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Nine-year-old Aussie ballet prodigy scores full New York scholarship

<p>A talented nine-year-old is heading to New York City, after scoring a full scholarship to a prestigious ballet school. </p> <p>Malcolm Doyle's dad Nick said he and his wife knew their son had a talent for dance from a young age, and could not be more proud of the international attention his dancing has garnered.</p> <p>"He's been doing really well here in Australia and since last year, there's been a bit of a focus from overseas," Nick told <em><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/aussie-billy-elliot-nine-year-old-ballet-prodigy-scores-scholarship-to-prestigious-new-york-academy/4e3fdf08-3fb7-41a4-89df-eb6ee4b58095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Today</a></em>.</p> <p>"He got brought in to do an audition for Chicago's A and A Ballet, who were doing a world broadcast for auditions and from there, we just started to get a bit of interest."</p> <p>"And then this year, we let him do the auditions for the Royal Ballet and he ended up in Hong Kong over Easter."</p> <p>From there, Nick said the American Ballet Theatre in New York got in contact and offered Malcolm a scholarship. </p> <p>Malcolm ultimately turned down the offer and signed with another NYC school, the Ellison Theatre, who offered the youngster a full ride. </p> <p>The family are currently saving up to buy flights over to the US to check out the school, with Nick saying they will do anything and everything to support their son's dream. </p> <p>"It's taking quite a bit of the funds out of my bank account, but the love he's got for dancing, you can't stop him and even if we wanted to, I mean we get home after he's had a full day of dance and he's still dancing around the house," Nick said.</p> <p>Malcolm's dad has a performing arts background and his mum is also a classically trained ballerina and teacher, so Nick said Malcolm was either going to inherit the genes or "end up having three left feet".</p> <p>"He went and saw a production by the Queensland Ballet on the weekend, which he had never seen before and he walked out with half the choreography memorised in his head and trying to reproduce it.," Nick said.</p> <p>After being dubbed "Australia's own Billy Elliot", the Today hosts asked Malcom what it is he loves so much about dancing.</p> <p>"It makes me feel really excited and it's so amazing for me, the feeling I get when I dance," Malcolm said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Today  </em></p>

Music

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Lionel Richie’s daughter Sofia ties the knot in lavish French wedding

<p dir="ltr">Sofia Richie, 24, has officially tied the knot with British record executive Elliot Grainge, 30, in a lavish ceremony in the south of France.</p> <p dir="ltr">The wedding took place over the weekend at the ultra exclusive Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, which boasts stunning views of the Mediterranean, and was attended by various celebrities including Cameron Diaz, Benji Madden, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, and Joel Madden.</p> <p dir="ltr">The socialite walked down the aisle with her famous dad, and has shared intimate details of the moment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My father has always been the most comforting figure in my life, and he’s kept me grounded,” Sofia told <a href="https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/sofia-richie-and-elliot-grainge-wedding" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Vogue</em></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sofia also said that she was really nervous and high on adrenaline before walking down the aisle, but her father’s words comforted her before the big moment.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was really nervous before I was going to walk down the aisle—it was like I had stage fright, my adrenaline was so high. We had over seven minutes to chat though, and he said: ‘You’re the love of my life, and I’m so happy for you.’”</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was very emotional, and I feel so lucky that I have my parents. I’m very grateful,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In another touching post, Lionel shared some sweet photos of him walking his youngest daughter down the aisle.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My little girl is all grown up and starting her own journey with the love of her life. You'll always be my little bird, but I'm so proud of the woman you've become. Endless Love to you and Elliot. 🤍” he captioned the post.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sofia stunned the crowd in a custom Chanel halter gown with a long veil embellished with resin water droplets which glistened as she walked down the aisle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sofia had also added subtle details to represent the couple’s love, including an embroidered heart and a blue embroidered S&amp;E on the inside of her dress.</p> <p dir="ltr">For her rehearsal dinner and after-party Sofia also donned custom Chanel dresses which allowed her to dance and move more freely.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram and TikTok</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Secret Shakespeare library turns the page

<p dir="ltr">The State Library of NSW has delighted booklovers and avid library-goers across Australia - and beyond - with a long-awaited announcement: their secret library celebrating the late playwright William Shakespeare is throwing its doors open again, and welcoming visitors. </p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes ahead of Shakespeare’s birthday on World Book Day - April 23  - and promises seven days of fun each week, a move that serves as an historic first for the establishment. </p> <p dir="ltr">As State Librarian John Vallance explained, “The Shakespeare Room is one of Sydney’s true hidden gems. After being closed for three years due to COVID, we are pleased to be able to again welcome Shakespeare fans and visitors alike to this unique slice of Tudor England.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Inside you’ll find hundreds of books by and about Shakespeare, as well as stained-glass windows that depict the seven ages of man from his play As You Like It. The intricate design of the plaster ceiling is modelled on Cardinal Wolsey’s closet at Hampton Court Palace.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Once known as The Shakespeare Memorial Library, the room was built to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the renowned bard’s passing. To raise funds for the endeavour, the Shakespeare of NSW held a ball in 1916, with the intention of building the room on the State Library’s Mitchell wing’s ground floor. From there, the First World War saw work delayed, and it wasn’t until the 1940s that the project was brought to completion. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, the room boasts hundreds of books by - and about - Shakespeare, and stunning stained-glass windows depicting the seven ages of man from As You Like It. And for those who happen to look up, visitors have the honour of checking out the intricately designed plaster ceiling, one modelled on Cardinal Wolsey’s closet at Hampton Court Palace.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Shakespeare Room, along with the Mitchell Reading Room of course, will no doubt become a popular attraction for ‘library tourists’ as we prepare for global celebrations to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio,” Vallance noted. </p> <p dir="ltr">The library is in possession of the only known copy - in Australia - of the 1623 First Folio, otherwise known as <em>Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, &amp; tragedies</em>. It’s the book in which 18 of the bard’s original plays were first published, and will be part of the library’s For All Time: Shakespeare in Print exhibition alongside the Second, Third, and Fourth folios.   </p> <p dir="ltr">“There are no original manuscripts in the Bard’s hand,” the library’s rare book expert Maggie Patton explained, “so this volume [the First Folio] is the closest a reader can get to the original source of many of Shakespeare’s most loved plays.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Thousands have had the opportunity to admire all that the room has had to offer over the years, from the general public to Shakespeare fanatics, and even some well-known faces - the likes of Nick Cave, Kasey Chambers, Thelma Scott, Paul Kelly, and Sir Laurence Olivier have all stopped by for a visit. </p> <p dir="ltr">And thousands more are set to, with the Shakespeare Room opening on Monday 24 April 2023, inviting guests seven days a week to explore, to learn, and to reflect. </p> <p dir="ltr">To find out more, and to check out the opening hours to plan your next visit, head on over to the State Library’s website: <a href="http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/">www.sl.nsw.gov.au</a></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: State Library [supplied]</em></p>

Books

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Speculation swirls around the new James Bond

