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Australian PM sparks debate with plan to strengthen hate speech laws after Bondi attack
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In the wake of the mass shooting attack at Bondi Beach during a Hanukkah celebration, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a national gun buyback program and proposed new hate speech laws.
While the legislation has not yet been drafted, it is already causing controversy as fears that the laws could be wielded as political weapons emerge. Critics have also said that neither the gun buyback nor the hate speech laws are addressing the root of what led to the terror attack.
“Well, it’s a bit hard for them to actually strengthen the laws. It’s not clear what they’re proposing to do,” Dr. Reuben Kirkham, one of the directors of the Free Speech Union of Australia, told Fox News Digital. “What they’re probably going to try and do is widen it to include a bunch of things that are not to do with hate speech, necessarily.”
Albanese told reporters on Friday that the government was working to “get the laws right” and acknowledged the complexities surrounding the issue. He said that “there are issues of free speech involved in this as well — we want to make sure that these laws don’t get passed and then get knocked over.”
SENATORS TED CRUZ AND JOHN FETTERMAN AGREE ON HATING ONE ‘EVIL’ DURING BIPARTISAN INTERVIEW
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meets police officers during a visit to the NSW Police headquarters, following a deadly shooting incident during a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Australia, Dec. 16, 2025. (Hollie Adams/Reuters)
The proposed changes include federal offenses for “aggravated hate speech,” aimed at preachers who promote violence and “serious vilification” based on race, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The outlet noted that just 10 months ago, the government strengthened federal hate speech laws with the goal of curbing antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Simultaneously, New South Wales (NSW), where the terror attack took place, is considering banning chants of the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which many consider to be an antisemitic call for violence against Jews. The ban would also apply to public displays of ISIS flags and extremist symbols.
Additionally, NSW Premier Chris Minns said, under the ban, police would be given more powers to demand that protesters remove face coverings during demonstrations, according to The Associated Press.
People add to a floral tribute outside Bondi Pavilion at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Steve Markham)
THOUSANDS GATHER AS BONDI BEACH REOPENS, COMMEMORATING VICTIMS OF HANUKKAH ATTACK
Kirkham told Fox News Digital that existing anti-vilification laws have already been used to shut down speech that opposes government views. He believes that if these laws are strengthened in the wake of the Bondi Beach shooting, they would be used as political weapons, rather than protections for everyday people. Additionally, Kirkham said that he sees this as the government using the attack as an opportunity to pass laws that fit its views.
Furthermore, Kirkham argues that Albanese’s proposal could actually increase antisemitism rather than put an end to it.
“What they’re basically saying is, ‘Well, we need more censorship laws. Why? Well, apparently to protect Jewish people.’ So what they’re saying to these communities is, ‘We’re censoring you to protect the Jews.’ I mean, how is that going to go down? Is that going to improve the issue of antisemitism, or is it going to make it worse?”
While the Australian government has focused its response on hate speech and gun laws, critics, such as Kirkham, say the Bondi Beach attack revealed intelligence failures.
Albanese said Friday that intelligence indicated that the attack at Bondi Beach was in fact inspired by ISIS.
“We’ve been informed that the Office of National Intelligence has identified a regular online video feed from ISIS that reinforces that this was an ISIS-inspired attack. Further work has been done by the security agencies around motivation, and we’ll continue to meet and provide them with whatever support they need at this difficult time,” Albanese told reporters.
Fox News Digital reached out to Albanese’s office for comment.
Bystanders were seen confronting one of the gunmen behind the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Australia’s Bondi Beach. (Jenny/Reuters)
FAMILIES MOURN LOVED ONES LOST IN BONDI BEACH TERROR ATTACK: ‘NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE THE PAIN’
Bill Roggio, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that governments in the West have routinely failed to tackle the problems behind Islamic extremism-inspired attacks.
“The problem here is there’s this radical Islamist ideology that spans a spectrum from political Islam, the Muslim Brotherhood, to Hamas and Palestinian terrorist groups, to al-Qaeda and Islamic State, and we in the West refuse to, and have from the very beginning since 9/11, refuse to actually take that on,” Roggio said. “We don’t want to admit that there is an actual problem within Islam, not with Islam, but within Islam.”
As authorities investigate the shooting attack, a focal point has become the father-son gunmen’s trip to the Philippines just before the shooting at Bondi Beach.
