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News.com.au
34 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Amber Heard's dad tried to bring meat into Australia while she fretted about dog-smuggling fallout, new book reveals
Few will forget the debacle that unfolded when Amber Heard smuggled her and Johnny Depp's dogs into Australia – and a decade later it's been revealed that the actress' dad also fell foul of customs officials … with a haul of Texan meat. David Heard tried to enter the country with 'a massive amount of frozen meat' when he and wife Paige joined their famous daughter and then-son-in law on the Gold Coast in 2015, according to a new book. When told he couldn't proceed with his tucker – presumably brought out with the aim of barbecuing up a storm at the family's rented mansion – because of Aussie biosecurity laws, Heard asked airport officials to keep it in their freezer until his departure two weeks later. The beefy bungle is yet another anecdote from Hollywood Vampires: Johnny Depp, Amber Heard and the Celebrity Exploitation Machine. The book – about the couple's tumultuous relationship and its fallout, which led to court cases in both the US and UK – shines a light on their time Down Under while Depp was filming for Pirates Of The Caribbean: including an infamous night of mayhem at the mansion, the role of a former Buckingham Palace butler who was Depp's right-hand man and Elon Musk's part as Heard's partner post-Depp. As it eventuated, Heard Senior's unwitting smuggling operation was small fry compared to his daughter's. Amber memorably brought teacup Yorkies, Pistol and Boo, into Australia having falsified her customs declaration, declaring that she was travelling without animals. Barnaby Joyce, then Agriculture Minister, gave the couple 50 hours to get the dogs back to the US or they'd be euthanised. The couple would address the viral story by releasing a video saying they were 'truly sorry' – but behind the scenes Heard was panicking about the potential career impact, according to Hollywood Vampires, which will be published in Australia by HarperCollins on August 12. Heard had recently auditioned for the part of Mera, an aquatic warrior princess in the superhero epic Aquaman, also set to film in Australia. 'The film had the potential to propel her career to a new level of stardom,' write authors Kelly Loudenberg and Makiko Wholey. 'What if she was banned from entering Australia?' Depp reached out to Warner Bros on her behalf and ultimately Amber got the job. Yet by the time it came to return to Australia in 2017 to film the movie, Heard's marriage to Depp was over and it was her new boyfriend, tech billionaire Elon Musk, accompanying her. According to the authors, executives at SpaceX and Tesla were not impressed with their boss's infatuation. 'It would be a Tuesday night and she would keep him up all night,' said a source close to Musk. 'She did more to slow the advancement of electric cars than the CEO of Exxon Mobil.' While the couple eventually split, Musk later described the relationship to his biographer as the most agonising of all his romantic endeavours. He admitted he was lovesick. 'It was brutal,' he said.
Daily Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Daily Telegraph
Dimboola, Victoria: One injured, truck bursts into flames after major collision
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. Two truck drivers have made a lucky escape after two trucks burst into flames in a multi-vehicle collision in Victoria's west, leaving parts of the Western Highway closed. Emergency services were called to the Western Highway in Dimboola, about 330km northwest of Melbourne, about 7.20am Sunday after reports of a two-truck collision. Two truck drivers have had a lucky escape after two trucks collided on a major highway before bursting into flames. Picture: Ben Jones Two B-double trucks caught fire during the accident, with one engulfed in flames and sending billowing black smoke into the air. One of the truck drivers sustained minor injuries to his upper body and was transported to hospital, while the other truck driver was not injured. The Western Highway is closed between the Dimboola-Rainbow Rd and the Borung Hwy. Picture: Ben Jones The Western Highway is closed between Dimboola-Rainbow Rd and the Borung Hwy. 'Please follow directions of traffic management and allow extra travel time,' a VicTraffic statement read. Police have launched an investigation into the cause of the collision. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Originally published as One injured, truck bursts into flames after major collision in Dimboola
News.com.au
8 hours ago
- News.com.au
‘Close watch': Bizarre reason for alleged Chinese spying on Aussie Buddhist group
It all seems very innocent - a Buddhist charity that serves free vegetarian food from a commercial building in Canberra, right next-door to a security firm called 'Five Eyes Consulting.' So why would China want to dispatch a spy to infiltrate their ranks? A Chinese citizen was charged on Monday with covertly gathering information about the group on behalf of the Chinese government. It's the first time the AFP has charged a person with interfering with the general population under Australia's recent foreign interference laws. The allegations of spying remain untested, and the case remains before the courts. The alleged victim group in question is called Guan Yin Citta Dharma Door, a branch of Buddhism founded by a late Chinese Australian named Lu Junhong. Guan Yin Citta's centres are sprinkled across Australia, as well as the UK, the US and Southeast Asia - it claims to have more than five million adherents worldwide. Anne-Marie Brady, a Mandarin-speaking professor at the University of Canterbury who specialises in Chinese domestic and foreign policy, said China was known for 'infiltrating' overseas religious organisations. 'The CCP is a Marxist-Leninist political party that promotes atheism in Chinese society and suppresses genuine religious organisation in China, as it regards it as a potential source of political and societal opposition,' Ms Brady told 'Meanwhile it runs 'patriotic' religious organisations (Patriotic Buddhist, Patriotic Catholic, Patriotic Protestant, Patriotic Islam, Patriotic Daoist) under the control of the CCP United Front Work Department to manage sanctioned religious activity in China.' The professor said Chinese people who join a religion that isn't state-sanctioned can face persecution even when they leave the People's Republic. 'The CCP also infiltrates overseas Chinese diaspora religious organisations. 'The CCP keeps a close watch on any new religious organisations in China and within the overseas Chinese diaspora and has a longstanding practice of infiltrating and disrupting them.' In 2017, the CCP-owned newspaper The Beijing News made claims that the Australia-based group was infiltrating China and labelled it an illegal 'xie jiao,' or 'evil cult,' the same designation the CCP has given to Falun Gong and other religious movements. According to charity records, the group is a registered charity in Australia and had a total income of more than $6 million last year, much of that from donations. Photos of the Canberra temple where the spying is alleged to have taken place show it is adorned with portraits of founder Lu Junhong. Mr Junhong moved to Australia from China in 1989 and became an Aussie citizen before founding Guan Yin Citta and broadcasting his message from a Sydney radio station. He died in 2021. The group falls outside the Buddhist mainstream, with a focus on past lives and reciting sutras and mantras. It has copped criticism for claiming Mr Lu was a reincarnation of Guan Yin, a Buddhist figure associated with compassion. At the Sydney branch, dozens of people were seen worshipping on Wednesday morning, but in response to questions, they told this reporter, 'Sorry,' and closed the temple doors. The alleged spy, an Australian permanent resident, was arrested at her Canberra home last Saturday and cannot be named for legal reasons. She was remanded in custody and faces a maximum 15 years in prison if found guilty.
