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Nine-year-old Aussie ballet prodigy scores full New York scholarship

A talented nine-year-old is heading to New York City, after scoring a full scholarship to a prestigious ballet school. Malcolm Doyle's dad Nick said he and his wife knew their son had a talent for dance from a young age, and could not be more proud of the international attention his dancing has garnered. "He's been doing really well here in Australia and since last year, there's been a bit of a focus from overseas," Nick told <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/aussie-billy-elliot-nine-year-old-ballet-prodigy-scores-scholarship-to-prestigious-new-york-academy/4e3fdf08-3fb7-41a4-89df-eb6ee4b58095" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Today</a>. "He got brought in to do an audition for Chicago's A and A Ballet, who were doing a world broadcast for auditions and from there, we just started to get a bit of interest." "And then this year, we let him do the auditions for the Royal Ballet and he ended up in Hong Kong over Easter." From there, Nick said the American Ballet Theatre in New York got in contact and offered Malcolm a scholarship. Malcolm ultimately turned down the offer and signed with another NYC school, the Ellison Theatre, who offered the youngster a full ride. The family are currently saving up to buy flights over to the US to check out the school, with Nick saying they will do anything and everything to support their son's dream. "It's taking quite a bit of the funds out of my bank account, but the love he's got for dancing, you can't stop him and even if we wanted to, I mean we get home after he's had a full day of dance and he's still dancing around the house," Nick said. Malcolm's dad has a performing arts background and his mum is also a classically trained ballerina and teacher, so Nick said Malcolm was either going to inherit the genes or "end up having three left feet". "He went and saw a production by the Queensland Ballet on the weekend, which he had never seen before and he walked out with half the choreography memorised in his head and trying to reproduce it.," Nick said. After being dubbed "Australia's own Billy Elliot", the Today hosts asked Malcom what it is he loves so much about dancing. "It makes me feel really excited and it's so amazing for me, the feeling I get when I dance," Malcolm said. Image credits: Today

Music

How niggling hip pain led a squash coach to life-saving cancer diagnosis

Melbourne squash coach and player Malcolm McClarty had been experiencing frequent pain in his right hip area for about 12 months before he mentioned it to one of his clients, a top medical oncologist, in October last year. The 63-year-old father-of-three coaches Professor Niall Tebbutt at the Kooyong Lawn and Tennis Club in Melbourne. Despite having lost his younger sister to pancreatic cancer just months earlier, Malcolm had been brushing off the pain, thinking it was a niggling sporting injury. Now Malcolm credits Niall, who ordered a prostate-specific antigen test (PSA), with saving his life. Malcolm also coaches Weranja Ranasinghe, a urologist with the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ), who has been his ‘unofficial second opinion’ throughout the journey. Associate Professor Ranasinghe says Malcolm’s diagnosis comes as the newly-released Lancet Commission on Prostate Cancer predicts cases worldwide will double from 1.4 million to 2.9 million by 2040. The USANZ says although the findings are alarming, Australia is well-placed to manage the spike thanks to availability of advanced diagnostic tools, improvements in treatments and quality control registries, but it needs to be coupled with more awareness. “Australia is better placed than many other nations to deal with a sharp spike in prostate cancer cases, but the urgent review of guidelines can’t come soon enough,” says Associate Professor Ranasinghe. “Prostate cancer is not commonly understood or spoken about, particularly amongst high-risk younger men, leaving too many in the dark about their cancer risk and that can be deadly,” he added. “Prostate cancer is already a major cause of death and disability, and the most common form of male cancer in more than 100 countries,” says Associate Professor Ranasinghe. “It’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia with over 25,000 new cases every year, and more than 11 deaths a day.” Malcolm was devastated to learn his cancer was aggressive Stage Four and had spread to three spots in the pelvic bone. He also experienced other symptoms including frequent and weak-flow urinating at night. He will begin radiotherapy, with chemotherapy on the cards as well. But his attitude is positive; he’s hoping to live for another six to 10 years. Malcolm’s message for other men is simple: if you’re 50 or older, get tested for prostate cancer now. He warns waiting can lead to complex and limited treatment options. Five Risk Factors For Prostate Cancer 1. Age - the chance of developing prostate cancer increases with age. 2. Family history - if you have a first-degree male relative who developed prostate cancer, like a brother or father, your risk is higher than someone without such family history. 3. Genetics - while prostate cancer can’t be inherited, a man can inherit certain genes that increase the risk. 4. Diet - some evidence suggests that a diet high in processed meat, or foods high in fat can increase the risk of developing prostate cancer. 5. Lifestyle - environment and lifestyle can also impact your risk, e.g. a sedentary lifestyle or being exposed to chemicals. For more information, visit <a href="https://www.usanz.org.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.usanz.org.au/</a>

Caring

Karl Stefanovic discusses acting debut alongside Sean Penn

They say "go big or go home," and Karl Stefanovic wasted no time in going big, boldly venturing into acting alongside Hollywood legend Sean Penn in Stan's latest original series, C*A*U*G*H*T . In an interview with 9Entertainment the on the blue carpet premiere at the Sydney Opera House, the Today show host shared how he landed the role, and what it was like to film with a legend. "I'm in it!" he boasted. "It's amazing, when Kick [creator, producer, director and star] asked me to come on I thought it was a joke – that's how crazy it is. "It was so fun to see his vision brought to life and be part of that process." Stefanovic also shared how his first day of acting went. "I was in my first scene, and Sean Penn walked out and stood right next to the camera. Sean Penn, my first acting scene ever," he gushed. "I actually stopped during my line, and I just said, 'Oh my God... Sean Penn!'" Stefanovic laughed as he recalled how the Hollywood legend looked at him, shook his head and jokingly walked away. The series itself is directed and produced by Australian writer Kick Gurry, who is known for his role as Griff in Edge of Tomorrow. The show is a comedy about four Australian soldiers who get mistaken for Americans in a war-town country and are captured by freedom fighters. The freedom fighters then made a hostage video, which goes viral, and the soldiers rise up to fame. The show features a star-studded cast including Matthew Fox, Susan Sarandon, Bryan Brown and more. Images: Getty/ Mike Marsland/WireImage

