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Biggest box office bombs revealed

<p>The biggest box office bombs for 2023 have been revealed, with Disney dominating the list. </p> <p>New data from<em> <a href="https://deadline.com/2024/05/biggest-box-office-bombs-2023-lowest-grossing-movies-1235902825/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deadline</a> </em>reports<em> </em>that four Disney films ranked topped the list of movies with the highest studio net loss for 2023. </p> <p>While the outlet reported that Disney typically “owns a majority of the year’s top 10 most profitable films thanks to Marvel movies,” that was not the case for 2023. </p> <p>According to their calculations, superhero film <em>The Marvels</em> had a studio net loss of $A358 million, after only earning the franchise $71 million at the box office in its opening weekend, their lowest number to date. </p> <p>In November 2023, Disney CEO Bob Iger addressed the  box office blunder at The New York Times’ Dealbook Summit, saying that because the film was shot during covid, “there wasn’t as much supervision on the set, so to speak, where we have executives [that are] really looking over what’s being done day after day after day.”</p> <p>Deadline claimed that another reason why the film flopped was because it "was trying to thread storylines from Disney+ shows like <em>Ms. Marvel</em>," which wasn't as well-received by fans compared to other series like <em>Loki </em>and <em>WandaVision</em>. </p> <p>Iger shared the same belief, saying that Marvel’s mass of content on Disney+ "diluted focus and attention," contributing to the franchise's failure at the box office. </p> <p>The Marvels was followed by <em>The Flash</em>,  a Warner Bros. and DC production with a $234 million studio net loss. </p> <p>Three other Disney films also made the list, with<em> Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny</em> coming in third place with a $216 million net loss, followed by Wish with a $198 million loss and Haunted Mansion with a $117 million loss. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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"We don't storm planes, this is not TV": Police respond to criticism of Sydney plane bomb threat

<p>A 45-year-old man is facing charges following a prolonged standoff aboard an airplane, which culminated in an arrest at Sydney Airport.</p> <p>Malaysia Airlines flight MH122, carrying 199 passengers and 12 crew members, took off from Sydney Airport at 1.40pm on Monday August 14. However, the flight had to return to the airport's runway at 3.47pm, where it remained stationary for several hours as emergency vehicles stood by.</p> <p>The arrest followed an alleged disturbance caused by a passenger on board. Finally, at around 6.30pm, passengers were able to disembark from the aircraft.</p> <p>The Australian Federal Police have now revealed that the man had made claims of having explosives on the plane. The authorities charged the 45-year-old individual, a resident of Canberra, with making a false statement regarding threats to damage an aircraft of division three, and with failing to comply with safety instructions from cabin crew.</p> <p>Video footage captured within the plane reportedly showed the man, who was carrying a backpack, making threats towards fellow passengers and crew members.</p> <p>During the flight, passengers took to social media to share videos depicting the man raising his voice and displaying aggressive behaviour towards cabin crew and fellow travellers.</p> <p>One passenger named Velutha Parambath shared on social media that approximately 30 minutes after takeoff, the individual began behaving disruptively, even becoming physically confrontational with other passengers.</p> <p>Parambath noted that the man's actions escalated to include preaching about his religious beliefs. He added that the man had something in his hand, and his conversations with the crew were marked by statements like "I'm not afraid of dying" and "I've got things with me," which generated fear among those on board.</p> <p>In the immediate aftermath, criticism emerged from several passengers aboard MH122 regarding the duration it took for the Australian Federal Police to arrest and remove the man from the aircraft once it returned to Sydney. In response, the AFP stated that an evacuation was initiated once it was determined safe for passengers and crew, leading to the man's arrest.</p> <p>The Australian Federal Police took the lead in managing the situation, with the support of the New South Wales Police. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb defended the response, noting the volatile nature of the incident and the unpredictability of the situation.</p> <p>"Given it's a volatile situation and [it's] unpredictable we didn't know the severity of the incident and you have to deal with what we learn about the passenger," she said. "We didn't know if there was a bomb."</p> <p>"I praise the crew for what they did in keeping the passengers calm … to de-escalate the situation to the point that we got this matter resolved in three hours, I think three hours is pretty good.</p> <p>"The protocol in Australia is to negotiate, we don't storm planes, this is not TV, it's not the movies we want to protect the lives of all passengers."</p> <p>The incident caused significant disruptions to domestic travel at Sydney Airport, resulting in the cancellation of 32 flights and delays of up to 90 minutes. NSW Premier Chris Minns acknowledged the concerns about the AFP response and announced a review of the situation while highlighting that the resolution was achieved peacefully.</p> <p><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

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‘Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds’: who was atom bomb pioneer Robert Oppenheimer?

