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Refinancing your home later in life – what you need to know

There are many reasons why you may look to refinance your home. The obvious one is to lower mortgage repayments with a better rate. However, other reasons people refinance later in life include: <ul> <li>unlocking equity to invest</li> <li>paying down other debts</li> <li>buying a holiday home</li> <li>funding extended travel</li> <li>launching a new business</li> <li>supporting children with a property deposit</li> </ul> Regardless of why you want to refinance, the points below will help you navigate your options. Changing lenders It may have been a while since you last revisited your mortgage, meaning you may not be aware of current lending options and traps. A common trick lenders use is the so-called “headline rate” to grab your attention. However, this interest rate is typically not what you end up paying. It may only be an introductory rate for the first few months, or hefty fees attached may wipe out any savings. Banks aren’t the only ones offering loans nowadays. Registered non-bank lenders, fintechs and online lenders can refinance your mortgage and provide other credit services the same as any bank; they just don’t take cash deposits. Alternatively, you could explore credit unions and mutual societies. Also consider any shareholder benefits you may have. Most banks have done away with them now but may still honour pre-existing ones. If you change lenders, you could lose this entitlement – permanently. Reverse mortgages Generally, only available to people aged 60-plus, a reverse mortgage effectively allows you to unlock equity in your home without you needing to make immediate repayments. However, they often have strict conditions including: <ul> <li>minimum borrowing amounts</li> <li>maximum borrowing ratios</li> <li>higher interest rates than standard mortgages</li> </ul> Crucially, the interest accrues over time and is repaid when you sell, move or pass away. As such, your debt liability grows over time – potentially impacting your future living arrangements and how much is left for beneficiaries in your will. The Govt has the “loan equity scheme” as another option to lenders. I just want to highlight the need to be careful with reverse mortgages. Changing homes Rather than selling, downsizing could involve making an investment property your primary residence and then renting out your existing home. This approach may require you to refinance both loans simultaneously. There will also be tax considerations to work through – including Capital Gains Tax liabilities when you do sell, negative gearing, depreciation, and changes to your income tax. Then there are the lifestyle factors to weigh up, especially if you are moving to a different area: <ul> <li>living expenses</li> <li>insurance and travel costs</li> <li>access to healthcare</li> <li>rental income</li> <li>property management expenses</li> </ul> Remember that if you have a Self Managed Super Fund (SMSF), it CANNOT own any property that you directly use yourself, including your home. Becoming Bank of Mum and Dad Refinancing can unlock equity to support adult children with their first property deposit. However, it isn’t without its risks. Ask yourself honestly: <ul> <li>Will this be a gift or loan?</li> <li>If a loan, under what terms? Will interest be applied? How and when will repayments be made? What if they default?</li> <li>What happens if their relationship breaks down, will you get your money back?</li> <li>How does going without that money affect your retirement?</li> <li>Do you have alternative assets to support you if your circumstances change?</li> <li>How does this affect inheritances or deposit contributions to your other children?</li> <li>Can you assist them another way without using your home equity?</li> </ul> Draw up a written agreement outlining all conditions and scenarios to avoid disagreements in the future. Pension impacts Don’t overlook how refinancing your home could impact your pension. While your home is exempt from the means test, any income or assets you generate from unlocking equity is not. You could inadvertently see your pension amount reduced or your eligibility voided altogether. This would come as a nasty shock if you haven’t pre-budgeted for such a change! Getting advice To ensure you get the best bang for your buck when refinancing, be sure to enlist the help of a good: <ul> <li>mortgage broker to source the best loans for your circumstances</li> <li>insurance broker to ensure your cover is right sized for your needs, risk and budget</li> <li>accountant to work through any tax implications</li> <li>estate planner to manage any changes</li> <li>financial adviser to keep your investments and financial strategy working for you</li> </ul> Ultimately, decisions – including about refinancing – are only as good the information you have at hand. So, make sure you have all the relevant facts before signing on the dotted line. Helen Baker is a licensed Australian financial adviser and author of the new book, Money For Life: How to build financial security from firm foundations (Major Street Publishing $32.99). Helen is among the 1% of financial planners who hold a master’s degree in the field. Proceeds from book sales are donated to charities supporting disadvantaged women and children. Find out more at <a style="color: #467886;" title="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/" href="http://www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au/">www.onyourowntwofeet.com.au</a> Disclaimer: The information in this article is of a general nature only and does not constitute personal financial or product advice. Any opinions or views expressed are those of the authors and do not represent those of people, institutions or organisations the owner may be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated. Helen Baker is an authorised representative of BPW Partners Pty Ltd AFSL 548754.

Money & Banking

From securing pets to building ‘insect hotels’ – here are 7 ways to attract birds to your garden

