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John Farnham spotted with family in rare public appearance

<p>John Farnham has been spotted in a rare public outing at Coldplay's concert in Melbourne. </p> <p>The music legend was seen alongside his wife Jill and their two sons, Robert and James, at Marvel Stadium on Sunday to watch the British rockers on their tour around Australia. </p> <p>A heart-warming photo of the family was shared on Instagram by Robert, who captioned the snap, "We were guests of @coldplay last night at Marvel Arena."</p> <p>"They were amazing. Was a pretty special night."</p> <p>With Farnham in the audience, Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin announced to the crowd, "Mr John Farnham’s in the building,” prompting huge cheers.</p> <p>The band then performed a call and response with the audience, singing the chorus of Farnham’s 1986 hit <em>You’re The Voice</em>.</p> <div class="embed" style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: currentcolor !important;"><iframe class="embedly-embed" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; border-style: none; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px; max-width: 100%; outline: currentcolor !important;" title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7431785816692673808&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40leonsjogren%2Fvideo%2F7431785816692673808%3Flang%3Den%26q%3Dcoldplay%2520you%2527re%2520the%2520voice%26t%3D1730762516834&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp16-sign-sg.tiktokcdn.com%2Ftos-alisg-p-0037%2FokJQIEjwILAGaREAgjlGoLCPg3AfOIOGrDleCe%7Etplv-dmt-logom%3Atos-alisg-i-0068%2FoAdQgCIIKHAABjn8SFwlEpEAGD3efXAjRACHBU.image%3Flk3s%3Db59d6b55%26x-expires%3D1730934000%26x-signature%3DsD967phpvU5baA%252B8Os3e67rKWa4%253D%26shp%3Db59d6b55%26shcp%3D-&key=59e3ae3acaa649a5a98672932445e203&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>James Farnham later posted a video of the special moment on Instagram, writing, "Coldplay’s little tribute to dad. Was pretty cool! Such a sick show!"</p> <p>Farnham’s legion of fans jumped on social media to react to the singer’s surprise appearance.</p> <p>“We were there and hearing that JF was in the house made my absolute year. Sssooo happy to see you all out and about enjoying life together. Please pass on my love,” one fan said.</p> <p>“Awww amazing, what a prestigious honour and none more deserving than The Farnhams! Glad to see you all have a wonderful night together,” added another.</p> <p>“Aw your dad looks amazing Rob! Bet you guys had a sensational time,” a third said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

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1 in 5 Australians admit they don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/christine-carson-109004">Christine Carson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a></em></p> <p>Do you wash your hands every time you use the toilet? How about before you handle food? Be honest.</p> <p>Australia’s Food Safety Information Council has released its <a href="https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/topic/latest-report-card-on-aussie-handwashing-blokes-still-need-to-do-better-global-handwashing-day-15-october-2024/">latest report card</a> on the country’s hand washing habits. It found 19% of Australians don’t wash their hands every time they use the toilet. Close to half (42%) admit they don’t always wash hands before handling food.</p> <p>So who’s doing well when it comes to hand hygiene, who’s not – and why does it matter?</p> <h2>What did the report find?</h2> <p>The new report surveyed hand washing practices of 1,229 people. Results were consistent with what we’ve learned from <a href="https://www.foodsafety.asn.au/topic/latest-research-shows-improvement-in-aussie-handwashing-but-blokes-still-need-to-do-better-global-handwashing-day-15-october-2023/">similar surveys</a>.</p> <p>Once again, women do better than men at washing their hands after using the toilet, although only slightly (80% of men say they do every time, versus 83% of women). Just 55% of men wash their hands before touching food, compared to 62% of women.</p> <p>Age also seemed to make a difference. Under 34 years old, 69% of people washed their hands every time they used the toilet. Over age 65, that jumped to 86%.</p> <p>Although some of these differences aren’t completely unexpected – such as <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2020/02/women-hand-washing-more-than-men-why-coronavirus.html">the gap</a> between men’s and women’s hand washing habits – the reasons remain unclear.</p> <h2>Why don’t people wash their hands?</h2> <p>Public health messaging often focuses on how to wash hands well. But there’s less research that follows up on how widely people actually adopt these practices. And to understand why – if they are skipping the soap and water – those messages might not be getting through effectively.</p> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33998334/">One study</a> that looked at this question in India asked school children about barriers to hand washing. The vast majority (91%) had low “illness threat perception”. In other words, they simply didn’t perceive a risk of getting sick form not washing their hands after going to the toilet.</p> <p>Interestingly, the inability to see germs with their own eyes was one of the biggest barriers, cited by 46% of the children. But 72% said they would wash their hands if their friends did.</p> <p>It’s tempting to speculate these reasons may also apply to other age groups, but we simply haven’t done enough research to know. People’s reasons for hand washing, or not, likely vary across their lifetime and with their circumstances.</p> <h2>What are the risks?</h2> <p>Urine and faeces contain millions of germs, especially faeces, which has more than <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-poo-is-mostly-alive-heres-whats-in-it-102848">100 billion</a> germs per gram.</p> <p>When you use the toilet and touch surfaces in the bathroom, you will pick up germs. People who skip the hand washing step on the way out take those germs with them when they leave, depositing them on each surface they touch afterwards.</p> <p>You may not get sick yourself, but you’re increasing the spread of bacteria. This can increase the risk of infection and illness for other people, including those with compromised immune systems such as older people and those undergoing common forms of treatment for cancer.</p> <p>Hand washing before cooking and eating is also important. The risk here goes both ways. If you have disease-causing germs on your hands (maybe because you didn’t wash them after the toilet) you may transfer them to the food where they can multiply and even produce toxins. People who eat the food may then get sick, often involving vomiting and diarrhoea.</p> <p>In the other direction, some foods naturally carry germs before cooking – such as <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7697675/">salmonella and campylobacter bacteria in raw poultry</a>. If you don’t wash your hands after handling these foods you may transfer them to other surfaces and risk spreading infection.</p> <h2>How should I wash my hands?</h2> <p>Follow these three simple tips for hand washing correctly:</p> <ol> <li> <p><strong>wet</strong> your hands and rub them together well to build up a good lather with soap for at least 20 seconds and don’t forget to wash between your fingers and under your nails. You might have to use a nail brush</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>rinse</strong> well under running water to remove the bugs from your hands</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>dry</strong> your hands thoroughly on a clean towel for at least 20 seconds. Touching surfaces with moist hands encourages bugs to spread from the surface to your hands.</p> </li> </ol> <h2>What about hand sanitiser?</h2> <p>If no running water is available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser. These rapidly inactivate a wide range of germs, rendering them non-infectious. Hand sanitisers are effective against a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513254/#_article-17334_s3_">wide range of bacteria and viruses</a> that can cause many common gastrointesintal and respiratory infections.</p> <p>However if your hands are soiled with organic matter – such as blood, faeces, meat, sand or soil – they won’t be effective. In that case you should clean your hands with soap and water.</p> <h2>The bottom line</h2> <p>Hand washing is a bit like wearing a seat belt — you do that every time you get in a car, not just on the days you “plan” to be involved in an accident. The bottom line is hand washing is a simple, quick intervention that benefits you and those around you — but only if you do it.<!-- 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/241481/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/christine-carson-109004">Christine Carson</a>, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</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/1-in-5-australians-admit-they-dont-wash-their-hands-every-time-they-use-the-toilet-241481">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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How can we improve public health communication for the next pandemic? Tackling distrust and misinformation is key

