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Major festival event cancelled after deadly find

<p>Mardi Gras Fair Day has been cancelled four days out from the event after asbestos was discovered in Victoria Park, Sydney CBD. </p> <p>The organisers of the event, were informed of the site's contamination on Monday, with EPA officers finding positive results for bonded asbestos after undertaking tests earlier this week. </p> <p>Mardi Gras chef executive Gil Beckwith said that they are heartbroken after the decision was made, but the community's wellbeing is more important. </p> <p>“Fair Day is one of our most loved events, and is attended by over 70,000 people each year,” Beckwith said. </p> <p>“It breaks our heart to see this Sunday not go ahead, but given the safety concerns, we must put our communities’ wellbeing first.</p> <p>“The rest of our festival continues unchanged, offering many chances over the 17 days for our communities to come together in celebration and solidarity.”</p> <p>Other highlights including the Mardi Gras Parade and Bondi Beach Party will still go ahead as planned. </p> <p>This comes after the EPA confirmed that there is a widespread asbestos contamination with 22 sites across Sydney being affected, prompting the closure of parks, building sites, schools and train stations. </p> <p>Asbestos is a fibrous substance that can be trapped in the lungs if it's breathed in, and can lead to an increased risk in developing lung, ovary and throat cancer, according to the cancer council. </p> <p>Lord Mayor of Sydney Clover Moore said that it was an “incredibly disappointing” decision.</p> <p>“The NSW government and the EPA must make sure this never happens again,” she said. </p> <p>Asbestos has been found in two other city parks including Belmore Park in Haymarket and Harmony Park in Surry Hills. </p> <p>The Sydenham to Bankstown Rail Corridor sites including Campsie, Hurlstone Park, Dulwich Hill, Belmore, Wiley Park, Punchbowl and Marrickville have also been affected, with licensed removalists working hard to clear the sites. </p> <p>Over the coming week 32 more parks will be closed off, as they conduct more tests for contamination. </p> <p>“We urge everyone to avoid the mulched garden beds and mulched areas under trees at these parks while the inspections are being carried out,” a City of Sydney spokesperson said.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Flight cancelled after parents demand free upgrade for their child

<p dir="ltr">A flight was delayed for hours before being ultimately cancelled after two parents demanded that their child was upgraded to first class for free. </p> <p dir="ltr">A plane in China was grounded for three hours after the parents caused a ruckus with the cabin crew, and were eventually kicked off the aircraft. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to a fellow passenger, the argument kicked off when an unsupervised child began to sob uncontrollably after boarding a flight from Chengdu to Beijing. </p> <p dir="ltr">As it turned out, the inconsolable toddler’s parents were seated in first class but had only bought their child an economy ticket.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was then that the angry dad confronted the staff, demanding that his son be moved to first class at no extra cost.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the <em>South China Morning Post</em>, the irate dad explained that because he had already paid for two first class tickets, his child’s upgrade should be free. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the clip shot by a fellow passenger, the outraged dad began berating a group of passengers, crew members, and security guards as they repeatedly explained why his child isn’t entitled to an upgrade.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop swearing at me,” fumed the father. “You have no right to do that.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When a security guard attempts to de-escalate the situation, the parent lays into him, shouting: “What gives you the right to order me about?”</p> <p dir="ltr">This prompts a woman to retort: “You’ve wasted too much of our time and we won’t tolerate it any longer.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After three hours of back and forth, the couple were eventually kicked off the plane, while the flight was cancelled. </p> <p dir="ltr">The entitled passenger has since been rinsed on social media with one commenter fuming, “This man is so selfish.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others suggested solutions for the father that didn’t involve the airline giving the man an extra first-class seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He can switch seats,” advised one person. “Let him sit in economy class, and have the mum take care of the child in the first-class cabin.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Some on social media were quick to chastise the airline for their handling of the situation, with one person writing, “Keeping the quarrel going for hours? The problem-solving skills of the crew are poor.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Twitter</em><span id="docs-internal-guid-dd8af609-7fff-7da2-9017-179b6317cd24"></span></p>

Travel Trouble

Passengers stranded after three-year cruise abruptly cancelled

<p dir="ltr">When Life At Sea <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/world-first-three-year-cruise-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> their world-first three-year voyage in early 2023, many were quick to jump at the opportunity to spend the next years of their life onboard. </p> <p dir="ltr">People from around the globe <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/cruising/meet-the-woman-preparing-to-spend-three-years-at-sea#xd_co_f=YTM5MzVmOGQtNTY4My00NWE1LThjNDctMTUxMjJlNjVhMWNj~" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sold their homes</a> and belongings to fork out the hefty $180,000 price tag to spend 36 months travelling the world, with their once-in-a-lifetime voyage set to kick off in November. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ddf609a3-7fff-7e5e-04e2-f5d7a488896d"></span>But now, as their departure date loomed, Life At Sea have left passengers stranded after abruptly cancelling the trip in its entirety. </p> <p>Life at Sea Cruises was scheduled to depart from Istanbul, Turkey on November 1st but departure was relocated and delayed twice to November 30th, before passengers were informed on November 17th the cruise was off, according to <em>CNN</em>.</p> <p>The news outlet reported that the ship that was destined to be the vessel of the three-year journey was bought by another company just one day before the voyage was cancelled. </p> <p>The owner of Life at Sea Cruises’ parent company Miray Cruises, then confirmed they couldn’t afford the ship because investors had pulled out “due to unrest in the Middle East” – but suggested they were working on getting another ship and a new departure date. </p> <p>The idea that the vessel would be replaced filled some travellers with hope they would still be embarking on their three-year adventure, before CEO of Miray Cruises was forced to clarify: “In case we weren’t clear, the Life at Sea cruise trip is cancelled.”</p> <p>Passengers were devastated by the news, with those who thought they had locked in the next three years of their lives telling <em>CNN</em> they felt “incredibly sad”, “angry” and “betrayed”.</p> <p>“I had the next three years of my life planned to live an extraordinary life, and now [I have] nothing,” said one cruiser.</p> <p>“I don’t think they will ever understand how much damage they’ve caused us,” said another.</p> <p>The more than $180,000 three-year trip had been celebrated by big cruising fans and called a “nightmare” and “claustrophobic” by critics across social media.</p> <p>The company’s website is still advertising the cruise as normal, with a countdown stating on Monday it was three hours “until we go for an adventure of a lifetime”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Life At Sea</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Flight cancelled after passenger's sickening act

