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Mother breaks silence after confronting daughter's bully

<p>A mother in Adelaide who stormed into her daughter's classroom to confront her bully has explained her intense actions, saying she was at her "wits end".</p> <p>The mother, who is 20 weeks pregnant, has apologised after she walked into her daughter's classroom at St Paul's College in Gillies Plains, north-east Adelaide, on Monday, where she launched into an expletive-ridden tirade at her daughter's bully. </p> <p>The mother told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/sa/mother-of-adelaide-bullying-victim-speaks-out-after-angry-st-pauls-college-spray-caught-on-social-media--c-17621578" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Seven News</a></em> that she and her husband had pleaded with the school to intervene in her daughter's alleged bullying, but said that fell on deaf ears.</p> <p>"I don't want my daughter to be another statistic. I don't want to have to bury my child," she said. "She was crying, she was devastated that this child told her to go and hang herself."</p> <p>The mother said she only took aim at the child after exhausting all other proper options to stop the bullying. </p> <p>"I did everything in my power as a parent, and so did my husband, to make sure our daughter was safe," she said.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFrqj2xgQpb/?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/DFrqj2xgQpb/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 7NEWS Adelaide (@7newsadelaide)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"I have stated time and time again to the school that we are begging. We begged for help. We begged."</p> <p>The mother admits that she was in the wrong on Monday and has since apologised, saying, "What everybody has seen of me is not who I am as a mother or as a person."</p> <p>Footage of the incident made headlines after the incident, which shows the woman being restrained by two men, one of which is believed to be her husband, as she verbally lashed the school child. </p> <p>"You ever f******* mess with my daughter again, I'll slit you f******* throat," she screamed at the 12-year-old. "You want to f******* go b***h? You want to f****** go? You ever f******* talk to my daughter again."</p> <p>"I'm your f****** nightmare b***h… I'll slit your f****** throat. I'll be waiting for you."</p> <p>The woman delivered one more barb as she was ushered out of the classroom, screaming, "And that smart little f*** over there, yeah, you know you're just jealous because you're a **** ****."</p> <p>St John's College principal Patrick Harmer tried to assure parents that the matter was being handled, explaining that a police investigation is underway. </p> <p>"The college remains committed to its duty of care for all students and staff," he wrote. "We provide an environment where the safety and wellbeing of all is our highest priority. We will continue to ensure the best possible support for our students and staff during this time."</p> <p>South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas weighed in to the controversy, condemning the mother's conduct as "indefensible" and "mind-boggling".</p> <p>"I don't know what the circumstances were that led the parent to say those things, but whatever they were, they do not condone or justify those remarks in any circumstance whatsoever," he said on Wednesday. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Seven News</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Bindi Irwin opens up about Steve's secret health battle

<p>Bindi Irwin has opened up about her "whirlwind" life with her late father Steve Irwin before he tragically died. </p> <p>Speaking to Sarah Grynberg on the <em>A Life of Greatness</em> podcast, the wildlife warrior said her family's life was a "hurricane of adventure and wonder because of dad" before he passed away when she was juts eight years old. </p> <p>Bindi also candidly revealed that Steve suffered "terrible insomnia" which caused him to wake up in the dead of night.</p> <p>"He had terrible insomnia. I mean, he just never slept," she said.</p> <p>"He would wake up at 2am and by the time everyone else's workday has started, he'd put in a full day's work," she said.</p> <p>Steve Irwin's incredible work ethic was recently discovered in the Australia Zoo offices when staff were clearing out a cupboard before a renovation, which Bindi was quick to vouch for. </p> <p>"People may not realise that he had such a scientific mind," she said.</p> <p>"I was looking through his journals and he would just write down, I mean, thousands, it's not an exaggeration, but thousands of pages worth of information and facts and studies and findings."</p> <p>She said "by the time everyone else's workday has started, he'd put in a full day's work, and he would spend that time because the world is dark".</p> <p>"He would spend that time researching and studying. And that's where these journals came from."</p> <p>The wildlife warrior then opened up about her journey with grief, recalling when Steve passed away in 2006.</p> <p>"I remember when I was little and dad had just died, every adult that I saw would say to me: 'Time heals all wounds.' And I remember thinking, as an eight year old: 'What in the heck does that mean?' Why do people keep telling me like, one day I'll forget about this?" she said.</p> <p>"It actually made me a little bit scared," Bindi said, adding that she now knew "that information is wrong".</p> <p>"So firstly, don't say that to an eight-year-old. Time changes your grief. Time changes things and your perspective and everything," she continued.</p> <p>"But I know firsthand that the grief and the sadness and the feeling of loss from losing dad. That feeling is just a part of me. It's like a scar on your heart."</p> <p><em>Image credits: SplashNews.com/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 16px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333;"> </p>

Family & Pets

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Peter Overton opens up on health battle

<p>Nine News star Peter Overton has opened up about the brutal health battle that's kept him away from the news desk over the past few weeks. </p> <p>The presenter had to undergo surgery on his vocal chords, after doctors found a polyp that urgently needed to be removed. </p> <p>“I took six weeks annual leave, and then my voice suddenly said, I’m on annual leave as well. I got very husky and raspy over the holidays, and went to the GP. He sent me to an ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon, and suddenly the holiday turned into an operation in a Sydney hospital,”  Overton said.</p> <p>“I had a polyp, quite a large polyp on one of my vocal cords.</p> <p>"They stick a camera up your nose and then down into your vocal cord, and then on a big screen, you see your vocal cords. And I saw this. It was like a big blister, a lump just hanging off the cord.</p> <p>“And I must admit, it scared the living daylights out of me."</p> <p>The polyp was removed three days later and he could return home after a day in recovery, but was unable to talk for a week. </p> <p>“It was interesting being mute. If I went to get the milk, I’d write an email to myself and it would say I’d have to show it to someone!”</p> <p>News of Overton’s health scare first emerged earlier this month, when his wife, Jess Rowe, revealed that he was on <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/jess-rowe-explains-peter-overton-s-absence-from-the-news-desk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extended leave</a>. </p> <p>Overton shared that he's been working with a speech pathologist to get his voice back to what it was like before. </p> <p>"I've worked with a great speech pathologist who has got me back to the point I'm at," he said.</p> <p>"And three weeks since the operation, I'm doing the news again."</p> <p>"The human body is amazing. I've really learned that, and I've learned about the healing process, and I've learned about how intricate your vocal chords are and what they do," he added. </p> <p>"It's been fascinating."</p> <p><em>Image: Nine News/ Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Jamie Oliver opens up on former feud with Gordon Ramsay

