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‘Don’t panic, do prepare’: why it’s not too late to plan for Cyclone Alfred

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yetta-gurtner-2337172">Yetta Gurtner</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a></em></p> <p>For millions of people in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, Cyclone Alfred will be their first experience living through a cyclone. Alfred is forecast to make landfall about 2am on Friday morning.</p> <p>I am a disaster expert based in northern Queensland, which regularly experiences cyclones. In my other role as an acting SES public information officer, I’m heading south to the Gold Coast to help residents prepare and respond.</p> <p>Here’s what I want you to know. First, don’t panic. Second, do prepare.</p> <p>Preparation has several steps. It’s important to clearly assess your specific threat. If you live near the sea, storm surges – where the sea spills inland – could be a significant threat, while flooding might pose a large risk if you live near a river – especially in the few days after Alfred passes. The highest rainfall is likely on Alfred’s southern flank from the Gold Coast down to northern New South Wales.</p> <p>Having enough food, water and medication is vital. Be ready to evacuate too, in case authorities deem it necessary. Check your local council’s disaster website, disaster apps and stay tuned to the ABC, which will run disaster alerts.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EN_yKcjlF20?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update on Cyclone Alfred’s path and likely impact, as of the morning of Wed 5th March.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>What should I do right now?</h2> <p>If you’re in the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml">danger zone</a>, make preparations now, before the full intensity of the cyclone arrives.</p> <p>Tie down loose objects. Clean gutters to avoid overflow from torrential rain. And prepare your “go bag” – a bag of essentials you can throw in the car if authorities tell you to leave immediately. Don’t take too much – just the bare necessities.</p> <p>Buy an AM/FM radio and tune it to ABC National, as you cannot be sure mobile networks will function. Radio is a reliable way to get good information from the ABC, Australia’s designated <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/emergency">emergency channel</a>.</p> <p>Make sure the car is fuelled or charged. If you’ve got a generator, make sure you have fuel and the generator is positioned outside in a well-ventilated area.</p> <p>Water is often unreliable after disasters. Fill your bathtub or front-loader washing machine with water. Put containers of water in your freezer, to keep food cold if the power goes out and as another water source. Plan for days of power outages. Protect windows with plywood, heavy blankets or mattresses. Put a mattress between your car and garage roller door to stop it blowing in.</p> <p>Turn off gas, electricity and solar power.</p> <p>Authorities recommend using sandbags to reduce the chance of water getting in. You can get sacks from hardware stores or council-run emergency centres, if available, who also provide sand. You also need plastic sheeting.</p> <p>If there’s a shortage of sand, you can use garden soil or commercial bagged soil. If you can’t get sacks, large plastic shopping bags will do.</p> <p>Tape strong plastic sheeting around the door or low window where water might get in. This is the barrier that actually keeps water out – sandbags keep it in place.</p> <p>Fill sandbags and lay them <a href="https://www.ses.nsw.gov.au/during-emergency/sandbags">like bricks</a>. Lay one row, and lay the next row offset for strength.</p> <p>Sandbags are good, but they have limits. There’s little point in piling sandbags higher than about 30 centimetres. If floodwaters edge higher, water will get through.</p> <p>Many people have had the unpleasant experience of having effluent come back up through toilets during cyclones and subsequent flooding. To stop this, cover your toilet with plastic sheeting (directly on the porcelain) and put a sandbag on top for weight. Do the same for any drains where water might flow back up.</p> <p>To reduce water damage, put valuable or important items up high, atop tables or bunk beds or upstairs if you have a second storey.</p> <h2>What will it be like when Alfred hits?</h2> <p>When the cyclone first hits, it can be overwhelming. The sound is like a roaring jet engine.</p> <p>If you haven’t been advised to evacuate by authorities, you will be sheltering in place.</p> <p>This means finding the safest room in the house, to avoid damage from flying objects. Choose the smallest room with the fewest windows – a bathroom or a room under the stairs. Basements are very safe, but will be the first affected by water.</p> <p>As the cyclone picks up intensity, set up inside this safe room with your pets and children. Do not leave this room until you have been told it’s safe by authorities.</p> <p>At the centre of strong cyclones is the eye of the storm, which we experience as a period of sudden calm. People often make the mistake of thinking it’s over. But in fact, it’s just a brief reprieve before the intense winds pick up again. Don’t make the mistake of leaving the house – check with authoritative sources.</p> <p>Cyclone Alfred is a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-05/cyclone-alfred-unusual-triplet-storm-climate-change-factors/105008704">slow-moving cyclone</a>, which means you might be stuck inside for a while. Be prepared to be inside your house for up to 24 hours, even after the worst has passed. This is because there may well be downed powerlines with live electricity, broken glass, falling trees and so on.</p> <p>For your children (and yourself), being in the cyclone is frightening. Young kids find the sound chilling. You can play music through headphones to help soothe them. Board games, books and puzzles can help pass the time. You will need distraction. Have a bucket in the corner for emergency toilet needs.</p> <p>Keep track of the storm and any emerging dangers through your radio and internet-enabled phone (if still functioning).</p> <h2>What if I have to evacuate?</h2> <p>Authorities are working to set up evacuation centres for people whose homes may not be safe. Authorities will go door-to-door to tell affected residents to leave, as well as broadcasting the information on radio and online.</p> <p>You’re more likely to have to evacuate if your house is on low-lying land near the sea, as a storm surge is likely. How much water is pushed ashore will depend on the tide, but it could be as high as 70cm above the high tide line if we’re unlucky.</p> <p>Evacuations can happen after the cyclone too. Alfred is packing a lot of rain – <a href="https://www.weatherzone.com.au/news/tropical-cyclone-alfred-could-disrupt-afl-and-nrl-matches/1890420">up to a metre</a> in some areas. That’s very likely to cause flooding, both flash floods and rivers breaking their banks.</p> <p>If you are asked to evacuate, you can go to the house of a friend or family member if it’s on higher ground and outside the flood risk zones. Or you can go to a local evacuation centre – check your council website to see where your closest one is. Take as little as possible with you.</p> <p>Many people who choose not to evacuate do so because they’re worried about their pets. This is risky. Some evacuation centres do take pets, so check now. If they don’t, look for other options with friends and family. Staying put after an evacuation order is dangerous.</p> <h2>What will happen after the cyclone?</h2> <p>Cyclone Alfred brings three threats: intense winds, high seas and heavy rain.</p> <p>After the intense winds die down, the seas will be dangerous for days after Alfred. There are coastal hazard warnings for about 1,000km of coastline.</p> <p>Cyclones also often decay into tropical low weather systems, which dump heavy rain for days. This is likely.</p> <p>As you move into recovery phase, don’t relax your guard. In far north Queensland, 16 people have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-04/melioidosis-death-toll-rises-in-queensland/105009772">now died</a> after being infected with melioidosis, a bacterium found in mud. The bug is <a href="https://theconversation.com/theres-an-outbreak-of-melioidosis-in-north-queensland-heres-what-to-know-about-this-deadly-mud-bug-250392">more prevalent</a> after heavy rainfall.</p> <p>Wear protective gear such as gloves and face masks when dealing with water-damaged goods and mud, and pay close attention to the latest advice authorities are giving.</p> <p>But remember – don’t panic. We will get through this.<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/251463/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/yetta-gurtner-2337172">Yetta Gurtner</a>, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Centre for Disaster Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/james-cook-university-1167">James Cook University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: LUKAS COCH/EPA-EFE/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/dont-panic-do-prepare-why-its-not-too-late-to-plan-for-cyclone-alfred-251463">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

