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Australians lose $5,200 a minute to scammers. There’s a simple thing the government could do to reduce this. Why won’t they?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University</a> What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it looks when it comes to <a href="https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams">scams</a>, which are attempts to trick us out of our funds, usually by getting us to hand over our identities or bank details or transfer funds. Last year we lost an astonishing <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/scam-losses-decline-but-more-work-to-do-as-australians-lose-27-billion">A$2.74 billion</a> to scammers. That’s more than $5,200 per minute – and that’s only the scams we know about from the 601,000 Australians who made reports. Many more would have kept quiet. If the theft of $5,200 per minute seems over the odds for a country Australia’s size, a comparison with the United Kingdom suggests you are right. In 2022, people in the UK lost <a href="https://www.ukfinance.org.uk/system/files/2023-05/Annual%20Fraud%20Report%202023_0.pdf">£2,300</a> per minute, which is about A$4,400. The UK has two and a half times Australia’s population. It’s as if international scammers, using SMS, phone calls, fake invoices and fake web addresses are targeting Australia, because in other places it’s harder. If we want to cut Australians’ losses, it’s time to look at rules about to come into force in the UK. <h2>Scams up 320% since 2020</h2> The current federal government is doing a lot – almost everything it could. Within a year of taking office, it set up the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/national-anti-scam-centre">National Anti-Scam Centre</a>, which coordinates intelligence. Just this week, the centre reported that figure of $2.74 billion, which is down 13% on 2022, but up 50% on 2021 and 320% on 2020. It’s planning “<a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2023-464732">mandatory industry codes</a>” for banks, telecommunication providers and digital platforms. But the code it is proposing for banks, set out in a <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/c2023-464732-cp.pdf">consultation paper</a> late last year, is weak when compared to overseas. <h2>Banks are the gatekeepers</h2> Banks matter, because they are nearly always the means by which the money is transferred. Cryptocurrency is now much less used after the banks agreed to limit payments to high risk exchanges. Here’s an example of the role played by banks. A woman the Consumer Action Law Centre is calling <a href="https://consumeraction.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Joint-submission-CALC-CHOICE-ACCAN-31012024-Scams-Mandatory-code-treasury-consultA.pdf">Amelia</a> tried to sell a breast pump on Gumtree. The buyer asked for her bank card number and a one-time PIN and used the code to whisk out $9,100, which was sent overseas. The bank wouldn’t help because she had provided the one-time PIN. Here’s another. A woman the Competition and Consumer Commission is calling <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Targeting%20scams%202022.pdf">Niamh</a> was contacted by someone using the National Australia Bank’s SMS ID. Niamh was told her account was compromised and talked through how to transfer $300,000 to a “secure” account. After she had done it, the scammer told her it was a scam, laughed and said “we are in Brisbane, come find me”. <h2>How bank rules protect scammers</h2> And one more example. Former University of Melbourne academic <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377766055_Scams_Blaming_the_Victims">Kim Sawyer</a> (that’s his real name, he is prepared to go public) clicked on an ad for “St George Capital” displaying the dragon logo of St. George Bank. He was called back by a man using the name of a real St. George employee, who persuaded him to transfer funds from accounts at the AMP, Citibank and Macquarie to accounts he was told would be in his and his wife’s name at Westpac, ANZ, the Commonwealth and Bendigo Banks. They lost <a href="https://www.afr.com/wealth/personal-finance/i-lost-2-5m-of-my-super-to-scammers-20240423-p5flzp">$2.5 million</a>. Sawyer says none of the banks – those that sent the funds or those that received them – would help him. Some cited “<a href="https://www.choice.com.au/money/financial-planning-and-investing/stock-market-investing/articles/st-george-capital-investment-scam">privacy</a>” reasons. The Consumer Action Law Centre says the banks that transfer the scammed funds routinely tell their customers “it’s nothing to do with us, you transferred the money, we can’t help you”. The banks receiving the funds routinely say “you’re not our customer, we can’t help you”. That’s here. Not in the UK. <h2>UK bank customers get a better deal</h2> In Australia in 2022, only <a href="https://download.asic.gov.au/media/mbhoz0pc/rep761-published-20-april-2023.pdf">13%</a> of attempted scam payments were stopped by banks before they took place. Once scammed, only 2% to 5% of losses (depending on the bank) were reimbursed or compensated. In <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-performance-data/">the UK</a>, the top four banks pay out 49% to 73%. And they are about to pay out much more. From October 2024, reimbursement will be compulsory. Where authorised fast payments are made “because of deception by fraudsters”, the banks will have to reimburse <a href="https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en-us/posts/investigation-fraud-and-risk/app-fraud-uk">the lot</a>. Normally the bills will be split <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/news-and-updates/latest-news/news/psr-confirms-new-requirements-for-app-fraud-reimbursement/">50:50</a> between the bank transferring the funds and the bank receiving them. Unless there’s a need for further investigations, the payments must be made within five days. The <a href="https://www.psr.org.uk/media/as3a0xan/sr1-consumer-standard-of-caution-guidance-dec-2023.pdf">only exceptions</a> are where the consumer seeking reimbursement has acted fraudulently or with gross negligence. The idea behind the change – pushed through by the Conservative government now led by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – is that if scams are the banks’ problem, if they are costing them millions at a time, they’ll stop them. <a href="https://www.thepost.co.nz/business/350197309/banks-given-fraud-ultimatum">New Zealand</a> is looking at doing the same thing, <a href="https://www.biocatch.com/blog/mas-shared-responsibility-fraud-losses">as is Singapore</a>. But here, the treasury’s discussion paper on its mandatory codes mentions reimbursement <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/c2023-464732-cp.pdf">only once</a>. That’s when it talks about what’s happening in the UK. Neither treasury nor the relevant federal minister is proposing it here. <h2>Australia’s approach is softer</h2> Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones is in charge of Australia’s rules. Asked why he wasn’t pushing for compulsory reimbursement here, Jones said on Monday <a href="https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/stephen-jones-2022/transcripts/interview-mark-gibson-abc-perth">prevention was better</a>. <blockquote> I think a simplistic approach of just saying, ‘Oh, well, if any loss, if anyone incurs a loss, then the bank always pay’, won’t work. It’ll just make Australia a honeypot for these international crime gangs, because they’ll say, well, ‘Let’s, you know, focus all of our activity on Australia because it’s a victimless crime if banks always pay’. </blockquote> Telling banks to pay would certainly focus the minds of the banks, in the way they are about to be focused in the UK. The <a href="https://www.ausbanking.org.au/submissions/">Australian Banking Association</a> hasn’t published its submission to the treasury review, but the <a href="https://consumeraction.org.au/scams-mandatory-industry-codes-consultation-paper/">Consumer Action Law Centre</a> has. It says if banks had to reimburse money lost, they’d have more of a reason to keep it safe. In the UK, they are about to find out. If Jones is right, it might be about to become a honeypot for scammers. If he is wrong, his government will leave Australia even further behind when it comes to scams – leaving us thousands more dollars behind per day.<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/228867/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-martin-682709">Peter Martin</a>, Visiting Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/crawford-school-of-public-policy-australian-national-university-3292">Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National 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/australians-lose-5-200-a-minute-to-scammers-theres-a-simple-thing-the-government-could-do-to-reduce-this-why-wont-they-228867">original article</a>. </div>