The GV Hotel in Davao City said that the men booked their stay through a third party and were initially scheduled to arrive on Nov. 15 but instead arrived on Nov. 1, according to Reuters. An employee told Reuters the two booked the room for seven days but extended their stay three times and paid in cash. The hotel worker also said that the men barely interacted with staff and that they had no visitors.
Philippine National Police Brig. Gen. Leon Victor Rosete, the Davao region’s police director, told the Guardian that the older gunman was interested in firearms. He also spoke of the gunmen’s “jog walk” that was captured on CCTV, adding that the two appeared to be doing “physical conditioning” exercises.
“The father has shown interest in firearms. He entered a firearms shop,” Rosete told the Guardian. He later said that they did not visit any firing ranges in Davao.
A split image shows an ISIS flag held by masked men, left, and a police-secured crime scene at Bondi Beach in Australia following a shooting. (Tauseef Mustafa/David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
BYSTANDERS SEEN CONFRONTING AUSTRALIAN GUNMAN DURING ISIS-INSPIRED DEADLY RAMPAGE
Davao City is located on the island of Mindanao, which has been under a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” advisory since May. However, the State Department said Davao City, in addition to a few other locations, is an exception to the advisory.
Roggio told Fox News Digital that Mindanao is a “known hotbed for Islamist groups.”
“If they weren’t at actual camps to get training, they could have been getting advice on how to plot the attack, where to plot the attack, what the target should be,” Roggio told Fox News Digital. He said the two could have also received additional “indoctrination” while in the Philippines.
People visit a floral tribute outside the Bondi Pavilion following Sunday’s shooting at Bondi Beach, in Sydney, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (Steve Markham/AP Photo)
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“Three weeks-plus isn’t enough to become a highly efficient two-man fire team, but they clearly got enough training to make that happen,” Roggio said.
As authorities work to piece together how and why the Bondi Beach attack occurred, the debate over the government’s response continues, with critics warning that a band-aid solution will fail to address the root of the problem.
Rachel Wolf is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and FOX Business.
WORLD NEWS
Moment vicious brawl breaks out at Winter Wonderland: Huge group of youths attack each other just weeks after woman punched unconscious in latest violence at festive funfair
This is the moment a vicious brawl erupted at Winter Wonderland in the latest episode of violence at the festive funfair.
Footage uploaded to TikTok shows two males throwing punches at each other inside the event’s packed Bavarian Village in London’s Hyde Park.
One appears to stumble to the floor amid a flurry of fists from a group of people. The camera then pans to another area where a group of young men are embroiled in another brawl.
Shocked onlookers watched as they rained down punches. One appeared to lash out with a series of kicks while looking down at the floor before a team of security guards finally intervened to stop the carnage.
The Daily Mail has contacted Winter Wonderland and Met Police for comment.
It comes just a week after the event was marred by a fight that saw a woman punched unconscious.
Winter Wonderland has been criticised as overcrowded and overpriced, and was last week named Europe’s most complained-about festive attraction.
It is not the first time the event has descended into violence, with children left screaming after another fight three years ago.
Footage uploaded to TikTok shows two males throwing punches at each other inside the Winter Wonderland’s packed Bavarian Village in London’s Hyde Park
The camera then pans to another area where a group of young men are embroiled in another brawl before security steps in
Defenders of the annual gathering will point out that it generates an estimated £100million for the London economy – while raising vital funds for the city’s Royal Parks.
But for critics, it has become a real-life Nightmare Before Christmas, with some calling for it to be stopped.
Last week, footage emerged of a woman being punched to the ground amid a mass brawl.
Ryan, who was attending Winter Wonderland with friends, filmed the harrowing video in London.
He claimed the fight started after one man accused another of ‘touching his missus’.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘So we were in the Bavarian beer garden beer hall and then it closed at 10, and everyone was asked to leave as normal.
‘When we exited, they’d created a gated alleyway with a construction fence which created a huge bottleneck.
‘It wasn’t even that busy but then all of a sudden, there’s about a couple thousand people in this one area, and just at a standstill. And then security had locked themselves outside of the gate, which is when the fight broke out.
Join the debate
Should Winter Wonderland continue despite repeated violence, or has it lost its festive spirit?
