Placeholder Content Image

Police fatally shoot armed 16-year-old after Bunnings carpark stabbing

<p>A 16-year-old boy has been shot dead by police after he stabbed a man in the carpark of a Bunnings Warehouse on Saturday night. </p> <p>WA Police were called to the hardware store in south Perth, which was closed at the time of the incident, after they received a call from the teen saying he was going to commit acts of violence. </p> <p>A second emergency call was then made a short time later after the teenager stabbed a man in the carpark, in what appears to be a random attack. </p> <p>Police Commissioner Col Blanch said when they arrived on the scene, they found a 16-year-old armed with a large kitchen knife.</p> <p>Commissioner Blanch said the boy lunged at officers with the knife and was shot, and died a short time later in hospital.</p> <p>The man who was stabbed, who is in his 30s, is recovering in hospital and is believed to be in a serious but stable condition.</p> <p>The police commissioner and WA Premier Roger Cook held a press conference on Sunday morning and described the incident as "extremely confronting".</p> <p>They said the boy was "running around a car park, armed with a knife" when police arrived. </p> <p>"They [WA police] exited their vehicle and were confronted with a male alone with a large kitchen knife," Commissioner Blanch said.</p> <p>"Two officers drew their tasers and one of the officers drew his firearm. They challenged the male to put down the knife, which he did not."</p> <p>Mr Cook said there were indications the boy had been radicalised online, saying at the press conference, "I want to reassure the community at this stage it appears that he acted solely and alone."</p> <p>"Members of the WA Muslim community, who were concerned by his behaviour, contacted police prior to the incident and I thank them for their help."</p> <p>It was also said the boy's family was cooperating with police.</p> <p>Commissioner Blanch said the incident was not being labelled as a terrorist attack at this stage.</p> <p>"It certainly has the hallmarks of one [but] the reason why I would declare it as a terrorist act going forward — it's about timing," Commissioner Blanch said.</p> <p>"That's something that we can work towards as we find out more information from the motivations behind this."</p> <p><em>Image credits: ABC / Shutterstock</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Should the voting age in Australia be lowered to 16?

<p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/intifar-chowdhury-741153">Intifar Chowdhury</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National University</a></span></em></p> <p>Attempts to lower the voting age in Australia to 16 have been historically <a href="https://law.unimelb.edu.au/centres/errn/about/past-events/lowering-the-voting-age-in-australia">unsuccessful</a>. More recently, the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;source=web&amp;cd=&amp;cad=rja&amp;uact=8&amp;ved=2ahUKEwik97j_5d__AhWBSWwGHX-2BWoQFnoECBAQAQ&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.makeit16.au%2F&amp;usg=AOvVaw3O0c90Y1uz8y5KvToM7e_Y&amp;opi=89978449">Make It 16 campaign</a> has been advocating for the enfranchisement of 16 and 17-year-olds, but with <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-13/lowering-the-voting-age-to-16/102473606">no fines</a> for under 18s who fail to cast their ballots.</p> <p>Voluntary or not, lowering the voting age will have consequences for how political behaviour shapes political outcomes, especially for issues that particularly interest the young, such as climate change, cost of living, mental health and wellbeing.</p> <p>Younger people tend to be more <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jun/28/young-australians-far-less-likely-than-parents-to-vote-coalition-as-they-get-older-report-finds">progressive</a> in their views. This in turn would alter the make-up of the Australian electorate at each election or referendum. The addition of socially progressive voters might well be <a href="https://reporter.anu.edu.au/all-stories/young-people-may-decide-the-outcome-of-the-voice-referendum-heres-why">decisive</a> on a highly contentious and divisive issue such as the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.</p> <h2>Who should have the right to vote?</h2> <p>In 1973, following mass youth casualties in the Vietnam War, Australia’s voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. The reasoning behind this centred on equity: if 18-year-olds were old enough to fight and die, they should be old enough to vote.</p> <p>Today’s equity arguments centre on taxation: many 16 and 17-year-olds pay tax and therefore should have equal rights to representation. However, this representation logic is not <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Electoral_Matters/VotingAge/Advisory_report/section?id=committees%2Freportjnt%2F024195%2F26301#:%7E:text=Civics%20education,-2.81&amp;text=Lowering%20the%20voluntary%20voting%20age,for%20politics%20and%20civics%20education.">unique</a> to 16 and 17-year-olds. It applies equally well to those under 16, as well as to tourists and temporary residents, who pay tax but do not have the right to vote.</p> <p>Beyond the taxation argument, the franchise has been aligned with other adult responsibilities such as driving a car and consenting to sex. An important point of distinction, though, is the motivation: do they actually want to vote?</p> <p>Although enthusiastic young leaders are driving campaigns such as Make It 16, we cannot be confident that a subset of politically engaged young people is representative of the Australian youth. There is no question about the cognitive abilities of 16 to 17-year-olds to engage with the electoral process. But there is little longitudinal data to firmly establish that younger people are <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/do-young-people-care-about-politics/10905604">enthused</a> about voting.</p> <p>That is not to say young people are not <a href="https://theconversation.com/young-australians-are-supposedly-turning-their-backs-on-democracy-but-are-they-any-different-from-older-voters-163891">interested in politics</a>. <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/292274/2/Full%20Thesis%20Revisions_clean%20copy.pdf">Evidence</a> from Australia and elsewhere shows young people engage differently: their engagement with politics is based more on issues than party loyalties.</p> <p>Being able to vote would mean younger people feel less excluded and alienated from politics. However, critics <a href="https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/gen-z-pushing-for-australias-voting-age-to-be-lowered-to-16/news-story/ba9103ed2b5bb825b9178b6efb52a1d9">worry</a> voluntary voting for 16 to 17-year-olds would weaken compulsory voting.</p> <p>Australia’s compulsory voting means it has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10361146.2021.1899131">resisted</a> youth electoral disengagement at the polls, which has markedly happened in other non-compulsory voting democracies. Given the highly transitory life stage they are in, young people are more likely to abstain if voting is voluntary. This would also run the risk of imprinting the habit of abstention.</p> <h2>What does the evidence suggest?</h2> <p>Data from the Australian Election Study <a href="https://australianelectionstudy.org/wp-content/uploads/McAllister-Voting-Age-2014.pdf">suggest</a> lowering the voting age would not invigorate electoral participation. It is likely early enfranchisement alone <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Electoral_Matters/VotingAge/Advisory_report/section?id=committees%2Freportjnt%2F024195%2F26301#footnote28target">will not be a panacea</a> for youth engagement. Rather, there are concerns that voluntary voting might further exacerbate the problem of lower youth enrolment.</p> <p>My <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/292274/2/Full%20Thesis%20Revisions_clean%20copy.pdf">comparative study</a> of youth electoral disengagement in advanced democracies studied a suite of institutional factors, including:</p> <ul> <li>electoral system (majoritarian versus proportional)</li> <li>type of executive (parliamentary/presidential)</li> <li>type of system (federal/unitary)</li> <li>party system (two/multi)</li> <li>voting age (16-21).</li> </ul> <p>I found that, even when controlling for compulsory voting, it is the registration system that significantly influences generational engagement at the polls.</p> <p>Transition to adulthood is characterised by increasing mobility in every aspect of life. On top of this, registration rules make it difficult for young people without a permanent, long-term residence to register to vote.</p> <p>Within the voluntary registration system, young people are especially disadvantaged since new eligible voters are often unfamiliar with the registration system, including how and where to register to vote. Consequently, many confused, eligible voters inadvertently miss voter registration deadlines. Current <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/Enrolment_stats/performance/national-youth.htm">evidence</a> shows voter enrolment is lowest among those aged 18-24, at 89.5%, compared to a <a href="https://www.aec.gov.au/enrolling_to_vote/enrolment_stats/">national figure</a> of 97.2%.</p> <p>However, what has been largely missing in the voting age debate is that lowering it to 16 may be a way to redress this enrolment discrepancy. It may be an institutional design feature that could cater to youth transition: 16-17-year-olds are more likely to be in parental homes when they enrol and then finally vote. This may help attract and keep them as active voters as they gain independence.</p> <h2>What does this mean for (major) parties?</h2> <p>The Coalition’s historic low support among young voters in the <a href="https://australianelectionstudy.org/wp-content/uploads/The-2022-Australian-Federal-Election-Results-from-the-Australian-Election-Study.pdf">2022 federal election</a> may be a symptom of a long-lasting generational shift in the electorate. In the past two elections, only 26% of Gen Z voters, born after 1996, reported voting for the Coalition, while 67% of them voted either for the Greens or Labor. Although historically young people have tended to become more conservative as they age, <a href="https://www.afr.com/politics/millennials-are-getting-older-but-not-more-conservative-20221205-p5c3na">recent evidence</a> suggests voters born after 1980 are not doing that.</p> <p>Extrapolating this trajectory of voting preferences, the addition of more socially progressive, issue-based younger voters will potentially benefit the left-of-centre parties, particularly the Greens. One political reason for Labor’s reluctance to lower the voting age seems to be the stark popularity of the Greens among Gen Z voters, which would increase the Greens threat to the incumbent.</p> <p>Over the years, both major parties have been losing their (youth) votes to the Greens. Lowering the voting age may well pronounce this.</p> <h2>What would it mean for young voters?</h2> <p>Given the context of compulsory voting, Australia is best placed to implement the lowering of voting age to reap the benefits of engaging younger voters to the electorate. Much <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/push-to-follow-overseas-lead-and-lower-voting-age-to-16-gains-momentum-20220401-p5aa3o.html">has been said</a> about how this would improve youth representation, efficacy and outcomes.</p> <p>However, lowering the voting age might not address the problem of <a href="https://www.policyforum.net/overly-suspicious-youth-or-dodgy-politicians/">youth distrust</a> of politicians and the widening gap between younger generations and political parties. This would require a sincere effort to understand what causes the drift, before enfranchising younger voters and loosely tying them to a voluntary voting system. In fact, there is a real risk that voluntary voting might encourage the type of abstention driven by a strong dislike for politicians.</p> <p>Enfranchising hundreds and thousands of additional voters would also inevitably raise the issues of ensuring proper enrolment and that young voters are well informed to vote. It would need to be accompanied by a major boost to <a href="https://theconversation.com/schools-are-not-adequately-preparing-young-australians-to-participate-in-our-democracy-88131">civics education</a> in Australian secondary schools.</p> <p>All in all, while compulsory voting is the best system for lowering the voting age, we’d have to be careful not to undermine the system as it stands. Instead, it is important to tie it to efforts to inform younger voters and reduce the age-related barriers in a (compulsory) electoral process.<!-- 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/208095/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/intifar-chowdhury-741153">Intifar Chowdhury</a>, Youth Researcher, Centre for Social Research and Methods, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/australian-national-university-877">Australian National 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/should-the-voting-age-in-australia-be-lowered-to-16-208095">original article</a>.</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Aussie actress in catastrophic bus crash offered $16 voucher as compensation