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rochelle-steven-22148">Rochelle Steven</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/murdoch-university-746">Murdoch University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-newsome-117672">David Newsome</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/murdoch-university-746">Murdoch University</a> Home gardens can provide vital habitat for Australian birds. But there’s more to it than just planting certain types of shrubs and flowering trees. After decades of encouragement to include native plants in home gardens, urban environments have come to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423003700">favour certain species</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-9993.2006.01584.x">neglect others</a> including some of our most loved birds, such as fairy-wrens. Birds that thrive on nectar such as honeyeaters, and bossy birds with bold personalities such as noisy miners, some parrots and magpies, tend to dominate the scene. But it doesn’t have to be this way. We wanted to explore how urban gardens can best support a wider range of Australian birds. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-025-03011-2">Our new review</a> of research on this topic revealed seven key considerations. These fall into two themes: reducing threats and improving habitat. We found there’s no point doing just the good things (such as plantings) if we don’t stop doing the bad things (such as killing insects, poisoning owls and letting cats hunt). It’s like trying to fill a bucket with a hole in it. So let’s acknowledge the complexity of nature and take a broader approach to attracting birds to our gardens, by ticking off the items on this shopping list. <h2>1. Secure pets</h2> Domestic cats kill <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/wr/pdf/WR19174">millions of Australian birds every year</a>. So no matter how innocent your cat looks, it remains a highly evolved predator. The only guaranteed way to protect birds and other wildlife from cats is to keep them contained inside or in purpose-built enclosures, 24 hours a day. You can find out about building your own cat enclosure from <a href="https://agriculture.vic.gov.au/livestock-and-animals/animal-welfare-victoria/cats/enclosures-and-fencing/building-a-cat-enclosure-attached-to-an-existing-structure">government</a> and <a href="https://catiospaces.com/catios-cat-enclosures/cat-behavior-enrichment/build-diy-catio-plan-for-your-cat/">retail</a> experts online. Dogs can also stop birds taking up residence in your garden. The mere <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2013.10.005">presence of a dog can deter some birds</a>. Keeping dogs contained at night can reduce the level of disturbance to nocturnal birds. But if you really want to attract birds to your garden, you may choose to keep your dog inside more. <h2>2. Avoid using insecticides and outside lights</h2> Many flying and ground-dwelling insects are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2002549117">in decline</a>. This is bad news for many birds including fairy-wrens, willie wagtails, fantails and robins who rely almost entirely on insects for food. But we can avoid using insecticides or any other form of lethal control such as bug zappers in our own gardens. Ideally, accept insects as a natural part of your garden. Don’t try to deter them, unless they pose a risk to public safety, such as swarming European honeybees or hordes of European wasps. You can also consider favouring native plants that naturally are resisitant to unwanted insect attack. Excess artificial light is also taking a toll on insects. Consider whether you really need to leave that outdoor light on all night. Review your existing outdoor lighting using the <a href="https://darksky.org/resources/guides-and-how-tos/lighting-principles/">five principles for responsible outdoor lighting</a>, ensuring all artificial light is useful, targeted, low-level, controlled and warm-coloured. <h2>3. Stop poisoning raptors</h2> The use of rat poison, especially those labelled as “fast action”, is <a href="https://theconversation.com/rat-poison-is-killing-our-beloved-native-owls-and-tawny-frogmouths-and-thats-the-tip-of-the-iceberg-212184">killing native owls</a> and other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147673">birds of prey</a> at an alarming rate due to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.207">secondary poisoning</a>. In other words, raptors are dying after eating rats and mice that have taken the bait. Many countries have regulated the sale and use of these products for this reason, but Australia is lagging behind. So if you “give a hoot” about our owls, <a href="https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-the-most-humane-way-to-kill-pest-rats-and-mice/">switch to snap traps</a>. There are also various other effective, humane and efficient <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-control-invasive-rats-and-mice-at-home-without-harming-native-wildlife-180792">options</a> available, including removing unwanted fruit from the ground, keeping sheds tidy, and securing compost bins to keep rodents under control. <h2>4. Prevent window strikes</h2> Birds can fly into windows when they’re unable to differentiate between the glass and the surrounding environment. Strikes may be lethal upon impact or result in injury. A stunned bird is also more vulnerable to predators. In Australia, bird lovers can <a href="https://birdlife.org.au/preventing-bird-strike/#:%7E:text=Why%20do%20birds%20collide%20with,help%20solve%20this%20problem%20too.">reduce the risk</a> by using <a href="https://store.birdlife.org.au/product/anti-collision-bird-stickers/">decals</a> which are decorative stickers intended <a href="https://www.sureguard.com.au/page/birds-eye-view-window-strike-deflector">for windows</a>. Screens, hanging plants or mobiles can also be placed in front of windows to help the birds avoid collisions. <h2>5. Create an inclusive garden</h2> The diversity in Australian birds extends to their diets. Beyond honeyeaters, the nation is home to huge numbers of insectivores, carnivores, seed-eaters and fruit peckers. Australian gardens typically have plenty of bottlebrush and grevilleas, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2004.06.004">stacks the deck in the bold honeyeaters’ favour</a>. So when buying new garden plants, try catering for a wider variety of bird species. Choose dense shrubs with small white, yellow or blue flowers to attract insects. These bushy plants also make excellent habitat for small birds. Retaining trees ensures our larger birds have nesting sites too. If you get the garden design right, with a variety of plants to suit all tastes, there is <a href="https://birdlife.org.au/a-guide-to-feeding-wild-birds-in-australia/?srsltid=AfmBOooHbf9Du1CarsSg044tVUVFxfBdopOwrOmELrQWcCSdwfKv432v">no need to feed the birds</a>. <h2>6. Encourage insects</h2> <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-09/blue-banded-bee-australian-insect-of-the-year-inaugral-vote/104572938">Native bees</a> and flies play a crucial role in ecosystems, both as pollinators and food for birds. You can provide insects with nesting habitat in the form of insect “hotels”, food (namely flowers and other insects) and safety from pesticides. These <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.05.003">small gestures can make a huge difference</a>. <h2>7. Water the birds too</h2> With the <a href="https://climatekids.nasa.gov/heat-islands/">urban heat island</a> effect and growing frequency of extreme heat waves, birds are in need of reliable sources of fresh water. Offer this <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11252-024-01530-4">crucial resource</a> in a water feature such as a bird bath or pond. <h2>Whole neighbourhoods for birds</h2> Your garden has never been more important for birds. Doing your bit in your own backyard can make a visible difference – you will see the birds for yourself. But true conservation gains can only be made when people work together at a larger scale. Why not start a conversation with your neighbour about attracting birds to your garden? Creating one garden for birds is great, but when we start talking about whole neighbourhoods for birds, that’s magic!<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/247561/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/rochelle-steven-22148">Rochelle Steven</a>, Lecturer in Environmental Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/murdoch-university-746">Murdoch University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-newsome-117672">David Newsome</a>, Assoc. Professor of Environmental Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/murdoch-university-746">Murdoch University</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-securing-pets-to-building-insect-hotels-here-are-7-ways-to-attract-birds-to-your-garden-247561">original article</a>. </div>

Home & Garden

Queen guitarist Brian May recovering from health scare

Sir Brian May's wife, Anita Dobson, has given an update on his health, following his minor stroke last September. The Queen guitarist, revealed that he had lost control over his arm after the minor stroke, with his wife saying that the health scare had reminded her that "life is precious". “Brian is stable now”, she told The Sun newspaper. “The start of the year has been up and down. We both had the flu but we took the kids to Lapland, 15 of them," the actress, who has been married to the musician for almost 25 years, added. She also said that he had "never been happier" since they had moved from London to the countryside. “To see what it has done to Brian... he loves it. He loves the birds and the animals”, she said. “He feeds all the birds and the badgers, foxes and pheasants. It’s like running a pub for animals.” In another social media post, Sir Brian had previously said the health scare had been “a little scary” but praised the “fantastic care” he received from Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey. At the time he was "grounded" after being advised not to drive, fly or do any activity which would send his heart rate too high. Sir Brian and his family have since been “spending time at home” and “taking each day as it comes”. “It makes you realise that at any minute it could be you. You don’t have to necessarily be old, it could be anyone”, Dobson said. “You think you are fit; you see these people who run marathons and then at a young age they are gone. “You have to live every day as if it was your last. It’s not easy to do that. “You forget and think ‘I’ve got another week’ and it’s all booked up. "You have to be aware that life is precious, and with life changing so fast we are all on a bit of a thin thread, if you like.” Image: Maureen McLean/ Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Aussie Olympic hero reveals major health scare

