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Hospice nurse reveals people's last words before they die

<p>A hospice nurse has revealed the number one thing people say in their final moments before they die. </p> <p>Healthcare expert Julie McFadden, who makes online videos discussing death to help break the taboo around dying, has shared the three most common regrets patients share on their death beds. </p> <p>Speaking to NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan on his podcast, Julie said these final discussions tend to centre around what they've taken for granted. </p> <p>"The first one I hear all the time is that they regret not appreciating their health while they had it," Ms McFadden said, reflecting on her 15 years of working in the health sector. </p> <p>"That's the number one thing people say to me, I wish I would have understood how amazing it is to have a working body."</p> <p>The second regret she often hears is people admitting they "worked too much" and wish they hadn't worked their life away, and rather spent time doing things that brought them joy. </p> <p>Finally, she revealed in the clip shared to Instagram, that many dying patients have regrets about relationships. </p> <p>The nurse explained people either wish they had maintained certain relationships and friendships, or regret holding grudges.</p> <p>Dr Rajan responded to Ms McFadden's insight with a story of a young patient that made him realise we are not 'immortal' and we should not take our life "for granted". </p> <p>In the clip shared with his 1.5million followers he said, "A few years ago when I saw a young woman come in with pancreatitis in her 20s, within three hours this young woman is in the intensive care unit, she's intubated, ventilated, and the next day, she had passed away."</p> <p>"That just made me think wow, I'm in my 30s now, I'm 34, life can just go in a flash. So yes, truly don't take it for granted, we sometimes have this tendency to walk around like we're immortal."</p> <p><em>Image credits: YouTube</em></p>

Caring

Freddy Krueger at 40 – the ultimate horror movie monster (and Halloween costume)

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-daniel-301018">Adam Daniel</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p>Movie monsters have captivated audiences since the days of early cinema. They evoke fascination and terror, allowing audiences to confront their fears from the safety of the movie theatre or living room.</p> <p>Arguably one of the most enduring and captivating of these monsters is Freddy Krueger, the villain of the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087800/">A Nightmare on Elm Street</a> series who celebrates his 40th screen birthday this November.</p> <p>Memorably played by Robert Englund, Freddy quickly became a cultural icon of the 1980s and 1990s. Beyond his burned face and iconic bladed glove, Freddy’s dark humour and acidic personality set him apart from other silent, faceless killers of the era, such as Michael Myers in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077651/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_6_nm_0_in_0_q_halloween">Halloween</a> or Jason Vorhees in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080761/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Friday the 13th</a>.</p> <p>Written and directed by horror maven <a href="https://theconversation.com/wes-craven-the-scream-of-our-times-46915">Wes Craven</a>, 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street garnered positive reviews for its innovative concept: Freddy stalked and attacked his victims in their dreams, making him inescapable and allowing him to tap into their deepest fears. The series (seven films plus a 2010 remake and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0329101/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Freddy vs. Jason</a> spin offs) blended supernatural horror and surrealism with a dark and twisted sense of humour.</p> <h2>Scary … but funny</h2> <p>Humour was key to Freddy’s “popularity”. Both sinister and strangely charismatic, Freddy’s psychological torture of his adolescent victims often oscillated between terrifying and amusing.</p> <p>A famous kill scene from 1987’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093629/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors</a> demonstrates this paradox.</p> <p>Aspiring actress Jennifer drifts off to sleep while watching a talk show on TV. In her dream, the host of the talk show suddenly transforms into Freddy, who attacks his guest before the TV blinks out. When Jennifer timidly approaches the TV set, Freddy’s head and clawed hands emerge from the device, snatching her while delivering an iconic one-liner: “This is it, Jennifer – your big break in TV!”</p> <p>Freddy turns his victims’ fears or aspirations – their dreams – against them.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dCVh4lBfW-c?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">‘Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.’</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Creating a monster</h2> <p>Craven has shared how the character of Krueger came to life in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1510985/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy</a>, an oral history of the series.</p> <p>He described a childhood experience of seeing a strange mumbling man walking past his childhood home. The man stopped, he said, and looked directly at him “with a sick sense of malice”. This deeply unsettling experience helped shape Freddy’s menacing presence.</p> <p>The character’s creation also emerged from the filmmaker’s interest in <a href="https://www.iflscience.com/nightmare-on-elm-street-was-inspired-by-a-real-life-medical-mystery-60527">numerous reports of Southeast Asian refugees dying in their sleep</a> after experiencing vivid nightmares.</p> <p>In the film, Krueger’s origin story reveals him as a child murderer who was apprehended but released due to a technicality in his arrest. Seeking justice, the parents of his victims take matters into their own hands, and form a vigilante mob. They corner him in his boiler room and burn him alive. But Freddy’s spirit survives to haunt and kill the children of his executioners.</p> <h2>Cultural repression, expressed on film</h2> <p>Film critic and essayist <a href="https://www.cineaste.com/summer2019/robin-wood-on-horror-film-collected-essays-and-reviews#:%7E:text=Freudian%20theory%2C%20a%20crucial%20theoretical,the%20horror%20film%20perpetually%20enacts.">Robin Wood argued</a> horror films often bring to the surface elements society has repressed. These fears, desires, or cultural taboos are not openly acknowledged.</p> <p>But movie monsters act as manifestations of what society suppresses, such as sexuality, violence or deviant behaviour. American academic <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01956051.1995.9943696">Gary Heba</a> argues Freddy is:</p> <blockquote> <p>an example of America’s political unconscious violently unleashed upon itself, manifesting everything that is unspeakable and repressed in the master narrative (perversion, child abuse and murder, vigilantism, the breakdown of rationality, order, and the family, among others), but still always present in the collective unconscious of the dominant culture.</p> </blockquote> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UBrl4H0Uzng?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Actor Robert Englund calls Freddy Krueger ‘the gift that keeps on giving’.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The monster decades</h2> <p>The 1970s and 1980s marked a golden era for the creation of horror film nasties like Krueger, Myers, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072271/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3">The Texas Chainsaw Massacre</a>’s Leatherface and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094862/?ref_=fn_al_tt_19">killer doll Chucky</a>.</p> <p>Since then, the landscape of horror has shifted, with fewer singular monsters emerging. The diversification of horror sub-genres (zombie virus horror, anyone?), the rise of psychological horror (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7784604/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2_tt_4_nm_2_in_0_q_heredi">Hereditary</a>), and an emphasis on human-driven terror (<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416315/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_7_nm_0_in_0_q_wolf%2520creek">Wolf Creek</a>) or supernatural forces all contribute to this shift.</p> <p>While modern horror continues to thrive, few characters have achieved the same iconic status as Freddy – although some would argue Art the Clown from the recent <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4281724/">Terrifier</a> franchise and the reinvigorated Pennywise from <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1_tt_6_nm_1_in_0_q_it">IT</a> could join this exclusive group.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZuYoEtEI_go?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">‘Five, six, grab your crucifix.’ A 2010 Nightmare on Elm St reboot failed to fire.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Happy Halloween!</h2> <p>Despite a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179056/">failed reboot in 2010</a>, the legacy of A Nightmare on Elm Street is strong, having influenced numerous filmmakers with its skilful mix of surrealism and slasher horror.</p> <p>However, it’s the orchestrator of the titular nightmares whose legacy is perhaps the strongest.</p> <p>With each Halloween, new fans choose Freddy for their costume. All it takes is a tattered striped sweater, a brown fedora hat, and a glove with sharp, finger-lengthening blades. Don’t forget makeup to re-create Krueger’s grisly facial burns. Sweet dreams!<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/240905/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/adam-daniel-301018"><em>Adam Daniel</em></a><em>, Associate Lecturer in Communications, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: New Line Cinema - IMDB</em></p> <p><em>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/freddy-krueger-at-40-the-ultimate-horror-movie-monster-and-halloween-costume-240905">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Movies

