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Darryl Somers jumps the gun with major Dr Chris Brown announcement

<p>Darryl Somers, the man who made <em>Dancing with the Stars</em> a glittering extravaganza of dance and dazzling outfits, has decided to take centre stage once again.</p> <p>After months of speculation about Dr Chris Brown taking over the hosting reins, Somers took it upon himself to make a rogue announcement on his Facebook page that was about as expected as a cha-cha-cha in a tango.</p> <p>Rumours have been swirling for some time now about Channel Seven's big reveal, scheduled for their upfronts event, a time when media executives and TV buffs gather to find out what fresh television delights are in store. But Somers, always one to seize the spotlight, decided to drop the bombshell himself.</p> <p>"Hi All, Just want to confirm the speculation that I will not be hosting Dancing With The Stars in 2024. Seven let me know recently that they have signed Chris Brown to the network full-time, and amongst his commitments, he will be hosting DWTS," Somers wrote on Facebook.</p> <p>In a heartfelt message, Somers went on to share his gratitude for the 20-year journey he's had with <em>Dancing with the Stars</em>, dating back to 2004. He's completed ten series, with his last one being a "huge ratings success". And what better way to pass the torch than with a mirror ball, the symbol of dancefloor triumph, presented personally by Somers to Chris Brown.</p> <p>Somers also expressed his fondness for his co-host, Sonia Kruger, and the judges, Todd McKenney and Mark Wilson. It seems that while he will miss the sequins and glitter, he's "now unencumbered to pursue the projects [he] put on hold during Covid and shall have some exciting news on that score early next year." We can't wait to find out what Somers has hidden up his well-tailored sleeves. </p> <p>But let's not forget the man of the hour: Dr Chris Brown. Not only will he be grooving to the tunes of <em>Dancing with the Stars</em>, but he's also going to be hosting a brand new show titled <em>Dream Home</em>. It's not about dreaming of a dream home; it's about couples turning a run-down shack into a palace, all while winning some cold hard cash. If we know Brown, he's probably going to charm the participants into renovating their homes with just a smile and a stethoscope.</p> <p>Before all of this unfolded, there was speculation that Brown might take over for Kochie when he retired from <em>Sunrise</em> after 21 years – but of course that Big Chair went to Olympian Matt Shirvington.</p> <p>In the world of Australian television, the tango of hosting changes continues, with Somers' premature announcement adding an unexpected twist. It seems that even after 20 years of dancing with the stars, you can still surprise everyone with a perfectly timed leap and a graceful pirouette into the unknown.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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Tom Cruise’s unconventional acceptance speech

<p dir="ltr">Tom Cruise has given one of the most unique acceptance speeches at the 2023 MTV Movie &amp; TV Awards.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 60-year-old, who famously performs his own stunts and is a licensed pilot himself, delivered a pre-recorded speech on May 7 while flying a World War II propeller plane.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise won best performance in a movie for <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em>.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Things we'll never forget: <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCruise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomCruise</a>'s performance in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TopGun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TopGun</a>: Maverick 🎥 </p> <p>Congrats to Tom Cruise on winning Best Performance in a Movie at the 2023 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTVAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTVAwards</a>! <a href="https://t.co/dZr3Wglpdq">pic.twitter.com/dZr3Wglpdq</a></p> <p>— Movie &amp; TV Awards (@MTVAwards) <a href="https://twitter.com/MTVAwards/status/1655367059994456065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr"> “Hi everyone, thank you so much for this award,” he said from the cockpit. “I make these films for you. I love you. I love entertaining you. To know how much you enjoy it, how much you appreciate it, there’s just no better feeling.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In his acceptance speech, Cruise appears to be piloting the P-51 Mustang plane that he owns, which was featured in Top Gun: Maverick.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You have a wonderful summer," Cruise said in his speech. "Thank you again for letting me entertain you. It’s an absolute privilege. We’ll see you at the movies.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise also recorded a similar message from the same plane that was played for King Charles II during the coronation concert on May 8. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Pilot to pilot," Cruise said. "Your Majesty, you can be my wingman any time.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Movies

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00-No: US traveller puts border security to the test with a golden gun

<p>A 28-year-old traveller from the United States has been arrested after Australian Border Force officers allegedly discovered a firearm in her luggage. </p> <p>According to a report on the ABF website, the weapon - a 24-carat gold-plated handgun - was unregistered, and the passenger was not in possession of “a permit to import or possess the firearm in Australia.”</p> <p>If convicted, she will face up to 10 years of imprisonment. And while she was arrested and charged, she was released on bail at Downing Centre Local Court, and is expected to face court again in a month’s time. She remains subject to visa cancellation, and faces the likelihood of being removed from Australia. </p> <p>As ABF Enforcement and Detained Goods East Commander Justin Bathurst explained, the discovery was made with a combination of ABC officer skills and detection technology, one that served to prevent a dangerous weapon from entering the Australian community. </p> <p>“Time and time again, we have seen just how good ABF officers are at targeting and stopping illegal, and highly dangerous, goods from crossing Australia's border," he said.</p> <p>“The ABF is Australia's first and most important line of defence. ABF officers are committed to protecting our community by working with law enforcement partners to prevent items like unregistered firearms getting through at the border."</p> <p>Photos distributed by the ABF present the image of the gun in its case, as well as a scan of the passenger’s luggage, with the gun clearly visible among the rest of her possessions. </p> <p>While travellers on domestic flights within the United States are able to carry firearms in their checked luggage - granted they are unloaded and securely locked away, and the proper authorities have been informed - Australia has much stricter laws surrounding firearms. </p> <p>In the wake of a 1996 Tasmanian tragedy, in which 35 people lost their lives to a gunman, all automatic and semi-automatic weapons were outlawed in the country. Meanwhile, in the United States, a frightening sum of 6,301 were confiscated at checkpoints as of December 2022, according to the Transportation Security Administration.</p> <p>For many, the news was broken on social media, with comments sections reflecting the shock - and disapproval - of the masses, with the occasional 007 reference thrown in. </p> <p>“Smuggling firearms into Australia is a serious offence,” wrote one on Twitter, “and should be met with the full force of the law as it endangers citizen safety.”</p> <p>“That’s a fantastic bit of security work by our airport staff,” someone commended. </p> <p>Another had one very important question, asking “how did she get it out of the US to begin with...??? TSA should have caught that at the airport before she even left. Even if it was in a checked bag, it still had to be declared.”</p> <p><em>Images: Australian Border Force</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“A parent’s worst nightmare”: Tammin Sursok reveals daughter’s lockdown for school shooting

