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"Get my voice back": Kathy Griffin's intense pre-op drama

<p>Kathy Griffin has shared footage of her pre-operation appointment before she undergoes vocal cord surgery in an effort to save her voice.</p> <p>The American comedian took to TikTok to show fans the process of her surgeon sticking a camera scope up her nose and through to her vocal cord to get a clearer view of the damage.</p> <p>"First step is the numbing spray. Then the scope goes up the nose, down into the vocal cords!" she explained with captions.</p> <p>"As you can see, the left chord is paralyzed.”</p> <p>After she was instructed to make noises to test the cords, Griffin is seen following the doctor’s orders and watching her vocal cord movement on the screen.</p> <p>Griffin reflected post-operation in the same clip, with the 62-year-old lying in a recovery bed following the surgery.</p> <div><iframe title="tiktok embed" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2Fembed%2Fv2%2F7242029180651687214&display_name=tiktok&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tiktok.com%2F%40kathygriffin%2Fvideo%2F7242029180651687214&image=https%3A%2F%2Fp19-sign.tiktokcdn-us.com%2Fobj%2Ftos-useast5-p-0068-tx%2F202ea4a9813e435c92a1c6996f018c11_1686166329%3Fx-expires%3D1686236400%26x-signature%3D%252Bk5fTTtG0O6jMWR7Pnky9ekvIlw%253D&key=5b465a7e134d4f09b4e6901220de11f0&type=text%2Fhtml&schema=tiktok" width="340" height="700" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div> <p>"I just had my latest surgery on my left vocal cord, because I want to be in good shape for my big Vegas show," she said.</p> <p>"This is just part of my recovery post-lung cancer surgery," she added. "I'm cancer-free, so anyway a little scratchy today, but I'll be in good shape.”</p> <p>"I so appreciate you guys following along on my journey to get my voice back after lung cancer,” Griffin captioned the video, also sharing it to her Instagram.</p> <p>Griffin had part of her lung removed in 2021 after being diagnosed with lung cancer and was in remission four months later.</p> <p>Her latest hospital visit comes after she revealed her diagnosis of “complex PTSD” in early 2023.</p> <p>Griffin shared her diagnosis in a TikTok in April, asking her followers for recommendations on how to cope with anxiety and depression.</p> <p>"Let's talk about PTSD. Never talked about it publicly," she said. "You can laugh or whatever, but I've been diagnosed with complex PTSD, and it's called an extreme case."</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Caring

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Why you should visit Lake Toba in Indonesia

<p><em><strong>Anne Sinclair, 68, was born in England but spent most of her youth in Darwin, Northern Territory. Now in a position to travel and explore the world, Anne looks forward to sharing her personal experience and encourages others to step out and have fun. </strong></em></p> <p>If you are travelling in Indonesia, why not consider visiting Sumatra? Are you perhaps seeking that very special spot for a holiday and soak up peacefulness, then this little gem might be right up your alley?</p> <p>This little jewel of Indonesia, is tucked away within lush green mountainous terrain, and almost perfect weather, lakefront villas and a community of most obliging people. And it’s all here at Lake Toba, the waters surrounding Samosir Island -  an island, within the island of Sumatra.</p> <p>The catastrophe of a giant volcano eruption some 70,000 years ago (as quoted in Wikipedia notes) created this most incredible crater and dare we say, gave mankind this new piece of paradise; a peaceful contrast to its beginnings I would think? Then, in the immense scheme of things we have total enjoyment of nature’s inexplicable creation. </p> <p>According to the Toba Catastrophe Theory, proposed by S.H. Ambrose of the University of Illinois and Urbana-Champaign in 1998 – the effects of the Toba eruption may have decreased the size of human population to only a few tens of thousands of individuals. This hypothesis was not widely accepted though as similar effects on other animals had not been observed.</p> <p>But that was then, and this is now…</p> <p>To get you to this little piece of paradise, is relatively easy. If you do some Google searches you are bound to find an airline heading this way. Probably a morning arrival at Medan (Kuala Namu airport) would best serve your plans, as the drive out to Lake Toba from the airport, is around four hours. Very well worth it! The taxi drivers are very accommodating and will most assuredly stop at a café, or do a wash room stop for you to freshen up along the way.</p> <p>The taxi will likely pass through some very interesting little villages, showing you the mixture of cultures with Mosques and both Protestant and Catholic Churches almost built side by side. Little villages are filled with busy locals adding to the exciting culture of Sumatra. Very attractive structures could coax the camera snapping time, and wonderful cultural villages which could well deserve some memorable photos.</p> <p>Once you arrive at Parapat, the little township where you catch the ferry across Lake Toba, everything is quite organised; with the colourful ferries departing from Parapat mainland almost at every half hour. Ferry crews are very obliging and will assist you and any cases or bags on to the ferry, and safely placed for the half hour journey across this ocean-blue Lake Toba. The Journey could be a little longer, just depending on which attractive Villa you have chosen to be home for your stay.</p> <p>There is an abundance of Villas and Resorts, with prices ranging to suit any budget. Some of the bigger Resorts (like The Carolina) do have swimming pools, but the water of Lake Toba is quite safe and most inviting for a refreshing swim.</p> <p>You will be helped again by the crew as you come ashore on Samosir Island. An Island donned with amazing waterfront villas. My choice for this visit has been Tuk Tuk Timbul. </p> <p>Overlooking the calm waters on Lake Toba, one could well think one was perhaps relaxing and gazing across the cold yet delicately blue water of Lock Ness. But no, the waters of Lake Toba are much warmer than Lock Ness. This body of water is a natural lake occupying the caldera of a super volcano. This Lake is around one hundred kilometres long.</p> <p>The Island of Samosir is unbelievable attractive. With nature providing cool weather all year round with such dynamic views of the mountainous ranges, and waterfront villas in abundance, fresh food and fabulous prices. It’s all here.</p> <p>This grand ocean-blue lake, found high amongst Sumatra’s volcanic peaks, is where the amiable Christian Batak people reside. Their folk dance and villages are excitingly captivating as their Batak buildings still stand, some in reasonably good condition. It’s nice to see this cultural growth with their Batak homes standing proudly alongside more of what we might refer to as, modern structures.</p> <p>Again, whilst you are on Samosir and also worth a visit is the small village of Tuk Tuk which has a great concentration of tourist facilities; and Tomoki village too, being the main village on the east coast of the Island. The people who reside here are very approachable and responsive, and will help you at any time. Many speak English so, it’s easy to communicate and find your way.</p> <p>If you are seeking somewhere extra special with peaceful surrounds, then Lake Toba at Samosir ticks all the boxes for you. Please keep this little story your personal secret, as Lake Toba lazily boasts uniqueness, with its distinction of utter calm and natural beauty - derived from natures force. </p> <p><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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Easy living at The Alba is the perfect choice for older Australians

