Wim Hof biopic on hold after claims of domestic abuse against cold water guru

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‘Iceman’ files for defamation after allegations he subjected former partner and children to physical and verbal abuse

A biopic of the Dutch extreme athlete and wellness guru Wim Hof has been put on hold after allegations of domestic violence against the man who calls himself “the Iceman” emerged in the Dutch media over the weekend.

A report published in de Volkskrant newspaper on Saturday claimed the 65-year-old had subjected his former partner, their son and her two children from a previous marriage to physical and verbal abuse over a period of 13 years.

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Irish finance minister calls €14bn tax windfall from Apple ‘transformational’

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Jack Chambers says money will be used on infrastructure, not giveaways, as he reveals government budget

The Irish finance minister has hailed the €14bn tax windfall from Apple as “transformational” just weeks after the government lost a case in the European court of justice arguing the tech company should keep its money.

Unveiling the country’s budget on Tuesday, Jack Chambers said the money would be used on infrastructure and not splurged on giveaways before the general election, which is expected in November.

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Spending cuts needed to tackle France’s colossal debt, Michel Barnier tells MPs

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New prime minister receives applause and boos in national assembly as he urges political forces to work together

In his first address to the French parliament, the new prime minister, Michel Barnier, has said “colossal” debt is a financial “sword of Damocles” hanging over the country, requiring cuts in public spending and tax increases.

In an hour-long inaugural address, Barnier was alternately heckled and applauded as he outlined his minority government’s political programme in the national assembly, which remains deeply divided. The lower house is split between three political blocs, none of which emerged with a majority after June’s snap general election.

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Alpine dingoes at risk of extinction after Victorian government extends right to cull

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At least 468 shot by government controllers last year out of an estimated population of as few as 2,640 in the state’s east, advocates say

Traditional owners and dingo advocates say a Victorian government decision extending the right to kill dingoes on private and public land until 2028 could threaten local populations with extinction.

A government order, which took effect on Tuesday, declared dingoes were “unprotected wildlife” under the state’s Wildlife Act. The ruling means dingoes can be killed by trapping, poisoning or shooting across large parts of eastern Victoria, despite being listed as threatened under the state’s Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.

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One in three Australians throwing unwanted clothes in rubbish, survey finds

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RMIT-led study recommends a national recycling scheme to reduce the 200,000 tonnes of textiles sent to landfill each year

Most Australians are confused about what to do with their unwanted clothes, leading about a third to throw their closet clutter in the rubbish, according to the first national survey of clothing use and disposal habits.

The RMIT-led survey of 3,080 Australians found 84% of people owned garments they hadn’t worn in the past year, including a third who hadn’t touched more than half of their wardrobe.

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Labor’s 11th-hour decision on LGBTQ+ census questions prompted weekend scramble, documents reveal

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Australian Bureau of Statistics officers cancelled media briefings and social media promotion after Albanese government’s last-minute decision

The Albanese government’s last-minute rejection of proposed questions on sexuality and gender diversity in the upcoming 2026 census sent bureaucrats into a weekend scramble, new documents show.

In the late hours of Friday 23 August and Saturday 24 August, officials at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) agreed to cancel a scheduled media briefing on Monday 26 August and the rollout of its “large-scale” test census to 50,000 households from Tuesday 27 August as a result of the 11th-hour decision.

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