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Second Bee Gees member dies within four days

Drummer Byron Dennis, who played a pivotal role in the success of The Bee Gees, has died just days after one of the original band members also <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/original-bee-gees-star-passes-away-aged-78" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed away</a>. Touring drummer Dennis Bryon died aged 76 in Nashville on November 14th, just four days before original Bee Gees drummer Colin “Smiley” Petersen. The news of Bryon’s death was confirmed by his former bandmate, Blue Weaver, who performed alongside him in another band before he joined the Bee Gees. “I am lost for words at the moment. Dennis has passed away,” Weaver wrote in a heartfelt social media post. “Dennis has been my friend since we were in our first band together aged 15. His great drumming will always Stay Alive.” Bryon was the group's drummer between 1973 and 1981, and played on some of the Bee Gees’ most iconic disco hits, including Stayin’ Alive and Night Fever. Just days before Dennis's tragic death, the Bee Gees original drummer Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen, as the band confirmed the news of his passing with a post on social media. “It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of our dear friend Colin ‘Smiley’ Petersen,” the post read. “He enriched our lives and bound our group with love, care and respect." “Not sure how we can go on without his glowing smile and deep friendship. We love you Col. Rest in Peace.” Image credits: Mediapunch/Shutterstock Editorial <p class="css-1n6q21n-StyledParagraph e4e0a020" style="box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word; margin: 0px 0px 1.125rem; line-height: 25px; font-size: 1.125rem; font-family: HeyWow, Montserrat, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; caret-color: #292a33; color: #292a33;">

Caring

Beloved Aussie musician dies days after revealing cancer diagnosis

Australian musician Richard Andrew has tragically died at the age of 58, just seven days after announcing he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. Andrew, who has long been a fixture of the Melbourne music scene, passed away on October 30th, with his grieving wife confirming his death on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-nikki-through-tragedy-honouring-richards-legacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page. Andrew's wife, Nicolette Powell, is now faced with mourning the sudden loss of her husband while caring for her mother, who is grappling with a terminal brain tumour. "Nicolette's beloved husband, Richard, a well-known and iconic figure in Melbourne's music scene, recently passed away suddenly from cancer," the GoFundMe page's tribute to Andrew began. "Richard was a talented musician who left his mark in bands like Underground Lovers, Crow and Black Cab as well as his own band Registered Nurse and more recently his solo project RJ Andrew." "He was also the founder of Pharmacy Records. He poured his heart and soul into his music, and his legacy will be felt across Melbourne's music community for years to come." Just one week before his untimely death, Andrew revealed to his fans he had been diagnosed with lung cancer in a social media message shared alongside a photo from his wedding to Powell. "After my last unsuccessful attempt to jump 17 double decker buses – A) this may go someway towards explaining being in a wheelchair and, B) the fact I'm getting married to the beautiful Nicolette Powell, in this photo," he wrote on Facebook. "Alas, although the marriage is definitely true and based on love, the double decker bus is, sadly, not quite the truth. Instead, a few month ago, I was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic lung cancer, which has been a billy cart ride down s**t street, for the last little while." Andrew then went on to issue a public farewell to his fans and loved ones. "I am completely reconciled to whatever the future is, however, that future is probably quite limited and I'm in the process of preparing to pop this mortal coil and return to the trees, as it were," he wrote. "I cannot overstate enough what an honour and a privilege it has been to know you all over the last 58 years, and to have lived the most incredible, incredible life." Image credits: Instagram / GoFundMe

Caring

“Mindless vandalism" at Remembrance Day shrine

Vandals have allegedly desecrated one of Australia's Remembrance Day sites. A photo from the Dandenong Remembrance Day shrine shows the apparent act of vandalism, with flowers and wreaths ripped up. 3AW’s Rumour File reported on the alleged act of desecration on Tuesday. “Rumour has it, as one southeastern suburb’s Remembrance Day site, the mood was soured by the destruction of wreaths and the ripping up of flowers by the afternoon,” a caller told the show's hosts Ross and Russel. “Mindless vandalism as far as I can tell.” The alleged vandalism took place on Monday November 11, which marks the signing of the armistice agreement that ended World War 1 in 1918. Image: news.com.au

