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READ MORE The failure of a dam by Brazilian iron ore giant Vale, which killed at least 110 people with another 238 people missing, has seen a spike in iron ore to almost $US80 a tonne that will deliver extra revenue to Canberra’s coffers. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg forecast in December that this year’s budget would show a deficit of $5.2 billion and then the nation’s first surplus in a decade, for 2019-20, will have extra cash to woo voters come April. While the deficit narrows, debt continues to grow with another $400 million borrowed on Friday morning, taking the total to a record $540.8 billion. Shadow finance spokesman Jim Chalmers said the lift in gross debt was partly due to the government continuing expensive tax concessions, such as refundable tax credits, and its decision to lift taxpayer-funded advertising. Shadow finance minister Jim Chalmers says gross government debt has now hit a record $540.8 billion Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Article source: https://...

READ MORE The ADF says it was first alerted to the claims in January 2018 via the US-led coalition. This prompted investigations by both Australia and the international coalition, which found the claims were “credible”. Chief of Joint Operations Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld stressed the strikes were conducted within Australia’s strict rules of engagement, adding it was impossible to say exactly who was responsible, as international, Iraqi and Islamic State forces were also nearby. Air Marshal Mel Hupfeld says reports Australian airstrikes killed civilians in Iraq are credible. “We do not definitively know how these people where killed,” Air Marshal Hupfeld said. On Friday, Mr Morrison said it was a “terrible incident”. Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share...

READ MORE Senator Michaelia Cash will give evidence during a court hearing over federal police raids on two Australian Workers’ Union offices, but timing is an issue given the trial coincides with federal Parliament’s only sitting week before the election. The AWU is taking Federal Court action against the Registered Organisations Commission, challenging the lawfulness of raids by Australian Federal Police on union headquarters in Melbourne and Sydney in October 2017. Senator Michaelia Cash. Credit: Andrew Meares The raids drew media scrutiny when journalists arrived before police after a tip-off from the office of Senator Cash, the then jobs minister. AAP Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Best Wordpress Plugin development company in India ...

READ MORE That means where there is an imminent threat of physical harm or danger to the student or others. The guidelines also state that any action taken must be considered “reasonable” in all the circumstances and that every effort should be made to prevent using physical restraint. Restraint should end as soon as the immediate danger has passed. Disciplining or punishing a student for behavioural issues such as disrespect, non-compliance or insubordination are not considered strong enough reasons to use restraint. Coercion, retaliation or convenience are also insufficient grounds. Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Best Wordpress Plugin development company in India       Best Web development company in India

READ MORE “The NDIS was never intended to replace all services that state and territory governments provide for people with disability, nor does it remove state and territory responsibility for providing disability support for people … who are not eligible for the NDIS,” a spokesman said. The National Disability Agreement has been in place for a decade and sets out the roles and responsibilities for disability services between the different levels of government. But disability advocates say it has resulted in the closure of many state-based services, leaving people stranded without support. “People with disability are sick of the gaps in services, programs and infrastructure delivered by different levels of government,” People with Disability Australia chief executive Therese Sands said. “[They] tell us every day about how this is impacting on their lives – they are missing out on essential services, facing barriers to employment, transport, hou...

READ MORE Australian politics is now a billion-dollar business, the latest donation records reveal. The major parties raked in more than $154 million in political donations, returns on investments and asset sales in 2017/18. As well, their associated entities have lodged $926 million, according to Australian Electoral Commission figures released on Friday. West Australian Greens convener Chilla Bulbeck was the largest individual political donor last year, gifting almost $600,000 to the minor party.   The Liberal Party declared $62.8 million in receipts while Labor chalked up $60 million. The Greens declared $12.9 million in receipts, ahead of the Nationals ($8.2 million). The records, which were released on the same day the government gets the banking royal commission’s major report, revealed banks and financial institutions donated $733,555 to the federal Liberal Party and $703,086 to Labor’s national branch. “They give money to both parties. It’s a free c...

