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Stamp duty is holding us back from moving homes – we’ve worked out how much

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-garvin-1453835">Nick Garvin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</a> If just one state of Australia, New South Wales, scrapped its stamp duty on real-estate transactions, about 100,000 more Australians would move homes each year, according to our <a href="https://e61.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Stamp-duty-effects-on-purchases-and-moves.pdf">best estimates</a>. Stamp duty is an unquestioned part of buying a home in Australia – you put your details in an online mortgage calculator, and stamp duty is automatically deducted from the amount you have to contribute. It’s easy to overlook how much more affordable a home would be without it. That means it’s also easy to overlook how much more Australians would buy and move if stamp duty wasn’t there. The 2010 Henry Tax Review found stamp duty was <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-10/afts_final_report_part_2_vol_1_consolidated.pdf">inequitable</a>. It taxes most the people who most need to or want to move. The review reported: "Ideally, there would be no role for any stamp duties, including conveyancing stamp duties, in a modern Australian tax system. Recognising the revenue needs of the States, the removal of stamp duty should be achieved through a switch to more efficient taxes, such as those levied on broad consumption or land bases." But does stamp duty actually stop anyone moving? It’s a claim more often made than assessed, which is what our team at the <a href="https://e61.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Stamp-duty-effects-on-purchases-and-moves.pdf">e61 Institute</a> set out to do. We used real-estate transaction data and a natural experiment. <h2>What happened when Queensland hiked stamp duty</h2> In 2011, Queensland hiked stamp duty for most buyers by removing some concessions for owner-occupiers at short notice. For owner-occupiers it increased stamp duty by about one percentage point, lifting the average rate from 1.26% of the purchase price to 2.27%. What we found gives us the best estimate to date of what stamp duty does to home purchases. A one percentage point increase in stamp duty causes the number of home purchases to decline by 7.2%. The number of moves (changes of address) falls by about as much. The effect appears to be indiscriminate. Purchases of houses fell about as much as purchases of apartments, and purchases in cities fell about as much as purchases in regions. Moves between suburbs and moves interstate dropped by similar rates. With NSW stamp duty currently averaging about <a href="https://conveyancing.com.au/need-to-know/stamp-duty-nsw">3.5%</a> of the purchase price, our estimates suggest there would be about 25% more purchases and moves by home owners if it were scrapped completely. That’s 100,000 moves. Victoria’s higher rate of stamp duty, about <a href="https://www.sro.vic.gov.au/rates-taxes-duties-and-levies/general-land-transfer-duty-property-current-rates">4.2%</a>, means if it was scrapped there would be about 30% more purchases. That’s another 90,000 moves. <h2>Even low headline rates have big effects</h2> The big effect from small-looking headline rates ought not to be surprising. When someone buys a home, they typically front up much less cash than the purchase price. While stamp duty seems low as a percentage of the purchase price, it is high as a percentage of the cash the buyer needs to find. Here’s an example. If stamp duty is 4% of the purchase price, and a purchaser pays $800,000 for a property with a mortgage deposit of $160,000, the $32,000 stamp duty adds 20%, not 4%, to what’s needed. If the deposit takes five years to save, stamp duty makes it six. A similar thing happens when an owner-occupier changes address. If the buyer sells a fully owned home for $700,000 and buys a new home for $800,000, the upgrade ought to cost them $100,000. A 4% stamp duty lifts that to $132,000. Averaged across all Australian cities, stamp duty costs about <a href="https://e61.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Stepped-on-by-Stamp-Duty.pdf">five months</a> of after-tax earnings. In Sydney and Melbourne, it’s six. <h2>Stamp duty has bracket creep</h2> This cost has steadily climbed from around <a href="https://e61.in/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Stepped-on-by-Stamp-Duty.pdf">six weeks</a> of total earnings in the 1990s. It has happened because home prices have climbed faster than incomes and because stamp duty has brackets, meaning more buyers have been pushed into higher ones. Replacing the stamp duty revenue that states have come to rely on would not be easy, but a switch would almost certainly help the economy function better. The more that people are able to move, the more they will move to jobs to which they are better suited, boosting productivity. The more that people downsize when they want to, the more housing will be made available for others. Our findings suggest the costs are far from trivial, making a switch away from stamp duty worthwhile, even if it is disruptive and takes 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/225773/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nick-garvin-1453835">Nick Garvin</a>, Adjunct Fellow, Department of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/macquarie-university-1174">Macquarie University</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/stamp-duty-is-holding-us-back-from-moving-homes-weve-worked-out-how-much-225773">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

Tennis star "heartbroken" as injury puts life on hold

Aussie tennis star Storm Hunter has suffered a devastating injury just one day before the nation's qualifying tie against Mexico. The 29-year-old has had to put her Olympic dream and plans to crack the world’s top 100 on hold, after she fell and ruptured her right Achilles tendon. The incident occurred on Thursday’s final practice session for Australia’s Billie Jean King Cup qualification tie against Mexico on Friday. Hunter took to Instagram to announce the bad news, with a picture of herself during one of the games. “I am devastated and heartbroken but incredibly grateful to be around the team and I know I have a great group of people around me that will help me get back on court as soon as possible,” she wrote. “Thank you so much everyone for the messages of support and love, I’m excited to stay for the tie and support our Aussie girls.” <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/C5pE4RDPdpG/?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/C5pE4RDPdpG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by STORM HUNTER (@stormcsanders)</a> </div> </blockquote> In a following update, she shared a photo of herself in crutches holding a bouquet of flowers that she received from the rival team. "Thank you team Mexico for the flowers" she captioned the photo, with a heart emoji and the Mexican flag. Recovery time for a ruptured Achilles is at least four months, but can take up to a year depending on the injury. This means that the tennis star is set to miss the Olympic Games in Paris later this year, where she could've featured in all three disciplines. She was set to team up with Ellen Perez for the clash with Mexico, but has since been replaced with Daria Saville. “Storm went to take off for a ball and unfortunately has sustained a very serious injury, so she’s going to be getting an MRI tonight,” Team captain Sam Stosur said on Thursday. “Obviously the tie still continues and we’ve made a decision. Dasha’s going to go in place of her to play tomorrow, but obviously we’re all rallying behind Storm and wishing her the very, very best and the quickest recovery possible.” Hunter has had a career-high singles mark of 114 at the start of April, and finished 2023 as the world No.1 in doubles alongside Elise Mertens. Images: Instagram

Caring

People in the world’s ‘blue zones’ live longer – their diet could hold the key to why