Legal

Fasting, eating earlier in the day or eating fewer meals – what works best for weight loss?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hayley-oneill-1458016">Hayley O'Neill</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/loai-albarqouni-452476">Loai Albarqouni</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> Globally, <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight">one in eight people</a> are living with obesity. This is an issue because <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/risk-factors/risk-factors-to-health/contents/overweight-and-obesity">excess fat</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27423262/">increases the risk</a> of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33393504/">Modifying your diet</a> is important for managing obesity and preventing weight gain. This might include reducing your calorie intake, changing your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39143663/">eating patterns</a> and prioritising healthy food. But is one formula for weight loss more likely to result in success than another? Our <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11530941/">new research</a> compared three weight-loss methods, to see if one delivered more weight loss than the others: <ul> <li>altering calorie distribution – eating more calories earlier rather than later in the day</li> <li>eating fewer meals</li> <li>intermittent fasting.</li> </ul> We analysed data from 29 clinical trials involving almost 2,500 people. We found that over 12 weeks or more, the three methods resulted in similar weight loss: 1.4–1.8kg. So if you do want to lose weight, choose a method that works best for you and your lifestyle. <h2>Eating earlier in the day</h2> When our metabolism <a href="https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/metabolic-syndrome">isn’t functioning properly</a>, our body can’t respond to the hormone insulin properly. This can lead to weight gain, fatigue and can increase the risk of a number of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Eating later in the day – with a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23512957/">heavy dinner</a> and late-night snacking – seems to lead to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33172509/">worse metabolic function</a>. This means the body becomes less efficient at converting food into energy, managing blood sugar and regulating fat storage. In contrast, consuming calories <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31151228/">earlier</a> in the day appears to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29754952/">improve</a> metabolic function. However, this might not be the case for everyone. Some people naturally have an evening “chronotype”, meaning they wake up and stay up later. People with this chronotype appear to have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36803075/">less success losing weight</a>, no matter the method. This is due to a combination of factors including genes, an increased likelihood to have a poorer diet overall and higher levels of hunger hormones. <h2>Eating fewer meals</h2> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30700403/">Skipping breakfast</a> is common, but does it hinder weight loss? Or is a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28967343/">larger breakfast and smaller dinner</a> ideal? While <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28137935/">frequent meals</a> may reduce disease risk, recent studies suggest that compared to eating one to two meals a day, eating six times a day might increase <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32437566/">weight loss success</a>. However, this doesn’t reflect the broader research, which tends to show consuming <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33485709/">fewer meals</a> can lead to greater weight loss. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39485353/">Our research</a> suggests three meals a day is better than six. The easiest way to do this is by cutting out snacks and keeping breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most studies compare three versus six meals, with limited evidence on whether <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7490164/">two meals is better than three</a>. However, <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11530941/">front-loading your calories</a> (consuming most of your calories between breakfast and lunch) appears to be better for weight loss and may also help <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9605877/">reduce hunger</a> across the day. But more studies with a longer duration are needed. <h2>Fasting, or time-restricted eating</h2> Many of us eat over a period of more than <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26411343/">14 hours a day</a>. Eating late at night <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26411343/">can throw off</a> your body’s natural rhythm and alter how your organs function. Over time, this can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases, particularly among <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8617838/">shift workers</a>. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35194176/">Time-restricted eating</a>, a form of intermittent fasting, means eating all your calories within a <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7262456/">six- to ten-hour window</a> during the day when you’re most active. It’s not about changing what or how much you eat, but <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7262456/">when you eat it</a>. <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7262456/">Animal studies</a> suggest time-restricted eating can lead to weight loss and improved metabolism. But the evidence in humans is still limited, especially about the long-term benefits. It’s also unclear if the benefits of time-restricted eating are due to the timing itself or because people are eating less overall. When we looked at studies where participants ate freely (with no intentional calorie limits) but followed an eight-hour daily eating window, they naturally consumed about 200 fewer calories per day. <h2>What will work for you?</h2> In the past, clinicians have thought about weight loss and avoiding weight gain as a simile equation of calories in and out. But factors such as how we distribute our calories across the day, how often we eat and whether we eat late at night may also impact our metabolism, weight and health. There are no easy ways to lose weight. So choose a method, or combination of methods, that suits you best. You might consider <ul> <li>aiming to eat in an eight-hour window</li> <li>consuming your calories earlier, by focusing on breakfast and lunch</li> <li>opting for three meals a day, instead of six.</li> </ul> The <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13679-024-00555-2">average adult gains 0.4 to 0.7 kg per year</a>. Improving the quality of your diet is important to prevent this weight gain and the strategies above might also help. Finally, there’s still a lot we don’t know about these eating patterns. Many existing studies are short-term, with small sample sizes and varied methods, making it hard to make direct comparisons. More research is underway, including well-controlled trials with larger samples, diverse populations and consistent methods. So hopefully future research will help us better understand how altering our eating patterns can result in better health.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/242028/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hayley-oneill-1458016">Hayley O'Neill</a>, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/loai-albarqouni-452476">Loai Albarqouni</a>, Assistant Professor | NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bond-university-863">Bond University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/fasting-eating-earlier-in-the-day-or-eating-fewer-meals-what-works-best-for-weight-loss-242028">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Bride's touching tribute to late father on her wedding day

"Who's going to walk me down the aisle?" those were the first words 13-year-old Bianca Accurso told her mother when she found out her father had passed away. "I knew from that moment that I needed to feel like he was going to be there right there with me [on my wedding day]," the now mum-of-one told Yahoo Lifestyle. "It was always important for me to acknowledge my dad in a special way at my wedding as he was my first love and whole world." Bianca kept her promise to her teenage self when she got married earlier this year, and the way she did it was by tracking down the man who owned her late father's car, and asking him if she could use it on her big day. "When going down the path of planning, I was writing down all that we needed to organise and tick off and ‘cars’ was one of the many things on the list," she recalled. Her husband had asked her what car she wanted for the special day, and she quickly responded "an XY GT just like my Dad’s". It was only when she brought up the topic of wedding cars to her mum that she had her "light bulb moment". "I literally then had a light bulb moment and said out loud, ‘Hey imagine if I could get it..’. I asked my Mum to see if she still had the transfer papers and contact details of the male that she sold it to after Dad had passed." It didn't take long for her to find the contact details for a man named Harold, while the phone call started a little awkwardly, once he realised who she was, they started talking like they were long lost friends. "I then proceeded to ask if he still owned my dad’s GT, to which he responded, ‘I would never sell it’. I had total goosebumps," Bianca said. <div class="embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important; width: 537px; max-width: 100%;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7430359178104802561&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40loverslenssocials%2Fvideo%2F7430359178104802561&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FoQ4D7LDJFHhEO47CqjA4ACqIYzZIQoCfAOeHfE%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26x-expires%3D1730498400%26x-signature%3DZNBsHGDfkYMa0%252F22tUjN3D3RPjE%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> "I then told Harold the real reason why I had called and explained to him my wish of driving to my wedding in my Dad’s GT. There was no hesitation and he quite literally responded, ‘I would be absolutely honoured to do that for you, count me in.’ I was speechless. The butterflies were fluttering in my tummy... it was a meant-to-be moment." People were moved by Bianca's story which she posted on TikTok, with the video gaining almost a million views. "Your father is watching down crying and praising that man for taking time out of his day to make yours even better ❤️❤️," one person wrote. "The pure joy and happiness on your face ❤️ your dad may have not walked you down the aisle but he made sure you arrived in style..bless this beautiful man for doing this for you on your special day🥰🥰🥰," another added. Bianca recalled the moment she saw the car for the first time, saying: "seeing my Dad’s car after 10 years was indescribable." "My smile said it all. It looked like it had never been touched. I could picture my Dad in the driver's seat with me buckled in tightly by his side. "When we were driving in it, it was pure joy and happiness! We were just so present and tried to enjoy every last moment. Harold made us feel so comfortable and gave us a ride that we will never forget." Images: Instagram/ TikTok

