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First official portrait of King Frederik and Queen Mary released

<p>King Frederik X and Queen Mary were the picture of elegance as they posed for their first official gala portrait since ascending the Danish throne in January. </p> <p>The portrait, which was taken by photographer Steen Evald at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, was released by The Royal House of Denmark, and will be hung in various state institutions, including at Danish embassies around the world.</p> <p>"In connection with the succession of the throne on 14 January 2024, the first official gala portrait of Their Majesties The King and Queen is now published," the Danish royal household shared on Instagram. </p> <p>"The King and The Queen have thus had their portrait made at the historic palace in Copenhagen where successive kings and queens have stayed over time."</p> <p>The royal couple were pictured wearing the the Order of the Elephant on chains, which is Denmark’s oldest and most distinguished royal order of chivalry. </p> <p>Queen Mary was also seen wearing the crown jewels for the first time, which included an emerald tiara, necklace, earrings and a brooch that matched her beautiful green gown. </p> <p>The jewels are usually on display in The Treasury at Rosenburg Castle. </p> <p>The Australian-born Queen also wore a small portrait of King Frederik, in line with Danish tradition. </p> <p>Frederik and Mary ascended to the throne in January 14 2024 when Queen Margrethe II announced her abdication after 52 years as monarch. </p> <p>The couple have four children together Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabelle and twins, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Two iconic locations officially given dual Indigenous titles

<p>In a significant move to recognise and honour the rich cultural heritage of the Indigenous peoples of Australia, two iconic locations in northern NSW will now be officially known by their Indigenous names. This decision comes after impassioned calls from the community to acknowledge the profound significance these sites hold in Indigenous culture and history.</p> <p>Walgan, translating to "shoulder" in the Bundjalung language, has been designated as the dual name for Cape Byron, marking it as the Australian mainland's most easterly point. Cape Byron, situated in the picturesque town of Byron Bay, has long been a hotspot for tourists seeking stunning coastal views. However, beyond its natural beauty, this area holds deep cultural significance for the Arakwal and other Bundjalung people. It has served as a sacred site for important gatherings and traditional ceremonial practices, anchoring it firmly in the cultural tapestry of the region.</p> <p>Similarly, Nguthungulli, referred to as the "Father of the World", will now share its name with Julian Rocks, a renowned diving destination located 2.5km off Cape Byron. This underwater marvel, steeped in Aboriginal lore and legend, is intricately tied to the dreaming stories of the Arakwal and other Bundjalung communities.</p> <p>By bestowing these dual names, authorities aim to not only pay homage to the Indigenous heritage of the land but also to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of its significance among all Australians.</p> <p>The decision to officially recognise these dual names was approved by the NSW Geographical Names Board, following a submission from the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Additionally, in a nod to preserving local Indigenous language and culture, a reserve in the suburb of Bangalow will be formally named Piccabeen Park. The term "Piccabeen" originates from the Bundjalung language, referring to the bangalow palm and the traditional baskets crafted from its fronds.</p> <p>Jihad Dib, the Customer Service Minister, emphasised the NSW government's commitment to safeguarding and promoting Indigenous language and culture through place naming. "All Australians share a relationship to the land and the names we give to places convey their significance, sense of history and identity," he said "Dual-naming acknowledges the significance of Aboriginal culture and represents a meaningful step towards the process of unity in NSW."</p> <p>Echoing these sentiments, David Harris, the Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty Minister, underscored the enduring connections that the Arakwal and other Bundjalung peoples have maintained with these sites since time immemorial. "It is only right to honour that history and that connection through names that bring story and language to life for all Australians to enjoy," he said.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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"A free woman": Kathleen Folbigg officially acquitted of her children's deaths

<p>After spending 20 years in prison for the deaths of her children, Kathleen Folbigg has officially been cleared. </p> <p>The 55-year-old was released from jail earlier this year, after she was charged with murder and manslaughter convictions over the mysterious deaths of her four kids, Sarah, Caleb, Laura and Patrick.</p> <p>Folbigg always maintained her innocence, saying her children died of natural causes. </p> <p>On Thursday, Chief Justice Andrew Bell and Justices Julie Ward and Ian Harrison handed down the Court of Criminal Appeal judgement, finding there was reasonable doubt as to her guilt.</p> <p>All of Folbigg’s convictions were quashed and a verdict of acquittal was entered on each count.</p> <p>After the emotional ruling, Folbigg, her best friend Tracy Chapman and her lawyer Rhanee Rego, made a statement outside court.</p> <p>“I’m grateful for the huge efforts of my friends and family, my legal team, scientific professionals,” she told reporters.</p> <p>“The time this has taken in seeing today’s result has cost me a lot, not just financially but emotionally."</p> <p>“For almost a quarter of a century, I faced disbelief and hostility. I suffered abuse in all its forms."</p> <p>“I hoped and prayed that one day I would be able to stand here with my name cleared."</p> <p>“I hope that no one else will ever have to suffer what I suffered. I am grateful that updated science and genetics has given me answers as to how my children died."</p> <div> <p>“However, even in 1999, we had legal answers to prove my innocence — they were ignored and dismissed."</p> <p>“The system preferred to blame me rather than accept that sometimes, children can and do die suddenly, unexpectedly and heartbreakingly."</p> <p>“I think the system and society needs to think before they blame a parent of hurting their children.</p> <p>“My children are here with me today and they will be close to my heart for the rest of my life. I love my children and I always will."</p> <p>In her statement, Rego said Folbigg was finally a “free woman”.</p> <p>“After 24 years, the legal system has finally listened to Kathleen Folbigg,” she said.</p> <p>“Today she is a free woman — a woman who demonstrated courage and resilience to reject the claims made against her."</p> <p>“But this story is about more than just about Kathleen Folbigg."</p> <p>“It is a story about the good in this world, about a large group of people who saw an injustice and did something about it.”</p> </div> <p>Folbigg was first jailed in 2003 after being found guilty of the manslaughter of her son Caleb, maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent to do grievous bodily harm on Patrick and the murders of Patrick, Sarah and Laura.</p> <p>She was initially sentenced to 40 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 30 years. An appeal later reduced her sentence to 30 years, with a non-parole period of 25 years. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Seven News</em></p>

Legal

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Suzanne Somers' official cause of death revealed

