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Will watching the Olympic Games make you eat more?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/birau-mia-1238429">Birau Mia</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/em-lyon-business-school-2363">EM Lyon Business School</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carolina-o-c-werle-1434243">Carolina O.C. Werle</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grenoble-ecole-de-management-gem-2181">Grenoble École de Management (GEM)</a> Ever wondered why you reach for a snack after hitting the gym? <a href="https://joe.bioscientifica.com/downloadpdf/view/journals/joe/193/2/1930251.pdf">Research shows</a> that physical exercise often leads to increased food consumption, whether it is treating yourself for a job well done or replenishing the energy you have burned. With countless sports events airing and our screens constantly filled with sports’ competitions, a new question arises: Can watching sports on a screen also influence how much we eat? The answer is yes. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0950329317300915">Our research</a> co-authored with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jannine-lasaleta-94504987">Jannine Lasaleta</a> reveals that watching sports’ videos can increase candy consumption. But there is more to the story: the difficulty of the sports you are watching plays a crucial role in these effects. <h2>From screens to junk food</h2> We first invited 112 students to the <a href="https://www.grenoble-em.com/campus-gem-labs-grenoble">Grenoble Ecole de Management experimental lab</a> to watch a video and test some candies. Half of the students watched a video with men and women <a href="https://fr.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/51706/train-barefoot/nike">playing sports</a>, while the other half watched one <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyqR5yI6boo">without any physical activity</a>. We then gave each student a 70g cup of candy and asked them to judge its quality for three minutes. The students who saw the sports’ video ate more candy than those who saw the one without physical activity. Our initial test thus revealed that watching sports’ videos can boost candy consumption, but here’s the twist: male students indulged in far more candy than female students, so maybe the results were triggered by males’ consumption. Plus, we were still unsure if the type of sport watched affects the candy intake. To learn more, we invited just the female students to watch videos portraying either easy (light running) or difficult-to-perform sports (athletics long jump, gymnastics, baseball, rugby or rock climbing). After, the students were invited to test the same candies as before. Students who watched the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SMXKGE_u-Y">easy sports video</a> (showing a woman and a man running through different landscapes) ate much more candy (30.1 grams) than those who watched the <a href="https://fr.adforum.com/creative-work/ad/player/51706/train-barefoot/nike">difficult sports video</a> (18 grams). We can thus conclude that the ease or difficulty of the exercise shown significantly impacts candy consumption – watching easy-to-perform sports leads to considerably higher candy intake than watching difficult ones. <h2>Why is this happening?</h2> To explain our findings, we looked at research on <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/32/3/370/1867208">goal motivation</a>. When people feel they are not meeting a goal, they push harder; but once they see progress, they tend to slack off. For example, after a workout, those aiming to stay fit might feel they have made good progress and then ease up on their efforts. This can lead to a drop in motivation to pursue related goals, like healthy eating. <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-09808-003">Research</a> shows that achieving smaller goals (like exercising) can make people feel they have earned a break, which can result in indulging more in food. So completing a workout might make you more likely to reward yourself with extra food than if you had not finished your session. And why are women more susceptible to the phenomenon of eating more candy after watching an easy-to-perform sports video? Simply because it has been long <a href="https://phys.org/news/2005-04-women-weight-men.html">shown</a> that women are more concerned with their weight than men and therefore their dieting goals are more salient. Our research suggests that merely watching sports can lead to a sense of vicarious fulfilment of fitness goals. When people can picture themselves doing the activity they are watching, they feel as though they have already exercised, which can lead to more-indulgent food choices. If they perceive the exercise shown as easy rather than difficult, they can more easily imagine themselves doing it, leading to greater feelings of progress toward their fitness goals. This perceived achievement can make them feel they have earned the right to indulge and influence their search for a reward, often resulting in increased food intake. <h2>So what?</h2> This knowledge can be used by policymakers or marketers who aim to encourage healthful lifestyles. When promoting healthy activities by picturing physical activity that seems too easy, people may feel a greater sense of achievement that could backfire and lead to increased consumption. We suggest showing an easy exercise (like walking or jogging) followed by a tougher one (like sprinting or marathon running) as an alternative solution. This approach can motivate people to start with basic exercises while reminding that there is still a long way to go to reach their fitness goals. This strategy could offer an alternative to promote physical activity without giving a false sense of accomplishment. So what is the takeaway for us? Be mindful of how watching sports can affect our eating habits. If you are aiming to stay on track with your diet, watch more challenging sports – it might just help you resist that extra chocolate bar. Moreover, when setting dieting goals, remind yourself that real progress comes from consistent effort, not just imagining yourself doing a workout. Engage in activities that genuinely challenge you, and pair them with mindful eating habits. This way, you can avoid the trap of feeling the fitness goal to be prematurely accomplished and then overindulging. In conclusion, should you watch the Olympic games if you want to keep up with your diet? Of course, but it might be better to choose the physical activities you find the most difficult to perform – and watch them without moderation.<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/231199/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/birau-mia-1238429">Birau Mia</a>, Associate Professor of Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/em-lyon-business-school-2363">EM Lyon Business School</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carolina-o-c-werle-1434243">Carolina O.C. Werle</a>, Professor of marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grenoble-ecole-de-management-gem-2181">Grenoble École de Management (GEM)</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-watching-the-olympic-games-make-you-eat-more-231199">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Cheaper mortgages, tamed inflation and even higher home prices: how 29 forecasters see Australia’s economic recovery in 2024-25