<p dir="ltr">With Daniel Craig sipping his last shaken-not-stirred martini, the identity of the next James Bond continues to be one of Hollywood’s greatest mysteries.</p> <p dir="ltr">After years of rumours and speculation, top candidate Idris Elba is out of the running, with Hollywood sources revealing he is prioritising other roles.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result, the new top contender is 26-year-old <em>Spiderman </em>star Tom Holland - with Ladbrokes placing odds of 40/1 on him - though it’s unclear whether he will take on the challenge.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Tom Holland might not be the traditional Bond type, but the odds suggest he has a slight chance of replacing Daniel Craig, and plenty of punters seem to think the same,” Ladbrokes’ Alex Aparti told <em><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/films/1655037/next-james-bond-tom-holland-spider-man-daniel-craig-007-odds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Express UK</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though Ladbrokes are still placing <em>Superman </em>star Henry Cavill as the favourite for the next Bond, helped by the fact he auditioned for the role back in 2005 and lost out to Craig, recent reports have revealed that producers are looking to cast an actor who is under 5’10” (178cm) and looks younger than previous Bonds, per <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrity-photos/producers-have-strengthened-rumours-tom-holland-next-007/news-story/7b99d27f81c29f50dad395ed95180993" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite these new reports, bookies have rounded out the list of likely picks for the next 007 with former <em>Bridgerton </em>heartthrob Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy of <em>Mad Max </em>and <em>Venom </em>fame, and Scottish <em>Game of Thrones</em> star Richard Madden.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The race to replace Daniel Craig is firmly on,” Apati said.</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the franchise’s producers, the next Bond film is unlikely to be in cinemas until 2025, with the eighth Bond actor to be announced in the next year.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9ee6fc2c-7fff-0370-7e4d-78c1ed9cd7b9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

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Stuff-up or conspiracy? Whistleblowers claim Facebook deliberately let important non-news pages go down in news blackout

<p>On Friday, the Wall Street Journal published information from Facebook whistleblowers, alleging Facebook (which is owned by Meta) deliberately caused havoc in Australia last year <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-deliberately-caused-havoc-in-australia-to-influence-new-law-whistleblowers-say-11651768302">to influence the News Media Bargaining Code</a> before it was passed as law.</p> <p>During Facebook’s news blackout in February 2021, thousands of non-news pages were also blocked – including important emergency, health, charity and government pages.</p> <p>Meta has continued to argue the takedown of not-for-profit and government pages was a technical error. It remains to be seen whether the whistleblower revelations will lead to Facebook being taken to court.</p> <p><strong>The effects of Facebook’s “error”</strong></p> <p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-a-world-first-australia-plans-to-force-facebook-and-google-to-pay-for-news-but-abc-and-sbs-miss-out-143740">News Media Bargaining Code</a> was first published in July 2020, with a goal to have Facebook and Google pay Australian news publishers for the content they provide to the platforms.</p> <p>It was passed by the House of Representatives (Australia’s lower house) on February 17 2021. That same day, Facebook retaliated by issuing a <a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/">statement</a> saying it would remove access to news media business pages on its platform – a threat it had first made in August 2020.</p> <p>It was arguably a reasonable threat of capital strike by a foreign direct investor, in respect to new regulation it regarded as “harmful” – and which it believed fundamentally “misunderstands the relationship between [its] platform and publishers who use it to share news content”.</p> <p>However, the range of pages blocked was extensive.</p> <p>Facebook has a label called the “News Page Index” which can be applied to its pages. News media pages, such as those of the ABC and SBS, are included in the index. All Australian pages on this index were taken down during Facebook’s news blackout.</p> <p>But Facebook also blocked access to other pages, such as the page of the satirical website <a href="https://www.betootaadvocate.com">The Betoota Advocate</a>. The broadness of Facebook’s approach was also evidenced by the blocking of its own corporate page.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/feb/18/time-to-reactivate-myspace-the-day-australia-woke-up-to-a-facebook-news-blackout">most major harm</a>, however, came from blocks to not-for-profit pages, including cancer charities, the Bureau of Meteorology and a variety of state health department pages – at a time when they were delivering crucial information about COVID-19 and vaccines.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Whistleblowers emerge</strong></p> <p>The whistleblower material published by the Wall Street Journal, which was also filed to the US Department of Justice and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), includes several email chains that show Facebook decided to implement its blocking threat through a broad strategy.</p> <p>The argument for its broad approach was based on an anti-avoidance clause in the News Media Bargaining Code. The effect of the clause was to ensure Facebook didn’t attempt to avoid the rules of the code by simply substituting Australian news with international news for Australian users. In other words, it would have to be all or nothing.</p> <p>As a consequence, Facebook did not use its News Page Index. It instead classified a domain as “news” if “60% [or] more of a domain’s content shared on Facebook is classified as news”. One product manager wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>Hey everyone – the [proposed Australian law] we are responding to is extremely broad, so guidance from the policy and legal team has been to be over-inclusive and refine as we get more information.</p> </blockquote> <p>The blocking approach was algorithmic and based on these rules. There were some exceptions, that included not blocking “.gov” – but no such exclusion for “.gov.au”. The effect of this was the taking down of many charity and government pages.</p> <p>The whistleblower material makes it clear a number of Facebook employees offered solutions to the perceived overreach. This included one employee proposal that Facebook should “proactively find all the affected pages and restore them”. However, the documents show these calls were ignored.</p> <p>According to the Wall Street Journal:</p> <blockquote> <p>The whistleblower documents show Facebook did attempt to exclude government and education pages. But people familiar with Facebook’s response said some of these lists malfunctioned at rollout, while other whitelists didn’t cover enough pages to avoid widespread improper blocking.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Amendments following the blackout</strong></p> <p>Following Facebook’s news blackout, there were last-minute amendments to the draft legislation before it was passed through the Senate.</p> <p>The main change was that the News Media Bargaining Code would only apply to Facebook if deals were not struck with a range of key news businesses (which so far has not included SBS or <a href="https://twitter.com/ConversationEDU/status/1440562209206128653?s=20&amp;t=FsviAWBLX7mKumr80Qiwzg">The Conversation</a>).</p> <p>It’s not clear whether the amendment was as a result of Facebook’s actions, or if it would have been introduced in the Senate anyway. In either case, Facebook said it was “<a href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/02/changes-to-sharing-and-viewing-news-on-facebook-in-australia/">satisfied</a>” with the outcome, and ended its news blackout.</p> <p><strong>Facebook denies the accusations</strong></p> <p>The definitions of “core news content” and “news source” in the News Media Bargaining Code were reasonably narrow. So Facebook’s decision to block pages so broadly seems problematic – especially from the perspective of reputational risk.</p> <p>But as soon as that risk crystallised, Facebook denied intent to cause any harm. A Meta spokesperson said the removal of non-news pages was a “mistake” and “any suggestion to the contrary is categorically and obviously false”. Referring to the whistleblower documents, the spokesperson said:</p> <blockquote> <p>The documents in question clearly show that we intended to exempt Australian government pages from restrictions in an effort to minimise the impact of this misguided and harmful legislation. When we were unable to do so as intended due to a technical error, we apologised and worked to correct it.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Possible legal action</strong></p> <p>In the immediate aftermath of Facebook’s broad news takedown, former ACCC chair Allan Fels <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/facebook-could-face-lawsuits-for-unconscionable-conduct-over-nonnews-wipe-out/news-story/b312cef33b8e2261e8b5743f9bf87ca6">suggested</a> there could be a series of class actions against Facebook.</p> <p>His basis was that Facebook’s action was unconscionable under the <a href="http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/caca2010265/toc-sch2.html">Australian Consumer Law</a>. We have not seen these actions taken.</p> <p>It’s not clear whether the whistleblower material changes the likelihood of legal action against Facebook. If legal action is taken, it’s more likely to be a civil case taken by an organisation that has been harmed, rather than a criminal case.</p> <p>On the other hand, one reading of the material is Facebook did indeed overreach out of caution, and then reduced the scope of its blocking over a short period.</p> <p>Facebook suffered reputational harm as a result of its actions and apologised. However, if it engaged in similar actions in other countries, the balance between its actions being a stuff up, versus conspiracy, changes.</p> <p>The Wall Street Journal described Facebook’s approach as an “overly broad and sloppy process”. Such a process isn’t good practice, but done once, it’s unlikely to be criminal. On the other hand, repeating it would create a completely different set of potential liabilities and causes of action.</p> <hr /> <p><em>Disclosure: Facebook has refused to negotiate a deal with The Conversation under the News Media Bargaining Code. In response, The Conversation has called for Facebook to be “designated” by the Treasurer under the Code. This means Facebook would be forced to pay for content published by The Conversation on its platform.</em><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/182673/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rob-nicholls-91073" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rob Nicholls</a>, Associate professor in regulation and governance, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/stuff-up-or-conspiracy-whistleblowers-claim-facebook-deliberately-let-important-non-news-pages-go-down-in-news-blackout-182673" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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NSW Labor branch deletes Facebook page over memes

