Morning,

In case you missed it, a video has gone viral over the past few days of men rating women at a beach.

In the video, three young men at a popular Perth beach hold whiteboards to rate women out of ten as they walk past.

My colleagues Isabella Ross takes you through what happened and why the video makes her, and many others, feel both angry and defeated. READ: A video has gone viral of men rating women out of ten at a Perth beach. It’s 2022.

But first, here are the five biggest stories women are talking about today, Friday March 18.

1. Former AFL player Andrew Lovett jailed over family violence.

Former AFL player Andrew Lovett has been jailed after admitting to punching, kicking, spitting and pouring beer on his ex-partner during nearly two years of sustained emotional and physical abuse.

Lovett, who played 88 games for Essendon from 2005 to 2009, on Thursday faced Dandenong Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to eight months in prison.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to 24 charges relating to family violence from February 2020 to December last year.

"No woman should fear or suffer physical harm because of a partner," magistrate Jason Ong told the 39-year-old.

"This was terrifying, ongoing, aggressive, physical violence. It was controlling and manipulative. You could and should have walked away.

"It was serious and sustained family violence. It was escalating over time (and) cannot be tolerated."

Former AFL player Andrew Lovett jailed over 'terrifying' domestic violence https://t.co/CbFIwX844E
— ABC News (@abcnews) March 17, 2022

Lovett has already served 100 days in pre-sentence detention, in what was his first time in custody.

He will be placed on a 12-month community corrections order following his release from prison.

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.

You can also call safe steps 24/7 Family Violence Response Line on 1800 015 188 or visit www.safesteps.org.au for further information.

2. Labor to examine culture after bullying claims.

Deputy Labour leader Richard Marles says the party will look into their culture after bullying claims following senator Kimberley Kitching's death.

Kitching died from a suspected heart attack aged 52 last week, with reports suggesting she was stressed and ostracised by colleagues before her death.

Kimberley Kitching labelled three senior Labor senators “mean girls” before her death, with claims she was subject to a campaign of bullying. @tminear https://t.co/oD6SFHGhew
— Herald Sun (@theheraldsun) March 16, 2022

Marles told reporters on Thursday he did not accept "assertions that have been in the media" about the way Kitching was treated.

"Senator Kitching died a week ago today; somebody I knew for 30 years," he said.

"The whole Labor movement is a state of grief and shock. Right now, I am focused on providing support to Andrew, her husband, and her family, whose grief is unspeakable."

However, Marles said the party's internal culture would be examined amid the claims, saying "Questions of culture are something which is assessed in an ongoing way within Labor".

3. Hundreds of Ukrainians to arrive in Australia seeking help.

Hundreds of Ukrainians are set to arrive in Australia in need of a place to stay, but there are fears support systems set up by the local community could be overwhelmed.

The Ukrainian peak body in Australia has so far received more than 250 requests for accommodation from people fleeing the conflict, with the majority of those expected to arrive within days.

"The community is taking on all the responsibility and the brunt of the load in terms of finding these people accommodation and getting them settled," Kateryna Argyrou from the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations told AAP.

There were emotional scenes as Ukrainians arrived in Sydney and Melbourne, fleeing their war-torn country and reuniting with loved ones. https://t.co/jPtUBBZIH9
— SBS News (@SBSNews) March 12, 2022

Immigration Minister Alex Hawke's office told AAP more than 4000 Australian visas have been issued to Ukrainians since the Russian invasion on February 24, and of those visa holders about 500 people have travelled to Australia.

Argyrou warned the flow of people out of Ukraine has only just begun - and soon cracks would emerge in the community's volunteer-run systems.

While accommodation is the main need according to Argyrou, requests have also come in for food, clothes, mobile phones, and help with childcare and schooling.

4. BBC apologises to Princess Diana aide over interview deceit.

The BBC says it has apologised and paid a "substantial" sum to Princess Diana's private secretary over subterfuge used to get an explosive television interview with the late royal.

The 1995 interview, in which Diana discussed the breakdown of her relationship with Prince Charles - famously saying "there were three of us in this marriage" in reference to Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles - was watched by 23 million people in the UK and sent shock waves through the monarchy.

A report last year by a retired senior judge concluded BBC journalist Martin Bashir used "deceitful behaviour" to get the interview, including showing Diana's brother fake bank statements that falsely suggested members of Diana's inner circle were being paid to spy on her.

Princess Diana ‘Panorama’ Interview: BBC Apologizes, Pays Private Secretary Jephson ‘Substantial’ Damages https://t.co/ce34F2Ytmx
— Variety (@Variety) March 17, 2022

The UK publicly-funded broadcaster said it acknowledged that "serious harm" was caused to Diana's private secretary Patrick Jephson by the circumstances in which the interview was obtained.

"The BBC apologises unreservedly to Commander Jephson for the harm caused to him and has paid his legal costs," it said in a statement.

"The BBC has also paid Commander Jephson a substantial sum in damages, which he intends to donate in full to British charities nominated by him."

5. Afghan schools to reopen to girls, says Taliban.

The Taliban will allow girls around Afghanistan to return to class when high schools open next week, an education official says, after months of uncertainty over whether the group would allow full access to education for girls and women.

"All schools are going to open to all boys and girls," Aziz Ahmad Rayan, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education, told Reuters.

"But there are some conditions for girls," he said, adding that female students would be taught separately from males and only by female teachers.

In some rural areas where there was a shortage of female teachers, he said that older male teachers would be allowed to teach girls.

The Taliban will allow girls around Afghanistan to return to class when high schools open next week, an education official says. https://t.co/a57y9daLbi
— Canberra Times (@canberratimes) March 17, 2022

Allowing girls and women into schools and colleges has been one of the key demands the international community has made of the hardline Islamist movement since it toppled the foreign-backed government last August.

But Heather Barr, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch, urged the international community against complacency after the announcement, saying reopening schools would not necessarily mean that the broader rights of women and girls in society would be protected.

And that's it, you're all up to speed. We'll be back to bring you more of the biggest news stories throughout the day.

- With AAP.

Two Women Killed In Suspected DV Deaths In 24-Hours

A Very 2025 Diss Track. No Notes.