What washing machine settings can I use to make my clothes last longer?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alessandra-sutti-1513345">Alessandra Sutti</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amol-patil-1513347">Amol Patil</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maryam-naebe-1513346">Maryam Naebe</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>Orbiting 400 kilometres above Earth’s surface, the astronauts on the International Space Station live a pretty normal social life, if not for one thing: they happily wear their unwashed clothes <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/glenn/nasa-glenn-interns-take-space-washing-machine-designs-for-a-spin/">for days and weeks at a time</a>. They can’t do their laundry <a href="https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Engineering_Technology/Keeping_your_underwear_clean_on_the_Moon">just yet</a> because water is scarce up there.</p> <p>But down here on Earth, washing clothes is a large part of our lives. <a href="https://bigee.net/media/filer_public/2013/03/28/bigee_domestic_washing_machines_worldwide_potential_20130328.pdf">It’s estimated</a> that a volume of water equivalent to 21,000 Olympic swimming pools is used every day for domestic laundry worldwide.</p> <p>Fibres from our clothes make their way into the environment via the air (during use or in the dryer), water (washing) and soil (lint rubbish in landfill). Most of this fibre loss is invisible – we often only notice our favourite clothing is “disappearing” when it’s too late.</p> <p>How can you ensure your favourite outfit will outlast your wish to wear it? Simple question, complex answer.</p> <h2>Washing machines are not gentle</h2> <p>When you clean the filters in your washing machine and dryer, how often do you stop to think that the lint you’re holding <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-laundry-releases-microfibres-weighing-the-equivalent-of-1-500-buses-each-year-199712"><em>was</em>, in fact, your clothes</a>?</p> <p>Laundering is harsh on our clothes, and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0250346">research confirms this</a>. Several factors play a role: the type of washing machine, the washing cycle, detergents, temperature, time, and the type of fabric and yarn construction.</p> <p>There are two types of domestic washing machines: top-loader and front-loader. Mechanical agitation (the way the machine moves the clothes around) is one of the things that helps ease dirt off the fabric.</p> <p>Top-loaders have a vertical, bucket-like basket with a paddle, which sloshes clothes around in a large volume of water. Front-loaders have a horizontal bucket which rotates, exposing the clothes to a smaller volume of water – it takes advantage of gravity, not paddles.</p> <p>Top-loading machines <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12541-010-0047-7">tend to be more aggressive</a> towards fabrics than front-loaders due to the different mechanical action and larger volumes of water.</p> <p>Washing machine panels also present many choices. Shorter, low-temperature programs <a href="https://clevercare.info/more-eco-temperature-tips">are usually sufficient for everyday stains</a>. Choose longer or <a href="https://iprefer30.eu/animations/UK/wash-brochure-uk.pdf">high-temperature programs</a> only for clothing you have concerns about (healthcare uniforms, washable nappies, etc.).</p> <p>Generally, washing machine programs are carefully selected combinations of water volume, agitation intensity and temperature recommended by the manufacturer. They take into consideration the type of fabric and its level of cleanliness.</p> <p>Select the wrong program and you can say goodbye to your favourite top. For example, high temperatures or harsh agitation may cause some fibres to weaken and break, causing holes in the garment.</p> <h2>Some fabrics lose fibres more easily than others</h2> <p>At a microscopic level, the fabric in our clothes is made of yarns – individual fibres twisted together. The nature and length of the fibres, the way they are twisted and the way the yarns form the fabric can determine how many fibres will be lost during a wash.</p> <p>In general, if you want to lose fewer fibres, you should wash less frequently, but some fabrics are affected more than others.</p> <p>Open fabric structures (knits) with loose yarns <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-98836-6">can lose more fibres</a> than tighter ones. Some sports clothing, like running shirts, are made of continuous filament yarn. These fibres are less likely to come loose in the wash.</p> <p>Cotton fibres are only a few centimetres long. Twisted tightly together into a yarn, they can still escape.</p> <p>Wool fibres are also short, but have an additional feature: scales, which make wool clothes much more delicate. Wool fibres can come loose like cotton ones, but also tangle with each other during the wash due to their scales. This last aspect is what causes wool garments to shrink when <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/004051756403400303">exposed to heat</a> and agitation.</p> <h2>Go easy on the chemicals</h2> <p>The type of detergent and other products you use also makes a difference.</p> <p>Detergents contain a soap component, enzymes to make stains easier to remove at low temperature, and fragrances. Some contain harsher compounds, such as bleaching or whitening agents.</p> <p>Modern detergents are very effective at <a href="https://www.choice.com.au/home-and-living/laundry-and-cleaning/laundry-detergents/review-and-compare/laundry-detergents">removing stains such as food</a>, and you don’t need to use much.</p> <p>An incorrect choice of wash cycles, laundry detergent and bleaching additives could cause disaster. Certain products, like bleach, can <a href="https://site.extension.uga.edu/textiles/textile-basics/understand-your-fibers/">damage some fibres like wool and silk</a>.</p> <p>Meanwhile, research on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749120366872?via%3Dihub">fabric softeners and other treatments</a> <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0233332&type=printable">continues</a> – there’s no one-size-fits-all answer about their potential impact on our clothes.</p> <h2>Just skip laundry day</h2> <p>So, how to ensure your clothes last longer? The main tip is to wash them less often.</p> <p>When it’s time for a wash, carefully read and follow the care labels. In the future, our washing machines will <a href="https://www.teknoscienze.com/tks_article/trends-in-laundry-by-2030/">recognise fabrics and select the wash cycle</a>. For now, that’s our responsibility.</p> <p>And the next time you throw your shirt into the dirty laundry basket, stop. Think of the astronauts orbiting above Earth and ask yourself: if they can go without clean laundry for a few days, maybe I can too? (Although we don’t recommend just burning your dirty undies, either.)<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/224064/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C1j6KLP492E?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alessandra-sutti-1513345">Alessandra Sutti</a>, Associate Professor, Institute for Frontier Materials, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amol-patil-1513347">Amol Patil</a>, Research Engineer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/maryam-naebe-1513346">Maryam Naebe</a>, Associate professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>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/what-washing-machine-settings-can-i-use-to-make-my-clothes-last-longer-224064">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Home & Garden

Charles III will be the first king of Australia to visit our shores. He could also be the last