<p>An Aussie tourist left injured and stranded after a fatal bus crash in southern Italy has claimed the travel company only offered her a meal voucher for the inconvenience.</p> <p>Australian actress Sinead Curry, who has starred in TV shows like The Haunting of Nancy Drew and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, said that nine hours following the crash, the European bus company offered her a $16 meal voucher for her troubles.</p> <p>Curry and partner Salma Salah, both from Sydney, boarded the FlixBus in the city of Bari on June 3 for the long journey to the Northern city of Bologna with a transfer to Rome.</p> <p>However, two hours into the trip Curry said the “bus hit something”.</p> <p>“We were all asleep, it went airborne and spun around a bunch of times,” she said in a TikTok video posted the following day, showing her in hospital wearing a neck brace.</p> <p>Curry told followers the bus was “flung around like in a blender” before it landed down by an embankment, which she claimed was “on the other side of the road”.</p> <p>“Several cars then hit the bus moving the bus closer and closer to the side of the road,” Curry explained in her video.</p> <p>Italian and German media reported the bus crash occurred near the town of Avellino, approximately 50km east of the southwest city of Naples.</p> <p>Five cars were caught up in the accident and local emergency services were quoted as saying the “lifeless body of a man was found” along with 14 people sustaining injuries.</p> <p>Curry said there were 38 people on the bus, including another Aussie woman called “Caity”, who suffered a broken collarbone.</p> <p>After Curry was discharged from the hospital, fearing her nose was broken but was assured it was not, she made another video emphasising how she felt abandoned by the bus company.</p> <p>“FlixBus none of your numbers are working,” an emotional Curry urged.</p> <p>“They ring out and they hang up on us. We cannot get any information from FlixBus, we cannot get our luggage back.</p> <p>“They offered us by text a 10 euro ($16) meal replacement voucher for the inconvenience.</p> <p>“There are a bunch of people here who nearly died we don't have any information.”</p> <p>Curry later claimed FlixBus even blocked her on social media.</p> <p>“We just want some information and some help,” she explained, complaining that she was still waiting on her luggage to be returned.</p> <p>FlixBus issued a statement claiming “a support line and email” was provided to all passengers and their families following the incident.</p> <p>"Outbound calls were made to passengers who had registered their mobile numbers, and emails were sent to passengers with instructions,” the bus company said.</p> <p>“At all times, the safety of its passengers and drivers is of highest priority to FlixBus.”</p> <p>Two days following the incident Curry received her luggage and was in Rome after an emergency shuttle had been deployed for stranded passengers.</p> <p>However, she said that as they arrived in Rome, passengers were finding “shrapnel” from the crash in their bodies and she had gotten a piece out of herself.</p> <p>On June 5 Curry took to TikTok again, saying she and her partner were grateful to be “safe and in Rome”.</p> <p>Although safe, she did note that they were heading to the hospital to get checked again as she was suffering from “very severe headaches” and had intense pain in her jaw.</p> <p>Curry then thanked the “heroes” in Italian fire and rescue, who she said took her and her partner in and gave them pasta, crackers, water and a change of clothes.</p> <p>She said FlixBus had rung her twice at a later date to tell the couple to keep receipts for a full refund.</p> <p>Curry jetted to Europe for her dream holiday but given the incident, she and her partner are dumping their Italian plans to recuperate in Rome.</p> <p>“We are so grateful to be alive please hold your loved ones close,” she said.</p> <p><em>Image credit: TikTok</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

16 ways to kill garden weeds

<h2>How to kill garden weeds with ease</h2> <p>Looking for a safe way to keep weeds and grass from growing in the cracks of your paved patios, driveways and footpaths? Here are a few tricks that will keep weeds at bay.</p> <h2>Baking soda</h2> <p>Sprinkle handfuls of baking soda onto the concrete and simply sweep it into the cracks. The added sodium will make it much less hospitable to dandelions and their friends.</p> <h2>Bleach</h2> <p>Pour a bit of undiluted bleach over them. After a day or two, you can simply pull them out and the bleach will keep them from coming back. Just be careful not to get bleach on the grass or plants bordering the path.</p> <h2>Boiling water</h2> <p>Put on the kettle and pour boiling water over cracks where weeds grow. This will kill the stubborn weeds.</p> <h2>Vinegar</h2> <p>Are dandelions a problem? Make them disappear for good by spraying them with full-strength white or apple cider vinegar. Early in the season, give each plant a single spritz of vinegar in its midsection or in the middle of the flower before the plants go to seed. Aim another shot near the stem at ground level so the vinegar can soak down to the roots. Keep an eye on the weather, though; if it rains the next day, you’ll need to give the weeds another spraying.</p> <h2>Borax</h2> <p>Sprinkle borax in the crevices where you’ve seen weeds grow in the past. It will kill them off before they have a chance to take root. When applied around the foundation of your home, it will also keep ants and other six-legged intruders from entering your house. But be very careful when applying borax – it is toxic to plants.</p> <h2>Bottles</h2> <p>When using herbicides to kill weeds in your garden, you have to be careful not to also spray and kill surrounding plants. To isolate the weed you want to kill, cut a 2-litre soft drink bottle in half and place the top half over the weed you want to spray. Then direct your pump’s spraying wand through the regular opening in the top of the bottle and blast away. After the spray settles down, pick up the bottle and move on to your next target. Always wear goggles and gloves when spraying chemicals in the garden.</p> <h2>Corn gluten meal</h2> <p>This non-toxic herbicide kills weed seedlings within just a few days of application. An organic byproduct of the corn milling process, corn gluten meal is made up of 10 per cent nitrogen. It works by inhibiting weed roots from forming, according to <a href="https://www.thespruce.com/corn-gluten-herbicide-careful-timing-2152947">TheSpruce.com</a>. But the timing is important: You have to apply corn gluten meal to soil before weeds emerge.</p> <h2>Landscape fabric</h2> <p>This all-natural method takes longer to decompose than mulch. But don’t buy just any type. “Hold the fabric up to the light and make sure the pores in the fabric are small enough to prevent weeds from growing through the barrier,” recommends the Family Handyman. “Also, a good-quality landscape fabric is one you can’t tear or stretch easily. It should feel stiff, not flimsy and limp.</p> <h2>Carpet scraps</h2> <p>Alternatively, if you have scraps of carpet lying around, us these to suppress weeds in you garden. Place upside down in your garden or along your garden path and cover with bark mulch or straw. Use also around your vegetable garden.</p> <h2>Newspaper</h2> <p>Like carpet, laying down newspaper will block sunlight, prevent oxygen from reaching the soil and smother weeds that are already growing. Put down 10 layers of newspapers on the soil, wet it with water to hold it in place and then cover with mulch.</p> <h2>Salt</h2> <p>Bring a solution of about 1 cup salt in 2 cups water to a boil. Pour directly on the weeds in the cracks of your path to kill them. Another equally effective method is to spread salt directly onto the weeds or unwanted grass that come up between bricks. Wait for rain to rinse it off.</p> <h2>Shower curtains</h2> <p>Those old shower curtains will also come in handy next time you do any landscaping with gravel or bark chips. Just place the shower curtain under the mulching material to prevent annoying weeds from poking through. While weeds can be pests, bugs can be beneficial.</p> <h2>Spray bottles</h2> <p>Fill a spray bottle with undiluted white vinegar to get rid of the weeds and grass poking out of the cracks in your concrete, as well as ants and other insects. Be careful not to spray it on your plants though, as the high acidity could kill them.</p> <h2>Vodka</h2> <p>For a quick and easy weed killer, mix 30mL of vodka, a few drops of dishwashing liquid and 2 cups water in a spray bottle. Spray it on the weed leaves until the mixture runs off. Apply it at midday on a sunny day to weeds growing in direct sunlight, because the alcohol breaks down the waxy cuticle covering on leaves, leaving them susceptible to dehydration in sunlight. It won’t work in shade.</p> <h2>Trowel</h2> <div id="page6"> <div id="test"> <div> <p>Looking for an extremely hands-on approach to how to kill weeds? A trowel is an easy way to dig them up, particularly if they’re big weeds.</p> <h2>WD-40</h2> <p>Don’t let pesky prickly weeds ruin your garden. Just spray some WD-40 on them and they’ll wither and die.</p> <div data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/gardeningtips/16-ways-to-kill-garden-weeds"> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/gardeningtips/16-ways-to-kill-garden-weeds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Home & Garden