READ MORE A Sydney police officer has been spared jail after he said he wanted to rape a Greens senator’s young relative during a “disgraceful” phone call. Sean Daniel Murphy, a senior constable with NSW Police, pleaded guilty to making the remarks during a brief call to Senator Hanson-Young’s Adelaide office in July 2018. In Downing Centre Local Court on Friday, magistrate Megan Greenwood recorded a conviction, fined him $5,500 and handed him the federal equivalent of a two-year good behaviour bond. “The words that you said would shock and disgust any reasonable person and any reasonable person would find that offensive,” said the magistrate, who also described the 57-year-old’s offending as disgraceful. Court documents previously revealed a Greens campaign manager answered his call before Murphy asked: “Can I have a picture of the senator’s (relative)?” When asked why he’d want such a picture, the police officer replie...

READ MORE A rare blast of Arctic air has brought record-breaking cold weather the US, with the city of Chicago bearing the brunt of the chill. Current temperatures in  #Chiberia, as locals are calling it, are colder than Antarctica. Many residents have take to social media to show just how cold minus 28 degrees Celsius is.  One trend that’s take off is the #frozenpantschallenge, which involves wetting a pair of pants with boiling water so they freeze stiff and stand up on their own.   One man posted a photo of a fork suspended in the air by a bowl of frozen noodles.  In another trend, people are hurling boiling water into the air and watching it freeze.   Others are making crystals from frozen bubbles. During heatwaves, people tend to amuse themselves by frying eggs on the pavement. In this case, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune tested whether it was cold enough to freeze an egg. Others joked about taking a s...

READ MORE A young woman learned she was raped by her boyfriend and his best mate when she discovered footage of the crime on her partner’s mobile phone, a court has heard. In the footage, the woman recognised herself lying naked and asleep in bed, while the two men digitally penetrated her without her consent. She identified both men by their hands and tattoos, the County Court heard on Friday. In one recording, the boyfriend is heard whispering: “Do you know how many times I’ve done this?” The woman, then 24, was staying at her boyfriend’s Frankston home one night last year when she discovered the footage, sent it to her phone and contacted family to collect her. Later, she recalled a morning about three weeks earlier when she woke in bed, naked and with her underwear to one side and only partially covered by a blanket. She was angry with her partner that day over concerns his friend might have seen her undressed. Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/...

READ MORE The actor said nothing to reporters as he left the court and only spoke two words – “not guilty” – during his short appearance. Jarratt’s lawyer, Bryan Wrench, has previously said “nothing less than a not guilty verdict” at trial would satisfy his client, who once hosted TV shows Better Homes and Gardens and Play School. The case has been beset by delays blamed on the prosecution, with Judge Helen Symes expressing her disappointment in December that the Crown had not been ready to proceed. Police charged Jarratt with rape in August 2018 after the victim came forward in December 2017. Mr Wench says his client’s career has been “put on suspension” while he fights the allegation. Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google...

READ MORE He’s the most popular player in the A-League – but most Australians will struggle to say his name. According to Sydney FC, the pulling power alone of Reza Ghoochannejhad makes him a marquee signing, and the Sky Blues  are popping the champagne corks having brought the Iran star under the salary cap. A quick glimpse at his online profile explains why. On Instagram alone, ‘Gucci’ is four times more popular than Tim Cahill. The striker attracts 1.3 million followers, more than the combined sum of A-League stars Keisuke Honda, Ola Toivonen, Adam Le Fondre, Siem de Jong, Steven Taylor and Oriol Riera, despite having never figured in a top-four European league like all those players. Four times more followers then Tim Cahil: Sydney FC’s new star, Reza Ghoochannejhad. Credit: Janie Barrett For the past six years, Ghoochannejhad has been the star striker with one of the more popular national teams in international football, Iran. Within 24 hours...