Money & Banking

“Meant to be”: Twins give birth just 22 minutes apart

Just days after sharing their 33rd birthday, twin sisters Nicole and Renee Baillie have given birth on the same day. The women, from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, were shocked when they fell pregnant around the same time, with their due dates just two weeks apart. “We magically fell pregnant at the same time, which was crazy,” Nicole told <a href="https://7news.com.au/news/sunshine-coast-twins-give-birth-just-22-minutes-apart--c-13517897">7News</a>. Nicole was already at the hospital ready to give birth to her baby when Renee went into labour early. Renee rushed to the hospital just in time to give birth in the hospital foyer, welcoming a baby girl named Ruby. “I was just about to have a bath when I heard someone had a baby in the corridor,” Nicole said. “I couldn’t believe it,” Renee said. “When I got here, into this room after we had (the baby), I wasn’t sure how far along Nicole was. I didn’t want her (Nicole) to know I’d already had my baby, just in case it, like, threw her off.” Renee soon found out Nicole had given birth to a baby boy, named Zavian, only 22 minutes earlier. “I thought I had a few days left, but they decided they wanted to be born on the same day,” Renee said. “It was just meant to be, and I think everyone has just manifested this happening,” Nicole said. Image credits: 7News

Family & Pets

How 22 minutes of exercise a day could reduce the health risks from sitting too long

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-ahmadi-1241767">Matthew Ahmadi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emmanuel-stamatakis-161783">Emmanuel Stamatakis</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> People in developed countries spend an average of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106568">nine to ten hours</a> a day sitting. Whether it’s spending time in front of a computer, stuck in traffic, or unwinding in front of the TV, our lives have become increasingly sedentary. This is concerning because prolonged time spent sitting is <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/24/1451?s=09&int_source=trendmd&int_medium=cpc&int_campaign=usage-042019">linked to a number of health issues</a> including obesity, heart disease, and certain types of cancers. These health issues can contribute to earlier death. But a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106568">new study</a> suggests that for people over 50, getting just 22 minutes of exercise a day can lower the increased risk of premature death from a highly sedentary lifestyle. <h2>What the researchers did</h2> The team combined data from two studies from Norway, one from Sweden and one from the United States. The studies included about 12,000 people aged 50 or older who wore wearable devices to track how active and sedentary they were during their daily routines. Participants were followed up for at least two years (the median was 5.2 years) during the study period, which spanned 2003-2020. Analyses took several lifestyle and health factors into account, such as education, alcohol intake, smoking status, and previous history of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. All this data was linked to national death registries. <h2>A 22 minute threshold</h2> A total of 805 participants died during follow up. The researchers found people who were sedentary for more than 12 hours a day had the highest risk of death (a 38% higher risk than people who were sedentary for eight hours). However, this was only observed in those who did less than 22 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily. So for people who did more than 22 minutes of exercise, there was no longer a significantly heightened risk – that is, the risk became generally similar to those who were sedentary for eight hours. Higher daily duration of physical activity was consistently associated with lower risk of death, regardless of total sedentary time. For example, the team reported an additional ten minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day could lower mortality risk by up to 15% for people who were sedentary less than 10.5 hours a day. For those considered highly sedentary (10.5 hours a day or more), an additional ten minutes lowered mortality risk by up to 35%. <h2>The study had some limitations</h2> The team couldn’t assess how changes in physical activity or sedentary time over several months or years may affect risk of death. And the study included only participants aged 50 and above, making results less applicable to younger age groups. Further, cultural and lifestyle differences between countries may have influenced how data between studies was measured and analysed. Ultimately, because this study was observational, we can’t draw conclusions on cause and effect with certainty. But the results of this research align with a growing body of evidence exploring the relationship between physical activity, sedentary time, and death. <h2>It’s positive news</h2> Research has previously suggested <a href="https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/24/1499">physical activity may offset</a> health risks associated with <a href="https://www.jacc.org/doi/abs/10.1016/j.jacc.2019.02.031">high sedentary time</a>. The good news is, even short bouts of exercise can have these positive effects. In this study, the 22 minutes wasn’t necessarily done all at once. It was a total of the physical activity someone did in a day, and would have included incidental exercise (activity that’s part of a daily routine, such as climbing the stairs). Several studies using wearable devices have found short bursts of high-intensity everyday activities such as stair climbing or energetic outdoor home maintenance activities such as mowing the lawn or cleaning the windows can lower <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02100-x">mortality</a>, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/43/46/4801/6771381">heart disease</a> and <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2807734">cancer</a> risk. A recent study using wearable devices found moderate to vigorous bouts of activity <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(23)00183-4/fulltext">lasting three to five minutes</a> provide similar benefits to bouts longer than ten minutes when it comes to stroke and heart attack risk. Several other studies have found <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2596007">being active just on the weekend</a> provides similar health benefits as <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2794038">being active throughout the week</a>. Research has also shown the benefits of <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2795819">physical activity</a> and <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2809418">reducing sedentary time</a> extend to cognitive health. Routines such as desk jobs can foster a sedentary lifestyle that may be difficult to shift. But mixing short bursts of activity into our day can make a significant difference towards improving our health and longevity. Whether it’s a brisk walk during lunch, taking the stairs, or even a short at-home workout, this study is yet another to suggest that every minute counts.<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/216259/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/matthew-ahmadi-1241767">Matthew Ahmadi</a>, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Medicine and Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/emmanuel-stamatakis-161783">Emmanuel Stamatakis</a>, Professor of Physical Activity, Lifestyle, and Population Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</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/how-22-minutes-of-exercise-a-day-could-reduce-the-health-risks-from-sitting-too-long-216259">original article</a>.

Body

Dawn French tells all in candid interview

Dawn French spills all in her latest interview with 60 minutes. The beloved British comedian revealed that being imperfect is perfect for her, in a world where unrealistic beauty standards are starting to dominate social media. "I can't believe that we, especially women, have come this far to hand our daughters a life where they have to do selfies and be filtered to try to look perfect," she told 60 minutes reporter Tara Brown. "I don't know how to connect to all those perfect people. I'm in the anti-perfection league frankly." The comedian revealed that the secret to her happiness is finding joy in the simple things in life, an outlook that she gained following the devastating loss of her father when she was 18. "I find joy in lots of tiny things. I'm the sort of person who doesn't need to be swimming with dolphins, I find happiness in the simple things," she added. French said that losing her father to suicide at such a young age shaped who she was, and that she was grateful for the love he showed and the lessons he taught her. "Now that I look back on it as an adult, I think he needed to give me some armour, he told me that I should value myself and that I deserved the very best," she said. "As a little chubby girl I could have grown up with all kinds of insecurities, but because of him I have never doubted that I'm not worth something." Her father's struggle with mental health gave her a deeper understanding of the complexity of depression and a greater appreciation for her own emotional stability. "He kept his depression very well hidden, so most of the time dad was very cheerful but he also had these black dog moments where he just couldn't cope," she said. "Then he would get stronger and he would be back on the horse again." "I've had sadness, but I haven't sunk to depths like that. I have worried that it's inherited, but I don't seem to have that, I've got too much to live for I think," she added. The French and Saunders actress is currently enjoying her life in a quaint village in the English countryside with her husband, therapist Mark Bignell. "I've got a love for life, and I love and am loved back by a lot of people, so I can't ask for more than that," she said. You can find the full episode <a href="https://www.9now.com.au/60-minutes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Image: 60 minutes

