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Elle Macpherson reveals the reason for her divorce

Elle Macpherson has revealed how her controversial cancer treatment played a major part in her divorce from billionaire Jeffrey Soffer. The supermodel made the bombshell claim in her new memoir, Elle: Life, Lessons and Learning to Trust Yourself, sharing how she was still married to Soffer in 2017 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Macpherson <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/shockingly-irresponsible-elle-macpherson-slammed-for-holistic-cancer-treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refused chemotherapy</a> from 32 doctors, revealing that her decision took a toll on her marriage. “My diagnosis of breast cancer, followed by my final choice of Dr C’s holistic approach to recovery… was not one that Jeff could trust or feel at ease about,” she candidly wrote. “And really this process was the straw that broke the camel’s back… it opened up the floodgates and everything changed,” she emotionally added. “Our marriage was over and we both knew it.” Macpherson and Soffer split that year after four years of marriage. Earlier this year, Macpherson was widely slammed after revealing that she did not have chemotherapy after being diagnosed HER2-positive oestrogen receptive intraductal carcinoma: a type of breast cancer characterised by a higher level of a protein that can help breast cells multiply quickly. The 60-year-old said that her former husband wasn't the only one who didn't agree with her health choices, sharing that she didn't tell her family about her plans to forgo traditional treatment. “I didn’t tell my family in Oz, not even my parents,” she stated of her cancer diagnosis in her memoir. “I didn’t want to put them in a situation where they were worrying from afar and I knew that my choices were different from what they may have imagined was good for me.” “The hardest part was making the decision on how to heal,” she added. “The saddest part was the lack of understanding from people close to me.” Image credits: Billy Farrell/BFA/Shutterstock Editorial

Relationships

40 tonnes of butter recalled for absurd reason

Costco has recalled nearly 40 tonnes of butter for an absurd reason. America's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent out an initial recall for 36,000kg of Kirkland Signature butter in October because the label failed to mention that the kitchen staple contains milk. Packages for both the salted and unsalted version of the butter listed cream as an ingredient, but did not include an allergy warning for milk. The bizarre recall left many internet users scratching their heads, with many slamming the wasteful move stating the obvious: "It's butter". “Costco butter was just recalled, because the label doesn’t say that it contains milk. It’s butter. News articles are telling people how they can return, or safely dispose of, the butter. It’s butter,” one person deadpanned. “Can y’all please safely dispose of it at my house? I have a lot of holiday baking to do," another joked. “If you need to government to tell you that butter is a dairy product then … well, I can’t help you God I loathe the state," a third added. “To be called ‘Butter’ it must contain milk or milk derivatives. Talk about useless government,” another social media user wrote. “Rather than waste (40,000kg) of butter why don’t they print stickers that say “Contains Milk” and save perfectly good food? So wasteful,” a fifth wrote. The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention mentioned in the recall that milk is one of the main foods that “account for most serious allergic reactions in the United States”. The FDA did not say if there has been any illnesses or adverse reactions from the product. Image: The Image Party / Shutterstock.com

Legal

6 reasons why people enjoy horror movies

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shane-rogers-575838">Shane Rogers</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/coltan-scrivner-1475716">Coltan Scrivner</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arizona-state-university-730">Arizona State University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shannon-muir-2237282">Shannon Muir</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> The creeping shadows and haunting decorations transform the everyday into something eerie at Halloween. And you might be thinking about scaring yourself with a <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/">good horror movie</a>. Grotesque imagery, extreme violence, startling jump scares and menacing characters are common elements, making viewers feel fear, dread and disgust. We generally aim to avoid these <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1321053/full">negative emotions</a> in our everyday lives. So why would some people seek them out, and enjoy them, in horror movies? <h2>1. Fear can be thrilling</h2> There is lots of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763423002063">overlap</a> between the emotions of fear and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-53533-y">excitement</a>. In both, <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev.neuro.051508.135620">stress hormones</a> are released that can produce physical symptoms such as increased heart and breathing rates, sweating and muscle tension. People also feel <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-psychology-of-fear-2671696">more alert</a> and “on edge”. Research has <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02298/full">consistently shown</a> people with personalities that crave intense emotional experiences, including fear and excitement, tend to enjoy horror movies. But for more fearful people, the jump scares and violent scenes can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197535899.001.0001">too intense</a>. This can result in <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797620972116">coping behaviours</a> such as looking away or putting their hands over the ears, especially if they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000152">highly immersed</a> in the movie. Although, if they also happen to enjoy intense emotion, they may still enjoy the thrill of the ride. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/llpsjbNQIns?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Movie makers work hard to get these ‘jump scares’ just right. And viewers enjoy the thrill.</figcaption></figure> <h2>2. There’s a sense of relief</h2> People may enjoy horror movies because of a <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/7uh6f">sense of relief</a> after a <a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/ts-digest/issue/science-experiments-from-the-afterlife-24-14?utm_campaign=TS_TS%20Digest%202.0%20Promotion&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=329250194&utm_content=329250194&utm_source=hs_email#why-do-some-people-enjoy-horror-movies-72181">scary moment has passed</a>. Watching a horror movie can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster, with distinct <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811920300094">peaks and troughs</a> of fear and relief over the course of the film. For example, in the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1396484/">2017 movie It</a> the main protagonists survive a series of scary encounters with a demonic clown. The scary moments are separated by calmer scenes, prompting a rollercoaster of emotions. In the classic <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/">1975 movie Jaws</a>, viewers experience relief from the scary moments, only to be scared again and again. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yFXG5QQYOvg?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Jaws is a rollercoaster of emotions.</figcaption></figure> <h2>3. They satisfy our morbid curiosity</h2> Many horror movies feature supernatural themes and characters such as zombies, werewolves and vampires. So horror movies can help satiate a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886921005183">morbid curiosity</a>. The violence, death, destruction and grotesque elements can provide curious people a safe space to explore things that are not safe (or socially appropriate) in the real world. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZbdMMI6ty0o?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>Horror movies can help people satisfy their curiosity about death. But why are they curious in the first place?</figcaption></figure> <h2>4. We can work out our limits</h2> Horror movies can reflect our deepest fears and prompt introspection about our personal thresholds of fear and disgust. So some people may enjoy watching them to get a <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/sdxe6">better understanding</a> of their own limits. Watching horror might also be a way to push personal boundaries to potentially become <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/7uh6f">less fearful</a> or grossed out by things in real life. In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110397">study</a> one of us (Coltan) conducted, horror movie fans reported less psychological distress during the early months of the COVID pandemic compared with people not identifying as a horror movie fan. <h2>5. They can be social</h2> Some people say the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/ebs0000152">social aspect</a> of watching horror movies with others is a big part of their appeal. Watching with others might help some people feel safer. Alternatively, this might help <a href="https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/b8tgs">amplify</a> the emotional experience by <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223259">feeding off the emotions</a> of people around them. Horror movies are also a common pick as a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls023286138/">date night</a> movie. Being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.51.3.586">scared together</a> gives a good excuse to snuggle and take comfort in each other. <h2>6. They give us pleasure in other people’s misery</h2> Horror movies can provide the pleasurable emotion we feel when witnessing the misfortune of others, known as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/schadenfreude">schadenfreude</a>. This occurs most when we feel the person experiencing misfortune deserves it. In many horror movies the characters that suffer a gruesome fate are only side characters. Much of the time these unfortunate souls are made out to be unlikeable and often make foolish choices before their grisly end. For example, in the 1996 teen witch movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115963/">The Craft</a>, the character Chris Hooker is portrayed as being cruel to women. Then he dies by being blasted out of a window. Despite the grisly nature of horror movies, a <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2024-43893-001">study</a> by one of us (Coltan) found horror fans seem to have the same levels of empathy as anyone else. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZvLmyts6cEY?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>In The Craft, viewers enjoy witnessing the misfortune of others, particularly if the character is a ‘baddy’.</figcaption></figure> <h2>What do I make of all this?</h2> Horror movies allow us to confront our deepest fears through the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000354">safety of make-believe</a>. People enjoy them for lots of different reasons. And the precise combination of reasons differs depending on the specific movie, and the person or people watching it. What is certain though, is the <a href="https://www.the-numbers.com/market/genres">increasing popularity</a> of horror movies, with <a href="https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-horror-movies-of-all-time/">many</a> to choose from.<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/241480/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shane-rogers-575838">Shane Rogers</a>, Lecturer in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/coltan-scrivner-1475716">Coltan Scrivner</a>, Behavioral Scientist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/arizona-state-university-730">Arizona State University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shannon-muir-2237282">Shannon Muir</a>, Lecturer in psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan 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/6-reasons-why-people-enjoy-horror-movies-241480">original article</a>. </div>