<p dir="ltr">A flight has been cancelled at the last minute after a passenger allegedly defecated on the floor of the airplane bathroom. <br />The EasyJet flight was due to depart from the Spanish island of Tenerife to London’s Gatwick airport, which had already been delayed by several hours when the incident took place. </p> <p dir="ltr">A passenger on board by the name of Aaran Gedhu told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/easyjet-flight-canceled-defecation-incident/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>CNN</em></a> that the problems began when the scheduled plane was switched out for a smaller aircraft. </p> <p dir="ltr">Passengers were turned away from boarding the plane while the switch took place, which stirred up a frustrated atmosphere amongst passengers. </p> <p dir="ltr">After travellers eventually made it onto the plane two hours after their scheduled departure, they had to wait for their luggage to be transferred to the new plane, which again took several hours. </p> <p dir="ltr">As the delay extended, the atmosphere on the packed flight was characterised by "suspense and anger," Gedhu said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"EasyJet planes, as they are, just aren't very comfortable – it's just a basic seat with okayish legroom room. So everyone was just a bit tense," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Then, the pilot finally gave the all clear, and then he said that it will be about 20 minutes until departure," recalled Gedhu.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And that's when the incident happened with the defecation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Gedhu, who was seated in the middle of the aircraft, saw "two passengers" visit the front airplane bathroom with word quickly spreading that someone had defecated on the bathroom floor. </p> <p dir="ltr">As an unpleasant smell followed, passengers grew more irritated, but Gedhu says most people onboard believed the incident was an "accident".</p> <p dir="ltr">"Everyone was being polite to each other. There was no fighting amongst the passengers," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was just a very uncomfortable experience. Obviously, the plane was in an unsanitary state. So they had to get external cleaners out from the airport to clean it. So that's when the stairs reconnected, and the cleaners came on to deep clean the flooring."</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Gedhu, passengers remained in their seats during the cleaning process, and after the situation had been resolved, the captain of the aircraft told the plane's occupants they would have to disembark.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It was very frustrating," another passenger, Kitty Streek, told <em>CNN Travel</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We obviously can't prove whether the person simply had an accident or if they had done this out of anger for the delayed flight but it was hard not to be angry either way as nobody wants to be stranded in another country."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Travel Trouble

"Magical": Ed Sheeran crashes wedding after cancelled Vegas concert

<p>Ed Sheeran, the man of the hour, recently pulled off a surprise move that left a wedding chapel feeling less little and a lot more magical. After recently being forced to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/ed-sheeran-fans-left-devastated-moments-before-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrap his Las Vegas gig</a> due to some venue woes, he stumbled upon a teeny spot he couldn't resist: The Little White Wedding Chapel.</p> <p>In a moment that's now etched in matrimonial history, Sheeran couldn't resist the urge to crash Jordan and Carter Lindenfield's intimate wedding ceremony. And boy, oh boy, was it a surprise!</p> <p>The couple were just about to say their "I dos" when up popped Ed Sheeran like a musical jack-in-the-box. Strolling in with an acoustic guitar and a gang of backup singers, ready to serenade the lovebirds with his upcoming single, "Magical", the jaw-dropping, starstruck expressions from the bride and groom said it all.</p> <p>After Sheeran finished crooning his heart out for the tearful duo, they sealed the deal with a kiss and the all-important certificate-signing ritual. But here's the kicker: Sheeran himself became an official witness to their nuptials, sheepishly admitting: "This is the first time I've been a witness."</p> <p>As if the entire affair wasn't surreal enough, Ed took to Instagram to immortalise the moment, captioning it with the understatement of the century: "Crashed a wedding, this is Magical."</p> <p>The fans, always ready to hop on the Sheeran bandwagon, couldn't contain their excitement in the comments section. Some were so swept away by the thought of Ed showing up at their own weddings that they contemplated tying the knot, fiancé or not.</p> <p>"I never wanted to get married, but if this could happen, I might reconsider," one fan playfully quipped. Another enthusiastic soul chimed in, "You can crash my wedding too! No date set, and I'm still looking for the fiancé, but hey, baby steps."</p> <p>This isn't the first time Sheeran has indulged in his wedding-crashing whims. In 2015, he made headlines by gatecrashing a wedding ceremony in Sydney, courtesy of a local radio station. They had organised the dream wedding for a couple who had faced some serious hardships, so Sheeran decided to sprinkle some stardust on their special day.</p> <p>Fast forward to the present, and Ed's spontaneous wedding performances are still going strong. This latest magical moment came hot on the heels of his Las Vegas concert cancellation. He had to break the news to fans just an hour before showtime. But he then went on to assure everyone that the safety of his fans was his top priority. "I really am gutted," he confessed, but promised that the rescheduled show on October 28 would be nothing short of spectacular.</p>

Music

Ed Sheeran fans left devastated moments before show

<p>Ed Sheeran has been forced to abruptly cancel his show in Las Vegas, just hours before it was set to begin. </p> <p>The British singer-songwriter, who is coming to the end of his Mathematics World Tour, broke the news to devastated fans on Sunday, saying he was "so sorry" for the last minute cancellation. </p> <p>Sheeran wrote on Instagram, “I can’t believe I’m typing this but there’s been some challenges encountered during the load in of our Vegas show."</p> <p>He continued, “It’s impossible to go forward with the show. I’m so sorry. I know everyone has travelled in for this and I wish I could change it."</p> <p>“The gig will be postponed to Saturday October 28th and all purchased tickets will be valid for that date. I’m so, so sorry x.”</p> <p>Fans were quick to express their disappointment, with many saying they had travelled to attend the show and weren't able to come back for the postponed gig. </p> <p>One fan wrote, “I can’t believe we travelled all the way to Vegas 10 hours to see Ed Sheeran for him to cancel less than an hour before the show."</p> <p>“My poor husband a disabled vet along with so many people standing waiting on 103 degree heat to be turned away!!! I can’t come back in October, and no refund!!”</p> <p>Many demanded an explanation as to how the gig could be cancelled at such short notice, to which Ed took to Instagram again in the hours after the cancellation to shed some light on the issue. </p> <p>According to his statement on Instagram, the show was cancelled over safety concerns when two tall towers, used to hold up the stage and lighting equipment, had become unstable. </p> <p>Despite best efforts to restabilise the structures, the issue then travelled to the safety of the floor, which was set to hold 65,000 concertgoers, and the whole show had to be cancelled. </p> <p>Adding to the explanation, Sheeran wrote, "I really am gutted, this was very much out of my control but I do take full responsibility for everyone that was put out from the cancellation. Of course refunds are available at point of purchase, and there is a rescheduled show October the 28th if people still want to come, I promise it will be special."</p> <p>"We really thought the show was going to happen up until the very last moment but it just couldn’t for safety reasons. Sorry again to everyone affected, and hopefully see you in October x".</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