Man who died for seven minutes reveals his encounter with the afterlife

A British actor has shared what happened during his brief, yet profound experience in the afterlife, after he was pronounced dead for seven minutes. Shiv Grewal, 60, was having lunch with his wife when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest. His wife frantically called an ambulance, but Shiv's heart had already stopped beating. “I knew, somehow, that I was dead,” Grewal said, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/08/24/i-died-for-7-minutes-before-being-brought-back-to-life-heres-what-i-saw/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nypost&utm_content=curalate_like2buy_7Rd1H9jc__bf5c46e3-ff70-4690-9b19-4f40d83c952f&utm_term=curalate_like2buy&crl8_id=bf5c46e3-ff70-4690-9b19-4f40d83c952f" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link-type="article-inline">The New York Post.</a> “I felt things completely separate from my body. It was like I was in a void but I could feel emotions and sensations.” Shiv went on to say the experience felt similar to "swimming through water" with a sense of weightlessness and disconnection from the physical world. “At one point, I was travelling over the moon, and I could see meteorites and all of space,” he said. Grewal remembers feeling like he definitely didn't want to die and would do whatever it took to return to his physical body, despite the endless possibilities of the afterlife. “There was a whole set of possibilities, various lives and reincarnations that were being offered to me,” he said. “I didn’t want them. I made it very clear that I wanted to return to my body, to my time, to my wife and to go on living.” Grewal was rushed to hospital were he underwent a surgery to have a stent put into his main artery, which had clogged. He was then put in an induced coma for a month. While the traumatic experience happened almost ten years ago, Shiv explained that he hasn't fully recovered from the emotional impact. He said his life has been completely transformed, and is still trying to work through the profound emotions of that day. “I remembered everything that happened when my heart stopped and have tried to translate it into art,” he said. Before the accident, Grewal was more cynical about the idea of an afterlife, but now has completely changed his mind. “I’m less fearful of death because of it, but at the same time, I’m also more fearful, because I’ve realised how precious everything I have in life is,” he said. “I’m grateful just to be here.” Image credits: Instagram

Caring

How to declutter your home in 15 minutes flat

While most of us would love to live in a mess-free home, it’s hard to find enough time to dedicate to decluttering the entire house. A better way might be to break the big job into small 15-minute-or-less decluttering tasks like the ones below. Kitchen Use bins and baskets to organise similar items. Label them so the system is clear to everyone. If you’re living in with other people, buy a pantry bin for each member of the home. This will not only keep the space looking neat and tidy but will also reduce the risk of people “mistaking” your food for their own. Home office Make your home office user-friendly by reorganising the space in a way that makes sense to you and your family. For example, store homework equipment in an area where your children can easily access them and things that are used less can be kept up high. Julie Stuart, founder of online craft store and blog Clever Poppy, adopted this approach when she moved her home office into her open plan living and dining room. “All of my stationery is stored in a basket on my desk. For those things you don’t need on a day to day basis, store them out of sight in a cupboard or wardrobe.” Keep track of your mail and other paperwork that clogs up your desk by stacking it into three categories: bills, personal mail (e.g. wedding invitations) and then one for everything else. If you’re feeling particularly motivated, take the time to pay your bills now or just keep the piles stored neatly in a tray on your desk so it’s easier to tackle later on. Living room Keep on top of clutter throughout the week by identifying the biggest clutter culprit in the living room (e.g. kid’s toys, mail). Dedicate a few minutes every day, or every couple of days if you’re particularly time pressed, to dealing with that. Bathroom Pull all of your toiletries from the cabinet shelves and throw out anything that’s expired or unnecessary (do you really need four lipsticks in the same shade?) Follow this by giving the shelves a quick wipe-down and replace all of the remaining products, putting the items you use the most in easily accessible spots. Bedroom Take some time on a Sunday evening to pick out the clothes you plan on wearing for the rest of the week and hang them at the front of your wardrobe. This will minimise stress in the mornings and will stop you from tearing your closet apart (and making even more of a mess) to find a pair of piece of clothing. Another way to ease the morning rush is to organise your clothing by grouping like with like (e.g. all business shirts together) and adding garment tags to keep them together. Linen closet A simple way to quickly get you linen closet in order – and to stop sheet sets getting lost in the pile – is by tucking a complete sheet set inside one of its pillowcases. If you have a little extra time, stack the sets according to size (single, queen, king). Image credit: Shutterstock Written by Natalia Didovich. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz">Stuff.co.nz.</a>

Home Hints & Tips

Leo DiCaprio's new film gets 9-minute standing ovation

If a 9-minute standing ovation is anything to go by, then claims that Martin Scorsese’s new project Killers of the Flower Moon is the “film of the year” may just be on to something. The movie - which stars the likes of Hollywood legends Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone - received exactly that: 9 whole minutes of applause after its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Its stars were all in attendance, from Leo who was last present with Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood, to 80-year-old Scorsese, who was returning to the festival for the first time since 1985, when he was there for After Hours. The near-three-and-a-half-hour film - which shares its name with the David Grann book it was adapted from - takes place in 1920s Oklahoma, and shares the story of a dark period in American history, depicting the serial murders of members of the Osage Nation. Prior to its screening, the film had already been dubbed by some as the festival’s “most anticipated film” - it even saw Apple CEO Tim Cook swing by, as the company is one of the film’s distributors. And as soon as it concluded, the applause broke out - with some suspecting that it may have continued on beyond the 9-minute mark, had Scorsese not been asked to address the crowd. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone land a 9-minute standing ovation for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ — the biggest and loudest of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cannes2023?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cannes2023</a> so far. <a href="https://t.co/1Gxp4cED1T">pic.twitter.com/1Gxp4cED1T</a> — Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) <a href="https://twitter.com/RaminSetoodeh/status/1660019896393113602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2023</a></blockquote> “Thank you to the Osages,” Scorsese said upon reaching the mic. “Everyone connected with the picture. My old pals Bob and Leo, and Jesse and Lily. We shot this a couple of years ago in Oklahoma. “It’s taken it’s time to come around but Apple did so great by us. There was lots of grass. I’m a New Yorker. I was very surprised. This was an amazing experience. “We lived in that world with the Osage, we really did, and we really miss it.” As former Osage tribal leader Jim Gray said of the experience, “the dignity and care for the Osage perspective was genuine and honest throughout the process and the Osage responded with the kind of passion and enthusiasm that met this historic moment. “For those of us who were watching from the sidelines while our best and brightest among us auditioned, sewed, catered, painted, acted and advised the filmmakers, it’s going to be hard not to feel our presence in helping to tell.” Lily Gladstone - who plays an Osage woman betrayed by her husband in the movie - had more to add, telling Variety that “the work is better when you let the world inform the work. That was very refreshing how involved the production got with the [Osage Nation] community. As the community warmed up to our presence, the more the community got involved with the film. “It’s a different movie than the one [Scorsese] walked in to make almost entirely because of what the community had to say about how it was being made and what was being portrayed.” And alongside praise for the film came praise for the performances within it, with many convinced Gladstone is set for attention during awards season for her work, and one reviewer even going so far as to call this “Leonardo DiCaprio’s best performance yet”. Images: Getty

