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Police officer charged after allegedly punching 70-year-old woman

<p>A Victorian police officer has been stood down from duty after he allegedly punched a 70-year-old woman while in hospital. </p> <p>Sylvia Villani was being treated at the Northern Hospital in April when the alleged assault took place, and she said it came out of nowhere. </p> <p>"I threw a bit of bread on the ground. I had my leg in a plaster," Villani told <em>9News</em>.</p> <p>"I was in a wheelchair and he punched me," she claimed.</p> <p>After the alleged attack, she sustained a broken eye socket. </p> <p>"I can't walk, I can't sit, I'm buggered," she said.</p> <p>"I don't know why he did it.</p> <p>"I did call him some nasty names, I wasn't happy, (but) I didn't deserve it."</p> <p>Villani's son, Rick, told 9News that he was only alerted about the incident after receiving a call from doctors who told him that three police officers went to the hospital for a separate incident before his mother was allegedly assaulted. </p> <p>He claimed that his family has been left in the dark. </p> <p>"I know my mum's got mental health, and she's not perfect," he said.</p> <p>"They've treated me, my wife and my mother with no respect."</p> <p>Victoria Police have stood down the 26-year-old male officer who was on duty when the incident occurred, after an internal investigation. </p> <p>The officer has been charged with one count of recklessly causing injury and will appear before court on September 9. </p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Caring

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Distressing CCTV shows woman after alleged attack in Paris

<p>Distressing footage from inside a kebab shop in Paris has shown the harrowing moment an Australian woman sought refuge after allegedly being <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/aussie-woman-s-horror-assault-in-paris-days-before-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assaulted</a>. </p> <p>The 25-year-old Aussie, who was meant to be returning to Australia before the Olympics start, told French police that she was raped by five men and sought refuge after the attack in a kebab shop in the early hours on Saturday morning just metres from the Moulin Rouge. </p> <p>As police continue their investigation into the incident, CCTV footage has emerged from the night, showing the woman hiding in a kebab shop as staff attempt to comfort her.</p> <p>A man is then seen walking into the shop as the woman gestures that the man is her attacker.</p> <p>The alleged attacker lingers in the shop before approaching the woman and patting her on the back, before another confronts the man causing him to flee the shop.</p> <p>The police arrive a few minutes later, as staff and diners tend to the woman.</p> <p>The owner of the kebab shop told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/harrowing-cctv-shows-australian-woman-hiding-in-paris-kebab-shop-after-alleged-gang-rape-c-15445738" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em> that the Aussie woman could not stop crying, as her dress was partially torn and on backwards as she entered the shop.</p> <p>A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the Australian Embassy in Paris is “making urgent enquiries with French authorities following reports of an Australian citizen assaulted in Paris”.</p> <p>“The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade stands ready to provide consular assistance,” it said.</p> <p>The woman was taken to the nearby Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital for treatment and observation, and is planning to remain in Paris to help police with their investigation. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Wild reason why woman divorced her husband

