Leaders of a Hollywood’s actors union have voted to join screenwriters in the first joint strike in more than six decades, shutting down production across the entertainment industry after talks for a new contract with studios and streaming services broke down.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, executive director of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, said at a news conference that the union leadership voted for the work stoppage hours after their contract expired and talks broke off with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers representing employers including Disney, Netflix, Amazon and others.

“A strike is an instrument of last resort,” he said. Union leaders said at a news conference that they voted unanimously for a strike to begin at midnight. Outside Netflix's Hollywood offices, picketing screenwriters chanted “Pay Your Actors!” immediately after the strike was announced.

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It’s the first strike for actors from film and television shows since 1980. And it’s the first time two major Hollywood unions have been on strike at the same time since 1960, when Ronald Reagan was the actors’ guild president.

“Employers make Wall Street and greed their priority and they forget about the essential contributors that make the machine run,” former “The Nanny” star and SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher said.

“Shame on them. They are on the wrong side of history.”

With a stoppage looming, the premiere of Christopher Nolan’s film “Oppenheimer” in London was moved up an hour so that the cast could walk the red carpet before the SAG board’s announcement.

The looming strike also cast a shadow over the upcoming 75th Emmy Awards, whose nominations were announced a day earlier.

Disney chief Bob Iger warned Thursday that an actors strike would have a “very damaging effect on the whole industry.”

“This is the worst time in the world to add to that disruption,” Iger said in an appearance on CNBC. “There’s a level of expectation that (SAG-AFTRA and the WGA) have that is just not realistic.”

A nearly two-week extension of the contract, and negotiations, only heightened the hostility between the two groups. Drescher said the extension made us “feel like we’d been duped, like maybe it was just to let studios promote their summer movies for another 12 days.”

Before the talks began June 7, the 65,000 actors who cast ballots voted overwhelmingly union leaders to send them into a strike, as the Writers Guild of America did when their deal expired more than two months ago.

When the initial deadline approached in late June, more than 1000 members of the union, including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Bob Odenkirk, added their names to a letter signaling to leaders their willingness to strike.

The stakes in the negotiations included both base and residual pay, which actors say has been undercut by inflation and the streaming ecosystem, benefits, and the threat of unregulated use of artificial intelligence.

“At a moment when streaming and AI and digital was so prevalent, it has disemboweled the industry that we once knew,” Drescher said. “When I did ‘The Nanny' everybody was part of the gravy train. Now it’s a vacuum.”

The AMPTP said it was disappointed in the breakdown.

“This is the Union’s choice, not ours. In doing so, it has dismissed our offer of historic pay and residual increases, substantially higher caps on pension and health contributions, audition protections, shortened series option periods, a groundbreaking AI proposal that protects actors’ digital likenesses, and more,” the group said in a statement.

It added that instead of continuing to negotiate, “SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.”

SAG-AFTRA represents more than 160,000 screen actors, broadcast journalists, announcers, hosts and stunt performers. The walkout affects only the union’s 65,000 actors from television and film productions, who voted overwhelmingly to authorize their leaders to call a strike before talks began on June 7. Broadway actors said in a statement that they stand “in solidarity” with SAG-AFTRA workers.

The 11,500 members of the Writers Guild of America have been on strike since their own talks collapsed and their contract expired on May 2. The stoppage has showed no signs of a solution, with no negotiations even planned.

That strike brought the immediate shutdown of late-night talk shows and “Saturday Night Live,” and several scripted shows, including “Stranger Things” on Netflix,” “Hacks” on Max, and “Family Guy” on Fox, have either had their writers’ rooms or their production paused. Many more are sure to follow them now that performers have been pulled too.

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Kevin Spacey fought back tears and dabbed his eyes with a tissue on Thursday as he told jurors in a London court how sexual misconduct allegations six years ago had destroyed his career.

"My world exploded," Spacey said at his sexual assault trial.

"There was a rush to judgment and before the first question was asked or answered, I lost my job. I lost my reputation. I lost everything in a matter of days."

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The emotional testimony came toward the end of his nearly three hours in the witness box, in what could be the most consequential speaking part of his life.

He denied sexually assaulting three men and chalked up crotch-grabbing allegations by a fourth as having been a "clumsy pass."

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The allegations that sent Spacey's stellar film and stage career into a spiral came in 2017 as the #metoo movement gained momentum in the US and a fellow actor accused him of sexually inappropriate behavior three decades earlier.

News of those accusations led others to come forward, including four men in England who said the two-time Oscar winner sexually assaulted them between 2001 and 2013.

