• Despite high interest rates, a resilient economy created more jobs than expected

By Neirin Gray Desai Consumer reporter for Dailymail.Com

Published: 09:08 EST, March 8, 2024 | Updated: 09:14 EST, March 8, 2024

Taylor Swift may have just dropped her biggest clue as to when she'll announce Reputation (Taylor's version) – and Swifties are ready.

Fans online pointed out that Swift, 34, was recently released from the archives in November 2017 Instagram post with the original cover art for Reputation, with the caption: “3 days to #reputation.” The discovery was made three days before the 2024 Grammy Awards, leading Swifties to believe she would announce her fifth re-recorded album at the awards ceremony (which she will attend).

Swift announced her plans to re-record her first six albums in 2019 after her former record label, Big Machine, sold her master recordings to music manager Scooter Braun. She released her first re-recording, Fearless (Taylor's version)in 2021 and has since released new versions of Red, Speak now And 1989. Reputation and her 2006 self-titled debut album are the last two albums in her re-recording lineup.

Swift has dropped several hints about it Reputation (TV) the past months. Some suspected that Swift would announce the album in December 2023 after noticing a clock in her TIME Person of the year 2023 mosaic portrait was placed next to a snake and pointed to the numbers 12 and 7. At the time, the theory was supported by the fact that the singer “Rep memories” Instagram Story Highlights started on December 7, 2017.

Lots of Swift Reputation (TV) hints have come through her fashion choices. In September 2023, she stepped out in a sexy black dress with gold accents at the MTV Video Music Awards, wearing a color palette similar to the one she highlighted during her original show. Reputation era.

While you're having dinner with a friend Blake Lively last month, Swift channeled her inner snake by wearing a green velvet dress and brown snake-pattern boots. She also covered up a red sweater with a black peacoat with gold buttons as she gave her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight support Travis Kelceduring the AFC Championship Game against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, January 28.

Swift is no stranger to dropping album announcements at awards shows, as she announced her 10th studio album, Midnightswhile accepting Video of the Year at the 2022 VMAs. However, some fans still believe Reputation (TV) announcement could come during the next international leg of The Eras tourwhich starts on February 7 in Tokyo, Japan.

Since the beginning of The Eras tour by March 2023, Swift has performed every performance Reputation song except 'I Did Something Bad'. Considering Swift has previously announced Speak Now (TV) And 1989 (television) During her secret song portion of the show, several Swifties think the song is being saved for a while Reputation (TV) announcement.

In her TIME Person of the year 2023 profileSwift called the upcoming album “a goth-punk moment of female rage at being besieged by an entire social structure,” adding that Reputation (TV)'s vault traces are 'fire'.

Swift then compared releasing her re-recorded albums to “collecting horcruxes,” referring to the Harry Potter series. 'I collect Infinity Stones [from the Marvel Cinematic Universe]” she added. “Every time I release a new one, Gandalf's voice is in my head.”

A volcano in Iceland could blow lava ‘for weeks’ an expert has warned, as fears are mounting that an eruption could be ‘imminent’ with 2,800 tremors recorded in the last day.

The Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula, the youngest part of Iceland, threatens to ‘obliterate’ the town of Grindavik, with 4,000 residents evacuated after a state of emergency was declared on Friday.

‘We are really concerned about all the houses and the infrastructure in the area,’ Vidir Reynisson, head of Iceland’s Civil Protection and Emergency Management said.

‘The magma is now at a very shallow depth, so we’re expecting an eruption within a couple of hours at the shortest, but at least within a couple of days.’

Molten magma has been accumulating three miles under Grindavik, and now experts have said that a ‘corridor’, around nine miles long (15km), has developed beneath the town – with a volcanic eruption possible anywhere along the intrusion.

Reynisson said that the most likely scenario would be the fissure opening causing an eruption somewhere around Grindavik.

‘We have a fissure that’s about 15 kilometres long, and anywhere on that fissure we can see that an eruption could happen,’ he said.

Icelanders are ‘essentially just waiting’, local journalist Holmfridur Gisladottir told Sky News after hundreds of tremors struck the island overnight.

A looming eruption has revived the trauma of the 2010 explosion at another of Iceland’s volcanoes, Eyjafjallajokull, for many locals.

It produced a huge cloud of ash which prompted the biggest shutdown of global aviation since the World War II – with 50,000 flights were cancelled and eight million passengers impacted.

Discussing the differences between a potential eruption of Fagradalsfjall and Eyjafjallajokull, an Iceland Met Office official said an eruption could see lava spew over the town but was less likely to cause the same ash blast.

