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By James Cooney for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 00:04 EST, March 10, 2024 | Updated: 00:32 EST, March 10, 2024

By Charlotte Karp for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 5:05 PM EST, February 26, 2024 | Updated: 6:38 PM EST, February 26, 2024

By Jimmy Briggs for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 11:36 PM EST, February 24, 2024 | Updated: 00:59 EST, February 25, 2024

A woman has been forced to give up her Taylor Swift Eras experience after being offered a life-saving kidney transplant.

On the way to Swift’s show in Sydney on Friday, Queensland mother Tamara Gray received a life-changing phone call.

“I got a call from the hospital saying they had a kidney,” she said 9News.

The 35-year-old, who was listed for a kidney transplant, never expected she would receive a donation as she headed to Gold Coast Airport to catch her plane to Sydney.

“I’m not going to lie, there was a split second when I considered saying no [to the kidney]but you know what, I’m not crazy,” she said.

Tamara has IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disease that affects the kidneys, and needs to spend 15 hours a week on dialysis.

The Swiftie said the timing of the call had been miraculous.

Her flight was delayed and she was about to board a plane to Sydney when she got the call.

“If I was on that flight I would have missed the call and I only have 30 minutes to respond or they will move on to the next recipient.”

Her friends attended the concert without her, but she says there is no bad blood between them.

It comes as Taylor made a terminally ill nine-year-old girl’s dream come true on Friday.

During the first of her shows in Sydney during her Eras tour, Swift chose young Scarlett, who is battling an aggressive form of brain cancer, as the recipient of her signature ’22’ fedora.

Taylor has established a tradition of giving a signed hat to a lucky fan in the crowd while she sings her song, 22.

Earlier on Friday, Scarlett’s stepmother Natalie had posted on social media that it was her stepdaughter’s wish to meet Taylor.

“Scarlett received a ‘wish’ from the Make A Wish Foundation and her wish was to meet Taylor Swift,” Natalie wrote in the post.

“Unfortunately, they told us this wasn’t possible, so through the power of social media and some generous people, we made it possible to attend the concert and received tickets.”

She then shared a photo of Scarlett, who has only 12 to 18 months to live, holding a poster that read, “Taylor, can I please have the 22 hat?”

Later during the concert, the young girl’s wish was Taylor’s command.

The singer invited Scarlett on stage, hugged her as she handed over the fedora and then tenderly kissed her hands.

Footage of the moment was shared on social media and many fans expressed their joy at the heartwarming scene.

“Sobbing,” one wrote, while another posted a series of crying emojis.

‘It’s the best!! She so deserves it!!” said another Swiftie.

“Aw, they picked the right Swiftie,” wrote another, while another declared: “Not even there and me and my sister are in tears.”

‘Looking my eyes out. So precious!’ another expressed.

Swift will perform four shows in Sydney until Monday, February 26.

Pink was reportedly denied entry to a famous Australian dockside club during an awkward encounter during her latest tour Down Under.

The American superstar, 44, is said to have visited the Manly Skiff Club with a party of about eight people on Monday evening but was turned away at the door.

Pink, whose real name is Alecia Beth Moore, was reportedly refused entry to the popular harborside venue because she didn't bring ID.

Manly Market Manager, Mark Eymes, witnessed the encounter while queuing with his cousin, and quickly realized it was Pink as she spoke with an American accent.

He told the Male observer that he heard her tell the staff she had a booking, but they said she couldn't get in without showing ID, according to Australian rules.

He shared, “They said she couldn't come in without it [her ID]even though she explained that she had already secured her booking with a deposit.'

He said he tried to help by informing the Skiff Club directors and floor manager that Pink was at the entrance and about to be turned away, but to no avail.

“The next moment I saw P!NK and her group walking away, they just locked her out,” he said.

Despite the awkward blunder, Mark insisted she “didn't throw her weight around” and that she was “really nice” even though she couldn't enjoy her evening at the venue.

He added: “Not once did she throw her weight around, she was really nice despite being a bit upset that she couldn't get in, it was just such a shame and I felt a bit embarrassed that there no solution could be found.'

Matt Hazell, secretary manager of the Manly Skiff Club, told Daily Mail Australia: 'The club deeply regrets any inconvenience caused to P!NK, her family and friends during her recent visit to the club.