Movies

"We’re all f***ed if that happens": 60 Minutes' stunning f-bombshell

60 Minutes reporter Tom Steinfort spoke for Australians all across the nation when he swore at Treasurer Jim Chalmers in an interview on interest rates. The exchange transpired as homeowners brace for a 10th consecutive rate rise, with the move expected to produce the highest interest rates Australians have seen in the past decade. “Do you see similarities between now and what happened in the early ‘90s?” Steinfort asked the treasurer, referencing a difficult period of recession for Australia. “There’s absolutely no chance that interest rates will get to the level that they were at in the early 1990s. I wanna make that clear,” Chalmers responded. And while the treasurer had wasted no time in giving his answer, it wasn’t enough to stop Steinfort from scoffing, “yeah, well, we’re all f***ed if that happens.” In January 1990, interest rates peaked - or hit rock bottom - at a record high of 17.5 per cent. And now, the RBA is set to deliver more bad news - passing on another 0.25 per cent interest rate rise - with homeowners already feeling their wallet strings tightening when faced with the disparity between house prices and annual wages. Australia’s inflation rate of 7.8 per cent marks the highest level since the early 1990s and is over twice that of the RBA’s 2-3 per cent inflation target - one they adopted in 1993. - the RBA took on its inflation target in 1993. Experts fear that further interest rate hikes will see Australia face its first recession since 1991, a concern that Steinfort clearly shares. Elsewhere in the interview, Steinfort wanted to know if Chalmers believed Australians had seen the worst of the inflation crisis, asking, “do you think we’ve hit the inflation peak?” “That’s our expectation, yeah,” Chalmers said. “We think that’s most likely, uh, that inflation peaked at Christmas time and has started to moderate. But we won’t know until we get that next set of data.” “You think we might be through the worst of it?” Steinfort pressed. “Well, I think inflation is starting to come off,” Chalmers responded, before adding that despite his optimism, Australians shouldn’t expect for things to get easier overnight, “but even as it moderates we can’t be complacent about it, because it’s still going to be a challenge in ‘23, just like it was in ‘22.” “You paint a picture that we’ve turned a bit of a corner and that there are better times ahead, but the people we’re speaking to - I mean, even when I look at my home mortgage bill - we’re not feeling it,” a sceptical Steinfort pointed out. To which a smiling Chalmers answered, “yeah, I understand, and I think that certainly the prime minister understands, and that the government understands, that people are under real pressure now. “We’re doing what we can to deal with it within the constraints of a responsible budget.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Federal treasurer Jim Chalmers believes we’ve already seen the worst of Australia’s inflation problem. However he says 2023 will still be a challenging time for many families. Watch <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/60Mins?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#60Mins</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/9Now?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@9Now</a> <a href="https://t.co/4G5tZZO3fU">pic.twitter.com/4G5tZZO3fU</a> — 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Mins/status/1632322412959215617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2023</a></blockquote> Images: 60 Minutes

Money & Banking

5 ways to ripen your avocado in minutes

The humble avocado can be a wily adversary when it comes to eatability. What lies beneath their dark, glossy skin is at best a guessing game. Many a meal has been ruined by slicing one open only to discover rock hard flesh. Fortunately, there are a few clever tricks you can you to ripen up an avocado quicker than you can say “guacamole”. Here are five of our favourites. 1. Wrap it in glad wrap One of the easiest ways to quickly ripen an avocado is by wrapping it in glad wrap! Something to do with the heat and moisture generated we are led to believe. 2. Peas and a blender If you’re really stuck and need to do something with your rock hard avo, try dicing it up and popping into the blender with a handful of frozen peas. Instant creamy guacamole! 3. The tin foil trick For really, really unripe avocados, this tin foil hack might just do the trick. Simply wrap your unripe avocado in foil and pop it in a low temperate oven (around 90c). Leave for around 10 minutes then transfer to the fridge to cool. Avocadoes release ethylene gas (which helps them to ripen) much faster in the oven due to the warmth. This method can change their taste slightly though so is best used when the avocado will be turned into something like guacamole or added to a recipe. 4. Lime juice + apple cider vinegar Another trick to create instant, creamy guacamole. Take a sharp knife, cut your avocado in half then score the flesh into sections. Pop the segments out into a bowl and sprinkle with a tsp of apple cider vinegar and the juice of ½ a lime. Allow to sit for a few minutes then mash. 5. Brown paper bag + flour As bizarre as it sounds, the humble brown paper bag can help ripen up an avocado considerably faster than nature alone. Pour ½-1 cup of flour into the bottom of the bag then add your avocado. Seal the bag and leave in a warm spot to ripen. This can take anywhere between 12-48 hours. To speed up the process, add another piece of fruit like a banana or apple to the bag as this will add to the ethylene gas production and thus speed up ripening. Image credits: Getty Images

Food & Wine

“Absolute lie": Furious Charlie Teo hits back at 60 Minutes piece

Neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo has slammed 60 Minutes for claims that he charged hefty prices for futile operations that left patients severely injured and families with false hope. In a one-on-one interview with A Current Affair’s Tracy Grimshaw, Dr Teo responded to a “comprehensive” story aired by the program last weekend, in which multiple families shared their upset about the large financial burdens placed on them and feeling that they had been given false hope by the acclaimed surgeon. Dr Teo dubbed the report as “abhorrent and disgusting”, and while he admitted he had made mistakes in his career, he said the idea that he was simply in it for the money was false. “For some outsiders not sitting in the room with you having a discussion with the patient, it‘s so wrong for them to judge you on what’s going on in the room,” he said. “If someone is trying to portray me as some money-hungry bastard that was operating and hurting children based on money, that’s what I want to correct. It’s not that case.” The surgeon, who is currently under investigation by the Health Care Complaints Commission, told 2GB host Ben Fordham on Wednesday that he does have regrets about mistakes he’s made. “But I deny the accusation that it means nothing to me,” Dr Teo said. “I treat all my patients like a member of my own family.” When asked if he was sorry about the mistakes he’s made, Dr Teo said he was and that “you would have to be a sociopath” not to be sorry. “You’d have to be a sociopath not to be sorry because every mistake means some sort of bad outcome for the patient which means quality of life issues, sometimes even death, or paralysis, inability to speak,” he added. “I mean, if that didn’t affect you, you’d be like Dr Death, you’d be some sort of a psychopath.” During his 60 Minutes interview, Dr Teo responded to the case of one patient who lost their vision, explaining that he never gave 100 percent certainty that the procedure wouldn’t result in blindness. “If I had guaranteed that there was no chance of blindness, that is me saying the wrong thing, that’s misinformation,” he said. “I don’t do that, you can’t do that and not get sued, someone will sue you one day and after 11,000 cases, you don’t think if I have set out to a handful of patients I’d be sued by those patients? “In that case, I thought the chance of blindness was almost zero, but I never give a guarantee. They are claiming I said that I guarantee you won’t be blind, that is absolute lie, I did not say that I would never say that you be foolish to say that.” Dr Teo revealed that he has photos of his patients on his phone to remind him of the importance of his job, saying that he carried the devastation of failed operations with him every day. “There is a French vascular surgeon who wrote a book on the philosophy of surgery, and I don’t think you can put in any better words when he said ‘every surgeon carries with himself a small cemetery’,” he said. “My cemetery is not small, it’s a significant sized cemetery. (I have) pictures of my patients on my phone to remind me every day I’ve got to do it better.” While some of his former patients have been critical of the neurosurgeon, others have leapt to his defence, including 24-year-old Monica Lopresti. After she began to lose her memory in early 2021 but her blood tests returned normal results, it wasn’t until she received the results of an MRI in 2022 that it was discovered that she had a benign cystic tumour in the middle of her brain. Seven neurosurgeons turned her away, but Dr Teo agreed to perform surgery on her. Ms Lopresti said Dr Teo explained the risks, which included death, paralysis and being left in a vegetative state, and that she agreed to proceed with the knowledge of the risks. She added that “it just isn’t true” that the surgeon gave people false hope. “I wasn’t living a life. I was always calling in sick and I wasn’t having the quality of life that I wanted,” she told news.com.au. Since August 2021, Dr Teo has been banned from performing operations in Australia but still receives daily requests for help, telling the podcast The Soda Room that he estimates that nine patients a week are left without lifesaving care as a result. “So the sadness of the situation is that my entire practice was mostly taking out tumours that other people called inoperable, so that was 90 per cent of my practice,” he said. “That’s 10 tumours a week. So that means, quite conceivably, that there are nine patients a week, who are missing out on either extension of life or cure from a condition that I know that I can help. Now that’s sad.” Images: A Current Affair

