exchange of pleasantries, "we’ve spoken before, last time you forgot that you’re not allowed to mouth off about me.</p> <p>“Steve, it’s Kyle obviously, there is probably a long list of people who ring you.</p> <p>“Again just surprised at your feigned reaction on The Project, can’t you just be yourself? Can’t you just say your true thoughts? I can’t wait to see you face-to-face buddy, it’s been too long.</p> <p>“It’s disappointing that as you’ve gotten older you have turned into a real piece of sh*t. Feel free to play this on tonight’s Project because that’s the last gig you will ever have.</p> <p>"See you mate, by the way love the alcoholic nose, bye bro.”</p> <p>Despite the verbal thrashing, Price seemed unconcerned. "I described him as a grubby buffoon, and that's it," <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/page-13/pieceofsh-radio-war-of-words-between-steve-price-heats-up-with-veiled-threats/news-story/ed616773a1064b8e8afd8e448977b40b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Price retorted</a>, probably sipping tea and counting the days until the next headline-grabbing voicemail. It's all in a day's work for a grizzled commentator who's clearly impervious to verbal beatdowns.</p> <p>In the grand tradition of radio feuds, this clash of titans unfolded after Sandilands and his partner-in-crime, Jackie 'O' Henderson, inked a jaw-dropping $200 million deal live on air.</p> <p>As the radio waves settle from this tempestuous encounter, we can't help but marvel at the drama that unfolds in the seemingly mundane world of talk radio. Who needs reality TV when you have Australian broadcasters providing this level of entertainment?</p> <p>In the end, whether it's a buffoon's brawl or a radio roast, one thing's for sure – the Australian airwaves are never short of surprises. Tune in next time for another episode of <em>He Said, He Said</em>, where words are sharper than claws, and feuds are settled with voicemails, not handshakes.</p> <p><em>Images: Network Ten / KIIS FM</em></p>

Steve Price slams "buffoon" Kyle Sandilands over move to Melbourne airwaves

<p>The radio waves have been rocked once again after Steve Price, a man with the subtlety of a sledgehammer, dubbed fellow radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands a "grubby buffoon".</p> <p>The saga unfolded as Sandilands and his radio partner-in-crime, Jackie O Henderson, inked a deal reportedly worth a staggering $200 million. Yes, you heard that right – $200 million. </p> <p>But the real kicker as far as Price is concerned? The show is expanding to Melbourne next year, leaving the current breakfast hosts, Jason Hawkins and Lauren Phillips, with a one-way ticket to radio oblivion.</p> <p>In a tearful farewell on their Melbourne morning show, Phillips lamented: "This is certainly not the way we wanted to bow out."</p> <p>Price, the unsolicited guardian of Melbourne's radio sensibilities, didn't hold back in his assessment of Sandilands, calling him a "grubby buffoon" and then backpedaling to settle on "just a grub". </p> <p>“Kyle’s a grubby buffoon," Price said to the bemused panel on a recent episode of <em>The Project</em>. "And I don’t think grubby buffoons work in Melbourne. I probably shouldn’t call him a grubby buffoon. He’s just a grub.”</p> <p>Price also predicted that Melbourne might not be ready for the explicit nature of the Kyle and Jackie O Show. “Some of the sexually explicit material is off-putting," he explained. "Sarah [Harris] would know better than anyone else that it’s school drop-off time for kids. You don’t want people talking about anal sex at breakfast time, in my view. That’s what they do on that show.</p> <p>"Melbourne people are not going to embrace that. Look, the company that is putting them on the air has a different view to that, and I may be proven to be completely wrong, but that doesn’t happen very often.”</p> <p>Despite Price's dire predictions, Sandilands remains unfazed, his ageless charm apparently defying the laws of time. Given that the $200 million deal extends for the next ten years, that would put Sandilands well into his sixties – quite a challenging age for a "shock jock" to remain relevant. </p> <p>“Can a 60-year-old be smutty?” Price was asked by the panel. “I don’t think they can, and that is part of the problem,” he replied. “But Kyle seems to be ageless. I don’t know how, with that unhealthy lifestyle he has. But he doesn’t seem to age much. So perhaps he can, at 62 . . . You can’t imagine he’s going to be appealing to the 18 to 28-year-old demographic that the radio station is paying him to drag in. I find that really puzzling.”</p> <p>So brace yourselves, Melbourne: the radio waves are about to get a whole lot grubbier, buffoonier and possibly more explicit. It's the Kyle Sandilands extravaganza, and no amount of Price's disapproval can stop the buffoonery.</p> <p><em>Images: KIIS FM / Network 10</em></p>

