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Robert De Niro shares rare photo of baby daughter

<p>Robert De Niro has shared a rare photo of his adorable 10-month-old daughter Gia, while opening up on their unusual family dynamic for the first time. </p> <p>The 80-year-old acting legend welcomed baby Gia with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen in 2023, making the adorable infant De Niro's seventh child.</p> <p>The sweet photo delighted fans, with the picture showing the proud dad cradling his daughter and resting his cheek on her head, while the baby smiles for the camera.</p> <p>De Niro doted on his daughter in a new interview with <em><a href="https://people.com/all-about-robert-de-niro-and-tiffany-chen-daughter-8386466" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a></em> magazine, saying, “She’s such an adorable baby. So sweet.”</p> <p>The actor also laughed about the unusual dynamic within his family after welcoming his seventh child at age 79.</p> <p>“The kids all get a big kick out of her. The grandkids even. She’s their aunt — [and] they’re about to be teenagers!” he said.</p> <p>In addition to Gia, De Niro is also father to Drena, 56, Raphael, 47, twins Julian and Aaron, 28, Elliot, 25, and Helen, 12.</p> <p>He has four grandchildren, including Drena’s son, Leandro, who tragically died from an accidental overdose in 2023 at the age of 19. </p> <p>Speaking with <em>AARP</em> in January, De Niro became emotional talking about the newest addition to his family. </p> <p>“Everything that I’m consumed with or worried about just goes away when I look at her,” he raved. “It’s wondrous.”</p> <p>He also gave a glimpse into his home life with Chen, 45, and baby Gia while speaking to <em>The Guardian</em> last October.</p> <p>While addressing his age, he candidly explained that he has stepped back from doing “the heavy lifting.”</p> <p>“I’m there, I support my girlfriend. But she does the work,” he stated. “And we have help, which is so important.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Youtube / Courtesy Robert De Niro / Yahoo Canada</em></p>

Family & Pets

Julia Roberts shares rare throwback pic on twins' birthday

<p>Julia Roberts, the timeless Hollywood icon, recently spread waves of joy and nostalgia across the internet as she celebrated the 19th birthday of her delightful twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus Moder.</p> <p>In a heartwarming Instagram post, the 56-year-old actress opened the treasure trove of old photo albums to share a precious throwback, capturing a moment from the early 2000s when her twins were just infants.</p> <p>The enchanting snapshot reveals Roberts, adorned with the timeless grace that made her a <em>Pretty Woman</em>, seated cross-legged on the floor, cradling her tiny bundles of joy in her arms.</p> <p>The image is a testament to the unspoken joy, the endless fun, and the wild rumpus of life that the actress cherishes with her beloved children. In a caption that twinkles with emotion, Roberts expressed, "✨✨19✨✨ There are no words for the joy, the fun, the wild rumpus of life together. 💕"</p> <p>Roberts shares this beautiful journey of parenthood with her husband, the talented cinematographer Daniel Moder. The couple tied the knot in 2002, their love story unfolding on the set of <em>The Mexican</em> two years prior.</p> <p>The twins, Hazel and Phinnaeus, made their entrance into the world in 2004, followed by the arrival of their younger brother Henry in 2007.</p> <p>While the world has been privy to glimpses of Roberts' family life through occasional throwback photos, the actress has been deliberate in keeping her children away from the prying eyes of social media.</p> <p>In a candid interview with <em>The Sun</em> in 2019, Roberts shared her thoughts on navigating parenthood in the digital age, acknowledging the unique challenges it presents.</p> <p>"It's interesting trying to raise kids in this day because it's all so new — the pressures, the resources, having the world in your hand like that," Roberts mused. "I try to keep them off social media because I don't really understand what they need that for right now."</p> <p>Last year, Roberts commemorated Hazel and Phinnaeus' milestone 18th birthday with yet another heartwarming throwback, a testament to the enduring bond she shares with her twins. The caption read simply, "🌟🌟18🌟🌟 Love you." The image, taken in the heart of the family kitchen, captured a moment of pure maternal bliss as Roberts lifted one twin in the air while the other sat surrounded by toys.</p> <p>In the preceding year, for their 17th birthday, Roberts treated her followers to a delightful selfie featuring the radiant trio. The caption exuded pride and love, "17 of the Sweetest years of life ✨ 👫♥️🥳," adorned with celebratory cake emojis.</p> <p>As Julia Roberts and her family continue to celebrate the passage of time, these glimpses into their lives serve as a reminder of the beauty of family, the enduring bonds of love, and the joy found in the simple, precious moments of life.</p> <p>Here's to many more years of love, laughter, and unforgettable family memories for the Roberts-Moder clan! ✨🎉💖</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

"Shame on you!" Robert De Niro's courtroom outburst

<p>Robert De Niro has lost his temper in court, as his former assistant accused him of being abusive. </p> <p>The Oscar-winning actor is being sued by Graham Chase Robinson, who worked as his assistant from 2008 until several months into 2019, for millions of dollars after claiming he was abusive when they worked together. </p> <p>Robinson, 41, seeks $US12 million (approximately AUD$18 million) in damages for emotional distress and harm to her reputation, that she claims has left her jobless and unable to recover from the trauma of working for De Niro.</p> <p>The jury is also considering evidence pertaining to a lawsuit De Niro filed against Robinson in which he claimed that she stole things from him, including five million points that could be used for airline flights.</p> <p>De Niro is countersuing his former employee, seeking the return of three years of Robinson's salary.</p> <p>Robinson's attorney Andrew Macurdy interrogated the actor over some of his questionable behaviour, including allegations that he spoke to Robinson while he was urinating, and claims that he called her a "b***h" to her face.</p> <p>De Niro admitted that while he "got angry" at his former assistant, he was "never abusive".</p> <p>Growing frustrated with the line of questioning, he exclaimed, "You got us all here for this?" </p> <p>Eventually, he angrily looked toward Robinson and shouted, "Shame on you, Chase Robinson!"</p> <p>De Niro was also asked by Macurdy if he he sued Robinson before she sued him because he wanted publicity.</p> <p>"It draws attention to me. It's the last thing I wanted to do," De Niro said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

