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"I was terrified": Law & Order star reveals traumatic past

<p><em>Warning: This story contains graphic content.</em></p> <p>Mariska Hargitay, who plays Olivia Benson, a character that investigate rapists on <em>Law &amp; Order: Special Victims Unit, </em>has revealed that she too is a victim of sexual assault. </p> <p>The actress opened up about her traumatic past in a powerful essay written for <a href="https://people.com/mariska-hargitay-experience-rape-renewal-reckoning-8424247" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People Magazine</em></a>, where she revealed that she was raped by “a friend" when she was in her thirties. </p> <p>"A man raped me in my thirties," she bravely revealed in the essay. </p> <p>"It wasn’t sexual at all. It was dominance and control. Overpowering control."</p> <p>The actress revealed that he was a friend who "made a unilateral decision" and recalled the fear she felt when the incident occurred. </p> <p>"He grabbed me by the arms and held me down. I was terrified," she said. </p> <p>"I didn’t want it to escalate to violence. I now know it was already sexual violence, but I was afraid he would become physically violent.</p> <p>"I went into freeze mode, a common trauma response when there is no option to escape. I checked out of my body," she recalled. </p> <p>Hargitay, who is the daughter of the late actress Jane Mansfield, said that she never thought of herself as a "survivor", and often "minimised" what happened to her when she talked about it with others. </p> <p>"My husband Peter remembers me saying, “I mean, it wasn’t rape," she wrote. </p> <p>"Then things started shifting in me, and I began talking about it more in earnest with those closest to me. They were the first ones to call it what it was."</p> <p>The actress said that she wants other survivors to feel "no shame" about sexual assault and wants "this violence to end." </p> <p>She added that justice "may look different for each survivor," but for her she wants "an acknowledgment and an apology" after what happened. </p> <p>"This is a painful part of my story. The experience was horrible. But it doesn’t come close to defining me, in the same way that no other single part of my story defines me," she concluded, adding that she feels for all sexual violence survivors. </p> <p>"I’m turning 60, and I’m so deeply grateful for where I am. I’m renewed and I’m flooded with compassion for all of us who have suffered. And I’m still proudly in process."</p> <p>Hargitay started her own foundation, the Joyful Heart Foundation, in 2004 to help survivors of sexual assault. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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Duke and Duchess ordered to shorten their baby's name

<p>In a world where baby names have become battlegrounds for parental creativity, one Spanish duke is learning the hard way that there's such a thing as too much of a good thing.</p> <p>Meet Fernando Juan Fitz-James Stuart y de Solís, the 17th Duke of Huéscar and heir apparent to the dukedom of Alba. He and his wife, Sofía Palazuelo, recently welcomed their second child into the world, and they didn't hold back when it came to naming her. In fact, they let their imaginations run so wild that they've run into a bit of a royal roadblock.</p> <p>Their darling daughter was bestowed with a grand total of TWENTY-FIVE NAMES.</p> <p>Yes, you read that right. It's like they were trying to set a new record for the world's longest moniker.</p> <p>The poor girl's full name is Sofía Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Ángela de la Cruz Micaela del Santísimo Sacramento del Perpetuo Socorro de la Santísima Trinidad y de Todos Los Santos.</p> <p>In English, that translates to "Sofía Fernanda Dolores Cayetana Teresa Ángela de la Cruz Micaela of the Blessed Sacrament of Perpetual Help of the Holy Trinity and All Saints." Young Sofia would almost certainly need perpetual help writing that out on school and official documents were it not for the obstacle now preventing the 'normous name from sticking.</p> <p>Now, before you start thinking this was just a case of overly enthusiastic parents throwing every possible name they could think of at their child, hold on a moment. There's a method to this naming madness. Each of those 11 names was carefully chosen to honour important family members, including her mother, grandmother, father and great-uncle. The couple also included a nod to religious devotions, just in case little Sofía needed some divine intervention to carry her name around.</p> <p>However, the Spanish Civil Registry, apparently not a fan of name-related acrobatics, has thrown a royal wrench into the works. According to their rules, a child's name must contain "no more than one compound name and no more than two simple ones".</p> <p>In other words, they're putting a cap on the number of monikers a person can have, and Sofía's name blew right past that limit like a speeding chariot.</p> <p>So, the Duke and Duchess find themselves in a bit of a naming pickle. They need to trim their daughter's name down to size, and that's not a task for the faint of heart. After all, it's not every day that you have to decide which family member's name makes the cut and which one gets the royal snip.</p> <p>In the meantime, young Sofía will no doubt need a papyrus scroll just to keep track of all those names – and if she ever loses her way, she can simply follow the trail of syllables to find her identity again.</p> <p>This entire baby-naming escapade is reminiscent of the late Duchess of Alba, who for a time held the Guinness World Record for "most titled aristocrat", holding more than 50 titles in her lifetime. She passed away in 2014 at the ripe old age of 88, and w<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">hile the young Duke of Huéscar may not be aiming for the world record, he's certainly giving it a good-natured run for its money.</span></p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Ted Lasso star ordered to pay massive child support sum

<p>Jason Sudeikis has been ordered to pay ex Olivia Wilde an enormous sum of child support, as a bitter two-year custody battle draws to a close. </p> <p>According to new court filings obtained by <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2023/09/25/jason-sudeikis-and-olivia-wilde-settle-custody-battle-actor-to-pay-27500-per-month/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>, the<em> Ted Lasso</em> star has allegedly agreed to pay his ex $27,500 ($A42,800) per month in child support for their two kids, Otis, 9, and Daisy, 6. </p> <p>The hefty settlement has been based on Sudeikis' reported 2023 income of $10.5 million ($A16.3 million) and Wilde’s estimated income of $500,000 ($A778,000).</p> <p>“The parties agree that child support for the minor children in the amount of $27,500 per month is sufficient to maintain the needs of the minor children considering Jason’s station in life … is consistent with each child’s best interest, and application of the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate in this case,” the court papers reportedly state.</p> <p>The legal proceedings began two years ago, and took a dramatic turn in 2022 when Wilde, who was promoting her new movie <em>Don't Worry Darling</em> at the time, was served legal papers while on stage delivering a speech at CinemaCon. </p> <p>At the time, a source told <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/04/29/olivia-wilde-mortified-after-being-served-with-legal-papers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em> that Wilde was mortified over the brazen act. </p> <p>“It seemed unthinkable to her, and it took a moment to set in, but as mortifying as it was, she did not want to give a reaction,” the insider explained.</p> <p>Since then, things have improved for the couple, as they were both seen putting on a united front at Otis' soccer game in LA. </p> <p>Wilde and Sudeikis started dating in November 2011 and got engaged in January 2013. They welcomed their two kids before separating in November 2020.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