<p>A woman has asked for advice online after she explained the wild reason why she is divorcing her husband. </p> <p>Taking to Reddit's popular "Am I The A**hole?" thread, the mother explained that after her husband sat in the car for too long, she decided to end her two-year marriage. </p> <p>As she began to recall the situation, she prefaced the story by saying that for many years, her partner always liked to stay in the car five to 10 minutes after he got home.</p> <div> <div id="sda-INARTICLE"></div> </div> <p>“I don’t know why he does it, but he talked about a past traumatic experience he had when he came home and caught his ex cheating on him,” the Redditor wrote. “Because of that he’d just spend few minutes in his car before he enters his home as response to his trauma.”</p> <p>While the woman is understanding of her husband's unusual car quirk, she said he does not take into account how it negatively impacts her and their family. </p> <p>According to the Reddit writer, his prolonged period in the car makes her “uneasy” and has caused several arguments, especially when he’s sat in the driveway when guests are inside, or "when dinner is waiting on him and he’d take 10 minutes silently sitting in the car.”</p> <p>She went on to share that her biggest concern was finding her husband sitting in the car during a crisis, which was realised when a family emergency unfolded at home. </p> <p>The woman explained that her eight-year-old son fell and tripped when walking down the stairs, breaking his ankle as a result and needed to be taken to hospital.</p> <p> She then called her husband and asked if he could leave work to take him to the emergency room, saying, “Then I called and called and then I was stunned when I looked out the window and I saw him sitting outside the house in his car. I was both shocked and angry.”</p> <p>According to her husband, he had been sitting in the car for eight minutes and said that he wouldn’t come inside to help until his 10 minutes lapsed because he didn’t feel “comfortable.”</p> <p>The original poster noted, “He told me to get my son ready to take him to the hospital, but I started screaming at him nonstop telling him this was a family emergency and that he was out of his mind to behave like that.”</p> <p>The mother took her son to the hospital with the help of a neighbour and refused to answer her husband's calls when he finally emerged from the car. </p> <p>Later, she decided his response was so uncalled for that she took herself and her son to her mother's place and said she wanted a divorce from her husband of two years. </p> <p>“He tried to rationalize and justify what he’s done saying he could not help it and that he was nervous and wanted to help my son but felt stuck,” the Redditor said.</p> <p>She continued, “I refused to reply to his messages and days later his family literally harassed me saying I was making my husband’s trauma more severe and that I disrespected his boundaries.”</p> <p>After time had passed from the situation, the woman wondered if she had been too rash in her decision, and asked those online for their advice. </p> <p>Her post was met with hundreds of comments, with many saying they believe her husband is suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). </p> <p>“It sounds like some form of OCD to me,” one person commented, while another agreed: “It sounds like he is stuck in a compulsive behavior.”</p> <p>The original writer confessed she had asked him to seek professional help for his behaviours, but he wasn’t up for it, saying, "He had refused professional help and his family sided with him.”</p> <p>To this, one reader added, “The fact that he has refused to seek help for it. Peak selfishness. Leaving is warranted. Best luck to you and your boy.”</p> <p>“If he refused professional help then you have your answer. You need to be able to rely on your husband in case of an emergency and he proved to you that you can’t. You’re definitely NTA (not the a**hole,” another argued.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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“Great initiative”: Airline's world first move to make female travellers safer

<p>A popular airline has introduced a new measure to help female travellers feel safer on their journey. </p> <p>IndiGo will make the change in August, giving female travellers the option to choose not to sit next to a man on their flight. </p> <p>Prior to booking, women will be able to check the gender of the flyer sitting next to them and select if they don't want a male seat mate. </p> <p>However, this change will not apply to men, as male travellers will not be shown the gender of their seat mate when making a booking and instead will only be able to view available seats.</p> <p>The low-cost carrier is a codeshare partner of Qantas, and Australian passengers travel on-board its planes for destinations such as India, as well as within the country. </p> <p>The idea for the change came from an IndiGo survey where the airline asked females what would make travel more comfortable, and many said they would feel safer to have more power over who they spent their journey sitting next to. </p> <p>“IndiGo is proud to announce the introduction of a new feature that aims to make the travel experience more comfortable for our female passengers,” the airline said.</p> <p>“We are committed to providing an unparalleled travel experience for all our passengers, and this new feature is just one of the many steps we are taking towards achieving that goal.”</p> <p>There has been a mixed reaction on social media to to IndiGo’s attempt to make female flyers feel safer, as one commenter wrote on X: “Why can’t they allocate left side for one gender and right side for another gender?"</p> <p>There was also concern about how the good seats could be snapped up, writing, “Almost all seats available will be the middle ones”.</p> <p>Meanwhile a man protested, “What if I don’t want to sit by her? It works both ways”, while many simply praised it as a “great initiative”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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Aussie woman's horror assault in Paris days before Olympics

<p>An Australian woman has claimed she was gang-raped in Paris just days before the highly anticipated Opening Ceremony of 2024 Olympics. </p> <p>The 25-year-old Aussie, who was meant to be returning to Australia before the Olympics start, told French police that she was raped by five men and sought refuge after the attack in a kebab shop in the early hours on Saturday morning just metres from the Moulin Rouge. </p> <p>Staff of the shop alleged to police that the young woman’s dress was on backwards and partially ripped, while the woman was in a state of shock and was struggling to speak, according to reports from French newspaper <em>Le Figaro</em>. </p> <p>The woman told staff at the shop on Boulevard de Clichy that she had allegedly been sexually assaulted by five men described as of African descent, although details on the exact location of the attack remain unclear. </p> <p>The woman was taken to the nearby Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital for treatment and observation. </p> <p>The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said an investigation into the incident was underway.</p> <p>“The investigation into the charge of gang rape likely to have been committed on the night of July 19 to 20 has been entrusted to the second judicial police district,” Paris Prosecutor’s office said.</p> <p>The Alliance Paris police union said investigators will “do everything to quickly identify the individuals to justice”, according to newspaper <em>Le Parisien</em>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Richard Ellis/UPI/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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Woman divides the internet over not wanting to share Lotto winnings