Placeholder Content Image

Maddy McCann's parents' heart-wrenching post on 16-year anniversary

<p>Madeleine McCann's parents have released an emotional statement on the 16-year anniversary of when their daughter was abducted. </p> <p>Kate and Gerry McCann shared that they are still hoping for a breakthrough in the search for their daughter, who would now be 19 years old. </p> <p>Maddie vanished from her family’s holiday apartment in Portugal in May 2007 at the age of three and has not been seen since.</p> <p>The grieving parents shared that even after 16 difficult years, they struggle to put their heartbreak into words. </p> <p>Writing on the official Find Madeleine Instagram Page, Kate and Gerry posted an emotional poem called <em>The Contradiction</em> by Clare Pollard before thanking people for their support.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crwok6gLHau/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crwok6gLHau/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Official Find Madeleine Campaign (@officialfindmadeleine)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“The police investigation continues, and we await a breakthrough.” the post read. “Today marks the 16th anniversary of Madeleine’s abduction."</p> <p>“Still missing …… still very much missed."</p> <p>“It is hard to find the words to convey how we feel.”</p> <p>They added that the poem <em>The Contradiction</em> “resonates strongly with us”.</p> <p>The heart-wrenching poem reads, “You are not here, I’m not myself, but still I talk to you like this."</p> <p>“I cannot hold you, yet I do: please let me hold you in my head and where you are now, hold me too."</p> <p>After posting the poem, the couple wrote, “Thank you to everyone for your support – it really helps.”</p> <p>The post was flooded was comments of support, with one person writing, "We are so many who are with you, and who hope with all our hearts that she will be reunited with you. Please let this year be the year you'll get the answers you need."</p> <p>Another put it simply, "I hope she finds her way home to you."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

How to deal with depression: what worked for 16 real-life people

<p>Central to the tragedy of depression is that so many people fail to seek help. About 300 million people worldwide suffer from this mood disorder, and it impacts their relationships, their work, and even puts their life in danger. Ten per cent of all adults in Australians will experience depression at some point in their life, and two-thirds of cases are women, according to the World Health Organization. Yet for all the people who have it, few talk about it and most feel isolated. These 16 people have decided to speak up, revealing how they deal with depression: here are their best tips for weathering this storm.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I go running outdoors”</h2> <p>Before Alice Roberts discovered running, she says her depression kept her house-bound, in bed, and binge-watching Netflix all day. One day, she forced herself to try a little jog outside. The sunshine, fresh air, and stimulation combined to make a powerful antidepressant. “Once I get out running, I feel so much better, and it’s easier to go the next time,” she says. “Too many days off, and it’s a struggle again.”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I keep a daily gratitude journal”</h2> <p>Counting your blessings may sound like trite advice to someone suffering from the suffocating darkness of depression, but sometimes the most effective solutions are simplest, says Natalie Nash. Nash had long struggled with how to deal with depression when she decided to try keeping a 30-day gratitude journal. She thought it might help some; she was surprised to see how much of a difference it made in her mood. The journal, along with medication, helped her break the cycle of isolation and loneliness that she was caught up in. “When I have rough days I try to focus on what is going well and what brings me joy. It also helps me recognise blessings and answers to prayers,” she says.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I do ketamine therapy”</h2> <p>Used for decades as an anaesthetic, the drug ketamine is being studied as a treatment for severe depression – especially depression that doesn’t respond to other treatments. “Ketamine absolutely changed my life,” says Marshall L, who says his depression was so severe he didn’t leave his house for six years. “I get an infusion every three to four weeks and it feels like that fog has lifted. I have a clarity and a will I never had before.” Now, he can hold down a job, is in a relationship, and is working with a therapist to develop coping skills to prevent future depressive episodes once he stops the treatments.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I used martial arts to change my thought patterns”</h2> <p>While many people with depression can’t point to an exact cause of their suffering, some depression is triggered by traumatic life events. Scott Aksamit discovered this for himself after he suffered a major depressive episode after the death of his brother. How to deal with his depression? He decided to try martial arts as a way to get his anger out and was surprised to discover how much it also helped with his mood. The effects went beyond exercise, however. “My coach taught me the power of positive thinking and I was able to use that to reframe how I thought about my life,” he says.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I take a daily antidepressant pill”</h2> <p>When it comes to depression, medication works, especially when used in conjunction with other treatments like exercise and therapy, according to a study published in The Lancet. It’s not a perfect solution and some people find more relief than others but getting on a prescription anti-depressant was a game-changer for Denise McNeill who says she’s struggled with the mental illness all her life. “I feel fortunate that medication helped me immediately,” she says. “It’s a hereditary condition in my family, so I will be on medication for the rest of my life and I am totally fine with that.”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I shower and get dressed every morning”</h2> <p>One of the primary signs of depression is difficulty doing regular, everyday tasks, like self-care. And not taking care of your physical needs can increase depression, creating a self-reinforcing cycle. Ivie Cosens first noticed this pattern when she left for college and was on her own – without her mum reminding her to take care of herself, things started to slip through the cracks. Now she says she stops this cycle before it can start by making sure that even if she does nothing else that day, she showers and gets dressed in real clothes (no pyjamas or tracksuits!). “Simple things like getting ready for the day and making sure I eat three meals a day help me a lot because it feels like I’ve accomplished something,” she explains. “When I am feeling depressed I go through that self-care checklist and make sure I’m doing everything I can.”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I use a ‘happy light'”</h2> <p>Getting a daily dose of morning sunshine has been proven in multiple research studies to help people deal with depression, especially those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in autumn and winter. But while sunshine definitely helped Mary Rogers, the winters just didn’t provide enough light. Then her therapist suggested she use a ‘happy light’ – a large artificial light that mimics the spectrum of light found in natural sunshine – on days she couldn’t get outside. “This has been the key for me, getting outside and using my light every day, along with medication, prayer, music, and playing with my children,” she says.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I eat an ultra-clean diet”</h2> <p>When his doctors told Dennis Legori he was in remission from cancer, Legori assumed the worst was over. However, his oncologist told him that post-chemo depression is a real thing and more common than people think. Sure enough, his mood started to drop and he decided to take steps to fix it immediately, starting with following a diet of whole foods. “My diet includes a lot of greens, berries, and smoothies and I limit red meat, avoid soda [soft-drinks], and drink plenty of water,” he says. Legori also gets 30 minutes of exercise every day. Now he feels better than he ever has and, he notes, even has fewer grey hairs than before.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I use EMDR therapy”</h2> <p>This non-traditional treatment for depression turned out to be exactly what Lindsey Letendre needed when she had a bout of severe depression after the birth of her son. EMDR stands for eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing, and the therapy uses hand-tapping and eye movements to help people process traumatic or painful memories. While Letendre had struggled with depression on and off previously, the postpartum episode was so intense it made her seek out alternatives. “I still struggle with depression but I found EMDR to be the most helpful form of therapy for me,” she explains.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I got the right diagnosis”</h2> <p>Not all depression is the same, and there are many mental health diagnoses that are often lumped together under the umbrella of depression. Getting an accurate diagnosis was the key to finding effective treatment for Rachel Larson. For nearly a decade, she’s gone through periods of being really down, but it got very bad during her first pregnancy – and it was then that she finally got an answer to her extreme mood swings. “It turns out I suffer from bipolar depression, which has aspects of both depression and bipolar disorder, and using medications for bipolar disorder, rather than regular antidepressants, has made all the difference,” she says. “Now I go to counselling and take medication and I am so much happier!”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I make sleep my #1 priority”</h2> <p>As a mum of four kids under six – including a one-month-old infant – Janette Kudin knows all about sleep deprivation. Thanks to postpartum depression, she also understands the mental fog and dark mood of the mental illness and the toll it takes. It was only recently, however, that she discovered the connection between sleep and depression. “I get postpartum anxiety and depression and have found one of the best things I can do is to get enough sleep,” she says. “I force myself to sleep whenever I can, even if that means putting off household chores or other duties. Right now, having a newborn means I have to let my bigger kids watch a show so I can nap while the baby does. Those are things I don’t necessarily love to do, but if I get over-tired, I’m a mess and it’s worse for everyone.”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I do yoga twice a week”</h2> <p>Monica Haines has been on medication for depression for 14 years; while the meds definitely help, she found greater relief when she started yoga, she says. “What is so helpful is how it teaches you to just be present wherever you are and to be gentle with yourself,” she says. “Depression feels so intolerable that just having someone coach self-acceptance, one moment at a time is extremely helpful for me.” Another benefit is that her yoga classes get her out of the house and with her friends, two other things that help her depression.</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I take CBD oil every day”</h2> <p>Cannabidiol oil is all the rage these days, with people using it for everything from pain relief to dealing with their dog’s anxiety. April Olshavsky, decided to give it a try: at first, she was using it for chronic pain, but she soon discovered it helped her chronic depression as well, eventually replacing her antidepressant medication. “I take a low dose of 125 mg tincture by mouth as a daily preventive measure,” she explains. “I gave up my pharmaceutical prescription because I didn’t like that it numbed my mind, dulled all emotions, and killed my sex drive. With CBD, I noticed I was still able to feel my emotions and process them appropriately through tears, joy, and clearer thinking.”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I rely on my family”</h2> <p>Katie Meier has learned that her depression needs a multi-pronged approach to keep it under control. She uses medication, exercise, and therapy but says the thing that has made the biggest difference is having the loving support of her family. “They listen and I can tell them anything,” she says. “I never feel like I have to hide anything. I can tell them if I’m having an anxiety attack, am on or off my meds, need help, or just need them to listen. Having them provides so much relief and comfort for me.”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I practice mindfulness”</h2> <p>Mindfulness is the practice of being intentionally aware and present in your life – an especially important antidote to the chronic distraction of our tech-driven society. It can also help with depression, by helping you see connections between how you’re feeling and what you’re doing, along with recognising negative moods sooner, says Kevin Lynch. “For me, living mindfully has taught me that my depression is not something I can just sweep under the rug. It’s important to acknowledge it,” he says. “Counselling, journaling, meds, sleep, daily walks to the local coffee stand, playing drums and guitar, listening to music, sketching, sitting with our cats, hanging with my family, building stuff, brewing beer, my faith – they all sound like small things but all of them together, working in unison have helped combat my depression.”</p> <div> </div> <h2>“I connect with my spiritual side”</h2> <p>“For me, the most powerful treatment for my depression is praying,” says Tasha Kaye. “I do so much praying! Being spiritually grounded and close to God allows me to take a much-needed breath.” It’s not just Kaye; people who are spiritual and focus that outward into religion and caring for others (versus inward) are less likely to have depression and have fewer symptoms when they do get depressed, according to a report published in The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.</p> <p>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/conditions/mental-health/how-to-deal-with-depression-what-worked-for-16-real-life-people?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

