"You Complete Me," the fashion designer wrote of her husband of 25 years  Dave Hogan/Getty; Victoria Beckham/Instagram Brooklyn and his wife Nicola had skipped all events despite having been in England Showbiz Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice Victoria Beckham appeared to confirm the “toxic rift” with son Brooklyn after apparently snubbing him in a social media post for husband David’s 50th birthday The 51-year-old shared images of the England legend’s lavish family celebrations on Instagram skipped all of the events despite having been in England all week leaving his parents “heartbroken” over the decision The couple were joined by three of their children Singer-turned-fashion designer Victoria tagged the trio in the album writing: “Creating special memories with family and friends But she skipped Brooklyn – despite usually writing something along the lines of “missing you @brooklynbeckham” on previous occasions Romeo shared images of himself partying with his parents and siblings David’s mother and father had also been at the intimate dinner at the Beckhams’ £12 million Cotswolds manor earlier in the week Influencer Brooklyn reportedly did not even call to wish David a happy birthday He and Nicola were absent from David’s 24 hours in France on Friday They also failed to pay tribute to the ex-England captain on social media Brooklyn jetted back to the US on Saturday hours before Becks’ dinner last night at west London’s three Michelin star restaurant Core A source told newspaper said: “David and Victoria are utterly heartbroken by the breakdown of communications Beckham feud: did Brooklyn bury the hatchet at David's birthday bash From Holland Park to Miami: inside the many homes of the Beckhams Rebekah Vardy agrees to pay nearly £1.2m of Coleen Rooney's Wagatha legal bill Meal2Deal: on a mission to make food poverty history “Brooklyn was barely in touch the whole time he was in London and didn’t attend a single one of David’s 50th birthday celebrations He adores his son and will do anything to make things right “He is pretty shocked by the level of disrespect and fears for how much Nicola’s behaviour is affecting him he’s had an amazing week and feels super-loved and blessed Victoria and the family pulled out all the stops but it’s hard not to think about the one person missing “It’s not just the disrespectful way he and Nicola are behaving Nicola has just driven a huge wedge between them all but since he’s got together with Nicola - who is very headstrong - this has become quite a toxic pattern of behaviour and at some point you have to say Beckham reached the milestone age on Friday saying that his “biggest accomplishment is and will always be” his family The former footballer is the only Englishman to score at three different World Cups from 1998 to 2006 Beckham turned to making his co-owned US team Inter Miami into a success are also seen as a power couple and starred in the Netflix documentary Beckham – which included a viral scene of her discussing class VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from her hospital bed after surgery Pregnant Jesy Nelson reveals plans for future in message from hospital BBC admits to ‘lapse’ in standards after Today coverage of Harry interview The Coalition hoped its path to victory this election would lead through the southern state but instead it has been left with a bare handful of seats Fears of a Labor bloodbath in Victoria in the federal election were utterly confounded with the Liberals recording a statewide swing against them and the party all but certain to lose several seats according to the Australian Electoral Commission Labor had won 23 of the state’s 38 seats while the Coalition was at six – three held by the Nationals and three by the Liberals The Liberals had seen a swing of nearly 2% away from them The Liberals had campaigned hard in the state, running advertising tying Anthony Albanese to the long-serving and poor-polling state Labor government, led by Jacinta Allan, in the hope of clawing back outer suburban seats such as Aston, Chisholm, Dunkley and McEwen, and gaining seats such as Bruce, Hawke and Gorton. Read moreEven senior members of Victorian Labor expected a swing away from the party of about 1.5%-2.5% – with some members of the state caucus actively considering a leadership challenge against Allan if several seats were lost there was a swing of about 1.8% towards the party on top of the 54.8% two-party-preferred result in 2022 as well as winning the seats of Deakin and Menzies from the Liberals one of the most marginal seats going into the election Labor’s Matt Gregg was expected to defeat the Coalition housing spokesperson Labor’s Gabriel Ng was on track to take the seat from the Liberal MP Keith Wolahan 2:25Australian federal election 2025 recap: Albanese wins, Dutton concedes, Greens in the air – videoVictorian Labor insiders claim the result in the eastern suburbs is a repudiation of the Coalition’s election commitment to cut funding to the Suburban Rail Loop – one of the state government’s flagship infrastructure projects which stretches across Melbourne’s inner bayside suburbs Labor’s Josh Burns was expected to retain the seat defying expectations that a result would take days as it was among the tightest three-cornered contests in the country in 2022 About 10% of the electorate’s population is Jewish, making it the second-largest Jewish electorate in the country. The community was angered by what it said was Labor’s failure to stand firmly with Israel amid the war in Gaza sparked by the Hamas attacks on 7 October 2023 one of the few Jewish MPs in federal parliament also faced a relentless campaign from Advance Australia and J-United during the campaign “I honestly didn’t think this night would happen We had blue to the right and green to the left but the red army turned up,” Burns told party faithful at Port Melbourne Bowling Club “We have had a lot thrown at us and the lesson is one where you have to be true to yourself and this party.” Greens leader Adam Bandt addresses the crowd at the party’s election night event in Melbourne. Photograph: Diego Fedele/AAPThe Greens leader, Adam Bandt, suffered a 5.4% swing against him in his seat of Melbourne, leaving the seat in doubt on Saturday night. Bandt remained ahead on primary votes, but Liberal preferences were expected to flow to Labor. Bandt did not address the swing against him when speaking to supporters, but said the party was confident it would retain between one and four MPs in the lower house. He said he was confident the Greens would retain the Queensland seat of Ryan. The Greens were also behind in the seat of Wills late on Saturday night, despite a huge campaign mounted by the former state leader Samantha Ratnam. “From the numbers we have tonight, we have had at least a 10% swing towards us,” Ratnam told the Greens election party in Melbourne. “We still have a lot of counting to go – watch this space.” Read moreThe Liberals’ attempt to win back ground from the teals also looked set to fail with Amelia Hamer in Kooyong and Tim Wilson in Goldstein both behind Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel respectively Allan said Victoria had yet again defied the polls “A lot of commentators and conservative politicians have built a career on kicking down on our state our party and our unions – and every time we prove them wrong,” the premier said “The incredible results for Labor in our state aren’t despite what’s happening in Victoria but because of what’s happening here in Victoria.” a former senior Liberal staffer now with the political consultancy RedBridge blamed the Liberals’ poor showing in Victoria on the state branch which has been bitterly divided since the former leader John Pesutto expelled Moira Deeming from the party room in 2023 At the end of 2024 Deeming won her defamation action against Pesutto as his “representative to the western suburbs” days before the federal prepoll opened “The great problem for the Liberal party as a whole is to rebuild such a broken institution,” Barry said this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read The Victoria Masonic Village in Morris Spence Ave where residents are now looking for new homes after being told to vacate by the end of July to enable the building of new accommodation Residents of Napier’s Victoria Masonic Flats the flats had to be vacated by the end of July The trust hopes to have the new village built within 12 months Most residents who spoke with Hawke’s Bay Today are annoyed about the “sudden” nature of the announcement and worried about their prospects going into winter during a nationwide housing crisis They had been aware the trust was investigating its options but one said the notice came as “a bit of a shock” said “it all starts from now” but he worried for others including some long-term residents who might not have family in the region “Napier is my home and I don’t want to have to leave,” said another who has lived in the city more than 25 years and didn’t know what options he has which provides about 300 beds in rentals and care facilities in Napier was faced with bringing the flats up to healthy homes standards by July 1 CEO Vicki Lee said Tuesday was “not a good day” for anyone which was committed to providing affordable healthy homes for pensioners on lower incomes It was a “terrible” decision to have to make adding it would have been a sudden “realisation” of what was happening Renovation to meet the standards was explored in depth but it was ultimately determined to be impractical and not viable across the site of 51 single- and double-bedroom flats Residents would have noticed site testing taking place and that about a quarter of the flats had not been re-let since becoming vacant Lee said of the perceived lack of notice: “We couldn’t tell them what was happening Assessment included whether some units could remain in use during construction around them and whether the site was still suitable for such a village Lee said that whatever had been decided would have meant residents being out of the homes during winter A village manager will be on site this week to discuss wellbeing and prospects with residents many of whom had already visited agency offices and were awaiting interviews those remaining after June 30 will not have to pay rent Discussions with residents had also included what could be done to bring the flats up to healthy homes standards who holds the council housing portfolio and whose Nelson Park Ward includes the village vulnerable people could struggle to find “parallel” affordable accommodation The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development said it was not aware of other similar situations (involving group tenancies) pointing out that the landlords had had six years to prepare for the compliance deadline but that no survey on preparedness had been done since January last year Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today and has 52 years of journalism experience The Saturday closure comes amid a proposal to shut Napier Library for at least two years Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time With the campaign behind her – and her party reeling from a crushing national defeat – Liberal Party candidate for Kooyong Amelia Hamer has taken a swipe at her own side including the main slogan plastered on her corflutes This is the most candid she’s sounded all campaign – despite her own political future still hanging in the balance Hamer was asked to reflect on what went wrong for the opposition and said one theme emerged repeatedly: the campaign lacked substance “The one piece of feedback I was hearing consistently throughout the campaign is that people wanted to see more substantial policy from us – and they wanted to see it earlier,” she said “Not just ‘hey nuclear’ and a little bit of tax here and there but substantive taxation reform and a real vision as to what our country should look like and what it would look like under a Coalition government.” She pointed to the Coalition’s central slogan — Getting Australia Back on Track — and questioned its meaning “We talked a lot about getting Australia back on track but the question is: back on track to what (Side note: I asked Hamer this very question during the campaign — what does the slogan actually mean You can watch what she said at the time below.) wanted to “be treated like adults” and engage with real policy “They want to have that adult discussion where we can actually say ‘here’s a policy on income tax indexation’ but people are willing to take the time to understand that and understand how it’s going to make their lives better.” Asked if Peter Dutton remained unpopular with women “I think it just comes down to what alternative vision we were providing … how clear was that where on the one hand you’ve got Trump running around doing different things and then an economy which is really going in the wrong direction “We needed to be able to say to people that we were a safe pair of hands That they could trust us to run the country in a way that was going to make their lives better and I don’t think that we did enough to show that we could do that.” Hamer also acknowledged that the Liberals are struggling with younger voters – a cohort she’s part of at just 31 – and said the party’s approach to digital campaigning needs serious work “There’s a lot more we can do in the social media and digital marketing space.” “I think a lot of our content on social media is still very much geared towards … letting people know who the candidate is but today you do need to tell them something more and you need to tell them something that’s hyper relevant to them.” Early in the campaign, I broke the story that Liberal candidate for Kooyong Amelia Hamer owns two properties – one in London and one in Canberra – worth more than $2 million combined media outlets (including The Age) and Hamer herself had consistently described her as “a renter” Amelia Hamer’s ground-floor flat in Wandsworth inner south-west London.Credit: Google Streetview She does rent a one-bedroom apartment in Hawthorn – but there was no mention she was also a landlord Her status as a renter was seen as a plus when she was preselected helping her appear more relatable to younger voters – a cohort with which the Liberal Party has long struggled to connect She talked about her rent increasing in the context of the rising cost of living and posted a TikTok video joking about not having space for kids in her small flat saying: “I don’t know where the kids would go” when referencing the situation facing many young Australians that they are delaying starting a family because they haven’t been able to buy a home with memes and commentary poking fun at the disconnect between her image and her reality It stuck at– pre-polling I heard a man shout to Hamer: “You’ve got to be joking – how many houses do you have?” Hamer has been pressed on the issue multiple times since the story broke but still won’t concede that she was in any way misleading the electorate host Jacqui Felgate again raised the question of whether Hamer should have made it clearer at the time that she was a landlord So I had a lady actually come up to me in the street a few days before the election I just want to say I’m in exactly the same position as you’ You still go through the process of renting the fact that you’ve got to go out and try and find a property and there’s really long queues for everything You can see that the Melbourne rental market is not in a good way at the moment because of those issues’ Felgate pressed her again: “But should you have said that at the time you know … we’re trying to talk about what are some of the problems for young people and a lot of people There’s a point about my personal experiences and experiences that I’ve had and the second thing is articulating what people are telling me about the challenges that they’re facing what we did see is people taking language where I talked about the challenges that people were telling me about and saying that I was articulating it as my own challenge you can be a voice for someone without sharing 100 per cent of their experiences Tim Wilson has won back his former seat of Goldstein after building an unassailable lead over Zoe Daniel through a postal vote surge The Liberal candidate is ahead of the incumbent teal independent by 734 votes following the latest count update in Goldstein Liberal Party candidate Tim Wilson has claimed the seat of Goldstein.Credit: Wayne Taylor It’s a dramatic change in fortunes after Daniel made a victory speech to her supporters on Saturday night when she thought she had won the seat with a lead of 1800 votes Wilson did not concede the seat and on election night was already pointing to the possibility that postal votes would swing the seat in his favour Independent Zoe Daniel speaking to her supporters on Saturday night.Credit: Penny Stephens “Out of respect for my scrutineers and the democratic process “With the margin in the hundreds and the remaining votes in the thousands this seems sensible.” There were 24,299 postal votes issued in Goldstein and of these 13,982 ballot papers have been counted. There are still 5986 ballot papers awaiting processing but the postal votes have been going strongly in Wilson’s favour Both Wilson and Daniel declined interview requests this afternoon as other media outlets called Goldstein for the Liberal Party and a reminder that it could yet go backward and we just have to be patient,” Wilson said thought about calling incumbent MP Monique Ryan to concede on Saturday but was told by her team she should hold on to see what happened with postal votes “I’m one to say you’ve got to put your ego aside in these things,” Hamer who is still locked in a tight race for the seat said in her first media appearance since election day coming into the 3AW studio for an interview with Jacqui Felgate on Tuesday afternoon “The first thing I [did was I] actually did speak to the team [and] said it does look like what’s coming out of pre-poll is much more positive’ Hamer said she and her team were “cautiously optimistic” based on favourable trends in the thousands of postal votes still being counted but that it was “too close to call anything right now” if the postals do continue on the trajectory that we’ve seen so far the postal votes in Kooyong are favouring Hamer on a two-candidate-preferred basis of 62 per cent Ryan’s overall lead was 50.