"This hurts the heart": Days of our Lives star's shock death at just 50

<p><em>General Hospital</em> and <em>Days of Our Lives</em> star Tyler Christopher has passed away at the age of 50 after a "cardiac event". The shocking news was confirmed by his <em>General Hospital </em>co-star, Maurice Benard, who expressed his deep sorrow and heartfelt tribute to his friend on social media.</p> <p>In an emotional Instagram post, Benard shared, "It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Christopher. Tyler passed away this morning following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment."</p> <p>He went on to describe Tyler as a "truly talented individual" who illuminated the screen with every performance, bringing joy to his devoted fans. He was not only a gifted actor but also a kind and compassionate soul who touched the lives of those who knew him.</p> <p>Benard also highlighted Christopher's advocacy for mental health and substance use treatment. Tyler was open about his personal struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol, using his platform to raise awareness and provide support to others facing similar challenges. His candour in addressing these issues endeared him to many and further solidified his legacy as an actor and an advocate.</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/CzFJiUXPyRK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzFJiUXPyRK/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Maurice Benard (@mauricebenard)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The news of Christopher's passing resonated deeply with his fans and colleagues. Messages of love and support flooded social media, with one fan expressing, "This hurts the heart. I loved him on <em>General Hospital</em>. Sending love and prayers to his family and friends."</p> <p>The outpouring of grief from the public underscores the significant impact he had on the entertainment industry and his audience.</p> <p>Christopher is of course best known for his iconic roles as Nikolas Cassadine on <em>General Hospital</em> and Stefan DiMera on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>. His captivating performances and versatility as an actor made him a beloved figure in the world of daytime television.</p> <p>Tyler leaves behind two children from his previous marriage to reporter Brienne Pedigo. He was previously married to actress Eva Longoria from 2002 to 2004. In recent years, he appeared in the TV movie <em>Ice Storm</em> and featured in <em>Thor: God of Thunder</em> in 2022, demonstrating his enduring talent and commitment to his craft.</p> <p>The actor received recognition for his exceptional work, earning five Daytime Emmy nominations during his tenure on <em>General Hospital</em>. His dedication to his roles and his ability to connect with his characters and the audience was evident in his numerous accolades.</p> <p>Despite his professional success, Christopher faced personal challenges. In 2019, he was placed under the guardianship of his sister due to an accident and internal bleeding during an episode of "alcohol withdrawal". This period of his life was marked by legal and personal struggles. In May, he was arrested for "public intoxication". He also alleged that his sister had "used his finances" while serving as his guardian, a claim she vehemently denied. The guardianship ended in 2021, marking a challenging chapter in his life.</p> <p>Christopher will be remembered not only for his remarkable contributions to the entertainment industry but also for his courage in addressing his personal battles and advocating for those who needed a voice.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Bindi and Robert remember Steve on the anniversary of his death

<p>Bindi and Robert Irwin have paid tribute to their late father Steve on Father's Day, just 24 hours before the 17th anniversary of his death. </p> <p>Robert began the emotional homage on Sunday as many celebrated Father's Day in Australia, sharing a series of throwback clips from his childhood with Bindi. </p> <p>Accompanying the video, the 19-year-old wildlife warrior wrote, "Today is Father’s Day here in Australia. Days like this are filled with so many different emotions, but above all, I choose to make it a happy day to remember the best moments with the best Dad ❤️".</p> <p>The post quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of likes and comments, with his sister Bindi writing on the post, "Dad is SO. PROUD. OF. YOU. He’s always with us. Love you."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cwtcmzoh7yz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cwtcmzoh7yz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>On Monday morning, the 17th anniversary of Steve Irwin's death, Bindi also shared a throwback photo with her late father, with a simple love heart as the caption. </p> <p>The post boasted tens of thousands of likes in just hours, with many commenting that her father would be proud of the work she has done as a wildlife warrior and a young mother. </p> <p>Fans of the Irwin family also wasted no time cherishing Steve's legacy and comforting the Irwin children with messages shared online.</p> <p>"If you think he loved animals, take a look at his face when he was with all of you," one person wrote. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Breathtaking winners of the 2023 Black and White Photo Awards

<p>The stunning finalists of the <a href="https://bwphotoawards.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 Black and White Photo Awards</a> have been revealed, with the talented photographers stripping all the colour out of their work. </p> <p>Having run for several years now, the annual contest was established to "nurture the spirit of monochrome photography".</p> <p>This year, thousands of images were submitted by record-breaking numbers of photographers from 92 countries around the world, with photos submitted under five categories: architecture, street, portrait, fauna and flora, and landscape.</p> <p>"The results have exceeded all our expectations," the judges said of the winners and finalists.</p> <p>Some of the winning photos include an icy sculpture in Antarctica, a full moon over the Canadian rocky mountains, a lightning storm in Italy, volcanic craters in Iceland, and a crowded train in Bangladesh. </p> <p><em>All image credits: 2023 Black and White Photo Awards</em></p>

International Travel

Robert De Niro’s grandson's official cause of death confirmed

<p>Robert De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez’s cause of death has been confirmed. </p> <p>The 19-year-old died from a "toxic" combination of drugs, a New York City Medical Examiner told <em>Page Six</em> on Tuesday. </p> <p>Autopsy results revealed that the late teen had fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine in his system at the time of his death, which has been ruled as an "accident". </p> <p>Sophia Marks, 20, has been arrested in connection to Leandro's overdose.</p> <p>According to criminal reports obtained by <em>Page Six</em>, the texts between Leandro and Marks allege that she had warned him about the fentanyl-laced pills, as they discussed the purchase of counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax just days before his death.</p> <p>Police also believe that Marks allegedly sold pills to children as young as 15. </p> <p>This comes just one month after De Niro’s daughter Drena claimed that her son passed away after a <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/de-niro-s-daughter-reveals-her-son-s-cause-of-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tragic drug accident</a>. </p> <p>“Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” she wrote in response to a comment on one of her posts at that time. </p> <p>“For all these people still f***ing around selling and buying this s**t, my son is gone forever,” she added. </p> <p>Drena who is still processing her grief, continues to post memories of her son, with the most recent one a heartbreaking tribute marking the first month since his passing.</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/CvcZ2IGNgcj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvcZ2IGNgcj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Drena (@drenadeniro)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Today marks one whole month without my baby 🥺💔," she began in the caption</p> <p>"I think of you and long for you, every minute of every day. Never forget how happy you made so many people just by being here and being beautiful kindhearted you ♥️ Your legacy is Love."</p> <p>Leandro was laid to rest on July 8.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’: who was atom bomb pioneer Robert Oppenheimer?