'We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding surrounding the identity requirement and will use the incident to improve our processes in the future.'

Under the Registered Clubs Act 1976, visitors to clubs are required to present appropriate identification to gain entry to the venues.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted representatives for Pink and the Manly Skiff Club for comment.

Pink, who considers Australia a 'second home', is currently Down Under for her Summer Carnival tour, which kicked off in Sydney on Friday evening.

She has been exploring with her husband Carey Hart and their children Willow, 12, and Jameson, seven, surprising Australians with their peaceful outings.

The So What hitmaker shocked a community theater group in Sydney earlier this week when she made a surprise visit to watch their musical performance.

She made a very unexpected appearance with her family to watch PACA Sydney's final performance of In The Heights at Chatswood Concourse, and reportedly even paid for their own tickets.

A video the theater group shared on Instagram showed the performers going crazy when Pink came to talk to them backstage after the show.

The group cheered and gasped when she walked in, gushing over the show, “That was so hard to sit in, I was like, 'I want to dance too!'

Pink said, “That was so good, you guys are so good! Thanks, that was great. Willow really wants to be in theater, so this was a lot of fun.”

Alongside the video, the theater group shouted: 'What a way to end our show! Thank you to special guest @pink for coming and supporting our show! What a night.'

Pink also laughed at snapshots with members of the theater group and is said to have given the performance a 'standing ovation'.

PACA Sydney added: “Pink to have you watch our show and give us a standing ovation was truly indescribable! I have no words to describe this feeling.'

Choreographer and event coordinator Janina Hamerlok told the story Daily telegram about Pink's visit: 'She was very sweet and very down to earth.

“She complimented several of our lead actors individually and said she felt the production was a huge tribute to the actual Latino community on which the musical is based.

'She was one of the first in the audience to give a standing ovation at the end of the performance. It was a moment to remember for most of the cast and also for myself, who has always been a lifelong, die-hard fan.”

Pink reportedly bought tickets in the top floor clothing circle, but she and her family were moved to house seats normally reserved for the production team when staff recognized her.

Tickets for the show – which lasted two weeks – reportedly cost $68.95 for an adult, $57.95 for a junior or $220 for a family of four.

Pink will travel the country for a series of shows on her Australian tour before ending in Queensland on March 23.

Pink was born and raised in the United States but has become an 'honorary Australia' after breaking records for concert and album sales Down Under.

According to a report in New idea Pink hopes to start a 'new chapter' in Australia with her family last year and is considering setting up a 'base' Down Under.

She has long considered Australia a second home and said she was “exploring” possible citizenship in February 2023.

“Australia will be such a special time. Setting up their long-awaited dream base Down Under, where they can escape the winter months, is just what the doctor ordered,” said an insider.

“Last year I was thinking about applying for citizenship, I'm not even kidding,” she said on 60 Minutes.

Pink added that she told her husband Carey Hart that they had to move with their children Willow, 12, and Jameson, seven.

“I was like, if we're going somewhere, Carey, that's where we're going. So I was kind of looking for it,” she added.

More than 32 years after one of the most dramatic arrests Australia has ever seen, the man taken into custody has revealed all was not as it seemed.

The legendary bust of the 'juicy Chinese meal' took place on October 11, 1991 and was filmed by a Channel 7 news crew who had been tipped off to it.

“Gentlemen, this is a manifesto of democracy,” shouted small-time crook and part-time actor Jack Karlson as police tried to get him into a police car.

“Get your hand off my penis,” he continued as he was surrounded by officers outside a Chinese restaurant in Brisbane.

But almost a third of a century later, Karlson has revealed that no one actually grabbed his penis that day – he made it up for show.

In an interview with New Zealand comedian and TV personality Guy Williams, Karlson was asked why he claimed his penis was touched by a police officer.

“Because I'm being arrested,” he said. “You should be able to say things like that, shouldn't you?”

In the original video, which has been viewed millions of times on YouTube, Karlson yelled at police more like a Shakespearean actor than a man arrested on suspicion of credit card fraud.

'What's the charge? Eating a meal? A juicy Chinese meal,” he said.

“Ooh, that's a nice headlock, sir. Ah yes, I see you know judo well.'