Booking customers on flights that were cancelled – how could Qantas do that?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/purdue-university-1827">Purdue University</a></em></p> <p>Fining Qantas <a href="https://www.atn.aero/#/article.html?id=87951">A$600 million</a> if it is found to have knowingly sold so-called “ghost flights” would be fair, according to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.</p> <p>The commission this week <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-takes-court-action-alleging-qantas-advertised-flights-it-had-already-cancelled">launched action</a> in the Federal Court alleging Qantas engaged in false, misleading or deceptive conduct by selling tickets on flights that had already been cancelled, and not informing passengers of cancellations in a timely manner.</p> <p>The regulator’s charges against the airline, which last month reported a record <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/24/qantas-delivers-record-247bn-profit">$2.47 billion profit</a>, have precipitated the early exit of longtime chief executive Alan Joyce, who quit this week two months ahead of schedule. This court challenge will certainly add to the workload of his successor, Vanessa Hudson.</p> <p>Qantas <a href="https://www.atn.aero/#/article.html?id=87951">has acknowledged</a> that service standards might have slipped as the airline was struggling to recover after the pandemic.</p> <p>The nature of the oversights that led to the airline’s errors will determine the airline’s liability – both to the consumer regulator and to individual claims for compensation.</p> <p>Importantly, the case also points to the need for greater regulatory protection of the airline’s passengers, in line with other jurisdictions.</p> <h2>How did Qantas get in this mess?</h2> <p>The short answer, most likely, is that the carrier did not handle flight cancellations promptly due to the sheer volume of work and labour shortages as it sought to resume operations following the end of pandemic restrictions.</p> <p>The consumer regulator’s allegations relate specifically to May and June 2022. Australia lifted many of its COVID-related travel restrictions in <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/australia-lifts-covid-restrictions-and-welcomes-travelers-/6451955.html">March</a>, and travellers entering the country <a href="https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destinations/australia-lifts-remaining-covid-19-travel-restrictions">after July 6</a> were not required to show proof of vaccination. The airline was trying to bring its planes back into service and hire or retrain its employees, and generally was struggling to get back to more or less normal operations.</p> <p>In its statement, the competition watchdog noted the carrier cancelled nearly one in four flights scheduled during that period; and for two out of three cancelled flights it either continued selling tickets or failed to inform the passengers –sometimes for extended periods of time – or both.</p> <p>Flight cancellations are a normal part of an airline’s operations. However, the “usual” cancellation rate is <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/air-travel-consumer-report-march-2023-and-1st-quarter-2023-numbers#:%7E:text=DOT%20remains%20committed%20to%20ensuring,first%20three%20months%20of%202022.">less than 2%</a>, less than a tenth of what Qantas experienced in May and June 2022. What is unusual is that Qantas did not immediately remove cancelled flights from its booking system. This is something I have never heard of.</p> <p>One also suspects the airline has had enough “practice” with schedule adjustment during the pandemic to know better. There are clearly gaps in the carrier’s management. It has lessons to learn from this debacle.</p> <h2>What is Qantas’ liability?</h2> <p>The question of the extent of the airline’s liability is not straightforward. Obviously, a business willingly selling a product or service it has no intention to deliver is at fault, and has to face consequences.</p> <p>At the same time, a business selling a product that has defects it is unaware of, despite doing its best to prevent such defects from occurring, will face certain costs (such as those associated with a product recall) but may be spared sanctions.</p> <p>The onus will be on Qantas to demonstrate it made an honest mistake rather than a lapse of judgement. But considering the scale of the problem, the airline faces a very difficult task here.</p> <h2>Individual claims pending</h2> <p>As well as a potential fine, Qantas should brace for a flood of claims from individual passengers who bought a ticket for an already cancelled flight or were not informed in a timely manner.</p> <p>Timing will be of the essence here. If a passenger incurred expenses assuming the flight was operating when it had already been cancelled, such as making a non-refundable hotel reservation, there is a case to request compensation for such expenses.</p> <p>Otherwise, the standard policy will apply: the airline is not usually responsible for any non-refundable and uninsured expenses a passenger incurs prior to the flight cancellation.</p> <h2>Closing the regulatory gap</h2> <p>The regulator should, however, also take a closer look at the existing air passenger rights in Australia.</p> <p>Currently, <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/consumers/specific-products-and-activities/travel-delays-and-cancellations">the consumer is entitled to replacement or refund</a> if an airline does not provide services “in a reasonable time” - that is, in the event of a lengthy delay or a flight cancellation. However, the definition of “reasonable time” and the specifics of the compensation policies are left to the airlines.</p> <p>In other parts of the world, actions have been or are being taken to strengthen customer protection. For instance, in <a href="https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm">the European Union</a>, lengthy delays that are the airlines’ fault lead to the carriers paying out cash compensation as well as the cost of accommodation and meals.</p> <p>Similar regulations <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/dot-propose-requirements-airlines-cover-expenses-and-compensate-stranded-passengers">were proposed in the United States</a> earlier this year.</p> <p>Perhaps, if stronger consumer protection rules had been in place in Australia in 2022, Qantas would have managed the aftermath of flight cancellations more diligently.<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/212793/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/volodymyr-bilotkach-145437">Volodymyr Bilotkach</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/purdue-university-1827">Purdue University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/booking-customers-on-flights-that-were-cancelled-how-could-qantas-do-that-212793">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Alan Joyce grilled over cancelled flights and Covid credits

<p>Outgoing Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has faced a line of tough questioning after appearing in front of a Senate committee on Monday, who questioned his enormous salary in the face of the cost of living crisis.</p> <p>At the explosive public hearing of the select committee on the cost of living, which Joyce had to be summonsed to after repeatedly refusing to attend, the outgoing Qantas chief executive defended the record $2.47bn full-year profit he announced just days earlier.</p> <p>Senators were confused by the extraordinary profit, given Qantas has seen 12 months of soaring customer dissatisfaction and a looming class action lawsuit over the travel credits policy during the height of the pandemic, as well as facing accusations of anti-competitive behaviour, and historically high cancellation rates out of Sydney airport.</p> <p>Joyce defended the profits, saying Qantas had been caught up in a wave of “criticism of corporate profits” due to cost-of-living pressures.</p> <p>As well as the company's incredible profits, Joyce himself, who is walking away from the CEO role at the end of the year, is set to walk away with as much as $24 million in personal pay. </p> <p>Labor senator Tony Sheldon quizzed Joyce on if he feels "embarrassed" over his huge personal salary, given the airline’s soaring complaints and his decisions to restructure the airline to pay employees less.</p> <p>Joyce refused to answer the question, saying the senator was "making a whole series of points that are just incorrect.”</p> <p>Joyce was then grilled on the seemingly "strategic" cancellation of domestic flights, in which some senators, as well as airline competitors, had accused Qantas of booking in flights out of Sydney airport and then cancelling them last minute, to block other airlines from increasing their services. </p> <p>He again denied these claims, stating that Qantas’s cancellation rate on a national level (not out of Sydney specifically) were the lowest of the major carriers, and blamed the cancellations on “supply chain issues” and “air traffic control delays”.</p> <p>Finally, Joyce was confronted over his policy of not refunding travel credits that were issued when travellers' trips were cancelled during the height of the pandemic. </p> <p>In June, Qantas announced more than $500 million in Covid credits remained unclaimed and would expire by the end of the year.</p> <p>While refunds have been offered for some credits, not everyone was able to claim these, and a class action lawsuit is now claiming compensation for lost interest on the credits.</p> <p>At the Senate committee meeting, Jetstar chief executive, Steph Tully, said the number of unclaimed credits now lies at $370 million, however this figure did not reflect Jetstar or overseas customers’ credits.</p> <p>“Around $100m” in Jetstar credits remain unclaimed, on top of Qantas’s $370m, Tully said.</p> <p>Senator Sheldon then slammed Tully for "not being transparent” before asking “what’s stopping you from refunding the money”.</p> <p>Tully replied “lots of reasons”, citing codeshare flights and “half-taken trips”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

