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‘A legend’: Oscar winner’s emotional tribute to radio icon

Fellow radio stars, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Hollywood actor Russell Crowe have led tributes to radio titan John Laws, the man known as "the Golden Tonsils".

Laws died at 90 following a 71-year radio career that saw him described by a former Australian leader as "the broadcaster of the century".

Albanese said Laws was an "iconic voice and so much more".

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"Generations of Australians trusted and respected him for telling it straight, digging deep and giving his guests and his listeners a chance to be heard," he said on X.

"John was always a thoroughly prepared and thoughtful interviewer – and wonderful company off-air. 

"My condolences to his loved ones and to all who benefited from his wisdom and guidance."

Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe described Laws as a neighbour, mentor, "mischievous mate and a very good friend".

"I am deeply saddened by his passing, however, I am buoyed in the sure and certain knowledge that he led a magnificent life of achievement and adventure and he lived every moment," Crowe said.

"He worked hard, played harder and loved completely.  A legend, in the very best, most Australian, sense of the word. 

"I loved him and I'll never forget him."

READ MORE: Radio icon John Laws dies aged 90

Actor Russell Crowe and John Laws at Caroline Laws' funeral.

Kyle Sandilands described him as "one of the true originals".

"You could never mistake him for anyone else," the Kyle and Jackie O host said on X.

"He said what he thought, didn't care who he offended, but could also show deep compassion when required.

"I'm devastated to have lost a mentor and a mate. Radio won't be the same without him."

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Ray Hadley said Laws revolutionised the talk radio industry.

"In the latter years when he was at 2SM and tell me I was a copier… my reply was that if you were in the presence of someone who had perfected their craft, you'd be mad not to use some of that yourself," he told the Daily Telegraph.

Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley called Laws a true pioneer of broadcasting whose legacy would "echo for years to come".

"His unmistakable voice became part of our national soundtrack," she said.

"He informed and entertained millions, asked the tough questions and always made space for others to be heard.

"He helped shape public debate with a style that was fearless, perceptive and unmistakably his own."

NSW Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the death with "great sadness", calling Laws "a towering figure in Australian radio whose voice resonated across the nation for more than seven decades".

"John's career was extraordinary. Few broadcasters have left such a deep and lasting mark on Australian media," Minns said.

"On behalf of the NSW Government, I extend my deepest condolences to John's family, friends, colleagues and all who listened, learned and were challenged by him.

"His legacy lies not only in the thousands of hours on air, but in the connection he forged with millions of Australians."

Former journalist and radio host Mike Carlton said there was "no better broadcaster in all the long history of radio".

"The king is dead," he said, on X.

"I'm told John died peacefully at home. And I'm sad to hear it. 

"We were friends…we had a fierce feud…we made up and were friends again."

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‘Dozy Don’: Trump Oval Office event images go viral

Images of US President Donald Trump appearing to close his eyes at an Oval Office announcement this week rocketed around social media this weekend, with the president's opponents seizing on the footage to raise questions about his on-the-job performance.

Trump was participating in an announcement on Thursday about cutting prices for popular weight-loss drugs, speaking from behind the Resolute Desk alongside other officials.

At moments, Trump's eyes appeared closed, and at others he seemed to struggle to keep them open. He rubbed his eyes at points.

READ MORE: Radio icon John Laws dies aged 90

The images drew swift criticism from Trump's critics. The press office for California Governor Gavin Newsom, one of the president's top foils, posted images from the event and wrote: "DOZY DON IS BACK."

White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement to CNN that "the President was not sleeping; in fact, he spoke throughout and took many questions from the press during this announcement which represents a historic reduction in prices for Americans on two drugs that help Americans struggling with diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and other conditions".

"This announcement by President Trump will save a significant amount of money and countless American lives, and yet the failing, liberal media want to push a garbage narrative instead of covering it," she said.

Trump appears in public regularly and participates in lengthy question-and-answer sessions with reporters. Aides and Cabinet members routinely praise his stamina and describe receiving phone calls or messages from him at all hours.

A day before Thursday's event, Trump travelled to Miami for an economic speech that lasted more than an hour. He also completed a three-nation swing through Asia at the end of last month.

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US President Donald Trump

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Still, questions about Trump's health have persisted since he took office as the oldest man ever inaugurated to the job. The 79-year-old president said last month that he received an MRI during a physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre without saying why.

More than the summer, the White House announced that doctors examined Trump for swelling in his legs and diagnosed him with chronic venous insufficiency. It's a condition in which valves inside certain veins don't work the way they should, which can allow blood to pool or collect in the veins.