16-year-old climate activist mocked on radio

<p>A 16-year-old climate activist has been mocked on a New Zealand radio show, prompting a furious response from the teenager's mother. </p> <p>School Strike 4 Climate member Izzy Cook was speaking to NewstalkZB host Heather du Plessis-Allan about a recent trip she took to Fiji, just moments after telling the interviewer she shouldn't fly to the tropical location. </p> <p>When the comments were made, raucous laughter erupted from the host. </p> <p>“So we would have to apply to have like, approved events to be able to fly for?” du Plessis-Allan asked when discussing the climate impacts of air travel. </p> <p>“Well that’s one thing that you could look at doing,” Cook said.</p> <p>“Am I allowed to go to Fiji? Is that necessary?” du Plessis-Allan asked.</p> <p>Cook replied, “In the current climate crisis, I don’t think that that’s necessary.”</p> <p>The host then asked when was the last time Cook was on a plane.</p> <p>“Mm, I’m not sure – maybe a few months ago to be honest,” she said.</p> <p>“Where’d you go?” the host asked.</p> <p>“Fiji,” Cook conceded.</p> <p>The host then erupted in laughter, asking “Izzy! Izzy! Don’t you care about the climate, Izzy?” </p> <p>The teenager conceded it was “pretty ironic but to be honest it’s not really a trip that I wanted to go on but I can’t really get out of it because my parents wanted to go”.</p> <p>“Are you embarrassed that your parents did that to the planet and then forced you to do it as well?” du Plessis-Allan asked.</p> <p>“Of course I’m not embarrassed,” she said.</p> <p>“Did you have a terrible time?” the host asked.</p> <p>“Not really,” the teen said, sparking more laughter.</p> <p>du Plessis-Allan ended the interview telling Cook she was “such a champion” who had a “brilliant future ahead of you”, mockingly asking, “Are you doing another strike soon?”</p> <p>“Yeah well we’ll look to,” Cook said.</p> <p>“Good, we’ll talk to you again,” the host laughed. “We might get you back on the show.”</p> <p>After the clip of the interview went viral online, Izzy's mother penned a furious opinion piece saying the host should be “ashamed” for “bullying” her daughter.</p> <p>“On Friday evening, I listened in horror as my 16-year-old daughter had a phone conversation with someone who appeared to be bullying her, laughing at her, and talking over her,” Rose Cook <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/25-09-2022/heather-du-plessis-allan-should-be-ashamed-of-how-she-bullied-my-daughter" target="_self">wrote in </a><a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/media/25-09-2022/heather-du-plessis-allan-should-be-ashamed-of-how-she-bullied-my-daughter" target="_self">The Spinoff</a>.</p> <p>“As soon as she got off the call I demanded to know who the hell was speaking to my child in this way.”</p> <p>Rose went on to defend her daughter's low carbon lifestyle, and said commentators like Heather du Plessis-Allan are more interested in the "gotcha moments" than listening to young people about the state of the environment. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 1News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Placeholder Content Image