<p>Moving into one of the luxuriously appointed apartments at <a href="https://thealba.com.au/?utm_medium=online&utm_source=OverSixty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alba</a> from mid-2023 will give residents the best of both worlds – independent living but with all the services of a resort when needed. </p> <p>For older Australians, this is easy living done well in a stunning setting close to the tranquility of Albert Park Lake. The Alba is a brilliantly conceptualised development where the residents’ privacy and security are paramount. However, premium services, including cleaning, laundry and chef-prepared meals, are always available.</p> <p>Anyone fortunate enough to secure one of the imposing apartments at The Alba will be afforded one of the greatest luxuries of all – the time to please themselves. Without the burden of daily chores, residents can give their creativity free rein by starting a project in the arts & crafts room or finding the most enjoyable way of keeping fit with exercise classes at every level. The development also includes a cinema, a library and a café that is also open to the local community. Some may simply prefer to relax on the spectacular rooftop terrace with views over Albert Park Lake and the Melbourne city skyline.</p> <p><strong>Getting the most out of life </strong></p> <p>At the end of each day filled with stimulating activities, there’s the option of returning to a sparkling apartment without even having to pick up a vacuum cleaner. Or sitting down to a beautiful, chef-prepared fresh meal in The Alba’s elegant rooftop restaurant, where the emphasis is on seasonal produce, simply prepared. Some may care to treat themselves further and welcome each day with a hand-delivered breakfast box filled with fresh delights. Consider it a reward for a lifetime of hard work.</p> <p>Residents simply choose the support options that best suit their needs – and they can be dialled up or down as required. These extra services are being put in place to foster freedom and independence, along with the confidence to go about your life while knowing that help is always available. Should urgent medical attention be required, there are emergency call buttons in each apartment, with nurses available close by at the onsite residential care. </p> <p><strong>An opulent place to call home </strong></p> <p>There are 60 one-and two-bedroom easy living apartments at The Alba, which allows plenty of choice to find the right one to suit every individual. No expense has been spared in creating a space that residents will be proud to call home. </p> <p>The Alba was designed by the internationally renowned, award-winning architects Fender Katsalidis, who have set a new benchmark for independent living in an Over 55s development. </p> <p>Each luxuriously appointed apartment has a sleek living and dining area, a kitchen with premium appliances and one or two bathrooms, plus a laundry. Many have balconies that take in sublime views over Albert Park Lake or the Melbourne city skyline.</p> <p>It’s all about attention to detail here, including superb finishes throughout and everything is at your fingertips whether you want to surf through cable television channels or seamlessly entertain friends. It’s also a thoughtful design to support you in living in your new home as you age in place.</p> <p><strong>A vibrant community awaits within The Alba </strong></p> <p>The Alba is all about feeling connected – not only to the beauty which surrounds the development but also when it comes to socialising. It will be easy to naturally mingle with other residents who may share similar interests as yours at the many activities throughout the day. There are community club rooms, a cinema, a wellness centre, dinners or lunches in the restaurant and a welcoming café within walking distance of your front door. </p> <p><strong>An extra level of care is available onsite</strong></p> <p>The Alba has 95 residential aged care suites for those who need 24/7 care and support in the form of residential aged care that’s well supported with daily activities. The aged care suites are also beautifully appointed with soothing views. It is a great option for couples who are suddenly at different stages of life from one another. With such close proximity, it’s easy to visit throughout the day and reassuring to know that a loved one still remains in the heart of the community. This is just another way that the caring staff at The Alba are able to treat everyone with dignity and respect. </p> <p><strong>Entertaining friends and family has never been easier</strong></p> <p>There are so many welcoming spaces at The Alba where family and friends may come together. This includes resident lounges and the stylish restaurant that serves lunches and dinners daily. Or perhaps a barbecue on the recreational terrace? Everything can be easily arranged by the staff, including organising a special celebration.</p> <p>At The Alba, residents have the confidence and the support to enjoy life on their own terms. After all, they’re not just settling into an apartment here but entering the next phase in their life’s story.</p> <p><em>*Expressions of interest in <a href="https://thealba.com.au/?utm_medium=online&utm_source=OverSixty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alba</a> are now open. The Alba is scheduled to open in mid-2023.</em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <a href="https://thealba.com.au/?utm_medium=online&utm_source=OverSixty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Alba</a>.</em></p> <p> </p>

Real Estate

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The Grace Albert Park Lake: the right place for now and the future

<p>Life is a journey and each phase along the way has its own joys and challenges. When the time comes to downsize and you’re seeking a healthy retirement lifestyle where you can live your best Melbourne life, look no further than the award-winning <a href="https://www.thegracealbertparklake.com.au/?utm_source=OverSixty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Grace Albert Park Lake</a>.</p> <p>Member-owned health and wellbeing company, Australian Unity, is behind this prestigious high-rise retirement village, located in the upmarket leafy suburb of South Melbourne. The development recently won an award for the Best Retirement Development at the Property Council Retirement Living Awards.</p> <p>According to The Grace Sales Manager, Martine Vance, “what makes this development unique is that people can live independently in this luxury community, with peace of mind regarding their possible future needs. The Alba, opening in 2023, will offer assisted living and residential aged care, so residents will be able to access a range of additional support services should they need them. </p> <p><strong>An iconic inner-city location</strong></p> <p>“When it comes to luxury retirement living, there’s nothing else like it in the South Melbourne area”, says Martine. Perfectly placed across from Melbourne’s stunning Albert Park Lake, The Grace offers luxury retirement living at its best. Whether you’re into jogging, cycling or golf, you have some of the city’s best outdoor facilities at your doorstep. You’re also moments away from the famous South Melbourne markets, the Botanic Gardens and the trendy cafes and restaurants of South Yarra. For lovers of culture and the fine arts, the Arts Centre and the National Gallery of Victoria are also only minutes away from home.</p> <p>The one, two- and three-bedroom apartments on offer at The Grace have been meticulously designed to offer residents expansive, light filled open plan living areas for stylish and relaxed entertaining. Designed by Fender Katsalidis and interiors by Mim Design, the neutral colour palette allows you to add your own personal touch to create a sense of familiarity and comfort. “The master bedroom has a fully-fitted wardrobe and marble ensuite. Similarly, there’s a stunning Italian marble island bench in the kitchen, which has Miele appliances and an integrated Fisher and Paykel fridge, freezer and dishwasher, “says Martine.</p> <p><strong><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/TheGrace02.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Be part of a like-minded community</strong></p> <p>When you choose to venture beyond your own personal sanctuary and mingle with your neighbours, The Grace has multiple shared spaces to enjoy. On par with a luxury hotel, every second floor of The Grace has a themed room residents can use at their leisure, including private dining rooms, a plush theatrette and a piano lounge. To keep you fit and active in the comfort of your own home, The Grace’s exclusive wellbeing facilities include a pool, gym and studios offering personal yoga and Pilates classes. There’s even a games room for when the grandchildren visit, an art studio, an edible garden and a beautiful rooftop terrace, which has views of the lake, bay and city.</p> <p><strong>Lock up and leave</strong></p> <p>Unlike other residential apartments with a mixture of occupants, where you don’t know who’s coming and going, The Grace gives you the comfort and security of living in a community of retirees at a similar life stage, as well as being in a community with access control systems in place and a concierge on site seven days per week. </p> <p><strong>An eye to the future</strong></p> <p>At The Grace, you can also choose your level of independence and will be supported to live in your own home for as long as you choose. If you feel you need a little extra support with daily chores in the future, once The Alba is complete and residents are settled, you have the option of having access to services such as cooking, cleaning and laundry being brought in to assist you. This means you can enjoy the lifestyle for as long as you choose.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p> <p><em>This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.thegracealbertparklake.com.au/?utm_source=OverSixty" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Grace Albert Park Lake</a>.</span></em></p>