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent – 1002 votes after preferences That margin has decreased from about 1400 votes on Monday night Josh Frydenberg and Amelia Hamer with a pre-poll voter in Malvern on the Wednesday before the election.Credit: Rachael Dexter There are about 10,000 votes in the pile (8564 of which are postals – the rest include declaration and absentee ballots) yet to be counted Remember that heap is still having new postal and absentee votes added to it as they arrive or people who strongly wanted to vote Liberal decided to do a postal vote,” Hamer explained “We will get another couple of boxes of postals counted today Then we’ll get absentee votes which will come in towards the end of the week and be counted.” Hamer thinks the best-case scenario is that there will be a result in Kooyong by the end of the week “[But] maybe it’ll be so close that they’ll need to do a full recount,” she warned despite a swing of more than 7 per cent against sitting MP Peter Khalil towards the Greens Khalil was being cautious on Tuesday afternoon despite edging more than 3000 votes ahead with more than 99 per cent of ballots counted A spokesperson said the party was not declaring at this stage the minor party was holding out hope that with almost 10,000 absent and declaration votes still to be counted and expected to break their way You’ll see that there are about 10,000 votes that are still likely to break for us,” Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May told the ABC shortly after the most recent update extended Khalil’s lead to 3356 votes and we will be watching those and scrutinising those 10,000 votes incredibly closely “[We are] really hopeful that on the other side we’ve got the wonderful Samantha Ratnam being elected as the representative for Wills.” With neither side prepared to declare a win or a loss before absent and declaration votes are known the result is unlikely to be officially declared by either side today Labor’s Peter Khalil has fended off a strong Greens challenge in Wills An update from the AEC published at 2.38pm Tuesday put Khalil in front of challenger Samantha Ratnam with 51.84 per cent of the two-candidate-preferred vote to 48.16 per cent (a lead of 3356 votes) having poured everything into winning Wills saw Ratnam’s path to victory fade with the update The minor party’s fading hopes are pinned on almost 10,000 absentee and declaration votes yet to be counted The Greens are confident these votes will swing their way because many absentee voters are more transient and statistically more likely to vote Green Khalil was elected comfortably as the Greens received just 41 per cent of two-party-preferred votes the Greens had a win in the absentee votes column where they scored 53 per cent of 2PP votes Party insiders hope that trend will be amplified this time goes like this: Ratnam trails Khalil by 3356 votes There are 9787 absent and declaration votes to be counted We haven’t had an update from the Australian Electoral Commission count in Wills since Sunday night but there are some interesting patterns emerging in this once rusted-on Labor seat ABC election analyst Antony Green noted that while media coverage concentrated on areas like Brunswick and Coburg where the demographic shifts have been most pronounced the electorate went a long way beyond “the quinoa curtain along Bell Street” The quinoa curtain is a term long used to describe the cultural and political divide between inner-city Greens strongholds south of Bell Street and Labor’s working-class base north of it That appears to have lost some of its importance with shifts in voting breaking down the once-reliable split in what were once its strongest booths in Fawkner and Glenroy was stark Labor MP Peter Khalil lost 20 per cent of his primary vote compared to the 2022 result while the Greens’ Samantha Ratnam saw her primary vote at the school go up 26 per cent At Glenroy College Labor’s primary vote fell 16 per cent while the Greens picked up 22 per cent more primary votes than last election Labor’s primary vote dropped by 11 per cent and the Greens’ jumped 15 per cent These were the areas where Muslim Votes Matter campaigned hardest against Labor neighbouring Calwell (including Broadmeadows and Bruce in the south-east (which includes Dandenong While the impact in Bruce and Calwell remains difficult to read in Wills the group was claiming a big influence on Monday A Muslim Votes Matter sign in front of Brunswick’s Davies Street pre-polling booths.Credit: Clay Lucas Roughly 10 per cent of voters in Wills are Muslim and their numbers congregate in the electorate’s north Ghaith Krayem is the national spokesman for Muslim Votes Matter He said the results were “an indicator of our ability to mobilise the local community and their openness to respond differently to how they have voted historically” in these areas “We had an impact on the day,” Krayem said The group looks to tap into dissatisfaction in the Muslim community about the Albanese government’s response to on Israel’s actions in Gaza after the October 7 attacks and on rising Islamophobia in Australia Krayem said in Wills there had been a clear vote against the incumbent Labor MP in the suburbs where they urged voters to support the Greens because of their stance on Gaza “Gaza is just the worst manifestation of the issues we are facing and that is the marginalisation and silencing of our community politically,” Krayem said “The public messaging from Labor will be all around their landslide victory but people behind the scenes in the Labor Party will come to the same conclusion as we did – which is: if this government doesn’t change its engagement with our community there will be a handful of seats in 2028 that will change hands.” but Khalil looks well-placed to retain the seat That’s because while Labor did worse in some parts of this electorate which stretches from North Fitzroy and North Carlton in the south to Fawkner and Glenroy in the north it did better at some booths further south Khalil’s primary vote climbed 10 per cent on 2022 figures Khalil’s primary vote jumped 5 per cent and Ratnam lost 9 per cent Labor primaries rose 13 per cent and Greens votes fell 13 per cent Labor’s primary vote jumped 12 per cent and the Greens fell 9 per cent Khalil’s office declined to comment when approached about the booth changes saying they were entirely focused on the count Liberal Party candidate Tim Wilson has hit the lead in Goldstein ahead of teal incumbent MP Zoe Daniel as vote counting resumed on Tuesday The first of two batches of postal votes has been counted today and that has pushed Wilson 334 votes ahead of Daniel Daniel had claimed victory in the seat on Saturday night when her lead stood at about 1800 votes on a two-candidate-preferred basis But postal votes have flowed strongly in Wilson’s direction Zoe Daniel uploaded a video to social media this morning of her dancing around the office with her staffers to Chappell Roan’s Pink Pony Club as she waits for a result in Goldstein “It’s a resilience test that’s for sure,” she posted “But no matter what we will keep dancing.” Comments have been turned off on the post The independent teal MP thought she had won the seat on Saturday night and gave a victory speech postal votes have dramatically narrowed the margin between Daniel and Liberal candidate Tim Wilson so that the race is now neck-and-neck Counting was paused on Monday by the Australian Electoral Commission with Daniel only ahead by 95 votes with 99,848 votes counted We haven’t had an update yet on Tuesday – I will let you know as soon as we do. the two teal battlegrounds of Kooyong and Goldstein are officially back to “too close to call” and I’ve been on the phone this afternoon with two election analysts – Dr Kevin Bonham and Ben Raue of The Tally Room independent Zoe Daniel is in serious strife estimates Daniel is on track to fall behind by around 900 votes once all ballots are counted Daniel is currently picking up just 35 per cent of postals – well below what she’d need to stay competitive With a sizeable chunk of postal votes yet to be processed the trajectory has her slipping further behind There’s an interesting theory doing the rounds in political circles today that could help explain the trend Kooyong independent MP Zoe Daniel and Liberal challenger – and former MP – Tim WilsonCredit: Marija Ercegovac Goldstein — like Kooyong — has one of the largest Jewish communities in Victoria Because religious Jewish voters don’t vote on Saturdays it may be disproportionately showing up in the postals I ran that theory past a well-connected source within the Jewish community I know many who traditionally receive postals,” they said “I think given how tight the margins are in both seats it’s hard to ever measure — but so many people were single-issue this time and the Coalition would have received a large share of that vote for sure.” Dr Bonham concurs that Daniel is in trouble and told me the latest figures are “not looking good.” fellow teal Monique Ryan is in a stronger – though not yet secure – position Ryan is underperforming on postal votes – but not nearly as badly About 2000 postal were counted on Monday and she currently leads by around 1000 votes Raue expects Ryan to gain votes in declaration pre-polls and absentee votes and his modelling suggests she could finish roughly 800 votes ahead when all is said and done But Goldstein – according to both Bonham and Raue – is starting to slip into Tim Wilson’s column with thousands of votes left to count across both seats I broke the story that Liberal candidate for Kooyong \\u2013 one in London and one in Canberra \\u2013 worth more than $2 million combined media outlets (including The Age) and Hamer herself had consistently described her as \\u201Ca renter\\u201D She does rent a one-bedroom apartment in Hawthorn \\u2013 but there was no mention she was also a landlord helping her appear more relatable to younger voters \\u2013 a cohort with which the Liberal Party has long struggled to connect saying: \\u201CI don\\u2019t know where the kids would go\\u201D when referencing the situation facing many young Australians that they are delaying starting a family because they haven\\u2019t been able to buy a home It stuck at\\u2013 pre-polling I heard a man shout to Hamer: \\u201CYou\\u2019ve got to be joking \\u2013 how many houses do you have?\\u201D Hamer has been pressed on the issue multiple times since the story broke but still won\\u2019t concede that she was in any way misleading the electorate Felgate pressed her again: \\u201CBut should you have said that at the time I just want to say I\\u2019m in exactly the same position as you\\u2019 the fact that you\\u2019ve got to go out and try and find a property and there\\u2019s really long queues for everything You can see that the Melbourne rental market is not in a good way at the moment because of those issues\\u2019 you know \\u2026 we\\u2019re trying to talk about what are some of the problems for young people and a lot of people There\\u2019s a point about my personal experiences and experiences that I\\u2019ve had and the second thing is articulating what people are telling me about the challenges that they\\u2019re facing With the campaign behind her \\u2013 and her party reeling from a crushing national defeat \\u2013 Liberal Party candidate for Kooyong Amelia Hamer has taken a swipe at her own side This is the most candid she\\u2019s sounded all campaign \\u2013 despite her own political future still hanging in the balance \\u201CThe one piece of feedback I was hearing consistently throughout the campaign is that people wanted to see more substantial policy from us \\u2013 and they wanted to see it earlier,\\u201D she said \\u201CNot just \\u2018hey nuclear\\u2019 and a little bit of tax here and there and what it would look like under a Coalition government.\\u201D She pointed to the Coalition\\u2019s central slogan \\u2014 Getting Australia Back on Track \\u2014 and questioned its meaning \\u201CWe talked a lot about getting Australia back on track (Side note: I asked Hamer this very question during the campaign \\u2014 what does the slogan actually mean wanted to \\u201Cbe treated like adults\\u201D and engage with real policy \\u201CThey want to have that adult discussion where we can actually say \\u2018here\\u2019s a policy on income tax indexation\\u2019 but people are willing to take the time to understand that and understand how it\\u2019s going to make their lives better.\\u201D \\u201CI think it just comes down to what alternative vision we were providing \\u2026 how clear was that where on the one hand you\\u2019ve got Trump running around doing different things \\u201CWe needed to be able to say to people that we were a safe pair of hands and I don\\u2019t think that we did enough to show that we could do that.\\u201D Hamer also acknowledged that the Liberals are struggling with younger voters \\u2013 a cohort she\\u2019s part of at just 31 \\u2013 and said the party\\u2019s approach to digital campaigning needs serious work \\u201CThere\\u2019s a lot more we can do in the social media and digital marketing space.\\u201D \\u201CI think a lot of our content on social media is still very much geared towards \\u2026 letting people know who the candidate is I\\u2019m Amelia!\\u2019 and after a while I know that Amelia Hamer\\u2019s my candidate but tell me something more.\\u2019 \\u201D and you need to tell them something that\\u2019s hyper relevant to them.\\u201D It\\u2019s a dramatic change in fortunes after Daniel made a victory speech to her supporters on Saturday night when she thought she had won the seat with a lead of 1800 votes \\u201COut of respect for my scrutineers and the democratic process I will await further counting,\\u201D she said \\u201CWith the margin in the hundreds and the remaining votes in the thousands this seems sensible.