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"Bullet in your head": Guy Sebastian’s neighbour faces court over death threats

<p>Phillip Hanslow, neighbour to Australian singer Guy Sebastian, faced court for the first time this morning over his alleged death threats. </p> <p>Phillip arrived to a media frenzy with his wife, Carol, and her oxygen tank. He became emotional as he opened up about the state of his health in the wake of the six-year feud’s climax, and drew comparisons between his fight with the singer to the 1977 film <em>Castle</em>. </p> <p>The feud between the neighbours reached breaking point on January 23 when Phillip allegedly confronted Guy outside their properties in Sydney’s eastern beaches. Guy was returning from a family holiday in Japan when Phillip is said to have kicked down his fence. </p> <p>Phillip is said to have told the singer that “I’ll put a bullet in your head”, supposedly with a hammer in hand. However, the 66-year-old argues that his actual words were “one day someone will put a bullet in your head.” </p> <p>In the days to follow the incident, Phillip was arrested and issued with an apprehended violence order. Guy was granted the order that prevented Philip from contacting him or from entering his property by Magistrate Ross Hudson.</p> <p>Outside of the court, Phillip spoke of his arrest, and the manner in which law enforcement officers entered his home, claiming they “broke into the back of the house, smashed down the door, and came into the house while I was on the toilet and arrested me.</p> <p>“And then took me off to Maroubra Police Station and I spent six-and-a-half hours in the lockup. All over just a heated argument with a neighbour which I think is clearly overboard.”</p> <p>Phillip’s admissions to reporters didn’t stop there, with the former builder opening up about his health, and the full-time care he provides his wife. </p> <p>“I’m 66 – on my way out, I suppose – my body’s worn out from years and years of working as a tradie, so it’s not easy trying to deal with what’s in front of me, but you’ve got to just move forward and do your best,” he said of his health conditions - including a herniated disk in his back, brain fog, and sciatica. “But I can’t cry about it, I’ve gotta keep moving forward.” </p> <p>Phillip informed the court that he had to have his infected bowel removed, and that it would mean a three-week recovery for him. He did not enter pleas during his appearance, stating that he required legal aid but had been unable to find anyone who was available. </p> <p>Under the circumstances, Magistrate Ross Hudson adjourned the matter, allowing Phillip until March 9 to find legal representation and to recover from his procedure.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Warhol’s bullet-riddled Marilyn Monroe sets new record

<p dir="ltr">Andy Warhol’s iconic 1964 portrait of Marilyn Monroe has sold at a New York auction house for a record-setting $195 million. </p> <p dir="ltr">The sale of the painting, called <em>Shot Sage Blue Marilyn</em>, is now the most expensive work by a 20th-century artist ever to be sold at auction.</p> <p dir="ltr">The image depicts a press photo from Monroe’s 1953 film <em>Niagara</em> in Warhol’s signature “pop-art” style, with the image being repeatedly used by the artist in his work until his death in 1987. </p> <p dir="ltr">It derives from his <em>Shot Marilyn</em> portrait series, which Warhol produced after an incident at his downtown studio when he prompted a collaborator, Dorothy Podber, to shoot into a stack of canvases.</p> <p dir="ltr">The result for this 1964 work almost doubled the artist's previous auction record of $105.4 million, which was set in 2013 when his 1963 canvas <em>Silver Car Crash</em> (<em>Double Disaster</em>) sold at Sotheby’s.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the sale, Christie’s auction house also rode a double-pronged pop culture wave of renewed interest in both Warhol and Monroe.</p> <p dir="ltr">Streaming giant Netflix has released separate documentary series on both the actress and the artist, with both icons making a resurgence in the pop culture zeitgeist. </p> <p dir="ltr">Not only did <em>Shot Sage Blue Marilyn</em> bring a new artist record for Warhol, it has also become one of the most expensive works of art ever to sold at auction, surpassing Pablo Picasso’s <em>Les Femmes d’Alger </em>(“<em>Version O</em>”) as the second high-selling work to hit the auction block. </p> <p dir="ltr">That painting sold at Christie’s for $179 million in 2015, with the most expensive work to ever sell at auction being Leonardo da Vinci’s <em>Salvator Mundi</em> which sold for $450 million.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

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“A magic bullet”: New leukemia treatment available can cure aggressive cancer

<p>Researchers at Royal Perth Hospital are thrilled that they’ve helped uncover a new drug that can cure an aggressive type of Leukemia.</p> <p>It’s been dubbed “the magic bullet” as retiree Howard Kurth, 80, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia two years ago.</p> <p>He told<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.9news.com.au/good-news/news-perth-new-leukemia-treatment-dubbed-a-magic-bullet/c2a61f8d-5d5a-49da-aecf-a4dcc2e30fc1" target="_blank">Nine News Perth</a></em><span> </span>that he had just days to live.</p> <p>"There was absolutely no sign of tiredness or soreness or anything," he said.</p> <p>"It was just a shot out of the blue."</p> <p>Howard was riddled with the deadly disease as it had made its way through more than 90 per cent of his body.</p> <p>His health was so bad that he wasn’t eligible for normal chemotherapy, but with this new treatment, he’s just celebrated his 80th birthday.</p> <p>Howard went into remission within four months of starting the new treatment and is still in remission two years later.</p> <p>"I thought, 'Well, I am going to beat this, there's no two ways about it', and so far I have," he said.</p> <p>He is the first patient in Australia to undergo the treatment and the treatment requires two pills taken every day and a small injection of chemotherapy seven days a month.</p> <p>Dr Peter Tan, from Royal Perth Hospital, says they are now using the results to personalise treatments.</p> <p>"What we're trying to find are certain markers to personalise treatment for patients as we know a one-size-fits-all doesn't help everybody," he said.</p> <p>"We think it will change the standard therapy and once it does become available for all patients, it will be the new gold standard across the world." </p>

Body

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You hate your job: Is retirement really a silver bullet?