Family & Pets

Nearly 200 chemicals linked to cancer found in everyday food packaging

A new study has uncovered the alarming amount of potential carcinogens in food packaging and plastic tableware. Researchers from the Food Packaging Forum found that nearly 200 chemicals linked to breast cancer are being used in food packaging, with dozens of these carcinogens able to find their way into the body. “There is strong evidence that 76 known or potential breast carcinogens from food contact materials recently purchased all over the world can be found in people,” study co-author Jane Muncke said. “Getting rid of these known or suspected carcinogens in our food supply is a huge opportunity for cancer prevention.” Muncke is managing director and chief scientific officer at the Food Packaging Forum, a non-profit foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland focusing on science communication and research. The study, published last month in the journal Frontiers In Toxicology, compared a list of potential breast carcinogens to a list of chemicals that have been found in food contact materials to find out which of the potential carcinogens could be getting into people's diets. Of the 189 potential mammary carcinogens in food contact materials, with 143 of these found in plastics and 89 found in paper or cardboard. Of the recently detected chemicals found in food packaging, 40 have already been classified as hazardous by regulatory agencies around the world. Another research scientist, Jenny Kay, from Silent Spring Institute an organisation focused on the link between chemicals, women's health, and breast cancer said: “So many of these chemicals have already been classified as human health hazards, yet they are still allowed to be used in food contact materials thus allowing them to migrate into the food we eat." Early-onset breast cancer rates in women younger than 50 have been increasing, and experts said the trend cannot be explained by genetics alone. “Many of the mammary carcinogens are hormone disruptors, too, and many of the chemicals on our list can also damage DNA," Kay said. “Consumers should not have to keep track of all of the scientific literature on what chemicals to avoid. It should be on regulators to recognise the danger and take action.” The Consumer Brands Association, which represents the consumer products industry, said its members adhered to the US Food and Drug Administration’s evidence-based safety standards. “Packaging exists to protect and keep food safe for consumption,” the association’s senior vice president of product policy and federal affairs Sarah Gallo told CNN. “The FDA reviews and approves food contact substances through their science and risk-based system before they go to market. “The agency’s post-market review also provides continuous safety analysis and regulation of the approved substances.” Image: Shutterstock

Body

Missing woman found after 12 days in national park

Missing woman Lovisa 'Kiki' Sjoberg has been found alive after almost two weeks lost in the Snowy Mountains region of New South Wales. The 48-year-old photographer was last seen driving into the Kosciuszko National Park on October 15th and was reported missing six days later when she failed to return a hire car. After setting up a command post at the Kiandra Courthouse on the Snowy Mountains Hwy, police began an intensive search for the woman immediately. A wide-scale search was conducted involving the Mounted Unit, Dog Unit, SES, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Rural Fire Service, a Surf Life Saving Helicopter and members of the public. On Sunday afternoon, the woman was found injured on the Nungar Creek Trail at Kiandra. She was treated at the scene by paramedics for exposure and what appeared to be a snake bite before being taken to a local hospital in a stable condition. Worried friends of Ms Sjoberg have expressed their relief and joy on Facebook about the news of her discovery, thanking the community for their support. Image credits: NSW Police / llawarra Police Rescue Squad

Caring

Aussies chat with King Charles on first day of royal tour

Hundreds of Aussies have lined up for a hours to catch a glimpse of King Charles and Queen Camilla on the first day of their royal tour of Australia, with some royal fans getting the chance to have a brief moment with the monarch. In their first public appearance of the royal couple’s five-day tour Down Under, Charles and Camilla attended a church service at St Thomas Anglican Church on Sunday morning in North Sydney as hundreds of fans waited to see the royals. After the service, Charles and Camilla made an unexpected stop to talk fans who had congregated on the street. Royalist Mary-Anne Spring said the monarch made the stop after a boy “yelled out” asking him to come over to the group, as Ms Spring shared that she spoke to the King about his health. “I welcomed them to Sydney and I wished the King all the very best in his cancer treatment. He said thank you very much I really appreciate it,” she told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/king-charles-queen-camillas-first-public-appearance-in-australia-on-royal-tour/news-story/f23713cc089ce37d149fd829c68e50fd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “I think it’s good to support them and the work they do.” Another royal fan, Malcolm Lemirae, managed to gift the Queen a bunch of red roses. “They accepted the flowers and Camilla asked if I grew them and I said I grew them in my garden,” he said. "I think she was thrilled about that. It’s just a little symbol of my gratitude for them coming out. The guy's got cancer. To come out here and do that trip, it’s a long, long trip.” Julianne McCartney, who is originally from the UK, also had her own moment with the King, recalling her previous encounter with the royal family. She said, “He told me he really appreciated the crowd. He noticed my British accent and asked if I was from the UK, I said I had met his mother before and I think he thought that was quite nice actually.” On Monday, King Charles and Queen Camilla will head to Canberra for a reception with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, along with other political and community leaders. Image credits: DEAN LEWINS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial