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/darius-von-guttner-sporzynski-112147">Darius von Guttner Sporzynski</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p>Robert Oppenheimer is often placed next to Albert Einstein as the 20th century’s most famous physicist.</p> <p>He will forever be the “father of the atomic bomb” after the first nuclear weapon was successfully tested on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexican desert. The event brought to his mind words from a <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/manhattan-project-robert-oppenheimer">Hindu scripture</a>: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”.</p> <h2>Who was Robert Oppenheimer?</h2> <p>Born in 1904 in an affluent New York family, Oppenheimer graduated from Harvard majoring in chemistry in 1925.</p> <p>Two years later, he completed his PhD in physics at one of the world’s leading institutions for theoretical physics, the University of Göttingen, Germany. He was 23 and enthusiastic to the point of alienating others.</p> <p>Throughout his life, Oppenheimer would be judged either as an <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Inside_the_Centre/L9wRLVcUI-sC?hl=en&gbpv=1">aloof prodigy or an anxious narcissist</a>. Whatever his contradictions as an individual, his eccentricities did not limit his scientific achievements.</p> <p>Before the outbreak of the second world war, Oppenheimer worked at the University of California, Berkeley, and the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/J_Robert_Oppenheimer_and_the_American_Ce/U12mDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Robert+Oppenheimer:+A+Life+from+Beginning+to+End&printsec=frontcover">California Institute of Technology</a>. His research concentrated on theoretical astronomy, nuclear physics and quantum field theory.</p> <p>Although he confessed to being uninterested in politics, Oppenheimer openly supported socially progressive ideas. He was concerned with the emergence of antisemitism and fascism. His partner, Kitty Puening, was a left-leaning radical and their social circle included Communist Party members and activists. Later, these associations will mark him as a communist sympathiser.</p> <p>As a researcher, Oppenheimer published and supervised a new generation of doctoral students. One of these was Willis Lamb, who in 1955 was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. The Nobel Prize eluded Oppenheimer three times.</p> <h2>The second world war</h2> <p>Two years after Germany and Soviet Russia attacked Poland, the United States entered WWII. Oppenheimer was recruited to work on the infamous <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-manhattan-project">Manhattan Project</a>. His ideas about chain reaction in an atomic bomb gained recognition among the US defence community. He started his work by assembling a team of experts. Some of them were his students.</p> <p>In 1943, despite his left-wing political views, lack of high-profile career and no experience in managing complex projects, Oppenheimer was appointed director of the <a href="https://about.lanl.gov/oppenheimer/">Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico</a>. He was enthusiastic. He seemed to have “<a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Inside_the_Centre/L9wRLVcUI-sC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Rabi+%22reserves+of+uncommitted+strength%22&pg=PA670&printsec=frontcover">reserves of uncommitted strength</a>” recalled physicist <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1944/rabi/biographical/">Isidor Isaac Rabi</a>. His task was to develop atomic weapons.</p> <p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Los-Alamos-National-Laboratory">Los Alamos Laboratory</a> expanded rapidly as the project grew in complexity, with the personnel exceeding 6,000. His ability to master the large-scale workforce and channel their energy towards the needs of the project earned him respect.</p> <p>He proved to be more than just an administrator by being involved in the interdisciplinary team across theoretical and experimental stages of the weapons development.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JWxIVVeV98?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>The nuclear test</h2> <p>On July 16, 1945 the nuclear test, <a href="https://armscontrolcenter.org/quotes-from-trinity-test-observers/">code named Trinity</a>, took place.</p> <p>The first atomic bomb was successfully detonated at 5:29 am in the Jornada del Muerto desert. As his chief assistant, Thomas Farrell, recounted: "There came this tremendous burst of light followed shortly thereafter by the deep growling roar of the explosion."</p> <p>Oppenheimer later <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/J_Robert_Oppenheimer/EoA8DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22A+few+people+laughed,+a+few+people+cried,+most+people+were+silent%22&pg=PA44&printsec=frontcover">recalled</a> that “a few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent”. What he knew for sure was that the world would not be the same.</p> <p>It was too late for the atomic bombs to be used against Germany in the war – the Nazis had capitulated on May 8. Instead, US President Harry Truman decided to use the bomb against Germany’s ally, Japan.</p> <p>Shortly after the atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Oppenheimer confronted the US secretary of war, Henry Stimson, demanding that nuclear weapons were banned.</p> <p>Similarly, when speaking with Truman, Oppenheimer talked about his feeling of <a href="https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/07/11/when-truman-titled-a-hollywood-epic-and-then-sabotaged-it/">having blood on his hands</a>. Truman rejected Oppenheimer’s emotional outburst. The responsibility for the use of the atomic bombs, after all, rested with the commander in chief (himself).</p> <p>Truman’s rebuttal did not prevent Oppenheimer from advocating for the establishment of controls on the nuclear arms race.</p> <h2>Arms control</h2> <p>In the postwar years, Oppenheimer settled in Princeton, New Jersey, at the Institute for Advanced Study. He read widely. He collected art and furniture. He learned languages. His well-paid position enabled his pursuit of a deeper understanding of humanity though the examination of ancient scriptures. <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/American_Prometheus/F79LEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Robert+Oppenheimer:+A+Life+from+Beginning+to+End&printsec=frontcover">He argued</a> for the unity of purpose between the sciences and humanities.</p> <p>Oppenheimer’s patronage supported and encouraged other scientists in their research. But his chief concern was the unavoidable arms race. He advocated for the establishment of an <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/overview/history">international body that would control the development of nuclear energy</a> and its usage.</p> <p>In 1947, a civilian agency called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Atomic_Energy_Commission">Atomic Energy Commission</a> began its work. Oppenheimer urged strongly for <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/overview/history">international arms control</a>.</p> <p>The Soviet Union’s first atomic bomb test in August 1949 took the US by surprise and pushed American researchers to develop a hydrogen bomb. The US government hardened its position. In 1952, Truman refused to reappoint Oppenheimer as the adviser to the Atomic Energy Commission.</p> <p>After 1952, Oppenheimer’s advocacy against the first test of the hydrogen bomb resulted in the suspension of his security clearance. The investigation that followed in 1954 exposed Oppenheimer’s past communist ties and culminated in <a href="https://www.history.com/news/father-of-the-atomic-bomb-was-blacklisted-for-opposing-h-bomb">his security clearance being revoked</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYPbbksJxIg?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>McCarthyism and academic freedom</h2> <p>In the era of Joseph McCarthy’s witch-hunts, his fellow scientists considered Oppenheimer as a martyr of the cause of academic freedom. “In England”, commented Wernher von Braun, a former Nazi turned American pioneer of rocket technology, “<a href="https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/oppenheimer-security-hearing/">Oppenheimer would have been knighted</a>”.</p> <p>After 1954, Oppenheimer did not cease to advocate for freedom in the pursuit of knowledge. He toured internationally with talks about the role of academic freedom unrestrained by political considerations. He argued that the sciences and the humanities are <a href="https://archive.org/details/scienceandthecom007308mbp/page/n7/mode/2up">not separate human endeavours but interlocked and inseparable</a>.</p> <p>Oppenheimer died at the age of 62 on February 18, 1967.<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/209398/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/darius-von-guttner-sporzynski-112147">Darius von Guttner Sporzynski</a>, Historian, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/now-i-am-become-death-the-destroyer-of-worlds-who-was-atom-bomb-pioneer-robert-oppenheimer-209398">original article</a>.</em></p>