\\u201D There were 24,299 postal votes issued in Goldstein and of these 13,982 ballot papers have been counted There are still 5986 ballot papers awaiting processing but the postal votes have been going strongly in Wilson\\u2019s favour and a reminder that it could yet go backward and we just have to be patient,\\u201D Wilson said \\u201CI\\u2019m one to say you\\u2019ve got to put your ego aside in these things,\\u201D Hamer \\u201CThe first thing I [did was I] actually did speak to the team [and] said it does look like what\\u2019s coming out of pre-poll is much more positive\\u2019 Hamer said she and her team were \\u201Ccautiously optimistic\\u201D based on favourable trends in the thousands of postal votes still being counted but that it was \\u201Ctoo close to call anything right now\\u201D if the postals do continue on the trajectory that we\\u2019ve seen so far you know \\u2026 there is a pathway,\\u201D she said Ryan\\u2019s overall lead was 50.5 per cent to 49.5 per cent \\u2013 1002 votes after preferences There are about 10,000 votes in the pile (8564 of which are postals \\u2013 the rest include declaration and absentee ballots) yet to be counted decided to do a postal vote,\\u201D Hamer explained \\u201CWe will get another couple of boxes of postals counted today Then we\\u2019ll get absentee votes which will come in towards the end of the week and be counted.\\u201D \\u201C[But] maybe it\\u2019ll be so close that they\\u2019ll need to do a full recount,\\u201D she warned \\u201CWe\\u2019re certainly not conceding Wills You\\u2019ll see that there are about 10,000 votes that are still likely to break for us,\\u201D Victorian senator Steph Hodgins-May told the ABC shortly after the most recent update extended Khalil\\u2019s lead to 3356 votes \\u201CSo the count certainly isn\\u2019t over yet \\u201C[We are] really hopeful that on the other side we\\u2019ve got the wonderful Samantha Ratnam being elected as the representative for Wills.\\u201D Labor\\u2019s Peter Khalil has fended off a strong Greens challenge in Wills saw Ratnam\\u2019s path to victory fade with the update The minor party\\u2019s fading hopes are pinned on almost 10,000 absentee and declaration votes yet to be counted We haven\\u2019t had an update from the Australian Electoral Commission count in Wills since Sunday night the electorate went a long way beyond \\u201Cthe quinoa curtain along Bell Street\\u201D The quinoa curtain is a term long used to describe the cultural and political divide between inner-city Greens strongholds south of Bell Street and Labor\\u2019s working-class base north of it Labor MP Peter Khalil lost 20 per cent of his primary vote compared to the 2022 result while the Greens\\u2019 Samantha Ratnam saw her primary vote at the school go up 26 per cent At Glenroy College Labor\\u2019s primary vote fell 16 per cent while the Greens picked up 22 per cent more primary votes than last election Labor\\u2019s primary vote dropped by 11 per cent and the Greens\\u2019 jumped 15 per cent and their numbers congregate in the electorate\\u2019s north He said the results were \\u201Can indicator of our ability to mobilise the local community and their openness to respond differently to how they have voted historically\\u201D in these areas \\u201CWe had an impact on the day,\\u201D Krayem said The group looks to tap into dissatisfaction in the Muslim community about the Albanese government\\u2019s response to on Israel\\u2019s actions in Gaza after the October 7 attacks and on rising Islamophobia in Australia \\u201CGaza is just the worst manifestation of the issues we are facing and that is the marginalisation and silencing of our community politically,\\u201D Krayem said \\u201CThe public messaging from Labor will be all around their landslide victory but people behind the scenes in the Labor Party will come to the same conclusion as we did \\u2013 which is: if this government doesn\\u2019t change its engagement with our community there will be a handful of seats in 2028 that will change hands.\\u201D That\\u2019s because while Labor did worse in some parts of this electorate Khalil\\u2019s primary vote climbed 10 per cent on 2022 figures Khalil\\u2019s primary vote jumped 5 per cent and Ratnam lost 9 per cent Labor\\u2019s primary vote jumped 12 per cent and the Greens fell 9 per cent Khalil\\u2019s office declined to comment when approached about the booth changes But postal votes have flowed strongly in Wilson\\u2019s direction Zoe Daniel uploaded a video to social media this morning of her dancing around the office with her staffers to Chappell Roan\\u2019s Pink Pony Club as she waits for a result in Goldstein \\u201CIt\\u2019s a resilience test that\\u2019s for sure,\\u201D she posted \\u201CBut no matter what we will keep dancing.\\u201D We haven\\u2019t had an update yet on Tuesday \\u2013 I will let you know as soon as we do the two teal battlegrounds of Kooyong and Goldstein are officially back to \\u201Ctoo close to call\\u201D and I\\u2019ve been on the phone this afternoon with two election analysts \\u2013 Dr Kevin Bonham and Ben Raue of The Tally Room who\\u2019s running his own projection model Daniel is currently picking up just 35 per cent of postals \\u2013 well below what she\\u2019d need to stay competitive There\\u2019s an interesting theory doing the rounds in political circles today that could help explain the trend Goldstein \\u2014 like Kooyong \\u2014 has one of the largest Jewish communities in Victoria Because religious Jewish voters don\\u2019t vote on Saturdays who confirmed it\\u2019s \\u201Cvery possible.\\u201D \\u201CReligious Jews don\\u2019t vote on Saturdays I know many who traditionally receive postals,\\u201D they said \\u201CI think given how tight the margins are in both seats it\\u2019s hard to ever measure \\u2014 but so many people were single-issue this time and the Coalition would have received a large share of that vote for sure.\\u201D and told me the latest figures are \\u201Cnot looking good.\\u201D fellow teal Monique Ryan is in a stronger \\u2013 though not yet secure \\u2013 position Ryan is underperforming on postal votes \\u2013 but not nearly as badly But Goldstein \\u2013 according to both Bonham and Raue \\u2013 is starting to slip into Tim Wilson\\u2019s column Stay tuned \\u2013 counting resumes Tuesday After David Beckham and his equally famous wife Victoria's oldest son didn't show up for the first fancy 50th birthday bash for the soccer legend and Inter Miami co-owner at Carbone Miami last month the speculation has now run wild after that trend continued on the across-the-pond version in London at Core restaurant in Notting Hill RELATED: 49-year-old David Beckham still shredded in shirtless workout Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn ImagesThat's especially the case when all of the Beckhams other three children the famous Spice Girl turned successful fashion designer and David posting all of the swanky photos on social media Brooklyn is married to billionaire heiress and actress Nicola Peltz and while the tabloids have been reporting on reasons as to why there is a rift The Athlete Lifestyle On SI can only report that it's sad to see the eldest Beckham child not joining his siblings in the celebration festivities RELATED: David Beckham, Victoria Beckham crush 25th wedding anniversary photos together A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) who was a trailblazer for creating a brand beyond the game becoming a household name playing for Manchester United before eventually Real Madrid culminating in a business genius move to the LA Galaxy that gave him the inside track for his Inter Miami co-ownership "Creating special memories with family and friends We love you all ❤️," with the three other kids all shouted out - minus Brooklyn A Brooklyn mention was also glaringly missing from David's Miami version A post shared by David Beckham (@davidbeckham) Here's to hoping Brooklyn and Nicola will soon be back in the Beckham family group shots soon enough — Enjoy free dish of rich and fabulous players with The Athlete Lifestyle on SI — Chill vibes: Shedeur Sanders arrives at Browns facility in ‘Legendary’ casual fit Who dat?: Jordan Chiles unrecognizable with new hairstyle after UCLA season First-place fit: ESPN’s Molly Qerim rocks springtime NYC miniskirt fit in the city BeyHive VIP: Vanessa Bryant rocks cowboy hat with Beyoncé’s mom at concert Last hoorah: Livvy Dunne’s ‘officially retired’ dress wows on LSU’s girls night out The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER There are so many Tejano Cinco de Mayo celebrations to celebrate the Holiday and ours in Victoria might have been the best Two days of some of the biggest names in Tejano music such as Lucky Joe Ram and the Legendary Little Joe Y La Familia What an incredible and special performance by Little Joe in downtown Victoria at DeLeon Plaza. His first performance in Victoria was over 68 years ago in 1957, also at DeLeon Plaza. So he is back where it all started for him in Victoria. He also mentions Mr. Villafranca. More about that below. Check a clip of him performing by clicking here.  chances are you have been to many events at the Club Westerner I have so many fond memories of going to events as a kid and remembering the 'voice' of the Club Westerner Villafranca and his voice with the Club Westerner and I still do to this day he helped build the dancehall culture in Victoria with dances every single weekend at the Club Westerner catering to all genres Villafranca had so many close relationships with so many of the stars Including a wonderful relationship with Little Joe which is captured in the picture below Little Joe continues to have an awesome relationship with the Villafranca family Little Joe even shot a TV documentary many years back at the Club Westerner Villafranca passed away on October 2nd,2007 but the Villafranca family continues the legacy of Mr John Manuel Villafranca and the Club Westerner The Villafranca family continues to run operations at the Club Westerner who kept those tables clean from beer bottles While the Westerner does not hold public dances every weekend it is booked almost every weekend for private events and is absolutely gorgeous inside Little Joe Celebrates 68 Years of Performing at Victoria Cinco de Mayo\nRead More What an incredible and special performance by Little Joe in downtown Victoria at DeLeon Plaza. His first performance in Victoria was over 68 years ago in 1957, also at DeLeon Plaza. So he is back where it all started for him in Victoria. He also mentions Mr. Villafranca. More about that below. Check a clip of him performing by clicking here.  Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham did not attend David’s lavish 50th birthday celebrations, but we shouldn’t really be surprised, after all, Nicola’s alleged long-standing feud with Victoria Beckham is well documented As Becks turned the big five zero, his gaggle of nepo babies returned to the UK for the celebrations, but Brooklyn was not one of them. Though David and Victoria were reportedly informed of his decision ahead of the celebrations a source detailed how it was still a “dagger to the heart.” “David is heartbroken but putting a brave face on it. Tonight is all about celebration and love, and he is swimming in it. Brooklyn actually informed his parents a while ago that he and his wife, Nicola, would not be attending, but, of course, David and Victoria desperately hoped he would change his mind,” the source told The Sun. “It’s a dagger to the heart that he hasn’t attended a single one of David’s 50th celebrations – and hurts the whole family, including the grandparents and siblings. Brooklyn is a really sweet boy, and everyone loves him dearly. They just hope things can be patched up soon. In the meantime, everyone around David is doing all they can to give him a magical evening to remember.” But the bubbling drama in the Beckham household is nothing particularly new; in fact, it can be traced back to 2022. Let’s take a walk down memory lane – grab the popcorn. A post shared by 𝓃𝒾𝒸𝑜𝓁𝒶 (@nicolaannepeltzbeckham) If the internet is to be believed, then the alleged feud began way back in 2022 when Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham tied the knot in a lavish ceremony at Palm Beach. Three months later, a damning report came out from Page Six that detailed how Nicola and Victoria “can’t stand each other and don’t talk.” “The build-up to the wedding was horrendous,” the source said adding that Nicola didn’t want her mother-in-law “to be any part of the planning and she wouldn’t clue Victoria in on anything there was also drama over the seating arrangements as Victoria and David Beckham took issue with the top table being all about the Peltz family “The top table was all Peltzs, and it really felt as though the Beckhams were not at the forefront,” a source told The Daily Mail There was a feeling that the wedding was all about the Peltz family as it was their house and their daughter and their son making the speeches,” the source added Nicola was reportedly set to wear a Victoria Beckham design she switched to an elegant Valentino number and the feud was ignited A post shared by 𝓃𝒾𝒸𝑜𝓁𝒶 (@nicolaannepeltzbeckham) Nicola allegedly cried her eyes out when singer Marc Anthony gave a gushing tribute to Victoria Beckham in his speech “It was totally just an ode to Victoria and how awesome she is. Nicola loves to be the centre of attention, especially on her wedding day. So this really, really p***ed her off,” the source told the MailOnline “She stormed off in the middle of her wedding reception with [sister] Brittany and her mom as Nicola was peeved when she thought Marc was introducing their first dance to You Sang To Me which speaks of “crazy love.” In reality he was actually kicking off a mother and son dance – ouch “Nicola left the room because she and Brooklyn thought Marc was introducing them for a special dance to a love song the couple had chosen But without any warning and at the request of Victoria Marc switched it to a mother-son dance using the same song,” the source explained “Most of the guests could tell something off had happened It was uncomfortable for the couple who were thinking it was to be a special moment for them.” when Brooklyn and Nicola were sunning it up with her family in the south of France the Beckhams were snubbed an invite and left to keep up with their son’s whereabouts through Instagram it’s incredibly normal for so-called “sources” to come forward with juicy information and the Victoria Beckham and Nicola Peltz feud is no different sources have speculated on everything from the Beckhams being jealous of the Peltz wealth to there being innate “cultural differences between the two families.” “Brooklyn has become so, so close to the Peltzes, and to Nicola’s dad, especially. For Victoria, who is extremely close to Brooklyn, that has to be difficult,” a source told Page Six. A high society source also said: “The Peltzes may have thought, [the Beckhams] ‘will be easy.’ The Beckhams are just a pop star and a footballer, but they’ve been doing this for 25 years — they’re very astute.” The ultimate ouch seemingly came when Tatler called Nicola the “New Mrs Beckham” on the cover of their June issue. A post shared by Tatler (@tatlermagazine) Though Victoria and David Beckham have never publicly commented on the feud besides not liking their daughter-in-law’s Instagram posts Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn have always denied the word feud And now they’re labelling it a feud?” she said as her hubby added “I’ve learned they’re always going to try to write stuff like that,” Brooklyn said “They’re always going to try and put people down Victoria and Nicola are pictured together to disprove animosity claims so watch Instagram because one will be coming soon For more like this and for the latest memes, quizzes, updates – like The Tab on Facebook Win £20 to spend at some of the UK's biggest retailers Elizabeth Tamilore Odunsi was just days away from graduating when she died President of KCL Tennis Club David Nana was named the winner People are forgetting one thing about Hailey We’ve got some tough competitors this year Everything you need to know about the current Downs debate People start work on the seating plan in December? some of them can’t read because where was the tailoring? Londoners can't stop styling Victoria trainers this summer Click through to discover the under-the-radar trainer brand below alongside more muted beige and grey tones for everyday wear I have a feeling Victoria trainers are poised to make serious waves in the months ahead Every great wardrobe starts with simple white trainers The gum-sole design ensures a comfortable stride Add a pop of colour to your summer rotation Style this with an all-black look for a sleek Chunky trainers are the easiest way to liven up a billowy cotton dress The rich navy shade makes this so easy to slip into a capsule wardrobe With an interest in uncovering the latest fashion trends, Natalie takes a leading role in identifying news for Who What Wear UK. Reporting on a daily basis, Natalie focuses on trends on and off the runway, as well as street style and celebrity fashion. Natalie also creates content for Who What Wear’s social channels including TikTok and Instagram on a weekly basis. