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Woman cured of Type 1 diabetes in life-changing clinical trial

<p>Marlaina Goedel was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was just five-years-old, and not only was the disease controlling her, but it almost cost her life. </p> <p>"I've crashed my car into a brick building before having a diabetic attack while driving," Goedel recalled. </p> <p>Her condition was so extreme that she felt robbed of a normal childhood, telling the <em>Daily Mail </em>that she was in and out of hospital with  life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis, which causes toxic chemicals to build up in the blood due to a lack of insulin.</p> <p>Now 30-years-old, the Illinois woman no longer needs daily insulin shots and can finally enjoy sugar again thanks to a pioneering stem cell therapy that has cured her of type 1 diabetes. </p> <p>Goedel was one of three Americans who have been cured of their type 1 diabetes thanks to the clinical trial involving an islet cell transplant. </p> <p>It is a one-off infusion that involved transplanting islet cells into her liver to help her body produce insulin on its own. </p> <p>After four weeks, she no longer needed to take insulin. </p> <p>"[My doctor] said, ‘Mark it on your calendar. Today is the day. Stop all insulin,'" Goedel said of the life-changing moment. </p> <p>"I just went quiet and finally said, ‘I’m here. I’m in shock. I’m going to need you to repeat that.’"</p> <p>The trial was being run at the University of Chicago Medicine Transplant Institute. </p> <p>While Islet cell transplants isn't a new procedure, the current anti-rejection medication used can be toxic to the transplanted cells, potentially making it less effective over time. </p> <p>The clinical trial that ran at the university tested out a new antibody called tegoprubart, which was given to Goedel and the two other patients. </p> <p>Tegoprubart is made from lab-made antibodies that trick the immune system into thinking the body made the cells on its own, preventing them from being rejected. </p> <p>The patients were then given islet cells from a deceased donor's pancreas, which were then infused into the patient's small blood vessels in their liver. Those cells then lodged into the blood vessels and started producing insulin. </p> <p>For Goedel the only side effect of the procedure was "feeling like I got punched in the ribs,"  with the procedure lasting just an hour. </p> <p>"The cure is out there," Goedel told the <em>Daily Mail. </em></p> <p>With her new lease on life, Goedel plans to go back to school and go horse riding without worrying about suffering an attack and causing an accident. </p> <p>"It took a while to get used to saying, 'I am cured. I am diabetes free.' It's been very freeing," she said.</p> <p>"No one should have to live with this disease. I know that now more than ever."</p> <p><em>Images: Good Morning America/ UChicago Medicine</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Why is it so hard to cancel subscriptions or end ‘free’ trials? Report shows how companies trap you into paying

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Many businesses are trapping Australian consumers in paid subscriptions by making them hard to cancel, hiding important details and offering “free” trials that auto-renew with hefty charges. We need law reform to tackle this continuing problem.</p> <p><a href="https://cprc.org.au/report/let-me-out">A new report</a> shows 75% of Australian consumers have had negative experiences when trying to cancel a subscription, according to the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC).</p> <p>It shows businesses use “<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-spot-avoid-dark-patterns/">dark patterns</a>”, which are designs that hinder consumers who try to act in their own best interests. Subscription traps are often called “<a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2022/11/checking-out-ftcs-100-million-settlement-vonage">Hotel California</a>” techniques, referring to The Eagles’ famous lyric: “you can check out any time you want, but you can never leave”.</p> <p>In some of these cases, consumers may have remedies under our existing consumer law, including for misleading conduct. But we need law reform to capture other <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2023-430458">unfair practices</a>.</p> <p>In the meantime, the CPRC’s research also gives examples of businesses with <em>fair</em>, consumer-friendly subscription practices. These also benefit the business.</p> <h2>Examples of unfair subscription traps</h2> <p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2022/09/12/the-evolution-of-the-subscription-model-and-whats-on-the-horizon/">Subscription business models</a> have become common – many products are now provided in the form of software, an app or access to a website. Some of these would once have been a physical book, newspaper, CD or exercise class.</p> <p>Most people who use online services have experienced the frustration of finding a credit card charge for an unwanted, unused subscription or spending excessive time trying to cancel a subscription.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=643&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=643&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=643&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=808&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=808&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615486/original/file-20240826-16-fp57es.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=808&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Infographic with a few statistics from the report." /></a><figcaption><span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CPRC_LetMeOut_SubsTraps_Report_FINAL.pdf">CPRC, Let me out – Subscription trap practices in Australia, August 2024</a></span></figcaption></figure> <p>Businesses can make it difficult for consumers to stop paying for unwanted subscriptions. Some do this by allowing consumers to start a subscription with a single click, but creating multiple obstacles if you want to end the subscription.</p> <p>This can include obscuring cancellation options in the app, requiring consumers to phone during business hours or making them navigate through multiple steps and offers before terminating. The report points out many of the last-ditch discounts offered in this process are only short term. One survey respondent said:</p> <blockquote> <p>I wasn’t able to cancel without having to call up and speak to someone. Their business hours meant I had to call up during my work day and it took some time to action.</p> </blockquote> <p>Other businesses badger consumers with frequent emails or messages after they cancel. One respondent said a business made “the cancellation process impossible by making you call and then judging your reason for cancellation”.</p> <h2>What does consumer law say?</h2> <p>Some subscription traps already fall foul of the Australian Consumer Law and warrant investigation by the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-warns-consumers-to-beware-of-subscription-traps">Australian Competition &amp; Consumer Commission</a> (ACCC). Consumers may have remedies where the business has engaged in misleading conduct or imposes an unfair contract term.</p> <p>For example, the ACCC is <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-court-action-against-eharmony-for-alleged-misleading-online-dating-membership-statements#:%7E:text=The%20ACCC%20has%20today%20commenced%20proceedings%20in%20the,the%20pricing%2C%20renewal%20and%20duration%20of%20its%20memberships.">suing dating site eHarmony</a> for its allegedly misleading subscription practices.</p> <p>In the United States, the Federal Trade Commission <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/06/ftc-takes-action-against-adobe-executives-hiding-fees-preventing-consumers-easily-cancelling">has filed a complaint against software company Adobe</a> for allegedly using dark patterns in its subscription practices.</p> <p>The Federal Trade Commission has alleged that “Adobe pushed consumers toward the ‘annual paid monthly’ subscription without adequately disclosing that cancelling the plan in the first year could cost hundreds of dollars”.</p> <p>Adobe <a href="https://news.adobe.com/news/news-details/2024/Adobes-Recent-Statement-Regarding-Updated-Federal-Trade-Commission-Complaint-/default.aspx">issued a statement</a> arguing the commission’s complaint “mischaracterises” its business. The litigation is ongoing.</p> <h2>We need an unfair practices prohibition</h2> <p>Some subscription traps would fall outside the existing consumer law. This is because they don’t meet the test for misleading conduct or unfair contract terms, but make it practically very difficult to cancel.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-welcomes-consultation-on-possible-unfair-trading-practices-regulatory-reforms">ACCC has advocated</a> for Australia to follow other countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States to enact an unfair practices prohibition to capture conduct like this.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=769&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=769&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=769&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/615487/original/file-20240826-16-2j23h7.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=966&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">The shift businesses can make today.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://cprc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/CPRC_LetMeOut_SubsTraps_Report_FINAL.pdf">CPRC, Let me out – Subscription trap practices in Australia, August 2024</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Better practices benefit businesses too</h2> <p>The CPRC report also revealed that 90% of Australians would likely purchase from the same organisation if cancelling a subscription process was quick and simple.</p> <p>Businesses focused on a short-sighted cash grab fail to realise that consumers might cancel but later return if treated well.</p> <p>The CPRC highlights businesses that are doing a good job. For instance, the habit change app Atoms (based on James Clear’s book Atomic Habits) has a genuinely free trial. It doesn’t require credit card details, doesn’t auto-renew, and lets consumers know how many trial days remain.</p> <p>The CPRC says the charity World Vision doesn’t auto-renew annual sponsorships, but reminds supporters about when the sponsorship will lapse.</p> <p>Importantly, some businesses – such as Netflix – use their data for good in this context. They notice when users are paying for the service without using it and help them unsubscribe.</p> <p>These practices should be applauded. But we need an unfair practices prohibition for businesses who don’t follow suit and recognise the long-term benefits of treating customers fairly.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237236/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096">Katharine Kemp</a>, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law &amp; Justice; Lead, UNSW Public Interest Law &amp; Tech Initiative, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-it-so-hard-to-cancel-subscriptions-or-end-free-trials-report-shows-how-companies-trap-you-into-paying-237236">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Woman “bullied” on plane over budget seating trick