Prosecutor Christine Agnew has called Spacey a "sexual bully" who "delights in making others feel powerless and uncomfortable."

The four alleged victims, who didn't know each other, independently described disturbing encounters that escalated from unwanted touching to aggressive fondling.

One man who called Spacey a "vile sexual predator" said he passed out or fell asleep on the actor's London sofa and woke up to find him performing oral sex.

Spacey spoke in a calm tone and earnest demeanor, raising his voice in contempt only briefly to address some of the allegations.

At times he was humorous, humble and self-deprecating as he breezed over a career in acting that began, he joked, when he emerged from his mother's womb.

He repeatedly dropped names of some of the stars in his universe, including high school classmate Val Kilmer and Judi Dench — whom he said he taught to play ping-pong.

Spacey seemed more than content to reflect on happier times in his career but was repeatedly drawn back to the reason he was addressing a jury of nine men and three women at Southwark Crown Court.

He could face a prison term if convicted of charges that include sexual and indecent assault counts and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. Spacey, 63, has pleaded not guilty to all counts.

Defence lawyer Patrick Gibbs went through the allegations chronologically with Spacey, dating to the early 2000s when he came to work at the Old Vic Theatre in London and later became its artistic director.

Spacey took a dramatic pause in his testimony as he recalled the "intimate" and "somewhat sexual" friendship he shared with a man now accusing the actor of violently groping him. He said he was "crushed" the man accused him of sexual assault.

"I never thought that (the man) I knew would … 20 years later stab me in the back," Spacey said.

The accuser had testified that Spacey's fondling culminated when the man was driving and Spacey grabbed his crotch so violently he almost ran off the road. He told police he warned Spacey to never do it again and threatened to knock him out.

"That never happened," Spacey testified. "I was not on a suicide mission in any of those years."

Spacey said the man was funny and charming, appearing wistful as he looked at a photo the man sent him from a mountainous trek he took to raise money for charity.

"I'm a big flirt," Spacey said, acknowledging he probably made the first moves. He said he touched the man but not in a "violent, aggressive, painful way."

Spacey's description of gentle stroking was in direct contradiction to the testimony from the alleged victims. They said he caught them by surprise when he aggressively grabbed their privates through their clothing.

"It wasn't like a caress," one man testified. "It was like a cobra coming out and getting hold."

Spacey called that man's account "madness" and said it never happened. He also denied he made racially offensive remarks to the man during a rehearsal for a charity theatre event.

Addressing the most serious charge in the case, Spacey raised his voice and denied the suggestion he drugged a man before assaulting him.

"I know the way I am with someone and I would never be behaving in the way he claimed – it makes no logical sense," he said.

Spacey said he couldn't recall the man when police confronted him. After repeatedly watching video of the man's interview by a detective, he said he pieced together that they had a brief consensual sexual encounter in his apartment that ended when the man left in a hurry.

"The person that I had this intimate moment with was suddenly awkward and fumbling," he said. "If he regretted it immediately, I don't know. I can't speak for him, but something was weird."

He said his phone records indicated they continued to text each other over several months.

Spacey said he primarily accepted the account of a fourth man who accused the actor of kissing his neck twice and grabbing his crotch during a night of heavy drinking.

The man testified that Spacey looked panicked when he pushed him away and said, "I don't bat for that team."

Spacey said he didn't recall making the "clumsy pass" but was glad the man said he ceased when the man said he wasn't interested.

At least two of the men have also filed suit against Spacey.

Spacey said he successfully fought his accusers in US courts but is in debt with legal bills.

Prosecutors in Massachusetts dropped charges against him when the alleged victim refused to testify. A jury in New York jury last fall cleared Spacey in a $US40 million ($58 million) lawsuit by Star Trek: Discovery actor Anthony Rapp on allegations dating to 1986.

Spacey said he fought that case the same way he has in London, but doggedly digging through old records, boxes of photos and any evidence that could disprove the claims.

Looking across the courtroom at his 12-person audience, Spacey noted that he had been swiftly cleared in the New York case by a unanimous "jury of my peers".

Spacey faces hours of cross-examination Friday and his lawyer will then present several witnesses on his behalf.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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A pregnant mother and her young children were forced to live in a car for months as the cost of living crisis bites in ex-Western Australian premier Mark McGowan's former seat.

For eight months a Ford Territory has been home for Cassandra, her partner and their boys aged one and five.

"It's been extremely cold," she said.

"There were times where our car battery actually would die because we'd have to use it to heat trying to keep all of us from getting sick," she said.

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Rent hikes left the family homeless since December just as Cassandra learned she was pregnant.

