Free Republic

A 'gentle and kind' family doctor who was subjected to death threats from anti-vaxxers during the pandemic has died suddenly. Hong Kong-born Dr Wilson Chin, who broke down in tears describing the abuse he received running a Covid vaccination clinic on the Gold Coast, passed away shortly before Christmas. Dr Chin made headlines in January, 2022 when he described the impact of a false rumour, spread on social media, that two girls who fainted after treatment at Pacific Pines MedCentres, had in fact died. The rumour claimed two girls collapsed and began screaming. But Dr Chin told 9News at the...

Tom Hanks sparked concern among his fans earlier this month, as he appeared to be struggling to contain the shaking of his arm. The 65-year-old is in the midst of a promotional whirlwind for Baz Luhrmann's biopic of Elvis, in which Hanks stars as the singer's manager. Luhrmann, who was born in Sydney, arranged for an Australian premier to be held in the city of Gold Coast, 50 miles south of Brisbane, where the filming took place. Austin Butler, 30, who stars as The King, was at the June 4 event, along with Hanks. 'There is no better place in...

Federal prosecutors have made a series of requests to the Cook County assessor’s office over the past five months for records regarding the $330,000 property tax break that Gov. J.B. Pritzker got on a Gold Coast mansion — a break he got in part because the toilets were disconnected during a stalled remodeling job. As they continue an investigation prompted by a Sun-Times report in May 2017, they have asked for information including the name of every employee who, under Berrios, “worked, reviewed and/or approved” the tax break for one of the two mansions Pritzker owns on North Astor Street....

Some say it's like something out of a science fiction movie, others say it's from another world. But the bizarre and dangerous sea creature a woman discovered washed ashore at Broadbeach along the Gold Coast of Australia is actually a blue dragon. Lucinda Fry came across the creepy, electric-blue sea slug in Queensland and captured video of the little sea creature, which Daily Mail Australia posted: [video at link] The nudibranch is not that big, measuring 1.2 inches at maturity, but it packs a punch. "I have handled them before and wasn't stung, but I would not recommend anyone pick...

The nephew of former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley was indicted Monday for involuntary manslaughter in the 2004 death of a 21-year-old man outside a Chicago bar, and a grand jury is continuing its inquiry into whether authorities covered up or impeded an investigation of a relative of the city's most powerful man. Richard Vanecko, 38, was indicted by a Cook County special grand jury in the death of David Koschman of Mount Prospect. Koschman died days after he fell and struck his head during a fight with Vanecko outside a bar in Chicago's Gold Coast neighborhood.

TAXPAYERS will fork out more than $1 million on police, security guards and beach fencing to babysit schoolies on the Gold Coast. That Department of Communities alone will spend $610,000 to fund Schoolies week, which starts tomorrow. The money pays for free entertainment for the teenage revellers, security guards, beach fencing, wristbands, support services and volunteer co-ordination. Hundreds of thousands of dollars more will be spent on police and ambulance services for the almost 30,000 schoolies expected to hit the Gold Coast.

If you’re a fan of The Deadliest Catch, and would like to meet some of the cast members … now’s your chance! Straight from the icy waters of the Bering Sea, Captain Phil Harris and his sons from the Cornelia Marie, along with Captain Johnathan Hillstrand from the Time Bandit, will make two appearances at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino Showroom Saturday, August 29 at 1 p.m. and at 4 p.m.

<p>AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- It's a brutal 19th century revenge story: An African tribal chief kills two Dutch emissaries and hangs their heads from his throne. In retaliation, a Dutch general has him killed and decapitated.</p> <p>Almost 200 years later, the dispute may finally be laid to rest. On Tuesday, a Dutch academic hospital acknowledged it has the head of chief Badu Bonsu II, but it would not disclose whether it would be returned to Ghana as requested.</p>

Uh, no, I'm not a terrorist...I don't know how that phone got there... The Courier-Mail's headline for this one is "Terror link probed." Yes, that's right. By Greg Stolz and Paula Doneman in The Courier-Mail, with thanks to Warren: A SELF-proclaimed British multi-millionaire named Mohammed Islam who was arrested on the Gold Coast with almost $120,000 in cash is under investigation as to whether he has terrorist connections. Queensland police yesterday refused to comment on their investigation into the man, 22, but at this stage there is reportedly no evidence to link him with terrorist activity. Islam allegedly had $118,000...

Court hears man was armed to destroy building A man who threatened to blow up a Gold Coast high-rise on Christmas Eve had enough explosives to level the 15-storey building, a court has heard.Jonathon Richwood, 43, was denied bail today on charges including depravation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm, wilful damage and a range of weapons-related offences.The Southport Magistrates Court heard that Richwood sealed off a room in the Grand Hotel at Labrador and told police he had explosives and hostages.The court was told he had a cache of weapons including a home-made rocket launcher, four bombs, four...

CHICAGO (AP) _ Cardinal Francis George said he's considering selling the mansion that has been home to Catholic archbishops for more than a century, and some of the profits could pay legal fees in priest sex-abuse cases. The three-story red brick building in Chicago's ritzy Gold Coast neighborhood was built in 1885 and has been visited by the likes of President Franklin Roosevelt and Pope John Paul II. It could bring millions of dollars to an archdiocese that faces new lawsuits over allegations of sexual abuse. ``If there is money (needed) to meet the new allegations, that would be a...