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Fitness influencer gets lifetime ban from NYC marathon for filming content

A Texas social media influencer has been disqualified and banned from future races at the New York City marathon. Last weekend, fitness influencer Matthew Choi ran the race with his camera crew on e-bikes, endangering other runners. He finished the 42.2-kilometre course with a time of 2:57:15, about 50 minutes behind Abdi Nageeye, the winner of the men's race. Choi issued an apology to his 400,000 followers after receiving the lifetime ban. "I have no excuses, full-stop," he said on Wednesday AEDT. "I was selfish on Sunday to have my brother and my videographer follow me around on e-bikes, and it had serious consequences. "We endangered other runners, we impacted people going for PBs, we blocked people from getting water and with the New York City Marathon being about everyone else and the community, I made it about myself. "And for anyone I impacted, I'm sorry." He added that the decision "was 100 per cent on me" as he did not receive pressure to film content from any partners or sponsors. New York Road Runners, the organisers of the race, said in a statement that Choi's actions violated the code of conduct and competition rules. "One of the incidents brought to NYRR's attention was that Choi ran with the assistance of two unauthorised people riding the course on electric bicycles, obstructing runners," the group said. The fitness influencer posted several videos of him running the marathon on social media, which immediately drew backlash. "As a runner, seeing him was amazing. Gave me extra motivation to pass him and make sure I never had to see him and his dumb crew for the rest of the race," wrote one user on Reddit. He has since acknowledged the criticism and has vowed to stop the practice. "It won't happen again. My word is my bond." Images: Instagram

Travel Trouble

Airline bans couple after racist row over reclined seat

Two travellers have been banned from Cathay Pacific flights after an argument over seat etiquette descended into racist insults. The incident occurred on a flight from Hong Kong to London, with a woman documenting her experience in a video posted on Xiaohongshu, China's version of Instagram. The woman, from mainland China, explained, "The lady sitting behind me asked me to put my seat up because it was blocking her husband's view of the TV. I politely declined, and she started stretching her feet onto my armrest, kicking my arm and cursing at me like crazy." A flight attendant stepped in to find a solution to the issue, but when the woman continued to refuse to put her chair up, the situation only escalated. "When (the female passenger) realised my Cantonese wasn't so great, she started throwing around some nasty comments, calling me a 'Mainland girl' and other derogatory stuff," the woman said, explaining how people from Hong Kong speak mainly Cantonese, whereas mainland Chinese mainly speak Mandarin. "Once I started recording, the husband behind me even shoved his hand on my armrest and started shaking it like crazy. I felt my personal space had been completely violated," added the woman, who said other passengers then intervened. In footage of the incident uploaded by the woman, a female voice can be heard saying in Mandarin: "You're old enough — why are you bullying a young girl?" And others can be heard shouting in Cantonese: "You're embarrassing us Hongkongers!" "After some passengers spoke up for me, the flight attendant finally said I could switch seats. I felt it was absurd—what if no one had backed me up? Would I have just been left to deal with it on my own?" the passenger said. "As a major airline, isn't Cathay supposed to know how to handle such disputes? Shouldn't treating passengers differently get some consequences? In a statement released Saturday, Cathay Pacific said it wanted to "sincerely apologise" for the "unpleasant experience," with the airline saying, "We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for any behaviour that violates aviation safety regulations or disrespects the rights of other customers." "We will deny future travel on any Cathay Group flights to the two customers involved in this incident." Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Woman banned for life from airline for bizarre reason

A woman has recalled the moment she was told by a major airline that she has been placed on the no-fly list for a very strange reason. Erin Wright, a 24-year-old from the US, was travelling to her sister's bachelorette party in New Mexico and was preparing to board her flight from New Orleans with American Airlines. When she kept running into errors online as she tried to check into the flight, she headed to the airport to sort out the issue, only to be told she was allegedly banned from the airline for life for “having sexual relations with a man on a flight while intoxicated”. The ban came as a shock for one key reason. “I am a 24-year-old lesbian. You see me. Am I having sexual relations with any man? No,” Erin laughed in her now viral TikTok. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7400894263237610794&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40erin_wright_%2Fvideo%2F7400894263237610794%3Fembed_source%3D121374463%252C121451205%252C121439635%252C121433650%252C121404359%252C121351166%252C121331973%252C120811592%252C120810756%253Bnull%253Bembed_name%26refer%3Dembed%26referer_url%3Dwww.news.com.au%252Ftravel%252Ftravel-updates%252Fincidents%252Fwomans-shock-after-she-was-banned-or-life-by-airline%252Fnews-story%252F98c05daffea9ff538dd05bbbbaca556b%26referer_video_id%3D7401685057980681514&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2FoYgBZAELUrpiZizB94QiB6qSIPFE1CosQNYUi%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26nonce%3D34496%26refresh_token%3D518d47d36cd3175f1d18f1fd75262373%26x-expires%3D1723770000%26x-signature%3DPnErCHWVNghfrjSQPdFIU5OLZu4%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> She said the gate staff couldn’t tell her why she was black-listed and it wasn’t until three weeks later the reason was revealed after several back and forth emails. “I got to the airport an hour and a half early, I went to the kiosk and asked them to check me in and they were really nice,” Erin explained in the clip that's amassed 2.6 million views. The airport staff then spent the next 10 minutes on the phone to try and work out the problem, while Erin was “freaking out” that she was going to miss her flight. “She gets off the phone and looks nervous. She said ‘ma’am I am really sorry to tell you this but you have actually been banned from flying American Airlines’,” Erin claimed. A confused Erin demanded to know the reason but the employee couldn’t disclose the information saying it was an issue of “internal security”, recalling in her video, “I was like, ‘what?’ because I’ve never done anything. ‘What did I get banned for, can you tell me?’” “I realised I am going to miss my [United Airlines] flight and luckily I booked another $1,000 round trip flight to New Orleans [with a different airline].” A few weeks after her trip and after several emails to the airline, they revealed that the reason she was banned, as Erin said, “I get an email from cooperate security telling me I am banned because I had sexual relations with a man on a flight while intoxicated.” “It took 12 days and many emails from me between when I contacted customer relations to when I actually got an email back.” She remained on the no-fly list and had to file an official appeal, as advised by corporate security. “I email them a very serious email, but also somewhat funny, because in it I am like ‘I don’t really know how to prove it wasn’t me except for the fact that I am literally a lesbian’," she said. “I can like get you letters from other people telling you that that’s the truth.” After three months, Erin said she was refunded the money for her flight and was taken off the no-fly list. In a follow up video, Erin said it has been a “super upsetting experience” adding she wasn’t compensated for the extra flight she had to book “because of their error”. Image credits: TikTok / Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Grandma banned from babysitting after ignoring daughter's simple request

