1. The Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan has died aged 46.
Irish and international singer Dolores O’Riordan has died suddenly in London today. She was 46 years old.
Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time. Full Statement: https://t.co/L8K98BFpSM pic.twitter.com/ADEY51Xnwe— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) January 15, 2018
The family of The Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan is “devastated” by her death at the age of 46, her publicist says.
The singer, who was in London for a recording session, was found dead at the London Hilton on Park Lane.
Metropolitan Police were called to the hotel at 9am on Monday and at this early stage, are treating the death as unexplained.
A statement released by her publicist said: “Irish and international singer Dolores O’Riordan has died suddenly in London today.
“Family members are devastated to hear the breaking news and have requested privacy at this very difficult time.”
The singer, from Limerick, enjoyed success with the multi-platinum band in the 1990s with hit singles including Linger and Zombie, and went on to sell 40 million albums.
In May 2017, The Cranberries cancelled a string of shows after O’Riordan was instructed by her doctors to stop working for a month for medical reasons associated with a back problem.
The hiatus followed an incident in February 2016 in which O’Riordan was ordered to pay 6000 Euros to charity for headbutting, kicking, hitting and spitting on police officers at an airport.
After avoiding a conviction, the singer said she would use “music, dancing and performing to improve her mental health”.
After news of the singer’s death broke on Monday, tributes from fans and friends began flooding social media.
Legendary British synthpop band Duran Duran wrote on Twitter, “We are crushed to hear the news about the passing of Dolores O’Riordan. Our thoughts go out to her family at this terrible time.”
Irish President Michael D Higgins added, “Dolores O’Riordan and The Cranberries had an immense influence on rock and pop music in Ireland and internationally. I recall with fondness the late Limerick TD Jim Kemmy’s introduction of her and The Cranberries to me, and the pride he and so many others took in their successes.
“To all those who follow and support Irish music, Irish musicians and the performing arts her death will be a big loss.”
O’Riordan was a mother-of-three, to son Taylor and daughters Molly and Dakota. She split from her husband of 20 years, the former tour manager of Duran Duran, Don Burton, in 2014.
2. ‘I remember seeing bodies everywhere.’ Victim of Flinders St rampage shares horror.
Flinders Street survivor Bec has opened up about that tragic day for the first time. In this exclusive interview, she speaks about her struggles, the pain she still carries, and her inspirational journey to walk again. #9ACAhttps://t.co/0MXCnsXPti pic.twitter.com/x0wvw7hQwx
— A Current Affair (@ACurrentAffair9) January 15, 2018
A survivor of Melbourne’s Flinders Street rampage has told of hearing “blood-curdling” screams from pedestrians mowed down by a vehicle.
Bec Larrigan was one of the 18 people stuck in the December 21 attack, and suffered bleeding on the brain, and a broken leg and elbow.
“I remember hearing people screaming. It was like a blood-curdling scream,” Ms Larrigan told the Nine Network’s A Current Affair program from hospital on Monday night.
“I was thrashing around a bit in pain. I remember seeing behind me, like, just bodies everywhere and just people over everyone.
“And I remember asking, you know, ‘what has happened?’.”
Ms Larrigan will have to relearn how to walk and is determined to do so before she weds fiancee Amy.
“She’s been by my side the whole time and she’ll be here when I take that first step again,” she said.
The sole fatality of the attack was 83-year-old Northcote man Antonios (Anton) Crocaris, who died in hospital eight days later.
The alleged driver, 32-year-old Saeed Noori, was initially charged with 18 counts of attempted murder before one was upgraded to murder, AAP reports.
Noori remains in custody and will reappear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on May 30.
3. Australian Open draws huge crowds on day one of the tournament.
“I’m just excited to be in Melbourne. A couple of years ago, I made a quarterfinal so hopefully I can go a little bit further this year.”
– @NickKyrgios #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/PUTGR93L0C
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 15, 2018
Melbourne’s dreary summer weather has done little to dampen the spirits of tennis fans, with a near-record crowd pouring through the gates as the 2018 Australian Open fired up.
Showers fell on Melbourne Park during day one’s Monday morning session, but people still lined up in droves to enter the grand slam site.
After 48,149 fans packed in to witness the opening day session, evening-session attractions Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios and Daria Gavrilova proved a major draw to add a further 24,104, AAP reports.
The first-day crowd figures were welcome reading for Tennis Australia, with the combined total of 72,253 falling about 170 shy of the day-one, two-session record posted last year.
American comedian Will Ferrell was among the crowd on the opening day and saw last year’s finalist Venus Williams lose her first round match to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic at Rod Laver Arena.
Williams’ departure was one of several shocks on day one, with US Open champion Sloane Stephens, 10th seed Coco Vandeweghe and men’s seeds Kevin Anderson and John Isner all crashing out, AAP reports.