<p>Suzanne Somers' official cause of death has been revealed after her tragic passing on October 15, just one day before her 77th birthday. </p> <p>A copy of her death certificate obtained by <em><a href="https://theblast.com/550097/suzanne-somers-death-certificate-official-cause-death-brain-cancer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Blast</a></em> revealed the severity of her decades-long battle with breast cancer, and while it was the main cause of her death, it had reportedly also metastasized to the brain.</p> <p>According to the publication, Somers also suffered from hypertension and  hydrocephalus (a build up of fluid on the brain) in the lead up to her death. </p> <p>The <em>Step by Step</em> actress had endured a <span style="color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, 'system-ui', 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">23</span>-year long battle with breast cancer before her passing, which sent shockwaves across the entertainment industry. </p> <p>Somers' publicist R. Couri Hay first broke the news of her passing in a statement, and also shared that the actress' husband Alan Hamel had given her a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/uniquely-magically-indescribably-us-read-the-emotional-love-letter-from-suzanne-somers-husband" target="_blank" rel="noopener">love letter</a> just 24 hours before her passing. </p> <p>"She read the poem and went to bed and later died peacefully in her sleep,” her publicist said at the time. </p> <p>In one of her Instagram posts before her death, Somers opened up about her battle with cancer  and how grateful she was to have her husband by her side. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvYACxKytPM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvYACxKytPM/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Suzanne Somers (@suzannesomers)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down," she wrote.</p> <p>"I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me."</p> <p>"I know how to put on my battle gear and I'm a fighter. Alan has been by my side every step of the way. I can't even explain how much he has done for me. If it's even possible, we are even closer than ever."</p> <p>Somers is survived by Alan, her husband of 46 years, her son, Bruce Somers Jr. and her three granddaughters.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram/ Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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"I'm officially cutting ties": Sunrise star quits media for glittering new career

<p>Former <em>Weekend Sunrise</em> TV presenter Talitha Cummins is embarking on a new chapter in her life, bidding farewell to her 20-year-long media career.</p> <p>Cummins, widely recognised for her role as a newsreader on <em>Weekend Sunrise</em> and more recently as a newsreader on Triple M Sydney, recently shared on social media her decision to step away from the media industry. Her departure is driven by her passion for a new venture in the world of jewellery.</p> <p>In a heartfelt Instagram post, the 43-year-old former journalist reflected on her two decades in journalism and television while also announcing her exciting shift toward launching her own diamond and jewellery business:</p> <p>"It’s a big day for me today," she wrote. "I’m officially cutting ties with a 20 year career in journalism/television + media consulting and launching my business in diamond and jewellery creating.</p> <p>"It’s a big shift, but the move to launching my own business has given me an energy and drive like never before.</p> <p>"Our family has been creating diamond jewellery for 50 years and I’ve joined forces with my uncle Craig and cousin Kara to create @thecutjewellery - Bespoke diamond ring and fine jewellery using lab diamonds - all crafted by our team of jewellers in Sydney....</p> <p>"I’m excited to be a part of what’s proving to be the biggest disruptor to the jewellery industry."</p> <p>Cummins gained widespread acclaim as a member of Seven's <em>Weekend Sunrise</em> team in 2014, where she assumed the role of newsreader following Jessica Rowe's departure. However, her journey took an unexpected turn in early 2017 during her maternity leave with her first child, Oliver. She received a call from Seven News chief Craig McPherson, who informed her that her contract as a newsreader on the show had been terminated.</p> <p>This abrupt decision was met with astonishment and disappointment, especially as Cummins had anticipated resuming her role on the popular weekend breakfast show. Instead, she was offered a weekday 5am time slot, leaving her feeling blindsided by the sudden change.</p> <p>The timing of this development was particularly challenging for Cummins, as she was gearing up to promote her episode on <em>Australian Story</em>, aired on ABC, in which she candidly shared her personal battle with alcoholism and her remarkable four-year journey to sobriety.</p> <p>Cummins contested her dismissal, asserting that it had been unjust. In a mere four months, the Seven network and Cummins reached a confidential settlement, putting an end to the legal dispute.</p> <p>Cummins' departure from the media world marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in her life as she immerses herself in the world of diamonds and jewellery, following in her family's tradition and pursuing her passion.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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World Cup star files official complaint over "unsolicited kiss" with Spanish football boss

<p>Jenni Hermoso has filed an official complaint against Luis Rubiales over an "unsolicited kiss" at the Women's World Cup final. </p> <p>Following Spain's victory of England in the final, Rubiales, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief, kissed Hermoso on the lips while congratulating the team.</p> <p>The Spanish footballer is accusing Rubiales of sexual assault, as she said the kiss was not consensual. </p> <p>Despite this, Rubiales has defended his actions and is refusing to step down. </p> <p>The official complaint, which was filed on Tuesday, is key for a preliminary investigation into the incident, which prosecutors at Spain’s top criminal court have opened for the alleged crime of “sexual assault”, to move forward.</p> <p>In the days after the incident, Hermoso said the unwanted kiss had left her feeling “vulnerable and like the victim of an assault”, with a statement on social media describing it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”.</p> <p>Rubiales has apologised for his conduct but insists the kiss was consensual, as he has refused to quit his role despite both the RFEF and FIFA calling on him to do so.</p> <p>In a display of solidarity, <span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">56 national team members have </span><span style="caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px;">condemned the government for what they deemed to be "<a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/impunity-for-macho-actions-is-over-why-the-entire-spanish-world-cup-team-has-quit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">macho actions</a>".</span></p> <p style="font-size: 16px; box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; caret-color: #212529; color: #212529; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji';">A collective statement, issued through their union, was signed by all 23 members of the winning squad, including Hermoso, as well as 32 other team members.</p> <p>In the statement, they declared their refusal to participate in international matches as long as Rubiales remains at the helm of the RFEF.</p> <p>After the official complaint was lodged, the RFEF sacked the head coach of the Spanish women’s team, Jorge Vilda, after he was the only member of the women’s national team coaching staff not to resign in protest at Rubiales’s behaviour.</p> <p>Vilda’s dismissal was confirmed amid accusations he had repeatedly backed Rubiales and saw no issue with his behaviour. </p> <p>In addition to the complaint from Hermoso, Spain’s Sport Administrative Tribunal (TAD) opened a case against Rubiales for “serious misconduct”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p style="color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 22px; line-height: 28px; margin-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px;"> </p> <figure class="sc-11i7hbm-0 eUyOEq" style="margin: 0px; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></figure>

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“Take official warnings seriously”: Aussies warned to not travel to surprising destination