Ariarne Titmus has opened up about a recent health scare, which prompted the 24-year-old Olympian to reassess her priorities. In September 2023, Titmus revealed she had undergone surgery to remove a large growth found in her ovary. She initially went for scans on a hip injury, before finding out that her ovary was "8.5×7cm in size and contained 2 benign tumours called dermoids, both 4cm in size". Now in an interview with Inherited podcast, she has opened up about how much the ordeal affected her and forced her to make a major life decision during an Olympic campaign. “It changed my perspective on life quite a lot actually,” she began. “I’m stumped with this, it’s a bit of a freak out moment. “The hardest part was going through all the tests, seeing how big it was, whether it was cancerous, how they were going to remove it. “For me and where I want to go in my life, there was just no other option. I had to get it out. “It put a lot of things into perspective for me. My body isn’t just a vehicle to train, my body’s purpose, really, is to carry a child one day. “And that really hit home to me, it made me realise how much I want to be a mum, and it made swimming almost seem a bit irrelevant at the time.” The four-time Olympic gold medallist had to spend several weeks out of the water to recover from the surgery and had to miss training in the lead up to the Paris Olympics. “I think after that operation I just went crazy. It was really, really challenging," she said “I was battling in my head, post-surgery, one side of me being like, ‘Let your body heal, let your body get better because you need to let yourself recover’. And then the other part of my brain was like, ‘No, you only have eight months (until the Olympics), you’ve got to get going’. “I had my coach pushing me and every day checking, like, ‘How’s it feeling? How’s it feeling?’ “Because when you get your abdominal walls cut open, it takes a while to heal. And especially swimming, (which) is such a core-dominant sport. “It was really, really, really challenging, but I’m actually glad it happened because it made me have a different outlook on life.” She added that she would give up her swimming career to be a mum one day. “I’ve always wanted to be a mum, but it probably made me realise how much I want it,” she said. “I would give up every gold medal I’ve ever won to have a child. “I just have such maternal instincts, and I think the fear of potentially that becoming harder by the prospect of losing the ovary was really tough. “I’m so lucky that I’ve got the best mum in the world, and I just want to be that one day.” Since her return from Paris, the Olympian said she would be taking a break from swimming for a year. "I think I really just need a break away to reset and give my mind a bit of a rest.” Images: Instagram

Caring

Serena Williams “mortified” by health scare

Serena Williams has undergone a procedure in hospital to remove a brachial cyst in her neck. The tennis legend documented her health scare on TikTok, sharing how she ended up in surgery after doctors originally told her not to worry about it. “A lot has been happening and I had surgery recently where I had to take some yucky medicine that I hated so much,” she said in a video. “One day back in May, I found this big mass on my neck. I was mortified by it and I got tests done — everything you can imagine. Everything was negative." “Turns out I have what’s called a cyst, a brachial cyst, to be exact." “(Doctors) said I don’t need to get it removed if I don’t want. So, I did not get it (removed) but it kept growing." “I decided to get more tests and, three tests and one biopsy later, everything was still negative, but doctors advised I get it removed as soon as possible because it was the size of a small grapefruit and it could get infected, or worse, leak.” Williams then shared vision of the procedure she had to undergo to have it removed. “So, I ended up having to get it removed. It was so big, it was the size of a grapefruit, and it kind of hurt at coming out,” she went on. “Obviously I went under (general anesthetic) for it, but they had to put a drain in it because it was so much." “But everything worked out and I feel really happy to have worked with some great doctors." “A little scared here but excited to move on to the next steps of healing and doing well.” The 43-year-old mother-of-two is still recovering from the operation, saying, “I am feeling so grateful, and fortunate everything worked out, and most of all I’m healthy." Image credits: TikTok / Andrew Schwartz / Shutterstock Editorial

Caring

Julia Morris issues urgent warning after skin cancer scare

Julia Morris has taken to social media with a warning about sun safety after a health scare. The I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! host shared a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around her head to Instagram on Friday. “How is your 50+ working out for you? I wish I had used it more in my life. Another pretty big skin cancer removed this week,” she wrote in the caption. "Going to have to up my eyebrow drawing game," she joked. But jokes aside, she issued an urgent warning about the skin cancer risks associated with sun exposure. "The Aussie sun is no joke and while I lived like a pig on a spit in my 20s, I’m absolutely suffering the consequences now. Please slip slop slap & as always, early detection is the key," she continued. <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/DAZe1DlTgMD/?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/DAZe1DlTgMD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Julia Morris (@ladyjuliamorris)</a> </div> </blockquote> She then shared her gratitude for the care and support she received from her medical team. "Big love to Dr Sheridan and the glorious team at Phoenix Dermatology & the Avenue Hospital for all the TLC this week.” The TV personality's friends and fans flooded the comments with their well wishes. "Sending a giant hug from all of us," wrote Bindi Irwin. “I hope you’re doing ok. Plus, you rock a headband. I’m sure it’s fashion somewhere…” her former I’m A Celebrity co-host Chris Brown replied. “Good on you for sending out the message! Get better quick love,” Brittany Hockley wrote. Oh you poor thing - at first I thought you had a Santa hat on,” The Block’s Shaynna Blaze added. “You being all Jolly and all that! Get well and glad you are in the early detection stages!” Images: Instagram

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Hero security guard tears up while speaking about girl he saved

Laila Johnson, 11, and her mother Samantha, 34, from Candelo near Bega in regional NSW, were sightseeing in London when the young girl was stabbed in a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/11-year-old-australian-girl-identified-as-london-stabbing-victim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">random attack</a> in Leicester Square. Abdullah, a security who was working nearby during the random attack, had jumped into action and saved her life by holding down the alleged attacker, Ioan Pintaru, until police arrived. On Thursday, Laila and her mum talked about the terrifying incident on Sunrise, and spoke about the incredible bond they had formed with the hero security guard. When shown the clip of Laila and her mum on Sunrise the day after, Abdullah was moved to tears by the heartfelt interview. “I will try to be in contact with them all my life,” Abdullah said, wiping away tears from his eyes. “She is just like my little sister now.” Abdullah was hailed as a hero for his bravery, and recognised at the Pakistan High Commission in London as part of their Independence Day celebrations on the 14th of August. Samantha had told Sunrise that Abdullah “is an absolutely gorgeous human”. “He’s just been checking in on Laila and myself and, yeah, we’ve just been keeping in contact,” she said. “He’s quickly taken Laila in as a little sister, and I think that he will continue to check in on her for a very long time." Pintaru — a Romanian citizen with no fixed address — was not asked to enter any pleas and was remanded in custody before his next hearing on September 10. He was charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Images: Seven