Real Estate

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The magnificent Lake Eyre Basin is threatened by 831 oil and gas wells

<p>The heart-shaped Lake Eyre Basin covers about one-sixth of Australia. It contains one of the few remaining pristine river systems in the world.</p> <p>But new research shows oil and gas activity is extending its tentacles into these fragile environments. Its wells, pads, roads and dams threaten to change water flows and pollute this magnificent ecosystem.</p> <p>The <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/MF/MF22063" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a>, by myself and colleague Amy Walburn, investigated current and future oil and gas production and exploration on the floodplains of the Lake Eyre Basin. We found 831 oil and gas wells across the basin – and this number is set to grow. What’s more, state and Commonwealth legislation has largely failed to control this development.</p> <p>State and national governments are promoting massive gas development to kickstart Australia’s economy. But as we show, this risks significant damage to the Lake Eyre Basin and its rivers.</p> <h2>A precious natural wonder</h2> <p>The Lake Eyre Basin is probably the last major free-flowing river system on Earth – meaning no major dams or irrigation diversions stem the rivers’ flow.</p> <p>This country has been looked after for tens of thousands of year by First Nations people, including the Arrernte, Dieri, Mithaka and Wangkangurru. This care continues today.</p> <p>The biggest rivers feeding the basin – the Diamantina, Georgina and Cooper – originate in western Queensland and flow to South Australia where they pour into Kathi Thanda-Lake Eyre.</p> <p>As they wind south, the rivers dissect deserts and inundate floodplains, lakes and wetlands – including 33 wetlands of national importance.</p> <p>This natural phenomenon has happened for millennia. It supports incredible natural booms of plants, fish and birds, as well as tourism and livestock grazing. But our new research shows oil and gas development threatens this precious natural wonder.</p> <h2>Massive industrial creep</h2> <p>Our <a href="http://www.publish.csiro.au/MF/MF22063" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> used satellite imagery to map the locations of oil and gas development in the Lake Eyre Basin since the first oil wells were established in late 1950s.</p> <p>We found 831 oil and gas production and exploration wells exist on the floodplains of the Lake Eyre Basin – almost 99% of them on the Cooper Creek floodplains. The wells go under the river and its floodplains into the geological Cooper Basin, considered to have the most important onshore petroleum and natural gas deposits in Australia.</p> <p>Our research also shows how quickly oil and gas mining in the Lake Eyre Basin is set to grow. We identified licensing approvals or applications covering 4.5 million hectares of floodplains in the Lake Eyre Basin, across South Australia and Queensland.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/assessments/geological-and-bioregional-assessment-program/cooper-basin/cooper-gba-region-stage-two-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CSIRO</a> recently examined likely scenarios of 1,000 to 1,500 additional unconventional gas wells in the Cooper Basin in the next 50 years. It predicted these wells would built be on “pads” – areas occupied by mining equipment or facilities – about 4 kilometres apart. They would typically access gas using horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.</p> <p>Fracking is the process of extracting so-called “unconventional gas”. It involves using water and chemicals to fracture deep rocks to extract the gas. This polluted water, known to be <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/srep46582" target="_blank" rel="noopener">toxic to fish</a>, is brought back to the surface and stored in dams.</p> <p>Two locations we focused on were in South Australia at the protected, <a href="https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/topics/water/wetlands/coongie-lakes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ramsar-listed Coongie Lakes site</a>, which was recognised as internationally significant in 1987. The other site was in Queensland’s channel country, also on the Cooper floodplain.</p> <p>In total across the Coongie Lakes sites, we found a three-fold increase in wells: from 95 in 1987 to 296 last year. We also identified 869 kilometres of roads and 316 hectares of storage pits, such as those that hold water.</p> <p>Some of these dams could potentially hold polluted fracking water and become submerged by flooding, particularly at Coongie Lakes.</p> <h2>A disaster waiting to happen?</h2> <p>Examples from around the world already show oil and gas exploration and development can reduce water quality by interrupting sediments and leading to elevated <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/12/4/941" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical</a> <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1213871110" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concentrations</a>. Production waste can also degrade floodplain <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1515/3/032037" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vegetation</a>.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/assessments/geological-and-bioregional-assessment-program/cooper-basin/cooper-gba-region-stage-two-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CSIRO says</a> risks associated with oil and gas development in the Cooper Basin include:</p> <ul> <li>dust and emissions from machinery that may cause habitat loss, including changes to air quality, noise and light pollution</li> <li>disposal and storage of site materials that may contaminate soil, surface water and/or groundwater through accidental spills, leaks and leaching</li> <li>unplanned fracking and drilling into underground faults, unintended geological layers or abandoned wells</li> <li>gas and fluids contaminating soil, surface water, groundwater and air</li> <li>changes to groundwater pressures could potentially reactivate underground faults and induce earthquakes.</li> </ul> <p>Fracking for unconventional gas also requires drawing <a href="https://www.bioregionalassessments.gov.au/assessments/geological-and-bioregional-assessment-program/cooper-basin/cooper-gba-region-stage-two-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">large amounts of water</a> from rivers and groundwater.</p> <h2>The laws have failed</h2> <p>Our findings raise significant questions for Australian governments and the community.</p> <p>Are we prepared to accept industrialisation of the Lake Eyre Basin, and the associated risk of pollution and other environmental damage? Have the companies involved earned a social licence for these activities? Where do the profits end up, and who will bear the social, environmental and financial costs of such intense development?</p> <p>Clearly, state and federal environmental protections have failed to stop unfettered development of the basin.</p> <p>These policies include the Lake Eyre Basin <a href="https://www.dcceew.gov.au/water/policy/national/lake-eyre-basin/agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agreement</a>, signed by the states, the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory, which has been in place since 2000.</p> <p>Australia’s federal environment law – the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act – is supposed to protect nationally important areas such as Ramsar wetlands. Yet our research identified that just eight developments in the basin were referred to the Commonwealth government for approval and with only one deemed significant enough for assessment. This legislation does not deal adequately with the cumulative impacts of development.</p> <p>And finally, gas extraction and production is <a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-5-fossil-fuel-projects-overshoot-their-original-estimations-for-emissions-why-are-there-such-significant-errors-177714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">associated with</a> substantial “fugitive” emissions - greenhouse gases which escape into the atmosphere. This undermines Australia’s emissions reduction efforts under the Paris Agreement.</p> <p>The governments of South Australia and Queensland should restrict mining development in the Lake Eyre Basin. And stronger federal oversight of this nationally significant natural treasure is urgently needed.</p> <p>In response to this article, Chief executive of the Australian Petroleum Production &amp; Exploration Association, Samantha McCulloch, said in a statement:</p> <blockquote> <p>The oil and gas industry takes its responsibilities to the environment and to local communities seriously and it is one of the most heavily regulated sectors in Australia. The industry has been operating in Queensland for more than a decade and the gas produced in Queensland plays an important role in Australia’s energy security.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-magnificent-lake-eyre-basin-is-threatened-by-831-oil-and-gas-wells-and-more-are-planned-is-that-what-australians-really-want-191078" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“No-one’s to blame”: Parents speak after tragic driveway incident