Movies

De Niro's daughter reveals her son's cause of death

<p dir="ltr">Robert De Niro’s daughter claims that her son Leandro<a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/deeply-distressed-tragedy-strikes-robert-de-niro-s-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> passed away</a> after a tragic drug accident where he allegedly took pills laced with fentanyl.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,” Drena wrote in response to a comment asking how Leandro passed away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For all these people still f***ing around selling and buying this s**t, my son is gone forever,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for pain relief and an anaesthetic, but it is also more potent than heroin and morphine as a painkiller.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose,” the Drug Enforcement Administration states.</p> <p dir="ltr">Drena announced her only child’s <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/deeply-distressed-tragedy-strikes-robert-de-niro-s-family" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passing</a> on Sunday and has since been sharing updates of her grief on Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My darling we celebrate you today and always,” she wrote in a recent Instagram post with a photo of a young Leandro.</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/CuXS_gzL5zk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuXS_gzL5zk/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Drena (@drenadeniro)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you to everyone for the help, prayers and loving energy that is pulling us through this devastating time. Julie thank you for this beautiful photo of Leo ♥️” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">Robert also shared how “deeply distressed” he was over his beloved grandson’s passing and had asked for privacy to grieve their loss of Leandro.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

"Deeply distressed": Tragedy strikes Robert De Niro's family

<p>Robert De Niro's grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, has tragically passed away, as confirmed by his daughter, Drena De Niro.</p> <p>Drena De Niro, who is 51 years old and Robert De Niro's daughter from his previous marriage to Diahnne Abbott, shared the devastating news of her young son's passing on Instagram.</p> <p>In a heartfelt tribute, accompanied by a photo of her late son, she expressed her deep love for him, stating: "My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been joy in my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life."</p> <p>Overwhelmed by grief and yearning to be with her son, she continued, <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"I wish I was with you right now. I wish I was with you. I don't know how to live without you but I'll try to go on and spread the love and light that you so made me feel in getting to be your mama.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish that love alone could have saved you 😞 I'm so sorry my baby, I'm so sorry @carlosmare 😢💔. Rest in Peace and Eternal Paradise my darling boy."</span></p> <p> </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/CuOES_xN6pO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuOES_xN6pO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Drena (@drenadeniro)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Upon learning the tragic news, Robert De Niro expressed deep distress over his teenage grandson's passing.</p> <p>In a statement provided to the <em>New York Post's Page Six</em> section on Monday, Robert De Niro expressed his sorrow, saying, "I'm deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson Leo."</p> <p>The statement was delivered through a spokesperson. He further added, "We're greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo."</p> <p>At present, the cause of Leandro's death remains unknown, although reports suggest that drugs and drug paraphernalia were found near his body.</p> <p>Leandro was the son of Drena De Niro and graffiti artist Carlos "Mare139" Rodriguez. Carlos commented on Drena's social media post, expressing his heartfelt emotions:</p> <p>"Words aren't enough to express the joy he gave us or the loss we now endure with our families and friends. He is God's child now. On this full moon, his spirit illuminates what could not be seen in the dark. You can't spell LOVE without LEO."</p> <p>Several celebrities, including Lenny Kravitz, Andy Cohen, and Naomi Campbell, expressed their support and condolences in the comments section of Drena's post.</p> <p>Drena De Niro is the eldest of Robert De Niro's seven children. He adopted her in 1976 after marrying her mother, Diahnne Abbott. Robert also has a son named Raphael, 46, with Ms. Abbott, as well as twins named Aaron and Julian, 27, with Toukie Smith.</p> <p>Additionally, he has a son named Elliot, 25, and a daughter named Helen, 11, with Grace Hightower. In May, Robert announced that he and his partner, Tiffany Chen, welcomed their seventh child, a daughter named Gia.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

"Most dangerous spy in US history" dies in jail

<p>The USA’s most notorious FBI agent has been found dead in his top security prison cell at the age of 79. </p> <p>Prison officials confirmed the news of Robert Hanssen’s passing, more than 20 years after he received a life sentence for selling classified US material throughout the 1980s and 1990s. </p> <p>While no cause of death has been revealed, a statement from the Bureau of Prisons revealed that staff at the facility took life-saving measures after Hanssen was found unresponsive in his cell, to no avail. </p> <p>Hanssen - who is now regarded as one of the most dangerous spies in US history - sold thousands of documents in exchange for the diamonds and cash over the course of his deception. According to the FBI, by the time of his arrest, Hanssen had received the value of more than $1.4 million. </p> <p>He first launched his career with the FBI in 1976, and it was only a few years before he began spying for the Soviet Union, sending classified information - on everything from human resources to counterintelligence - to the Soviet Union and Russia under the alias ‘Ramon Garcia’. </p> <p>It is believed that he was able to cover for himself through his role in the FBI’s New York counterintelligence department, where he was tasked with tracking down his own kind - spies. </p> <p>“As a result of his assignments, Hanssen had direct and legitimate access to voluminous information about sensitive programs and operations,” the FBI explained at the time. “As the complaint alleges, Hanssen effectively used his training, expertise and experience as a counterintelligence Agent to avoid detection, to include keeping his identity and place of employment from his Russian handlers and avoiding all the customary ‘tradecraft’ and travel usually associated with espionage.”</p> <p>Neither the FBI or CIA caught on to the fact there was a mole working within the system for years, but did eventually secure “original Russian documentation of an American spy”, according to the FBI and Forbes. </p> <p>According to reports, not even Hanssen’s Russian handlers knew his true identity, and he was not at the top of any suspect list. By all appearances, he lived a frugal life among Washington’s conservative Catholics, with a wife and six children. </p> <p>But Hanssen was caught in suburban Virginia at a ‘dead drop’, and his arrest came in 2001. He pleaded guilty to 15 counts of espionage, and was consequently sentenced to life behind bars without parole for “espionage, conspiracy to commit espionage, and attempted espionage”.</p> <p>“I apologise for my behaviour,” Hanssen said during his sentencing. “I am shamed by it.</p> <p>“I have opened the door for calumny against my totally innocent wife and children. I’ve hurt so many deeply.”</p> <p><em>Images: FBI</em></p>