Matthew James Roberts, the managing director of the service and research division told BBC R4’s Today Programme: ‘First of all there isn’t an ice cap on top and it’s not a stratovolcano so wouldn’t be an explosive blast of volcanic ash into the atmosphere.

‘This would be a lava-producing volcanic eruption along a series of fishers and that would be the main hazard.

‘Blowing lava an eruption that persists for weeks possible and that means roads and other forms of infrastructure could be eventually in harm’s way.’

Resident Ragga Ágústdóttir, who lives close to Grinvadik, warned that the ‘town could be destroyed’.

‘The scenario on the table now is that it will happen in or just north of the town of Grindavik. There’s no good option here,’ she said.

Pictures have shown gaping chasms opening up around the town, with roads wrecked, pavements ripped apart, and land slipping at a golf course. 

All roads leading to the town are reportedly closed, while the roads to Iceland’s international airports in the north of the peninsula remain open.

Iceland’s former President, Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, drew attention to a series of earthquakes close to the island of Eldey off the Reykjanes peninsula.

Taking to X this morning, he said the activity could see an eruption ‘on the seabed, adding a powerful dimension to the uncertainty.’

Thorvaldur Thordarson, professor of volcanology at the University of Iceland, told state broadcaster RUV at the weekend: ‘I don’t think it’s long before an eruption, hours or a few days. The chance of an eruption has increased significantly,’ 

Police evacuated Grindavik after seismic activity in the area moved south towards the town, with a corridor of magma, or semi-molten rock, thought to be extending under the community, Iceland’s Meteorological Office said.

Locals in the area were given just 15 minutes to return and gather their pets and essentials after they evacuated their homes.

Mr Gunnarsson, a music composer, said: ‘At around four on Friday, (the earthquakes) just started being non-stop. Just constant big quakes for hours.

‘First and foremost, the thought that you might never see your hometown ever again, that’s tough.

‘We all rushed out of (Grindavik) so quickly, in a matter of hours, so we didn’t really think at the time that might possibly be the last time we see our home, so that’s been difficult.

‘It’s a pretty grim situation at the moment.’

Residents who fled their homes were allowed back ‘quickly’ to collect the bare essentials.

Civil Defence were awaiting a risk assessment but were able to let a small number of Grindavík locals back into their homes.

The people were allowed to collect their things for between fifteen to 30 minutes, accompanied by responders, one street at a time.

Many pets were left behind in the evacuation, so this plan allowed owners to bring their beloved animals to safety. 

Ms McLean, an artist, added that the situation has been ‘difficult’ for people to understand.

She said: ‘I think it’s difficult for the residents to really process that.

‘I think everyone’s still a wee bit shocked and it’s not really sinking in there is a possibility they’re not going to be able to go home.’

Ms McLean has urged volcano enthusiasts to avoid the area and ‘be respectful’ to people whose homes have been affected.

She said: ‘I would definitely say there’s been quite a lot of people wanting to fly over (to Iceland), like people that are interested in volcanoes and lava.

‘They’re trying to keep tourists away because there’s been people already trying to fly drones over the town.

‘I understand for a lot of people this is a big spectacle, but these people are losing their homes potentially, so just to be respectful.’

Mr Gunnarsson said the earthquakes on Friday were the worst he has experienced.

He said: ‘Not even the search and rescue are really going (to the town) at the moment.

‘The uncertainty is too high and it’s ready to pop at any moment, the eruption.’

The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, said on Thursday it would close until November 16 due to the risk of an eruption.

Iceland declared a state of emergency on Friday after a series of earthquakes rocked the country’s southwestern Reykjanes peninsula, where the capital of Reykjavik is located.

The mayor of Grindavik Fannar Jónasson was giving a live interview to Icelandic TV when he was interrupted by a tremor.

Mr Jónasson was speaking to news outlet Fréttastofa RÚV on Friday, November 10 when suddenly the camera began to shake.

He stopped mid-sentence and the building in the background could also be seen shaking.

Nearly 800 quakes were recorded between midnight and 2pm on Friday with the shallowest depth at between 1.86 to 2.18miles, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said.

Magma is a mixture of molten and semi-molten rock found beneath the surface of the Earth that can cause an eruption when it comes to the surface, becoming lava.

The Civil Protection Agency said: ‘Earthquakes may become bigger than those that have already occurred, and this sequence of events could lead to an eruption.

‘However, there are still no signs that the magma is nearing the surface. Its progress is being closely monitored.

‘We want to reiterate that residents MUST evacuate their homes and leave the town. 