<p>Former Home and Away star Tammin Sursok has revealed her daughter’s school in Nashville was placed on lockdown after a mass shooting took place at the school next door.</p> <p>Sursok, 39, who lives in Nashville with her husband Sean McEwan and their two children, took to Instagram to explain the “nightmare”.</p> <p>The 39-year-old shared that the shooting, which took place at The Covenant School, was just next-door to her nine-year-old daughter Phoenix’s school.</p> <p>“There’s been an active shooter, in Nashville, in one of the schools in Greenhills,” Sursok said in her video.</p> <p>“It’s right next to my daughter’s school. She’s in lockdown. She’s fine.</p> <p>“It’s really close to home, I know it’s close to home for a lot of you.</p> <p>“I know a lot of mothers are just completely hysterical and shaking right now.</p> <p>“I just can’t believe this keeps happening, and you always think that it’s not going to happen to you.”</p> <p>The shooter has been identified as a woman, 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who opened fire killing three children and three staff members. She was also a former student of the Covenant school.</p> <p>Hale was shot and killed by police at the scene.</p> <p>Sursok later posted a follow-up video saying she wasn’t sure what to do after hearing of her daughter’s lockdown.</p> <p>“Do we go to the school, do we wait until they tell us they’re out of lockdown?” she said.</p> <p>“It’s just really hard to even fathom that this happens so much.</p> <p>“I can’t even let my brain go there, because it’s just too hard to think of.”</p> <p>Sursok then wrote a lengthy message about the shooting and weighed in about gun control.</p> <p>The post saw an image of her and Phoenix, wearing tops that read “Love More”.</p> <p>“Our community in Nashville is in shock,” she wrote, adding a shooting trigger warning.</p> <p>“My thoughts and prayers are with the families going though this unimaginable tragedy.</p> <p>“Today I got a call that I never thought would happen but at the same time expected because I live in the USA.</p> <p>“My daughter’s school was on lockdown. There was an active shooter somewhere.”</p> <p>“A parent’s worst nightmare,” she wrote.</p> <p>“As you’ve now seen on the news, a school in Nashville has lost children and adults at the hands of a 28-year old-woman.</p> <p>“That school was next door, walking distance from my daughter’s school.</p> <p>“The argument when these horrific events happen is don’t get political, now is not the time, guns don’t kill people, people kill people.</p> <p>“I call BS.</p> <p>“... people with access to assault rifles cause mass destruction.</p> <p>“Why do we sell in the USA weapons of mass destruction to civilians?</p> <p>“Why do we sell weapons that can shoot hundreds of bullets in seconds?</p> <p>“Read that sentence again.</p> <p>“Hundreds of bullets in seconds.”</p> <p>The actress pointed out that in most American states, a person can buy an AR-15 - a semi-automatic rifle - once they turn 18.</p> <p>“The AR-15 (and military style weaponry) is not designed for hunting or ‘sport’,” she wrote.</p> <p>“It’s meant to kill people. Lots of people all at once.</p> <p>“How is this allowed? Please explain it to me.”</p> <p>She said she felt numb, angry, and “at a loss”.</p> <p>“Parties need to come together on both sides. I don’t care what side you are on,” she added.</p> <p>“We can come together to AGREE to uphold the freedom of America and its constitution AND keep our children safe.</p> <p>“We can do BOTH!</p> <p>“You know this doesn’t make sense. You know this isn’t normal.</p> <p>“You know children shouldn’t live in fear like this.”</p> <p>Sursok’s followers flooded the comments with support, with most agreeing gun control is a major issue in the US.</p> <p>“It only took one major incident for Australia to see what mattered most ... Lives not Guns,” one person wrote, referencing the Port Arthur massacre Tasmania saw in 1996.</p> <p>“Absolutely horrific,” another wrote.</p> <p>“When I am in the US I always think about that each person I am passing by could have a gun,” wrote a third.</p> <p>“Cannot imagine living with this thought every day.</p> <p>“You are right, the gun laws finally have to change. Sending lots of love.”</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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"Back to the kitchen": Granny Guns flexes down at online trolls

<p>A body-builder granny has hit back at trolls after showcasing her killer biceps online.</p> <p>The TikTok star, 62, shows herself pumping iron, and doing various workouts on her account, with nasty individuals leaving comments saying she belongs in the kitchen.</p> <p>The 62-year-old enjoys making TikTok fitness videos, and she’s proved to be extremely successful online, having just shy of 800,000 followers.</p> <p>In one video, the granny is pumping iron at the gym.</p> <p>The video then cuts to her dancing around with a tray of homemade cookies, which she says is how she acts “any other time”.</p> <p>However, trolls online labelled her as just a woman made for the kitchen, and that’s when the biceps came out.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7208386374041423146&amp;display_name=tiktok&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%4065_strong%2Fvideo%2F7208386374041423146%3Flang%3Den&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F632c57901f47459e97728aea3dbe7729_1678333249%3Fx-expires%3D1678683600%26x-signature%3DQUziUnUI1Gk%252FIjO45MfLA8OhWNk%253D&amp;key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p> </p> <p>The granny made a video where she threw shade at a few hate comments such as “women are weak” or “back to the kitchen”.</p> <p>The video then cuts to her friends lifting weights in a show of strength.</p> <p>The gym granny was showing off a tough move at the bicep curl machine.</p> <p>As she pulled the bar to her chest, her biceps flexed to reveal some serious muscle.</p> <p>She captioned her TikTok, “For all my fellow female fitness lovers”.</p> <p>Fellow users flocked to the comments to show their support.</p> <p>“I have a crush on everyone,” one user said.</p> <p>Another exclaimed: “I love this! And all the amazing women in this video!”</p> <p>“I love you grandma”, a third gushed.</p> <p>To which the granny replied, “Love you back”.</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Body