Movies

Five reasons why owning a pet is good for us

With more pets than people, Australians have one of the world’s highest pet ownership rates with 62% of us owning at least one pet. And if you’re wondering why we’re so pet mad, research has shown the benefits include companionship, improved mental wellbeing, lower stress and better heart health. <ol> <li>Pets protect us from loneliness</li> </ol> We see our pet as part of the family. Their unconditional (and non-judgemental) love provides us companionship and help to lower stress and anxiety. Interacting with your pet increases feelings of social support and elevates mood. Dog walking increases opportunities for social interaction. When walking outside, fellow dog walkers love to say hello and introduce themselves and their dog to you. Some cafes and restaurants and hotels are dog-friendly venues too. When travelling alone, it’s wonderful to be able to take your furry companion with you. <ol start="2"> <li>Pets are good for our mental and physical well-being</li> </ol> Pet ownership brings responsibility and the need for skills to know how to best take care of them. These skills will extend to other animals, and other people. Children who have pets develop better social skills when interacting with their friends. Dog owners enjoy lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and less heart disease. While owning a dog is not fully protective, the benefit of all those dog walks are they keep you fitter, healthier and less stressed. If you are unlucky enough to have a heart attack, your long-term survival rate is assisted by having a dog. While interacting with a pet for 10-12 minutes will lower your blood pressure. One of the joys of owning a pet, is the pleasure they provide, and the feeling is mutual. Gazing into the eyes of your beloved pooch, boosts levels of oxytocin our bonding molecule. Our long-standing human-dog relationship was established over 30,000 years ago. Patting or stroking our pets is soothing, especially their silky ears. This is relaxing and how delightful is it when your pet reciprocates with loud purring or offers their tummy for a rub? <ol start="3"> <li>Pets are good for our immune system</li> </ol> You’ve probably heard about your gut microbiome that’s important to keep you healthy. Being a pet owner provides you a healthier microbiome and more robust immune system by promoting more of the beneficial bacteria and lowering the level of harmful, or pathogenic bacteria in our gut. Not only that, stroking your pet raises levels of immunoglobulin A in your body that forms a physical barrier in the gut to protect you against potential invading pathogens. In addition, pregnant mums with a pet in the household are less likely to have infants with childhood allergies, asthma or obesity. <ol start="4"> <li>Pets help us cope better with pain and recovery from illness</li> </ol> Owning a pet has been shown to help manage chronic pain. Pets often sense when their owner isn’t well or in pain and will stay close by, which is very soothing. Watching our pets play and their antics can serve as a useful distraction to our struggles with pain or illness. Having your pet with you (when allowed) in a hospital setting is reassuring and can lift your mood. Animals can help in the work or learning environment. Some workplaces have an office pet policy where you’re allowed to have you pet stay with you while you work. This has been shown to be great for boosting staff morale, collaboration and overall happiness, while keeping work stress lower. <ol start="5"> <li>Pets help us better manage our own self-care</li> </ol> Self-care is always important to stay fit and healthy but isn’t something we always find easy to do. This is where taking responsibility for a pet can help. Teenagers with type one diabetes when given goldfish to care for, did better in monitoring their own blood sugar levels, while having a pet have also been shown to help younger students stay focused and on task, and achieve higher academic results. Pets enrich our lives in so many ways from improved mental well-being to lower stress, elevated mood and greater social support. Whatever type of pet you choose, remember the benefits will work both ways. Dr Jenny Brockis is a board-certified lifestyle medicine physician, workplace health and well-being consultant, and author of The Natural Advantage (Major Street Publishing). www.drjennybrockis.com Image credits: Shutterstock <p style="margin: 0px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; font-family: Helvetica; font-size-adjust: none; font-kerning: auto; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variant-emoji: normal; font-feature-settings: normal; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-variation-settings: normal; min-height: 14px;">

Family & Pets

Incredible reason behind Aussie woman's 5,500km outback ride

Sarah Wheeler has been travelling through the New South Wales outback for the last four and a half months, doing it entirely on horseback. The 26-year-old Aussie plans to ride 5,500 kilometres through outback Queensland and New South Wales to raise awareness about the rare cancer that killed her mum in 2022, a little over a decade after her father passed away. With around four months left on her trip, Wheeler and her two horses, Shifty and Sally, are slowly trekking across some of the most remote and rugged parts of the country in a trip that has never been done before. "I'd always thought about doing something like this throughout my life," Wheeler told Yahoo News. "So after my parents died, I went out and bought two horses and, yeah, set off on a five-and-a-half-thousand-kilometre horse ride to honour and remember, and grieve." Wheeler set off with her horses from her hometown Rowena in western NSW in May, and has since travelled across long stretches of highways, desolate plains and rocky terrain and has now passed the halfway mark. She explained that in recent weeks she has also been trekking on foot and has contact with other people only when she stops in towns for supplies or when she feeds her horses, using a support vehicle. "The car travels 10 kilometres at a time so that I can keep replenishing my horses, with both food and water. Ten kilometres takes me two hours, sometimes a bit longer, and I'm usually in the saddle for six to eight hours a day," she told the publication. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C89KIgsxb_A/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C89KIgsxb_A/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sarah Wheeler - The Outback Long Ride (@_beneaththebrim)</a> </div> </blockquote> "The most challenging thing has probably been the saddles and saddle pads and cleanliness — that's all so important. I have to wash my saddle blankets every second day. Otherwise, things just start happening, like fungus type of stuff." She added that while "this has been one of the hardest things I have ever done", the friendliness and support of locals has been a highlight of her trip. "Everyone's so lovely and inviting and, yeah, I just I didn't think that I was going to see that to this extent," she said. "People want to invite me in and feed me, they just want to help me as much as they can." Remembering her late parents' legacy, Wheeler said she wants everyone to know just how "remarkable" they both were. "They were like everything this world needed and more," she said. "They were very kind and genuine and humble." Wheeler's ride is raising awareness and funds for two key charities: <a href="https://pancare-gi-cancer.raisely.com/sarah-wheeler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pancare Foundation</a>, the lead organisation supporting families and funding research for upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, which claimed the life of her mother, and A Daughter’s Way, her own charity supporting rural families experiencing grief. Images: Instagram