Caring

London stabbing victim's incredible bond with hero security guard

The identity of the NSW schoolgirl who was stabbed in<a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/11-year-old-australian-girl-identified-as-london-stabbing-victim" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> a random attack</a> in London’s Leicester Square has been revealed. Laila Johnson, 11, and her mum Samantha, 34, from Candelo NSW, were on holiday when the horrific incident occurred on August 12. Abdullah, a security who was working nearby during the random attack, immediately jumped into action and saved her life by holding down the alleged attacker, Ioan Pintaru, until police arrived. “I saw outside there was a guy who was stabbing a girl, so as I saw him stabbing the girl, I started to run towards the guy,” he said shortly after the attack. “I jumped on the guy and grabbed his hand in which he was carrying a knife. I tackled him down on the floor and kicked the knife away from him. “There was only one thought — to save the kid and save her mum, nothing else.” Laila was taken to hospital where she had plastic surgery for serious but non-life-threatening injuries to her face, shoulder, wrist, and neck and was out of hospital the day after the incident. On Thursday, Laila and her mum talked about the terrifying incident on Sunrise and paid tribute to Abdullah. “He is an absolutely gorgeous human,” mother Sam, said. “He’s just been checking in on Laila and myself and, yeah, we’ve just been keeping in contact. “He’s quickly taken Laila in as a little sister, and I think that he will continue to check in on her for a very long time.” Sam recalled the moment Abdullah saved her daughter's life. “He didn’t hesitate. He’s exactly who you want around in a time like that,” she said. She also praised daughter Laila for her optimism, and the day after the incident, the pair were escorted to Wembley Stadium, with the two police officers who came to her aid last week, where she sat in a VIP box to watch her favourite superstar, Taylor Swift. “She was still very sore, but she was getting up and dancing,” Laila’s mum told The Daily Telegraph. “She has always been the most optimistic and determined child in the world. Yeah, I was a bit worried that that might stop her from Taylor Swift, but I shouldn’t have worried,” Sam said on Sunrise. Laila is now back at school and will be he lead in the school's performance of Alice in Wonderland. Pintaru — a Romanian citizen of no fixed address — fronted Westminster Magistrates Court last week charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He was asked not to enter any pleas and was remanded in custody before his next hearing on September 10. Images: Seven

Caring

6 extra items to pack when travelling by yourself

Travelling alone can be a life changing experience, but it also requires a few extra precautions. Pack these six things to keep yourself safe. 1. Doorstop A simple wedge of wood or plastic can give you priceless peace of mind in a hotel room. Even if you lock the door, people might be able to break the lock or use a cloned key. A doorstop quickly and easily wedges it shut so you can sleep easy. If you want to go one step further, you can get special doorstop alarms that will emit a loud siren if anyone tries to force the door. 2. Extra lock There are endless uses for an extra padlock or bike lock-style cable. You can double up on your hotel door, secure your train carriage or ship cabin, double lock your suitcase or chain it to something sturdy. Compact, sturdy locks are relatively cheap and easy to carry with you, and will deter most thieves or intruders looking for an easy mark. 3. First aid kit If you don’t have a travel buddy to send down to the chemist, a simple first aid kit can be a lifesaver. Keep it stocked with band aids, basic bandages, pain killers, antibiotics, antihistamines and gastro meds, along with anything else you think will be useful. If you are really unwell, you’ll obviously need to see a doctor, but having the first line of defence within easy reach is always smart. 4. Whistle or personal alarm If you will be walking through unfamiliar cities at night (or even in the day), a whistle or personal alarm can give you a feeling of security. If anyone unsavoury approaches you, a loud noise will startle them and generally scare them off. It also draws the attention of other people and makes them aware of your predicament. 5. Small torch Never underestimate the power of a little light to make you feel safe. It’s great for finding your way through dark streets, looking for your keys in your bag or seeing the lock on your hotel door. You can get small lights that attach to a keychain or wallet and give out a surprisingly bright light. People are less likely to approach you if they feel they will be seen. 6. Fake wedding ring This one is for the ladies – in some countries an unmarried woman is seen as an easy target. Buying a cheap, fake wedding ring can give you a simple cover. Men may be less likely to approach you and, if they do, you can simply say your husband is in the next shop or waiting for you back at the hotel. Image credits: Shutterstock

Travel Tips

"What has to happen?" Kyle Sandilands' controversial take after knife attacks

Kyle Sandilands has shared his controversial opinion on arming security guards in the wake of two violent stabbing attacks in Sydney. On Saturday, six people were killed at the hands of Joel Cauchi who went on a stabbing rampage through Bondi Junction Westfield, while on Monday night, a teenage boy stabbed a bishop and a priest during a church service in western Sydney. One of Joel Cauchi's victims was Faraz Tahir, a security guard at the shopping centre, while another guard was injured during the rampage. In the days after the eastern suburbs tragedy, Kyle, who has a <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/kyle-sandilands-family-member-among-first-victims-stabbed-in-bondi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connection</a> to one of the people injured during Cauchi's attack, launched into a tirade live on-air, calling for security guards to be given firearms. "I saw the [NSW] premier [Chris Minns] last night on TV saying firearms for security guards are not on the agenda. And I was like, 'Well, what has to happen before a security guard can actually secure the place for us?'" Sandilands raged. "Every shopping centre and every school should have armed security guards, trained specialists, not just some guy getting a little firearms licence. I mean, proper trained." Most retail security staff in NSW are unarmed, with batons classified as prohibited weapons that require special licensing and training. "There's people that work at Westfield, for example, women that work in shops that have told their husbands, 'I ain't never going back to Westfield. I'm never going back to work again'," Sandilands continued, adding that those retail workers are "traumatised forever" following Saturday's stabbings. Sandilands' opinions have been echoed by fellow controversial broadcaster Ray Hadley, who on Monday demanded on his 2GB Sydney radio show that security guards be armed across the state. "For years I've been arguing that all security guards in the state in hospitals and shopping centres should be better equipped," he said. "And these poor security guards, unarmed, unable to do what they should do - protecting the people that they are there to protect." Image credits: KIISFM

Legal

Attempts to access Kate Middleton’s medical records are no surprise. Such breaches are all too common