Domestic Travel

"Ridiculous and disrespectful": Groom goes viral for working on wedding day

A wedding photo has gone viral for the wrong reasons after a groom was pictured working on his own wedding day. Torrey Leonard, the founder of US-based start-up company, Thoughtly, shared a photo of his co-founder, Casey Mackrell, pulling out a laptop at his own wedding to get some work done. “My co-founder Casey has built a reputation for himself as ‘the guy who sits on his laptop in bars’ from SF to NYC,” he wrote in the post. “Last week Thoughtly brought on a customer that needed to launch within 2 weeks. He just so happened to be getting married within that 2 week window. “So, here he is wrapping up a pull request. At his own wedding. Congrats Casey – now please, go take some time off.” Hundreds of people were quick to comment on the post, labelling it “one of the most depressing LinkedIn posts to exist” and it was even shared to other social media pages. The groom himself eventually had to clarify saying: “Don’t worry I got back to dancing and champagne 2 seconds later.” But that wasn't enough to appease fellow LinkedIn users. “So your company has such terrible work/life balance that you can’t have a WEDDING without having to work? That’s just sad as hell," one wrote. Another commenter quipped that it was "really sad" the groom didn't call off the wedding to focus on work, saying: “Someone who actually knows how to grind would have called it off the second the contract was signed." A few others questioned the authenticity of the post, saying that it had to be staged as they couldn’t believe that someone would be “that ridiculous and disrespectful to his bride and family”. “Aside from the fact that this is probably staged, pushing people to sacrifice their private life and mental health is not the flex you think it is," another added. In an interview with news.com.au Leonard defended his co-founder's decision and explained the situation. “As a company, what we do is very high-stakes. Every single one of our customers, they depend on us to function perfectly, 24-7, around the clock, no questions asked,” he told the publication. “We work with many publicly traded companies across the globe, and we spend long hours of the night, early mornings awake, monitoring these calls, proactively fixing issues, fixing problems, building new features. “The context of this post, he had to solve a problem, and it was really only something that he could solve. It was a three- to five-minute task. “We understand that this lifestyle is not for everybody. It’s obviously something that is a lot of work, but it’s something that we love.” He also clarified that Mackrell's bride, Grace, did not have a problem with the brief interruption on their happy day. “They were dating for many years, so she’s seen him pull a laptop out at a restaurant dinner table. I mean, it looks crazy, but that’s just who Casey is. She’s obviously fine with it.” Images: LinkedIn