Bruce Springsteen cancels shows after being "taken ill"

<p>Bruce Springsteen's upcoming performances have been unexpectedly put on hold due to his falling ill, leading to the postponement of his scheduled shows.</p> <p>A sudden announcement, posted on the singer's official X account, has informed fans that the show dates will be rescheduled.</p> <p>"Due to Bruce Springsteen having been taken ill, his concerts with The E Street Band at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed.</p> <p>We are working on rescheduling the dates so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled shows."</p> <p>This announcement emerged mere hours before the debut show, just as eager fans were anticipating a memorable experience with Springsteen and his band.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Due to Bruce Springsteen having been taken ill, his concerts with The E Street Band at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on August 16 and 18 have been postponed.</p> <p>We are working on rescheduling the dates so please hold on to your tickets as they will be valid for the rescheduled…</p> <p>— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) <a href="https://twitter.com/springsteen/status/1691872953414115424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>This occurrence isn't the first instance where the music icon had to modify a show at the 11th hour due to health issues.</p> <p>Earlier this year, Springsteen communicated the postponement of his March 9 event at the Nationwide Arena in Ohio, attributing it to "illness."</p> <p>No explicit details about his health condition were disclosed in that instance either, but fans were encouraged to retain their original tickets for the rescheduled shows.</p> <p>Following the Ohio cancellation, two more postponements were subsequently declared.</p> <p>The performance originally slated for March 12 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut has been rescheduled to September, while the March 14 show at the MVP Arena in Albany, upstate New York, was similarly postponed.</p> <p>Both changes were tied to unspecified health concerns.</p> <p>During this period, Steven Van Zandt, a member of the E Street Band, assuaged fans' concerns. He reassured them via Twitter, stating: "No need to be anxious or afraid. Nothing serious. Just a temporary situation. We will all be back in full force very soon."</p> <p>The band embarked on their tour in February, commencing in Tampa and traversing the United States before crossing the Atlantic to Europe in April.</p> <p>Returning to the United States in August, Springsteen and his crew intended to entertain audiences for several more months before culminating the extensive tour on December 10 in San Francisco.</p> <p>With a career spanning over 50 years, the seasoned singer-songwriter shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon.</p>

Caring

Woman divides internet after cancelling her brother's wedding

<p>A woman has divided the internet after admitting to cancelling her brother's wedding without telling him, after consistently being treated poorly by her future sister-in-law. </p> <p>The 27-year-old shared that the "extreme" moment came after countless mean comments, wedding planning gone wrong and a selection of financial problems. </p> <p>Writing on Reddit's "Am I The A**hole?" thread, the woman wanted advice on if she was in the wrong. </p> <p>The woman explained that her brother, 30, and his fiancée Ella, 28, had been together three years but the two women were never particularly close.</p> <p>"Honestly, we never got along but I always tried to put up a peaceful front because my brother seemed blissfully happy with her," the poster explained on the online forum.</p> <p>"Ella was mean to me a lot ... She would make comments about my weight, my makeup, and especially my dog. She hated animals and hated that I would bring my lab, Toast, to my parents or my brothers house."</p> <p>After her brother popped the question, she was shocked when Ella asked her to be her Maid of Honour, given their turbulent relationship. </p> <p>Despite this, she agreed to the role, thinking it was the "sisterly" thing to do.</p> <p>"What I failed to realise when I accepted the role was that to her [Maid Of Honour] meant planning the entire wedding. Like I was booking venues, florists, jazz band, everything," the woman wrote.</p> <p>"Even worse she expected me to put my MY credit card down for all of it... Every time I asked Ella about it, she would say that it would all be paid back by her parents before the wedding."</p> <p>It wasn't until three weeks before the wedding that the relationship between the two women took a turn for the worst. </p> <p>"I asked if she had received the updated receipt of everything owed when she exploded," she said.</p> <p>"She called me a whole line of terrible names but the one that stuck out was her saying 'What do you need the money for anyway? Your sick dog is dead now'."</p> <p> </p> <p>"My beautiful Toasty died about a month before this after he fought the bravest battle with cancer. He was my soul dog and I was devastated."</p> <p>Ella's hurtful comments went a step too far, leading the woman to "immediately called the vendors and cancelled any deposit under my card. Every. Single. One."</p> <p>"After almost 20 calls, all that was left of her wedding was the dress and the flower arch."</p> <p>The woman told her brother what she had done, and said she would no longer be attending their wedding if it still went ahead after her revenge plan. </p> <p>She then ignored calls from her future sister-in-law, forcing her to deal with all the wedding fallout. </p> <p>Most people took to the comments in support of the woman's "revenge", saying she would have been saddled with footing the bill.</p> <p>"MOH duties do NOT include planning the whole wedding and they certainly do NOT put down all the deposits and pay for the wedding," one person wrote.</p> <p>"If you ask me, it sounds 100% like they were going to stiff you for the wedding. I don't believe for a minute her parents were paying for it."</p> <p>Another wrote, "You didn't cancel the wedding. You extricated yourself from an abusive and exploitative situation. They're still free to marry, on their own thin dime."</p> <p>While most people supported the woman's actions, there were a handful of comments that believed the woman had gone too far with her revenge, but also agreed her sister-in-law treated her very poorly. </p> <p>After the original post went viral, the poster shared an update that she is now speaking to her brother again and that the couple didn't make it down the aisle.</p> <p>They are currently on a "break" with Ella no longer in possession of an engagement ring.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Relationships