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-roberts-1176632">Justin Roberts</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joseph-lillis-1505087">Joseph Lillis</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-cortnage-438941">Mark Cortnage</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a> Ageing is an inevitable part of life, which may explain our <a href="https://time.com/4672969/why-do-people-want-to-live-so-long/">strong fascination</a> with the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2726954">quest for longevity</a>. The allure of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26566891/">eternal youth</a> drives a <a href="https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/longevity-and-anti-senescence-therapy-market-A14010">multi-billion pound industry</a> ranging from anti-ageing products, supplements and <a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/longevity-diet">diets</a> for those hoping to extend their lifespan. f you look back to the turn of the 20th century, average life expectancy in the UK was around 46 years. Today, it’s closer to <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/">82 years</a>. We are in fact <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27706136/">living longer than ever before</a>, possibly due to medical advancements and improved <a href="https://www.health.org.uk/publications/reports/mortality-and-life-expectancy-trends-in-the-uk">living and working conditions</a>. But living longer has also come at a price. We’re now seeing higher rates of <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/mortality-and-global-health-estimates/ghe-leading-causes-of-death">chronic and degenerative diseases</a> – with heart disease consistently topping the list. So while we’re fascinated by what may help us live longer, maybe we should be more interested in being healthier for longer. Improving our “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4632858/">healthy life expectancy</a>” remains a global challenge. Interestingly, certain locations around the world have been discovered where there are a high proportion of centenarians who display remarkable physical and mental health. The <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15489066/">AKEA study of Sardinia, Italy</a>, as example, identified a “blue zone” (named because it was marked with blue pen), where there was a higher number of locals living in the central-eastern mountainous areas who had reached their 100th birthday compared with the wider Sardinian community. This longevity hotspot has since been expanded, and now includes several other areas around the world which also have greater numbers of longer-living, healthy people. Alongside Sardinia, these blue zones are now <a href="https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81214929">popularly recognised</a> as: Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California. Other than their long lifespans, people living in these zones also appear to share certain other commonalities, which centre around being <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3874460">part of a community</a>, having a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4224996/">life purpose</a>, eating <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33514872/">nutritious, healthy foods</a>, keeping <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-021-01735-7">stress levels</a> low and undertaking purposeful daily <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30202288/">exercise or physical tasks</a>. Their longevity could also relate to their <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9010380/">environment</a>, being mostly rural (or less polluted), or because of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22253498/">specific longevity genes</a>. However, studies indicate genetics may only account for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8786073">around 20-25% of longevity</a> – meaning a person’s lifespan is a complex interaction between lifestyle and genetic factors, which contribute to a long and healthy life. <h2>Is the secret in our diet?</h2> When it comes to diet, each blue zone has its own approach – so one specific food or nutrient does not explain the remarkable longevity observed. But interestingly, a diet rich in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288">plant foods</a> (such as locally-grown vegetables, fruits and legumes) does appear to be reasonably consistent across these zones. For instance, the Seventh-day Adventists of Loma Linda are <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10641813/">predominately vegetarian</a>. For centenarians in Okinawa, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20234038/">high intakes of flavonoids</a> (a chemical compound typically found in plants) from purple sweet potatoes, soy and vegetables, have been linked with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11710359/">better cardiovascular health</a> – including lower cholesterol levels and lower incidences of stroke and heart disease. In Nicoya, consumption of locally produced rice and beans has been associated with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34444746/">longer telomere length</a>. Telomeres are the structural part at the end of our chromosomes which protect our genetic material. Our telomeres get shorter each time a cell divides – so get progressively shorter as we age. Certain <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21102320/">lifestyle factors</a> (such as smoking and poor diet) can also shorten telomere length. It’s thought that telomere length acts as a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31728493/">biomarker of ageing</a> – so having longer telomeres could, in part, be linked with longevity. But a plant-based diet isn’t the only secret. In Sardinia, for example, meat and fish is consumed in moderation in addition to locally grown vegetables and <a href="https://journalofethnicfoods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42779-022-00152-5">traditional foods</a> such as acorn breads, pane carasau (a sourdough flatbread), honey and soft cheeses. Also observed in several blue zone areas is the inclusion of <a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2021.10.041">olive oil</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33669360/">wine</a> (in moderation – around 1-2 glasses a day), as well as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3830687/">tea</a>. All of these contain powerful antioxidants which may help <a href="https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10049696/">protect our cells</a> from damage <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6273542/">as we age</a>. Perhaps then, it’s a combination of the protective effects of various nutrients in the diets of these centenarians, which explains their exceptional longevity. Another striking observation from these longevity hot spots is that meals are typically <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7232892">freshly prepared at home</a>. Traditional blue zone diets also don’t appear to contain <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6538973/">ultra-processed foods</a>, fast foods or sugary drinks which may <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32330232/">accelerate ageing</a>. So maybe it’s just as important to consider what these longer-living populations are not doing, as much as what they are doing. There also appears to be a pattern of eating until 80% full (in other words partial <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9036399/">caloric reduction</a>. This could be important in also supporting how our cells deal with damage as we age, which could mean a longer life. Many of the factors making up these blue zone diets – primarily plant-based and natural whole foods – are associated with <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35706591/">lower risk of chronic diseases</a> such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28728684/">heart disease</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37589638/">cancer</a>. Not only could such diets contribute to a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37836577/">longer, healthier life</a>, but could support a more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33397404/">diverse gut microbiome</a>, which is also associated with healthy ageing. Perhaps then we can learn something from these remarkable centenarians. While diet is only one part of the bigger picture when it comes to longevity, it’s an area we can do something about. In fact, it might just be at the heart of improving not only the quality of our health, but the quality of how we age.<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/221463/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/justin-roberts-1176632">Justin Roberts</a>, Professor of Nutritional Physiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joseph-lillis-1505087">Joseph Lillis</a>, PhD Candidate in Nutritional Physiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/mark-cortnage-438941">Mark Cortnage</a>, Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Nutrition, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/anglia-ruskin-university-1887">Anglia Ruskin University</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/people-in-the-worlds-blue-zones-live-longer-their-diet-could-hold-the-key-to-why-221463">original article</a>.

Food & Wine

“I told him not to open it": Flight attendant forced to hold plane door shut

A flight attendant was forced to hold an emergency exit door shut after an allegedly drunk passenger tried to open it shortly after takeoff. Footage shows a female flight attendant with one hand on the plane’s roof and another holding the lever of the emergency exit, after a man allegedly tried to pull it open during their flight from Qingdao, China on Saturday, according to the New York Post. “I told him not to open it,” the flight attendant said to another colleague in Chinese, according to JAM Press. Her colleague then asks the passenger: “Sir, did you open this?” The male passenger looked confused as he started gesturing at the lever. “Why did you open it? Didn’t you know it is prohibited to open this kind of thing?” the flight attendant asked again. But the passenger ignored him and looked down at his phone, as the male flight attendant continued to question him. The passenger eventually admitted that he had been drinking before he tried to grab the lever, and the man eventually had to change seats with another passenger sitting in the same row. He was allowed to remain on the flight, which managed to land safely at Harbin, China without incident. Images: New York Post

Travel Trouble

Australian beach holds the title for world's trickiest name

An Australian beach has claimed the number one spot on a list ranking the most frequently mispronounced beaches and beach resorts worldwide. Based on an analysis done by the pronunciation dictionary Forvo, Peregian Beach, located near Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, is the beach that people require the most assistance with in terms of pronunciation. The analysis is based on the number of times the most popular beaches, landmarks, museums and nature spots have been searched on their website. Peregian, which is pronounced “Per – ridge – ian”, is thought to derive from the Aboriginal word for emu. However, the source of this is unclear as in the local Gubbi Gubbi dialect, the word for emu is Nguriun, according to Noosa Libraries. Peregian is not the only beach many struggle with pronouncing, with five other Australian beaches making the top 20 according to travel website <a href="https://hawaiianislands.com/blog/mispronounced-tourist-spots/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HawaiianIslands.com</a>. The list includes Sydney’s Milk Beach, Clovelly Beach, Bondi Beach, Vaucluse Bay and Manly Beach. The Great Barrier Reef also came in at number seven for one of the most mispronounced nature spots in the world. Image: Getty