<p dir="ltr">Australian travellers have been urged to exercise caution if they are planning to visit a popular Scandinavian tourist destination. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have warned Aussies to use “a high degree of caution in Sweden due to the threat of terrorism” in its official travel advisory for the country.</p> <p dir="ltr">The warning comes as Sweden has the country has seen a surge in racial and religious tensions, with violence escalating after anti-Islam activists publicly burned and damaged copies of the Islamic sacred text, the Quran.</p> <p dir="ltr">As a result of the violence, Australia's official <a href="https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/sweden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SmartTraveller website</a> has placed the Scandinavian country on a Level Two alert, which means visitors need to be more cautious than normal.</p> <p dir="ltr">The warning does not include urging travellers to reconsider a trip or being told not to go to a destination. </p> <p dir="ltr">“You should maintain a high level of vigilance in public spaces,” the website says.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Since the beginning of 2023, there's been an increase in public burnings of the Quran, which has led to a deterioration in the security situation.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Swedish Government has assessed the risk of terrorism as an 'elevated threat', equivalent to a threat level of 3 out of 5.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“This rating means an attack could happen. Take official warnings seriously.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The website offers some further advice to “protect yourself from terrorism”, including avoiding places that could be terrorist targets (such as airports, travel hubs, tourism hotspots and places of worship), avoiding visiting such places at peak times and having “a clear exit plan if there's a security incident”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Travellers are also advised to “consider the level of security around you”, report suspicious items to police, and monitor official advice and media assessments.</p> <p dir="ltr">Australia is not alone in classifying Sweden as a more dangerous country for tourists, as the UK's Home Office has warned terrorist attacks “could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreigners”, while the US Department of State says terrorist groups “continue plotting possible attacks in Sweden”.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Robert De Niro’s grandson's official cause of death confirmed

<p>Robert De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez’s cause of death has been confirmed. </p> <p>The 19-year-old died from a "toxic" combination of drugs, a New York City Medical Examiner told <em>Page Six</em> on Tuesday. </p> <p>Autopsy results revealed that the late teen had fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine in his system at the time of his death, which has been ruled as an "accident". </p> <p>Sophia Marks, 20, has been arrested in connection to Leandro's overdose.</p> <p>According to criminal reports obtained by <em>Page Six</em>, the texts between Leandro and Marks allege that she had warned him about the fentanyl-laced pills, as they discussed the purchase of counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax just days before his death.</p> <p>Police also believe that Marks allegedly sold pills to children as young as 15. </p> <p>This comes just one month after De Niro’s daughter Drena claimed that her son passed away after a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/de-niro-s-daughter-reveals-her-son-s-cause-of-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tragic drug accident</a>. </p> <p>“Someone sold him fentanyl laced pills that they knew were laced yet still sold them to him,”  she wrote in response to a comment on one of her posts at that time. </p> <p>“For all these people still f***ing around selling and buying this s**t, my son is gone forever,” she added. </p> <p>Drena who is still processing her grief, continues to post memories of her son, with the most recent one a heartbreaking tribute marking the first month since his passing.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CvcZ2IGNgcj/?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/CvcZ2IGNgcj/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Drena (@drenadeniro)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"Today marks one whole month without my baby 🥺💔," she began in the caption</p> <p>"I think of you and long for you, every minute of every day. Never forget how happy you made so many people just by being here and being beautiful kindhearted you ♥️ Your legacy is Love."</p> <p>Leandro was laid to rest on July 8.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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"Gross exaggeration": Sporting officials slam Dan Andrew's Comm Games spending

<p>Dan Andrews has been the subject of a blistering attack by sporting officials just hours after announcing the 2026 Commonwealth Games would not go ahead. </p> <p>The Victorian premier broke the news in a press conference on Tuesday, saying the <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/i-m-not-here-to-apologise-dan-andrews-fires-up-as-comm-games-is-scrapped" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event has been cancelled</a> due to ongoing funding issues. </p> <p>He shared that the event, which was due to be held in numerous regional Victorian towns and was first expected to cost $2.6 billion, would now blow the budget out to a whopping $7 billion. </p> <p>However, following Andrews' announcement, Commonwealthh Games Australia Executive Officer Craig Phillips said the premier's cost update doesn't add up, with the $7 billion figure being a "gross exaggeration". </p> <p>“Beyond disappointing for us,” he said on Tuesday. </p> <p>“It’s a comprehensive let-down for the athletes, the excited host communities, First Nations Australians who were going to be at the heart of the Games and which millions of fans that would have embraced the sixth home Games in Australia.”</p> <p>Phillips also accused Andrews of telling misinformation surrounding the process in which the government put its hand up to host the event. </p> <p>After being confirmed to host in April 2022, planning documents showed the intentions were to establish hubs in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland, each with an athlete’s village.</p> <p>Shepparton was also planned to host events, and the MCG would have hosted the opening ceremony.</p> <p>In a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, Phillips made bombshell claims government officials ignored advice to save costs by moving events to existing stadiums and facilities in Melbourne. </p> <p>Phillips also said Commonwealth Games Australia was not notified about the changed budgetary estimates until the government had already made its decision.</p> <p>He said, “The detailed budgetary implications announced today have not been sighted or discussed with the CGF or CGA ahead of being notified of the Government’s decision." </p> <p>“The stated costs overrun, in our opinion, are a gross exaggeration and not reflective of the operational costs presented to the Victoria 2026 Organising Committee board as recently as June."</p> <p>“Beyond this, the Victorian Government wilfully ignored recommendations to move events to purpose-built stadia in Melbourne and in fact remained wedded to proceeding with expensive temporary venues in regional Victoria."</p> <p>Many were up in arms over the Games being cancelled, including Victorian opposition senator Anne Ruston, who has called on prime minister Anthony Albanese to “take responsibility” for Victoria’s decision to cancel the Commonwealth Games, arguing it has dented Australia’s international reputation.</p> <p>“I say to the prime minister: Australia’s reputation has been damaged today and you should be very worried about the damage this does to Australia’s international reputation,” Ruston said. </p> <p>“This is a terrible decision for Australia but it is also very disingenuous and I think as we dig into the decision this morning, which we will do through our Senate inquiry, you will see that the Victorian government is hiding its incompetence behind a smokescreen of saying this is a budget blowout.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

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It’s official: Australia is set for a hot, dry El Niño. Here’s what that means for our flammable continent