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/darius-von-guttner-sporzynski-112147">Darius von Guttner Sporzynski</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p>Robert Oppenheimer is often placed next to Albert Einstein as the 20th century’s most famous physicist.</p> <p>He will forever be the “father of the atomic bomb” after the first nuclear weapon was successfully tested on July 16, 1945 in the New Mexican desert. The event brought to his mind words from a <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/manhattan-project-robert-oppenheimer">Hindu scripture</a>: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds”.</p> <h2>Who was Robert Oppenheimer?</h2> <p>Born in 1904 in an affluent New York family, Oppenheimer graduated from Harvard majoring in chemistry in 1925.</p> <p>Two years later, he completed his PhD in physics at one of the world’s leading institutions for theoretical physics, the University of Göttingen, Germany. He was 23 and enthusiastic to the point of alienating others.</p> <p>Throughout his life, Oppenheimer would be judged either as an <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Inside_the_Centre/L9wRLVcUI-sC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1">aloof prodigy or an anxious narcissist</a>. Whatever his contradictions as an individual, his eccentricities did not limit his scientific achievements.</p> <p>Before the outbreak of the second world war, Oppenheimer worked at the University of California, Berkeley, and the <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/J_Robert_Oppenheimer_and_the_American_Ce/U12mDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=Robert+Oppenheimer:+A+Life+from+Beginning+to+End&amp;printsec=frontcover">California Institute of Technology</a>. His research concentrated on theoretical astronomy, nuclear physics and quantum field theory.</p> <p>Although he confessed to being uninterested in politics, Oppenheimer openly supported socially progressive ideas. He was concerned with the emergence of antisemitism and fascism. His partner, Kitty Puening, was a left-leaning radical and their social circle included Communist Party members and activists. Later, these associations will mark him as a communist sympathiser.</p> <p>As a researcher, Oppenheimer published and supervised a new generation of doctoral students. One of these was Willis Lamb, who in 1955 was awarded the Nobel Prize in physics. The Nobel Prize eluded Oppenheimer three times.</p> <h2>The second world war</h2> <p>Two years after Germany and Soviet Russia attacked Poland, the United States entered WWII. Oppenheimer was recruited to work on the infamous <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/the-manhattan-project">Manhattan Project</a>. His ideas about chain reaction in an atomic bomb gained recognition among the US defence community. He started his work by assembling a team of experts. Some of them were his students.</p> <p>In 1943, despite his left-wing political views, lack of high-profile career and no experience in managing complex projects, Oppenheimer was appointed director of the <a href="https://about.lanl.gov/oppenheimer/">Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico</a>. He was enthusiastic. He seemed to have “<a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/Inside_the_Centre/L9wRLVcUI-sC?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=Rabi+%22reserves+of+uncommitted+strength%22&amp;pg=PA670&amp;printsec=frontcover">reserves of uncommitted strength</a>” recalled physicist <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1944/rabi/biographical/">Isidor Isaac Rabi</a>. His task was to develop atomic weapons.</p> <p><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Los-Alamos-National-Laboratory">Los Alamos Laboratory</a> expanded rapidly as the project grew in complexity, with the personnel exceeding 6,000. His ability to master the large-scale workforce and channel their energy towards the needs of the project earned him respect.</p> <p>He proved to be more than just an administrator by being involved in the interdisciplinary team across theoretical and experimental stages of the weapons development.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-JWxIVVeV98?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>The nuclear test</h2> <p>On July 16, 1945 the nuclear test, <a href="https://armscontrolcenter.org/quotes-from-trinity-test-observers/">code named Trinity</a>, took place.</p> <p>The first atomic bomb was successfully detonated at 5:29 am in the Jornada del Muerto desert. As his chief assistant, Thomas Farrell, recounted: "There came this tremendous burst of light followed shortly thereafter by the deep growling roar of the explosion."</p> <p>Oppenheimer later <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/J_Robert_Oppenheimer/EoA8DwAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=%22A+few+people+laughed,+a+few+people+cried,+most+people+were+silent%22&amp;pg=PA44&amp;printsec=frontcover">recalled</a> that “a few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent”. What he knew for sure was that the world would not be the same.</p> <p>It was too late for the atomic bombs to be used against Germany in the war – the Nazis had capitulated on May 8. Instead, US President Harry Truman decided to use the bomb against Germany’s ally, Japan.</p> <p>Shortly after the atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, Oppenheimer confronted the US secretary of war, Henry Stimson, demanding that nuclear weapons were banned.</p> <p>Similarly, when speaking with Truman, Oppenheimer talked about his feeling of <a href="https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/07/11/when-truman-titled-a-hollywood-epic-and-then-sabotaged-it/">having blood on his hands</a>. Truman rejected Oppenheimer’s emotional outburst. The responsibility for the use of the atomic bombs, after all, rested with the commander in chief (himself).</p> <p>Truman’s rebuttal did not prevent Oppenheimer from advocating for the establishment of controls on the nuclear arms race.</p> <h2>Arms control</h2> <p>In the postwar years, Oppenheimer settled in Princeton, New Jersey, at the Institute for Advanced Study. He read widely. He collected art and furniture. He learned languages. His well-paid position enabled his pursuit of a deeper understanding of humanity though the examination of ancient scriptures. <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/American_Prometheus/F79LEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;dq=Robert+Oppenheimer:+A+Life+from+Beginning+to+End&amp;printsec=frontcover">He argued</a> for the unity of purpose between the sciences and humanities.</p> <p>Oppenheimer’s patronage supported and encouraged other scientists in their research. But his chief concern was the unavoidable arms race. He advocated for the establishment of an <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/overview/history">international body that would control the development of nuclear energy</a> and its usage.</p> <p>In 1947, a civilian agency called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Atomic_Energy_Commission">Atomic Energy Commission</a> began its work. Oppenheimer urged strongly for <a href="https://www.iaea.org/about/overview/history">international arms control</a>.</p> <p>The Soviet Union’s first atomic bomb test in August 1949 took the US by surprise and pushed American researchers to develop a hydrogen bomb. The US government hardened its position. In 1952, Truman refused to reappoint Oppenheimer as the adviser to the Atomic Energy Commission.</p> <p>After 1952, Oppenheimer’s advocacy against the first test of the hydrogen bomb resulted in the suspension of his security clearance. The investigation that followed in 1954 exposed Oppenheimer’s past communist ties and culminated in <a href="https://www.history.com/news/father-of-the-atomic-bomb-was-blacklisted-for-opposing-h-bomb">his security clearance being revoked</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uYPbbksJxIg?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>McCarthyism and academic freedom</h2> <p>In the era of Joseph McCarthy’s witch-hunts, his fellow scientists considered Oppenheimer as a martyr of the cause of academic freedom. “In England”, commented Wernher von Braun, a former Nazi turned American pioneer of rocket technology, “<a href="https://ahf.nuclearmuseum.org/ahf/history/oppenheimer-security-hearing/">Oppenheimer would have been knighted</a>”.</p> <p>After 1954, Oppenheimer did not cease to advocate for freedom in the pursuit of knowledge. He toured internationally with talks about the role of academic freedom unrestrained by political considerations. He argued that the sciences and the humanities are <a href="https://archive.org/details/scienceandthecom007308mbp/page/n7/mode/2up">not separate human endeavours but interlocked and inseparable</a>.</p> <p>Oppenheimer died at the age of 62 on February 18, 1967.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209398/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/darius-von-guttner-sporzynski-112147">Darius von Guttner Sporzynski</a>, Historian, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-catholic-university-747">Australian Catholic University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/now-i-am-become-death-the-destroyer-of-worlds-who-was-atom-bomb-pioneer-robert-oppenheimer-209398">original article</a>.</em></p>

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Tangy apricot Bavarian whip, fried rice medley and bombe Alaska: what Australia’s first food influencer had us cooking