"Makes me sick": Amanda Keller weighs in on Marty Sheargold controversy

<p>Amanda Keller has unleashed on Marty Sheargold, calling out his "embarrassing" <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/disgusting-radio-host-slammed-over-women-s-sports-comments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comments</a> about the Matildas. </p> <p>The radio host reacted to the news that Sheargold has been <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/marty-sheargold-axed-from-triple-m-after-matildas-comments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">let go</a> by Triple M after his comments about women's sport caused a wave of backlash online. </p> <p>Addressing the controversy on her own radio program, Keller took aim at Sheargold and the state of radio in Australia. </p> <p>“This embarrasses everyone who works on radio because it gives everyone a chance to say commercial radio is filled with old dinosaurs,” Keller began.</p> <p>“This thinking, this way of thought is so privileged, outdated and boorish.”</p> <p>She noted that Triple M has honed a reputation as being a home for both sport and comedy, saying, “Well, he’s pissed over both. He really has. And he’s punched down at women.”</p> <p>She called his comments “outdated, dumb, disrespectful and incorrect,” and noted that while radio hosts are paid to voice their opinions on-air, “if our network or if our audience say too far, then they’re the arbiters of what we do. And people here have said too far.”</p> <p>Keller further slammed the industry model, “particularly at Triple M”, of pairing “boorish” male comedians with female co-hosts “whose job it is to say, ‘Oh stop it.’ That is so boring.”</p> <p>She went on to remind viewers of Sheargold's previous program with Fifi Box, and how Marty admitted himself that he had become "a giant A-hole" on the show. </p> <p>“He said, ‘I battered that woman down. Show after show. And I don’t blame Fifi for wanting to get out.’ This is what he said at the time,” she claimed.</p> <p>“And here we are again. How many chances do these men get? I’m hoping that the tide has turned. The outpouring of horror has been so loud.”</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/DGjS9F5Tjhm/?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/DGjS9F5Tjhm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Amanda Keller Brendan Jones (@jonesyandamanda)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Later on in the show, Sheargold’s former colleague Gus Worland joined Amanda to discuss the scandal, praised Triple M’s decision to part ways with the presenter.</p> <p>Worland, who worked Triple M’s drive shift for three years before Sheargold replaced him, said the comedian had skirted “close to the line many, many times” over the years. </p> <p>“Firstly, he was wrong yesterday in the information that he gave out. Secondly, the way that he did it made us all feel really, really sad. And I’m glad that they [Triple M] made the decision to give him the flick. The apology was never going to be enough, and we just need to change the way that we look at things at Triple M,” he said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Triple M / Instagram </em></p>

Music

"Why are you attacking my dad?": I'm A Celeb finalist reveals behind-the-scenes heartbreak

<p>The emotional on-air reunion between <em>I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here</em> contestant Matty J and his wife, Laura Byrne, along with their two children, Marlie-Mae and Lola Ellis, was a heartwarming moment <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/abrupt-viewers-stunned-by-i-m-a-celeb-winner-s-reveal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during Sunday’s finale</a>. However, behind the scenes, Byrne has opened up about the significant challenges she faced while participating in the momentous event.</p> <p>In the lead-up to the finale, Byrne undertook an exhausting journey from Sydney to South Africa with their two young daughters. Speaking on the <em>Life Uncut</em> podcast, she detailed the arduous travel experience, which involved “three separate flights” and 24 hours of transit. “That in itself was really hard," she said. "It was like 24 hours by the time we got door to door. Midnight transfer with two children who were absolutely f***ing ropable.” </p> <p>The long journey was only the beginning of the difficulties though. Upon arrival, Byrne and the children had to share a single room with inadequate sleeping arrangements, all while preparing for a demanding day on set.</p> <p>Byrne also revealed that the experience of managing two young children on a chaotic production set was overwhelming. “I felt like I was the emotional buffer between the children and production … I felt like I’d just been flogged for days. It was hard. It was really hard for me,” she said.</p> <p>During the finale, Matty J and his fellow top three contestants – <em>Big Brother</em> star Reggie Bird and retired NRL player Sam Thaiday – were reunited with their families before participating in the final challenge. While this was an exciting moment for viewers, it was an emotionally challenging experience for the family.</p> <p>Matty J recalled the moment he had to part ways with his children soon after reuniting. “When we had our reunion, it was maybe half an hour I think where we had time together and then they’ve got to pull us apart,” he said. “The kids don’t get it, the kids don’t understand. They’re like, ‘I’ve just met my dad, and then I’ve got to go.’ And then we did that trial where we had to have s**t poured on our heads, and Lola’s in tears being like, ‘Why are you attacking my dad?’”</p> <p>Byrne explained that their children were repeatedly reunited with their father, only to be separated again. This happened three times – during the initial reunion, the final trial and then the announcement of the winner. The constant cycle of emotional reunions and abrupt separations took a toll, particularly on their youngest daughter, Lola.</p> <p>After the winner was announced, Byrne and the children expected Matty J to return home with them, but he was kept on set for several more hours. “They kept Matt on set until 6 o’clock and we went home earlier. And it was so hard on Lola particularly,” Byrne revealed. “And then I had to deal with her big emotions around ‘Why is my daddy not coming home?’ And it felt like this unfair false start.”</p> <p>She admitted that the combination of exhaustion, sleep deprivation and trying to manage the emotional needs of their children made the experience incredibly difficult. Byrne also shared that she had been against Matty J’s participation in the reality show right from the outset. “I wasn’t a supporter of it in the first place,” she admitted, reinforcing that the experience had only confirmed her concerns.</p> <p>Even Matty J himself struggled with the demands of the show. He confessed that he broke down early in his time at camp, an emotional moment that wasn’t shown on TV. “I just burst out crying, and I was like, ‘I f**king cannot do this,’” he recalled, explaining that a moment of solitude while washing dishes left him questioning his decision. “What have I f**king done? This is a nightmare.”</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">It appears that, for the Byrne-Johnson family, what seemed like a joyful televised reunion was, in reality, a deeply exhausting and emotional ordeal.</span></p> <p><em>Images: Network 10</em></p>

Incredible footage emerges of plane crashing and flipping upside down

<p>Terrified passengers have recalled the moment they were left "hanging upside down like bats" after a plane crashed and flipped during an icy landing. </p> <p>The Delta Airlines plane was landing at Toronto Pearson Airport during snowy conditions, when the plane touched down and immediately caught fire. </p> <p>Skidding along the runway, the plane then flipped upside down with 80 people onboard before coming to a halt. </p> <p>Video obtained by <em>CNN</em> shows the plane landing hard on the runway, with the plane's rear landing gear buckling upon impact with the snow and erupting into a fireball. </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/DGN-pIIOR-G/?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/DGN-pIIOR-G/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by CNN (@cnn)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>According to passengers John Nelson and Peter Koukov, the rollover left travellers hanging aloft until they could be freed. </p> <p>"We were upside down hanging like bats," Koukov said. </p> <p>The man was able to unbuckle himself and stand upright on the ceiling of the plane, but some people needed help getting down from their seats.</p> <p>Officials said on Monday 21 people were taken to hospitals with injuries, including a child in good condition.</p> <p>All but two of them had been released from hospital on Tuesday morning.</p> <p>US man Pete Carlson was on board and told <em>CBC News</em> that it was "really amazing" he and his fellow passengers were alive.</p> <p>"Everything just kind of went sideways," Carlson recalled.</p> <p>"One minute you're landing, kind of waiting to see your friends and your people, and the next minute you're physically upside down."</p> <p>Koukov, a professional skier from Colorado, told the <em>New York Times</em> that the flight was completely normal up until the final descent.</p> <p>"The second that the wheels hit the ground, then everything happened," he said. "The next thing I know, we're sideways."</p> <p>"We ended up completely upside-down. I unbuckled pretty fast and kind of lowered myself to the floor, which was the ceiling. People were panicking."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Polish woman doubles down on Maddie McCann claims

<p>Polish woman Julia Wandelt has doubled down on her belief that she is Madeleine McCann, claiming to have new DNA evidence that "strongly supports" her theory. </p> <p>Wandelt has long claimed to be the missing child, after first posting her theories on Instagram in February 2023. </p> <p>A DNA test at the time found Ms Wandelt to be of Polish, Lithuanian and Romanian heritage, proving she could not be Madeleine, who is of British descent. </p> <p>She went on to tell the <em><a title="www.bbc.com" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-68139294" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em> in an interview last year that she “regretted” the ordeal, and had apologised to the McCanns for any pain she’d caused unintentionally by claiming to be their child who went missing in Portugal in 2007.</p> <p>After disappearing from the public eye, Wandelt has resurfaced online to share the “results” of a fresh DNA test she claimed were submitted to a “world expert”, who compared them to the crime scene following Madeleine’s disappearance.</p> <p>She also claimed they matched the toddler’s eyes, teeth and voice with her own.</p> <p>In a series of posts in which she referred to Kate and Gerry McCann has “my parents”, Ms Wandelt said her “actual dna results show that I am part British, part Irish” and that genetic evidence “strongly supports that Gerry McCann could be Julia Wandelt’s biological father”. </p> <p>Ms Wandelt’s “source” claimed her DNA results were a “perfect match” to the samples taken from the scene of Madeleine’s disappearance.</p> <p>The unnamed source allegedly analysed “hair obtained from the floor of the crime scene in Portugal” and “saliva obtained from the bed quilt at the scene”, resulting in a 69.23 per cent match which “suggests a biological connection between the two individuals”.</p> <p>“The genetic evidence strongly supports that (Gerry) McCann could be Julia Wandelt’s biological father, as the data aligns perfectly with a parent-child relationship,” they claimed. </p> <p>“If this analysis is accurate and properly derived from their DNA samples, the relationship between McCann and Julia Wandelt is biologically consistent with that of a father and daughter.”</p> <p>A spokesperson for Ms Wandelt told <em><a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14405073/Woman-claiming-Madeleine-McCann-releases-bombshell-new-DNA-test-results-18-years-British-toddler-disappeared-Portugal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a></em> she remains determined for the McCanns and her Polish parents to take a DNA test, despite both parties’ repeated refusal to do so.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram / Getty Images </em></p>