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kevin-tolhurst-am-184">Kevin Tolhurst AM</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p>An El Niño event has <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/world-meteorological-organization-declares-onset-of-el-ni%C3%B1o-conditions">arrived</a>, according to the World Meteorological Organization, raising fears of record high global temperatures, extreme weather and, in Australia, a severe fire season.</p> <p>The El Niño is a reminder that bushfires are part of Australian life – especially as human-caused global warming worsens. But there are a few important considerations to note.</p> <p>First, <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/updates/articles/a008-el-nino-and-australia.shtml">not all</a> El Niño years result in bad bushfires. The presence of an El Niño is only one factor that determines the prevalence of bushfires. Other factors, such as the presence of drought, also come into play.</p> <p>And second, whether or not this fire season is a bad one, Australia must find a more sustainable and effective way to manage bushfires. The El Niño threat only makes the task more urgent.</p> <h2>Understanding fire in Australia</h2> <p>An El Niño is <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/june-2023-enso-update-el-ni%C3%B1o-here">declared</a> when the sea surface temperature in large parts of the tropical Pacific Ocean warms significantly.</p> <p>The <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en/media/press-release/world-meteorological-organization-declares-onset-of-el-ni%C3%B1o-conditions">statement</a> by the World Meteorological Organization, released on Tuesday, said El Niño conditions have developed in the tropical Pacific for the first time in seven years “setting the stage for a likely surge in global temperatures and disruptive weather and climate patterns”.</p> <p>The organisation says there’s a 90% probability of the El Niño event continuing during the second half of 2023. It said El Niño can trigger extreme heat and also cause severe droughts over Australia and other parts of the world.</p> <p>But before we start planning ahead for the next bushfire season, it’s important to understand what drives bushfire risks – and the influence of climate change, fire management and events such as El Niño.</p> <p>The evidence for human-induced climate change is <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/">irrefutable</a>. While the global climate has changed significantly <a href="https://theconversation.com/while-we-fixate-on-coronavirus-earth-is-hurtling-towards-a-catastrophe-worse-than-the-dinosaur-extinction-130869">in the past</a>, the current changes are occurring at an unprecedented rate.</p> <p>In geologic time scales, before the influence of humans, a significant <a href="https://publications.csiro.au/rpr/pub?list=BRO&amp;pid=procite:13c02405-e8c6-466c-a400-f6137710a651">shift</a> in climate has been <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/6836/">associated</a> with an increase in fire activity in Australia. There is every reason to expect fire activity will increase with human-induced climate change as well.</p> <p>Humans have also changed the Australian fire landscape – both First Nations people and, for the past 200 years, European colonisers.</p> <p>Changes brought about by Indigenous Australians were widespread, but <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32378038/">sustainable</a>. Their methods included, for example, lighting “cool” fires in small, targeted patches early in the dry season. This reduced the chance that very large and intense fires would develop.</p> <p>Changes brought about by European colonisers have also been widespread – such as land clearing using fire, and fire suppression to protect human life and property. But this approach has been <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/30388718_National_Inquiry_on_Bushfire_Mitigation_and_Management">far from sustainable</a>, either financially, ecologically or socially.</p> <p>Australia has just experienced a period of high rainfall across the continent due to a La Niña event <a href="https://climateextremes.org.au/large-scale-climate-drivers-in-australia-2022/#:%7E:text=The%20combined%20influence%20of%20a,in%20123%20years%20of%20records.">combined with</a> two other climate drivers: a negative Indian Ocean Dipole and a positive Southern Annular Mode. It means the soil is moist and plants are flourishing.</p> <p>Now, we’re set to enter into a drying period driven by an El Niño. The abundant plant growth leading into a dry period is likely to result in widespread bushfires across Australia.</p> <p>Initially, this is <a href="https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/bushfire-new-south-wales-1974/">likely to occur</a> in semi-arid inland areas where grasses have flourished in the wet period, but will dry out quickly. If the drying cycle persists for two or three years, then fires might become more prevalent in forests and woodlands in temperate Australia.</p> <p>But an El Niño year doesn’t necessarily mean a bad bushfire season is certain.</p> <p>In Australia, El Niño events are associated with hotter and drier conditions, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/263018552_Multi-decadal_variability_of_forest_fire_risk_-_Eastern_Australia">leading to more days</a> of high fire danger. But large and severe forest fires also need a prolonged drought to dry out fuels, especially in sheltered gullies and slopes. Soils and woody vegetation are currently moist following the La Niña period.</p> <p>So El Niño and its opposite phase, La Niña, are on their own are a relatively <a href="https://research.monash.edu/en/publications/forecasting-fire-activity-in-victoria-australia-using-antecedent-">poor predictor</a> of the number and size of bushfires.</p> <h2>Fight smarter, and be prepared</h2> <p>Climate change will continue to test our fire management systems. And the return of an El Niño has fire crews <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/10/australia-firefighters-fire-crews-prepare-for-return-of-el-nino-bushfire-season-smoke-hazard-reduction-burns">on alert</a>.</p> <p>When it comes to fire management, Australia must be much smarter than it has been for the past 200 years. This means changing the focus to holistic fire management. Throwing huge amounts of money and resources at controlling bushfires – such as <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7034300/govt-vows-to-get-more-firefighting-aircraft/">purchasing more</a> and larger <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/new-weapon-to-fight-aussie-bushfires-kicks-off-service-in-wa/news-story/fa66e567e336164723cae8b98bb3ba8d">firefighting aircraft</a> – is is not sustainable or sensible.</p> <p>Fire is as fundamental to our environment as wind and rain. And the amount of energy released from a large bushfire will never be matched by any level of resources humans can muster.</p> <p>The evidence bears this out. Take, for example, <a href="https://www.publish.csiro.au/wf/WF9970221">analysis</a> of fire dynamics in two areas north and south of the US-Mexico border. Between 1920 and 1972, authorities on the US side had spent hundreds of millions of dollars on firefighting aircraft and other resources trying to suppress wildfires. This resulted in fewer wildfires than in the Mexico region. But the fires that occurred were larger and more severe.</p> <p>Similar patterns have occurred in Australia. For example, a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284776990_Evidence_of_altered_fire_regimes_in_the_Western_Desert_regime_of_Australia">study</a> of burn patterns in the Western Desert region showed that after the exodus of Traditional Owners, the number of fires reduced substantially, but the fires became far bigger.</p> <h2>Change must happen</h2> <p>Damaging bushfires will return to Australia in the near future. The expected return of another El Niño should heighten efforts to create a more considered and sustainable fire management regime – particularly in southern Australia.</p> <p>Experts, including me, have <a href="https://www.forestry.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Final-KPI-Document-v2.pdf">devised</a> <a href="https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/media/4935/nationalbushfiremanagementpolicy_2014.pdf">plans</a> to guide the shift. They include:</p> <ul> <li>effectively managing the land with fire, including promoting Indigenous Australians’ use of fire</li> <li>engaging communities in bushfire mitigation and management</li> <li>better coordination across land, fire and emergency management agencies</li> <li>ensuring fire management is based on “best practice” approaches.</li> </ul> <p>Australia, with its wealth of scientific knowledge and long history of Indigenous land management, should be well placed to manage fire sustainably – even with the pressures of climate change. Changing our approach will not be quick or simple, but it must be done.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209126/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><em><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kevin-tolhurst-am-184">Kevin Tolhurst AM</a>, Hon. Assoc. Prof., Fire Ecology and Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-official-australia-is-set-for-a-hot-dry-el-nino-heres-what-that-means-for-our-flammable-continent-209126">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Melissa Caddick mystery officially laid to rest