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“It’s the court of public opinion”: Sarah Ferguson condemns Phillip Schofield backlash

<p dir="ltr">Sarah Ferguson has spoken out against the wave of judgement directed at former This Morning presenter Phillip Schofield and the relationship scandal that swept the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 63-year-old Duchess of York was chatting to businesswoman Sarah Jane Thomson on her podcast, <em>Tea Talks</em>, when conversation turned to Schofield, and his controversial affair with a man - and co-worker - 30 years younger than him. </p> <p dir="ltr">When news of the affair broke, Schofield stepped down from his 20 year position as the face of This Morning. He later confessed to the Daily Mail that he had lied about the relationship, and <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/i-will-die-sorry-phillip-schofield-breaks-his-silence-on-his-career-ending-affair">informed <em>The Sun </em>that he was “not a groomer”</a>, despite public opinion.</p> <p dir="ltr">Criticism for the disgraced host flooded social media in the wake of the whole ordeal, with the story and its related rumours splashed across publications worldwide, and it was the backlash that Ferguson wanted to address, namely the idea of ‘cancel culture’ at the centre of it all. </p> <p dir="ltr">Thomson prompted the discussion by comparing social media’s take to a “huge game of Chinese whispers”, to which Ferguson responded that “it’s like the court of public opinion.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“And then [that can lead to] massive bullying to the point of extermination of a soul,” she added. “I don’t believe that anybody has that right to judge and exterminate a person’s own beliefs.”</p> <p dir="ltr">From there, Ferguson encouraged listeners not to leap to assumptions, as “we all have failings”. She asked that everyone instead take a moment “or make a cup of tea before you judge another human being without knowing all the facts”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We don’t know the facts,” she pointed out. “We certainly don’t know what people get up to.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Thomson had her own thoughts to share on the matter, noting that “the problem is, when you’re in the public eye, any failing you make is there to be talked about, and the rest of us don’t have that. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We don't have that deep examining of where we've gone wrong, and then it's reflected over and over and over.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And while the two had made their point, Ferguson took a moment to discuss a - in her opinion “spot on” - article by Jeremy Clarkson for the<em> Sunday Times</em>, in which he wrote about the public’s race to condemn Schofield.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve never seen a witch-hunt like it,” he said, “and what baffles me most of all is that, as things stand, no crime has been committed. I don’t know him at all well and have no skin in the game, but it seems to me he is only guilty of being what he said he was: gay.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the article, Clarkson went on to note that the age gap between Schofield and his partner in the affair was receiving a different degree of attention to heterosexual stars in similar relationship situations - from the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, who frequently dates women significantly younger than himself, and Al Pacino’s 54-year age gap with his pregnant partner.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Phil is no longer the genial host of some morning-time televisual cappuccino froth,” Clarkson surmised. “According to the people's court of social media, he's like his brother, a nonce.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Relationships

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Parents sue son for not giving them grandkids

<p dir="ltr">In arguably one of the most bizarre lawsuits, a couple sued their son and daughter-in-law for not giving them a grandchild after six years of marriage.</p> <p dir="ltr">Parents of the husband, Sanjeev and Sadhana Prasad had asked their son and daughter-in-law to give them a grandchild within a year. After they failed to do so, they asked their son and daughter-in-law to pay them as compensation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The amount includes any money spent on their son’s education, wedding, honeymoon and luxury car.</p> <p dir="ltr">The case was filed under mental harassment that the couple is allegedly experiencing as a result of their son and daughter-in-law refusing to have a child.</p> <p dir="ltr">The father of the son said, “I have only one son. I spent all my savings on his upbringing and education. I sent him to the US in 2006 for a pilot training course.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I spent over Rs 50 lakh for the same. He returned to India in 2007 due to the economic recession abroad. He had lost his job and could not find another for over two years. I supported him financially during this period as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Almost six years have passed and there is no child. We are facing immense mental harassment.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f61d5daf-7fff-64c0-477d-997dae931573"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Legal

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Aussie designer wins lawsuit against Katy Perry

<p dir="ltr">One of Katy Perry’s companies has been found guilty of infringing the trademark of a Sydney fashion designer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Katie Jane Taylor has designed and sold her own line of clothing under her label ‘Katie Perry’ since 2008.</p> <p dir="ltr">While the pop superstar Perry, born Katheryn Hudson, initially fought the Australian registration of the Katie Perry brand, she later withdrew it. </p> <p dir="ltr">Taylor sued the singer for infringement in the Federal Court in 2019, more than a decade after the <em>Firework</em> singer started selling her own brand of merchandise, including clothing, under her stage name. </p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a tale of two women, two teenage dreams and one name,” Justice Brigitte Markovic wrote in a judgement published on April 29 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">Judge Markovic found Hudson had infringed the mark on Twitter ahead of one of her Australian tours in 2014.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the infringement, the judge concluded that the singer did not owe any compensation to the designer as she had used the trademark in “good faith”.</p> <p dir="ltr">One of the singer’s other businesses Kitty Purry however is liable for damages because of the sale of clothing during her 2014 tour. </p> <p dir="ltr">A bid by the star and her companies to cancel the Katy Perry trademark was dismissed by the Federal Court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Markovic is yet to determine the amount of damages owed by Kitty Purry. </p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6c0faee1-7fff-5497-933e-14ee948d4dac"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Prince Harry accuses royal family of conditioning