Sam Frost reveals why she cancelled her wedding plans

<p dir="ltr">Sam Frost and her fiancé, former<em> Survivor</em> star Jordie Hansen have called off their wedding - for now.</p> <p dir="ltr">The couple revealed that after the birth of their first child Ted, in March, their priorities have shifted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“To be honest, I'm the one putting the brakes on it,” Frost told <em>The Morning Show</em> hosts on Friday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is just so expensive! It's hard to justify spending so much money because we want to buy a house, and now we've got a baby,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Frost also explained that the pair still do want to get married in the future, but their current focus is on their son.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will eventually, but I think that our focus at the moment is little Teddy,” she said.</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/Cu3GqscBMci/?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/Cu3GqscBMci/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Morning Show On 7 (@morningshowon7)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The former <em>Home & Away </em>star has been very open about her motherhood journey and recently shared that for her, the most “difficult” part of being a mother is breastfeeding.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I found it really difficult emotionally, mentally and physically...When Teddy was born, he latched on perfectly,” she wrote in her personal blog, <em>Believe by Sam Frost</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I remember looking at him thinking how amazing this experience is, how primal and special breastfeeding your newborn is,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“After a few days my nipples were chapped, raw and bleeding. I was in so much pain. A girlfriend had said she found breastfeeding harder than labour - I had an epidural, so I wholeheartedly agreed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The actress and her partner welcomed their son on March 7 this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair got engaged last July after dating for five months.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

‘Existential questions’: is this the beginning of the end of the Commonwealth Games?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-fujak-290599">Hunter Fujak</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/damien-whitburn-1455572">Damien Whitburn</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>Premier Daniel Andrews announced on Tuesday that the Victorian government has withdrawn from its commitment to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing an anticipated cost blowout from an original estimate of A$2.6 billion to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/18/australia-commonwealth-games-2026-victoria-cancels-event-after-funding-shortfall">over $6-$7 billion</a>.</p> <p>Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips described the decision as “beyond disappointing”. Phillips questions the government’s figures, <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2023/07/18/commonwealth-games-federation/">saying that the</a> cost of running the Gold Coast event in 2018 was $1.2 billion and the 2022 Birmingham Games was $1.8 billion.</p> <p>The government said existing funding set aside for the games will remain invested in regional projects intended to create an event “legacy”.</p> <p>Aside from the viability of the 2026 event, Victoria pulling out of hosting the event raises the broader question of whether the Commonwealth Games will survive.</p> <h2>How has this happened?</h2> <p>Victoria secured the Commonwealth Games in April 2022 with a unique multi-region model that sought to bring the event to regional Victoria.</p> <p>Despite the obvious risks and costs associated with decentralising a major event away from pre-existing infrastructure in Melbourne, Andrews <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-confirms-bid-for-2026-commonwealth-games-20220216-p59wvp.html">noted</a> at bid submission that "Victoria is Australia’s sporting state, and, if awarded the 2026 Commonwealth Games would demonstrate to the world a new way to deliver the competition."</p> <p>Andrews made clear the decision to withdraw was entirely financial, stating that the new estimated cost of potentially over $7 billion “does not represent value for money”.</p> <p>When pressed at his media conference to provide accountability as to how his government’s costing could have been so grossly inaccurate, Andrews said that certain event costs were unforeseeable.</p> <p>"What could not be reasonably foreseen, and was not foreseen, was the costs incurred in terms of services, security, transport […] there were estimates that were made and those estimates are clearly well and truly under the actual cost."</p> <p>The Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia dispute these costs estimates. They <a href="https://www.commonwealthsport.com/news/3594069/response-to-victoria-government-2026-commonwealth-game-host-withdrawal">signalled</a> the blame for any cost overruns lies with the Victorian government.</p> <p>"The numbers quoted to us today of $6 billion are 50% more than those advised to the Organising Committee board at its meeting in June."</p> <p>:Since awarding Victoria the Games, the Government has made decisions to include more sports and an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues, all of which have added considerable expense, often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Australia."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bit of a long one this morning.</p> <p>You might have heard the news this morning that Victoria will no longer be hosting the 2026 Commonwealth Games.</p> <p>And I wanted to tell you about the decision.</p> <p>— Dan Andrews (@DanielAndrewsMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielAndrewsMP/status/1681087774110384128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <h2>The implications</h2> <p>The decision to withdraw from hosting the event will still incur costs. This includes pre-existing costs related to staffing contracts, renting premises and marketing, as well as to-be-determined contractual break costs as negotiated with the Commonwealth Games Federation.</p> <p>The financial costs of the withdrawal, however, may pale against the longer-term reputational damage done to Victoria and perhaps Australia more broadly.</p> <p>This decision may also damage Andrews’ reputation. In proposing an untested regional games delivery model, it was incumbent on the government to adopt a particularly rigorous process to ensure the the event’s viability, which does not appear to have been done.</p> <h2>Is Victoria still Australia’s ‘sporting capital’?</h2> <p>Victoria has long proclaimed itself Australia’s (and even the world’s) <a href="https://search.informit.org/doi/abs/10.3316/INFORMIT.143058285756777">sporting capital</a>. The state has developed an unparalleled portfolio of major sport events since the 1980s, and become a global exemplar in executing major events in the process.</p> <p>But withdrawing from the 2026 Commonwealth Games arguably represents Australia’s most prominent sporting failure of the past half-century, and is a significant reputational blow to Victoria’s sporting pre-eminence.</p> <p>What’s more, in an <a href="https://inqld.com.au/news/2023/07/12/take-that-melbourne-brisbane-now-rated-as-australias-sports-capital/">annual global ranking of sport cities</a> published last month, before the Commonwealth Games decision, Brisbane (15th) leapfrogged Melbourne (23rd) and Sydney (44th) to become Australia’s top ranked.</p> <p>Brisbane’s success isn’t only attributable to its impending hosting of the 2032 Olympics. Its ranking also recognises that the FIFA Women’s World Cup is being played predominantly in the north-east Australian states due to <a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/soccer/not-a-realistic-option-why-the-matildas-aren-t-playing-at-the-mcg-20230717-p5doxk.html">stadium challenges</a> associated with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2021/dec/03/melbourne-falls-short-in-womens-world-cup-venue-allocation">AFL-orientated</a> Victoria.</p> <p>Meanwhile, South Australia’s recent sporting successes include the hosting of <a href="https://www.afl.com.au/news/906620/afl-to-gather-round-again-in-sa-for-next-three-years">AFL Gather Round</a>, LIV Golf and recent procurement of the <a href="https://supernetball.com.au/news/location-2024-ssn-grand-final-revealed#:%7E:text=Adelaide%20will%20host%20the%202024,at%20the%20Adelaide%20Entertainment%20Centre.">2024 Super Netball</a> final from Victoria.</p> <p>Victoria’s grip on the “sports capital” title is increasingly tenuous.</p> <h2>The end of the Commonwealth Games?</h2> <p>Perhaps the most critical question is the viability not only of the 2026 Games, but also the broader Commonwealth Games movement.</p> <p>Victoria’s withdrawal continues a trend of recent instability. In 2017, the South African city of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-games-commonwealth-durban-idUSKBN16K1UN">Durban</a> was stripped of 2022 hosting rights for a failure to meet key obligations around governance, venues and funding.</p> <p>However, whereas the Commonwealth Games Federation had just under 2,000 days to secure a replacement host for 2022, Victoria’s withdrawal has occurred only 973 days prior to the start of the event.</p> <p>The movement’s broader existence is perilous given there’s a shrinking pool of host cities. Victoria was the <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/melbourne-set-to-step-into-breach-as-2026-commonwealth-games-host-city-20220118-p59p6r.html">only formal applicant</a> for the 2026 edition.</p> <p>This is a challenge faced by large sporting events more broadly, with potential applicants <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Sport-Management-in-Australia-Organisation-Development-and-Global-Perspectives/Karg-Shilbury-Phillips-Rowe-Fujak/p/book/9781032330242?_ga=1233395845.1684800000">increasingly wary</a> of the significant costs.</p> <p>Even the summer and winter Olympic Games have increasingly struggled to attract applicants. This resulted in the <a href="https://olympics.com/ioc/2024-2028-host-city-election">unprecedented</a> move to simultaneously award the 2024 and 2028 summer games to Paris and Los Angeles in 2017 – normally the summer games are awarded to one city at a time.</p> <p>With seemingly little global appetite to host the event, and broader cultural discussions in Australia and abroad surrounding the role of the monarchy, existential questions surround the Commonwealth Games movement.<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/209961/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-fujak-290599">Hunter Fujak</a>, Lecturer in Sport Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/damien-whitburn-1455572">Damien Whitburn</a>, Lecturer, Sport Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/existential-questions-is-this-the-beginning-of-the-end-of-the-commonwealth-games-209961">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Trouble