Karlson looked at the camera and claimed the arrest was a “manifesto of democracy.”

Nearly 33 years later, Karlson spoke about the experience.

“I probably thought that demonstration about democracy: there it is again,” he said.

'They do the same thing over and over again. The police come in with guns and handcuffs. I thought: let's make a show of it.'

Karlson was also asked about the long-held rumor that part of the reason for his tirade during his arrest was that he was trying to be committed to an insane asylum.

“Oh, that's what I said. Yes,” he admitted.

'You said that to the ABC. Were you talking,” Williams asked.

'Yes. Of course,” Karlson replied, his deep actor's voice still sounding good.

As it turns out, the arrest that made him famous was a case of mistaken identity, but the minute-long clip has since become the subject of countless memes and even has its own Wikipedia page.

The story behind it has now been told in a book called Carnage: A Succulent Chinese Meal, Mr Rent-a-Kill and the Australian Manson Murders, by journalist Mark Dapin.

Dapin, the author of two previous investigations into true crimes of armed robbers and fugitives, describes Karlson as “absolutely the most interesting crime I've ever encountered.”

Karlson is a talented painter and actor who starred in a music video for punk rock band The Chats and appeared as an extra in classic Australian television dramas Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police.

He has been held in prisons in Brisbane (Boggo Road), Sydney (Parramatta, Long Bay) and Melbourne (Pentridge) and has escaped from custody three times.

But he has never lost his desire and ability to create a scene when the opportunity presents itself.

An Australian charity worker has revealed how scammers withdrew $120,000 from his bank account while he was camping with no phone reception.

Armen Arakelian, a volunteer firefighter who works with conservation charity Back to the Bush, was on a Christmas trip near the Snowy Mountains in NSW when the fraudsters struck.

They 'ported' his phone number to one of their own devices – a process where scammers pose as a phone owner and transfer the number to a new telecom provider.

This allowed them to get two-factor authentication codes into his account and the entire $120,000 was transferred in 50 transactions in a few days, all while Mr. Arakelian was unaware.

When he got back on the phone and discovered the theft, he immediately alerted his bank HSBC, but he claims they asked him to sign a form stating he had approved the transactions and absolving them of any liability.

Mr Arakelian told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Thursday that the scammers had taken the money from a mortgage account.

“The $120,000 isn't even in my own savings. Try to find someone with that much money, it's all beyond my credit limit,” he said.

“It's actually a debt I owe to the bank with interest and the bank already sent me something yesterday saying I'm late on the interest payments.”

Mr Arakelian said he explained what had happened, but the bank insisted he was 'overdue' and owed the money immediately.

'There are two ways these thefts happen. Either people are scammed by voluntarily or unintentionally disclosing account information because they are being misled.

'Or vice versa, there is real fraud, involving unauthorized transactions.

“There is an e-payment code that determines who is liable in these situations and I am a victim of true fraud because these transactions occurred without my involvement or knowledge and I had no part in them.”

Mr Arkelian claimed HSBC 'unethically' tried to get him to sign a document saying he had carried out the transactions.

“So it's easier for them to say later that you made the transactions so we don't refund you,” he said.

When asked what his telecoms company Optus said on the number porting issue, Mr Arakelian said he was “picking his battles” and currently had his hands full with HSBC.

“At this point, HSBC is liable because these were unauthorized transactions,” he said.

'I have never clicked on suspicious links or given out my password.

'I am the last person who would fall victim to such a fraud, but it shows that everyone is at risk and you never know when they will strike.

“They hit me at noon on Boxing Day, so even if I wasn't camping, I would have gotten up the next day and tens of thousands of dollars would already be gone.”

A spokesperson for HSBC said the bank does not discuss individual cases for privacy reasons.

“HSBC takes customer safety seriously and we investigate all reported customer issues, with the outcome depending on each set of circumstances,” he said.

'The bank is investing heavily to protect our customers and is playing our part in supporting the wider financial services sector in this area.'

The bank said it has advice available online and in its branches to educate customers on how to reduce their chances of falling victim to scams.

It is also working with the Australian Banking Association on industry-wide methods to combat scammers.

According to the ACCC, this particular scam is becoming increasingly common.