A new mum has banned her own mother from babysitting duties, after she blatantly refused to follow a few basic safety instructions. The young mum took to Reddit to share her plight, after moving back home so she could save up to buy a house, which at the time her mum "very enthusiastically agreed to". But, after a few months of living together again, the 23-year-old mum has had more things added onto her plate, as she's constantly worried about her own mum not following her instructions when it comes to her son, who was born in September. She said that her mum has been "constantly checking to see if he has teeth" or pushing them to "stop feeding him milk", or even trying to "give him really complicated food" like candy yams. And whenever she expresses her concerns, her mum nonchalantly responds with: "I did with you and you survived". It reached a peak when her mother gave her baby boy some water, which according to The World Health Organisation, children under six months should not be drinking anything else other than breast milk or formula. This is because babies stomachs are very small and their kidneys are still developing, so they are unable to process water in the same way adults do, plus it puts them at risk of water intoxication and nutrition loss. The grandmother blatantly ignored her daughter's request and gave her grandson water anyways responding with, "See, he's fine. He isn't dead." That was the young mum's breaking point and she immediately took her baby away. "She will no longer be watching the baby alone since she is constantly overstepping my boundaries and doing everything I ask her to not do," she wrote. But she said that things are complicated since they're living together and now her mother isn't speaking to her because she made her "feel like a bad parent and grandparent." The young mum questioned whether she was the bad guy in this scenario, but other Reddit users were quick to defend her for setting her boundaries. "One would hope for a *little* bit more for their kid than "not dead"," one wrote. "This is an incredibly low standard for her to be proud of maintaining", another added. Image: Getty

Family & Pets

Miranda Kerr welcomes "little ray of sunshine"

Miranda Kerr has welcomed her fourth child with Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel. The 40-year-old supermodel gave birth to a baby boy named Pierre Kerr Spiegel on Sunday, February 18, but announced the news of her new bub's arrival ten days later. "We are overjoyed by the arrival of our little ray of sunshine, Pierre Kerr Spiegel," she wrote in a statement posted on Snapchat. "We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our fourth son into our family. Feeling so very blessed." Kerr shared a picture of flowers, nestled next to a pair of yellow baby socks and a baby blue blanket that read "Pierre." The heartwarming announcement was made just six months after Kerr revealed that she was <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/so-excited-miranda-kerr-s-special-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expecting her fourth child</a> with a series of pictures showing off her baby bump. "So excited to announce baby 4," she captioned the photo at the time. Kerr and Spiegel, who tied the knot in 2017, have three sons together - baby Pierre, five-year-old Hart, and four-year-old Myles. The Aussie supermodel also shares a fourth son, Flynn, 13, with her former husband Orlando Bloom. Kerr first hinted at the possibility of having more children in a 2022 interview with Vogue Australia. "I just love being a mother and I always wanted three boys, so I feel really blessed that I have three healthy boys." "I feel like I'm open, so we'll see what God decides." Images: Miranda Kerr Snapchat