"I'm not here to apologise": Dan Andrews fires up as Comm Games is scrapped

<p dir="ltr">Dan Andrews has fired up at disappointed journalists after making the shock announcement that the 2026 Commonwealth Games would be cancelled.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Victorian premier shocked the nation with the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday, saying the event would not go ahead due to funding issues.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said the government had considered “every conceivable option” to still hold the games, but new budgets revealed the event, which was originally tipped to cost $2.6 billion, would likely blow out the budget to $7 billion.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m not here to apologise for not spending $7bn to deliver an event,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s about, do you deliver it at any cost or not? And the answer is we’re not.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Journalists then quizzed Andrews on what the cost of abandoning the event would be, which he refused to answer but assured the costs would be “fully accounted for” at a later date.</p> <p dir="ltr">While he said he would not “speculate” on discussions, he confirmed “very little costs had been incurred to this point”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Regional Victoria were awarded the rights to host the 2026 event last year after no other countries in the Commonwealth Games Federation volunteered.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Games were set to be held from March 17th to 29th in the regional towns of Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat, Gippsland and Shepparton.</p> <p dir="ltr">Andrews went on to say the state could benefit much more from allocating the hefty multi-billion budget to other areas.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Today it’s not about finding fault with those cost estimates,” Mr Andrews said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I will not take money out of hospitals and schools in order to fund an event that is three times the cost as estimated and budgeted for last year.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Andrews said he had informed the Commonwealth Games authorities the state would seek to terminate the contract and said the subsequent meetings had been “amicable and productive”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In lieu of the Games, Mr Andrews announced the government would deliver the legacy benefits of the “housing, sporting infrastructure and tourism” benefits through other policies, using funds from the allocated $2.6 billion budget.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

"I'll be there": Rod Stewart provides update after cancellation

<p>Rod Stewart has provided an update following the last-minute cancellation of his Melbourne concert.</p> <p>The British icon, 78, was set to perform alongside Cyndi Lauper and Jon Stevens at A Day On The Green festival in Geelong.</p> <p>Just hours before the gates were due to open, a “downhearted” Stewart took to social media to let fans know his performance would not go ahead due to illness.</p> <p>Stewart is set to perform at AEC Arena in Adelaide tonight, March 21, and he’s taken to Instagram to give fans an update on his condition.</p> <p>“My dear friends in Adelaide, just to guarantee that the show will be going ahead,” Stewart said in a story on Instagram.</p> <p>“I had a slight setback here in Melbourne, I had to miss the show because I had strep throat.</p> <p>“I’m fine now, I’ll be there and I’m looking forward to it.”</p> <p>Stewart, Lauper and Stevens will grace the stage in Adelaide before heading to A Day On The Green at Mount Cotton in Queensland.</p> <p>The trio will finish up their shows in New South Wales, performing at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on March 29, The Hunter Valley’s Roche Estate on April 1, and Bowral’s Centennial Vineyards on April 2.</p> <p>Ticket holders in Geelong, who are still yet to hear whether refunds will be dispersed, were disheartened that the show was cancelled so last minute, as some had travelled a long distance just to see him.</p> <p>Others online emphasised the huge expenses they had spared hoping to see the performance, including money spent on transport and accommodation.</p> <p>Stewart announced the disappointing news on Instagram just hours before the show.</p> <p>“Hello, my friends. I’m absolutely downhearted that I’m disappointing my fans who bought tickets to A Day on the Green,” he said.</p> <p>“Late this morning I was advised that I have a viral infection and my throat is too irritated to sing. I’m only human and sometimes get sick just like you do.</p> <p>“My greatest joy is performing for you, so I’m doing everything I can to get on the mend and back on stage!”</p> <p>The promoters, Live Nation and Roundhouse Entertainment posted an online statement confirming the show would not go ahead.</p> <p>“A further announcement regarding the concert arrangements will be made early next week.”, they said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