<p dir="ltr">The official Facebook page for a NSW branch of the Labor Party has come under fire after posting memes featuring prominent Liberal Party figures, references to Nazis, and offensive language.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-99f2bbcf-7fff-2bc8-de20-cb413fdab9c0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Balmain Labor, the “official” Facebook page for the Balmain Branch of the Labor Party, has posted several memes over the last several months that have targeted Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Pentecostal faith, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, and Tony Abbott’s former chief of staff.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/scomo-meme.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A meme about Mr Morrison’s Pentecostal faith, screen grabbed by the Daily Telegraph. Image: The Daily Telegraph</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The first post, dated January 16, was a picture of Mr Morrison from a Pentecostal service with the text, “Help me sky daddy, I f***ed up again” superimposed over the image.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-83aaf5e8-7fff-4f96-9305-a2572b137786"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Another, posted in March 4 that depicts Mr Frydenberg in a Nazi uniform under the text “Bogan’s Heroes”, has caused particular ire due to the fact his mother was a Holocaust survivor and that serveral of his relatives died in Nazi concentration camps.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/fry5.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="1024" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Josh Frydenberg was Photoshopped into a Nazi uniform in the meme. Image: The Daily Telegraph</em></p> <p dir="ltr">A third post from April 3 has been criticised for alluding to Peta Credlin, Mr Abbott’s former chief of staff, as being a witch.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90b1d35d-7fff-6eb3-653e-8acdd9cc8984"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Other posts on the page have included official ALP posts and inoffensive memes created by Labor supporters.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/meme1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A screengrab of the meme referencing Peta Credlin from Balmain Labor. Image: The Daily Telegraph</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The offensive posts emerged several hours after the Sky News debate between Mr Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, which was criticised for being “biased” against Mr Albanese by audience members, per <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10734965/Sky-News-slammed-live-air-bias-against-Anthony-Albanese-leaders-debate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Mail</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought it was a little bit unfair that Sky News gave Scott Morrison more time to speak, and kept cutting off Anthony. So yeah, I’m a little bit disappointed with that,” one woman told debate host Paul Murray.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Labor officials have said the Balmain Facebook page wasn’t an official party page and that individual branches often run their own social media without oversight, as reported by <em><a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is not an official Australian Labor Party page and its content is not authorised or endorsed by Labor,” a NSW Labor spokesman said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The images should not have been posted.”</p> <p dir="ltr">At the time of publication, the Balmain Labor Facebook page has been deleted.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ac1ab493-7fff-8bd8-5a78-d2ed60521312"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: The Daily Telegraph</em></p>

News

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Something remarkable has happened to Australia’s book pages: gender equality has become the norm