Legal

NSW Health workers stood down over anti-semitic remarks

<p>Two NSW Health workers have been stood down from Bankstown Hospital amid allegations of the pair making anti-semitic remarks online. </p> <p>Footage has emerged of the duo talking to Jewish influencer Max Veifer during a livestream, and making anti-semitic remarks after learning that Veifer was from Israel. </p> <p>One of the nurses, a woman, allegedly said that if patients from Israel came to the hospital, she would not treat them. </p> <p>"I won't treat them, I'll kill them," she said.</p> <p>The other nurse, a man, claimed that he had killed Israeli patients. </p> <p>NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said two nurses had been "stood down immediately".</p> <p>"Obviously, the investigative process now takes place, I do not want to leave a sliver of light to allow any of them to be able to think they will ever work for NSW Health again."</p> <p>"Everyone is entitled to access NSW health and hospital services without fearing for their life, and without having that hate-filled attitude come through some of our health workers," he said.</p> <p>"This video is disgusting. It is shocking. It is appalling."</p> <p>Park also confirmed that the pair have been identified, with investigations currently underway. </p> <p>The NSW Health Minister also issued an apology to the Jewish community. </p> <p>"To the Jewish community today, I say not only am I sorry, but I can assure you this - the care that you get in our hospitals will continue to be first class, we will investigate this uphill and down dale," Park said.</p> <p>"We won't just be looking at this incident per se, and going through previous cases to make sure that that hospital has been working in a way that reflects those values around safety and care."</p> <p>NSW Police confirmed it was investigating the video, with Strike Force Pearl, the police task force targeting anti-semitic violence and vandalism, taking carriage of the investigation. </p> <p>"NSW Health believe they have identified the individuals involved and are currently assisting detectives with their investigation," they said. </p> <p><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

Legal

Dave Hughes reveals I’m A Celeb weight loss

<p>Dave Hughes spent 25 days in the jungle for this year's season of<em> I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! </em>and despite being eliminated, his three-and-a-half weeks of camp life had a staggering effect on his body.</p> <p>“I lost eight kilos and I’m stronger now than when I went in there,” he told <em>news.com.au</em>.</p> <p>He explained that when he first joined the show he struggled to do laborious tasks like carrying a crate of firewood back to camp without assistance.</p> <p>“I’d be holding one side of the crate while my fingers almost snapped off, with another burly bloke like (former NRL player) Sam Thaiday on the other side,” he said.</p> <p>“But by the end of the month, I’m carrying the whole crate on my own. My fingers are loving the task. I’m just living my best life.”</p> <p>He also made progress in the "jungle gym" a workout station contestants could use to keep fit. </p> <p>“There was a bench press there and on the first day, the heaviest weights, I could do 20 (reps). On the day I got kicked out, I did 52," he said. </p> <p>“Sam (Thaiday) says I now look like a pregnant greyhound … I think that’s a compliment, so I’m happy," he said. </p> <p><em>Image: I'm A Celeb/ news.com.au</em></p>

Body

Supersonic jets are making a comeback – but despite the hype, don’t expect to book yet

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-james-1178340">Chris James</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p>Late last week, American company Boom Supersonic flew faster than the speed of sound with its XB-1 supersonic demonstrator aircraft. It’s now the first <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-achieves-supersonic-flight">piloted non-military aircraft to break the sound barrier</a> since the Concorde was retired from service in 2003.</p> <p>It’s the first step in Boom’s ambitious goal to have <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/united">supersonic airliners carry passengers by 2029</a>.</p> <p>But what exactly is supersonic travel? There are good reasons why it’s not more common, despite the hype.</p> <h2>What is supersonic flight?</h2> <p>The Mach number is defined as a plane’s speed divided by the speed that sound waves move through the air. To “break the sound barrier” means to fly faster than the speed of sound, with Mach numbers greater than 1.</p> <p>The Mach number is an important ratio: as a plane flies, it disturbs the air in front of it. These disturbances move at the speed of sound. In supersonic flight these disturbances combine to form shock waves around the vehicle.</p> <p>When people say you can see a fighter jet before you hear it, they’re referring to supersonic flight: <a href="https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/top-10-worlds-fastest-fighter-jets">fighter jets can travel at around Mach 2</a>.</p> <p>The sound from the fighter jet is trapped inside its shock wave; until the shock wave moves to your position on the ground, you won’t hear the plane.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?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/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=360&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646302/original/file-20250202-15-d01bme.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Illustration of how disturbances propagate in subsonic, Mach 1, and supersonic flow.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transonico-en.svg">Chabacano/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The allure of supersonic travel</h2> <p>For efficiency reasons, most passenger jets cruise slightly slower than the speed of sound, at around Mach 0.8 (this is subsonic flight).</p> <p>Boom plans to build <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">an airliner called Overture</a> that can fly at Mach 1.7. Flying supersonically can drastically decrease flight times. The company claims a trip <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/summer-travel-trends-future-travel-onboard-overture">from New York to Rome</a> on Overture could take just four hours and 40 minutes, instead of eight hours.</p> <p>Boom isn’t the only company working on this lofty goal. American firm Spike Aerospace is also developing a supersonic business jet, <a href="https://www.spikeaerospace.com/spike-s-512-supersonic-diplomat/">with the tagline</a> “delivering the world in half the time”.</p> <p>This is the value proposition of supersonic passenger travel.</p> <p>In limited ways, it did already exist in the 20th century. However, due to timing, bad luck and the laws of physics, it didn’t continue.</p> <h2>Remember the Concorde?</h2> <p>Designs for supersonic airliners began in the mid-20th century, and by the 1970s we had supersonic passenger flight.</p> <p>There was the little-known <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tupolev_Tu-144">Russian Tupolev-144</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Concorde">Concorde</a>, a Franco-British supersonic airliner operated by British Airways and Air France from 1976 to 2003.</p> <p>Concorde had a capacity of <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-cabin--passenger-experience">up to 128 passengers</a> and cruised at Mach 2. It regularly travelled from London to New York <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/what-happened-concordes">in around three hours</a>. The flights were expensive, mainly shuttling business people and the rich and famous.</p> <h2>Why supersonic passenger flight didn’t take off</h2> <p>Concorde was designed in the 1960s when it seemed like supersonic passenger transport was going to be the next big thing.</p> <p>Instead, the Boeing 747 <a href="https://www.boeing.com/commercial/747-8">entered commercial service in 1970</a>. Cheap, large and efficient airliners like it blew Concorde out of the water.</p> <p>Designed to cruise efficiently at supersonic speeds, Concorde was extremely fuel inefficient when taking off and accelerating. Concorde’s expensive, “<a href="https://phys.org/news/2019-03-concorde-technical-feat-financial-fiasco.html">gas guzzling</a>” nature was a complaint levelled against it for most of its lifetime.</p> <p>A catastrophic <a href="https://www.flightglobal.com/safety/tu-144-crash-puzzle-persists-50-years-after-fatal-paris-display/153782.article">1973 Paris air show crash</a> of the competing Russian airliner, Tupolev Tu-144, also shifted public perception on supersonic flight safety at a time when many airlines were considering whether or not to purchase Concordes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/airframe-detail">Only 20 Concordes were manufactured</a> out of the <a href="https://simpleflying.com/concorde-orders/">planned 100</a>. It is still disputed today whether Concorde <a href="http://www.concordesst.com/faq.html">ever made money for the airlines who operated it</a>.</p> <figure class="align-right zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/646303/original/file-20250202-15-gjm1zn.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Illustration of a shock wave propagating from a supersonic aeroplane and hitting the ground to produce a sonic boom.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Supersonic_shockwave_cone.svg">Cmglee/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Noise is a real problem for supersonic flight</h2> <p>Remember the fighter jets? When a plane travels supersonically, its shock waves propagate to the ground, <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104540/sonic-boom/">causing loud disturbances called sonic booms</a>. In extreme cases they can shatter windows and damage buildings.</p> <p>In the early 1970s, sonic boom concerns led the United States government to <a href="https://aerospaceamerica.aiaa.org/features/supersonic-travel-dead-on-arrival/">ban supersonic passenger flight over land in the US</a>. This hurt the Concorde’s potential market, hence its only two regular routes were trans-Atlantic flights principally over the water.</p> <p>The Concorde was also a very loud plane at take off, since it needed a lot of thrust to leave the ground.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3x9hO7n5WiA?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Video footage of the final Concorde takeoff from New York’s JFK airport.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>The future of supersonic travel</h2> <p>A future for supersonic travel relies on solving some or all of the issues Concorde faced.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission/quesst/">NASA and Lockheed Martin’s Quesst project</a> aims to show sonic boom can be dissipated to manageable levels. They plan to fly their X-59 supersonic aircraft over US cities and gauge responses from citizens.</p> <p>Quesst aims to use the geometry of the X-59, with a long elongated nose, to dissipate sonic booms to a weak “thump”, hopefully allowing supersonic airliners to travel over land in the future.</p> <p>Spike Aerospace’s Spike S-512 Diplomat concept also aims to be a <a href="https://www.spikeaerospace.com/quiet-supersonic-flight/">“quiet” supersonic aircraft</a> with a less disruptive sonic boom.</p> <h2>Can Boom surpass Concorde?</h2> <p>Boom Supersonic don’t plan to fly supersonically over land. Their plan is to fly over land at Mach 0.94, which they claim will allow <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">20% faster overland travel</a> than standard passenger airliners, even subsonically.</p> <p>They also claim the design of their engines will ensure Overture is <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/flyby/the-new-sound-of-supersonic-q-a-with-booms-principal-acoustic-engineer">no louder than modern subsonic airliners when it takes off</a>.</p> <p>In terms of gas guzzling, they plan to use up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel to reduce emissions and <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-supersonic-and-dimensional-energy-announce-sustainable-aviation-fuel-offtake-agreement">their carbon footprint</a>.</p> <p>Concorde was made of aluminium using design tools available in the 1960s. Modern design methods and modern aerospace materials such as titanium and carbon fibre should also allow Overture and similar craft to weigh much less than Concorde, improving efficiency.</p> <p>While Boom are currently receiving a lot of interest, <a href="https://boomsupersonic.com/overture">with orders from many airlines</a>, Concorde did have similar commitment before it become available. <a href="https://www.heritageconcorde.com/concorde-orders-and-options">Most of it didn’t eventuate</a>.</p> <p>Additionally, Concorde was the product of an analogue era when the idea of flying to London or New York for the day for an important business meeting seemed like a necessary thing. In a world of remote work and video meetings, is there still a need for a supersonic airliner in the 2020s?</p> <p>For now, supersonic airliners like Overture are likely to remain in the realm of the rich and famous, like Concorde did. But with modern technological advances, it will be interesting to see whether supersonic passenger travel once again becomes reality – or even goes mainstream. Only time will tell.<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/248656/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/chris-james-1178340"><em>Chris James</em></a><em>, UQ Amplify Senior Lecturer, Centre for Hypersonics, School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Boom Supersonic </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/supersonic-jets-are-making-a-comeback-but-despite-the-hype-dont-expect-to-book-yet-248656">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