Family & Pets

Bride sparks feud for banning her niece from her big day

A bride-to-be has sparked a feud for deciding to ban her sister’s “loud and distracting” toddler from her wedding ceremony, with the bride asking social media users for advice. The bride was only weeks away from her intimate destination wedding, which included a guest list of only a few friends and close family. After being met with a difficult decision, the bride took to Reddit to share how a massive family feud had erupted in the weeks before the big day. “My sister is bringing her one-year-old toddler. The child is more than welcome — she’s part of the family and we want her there as part of the day,” she began. “However, as she’s still very young (and very loud at times), I’ve asked that somebody takes her out during the ceremony if she’s being distracting, shouting and babbling loudly.” “I know that this will probably happen as she’s constantly chatting loudly and is never quiet.” “But it’s only for half an hour and she can be as loud as she likes for the rest of the day.” “I just want everybody to be able to focus on the ceremony and I don’t want the distraction.” The bride said she was worried about sounding selfish, but then admitted that she was allowed to be selfish on her big day, and wanted all eyes on her and the groom. “We want everyone to be able to enjoy them and, to be honest, we want the guests’ attention focused on us,” she said. However, after the bride told her sister of the plans, things didn’t go down well. “My sister has told me I’m being an a****** for ‘excluding’ my niece from the ceremony and therefore by default ‘excluding’ my brother-in-law who will be the one to take her out,” the bride said. “She says that I’m asking him and the one-year-old to go all that way just for the evening meal as they will miss the ceremony and that the toddler will most likely miss that too as it will be after bedtime.” “I’ve told her that there’s a whole afternoon of relaxing things going on — photos, cake, a little walk outside and late lunch that they will be part of but apparently she’s still really annoyed with me.” The bride says her sister is now “threatening” to attend the wedding alone, leaving her partner and their daughter at home. “We’ve called her bluff and said if that’s what she wants to do then we understand,” she said. “To be honest, she’s p***ing us off so much that we’d be fine with all three of them not coming at this point.” “I don’t think that I’m asking anything unreasonable.” “All I want is a peaceful, relaxed ceremony where we can all focus on what’s going on without a toddler babbling away. “Also, to be honest, even if this WAS an unreasonable ask, surely as it’s my wedding day then it’s up to me? Isn’t it the one day of my life when I can do literally anything I want?” The post was quickly met with hundreds of comments, with most people flocking to the bride’s defence. One person wrote, “This is basic event etiquette, but it seems like sis cannot be relied on to follow basic etiquette - or even asked to do so without herself acting like a toddler.” Another suggested: “Removing a disruptive baby from a formal event would be normal etiquette, but if you specifically had to ask in advance, I’ll guess she’s got a history of not doing so.” “Your wedding, your rules. You could have gone completely child-free, all you asked was for the common courtesy of taking her outside if she got noisy.” Image credits: Shutterstock

Family & Pets

Mother bans in-laws from seeing her baby after they go against her wishes

A woman has banned her in-laws from seeing her newborn daughter after they “betrayed her trust” and directly went against her wishes. The new mum shared the story to Reddit, as she explained why she was cutting contact with her husband’s parents after they pierced her child’s ears without their knowledge or consent. “My husband is from a culture where it's not uncommon to pierce baby girls' ears and his mother started pestering me about getting my daughter's ears pierced a few days after she was born,” the 32-year-old mum began. “I made it clear that I would not be doing that, and that I'd be waiting until she's old enough to ask for it herself. We live in my country where piercing a baby's ears isn't common at all.” The new mum's world soon came crashing down after the baby spent a weekend with her grandparents, before she went back to her parents red in the face and screaming. “My mother-in-law was looking after her over the weekend and decided to pierce her ears without my knowledge or consent.” “When I saw this I threw a fit. My baby was crying in pain, and I actually took her to the doctor to get their advice on whether or not to take them out.” The doctor advised the parent to take the earrings out as they were irritating the baby, but the issue didn’t end there. “I decided at that moment that my mother-in-law and everyone else on that side of the family (except for my sister-in-law, who's on my side about this) is going to have no alone contact with my daughter ever again - or at least until she's a teenager.” “My worry is that she'll do the same thing again, and to be frank, she's lost my trust entirely. I told her that if she had a problem with that, I'd report what she did to the police.” The husband of the baby girl reluctantly sided with his wife over the issue, despite saying it wasn’t a big deal and suggesting everyone move on from the incident. The story prompted a mixed response online, with some people saying the woman was overreacting and should work towards rebuilding trust with her in-laws. Others, however, had the opposite opinion, with one person saying, “Forget rebuilding trust, I'd be having them charged with assault.” Another person said, “They mutilated a child and they knew it was against the parents wishes. These people have serious problems. Not that I'd press charges, but getting holes poked in someone else's kid is a huge thing.” Image credits: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Woman receives lifetime ban from cruise line over "illegal" item

A 42-year-old mother has received a lifetime ban from Carnival Cruise Line voyages, after she attempted to board one of the company's ships with a seemingly innocent item. Melinda Van Veldhuizen, a nurse practitioner and mother of two from Texas, said she was treated "like a criminal" when cruise ship employees found a bag of the CBD “sleep tight” gummies in her luggage while at a port in Miami. Melinda told local news station WPLG she packed the gummies to help her get some sleep on the August trip she had planned to take with her family to celebrate both her 21st wedding anniversary with her husband and her son’s senior year of high school. Ms Van Veldhuizen was taken to a separate area of the security check-in when the discovery was made, and was questioned by Carnival security and police for two and a half hours. The mother was blocked from boarding the ship, and her husband and son also disembarked as they didn’t want to go on the cruise to Aruba, Curaçao and the Dominican Republic without her. The family had spent just under $9,000AUD on their planned vacation, Ms Van Veldhuizen’s attorney Daren Stabinski told the Washington Post. CBD is a compound commonly derived from hemp that doesn’t cause impairment or a “high,” and is different from marijuana's mind-altering substance of THC. CBD is becoming more readily available across the globe, and is used to treat ailments from chronic pain to sleeplessness. In most parts of the US, CBD products that contain no greater than 0.3 per cent of THC are legal. According to WPLG, Ms Van Veldhuizen’s gummies contained less than 0.01 per cent THC. Despite the product being legal in the state Ms Van Veldhuizen was departing from, the hemp product is prohibited by Carnival Cruise Lines. “While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items,” its website states. Soon after Ms Van Veldhuizen was forbidden from going on the cruise she paid for, she received a letter from Carnival informing her she was banned from all Carnival ships for life. The letter signed by Captain Rocco Lubrano states that she will “not be permitted to sail on-board any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the future.” “This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival,” Mr Lubrano wrote. Ms Van Veldhuizen said she has taken more than a dozen Carnival cruises over the years and was freaked out by the letter and the whole experience, and was not expecting such a severe reaction. “I thought it was one of those situations where you’re like, ‘Oh shoot, I left a bottle of water in my backpack; you gotta throw it away,’ kind of thing like that happens at TSA,” she said. Ms Van Veldhuizen is pursuing an internal claim with Carnival, but has threatened to sue if her situation isn’t resolved “appropriately” and hired Mr Stabinski to assist her. “Out of all the cases I take, this one was just specifically outrageous,” Mr Stabinski said. Image credits: WPLG