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. and as time went on the queen was clearly envious of the popularity of the prince and princess of Wales but she took little trouble to see that she was The news of Gladstone’s defeat in 1874 delighted the queen “What an important turn the elections have taken,” she wrote temperamental and subsequently doctrinal differences with Gladstone helped make it easy for Disraeli to turn Victoria into a stout supporter of the Conservative Party Dear Janie,…I hope and trust the Government will be able to go on after the Election as change is so disagreeable and so bad for the country; but if it should not I wish the principal people of the Opposition should know there are certain things which I never can consent to.… for I never could have the slightest particle of confidence in Mr and dangerous conduct for the last three years After the blow fell with the Conservative Party’s defeat in 1880, Victoria sent for Lord Hartington Gladstone she could have nothing to do with for she considers his whole conduct since ’76 to have been one series of violent passionate invective against and abuse of Lord Beaconsfield Over the abandonment of Kandahar in Afghanistan Sir Henry Ponsonby had never seen her so angry: “The Queen has never before been treated,” she told him “with such want of respect and consideration in the forty three and a half years she has worn her thorny crown.” Victoria convinced herself that Gladstone’s government No one is more truly Liberal in her heart than the Queen, but she has always strongly deprecated the great tendency of the present Government to encourage instead of checking the stream of destructive democracy which has become so alarming.…She will not be a Sovereign of a Democratic Monarchy Victoria did act as an important mediating influence between the two houses to bring about the compromise that resulted in the third parliamentary Reform Act in 1884 Victoria never acclimatized herself to the effects of the new electorate on party organization No longer was the monarchy normally necessary as cabinet maker; yet the queen was reluctant to accept her more limited role in 1886 she sought to avoid a third Gladstone ministry by attempting to form an anti-Radical coalition A team from Florida has made the Stanley Cup Final in each of the past five seasons Elsewhere in the East, the Carolina Hurricanes head north to take on the Metropolitan Division-winning Washington Capitals Also on Tuesday night, the Edmonton Oilers will face the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference semifinals The Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets both advanced in dramatic fashion in Game 7s and will open their semifinals series on Wednesday Sean Allen (East) and Victoria Matiash (West) provide their best picks in each series along with picks for the Conn Smythe Trophy (playoffs MVP) All times ET. Odds accurate as of time of publication. For latest odds and markets, go to ESPN BET. Game 1 puck Line: Maple Leafs +1.5 (-265) Best bets: The Maple Leafs had some demons to exorcise in Round 1 and while it was touch and go for a few moments but this series should be about as good as we've come to expect .. and the difference is going to come in the margins Are the Maple Leafs' bottom six up to the task With the favored team by the oddsmakers actually being the road team for Game 1 there's an opportunity to let the Leafs have their home-game advantage but take the Panthers in the long run with enhanced odds The Maple Leafs to win Game 1 and lose the series checks in at +300 as opposed to the -175 odds for just taking the Panthers to win the series it's arguably worth taking on a series spread take as Panthers -1.5 series spread pushes the payout to +110 so long as they take care of business in six games or fewer I've got to stick to my guns in taking the Leafs to go all the way this season so I'm leaning the other way with the Maple Leafs to win Game 1 and win the series (+230) It feels like this Leafs team has a strong tailwind headed into Round 2 On the player front, Carter Verhaeghe has been a "Leafs killer" going back to when the Cats dispatched the Leafs in the 2023 playoffs (three goals in five games) Verhaeghe posted two goals and four points in four games and also managed an astronomical 25 total shot attempts (seven shots on goal five missed shots and 13 shot attempts blocked) He has pretty long odds in a lot of the player categories -- most goals in series (+1000) most shots on goal in series (+1000) and score a hat trick in any game (+1100) -- that dovetail with his history against Toronto the sportsbooks have the lower seed favored to take the series in this matchup which makes the Game 1/series winner combos more interesting I'd even lean the same way as the other series by nature taking the Capitals to win Game 1 and lose the series (+320) as a backdoor way to improve the odds of taking the Hurricanes to win The Caps and Canes split four games in the regular season, with the Hurricanes getting the slight edge for pushing one of their loses to a shootout. Alex Ovechkin played in three of the contests eight missed shots and 10 shot attempts blocked across four games If the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup, who wins the Conn Smythe? Sebastian Aho (14-1) is getting better as the playoffs get deeper scoring equal or more points in each subsequent game against the Devils The move to add Svechnikov to his wing only makes this top line more powerful and his proficiency for game-winning goals continues with an overtime game-winner in the first series Alex Ovechkin's odds didn't improve much between rounds but that's likely more to do with how likely the sportsbooks think the Capitals are to win the Cup no question -- their superior team defense goaltending and scoring depth should suffice in pushing Vegas through in six Eichel series total points over 6.5 (-125) is even more attractive especially if the series lasts at least six games the club's top center banged out 1.22 points per contest He also collected nine against the Oilers when they met up in the postseason two years ago how about Evan Bouchard to record 2+ shots on goal in each game (+320) Bouchard failed to register a minimum of a pair only once through six contests with the Kings a standout performer in the opening round -- and a big reason the Oilers are still playing -- the blue-liner is bound to continue peppering the net often enough checking off this box every single game is a bit of an ask That McDavid's odds dropped from +1600 since the launch of the first round speaks volumes Never mind that he's leading the league with 1.83 points per game or that he's the current favorite for the award How do you wager against the guy who won the honor when his team lost in last year's Final I'm sticking with the heart and soul of this Golden Knights squad One of the game's most effective two-way forwards Stone is expected to bring his best against Edmonton's two standout superstars If the Knights manage to hurdle the Oilers and eventually beat whoever emerges from the East it will be because of a superlative showing from one of the game's most well-rounded skaters Stars +1.5 (-325)Series winner: Stars (-165) Sign In Subscribe Now Mother's Day weekend is a time to celebrate womanhood take in the blooming gardens (and hopefully fantastic weather) Here are 10 fun ways to spend it across Greater Victoria from Langford to the seaside of Sidney.  Victoria Conservatory of Music Mother's Day Musical Garden Tour returns for 43rd year and families are invited to explore nine exquisite private gardens across Greater Victoria Live classical and contemporary music from students and faculty makes the tour a truly memorable outdoor experience All ticket proceeds support the conservatory Two-day passes are $45. The event runs Saturday, May 10 and Sunday, May 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Learn more at vcm.bc.ca/support/garden-tour Buccaneer Days brings carnival thrills to Esquimalt Phillips Brewing launches new pop-up food program Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. is partnering with local food brand Roast (previously at Victoria Public Market, which is closing) to open a new pop-up food program at Phillips Tasting Room. Together, they will pair fresh local food with locally made craft beer. The partnership kicks off Monday, May 12, and runs through September. Learn more at www.phillipsbeer.com/tasting-room.  Legally Blonde: The Musical delivers humour and heart at McPherson Playhouse takes charge as Legally Blonde: The Musical hits Victoria's McPherson Playhouse this musical follows Elle’s journey from the sunny California coast to the prestigious halls of Harvard delivering an unforgettable coming-of-age story Sarah Beckett Memorial Run – an opportunity to make a difference The Sarah Beckett Memorial Run is a 3km and 5km family run and walk raising money for local non-profit organizations in the Western Communities in southern Vancouver Island It's held annually in Langford in memory of Constable Sarah Beckett a West Shore RCMP officer who died in the line of duty in 2016.  Mother's Day Market at Langford Station has 20+ vendors sweet treats and a complimentary tea garden Free admission at Panorama Recreation and Green Glade Community Centre an international event created by the WHO to promote physical activity there will be free admission to drop-in programs at the Panorama Recreation Centre (1885 Forest Park Drive) and Green Glade Community Centre (2151 Lannon Way Enchantment brews at Metchosin Magickal Mother's Day Fair  Are you ready for an enchanting experience along with talented local artisans and bewitching metaphysical vendors Glow Gala at Delta Hotels supports resilient women and children The Choir YYJr performs inaugural concert with guests The Mini-Choir The Choir YYJr was born of the idea that young people who love to sing fun pop songs with friends might not find these opportunities at school or in more traditional choirs. Together with The Mini-Choir, an auditioned group directed by The Choirs YYJ director Marc Jenkins and accompanied by Layten Kramer on guitar they will present their first-ever concert on Saturday at the United Commons (932 Balmoral Rd.) in Victoria Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. We ask that you be respectful of others and their points of view, refrain from personal attacks and stay on topic. To learn about our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines as the middle of three children.  Her parents James and Erma Cruise (both deceased) provided a loving home for Vickie and her two brothers Vickie married Donald Mackey and shortly thereafter when Don went to work at the Lawrenceville Country Club.  Lawrenceville was their home for more than the next thirty years and where Vickie made many lifelong friends.  In 1987 Vickie gave birth to Donn Early Mackey who blessed her life until his early passing at age 2.  Vickie will be laid to rest beside her son For decades Vickie was a dedicated and respected employee of Golden Rule/United Healthcare where she worked as a health claims specialist.  United Healthcare was delighted when Vickie “retired” to Lake Placid in 2016 but agreed to keep working for them Vickie will be especially remembered for her kindness towards others and a smile and laugh that spread instant joy.  She was a devoted wife of 44 years to Don who deeply misses her.  Together she and Don made countless friends over the years as they supported the missions of the American Legion and Elks Club.  Vickie was also incredibly devoted to her beloved cat Vickie’s lifelong hobbies included shopping for clothes and Longaberger baskets.  Vickie’s beautiful outfits always included matching jewelry and lipstick.  She was beautiful inside and out Brian and Kevin; Jim (Jane) Cruise of Benton Kentucky; three grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren Funeral services will be Friday at 12:00 p.m at the Emmons-Macey & Steffey Funeral Home.  Visitation will be Friday morning from 11:00 a.m to 12:00 at the funeral home.  Burial will be in the May Chapel Cemetery By LAURA FOX FOR MAILONLINE and BETHAN EDWARDS FOR MAILONLINE David Beckham shared a sweet tribute to wife Victoria for 'always making him laugh' as he shared even more snaps from his star-studded 50th birthday bash Taking to Instagram to share a gallery of black and white images David couldn't contain his smile as wife Victoria gave an incredible speech he penned: 'Thank you for always laughing with me and at me' joined the couple at the top of the table and was seen beaming as her mum spoke The teenager looked stunning in an eye catching red satin gown and styled her blonde tresses in waves as she hugged her famous dad David Beckham shared a sweet tribute to wife Victoria for 'always making him laugh' as he shared even more snaps from his star-studded 50th birthday bash Taking to Instagram to share a gallery of images David couldn't contain his smile as he posed with wife Victoria at their London home ahead of the bash  The footballer celebrated the occasion with a glitzy party at London's Core restaurant in Notting Hill Eva Longoria and Guy Ritchie among those in attendance During the night Harper also stood up to share some 'special words' about David while youngest son Cruz performed a 'special surprise' song on his guitar cut a dapper figure in a tuxedo as he carried over David's favourite lemon drizzle cake Brooklyn missed out on David's early celebrations in Miami last month as well as parties in the Cotswolds, France, London and a boys fishing trip in Scotland last week. Elsewhere David shared sweet pictures with Gordon Ramsay, Gary Neville and David Gardner as they partied the night away until the early hours.  The former Manchester United star also joked alongside a picture with celebrity chef Gordon: 'Gordon even admitted I make a better risotto, unfortunately didn't get that on camera'.  While enjoying a drink with actor Tom, he penned: 'Nothing but smiles @tomcruise. Love you man. I think I might of mentioned being in the next mission impossible'.  As the night progress, Romeo was seen dancing with sister Harper before David twirled his daughter around the dancefloor.  