7 hours ago The kindness of strangers: I had a fear of flying – and as the plane shook and plummeted, she held my hand

We gripped each other tightly for 75 minutes, her lost in anguish, me in a state of panicRead more in the kindness of strangers seriesI will never forget the face of the woman who sat next to me on that flight from Sydney to Melbourne; pale, frantic, crestfallen. Her hands were shaking and her breath kept sticking in her throat. As a fear-of-flying veteran I thought I recognised the symptoms. I’d come prepared with remedies chemical and naturopathic. I offered her my goods.But her anguish, it turned out, had another cause. While boarding the plane, she had received a phone call: her sister in Sydney had died suddenly in her sleep, and her sister’s wife had woken up next to the body. My seatmate was due in Melbourne to pick up her kids and in that moment – as the final boarding call sounded – she had no ability to process the news, let alone work out who to call for help. So she boarded the plane and had to turn off her phone. I hope to never know what that would have felt like: trap...

Politics

32 hours ago Haunting Ring doorbell footage captures final moments of woman found murdered in the woods

Heather Williams was last seen on January 4 leaving her home in Fayetteville sometime after 10pm entering a gray four-door sedan with an unknown person.

Sport

5 hours ago Coleen Nolan left ‘utterly devastated’ by death of sister Linda Nolan as tributes pour in

Nolan’s final moments were spent with her siblings

Events

29 hours ago Revealed: Princess Kate's words of support to woman whose life turned upside down by cancer

The Princess of Wales gave a special message of support to a woman whose life has been turned upside down by cancer.

Politics

9 hours ago Linda Nolan dies aged 65 after cancer battle with famous sisters at her side

Linda Nolan has sadly died at the age of 65 after a long and well-publicised battle with breast cancer. She was surrounded by her family in her final moments

Events