Travel Trouble

5 times movies were banned for the silliest reasons

Sometimes films are banned for poor taste, extreme themes, or literal pornographic content. Other times, films are banned for ridiculous reasons. These are their stories. 1. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial <a href="http://www.ifc.com/shows/the-spoils-before-dying/blog/2015/06/10-movies-that-were-banned-for-crazy-reasons" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apparently</a>, the governments of Norway, Finland, and Sweden worried that E.T. film portrays adults in such a bad light that if children were allowed to see it, it would provoke a full-scale revolt. The Swedish Board of Film Censorship banned anyone under the age of 12 from seeing the film in cinemas when it was released. 2. Back to the Future The much loved time travel romp is beloved around the world, not least of all because Michael J Fox is just so damn fun to watch. Unless you’re in China, that is, where any kind of time travel plot is outright banned from the country. 3. The Interview Written by Seth Rogan and Evan Goldberg (the same guys who wrote comedy hits Superbad, This Is the End, and Pineapple Express) The Interview was always going to be edgy and hilarious. Little did anyone realise just how much trouble the film would prove to be as it neared release. The film is about a TV talk show host and his producer who are recruited by the US government to travel to North Korea and assassinate Kim Jong-un. Strangely, the North Korean dictator and his government didn’t see the humour in the film’s plot, and had hackers break into Sony’s computer networks. The regime also threatened violence against any American movie theatre screening the film, which worried most theatre chain enough that the film was shunted sideways into an unglamorous video-on-demand release. 4. Wonder Woman Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman was the superhero 2017 desperately needed, and the worldwide box office and reviews reflected how joyously she was welcomed in just about every corner of the globe. One notable exception to this was Lebanon, where the film was officially banned by the nation’s government. The reason? Because of the war between the two countries, Lebanon bans its residents from having contact with Israel’s people or products. Star Gal Gadot is Israeli, meaning that the film was a no-show. 5. Beauty and the Beast (2017 version) While there are those of us who could have done without this (perfectly fine) remake, some Disney fans (and professional angry-about-everything-ers) balked when director Bill Condon announced that the film would feature Disney’s first “exclusively gay moment” in a feature film. The news was met with mixed reactions from the LGBTQI community (which we won’t go into here), but with pure venom from some conservatives who believe that this constituted a direct attack on their right to see a young white woman fall in love with a violent beast without being exposed to gayness at the same time. As a result, at least one cinema, in Alabama, refused to screen the film when it was released. Image credit: Getty / Instagram

Movies

Dog lovers rejoice after "greedy" serial puppy farmer handed life ban

A serial puppy offender has faced sentencing over 17 charges of animal cruelty, with both a lifetime ban and thousands of dollars in fees included in her punishment. The 51-year-old woman from Bullsbrook, a northern suburb in Perth, had been breeding sick dogs in squalid conditions while charging their potential new owners thousands of dollars, and has now been banned from owning or breeding any more dogs for the rest of her life. For her cruel actions, the Perth Magistrates Court handed her a “10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, $25,000 in fines and an 18-month Intensive Supervision Order.” Additionally, the repeat offender - who has been in custody since April 14 after breaching the conditions of her bail - was also ordered to pay $24,279.11 in legal costs, as well as care and treatment costs totalling $18,241.01. The charges were in relation to 23 dogs who were seized from her property in June 2020 - with sought-after breeds including the likes of Maltese, shih-tzus, poodles, and cavalier King Charles spaniels among them. It wasn’t her first offence - instead her fourth - but her most recent was in 2014 when the RSPCA found 50 dogs at her former home, with 12 of the animals “hidden in a bunker three metres underground”. This time around, she had been trying to conceal her crimes. As the court heard in December, she has been moving the dogs between three different Bullbrook addresses in a bid to avoid detection. It was a display of “callous disregard or at least wilful blindness,” Magistrate Janie Gibbs said. RSPCA WA had launched their investigation into her after a member of the public reported their concerns - they had been trying to purchase a puppy through Gumtree, and had grown suspicious when they were informed they couldn’t visit the dog at home. From there, RSPCA WA seized 32 dogs from the woman’s property - of which there were four adult males, 19 adult females, and nine puppies - with the majority of them showing signs of being “underweight, unkempt, or unwell”, and nearly all of them suffering from “ear infections and/or dental disease and … matted, overgrown hair”. Two did not survive, and five of them were pregnant, giving birth to 22 more puppies in the weeks to follow. All have been in the foster care of RSPCA WA while the case went on. As RSPCA WA Executive Manager Animal and Enforcement Operations Hannah Dreaver explained, the woman responsible had been operating a profit-driven business, and had been placing her income well above the welfare of the dogs in her care. “This included using several locations to hide this operation from both authorities and potential puppy buyers,” she added. “All were popular breeds selling for thousands of dollars. These dogs were making her a fortune and she was treating them as nothing more than money-making machines, having litter after litter without proper care. “Please, if you want to get a dog, consider adoption from the RSPCA or another reputable rescue organisation first. If you do decide to buy a puppy, never buy online and never buy sight unseen. “Always meet your new puppy and its mum in the home where it’s being raised.” Images: RSPCA WA