<p>The parents of a toddler who died outside their family home in Lake Macquarie, NSW, have understandably been left absolutely heartbroken, saying they feel “completely numb” after the shocking tragedy.</p> <p>The almost two-year-old was killed after she ran outside and was struck by a car in the family’s driveway on Monday August 15.</p> <p>Mother Jacintha McPherson said she was still coming to terms with the terrible accident that took her beloved daughter Payton’s life.</p> <p>"I've been on autopilot," McPherson said. I'm just in survival mode and supporting everyone at the moment. How are you expected to get over it?"</p> <p>Inquiries are ongoing and McPherson said the family are still in shock after the tragic accident. "It was just an accident, kids being kids, and no-one's to blame, it's no one's fault," she said.</p> <p>Herself and extended family are coming together in memory of the toddler who brought “joy” and “love” into their lives.</p> <p>"Typical two-year-old, full of life, full of beans, full of love, the attitude. The memory of our baby girl is important, and you know, trying to give her the send-off that she deserves is what's important."</p> <p>McPherson has praised the work of emergency service workers and cannot thank them enough.</p> <p>"I can't thank the police and ambulance and all the doctors that turned up on Monday, it was a shock to all of them, it really was, and they handled themselves so well and they provided everyone with so much support," she said.</p> <p>"They didn't know her. They didn't have to, but they treated her with so much respect and dignity and that's all a mum can ask for."</p> <p><em>Image: NBN</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Retreat with private lake and outdoor bar for sale

<p dir="ltr">A massive mansion tucked away in the mountains with its own lake and outdoor bar has hit the market for the first time in 15 years.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cedar Lodge Retreat sits on top of Tamborine Mountain in Queensland and offers breathtaking views of Canungra Valley to the Great Dividing Range.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Every day you will feel like the last on earth to see the sun as it falls behind the ranges, displaying colours and visual tones which need to be seen to be believed,” the <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/tamborine-mountain-qld-4272-2017753766?utm_source=nine.com.au&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=editorial-content" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listing</a> reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">The huge property, which also offers another home on the land, can be accessed along a private road but is still remote and private.</p> <p dir="ltr">The main residence, which was built in 1974, boasts five huge bedrooms and four bathrooms and has been constantly renovated to “align with the estate’s timeless quality”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Master Suite on the top floor, includes a kingsize bedroom, parents retreat, luxury ensuite with dual shower heads, spa and large walk-in-robe.</p> <p dir="ltr">The lounge room has high ceilings and an open fireplace which is perfect for those cooler nights.</p> <p dir="ltr">There is also a tennis court, a large basement wine cellar and an entire top-floor primary suite.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Outlook Bar is also perfect to host a number of guests with the stunning views.</p> <p dir="ltr">Built only 12 years ago, the second residence includes an open-plan lounge, dining and kitchen experience.</p> <p dir="ltr">Perfect for guests staying the night or a few days, with the four bedroom and three bedroom amenities.</p> <p dir="ltr">The property is only minutes away from the local town centre, multiple wineries, cafes, breweries and distilleries.</p> <p dir="ltr">Cedar Lodge Retreat will go to auction with the real estate agent keeping mum about how much the property could fetch.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-47066484-7fff-67e2-3616-087d9feb883c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Domain</em></p>

Real Estate

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Putin’s allies in tears over sanctions impacting luxury homes

<p dir="ltr">A Russian TV host has complained about sanctions imposed on Russia by the European Union and how they are impacting his various luxury properties in Italy. </p> <p dir="ltr">Vladimir Soloviev was angered to tears as he discussed the restrictions, and how he was now facing the loss of his two luxury villas in Lake Como: a popular location for Hollywood’s elite. </p> <p dir="ltr">The TV host, who is known for strident attacks on the West, flew into a passionate rage as he debated Italy’s property rights. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I was told that Europe is a citadel of rights, that everything is permitted, that’s what they said … I know from personal experience about the so-called ‘sacred property rights’,’’ he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">During Friday’s program of <em>The Evening With Vladimir Soloviev</em>, he complained, “I bought it, paid a crazy amount of taxes, I did everything. And suddenly someone makes a decision that this journalist is now on the list of sanctions.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“And right away it affects your real estate. Wait a minute. But you told us that Europe has sacred property rights!”</p> <p dir="ltr">A disgusted Soloviev said of the sanctions, “All of a sudden, now they say: ‘Are you Russian? Then we will close your bank account, if it’s in Europe. And if it’s in England, you’re allowed to keep no more than a certain amount there. Why? Because you’re Russian.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Following Soloviev’s on-air spat, hundreds of people flocked to Twitter to express their disgust at his rant, noting that people were dying while he was only concerned about his holiday home. </p> <p dir="ltr">As he concluded his rant, Soloviev looked at his watch before looking at the television camera and saying, “Is Trump coming back yet?”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Russia-1 / Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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Woman's body found sitting in chair two years after her death

<p>The body of a 70-year-old woman has been found in her house in Northern Italy, two years after her death.</p><p>Marinella Beretta lived alone near Lake Como in Lombardy.</p><p>Her decomposed body was discovered on Friday by the Como fire brigade following complaints that a tree had fallen in her garden as a result of overgrown vegetation, Como City Hall press officer Francesca Manfredi said.</p><p>Beretta’s body was found sitting in a chair in the living room, SkyTg24 reported on Monday.</p><p>Manfredi told CNN that the cause of Beretta’s death was unknown, and the examiner had established that she died sometime toward the end of 2019, based on the level of decay to her body.</p><p>No relatives of Beretta had yet come forward, Manfredi said, adding that police were investigating whether she had any surviving family.</p><p>For now, Beretta’s body remains at the morgue, and a funeral date has not yet been set, Manfredi added.</p><p>Como mayor Mario Landriscina has invited the town’s residents to attend Beretta’s funeral. He told the Italian media on Tuesday that the local government would take care of the funeral arrangements.</p><p>“I will try to be there and I invite the city to be present,” Landriscina said.</p><p>“This is the moment to be together, and even if this woman had no relatives, we could become her relatives.”</p><p>On Facebook, Elena Bonetti, Italy’s minister for family and equal opportunities, mourned Beretta’s solitary death.</p><p>“What happened to Marinella Beretta in Como, the forgotten loneliness, hurts our consciences,” she said. “Remembering her life is the duty of a community that wants to remain united.”</p><p>Bonetti added: “Taking care of each other is the experience of families, institutions, of our being citizens. No one should be alone.”</p><p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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12 of the world’s most haunted bodies of water