<p dir="ltr">A young woman has recalled a flight from hell when she was “bullied” by a couple who were trying to utilise a seating hack that went viral on TikTok. </p> <p dir="ltr">The solo traveller took to Reddit to recount the story and ask social media users if she was in the wrong for her action. </p> <p dir="ltr">The woman began by saying she usually pays more to select her plane seat ahead of time, but a medical emergency on another plane had her waiting on standby and left with no option other than to sit in a middle seat.</p> <p dir="ltr">When she was finally able to board, she was greeted by a couple who had purchased both the window and aisle seats in a bid to have more space, utilising a travel “trick” that has been popular on TikTok.</p> <p dir="ltr">The method, which has been dubbed the 'poor man's business class', usually leaves travellers with an empty middle seat and more space, and few travellers opt to pick a middle seat. </p> <p dir="ltr">“When I got to my row the man and woman were chatting and sharing a snack... it was obvious they were together. I mentioned to the man that I'm in the middle, and he got up to let me in,” the unsuspecting traveller wrote on Reddit.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“I asked them if they would prefer to sit together, I said I was totally okay with that. The woman reacted rudely to this and said ‘you're not supposed to be sitting here anyway’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">After noticing how the plane was full, she offered to show the pair her new ticket with the correct seat number on it.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She flicked her hand at my ticket and made a disgusted sound. I offered again if they wanted to sit together to which she didn't reply, her partner said it's okay and... made some small talk,” she continued. </p> <p dir="ltr">The man’s girlfriend then interrupted their conversation to ask,”'Did you use one of those third party websites to book your flight? It's so frustrating when people cheap out to inconvenience others.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The American woman explained that she had booked her flight directly and she had been placed on standby like everyone else and didn't choose the middle seat - she was assigned it.</p> <p dir="ltr">She then tried to keep the peace by refusing to engage with the furious woman.  </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was so done with her attitude, I put my headphones on and attempted to do my own thing,” she explained.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the “entitled” girlfriend wasn't letting it go, as the woman explained, “This woman kept reaching over me and tapping her partner and trying to talk to him in a way that was super intrusive.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could tell even her partner was trying to engage her less so that she would hopefully stop, but she didn't.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think they tried to pull that tactic where they don't sit together on purpose...hoping no one will sit between them. But on full flights it doesn't work. And even so - it's not the other person's fault.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The traveller's post was met with hundreds of comments slamming the girlfriend’s behaviour, as one person wrote, “It's like a toddler having a tantrum.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“She was disappointed and a total a**hole. Gross entitled people,” another added. </p> <p dir="ltr">Another person applauded the traveller’s level-headed behaviour, writing, “Wow! You are my hero for keeping it classy - I’m afraid I would not have been as kind as you.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Distressing twist in sudden death of former MAFS groom

<p>Just days after the shocking death of former <em>Married At First Sight NZ</em> contestant Andrew Jury, shocking new details have emerged about his final weeks before his <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/married-at-first-sight-groom-dies-at-just-33" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passing</a>. </p> <p>The 33-year-old Auckland-based builder passed away in recent weeks, as his untimely death was announced by two of his former <em>MAFS</em> contestants on Sunday.</p> <p>Now, Jury's father Roy confirmed to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/married-at-first-sight-nz-groom-andrew-jury-dies/47OQFBCORZHARPILFOEA65N7SE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>New Zealand Herald</em></a> that his son was on remand in Mt Eden Corrections Facility prison at the time of his death. </p> <p>Andrew had been just hours from a scheduled court appearance, where he was facing charges that included “assault with intent to injure, wilful damage and possession of an offensive weapon.”</p> <p>His father also told the publication that he’d been worried about his son’s mental state ahead of his court hearing, adding that his family were “bewildered” and “deeply saddened” by the tragic turn of events.</p> <p>Roy said that his son had been arrested on April 2nd and had told his relatives he was “struggling” in prison.</p> <p>“It should have been a red flag when Andy stopped communicating with family and friends,” he told the outlet.</p> <p>Andrew's death was announced by former <em>MAFS NZ</em> stars Brett and Angel Renall, and Benjamin Blackwell who wrote a joint statement to the <em>New Zealand Herald</em> to break the news of his passing. </p> <p>“It’s with the heaviest hearts we’ve come together to acknowledge the passing of Andrew Jury,” they said. “We had the absolute pleasure of filming and participating in a show which leaves us intricately linked for a lifetime."</p> <p>“Despite his struggles, Andrew was always friendly and the life of the party during our shared experience, and he really valued his time on the show."</p> <p>“At this time, our entire cast wishes to send our deepest condolences and love to his family.”</p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem;"><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Legal

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Married at First Sight groom dies at just 33

<p>Former <em>Married At First Sight NZ</em> contestant Andrew Jury has died at the age of 33. </p> <p>The Auckland-based builder passed away in recent weeks, as his untimely death was announced by two of his former <em>MAFS</em> contestants. </p> <p>“It’s with the heaviest hearts we’ve come together to acknowledge the passing of Andrew Jury,” former <em>MAFS NZ</em> stars Brett and Angel Renall, and Benjamin Blackwell wrote in a joint statement, according to the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/married-at-first-sight-nz-groom-andrew-jury-dies/47OQFBCORZHARPILFOEA65N7SE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand Herald</a>.</em></p> <p>“We had the absolute pleasure of filming and participating in a show which leaves us intricately linked for a lifetime."</p> <p>“Despite his struggles, Andrew was always friendly and the life of the party during our shared experience, and he really valued his time on the show."</p> <p>“At this time, our entire cast wishes to send our deepest condolences and love to his family.”</p> <p>On Sunday, Warner Bros Discovery, broadcaster of <em>MAFS NZ</em>, released a statement about the death.</p> <p>“WBD takes duty of care extremely seriously and has protocols in place regarding the wellbeing of cast and crew,” a spokesperson of the company said.</p> <p>"All <em>MAFS NZ</em> contributors have access to mental health professionals throughout the process, including pre-screening, during production and after broadcast."</p> <p>Jury appeared on the first season of <em>Married At First Sight NZ</em>, which aired in 2017. </p> <p>During his time on the show, he was matched with Vicky Gleeson-Stokes, but the pair were not a perfect fit and did not make it to final vows.</p> <p>Following his appearance on the show, Jury was heavily critical of the TV programme and urged others not to audition. </p> <p>The final straw for the builder, who was 26 at the time, was when local sex worker Lisa Lewis announced she had been short-listed to appear in the season after Jury’s.</p> <p>“It’s unethical how they’re going about these things,” he told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/married-at-first-sight-star-andrew-jury-bags-show-and-warns-other-kiwis-from-applying-after-lisa-lewis-announcement/QULDBF6S4SHDOEOBUSZIPY3FXU/#:~:text=%22It's%20unethical%20how%20they're,%22experts%22%20to%20match%20couples." target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>New Zealand Herald</em> </a>at the time. “You can’t get an escort on this show. You can’t do that to a guy.”</p> <p>The former contestant said he and his fellow participants were hopeful in finding love when going on the show, but he believed it was all a stitch-up from day one.</p> <p>“They [the contestants] are the most amazing people on the show, they put their hearts on the line and they all got burned,” he continued.</p> <p>“I make great TV, but my wife and me were not matched in the slightest. She’s a princess, I’m a bogan. How can they say it’s a legit process when you get the complete opposite of what you want?”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Caring