<p dir="ltr">A young mother has divided the internet after sharing that she didn’t want to split her Lotto winnings with her boyfriend. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman took to Facebook to share that she bought the ticket on a whim and won half her annual salary as a result.</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking to social media, she explained how the awkward conversation with her partner unfolded. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I started to tell my boyfriend I was gonna put it towards my kids' college and do some upgrades to my house. He said, ‘what about my half?’,” she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to explain how the couple have the same yearly salary and how her partner said he could really use the financial help, but she doesn't want to share. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If I had won $6million I'd have no problem giving him half because it would be very easy to live off $3million. But 1/4 of one year's salary won't help me much,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also revealed that the couple would sometimes “daydream" about winning a lottery jackpot and would split a ticket every now and then, promising to go halves in the winnings.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the mum said this time was different because it was a spur-of-the-moment ticket purchase and he wasn't part of it.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s post welcomed a range of differing comments, with some people not appearing sympathetic to the young mum. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Is half the pot worth more than your relationship? If it is, you shouldn't be in the relationship anyway, so call it off,” one person said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another person added, “Can you for two seconds not see how this is very petty? He didn't contribute 'this time'. I'm sure when he buys a ticket he's not thinking 'oh this one is for just me and if we win on these ones then we will share’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, some people were quick to stand up for her and tell her she doesn’t owe her partner half her winnings. </p> <p dir="ltr">“She isn't selfish for keeping the money, they didn't have an agreement this time, and why should he be entitled to it. She is better off spending it on her home and her children's future,” one woman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another added, “If he won $20 would he give you $10? If he won $1,000 would he give you $500? If the answer is yes, then throw the guy a bone, but if you don't live together, there's no ring on your finger, and the answer is no? Keep it.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p> </p>

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Woman cops hefty fine after "checking out surf"

<p>A woman has lashed out at her local council after she copped a fine for $136 for a five-minute stop at a popular beach to assess the surf conditions. </p> <p>Amy Sloane stopped her car at The Esplanade at NSW's Caves Beach to get a sense of the surf conditions on July 6th, and was unknowingly being watched by a parking inspector. </p> <p>Ms Sloane was shocked to receive the fine in the post a few weeks later, arguing that her actions didn't justify the fine.</p> <p>"How do I feel? P***ed off," she told <em>Yahoo News</em>. "Rangers can't fine people who don't pick up after their dogs on our beaches, but can secretly fine you without you knowing for just checking out the surf for five minutes."</p> <p>She also called the council workers "cowards", saying the area she stopped in is often used by locals and tourists to get a look at the surf, and even whale watch occasionally during migration season.</p> <p>As she continued to defend her actions, Lake Macquarie City Council clarified that the infringement stated the driver parallel parked in the opposite direction of travel, which is a  known "safety offence under Australia Road Rules".</p> <p>It is illegal in all Australian states and territories to park your car in the opposite direction of traffic on any road.</p> <p>"The fine at hand was issued for not parallel parking in the direction of travel, which is a safety offence under Australian Road Rules. The driver's vehicle crossed double white lines and was parked near a bend, facing oncoming traffic, which further heightened safety concerns," a council spokesperson said.</p> <p>After expressing her annoyance on social media, many agreed the fine was warranted, saying she had done the wrong thing, regardless of how long she was there for.</p> <p>Other locals chimed in and said "it happens all the time" despite it being a fineable offence.</p> <p>"If you think the fine is wrong, fight it. If you were parked incorrectly, wear the fine," another said.</p> <p>Sloane confirmed to <em><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/woman-fined-136-after-checking-out-surf-at-popular-beach-084002221.html?guccounter=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News</a> </em>she will begrudgingly pay the fine.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Facebook / Shutterstock </em></p>

Money & Banking

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Woman found in wheelie bin identified as English teacher