Relationships

Daylight savings is about to start. But why do the days get longer?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-nicole-driessen-892965">Laura Nicole Driessen</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> The days are getting longer and in Australia, the switch to daylight saving time is almost upon us (for about 70% of the population, anyway). But why do we have longer days in summer and shorter days in winter? <h2>It’s all about the tilt</h2> Earth goes around the Sun in an almost circular orbit. But not everything is lined up perfectly. Earth’s axis is tilted by 23.44 degrees relative to its orbit around the Sun. Imagine Earth’s orbit as a flat frisbee with the Sun in the middle and Earth as a ball on a stick going around the edge. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/623235/original/file-20241003-16-xourdg.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Diagram of Earth's rotation around the sun." /></a><figcaption>Earth goes around the Sun in an almost circular orbit. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/earths-orbit-earth-rotation-around-sun-2441275921">Angela Cini/Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> If Earth’s axis wasn’t tilted (if its tilt was zero degrees) the stick would be exactly perpendicular to the frisbee. If you grab that perpendicular stick and tip it 23.44 degrees sideways, that’s what Earth’s tilt looks like now. As Earth orbits the Sun, the tilt of the stick does not rotate relative to the Sun. If you were in outer space looking at the Sun and you watched from the exact same position for a whole year, you would see Earth go around the Sun while the stick stayed tilted the same direction. In other words, if the top of the stick was pointing to the right when you started watching Earth go around the Sun, it would stay pointing to the right the whole way around. This tilt gives us longer days in summer and shorter days in winter. Let’s set up the scenario so the Northern Hemisphere is the top of the planet and the Southern Hemisphere is the bottom of the planet. When Earth is on one side of the Sun, the top of the stick is pointed towards the Sun. This is summer in the Northern Hemisphere and winter in the Southern Hemisphere. Six months later, when Earth is on the other side of the Sun, the bottom of the stick is pointed towards the Sun – and the seasons are reversed. <h2>Solstices and equinoxes</h2> Those two points, when the top of the stick is pointing directly towards the Sun or directly away from the Sun, are the solstices. They are the longest and shortest days of the year, depending on your hemisphere. The shortest day of 2024 in Australia was June 21. Looking forward to sunnier times, the longest day of the year in 2024 will be December 21. In between the summer and winter solstice, we have the equinoxes – when days and nights are almost exactly the same length. Those are the days when the stick through Earth is “side-on” to the Sun. The equinox is also the day when the Sun passes directly over Earth’s equator. In 2024 this happened on March 20 at 2:06pm AEDT and September 22 at 10:43pm AEST. That means that since September 22, days have been getting longer than nights in the Southern Hemisphere. <h2>What does daylight savings do?</h2> Earth’s tilt means the Sun both rises earlier and sets later as we head towards summer. When the clocks (in some states) switch to daylight saving time, people in these states all get one hour less of sleep. However, the total length of the day doesn’t change just because we changed our clocks. For me, daylight savings means I need an extra cup of coffee in the morning for about a week before I adjust to the daylight savings-lag (like jet lag, but without the fun of travel). What it really gives us is more daylight in the evening, instead of more daylight in the morning. If you’re already a morning person, this isn’t the way to go. But if you prefer to have a long dinner in the summer sun it’s ideal. <h2>Has it always been this way?</h2> Earth’s axis hasn’t always been tilted at 23.44 degrees. It cycles from a minimum 22.1 degree tilt to a maximum 24.5 degree tilt and back again once every approximately 41,000 years. Earth’s axis also “precesses”, where the stick through it draws a circle once every approximately 26,000 years. You can see this in the animation below. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/622704/original/file-20241001-16-lh8pl9.gif?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A gif of the Earth wobbling in a circle on its axis." /></a><figcaption>Demonstration of the precession of Earth’s axis. <a class="source" href="https://science.nasa.gov/resource/axial-precession-wobble/">NASA/JPL-Caltech</a></figcaption></figure> The length of a day on Earth hasn’t always been the same, either. At the moment, the length of a day is nearly exactly 24 hours. But it’s shifting all the time by tiny amounts. This is tracked very closely by a system of telescopes and satellites. These systems measure “<a href="https://ggos.org/item/earth-orientation-parameter/#:%7E:text=Accordingly%2C%20the%20EOP%20describe%20the,as%20tides%20and%20continental%20drift">Earth orientation parameters</a>” that describe Earth’s exact orientation compared to the position of stars in the sky. These are important to astronomers because the exact location of our telescopes is important for creating accurate maps of the sky. On top of all of this, the gravitational drag from the Moon causes days to become longer by around 2.3 milliseconds every 100 years. A few billion years ago, Earth’s day was a lot shorter – <a href="https://www.earthscope.org/news/a-day-is-not-always-24-hours-how-earths-shifting-systems-cause-day-length-variation/#:%7E:text=Billions%20of%20years%20ago%2C%20the,to%20the%20day%20every%20century">only 19 hours long</a>. Even though some of us are losing an hour of sleep this weekend, at least we get to enjoy 2.3 milliseconds longer every day than our great – and great-great – grandparents did.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/240221/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-nicole-driessen-892965">Laura Nicole Driessen</a>, Postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/daylight-savings-is-about-to-start-but-why-do-the-days-get-longer-240221">original article</a>. </div>

Domestic Travel

Fresh claims about Queen Elizabeth's health in her final days

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shared a sad claim about Queen Elizabeth and her secret health battle that she was going through before her death in 2022. Johnson reflected on his relationship with the former monarch in his upcoming memoir, Unleashed, detailing his final meeting with the Queen at Balmoral Castle just days before she died. In the book, he explained that the Queen had been battling bone cancer and was worried about the deterioration of her condition. “I had known for a year or more that she had a form of bone cancer, and her doctors were worried that at any time she could enter a sharp decline,” Johnson wrote in an excerpt obtained by the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13901877/BORIS-JOHNSON-meeting-Queen-inspirational-words-wisdom.html">Daily Mail</a>. Before their meeting, Johnson claimed the Queen’s private secretary, Edward Young, warned him that her health had “gone down quite a bit over the summer.” “She seemed pale and more stooped, and she had dark bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections,” Johnson wrote. He continued, “But her mind – as Edward had also said – was completely unimpaired by her illness, and from time to time in our conversation she still flashed that great white smile in its sudden mood-lifting beauty.” Queen Elizabeth died just two days after their final meeting. According to Johnson, the Queen “had known all summer that she was going, but was determined to hang on and do her last duty” by overseeing the “peaceful and orderly transition” of power from him to his successor Liz Truss. Johnson isn’t the first person to have claimed the late monarch was diagnosed with cancer during her final years, as royal author Gyles Brandreth wrote about rumours Her Majesty had a rare form of myeloma, a bone marrow cancer, in his book, Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait. He explained that the diagnosis “would explain her tiredness and weight loss and those ‘mobility issues’ we were often told about during the last year or so of her life.” However, the Queen’s official cause of death was listed as “old age” and the palace has never disclosed any other medical records. Image credits: Andrew Parsons/No 10 Downing Street/UPI/Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Iconic Days of Our Lives star dies aged 70