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shauna-hurley-203140">Shauna Hurley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-ryan-1522824">Rebecca Ryan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe University</a></em></p> <p>There’s a common thread linking our <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/history-of-pandemics-deadliest/">experience of pandemics</a> over the past 700 years. From the black death in the 14th century to COVID in the 21st, public health authorities have put emergency measures such as isolation and quarantine in place to stop infectious diseases spreading.</p> <p>As we know from COVID, these measures upend lives in an effort to save them. In both the <a href="https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/pandemic-protests-when-unrest-and-instability-go-viral">recent</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3559034/">distant past</a> they’ve also given rise to collective unrest, confusion and resistance.</p> <p>So after all this time, what do we know about the role public health communication plays in helping people understand and adhere to protective measures in a crisis? And more importantly, in an age of misinformation and distrust, how can we improve public health messaging for any future pandemics?</p> <p>Last year, we published a <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD015144/full">Cochrane review</a> exploring the global evidence on public health communication during COVID and other infectious disease outbreaks including SARS, MERS, influenza and Ebola. Here’s a snapshot of what we found.</p> <h2>The importance of public trust</h2> <p>A key theme emerging in analysis of the COVID pandemic globally is public trust – or lack thereof – in governments, public institutions and science.</p> <p>Mounting evidence suggests <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/01/trust-lancet-covid-study/">levels of trust in government</a> were <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)00172-6/fulltext">directly proportional</a> to fewer COVID infections and higher vaccination rates across the world. It was a crucial factor in people’s willingness to follow public health directives, and is now a key focus for future pandemic preparedness.</p> <p>Here in Australia, public trust in governments and health authorities steadily eroded over time.</p> <p>Initial information from governments and health authorities about the unfolding COVID crisis, personal risk and mandated protective measures was generally clear and consistent across the country. The establishment of the <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1920/Quick_Guides/AustralianCovid-19ResponseManagement#_Toc38973752">National Cabinet</a> in 2020 signalled a commitment from state, territory and federal governments to consensus-based policy and public health messaging.</p> <p>During this early phase of relative unity, <a href="https://theconversation.com/inflation-covid-inequality-new-report-shows-australias-social-cohesion-is-at-crossroads-195198">Australians reported</a> higher levels of belonging and trust in government.</p> <p>But as the pandemic wore on, public trust and confidence fell on the back of conflicting state-federal pandemic strategies, blame games and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-lost-the-plot-on-covid-messaging-now-governments-will-have-to-be-bold-to-get-us-back-on-track-186732">confusing fragmentation</a> of public health messaging. The divergence between <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/tale-of-two-cities-gripped-by-covid-fear-outbreak/news-story/cf1b922610aeb0b0ee9b0b53486bf640">lockdown policies and public health messaging</a> adopted by <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/a-tale-of-two-cities-that-doesn-t-seem-fair-20211012-p58z79.html">Victoria and New South Wales</a> is one example, but there are plenty of others.</p> <p>When state, territory and federal governments have conflicting policies on protective measures, people are easily confused, lose trust and become harder to engage with or persuade. Many tune out from partisan politics. Adherence to mandated public health measures falls.</p> <p>Our research found clarity and consistency of information were key features of effective public health communication throughout the COVID pandemic.</p> <p>We also found public health communication is most effective when authorities work in partnership with different target audiences. In Victoria, the case brought against the state government for the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-24/melbourne-public-housing-tower-covid-lockdown-compensation/102640898">snap public housing tower lockdowns</a> is a cautionary tale underscoring how essential considered, tailored and two-way communication is with diverse communities.</p> <h2>Countering misinformation</h2> <p>Misinformation is <a href="https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/hydroxychloroquine-australia-cautionary-tale-journalists-and-scientists">not a new problem</a>, but has been supercharged by the advent of <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-misinformation-is-rampant-on-social-media-heres-what-it-does-why-it-spreads-and-what-people-can-do-about-it-217059">social media</a>.</p> <p>The much-touted “miracle” drug <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22663127/ivermectin-covid-treatments-vaccines-evidence">ivermectin</a> typifies the extraordinary traction unproven treatments gained locally and globally. Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic drug, lacking evidence for viruses like COVID.</p> <p>Australia’s drug regulator was forced to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/10/australian-drug-regulator-bans-ivermectin-as-covid-treatment-after-sharp-rise-in-prescriptions">ban ivermectin presciptions</a> for anything other than its intended use after a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/30/australian-imports-of-ivermectin-increase-10-fold-prompting-warning-from-tga">sharp increase</a> in people seeking the drug sparked national shortages. Hospitals also reported patients <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/02/sydney-covid-patient-in-westmead-hospital-after-overdosing-on-ivermectin-and-other-online-cures">overdosing on ivermectin</a> and cocktails of COVID “cures” promoted online.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(22)01585-9/fulltext">Lancet Commission</a> on lessons from the COVID pandemic has called for a coordinated international response to countering misinformation.</p> <p>As part of this, it has called for more accessible, accurate information and investment in scientific literacy to protect against misinformation, including that shared across social media platforms. The World Health Organization is developing resources and recommendations for health authorities to address this “<a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/infodemic#tab=tab_1">infodemic</a>”.</p> <p>National efforts to directly tackle misinformation are vital, in combination with concerted efforts to raise health literacy. The Australian Medical Association has <a href="https://www.ama.com.au/media/action-needed-tackle-health-misinformation-internet-social-media">called on the federal government</a> to invest in long-term online advertising to counter health misinformation and boost health literacy.</p> <p>People of all ages need to be equipped to think critically about who and where their health information comes from. With the rise of AI, this is an increasingly urgent priority.</p> <h2>Looking ahead</h2> <p>Australian health ministers recently <a href="https://www.cdc.gov.au/newsroom/news-and-articles/australian-health-ministers-reaffirm-commitment-australian-cdc">reaffirmed their commitment</a> to the new Australian Centre for Disease Control (CDC).</p> <p>From a science communications perspective, the Australian CDC could provide an independent voice of evidence and consensus-based information. This is exactly what’s needed during a pandemic. But full details about the CDC’s funding and remit have been the subject of <a href="https://www.croakey.org/federal-budget-must-deliver-on-climate-health-and-the-centre-for-disease-control-sector-leaders-warn/">some conjecture</a>.</p> <p>Many of our <a href="https://www.cochraneaustralia.org/articles/covidandcommunications">key findings</a> on effective public health communication during COVID are not new or surprising. They reinforce what we know works from previous disease outbreaks across different places and points in time: tailored, timely, clear, consistent and accurate information.</p> <p>The rapid rise, reach and influence of misinformation and distrust in public authorities bring a new level of complexity to this picture. Countering both must become a central focus of all public health crisis communication, now and in the future.</p> <p><em>This article is part of a <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/the-next-pandemic-160343">series on the next pandemic</a>.</em><!-- 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/226718/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/shauna-hurley-203140">Shauna Hurley</a>, PhD candidate, School of Public Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/monash-university-1065">Monash University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rebecca-ryan-1522824">Rebecca Ryan</a>, Senior Research Fellow, Health Practice and Management; Head, Centre for Health Communication and Participation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/la-trobe-university-842">La Trobe 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/how-can-we-improve-public-health-communication-for-the-next-pandemic-tackling-distrust-and-misinformation-is-key-226718">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Michael Schumacher attends first 'public' event since accident