<p>For the first time in the nine-year history of the Stella Count, and perhaps in the entire history of Australian book reviewing, gender equality has become the norm in Australia’s books pages. Our new research for the Count reveals 55% of books reviewed in Australian publications in 2020 were by women.</p> <p>The Stella Count surveys 12 Australian publications – including national, metropolitan, and regional newspapers, journals and magazines – collecting data on the gender of authors and reviewers, length of review and genre of books reviewed.</p> <p><a href="https://stella.org.au/initiatives/research/the-stella-count/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In 2012 when the Count began</a>, ten of the 13 publications then surveyed reviewed more books written by men. In 2020, only three of the 12 publications currently surveyed review more books by male rather than female authors. All bar one of these publications improved the gender balance of books reviewed significantly over this period.</p> <p>Some publications have dramatically transformed their pages to better represent women authors between 2011 and 2020. The Age has increased its representation of books written by women from 38% to 55%; The Monthly, from 26% to 56%; and Brisbane’s Courier-Mail, from 43% to 54%.</p> <p>The Saturday Paper entered the Count in 2014 with 37% of books reviewed written by women; it hit 61% women authors reviewed in 2020. Likewise, the Sydney Review of Books has increased its percentage from 36% in 2015 to 70% in 2020.</p> <p>These significant gains do not mean gender bias has been eliminated from the Australian book reviewing field. Some publications continue to find the gender parity line a hard one to cross – and in general, books written by men still attract longer reviews.</p> <p>After several years of stasis, The Australian has inched closer to parity with 45% of its reviews now of books by women. Australian Book Review, however, is the only publication in our study that has not significantly improved representation of women authors over the nine years: indeed, the percentage of reviewed books by women dropped from 47% in 2019 to 43% in 2020.</p> <h2>Why does this matter?</h2> <p>About 22,500 new book titles <a href="https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2020/09/30/157402/publishing-and-the-pandemic-the-australian-book-market-in-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are published each year in Australia</a>. In a crowded marketplace, any opportunity to get a book discussed in the public eye is worth its weight in gold. Book reviews are a longstanding means of bringing attention and, possibly, acclaim to new titles.</p> <p>Our surveyed publications published 2,344 reviews in 2020. Some books received multiple reviews, meaning authors of new books have a less than 10% chance of being reviewed in one of Australia’s major book pages.</p> <p>When you look at the demographics, you would not expect Australia’s literary scene to be a place of gender bias. Women make up <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/making-art-work/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">65% of Australian writers</a>, <a href="https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2018/11/21/118475/for-love-or-money-analysing-the-employment-survey/#:%7E:text=Show%20me%20the%20money,2013%20to%20%2460%2C207%20in%202018." target="_blank" rel="noopener">77% of employees in Australian publishing</a>, and <a href="http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/528030/FinalFinalReaders-Report-24-05-17-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">61% of “frequent readers”</a>.</p> <p>But until very recently, book reviewing – like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/04/australian-version-orange-prize" target="_blank" rel="noopener">literary prizes</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/old-white-men-dominate-school-english-booklists-its-time-more-australian-schools-taught-australian-books-127110" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school syllabuses</a> – appeared to have a gender problem. There was, however, no comprehensive quantitative evidence to prove it.</p> <p>Newly-formed feminist nonprofit organisation, The Stella Prize, set out to do something about this in 2012. Inspired by <a href="https://www.vidaweb.org/the-count/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar counts happening overseas</a>, Stella began collecting statistics about the gender of authors whose books were reviewed. We began working with Stella in 2014 when it expanded the data collection in order to understand how gender bias was operating when it came to the size of reviews, the genre of books reviewed and the gender of reviewers.</p> <p>Over the ensuing years we have seen something remarkable happen: real change. Literary editors, when asked, were often surprised by the statistics, when presented with them. Or they made excuses for them: men pitch more or write books on important subjects that deserve reviewing, they said. These biases are no longer unconscious.</p> <h2>Gender disparities persist</h2> <p>While this is cause for celebration, there is still some way to go. While women writers now receive their fair share of reviews in terms of the overall number published, this does not mean they receive equal access to the actual space devoted to public literary criticism.</p> <p>Books written by women are still more likely to receive shorter or capsule reviews. Long reviews – those of 1000 words or more – continue to be largely the precinct of men, either as reviewers or as authors of books reviewed.</p> <p>Women authors receive 55% of all reviews, but only 45% of long reviews. Long reviews are the most conspicuous and prestigious, not just because of their size and prominence but because they are often written by prominent critics and accompanied by images such as book covers and author photos, which lead to market recognition.</p> <h2>Gender assumptions continue</h2> <p>Long-held assumptions about gender and reading are evident in the Stella Count data. Key among these is the idea that men are interested in books by men, and women are interested in books by women. Australian book reviews are highly partitioned by gender: female reviewers are much more likely to review books by women, and male reviewers books by men.</p> <p>Fiction reviews skew towards women as authors and reviewers (especially those written for children and young adults), and non-fiction skews towards men. This supports broader findings in relation to <a href="https://www.wlia.org.au/women-for-media-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the representation of women in Australian media</a>: that women are less likely to be called upon to offer expert commentary on topics such as politics and sport.</p> <p>Our research also offers a snapshot of the state of book reviewing in Australia. It shows the number of reviews published in our surveyed publications dropped by 15% between 2019 and 2020, when the pandemic arrived here.</p> <p>The Stella Count is now the longest-running yearly count of a nation’s book pages conducted anywhere in the world. Next year will be the Stella Count’s ten-year anniversary. The real impact of COVID-19 on the gender make up of authors and reviewers – and on Australia’s literary sector more broadly – is yet to be seen, but data collection such as the Stella Count is key to understanding it.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f28b028c-7fff-d401-9e6a-19a207e5c4ad">This article originally appeared on The Conversation.</span></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Books

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Damning full-page ad slams Ardern’s border policy

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/jacinda-ardern-popularity-plunges-as-kiwis-struggle-to-return-home/e350bbd6-907c-4bd9-be82-63037dc52269" target="_blank" rel="noopener">openly criticised</a> in a full-page ad regarding the country’s strict border policy, after news emerged of a pregnant New Zealand journalist fighting to return home to give birth.</p><p dir="ltr">The advertisement, taken out by prominent businessman Michael Horton in one of New Zealand’s most widely-read magazines, claimed that New Zealand was one of the few countries not allowing its citizens to return home.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2ce06cae-7fff-55cf-e942-5c571f5e3dc0"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Under the headline, “The following countries do not ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, the ad listed dozens of countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This ad, sponsored by Michael Horton, appears in the January 29 <a href="https://twitter.com/nzlistener?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzlistener</a>. Thank you Michael. <a href="https://twitter.com/nzgovt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nzgovt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/govtnz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@govtnz</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jacindaardern?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jacindaardern</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZGTW2iFHUr">pic.twitter.com/ZGTW2iFHUr</a></p>— Graeme Jennings (@Graeme_rj) <a href="https://twitter.com/Graeme_rj/status/1484343384357494786?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2022</a></blockquote><p dir="ltr">Above it, another headline read, “The following countries effectively ban their own citizens from returning to their home country”, with New Zealand as the only country listed.</p><p dir="ltr">The ad comes as Charlotte Bell, a 35-year-old journalist  who was working in Qatar for Al Jazeera until recently, remains stranded in Afghanistan, despite being triple-vaccinated and ready to isolate upon her return to her home country.</p><p dir="ltr">Kiwis looking to return home are required to secure a place in government-run quarantine, through a system called Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ).</p><p dir="ltr">According to the MIQ website, travellers are advised to book their place in MIQ - with spots gradually released in the months prior to flight arrivals - before booking their flights.</p><p dir="ltr">“In periods of high demand, some people will miss out on securing an MIQ voucher, regardless of the system that is used,” the website reads.</p><p dir="ltr">As a result of the high demand for the 4500 available spots, thousands of New Zealanders have been unable to return home in time to be with dying family members or be present for milestone moments.</p><p dir="ltr">The system, which used a weekly lottery system to allocate vouchers until early January, has been fully booked out for months in advance which has also meant that impromptu travel or returning for emergencies - such as in Ms Bell’s case - remains virtually impossible. </p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0e7e5743-7fff-7d75-76eb-89bdc2ad4ad7"></span></p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell published an open letter in <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-omicron-charlotte-bellis-an-open-letter-on-miq/U4WQGYTJHUP36AGVOBN3F6PJSE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New Zealand Herald</a></em> over the weekend detailing how she was forced to seek refuge in Afghanistan’s capital of Kabul, after she was no longer able to work in Qatar because it is illegal to be pregnant and unmarried there.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF;border: 0;border-radius: 3px;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/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"><div style="padding: 16px"><div style="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="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="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="flex-direction: row;margin-bottom: 14px;align-items: center"><div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;border-radius: 50%;height: 12.5px;width: 12.5px"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;height: 12.5px;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"> </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"> </div></div><div style="margin-left: auto"><div style="width: 0px;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right: 8px solid transparent"> </div><div style="background-color: #f4f4f4;flex-grow: 0;height: 12px;width: 16px"> </div><div style="width: 0;height: 0;border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left: 8px solid transparent"> </div></div></div><div style="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"><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/CZSRlVysIQF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charlotte Bellis (@charlottebellis)</a></p></div></blockquote><p dir="ltr">“This is ridiculous. It is my legal right to go to New Zealand, where I have healthcare, where I have family. All my support is there,” she <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/from-kabul-pregnant-reporter-fights-nz-govt-to-come-home/94ed99be-8bbf-4ed0-a0f3-10a77e52ff84" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">Ms Bell first attempted to secure residency in Belgium - where her partner is from - but said the length of the process meant she would have been left in the country with an expired visa.</p><p dir="ltr">With the option to either hop from country to country on tourist visas or attempt to secure a more long-term stay while she fought to return home, Ms Bell and her partner returned to Afghanistan because they had a visa, felt welcome, and could continue their battle there.</p><p dir="ltr">Critics like Mr Horton have claimed the lottery system is a needlessly punishing process as more than 90 percent of the country’s population have been fully vaccinated and boosters continue to be administered.</p><p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Ms Ardern’s approval ratings have taken a hit, with a recent 1 News Kantor poll indicating that her current approval rate sits at just 35 percent, the lowest it’s been since she became Prime Minister in 2017.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-ff3c29b5-7fff-be5f-acb9-82fc7a0f93fa"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @charlottebellis (Instagram)</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Bridgerton heartthrob to star in new heist movie