Terminally ill teacher convicted of child abuse granted end-of-life permit

A convicted child abuser from Adelaide, who was imprisoned for his acts of paedophilia against students during his tenure as a music teacher, has been authorised to pursue assisted dying, according to an exclusive report by <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/exclusive-adelaide-news-jailed-paedophile-teacher-malcolm-day-given-end-of-life-permit-voluntary-assisted-dying/cab7e95c-f3b1-4dbd-ae0d-cc8dbfee22c0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a>. Malcolm Day, aged 81, has emerged as the first incarcerated individual in Australia to receive approval for voluntary assisted dying following a terminal illness diagnosis, reportedly linked to cancer. Having received a 20-year prison sentence last June, Day's remaining term spans 17 years. Navigating the 11-step process required for accessing voluntary assisted dying in South Australia, Day's application is reported to be in its concluding stages, potentially reaching completion within the next few days. Dr Philip Nitschke, the director of the pro-euthanasia organisation Exit International, acknowledged that an incarcerated individual availing themselves of this scheme was an inevitable eventuality. "By the sounds of it, he satisfies all the conditions of the South Australian assisted dying legislation," Dr Nitschke told 9News. "So there should be no impediment… he should be given the option that any other person would have if they were terminally ill." During the 1980s, Day, while serving as a music teacher in South Australia, inflicted profound and lasting harm upon two of his students. After grooming and exploiting his victims, he vehemently refuted all allegations when investigated by educational authorities. When Day was sentenced, his legal representative, Stephen Ey, acknowledged the real possibility of his client passing away behind bars, saying at the time that it was "a real prospect... given his age." According to the latest data from SA Health, since the initiation of voluntary assisted dying in January of this year, 39 terminally ill residents of South Australia have opted to peacefully conclude their lives after being granted the necessary permits. Image: Nine News

Legal

Anti-vegan chef launches clothing line against activist

Chef John Mountain has taken his feud with vegan activist Tash Peterson to the next level by unveiling a clothing line that names and shames her and her animal rights beliefs. The Perth chef, who has taken legal action against Ms Peterson after the pair tussled during protests at his restaurant Fyre, showed off the provocative range of tank-tops, t-shirts and hoodies on his new merchandise website. The merch page, which was launched on Saturday, promises customers will love the clothing “hopefully more than Tash loves chef”. It is now selling clothing that carries the restaurant's branding and slogans such as “Pleased to meat stew”, “no animals were harmed in the making of this shirt” and “all they have done is added fuel to the Fyre”. One t-shirt design features a half-star Google-style review graphic with the words: “Absolutely f***ing chaotic Tash Peterson”, which makes fun of Ms Peterson's description of a protest and the flood of Fyre reviews posted by vegans. Another design asks. “What's the difference between a vegan and a heroin addict? The vegan keeps it to themselves.” The clothing line comes after John Mountain announced all vegans would be banned from his restaurant due to “mental health reasons”. Mountain and Peterson have clashed several times at the Perth eatery, with Peterson’s latest demonstration resulting in legal action being taken against the staunch vegan and animal rights activist. After Peterson <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/furious-chef-lets-loose-after-clash-with-vegan-protestors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stormed</a> his booked-out restaurant with other activists in tow, they stood outside with a megaphone, while shouting and playing sounds of squealing pigs, moments before the altercation was caught on camera. Mountain and Peterson came to physical blows as he wrestled them out of the restaurant, as he defended his choice to retaliate against the protestors, saying he chose to stand up to the bullies to "protect my business". "Bullies come in all different shapes and sizes and these lot just happen to be the vegans." Image credits: A Current Affair / Fyre

Legal

Fran Drescher calls for an end to “bull***t” vaccine mandates

Fran Drescher has divided audiences after using her platform to go on a tirade about bringing an end to “bull***t” vaccine mandates. The former star of The Nanny took to the stage at the 2023 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Sunday, and used the opportunity to voice her controversial opinions about Covid-19 restrictions. “As the nation declares an end to the Covid emergency this May, I hope we will see everyone return to work in equal opportunity,” Drescher, 65, said in her speech during the telecast, <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/02/27/fran-drescher-calls-for-end-to-vaccine-mandate-in-sag-speech/?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_medium=SocialFlow&utm_source=NYPTwitter">Page Six</a> reports. The entertainment industry’s pandemic protocols were originally set to end on January 31st, but have been extended until April 1st. Meanwhile, more than 20 US states still enforce vaccine mandates to varying degrees. “Our industry brings billions of production dollars to states across the nation, but if they want our business, let’s wield our financial influence to make governors act in the best interest of freedom, diversity, inclusion and democracy,” Drescher said. “As my character Bobbi Flekman said in This Is Spinal Tap – money talks and bulls**t walks!” Her divisive comments were met with a mixed reaction online, with many viewers claiming it was “irresponsible” for Drescher to use her platform in such a way. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Fran Drescher’s comments on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CovidVaccine?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CovidVaccine</a> were irresponsible. Using her logic, people wouldn’t be universally vaccinated against diseases like measles and tetanus. Public health is PUBLIC because it takes collective work. — 🇺🇦мег 🇺🇦 (@sassybibrarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/sassybibrarian/status/1630038810095648768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> God I love Fran Drescher, but her speech at the SAG awards could have been an email. — Francis (@Fusterduster) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fusterduster/status/1630022506668249088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Woody Harrelson and now Fran Drescher. Big weekend for anti-vaxxers. — 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 ⁽ʷʰᵒ ⁱˢ ᵍᵃʸ⁾ (@cinema_gay) <a href="https://twitter.com/cinema_gay/status/1630021950293655554?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2023</a></blockquote> Elsewhere in her speech, Drescher also discussed her efforts to help make Hollywood more environmentally friendly by joining with Green Council with a goal to eliminate single-use plastic both on camera and behind the scenes. She also applauded IMDb for “taking a stand against ageism, stereotyping and gender rigidity by allowing our members to define themselves their way on their profile page – for free.” Image credits: Getty Images

Body

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at 40 – a deep meditation on loneliness, and Spielberg’s most exhilarating film