<p>Michael Schumacher has reportedly attended his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/michael-schumacher-s-daughter-ties-the-knot-at-luxury-spanish-villa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">daughter's wedding</a>, making this his first public appearance in 11 years. </p> <p>Gina Schumacher tied the knot with Iain Bethke at the family’s luxury villa in Mallorca over the weekend, and while Michael's attendance was previously unknown, several outlets have reported that he attended the special event. </p> <p>The Formula 1 icon's wife, Corinna, has kept his condition private since his tragic skiing accident in 2013, with only an extremely small inner circle of people allowed to see him, therefore this marks the first time that Michael has been 'seen' by extended friends and family. </p> <p><em>The Daily Mail</em> reported that privacy was extremely tight at the event, with wedding guests required to leave their phones at the front door upon arrival. </p> <p>The family also reportedly looked at hiring a large security team to keep photographers away. </p> <p>The success of the event has reportedly raised hopes that the family will consider future opportunities for the Ferrari icon to be seen in public, with more people reportedly being let into the 'inner circle'. </p> <p>Michael's son Mick, who has been dating 23-year-old Danish model Laila Hasanovic for two years, is reportedly engaged to her, and in January it was reported that she had been given approval to visit the F1 legend. </p> <p>Updates on the former racer's health have been few and far between.</p> <p>Late last year, Schumacher's former boss at Ferrari and close friend Jean Todt revealed: "He is simply not the Michael he used to be. He is different, and is wonderfully guided by his wife and children who protect him. His life is different now, and I have the privilege of sharing moments with him. That's all there is to say."</p> <p>Corinna also spoke publicly about the accident and her decision to keep Michael's condition private in a 2021 Netflix documentary.</p> <p>"'Private is private’, as he always said. It’s very important to me that he can continue to enjoy his private life as much as possible,” she said. </p> <p>“Michael always protected us and now we are protecting Michael. What he really didn’t like was the press, the people, all the hype around him. That’s not what he wanted. He wanted to do the sport," she continued. </p> <p>In the documentary she also said: “I miss Michael every day.</p> <p>“But it is not just me who misses him. It’s the children, the family, his father, everyone around him. I mean, everybody misses Michael, but Michael is here.</p> <p>“Different, but he’s here, and that gives us strength. We’re together. We live together at home.”</p> <p>Michael reportedly moved from his Swiss home to the exclusive Spanish villa where Gina's wedding was held in September 2020 according to the Spanish press. </p> <p>According to<em> The Sun</em>, Michael spent much of his recent life at the  $50 million villa, which is believed to have been adapted allowing a team of doctors and nurses to provide round-the-clock care. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

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Princess Kate's first public appearance since completing chemo

<p>In a heartening display of strength and grace, the Princess of Wales has been seen in public for the first time since completing her chemotherapy.</p> <p>Princess Kate, accompanied by her husband Prince William, was spotted attending church with King Charles III and Queen Camilla near Balmoral, Scotland, on Sunday.</p> <p>The 42-year-old princess, who announced earlier this month that she had <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/kate-middleton-confirms-the-end-of-her-chemotherapy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">finished her cancer treatment</a>, appeared radiant and at ease, her signature smile lighting up as she was photographed in the passenger seat of a car driven by William. The couple was en route to Crathie Kirk Church, a place of personal significance to the royal family, located on their Balmoral estate.</p> <p>Dressed in a stylish brown checked coat and a green brimmed hat adorned with feathers, Kate seemed poised and serene as the car passed. The sight of her back in public after months of treatment brought warmth to royal watchers and well-wishers alike, many of whom have been following her health journey with concern and support.</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/DAOKSf5s40h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAOKSf5s40h/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Watcher (@the_royal_watcher)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Earlier this month, the mother of three shared a heartfelt video update on her cancer battle, expressing both gratitude and realism about the road ahead. "The path to full recovery will be long," she said, vowing to take it one day at a time. While she plans to resume some public duties, she was firm about the need for balance, explaining that her engagements in the coming months would be limited as she continues her recovery.</p> <p>Among those anticipated engagements are the solemn Remembrance Sunday ceremony in London this November, as well as her much-cherished annual Christmas concert at Westminster Abbey. Both events are deeply meaningful to the princess, and royal supporters are eagerly awaiting her return to these public moments.</p> <p>Despite taking a step back from most duties during her treatment, Kate made two public appearances earlier this year: first at the Trooping the Colour in June, the annual celebration marking the King’s birthday, and later at the Wimbledon men’s final in July, where she received a standing ovation from the crowd, a touching testament to her enduring popularity and the public’s admiration for her resilience.</p> <p><em>Image: The Royal Watcher / Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Bogus "rule" sees bus driver block Dad and daughter

<p>A father from Sydney's inner west and his toddler have been denied entry onto a bus after a confrontation with the driver over an alleged "rule" about travelling with children.</p> <p>Graham Cooke and his daughter Katie had been commuting on the 370 bus from their home in Newtown to Katie's childcare every day for a year, until one morning when the pair were confronted with a problem. </p> <p>When trying to board the bus as normal, Graham recalled to <em><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/dad-refused-entry-on-public-bus-after-driver-enforces-little-known-child-rule-031938462.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News</a></em> that the bus driver "aggressively" asked the dad how old his daughter was. </p> <p>When he explained that she was two-and-a-half, the dad claims the driver told him it was against the rules to have a toddler ride the bus without being in a stroller, and refused to let them onboard. </p> <p>"He immediately goes, 'no', puts his hand up, and he's like, 'you need to get off the bus. Children under three need to be in a stroller'." Cooke explained to Yahoo News.</p> <p>"He kept kind of yelling 'you need to get off the bus, I'm not driving the bus with a two-and-a-half-year-old held in your arms'," Graham said, while he tried to explain to the driver that he's done it "every day".</p> <p>Cooke then quickly looked up if such a rule existed on Transport NSW, eventually finding no evidence that young Katie had to be in a stroller to board the bus. </p> <p>When he tried to once again confront the driver to let them on, the driver responded that Cooke was holding everybody on the bus up.</p> <p>"I'm entitled to get the bus with my toddler, I'm just trying to get to work," Cooke said. After the standoff, the dad and his daughter had no choice but to get off the bus and wait for the next one, where they had no issues getting on board.</p> <p>"It was a really unpleasant experience," he said, recalling how his daughter, who ordinarily loves getting the bus, was left "upset" and cuddling into her dad.</p> <p>"She loves saying hello to bus drivers. She tends to, kind of charm everybody around pretty, pretty lovely experience," he said.</p> <p>"It upset me, because I just wanted to get to work and to be rejected on public transport in such a way. So it was a very unpleasant start to the day, and he was very aggressive and dogmatic about his view."</p> <p>After contacting Transport for NSW, the authority apologised for the incident, as a spokesperson said passengers travelling on buses with young children and prams have the choice to seat children in their care on a seat next to them, on their lap or to have them strapped into a pram where there is space on board for it to be parked safely.</p> <p>"All of our accessible buses have specific areas for prams and wheelchairs near the front of the bus, which will allow children to remain in the pram while on board if required," they said. "In that case, the front of the pram must be facing towards the back of the bus and be in firm contact with the panel, or bar behind it.</p> <p>"You'll need to fold your pram or stroller and store it in the luggage rack if there is not enough space on board the bus to safely park the pram, or if the driver asks you to.</p> <p>"In that case, you’ll need to seat the children in your care with you as it is not safe to stand and carry a child while a bus is moving."</p> <p>Responding to the statement, Cooke said, "It looks like it's completely not a rule. Parents should be able to bring their kids to daycare. A lot of daycares don't allow you to bring a stroller and leave it there."</p> <p>While the dad admits that most bus drivers are "lovely", he wants to send a message to other parents that they should know their rights travelling around on public transport.</p> <p>"It's difficult enough getting around in NSW with a toddler," he said. "It makes having a child and exploring the city pretty difficult. If you're in this situation, know your rights and that you can't be kicked off a bus just because you don't have a stroller, if you're happy enough carrying or holding your toddler."</p> <p><em>Image credits: X (Twitter)</em></p>

