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Hollywood legend's cause of death revealed

<p>Renowned filmmaker David Lynch, best known for directing <em>Dune</em>, <em>Blue Velvet</em>, <em>Mulholland Drive </em>and the unforgettable <em>Twin Peaks</em> series passed away on January 16 at the age of 78. Now, his cause of death has been officially confirmed.</p> <p>According to TMZ, which obtained Lynch’s death certificate from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the legendary director died from cardiac arrest due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Dehydration was also listed as a significant contributing factor.</p> <p>Lynch’s family shared the news of his passing on social media last month: “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” the family’s statement on Facebook read. “There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole.’”</p> <p>In the days leading up to his death, Lynch had been affected by the deadly wildfires near Laurel Canyon Boulevard in Los Angeles. However, his longtime producer, Sabrina Sutherland, confirmed that he had safely evacuated his home at the time.</p> <p>Lynch had been battling health issues for years, having been diagnosed with emphysema in 2020. In a November 2024 interview with <em>People</em>, the filmmaker admitted that he relied on supplemental oxygen for daily activities. He also reflected on his decades-long smoking habit, which began at the age of eight and ended in 2022.</p> <p>“What you sow is what you reap,” Lynch said at the time. “You’re literally playing with fire. It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”</p> <p>His death prompted an outpouring of tributes from Hollywood stars, including actor Kyle MacLachlan, who worked with Lynch on <em>Dune, Blue Velvet </em>and <em>Twin Peaks</em>.</p> <p>“Forty-two years ago, for reasons beyond my comprehension, David Lynch plucked me out of obscurity to star in his first and last big-budget movie,” MacLachlan wrote on Instagram. “While the world has lost a remarkable artist, I’ve lost a dear friend who imagined a future for me and allowed me to travel in worlds I could never have conceived on my own.”</p> <p>Naomi Watts, who starred in <em>Mulholland Drive</em>, also paid tribute, sharing her heartbreak over Lynch’s passing: “My heart is broken. My Buddy Dave… The world will not be the same without him,” she wrote on Instagram. She praised his “exquisite storytelling, which elevated cinema and inspired generations of filmmakers across the globe.”</p> <p>While Lynch will be dearly missed, his legacy as an innovative and visionary filmmaker will continue to influence the world of cinema for years to come.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

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Legendary Hollywood director dies at age 78

<p>Hollywood director David Lynch, who was known for directing iconic films such as <em>Mulholland Drive</em> and <em>Twin Peaks</em>, has passed away at the age of 78. </p> <p>Lynch’s family confirmed his passing on social media early on Friday morning with an emotional statement that reads, “It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch.” </p> <p>“We would appreciate some privacy at this time."</p> <p>“There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole’,” Lynch’s family added.</p> <p>“It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way.”</p> <p>Lynch's family did not confirm his cause of death. </p> <p>In 2020, the acclaimed writer and director was diagnosed with emphysema, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. </p> <p>After being a heavy smoker all his life, Lynch revealed in November 2024 that he needed supplemental oxygen to go on a walk.</p> <p>“What you sow is what you reap,” Lynch told <em>People</em> magazine. “In the back of every smoker’s mind is the fact that it’s healthy, so you’re literally playing with fire. It can bite you. I took a chance, and I got bit.”</p> <p>Lynch's filmmaking career began in the 1960s, although his first feature film was <em>Eraserhead</em> in 1977. </p> <p>His next film was 1980’s <em>The Elephant Man</em>, which was nominated for eight Oscars — including Best Director for Lynch.</p> <p>He followed up <em>The Elephant Man</em> with 1984’s <em>Dune</em>, 1986’s <em>Blue Velvet</em>, 1990’s <em>Wild At Heart</em> and 2001’s <em>Mulholland Drive</em>.</p> <p>Lynch also created the hit TV series <em>Twin Peaks</em> in 1990, as well as the 1992 movie prequel and 2017 reboot season. </p> <p>During his stellar career, Lynch was nominated for four Oscars and nine Emmy Awards. He won the César Award for Best Foreign Film twice and the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival once.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Zuma/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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Billionaire tech tycoon and daughter missing after tornado strikes

<p>Six people, including a billionaire tech tycoon and his daughter, have been declared missing off the coast of Sicily after a tornado struck the area, causing their luxury super yacht to capsize and sink. </p> <p>Four British are reportedly among six people missing at sea, including billionaire Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah.</p> <p>At the time of the tragedy, 22 people were onboard and 15 were rescued by coastguard patrol boats and firefighters, including Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares.</p> <p>The coast guard said that divers had been sent to inspect the wreck of the Bayesian, which was lying at a depth of 49 metres.</p> <p>Authorities confirmed that one body, believed to be that of the yacht's chef, has been found during their search of the vessel's hull. </p> <p>Charlotte Golunski, who was on board the vessel, told local news outlet La Repubblica newspaper of how she saved her daughter Sofia as the boat sank.</p> <p>She said, “I held her afloat with all my strength, my arms stretched upwards to keep her from drowning."</p> <p>“It was all dark. In the water I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I screamed for help but all I could hear around me was the screams of others.”</p> <p>Charlotte, her husband James and their daughter Sophia are among those onboard being treated at hospital. </p> <p>The captain of a nearby boat, Karsten Borner, said that when the storm hit he turned the engine on to keep control of the vessel and avoid a collision with the Bayesian.</p> <p>"We managed to keep the ship in position and after the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone," he said, adding that the Bayesian "went flat on the water, and then down."</p> <p>Storms and heavy rainfall have swept down Italy in recent days after weeks of scorching heat, which had lifted the temperature of the Mediterranean sea to record levels, raising the risk of extreme weather conditions, experts said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: AFP/Alberto Lo Bianco/LaPresse/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