Domestic Travel

Outrage as Paralympian gets disqualified for "unfair" reason

Elena Congost, had just finished the T12/B2 run in third place, but was disqualified and had the bronze medal taken from her, for this one simple move. The 36-year-old was running in the vision-impaired category with guide Mia Carol Bruguera. When her guide faltered with a cramp in the final metres before the finish line, Congost instinctively helped him from falling over and let go of the rope that binds them together. This is not allowed within Paralympic rules as all runners must be connected to their guide via a tether. As a result, Japan’s Misato Michishita was elevated to the bronze medal after finishing fourth. In a heartbreaking interview after the race, a devastated Congost said: “It’s unfair, surreal.” “The next athlete was three minutes behind me. It was just a reflex action that any human being would have done – holding on to someone who is falling.” “But that doesn’t mean that there is any kind of benefit or help. In fact, it is clear that I stop dead. “I can’t find any explanation for this. It’s sad because, in addition, I had just been without a scholarship. And I’m not going to get one now. They will leave me out of everything again when I have shown everything I can do. “I have not been disqualified for cheating, but for being a person, for helping someone.” In a separate interview with Spanish outlet Marca, she said that despite being disqualified, she is proud of her actions. “I would like everyone to know that I have not been disqualified for cheating, but rather I have been disqualified for being a person and for an instinct that comes to you when someone is falling and is to help or support them,” she said. “I’m devastated, to be honest, because I had the medal. I’m super proud of everything I’ve done and in the end they disqualify me because 10 metres from the finish line I let go of the rope for a second because a person next to me fell face first to the ground and I grabbed the rope again and we crossed the finish line. “The next athlete is three minutes away from me, so it was a reflex action of any human being to hold on to a person who is falling next to you.” Fans around the world were outraged at the disqualification verdict and have called for officials to overturn it. “Shame on you. Give the medal back to Elena Congost,” one fan wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Where is the Olympic spirit? Elena Congost was disqualified after running 42km and helping her guide not to fall to the ground. She has lost the bronze medal and her sports scholarship. Disgusting," another wrote. "Give the medal to Elena Congost. This decision ruins the paralympics. How can you be called inclusive if you can’t help a person from falling?” a third added. Image: X

Caring

"No show": Wild reason couple denied refund on flights scheduled during Covid

A Melbourne couple, who had booked flights with Qantas during the state's fifth lockdown, were left furious after they were told they were ineligible for a refund because they were a "no show". Kieran McGregor told news.com.au that he and his partner had originally booked the flights to Darwin for July 18, 2021 through travel giant Expedia. When the number of Covid cases started rising, he moved the flights forward to fly out on the 16th of July, hoping that they would be able to get out before another lockdown, but the day before their flight, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced the state's fifth lockdown. Three years later, McGregor was still stuck between trying to get the refund from Expedia, who said Qantas had the money, and Qantas, who said the travel agent had it. Last year, McGregor contacted Expedia on their X account to try to resolve the issue, but the company said: “We just got off the phone with the airline, and as per advised, the ticket shows suspended on their end due to a no show." “Your ticket is no (sic) eligible for a refund, and has no value as per the airline. We apologize for the inconvenience.” He was "incredulous" when he received the message. “How could I fly if the state of Victoria was in lockdown and I couldn’t move more than 5km from the house?” he told news.com.au. When he contacted Qantas, the airline claimed “the funds will still remain with the agency that you’ve booked with” and to contact them directly for a refund. McGregor told news.com.au the ordeal was “utterly disgraceful” and that he was unaware if the flight went ahead or not. The publication reportedly contacted Expedia and Qantas and on Tuesday morning they finally said that a refund would be issued, but McGregor said he was yet to be contacted. “For flight bookings at Expedia, we generally follow the policies of our travel partners, so any refund is determined by the airline,” an Expedia spokeswoman said. “We have looked into this case with Qantas, and we will be contacting the traveller to process the refund.” While a Qantas spokesman said: “We apologise for the extended delay in resolving this issue and are processing a full refund for their bookings.” It is unclear which company held McGregor's funds, which was reported to be around $2,500. Adam Glezer from Consumer Champion told news.com.au that McGregor came to him recently when he felt he had nowhere else to turn. He said that these situations were quite common. “What Kieran has gone through with Expedia and Qantas is extremely common where the third party says the airline has the money and the airline says the third party has the money. I call it the blame game and there’s only one loser out of it and that’s the customer," he said. “Transparency in these situations is of utmost importance and unfortunately it just doesn’t exist.” Images: news.com.au/ DLeng / Shutterstock.com

Travel Trouble

Flu shots play an important role in protecting against bird flu. But not for the reason you might think