It comes just a week after the event was marred by a fight that saw a woman punched unconscious
‘Everyone was very drunk, you could tell something was going to happen.’
He continued: ‘It was really lawless and chaotic and there were families with children as well.
‘I go every year, and I’ve never seen anything like that.’
A spokesman for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland said the incident had been ‘managed promptly by on-site security, with police present’.
‘There was no impact on the wider event and no serious injuries reported,’ they said.
Winter Wonderland has seen trouble in the past, with a 22-year-old man injured last year after an alleged acid attack.
Scotland Yard launched an investigation and has arrested two men aged 21 and 18 along with a 16-year-old boy, all on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm.
Winter Wonderland bosses described the attack as an ‘isolated incident involving a corrosive substance during an altercation between a small group’.
The 2022 iteration of the event appears to have been particularly troubled, with one person ‘stabbed in the neck’ outside the attraction and two men fighting each other outside a chicken stall.
In a separate incident, a ride malfunctioned with two people trapped inside.
Three years prior, there was another vicious brawl that saw one attendee put the other in a chokehold.
With around three million people attending Winter Wonderland every year, its organisers would point out that the vast majority do not become victims of crime.
The most recent figures show 127 crimes were reported to police from the event in 2021/22.
A spokesman for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland said last week: ‘The safety of our visitors and staff is our top priority and aggressive or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated.
‘Hyde Park Winter Wonderland is a large-scale seasonal event, welcoming around three million visits over a six-week period, and we work closely with the Metropolitan Police and relevant authorities to ensure security and crowd-management measures are as robust as possible.
‘The vast majority of our guests have a positive experience. As with any event of this scale, there can occasionally be instances of antisocial behaviour.’
Video shared on TikTok appeared to show a large number of people involved in fights as violence broke out in the Bavarian Village beer hall at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland
18:34, 21 Dec 2025
Winter Wonderland descended into a mass brawl in beer tent(Image: @iamlaurette/TikTok)
A TikTok video has showed the moment a mass brawl broke out inside the beer tent at London’s Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park.
The clip shows multiple fights underway in a bavarian-style beer hall at the annual Christmas event, with each one appearing to involve several people as horrified guests look on. That included the person who shot the video, who captioned it: “POV: your first time in WWL and you experience this,” adding: “Not the experience I was expecting”.
The chaotic video is rendered even more surreal as the viral ‘Jet2 Holiday’ advert audio was edited on top of it. Then, at one point someone in the beer tent appeared to play a snippet from the Italian protest song ‘Bella Ciao’ as the fight broke out.
READ MORE: Mum ‘itching’ to call out school over daughter’s ‘disgusting’ role in nativity playREAD MORE: Christmas market traders ‘priced out’ in ‘poorer’ UK city
The clip showed more than one fight breaking out(Image: @iamlaurette/TikTok)
As one group of men appeared to grapple and throw hands with each other, the camera pans over the shocked crowd. There, another brawl appears to be getting underway as revellers jostled and threw punches.
At one point a man appears to stumble to the floor. There, he appears to be targeted by a group while lying on the ground, with men appearing to kick at him.
The clip was posted onto TikTok. There, it has racked up more than 185,000 views on the video sharing app. The Mirror has contacted Winter Wonderland and the Met Police for comment.
This is also not the first time that the event has seen problems, with a previous incident resulting in a woman being knocked to the ground unconscious. An eyewitness to that incident previously told the Daily Mail: “We were in the Bavarian beer garden beer hall and then it closed at 10, and everyone was asked to leave as normal.
“When we exited, they’d created a gated alleyway with a construction fence which created a huge bottleneck. It wasn’t even that busy but then all of a sudden, there’s about a couple thousand people in this one area, and just at a standstill.
“And then security had locked themselves outside of the gate, which is when the fight broke out. Everyone was very drunk, you could tell something was going to happen.”
A spokesperson for Hyde Park Winter Wonderland said at the time that the brawl was “managed promptly by on-site security, with police present”. They added: “There was no impact on the wider event and no serious injuries reported.”
The chaotic event is reported to bring in around £100 million to London. This includes raising money to maintain public parks.
Israel has approved 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank in a fresh blow to the possibility of a Palestinian state.
The move brings the number of new settlements over the past few years to 69, a new record, according to Israel‘s far-right finance minister Betzalel Smotrich.