<p>The body of a woman found in a wheelie bin at a waste management facility has been identified as a 67-year-old teacher. </p> <p>Staff at Repurpose It in the north Melbourne suburb of  Epping found the body of Annette Brennan while moving green waste last Wednesday. </p> <p>Police believe that the 67-year-old was inside a bin picked up outside a home in Coolaroo on Tuesday July 2nd, which was then taken to the facility in Epping. </p> <p>Brennan spent most of her life teaching English to students, many of whom were international, and has been described as “gentle and kind”. </p> <p>Police have arrested a 45-year-old man in connection to Brennan's death, who has since been charged with murder and will appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.</p> <p>Homicide detectives believe the pair were known to each other. </p> <p>On Monday night, Repurpose It CEO George Hatzimanolis said staff were “deeply saddened” by the incident.</p> <p>“Our staff members who made this tragic discovery are understandably shaken, and we are ensuring they receive the support and counselling they need,” he said.</p> <p>“We ask for privacy and understanding for our employees as we navigate through this challenging situation. We are fully co-operating with the police as they conduct their investigations.”</p> <p>Police are still combing through CCTV in the Coolaroo area and have urged anyone who may have video from between June 23rd and July 2nd to contact them.</p> <p>Detectives are also keen to speak to anyone who noticed any suspicious behaviour in the area. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Sunrise </em></p>

Caring

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Woman seeks advice over family member’s list of “stupid” baby names

<p dir="ltr">A woman has asked for advice after seeing her cousin’s list of potential baby names, with many of them being classed as “just stupid”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman took to Reddit to explain how her cousin sent her baby name list to her family group chat, and no one has yet replied. </p> <p dir="ltr">"This was all sent in a family group chat and no-one has replied yet. I feel bad because at least she has put some thought into these names, especially compared to how most of us were named. On the other hand, well, you saw the names," the woman posted on Reddit. </p> <p dir="ltr">The names her cousin has shared and her logic behind them include: </p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Urf (Earth..because no matter where the child lives in life, it will always be on Earth. Can't fault the logic on that one – Elon Musk might take umbrage though.)</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Seaeoh (CEO. Apparently names dictate destiny and this name will cosmically transform the child into a successful business magnate.)</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Stamp (She was in a long distance relationship with the father for a while and they used to send each other letters with...stamps. Sounds like what a caveman character in a film would be called.)</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Biotic (Connected to antibiotic. This will protect the child from disease. Antibiotic would be and I quote, 'Ridiculous because it would sound like 'Aunty' which would cultivate bullying because she would sound old.')</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Ayeai (AI. In the future AI will take over and if it turns nasty it will go easy on her kid because they share a name.)</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr">The woman explained that her cousin's logic for going with something very different for a name is "so many children nowadays have unique names that it will eventually become normal and people with 'standard' names will be the ones looking foolish." </p> <p dir="ltr">She also added that her cousin's husband isn't "brave enough" to say anything about the names and hopes she will lose interest. </p> <p dir="ltr">The people of Reddit had a lot to say about the choices, with one person commenting, “Those are all just terrible." </p> <p dir="ltr">"I say this in the kindest way possible. She is delusional and I dare say, stupid. That poor future child deserves better," wrote another user. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another suggested a normal name might actually be unique now and wrote, "Having a 'standard' name is what is unique now. How many kids are being named David and Lisa?" </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Greedy” woman slammed after being “disappointed” with engagement ring

<p dir="ltr">A woman has been dubbed “ungrateful” and “greedy” online after sharing a lengthy post about how she was “pretty disappointed” with the ring her boyfriend proposed with. </p> <p dir="ltr">The bride-to-be took to Facebook to say that while she still loves her fiancé, she was upset at being given a lab-made diamond as opposed to a natural one. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm not going to lie, I was pretty disappointed, especially since my future husband has enough income to afford a real diamond,” she said in the lengthy post. </p> <p dir="ltr">She also confessed to feeling like “a spoiled brat for complaining”, but went on to compare how her fiancé was previously engaged to another woman and proposed with a ring costing more than $75,000, so the cheaper diamond left her feeling “second best”. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman’s post was met with ridicule online, as thousands of people commented on her post to express their disbelief. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person quipped, “I require my diamonds to be exploitative.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“People sure do get upset when their diamonds aren't the result of human rights abuses and environmental destruction, huh,” another said, slamming the woman's “entitled attitude”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another woman was quick to agree that the bride-to-be's “greedy” disappointment was in bad taste.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Carbon is carbon,” another person said, referring to the material that diamonds are made of, whether from the ground or in a lab.   </p> <p dir="ltr">“Such a weird hill to die on! I told my husband I wanted a lab created diamond for this exact reason: because diamond mining claims lives! Having a chemically perfect diamond is a bonus,” another woman said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Relationships