Domestic Travel

Dying husband and wife spend their final days holding hands

A married couple have spent their final days holding hands in hospital, after their beds were pushed next to each other so they could be side-by-side as they both passed away. The couple from Tennessee, Tommy and Virginia Stevens, both 91, were both admitted to the Vanderbilt hospital for unrelated medical issues. Tommy, who was suffering with Alzheimer’s disease, had been struck down with aspiration pneumonia and sepsis, and was transferred to the hospital's palliative care unit. The same morning, Virginia suffered a fall as she sustained six broken ribs, a spinal fracture, and a hip injury, and was admitted to the hospital's trauma unit. As Tommy and Virginia's family were struggling to split time between the two wards, hospital staff were able to pull strings for the longtime lovebirds to be roomed side-by-side. Virginia was moved into a room near Tommy’s in the Palliative Care Unit, and her hospital bed was scooted against his so she could comfort him as his health continued to get worse, the hospital said. “He was awake when she came in,” their daughter Karen Kreager said. “His eyes were open. He wasn’t communicating a lot — just in small whispers. But he knew that she was there and that she was going to be right beside him. They haven’t stopped holding hands the whole time. She won’t let go of him.” “It reminds me of why we do this work,” Mohana Karlekar, MD, medical director of VUMC’s adult Palliative Care Program told local news station <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2023/09/19/she-wont-let-go-him-vanderbilt-helps-hospitalized-wife-comfort-dying-husband/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WSMV</a>. “We take care of people — husbands, wives, mothers, fathers — not patients. We brought this family together during one of their most difficult times with little effort on our part. It involved a call, seeing an extra patient that day and some conversations.” “From the time we brought Mrs. Stevens over, she held her husband’s hand and fussed in a very loving way with him,” Karlekar said. “She was able to tell me Monday that she was at peace with what was going on, and she wanted to be there until the end.” Tommy died on September 8th, just a day before the couple’s 69th anniversary, and Virginia died a few days later on September 17th. Image credits: Vanderbilt University Medical Center and The Stevens Family

Caring

Why understanding how spiders spin silk may hold clues for treating Alzheimer’s disease

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-landreh-1328287">Michael Landreh</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anna-rising-1440132">Anna Rising</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> Really, we should envy spiders. Imagine being able to make silk like they do, flinging it around to get from place to place, always having a <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsmacrolett.8b00678">strong-as-steel safety line</a> or spinning a comfy hammock whenever they need a rest. The fascinating properties of spider silk make it no wonder that scientists have been trying to unravel its secrets for decades. If we could understand and recreate the spinning process, we could produce artificial spider silk for a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141813021021292">range of medical applications</a>. For example, artificial silk can help <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120692">regenerate the nerves that connect our brain and limbs</a>, and can shuttle <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01138">drug molecules directly into the cells where they are needed</a>. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zNtSAQHNONo?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> Spider silk is made of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/spidroins">proteins called spidroins</a>, which the spider stores in a silk gland in its abdomen. There are several types of spidroin for spinning different sorts of silk. Spiders <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7673682/">store them as a liquid</a> that resembles oil droplets. But one of the questions that has eluded scientists so far is how spiders turn these liquid droplets into silk. We decided to investigate why the spidroins form droplets, to get us closer to replicating a spider’s spinning process. <h2>Weaving a web</h2> The trick that spiders use to speed up their spinning process can be used to spin better artificial silk, or even develop new spinning processes. In 2017, we learned to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms15504">make synthetic silk fibres</a> by emulating the silk gland, but we did not know how things work inside the spider. Now we know that forming droplets first <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37084706/">speeds up the conversion to these fibres</a>. An important clue to how the droplets and fibres are related came from an unexpected area of our research – on <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23013511/">Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases</a>. Proteins that are involved in these diseases, called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/alpha-synuclein#:%7E:text=%CE%B1%2DSynuclein%20is%20a%20highly,linked%20to%20familial%20Parkinson%20disease.">alpha-synuclein</a> and <a href="https://www.alz.org/media/Documents/alzheimers-dementia-tau-ts.pdf">tau</a>, can assemble into tiny, oil-like droplets in human cells. Tau is a protein that helps stabilise the internal skeleton of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain. This internal skeleton has a tube-like shape through which nutrients and other essential substances travel to reach different parts of the neuron. In Alzheimer’s disease, an abnormal form of tau builds up and clings to the normal tau proteins, creating “tau tangles”. Alpha-synuclein is found in large quantities in <a href="https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-is-dopamine">dopamine-producing nerve cells</a>. Abnormal forms of this protein are linked to Parkinson’s disease. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528217/original/file-20230525-25-p40y48.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Beautiful spider web with water drops close-up" /></a><figcaption>The trick spiders use to speed up their spinning process can be used to spin better artificial silk. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-spider-web-water-drops-close-155560781">Aastels/Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> Oil droplets of either one of these proteins form in humans when they become entangled, like boiled spaghetti on a plate. At first, the proteins are flexible and elastic, much like spidroin oil droplets. But if the proteins remain entangled, they get stuck together which alters their shape, changing them into rigid fibres. These can be toxic to human cells – for example, in neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s. However, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33148640/">spidroins can form droplets</a> too. This left us wondering if the same mechanism that causes neurodegeneration in humans could help the spider to convert liquid spidroins into rigid silk fibres. To find out, we used a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nchembio.2269">synthetic spidroin called NT2RepCT</a>, which can be produced by bacteria. Under the microscope, we could see that this synthetic spidroin formed liquid droplets when it was dissolved in phosphate buffer, a type of salt found in the spider’s silk gland. This allowed us to replicate spider silk spinning conditions in the lab. <h2>Silky science</h2> Next, we studied how the spidroin proteins act when they form droplets. To answer this question, we turned to an analysis technique <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/mass-spectrometry">called mass spectrometry</a>, to measure how the weight of the proteins changed when they formed droplets. To our surprise, we saw that the spidroin proteins, which normally form pairs, instead split into single molecules. We needed to do more work to find out how these protein droplets help spiders spin silk. Previous research has shown spidroins have different parts, called domains, with separate functions. The end part of the spidroin, called c-terminal domain, makes it form pairs. The c-terminal also starts <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1001921">fibre formation when it comes into contact with acid</a>. So, we made a spidroin which contained only the c-terminal domain and tested its ability to form fibres. When we used phosphate buffer to entangle the proteins into droplets, they turned into rigid fibre instantly. When we added acid without first making droplets, fibre formation took much longer. This makes sense since the spidroin molecules must find each other when forming a fibre. Entangling the spidroins like spaghetti helps them rapidly assemble into silk. This finding tells us how the spider can instantly convert its spidroins into a solid thread. It also uncovered how nature uses the same mechanism that can make brain proteins toxic to create some of its most amazing structures. The surprising parallel between spider silk spinning and fibres toxic to humans could one day lead to new clues about how to fight neurodegenerative disorders. Scientists may use spider silk research, including what we have learned about the spider silk domains, to keep human proteins from sticking together – to stop them from becoming toxic. If spiders can learn how to keep their sticky proteins in check, perhaps so can we.<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/205857/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-landreh-1328287">Michael Landreh</a>, Researcher, Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anna-rising-1440132">Anna Rising</a>, Researcher in Veterinary medicine biochemistry, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/karolinska-institutet-1250">Karolinska Institutet</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/why-understanding-how-spiders-spin-silk-may-hold-clues-for-treating-alzheimers-disease-205857">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Body

Can ideology-detecting algorithms catch online extremism before it takes hold?