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Flower tycoon pays $76 million in CASH for epic mansion

<p>A Sydney businessman and flower mogul has expanded his real estate portfolio, snapping up one of NSW's most prestigious properties. </p> <p>Leo Lynch and his wife Christina have bought a Federation mansion in Sydney's Bellevue Hill, with the eight-bedroom eight-bathroom property boasting impressive views of Sydney Harbour. </p> <p>The mansion, which was built in the 1890s, also showcases a pool, tennis court, and endless luxury amenities for the well-off buyers. </p> <p>"Designed by architect Walter Vernon," read the listing for the property, "the home is considered his most significant residence. Other heritage buildings designed by Vernon include the Australian Museum, the Art Gallery of New South Wales and Central Railway Station. A truly rare offering to earn a piece of Australian history."</p> <p>While securing the house seems like a huge feat in itself, the Lynch's decided to take the purchase to the next level, buying the home for $76 million in cold hard cash. </p> <p>Despite paying the whopping eight-figure for the mansion, the home needs work and is set to undergo renovations. </p> <p>The purchase of the property, named Leura, comes just after the Lynch's sold their former home for $52.4million more than he bought it.</p> <p>The same night he made the enormous purchase for the Leura estate, he sold his mystery home, just blocks away, for $61.5 million after rebuilding the property he had bought for just $9.05 million in 2014.</p> <p>Leo Lynch, 60, is a third generation of the wholesale flower family's company, founded in 1915 and for which private equity group Next Capital took a majority interest in 2015, before it was publicly listed in 2021.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Domain</em></p>

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12 inspiring quotes from 98-year-old yoga expert

<p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/06/over-60s-fitness-gurus/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Earlier this year</span></strong></a>, we introduced you to then-97-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch, the French-Indian yogi who took the world by storm after earning the Guinness World Record for the world’s oldest yoga instructor and even enjoying a stint on <em>America’s Got Talent</em>.</p> <p>Described by ABC World News as the “real-life Forrest Gump”, Porchon-Lynch has met countless significant historical figures over her almost 80-year-long dancing, acting and modelling career, including Mahatma Gandhi, General Charles de Gaulle, Ernest Hemingway, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Clark Gable and countless others.</p> <p>She took up yoga in the 60s and fell in love with its benefits for the mind, body and soul, becoming one of the world’s foremost experts.</p> <p>So, it’s safe to say she’s had her fair share of life experiences. Here are some of her best pieces of wisdom. We hope they’ll inspire you to never let age stop you from doing what you want in life.</p> <ol> <li>“When I wake up in the morning, I know that it’s going to be the best day of my life. I never think about what I can’t do. Make sure positive thoughts are the first ones you think in the morning. And never procrastinate.”</li> <li>“Leave your yawns behind you and feel the tiny new breeze of life lighting up inside of you.”</li> <li>“I watch the beauty of nature. It is telling me that even the trees get more beautiful as they age.”</li> <li>“Pack into your mind and body the sound of the music of your heart. Don’t let it prevent you from wasting time experiencing the wonders of life.”</li> <li>“One-hundred-year-old trees still recycle themselves and come out with new flowers. Recycle yourself. Know that nature gives you the clues to living.”</li> <li>“I never thought anything about age. I believed sincerely and still do, that there’s nothing I cannot do. I believe that all the power in the universe is right inside me.”</li> <li>“Autumn is a reminder that while the leaves die and fall, there will always be Spring, a change to replenish and be born again. We all have the opportunity to replenish ourselves, to be reborn.”</li> <li>“In my head I’m still in my 20s, and I have no intention over ever growing up.”</li> <li>“I never say goodbye, I say, ‘au revoir.’ Goodbye is so final. ‘Au revoir’ means I will see you again.”</li> <li>“There is nothing we cannot do if we harness the power within.”</li> <li>“I’ve learned that if you face trials head on, you can find more strength. Don’t run away from what looks like a challenge. It may be an important part of your path. You have to be persistent and follow what you believe.”</li> <li>“Breath is the power behind all things… I breathe in and know that good things will happen.”</li> </ol> <p>Tell us in the comments below, what quote do you live your life by?</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/09/is-it-ever-too-late-to-get-healthy/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Is it ever too late to get healthy?</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/08/break-out-of-your-comfort-zone-in-retirement/"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Why everyone should break out of their comfort zone in retirement</strong></span></em></a></p> <p><a href="/lifestyle/retirement-life/2016/07/yazemeenah-rossi-60-year-old-model/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Meet the 60-year-old model disrupting ageing</strong></em></span></a></p>

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