‘But we also want to reiterate that this is not an emergency evacuation, there is plenty of time to prepare, secure things and drive out of town calmly.

‘It is clear that we are dealing with events that we Icelanders have not experienced before, at least not since the eruption in Vestmannaeyjar. We faced that together, we will face this together and we will not lose heart.’

The UK Foreign Office has warned the public that a volcanic eruption is increasingly likely.

The official statement read: ‘Earthquakes and indications of volcanic activity have increased above normal levels on the Reykjanes peninsula, southwest of Reykjavik.

‘The Icelandic authorities continue to monitor the area closely, particularly the area northwest of Mt Thorbjörn near the Svartsengi power plant and the Blue Lagoon.

‘On 10 November, a Civil Protection Alert was declared after an intense swarm of earthquakes.

‘The town of Grindavik was evacuated as a precaution. Some roads have been closed and visitors are advised to stay away from the area.

‘Keflavik International Airport is operating as normal. While there is no current eruption, it is increasingly possible that one could occur.’

Since airlines and holiday companies will continue as normal, travellers should not expect to change their plans.

But the UK foreign office has warned travellers that ‘no travel can be guaranteed safe’.

An ‘attorney’ Leah McSweeney has shared a provocative selfie following the news that she has filed a discrimination complaint against Bravo.

The star, 41, shared a sexy photo with the powerful caption: “In my healing, in love, unbreakable, unwavering, shame free, lawyer, down to earth AF, bad ass vulnerable bitch era.”

She wore a plunging black dress with her hair glamorously done in a messy updo and a single ring falling down her face.

Leah made no secret of how much she looks forward to moving her legal battle against Bravo forward with her statement.

One fan said, “I miss you on RHONY. Read Vanity Fair. I wish you $$ in a lawsuit. You deserve better from antagonist @bravotv producers!’

She responded with the cutting response: “thank you, appreciate you. I’m really looking forward to the explanations :).”

Leah filed a discrimination complaint with Bravo earlier this year, claiming she had to miss her grandmother’s funeral due to filming commitments.

A lawsuit filed by McSweeney is said to be imminent Page six.

An insider told the outlet that Leah plans to go ‘all the way’ with Bravo and has no plans to reach a settlement.

“She doesn’t want any money through a settlement,” the insider says. “She wants a trial. She wants [Bravo execs] before a jury.”

The lawsuit is said to contain “sordid details” that the network will not be able to hide as these will be detailed in court documents.

“She wants to hold them accountable, but she also wants to move on,” the source added.

DailyMail.com has reached out to representatives from Bravo parent company NBCUniversal and McSweeney for comment.

The star is the latest to speak out against Bravo, after Vanity Fair released a “deep-rooted” investigation into the television network’s relationship with the Real Housewives franchise stars.

McSweeney reportedly filed a discrimination complaint with the EEOC against Bravo after filming Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip (RHUGT) earlier this year.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Bravo representatives who were thus far unavailable for comment.

One of her complaints is that she had to miss her grandmother’s funeral due to a conflict with a RHUGT trip to the Hamptons.

A production source said Vanity fair that the Married to the Mob alum was offered “any day or time.” [she] need[ed] be with [her] grandmother,” McSweeney claims this did not happen.

“It hurt so bad I couldn’t grieve,” she noted. “That I had people who showed me no compassion or humanity about it.”

Her grandmother’s death sent her into a major depressive episode and she spent eight days in a mental institution.

McSweeney was also deeply affected when RHONY producers told her that viewers didn’t find her as likable sober as when she was drinking.

Specifically, McSweeney claims she was told there was such a big difference between the two [her] when [she was] drinking versus this season.”

She had been sober for nine years before relapsing in 2020.

McSweeney quit RHONY, but later signed for RHUGT for $250,000 and found her fellow cast members encouraged her to drink.

‘I wish you still drank. That’s it,” Marysol Patton admitted to texting McSweeney before the trip to Thailand.

Meanwhile, Gizelle Bryant asked her, “If you drank this week, would that be a bad thing?”

An attorney for Bravo denied the fashion designer’s claims of discrimination.

“Production spent endless amounts of time accommodating her,” the attorney told Vanity Fair.

Support was reportedly offered for McSweeney’s “perceived disabilities,” citing her battle with drug and alcohol addiction.

The lawyer went on to say that McSweeney was offered support for her problems, but the reality TV star believes those offers were “refused” or were not “offered in good faith.”

A leading entrepreneur has warned that Australia is on the verge of financial collapse due to a housing bubble similar to the one that crippled the US economy in 2008, and relying on surging immigration to prevent it from bursting.