International Travel

What are cooling blankets? Can they really help me sleep?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linda-grosser-1461631">Linda Grosser</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luana-main-2270550">Luana Main</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>You wake up exhausted from yet another hot night of tossing and turning, with very little sleep.</p> <p>So you might be tempted to buy a “cooling blanket” after reading rave reviews on social media. Or you might have read online articles with <a href="https://www.news.com.au/checkout/home-and-garden/bedroom/bedding/best-cooling-blankets/news-story/118ce05eba1e7d5cdff3aeadae5ae940">taglines such as</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Stop waking up in a puddle of sweat with our roundup of the best cooling blankets – including a top-rated option from Amazon that ‘actually works’.</p> </blockquote> <p>But what are cooling blankets? And can they help you get a restful night?</p> <h2>We know a cooler bedroom is best</h2> <p>First, let’s look at why a cooler environment helps us sleep better at night.</p> <p>Our body’s internal temperature has a <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm">circadian rhythm</a>, meaning it fluctuates throughout the day. A couple of hours before bed, it drops about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079203000236">0.31°C</a> to help you fall asleep. It will drop about <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7323637/">another 2°C</a> across the night to help you stay asleep.</p> <p>During sleep, your internal temperature and skin work together to achieve a balance between losing and producing heat. Your skin has sensors that pick-up changes in the environment around you. If it gets too warm, these sensors let your body know, which may cause you to kick-off blankets or bed clothes and wake more often leading to poorer sleep quality.</p> <p><a href="https://www.thensf.org/what-is-sleep-quality/">Sleep quality</a> is an important component of sleep health ensuring you get the physical, mental and emotional benefits that come from a good night’s sleep.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132318300325">ideal temperature</a> for sleep varies depending on the season and type of bedding you have but falls between 17°C and 28°C. Keeping your sleeping environment within this range will help you to get the best night’s rest.</p> <h2>So what are cooling blankets?</h2> <p>Cooling blankets are designed to help regulate your body temperature while you sleep.</p> <p>Different technologies and materials are used in their design and construction.</p> <p>We’re not talking about <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2206487/">hospital-grade</a> cooling blankets that are used to reduce fever and prevent injury to the nervous system. These use gel pads with circulating water, or air-cooling systems, connected to automatic thermostats to monitor someone’s temperature.</p> <p>Instead, the type of consumer-grade cooling blankets you might see advertised use a blend of lightweight, breathable materials that draw moisture away from the skin to help you stay cool and dry through the night. They look like regular blankets.</p> <p>Common materials include cotton, bamboo, silk or the fibre <a href="https://goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-tencel/">Lyocell</a>, all of which absorb moisture.</p> <p>Manufacturers typically use a <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-sheets/best-thread-count-for-sheets">thread count</a> of <a href="https://www.trustsleep.com/how-do-cooling-blankets-work/">300-500</a>, creating air pockets that enhance airflow and moisture evaporation.</p> <p>Some blankets feature a <a href="https://getrest.com.au/blogs/all/unveiling-the-secrets-of-q-max-the-key-to-a-perfect-nights-sleep">Q-Max rating</a>, which indicates how cool the fabric feels against your skin. The higher the value, the cooler the fabric feels.</p> <p>Others feature <a href="https://www.trustsleep.com/how-do-cooling-blankets-work/">phase change materials</a>. These materials were developed by <a href="https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2009/ch_4.html">NASA</a> for space suits to keep astronauts comfortable during a spacewalk where temperatures are from roughly <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/spacewalk-spacesuit-basics/">-157°C to 121°C</a>. Phase change materials in cooling blankets absorb and hold heat producing a cooling effect.</p> <h2>Do they work?</h2> <p>If you believe online reviews, yes, cooling blankets can cool you down and help you sleep better in warmer weather or if you get too hot using normal sheets and blankets.</p> <p>However, there is little scientific research to see if these consumer-grade products work.</p> <p>In a 2021 <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/16/9099">study</a> exploring sleep quality, 20 participants slept for three nights under two different conditions.</p> <p>First, they slept with regular bed sheets in an air-conditioned room with the temperature set to their preference. Then, they used cooling bed sheets in an air-conditioned room where the temperature was set 3°C higher than their preference.</p> <p>Participants reported good sleep quality in both conditions but preferred the warmer room with its cooling sheets.</p> <p>This may suggest the use of cooling bedding may help provide a more comfortable night’s sleep.</p> <p>But everyone’s cooling needs varies depending on things like age, health, body temperature, the space you sleep in, and personal preferences.</p> <p>So while these products may work for some people who may be motivated to leave a good review, they may not necessarily work for you.</p> <h2>Are they worth it?</h2> <p>There’s a wide variety of cooling blankets available at different prices to suit various budgets. Positive customer reviews might encourage a purchase, especially for individuals experiencing disrupted sleep at night due to heat.</p> <p>Yet, these cooling blankets have limited scientific research to show they work and to say if they’re worth it. So it’s up to you.</p> <h2>What else can I do if I’m a hot sleeper?</h2> <p>If a cooling blanket isn’t for you, there are other things you can do to stay cool at night, such as:</p> <ul> <li> <p>using air conditioning or a fan</p> </li> <li> <p>placing a damp towel under or over you</p> </li> <li> <p>wearing lightweight or minimal sleepwear and avoiding thick or synthetic fabrics, such as nylon, that can trap heat</p> </li> <li> <p>if you usually share a bed, on hot nights, consider sleeping by yourself to avoid excess body heat from your partner.</p> </li> </ul> <p>On a final note, if you often struggle with hot, disturbed sleep, you can check in with your health-care provider. They can see if there is a medical explanation for your disturbed sleep and advise what to try next.<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/244158/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linda-grosser-1461631">Linda Grosser</a>, Research Associate, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luana-main-2270550">Luana Main</a>, Associate Professor in Applied Sport Science, <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-are-cooling-blankets-can-they-really-help-me-sleep-244158">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Home & Garden