READ MORE Seoul:  Hundreds of mourners have gathered near the Japanese Embassy in Seoul for the funeral of a South Korean woman forced as a girl into a brothel and sexually enslaved by the Japanese military in World War II. A hearse carrying Kim Bok-dong stopped in front of a bronze statue of a girl representing the thousands of Asian women experts say were forced into front-line brothels by the Japanese. A mourner carries a portrait of the deceased Kim Bok-dong, during her funeral ceremony in Seoul on Friday. Credit: AP Kim, who was 92, had been an outspoken advocate for the so-called “comfort women,” the euphemism given to the women by the Japanese and embraced by some of the victims over the term “sex slave.” They have called for reparations from Tokyo and a fuller apology than what Japanese leaders have previously offered. AP Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share this: Click ...

READ MORE The seizure proves Uganda “still is a major transit point for illegal wildlife,” Kristof Titeca, a Belgian researcher who recently investigated the role of individual traders in ivory trafficking, said in a Twitter post. Africa’s pangolin species are under increasing pressure from poachers as their scales are used in traditional medicine in some Asian countries. Africa’s elephants are threatened by demand for ivory products in China and other Asian countries. Africa had 1.3 million elephants in the 1970s but has fewer than 500,000 today. Uganda’s elephant population has been growing in recent years to over 5000, but the animals still face sporadic poaching, sometimes with the help of corrupt wildlife officials. Experts warn that elephant populations could plummet if the ivory trade is not stopped. Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share this: Click to share on Twitter (O...

READ MORE Beijing: Hopes that a trade deal will be reached by the United States and China have been raised after both sides said substantial progress was made in Washington this week, and China agreed to the “enforcement” of any promises. US President Donald Trump said it would be “the biggest trade deal ever made” – if agreement was reached – and appeared to waver from his earlier tweet that a March 1 deadline for the introduction of new tariffs may have to be postponed. China committed to “vigorously expand imports of US agricultural products, energy products, industrial manufactured goods and service products,” reported Chinese state news agency Xinhua. China and the US have been locked in a trade battle since Donald Trump introduced new tariffs on Chinese goods last year. Credit: AP Nick Coyle, chief executive of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Beijing, said the chamber was watching the negotiations closely, “particul...

READ MORE Chris Pratt is marrying into the Kennedy dynasty when he weds Katherine Schwarzenegger. We’ve got details on the couple’s plans for a grand wedding in the famous family’s traditions. When a member of the Kennedy family weds, it’s almost always near the family’s compound in Martha’s Vineyard, MA. That means Chris Pratt , 39, and Katherine Schwarzenegger , 29, are looking east as the destination for their summer nuptials. Katherine’s mother is former journalist Maria Shriver , and grandmother  Eunice Kennedy Shriver  was the sister to the late President John F. Kennedy and she wants to follow in her family’s rich traditions. “Katherine wants an east coast wedding in a big traditional church. Katherine is working closely with her girlfriends, family and a wedding coordinator still figuring out her theme,” a source close to the couple tells HollywoodLife.com EXCLUSIVELY. “They want it heavily based ...

READ MORE Christina Aguilera says there is no way she ever took a swing at Pink back in the day as the ‘So What’ singer has claimed. Xtina says Pink would have ‘beat my ass’ which is why it never happened. Christina Aguilera is calling foul on Pink’s claim that their longstanding feud was the result of the “Beautiful” singer taking a swing at her in a club back in the day. The beef began when they worked together on the 2008 cover and video for “Lady Marmalade.” While they’re friendly now, Pink finally revealed  the big reason behind their chilliness during a Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen appearance in 2017. She said she had an altercation with Xtina, 38, who took a swing at her. NO WAY did that ever happen the pint-sized vocal powerhouse told Andy during her Jan. 31 very first appearance in the clubhouse. Not only that, she revealed Pink mean-girled her in another way. When Andy asked Christina during ...