<p>Prince Harry has revealed new detail into his experience with royal life while giving testimony in a surprise court appearance at London’s High Court. </p> <p>Harry was there for the second day of a preliminary hearing along with other high-profile individuals - who were alleged victims of phone hacking, privacy breaches, and the misuse of their private information - as they sought to sue Associated Newspapers Ltd [ANL].</p> <p>However, ANL want to discuss the claims without trial, having described them to be “preposterous smears.” </p> <p>And during his witness statement, the Duke of Sussex has taken aim at the royal family over where the blame lies for taking legal action against ANL, explaining that he has had “an uneasy relationship with the press” in the years after his mother Diana’s death. He went on to add that it was policy to “never complain, [and] never explain”, and this was exactly what he’d been taught.</p> <p>“Following the death of my mother in 1997 when I was 12 years old and her treatment at the hands of the press, I have always had an uneasy relationship with the press,” his witness statement read.</p> <p>“However, as a member of the Institution the policy was to ‘never complain, never explain.’</p> <p>“There was no alternative; I was conditioned to accept it. For the most part, I accepted the interest in my performing [of] my public functions.”</p> <p>According to Harry, the difficulties intensified when he began his relationship with now-wife Meghan Markle. The 38-year-old prince’s concerns over his family’s lack of action only grew, with Harry even telling the court he became “increasingly troubled by the approach of not taking action against the press in the wake of persistent attacks on, harassment of and intrusive, sometimes racist articles concerning Meghan.” </p> <p>He then explained that things had only gotten worse when the couple were expecting their first child, Prince Archie. </p> <p>And when it came to the News of the World phone hacking scandal, Harry claimed he was never so much as invited to a royal meeting. </p> <p>The Institution, he said, had “without a doubt [been] withholding information”, while making it “clear that we did not need to know anything about phone hacking”. He added that it had become clear to him that “the royal family did not sit in the witness box because that could open up a can of worms”, and that through pursuing his own legal advice, the “bubble had burst in terms of what I knew in 2020 when I moved out of the United Kingdom.” </p> <p>“There is this misconception,” he noted, “that we are all in constant communication with one another. </p> <p>“But that is not true.” </p> <p>As for why Harry was bringing his claims forward - including those that ANL even hired a private investigator to hack his friends’ phones and dig up information on his then-partner - he said that it was out of love for his country, and his mounting concerns over “the unchecked power, influence and criminality of Associated.</p> <p>“The evidence I have seen shows that Associated’s journalists are criminals with journalistic powers which should concern every single one of us. </p> <p>“The British public deserve to know the full extent of this cover up and I feel it is my duty to expose it.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Husband ordered to pay for 25 years of unpaid housework

<p>A man has been ordered to pay his ex-wife a hefty six-figure sum for 25 years of unpaid domestic labour. </p> <p>Ivana Moral's ex-husband was ordered to pay her 204,624€ - or just over $327,000 AUD - in a record divorce settlement, based on the average minimum wage throughout their marriage.</p> <p>The separated couple, who live in Spain and share two daughters, took the issue to court as the ruling stated that Ivana had spent almost all of her time looking after their family and working as a housewife during their marriage. </p> <p>Ivana's husband must also pay her a pension of $797 (AUD) per month as well as $639 and $957 to his two daughters, who are now aged 20 and 14, for compensation for their childhoods. </p> <p>The mother-of-two, who married her ex in 1995 before asking for a divorce in 2020, has said she is happy with the payout after years of hard work.</p> <p>"Clearly this was a case of abuse to be completely excluded financially (by my ex-husband) with nothing left after my marriage ended, so me and my daughters were left with nothing after all these years of putting all my time, energy and love in the family," she told <a href="https://inews.co.uk/news/woman-payout-unpaid-housework-record-divorce-settlement-2193153" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inews</a>.</p> <p>"I was supporting my husband in his work and in the family as a mother and a father. I was never allowed access to his financial affairs; everything was in his name."</p> <p>Since getting married and starting a family, Ivana had dedicated herself "to essentially working in the home, which meant looking after the home and the family and all that involves," the court ruling said. </p> <p>The couple's marriage was governed by a separation of property regime, which Ms Moral's husband had asked her to sign at the start of their marriage, which is similar to a pre-nuptial agreement. </p> <p>It specified that whatever each party earned was theirs alone, with them only sharing possessions, which would have left Ms Moral with no access to any of the wealth acquired through years of partnership. </p> <p>Ivana said her husband "made me take on the specific role" of doing domestic chores, to the extent that "I was in a place where I couldn't really do much else."</p> <p>She also said the sentence had made her "very happy" because it was "very well deserved".</p> <p><em>Image credits: Malaga Tribune</em></p>

Legal

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What a way to go: Beloved Law & Order Star dies at age 78