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/allen-cheng-94997">Allen Cheng</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> A current strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, has become a global problem. The virus has affected <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/data-map-commercial.html">many millions</a> of birds, some other <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/mammals.html">animal species</a>, and a <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/influenza/avian-and-other-zoonotic-influenza/joint-fao-oie-who-preliminary-risk-assessment-associated-with-avian-influenza-a(h5n1)-virus.pdf?sfvrsn=faa6e47e_28&download=true">small number of people</a>. Last week, the Australian government <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australians-issued-new-health-risks-travel-warning-for-europe-asia-and-the-americas/gmh1hk9py">issued a warning</a> to residents travelling to Europe, North America, South America and Asia about the risk of bird flu. The alert, published on the <a href="https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/news-and-updates/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-outbreak">Smartraveller website</a>, included advice to ensure your flu vaccine is up to date. If you are about to go travelling, this generally means if you’ve had a flu jab this year, although if it has been 3–6 months since your vaccine you should discuss this with your doctor. But the seasonal flu vaccine we get each year doesn’t actually prevent bird flu in humans. So why is it being recommended in this context? <h2>Some bird flu background</h2> Smartraveller notes <a href="https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/news-and-updates/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-outbreak">several strains</a> of bird flu are currently circulating. The most concerning strain, called the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38415-7">2.3.4.4b clade</a>, emerged a few years ago from a type of influenza A (H5, or A/H5) that has been circulating for several decades. Clade 2.3.4.4b primarily affects birds, including wild birds and poultry. It has had <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk-poultry-can-roam-free-outside-again-but-bird-flu-risk-hasnt-gone-away-203361">devastating effects</a> on bird populations, as well as farmers and others involved in the poultry industry. In recent years, clade 2.3.4.4b has adapted to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44298-024-00039-z">infect some mammals</a>. Unfortunately it seems to cause severe disease in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11083745/">certain animals</a>. Some marine mammals have been hit particularly hard, with mass mortality events <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/08/mass-deaths-elephant-seals-penguins-bird-flu-antarctic-ecological-disaster-aoe">reported</a> in elephant seals and sea lions. In the United States, bird flu has also spread <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/mammals.html">among dairy cows</a>. Compared to the huge number of animal cases, there have been a relatively small number of <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/joint-fao-who-woah-preliminary-assessment-of-recent-influenza-a(h5n1)-viruses">humans infected with bird flu</a>. Since 2003, <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/cumulative-number-of-confirmed-human-cases-for-avian-influenza-a(h5n1)-reported-to-who--2003-2023--3-october-2023">878 cases</a> of A/H5N1 influenza have been reported in humans, with a small proportion of these reported since 2020 when <a href="https://www.outbreak.gov.au/emerging-risks/high-pathogenicity-avian-influenza">clade 2.3.4.4b first emerged</a>. The reported cases have been people who have had close contact with infected animals. It does not appear to spread from person to person. As such, the <a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/infectious-disease-topics/z-disease-list/avian-influenza/threats-and-outbreaks/risk-assessment-h5">risk to travellers is low</a>. There are some situations where the risk may be greater, such as for people visiting live markets, or those who are travelling specifically to work with wildlife or animals in food production. <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/joint-fao-who-woah-preliminary-assessment-of-recent-influenza-a(h5n1)-viruses">Infections in humans</a> with H5 influenza can vary significantly in severity, from mild conjunctivitis up to fatal pneumonia. H5 influenza strains appear to be <a href="https://asm.org/articles/2024/june/what-you-should-know-about-avian-influenza-a-h5n1">sensitive to antivirals</a> (oseltamivir, also known as Tamiflu) and they are generally <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/hcp/novel-av-treatment-guidance/">recommended</a> as treatment for human infection, but it’s <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01307-2/fulltext">not clear</a> whether they reduce the risk of death in those with severe disease. To date, one case of A/H5 influenza (not 2.3.4.4b) has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-22/bird-flu-avian-influenza-human-detection/103879886">reported in Australia</a>, in a child who had recently returned from overseas. While <a href="https://www.fao.org/animal-health/situation-updates/global-aiv-with-zoonotic-potential/en">clade 2.3.4.4b has been detected</a> in all continents <a href="https://www.outbreak.gov.au/emerging-risks/high-pathogenicity-avian-influenza">except Australia</a>, other avian influenza strains (A/H7) <a href="https://www.outbreak.gov.au/current-outbreaks/avian-influenza">have been reported here</a> earlier this year. <h2>Seasonal flu vaccines are not effective against bird flu</h2> Seasonal influenza refers to the flu strains that circulate each year. Since the COVID pandemic, three different strains have circulated in various proportions – influenza A H1N1 (descended from the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08182">2009 swine flu strain</a>), influenza A H3N2 (which has <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6149781/">circulated since 1968</a>) and an influenza B strain. Interestingly, a second influenza B strain (the Yamagata lineage) <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2314801">appears to have vanished</a> during the COVID pandemic. Seasonal influenza vaccines contain up-to-date variants of these types (A/H1N1, A/H3N2 and B) that are recommended by the World Health Organization each year. They are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5912669/">moderately effective</a>, reducing the risk of hospitalisation by about 40–60%. Influenza vaccines are quite specific in the protection that they provide. For seasonal vaccines, even the very small changes that occur in the virus from year to year are enough to allow them to “escape” vaccine-induced immunity. Therefore seasonal flu vaccines <a href="https://www.cdc.gov.au/topics/avian-influenza-bird-flu">do not provide any protection</a> against A/H5 influenza. <h2>Preventing a hybrid bird-human strain</h2> The rationale for recommending travellers have a flu shot in the context of the current bird flu outbreak is that seasonal flu vaccines may help reduce the risk of simultaneous infection with both A/H5 and a seasonal influenza strain. When this occurs, there is potential for a “recombination” of the genetic code from both viral strains. This could have the transmissibility of a seasonal human virus with the severity of an avian influenza virus. The 2009 swine flu strain <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra0904322">arose from the recombination</a> of several strains over years to become more transmissible in humans. Obviously a more effective vaccine would include a H5 strain, to generate immune responses specific to the H5 flu strain. Vaccine manufacturers have <a href="https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/celldemic">developed H5 vaccines</a> over the years, but to date <a href="https://thl.fi/en/-/avian-influenza-vaccinations-begin-vaccine-to-be-offered-to-persons-at-increased-risk-of-infection">only Finland</a> has deployed a H5 vaccine in a small group of people who work closely with potentially infected animals. Currently the <a href="https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/infectious-disease-topics/z-disease-list/avian-influenza/threats-and-outbreaks/risk-assessment-h5">level of risk</a> posed by H5 to humans is not thought to be sufficient to require a specific vaccine program, as the potential benefits are small compared to the costs and the potential risks associated with any new vaccine program. <h2>The value of a flu shot for travellers</h2> Seasonal flu vaccines protect against influenza infection, and may also reduce the risk of simultaneous infection with human and bird flu strains. Bird flu aside, for most travellers who haven’t received a flu shot this year, reducing the risk of illness disrupting travel plans should be enough of a reason to get one. For those who have already received a flu shot this season, similar to COVID jabs, protection after vaccination appears to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8499703/">wane over time</a>. So if you’re travelling to the northern hemisphere during the winter months, and it’s been more than 3–6 months since you received a flu vaccine, your doctor may recommend you have another. Bird flu is only a small risk to most travellers, but people may want to take sensible precautions, such as avoiding close contact with birds at markets.<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/237859/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/flu-shots-play-an-important-role-in-protecting-against-bird-flu-but-not-for-the-reason-you-might-think-237859">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Why aren’t the Olympics and Paralympics combined into one Games? The reasoning goes beyond logistics