Drake Hogestyn has passed away aged 70. The Days of Our Lives actor, known for his long-running role as John Black passed away on Saturday after a battle with pancreatic cancer, according to a statement shared by his family on Instagram. “It’s with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Drake Hogestyn,” the statement began. “He was thrown the curve ball of his life when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but he faced the challenge with incredible strength and determination.” “After putting up an unbelievable fight, he passed peacefully surrounded by loved ones. He was the most amazing husband, father, papa and actor. He loved performing for the ‘Days’ audience and sharing the stage with the greatest cast, crew, and production team in the business. We love him and we will miss him all the Days of our Lives.” Hogestyn first appeared on the iconic US soap opera in 1986, and played John Black for 38 years. In a statement to Soap Opera Digest, Days Of Our Lives executive producer Ken Corday remembered the actor, who appeared in more than 4,200 episodes of the show. “This is a very difficult one for all of us,” he said. “Hogey was the ultimate team player and there are not sufficient words to express how deeply he will be missed. His impact on our show, personally and professionally, was profound and will forever remain unmatched.” His co-stars and colleagues have also paid their respects on social media. “I’m so saddened by this news,” tweeted Kassie DePaiva, who played Eve on the soap. “One of the kindest people I have ever worked with. What an amazing life he lived. He will be missed. He made the world a better place.” Fellow veteran soap star Nancy Lee Grahn, who plays Alexis on General Hospital tweeted: “My deepest condolences to Drake Hogestyn’s family, friends and fans. What a lovely, lovely gracious man.” Image: SplashNews.com/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

200-year-old message in a bottle unearthed

In a discovery that has the archaeology world buzzing (and possibly rolling its ancient eyes), a team of student volunteers in northern France has unearthed something rather unexpected during their dig at a Gaulish village. While they were hoping for the usual – ancient pottery shards, perhaps a coin or two – they instead stumbled upon what can only be described as the 19th-century equivalent of a DM in a bottle. The scene played out like a low-budget historical drama: volunteers painstakingly sifting through centuries-old dirt on the cliff-tops near Dieppe when, voilà! They found an earthenware pot containing a small glass vial, like something you might see in a vintage pharmacy, but with fewer essential oils and more existential surprises. Guillaume Blondel, the team leader and head of the archaeological service for the nearby town of Eu, was immediately intrigued. “It was the kind of vial that women used to wear around their necks containing smelling salts,” he explained, before casually dropping the bombshell: inside the vial was a note. Cue dramatic music. After what we can only assume was a long, suspenseful pause, Blondel and his team opened the note, which turned out to be written by none other than P.J. Féret, a 19th-century intellectual who clearly had a flair for both excavation and theatrics. The note, written with all the panache of a man who had just unearthed Caesar’s salad fork, read: "P.J. Féret, a native of Dieppe, member of various intellectual societies, carried out excavations here in January 1825. He continues his investigations in this vast area known as the Cité de Limes or Caesar’s Camp." Naturally, Blondel was floored. “It was an absolutely magic moment,” he said, no doubt imagining Féret winking at him from the beyond. “We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago? It was a total surprise.” Local records confirm that P.J. Féret was indeed the real deal. He wasn’t just a dabbler in dirt – he was a notable dabbler in dirt who had conducted an earlier dig at the site in 1825. In a stroke of irony not lost on Blondel, he mused, “Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won’t be anyone coming after them because they’ve done all the work.” Féret, however, clearly believed in leaving a trail of breadcrumbs – or, in this case, a literal note in a bottle, just to remind future archaeologists that he got there first. Féret: 1, Modern Archaeology: 0. Of course, this whole affair raises some important questions: Did Féret expect someone to find this? Did he laugh to himself as he buried it, imagining Blondel’s reaction? Did Féret know how cliff erosion would eventually turn his humble Gaulish village into a treasure trove for future archaeologists? Or was he simply trolling them from the past? Whatever the case, Féret’s note may not have contained ancient secrets, but it certainly delivered some 19th-century sass. And if we’ve learned anything from this dig, it’s this: archaeology isn’t just about discovering the past – it’s also about being occasionally roasted by it. As Blondel and his team continue their emergency dig (which was ordered due to cliff erosion eating away at the site like a bad buffet), they’ve already uncovered a number of artefacts, mostly pottery, from around 2,000 years ago. But will any of them have the audacity to leave a note for the archaeologists of 2225? We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Féret is probably laughing somewhere in the afterlife, shaking his head and muttering, “Amateurs”. Images: Guillaume Blondel / Facebook

International Travel

Kiwi pilot freed after being held hostage for 592 days

After 592 days in <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/rebel-fighters-share-eerie-footage-of-abducted-kiwi-pilot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">captivity</a>, a New Zealand pilot is finally going home. Phillip Mehrtens was taken hostage in Indonesia by a West Papua rebel group in February 2023 when he was working for Indonesian airline Susi Air. The pilot was kidnapped by rebels from the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB) insurgent group at Papua’s Nduga airport on February 7th 2023, and spent over a year and a half in captivity. On Saturday, the 38-year-old was collected by police and military forces from a village in Nduga district before being given medical and psychological checks. He was then flown to the Papuan city of Timika before jetting to the capital Jakarta where he was handed over to New Zealand’s ambassador. “Today I have been freed,” Mehrtens told reporters. “I am very happy that shortly I will be able to go home and meet my family." “Thank you to everybody who helped me today so I can get out safely in a healthy condition.” New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters earlier said Mehrtens was “safe and well” and had been able to speak with his family, saying, “This news must be an enormous relief for his friends and loved ones." Mehrtens' long-anticipated release came after intense negotiation efforts between Wellington and Jakarta, with Indonesian President Joko Widodo saying that Jakarta had secured Mehrtens’ freedom through negotiation, not force. “We prioritised the safety of the pilot who was held hostage. It took a long process and I appreciate the authorities,” he told reporters. The rebels had demanded that the Indonesian government recognise Papuan independence in return for his freedom, as Mehrtens' kidnapping was part of a long-term, often brutally violent conflict between the Indonesian government and West Papua’s Indigenous people. Image credits: The West Papuan National Liberation Army / Handout