"We weren't able to afford food that we really needed to keep ourselves healthy and strong, so that made it very difficult for us," she said.

"There were times when me and my partner would miss out to make sure our kids had what they needed."

The family is grateful for the support of the local Salvation Army.

The charity has seen homelessness rise 250 per cent In Rockingham alone this year, while emergency relief has increased 300 per cent since November.

"It's obviously heartbreaking to see," Chelsea Wilson from the organisation said.

"Currently we are seeing we are at capacity for what we can provide and we really do need to be resourced further."

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The statistics were highlighted by candidates in the Rockingham by-election who claim McGowan ignored local issues during his time as premier.

"We need significant investment in Rockingham to help our families," independent candidate Hayley Edwards said.

"People are dissatisfied with the WA Labor government and they're looking for a change," Greens candidate Madeleine De Jong said.

"The people of Rockingham are telling me that enough is enough, they feel ignored by the Labor government," Liberal candidate Peter Hudson said.

Labor's candidate to replace the former premier, meanwhile, was keen to fly the flag for the government. 

"It's great to talk about Labor's strong record of delivering relief, although there's always more that can be done," Labor candidate Magenta Marshall said.

The family said it has finally secured a home and hopes the new member for Rockingham delivers support for social services.

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A bad flu season in Australia is being compounded by the spread of RSV and COVID-19 throughout the community.

The respiratory illnesses share many of the same symptoms, making it difficult to tell which one of them you've caught – or if you're just coming down with a common cold.

Here's a bit more information that could help you tell whether you've caught RSV, influenza, COVID-19 or a cold.

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What is RSV?

While most people are already familiar with flu, colds and COVID-19, RSV – or respiratory syncytial virus – isn't the most well-known illness.

It's a highly contagious and common virus. In fact, almost everyone will have contracted it at least once by the time they turn three, according to the Australian Health Department.

RSV will often be mild, but in severe cases it can prove life-threatening, particularly to young children.

EXPLAINED: What is respiratory syncytial virus?

What are the symptoms of COVID-19, flu, RSV and a cold?

Each of the four diseases shares a few common symptoms – things like a runny nose, cough, fever or sore throat can be experienced by someone who's contracted any one of them.

Some of the other symptoms, however, are more closely associated with one or two of the viruses. Fatigue, for example, is common for flu and COVID-19 but not the others.

Here's a general run-down of the symptoms for each, according to information from the Australian Health Department and America's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

	COVID-19	Flu	RSV	Cold
Fever	Sometimes	Common	Common	Rare
Cough	Common	Common	Common	Common
Sore throat	Common	Sometimes	Sometimes	Common
Shortness of breath/wheezing	Sometimes	No	Sometimes	No
Fatigue	Common	Common	No	Sometimes
Loss of taste/smell	Sometimes	Sometimes	No	Sometimes
Body aches	Sometimes	Common	Rarely	No
Headache	Common	Common	Sometimes	Common
Stuffy/runny nose	Common	Sometimes	Common	Common
Diarrhoea	Rare	Sometimes in children	No	No
Sneezing	Common	No	Sometimes	Common
Vomiting	Sometimes	Common	No	Rare

Someone with RSV might develop an ear infection on top of the other symptoms, although this is less common, and lethargy is a symptom that doctors and other medical professionals will look out for in all four.

Similar as the symptoms can be, there are some differences in their onset for the different illnesses.

According to the CDC, flu symptoms tend to appear suddenly and all at once, generally sometime between one and four days after exposure to the virus.

For COVID-19 and RSV, however, symptoms can develop gradually in stages – this can be over the course of between three to 10 days in the case of RSV, and one to 14 days for COVID-19.

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How long a bout of each illness lasts differs from virus to virus.

An RSV infection, according to the CDC, will usually end after a week or two, and both influenza and a cold can last between a few days to a couple of weeks.

People can also get over COVID-19 in a few days, but are not considered fully recovered until they've been asymptomatic for seven days, which can take weeks, according to the Australian government's Healthdirect service. 

However, if complications or a severe case of any of the illnesses arise, the sickness can last for much longer.

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So how can you tell if it's RSV, a cold, flu or COVID-19?

Given how similar the symptoms are, you're generally not going to be able to tell which virus you have just by judging them.

The best way to determine what you've caught is, of course, to get in touch with a doctor, who'll often be able to diagnose flu, RSV and a cold through signs and symptoms alone, and to get tested.

Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved a triple RAT for use earlier this year, which tests for COVID-19, influenza A and B, and RSV.

A double RAT that checks for COVID-19 and flu is also available.