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jess-carniel-99739">Jess Carniel</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p>King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s upcoming visit to Australia is significant for several reasons. It is Charles’ first visit since ascending to the throne – as well as the first time a British male head of state has visited Australia.</p> <p>Some observers are also wondering whether it might be one of the last royal tours, as debates about Australia potentially <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/13/republican-debate-flares-ahead-of-king-charles-first-visit-to-australia-as-monarch">becoming a republic</a> are reignited.</p> <p>As the monarchy tries to “modernise” alongside growing support for republicanism, this visit will be one to watch.</p> <h2>The curse of the Antipodes?</h2> <p>As Prince of Wales, Charles had a long and successful track record of royal tours to Australia, having visited 16 times. The visits included a term attending <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-64113876">Geelong Grammar School</a> in 1966, as well as the <a href="https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/g33926226/princess-diana-prince-charles-australia-royal-tour-1983-photos/">1983 tour</a> with Princess Diana that saw Australians caught up in Di-mania – and Charles reportedly <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-29/princess-diana-princess-charles-australia-1983-the-crown/12914130">gripped by jealousy</a>.</p> <p>But Charles’ royal predecessors weren’t as lucky in their trips down under. His own grandfather, King George VI, <a href="https://collectionswa.net.au/items/202bce46-f056-413e-bc74-ddf4d2f8e999#:%7E:text=Planning%20for%20this%20royal%20visit,after%20her%20father's%20untimely%20death.">planned to visit</a> Australia in the late 1940s with Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, but the tour was postponed due to his poor health. While he had previously visited as the <a href="https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/2053#:%7E:text=They%20had%20two%20daughters%2C%20Elizabeth,Canberra%20on%209%20May%201927.">Duke of York</a>, George VI never made it here as king.</p> <p>The very first royal visit to Australia – Prince Alfred’s <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/first-royal-visit">1867 tour</a> – had all appearance of being cursed. One of his crew members drowned during the first stop in South Australia. Several more people died in a major fire accident and a Catholic-Protestant skirmish in Melbourne.</p> <p>Most memorably – certainly for Alfred – was <a href="https://theconversation.com/royal-visits-to-australia-can-be-disaster-magnets-in-the-first-one-the-prince-barely-made-it-out-alive-233103">an assassination attempt</a> on the prince in Sydney. This, interestingly, is an experience King Charles has also had.</p> <p>During Charles’ 1994 visit, student protester David Kang fired blanks from a starter pistol in protest of Australia’s treatment of Cambodian refugees. The then Prince of Wales wasn’t harmed and Kang went on to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/he-shot-at-a-prince-now-hes-a-barrister-20050206-gdkmyp.html">become a barrister</a>.</p> <p>For non-British royals, however, Sydney has been a lucky location. King Frederick X’s decidedly modern romance <a href="https://www.womensweekly.com.au/royals/princess-mary/crown-princess-mary-crown-prince-frederik-love-story/">with Tasmania-born Queen Mary</a> famously began when they met at a bar during the Sydney Olympics in 2000.</p> <h2>Prince or king – does it matter?</h2> <p>This will be Charles’ seventeenth visit to Australia, but his first as reigning monarch. This means he is visiting not on behalf of the head of state, but as the head of state.</p> <p>The royal couple’s planned <a href="https://www.royal.uk/news-and-activity/2024-09-10/the-king-and-queen-will-visit-australia-and-samoa">Australian engagements</a> are as strategic as they are symbolic. They reflect carefully curated and ostensibly “non-political” issues such as environmental sustainability, cancer research and family violence.</p> <p>The visit also includes a meeting with Indigenous representatives. Notably, it is the first royal tour <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/royal-walkabout-shelved-due-to-cultural-sensitivities-20240911-p5k9n1.html">to not use the term “walkabout”</a> to describe public meet-and-greets, as this term had been criticised as cultural appropriation.</p> <p>It seems Charles’ modernised monarchy is seeking to distance itself from overtly colonial language – as much as a foreign monarchy can, anyway. The king has yet to respond to Indigenous leaders <a href="https://theconversation.com/should-king-charles-apologise-for-the-genocide-of-first-nations-people-when-he-visits-australia-239092">calling for an apology</a> for British colonisers’ genocides of First Nations peoples.</p> <p>Although the Australian media has focused on the stops in Canberra and Sydney, the main purpose of the tour is for the king to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting <a href="https://samoachogm2024.ws/">in Samoa</a> between October 21 and 26.</p> <p>It is the first time the meeting will be hosted by a Pacific Island state. The talks are an important opportunity for the king to highlight issues such as climate change, to which small island states in the Pacific <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/pacific-climate-change-info">are particularly vulnerable</a>.</p> <h2>Are people happy about the visit?</h2> <p>All six state premiers have declined their invitations to meet the king at his welcome reception in Canberra, citing other commitments. Their excuses might be genuine in some cases. For example, Queensland Premier Steven Miles is in the last few weeks of an election campaign.</p> <p>However, critics from the monarchist camp have viewed the move as <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/king-charles-iii-snubbed-australia-state-leaders-visit-insult-uk/">a political response</a> to debates over whether Australia should remain a constitutional monarchy with the king as its head of state.</p> <p>A <a href="https://au.yougov.com/politics/articles/46044-one-year-king-charles-reign-where-do-australian-at">YouGov Australia poll</a> published on the first anniversary of Charles’s ascension showed Australians are divided on republicanism. While 32% want to become a republic “as soon as possible”, 35% preferred to remain a constitutional monarchy and 12% wanted to become a republic after the king’s death. The remaining respondents didn’t know.</p> <p>Notably, the poll found republican sentiment had increased since Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022.</p> <p>The Albanese government established an assistant minister for the republic upon entering office in 2022 (although the portfolio was abolished with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/29/albaneses-new-lineup-signposts-labors-areas-of-greatest-weakness-and-effectively-concede-he-made-mistakes">this year’s reshuffle</a>). Upon taking the role, assistant minister Matt Thistlethwaite <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/01/minister-republic-twilight-queen-reign-good-opportunity-next-for-australia">suggested</a> the “twilight of [Queen Elizabeth’s] reign” presented “a good opportunity for a serious discussion about what comes next for Australia”.</p> <p>Charles doesn’t seem to be taking all this too personally. In a letter responding to the Australian Republican Movement in March this year, his private secretary said the king <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/13/republican-debate-flares-ahead-of-king-charles-first-visit-to-australia-as-monarch">viewed this</a> as “a matter for the Australian public to decide”.</p> <p>The royal tour and the meeting in Samoa will be important opportunities for the monarchy to connect with Australia and other Commonwealth nations.</p> <p>By presenting itself as a modern institution engaged with contemporary issues such as climate change, the monarchy will also have to engage with the possibility of new political identities for its former colonies.<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/241345/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jess-carniel-99739"><em>Jess Carniel</em></a><em>, Associate professor in Humanities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-southern-queensland-1069">University of Southern Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>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/charles-iii-will-be-the-first-king-of-australia-to-visit-our-shores-he-could-also-be-the-last-241345">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

Tony Armstrong jokes about "moonlighting" controversy on last ABC show

<p>Tony Armstrong has made a joke about the recent "<a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/tony-armstrong-called-out-by-media-watch-for-moonlighting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moonlighting</a>" controversy on his final show with <em>ABC News Breakfast</em>. </p> <p>On Monday, Armstrong was called out by <em>Media Watch</em> host Janine Perrett who said she was "stunned" that he failed to get the all-clear from network bosses before he became the voice of NRMA Insurance. </p> <p>Perrett launched into a blistering tirade over Armstrong's advertising gig with the insurance company, claiming the job was "strongly discouraged" by the public broadcaster. </p> <p>On Friday, Armstrong made light of the claims on his final show with <em>ABC News Breakfast</em>, after announcing he would be leaving the show after three years. </p> <p>While farewelling his co-hosts, the <em>News Breakfast</em> team gave him flowers and a big tin of coffee during his final broadcast, with Armstrong joking he wouldn’t name the coffee brand before back pedalling.</p> <p>“We won’t name the brand … Actually I don’t care, I’ve already been done by <em>Media Watch</em> — Nescafe!” Armstrong laughed.</p> <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/DArqPr_SrrX/?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/DArqPr_SrrX/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by PEDESTRIAN.TV (@pedestriantv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Armstrong went on to thank the <em>ABC News Breakfast</em> team in his final goodbye, saying “it takes a village” to get the show on air.</p> <p>“Look at this team around me. This is everyone that makes this show work. We are just the lucky presenters that get to go out there and present all of the hard work,” Armstrong said.</p> <p>“It takes a village. We do it understaffed and under resourced, and every day everybody rocks up with a smile on their face doing the work of four or five people. </p> <p>“So yes, I’m just an instrument that is part of a team.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: ABC News Breakfast</em></p>

Retirement Life

Readers response: Are there any particular museums or historical sites that have made a lasting impression on you?

<p>When travelling around the world, some museums, attractions and historical sites can have more of a lasting impact than others. </p> <p>We asked our readers if there are any particular places that have had a lasting impression on them while travelling, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Anne Hare</strong> - The Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Absolutely beautiful. Don't miss it!</p> <p><strong>Sandra Beckett</strong> - Seemingly little known, but the British Library in London has an absolutely jaw-dropping permanent exhibition of literature. Original handwritten manuscripts from famous authors through the ages. Wonderful for book lovers.</p> <p><strong>Jackie A Morris</strong> - St Paul's Cathedral London. Not being one to get into churches, but I went there as my son asked me to. I was in awe, managed the climb to the spire as well. Etched in my memory.</p> <p><strong>Christine Taylor</strong> - The Pantheon is certainly up there.</p> <p><strong>Tony Hallam</strong> - The Colosseum in Rome. I was in awe knowing i was standing in the place where gladiators had stood and fought 2000 years ago.</p> <p><strong>Pamela Rigby</strong> - In Flanders Fields, Ypres, Belgium.</p> <p><strong>Kris White</strong> - Killing Fields in Cambodia, chilling and desperately sad.</p> <p><strong>Gayle Morris</strong> - Stonehenge and the Cliffs of Moher.</p> <p><strong>George Jamieson</strong> - The statue of David in Florence, out of this world!!!</p> <p><strong>Jim Janush</strong> - Museo De La Revolución, Havana, Cuba.</p> <p><strong>Margie Buckingham</strong> - The Uluṟu rock base at sunset- its eerie silence is unnerving.</p> <p><strong>Steve Gerreyn</strong> - Cathedral of Seville. Magnificent.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <div style="font-family: inherit;"> <div class="x1rg5ohu xxymvpz x17z2i9w" style="display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; width: 22px; font-family: inherit;"> <div class="html-div xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1hy63sm xg01cxk xhva3ql" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 11px; padding: 0px; opacity: 0; font-family: inherit;" aria-hidden="false"> </div> </div> </div> <div class="x6s0dn4 x3nfvp2" style="font-family: inherit; align-items: center; display: inline-flex; min-width: 447px;"> <ul class="html-ul xe8uvvx xdj266r x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1n0m28w x78zum5 x1wfe3co xat24cr xsgj6o6 x1o1nzlu xyqdw3p" style="list-style: none; margin: 0px -8px 0px 4px; padding: 3px 0px 0px; display: flex; min-height: 15px; line-height: 12px; caret-color: #1c1e21; color: #1c1e21; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, '.SFNSText-Regular', sans-serif; font-size: 12.000001px;" aria-hidden="false"> <li class="html-li xdj266r xat24cr xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x1rg5ohu x1emribx x1i64zmx" style="display: inline-block; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 8px;"> </li> </ul> </div>