Widely considered illegal under international law, the settlements have been criticised for fragmenting the territory of a future Palestinian state by confiscating land and displacing residents.
Ganim pictured in 2005. Pic: Reuters
Under Israel’s current government, figures show, the number of settlements in the West Bank has surged by nearly 50%, rising from 141 in 2022, to 210 with the new approvals, according to Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog.
The government’s latest action retroactively authorises some previously-established outposts or neighbourhoods of existing settlements, and the creation of settlements on land where Palestinians were evacuated.
Earlier this month: Inside an illegal Israeli outpost
It also approves Kadim and Ganim, two of the four settlements dismantled in 2005, and which Israelis were previously banned from re-entering as part of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
Since Israel repealed the 2005 act in March 2023, there have been multiple attempts to resettle them.
Betzalel Smotrich is among prominent names backing the settlements. Pic: AP
The move comes amid mounting pressure from the US to move ahead with the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which took effect on 10 October.
Mr Smotrich is one of a number of figures now prominent in Israel’s government who back the settlements.
The West Bank, east Jerusalem, and Gaza are claimed by the Palestinians for their future state, but were captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
Read more:
Analysis: Gaza longs for normality, but quasi-anarchy reigns
Two brothers killed in Israeli drone strike on Gaza
Today over 500,000 Jews are settled in the West Bank, in addition to over 200,000 in contested east Jerusalem.
Settlements can range in size from a single dwelling to a collection of high-rises, and the occupied territories are also host to a number of unauthorised Israeli outposts.
Barca punish 10-man hosts Villarreal to win eighth consecutive La Liga game and move four points clear at the summit.
Barcelona wingers Raphinha and Lamine Yamal guided the Catalan giants four points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-0 win at 10-man Villarreal.
Brazil international Raphinha won and converted an early penalty on Sunday before Villarreal’s Renato Veiga was sent off before half-time for a late lunge on teenager Yamal.
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The 18-year-old slotted home Barca’s second midway through the second half, as Hansi Flick’s side restored their advantage on Real Madrid, who are second, and won an eighth consecutive league game.
Villarreal are fourth after Atletico Madrid moved ahead of them with a 3-0 win at Girona earlier on.
Flick launched into an impassioned defence of Raphinha on Saturday after he was not included in FIFA’s ‘The Best’ team of the year earlier in the week, and the winger quickly repaid his coach.
Raphinha produced an all-action display at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica, where the match was played instead of in Miami, after La Liga’s plans to take this game to the United States were scrapped in October.
Barca were poor defensively and struggled in their build-up play, but the quality of wingers Raphinha and Yamal and their goalkeeper Joan Garcia’s outstanding performance decided an entertaining encounter.
Jules Kounde blocked Villarreal striker Ayoze Perez’s shot before Raphinha drew a foul from Santi Comesana to win a penalty at the other end.
The winger dispatched it confidently and nearly added the second with a superb effort from distance which crashed back off the bar.
Kounde deflected a cross into his own net as Villarreal fought back, but the goal was disallowed for offside in the build-up.
Barca stopper Joan Garcia saved from Tajon Buchanan after an Alejandro Balde mistake as Villarreal almost levelled.
The visitors’ job was made easier by Veiga’s needless red card for an ugly, late lunge on Yamal before the interval.
The champions got their second goal after a scramble in the box, with Frenkie de Jong teeing up Yamal to fire home after 63 minutes.
Joan Garcia made stunning saves to deny Rafa Marin and Georges Mikautadze to help Barca end 2026 with three points and a third clean sheet in their last three games across all competitions.
Kounde went off hurt before the end, potentially adding to Flick’s problems at the back following Andreas Christensen being diagnosed with a partially torn knee ligament.
Barca finish the year in better shape than rivals Real Madrid, who beat Sevilla 2-0 on Saturday, but still have plenty of their own concerns to worry about.
Barcelona captain de Jong said his side had achieved their objective of finishing the year on top of the league and will rest before the league resumes in early January.
“Villarreal are very quick on the counter; they’ve got talented players up front. We could’ve managed to be a bit better… we have to organise ourselves a bit better,” he said.
“But I felt out there on the pitch that we were superior. Not necessarily comfortable, but I think we deserved to win.”