<p>Actor and comedian Richard Belzer, best known for his role as detective John Munch on <em>Law &amp; Order</em>, has passed away at 78. </p> <p>Richard died on Sunday at home in Bozouls, southwest France. Richard’s longtime friend, writer Bill Scheft, confirmed the news to <em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>. </p> <p>“He had lots of health issues, Bill explained, “and his last words were, “‘F**k you, motherf**ker’.”</p> <p>Richard faced battles with his health - he survived testicular cancer in 1983 - and family tragedy through his life - both his father and brother died to suicide. His cause of death is currently unknown, but Richard is survived by his wife, actor Harlee McBride, and his two stepdaughters.</p> <p>Richard, who retired from acting in 2016, portrayed detective John Munch for 23 years from 1993 to 2016. The character spanned multiple shows, making an appearance in the likes of <em>Homicide: Life of the Street</em>, <em>Law &amp; Order: SVU</em>, <em>The Wire</em>, and <em>Arrested Development</em>. </p> <p>“I never asked anyone to be on their show," he said in 2008 to <em>The Comic’s Comic</em>. “So it’s doubly flattering to me to see me depicted in a script and that I’m so recognisable and loveable as the sarcastic detective and smart-ass.</p> <p>“Much to my delight, because he is a great character for me to play, it’s fun for me. So I’m not upset about being typecast at all.”</p> <p>Richard’s presence in Hollywood wasn’t limited to just dramas, with the actor and comedian making his name on the comedy circuit, too. He began his career in stand-up in 1972, making his big-screen debut in <em>The Groove Tube</em>, and before <em>Saturday Night Live</em>, he performed in New York on the <em>National Lampoon Radio Hour</em> with the likes of John Belushi, Gilda Radner, and Bill Murray.</p> <p>It was in 1975 that Richard secured a role as the warm-up comic for <em>SNL</em>. His roles were primarily cameos, and one stated that the SNL creator had gone back on a promise to work him into their scripts. </p> <p>One of <em>Saturday Night Live</em>’s original cast members, comedian Laraine Newman, took to Twitter to pay tribute to the late Richard, telling supporters that he was “one of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I'm so sad to hear of Richard Belzer's passing. I loved this guy so much. He was one of my first friends when I got to New York to do SNL. We used to go out to dinner every week at Sheepshead Bay for lobster. One of the funniest people ever. A master at crowd work. RIP dearest. <a href="https://t.co/u23co0JPA2">pic.twitter.com/u23co0JPA2</a></p> <p>— Laraine Newman (@larainenewman) <a href="https://twitter.com/larainenewman/status/1627327574572662786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><em>SNL</em> cast member and host, Billy Crystal, shared Laraine’s sentiments, writing “Richard Belzer was simply hilarious. A genius at handling a crowd.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Richard Belzer was simply hilarious. A genius at handling a crowd. So sad he’s passed away.</p> <p>— Billy Crystal (@BillyCrystal) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyCrystal/status/1627370051333672960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt couldn’t contain his shock at the news, “I just always thought he’d be around ‘cause it seemed like he always was. A true original.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Aw goddamit, RIP Richard Belzer. I just always thought he’d be around ‘cause it seemed like he always was. A true original. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheBelzBabe?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheBelzBabe</a></p> <p>— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) <a href="https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/1627354718908616704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Meanwhile, actor Christopher Meloni - who is also best known for his work in the <em>Law &amp; Order </em>universe, shared a throwback pic of Richard with co-star Mariska Hargitay. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/9aQUaGh1mU">pic.twitter.com/9aQUaGh1mU</a></p> <p>— Chris Meloni (@Chris_Meloni) <a href="https://twitter.com/Chris_Meloni/status/1627384361694765062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>And Mariska Hargitay herself took to Instagram to share a touching tribute to Richard about how she would dearly miss both him and his unique light, to an outpouring of love and support from fans. </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/Co2u7jQv18k/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Co2u7jQv18k/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Mariska Hargitay (@therealmariskahargitay)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

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Priscilla Presley challenges Lisa Marie’s will

<p>Priscilla Presley has taken her late daughter’s trust to court mere weeks after Lisa Marie’s death on January 12. </p> <p>Priscilla allegedly discovered a document from 2016 that concerns an amendment to the trust. The actor and business woman reportedly filed documents that challenge this “purported 2016 amendment” to Lisa Marie’s will, and has asked that it be deemed “invalid”.</p> <p>Said amendment ousted Priscilla as trustee, instead naming Lisa Marie’s eldest daughter, Riley Keough, and her late son, Benjamin Keough, as co-trustees. However, Benjamin Keough passed away in 2020, leaving Riley as the sole trustee to their late mother’s estate. Priscilla claims that she and Barry Siegel, Lisa Marie's former business manager, were appointed co-trustees in 1993.</p> <p>Lisa Marie was the sole heir to Elvis Presley’s fortune after his death in 1977. The Graceland mansion is reported to be worth more than $100m USD (approximately $141m AUD).</p> <p>Priscilla questions the “authenticity and validity” of the amendment, and alleges that her daughter’s signature “appears inconsistent with her usual and customary signature” on the document from 2016, and even argues that Lisa Marie’s name had been spelled incorrectly. On top of this, Priscilla claims that the document wasn’t notarised.</p> <p>According to court documents, “Lisa Marie Presley appointed her mother, Petitioner, and her former business manager, Barry Siegel, as co-Trustees effective as of the date of the 2010 restatement.</p> <p>“The 2010 restatement further provides that Petitioner and Barry Siegel shall continue to serve as co-Trustees upon Lisa Marie Presley’s subsequent incapacity and/or death.</p> <p>“The Purported 2016 Amendment removed and replaced Petitioner and Barry as both current and successor Trustees of the Trust with Lisa Marie Presley as the current Trustee and naming Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, Riley Keough, and son, Benjamin Keough, as successor co-Trustees of the Trust upon Lisa Marie Presley’s incapacity and/or 10 death.”</p> <p>Priscilla’s legal move comes less than one week after a memorial service for Lisa Marie at the Graceland estate in Memphis, Tennessee. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Husband to fight charges over wife’s death in golf buggy crash

<p dir="ltr">Robbie Awad, whose fiancée died in a tragic buggy crash accident on their honeymoon, will fight the charges laid against him in relation to the incident, a court has been told.</p> <p dir="ltr">Awad, also known as Robbie Morgan, entered a not guilty plea for the charge of driving without due care and attention causing death when his matter was mentioned at Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was issued with a notice to appear in court just months after laying his wife to rest.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 30-year-old <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/husband-charged-over-wife-s-death-in-hamilton-island-buggy-crash">was charged</a> by Queensland Police with causing the death of his wife, Marina Hanna, who didn’t survive the critical injuries she suffered when the golf buggy Awad was driving overturned during their honeymoon on Hamilton Island.</p> <p dir="ltr">He has also been charged with failure to wear an approved seatbelt by the driver, failure to wear an approved seatbelt by the passenger and using a mobile phone.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police initially labelled the crash, which occurred ten days after the couple tied the knot, as a “tragic accident”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, Mr Awad is on bail and must reside at his home in Quakers Hill, Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">A brief of evidence was ordered to be served by January 23, with Mr Awad’s matter due to return to court on February 6, though he doesn’t have to appear.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-970ecd1f-7fff-1bd0-8665-c266a6c7581f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