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-baer-arnold-1408">Bruce Baer Arnold</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> The <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-20/claim-hospital-staff-tried-to-access-kate-middleton-health-info/103608066">alleged</a> data breach involving Catherine, Princess of Wales tells us something about health privacy. If hospital staff can apparently access a future queen’s medical records without authorisation, it can happen to you. Indeed it may have already happened to you, given many breaches of health data go under the radar. Here’s why breaches of health data keep on happening. <h2>What did we learn this week?</h2> Details of the alleged data breaches, by <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/royals/breaking-kate-middleton-three-london-32401247">up to three staff</a> at The London Clinic, emerged in the UK media this week. These breaches are alleged to have occurred after the princess had abdominal surgery at the private hospital earlier this year. The UK Information Commissioner’s Office <a href="https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2024/03/ico-statement-in-response-to-reports-of-data-breach-at-the-london-clinic/">is investigating</a>. Its report should provide some clarity about what medical data was improperly accessed, in what form and by whom. But it is unlikely to identify whether this data was given to a third party, such as a media organisation. <h2>Health data isn’t always as secure as we’d hope</h2> Medical records are inherently sensitive, providing insights about individuals and often about biological relatives. In an ideal world, only the “right people” would have access to these records. These are people who “need to know” that information and are aware of the responsibility of accessing it. Best practice digital health systems typically try to restrict overall access to databases through hack-resistant firewalls. They also try to limit access to specific types of data through grades of access. This means a hospital accountant, nurse or cleaner does not get to see everything. Such systems also incorporate blocks or alarms where there is potential abuse, such as unauthorised copying. But in practice each health records ecosystem – in GP and specialist suites, pathology labs, research labs, hospitals – is less robust, often with fewer safeguards and weaker supervision. <h2>This has happened before</h2> Large health-care providers and insurers, including major hospitals or chains of hospitals, have a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/22/st-vincents-health-australia-hack-cyberattack-data-stolen-hospital-aged-care-what-to-do">worrying</a> <a href="https://www.afr.com/technology/medical-information-leaked-in-nsw-health-hack-20210608-p57z7k">history</a> of <a href="https://www.innovationaus.com/oaic-takes-pathology-company-to-court-over-data-breach/">digital breaches</a>. Those breaches include hackers accessing the records of millions of people. The <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/11/medical-data-hacked-from-10m-australians-begins-to-appear-on-dark-web">Medibank</a> data breach involved more than ten million people. The <a href="https://www.hipaajournal.com/healthcare-data-breach-statistics/">Anthem</a> data breach in the United States involved more than 78 million people. Hospitals and clinics have also had breaches specific to a particular individual. Many of those breaches involved unauthorised sighting (and often copying) of hardcopy or digital files, for example by nurses, clinicians and administrative staff. For instance, this has happened to public figures such as <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-mar-15-me-britney15-story.html">singer</a> <a href="https://journals.lww.com/healthcaremanagerjournal/abstract/2009/01000/health_information_privacy__why_trust_matters.11.aspx">Britney Spears</a>, actor <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/10/nyregion/10clooney.html">George Clooney</a> and former United Kingdom prime minister <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/mar/20/when-fame-and-medical-privacy-clash-kate-and-other-crises-of-confidentiality">Gordon Brown</a>. Indeed, the Princess of Wales has had her medical privacy breached before, in 2012, while in hospital pregnant with her first child. This was no high-tech hacking of health data. Hoax callers from an Australian radio station <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-2day-fm-break-the-law-and-does-it-matter-11250">tricked</a> hospital staff into divulging details over the phone of the then Duchess of Cambridge’s health care. <h2>Tip of the iceberg</h2> Some unauthorised access to medical information goes undetected or is indeed undetectable unless there is an employment dispute or media involvement. Some is identified by colleagues. Records about your health might have been improperly sighted by someone in the health system. But you are rarely in a position to evaluate the data management of a clinic, hospital, health department or pathology lab. So we have to trust people do the right thing. <h2>How could we improve things?</h2> Health professions have long emphasised the need to protect these records. For instance, medical ethics bodies <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/350/bmj.h2255">condemn</a> medical students who <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-14/picture-sharing-app-for-doctors-raises-privacy-concerns/5389226">share</a> intimate or otherwise inappropriate images of patients. Different countries have various approaches to protecting who has access to medical records and under what circumstances. In Australia, for instance, we have a mix of complex and inconsistent laws that vary across jurisdictions, some covering privacy in general, others specific to health data. There isn’t one comprehensive law and set of standards <a href="https://theconversation.com/governments-privacy-review-has-some-strong-recommendations-now-we-really-need-action-200079">vigorously administered</a> by one well-resourced watchdog. In Australia, it’s mandatory to report <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/notifiable-data-breaches">data breaches</a>, including breaches of health data. This reporting system is currently <a href="https://theconversation.com/governments-privacy-review-has-some-strong-recommendations-now-we-really-need-action-200079">being updated</a>. But this won’t necessarily prevent data breaches. Instead, we need to incentivise Australian organisations to improve how they handle sensitive health data. The best policy <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1475-4932.12693">nudges</a> involve increasing penalties for breaches. This is so organisations act as responsible custodians rather than negligent owners of health data. We also need to step-up enforcement of data breaches and make it easier for victims to sue for breaches of privacy – princesses and tradies alike.<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/226303/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bruce-baer-arnold-1408">Bruce Baer Arnold</a>, Associate Professor, School of Law, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865">University of Canberra</a> 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/attempts-to-access-kate-middletons-medical-records-are-no-surprise-such-breaches-are-all-too-common-226303">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Legal

Investigation launched over "major security breach" at Princess Kate's hospital

New reports have claimed that there was an alleged security breach at the hospital where the Princess of Wales was treated, and an internal investigation is currently underway. According to the Daily Mirror's Royal Editor Russell Myers, bosses at The London Clinic have launched a probe into the claims that Kate Middleton's confidentiality was breached by staff. "The reason [for the alleged investigation] is that there is allegations that a member of staff accessed her private medical records," Myers, said on Today this morning. He also described it as "a major security breach," citing an unidentified insider who claims that Kensington Palace was contacted by the hospital bosses immediately after the alleged incident and "assured the Palace there would be a full investigation." "Kensington Palace and indeed the Princess of Wales have been extremely guarded about the nature of the surgery," he added. "Sources have told me that it's something she may wish to discuss in the future but it is a private medical matter now in the UK." Myers also claimed that he had spoken with London's Metropolitan Police, but said that they "haven't confirmed they are involved" at this stage. Just yesterday, Myers commented on the footage of Princess Kate <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/princess-kate-filmed-in-public-for-the-first-time-since-christmas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">out in public </a>for the first time since Christmas, calling it "the video that everybody had been clambering for." "The main thing is, Kate looks very happy and fully healthy," Myers said on the Today show. Kensington Palace and The London Clinic have not provided a comment on the matter at this stage. The Princess of Wales is expected to return to her royal duties after easter. Images: Getty