<p>Jamie Oliver has opened up about his former feud with Gordon Ramsay on <em>The Louis Theroux Podcast</em>. </p> <p>The 49-year-old told Theroux that after years of exchanges with the <em>Hell's Kitchen</em> star, their wives Jools Oliver and Tana Ramsay were the ones who stepped in an encouraged them to patch things up. </p> <p>"I was a target [for] probably 10 years, I think, it was regular," Oliver said of Ramsay.</p> <p>"I generally used to bite [back] once a year, and then that used to set him off for another year ... I think it kind of generated the noise, it was serving its purpose for him - I mean, I'd have to ask Gordon what it was all about.</p> <p>"Cause we never fell out, we got on for the first couple of years, and then - as he did more TV - it just went on and on and on, and it was quite, it was painful but in the end it was Jools and his wife Tana that sorted it out."</p> <p>Oliver revealed that despite their former feud, his kids are friends with Ramsay's children. </p> <p>"It was like, 'come on dads, grow up' so I think that both of us got a telling off, and then we went to have a drink and put it all to rest and let bygones be bygones," he said.</p> <p>When Oliver's Italian chain went under, Ramsay was "very supportive" and "very kind", even sending him messages of encouragement. </p> <p>Oliver also opened up on his feud with Marco Pierre White, and said he was "destroyed" to hear his "hero" slam him in the press and didn't know what sparked it as they never worked together. </p> <p>"He doesn't like me at all, still doesn't," he said, but added "that's fine, I don't need anything from him".</p> <p>"I still think he was like a game changer, he was still my hero for that period of my life but that's life, and it's not just Marco, it's lots of people," Oliver said.</p> <p><em>Image: Alan Davidson/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Olympic champion breaks down over drug scandal

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

Legal

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Fergie opens up about double cancer diagnosis

<p>Sarah Ferguson has opened up about the mental toll of her double cancer diagnosis, admitting that her "mind went to some dark places".</p> <p>The Duchess of York was diagnosed with breast cancer and skin cancer in the same year, telling <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/christmas-appeal-sarah-ferguson-cancer-diagnosis-interview-kt86hm7nq" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Times</em></a> how much her health battle impacted her life. </p> <p>"It was hard. I'm generally a positive person but cancer is like a bomb going off in your life," the 65-year-old told the publication.</p> <p>"One diagnosis is enough to deal with, but I had two in the space of a year. I don't mind admitting that my mind went to some dark places, reflecting on my own mortality."</p> <p>"My family have been an immense support to me through this period," she told the outlet.</p> <p> </p> <p>"I've used meditation and mindfulness to help stay positive and balanced."</p> <p>The royal was recently in Australia for her book tour, where she spoke to <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/sarah-ferguson-duchess-of-york-breast-skin-cancer-mental-health-admission/232791d3-c991-40fc-99d5-8f9bc5f60a33" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>9honey</em></a> about how she copes with the struggles in her life while also balancing her health. </p> <p>"For anyone thinking, 'Oh, you sound alright Sarah', or Fergie or Ginger or Duchy or whatever you call me, it's because I also do the work," the Duchess of York told <em>9honey</em>.</p> <p>"And I do it with really studying the spiritual side of life and my own darkness. There can be a lot of darkness, and I'm shining light on my darkness."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p> <p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 16px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; font-family: 'Proxima Nova', system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size-adjust: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333;"> </p>

Caring

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Bondi attack victim's father opens up about grief

<p>Former North Melbourne AFL star Kerry Good has spoken publicly for the first time about the loss of his daughter in the Bondi Junction stabbing massacre.</p> <p>Ashlee Good was one of six people killed in the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/family-of-bondi-killer-break-silence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">horrific rampage</a> at Westfield Bondi Junction in April last year. </p> <p>She was in the busy shopping centre with her then nine-month-old daughter, Harriet, and was fatally wounded while attempting to protect her baby from Joel Cauchi's attack. </p> <p>The 38-year-old mum managed to hand off Harriet to nearby strangers, an act that saved her injured daughter's life. </p> <p>While Harriet suffered stab wounds and was taken to Sydney Children's Hospital in critical condition, she was eventually able to return home. </p> <p>Ms Good's father opened up about the tragedy in an interview on Saturday. </p> <p>“Last year was very tough,” he said, in his first interview since his daughter's murder. </p> <p>“I just couldn’t wait for the year to end. I couldn’t wait to get rid of it.”</p> <p>The former footy star, who also owns racehorses, had a moment of cheer over the weekend after a year of hardship when his horses, Thedoctoroflove and Taramansour, won at Melbourne’s famous Flemington racecourse.</p> <p>“I actually wore the same suit as I wore to my daughter’s funeral today and it might have helped,” he told Racenet. </p> <p>“It’s a very special day.”</p> <p>Following the attack, a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/outpouring-of-support-for-baby-girl-after-bondi-tragedy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> was started for baby Harriet and her father, Dan Flanagan, which raised nearly $850,000.</p> <p>Mr Flanagan posted a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/heartwarming-update-for-baby-stabbed-during-bondi-attack" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heartwarming update </a>on the fundraising page in August, thanking the thousands of donors, as well as medical staff, friends and family for their support in the wake of his "unimaginable loss."</p> <p>“Nothing will ever dull the pain of losing Ash, but reading your messages and seeing what an impact Ash has had on so many people has provided a lot of comfort.”</p> <p>“The day our family of three became a family of two will never make sense to me, but countless people — including every single one of you who wrote messages and donated through this page — have shown me that while tragic things do unfortunately happen, there is more good in this world, than bad.</p> <p>“While Harriet and I do our best to navigate our new world privately, I want to make one public promise to each of you: that the kindness and generosity you’ve shown us will never be forgotten.</p> <p>“From the bottom of my heart — thank you.”</p> <p><em>Image: news.com.au</em></p>