<p>A corner has revealed missing fraudster Melissa Caddick is dead but it’s difficult to determine when and how she died.</p> <p>Deputy State Coroner Elizabeth Ryan released her findings after a lengthy coronial inquest examined the circumstances surrounding the 49-year-old’s mysterious disappearance.</p> <p>“I believe it’s appropriate at the outset to say I have concluded Melissa Caddick is deceased,” Ryan said as she handed down her findings at the NSW Coroner’s Court in Lidcombe.</p> <p>However, Ryan said it was tricky to make an accurate finding as to how, when and where she died.</p> <p>Caddick disappeared from Sydney’s eastern suburbs in November 2020, hours after her Dovers Heights mansion, which doubled as her place of business, was raided by the AFP and ASIC.</p> <p>The corporate watchdog had accused Caddick of operating a Ponzi scheme and misappropriating $24 million, including from her friends and family, to fund a lavish lifestyle including holidays, designer jewellery, clothing and shoes.</p> <p>The case has sparked a number of conspiracy theories and even inspired a television series.</p> <p>The inquest examined Caddick’s final hours, the actions of her husband Anthony Koletti, and the police investigation.</p> <p>The court heard that Caddick had taken her own life by jumping off the cliff at Rodney Reserve, approximately 500 metres from her home, on the morning of November 12, 2020.</p> <p>Caddick was heard walking out her front door at about 5:30am before disappearing and failing to turn up to a court appearance the following day.</p> <p>However, Koletti did not report his wife missing to the Rose Bay Police Station until 11:45am on November 13 - 30 hours since she was last seen.</p> <p>Amid his evidence, Koletti told the court he was under the mistaken belief he had to wait 24 hours to report someone missing.</p> <p>“Did you delay reporting her missing until that point in order to give her time to try to go somewhere?” Counsel assisting the coroner Jason Downing asked.</p> <p>“No,” Mr Koletti said.</p> <p>NSW Police Sergeant Trent Riley told the court during the inquest that he found it “extremely strange and unusual behaviour” that Koletti had initially told police he did not want them to come to his house or go to the station to make a statement.</p> <p>“I thought it was strange that a husband would ring the police station, report his wife missing from two days ago and wasn’t prepared to come to the police station and didn’t want police to go around and speak with him because he had too much work on that day,” Sergeant Riley told the court.</p> <p>Sergeant Riley also told the court that Koletti provided conflicting versions of when he had last seen his wife alive.</p> <p>He described Koletti as, “evasive, vague and inconsistent”.</p> <p>Colette has been consistently critical of the ASIC investigation.</p> <p>In an affidavit tendered to the court, he claimed he and Caddick were denied food, water and medical attention during the 12 hours when ASIC and AFP were present at their home.</p> <p>However, the court heard that during the raid, Caddick drank a protein shake, Koletti made her several coffees and they occasionally smoked cigarettes in their backyard.</p> <p>In a statement, he said, “I believe (Caddick) died as a direct result of ASIC’s negligence, cruelty and inhumanity.”</p> <p>Despite conceding Caddick was responsible for defrauding millions of investors and that they were allowed to be in their home on the day of the raid, he still maintained ASIC was responsible for her death.</p> <p>In February 2021, a foot washed up on Bourdna Beacon on the NSW south coast which was later identified as Caddick’s.</p> <p>The court had previously heard that Caddick’s shoe was covered in 250g of goose barnacles when it washed ashore.</p> <p>An expert's report stated the barnacle growth suggested the shoe would have been free floating on the surface of the water for three-seven days before washing up.</p> <p>The court heard that it’s possible the shoe drifted on the ocean floor for several months before floating to the surface and onto the beach.</p> <p>Oceanographer Dr David Griffin said that according to calculations using ocean currents, it’s plausible the show went into the water at Dover Heights and was found 400km south three months later.</p> <p>Pathologist Jennifer Pokorny told the inquest in a statement that it was not possible to determine the full extent of Caddick’’s injuries as there were no other remains aside from the decomposed foot.</p> <p>She added it was also not possible to determine a cause of death.</p> <p>Forensic psychiatrist Dr Kerri Eagle told the inquest that after reviewing Caddick’s medical record, along with witness statement, it appeared she had narcissistic personality disorder.</p> <p>She said that for people suffering from the disorder, their self-esteem and sense of well-worth latches onto external admiration and impressing others.</p> <p>Dr Eagle revealed to the court that as a result of being charged, Caddick would have also been in danger of losing her work and the “respect and admiration” of others.</p> <p>She told Ryan that when ASIC raided her home, it was possible it had a “very huge” impact on her self-esteem.</p> <p>“Ms Caddick appeared to experience problems with low mood, depression and anxiety and problems coping with extraordinary stress … the low mood symptoms persisted as long as the stress persisted,” Eagle said.</p> <p>She also noted that people with similar disorders have been known to take their own lives after a “major insult to their self-esteem”.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram</em></p>

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COVID is officially no longer a global health emergency – here’s what that means (and what we’ve learned along the way)

