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Second Bee Gees member dies within four days

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

Caring

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Beloved Aussie musician dies days after revealing cancer diagnosis

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

Caring

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"Unimaginable curse": Karl Stefanovic pays tribute to fallen father

<p>Karl Stefanovic has paid tribute to Lachlan Webb, a young Queensland dad who sadly passed away from a rare genetic brain disorder. </p> <p>Webb first started showing symptoms of Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI) early last year, a rare degenerative brain disorder where the inability to fall asleep is just one of the many symptoms of the condition which many describe to be a living nightmare. </p> <p>From there the symptoms progress to the inability to walk, loss of sight and speech and eventual total shutdown of the body's ability to keep itself alive among others. </p> <p>The Queensland father had already lost his grandmother, aunties, uncles and his mum Narelle to the disease, with his mum passing away just six months after she was diagnosed. </p> <p>The condition is so rare that only 50 families worldwide are known to carry the gene. </p> <p>Karl Stefanovic first met Webb and his sister Hayley back in 2016, after they both learned that they carried the fatal gene. Despite the diagnosis the siblings were determined to ensure the "curse" ended with them, travelling to the US to participate in a clinical study.</p> <p>The siblings also both underwent IVF with their respective partners to ensure that their children won't carry the gene. </p> <p>"Lachlan was a remarkable man battling an unimaginable curse," Karl said on the <em>Today</em> show. </p> <p>"Everyone at Today is thinking of the Webb family, Hayley, Lachlan's beautiful wife Claire and his little boy Morrison."</p> <p>"Hayley also has that gene, their bravery and resilience was incredible to witness firsthand and it's such an important message - everyday is a gift and our thoughts, our prayers and our love are with you all this morning."</p> <p><em>Images: Nine</em></p>

Caring

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“Mindless vandalism" at Remembrance Day shrine

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

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

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

Body

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Aussie Vietnam vet reunited with lost war medals just in time

<p>A Vietnam veteran has been reunited with his lost war medals that were missing for a year, just in time for Remembrance Day. </p> <p>When attending a Remembrance Day event in New Zealand last year, Townsville veteran Malcolm Edmiston lost his medals somewhere along the journey to Christchurch from Brisbane. </p> <p>The medals were left sitting unclaimed in Brisbane Airport's lost and found after being found in an airport terminal, before airport staff launched a social media campaign to find their owner. </p> <p>After seeing a post on Facebook, Edmiston was finally reunited with his precious medals just in time for this year's Remembrance Day events. </p> <p>"It's very good to have them back, great to have them back, I thought they were gone and gone for good," Malcolm told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/lost-war-medals-returned-to-vietnam-veteran-in-time-for-remembrance-day/b03bf4df-0d3c-440b-9783-1e6c7ac73a11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Today</a></em>.</p> <p>"The zip was opened on my case and somehow they fell out, so it's a good reminder for us to take extra care when we pack."</p> <p>Malcolm was not the only one in his family to serve the country, sharing how his father served in the Royal Navy, he had uncles in the Royal Australian Air Force and and the Royal Air Force and a brother who served in Naval Reserve.</p> <p>His son also served in the Navy and with so many of his fellow Vietnam veteran soldiers no longer alive, having his medals back today is something special.</p> <p>"Remembrance Day is a very important day for me," he said.</p> <p>Brisbane Airport's media manager Peter Doherty added that he was thrilled to see the medals return to their rightful owner. </p> <p>He said, "For Malcolm's lifetime of service, the least we could do was the door-to-door service to get the medals back to him."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today </em></p>

Retirement Life

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Michael Schumacher’s son gives rare interview about his father

<p>Michael Schumacher's son has shared a rare insight into his life after his dad's devastating skiing accident. </p> <p>Mick Schumacher, who was only 14 at the time of his dad’s accident, pursued his dream of reaching F1 without his father's guidance, and has spoken about how much his dad father continued to inspire him. </p> <p>In the new book <em>Inside Mercedes F1</em> written by Matt Whyman, the author had unrestricted access to the team, with the book including a conversation with Mick about his father’s influence.</p> <p>The 25-year-old, who became a reserve driver for Mercedes in 2023, told Whyman, “I was a crazy kid — everything my dad did, I did."</p> <p>“He was really supportive and a lot of fun, but could also be challenging. One time in a karting race I braked very late going into a corner and gained a lot of time."</p> <p>“When I told him about it, he said, ‘Yes, but you should have braked like that in every corner!’."</p> <p>“Whenever he felt like I was not taking it seriously, he would say, ‘Mick, would you rather go and play football with your friends? If so, we do not need to do all of this’."</p> <p>“I insisted that I wanted to race and he said, ‘Okay, then let’s do it properly’. So we started doing more European karting and I was getting better.”</p> <p>Mick later explained that he learned “a lot of technical points” from his dad that he “still uses today”, adding, “I started racing in the Formula classes the year after the accident and from that point onwards, I had to find my own feet."</p> <p>“I started karting aged three. I was six when I first went scuba diving. Aged 10 I was skydiving."</p> <p>“My dad was always very open to me trying out whatever I wanted to do and racing is all I wanted to do, because I enjoyed it the most.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Eric Alonso/DPPI/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Family & Pets