<p><strong>Devil's Pool, Australia</strong></p> <p><span>Devil’s Pool is a natural pool created by surrounding boulders and a waterfall that feeds it, and as beautiful as it is, people say it’s cursed. </span></p> <p><span>According to legend, Oolana, a young woman from the Yindinji Tribe, drowned herself in the pool after being separated from her true love. Still searching for him today, she lures young men to their death in the green waters. </span></p> <p><span>Sixteen young men have died there in the past 50 years, reports News.com.au.</span></p> <p><strong>Manchac Swamp, USA</strong></p> <p><span>According to local legend, Julia Brown, a practising voodoo priestess, used to sit on her front porch near the Manchac Swamp in Louisiana and sing, “One day I’m gonna die, and I’m gonna take all of you with me,” reports MentalFloss.com. </span></p> <p><span>That curse turned out to be true: On the day of Brown’s funeral in 1915, a category 4 hurricane tore through the area, causing hundreds of drowning deaths. </span></p> <p><span>These days, people say that Brown can be heard cackling on the shores of the swamp. Spooky, right?</span></p> <p><strong>Truk Lagoon, Micronesia</strong></p> <p><span>If it’s shipwrecks that make your spine tingle, then look no further than Truk Lagoon in Micronesia. </span></p> <p><span>That’s where the wreckage of 40 Japanese ships and 25 American aircrafts that went down in the waters lay. </span></p> <p><span>They went down during Operation Hailstone, the ill-fated WWII battle. The underwater scene is described as a massive “ship graveyard.” </span></p> <p><span>Photos of the wreckage are absolutely chilling and a haunting reminder of all the lives that were lost in that one battle, alone.</span></p> <p><strong>Lower Yellowstone Falls, USA</strong></p> <p><span>In 1870, a group of Native Americans stole pack horses from a group of five militiamen and their guide during the night near the area that’s now known as Lower Yellowstone Falls in Wyoming. </span></p> <p><span>When they woke up, the men gave chase and caught up with the Native Americans as they were attempting to cross the treacherous falls. </span></p> <p><span>During the fighting, the Native Americans’ makeshift raft sank and they were swept over the falls and drowned. </span></p> <p><span>Today, some who stand on the platform at the falls swear they hear the death chant of the brave Native American warriors and the river water is said to turn red on occasion.</span></p> <p><strong>Bride's Pool, Hong Kong</strong></p> <p><span>The Bride’s Pool, a natural pool created by boulders with an adjoining waterfall in Hong Kong, is said to have gotten its name because a bride fell into the water and drowned on the way to her wedding. </span></p> <p><span>If that’s not chilling enough, “today, some people report seeing a woman dressed in a red cheongsam [a traditional Asian wedding dress] brushing her hair near the majestic waters,” reports Time Out Hong Kong.</span></p> <p><strong>Saco River, USA</strong></p> <p><span>Sure the Saco River in Maine is a great place for holiday-makers to go tubing, but you may not want to after you find out about its rumoured curse. </span></p> <p><span>As the legend goes, around 1675, a group of drunken English sailors crossed paths with the chief of the Saco tribe and his family. </span></p> <p><span>The sailors callously threw the baby in the river to see if he could swim; sadly, the baby died a few days later. </span></p> <p><span>To enact revenge, the chief put a curse on the Saco River that three white people would drown in it each year. </span></p> <p><span>Whether or not the body count has held up, the murder of the child actually happened and likely led to further bloodshed in the years following.</span></p> <p><strong>Loch Ness, Scotland</strong></p> <p><span>There are some who believe with all their heart that a lake near Inverness in Scotland is haunted by a mythical being, aka the Loch Ness Monster. </span></p> <p><span>“There are over 300,000 visitors each year and only one to two bona fide sightings,” Gary Campbell, president of the Official Loch Ness Monster Fan Club tells the Travel Channel. </span></p> <p><span>But those odds continue to inspire visitors who always carry their cameras just in case “Nessie” decides to make an appearance.</span></p> <p><span><strong>White Rock Lake, USA</strong><br /></span></p> <p><span>They say Dallas’s White Rock Lake is haunted by a young woman wearing a soaking-wet evening dress. </span></p> <p><span>“Apparently, the girl tells people she was involved in a boating accident and needs to get to an address on Gaston Avenue. When she gets into a car’s back seat, she disappears,” the Dallas News reports. </span></p> <p><span>These encounters have been reported off and on since 1964, although no one knows who the woman is or whether a woman in an evening dress actually drowned there.</span></p> <p><strong>Changi Beach, Singapore</strong></p> <p><span>During Japan’s occupation of Singapore during World War II in 1942 tens of thousands of Chinese men who were suspected of having anti-Japanese sentiments, were forced into the waters of Changi Beach and machine-gunned en masse. </span></p> <p><span>It’s said that the ghosts of these executed men remain trapped on the shores, crying and screaming as they suffer the same deadly fate over and over again.</span></p> <p><strong>Blackwater River, USA</strong></p> <p><span>Like the Saco River, Blackwater River in Florida is also a popular tubing spot with a dark past. </span></p> <p><span>A woman with long black hair smelling of rotting flesh haunts the water and will attempt to drag you to your death if you can’t escape her clutches. </span></p> <p><span>No matter what is causing people to drown in the river, it would be wise to be careful when taking a dip.</span></p> <p><strong>Lake Superior, USA</strong></p> <p><span>In 1985, more than a decade after the SS Edmund Fitzgerald sunk 150 metres to the bottom of Lake Superior – all 29 men on board were lost – it was spotted sailing on the surface of Lake Superior by a commercial crew. </span></p> <p><span>There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation involving mist and a lighthouse, according to CNN, but there are those who believe that the Edmund Fitzgerald will continue to sail on as a ghost ship in the choppy, icy waters of the lake that took it.</span></p> <p><strong>The Bermuda Triangle </strong></p> <p><span>No discussion of haunted water would be complete without including the Atlantic Ocean’s Bermuda Triangle (bounded by Bermuda, Miami and Puerto Rico). </span></p> <p><span>Countless aeroplanes and ships have dared to enter the 1,300,000-square-km perimeter in perfectly good weather and not the slightest hint of engine malfunction – only to disappear forever. </span></p> <p><span>Not for nothing, it’s also known as the “Devil’s Triangle.”</span></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/destinations/12-of-the-worlds-most-haunted-bodies-of-water?pages=1">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Travel Tips

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“Only in Canberra”: Locals rescue kangaroo from lake

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Three Canberra locals have had an unlikely run-in with a kangaroo, after finding it standing in the cold waters of Lake Burley Griffin.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Passer-by David Boyd filmed the moment two men rescued the marsupial from the water, which was later on a Canberra group Facebook page.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This was my morning - only in Canberra - well done to these two guys,” Mr Boyd wrote.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">ONLY IN CANBERRA. From David Boyd 📸 <a href="https://t.co/KFc5Qmg4hw">pic.twitter.com/KFc5Qmg4hw</a></p> — Julian Abbott 💉💉 (@JulianBAbbott) <a href="https://twitter.com/JulianBAbbott/status/1440097357614379008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the clip, the nervous roo allows the men to carry it out of the water and back onto land.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Then, the kangaroo offered its paw to ‘thank’ its rescuers for their help.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Aw, he’s thanking ya,” Mr Boyd can be heard saying in the background.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844339/kangaroo.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4d2ecbbcca2040c7b5d0eaf2b665c856" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: David Boyd / Facebook</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The video, which has been viewed over 400,000 times, received a flood of comments from concerned viewers wondering whether the animal was okay.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Boyd confirmed that the kangaroo “came good”, while another onlooker revealed that the animal ended up back in the lake again, prompting a second rescue.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844341/242490125_10157139604002185_4809991376119986184_n.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/8f7f9c7559234f6dae9aa044af038177" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Penelope Twemlow / Facebook</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The kangaroo ended up back in the lake so a second group of people rescued it again (twice over), only to see it deliberately jump back in the lake so we ended up calling the rangers,” Penelope Twemlow wrote.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: David Boyd / Facebook</span></em></p>