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Australia’s top economic forecasters expect the Reserve Bank to start cutting interest rates by March next year, taking 0.35 points of its cash rate by June. If passed on in full, the cut would take $125 off the monthly cost of servicing a $600,000 variable-rate mortgage, with more to come. The panel of 29 forecasters assembled by The Conversation expects a further cut of 0.3 points by the end of 2025. This would take the cash rate down from the current 4.35% to 3.75% and produce a total cut in monthly payments on a $600,000 mortgage of $335. The forecasts were produced after last week’s news of a higher than expected <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-inflation-rate-jumps-to-4-putting-an-rba-rate-rise-back-on-the-agenda-233331">monthly consumers price index</a>. Several of those surveyed revised up their predictions for interest rates in the year ahead, while continuing to predict cuts by mid next year. Only two expect higher rates by mid next year. Only four expect no change. <hr /> <iframe id="6eIe8" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/6eIe8/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> Now in its sixth year, The Conversation survey draws on the expertise of leading forecasters in 22 Australian universities, think tanks and financial institutions – among them economic modellers, former Treasury and Reserve Bank officials and a former member of the Reserve Bank board. Eight of the 29 expect the first cut to come this year, by either November or December. One of them is Luci Ellis, who was until recently assistant governor (economic) at the Reserve Bank and is now at Westpac. She and her team are forecasting three interest rate cuts by the middle of next year, taking the cash rate from 4.35% to 3.6%. <h2>Reserve Bank a ‘reluctant hiker’</h2> Ellis says inflation isn’t falling fast enough for the bank to be confident of being able to cut before November. But after that, even if inflation isn’t completely back within the bank’s target band but is merely moving towards it, a “forward-looking” board would want to start easing interest rates. Another forecaster, Su-Lin Ong of RBC Capital Markets, says in her view the bank should hike at its next board meeting in August after the release of figures likely to show inflation is still too high. But she says the bank is a “reluctant hiker” and keen to keep unemployment low. Although several panellists expect the Reserve Bank to hike rates in the months ahead, almost all expect rates to be lower in a year’s time than they are today. <hr /> <iframe id="2xF3M" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2xF3M/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> The panel expects inflation to be back within the Reserve Bank’s 2-3% target band by June next year, and to be close to it (3.3%) by the end of this year. Twelve of the panel expect inflation to climb further when the official figures are released at the end of this month, but none expect it to climb further beyond that. And all expect inflation to be lower by the end of the financial year than it is today. One, Percy Allan, a former head of the NSW Treasury, cautions that the tax cuts and other government support measures due to start this month run the risk of boosting spending and falling progress on inflation. <hr /> <iframe id="LGJa7" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/LGJa7/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> The panel expects wages growth to fall from 4% to 3.5% over the year ahead, contributing to downward pressure on inflation, but to remain higher than prices growth, producing gains in so-called <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/realincome.asp">real wages</a>. It expects wages growth to moderate further, to 3.2%, in 2025-26. <hr /> <iframe id="iV7mZ" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/iV7mZ/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> Consumer spending is expected to remain unusually weak, growing by only 1.7% in real terms over the next 12 months, up from 1.3% in the latest national accounts. Mala Raghavan, from the University of Tasmania, said even though inflation was falling, previous price rises meant the prices of essentials remained high. AMP chief economist Shane Oliver expected the boost from the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/tax-cuts">Stage 3 tax cuts</a> to be offset by the depressing effect of a weaker labour market. <h2>Unemployment to climb modestly</h2> The panel expects Australia’s unemployment rate to climb steadily from its present historically low 4% to 4.4%. Moodys Analytics economist Harry Murphy Cruise said although the increase wasn’t big, the effect on pay packets would be bigger. Employers were shaving hours and easing back on hiring rather than letting go of workers. <hr /> <iframe id="SM8PI" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/SM8PI/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> Panellists expect China’s economic growth to slip from 5.3% to 5% and US growth to slip from 2.9% to 2.4%. Australia’s economic growth is expected to climb from the present very low 1.1% to 1.3% by the end of this year and to 2% by the end of next year. Although none of the panel are forecasting a recession, most of those who offered an opinion said if there was a recession, it would start this year when the economy was weak. Some said we might later discover that we have been in a recession if the very weak economic growth of 0.1% recorded in the March quarter is revised and turns negative when updated figures are released in September. <hr /> <iframe id="3I49o" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/3I49o/1/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> Home prices are expected to continue to climb notwithstanding economic weakness. Sydney prices are expected to increase a further 5% in the year ahead after climbing 7.4% in the year to May. Melbourne prices are expected to rise a further 2.8% after climbing 1.8% in the year to May. Percy Allan said Sydney had fewer homes available than Melbourne, and Victoria’s decisions to extend land tax and boost rights for tenants had upset landlords, many of whom were offloading their holdings. <h2>Home prices to climb further</h2> Julie Toth, chief economist at property information firm PEXA, said rapid population growth was colliding with an ongoing decline in household size since COVID. At the same time, fewer new homes were being commissioned and long delays and high construction costs were also keeping supply tight. <hr /> <iframe id="JzLaY" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" style="border: none;" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/JzLaY/" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> The panel expects non-mining business investment to continue to climb in the year ahead, by 5.2%, down from 6.9%. It expects the Australian share market to climb by a further 5.6% Read the answers on <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3350/2024-25_The_Conversation_AU_Forecasting_Survey.pdf">PDF</a>, download as <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/3351/2024-25_The_Conversation_AU_forecasting_survey.xlsx?1719478737">XLS</a> <hr /> <h2>The Conversation’s Economic Panel</h2> Click on economist to see full profile. <iframe id="tc-infographic-1066" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/1066/93fb29ba32e178ec2dcda111f014a50cf7ea1f49/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe><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/233244/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cheaper-mortgages-tamed-inflation-and-even-higher-home-prices-how-29-forecasters-see-australias-economic-recovery-in-2024-25-233244">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Convicted child rapist qualifies for Olympic team

A convicted child rapist has qualified to represent The Netherlands at the upcoming 2024 Olympics. Steven van de Velde will head to Paris in July to represent the country in beach volleyball, much to the dismay of many. Van de Velde's selection has caused outrage given he pleaded guilty to three counts of rape in 2014 and was sentenced to four years in jail. He was convicted in 2016 and only served one year behind bars. The athlete, now 29, admitted to meeting the then 12-year-old on Facebook before travelling to England from Amsterdam to meet her when he raped her, after being aware of her age. At the 2016 sentencing, the judge labelled Van de Velde's Olympic aspirations a "shattered dream" due to the conviction. However, the Netherlands Olympic Committee (NOC) have given him another chance, despite the fact that the British Olympic Committee is allegedly uncomfortable with the Van de Velde selection. "Since 2018, Steven van de Velde has been participating in international beach volleyball tournaments again following an intensive, professionally supervised trajectory," the NOC said in a statement. Despite the unusual selection, the International Olympic Committee allows each nation to select its own athletes and does not veto any picks. Following his release from jail, Van de Velde said in an interview in 2018, "I made that choice in my life when I wasn't ready, I was a teenager still figuring things out." "I was sort of lost and now I have so much more life experience, aside from just being incarcerated. Any form of help would have been very very helpful, maybe that's what I would have told myself, seek help." Image credits: Xinhua News Agency/Shutterstock Editorial

Legal

World's best airline for 2024 revealed

The world's best airline has been revealed for 2024, with the winning airline being voted above the rest for quality, customer service and overall flying experience. Qatar Airways, the Doha-based airline, reclaimed the title in the annual Skytrax’s World Airline Awards dubbed “the Oscars of the aviation industry”, returning to the top for an unprecedented eighth time. The 2023 winner, Singapore Airlines, fell back a spot to second place, while Emirates came third. Coming in next on the list was ANA All Nippon Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Japan Airlines, Turkish Airlines, EVA Air, Air France and Swiss International Air Lines in 10th spot. Qatar also took home three other awards: World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge and Best Airline in the Middle East. It’s also become the first aviation group to win Best Airline, Best Airport and Best Airport Shopping, in the same year in Skytrax history. “This is a proud moment for Qatar Airways. I am honoured to share this award with my dedicated team,” Qatar Airways group chief executive officer, Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said at the Skytrax event in London on Monday. “This award is a testimony to our relentless commitment to providing unparalleled service and innovation. We look forward to continuing to serve our customers with the highest level of excellence.” The Skytrax awards are based on the votes of travellers across over 100 nationalities, with any airline in the world eligible to be nominated. In terms of Aussie airlines, Qantas plummeted seven spots to be ranked 24 this year, while Virgin Australia fell from 46 to 54 and Jetstar from 69 to 75. However, Australian regional airline REX climbed from spot 56 to 50. Image credits: Shutterstock