Ideology has always been a critical element in understanding how we view the world, form opinions and make political decisions. However, the internet has revolutionised the way opinions and ideologies spread, leading to new forms of online radicalisation. Far-right ideologies, which advocate for ultra-nationalism, racism and opposition to immigration and multiculturalism, have proliferated on social platforms. These ideologies have strong links with violence and terrorism. In recent years, <a href="https://www.asio.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-02/ASIO_Annual_Report_2020-21.pdf">as much as 40%</a> of the caseload of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) was related to far-right extremism. This has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-13/right-wing-terror-threat-declines-says-asio/101965964">declined</a>, though, with the easing of COVID restrictions. Detecting online radicalisation early could help prevent far-right ideology-motivated (and potentially violent) activity. To this end, we have developed a <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.04097">completely automatic system</a> that can determine the ideology of social media users based on what they do online. <h2>How it works</h2> Our proposed pipeline is based on detecting the signals of ideology from people’s online behaviour. There is no way to directly observe a person’s ideology. However, researchers can observe “ideological proxies” such as the use of political hashtags, retweeting politicians and following political parties. But using ideological proxies requires a lot of work: you need experts to understand and label the relationships between proxies and ideology. This can be expensive and time-consuming. What’s more, online behaviour and contexts change between countries and social platforms. They also shift rapidly over time. This means even more work to keep your ideological proxies up to date and relevant. <h2>You are what you post</h2> Our pipeline simplifies this process and makes it automatic. It has two main components: a “media proxy”, which determines ideology via links to media, and an “inference architecture”, which helps us determine the ideology of people who don’t post links to media. The media proxy measures the ideological leaning of an account by tracking which media sites it posts links to. Posting links to Fox News would indicate someone is more likely to lean right, for example, while linking to the Guardian indicates a leftward tendency. To categorise the media sites users link to, we took the left-right ratings for a wide range of news sites from two datasets (though many are available). One was <a href="https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/our-research/digital-news-report-2018">based on a Reuters survey</a> and the other curated by experts at <a href="https://www.allsides.com/media-bias/ratings">Allsides.com</a>. This works well for people who post links to media sites. However, most people don’t do that very often. So what do we do about them? That’s where the inference architecture comes in. In our pipeline, we determine how ideologically similar people are to one another with three measures: the kind of language they use, the hashtags they use, and the other users whose content they reshare. Measuring similarity in hashtags and resharing is relatively straightforward, but such signals are not always available. Language use is the key: it is always present, and a known indicator of people’s latent psychological states. Using machine-learning techniques we found that people with different ideologies use different kinds of language. Right-leaning individuals tend to use moral language relating to vice (for example, harm, cheating, betrayal, subversion and degradation), as opposed to virtue (care, fairness, loyalty, authority and sanctity), more than left-leaning individuals. Far-right individuals use grievance language (involving violence, hate and paranoia) significantly more than moderates. By detecting these signals of ideology, our pipeline can identify and understand the psychological and social characteristics of extreme individuals and communities. <h2>What’s next?</h2> The ideology detection pipeline could be a crucial tool for understanding the spread of far-right ideologies and preventing violence and terrorism. By detecting signals of ideology from user behaviour online, the pipeline serves as an early warning systems for extreme ideology-motivated activity. It can provide law enforcement with methods to flag users for investigation and intervene before radicalisation takes hold. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-ideology-detecting-algorithms-catch-online-extremism-before-it-takes-hold-200629" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Technology

Novak Djokovic holds no grudge against Australia

Novak Djokovic says he still has plenty of love and admiration for Australia, despite being deported due to the vaccine mandates. Djokovic says he received the reception he wished for in his triumphant return to singles action in Australia. Djokovic booked a spot in the second round of the Adelaide International 1 with a thumping 6-3 6-2 win over Frenchman Constant Lestienne on Tuesday. It was his first singles match in Australia since being deported in January 2022 for refusing to have the COVID-19 vaccine. The 21-time grand slam champion received a rousing reception when he stepped out on court on Tuesday, and he didn’t disappoint his adoring fans. Djokovic’s power, court speed, and deft work at the net proved too much to handle for Lestienne, with the match lasting just 74 minutes. The world No.5, who lost his low-key doubles match on Monday, repeatedly touched his heart before signalling to the crowd and the sky upon winning his singles match. He also kissed his hand and touched the court, later saying he was delighted to be back in the country where he’s won nine of his 21 grand slam trophies. “I’m glad to be back in Australia,” Djokovic said in his post-match on-court interview. “Thank you all for coming out today. Thank you for giving me the welcome that I could only wish for. “Over the years, Australia has been the place where I’ve played my best tennis, without a doubt. “If I have to pick one country where I’ve had the most success, which treated me in the best way in terms of tennis, it’s here, definitely. “Even the circumstances last year, it wasn’t easy for anybody. But I’m just happy to be here focusing on tennis, and enjoying my time with you guys.” The result sets up a round of 16 clash with Frenchman Quentin Halys, who defeated Australian Jordan Thompson in straight sets on Monday. Djokovic lost only five points on serve during the opening set, but did have to save a break point in the fifth game. Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

Super funds should use their substantial holdings for public good

Last month Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers unveiled the <a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-governments-first-budget-delivers-election-promises-but-forecasts-soaring-power-prices-192844">National Housing Accord</a>, intended to build a million new homes in Australia. Part of the plan is to encourage superannuation funds to invest in social and affordable housing. The proposal was met with <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/only-if-the-return-stacks-up-super-funds-will-demand-sweeteners-to-back-labor-housing-plan-20221028-p5btsq.html">criticism</a> from some quarters, with <a href="https://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2022/09/hey-labor-hands-off-our-superannuation-savings/">critics arguing</a>Australia’s superannuation savings belongs to its members, "it is their money, not Labor’s play money." These critics are forgetting it was not so long ago people’s taxes (which can also be seen as “their” money) paid everyone’s pensions. And while in consolidated revenue on their way to keeping us in comfort in our old age, these taxes helped build extensive public and social infrastructure. The transfer of retirement funding from the national government to non-government super funds is just one example of the shift from public provision of social goods towards individual accumulation that has defined Australian politics for four decades. This shift, along with associated income tax cuts, has contributed directly to the housing affordability crisis via the emphasis on property as an investment. Australia’s super funds now control <a href="https://www.superannuation.asn.au/resources/superannuation-statistics">$3.3 trillion</a> – the <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/p2020-super">fourth-largest pool</a> of retirement savings in the world. Most of them invest in <a href="https://www.marketforces.org.au/superfunds/">fossil fuels</a> and some, directly or indirectly, in <a href="https://novowealth.com.au/the-dirty-dozen-part-3/">armaments</a>, exploited labour and old-growth logging. All of them invest <a href="https://www.investordaily.com.au/superannuation/50298-super-funds-continue-shift-to-international-investments">internationally</a>where, if they are not doing actual harm, they are still not doing any good for their members in Australia beyond delivering financial returns. Super funds are regulated by federal legislation which originally stipulated they must act in the “<a href="https://theconversation.com/labor-is-winding-back-reforms-meant-to-hold-super-funds-accountable-to-their-members-187594">best interests of their members</a>”. This was changed by the Coalition government in 2020 to read “<a href="https://archive.budget.gov.au/2020-21/factsheets/download/your_future_your_super_factsheet.pdf">best financial interests</a>”. It is this requirement that has the critics of Chalmers’ plan <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/super-funds-cant-solve-our-affordable-housing-problem/">baulking</a>: how can it be in members’ best financial interests to invest in social housing? <h2>Why super funds should invest in social housing</h2> If even 1% of the $3 trillion – $30 billion – were invested in social housing, rental pressures in the private housing market would be massively reduced as tens of thousands of households currently in the private rental market vacated those dwellings for new social housing. The flow-on effects of decent secure housing, including improvements in physical and mental health, and general social welfare are <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/08854122211012911">well</a> <a href="https://www.ahuri.edu.au/sites/default/files/migration/documents/Final-Report-Trajectories-the-interplay-between-housing-and-mental-health-pathways.pdf">documented</a>. The Albanese government could re-amend the regulations to their earlier form, and could require all super funds to invest a proportion of their portfolios in socially and ethically beneficial activities. Super fund members are workers and members of society too, making up most of the adult population. They would all benefit from a more equal society. <h2>Investing for social good is already happening</h2> Some local funds and other financial institutions are already investing in social goods. Various super funds like <a href="https://www.cbussuper.com.au/super/my-investment-options/investing-in-australia#:%7E:text=Cbus%20Super%27s%20social%20and%20affordable%20housing%20investment&text=The%20Fund%20has%20been%20a,more%20social%20and%20affordable%20housing.">CBus</a> and community banks like <a href="https://bankaust.com.au/impact-finance/inclusive-and-accessible-housing">Bank Australia</a>invest in or give low-interest loans to community housing associations. Australian Super has a 25% stake in <a href="https://assemblecommunities.com/australiansuper-makes-cornerstone-investment-in-assemble-communities/">Assemble</a>, an affordable housing developer – bought before the 2020 amendment. They are taking small steps in a direction that is well-established in many European countries, where the notion of corporate responsibility has much greater resonance. This can be seen in the German constitution, which stipulates property ownership entails obligations, and “<a href="https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/politics/the-german-basic-law-article-14-property-and-the-right-of-inheritance-shall-be">its use shall also serve the public good</a>.” European funds are finding low-yielding, slow-returning investments in social and co-operative housing complement their diverse portfolios well. Germany’s <a href="https://www.umweltbank.de/_Resources/Persistent/3/8/c/c/38ccacb3aabab0e602c8da17624d59d40b4b385f/20220705_UmweltBank_Anno_engl.pdf">UmweltBank</a> supports various housing initiatives including the famous <a href="https://www.umweltbank.de/2019/sauber-finanziert/wohnprojekt-spreefeld">Spreefeld co-op</a> in Berlin, which provides a steady, low-risk return. Investments in social housing are regarded as the lowest risk of all, as rents are mostly paid from financial assistance guaranteed by the state. Pension funds and community banks can commit to the long term, unlike <a href="https://overland.org.au/2021/12/vulture-landlords-and-the-justice-washing-of-housing-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-1060442">corporate investors</a> that purchase social housing for a limited period before selling it on the private market. Oversight of these initiatives must be careful and regulated, but there is no reason why they should not be implemented. Chalmers’ plan should be applauded, and could go much further. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/super-funds-should-use-their-substantial-holdings-for-public-good-194443" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Income