All presidents, at moments, have appeared tired in public. Even a much younger president like Barack Obama would occasionally rub fatigued eyes during long summits.

Trump has harshly criticised former President Joe Biden for a lack of vigour, labelling him "Sleepy Joe" in last year's election and continuing to use the moniker. Biden, the oldest president in history, was also seen at moments closing his eyes during public events.

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One photo captures tenderness amid chaos as super typhoon hits battered nation

Judy Bertuso, 63, leans forward inside a bright orange tent set up on the floor of a basketball court in Quezon City, carefully spooning porridge into her husband Apollo's mouth.

Apollo, 65, sits in a wheelchair as he recovers from a stroke, his frail frame outlined against the translucent plastic walls of the tent. Judy, in a wrinkled T-shirt and shorts, holds a bowl beneath the spoon as she feeds him.

She looks tired but unhurried, her movements deliberate, tender — the kind that comes from a lifetime spent caring for each other.

READ MORE: Radio icon John Laws dies aged 90

They had left their creekside home on Saturday, afraid it would flood again as Super Typhoon Fung-wong loomed. Their house was inundated during heavy rains in October. And when radio and television warnings urged residents to move to higher ground ahead of the storm, they didn't wait.

Inside the basketball court, dozens of families occupy rows of bright tents. The wind howls outside. Inside, the hum of quiet conversations drifts from tent to tent, punctuated by the loud play and chatter of children.

Amid the noise and the uncertainty, Judy steadies the spoon again, her hand trembling slightly as she feeds Apollo, as if to say: The storm may rage beyond these walls, but care endures here.

Fung-wong makes landfall, forces 1 million to evacuate

Fung-wong, biggest typhoon to threaten the Philippines in years, slammed ashore on Sunday (early Monday AEDT) on the north-eastern coast of the Philippines, where the massive storm had already left at least two people dead and forced more than a million people to evacuate from flood- and landslide-prone areas, officials said.

The typhoon blew into Dinalungan town in Aurora province Sunday night after setting off fierce rain and wind in northeastern Philippine provinces all day from offshore, with sustained winds of up to 185 km/h and gusts of up to 230 km/h.

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Fung-wong could cover two-thirds of the archipelago with its 1800-kilometre-wide rain and wind band, forecasters said. It approached from the Pacific while the Philippines was still dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left at least 224 people dead in central provinces on Tuesday before pummelling Vietnam, where at least five were killed.

A villager drowned in flash floods in the eastern province of Catanduanes and another died in Catbalogan city in eastern Samar province when she was pinned by debris, officials said.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos jnr has declared a state of emergency due to the extensive devastation caused by Kalmaegi and the expected calamity from Fung-wong, which is also called Uwan in the Philippines.

Tropical cyclones with sustained winds of 185 km/h or higher are categorised in the Philippines as a super typhoon, a designation adopted years ago to underscore the urgency tied to more extreme weather disturbances.

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'Zero visibility'

"The rain and wind were so strong there was nearly zero visibility," Roberto Monterola, a disaster-mitigation officer for Catanduanes, told The Associated Press by telephone.

Despite calls for residents to evacuate Saturday, some still stayed on.

"Our personnel rescued 14 people who were trapped on the roof of a house engulfed in flood in a low-lying neighbourhood," Monterola said.

"A father also called in panic, saying the roof of his house was about to be ripped off by the wind. We saved him and four relatives."

More than a million people were moved away from high-risk villages in northeastern provinces, including in Bicol, a coastal region vulnerable to Pacific cyclones and mudflows from Mayon, one of the country's most active volcanoes.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro jnr warned about the potentially catastrophic impact of Fung-wong in televised remarks Saturday. He said the storm could affect a vast expanse of the country, including Cebu, the central province hit hardest by the previous typhoon, and metropolitan Manila, the densely populated capital region.

More than 30 million people could be exposed to hazards posed by Fung-wong, the Office of Civil Defence said.

Teodoro asked people to follow government orders and seek shelter away from villages and towns prone to flash floods, landslides and coastal tidal surges.

"We need to do this because when it's already raining or the typhoon has hit and flooding has started, it's hard to rescue people," Teodoro said.

Power cut in eastern towns

The Philippines has not called for international help following the devastation caused by Kalmaegi, but Teodoro said the US, the country's longtime treaty ally, and Japan were ready to provide assistance.

As Fung-wong approached with its wide band of fierce wind and rain, several eastern towns and villages lost power, Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator of the Office of Civil Defence said.