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Bridgerton</em> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">star Regé-Jean Page shocked fans when he announced his departure from the show, the actor has gone on to star in a new, untitled heist film.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written and directed by TV writer Noah Hawley, the film will be produced by Joe and Anthony Russo, the duo behind several </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Avengers</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Captain America </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">films.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for the film’s plot, those involved have remained tight-lipped regarding the details beyond the </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/rege-jean-page-starring-in-heist-film-from-noah-hawley-and-the-russo-brothers/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">idea</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that one or more items will be stolen over the course of the movie.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Page will be working with the Russo brothers for the second time, after starring alongside Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling in the brothers’ upcoming film </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Gray Man</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMfF9ubJUrY/?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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CMfF9ubJUrY/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Russo Brothers (@therussobrothers)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/why-bridgerton-s-hottest-property-said-no-to-season-two?fbclid=IwAR1TnfmpZI9HUiSs65vuJL44GOSwSWQepIDXA_31bR2gXRAxn056FL5z0us" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">his departure</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> from Netflix’s </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bridgerton</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> ahead of the second season, Page has been involved in a number of projects, including a role in Paramount’s upcoming </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dungeons &amp; Dragons</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> movie, and a starring role in the studio’s reboot of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Saint</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Page has also lent his voice to an audio play of Nail Gaiman’s <em>The Sandman</em>, with fans swooning over an excerpt of him singing in Greek.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Anyone else get goosebumps when they hear <a href="https://twitter.com/regejean?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@regejean</a> sing in Act II? Dirk Maggs and <a href="https://twitter.com/neilhimself?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@neilhimself</a> share more behind the scenes gems from making the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SandmanxAudible?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SandmanxAudible</a>: <a href="https://t.co/FENe8HpJR3">https://t.co/FENe8HpJR3</a> <a href="https://t.co/lUHJdBwKk9">pic.twitter.com/lUHJdBwKk9</a></p> — Audible (@audible_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/audible_com/status/1446158444990451713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dirk Maggs, the co-executive producer and director, also made an appearance in the clip praising Page’s musical talent.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have Regé-Jean Page as Orpheus, and it turns out that Regé-Jean Page is not only an excellent actor and an outrageously good-looking chap. He also sings like an angel,” Maggs </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.republicworld.com/entertainment-news/hollywood-news/bridgerton-star-rege-jean-page-sings-like-an-angel-for-the-sandman-audiobook-watch.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the video.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve been, and I’ve got to say, it still sends shivers up my spine.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @regejean / Instagram</span></em></p>

Movies

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Why Bridgerton’s hottest property said no to season two

<p>Regé-Jean Page isn’t returning to<span> </span><em>Bridgerton</em><span> </span>because he disliked the plans producers had for his character, the Duke of Hastings.</p> <p dir="ltr">A Hollywood source told<span> </span><em>Page Six</em> that the actor won’t be returning to<span> </span><em>Bridgerton</em><span> </span>because of “creative differences with [executive producer] Shonda Rhimes and her team”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He wasn’t happy with what was planned for his character for Season 2, which would have kept him a player but not the focal point of the show.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Page has also been “inundated with offers for other interesting and challenging leading roles”, the source continued.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLZ34Rej-4c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLZ34Rej-4c/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bridgerton (@bridgertonnetflix)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Despite these “creative differences”, Page is leaving the show on good terms.</p> <p dir="ltr">Originally signed on with a one-year deal to play male lead Simon Bassett, the Duke of Hastings, Page was drawn to the show because of the role’s “one-season arc” with a “beginning, middle, end”, he told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/rege-jean-page-bridgerton-season-2-1234942827/" target="_blank"><em>Variety</em></a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The recent announcement of his departure from the popular Netflix drama - watched by 82 million households worldwide - left fans distraught ahead of the second season.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpX0A1DMbG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLpX0A1DMbG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bridgerton (@bridgertonnetflix)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Show creator and script writer Chris Van Dusen hoped both the Duke (Page) and Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) would return following their romance in the show’s debut season.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I would love to be able to see them again and also at the same time explore the other brothers and sisters of the family,” Van Dusen told<span> </span><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The British actor was reportedly offered an opportunity to return in Season 2 “as a guest star in three to five episodes'' but turned it down, according to<span> </span><em>The Hollywood Reporter</em>. Although he had several reasons, this included “an awareness that Simon would not be a focal point in Season 2.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, Page is focusing on his movie career and has been offered a flood of film offers. He is also set to star in the upcoming film<span> </span><em>Dungeons and Dragons</em><span> </span>alongside Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, and Justice Smith.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNK71Dxjer8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNK71Dxjer8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Regé-Jean Page (@regejean)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">In his farewell to the show, posted along with a picture of himself on horseback as Simon, Page wrote, “The ride of a lifetime. It’s been an absolute pleasure and privilege to be your Duke. Joining this family - not just on screen, but off screen too.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our incredibly creative and generous cast, crew, outstanding fans - it’s been beyond anything I could have imagined. The love is real and will just keep growing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As for<span> </span><em>Bridgerton</em>, the next season will see the return of Dynevor playing Daphne Bridgerton, though the focus will be on eldest brother Anthony Bridgerton, played by Jonathan Bailey, and his quest for marriage.</p>

TV

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Backlash over suggested new term for "pregnant woman"