16 easy ways to look younger

<p><strong>Wear the right glasses</strong></p> <p>According to a survey conducted by Jacksonville University researchers, wearing glasses in general increases how old people think you are. For those who need to wear them, investing in a nice pair that frame your face could take years off your look. Cat’s eye frames are especially known to make people look younger by lifting the face, while aviators negatively focus attention downward.</p> <p><strong>Swap out your orthopaedic shoes</strong></p> <p>Sacrificing style for comfort by wearing orthopaedics is an easy way to look older, but you can have both, by choosing a pair of stylish, on-trend but oh-so-comfy trainers.</p> <p><strong>Wear the right bra</strong></p> <p>An appropriately fitted bra is essential, no matter your age. Finding the right fit not only provides comfort, but also has a slimming effect, according to Best Health. An ill-fitting bra with straps that dig into the skin or too-tight cups that cause flesh to bubble up can make you look as though you’re wearing old, outdated, or super-worn garments.</p> <p><strong>Work on your posture</strong></p> <p>Not only can poor posture lead to headaches, neck pain, and breathing problems but it can also make you look older, the Mayo Clinic reports. Slouching in your chair or hunching over your computer are just two ways you might already be practising bad posture. Sitting up straight and checking your posture throughout the day are two easy ways to look younger and more confident.</p> <p><strong>Exercise more</strong></p> <p>Exercising more can contribute to things that help you look younger, such as your mood and sleep (more on that later). Working out actually slows down ageing on a cellular level. According to a study published in the journal Preventative Medicine, people who do regular, vigorous exercise have longer telomeres – shorter ones are related to various age-related diseases. Looks-wise, exercising keeps skin younger, and it may also reverse some skin ageing in people who are new to regular exercise, the New York Times reports. But if you’re exercising outdoors, be sure to use sunscreen.</p> <p><strong>Get enough sleep</strong></p> <p>Beauty sleep isn’t just a buzzy phrase; Cosmopolitan reports that getting too-little sleep leads to a dry complexion, breakouts, redness, and dreaded dark circles – all of which add years to your looks. Surgeon, Dr Chester Griffiths also advises having a set sleep schedule. “Regulate sleep patterns and prepare for bed with a 15-minute pre-sleep routine to close the day,” Dr Griffiths says. He also advises removing electronics from the bedroom to make sure they don’t interfere with your sleep quality.</p> <p><strong>Sleep on your back</strong></p> <p>Yes, getting enough shut-eye is important, but how you’re sleeping is just as key. Sleeping on your side or your stomach promotes skin damage, wrinkles, and sometimes results in indentations in the skin that mimic wrinkles. Sleeping on your back promotes less face swelling, fewer fine lines, and helps your body relax, enhancing the cell turnover that gets rid of dead skin cells, according to Dermstore.</p> <p><strong>Stay hydrated</strong></p> <p>Dehydration makes you look older by drying your skin, thus making you look tired. Carry a reusable water bottle so you can always stay hydrated. The daily general recommended amount of water for women is eight cups of total water, from all beverages according to the Australian Government Department of Health. For men, the average is 10 cups per day.</p> <p><strong>Moisturise your skin</strong></p> <p>As people age, skin becomes thinner and loses the ability to retain moisture. That’s why adding a moisturiser to your routine is so important, much as hydrating by drinking water is good for your body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centre, moisturisers help prevent tearing and bruising, and they temporarily stretch the skin, reducing the look of wrinkles for a short time.</p> <p><strong>Wear sunscreen</strong></p> <p>It’s never too late to protect your skin with sunscreen, according to cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr Eugene Elliot. “You can’t change what you were dealt with genetically, but you can take control of other factors which help you stay younger looking,” Dr Elliot says. His favourite sunblocks are mechanical, contain zero zinc or titanium oxide, and block the UV damaging rays effectively with frequent application. Not only can wearing sunscreen prevent ageing, but a study sponsored by the Johnson &amp; Johnson Skin Research Center found that people who applied a daily moisturiser with SPF 30 for a year saw significant improvements in hyperpigmentation, texture, and skin clarity. Make sure to cover any exposed skin, such as your neck, hands, and chest – not just your face!</p> <p><strong>Hone in on your nutrition</strong></p> <p>Although eating nutritious foods might seem like generic advice, a balanced diet is a mainstay in healthy living for a few reasons. Eating certain foods or vitamins, however, could be more beneficial than others when it comes to looking more youthful. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, for example, found that people with a higher Vitamin C intake had fewer wrinkles and less dryness no matter their age. Spices such as cinnamon, chilli powder, and ginger are associated with better-looking skin thanks to an increase in collagen (essential for skin firmness and elasticity), reduction in age-related skin cell changes, and anti-inflammation that may help prevent age spots, per Healthline.</p> <p><strong>Drink less alcohol</strong></p> <p>Overindulging in alcohol negatively affects the body in a few ways, and even on a cellular level, some studies have found. Again, it comes down to dehydration. Alcohol dehydrates you, which makes your skin look dull and dry and depletes iron levels which could trigger hair loss, too, according to the BBC.</p> <p><strong>Whiten your teeth</strong></p> <p>As people age, tooth enamel fades and yellow dentin found underneath shows through, according to Medical News Today. This yellow hue is an obvious sign of ageing and is easily remedied with safe teeth whitening. Remedies such as whitening trays, white strips, whitening toothpaste, and even a DIY mix of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide could do the trick, per Healthline.</p> <p><strong>Change up your hair</strong></p> <p>If you’ve been sporting the same ‘do for years, it might be time for an update. The change could be as simple as switching up your part, or it could involve a serious cut, colour, and style alteration. Some styling mistakes to watch out for are ballerina buns, severe centre parts, and stiff locks that might age you, according to Prevention. Some better and quick options to bring your hair up to speed include side-swept bangs, honey highlights, and romantic waves.</p> <p><strong>Have more sex</strong></p> <p>Getting frisky at least once a week not only helps you live longer but, according to some research, can also make you look up to seven years younger. According to HuffPost, Dr David Weeks, a clinical psychologist, found in his research that people who looked younger than their age were having 50 per cent more sex than those who looked older. A satisfying, healthy sex life is a contributing factor that increases overall quality of life and is a good predictor of general wellbeing, too.</p> <p><strong>Focus on de-stressing</strong></p> <p>Stress has some pretty negative impacts on your health including a higher risk of depression, fatigue, anxiety, and even heart disease, according to The Jed Foundation. That’s part of the reason why Dr Griffiths recommends finding impactful and enjoyable ways to de-stress. This could include everything from meditation and breathing routines to focusing on relationships with friends and family. Stress not only puts people in a bad mood, but also makes you seem older thanks to its negative contributions to wrinkles, under eye circles, and even hair loss, Medical Daily reports. More research also shows that chronic stress leads to shorter telomeres, which age you, according to Harvard Medical School.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/16-easy-ways-to-look-younger" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Placeholder Content Image

Long-awaited feature FINALLY available for iPhones

<p dir="ltr">iPhone users rejoice! The latest iOS update has brought with it a long-awaited feature: editing and unsending text messages.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new iOS 16 update, available for iPhone released after 2017, now allows users to unsend and edit iMessages, but there are some caveats.</p> <p dir="ltr">A message can only be unsent within two minutes of it being sent, while editing can occur within 15 minutes.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>How to unsend</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">To unsend a message, open the Messages app, press and hold down the text you want to unsend.</p> <p dir="ltr">This will bring up the Tapback reactions and a quick action menu, which includes the option to undo send or edit, and then tap Undo Send.</p> <p dir="ltr">The text will then disappear from both your phone and from the recipient’s, though it will be replaced by a notification saying that a message has been unsent.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, this function won’t work if the recipient doesn’t have the new update, even if your phone says it has unsent the message.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>How to edit</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you’ve sent an unfortunate typo or some other details, editing messages is now a simple affair.</p> <p dir="ltr">To edit, simply open the Messages app, go into any thread that is using iMessage (also known as blue text), and hold down the message you want to edit.</p> <p dir="ltr">When the reactions and menu appear, tap on Edit. This will allow you to delete the entire message, fix mistakes or add more text.</p> <p dir="ltr">Once you’re happy, tap the blue checkmark on the right side to save your edits.</p> <p dir="ltr">A single message can only be edited a maximum of five times, and an “edited” button will appear under your text, which the recipient can tap on to view previous versions.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-20719474-7fff-f9f3-8dda-181c99e074e7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