READ MORE Nicki Minaj holds the crown! Watch the rapper claim the throne in her stunning new video for ‘Hard White’ here! Surprise! Nicki Minaj , 36 , announced on Jan. 31 that she would be dropping her “Hard White” music video at midnight, and she delivered the clip as promised. The theatrical new video shows Nicki surrounded by creepy zombie-esque co-stars as she spits the lyrics to her formerly released track off of 2018’s  Queen . The wild new visuals show her wearing an elaborate headdress with a long sleeve chain linked gown where she looks like a queen ready for battle. The royal theme continues as she’s seen in a futuristic silver mini dress while dropping bars seated atop a throne with burning torches on both sides. Bow down! It was to be expected that Nicki would rock an epic crown for the “Hard White” video, seeing as the lyrics are ALL about her place on the royal throne. “Partying in Paris, these bitches is embara...

READ MORE After playing near flawless tennis to thrash Frenchman Lucas Pouille in the Australian Open semi-final, Novak Djokovic said: “I guess you’re driven by some force that takes over you. You feel divine, like in a different dimension.” After another unblemished triumph over Rafael Nadal in the final, he said: “It’s quite pleasantly surprising to myself as well … under the circumstances, it was truly a perfect match.” This sounds like hyperbole, but is not. Every now and then, a sportsperson has a fleeting moment in which their rare gift, refined by long rehearsal, peaks, making them invincible in a way that startles even themselves. Replay Replay video Suddenly, they are playing not to obviate fear of failure, the primal motivation of most sportsfolk, but to revel in the certainty of success. The popular shorthand is “the zone”, but it’s beyond that. It is, per Djokovic, like a divine revelation. It happens rarely, to f...

READ MORE Aside from Mack Horton’s infamous “drug cheat” taunt, the most memorable comment about Sun Yang from the Rio Olympics came from Frenchman Camille Lacourt, not any of Horton’s equally as disapproving Australian squad mates. “Sun Yang, he pisses purple,” the wonderfully unfiltered backstroker told a French radio station. “When I see the 200m [freestyle] podium, I want to be sick.” Golden moment: Mack Horton’s clash with Sun Yang at the Rio Games was unforgettable Olympic theatre. Credit: EPA It was a brutal judgement passed at an Olympics that would be a tinderbox for doping issues, one which Horton ignited at the pool before others, like American Lilly King, joined the pile on. That Sun, who had once served a three-month doping ban in virtual secrecy, was at the heart of it all was no surprise. The Chinese star has a flair for the dramatic and rarely seems to be far away from controversy, to the point where he has ...

READ MORE “It is as much mental as technical with Uzzie, he is not in the contest at the moment,” Waugh wrote. “He is there in body but not in mind. He needs a break to clear his head.” Khawaja may get a chance to find form in white-ball cricket on Australia’s tour of India later this month but for the time being there are issues that need to be addressed. Former England captain Michael Vaughan, commentating for Fox Cricket, labelled Khawaja’s dismissal “shocking” and slammed his decision to play a wide, swinging delivery. “[There was] no balance, [he was in] no position to try and play that drive,” Vaughan said. “Just a flick of the hands. Head goes nowhere. You’re allowed to leave the ball, let it go through to the keeper. “You’re playing against a team that has no experience … they’ve just gifted them two early wickets.” Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-tw...

READ MORE “It was about 20 years ago when we got the unfortunate news of getting out of the Mercantile Mutual and it would’ve been easy to slide off the radar a little bit. “I woke up this morning, I had to pinch myself, it felt like Christmas. I’ve got a young son, he’s eight years old, to be able to bring him to the cricket tomorrow in Canberra, I can’t wait.” With an office in Manuka, he walked to the ground, taking in the buzz around the cafes and the fans wearing green and gold. Brown praised former Cricket ACT chief executives Gary Goodman, Mark Vergano and Cameron French for their role in making this day happen, along with past president John Gallop. Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share this: Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window) Best Wordpress Plugin de...