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Movies that received zero stars

<p>There are good movies, so-so movies and bad movies. Is there anything worse, though, than a bad movie? Yes, there is. And I have seen my share.</p> <p>For decades, <em>Newsday </em>has used a four-star rating system for its film reviews. When I became the paper's movie critic in 2008, I had to figure out how to approach this system. Obviously, it's rare to see a four-star movie – even if it's not <em>Citizen Kane</em>, it has to be something truly outstanding.</p> <p>Three stars signals a wholehearted recommendation, though not exactly a masterpiece. Many movies fall into the two-and-a-half-star range: They're just meh. Tougher to call is the one-star or half-star movie – how do you decide between a D grade and a D-minus?</p> <p>Then there's the nuclear option: zero stars. What makes a movie so awful that it deserves zero stars? Like the four-star movie, this is a rare breed.</p> <p>This is a movie whose redeeming qualities are either infinitesimal or non-existent. It's a movie that fails so spectacularly it doesn't get credit for decent lighting or being in focus. A zero-star movie doesn't even get credit for existing.</p> <p>Every zero-star movie is unique in its own way, but over the years I've noticed that the worst of the worst tend to fall into a few different categories.</p> <p>Here are four examples.</p> <p><strong>Vanity projects</strong></p> <p>It's easy to poke fun at A-list stars and their outsize egos, but they often bring it upon themselves. Remember when John Travolta thought that <em>Battlefield Earth</em> would turn us all into Scientologists? Or when Mariah Carey played a version of herself in <em>Glitter</em>? Remember almost every movie Madonna ever made?</p> <p>For sheer self-centredness, though, nothing beats last year's <em>By the Sea</em>, written and directed by Angelina Jolie-Pitt and starring herself and her husband, Brad. (They produced it as well.) They play an American writer and his wife who stay in a beachside French hotel during the 1970s.</p> <p>He's depressed, she's depressed, they never have sex. With little dialogue and even less action, the movie mostly features the two stars standing around in chic outfits, smoking cigarettes and gazing with despair upon million-dollar views of the coast.</p> <p>Kinder critics praised the cinematography and scenery, but I couldn't find a reason to give this extended Chanel No. 5 commercial even a half-star. I figured the two actors got enough gratification just admiring themselves on screen for two hours.</p> <p><strong>Insults to intelligence</strong></p> <p>Filmmakers often assume their audiences will swallow just about anything. In the sci-fi failure <em>Transcendence</em>, Johnny Depp uploaded his consciousness into the cloud – a literal one, in the sky. (I gave that movie a half-star for sheer nuttiness.)</p> <p>In the zero-star fantasy<em> Jupiter Ascending</em>, the Wachowskis told the story of a housemaid (Mila Kunis) who sells her eggs to buy a telescope but discovers she's a princess. These movies took years to make, yet we spotted their idiocy within minutes.</p> <p>Then there's <em>Aloha</em>, Cameron Crowe's zero-star comedy-drama from 2015.</p> <p>Among its many terrible ideas were casting Emma Stone as a native Hawaiian (as if nobody would notice?), hoping we'd swoon when Bradley Cooper says cheesy things like "Would you stop getting more beautiful?" and creating a baffling climax in which an orbiting space object is destroyed by rock music.</p> <p>Filmmakers tend to be smart people, but moviegoers are no dopes, either.</p> <p><em>Aloha </em>made just US$26.3 million on its US$37 million budget, one of the year's major flops.</p> <p><strong>Lapses in taste</strong></p> <p>Taste is subjective, of course, but some movies cross a line just to cross it. Adam Sandler's zero-star comedy <em>That's My Boy </em>(2012), whose plot hinged on statutory rape and incest, marked a new low – until Peter Farrelly reset the bar with<em> Movie 43</em>.</p> <p>An anthology comedy spearheaded by Farrelly with several directors and writers, <em>Movie 43</em> (2013) rounds up more than a dozen A-list stars in an orgy of nastiness and vulgarity.</p> <p>Among the more hideous highlights are Chris Pratt and his real-life wife, Anna Faris, as lovers with a scatological fetish; Richard Gere as the CEO of a product that hacks off its customers' penises; and Chloe Grace Moretz as a teenager getting her period.</p> <p>"Once you see it, you can't unsee it," the trailers promised.</p> <p>As for the cast, they probably wish they could un-be in it.</p> <p><strong>Sheer ineptitude</strong></p> <p>Finally, some movies are so badly made that they barely qualify as movies. <em>Left Behind</em>, for instance, a faith-based rapture-fantasy starring Nicolas Cage, was so sloppy and disorganised that it literally couldn't keep track of night and day.</p> <p>At least that film was made by relative amateurs. <em>The Last Airbender</em> (2010), a fantasy-adventure based on the Nickelodeon series, was directed by M Night Shyamalan, the maestro who gave us <em>The Sixth Sense</em>. Here, Shyamalan completely loses his ability to coherently tell the story of Aang (Noah Ringer), a boy with mystical powers trying to unite four tribes. The dialogue is so crammed with fictional exposition that the actors sound like they're reading a Pokemon manual, while the choppy editing seemed almost random.</p> <p>Not even the special effects deserved a half-star: The postproduction 3-D made the whole movie look as flat as a View-Master slide. With its US$150 million budget, <em>The Last Airbender</em> was an inexcusable, zero-star disaster.</p> <p>As a last note, a truly terrible movie is just as exceptional as a truly great one, and in some ways just as fascinating. It's my job, though, to sit through them so you don't have to.</p> <p>You're welcome.</p> <p><strong>THE WORST OF THE WORST</strong></p> <p><strong>10. <em>All About Steve</em> (2009)</strong></p> <p>There's a reason you've never heard of this romantic comedy starring A-listers Sandra Bullock and Bradley Cooper: It's because she plays an irritating crossword fanatic and he plays an uninteresting person. In terms of on-screen chemistry, they're the equivalent of bleach and ammonia.</p> <p><strong>9. <em>Moms' Night Out</em> (2014)</strong></p> <p>This botched comedy (starring Trace Adkins and Patricia Heaton) stands out for many things, but one is a technical reason: The filmmakers somehow managed to capture the weirdest, ugliest facial expression on nearly every actor in nearly every scene. It's like a 90-minute flip-book of ruined family photos.</p> <p><strong>8. <em>Jem and The Holograms</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>Aubrey Peeples plays an aspiring singer who is shocked – shocked! – to discover that global stardom requires personal and artistic sacrifice. File this movie's profound message under Things a 9-Year-Old Could Have Told You.</p> <p><strong>7. <em>Remember Me</em> (2010)</strong></p> <p>In this saccharine yet creepy romance, Robert Pattinson plays a young, moody guy – no stretch there – who sleeps with a woman to get revenge on her father. Aww, how cute! The plot also hinges on the World Trade Centre attacks. Double cute!</p> <p><strong>6. <em>Jupiter Ascending</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>This sci-fi fantasy from the Wachowskis (The Matrix) defies description, but here's an attempt: A humble house-cleaner (Mila Kunis) discovers she's a galactic princess thanks to a part-wolf warrior (Channing Tatum). It's a statistical marvel whose 127 minutes include not a single good idea.</p> <p><strong>5. <em>Rock The Kasbah</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>A washed-up rock manager (Bill Murray) decides to make a pop star out of an Afghan singer (Leem Lubany). Magically, she reverses centuries of religious and cultural stigmas by performing the songs of Cat Stevens, now known as Yusuf Islam. Possibly the most misguided comedy ever made.</p> <p><strong>4. <em>Aloha </em>(2015)</strong></p> <p>Cameron Crowe's cloying romance stars Bradley Cooper as an ex-military man trying to bed a happily married woman (gross!) while flirting with a native Hawaiian (played by Emma Stone?) and trying to stop an outer-space missile (say what?). The movie is so wide of the mark that you can't even tell where it was aiming.</p> <p><strong>3. <em>Movie 43</em> (2013)</strong></p> <p>Richard Gere, Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman and many other talented people run through the most repulsive, unimaginative and unfunny skits ever filmed. The whole thing almost literally stinks. <em>Movie 43</em> currently holds a difficult-to-attain 4 per cent rating on RottenTomatoes.com.</p> <p><strong>2. <em>The Last Airbender</em> (2010)</strong></p> <p>M Night Shyamalan's fantasy-adventure is so disjointed and disorganised that you might think the reels got mixed up – possibly with a whole other movie. You could watch it 10 times and still not understand a thing, though by then you'd have gone permanently insane.</p> <p><strong>1. <em>By The Sea</em> (2015)</strong></p> <p>Think back to the most pretentious European art-film you've ever had to endure. Now imagine Angelina Jolie making that movie, and you've got <em>By the Sea</em>, starring herself and Brad Pitt as depressed Americans who visit France and smoke a lot. Remember how Jean-Paul Sartre said hell is other people? That's because he hadn't seen this movie.</p> <p><em>Written by Rafer Guzman. First appeared on <a href="http://Stuff.co.nz" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span>Stuff.co.nz</span></strong></a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Columbia Pictures</em></p>