Travel Trouble

200-year-old message in a bottle unearthed

<p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>Cue dramatic music.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>The note, written with all the panache of a man who had just unearthed Caesar’s salad fork, read:</p> <p>"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."</p> <p>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.”</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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?</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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 <em>them</em> have the audacity to leave a note for the archaeologists of 2225?</p> <p>We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Féret is probably laughing somewhere in the afterlife, shaking his head and muttering, “Amateurs”.</p> <p><em>Images: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Guillaume Blondel / Facebook</span></em></p>

International Travel

Farmer Wants a Wife star breaks silence after split

<p><em>Farmer Wants a Wife</em> fan favourite Farmer Andrew has confirmed his split from Claire Saunders after the pair cancelled their upcoming wedding. </p> <p>The pair, who met each other on the 2023 season of the show, initially shared that their wedding had been postponed in July for “reasons out of our control”.</p> <p>On Monday, Andrew confirmed that the relationship ended in a lengthy Instagram post. </p> <p>“It feels the right time to share what’s been happening in my life on the farm and beyond,” he began.</p> <p>“For someone who’s more used to being surrounded by sheep and nature than the buzz of social media, this is a bit out of the box. But here goes.”</p> <p>He explained that a few years ago he wanted to share the farm life with "someone special" so he decided to sign up for the show. </p> <p>“I never imagined meeting such an amazing group of women, each with their own spirit and story. It was exciting and humbling, reminding me of how important love and connection are,” he said.</p> <p>“Amidst it all, one extraordinary woman captured my heart, and we decided to give it a shot.</p> <p>“We moved in together, dreaming of a future where our love would grown alongside the farm. It was fast-paced, passionate and fun.</p> <p>He continued saying that life had other plans for them and despite their love and effort, "sometimes things just don’t work out."</p> <p>“Living together brought its own challenges, and we realised our paths weren’t meant to stay intertwined.”</p> <p>He said that while it was "sad" the relationship had to end, they gave it their all. </p> <p>“Though it didn’t lead us where we hoped, it helped us grow. It’s been a huge outlay of heart and soul. And while it’s painful to walk away, we’ve both emerged stronger, wiser, and more attuned to what really matters.”</p> <p>He then went on to thank his family, friends and followers who helped him through tough times, and shared his plan going forward. </p> <p>“As I move forward, I’m choosing to celebrate the love we shared, the lessons learned, and the strength gained.</p> <p>“No regrets, just gratitude. Now, it’s time to dive back into farm life. here’s never a dull moment with the challenges, adventures and pleasures that come from living and working on the land, and I look forward to sharing this journey, hoping we can all find inspiration," he ended the post. </p> <p>The former couple announced their engagement in March 2021, after Claire moved to Andrew's farm in Narromine, regional NSW. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Chaos erupts over last-minute cruise itinerary change

<p>Passengers onboard a Carnival Cruise have demanded refunds after their travel itinerary changed once they had already boarded the ship. </p> <p>Guests aboard Carnival’s Vista had booked the eight-night Southern Caribbean cruise out of Port Florida on August 10th intending to stop in Aruba, Curacao and Turks and Cacaos, with the eight-day cruise averaging $11,700 per person.</p> <p>However, as boarding was taking place, the cruise line sent passengers a notification saying their had been a change of plans due to an engine problem.</p> <p>Carnival crew members had discovered a “technical issue affecting the ship’s cruising speed” which forced the cruise line to alter the itinerary, the cruise line told the New York Post, with Vista instead traveling to the Bahamas, making stops at Nassau, Princess Cays, Freeport, and Half Moon Cay. </p> <p>While a cruise worker was trying to explain the situation to passengers, some started chanting "Give us our money!" while staff tried to diffuse the situation.</p> <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_OYKHVvIIh/?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_OYKHVvIIh/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Only in Florida (@onlyinfloridaa)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“Ladies and gentlemen, the way you’re going about this with the noise and chaos isn’t going to solve any issues,” one cruise employee explained to the passengers, according to video obtained by Inside Edition.</p> <p>The passengers were given several choices once the cruise line determined the need for an itinerary change, as the cruise line said in a statement. </p> <p>“We communicated directly with guests on board regarding their options for the sailing,” Carnival said.</p> <p>“Those that sailed were given an on-board credit as well as a future cruise credit toward another cruise to make up for the unexpected change, and those who preferred not to sail were offered a 100 per cent refund.” </p> <p>Even with the choice of not cruising to the Bahamas, passengers were still frustrated with Carnival for the last-minute announcement.</p> <p>“They knew about the problem prior to us getting onto the ship,” Ashley Ball told the outlet. “They just didn’t say that until we were already on the ship, and, you know, went through customs and the lines and securities and all that, and then decided to display that information.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

The important cause that brought Ally Langdon to tears

<p>Ally Langdon teared up on Thursday's episode of <em>A Current Affair </em>during a heartfelt segment on organ donation. </p> <p>The host was discussing Jersey Day with Michael Gremmo, a father who had lost his 13-year-old son Nathan after he was critically injured when crossing the road in 2014. </p> <p>Nathan went on to become an organ donor - a decision that saved six lives, including a baby. </p> <p>Now his father is honouring his son's legacy by encouraging others to have the important conversation about organ and tissue donation with loved ones. </p> <p>"Nathan, as most organ donors are, are healthy, fit, young people and their lives are just taken from them," Michael said.</p> <p>"Dealing with Nathan not coming back, that's the hardest, but we wanted something positive to come out of a horrible situation."</p> <p>The <em>A Current Affair</em> host fought back tears as she recalled how her own sister's life was saved after receiving a pancreas-kidney transplant in 2014. </p> <p>"My sister is alive because of someone as special as Nathan and there’s not a day goes by that we don’t as a family think about them and think about their grief." </p> <p>“Thank you,” Langtold told Michael tearfully.</p> <p>Michael replied: “Nathan hasn’t died in vain. He’s given life. And you’ve got your sister here because of a generous donor. And it’s not just the donor, it’s their family too. When you’re in that situation it’s hard.”</p> <p>Langdon then encouraged viewers to "have the conversation" about organ donation with loved ones of all ages. </p> <p>"Tell your family your wishes, because the final decision is theirs," she said.</p> <p>Michael said despite his son's young age, Nathan had talked about organ donation and expressed his desire to be one before his passing. </p> <p>“It’s not a conversation you usually have or want to have with young children,” Michael said.</p> <p>"Nathan had actually had a conversation with us, he watched a program on TV and it was about organ recipients ... he sat us down and spoke to us about that.</p> <p>"And yeah, we just talked about what a wonderful gift that would be."</p> <p>Jersey Day falls on Friday August 30, during which students and employees at schools and workplaces across the country are encouraged to wear their favourite jersey and have the important conversation about organ donation with their loved ones.</p> <p>"It's not just the lives of the organ recipient [you save], it's the families behind that too that, you know, you don't realise how many people are affected," Michael said.</p> <p>"I suppose that's why Jersey Day is so special as it's about awareness and getting it out there and having that important conversation."</p> <p><em>To register as an organ and tissue donor, visit <a href="http://donatelife.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donatelife.gov.au.</a></em></p> <p><em>Images: A Current Affair/ Nine</em></p>