“Petty”: Steve Price’s bid to ban Dan Andrews called out

<p>It seems that golf, the sport known for its calm demeanour and leisurely strolls, is continuing to become a battleground for political disagreements. Move over, parliamentary debates; we've got a straight-up fairway feud on our hands.</p> <p>It all started when former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews decided he wanted to swap the political arena for the green one. Little did he know that his membership application to the Portsea Golf Club would turn into a full-blown scandal, complete with threats to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/i-ll-quit-steve-price-s-fairway-feud-with-dan-andrews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tear up memberships</a> and accusations of petty behaviour.</p> <p>The took another turn on a recent episode of <em>The Project</em>, where hosts Waleed Aly and Sam Taunton found themselves caught in the crossfire of their co-star Steve Price's golfing fury.</p> <p>The dispute centres around the fact that more than 100 club members have written a strongly-worded letter, demanding that Andrews be rejected. </p> <p>Price, the self-proclaimed defender of fairways and greens, threatened to "tear up" his Portsea Golf Club membership if Andrews gets the green light. Aly, doing his best to keep the peace, questioned Price about the gravity of the situation.</p> <p>"But why is it a big deal?" he asked Price on the panel. "If he gets admitted, you don’t have to walk around the golf course."</p> <p>Price, however, had a different concern: "I have to go into the bar, and he might be having food." Ah, the horror of sharing a clubhouse with a former premier!</p> <p>Taunton, sensing the absurdity of the situation, almost called the whole debacle "petty" before wisely biting his tongue. But Price, ever the instigator, goaded him to finish his sentence, to which Taunton finally admitted, "No, I was going to say it is petty. It was years ago, and at some point, don’t you move on? Why?"</p> <p>Price, standing firm as the guardian of golfing justice, declared, "No. Because we don’t want him there!" It seems the only thing harder to overcome than a water hazard is a political grudge.</p> <p>In the grand scheme of things, it's a bit bewildering that a golf club membership is causing such a ruckus. You'd be forgiven for thinking they were discussing nuclear disarmament, not whether Andrews should be allowed to practice his swing in peace.</p> <p>As the world anxiously awaits the fate of Andrews' golfing aspirations, we're left to wonder: will he get the coveted membership, or will Price be left tearing up his golf club card like a rejected love letter? Only time will tell if this golfing saga will go down in history as a hole-in-one or just another bogey.</p> <p><em>Images: Network Ten</em></p>

Legal

“I’ll quit”: Steve Price’s fairway feud with Dan Andrews

<p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Steve Price, </span>the Sky News shock jock and host of <em>The Project</em>, has threatened a full-scale membership mutiny of his hallowed Portsea Golf Club, turning Victoria's Mornington Peninsula into the stage for a golf-centric feud that looks set to make more divots than a toddler with a sand wedge.</p> <p>Price has vowed to unleash the ultimate golf club warfare if former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews dares to follow through on his ambition to become a member of his beloved club.</p> <p>Price declared on <em>Sky News Australia</em> that if Andrews is welcomed into the exclusive golfing enclave, he would take his membership and tear it into more pieces than a scorecard after a disastrous round.</p> <p>“This is the premier who stopped us playing golf for two years during Covid,” Price exclaimed in much the same way one would (<em>1 wood?</em> too much) if Andrews personally walked up and confiscated his seven-iron. “No way should that man come into the golf club.”</p> <p>Former pro golfer Mark Allen joined the chorus of disapproval, claiming that other golf clubs along the Mornington Peninsula were contemplating a similar blockade against Andrews. </p> <p>The uproar stems from the dark days of Covid when golfers in certain parts of the Mornington Peninsula were banned from fairways and greens, as well as a specific restriction that allowed certain parts of the peninsula to carry on playing, while others areas were banned altogether. Andrews, in his role as the "lockdown czar", earned the ire of golf enthusiasts who found solace only on the "wrong" side of the bay.</p> <p>“Remember one side of the peninsula they were able to play and get around, the other side of the peninsula, they were not allowed to play,” explained Allen.</p> <p>In a stunning display of commitment to the cause, golf clubs were allowed to reopen in September 2021, but toilets remained off-limits, prompting golf enthusiasts to question whether they were being punked by an elaborate <em>Candid Camera</em>-style golf course edition.</p> <p>Andrews, who recently announced his retirement from politics, now plans to spend more time with his family and on the golf course. However, the threat of being ostracised from the Peninsula's golfing elite looms large, like a shadow on the putting green.</p> <p>As the turf wars intensify, it's clear that the Mornington Peninsula is not just a geographical location; it's a battlefield, where the clash of golfing ideologies may rival the intensity of a Ryder Cup final day. Will Andrews dare to follow through on his membership application, knowing the potential fallout? Will Price stick to his membership-ripping threat, or will he ultimately decide that a day on the green is more important than a political greenhorn?</p> <p>In this gripping saga of fairways and fracas, the only certainty is that the Mornington Peninsula has become ground zero for a golfing soap opera that will have enthusiasts on the edge of their golf carts, eagerly awaiting the next putt-plot twist.</p> <p><em>Images: Sky News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Waleed Aly and Steve Price clash over damning Voice letter