Movies

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Decision reached over Ed Sheeran's copyright trial

<p>Ed Sheeran has emerged victorious from a lengthy legal battle that claimed he "ripped off" another popular song. </p> <p>Sheeran, 32, was being sued over his 2014 single <em>Thinking Out Loud</em> by Structured Asset Sales, who claim that Sheeran's hit took elements directly from Marvin Gaye's <em>Let's Get It On</em>.</p> <p>On Thursday, the court ruled that the British singer-songwriter did not plagiarise the song, with the jury of three men and four women only taking three hours to reach a decision.</p> <p>Sheeran stood up and hugged his team after jurors ruled that he “independently” created his song, as he stopped outside the courtroom to thank those who supported him through the legal battle. </p> <p>The pop star added he was “unbelievably frustrated that baseless claims like this” even make it to court.</p> <p>“I’m just a guy with a guitar who loves writing music for people to enjoy. I am not and will never allow myself to be a piggy bank for anyone to shake,” he said outside the court.</p> <p>Sheeran revealed he missed his grandmother’s funeral in Ireland as he sat through the “bogus” and “dangerous” lawsuit that claimed he stole key elements for his hit song.</p> <p>“These cords are common building blocks which were used to create music long before <em>Let’s Get it On</em> was written. Will be used to make music long after we are all gone,” Sheeran said.</p> <p>“They are a songwriter’s alphabet. Our toolkit. And should be there for all of us to use. No one owns them. Or the way they are played. In the same way nobody owns the colour blue.”</p> <p>Ed's victory comes after he declared that if he had lost the case, he would've <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/music/i-m-done-why-ed-sheeran-is-threatening-to-quit-music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">quit</a> the music industry all together. </p> <p>Outside the court room on Monday when the court proceedings were still in progress, he expressed his exasperation over the case, and made a bold statement about the future of his career. </p> <p>"If that happens, I'm done, I'm stopping," Sheeran said, according to reports from <a title="People" href="https://people.com/music/ed-sheeran-done-if-he-loses-lets-get-it-on-copyright-lawsuit/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">People</a>.</p> <p>"I find it to be really insulting," Sheeran added. "I work really hard to be where I'm at."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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Elizabeth Strout’s Lucy By the Sea: a claustrophobic portrait of a terrible pandemic year

<p>In her latest novel, Lucy by the Sea, Elizabeth Strout captures the bewilderment of us all at the onset of the pandemic. Her character Lucy Barton admits not only did she not see it coming, but even when she did notice the virus’s existence, she did not really believe it would ever reach New York.</p> <p>It is March, 2020, and Lucy, a writer, had been scheduled to travel to Italy and Germany, a book tour which she had, with fortuitous prescience, cancelled back in December. Lucy is a woman who is given to sudden flashes of insight – much like her mother, who was known for having “visions” – which is why, looking back at those early days of the pandemic, not having sensed its threat surprises her.</p> <p>Even when her ex-husband William’s oldest friend is put on a ventilator and subsequently dies, it is still difficult for her to accept that this is happening to people she knows. With hindsight, Lucy remarks: “It’s odd how the mind does not take in anything until it can.”</p> <p>William has been quicker to spot the looming danger. He pleads with their two daughters Becka and Chrissy to leave New York city with their husbands, before hastily scooping up Lucy from her apartment and carrying her away to the town of Crosby on the coast of Maine.</p> <p>At this point in the book, devotees of Strout’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Olive Kitteridge, will experience a shiver of recognition and anticipation, for the fictional coastal town of Crosby is “Olive territory”. With this one deft move, Strout draws together the separate threads of much of the fiction she has written since Olive Kitteridge was published in 2008.</p> <p>Before establishing herself as a successful writer in New York, Lucy Barton’s territory was the small Midwest town of Amgash, Illinois. The deprivation of her Amgash childhood has haunted Lucy through Strout’s earlier novels, My Name is Lucy Barton, and Oh William! (the latter now <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-01/booker-prize-shortlist-best-books-2022/101482730" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize</a>) and in two of the short stories in Anything is Possible. Now it continues to tug at her in the house beside the sea in Maine.</p> <p>In My Name is Lucy Barton, Lucy is told by a writer she admires:</p> <blockquote> <p>You will have only one story … You’ll write your one story many ways don’t ever worry about story. You will have only one.</p> </blockquote> <p>The story Lucy has to tell, over and over, and in many different ways, is the story of her childhood, its poverty and isolation, and her complex relationship with a mother who was unable to tell her own child that she loved her.</p> <p>Even as an adult, Lucy does not know her mother’s story. In Lucy by the Sea she has invented for herself a “nice mother” she can talk to in private as distinct from the real mother with whom the silences that fell between them were necessarily more poignant than words.</p> <h2>Emotional lockdown</h2> <p>Locked down in a house on a cliff with a view of the waves, Lucy and William endeavour to fill their days. Lucy struggles to read, and as for writing, she believes she will never write another word. This sense of being frozen and unable to concentrate was all too common at that uncertain and anxiety-inducing point in the pandemic, especially among writers. But for Lucy there is the realisation that this is a state she recognises, having spent her childhood in a kind of emotional lockdown.</p> <p>In Maine, unable to retreat into the activities that usually soothe her, Lucy is also grieving for her husband David, a cellist with the New York Philharmonic, who has died only a year earlier. William, too, is unexpectedly single since his wife, Estelle, walked out and took their daughter Bridget, along with a good bit of their furniture.</p> <p>With no escape from the monotony of their self-isolation, Lucy, who in ordinary circumstances is endearingly quick to declare her love – especially for people – finds herself continually finding things to hate: she hates being in other people’s houses, hates the smell; she hates being cold, but hates sitting inside a house with a coat on; she hates the jigsaw puzzle of Van Gogh William insists they try; she hates snow, and she hates William after dinner when she suspects he is not really listening to her. With extraordinary patience, William tells Lucy to stop hating everything.</p> <p>To make matters worse, far from being welcome in Maine, some locals are so antagonistic towards the couple that a message urging them to go back to New York is anonymously attached to their car. Then, on a visit to a grocery store, a woman shouts at Lucy: “You goddamn New Yorkers! Get the hell out of our state!”</p> <p>When Lucy reproaches William for not being nice to her after the woman yelled, William, becoming uncharacteristically emotional, answers that hers is the life he has wanted to save.</p> <blockquote> <p>‘My own life I care very little about these days. But Lucy, if you should die from this, it would –’ He shook his head with weariness. ‘I only wanted to save your life, and what if some woman yelled at you.’</p> </blockquote> <p>When their daughters experience difficulties – one still in New York, the other in Connecticut – Lucy and William must support them as best they can from Maine. Many readers will recognise the torment of handling family crises at arm’s length, and of not being able to hug loved ones even when distance is finally overcome.</p> <h2>Not Olive</h2> <p>Elizabeth Strout has captured perfectly the fear, frustration, and boredom experienced by so many of us during the first year of Covid. Even her fragmentary writing style adds authenticity to a time when few of us could concentrate, when we flicked from news broadcast to news broadcast, to tallies of the latest case numbers, and deaths, while feeling that the very air we breathed carried risk.</p> <p>Among Strout fans Lucy Barton is a much-loved character, but it is Olive Kitteridge who has most often made headlines, with the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3012698/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">television mini-series</a> based on the book, starring Frances McDormand, winning multiple awards. The polarising nature of Olive’s character stirs a strong response in readers, whereas the more reticent Lucy speaks quietly, like someone whispering in the reader’s ear.</p> <p>Strout’s extraordinary achievement as a writer has been to illuminate so many flawed, ordinary, yet far from unremarkable lives, through a series of interconnected stories and novels. Though each book is complete, they work satisfyingly together as a cohesive whole, so that reading them we come to know not just a handful of characters but entire communities in a few small towns on the coast of Maine, and in New York and Illinois.</p> <p>Olive Kitteridge and its sequel are elegantly wrought, with their third-person (and at times omniscient) point of view allowing for more nuanced storytelling. Lucy Barton’s intimate, first-person voice in the reader’s ear, with its tendency to speak in run-on sentences that often end with ‘"… is what I mean"’ or “‘… is what I’m saying"’, can become tiresome.</p> <p>In the end, one feels as if one has spent a year in lockdown inside the head of a small, loving, anxious, slightly neurotic person named Lucy Barton.</p> <p>Lucy By the Sea is a pitch-perfect portrait of a terrible year, and oh, how sweet it is to get out and about, to breathe fresh air, and to see the world from other, less claustrophobic angles, both for Lucy Barton and the reader.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/elizabeth-strouts-lucy-by-the-sea-a-claustrophobic-portrait-of-a-terrible-pandemic-year-191073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Images: Yahoo/Penguin</em></p>