Caring

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Research suggests those who use buy-now-pay-later services end up spending more

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ashish-kumar-1056067">Ashish Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p>Once, borrowing money to make a purchase was a relatively tedious process, not a spur-of-the-moment thing.</p> <p>True, some stores offered lay-by plans that would let you pay for goods in instalments. But if they didn’t, and you didn’t already have a credit card, you’d have to go to a bank and apply for one.</p> <p>That would mean providing a range of supporting documents, negotiating an appropriate credit limit, and waiting for approval. It’s unlikely you’d apply for credit just for a single, small purchase.</p> <p>In recent years, though, the financial technology or “fintech” revolution in the customer credit market has changed all that, with the meteoric rise of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services.</p> <p>BNPL credit allows consumers to split their purchases into smaller, interest-free instalments. It is often directly integrated into online checkouts with fast approval, making it easy to purchase something instantly and spread the cost over coming months.</p> <p>There are some obvious risks. Many BNPL providers charge less visible fees, such as late payment fees and account maintenance fees. In many countries, the BNPL sector is also less regulated than traditional credit.</p> <p>But does it also change our spending habits? Our recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2024.09.004">research</a> uncovered a concerning insight: consumers who use BNPL services end up spending more money online than those who don’t. This effect is particularly strong among younger shoppers and those with lower incomes.</p> <h2>Our research</h2> <p>We <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2024.09.004">analysed</a> data from an online retailer in the Nordic region that offered customers three payment options for online purchases: card, pay on delivery and BNPL.</p> <p>We found that consumers who used BNPL spent an average of 6.42% more than those who didn’t.</p> <p>This increase was particularly noticeable for low-ticket items, suggesting that BNPL may encourage customers to buy more when shopping for smaller, everyday things.</p> <p>Why might this be the case? For one, BPNL spending is constrained by the size of the loans on offer. In the US, the average BNPL loan amount is <a href="https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_consumer-use-of-buy-now-pay-later_2023-03.pdf">US$135</a> (A$217).</p> <p>It may also be related to what’s known in economics as the “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/dec/22/recession-cosmetics-lipstick">lipstick effect</a>”, where customers under financial strain tend to reduce spending on big-ticket items in favour of lower-priced luxuries.</p> <p>Selling such low-ticket items doesn’t always give online retailers the biggest profit margins. But it can play a crucial role in acquiring and retaining customers, and creating opportunities to upsell.</p> <p>Our research also showed that younger, lower-income customers were more likely to spend more when using BNPL services, likely because it provides them with additional “liquidity” – access to cash.</p> <h2>Why might they be spending more?</h2> <p>It’s easy to see why so many consumers like BNPL. Some even think of it as more of a way of payment than a form of credit.</p> <p>The core feature of such services - offering interest-free instalment payments for online purchases - has a significant psychological impact on customers.</p> <p>It leverages the principle that the perceived benefit of spending in the present outweighs the displeasure associated with future payments.</p> <p>This behaviour aligns with theories of “hyperbolic discounting” – our preference for smaller immediate rewards over larger later ones – and the related “<a href="https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/present-bias/">present bias</a>” phenomenon.</p> <p>Our results also suggest customers with high category experience – that is, more familiar with the larger product categories carried by a retailer – and those more sensitive to deals and promotions are likely to spend more when online retailers provide BNPL as a payment option.</p> <h2>A growing influence on spending</h2> <p>The economic impact of BNPL is substantial in the countries that have pioneered its adoption.</p> <p>In Australia, birthplace of Afterpay, Zip, Openpay, and Latitude, it’s <a href="https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AFIA_BNPL_Research_Report-1.pdf">estimated</a> that (allowing for flow-on effects) BNPL services contributed A$14.3 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2021 financial year.</p> <p>Industry research firm Juniper Research <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/pressreleasesbuy-now-pay-later-users-to-exceed-670-million-globally/">projects</a> the number of BNPL users will exceed 670 million globally by 2028, an increase of more than 100% on current levels.</p> <p>Substantial projected growth in the sector is attributed to multiple factors. These include increasing e-commerce usage, economic pressures, the flexibility of payment options and widespread adoption by merchants.</p> <h2>Buyer, beware</h2> <p>BNPL services can be a convenient way to pay for online purchases. But it’s important to use them responsibly.</p> <p>That means understanding the potential risks and benefits to make your own informed decisions. Be mindful of your spending. Don’t let the allure of easy payments let you get carried away.</p> <p>Customers should explore beyond the marketing tactics of interest-free split payments and pay close attention to terms and conditions, including any fees and penalties. They should treat BNPL like any other form of credit.</p> <p>Whether you’re a shopper considering using BNPL or a business thinking about offering it, our research highlights that it may have the power to significantly influence spending patterns – for better or worse.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. 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More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ashish-kumar-1056067"><em>Ashish Kumar</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/research-suggests-those-who-use-buy-now-pay-later-services-end-up-spending-more-246686">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Money & Banking

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Home and Away couple silence break-up rumours with holiday photos

<p><em>Home and Away </em>stars Ada Nicodemou and James Stewart have silenced break-up rumours with one Instagram post. </p> <p>The couple shared a series of intimate photos from their New Years vacation on the Gold Coast, accompanied by Nicodemou's son Johnas and Stewart's daughter Scout, both 12. </p> <p>“Our week spent in paradise… 3 theme parks in 3 days, go karting, JetSki’s, bowling, swimming, singing and lots of laughs and love ️…bring on 2025!!!” the actress wrote in the caption. </p> <p>The blended family visited all the different attractions in the tourist spot, including Wet N Wild, Movie World and Sea World and also enjoyed dinner at Broadbeach, where Stewart's twin brother Nick and his family joined them. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEmLXlWzcaY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DEmLXlWzcaY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ada Nicodemou (@adanicodemou)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The intimate holiday photos comes weeks after the couple sparked rumours of a break-up when Nicodemou revealed on <em>TV Week </em>that they would be spending Christmas apart. </p> <p>“It’s our first Christmas together as a couple, I’m so excited,” she said in early December.  “[But] James is going to be in Queensland, as his family are all up there, and I’ll be in Sydney with mine. But that’s okay – we see each other all the time.”</p> <p>“Ada and I are so family-oriented,” James added in the interview. “She has this amazing Cypriot family, and they’re so well-connected. And my family are up in Queensland and, you know, I miss Mum.”</p> <p>Fans on the popular Home and Away Facebook group have also backed the couple, saying that they are still together. </p> <p>“I saw them on the beach at the Gold Coast last week and they were very much together," one wrote. </p> <p>“Happy families... James and Ada are very much in love,” another fan added. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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"Just leave Christmas": Barnaby Joyce fires up over gender-neutral cookies