<p>Our food choices are being influenced every day. On social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, food and eating consistently appear on lists of trending topics. </p> <p>Food has eye-catching appeal and is a universal experience. Everyone has to eat. In recent years, viral recipes like <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/02/11/baked-feta-pasta-recipe-tiktok/">feta pasta</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-dalgona-coffee-the-whipped-coffee-trend-taking-over-the-internet-during-coronavirus-isolation-137068">dalgona coffee</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/are-butter-boards-bad-for-you-an-expert-view-on-the-latest-food-trend-192260">butter boards</a> have taken the world by storm. </p> <p>Yet food influencing is not a new trend. </p> <p>Australia’s first food influencer appeared in the pages of Australia’s most popular women’s magazine nearly 70 years ago. Just like today’s creators on Instagram and TikTok, this teenage cook advised her audience what was good to eat and how to make it.</p> <h2>Meet Debbie, our teenage chef</h2> <p>Debbie commenced her decade-long tenure at the Australian Women’s Weekly in <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4814245">July 1954</a>. We don’t know exactly who played the role of Debbie, which was a pseudonym. Readers were never shown her full face or body – just a set of disembodied hands making various recipes and, eventually, a cartoon portrait.</p> <p>Like many food influencers today, Debbie was not an “expert” – she was a teenager herself. She taught teenage girls simple yet fashionable recipes they could cook to impress their family and friends, especially boys. </p> <p>She shared recipes for <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4925379">tangy apricot Bavarian whip</a>, <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4819441">fried rice medley</a> and <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4807813">bombe Alaska</a>. Debbie also often taught her readers the basics, like <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article52249448">how to boil an egg</a>.</p> <p>Just like today, many of her recipes showed the readers step-by-step instructions through images.</p> <h2>Teaching girls to cook (and be ‘good’ women)</h2> <p>Debbie’s recipes first appeared in the For Teenagers section, which would go on to become the Teenagers Weekly lift-out in 1959. </p> <p>These lift-outs reflected a major change taking place in wider society: the idea of “teenagers” being their own group with specific interests and behaviours had entered the popular imagination.</p> <p>Debbie was speaking directly to teenage girls. Adolescents are still forming both their culinary and cultural tastes. They are forming their identities.</p> <p>For the Women’s Weekly, and for Debbie, cooking was deemed an essential attribute for women. Girls were seen to be “<a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4818166">failures</a>” if they couldn’t at least “cook a baked dinner”, “make real coffee”, “grill a steak to perfection”, “scramble and fry eggs” and “make a salad (with dressing)”. </p> <p>In addition to teaching girls how to cook, Debbie also taught girls how to catch a husband and become a good wife, a reflection of cultural expectations for women at the time. </p> <p>Her <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page4920059">macaroon trifle</a>, the Women’s Weekly said, was sure to place girls at the top of their male friends’ “matrimony prospect” list!</p> <h2>Food fads and fashions</h2> <p>Food fads usually reflect something important about the world around us. During global COVID lockdowns, we saw a rise in <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-historical-roots-of-your-lockdown-sourdough-obsession-137528">sourdough bread-making</a> as people embraced carbohydrate-driven nostalgia in the face of anxiety.</p> <p>A peek at Debbie’s culinary repertoire can reveal some of the cultural phenomena that impacted Australian teenagers in the 1950s and ‘60s. </p> <p>Debbie embraced teenage interest in rock'n'roll culture from the early 1960s, the pinnacle of which came at the height of Beatlemania. </p> <p>The Beatles toured Australia in June 1964. To help her teenage readers celebrate their visit, Debbie wrote an editorial on how to host a <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48077701">Beatles party</a>. </p> <p>She suggested the party host impress their friends by making “Beatle lollipops”, “Ringo Starrs” (decorated biscuits) and terrifying-looking “Beatle mop-heads” (cakes with chocolate hair).</p> <p><a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article55185376">A few months later</a>, she also shared recipes for “jam butties” (or sandwiches, apparently a “<a href="https://slate.com/culture/2013/03/the-beatles-and-the-mersey-beat-in-the-latest-blogging-the-beatles-how-the-beatles-popularized-the-sound-of-liverpool.html">Mersey</a> food with a Mersey name”) and a “Beatle burger”. </p> <p>We can also see the introduction of one of <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/italian/en/article/spag-bol-how-australians-adopted-a-classic-italian-recipe-and-made-it-their-own/9ogvr96ea">Australia’s most beloved dishes</a> in Debbie’s recipes. </p> <p>In 1957, she showed her teen readers how to make a new dish – <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48076527">spaghetti bolognaise</a> – which had first appeared in the magazine <a href="http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article46465023">five years prior</a>. </p> <p>Debbie was influencing the youth of Australia to enthusiastically adopt (and adapt) Italian-style cuisine. It stuck. While the recipe may have evolved, in 2012, Meat and Livestock Australia <a href="https://www.mla.com.au/globalassets/mla-corporate/marketing-beef-and-lamb/last-nights-dinner.pdf">reported</a> that 38% of Australian homes ate “spag bol” at least once a week.</p> <p>Our food influences today may come from social media, but we shouldn’t forget the impact early influencers such as Debbie had on young people in the past.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/tangy-apricot-bavarian-whip-fried-rice-medley-and-bombe-alaska-what-australias-first-food-influencer-had-us-cooking-199987" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

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5 hidden sugar bombs you should be aware of

<p>It seems like a pretty easy rule to follow – when you’re doing your weekly shop, if an item is packaged, it's likely laden with sugar. We all know that the sweet stuff is absolutely everywhere and that food companies use clever little tricks to disguise this from us when it comes to food labels. So, if you're not careful, sneaky foods packed with sugar will make their way into your home. Here we bring you some tips on how to arm yourself with the knowledge to avoid an accidental sugar binge.</p> <p><strong>Fruit yoghurt</strong></p> <p>It seems innocent enough, but fruit yogurt can be one of the biggest sugar bombs at the supermarket. Have you ever noticed how this popular morning snack feels like it would be more appropriately placed as a dessert option, well that’s because they are loaded with sugar. Opt for natural yoghurt and add cinnamon or berries to naturally sweeten.</p> <p><strong>Pasta sauce</strong></p> <p>Never mind the shortcomings of refined white pasta, it's the sauce that should be of concern. Pasta sauce alone can carry up to 12 grams of sugar for every half cup.</p> <p><strong>Agave</strong></p> <p>Despite it being sold in health food stores and renowned as a healthy alternative to sugar, it doesn’t change the fact that agave is pretty much just sugar dressed up in a healthier looking outfit. As it's 85 per cent fructose, it may be worse for you than cane sugar, which is all sucrose. What does this mean? Well, fructose is metabolised almost exclusively by your liver, which is hard work, and we’re still learning about the way different forms of sugar affect our health.</p> <p><strong>Dried fruit</strong></p> <p>Given it’s fruit it’s not surprising that most people count dried fruits amongst healthy food options, however, in some cases it might as well be like eating lollies. Just one-third of a cup can have 24 grams of sugar.</p> <p><strong>Granola bars</strong></p> <p>A convenient snack that is easy to carry in your bag to enjoy on the run? Yes. But the health factor of these bars depends on the ingredients. Most varieties aren't only made of wholegrain oats. In fact, one bar can pack as much as 12 grams (or much more) of sugar, so be sure to read the label before adding these to your shopping trolly.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

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Main bomb maker of 2002 Bali bombings released early

<p dir="ltr">Umar Patek, a convicted terrorist and the main bomb maker in the 2002 Bali bombings, has been released from jail.</p> <p dir="ltr">Patek, a leading member of the al Qaida-linked network Jemaah Islamiyah, helped build the car bomb that killed more than 200 people, including two Kiwis and 88 Australians, at two nightclubs in Kuta Beach in 2002.</p> <p dir="ltr">Patek served just over half of his original 20-year sentence and was released from jail after Indonesian authorities claimed that he was successfully reformed.</p> <p dir="ltr">"The special requirements that have been met by Umar Patek are that he has participated in the de-radicalisation coaching program," Ministry of Law and Human Rights spokesperson Rika Aprianti said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Patek will be required to report to the parole office once a week, before it becomes once a month.</p> <p dir="ltr">He is required to stay on parole until 2030, but his freedom can be revoked if he fails to report to the parole office or breaks the law.</p> <p dir="ltr">During his jail stint, Patek received a total of 33 months of sentence reduction with the most recent one on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day.</p> <p dir="ltr">This saw Patek given a five-month reduction of his sentence after fulfilling the parole requirement of serving two-thirds of his current sentence</p> <p dir="ltr">At the time of the reduced sentence, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government will look at making "diplomatic representations" to oppose Patek’s release.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I feel a great deal of common distress, along with all Australians, at this time," Albanese said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We had been advised by the Indonesian government of this further reduction.</p> <p dir="ltr">"This will cause further distress to Australians who were the families of victims of the Bali bombings."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