Books

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"Dramatic result": New drug shows hope for slowing down Alzheimer's disease

<p>A trial drug has shown "significant" results in slowing down Alzheimer's disease, with Australian healthcare experts hopeful in where this breakthrough can take their research. </p> <p>The drug, known as Lecanemab, has been proven to reduce cognitive decline by 27 per cent compared to placebo, according to an overseas study. </p> <p>More than 1,700 patients with mild cognitive impairment were enrolled in the study and the results were collected over 18 months.</p> <p>"Functionally and cognitively, it seems they did better and so that is a dramatic result," Dr Lawrence Honig, one of the study investigators from Columbia University Medical Centre, said.</p> <p>The drug works by removing the build-up of amyloid plaques in the brain which is one of the hallmarks of the disease, which featured in the scans of each study participant. </p> <p>Australian experts are excited about the findings, and how this can further their research. </p> <p>"This is the first time we've seen a drug like this have these kinds of effects," Professor Sharon Naismith, Clinical Neuropsychologist &amp; NHMRC Dementia Leadership Fellow at the University of Sydney, said.</p> <p>"The results of this trial have massive implications for our resourcing."</p> <p>Naismith warns there's a need to spend more money on better diagnosing patients with mild cognitive impairment.</p> <p>"In the past there has been a lot of reluctance from healthcare physicians to diagnose or ask about cognitive impairment, even in primary care," she said.</p> <p>She said being able to access a drug that can slow cognitive decline will change the paradigm and conversation around Alzheimer's disease. </p> <p>"I do think we're going to get a real avalanche of people coming to GPs and coming to memory clinics for that reason," she said.</p> <p>Professor Kathryn Goozee, Director of KaRa Minds at Macquarie Park said the study showed using an antibody to target amyloid in the brain can help with cognition.</p> <p>"To date there has been no disease-modifying medication so we want to be offering studies that can potentially change that trajectory," Goozee said.</p> <p>The full details of the results will be presented at an international conference of experts in the US in late November.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 9News</em></p>

Mind

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Detailed look at Chris Dawson's first day behind bars

<p>After being found guilty of killing his wife, convicted murder Chris Dawson has spent his first night at Silverwater prison, located in NSW.</p> <p>Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison declared the 74-year-old guilty of murdering his wife Lynette and disposing of her body in 1982, after a lengthy trial.</p> <p>Here is exactly how his first night in prison played out.</p> <p>Upon arrival at the Silverwater facility, he was body-scanned or strip-searched and his clothing was replaced with the prison kit. Each prisoner is issued with a razor, toothbrush, toothpaste and soap.</p> <p>Until Dawson receives a security classification number, he will remain at Silverwater, then he will be sent to a prison that matches that classification.</p> <p>Prisoners at Silverwater consume one hot meal a day, served at 3 pm in their cell. The inmates also receive rations doled out in either the morning or evening, including milk, cereal and seven slices of bread to go with the sachets of coffee and prison-issue tea bags.</p> <p>After 3pm, prisoners remain in their cell alone until the strict 7 am wake-up call.</p> <p>Following the guilty verdict, Dawson’s lawyer Greg Walsh said he would likely apply for his client to be released on bail on the basis that his client wasn’t well.</p> <p>“He’s been suffering from cognitive problems and also a lot of other physical problems,” he said, adding that Dawson had been diagnosed with dementia and had problems with his hips and knees.</p> <p>“Whether I proceed with that application, I don’t know, but the judge hasn’t set a sentencing date yet, so it may well be that I don’t proceed with that application at this stage.”</p> <p>Walsh claims Dawson was upset following the verdict and would likely appeal against his conviction, as he remains adamant of his absolute innocence.</p> <p><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

News

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Stunning Chris Dawson verdict handed down