<p>Waleed Aly and Steve Price have clashed over an anonymous letter from Yes campaigners, condemning those who opposed the Voice to Parliament. </p> <p>On Sunday night, a lengthy and unsigned letter was shared by activists associated with the Uluru Dialogue group, as the letter slammed No voters for committing "a shameful act" by contributing to the Voice defeat. </p> <p>On <em>The Project</em>, Price was quick to slam the author of the letter, who addressed the message to the Prime Minister and all federal members of parliament, saying they did not have "the guts" to sign it. </p> <p>"It seems to me the Yes campaign hasn't learned anything about the result that happened Saturday two weeks ago," he said on Monday night. </p> <p>"The public voted 60 (per cent) No, 40 (per cent) Yes and yet, they pen a letter that they then send to the Cabinet and Prime Minister calling people who voted No as doing a shameful act, suggesting No voters are racists."</p> <p>"If you are going to do that, at least have the courage to put your name to it."</p> <p>Aly then leapt to the defence of those who wrote the anonymous letter, saying, "I don't think they said all No voters were racist."</p> <p>"They said racism was a big part of the campaign and the vote, they are inextricably bound up."</p> <p>Aly admitted that while he did not agree with everything in the letter, it was "hard to have a simple response to it".</p> <p>"They must be so hurting. I can't deny them that. Whether we agree or not," he said.</p> <p>The open letter claims to be "the collective insights and views of a group of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, community members and organisations who supported Yes".</p> <p>The published letter said, "The truth is that the majority of Australians have committed a shameful act whether knowingly or not, and there is nothing positive to be interpreted from it. We needed truth to be told to the Australian people." </p> <p><em>Image credits: The Project</em></p>

Legal

"Dad would be stoked": Robert Irwin chokes up over Australia Zoo breakthrough

<p>Robert Irwin has choked up in an emotional video, sharing a major milestone for Australia Zoo that had special meaning to his late father. </p> <p>The wildlife warrior shared the exciting video to Instagram, holding a tiny baby turtle that he was about to release into its enclosure for the first time.</p> <p>Dressed in his Australia Zoo khakis, Irwin explained the moment was “one of the highlights of my entire life, and one of the most special moments ever here at Australia Zoo,” as the turtle is an “Elseya Irwini,” a species of turtle first discovered by Robert’s father Steve Irwin in the early 1990. </p> <p>Some 30 years later, Robert explained that this is the first of this particular species hatched in any zoological facility or captivity, anywhere in the world.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyYGqjfPL11/?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/CyYGqjfPL11/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"This is so surreal. All the stories from dad about how beautiful they are... I don’t get emotional about much,” Irwin said, choking back tears as he released the tiny turtle into its pond.</p> <p>“You tearing up? Your dad would be really proud, mate,” a voice could be hear telling Irwin off-camera. </p> <p>“Dad would be stoked with that... we did it,” he said.</p> <p>The video has racked up hundreds of thousands of views, with people flocking to comments to share how proud Steve would be of his wildfire warrior children. </p> <p>One person wrote, "Steve is looking down and crying tears of joy.. His heart is proud of not only the turtle, but with the fact that his legacy continued with same path he envisioned for his kids."</p> <p>Others were quick to encourage Robert and Bindi Irwin to keep carrying on their father's legacy with their conservation work at the zoo, while others said that they should "Name the baby turtle Steve". </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Cleo Smith's mum shares touching update