International Travel

Logies 2024 Award nominations revealed

The nominations for the 2024 Logie Awards has just dropped and here are all the stars and shows going for gold this year. Andy Lee, known as the host of The Hundred with Andy Lee is returning to the Logies with his first nomination since 2015, and is hoping to get his very first Gold Logie win for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television. "It's a super exciting time for me and for our show The Hundred which just keeps getting bigger and bigger," he told 9Entertainment. "I think there must've been an administration error and they've confused my name with Hamish [Blake's]," he joked. He is up against, Julia Morris, Robert Irwin and Sonia Kruger among other stars vying for this year's Gold Logie. 60 Minutes and A Current Affair were both nominated in the Best Current Affairs Program category, while Travel Guides and Better Homes and Gardens picked up a nomination in the lifestyle program category. This year's Logies will be hosted by comedian Sam Pang and will be broadcast on Channel Seven on Sunday, August 18. Here is the full list of nominations: <h4>Most popular awards </h4> Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television <ul> <li>Andy Lee</li> <li>Asher Keddie</li> <li>Julia Morris</li> <li>Larry Emdur</li> <li>Robert Irwin</li> <li>Sonia Kruger</li> <li>Tony Armstrong </li> </ul> Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter <ul> <li>Hamish Blake, Lego Masters Australia, 9Network</li> <li>Julia Morris, I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10</li> <li>Larry Emdur, The Chase Australia and The Morning Show, Seven Network</li> <li>Robert Irwin, I'm A Celebrity … Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10</li> <li>Sonia Kruger, Dancing With The Stars, The Voice Australia and Big Brother, Seven Network</li> <li>Tony Armstrong, ABC News Breakfast, ABC</li> </ul> Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent <ul> <li>Alyla Browne, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video</li> <li>Ava Caryofyllis, Bay of Fires, ABC</li> <li>Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> <li>Imi Mbedla, Bay of Fires, ABC</li> <li>Lee Tiger Halley, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> <li>Tristan Gorey, Home and Away, Seven Network</li> </ul> <h4>Best awards </h4> TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Best Lead Actor in a Drama <ul> <li>Felix Cameron, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> <li>Hugo Weaving, Love Me, BINGE</li> <li>Rob Collins, Total Control, ABC</li> <li>Rob Collins, RFDS, Seven Network</li> <li>Sam Reid, The Newsreader, ABC</li> <li>Simon Baker, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> </ul> TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Best Lead Actress in a Drama <ul> <li>Aisha Dee, Safe Home, SBS</li> <li>Anna Torv, The Newsreader, ABC</li> <li>Deborah Mailman, Total Control, ABC</li> <li>Phoebe Tonkin, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> <li>Rachel Griffiths, Total Control, ABC</li> <li>Sigourney Weaver, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video</li> </ul> <ul class="ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowVisible__N2zKU List_unordered__yNZx8" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; overflow: visible; color: #000000; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" role="list" data-component="List"> <li class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; padding-left: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 0.5rem;" data-component="ListItem"> </li> </ul> <p class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #000000; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Best Lead Actor in a Comedy <ul> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ben Feldman, Population 11, Stan</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bob Morley, In Limbo, ABC</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lincoln Younes, C*A*U*G*H*T, Stan</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Matt Okine, Mother and Son, ABC</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Rob Sitch, Utopia, ABC</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ryan Corr, In Limbo, ABC</li> </ul> TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy <ul> <li>Celia Pacquola, Utopia, ABC</li> <li>Danielle Walker, Gold Diggers, ABC</li> <li>Denise Scott, Mother and Son, ABC</li> <li>Kate Box, Deadloch, Prime Video</li> <li>Kitty Flanagan, Utopia, ABC</li> <li>Madeleine Sami, Deadloch, Prime Video</li> </ul> <ul class="ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowVisible__N2zKU List_unordered__yNZx8" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; overflow: visible; color: #000000; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" role="list" data-component="List"> <li class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; padding-left: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 0.5rem;" data-component="ListItem"> </li> </ul> <p class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #000000; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Best Supporting Actor <ul> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Bryan Brown, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Guy Pearce, The Clearing, Disney+</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jay Ryan, Scrublands, Stan</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lee Tiger Halley, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stephen Curry, Bay of Fires, ABC</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Travis Fimmel, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> </ul> <ul class="ContentAlignment_marginBottom__4H_6E ContentAlignment_overflowVisible__N2zKU List_unordered__yNZx8" style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5rem; overflow: visible; color: #000000; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" role="list" data-component="List"> <li class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; padding-left: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 0.5rem;" data-component="ListItem"> </li> </ul> <p class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: #000000; font-family: abcsans, -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Best Supporting Actress <ul> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ariel Donoghue, Wolf Like Me, Stan</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Kerry Fox, Bay of Fires, ABC</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Leah Purcell, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Mabel Li, Safe Home, SBS</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Michelle Lim Davidson, The Newsreader, ABC</li> <li class="paragraph_paragraph___QITb" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sophie Wilde, Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> </ul> TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE for Best News or Public Affairs Presenter <ul> <li>Ally Langdon, A Current Affair, 9Network</li> <li>David Speers, Insiders, ABC</li> <li>Liz Hayes, Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, 9Network</li> <li>Michael Usher, 7NEWS and 7NEWS Spotlight, Seven Network</li> <li>Peter Overton, 9News, 9Network</li> <li>Sarah Ferguson, 7.30, ABC</li> </ul> Best Drama Program <ul> <li>Love Me, BINGE</li> <li>NCIS: Sydney, Paramount+</li> <li>RFDS, Seven Network</li> <li>The Newsreader, ABC</li> <li>The Tourist, Stan</li> <li>Total Control, ABC</li> </ul> Best Miniseries or Telemovie <ul> <li>Boy Swallows Universe, Netflix</li> <li>Erotic Stories , SBS</li> <li>Safe Home, SBS</li> <li>The Claremont Murders, Seven Network</li> <li>The Clearing, Disney+</li> <li>The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, Prime Video</li> </ul> Best Entertainment Program <ul> <li>ABC New Year's Eve, ABC</li> <li>Australian Idol, Seven Network</li> <li>Dancing With The Stars, Seven Network</li> <li>Take 5 With Zan Rowe, ABC</li> <li>The Voice Australia, Seven Network</li> <li>Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight, 9Network</li> </ul> Best Current Affairs Program <ul> <li>7.30, ABC</li> <li>60 Minutes, 9Network</li> <li>A Current Affair, 9Network</li> <li>Australian Story, ABC</li> <li>Foreign Correspondent, ABC</li> <li>Four Corners, ABC</li> </ul> Best Scripted Comedy Program <ul> <li>Deadloch, Prime Video</li> <li>In Limbo, ABC</li> <li>Mother and Son, ABC</li> <li>Population 11, Stan</li> <li>Strife, BINGE</li> <li>Utopia, ABC</li> </ul> Best Comedy Entertainment Program <ul> <li>Gruen, ABC</li> <li>Hard Quiz, ABC</li> <li>Have You Been Paying Attention?, Network 10</li> <li>Thank God You're Here, Network 10</li> <li>The Weekly With Charlie Pickering, ABC</li> <li>The Yearly With Charlie Pickering, ABC</li> </ul> Best Competition Reality Program <ul> <li>Alone Australia, SBS</li> <li>Australian Survivor: Titans V Rebels, Network 10</li> <li>I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10</li> <li>Lego Masters Australia, 9Network</li> <li>MasterChef Australia, Network 10</li> <li>The Block, 9Network</li> </ul> Best Structured Reality Program <ul> <li>Farmer Wants A Wife, Seven Network</li> <li>Gogglebox Australia, FOXTEL and Network 10</li> <li>Married at First Sight, 9Network</li> <li>Muster Dogs, ABC</li> <li>Old People's Home For Teenagers, ABC</li> <li>SAS Australia, Seven Network</li> </ul> Best Lifestyle Program <ul> <li>Better Homes and Gardens, Seven Network</li> <li>Gardening Australia, ABC</li> <li>Love It Or List It Australia, FOXTEL</li> <li>Restoration Australia, ABC</li> <li>Selling Houses Australia, FOXTEL</li> <li>Travel Guides, 9Network</li> </ul> Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report <ul> <li>A Silver Lining: Silverchair, Australian Story, ABC</li> <li>Ben Roberts-Smith: The Truth, 60 Minutes, 9Network</li> <li>Bishop of Broome, 7NEWS, Seven Network</li> <li>Israel-Hamas War, 7NEWS, Seven Network</li> <li>Old School — Louise Milligan, Four Corners, ABC</li> <li>The Forever War — John Lyons, Four Corners, ABC</li> </ul> Best Factual or Documentary Program <ul> <li>Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles, Prime Video</li> <li>John Farnham: Finding The Voice, Seven Network</li> <li>Matildas: The World at Our Feet, Disney+</li> <li>Nemesis, ABC</li> <li>Revealed: Ben Roberts-Smith Truth on Trial, Stan</li> <li>War On Waste, ABC</li> </ul> Best Sports Coverage <ul> <li>2023 AFL Finals Series, Seven Network</li> <li>2023 NRL Grand Final, 9Network</li> <li>2023 State of Origin, 9Network</li> <li>Australian Open, 9Network</li> <li>FIFA Women's World Cup 2023™, Seven Network</li> <li>Fox League Las Vegas Week, FOXTEL and Kayo Sports</li> </ul> Best Children's Program <ul> <li>Beep and Mort, ABC</li> <li>Bluey, ABC</li> <li>Eddie's Lil' Homies, NITV and Netflix</li> <li>Gardening Australia Junior, ABC</li> <li>Ginger and the Vegesaurs, ABC</li> <li>Play School, ABC</li> </ul> Images: Nine/ Seven