Both of those viruses, as well as RSV, can be diagnosed through a swab sent to a pathology lab for testing, while a blood test can also be taken to check for RSV.

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Who is more vulnerable to each disease?

As each of COVID-19, influenza, RSV and the common cold are all viral respiratory illnesses, it's no great surprise that there are similarities in the groups that are at risk from them.

Being immunocompromised and having asthma are risk factors for all the diseases, while the federal government also says pregnant women and Indigenous Australians are at higher risk of developing complications from both COVID-19 and flu.

In terms of age groups, severe illness from COVID-19 is generally associated with older people – those aged 65 or over.

RSV, on the other hand, is more typically linked to life-threatening cases in infants, although it can also pose a risk to older people who have existing heart, lung or immune issues, according to the Health Department.

Influenza is a worst-of-both-worlds case – both young children aged five or under and adults aged 65 or older are at risk of developing a serious case.

The common cold tends to affect children more frequently than adults.

"Children may get between five and 10 colds a year, while adults may get two to four colds each year," Healthdirect says.

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How can I protect myself from the four viruses?

Practising good hygiene, including regularly washing your hands, covering your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, cleaning surfaces and throwing out used tissues, can help stop the spread of each of COVID-19, the flu, RSV and the common cold.

Wearing a mask can also help.

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What treatments are available for RSV, flu, COVID-19 and the cold?

Vaccines are available for both COVID-19 and flu. Adults are encouraged to get a COVID-19 booster every six months, while influenza is a seasonal vaccine.

While the USA has approved an RSV vaccine, Australia has not – although there are hopes that one won't be too far away.

Anti-viral medications can be prescribed to at-risk COVID-19 patients, but antibiotics won't work for any of the four diseases, as they're all caused by a virus.

Otherwise, treating each of COVID-19, flu, RSV and the cold at home is quite similar; get lots of rest, drink plenty of fluids and eat healthily.

You can also relieve the symptoms of the viruses by taking over-the-counter medication like paracetamol or ibuprofen.

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‘They add value to the learning environment and the community.’

The party officially launches its election campaign tonight.

Actor Vince Colosimo's fall from grace has played out in court as a magistrate ordered him to perform community work since he cannot afford to pay back more than $61,000 in fines.

The Underbelly star, 56, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday by video link from his Legal Aid lawyer's offices over a sheriff's warrant, after he failed to pay back almost a decade's worth of driving and voting fines.

Colosimo, who has acted in almost 70 productions on the big and small screen, had been untreated for his ADHD for years which led to him self-medicating with illicit drugs, including methamphetamines, the court was told.

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He has been diagnosed with a major depressive disorder, dependence on methamphetamines, generalised anxiety disorder and PTSD.

These issues culminated in Colosimo disregarding his civil obligations, by failing to pay off parking, speeding, traffic, toll and voting fines between 2013 and 2022, which now total $61,858.60, Magistrate Guillaume Bailin said.

Colosimo's lawyer Julia Munster asked the magistrate to dismiss all of the fines as she said her client was vulnerable due to his multiple mental illnesses, and could not afford to pay the amount now owed to Victoria's sheriff's office.

"He suffers from profound mental illnesses, special circumstances do apply to him," she told the court.

She said Colosimo's financial situation was difficult, with no major financial assets to his name and a "precarious" housing and working situation where he has few employment prospects beyond labouring jobs.

"He's living a meagre lifestyle with very limited financial capacity to really to meet his current obligations, let alone anything else," she said.

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Colosimo recently paid $6025 in court fees, but he had to borrow that money, she said.

Munster said the infringements, which include fines for failing to vote in council elections, unpaid tolls and speeding tickets, were initially less than $30,000 but that amount had more than doubled due to additional fees imposed by the sheriff.

Colosimo was facing possible jail time, but Bailin took that off the table on Thursday.

He instead found Colosimo was vulnerable due to his mental illnesses and dismissed $58,000 he owed to the sheriff.

"These illnesses all operated collectively to contribute to the infringement conduct and inattention to civic duties," Bailin said.

Readers seeking support can speak with financial counsellors at the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

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A helicopter pilot who took a group of tourists to White Island on the day of its deadly eruption reportedly heard "a bit of a tut" before they had to run for their lives.

Pilot Brian Depauw took four passengers to the island on December 9, 2019.

A video of an evidential interview Depauw gave police was broadcast in court today as a third day of hearings for a prosecution related to the eruption continued.

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The island's owners, the Buttle family, ID Tours and Tauranga Tourism Services Limited have been accused of breaching health and safety regulations.

Depauw told police he and his group were walking away from the crater towards the pier when he heard "a bit of a tut", Stuff reported.