<p dir="ltr">Former rugby player Chris Dawson has been found guilty of murdering his wife, Lynette Dawson, 40 years after she disappeared.</p> <p dir="ltr">After a four-hour reading, Justice Ian Harrison delivered his verdict on Tuesday afternoon, bringing <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/chris-dawson-to-stand-trial-over-wife-s-murder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the two-month trial</a> to an end.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Chris Dawson I find you guilty of the murder of Lynette Dawson,” he told the accused.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2022/aug/30/australia-news-chris-dawson-covid-isolation-politics-anthony-albanese-skills-summit-tax-cuts#top-of-blog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a></em>, gasps were heard in the courtroom where Justice Harrison was delivering his verdict. The courtroom next door, where the trial was being live streamed, erupted into applause.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dawson was alleged to have killed his wife to be with the family’s teenage babysitter, referred to as JC.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lynette was last seen on January 8, 1982, after she spoke to her mother on the phone. Her body was never found.</p> <p dir="ltr">Since Dawson successfully applied for a judge-only trial - due mainly to the publicity generated around the case by the Teacher’s Pet podcast - Justice Harrison was required to outline the reasons behind his decision.</p> <p dir="ltr">Justice Harrison said the prosecution had to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Lynette was dead, that Dawson had killed her with the possible involvement of assistance of others, and that he disposed of her body.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Supreme Court justice shared several findings to support his decision and weighed in on evidence presented during the trial, including ruling that Lynette had died on the date alleged by the prosecution and dismissing claims from Dawson that he contacted his wife as “lies”. Justice Harrison said it was “simply absurd” and defied “common sense” that Lynette would be in contact with the person “who was the reason for her departure” from her home.</p> <p dir="ltr">He also ruled that Lynette didn’t leave home voluntarily, with the prosecution providing multiple reasons that were “strongly persuasive” when considered together, including that she adored her children, hadn’t taken any clothing or personal items with her, was mentally stable, and was dependent on her husband to drive her everywhere.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lynette Dawson is dead … she died on or about 8 January 1982 and she did not voluntarily abandon her home,” he told the court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Justice Harrison <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/finance/legal/i-had-visual-contact-with-lyn-dawson-court-hears" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismissed claims</a> from the defence that Lynette was spotted after January 8.</p> <p dir="ltr">He found that Dawson told JC, “Lyn’s gone, she’s not coming back, come back to Sydney and help look after the kids and live with me”, when he picked her up from a camping trip at South West Rocks with friends between January 10 and 12.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, he said that he disagreed with claims that Dawson was motivated to kill his wife because of financial reasons, nor that he had in his mind that he would kill her when he left with JC.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That decision was made following their return and after the teen had left for South-West Rocks,” Justice Harrison said.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said that he was “satisfied” that Dawson resolved to kill Lynette while JC was camping.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following the verdict, Dawson was taken into custody, with his lawyer, Greg Walsh, telling Justice Harrison that Dawson would likely apply for bail before his sentencing hearing, a date for which hasn’t been set yet.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5d31a2e4-7fff-8a2d-e6b5-c92d3f2549ca"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @poppymasselos (Twitter) / @Kangaroo_Court (Twitter)</em></p>

News

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This EU country is the first to trial digital passports

<p dir="ltr">Finland will be the first country to trial digital passports that would allow people to travel without paper documents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, travellers will be able to use a mobile app that stores digital copies of their important travel documents, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/finland-set-to-become-the-first-eu-country-to-trial-digital-passports/MDLD7UORHB4GACBOZ35SZ3NUQQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">A successful trial would be a big step towards EU-wide adoption of digital passports, but Europeans shouldn’t be ditching their paper passports just yet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mikko Väisänen, an inspector of the Finnish Border Guard, said the trial is dependent on the Finnish government finishing the drafting of a funding application which will be submitted to the European Commission at the end of the month.</p> <p dir="ltr">Once the funding is approved, a select group of volunteers will be able to take part in the pilot run, held at Helsinki Airport for flights between Finland and Croatia.</p> <p dir="ltr">The volunteers will still need their paper passports, but will be given a mobile app to download onto their phone so they can share the necessary information with border security.</p> <p dir="ltr">Väisänen said that adopting digital passports wouldn’t just make the lives of travellers easier, especially for those who forget or lose their documents while abroad, but can also make border checks more efficient.</p> <p dir="ltr">Christoph Wolff, the Head of Mobility at the World Economic Forum, agreed, saying that electronic, paperless systems could be key to managing demand in airports.</p> <p dir="ltr">"By 2030, international air arrivals are expected to reach 1.8 billion passengers, up 50 per cent from 2016. Under today's systems, airports cannot keep up with this growth," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">If the Finnish government’s application is successful, the trial would begin at the end of 2022.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-71dfee4d-7fff-6ba3-056f-0a3907b16c4b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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“May justice be done”: Ben Roberts-Smith’s trial comes to an end

<p dir="ltr">The defamation trial launched by Ben Roberts-Smith against Nine newspapers has come to an end after four years, with Justice Anthony Besanko left with the final task of condemning or clearing the war veteran’s name.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Roberts-Smith’s lawyers are hoping that finding in their client’s favour will see his name cleared and result in the largest defamation payout in history, while a finding in favour of his journalist opponents could validate their claims he committed “the most heinous acts of criminality” while serving in the SAS.</p> <p dir="ltr">The lengthy case drew to a close on Wednesday after over 100 days of evidence, more than $25 million in legal fees and two weeks of closing speeches.</p> <p dir="ltr">Arthur Moses SC, Mr Roberts-Smith’s barrister, used his closing statement to push the fact that Nine had the burden of proof to prove their claims the Victoria Cross recipient had murdered unarmed prisoners, </p> <p dir="ltr">“(Nine) published allegations and stories as fact that condemned Mr Roberts-Smith as being guilty of the most heinous acts of criminality that could be made against a member of the Australian Defence Force, and indeed any citizen,” Mr Moses said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It depends upon recollection of events that occurred during missions more than 10 years ago… Recollections which are contradicted either by their own witnesses, our witnesses and Defence Force documents.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“They have urged upon the court a case which is one of mere suspicion, surmise and guesswork to condemn a man, who served his nation with great distinction, as a war criminal.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Moses called on Justice Besanko to reject Nine’s case “in all forms”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Nicholas Owens SC, representing Nine, closed his case by returning to the claims and counterclaims, including the question of Mr Roberts-Smith’s motive in killing six detained Afghans when he had transported hundreds of others safely back to Australia bases, which Mr Roberts-Smith said Nine had left unanswered.</p> <p dir="ltr">When he opened his case in June 2021, Mr Owens said that even “the most brutal, vile member of the Taliban imaginable” can’t be killed once detained and “to do so is murder”.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Wednesday, he returned to this point and said Mr Roberts-Smith killed the detainees simply because they were “enemy combatants”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We say that was a powerful motive that operated in relation to all of these incidents… it was a motive to kill Taliban insurgents regardless of the lawfulness of doing so,” Mr Owens told the court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Justice Besanko thanked lawyers on both sides, as well as the legal team for the Commonwealth government who had been on-hand every single day in court to keep highly classified material out of the public sphere.</p> <p dir="ltr">With the trial conducting itself in a combination of open and closed court, with sensitive information and testimonies being held in closed court, the full scope of evidence Justice Besanko must consider isn’t well-known.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is also unknown just how long it will take Justice Besanko to reach a verdict, given the sheer volume of evidence and documents, but it is expected to take many months.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ebdbd3ac-7fff-5171-1cfa-d53402605665"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Nick McKenzie, one of the journalists Mr Roberts-Smith launched his case against, took to social media following the trial’s conclusion to summarise the claims made against Mr Roberts-Smith and call for justice to be done.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Roberts-Smith trial is now over, save for judgment. 4 years ago RS launched it. Such stress for all involved: SAS eye witnesses who accuse RS of murders/cliffkicking of innocent Afghan father, Afghans who witnessed the same, brave woman who spoke up about DV.<br />May justice be done.</p> <p>— Nick McKenzie (@Ageinvestigates) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ageinvestigates/status/1552124223669149696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Roberts-Smith trial is now over, save for judgement,” the <em>Age </em>journalist wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“4 years ago RS (Roberts-Smith) launched it. Such stress for all involved: SAS eye witnesses who accuse RS of murders/kicking of innocent Afghan father, Afghans who witnessed the same, brave woman who spoke up about (domestic violence).</p> <p dir="ltr">“May justice be done.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-66f1c50f-7fff-6c69-c33f-cb92127519d5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Chris Dawson trial reaches its conclusion