Among nine Australians in action on Monday, Sam Stosur continued her horror run at her home grand slam, knocked out in the first round at Melbourne Park for the third successive year.
Regardless of the Queenslander’s woes, five local hopes proudly flew the flag to book a place in the second round.
Gavrilova and wildcard Olivia Rogowska progressed on the women’s side, while Kyrgios, John Millman and Matthew Ebden also got off to perfect starts.
Despite the shock big-name exits and notable absences of Serena Williams and Andy Murray, Victorian sports minister John Eren said organisers were hoping to break last year’s tournament record total crowd of 728,763.
4. Former prime minister Tony Abbott and Greens leader Richard Di Natale in scuffle over Australia Day date.
Alex Hawke has joined Barnaby Joyce and Tony Abbott in deriding the Greens’ calls to change the date of Australia Day. https://t.co/jnS1zDAKK0
— The Australian (@australian) January 15, 2018
Former prime minister Tony Abbott says January 26 should be accepted as Australia’s national day.
The Australian Greens are campaigning for the date of Australia Day to be changed, AAP reports.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale believes it’s time Australia stops papering over an issue which, he says, has been divisive and painful for so many for 200 years.
However, Mr Abbott says there are 364 other days a year for the Greens to be politically correct.
“Why can’t they just accept that January 26 is the best available day to celebrate all that’s good about life in Australia,” he tweeted.
Senator Di Natale joked there should be a national holiday when Mr Abbott retired from parliament.
“That would bring the country together in a way like few other national days.”
Neither Labor nor the government endorse a date change, which has been adopted by a number of local councils.
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says the government is focused on making the nation stronger, not arguing that “Lachlan Macquarie and Captain Cook were bad buggers”.
Indigenous leaders have been pushing for the change in recent years, saying January 26 marks the date the First Fleet landed in Sydney Cove in 1788, marking the beginning of British colonisation.
5. At least 72 injured when floor collapses inside Indonesia stock exchange.
More than 70 people were injured when a floor inside the Jakarta Stock Exchange tower collapsed.
Many of the injured were college students visiting as part of a field trip. pic.twitter.com/PsbfqDca8q
— AJ+ (@ajplus) January 15, 2018
At least 72 people have been injured when a mezzanine floor inside the Jakarta stock exchange tower collapsed, forcing a chaotic evacuation.
MetroTV footage showed the lobby strewn with debris and people being helped out of the building while others lay on the grass or steps outside the tower.
Jakarta police spokesman Argo Yuwono said 72 people were injured, adding that they were being treated in four hospitals, AAP reports.
Stock exchange general president Tito Sulistio said no one had been killed.
“I guarantee that there were no fatalities,” he said. “I helped evacuate the victims to the park and as far as I know, the worst injuries are fractures.”
National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto ruled out terrorism as a cause of Monday’s collapse. The building is part of a two-tower complex which was the target of a suicide bombing by Islamist militants in September 2000.
“There is no bomb element in the incident,” Wasisto said.
The incident occurred at noon local time when many workers were on a lunch break.
Images aired on television and circulated on social media showed a mangled metal structure that had collapsed around a Starbucks cafe near the entrance to the lobby.
Hundreds of students were visiting the stock exchange at the time of the collapse.
6. Hobart Hurricanes break through for their first win of the WBBL.
The Hobart Hurricanes have broken through for their first win of the WBBL season with a nail-biting four-run triumph over the Melbourne Renegades at Blundstone Arena.
After posting 9-120, the Hurricanes held their nerve in a thriller when they denied Renegades skipper Amy Satterthwaite who needed six off the last ball of the match to tie.
Delivered by her opposite number, stand-in Hobart captain Isobel Joyce, former Hurricanes player Satterthwaite got a good piece of it as she attempted to slam it over the midwicket boundary, AAP reports.
The ball landed shy of the rope and Satterthwaite scampered two and was then run out for a fine 65 off 58 balls.
It was a fine captain's knock to get so close after 18 were needed at the beginning of the last over.
Satterthwaite held the 'Gades together after a snail-paced start and a wobble in the middle when player-of-the-match Brooke Hepburn (3-24) delivered a double-wicket maiden that sent the required run-rate soaring.
For the Hurricanes, there was relief, elation and the satisfaction of exacting swift revenge after copping a humiliating 10-wicket pounding at the hands of the Renegades - also in Hobart - on Sunday.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing after yet another batting collapse caused some concerns.
Playing her final WBBL match before leaving for Indian international duties, Veda Krishnamurthy finally found form with 40 and Stefanie Daffara contributed an attacking 28 to set the top order in motion.
A total of around 150 looked on the cards before Hobart stumbled badly, losing 7-24 including a 5-13 collapse from their last five overs.
Lea Tahuhu (3-25) inflicted much of the damage before the Hurricanes bounced back strongly with the ball and dented the fifth-placed Regenades' finals prospects.