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"I want her parents to know": Fellow Qantas passenger reveals final moments of young woman

<p>The passenger who was seated next to the woman who tragically <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/young-woman-dies-on-qantas-flight" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> after boarding a Qantas flight has broken his silence on her last moments. </p> <p>Ravinder Singh was seated next to Manpreet Kaur, who passed away shortly after boarding a flight from Melbourne to Delhi on June 20th. </p> <p>The 24-year-old student, who had dreams of becoming a chef, was travelling to see her parents in India for the first time in four years, but did not make it to her destination. </p> <p>Now, Ravinder Singh has shared details on her final moments in the hopes it will bring her grieving parents some comfort. </p> <p>“I was sitting next to her on the Qantas flight from Melbourne to Delhi and was actually the last person to talk to her,” Ravinder Singh exclusively told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/passenger-speaks-after-woman-dies-next-to-him-on-qantas-flight/news-story/24e8396d8eb3a1d35aea4a4291b847ba" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>news.com.au</em></a>.</p> <p>“When I boarded the plane, she was already seated in the aisle. I was in the window, so I asked if she could please get up so I could occupy my seat.</p> <p>“I noticed that she began scrolling through photos on her mobile phone and stopped at a photograph of an elderly couple. I asked if they were her parents. She smiled and nodded and kept staring at it.”</p> <p>Mr Singh, who had been in Australia to visit family, said that everything seemed fine and the plane eventually began moving towards the runway, ready for take off.</p> <p>He explained that Ms Kaur had then put her phone down and rested her head on the seat in front, when he realised something was not right.</p> <p>“She was wearing her seatbelt and leaned forward to rest her head on the seat in front. As the plane was preparing for takeoff, I wanted to alert her to sit upright,” he shared.</p> <p>“But the plane jerked and I expected her to wake up. But instead, her head just moved towards me."</p> <p>“I got the attention of a flight attention and told her that this woman does not seem very well. She checked her pulse and after that, the reaction of the cabin crew was very commendable."</p> <p>“They tried their best to revive her. She was then evacuated by medical staff.”</p> <p>The retired army officer said the incident still “haunts him” and he wants her parents to know that she “left the world peacefully”. </p> <p>“The incident has been etched in my memory for life,” he said.</p> <p>“It is very difficult to digest that a young girl with whom you were just interacting with has passed away in front of your eyes."</p> <p>“Her innocent face stills haunts me and I want her parents to know she loved them a lot. She left this world peacefully looking at their photograph."</p> <p>“My heart breaks for her family who would have been looking forward to seeing her after a long time.”</p> <p>It is understood that Ms Kaur had been feeling "unwell" when she arrived at the airport and boarded the plane with no issues, with reports suggesting she died of tuberculosis. </p> <p><em>Image credits: news.com.au</em></p>

Caring

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Young woman dies on Qantas flight