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-misener-992664">Laura Misener</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-university-882">Western University</a> As the lights go out on an outstanding Olympic Games in Paris, with <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/press-release/7-in-10-canadians-tune-in-for-paris-2024">record-breaking media attention</a> and <a href="https://olympic.ca/press/paris-2024-team-canada-brings-home-historic-medal-haul/">excellent medal results for Team Canada</a>, it’s important to remember the Games aren’t over — it’s just the halfway mark. While the closing ceremonies on Aug. 11 seemed like the end of the event with the <a href="https://www.ctvnews.ca/sports/as-the-olympic-flame-heads-for-los-angeles-what-can-we-expect-from-the-2028-games-1.6997247">official handover to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games</a>, the 2024 Games are really just on pause. This two-week break between Olympic and Paralympic Games isn’t a respite at all. Paris is now getting ready to host the Paralympic Games, which will <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/information/competition-schedule-for-the-paralympic-games">begin on Aug. 28 with the opening ceremony</a>. In two weeks, a whole new set of elite international athletes will descend on Paris for the <a href="https://olympics.com/en/sports/paralympic/">third largest sporting event</a> in the world. Canada will be sending <a href="https://paralympic.ca/news/team-of-126-canadian-athletes-set-to-compete-at-paris-2024-paralympic-games/">126 athletes to the Paris Paralympics</a> to compete in 18 sports. Staff will be working hard to set up venues for the Paralympic sports. This means tearing down some temporary venues and putting up others that facilitate accessibility for Paralympic sports, athletes and their entourage. Transforming <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/the-games/village">the village</a>, which housed just over 14,000 athletes and team personnel for the Olympics, to get it ready for the 8,000 para athletes and staff for the Paralympic Games is no simple feat. <h2>A logistical nightmare</h2> At this juncture, the question often arises as to why the Olympics and Paralympics aren’t combined together into one Games. The reasoning behind the decision is more complicated than it might appear. In 2001, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee signed the <a href="https://www.paralympic.org/feature/2-historic-one-bid-one-city-agreement">One Bid, One City</a> agreement to protect the interests of the Paralympic Games. The agreement requires host cities to stage both the Olympic and Paralympic Games using the same venues, facilities and infrastructure. This also unites the two sporting movements. The sheer size of such an event would make it impossible for almost any city to host a single combined Olympic and Paralympic Games. Consider the logistics of an event that would include approximately 15,000 athletes over 50 sporting disciplines. In the current iteration, there are already 15 cities outside of Paris playing host to events. For instance, sailing was <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/venues/marseille-marina">held in Marseille</a>, shooting was <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/venues/chateauroux-shooting-centre">held in Châteauroux</a> and the rowing and canoe-kayak events were <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/venues/vaires-sur-marne-nautical-stadium">held in Vaires-sur-Marne</a>. Even a city with the resources and infrastructure of Paris could not, and would not, host an event of that size. Combining the games would necessitate a change in structure, and inevitably sports — likely Paralympic sports — would be dropped. Hence the two-week break between Games. <h2>Paralympics deserve their own spotlight</h2> The discussion about the separation of the two events goes much deeper than logistical concerns. Some supporters of the Paralympic Games see the need and value for a <a href="https://time.com/7004176/olympic-paralympic-games-separate/">separate event</a> that showcases and highlights elite athletes with disabilities. IPC President Andrew Parsons, for example, argues that hosting the Paralympic Games separately <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1147694/merging-olympic-and-paralympic-games">focuses on their broader mission</a> of drawing attention to “issues of disability rights, accessibility, and broader areas of inclusion for the legacy of the event.” The distinct Paralympic event showcases the elite performances of Para athletes, giving them the attention and celebration deserved. All too often, Para athletes’ successes are overshadowed by the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795221103410">tendency of media to prioritize non-disabled athletes</a>, often marginalizing or overlooking the achievements of athletes with disabilities. The challenge, then, is for the host city to maintain the momentum from the Olympics and ensure Paralympic athletes receive the recognition they deserve for their sporting successes. The Canadian Paralympic Committee launched their <a href="https://paralympic.ca/games/paris-2024/">Greatness Moves Us</a> campaign recently to highlight the stories of excellence of Paralympic athletes and galvanize support and viewership. <h2>A lasting legacy</h2> Ultimately, the Paralympic Games showcase elite sporting excellence in a way that no other event does. But the Games are about so much more — championing inclusion, disability rights and a lasting legacy of social change. Paris is an example of a city that has stepped up to the challenge. It put <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/06/travel/paris-olympics-accessibility-disabled.html">accessibility at the centre of its bid</a>, knowing full well the challenge ahead of them in the historic city. Leading into the Games, the city has made good on <a href="https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1147595/paris-accessibility-paralympics-games">many promises around accessibility</a> and increasing opportunities for people with disabilities. The city upgraded the overground transportation network by adding fully accessible bus and tram lines, and introduced 1,000 accessible taxis. They also tackled some challenging tasks, such as upgrading historic venues into accessible sporting spaces. More than €10 million was allocated to improve the accessibility of six major sports facilities, including the <a href="https://www.paris.fr/en/pages/georges-vallerey-swimming-pool-reopens-after-renovation-work-27046">Georges Vallerey swimming pool</a> and the <a href="https://www.paris.fr/en/pages/the-pierre-de-coubertin-stadium-has-been-renovated-for-the-olympic-games-27211">Pierre de Coubertin stadium</a>. The aim is to sustain the momentum, not only between the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but long after they conclude, with the goal of creating a more <a href="https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/our-commitments/promoting-the-role-of-sports/more-inclusive-society">inclusive society</a> in France. Leading up to the start of the Paralympics, there is some concern about whether the momentum will be there from a viewership perspective and spectators in the stands. The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games set records for viewership in a Games that was largely devoid of spectators in the stand due to the COVID-19 pandemic. American <a href="https://www.wkar.org/wkar-news/2022-01-17/opinion-sports-are-a-shared-human-experience-bringing-us-joy-and-drama-so-it-is-time-to-appreciate-the-paralympics-on-par-with-the-olympics">television network NBC</a> reported 15.5 million viewers per night for the 2020 Olympic Games, in contrast to 14 million viewers in total for the 2020 Paralympic Games. But many of us will be looking more at the momentum of the event to be a catalyst for inclusion, access and opportunity beyond the events. Once all the lights go out on the Games, it is the lasting legacy of social change that will be the ultimate judge of the success of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.<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/236670/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-misener-992664">Laura Misener</a>, Professor & Director, School of Kinesiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-university-882">Western University</a> Image credits: ALI HAIDER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial 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/why-arent-the-olympics-and-paralympics-combined-into-one-games-the-reasoning-goes-beyond-logistics-236670">original article</a>. </div>

International Travel

All the reasons a cup of coffee really can be good for you

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-stebbing-1405462">Justin Stebbing</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a> Consuming too much caffeine is definitely bad for your health, and there may be good reasons why some people want to <a href="https://theconversation.com/caffeine-heres-how-quitting-can-benefit-your-health-220746">quit it altogether</a>. But if you despair at the idea of giving up your morning coffee, fear not. There’s lots of research out there to show that moderate coffee intake is linked with all sorts of benefits. As well as well-known pluses improving heart health, a daily cup of coffee even seems to be good for your brain and may help prevent mental illness. For a start, coffee contains several essential nutrients beneficial to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37764216/">overall health</a>. A typical eight-ounce cup of coffee provides small amounts of B <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8073624/">vitamins</a> – riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamine and niacin – as well as minerals <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25415479/">potassium, manganese, and magnesium</a>. The nutrients in coffee can contribute significantly to daily intake when multiple cups are consumed. It’s also rich in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36361861/">antioxidants</a>. In fact, many people – especially in the west – will probably get more antioxidants from coffee than from fruit and vegetables. So what does drinking coffee actually mean for the body? One of the most <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK209050/">well-known</a> potential benefits of coffee is its ability to <a href="https://theconversation.com/nope-coffee-wont-give-you-extra-energy-itll-just-borrow-a-bit-that-youll-pay-for-later-197897">boost energy levels</a> and improve mental <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5608989/">alertness</a>, especially first thing in the morning or during an afternoon slump. This is primarily due to caffeine, a natural stimulant found in coffee, which blocks the brain’s <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Adenosine.aspx#:%7E:text=In%20the%20brain%20adenosine%20is,the%20brain%20rise%20each%20hour.">inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine</a>, which promotes sleep and suppresses arousal. This leads to increased neuronal firing and the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1356551/">release</a> of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4462609/">neurotransmitters</a> like <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/">dopamine</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537259/">norepinephrine</a>, which enhance mood, reaction time and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8202818/">cognitive function</a>. However, sometimes it’s difficult to work out cause and effect here. People drink coffee at work, for example, and in social settings with friends so research has to tease out the effects of the coffee and those of the social aspect of sharing time with friends and colleagues. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I9xzgV7z1Bg?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Chronic diseases</h2> In the long term, moderate coffee consumption can help reduce your risk of developing a host of chronic diseases. 1. Cardiovascular diseases Moderate coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10262944/">heart disease and stroke</a>. Studies indicate that drinking one to two cups of coffee daily may lower the risk of heart failure. Additionally, <a href="https://www.acc.org/About-ACC/Press-Releases/2022/03/23/17/55/Good-News-for-Coffee-Lovers-Daily-Coffee-May-Benefit-the-Heart">coffee consumption</a> has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular mortality and disease. Interestingly, even when someone has abnormal heart rhythms, <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/03/01/can-people-with-an-irregular-heartbeat-drink-coffee">coffee is not harmful</a> according to <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2204737">recent</a> data. 2. Type 2 diabetes Coffee may enhance the body’s ability to process glucose, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0939475321002374">reducing the risk</a> of developing type 2 diabetes. Research has shown that people who consume more coffee have a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/coffee-s-effect-diabetes">lower likelihood</a> of developing this condition. 3. Liver diseases Coffee seems to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5440772/">help protect</a> the liver appears to have protective. Both regular and decaffeinated coffee have been associated with healthier liver enzyme levels, and coffee drinkers have a <a href="https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/coffee-report/">significantly lower risk</a> of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. 4. Cancer Coffee consumption has been linked to a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9916720/">reduced risk</a> of several other types of cancer, including colorectal and womb cancers. A systematic review found that high coffee consumption is associated with an 18% lower risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5696634/">cancer</a>. 5. Neurodegenerative diseases <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7773776/">Caffeine</a> is associated with a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7353179/">lower risk</a> of developing Parkinson’s disease and may help those with the condition manage their movements better. Additionally, coffee consumption may reduce the risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5690364/">Alzheimer’s disease</a> and other forms of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7478584/">dementia</a>. <h2>Mental health</h2> As if the physical benefits aren’t enough, coffee has also been shown to have <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/news/20230915/moderate-coffee-intake-lowers-risk-of-anxiety--depression">positive</a> effects on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8467199/">mental health</a>. Studies suggest that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of depression, with some findings indicating a 20% reduced risk of becoming depressed. What’s more, coffee consumption has been associated with a decreased risk of suicide. Research has found that people who drink four or more cups a day are 53% less likely to commit <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23819683/">suicide</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/62wEk02YKs0?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Lifespan</h2> With all these benefits, it’s not surprising that <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2686145">research suggests</a> that coffee drinkers tend to live longer than non-drinkers. A large study involving over 400,000 people found that coffee consumption over a period of 12 to 13 years was linked to a lower risk of death – with the strongest effect observed at four to five cups per day. This longevity <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1112010">benefit</a> could be due to the cumulative effects of coffee’s protective properties against various diseases. <h2>Moderation required</h2> While coffee offers numerous <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5696634/">health benefits</a>, it is essential to consume it in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5696634/">moderation</a>. It’s also advisable to limit added sugars and creams to avoid unnecessary calorie intake. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-side-effects">Excessive caffeine</a> intake can lead to negative side effects such as jitteriness, anxiety and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6292246/">sleep disturbances</a>. Some people who are especially sensitive to caffeine may need to limit their coffee intake or avoid it altogether, as even decaffeinated coffee <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-decaf">contains caffeine</a>. As with any dietary component, balance is key. By understanding the potential benefits and limitations of coffee, people can make informed decisions about incorporating it into their daily routine. I, for one, will be sticking to my morning cup.<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/236852/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-stebbing-1405462">Justin Stebbing</a>, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin 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/all-the-reasons-a-cup-of-coffee-really-can-be-good-for-you-236852">original article</a>. </div>