Teen athlete's tragic death just weeks before Paris Games

A young Olympic hopeful has tragically died just weeks out from making his debut at the Paris Games. Jackson James Rice, 18, was found dead after a diving accident in Faleloa, Tonga on Saturday from a “suspected shallow water blackout”. The teenager had been set to become the first caucasian to represent Tonga at an Olympic Games, having qualified for the new kite-foiling event. He had been free diving from a boat when the tragedy unfolded. His body was found beneath the boat and despite several resuscitation attempts, he could not be revived. Rice's heartbroken father confirmed the news of the teenager's death to the Matangi Tonga newspaper, as tributes flowed for the young athlete. Rice’s sister Lily paid an emotional tribute to her brother on social media on Sunday, as she wrote on Facebook, “I was blessed with the most amazing brother in the whole world and it pains me to say that he’s passed away." “He was an amazing kitefoiler and he would have made it to the Olympics and come out with a big shiny medal … he made so many amazing friends all over the world.” Other friends paid tribute to the teenager on social media, with one writing, “I can’t begin to put into words what I’m feeling right now. I still cannot believe it, when I woke up to this news I thought you were playing around. You’re the most amazing friend anyone could ask for and anyone who has spent time with you would agree.” Rice was originally born in the US but moved to Tonga at a young age with his British-born parents. He grew up in Haʻapai, where his parents run a tourist lodge, and always viewed himself as Tongan. The talented athlete qualified for what had been due to be his first Olympic Games last December, after placing eighth at a Sail Sydney event. Image credits: Instagram

Caring

"These can't be real": Boomers' Olympic uniform sparks instant outrage

Australia’s basketball uniforms for the Paris Olympics have hit a new low, or should we say a new “high jump” with the kit’s release on social media sparking a full-blown hoopla. Designed by Asics, these uniforms have quickly become the butt of jokes faster than a basketball rolling down a court. The “outfit” features a bright yellow singlet with “Australia” across the chest, an Asics logo on one shoulder, and the coat of arms on the other – and the reactions have been nothing short of a slam dunk of disdain. Daniel Moldovan, a basketball player manager with a flair for theatrics, didn’t hold back. “Let’s just call a spade a spade," he wrote on X, "yet another embarrassment for a team full of NBA players at the peak of their sport. Our guys are going to be dressed like marathon runners. If the old adage ‘Look good, feel good’ has any truth to it, then our guys are going to feel like trash.” He even suggested that whoever approved these “marathon runner uniforms” for the Boomers should have their citizenship revoked. “What the f*** is this abomination?” he asked. Even past and present Boomers players chimed in. Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder’s rising star, simply commented “lol absolute joke”. Jock Landale of the Houston Rockets humorously mused, “Looks like we are off to throw a javelin.” And Andrew Bogut, never one to mince words, quipped that the Australian Olympic Committee had Stevie Wonder design the uniforms. Ouch. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Let’s just call a spade a spade. This is a fucking DISGRACE. Yet another embarrassment for a team full of NBA players at the peak of their sport. Our guys are going to be dressed like marathon runners. If the old adage of “Look good feel good” has a modicum of truth to it,… <a href="https://t.co/mSxlLeHvGl">https://t.co/mSxlLeHvGl</a> — Daniel Moldovan (@AgentMoldovan) <a href="https://twitter.com/AgentMoldovan/status/1800659140022595903?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2024</a></blockquote> The social media backlash was swift and savage. Benyam Kidane of NBA Australia tweeted, “Nah, this disrespectful. Boomers gonna bring home the gold in the decathlon.” Sam Vecenie from The Athletic added, “Pumped to see the Australian basketball team compete in the high jump at the Olympics. Probably not the optimal use of their skill, but will be fun to see them in these track-and-field-ass uniforms.” NBA Straya was in on the joke too: “Great to see we’re following in a hallowed Aussie tradition and getting Bali knockoff jerseys for the national team.” And one user couldn’t believe their eyes: “Is April Fools Day a different day? These can’t be real!!” The ASICS website, in its defence, claims the design incorporates Indigenous Australian artwork and Japanese design features. They boasted about the recycled fabrics and the artworks by Paul Fleming and David Bosun. While noble, it seems like they may have missed the mark on “aesthetic appeal”. The Boomers are set to kick off their Paris Olympics campaign on July 27, with warm-up matches against Japan, China, Serbia and the USA. Let’s just hope they’re not mistaken for a track-and-field team when they step onto the court. After all, no one wants to see them dribble with a javelin. In the end, perhaps the real win would be for the Boomers to win gold while sporting these “unique” threads. It might just prove that in the world of fashion, sometimes the ugliest outfits make for the most unforgettable moments. Images: Asics

Beauty & Style

Australia's most trusted brands for 2024 revealed

Despite the rise in cost-of-living, there are some brands that Aussies continue to have confidence in, and are willing to spend their money on. Over 4,000 Australians were surveyed by market research agency Catalyst, who were commissioned by Reader's Digest, and they were asked to choose the brands they trusted the most across nearly 70 different categories. "It's been a very challenging few years, but ultimately our category winners share a key common trait," Catalyst Research director Cameron Gentle said. "They consistently deliver on their promise. People have an expectation of what they're going to get, and the particular product or organisation delivers what they're after. Time and again." The survey, now in its 25th year, has crowned Bunnings as the ‘most iconic’ retailer and the fourth most trusted brand. Other noteworthy winners include Singapore Airlines for the most trusted brand to fly with, Panadol for pain relief, and Toyota for cars. Dettol was ultimately crowned the most trusted brand, earning the number one spot. "Since its humble beginnings in 1935, when Dettol Antiseptic Liquid was used as a post-surgery antiseptic skin wash in hospitals, Dettol has evolved to become the trusted brand in germ protection around the home," Readers Digest wrote. Check out the list of Australia's top 20 most trusted brands below: 20. Yates 19. Finish 18. Lipton 17. Woolworths 16. Weet-bix 15. Selleys 14. Glen 20 13. Dairy Farmers 12. Royal Flying Doctors Service 11. Weber 10. Bega 9. Toyota 8. Panadol 7. Bridgestone 6. Cancer Council 5. Dulux 4. Bunnings 3. Cadbury 2. Band-Aid 1. Dettol Image: Trusted Brands

Money & Banking

Nine News journo marries Olympic skier in stunning Italian ceremony

Nine News' US correspondent Lauren Tomasi has officially tied the knot with her Olympic skier partner Rohan Chapman-Davies in a beautiful Italian wedding. The couple took to Instagram to share a few snaps from their special day in Tuscany over the weekend. "01.06.2024 Pure magic 🤍✨" she wrote in the caption. <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/C7wCgTgt4yN/?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/C7wCgTgt4yN/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by ROHAN CHAPMAN-DAVIES (@chapman_davies)</a> </div> </blockquote> Chapman-Davies and Tomasi exchanged vows in an outdoor ceremony surrounded by their close friends and family. The bride wore a stunning white ballgown with a corseted bodice, and the groom donned a classic black suit. The Nine News journalist also also paid tribute to her late mother in her Instagram stories with a photo of chair that had a framed photo of her mum and some flowers, with the caption: "Mumma T's front row seat." Following the ceremony, Tomasi shared a snap of the newlyweds at their reception with the caption: "How to end your wedding: With sore feet from dancing, sore cheeks from smiling and a smooch from my new husband." Nine News journalist Sophie Upcroft, who attended the wedding also shared a few snaps from the special day, with the caption: "Work wife is now a REAL wife 🤍 So much fun celebrating the happiest couple." <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/C7wQpPLv_Wi/?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/C7wQpPLv_Wi/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sophie Upcroft (@sophieupcroft)</a> </div> </blockquote> Images: Instagram

Relationships

Sam Kerr's Olympic dream shattered

Matildas captain Sam Kerr has been forced to sit out of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after still feeling the after effects of an injury she sustained early in the year. In early January, Kerr suffered an ACL injury while on a training camp and despite her best efforts to recover for the Games, Football Australia confirmed she would continue her rehabilitation program in her home club environment and will not be available for selection. Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said the team has been dealing with a lot of difficult injuries, which has affected who will be eligible for the team selection. “Unfortunately we have had a very very tough period with injuries,” Gustavsson said. “I just got the summary sheet here a week ago and 15 out of these 37 players are either injured or just coming back from injury which means some of the players that are selected now is selected to be evaluated where they are with their physical status in the gym window and see where they will potentially be come the Olympics." “I think everyone can do the math here and understand that obviously the Olympic roster will be based mostly out of those that are in camp. “ Gustavsson already has a clear picture of which players he wants in which positions to form the best possible team to send to Paris, but knows he may have to wait to see who is actually available as the Matildas pursue a first ever Olympics medal. “This window will be a tough one for me and my staff in terms of evaluating players, where they are, and then the final selection process for Paris,” he said. “With the Olympics approaching, selection is about seeing the overall picture over four years of performance and assembling the best team possible. We are pleased and confident we have those options across the pitch.” Image credits: James Whitehead/SPP/Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Biggest winners and losers of the 2024-25 Federal Budget