<p>A young woman has tragically died onboard a Qantas flight from Melbourne to the Indian city of Delhi. </p> <p>Manpreet Kaur, 24, boarded the international flight to visit her family for the first time in four years, but she never made it to her destination. </p> <p>According to a close friend, the student reportedly “felt unwell” hours before arriving at the airport but managed to board the flight without any issues. </p> <p>However, when she went to put on her seatbelt, Ms Kaur apparently fell to the floor and “died on the spot”.</p> <p>The plane was still grounded when Ms Kaur collapsed, as cabin crew and emergency services rushed to help her. </p> <p>“When she got on the plane, she was struggling to put her seatbelt on,” her friend Gurdip Grewal told the <a title="www.heraldsun.com.au" href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/tributes-flow-for-student-who-died-on-qantas-flight-at-melbourne-airport/news-story/aaa561d3d6ab09d15bcf3533312abdab" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="aaa561d3d6ab09d15bcf3533312abdab" data-tgev-label="news" data-tgev-metric="ev"><em>Herald Sun.</em></a></p> <p>“Just before her flight started, she fell in front of her seat and died on the spot.”</p> <p>According to reports from the <em>Herald Sun</em>, it is believed Ms Kaur died of tuberculosis, an infectious disease that mostly affects the lungs. </p> <p>Her roommate, Kuldeep, said Ms Kaur had worked at Australia Post while studying cooking, with dreams of one day becoming a chef.</p> <p>“She was kind and honest,” she told the publication. “She loved to travel with her friends around Victoria.”</p> <p>A <a title="www.gofundme.com" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/smksq-manpreet-kaur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page has been created for Ms Kaur to help her family, as the fundraising page reads, “Our dear friend Manpreet left us too soon, leaving a void in our lives that can never be filled.”</p> <p>“As we grieve her passing, we want to come together to honour her memory and support her family in their time of need."</p> <p>“As we say our final goodbyes, every contribution, big or small, brings us closer to our goal. Your support means the world to us and Manpreet’s family.”</p> <p>A Qantas spokesperson told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/woman-dies-on-international-qantas-flight/news-story/41934ac049c5f9712e37f3a2680b1e2a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em> that their “thoughts are with her family and loved ones”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Woman dies after police fail to respond to 000 call in time

<p>A delayed police response is under investigation after a woman in her 40s died when police officers took almost an hour to respond to a 000 call. </p> <p>Sarah Miles, a mother-of-three from Byron Bay, died after she was allegedly beaten by her boyfriend in her home on Saturday morning.</p> <p>A triple-0 call was made at 1:30am after neighbours reportedly heard screams coming from the house, but NSW Police didn’t acknowledge the call until 2:25am.</p> <p>By the time they arrived on the scene, they found Miles fighting for life in her final moments.</p> <p>She was unconscious but breathing, with “obvious injuries” to her head caused by a physical assault, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said.</p> <p>“Police assisted her and called for an ambulance immediately (which) arrived very shortly after, but unfortunately, her condition deteriorated, and she died at the scene,” McKenna said.</p> <p>“The delay in the timing of police acknowledging that call and attending the scene has given me enough concern that I’ve asked for an independent review of this investigation as to what that delay was and if it was justified."</p> <p>“We want to see what happened from the time that call was made, how the radio operator dispatched that call, the circumstances around the timings until it was acknowledged and until police attended.”</p> <p>The NSW Police Homicide Squad is working separately with local officers to investigate Miles’ death.</p> <p>McKenna said the force takes domestic violence very seriously and the issue is at the “top of our priority list”.</p> <p>“It is one of the most serious crimes there is, and we will do everything we can to take this as seriously as we can and make sure people are held to account and put before the courts,” he said.</p> <p>Miles's partner, Dwayne John Creighton, 31, was arrested at the scene and taken to Lismore Police Station, where he was charged with one count of murder.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 7News</em></p>

Legal

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Young woman exposes "hate" response to Origin's Welcome to Country

<p>The young woman who delivered the Welcome to Country at the State of Origin has opened up on the "overwhelming" response to it, revealing how she has "received a lot of hate".</p> <p>Savannah Fynn, 22, was invited to deliver the Welcome to Country and while it was generally well received, it also led to radio host Kyle Sandilands slamming the practice in general, saying the practice had become “overused and lost its impact”.</p> <p>Since then, Fynn revealed that she has received an overwhelming amount of hate online, with some even jumping to criticise her appearance. </p> <p>“I was just so worried I would stutter or mess up my words because I’d never spoken in front of that many people,” Fynn told <em><a title="www.dailytelegraph.com.au" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/lifestyle/stellar" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-tgev="event119" data-tgev-container="bodylink" data-tgev-order="stellar" data-tgev-label="lifestyle" data-tgev-metric="ev">Stellar</a></em>.</p> <p>“But once I finished, I felt a moment of relief. I ran straight over to my nan, obviously one of my Elders, and I gave her a big hug and a cuddle. It’s definitely an overwhelming feeling, getting all this attention. It’s not something I’m used to at all."</p> <p>“I’m a very quiet person so this is a big change. Even though it’s all positive, I struggle with taking compliments and I get a bit shy. I’m kind of ready for it to die down!”</p> <p>“As sad as it is, being a lighter skin colour, I’ve received a lot of hate for that,” the 22-year-old university student said.</p> <p>“A lot of people have picked on the way I look, the way I speak, even coming down to having blonde hair. My hair is actually dark, I’ve just dyed it blonde."</p> <p>“I think people also get very confused as to what an Acknowledgement and Welcome actually is. We’re not welcoming you to Australia; obviously you live here."</p> <p>“We’re welcoming you to the traditional owners of that land and acknowledging the traditional land. And in terms of comments about overuse, I feel you have to respect everyone’s opinions, even if you may not agree."</p> <p>“Being a First Nations person, I find it wonderful seeing my culture embraced. But obviously you can’t please everyone.”</p> <p>Fynn is aiming to be a young role model and hopes to show “young Indigenous people that we can get up and speak”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine </em></p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 24px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-size: 18px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </p> <p> </p>