Body

Sweet reason why Olympian ditched Closing Ceremony

Aussie medallist Matthew Denny has explained the sweet reason why he missed the Paris 2024 closing ceremony after winning a bronze medal in the men's discus throw event. The athlete spoke with Today Extra and explained the romantic reason why he missed the special event. "I feel bad, but I didn't end up going to the Closing; I decided [my wife] Mia was going to be by herself, and I need to give back some time to her because ... it's been a pretty brutal 12 months for her," he said. "So I thought it was really important that we had a nice dinner, and we obviously watched the Closing Ceremony, but I just wanted to give her some time." After flying back from Paris to Australia, the athlete said that he had a training session to attend so that he can "finish the year off strong." Denny won third place in the men's discuss throw event, throwing for 69.31 metres on his second attempt of the final. "I'm just thankful that people always back me. To those who didn't think I was going to do it... eat it!" he said to Wide World of Sports following his win. "It's something I'm so proud of, what I do, I get to live an amazing life. I have a great family and support team. "Before I went into this competition, I watched back the Qantas ad we did. I just want to see those people again before I went in here. "I know that's who I'm doing it for. So... yeah, thank you to you guys for supporting me." Despite his win, the athlete is aiming for gold as he hopes to compete again in the Brisbane Olympics. "I can't not be proud of my performance, but the inner critic wants more, and I know there's more there," he said. "To get a medal is amazing but the critic is still there in me. We'll go again. My goal is to get to Brisbane in 2032." Image: Xinhua News Agency/ Shutterstock Editorial

International Travel

Woman banned for life from airline for bizarre reason

A woman has recalled the moment she was told by a major airline that she has been placed on the no-fly list for a very strange reason. Erin Wright, a 24-year-old from the US, was travelling to her sister's bachelorette party in New Mexico and was preparing to board her flight from New Orleans with American Airlines. When she kept running into errors online as she tried to check into the flight, she headed to the airport to sort out the issue, only to be told she was allegedly banned from the airline for life for “having sexual relations with a man on a flight while intoxicated”. The ban came as a shock for one key reason. “I am a 24-year-old lesbian. You see me. Am I having sexual relations with any man? No,” Erin laughed in her now viral TikTok. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7400894263237610794&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40erin_wright_%2Fvideo%2F7400894263237610794%3Fembed_source%3D121374463%252C121451205%252C121439635%252C121433650%252C121404359%252C121351166%252C121331973%252C120811592%252C120810756%253Bnull%253Bembed_name%26refer%3Dembed%26referer_url%3Dwww.news.com.au%252Ftravel%252Ftravel-updates%252Fincidents%252Fwomans-shock-after-she-was-banned-or-life-by-airline%252Fnews-story%252F98c05daffea9ff538dd05bbbbaca556b%26referer_video_id%3D7401685057980681514&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2FoYgBZAELUrpiZizB94QiB6qSIPFE1CosQNYUi%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26nonce%3D34496%26refresh_token%3D518d47d36cd3175f1d18f1fd75262373%26x-expires%3D1723770000%26x-signature%3DPnErCHWVNghfrjSQPdFIU5OLZu4%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> She said the gate staff couldn’t tell her why she was black-listed and it wasn’t until three weeks later the reason was revealed after several back and forth emails. “I got to the airport an hour and a half early, I went to the kiosk and asked them to check me in and they were really nice,” Erin explained in the clip that's amassed 2.6 million views. The airport staff then spent the next 10 minutes on the phone to try and work out the problem, while Erin was “freaking out” that she was going to miss her flight. “She gets off the phone and looks nervous. She said ‘ma’am I am really sorry to tell you this but you have actually been banned from flying American Airlines’,” Erin claimed. A confused Erin demanded to know the reason but the employee couldn’t disclose the information saying it was an issue of “internal security”, recalling in her video, “I was like, ‘what?’ because I’ve never done anything. ‘What did I get banned for, can you tell me?’” “I realised I am going to miss my [United Airlines] flight and luckily I booked another $1,000 round trip flight to New Orleans [with a different airline].” A few weeks after her trip and after several emails to the airline, they revealed that the reason she was banned, as Erin said, “I get an email from cooperate security telling me I am banned because I had sexual relations with a man on a flight while intoxicated.” “It took 12 days and many emails from me between when I contacted customer relations to when I actually got an email back.” She remained on the no-fly list and had to file an official appeal, as advised by corporate security. “I email them a very serious email, but also somewhat funny, because in it I am like ‘I don’t really know how to prove it wasn’t me except for the fact that I am literally a lesbian’," she said. “I can like get you letters from other people telling you that that’s the truth.” After three months, Erin said she was refunded the money for her flight and was taken off the no-fly list. In a follow up video, Erin said it has been a “super upsetting experience” adding she wasn’t compensated for the extra flight she had to book “because of their error”. Image credits: TikTok / Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