Caring

Q+A viewers stunned by "blatantly racist" question

<p>A controversial question about the value of multiculturalism in Australia sparked a wave of heated backlash during a recent episode of ABC’s <em>Q+A</em>, with many questioning how such a query was allowed to air in the first place.</p> <p>The incident occurred on Monday night when audience member Jenny Carrol voiced her skepticism about the benefits of multiculturalism. Carrol claimed that the culture of the "original British/Irish majority" in Australia had been "demonised" over the past three decades. She cited the frequent vandalism of Captain Cook memorials as an example, questioning how democracy could function in what she described as an environment of "beating up the white guy".</p> <p>“Case in point," said Carrol. "Frequent vandalism of memorials to Captain Cook. How does democracy fit into this atmosphere of beat up the white guy?” she asked, later adding Captain Cook was “just doing a job”.</p> <p>The question immediately drew strong reactions, including a firm rebuttal from Youth Minister Anne Aly. Aly, who responded that multiculturalism is "the character of our nation", stated that it is not a policy that was imposed but rather an intrinsic part of Australia's identity.</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">"Take a look around you. We are multicultural. It’s who we are," Aly responded during the live broadcast, noting that multiculturalism has brought "immense benefits" to the country. Aly, who migrated to Australia from Egypt as a child, highlighted the resilience and strength that diversity brings to democracy, rejecting the notion that the contributions of the British heritage are being undermined.</span></p> <p>The exchange also ignited a firestorm on social media, with many criticising the show's producers for allowing what they viewed as a "blatantly racist" question to be aired. One user remarked, "Slow clap to the producers for allowing a blatantly racist question be aired," while another questioned the vetting process, stating, "If that question was vetted then I’d like to know who’s doing the vetting."</p> <p>Dr Aly's response was widely praised online, with many applauding her for addressing the underlying racism still present in Australia.</p> <p>Adding to the discussion, Australian National University Professor George Brandis KC, a former Attorney-General and High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, asserted that it is possible to celebrate Australia’s multiculturalism without disrespecting its British heritage. Brandis expressed his frustration over the vandalism of Captain Cook statues, suggesting that rather than being ashamed of their British roots, Australians should take pride in them.</p> <p>“We want to be the best multicultural society that we can be," he said. "On the other hand, that doesn’t – at least to my mind – involve disrespecting the British heritage, which was a very important framing set of values for modern Australia. When we think of our legal system, our parliamentary institutions, our system of government, our commercial practices.</p> <p>“So many of the fundamental features of Australian society we owe to our British heritage. And rather than be ashamed of that, we should be proud of that ... It infuriates me when people vandalise statues of Captain Cook, and it angers me as much as I’m sure it angers you.”</p> <p>On the other hand, US author and New York Times best-seller Roxane Gay provided a different perspective, stating that Australia’s history is not complicated. Gay argued that acknowledging the injustices faced by First Nations people and immigrants does not equate to oppression of the British majority. She also criticised Carrol’s defence of Captain Cook, arguing that "doing a job" does not justify immoral actions. “Just because something is your job doesn’t mean you should do it," she said, “You have the power to say ‘No, perhaps I won’t steal this land’." </p> <p>The episode also featured a discussion on youth voting rights, with Professor of Politics at the University of Cambridge David Runciman advocating for lowering the voting age to as young as six years old. Runciman argued that if children are held to the same standards of responsibility as adults, they should also have the right to vote. This sparked a debate on the potential implications of such a move, with some panellists, including Minister Aly, noting the importance of engaging youth in politics through other means rather than solely focusing on lowering the voting age.</p> <p>The <em>Q+A</em> episode has since sparked a broader conversation on the state of multiculturalism in Australia, the legacy of British colonialism, and the role of youth in the country’s democratic processes.</p> <p><em>Image: ABC</em></p>

How long does back pain last? And how can learning about pain increase the chance of recovery?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sarah-wallwork-1361569">Sarah Wallwork</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lorimer-moseley-1552">Lorimer Moseley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p>Back pain is common. One in thirteen people have it right now and worldwide a staggering 619 million people will <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7186678/">have it this year</a>.</p> <p>Chronic pain, of which back pain is the most common, is the world’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7186678/">most disabling</a> health problem. Its economic impact <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92510/">dwarfs other health conditions</a>.</p> <p>If you get back pain, how long will it take to go away? We scoured the scientific literature to <a href="https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/196/2/E29.full.pdf">find out</a>. We found data on almost 20,000 people, from 95 different studies and split them into three groups:</p> <ul> <li>acute – those with back pain that started less than six weeks ago</li> <li>subacute – where it started between six and 12 weeks ago</li> <li>chronic – where it started between three months and one year ago.</li> </ul> <p>We found 70%–95% of people with acute back pain were likely to recover within six months. This dropped to 40%–70% for subacute back pain and to 12%–16% for chronic back pain.</p> <p>Clinical guidelines point to graded return to activity and pain education under the guidance of a health professional as the best ways to promote recovery. Yet these effective interventions are underfunded and hard to access.</p> <h2>More pain doesn’t mean a more serious injury</h2> <p>Most acute back pain episodes are <a href="https://www.racgp.org.au/getattachment/75af0cfd-6182-4328-ad23-04ad8618920f/attachment.aspx">not caused</a> by serious injury or disease.</p> <p>There are rare exceptions, which is why it’s wise to see your doctor or physio, who can check for signs and symptoms that warrant further investigation. But unless you have been in a significant accident or sustained a large blow, you are unlikely to have caused much damage to your spine.</p> <p>Even very minor back injuries can be brutally painful. This is, in part, because of how we are made. If you think of your spinal cord as a very precious asset (which it is), worthy of great protection (which it is), a bit like the crown jewels, then what would be the best way to keep it safe? Lots of protection and a highly sensitive alarm system.</p> <p>The spinal cord is protected by strong bones, thick ligaments, powerful muscles and a highly effective alarm system (your nervous system). This alarm system can trigger pain that is so unpleasant that you cannot possibly think of, let alone do, anything other than seek care or avoid movement.</p> <p>The messy truth is that when pain persists, the pain system becomes more sensitive, so a widening array of things contribute to pain. This pain system hypersensitivity is a result of neuroplasticity – your nervous system is becoming better at making pain.</p> <h2>Reduce your chance of lasting pain</h2> <p>Whether or not your pain resolves is not determined by the extent of injury to your back. We don’t know all the factors involved, but we do know there are things that you can do to reduce chronic back pain:</p> <ul> <li> <p>understand how pain really works. This will involve intentionally learning about modern pain science and care. It will be difficult but rewarding. It will help you work out what you can do to change your pain</p> </li> <li> <p>reduce your pain system sensitivity. With guidance, patience and persistence, you can learn how to gradually retrain your pain system back towards normal.</p> </li> </ul> <h2>How to reduce your pain sensitivity and learn about pain</h2> <p>Learning about “how pain works” provides the most sustainable <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj-2021-067718">improvements in chronic back pain</a>. Programs that combine pain education with graded brain and body exercises (gradual increases in movement) can reduce pain system sensitivity and help you return to the life you want.</p> <p>These programs have been in development for years, but high-quality clinical trials <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2794765">are now emerging</a> and it’s good news: they show most people with chronic back pain improve and many completely recover.</p> <p>But most clinicians aren’t equipped to deliver these effective programs – <a href="https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(23)00618-1/fulltext">good pain education</a> is not taught in most medical and health training degrees. Many patients still receive ineffective and often risky and expensive treatments, or keep seeking temporary pain relief, hoping for a cure.</p> <p>When health professionals don’t have adequate pain education training, they can deliver bad pain education, which leaves patients feeling like they’ve just <a href="https://www.jpain.org/article/S1526-5900(23)00618-1/fulltext">been told it’s all in their head</a>.</p> <p>Community-driven not-for-profit organisations such as <a href="https://www.painrevolution.org/">Pain Revolution</a> are training health professionals to be good pain educators and raising awareness among the general public about the modern science of pain and the best treatments. Pain Revolution has partnered with dozens of health services and community agencies to train more than <a href="https://www.painrevolution.org/find-a-lpe">80 local pain educators</a> and supported them to bring greater understanding and improved care to their colleagues and community.</p> <p>But a broader system-wide approach, with government, industry and philanthropic support, is needed to expand these programs and fund good pain education. To solve the massive problem of chronic back pain, effective interventions need to be part of standard care, not as a last resort after years of increasing pain, suffering and disability.<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/222513/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/sarah-wallwork-1361569">Sarah Wallwork</a>, Post-doctoral Researcher, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lorimer-moseley-1552">Lorimer Moseley</a>, Professor of Clinical Neurosciences and Foundation Chair in Physiotherapy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>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/how-long-does-back-pain-last-and-how-can-learning-about-pain-increase-the-chance-of-recovery-222513">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

The gift of a lifetime: How one busy mum found peace of mind and left a lasting legacy