Influencer slammed for holding raunchy party at retirement home

An elderly woman has appeared to suffer a heart attack while dancing with three strippers at an aged care home. Shocking footage shared to Instagram by influencer Nadia Cartagena shows a group of raunchy dancers showing off their moves to the elderly group at Una Mano Amiga Foundation in El Prado, Cartagena. The clip then shows the woman dancing in between three male dancers before she gasps and puts her hand on her heart. Moments later she is on the floor unconscious and sirens can be heard wailing in the background, rushing to the scene. The woman is then placed on a stretcher and taken to hospital in the ambulance. Nadia announced to her followers that she held an erotic party for “older adults, and I got the biggest scare of my life”. “I did not expect what happened to happen, and the truth is that I am very sorry, I just wanted to give them some fun and I did not expect that situation, so I want you to comment on the situation.” Her post was then inundated with furious comments from followers who slammed her for being inconsiderate. “How can you do that, girl? Can't you see that they are old? They can't stand so much voltage. Some suffer from diseases,” one person wrote. “You had too much, a party is ok but with another theme not like this,” another commented. “That party is out of order, that's not fun for people of that age that hurts,” someone else wrote. Images: Instagram

Retirement Life

"Help me": Bunnings thief dies after security guard's headlock hold

After stealing a gas cylinder and saw blade from a Melbourne Bunnings store, Anthony Georgiou was placed in a headlock hold by security contractors. The security team tried to stop him from fleeing the Frankston store, while a witness heard Georgiou scream, "Help me, help me, let me go," as he was wrangled to the ground. the store’s sub-contracted loss prevention officers (LPOs) continued to restrain the 31-year-old, despite his clear distress, until he fell unconscious. Georgiou was taken to hospital where he died later that day. A Victorian coroner has found Georgiou’s death in September 2016 would not have occurred if he was not restrained by the contractors at Bunnings. “There seems little doubt that had Georgiou not been involved in the struggle ... he would have walked away from Bunnings that day,” coroner Darren Bracken said in his findings, which were released earlier this week. Forensic pathologist Heinrich Bouwer, who conducted Georgiou’s autopsy, found his death was caused by complications with methylamphetamine use in a setting of physical restraint. He told an inquest being put in a headlock at Bunnings had caused injuries that inhibited Georgiou’s breathing. The security officers told the inquest they initially tried to get Georgiou to take the stolen property back to the store, but he became aggressive and said “no f*** off” and walked away from them. One of the officers said he grabbed Georgiou, near the exit, told him he was under arrest and said “let’s make it easy and come back with us”, but he was ignored, and the physical altercation began. The coroner also found that the security guards in question had not attended the mandatory training on how to deal with thieves, nor been given a copy of the Bunnings' code of conduct. Image credits: Getty Images / A Current Affair

Legal

James Caan was rarely a star. But he was a remarkable actor’s actor who could hold his own among the greats