Captioning the gallery of snaps, David said: 'OK OK I promise this was the last party. Feeling very lucky to round off an amazing week celebrating my 50th with incredible friends, I think you can tell by my smile I enjoyed this... During the night Harper also stood up to share some 'special words' about David  Meanwhile youngest son Cruz, 20, performed a 'special surprise' song on his guitar Second oldest son Romeo, 22, cut a dapper figure in a tuxedo as he carried over David's birthday cake, which was covered in candles The teenager looked stunning in an eye catching red satin gown and styled her blonde tresses in waves Romeo and Harper were seen dancing the night away  Harper beamed as she hugged her famous dad As the night progress, David twirled his daughter around the dancefloor David and Victoria posed at the lavish venue  'Thank you to everyone and especially my wife @victoriabeckham… We are still laughing and dancing after all these years ❤️' Victoria also shared a number of the snaps from the bash including a stunning one with daughter Harper and another with longtime best pal Eva She penned: 'So wonderful to round off an amazing week celebrating @davidbeckham at 50 with incredible friends 'Still laughing and dancing after all these years! But as the party continued at the restaurant into the early hours neighbours complained leading to a visit from two council officers at 3:35am An onlooker told The Sun: 'David's party really went off and the longer time went on 'Some neighbours weren't very happy when it was still so loud at 2am and leaned out windows to see where the racket was from.' Kensington and Chelsea Council told MailOnline that advice was given to minimise disruption and onlookers revealed that the music stopped immediately They said: 'We have a very responsive and professional team who investigate noise complaints and take action where necessary Harper and David hugged as they posed for a sweet photo together  David looked in food spirits while hitting the dancefloor and sipping on a glass of wine  The couple posed with Eva Longoria who stunned in a satin blue gown  The former Manchester United star also joked alongside a picture with celebrity chef Gordon: 'Gordon even admitted I make a better risotto I think I might of mentioned being in the next mission impossible' David enjoyed a lemon drizzle as his birthday cake  David beamed alongside longtime pal Gary Neville and David Gardner  David cut a dapper figure in a tuxedo complete with a white dinner jacket  The couple also beamed alongside Guy Ritchie  The gentleman dressed to impress with white dinner jackets and bow ties  Gordon and David beamed for a snap together  that means issuing some advice at a location so disruption is kept to a minimum for residents living nearby.' Representatives for the Beckhams have been contacted by MailOnline for comment Fashion designer Victoria wore one of her own brand dresses a strappy silk navy slip dress that touched the floor as she posed beside her beloved husband posed for one photo perched on the bonnet of a vintage 1972 Fiat 500 The car may have been an early birthday present for the footballing legend who previously drove around Italy with his sons in one of the cars last year While each of her three youngest children were tagged in the caption of the social media photo album she skipped Brooklyn despite usually writing something along the lines of 'missing you @brooklynbeckham' on previous occasions thank you for making my birthday so memorable,' also failing to mention his eldest son It was revealed exclusively by Mail+ this weekend that Brooklyn and his wife Nicola had skipped all of the events hosted by the family, leaving his parents heartbroken over the decision.  The attending members of the family gathered together from some seriously stylish snaps in the grounds of their £12million manor. Harper wore a similar dress to her mother, while her two brothers mimicked David in sharp suits for the swanky occasion. David's mother and father, Sandra and Ted, joined the family for another snap against the stunning backdrop of the countryside evening. It was exclusively reported over the weekend that David and Victoria's oldest son Brooklyn and his wife Nicola Peltz , 30, failed to attend any of his dads birthday events, with the reason behind their fallout revealed here by Mail+ Brooklyn missed out on David's early celebrations in Miami last month as well as parties in the Cotswolds (pictured), France, London and a boys fishing trip in Scotland last week The family also jetted to France to celebrate David's birthday over the weekend Brooklyn declined an invitation by his father to join him and his brothers on a 'boys' fishing trip to celebrate his 50th birthday A rare snap from inside the incredible home showed the family sat down around a huge dinner table together with David and Victoria leaning over to share a kiss Another celebration saw David enjoy a 'boys' fishing trip with sons Romeo and Cruz but Brooklyn had declined the invitation by his father The Mail can reveal that David invited his eldest son on short break six months ago when he began planning yet the 26-year-old failed to go despite arriving in the UK the day they went Sources suggest that Brooklyn's decision was influenced by his wife Nicola Peltz 'Brooklyn was asked to join them ages ago,' said one 'Then he came to London in time but he didn't go Once again David made the best of things and had a great time with Cruz and Romeo.' claims that Brooklyn and Nicola were rebuffed when they asked David and Victoria to celebrate David's birthday privately but were said to be untrue told US website TMZ that they wanted 'to get together privately' to avoid Romeo's girlfriend Kim Turnbull as the couple are said to 'have a problem' with her Kim didn't attend the family party in the Cotswolds last Wednesday Brooklyn and Nicola could have gone to that and avoided her David still offered an olive branch to his son as he shared snaps from the trip as he captioned one of his posts: 'You were missed @brooklynbeckham.'  The comments below have not been moderated By posting your comment you agree to our house rules Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here A suburban Australian mom is standing trial on charges of poisoning several of her estranged husband's relatives with death cap mushrooms at a home-cooked meal — killing three of them — in a case that has made headlines around the world The case against Erin Patterson opened in the Victoria state Supreme Court on Tuesday a town of less than 6,000 people some 85 miles from Melbourne who was separated from but on good terms with her husband Simon Patterson aunt and uncle over for an adults-only lunch ostensibly to discuss medical issues she was facing All four of Patterson's lunch guests were hospitalized with gastrointestinal symptoms the day after the meal all from altered liver function and multiple organ failure due to Amanita mushroom poisoning Prosecutors accuse Patterson of lying about a cancer diagnosis as a pretense for the lunch not eating the same dish as them and pretending to suffer similar symptoms afterward as an attempted cover-up "You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was one," prosecutor Nanette Rogers told the jury on Wednesday "The prosecution will not be suggesting that there was a particular motive to do what she did." Patterson has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder Patterson has repeatedly denied deliberately poisoning her guests Her legal team says she ate some of the meal herself and did genuinely get sick just not as severely as the others at the table "The defense case is that she didn't intend to cause anyone any harm on that day," her lawyer "The defense case is that what happened was a tragedy and a terrible accident." Mandy said Patterson admits to lying to police on two instances in the aftermath of the lunch: about owning a food dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms He said she admits to having foraged for mushrooms but "denies that she ever deliberately sought out death cap mushrooms." He said Patterson panicked after the lunch not because she knew she was guilty of murder — as the prosecution argues — but "because she was so overwhelmed by the fact that these four people had become so ill because of the food that she'd served to them." "Is it possible that people might do and say things that are not well thought out and might "Is it possible that a person might lie when they find out that people are seriously ill because of the food that they've served up The case is so high-profile that the 15-person jury — including three alternates — will be sequestered during deliberations "to protect them from any interference or outside pressure … and to safeguard the integrity of their verdicts," Justice Christopher Beale said on the first day Beale warned that the case is "likely to continue to attract a high level of media attention," and urged jurors to consider only the evidence presented at trial Erin and Simon Patterson met while working at the local city council, and got married in 2007. In the first days of the trial, Simon testified that Erin — who previously worked as an air traffic controller — took online classes and mostly worked as a homemaker during their marriage the two split up and reconciled multiple times over the years before permanently separating in 2015 He described their relationship as strained toward the end The two shared custody of their two children saw each other at church and even went on local and overseas family trips together Patterson also remained on amicable terms with her in-laws Simon said Patterson and his parents loved each other a retired schoolteacher with whom she shared a love of science said Simon noticed a "sustained change" in his relationship with Patterson in 2022: Patterson apparently said she would need to seek child support from him Their communication declined from that point on over issues related to child support payments Simon testified on Friday that they discussed the idea of bringing in a mediator in December 2022 Patterson invited Simon and several of his relatives over for lunch: his parents Patterson said the purpose of the lunch was to discuss some medical issues she was facing and seek advice on how to break it to her kids according to prosecutors — who say this was a pretense for the adults-only meal off for lunch and a movie with a friend before her guests came over Roger said the Wilkinsons were surprised by the invitation because they hadn't yet been to Patterson's house Simon testified that it was "very rare" for his wife to invite people over and that family gatherings usually happened at other relatives' homes Simon texted Patterson the day before the lunch saying he felt too uncomfortable to attend but was willing to discuss her health issues over the phone Patterson responded in a text that Simon read from the stand on Thursday she said she was disappointed and hoped he would change his mind "I've spent many hours this week preparing lunch for tomorrow which has been exhausting in light of the issues I'm facing and spent a small fortune on beef eye fillet to make beef Wellingtons because I wanted it to be a special meal as I may not be able to host a lunch like this again for some time," Patterson wrote "It's important to me that you're all there tomorrow and that I can have the conversations that I need to have." Prosecutors say Patterson showed her guests around before serving them at the dining room table She placed individual beef Wellingtons — a steak dish wrapped in pastry usually with a paste of finely chopped mushrooms — along with mashed potatoes and green beans on four large Prosecutors say the Wilkinsons finished their portion while Gail ate approximately half and gave the rest to her husband Donald "There was banter amongst them about how much they'd eaten," Rogers said Patterson told the group that she had been diagnosed with cancer after noticing a bump on her elbow and asked for advice on whether to tell her kids The group had a discussion and prayed for her the elder Pattersons and Wilkinsons started to feel sick that evening with diarrhea and vomiting throughout the night The couples realized they had the same symptoms after they talked on the phone the next morning The Pattersons called an ambulance to take them to a hospital while Simon Patterson took the Wilkinsons to another hospital Heather Wilkinson raised the subject of the different plates at lunch He said that his aunt said something to the effect of: "Is Erin short of crockery Is that why she would have this different kind of colored plate that she served herself with?" He replied at the time that Patterson didn't have many matching plates and might have just run out The patients were able to talk about their experience immediately after being admitted on July 30 told him about Patterson's cancer diagnosis from his hospital bed Donald was also able to give his medical history and recount the lunch to doctors who grew concerned that gastroenteritis was not the sole cause of his symptoms Multiple doctors and toxicologists discerned that their symptoms were indicative of "serious toxin syndrome caused by ingestion of amanita phalloides mushrooms," also known as death cap mushrooms Prosecutors say the patients were not immediately given the antidote because there was a lack of evidence to confirm that's what they had ingested and their conditions deteriorated over the following days even as they were treated Doctors concluded that the illness was "unsurvivable" for Heather Wilkinson Heather Wilkinson and Gail Patterson died on Aug and Donald Patterson died the following day 14 and discharged to rehabilitation on Sept police and Simon Patterson paint a picture of Erin Patterson's behavior in the hours and days after the lunch turned tragic Simon said the first he heard of her feeling unwell was the following morning when she said she'd had diarrhea since the previous night Prosecutors say Patterson was admitted to urgent care when the hospital learned she had been at the lunch but that she was adamant she would not stay She initially resisted treatment and at one point walked out against medical advice Patterson also pushed back against the idea of bringing her kids to the hospital which doctors recommended after learning that they had eaten leftovers Patterson said she had scraped off the pastry and mushrooms because they didn't like the vegetable Rogers said doctors remembered Patterson becoming emotional when asked to bring her kids in saying they didn't have symptoms and she didn't want to take them out of school "They did not eat the mushrooms," a doctor recalled her saying "I just don't want them to be panicked and stressed." Simon testified that he brought the kids to the hospital where they were kept overnight but found not to be ill He testified on Friday that Patterson "never actually asked" about how his hospitalized relatives were doing Patterson's doctors determined she was "moderately dehydrated and appeared to have a gastrointestinal-type illness" — but had "no clinical or biochemical evidence of amanita poisoning or other toxicological substance ingestion." She was discharged on Aug prosecutors had an intensive care specialist They said Bersten saw no evidence that she suffered an acute illness on July 30 or that she had been diagnosed with cancer in mid-2023 as she claimed The Victorian Cancer Registry — to which diagnoses are legally required to be reported — also said it has no record of it Death cap mushrooms — Amanita phalloides — are responsible for 90% of deaths by fungus "with half a cap or even less enough to kill a person," according to the U.K.'s Woodland Trust The Victorian government says symptoms — including diarrhea vomiting and stomach cramps — typically occur six to 24 hours after consumption usually in temperate forests or urban areas with exotic trees In April 2023, just months before Patterson had her relatives over for lunch, the Victoria Department of Health issued an advisory warning that death cap mushrooms were growing in the state a local pharmacist noticed death cap mushrooms growing under oak trees during a walk in the nearby township of Loch and documented them on a naturalist website Patterson allegedly purchased an electronic food dehydrator and — according to location data from her seized phones — and traveled to the area of Loch she denied owning a dehydrator and foraging for mushrooms In the immediate aftermath of the incident Patterson told doctors and investigators that she had used two kinds of mushrooms for her dish: fresh from the grocery store and dried from a Chinese grocer in the area As part of its investigation into the incident the Department of Health checked all Asian grocery stores in the surrounding suburbs Prosecutors say the health department was "unable to identify any store in the suburbs … that sold mushrooms as described by" Patterson Become an NPR sponsor A pair of Victoria hotels take the top two positions in the  2025 TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Awards – an honour that places them among the top one per cent of accommodations worldwide up from it second-place finish on the coveted list last year “Travellers' Choice is one of the most recognized and coveted awards in the travel space and it is truly valuable to us,” the hotel said in a social media post “This achievement would not have been possible without our dedicated staff whose hard work and passion have made this a reality We also want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our visitors and reviewers – your support and feedback inspire us to continue creating unforgettable experiences.” Tripadvisor calls Abigail's Hotel “a charming luxurious spot with a convenient location close to Victoria's Inner Harbour.” blends the romance of the past with modern comforts including high-end amenities Second place position on the “best of the best” list this year is held by Victoria neighbour Magnolia Hotel and Spa “This recognition is a reflection of the care and commitment our team brings to the guest experience every day,” general manager Bill Lewis said in a media release “We’re incredibly proud of our staff for their commitment and dedication and of our local ownership that has fostered a culture of excellence.” The hotel features 64 rooms and is known for its focus on service As a 100 per cent Vancouver Island-owned property Magnolia Hotel and Spa is committed to showcasing local artisans producers and experiences through its collection of curated trail maps.  