<p>Anita lives in Sydney with her husband and three sons. She recently chose to include a gift to Lifeline Australia when writing her Will with an online Will-writing service called <a href="https://www.gatheredhere.com.au/c/lifeline-au?gh_cuid=Oxs_YC7byb&gh_cch=%40campaign%2Fchannel%2Fnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Gathered Here</span></a>.</p> <p>“My Will has been in the making for the last five years and it has always been pushed down on the prioritisation list due to the high cost of seeing a solicitor and us being a very busy family with young kids,” says Anita.</p> <p>“When I found out about Gathered Here, I thought I may as well check it out, and after 10 minutes I had a Will! The process was simple and straightforward without any complicated legal jargon to cut through.</p> <p>“Within the Will-writing process, summarising my wishes was an important and practical step for me. I want to ease the situation for my loved ones I leave behind by providing emotional and financial certainty in a time of confusion and grief.</p> <p>“There is also an opportunity to nominate and leave gifts to my favourite charities. I have three young boys and having some insight into the mental health challenges in Australia made my decision of allocating a portion of my estate to Lifeline Australia very easy.</p> <p>“Seeing an organisation like Lifeline continuously dedicate their effort, time and professionalism at the highest level to ensure that no one is ever alone in crisis provides me with hope of a better world for my children.”</p> <p>Lifeline is a national charity providing people in Australia experiencing emotional distress with access to 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services.</p> <p>Tragically, over 3,000 people in Australia lose their lives to suicide every year. This year, Lifeline will receive well over 1 million contacts from people in crisis. Every 30 seconds, someone in Australia reaches out to Lifeline.</p> <p>Lifeline exists to ensure that no person in Australia has to face their toughest moments alone, and believes that through connection, hope can be found.</p> <p>Lifeline Australia has partnered with Gathered Here to offer you the opportunity to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.gatheredhere.com.au/c/lifeline-au?gh_cuid=Oxs_YC7byb&gh_cch=%40campaign%2Fchannel%2Fnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">write your Will online for free</a></span> this Include a Charity Week, which runs from the 2nd – 8th September and is dedicated to raising awareness of how anyone can make a lasting impact to causes that they care about with a gift in their Will. You’ll also be able to make free and unlimited changes to your Will for life.</p> <p>Gathered Here provides end-of-life services through probate, funerals and online Wills. They are supported by an in-house legal team of highly experienced Wills and estate lawyers who have reviewed and vetted the Will writing process.</p> <p>Gathered Here's online Will-writing service allows you to appoint guardians for your children and pets, set out how you want to divide your estate and leave gifts to charities that mean the most to you - like Lifeline.</p> <p>After you've provided for those closest to you, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.gatheredhere.com.au/c/lifeline-au?gh_cuid=Oxs_YC7byb&gh_cch=%40campaign%2Fchannel%2Fnews" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leaving a gift to Lifeline Australia is a lasting and meaningful way that you can have an impact for years to come</a></span>. You will be helping to prevent suicide and save lives in future generations.</p> <p>Gifts in Wills make a phenomenal difference to charities, including Lifeline. This is why a growing number of people understand that once they have provided for their loved ones, leaving a gift in their Will is one of the most powerful ways they can support Lifeline, without incurring any financial costs during their lifetime.</p> <p>If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Lifeline Australia’s Gifts in Wills Specialist Abi Steiner via email at <a href="mailto:giftsinwills@lifeline.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">giftsinwills@lifeline.org.<span style="text-decoration: underline;">au</span></a> or phone on 02 8099 1974.</p> <p>If you, or someone you know, are feeling distressed or overwhelmed, we encourage you to connect with Lifeline in the way you feel most comfortable. For 24/7 crisis support, you can phone Lifeline to speak to a Crisis Supporter on 13 11 14, text 0477 131 114, chat to Lifeline online or access the Support Toolkit to self-manage what you’re going through at <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.lifeline.org.au</a></span>.</p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with Lifeline Australia.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Lifeline Australia</em></p>

Money & Banking

Australia’s IV fluids shortage will likely last all year. Here’s what that means for surgeries

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stuart-marshall-1115779">Stuart Marshall</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722"><em>The University of Melbourne</em></a></em></p> <p>The current <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/about-IV-fluids-shortages">shortage of sterile intravenous (IV) fluids</a> is a serious ongoing concern for doctors across Australia. During surgery, these sterile fluids are essential to administer drugs and hydrate patients intravenously (via the veins).</p> <p>But supplies of two of the most common solutions are critically low.</p> <p>The Australian government has recently moved to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/aug/16/australia-iv-fluid-shortage-government-distribution">coordinate supplies</a> of IV fluids to increase manufacturing and ensure distribution. Despite this, supplies are not expected to return to normal levels <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-08/joint-statement-on-iv-fluids-health-ministers-meeting-16-august-2024.pdf">until the end of the year</a>.</p> <p>So, what will this mean for surgery in Australia? And are there any alternatives?</p> <h2>Why do we need IV fluids for surgery?</h2> <p>IV fluids are used before, during and after surgery to maintain blood volume and the body’s normal functions. They also combat dehydration, which can happen in a number of ways.</p> <p>Before surgery, patients may become dehydrated from illnesses that cause vomiting or diarrhoea. They are also asked to stop eating and drinking for several hours before surgery. This is to minimise the risk of stomach contents being regurgitated and inhaled into the lungs – a <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21954-aspiration-pneumonia">complication that can cause injury or death</a>. But it can also make them more dehydrated.</p> <p>During surgery, the body continues to lose fluid through normal processes such as sweating and making urine. But some aspects of surgery also exacerbate dehydration, for example, through blood loss or when internal organs are exposed and lose more fluid through evaporation.</p> <p>After the operation, IV fluids may be required for some days. Many patients may still be unable to eat and drink until the function of the gut returns to normal.</p> <p>Multiple research studies, including <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1801601">a trial </a>of 3,000 patients who underwent major abdominal surgery, have demonstrated the importance of adequate fluid therapy throughout all stages of surgery to avoid kidney damage.</p> <p>Apart from hydration, these sterile fluids – prepared under strict conditions so they contain no bacteria or viruses – are used in surgery for other reasons.</p> <p>Anaesthetists commonly use fluid infusions to slowly deliver medications into the bloodstream. There is some evidence this method of maintaining anaesthesia, compared to inhalation, can improve patients’ experience of “waking up” after the procedure, <a href="https://medcast.com.au/blog/total-intravenous-anaesthesia-tiva">such as being clearer headed and having less nausea and vomiting</a>.</p> <p>Surgeons also use sterile fluids to flush out wounds and surgical sites to prevent infection.</p> <h2>Are there workarounds?</h2> <p>Fluid given intravenously needs to closely resemble the salts in the blood to prevent additional problems. The safest and cheapest options are:</p> <ul> <li>isotonic saline, a solution of water with 0.9% table salt</li> <li>Hartmann’s solution (compound sodium lactate), which combines a range of salts such as potassium and calcium.</li> </ul> <p>Both are <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/about-IV-fluids-shortages">in short supply</a>.</p> <p>One way to work around the shortage is to minimise how much IV fluid is used during the procedure. This can be achieved by ensuring those admitted to surgery are as well hydrated as possible.</p> <p>Many people presenting for minor surgery can safely drink water up until an hour or so before their operation. A recent initiative termed “<a href="https://associationofanaesthetists-publications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/anae.15855">sip ‘til send</a>” has shown it is safe for patients to drink small amounts of fluid until the operating theatre team “sends” for them from the waiting room or hospital ward.</p> <p>However, this may not be appropriate for those at higher risk of inhaling stomach contents, or patients who take medications including <a href="https://www.journal.acorn.org.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1291&context=jpn">Ozempic</a>, which delay the stomach emptying. Patients should follow their anaesthetist’s advice about how to prepare for surgery and when to stop eating and drinking.</p> <p>Large research trials have also helped establish protocols called “<a href="https://www.bjanaesthesia.org/article/S0007-0912(17)53976-8/fulltext">enhanced recovery after surgery</a>”. They show that using special hydrating, carbohydrate-rich drinks before surgery can improve patients’ comfort and speed up healing.</p> <p>These protocols are common in <a href="https://aci.health.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/736617/ERAS-Key-principles-for-colorectal-surgery.pdf">major bowel surgery</a> in Australia but not used universally. Widespread adoption of these processes may reduce the amount of IV fluids needed during and after large operations, and help patients return to normal eating and drinking earlier. Medications reducing nausea and vomiting are now also routinely administered after surgery to help with this.</p> <h2>What will the shortage mean for surgeries?</h2> <p>The Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists <a href="https://www.anzca.edu.au/news/guidance-on-sparing-of-intravenous-fluid-use">has advised anaesthetists</a> to reduce the consumption of fluid during operations where there might be limited or minimal benefit. This means that the fluid will only be used for people who need it, without a change to the quality and safety of anaesthetic care for any patient.</p> <p>Even with these actions, there is still a chance that some planned surgeries may <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-15/iv-fluid-shortage-elective-urgery-delays/104225280">need to be postponed</a> in the coming months.</p> <p>If needed, these cancelled operations will likely be ones requiring large volumes of fluid and ones that would not cause unacceptable risks if delayed. Similar to cancellations during the height of the COVID pandemic, emergency operations and surgery for cancers are unlikely to be affected.</p> <p>Monitoring of the supplies and ongoing honest and open dialogue between senior health managers and clinicians will be crucial in minimising the disruption to surgical services.<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/237009/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stuart-marshall-1115779">Stuart Marshall</a>, Associate Professor, Department of Critical Care, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>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/australias-iv-fluids-shortage-will-likely-last-all-year-heres-what-that-means-for-surgeries-237009">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