James Caan, who died on July 6 at 82, was one of those actors who wouldn’t attract mass audiences to a movie just because he was in it. He wasn’t a “star” in the same way we see his contemporaries such as Jack Nicholson, Jane Fonda, Al Pacino or Robert De Niro. In essence, Caan was an actor’s actor. He never cared for the trappings of stardom or desired the celebrity status so many other actors craved. He was into acting for one thing: the craft. In the 1960s, actors were experimenting with their craft just as much as the youth culture around them was experimenting with drugs, art, music and writing. A new generation of actors was emerging who were wildly different from their predecessors, influenced by Lee Strasberg’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-the-moscow-stage-to-monroe-and-de-niro-how-the-method-defined-20th-century-acting-179088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">method acting</a>. Caan signed up for classes at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York, where he learned the Method and stayed for five years. Caan’s years at the Playhouse School developed in him the urge to be seen as a serious actor, rather than a “star”. When offered a leading role in a television series in 1965 he <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/155268288" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turned it down</a>, fearful the role would make him rich and diminish his love of acting. This was the thing with Caan. He couldn’t be typecast. De Niro has always traded on his tough-guy image; Pacino, the outsider; Nicholson, crazy and cool. But Caan couldn’t be put in a box. You had the volatile, violent son in The Godfather (1972), the zany comedy police detective in Freebie and the Bean (1974), the passive victim in Misery (1990), and the uptight, reserved father in Elf (2003). He was a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prolific actor</a>, but rarely the lead. This took nothing away from his performances, but it highlights how uninterested he was in stardom. His quality as an actor lies in how he was able to turn these smaller roles into his own. When he was on screen, you knew he was there. He demanded attention. He owned those characters. No role was too small for his light to shine through. Even when playing a smaller role, he had the ability to eclipse the leads. Perhaps nothing shows this better than his role as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. Caan is explosive. He almost jumps out of the screen with his frenetic energy, and deservedly gained a best supporting actor Oscar nomination along with Pacino – although Caan had much less screen time. <h2>Life imitates art</h2> Caan’s personal life was as dramatic as his on-screen characters. Linked to <a href="https://radaronline.com/p/james-caan-gambling-ring-illegal-betting-death/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mafia groups</a> and periods of <a href="https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/james-caan-the-reformed-character-actor-26256800.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drug addiction</a>, he had phone calls tapped <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/08/james-caan-obituary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the FBI</a> and had numerous <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-03-12-me-33226-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">run-ins</a> with the law. The death of his sister – also his manager – <a href="https://www.pearlanddean.com/james-caan-struggling-to-find-roles-to-crown-his-career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affected him greatly</a>. The theft of his money by a <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-29-ca-7423-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dodgy accountant</a> left him penniless for a while. As a result of his ongoing troubles, especially into the 1980s, Caan’s career faltered. There are large gaps in his acting resume where little happened for him. Hollywood didn’t lock him out, but it didn’t go looking for him either. It is interesting to think of the roles Caan could have had and what he would have brought to them. He was considered for or offered the leads in Kramer Vs Kramer, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Blade Runner, Star Wars and even the <a href="https://comicbookmovie.com/superman/james-caan-talks-about-passing-on-superman-star-wars-badmouths-harrison-ford-a87726#gs.60qihy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1970s Superman</a>. But for all he either refused or was passed over. The 1990s and 2000s saw him return to steady work. Supporting roles in features and starring roles in lesser television movies became more prolific. In these later productions, you could still see the glimmer of greatness in the ageing Caan’s work. Occasionally, in dramas such as The Yards (2000), City of Ghosts (2002) and Dogville (2003), we witness a resurgence of Caan’s energy and intensity back on the screen. His longevity as an actor, rather than as a “star”, through his six-decade career came down to his versatility. He was noticeable, without having that star recognition. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise and his secret weapon as an actor. When we see a famous actor we see the “star” first and the actor second. With Caan we see the actor – and acting – first. He was able to transform into whatever character he was playing and make his audience believe he was that role, free from the artifice of stardom. Caan did not have a particularly stellar career compared with some of his contemporaries. But that is immaterial. He was a remarkable actor who, at his best, could hold his own among the greats. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/james-caan-was-rarely-a-star-but-he-was-a-remarkable-actors-actor-who-could-hold-his-own-among-the-greats-186635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Movies

We studied how the Antarctic ice sheet advanced and retreated over 10,000 years. It holds warnings for the future

Alarming stories from Antarctica are now more frequent than ever; the ice surface is <a href="https://theconversation.com/warmer-summers-threaten-antarcticas-giant-ice-shelves-because-of-the-lakes-they-create-180989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">melting</a>, floating ice shelves are <a href="https://theconversation.com/conger-ice-shelf-has-collapsed-what-you-need-to-know-according-to-experts-180077" target="_blank" rel="noopener">collapsing</a> and glaciers are <a href="https://theconversation.com/ice-world-antarcticas-riskiest-glacier-is-under-assault-from-below-and-losing-its-grip-178828" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flowing faster</a> into the ocean. Antarctica will be the largest source of future sea-level rise. Yet scientists <a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-still-dont-know-how-far-melting-in-antarctica-will-go-or-the-sea-level-rise-it-will-unleash-166677" target="_blank" rel="noopener">don’t know</a> exactly how this melting will unfold as the climate warms. Our <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00309-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest research</a> looks at how the Antarctic ice sheet advanced and retreated over the past 10,000 years. It holds stark warnings, and possibly some hope, for the future. <h2>The current imbalance</h2> Future sea-level rise presents one of the most significant challenges of climate change, with economic, environmental and societal impacts expected for coastal communities around the globe. While it seems like a distant issue, the changes in Antarctica may soon be felt on our doorsteps, in the form of rising sea levels. Antarctica is home to the world’s largest single mass of ice: the Antarctic ice sheet. This body of glacier ice is several kilometres thick, nestled on top of solid land. It covers entire mountain ranges beneath it. The ice sheet “<a href="https://vimeo.com/133626869" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flows</a>” over the land from the Antarctic interior and towards the surrounding ocean. As a whole it remains a solid mass, but its shape slowly deforms as the ice crystals move around. While the ice sheet flows outward, snowfall from above replenishes it. This cycle is supposed to keep the system in balance, wherein balance is achieved when the ice sheet is gaining the same amount of ice as it’s losing to the ocean each year. However, <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/ice-sheets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">satellites</a> keeping watch from above show the ice sheet is currently not in balance. Over the past 40 years, it has lost more ice than it has gained. The result has been global rising sea levels. But these historical observations span only four decades, limiting our understanding of how the ice sheet responds to climate change over much longer periods. We wanted to look further back in time – before satellites – and even before the first polar explorers. For this, we needed natural archives. <h2>Digging up Antarctica’s past</h2> We brought together various natural archives to unearth how the Antarctic ice sheet changed over the past 10,000 years or so. These included: <ul> <li>ice cores collected from Antarctica’s remote interior, which can show us how snow accumulated in the past</li> <li>rocks collected from exposed mountain peaks, which reveal how the ice sheet has thickened or thinned with time</li> <li>sediment cores collected from the seafloor, which reveal how the ice sheet margin – where the edge of the land ice meets the ocean – advanced or retreated</li> <li>lake mud and old beaches, which reveal how the coastline changed in response to the ice sheet growing or shrinking.</li> </ul> When we started our research, I wasn’t sure what to expect. After all, this period of time was long considered fairly dull, with only small changes to the ice margin. Nevertheless, we studied the many different natural archives one by one. The work felt like a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, full of irregular-shaped pieces and seemingly no straight edge. But once we put them together, the pieces lined up and the picture was clear. Most striking was a period of ice loss that took place in all regions of Antarctica about 10,000 to 5,000 years ago. It resulted in many metres of sea-level rise globally. In some regions of Antarctica, however, this ice loss was then followed by ice gain during the past 5,000 years – and a corresponding global sea-level fall – as the ice sheet margin advanced to where it is today. <h2>A warning</h2> Understanding how and why the Antarctic ice sheet changed in this fashion offers lessons for the future. The first lesson is more of a warning. The period of ice loss from 10,000 to 5,000 years ago was rapid, occurring at a similar rate to the most dramatically changing parts of the Antarctic ice sheet today. We think it was likely the result of warm ocean water melting the underside of floating ice shelves – something that has also happened in recent decades. These ice shelves hold back the ice on land, so once they’re removed the ice on the land flows faster into the ocean. In the future, it’s predicted ice loss will <a href="https://youtu.be/XRUxTFWWWdY?t=149" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accelerate</a> as the ice sheet retreats into basins below sea level. This may already be under way in some regions of Antarctica. And based on what happened in the past, the resulting ice loss could persist for centuries. <h2>Bouncing back</h2> The second lesson from our work may bring some hope. Some 5,000 years ago the ice sheet margin stopped retreating in most locations, and in some regions actually started to advance. One explanation for this relates to the previous period of ice loss. Before the ice began melting away, the Antarctic ice sheet was much heavier, and its weight pushed down into the Earth’s crust (which sits atop a molten interior). As the ice sheet melted and became lighter, the land beneath it would have lifted up – effectively hauling the ice out of the ocean. Another possible explanation is climate change. At Antarctica’s coastal fringe, the ocean may have temporarily switched from warmer to cooler waters around the time the ice sheet began advancing again. At the same time, more snowfall took place at the top of the ice sheet. Our research supports the idea that the Antarctic ice sheet is poised to lose more ice and raise sea levels – particularly if the ocean continues to warm. It also suggests uplift of the land and increased snowfall have the potential to slow or offset ice loss. However, this effect is not certain. The past can never be a perfect test for the future. And considering the planet is <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warming faster</a> now than it was back then, we must err on the side of caution. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-studied-how-the-antarctic-ice-sheet-advanced-and-retreated-over-10-000-years-it-holds-warnings-for-the-future-185505" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Travel Trouble