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Iconic Top Gun and Die Hard actor dies at age 66

<p>Clarence Gilyard, best known for his roll as computer hacker Theo in Die Hard and naval flight officer Marcus “Sundown” Williams in Top Gun, has died at 66 years of age.</p> <p>His death was announced on Monday November 29 in a statement from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he had been working as an associate professor at the College of Fine Arts.</p> <p>"It is with profound sadness that I share this news," Dean Nancy Uscher said in the statement shared on instagram.</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/ClhujkALoIh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;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/ClhujkALoIh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by UNLV College Of Fine Arts (@unlvfinearts)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"His students were deeply inspired by him, as were all who knew him. He had many extraordinary talents and was extremely well-known in the university through his dedication to teaching and his professional accomplishments.”</p> <p>Heather Addison, UNLV film chair remembered Gilyard as a "beacon of light and strength for everyone around him at UNLV".</p> <p>She added: "Whenever we asked him how he was, he would cheerfully declare that he was 'Blessed!' But we are truly the ones who were blessed to be his colleagues and students for so many years. We love you and will miss you dearly, Professor G!”</p> <p>He landed his first role on the TV show Diff'rent Strokes in 1981 and in 1986, Gilyard made his film debut in Top Gun, in which he played Sundown, one of the elite fighter pilots.</p> <p>Two years later, he was cast as Theo, the computer expert who helps Hans Gruber's terrorist group, in the movie Die Hard.</p> <p>He got his big primetime TV break in 1989, when he landed the role of Conrad McMasters on the NBC legal drama Matlock, starring opposite Andy Griffith. He then portrayed Chuck Norris' crime-fighting partner Jimmy Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger.</p> <p>Despite having a thriving on-screen career, Gilyard stepped away from acting in 2006 to start teaching at UNLV and directing productions at the university's Nevada Conservatory Theatre.</p> <p>No further details surrounding his death have been made public.</p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

News

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5 genius ways to use hot glue around the house

<p>If you’re the proud owner of a hot glue gun, then you’ll know this nifty little invention is worth its weight in art and craft gold. But did you know it can also be super useful around the house? Read on to find out a whole bunch of new and ingenious ways to use your hot glue gun.</p> <ol> <li><strong>Create sticky soles</strong> – If you’ve got wooden floors and your grandchildren are still getting the hang of walking, then this is for you! Create non-slip soft shoes for the little ones in your life by personalising the bottom of the shoe with their name or a pattern to stop any slips or slides in their tracks.</li> <li><strong>Keep your shirts in place</strong> – Silky shirts and tops have a bad habit of slipping of their hanger and onto the floor. Keep them in place by dolloping a bit of glue on the hanger to create enough friction to keep straps in place.</li> <li><strong>Breathe new life into a chair</strong> – If sewing and upholstery isn’t your thing, fear not. Give a chair a new lease of life by securing new fabric with your hot glue gun.</li> <li><strong>Plug a hole</strong> – Small hole in a grandchild’s favourite toy or even in your trusty airbed? Plug it with a dab of hot glue.</li> <li><strong>Hem a pair of pants</strong> – If you’ve ever been about to dash out the door only to realise that your hem has been knocked down and isn’t getting back up then this is for you. Use small dabs from your hot glue gun to temporarily repair the offending hem. You can either leave the glue on when you eventually hem the pants properly or peel it off easily.</li> </ol> <p>Are you a hot glue gun user? Have you ever used it for any of the above?</p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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Farm shooter had gun ban revoked

<p dir="ltr">The farmer who allegedly shot at four family members killing three of them actually had his gun ban revoked. </p> <p dir="ltr">Darryl Young is accused of murdering three of his neighbours following a dispute of boundary lines on their land in Bogie, near Collinsville in Queensland. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, court documents have revealed that the 59-year-old had his gun ban revoked almost a decade ago after a successful appeal saying he needed it for his “business”.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal, Young was granted his gun licence in 1992, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/news/for-my-business-alleged-farm-massacre-culprit-darryl-youngs-prior-police-stoush-over-gun-licence-revealed/news-story/5d29e6d9f1922a2d4009f8d17eb60ea1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">Young was allowed to hold four rifles and two shotguns with his licence. </p> <p dir="ltr">Then in 2010, Young went to renew his licence but Queensland Police refused on the basis that it was “not in the public interest”. </p> <p dir="ltr">In his response to the refusal, Young explained that he needed the licence to control the feral animals on his farm.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There is no were (sic) in the laws of the gun laws that I have broken to stop me having a gun licence,” his application read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I need my gun licence for my business. I hope the Tribunal over turns (sic) the decision so I can have my licence.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The tribunal accepted Young’s explanation which saw him get his licence again. </p> <p dir="ltr">Last week, in matters unrelated, Young was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/man-accused-of-shooting-family-of-four-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged with the murder</a> of his neighbours Mervyn, 71, Maree Schwarz, 59, and their son Graham Tighe, 35, following a dispute of boundary lines on their land in Bogie near Collinsville in Queensland.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was also charged with one count of attempted murder after Mervyn and Maree’s other son Ross Tighe survived following a gunshot wound to the abdomen.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police will allege Young invited the three members to the edge of his property on August 4 before shooting them “execution style”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Young allegedly shot at Ross who managed to escape the farm in a ute and alert police to the horrific attack against his family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police charged Young with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and he appeared briefly at Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday with his lawyer asking for the case to be transferred. </p> <p dir="ltr">Young was reprimanded in custody and will reappear in court on November 1.</p> <p dir="ltr">Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt said it was incredible Ross was able to survive due to the properties being so far apart.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s actually a 45-minute drive between the neighbours,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the crime scene, which is at the front gate of one of the premises, it is a 3km drive between the gate and the house at that location.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 7News</em></p>

Legal

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Tom Cruise in talks for third Top Gun movie