In addition to this latest Tripadvisor award Magnolia Hotel and Spa was recognized in late 2024 with a Michelin One Key a distinction given to hotels offering a stay of notable character and quality It is also the only Vancouver Island hotel to be named to the Travel and Leisure 500 list for two consecutive years (2023 Spots three and four on the list were occupied by a pair of Vancouver establishments: the Wedgewood Hotel and Spa and the Loden Hotel Vancouver's Exchange Hotel slotted at number 6 and the Okanagan's Summerland Waterfront Resort & Spa was number 8 to round out B.C.'s contributions to the top 10 two resorts were also included in the Tripadvisor listings Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa took the eighth-place spot while Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos was ranked 11th.  Summerland Waterfront Resort and Spa received the Travelers’ Choice Award and Best of the Best Award and was named one of the Top 25 Hotels in Canada “We are beyond honoured to be recognized with these three prestigious Tripadvisor awards,” said Lisa Jaager “To be named among the top hotels in the country — and in the world — means that our guests see and appreciate the care our team puts into every stay.” A social media post from Watermark Beach Resort thanked visitors who left 4.9-star reviews on Tripadvisor We look forward to another amazing year ahead,” the post stated The Travellers’ Choice Awards are issued to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period fewer than one per cent achieve this milestone Find the full list at a tripadvisor.ca Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters About the Author: Greater Victoria News Staff The mother-daughter duo got dressed up for the designer's latest brand collaboration After tens of thousands of deaths, thousands of ships sunk the longest campaign of the Second World War came to an end 80 years ago cadets and members of the public commemorated the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic at the Victoria Cenotaph on the B.C with the sinking of SS Athenia by German submarine U-30 The campaign involved allied naval and air forces fighting against German and Italian submarines and aircraft to protect convoys of merchant ships carrying cargo from North America to Europe "Fought largely by reservists in small ships built in Canada and operating from Canadian bases the fledgling Royal Canadian Navy that entered the war in the fall of 1939 was very different from the force that would eventually escort almost 25,000 merchant vessels across the Atlantic throughout the campaign," said Capt the RCN had six destroyers and 3,500 personnel at the start of the battle and grew to 373 fighting ships by the end of the war The Royal Canadian Navy destroyed or shared in the destruction of 33 U-boats and 42 enemy surface craft the RCN suffered 2,210 fatalities and lost 33 vessels Canada's Merchant Navy lost almost 70 ships and 1,700 lives and the Royal Canadian Air Force lost 900 aircrews 95,000 Canadians fought in the 2,000-day struggle on the Atlantic front "Controlling these hostile sea lanes was key to the victory in Europe, and the fact that the victory was ultimately achieved is a tribute to the sailors and aircrew who persevered so that Canada could prosper and so future generations like ours can enjoy the freedoms that we know to this very day," said Whiteside The Battle of the Atlantic came to a close on May 8 with the unconditional surrender of German forces following the Battle of Berlin Sign up for a free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters Despite relentless commentary about the premier’s unpopularity the state swung even harder to Labor than in 2022 while the Liberal party blame game has begun If anyone is as happy as Anthony Albanese right now As the federal election results rolled in on Saturday night, one of the biggest surprises came in Victoria – where Labor defied months of grim predictions to strengthen its grip on the state Labor’s two-party-preferred vote in the state sits at 54.8 to 45.2 Labor not only held Aston – a seat in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs it won at a 2023 byelection but had written off this campaign pulling out resources weeks ago – but also won nearby Deakin and Menzies off the Liberals there wasn’t even a field organiser on the ground Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletter Other suburban seats targeted by the Liberals such as Chisholm, Dunkley and McEwen also swung further to Labor, while talk about strongholds such as Bruce, Hawke and Gorton being under threat proved to be rubbish. Read moreIt’s a devastating result for the Coalition in a state they desperately needed to turn around. At best, the Liberal party could emerge with just seven out of 38 across Victoria – as many seats as their Nationals partners. The Liberals didn’t see this coming – and neither did Labor. “We were expecting the Luftwaffe to come in and completely decimate us – instead, we got Dutton on a lame pony,” one senior Victorian Labor source said. “Their campaign was an absolute joke.” State Labor figures had braced for a swing away from the party – expecting a drop of between 1.5% to 2.5% while members of state caucus were questioning whether Allan’s leadership could survive a loss of more than three federal seats. A challenge was seen as inevitable if key seats fell. Such was the fear internally that Albanese appeared with Allan just once during the campaign. In the final fortnight, she held only two metropolitan press conferences, well away from the campaign trail – one at a Lego Star Wars exhibition, where she posed with Darth Vader, raising a few eyebrows. A Victorian Labor MP from her socialist left faction said the result should “put any leadership speculation to bed”. Read more“The hysteria around Jacinta’s leadership has been ridiculous,” another Labor MP said “It was unfair to tie her to the result of a federal poll then this result should shut her detractors up.” noting Victorians were able to differentiate between the state and federal government One MP said federal Labor’s funding commitments for suburban roads and Melbourne airport would have resonated with voters Another said the election was won on federal issues – tax cuts Medicare and the response to a second Trump presidency 2:25Australian federal election 2025 recap: Albanese wins Greens in the air – videoBut Allan wasn’t having it she went as far as crediting the result to “Victorian initiatives” such as investment in women’s health and free Tafe that have now been adopted federally “It demonstrates very clearly that federal and state Labor share the same values,” she told reporters To Allan and many of her MPs, the result was also a vindication of the Suburban Rail Loop – the state government’s flagship 90km underground line linking Cheltenham to Werribee. “Four elections now – it has been backed time and time again by the Victorian community,” Allan said, pointing to the results in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. Free daily newsletterOur Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what’s happening and why it matters Read moreOthers within Labor credited the result to strong support from Chinese Australian voters in the eastern suburbs – many of whom saw Peter Dutton as hostile to China “It had nothing to do with the SRL but it’s very politically advantageous for the premier to say that,” one federal Labor source said pointed to Bendigo – the premier’s home town where Labor MP Lisa Chesters suffered a swing of about 10% – as evidence not all is well But those close to the premier argue if she can navigate a difficult state budget later this month she will get to preside over the long-awaited openings of two major infrastructure projects – the Metro Tunnel and the West Gate Tunnel – giving her a real chance to build lasting momentum The real crisis now lies with the Liberal party the same issues that plagued previous elections keep resurfacing: poor candidate selection little engagement with women and an obsession with culture wars and fringe issues “Victoria is not a conservative state,” one Liberal MP said “When are they going to get that into their heads?” Another said the Liberals had failed to attract young voters: “My daughter said she woke up on Sunday to the promise of 20% less Hecs debt Liberal strategist turned pollster Tony Barry laid the blame squarely at the feet of the Victorian division calling it a “broken institution” that sabotaged its own campaign The party’s internal turmoil stretches back to 2023 when then leader John Pesutto led the push to expel Moira Deeming from the party room – a move that triggered a defamation suit Deeming later won The party’s new leader, Brad Battin, may have attempted to distance himself from Dutton during the campaign but he reignited party’s internal war by promoting Deeming as his “representative to the western suburbs” just days before pre-polling began. Read moreUnlike their federal counterparts a handful of moderates remain in the Victorian Liberal party room But they fear if Pesutto is bankrupted due to the legal costs of the defamation case the party could be forced into a byelection in Hawthorn – a seat he only narrowly won back in 2022 after campaigning on his plans to restore small-l liberal values has shown little sign of unifying a fractured base reconnecting with inner-city voters or winning back women He also failed to front up to media on Sunday to explain the federal result – a silence that left his MPs frustrated His team insists new policy is coming this week – well ahead of the November 2026 state election But that can’t be the only lesson the state Liberals take from the federal poll The state has increased availability of medical and surgical abortions – but a recent symposium has heard affordability and some doctors’ reluctance are halting progress there’s little to suggest anything out of the ordinary – no protests But stream of women – and a few men – are making their way inside for what is “How extraordinary it is,” says former Victorian health minister and MC Jill Hennessy, “to come to a symposium about abortion as healthcare in the state of Victoria [and] that this isn’t some secret meeting held down in an underground tunnel where women plot to ensure our health rights are recognised.” Sign up for Guardian Australia’s Afternoon Update email newsletter but the message is clear: even in Victoria where abortion laws are considered among the most progressive in the country “We must be alert to complacency,” the state’s health minister A report by the not-for-profit Women’s Health Victoria, published last year, found 53 out of Victoria’s 79 local government areas in 2023 had no surgical abortion provider, and 15 had no medical abortion provider. only 17% of Victorian GPs provided access to medical abortions and 19% of pharmacies in the state dispensed the medication Those figures have increased significantly since national restrictions on MS-2 Step head of Monash University’s department of general practice and the SPHERE Centre for Research Excellence in women’s sexual and reproductive health “Since deregulation of medical abortion happened in 2023 we’ve had almost three times as many GPS and twice as many pharmacists [across Australia] provide medical abortion for the first time,” she says almost a third of Australian women – and half of those in remote areas – lived in regions where MS-2 Step was not available because it hadn’t been prescribed by a local GP In Victoria, medical abortions can be administered up to nine weeks’ gestation, while surgical abortions can be performed up to 24 weeks Mazza is advocating to extend access to medical abortion from nine to 10 weeks’ gestation A submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration by Marie Stopes International is now under way During her regular visits to public hospitals Thomas has also taken the direct approach of asking whether they provide abortion care “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many have said yes,” she says It’s a contrast with New South Wales, where just three of the state’s 220 public hospitals are routinely providing abortions, according to research by the University of Sydney. But while these changes mark progress, speakers at the symposium are clear that change on the ground is often slower and uneven. Read moreCarolyn Mogharbel, manager of 1800 My Options – a free, anonymous phone line run by Women’s Health Victoria that has fielded over 40,000 calls since launching in 2018 – says affordability remains one of the biggest barriers. “In the past year, 35 to 40% of people of our callers don’t have the means to pay for their sexual and reproductive health services,” she says, up from previous figures of 20 to 30%. Many callers can’t afford to attend a private clinic, pay for a dating scan – typically about $200 – or even for a GP consultation to get a prescription. The total cost, she says, can exceed $1,000, not including time off work, travel costs or childcare. Mogharbel shared the story of a caller who, at 11 weeks pregnant, had been referred to five different metropolitan hospitals. Only the fifth hospital said they provided abortions, but told her they wouldn’t be able to see her before she passed their 12-week gestational limit. Another caller, a 19-year-old, was told by her family GP she would “regret” her decision and should consider “the joys of parenthood”. “The doctor, who had watched her grow up, said they were really looking forward to watching this next generation grow up too,” Mogharbel says. A second GP referred her to a clinic that said it would cost $600 for a termination. a nurse practitioner with Latrobe Community Health says Victoria should be “the shining light of the whole world” for abortion access Bateman says only a “minuscule percentage of them” offer abortion care Bateman says some delay patients with ultrasounds – despite clinical guidelines stating that they are not always required. Others invoke the state’s conscientious objection laws – which require doctors with moral objections to refer patients elsewhere Bateman says the laws are “not working” and are “being used as a cover” Lily McAuliffe, co-founder of peer support network The Abortion Project says the need for care after an abortion procedure is often overlooked she felt isolated and overwhelmed after her own abortion “It was a really messy grey area,” she says where abortion is publicly funded via the NHS with centralised data collection and a target of a one-week wait time between initial consultation and procedure GPs are paid €450 to provide medical abortion and ultrasounds are free through private radiology clinics when required is of “a future with fewer unplanned pregnancies every child a wanted child” and equitable access to abortion at no cost This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Victoria Sands ’24 had a special homecoming April 4 when she returned to USC Upstate for her commissioning has been living in Tennessee with her boyfriend and children since graduating She joined the ranks of second lieutenant in the U.S Glenn Davis of USC Upstate’s National Security and Government Institute (NSGI) administered the oath of office and pinned the second lieutenant bars to her daughter’s uniform Also present were Sands’ sister; Hannah Terpack director of Career Management; several military personnel; and NSGI staff Returning to Upstate for the ceremony was especially meaningful for Sands who said her college experience “transformed the way I look at life.” who opened my eyes to a larger perspective of the world with each and every organization I