Last Australian 'Rat of Tobruk' dies age 102

<p>Thomas Pritchard, Australia's last "Rat of Tobruk" has passed away at the age of 102. </p> <p>Pritchard was part of the famous garrison who held the eponymous Libyan port against a furious Nazi siege in World War II.</p> <p>The Rats of Tobruk Association announced Pritchard's death on Saturday, honouring his service to his country.</p> <p>"Tommy was a stalwart member of our association and a most humble veteran, having served with the 2/5th field ambulance throughout the Middle East and the South West Pacific," the association wrote in a post.</p> <p>"We as an Association are extremely grateful to have had Tommy for so long yet we mourn his loss and the last direct linkage with some 14,000 Australian servicemen who served in Tobruk."</p> <p>The post added that Pritchard would be farewelled in a private family funeral, as was Tommy's wishes. </p> <p>However, they added that a public memorial for all Rats of Tobruk will take place in Melbourne, with the date yet to be confirmed. </p> <p>The Rats of Tobruk were an Allied garrison of about 26,000 soldiers, including 14,000 Australians, commanded by Australian Lieutenant-General Leslie Morehead.</p> <p>They were besieged by the Nazi Afrika Korps, comprised of German and Italian troops, from April 10th to November 27th 1941.</p> <p>The Africa Korps, under the leadership of Nazi general Erwin Rommel, had never known defeat, until he faced the Rats for 231 days, who denied Rommel a port on the Libyan coast as the Nazis were unable to take control of Tobruk. </p> <p>The nickname came from American-born Nazi propagandist William Joyce, who, when he heard the Allied soldiers were taking cover in the pre-existing below-ground defences of the city, derided them as living like "rats".</p> <p>However, Aussies took the nickname with pride as they celebrated their victory. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Rats of Tobruk Association</em></p>

Caring

"They lied": Kerri-Anne Kennerley blasts I’m A Celeb

<p>Kerri-Anne Kennerley has opened up on her dramatic appearance on <em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here! </em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> last year, claiming that she was "lied to" ahead of her decision to sign up. </span></p> <p>Speaking to Tammin Sursok on her podcast, <em>The Sh*t Show</em>, Kennerly alleged that Network Ten made promises they couldn't keep. </p> <p>“[Ten] came to me and promised me this, this and this … and I had nothing else to do at the time,” the TV veteran claimed.</p> <p>“I got promised a bunch of stuff and they lied. And so instead of being in there, the three weeks I committed to, I got out in three days. They lied.”</p> <p>Sursok asked her to elaborate on the promises they made, but Kennerley refused. </p> <p>“I don’t want to go into it now. History. And I’m even dumbfounded that I said to myself after I’ve gone, oh my God. I avoided exactly what happened for 10 years.</p> <p>“ … If I had thought about it for one more nanosecond and the things that were said to me were not said to me, I wouldn’t have done it in a heartbeat.”</p> <p>Kennerley tearfully quit <em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">I'm A Celebrity</em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> last year after clashing with </span>MAFS star Domenica Calarco, who she claimed called her "the most self-centred b***h” she’d ever met during an eating challenge.</p> <p>The TV veteran added that going on the show was the "dumbest" decision she has ever made. </p> <p>“Comes out as absolutely number one dumb and as backed by several of my friends – especially straight after [I left IAC], them going, ‘You didn’t tell us, we would’ve locked you in a room if you had said you were going’,” she admitted.</p> <p>“But I don’t know … I’ve always thought I was pretty bulletproof, and then you get wounded and move on. But no … dumb, dumb, dumb – and lies. That’s what I put it down to.”</p> <p><em>Images: Ten</em></p>

Still fab after 60 years: how The Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night made pop cinema history

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-blair-223267">Alison Blair</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-otago-1304">University of Otago</a></em></p> <p>I first saw A Hard Day’s Night at a film festival over 20 years ago, at the insistence of my mum. By then, it was already decades old, but I remember being enthralled by its high-spirited energy.</p> <p>A Beatles fan, mum had introduced me to the band’s records in my childhood. At home, we listened to Please Please Me, the band’s 1963 single, and the Rubber Soul album from 1965, which I loved.</p> <p>Television regularly showed old black-and-white scenes of Beatlemania that, to a ten-year-old in the neon-lit 1980s, seemed like ancient history. But then, I’d never seen a full-length Beatles film. I had no idea what I was in for.</p> <p>When the lights went down at Dunedin’s Regent Theatre, the opening chord of the film’s title song announced its intentions: an explosion of youthful vitality, rhythmic visuals, comical high jinks and the electrifying thrill of Beatlemania in 1964.</p> <p>This time, it didn’t seem ancient at all.</p> <p>Since that first viewing, I’ve returned to A Hard Day’s Night again and again. I now show it to my students as a historically significant example of pop music film making – visually inventive cinema, emblematic of a fresh era in youth culture, popular music and fandom.</p> <h2>Beatlemania on celluloid</h2> <p>A musical comedy depicting a chaotic 36 hours in the life of the Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night has now reached its 60th anniversary.</p> <p>Directed by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504513/">Richard Lester</a>, the film premiered in London on July 6 1964, with its first public screening a day later (incidentally, also Ringo Starr’s birthday), and the <a href="https://www.discogs.com/master/24003-The-Beatles-A-Hard-Days-Night">album of the same name</a> released on July 10.</p> <p>The band’s popularity was by then reaching dizzying heights of hysteria, all reflected in the film. The Beatles are chased by hordes of fans, take a train trip, appear on TV, run from the police in a Keystone Cops-style sequence, and play a televised concert in front of screaming real-life Beatles fans.</p> <p>Side one of the album provides the soundtrack, and the film inspired pop music film and video from then on, from the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060010/">Monkees TV series</a> (1966–68) to the Spice Girls’ <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120185/">Spice World</a> (1997) and music videos as we know them today.</p> <h2>The original music video</h2> <p>Postwar teen culture and consumerism had been on the rise since the 1950s. In 1960s Britain, youth music TV programmes, notably <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196287/">Ready Steady Go!</a> (1963–66), meant pop music now had a developing visual culture.</p> <p>The youthful zest and vitality of ‘60s London was reflected in the pop-cultural sensibility, modern satirical humour and crisp visual impact of A Hard Day’s Night.</p> <p>Influenced by <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/french-new-wave-cinema">French New Wave</a> film making, and particularly the early 1960s work of <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000419/">Jean-Luc Godard</a>, A Hard Day’s Night employs <em><a href="https://indiefilmhustle.com/cinema-verite/">cinéma vérité</a></em>-style hand-held cinematography, brisk jump cuts, unusual framing and dynamic angles, high-spirited action, and a self-referential nonchalance.</p> <p>The film also breaks the “fourth wall”, with characters directly addressing the audience in closeup, and reveals the apparatus of the visual performance of music: cameras and TV monitors are all part of the frame.</p> <p>Cutting the shots to the beat of the music – as in the Can’t Buy Me Love sequence – lends a visual rhythm that would later become the norm in music video editing. Lester developed this technique further in the second Beatles film, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059260/">Help!</a> (1965).</p> <p>The closing sequence of A Hard Day’s Night is possibly the film’s most dynamic: photographic images of the band edited to the beat in the style of stop-motion animation. Sixty years on, it still feels fresh, especially as so much contemporary film making remains hidebound by formulaic Hollywood rules.</p> <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.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/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/604790/original/file-20240704-17-ov77mn.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A Hard Day's Night movie poster" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A new pop aesthetic: original film poster for A Hard Day’s Night.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Slapstick and class awareness</h2> <p>As with much popular culture from the past, the humour in A Hard Day’s Night doesn’t always doesn’t land the way it would have in 1964. And yet, there are moments that seem surprisingly modern in their razor-sharp irony.</p> <p>In particular, the band’s Liverpudlian working-class-lad jibes and chaotic energy contrast brilliantly with the film’s upper-class characters. Actor Victor Spinetti’s comically over-anxious TV director, constantly hand-wringing over the boys’ rebelliousness, underscores the era-defining change the Beatles represented.</p> <p>Corporate pop-culture consumerism is also satirised. John Lennon “snorts” from a Coca-Cola bottle, a moment so knowingly silly it registers as more contemporary than it really is. George Harrison deflects a journalist’s banal questions with scathingly witty answers, and cuts a fashion company down to size by describing their shirt designs as “grotesque”.</p> <p>And there is Paul McCartney’s running joke that his grandfather – played by Wilfred Brambell from groundbreaking sitcom <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057785/">Steptoe and Son</a> (1962–74) – is “very clean”.</p> <p>Even the film’s old-fashioned visual slapstick still holds up in 2024. Showing the film to this year’s students, I didn’t expect quite as much laughter when Ringo’s attempts to be chivalrous result in a fall-down-a-hole mishap.</p> <p>In 2022, the <a href="https://www.criterion.com/">Criterion Collection</a> released a high-resolution restoration of the film, so today A Hard Day’s Night can be seen in all its fresh, black-and-white, youthful vigour.</p> <p>Happy 60th, A Hard Day’s Night. And happy 84th, Ringo. Both still as lively and energetic as ever.<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/228598/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alison-blair-223267"><em>Alison Blair</em></a><em>, Teaching Fellow in Music, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-otago-1304">University of Otago</a></em></p> <p><em>Image </em><em>credits: THA/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p> <p><em>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/still-fab-after-60-years-how-the-beatles-a-hard-days-night-made-pop-cinema-history-228598">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Movies