Domestic Travel

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From the Red Centre to the green tropics, Australia’s Outback presents a palette like no other

<p><strong>By Reader's Digest, in partnership with APT</strong></p> <p>From the sunburnt sands and ochre-hued escarpments of its Red Centre to the lush green rainforests of Tropical North Queensland, Australia’s Outback packs a punch when it comes to the kaleidoscope of colours on show. <a href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/?utm_source=readersdigest&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_content=20200302_outback2020_readersdigest_native&amp;utm_campaign=outback2020">APT</a> has been operating tours in the Outback for more than 50 years, and are experts in tailoring holidays to showcase the best of each magical region.</p> <p><strong>A world of rainforest and reef</strong></p> <p>In Cape Tribulation, rainforest-clad mountains tumble down to meet the coastline, where pure white sands and turquoise waters dazzle. This is the only place on Earth where two World Heritage-listed sites meet – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. The Daintree is the oldest tropical lowland forest in the world and is home to thousands of species of birds, animals and reptiles. Here, giant fan palms, emerald green vines and ancient ferns tangle together, forming a dense rainforest that makes you feel as though you are stepping into Jurassic Park.</p> <p><em style="font-weight: inherit;">On tour</em></p> <p>APT offers an 11-day 4WD adventure through Cooktown &amp; Cape York. Arrive in Cairns and transfer to Port Douglas, where you’ll spend a night at the luxurious Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort. Travel to Mossman Gorge in Daintree National Park and set off on a Dreamtime Gorge Walk. Explore Cape Tribulation and Cooktown then visit Split Rock, an intriguing Indigenous rock art site. Take a helicopter flight into the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve before continuing north to the tip of Cape York. Here, set out on a walk to the tip of the peninsula and enjoy a helicopter flight for an aerial perspective on this incredible landscape.</p> <p><strong style="font-style: inherit;">Be moved by the outback’s heart</strong></p> <p>As the light shifts and changes throughout the day, so does the landscape at Uluru – the Outback’s spiritual heart. At sunrise, feel an overwhelming sense of calm as you watch this mighty monolith come to life against a pastel-coloured sky. In the afternoon, Uluru appears as an ochre-brown hue, scored with dark shadows. As the sun begins to set, it bathes the rock in burnt orange, then a series of deeper and darker reds, before it finally fades into charcoal as night falls. Spend a night at the Field of Light and savour dinner under the stars, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the didgeridoo. With Uluru in the background, watch in awe as 50,000 soft lights cover the desert floor behind you.</p> <p><em style="font-weight: inherit;">On tour</em></p> <p>On APT’s 11-day Central to South Explorer tour, start your journey in Uluru, where you’ll embark on a base tour at sunrise and experience a night at the Field of Light. Learn about the history of opal mining in Coober Pedy then travel along the iconic Oodnadatta Track to WIlliam Creek. Take an included scenic flight over spectacular Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre before journeying to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. While here, spend two nights at the Ikara Safari Camp – the perfect base for exploring Wilpena Pound National Park. A winery lunch in Adelaide’s Clare Valley is the perfect ending to your journey.</p> <p><strong style="font-style: inherit;">Getting your fill of Lake Eyre</strong></p> <p>Few sights in Australia stir the soul more than that of the normally dry Lake Eyre filling with water and suddenly teeming with life. The lake, properly known as Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, relies on monumental rains in Queensland and the Northern Territory for water to begin to flow into it. Last year saw the lake reach levels unseen for almost half a century, and it is hoped that 2020’s northern monsoon season will see the region once again alive with fish surging through the rivers that feed Lake Eyre, and its surface thronged with an array of birdlife including hundreds of thousands of pelicans. In a land battling drought and bushfires, the vision of water shimmering on the surface of the lake is life affirming. And it is something to be treasured and celebrated, so take this rare chance to go with the flow.</p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.413612565445px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843793/red-centre-2-um.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/1ef8aa559b194a00b0a26c2255414afe" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Paradise found amid corals and blooms</strong></p> <p>Stretching over 1,100 kilometres of seemingly untouched coastline, Western Australia’s Coral Coast is a marine paradise like no other. Here, waves lap lazily on pristine white-sand beaches and turtles sweep through sheltered turquoise bays.</p> <p>The crystal-clear waters of Ningaloo Marine Park harbour the world’s largest fringing reef. Beneath the surface, you’ll find dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, and more than 500 species of fish. There’s more to discover on land, where colourful blankets of native wildflowers burst into bloom between August and September along the spectacular Wildflower Way. For a whole new perspective on the region, take to the skies on a helicopter flight over the Dampier Archipelago. The staggering contrast between brilliant white beaches, aquamarine waters, and the rugged red Pilbara landscape is a breathtaking sight – one that can only be experienced from the air.</p> <p><em style="font-weight: inherit;">On tour</em></p> <p>Board the MS Caledonian Sky in Broome and navigate the remote islands of Western Australia’s Coral Coast on a 15-day small ship expedition cruise and 4WD adventure. Discover life below the surface while snorkelling the clear waters of this marine paradise. Disembark in Geraldton and continue the adventure as you explore Kalbarri National Park and the eerie limestone Pinnacles. To finish up your journey, there’s a stay in a luxury eco-tent on the beautiful Rottnest Island.</p> <p style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><em style="font-weight: inherit;">This </em><em>article originally appeared on <a href="mailto:https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/from-the-red-centre-to-the-green-tropics-australias-outback-presents-a-palette-like-no-other">Reader's Digest.</a></em></p> <p><em>Photos: Reader’s Digest</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Polluted lakes turn pink, frustrating local residents

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though many tourist spots boast being unusually coloured, Argentina’s pink lakes won’t be widely advertised.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several lakes outside the city of Trelew have suddenly turned bubblegum pink, concerning locals and prompting authorities to search for an explanation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Since then, the authorities have uncovered a truck which has been disposing waste from nearby fish factories in the region’s network of lagoons.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Environmental and virologist Federico Resrepo told AFP that the colour change was due to sodium sulfate in the fish waste, which is an antibacterial agent used to preserve prawns for export.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Juan Micheloud, the environmental control chief of the area, told AFP: “The reddish colour does not cause damage and will disappear in a few days.”</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Experts say pollution from a chemical used to preserve prawns for export purposes may have changed this Argentinian lagoon's color to bright pink. <a href="https://t.co/doGMeE9U6d">pic.twitter.com/doGMeE9U6d</a></p> — DW News (@dwnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/dwnews/status/1419773772727341059?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Residents have complained about the pollution, which has also caused foul odours to spread. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In protest of the pollution, residents of the neighbouring town of Rawson blocked the roads to prevent trucks transporting fish waste from leaving the factory.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We get dozens of trucks daily, the residents are getting tired of it,” environmental activist Pablo Lada told AFP.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Those who should be in control are the ones who authorise the poisoning of people.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the factories generating thousands of jobs within the province, tension has been growing between frustrated locals and the area’s reliance on the factories economically.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Fish processing generates work … it’s true,” Lada said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But these are multi-million-dollar profit companies that don’t want to pay freight to take the waste to a treatment plant that already exists in Puerto Madryn, 35 miles away, or build a plant closer.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The lagoon, which covers an area between 10 to 15 hectares, is not used for recreation, and is located within the Industrial Park of Trelew.</span></p>