<p>In October 2021, Ellie endured a mother's worst nightmare when her then four-year-old daughter, Cleo, was abducted during a family camping trip near Carnarvon, WA.</p> <p>Often these stories end in tragedy, but Cleo was found alive 18 days later, locked inside Terence Kelly's home, just minutes away from her own home.</p> <p>The abduction that had everyone on their toes became a feel good story that captivated the nation, when police released body-cam footage of the little girl saying: "my name's Cleo", as she was rescued. </p> <p>She was found physically unharmed and playing with toys, and Kelly was arrested on a nearby street not long after. </p> <p>Two years after the abduction Cleo Smith's mother Ellie has shared some more happy news. </p> <p>Ellie has reportedly tied the knot with her partner Jake Gliddon in a private ceremony at the Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort. </p> <p>The special day was attended by only 64 of their closest friends and family, and the happy couple basked in sunlight as they posed for photos. </p> <p>Cleo and her little sister Isla were also in attendance as flower girls, and in new photos shared to <em>60 minutes, </em>you never would've guessed the horror Cleo went through just two years ago. </p> <p>Cleo and her sister were twinning in a beautiful white dress with puffy sleeves. </p> <p>The girls had huge smiles on their faces as they posed cheek-to-cheek with their mum, who looked stunning in a beautiful lace and tulle dress. </p> <p>“Cleo was just excited to wear a pretty spinning dress and walk down the aisle with her aunty Krystal,” Ellie told <em>60 Minutes</em>.</p> <p>The couple reportedly don't have any plans for their honeymoon yet. </p> <p><em>Images: 60 Minutes</em></p>

Family & Pets

"His worst moment as a person": Sean Penn unleashes on Will Smith's Oscar's slap

<p>Sean Penn has become visibly angry as he recalled the infamous moment at the 2022 Oscars ceremony when Will Smith stormed the stage to slap Chris Rock. </p> <p>Penn recalled the award ceremony moment as he reflected on the Academy's decision to not let Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speak at the ceremony. </p> <p>The actor has been a strong advocate for the people of Ukraine in their ongoing war against Russia, and even traveling to the war-torn region to help in their fight. </p> <p>Speaking to <a href="https://variety.com/2023/film/features/sean-penn-slams-will-smith-slap-ai-oscars-1235720417/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Variety</em></a>, Penn shared how frustrated he was that Zelenskyy was silenced, while Smith's actions were the real problem. </p> <p>“The Oscars producer thought, ‘Oh, he’s [Zelenskyy] not lighthearted enough.’ Well, guess what you got instead? Will Smith.”</p> <p><em>Variety</em> noted that the actor was visibly infuriated speaking on the subject, even turning red during the interview.</p> <p>“I don’t know Will Smith. I met him once,” Penn said. “He seemed very nice when I met him. He was so f***ing good in <em>King Richard</em>.”</p> <p>“So why the f**k did you just spit on yourself and everybody else with this stupid f***ing thing? Why did I go to f***ing jail for what you just did? And you’re still sitting there? Why are you guys standing and applauding his worst moment as a person?” the 63-year-old said, referencing his 1987 arrest and jail stint for punching a film extra in the face.</p> <p>“This f***ing bulls**t wouldn’t have happened with Zelenskyy,” Penn added. “Will Smith would never have left that chair to be part of stupid violence. It never would have happened.”</p> <p>Penn was so shocked and infuriated by the moment that he chose to destroy his two Oscars. </p> <p>"I thought, ‘Well, f**k, you know? I’ll give them to Ukraine. They can be melted down to bullets they can shoot at the Russians,’” he said.</p> <p>When visiting Zelenskyy in Ukraine last fall, Penn showed his support by giving the leader one of his Oscars.</p> <p>At the 2022 Oscar's ceremony, Will Smith stormed the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock after he made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith. </p> <p>After returning to his seat, Smith shouted out, “Keep my wife’s name out your f***ing mouth!”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

Bindi and Robert remember Steve on the anniversary of his death

<p>Bindi and Robert Irwin have paid tribute to their late father Steve on Father's Day, just 24 hours before the 17th anniversary of his death. </p> <p>Robert began the emotional homage on Sunday as many celebrated Father's Day in Australia, sharing a series of throwback clips from his childhood with Bindi. </p> <p>Accompanying the video, the 19-year-old wildlife warrior wrote, "Today is Father’s Day here in Australia. Days like this are filled with so many different emotions, but above all, I choose to make it a happy day to remember the best moments with the best Dad ❤️".</p> <p>The post quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, with his sister Bindi writing on the post, "Dad is SO. PROUD. OF. YOU. He’s always with us. Love you."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cwtcmzoh7yz/?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/Cwtcmzoh7yz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>On Monday morning, the 17th anniversary of Steve Irwin's death, Bindi also shared a throwback photo with her late father, with a simple love heart as the caption. </p> <p>The post boasted tens of thousands of likes in just hours, with many commenting that her father would be proud of the work she has done as a wildlife warrior and a young mother. </p> <p>Fans of the Irwin family also wasted no time cherishing Steve's legacy and comforting the Irwin children with messages shared online.</p> <p>"If you think he loved animals, take a look at his face when he was with all of you," one person wrote. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