<p>Some stories are big: wars, elections, pandemics. Others are tiny – crispy, vaguely human-shaped and destined for dunking in tea.</p> <p>The humble Gingerbread Man – or rather, its gender-neutral successor, the Gingerbread Person – has sent shockwaves through Parliament House and left a trail of crumbs all the way to the nearest bakery.</p> <p>The biscuit's modern makeover has Barnaby Joyce and Nationals Senator Matt Canavan crying "Save Christmas!" faster than you can say, "Not my gumdrop buttons!"</p> <p>While many of us would struggle to find outrage over baked goods – especially baked goods with no opinion on pronouns – Joyce sees a far darker picture. For him, this is political correctness gone so far off the rails it could inspire an army of ginger-fuelled Trump supporters.</p> <p>“It’s just like, all this stuff has been forced on me, just leave it,” he declared, presumably staring down a gender-neutral cookie in his local parliamentary cafeteria. “Just leave Christmas. If you don’t want to buy Gingerbread men, you don’t have to.” Then, proving politicians aren’t immune to comedic flair, he added: “Can I have one for me and one for it on table 3?”</p> <p>Meanwhile, Senator Canavan was equally distraught at the development, lamenting the apparent death of whimsy. “Please tell me they haven’t done this to the muffin man as well?” he begged, as if imagining a bleak future where fairytale characters are stripped of gender and fun.</p> <p>If you thought Parliament was alone in this existential ginger-crisis, think again. Supermarket giant Woolworths has already abandoned the “man” for a more inclusive “Gingerbread People”, and even <em>Women’s Weekly</em>, that wholesome bastion of baking, has shared a recipe for the modern, genderless cookie.</p> <p>It was Woolworths' decision that drew particular ire from a radio caller named Harry, who tattled to Melbourne’s 3AW like a child narking on a sibling. “Woolies has decided to start selling – under their own brand – non-binary Gingerbread people,” he reported solemnly.</p> <p>This news rocked radio host Tom Elliott, who lamented that none of the gingerbread figures “resemble women”. (For clarity’s sake, it’s worth noting that Gingerbread Men have never been renowned for their realistic depiction of human anatomy.)</p> <p>Online, the social media masses weighed in with their usual measured, level-headed takes. One user proclaimed they were “too busy caring about my electricity bill doubling” to give a crumb about cookies. Another’s sarcastic sympathy dripped from the screen: “If you can’t handle a biscuit with ‘man’ in the name, simply grab a box of tissues and retreat to your safe space.”</p> <p>And in the darkest corner of the internet, one person’s exasperation boiled over: “Jesus Christ. It’s a biscuit vaguely shaped like a human. Do we need to make a biscuit gender neutral so we don’t offend people?”</p> <p>Let’s face it: the Gingerbread Man is not, and has never been, the hill anyone expected society to die on. It doesn’t vote, drive or go to Centrelink. It’s a biscuit. Yet, here we are, watching as Barnaby Joyce and Matt Canavan rise like knights to defend a sugary snack from the insidious forces of progress.</p> <p>Does the average person truly care if their Gingerbread Man identifies as a Gingerbread Person? Is anyone truly shaking with rage while browsing the supermarket biscuit aisle? Or are most of us too busy, well, eating them?</p> <p>In the end, we must ask ourselves the hard questions: Will the Muffin Man survive the purge? Is Santa’s reindeer team next? And most importantly: if they’re still delicious, does it even matter?</p> <p>For now, the only certainty is that political correctness has officially reached the snack table. Somewhere, a batch of gender-neutral gingerbread people is cooling, blissfully unaware that their mere existence has triggered a full-scale political bake-off.</p> <p>And so, in the spirit of the festive season – let’s agree to eat the biscuit and leave the outrage for another day.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Food & Wine

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Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic team up for ultimate doubles match

<p>Nick Kyrgios has dropped a bombshell announcement that he will be teaming up with Novak Djokovic at the Brisbane International competition in 2025. </p> <p>Kyrgios made the announcement with a post to his Instagram stories on Monday night, re-sharing a photo of the pair walking onto the court ahead of their 2022 Wimbledon final.</p> <p>Kyrgios captioned the photo, "Doubles at Brisbane. See y'all there".</p> <p>The original photo was posted by Kyrgios at the end of 2022, where the Aussie tennis champion teased they were planning to team up, suggesting the move may have been in the works for some time.</p> <p>Kyrgios has played only one professional match in two years due to a series of injuries, and is set to make his return to the court in just a few weeks.</p> <p>Many have commented on how "strange" the pairing is, given their long rivalry both on and off the court. </p> <p>However, in 2022, Kyrgios confirmed that they had mended bridges and were building a friendship. </p> <p>Ahead of the 2022 Wimbledon final, he said, “We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird. I think everyone knows there was no love lost for a while there.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

International Travel

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Police ramp-up desperate search for missing 8 year old

<p>NSW Police have ramped up their search for missing eight-year-old Molly Noonan-Medley, who was reported missing seven weeks ago. </p> <p>The child was last seen in Woonona, south of Sydney, about 11am on October 31st. </p> <p>Police believe Molly is with an adult who is known to her. </p> <p>Officers attached to Wollongong Police District were notified on November 1st of Molly's disappearance and immediately commenced an investigation to locate the child, after attempts to contact the adult were unsuccessful.</p> <p>In a statement on Monday, NSW Police said they were re-appealing to the public for any information to help find the child, almost seven weeks after Molly was first reported missing.</p> <p>Molly is described as caucasian appearance, 120cm, thin build, blue eyes and blond/brown hair.</p> <p>The woman believed to be in company with Molly is known to frequent the Woonona, Wollongong and Huskisson areas, a NSW Police spokesperson said.</p> <p>Anyone with information into her whereabouts is urged to contact Wollongong Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.</p> <p><em>Image credits: NSW Police</em></p>