Dave Hughes spills on worst A-list celeb interview

<p>Dave Hughes has revealed the "rudest" A-list celebrity he's ever interviewed in the latest episode of <em>I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!</em></p> <p>The radio star was talking about all his celebrity interviews throughout the years with campmate Max Balegde, who then asked him: “I want you to be honest – who was the rudest?” </p> <p>“If we’re going to be honest … it hurts me to say it, but it’s … Ben Stiller. I was a big fan, and he was just a pain in the a**e," Hughes replied. </p> <p>Hughes then joked that he might've “ruined his Hollywood career” by calling out the A-list actor and director known for films like <em>Zoolander </em>and <em>Meet the Parents</em>. </p> <p>The radio broadcaster didn't reveal when he'd encountered Stiller or why the actor was a "pain in the a**e" . </p> <p>In the latest episode of <em>I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!</em> former MAFS star Samantha Moitzi was the first of this season's contestants to be evicted from the jungle. </p> <p>Last week, Aussie TV legend Sigrid Thornton was the latest celeb to join the show in its 11th season. </p> <p>It's the first time the actress appeared in a reality show during her 40-year career, telling <em>news.com.au</em>: “I felt like if I was going to say yes to a challenge like this, then this was the time for me. I mean, I’ve never done reality television; I’ve never done anything remotely like this.”</p> <p>“But I don’t hold any particular judgement around it; I’ve removed all potential judgement because I don’t know what it’s going to be. All I know is that it will be extraordinary, exciting, unexpected, and I hope a little bit wonderful.”</p> <p><em>Image: I'm A Celeb/ 10</em></p> <p> </p>

"Almost cost me my life": Jelena Dokic on childhood trauma

<p>Jelena Dokic has shared more details of her traumatic childhood as she launches her new documentary series, <em>Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story</em>, in hopes of changing the "shame and stigma" that victims of domestic violence and abuse may feel. </p> <p>At the height of her tennis career, she was ranked number four in the world, but behind the scenes she was battling a traumatic home life with an abusive father. </p> <p>Now, Dokic has become an advocate for body positivity and mental health awareness, candidly sharing how she has turned her pain into power. </p> <p>"People know me as a tennis player and I did alright on the tennis court, but I think my story is much bigger than that," she told <em>Today Extra</em>.</p> <p>"It's about hardship, adversity and child abuse and domestic violence and mental health and being a refugee and what that does and the consequences of it, we need to have more open conversations in order to be able to make change.</p> <p>"But also we need to change the perception around it and remove the shame and stigma, because I struggled with it and that almost cost me my life and silence is the biggest enemy of all of those things and victims and survivors, having another chance and just putting it on screen is another way to reach more people and to tell the story."</p> <p>During book tours and advanced screening at film festivals, Dokic admitted that most people who have seen her new documentary mentioned how confronting it was to watch. </p> <p>"But that's the whole point, because life is not sunshine and rainbows, it's universal and so many people go through a lot of these things that I talk about and that I've been through," she said. </p> <p>"It really resonates with them - there's been so much silence around it for a very long time and it's really creating change if me speaking up might help someone else realise what they're going through or help them in some way.</p> <p>"Ultimately, I do want people to look at this as a story of success, I'm a winner at the end of the day and you can come through it and maybe someone out there will say, 'you know what? She did it, I can do it too.'"</p> <p><em>Image: Today</em></p>

Caring

How I'm A Celebrity producers keep cast anonymous

<p><em>I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! </em>has been back on Aussie screens for a week, and now an inside source has revealed how everything works. </p> <p>Speaking to <em>Yahoo Lifestyle</em>, the source revealed that the show will be dropping one more celebrity into the jungle, this time "a 'famous' Australian actress that is known internationally," with the code name 'Seal'. </p> <p>The code names are an essential part of ensuring that the celebrities stay anonymous before they go into the jungle, with this year's theme for code names being animals you would find in the ocean. </p> <p>"Network 10 created codenames that allow producers to get the ‘celebrities’ into 'the jungle' without worrying about who hears their name," the insider said.</p> <p>"Producers have been referring to Hughesy as 'the dolphin' for weeks," they said. </p> <p>They cited a few other examples including: Matty J who was given the code name Manta-Ray, Nicky Buckley had the code name Narwhal, Reggie Sorenson was the Red Emperor and Shayna Jack was Starfish. </p> <p>"To get the cast of 'celebrities' into the jungle without revealing the line-up is a covert operation that has been getting more complex every year," the insider said. </p> <p>The source revealed that this is because one of the previous competitors, Sam Dastyari, found the names of all the celebs before entering the jungle and texted the complete cast list to a journalist in Australia.</p> <p>“We don't even tell Julia Morris and Robert Irwin until we absolutely have to because we literally trust nobody," they continued.</p> <p>“Some people swore black and blue they knew our cast this year but most were way off and that is done on purpose."</p> <p>The insider also revealed the the flights to South Africa were all spread out, with some celebrities flying up to 10 days before they enter the jungle, while others arrived the day before. </p> <p><em>Image: Channel 10</em></p>