<p><span>Melbourne radio host Tom Elliott critiqued "politically correct idiocy" that he believes is filtering into Australia from the UK.</span><br /><br /><span>Elliot accused the UK of trying to "de-genderise the English language", and labelled it "very strange stuff".</span><br /><br /><span>His anger stems from the call to change the term “breastfeeding” to “chest feeding” as a way to be inclusive.</span><br /><br /><span>The move was followed by a similar decision made by the Australian National University.</span><br /><br /><span>"ANU is committed to equity and diversity and ensuring we reflect the broad nature, background and experiences of Australians and our society, as well as a being a safe and welcoming campus for all people," a university spokesperson informed Yahoo News Australia last week.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.2817904374364px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836441/senior-pregnant.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fdfd6af96ded4acab24b490117e52059" /></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><span>Harriet Shing, Victoria's first openly gay female MP, called for inclusive language to start being used in Australia.</span><br /><br /><span>This includes the removal of gender when referring to someone who is pregnant.</span><br /><br /><span>The Australian National University’s Gender Institute guide also has similar advice and suggests using the terms “gestational” or “birthing parent” rather than “mother”, and the terms “non-gestational” or “non-birthing parent” rather than “father”.</span><br /><br /><span>“This is madness in the UK and they’re pursuing this politically correct idiocy with great fervour over there [and] it is spreading here," Elliott said on 3AW.</span><br /><br /><span>On Thursday, the use of the term “person” over “mother” in legislation allowing cabinet ministers maternity leave was rejected.</span><br /><br /><span>"This amendment means the law will no longer protect trans and non-binary individuals as it should," transgender charity Mermaid said in response.</span></p> <p><span><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840054/4pm-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5bb9f4f3ce684068bfb0eb13adc4a691" /></span></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em><img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="/nothing.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/5bb9f4f3ce684068bfb0eb13adc4a691" /></p> <p><span>"This is yet another example of an insidious campaign that follows a pattern of taking a minority group and portraying them as a threat to women, but providing no evidence."</span><br /><br /><span>Elliott's angry words follow behind toy giant Hasbro who announced it would be dropping the honourifics from Mr and Mrs Potato Head.</span></p>

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Sarah Harris apologises over Elliot Page pronoun “mishap”

<p>Channel 10 morning show host Sarah Harris has apologised to actor Elliot Page, after using the wrong pronouns on Wednesday when discussing the star coming out as transgender.</p> <p>The Juno star took to Instagram to say: “I want to share with you that I am trans, my pronouns are he/they and my name is Elliot.”</p> <p>While discussing his transition on Studio 10, Harris referred to Page with female pronouns and said it was “confusing”.</p> <p>Harris was criticised on social media for using the wrong pronouns and making a joke out of the star’s coming out.</p> <p>The host then took to her own Twitter on Wednesday afternoon to issue an apology, before appearing on the show on Thursday morning to give a formal apology.</p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQ1QFBhNFg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CIQ1QFBhNFg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by @elliotpage</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“I need to apologise for my reaction that I had yesterday when we first announced the news about Elliot Page,” Harris said.</p> <p>“I completely got flustered around the pronouns, and made a joke. That was insensitive, it was a genuine mistake and I am so sorry. It was just a brain snap.</p> <p>“Lots of people said don’t apologise, but I felt really lousy and I would hate to have anyone feel like I was attacking them in that way.</p> <p>“It was just a moment. I am really sorry about that and genuinely sorry.</p> <p>“I like to own my mistakes and it made me feel pretty lousy, so that is my apology.”</p> <p>The Oscar-nominated actor, also known for roles in The Umbrella Academy and Inception, was met with an outpouring of support after the Instagram post.</p>

News

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Pauline Hanson launches GoFundMe page to battle QLD border closures

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Controversial One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson is hoping to file a case against the Queensland Government after they refuse to open their borders to tourism.</p> <p>She claims that the closures have become unconstitutional and that there is no official advice from federal authorities saying they’re required.</p> <p>If the Queensland Premier is unable to provide official documents stating why the borders have to remain closed by tomorrow afternoon, High Court action could be just weeks away.</p> <p>As taking cases to the High Court isn’t cheap, Hanson has set up a GoFundMe page to help fund the case, with the goal of raising $1,000,000.</p> <p>The fight to take the issue to the High Court came after the Queensland Premier said that the borders would stay closed until at least September, a statement that was backed up by the state’s chief medical officer.</p> <p>Pauline Hanson has this morning told <em>The Today Show</em> there’s no reason the borders shouldn’t open now.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">"I'm all for leadership but this is a dictatorship and it's ridiculous." Pauline Hanson is threatening to take Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to the High Court if she doesn't reopen the state's borders. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/9Today?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#9Today</a> <a href="https://t.co/6XFDH49mmO">pic.twitter.com/6XFDH49mmO</a></p> — The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTodayShow/status/1265377851353763840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>“We may not have a cure for the coronavirus, a vaccine for another year or two, we can’t keep the borders closed that long.</p> <p>“It’s a virus that we have to live with. Just because you get coronavirus, doesn’t mean that it’s a death sentence.</p> <p>“It will affect those people with underlying health issues, but the whole fact is that we’re destroying our economy more so than what the coronavirus is.</p> <p>“Tell me, 100 deaths because of the coronavirus, and last year we had over 900 because of the flu.</p> <p>“So go figure there, we didn’t close the borders because of the flu, so we have closed them because of coronavirus.</p> <p>“People are getting depression, suicide, businesses are closing, losing homes, losing businesses.</p> <p>“And the majority of people last that I’ve heard, 67 percent wants the borders opened.”</p> </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

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How to unfollow a page on Facebook using your phone or computer

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfollowing a page on Facebook is easy as you don’t have to unlike the page either.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfollowing the page means that notifications and updates won’t appear in your News Feed, but you’ll be able to access the page and its posts if you go to it manually.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are two ways to unfollow a page on both mobile and desktop.</span></p> <p><strong>How to unfollow a page on Facebook on your computer</strong></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Log in to Facebook on a browser on your computer.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Get to the page you want to unfollow.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hover over the “Following” button on the page and select “unfollow this page”.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You will receive a notification that says “You have unfollowed [page] and will no longer see posts from this page in your News Feed”. Click on “Done”.</span></li> </ol> <p><strong>How to unfollow a page on Facebook from your News Feed</strong></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select the three dots in the upper right hand corner on the page’s post in your News Feed. </span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select “Unfollow [page].</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See? Simple! Onto mobile devices.</span></p> <p><strong>How to unfollow a page on Facebook from your mobile device</strong></p> <ol> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android phone.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Go to the page that you want to unfollow.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select the three dots in the top right corner and hit “Following”.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Select the “Unfollow” option under the “In Your News Feed” section. You are also able to turn off page notifications in this section by tapping on “Edit Notification settings”.</span></li> </ol> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfollowing a page on Facebook from your News Feed on mobile is the same as it is on a computer.</span></p>

Technology

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Fan saves Yellow Wiggle’s life during bushfire relief concert

<p>A nurse, who also happens to be a long time Wiggles fan since she was a child, has been titled a hero for “saving the life” of founding member Greg Page after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a bushfire relief concert in Sydney.</p> <p>Page, the original Yellow Wiggle, required CPR and a defibrillator after he suffered from a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest after the show on Friday night.</p> <p>Hundreds of fans witnessed the 48-year-old fall to the ground as he walked off the stage on Friday night.</p> <p>Nurse Grace Jones performed CPR on Page with the help of Drummer Steve Pace and Wiggles staff member Kimmy Antoinelli.</p> <p>Ms Jones then used a defibrillator supplied by Castle Hill RSL, where the concert was held.</p> <p>Page was then taken to Westmead Hospital where he underwent surgery, with Wiggles manager Paul Field saying he’s expected to remain in hospital for some time.</p> <p>“He was in such a serious way last night, Field told Channel Seven.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">We’ve visited Greg this morning &amp; he wanted to thank everyone for their well wishes. He’s so grateful for the messages of love &amp; support from⁣ around the world. Greg’s main concern was that the show tonight should go on.⁣ Let’s do it for Greg whilst raising much needed funds <a href="https://t.co/8CBT7P8roA">pic.twitter.com/8CBT7P8roA</a></p> — The Wiggles (@TheWiggles) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWiggles/status/1218338577429327872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">18 January 2020</a></blockquote> <p>“He needed CPR, we had two of our cast and crew working on him. They used a defibrillator on this three times. He was in a bad way,” he said.</p> <p>“The ambulance took him here (to Westmead Hospital). I was so relieved that the blood was back in his face, he was talking, he was quite groggy. It was overwhelming relief."</p> <p>Mr Field said Page had stopped breathing and had to be revived multiple times.</p> <p>“I took charge. I didn’t mean to, but I did,” Ms Jones told the ABC.</p> <p>“I think I was the only one there who had any first aid training, so I just started to do what I do at work,” she said.</p> <p>NSW Ambulance chief inspector Brian Parsell said the swift response “saved Greg’s life”.</p> <p>“When I was on stage and Greg was stabilised I asked who the person who used the defib was and Grace anxiously stepped forward,” he said.</p> <p>Page left the children’s band in 2006 due to health complications but made a comeback in 2012.</p>