TV

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Former Home and Away star admits brutal attack on woman

<p>A former <em>Home and Away</em> star has admitted to bashing a woman during a suspected mental health crisis.</p> <p>Orpheus Pledger, 31, faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday via a video link from custody at Ravenhall Correctional Centre. </p> <p>Police prosecutor Fionnuala Kennedy said Pledger attacked the victim repeatedly over a three-month period at a home in Northcote, Melbourne, with one of the attacks captured on a motion-capture camera on March 25. </p> <p>Footage from the camera showed Pledger grabbing the woman's hair, pulling her to the ground and stomping on her head. </p> <p>The court was told that the woman called triple zero at 1.35am to raise concerns Pledger was suffering a “mental health episode", before the line disconnected right after she said “he’s coming.” </p> <p>Officers arrived 15 minutes later and found the woman lying on the floor of her home unable to get up, with Pledger nowhere to be seen.</p> <p>The woman was taken to hospital, where doctors noted that she had bruising on her forehead, a laceration to her cheek, bruising to her right hand and marks on her face and ear.</p> <p>The court was told that he was arrested the following day, but he was unable to be interviewed because of his "erratic behaviour". </p> <p>He was released in April for a court-ordered medical assessment due to concerns for his mental health, but he fled from the hospital on April 23 after a six hour wait. </p> <p>He then returned to the woman's home to collect his things and when asked to leave, he told her: “why, I haven’t done anything”. </p> <p>Police issued a public appeal before he was arrested two days later. </p> <p>Defence lawyer Jasper MacCuspie noted that during that time, his client was unable to get the mental health assessment he required, due to limited resources, saying that it was a widespread issue within the health system.</p> <p>The court heard that there is currently a shortage of ambulance and police resources, which Magistrate Justin Foster labelled as “outrageous”.</p> <p>““The only reason I bailed him at the time was because there was nothing available for him to be  … assessed in a prison setting. And there is no money in the hospital to have these important things assessed,” he said. </p> <p>“There’s a shortage of everything at the moment, it’s outrageous.”</p> <p>MacCuspie also said that his client had begun acting at the age of eight or nine but fell into the wrong crowd, and his drug use escalated in his late 20s when he was declined a role on US TV series <em>The 100</em>. </p> <p>“At the very last minute that fell through. It was a destabilising event,” MacCuspie said.</p> <p>“He aspires towards acting in future, but accepts by virtue of matter that’s a somewhat challenging prospect,” he added. </p> <p>Pledger will be assessed for a community corrections order, but has pleaded guilty to four assault-related charges, and will be sentenced on Wednesday. </p> <p><em>Images: news.com.au/ Channel Seven</em></p>

Legal

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Woman's fake parking fines divides internet

<p>Finding a parking ticket on your windscreen is the last thing you'd want to see after a day out - but last month dozens of drivers were greeted with fake fines made by one woman who wanted to spread "a little kindness". </p> <p>Melbourne woman Karina went viral for her odd marketing tactic, where she put handmade fake fines onto cars, public phones and lamp posts across the city's southeast, in a bid to promote her photography business. </p> <p>The "infringement" note read: "Notice to owners: We saw you pull into this car park and I wanted to tell you that you look absolutely beautiful today, your smile could light up a whole room...</p> <p>"Just to make your day a little more special than you already are, I want to give you $30 towards my beach prints from my travels."</p> <p>When asked why she did it, Karina told <em>Yahoo News</em>: "I decided to do it to make people's day by spreading a little kindness. It was a reminder that life is too short."</p> <p>"They're going to think it's a fine but little do they know that it's actually some money towards a print for our store."</p> <p>While there were a few that praised her "hustle" mentality, saying that they "love this idea" and thought it was "cute", others were less pleased. </p> <p>"No this would make me have a panic attack," one wrote. </p> <p>"I thought this was wholesome until I realised ya'll are just trying to sell stuff," another added. </p> <p><em>Images: TikTok</em></p>