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“This brings this prosecution to an end”: Charges dropped against Bruce Lehrmann

<p dir="ltr">The trial of Bruce Lehrmann over allegations he raped Brittany Higgins has come to an end, after new evidence was presented showing that the “ongoing trauma” of the trial was an unacceptable risk to Ms Higgins.</p> <p dir="ltr">Shane Drumgold, the ACT Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), said on Friday that he had reviewed new medical evidence and made the “difficult decision” to file a notice declining a retrial.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have recently received compelling evidence from two independent medical experts, that the ongoing trauma associated with this prosecution presents an unacceptable and significant risk to the life of the complainant,’’ he said during a press conference.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The evidence makes it clear this is not limited to the harm of giving evidence in the witness box, rather applies whether or not the complainant is required to re-enter the witness box in the retrial.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whilst the pursuit of justice is essential for my office and the community, the safety of a complainant in a sexual assault matter, must be paramount.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In light of the compelling independent medical opinions, and balancing all factors, I have made the difficult decision that it is no longer in the public interest to pursue a prosecution at the risk of the complainant’s life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This has left me no other options but to file a notice declining to proceed with the retrial of prosecution, which I have done this morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This brings this prosecution to an end.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Drumgold said that the investigation and trial has resulted in “a level of personal attack” against Ms Higgins that he hadn’t seen in his 20-year career.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She has done so with bravery, grace and dignity, and it is my hope that this now stop; that Miss Higgins now be allowed to heal,” he continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Drumgold noted that DPP policy states that the decision to prosecute should be made “after due consideration”, shouldn’t be a light or automatic process, and that it can be understood as occurring over two stages.</p> <p dir="ltr">“First, does the evidence offer reasonable prospects of conviction?” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If so, is it in the public interest to proceed with a prosecution?</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a view I still hold today.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The first trial ended in late October, with the jury being dismissed and no verdict given after a juror brought research material into the courtroom.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lehrmann had pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual intercourse without consent, with his lawyers telling the court that no sexual activity took place.</p> <p dir="ltr">The second trial was due to commence on February 20, 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">The decision to drop charges against Lehrmann comes after it was revealed that Mr Drumgold was seeking “urgent” legal changes to ensure that Ms Higgins’ evidence could be played in court during a retrial to avoid her taking the witness stand again.</p> <p dir="ltr">Under current legislation, there was uncertainty as to whether a recording of Ms Higgins’ cross-examination could be used in the retrial.</p> <p dir="ltr">The proposed changes would allow sexual assault complainents who give evidence in open court - like Ms Higgins did - to have their evidence played to the jury in the same way that it would be if complainants in remote locations are recorded.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes amid criticism of the criminal justice system and courts over the re-traumatising experience sexual assault survivors undergo while giving evidence.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a study conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology, they noted that giving evidence in court can be traumatic and stressful for a number of reasons.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The need for victims to confront the person alleged to have assaulted them, the difficulties of talking about the circumstances surrounding the assault and the embarrassment of being questioned in public about sexual matters can make committals and trials highly traumatic experiences for victims,” they <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/rpp068.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the event that a mistrial occurs or the matter is referred for a further hearing at appeal, the trauma is exacerbated because the complainant is required to go through the entire process again. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Such a prospect may not only discourage sexual assault victims from being willing to give testimony, but may also discourage victims from reporting the sexual assault to police in the first place.”</p> <p dir="ltr">They found that jurors presented with evidence face-to-face, through CCTV footage, or in a pre-recorded video weren’t being affected by the mode of evidence on their perception of the survivor or when making decisions.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f46bdf13-7fff-1367-57ae-3b1fa4466ea8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

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How to deal with losing touch with grandkids

<p>Losing contact with your grandchild, or perhaps more accurately getting cut off from them, is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to grandparents but unfortunately, it happens and it’s on the rise. Each situation leading up to an estrangement is different but it commonly occurs after the marital breakdown of parents. The family conflict ripples out and grandparents are unfairly, but often collateral damage. The emotional toll it takes can be immense and heart-breaking but what can be done?</p> <p><strong>Repair relationships</strong></p> <p>Family conflict occurs and is exacerbated by poor communication. The best way to begin amends is to build bridges. Even if you’ve been unfairly hurt, remember this person is still your grandchild’s parent. It can be difficult but you need to respect that.  </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Apologise</span> – Be sincere. No caveats or justifications. You might not have done anything wrong or you might not even know what you did wrong to cause this rift but this is not a time for egos or personal pride. Remember this is the father or mother of your grandchild and they are the parents. They may have made mistakes but they are still the parents. Make peace for the sake of making peace and to mend the relationship, because if you want to see grandchildren, you will need a relationship with both parents.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Make it about the child</span> – Parents going through a separation or divorce are often wrapped in their own conflicts. Yet parents will hopefully do what is best for their child. It might be self-evident that grandparents are good for children but this might not be obvious to parents who have been through emotional turmoil, bitterness and separation. Approach in a sensitive, non-accusatory and non-judgemental way and explain the importance and usefulness of grandparents to children. Remind them the positive role you have taken in the past and that grandparents are not only a source of comfort to children in difficult times but can be the rock of stability in these trying times. You can offer practical help like picking up from school as well as reminding that keeping in touch will help children’s sense of family identity and history.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Talk it out</span> – Sometimes your children (and in-laws) simply have no idea that their parents are feeling so devastated and grief-stricken. They might not have considered the effects of their behaviour on others or presumed you would take your child’s side. Reassure them that you don’t want to take sides, just that you want what is best for your grandchild.</p> <p><strong>Seek legal help</strong></p> <p>This should be the last option because starting legal action will almost always end any hope of repairing the relationship between parents and grandparents. Even so, there is no guarantee that going through the courts will provide a happy outcome. Within our current legal system, grandparents do not have an automatic right to have a relationship with a grandchild. </p> <p>According to Legal Aid NSW, anyone who has an ongoing relationship with the child, or any other person who can show that they are concerned with the care, welfare or development of a child (including grandparents) may apply to the Court for Parenting Orders. A Parenting Order can be an order that you can spend time with or communicate with the child. It will be up to the Court to decide what will happen, based on what is in the child’s best interests.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Neighbours star facing sexual assault charge