Legal

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Royals issue public birthday message to Prince Harry amid rift

<p>The Prince and Princess of Wales have shared a public birthday message to the Duke of Sussex amid their family rift. </p> <p>Kate and William wished Prince Harry a happy 40th birthday, with an old photo of him shared on Instagram. </p> <p>“Wishing a Happy 40th Birthday to the Duke of Sussex,” the Prince and Princess of Wales wrote on Sunday morning. </p> <p>The royal family's official Instagram account also marked the occasion, sharing their first public post for Harry since 2021. </p> <p>“Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” they wrote in the caption. </p> <p>Many royal fans applauded their decision to acknowledge the occasion and wished the Duke a happy birthday. </p> <p>“The Royals have class &amp; it’s a milestone birthday that’s it. Nothing else should be interpreted into that,” one person wrote on X.</p> <p>“It's great you've done this. Unify &amp; lead, go towards peace, the world will watch &amp; applaud,” another commented. </p> <p>While a few others were "in disbelief" following the tensions created by the release of Prince Harry's memoir, <em>Spare</em> last year. </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/C_7ey6lMCDE/?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/C_7ey6lMCDE/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>On Monday, <em> Sunrise</em> royal correspondent Rob Jobson spoke about the public message.</p> <p>“I think it is better than nothing. I mean, the fact that they did it … They would have gotten more bother if they hadn’t done it, so by doing it they cover themselves,” Jobson said.</p> <p>“(It would have been nicer) If it had been a bit more brotherly … rather than ‘we wish the Duke of Sussex a good day’, I think he could have been more personal. But it is better than nothing.”</p> <p>Prince Harry, who turned 40 on September 15, is spending the milestone birthday with his wife Meghan and their two kids. He will then reportedly embark on a group trip with a few close friends to an unknown location.  </p> <p>In a statement to the BBC ahead of his birthday, the Duke of Sussex said: "I was anxious about 30, I’m excited about 40." </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Miracle update on baby boy scalded in public park

<p>The mother of the nine-month-old boy who was scalded in a Brisbane park has shared a positive update on his condition as he awaits his third surgery. </p> <p>Baby Luka and his mother were enjoying the sun in Hanlon Park on August 27th when a stranger approached and poured boiling hot coffee over the baby boy. </p> <p>The nine-month-old was rushed to hospital, while the man accused of the attack remains at large. </p> <p>On Monday, Luka's mother shared that her son is up and walking again for the first time since the attack ahead of a third surgery that she hoped would deliver “more information about the next steps”.</p> <p>“Luka has been incredibly resilient. He’s up and about, walking and causing chaos. He is such a strong little boy and we are so so proud of him,” she said.</p> <p>The woman also confirmed that Luka suffered serious burns, with those under his neck and chest likely to scar, as the prospect of a skin graft has been raised by doctors. </p> <p>She said she had been "blown away" by the support she and her family had received through a GoFundMe campaign set up to pay for Luka's medical expenses.</p> <p>"This GoFundMe will be able to support Luka with all of his ongoing care needs which is truly a weight lifted off our shoulders," the woman said.</p> <p>“Not only that it will also support myself, my family, and ongoing mental health, given the nature of the event this will be an extremely long journey ahead for us all.”</p> <p>The fundraiser, that had a goal of just $5,000, surpassed $110,000 on Monday. </p> <p>Police earlier described the man they wish to speak to in connection to the attack as between 30-40 years old, of a proportionate build, with tanned skin. He was wearing a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts at the time Luka was burned. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 9News / Facebook</em></p>

Caring

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Constipation increases your risk of a heart attack, new study finds – and not just on the toilet

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vincent-ho-141549">Vincent Ho</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p>If you Google the terms “constipation” and “heart attack” it’s not long before the name Elvis Presley crops up. Elvis had a longstanding history of chronic constipation and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/elvis-addiction-was-the-perfect-prescription-for-an-early-death">it’s believed</a> he was straining very hard to poo, which then led to a fatal heart attack.</p> <p>We don’t know what really happened to the so-called King of Rock “n” Roll back in 1977. There were likely several contributing factors to his death, and this theory is one of many.</p> <p>But after this famous case researchers took a strong interest in the link between constipation and the risk of a heart attack.</p> <p>This includes a recent <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpheart.00519.2024">study</a> led by Australian researchers involving data from thousands of people.</p> <h2>Are constipation and heart attacks linked?</h2> <p>Large <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38068-y">population</a> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32873621/">studies</a> show constipation is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks.</p> <p>For example, an <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-38068-y">Australian study</a> involved more than 540,000 people over 60 in hospital for a range of conditions. It found constipated patients had a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes compared to non-constipated patients of the same age.</p> <p>A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32873621/">Danish study</a> of more than 900,000 people from hospitals and hospital outpatient clinics also found that people who were constipated had an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.</p> <p>It was unclear, however, if this relationship between constipation and an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes would hold true for healthy people outside hospital.</p> <p>These Australian and Danish studies also did not factor in the effects of drugs used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension), which can make you constipated.</p> <h2>How about this new study?</h2> <p>The recent <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpheart.00519.2024">international study</a> led by Monash University researchers found a connection between constipation and an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure in a general population.</p> <p>The researchers analysed data from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk">UK Biobank</a>, a database of health-related information from about half a million people in the United Kingdom.</p> <p>The researchers identified more than 23,000 cases of constipation and accounted for the effect of drugs to treat high blood pressure, which can lead to constipation.</p> <p>People with constipation (identified through medical records or via a questionnaire) were twice as likely to have a heart attack, stroke or heart failure as those without constipation.</p> <p>The researchers found a strong link between high blood pressure and constipation. Individuals with hypertension who were also constipated had a 34% increased risk of a major heart event compared to those with just hypertension.</p> <p>The study only looked at the data from people of European ancestry. However, there is good reason to believe the link between constipation and heart attacks applies to other populations.</p> <p>A <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26812003/">Japanese study</a> looked at more than 45,000 men and women in the general population. It found people passing a bowel motion once every two to three days had a higher risk of dying from heart disease compared with ones who passed at least one bowel motion a day.</p> <h2>How might constipation cause a heart attack?</h2> <p>Chronic constipation can lead to straining when passing a stool. This can result in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">laboured breathing</a> and can lead to a rise in blood pressure.</p> <p>In <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">one Japanese study</a> including ten elderly people, blood pressure was high just before passing a bowel motion and continued to rise during the bowel motion. This increase in blood pressure lasted for an hour afterwards, a pattern not seen in younger Japanese people.</p> <p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">One theory</a> is that older people have stiffer blood vessels due to atherosclerosis (thickening or hardening of the arteries caused by a build-up of plaque) and other age-related changes. So their high blood pressure can persist for some time after straining. But the blood pressure of younger people returns quickly to normal as they have more elastic blood vessels.</p> <p>As blood pressure rises, the risk of heart disease increases. The risk of developing heart disease <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12493255/">doubles</a> when systolic blood pressure (the top number in your blood pressure reading) rises permanently by 20 mmHg (millimetres of mercury, a standard measure of blood pressure).</p> <p>The systolic blood pressure rise with straining in passing a stool has been <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8030287/">reported to be</a> as high as 70 mmHg. This rise is only temporary but with persistent straining in chronic constipation this could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks.</p> <p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22256893/">Some people</a> with chronic constipation may have an impaired function of their vagus nerve, which controls various bodily functions, including digestion, heart rate and breathing.</p> <p>This impaired function can result in abnormalities of heart rate and over-activation of the flight-fight response. This can, in turn, lead to elevated blood pressure.</p> <p>Another intriguing avenue of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6399019/">research</a> examines the imbalance in gut bacteria in people with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3596341/">constipation</a>.</p> <p>This imbalance, known as dysbiosis, can result in microbes and other substances leaking through the gut barrier into the bloodstream and triggering an immune response. This, in turn, can lead to low-grade inflammation in the blood circulation and arteries becoming stiffer, increasing the risk of a heart attack.</p> <p>This latest study also explored genetic links between constipation and heart disease. The researchers found shared genetic factors that underlie both constipation and heart disease.</p> <h2>What can we do about this?</h2> <p>Constipation affects around <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36826591/">19% of the global population</a> aged 60 and older. So there is a substantial portion of the population at an increased risk of heart disease due to their bowel health.</p> <p>Managing chronic constipation through dietary changes (particularly increased dietary fibre), increased physical activity, ensuring adequate hydration and using medications, if necessary, are all important ways to help improve bowel function and reduce the risk of heart disease.<!-- 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/237209/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><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/vincent-ho-141549"><em>Vincent Ho</em></a><em>, Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney 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/constipation-increases-your-risk-of-a-heart-attack-new-study-finds-and-not-just-on-the-toilet-237209">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Body