Caring

Opinions divided over fresh Dr Charlie Teo claims

Neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo has once again been on the receiving end of harsh claims from past patients in a brutal expose by 60 Minutes. The renowned brain surgeon has made headlines multiple times in the past for his achievements – such as when he flew from Perth to Sydney to perform a lifesaving operation on then 14-year-old Amelia “Milli” Lucas after she raised $170,000. However, Dr Teo has continued to face backlash, with some families who’ve dealt with the surgeon criticising him for the high price of his services. Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes program interviewed several of Dr Teo’s past patients, one of whom spoke about the "false hope" given to his family when dealing with the surgeon. Michelle Smith was only 19 when Dr Teo operated on her to remove a brain tumour that was causing her severe epileptic episodes. Ms Smith and her mother told the program that Dr Teo claimed that the removal of the tumour would be “easy” and after the operation “everything is great”. The program went on to state that Dr Teo soon told Ms Smith that she was able to stop taking her epilepsy medication but as the years went on she experienced worse seizures. “The seizures got worse…I lost my employment, I’d had a few jobs here and there,” Ms Smith said. “I had a seizure behind the wheel and hit two parked cars, writing off three cars.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/michelle24.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Later in 2014, Ms Smith had another scan for her brain, after which other doctors claimed that Dr Teo had operated on the wrong side. “The previous operation was done on the wrong side of the brain and that’s why the normal brain tissue was removed, it was nowhere near the tumour,” Ms Smith continued on the program. “To find out that he didn’t even touch it, I just felt violated in a way. I trusted him.” Dr Teo defended himself saying that he “never, ever” operated on the wrong side of the brain and that the approach he used was well documented to reduce the risk. “Ms Smith awoke in excellent neurological condition and was seizure free at her post-op visit,” he said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A decade after going under the knife of Dr Charlie Teo to remove a brain tumour, Michelle Smith made a horrific discovery; the neurosurgeon had actually operated on the wrong side of her brain. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/60Mins?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#60Mins</a> <a href="https://t.co/YnBCqhCDfz">pic.twitter.com/YnBCqhCDfz</a> — 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Mins/status/1584118918276608000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2022</a></blockquote> A colleague of Dr Teo's, Dr Michael Donnellan, backed up Teo's claim, telling the <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/neurosurgeon-charlie-teo-says-claims-have-been-a-slur-on-his-character/news-story/bcd505006874929187ca31d406421a00" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a> that "there is a big difference between a wrong side surgery, versus a contralateral approach — or approach from the opposite side — to a tumour that is close to the midline of the brain.... This is a well recognised and reasonable approach,” he said, adding he had seen Dr Teo choose that method multiple times with good results. This, however, did not stop Ms Smith from suing Dr Teo in 2019 for professional negligence. The case was settled out of court. Another of Dr Teo’s patients examined by the 60 Minutes program was Prasanta Barman’s young son Mikolaj who was diagnosed with a diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) - a difficult brain tumour to treat. The family sought the help of Dr Teo who they say informed them that there was a “very high likelihood of (a) cure”. “If all goes as planned, the surgery should be curative, as we should be able to remove the entire thing. This means that prognosis would be excellent,” Dr Teo’s office said in an email in 2018. However, two other neurosurgeons informed Mr Barman that his son’s tumour was inoperable. This led Mr Barman to once again ask Dr Teo about his stance and his response remained unchanged and that he would operate. Mr Barman paid Dr Teo the $80,000 required for the operation and 30 minutes before the operation he said that he might not be able to remove the entire tumour. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/mikolaj.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> After surgery, young Mikolaj was bedridden and unable to walk, talk or eat on his own. He died less than a year later. “There was no hope. For a DIPG, there is no hope. So why give the false hope in the first place?” Mr Barman asked. Dr Teo has defended himself against these claims, explaining that there are some good and bad outcomes no matter the situation. “Once you start exploring and looking for advancements, you are going to get some bad outcomes, some terrible outcomes, which I have had,” he told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/desperate-parents-heap-praise-on-lifesaving-neurosurgeon-charlie-teo/news-story/db2c86a0aae339a9f2a23b5dfa7cf530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a>. “You are also going to have patients that do very well, that get more months or years on their lives and get to enjoy life.” Images: Facebook/60 Minutes

Caring

"You want a minute’s silence from me?" Lidia Thorpe speaks out on Queen's passing