Placeholder Content Image

16 things that will happen once Queen Elizabeth II dies

<p class="p1"><strong>1. Operation “London Bridge” will go into effect</strong></p> <p class="p1">Queen Elizabeth II has been around for most everybody’s entire lifetime.</p> <p class="p1">At 92 years old, she is the longest-reigning British monarch, having taken the throne at the young age of 25 in 1952.</p> <p class="p1">So understandably, it’s hard to imagine what will happen when she is no longer with us.</p> <p class="p1">Although her father died at the young age of 56, her mother lived to the ripe old age of 101, so longevity is in her blood.</p> <p class="p1">But death is undefeated, and – as is the English way – there are careful plans for Elizabeth’s passing to assure the situation is handled gracefully, respectfully, and full of the tradition, pomp, and ceremony the Queen deserves.</p> <p class="p1">This plan, the Guardian reports, is called “London Bridge.”</p> <p class="p1">In 1952, upon the death of her father, the young Elizabeth Alexandra May Windsor became Queen Elizabeth II.</p> <p class="p1">Sixteen months of intricate preparations led to her coronation – an event of supreme pomp and ceremony that heralded the beginning of a new Elizabethan Age, as citizens across the world emerged from the shadows of war into an era of confidence and prosperity.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>2. Code words will be spoken</strong></p> <p class="p1">According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/16/what-happens-when-queen-elizabeth-dies-london-bridge"><span class="s1">the Guardian‘s</span></a> in-depth investigation, after receiving the news from the Queen’s doctor, the Queen’s private secretary – currently Edward Young – will call the Prime Minister, currently Theresa May, and say “London Bridge is down.”</p> <p class="p1">Then Britain’s Foreign Office will call the 15 governments where the Queen is head of state and the 36 nations in the Commonwealth, an association of independent former colonies where she remains a symbolic figurehead, to let them know the sad news.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>3. People will find out in ways both modern and ancient</strong></p> <p class="p1">Once all the really important people know, everyone else across the United Kingdom and the world will find out – you’ll probably remember for the rest of your life where you were when you heard the news.</p> <p class="p1">All press outlets will be informed at once, the Guardian reports, with a news release.</p> <p class="p1">At the same exact moment and in keeping with tradition, a footman in mourning clothing will post a black-edged notice to the gates of Buckingham Palace.</p> <p class="p1">Also at the same time, the <a href="https://www.royal.uk/"><span class="s1">royal family’s official website</span></a> will show the announcement on its homepage.</p> <p class="p1">All of this needs to fall into place precisely so that no false info gets out – as happened when the press passed around a rumor the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, had died (nope, he was just retiring and is still going strong at 97 years old).</p> <p class="p1"><strong>4. The press have their own plans in place</strong></p> <p class="p1">Most major outlets have obituaries and news stories ready to go for public figures who are getting up there in years.</p> <p class="p1">As morbid as it sounds, it just makes sense to be prepared – and coverage of the Queen’s death is even more important for the British press to get right.</p> <p class="p1">(One BBC newscaster who wasn’t properly informed in time of the Queen Mother’s death in 2002 was criticised for wearing a maroon tie instead of black.)</p> <p class="p1">The Guardian reports its deputy editor has a list of prepared stories for the Queen’s death pinned to his wall.</p> <p class="p1">Royal experts have already been lined up with news stations to go live on TV.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>5. The bells will toll</strong></p> <p class="p1">In London, the ceremonial traditions for which we’ve come to admire the British will begin.</p> <p class="p1">Flags will be lowered to half-mast. Bells will toll in churches around the city.</p> <p class="p1">Westminster Abbey’s famous tenor bell, rung in the event of royal deaths, will be heard; as on most solemn occasions, Westminster’s bells will be muffled.</p> <p class="p1">St. Paul’s Great Tom will toll as well. Businesses, theatres and some sporting events will likely close or be cancelled.</p> <p class="p1">People will begin to gather outside Buckingham Palace as the nation enters a ten-day period of mourning before the funeral.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>6. Parliament will convene</strong></p> <p class="p1">The Queen is officially head of state, so the government will also be involved.</p> <p class="p1">At the moment of her death, Prince Charles will become King, but to ensure a smooth transition, all members of parliament will gather to swear allegiance to the new monarch.</p> <p class="p1">This was also done hours after Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, died in 1952.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>7. What happens if the Queen is not in London</strong></p> <p class="p1">The Guardian reports that if the Queen dies while abroad, a plane from the Royal Air Force will send a coffin with royal undertakers to bring her back by air.</p> <p class="p1">If she dies in England but outside of London – such as at her private estate <a href="https://www.royal.uk/royal-residences-sandringham-house"><span class="s1">Sandringham House</span></a> in Norfolk – a car will transport her body to Buckingham Palace, where she will be placed in the throne room and watched over by four <a href="https://www.royal.uk/changing-guard"><span class="s1">Grenadier Guards</span></a> (the ones who wear the big bearskin hats and red coats).</p> <p class="p1"><strong>8. If she is at Balmoral</strong></p> <p class="p1">The most complicated situation will be if the Queen passes while at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where she spends every summer, and where Scottish rituals would take place after her death.</p> <p class="p1">She would be moved to Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, then be carried up the city’s Royal Mile to St. Giles Cathedral for a service before being placed on the Royal Train to London.</p> <p class="p1">Her subjects will likely wait along the route to throw flowers and pay their respects as her train passes by.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>9. Charles will take the throne</strong></p> <p class="p1">Several rituals will take place to solidify the new monarch’s position.</p> <p class="p1">“There are really two things happening,” one of his advisers told the Guardian.</p> <p class="p1">“There is the demise of a sovereign and then there is the making of a king.”</p> <p class="p1">Charles is scheduled to make a speech on the evening of the Queen’s death to address the people.</p> <p class="p1">The next day, at 11 a.m., Charles will be proclaimed King, and he will swear an oath called the<a href="https://www.royal.uk/accession"><span class="s1"> accession declaration</span></a>.</p> <p class="p1">Heralds will read a proclamation throughout the city, trumpets will sound, the flag will be raised back up, and cannons will go off in a <a href="https://www.royal.uk/gun-salutes"><span class="s1">royal salute</span></a>.</p> <p class="p1">The <a href="https://www.royal.uk/coronation"><span class="s1">coronation</span></a>, however, won’t happen for months to allow time for a mourning period and preparation of the ceremony.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>10. Charles will pick his name</strong></p> <p class="p1">British monarchs are allowed to pick their own ruling name when they take the throne.</p> <p class="p1">Queen Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, was born Prince Albert and known as “Bertie”, but he chose to be King George after his father, King George V.</p> <p class="p1">Elizabeth had a far easier choice, since her birth name recalls another of England’s great queens, Elizabeth I.</p> <p class="p1">There had been speculation that Charles would choose a different name – perhaps George after his grandfather or Philip after his father – because the first two King Charles were associated with the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/british-history/english-civil-wars"><span class="s1">English Civil Wars</span></a>.</p> <p class="p1">But chances are, Charles will keep his given name and become King Charles III.</p> <p class="p1">Although there has also been debate about the title of Charles’ wife, she will potentially be named Queen Camilla.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>11. Could William be king?</strong></p> <p class="p1">Past rumours have suggested that Charles will abdicate in favour of his younger, more popular son.</p> <p class="p1">That possibility was explored in the recent play King Charles III (which also featured a conniving Duchess Kate scheming to get her husband on the throne).</p> <p class="p1">But despite all the talk, it’s likely Charles will take up the job he has waited longer for than any other British heir: He’s been heir apparent since he was just three years old.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>12. King Charles will tour the home nations</strong></p> <p class="p1">Once Charles is proclaimed king, it will be time to get to work, even before his mother’s funeral.</p> <p class="p1">He is planning to embark on a tour of the “home countries” of the British Isles, England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, to meet with leaders and attend services.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>13. Charles will also go out and meet the people.</strong></p> <p class="p1">“From day one, it is about the people rather than just the leaders being part of this new monarchy,” one of his advisers told the Guardian.</p> <p class="p1">“Lots of not being in a car, but actually walking around.”</p> <p class="p1"><strong>14. The Queen will lie in state</strong></p> <p class="p1">A few days later, after Charles makes his way back to London, the Queen’s coffin will travel to Westminster Hall in a slow procession from Buckingham Palace.</p> <p class="p1">For the <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1389897/Mile-long-queue-for-Queen-Mother.html"><span class="s1">Queen Mother‘s funeral in 2002</span></a>, 1,600 servicemen and women were involved in the procession, where Beethoven’s Funeral March was played and a royal gun salute sounded off.</p> <p class="p1">After arriving at Westminster, the public will be allowed to visit and pay their respects to the Queen for several days.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>15. We can all watch the funeral</strong></p> <p class="p1">For the people of England, the Queen’s funeral will likely be a national holiday.</p> <p class="p1">Big Ben’s hammer will be padded so it strikes in muffled tones.</p> <p class="p1">The Queen will be moved from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the service, which will be televised, but cameras will refrain from showing the grieving faces of the royal family during prayers, reports the Guardian.</p> <p class="p1">Then the coffin will be placed on a gun carriage and pulled by Royal Navy sailors (a tradition that began after Queen Victoria’s unruly funeral horses almost bolted).</p> <p class="p1">After the London procession, a hearse will bring Queen Elizabeth to Windsor Castle, where she will be buried; she will most likely join her parents (their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth) and sister (HRH The Princess Margaret) in the King George VI Memorial Chapel.</p> <p class="p1"><strong>16. The line of succession will change</strong></p> <p class="p1">As Charles becomes King, William will move up and take the position of heir apparent.</p> <p class="p1">He’ll likely also take the title <a href="https://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/titles-and-heraldry"><span class="s1">Prince of Wales</span></a>, which is traditionally given to the next-in-line to the throne.</p> <p class="p1">This would make Kate the Princess of Wales, but because this was Diana’s title, she may opt for another out of respect for her late mother-in-law.</p> <p class="p1">The Queen’s death would put Will and Kate’s children at second (George), third (Charlotte), and fourth (Louis) in line to the throne.</p> <p class="p1">Prince Harry will remain below them in fifth place.</p> <p class="p1">Monarchy will remain, but the Commonwealth is uncertain</p> <p class="p1">Although there is much debate about what will happen to the monarchy after the long-reigning Elizabeth, chances are everything will stay the same.</p> <p class="p1">According to a recent poll, almost 70 percent of Brits are in favour of having a monarchy.</p> <p class="p1">And with Charles likely to have a short reign due to his age, the monarchy will continue to grow and modernise as the popular younger generation then takes the reins.</p> <p class="p1">Slightly less clear is what will happen to the Commonwealth, the voluntary association of independent former colonies that accounts for over a third of the world’s population.</p> <p class="p1">Last April at a Commonwealth meeting, the Queen asserted it was her “sincere wish” that Charles carry on as head of the Commonwealth.</p> <p class="p1">The other government leaders soon agreed, officially announcing to the press he would take her place when she passes.</p>

Retirement Life

Placeholder Content Image

“A tragedy for our nation”: Reason for Scott Morrison’s firing 16 years ago revealed

<p dir="ltr">The woman who sacked former Prime Minister Scott Morrison from Tourism Australia has finally opened up about the mysterious end to his time there and shared how she was “gobsmacked” that he went on to become PM.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Morrison’s firing from Tourism Australia in 2006 has long been shrouded in mystery, but Fran Bailey - who was Tourism Minister at the time and ordered the Chair of Tourism Australia to fire Mr Morrison - has now spoken about the decision in a brutal interview with the <em><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-was-gobsmacked-when-he-became-prime-minister-20220826-p5bd19.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday Age</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Bailey reportedly chose to finally speak on the record after she was left incensed by the revelations that Mr Morrison <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/andrew-bolt-leads-the-charge-on-scott-morrison-tirade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">secretly swore himself into five additional ministerial positions</a> while he was Prime Minister.</p> <p dir="ltr">"What has changed my mind is that all of those characteristics that make up Scott Morrison – the secrecy... the supreme belief that only he can do a job, the lack of consultation with those closest to him – those characteristics were evident 16 years ago, and perhaps we’re seeing the end result of those now," she told the paper’s longtime columnist, Jon Faine.</p> <p dir="ltr">Echoing a common criticism of Mr Morrison, Ms Bailey said he took a bullying approach to his work, which eventually led to those in senior positions having less trust that he could do his job.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It came down to a complete lack of trust. It’s not something that I have stewed over for all those 16 years, but I certainly have become very concerned as he worked his way through the ministry, and I was gobsmacked when he became prime minister," she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Because I knew what he was really like to work with, and I think that’s been a tragedy for the Liberal Party and it has been a tragedy for our nation."</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Bailey is one of many critics calling on Mr Morrison to leave Parliament following the revelations, as former High Court judge Virginia Bell is expected to head an inquiry into his actions and hand down a report on November 25.</p> <p dir="ltr">The inquiry will examine Mr Morrison’s ministerial appointments and the functioning of departments, government business enterprises and statutory bodies.</p> <p dir="ltr">It comes after advice released last week from Australia’s solicitor-general found that Mr Morrison didn’t break any laws, but that his actions undermined the principles of “responsible government”.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-b515b564-7fff-c497-b6b2-a263d150c2a3"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Legal