<p>World Health Organisation (WHO) experts <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/05/health/covid-who-emergency-end.html">have officially declared</a> that COVID <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/05-05-2023-statement-on-the-fifteenth-meeting-of-the-international-health-regulations-(2005)-emergency-committee-regarding-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-19)-pandemic">no longer constitutes</a> a public health emergency of international concern (Pheic). This coincides with the WHO’s new <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-WHE-SPP-2023.1">strategy</a> to transition from an emergency response to longer-term sustained COVID disease management. </p> <p>This may not change too much practically. COVID will still have pandemic status, and countries will continue to have their own authority as to whether to treat COVID as an emergency within their territories (some countries, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/04/11/1169191865/biden-ends-covid-national-emergency">including the US</a>, have already declared an end to the national emergency).</p> <p>For the global public health community, however, this is an event of monumental importance, drawing to a close the emergency response period which commenced on <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern-(pheic)-global-research-and-innovation-forum">January 30 2020</a>. </p> <p>At the same time, for a large portion of the general public, it may well pass by relatively unnoticed. For many people, it’s been a long time since they viewed COVID as an emergency. In the UK for example, COVID no longer features in the regular Office for National Statistics <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/publicopinionsandsocialtrendsgreatbritain/19aprilto1may2023">public opinion survey</a> that asks people what they think the key issues facing the country are. Even a year ago, <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/bulletins/publicopinionsandsocialtrendsgreatbritain/30marchto24april2022">only two in five Britons</a> were very or somewhat worried about COVID, according to the survey.</p> <p>Along with other behavioural scientists, I have been following <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/research/research-highlights/health-innovation/public-during-pandemic/">public experiences of the pandemic</a> for the past three years. The results have yet to be peer reviewed but by summer 2022, many participants in <a href="https://psyarxiv.com/d6jcv">our research</a> described the pandemic as being like “a distant memory” or like it “never happened”.</p> <p>As we move into this next phase, it’s time to consider what we’ve learned about human behaviour during the pandemic, and what happens next.</p> <h2>Old habits die hard</h2> <p>In the early days of the pandemic, many behavioural scientists, myself included, wondered whether some of our pandemic habits <a href="https://theconversation.com/two-years-into-the-pandemic-which-of-our-newly-formed-habits-are-here-to-stay-178204">were here to stay</a>. Would <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2021-04-02/masks-to-stay-soldiering-on-through-the-common-cold-will-stop-and-the-nature-of-work-has-changed-forever-expert-says">face masks</a> become a regular wardrobe staple? Would people stop “soldiering on” and going into work when unwell?</p> <p>It turned out that for most people, the pandemic hasn’t permanently changed our behaviour and habits or created a “<a href="https://psyarxiv.com/d6jcv">new normal</a>”. Looking again at the UK, face mask use has consistently declined, with <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing/datasets/publicopinionsandsocialtrendsgreatbritaincoronaviruscovid19andotherillnesses">figures from last month</a> suggesting that fewer than one in six adults had worn a face mask recently. Regular use is likely much less common. </p> <p>Social distancing has long since disappeared, except for a relatively small proportion of the public, in particular those most vulnerable to COVID.</p> <p>The COVID pandemic has taught us how adaptive behaviour can be, in particular how much people were willing to change their behaviour to keep themselves and others safe. Most people <a href="https://academic.oup.com/abm/article/56/8/781/6618645?login=false">followed the rules</a> during <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0258781">the height of the pandemic</a>, no matter how difficult. COVID has reminded us <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/759BE02FFE73E5C05EA429A3E1547D78/S2056467821000050a.pdf/resilience_in_the_age_of_covid19.pdf">how resilient we humans can be</a>.</p> <p>These pandemic adaptions, and the fact that our pre-pandemic behaviour bounced back so quickly, shows how important social cues and social norms are to behaviour. Putting on a mask or keeping our distance from others were habits – <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002210311100254X">actions triggered automatically</a> in response to contextual cues, such as seeing signs with pictures of people socially distancing.</p> <p>Social norms – what we think others are doing – were key to <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0277360">vaccine uptake</a> and to our uptake of <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-0884-z">preventative measures in general</a>. As these contextual cues disappeared and the social norms started to change, and as vaccine coverage increased and the risk to the majority decreased, our behaviour changed.</p> <p>The pandemic has also demonstrated how important social connections and social, especially physical, contact can be. This is something <a href="https://theconversation.com/handshakes-and-hugs-are-good-for-you-its-vital-they-make-a-comeback-after-the-pandemic-158174">we have already argued</a> COVID couldn’t keep at bay forever. According to social safety theory, which sees stress and wellbeing as a product of biological, psychological and social factors, COVID <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352250X2200001X">posed a threat</a> to the “social fabric that makes humans resilient and keeps us alive and well”. </p> <p>It’s unsurprising that life satisfaction and happiness were <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e039334">lowest during lockdowns</a>, and <a href="https://www.covidsocialstudy.org/_files/ugd/064c8b_c525505ffa6b432f96dc41d6b6a985ea.pdf">recovered as people started to mix socially again</a>.</p> <h2>The emergency isn’t over for everyone</h2> <p>As we mark the end of the emergency phase it’s important to remember the <a href="https://covid19.who.int/">nearly seven million lives lost</a> due to COVID since 2020.</p> <p>And of course, we must consider that for some, especially those who are clinically vulnerable, the emergency is not yet over, and may never be.</p> <p>Although it’s no longer a Pheic, <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-WHE-SPP-2023.1">as the WHO reminds us</a>, COVID is still responsible for millions of infections and thousands of deaths each week around the world. Also, thanks to long COVID, hundreds of millions of people are in need of longer-term care.</p> <p>In the future, we need to move from relying on the resilience of individuals to building resilience in our institutions. We can all take measures to continue to protect ourselves and those around us from COVID and other respiratory viruses (such as by <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00021-1/fulltext">hand washing</a> and keeping up to date with vaccinations). But responsibility for preventing public health emergencies shouldn’t rest <a href="https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/03/17/uks-coronavirus-policy-places-too-much-responsibility-in-the-hands-of-the-public/">solely in the hands of the public</a></p> <p>Actions that governments, employers and health authorities can take now could <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/may/11/preventable-by-devi-sridhar-review-a-resolutely-global-view-of-covid">protect against</a> future <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34872923/">public health emergencies</a>. Systematically <a href="https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news/misinformation-covid-19-what-did-we-learn-2023-02-21_en">tackling misinformation</a>, <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240021280">improving ventilation</a> in <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/376/bmj.o327">schools</a>, workplaces and other public indoor spaces, and making longer-term improvements to paid sick leave are all good ways to start building more <a href="https://unsdg.un.org/resources/executive-summary-un-common-guidance-helping-build-resilient-societies">resilient societies</a> in preparation for the next pandemic. Hopefully this is something we will never see in our lifetimes.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-is-officially-no-longer-a-global-health-emergency-heres-what-that-means-and-what-weve-learned-along-the-way-205080" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