Indigenous Greens senator Lidia Thorpe has accused the British Royal Family of genocide in the wake of the Queen’s death. Queen Elizabeth II was under medical supervision due to her deteriorating health before she passed away on September 8. The death of the longest reigning monarch has seen many instances of the traditional "minute of silence" observed in Australia and around the world – at sporting events, in Parliament and in many other settings. However, Ms Thorpe said that she refused to give a minute's silence to the late Queen, who she says is part of the family who “declared a war on these shores”. The Djab Wurrung, Gunnai and Gunditjmara senator wrote an opinion piece for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/sep/14/dont-ask-me-to-give-the-queen-a-minutes-silence-ask-me-for-my-truth-about-british-colonialism?fbclid=IwAR3P1sJO7LFcnsDA2D_eOJ3zycCt_fJPUKRElZgwfM7blwh6Wc8XiEqXVPc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> and shared it to Facebook with the caption: “They buried our kids in the sand and kicked off their heads, and you want me to pay my respects? This isn’t about an individual, it’s about the institution she represents and the genocide that they’re responsible for”. She first revealed that the news of the Queen’s death broke at the same time of her cousin’s funeral who had died in custody. “The institutions that British colonisation brought here, from the education that erases us to the prisons that kill us, are designed to destroy the oldest living culture in the world,” she wrote in the opinion piece. “That’s the legacy of the crown in this country. “The ‘British empire’ declared a war on these shores, against this country’s First Nations peoples. This led to massacres. And you want a minute’s silence from me? “Their war continues and is still felt today – on our children, our men, our land, our water, the air we breathe. Yet we’re meant to kneel to the colonising force with our hands on our hearts?” She went on to call Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to mark September 22 as a “National Day of Mourning for Her Majesty The Queen” as insulting. Ms Thorpe slammed the announcement saying that First Nations people have called for January 26 to be acknowledged as a Day of Mourning since 1938. “We called for a Day of Mourning so that this country could understand how we’re still affected by colonisation today,” she continued. “We’re not grieving a singular human life, we’re reeling from the violence that is the legacy of the monarchy. “Who gave permission for our flag to be lowered to half-mast? That power has been taken away from us, again.” She went on to say that Australia doesn’t need a king but instead needed a “head of state” elected by the people. “The Queen is dead. I’ve had some days to reflect, and know that people wanted me to come out ranting and raving to confirm their views of me as a crazy Blak woman. In the days since, I’ve seen anger and disbelief from First Nations people at the glorification of our oppressor,’’ she said on Monday night. “This Country has a new King. The parliament and the Prime Minister are subjugated to someone we didn’t elect. We don’t need a new King, we need a head of state chosen by the people. “The process towards being able to pick our own head of state would bring us all together – it would force us to tell the truth about our history and move us towards real action to right the wrongs that started with colonisation. “We could use this moment and momentum to empower people to democratically elect our own leader. Someone who represents all of us, uniting a country that has owned up to its past and chosen its own future. That unity would be more powerful than any King.” The comment section of Ms Thorpe’s post showed a lot of support for the Indigenous senator with many praising her stance. “This is a shameful country. Shameful leaders who choose to ignore the atrocities from the past and present. Thank you Senator for your strength in standing up!!” someone wrote. “You are amazing. I'd rather look to you as a queen than that archaic system that traumatised first nations people all over the world,” another commented. “It’s so great hearing your voice and indigenous voices loudly in parliament. You’re doing an amazing job. You are making a massive difference. Full respect,” another read. Image: Facebook

News

“Very sad”: Prince Harry arrives 90 minutes too late

In the wake of the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing, it has emerged that Prince Harry missed seeing his grandmother one last time by mere hours. The <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-at-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">96-year-old monarch died peacefully</a> in her Balmoral home after key royals such as Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, rushed to Scotland to be by her side. Prince Anne was already by her mother’s side, having attended an engagement in Balmoral earlier in the week. However, flight data obtained by the Daily Mail has shown that the Duke of Sussex was still airborne when the Queen passed at 6.30pm UK time, landing 15 minutes later and officially leaving the airport at 7pm. He reportedly arrived at the Balmoral estate at 7.52pm, appearing visibly upset as he was photographed while inside a black car. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Prince Harry seen with head in hands after the death of the Queen announced <a href="https://t.co/CoObKSwrUJ">https://t.co/CoObKSwrUJ</a> <a href="https://t.co/Hbpy86Ibn9">pic.twitter.com/Hbpy86Ibn9</a> — Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) <a href="https://twitter.com/MailOnline/status/1567952832569004034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> Royal commentator and former British Royal Family Press Secretary Dickie Arbiter told Today that King Charles III and Queen Camilla would have arrived pretty quickly at the estate, given that they live “just down the road” at Birkhall. "The rest of the family would have headed towards Northolt Airport, just outside of London, boarded a plane to Aberdeen Airport, then an hour's drive from there," Arbiter said. "It was quite interesting and I find extraordinary that Prince Harry wasn't on the same aircraft, and making his own way there, and probably arrived, if indeed he has arrived, after the death of his grandmother, which, is very sad in the circumstances," he continued, minutes before it was confirmed Harry did not make it to Scotland in time. Royal commentator Chris Ship tweeted: “Very sad for Prince Harry that - despite being in the UK - he didn’t get to see his grandmother, The Queen, before she passed away. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Very sad for Prince Harry that - despite being in the UK - he didn’t get to see his grandmother, The Queen, before she passed away. They were very close and he spoke to her often despite his decision to leave the Royal Family.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/QueenElizabeth?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#QueenElizabeth</a> <a href="https://t.co/bGMavZ7vQQ">pic.twitter.com/bGMavZ7vQQ</a> — Chris Ship (@chrisshipitv) <a href="https://twitter.com/chrisshipitv/status/1567958419214143489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 8, 2022</a></blockquote> “They were very close and he spoke to her often despite his decision to leave the Royal Family.” Despite reportedly being just west of London when the Queen went under medical supervision, it is unclear why Harry didn’t travel with the other Royal family members, who landed in Aberdeen at 4pm, per the Daily Mail. The former royal was in London with his wife Meghan Markle - who is understood to have stayed there while he travelled to Scotland - for the WellChild Awards, where Harry was due to give a speech. But, they cancelled their appearance due to the news of the Queen’s ill health. The Sussexes have since paid tribute to the Queen, with their Archewell website turning black and the message, “In loving memory of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 1926-2022” appearing in the centre. Image: Getty Images

Family & Pets

Why 15 minutes of meditation a day is the game changer in the world of antiaging

Our mind is our most precious asset and one we use every single day. Yet many of us don’t take the time to nourish it properly so it can perform at its very best now and well into the future. We all lead busy lives. Constant demands pulling our attention in so many different ways at once. As women we tend to spend a lot of time taking care of those around us and put our own self-care on the back burner. This can leave us feeling burnt out, stressed and looking older than we should. <a name="_Hlk109827543"></a>When practiced correctly, meditation has <a href="https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/meditation">well-documented</a> benefits including boosting your immune system, improving your sleep and reducing your stress levels. These all work together to slow down the ageing process, making meditation a game changer when it comes to anti-ageing. If your day is already full, it can feel too hard to add something else into an already busy day. But before you put it in the too-hard basket, you need to ask yourself, - How much time did you spend stressing about a project before you actually got it done? - How long did you lie in bed worrying about tomorrow? - How much time did you waste mindless scrolling through social media? With as little as 15 minutes a day, meditation can help you to reduce your stress, to stop overthinking and to feel mentally strong enough to take on whatever challenges the day may bring. <ol start="1" type="1"> <li>Stop overthinking and focus on the present. We waste too much time and energy thinking about things we can’t control. Meditation teaches us to be present in the moment, acknowledging those wayward thoughts but not letting them take over. So instead of worrying about the past or overthinking the future, you’ll be able to focus on the task at hand. </li> <li>Reduce the stress and take a breath. Stressful situations can lead to your emotions being all over the place. When you learn to focus your thoughts during meditation, you also learn how to control your emotional response and reduce your stress levels. This increased sense of control can help you make better choices and create a more positive mindset.</li> <li>Build a stronger brain. More is being understood about the complex connection between psychological and physical health. When we take steps to improve the state of our mind using meditation, it also creates <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9232427/#CR2">physical changes in our brain</a>. MRIs have shown that regular meditation can increase the thickness of your prefrontal cortex; the area responsible for higher brain functions such as awareness and concentration. It also suggests that meditation can help slow down age-related thinning of that area, keeping your brain functioning at a higher level for longer.</li> <li>Save your skin. When you reduce your stress levels using meditation, your body reduces the amount of cortisol, aka the stress hormone into your body. Cortisol is responsible for premature ageing signs including deeper wrinkles caused by weaker collagen, and increased skin inflammation and conditions such as psoriasis. So reducing the amount of cortisol in your system will help to slow down and even reverse some of these ageing responses.</li> </ol> Meditation can be the ultimate game changing approach to anti-ageing. Because feeling strong, vibrant and passionate about your life is just as important as for how you look. If you’ve thought that looking after yourself wasn't a priority or that you didn’t have time, meditation can help to change your perspective so you can embrace making healthy choices and change your habits. Lyndal Linkin, author of “To Age or Not to Age”, is a 56-year-old anti-aging expert who’s spent her lifetime learning about anti-aging solutions. A successful entrepreneur, corporate leader and mother, she uses her years of research and personal experience to explain the most effective methods so you can look and feel younger. Find out more at <a href="http://www.lyndallinkin.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.lyndallinkin.com.au</a> or Instagram: @lyndallinkin Image: Getty Images