Family & Pets

Thor and Star Wars actor dies suddenly just days before birthday

Actor Ray Stevenson, best known for his work in the Marvel and Star Wars universes, has passed away at 58, just four days shy of his 59th birthday. No cause of death has been made public, but the news was confirmed to Variety through one of the late actor’s representatives, and Italian publication La Repubblica reported that he had been hospitalised shortly before he passed away. Stevenson was in Italy working on his upcoming action movie, Cassino in Ischia, at the time of his death. The Irish-born actor will be remembered by loved ones - those who knew him in real life and those who knew him through his wide range of film, TV, and theatre projects - and by the entertainment industry at large. Born in Northern Ireland in 1864, Steven moved to England with his family at the age of eight, and discovered his calling as an actor after witnessing John Malkovich in a West End theatre production. Stevenson went on to study acting, landing one of his first roles in television in The Dwelling Place, before establishing his place on the screen in a number of other British series, from the likes of Waking the Dead to Dalziel and Pascoe, and At Home with the Braithwaites. His career in Hollywood found its feet with his role in the 2004 King Arthur movie, where he took on the role of one of the Knights of the Round Table. And just four years later, Stevenson made a name for himself in the fan-favourite Marvel universe, playing the titular character Frank Castle in Punisher: War Zone. He was the third actor to ever portray Punisher on screen. Stevenson went on to appear in the likes of The Book of Eli, The Three Musketeers, and the Divergent series, before making his return to Marvel with Thor, where he played one of the god’s Warriors Three up until Thor: Ragnarok. He wasn’t to stop at Marvel, however, with the actor taking on the challenge - and opportunity - of voicing a character in the hit animated Star Wars TV series Clone Wars and Rebels as Mandalorian Gar Saxon. He was set to make his return to that same expanded universe, but this time with his own face at the forefront as a Jedi known as Baylan Skoll, in the upcoming live action Ahsoka series. His co-stars in that series were devastated to hear of his loss, with the show’s lead and Ahsoka’s actress - Rosario Dawson - posting a touching tribute to social media, alongside a series of pics with the late star. “A giant of a man… stunned and reeling from this tragic, devastating news. Gone too soon from this world,” she wrote. “At a loss for words… just wanted to mark this moment and share your ever ready and present smile. Love you forever. Holding your family in my heart.” <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/Csjo9svpyue/?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/Csjo9svpyue/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by rosariodawson (@rosariodawson)</a> </div> </blockquote> “Cherishing this time we got to spend together this past year,” fellow Ahsoka actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo wrote, sharing Dawson’s post, “your giant heart, belly laughs and spirited zest for life will be sorely missed.” “RIP Ray Stevenson, whose turn as Titus Pullo on ROME is one of the greatest effortlessly charming performances of TV's golden age,” one fan shared. “A warm guy, by all accounts, and a serious craftsman. He'll be sorely missed.” “I’m shocked and saddened by the tragic news that a great actor and my good friend Ray Stevenson has passed away. I will miss you Big Ray!” wrote Scott Atkins, who starred in Accident Man with Stevenson. “Life is short so make the most of it people.” As Stevenson’s former Rome co-star James Purefoy said, “so sad to hear the news that Ray Stevenson, our Pullo in Rome, has passed away. A brilliant, gutsy, larger-than-life actor who filled every part he played right up to the brim. “My thoughts are with his family, his lovely wife Betta and their beautiful kids. What a loss.” “Ray… My heart is shattered and I can’t fathom you not being here. My dear friend. My Master. A giant with an even bigger heart,” a heartbroken Ivanna Sakhno, another Ahsoka star, said in her tribute. “You understood the infinite. Your love for life, your partner Elisabetta and your 3 boys was unyielding. Knowing you in this lifetime had been one of the greatest gifts. “I carry your light within me. Fly freely, Blackbird.” Images: Getty

News

Ray Liotta’s cause of death finally revealed

The cause of Ray Liotta's death has finally been revealed, almost one year after his passing. The Goodfellas actor died on May 26th 2022, with reports at the time saying he had died in his sleep while he was in the Dominican Republic filming Dangerous Waters. According to new documents obtained by <a title="TMZ" href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/05/08/ray-liotta-cause-of-death-heart-failure-respirator-dominican-republic/" target="" rel="">TMZ</a>, Liotta's death was listed as "natural and nonviolent" and he reportedly died from respiratory insufficiency, pulmonary edema and acute heart failure. The reports also concluded that Liotta had been suffering from atherosclerosis, a medical condition where a person's arteries become thickened from plaque build-up. The news of Liotta's cause of death comes just weeks after the late actor was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with his daughter speaking on his behalf. "I'm so touched to be accepting this honour on behalf of my dad," Karsen Liotta said at the ceremony. "I couldn't be more proud of him. He was a one of a kind actor and the best friend, brother and father anyone could have asked for. I lucked out with you." "If you have a Ray in your life, you're lucky. I love you so much. Thank you for your work and the imprint you left on me and all of those who love you. Everyone deserves a Ray in their life." At the time of Liotta's death, <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/news/news/tributes-flow-for-ray-liotta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tributes</a> flowed in from all corners of Hollywood, with his Goodfellas co-stars leading the charge. Robert De Niro told <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ray-liotta-dead-hollywood-tributes-1235154625/">The Hollywood Reporter,</a> “I was very saddened to learn of Ray’s passing. He is way too young to have left us. May he rest in peace.” Lorraine Bracco, who also appeared with Liotta in Goodfellas, shared that she was “utterly shattered” when she heard the news of his passing, <a title="pagesix.com" href="https://pagesix.com/2022/05/26/celebrities-react-to-ray-liottas-death/">Page Six</a> reports. “I am utterly shattered to hear this terrible news about my Ray. I can be anywhere in the world and people will come up and tell me their favourite movie is Goodfellas,” <a href="https://twitter.com/Lorraine_Bracco/status/1529868934463234048">she tweeted</a> along with a throwback photo with him. “Then they always ask what was the best part of making that movie. My response has always been the same … Ray Liotta.” Image credits: Getty Images

