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Tuesday's news in just two minutes.

Sara Blakely

 

 

1. Sara Blakely, the self-made billionaire who founded Spanx, has announced that she’ll donate 50 per cent of her fortune to charity. It’s part of the Bill Gates’ created Giving Pledge, which asks the worlds most wealthy people to donate part of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Forty-two-year-old Blakely own 100 per cent of the company, which she started 14 years ago. In 2012, Blakely became the youngest female billionaire in the world.

2. An Australian woman who claims she was sexually abused by entertainer Rolf Harris has spoken publicly about the effect it’s had on her life. Tonya Lee was 14 when she claims to have gone on tour with her theatre group in the UK 27 years ago.

Lee alleges that Harris – a friend of the tour director – touched her inappropriately during a pub meeting. “I was absolutely petrified,” she told Channel 9’s A Current Affair. In the years since, Tonya says she’s suffered from eating disorders and attempted suicide. Harris has denied the allegations.

Fairfax reported this morning that any paid interview relating to the Harris sex allegations may prejudice any future trials.

3. Gai Waterhouse and John Singleton have both been charged in regard to the More Joyous racing scandal. At the stewards inquiry yesterday afternoon, Waterhouse was charged by stewards with failing to report the condition and treatment of More Joyous. She’ll fight both charges. Meanwhile, John Singleton pleaded guilty to bringing racing into disrepute and was fined $15,000. Gai’s son Tom Waterhouse was cleared of any wrongdoing.

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4. Treasurer Wayne Swan will announce the Federal Budget at 7:30pm tonight. (Be sure to head to follow @mamamia on Twitter to get live updates from political junkie, Jam). The budget is expected to benefit single parents and the unemployed. Gonski funding and the Disability Care scheme are said to be the most important features of this year’s budget. Earlier this week, Health Minister Tanya Plibersek also announced $55.7 million in extra funding for breast screening.

5. A plane in the US was reportedly forced to make an emergency landing because a woman would not stop singing Whitney Houston‘s I Will Always Love You. The plane was traveling from Los Angeles to New York but landed in Kansas where the woman was removed from the plane.

A spokesperson for the airport said: “The woman was being disruptive and was removed from the plane for interfering with the flight crew… There was a federal air marshal on the aircraft, who subdued the woman and put her in cuffs and removed her from the plane.”

 

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