'Scammers transfer mobile services from one provider to another to steal your identity and your money. This is called mobile porting fraud,” the ACCC said.

'Scammers can also contact your existing provider and ask to swap the SIM card so they can take over your service and steal your money. This is called SIM swap fraud.

'Your service provider must follow rules to protect you from scammers. They must verify your identity before transferring your telephone, mobile or internet subscription.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted HSBC, Optus and Mr Arakelian for comment.

Australian motorists could start stocking up on thirsty cars and big four-wheel drive vehicles ahead of tougher fuel efficiency standards, a climate expert has warned.

Even before Labor's latest announcement, less fuel-efficient vehicles with consumption of more than eight liters per 100km were the bestsellers.

All were available as diesels with the torque to tow a boat or caravan, and are a lot more capable than existing heavy-battery electric vehicles.

The Ford Ranger, Australia's best-seller of 2023, returned to No. 1 in January with 4,747 sales, data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries showed.

The Toyota HiLux, Australia's annual bestseller from 2016 to 2022, ranked second with 4,092 monthly sales, followed by the Toyota LandCruiser in third with 2,541 sales and the Isuzu D-Max in fourth with 2,541 orders.

Brian Fisher, chief executive of BAEconomics, which has advised the United Nations on climate change, said motorists concerned about new fuel efficiency standards could start stockpiling utes and large four-wheel drive vehicles in the next nine months.

“If they think there are going to be shortages of certain types of vehicles then there is an incentive for people to bring forward the purchase,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I think that will happen. If we start to see those kinds of effects, we'll see it in the next six to nine months.”

Minister of Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen and Secretary of Transportation Catherine King on Sunday announced a new vehicle efficiency standard based on the U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards.

Since the mid-1970s, these US regulations have required car companies to ensure that their fleets of new vehicles meet a fuel efficiency target on average.

From 2026, the fleet will have to average 49 miles per gallon or 4.8 liters per 100 km.

The giant Ford F-Series pickup was last year's U.S. bestseller, despite the F-150 model getting just 20 miles per gallon, or 12 liters per 100 km.

If a US fuel efficiency policy were introduced in Australia, car companies would be punished if they relied too heavily on large car sales.

“You can offset sales of large vehicles with sales of more efficient vehicles, and that's probably the way it will work in Australia,” Mr Fisher said.

“If you can't settle, you have to pay the fine.”

Manufacturers can offset emissions from larger vehicles by selling more smaller cars or developing hybrid or battery-electric versions of utes and four-wheel drive.

This would be part of Labour's plans to cut carbon emissions by 43 percent by 2030.

“With these emissions standards biting into the end of the decade, given the extent to which the government is talking about reducing emissions, it almost seems like you're going to have to see a very substantial electrification of the entire fleet to meet those standards.” said.

“I don't see how you can achieve this goal without substantial electrification of the fleet.”

Mr Fisher said this could mean Ford would completely reconsider importing the Ford F-150 pickup unless only the all-electric Lightning version was sold.

“I would have thought there should be less incentive for them to do that now,” he said.

Labor plans to introduce an Australian New Vehicle Efficiency Standard from January 1, 2025, with a plan to catch up with US regulations by 2028.

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development argued in a frequently asked questions section that Australian motorists could continue to buy four-wheel drive and cars “that can tow my trailer and boat”.

'Yes. A New Vehicle Efficiency Standard allows suppliers to choose how they meet the emissions reduction target,” the report said.

'In other countries with a new vehicle efficiency standard, 4WDs and utes are still widely available.'

But the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries warned last year, in response to proposed fuel efficiency legislation, that electric vehicles would have a lower payload than existing diesel engines that can typically carry more than a tonne.

The car industry lobby group argued that heavy electric batteries would compromise carrying capacity.

“The above-mentioned use case of light commercial vehicles and their payload requirements make it more challenging to electrify their powertrain,” the report said.

“The mass of traction batteries and other EV hardware detracts from the payload available for commercial purposes.”

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By Shayne Bugden for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 00:26 EST, February 1, 2024 | Updated: 01:58 EST, February 1, 2024

 

 

By Monique Friedlander for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 5:00 PM EST, January 30, 2024 | Updated: 5:23 PM EST, January 30, 2024