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Elizabeth Hurley reunites with Shane Warne's kids

<p>Two years after Shane Warne's death, his ex-fiancé, Elizabeth Hurley has reunited with his three kids. </p> <p>Elizabeth and her son Damian Hurley, 22, caught up with Brooke Warne, 27, Jackson Warne, 25, and Summer Warne, 23, at Oaks Day.</p> <p>"Today deserves a double upload," Brooke captioned a series of photos with Warne's kids. </p> <p>"Special memories with this bunch, a special day with our special people!"</p> <p>In one photo, the 59-year-old actress had her arm around Brooke as the pair smiled for the camera. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DCEGMZMyMpD/?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/DCEGMZMyMpD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by B R O O K E 🍿 W A R N E (@brookewarne)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Elizabeth and her son flew out to Australia for the race, with Damian opening up about how important the trip was for him in his own Instagram post. </p> <p>"My forever family ♥️ Coming back to Australia was always going to be hard. Part of me wanted to put it off forever, knowing that once here, the reality of SW’s passing would truly sink in," he wrote on Instagram. </p> <p>"Now, being back in this beautiful place which I was once lucky enough to call home, I’m overwhelmed with more love than I’ll ever be able to put into words. My heart is full." </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/DCEsxMxviXc/?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/DCEsxMxviXc/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Damian Hurley (@damianhurley1)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Brooke also shared a video on her Instagram stories with Damian, with the caption: "Baby brother, missed you." </p> <p>Elizabeth and Shane were together from 2010-2013 and they got engaged in 2011. </p> <p>The former couple often made appearances together at race days, including Royal Ascot in the UK and the 2011 Melbourne Cup Carnival. </p> <p>Despite their split, Shane and Elizabeth stayed good friends. </p> <p>On Tuesday, the actress opened up about how "bittersweet" it was to be back in Australia. </p> <p>"Bittersweet to be back in Melbourne - home to so many memories. Thank you @flemingtonvrc for inviting me and my son. We had a beautiful day," she wrote. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Grieving father pays tribute to young son killed in school crash

<p>The heart-broken father of the young boy who was killed when a car crashed through his school gate has spoken out about his profound loss. </p> <p>Jack Davey was sitting with friends when a car slammed through a fence and into a group of Year 5 students at Auburn South Primary School on Tuesday afternoon.</p> <p>He was critically injured and died on the way to hospital, while four other children were also injured. </p> <p>As tributes for the young boy have started to emerge in the days following the accident, Jack’s father has also now publicly spoken for the first time following his son’s death.</p> <p>In a moving tribute, Mike Davey said he couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life without his “beautiful” boy.</p> <p>“Our beautiful son. A shooting star who blessed us for 11 years with love, friendship and kindness,” he said. “You were my inspiration and motivation. I cannot comprehend the life ahead without you."</p> <p>“My mate, my champ, my Jackie-boi. Godspeed, until we meet again ... I love you.”</p> <p>His mother, dad and siblings visited a growing memorial for the student outside the school on Wednesday afternoon to read all the messages left in his honour.</p> <p>His father wore his son’s backpack and his two sisters left teddy bears.</p> <p>School mum and friend of the family Lucy Pristel along with some of the other school mums, decided to launch a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-davey" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" data-ylk="slk:GoFundMe;cpos:5;pos:1;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" data-rapid_p="15" data-v9y="1">GoFundMe</a> to help "ease the burden" of funeral costs, adding, "We just wanted to make life as easy as possible." </p> <p>In a matter of hours, the fundraiser has exceeded its goal, and at the time of writing over $160,000 has been <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/boy-s-tragic-death-in-school-crash-sparks-incredible-community-response" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donated</a> by the community.</p> <p><em>Image credits: GoFundMe</em></p>

Caring

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

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

Family & Pets

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Missing woman found after 12 days in national park

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

Caring

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Father breaks silence after wife and two children die in tragic drowning