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Manhunt after stranger pours scalding hot coffee on baby in public park

<p>Queensland Police have released footage of the man they believe burned a baby with a scalding hot drink in a public park. </p> <p>On Wednesday, the unknown man approached the family at Hanlon Park in Brisbane and poured hot coffee on the nine-month-old baby boy.</p> <p>He was rushed to the Queensland Children’s Hospital with burns to his face, upper body and arms, with the burns covering 60 per cent of his body.</p> <p>Queensland Police have now released CCTV footage from the area, showing a man running from the park.</p> <p>He appears approximately 30 to 40 years old, with a proportionate build and tanned skin, and was wearing a black hat, glasses, a shirt and shorts.</p> <p>Anyone who recognises the man has been urged to contact the police with information. </p> <p>An off-duty nurse heard the commotion in the park from the balcony of her apartment, telling <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/news/footage-of-man-who-burnt-baby-with-hot-drink-at-hanlon-park-in-stones-corner-released-c-15856522" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em> she went outside to investigate when she heard screaming. </p> <p>She said she heard the child’s mother yelling “my baby, my baby”.</p> <p>The nurse rushed down to the park to help the boy, taking him to her nearby apartment where he was placed under a cold shower before paramedics arrived.</p> <p>Locals told 7News the attack was “terrible” and they were shocked it had happened in their community.</p> <p>“It’s really scary when you think that we haven’t got a community that looks after our young and vulnerable,” one woman said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Queensland Police</em></p>

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Julian Assange has been in the headlines for almost two decades. Here’s why he’s such a significant public figure