Placeholder Content Image

Sweet 16: Nicole Kidman shares wedding day snap

<p dir="ltr">Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have celebrated their sweet 16 wedding anniversary. </p> <p dir="ltr">The loved up couple shared heartwarming photos to their respective Instagram accounts with adorable captions.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie actress dug her photo out of the archives of the pair lighting a candle on their wedding day in 2006.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Sweet XVI Remember this like it was yesterday. Forever,” her caption read with a couple of heart emojis. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfO2y-arY_M/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfO2y-arY_M/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Nicole Kidman (@nicolekidman)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Keith shared a more recent photo of themselves at a recent outing and smiling at the camera. </p> <p dir="ltr">“HAPPY SWEET 16 BABY xxxxx,” he wrote. </p> <p dir="ltr">The sweethearts began dating in 2005 and got married the following year. They share two daughters, Sunday Rose, 13, and Faith Margaret, 11.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nicole is also mother to two other children Isabella, 29, and son Connor, 27, with ex-husband Tom Cruise.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking about her relationship with the musician, Nicole said that she couldn’t be happier with him.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfQF4UvusEQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfQF4UvusEQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Keith Urban (@keithurban)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">"I met him later in life and it's been the best thing that's ever happened to me. That man is the best thing that's ever happened to me," she said in January.</p> <p dir="ltr">Keith also commended his relationship with the actress for settling him and stopping his wild party days. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Life is very different nowadays. I'm trying to set a good example for the kids, but I still don't know if I'm getting it right," he previously told The Sun.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I have made so many mistakes, but you have to work out what works for you. My message to them is always to do whatever they are passionate about, I don't care, as long as they work hard to achieve it.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Both Nic and I worked really hard. For me, it was like paying dues twice. I worked my way up through the clubs in Australia to get a record deal, and then moved to the US and had to start all over again from the bottom. Luckily things worked out a second time.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

Placeholder Content Image

Finally! Long-awaited features coming to iPhones

<p dir="ltr">Apple has announced a new suite of features will be introduced to iPhones in the latest update, including some that have been highly anticipated by iPhone owners.</p> <p dir="ltr">The tech giant broke the news at its Worldwide Developers Conference at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, in early June, which corresponded to a jump in the value of Apple’s shares by 0.2 percent according to <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/apple-unveils-major-changes-to-iphone-at-wwdc/news-story/5c1758ec73128d842d3cf4b2a822ba4e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Apple revealed that the new iOS 16 operating system would include one of the company’s most highly-requested changes: the ability to edit and un-send iMessages.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d3c1fe85-7fff-60f4-b579-845e5eae5011"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">A total overhaul of the phone’s lockscreen will also be included in the new operating system, with users gaining the ability to create their own using custom fonts and widgets for a host of different apps.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/06/Apple-WWDC22-iOS16-3up-hero-220606.jpg" alt="" width="1960" height="1102" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The new lockscreen was announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference Image: Apple</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Apple said that notifications will also “roll in” through a compact bar at the bottom of the screen rather than dominating the whole display.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have re-imagined how the Lock Screen looks and works with exciting new features that make it more personal and helpful, introduced iCloud Shared Photo Library for families, streamlined communication through new capabilities in Messages and Mail, and harnessed enhanced intelligence with updates to Live Text and Visual Look Up,” Craig Thompson, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, said in a press release.</p> <p dir="ltr">The news comes as Apple will be forced to use the same charger for smartphones, tablets and laptops sold in the European Union, under a landmark deal that will see a single charger be able to charge any device sold in the EU from late 2024, per <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/gadgets/mobile-phones/apple-forced-to-use-the-same-usbc-charger-for-all-products-after-landmark-eu-agreement/news-story/cd3a71bf9fa5a100bd8a2cbfc2e20015" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a rule which will apply to everyone,” said Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Alex Agius Saliba, who led the negotiations.</p> <p dir="ltr">“If Apple ... or anyone wants to market their product, sell their products within our internal market, they have to abide by our rules and their device has to be USB-C,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d8e338f6-7fff-7e3d-28f6-8ddb511cc63d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