Travel Trouble

Simon Dorante-Day calls for "four-way paternity test" to prove royal lineage

Simon Dorante-Day has called for a "four-way paternity test" to prove his royal lineage, while also casting doubt on if Prince William and Prince Harry are actually sons of the monarch. The Queensland man, who has been claiming to be the secret son of King Charles and Queen Camilla since 2005, has called for an official DNA test to prove his claims in a lengthy Facebook post. Dorante-Day's post highlights a photo comparison of himself, King Charles and William and Harry as evidence supporting his demand for answers from the royal family. “This comparison of William, Myself, Charles, and Harry demonstrates something very clearly, there is no consistency. The fact that the left side of my face identically matches Charles whilst neither William nor Harry’s does, raises the obvious question, just who are Charles’s real sons?” "This is why my wife, Dr. Elvianna, and I believe a 4-way Paternity test is the only way to resolve this issue once and for all. The truth of the game that has been played by the Monarchy, the Government, and the Establishment for 58 years needs to be exposed." "It's not just what happened to me as a child, and what I remember from growing up in England, but it’s also what’s happened since to myself, my wife, and my children in Australia that supports our argument. These covert and illegitimate activities that are targeted towards us constantly are an attempt to stop us on this journey, nothing more. They will not succeed. They will only strengthen our argument and provides us with evidence to demonstrate what has occurred, in a court room, to judges." "My question to all of you is how will you truly react when you hear the truth of what has occurred? Would you still want them on the throne?" Dorante-Day was born in Portsmouth in the UK in 1966, and was adopted at just eight months old. According to his claims, his adoptive mother, who worked for Queen Elizabeth II confessed on her death bed that he was the son of Charles and Camilla. Image credits: Facebook

Family & Pets

Woman who died in office cubicle found four days later

The body of an employee at one of America's biggest banks was in her office cubicle four days after she passed away, according Arizona police officials. Denise Prudhomme, 60, had used her ID to scan into the building on August 16 at 7am, four days later her dead body was found slumped over in her cubicle at the bank's office in Tempe. “To hear she’s been sitting at the desk like that would make me feel sick,” an employee at Wells Fargo told local news outlet K12News. “And nobody did anything. That’s how she spent her last moments.” The employee told the outlet that several workers had complained of a foul smell when they came back to work after the weekend, but thought it was just bad plumbing. K12News reported that another employee found Prudhomme dead at her desk in a cubicle while walking around the building, and the security guards then alerted police. One employee said that the building's security guards should have found her body earlier. “That’s the scary part. That’s the uneasy part,” they said. “It’s negligence in some part.” Prudhomme’s cause of death has not yet been released, though officials have said that based on the preliminary investigation there was no sign of foul play. The investigation is ongoing. Wells Fargo shared a statement with several other news outlets saying that they were “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague” and will be providing counsellors to support office employees. They are also co-operating with police in their investigation. Image: Larry Zhou / Shutterstock.com

Legal

Peter Overton's heartfelt advice on Father's Day

In the delightful chronicles of the Overton family, one thing has become abundantly clear: Peter Overton absolutely adored witnessing the close bond between his father, John, and his daughters, Allegra and Giselle. It was a sight that not only warmed his heart, but reassured him that the family ties would endure through generations. Overton has often reflected on his father’s age – nearly 87 – and marvelled at how John and his mother still live in the family home where Peter himself grew up. Even at 58, Peter couldn't help but beam with pride when talking about his parents. “They loved all their grandchildren,” he told <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/fathers-day-2024-peter-overton-interview-fatherhood-two-daughters/f39eb07c-f966-4bcf-bc74-0e78c69d8458" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NineNews</a>, “but Allegra and Giselle were the youngest, and they talked to them every day.” This Father's Day just gone, however, held special significance. The family hadn’t seen each other "for a while", and Peter knew it was high time they rectified that. The plan? A simple yet heartwarming meal of barbecue chickens and salad, enjoyed together at his parents' home. "We're going to buy barbecue chickens and salad and go over and sit with them," Peter had said in the days leading up to Father's Day, “because he's been an amazing mentor and friend and dad to me. He's an extraordinary, extraordinary human." As Peter reminisced, he couldn’t help but hope that his daughters would hold him in similar regard. “I hope my girls see that in me,” he said, “and I’m sure they do.” Peter has always been a hands-on dad, always encouraging open communication and making sure Allegra and Giselle know they can talk to him and his wife Jess Rowe about anything without fear of judgment. Peter has often recalled how his father had been a great communicator, even with the demands of his career as a professor of paediatric anaesthesia for 40 years. Peter remembered the early mornings when, after a night out, he and his siblings would cross paths with their father in the backyard. “Where are you going, Dad?” they’d ask, only to hear about some emergency with sick kids being flown in from Dubbo. Despite his busy job, John had never taken his eye off his children. Now, as a father of two daughters, Peter has found himself similarly devoted. He's currently been teaching his eldest, Allegra, how to drive. “She’s got about 50 hours down,” he brags, though not without a hint of stress: “I’ve ripped out the grab handles in the car from stress,” he admits, only half-jokingly. It's all part of life’s passage; the gradual letting go as children navigate their teenage years. Peter understands the delicate balance of being there for his daughters while allowing them the freedom to make their own choices, and yes, even mistakes. “You’ve got to let them fly, don’t you?” he says, with a wisdom that can only come from years of parenting. He and Jess have certainly found that balance, even as they continue to support their daughters through the ups and downs of school and teenage relationships. And while there are many special memories the close-knit family have shared, Peter often recalls the days when his daughters were born as the most precious. “I remember both of them vividly,” he says, describing how he could still feel the weight of newborn Allegra in his hands as he proclaimed, “It’s a girl!” And with Giselle, born via emergency cesarean, he cherished the moment he held her skin-to-skin while Jess was tended to. These moments, etched forever in his heart, are Peter’s best memories by a million. So, when asked what advice he’d give to new dads, Peter kept it simple: “Rely on your instincts”. And with that, the legacy of love, devotion and the occasional heart-pounding driving lesson continues in the Overton family, one barbecue chicken at a time. Images: Instagram