Caring

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Ray Hadley chokes up during final radio show

<p>Ray Hadley has become emotional during his last show on-air, farewelling his loyal 2GB audience for the last time. </p> <p>Hadley was joined by fellow 2GB host Ben Fordham for his final show on Friday, with Fordham surprising Hadley with a tribute to his stellar career. </p> <p>The tribute spanned Hadley’s entire career, from top sporting moments, interviews with Keith Urban, to his children speaking with him on air.</p> <p>“Ray Hadley, this is your life,” Fordham said before it played.</p> <p>However, Hadley became emotional when a snippet of his mother’s voice was played during the segment.</p> <p>“Very emotional. I had heard my mother’s voice previously,” Hadley told listeners, choked up. “I wasn’t gonna get upset. You’ve done this to me you little bludger.”</p> <p>Earlier this week, Hadley spoke with <em><a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/latest/ray-hadley-retires-from-2gb-sydney-radio-interview-exclusive/354a86f1-eeac-49a2-bc04-a91f3f22ff13" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9Honey</a></em> about his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/the-time-has-come-ray-hadley-announces-retirement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">retirement</a>, reflecting on his 43-year career.</p> <p>Hadley admitted he worked brutal hours during his illustrious career, with his dedication leading to what became one of the most impressive runs in radio history in Australia.</p> <p>"I've fought hard for every position I've got and a couple were thrust upon me without fighting for them, but once I got them I realised that it was things I liked doing," he told <em>9Honey</em>.</p> <p>"So yeah, it's been an adventure."</p> <p>"Like every adventure, there's highs and lows. The lows are about as low as you can get, the highs are about as high as you can get, and hopefully most of the time is in the middle somewhere."</p> <p>Hadley said while he's "retiring from full-time radio work" he's "not retiring from life" and with his contract set to run with 2GB until 2026 he is considering his options.</p> <p>"That doesn't mean I won't do something else. What that is, I don't know, because I'm still contracted here. And I'm still committed to this station in many respects ... I've been here for 24 years."</p> <p>"So, you know, there's always a part of me that is willing this station and this network to do well," he said.</p> <p>For now, he's planning to take a three-month break "to clear my head."</p> <p><em>Image credits: 2GB</em></p>

Retirement Life

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"Speaking up saved my life": Jelena Dokic's inspiring speech

<p>Jelena Dokic delivered a heartfelt address at the National Press Club on Wednesday, the first tennis player to speak there since John Newcombe 40 years ago. </p> <p>The 41-year-old tennis great reflected on her journey from enduring the abuse at the hands of her father to inspiring others with her resilience. </p> <p>Dokic spoke from her heart, without using a teleprompter she recalled the story of her life, saying: “He took from me the time with my country, with my people, with my home." </p> <p>“Even when I came back a few years later, it was not the same. I was embraced but it was not the same up until my books and now the documentary where people can really see the power of it on screen.</p> <p>“But I don’t hate him. There is no hate, bitterness or resentment towards the media, even the trolls. I am not a hateful, bitter, resentful person. I went through what I went through, but I survived and I’m thriving today for a reason.”</p> <p>Dokic also revealed that after her tennis career ended, she hit rock bottom, battling severe depression and a lack of confidence. </p> <p>"Eleven years ago, I was in bed, unable to get up, deep in depression. I couldn’t string two sentences together. I couldn’t look people in the eye," she said.</p> <p>But with the help of a few people who believed in her, she managed to rebuild her life, writing her first book, <em>Unbreakable</em>, which gave her a platform to share her story.</p> <p>Over time, she built her confidence and transitioned to commentary, speaking engagements and now public advocacy. </p> <p>"Today, I can’t shut up," she joked. "At Channel 9, they say I can talk under water, and I’m proud of that because I couldn’t even form a sentence 11 years ago. Belief from others helped me get here, and now I want to be that person for someone else."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDbZT-bpILa/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DDbZT-bpILa/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by JELENA DOKIC 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 (@dokic_jelena)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Dokic, who is now a tennis commentator, said she strives to remain positive saying: "You will never hear me say a bad word about a player who loses 6-0, 6-0. I’ll always find something constructive to say."</p> <p>“I’ll say, ‘Not their day, it didn’t work out, got to look forward’. Always something like that, never criticise," she added. </p> <p>Her authentic and kind approach has helped her master her craft and connect with her interviewees on a deeper level. </p> <p>Dokic then went on to explain that she contemplated holding back from sharing parts of her trauma, but decided against it, saying: “I want that you see a person who has gone from victim to survivor, most importantly thriver." </p> <p>"Maybe another 13-year-old girl will think, ‘She did it. I can do it too.’"</p> <p>“I stood in the face of fear from my father to society to media. To come out and tell my story. I want to leave a legacy behind that I turned something bad into good, negative into positive, pain into power. And not even just for myself. But the ability to maybe help someone else."</p> <p>She urged the audience to create safe spaces and reject shame, stigma, and judgment, adding, "Speaking out saved my life. No silence, no shame, no judgment."</p> <p>Dokic concluded with a powerful plea for Australians to combat domestic violence and foster support for vulnerable individuals.</p> <p>“Most importantly the day that we stop talking about the most important issues in our society and we turn our backs to them, that’s when our world and our society ends.</p> <p>“So, if I could leave you with one thing — sharing my story, telling the truth, not being silent, and speaking up saved my life. No shame, no judgement, no stigma, but also no silence.”</p> <p>Dokic received a standing ovation at the end of her hour-long speech. </p> <p><em>Images: Jelena Dokic/ Instagram</em></p>

Mind

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The Great Wheelie Bin Debate rolls on: What's the correct way?!