Villarreal captain Dani Parejo said he was pleased with how his team performed, apart from conceding the penalty.
“We had loads of really good chances; we could have been more than one goal up at halftime,” he said.
“It feels like everything is going against us at the moment; teams are scoring against us with not much, but we are pleased with the image we have shown, how we played with 10 men against a great team. We showed great attitude.”
WORLD NEWS
Officer who fatally shot Tamir Rice fired from West Virginia ranger position | Tamir Rice
The former Cleveland officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 was fired from his post as a ranger at a West Virginia resort community, the fourth known time in seven years that he left a small department following public backlash.
Timothy Loehmann was fired on Friday from his position at the Snowshoe Resort Community District (SRCD). The district’s board announced Loehmann’s firing in a statement following their emergency meeting.
A Cleveland-based attorney for Rice’s family, Subodh Chandra, said that “Loehmann’s determination to inflict himself on other people seems pathological. So does the craven poor judgment required by any public officials who hire him.”
Rice, who was Black, was playing with a pellet gun outside a recreation center in Cleveland on 22 November 2014, when he was shot and killed by Loehmann seconds after the officer and his partner arrived. The white officers told investigators Loehmann had shouted three times at Rice to raise his hands.
The shooting sparked an outcry about police treatment of Black people and systemic racism, especially after a grand jury decided not to indict Loehmann or his partner.
Cleveland settled a lawsuit over Rice’s death for $6m. The city fired Loehmann for having lied on his application to become a police officer.
Loehmann landed a part-time position with a police department in south-east Ohio in 2018. He withdrew his application days later after Rice’s mother and others criticized the hiring.
He was sworn in as the lone police officer in Tioga, Pennsylvania, in 2022 – and also left amid backlash following his hiring.
Last year, he resigned from his position as a probationary officer in White Sulphur Springs City, West Virginia, and the police chief responsible for hiring him stepped down.
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Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was met with boos while attending a vigil honoring the victims of the Bondi Beach shooting on Sunday.
An estimated 10,000 mourners, including Albanese and various Australian politicians and members of the Jewish community, gathered on Bondi Beach to commemorate the victims. David Ossip, who serves as president of the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies, remarked on Albanese’s presence to the crowd and received a chorus of boos.
“This has to be the nadir of antisemitism in our country,” Ossip said. “This has to be the moment when light starts to eclipse the darkness.”
Meanwhile, the crowd cheered at the mention of opposition leader Sussan Ley. Ley has said that a coalition government under her leadership would reverse a decision by Albanese’s government to recognize a Palestinian state.
FAMILIES MOURN LOVED ONES LOST IN BONDI BEACH TERROR ATTACK: ‘NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE THE PAIN’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, center, and his wife Jodie Haydon, second from left, arrive for a memorial for the victims of the mass shooting at Bondi Beach on Dec. 21, 2025, in Sydney, Australia. (Izhar Khan/Getty Images)
The tense reaction comes after Jewish leaders and Israeli officials have lambasted Albanese’s government for ignoring warning signs of Australia’s rising antisemitism in the months before the attack on Bondi Beach.
SURVIVING AUSTRALIA TERROR SUSPECT SLAPPED WITH CHARGES IN WAKE OF DEADLY ATTACK
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu highlighted a letter he sent to Albanese earlier this year when the latter’s government announced it was recognizing a Palestinian state. He argued the move “pours fuel on the antisemitic fire.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Albanese’s handling of antisemitism. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images)
“Your government did nothing to stop the spread of antisemitism in Australia. You did nothing to curb the cancer cells that were growing inside your country. You took no action. You let the disease spread and the result is the horrific attacks on Jews we saw today,” Netanyahu said the day of the attack.
AUSTRALIA ANTI-TERROR POLICE DETAIN 7 MEN AS COUNTRY LAYS YOUNGEST BONDI BEACH VICTIM TO REST
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The Dec. 14 attack left 15 people dead and dozens more hospitalized. The shooters were a father-son duo, and the father was killed in the attack. The son, 24-year-old Naveed Akram, woke from a coma after recovering from severe injuries and faces charges of murder and terrorism.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Two Spirit Airlines employees were charged with theft after a passenger left behind her $500 Louis Vuitton wristlet.