Voluntary assisted dying is legal in Australia – but many of us don’t know

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-white-15387">Ben White</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindy-willmott-15386">Lindy Willmott</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-feeney-140352">Rachel Feeney</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>Voluntary assisted dying is lawful in <a href="https://www.unswlawjournal.unsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Issue-464-10-Waller-et-al.pdf">all Australian states</a>. This allows terminally ill adults who are suffering and have decision-making capacity to choose to receive help to die.</p> <p>Victoria’s law was the first, coming into effect <a href="https://theconversation.com/voluntary-assisted-dying-will-soon-be-legal-in-victoria-and-this-is-what-you-need-to-know-111836">in 2019</a>. New South Wales was the last state, with its <a href="https://theconversation.com/voluntary-assisted-dying-is-now-available-in-all-australian-states-how-do-the-nsw-laws-compare-217261">voluntary assisted dying law</a> beginning in late 2023.</p> <p>Voluntary assisted dying will be <a href="https://www.act.gov.au/health/topics/end-of-life-and-palliative-care/voluntary-assisted-dying-in-the-act">allowed in the Australian Capital Territory</a> in November, and a <a href="https://cmc.nt.gov.au/project-management-office/voluntary-assisted-dying">Northern Territory report</a> has recommended it pass a voluntary assisted dying law too.</p> <p>While the vast majority of Australians now live in jurisdictions where voluntary assisted dying is permitted, accessing voluntary assisted dying depends on knowing it’s a legal option. But our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07481187.2025.2452490">new research</a> suggests many Australians don’t know this.</p> <h2>A study in Queensland</h2> <p>Voluntary assisted dying became legal <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/voluntary-assisted-dying/explained/overview">in Queensland</a> on January 1, 2023. We conducted <a href="https://eprints.qut.edu.au/255019/">an online survey</a> of 1,000 Queensland adults in mid-2024 to find out if the community knew about this new end-of-life choice.</p> <p>We set quotas for age, gender and geographical location to ensure the people we surveyed represented the overall Queensland population.</p> <p>First, we asked whether people thought voluntary assisted dying was legal in Queensland. Only <a href="https://research.qut.edu.au/voluntary-assisted-dying-regulation/wp-content/uploads/sites/292/2025/01/Do-people-know-VAD-is-legal-Research-briefing.pdf">one-third (33%) correctly identified</a> it was. Of the 67% who didn’t, 41% thought voluntary assisted dying was illegal and 26% said they didn’t know.</p> <p>People who did know voluntary assisted dying was legal had generally found out in one of three ways:</p> <ul> <li> <p>from the media</p> </li> <li> <p>from professional experience (for example, working in health care)</p> </li> <li> <p>from personal experience (for example, knowing someone who had asked about, requested or accessed voluntary assisted dying).</p> </li> </ul> <p>We then told our survey participants voluntary assisted dying was legal in Queensland and asked if they would know how to go about accessing it if they wished to. Only one-quarter (26%) answered yes.</p> <p>The survey also asked people where they might look for information about voluntary assisted dying. Most people said they would seek this information online, but asking health practitioners, especially doctors, was also important.</p> <h2>Legal and cultural barriers</h2> <p>Perhaps it’s not surprising so few members of the surveyed public know voluntary assisted dying is a legal choice. It’s still a relatively new law. But there are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hex.13867">specific barriers</a> in Australia that can prevent people finding out about it.</p> <p>One major barrier is health practitioners are often <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.52183">not able to freely discuss</a> voluntary assisted dying with their patients. The laws in all states control how conversations about voluntary assisted dying can occur.</p> <p>For example, in Queensland, only doctors and nurse practitioners <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_act/vada2021302/s7.html">can raise voluntary assisted dying</a> and only if they also discuss available treatment and palliative care options and their likely outcomes.</p> <p>But the most problematic are <a href="https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/vada2017302/s8.html">Victorian</a> and <a href="https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/sa/consol_act/vada2021302/s12.html">South Australian</a> laws which prohibit health practitioners from raising the topic with patients altogether. Many people rely on their doctor to tell them about treatment options, so it’s a problem if the onus is on the patient to bring it up first.</p> <p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.5694/mja2.52183">Conscientious objection</a> is another significant barrier. Some doctors are opposed to voluntary assisted dying and even if they practise in a state where they can legally raise it, may choose not to tell their patients about it. This is another reason patients may not know voluntary assisted dying could be a choice for them.</p> <p>It’s important to note our study was only done in Queensland, so we can’t be confident the findings represent the wider Australian population. But given these barriers to knowing about voluntary assisted dying, it’s reasonable to anticipate similar trends in other states.</p> <h2>A national challenge</h2> <p>Raising community awareness of voluntary assisted dying is a challenge around the country. Voluntary assisted dying oversight boards from five states (<a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/1362124/vad-annual-report-2023-24.pdf">Queensland</a>, <a href="https://www.health.tas.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/voluntary_assisted_dying_annual_report_2023-24.pdf">Tasmania</a>, <a href="https://www.health.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/voluntary-assisted-dying-review-board_annual-report-2023-24.pdf">Victoria</a>, <a href="https://www.health.wa.gov.au/%7E/media/Corp/Documents/Health-for/Voluntary-assisted-dying/VAD-Board-Annual-Report-2023-24.pdf">Western Australia</a> and <a href="https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/73a3fd16-46c4-4ad4-bd82-7a03a924c1bc/VAD+Review+Board+Annual+Report+2023-2024+-+FINAL.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=ROOTWORKSPACE-73a3fd16-46c4-4ad4-bd82-7a03a924c1bc-pdMyZ1p">South Australia</a>) have all discussed this issue in their most recent annual reports.</p> <p>In addition, Western Australia recently reviewed its voluntary assisted dying laws, identifying lack of community knowledge as a problem. The <a href="https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/publications/tabledpapers.nsf/displaypaper/4113439a2331593cd11da0ae48258be300355868/%24file/voluntary+assisted+dying+act+2019+final+report.pdf">review called for a strategy</a> to fix this.</p> <p>We see this challenge as one of “voluntary assisted dying literacy”. Greater voluntary assisted dying literacy will enable members of the public to know the options available to them, and how to make the choices they want.</p> <h2>What can we do about this?</h2> <p>We need community awareness initiatives to increase knowledge that voluntary assisted dying is legal and ensure people know where to find information about this option. Information about voluntary assisted dying is already available from all <a href="https://www.health.qld.gov.au/clinical-practice/guidelines-procedures/voluntary-assisted-dying">state government health departments</a>, but more action is needed to ensure it reaches more people.</p> <p>Respondents in our survey suggested using social media campaigns, advertising, and sharing information through Centrelink, health clinics and other trusted community channels.</p> <p>We also propose targeted information for particular patient groups who may be eligible for voluntary assisted dying, such as people with cancer or neurodegenerative diseases. This means they will know voluntary assisted dying may be one of the treatment options available to them, and how to navigate the process should they wish to.</p> <p>These initiatives would need to be designed sensitively with a focus on providing information to avoid any perception that people could feel induced or directed to access voluntary assisted dying.</p> <p>Training for health practitioners is also important. This is particularly needed for GPs and specialists working in end-of-life care. Training will support health practitioners to facilitate informed discussions with patients and families.</p> <p>Strong community support was a <a href="https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/4af889/contentassets/1fa966ea0b6c4034a82bca04f57a19b9/lsic_58-05_text_web.pdf">key argument</a> in legalising voluntary assisted dying in Australia. The public wanted this as an end-of-life choice. But that choice is only a real one if people know it exists.</p> <p><em>Our online resource <a href="https://end-of-life.qut.edu.au/assisteddying">End of Life Law in Australia</a> has more information about voluntary assisted dying and contact points for accessing it in each state.</em><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/248114/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ben-white-15387"><em>Ben White</em></a><em>, Professor of End-of-Life Law and Regulation, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/lindy-willmott-15386">Lindy Willmott</a>, Professor of Law, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rachel-feeney-140352">Rachel Feeney</a>, Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/queensland-university-of-technology-847">Queensland University of Technology</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/voluntary-assisted-dying-is-legal-in-australia-but-many-of-us-dont-know-248114">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Legal

"We'll miss him terribly": Alex Cullen steps down from Today

<p>Alex Cullen is "stepping down permanently" from <em>Today</em> after accepting a huge cash prize from billionaire Adrian Portelli. </p> <p>After Cullen referred to Portelli as "McLaren Man" on the Channel Nine morning show and pocketed $50,000 for using Portelli's preferred moniker, Cullen disappeared from screens for several days for breaching the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) Journalist Code of Ethics.</p> <p>Despite handing the money back, which has since been <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/billionaire-adrian-portelli-responds-to-50k-mclaren-man-controversy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated to charity</a>, Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo confirmed on Friday morning that Cullen would not be retuning to the show. </p> <p>“As most of you are well aware, our colleague Alex Cullen has not been on air with us this past week,” Stefanovic said.</p> <p>“There has been widespread reporting on the circumstances surrounding this, what I can say is that last night, Alex and Nine agreed that he would finish with the network."</p> <p>“Alex has, of course, been part of the <em>Today</em> family for five years now, he’s always ready with a smile and a laugh and without hesitation speaking for all of us here, we can say that we are going to miss him terribly, that’s for sure."</p> <p>“Alex is a terrific fella, what you see is what you get and he has been a great mate to all of us over these years and we wish Alex, his wife Bonnie and his beautiful kids all the very best for the future.”</p> <p>The scandal began when Portelli put a call out on social media, challenging journalists to refer to him publicly as "McLaren Man" instead of his common nickname "Lambo Guy", which he earned after showing up to <em>The Block</em> auctions in a bright yellow Lamborghini. </p> <p>Portelli said whoever completed the challenge would earn a hefty cash prize, and after Cullen used the new nickname live on <em>Today</em> just hours later, Portelli shared a screenshot of a bank transfer to Cullen for a whopping $50,000. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

Olympic champion breaks down over drug scandal

<p>Olympic swimming champion Shayna Jack has broken down over the drug scandal that almost ended her career in 2019. </p> <p>After entering the jungle as one of this year's <em>I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!</em> cast mates, Paris Olympics gold medallist Jack opened up about the 24-month ban she copped from her sport in 2019.</p> <p>She was banned for competing for two long years, for an anti-doping rule violation relating to her unintentional use of the anabolic agent Ligandrol. </p> <p>Jack then spent months embroiled in a case to prove her innocence in which she spent over $180,000, with the case putting her under intense emotional and financial strain. </p> <p>Jack broke down as she revealed to her campmates that her longtime partner, Kookaburras hockey player Joel Rintala, was scared to leave her at home alone for fear she might hurt herself. </p> <p>“Some nights I was in a bad place. He said those nights were the most fearful. He said he’d speed home because he just didn’t know if he was going to walk home into something that he wasn’t able to cope with. [If] I’d done something that I would eternally regret,” she said.</p> <p>Speaking directly to camera in the jungle's confessional, Jack went on to explain why she chose to share the story with her fellow cast members. </p> <p>“It’s using the people around me to continue to open up about it and face those difficulties and stop giving it so much power,” she said of the scandal. </p> <p>“I feel like the more I take it off my chest and take it off my heart, the more I can try to move forward with my life and not feel this huge aspect of my life pulling me back."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Ten</em></p>

Legal

Nine reporter stood down over controversial $50k gift

<p><em>Today</em> show presenter Alex Cullen has been stood down after accepting a huge cash prize from <em>The Block</em> billionaire Adrian Portelli. </p> <p>Portelli, known for his attention-grabbing <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/the-block-billionaire-s-generous-christmas-stunt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">antics</a>, recently announced that he was sick of his nickname "Lambo guy", which had stuck after turned up to a 2022 auction of <em>The Block</em> in a yellow Lamborghini. </p> <p>The billionaire put a call out to the media saying that he would give $50,000 to the first journalist or presenter to publicly call him by his new preferred nickname "McLaren Man." </p> <p>Cullen dropped the nickname on-air during a <em>Today</em> show cross from the Australian Open on Friday morning, even sharing footage of the moment on his Instagram account afterwards, tagging Portelli in the post.</p> <p>“We have a winner! Well played sir,” Portelli wrote in an Instagram story, sharing a screenshot of a bank transfer. </p> <p>Cullen's employer, Channel Nine, said that the presenter had agreed to step down on Saturday while the network looked into the payment. </p> <p>“Nine is taking this matter extremely seriously,” a Nine spokesperson told <em>news.com.au</em>. </p> <p>“Appropriate action has been promptly taken, including arranging for the funds to be returned.</p> <p>“While we review the circumstances in which this occurred, Alex has agreed to stand down.”</p> <p>Accepting cash, gifts or benefits to undermine journalistic independence, and inappropriately using a journalistic position for personal gain, are both breaches to the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) Journalist Code of Ethics.</p> <p>It was created by journalists in 1944 to promote basic values for the Australian media industry.</p> <p>As news of the controversy spread, Portelli took to Instagram to speak out against journalists who still refer to him as "Lambo guy". </p> <p>“I wanted to show the media that I do have a large platform as well, and I’m not afraid to use it. Maybe be a bit more respectful, and I’ll respect you guys as well,” he said in a video posted on Saturday night.</p> <p><em>Image: Nine/ Instagram</em></p>