News

"Downhearted": Rod Stewart reveals sad reason for cancellation

<p dir="ltr">Fans of Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper and Jon Stevens were left devastated after the trio’s highly anticipated performance was cancelled hours before they were due to take the stage.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sad announcement was made just after midday, with the trio set to perform at 4 pm at A Day on the Green festival in Mt Duneed Estate in Geelong, Victoria.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stewart took to Instagram to share his heartfelt apology, “Hello, my friends. I’m absolutely downhearted that I’m disappointing my fans who bought tickets to A Day on the Green.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Late this morning I was advised that I have a viral infection and my throat is too irritated to sing. I’m only human and sometimes get sick just like you do.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My greatest joy is performing for you, so I’m doing everything I can to get on the mend and back on stage!”</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/Cp7XzziNTVN/?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/Cp7XzziNTVN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">On Saturday, the promoters of the event posted an online statement confirming that the show was cancelled. The statement read: “Live Nation and Roundhouse Entertainment regret to announce that tonight’s performance, Saturday 18 March 2023, by Rod Stewart, Cyndi Lauper and Jon Stevens at Mt. Duneed Estate, Geelong will not go ahead, due to illness.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ticketmaster also apologised for the cancellation and to hold on to their tickets while they wait for further updates regarding the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hundreds of fans have shared their disappointment, with some saying they had travelled just for the show.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Would’ve been good to receive an email/text and not have to find out from a random in a cafe. Booked a weekend away for my mother-in-law’s 60th birthday which is today, we’re beyond devastated,” one person commented in an Instagram post from A Day on the Green.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A text or email would have been lovely, we just arrived after driving 5 hours and our notification was the sign out the front. This was my partner's dads Christmas present,” commented another.</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/Cp6WmRLOsHo/?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/Cp6WmRLOsHo/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by A Day On The Green (@adayonthegreenofficial)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Others have expressed their sympathy in response to the statement shared by Stewart.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's all good Sir Rod.. Take care of your people first.. The rest can be sorted out afterwards…” wrote one user.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I hope it's nothing too serious. Sending hugs. 💜” shared another fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hope you feel better soon. Must have been an awful decision to make to cancel at such short notice,” wrote a third.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Oscar Gonzalez/Getty Images</em></p>

Music

Why why WHYYYY Tom Jones' biggest hit is ‘cancelled’

<p>Choirs have been informed that they are no longer allowed to perform Welsh singer Tom Jones’ classic “Delilah” during international rugby matches at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.</p> <p>The announcement, made on Wednesday, came after allegations of misogyny, sexism, racism, and homophobia within the Welsh Rugby Union. Prior to banning the song, claims of a toxic culture within the WRU’s governing body were made public during a TV documentary, and chief executive Steve Phillips issued his resignation. </p> <p>Previously in 2015, the WRU had removed “Delilah” from its Test match playlists and half-time entertainment, but now guest choirs have been asked not to perform it. </p> <p>“‘Delilah’ will not feature on the playlist for choirs for rugby internationals at Principality Stadium,” a spokesperson for the stadium confirmed. </p> <p>“Guest choirs have also more recently been requested not to feature the song during their pre-match performances and throughout games,” he continued, “the WRU condemns domestic violence of any kind.</p> <p>"We have previously sought advice from subject matter experts on the issue of censoring the song and we are respectfully aware that it is problematic and upsetting to some supporters because of its subject matter."</p> <p>The lyrics of concern, written in the 1960s, reference a woman’s murder at the hands of her jealous partner. </p> <p>“I crossed the street to her house and she opened the door. She stood there laughing,” the song goes, “I felt the knife in my hand and she laughed no more.” </p> <p>The decision to ban the song has been met with mixed response, with many unsure that it was the right step towards tackling the WRU’s issues - or if it was even a step at all. </p> <p>“All the things they need to do,” tweeted WRU wing Louis Rees-Zammit, in what is believed to be a comment on the situation, “and they do that first…”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">All the things they need to do and they do that first….😶</p> <p>— Louis Rees-Zammit ⚡️ (@LouisReesZammit) <a href="https://twitter.com/LouisReesZammit/status/1620804107392155654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“Wrongheaded,” was what Welsh Conservative shadow sport minister Tom Giffard said of the decision. “One that amounts to simple virtue signalling, designed to ease the pressure the WRU are currently under. Calls to ban the song span at least the last decade, yet the WRU have chosen now to act.”</p> <p>He went on to state that people would rather see “institutional change” within the WRU, with better working practices and a refined complaint process. </p> <p>But, as he put it, “instead they are choosing to ban a much loved Tom Jones song. This action will solve nothing."</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Music

Lisa Wilkinson's big night out after Channel 10 cancels Christmas bash

<p>Lisa Wilkinson has celebrated her exit from <em>The Project</em> at a boozy Christmas party with her colleagues. </p> <p>The 62-year-old presenter partied the night away with Peter Helliar and Waleed Aly, as they drank margaritas and celebrated the festive season. </p> <p>Lisa shared some snaps of the evening on her Instagram page, writing, "That’s a Christmas wrap for <em>The Project</em>…and a fond farewell to five fabulous years for me. 👋🥰"</p> <p>"(And yes those are margaritas…and no, this time I’m not drinking alone - swipe left and you’ll see why🥂😂)."</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/CmQdktzLhzt/?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/CmQdktzLhzt/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lisa Wilkinson (@lisa_wilkinson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Lisa has a margarita bar at the party dedicated to her, in reference to when she was spotted sipping on a margarita while dining out alone back in March. </p> <p><em>The Project</em> Christmas party was a welcome surprise for the cast and crew of the show, as just days prior, Channel 10 announced it had cancelled its staff Christmas party following a disastrous year of poor ratings, high-profile resignations and cancelled shows.</p> <p>According to an insider, things are "worse than imagined" as the network fiercely battles it out with rival stations in a desperate bid to attract advertising dollars.</p> <p>Staff were left devastated when owner Paramount announced there will be no Christmas celebrations at the last hour.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Why people are calling for Nicole Kidman to be "cancelled"

<p>Nicole Kidman has come under fire for failing to speak out against luxury fashion brand Balenciaga, with many calling for the actress to be "cancelled" over her silence. </p> <p>The big-name brand is under intense scrutiny after releasing a series of photographs showing children holding stuffed animals dressed in bondage gear to promote their new collection. </p> <p>Another image shows a hidden document referencing a real-life court case about child pornography.</p> <p>As the images began to go viral on social media, Balenciaga was accused of promoting the sexualisation of children and “child abuse”.</p> <p>Nicole Kidman has a long history of working with the brand, and stars in the luxury Spring 2023 fashion campaign.</p> <p>Other celebrities associated with the brand, such as Kim Kardashian, have spoken out in protest against Balenciaga, expressing their "disgust and outrage" over the campaign images. </p> <p>Kidman posted images of her Spring ‘23 campaign with Balenciaga to her Instagram account on November 22, around the time the controversial promo pictures were released, and has provided no comment on the controversy.</p> <p>That silence has registered with her fans, many of whom took to the comments section beneath her post.</p> <p>“Shame on you,” one user wrote.</p> <p>“Silence is deafening. So disappointed,” wrote another.</p> <div> <p>Another fan wrote, “Oh, sweet Nicole, you best remove this and cut ties with this company! Going to lose many fans.”</p> <p>“Um – have always loved you Nicole but I’m shocked you haven’t said anything about the horrendous photos that this brand you’re representing posted,” one follower said.</p> <p>Following the public outcry surrounding the images, Balenciaga deleted all its Instagram posts of the campaign and shared a statement of apology on the social media platform.</p> <div> <p>“We sincerely apologise for any offence our holiday campaign may have caused,” read the statement, which was shared last week.</p> <p>“Our plush bear bag should not have been featured with children in this campaign."</p> <p>“We have immediately removed the campaign from all platforms.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> </div> </div>