Prince George holds bake sale for charity

Prince George’s first efforts to help save the planet have come to light, after it was revealed he organised a bake sale for Tusk, a charity that his father is a patron of, during the UK’s Covid lockdown. Charlie Mayhew, the chief executive of Tusk, was the first to speak of George’s fundraiser. Though he wouldn’t disclose how much the young royal raised, Mayhew said the funds were accompanied by “a very sweet card” in which George expressed his concern for endangered animals in Africa. “Prince George very sweetly did a little cake sale to raise money for Tusk during lockdown and wrote a very sweet card about it, clearly demonstrating his concern fro Africa’s wildlife,” Mahew told GB News. Conservation work has been an important part of life for George’s family, with Prince William, Prince Charles, and Prince Phillip all championing environmental causes. The Duke of Cambridge has previously spoken about passing on his passion to his children, which seems to have been a success with George’s first fundraising venture. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Baking cakes for the local community in Cardiff to enjoy at a Platinum Jubilee street party taking place today! 🎉 We hope you like them! 🧁 <a href="https://t.co/lK9QkaGugB">pic.twitter.com/lK9QkaGugB</a> — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1533359456376987649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2022</a></blockquote> It isn’t the only time George has shown off his baking skills either, after Kate Middleton and the Cambridge kids baked some sweet treats for a Platinum Jubilee street party in Cardiff. “Baking cakes for the local community in Cardiff to enjoy at a Platinum Jubilee street party taking place today!” the Cambridges tweeted, along with a montage of cute snaps. “We hope you like them!” Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Qantas passengers left fuming on hold

Customers have been left fuming after being kept on hold for 8.5 hours with Qantas. Despite borders being open for a while now, flyers are still confused about what is needed with travelling such as masks, vaccinations and isolating. Katrina was one of those confused passengers who said she is embarrassed at having to wait on hold for an excruciating 8.5 hours with Qantas. “I took the call to a meeting, I took the call to an eatery,” Katrina told 2GB. “It was a two-hour meeting and we had the music playing in the background the whole time.” Others took to Twitter to share their horror hold-time stories, saying it is unacceptable to wait that long. “I was on hold for 6hrs 46mins and the customer service agent cut me off. This is easily the worst customer service I’ve experienced - all while trying to fix an error Qantas has made on a booking!! So unacceptable,” someone wrote. “@Qantas total of 6 hours on hold across 2 calls with no answer. Almost $750 taken from my account with no flight to show for it, $300 locked up in your "Qantas pass". Still unresolved. Australia's worst airline for sure,” another commented. “Three HOURS on hold @Qantas what world are we living in?” someone asked. “Hey @qantas I’ve made four phone calls over the past week and been on hold for over 10 hours in total and I’m still waiting to hear back from you,” another comment read. Qantas chief customer officer Stephanie Tully apologised to customers and said they are looking to fix the issue. “I want to sincerely apologise to our customers, the wait times are not acceptable at all and it is our top priority to fix this,” Ms Tully said. Images: Twitter

Travel Trouble

“We can’t leave”: Russians accused of holding hospital staff and patients “hostage”

Officials of Ukraine’s besieged city Mariupol <a href="https://www.news.com.au/world/russia-ukraine-war-updates-mariupol-hospital-staff-patients-taken-hostage/news-story/290f75e5198aed84789d7d8d27c3bc67" target="_blank" rel="noopener">have claimed</a> that 400 hospital staff and patients have been taken as “hostages” by Russian forces. “We received information that the Russian army captured our biggest hospital,” Sergei Orlov, Mariupol’s deputy mayor, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-60757133" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the BBC</a>. Pavlo Kirilenko, the head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, took to Facebook to share an account from a hospital employee who managed to communicate with authorities. “Russian occupiers in Mariupol took doctors and patients hostage,” Mr Kirilenko <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pavlokyrylenko.donoda/posts/506102444405648" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “One of the hospital employees had time to pass this news. “‘It is impossible to get out of the hospital. There is heavy shooting, we sit in the basement. Vehicles have not been able to drive to the hospital for two days. “‘The Russians forced 400 people from neighbouring houses to come to our hospital. We can’t leave’.” Mr Kirilenko added that the hospital had been “practically destroyed” by the Russian forces, but that staff have continued to work and treat patients in the basement. “I appeal to international human rights organisations to respond to these vicious violations of the norms and customs of war, to these blatant crimes against humanity,” he said. “Russia and every citizen involved in crimes in Ukraine must be punished!” Mr Kirilenko said the hospital holding the “hostages” was the same one that was damaged by a strike last week, as Mariupol continued to suffer constant shelling. Russian troops have surrounded the city for nearly two weeks, with gas, running water and electricity cut off to the estimated 350,000 residents trapped there. The local council said about 2,000 cars left the city on Tuesday, with 2,000 others waiting to leave. However, as food and medical supplies dwindle, no aid has been allowed in. Image: Getty Images

Legal

Ian Thorpe doesn't hold back in slamming ScoMo's religious discrimination bill

Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe has hit out against Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s religious discrimination bill.Appearing at a media conference on Tuesday, the Olympian minced no words while sharing his opinion of the bill.“We want to see it disappear,” he <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10487413/Ian-Thorpe-unleashes-Scott-Morrisons-religious-discrimination-bill.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.“It has no friends in Parliament, it hasn’t, the first time it came around, the second has come around, and now this is the third time of this bill and is something that we would prefer to see squashed and get rid of it.”“What this is, is it becomes a state-sanctioned discrimination. To give rights for 100 people while excluding another group of people, for me, is discrimination.“And with that, we should consider what this place that we are in, what it represents and how it represents each and everyone of us.”His comments come as the proposed amendments to the bill would prevent religious schools from having the right to expel gay students, but withholding the same protection from transgender students.The bill is Mr Morrison’s top priority as Parliament returns this week and ahead of the upcoming federal election.Appearing on Sunrise, Thorpe said the bill allows “state-sponsored discrimination”.“Any bill that protects one group of people yet discriminates against another group of people, it’s actually wrong.”Thorpe was joined on the show by transgender Year 12 student Olivia, who told reporters she experienced “direct discrimination” from a former school after coming out.“They told me I was very likely to be bullied by people… that my twin brother in the same year at the school would also be bullied. They told us that his leadership potential would be jeopardised,” she said.“They said that if I just leave this term, it would not have to pay the rest of the term’s fees. This left me without a school going into the new year and with nowhere to go.”The retired swimmer, who came out as gay in 2014, said he supported people expressing their faiths and that he had been raised in a Christian household, but that expressing a view “that may be villifying another group of people'' would come with repercussions.Members of the LGBTQI+ community fear the proposed laws could see them be denied work opportunities from those with religious views, as the laws protect a person from being discriminated against on the basis of their religion.Finance minister and Senate leader, Simon Birmingham, confirmed the amendments would only relate to sexual orientation, raising concerns that trans students would be excluded and left unprotected.“The proposal that is put forward is to repeal the exemption as it relates to students being exempted from the Sex Discrimination Act on the basis of their sexual orientation. Now it doesn’t go further than that,” he told ABC Radio on Tuesday.However, Mr Morrison denied that transgender students would not be able to be expelled from religious schools.“This bill does not seek to endorse that arrangement. That's an existing law. What we're dealing with today are not those matters,” he said.“We're dealing with discrimination against people for their religious belief and faith.”Despite opposition from within his own party and from the opposition, Mr Morrison said he was confident the bill would pass parliament.“I stand by it 100 per cent, and I'm standing with the millions of Australians for whom this is such an important issue,” he told reporters in Canberra.“For many Australians, their faith and religion is their culture, you can't separate them.”Images: Getty Images