Authorities in northern provinces that could be hit or sideswiped by Fung-wong preemptively shut schools and most government offices on Monday and Tuesday. At least 325 domestic and 61 international flights have been cancelled over the weekend and into Monday, and more than 6600 commuters and cargo workers were stranded in seaports, where the coast guard prohibited ships from venturing into rough seas.

Authorities warned of a "high risk of life-threatening and damaging storm surge" of more than three metres along the coasts of more than 20 provinces and regions, including metropolitan Manila.

The Philippines is battered by about 20 typhoons and storms each year. The country also is often hit by earthquakes and has more than a dozen active volcanoes, making it one of the world's most disaster-prone countries.

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Senator says he’ll quit if Liberals dump net zero and Paris Agreement

The author of the Liberal Party's energy review says more coal and nuclear power will be needed to bring down prices.

The party will meet on Wednesday to thrash out its stance on net zero but already senior members are threatening repercussions if they don't get their way.

But the latest polling shows infighting over how to tackle the climate crisis since the Nationals announced they would ditch the emissions-reduction target has not hurt the Liberals with voters.

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Mt Piper power plant

Energy and emissions reduction spokesman Dan Tehan, who has been leading the Liberals' energy review process, was today pushing the idea of "energy abundance".

That abundance would rely on squeezing more life out of ageing coal fire power stations, many of which announced their intention to close while the Coalition was in power.

"In the same period I think 24 of the 28 coal fire power stations announced or bought forward their closure date," Labor Senator Jenny McCallister told Sky's Sunday Agenda.

Conservative Liberal MPs say ditching a net zero carbon reduction pledge will bring prices down. Moderate party members say the opposite.

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"Net zero if done properly could reduce power prices and should reduce power prices over time," Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg told the ABC's Insiders.

Bragg says he'll quit the front bench if the Liberal Party quit the Paris agreement.

If the Liberal party are able to come to an agreement, the next challenge will be striking a deal with the Nationals, who have voted to scrap net zero.

"I think there's a way through this … the Liberal Party has a plan from the National Party now," Nationals leader David Littleproud said.

Tehan compared it to "threading a needle".

"Who went first and who went second, who cares?" he said.

Mcallister said Australians had "already paid the price for the unbelievable division within the coalition over this."

Meanwhile polling from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age shows a bounce back from the coalition despite the internal conflict.

The November Resolve Political Monitor has Labor ahead 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis. It is a comfortable lead but the margin is tightening.

Voters were asked their number one issue and 42 per cent said keeping the cost of living low was the priority.

Crime and anti-social behaviour was next with responses in the single digits.

Investigation under way after horror head-on crash involving police car

A man has been left with broken limbs after being involved in a horror head-on collision with a police car in Sydney's west.

Police attempted to pull over a white VW Golf travelling in Dean Park in the city's west for a random breath test and gave chase when the driver failed to stop about 10.15pm yesterday.

The pursuit, which involved up to 10 police cars, stopped when officers lost sight of the car, and the VW Golf and its occupants still haven't been located.

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Police crash North St Marys

A marked police car from Nepean Area Command and a Holden sedan had a head-on collision just minutes later on Debrincat Avenue in North St Mary's.

CCTV footage of the crash shows the Holden pulling out onto the road before being hit by the police car.

The crash was so loud that neighbours quickly came rushing out of their homes to offer assistance.

"[I] heard the bang and came out, unfortunately there was somebody in a bad way," neighbour Rowan Thorpe said.

The 47-year-old driver of the Holden sedan suffered injuries and was taken to Westmead Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Police later confirmed he had suffered a broken arm and leg.

The 25-year-old male police constable driving the police car and a 25-year-old female senior constable passenger, who was pregnant, were treated by paramedics at the scene and taken to Nepean Hospital.

They have since been released and are believed to be recovering well.

Assistant Commissioner Gavin Wood said the officers involved in the crash were acting on information given to them by the public.

Police crash North St Marys

Wood said police were "deeply sorry" for the victim but said it was too early to put the blame for the crash on either party.

He reiterated the pursuit had been called off at the time of the accident.

"The police vehicle itself had received relatively new and contemporary information from a member of the public, and they acted accordingly," Wood said.

"Their reaction wasn't [because of] a pursuit per se, they were reacting to the information given to them by members of the public."

A critical incident investigation into the circumstances of the crash is underway, where the actions of the police will be examined.

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Investigation under way after woman found dead in northern NSW home

Police are investigating after a woman was found dead inside a home in the NSW Northern Rivers.

Officers were called to a South Grafton home, about an hour south-west of Yamba, just before midday today following a report of concern for someone's welfare.

The body of a woman was found inside the McNamara Avenue home.

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She is yet to be identified.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the woman's death has begun.

Police said they had no further information at this time.

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