<p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson’s murder trial has finally ended with the judge promising to reach a verdict “relatively quickly”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former Sydney school teacher has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Lynette, who went missing from the family home in Sydney's Northern Beaches in January 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following a seven week long trial at The Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison said he will reveal his verdict as soon as possible. </p> <p dir="ltr">On the final day of hearing, the crown alleged that the former rugby player had an "unfettered relationship" with the family’s babysitter, known in court as JC. </p> <p dir="ltr">The babysitter was also a student at the same school Dawson taught at and he eventually married her before seeing Lynette as an “impediment” on his relationship with JC.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dawson’s barrister Pauline David told the court that Lynette would have been "understandably, deeply hurt" by her husband’s relationship with JC but she chose to leave her family behind. </p> <p dir="ltr">"We say notwithstanding his relationship, however inappropriate, the defence position is that doesn't make him a murderer," Ms David told the court, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-11/chris-dawson-murder-verdict-expected-quickly-judge-says/101227050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC</a> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">Dawson maintains his innocence and told the court that he dropped his wife off at a bus stop in Mona Vale on January 9, 1982 where they agreed to meet up to pick up the kids at the swimming pools. </p> <p dir="ltr">During a police interview he claims that Lynette called him saying she needed time away to think.</p> <p dir="ltr">He told police that Lynette called him again multiple times over the following weeks with the topic along the same lines. </p> <p dir="ltr">His defence team are relying on the phone calls, Lynette’s bank statement, as well as alleged sightings of his wife five times between 1982 and 1984. </p> <p dir="ltr">Ms David told the court that it is a hypothesis which has not yet been thrown out by the courts. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I hope to be able to provide my judgement relatively quickly," Justice Harrison said at the conclusion of the submissions. </p> <p dir="ltr">"That doesn't mean tomorrow, I can assure you."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: ABC</em></p>

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"Final act of cowardice" by Hannah Clarke’s ex-husband

<p dir="ltr"><em>Content warning: This article contains distressing content and descriptions of domestic violence.</em></p> <p dir="ltr">A coroner has recommended widespread changes to domestic violence training and support in Australia while delivering her findings on the deaths of Hannah Clarke and her children at the hands of her ex-husband.</p> <p dir="ltr">Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley became emotional while delivering her findings, detailing the final moments of the young family during Rowan Baxter’s “final act of cowardice”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Clarke and her children, six-year-old Aaliyah, four-year-old Laianah, and three-year-old Trey, died after Baxter, her ex-husband, ambushed the family on their way to school in February, 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">After dousing their car in petrol, neighbours watched on in horror as he set the vehicle alight.</p> <p dir="ltr">In Bentley’s findings, published on Wednesday, it was revealed that Clarke died from multi-organ failure as a result of the fire.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bentley said the three children died at 8.25am on February 19 from the effects of the fire, while Baxter died from a self-inflicted stab wound.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The children died almost immediately from the inhalation of fumes and burns," Bentley said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Hannah had received full-thickness, non-survivable burns."</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite suffering severe injuries, Bentley said Clarke showed “astounding bravery” and was able to describe what Baxter had done to nearby witnesses.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her findings come three months after the long-awaited coronial inquest into the deaths began.</p> <p dir="ltr">During the inquest, the court was told of how Baxter displayed controlling and abusive behaviour towards Clarke, including controlled what she wore and who she could see, demanding sex every night, and berating her body image.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court was told that Baxter abducted Laianah on Boxing Day 2019, taking her to northern NSW before returning her several days later.</p> <p dir="ltr">In another incident, Baxter assaulted Clarke after she confronted him about why he had explicit photos of her in his car - which was evidence he hoped to use in court.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bentley said she found it unlikely that police, service providers or family could have stopped Baxter from carrying out his “murderous” plans, describing him as a “master of manipulation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"After Hannah left him and he realised he could no longer control her, he began to rally support from friends he had not seen for years and professionals he considered could advance his cause,” Bentley said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She described him killing himself as a “final act of cowardice” since he was unable to live with the public denunciation and punishment he would be subject to.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The truth is Hannah, who knew him best, was initially in favour of him having contact with the children … but she perceived he was becoming more dangerous," Bentley said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Her fears were genuine and realistic and ultimately confirmed in the worst way."</p> <p dir="ltr">The coroner said there were missed opportunities to keep Baxter accountable, including their response to his breaching of the domestic violence order.</p> <p dir="ltr">The court heard that training of police officers, particularly frontline officers, around domestic violence was insufficient, and that there was a “significant lack of counselling programmes and support” for perpetrators in Queensland.</p> <p dir="ltr">"However, in this case, I am satisfied that even had it been available, Baxter was not interested in engaging in such programmes unless it furthered his cause … [of] Hannah agreeing to his wishes," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bentley made four recommendations, including that the Queensland government fund the police to provide "five-day face-to-face domestic violence training programme for all specialist domestic violence police officers", and mandatory face-to-face training for all police officers.</p> <p dir="ltr">"My final recommendation is that the Queensland government provide funding for men's behaviour change programmes both in prisons and in the community as a matter of urgency," Bentley said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I offer my most sincere condolences to Mr and Mrs Clarke, other family members and friends and family of their children."</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside court, Hannah’s parents Sue and Lloyd Clarke said they were pleased with the findings.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We expected most of the results," Clarke told reporters.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We need to see everything that's been recommended implemented in every state."</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong><em>If you are in need of support or are a victim of domestic violence, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the national family violence counselling service on 1800 737 732.</em></strong></p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-d0e10153-7fff-5753-895b-89513ece704c"></span></em></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

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Big names touted to star in TV series of Dawson trial

<p dir="ltr">The story of Lynette Dawson’s disappearance is set to become a TV series, the court has heard.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Lynette, who went missing from the family home in Sydney's Northern Beaches in January 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Supreme Court heard that Hedley Thomas from News Corp, the media organisation behind the podcast <em>The Teacher’s Pet</em>, have signed with American production company Blumhouse.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes as Thomas faces a second day of questioning for his role in attempting to persuade witnesses to come forward with promises of a TV series which would see them walk the red carpet alongside the likes of Hugh Jackman and Joel Edgerton.</p> <p dir="ltr">"You appreciated that would have been attractive to them?" Dawson's barrister Pauline David asked him, <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/story-of-lynette-dawsons-disappearance-to-become-tv-series-court-hears/fca5bd34-5966-480d-80d2-4e5006e9907f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nine News</a> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Possibly, to some. It might have been very unattractive to others, who were introverted or didn't want to be involved," Thomas replied.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thomas then argued that he was just having a bit of fun and that his podcast was already completed well before any contract was offered for a TV show.</p> <p dir="ltr">The defence however claim that Thomas’s involvement with witnesses helped corrupt them in the trial against Dawson, who still maintains his innocence. </p> <p dir="ltr">He explained that the individuals are intelligent and are able to make their own decisions.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial continues. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

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‘Teacher’s Pet’ journalist takes stand in Chris Dawson trial