House of Hope: Fresh start for Kelly's kids

<p>Gold Coast mum Kelly Wilkinson, who tragically passed away two years ago, has left behind three young children between the ages of two and nine.</p> <p>Her life was cut short in April 2021, allegedly at the hands of her estranged husband, Brian Earl Johnston. The horrific incident resulted in Kelly's body being found badly burned in her Arundel home's backyard, while Mr Johnston was discovered nearby with severe burns to his hands and airway.</p> <p>Since then, Kelly's children have been under the care of her sister, Danielle Carroll, and her husband Rhys. The Carroll family, along with their five children and Kelly's three kids, have been living together in a cramped four-bedroom house, where living spaces were converted into sleeping quarters. The challenges of accommodating such a large family in limited space have been immense, and at times, they find themselves with five people sharing a single bed.</p> <p>However, their situation took a positive turn when businesswoman Tamika Smith, a relative of Mr Carroll, heard about the tragedy and decided to lend her support.</p> <p>The founder of My Bella Casa and Top 100 Women launched a campaign called "I Stand With Kelly" shortly after Ms Wilkinson's passing. The campaign aimed to build a new home for the 10-person family.</p> <p>With the help of an anonymous contributor, Ms Smith secured a plot of land, and the renowned homebuilder, Metricon, generously donated an entire house for the cause.</p> <p>After two years of hard work and dedication, the family's fully furnished new home was finally revealed to them.</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/CvGO3pfBjbH/?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/CvGO3pfBjbH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Tamika Smith (@tamika_stephanie)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Mr Carroll expressed his excitement about the new house, especially for Kelly's three children, as it will provide them with a fresh start and a place they can call their own. While the loss of their mother is deeply felt, the children are constantly surrounded by love and care from their extended family.</p> <p>Kelly's kids have not forgotten their mother, and though they miss her dearly, they understand that she is no longer with them.</p> <p>“They know she’s gone," Mrs Carroll told A Current Affair. "They constantly say that they miss her. The two year old does ask for mum but they know she’s not coming back.” </p> <p>The Carroll family, along with their own children, have written heartfelt letters to thank the builders for their incredible efforts in creating this new home.</p> <p>The house not only represents a new beginning for Ms Wilkinson's children and the Carroll family but also serves as a reminder of the love she brought to her family before her untimely passing.</p> <p>Though the pain of her loss remains, the community's support in building this new home has been a heartwarming gesture, one that Kelly's family deeply appreciates and will surely treasure forever.</p> <p><em>Images: Today Show / Instagram / GoFundMe</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

No apologies: Ben Roberts-Smith breaks silence

<p>Former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has returned to Australia for the first time since losing his defamation case against Nine newspapers.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith touched down in Perth on June 14 and said he was shattered by the outcome of his defamation case against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times.</p> <p>This is the first time he has spoken out publicly since the landmark ruling.</p> <p>"It was a terrible result and obviously the incorrect result. We will look at it and consider whether or not we need to file an appeal," Roberts-Smith said after landing in Perth.</p> <p>"There is not much more I can say about it ... we just have to work through it and I'll take the advice as it comes.”</p> <p>He was spotted checking into business class with his girlfriend in Queenstown, New Zealand prior to touching down in Perth.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith rules out apologising to families of the victims impacted by his actions in Afghanistan.</p> <p>"We haven't done anything wrong, so we won't be making any apologies," he said.</p> <p>As he was collecting his luggage at Perth airport, he was approached by a man who voiced his support for the former soldier.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith's return comes on the same day as reports that an Australian Federal Police investigation into his alleged war crimes had collapsed.</p> <p>The decision by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions not to prosecute Roberts-Smith based on evidence collected by the AFP has led to a new joint task force being assembled to investigate alleged executions.</p> <p>The task force is comprised of detectives from the specialist war crimes agency, the Office of the Special Investigator and a new team of federal police investigators not related to the abandoned AFP probe.</p> <p>Roberts-Smith did not appear in the Federal Court when a judge found allegations he murdered or was complicit in the killing of four unarmed Afghans while deployed overseas were "substantially true” in a bombshell defamation ruling.</p> <p>The former soldier insists there was never any foul play.</p> <p><em>Image credit: A Current Affair</em></p>