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Aussie survivors reflect on the Bali bombings 20 years on

<p>On October 12th 2002, three bombs were detonated in two Bali hotspots which resulted in the death of 202 people, 88 of whom were Australian.</p> <p>It was the single largest loss of Australian life due to an act of terror.</p> <p>Now, 20 years on from the tragedy, survivors told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bali-bombings-20-year-anniversary-survivors-rescuers-victims-stories/8f6a1661-e377-4ce9-aa17-204d67ca065c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9News</a> their inspirational yet harrowing stories of survival, and how their lives have changed since since that fateful day two decades ago. </p> <p><strong>Therese</strong></p> <p>After suffering devastating burns to 85 percent of her body, Therese Fox has fought valiantly through hundreds of skin grafts, life-threatening infections and agonising physiotherapy.</p> <p>Therese spent a year in hospital and defied doctor's expectations to survive, only to be confronted with the reality of survivor's guilt. </p> <p>Two decades on, she is still haunted by the loss of her good friend Bronwyn Cartwright and dozens of others.</p> <p>"I could go through my burns a hundred times over. The guilt of survival is the hardest thing to live with," Fox said, before breaking down in the face of the overwhelming emotion of her first return to Bali.</p> <p><strong>Ashleigh</strong></p> <p>When Ashleigh Airlie was just 14-years-old, she was faced with the trauma of losing her mother Gayle, who was killed in the terror attack. </p> <p>Four other mothers were holidaying in Bali with their teenage daughters, who were in the back of the Sari Club when the second bomb went off. </p> <p>It was just two days before Ashleigh's 15th birthday when she was buried under the collapsing roof and leaving her grasping for strangers' legs to make it out to the street.</p> <p>"When I think about it, that's the last place I had a good time with my mum," Ashleigh, now 34, told 9News.</p> <p>"It was the last place we had fun and she was having the time of her life."</p> <p><strong>Peter</strong></p> <p>When Peter Hughes was interviewed from his hospital bed, he unknowingly became the Australian face of the Bali bombing tragedy, which left him feeling "a little bit embarrassed about it all".</p> <p>"I was dying at the time and I knew that," he said, describing the interview as a chance to show his son Leigh that he was ok, even though he knew he wasn't.</p> <p>"I was just hanging on back then."</p> <p>While appearing on TV, Peter was swollen and barely able to breathe, but seemed unconcerned about his injuries. </p> <p>He slipped into a coma days later with burns to more than half his body. </p> <p>Now, he still struggled with the physical and mental effects of surviving the attack, but that doesn't stop him from returning to Bali several times a year. </p> <p><strong>Andrew</strong></p> <p>While Andrew Csabi was laying in the street dying outside the smoking ruins of the Sari Club, he gave himself the last rites. </p> <p>"I looked down, I said, 'my leg's blown off' and I couldn't believe it," he said.</p> <p>"I laid there quietly and I issued myself last rights."</p> <p><strong>Natalie and Nicole</strong></p> <p>Nicole McLean and Natalie Goold were just 23 when the bombs went off in Bali. </p> <p>After Nicole lost her right arm and suffered horrific leg injuries in the attack, Natalie fought to save the life of her friend in an act that saw her <span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; caret-color: #333333; color: #333333;">became one of only four people awarded the Star of Courage medal in the </span>Bali honours list.</p> <p>"She was just a force to be reckoned with. She knew where we had to go, where we had to be, and she wasn't leaving my side," McLean said.</p> <p>"She was ripping people's t-shirts off them and shoving them in my leg to stop the blood."</p> <p>Nicole McLean had survived the horror of the Sari Club and made it onto an RAAF jet that could get her back to Australia within hours.</p> <p><em>Image credits: 9News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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The 6 best bath bomb recipes for every mood

<p><strong>Customise your bath bomb</strong></p> <p>Few natural remedies are as effective for hitting your internal reset button as a hot bath. By customising the bath bomb recipe below with a variety of essential oils, you can soothe everything from frayed nerves to achy muscles, says intergrative health expert Dr Tasneem Bhatia. Keep reading to see how.</p> <p><strong>Basic bath bomb recipe</strong></p> <p>Here’s what you’ll need:</p> <p>2 cups baking soda</p> <p>1 cup citric acid</p> <p>1/2 cup Epsom salt</p> <p>1 tablespoon almond or olive oil</p> <p>Essential oils</p> <p>Water</p> <p>Packing moulds (If you don’t have food moulds, ice cube trays, hollow plastic Easter eggs, or Christmas tree ornaments that snap open and closed will do.)</p> <p>Directions:</p> <p>Mix baking soda, citric acid and Epsom salt in a bowl. Add almond or olive oil and essential oils. Add water slowly (the mixture might create a small foaming reaction. If that happens, pour even more slowly). The mixture should be just moist enough to hold a shape. Pack mixture into moulds for a few minutes, then tap to release. Allow bath bombs to dry for about five hours. To use, simply drop one in the bath. Enjoy!</p> <p>Note: Bath bombs should be used within three weeks.</p> <p><strong>A bath bomb for when you’re feeling stressed</strong></p> <p>To soothe the senses when you’re stressed out, try a bath bomb infused with 10 drops of bergamot (use one labelled bergaptene-free) and 10 drops of clary sage. The citrusy-flower bergamot mixed with clary sage calms the nervous system and clears the mind.</p> <p>“Bergamot is an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic and its aromatic scent has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety,” says Dr Bhatia, echoing the findings of a review of studies published in 2019 in Food Science &amp; Nutrition. “Clary sage also reduces stress and acts as an antidepressant.”</p> <p><strong>A bath bomb for when you can’t fall asleep</strong></p> <p>Settle into a more restful state by creating a bath bomb that includes 10 drops of chamomile, 10 drops lavender and 10 drops mandarin.</p> <p>“Both lavender and chamomile are calm- and relaxation-promoting herbs, while mandarin is known to be calming and promote joy,” says Dr Bhatia.</p> <p><strong>A bath bomb for when your muscles ache</strong></p> <p>Soothe sore muscles with a bath bomb infused with 10 drops lavender and 10 drops rosemary, which reduces inflammation.</p> <p>“Lavender is calming, while rosemary is known to increase blood flow, helping muscle soreness,” says Dr Bhatia. For even more of a treat, add extra Epsom salt to your bath before you hop in. The magnesium sulfate works as a natural muscle relaxant, pulling fluid out of the muscles and reducing swelling.</p> <p><strong>A bath bomb for when you need a pick-me-up</strong></p> <p>Need a bath bomb to help you overcome that 3pm gotta-have-a-nap feeling on days you work from home? Add 10 drops grapefruit oil and 10 drops bergamot oil.</p> <p>Keep in mind: “Citrus oils can sting a bit so you have to be careful with them,” says Dr Bhatia. If the grapefruit-bergamot combo doesn’t do the trick, soak a cotton swab with peppermint essential oil and take a whiff whenever you need an extra zap of energy.</p> <p><strong>A bath bomb for setting a romantic mood</strong></p> <p>Floral scents like rose oil and ylang-ylang are great for setting the mood for romance, if only because “they’re soothing scents that promote calm and relaxation,” says Dr Bhatia.</p> <p>Try a bath bomb made with 10 drops of each. Add a pinch of vanilla for an added kick.</p> <p><strong>A bath bomb for indulging the senses</strong></p> <p>For an all-purpose bath bomb that will indulge the senses no matter the mood or the moment, try this fresh-floral mix: 10 drops rose or lavender oil, 10 drops of lemon and 5 drops of patchouli. “This is a combo of stress relief and a bit of a pick-me-up,” says Dr Bhatia. “Like many citrus oils, lemon is stimulating while patchouli and lavender are relaxing and provide skin relief.”</p> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-56b0ac19-7fff-a1c7-12e7-b424249a4680">Written by Juliana LaBianca. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/the-6-best-bath-bomb-recipes-for-every-mood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></span></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Bono and The Edge perform in Kyiv bomb shelter