News

Florida’s plan to ban ‘period talk’

Politicians in Florida are considering a draft law to strengthen state control over sex education in students. This would ban any lessons in schools teaching students about menstrual cycles before high school. The proposal comes after Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature, backed by Governor Ron DeSantis, passed various laws limiting discussion in schools of gender and sexuality, reducing the emphasis on diversity in public schools across the state. The latest proposal came from Republican Stan McClain which would allow instruction "acquired immune deficiency syndrome, sexually transmitted diseases, or health education” only from sixth grade through to 12, typically children aged 12-18. Girls generally have their first period between the ages of 10 and 15, but some do as young as eight. "Imagine a little girl in fourth grade, going to the bathroom and finding blood in her panties and thinking that she is dying," state representative Ashley Gantt, a Democrat, said in a social media post. "She doesn't actually know what's going on. And her teacher does not even have the ability to tell her that this is a part of life.” However, the bill passed the subcommittee by a 13-to-5 vote. Planned Parenthood said the legislation would take "total control from local school districts in approving sex ed curriculum and give it to the State Department of Education", in turn presenting a "reductive and binary view of sex" and stigmatising LGBTQIA+ students. Critics say conservative legislatures in the USA are trying to impose their own views on others, preventing students from having a well-rounded education. Image credit: Shutterstock

Legal

“A ray of sunshine”: Catherine’s heartwarming visit to miracle baby

A mother from West Sussex has recounted the experience of having Catherine, Princess of Wales, meet her young daughter Amaya-Rae. When Amaya-Rae was born at only 23 weeks and classed as a “late miscarriage” in August 2021, her parents were left heartbroken. Amaya-Rae had already beaten the odds by surviving what was described as a traumatic birth, but the family’s medical team didn’t have high hopes for the baby girl, advising her parents to say their goodbyes. Over the course of 360 days in hospital, Amaya-Rae’s family were told on eight separate occasions that she was not going to make it, but she had other ideas. “It’s nothing short of a miracle,” her mother, Mischa, said, “I’m not religious but I really do believe she has had someone watching over her, telling her it’s not her time to go yet, sending her back. “At first, each time we were told to say goodbye to her, our world just crumbled.” Amaya-Rae went on to prove her mum right and her doctors wrong, defying all of the odds in her fight to survive. Now, she is almost eighteen months old, and safe at home with her family. Despite the heartbreak that came with their time in hospital, Amaya-Rae’s mum has opened up about one bright moment in the dark: a visit from Princess Catherine. “When we were in the Evelina Children’s Hospital, we were totally stunned when Catherine, Princess of Wales, made an unexpected visit,” Mischa recalled. “Catherine was so lovely, she listened intently to Amaya’s story, and genuinely seemed so taken with her and asked such a lot of questions. “She seemed totally besotted, complimenting her smiles and her outfit. Amaya couldn't take her eyes off her, she was transfixed. “Someone suggested we take her to see a Disney Princess show at Christmas, but we joked she only deals with actual royalty now.” Amaya-Rae’s need for specialist care saw her transferred to the Evelina London Children’s Hospital, where she stayed for 166 days before getting to go home. It was there, at the children’s hospital, that she came face-to-face with the real-life princess. Catherine, who is the hospital’s patron, was there on the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend. <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/CnxfEqxs3v2/?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/CnxfEqxs3v2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by amayarae_ story (@amayarae_story)</a> </div> </blockquote> As Mischa explained, she was “with Amaya and her nurse came in and said we had someone who’d like to visit us. I was stunned when I realised who it was, I kept saying it couldn’t be her because it was the Jubilee weekend.” The nurse, she said, told them that Catherine had come to visit the families who couldn’t be out celebrating, and that after being told about Amaya-Rae, she had requested to meet her. “There were no press there, we didn’t see any bodyguards,” Mischa said of the meeting, “she just popped in to meet the children. She was so lovely.” In an interview with the Mirror, Mischa added, “when the nurses told me she was in the hospital and wanted to meet Amaya-Rae, I completely panicked.” “She was in her nappy. I ran around finding something presentable for her to wear. But as soon as Kate walked in through the door, all the nervousness disappeared." After speaking on Catherine’s calming demeanour, and how Amaya-Rae was “transfixed” with the princess, Mischa reflected on their experience and the surprise introduction, saying, “there are some really dark days in a children's hospital, and for our family - and lots of others - there isn't much to look forward to. “Everybody who met Kate said it gave them such a pick-me-up. She was a ray of sunshine in a really frightening time." Mischa’s miracle, her ray of sunshine, is now home. Though Amaya-Rae will require oxygen for another few months, and faces some underlying conditions that Mischa hopes will be manageable and won’t hold Amaya-Rae back, she is happy to report that her daughter is just like anyone else her age. “She is doing so well. She’s such a happy, chilled out little girl. You’d never know what she’s been through.” Image: Instagram