Legal

Hamish Blake shares major health scare

Hamish Blake has shared the details of a drastic health that resulted in surgery and a series of stitches on his face. The TV presenter took to Instagram to share the news with his followers, revealing that he had to have a skin cancer cut from his forehead. While he was quick to make a joke about the procedure, calling it a “mini-facelift”, he followed up with a serious message for his followers. Sharing a close-up photo of the stitches in his forehead, he wrote: “Got a mini facelift! I love it!” “I’m doing the other side in a few weeks. #love #tinylift #bitbybit.” But in the second photo, he wrote, “OK not really ... This is my reminder to anyone who needs it (ie: everyone) to get your skin checked every six months.” He added, “By the way, everything is totally fine, but glad she got caught very early).” After a particularly harsh summer, Hamish Blake joins a long line of celebs who have battled skin cancers, while reminding Aussies to keep on top of their routine skin checks. <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/hugh-jackman-s-health-scare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hugh Jackman</a> had two biopsies after doctors became concerned that he may have skin cancers on his nose. While the tests came back clear, the Hollywood legend issued a warning to his followers, saying if his scare “reminds even one person to put on sunscreen with a high SPF, then I’m happy.” Journalist and news presenter <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/deb-knight-urges-influencers-to-stop-glorifying-tanning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deb Knight</a> also issued a recent warning about “glorifying tanning” after sharing the results of her annual skin check up. Knight shared a series of photos showing the sun damage on her skin, writing, "Got off pretty lightly from my annual skin check. Just a few barnacles zapped but nothing serious this time round.” "Timely reminder to get your skin checked and protect it from the sun in the first place," she added, before tagging two melanoma treatment specialists and the Melanoma Institute Australia. Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram

Caring

Jelena Dokic reveals health scare

Jelena Dokic has been forced to cancel scheduled appearances in Adelaide for the Adelaide International Tennis Tournament after being struck down with a mystery illness. The 40-year-old, who has become a major name in sports commentating since retiring from playing tennis in 2014, shared with her fans that she has been rushed home to Melbourne due to a viral infection. The former World No. 4 tennis star left Adelaide on the eve of the year’s first grand slam, and hoped she would recover before the start of the Australian Open next week. “I have come down with a viral infection and I have to leave and get back home to Melbourne asap,” she wrote on Instagram. “I am so sad and disappointed as I absolutely love Adelaide and this amazing tournament but I have no choice." “Off to Melbourne now and hopefully I will be ok soon and by Sunday for the start of the Australian Open. Fingers crossed.” Jelena was also forced to cancel a book signing in Adelaide, where she was due to meet fans who had purchased her latest book Fearless: Finding the Power to Thrive, which focuses on her ongoing campaign against body shaming and her mental health struggles. In an interview with <a href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/saved-my-life-jelena-dokic-shares-private-battle-for-first-time/news-story/052d69ef432a3d3de447fe6e481568c1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stellar</a> magazine last year, the former tennis player shared how writing the book helped her heal from her past traumas of dealing with an eating disorder, and ongoing abuse at the hands of her father. “I actually haven’t talked about my eating disorder (before) because, for so long, I didn’t understand it. But now I know that more than 90 per cent of people that do have eating disorders, it comes from trauma,” Jelena told Stellar. “Getting professional help saved my life. I find the eating disorder quite complex. I’m working really hard on it." “But the writing of the book (Fearless) was a massive step for me because I’ve realised I’m not eating like that anymore. I’ve got more balance now.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

"I was so scared": Chezzi Denyer's shocking mental health revelation

Chezzi Denyer has opened up about the moment she decided to seek professional help for a debilitating mental health condition. Grant Denyer's wife shared an emotional post on Instagram, marking the 10 year anniversary of the day she made a major change after struggling with post-natal depression and PTSD. In a lengthy caption, she wrote, “Ten years ago, today, I made a very scary step and began professional treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Postnatal Anxiety." “At the time I was unable to articulate what I was feeling, or understand why. For some time I had exhausted myself trying to conceal it.” She said that she felt "scared" to admit she was struggling, out of fear she would be called "crazy". “Scared to sleep most nights because of the night terrors,” she wrote. “The repeated visions of the very things that had scarred me, waking me shaking. I would die graphically in my dreams. Scared to care for my young daughter Sailor at times." “I had never experienced anxiety up to this point so I didn’t know what it was ... but my fear over her becoming unwell or injured left me paralysed at times.” Denyer said that as a seasoned “mask wearer”, she had laughed it off and became used to concealing her mental health battle. “Most people who knew me well had no idea of my personal battle,” she wrote. “While seeking help took me a number of attempts, as many dismissed me at first - my mask was strong - It has become the single most profound thing I have ever done in my life. “My entire world began to change on that day, ten years ago.” After seeking professional help, Chezzi learned the details of her own psychology, and began to forgive herself. “I learnt that I was not the sum of my affliction/ condition, and that there was a path out and to a much better place should I want that, and I did so very very much." “I worked through the pain, and the fear and while sometimes it felt too hard ... I continued to face it." “And today while I quietly smile about how far I’ve come, I wanted to share this quite personal post with you because I know that it will resonate with many people still trying to conceal and wear their masks.” Chezzi’s followers were stunned by the raw honesty of the post, with many thanking her for helping them to feel less alone. “Thank you for sharing so vulnerably,” one follower wrote. “I just know being open about your experience will help others feel less alone and will hopefully help someone to take that first step to ask for help. Thank you. Just thank you.” Image credits: Instagram