Family & Pets

The Project hosts shocked by snarky Father's Day remark

The Project hosts have been stunned by a snarky Father's Day comment by a guest, with viewers letting loose online over the remark. On Sunday night's show, which coincided with Father's Day, hosts Hamish Macdonald and Sarah Harris were joined by The Guardian's political editor Amy Remeikis to discuss Australia's housing shortage and cost of living crisis. At the end of her interview, however, she signed off by noting Father's Day with a snarky comment. "Happy Dad's Day to all the non-crap dads and for all the mums and everyone else who had to stood up for the crap dads [sic]," she said. The bizarre off-the-cuff remark left the bemused hosts lost for words with a perplexed Harris appearing to grimace, while the audience awkwardly laughed. "Okay, in other news," Macdonald eventually responded as he quickly moved to the next segment. Dozens of viewers took to X to share their confusion over the remark after the program shared the segment online, which has since been deleted. "What was that little rant at then about c**p dads?" one viewer asked. Others slammed the comment and believed that it shouldn't have been aired, as another viewers wrote, "Happy Father's day to the non crap dads? Are you serious? What a s**t thing to say." "Just say happy Father's Day, or don't." But some viewers did see the funny side, as one person wrote, "I've just watched Amy Remeikis discuss capitalism and crap dads on Father’s Day. Cannot ever imagine an equivalent on British TV." Single parents who solely raise their children alone also leapt to Remeikis' defence, as one mum added, "Just saw you on The Project. As a mum who does both roles. THANK YOU!" Image credits: The Project

John Farnham's sons' heartfelt plea on Daffodil Day

John Farnham's sons have revealed more about their father's cancer journey in a heartfelt video, while making a plea to fans ahead of Daffodil Day. Rob, 44, and James, 36, who are ambassadors this year for the day of cancer research, shared how hard their father's diagnosis was on him and his whole family. "Our father was diagnosed with cancer two years ago," they said in the video posted to Instagram. "The last couple of years have been difficult on our family." "It started off as an ulcer inside his mouth and found out that it was cancer, it was a pretty brutal time for us all." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-7HP9YPGI-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-7HP9YPGI-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Cancer Council Victoria (@cancervic)</a> </div> </blockquote> They concluded the video by asking people to donate money to cancer research this Daffodil Day. "Our dad wouldn't be here without cancer research, and that's why days like Daffodil Day are important," they said of the fundraiser taking place on Thursday. "This Daffodil Day for everything that cancer takes, please give." When announcing their ambassador roles, Rob wrote, "As we've seen with our dad, a cancer diagnosis doesn't just impact the person, but everyone they know and love". "We've seen firsthand how crucial cancer research and support is, and we are so grateful for the treatment and care Dad has been given.," he said. John Farnham was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 and underwent a massive 13-hour operation on his jaw to remove the tumour. In July last year, Farnham announced he'd been declared cancer free and given the "all clear" by his medical team. Image credits: Instagram

Caring

“Absolutely livid”: Woman discovers she’s been fired via text on her wedding day

A woman has recalled the moment she discovered she had lost her job after her boss delivered the news via text on the woman’s wedding day. The bride shared that she got the message from her boss just 30 minutes after she walked down the aisle. The woman shared the story with Ben Askins, who regularly shares stories online of toxic employers, as she read out the messages she received on what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. “On my wedding day, half an hour after the ceremony, I got a text from my boss to let me know I had been fired,” she said. The message from her boss read, “Hey, I hope your wedding went well and that you had a nice time away. I just wanted to let you know that the decision has been made to unfortunately let you go.” “An email has been sent to your personal email address detailing this. I'm really sorry that it didn't work out and wish you all the best moving forward x.” As she was surrounded by loved ones, the bride struggled to contain her emotions as she quickly checked her emails. “I hope your wedding went well and you had a good time. This email is to inform you that your employment will be terminated effective the 20th of May,” the email read. “Your employment has been terminated as we unfortunately feel your performance doesn't meet the expectations that we require for the role.” The woman explained how she felt her manager's email was a “coward's way” of letting her go while she wasn't at work, and was unable to defend herself. “I wasn't going to let it go but what they did... I was really angry at them,” she said. “They had the opportunity to do it in person. Everyone was let go in person except for me.” Askins said the woman’s story was one of the “worst things” he's ever heard a boss do to an employee. “It's meant to be one of the best, most amazing days ever and they've done that to you,” he told the woman. “You have every right to be absolutely livid with them.” Askins' video of the woman’s story has been viewed more than 600,000 times, with many taking particular issue on the bride's boss for being “petty” and “inappropriate”. “This person could have waited a day. It's done on purpose to ruin your special day. Only narcissists would do that,” one said. Another added, “The fact that she texted her to let her know about the email is so petty. She wanted her to know on her wedding day.” Image credits: Shutterstock

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“Absolutely livid”: Woman discovers she’s been fired via text on her wedding day

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