<p dir="ltr">U2 musicians Bono and The Edge has performed a secret show in a bomb shelter in Kyiv, after being personally invited by Ukrainian president Zelenskyy. </p> <p dir="ltr">The members of the Irish rock band shared photos of their performance on Twitter, as they were joined by Ukrainian band Antytila's lead singer Tomos Topelia.</p> <p dir="ltr">From a station platform, the duo performed U2 hits such as <em>Sunday Bloody Sunday</em>, <em>Desire</em> and <em>With or Without You</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom,” said Bono during a break between songs. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We pray that you will enjoy some of that peace soon.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">President <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ZelenskyyUa</a> invited us to perform in Kyiv as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people and so that’s what we’ve come to do. -- Bono and The Edge <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithUkraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithUkraine</a></p> <p>— U2 (@U2) <a href="https://twitter.com/U2/status/1523264383065141250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The performance had an emotional impact on Ukrainians, with members of the small underground crowd taking to Twitter to express their gratitude. </p> <p dir="ltr">One person said, “Thank you Bono and Edge for the music and for making the world a better place through art, Ukraine will win this war with the world's support.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Bono and The Edge were later seen in the Ukrainian towns of Irpin and Bucha, which are the sites of alleged Russian war crimes in the first weeks of the invasion. </p> <p dir="ltr">The pair were shown greeting locals amongst the ruins of buildings, and outside St. Andrew Pervozvannoho All Saints church - where a mass grave was found in April.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Twitter</em></p>

Music

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Bomb squad called to Princess Mary's palace

<p>A woman has been arrested after allegedly sending a suspicious package to the royal palace where Crown Princess Mary and her family live.</p> <p>The police were forced to bring in the bomb squad, with parts of Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen were sealed off when a package was sent to the Yellow Palace, next to the royal family's main complex.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CPvUiPLtik-/?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/CPvUiPLtik-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Cindy Turner, CTA (@cindyttravels)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Two remote-controlled robots were used to determine the contents of the parcel, with the Armed Forces' Ammunition Clearance Service called in to investigate the package.</p> <p>At 3 pm local time that day, police confirmed that a 57-year-old woman had been arrested in connection with the scare.</p> <p>She was taken into custody in Ribe and charged with making threats against the royal family.</p> <p>The Danish palace has not made any public comments about the incident.</p>

News

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315 nuclear bombs and ongoing suffering: The shameful history of nuclear testing in Australia and the Pacific