<p dir="ltr">The journalist whose podcast, <em>The Teacher’s Pet</em>, brought global attention to Lynette Dawson’s disappearance has taken the stand in Chris Dawson’s murder trial, telling the court he wasn’t out to “condemn” Mr Dawson.</p> <p dir="ltr">Hedley Thomas, a journalist with <em>The Australian</em>, is one of the final witnesses the prosecution will call in the Supreme Court trial, during which Mr Dawson has denied killing his wife Lynette 40 years ago, per <em><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/300562138/the-teachers-pet-chris-dawson-to-face-murder-trial-over-death-of-his-wife-whose-body-has-never-been-found" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Dawson’s disappearance from her home on Sydney’s northern beaches in January, 1982, was the subject of investigation in Mr Thomas’ podcast, which was downloaded 60 million times internationally.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Thomas began investigating the case in 2017 and spoke with Ms Dawson’s family about seeking “justice”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Justice for Lyn meant to you, didn’t it, the prosecution of Christoper Dawson?” Pauline David, Mr Dawson’s barrister, asked Mr Thomas on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yes, I think that that is a fair call, yes,” Mr Thomas answered.</p> <p dir="ltr">Under Ms David’s questioning, Mr Thomas said he hadn’t met Mr Dawson but had formed an opinion of him after interviewing those close to the case and reading material from the two inquests into Ms Dawson’s disappearance.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t think you need to meet someone to form a view about them,” Mr Thomas said, after the court was told of an interview Mr Thomas had with 60 Minutes where he described Mr Dawson as “despicable”, “severely narcissistic” and “dangerous”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“People can form views about tyrants, for argument’s sake, without ever having met them, study materials, talk to people and form a view.<br />“At that stage it was my view and it hasn’t changed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">However, Mr Thomas denied that the podcast amounted to an attempt to “incite evidence” against Mr Dawson, saying he would have broadcasted evidence that contradicted his theory that Mr Dawson murdered his wife.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There was no doubt from the outset of the podcast it was going to be an exercise in condemning Christopher Dawson?” Ms David asked.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No, I disagree,” Mr Thomas said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If I had uncovered or received information from anybody that disrupted, changed the narrative, that disputed the findings by coroners or anyone, that would have become a very significant part of the podcast.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As the case draws to a close, the court heard on Monday that Mr Thomas would be one of the final witnesses called by the prosecution, which argues that Ms Dawson was killed on or about January 8, 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Dawson argues that on the morning of January 9, 1982, he drove Ms Dawson to a Mona Vale bus stop so she could go shopping, and that she later failed to meet him at the Northbridge baths, where he worked as a part-time lifeguard.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to Mr Dawson, Ms Dawson called him from the baths, telling him she needed time away.</p> <p dir="ltr">His version of events were said to be corroborated by a woman - known for legal reasons as KB - who worked at the baths and was interviewed by former detective Damian Loone in March 2001.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Loone didn’t take a statement from her, and told the court that he didn’t turn a blind eye to evidence that supported Mr Dawson’s account.</p> <p dir="ltr">He disagreed that KB told him she remembered the phone call.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to suggest your failure to take a statement from (KB) was consistent with your approach to the investigation, which was that if inquiries supported Christopher Dawson you would not take a statement,” Ms David said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s incorrect,” Mr Loone replied</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial continues under Justice Ian Harrison.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3115052c-7fff-d64e-efd1-950d7f9c7ad2"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

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Juror reveals why Depp won

<p>A juror from the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial has spoken exclusively to Good Morning America about the trial verdict.</p> <p>The verdict ruled that Heard defamed Depp when she wrote a 2018 Washington Post op-ed alluding to her past claims of domestic violence.</p> <p>Heard is ordered to pay $US10.35 million (approx. $14.65 million) in damages to Depp.</p> <p>The juror, one of five men on the seven-person jury, shared that Heard's emotional testimony during the trial was not realistic.</p> <p>"The crying, the facial expressions that she had, the staring at the jury. All of us were very uncomfortable," the juror said. "She would answer one question and she would be crying, and two seconds later she would turn ice cold. Some of us used the expression 'crocodile tears.'"</p> <p>"A lot of the jury felt what [Depp] was saying, at the end of the day, was more believable," the juror added.</p> <p>"He just seemed a little more real in terms of how he was responding to questions. His emotional state was very stable throughout."</p> <p>Heard's team has claimed that social media and all of the vitriol against Heard on platforms such as TikTok swayed the jury in favor of Depp.</p> <p>As Heard said this week, "I think even the most well-intentioned juror... it would have been impossible to avoid this."</p> <p>The juror denied such accusations about social media, saying, "We followed the evidence... myself and other jurors don't use Twitter or Facebook. Others who had it, made a point not to talk about it."</p> <p>"What I think is truthful is that they were both abusive to each other," the juror concluded.</p> <p>"I don't think that makes either of them right or wrong... but to rise to the level of what she was claiming, there wasn't enough or any evidence that really supported what she was saying."</p> <p>The jury noted that one "fiasco" that hurt Heard during the trial was the reveal that she had not yet donated her $US7 million (approx. $9.9 million) divorce settlement to charity, despite claiming to do so.</p> <p>"She goes on a talk show in the U.K. and the video shows her sitting there, telling the host she gave all that money away," the juror said. "The terms she used in that video clip were, 'I gave it away, I donated it, it's gone.' But the fact is, she didn't give much of it away at all."</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Bombshell testimony rocks Chris Dawson trial

<p dir="ltr">An explosive bombshell detail rocked Chris Dawson’s judge-only murder trial on Thursday as Dawson’s former rugby league teammate testified that he was approached by Dawson and asked if he knew someone who could help “get rid” of his wife.</p> <p dir="ltr">Former Newtown Jets player Robert Silkman told the court that six years before Lynette Dawson disappeared, her husband approached him on a flight to the Gold Coast and posed the question to him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was sitting there and Chris come along and kneeled down to my level where I was sitting and asked me did I know anyone who could get rid of his wife,” Mr Silkman told the court, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/get-rid-of-his-wife-chris-dawsons-teammates-bombshell-claim/news-story/0d90c610d2f21f701d972e9e1557968c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Well, I was taken aback. I said, ‘What do you mean?’ I said, ‘For good?’ He said, ‘Yeah’.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I said, ‘Look, I’ll talk to you when I get back to Sydney’. That was the end of the conversation.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Silkman told the court that he did not engage in any further conversation with Dawson.</p> <p dir="ltr">Then the former Newtown Jets player’s past was questioned due to his friendship with fellow teammate Paul Hayward, who was the brother-in-law of infamous criminal Arthur “Neddy” Smith.</p> <p dir="ltr">Neddy, a convicted murderer, drug trafficker and armed robber, spent most of his life in jail and died in 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Silkman told the court that he was only socially acquainted with Neddy due to his friendship with Mr Hayward.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yeah, I wasn’t actually drinking with (Smith), I was drinking with Paul Hayward who took me to the hotel with him,” Mr Silkman told the court.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Neddy Smith was in the company.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This then led to Dawson’s barrister Pauline David questioning Mr Silkman’s criminal history and accusing him of willingly lying if there’s a “dollar” in it, the publication reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You have a very loose relationship with the truth,” Ms David said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That’s not correct,” Mr Silkman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Lynette, who went missing from the family home in Sydney's Northern Beaches in January 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial continues.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

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"I had visual contact with Lyn Dawson" court hears

<p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson’s judge-only murder trial has aired a recording of the accused's brother-in-law, who claimed that he spotted Lynette Dawson several months after she disappeared back in 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">A police interview that was conducted between Dawson’s brother-in-law Ross Hutcheon back in 2019 was played in the Supreme Court on Tuesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Hutcheon claimed that he saw Lynette at a bus stop opposite Gladesville Hospital up to six months after she disappeared.</p> <p dir="ltr">"She looked just like the Lyn that I knew — same colour hair, same hairstyle, same glasses. No obvious attempt to disguise herself," he said in the recording.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The other thing that convinced me … was the fact that it was opposite the hospital and she was a nurse."</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Hutcheon, who died six weeks ago and was married to Dawson’s sister also called Lynette, had claimed to have told her about seeing the missing mother that day.</p> <p dir="ltr">However, it was reported that Mr Hutcheon had instead reported the incident to police years later in 1999 stating he had "no contact with Lynette Dawson since her disappearance".</p> <p dir="ltr">"I had visual contact with Lyn Dawson, not verbal contact," Mr Hutcheon responded.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Hutcheon appeared in court on Tuesday and was questioned why she hadn’t discussed the possible sighting of her sister-in-law.</p> <p dir="ltr">She told the court that other people she knew had reported sightings of Lynette Dawson months after she disappeared and it didn’t cross her mind.</p> <p dir="ltr">"My husband had seen her and I had heard that other people had seen her. I thought she had been seen by people that knew her," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chris Dawson has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Lynette, who went missing from the family home in Sydney's Northern Beaches in January 1982.</p> <p dir="ltr">The trial continues.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine News</em></p>

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