40 years ago this month saw the release of Steven Spielberg’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial</a> – a film about a stranded alien, the boy called Elliott who discovers it and a bond of friendship that remains as magical and heartbreaking as it did back in 1982. We think of Spielberg movies today as thrilling roller-coaster rides, full of sharks, dinosaurs and swashbuckling archaeologists. Yet for me, E.T. remains Spielberg’s most exhilarating work: a deep meditation on loneliness, friendship and growing up in small-town America. Aided by John Williams’s Oscar-winning score and Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore’s touching performances, E.T. feels both of its time and for all time. As Spielberg <a href="https://www.contactmusic.com/pages/et2x21x03x02" target="_blank" rel="noopener">once said</a>: I think that E.T. is for the people we are, the people we have been and the people we want to be again. <h2>A child in need of a friend</h2> After the breathless trio of Jaws (1975), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) and Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Spielberg wanted to make a more intimate film about his isolated childhood in suburban Arizona <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/steven-spielberg-et-divorce-parents-anniversary-b2063879.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as he came to terms</a> with the divorce of his parents. At the same time, he had commissioned a script about a suburban family terrorised by a group of aliens with one befriending the family’s son. The DNA of both stories would make their way into this film. Like Spielberg, Elliott is a loner. He’s not playing sport, or going out with girls or getting into trouble. He is introverted and thoughtful. And in need of company. One of Spielberg’s great underrated talents is his direction of children. Many of his films feature young children at their centre – think The BFG (2016), A.I. (2001) and War Horse (2011). In E.T., Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore as brother and sister Elliott and Gertie bring credibility and pathos to their roles, fitting seamlessly into the southern Californian ‘burb culture recreated so fondly by the director. Spielberg’s grasp of childlike wonder is everywhere: notice how he shoots from the children’s eye level and shows adults only from the waist down. For the first time in his career, Spielberg rejected storyboards and <a href="https://ascmag.com/articles/spielberg-et-the-extraterrestrial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot scenes chronologically</a>, allowing Thomas and Barrymore time and space to improvise. The domestic and school scenes (hiding E.T. from the mother, tempting it into the house with Reese’s Pieces, freeing frogs destined for dissection) all feel more real because of this. <h2>And what of our alien?</h2> Before E.T., Hollywood saw aliens as hostile critters intent on planetary carnage. The recent extra-terrestrials in Alien (1979) and The Thing (1982) had caused havoc and trauma. E.T. is different: partly modelled on the facial features of Albert Einstein, it is inquisitive, thoughtful, funny. In the delightful Halloween scene, Elliott throws a white sheet over it as a disguise, and E.T. suddenly spots a child dressed up as Yoda, excitedly repeating “Home! Home!”. From this moment, Hollywood realised the marketing potential of “cute aliens”; whether Ewoks, Grogu or Toy Story’s “Little Green Men”. It is small wonder that Variety <a href="https://variety.com/1982/film/reviews/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-1200425287/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> E.T. as the “best Disney film Disney never made”. The alien plays another role too: it fills the void of the absent father. Paternal lack and the strains it places on families is a familiar trope in Spielberg’s films, from Jurassic Park (1993) to Catch Me If You Can (2002) to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). All we know is that Elliott’s father is “in Mexico, with Sally”: left behind is a stressed mother and bickering siblings. Some contend that E.T. is a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4239568?seq=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">modern-day fairy tale</a> or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/15/movies/l-film-mailbag-is-et-a-religious-parable-073792.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a Christian parable</a>. For others, it is an illustration of “<a href="https://edoc.hu-berlin.de/bitstream/handle/18452/23096/9783631837801%20%E2%80%93%20Echoes%20of%20Reaganism%20in%20Hollywood%20Blockbuster%20Movies%20from%20the%201980s%20to%20the%202010s.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reaganite entertainment</a>”, upholding the sanctity of the nuclear family but distrustful of bureaucratic interference and governmental surveillance. <h2>Spielberg at his best</h2> E.T. earned US$800 million at the box office. Adjusted for inflation, four decades on, that is still the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films_in_the_United_States_and_Canada#Adjusted_for_ticket-price_inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fourth highest grossing</a> movie ever. For some naysayers, its success was further evidence of the special effects-laden, high-concept spectacle film that was beginning to reign in mainstream film culture. But I think E.T. is much more than that: it is a movie with a heart. The special effects are minimal. What counts is the story, and the boy and his friend. Spielberg’s films are to this day <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2011/12/critics-notebook-putting-steven-spielberg-on-trial-50244/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticised</a> as mawkish and overly sentimental, deliberately engineered to cynically manipulate our emotions. Not so in E.T.: the pleasure is genuine and the tears are earned. E.T. became a pop culture phenomenon. The shot of Elliott and E.T. on a bike, flying across the moon, remains an iconic image. “Phone home” has become part of our lexicon. Its message of peaceful coexistence between creatures from different worlds today seems more appropriate than ever. Aliens stranded on earth are a staple of contemporary cinema, from Under the Skin (2013) to The Iron Giant (1999). And Netflix’s current global hit Stranger Things contains a treasure trove of E.T.’s visual references. Spielberg may have made bigger, louder films, and more historically profound ones, but E.T. endures as his best. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/e-t-the-extra-terrestrial-at-40-a-deep-meditation-on-loneliness-and-spielbergs-most-exhilarating-film-183985" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Shutterstock