The unveiling of the federal budget by Treasurer Jim Chalmers was marked by a dual focus on addressing cost-of-living pressures and strategically investing in Australia's future – and was predictably met with both praise and criticism. Reflecting a delicate balancing act between providing immediate relief to vulnerable segments of society and ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability, the measures to alleviate cost-of-living pressures and support key sectors appear commendable, yet concerns persist regarding the adequacy of support for welfare recipients and the potential implications of immigration policies on international education. Read on for the high points, the low points, and all the biggest winners and losers of the federal budget for 2024-25. BIGGEST WINNERS: Low and Middle-Income Earners: At the core of the budget lies a commitment to alleviate the financial strain on low and middle-income earners. With the implementation of stage three tax cuts, Australians can anticipate a welcome increase in their take-home pay. These cuts, announced earlier in the year, are projected to inject an average of $36 per week into taxpayers' pockets by 2024-25. Notably, this initiative is expected to benefit 84% of taxpayers and 90% of women, signalling a targeted effort to support those most in need. Parents: In a move towards greater gender equality and financial security, the government has extended superannuation payments to parents on paid leave. This initiative aims to bridge the superannuation gap and provide approximately 180,000 families annually with additional financial support during crucial early parenting stages. Households and Small Businesses: Acknowledging the escalating energy costs, a $300 rebate on energy bills was announced for more than 10 million households. It was this facet of the budget that drew ire from Jacqui Lambie, Federal Senator for Tasmania, who was furious over the "bizarre" decision, which sees funds being spent on high-income earners such as herself at a time of rising inflation. 'We don't need $300, I can assure you,' she said to a post-budget panel on ABC's Insiders on Tuesday night. "That [funding] should have been passed forward. I find it bizarre." Additionally, small businesses stand to benefit from a $325 boost to alleviate power bill pressures. The extension of the instant asset write-off and the abolishment of 457 nuisance tariffs signal the government's commitment to supporting small businesses and fostering economic growth. Aged Care Workers, Renters, Women, Last-Minute Travellers, Music Festivals, and PBS Patients: The budget also addresses various sectors of society, including aged care workers, renters, women, last-minute travellers, music festivals and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme patients. Measures such as wage increases, rent assistance, healthcare subsidies and support for cultural events underscore the government's multifaceted approach to addressing societal needs. Students: Recognising the financial challenges faced by students, the government has taken steps to ease the burden of student debt. By wiping out $3 billion in student debt and overhauling the indexation of HECS debt, thousands of Australian students stand to benefit. Moreover, the introduction of payments for compulsory work placements acknowledges the financial strain faced by students pursuing vocational and tertiary education. BIGGEST LOSERS: International Students: In response to concerns about housing shortages and migration pressures, the government has signaled a crackdown on the influx of international students. Universities will be required to match enrolment growth with adequate housing infrastructure, potentially limiting opportunities for international students seeking education in Australia. Welfare Recipients: Despite calls for a significant increase in JobSeeker and Youth Allowance payments, the budget falls short of implementing substantial changes in welfare support. While some targeted assistance is provided to individuals facing barriers to employment, broader calls for income support reform remain unaddressed. High-Income Earners: While the budget aims to provide relief to low and middle-income earners, high-income earners may experience a less substantial boost to their incomes compared to previous projections. This recalibration reflects the government's commitment to a fair and equitable distribution of resources. Image: ABC

Money & Banking

Paris in spring, Bali in winter. How ‘bucket lists’ help cancer patients handle life and death

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leah-williams-veazey-1223970">Leah Williams Veazey</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-broom-121063">Alex Broom</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-kenny-318175">Katherine Kenny</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> In the 2007 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0825232/">The Bucket List</a> Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman play two main characters who respond to their terminal cancer diagnoses by rejecting experimental treatment. Instead, they go on a range of energetic, overseas escapades. Since then, the term “bucket list” – a list of experiences or achievements to complete before you “kick the bucket” or die – has become common. You can read articles listing <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/01/11/cities-to-visit-before-you-die-according-to-50-travel-experts-and-only-one-is-in-the-us.html">the seven cities</a> you must visit before you die or <a href="https://www.qantas.com/travelinsider/en/trending/top-100-guide/best-things-to-do-and-see-in-australia-travel-bucket-list.html">the 100</a> Australian bucket-list travel experiences. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UvdTpywTmQg?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> But there is a more serious side to the idea behind bucket lists. One of the key forms of suffering at the end of life <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pon.4821">is regret</a> for things left unsaid or undone. So bucket lists can serve as a form of insurance against this potential regret. The bucket-list search for adventure, memories and meaning takes on a life of its own with a diagnosis of life-limiting illness. In a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/14407833241251496">study</a> published this week, we spoke to 54 people living with cancer, and 28 of their friends and family. For many, a key bucket list item was travel. <h2>Why is travel so important?</h2> There are lots of reasons why travel plays such a central role in our ideas about a “life well-lived”. Travel is often linked to important <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annals.2003.10.005">life transitions</a>: the youthful gap year, the journey to self-discovery in the 2010 film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0879870/">Eat Pray Love</a>, or the popular figure of the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/grey-nomad-lifestyle-provides-a-model-for-living-remotely-106074">grey nomad</a>”. The significance of travel is not merely in the destination, nor even in the journey. For many people, planning the travel is just as important. A cancer diagnosis affects people’s sense of control over their future, throwing into question their ability to write their own life story or plan their travel dreams. Mark, the recently retired husband of a woman with cancer, told us about their stalled travel plans: "We’re just in that part of our lives where we were going to jump in the caravan and do the big trip and all this sort of thing, and now [our plans are] on blocks in the shed." For others, a cancer diagnosis brought an urgent need to “tick things off” their bucket list. Asha, a woman living with breast cancer, told us she’d always been driven to “get things done” but the cancer diagnosis made this worse: "So, I had to do all the travel, I had to empty my bucket list now, which has kind of driven my partner round the bend." People’s travel dreams ranged from whale watching in Queensland to seeing polar bears in the Arctic, and from driving a caravan across the Nullarbor Plain to skiing in Switzerland. Nadia, who was 38 years old when we spoke to her, said travelling with her family had made important memories and given her a sense of vitality, despite her health struggles. She told us how being diagnosed with cancer had given her the chance to live her life at a younger age, rather than waiting for retirement: "In the last three years, I think I’ve lived more than a lot of 80-year-olds." <h2>But travel is expensive</h2> Of course, travel is expensive. It’s not by chance Nicholson’s character in The Bucket List is a billionaire. Some people we spoke to had emptied their savings, assuming they would no longer need to provide for aged care or retirement. Others had used insurance payouts or charity to make their bucket-list dreams come true. But not everyone can do this. Jim, a 60-year-old whose wife had been diagnosed with cancer, told us: "We’ve actually bought a new car and [been] talking about getting a new caravan […] But I’ve got to work. It’d be nice if there was a little money tree out the back but never mind." Not everyone’s bucket list items were expensive. Some chose to spend more time with loved ones, take up a new hobby or get a pet. Our study showed making plans to tick items off a list can give people a sense of self-determination and hope for the future. It was a way of exerting control in the face of an illness that can leave people feeling powerless. Asha said: "This disease is not going to control me. I am not going to sit still and do nothing. I want to go travel." <h2>Something we ‘ought’ to do?</h2> Bucket lists are also a symptom of a broader culture that emphasises conspicuous <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH_Pa1hOEVc">consumption</a> and <a href="https://productiveageinginstitute.org.au/">productivity</a>, even into the end of life. Indeed, people told us travelling could be exhausting, expensive and stressful, especially when they’re also living with the symptoms and side effects of treatment. Nevertheless, they felt travel was something they “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14461242.2021.1918016">ought</a>” to do. Travel can be deeply meaningful, as our study found. But a life well-lived need not be extravagant or adventurous. Finding what is meaningful is a deeply personal journey. <hr /> Names of study participants mentioned in this article are pseudonyms.<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/225682/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/leah-williams-veazey-1223970">Leah Williams Veazey</a>, ARC DECRA Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-broom-121063">Alex Broom</a>, Professor of Sociology & Director, Sydney Centre for Healthy Societies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katherine-kenny-318175">Katherine Kenny</a>, ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/paris-in-spring-bali-in-winter-how-bucket-lists-help-cancer-patients-handle-life-and-death-225682">original article</a>. </div>