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article includes discussion of sexual assault.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Former <em>Neighbours </em>star Scott McGregor has been charged with one count of sexual assault after a night out at a popular Melbourne pub.</p> <p dir="ltr">McGregor, who played police detective Mark Brennan on the soap from 2013 to 2020, was charged in relation to an incident at St Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade, or ‘Espy’, on Sunday, February 20.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em><a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-victoria/scott-mcgregor-charged-over-incident-at-a-st-kilda-bar/news-story/df4b8b360ec09602c462f9a5f5101b2d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Herald Sun</a></em> reported that McGregor was charged by detectives from the Bayside Sexual Offences and Child Investigation Team last week.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 41-year-old actor and model will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January in relation to the charge.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite his lengthy stint on <em>Neighbours </em>and appearance in 940 episodes, fans were disappointed when he didn’t appear on the show’s final episode in July, which saw the return of many of the show’s alumni.</p> <p dir="ltr">The star, who has also appeared in <em>Underbelly</em>, <em>Offspring</em>, and <em>Winners &amp; Losers</em>, lives in Melbourne with his wife Bianka and two children.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5f08a0f3-7fff-0fc3-647f-61f6935a3bab"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @scottymcgregor (Instagram)</em></p>

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Husband charged over wife’s death in Hamilton Island buggy crash

<p dir="ltr">The husband of a woman <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/update-to-tragic-honeymoon-death-on-hamilton-island">who died in a buggy crash</a> during their honeymoon has been charged in relation to her death.</p> <p dir="ltr">Marina Hanna and Robbie Awad were wed on June 11, 2022, before heading to Queensland’s Hamilton Island for their honeymoon two days later.</p> <p dir="ltr">On June 20, a ride in a golf buggy went horribly wrong, with the 29-year-old bride suffering critical injuries after the electric vehicle flipped over.</p> <p dir="ltr">Initial reports claimed the buggy had started to run out of the battery and Mr Awad, who was driving, made a U-turn to drive back and charge it when it flipped over.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hanna was allegedly not wearing her seat belt, and fell out of the vehicle, dying at the scene.</p> <p dir="ltr">While police initially said the incident was nothing more than “a tragic accident”, an extensive police investigation has resulted in several charges laid against Mr Awad, including driving without due care and attention, seatbelt offences, and using a mobile phone while driving.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 30-year-old is due to face the Proserpine Magistrates Court on December 5.</p> <p dir="ltr">He reportedly presented to Queensland Police last week, per the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11432643/Hamilton-Island-Robbie-Awad-Marina-Hanna-golf-buggy-charged.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a></em>, after he was asked to hand himself in.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the wake of her death, Mr Awad <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/heartbroken-husband-speaks-after-honeymoon-tragedy">took to social media to share his heartbreak</a>, writing that his heart was broken and his world shattered after losing “the most beautiful girl in the world”.</p> <p dir="ltr">During an interview in July, he said his wife had “never looked so beautiful” as they boarded a helicopter to fly over the island the day before the accident.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was radiating before she left [this life]. 'It was because God was calling her home,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“She is an angel. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There are no two ways about it.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Clips shared on Instagram show the couple walking across the tarmac to board their Qantas flight to Queensland at the start of their trip, as well as the interior of their plush resort upon their arrival.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another, posted before Ms Hanna’s death, showed Mr Awad driving the buggy to their resort while she filmed the scenery from the passenger seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">After her passing, Mr Awad started a non-for-profit organisation in Ms Hanna’s name to “spread love, joy and kindness to the world” like she did.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The foundation will hold two major events every year, each year going forward,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The first will be a charity ball, the second will be a family fun day, as Marina held family close to her heart always.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-a41e15d7-7fff-4d35-2476-30b3bdc712f6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Kevin Spacey found not guilty of battery