Caring

The one food King Charles just banned from all royal residences

King Charles III has banned a classic French delicacy from his royal residence. The ban comes following animal cruelty concerns, PETA have confirmed. The animal rights group said the King removed "foie gras" which is a traditional delacy made from the fattened liver of a duck or goose. It has been off the royal menu for quite some time now, both at Buckingham Palace and all other residences owned by the royal family. The food product was banned around 2008, while Charles was the Prince of Wales. PETA have more recently confirmed the King has issued a blanket ban on the product which was described as “torture in a tin”. The foie gras ban extends to Balmoral, Sandringham, Windsor Castle, Hillsborough Castle and Buckingham Palace, reports claim. "As Prince of Wales, King Charles removed foie gras – a despicable product for which ducks and geese are force-fed until their livers swell up to 10 times their natural size before the animals are slaughtered – from his royal residences," a PETA spokesperson said. The group made public a letter they received from royal officials confirming the ban. "I can confirm that foie gras is not purchased by the Royal Household nor served in Royal Residences, and there are no plans for this policy to change," the letter reads. The letter was signed by the Master of the King's Household, Tony Johnstone-Burt and dated November 10, 2022. Elisa Allen, PETA's vice president, said she hoped Charles' move would encourage other people to ditch foie gras from their diet. There is a ban on the production of foie gras in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. However, it can be imported and sold within those countries. Images: Getty

Food & Wine

James Corden banned from restaurant over "abusive" behaviour

James Corden has been called out by renowned restaurateur Keith McNally for his “abusive” behaviour in a well-known New York restaurant. The talk show host was reportedly “extremely nasty” to staff, with McNally calling Corden a “tiny cretin of a man” over his actions. In a lengthy Instagram post, McNally recounted instances of Corden behaving inappropriately at his former restaurant, Cafe Luxembourg, on several occasions which left one server “shaken”. He started by calling Corden a “hugely gifted comedian”, before ripping into the Tony winner for his unacceptable restaurant behaviours. He said, “James Corden is a Hugely gifted comedian, but a tiny Cretin of a man. And the most abusive customer to my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago." "I don't often 86 a customer, to today I 86'd Corden. It did not make me laugh.” In two manager's reports, McNally shared that Corden had demanded free drinks, threatened to leave bad reviews, verbally abused staff and berated restaurant chefs. Corden, a big-time foodie, has not yet responded to the allegations. McNally’s post racked up over 18,000 likes in just six hours, as the comment section was flooded with people condemning Corden’s alleged behaviour. One person said, “One can tell the true character of a person based on how they treat their server.” Another commented, “I’m always astounded (and impressed) by the lengths you and your staff go to appease, what I deem to be, extremely high maintenance (and sometimes unreasonable) clientele.” “I’ve often wondered if there’s a limit to that tolerance and appeasement. I’m really glad to see that there is. No staff should be treated like this, no matter how fine an establishment.” Another called out McNally’s allegations, saying, “Come on Keith, you know this isn’t true. James Corden is NOT a ‘hugely gifted’ comedian.” Image credits: Getty Images

Food & Wine

5 actors who are banned from China

China carefully decides which American movies make their way into Chinese mainstream media. While the Chinese Government is more open to American movies now, there are still a few Hollywood stars who have gotten on the government’s bad side. 1. Brad Pitt Brad Pitt featured in the 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet as the 14th Dalai Lama’s tutor. Due to how the film portrayed the Chinese occupation of Tibet, officials took offense to the movie and decided they would bar the main people involved in the film from China. Pitt was banned from the country for 19 years and was only allowed back in 2016. 2. Richard Gere During the 1993 Academy Awards, Richard Gere made an impromptu speech about the human rights abuses that China had inflicted on Tibet. Gere was presenting the award for best art direction but skipped the pre-arranged comments to highlight the issue in Tibet. The Academy Award producers were furious and vowed to ban Gere from any future awards shows. Chinese officials also banned him from the country. Many major studios won’t cast Gere anymore as they want Chinese distribution to increase their profit. Gere has now focused his career on appearing in independent films and has received great reviews for his performances. 3. Sharon Stone In 2008, Sharon Stone commented on the Sichuan Earthquake at the Cannes Film Festival. Stone said she believed the disaster, which killed 90,000 people, was the result of a bad karma built up by the Chinese for oppressing the Dalai Lama. The Chinese government responded to her remarks by banning all her movies from China. It appears as if she didn’t receive an actual ban herself to enter but it’s most likely she wouldn’t be warmly welcomed. 4. Harrison Ford Harrison Ford has been a long-time advocate for human rights and in 1992 he was involved in Tibetan issues. His wife at the time, Melissa Matheson, worked with Martin Scorsese on the script for film Kundun which focused on the story of the 14th Dalai Lama. Ford had the opportunity to meet the Dalai Lama and he became an advocate for Tibet. In 1995, Ford testified before the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee about the need for Tibetan independence and highlighted all of China’s human rights abuses. Ford and Matheson were banned from the country but he still continues to advocate for Tibet. 5. Miley Cyrus The Disney star turned controversial popstar offended the Chinese government when she took a photo of herself imitating Asians by pulling back the skin around her eyes. The Organisation for Chinese Americans had strong words about the photo and the Chinese Foreign Minister said, “Miss Cyrus has made it clear she is no friend of China or anyone of East Asian descent. We have no interest in further polluting our children's minds with her American ignorance." Cyrus apologised and blamed the press for taking things out of context and attacking her and then later apologised again after her first one was criticised for not being genuine. The ban still remains in place. Image credits: Getty Images