Movies

Malcolm Turnbull lashes out against Liberal party's infighting

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has claimed the Liberal Party has encouraged voters to vote for independents in the upcoming federal election, arguing they can use their votes to spark change where members of the party cannot. Mr Turnbull spoke at the Washington Harvard Club at 8am (AEST) this morning, where he encouraged Australians to use “direct, democratic action” by voting for independents. “In many respects this may be the most interesting part of the whole election, because if more of these ‘teal’ independents win, it will mean the capture of the Liberal Party will be thwarted by direct, democratic action from voters,” Turnbull told the club, according to an advance copy of the speech shared with <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/turnbull-encourages-voters-to-back-independents-to-thwart-liberal-factions-20220505-p5aiui.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sydney Morning Herald</a> and The Age. He concluded that “even if the members of a political party cannot escape from the thrall of the dominant faction, their traditional supporters in the electorate can do so by voting for an independent who has a real chance of success”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> “..if we love freedom, if we prefer democracy to tyranny, we will have to defend it. We have repair it when it is found wanting, we will have to make it work when it is dysfunctional, and we will have to call out those who are seeking to undermine it.” <a href="https://t.co/HdEfqfTP8x">https://t.co/HdEfqfTP8x</a> — Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) <a href="https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm/status/1522316401570103298?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2022</a></blockquote> Mr Turnbull also touched on arguments made by both political parties in the current election campaign, including the idea that voting for independents will cause instability and chaos. “But, in truth, many parliaments, including Australia, have operated with stability and good effect with major parties requiring the support of independents or minor parties to pass legislation and, in fact, in our Senate that has always been the case,” he said <a href="https://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/keynote-address-washington-harvard-club-washington-dc-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in his speech</a>. “Formal coalitions are also very common, the Liberal Party has always been in a coalition with the (rurally based) National Party, for example. “Political instability invariably comes from internal ructions within the major, governing parties, not from independents on the cross benches.” Since his resignation from parliament in 2018, Mr Turnbull has been an incisive critic of his former party. But, this speech comes as the first time he has weighed in on the federal election campaign after declining to say if he would vote for his Liberal representative last month. When asked whether he would vote for Dave Sharma, the Liberal MP running for Mr Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth, Mr Turnbull said both Mr Sharam and independent candidate Allegra Spender were “very good” options, per <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/election-2022-live-scott-morrison-and-anthony-albanese-updates/live-coverage/5c03c0932482ca5312d3387fd86d0cff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. Mr Turnbull was also expected to touch on the changes in the Liberal Party’s beliefs from being a broad collection of liberal and conservative beliefs prior to his 2018 “deposition” to the marginalisation of moderate voices currently. He hit out at both members of the “political right” in the party and claimed that Rupert Murdoch’s media supported them in opposing “effective action for many years”. Having previously backed former PM Kevin Rudd’s call for a royal commission into Murdoch’s influence on Australian politics, Mr Turnbull took time in his speech to criticise the media giant for legitimising “the type of crazy fact-free, conspiracy-laden content that used to be the preserve of social media alone”. “Australia has not been immune to this,” his speech reads. “Rupert Murdoch has the largest voice in Australia’s media. His outlets, to differing extents, have gone down the same populist partisan track as Fox News. Sky News Australia is the local Murdoch-owned subscription television service and has essentially the same model as Fox. “We are learning that merely elevating truthful content will not be enough to change our current course. We are drowning in lies.” Image: Getty Images

News

Would you wear a t-shirt that could listen to you?

Since we ditched our ancestral fur and became ‘naked’ apes some two million years ago, fabrics have been central to human life. For most of their history, developments in <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/news/wearable-tech-style/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fabric technology</a> have centred around novel fibres and increasing production capabilities. But a new era of fabric technology has begun. Motivated by the ubiquity of fabrics, and their intimate proximity to the human body, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, has taken fabric research in a mind-boggling new direction, developing fabrics that can ‘hear’ sounds. Publishing in Nature, the researchers <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04476-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describe their development</a> of a fabric yarn interwoven with an electrical, or ‘<a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/three-minute-thesis-piezoelectric-energy-harvesting-human-movements-will-power-smartphones/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">piezoelectric</a>’ fibre. The resulting fabric has ‘hearing’ capabilities, using a mechanism similar to that of the human ear: the fabric medium plays the part of the tympanic membrane, converting pressure waves at audible frequencies into mechanical vibrations, which can then be processed into electrical signals. Only a small quantity of the specialised piezoelectric fibre is needed to make fabric acoustically sensitive. A single fibre can be used to generate tens of square metres of fabric microphone, which is then capable of detecting even very weak sound signals, such as human speech. Outside of fabric research circles, the drive to develop t-shirts that can listen to you may seem baffling. But the researchers say this transformation of fabrics could have exciting and far-reaching consequences, with uses ranging from law enforcement to monitoring heart health. For example, the researchers trialled a shirt design that incorporated multiple fibres woven into different positions on the body, using the time delay between signal detection to allow the direction of incoming sounds to be pinpointed. They say that such a garment could be useful for police officers to narrow down the direction of a gunshot, or for individuals with hearing aids to listen in specific directions while removing background noise. And there are more potential uses for those with hearing difficulties. With simple modifications, the fabric can be made to broadcast audible sounds as well as detecting them, facilitating communication between deaf individuals when both are wearing the fabric. Two-way communication garments could even let us talk to each other underwater. Draped across the skin of your chest, the fabrics could also capture cardiac signals – turning your shirt into a stethoscope that could potentially monitor your heart and respiratory condition in a comfortable, continuous and long-term manner. And importantly, the fabric is still easy-care, able to withstand being chucked in the washing machine at the end of a long day of listening.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=185469&title=Would+you+wear+a+t-shirt+that+could+listen+to+you%3F" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" />  <div id="contributors"> <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/materials/fabric-technology-fabric-that-can-hear-sound/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jamie-priest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jamie Priest</a>. Jamie Priest is a science journalist at Cosmos. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from the University of Adelaide. Image: Getty Images </div>