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article mentions child sexual abuse (CSA).</em></p> <p dir="ltr">A New York jury has found that Kevin Spacey isn’t liable for battery in a sexual abuse lawsuit brought against him by actor Anthony Rapp.</p> <p dir="ltr">The civil suit related to allegations from 1986, where Spacey allegedly picked Rapp up and briefly laid on top of him in a bed after a party.</p> <p dir="ltr">After deliberating for about an hour, the jury concluded that Rapp didn’t prove that Spacey “touched a sexual or intimate part” of him and the judge dismissed the case.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rapp, who was 14 at the time of the alleged incident, first publicly accused Spacey of sexual abuse in 2017.</p> <p dir="ltr">He alleged that Spacey, then 26, invited Rapp over to his home in Manhattan, where Spacey picked Rapp up, laid him down on a bed, grabbed his buttocks and pressed his groin into his hip.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rapp sued Spacy for $US 40 million ($NZ 70 million) in damages, and his claim of assault was dismissed by the judge before the trial started.</p> <p dir="ltr">The actor’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress was also dismissed after Rapp’s attorneys rested his case, meaning the jury only had to decide whether Spacey is ‘liable’ to damages for the claim of battery.</p> <p dir="ltr">Under New York law, battery is defined as touching another person without their consent and in a way that a reasonable person would find offensive.</p> <p dir="ltr">Rapp’s attorney Richard Steigman suggested in his closing statement that Spacey twisted his testimony during the trial to suit his defence, noting that Spacey apologised to Rapp when he first made the allegations.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Don't listen to what I said in real time. I'm defending a lawsuit now. Listen to me now. I've got it straightened out," Steigman said, mocking Spacey’s testimony that he regrets giving the statement in 2017 and was coerced by publicists to do it.</p> <p dir="ltr">Steigman also said Spacey’s testimony was rehearsed in comparison to Rapp’s and dismissed claims that Rapp came forward to out Spacey as gay.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When you're rehearsed, and a world class actor and you're following the script and following the testimony of someone else, you can take that stand and be perfectly polished," Steigman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"When you're merely coming to court coming forward and telling the truth of your experience, especially one like this that's a little bit complicated."</p> <p dir="ltr">"The point of the story is not that Kevin Spacey is gay. It's that he sexually abused him when he was 14. That's what he's sharing with people, he's sharing his experience - nothing more, nothing less. Where's the proof that he said to any media outlet, you know, Kevin Spacey is gay, you really should run with this?"</p> <p dir="ltr">Jennifer Keller, Spacey’s attorney, said in her closing statement that Rapp “hitched his wagon” to the #MeToo movement when he came forward.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This isn't a team sport where you're either on the Me Too side, or you're on the other side," Keller told the jury.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This is a very different place. Our system requires evidence, proof, objective support for accusations provided to an impartial jury. However polarised as society may be today, it really should not have a place here."</p> <p dir="ltr">She also suggested that Rapp’s allegations were false and details taken from a scene from Broadway show Precious Sons, which Rapp performed with Ed Harris in 1986 at the time of the alleged incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We're here because Mr. Rapp has falsely alleged abuse that never occurred at a party that was never held in a room that did not exist," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Keller concluded her remarks by asking the jury not to compromise their judgement by finding Spacey liable but only awarding Rapp a single dollar in damages.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You're here to be judges of the facts. Did it happen? It didn't happen. One penny is too much for something that did not happen,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“And for Mr. Spacey this is not about the money. For Mr. Spacey, this is about the truth that day and he was falsely accused.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-70f1c0e0-7fff-c076-c863-5ae18e13d7f1"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Jeremy Clarkson ordered to shut down Diddly Squat restaurant

<p dir="ltr">TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been ordered to shut down his restaurant less than three months after opening it on his Oxfordshire farm without planning permission.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former <em>Top Gear</em> host opened the Diddly Squat Farm’s restaurant to rave reviews in July, but an ongoing planning row with the local council could see its doors shut permanently.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite Clarkson claiming a “loophole” meant he didn’t need planning permission to open the restaurant, it emerged on Thursday that the West Oxfordshire District Council (WODC) issued him with an enforcement notice to shut it down in August.</p> <p dir="ltr">WODC claimed in the enforcement notice that the toilets, parking area, and dining space installed on the farm were “visually intrusive and harmful” to the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 62-year-old has appealed the notice, with agents at the John Philips Planning Consultancy working on his behalf saying the venue wasn’t in breach of planning laws and that the council’s decision was “excessive”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The notice comes after the council denied Clarkson’s application to create the restaurant on his farm in late 2021.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9b2a3ebb-7fff-fdb0-be39-76f68d60320b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">In July, he shared that he had found a “delightful little loophole” that allowed his plans to come to fruition, though the site of the restaurant had changed.</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/Cf9dDC7sV1d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf9dDC7sV1d/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Diddly Squat Farm Shop (@diddlysquat.farmshop)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">While he never revealed which loophole he was referring to, the appeal lodged with council referenced permitted development rights under Town and Country Planning Order 2015, which allows landowners to bypass normal regulations if they meet certain criteria, such as changing the use of agricultural buildings to a flexible commercial use.</p> <p dir="ltr">One particular section, known as Class R, allows for agricultural buildings to be used as farm shops without permission as long as the shop doesn’t exceed 150 square meters and was in agricultural use in 2012.</p> <p dir="ltr">A “lambing shed” in a field on Clarkson’s farm has since been converted to seat seven tables of four outside, with the appeal stating that the existing planning permission gave them the right to use the farm as a restaurant and that there had been no “material change” to the land.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, the council said the restaurant was an “unlawful use of Diddly Squat Farm” and that it was “unsuitable and incompatible with its open countryside location”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7a3c062e-7fff-271c-4dc9-ab874b84b2eb"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The notice ordered that the restaurant be closed and that dining tables, chairs, parasols, picnic tables, and the mobile toilet be removed.</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/CjCyJ8yM1S6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjCyJ8yM1S6/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Diddly Squat Farm Shop (@diddlysquat.farmshop)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">WODC told <em>The Telegraph</em> that the farm “continues to operate outside the planning permissions granted” and that “advice has been ignored”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Council officers have worked with the owner and planning agents of the business, over many months, to investigate breaches in planning control, advising on how the business can be operated in a lawful way and trying to reach a solution,” a spokesman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It is the responsibility of the Council to ensure that planning laws and processes are followed correctly.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The spokesman added that the council would “detail the breaches of planning control” as well as why the enforcement notice should be upheld and Clarkson’s appeal be dismissed.</p> <p dir="ltr">They noted that the local Cotswalds community had felt a “significant impact” from Clarkson’s activities.</p> <p dir="ltr">Although Clarkson bought the farm in 2008, it was operated by a local until the presenter retired in 2019 and decided to see if he could run it himself.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-9004149d-7fff-92df-dbea-0e3e09606049"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: The Telegraph</em></p>

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Man faces court after one-punch attack kills world champion surfer