<p dir="ltr">Tom Cruise is already in talks for a third Top Gun movie. </p> <p dir="ltr">The sequel, <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em>, spectacularly hit $1 billion at the box office worldwide, 36 years after the first installment of the franchise.</p> <p dir="ltr">It actually took about 30 years to convince Cruise to get involved with the <em>Top Gun</em> sequel. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We definitely wanted to do another after the first one became such a success,” producer Jerry Bruckheimer told Boss Hunting.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But it took [director] Joe Kosinski who came up with the story. We flew to Paris where Tom was filming Mission: Impossible at the time, we pitched him the story.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Joe had a lookbook. He had a poster. And he pitched what you saw. And Tom loved it. That’s how we got it going.</p> <p dir="ltr">“After that, Tom picked up the phone, called the head of Paramount, and said: ‘I want to make another Top Gun’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Miles Teller, who played Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw, the son of Goose - Maverick’s best friend, is also speaking to Cruise about a potential third film. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been having some conversations with him [Tom Cruise] about it. We’ll see.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That would be great, but that’s all up to TC.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s all up to Tom.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

Movies

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“He can be that guy!!!”: Top Gun actor’s grandma’s sweet campaign

<p dir="ltr">One of the stars of the latest <em>Top Gun</em> movie has been put up for the role of James Bond by one of his biggest supporters: his grandmother.</p> <p dir="ltr">Miles Teller’s grandma, Leona Flowers, recently took to Twitter to campaign for him to replace Daniel Craig as the famed spy, saying her grandson had all the skills needed for the job.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They’re looking for an actor to replace Daniel Craig for future 007 movies,” she tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think my grandson, Miles Teller, has proven that he has everything they’re looking for - talent, looks, strength, worldwide appeal, and oh, so cool.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b979a01e-7fff-27f3-6bee-3171f2be0b4e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“He can be that guy!! Wouldn’t that be great?”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">They’re looking for an actor to replace Daniel Craig for future 007 movies. I think my grandson, Miles Teller, has proven that he has everything they’re looking for- talent, looks, strength,worldwide appeal &amp; oh, so cool. He can be that guy!! Wouldn’t he be great?</p> <p>— Leona Flowers (@MupTheQueen) <a href="https://twitter.com/MupTheQueen/status/1542206491691737088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Teller, who plays Rooster in the latest <em>Top Gun</em> instalment, has since admitted he’d be open to the opportunity while speaking to Entertainment Tonight.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yeah, I mean, yeah perfect,” the 35-year-old said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think we’re actors, you know, so maybe you can mix it up a little bit.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-dbcc04ca-7fff-44cb-8668-05d34fbfdeae">Flowers added that her American grandson would be welcomed by portraying the famous Brit, having even “charmed” the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the London premiere of <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em>.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Miles charming Prince William &amp; Princess Kate in London. He sat in the Royal box &amp; watched Top Gun Maverick with them. New friends😊Folks just can’t help liking him. He’s so relatable♥️ <a href="https://t.co/RjTRcktoXs">pic.twitter.com/RjTRcktoXs</a></p> <p>— Leona Flowers (@MupTheQueen) <a href="https://twitter.com/MupTheQueen/status/1530601184490299392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“I think our English friends would welcome him as 007,” she wrote in a follow-up tweet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The folks in London loved him when he was just there with the premiere of <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em>. He even charmed William and Kate.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c0a5b50a-7fff-68e7-fe8a-51c48915ddc5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Flowers even turned to author Ian Fleming’s original concept for the martini-drinking super spy to argue her case, writing that not only does Teller serve as a good lookalike, but he shares a love of golf with Bond and Fleming.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is Ian Fleming’s original concept of James Bond. Add a beautiful head of hair and Miles closely fits that image. 007 supposedly had a scar on his cheek as well. Like Miles, Fleming and his character, James Bond, both had a love of golf😊 <a href="https://t.co/4AydjqL2Lq">pic.twitter.com/4AydjqL2Lq</a></p> <p>— Leona Flowers (@MupTheQueen) <a href="https://twitter.com/MupTheQueen/status/1543338775979462658?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“This is Ian Fleming’s original concept of James Bond,” she tweeted along with a black-and-white drawing of Bond.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Add a beautiful head of hair and Miles closely fits that image. 007 supposedly had a scar on his cheek as well. Like Miles, Fleming and his character, James Bond, both had a love of golf.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barbara Broccoli, a producer for <em>James Bond</em>, recently said the search for the next 007 is yet to begin, though the new movie will see his character reinvented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Nobody’s in the running. We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There isn’t a script yet and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”</p> <p dir="ltr">With that in mind, two years feels like plenty of time for Flowers to convince Broccoli and her team that her grandson is the best choice.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-45e88cd7-7fff-82db-7049-4f708fcf6f42"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @MupTheQueen (Twitter)</em></p>

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Tom Cruise celebrates his 60th!

<p dir="ltr">Tom Cruise has turned 60!</p> <p dir="ltr">In honour of his 60th birthday on July 3, <em>Mission: Impossible</em> director Christopher McQuarrie shared a rare photo of Cruise performing a crazy stunt. </p> <p dir="ltr">The actor, known to perform his own insane stunts, could be seen hanging on from an airborne red biplane. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Mission: Impossible movie, Dead Reckoning Part One</em> is due to be released in 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise however spent his actual birthday watching the F1 Grand Prix in the UK, with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and Lewis Hamilton’s family.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Anthony Hamilton, Antonio Pérez Garibay and Tom Cruise watching the podium celebrations together is everything ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/KvtgU19ssH">pic.twitter.com/KvtgU19ssH</a></p> <p>— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNF1/status/1543665585913008128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hamilton and Tom Cruise showed love after the race 🤝❤️ <a href="https://t.co/TDHCHh8FFh">pic.twitter.com/TDHCHh8FFh</a></p> <p>— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNF1/status/1543640030354329601?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The one and only Maverick. Happy birthday, <a href="https://twitter.com/TomCruise?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TomCruise</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TopGun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TopGun</a> <a href="https://t.co/OWSUMwVWJY">pic.twitter.com/OWSUMwVWJY</a></p> <p>— Top Gun (@TopGunMovie) <a href="https://twitter.com/TopGunMovie/status/1543640720216510466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Also, an avid Adele fan, Cruise was spotted singing and dancing to Adele at Hyde Park where he was also surprised with a birthday cake backstage. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Tom looked like he had an absolute blast. He was really going for it with his dancing and seemed to know all the words to sing along,” an onlooker said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"After the set finished, staff brought the cake out for him and he couldn't stop saying thank you. He hugged his favourite hostess as they sang Happy Birthday.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Then he gave a speech about how nice it was for everyone to be able to come together for events again after Covid.</p> <p dir="ltr">"And Tom said Adele was phenomenal. He was so upbeat and living his best life."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Top Gun: Maverick surpasses $1 billion worldwide