News

Controversial call on Ben Roberts-Smith

<p>Following the dismissal of Ben Roberts-Smith's defamation trial, politicians and defence experts argue that his belongings should remain in the Australian War Memorial until he is criminally proven guilty.</p> <p>The civil case saw Australia’s most decorated living soldier lose out to <em>Nine</em> newspapers due to claims he had committed war crimes, including a murder while deployed in Afghanistan.</p> <p>Amid the findings, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/australian-war-memorial-urged-to-remove-ben-roberts-smith-s-uniform-from-display" target="_blank" rel="noopener">many have urged</a> Roberts-Smith should be stripped of his medals, including the Victoria Cross, and to have any mention of him removed from the Australian War Memorial.</p> <p>However, Liberal MP and former soldier Keith Wolahan argued that Roberts-Smith should still be featured in the memorial’s commemorations of the war in Afghanistan.</p> <p>He told <em>ACB TVs Q+A</em> program, “It’s a part of our history, but I think it should acknowledge the Brereton report and perhaps this defamation trial,”</p> <p>The Brereton report is the official inquiry by the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force that found a culture of unlawful killings, horrid initiation rituals as well as cover-ups within the Australian military during his time in Afghanistan.</p> <p>Wolahan said it may not be necessary to include references to the defamation trial until criminal investigations are finalised, saying that politicians should “stay out of criminal proceedings”.</p> <p>“Ben Roberts-Smith still has a right to appeal and there’s a question about whether there’s a criminal charge,” Wolahan said.</p> <p>“He’s entitled to the presumption of innocence and due process, but I think the Brereton report belongs in the War Memorial.”</p> <p>Wolahan is a three-tour veteran of Afghanistan and served as an operations officer, platoon commander and deputy chief of operations.</p> <p>The former captain added that the Australian Army “have to hold ourselves to a higher standard”.</p> <p>“When you look at the Brereton report, you cannot ignore it. Yes, it’s not at the criminal standard and that defamation trial was not at the criminal standard, but you cannot ignore the findings,” he said.</p> <p>The <em>Q+A</em> panel discussed the culture within the armed forces of the West, with war correspondent Michael Ware noting that soldiers must go to a “very dark place” to face war.</p> <p>“It says we’ve all participated in small war crimes, I know I’ve certainly seen my share of them,” he said.</p> <p>“And according to the laws of war, and I have to tell you, this is a harsh reality – we in the West – we kill children.</p> <p>“If an eight-year-old is placing a roadside bomb, a sniper can legally shoot that child.”</p> <p>He then argued that despite that, there is an even worse cultural issue within the Australian Army.</p> <p>“All that said, there is a line you don’t cross, you've got to have a moral compass ... it does appear to me that there was a culture that developed over a period of years within the regiment where this just became a part of the way they operated and Ben Roberts-Smith is not alone.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty / Instagram</em></p>

Legal

Father of murdered Aussie soldier voices support for Ben Roberts-Smith

<p> The father of an Australian soldier murdered in Afghanistan has spoken out in defence of former SAS member Ben Roberts-Smith.</p> <p>Hugh Poate’s son, Robert, was playing cards with two other Australians when they were tragically shot by a rogue Afghan soldier named Hekmatullah in 2012.</p> <p>According to Poate, Roberts-Smith was simply following orders in a bid to apprehend Hekmatullah, who had brutally taken the lives of their son.</p> <p>Acting on intelligence, they were taken to the village of Darwan, where Roberts-Smith had allegedly kicked a farmer named Ali Jan off a cliff and ordered his execution.</p> <p>“These citizens in the village could well have been a civilian one day and pulling the trigger the next, that‘s the way the Taliban operated. This perspective should have been included to provide some balance and context,” Poate told the<em> Daily Telegraph</em>.</p> <p>The federal court <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/a-win-for-the-press-a-big-loss-for-ben-roberts-smith-what-does-this-judgment-tell-us-about-defamation-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed</a> Roberts-Smith’s defamation trial against the <em>Sydney Morning Herald</em>, <em>The Age</em>, and the <em>Canberra Times</em>, with Justice Besanko concluding the various titles had substantially proven the former soldier unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghan prisoners during his service in the SAS between 2009 and 2012.</p> <p>The judgement also acknowledged instances of Roberts-Smith’s alleged bullying of fellow soldiers. However, the court dismissed two other murder allegations and an accusation that he had assaulted his mistress.</p> <p>In his thorough 736-page judgement, the judge determined that Roberts-Smith and four key witnesses called to testify were both dishonest and unreliable in their evidence.</p> <p>Following the release of the completed judgement, Roberts-Smith’s legal team is now closely inspecting the document to identify potential grounds for an appeal.</p> <p>Poate emphasised the fact that Hekmatullah was captured and convicted of war crimes and subsequently released. In comparison, Roberts-Smith <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/australian-war-memorial-urged-to-remove-ben-roberts-smith-s-uniform-from-display" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has not been convicted</a> of any war crimes. Potae perceives the treatment of Roberts-Smith as a case of double standards.</p> <p>Additionally, Poate asserted that the responsibility for any wrongdoing committed by the SAS in Afghanistan lies with others in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). By acknowledging the collective accountability within the organisation, Poate has suggested a wider perspective on the matter.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Legal