Matt Barrie, founder and CEO of staffing agency Freelancer.com, outlined a terrifying list of factors that he claimed would soon plunge Australia into economic collapse.

He said the rising cost of living, resulting hikes in interest rates and rising mortgage payments were some of the worrying signs of impending financial disaster.

Mr Barrie compared Australia’s current economic climate to the global financial crisis triggered by the 2008 housing collapse in America, when reckless lending and risk-taking by banks drove house prices up and then inevitably crashed.

“It’s exactly the global financial crisis that we saw in America, happening here in Australia today,” he told the Australian online broadcaster ADH TV.

Mr Barrie, who rose to national prominence for opposing Sydney’s exclusion laws in 2016, said every Australian realizes that ‘something is terribly wrong in this country’ as mortgages, bills and the cost of living skyrocket.

He said Australian workers have been forced to take out huge mortgages because of extraordinary house prices, which have been pushed higher and higher by importing more and more people to support rising demand.

“The only reason house prices are rising is because we’re bringing more people into the country,” he added.

Nearly half a million immigrants are expected to come to Australia this year as overseas students, temporary visa holders and working holidaymakers return.

The average house price in Australia rose by a whopping $8,500 in the March quarter to $896,000.

The average property price in NSW is $1,150,400, which remains the highest in the country, followed by the ACT ($951,800) and Victoria ($898,300), according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

As a result, young people entering the housing market must take on extraordinary debt to buy their first home, making them highly vulnerable to rising interest rates.

Mr Barrie said Australian household debt is now double that of the US, ‘a country you would normally associate with credit cards and debt’.

“Households are on the verge of breaking through and mortgages are skyrocketing,” he said.

As rates rise, discretionary spending falls as intended as the Reserve Bank tries to bring inflation under control, but some analysts fear it could go too far and plunge the country into recession as spending dries up and companies go bankrupt to go.

The outspoken tech CEO warned Australia would see a “full replay of The Big Short movie.”

The Big Short documents some of the events leading up to the global financial crisis of 2008, in which a select group of investors predicted that the US housing market, which was based on extremely risky mortgages, would eventually collapse under the weight of rising interest rates.

The eventual collapse of the US subprime mortgage market eventually led to a global recession – the deepest since the Great Depression in 1929.

Many Western governments, including the UK and the US, helped banks that had made speculative loans rather than letting them go bankrupt, and that only encouraged them to quickly return to such risky lending.

The shock waves of the crisis hit the coasts of Australia, bringing with it a period of slow economic growth, higher unemployment and heightened uncertainty.

Overall, however, Australia performed relatively well as the country’s banks were less exposed to the US housing market and the economy was boosted by large coal exports to China.

However, Mr Barrie said that our reliance on primary exports and the collapse of local manufacturing means that the Australian economy has been dangerously narrow and barely changed since the 19th century.

“We’re a very primitive country in terms of what we export,” Mr. Barrie said.

“We dig up soil, which is iron ore, and ship it to China, and we dig up dead trees, which is coal, and ship it to Japan and China.

“Australia has a production as a percentage of GDP comparable to a financial haven like Luxembourg.”

Last week, the Reserve Bank raised cash rates for the twelfth time in nearly as many months, adding more mortgage woes to families across Australia.

The RBA cash rate is now at an 11-year high of 4.1 percent, with monthly variable mortgage payments already up 58 percent from just over a year ago.

National Australia Bank has updated its forecasts that the Reserve Bank will hike rates in July and August, bringing the cash rate to 4.6 percent and adding $295 to monthly mortgage payments on an average loan.

This would be the highest level since November 2011 and would be the 14th increase since May 2022, with rates already rising at their fastest pace in 34 years.

The Australian economy only grew by a paltry 0.2 percent in the first three months of the year, according to the ABS.

It’s because inflation has risen to just under seven percent, forcing families to cut their already tight budgets.

According to recent research from Suncorp, nearly half of Australians claim they cannot afford to fill their carts at current supermarket prices, while four in five are actively working to reduce their food costs.

Consumers also buy significantly fewer goods in shops and department stores.

Retail sales fell 0.6 percent in the March quarter of 2023, according to the ABS.

The decline in the March quarter followed a 0.3 percent decline in the December quarter of 2022.

“Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic period, this is the largest drop in retail sales since the September quarter of 2009,” said ABS head of retail statistics Ben Dorber.

Earlier this year, Deloitte Access Economics warned of an impending “consumer recession” as mortgage payments rose, rents rose and other living costs continued to rise.

But last month, the National Australia Bank’s chief economist warned that it had already arrived.