<p dir="ltr">Tom Cruise’s <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> has officially surpassed $1 billion at the worldwide box office.</p> <p dir="ltr">Over the weekend, the film saw a huge $30.5 million domestically and $44.5 million in overseas markets. </p> <p dir="ltr">This overall totals to $521 million domestic and $484 million international, putting it just past $1 billion globally. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to Paramount, more than 16 percent of the <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> audience has seen the film more than once in theatres, while four percent have seen it four times or more.</p> <p dir="ltr">This is only the second time since the pandemic began that a Hollywood title jumped over the $1 billion behind Sony and Disney’s <em>Spider-Man: No Way Home</em> ($1.89 billion).</p> <p dir="ltr">The movie officially became the highest-grossing movie of Cruise’s career when it toppled over $800 million. </p> <p dir="ltr">His 2018 film Mission Impossible: Fallout previously held the highest rank with $791.1 million.</p> <p dir="ltr">Analysts don’t think the momentum will last long with <em>Elvis</em> hitting the screens and <em>Top Gun</em> sitting around the $900 million mark. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

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Curious detail about flag in Top Gun: Maverick

<p dir="ltr">Moviegoers in Taiwan applauded an advanced screening of <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> when Tom Cruise’s character came on screen wearing a jacket showing their flag.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Hollywood actor hits the screen in his bomber jacket which features patches of the flags from Taiwan, Japan and the United States, along with a United Nations symbol.</p> <p dir="ltr">When the trailer was released back in 2019, Cruise’s character Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell was wearing a jacket but this time the Taiwan flag appeared to be missing.</p> <p dir="ltr">The glaring omission of the Taiwanese flag sparked criticism that Hollywood was appeasing China. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Taiwanese flag has long been a political eyesore for Beijing, which claims sovereignty over the island and considers it to be Chinese territory under the “one China principle”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taiwan however has continued to fight against being considered Chinese territory and to be recognised as independent. </p> <p dir="ltr">There are now rumours swirling that <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> won’t be shown in China due to the representation of the Taiwan flag.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hollywood is now pushing back,” Chris Fenton, a former movie executive who wrote a book about Hollywood and Chinese censors, told Bloomberg. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The market is simply not worth the aggravation anymore in attempting to please Chinese censors.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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10-year-old arrested for threatening to carry out mass shooting

<p>A 10-year-old boy has been arrested for threatening to carry out a mass shooting via text message.</p> <p>The 5th grader from Patriot Elementary School in Cape Coral, in the state of Florida, was pictured in handcuffs and being walked to a police car on Saturday evening.</p> <p>He was interviewed and charged with making a written threat to conduct a mass shooting, coming just days after 19 children and two of their teachers were killed in a mass shooting in Texas.</p> <p>“This student’s behaviour is sickening, especially after the recent tragedy in Uvalde, Texas,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said in a statement.</p> <p>“Right now is not the time to act like a little delinquent. It’s not funny. This child made a fake threat, and now he’s experiencing real consequences.”</p> <p>The sheriff’s office’s School Threat Enforcement Team was tipped off about the message and quick to act.</p> <p>“Making sure our children are safe is paramount,” Sheriff Macreno said.</p> <p>"My team didn’t hesitate one second, not one second, to investigate this threat.”</p> <p>While police in Texas were on the scene within minutes of the shooting at Robb Elementary School, officers have come under fire for waiting almost 80 minutes to enter the classroom and kill gunman Salvador Ramos.</p> <p>The Texas Department of Public Safety has since admitted that law enforcement’s response fell disastrously short.</p> <p>“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course it was not the right decision,” Director Steve McCraw said on the delay.</p> <p><em>Image: Lee County Sheriff's office </em></p>

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REVIEW: Top Gun: Maverick

<p dir="ltr">Too-cool-for-school test pilot Maverick (Tom Cruise) is brought back from the fold to train a batch of talented and cocky recruits for a life-and-death mission.</p> <p dir="ltr">They’re the best of the best in their class, lone wolves who are fueled by massive egos and a determination to outshine and outfly their peers.</p> <p dir="ltr">If Maverick can’t get these hot-heads to cool down and learn to work as a team, they might just not make it out of the mission alive.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s a well-accepted fact that sequels are nowhere near as good as the original. Take for example, <em>The Matrix, Fast and Furious</em> and <em>Lethal Weapon</em>. The list goes on.</p> <p dir="ltr">Occasionally, there are pleasant surprises. <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> is one of them.</p> <p dir="ltr">Director Joseph Kosinski takes everything great from the first film and repackages it into a sequel that feels new and faithful to the original at the same time.</p> <p dir="ltr">There’s the high-octane dogfights, shirtless game of sport on the beach and cheesy romance between Maverick and Penny Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly).</p> <p dir="ltr">The opening sequence is nearly shot-for-shot the same as the one used in Top Gun - a reassuring indication that Kosinski is here to build on the first film and not pull it apart.</p> <p dir="ltr">Some 36 years have passed since the release of Top Gun in 1986.</p> <p dir="ltr">The sequel was first scheduled for release in 2019, but delayed until 2020 so producers could fine-tune the flight sequences.</p> <p dir="ltr">Its release was pushed back by another two years because of the Covid pandemic.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> may have been a long time in the making, and the wait time might have felt slow, but the film launches straight into the action, flying through the 2 hour and 17 minute long run time at Mach 10 - or 10 times the speed of sound.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maverick may be three decades older, but he certainly still has the ‘need for speed’ as much as he did when he was a young pilot.</p> <p dir="ltr">He’s still got the rebellious streak and disrespect for authority that frequently lands him in the office of his superiors - this time it’s Admiral Beau Simpson (Jon Hamm) breathing down his neck.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now Maverick is the teacher and he’s dealing with a bunch of cocky pilots. There’s Hangman (Glen Powell), Phoenix (Monica Barbaro), Payback (Jay Ellis) and Rooster (Miles Teller).</p> <p dir="ltr">Rooster is the son of ‘Goose’ - Maverick’s late friend who died after trying to eject himself from a falling F-14 in the first film.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maverick is still troubled by the death and it’s no help that Rooster is a spitting image of his father and as much an avid flier.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tensions rise, egos clash and old wounds are reopened. Maverick has beaten just about every challenge as a pilot in the sky but this may be the one that sends him shooting down in flames.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise was insistent on one condition on the release of the film: that it be shown in cinemas and not on streaming platforms like Netflix.</p> <p dir="ltr">He wanted audiences to be immersed in the adrenaline, to watch the fighter jets blast through the sky on the big screen and hear the deafening throttle of the engines on surround sound.</p> <p dir="ltr">Blood-pumping cinematic experiences like these ones are few and far to come by and, not unlike Cruise, may be on their way out.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s like rear admiral Chester ‘Hammer’ Cain (Ed Harris) tells Maverick, “Your kind is headed for extinction.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Cruise turns as he is about to leave the office and looks defiantly at him. “Maybe so, sir. But not today,” he says.</p> <p dir="ltr">Strap in and prepare for take off. It’s going to be one hell of a last ride.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em><strong>Written by Aidan Wondracz</strong></em></p>