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Karl Stefanovic issued official police caution

<p dir="ltr"><em>Today</em> show host Karl Stefanovic has received an official caution from police after he was <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/karl-stefanovic-under-investigation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">accused of touching a waiter </a>at a cancer fundraiser in Brisbane last August.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police have said that they’ve concluded their investigations in a statement released on Wednesday.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A 48-year-old Sunshine Beach man has been issued an adult caution for common assault,” said a police spokesperson.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The matter has now been finalised from a police perspective.”</p> <p dir="ltr">An “ adult caution” is a formal warning that is administered by a police officer for a lower-end, non-habitual offence.</p> <p dir="ltr">The exact circumstances of the alleged assault were unclear and have not been made public.</p> <p dir="ltr">This decision comes after almost seven months since the news of his investigation went public.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Legal

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Official invitation of King Charles’ Coronation revealed

<p>The invitation for the Coronation of The King and Queen Consort has been revealed.</p> <p>Buckingham Palace released the long anticipated card which will be sent out to 2,000 guests for the Westminister Abbey event on May 6.</p> <p>The verified Twitter account @RoyalFamily have shared the intricate design and explained the symbolism behind it.</p> <p>“Designed by Andrew Jamieson, the invitation features the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign,” the tweet read.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The official invitation for the Coronation of The King and The Queen Consort has been revealed.</p> <p>Designed by Andrew Jamieson, the invitation features the Green Man, an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign. </p> <p>1/7 <a href="https://t.co/MpajIk0SQw">pic.twitter.com/MpajIk0SQw</a></p> <p>— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1643526218564661248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>The card is a hand-painted watercolour and gouache illustration and will be printed and issued on recycled card, likely representing the King’s lifelong devotion to sustainability.</p> <p>"The Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla,” The invitation reads. "By command of the King the Earl Marshal is directed to invite [name] to be present at the Abbey Church of Westminster on the 6th day of May 2023.”</p> <p>A further look shows two birds on the letter C, bordered by Charles and Camilla’s coat of arms. The Queen Consort’s crest has been updated also, reflecting her status as a Royal Lady of the Order of the Garter, courtiers said.</p> <p>The floral border is thought to reflect a British wildflower meadow with lily of the valley, cornflowers, dog roses, wild strawberries and bluebells, including a sprig of rosemary to symbolise remembrance.</p> <p>The flowers are grouped in bunches of three to reflect that Charles is the third King of his name. The card incorporates a butterfly and a bee, small drawings of a lion, unicorn and a boar from the royal couple’s coats of arms.</p> <p>The invitation is reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth’s crowning ceremony in 1953, which Charles attended at the age of 4; receiving his own colourful invite showcasing trumpeting Grenadier Guards and the lion and unicorn of the royal coat of arms.</p> <p>Although a visually stunning card, some have pointed out that Camilla is referred to as the Queen rather than the Queen consort, causing a stir online.</p> <p>“It also misses the word consort. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NotMyQueen?src=hashtag_click" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#NotMyQueen</a>," one user wrote.</p> <p>"Uh...QUEEN? Uh... not." another said.</p> <p>"Camilla will never be seen as Queen, no matter how many crowns you put on her head. She is only the Queen Consort as the late REAL Queen decreed." a third added.</p> <p>It is not yet known if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be in attendance.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter</em></p>

Art

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Andie MacDowell is officially a grandma!

<p>Andie MacDowell, 64, has revealed that she's officially a grandmother.</p> <p>"I just spent Christmas with her, I've never had somebody look into me and see my soul like that," she raved.</p> <p>The <em>Four Weddings and a Funeral</em> actress shared details of the milestone on the <em>Today Show US</em>, revealing that her son Justin Qualley, and his wife Nicolette, welcomed their first baby girl.</p> <p>"It was definitely a soul-to-soul connection," the star added.</p> <p>The actress rocked her natural grey hair and was clearly embracing her 60s in the interview.</p> <p>When asked what she would like her granddaughter to call her, she replied, "I haven't decided, she can't speak yet. I'm gonna give her time".</p> <p>She added, "I'm thinking Nana or Grandma, not Granny".</p> <p>MacDowell first shared the news that she was a soon-to-be grandma last June in a sweet Instagram post dedicated to her son and daughter-in-law.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce6NfGAFsIQ/?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/Ce6NfGAFsIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Andie Macdowell (@andiemacdowell)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"When so much of the world is looking for attention they are looking for each other & are waiting for the perfect gift their child," she captioned.</p> <p>The actress praised her son, who she said was "the best thing that ever happened to me," MacDowell added, "AND I cannot wait to meet my granddaughter!"</p> <p>She also expressed her gratitude towards her children and her daughter-in-law, ending the post with: "I’m so proud of all three of my children and I love and I’m proud of sweet Nicolette too!!!"</p> <p>The exact birthdate of her granddaughter remains unknown.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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It’s official – cats despise your music collection

<p>To the long list of things your cat despises about you, you can now add your music collection. <a href="http://www.appliedanimalbehaviour.com/article/S0168-1591(15)00060-X/abstract?con&amp;dom=pscau&amp;src=syndication" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scientists in the United States have discovered</a> there is a feline preference for “species-appropriate” music – purring tempos and sliding wails are the things that soothe the average cat.</p> <p>Two psychologists, Charles Snowdon and Megan Savage, and a composer, David Teie, teamed up for the project at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. They created three purpose-written melodies and tested them out on a group of 47 domestic cats, also compared in “human” music by composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach and Gabriel Fauré.</p> <p>The cats showed trademark disdain for the great composers but when “their” tunes came on they reacted positively rubbing the speakers with their faces.</p> <p>“We looked at the natural vocalisations of cats and matched our music to the same frequency range, which is about an octave or more higher than human voices,” says Snowdon. “We incorporated tempos that we thought cats would find interesting – the tempo of purring in one piece and the tempo of suckling in another – and since cats use lots of sliding frequencies in their calls, the cat music had many more sliding notes than the human music.”</p> <p>The same team of researchers has done this sort of thing before. In 2009, they showed tamarin monkeys ignored human music but were calmed by music tailored for them.</p> <p>They say that the finding could provide a way to soothe the nerves of animals in zoos and other forms of captivity.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/its-official-cats-despise-your-music-collection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Bill Condie.</em></p>