<p>Australia is no stranger to heated debates – rugby versus Aussie rules, meat pie versus sausage roll, or which state has the best beaches. But a new challenger has emerged for the crown of most contentious topic: the humble wheelie bin.</p> <p>In the bustling inner-city suburbs, where space is as precious as a parking spot on a Friday night, one resident in Carlton, Sydney, has found themselves at the centre of the latest bin-based brouhaha. The seemingly innocuous act of placing wheelie bins for collection has sparked a clash of titanic proportions between neighbours, with one visually impaired newcomer caught in the middle.</p> <p>According to the frustrated resident, the bins in question have been making a weekly pilgrimage to the worst possible spot. “These people have been leaving their bins blocking the crossing every single bloody week since I moved here in October,” they vented.</p> <p>A photo shared online reveals the crime scene: two wheelie bins defiantly parked at a crossing entryway, appearing to guard it like bouncers at an exclusive nightclub. For anyone not blessed with perfect vision, navigating around them is less of a dance and more of a hazardous obstacle course:</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2024/12/wheelie-bins_reddit.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>“I’ve been so shocked at how the bins are put out. I see them on the street and I just question how that’s allowed... it’s a freaking jerk move,” the resident continued. Adding to the drama, they highlighted the danger: “I’m visually impaired, it’s not safe to just cross the road anywhere.”</p> <p>Bin battles are nothing new in Australia. Earlier this year, Melbourne residents went head-to-head over the correct bin-spacing protocol. Should there be a gap between bins? Should they form an impenetrable wall of waste? After what we can only imagine was a spirited exchange of opinions (and possibly garbage puns), the local council stepped in to confirm: gaps are indeed preferable.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Georges River Council’s website offers sage advice to would-be bin wranglers: “Avoid obstructing the footpath and driveways”, and for the love of all things recyclable, “never place items on the road or gutters”. This guidance, alas, has yet to penetrate the stubborn psyche of certain Carlton bin-barons.</p> <p>Our beleaguered resident, unwilling to let this trashy behaviour go unchecked, has considered taking direct action. “I’ve thought about taping a note to the bins, asking kindly to please not block the crossing, maybe explaining why it’s dangerous,” they mused. Such a note, perhaps paired with a smiley face or a diagram, could be just the diplomatic olive branch needed to defuse the situation. Or it could escalate into the neighbourhood’s first wheelie bin Cold War.</p> <p>Watch this carefully placed, wheelie-bin sized space.</p> <p><em>Images: Shutterstock, Reddit</em></p>

Home & Garden

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Up to 40% of bushfires in parts of Australia are deliberately lit. But we’re not doing enough to prevent them