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Another surprising use for a massage gun

<p>Massage guns have become hugely popular gadgets over the past couple of years. Not only do they ease aches and pains at home, but they are also being used in an unlikely cleaning hack.</p> <p>American woman, Lanie, posted a video on Tiktok showing how effective massage guns are at lifting up hidden dirt and sand in car floor carpets.</p> <p>The video of the strange hack has quickly gone viral with a massive 12.8 million views in just three days. You can watch the TikTok in the video above.</p> <p>"Thought this was cool," Lanie captioned the clip.</p> <p>In the video, you can see big piles of dirt exposed by the massage gun vibrations before being sucked up by a vacuum. It's one of those TikTok cleaning clips that is as satisfying to watch, as it is scary to see truly how much dirt is lurking where we don't see it.</p> <p>What makes the hack even more shocking is that Lanie revealed in the comments the car carpet had been vacuumed before using the massage gun.</p> <p>"Vacuum first then use this so we can see how much extra dirt appears!" a viewer suggested.</p> <p>To try the hack you’re going to need a massage gun with an attachment known as a fork, and a vacuum cleaner.</p> <p>All you need to do is touch the car floor with the massage gun so the vibrations it produces can lift out the hidden dirt. As you move the massage gun around the floor, you'll need to follow it with a vacuum.</p> <p>Tiktok users were blown away by the hack and surprising alternative use for the massage gun.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

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Guns, tanks and Twitter: how Russia and Ukraine are using social media as the war drags on