Movies

"Stone the crows": Who made Ray "Alf" Meagher cry

Home and Away legend Ray Meagher has broken down on Channel Seven's This Is Your Life after a series of emotional tributes. The 78-year-old actor was discussing his life and career at Summer Bay when his past co-stars surprised him with endless praise for his role as Alf. The first tribute came from Chris Hemsworth, who thanked Ray in a pre-recorded message for his kindness and support during Chris's time on Home and Away. “Ray Meagher, godfather of Australian television, Australian icon, a flaming legend, my hero. Mate, what can I say?” he began. “I remember very vividly the first time I walked onto a Home and Away set, the first time I met you. I was teaming with excitement and nerves — mostly about meeting you, the man, the myth, the legend." “The moment arrived. I remember the doors busting open, and there you were down the end of the hallway, silhouetted by the sun, bathed in glorious light. “We locked eyes, we got closer. I took a big deep breath and I thought, ‘He’s probably not a hugger’. I lifted my hand…and dived off into the costume department because I had lost my nerve.” The audience chuckled at the Thor star’s hilarious recollection, but his next admission left Ray fighting back tears. “Sure enough, you came up to me and you said, ‘Chris, wonderful to meet you. You’re gonna do great here’. You were kind, genuine and supportive, and you’ve remained that through my entire career. Thank you so much buddy, I love you. You’re a dear friend.” Already overcome with emotion, Ray was presented with another surprise. Kate Ritchie, who played the role of Sally Fletcher on Home and Away for 20 years alongside Ray, walked onto the set and embraced her co-star. The pair watched a set of Home and Away scenes from 1990-2008, finishing with their on-screen goodbye at Palm Beach. “Ray is really so much of what I learned as a person, but also as a performer,” she began, before grabbing Ray’s hand. “And for both of us, we’ve played those characters for such a long time, that it is inevitable there is so much of us within them." “When I watch that footage…I actually see two friends. He’s watched me grow from a girl into a woman, and he’s really proud of me. So I’m glad I’ve made you proud, thank you." The Aussie icon told his former co-star that he’s still proud of her to this day, and his words "still stand". “You mean a lot to me Ray, you know that,” Kate added, causing Ray to wipe his tears away with a tissue. Ray has played Alf Stewart since 1988 and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest-serving actor in an Australian series. His appearance on This Is Your Life moved many Home and Away fans online, with floods of people sharing their gratitude for the veteran actor. "So emotional, tears are flowing. Congratulations Ray!! What a fantastic life!! You’re a wonderful man and a great actor,” one wrote on social media. “Crying happy tears. It was so lovely to see Ray (Alf) get recognised like this. ‘Stone the crow’ as he would say. I hope he keeps going on the show,” a second added. Image credits: Seven

The countries banned from attending Queen Elizabeth's funeral

Three controversial countries have been banned from attending Queen Elizabeth's funeral. A senior British government source confirmed to CNN that dignitaries from Russia, Belarus and Myanmar would be excluded from Her Majesty's funeral, although a final guest list has not been released. In the case of Russia and Belarus, the source said they have been banned due to Putin's invasion of Ukraine, which Belarus has supported. The source also claimed that Myanmar's exclusion is because of the treatment of the Rohingya people. The Palace tradition is to send invitations to state funerals on the advice of the government, after members of the civil and diplomatic services have considered the political implications of inviting certain leaders. Palace protocol also stipulates that the guest list of family events is not released until the day, and has not yet commented on the invitees. Typically, every country that the United Kingdom has normal diplomatic relations with would be invited to a state funeral, such as the one which will be held for the late monarch in London on September 19th. Such nations are usually represented by their political leader, head of state, a senior member of the government or their ambassador to the United Kingdom. A second UK government source also told CNN that up to 500 foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the funeral. The UK has been one of the strongest opponents to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, by enforcing sanctions on Russia and sending aid to Ukraine. As for Myanmar, the UK placed sanctions on military officials and businesses over what it has described as the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim group in the country's majority Buddhist state which has suffered decades of persecution. Image credits: Getty Images

International Travel

"Time to ban viagra": Bette Midler gets fired up

Bette Midler has responded to the US Supreme Court's ruling to overturn Roe v Wade in an equally hilarious and furious reaction. The 76-year-old actress took aim at the justices whose decision allowed individual states to decide whether to make abortion illegal. In a fiery post to social media, she said, "Time to ban Viagra. Because if pregnancy is 'God's will', then so is your limp d**k." The post racked up nearly 250,000 likes amid the huge wave of opposition to the controversial SCOTUS ruling. Midler has been vocal with her criticism of the decision since last week, calling Justice Clarence Thomas an "a**hole" and branding Justice Samuel Alito a "villain". In her first reaction to the news, she wrote, "They did it. THEY DID IT TO US! #SCOTUS has overturned #RoevWade, enshrined in the Constitution as settled law for over 50 years." "How dare they? This #SCOTUS is absolutely tone-deaf to the will and even the actual needs of the American people. #WakeUpAmerica." Bette Midler is far from the only celebrity to weigh in on the devastating decision. Many <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/body/heartbroken-high-profile-women-react-to-landmark-roe-v-wade-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">high-profile women</a>, including former First Lady Michelle Obama, have made moving and poignant statements about the controversial ruling which have garnered international attention. In a post on Instagram, Michelle Obama said, "I am heartbroken that we may now be destined to learn the painful lessons of a time before Roe was made law of the land - a time when women risked their lives getting illegal abortions." "That is what our mothers and grandmothers and great-grandmothers lived through, and now we are here again." Image credits: Getty Images

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"Time to ban viagra": Bette Midler gets fired up