Legal

Robert De Niro welcomes seventh child at 79

<p dir="ltr">Hollywood star Robert De Niro has revealed that he is now the proud father of seven. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Academy-award winning actor was on a promotional run for his new film, <em>About My Father</em>, and chatting to <em>ET Canada </em>when he made the unexpected announcement. </p> <p dir="ltr">Reporter Brittnee Blair laid the groundwork when she mentioned that she knew De Niro had six kids. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Seven, actually,” he corrected her. “I just had a baby.”</p> <p dir="ltr">De Niro shares his eldest children - 51-year-old Drena and 46-year-old Raphael - with his first wife, Diahnne Abbott. He then welcomed twins Julian and Aaron - who are 27 - with then-girlfriend Toukie Smith, before having 24-year-old Elliot and 11-year-old Helen Grace with ex-wife Grace Hightower.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>ET Canada</em> confirmed the news of De Niro’s seventh addition with the actor’s representatives, although they weren’t able to dig up any more information on who the new baby’s mother might be. </p> <p dir="ltr">Many have speculated, however, that he shares his latest addition with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen. She drew attention as recently as March 2023, sparking rumours when she was spotted leaving a restaurant in California, with what some suspected to be a visible baby bump. </p> <p dir="ltr">De Niro and Chen first crossed paths on the set of the 2015 film <em>The Intern</em>, and have reportedly been together since 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">And while seventh time may be the charm, De Niro is the first to note that even with so much practice under his belt, he still doesn’t consider himself to be a “cool dad”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m okay,” he said to Blair. “You know, my kids disagree with me at times, and they’re respectful. My daughter, she’s 11, she gives me grief sometimes and I argue with her. I adore her, but, you know. </p> <p dir="ltr">“And my youngest now, that’ll be more to come. But, that’s what it is.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He also took the time to tell her he believes very much in “being loving” with his children, though he knew the time and place for being “stern about stuff”. </p> <p dir="ltr">As he put it, “there’s no way around it with kids. I don’t like to have to lay down the law and stuff like that. But, [sometimes] you just have no choice.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And any parent, I think, would say the same thing. You always want to do the right thing by the children and give them the benefit of the doubt but sometimes you can’t.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Family & Pets

Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh responds to backlash for “terribly white” coronation comment

<p dir="ltr">A star of the stage and screen, Adjoa Andoh HonFRSL, made waves around the world with her comments on the royal family’s post-coronation balcony appearance. </p> <p dir="ltr">Coverage of King Charles III’s coronation was available around the world from numerous providers, but it was the comments <em>Bridgerton </em>star Adjoa Andoh made during ITV’s extensive coverage in the UK that set the internet ablaze. </p> <p dir="ltr">To kick off their day, the network broadcast a special edition of their <em>Good Morning Britain</em> show, with a programme hosted by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham to follow. </p> <p dir="ltr">Their show saw them welcome a whole host of guests - including but not limited to reporters out on The Mall for the day’s festivities. Their coverage was going as planned until they cut to their temporary studio for the royals stepping out onto Buckingham Palace’s balcony.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bradby and Etchingham asked for thoughts from their guests, and it was then that Andoh shared her take, noting that “we have gone from the rich diversity of the Abbey to a terribly white balcony. I am very struck by that.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am also looking at those younger generations and thinking ‘what are the nuances that they will inhabit when they grow?’”</p> <p dir="ltr">A clip from the show went viral on Twitter soon after it was uploaded, where it was met with mixed - and loud - response. </p> <p dir="ltr">The comment stunned the ITV presenters, and Myleene Klass was seen staring at the actor as she spoke.</p> <p dir="ltr">The clip was later shared on Twitter, where it received a mixed response. Some people criticised Andoh for her words, while others applauded her for speaking out.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dozens raced to submit complaints to OFCOM, claiming that Andoh’s take had stemmed from racist ideals, while others rose to her defence, thanking her for speaking out. </p> <p dir="ltr">As author and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu wrote, Andoh “told no lies in factual observation of ‘terribly White’ (literal & symbolic) Buckingham palace balcony at #Coronation in contrast to tokenism of race diversity at Westminster Abbey & got branded ‘racist’”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, conservative commentator Darren Grimes demanded to know “why is it ok to dismiss a white family for being white?”</p> <p dir="ltr">They were only two of such comments flooding social media, and were the exact kind Andoh addressed in her next public appearance, when she joined Paddy O’Connnell on <em>BBC Radio 4</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I think I upset a few people yesterday,” she noted. “I was talking about the day and how marvellous it was, and then looking at the balcony at the end and suddenly going ‘oh, it’s so white!’ because the day had been so mixed, and I didn’t mean to upset anybody.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, it wasn’t quite enough to stem the tide of feedback, while users all across Twitter taking sides, and sharing their opinion on the latest round of comment. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There's an old saying: "Think before you speak". Andoh thought about it and said it anyway,” one said. “Spare us the crocodile tears. You knew exactly what you meant.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She said the right thing they didn’t want to hear instead of the white thing they did want to hear,” another wrote. “The firm had an extraordinary opportunity to show progress and inclusion, not to mention the perfect ambassadors for the Commonwealth - and they ran them out of town.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Stars lead the Met Gala carpet in stunning black and white

<p dir="ltr">Often dubbed the “Super Bowl of fashion”, the annual Met Gala has once again showcased the best that high fashion has to offer. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Met Gala serves as the annual fundraiser for New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, and gives the whos-who of Hollywood the chance to experiment with their wildest fashion choices. </p> <p dir="ltr">This year, the annual affair celebrated the exhibition “<a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/karl-lagerfeld-a-line-of-beauty-will-be-the-metropolitan-museum-of-arts-spring-2023-costume-institute-exhibition" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty</a>,” which honours the legacy of the late designer who died in February 2019. </p> <p dir="ltr">Lagerfeld helmed fashion houses such as Chanel, Fendi, and his own eponymous line, and raised funds for The Met’s Costume Institute while having an immeasurable impact on the fashion industry. </p> <p dir="ltr">As a result of this year’s theme, the stars largely turned out in various designs of black and white, which was a class colour combination that became Lagerfeld’s signature. </p> <p dir="ltr">Some looks on the star-studded carpet included Lagerfeld’s staples such as Chanel tweed, pearl embellishments, seemingly conflicting texture and endless, endless tulle. </p> <p dir="ltr">Celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Hugh Jackman, Pedro Pascal, Naomi Campbell, Jessica Chastain, Salma Hayek, and many many more graced the carpet, posing up a storm and showing off their intricately designed looks. </p> <p dir="ltr">One of the more unusual looks on the carpet came from actor and musician Jared Leto, who ran with his own unique interpretation of the theme and arrived dressed as Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette, which translates to “sweetie” in French. </p> <p dir="ltr">While many of the celebrities in attendance interpreted the theme in their own ways, there is no doubt that the Hollywood A-listers who were lucky enough to be invited know how to make an entrance. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>All image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Robert Irwin's touching tribute from Steve's iconic truck