News

Prince Charles holds largest exhibit of his watercolours to date

The largest ever exhibition of artworks created by Prince Charles has opened at the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea Barracks, a recently restored chapel in a converted army barracks in London’s Belgravia district. A painting enthusiast, Prince Charles has extolled the benefits of art, saying it “transports me to another dimension”, that painting is "one of the most relaxing and therapeutic exercises I know," and that it "refreshes parts of the soul which other activities can't reach." The exhibition contains 79 of the prince’s paintings of landscapes of the French countryside, the Scottish Highlands, and Tanzania, which is one of Charles’ favourite places to paint. He regularly paints the family’s estates, including Balmoral Castle and Sandringham House, and has also produced works depicting Turkey, Nepal, and the Swiss Alps. As for why he started painting, Charles said, "I took up painting entirely because I found photography less than satisfying. Quite simply, I experienced an overwhelming urge to express what I saw through the medium of watercolor and to convey that almost 'inner' sense of texture which is impossible to achieve via photography." Like Queen Victoria before him, Charles is a “keen watercolourist” who “paints whenever his schedule allows”. Of his early works, he said, "I am under no illusion that my sketches represent great art or a burgeoning talent! They represent, more than anything else, my particular form of 'photograph album' and, as such, mean a great deal to me." While the prince does not sell his paintings, lithographs of his works are used to raise money for his charity; in 2016, it was reported that he had sold approximately £2 million worth from a shop at his Highgrove House residence. The National Gallery of Australia exhibited several paintings of his in 2018 to mark his 70th birthday. The curator of the exhibition, Rosie Alderton, said that Charles "likes to sit in the actual environment and paint 'en plein air.” She added, “His passion for creating beautiful art is conveyed strongly in this exhibition." In addition to the watercolours, there is a tapestry based on his painting "Abandoned Cottage on the Isle of Stroma” that took weaver Ben Hymers eight months to finish. Image: Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images

Art

Hold your horses! Scott Morrison reins in Perrottet

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has dampened plans to open New South Wales “to the world”, after NSW Premier Dominic Perrotet made a surprising announcement on Friday morning. Mr Perrotet shared that fully-vaccinated tourists and Australians looking to enter the state would no longer need to complete hotel quarantine from November 1. But, arrivals must have had jabs of an approved vaccine and received negative COVID test results on departure and arrival. “This decision is a big one, but it is the right one,” Perrotet said during Friday’s press conference. “We need to rejoin the world. We can’t live here in a hermit kingdom. We want people back.” However, his plans to reopen the state were squashed by the Prime Minister later that afternoon. Mr Morrison confirmed that only Australian citizens, residents, and their immediate families would be allowed to skip hotel quarantine initially. “I want to stress that, for the other states and territories and I have advised the premiers and chief ministers to this end, it is about Australian residents and citizens first,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/prime-minister-blocks-nsw-plan-to-welcome-back-tourists-to-sydney-but-quarantine-will-lifted-for-australian-citizens--c-4244707" target="_blank">he said</a>. “The Commonwealth Government has made no decision to allow other visa holders … to come to Australia under these arrangements. “They are decisions for the Commonwealth Government and when we are in a position to make that decision down the track, obviously in New South Wales, they will be able to do so if they are vaccinated without having to quarantine.” Following Mr Perrotet’s announcements, sources from the Federal Government told news.com.au they were “surprised” and insisted that the decision was up to the Commonwealth. “NSW don’t choose how we open up the borders and to whom,” <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10094509/NSWs-international-border-announcement-sparks-confusion-no-word-Scott-Morrison.html" target="_blank">one source said</a>. The airline industry was also taken aback by the announcement, with airlines proceeding to try and fill 6,000 seats on weekly flights to Sydney. An industry source told Guardian Australia: “We’ve been caught by surprise on this, we’ve had zero consultation it was happening today.” Mr Perrotet also encouraged returning Australians to stop by Sydney, saying he could not control the quarantine requirements of other states and territories. “If you’re a returning Australian and you want to come here, stay in New South Wales and stay in Sydney,” he said. “Have a great time and spend up big.” Australia is expected to reopen once 80 percent of over-16s have been fully vaccinated, according to the national reopening plan that all states and territories agreed to in August. This would trigger a “gradual opening of inward and outward travel with safe countries”, rather than an immediate reopening to vaccinated people from any country. Images: Getty Images

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Stamp duty is holding us back from moving homes – we’ve worked out how much

Tennis star "heartbroken" as injury puts life on hold

People in the world’s ‘blue zones’ live longer – their diet could hold the key to why

“I told him not to open it": Flight attendant forced to hold plane door shut

Australian beach holds the title for world's trickiest name

Dying husband and wife spend their final days holding hands

Why understanding how spiders spin silk may hold clues for treating Alzheimer’s disease

Can ideology-detecting algorithms catch online extremism before it takes hold?

Novak Djokovic holds no grudge against Australia

Super funds should use their substantial holdings for public good

Influencer slammed for holding raunchy party at retirement home

"Help me": Bunnings thief dies after security guard's headlock hold

James Caan was rarely a star. But he was a remarkable actor’s actor who could hold his own among the greats

We studied how the Antarctic ice sheet advanced and retreated over 10,000 years. It holds warnings for the future

Prince George holds bake sale for charity

Qantas passengers left fuming on hold

“We can’t leave”: Russians accused of holding hospital staff and patients “hostage”

Ian Thorpe doesn't hold back in slamming ScoMo's religious discrimination bill

Prince Charles holds largest exhibit of his watercolours to date

Hold your horses! Scott Morrison reins in Perrottet

Our Partners

News

Shop

Catalogues

Newspaper

Contests

Entertainment

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Property

Compare

Games

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Stamp duty is holding us back from moving homes – we’ve worked out how much

Tennis star "heartbroken" as injury puts life on hold

People in the world’s ‘blue zones’ live longer – their diet could hold the key to why

“I told him not to open it": Flight attendant forced to hold plane door shut

Australian beach holds the title for world's trickiest name

Dying husband and wife spend their final days holding hands

Why understanding how spiders spin silk may hold clues for treating Alzheimer’s disease

Can ideology-detecting algorithms catch online extremism before it takes hold?

Novak Djokovic holds no grudge against Australia

Super funds should use their substantial holdings for public good

Influencer slammed for holding raunchy party at retirement home

"Help me": Bunnings thief dies after security guard's headlock hold

James Caan was rarely a star. But he was a remarkable actor’s actor who could hold his own among the greats

We studied how the Antarctic ice sheet advanced and retreated over 10,000 years. It holds warnings for the future

Prince George holds bake sale for charity

Qantas passengers left fuming on hold

“We can’t leave”: Russians accused of holding hospital staff and patients “hostage”

Ian Thorpe doesn't hold back in slamming ScoMo's religious discrimination bill

Prince Charles holds largest exhibit of his watercolours to date

Hold your horses! Scott Morrison reins in Perrottet

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