Caring

Traveller's $3,000 mistake at airport security

A grandmother from New Zealand has copped a whopping $3,000 fine after failing to declare an airport sandwich to border control officers. June Armstrong, 77, was travelling from her native Christchurch to Brisbane to housesit for a friend, and treated herself to a muffin and a sandwich ahead of her 4am flight. Ms Armstrong ate her muffin before boarding the plane, and stashed the sandwich in her carry-on luggage to eat later on the flight. However, the grandmother fell asleep on the plane and the sandwich was left uneaten. When she woke up from her nap, she filled out the declaration form to enter Australia, as she had prescription medication, but completely forgot about the sandwich. When she arrived at the security gates at Brisbane Airport and her bags were checked, she was met with an unfortunate welcome to Australia as she was slapped with the fine. “I was just sobbing and said “$NZ3300 for a little sandwich?” Ms Armstrong told the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/canterbury-grandmother-fined-3300-for-chicken-sandwich-by-australian-border-officials/3KJUEZBB2JHVLHBNSXFY3XPKLE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald.</a> She said asked the official who found the sandwich if they could throw it away for her, but after they walked away and came back, they allegedly just said, “Twelve points, $3300”. Ms Armstrong first thought they were joking, but when she realised they were serious, she broke down in tears as staffers "strongly advised" her to appeal the fine within 28 days. She went through with the appeal to avoid forking out the four-figure sum, but to no avail and eventually ended up coughing up the hefty fine. “My husband kept saying, 'Just pay it'. I said, 'It’s our pension, we can’t afford this’,” Ms Armstrong said, adding that they had about $30,000 in savings as well as their pensions. Ms Armstrong sent an email asking why she was fined, considering it was her first infringement, and why the cost was so high, especially considering the sandwich was untouched and sealed. She also outlined the impact the fine was having on her mental health, but she allegedly never received a response. Six months on from sandwich-gate, she has accepted she won’t be getting her money back and has since spoken out to warn fellow passengers not to make the same mistake. “Everybody I show the fine to is dumbfounded, they just can’t believe it,” Ms Armstrong told the NZ Herald. Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry said Ms Armstrong needed an import permit to bring the chicken sandwich into the county, adding it could have been a much higher penalty, as fines can be as much as $6260. “Meat has strict import conditions which can change quickly based on disease outbreaks,” a departmental spokesperson told <a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/grandmother-who-forgot-to-declare-chicken-sandwich-cops-3000-fine-at-brisbane-airport/news-story/2bc94ac2e7e4f59cd16e5798fc7f9f7b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. “Uncanned meats, including vacuum-sealed items, are not allowed into Australia unless accompanied by an import permit." Image credits: Getty Images

Travel Trouble

Michael Clarke reveals serious health scare

Michael Clarke has opened up about a terrifying health scare, which left him needing surgery. The former Australian cricket captain has spoken candidly about discovering a dangerous basal cell carcinoma in his chest, which left him 27 stitches after surgery to remove it. The 42-year-old said being diagnosed with cancer was a major wake up call. “It does scare me,” Clarke told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/sydney-confidential/michael-clarke-reveals-skin-cancer-battle-after-spending-years-playing-cricket/news-story/5fd388960c6113c7461479522bd18c9d?amp&nk=5bc945873ffec79da7263488711d2aab-1699400816" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a>. “I am a dad ... I don’t want to go anywhere. The most important thing in the world is making sure I help my seven-year-old daughter (Kelsey Lee) and I guess set a good example for her." “To me, making sure I am putting sunscreen on so she can see it is not just me getting her to do it, it is dad doing it as well.” Clarke has had a number of cancers removed since his first diagnosis in 2006, and just last year had a skin cancer removed from his forehead. His extensive history of skin cancer could be a result of spending a lot of time in the sun over his 115 Tests and 245 one-day internationals for Australia, as Clarke pointed out. For that reason, he has recently joined the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation as a national ambassador. “I am excited to partner with the Australian Skin Cancer Foundation to not only spread the word on skin safety, but to help share the importance of sun protection, getting checked and remembering prevention is better than cure,” Clarke said in a statement. “I know first-hand how important these factors are and I am passionate about raising awareness on this vital subject." “Everyone needs to be aware of the danger of the sun all around the world, but particularly in this country. This is not just about being safe, this is about saving lives.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

Better Homes and Gardens star reveals health scare

Better Homes and Gardens star Melissa King has revealed the details of her "terrifying" health scare, which began with a series of migraines. King wanted to keep her condition away from the public eye, until her face went into an uncontrollable spasm live during a broadcast segment on Sunrise. The spasms have now become a part of Melissa's life, after she was diagnosed with a benign tumour on the lining of her brain. Chatting candidly with Australian Women's Weekly, the mother-of-two revealed when she was diagnosed with the meningioma, and when she decided it was time to tell others about her health battle. “I could feel the stretching and tightening as the right side of my face contorted, and I knew everyone watching at home could see it too,” she told the publication. “That morning was awful. I could hear the producers say, ‘Melissa, are you okay?’” Melissa first began experiencing migraines in her teenage years, before going to see a doctor in 2017 as they progressively got worse. She was then referred to a neurologist, who recommended an MRI which revealed a meningioma, a non-cancerous tumour located in her brain lining, a discovery Melissa said was “terrifying,” despite her tumour being classified as benign. Whilst a meningioma is most often benign - many people may have one without even knowing - in other cases it can be potentially life-threatening. After her initial diagnosis, Melissa underwent six-monthly MRI scans to monitor her tumour, and for four years, it remained stable in size. But in 2021, when Melissa had become a mother of two boys, Noah, now 11, and Marlon, nine, doctors had noticed her tumour had grown in size. Doctors offered her one of two choices - brain surgery to remove it, or radiotherapy to shrink it. She chose the "less invasive" option of radiotherapy, and incredibly, during a two-week break from work, she undertook her entire 15 sessions, heading off to the hospital each morning and coming home to sleep at night. Relatively new to her role on Better Homes and Gardens, she decided to keep her health ordeal quiet. “I just wanted to be able to take each step quietly with my family around me,” she told Australian Women’s Weekly. <div class="hide-print ad-no-notice css-qyun7f-StyledAdUnitWrapper ezkyf1c0" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> “They wrapped me up in so much love and I felt very supported by them.” Melissa said she also wanted to protect her boys, knowing that to them the word “tumour” would sound very scary. After her appearance on Sunrise when the facial spasm took over, it was then Melissa decided it was time to tell her Better Homes and Gardens colleagues about what she’d been through. <div class="hide-print ad-no-notice css-qyun7f-StyledAdUnitWrapper ezkyf1c0" style="box-sizing: border-box;"> “They’ve been amazing,” she said. "Most of my segments are filmed so we can stop the camera if I need to wait until it passes." “People have been incredibly understanding and supportive, and I’m so grateful.” “It was a lot of trial and error for me, working out what triggered the migraines and what didn’t,” she said. “(Now) I’m feeling really good and my health is great.” Image credits: Instagram </div> </div>

Caring

Jackie O's terrifying cancer scare

Jackie O Henderson has shared the details of her recent terrifying cancer scare, after discovering a lump in her breast. The KIISFM radio host recalled when she was on a photoshoot and felt the suspicious lump. Chatting candidly on Studio 10 with her friend and manager Gemma O'Neil, the 48-year-old said she found the lump when she was applying fake tan. "She felt her breasts and said 'Yeah I found something'," Gemma explained. "We went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in the space of five minutes." Thankfully, Jackie later received an "all clear" from doctors when she got a mammogram the day after she made her frightening discovery. "Fortunately we got you in for a mammogram the next day and everything was fine," Gemma explained. After the terrifying health scare, Jackie urged viewers not to wait to get a mammogram, even if you are scared about the results. "A lot of the time you don’t want to because a lot of people just think the worst and they are too afraid to see what the result is and it's terrifying. It really is… and those few days are like, 'what if what if'," Jackie said. "And sometimes you go 'I don’t want deal with that today I’ll deal with that next week' - and by putting it off and off, it's not the answer." "And it does encourage someone to go and checked then i think that would beget because you know and too more often than not good news, it's done." "It’s so important to get those checks done." Image credits: Studio 10

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Why do I have to take my laptop out of the bag at airport security?