<p>Steve Irwin was treasured by the entire world, his dedication to wildlife paired with his cheeky personality had everyone wrapped.</p> <p>He did essential work in the field of conservation and animal education, and he always left viewers smiling.</p> <p>His death on September 4, 2006, broke the hearts of millions, but his legacy has been continued by his wife Terri and kids Bindi and Robert.</p> <p>In April 2023 Robert Irwin reflected on some early memories with his late dad and recreated a childhood photo.</p> <p>Robert, 19, shared a photo of himself sitting on his dad’s lap in the driver’s seat of Steve’s ute.</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/CrLJrEHLUWD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CrLJrEHLUWD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"My dad's ute… it's a special car,” Robert captioned the image, before sharing may more memories he has in it.</p> <p>"From early memories when Dad would park and let me pretend to drive, to more recently when I took my drivers test in it (and somehow managed not to stall it 😂)," he wrote.</p> <p>After the childhood photo, he shared a snap of himself in the driver’s seat, driving the car himself this time.</p> <p>Robert also shared a photo holding his P plates in front of the ute.</p> <p>"I remember my first solo drive in this car after I got my license – it was to the hospital to meet my niece for the first time, right after she was born. And now, the ute still comes on road trips to this day…", he wrote.</p> <p>In February 2023 Bindi, 24, took to Instagram to share a tribute for Steve on what would have been his 61st birthday.</p> <p>"Happy Birthday, Dad," Bindi wrote alongside a sweet photo of her and Steve.</p> <p>"Thank you for instilling a love for all species, courage to follow my heart and determination to make a difference in the world for wildlife and wild places. Your legacy lives on and the world is forever changed because of your dedication to conservation. Mum, Robert and I love and miss you so much.”</p> <p>Robert also shared a sweet message to honour their father, "Happy birthday, Dad ❤️," Robert wrote, alongside a photo of Steve cradling him with little Bindi watching on.</p> <p>Australia Zoo posted a happy image of Steve on a boat, paired with the caption, "Happy birthday to the original Wildlife Warrior 🐊,"</p> <p>"Countless wildlife, wild places, and people thank you for your message of love🤎.”</p> <p>Steve Irwin has had a passion for wildlife ever since he was a child. His parents opened a small zoo called the Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park, which later turned into the famed Australia Zoo.</p> <p>Steve was very involved in the zoo, he helped with the animals’ daily feeding and care routines. For his sixth birthday, he was gifted a four-metre scrub python. By the age of nine, his father Bob had taught him proper reptile handling techniques, and the wildlife warrior wrested his first crocodile.</p> <p>Although Steve cherished all animals, it was clear he had a soft spot for crocodiles. Throughout his adolescence and young adult years he volunteered for Queensland's East Coast Crocodile Management program. During that time he caught over 100 crocs, who were then relocated or housed at his family’s park.</p> <p>In 1991 he took over management of the park, giving it the name Australia Zoo in 1998.</p> <p>That same year Steve met his wife, Terri, an American naturalist visiting zoos in Australia.</p> <p>Terri says it was love at first sight, "I thought there was no one like this anywhere in the world. He sounded like an environmental Tarzan, a larger-than-life superhero guy.”</p> <p>The couple were engaged within four months of dating and got married in 1992 in the US.</p> <p>For their honeymoon, they went on a trip trapping crocodiles together. A friend of Steve, John Stainton took footage of them working, which later became the first episode of <em>The Crocodile Hunter</em>.</p> <p><em>The Crocodile Hunter</em> premiered in 1996 and aired for five seasons. By 1999 it premiered in the US and became a worldwide success.</p> <p>The show aired in 130 countries to over 500 million people. Even the legendary Sir David Attenborough praised Steve for his work in getting people interested in nature, ”He taught them how wonderful and exciting it was. He was a born communicator," he said.</p> <p>Steve was incredibly committed to the conservation of the environment, "I consider myself a wildlife warrior. My mission is to save the world's endangered species," he said.</p> <p>In 1998 Steve and Terri gave birth to their first child, a baby girl called Bindi.</p> <p>Steve once said his daughter Bindi was "the reason [he] was put on the Earth”.</p> <p>In 1999 Steve appeared multiple times on <em>The Tonight Show With Jay Leno </em>to promote several of his TV shows over the years.</p> <p>Steve was often in the US to promote his work and conservation, expressing interest in opening an Australia Zoo outpost in Los Vegas.</p> <p>After the massive success of the documentary series, the Irwins went on to star in a feature film, The<em> Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course</em>. It co-starred Magda Szubanski and David Wenham.</p> <p>As Steve was promoting the tour for the <em>Crocodile Hunter</em> film in 2002, Terri and Bindi joined him at the premieres in both the US and Australia.</p> <p>In 2003, Steve and Terri gave birth to their second child, a son named Robert.</p> <p>Steve noticeably passed down his love for animals and the environment to his children, with them both involved at Australia Zoo and beyond.</p> <p>Bindi appeared in several episodes of her father’s shows, including <em>The Crocodile Hunter Diaries</em> which focused on the family and everyday life at Australia Zoo.</p> <p>Shortly before his death, Steve had planned for his daughter to have her own show called <em>Bindi The Jungle Girl.</em></p> <p>It ended up airing a year after his death.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty/Instagram/Twitter</em></p>