<p><em>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware this article contains the name of a deceased person.</em></p> <p>The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons received its <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/10/1076082">50th ratification on October 24</a>, and will therefore come into force in January 2021. A historic development, this new international law will ban the possession, development, testing, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons.</p> <p>Unfortunately the nuclear powers — the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Russia, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea — haven’t signed on to the treaty. As such, they are not immediately obliged to <a href="http://hrp.law.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Victim-assistance-short-4-8-18-final.pdf">help victims and remediate contaminated environments</a>, but others party to the treaty do have these obligations. The shifting norms around this will hopefully put ongoing pressure on nuclear testing countries to open records and to cooperate with accountability measures.</p> <p>For the people of the Pacific region, particularly those who bore the brunt of nuclear weapons testing during the 20th century, it will bring a new opportunity for their voices to be heard on the long-term costs of nuclear violence. The treaty is the first to enshrine enduring commitments to addressing their needs.</p> <p>From 1946, around <a href="https://icanw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/Pacific-Report-2017.pdf">315 nuclear tests</a> were carried out in the Pacific by the US, Britain and France. These nations’ largest ever nuclear tests took place on colonised lands and oceans, from Australia to the Marshall Islands, Kiribati to French Polynesia.</p> <p>The impacts of these tests are still being felt today.</p> <p><strong>All nuclear tests cause harm</strong></p> <p>Studies of nuclear test workers and exposed nearby communities <a href="https://www.ctbto.org/nuclear-testing/">around the world</a> <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-review-of-the-red-cross/article/humanitarian-impact-and-implications-of-nuclear-test-explosions-in-the-pacific-region/1FDB0D26842BEA5621F33A0B53FCD7F9">consistently show</a> adverse health effects, especially increased risks of <a href="https://www.ctbto.org/nuclear-testing/">cancer</a>.</p> <p>The total number of global cancer deaths as a result of atmospheric nuclear test explosions has been estimated at between <a href="https://scope.dge.carnegiescience.edu/SCOPE_59/SCOPE_59.html">2 million</a> and <a href="https://ieer.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/1991/06/RadioactiveHeavenEarth1991.pdf">2.4 million</a>, even though these studies used radiation risk estimates that are now dated and likely underestimated the <a href="http://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/n3873/pdf/ch08.pdf">risk</a>.</p> <p>The number of additional non-fatal cancer cases caused by test explosions is similar. As confirmed in a <a href="http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1667/RR14608.1">large recent study</a> of nuclear industry workers in France, the UK and US, the numbers of radiation-related deaths due to other diseases, such as heart attacks and strokes, is also likely to be similar.</p> <p><strong>‘We all got crook’</strong></p> <p>Britain conducted 12 nuclear test explosions in Australia between 1952 and 1957, and hundreds of minor trials of radioactive and toxic materials for bomb development up to 1963. These caused untold health problems for local Aboriginal people who were at the highest risk of radiation. Many of them were not properly evacuated, and some were not informed at all.</p> <p>We may never know the full impact of these explosions because in many cases, as the Royal Commission report on British Nuclear Tests in Australia <a href="https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:%22publications/tabledpapers/HPP032016010928%22;src1=sm1">found in 1985</a>: “the resources allocated for Aboriginal welfare and safety were ludicrous, amounting to nothing more than a token gesture”. But we can listen to the survivors.</p> <p>The late Yami Lester directly experienced the impacts of nuclear weapons. A Yankunytjatjara elder from South Australia, Yami was a child when the British tested at Emu Field in October 1953. He <a href="https://icanw.org.au/wp-content/uploads/BlackMist-FINAL-Web.pdf">recalled</a> the “Black Mist” after the bomb blast:</p> <p><em>It wasn’t long after that a black smoke came through. A strange black smoke, it was shiny and oily. A few hours later we all got crook, every one of us. We were all vomiting; we had diarrhoea, skin rashes and sore eyes. I had really sore eyes. They were so sore I couldn’t open them for two or three weeks. Some of the older people, they died. They were too weak to survive all the sickness. The closest clinic was 400 miles away.</em></p> <p>His daughter, Karina Lester, is an ambassador for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons in Australia, and continues to be driven by her family’s experience. She <a href="https://icanw.org.au/choosinghumanity/">writes</a>:</p> <p><em>For decades now my family have campaigned and spoken up against the harms of nuclear weapons because of their firsthand experience of the British nuclear tests […] Many Aboriginal people suffered from the British nuclear tests that took place in the 1950s and 1960s and many are still suffering from the impacts today.</em></p> <p>More than 16,000 Australian workers were also exposed. A key <a href="https://www.dva.gov.au/documents-and-publications/british-nuclear-testing-australia-studies">government-funded study</a> belatedly followed these veterans over an 18-year period from 1982. Despite the difficulties of conducting a study decades later with incomplete data, it <a href="https://cpb-us-w2.wpmucdn.com/blogs.pace.edu/dist/0/195/files/2018/10/Australia-PosObs-Country-Report-7-1zbngsb.pdf">found</a> they had 23% higher rates of cancer and 18% more deaths from cancers than the general population.</p> <p>An additional health impact in Pacific island countries is the toxic disease “ciguatera”, caused by certain microscopic plankton at the base of the marine food chain, which thrive on damaged coral. Their toxins concentrate up the food chain, especially in fish, and cause illness and occasional deaths in people who eat them. In the Marshall Islands, Kiritimati and French Polynesia, outbreaks of the disease among locals have been associated with coral damage caused by <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(89)91212-9/fulltext">nuclear test explosions</a> and the extensive military and shipping infrastructure supporting them.</p> <p>Pacific survivors of nuclear testing haven’t been focused solely on addressing their own considerable needs for justice and care; they’ve been powerful advocates that no one should suffer as they have ever again, and have worked tirelessly for the eradication of nuclear weapons. It’s no surprise independent Pacific island nations are strong supporters of the new treaty, accounting for ten of the first 50 ratifications.</p> <p><strong>Negligence and little accountability</strong></p> <p>Some nations that have undertaken nuclear tests have provided some care and compensation for their nuclear test workers; only the US has made some <a href="https://www.justice.gov/civil/common/reca">provisions</a> for people exposed, though only for mainland US residents downwind of the Nevada Test Site. No testing nation has extended any such arrangement beyond its own shores to the colonised and minority peoples it put in harm’s way. Nor has any testing nation made fully publicly available its records of the history, conduct and effects of its nuclear tests on exposed populations and the environment.</p> <p>These nations have also been negligent by quickly abandoning former test sites. There has been inadequate clean-up and little or none of the long-term environmental monitoring needed to detect radioactive leakage from underground test sites into groundwater, soil and air. One example among many is the Runit concrete dome in the Marshall Islands, which holds nuclear waste from US testing in the 1940s and 50s. It’s increasingly <a href="https://www.latimes.com/projects/marshall-islands-nuclear-testing-sea-level-rise/">inundated by rising sea levels</a>, and is leaking radioactive material.</p> <p>The treaty provides a light in a dark time. It contains the only internationally agreed framework for all nations to verifiably eliminate nuclear weapons.</p> <p>It’s our fervent hope the treaty will mark the increasingly urgent beginning of the end of nuclear weapons. It is our determined expectation that our country will step up. Australia has not yet ratified the treaty, but the bitter legacy of nuclear testing across our country and region should spur us to join this new global effort.</p> <p><em>Written <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tilman-ruff-89">Tilman Ruff</a>, University of Melbourne and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dimity-hawkins-292972">Dimity Hawkins</a>, Swinburne University of Technology. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/315-nuclear-bombs-and-ongoing-suffering-the-shameful-history-of-nuclear-testing-in-australia-and-the-pacific-148909">The Conversation.</a></em></p>

Cruising

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“I still cannot get over it”: Nuclear weapons ban comes after 75 years since Japan atomic bombs