Money & Banking

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The wild reason woman is suing her boyfriend

<p dir="ltr">A woman from New Zealand is suing her boyfriend after he failed to give her a lift to the airport, causing her to miss her flight. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman, who has remained anonymous, asked her partner to pick her up from home and drop her at the airport, but he failed to show up. </p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, she missed her flight and was forced to travel the following day, missing a concert she had tickets for. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman was so enraged that she took her partner of six years to the Disputes Tribunal to try and get him to cover some of the money she’d lost.</p> <p dir="ltr">The woman also wanted to be compensated because her boyfriend had not stayed at her house while she was away to look after her dogs, which he had agreed to do.</p> <p dir="ltr">She claimed their agreement had constituted a legally binding agreement and was seeking to be paid travel costs and the cost of putting her dogs in kennels.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tribunal referee Krysia Cowi said in a statement, “partners, friends and colleagues make social arrangements, but it is unlikely they can be legally enforced unless the parties perform some act that demonstrates an intention that they will be bound by their promises”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When friends fail to keep their promises, the other person may suffer a financial consequence but it may be that they cannot be compensated for that loss,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cowie said the promises made within the relationship fell short of a contract and dismissed the woman’s case, with the couple breaking up as a result. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Legal

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Woman shot dead in Mackay in front of children

<p>A 34-year-old woman has been fatally shot through the window of a car in Mackay on Wednesday afternoon, in front of her teen children who had to flee for help. </p> <p>The man also allegedly shot a 66-year-old man who came to her aid before fleeing the scene. </p> <p>The woman died from her injuries, while the 66-year-old was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition after he was shot in the sternum area, according to police. </p> <p>Her death caused an emergency declaration that shut down parts of South Mackay as police searched for the alleged shooter. </p> <p>“The children were young teenagers... it’s an absolutely shocking thing to have experienced,” District Superintendent Graeme Paine said.</p> <p>“They were very fearful... It’s an absolutely tragic situation.”</p> <p>The suspect was arrested at 7:45pm outside a Bruce Highway business, about 2km away and is assisting authorities with their investigation. </p> <p>Police said that there was no indication that the man and woman knew each other, but it is understood that they “reside in fairly close proximity”.</p> <p>“I don’t have any details at this stage in relation to any sort of motive or reasons behind what’s occurred,” the District Superintendent said. </p> <p>The emergency declaration has since been revoked, with police saying that they have contained the situation. </p> <p>No charges have yet been laid. </p> <p><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

Caring

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Australia’s oldest woman celebrates 110th birthday

<p>Lorna Henstridge, believed to be Australia's oldest woman, has celebrated her 110th birthday. </p> <p>The centenarian was born in Adelaide on June 6, 1914 and was raised in Bute, a small town in the Yorke Peninsula.</p> <p>She has lived through two world wars, five monarchs and two pandemics including the 1918 influenza and Covid-19. </p> <p>Henstridge celebrated her birthday at her aged care home in Bordertown on Thursday surrounded by her three children, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. </p> <p>School kids from the town also shared their birthday wishes to the centenarian. </p> <p>Henstridge is the second-oldest Australian, behind Ken Weeks, who turns 111 this year.</p> <p>The oldest living person in the world, American-Spanish woman Maria Branyas Morera, turned 117 in March.</p> <p>Henstridge recalled how different life used to be a hundred years ago.</p> <p>“My father used to take me on horseback to the railway crossing when I was five years old to go to school," she said. </p> <p>She also shared her secret to living a long life, which includes enjoying every moment of it, and staying physically and mentally active.</p> <p>“Be active, be interested in the world, be interested in your friends. If you can do that, you’ll get a certain pleasure out of living," she said. </p> <p>Living to an old age may run in the family according to Henstridge's daughter Jennie Jacobs, who said that her grandmother lived until her 90s and her great-grandmother passed aged 100. </p> <p><em>Image: 7NEWS</em></p>

Retirement Life

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