Family & Pets

Bindi Irwin's sweet snap on National Siblings Day

<p>Bindi Irwin has shared a wholesome snap to pay tribute to her brother on National Siblings Day. </p> <p>The wildlife warrior took to Instagram to post a throwback photo of herself and her younger brother Robert in commemoration of the family day. </p> <p>In the childhood photo, Robert seems to be sitting on Bindi's shoulders, who said she is "Grateful to call you my brother."</p> <p>In another post of a more recent photo of the dynamic duo, Bindi wrote, "Happy <a tabindex="0" role="link" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/nationalsiblingday/">#NationalSiblingDay</a> to the very best. Thank you for your support, friendship and making every day fun. So proud of all that you are achieving. I’ll always be here to cheer you on!"</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq4gIz_ONll/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq4gIz_ONll/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Robert was quick to comment on the post, writing, "Love you Bindi!!!"</p> <p>Fans of the wildlife warriors shared their adoration for the siblings, commenting on the strength of their relationship. </p> <p>One person wrote, "So sweet, best sibling pair out there. You guys are amazing and bring so much good into the world!"</p> <p>Another simply said, "Steve would be so proud," while others commented on how much 19-year-old Robert is beginning to look like this late dad.</p> <p>One user chimed in, "If only we all got along with our siblings the way you guys seem to... maybe it’s the advocating for a common cause."</p> <p>"I idolised your late dad and I’m proud my children are looking up to you both as role models too," another said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Indigenous artist seeking white Australian to donate their “future deceased body” to an art installation

<p dir="ltr">An Indigenous artist has put a call out for Australians of “British descent” to donate their “future deceased body” to an art installation. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nathan Maynard, a well known Palawa artist and playwright, put an advertisement for the unusual request in the weekend edition of The Age newspaper.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maynard signed the bizarre request as a “palawa” artist: one of the terms First Nations people from Tasmania use when referring to themselves. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Palawa artist wanting to find an Australian of British descent who is willing to donate their future deceased body to an art installation,” the notice read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The work will speak to sacrifice for past sins perpetrated against the palawa. Potential applicants should see this opportunity as an honour.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The body and memory of the successful applicant will be treated with the utmost respect at all stages of the project.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The call-out was quick to spark backlash when it was reposted on social media, with one writing, “You can’t just obtain bodies for display in newspapers now. This is very bizarre on multiple levels.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others questioned the legality of the request, with one person writing, “I dunno that this would be legal, tampering with a corpse is a crime! You can donate your body to medical science, but I don’t think this.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Another wrote, “Borderline psychotic, definitely completely illegal.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the criticism, Mr Maynard told Daily Mail Australia that since the notice went to print, he has received half a dozen applications for their body to be used in the installation in November. </p> <p dir="ltr">The artist said if white Australians are upset by the request, they should ask themselves why they didn't have the same reaction to the mass murder of Aboriginal people. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If you’re not an Aboriginal person and you’re upset by this, I think you should ask yourself why you’re not upset that there is still First Nations remains that have been stolen from their people, stolen from their country in institutions all around the world that are still not repatriated to their own communities,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nathan said the motivation behind his installation revolves around the fact that thousands of First Nations people were killed by colonists, with their remains being sent overseas to be displayed in institutions and museums without a proper ceremony. </p> <p dir="ltr">“So many Aboriginal people's remains are still overseas. People are trying to bring their ancestors home and they are being denied that right,” Mr Maynard said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Human bodies are very sacred and they should be treated with respect.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whitefellas obviously don't know how to handle remains with respect, so I'm going to show them how,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">The artwork has already received support from the state-funded Tasmanian Museum and Gallery and the Hobart City Council, which has donated $15,000 to the unusual installation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The artwork has been commissioned to appear as part of an exhibition for the popular Hobart Current biennial exhibition in November 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Facebook / The Age</em></p>

Music

Robert Blake dies at 89

<p>Actor Robert Blake has died at the age of 89.</p> <p>In a statement released on behalf of his niece, Noreen Austin, said that Blake had died from heart disease, surrounded by family at his home in Los Angeles.</p> <p>The former child actor was renowned for two reasons.</p> <p>His Emmy-winning role in the 1970s television series <em>Baretta</em> made him a household name among actors of his generation.</p> <p>More notably, he became known as the defendant in a murder trial of his wife.</p> <p>Born Michael James Gubitosi in 1933 in Nutley, New Jersey, his father was an Italian immigrant, and his mother was an Italian-American who wanted their three children to get into show business.</p> <p>When Blake was 2, he was performing with a brother and a sister in a family vaudeville act called The Three Little Hillbillies.</p> <p>In 1961, he and actress Sondra Kerr married and had two children, Noah and Delinah. They divorced in 1983.</p> <p>He met his second wife, Bonny Lee Bailey, in 1999, at a jazz club where, ironically, he went to escape loneliness.</p> <p>"Here I was, 67 or 68 years old. My life was on hold. My career was stalled out," he said in an interview with the <em>Associated Press</em>.</p> <p>Blake told the outlet he had no reason to dislike Bakley.</p> <p>"She took me out of the stands and put me back in the arena. I had something to live for.”</p> <p>When Bakley gave birth to a baby girl, she named Christian Brando, son of Marlon, as the father.</p> <p>However, DNA tests pointed towards Blake.</p> <p>Blake first saw the little girl, named Rosie, when she was two months old and immediately became the focus of his life.</p> <p>He married Bakley because of Rosie.</p> <p>"Rosie is my blood. Rosie is calling to me," he said.</p> <p>On the day Balkey died, Blake was dining with her at a neighbourhood restaurant in Studio City, California, in 2001.</p> <p>Bakley was fatally shot outside the restaurant.</p> <p>Blake claimed she was shot when he left her in the car and went back to the restaurant to retrieve the handgun he had mistakenly left behind.</p> <p>Police were initially baffled, and Blake was not arrested until a year after Bakley died.</p> <p>The story of their strange marriage made waves soon after, from the child it produced and its violent end all played out in court.</p> <p>While imprisoned and awaiting trial in 2002, Blake told the <em>Associated Press</em> in an interview that he lamented his change in status with fans nationwide.</p> <p>"It hurt because America is the only family I had," he said.</p> <p>The actor was adamant that he had not killed his wife.</p> <p>Prosecutors claimed that he planned to kill his wife to get sole custody of their daughter Rosie and that he had tried to hire hitmen for the job.</p> <p>However, the evidence was not substantial, and a jury rejected that theory.</p> <p>In March 2005, a jury ultimately acquitted him of the murder.</p> <p>However, in November 2005, a civil jury found him liable for her wrongful death.</p> <p>Blake was then ordered to pay Bakley’s family $30 million, a judgement which sent him bankrupt.</p> <p>When he was young, Blake starred in the Our Gang comedies and acted in the classic film,<em> The Treasure of the Sierra Madre</em>.</p> <p>His career peaked in 1975-78 with the cop series, <em>Baretta</em>.</p> <p>He starred as a detective who carried a pet cockatoo on his shoulder and was keen on disguises.</p> <p>He won an Emmy in 1975 for his portrayal of Tony Baretta, although behind the scenes, the show was riddled with disputes involving the temperamental star.</p> <p>He is, however, perhaps best known in Hollywood due to his major role in the film <em>In Cold Blood</em>.</p> <p>Blake gained a reputation as one of Hollywood’s finest actors but also one of the most difficult to work with.</p> <p>He later admitted to struggling with alcohol and drug addiction in his early life.</p> <p>Once a wealthy man, Blake spent millions on his defence and ended up living on social security and a Screen Actor’s guild pension.</p> <p>In a 2006 interview with the <em>Associated Press</em>, a year after being acquitted, he said he hoped to restart his career.</p> <p>"I'd like to give my best performance," he said.</p> <p>"I'd like to leave a legacy for Rosie about who I am. I'm not ready for a dog and fishing pole yet. I'd like to go to bed each night, desperate to wake up each morning and create some magic."</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

