That Prince Andrew photo is 'fake' but Avril's isn't
All the news that's fit to mint.
All the news that's fit to mint.
What's happening in (The) Oz today:
📸 That Prince Andrew photo is "fake" apparently
🤟🏼 Avril Lavigne is very much alive
💃🏼 Albo's GF makes a splash in Spain
🇨🇳 China hates us again
😲 Can we still listen to Ignition?
🎤 Guy Sebastian's manager had a bad day
✌🏼 Leigh Sales is done
☠️ The right to vote on death in the Territories
👩🏻⚕️ Shove your traditional Pap smears
📺 Falling asleep with the TV on may kill you
☕️ Coffee cups are being banned in WA and Queensland
Happy weekend!
So, it's been a big week for sex pests.
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted procurer for disgraced businessman Jeffrey Epstein, was jailed for 20-years for her roll in grooming and trafficking young women and girls for him.
Prince Andrew was drawn into the case when victim, Virginia Guiffre came forward with this photo taken of her (at 17), the royal and Maxwell back in 2001.
Guiffre spent four years as Epstein’s "personal masseuse", during which she alleged she was shopped around to the financier’s friends and clients. She now lives in Perth and pursued her own case against Andrew. It settled this year with the duke’s lawyers confirming it included “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.
This photo was seen by many as the "smoking gun". Andrew had "no recollection" of meeting Guiffre and told the BBC it must be doctored.
While most of the narrative around the duke's association with Esptein and Maxwell has been quite tame, his former girlfriend, a lady who goes by the name Lady Victoria Hervey, went full Housewives with Piers Morgan this week repeating claims the photo "isn't real".
"I know because I am in touch with the person who took those pictures and it's not Andrew in the picture, it's Esptein. I've seen the real picture.
When asked why Andrew didn't take that claim to court to "clear his name", Hervey continued: "I found those pictures after the settlement."
She refused to name who owns the "real" photos because "no one knows yet".
Proof of life obtained
One of the wildest rumours of the past couple of years is that Avril Lavigne is dead.
The singer, who walked so the likes of Billie Eilish could run, has recreated the art of her debut album Let Go in New York - exactly 20 years since the original frame was taken near Madison Square Garden before her first time performing there.
"Happy 20th anniversary Let Go," Lavigne said.
Australia's 'First Lady' goes global
Jodie Haydon and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese have taken their relationship to the next level - international diplomacy.
While it's not as hot as say, sipping Aperols on Lake Como and having some well-deserved alone time, Australia's first couple made quite the splash in Spain meeting Queen Letizia and her husband, the King.
Haydon popped into the palace while Albo was working hard to broker new Australia-EU trade deals on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Madrid this week.
The 43-year-old public servant has been dating Albo since 2020. The two share a love of the NRL side the Rabbitohs.
Meanwhile, there are reports floating around based on alleged old LinkedIn posts made by Haydon that refer to her support of the Change the Date campaign around Australia Day.
"Ms Haydon's view on the matter contrasts with the Prime Minister's who, during the election campaign, insisted the date should not be moved," one British-owned website "reported" in, checks iCal, 2022. As it's apparently weird when couples, or anyone for that matter, have differing opinions hey?
Clear the "Days Since the CCP Hated Us" calendar
The Chinese government is cranky with us. Again.
The scab had barely healed from past interactions, resulting in a raft of sanctions against Aussie products and goods but now Beijing has gotten in a huff about Albanese's comments made at the NATO Summit about how China should heed the lessons of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The state-owned paper, the China Daily, called Albo "ignorant" and accused him of failing to reciprocate China's "goodwill" towards his new government.
R.Kelly to rot
The Ignition singer R.Kelly - now 55 - was sentenced to 30-years in jail on Thursday after he was convicted of racketeering, sex trafficking, drugging, rape, and the systemic sexual abuse of young female fans - some were just children.
Eleven of his victims took the stand - over the six week trial last year - outlining horror stories of how they were attacked and traumatised by the multi Grammy award winner.
Prosecutors called him a "prolific, serial predator".
"Consensually victimised" was how his victims' lawyer Gloria Allred described her clients outside the court in New York.