Music

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Understanding the financial pages

<p>Looking at the financial pages of the daily newspaper may seem like a bewildering onslaught of information with reams of market statistics and measurements. This can make the investment world seem quite complex and intimidating, but when you break it down and try to grasp each of the component parts, it is well within the capacity of most lay people to understand.</p> <p>Here are a few tips that may help to get you started:<strong><br />Firstly, a word of warning</strong><br />Beware of the temptation to start reading the financial pages in the same way you would read the form guide for horse racing!</p> <p>It is easy to get caught up in habit of tracking daily movements of particular share values, but this can distract you from the taking the broad, long term view that is so essential to successful investing. In short, don’t be tempted to try and ‘pick winners’.</p> <p><strong>Understanding the ASX table</strong><br />The financial section of the newspaper will normally show the full list of companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. Next to each company will be a range of figures, usually beginning with the price of the share for that company at the end of the previous day’s trading. Some publications will also show a three letter ‘ASX code’ used to identify the company.</p> <p>Other measurements shown on this table include:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Weekly volume</strong> – The total number of shares of a company that were bought and sold within the last week.</li> <li><strong>Price movements</strong> – This may be shown as the price change since the previous day’s closing price, or it may be shown as a change over the previous week and some financial tables will even show the change over the last 12 months.</li> <li><strong>Dividend yield percentage</strong> – This figure is sometimes also shown and is the amount a company pays out in dividends each year as a percentage of the current share price. For example, if a particular share has a value of $100 and has paid a dividend of $5 then its dividend yield is 5% ($5 divided by $100).</li> </ul> <p><strong>Market indices</strong> <br />While the ASX table breaks down the performance of each company separately, you can also look at the collective performance of the market as a whole via the ‘All Ordinaries Index’. This tracks the movement of the total value of all shares on the exchange and the change over the last week and month may also be shown.</p> <p>Apart from the All Ordinaries Index, there are also a range of other sub-indices which indicate the performance of different segments of the market. The ASX 200, for example, is an index that tracks the change in collective value of the largest 200 public companies.</p> <p>Some indices focus on specific industrial segments. The S&amp;P ASX200 Energy Index, for example, measures the largest 200 energy companies. There are indices for and range of other sectors, such as health care, industry, finance, and metals and mining.</p> <p><strong>International markets</strong><br />Financial pages will also usually show various indices for major stock markets in other countries, such as the Dow Jones index in the USA, the FTSE in the UK and the Hang Seng in China.</p> <p><strong>Commodity prices</strong><br />The prices and price changes of key commodities are also a feature of many financial pages. Oil and gold are two such commodities that will usually be shown because of their importance as indicators of the general direction of the world economy and of market sentiment.</p> <p><strong>Exchange rates</strong><br />These are another important indicator of economic conditions and the state of the economies of different countries relative to each other. The financial pages will usually show the daily movement of the Australian Dollar against major world currencies, such as the US Dollar, the Euro and the Yen.</p> <p>There can be many factors within each country’s domestic economy which influence the movements in exchange rates. These can include interest rates, inflation, political stability, government debt and terms of trade.</p> <p><strong>Making sense of it all</strong><br />It would obviously take quite some time if you were to review and analyse all the items being reported and measured on the daily financial pages. Even if you do have the time to do that, it takes a considerable amount of skill and experience to interpret what different movements mean.</p> <p>Often the day to day movements in things like share prices and exchange rates are the result of transient factors and it is only a consistent analysis over a long period of time that can start to make a coherent interpretation.</p> <p>While it can be interesting to follow the fluctuating fortunes of particular shares, or the daily machinations of indices, commodities and exchange rates, it helps to have a financial adviser on your side to look at the bigger, long term picture.</p> <p>They will have access to expert research resources that constantly analyse markets at home and abroad and can position you to grow wealth without the need to personally keep track of day to day changes.</p> <p>Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.wyza.com.au/articles/money/financial-planning/understanding-the-financial-pages.aspx">Wyza.com.au.</a></p>

Legal

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Australia’s “sh*ttest town” accuses popular Facebook page of bullying

<p>The hugely popular Facebook page known as “<a rel="noopener" href="https://www.facebook.com/shittownsofaustralia/" target="_blank">Sh** Towns of Australia</a>” has ruffled a few feathers with their latest judgement of saying that the industrial South Australian town of Port Pirie is the “sh****t town in Australia”.</p> <p>The owners of the page, Geoff Rissole and Rick Furphy, stand by their harsh judgement of the town.</p> <p>“I wouldn’t feel safe going back to Port Pirie,” Rissole told<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/australias-shttest-town-port-pirie-in-sa-accuses-popular-facebook-page-of-bullying/news-story/e839dfbace8acd02ee685c7432805866" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>.</p> <p>“And that’s only partly because of the anger towards us.”</p> <p>The industrial town was reviewed by the page in the beginning and the town was not happy at all with the judgement.</p> <p>“They reacted quite badly,” Rissole said. “They were very, very angry. It was one of our early reviews and we thought it’d be funny to keep winding them up. It’s only gotten funnier.</p> <p>“They keep getting angry about it and so it’s become a self-fulfilling prophecy.”</p> <p>The Facebook page now has 165,000 followers who are eagerly awaiting to see if their town makes the list.</p> <p>Every week, a new “power ranking” is published of the 10 worst towns in the last week. No matter what’s happened during the week though, Port Pirie always makes the list with the justification that it’s “still sh*t”.</p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshittownsofaustralia%2Fphotos%2Fa.504757439959396%2F797121977389606%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="614" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>Independent MP Geoff Brock who represents the town in State Parliament says that it’s “bullying on social media”.</p> <p>However, Rissole says that those who are offended “don’t pick up on the context” of the page.</p> <p>“It’s written very tongue-in-cheek. It’s meant to be over the top and a bit cartoonish. Some people just don’t pick up on that context,” Rissole said.</p> <p>“Particularly with older people, there’s a belief that if something is written down then it has some credibility or authority, rather than just being two people on the internet having a laugh. We often get Boomers messaging us saying: ‘Why does Facebook let you do this?’”</p> <p>Mount Gambier is another town who’s not pleased with their judgement of having a “sh*t town”.</p> <p>“I spoke to someone in Mount Gambier recently who said they had three days of talkback radio segments with Boomers just p*ssed off,” Rissole said.</p> <p>“But that week, the biggest headline in the paper was about the Baker’s Delight moving shops down the road. There’s not a lot going on in Mount Gambier.”</p>