News

"Today is a very hard day": Robert Wagner's family heartbreak

<p>Seasoned actor and <em>Hart to Hart</em> star Robert Wagner has revealed his sister, Mary Jane, has died.</p> <p>The 93-year-old shared the news on his Instagram account, sharing photos of his late sister and a sweet tribute.</p> <p>"Today is a very hard day," he wrote. "Early this morning, my sister, Mary, passed away."</p> <p>The post continued, "while she is no longer in pain, she will be terribly missed. Please keep her children and grandchildren in your thoughts."</p> <p>Wagner also tagged the accounts of his family members alongside the hashtags #LoveMySister, #Loved, #RIP and #Family.</p> <p>The star recently turned 93 and took to Instagram to show his appreciation for family, friends and fans, saying, “It’s been a wonderful birthday for me and you all have made it extra special,”</p> <p>He paired his post with the simple caption, “Thank you all for the birthday wishes. I love you all so much.”</p> <p>Fellow celebs wished him the best for his special day, “Your the best RJ you've given us all so many great years of your talent and grace. Happy birthday." wrote Frank Stallone.</p> <p>“Happy Birthday dear RJ.” Mia Farrow wrote.</p> <p>The actor is best known for his role in <em>Hart to Hart</em>, as well as his two-time marriage to <em>West Side Story</em> actress Natalie Wood. The pair were first married from 1957 to 1962 and then again from 1972 to 1981. Their marriage ended after Wood died from drowning while out with Wagner on their yacht.</p> <p>Later, Wagner married <em>Diamonds Are Forever</em> Bond girl Jill St. John in 1990, who was friends with Woods. The two are still happily married.</p> <p>Wagner was also known for roles, including the films <em>The Pink Panther </em>(1963), the <em>Austin Powers</em> series and TV show It <em>Takes a Thief</em>.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

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"Your legacy lives on”: Outpouring of love from Bindi Irwin

<p>Bindi Irwin has shared an emotional tribute to her late father, Aussie icon Steve Irwin, celebrating what would have been his 61st birthday.</p> <p>Bindi expressed her gratitude to her dad for sharing his love of animals with her and younger brother Robert.</p> <p>“Happy Birthday, Dad,” she captioned an image on instagram, posting a photo of herself as a little girl with Steve, who is holding a small reptile.</p> <p>“Thank you for instilling a love for all species, courage to follow my heart and determination to make a difference in the world for wildlife and wild places.</p> <p>“Your legacy lives on and the world is forever changed because of your dedication to conservation.</p> <p>“Mum, Robert and I love and miss you so much.”</p> <p>People flooded the comments with kind words and appreciation for the Crocodile Hunter.</p> <p>Actress Emma Perry commented, “What a blessing he gave to this world and what an honour to continue that legacy, happy birthday to your amazing Dad!</p> <p>“Happy birthday to your daddy. He was a true inspiration to all of us,” another user wrote.</p> <p>“A hugely missed man, a tragedy he was taken so young, but it’s so inspiring to see his message and work carried on through his family,” a fan added.</p> <p>Terri Irwin took to social media to pay tribute to her late husband as well, leaving a simple message on Twitter, “Happy birthday, Steve,”</p> <p>“You did good.”</p> <p>Terri also shared an old picture of herself and Steve with a young Bindi and baby Robert, alongside a recent photo of the family all grown-up, showing Robert, Bindi and her husband Chandler and their daughter Grace.</p> <p>Robert Irwin, also paid tribute to his dad, sharing an image of Steve holding him as a baby with little Bindi watching on paired with the caption “Happy Birthday Dad”.</p> <p>“So much love,” Bindi commented on her brother’s post.</p> <p>“I will never forget the day Robert was born and Steve proudly held him up to the camera,” one fan reminisced.</p> <p>“He was so proud of his wife, Robert and Bindi ... He would have been even more so today.”<br />“Happy birthday to the man who made me fall in love with reptiles! We love and miss you so much!” wrote another.</p> <p>Steve Irwin was born on February 22, 1962, and passed away on September 4, 2006, at age 44, after a stingray barb pierced him in the chest while he was filming on the Great Barrier Reef.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

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Robert Blake dies at 89

"Today is a very hard day": Robert Wagner's family heartbreak

"Your legacy lives on”: Outpouring of love from Bindi Irwin

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Robert De Niro shares rare photo of baby daughter

Julia Roberts shares rare throwback pic on twins' birthday

"Shame on you!" Robert De Niro's courtroom outburst

"This hurts the heart": Days of our Lives star's shock death at just 50

Bindi and Robert remember Steve on the anniversary of his death

Breathtaking winners of the 2023 Black and White Photo Awards

Robert De Niro’s grandson's official cause of death confirmed

‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’: who was atom bomb pioneer Robert Oppenheimer?

De Niro's daughter reveals her son's cause of death

"Deeply distressed": Tragedy strikes Robert De Niro's family

"Most dangerous spy in US history" dies in jail

Robert De Niro welcomes seventh child at 79

Bridgerton’s Adjoa Andoh responds to backlash for “terribly white” coronation comment

Stars lead the Met Gala carpet in stunning black and white

Robert Irwin's touching tribute from Steve's iconic truck

Bindi Irwin's sweet snap on National Siblings Day

Indigenous artist seeking white Australian to donate their “future deceased body” to an art installation

Robert Blake dies at 89

"Today is a very hard day": Robert Wagner's family heartbreak

"﻿Your legacy lives on”: Outpouring of love from Bindi Irwin

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"Your legacy lives on”: Outpouring of love from Bindi Irwin