Caring

All the head-turning looks from the 2024 Met Gala

Known as "fashion's biggest night out", the Met Gala 2024 has kicked off in spectacular style with A-listers from all over the world gracing the carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The event, which is a fundraising event for the Met, is held every year on the first Monday of May, to celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion”. The dress code this year, The Garden of Time, is said to be inspired by a short story of the same title written by JG Ballard in 1962. The who's who of Hollywood hit the carpet at the Met this year, led by actress Zendaya, who is this year's co-chair of the event after returning to the Gala for the first time in five years. Many Aussie superstars walked the carpet, such as Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, Naomi Watts, Troye Sivan, Chris Hemsworth and Kylie Minogue, who attended for the first time since 2014. Hugh Jackman also graced the Met carpet solo for the first time, last attending alongside his now ex-wife Deborra Lee-Furness in 2023. The Aussie actor took to Instagram to share that his dapper Tom Ford tuxedo was the very same outfit that he wore to his first Met Gala in 2004 that had been "refitted and repaired". Other Hollywood legends that graced the carpet included Sarah Jessica Parker, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Penelope Cruz and many more. Image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Does hosting the Olympics, the World Cup or other major sports events really pay off?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ivan-savin-678930">Ivan Savin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/escp-business-school-813">ESCP Business School</a> After a long battle, <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240213-paris-booksellers-stay-olympics-macron-bouquiniste-france">Paris’s beloved bouquinistes will be staying put</a> this summer. The decision, announced on 13 February by the French government, came after considerable public backlash to the police prefecture’s original plan to move part of the iconic Seine booksellers elsewhere for the inauguration of the Olympics Games on 26 July. Meanwhile, less than six months away from the event, Parisians continue to grumble over a <a href="https://www.ouest-france.fr/jeux-olympiques/cest-aberrant-ce-maire-vient-dapprendre-que-sa-ville-accueillera-les-jeux-de-paris-ab1fa968-cfd1-11ee-89c0-6cefac77e04a">lack of consultations</a> with locals, warnings of <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20231130-paris-vehicle-traffic-to-be-heavily-restricted-during-2024-olympic-games">gridlocked traffic</a>, closed metro stations, extensive video surveillance and other grievances. So for host countries, what was the point of the Olympics, again? In academia, the debate about the potential positive and negative effects of large-scale sporting events is ongoing. Although these events are often associated with substantial economic losses, the long-term benefits are the main argument in favour of hosting them. These include the development of material and soft infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants or parks. Big games can also help put the host region on the map as an attractive place for sports and cultural events, and inspire a better entrepreneurial climate. <h2>The pros and the cons of big sporting events?</h2> The cost of these benefits, as the Parisians have realised, is steep. Host countries appear to suffer from increased tax burdens, low returns on public investments, high construction costs, and onerous running cost of facilities after the event. Communities can also be blighted by noise, pollution, and damage to the environment, while increased criminal activity and potential conflicts between locals and visitors can take a toll on their quality of life. As a result, in the recent past several major cities, including Rome and Hamburg, <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/6-cities-that-rejected-the-olympics/a-46289852">withdrew their bids to host the games</a>. A common feature of the economics of large-scale sporting events is that our expectations of them are more optimistic than what we make of them once they have taken place. Typically, expenditure tends to tip over the original budget, while the revenue-side indicators (such as the number of visitors) are rarely achieved. When analysing the effect of hosting large-scale sporting events on tourist visits, it is important to take into consideration both the positive and negative components of the overall effect. While positive effects may be associated with visitors, negative effects may arise when “regular” tourists refuse to visit the location due to the event. This might be because of overloaded infrastructure, sharp increases in accommodation costs, and inconveniences associated with overcrowding or raucous or/and violent visitors. On top of that, reports of poverty or crime in the global media can actually undermine the location’s attractiveness. <h2>When big sporting events crowd out regular tourists</h2> In an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1527002523120639">article published in the Journal of Sports Economics</a> with Igor Drapkin and Ilya Zverev, I assess the effects of hosting large-scale sporting events, such as Winter and Summer Olympics plus FIFA World Cups, on international tourist visits. We utilise a comprehensive dataset on flow of tourists covering the world’s largest destination and origin countries between 1995 and 2019. As a first step, we built an econometric model that effectively predicts the flow of tourists between any pair of countries in our data. Subsequently we compared the predicted tourist inflow in a hypothetical scenario where no large-scale sporting event would have taken place with the actual figures. If the actual figures exceed the predicted ones, we consider the event to have a net positive impact. Otherwise, we consider that it had a “crowding out” effect on “regular” tourists. While conducting this analysis, we distinguished between short-term (i.e., focusing just on the year of the event) and mid-term (year of the event plus three subsequent years). Our results show that the effects of large-scale sporting events vary a lot across host countries: The World Cup in Japan and South Korea 2002 and South Africa 2010 were associated with a distinct increase in tourist arrivals, whereas all other World Cups were either neutral or negative. Among the Summer Olympics, China in 2008 is the only case with a significant positive effect on tourist inflows. The effects of the other four events (Australia 2000, Greece 2004, Great Britain 2012, and Brazil 2016) were found to be negative in the short- and medium-term. As for the Winter Olympics, the only positive case is Russia in 2014. The remaining five events had a negative impact except the one-year neutral effect for Japan 1998. Following large-scale sporting events, host countries are therefore typically less visited by tourists. Out of the 18 hosting countries studied, 11 saw tourist numbers decline over four years, and three did not experience a significant change. <h2>The case for cautious optimism</h2> Our research indicates that the positive effect of hosting large-scale sporting events on tourist inflows is, at best, moderate. While many tourists are attracted by FIFA World Cups and Olympic games, the crowding-out effect of “regular” tourists is strong and often underestimated. This implies that tourists visiting for an event like the Olympics typically dissuade those who would have come for other reasons. Thus, efforts to attract new visitors should be accompanied by efforts to retain the already existing ones. Large-scale sporting events should be considered as part of a long-term policy for promoting a territory to tourists rather than a standalone solution. Revealingly, our results indicate that it is easier to get a net increase in tourist inflows in countries that are less frequent destinations for tourists – for example, those in Asia or Africa. By contrast, the United States and Europe, both of which are traditionally popular with tourists, have no single case of a net positive effect. Put differently, the large-scale sporting events in Asia and Africa helped promote their host countries as tourist destinations, making the case for the initial investment. In the US and Europe, however, those in the last few decades brought little return, at least in terms of tourist inflow.<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/222118/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ivan-savin-678930">Ivan Savin</a>, Associate professor of quantitative analytics, research fellow at ICTA-UAB, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/escp-business-school-813">ESCP Business School</a> Image credits: Getty Images 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/does-hosting-the-olympics-the-world-cup-or-other-major-sports-events-really-pay-off-222118">original article</a>. </div>