Travel Trouble

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Prince Harry and Meghan just announced all 10 members of their bridal party

<p>Just days out from the royal wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have revealed their bridal party – and it will a group of 10 adorable bridesmaids and page boys.</p> <p>In keeping with royal tradition, the bridal party will be all children and Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 3, will have a starring role, Kensington Palace confirmed on Wednesday.</p> <p>Several of Harry and Meghan’s godchildren and children of their friends will also serve in the bridal party.</p> <p><img width="461" height="259" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/EJZCNPFyC5Zg8iTmTERv-o3Nvag=/396x0/http%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2F_%2Fmedia%2F2018%2F05%2F16%2F19%2F16%2F1605_hon_bridalparty_3.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>Here’s who will be joining George and Charlotte in their bridal party duties:</p> <p>Miss Florence van Cutsem, 3, daughter of Alice van Cutsem and Major Nicholas van Cutsem, and a goddaughter of Harry.</p> <p>Miss Remi Litt, 6, and her sister Rylan, 7, daughters of Benita Litt, LA-based brand curator and bag designer, and Darren Litt. Both girls are Meghan’s goddaughters.</p> <p>Miss Ivy Mulroney, 4, the daughter of Jessica Mulroney, a stylist and friend who has been helping Meghan, and Benedict Mulroney, who is the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney.</p> <p>Miss Zalie Warren, 2, daughter of Zoe Warren and Jake Warren, and a goddaughter of Harry.</p> <p>Jasper Dyer, 6, son of Harry’s old friend and mentor Mark Dyer.</p> <p>Twins Brian and John Mulroney, 7, the brothers of Ivy and sons of the Mulroneys.</p> <p>As Kensington Palace announced earlier this month, <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/2018/05/why-meghan-markle-wont-have-a-maid-of-honour-at-her-royal-wedding/">Meghan has decided not to have a maid of honour.</a></span></strong></p> <p> “She has a very close-knit circle of friends and she didn’t want to choose one over another,” a palace spokesman said. “All have been actively involved in helping her prepare for the day and will be there in the days beforehand. She’s very happy to have their support.”</p> <p>Prince Harry, however, will have a best man. His older brother, Prince William, will do the honours just as Harry did for William on his wedding day in 2011.</p>

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Anne Frank's diary: "Dirty jokes” found hidden in pages

<p>Researchers using digital technology have deciphered the writing on two pages of Anne Frank’s diary that she had pasted over with brown masking paper, discovering four naughty jokes and a candid explanation of sex, contraception and prostitution.</p> <p>“Anyone who reads the passages that have now been discovered will be unable to suppress a smile,” said Frank van Vree, director of the Netherlands Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies.</p> <p>“The ‘dirty’ jokes are classics among growing children. They make it clear that Anne, with all her gifts, was above all also an ordinary girl.”</p> <p>Anne, age 13 at the time, wrote the two pages on September 28, 1942, less than three months after she, her family and another Jewish family went into hiding from the Nazis in a secret annex behind a house in Amsterdam. They would live there for two years until they were discovered and ultimately deported to Auschwitz.</p> <p><img width="465" height="310" src="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/9766126-3x2-700x467.jpg" alt="Large screen showing hidden pages of Anne Frank's diary" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>In her diary, perhaps fearing prying eyes, Anne had covered some pages over with brown paper with an adhesive backing like a postage stamp.</p> <p>Their content has remained a mystery for decades – until now.</p> <p>The pages contained four jokes about sex which Anne described as “dirty” and an explanation of women’s sexual development, sex, contraception and prostitution.</p> <p>“They bring us even closer to the girl and the writer Anne Frank,” Ronald Leopold, executive director of the Anne Frank House museum, said Tuesday.</p> <p>Experts say the newly discovered pages reveal more about her development as a writer than it does about her interest in sex.</p> <p>In other parts of her diary, Anne explored issues around sexuality, her anatomy and her impending period.</p> <p>Those particular passages were censored by her father when the diary was first published in 1947 but became available in recent unabridged editions.</p> <p>In the passage on sex, Anne described how a young woman gets her period around age 14, saying that it is “a sign that she is ripe to have relations with a man but one doesn’t do that of course before one is married.”</p> <p>On prostitution, she wrote: “All men, if they are normal, go with women, women like that accost them on the street and then they go together. In Paris they have big houses for that. Papa has been there.”</p> <p>One of her jokes was this: “Do you know why the German Wehrmacht girls are in Holland? As mattresses for the soldiers.”</p> <p>Another joke: “A man had a very ugly wife and he didn’t want to have relations with her. One evening he came home and then he saw his friend in bed with his wife, then the man said: ‘He gets to and I have to!!!”’</p> <p>The deciphering was done by researchers from the Anne Frank museum, the Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Huygens Institute of Netherlands History.</p>

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Royal wedding guests given seven pages of rules to follow

<p>All major events come with logistical issues that need to be solved, and a royal wedding is no different.</p> <p>To avoid any hiccups on May 19, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot, their guests have been sent a seven-page “critical guidance” booking, reported the <em><a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5695351/The-army-help-Meghan-look-best-big-day-strict-dos-donts-list.html" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mail</strong></span></a>.</em></p> <p>In the book, guests are advised on how to best enjoy the day and are informed that cameras and gifts are banned.</p> <p>On the day of the wedding, guests must meet at the Windsor Farm Shop, roughly 5km from the venue, and they will then go through security checks and be asked to show identification.</p> <p>Once they pass the checks, they will be ushered onto coaches to travel to Windsor Castle.</p> <p>Items such as cameras, bulky bags and phones have been banned from the royal ceremony and reception.</p> <p>The couple have asked for charity donations if guests wish to gift them with a present for their wedding. However, for those who are still hoping to give the royal couple a tangible present, they have been warned that gifts are not allowed to be brought in with guests.</p> <p>"It should be noted that gifts cannot be brought to St George's Chapel or the Reception that follows at Windsor Castle.</p> <p>"Guests are advised to seek further guidance on delivery arrangements for any gifts to Kensington Palace."</p> <p>In the wedding invitation, the dress code was already communicated to guests, who must wear dress uniform, morning coat or lounge suit for men, and day dress and hat for women.</p> <p>The “critical guidance” book also says that guests should not wear medals or swords when they go to accessorise their outfit.</p> <p>Guests have also been warned that the toilet facilities will be unavailable during the wedding ceremony.</p> <p>“Guests are advised that there are very limited toilet facilities in St George’s Chapel, but these are available for guests’ use between 9 am and 11 am at which point this facility will become restricted for the duration of the service.”</p> <p>Have you ever attended a wedding with strict guest rules you had to follow? Tell us in the comments below. </p>

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