Technology

“He’s not a cowboy, he’s an actor”: Jane Campion hits back at Sam Elliott

Director Jane Campion has <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/entertainment/jane-campion-hits-back-at-actor-sam-elliotts-sexist-criticism-of-power-of-the-dog/EUZNS3TH6OIMEAAM4TL3HZJXLI/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called out</a> actor Sam Elliott after he criticised her film The Power of the Dog. Campion called Elliott “a little bit sexist” and a “b****” a week after he slammed her film for being filmed in New Zealand and its theme of repressed homosexuality, claiming she didn’t know anything about the American West. The New Zealand director responded to Elliott’s criticism over the weekend while speaking at the Directors Guild of America awards in Los Angeles. “I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. I’m sorry to say it but he’s not a cowboy, he’s an actor. The West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range. I think it’s a little bit sexist,” she said. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Jane Campion responds to Sam Elliott's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThePowerOfTheDog?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThePowerOfTheDog</a> comments: "I'm sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. He's not a cowboy; he's an actor. The West is a mythic space and there's a lot of room on the range. I think it's a little bit sexist." <a href="https://t.co/I32wQ8lCiF">https://t.co/I32wQ8lCiF</a> <a href="https://t.co/Tftq4AoXCy">pic.twitter.com/Tftq4AoXCy</a> — Variety (@Variety) <a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1502839949212545028?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2022</a></blockquote> “I consider myself a creator. I think he thinks of me as a woman or something lesser first.” Elliott initially shared his views during an interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast several weeks ago, when asked what he thought about the movie. “They made it look like those dancers, those guys in New York who wear bow ties and not much else,” he said. “That’s what all these f***ing cowboys in the movie look like. They’re all running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the movie.” When Maron responded with, “I think that’s what the movie’s about”, referencing how it’s heavily implied Benedict Cumberbatch’s character is a repressed gay man, Elliott claimed Campion was out of her depth making a Western. “She’s a brilliant director, by the way, I love her … previous work - but what the f*** does this woman from down there, New Zealand, know about the American West?” Elliott said. “And why in the f*** does she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana and say, ‘This is the way it was’. That f***ing rubbed me the wrong way pal. “The myth is that they were these macho men out there with the cattle. I just come from f***ing Texas where I was hanging out with families, not men, families, big, long, extended, multiple-generation families.” The Power of the Dog, a Western psychological drama, has been nominated for 12 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, which has made Campion the first woman to be nominated for best director twice. Image: Getty Images

Movies

Peng Shuai T-shirt scandal puts Tennis Australia in hot water

Australian Open organisers are at the centre of even more criticism over their handling of spectators with items asking “where is Peng Shuai?”. Tennis Australia (TA) has <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open/tennis-australia-destroyed-over-peng-shuai-tshirt-scandal/news-story/cb7c1678360dd16a87bbf8e996924083" target="_blank">stood by</a> its decision after footage emerged of security and police requesting a fan remove her shirt calling for the Chinese tennis player’s fate to be addressed. Ms Shuai gained worldwide attention after she “disappeared” following a post she shared on social media containing allegations of sexual abuse against a former high-ranking member of the Chinese Communist Party. Though she has since been seen <a rel="noopener" href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/missing-tennis-star-makes-public-appearance" target="_blank">in videos and photos</a> shared by Chinese state media, many have expressed concerns that those were staged and activists have questioned whether she is able to act freely. The video of the scene at Melbourne Park ended with police saying TA was permitted to confiscate any material referencing Ms Shuai. A TA spokesperson told News Corp Australia that the organisation feared for Ms Shuai’s safety, but that fans were not allowed to make political statements with clothing at the Australian Open. “Under our ticket conditions of entry we don’t allow clothing, banners or signs that are commercial or political,” the spokesperson said. “Peng Shuai’s safety is our primary concern. We continue to work with the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and global tennis community to seek more clarity on her situation and will do everything we can to ensure her wellbeing.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Interestingly, journalists can ask questions about the Peng Shuai situation to players, but fans, seemingly, aren't allowed to.... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/SCqNlH2bOx">pic.twitter.com/SCqNlH2bOx</a> — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshMedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshMedia/status/1485052235251957760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote> Drew Pavlou shared footage online of his friend Max Mok and another person being asked by security about their clothes - including shirts which said “Where is Peng Shuai?” - and later by police. Mr Mok slammed the TA’s reaction, telling <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/tennis-australia-confiscate-where-is-peng-shuai-shirts-banners-at-open-20220123-p59qi2.html" target="_blank">Nine newspapers</a> it was a hypocritical decision. “I can remember him (the security guard) saying over and over that he had been instructed by someone higher up to confiscate (the Peng items),” Mr Mok said. “On top of that, he also kept saying - and I don’t think this was in the video - but he kept saying he had eyes and ears everywhere, you can’t hide, things like that. Who exactly am I hiding from? “He said someone found it political and reported it, but couldn’t say who. “I would be surprised if someone at the ground reported us.” Mr Pavlou also spruiked a GoFundMe page to print more “Where is Peng Shuai?” shirts, revealing on Twitter that it had amassed nearly $6,000 in donations. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Wow, in less than 24 hours we have raised almost $6000 to print a thousand “Where Is Peng Shuai” shirts to hand out for free at the Australian Open women’s final. <a href="https://twitter.com/TennisAustralia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TennisAustralia</a> good luck keeping your $25 million corporate sponsorship from China <a href="https://t.co/BN9oi6mPdl">https://t.co/BN9oi6mPdl</a> <a href="https://t.co/iNiVxDrwP8">pic.twitter.com/iNiVxDrwP8</a> — Drew Pavlou For Senate (@DrewPavlou) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewPavlou/status/1484846760669638660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2022</a></blockquote> Mr Mok said the TA’s treatment of him was hypocritical considering its claims that Ms Shuai’s safety was its “primary concern”, and hoped that more people would follow their lead and show their support for the tennis star. “Hypocrisy is an understatement. It’s not sincere, and it’s just a way for them (TA) to avoid a PR disaster,” he told Nine. “You can see that from the huge amount of support that we’ve got from the public. If we had less support, this could have gone very wrong. “If Tennis Australia is serious about the movement, they’ll let people in (with Peng-related items). Time will tell which side they’re on. “Regardless, it’ll be a good message to send not just to Australia, but internationally. Imagine a whole court filled with ‘Free Peng Shuai’ shirts?” Many have shared their criticisms of the organisation online, while some have pointed out the double standard between spectators and journalists with questions about the missing player. “Interestingly, journalists can ask questions about the Peng Shuai situation to players, but fans, seemingly, aren’t allowed to,” journalist Matt Walsh wrote. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I get if a hotel says 'No thongs', asks you to leave and then calls the police if you don't because the police can see that you're wearing thongs. I don't think the police can look at a 'Where is Peng Shuai?' t-shirt and just as easily tell that it's a political statement. <a href="https://t.co/hTmkcF7EXB">pic.twitter.com/hTmkcF7EXB</a> — Shaun Micallef (@shaunmicallef) <a href="https://twitter.com/shaunmicallef/status/1485115549718048771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2022</a></blockquote> Comedian Shaun Micallef also weighed in, questioning why asking about Ms Shuai’s whereabouts was a political statement in the eyes of TA. “Only in mainland China would asking after somebody’s whereabouts be regarded as a political statement,” he wrote. “I get if a hotel says ‘’No thongs’, asks you to leave and then calls the police if you don’t because the police can see that you’re wearing thongs. I don’t think the police can look at a ‘Where is Peng Shuai?’ T-shirt and just as easily tell that it’s a political statement.” Multiple players have been asked about Ms Shuai during the first week of the competition, with Aussie star Ash Barty saying she hoped she was doing OK. “Hopefully it’s not too long until we see her back out here,” Barty said. When asked whether she was concerned that something “sinister” was at play, Barty said she didn’t have the knowledge to answer. Belarusian Victoria Azarenka, who is a member of the WTA Player Council, also spoke about Ms Shuai, saying the association’s main goal was to hear from her personally, while Japan’s Naomi Osaka said she hadn’t heard any news either. “I’m not sure if that’s concerning or not,” she said. “I feel like it’s a situation where we need more information, which is definitely really hard. Kind of, I think everyone’s waiting.” Image: @CaraMia200 (Twitter)