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-ricketson-3616">Matthew Ricketson</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance” is a famous quotation usually attributed to Thomas Jefferson, a founder of US democracy.</p> <p>For Julian Assange, the price of freedom has been five years in jail while he fought extradition to the United States to face charges no democracy worthy of the name should ever have brought.</p> <p>It is profoundly heartening news to see Assange’s release from London’s Belmarsh prison and flight home to Australia via a US territory in the western pacific. He’ll face a hearing and sentencing <a href="https://theconversation.com/julian-assange-plea-deal-what-does-it-mean-for-the-wikileaks-founder-and-what-happens-now-233207">this morning</a> in Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, to formalise a plea deal with the US government.</p> <p>It is profoundly disheartening, though, to see the lengths to which a nation state has gone to punish a publisher who released documents and videos that revealed US troops allegedly committing war crimes in the Iraq war two decades ago.</p> <p>Assange has been a controversial international figure for so many years now it’s easy to lose sight of what he has done, why he attracted such fiercely polarised views, and what his incarceration means for journalism and democracy.</p> <h2>What did he do?</h2> <p>Assange, an Australian national, came to prominence in the 2000s for setting up <a href="https://wikileaks.org/">WikiLeaks</a>, a website that published leaked government, military and intelligence documents disclosing a range of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47907890">scandals</a> in various countries.</p> <p>Most of the documents were released in full. For Assange, this fulfilled his aim of radical transparency. For critics, it led to the release of documents that could <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2011/9/3/wikileaks-criticised-over-uncensored-cables">endanger the lives</a> of intelligence sources.</p> <p>This remains a point of contention. Some have asserted Assange’s attitude toward those named in leaked documents was cavalier and that the publication of some documents was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/b70da83fd111496dbdf015acbb7987fb">simply unnecessary</a>.</p> <p>But critics, especially those in the US military, have been unable to point to <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-book-argues-julian-assange-is-being-tortured-will-our-new-pm-do-anything-about-it-183622">specific instances</a> in which the release of documents has led to a person’s death. In 2010, Joe Biden, the then vice-president, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna40702904">acknowledged</a> WikiLeaks’ publications had caused “no substantive damage”. Then US Defense Secretary Robert Gates <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/04/12/712659290/how-much-did-wikileaks-damage-u-s-national-security">said</a> at the time countries dealt with the US because it was in their best interests, “not because they believe we can keep secrets”.</p> <p>The key to WikiLeaks’ success was that Assange and his colleagues found a way to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-11026659">encrypt the documents</a> and make them untraceable, to protect whistleblower sources from official retribution. It was a strategy later <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/05/guardian-launches-securedrop-whistleblowers-documents">copied</a> by mainstream media organisations.</p> <p>WikiLeaks became famous around the globe in April 2010 when it released hundreds of thousands of <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47907890">documents</a> in tranches known as the Afghan war logs, the Iraq war logs and Cablegate. They revealed numerous alleged war crimes and provided the raw material for a shadow history of the disastrous wars waged by the Americans and their allies, including Australia, in Afghanistan and Iraq following the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks.</p> <p>Documents are one thing, video another. Assange released <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/6/61/CollateralMurder.ogv/CollateralMurder.ogv.360p.vp9.webm">a video</a> called “Collateral Murder”. It showed US soldiers in a helicopter shooting and killing Iraqi civilians and two Reuters journalists in 2007.</p> <p>Apart from how the soldiers in the video speak – “Hahaha, I hit them”, “Nice”, “Good shot” – it looks like most of the victims are civilians and the journalists’ cameras are mistaken for rifles.</p> <p>When one of the wounded men tries to crawl to safety, the helicopter crew, instead of allowing their US comrades on the ground to take him prisoner as required by <a href="https://www.icrc.org/en/rules-of-war">the rules of war</a>, seeks permission to shoot him again.</p> <hr /> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-1064" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/1064/0f0903c8d2249ac24316f2a86f5e0f231b6546e6/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <hr /> <p>The soldiers’ request for authorisation to shoot is granted. The wounded man is carried to a nearby minibus, which is then shot to pieces with the helicopter’s gun. The driver and two other rescuers are killed instantly while the driver’s two young children inside are seriously wounded.</p> <p>US army command investigated the matter, <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-book-argues-julian-assange-is-being-tortured-will-our-new-pm-do-anything-about-it-183622">concluding</a> the soldiers acted in accordance with the rules of war. Despite this, US prosecutors <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/jun/15/julian-assange-indictment-fails-to-mention-wikileaks-video-that-exposed-us-war-crimes-in-iraq">didn’t include</a> the video in its indictment against Assange, leading to accusations it didn’t want such material further exposed in public.</p> <p>Equally to the point, the public would never have known an alleged war crime had been committed without the release of the video.</p> <h2>Going into exile</h2> <p>Assange and WikiLeaks had no sooner become famous than it all began to come to a halt.</p> <p>He was alleged to have sexually assaulted <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50473792">two women</a>. He holed up the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/17/world/americas/ecuador-to-let-assange-stay-in-its-embassy.html">Ecuadoran embassy</a> in London for <a href="https://apnews.com/article/7276b35e8d5944e7b5ca280ab0390b26">seven years</a> to avoid being extradited to Sweden for questioning over the alleged assaults, from where he could then be extradited to the US. Then he was <a href="https://mondediplo.com/2024/02/11assange">imprisoned in England</a> for the past five years.</p> <p>It has been confusing to following the byzantine twists and turns of the Assange case. His character has been reviled by his opponents and revered by his supporters.</p> <p>Even journalists, who are supposed to be in the same business of speaking truth to power, have adopted contradictory stances towards Assange, oscillating between giving him awards (a <a href="https://www.walkleys.com/board-statement-4-16/">Walkley</a> for his outstanding contribution to journalism) and shunning him (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/23/opinion/julian-assange-wikileaks.html">The New York Times</a> has said he is a source rather than a journalist).</p> <h2>Personal suffering</h2> <p>After Sweden eventually <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50473792">dropped</a> the sexual assault charges, the US government swiftly ramped up its request to extradite Assange to face charges under the Espionage Act, which, if successful, could have led to a jail term of up to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/jun/25/explainer-who-is-julian-assange-and-what-are-the-details-of-his-plea-deal#:%7E:text=After%20his%20departure%20from%20the,to%20175%20years%20in%20prison.">175 years</a>.</p> <p>Until this week, most of the recent headlines about Assange have been about this extradition attempt. Most recently, he was granted the <a href="https://theconversation.com/julian-assanges-appeal-to-avoid-extradition-will-go-ahead-it-could-be-legally-groundbreaking-227859">right to appeal</a> the UK Home Secretary’s order that he be extradited to the US.</p> <p>This brings us to now, where if all goes according to legal planning, Assange will <a href="https://theconversation.com/julian-assange-plea-deal-what-does-it-mean-for-the-wikileaks-founder-and-what-happens-now-233207">plead guilty</a> to one count under the US Espionage Act, then fly back to Australia.</p> <p>But the long, protracted and very public case, legal or otherwise, has raised questions yet to be fully reckoned with.</p> <p>Nils Melzer, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, thoroughly investigated the case against Assange and laid it out in forensic detail in a <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-book-argues-julian-assange-is-being-tortured-will-our-new-pm-do-anything-about-it-183622">2022 book</a>.</p> <p>In it, he wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>The Assange case is the story of a man who is being persecuted and abused for exposing the dirty secrets of the powerful, including war crimes, torture and corruption. It is a story of deliberate judicial arbitrariness in Western democracies that are otherwise keen to present themselves as exemplary in the area of human rights.</p> </blockquote> <p>He’s also suffered significantly in legal and diplomatic processes in at least four countries.</p> <p>Since being imprisoned in 2019, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/jun/25/julian-assange-plea-deal-with-us-free-to-return-australia#:%7E:text=WikiLeaks%20said%20on%20X%20that,isolated%2023%20hours%20a%20day%E2%80%9D">Assange’s team says</a> he’s spent much of that time in solitary confinement for up to 23 hours a day, has been denied all but the most limited access to his legal team, let alone family and friends, and was kept in a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-54060427">glass box</a> during his seemingly interminable extradition hearing.</p> <p>His physical and mental health have suffered to the point where he has been put on <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wikileaks-julian-assange-at-very-high-risk-of-suicide-attempt-psychiatric-expert-tells-court/">suicide watch</a>. Again, that seems to be the point, as Melzer writes:</p> <blockquote> <p>The primary purpose of persecuting Assange is not – and never has been – to punish him personally, but to establish a generic precedent with a global deterrent effect on other journalist, publicists and activists.</p> </blockquote> <p>So while Assange himself is human and his suffering real, his lengthy time in the spotlight have turned him into more of a symbol. This is true whether you think of him as the hero exposing the dirty secrets of governments, or as something much more sinister.</p> <p>If his experience has taught us anything, it’s that speaking truth to power can come at an unfathomable personal cost.<!-- 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/233232/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/matthew-ricketson-3616">Matthew Ricketson</a>, Professor of Communication, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Vianney Le Caer/Shutterstock Editorial</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/julian-assange-has-been-in-the-headlines-for-almost-two-decades-heres-why-hes-such-a-significant-public-figure-233232">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

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Princess Kate makes first public appearance since cancer diagnosis

<p>The Princess of Wales has made her first public appearance in almost six months following her cancer diagnosis. </p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Princess Kate</span>, who was last seen in public at a church service on Christmas Day, underwent abdominal surgery in January and has been receiving chemotherapy since late February. </p> <p>The royal took part in Trooping the Colour on Saturday, after taking time away from royal duties, and left Buckingham Palace in a carriage with her children shortly before 11am local time to watch the parade. </p> <p>After the King's Birthday Parade, she appeared at the balcony alongside King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and other members of the royal family. </p> <p>The family waved to the cheering crowd as they watched military aircrafts fly by to mark the monarch's official birthday. </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/C8Pt2DrN61b/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C8Pt2DrN61b/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Prince and Princess of Wales (@princeandprincessofwales)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Princess Kate confirmed in a statement on Friday that she would be attending the King's Birthday Parade, as well as a few other public engagements over the summer. </p> <p>However, she also said that her treatment was "ongoing, and will be for a few more months". </p> <p>"On the days I feel well enough, it is a joy to engage with school life, spend personal time on the things that give me energy and positivity, as well as starting to do a little work from home," she wrote in the statement on Friday. </p> <p>"I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty.</p> <p>"Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal."</p> <p>King Charles, who is also being treated for an undisclosed form of cancer, travelled in a carriage with Queen Camilla this year, instead of on horseback as he did last year. </p> <p>He has also been easing back into public duties, and just last week he attended commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. </p> <p><em>Image: Ray Tang/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

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King Charles returns to public duties for the first time since diagnosis

<p>King Charles has made his first official public appearance since being diagnosed with cancer in February. </p> <p>In a symbolic appearance on Tuesday morning, the royal visited the Macmillan Cancer Centre at the University College Hospital donning a navy pinstripe suit with a light blue shirt and a pink dinosaur tie.</p> <p>The monarch was joined by his wife, Queen Camilla, with the couple sporting huge smiles as they waved to the crowd outside of the London hospital. </p> <p>The royal couple met with clinicians, patients and families of patients during the visit, and when asked by one patient how his treatment was going, Charles replied: "I'm alright, thank you".</p> <p>In one photo Charles can be seen tenderly placing his hand on the arms of a patient as he spoke with them. </p> <p>One patient discussed her chemotherapy with Charles, who who told her: “I’ve got to have my treatment this afternoon as well,” according to the <em>Mirror</em>.</p> <p>He also shared his reaction to finding out about his diagnosis for the first time, telling one patient: “It’s always a bit of a shock, isn’t it, when they tell you?”</p> <p>The King's hospital visit comes just days after the Palace released a statement confirming that he was showing progress with his treatment and would be resuming official duties. </p> <p>“His Majesty The King will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis,”  it read, before announcing the visit to the cancer centre. </p> <p>“This visit will be the first in a number of external engagements His Majesty will undertake in the weeks ahead.”</p> <p>Despite this, his upcoming summer schedule would not be a full one, with events like the King's Birthday parade, known as Trooping the Colour, and the Royal Ascot, being undertaken on a case-by-case basis. </p> <p>He also plans to host the Emperor and Empress of Japan in late June. </p> <p>“As the first anniversary of the Coronation approaches, Their Majesties remain deeply grateful for the many kindnesses and good wishes they have received from around the world throughout the joys and challenges of the past year,” the statement concluded. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Princess Kate filmed in public for the first time since Christmas