<p><em><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.megangiles.com/" target="_blank">Megan Giles</a></span>, Retirement Transition Consultant, supports those approaching retirement to successfully transition and create a retirement they will love to live!</strong></em></p> <p>There are people who hate their job and are counting down the days until they can retire. They share with glee that it’s only 673 days until they retire and are quick to point out the shortcomings of their job, their manager, the organisation and even their colleagues. You might know one of these people. You may even be one yourself!  They assume that as soon as work is taken out of the equation, life will be great. They idealise retirement as an endless holiday, free of worry.</p> <p>The challenge is that for many like this, the dissatisfaction with their job can be all-consuming and it is not until they retire that they realise how strongly their job (and the associated complaining!) formed the basis of their identity. It’s positively exhausting to constantly complain and this means there is often very little ‘left in the tank’ to meet new people and try to new things outside of their job. Their world is work-centric and relatively small.</p> <p><em>I managed Sandie the Sandstorm. Clearly not her real name but that’s how I referred to her because in moments when stress overwhelmed her it was like a tornado whipping through the office! She had become cynical of change, regularly complained about how much better the ‘old days’ were, and frequently reminded me that she could retire now ‘if she wanted to’. Yet she worked well past the typical age of retirement. Why? I suspect because she was terrified of retirement. She worked long hours (I think simply so that she had something else to complain about) which meant she had limited time for friends and family and little else to talk about apart from work. Unconsciously she feared life without work.</em></p> <p>If you are miserable in your job, retirement may be a very appealing option. But without planning, retirement in and of itself is unlikely to be the silver bullet to your woes. Taking away something you dislike does not guarantee it will be replaced with joy and excitement.</p> <p><strong>How to take action to ensure that retirement does, in fact, bring you (or someone you love) the joy you seek.</strong></p> <p><strong>1. Start taking action now</strong></p> <p>Plan for retirement, but don’t just think about it in abstract terms, e.g. to be ‘happy’. Consider what that will look like in practice. Does this mean an overseas trip, regular tennis matches, spending time with the grandchildren or going to the movies weekly?  Plot what a typical week in retirement might look like. Now, look at your list and identify what you could start doing right now to distract from your mundane job. For example, what’s currently stopping you from going to the movies once a week? If you <em>chose</em> to make time, could it become a reality?</p> <p><strong>2. Establish a hobby before you retire</strong></p> <p>Make time to develop an interest outside of work before you retire. Not only will this help to create a sense of continuity when work no longer fills your waking hours but will create events to look forward to even while you are still working.</p> <p>It might be joining a book club (with wine!), taking up worm framing or training for a 5km fun run. What if there was more to each day than endless reports and emails. Imagine actually looking forward to something, such as an evening run.</p> <p><strong>3. Reconnect with friends</strong></p> <p>Make a call or send a message. Who is that one friend that you have been meaning to catch-up with? What can you do to connect with them today? It is refreshing to laugh about old times (and a good belly laugh does wonders for your mood) and talk about interests outside of work. It is also reassuring to know that you’ll have support around you when you step into retirement.</p> <p><strong>4. Spend time with people who energise and light you up</strong></p> <p>Make time for the people who make you laugh, and who bring out the best in you. These are the people who will encourage you to try new things and get out of your comfort zone. They may not be the people you work with. Distance yourself from people who bring you down and drain your energy. Be curious and allow yourself to see the wonder in life, particularly that outside of work.</p> <p>Take action today and set yourself up for a retirement you will love to live! And you never know, you may just enjoy the journey! </p>

Retirement Life

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What it’s like to travel the fastest train in the world

<p><em><strong>Michael Gebicki gives us a taste of what it’s like to travel on the Shanghai Maglev, which is regarded by many to be the fastest train in the world.</strong></em></p> <p>The current record holder is the Shanghai Maglev, also known as the Transrapid, which has a top speed of 430km/h. It achieves this phenomenal speed by using an electromagnetic field to glide above the track, eliminating the drag caused by wheels.</p> <p>The train operates between Shanghai and the city's Pudong International Airport, a distance of 30.5 kilometres, which it covers in eight minutes for an average speed of 228 km/h.</p> <p>China also has the world's longest high-speed train service, operating between Beijing and Guangzhou. The fastest trains on this line make the 2298km journey in eight hours, for an average speed of just under 300km/h.</p> <p>Although the journey by train takes considerably longer than the flight time between the two cities, when you factor in the time that the flyer requires for check-in and security clearance, baggage retrieval and travel time between airports and city centres – where the train terminals are located – the gap narrows.</p> <p>Japan recently celebrated 50 years since its first bullet train rolled out, but it recently tested a brand new maglev that will reach speeds of more than 500km/h.</p> <p>Passengers, who entered a competition to ride the train during tests, were on board to travel the 42.8km route between Uenohara and Fuefuki. The maglevs are planned to be introduced to regular service by 2027.</p> <p>In Europe, the fastest long distance train is Italy's AGV Italo, known as the Frecciarossa, operating along the rail corridor between Milan and Naples, with stops at Rome and Florence.</p> <p>This train set a world speed record of 574km/h in testing.</p> <p>Although its speed in everyday operation is well short of that, it still travels in excess of 300km/h and covers the distance between Milan and Naples in 4½ hours. Naturally, the train is red.</p> <p><em>Written by Michael Gebicki. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

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