International Travel

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Lung cancer diagnosis on the rise in non-smokers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With lung cancer coming in as the fifth most common type of cancer diagnosed in Australia, but ranking as the leading cause of cancer death, experts are calling for more research to help identify it in its early stages and determine risk factors in non-smokers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An example of a person with lung cancer, despite having never smoked, is US comedian Kathy Griffin who recently revealed she has been diagnosed with the cancer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Because the cancer was caught early and is confined to her left lung, the 60-year-old comedian will undergo surgery to remove half of her left lung.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following her surgery, Griffin is on the mend and keeping fans up-to-date with her recovery.</span></p> <blockquote 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);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSSWpL7hcRz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <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> <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;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CSSWpL7hcRz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Griffin isn’t alone either, with a growing number of people receiving a lung cancer diagnosis without ever smoking.</span></p> <p><strong>Not just a “smoker’s disease”</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though smoking is one of the largest risk factors for lung cancer, the proportion of those diagnosed with the disease who are “never-smokers” is increasing.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the Cancer Council NSW, about 35 percent of Australian women and 15 percent of men who have been diagnosed with the condition were life-long non-smokers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This increase in the condition has been seen in other countries with a </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28132018/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">2017 study</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of lung cancer patients in US hospitals finding the percentage of never-smokers increased from eight percent in 1990 to 1995, to 14.9 percent from 2011 to 2013.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Surgeon Andrew Kaufman, whose program for never-smokers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York has treated 3,800 patients in 10 years, said: “Since the early 2000s, we have seen what I think is truly an epidemiological shift in lung cancer.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It is well-documented that approximately 20 percent of lung cancer cases that occur in women in the US and nine percent of cases in men, are diagnosed in never-smokers,” he confirmed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the reasons why more people are being diagnosed without smoking is not well known.</span></p> <p><strong>More research is needed</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dr Marianne Weber, a senior research fellow at the Daffodil Centre, is overseeing a new study to identify potential risk factors for those who don’t smoke.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">By poring over two large population studies in Australia and China, the researchers are looking to link lung cancer to factors such as diet, lifestyle, and household air pollution.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“If we can highlight a risk profile for someone who might go on to develop lung cancer when they’re a non-smoker, that would be ideal,” Dr Weber said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">So far, cancer doctors have found one group of people who are more at risk: women.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Worldwide, half of female lung cancer patients have never smoked, while only 15 percent of male lung cancer patients are never-smokers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Josephine Feliciano, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said that, beyond sex, “nothing stands out as a single large risk factor” for lung cancer in non-smokers.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But air pollution, radon, family history of lung cancer, [and] genetic predispositions [all play a role],” Feliciano said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, chronic lung infections and lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) seems to increase the risk of diagnosis.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Of all the patients that present with the disease, the current survival rate is only about 17 percent,” said Dr Stirling, a senior respiratory specialist at The Alfred Hospital and leader of the Victorian Lung Cancer Registry.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For patients with stage four disease the median survival, so that’s the time at which 50 percent of patients will succumb to the disease, is somewhere between seven and 12 months.”</span></p>

Body

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10-year-old boy dies a hero after rescuing little sister

<p>A 10-year-old boy has died a hero after he tragically jumped into a river to save his little sister after she fell in.</p> <p>Little Ricky Lee Sneve was with his father and siblings at Big Sioux River in Hudson, South Dakota on Saturday when his little sister Chevelle fell into the water.</p> <p>Nicole Eufers, Ricky’s mother, explained that a number of siblings had fallen in and while his father jumped in to get two of them while Ricky went for his sister.</p> <p>Ricky was able to push Chevelle back to the shore, but when his father Chad Sneve turned around, he was missing.</p> <p>"He saved his sister's life and took his own," Ms Eufers told the Argus Leader.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841808/ricky-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0e6d3b6df73842e7a0d43da4d2748f33" /></p> <p>Ricky's disappearance led to a large-scale rescue operation.</p> <p>However, only a few hours later, the sheriff's office confirmed they had found the body of the 10-year-old.</p> <p>"We unfortunately have a tragic update to the situation in Hudson," the release said.</p> <p>"The dive team recovered the body of the 10-year-old boy. We ask that you please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.</p> <p>"Our sympathies are with the family and the first responders who assisted in the recovery."</p> <p>A GoFundMe has been set up by Ms Eufers' brother after Ricky's death.</p> <p>"Ricky Lee was a very intelligent and smart young boy who loved his family and was an adventurous little guy," Ricky's uncle Ricky Eufers wrote.</p> <p>"He’d do anything to help his mom or anyone at that, without ever being asked. Ricky gave his life trying to do what he knew was best.</p> <p>"Please help my sister Nicole have some relief in these absolutely difficult times. All donations will be sent to her relief."</p>

Family & Pets

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"This can't be happening": Groom drops wedding ring in worst possible place

<p><span>Andrew and Marlene Kent’s nuptials did not go as planned after their wedding ring fumbled into Lake Tahoe, USA.</span><br /><br /><span>What should have been a scenic ceremony turned into horror after the groom accidentally dropped his wife’s ring through a gap in the pier on Sugar Pine Beach.</span><br /><br /><span>"Honestly, I thought, this can't be happening. Like that didn't just happen," Marlee said.</span><br /><br /><span>Andrew added, "Like what are the chances?"</span></p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840437/wedding.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d811ed3b77564828a75f02f5601881df" /><br /><br /><span>The couple in love were soon on their knees searching for their ring in the clear Tahoe water.</span><br /><br /><span>"My first thought was like how deep is it, how cold is it?" Andrew said.</span><br /><br /><span>The couple quickly turned to a Tahoe scuba diving Facebook group after a pastor convinced the pair not to jump for it.</span><br /><br /><span>Outdoor adventurer Phill Abernathy answered the call, saying: "The water was 41 degrees [farenheit; roughly 5°C], dry suit was needed.”</span><br /><br /><span>He went on to say: "We start to move some of the little rocks out of the way and obviously as we start to move them some silt starts to form.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840436/wedding-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3c1ca7da11bd43c7a5fe8cd7de42a665" /><br /><br /><span>Phill eventually found the ring tucked away in some rocks and revealed that he even had to fight off a crawdad to get it.</span><br /><br /><span>"I'm so thankful to have my ring back but either way it's a great story to tell our kids one day," Marlee said.</span></p> <p><em>Image: Youtube</em></p>

Relationships

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Mother who killed her children by driving in lake has sentenced reduced