<p>Social media has become a primary source of information for news-hungry audiences around the world trying to make sense of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.</p> <p>At the same time, it’s being used by the governments of Russia and Ukraine to set the agenda for wider media reporting.</p> <p>Official Russian government accounts <a href="https://theconversation.com/russian-government-accounts-are-using-a-twitter-loophole-to-spread-disinformation-178001" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have been found</a> to be amplifying pro-Russia disinformation on Twitter. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has taken to the platform to appeal to its two million followers for support.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hard to find words... The killing of civilians in Bucha by Russian war criminals is appalling beyond any measure.</p> <p>Help us stop Russia. Demand your governments to act now:</p> <p>- Provide Ukraine with all weapons we need<br />- More tough sanctions on Russia <br />- Cut all trade ties with them <a href="https://t.co/pYLbMALQfp">pic.twitter.com/pYLbMALQfp</a></p> <p>— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ukraine/status/1511106521345798153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Information warfare is no longer an additional arm of strategy, but a parallel component of <a href="https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2501&amp;context=parameters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">military campaigns</a>. The rise of social media has made it easier than ever before to see how states use mass communication as a weapon.</p> <p><strong>Putting social media in the mix</strong></p> <p>Mass communication began as political communication intended to <a href="https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/innis-empire/innis-empire-00-h.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">establish and control empires</a>.</p> <p>Whether it was Darius the Great imposing his image on buildings and coins to help control the Persian Empire; Henry VIII’s inspired <a href="https://royalcentral.co.uk/interests/history/royal-portraiture-propaganda-painting-52781/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">use of portraiture</a>, or the well-documented use of <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Film--Radio-Propaganda-in-World-War-II/Short/p/book/9781032077116" target="_blank" rel="noopener">radio and film in World War II</a> – media technologies have long been used to spread political ideas.</p> <p>Social media has added another element to the mix, and brought immediacy to strategic political communication.</p> <p>In asymmetric conflicts (such as the one we’re seeing now in Ukraine), a successful social media account can be a useful weapon against an adversary with many guns and tanks.</p> <p>The local uprisings in the 2010 Arab Spring, especially in Egypt and Tunisia, were among the first campaigns where <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/War_in_140_Characters/s3mZDgAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=social+media+and+The+Arab+Spring+asymmetric+warfare&amp;pg=PT5&amp;printsec=frontcover" target="_blank" rel="noopener">social media played a pivotal role</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2595096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Advocates of democracy</a> used Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to maintain networks of communication and openly criticised their governments for the world to see.</p> <p>It didn’t take long for governments to realise the power of social media. And they responded both by restricting access to social media as well as using it themselves.</p> <p>Social media <em>alone</em> may <a href="https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:35365/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not be capable of instigating</a> widespread change, but it can undoubtedly play a role.</p> <p><strong>Information warfare</strong></p> <p>Tension between Russia and Ukraine has a long history, and was <a href="https://www.ceeol.com/search/book-detail?id=661250" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highly charged on social media</a> well before the latest invasion.</p> <p>Pro-Russian accounts have circulated disinformation about Russia’s role in the Donetsk region since before 2014, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0163443716686672?casa_token=XaOHM4qJ8W8AAAAA:ikaBQXH8mEVeQDgCiHs78F-RsBKNMzP02-Wk6TXzTbKfcxPENb46k3NQLMz1U9n5ZZ5zbnAcnXQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fuelling confusion</a> and destabilisation, and assisting Russia’s takeover. This was in fact a critical element of Russia’s “<a href="http://connections-qj.org/article/defining-concept-hybrid-warfare-based-analysis-russias-aggression-against-ukraine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hybrid warfare</a>” approach.</p> <p>Russia’s strategic actions, and counter actions by Ukraine, have been studied widely by researchers. Unsurprisingly, the research has overwhelmingly found each side to be framing the conflict in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1750635217702539" target="_blank" rel="noopener">very different, and divergent</a> ways.</p> <p>Research has also found social media can sustain, and even aggravate, the hostility between <a href="https://ccdcoe.org/uploads/2018/10/Ch12_CyberWarinPerspective_Lange_Svetoka.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukrainians and Russians online</a>.</p> <p>For example, after Malaysian Airline flight MH17 was shot down by Russia over Ukraine, an <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ia/article/94/5/975/5092080?login=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis of 950,000 Twitter posts</a> found a plethora of competing claims online, creating a struggle for truth which continues today.</p> <p>As early as 2014, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, <a href="https://www.stripes.com/news/saceur-allies-must-prepare-for-russia-hybrid-war-1.301464" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> the Russian communication strategy in Ukraine as “the most amazing information warfare <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/blitzkrieg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blitzkrieg</a> we have ever seen in the history of information warfare”.</p> <p>These efforts have escalated since Russia’s recent expansion of its invasion into Ukrainian territory. And with so much noise, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for users to make sense of the deluge of contradictory, emotive and (often) difficult-to-verify information.</p> <p>It’s even more difficult when the tone of posts changes quickly.</p> <p>The Ukraine government’s Twitter account is a study in contrasts of both content and tone. Set up in more peaceful times, the profile cheerily states: “Yes, this is the official Twitter account of Ukraine. Nice pics: #BeautifulUkraine Our music: #UkieBeats”.</p> <p>But the account now posts a range of content, images and video related to the war as part of its strategic communication campaign.</p> <p>This has included serious news updates, patriotic allusions to historic events and people, anti-Russian material and – prior to the recent reports of mass deaths – <a href="https://www.ceeol.com/search/chapter-detail?id=661124" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quite a lot of humour</a>.</p> <p><strong>Why use humour?</strong></p> <p>Humour has a long history of being used as an element of communication and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/13691481211023958" target="_blank" rel="noopener">public diplomacy</a> – <a href="https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/soc4.12138?casa_token=ci0wS1giS6AAAAAA%3AkH20TMNG-ln9Q8wdqVsA2ML0NSX4iX3X7FCMkhAdOiBRvQ5LSe1DaEtMxAAQ9HQAgBWHgkHezMGs0Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even during wars</a>.</p> <p>For instance, <a href="https://www.berggruen.org/ideas/articles/to-defy-a-dictator-send-in-the-clowns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">humour was used effectively</a> by the Serbian Otpor resistance movement in its campaign to overthrow dictator Slobodan Milošević at the turn of this century.</p> <p><a href="https://www.socialmediatoday.com/marketing/sarah-snow/2015-07-06/science-behind-what-content-goes-viral" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Humour is particularly effective</a> on social platforms because it produces <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1509/jmr.10.0353?casa_token=U5-C6j_iI7cAAAAA:p3Palq4Swuz34SC7eNukHO6Kb5OeB9TNgucv8magwnP9Q7iWtXx84ih83rZ8fKpbeHGVMH0HrdM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">virality</a>.</p> <p>And in the case of Ukraine’s defence, it displays defiance. After all, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (a former comedian) was famously thrust into the political spotlight thanks to a satirical television production. In it he played the role of a teacher whose secretly-filmed rant about corruption goes viral, leading the character to become President.</p> <p>Zelenskyy’s <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter account</a> is now the most immediate and reliable way for many Ukrainians to get crucial information on the invasion and negotiations between Zelenskyy and other leaders.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Talked to <a href="https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BorisJohnson</a> again. The United Kingdom is our powerful ally. Discussed the defensive support for 🇺🇦, intensification of anti-Russian sanctions and post-war security guarantees. We look forward to the donors' conference for Ukraine.</p> <p>— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1510336038199300101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>The thousands of “shares” the posts receive are helping Ukraine’s communication campaign.</p> <p>Zelenskyy’s recent address to the Grammy Awards reinforces that he understands the necessity of remaining visible to the world at this critical point. His speech has produced much support on social media (as well as cries of “propaganda” from Russia’s supporters).</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made a surprise video appearance at the music industry's star-studded Grammy Awards celebration in Las Vegas and appealed to viewers to support his country ‘in any way you can’ <a href="https://t.co/hwQYnEpLGx">https://t.co/hwQYnEpLGx</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GRAMMYs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GRAMMYs</a> <a href="https://t.co/dKTBCkfEB8">pic.twitter.com/dKTBCkfEB8</a></p> <p>— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1510868519323410440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 4, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/KremlinRussia_E" target="_blank" rel="noopener">account</a> has been dormant since March 16.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/180131/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/collette-snowden-5543" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collette Snowden</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Communication, International Studies and Languages, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/guns-tanks-and-twitter-how-russia-and-ukraine-are-using-social-media-as-the-war-drags-on-180131" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Gun pulled during fight outside New Zealand school

<p dir="ltr">A brawl between students at a high school turned vicious when one of them pulled a gun and pointed it at another girl’s head. </p> <p dir="ltr">Horrific footage shows the teenagers punching and yanking each other’s hair in front of shocked students at Otahuhu College in Auckland on Thursday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Suddenly, a student dressed in all black is marching toward another waving the gun around yelling: “You touch my sister again, touch her, touch her.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She approaches the other girl and holds the gun to her head telling her to go away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Get the f*** out of here right now,” she yells. </p> <p dir="ltr">Principal Neil Watson confirmed that police were investigating the incident but it is still unclear whether or not the gun was real. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We have a member of the public with what looks like a firearm. We’re helping the police with their inquiries, and our priority is the safety and security of our families and students,” he told <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gun-drawn-during-fight-between-auckland-high-school-students/UNNRMV2JWDWQSXID6MVTVRROHQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The publication was sent the video by a worried police, as police confirm they have begun their enquiries. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It was a report of a group of people fighting. Inquiries are underway to speak to those involved to establish the circumstances.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Watch the incident <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/gun-drawn-during-fight-between-auckland-high-school-students/UNNRMV2JWDWQSXID6MVTVRROHQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: NZ Herald</em></p>