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Anyone who has travelled by air in the past ten years will know how stressful airports can be. You didn’t leave home as early as you should have. In the mad rush to get to your gate, the security screening seems to slow everything down. And to add insult to injury, you’re met with the finicky request: “laptops out of bags, please”. But what does your laptop have to do with security? <h2>The day that changed air travel forever</h2> Airport security changed dramatically after the terrorist attacks in the US on September 11 2001. Before 9/11, you could pass through security with a carry-on bag full of everything you might need for your holiday, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035131619/911-travel-timeline-tsa">including a knife</a> with a four-inch blade. Indeed, that’s how the 9/11 attackers brought their <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035131619/911-travel-timeline-tsa">weapons on board</a>. After 9/11, screening processes around the world changed overnight. In the US, private security contractors being paid a minimum wage were swapped out for a federalised program with highly trained security personnel. Anything that could be <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00654/full">considered a weapon</a> was confiscated. Around the world, travellers were suddenly required to <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=6hBnJ-1hRp0C&oi=fnd&pg=PA86&dq=why+do+I+have+to+take+my+shoes+off+at+airport+security&ots=o6JIFHJzF1&sig=B6azb6xqN2uxM9CP-VZdfyt3Ag0#v=onepage&q=why%20do%20I%20have%20to%20take%20my%20shoes%20off%20at%20airport%20security&f=false">remove their shoes</a>, belts and outerwear, and take out their phones, laptops, liquids and anything else that could be used as part of an improvised explosive device. This lasted for several years. Eventually, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">more advanced</a> screening methods were developed to effectively identify certain threats. Today, some countries don’t require you to remove your shoes when passing through security. So why must you still take your laptop out? <h2>Airport scanners have come a long way</h2> The machine your bags and devices pass through is an X-ray machine. The main reason you have to remove your laptop from your bag is because its <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/why-do-i-have-to-remove-my-laptop-from-my-bag-at-the-airport-xray-machine-20170320-gv1vqs.html">battery</a> and other mechanical components are too dense for X-rays to penetrate effectively – especially if the scanning system is old. The same goes for power cords and other devices such as tablets and cameras. With these items in your bag, security officials can’t use the screened image to determine whether a risk is present. They’ll have to flag the bag for a physical search, which slows everything down. It’s easier if all devices are removed in the first place. A laptop inside a bag can also shield other items from view that may be dangerous. Scanning it separately reveals its internal components on the screen. In some cases you might be asked to turn it on to prove it’s an actual working computer. With newer multi-view scanning technology, security officials can view the bag from multiple angles to discern whether something is being covered up, or made to look like something else. For instance, people have tried to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">mix gun parts</a> with other components in an effort to pass checked baggage screening. Some airports have upgraded <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/inspiration/no-more-removing-liquids-and-gels-laptops-at-melbourne-airport-as-new-scanners-installed-20191002-h1ijdf.html">3D scanning</a> that allows travellers to pass their bags through security without having to remove their laptops. If you’re not asked to take out your laptop, it’s probably because one of these more expensive systems is being used. Nonetheless, amping up the technology won’t remove the lag caused by airport screenings. Ultimately, the reason these are a major choke point is because of the speed at which staff scan the imagery (which dictates the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">speed of the conveyor belt</a>). Unless we find a way to automate the entire process and run it with minimal human supervision, you can expect delays. <h2>What about body scanners?</h2> But your bags aren’t the only thing getting scanned at airport security. You are too! The tall frame you walk through is a <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/flight/modern/airport-security3.htm">metal detector</a>. Its purpose is to uncover any weapons or other illegal objects that may be concealed under your clothes. Airport metal detectors use non-ionising radiation, which means they don’t emit X-rays. The larger body scanners, on the other hand, are a type of X-ray machine. These can be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212478013000944">active or passive</a>, or a combination of both. Passive scanners simply detect the natural radiation emitted by your body and any objects that might be concealed. Active scanners emit low-energy radiation to create a scan of your body, which can then be analysed. The kind of machine you walk through will depend on where in the world you are. For instance, one type of active body scanner that emits X-rays in what’s called “backscatter technology” was once <a title="https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/backscatter-x-ray.htm" href="https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/backscatter-x-ray.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used widely</a> in the US, but is no longer used. It’s also banned in <a title="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/travelsecure/passenger-screening" href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/travelsecure/passenger-screening" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia</a> and <a title="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2011/11/15/europe-bans-airport-body-scanners-over-health-and-safety-concerns/" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2011/11/15/europe-bans-airport-body-scanners-over-health-and-safety-concerns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the European Union</a>, where only non-ionising technology can be used. Another type of scanner emits lower-energy <a href="https://science.howstuffworks.com/backscatter-machines-vs-millimeter-wave-scanners.htm">millimetre waves</a>, instead of X-rays, to image the passenger. Millimetre wave frequencies are considered to be non-ionising radiation. <h2>AI in our airports</h2> AI seems to be all around us lately, and our airports are no exception. Advancements in AI systems stand to transform the future of airport security. For now, human reviewers are required to identify potential threats in scanned images. However, what if an advanced <a href="https://thinkspace.csu.edu.au/artiificialintelligenceinsecuritycheck/article/">AI was trained</a> to do this using a database of images? It would do so in a fraction of the time. Some airports are already using advanced <a href="https://www.in-security.eu/index.php/editorial/the-future-of-airport-security-faster-smarter-safer">computed tomography</a> (CT) <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jun/21/3d-body-scanners-at-australian-airports-what-are-they-and-how-do-they-work">scanners</a> to produce high-definition 3D imagery. In the future, this technology could be further enhanced by AI to detect threats at a much faster rate. Hypothetically, CT scans could also be used for both humans and their baggage. Could this allow travellers to walk through a body scanner while carrying their bags? Possibly. Until then, you should probably try your best to leave the house on time.<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/209041/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/doug-drury-1277871">Doug Drury</a>, Professor/Head of Aviation, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-do-i-have-to-take-my-laptop-out-of-the-bag-at-airport-security-209041">original article</a>.

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