Olukunle Idowu, a 49-year-old Spirit Airlines supervisor, and another airline employee, Hyacinth Linton, 56, were charged with petit theft. The Miami Herald first reported the alleged theft.
The incident occurred at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on October 19 when a passenger, about to board her Spirit Airlines flight to Austin, Texas, left behind her Louis Vuitton wristlet — which the victim valued at $505 — on the counter at the airport gate. The wristlet was given to Spirit employees working at the gate.
Surveillance footage captured Idowu finding the wristlet three days later inside a drawer, “took possession of it,” and looked inside of it, court records say.
Idowu then took the wristlet to another gate two down, where he took a full inventory of its contents. Linton then joined Idowu at the gate, where she poured the contents onto the gate’s counter. But within seconds, Idowu scoops those items into a plastic bag as Linton puts the wristlet “deep inside” her backpack, records say.
Two Spirit Airlines employees face charges of theft over a $500 Louis Vuitton wristlet that a passenger at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport left behind (Getty Images)
Idowu then discarded the plastic bag in the trash, according to the affidavit.
Idowu was arrested on November 21 and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of petit theft valued at more than $100 and less than $750. No bond information appeared for Idowu but jail records suggest he’s no longer in police custody. The Independent has contacted the Broward Sheriff’s Office for more information.
Linton was arrested on November 13. She posted a $500 bond and is no longer in custody. She’s not yet entered a plea after being charged with petit theft worth under $40.
The Independent has reached out to the airline for comment.
Spirit Airlines told the Miami Herald in a statement that one employee has been suspended and the other is on a leave of absence.
“We are aware that two employees were charged in November for an alleged theft,” Spirit said in a statement. “One employee has been suspended without pay, and the other is on a leave of absence. We are conducting a thorough investigation into this matter and will take further action as deemed necessary following the conclusion of our investigation.”
“Spirit conducts background checks on all employees consistent with applicable law,” the statement continued.
NEED TO KNOW
- Alanis Morissette’s 1995 third album Jagged Little Pill sold nearly 20 million copies
- “Ironic” was the third U.S. single from the album
- The song was nominated for the record of the year Grammy at the 1997 ceremony
If social media had existed back in 1996, pop and rock fans probably would have had a collective online meltdown over Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic.” As armchair critics of the time were fond of gleefully pointing out, the song, the third U.S. single from Morissette’s blockbuster 1995 Jagged Little Pill album, didn’t quite grasp the meaning of “irony.” Wasn’t that ironic?
The Canadian Grammy winner, however, didn’t need access to Instagram or Facebook to know the grammar police wanted to lock her up.
Nearly 30 years later, the now–51-year-old singer-songwriter is totally unbothered by the fact that “rain on your wedding day” and “a free ride when you’ve already paid” are less examples of irony than just plain old bummers. On the fourth episode of the MGM+ Words + Music series that premieres Dec. 21, Morissette addresses the hullabaloo over the song that would have broken the internet if there had been an internet to break in 1996.
“When Glen [Ballard] and I wrote ‘Ironic,’ this was the first of the songs written for the whole record,” she recalls. “And I wasn’t writing wildly autobiographically quite yet, more sort of storytelling, getting to know Glen. And at one point, I didn’t want the song in the record, because I thought that it was sort of, for lack of a better term, our warm up, you know. But I love the song. So it’s not that I had any issues with it, but I just thought that was one of the last songs where I wasn’t entirely talking about sort of that inside-out approach.”
She was unprepared for the public shaming when “Ironic” followed “Hand in My Pocket” into heavy rotation on the radio. “People got really triggered by the malapropism, or whatever the word,” Morissette says. “I am a linguist. I’m obsessed with linguistics. I also love making up words, and I also don’t care.”
Alanis Morissette on ‘Words + Music’.
Jessica Perez/MGM+
But, she continues, the uproar intrigued her. “Where I go when people are triggered by anything is I quickly go to what’s at the epicenter of this — what is, what is everyone really up in arms about?” she explains. “Why is everyone laughing? And I think we’re afraid to look stupid. So I think because who is a linguist and then misuses a word, you know, what kind of person does that is where I go.”
“But I wasn’t being precious about it,” she adds. “And I think a lot of lyrics around the planet, many, many artists, most of us aren’t being wildly precious about it. So I’m 90% grammar police, which is the real irony. And then 10% I really couldn’t care less. So I think the 10% won over on that song. Yeah.”