Mind

The 15 minute hack to reduce bathroom mould

When it comes to mould, bathrooms are often the first place the pesky growth will show up. While we can’t do anything about the sheer volume of mould spores in the air, we can control the environment. Mould thrives in cold and damp areas, which make bathrooms the logical place it would show up first. Prevention is better than a cure, so when it comes to mould, taking preventative measures will set you up for success. According to John Liddell, the managing director at The Mould Doctor, reducing extra moisture is a must. “If a property is damp from condensation, building defects or inadequate ventilation, the humidity will be elevated,” says John. “When the humidity in a living space exceeds 55%, the conditions are ideal for mould." According to information on the Mould Doctor website, a significant cause of elevated humidity levels in a home is steam escaping from the bathroom. While running the exhaust while you are showering can help, it isn’t always enough. The key is to leave it on after you’ve finished and left the bathroom. The length of time you need to leave the exhaust on will vary, but around 15-20 minutes should be enough to eliminate that extra moisture. As well as this, using dehumidifiers and air conditioning units can help get rid of extra moisture, banishing the growth of mould in your home. Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

Incredible moment as Andrea Bocelli steps up as a last-minute understudy

An eager Italian audience who were expecting to enjoy a performance from beloved Italian singer Matteo Bocelli were left speechless when he was unable to take the stage – and his even more famous father suddenly walked onto the stage. Acting as a last-minute understudy, Matteo’s beloved and talented dad accepted a last-minute invitation after Matteo became stranded in Germany while trying to return home. He was expected to sing at a concert in the Tuscan town of Marina di Pietrasanta. “Normally in life it’s the sons who replace the fathers," Andrea Bocelli said to the gob-smacked audience. "In this case it’s up to me, I have to replace my son.” Reportedly Andrea continued: “I’m sorry for all those of the fair sex who were expecting Matteo, who is young and handsome, but I will have to sing what he was due to sing, and which I have been practising in the car on the way over here!” The iconic Italian singer then performed two songs while also playing the piano – ‘Ci vorrebbe il mare’ ('We Need the Sea') and his signature song 'Con te partirò' (Time to Say Goodbye). As is common for an Andrea Bocelli performance, he was met with a standing ovation. Matteo Bocelli’s career began in earnest in 2018, after appearing on his father’s album Sì in the best-selling duet “Fall On Me”. Then father-son duo then went on to perform for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Royal Variety Performance later that same year. Comparing his son’s voice with his own, the senior Bocelli said: “Technically they are very different, but there is one thing that makes them most similar: the attitude. That characteristic way of expressing yourself through your voice." Image: Getty

Music

5 minutes with author John M. Green

In the OverSixty “5 Minutes With” series, we ask book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next up is John M. Green who is debuting his sixth book, Framed. John worked as a director at a leading investment bank for 30 years before deciding to pursue his writing career. Framed is inspired by the infamous robbery that took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 1990 and looks at the world of art theft and organised crime. With six books already published, John M. Green has started working on his seventh one. Watch this space. What inspired you to write Framed? Being confronted by a series of empty frames on the walls inside Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, frames where thieves - in a billion-dollar art heist in 1990 - sliced out and stole three Rembrandts, a Vermeer and five works by Degas, among others, works that have never been recovered. From that day, I’ve been haunted by the question: where are these works today? You’ve written six books, did you do anything differently for Framed? I wrote Framed while convalescing from open heart surgery, so readers might find a greater love of life in it. And due to the COVID lockdowns, I wrote Framed with far fewer distractions … I wasn’t travelling anywhere, for business or pleasure, I didn’t have to attend physical meetings, you know the rest. In many ways, it was my most satisfying writing experience, and I hope it shows in the reading. If you could tell your younger writer something, what would it be? Stop thinking about writing a novel, and actually start writing it. But most importantly, finish it. What is next on the agenda for you as an author? While Framed is about art - and murder, my seventh novel is about theatre - and murder. What is one book you recommend everyone should read? Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I was utterly entranced. Images: Supplied

Books

5 minutes with author Sally Piper

In the Over60 “5 Minutes With” series, we ask book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next up is Sally Piper who is debuting her third book, Bone Memories. Piper worked as a nurse and nurse educator, specialising in neurosurgical critical care and decided to use her experience in people’s vulnerabilities to write her books. With Bone Memories, Piper explores grief, family, murder and media representation of female victims of crime. Bone Memories is out now and can be purchased <a href="https://www.uqp.com.au/books/bone-memories" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and enjoy the <a href="https://d3f44jafdqsrtg.cloudfront.net/book-clubs/BookClubNotes_Bone-Memories.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">book club notes</a> with your friends. What inspired you to write Bone Memories? The story grew first from questions I had about how victims and survivors of a crime might memorialise the site where their trauma had occurred. I wondered whether being close to this ground brought people comfort or if proximity to it harmed them further. I wondered what it made their grief look and feel like when they moved across that ground and how that relationship might affect them or change over time. Through the story, I hoped to explore how trauma lives in the body and for some people how it also lives in the land where that trauma occurred; how history and geography for some are inextricably linked. And I wanted to explore how people reconcile this link or what happens if they are unable to. Equally, I often think about the effect that witnessing violence has on children, even if they have little or no memory or understanding of the event. Would they have some innate sense that they had witnessed something terrible? If so, how might this play out as they matured? In writing Bone Memories, I hoped to answer these questions. But as is often the case with any writing project, once you get into it, doors open to other thinking as well. With this story I was once again drawn into what forces impact upon women's safe and free movement through the world (something I explored in my previous novel,<a href="https://www.uqp.com.au/books/the-geography-of-friendship" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> The Geography of Friendship</a>), but this time I looked at it in the way that the media represents female victims of crime; how some crimes against women are reported with a sympathetic narrative, one that elicits intense social empathy, and at other times women are essentially blamed for their own deaths. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books? I read widely and often around obscure topics, which inevitably takes me down rabbit holes of thinking, so ideas I hadn’t previously considered important suddenly become so. This is the best kind of information gathering, because it is unexpected. It is also one of the reasons I never plan my stories, allowing them to evolve organically. And neither do I allow myself to know the ending of a novel. Because if I get surprises along the way, then it is my hope that readers will too. How do you deal with writer’s block? Writer’s block is a phrase I won’t use in relation to my writing practise. It sounds too much like a disease that I’m at risk of ‘catching’. When I’m struggling to start or progress a work it is usually because I haven’t thought enough about what it is I want to say. Or as Jonathan Franzen puts it: ‘the blank page in the mind has to be filled before you have the courage to face the actual blank page.’ Which is to say, think first, write later. If I get stuck, I go back to the original questions I began the story with: What do I want this story to say? What are the themes and issues I want it to address? Who are the stakeholders? Not being able to find the words is often because I have lost sight of the answers, or I need to ask myself new or better questions. There is also something else that can stop a work in its tracks, which masquerades as writer’s block: procrastination. But procrastination is a defence mechanism, another word for fear or a lack of self-belief. It protects us from criticism. It keeps us safe from failure. It saves us digging deeply into the personal stuff of what we’re writing about, which is often the place where the gold is found. The solution then is to find courage, trust yourself and persevere. What is your work schedule like when you're writing? When working on a new project, I write most days, mainly in the morning. The afternoon is usually spent editing that morning’s work, often after a bushwalk, an activity I call writing away from the desk. Once away from the work, I see it through a different lens: an editorial one. I find the rhythm of walking allows for clearer thinking, helped in no small part by fresh air and the calming beauty of the bush. With this clarity I can usually work out what isn’t working in the story, and often why as well, so that I come back with a solution. Sometimes I cut the walk short because I’m excited to get back and make the changes. Do you expect Bone Memories to become a TV series? I think every writer has a secret dream that their story will be reimagined for the screen, and there certainly is more scope for these opportunities now with the rise of streaming services such as Netflix and Stan. When this dream came true for my second novel, The Geography of Friendship, which is to be made into a 6-part TV series by Aquarius Films and Rose Byrne’s Dollhouse Pictures, I was absolutely thrilled to think that the characters in that story would be reimagined in this way. So, it is hard not to hope for the same thing for my third novel, Bone Memories. It is a deeply human, family-centric story with strongly realised characters and a sharp eye for the Australian landscape, so I think it would make an excellent adaptation. But of course, I’m not at all biased! Images: Fiona Muirhead/Supplied