News

Donald Trump Jr selling T-shirts mocking Alec Baldwin shooting

Image: Getty Donald Trump Jr is using Alec Baldwin’s recent tragedy to mock the actor who skewered his father on Saturday Night Live. Selling for $US27.99 is a T-shirt that reads “Guns Don’t Kill People, Alec Baldwin Kills People” on a merchandise site linked to the former US President’s son. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845083/new-project-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/0d810f5a26ac459a9c7d1b2e645fc2b4" /> Image: Shopdonjr This was of course in reference to last week’s incident during which cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was hit by discharge from a prop gun while working on the set of Baldwin’s new film Rust. Baldwin, the film’s star, was handling the weapon from which the fatal shot was fired. The movie’s director was injured too. Trump Jr’s merchandise platform also sells shirts that read “My God, My Family, My Guns & My Freedom.” The 43-year-old is a vocal gun advocate who frequently poses with firearms and posts photos of animals he’s killed. Last year, he hosted an Alaskan hunting trip to raise money for Safari Club International. Other right-wing pundits also teed up on the Baldwin hunt after Hutchin’s death. Commentator Candace Owens accused Baldwin of the “murder” of “innocent people”, which she later corrected. Republican lawmaker Lauren Boebert and Republican Senate Candidate JD Vance took to Twitter to mock Baldwin, with the latter asking that the former president be reinstated on Twitter so he could address his former tormentor. These comments drew fire from his Democratic rival in Ohio, Tim Ryan, who tweeted “Someone died, you a-hole.” Even Fox News host Janice Dean urged Vance to take down his tweet. Baldwin's impression of former president Donald Trump on SNL angered Trump, who questioned the long-running program's legality in a 2018 Twitter rant about "unfair news coverage". Trump and Baldwin feuded on Twitter in March of that year with the 45th president claiming the actor's "dying mediocre career" was revived by his impersonation of the commander in chief. Trump was banned from the platform following the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Baldwin tweeted his feelings of "shock and sadness" following Thursday’s shooting and said he was cooperating with investigators. He had reportedly been told the firearms was "cold". According to a new affidavit, Baldwin was training his pistol on a camera when the shot was fired from his gun. Joel Souza, the Rust director, reportedly claimed Baldwin was rehearsing a "cross draw" at the time of the killing. The filmmaker said he was looking over Hutchins' shoulder and heard "a whip and then loud pop" before the two of them were struck. Hilaria Baldwin, the 63-year-old actor's wife, tweeted her sympathies for Hutchins, her family and her own husband as well. "My heart is with Halyna," she wrote Monday on Instagram.

Legal

"Hugely disappointing": Malcolm Turnbull slams COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull slammed the Morrison government's vaccine rollout as a "black-and-white failure". He said that only vaccinating just 8 per cent of the population was inexcusable. “This is just a failure to do the one single most important job the Commonwealth government had which was to get the country vaccinated. It is hugely disappointing,” Turnbull told the ABC. “I can’t think of a bigger black-and-white failure of public administration than this.” He said that Morrison made a mistake by not being clear around vaccines. “I don’t know whether that was just a thought bubble, I don’t know if Scott had workshopped that before, I have no idea,” Mr Turnbull said. “But the fact that you’ve got so many other premiers and chief medical officers disagreeing with it, and very vocally, obviously undermines confidence in the vaccine.” Turnbull was referring to Morrison saying that younger people are able to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday, causing huge protests from state premiers and the expert immunisation panel. He also said that the current lockdowns, which see 12 million people inside their houses, are a "massive fail". “These lockdowns are a consequence of the failure to get the vaccination done and it is a massive fail,” he said.

News

High-profile horse trainer suspended over disturbing photo

An image of top horse trainer Gordon Elliott posing for a photo while sitting on a dead horse has resulted in horror and anger from the public and British racing circles on Monday. The Irishman is one of the sport’s most celebrated figures and has apologised for the disturbing image after it resurfaced on Saturday. It depicted him sitting on a horse that had just died of a heart attack after a training run. Elliott has since been suspended from horse racing, as reported by the BBC. One of his most high-profile employers, Cheveley Park Stud, said they are "truly horrified" by the image. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840081/daily-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a5af72eeb8b8423abfbf5ad18536013a" /> Image: Instagram Bookmaker Betfair dropped Elliott as an ambassador, saying his actions were not consistent with its "values". A scathing statement from the British Horseracing Authority slammed the star. "People who work in our industry believe their values — of caring for and respecting our horses — have been deeply undermined by this behaviour," the statement read. The BHA said it was "appalled" by the image, saying: "On behalf of all horse-lovers, we say loudly that British horseracing finds this totally unacceptable." Elliot defended his actions, saying the incident occurred “some time ago” and the picture was taken while he waited for the body of the horse to be taken away. He went on to explain that he had received a phone call and had sat down on the dead animal “without thinking”. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board is investigating the incident and the BHA said it is "considering its own regulatory options". Both bodies have temporarily banned Elliott. Elliott has been a Grand National-winning trainer three times, first taking the prize in 2007 with Silver Birch. He would go on to train Tiger Roll to become the first back-to-back winner of horse racing's most gruelling jumps race — in 2018 and '19 — since Red Rum in the 1970s. He has trained 32 winners at the Cheltenham Festival. Tiger Roll owner, Michael O'Leary, is one of the few to come out in support of Elliott. "We accept that this photograph was a grievous but momentary lapse of judgement by Gordon," said O'Leary, who runs the Gigginstown House Stud operation and is also CEO of budget airline Ryanair. He continued: “and not in keeping with our 15-year experience of his concern for and attention to the welfare of our horses. "We all make mistakes, and what is important is that we learn from them and ensure we do not repeat them. We accept Gordon's sincere, profound and unreserved apology and we will continue to support him and his team." The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board has said their investigation will be dealt with "as quickly as possible".