Legal

I'm A Celeb season premiere divides audiences

<p>The cast of the new season of <em>I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here</em> has been revealed as the 11 famous contestants entered the jungle on Sunday night. </p> <p>An Olympian, a stand-up comedian, reality TV royalty and a 90s TV star are among this year’s celebs, as the first episode of the 11th season provided many awkward moments of the celebrities not recognising their fellow contestants. </p> <p>Entering the jungle this year and vying for their chance to win money for charity are Olympic swimmer Shayna Jack, <em>Love Island</em> star Tina Provis, former AFL player Zack Tuohy, comedian Geraldine Hickey, Aussie TV presenter Nicky Buckley, former <em>MAFS</em> star Samantha Moitzi, UK social media personality Max Balegde, comedian and presenter Dave 'Hughesy' Hughes, two-time <em>Big Brother</em> winner Reggie Sorensen, NRL favourite Sam Thaida, and former <em>Bachelor</em> star Matty J.</p> <p>As the highly-anticipated new season aired on Sunday, many viewers took to social media to express their disappointment over the cast, as the show was quickly panned by viewers as "unfunny" while the cast of celebrities were labelled as "nobodies". </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/p/DFAL9h-PkRe/?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/p/DFAL9h-PkRe/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by #ImACelebrityAU (@imacelebrityau)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While hosts Julia Morris and Robert Irwin quipped and laughed with the new batch of contestants, loyal fans turned on the show and took to X to share their thoughts on the premiere. </p> <p>"The lowest common denominator with desperate has-beens. Can’t they invest in Aussie actors, directors and writers instead?" wrote one person. </p> <p>"Biggest load of rubbish ever," said another, while one more posted, "Some of Julia’s jokes are older than me. And not as funny."</p> <p>"Look at them looking at each other trying to figure out who each other is. Absolutely no idea," said another viewer. </p> <p>"Yeah this show peaked last year and the fall from grace is extreme. No more #ImACelebrityAU for me," another wrote. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Ten </em></p>

Council cracks down on odd beach trend

<p>A local council on the NSW South Coast has had to put a stop to the latest bizarre measure people have been taking to reserve a spot at the beach. </p> <p>Signs have been raised along Cliff Road in North Wollongong to not use glad wrap to secure public gazebos. </p> <p>"This is a shared public space," the sign read. "The use of cling wrap or any material to enclose picnic shelters is prohibited."</p> <p>Lord Mayor of Wollongong Tania Brown told <em>Today</em> that "it is crazy" council had to even take this kind of action, following the rise in incidents where people were cling-wrapping cabanas and picnic benches at local parks and beaches. </p> <p>"It doesn't happen very often, but it's certainly around those peak days of Christmas, New Year's Eve and we've got Australia Day coming up, so we've seen it starting to increase," Brown said.</p> <p>"So that's why we put signs up as preventative measures to remind people that this is prohibited, that our beach huts are there in public spaces for the benefit of all in our community and they cannot be reserved."</p> <p>Brown said that the signs were put in place so people can come and enjoy what Wollongong has to offer, including 17 of the state's best patrolled beaches. </p> <p>"We've just got to make sure that everybody shares that public space in a courteous and respectful manner," she said.</p> <p><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Many people don’t get financial advice even though it can help ensure a comfortable retirement

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/antonia-settle-1019551">Antonia Settle</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a></em></p> <p>Many Australians, particularly those on lower incomes, are often characterised as <a href="https://www.mpmwm.com.au/latest-news/50475">lacking knowledge or interest</a> in superannuation.</p> <p><a href="https://www.superannuation.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Research-Note-Survey-on-superannuation-and-retirement-Advice-Sept-2024.pdf#_msdynmkt_linkid=48e751d5-debe-4eb2-9309-4bc96b01930a">Research</a> by the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) confirms this.</p> <p>It found only 51% have sought any sort of financial advice before retiring.</p> <p>Financial advice plays a critical role in helping people maximise their super. But most of us don’t seek professional guidance.</p> <p>To make matters worse, <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/wealth/retirement-and-superannuation-questions-not-being-asked/news-story/cc2142c3b32c706ea6ff1dc99dab62a5">superannuation experts</a> say those with small amounts of super are the least likely to seek it.</p> <h2>Financial literacy</h2> <p>The failure of households to approach super like experienced asset managers is often attributed to <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/p2020-100554-ud00b_key_obs.pdf">poor financial literacy</a>.</p> <p>Better <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/financial-literacy.asp#:%7E:text=%25%2025%25%200%25-,What%20Is%20Financial%20Literacy%3F,management%2C%20budgeting%2C%20and%20investing.">knowledge</a>, it is often reasoned, would help lower income households make financially savvy decisions. This would help give them a better chance of achieving a comfortable retirement.</p> <p>Getting professional advice about managing retirement savings is a first step towards knowing what you don’t know. Learning to trust independent advice can optimise risk and returns, even if those decisions conflict with our instincts.</p> <p>ASFA <a href="https://www.superannuation.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Research-Note-Survey-on-superannuation-and-retirement-Advice-Sept-2024.pdf#_msdynmkt_linkid=48e751d5-debe-4eb2-9309-4bc96b01930a">research</a> found while trust in super funds was relatively high, only 12% sought information or advice from the funds.</p> <h2>Career interruptions</h2> <p>Some households might have little superannuation because their hourly wages are low and they have long breaks from the workforce. This might be due to raising children, personal illness or caring for others.</p> <p>Instead of being able to rely on public healthcare or pay others to provide this support, they are required to reduce or abandon paid work to do it themselves. This group consists overwhelmingly of <a href="https://www.wgea.gov.au/publications/superannuation-gender-pay-gaps-by-age-group">women</a></p> <p>They are also unlikely to have benefited from high employer contribution rates, such as those of <a href="https://www.csc.gov.au/Members/Funds-and-products/PSSap">federal public servants</a> or university employees, who have long earned a standard 17%.</p> <h2>Tax and other benefits</h2> <p>Low balance households are also unlikely to have paid large sums into super to avoid income tax. <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/news-and-publications/apra-releases-superannuation-statistics-for-june-2024">One in every four dollars</a> contributed to super is deposited as voluntary contributions, which attract a low tax rate.</p> <p>But most of these low tax contributions are made by <a href="https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/P1527-Who-benefits-The-high-cost-of-super-tax-concessions-Web-1.pdf">the 20%</a> with the highest incomes.</p> <p>In fact, with <a href="https://povertyandinequality.acoss.org.au/inequality/">70% of superannuation assets owned by the wealthiest 20% of households</a>, low balance households have relatively little to gain.</p> <p>Research shows those with the <a href="https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/4630688/ri2023n03.pdf">lowest balances</a> believe superannuation is a largely a tool for high income earners to avoid tax.</p> <p>And while financial advice will always be more useful to those who are able to use <a href="https://www.commbank.com.au/articles/tax/five-ways-to-save-tax-using-superannuation.html">super as a tax minimisation strategy</a>, even for low-balance households – getting financial advice is worthwhile.</p> <p>Financial advice can help households choose investments that optimise the risk/return profile of superannuation at each stage of the life cycle.</p> <p>It can help avoid unnecessary fees and taxes and help people make the best decisions about <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/drawdown.asp#:%7E:text=A%20drawdown%20in%20retirement%20is,known%20as%20a%20drawdown%20percentage.">spending in retirement</a> so they can get the most out of their super.</p> <h2>Potential sticking points</h2> <p>The <a href="https://www.royalcommission.gov.au/banking#:%7E:text=The%20Royal%20Commission%20into%20Misconduct,into%20misconduct%20in%20the%20banking%2C">2017 royal commission</a> into banking and finance misconduct revealed major conflicts of interest in the advice sector. This only made some people more wary about trusting a stranger with their life savings.</p> <p>At between $4,000 and $12,000 for a <a href="https://www.moneymag.com.au/financial-planning/learning/how-much-does-financial-advice-cost">personal financial plan</a>, independent financial advice is not cheap. There is free counselling to manage debts but there is no free, independent advice for longer-term financial planning.</p> <p>Recent <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/stephen-jones-2022/media-releases/government-unveils-comprehensive-financial-advice">regulatory efforts</a> to better position superannuation funds to provide free financial advice to households will improve access for many.</p> <p>But these efforts won’t resolve the conflict of interest issue, given there is little incentive for funds to suggest investment strategies using other providers. This is particularly important during the <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals-and-families/super-for-individuals-and-families/super/withdrawing-and-using-your-super/retirement-withdrawal-lump-sum-or-income-stream">draw down phase</a>.</p> <p>This is where people start using their super which they receive as either a lump sum or income stream. The products offered by any single super fund to set this up are limited.</p> <p>Superannuation balances can be seriously eroded by <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/calculators-and-tools/super-yoursuper-comparison-tool">unnecessary fees</a>, inappropriate investments and poorly planned <a href="https://www.superguide.com.au/in-retirement/minimum-pension-payments-reduced">draw down</a> strategies. This is particularly damaging when low balances are involved.</p> <h2>Facing poverty in retirement</h2> <p>As a result, failure to seek financial advice can increase the risk of elderly poverty, especially if people retire without having bought or paid off a home.</p> <p>Any savings that can be preserved can make a meaningful difference to the capacity of such households to have a dignified retirement.</p> <p>For these reasons, access to free and independent advice is critically important for the superannuation system to better serve low-balance households. But free, independent advice is still not available in the superannuation system.</p> <p>It is not surprising low-balance households are reticent to engage in super given the lack of accessible advice. But the peripheral role of low-balance households in a system dominated by Australia’s wealthiest households may play a role in that reticence as well.<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/240207/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/antonia-settle-1019551"><em>Antonia Settle</em></a><em>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash 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/many-people-dont-get-financial-advice-even-though-it-can-help-ensure-a-comfortable-retirement-240207">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