Books

5 minutes with author D.L. Hicks

In the Over60 “5 Minutes With” series, we ask book writers about their literary habits and preferences. Next up is D.L. Hicks who is debuting his second book, The Fallback. D.L. Hicks has worked as an officer with the Victorian Police for more than 25 years and decided to put all his real-life experiences on the frontline on paper. Using his frontline experience, D.L. Hicks brings you along the journey that explores desperation, vulnerability, the lengths people will go to to get what they want, and whether you can ever change who you truly are. The Fallback is available for <a href="https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-fallback-d-l-hicks/book/9780648677048.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preorder now</a> and is due for release on May 31. 1. How has your background of being a police officer contributed to your writing style? One of the most common pieces of advice given to any writer is ‘write what you know’, and I’m no exception when it comes to that. As well as bearing witness to crimes and criminal activity, being a police officer gives me a firsthand insight into the effect this type of behaviour has on victims and offenders, as well as the emergency workers whose job it is to attend critical incidents. From the most minor car accident to a life-threatening assault or even a homicide, police officers are tasked with taking control of the situation, investigating it and hopefully bringing it to some sort of resolution. To be able to draw on those experiences from a career approaching 30 years in the job is a valuable tool for me as a writer – not only in terms of plot and story arc but also in observing the characteristics of different people involved and the manner in which they deal with things. Hopefully being an ‘insider’ in this world gives my writing authenticity and credibility. 2. How long were you thinking of writing The Fallback before you decided to go ahead with it? The idea for The Fallback had been buzzing around in my head for some time before I actually put it down on paper. Once I had overcome the excitement of having my first book – The Devil Inside – published and out in the world, I was then able to focus more on The Fallback and expand on the initial concept. The writing and editing process to get this novel to the point where it now appears on the shelf took around 18 months to 2 years, squeezed in around full-time police work and existing in a family including two teenagers! 3. What was one of the most surprising things you learned when writing your book? Although it shouldn’t be surprising, the editing process – in sharpening a rough diamond first draft into something that can actually be released – amazes me. There are so many character story arcs that require fleshing out or resolution, and so much additional information that is added to round out characters and enrich the overall quality of the novel. It is definitely a collaborative process – so much work is put in by the writer and their editor after the initial story has been written to make the finished product so much more polished than what was first put on the page. 4. What book(s) are you reading right now? I am constantly reading – it is one thing I love doing and always try and make time for, even if it’s just a chapter or two in bed at night. Most books I read are crime novels – Christian White, Jane Harper, Jo Nesbo, Michael Robotham, Chris Hammer, Lee Child – however in saying that, I am always open to good book recommendations from any genre. The best two books I have read lately are not crime fiction at all – Bluebird by Malcolm Knox, and Still Life by Sarah Winman. I have just finished Kill Your Brother by Jack Heath – definitely a crime novel! 5. How do you deal with writer’s block? I haven’t had to deal with writer’s block too much yet, although there are certainly times where things flow better than others. Taking a break can be useful – getting out in the fresh air walking the dog, leaving the writing aside for a small period of time and then returning to it can usually get the creative thoughts flowing again. Sometimes I think it’s beneficial to just try to just focus on getting something down on the page - even if it isn’t award winning literature – to progress the storyline. Once the words are down they can always be sharpened up at a later stage.

Books

"Bloody hopeless": Ben Fordham blasts last minute voting changes

Radio host Ben Fordham has slammed the "hopeless" Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) for their last minute changes to voting if you are Covid positive. The AEC's original system involved telephone voting for people who had contracted Covid after 6pm on Tuesday, while individuals who tested positive before this time being able to register for a postal vote, which had to be applied for by 6pm on Wednesday. This system meant that anyone who tested positive before Tuesday and had missed the postal vote deadline would not be able to vote in the federal election. Ben Fordham blasted the system, as he heard from a listener who said they were told not to vote, cop the $55 fine, and then dispute the fine. "But Ben, we want to vote!" said the caller. Fordham says denying people the right to vote is “undemocratic” and "everyone must have their say." "Do they understand that when someone tests positive, their first thought isn't jumping on the AEC website? If you tested positive before 6pm on Tuesday, you may have had a few other things on your mind," he said. "Someone must fix it, and fix it today." Following Fordham's slating, the AEC said it had approved a brief recommending the government change the regulation so people who got positive tests between Saturday and Tuesday can also phone vote. “This morning I have signed a brief recommending for the eligibility for the service be expanded.” AEC electoral commissioner Tom Rogers said. “We have analysed the service’s take-up so far, our staffing levels and forecasts for use, and are in urgent discussions with Government about the concerns expressed by members of the public,” he said. Speaking with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/aec-confirms-australians-with-covid-can-vote/13890772" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC Radio Breakfast</a>, Mr Rogers clarified the new rules for all Australians with Covid after the matter has been resolved with the government. The AEC confirmed that all people who are Covid positive are able to vote over the phone, with people urged to register their positive tests <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/election/covid19-affected.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online</a> as soon as possible. Mr Rogers has urged all people voting over the phone to be patient with AEC officers, saying this is an "emergency provision" as "nothing is without risk", and telephone voters should expect "long queues over the phone". He also encouraged people who have enrolled for telephone voting not to wait until the last minute to cast their vote. Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram

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