Morissette ended up having the last laugh, as the malapropism didn’t halt her ascent. Jagged Little Pill, her third album, sold nearly 20 million copies and won four Grammys, including album of the year in 1996. The following year, “Ironic” received a record of the year Grammy nomination but lost to Eric Clapton’s “Change the World.”
Alanis Morissette accepting her album of the year Grammy in 1996.
AP Photo/Eric Draper
Words + Music is a spin-off of the Audible series of the same name, and it’s co-produced by Gunpowder & Sky. Previous episodes featured John Legend, Sheryl Crow and Elvis Costello.
“Throughout the new Words + Music series, we’ve enabled musicians to bring their songs and stories to life in real time through compelling visuals, high-res art and tech-enhanced volume stages,” says Gunpowder & Sky CEO Van Toffler. “There’s still nothing more human, powerful or emotional than a killer marriage of music, performance and imagery.”
“Words + Music has more than achieved our goal of reimagining and revolutionizing [MTV’s] Storytellers and Unplugged — with a touch of acid and a healthy dose of naturally occurring steroids,” he adds.
The Alanis Morissette episode of Words + Music premieres Dec. 21 on MGM+.
An elderly woman has been found dead beside a bloodied skateboard in her New York City apartment, with police treating the case as a homicide.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) told the Daily Mail that Zhu Hou, 76, was found dead on Monroe Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown on Friday.
Officers found Hou dead in her apartment in Knickerbocker Village with ‘trauma to the head and body’ just before 8pm, a spokesperson for the NYPD said.
Her cause of death has not been formally confirmed. The case is being investigated as a murder, and no arrests have yet been made.
The New York Post reported that Hou was found beside a ‘bloodied skateboard’ and police believe her son may be the killer.
Her son, who has not been named, was the person who dialed 911 on Friday night. He has a history of mental illness, according to the Post.
Neighbors said they heard shouting coming from Hou’s home the day before she died, which continued through the night into Friday morning.
‘I’m not scared,’ an anonymous neighbor told the Post. ‘They’ll catch them. There are cameras all over the buildings.’
An elderly woman has been found dead beside a bloodied skateboard in her New York Cityapartment and police are treating the case as a homicide
The New York Police Department (NYPD) told the Daily Mail on Sunday that Zhu Hou, 76, was found dead at her apartment on Monroe Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown on Friday
Officers and paramedics found Hou dead in her apartment in Knickerbocker Village with ‘trauma to the head and body’ just before 8pm, a spokesperson for the NYPD said
They added that Hou’s son was strange. ‘He was always off. But I didn’t think he was dangerous until Friday,’ they said.
Photographs show police officers searching the Knickerbocker Village apartment complex on Friday night.
Officers were seen removing bags of evidence from the scene. Paramedics also moved a stretcher from the home with what appeared to be a body bag on top.
Knickerbocker Village is a government-subsidized housing complex which borders Chinatown and the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
It comes after Pulp Fiction actor Peter Greene was also found dead inside his apartment in the Lower East Side.
Greene – known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and The Mask – died at the age of 60 on December 12.
Police said that Greene’s body was found unresponsive inside his residence at ‘around 3.25pm’. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Edwards, who was his manager for over 10 years, told the publication that Greene – who was known for playing iconic villains – ‘was a terrific guy’.
Peter Greene – known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and The Mask – has died
Authorities said the medical examiner is still working to determine the cause and manner of death, and it remains unclear whether Greene died as a result of homicide, suicide, drugs, or another cause.
Sources also told TMZ that police were contacted after neighbors reported loud music coming from inside Greene’s apartment for several days.
Officers then conducted a welfare check, used a locksmith to enter the unit, and one neighbor claimed Greene was found face down on the floor, with a handwritten note also discovered inside the apartment.
The neighbor told the New York Daily News: ‘Peter was lying on the floor, facedown, facial injury, blood everywhere…’
The note reportedly said ‘I’m still a Westie,’ which appears to be a reference to the Irish-American gang who had operated out of Hell’s Kitchen from 1970.