Music

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Camilla’s ex-husband carries out official duty on her behalf

<p dir="ltr">Queen Consort Camilla's ex-husband, whom she shares two kids with, has carried out an official duty on her behalf.</p> <p dir="ltr">Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles formally represented the Queen Consort at his cousin John Bowes-Lyon’s funeral at the London Oratory.</p> <p dir="ltr">This is the first official duty he has performed on behalf of his ex-wife and it is believed that it won’t be the last time the 82-year-old former Army officer would represent the Queen Consort.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Andrew is happy to do anything he is asked. He still enjoys a warm relationship with Camilla,” a source told Daily Mail. </p> <p dir="ltr">Camilla and Andrew married in 1973 before they separated in the 1980s and divorced in 1995.</p> <p dir="ltr">They share two children, Tom and Laura. </p> <p dir="ltr">Earlier this year, the Queen Consort spoke candidly about cooking for her children despite not being a great in the kitchen. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I always cooked for the children growing up, and they were good eaters, but I was never the most adventurous of cooks,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was sent on a cooking course in Sussex when I was young but, really, I learnt from my mother. I’ve never followed a recipe in my life...</p> <p dir="ltr">“I could fill a book with all my cooking disasters. I’m not a natural baker, to say the least. </p> <p dir="ltr">“As for baked potatoes… many a poor, incinerated specimen has been found in the bottom of the Aga, put in, then forgotten about.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Camilla married King Charles III in 2005 following a whirlwind romance and affairs dating back to when Charles was married to Diana. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Queen's official death certificate released

<p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth’s official death certificate has been released citing that the late monarch died of old age.</p> <p dir="ltr">The UK’s longest reigning monarch died at the age of 96 on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. </p> <p dir="ltr">The National Records of Scotland released the Queen’s official death certificate which stated that she “died of old age at 3.10pm”. </p> <p dir="ltr">It was the same cause of death as on her husband Prince Philip's death certificate.</p> <p dir="ltr">Their daughter, Princess Anne was labelled as the “informant” on the document and would have notified the local registrar of her mother's death.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also previously revealed that she was with the Queen in her <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/princess-anne-gives-touching-insight-into-queen-s-final-hours" target="_blank" rel="noopener">last 24 hours</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was fortunate to share the last 24 hours of my dearest Mother’s life,” Princess Anne’s statement read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It has been an honour and a privilege to accompany her on her final journeys. Witnessing the love and respect shown by so many on these journeys has been both humbling and uplifting.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite all this, the death certificate also indicated that the Queen passed away before her children and great-grandchildren could reach her side. </p> <p dir="ltr">Prince William, Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife, Sophie Countess of Wessex, were on their way to the Queen about 2.39pm but they landed an hour later. </p> <p dir="ltr">Prince Harry made his own way to Scotland on a jet from Luton, only after his grandmother died. </p> <p dir="ltr">He landed in Aberdeen at 6.46pm, 16 minutes after the Palace made its announcement, and then arrived at Balmoral at 7.52pm, almost five hours after she died.</p> <p dir="ltr">Controversially, royal expert Lady Colin Campbell <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/caring/royal-biographer-hints-at-queen-s-cause-of-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed the Queen</a> was suffering from a “relatively painless” but “invariably fatal” condition, before announcing her death 90 minutes before Buckingham Palace.</p> <p dir="ltr">Queen Elizabeth was buried on September 19 at King George VI Memorial Chapel in St George's Chapel.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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King Charles’ official monogram released

<p dir="ltr">King Charles’ official monogram has been released as his mother Queen Elizabeth’s mourning period comes to an end. </p> <p dir="ltr">The royal cypher shows the King’s initial “C” intertwined with the letter “R” for Rex - Latin for King. </p> <p dir="ltr">There is also a crown and the Roman numerals III to show King Charles’ full title. </p> <p dir="ltr">King Charles picked the specific design for his official Royal cypher from a number of other options prepared by the College of Arms. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new cypher will appear on government buildings, state documents and on some post boxes. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Bank of England says new bank notes featuring King Charles III will begin their circulation by the middle of next year. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Royal Mint also announced that new coins will be produced but no date has been given yet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite this, all existing banknotes and coins will remain as legal tender, with notes of Charles and Elizabeth being used alongside each other. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new stamps featuring King Charles III will “enter circulation once current stocks of stamps are exhausted”. </p> <p dir="ltr">However, the Royal Mail has announced that four memorial stamps of Queen Elizabeth II taken at different stages of her reign will be released in November. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

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Treasuring the Queen's final official photo

<p>Just days before her death, Queen Elizabeth was seen in what was her final official engagement. </p> <p>The monarch met with Britain's new prime minister, Liz Truss, at a ceremony inside the green-carpeted room at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. </p> <p>Due to the Queen's ongoing health issues, the appointment of the new PM broke with tradition by taking place in Scotland, rather than in Buckingham Palace. </p> <p>The monarch was supported by her walking cane as she invited Truss, Her Majesty's 15th prime minister in her 70-year-reign, to form a new government.</p> <p>During the Queen's final official act before her death, she looked lively and happy as she smiled for photos and shook the hand of the new prime minister. </p> <p>Despite her positive demeanour, people were quick to spot the large bruise on the Queen's hand, <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/health/caring/worrying-photo-sparks-fresh-concerns-for-queen-elizabeth-s-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reigniting concerns</a> about the monarch's health. </p> <p>ITV's royal editor Chris Ship said the bruising was a sign of changing times in the Queen's advancing years.</p> <p>"I'm no medic but it could be some form of cannula that the Queen's had, we are guessing," Ship told Today.</p> <p>"Buckingham Palace never tells us about her ongoing medical conditions. She's 96 years old. A frail lady, let's be clear. And queen of advancing age."</p> <p>Just days later, <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/queen-elizabeth-ii-dead-at-96" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Queen Elizabeth II passed away peacefully</a> at the age of 96. </p> <p dir="ltr">The monarch was under medical supervision due to her deteriorating health but unfortunately died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8th at 8:30pm local time (3:30am AEDT).</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon,” The Royal Family tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The King and The Queen Consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The public was notified of her death through the traditional form of a formal message placed on an easel on the railings outside the Palace.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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