One of the passengers asked if they should run, and Depauw turned to see a cloud of ash rising into the air.

Depauw and two of his passengers managed to run the remaining 150-200m to the water, where he said everything went black.

He said he ducked underwater as long as he could.

Speaking in court, Depauw said reaching the sea had saved him.

His other two passengers were unable to reach the water and suffered burns.

First Australian caught in blast speaks

Annie Yongan Lu, from Sydney, gave evidence at the trial via video link from Australia, AAP reported.

Lu was aged 26 when she booked a holiday cruise with her then 56-year-old mother, Alice Xioman Zhang, from Sydney to New Zealand.

"We looked at brochures of day trips and saw White Island and we decided to go," she told police in a 2020 video interview that was played to the court.

Lu said the trip to the island with her mother started exactly like every other excursion from the cruise.

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"Nothing was really explained to us going on to the bus or the boat (about) the possibility of an explosion," she said.

Lu said she followed the advice in the brochure's short blurb and wore enclosed shoes with gym leggings and a hooded jumper.

She said their tour group was given a safety briefing once on the island and told to wear hard hats, but gas masks were optional for the sulphur smell.

"They mentioned 'level two' but said it was nothing to worry about … there was no explanation of what level two was," Lu said.

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The trial has heard that volcanic activity level two is the highest alert level not involving an eruption.

Lu and her mother stopped for one last photo of the crater when the volcano started to erupt just after 2pm on December 9.

"All of a sudden, I saw these black clouds pop up … I heard, 'Oh my god, everybody run'," she said.

Lu said she realised they could not outrun the eruption and she and her mother dived behind a rock before being hit by two or three waves of heat and pain.

READ MORE: The one symptom that separates RSV from the common cold

"I remember mum screaming my name and everything went black as this big wind that knocked us for six and I was in so much pain and screaming into the gas mask," she said.

After boarding a tour boat with her mother, Lu ran her hands under a tap and saw that her nails were cracking and her skin was bubbling and falling off.

The boat's crew cut off her melted leggings and she moved to the front of the vessel with the most badly injured people.

"I realised I could not bend my legs or sit down … I started freaking out," Lu said.

The trial is also due to hear from Australians Jesse Langford and Stephanie Browitt, who were badly burned and had relatives killed by the eruption.

'Like your skin is melting off'

A video interview Lu gave police months after the eruption was also played in court before she gave evidence.

"It's like your skin is melting off you," Lu told police when asked to describe the pain, Stuff reported.

"Think of a porcupine attacking you.

"The pain never stopped. It just kept going and going and going."

Lu said she had undergone many skin grafts since the eruption, with the most recent being just two weeks ago.

She told the court she had also had to step away from her career in the fashion industry.

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An Adelaide teenager who drowned on a school excursion was not given a life jacket before going fishing on a rocky outcrop that was steep, slippery and covered in black algae, a tribunal has ruled.

Ahmad Alfarhan, a student from Pinnacle College, either fell or jumped into the water to help some fellow students at Browns Beach, on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, in March 2021.

The 16-year-old's body was recovered the following day.

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The operators of the school pleaded guilty under work health and safety rules to failing to ensure the safety of the students on the two-day camp.

In a judgment published by the South Australian Employment Tribunal this week, deputy president Miles Crawley said when the school group arrived at the national park, almost the first thing the students did was gather their fishing rods and go out onto a rocky outcrop.

"Whilst there, one of the students lost his balance, slipped and fell into the sea," he said.

"Ahmad and another student either slipped or jumped into the sea in an effort to rescue him.

"Two of the boys were able to self-rescue. Ahmad was lost."

READ MORE: The symptom that separates a cold from something sinister

Judge Crawley said Ahmad and his fellow students were not provided with life jackets and non-slip shoes were not considered necessary.

"They had no ropes and instead attempted to rescue the students by tying their jackets together to form a rope and by using the fishing rods," he said.

The judge said the offending involved was serious and the risk of injury or death was real.

He said the college had failed to identify the hazards and risks that rock fishing in that location presented to the students. Rock fishing was not included in a risk assessment.

"There could easily have been a triple fatality," Judge Crawley said.

"Even at it was, the victims of this tragedy extend to Ahmad's family, his classmates, the whole school, and the school community."

The judge imposed a $420,000 fine, discounted from $700,000 because of the early guilty plea.

He also accepted the school's "real and deep" contrition and that it had undertaken a substantial review of its policies and procedures which had created a new and very much improved excursion policy.

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The manager repeatedly looked at the woman’s LinkedIn profile when she began ignoring him.