joined,” Sands said “Helping others through inspiration was always my goal I am able to keep an open mind for new ways I can uplift and positively grow my community and beyond.” who served as a chancellor’s ambassador while a student said getting involved and forming relationships with people were a critical part of her college experience “To anyone considering attending USC Upstate: You will get so much more out of college when you take the time to get to know the driving forces here and they have done very unique and cool things in their lives I am a new person and would not be where I am today without the experiences had at USC Upstate.” Find more photos from the commissioning on Flickr ROME - Canada's Victoria Mboko advanced to the second round of qualifying at the Italian Open WTA 1000 tennis tournament with a 6-3 6-2 win over 17th-seed Cristina Bucsa of Spain on Monday The 18-year-old from Toronto fired seven aces on the clay courts in Rome and broke Bucsa five times on 10 chances to wrap up the win in one hour 14 minutes Mboko will next face ninth seed Kamilla Rakhimova of Russia for the chance to advance to her second career 1000-level main draw She advanced to the second round of the Miami Open in March largely playing on the lower-tier ITF World Tour 6-4 to 10th-seed Emiliana Arango of Colombia with Arango converting nine break points to Stakusic's seven This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Per her wish the rite of cremation will be accorded and a celebration of her life will be held at a later date Memorials may be made to your favorite animal shelter a daughter of Louis Ray and Inez JoAnn (Wolf) Feuerbach Vicki had been a supervisor for Hardee’s for almost 30 years going on road trips with her sister Marcia and eating breakfast at Harlan’s or Village Inn Vicki was an assistant leader in their Girl Scout troop Those left to honor her memory include her husband Randy; daughter Brenda (Kirk) Goodson-Knott of Virginia Beach VA; grandson Troy Miceli of Virginia Beach; siblings Marcia Zeigler of Davenport Nancy (Heidi Lievens) Turkle of Davenport; many loving extended family members; a host of friends made over the years; and her beloved long-haired dachshund “Oscar.” She was preceded in death by her parents and infant brother Jeffrey Online remembrances may be expressed at www.hmdfuneralhome.com This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Fareed asks former State Department senior official Victoria Nuland about the hopes for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia — and whether Kyiv can count on lasting security '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Hampton - Victoria "Vicki" Mary Wijeyesinghe, 61 of Hampton, NH, passed away peacefully at her home on Thursday, March 20, 2025, surrounded by her family. Vicki was born on January 16, 1964, in Albany, NY, the compassionate daughter of Ralph... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Victoria Mary Wijeyesinghe created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Hampton - Victoria "Vicki" Mary Wijeyesinghe Made with love by funeralOne Sparks Police say negotiators contacted the armed subject and they peacefully exited the building The incident happened at an apartment complex near Victorian Square The Sparks Police Department says 1400 Avenue of the Oaks was blocked off due to a report of shots fired that happened around 3 a.m Police reopened the road just before 11 a.m. SPD says they originally got a call of several people fighting at that address but when officers got there they heard several gunshots and immediately secured the scene The Sparks SWAT Team and Hostage Negotiators then contacted the armed subject and they peacefully exited the apartment They say the subject is now cooperating with the investigation Sparks Police is asking for anyone who may have witnessed this incident or has further information Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device Trade the fast-paced Seattle scene for Victorian charm and whisk away to wellness in British Columbia's capital city on the coast Get ready for a taste of England and memories that'll last a lifetime You find yourself pulled in many directions from corralling little ones and just getting out the door on time.. to everything in between that life throws at you But you wouldn’t miss these moments for anything (well and those moments of togetherness become all the more precious That’s why a weekend getaway with my favorite girl felt like the perfect remedy to reconnect And what better way to do just that than a quick jaunt to the enchanting city of Victoria, British Columbia? My recent two-night three-day escape with my daughter to the iconic Empress Hotel was nothing short of magical To shorten our travel time from living outside of Seattle, our adventure began with a sleepover at Hotel Five It’s located right on 5th Avenue, underneath the monorail, providing an easy walk to the 5th Avenue Theatre where we took in the hysterically funny (I mean which would become home for a couple blissful nights Victoria itself exudes a timeless charm with its meticulously manicured gardens After a seamless check-in at Canada's "Castle on the Coast," our first afternoon was dedicated to soaking it all in The idea of wellness takes many forms; we may nourish our bodies, rejuvenate our minds, and nurture our souls. Our first afternoon in Victoria started by filling up our creativity and curiosity with a self-guided walk to the home of Emily Carr, one of Canada's most beloved artists There is no charge to wander the halls or climb the stairs to her bedroom Carr (1871-1945) was a pivotal figure in Canadian art celebrated for her modernist and post-impressionist depictions of the Indigenous peoples and landscapes of British Columbia Her bold brushstrokes and spiritual connection to the land broke many barriers in style and composition Her work continues to inspire generations of artists and fans past heritage homes and vibrant gardens of Carr's childhood She returned here over and over again to her beloved Victoria A statue of Carr and her pet monkey Woo sits on the Empress' front corner Remember that feeling of pure joy as a kid with the wind rushing through your hair as you zoomed down the streets of your neighborhood? Well, that feeling still exists. Channel your childlike self and hop on an e-bike with The Pedaler tours It's the perfect way to get around this charming town and experience the sights firsthand who gave us a brief rundown on biking the city as well as the historical sites we would be visiting our friendly guide led us up Granville Street and through the bustling energy of Chinatown we ducked down the hidden and iconic Fantan Alley with its vibrant red lanterns and quaint shops who rode his motorcycle through it in the 1990 film a Scottish baronial mansion with a fascinating history of intrigue and paused at the serene Ross Bay Cemetery a Victorian-era resting place with stunning ocean views Our ride culminated in a relaxing loop through Beacon Hill Park a sprawling green oasis with breathtaking vistas of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Olympic Mountains The park is home to the tallest totem pole we looked up to see a bald eagle sitting on top Ben assured us this was a sign of extreme good luck Pro tip: The e-bike tour lasts approximately two hours and suits riders of all skill levels No mother-daughter getaway is complete without a bit of pampering. Returning from our romp around the town on two wheels, our afternoon was dedicated to pure indulgence, starting with a delightful experience at the charming Pendray Inn & Tea House What could be more quintessentially British than an afternoon tea The tradition began in the late 19th century with Anna Russell The concept of a light meal of tea and snacks quickly grew in popularity becoming more or less a cultural phenomenon As we settled in, we looked over the two menus. The first devoted itself to the extensive selections of teas, from classic black teas like Earl Grey to herbal, white and green teas, such as Matcha and Gunpowder Green. I selected Gen Mai Cha from the locally owned Silk Road Teas nutty flavor felt as warming as the sun shining through the glass panes over our table After ordering a Vegan Tea for me and a West Coast Tea for my daughter we both sipped from our floral-patterned cups and chatted about our morning bike ride Starting with a savory sandwich of cucumber and lemon-dill vegan cream cheese I moved on to the tier of scones accompanied by homemade berry jam Making sure to leave room for the top tier of petite desserts My eye was on the Scotch Crème Brûlée Tart (how they made that vegan is a proprietary secret My daughter's tray held other delicacies of the sea All the seafood products used at Pendray are 100% Ocean Wise certified meaning you can be assured of a sustainable and ocean-friendly choice Her sandwich choices included Baked Albacore Tuna Terrine with Macarons and Tiramisu among her dessert selections a couple of rejuvenating facials at their luxurious Fairmont Spa awaited us They tailored their Signature Facial to our specific skin type needs Emerging with refreshed skin and a renewed sense of calm Then the ultimate wellness experience arrived the following afternoon at HAVN Nordic Spa. Perched overlooking the Inner Harbour this retired military vessel turned urban oasis offered a three-hour journey through hot pools Soaking in the warm waters overlooking the bay Think rooftop vibes with lush greenery and repurposed cedar surrounding you The perfect mix of urban and nature invites you to pause A Foodie Feast for the Senses (and Palate) and we sampled its diverse culinary scene through a plant-based lens But this city offers up tastes for every palate turning old favorites like mac-n-cheese into creative and satisfying dishes no stay at the Empress is complete without experiencing the refined elegance of The Q at the Empress where we enjoyed a memorable breakfast with impeccable service and delectable cuisine If you're looking for the ultimate mother-daughter bonding sesh you are queen (or king) for the duration of your stay Escape the everyday and treat yourselves to this charming getaway and already planning your next adventure in Victoria MaryRose Denton is a freelance contributor for Seattle Refined. While the products, services and/or accommodations in this story were provided without charge, the opinions within are those of the author and the Seattle Refined editorial board. The City of Sparks will close a section of Victorian Avenue for this weekend's Cinco De Mayo event.  Closures begin Friday at 2 a.m. and will last until Tuesday at 6 a.m. The City of Sparks will close a section of Victorian Avenue during the Cinco De Mayo event on Saturday and Sunday, May 3-4. For the safety of participants, the following closures will be in place from Friday, May 2, at 2:00 a.m. to Tuesday, May 6, at 6:00 a.m. * Victorian Avenue from Victorian Plaza Circle West to Victorian Plaza Circle East. * Victorian Plaza and Avenue of the Oaks in front of the Galaxy Theater, one block east and one block west. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. One thing that remains largely unchanged from that era is the designer’s enthusiasm for bodycon dresses Victoria Beckham at the Marc Jacobs spring summer 2008 show Victoria Beckham at the 2007 MTV Movie Awards This was a dress so sinuous it could have doubled as a Marvel costume Much like Kim Kardashian in beige shapewear or Justin Bieber in oversized loungewear these particular designs have become an irrefutable uniform for the formidable Victoria Beckham Celebrities have long taken ownership of an aesthetic to codify who they are and what they’re about—and the designer’s bone-clinging dresses are a symbol as recognizable as the black-out sunglasses that typically shield her face There is a quiet power in wearing a variation on a theme in knowing yourself enough to resist the ebbs and flows of the trend cycle and in becoming the embodiment of the brand you brought to market I Just Got Back From L.A. and Everyone Was Wearing Autry Medalist Low Sneakers Amal Clooney Is All About Rib-Grazing Denim for Spring How to Dress Like the Olsen Twins This Spring and Summer 2025 Rihanna Dresses Cozy and Classic to Solo Dine at Her Favorite Restaurant Sign up for Vogue Shopping to receive the insider’s guide to what to shop and how to wear it Listen to The Run-Through with Vogue a weekly podcast featuring the most exciting stories and hot takes from the worlds of culture Never miss a Vogue moment and get unlimited digital access for just $2 $1 per month as well as new features like our Runway Genius quiz Explore the Runway Image Archive where you can access over 1.2 million runway images from past and present fashion shows. This article features Stats Insider's best betting tips for the Azarenka vs Osorio match along with the latest betting odds in Australia Using trusted machine learning and data, Stats Insider has simulated the result of Wednesday's Azarenka-Osorio women's singles match 10,000 times Our leading predictive analytics model gives Osorio a 53% chance of beating Azarenka at the WTA Italian Open tournament The latest betting odds in Australia for Wednesday's WTA Italian Open match between Azarenka and Osorio are listed below: Odds are correct at the time of publication and subject to change TAB currently has Azarenka at $2.00 and Osorio at $1.80 TAB currently has odds for Azarenka to win the first set at $2.10 and odds for Osorio to win the first set at $1.72 Today's Victoria Azarenka vs Camila Osorio betting tips are based on complex modelling and betting experience to help you place better bets with your chosen online bookie While Osorio is more likely to win the first set on this occassion our suggested bet of Osorio ($1.83) is based on the expectation of that happening Stats Insider provides full coverage of the Victoria Azarenka vs Camila Osorio match at the WTA Italian Open tournament including data-driven predictions and expert tips so keep checking this article for the latest betting tips before the Azarenka-Osorio match at the WTA Italian Open event As always, see our Best Bets for betting tips on every tennis match plus predictions for a wide range of other sports The 2025 WTA Italian Open match between Victoria Azarenka and Camila Osorio is scheduled to begin at 6:00pm AEST All dates and times in this article are in Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) Our Victoria Azarenka vs Camila Osorio predictions are based on 10,000 data-driven simulations of the game, carefully curated by our team of expert data scientists and analysts. We use the latest in predictive analytics technology and machine learning to ensure our tennis tips are accurate and reliable giving you the confidence to make informed decisions If you choose to use our predictions for betting purposes, it's crucial that you gamble responsibly and keep track of your money. For free and confidential support, call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au Stats Insider is your home for betting on tennis in Australia, with the latest tennis betting news, predictions for every tennis match, and our in-house approach to accurately ranking the world's top 100 men's and women's players. Australia's leading predictive analytics website offers Australian sports fans innovative tools and content to enhance their enjoyment of major sporting events both domestically and internationally Our goal is to transform the sports fan experience by providing readily accessible data-driven content for sports enthusiasts like us © 2015-2025 Hypometer Technologies Pty Ltd (ABN 78 609 507 744) Proudly part of Cipher Sports Technology Group The newest Tommy's Express Car Wash opened its doors Wednesday April 30 with a special appearance by some Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders It is the fifth Tommy's Express in El Paso and part of a national car wash franchise The other locations are: 11330 Montwood Drive A franchise representative said three others are under development, including one at North Loop and Yarbrough drives, where investigator Jay J Armes had his home and property All locations nationwide have a dual belt conveyor system Self-service interior vacuuming and car mat washing is available on site Outlet Shoppes at El Paso welcomes Dickies Pandora and Victoria's SecretThe Outlet Shoppes at El Paso is welcoming three new tenants to its property: Dickies Dickies and Pandora opened in March and Victoria's Secret is set to open in May “It’s always a pleasure to welcome new stores into our expanding shopping center,” General Manager Carlos Rodriguez said in a press release “The arrival of such esteemed brands in a short timeframe is not only exhilarating for The Outlet Shoppes but also a fantastic opportunity for our community and shoppers.” Dickies takes up 3,200 square feet in Suite C-354 Pandora unveiled its 2,100-square-foot store in space D-446 between Psycho Bunny and Perry Ellis Victoria's Secret will occupy a spacious 5,966 sq alongside the new Coach and Ann Taylor stores including custom water creations and bubble walls The luxurious venue with built-in screens and sound system is being built by El Paso businessman Miguel Mercado and his wife Sandra at 5020 N who has a background in building aquariums and outdoor water features will include aquariums in the interior design Breath-taking features include a 20-foot-long aquatic-themed bar wall aquarium and a 12-foot illuminated bubble table built for unforgettable moments "We wanted to design and build a venue like no other our sister company specializes in architectural water features and custom aquariums - so we decided to marry both ideas and create this one-of-a-kind venue," Miguel Mercado said His other company takes jobs outside of El Paso in hotels The plan is to open the venue in mid-May and make it available for all types of events from weddings and quinceaňeras to corporate events The couple also has plans to open a second venue with a tropical More: El Paso's 17 longest-operating restaurants: From upscale dining to beloved spots María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky as the Victoria Beer Society (VBS) board of directors has announced the cancellation of this year’s Langford Beer Festival and the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria the challenges facing events and the craft beer industry as a whole are no secret increased competition and other challenges,” the VBS board said in a press release issued May 1.  