<p>A man has faced court over the deadly one-punch assault that claimed the life of former professional surfer Chris Davidson. </p> <p>The former elite surfer is being mourned by the sporting community after he was attacked outside a pub on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. </p> <p>Police said they were called to Sportsmans Way at South West Rocks just after 11pm on Saturday following reports a man had been punched in the face, fallen and hit his head on the pavement.</p> <p>Officers arrived on the scene where they found 45-year-old Davidson unconscious on the pavement. </p> <p>He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to the nearby Kempsey Hospital, where he died a short time later.</p> <p>A 42-year-old man was arrested at a nearby home early on Sunday, and was charged with assault causing death.</p> <p>At Port Macquarie Court on Sunday, he was refused bail. </p> <p>Surfing Australia says the sport's community is mourning the loss of the man affectionately known as "Davo".</p> <p>"Davo was an incredibly talented surfer and a true individual in our sport and community," the organisation said on Facebook.</p> <p>"Our thoughts go out to his two children, friends and family at this time."</p> <p>Eleven-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater, who Davidson beat in two consecutive heats at Bells Beach as a 19-year-old wildcard entrant in 1996, called him one of the most naturally talented surfers he ever knew.</p> <p>"Lost another soldier yesterday. #RipChrisDavo. Had many a good battle with this guy," Slater said on Instagram.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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Damning footage filmed by Buxton crash survivor emerges in court

<p dir="ltr">Tyrell Edwards, the 18-year-old driver and sole survivor of a devastating car crash that killed five teens, filmed himself driving dangerously beforehand, according to court documents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Edwards was driving a Nissan Navara ute when it crashed into two trees near the village of Wollondilly Shire in Buxton on Tuesday night, resulting in the deaths of three girls and two boys aged between 14 and 16.</p> <p dir="ltr">Appearing in local court on Thursday on five charges of dangerous driving occasioning death, Edwards was refused bail after prosecutors said a video allegedly filmed in the lead-up to the crash showed he had a high level of moral culpability and supported several aspects of the charges.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to a summary of police facts, Edwards filmed the video with his phone about an hour before the crash, with the clip showing him driving with two of the victims.</p> <p dir="ltr">He is seen holding his phone while aggressively turning the steering wheel, with loud music playing in the background.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We’re going to spin out cuz,” a male in the car can be heard saying.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police allege that, in the moments before the crash, Edwards drove at high speed, lost control, crossed onto the wrong side of the road and travelled for about 40 metres along a grassy road shoulder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Investigations suggest the car rotated for about 50 metres before hitting a tree then spun in the opposite direction before hitting a second tree.</p> <p dir="ltr">The force of the impact caused the ute cabin to be torn open, ripping the rear seat from the car and throwing the five victims out.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to court documents, witnesses overheard Edwards say, “I f***ed up, I’m going to jail.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Edwards told police after the crash that the ute span out of control following a steering fault where the wheel was “shaking, going left to right”, and that braking failed to stop the vehicle.</p> <p dir="ltr">He appeared via video link in Picton Local Court after a crowd of family members and friends descended on the court, with the 18-year-old to remain in custody until his next court appearance on November 16.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court was told that Edwards finished Year 11 last year at Picton High School - the same school the five victims attended - and now works as a labourer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Picton Magistrate Mark Douglass concluded that Edwards posed a risk to the community and could tamper with witnesses due to his strong ties to the community.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s not an easy decision - he is a young man who has never been in custody,” Douglass said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Edwards had previously held a driving licence for a short period of time before he accumulated two speeding offences and had it suspended earlier this year.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside court, Exaven Desisto, the father of crash victim Antonio, told the media that he didn’t want to see anyone behind bars.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve got to visit my son at the f***ing morgue,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Superintendent Paul Fuller, the chief of Camden Police who has 38 years of experience in the force, described the crash site as “one of the worst accident scenes I have ever come across”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-17692387-7fff-2845-016e-9e05d3d8a8d5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News (Twitter)</em></p>

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Ricky Martin hits back at “maladjusted” nephew with massive lawsuit

<p dir="ltr">Ricky Martin has filed a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against his 21-year-old nephew who previously accused the singer of sexual abuse.</p> <p dir="ltr">The suit comes a month after Martin’s nephew, Dennis Yadiel Sanchez, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/truth-prevails-ricky-martin-addresses-nephew-after-harassment-case-heard" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrew a restraining order</a> laid against the 50-year-old celebrity.</p> <p dir="ltr">Martin filed the $US 20 million suit on Wednesday, as reported by TMZ, which contains claims from Martin that his nephew is a “maladjusted individual” who would message him up to ten times a day over a four-month period, threatening to “assassinate his reputation and integrity” if he didn’t give him cash.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Livin’ La Vida Loca</em> singer also alleged that Sanchez shared his mobile phone number online and made an Instagram account for one of Martin’s children.</p> <p dir="ltr">He believes he has missed out on lucrative business opportunities, according to the suit, and is seeking the hefty sum for damages.</p> <p dir="ltr">Martin, who parents his four children with husband Jwan Yosef, said he and his family felt “unsafe” in Puerto Rico due to Sanchez’s alleged behaviour.</p> <p dir="ltr">In July, Martin shared a clip explaining why he hadn’t addressed Sanchez’s claims the pair were in an incestuous relationship when they first emerged.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For two weeks, I was not allowed to defend myself because I was following procedure, where the law … obligated me not to talk until I was in front of the judge,” Martin said in the clip while dressed in a suit and tie.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f5ea56f4-7fff-6297-835b-a33656e0d008"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Sanchez, who is the son of Martin’s half-sister Vanessa Martin, alleged he and Martin were in a relationship for seven months and that his uncle stalked him at his house following their breakup.</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/CgRx1HwL36j/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CgRx1HwL36j/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ricky Martin (@ricky_martin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In the video, Martin shared his relief over the dismissal of the case but noted the negative impact it had on his loved ones.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank God these claims were proven to be false, but I’m going to tell you the truth, it has been so painful and devastating for me, for my family for my friends,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t wish this upon anybody.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-81b23761-7fff-62df-22c9-bb98fa88ba6c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @ricky_martin (Instagram)</em></p>

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