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nichola-tyler-938790">Nichola Tyler</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/troy-mcewan-116967">Troy McEwan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>A recent bushfire in Kadnook, western Victoria, which destroyed at least one property and burned more than 1,000 hectares of land, is being investigated due to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-19/arson-chemists-investigate-blaze-that-destroyed-home/104621628">suspicion it was deliberately lit</a>.</p> <p>This is not an isolated example. About 28% of bushfires in south-east Australia are <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/wf/wf15054">deliberately lit</a>. The figure rises to 40% if we’re only talking about fires with a known cause.</p> <p>These figures are consistent with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722074204">international trends</a> and tell us preventing arson and unsafe fire behaviour alone could significantly reduce the number of bushfires.</p> <p>Despite this, prevention of deliberately lit bushfires is mostly absent from emergency, public health and climate action plans.</p> <h2>These fires are devastating</h2> <p>Deliberately lit bushfires can spread rapidly and have devastating consequences. They often occur <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13218719.2011.598633?casa_token=tHnKrSSDFyIAAAAA%3AVKBGpknNEYOUPMI6IPRI3GRgkUQneXo_Edy1NeAaLlpmk1xmvwkrFKzJW20ZDvE23A41rFbBMuIn">on the edge of urban areas</a> close to populated places, where there are both dense vegetation and flammable structures.</p> <p>We see a peak in bushfires during summer when hot temperatures, low rainfall, and dry conditions make fire a more potent threat.</p> <p>Climate change, land management practices, and increased interaction between people and rural areas increase our vulnerability to fire and the risks associated with deliberate fires.</p> <p>The royal commission into Victoria’s devastating Black Saturday fires in 2009 <a href="http://royalcommission.vic.gov.au/finaldocuments/summary/PF/VBRC_Summary_PF.pdf">reported</a> 173 people died and an additional <a href="https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about-us/history-major-fires/major-fires/black-saturday-2009">414 were injured</a>. The commission concluded at least three of the 15 fires that caused (or had the potential to cause) the greatest harm were deliberately lit.</p> <p>The commission concluded we need to better understand arson. It recommended research to improve how best to prevent arson and how to detect who’s at risk of offending.</p> <p>Nearly 15 years on from Black Saturday, these recommendations have not been implemented. There is also very limited evidence globally about how to prevent both bushfire arson and deliberately lit fires more broadly (for instance, fires set to structures or vehicles).</p> <h2>Who lights these fires?</h2> <p>We know little about the characteristics and psychology of people who light bushfires or how to intervene to prevent these fires.</p> <p>The little research we have suggests there is no one “profile” or “mindset” associated with deliberately lighting bushfires.</p> <p>But there are some risk factors or <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13218719.2011.598633?casa_token=83sfFv6u7bkAAAAA%3A_nqjVgizI88CsEzoYBzPR-gYqCoMWtNFwcfKw0ZUqp68uJ6Zbk9ZTu7E_oJ7dpL6RGFUv7m7qHBO#d1e341">vulnerabilities</a> we see more commonly in people who light them. These include:</p> <ul> <li> <p>an interest or fascination with fire or fire paraphernalia. This could include an interest in watching fire, or a fascination with matches or the fire service</p> </li> <li> <p>experiences of social isolation, including a lack of friends or intimate relationships</p> </li> <li> <p>increased impulsivity</p> </li> <li> <p>general antisocial behaviour, such as contact with the police, truanting or property damage</p> </li> <li> <p>difficulties managing and expressing emotions</p> </li> <li> <p>problems with being assertive.</p> </li> </ul> <p>However, most people with these vulnerabilities will never light a fire.</p> <p>Research shows <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0004867413492223">rates of mental illness are higher</a> in people who set fires (including schizophrenia, mood and anxiety disorders, personality dysfunction, and substance use disorders). However, mental health symptoms are <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315685960-19/role-mental-disorder-firesetting-behaviour-troy-mcewan-lauren-ducat">rarely a direct cause of firesetting</a>. Instead, they appear to worsen existing vulnerabilities.</p> <h2>Why do people light these fires?</h2> <p>There are many, complex reasons why people light fires. Commonly reported drivers <a href="https://www.aic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-05/tandi348.pdf">include</a>: relieving boredom or creating excitement, gaining positive recognition for putting out a fire (they want to be seen as a hero), as a cry for help, or because they’re angry.</p> <p>However, not everyone who lights a fire intends to cause serious damage or harm. In some cases, people may not be aware of the possible consequences of lighting a fire or that the fire may spread into a bushfire.</p> <p>Knowing these kinds of facts about people who light bushfires is important. However, they don’t help us prevent people from lighting fires in the first place. This is because authorities don’t always know who sets the fires.</p> <h2>So how can we prevent this?</h2> <p>First, we can learn more about why people set fires more generally, particularly those who do not attract attention from authorities.</p> <p>Research in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010440X0900073X">United States</a>, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1068316X.2015.1111365">United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13218719.2024.2346720">New Zealand</a> has started to investigate those who set fires but don’t attract police attention. The aim is to identify ways to prevent people lighting fires in the first place, and support them so they don’t light more.</p> <p>There is almost no research in Australia or internationally into the effects of community awareness, and prevention campaigns or targeted strategies to prevent firesetting, including bushfire arson, in higher risk groups.</p> <p>We know slightly more about interventions to reduce repeat firesetting. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178922000246?casa_token=OgEjtCFZfIUAAAAA:Tj-KiUQjvgF1PLR5ZjiHmgWovA83hFT3R6ZyPzWa9F6Gsbje3pJw90AqDqI1pRrvPksTboaJ8w">Fire safety education programs</a> delivered by fire and rescue services show some promise as an early intervention for children and adolescents who have already set a fire, particularly those motivated by curiosity, experimentation, or who are not aware of the consequences.</p> <p>There is also some evidence suggesting <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359178924000351?casa_token=5NtjG6-wIOcAAAAA:95TCYlrBB4dnaqEmd1fnMLmVM6_E8w2n9kCN5aGnIoVr1F1OjfifXULSCnhjWB_GCnStD80_OQ">specialist psychological interventions</a> can be effective in reducing vulnerabilities associated with adult firesetting. Forensic or clinical psychologists typically deliver a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (a type of talking therapy), skills building (such as building coping skills, emotion and impulse control, and reducing their interest in fire), and fire safety education.</p> <p>However, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(19)30341-4/fulltext">availability of firesetting interventions is patchy</a> both in Australia and internationally. Interventions that are available are also not always tailored to people with <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13218719.2011.585223#d1e398">complex needs</a>, such as those with significant emotional or behavioural problems or mental health needs. We also don’t know if these interventions lead to a long-term change in behaviour.</p> <h2>Climate change is making this urgent</h2> <p>The continued and escalating effects of climate change makes it more urgent than ever to address the problem of <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2359">deliberate firesetting, including bushfire arson</a>.</p> <p>Failing to address deliberate firesetting will have significant long-term consequences for public health, human life and the environment.</p> <p>But until funding is available for Australian arson research, identifying and helping people who are more likely to set fires will continue to be based on guesswork rather than evidence.</p> <p>As we enter another summer of high fire danger, our failure to fund arson research should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/243584/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nichola-tyler-938790">Nichola Tyler</a>, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/troy-mcewan-116967">Troy McEwan</a>, Professor of Clinical and Forensic Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/swinburne-university-of-technology-767">Swinburne University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/up-to-40-of-bushfires-in-parts-of-australia-are-deliberately-lit-but-were-not-doing-enough-to-prevent-them-243584">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Legal

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Taser victim's family break silence following verdict

<p>Clare Nowland's daughter, Kerrie Paske, has broken her silence for the first time in 18 months since her 95-year-old mum died after she was tasered by a police officer. </p> <p>On Wednesday, after Senior Constable Kristian White was found <a href="https://o60.me/6lspig" target="_blank" rel="noopener">guilty of the manslaughter</a> of her mother, Kerrie finally opened up about her grief.</p> <p>"What happened to mum shouldn't have happened. She didn't deserve it," she told <em>A Current Affair</em>. </p> <p>Kerrie broke down in tears outside the NSW Supreme Court after the jury handed down its verdict, </p> <p>She recalled the final conversation she had with her mother shortly after the incident. </p> <p>"Right at the end I just told her how much I loved her and thanked her for a beautiful life," she told<em> A Current Affair</em>.</p> <p>"Pretty quickly after that she went."</p> <p>Kerrie is one of Nowland's eight children, and said that the jury's verdict was "good news" for all of them. </p> <p>"We all think we got the best mum, she was a good mum. She was a tough lady," she added. </p> <p>"She didn't deserve that, she really didn't." </p> <p>While Nowland's family maintained their silence since her death, Kerrie revealed that they were worried their mother's memory would be tarnished because she was holding a knife during the confrontation with police. </p> <p>"At the very start of all this court case they were painting a real picture of Mum being a really vicious sort of a lady - or that's how I felt," Kerrie recalled. </p> <p>"That worried me a little bit but she's just not like that."</p> <p>"It's all very well mentioning this knife but she used to get fixated on things. It used to be pens," she explained.</p> <p>"When we first heard (of the confrontation), I thought 'I bet she thought she had a pen in her hand', but she didn't."</p> <p>Nowland is survived by her eight children, 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren, with many of them coming from Cooma to sit in the public gallery throughout the trial. </p> <p>Following the guilty verdict, Senior Constable White's employment is "under review", as he was previously suspended with pay throughout the proceedings. </p> <p>"The officer's employment is currently under review. I expect to consider that matter next week," NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb told reporters on Wednesday afternoon. </p> <p>"The death of Clare Nowland is a terrible tragedy and my deepest condolences go to the Nowland family,' Commissioner Webb added.</p> <p>"This should never have happened."</p> <p><em>Images: A Current Affair</em></p>