What should the Australian War Memorial do with its heroic portraits of Ben Roberts-Smith?

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kit-messham-muir-129956">Kit Messham-Muir</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></p> <p>On Friday, the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dismissed-legal-experts-explain-the-judgment-in-the-ben-roberts-smith-defamation-case-191503">Federal Court dismissed</a> Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation case against The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times.</p> <p>Justice Anthony Besanko ruled the newspapers had established, by the “balance of probabilities” (the standard of evidence in a civil lawsuit), that Roberts-Smith had committed war crimes.</p> <p>Following the ruling, much public debate has focused on what the Australian War Memorial should do with Robert-Smith’s uniform, helmet and other artefacts of his on display.</p> <p>Greens senator David Shoebridge <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidShoebridge/status/1664140665666826240">called for</a> the removal of these objects from public display to correct the official record and “to begin telling the entire truth of Australia’s involvement in that brutal war.”</p> <p>The topic of what to do with Roberts-Smith’s uniform and helmet was debated on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sH1oVNVJP1k">ABC’s Insiders yesterday</a>: should the display be removed, effectively cancelled, or changed to tell the full story?</p> <h2>The case of the oil paintings</h2> <p>It is not just these artefacts on display. The memorial also has two heroic oil painting portraits of Roberts-Smith by one of Australia’s leading artists, <a href="http://www.michaelzavros.com/">Michael Zavros</a>.</p> <p>These paintings were commissioned by the memorial in 2014.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&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/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529980/original/file-20230605-16883-qhpzvv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Michael Zavros, Pistol grip (Ben Roberts-Smith VC), 2014, oil on canvas, 162 cm x 222 cm.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2092390">© Australian War Memorial</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p><a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2092390">Pistol Grip (Ben Roberts-Smith VC)</a> is a larger-than-life-sized depiction of Roberts-Smith, camouflage arms outstretched, mimicking the action of holding a pistol.</p> <p>The smaller <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2092391">Ben Roberts-Smith VC</a> depicts him in ceremonial military uniform.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&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/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529982/original/file-20230605-23-pgn7xe.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=555&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Michael Zavros, Ben Roberts-Smith VC, 2014, oil on canvas, 30 x 42 cm.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C2092391">© Australian War Memorial</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>In an <a href="https://memoreview.net/reviews/the-anti-art-of-war-by-rex-butler-and-paris-lettau">article in arts criticism website Memo</a> yesterday, respected Monash University art historian Rex Butler and arts journalist Paris Lettau weighed into the debate.</p> <p>Butler and Lettau say Pistol Grip is:</p> <blockquote> <p>threatening, over-bearing, macho, hyper-masculine, celebratory, and enormous, like the man himself – some 220 centimetres wide and 160 centimetres high.</p> </blockquote> <p>When Zavros created his large portrait it was a depiction of a soldier doing what he was trained – and venerated – for doing.</p> <p>It is an aggressive pose that, given current developments, can be read in a much more sinister way. It touches on a far bigger question of how national institutions for the public memory of war address difficult and morally ambiguous moments in a national story.</p> <h2>Moral and ethical ambiguity</h2> <p>When the Canadian War Museum opened at its new site in Ottawa in 2005, its new displays included two paintings in their collection by Canadian artist <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-in-her-powerful-portraiture-military-artist-gertrude-kearns-pays/">Gertrude Kearns</a>.</p> <p>The paintings, Somalia without Conscience, 1996, and The Dilemma of Kyle Brown: Paradox in the Beyond, 1995, dealt with one of the most shameful episodes in Canada’s military history, known as the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somalia_affair">Somalia Affair</a>.</p> <p>In 1992, the Canadian Airborne Regiment was deployed as peacekeepers to Somalia. In 1993, 16-year-old Shidane Arone was found hiding in the Canadian base, believed to have been stealing supplies. He was tortured, and soldiers photographed themselves with the semi-conscious boy. Master Corporal Clayton Matchee and his subordinate Private Kyle Brown <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/7x75xg/remembering-the-somalia-affair-canadas-forgotten-abu-ghraib-moment">were charged</a> with his murder and torture.