Travel Tips

Olympic flame is lit at birthplace of ancient games

The flame for the 2024 Paris Olympics was lit on Tuesday at the site of the ancient games in Ancient Olympia, southern Greece. Despite the gloomy weather which prevented the traditional lighting- which involves an ancient Greek priestess using the sun to ignite the torch after offering a prayer to Apollo, the ancient Greek sun god - actress Mary Mina, used a back up flame to kickstart the epic torch relay. Normally, the group of priestesses would use a parabolic mirror to light the torch using the sun's rays, but because of the cloudy skies, they had to use a back up flame that was kept in a copy of an ancient Greek pot and lit on the same spot during their final rehearsals on Monday. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the flame lighting combined "a pilgrimage to our past in ancient Olympia, and an act of faith in our future." A relay of torchbearers will carry the flame along a 5,000-kilometre route through Greece, including several islands, until the handover to Paris Games organisers in Athens on April 26. "In these difficult times ... with wars and conflicts on the rise, people are fed up with all the hate, the aggression and negative news," Bach said. "We are longing for something which brings us together; something that is unifying; something that gives us hope." Thousands of spectators from all over the world packed Olympia for the event, amid the ruins of temples and sports grounds where the ancient games were held from 776 BC - 393 AD. The first torchbearer was Greek rower Stefanos Douskos, who was a gold medalist in 2021, followed by Laure Manaudou, a French swimmer who won three medals at Athens in 2004. Manaudou then handed it over to a Greek senior European Union official, Margaritis Schinas. From Greece, the Olympic flame will travel from Athens' port of Piraeus on the Belem, a French three-masted sailing ship built in 1896 - the year that the first modern games began in Athens. On May 8, it's due in the southern French port of Marseille, a city founded by Greek colonists around 2600 years ago. Images: Getty

International Travel

There are new flu vaccines on offer for 2024. Should I get one? What do I need to know?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/allen-cheng-94997">Allen Cheng</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> Influenza is a common respiratory infection. Although most cases are relatively mild, flu can cause more severe illness in young children and older people. Influenza virtually <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33243355/">disappeared</a> from Australia during the first years of the COVID-19 pandemic when public health restrictions reduced contact between people. Since 2022, it has returned to a seasonal pattern, although the flu season has started and peaked a few months earlier than before 2020. It’s difficult to predict the intensity of the flu season at this point in the year, but we can sometimes get clues from the northern hemisphere. There, the season <a href="https://www.who.int/tools/flunet">started</a> <a href="https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/flu_by_age_virus.html">earlier</a> than usual for the third year running (peaking in early January rather than late February/March), with a similar number of reported cases and hospitalisations to the previous year. Influenza vaccines are recommended annually, but there are now an increasing number of different vaccine types. Here’s what to know about this year’s shots, available from <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/vaccines/influenza-flu-vaccine">this month</a>. <h2>What goes into a flu vaccine?</h2> Like other vaccines, influenza vaccines work by “training” the immune system on a harmless component of the influenza virus (known as an antigen), so it can respond appropriately when the body encounters the real virus. Influenza strains are constantly changing due to genetic mutation, with the pace of genetic change <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10421855">much higher</a> than for SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID). The strains that go into the vaccine are <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/global-influenza-programme/vaccines/who-recommendations">reviewed</a> twice each year by the World Health Organization (WHO), which selects vaccine strains to match the next season’s predicted circulating strains. All current influenza vaccines in <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/publication/meeting-statements/aivc-recommendations-composition-influenza-vaccines-australia-2024">Australia</a> contain four different strains (known as quadrivalent vaccines). One of the strains appeared to <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2314801">disappear</a> during the COVID pandemic, and the WHO has recently <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/influenza/who-influenza-recommendations/vcm-southern-hemisphere-recommendation-2024/202309_qanda_recommendation.pdf?sfvrsn=7a6906d1_5">recommended</a> dropping this strain from the vaccine. It’s expected trivalent (three strain) vaccines will become available in the near future. <h2>What’s different about new flu vaccines?</h2> There are eight brands of flu vaccines <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/atagi-statement-on-the-administration-of-seasonal-influenza-vaccines-in-2024?language=en">available</a> in Australia in 2024. These include egg-based vaccines (Vaxigrip Tetra, Fluarix Tetra, Afluria Quad, FluQuadri and Influvac Tetra), cell-based vaccines (Flucelvax Quad), adjuvanted vaccines (Fluad Quad) and high-dose vaccines (Fluzone High-Dose Quad). Until recently, the process of manufacturing flu vaccines has remained similar. Since the development of the influenza vaccine in the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/spotlight/history-of-vaccination/history-of-influenza-vaccination">1940s</a>, influenza viruses were grown in chicken eggs, then extracted, inactivated, purified and processed to make up the egg-based vaccines that are still used widely. However, there have been several enhancements to influenza vaccines in recent years. Older people’s immune systems tend not to respond as strongly to vaccines. In some flu vaccines, adjuvants (components that stimulate the immune system) are included with the influenza antigens. For example, an adjuvant is used in the Fluad Quad vaccine, recommended for over 65s. Studies <a href="https://ncirs.org.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/Adjuvanted%20influenza%20vaccine%20vs%20standard%20dose%20influenza%20vaccine%20SoF%20EP%20E2D%20tables_26%20Feb%202021_Final.pdf">suggest</a> adjuvanted influenza vaccines are slightly better than standard egg-based vaccines without adjuvant in older people. An alternative approach to improving the immune response is to use higher doses of the vaccine strains. An example is Fluzone High-Dose Quad – another option for older adults – which contains the equivalent of four doses of a standard influenza vaccine. Studies <a href="https://ncirs.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-05/HD%20vs%20sIV%20SoF%20EP%20E2D_March%202022_Final.pdf">suggest</a> the high dose vaccine is better than the standard dose vaccine (without an adjuvant) in preventing hospitalisation and complications in older people. Other manufacturers have updated the manufacturing process. Cell-based vaccines, such as Flucelvax Quad, use cells instead of eggs in the manufacturing process. Other vaccines that are <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/advances.htm">not yet available</a> also use different technologies. In the past, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31151913/">manufacturing issues</a> with egg-based vaccines have reduced their effectiveness. Using an alternative method of production provides some degree of insurance against this in the future. <h2>What should I do this year?</h2> Given indications this year’s flu season may be earlier than usual, it’s probably safest to get your vaccine early. This is particularly <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/atagi-statement-on-the-administration-of-seasonal-influenza-vaccines-in-2024?language=en">important</a> for those at highest risk of severe illness, including older adults (65 years and over), those with chronic medical conditions, young children (six months to five years) and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Influenza vaccines are also recommended in pregnancy to protect both the mother and the baby for the first months of life. Influenza vaccines are widely available, including at GP clinics and pharmacies, while many workplaces have occupational programs. For high-risk groups, <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/vaccines/influenza-flu-vaccine">four of the vaccines</a> are subsidised by the Australian government through the <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-immunisation-program">National Immunisation Program</a>. In older people, a number of vaccines are now recommended: <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-03/atagi-statement-on-the-administration-of-covid-19-vaccines-in-2024.pdf">COVID</a> and influenza, as well as one-off courses of <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2020/06/national-immunisation-program-pneumococcal-vaccination-schedule-from-1-july-2020-clinical-advice-for-vaccination-providers.pdf">pneumococcal</a> and <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/vaccines/shingles-herpes-zoster-immunisation-service">shingles</a> vaccines. In general, most vaccines can be given in the same visit, but talk to your doctor about which ones you need. <h2>Are there side effects?</h2> All influenza vaccines can <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/vaccines/influenza-flu-vaccine">cause</a> a sore arm and sometimes more generalised symptoms such as fever and tiredness. These are expected and reflect the immune system reacting appropriately to the vaccine, and are mostly mild and short-term. These side effects are slightly more common in <a href="https://ncirs.org.au/sites/default/files/2021-02/Adjuvanted%20influenza%20vaccine%20vs%20standard%20dose%20influenza%20vaccine%20SoF%20EP%20E2D%20tables_26%20Feb%202021_Final.pdf">adjuvanted</a> and <a href="https://ncirs.org.au/sites/default/files/2022-05/HD%20vs%20sIV%20SoF%20EP%20E2D_March%202022_Final.pdf">high dose</a> vaccines. As with all medications and vaccines, allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis can occur after the flu vaccine. All vaccine providers are trained to recognise and respond to anaphylaxis. People with egg allergies should discuss this with their doctor, but in general, <a href="https://www.allergy.org.au/patients/food-allergy/egg-allergy-flu-vaccine">studies suggest</a> they can safely receive any (including egg-based) influenza vaccines. Serious side effects from the influenza vaccine, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, a neurological complication, are very rare (one case per million people vaccinated). They are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23810252/">thought</a> to be less common after influenza vaccination than after infection with influenza.<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/226623/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/allen-cheng-94997">Allen Cheng</a>, Professor of Infectious Diseases, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-are-new-flu-vaccines-on-offer-for-2024-should-i-get-one-what-do-i-need-to-know-226623">original article</a>.