One of the most high profile pieces of evidence tendered was about a fraudulent marriage scheme hatched to protect Kelly after he feared he had gotten R&B singer Aaliyah pregnant back in 1994, she was just 15 at the time.
Witnesses said they got married in matching tracksuits and used a license which falsely listed her age as 18. Kelly was 27 at the time.
Aaliyah worked with Kelly, who wrote and produced her 1994 debut album, the absolute timeless banger machine - Age Ain't Nothing But A Number.
She died in a plane crash in 2001. She was 22.
Time's up for Titus
Guy Sebastian's former manager has been found guilty of embezzling bucket loads of cash.
Titus Day was accused of swindling nearly $900,000 allegedly owed to the singer in the form of music royalties, performance and ambassador payments.
The jury heard seven weeks of evidence from witnesses, including Sebastian, his wife Jules, bookkeepers and the police officer in charge of the investigation before making their determination.
In a unanimous decision handed down late Thursday afternoon, the jury found Day guilty of some of the charges, but not all.
The court was told Day was found guilty of 34 charges including the fraudulent embezzlement of more than $620,000 of poor Guy's hard earned cash including royalties and performance fees.
He's now facing potential jail time.
Saleling off
Leigh Sales has finished up hosting the ABC's current affair program, 730.
The presenter will be remembered for her time in the hosting hot seat for grilling politicians, shedding a tear with Bob Hawke's widow Blanche D'Alpuget, being obsessed with Warnie (she's only human) and interviewing broadcasting legend John Laws with a straight face as he sipped what appeared to be a cocktail.
Leigh Sales signs off after 12 years as anchor of 7.30. #abc730 pic.twitter.com/20NY2CQObM
— abc730 (@abc730) June 30, 2022
More rights on the menu in Canberra for Canberra
Health Minister Mark Butler has said there could be a vote in parliament soon to determine whether the ACT and NT can legalise voluntary assisted dying laws.
If it's successful it will overturn a rule imposed about 25-years ago when a former federal government stripped the territories of the right to legalise VAD after the NT became the first jurisdiction in the world to allow it back in 1995.
Dignity restored
From today Australia will become the first country in the world to offer self-testing swabs to all women for their cervical cancer check ups.
Women aged between 25-74 will be able to collect their own samples to test for HPV rather than having to encounter the steely, cold duck. IYKYK.
Switch off to save your life
A new study has found the practice of falling asleep in front of the TV could contribute to an early death.
Researchers at the Northwestern University School of Medicine in the US examined the impact of ambient light on the health and sleeping habits of 552 people between the ages of 63 and 84.
The study found that those who slept with even the slightest ambient lighting were more likely to suffer from diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
"People should do their best to avoid or minimise the amount of light they are exposed to during sleep," the study’s lead researcher, Phyllis Zee said this week.
According to the study, insulin resistance was more likely to occur in the morning after people slept in a room with dim lighting, such as that emitted by a TV set.
Well if that ain't enough to deter you from "just one more episode" I can't help you.
There was no mention if the dust from Cheezels eaten before the nap also contributes to the early march to the grave as the sample size was too small*.
(*me, I was the sample).
Queensland no longer monogamous with single use plastics
Consider yourself warned but from September 1, 2023 you'll no longer be able to drink a take-away coffee with a lid or straw while cleaning your ears and releasing balloons as you win a meat tray and try to keep your bread and bait fresh in Queensland.
The government will phase out disposable coffee cups, lids, straws, bread tags, bait bags and polystyrene trays next year.
"Single use plastics are problematic and Queenslanders have made it clear they want to give more of them the punt," the Sunshine State's environment minister Meaghan Scanlon said.
Queensland joins WA in phasing out plastics.
From today plates, cutlery, straws and thick plastic bags will be banished from WA.
Disposable cups will be banned from October 1 in WA.
Meghan Markle’s favourite face gym is opening in Australia, Greta Thunberg publishes Andrew Tate’s contact details
All the news that's fit to mint.
Emily Ratajkowski joins the competitive world of online dating, Nick Kyrgios quits at the last minute
All the news that's fit to mint.