</p> <p>Somalia without Conscience depicts Matchee posing with the beaten Arone, while The Dilemma of Kyle Brown depicts Brown symbolically holding two potential fates in his hands: a lightly coloured cube in his right hand, and a darkened cube in his left. It addresses an ethical grey area many soldiers face during active service when the hierarchy of command comes into direct conflict with conscience.</p> <p>Following the opening of the new Canadian War Museum, the presence of Kearns’s paintings sparked <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=nltxDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT519&lpg=PT519&dq=%E2%80%9Cwas+not+only+telling+the+stories+of+heroism+and+courage+that+most+of+them+expected+to+be+told+but+also+stories+about+failures,+disappointments,+and+human+frailty%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=sfQZw_2qXL&sig=ACfU3U18i4X0ERdbg0wfOKXbnOIe1-5-pA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjXw6Sdk6v_AhXGVmwGHbRwDh0Q6AF6BAgJEAM#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9Cwas%20not%20only%20telling%20the%20stories%20of%20heroism%20and%20courage%20that%20most%20of%20them%20expected%20to%20be%20told%20but%20also%20stories%20about%20failures%2C%20disappointments%2C%20and%20human%20frailty%E2%80%9D&f=false">intense debate</a>. Curator Laura Brandon received abusive emails from members of the public.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&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/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/529986/original/file-20230605-23-vgma1q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure> <p>The museum copped criticism from figures such as the head of the National Council of Veterans Associations, who <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/war-museum-s-paintings-anger-veterans-group-1.546113">called</a> the paintings a “trashy, insulting tribute” and urged a boycott of the opening of the new museum.</p> <p>Discussing this controversy in 2007, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1354856507072860?journalCode=cona">Brandon said</a> what upset veteran communities was that “their” museum:</p> <blockquote> <p>was not only telling the stories of heroism and courage that most of them expected to be told but also stories about failures, disappointments, and human frailty.</p> </blockquote> <p>Brandon remained steadfast the museum needed to address the messy ambiguities of war and, despite pressure, kept Kearns’s paintings on display for the duration of the exhibition.</p> <h2>The complexity of contemporary art</h2> <p>Brandon’s curatorial decision to display Kearns’s Somalia paintings strike at the heart of what is special and important about contemporary war art in a national museum.</p> <p>Contemporary art presents ethical and moral complexity, grey zones and a range of perspectives. This is vital in a healthy liberal democracy.</p> <p>While Brandon’s choice to show Kearns’s Somalia paintings attracted criticism, the museum remained committed to telling a story that is difficult, ethically and morally complex, and uncomfortable for Canadians.</p> <p>To remove Zavros’ portraits from display would remove the now-untenable hero narrative that once surrounded Roberts-Smith. But doing so would also rewrite public memory by effectively erasing an important part of why and how Roberts-Smith was revered.</p> <p>These portraits now represent a morally complex story that needs to be addressed by our national war museum.</p> <p>To remove the portraits would miss a valuable opportunity to debate important questions about how we construct hero stories.</p> <p>So, how could these portraits still be shown in future?</p> <p>Zavros’ portraits were already complex works.</p> <p>Following Friday’s announcement, it is more important they are seen in all their additional multi-layered and problematic complexity.</p> <p>The portraits show us how we create the nation through the stories we tell ourselves, and how dynamic that narrative can be. The portraits present a valuable opportunity to show narratives of war – like the stories of our own lives – are never simple, consistent and coherent.</p> <p>The portraits should be displayed in ways that address this complexity, capturing the evolving story of Roberts-Smith in explanatory wall text. There is an opportunity here to not simply “correct” the official record, as Shoebridge suggests, but to have a deeper conversation about the role of hero narratives in diverting attention away from more important public debates about Australia’s involvements in conflicts.</p> <p>Maybe this could be addressed in the art the memorial commissions in future.</p> <p>The most compelling contemporary art works – and the most valuable museum displays in our national institutions – are those that consider our complex stories, raise important and self-reflective questions, and challenge simplistic narratives. <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/206934/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kit-messham-muir-129956">Kit Messham-Muir</a>, Professor in Art, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/curtin-university-873">Curtin University</a></em></p> <p>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/what-should-the-australian-war-memorial-do-with-its-heroic-portraits-of-ben-roberts-smith-206934">original article</a>.</p>

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