<p>The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will finally come into force after the 50th country (Honduras) <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty-to-enter-into-force-united-nations-says-20201025-p568du.html">ratified it</a> over the weekend. The treaty will make the development, testing, stockpiling and use of nuclear weapons illegal for those countries that have signed it.</p> <p>This is an extraordinary achievement for those who have suffered the most from these weapons — including the <em>hibakusha</em> (survivors) of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the islanders who lived through nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific.</p> <p>Since 1956, the <em>hibakusha</em> in Japan, South Korea, Brazil and elsewhere have been some of the most strident campaigners against the use of these weapons. Among them is a group of Japanese Catholics from Nagasaki whom I interviewed as part of my <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Memory-Nagasaki-Narratives-Transformations/dp/0367217759">research</a> collecting the oral histories of atomic bomb survivors.</p> <p>A 92-year-old <em>hibakusha</em> of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945 and a brother in a Catholic order, Ozaki Tōmei, explained the significance of the treaty to survivors like him. He was orphaned from the bombing at 17 and never found his mother’s body.</p> <p>“The Germans made tools for war including poisonous gas, which was [eventually] banned […] However, when the USA made an atomic weapon, then they … wanted to try it out. It was a war […] they were human.</p> <p>“And so this is why we say we have to eliminate nuclear weapons […] They said they did it to end the war, but for the people who were struck, it was horrific […] there was no need to use it.”</p> <p><strong>Treaty does not have support of nuclear powers</strong></p> <p>The treaty was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/07/treaty-banning-nuclear-weapons-approved-un">adopted</a> at the United Nations in 2017 by a vote of 122 nations in favour, one against and one abstention.</p> <p>Sixty-nine nations, however, have not signed it, including all of the nuclear powers such as the US, UK, Russia, China, France, India, Pakistan and North Korea, as well as NATO member states (apart from the Netherlands who voted against), Japan and Australia.</p> <p>Since the treaty was adopted, it needed ratification by 50 countries to come into force. This will now happen in 90 days.</p> <p>The campaign for the treaty has relied heavily on civil society and organisations such as the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).</p> <p>And from the beginning, it has exposed political fault lines. The United States has been <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/us-urges-countries-to-withdraw-from-un-nuke-ban-treaty/2020/10/21/21918918-13ce-11eb-a258-614acf2b906d_story.html">particularly outspoken</a> in its opposition to the treaty, warning last week the treaty “turns back the clock on verification and disarmament and is dangerous” to the 50-year-old Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT).</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.un.org/disarmament/wmd/nuclear/npt/">NPT</a> sought to prevent the spread of nuclear arms beyond the five original weapons powers (the US, Russia, China, UK and France). It has been signed by 190 countries, including those five nations.</p> <p>The head of ICAN, Beatrice Fihn, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/us-urges-countries-to-withdraw-from-un-nuke-ban-treaty/2020/10/21/21918918-13ce-11eb-a258-614acf2b906d_story.html">says</a> the new treaty banning nuclear weapons merely builds on the nonproliferation treaty.</p> <p>“There’s no way you can undermine the nonproliferation treaty by banning nuclear weapons. It’s the end goal of the nonproliferation treaty.”</p> <p>States like Japan and Australia have opposed the treaty on the grounds their security is boosted by the US stockpile of nuclear weapons. Japan’s former prime minister, Shinzo Abe, <a href="https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/japan-holds-firm-against-nuclear-ban-treaty-on-anniversary-of-nuclear-bombings/">has said</a> the treaty “was created without taking into account the realities of security.”</p> <p><strong>The efforts of <em>hibakusha</em> in advocating for a treaty</strong></p> <p>Making the bomb illegal turns an old US justification for the weapon on its head. Harry Stimson, the former US war secretary, <a href="https://www.atomicheritage.org/key-documents/stimson-bomb">argued</a> in 1947 the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were necessary to compel the Japanese to surrender at the end of the second world war.</p> <p>“The atomic bomb was more than a weapon of terrible destruction; it was a psychological weapon.”</p> <p>The damage from the bombings was colossal. It is unknown how many people were killed, but <a href="https://thebulletin.org/2020/08/counting-the-dead-at-hiroshima-and-nagasaki/">estimates</a> range from 110,000 (the US army’s toll) to <a href="https://www.icanw.org/hiroshima_and_nagasaki_7_things_you_should_know">210,000</a> (the figure accepted by ICAN and others).</p> <p>At the forefront of the campaign to support the nuclear weapons ban treaty have been the voices of <em>hibakusha</em> who experienced the carnage firsthand.</p> <p>Another Catholic <em>hibakusha</em>, Nakamura Kazutoshi, told me the stockpiling of nuclear weapons enables states to carry out genocide.</p> <p>“In war, we are at a level below animals. Among monkeys, or chimpanzees, there are no animals who would carry out a genocide.”</p> <p>A third <em>hibakusha</em>, 90-year-old Jōji Fukahori, told me about how he lost his mother and three younger siblings in the Nagasaki bombing.</p> <p>His younger brother, Kōji, died an excruciating death around a week after the bombing, walking in the hot ash with no shoes and complaining to his brother, “I’m so hot!”</p> <p>At the site where Fukahori’s brother was exposed, the temperature was about 1,000 degrees Celsius. Fukahori said, “You would have thought everyone would have turned into charcoal.”</p> <p>For Fukahori, the lasting effects of radiation exposure is a major reason why nuclear weapons must be banned. He continued: “the terror of radiation has to be fully communicated … The atomic bomb is unacceptable. I still cannot get over it.”</p> <p>Since 2009, Fukahori has been speaking out at the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and on the <a href="https://peaceboat.org/english/project/hibakusha#:%7E:text=Peace%20Boat%20has%20long%20worked,%3A%20Peace%20Boat%20Hibakusha%20Project%E2%80%9D.">Peace Boat</a>, a non-governmental organisation that organises cruises where passengers learn about the consequences of using nuclear weapons from <em>hibakusha</em>.</p> <p><strong>Pressure building on Japan</strong></p> <p>The Japanese government is now under <a href="http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13522651">mounting pressure</a> to ratify the treaty. Major Japanese financial institutions and companies have said they will no longer fund the production of nuclear weapons and nearly a third of all local assemblies have adopted proposals calling on the government to act.</p> <p>The government, however, has been unmoved. In August, Abe <a href="https://twitter.com/AbeShinzo/status/1292325885849137157?s=20">gave a speech</a> at a memorial service in Nagasaki, in which he suggested the effects of the bombings had been overcome.</p> <p>“Seventy-five years ago today, Nagasaki was reduced to ashes, with not a single tree or blade of grass remaining. Yet through the efforts of its citizens, it achieved reconstruction beautifully as we see today. Mindful of this, we again feel strongly that there is no trial that cannot be overcome and feel acutely how precious peace is.”</p> <p>A Japanese atomic researcher, who knows how Fukahori and other <em>hibakusha</em> have not been able to move on, told me Abe’s words don’t go far enough:</p> <p>“Rather than placing a ‘full-stop’ at the end of damages such as this, we have a necessity to make our claim that the damages are not finished.”</p> <p>The nuclear weapons ban treaty offers a moment of hope for all the <em>hibakusha</em> of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still with us after 75 years. It is certainly their hope the ratification of the treaty now moves us one step closer to a world free of nuclear war.</p> <p><em>Written by <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/gwyn-mcclelland-305943">Gwyn McClelland</a>, University of New England. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-still-cannot-get-over-it-75-years-after-japan-atomic-bombs-a-nuclear-weapons-ban-treaty-is-finally-realised-147851">The Conversation.</a> </em></p> <p> </p>

Beauty & Style

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The amazing chart showing the ticking housing time bomb caused by Australians delaying major decisions