<p>Hoai Nguyen, 32, and her two children, Mitchell, 7, and Hazel, 5, were enjoying a day out at Shearer Park in south-west Sydney, and were walking down to a small pier on the waterfront before they were spotted <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/unimaginable-sorrow-mother-and-two-children-drown-during-family-outing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling in the Georges River</a> about 10.15am on Saturday. </p> <p>Hoai was pulled to shore shortly afterwards, but despite desperate attempts by rescuers and bystanders she could not be revived. </p> <p>The bodies of the two children were recovered a few hours later, metres from a jetty. </p> <p>The children's father, Dinh Nguyen, had been at work during the incident and only found out about the tragedy when police showed up at his house. </p> <p>He has since broken his silence, and told <em>The Sydney Morning Herald</em> that his wife was navigating a mental illness prior to her death. </p> <p>“She has bipolar disorder, and she has some ups and some downs,” he told the publication. </p> <p>“She takes medicine. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.”</p> <p>He also recalled one of the last conversations the couple had, the night prior to the tragedy. </p> <p>“She told me the last night she didn’t sleep so she wanted to stay at home,” he said.</p> <p>According to <em>The Daily Telegraph</em>, detectives are now probing whether the incident was premeditated as they continue their investigations into the tragedy. </p> <p>The southwest Sydney community has since rallied around the family's loved ones, with bouquets of flowers and tributes seen at the riverbank as part of a growing memorial. </p> <p>A close friend of the family, Sarah Vu, has also organised a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/hoai-mitchell-and-hazel-nguyen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page for the family which has since raised over $60,600 of their $40,000 goal. </p> <p>“I sincerely thank the entire community for their contributions,” she wrote in a social media tribute on Monday.</p> <p>“The family have decided to bring Hoai and the kids back to Vietnam.</p> <p>“The fund has currently exceeded my expectations, but I will keep the link open for anyone who still wants to donate.”</p> <p>"All we can do now is pray for you and the little ones to depart peacefully,” she added with a video of two young kids holding hands and skipping down a street together. </p> <p><em><strong>Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Lifeline: <strong>13 11 14</strong>, <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifeline.org.au </a></em></p> <p><em>SANE Support line and Forums: <strong>1800 187 263,</strong> <a href="https://saneforums.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saneforums.org</a></em></p> <p><em>Headspace: <strong>1800 650 890,</strong> <a href="https://headspace.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">headspace.org.au</a></em></p> <p><em>Beyond Blue: <strong>1300 224 635</strong>, <a href="beyondblue.org.au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beyondblue.org.au </a></em></p> <p><em>Images: Facebook/ GoFundMe</em></p>

Caring

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Aussies chat with King Charles on first day of royal tour

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

Domestic Travel

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"God's problem now": Man's hilarious obituary for his father goes viral

<p>A man's hilarious obituary for his father has gone viral, after he claimed his late dad's antics were "God's problem now."</p> <p>Texas man Charles Boehm wrote the obituary for his father Robert, who died at the age of 74 on October 6th after he fell and hit his head. </p> <p>When Charles was given the task of writing the notice for his father, he wanted to make it funny in a way that would reflect his dad's character, rather than making it a sombre and serious obit. </p> <p>“Robert Adolph Boehm, in accordance with his lifelong dedication to his own personal brand of decorum, muttered his last unintelligible and likely unnecessary curse on October 6, 2024, shortly before tripping backward over ‘some stupid bleeping thing’ and hitting his head on the floor,” the obituary read.</p> <p>He joked that his Catholic father managed to get his mother pregnant three times in five years, allowing him to avoid getting drafted to fight in the Vietnam War.</p> <p>“Much later, with Robert possibly concerned about the brewing conflict in Grenada, Charles was born in 1983,” Charles wrote.</p> <p>“This lack of military service was probably for the best, as when taking up shooting as a hobby in his later years, he managed to blow not one, but two holes in the dash of his own car on two separate occasions, which unfortunately did not even startle, let alone surprise, his dear wife Dianne, who was much accustomed to such happenings in his presence and may have actually been safer in the jungles of Vietnam the entire time.”</p> <p>Charles wrote of his father's hilarious hobby, saying, “Robert also kept a wide selection of harmonicas on hand — not to play personally, but to prompt his beloved dogs to howl continuously at odd hours of the night to entertain his many neighbours, and occasionally to give to his many, many, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren to play loudly during long road trips with their parents.”</p> <p>Earlier this year, Robert’s wife and Charles’ mother, Dianne, passed away, with Charles writing that God had “finally” shown her mercy and given her some peace and quiet.</p> <p>“Without Dianne to gleefully entertain, Robert shifted his creative focus to the entertainment of you, the fine townspeople of Clarendon, Texas. Over the last eight months, if you have not met Robert or seen his road show yet, you probably would have soon,” the obituary read.</p> <p>“We have all done our best to enjoy/weather Robert’s antics up to this point, but he is God’s problem now.”</p> <p>The obit was shared to social media and quickly went viral, with many praising Charles for his unique and heartfelt writing. </p> <p>“You ever read an obituary and think, ‘Dang, I’m sorry I never had the chance to meet them. They seemed pretty cool’. That’s me with this guy,” one person wrote.</p> <p><em>Image credits: dignitymemorial.com</em></p>