The real reason Dave Hughes' radio show was axed

An insider has revealed the real reason behind the sudden <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/beloved-breakfast-radio-show-pulled-off-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">axing</a> of 2Day FM's Hughesy, Ed and Erin breakfast show, just hours after it was announced that the show was being pulled off the air. After three years on air, it was announced on Wednesday night that the show had come to an immediate end. The breakfast hosts Dave Hughes, Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan shared a statement announcing their departure. "We've loved our time together on 2DayFM Breakfast, however, due to some of our families living in different cities we are unable to commit to 2025, so with a heavy heart we are moving aside so 2DayFM can find the team to take them forward in Breakfast," the co-hosts said. "We are so grateful to Sydney for their support, and to double the number of listeners in three years is something we are immensely proud of, and we will miss each and every one of them." The axing seemingly came out of nowhere, with many wondering what prompted the sudden change. Now, <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/radio/real-reason-dave-hughes-2day-fm-radio-show-was-axed/news-story/bb01355dbb3ce0e3a39eb8ae5d4930b1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a> claims that 2Day FM bosses had long been pressuring Hughesy to move to Sydney full time. For years, the popular comedian had been commuting to Sydney from Melbourne, where his wife and kids are based. Both Hughesy and his family had grown tired of the commute, and as a result, Hughesy informed executives at Southern Cross Austereo (the network that owns 2Day FM) that he wouldn’t be relocating to Sydney permanently, and therefore could not commit to another year on the breakfast show. On top of the commuting issues, the popular radio show had a shocker in the latest round of radio ratings which were released last month. The trio recorded just a 3.6 per cent audience share, a long way behind Sydney’s FM market leaders Kyle and Jackie O (14.1 cent) and Jonesy and Amanda (8.1 per cent). News.com.au understands that Dave Cameron, Southern Cross Austereo’s Chief Content Officer, finally decided to bite the bullet and called a snap meeting with the breakfast hosts after Wednesday morning’s show to inform them the show would be cancelled. The trio were told they could return for one final show on Thursday to say goodbye, but ultimately the hosts decided against it. Image credits: 2Day FM / Instagram

Music

Real reason why Paul Burt was sacked

A senior source from Channel Seven has revealed the real reason why Paul Burt was sacked, just days after he <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/axed-weatherman-s-blunt-farewell-message-live-on-air" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unleashed</a> at his former employer live on-air. An insider at the network reportedly told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-13682975/Paul-Burt-Seven-sacked-reason.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Daily Mail</a> that Burt, who worked at Seven for more than a decade, was sacked because focus group research found he was unpopular with audiences. "Paul Burt was sacked after extensive audience research across the Queensland market that identified he was one of the least-liked presenters on-air, with the dreaded 'switch-off' factor," the source said. The research had been conducted in the first quarter of 2024. The source also told the Daily Mail that perceived audience appeal was an important consideration when deciding who would be let go from the program and "it's not like names were picked out of a hat." "Networks spend a fortune on polling and focus groups to identify emerging talent and test long-serving presenters," they said. "The audience decides who reads the news." Burt did not accept the research, telling the Daily Mail: "I mean, these people are going to try and cover their backs." "I think if they're looking at numbers like that, they might want to change the people who are giving them those numbers. "Because I'm on the ground, I hear what people say and I understand what they want. I've been doing it now for 28 years." Daily Mail also obtained a farewell email that Burt sent to his colleagues at the network on Monday afternoon. "Hey everyone, never thought I'd be writing this email anytime soon, but here we go," the email reportedly began. "First and foremost, I want to say thank you to everyone who I have worked directly with, you have all been incredibly awesome and do sensational jobs and deserve far more recognition than you get. "Secondly, those who reached out to me after the news over the weekend and today to 'check in' on me and pass on your kind words, wow, it's been very humbling so thank you." Burt also reportedly did not attend his farewell last Friday and had told management he would not be attending it. "I'm not that kind of guy," he told the Daily Mail. "I don't want there to be any hoo-ha. I don't need a cake. I'm not interested." He also said that he did not wanted to cut into his work schedule on a busy Friday evening when he did about 10 live crosses to the newsroom. "I don't want to give up my time to get back to the office when I'm on location," he said. "I didn't want to stand there and get, 'Here's a cake, congratulations, goodbye and thank you for your time'. I never asked for it." He also said: "Don't get me wrong, I really admire the network. I love the network. I truly do. "Unfortunately, I just think at this point in time, things could have been handled a bit differently in certain sectors of the newsroom. "If you have three of your best-selling items in a shop, do you get rid of those three and just deal with what's left over? As a business person, I don't think you do." Seven West Media, which also owns the West Australian, is slashing 150 editorial staff in a round of redundancies, which has affected other big names like newsreader Sharyn Ghidella. Images: Seven

The tragic reason Miriam Margolyes is still working at 83

Miriam Margolyes has shared the tragic reason that she is still working in showbiz at the age of 83. The acting legend has long suffered with spinal stenosis – a condition that occurs when the spinal canal or neural foramen narrows, putting pressure on the spinal cord and nerve roots. Despite suffering from the debilitating illness, the 83-year-old British star has appeared on numerous TV shows over the years. Now, speaking candidly to the Radio Times, Margolyes admitted that she is still working to fund her medical bills. She said, “I’m worried that I won’t have enough money for carers when I finally get paralysed or whatever it is that’s going to happen to me.” Despite dealing with the physical constraints that come from both her spinal stenosis and her age, which she finds “limiting and depressing”, she said she refuses to slow her pace. “When you know that you haven’t got long to live and I’m probably going to die within the next five or six years, if not before, I’m loath to leave behind performing. It’s such a joy.” “I yearn to play roles that don’t confine me to wheelchairs, but I’m just not strong enough.” Margolyes recently underwent major heart surgery, speaking candidly about the operation with the Table Manners podcast. “I’ve got a cow’s heart now,” she said. “Well, not the whole heart. I’ve had an aortic valve replaced by a cow’s aortic valve. “I don’t know how common it is. I’d never heard of that operation. But it saves you from having open-heart surgery, which would be infinitely more invasive.” In the same interview, Margolyes revealed she expected to be a wheelchair soon. “When you get old you become obviously aware of your vulnerability. I have a bad back, I’m probably going to be in a wheelchair soon and you have to come to terms with what life throws at you.” Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Hilarious reason why Hamish and Andy are "banned for life" from Olympic village

It's not easy to get banned from the Olympic village, but somehow Andy Lee and Hamish Blake have managed to do just that. Despite being warned to “not to talk about this ever”, Andy threw caution to the wind during an interview with Triple M's The Rush Hour With Leisel Jones, Liam & Dobbo on Tuesday. He explained that he and Hamish copped the ban from the International Olympic Committee after an incident during the 2012 London games. “Hamish and I were given the honour of speaking to the (Australian) Olympians before it started,” Andy began. “There’s a lot of applications and security you have to fill out to get into the Olympic village … and someone who filled out the forms put my birth date as that day’s date," he continued. Despite that fact that it was clearly an admin error, the authorities refused entry to the duo on the day of the speech. Funnily enough, a quick-thinking Aussie came to the rescue and managed to sneak him in. “I won’t name who, but someone on the team said, ‘Hey, I can bring an outfit out. You look a little bit like one of the high jumpers,’” Andy recalled. “Suddenly I went through on someone else’s (pass) and we snuck in, which was obviously a huge breach of security at a time when they were trying to prove that security was tight.” Hamish and Andy delivered their speech and mingled with all the athletes, but their little lie was called out 90 minutes later, when the security team realised they'd been tricked. “They dragged us and put us in separate rooms and there was a lot of interrogation,” Andy said. “We were … just tight-lipped, and then the head of security came in.” In another stroke of luck, the head of security turned out to be an Aussie, who recognised the duo. “He went, ‘Hamish and Andy, what are you guys doing here?’ We explained, and he was more understanding,” the comedian said. However, because of their actions, the Australian Olympic team was also punished, with some of their visitor passes revoked. “That’s why I wasn’t really proud of what happened,” Andy said. “I hate the fact that some people missed out.” The IOC also made it clear to the duo that they weren't welcome back to the village. “We had to agree to be banned for life,” Andy recalled to the amusement of the Triple M hosts. Liam Flanagan jokingly suggested to Andy: “I think the campaign needs to start here. We need the ban lifted for Brisbane 2032!” To which he replied: “or, (we could try) another sneak in … let’s double down!” Images: Instagram