<p>The Princess of Wales has been filmed for the first time since Christmas, after her absence sparked wild global <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/kate-middleton-s-disappearance-sparks-bizarre-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speculation</a> on her whereabouts. </p> <p>Kate Middleton looked happy and relaxed in <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/royals/26766840/princess-kate-middleton-shopping-trip-video-william/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently published footage </a>of her shopping trip with her husband, Prince William. </p> <p>In footage exclusively obtained by <em>TMZ</em> and <em>The Sun, </em>the royal was filmed dressed comfortably in a hoodie and dark leggings, as she carried her shopping and walked alongside Prince William on their way to the car park. </p> <p>This is the first time the royal has been filmed in public since her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/two-senior-royals-undergo-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"planned abdominal surgery"</a>, aside from two blurry <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/kate-middleton-spotted-for-the-first-time-since-surgery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paparazzi pictures</a> of her in the backseat of a car, and reports that she was spotted <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/princess-kate-spotted-in-public-amid-wild-speculations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out with her kids </a>on Saturday morning. </p> <p>Witnesses at Princess Kate's favourite farm shop reportedly said that she looked “happy, relaxed and healthy” as she ventured from her home in Windsor to the nearby store. </p> <p>“Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well," witnesses said at the time. </p> <p>“The kids weren’t with them but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”</p> <p>The Princess' whereabouts has been the topic of speculation for weeks, with the Palace having to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/palace-responds-to-bizarre-conspiracy-theories-about-kate-s-whereabouts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speak out</a> against the wild conspiracy theories on social media. </p> <p>Her last public appearance was on December 25 during the royal family’s traditional walk to the Christmas morning service in Sandringham.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

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Princess Kate "spotted in public" amid wild speculations

<p>The Princess of Wales has reportedly been spotted in public for the first time since her "planned abdominal surgery". </p> <p>Kate Middleton was reportedly spotted watching her children play sports at a location near her family's Windsor home.</p> <p>According to <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/royals/26750949/princess-kate-windsor-farm-shop-william/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Sun</em></a>, the royal looked “happy, relaxed and healthy” as she spent Saturday morning watching Prince George, 10, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, play sports. </p> <p>She later on reportedly visited her favourite farm shop located near her Adelaide Cottage home, with witnesses saying they were stunned to see the royal out and about, following the wild <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/princess-kate-s-post-surgery-pic-ignites-even-wilder-conspiracy-theories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conspiracy theories</a> that emerged after the royal received criticism for editing a Mother's Day photo. </p> <p>“After all the rumours that had been going round I was stunned to see them there," a witness at the farm shop reportedly told <em>The Sun</em>. </p> <p>“Kate was out shopping with William and she looked happy and she looked well.</p> <p>“The kids weren’t with them but it’s such a good sign she was healthy enough to pop down to the shops.”</p> <p>However, no photos of her have been published. </p> <p>This is the first time she has been out and about since her surgery and could signal her return to public duties, although the Palace has previously said that she won't return to official duties until after Easter. </p> <p>The Princess of Wales was last photographed seated in the back of a car, next to Prince William as they were reportedly on their way to London. </p> <p>She was replaced by Lady Ghika, wife of the regiment's Major General St Chris Ghika, in her role as honorary coronel of the Irish Guards for St. Patrick's Day on March 17. </p> <p>Members from the Irish Guards gave three cheers to absent Kate, as a mark of respect for the royal. </p> <p>There are speculations that she will join the royals for their traditional public walk on Easter Sunday.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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Channel 9 host goes public with new romance

<p>Channel 9 personality Sophie Walsh has gone public with her relationship with Sydney Sixers cricketer Moises Henriques. </p> <p>The Today host confirmed their relationship with an adorable photo of the couple from inside Taylor Swift’s Saturday night blockbuster at Accor Stadium in Sydney.</p> <p>The pair were pictured cuddling up to each other as they posed with Taylor Swift playing in the background. </p> <p><em>News Corp</em> first revealed the pair have quietly been seeing each other recently, with the first signs of their relationship shared on Walsh's Instagram page in January.</p> <p>The couple posed in one of the stadiums with their arms around each other and Walsh captioned it with a simple black heart emoji. </p> <p>Radio and TV presenter Dan Anstey, who was one of the first to comment on the picture at the time, playfully said: "He's a keeper."</p> <p><em>Today Show </em>colleague Jayne Azzopardi wrote: "This makes me happy ❤️ 🏏"</p> <p>"Love this," added Tracy Vo. </p> <p>"Winners are grinners. ❤️" wrote<em> Nine News</em> weather presenter, Belinda Russell.  </p> <p>Henriques, 37, is a popular figure in Australian cricket, having represented Australia in all three formats of the game.</p> <p>He has a a four-year-old son from his former marriage with ex-partner Krista Thomas, who he got married to in 2018. </p> <p>Henriques has not yet shared any photos with Walsh on his own Instagram page.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Sarah Ferguson makes first public appearance since skin cancer diagnosis

<p>Sarah Ferguson has made her first public appearance since her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/fergie-reveals-second-cancer-diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">skin cancer diagnosis</a> was announced almost two weeks ago. </p> <p>The Duchess of York made an unexpected appearance at the <em>Haute Living Celebrates The Haute 100</em> event in Miami, Florida on Monday. </p> <p>Fergie rocked a military-style black and white blazer over a black dress for the cocktail event, and appeared happier than ever as she posed for the cameras. </p> <p>The 64-year-old was pictured cuddling up to and interacting with fellow guests at the event. </p> <p>This comes just two weeks after the Duchess <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/fergie-breaks-silence-amid-second-cancer-battle" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opened up</a> on her second cancer diagnosis in a year. </p> <p>"I have been taking some time to myself as I have been diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a form of skin cancer, my second cancer diagnosis within a year," she said in the Instagram post at the time.</p> <p>She also recently opened up on her recovery from breast cancer, following her mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.</p> <p>The Duchess expressed her gratitude to her two daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, for their constant support. </p> <p>"My two wonderful daughters are my wholehearted cheerleaders, my devoted champions and my soulmates, and they have been as supportive as can be, as they always are," she told <em>People magazine </em>at the time.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty </em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Flight attendant reveals why you should never use the toilet paper on a plane