Haunting last pictures of Charlise Mutten revealed

<p>The haunting last photos of nine-year-old Charlise Mutten have been released just hours after her step-father was found guilty of her murder. </p> <p>On Wednesday, Justin Stein was <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/jury-decides-fate-of-accused-murderer-justin-stein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found guilty</a> for the murder of Charlise, who was killed in January 2022 while visiting her mother and step-father for Christmas. </p> <p>The jury reached their conclusion of Stein's guilt in just shy of two weeks following the four week trial, finding that Stein had killed Charlise at a Mount Wilson property owned by his parents before he wrapped her body and dumped it in a barrel down near the Colo River.</p> <p>Following the guilty verdict, a series of photos were released by the court, which document some of the final days of Charlise's life. </p> <p>In the photos, Charlise can be seen holding a pair of dolls and smiling for the camera as her mother, Kallista, snapped the image of her daughter. </p> <p>Kallista then sent the photo to her mother and Charlise's grandmother Deborah on Christmas morning 2021. </p> <p>“Thanks for the present and Merry Christmas from us all,” Kallista said to Deborah via Facebook.“Thanks for the present and Merry Christmas from us all,” Kallista said to Deborah via Facebook.</p> <p>Deborah and her husband Clinton were Charlise's main guardians, as Charlise had been living with them on the Gold Coast.</p> <p>Charlise can also be seen in a picture on January 8th, just days before she was killed, swimming in a pool, and on January 10th, she was photographed by her mother poking a face next to a broken window.</p> <p>The photo was sent to Stein by Kallista along with a message saying, “I’m sorry I’m such a screw up can we still get married”.</p> <p>Just two days later on January 12th, Charlise was killed. </p> <p>Stein will face a sentence hearing in August, where he faced life in prison for murder. </p> <p><em>Image credits: NSW Police / Facebook</em></p>

Caring

"I'm a prisoner in my own body": Rob Burrow's heartbreaking last message

<p>An emotional final message from rugby legend Rob Burrow has been released in the days after his death. </p> <p>The former footballer <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/rugby-league-hero-dies-at-just-41" target="_blank" rel="noopener">died</a> at the age of 41 on Sunday after a lengthy battle with motor neurone disease, with his former club, the Leeds Rhinos, sharing the news of his passing. </p> <p>Before he died, Burrow was involved in the making of a documentary about his life by the BBC, titled <em>There's Only One Burrow</em>, only agreeing to appear in the program on the condition it only be used after his death.</p> <p>In the documentary, Burrow spoke of how the cruel disease impacted his life and how he hoped to raise awareness for MND research.</p> <p>"I want to live in a world free of MND. By the time you watch this I will no longer be here," he said in the video.</p> <p>"In a world full of adversity, we must still dare to dream. I'm just a lad from Yorkshire who got to live out his dream of playing rugby league."</p> <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-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7xPgSxM6lY/?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/C7xPgSxM6lY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by BBC SPORT (@bbcsport)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>His pre-recorded final words were shown to his friends and family on screen, reacting to his words.</p> <p>"I'm a fighter, to be honest. I might not be able to tackle MND but I'll certainly be swinging, I'm not going to give in, not until my last breath," he said.</p> <p>"I'm a prisoner in my own body, that's the way MND gets you. The lights are on but no one is home."</p> <p>Recalling his diagnosis, he said, "My family told me I was slurring my speech a bit but I didn't take notice or believe them."</p> <p>In an emotional segment of the widow, Burrow's wife Lindsey spoke of how she learnt of her husband's devastating disease.</p> <p>"I remember that moment being told it's not good news. Asking how long and them saying two years. Rob said 'thank god it's me and not the kids'. That's all he was bothered about," she recalled.</p> <p>When asked about his children, Burrow became emotional, saying, "I had no idea how my family would cope. They've become a beacon of hope for families in the same situation as ours." </p> <p>"I have had such a great life. I have been gifted with the most incredible wife and three children. I hope they know how much I love them."</p> <p>Burrows finishes the piece, saying. "As a father of three young children, I would never want someone to go through this."</p> <p>"I hope I have left a mark on this disease. I hope you choose to live in the moment. I hope you find inspiration."</p> <p>"My final message to you is whatever your personal battle to be brave and face it."</p> <p>"Every single day is precious. Don't waste a moment. In a world full of adversity we must still dare to dream. Rob Burrow over and out."</p> <p><em>Image credits: BBC</em></p>

Caring

Incredible treasure trove of unseen royal images

<p>In a mesmerising blend of history and artistry, Buckingham Palace's newly christened King's Gallery has unveiled a captivating journey through time and royalty with the debut of "Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography".</p> <p>Opening its on May 17, this groundbreaking exhibition delves into the illustrious lineage of the Royal Family through more than 150 carefully curated portraits – some never before seen by the public eye.</p> <p>A highlight among these treasures is a poignant snapshot capturing a rare familial moment: Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra, and The Duchess of Kent cradling their newborns. Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret's husband, immortalised this touching scene as a token of gratitude to Sir John Peel, the esteemed royal obstetrician responsible for delivering all four babies within a mere two-month span.</p> <p>In this heartfelt image, Queen Elizabeth II tenderly holds Prince Edward, her youngest offspring, while Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra and The Duchess of Kent embrace their own bundles of joy. Accompanying this snapshot is a handwritten letter penned by Princess Margaret to her sister, affectionately addressed as "Darling Lilibet", requesting a signature on a print destined as a cherished memento for the esteemed doctor.</p> <p>The exhibition transcends mere family portraits, delving deep into the evolution of royal portraiture over the past century. Visitors are treated to a visual feast of iconic images captured by renowned photographers, including Dorothy Wilding, Annie Leibovitz, David Bailey and Rankin. Notably, the legendary Cecil Beaton's immortalisation of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation remains a cornerstone of the collection, offering a timeless glimpse into history.</p> <p>The exhibition also pays homage to the enduring allure of Princess Anne through her striking appearances on <em>Vogue</em> covers and a celebrated coming-of-age portrait by Norman Parkinson, commemorating her 21st birthday. From the timeless elegance of Princess Anne to the radiant charm of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and the spirited grace of Zara Tindall, the exhibition showcases a diverse tapestry of royal personalities spanning generations.</p> <p>Yet, it is not merely the portraits themselves that captivate visitors, but the untold stories and intimate moments woven into each frame. Delving into the depths of royal history, the exhibition reveals unseen wartime images by Cecil Beaton, illustrating King George VI and Queen Elizabeth's unwavering resolve amidst the chaos of conflict.</p> <p>As visitors explore the gallery, they are guided by a free multimedia experience narrated by Dame Joanna Lumley, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the artistry and craftsmanship behind these timeless portraits. From Hugo Burnand's vivid recollections of photographing the royal coronation to the candid insights of royal photographers such as Rankin and John Swannell, the multimedia guide adds depth and dimension to the exhibition, inviting visitors to immerse themselves fully in the rich tapestry of royal history.</p> <p>"Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography" is not merely an exhibition; it is a testament to the enduring legacy of the British monarchy, captured through the lens of some of the most esteemed photographers of our time. From the grandeur of coronations to the tender embrace of a mother cradling her newborn, each portrait tells a story – a story of tradition, resilience and the timeless allure of royalty.</p> <p><em>Images: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2024.</em></p>

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