we’ve made the difficult decision to pause the Langford Beer Festival and the Great Canadian Beer Festival in 2025 we’re focusing our efforts on crafting a financially sustainable path forward for these two flagship events in the future.” VBS board member Joe Wiebe explained that despite last year's lively festivals attendance has been quietly seeing a downturn since the COVID-19 pandemic With a large expense necessary to host the events, VBS was not confident this year's editions would see the turnout necessary to justify their cost.  "Festivals have become more difficult to run in light of the economics and the fact that people aren't spending as much money on attending events," said Wiebe who explained that it was also becoming more difficult to attract breweries.  "There used to be far more breweries interested in our events than we could even accommodate so it was easy to fill all the spots. Whereas now we weren't even able to get as many breweries to participate at the Great Canadian Beer Festival as we had room for."  The news comes after VBS celebrated the 10th edition of Victoria Beer Week and the 30th anniversary of the Great Canadian Beer Festival just last year The VBS team expressed deep thanks to supporters over the years who helped make the festivals a success “These achievements were only possible thanks to the dedication of our small team the countless hours of community volunteers and the unwavering support of all the breweries and cideries who partnered with us,” the VBS said “We look forward to celebrating craft beer culture together with you again in the future.” While VBS doesn't have much on the agenda for this upcoming summer it still hopes to participate in local events through its beer truck.  there remains some hope among the board that the festivals can return in the future.  "We are basically looking at how we can make a plan for the future and who will take that on and what will have to happen to make us feel more confident so that we can do it again We will be talking to our partners in the city and to Tourism Victoria to see if there are any ways we can get some help moving forward," said Wiebe.  "The Great Canadian Beer Festival has a long legacy of 30 years but we definitely thought it was a great event So I think cautiously optimistic that we can bring them back next year would be a good way to put it."  Cole Reschny and Keaton Verhoeff didn’t just show up – they showed out The pair of Victoria Royals standouts made a clear impact on the world stage this weekend helping Canada claim gold at the 2025 IIHF U18 World Championship in stunning fashion The golden moment for 🇨🇦’s 26 CHLers at the #U18MensWorlds! 🥇 pic.twitter.com/uDegbvKAWW With a 7–0 rout of Sweden in Saturday’s final Canada capped off an undefeated run and secured back-to-back U18 titles for the first time in program history The Canadians were relentless from puck drop to final buzzer controlling play from start to finish and outshooting the Swedes 42–28 Canadian goaltender Jack Ivankovic stopped every shot he faced notching his second shutout of the tournament and anchoring a complete team effort that saw 14 skaters register at least one point It was a gold medal game that left no doubt with six different players finding the back of the net Xavier Villeneuve opened the scoring just over four minutes in and precision overwhelmed a Swedish team that has medalled in seven straight tournaments but looked overmatched in every zone on this night Few players left a bigger mark than Reschny and Verhoeff Both joined Team Canada after the Royals were eliminated by Spokane in the second round of the WHL playoffs and both wasted little time proving they belonged Their performances not only helped secure gold but likely earned them serious consideration for spots at the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship in Minneapolis and St Paul – the biggest stage in the world for under-20 players wore an ‘A’ on his sweater just as he does in Victoria and played a key leadership role he still racked up five goals and three assists in six appearances finishing with a +8 rating and tying for 11th in tournament scoring He was named one of Canada’s top three players alongside Ivankovic and Seattle Thunderbirds forward Braeden Cootes "It was very special to win with a very special group We knew what we had in mind when we came to this tournament and to be able to do that is pretty special," Reschny said I think (Sweden) thought it was going to be a bit easier than it was the youngest player on Canada’s roster at just 16 The smooth-skating blueliner finished with five points in five games – a goal and four assists – and a +6 rating while logging steady Head coach Cory Stillman praised the group for their progression and composure crediting their gold-medal performance as their best of the tournament “It’s been a long season for these guys and you always want to finish the season with a championship with your club team you get to represent your country and that’s pretty special Tonight was the best game we played and we came out winners.” Canada’s path to gold included wins over Slovakia They edged Czechia 3-2 in overtime in the quarterfinals and blanked Slovakia 4-0 in the semis to reach the final along with one silver and four bronze medals But few will shine quite like this one – not just because they won slid by Slovakia 4-3 as they claimed a medal in their fourth straight tournament.  By KATIE HIND CONSULTANT EDITOR SHOWBUSINESS it has been their greatest wish that she would once again take part in a reunion nothing short of relentless: from begging her in their joint WhatsApp group to placing pleas in the press - and even trying to get her husband So it may come as a surprise that, as the band are busily trying to put together another reunion tour there is still one name missing from the line-up: Victoria So what’s the reason for her being left out of the band’s current project which they hope will culminate into a string of concerts across the globe next year The reason can be boiled down to two simple words: Simon Fuller It’s all in the hope that the foursome can embark on a potentially lucrative tour to mark the 30th anniversary of their 1996 debut single while the others have been able to put their differences behind them and husband David have both fallen out with the music mogul Since Victoria Beckham last joined the Spice Girls on stage for the London 2012 Olympics Closing Ceremony (above) as the band are busily trying to put together another reunion tour While the others have been able to put their differences behind them Victoria and husband David (right) have both fallen out with music mogul Simon Fuller (left) relations between the trio became so bad that both Beckhams bought themselves out of their contracts with Simon’s XIX Entertainment in 2018 ‘The Spice Girls working with Fuller means that there is absolutely no way that Victoria will be involved at all,’ said one source close to the band ‘It feels rather bizarre that they would beg Victoria for years and years to join them and now they have him on board Maybe they thought there would be no point as the Beckhams and Fuller no longer have a relationship what this does mean is there is zero chance that Victoria will be involved they know that too so they didn’t even bother asking her now they are back with Fuller.’ I revealed back in 2018 that David was to part ways with Fuller after more than 15 years of working with him He and Victoria paid around £38million for Fuller’s 33 per cent stake in the former England footballer’s businesses, which gave the Beckhams full control of Beckham Brand Holdings, which includes a stake in the US-based football club Inter Miami FC Sources close to both men said at the time there had been some ‘issues’ between them and their once close friendship had very much come to an end Katie Hind revealed back in 2018 that David was to part ways with Fuller (above) after more than 15 years of working with him He and Victoria paid around £38million for Fuller’s 33 per cent stake in the former England footballer’s businesses which gave the Beckhams full control of Beckham Brand Holdings which includes a stake in the US-based football club Inter Miami FC While he remains a shareholder in her fashion label there is no love lost between the Beckhams and Fuller - so much so that they put the kibosh on him managing their youngest son Cruz whom they had hoped would become a pop star in his own right Sources close to the couple say they opted instead for Scooter Braun, 38, the man behind Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, in a bid to ensure that Cruz had someone ‘younger and fresher’ to manage him but various things happened between the Beckhams and Fuller,’ a source told me ‘David and Victoria wanted out and Simon didn’t exactly make it easy ‘They got there in the end and there has been no looking back ‘The Spice Girls will know this and have obviously taken their chances and gone with Simon because the other girls didn’t ever think much of him either.’ Even some of Fuller’s own staff were taken aback when he jetted in from Los Angeles to cheer the band on for the opening night of their last reunion tour at Dublin’s Croke Park stadium in 2019 Because while he may have catapulted the group to global fame back in the mid-90s they ditched Fuller for those 2019 gigs in which they appeared as a foursome amid suggestions that he was ‘too old fashioned’ to mastermind their comeback the London-based firm that managed the likes of One Direction and Little Mix there is no love lost between the Beckhams and Fuller - so much so that they put the kibosh on him managing their youngest son Cruz (above) While Fuller may have catapulted the Spice Girls to global fame back in the mid-90s they ditched him for those 2019 gigs in which they appeared as a foursome Adding to the surprise of Fuller - ‘yesterday’s man’ as some in their circle dubbed him - being back at the helm is also the years-long on/off animosity between him and the Spice Girls Not to mention the fall outs that have also occurred between the girls themselves ‘They ditched Fuller last time as they thought he was out of touch and not the right person to make their tour work It was pretty brutal but they didn’t want him involved then ‘They have spent months trying to find a new manager but the job is a nightmare particularly because of the turbulent friendship between Mel B and Geri So what should have been seen as a great job is actually very hard because of the constant warring between them ‘Now they have found their way back to Fuller and it all feels very dire You can’t help but think that this is all going to end in tears.’ Indeed, without his management, the last tour did well, selling 700,000 tickets across 13 sold-out stadium shows in the UK and Ireland, making each Spice Girl £4.4million each But after months of trying - and failing - to find a manager in a bid to recreate that success the fact that Fuller has been asked to oversee the new reunion tour may illustrate how keen some of the group are on making yet another comeback Mel C has been hinting at plans for a 2026 reunion she said: ‘We have to do something special I can’t say too much but we are talking about things But Geri stayed more coy when asked last week about a reunion She said: ‘I love the Spice Girls as a movement the tribe of us and the individual members.’ selling 700,000 tickets across 13 sold-out stadium shows in the UK and Ireland It was revealed this week that Fuller and Geri are to meet up on Sunday Geri’s husband Christian Horner is the boss of Formula 1 racing team Red Bull, while Simon is a huge fan and a regular in the pit lane at grand prix around the world. This weekend they will come face to face at the Miami race as Fuller has an invitation from Red Bull the reality is that even Geri’s participation in the reunion appeared to be touch and go for a while but now looks to be on a relatively firmer footing I’m told the scandal engulfing her husband who accused of misconduct by a team employee apparently sending her sexually suggestive messages with the publication of her children’s books Geri appears to again be enjoying a taste of fame and those close to the band suggest her taste for the limelight has returned Geri’s fall-out with Mel B remains an issue: the two women had a monumental fallout after Mel B told Piers Morgan in a 2019 television interview that she had had an intimate relationship with Geri in the band’s early days for which Mel has apparently never apologised Geri’s husband Christian Horner (right) is the boss of Formula 1 racing team Red Bull while Simon is a huge fan and a regular in the pit lane at grand prix around the world - this weekend they will come face to face at the Miami race as Fuller has an invitation from Red Bull This alone would make for a bumpy return to the road for the tour ‘There are times when the two of them haven’t been able to be in the same room,’ said a Spice Girls insider ‘They have had some crazy fall outs which is really hard for the others ‘If they can pull this tour off it will be nothing short of a miracle.’ one can only imagine that rather than feeling upset at being left out Victoria Hospice’s annual Hike for Hospice returned to Willows Park in Oak Bay on Sunday in support of end-of-life care and grief services drew more than 100 participants who walked through Oak Bay to honour loved ones and support hospice programs Event organizer Carley Gibson said this year’s event raised nearly $60,000 – and counting All funds raised will support Victoria Hospice’s palliative and end-of-life care services “We also have a bereavement support centre out on Chatterton and they run workshops,” she said “They’ve got counsellors for people dealing with grief after their loved ones have passed as well as a specialized child and youth counsellor.  “We also have our spiritual health coordinator and a music therapy program as well.” speeches and a moment of silence to honour loved ones Dialogue and debate are integral to a free society and we welcome and encourage you to share your views on the issues of the day. 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