Beauty & Style

Airlines to cough up millions in refunds and fines over delays and cancellations

<p dir="ltr">Frustrated travellers subject to major delays or cancellations to their US flights could be entitled to a portion of $US 600 million ($AU 896 million) in refunds from six airlines forced to refund their customers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The airlines have been ordered to pay back customers by the US Department of Transport as part of “historic enforcement actions”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Under US law, customers must be refunded by airlines or ticket agents if the airline cancels or significantly changes a flight to, from or within the US and they don’t want to accept the alternate offer.</p> <p dir="ltr">The department also ordered the airlines to pay a total of $US 7.25 million ($AU 10.84 millIon) in fines for “extreme delays in providing refunds”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When a flight gets cancelled, passengers seeking refunds should be paid back promptly. Whenever that doesn’t happen, we will act to hold airlines accountable on behalf of American travellers and get passengers their money back.” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/more-600-million-refunds-returned-airline-passengers-under-dot-rules-backed-new" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a press release</a> shared on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A flight cancellation is frustrating enough, and you shouldn’t also have to haggle or wait months to get your refund.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to 7News.com.au, the refunds apply to both US and international travellers.</p> <p dir="ltr">The fines and refunds vary from airline to airline, with the affected airlines including: </p> <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Frontier Airlines - ordered to refund $US 222 million ($AU 331.9 million) and pay $US 2.2 million ($AU 3.2 million) in fines</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Air India - to pay back $US 121.5 million ($AU 181.6 million) and fined $US 1.4 ($AU 2.1 million)</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">TAP Portugal - with refunds totalling $US 126.5 million ($AU 189.1 million) and fines of $US 1.1 million ($AU 1.6 million)</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Aeromexico - to refund $US 13.6 million ($AU 20.3 million) and pay $900,000 ($AU 1.3 million) in fines</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">El Al - due to pay $US 61.9 million ($AU 92.5 million) in refunds and $900,000 ($AU 1.3 million) in fines</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Avianca - with total refunds of $US 76.8 million ($AU 114.8 million) and a fine of $US 750,000 ($AU 1.1 million)</p> </li> </ul> <p dir="ltr">Most of the fines will be paid to the Treasury Department, with the remainder to be credited based on airlines paying customers beyond the legal requirement.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Blane Workie, the assistant general counsel for the Office of Aviation Consumer Protection DOT, the refunds have either already been made or customers should have been informed of them.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fdbaa05c-7fff-7d0d-8da4-81e90c75a489"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

Kath and Kim “cancelled” before it began

<p dir="ltr"><em>Kath & Kim</em> creators have revealed that the ABC almost didn’t let the show go ahead just days before shooting started. </p> <p dir="ltr">With the show’s 20th anniversary coming up in the form of <em>Kath & Kim: Our Effluent Life</em>, a legion of fans all around the world are gearing up for the foxy ladies of Fountain Lake. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, the four seasons, a 2005 telemovie <em>Da Kath & Kim Code</em> and the 2012 movie, <em>Kath & Kimderella</em> almost didn’t come to be because of the ABC. </p> <p dir="ltr">Gina Riley, who plays Kim in the show revealed that the ABC almost pulled the plug on the show before shooting began. </p> <p dir="ltr">“As I remember it, it was the Friday afternoon and we were going to pre-production the following Monday and we got a call saying, ‘It’s no longer the direction we want to go in,’” Riley recalled to <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/noice-different-unusual-how-kath-and-kim-was-made-and-almost-wasn-t-20221107-p5bwbi.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Age</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We were completely rocked, but we thought we’ve got a pretty watertight deal memo. And they were like, ‘We’re doing you a favour; you don’t want to do this to yourselves.’</p> <p dir="ltr">“And then we went, ‘OK, we’ll go somewhere else.’ And they said, ‘Oh, no, you can’t take it anywhere else.’ So that was when we went, ‘You know what? This is very unjust. And we’re going to fight it.’”</p> <p dir="ltr">Riley and her co-star/writer Jane Turner weren’t taking no for an answer and “fought back the decision”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We were very determined to make the show we had pitched, and in reality we didn’t stop writing and working on it. It was too awful so we just pretended it wasn’t happening.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Soon after the bad news, Australian television producer Sandra Levy was appointed as head of TV at the ABC and she was “sorting out” the series. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily for them, they were able to sort it out because ABC was committed to the project but wanted to tune out some fine details. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Kath & Kim: Our Effluent Life</em> will show over two nights on Channel 7 and 7Plus for the 20th anniversary. </p> <p dir="ltr">Creators Gina Riley and Jane Turner along with stars Magda Szubanski, Glenn Robbins and Peter Rowsthorn will make an appearance along with a star studded cast. </p> <p dir="ltr">There will be special appearances from Kylie Minogue, Michael Bublé, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Eric Bana, Mick Molloy, Tony Martin, Richard E Grant, Barry Humphries, and even a former prime minister. </p> <p dir="ltr">The reboot will include never-before-seen moments as well as hilarious bloopers from the archives of more than 1000 tapes and 240 shoot days. </p> <p dir="ltr">There will also be a tribute to the late cricketer and Sharon’s favourite cricketer, Shane Warne, who passed away earlier in the year. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: ABC</em></p>

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Major festival event cancelled after deadly find

Flight cancelled after parents demand free upgrade for their child

Passengers stranded after three-year cruise abruptly cancelled

Flight cancelled after passenger's sickening act

"Magical": Ed Sheeran crashes wedding after cancelled Vegas concert

Ed Sheeran fans left devastated moments before show

Booking customers on flights that were cancelled – how could Qantas do that?

Alan Joyce grilled over cancelled flights and Covid credits

Bruce Springsteen cancels shows after being "taken ill"

Woman divides internet after cancelling her brother's wedding

Sam Frost reveals why she cancelled her wedding plans

‘Existential questions’: is this the beginning of the end of the Commonwealth Games?

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Lisa Wilkinson's big night out after Channel 10 cancels Christmas bash

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Airlines to cough up millions in refunds and fines over delays and cancellations

Kath and Kim “cancelled” before it began

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