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“Let’s share it”: Karl’s wild idea to save the Brisbane Olympics

Karl Stefanovic has become the unlikely face of a good idea, pitching a revolutionary way to save the Brisbane Olympics from disaster. The 2032 games will be the first time Australia has hosted the event since Sydney in 2000, with hundreds of thousands of people expected to make the pilgrimage to the sunshine state to watch their favourite sports. Despite the building excitement for the games, the Queensland government has copped backlash in recent weeks over the preparations for the event, after Premier Steven Miles announced he would bin a $3.4 billion plan to build a new inner-city stadium in Victoria Park in time for the Olympics. Instead, the premier plans to use the exisiting Suncorp Stadium to host the opening and closing ceremonies, while the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre will host the athletics events. Today host and Brisbane native Karl Stefanovic has labelled the plan as a “seismic international embarrassment” and in a strange turn of events, even offered up a good suggestion for how to fix it. “So how about we share the Olympics across the country, opening ceremonies in all the major already existing stadiums, events split among world-class facilities and the rest of the events showcasing this great country to the world,” he said. “We’ll have the triathlon on the Gold Coast, the cycling in Far North Queensland, the surfing at Bells Beach, the marathon past Uluru, the shooting in Longreach, it could be a magnificent two-week tourism ad for this country, leaving a legacy that’s cheaper." “Our athletes deserve the very best, so if Queensland can’t do it, let’s share it. ” It seems Karl isn't the only one up in arms over the decision to not build a new stadium, as a group of high-profile Aussie Olympians penned an open letter to the premier, imploring him to "revisit the decision". The letter states, "We all remember the magnificent event that Sydney put on in 2000. Queensland deserves something equally spectacular, without a centrepiece that would reek of compromise." The letter was signed by 14 current and former Australian Olympians including Grant Hackett, Sally Pearson, Leisel Jones and more. Image credits: Today

Money & Banking

The best of the 2024 Oscars

Hollywood’s night of nights is back in full force this year and it's more glamorous and chaotic than ever. Jimmy Kimmel, who returned as a host at the annual Academy Awards for the fourth time, kicked off the festivities by addressing the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/margot-robbie-snubbed-as-oscar-nominations-announced" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controversial snubs </a>of Margot Robbie for best actress and Greta Gerwig for best director. “Barbie, what a film. What an achievement. To take a plastic doll nobody even liked any more, now Barbie is an icon thanks to Greta Gerwig, who many people believe should be nominated for Best Director,” he began. “I know you are clapping, but you’re the ones who didn’t vote for her, by the way. Don’t act like you had nothing to do with this," he added. While he did compliment Robbie “putting this giant hit together”, his joke about her and co-star Ryan Gosling's appearance fell flat. Despite the awkward joke, Gosling pulled off one of the most memorable moments in Oscars history, as he belted-out an energetic and fabulously pink performance of I’m Just Ken, a Barbie original song, with other Kens including co-star Simu Liu. Gosling began his dazzling performance by serenading co-star Margot Robbie in the audience, who could not hold in her laughter. British-American musician Slash also made a surprise cameo on the electric guitar and everyone in the room could feel the Kenergy. In another unforgettable moment, John Cena caused the audience to erupt with laughter when he slowly emerged from side stage without clothes on, as Kimmel referenced the 1974 Oscars moment when a streaker infamously ran across the stage. “I changed my mind, I don’t want to do the streaker bit anymore,” Cena told Kimmel. “I just don’t feel right about it. This is an elegant event.” Cena then presented the Best Costume Design award while concealing his private parts with a piece of paper. “Costumes... They are so important,” he said, as the audience exploded in laughter. Poor Things won the Best Costume Design award and snagged three other awards including Best Production Design, Best Hair and Makeup, and Emma Stone winning Best Actress. In a more wholesome moment, Messi, a seven-year-old border collie, who starred in Anatomy of A Fall was being a very good boy and could be seen sitting amongst A-list and "clapping" his paws for all the winners. Oppenheimer snagged seven awards, including the Best Picture award, the Best Director award and Cillian Murphy winning his first ever Oscar for Best Actor. “We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb. For better or worse we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world, so I would really like to dedicate this to the peace makers everywhere,” Murphy said when he accepted his award. The film landed its first ever honour of the night when Robert Downey Jr also won his first ever Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The full list of winners can be found <a href="https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Of course, the Oscars aren't just about who takes home what award, but who looked like tens during the red carpet. Check out some of our favourite looks and highlights below: Images: Getty/ news.com.au

Line-up clues revealed for 2024 I'm A Celeb cast

With just a few weeks to go before a group of celebrities are dropped in the jungle, Network Ten have dropped a series of clues alluding to this year's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! lineup. Premiering in late March and hosted by veteran Julia Morris and newcomer Robert Irwin, the 10th season of the show will see celebrities thrown into the South African jungle and go head-to-head in daring challenges. At the end of the weeks long challenge, the winner will take home $100,000 in prize money for the charity of their choice. With the full line-up of celebs still unknown, Network Ten have dropped a few hints about some of this year's contestants, with online sleuths dedicated to deciphering the clues. So far, it's been revealed that a "controversial TV star" will be heading into the jungle, alongside a Gold medallist who is “diverting from Paris” to take part in the competition. Another celeb joining is an "international comedian loved by the royals", with many online believing this clue is alluding to UK comic Michael McIntyre. Fans believe a former contestant of The Bachelor or MAFS could be joining the line-up, with one celeb teased as a “bad boy” who “breaks hearts”. Also joining the 2024 line-up is an AFL legend with a premiership win under their belt, and a stage performer who is “ditching his famous family” to head into the jungle. Lastly, a celebrity cook is joining the cast, with diehard fans already ruling out Miguel Maestre, Colin Fassnidge and Poh Ling Yeow who have competed on the show in previous years. The 2024 season of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! will premiere on Ten on March 27th. Image credits: Ten

Most popular Aussie city to visit in 2024 revealed

The most popular city in Australia for 2024 travellers has been revealed, with locals and international visitors alike all adding the capital city to their destination bucket lists. In new research commissioned by the Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF), Melbourne has shot to the top the list of most popular cities to travel this year, beating out Sydney, the Sunshine Coast and Adelaide for the top spot. In the TTF report, a sample of 2,000 travellers between the age of 18-65 revealed where they plan on visiting both domestically and abroad in 2024. While Queensland came out on top as the most popular state or territory to visit, followed by NSW and Victoria, Melbourne beat the other capital cities as the most sought after city across the country. “It’s not surprising more Australians are planning to head to Melbourne for a holiday this year, with its thriving music and arts scene and world-famous events year-round,” TTF CEO Margy Osmond told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-ideas/best-of-travel/australian-city-named-best-in-the-country-outweighing-sydney-and-brisbane/news-story/6e69272d37b62eada10b6bedf2bb88f5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “Already this year Melbourne has hosted Taylor Swift and the Australian Open and will draw thousands more visitors for the upcoming Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Fringe Festival and much more.” Known for the delicious coffee, abundance of shopping options, thriving food scene and bustling culture and nightlife, Melbourne has long been a hotspot destination for many travellers. The crown is another win for Victoria, with the city of Bendigo walking away with the top prize of ‘best town’ in the annual <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/travel/domestic-travel/why-disbelief-as-best-aussie-towns-crowned-for-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wotif travel awards</a>. Image credits: Getty Images

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Will watching the Olympic Games make you eat more?

Cheaper mortgages, tamed inflation and even higher home prices: how 29 forecasters see Australia’s economic recovery in 2024-25