<p dir="ltr">A flight attendant has revealed the gross reason why you should never use the toilet paper on a plane journey. </p> <p dir="ltr">The seasoned cabin crew member, an American woman named Cheryl, shared the three things she would never do on a plane after seeing what really goes on behind closed doors on an aircraft. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her first tip for any traveller was not to use the toilet paper in a plane bathroom. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sharing her tips in a TikTok video, she wrote, "If you examine the toilet paper, I promise you're going to see water droplets on it, or what you think are water droplets."</p> <p dir="ltr">"I don't think we can trust most men to make it in the toilet on a normal day, let alone flying at 36,000 feet with turbulence."</p> <p dir="ltr">To combat this, the flight attendant recommends bringing a travel pack of tissues in your hand luggage to use instead. </p> <p dir="ltr">She also warned her viewers against wearing shorts on their next flight.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I would never wear shorts on a plane. You're going to freeze to death," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cheryl pointed out another valid reason to opt for long pants on a flight, stating, "Say we have an evacuation. You have to go down the slide. Your butt cheeks are going to be sizzled off.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lastly, Cheryl urged travellers to never book less than a three-hour connection between flights.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Delays can happen for a million and one reasons. The likelihood that you're going to miss your connection is pretty high if you're booking shorter than three hours," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: TikTok</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Ultimate holiday hack to turn just 17 days of leave into 45 days of leisure

<p>As we bid a fond farewell to 2023, it's time to embark on a journey to the land of strategic annual leave planning!</p> <p>If you've ever dreamed of turning 17 days into a mind-blowing 45 days of leisure, all while maintaining the illusion that you're a dedicated worker, you're in for a treat. Let's delve into the art of time manipulation, the Australian way!</p> <p><strong>1. The Great Christmas/New Year Escape: 10 Days of Holiday Magic</strong></p> <p>Picture this: You, sipping a cocktail on a beach, far, far away from workplace shenanigans. To achieve this utopia, sacrifice a mere three workdays from December 27–29, and voila! You've magically transformed a three-day leave into a decadent ten-day escapade. Christmas and New Year's resolutions? More like "Avoiding Office Drama and Perfecting My Tan".</p> <p><strong>2. Australia Day 2024: Because One Long Weekend Isn't Enough</strong></p> <p>To those who believe in the power of the long weekend, rejoice! By judiciously taking a single day off on January 29, you can extend the Australia Day break into a glorious four-day affair. This means more time for BBQs, cricket, and pretending to understand the rules of cricket.</p> <p><strong>3. The Great Easter Egg Hunt (for Extra Leave Days): 10 Days of Bunny Bliss</strong></p> <p>Hop into Easter with a bang by utilising four days of leave (April 2–5). This cunning plan transforms a regular four-day weekend into a lavish ten-day extravaganza. You'll have so much time; you might even consider crafting an intricate Easter egg treasure map for your colleagues. After all, sharing is caring.</p> <p><strong>4. ANZAC Day 2024: A Gallant Nine-Day Journey</strong></p> <p>For those who appreciate a good remembrance day, why not remember to take four days off? By strategically choosing your leave days around ANZAC Day, you can turn a regular nine-to-five existence into a leisurely nine-day bliss. It's the perfect opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of the past while contemplating your sacrifice of precious annual leave for maximum leisure.</p> <p><strong>5. The Grand Finale: Christmas and New Year 2024/25</strong></p> <p>Looking to dominate the festive season and secure a 12-day break? Fear not! By cunningly using five days of leave (December 23–31), you can transform a modest two-day weekend into a 12-day holiday bonanza. It's like taking a break in 2025 while still clinging desperately to the end of 2024. Time travel, anyone?</p> <p>In conclusion, dear Aussie worker bees, remember that strategic annual leave planning is an art, a dance between days off and public holidays. While others are stuck in the mundane, you'll be sipping piña coladas in your time-warped holiday paradise.</p> <p>So go forth, plan wisely, and may your leave days be as abundant as your laughter during this comedic time-travel adventure!</p> <p><em>Image: Getty </em></p>

Travel Tips

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This bathroom item is dirtier than your toilet seat, according to a microbiologist

<p><strong>Bathrooms and germs </strong></p> <p>Bathrooms are filthy – there’s just no way around it. They’re home to toilets, sinks and showers and tend to be one of the dirtiest places in the home, no matter how often they’re on your cleaning schedule. And because the toilet seat plays host to your derrière, it’s easy to label this as the germiest spot in the bathroom. But research is disproving that notion.</p> <p>Overall, the hard surfaces – such as the toilet seat and floor – are scrubbed down often because they’re the first lines on your bathroom cleaning checklist. And many people focus on cleaning the toilet because nothing screams dirty like a line of biofilm in the toilet bowl. But what about other bathroom-specific items? Dr Charles Gerba, a microbiology professor at the University of Arizona, says that it’s the fabrics in our bathroom that deserve the most attention. Yes, your bathmat is actually dirtier than your toilet seat, followed by towels, including those facecloths (which is why you need to wash your towels often). Here’s what you need to know.</p> <p><strong>Are bathmats really that dirty?</strong></p> <p>“We’ve done a lot of research on the microbiology of homes and, more recently, the bathroom,” says Gerba. The bathmat is problematic for two reasons, he says. First, it gets wet when you’re getting out of the shower, and it stays wet and moist, often in a dark and damp room.</p> <p>The second issue is that many people wear shoes in the bathroom, a huge contributing factor to the dirt, grime and bacteria found on bathmats. “Almost 90% of all shoes have faecal bacteria on them,” Gerba says. “You’re walking in dog poop all the time, and you don’t know it.”</p> <p>Beyond tracking shoes throughout the house and across bathmats, Gerba also pointed out the potential of spray from the toilet to land on bathmats. The Ecological Fluid Dynamics Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder experimented to see how far water droplets were ejected into the air when flushing public restroom toilets. The airborne particles shoot out quickly, reaching as much as 1.5 metres above the toilet within 8 seconds. The droplets were unpredictable and landed on the walls around the toilet, including behind it, and also on the ceiling. Which means that depending on the proximity, spray from a toilet can easily touch down on a plush bathmat.</p> <p>But while some research might suggest closing the toilet seat cover at home before flushing, not everyone agrees with that solution. “When you close the lid, the spray then goes over the top of the toilet seat and hits the walls on the side because you’ve narrowed the opening, which makes the water shoot out at a higher speed,” Gerba says, adding that closing the lid also leads to the toilet seat and underside of the lid getting more contaminated.</p> <p><strong>How to prevent dirty bathmats</strong></p> <p>Whether or not you close the toilet seat, one thing is certain: Keeping your bathmat as dry as possible is important. One of the factors that make bathmats the dirtiest spot in the bathroom is that they sometimes stay damp for hours, depending on how humid your environment is, how many people are showering and how much water splashes on them. Drying off in the shower will keep your bathmat from getting soggy. You can also hang it to dry instead of leaving it on the floor, where it will stay wet longer.</p> <p>Another tip: If you don’t remove your shoes when entering your house, at least take them off before going into the bathroom (and clean your floors often). That way, you’re not tracking outside germs onto a bathmat where they can quickly and easily multiply. “When you get out of the shower, it’s moist,” Gerba says. “Any time we have a fabric, it absorbs water, and things like faecal bacteria will survive longer there than on hard surfaces.”</p> <p><strong>How to wash your bathmat</strong></p> <p>The hard surfaces in bathrooms are satisfying to spray and wipe down, which Gerba recommends doing every few days. But what about bathmats? You should wash your bathmat at least once a week, and not just to keep it fresh and fluffy, but importantly, to remove bacteria.</p> <p>The first step to washing bathmats is to check the care label and follow the instructions on the tag, including which temperature is best for the fabric. Most bathmats can be machine-washed, but be careful with rubber-backed bathmats, which shouldn’t be dried on high heat. In general, quick-drying fabrics, such as microfibre and chenille, can be good options because they dry fast and are easy to launder. Something you can easily wash twice per week is the healthiest option.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/food-home-garden/home-tips/this-bathroom-item-is-dirtier-than-your-toilet-seat-according-to-a-microbiologist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

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