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Frail woman found bludgeoned to death next to ‘bloodied skateboard’ in her NYC apartment
The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that some specifically adapted cars won’t be included
The Motability changes over tax will come into force in July next year, the DWP has confirmed(Image: Getty Images)
The Department for Work and Pensions has provided an update on upcoming changes that will hit the average Motability customer with an additional £400 bill. During November’s Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that VAT would be slapped on Advance Payments from July 2026, whilst Insurance Premium Tax would also be applied to Scheme leases – however officials have not confirmed that some vehicles will be exempt.
Motability, the firm running the massive programme that represents one in every five car sales across the UK, has calculated that typical Advance Payments – the upfront costs for vehicles – will surge by roughly £400 across three-year packages.
A Labour MP has raised concerns about the financial strain on disabled people, with Neil Duncan-Jordan questioning Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden: “Whether he plans to publish a consultation on the VAT treatment of Motability scheme vehicles.”
In response, Sir Stephen Timms, Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions), explained the DWP’s intention to implement the changes swiftly – meaning no consultation would take place.
He stated: “The government recognises the importance of engaging with tax payers on the development of tax policy, however, as set out in the tax policy making principles, the need to deliver change quickly means a consultation is not always practicable. Prior to announcing tax changes to the Motability Scheme at Budget 2025, the government instead engaged closely with the Motability Foundation to understand in depth how tax changes would impact the Motability Scheme and their customers. There are no plans for further consultation on the measure.”
Last week, the DWP confirmed that vehicles ‘substantially adapted for wheelchair users’ would remain unaffected by the tax alteration.
Labour’s Ruth Jones posed a written question to Mr McFadden: “What assessment has he made of the potential impact of the Government’s changes to the Motability scheme on wheelchair users who do not use a wheelchair accessible vehicle.”
Sir Stephen indicated that grants might be available in certain circumstances: “The Motability Scheme is a lifeline for many disabled people and families, supporting their independence by enabling them to lease a car, wheelchair accessible vehicle, scooter or powered wheelchair in exchange for an eligible disability benefit allowance.
Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions) Sir Stephen Timms confirmed a timetable for key Motability changes(Image: Parliament TV)
“Before any announcements were made, Motability Operations confirmed it will continue to offer a broad range of vehicles without an Advance Payment. This will ensure that people who elect to join the Scheme can access vehicles suited to their needs, whether that’s a larger vehicle or extra boot space to carry wheelchairs, whatever their health condition or disability, in exchange for all or part of their mobility allowance.
“Motability Foundation will continue to offer means-tested grants to those most in need of financial help. These grants support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment or adaptations for a vehicle, or a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) through the Motability Scheme.”
Regarding the consequences of the tax alterations, Mr Duncan-Jordan also enquired: “What assessment he has made of the potential financial impact of the proposed (a) application of VAT on payments for higher value vehicles and (b) removal of the Insurance Premium Tax exemption for vehicles that are not substantially and permanently adapted for wheelchair or stretcher users, or originally designed for their use on Motability scheme users; and what steps his Department is taking to support disabled people who will be affected by these changes.”
Sir Stephen stated: “The package of reforms to the Motability Scheme announced as part of the Budget will ensure the Scheme delivers fairness for the taxpayer, while continuing to support disabled people. The Scheme will continue to offer a choice of affordable vehicles to meet a range of accessibility needs and offer vehicles which require no advance payment, meaning that people will be able to access a suitable vehicle using only their qualifying disability benefit. Insurance Premium Tax (IPT) will apply to leases at the standard rate, bringing tax treatment in line with commercial leasing firms.
“Existing leases and vehicles substantially designed for, or adapted for, wheelchair or stretcher users will continue to benefit from VAT reliefs on advance payments and the IPT exemption, in recognition of the additional costs associated with these vehicles. Motability Foundation, the independent charity with responsibility for overseeing the Scheme, will continue to offer means-tested grants to support eligible people who would otherwise struggle to afford the advance payment.”
Following the Budget, Motability issued a statement outlining their plans and pledged: “Changes to the Scheme’s package are expected to be introduced from July 2026. Motability Operations, which runs the Scheme, will begin engaging with customers about the proposed changes in spring 2026. Proposed changes to the leasing package will undergo disability impact assessment by the Motability Foundation, which oversees the Scheme, before any changes are approved, announced and implemented. As the Scheme evolves and we fully understand the impacts changes may have on disabled people, the Foundation will also need to consider how its grant programmes best support those most in need.”
To read the full response click here.