‘Is this all there is?’ Retirement can be a painful transition if we don’t adjust our thinking

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-moore-1446031">Susan Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>The age at which Australians can receive the pension has <a href="https://www.dss.gov.au/seniors/benefits-payments/age-pension">risen to 67</a>, meaning many of us are working longer. But the length of time we are expected to spend retired has also risen, because <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/life-expectancy/latest-release">we are living longer</a>.</p> <p>It’s not unreasonable to expect the retirement phase will last about 20 years, perhaps longer. How should people approach it?</p> <h2>Are retirees satisfied?</h2> <p>In 2018 a colleague and I <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Women-and-Retirement-Challenges-of-a-New-Life-Stage/Moore-Rosenthal/p/book/9781138045231">surveyed nearly 1,000 Australians</a> aged 55 and over who described themselves as fully or substantially retired from the workforce.</p> <p>Most were very satisfied (51%) or satisfied (35%) with their retirement, and the majority rated their post-retirement life satisfaction as better (47%) or the same (39%) as it had been when they were working.</p> <h2>What do retirees like most?</h2> <p>Retirees in our survey talked about freedom. Freedom to sleep in, travel, catch up with friends and family, renovate, garden, get fit, try art classes, learn Italian and if they can afford it, spend up big.</p> <p>But even freedom can have a downside. One woman from the survey said after four months she got sick of it, asking “Is this all there is?”</p> <p>So what did retirees miss most? Money was a big issue for nearly 20%, and about one-third felt their financial position had worsened, even though the group had mainly worked in professional and white-collar jobs.</p> <p>But the things they missed most were social – the opportunity to make new friends, to engage in new activities, and to feel useful. They said things like:</p> <blockquote> <p>I miss the companionship of working in a team. Miss some of the social connections that I once enjoyed.</p> </blockquote> <p>Work not only provides income and social contact, it also has the capacity to engender a sense of meaning and purpose. Some retirees commented specifically on this</p> <blockquote> <p>I miss the sense of purpose. While it was hugely stressful, I felt useful. Now I keep feeling at a bit of a loss as if I should be doing something.</p> </blockquote> <h2>Identity loss</h2> <p>There’s also the issue of <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9780203786338/marienthal-marie-jahoda-paul-lazarsfeld-hans-zeisel">identity loss</a>. Work provides us with status; it enhances our sense of self. Achievement of work goals can build confidence and self-esteem.</p> <p>When we meet a new person, often the first question they ask is “what do you do for a living?” It can feel as though your work defines you as a person, rather than your many-faceted self.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, our study respondents frequently commented on retirement as challenging their sense of identity.</p> <h2>The retirement journey</h2> <p>So it is important to remember retirement is not just an event, it’s a process.</p> <p>In any <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2161-1920.2011.tb01102.x">major life transition</a>, it’s necessary to adapt our roles and expectations. Even the most exciting life changes, such as becoming a parent or winning a lottery, involve psychological work.</p> <p>We are likely to experience strong emotions, both positive and negative, as we experiment, fail, lose heart, try something else and eventually adjust to a new reality.</p> <p>These adjustments might be greater for retirees who go from full-time work to full-time leisure, than for those who move gradually through part-time or casual work or who quickly take up new activities they’ve been planning for years.</p> <p>Mark Cussen, a financial planner specialising in retirement, argues the retirement journey takes us through <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/articles/retirement/07/sixstages.asp">several psychological stages</a>, including a honeymoon phase in which new retirees feel relieved as the constraints of working life are removed.</p> <p>However, the initial sense of freedom loses its novelty value. Some retirees then go through a phase of disenchantment. Life can feel boring, lacking in purpose or weighed down by domestic duties and activities that do not challenge or bring joy.</p> <h2>The ‘best years of our lives’</h2> <p>The final phase is adaptation, involving a re-orientation of identity from worker to someone who finds meaning and purpose in a different set of activities.</p> <p>This change usually involves renegotiating relationships with family and friends as well as experimenting with new activities, interests and friendship groups.</p> <p>Over time, most retirees develop a new, non-work identity. New routines, different social worlds and re-imagined goals are established. Many describe these years as the best of their lives.</p> <h2>What makes a successful retirement?</h2> <p>Research <a href="https://academic.oup.com/workar/article-abstract/2/2/262/2428266?login=false">assessing the strongest predictors</a> of adjustment to and satisfaction with retirement is complex because there are so many potential variables to be measured and controlled.</p> <p>But these are often distilled down to several key factors including physical health, finances, psychological health, leisure activities, and social integration.</p> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21463050/">Studies assessing gender difference</a> in adjustment to retirement are equivocal, but somewhat dated. Nevertheless, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228590652_Renegotiating_identity_and_relationships_Men_and_women's_adjustments_to_retirement">many commentators agree</a> women generally have fewer problems adapting socially.</p> <p>Women tend to have stronger non-work networks, are more integrated into their communities and have a more multifaceted sense of identity than those men who define themselves largely in terms of their work.</p> <p>However, the average woman is <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Retirement/Rosenthal-Moore/p/book/9780815347088?srsltid=AfmBOoo--YAKvrHK8gDkQ0Cd1qI7A0PHOjgEZ-VqzDRAJb4KvEt5eMpt">less financially prepared</a> for retirement than a man as a result of taking time off work for children or other caring responsibilities. Women also dominate many of the lower paid jobs.</p> <p>But for both sexes, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/workar/article-abstract/2/2/262/2428266">studies indicate</a> pre-retirement planning helps ensure a secure retirement.</p> <h2>Work out what’s important</h2> <p>Money isn’t everything. Lifestyle planning including post-retirement activities, new roles and interests,prioritising mental and physical health and maintaining your social contacts are also vital aspects of a workforce exit strategy.</p> <p>How are you planning to stay mentally stimulated? What strategies do you have in place to manage stress and maintain good physical health? And what about friendships? Loneliness is being <a href="https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2024/221/6/loneliness-epidemic-holistic-view-its-health-and-economic-implications-older-age">described as an “epidemic”</a> among the elderly, especially those without a partner.</p> <p>How will you build a new social life that may include but does not rely on former work colleagues? How will you negotiate a family life that keeps you connected without becoming a domestic slave?</p> <h2>A well-planned retirement</h2> <p>Retirement has the potential to be a wonderful phase of life in which it is possible to strengthen relationships and achieve goals that you didn’t have time for in your middle years when you were consolidating your career and home life.</p> <p>It’s a time to live out some of your dreams, work through a bucket list perhaps, and have some fun as well as planning what sort of legacy you will leave for future generations.</p> <p>What’s the secret? In short, plan your finances, maintain a healthy lifestyle, stay socially integrated, challenge yourself mentally, stay positive and be flexible.<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/241265/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/susan-moore-1446031"><em>Susan Moore</em></a><em>, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</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/is-this-all-there-is-retirement-can-be-a-painful-transition-if-we-dont-adjust-our-thinking-241265">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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‘Is this all there is?’ Retirement can be a painful transition if we don’t adjust our thinking

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