Travel Trouble

Wild reason why woman divorced her husband

A woman has asked for advice online after she explained the wild reason why she is divorcing her husband. Taking to Reddit's popular "Am I The A**hole?" thread, the mother explained that after her husband sat in the car for too long, she decided to end her two-year marriage. As she began to recall the situation, she prefaced the story by saying that for many years, her partner always liked to stay in the car five to 10 minutes after he got home. <div> <div id="sda-INARTICLE"></div> </div> “I don’t know why he does it, but he talked about a past traumatic experience he had when he came home and caught his ex cheating on him,” the Redditor wrote. “Because of that he’d just spend few minutes in his car before he enters his home as response to his trauma.” While the woman is understanding of her husband's unusual car quirk, she said he does not take into account how it negatively impacts her and their family. According to the Reddit writer, his prolonged period in the car makes her “uneasy” and has caused several arguments, especially when he’s sat in the driveway when guests are inside, or "when dinner is waiting on him and he’d take 10 minutes silently sitting in the car.” She went on to share that her biggest concern was finding her husband sitting in the car during a crisis, which was realised when a family emergency unfolded at home. The woman explained that her eight-year-old son fell and tripped when walking down the stairs, breaking his ankle as a result and needed to be taken to hospital. She then called her husband and asked if he could leave work to take him to the emergency room, saying, “Then I called and called and then I was stunned when I looked out the window and I saw him sitting outside the house in his car. I was both shocked and angry.” According to her husband, he had been sitting in the car for eight minutes and said that he wouldn’t come inside to help until his 10 minutes lapsed because he didn’t feel “comfortable.” The original poster noted, “He told me to get my son ready to take him to the hospital, but I started screaming at him nonstop telling him this was a family emergency and that he was out of his mind to behave like that.” The mother took her son to the hospital with the help of a neighbour and refused to answer her husband's calls when he finally emerged from the car. Later, she decided his response was so uncalled for that she took herself and her son to her mother's place and said she wanted a divorce from her husband of two years. “He tried to rationalize and justify what he’s done saying he could not help it and that he was nervous and wanted to help my son but felt stuck,” the Redditor said. She continued, “I refused to reply to his messages and days later his family literally harassed me saying I was making my husband’s trauma more severe and that I disrespected his boundaries.” After time had passed from the situation, the woman wondered if she had been too rash in her decision, and asked those online for their advice. Her post was met with hundreds of comments, with many saying they believe her husband is suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). “It sounds like some form of OCD to me,” one person commented, while another agreed: “It sounds like he is stuck in a compulsive behavior.” The original writer confessed she had asked him to seek professional help for his behaviours, but he wasn’t up for it, saying, "He had refused professional help and his family sided with him.” To this, one reader added, “The fact that he has refused to seek help for it. Peak selfishness. Leaving is warranted. Best luck to you and your boy.” “If he refused professional help then you have your answer. You need to be able to rely on your husband in case of an emergency and he proved to you that you can’t. You’re definitely NTA (not the a**hole,” another argued. Image credits: Shutterstock

Legal

The touching reason a King's Guard burst into tears

A member of the King's Guard has burst into tears after receiving the surprise of a lifetime while on duty. The King's Guard, who are usually unflappable and stoic figures stationed around Buckingham Palace, was moved to tears on what seemed like a normal day. While sitting atop her horse, the woman stood as tourists passed by and took photos with the iconic guard. The suddenly, the previously composed guard smiles and can be seen looking teary, as she spots her parents in the crowd. “That’s her dad!” another person in the crowd calls out. <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7389049472568806663&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40australiancommunitymedia%2Fvideo%2F7389049472568806663%3Flang%3Den%26q%3Dkings%2520guard%2520parents%26t%3D1720402184833&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2Fo0gmiBD0EBBEO2ogfCAgIy8FMyLdCdb2aQeVUL%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-alisg-i-0068%2FoMCEIAuSEFAV4FAAIjsDoeFjmfNA1lNLkD3fEr.image%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26nonce%3D3486%26refresh_token%3D9a02561608471c9dd769ed26581f721f%26x-expires%3D1720573200%26x-signature%3DG49fXegWzTHobCNmRxkZBWQS5r8%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> The mother-father duo then approached their daughter and stroked the horse while chatting. The teary-eyed guard can then be seen with a smile as her parents turn to face her, and her mother also strokes her daughter’s leg. The guard nods when asked a question by her mother, before breaking down in tears, bending her head forward and using her white gloves to wipe her eyes. The heartwarming moment, which was captured on video and posted to social media, quickly racked up hundreds of comments by impressed tourists. One person wrote, "I'm amazed at the speed with which she pulls herself back together, blink & you miss her initial reaction. That's reason enough to be proud on its own!" Another added, "What a special moment. I hope they all got to spend a little time together after her watch. She is a great Guard and her parents should be proud of her and what she does." Another simply said, "How proud a parent to see your daughter standing post as a Kings Guard." Image credits: YouTube

Family & Pets

Flight attendant reveals the unexpected reason why it's so cold on planes

When it comes to packing essentials in your carry-on for your next flight, many people add a jumper, extra socks, or even their own blanket to their bags. Because one thing’s for sure: you’ll probably be cold on your flight. But have you ever stopped to think of the reason why the cabin of a plane is so cold? According to a Canadian flight attendant, it's to do with keeping you feeling good. Vanessa Settimi told Reader's Digest that a cooler cabin helps passengers who are prone to fainting or have motion sickness during turbulence. She also clarified that despite what travellers may think, cabin crew don’t have control over the cabin temperature. "Temperature in the cabin is controlled by the pilots. Even though travellers often ask to get the temperature turned up during flights, it is kept on the cooler side." She went on to say that the key to staying warm on your next flight is bringing extra layers. "Now this might just be the flight attendant in me," says Settimi, "but you will never catch me flying as a traveller in sandals and a tank top!" Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

The surprising reason commercial planes are painted white

Up until the middle of the last century, airplanes would fly through the sky unpainted as shiny silver tubes. But now, we are so used to seeing plane bodies being painted white, with the exception of the airline’s logo and a splash of colour on the plane’s tail. But this drastic look isn’t just about style and uniformity, as there is a simple reason why plane bodies are left plain. First of all, white paint jobs will show wear and tear a lot quicker on huge commercial planes and while this might not be ideal for a car or house, it's perfect for planes. From takeoff to landing, a plane goes through a lot. While the aircrafts are always deemed safe for flying, it'll likely suffer minor cosmetic damages as it hurtles through the sky at 900 kilometres per hour. Due to the frequent minor chips and scratches a plane has inflicted, using the white paint helps engineers and maintenance teams to spot any of these issues with ease. Another reason that white is uniform in the skies is because white paint is going to fade at a much slower rate than a darker shade. As planes fly above the clouds, they're exposed to a lot of UV rays which speeds up the process of the paint fading. Lastly, it's been found that birds can spot planes against the sky easier when they're painted all-white, as sometimes in rare occasions, birds can pose a safety risk. It wasn’t until 50 years ago that airlines started painting their planes, with Air France being credited for starting the movement in the 1970s. "Since Air France introduced the first 'Euro-white' livery in 1976, the all-white fuselage look has become increasingly standard for the world's airlines," aviation historian Shea Oakley told Travel + Leisure. Image credits: Shutterstock

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The surprising reason commercial planes are painted white

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