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Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel team up for new show

<p>With the 2024 season of <em>My Kitchen Rules</em> coming to a close, Colin Fassnidge and Manu Feildel have teamed up for a brand new show. </p> <p>At their annual Upfronts event, Channel Seven announced that the pair will host a show called <em>Off The Grid</em> in 2025.</p> <p>Speaking exclusively to <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/mkrs-colin-fassnidge-announces-new-series-with-manu-feildel-in-2025-044819605.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Yahoo Lifestyle</em></a>, Colin reveals that the series is an “off-the-beaten-path food adventure” where he and Manu travel around New Zealand for a month in a caravan.</p> <p>“We did the North Island and the South Island, and it was sort of like a chef’s dream scenario where you get to shoot, fish and hunt,” he details. “We did a lot of cooking with the Māori people, Manu and I got tattoos which wasn’t planned, I managed to split my head open - you’ll have to watch the series for that one.”</p> <p>The Irish chef explains that <em>Off The Grid</em> was a long time in the making, and was filmed “a few months ago” in between production for <em>MKR Australia</em> and <em>MKR New Zealand</em>.</p> <p>“We’ve been talking to Seven about it for years, just getting on the road,” he shares. “Manu had an idea to do a thing called ‘A Big Lap Around Australia’ and no one wanted to do it, but when we were in New Zealand I said, ‘We should do it in a caravan’. It was Manu’s idea, but I made it better."</p> <p>“We saw this little caravan in the garden one day when we were shooting <em>MKR</em> over there and we said, ‘Wouldn't it be great to do it in a 1960s caravan?’. We sent it to the producer of Screentime in New Zealand, who works very closely with Channel Seven, and he said, ‘Let’s make it happen’, and then Seven jumped on board.”</p> <p><em>Off The Grid</em> is set to air early next year on Channel Seven before the fifteenth season of <em>MKR</em> premieres, with Colin saying, “I’ve just seen the teaser for it and it looks amazing.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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"I miss her daily": Fergie opens up on friendship with Diana

<p>As the Duchess of York wraps up her visit Down Under, she has shared some of her most cherished memories in an interview with <em>9Honey</em>.</p> <p>Following a busy schedule of meet and greets as part of her book tour, Sarah Ferguson opened up on her friendship with the late Princess Diana, who, like the duchess, is a beloved member of the royal family.</p> <p>"The thing about Diana was that she had the best sense of humour of any single person I know – that's quite a big thing, so it's a really big hole because she'd get my sense of humour," the duchess told the publication.</p> <p>"It's really, really hard to really make me cackle with laughter like she used to.</p> <p>"And so, yes, I miss her daily, and I think in the '80s it was just her and I, wasn't it?"</p> <p>The two women were brought together by their marriages to then Prince Charles and Prince Andrew, and the royal affectionately recalled their strong bond.</p> <p>"There isn't anybody else to know, really, what we know because there was no social media and it was just newspaper headlines.</p> <p>"I was so proud of her, what she achieved, and she would be SO proud of her grandchildren.</p> <p>"Oh, my goodness. Can you imagine? She would be just loving every moment.</p> <p>"She was a great lady, and she still is a great lady."</p> <p>The <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">duchess</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">was originally scheduled to visit Australia in October, after she was invited by her Western Australia-based publisher, Serenity Press to showcase her commitment to literature, wellness and empowerment. However, she postponed her visit to not overshadow the King and Queen's tour. </span></p> <p>The <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">soon to be grandmother of four</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">celebrated the launch of her newest books including </span><em style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Flora &amp; Fern: Wonder in the Woods</em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> which is a children's book, and  Fabulous Food Art, which is a cookbook she created in collaboration with Melbourne mother and TikTok star Laleh Mohmedi, of Jacob's Food Diaries.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Image: </span>Alisdair Macdonald/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

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No more Mr Nice Guy: Tom Hanks blows up at movie critics

<p>Tom Hanks has taken aim at movie critics in a heated on Conan O'Brien's podcast, calling out the entire review section of the entertainment industry. </p> <p>The Hollywood actor launched into his tirade on the <em>Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend</em> podcast as he looked at how movie reviews and the general audience reception to films has changed over the years. </p> <p>“Now what happened is that time has become one of the metrics for how these things matter, right?” he said.</p> <p>“In the day it was just a fist fight. It was every movie you came out, are you going to make the playoffs or not? Guess what? No, kid, you’re 2 and 12 and you ain’t going nowhere. Or, you got a shot.”</p> <p>“It used to be you had these Rubicons that you crossed,” he continued. “First of all, do you love it or not? That’s the first thing. Yes, okay, you have crossed the Rubicon, right? The next Rubicon you cross is when the movie is completely done a year and a half later, and you see it for the first time, and you might like it. It doesn’t matter if it works or not, you look at it and say, ‘Hey, I think we acquitted ourselves pretty good.’ That’s Rubicon No. 2.”</p> <p>Hanks went on, “Then the critics weigh in, that’s Rubicon No. 3, and that’s always up down. ‘We hate it, we like it. This is the worst thing … Oh hey, oh hi Tom, I saw you in a movie. It was cute.’”</p> <p>“That’s when you ask the wife, ‘Hey, honey, could you take the revolver out of the glove box and hide it somewhere, because I think…,” Hanks joked.</p> <p>Podcast host O'Brien then brought up that Hanks was initially “disappointed” with his 1996 film <em>That Thing You Do!</em>, which marked his directorial debut, but the movie has since become a cult classic in pop culture.</p> <p>“Let me tell you something about these c***suckers who write about movies,” Hanks responded, before asking O’Brien and his co-hosts, “Can I say that?”</p> <p>“Somebody who wrote about it is, ‘Tom Hanks has to stop hanging around with veterans of TV, because this is just like the shot on TV and it’s not much of anything,’” Hanks recalled. “That same person then wrote about the cult classic <em>That Thing You Do!</em> Same exact person. They said, ‘All you need is 20 years between now and then, and it ends up speaking some words.’”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

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