Family & Pets

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

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

Relationships

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

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

Domestic Travel

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John Amos' daughter recalls how she learned of her father's death

<p>John Amos, actor known for his role as James Evans Sr. on <em>Good Times, </em>passed away on August 21 in Los Angeles of natural causes. </p> <p>It wasn't until Tuesday, October 1 that his death was confirmed by his publicist, Belinda Foster, and not long after his son Kelly Christopher Amos confirmed it in a statement to <a href="https://people.com/john-amos-dead-roots-and-coming-to-america-actor-was-84-7510157" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People</em></a>. </p> <p>"It is with heartfelt sadness that I share with you that my father has transitioned," he said at the time. </p> <p>“He was a man with the kindest heart ... loved the world over. Many fans considered him their TV father.”</p> <p>“He lived a good life, and his legacy will endure through his remarkable work in television and film. My father loved acting, most recently appearing as himself in Suits LA and in our documentary America’s Dad, chronicling his journey as an actor.</p> <p>“He was my dad, my best friend, and my hero. Thank you for your prayers and support during this time.”</p> <p>Now, his daughter Shannon Amos, has revealed that she only learned about his death when it was reported by the media on Tuesday. </p> <p>She paid tribute to her late father in a video shared to Instagram that showed them dancing to the song<em> Dance with My Father</em> by Luther Vandross.</p> <p>"I am without words…Our family has received the heartbreaking news that my Dad, John Allen Amos, Jr., transitioned on August 21st," Shannon wrote in the caption.</p> <p>"We are devastated and left with many questions about how this happened 45 days ago, learning about it through the media like so many of you.</p> <p>"This should be a time of honoring and celebrating his life, yet we are struggling to navigate the wave of emotions and uncertainties surrounding his passing. Still, there is some semblance of peace in knowing my father is finally free," she continued, before thanking everyone for their "outpouring of love". </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/DAmTuS4x6ug/?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/DAmTuS4x6ug/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Shannon Amos | Health & Wellness | Retreats (@officialshannonamos)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>John Amos passed away at the age of 84. </p> <p>His children had disagreed on his care, which became public last year after she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CtPYytYRyBx/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=19da7b24-9405-46b8-a697-309f9886c8c3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised concerns </a>that her father was "a victim of elder abuse and financial exploitation". She even raised her concerns to law enforcement as John was hospitalised at the time. </p> <p>However, he released a statement via his publicist insisting that he was fine. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

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Father reveals alarming details after young model found dead in Sydney brewery

<p>Savana Calvo, 27, was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/tragedy-as-young-model-dies-in-popular-brewery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found dead</a> in the bathroom of Young Henry's brewery in Newtown, at around 11.30pm on Wednesday. </p> <p>As tributes pour in for the young model, her father, Daniel Paul Calvo has revealed that she allegedly received death threats in the week prior to her death. </p> <p>“As her father, I knew very well that she was being harassed and stalked, and I tried to intervene. Although we were very close, daughters only tell their parents so much,” he told <em>The Daily Telegraph</em>. </p> <p>“There’s more and more coming out, she was involved with some dodgy young guys, owed money, and leading up to last week she was getting multiple death threats.”</p> <p>The death threats that were allegedly sent to her will form part of an ongoing investigation into her death, NSW Police have confirmed. </p> <p>Friends and family have paid tribute to the fallen model, and started a GoFundMe page to cover her funeral costs. They said that “those who knew her best, knew that she went through some trying times." </p> <p>“She was a cherished daughter, sister and friend who brought so much love and light into all of our lives.</p> <p>She will be deeply missed by all who knew her.”</p> <p>The fundraiser has since raised over $30,000 for the model. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ Google Maps</em></p>

Caring

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

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

Caring

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Iconic Days of Our Lives star dies aged 70

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

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