Legal

Malcolm Turnbull weighs in on “bully” China: “Never seen anything like it”

Former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has weighed in on the rift with China, and urged the government to “not give in to this bully.” The two nations have had a tense relationship over the last week, after China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian shared a disturbing doctored image showing an Australian soldier slitting the throat of an Afghan child. The post was slammed as “repugnant” by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, and resulted in the two leaders combatting with words. This led to another disturbing cartoon released by state-run news organisation The Global Times, that featured Mr Morrison and Australia’s alleged war crimes. Mr Turnbull gave a word of advice to the government on Thursday, telling 9News "we just need to let the temperature lower or at least do nothing to raise it ourselves”. An official from the Chinese embassy has reportedly given the media outlet a list of 14 grievances, which includes several of Turnull’s own policies, including foreign interference laws that “targeted China” and banning Huawei from the rollout of the 5G network. Mr Turnbull blasted the list as "utterly counterproductive” and “not acceptable”, before saying the best thing to do with that list was “bin it”. "There's a reason why governments don't conduct themselves in this way," he said. "I've never seen anything like it before.” Mr Turnbull said China’s behaviour only hurt their own image and urged Australia not to give in to playground antics. "The one thing you can guarantee will see more bullying is if you start giving in to bullies,” he said. "Is this style of diplomacy increasing China's influence around the world? No, it's diminishing it. "Australians can see there is transparently, plain bullying, attempted bullying going on. “The government's obviously got to respond to this astutely and carefully but it certainly shouldn't be giving into this bully or any others."

News

"I've never felt better": Ray Meagher reveals how his wife saved his life

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Aussie TV icon Ray Meagher refuses to let his heart troubles hold him down, after two lots of heart surgery in a year. "I've never felt better," Ray, 76, tells <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nowtolove.com.au/celebrity/home-and-away/ray-meagher-wife-65707" target="_blank" class="editor-rtflink">Woman's Day</a> from his Sydney home. The Home and Away star revealed he had a triple-bypass in early 2019 after doctors found three serious blockages in his coronary artery. The surgery was a success, but Ray felt a "tickle" in his chest while out on a walk seven months later. He had another operation to rectify the issue. "It was just a build-up of bad living for 40 years and having too much fun," he reveals. However, he was back at work just eight weeks later. "I'm a pretty pragmatic sort of a bloke – I just get on with it," he says. Ray isn't about to let a few health scares slow him down either. "I drink a lot less beer now but still sometimes have a bit more than is deemed good," he admits. "You know when you meet up with mates and have a bit of a yarn and a bit of a drink? I still like to have those nights occasionally." Ray also credits his recovery to his wife of ten years Gilly, who previously worked as a nurse. "She was a life-saver," he says of his adoring spouse. "And she keeps me on the straight and narrow now." He's confirmed to fans though that he's not leaving Summer Bay. "I'm very happy with where work is at – as the surgeon told me, I've got a fully reconditioned motor now and I should be right for another 100,000 miles!" </div> </div> </div>

Family & Pets

Tony Abbott hits back at Malcolm Turnbull’s Peta Credlin claims

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott has hit back at Malcolm Turnbull over claims of a “bizarre relationship” with a senior staffer. Turnbull spoke about Abbott and his former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, to ABC’s 7:30 which is mentioned in his new memoir A Bigger Picture. “He worshipped and feared her and she, on the other hand, treated him with disdain,” Turnbull told the ABC’s 7.30. “It was as though she felt, ‘I’ve created you, you’re my creation’, and she felt she owned him. “It was a bizarre – a truly bizarre – relationship.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Coming up tonight, <a href="https://twitter.com/leighsales?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@leighsales</a> interviews former prime minister <a href="https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TurnbullMalcolm</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc730?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc730</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> <a href="https://t.co/VkHJjbFtNX">pic.twitter.com/VkHJjbFtNX</a> — abc730 (@abc730) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc730/status/1252129925500264448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2020</a></blockquote> On Tuesday morning, Abbott was quick to respond. “I am aware of some pretty odious comments that one of my successors made last night,” he told Seven’s Sunrise. “Anyone who’s watched Peta Credlin on TV would know what an extraordinarily capable person she is. “She was an important part of the Abbott Government, she was a fine thinker, a greater organiser and a trusted colleague.” In a chapter titled ‘Tony and Peta’, Turnbull’s memoir revisits the relationship between Abbott and the woman who briefly served as deputy chief of staff in his own office while the Liberal Party was in opposition. When Abbott overthrew Turnbull as leader in 2009, Turnbull switched camps. Turnbull said that despite Abbott’s “carefully cultivated image as the hairy-chested, bike-riding, firefighting alpha male, complete with a swagger that would put a sailor to shame”, he was a pussycat when it came to his chief of staff. “You were really dealing with Peta and Peta was running the country and that was obvious, and dominating Abbott,” he told 7.30. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> On the dynamic between <a href="https://twitter.com/HonTonyAbbott?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HonTonyAbbott</a> and Peta Credlin. “You were really dealing with Peta. I mean Peta was running the country, and that was obvious, and dominating Abbott.” - <a href="https://twitter.com/TurnbullMalcolm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TurnbullMalcolm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc730?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#abc730</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/auspol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#auspol</a> — abc730 (@abc730) <a href="https://twitter.com/abc730/status/1252178719763918848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2020</a></blockquote> Turnbull’s ‘no holds barred’ memoir is a scathing analysis of his three-year tenure as the 29th Prime Minister of Australia and hypocrisy within the Liberal Party is a theme he returns to often. If Turnbull isn’t slamming his successor, Scott Morrison, for his “cringe-worthy ‘daggy dad’ persona”, he’s calling Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton a “narcissist who was self-delusional” for thinking he could ever be prime minister. The personal lives of Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce and George Christensen are also discussed in this book, including Turnbull himself being “sickened by the hypocrisy” of Christensen, who is a devout Christian but regularly visited “seedy” nightclubs in Manila. Christensen has since defended the trips, saying he was visiting his Filipina fiancée.