<p>A mother who killed three of her children by deliberately driving into a lake at Wyndham Vale has had her original jail sentence reduced after a complicated legal saga.</p> <p>Akon Goude killed her four-year-old twins, her 16-month-old son and almost killed her fourth child when she drove an SUV into a Wyndham Vale lake in 2015.</p> <p>Guode won an appeal after she disagreed with her 26-year prison sentence.</p> <p>"The Court of Appeal accepted that objectively Ms Guode's offending was 'about as heinous a crime as one could reasonably contemplate,'" the Summary of Judgment read.</p> <p>"At the time Ms Guode committed the offences, she had a major depressive disorder consequent upon her giving birth to her youngest child and her life was in turmoil.</p> <p>"Moreover, as the sentencing judge observed, Ms Guode had had an extraordinarily difficult life, having watched her husband being murdered in South Sudan before she herself was raped until she was unconscious.</p> <p>"Ms Guode's mental functioning was impaired by her major depressive disorder to a point where her capacity to exercise appropriate judgment, and her capacity to think clearly and make calm and rational choices, and to appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct at the time, was impaired.</p> <p>"In all the circumstances, she was entitled to some mercy in the sentence imposed."</p> <p>Goude is now set to serve 18 years in prison.</p> <p>She can apply for parole in 14 years and will most likely be deported after her release.</p>

Legal

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From the Red Centre to the green tropics, Australia’s Outback presents a palette like no other

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">From the sunburnt sands and ochre-hued escarpments of its Red Centre to the lush green rainforests of Tropical North Queensland, Australia’s Outback packs a punch when it comes to the kaleidoscope of colours on show. </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/?utm_source=over60s&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_content=20200302_outback2020_over60s_native&amp;utm_campaign=outback2020" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">APT</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been operating tours in the Outback for more than 50 years, and are experts in tailoring holidays to showcase the best of each magical region.</span></p> <p><strong>A world of rainforest and reef</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In Cape Tribulation, rainforest-clad mountains tumble down to meet the coastline, where pure white sands and turquoise waters dazzle. This is the only place on Earth where two World Heritage-listed sites meet – the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. The Daintree is the oldest tropical lowland forest in the world and is home to thousands of species of birds, animals and reptiles. Here, giant fan palms, emerald green vines and ancient ferns tangle together, forming a dense rainforest that makes you feel as though you are stepping into Jurassic Park.</span></p> <p><em>On tour</em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">APT offers an 11-day 4WD adventure through Cooktown &amp; Cape York. Arrive in Cairns and transfer to Port Douglas, where you’ll spend a night at the luxurious Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort. Travel to Mossman Gorge in Daintree National Park and set off on a Dreamtime Gorge Walk. Explore Cape Tribulation and Cooktown then visit Split Rock, an intriguing Indigenous rock art site. Take a helicopter flight into the Steve Irwin Wildlife Reserve before continuing north to the tip of Cape York. Here, set out on a walk to the tip of the peninsula and enjoy a helicopter flight for an aerial perspective on this incredible landscape. </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/trips/australia/qld/gocy11?utm_source=over60s&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_content=20200302_outback2020_over60s_native_gocy11&amp;utm_campaign=outback2020" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take me there.</span></a></p> <p><strong>Be moved by the outback's heart</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the light shifts and changes throughout the day, so does the landscape at Uluru – the Outback’s spiritual heart. At sunrise, feel an overwhelming sense of calm as you watch this mighty monolith come to life against a pastel-coloured sky. In the afternoon, Uluru appears as an ochre-brown hue, scored with dark shadows. As the sun begins to set, it bathes the rock in burnt orange, then a series of deeper and darker reds, before it finally fades into charcoal as night falls. Spend a night at the Field of Light and savour dinner under the stars, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the didgeridoo. With Uluru in the background, watch in awe as 50,000 soft lights cover the desert floor behind you.</span></p> <p><em>On tour</em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On APT’s 11-day Central to South Explorer tour, start your journey in Uluru, where you’ll embark on a base tour at sunrise and experience a night at the Field of Light. Learn about the history of opal mining in Coober Pedy then travel along the iconic Oodnadatta Track to WIlliam Creek. Take an included scenic flight over spectacular Kati Thanda–Lake Eyre before journeying to Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park. While here, spend two nights at the Ikara Safari Camp – the perfect base for exploring Wilpena Pound National Park. A winery lunch in Adelaide’s Clare Valley is the perfect ending to your journey. </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/trips/australia/nt/gosa11?utm_source=over60s&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_content=20200302_outback2020_over60s_native_gosa11&amp;utm_campaign=outback2020" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take me there.</span></a></p> <p><strong>Getting your fill of Lake Eyre</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Few sights in Australia stir the soul more than that of the normally dry Lake Eyre filling with water and suddenly teeming with life. The lake, properly known as Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, relies on monumental rains in Queensland and the Northern Territory for water to begin to flow into it. Last year saw the lake reach levels unseen for almost half a century, and it is hoped that 2020’s northern monsoon season will see the region once again alive with fish surging through the rivers that feed Lake Eyre, and its surface thronged with an array of birdlife including hundreds of thousands of pelicans. In a land battling drought and bushfires, the vision of water shimmering on the surface of the lake is life affirming. And it is something to be treasured and celebrated, so take this rare chance to go with the flow. </span></p> <p><strong><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7834872/travel-marvel-lake-eyre.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/dae070e4b00d4b49ba34857d1b37ffb2" /></strong></p> <p><strong>Paradise found amid corals and blooms</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stretching over 1,100 kilometres of seemingly untouched coastline, Western Australia’s Coral Coast is a marine paradise like no other. Here, waves lap lazily on pristine white-sand beaches and turtles sweep through sheltered turquoise bays.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The crystal-clear waters of Ningaloo Marine Park harbour the world’s largest fringing reef. Beneath the surface, you’ll find dolphins, dugongs, manta rays, and more than 500 species of fish. There’s more to discover on land, where colourful blankets of native wildflowers burst into bloom between August and September along the spectacular Wildflower Way. For a whole new perspective on the region, take to the skies on a helicopter flight over the Dampier Archipelago. The staggering contrast between brilliant white beaches, aquamarine waters, and the rugged red Pilbara landscape is a breathtaking sight – one that can only be experienced from the air.</span></p> <p><em>On tour</em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Board the MS Caledonian Sky in Broome and navigate the remote islands of Western Australia’s Coral Coast on a 15-day small ship expedition cruise and 4WD adventure. Discover life below the surface while snorkelling the clear waters of this marine paradise. Disembark in Geraldton and continue the adventure as you explore Kalbarri National Park and the eerie limestone Pinnacles. To finish up your journey, there’s a stay in a luxury eco-tent on the beautiful Rottnest Island. </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/trips/australia/wa/gkccb15?utm_source=over60s&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_content=20200302_kimberleycruise2020_over60s_native_gkccb15&amp;utm_campaign=kimberleycruise2020" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Take me there.</span></a></p> <p><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.aptouring.com.au/destinations/australia/kimberley-outback?utm_source=over60s&amp;utm_medium=advertorial&amp;utm_content=20200302_outback2020_over60s_native_cta&amp;utm_campaign=outback2020" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Find out more about APT’s Kimberley &amp; Outback Wilderness Adventures.</span></a></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">This is a sponsored article in partnership with APT.</span></em></p>

Domestic Travel

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