READ MORE “All my life I’ve come across challenges, but I’m someone that has never backed down from a challenge,” Khamis said. “I like to work hard, I put my head down, and I know if I put in the hard yards the success will come. My main focus was just to enjoy it again because I know if I do that I can play well. “Maizels has supported me all season… it’s one of those positions where we’re fighting for the role every week. It’s been such a great relationship and I’ve taken a lot from her. Corsie shared a story while accepting her award on Thursday night. She said after a few weeks in Canberra that Garriock admitted she didn’t realise Corsie was “that good” when recruiting her. “It was a little bit tongue and cheek, she likes to keep everyone grounded,” Corsie said. Article source: https://hollywoodlife.com/2018/12/20/beyonce-twins-sir-rumi-carter-india-pics-vacation-wedding/ Share ...

READ MORE It’s election season again and behind the scenes, the political “spin doctors” are working around the clock. They are the campaign advisers, social media strategists, press secretaries and others who craft political messages to help “sell” their candidate. The term “spin” is contested, of course, and like the phrase “fake news” has become an easy retort for people who reject any version of events that does not reflect their own. Any good spin doctor should be ready with a range of overt and covert tactics to get their message across. Credit: The Thick of It: BBC But the fact is any good spin doctor employs a range of overt and covert tactics to get their message across, and I’ve listed some below. This list is drawn from a range of academic and other sources, and my own personal experience as a “spin doctor”. (I was once a media adviser to Labor’s Anna Bligh, a former Queensland premier. I am also ma...

READ MORE Mr Boaran, a mortgage broker, said he and business partner Sagi Mitlin, together with other investors, bought the 1960s apartment block for about $5 million in March last year, and splashed a further $1.2 million on renovations. An apartment valuation in August came in at $650,000, but by October the two apartments fetched $550,000 and $570,000. We didn’t want to wait and lose more money. Kobi Boaron “I knew it would happen; I saw all the reasons for it to happen … but what surprised me was how quick it changed and how quick it turned down,” Mr Boaron, a mortgage broker, says. Mr Boaron had hoped his group could make a $1 million profit but i f they sold all 12 units in today’s climate, they would only break even. So the group are holding onto five until property prices start rising again. Article source: https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/federal/frankenstein-s-monster-energy-plan-may-allow-states-to-free-ride-20180615-p4zlsk.html?utm_medium=rss...

READ MORE He is not an Australian citizen. In fact, he has been denied entry into the country. But that did not stop Iranian Kurdish journalist Behrouz Boochani, currently detained on Manus Island, being awarded Australia’s richest literary prize: the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature on Thursday. His book, No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison , is a record of his time there. Judges described the book as “a stunning work of art and critical theory which evades simple description”. Mr Boochani has been on Manus Island since 2013 after fleeing Iran, where he graduated from two Tehran universities with Masters degrees. Text by text Before his book was published, Mr Boochani had been writing articles and using social media to draw attention to conditions inside the Manus Island detention facility. The book was written in Farsi, predominantly by text message to translator Dr Omid Tofighian, an Honourary Associate at the University of Sydney’s ...

READ MORE A former army officer and staffer to Curtin MP Julie Bishop is emerging as a frontrunner in the contest to replace Michael Keenan as the Liberal candidate for Stirling. Vince Connelly, who served with Australian peacekeeping missions to East Timor and the Solomon Islands, is the vice-president of the Stirling division of the Liberal party and now works for Woodside as a risk management adviser. Nominations for the seat opened on Tuesday after the announcement by Mr Keenan to retire from politics at the next election. Vince Connelly with his family. The Liberals hold the seat with a moderate-safe margin of 6.1 per cent, but it might be difficult to defend without Mr Keenan, who has held the seat since 2004, and amid a likely swing away from the Morrison Government. Article source: https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/federal/frankenstein-s-monster-energy-plan-may-allow-states-to-free-ride-20180615-p4zlsk.html?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_politics_federal Share this: Click ...