<p dir="ltr"><strong>Australians are carrying significant mortgage debt into retirement because they are increasingly delaying major life decisions such as marriage, home purchases and even getting a full-time job.</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">On Monday, 18 November the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR)<span> </span><a href="http://cepar.edu.au/resources-videos/research-briefs/housing-ageing-australia-nest-and-nest-egg">released a new report<span> </span></a>which seeks to explain why so many Australians are now entering retirement with housing debt. In 2016, about 36% of homeowning households still had a mortgage at the point of retirement (age 60-64), up from 23% a decade earlier.</p> <p>The report finds that the situation can be explained by the fact that Australians are practising bulk procrastination and making practically every major decision later in life.</p> <p>The report finds that, between 1971 and 2011, the median age at which Australians:</p> <ul> <li>Started their first full-time job increased from 16 to 25</li> <li>Finishing education increased from 17 to 22</li> <li>Had their first child increased from 24 to 31</li> <li>Married increased from 23 to 31</li> <li>Bought their first home increased from 27 to 33.</li> </ul> <p>According to the report, these delayed decisions mean that the median age that Australians had paid off their mortgage has increased from 52 in 1971 to 62 in 2011 (and is likely to have increased since 2011).</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition, the delayed decisions are continuing well into retirement.</p> <p>For instance, the median Australian is now leaving the labour force at 64, rather than 61 in 1971, and entering aged care at 85, rather than 81 in 1971. Here's the data in chart form:</p> <p><img src="https://img.seniorshousingonline.com.au/787cb58b6bac427d7cfab89e067d4a131f172e1b" alt="" width="650" height="298" /></p> <p>Rafal Chomik, a CEPAR senior research fellow at UNSW Sydney, said that while high house prices and overall reduced affordability was a factor in delayed home purchase decisions, people needed to be wary about taking forever to get into the market.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Lifetime homeownership rates will decline if some people postpone purchasing a home indefinitely,” said Rafal Chomik. “Banks may be reluctant to lend past a certain age given retirement ages are increasing more slowly.”</p> <p>Centre Director John Piggott, Scientia Professor of Economics at UNSW Business School, said that with the Australian retirement system built on the premise of homeownership, excessive or indefinite deferral of home purchase can have consequences.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There is the potential that in the future more older people end up renting, and if so, we need a safety net to support them as the current retirement income system is failing renters,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>The Downsizing.com.au view</strong></p> <p>This research brings a different perspective to the national debate about retirement incomes and indicates part of the problem is an emerging national psychology against taking early, hard decisions.</p> <p>As the old saying goes ‘there is no time like the present’.</p> <p>Australians need to be alert to, and wary of, this growing life decision deferral trend.</p> <p>While it’s a bad move to delay buying your first home, it is an equally bad move to delay making a decision to move from the family home into more suitable and more lifestyle-rich downsizing-friendly accommodation.</p> <p>Many Australians delay making a downsizing decision, and then find they are too old to move into a retirement village or land lease community and need to go straight into aged care. In doing this, they have missed the opportunity to live among a supportive community and access great lifestyle features and age-appropriate accommodation. </p> <p>Indeed, research shows that moving into a<span> </span><a href="https://www.cityam.com/retirement-villages-extend-life-expectancy-women/">retirement village community can extend life by five years.</a></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Mark Skelsey</span>. Republished with permission of </em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.downsizing.com.au/news/626/The-amazing-chart-showing-the-ticking-housing-time-bomb-caused-by-Australians-delaying-major-decisions" target="_blank"><em>Downsizing.com.au</em></a><em>. </em></p>

Retirement Income

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Collar bomb hoax: How Madeleine Pulver is doing eight years on

<p><span>Madeleine Pulver was just 17 when a balaclava-clad man broke into her Mosman home and strapped what appeared to be a collar bomb to her neck.</span></p> <p><span>The intruder left the device along with a letter demanding cash from her parents, the then-Australian Rugby Union CEO Bill Pulver and his wife Belinda.</span></p> <p><span>Pulver, who was in year 12 and preparing for her HSC, had the device locked to her neck for 10 hours before the police bomb squad discovered that the bomb was fake.</span></p> <p><span>The man who installed the device, investment banker Paul Douglas Peters, was later arrested in the US and extradited to Australia, where he was sentenced to 13.5 years in prison for aggravated break and enter and detaining for advantage.</span></p> <p><span>Today, Pulver is 26 and working as an interior designer in Sydney’s Double Bay.</span></p> <p><span>“I’m doing really well, I’m working as an interior designer and I’m loving it,” she told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7632951/Sydney-collar-bomb-victim-Maddie-Pulver-26-interior-designer.html" target="_blank"><em>Daily Mail Australia</em></a>.</span></p> <p><span>“I had a career shift last year and I’m doing what I’m really passionate about now.”</span></p> <p><span>After completing her Bachelor’s degree at University of Technology, Sydney, Pulver worked for advertising agencies Edelman and Host/Havas as an account executive. </span></p> <p><span>In 2018, she made a career change with a diploma in interior design from the Billy Blue College of Design.</span></p> <p><span>Pulver said she tries “not to think” about the ordeal that she went through back in 2011.</span></p> <p><span>“[What happened to me] hasn’t hurt my career at all, or at least I hope not.”</span></p> <p><span>In 2017, Pulver received a Group Bravery Citation along with <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-13/bravery-awards-honour-heroes-who-fought-off-sharks-and-flames/8905664" target="_blank">14 police officers</a> involved in dealing with her incident.</span></p>

News

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Massive spelling slip-up! Trinny Woodall drops C-bomb on The Sunday Project

<p>Triny Woodall left<span> </span><em>The Sunday Project </em>panel in shock after dropping the C-bomb on-air. </p> <p>The style queen appeared on the Channel 10 show alongside hosts Lisa Wilkinson, Tommy Little, Susie Youssef and Peter Van Onselen. </p> <p>It was during the live episode when Woodall made a grave mistake and accidentally spelt out the “c-bomb” on air. </p> <p>Speaking of her former<span> </span>What Not to Wear<span> </span>co-host Susannah Constantine, the English celebrity said the pair were still great friends who always “call each other rude names — like c-u-*-* …”.</p> <p>The hosts sat speechless and Woodall also appeared to be mortified, going on to explain that she meant to leave out a few letters. </p> <p>The video was not made immediately available on 10Play as it usually is, and still remained unavailable on early Monday morning.</p> <p>Video of Woodall’s segment was posted to<span> </span>The Project’s<span> </span>Facebook page — with the offensive moment being cut out. </p> <div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=448807716019558" data-width="500" data-show-text="true"> <blockquote class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"> <p>The fabulous Trinny reveals the hilarious reason she can't tell if Aussies are friendly or tipsy, the makeup message she wants people to hear, and the current state of her friendship with Susannah.</p> Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheProjectTV/">The Project</a> on <a href="https://developers.facebook.com/TheProjectTV/videos/448807716019558/">Sunday, October 20, 2019</a></blockquote> </div> <p>It’s not the first time Woodall has sparked controversy, after she told<span> </span>Stellar magazine<span> </span>she “didn’t know” her partner had been photographed holding his ex Nigella Lawson by the throat when they met.</p> <p>The 55-year-old makeup and fashion maven has been linked to billionaire art dealer Charles Saatchi — the ex-husband of worldwide famous chef Nigella Lawson — for almost six years.</p> <p>Woodall claims she didn’t know about the incident even though the photograph made headlines around the world. </p> <p>“Really weirdly, I still didn’t know any of that sh*t,” she told Stellar.</p> <p>She said she had only asked a mutual friend one question about Saatchi: whether he was “kind”.</p> <p>“I would ask that of anyone,” Woodall said.</p> <p>“I realised in my 50s I wanted a kind heart.”</p>

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