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5 blockbuster movies hitting the big screen in 2022

<p dir="ltr">After a slow two years due to the pandemic, the world of blockbuster cinema is revving back up in 2022. </p><p dir="ltr">With 2021 going out with a bang after the releases of <em>No Time to Die</em>, <em>Dune</em>, <em>The Matrix Resurrections</em> and many more, 2022 cinema has some big shoes to fill. </p><p dir="ltr">With countless blockbusters on the calendar for 2022, here are just five highly anticipated releases to add to this year’s must-watch list. </p><p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>1. The Batman</strong></p><p dir="ltr">The latest instalment from DC Comics comes in the form of <em>The Batman</em>, as the dark and gritty version of the superhero flick is not one to miss. </p><p dir="ltr">Starring Robert Pattinson as Batman/Bruce Wayne, this highly anticipated movie has been gathering buzz since the first trailer was released in October last year. </p><p dir="ltr">The film boasts an all-star cast including Paul Dano, Colin Farrell and Peter Sarsgaard, and is due to hit cinemas in March.  </p><p></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Top Gun: Maverick</strong></p><p dir="ltr">36 years after the success of <em>Top Gun</em>, the sequel is due to hit the big screen in May. </p><p dir="ltr">After a two-year delay due to Covid, <em>Top Gun: Maverick</em> will see Tom Cruise jump back into his iconic role for another high-stakes mission. </p><p dir="ltr">The film is directed by Joseph Kosiniski, and also stars Jon Hamm, Val Kilmer and Jennifer Connelly. </p><p></p><p dir="ltr" role="presentation"><strong>3. Jurassic World: Dominion</strong></p><p dir="ltr">In the third instalment of the <em>Jurassic World</em> trilogy, humanity must grapple with dangerous genetically enhanced reptiles on the loose. </p><p dir="ltr">The film sees the return of Chris Pratt, while also featuring nostalgic cameos from Sam Neill, Laura Dern and Jeff Goldblum. </p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38;margin-top: 0pt;margin-bottom: 0pt"><em>Jurassic World: Dominion</em> is due to hit cinemas in June<span style="font-size: 11pt;font-family: Arial;color: #000000;background-color: transparent;font-weight: 400;font-style: normal;text-decoration: none;vertical-align: baseline">. </span></p><p></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Elvis</strong></p><p dir="ltr">Australian director Baz Luhrmann is taking on one of the most famous musicians in <em>Elvis</em>. </p><p dir="ltr">Austin Butler will be playing the iconic singer, with Tom Hanks playing his manager Colonel Tom Parker. </p><p dir="ltr">Other Aussie stars such as Olivia DeJonge, Richard Roxburgh and David Wenham are also joining the cast, with the film set to be released in June.</p><p></p><p dir="ltr"><strong>5. Avatar 2</strong></p><p dir="ltr">More than 10 years after James Cameron’s revolutionary film <em>Avatar</em> was released, the sequel is due to hit the big screen in 2022. </p><p dir="ltr">In the first of many sequels, familiar faces from the first movie, such as Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana, are due to return to their iconic roles. </p><p dir="ltr">While there is no official trailer for the film yet, the <em>Avatar</em> Twitter account has shared stunning concept art images with fans to get them excited for the next instalment.</p><p dir="ltr">Fans will still have a while to wait for the film, however, with a release date expected in December. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">ICYMI — Check out these stunning concept art images from Avatar 2! <a href="https://t.co/QVVK8cVU21">pic.twitter.com/QVVK8cVU21</a></p>— Avatar (@officialavatar) <a href="https://twitter.com/officialavatar/status/1437807131856564227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2021</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr"><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-1a70098f-7fff-e12b-b99d-6680b65dfd7e">Image credits: DC Comics / 6th &amp; Idaho Productions / Paramount Pictures</span></em></p>

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Why police blocked Kyle Sandilands’ gun licence application

<p>Radio shock jock Kyle Sandliands is taking the NSW Police to court after they rejected his application for a gun license. </p> <p>After submitting the application over a year ago, the 50-year-old presenter was told by police in September that he wouldn't be getting a. gun. </p> <p>He is seeking a review of the decision, and has launched proceedings before <span>the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) against NSW Police and their decision. </span></p> <p><span>According to a source close to the radio star, the initial application was rejected for a number of reasons, including some comments he made </span>previously on air about gun usage, as well as the criminal background of some of his associates. </p> <p>Some of Kyle's closest friends include convicted drug trafficker Simon Main, and nightclub boss John Ibrahim, who is subject to a firearms prohibition order. </p> <p>In a statement from the NSW Police, a spokesperson said, "personal history checks" are a part of the process for all gun license applications. </p> <p>“The NSW Firearms Registry fully reviews all new licence applications to ensure they satisfy their licensing requirement,” a police spokesman said.</p> <p>“This includes conducting personal history checks to ensure all provisions within the legislation – including provisions with respect to public safety – are met.</p> <p>“When a Notice of Refusal is issued by the Firearms Registry, it includes the reason for refusal and details all appeal rights.”</p> <p>Kyle has long expressed his interest in firearms, as he is regularly seen attending pistol clubs when in the US.</p> <p>In a <em>60 Minutes</em> interview with Karl Stefanovic last year, they filmed part of their chat at the Los Angeles Gun Club. </p> <p><span>“It just gets the adrenaline out, plus I am really good at it,” he said when asked what he liked about shooting. “I just imagine all of the people I hate.”</span></p> <p><span>Kyle has also made bold statements about lifting the ban on rapid-fire shotguns on air back in 2016. </span></p> <p><span>“Is it better off that all the criminals have all the weapons and the rest of us are defenceless?” he said, just a few months after a massacre in Orlando, US, that led to the deaths of 49 people.</span></p> <p><span>A directions hearing for Sandilands’ proceedings is set before NCAT’s Administrative and Equal Opportunity Division for December 21.</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: 60 Minutes / Instagram @kylesandilands</em></p>

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