Books

Malcolm Turnbull slams Peter Dutton’s leadership challenge as “deluded”

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said Peter Dutton was “deluded” for thinking he could lead the Liberal Party to victory at the elections. In an interview with Leigh Sales on ABC’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/7.30/malcolm-turnbull-on-how-the-liberal-party-operates/12167030">7.30</a>, the former Liberal leader said Dutton’s leadership challenge was an “absurd proposition”. “I didn’t imagine that he was so deluded as to imagine that our political prospects would be advanced by a change of leadership, and especially to him,” Turnbull said. “And it never occurred to me, frankly, that so many people would support him. I mean … if Dutton had become leader, not even Bill Shorten could have lost the election.” When asked about the August 2018 leadership spills, Turnbull accused the party’s right wing of “operating like a terrorist” in removing him. “The way they operate is to basically bully and intimidate people,” he said. “Now, they don’t use guns and bombs, I hasten to add, but it is the technique of terrorism, where you create enough mayhem, enough damage, that people in the middle say, ‘It has got to come to an end, how can I stop this terrible horror?’” He said Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told him to “give in to the terrorists”. While Turnbull won the first spill, Dutton received a significant total of 35 votes. The second spill, instigated by Dutton, saw Scott Morrison emerge as the new leader and Prime Minister. Turnbull said the Liberal Party had become “tribalised” between a liberal and a conservative faction, which “would have preferred Bill Shorten to be prime minister than me”.

“Did not deserve to win”: Turnbull writes scathing opinion about ScoMo

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has made his feelings about current Prime Minister crystal clear in his new memoir A Bigger Picture. Turnbull doesn’t believe that the Morrison-led coalition deserved to win in the miracle 2019 election and criticised Morrison’s bid to portray himself as a “daggy dad” from the suburbs. "He's a professional politician who understands marketing and messaging better than most," Mr Turnbull writes in his memoir, A Bigger Picture, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/inside-malcolm-turnbulls-bigpicture-world-of-gossip-and-axegrinding-in-new-memoir/news-story/3406c7890aab3e578dedc0cb8861f3b4" target="_blank">The Australian</a> reports. "His cringe-worthy 'daggy dad' persona is more exaggerated than it is conflated, but in net terms it probably helped. ""All that aside, however, the truth is that Labor lost the election that the coalition, after the August coup, did not deserve to win." <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6AmqPZnLvQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/B6AmqPZnLvQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Scott Morrison (@scottmorrisonmp)</a> on Dec 13, 2019 at 2:34am PST </div> </blockquote> Turnbull also took aim at his former cabinet colleagues in their roles in the coup that led to his resignation in August 2018. Turnbull accuses Morrison of double dealing in his bid to succeed Turnbull when he had to be “propped up” as treasurer. Turnbull also says that Peter Dutton, a coup leader, was a “narcissist” and “self-delusional” for thinking that he could be prime minister. The memoir will be launched next Monday. </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-action-bar-component-wrapper"> <div class="post-actions-component"> <div class="upper-row"> <div class="watched-bookmark-container"></div> </div> </div> </div>

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Make your own mask from a tea towel, t-shirt or vacuum bag

The worldwide coronavirus pandemic has led to a shortage of protective face masks, leading to a number of online tutorials on how to make your own using items found around the house. Homemade masks offer significantly less protection than the N95 medical masks, which are made of a thick, tightly woven material that fits over the face and can stop 95 per cent of all airborne particles. And while many health organisations have recommended to ditch the masks unless in a medical setting, there is a good reason to think DIY masks could be effective in tackling the pandemic. They’ve been used extensively in countries such as Hong Kong, Mongolia and South Korea – places that have the disease largely under control. The World Health Organisation also does not recommend that people without the illness wear the face mask, but they’re looking at reversing their decision due to evidence from Hong Kong that it may be effective in fighting the virus. Here’s how you can make your own at home using a kitchen towel What you will need: <ul> <li>Kitchen towel</li> <li>One tissue</li> <li>Masking tape</li> <li>Elastic bands</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Cut both the paper towel and tissue in half and apply masking tape on each end to make sure the mask is stiff.</li> <li>Punch holes through either end of the mask and thread the elastic bands through the holes.</li> </ol> Your mask is ready in two simple steps. How to make a face mask with a t-shirt A tutorial by YouTuber Runa Ray shows how to make a face mask with a t-shirt, no sewing required. What you will need: <ul> <li>Scissors</li> <li>Pencil</li> <li>Ruler</li> <li>Unwanted t-shirt</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Cut out a 16" by 4" rectangle from the middle of the t-shirt, then fold it in half, and measure four inches on either side.</li> <li>Mark the t-shirt with an even number of tassels on each side and use scissors to cut them.</li> <li>Turn the t-shirt inside out and separate the corner tassels, but tie the remaining ones in-between.</li> <li>With the remaining t-shirt material cut some ear straps using the hem of the shirt. </li> <li>Attach the straps to the remaining outer tassels and you have yourself a face mask, with no sewing involved, and using an old t-shirt.</li> </ol> How to make a face mask from vacuum cleaner bags What you will need: <ul> <li>Vacuum bag</li> <li>Paperclip</li> <li>Two rubber bands</li> <li>Stapler</li> </ul> Method: <ol> <li>Cut the bag into a rectangle. Make sure to keep all the layers together.</li> <li>With the inside of the bag facing upwards fold twice along the bottom and top.</li> <li>Fold both bottom corners of the bag.</li> <li>Get a paperclip or other thin wire and straighten it out.</li> <li>Take two rubber bands and fold the far ends around them. Staple the folds to secure them.</li> <li>Push the straightened wire through the centre of the top.</li> <li>Stretch the rubber bands around your ears to hold the mask against your face. Pinch the wire to secure around your nose.</li> </ol>

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Make your own mask from a tea towel, t-shirt or vacuum bag

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Make your own mask from a tea towel, t-shirt or vacuum bag

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