Placeholder Content Image

16 signs your heart palpitations could be something way worse

<h2>What are heart palpitations?</h2> <p>That odd sensation in the middle of your chest can be alarming, but often it’s just a misfire in your heart rhythm. A series of electrical impulses keep your heart pumping; when one of the impulses is mistimed, you’ll feel palpitations in your chest. Most of the time it’s nothing, but they can be a sign of something dangerous. There are numerous types of heart rhythm disorders, says cardiologist, Dr Denice Hodgson-Zingman. “Some of them make the heart beat irregularly, and this can be perceived as a sensation of ‘flip-flops,’” she says.</p> <h2>Symptoms to watch for</h2> <p>If those electrical impulses fire in the wrong order, you can have the sensation of neck fullness and heart pounding, says Dr Hodgson-Zingman. “Other rhythm disorders consist of intermittent single extra beats or runs of beats. Because these extra beats are too fast to allow the heart to pump blood efficiently, it can feel as if your heart is skipping beats.” According to cardiologist, Dr Joe Lau, palpitations may also feel like a fluttering or racing sensation.</p> <p>“Palpitations are a symptom, so there’s no way to generally define what they feel like because, like all symptoms, the way that it feels varies from one patient to another,” says electrophysiologist, Dr Emily Zeitler. She says palpitations require a diagnostic evaluation by your doctor.</p> <h2>Sign: you often have palpitations</h2> <p>“Depending on the exact causes, some patients may have symptoms infrequently, while others may have several continuous episodes a day, sometimes with each episode lasting for several minutes at a time,” Dr Lau says. Chances are, if palpitations are only occurring rarely, you don’t need to rush to the doctor. Less serious causes for palpitations can include stress, anxiety, caffeine, alcohol, illness, or pregnancy, he says.</p> <h2>Sign: you have chest pain</h2> <p>Go right to the emergency room (or call an ambulance) if you get chest pain with palpitations, warns Dr Zeitler. This is a classic sign that your heart’s in serious trouble.</p> <h2>Sign: you’re having trouble catching your breath</h2> <p>In fact, you probably shouldn’t even wait for a doctor’s appointment if you’re experiencing this, as you may be having a cardiac event. When experiencing palpitations, “if you feel like you might pass out or you actually do pass out then you probably need to be seen right away in an urgent care or an emergency department,” she says.</p> <h2>Sign: you passed out</h2> <p>While most people would know something’s wrong with fainting, if your loss of consciousness is preceded by or followed by palpitations, you have even more reason to get medical attention stat, warns Dr Zeitler. This could indicate some sort of cardiac event, she says. Dr Lau says dizziness and leg swelling with palpitations can also signal serious heart trouble.</p> <h2>Sign: you have stroke symptoms</h2> <p>“Any stroke-like symptoms such as asymmetric weakness, facial droop, confusion, word-finding difficulty, or visual changes, would be worrisome,” Dr Hodgson-Zingman says.</p> <h2>Sign: you can’t get through your day</h2> <p>Even if you’re not having very scary symptoms, if you just feel generally terrible or need to stay in bed due to the weird sensations in your chest, you could benefit from treatment, says Dr Zeitler. Although the cause itself may be benign, it needs to be addressed so that you can function. “Atrial fibrillation [AF], a very frequent cause of palpitations, comes from the top chamber of the heart, the atrium, and it causes the bottom chamber of the heart to squeeze in an irregular way; the heart rhythm is chaotic,” Dr Zeitler says. “You don’t have to treat AF, but doctors often do because it makes people feel really bad and we can make people feel better with medications or with procedures such as ablation.”</p> <h2>Sign: you’ve had palpitations for a long time</h2> <p>Another reason palpitations can be dangerous is that they can weaken the heart muscle. “Heart rhythm abnormalities, if they remain untreated and persist for weeks to months, can result in the heart muscle becoming weak, which is called cardiomyopathy,” Dr Hodgson-Zingman says. “Fortunately, this form of cardiomyopathy is often completely reversible once the heart rhythm disorder is corrected.” In addition, even less dangerous conditions like AF can have long-term consequences. “This rhythm is not fatal, but it is associated with a much higher risk of stroke and can cause cardiomyopathy if not recognised and treated,” she says.</p> <h2>Sign: your heart starts beating really fast</h2> <p>Normally, you won’t even notice your heartbeat – but if you do and it’s speeding up, it could mean your blood pressure is dropping. “When blood pressure is low, the heart compensates by beating faster and harder, and that can feel like a pounding or racing heart,” says Dr Hodgson-Zingman. If it’s temporary, it could stem from being startled or experiencing strong emotions. However, see your primary care doctor if it keeps happening.</p> <h2>Sign: you already have heart problems</h2> <p>If you already have a heart condition, any rhythm problems can be more serious. “A person with a weakened heart, or cardiomyopathy, may also be predisposed to have extra ventricular beats [from the bottom chambers of the heart],” explains Dr Lau. “When these heartbeats become frequent and fast, they are termed ‘ventricular tachycardia’, and in a weakened heart that may lead to cardiac arrest.”</p> <h2>Sign: you’ve had a heart attack</h2> <p>Heart muscle damaged from a heart attack will have scarring, and that can also predispose you to the extra contractions of ventricular tachycardia, says Dr Lau. Dr Zeitler says such patients should be treated immediately. “I would be more aggressive in making a diagnosis and treating with either medications, procedures, or with an implantable defibrillator,” she says. Dr Hodgson-Zingman says heart disease patients should be evaluated and monitored for rhythm abnormalities regularly.</p> <h2>Sign: You have other health issues</h2> <p>Besides prior heart disease, other health conditions could make palpitations more dangerous – and even though common heart rhythm problems like atrial fibrillation are generally not serious, in some people they can be. “If the patient has other risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and vascular conditions, their risk of stroke may be high because atrial fibrillation may lead to the formation of blood clots within the heart that can travel to the brain and cause a stroke,” Dr Lau says. If you have other health issues, alert your doctor if you’re having palpitations.</p> <h2>Sign: you’re getting older</h2> <p>Like many conditions, palpitations may be more common, and more serious, in older people. “Another common problem that occurs with age is the wearing out of the normal heart electrical system,” Dr Hodgson-Zingman says. “This can cause pauses or irregularity in the heart rhythm and may be a sign that you need a pacemaker.” Also, some types of heart rhythm disorders are more common as you age. “Atrial fibrillation occurs in like 20 per cent of people over the age of 80, and it’s increasingly common as we get older,” Dr Zeitler says. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare an estimated five per cent of the population aged 55 and over have AF.</p> <h2>Sign: You have a family history of sudden death</h2> <p>Regardless of your age, if you have a family history of sudden death before age 50 – or a family member with cardiomyopathy – you should pay close attention to any heart palpitations, Dr Hodgson-Zingman says. Talk to your doctor about your symptoms and your family history.</p> <h2>Sign: another condition is triggering the trouble</h2> <p>It’s possible that your palpitations are not directly related to your heart. With anaemia, “the heart has to work extra hard to pump blood to increase cardiac output so that the body tissues can get enough blood, and therefore oxygen,” Dr Lau says. Or with overactive thyroid, for example: “Thyroid hormone can overstimulate the heart and make it beat faster,” he says. A blood workup can help identify these problems when you see your doctor about your palpitations.</p> <h2>Sign: your fitness tracker detects an issue</h2> <p>Use technology to your advantage – your doctor will likely even commend your Apple Watch for detecting an irregular heart rhythm. “Some of those commercially available tools are really good and have been validated scientifically for being accurate at detecting heart rhythm disorders,” Dr Zeitler says. “If somebody comes to me with palpitations and a tracing from their iWatch that is suggestive of a heart rhythm disorder, it’s pretty likely that I’m going to be doing a diagnostic workup.”</p> <h2>Sign: you feel like something’s not right</h2> <p>Dr Zeitler advises following your intuition – if you feel like your heart is beating strangely, it’s best to get it checked out. “It’s one of those situations where you have to listen to your body,” she says. “If it feels like you’re dying or you might die, or you pass out or you have an accident because you’re passing out, those are reasons to seek attention in an emergency room. Otherwise, you can generally wait to see your primary care doctor, which would be a really good first step. Your primary care doctor can decide when the right time is to refer you to a cardiologist or a heart rhythm specialist.”</p> <p><em><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-b1a6b4af-7fff-65a3-af1e-5139290cd372">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/16-signs-your-heart-palpitations-could-be-something-way-worse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>.</span></strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Caring

Placeholder Content Image

"Heaven gained an angel": Child star found dead at 16

<p>Child star Kailia Posey, who shot to fame in the hit show about US child pageants Toddlers &amp; Tiaras, has died at just 16 years of age.</p> <p>Posey's heartbroken mother, Marcy Posey Gatterman, wrote on Facebook earlier this week, “I don’t have words or any thoughts. A beautiful baby girl is gone. Please give us privacy as we mourn the loss of Kailia. My baby forever.”</p> <p>Her family have also confirmed that the manner of her death was suicide. They said: “Although she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous moment, she made the rash decision to end her life.</p> <p>“She won countless crowns and trophies after competing on the pageant circuit her entire life. Her highly acclaimed talent as a contortionist had already led to professional touring job offers, and she had recently been selected to be a cheerleader at her high school next fall.”</p> <p>Posey was pronounced dead in Birch Bay State Park, in Washington, at around 1:20 pm on Monday. This is roughly a 30-minute drive away from her family home in Lynden. </p> <p>Posey had just celebrated her 16th birthday on April 19, according to posts from her friends and family on social media.</p> <p>Lynden’s cheerleading team shared a series of tributes to its Instagram, along with the two quotes: “Please stay. The world is better with you in it” and the second being: “Speaking a few kind words might be the most important thing you will do today.”</p> <p>Posey was a young star on the TLC reality series, which ran from 2009 to 2013. The show featured families who prepared their children to compete in beauty pageants. She became a popular face online when her adorable “evil” grin went viral.</p> <p>In a throwback scene from Toddlers and Tiaras, Kailia’s mum described her then 10-year-old daughter as a “cuddling puppy and a spicy little monkey.”</p> <p>She continued: “When Kailia was younger, and she was three, she started doing pageants and she’s a pro when she hits that stage.</p> <p>“She’ll say she’s nervous but once she hits that stage she’s a pro.”</p> <p>She kept up with the pageant circuit as a teen and even announced on Instagram in January that she was gearing up to compete as Miss Washington Teen USA in February.</p> <p>Heartbroken fans have taken to Instagram to share their prayers.</p> <p>“Can’t even believe this has happened. I’m praying for you guys to get through this. She always was so kind to all of us,” commented America’s Got Talent competitor Kadan Bart Rockett.</p> <p>“playing soccer with you is now a core memory. heaven gained an angel,” added another friend.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

News

Placeholder Content Image

16 most dangerous airports in the world

<p><strong>Princess Juliana International Airport, St. Maarten </strong></p> <p>The large wide-bodied planes carrying tourists to St. Maarten require more than 2,400 metres of runway to land safely. What makes the picturesque Princess Juliana Airport dangerous isn’t the sunbathers below on the beach but the technically-too-short 2,164 metre runway originally built for the smaller planes that once frequented the island before the tourism boom arrived. But fear not, fruity drinks with umbrellas are waiting to relax your nerves once you touch down!</p> <p><strong>Lukla Airport, Nepal</strong></p> <p>If you are flying into Lukla, you are likely heading to climb Mount Everest. Danger may be your middle name but this airport is treacherous not only because of the extremely short runway but because of its height, location between mountains, and, oh yeah, the lack of power and air traffic controllers. Tackling Everest might be the least scary of all!</p> <p><strong>Toncontin Airport, Honduras</strong></p> <p>Another dangerous high altitude airport makes the list because, according to Interesting Engineering, in order for planes to prepare for the descent into Toncontin Airport, “they must make a quick 45-degree bank turn to reach the runway in a valley then rapidly drop altitude, being careful not to scrape the terrain directly underneath.”</p> <p><strong>Paro Airport, Bhutan</strong></p> <p>How dangerous is the landing at this rather unassuming airport with the microscopic 1980-metre runway tucked in among 5,480-metre peaks of the Himalayan Mountains? Only eight (!!!) pilots in total are qualified to make the landing here at Paro Airport!</p> <p><strong>Narsarsuaq Airport, Greenland</strong></p> <p>Nowhere else on earth does a pilot have to contend with the mix of factors that exist at this dangerous airport. Short runways covered in ice, extremely cold temperatures, severe winds, and low visibility due to not only heavy snow but also ash clouds from nearby active volcanoes make landing at Narsarsuaq Airport in Greenland not for the faint of heart.</p> <p><strong>Madeira Airport, Portugal </strong></p> <p>According to Jalopnik, “only 20 captains with British Airways are qualified to operate into Madeira Airport (FNC), in which they use waypoints like a banana shed [to guide them in].” Additionally, there is “no instrument landing system (ILS) so pilots must navigate the challenging terrain manually. The destination is particularly treacherous due to strong and highly variable Atlantic winds, mountains on one side and the ocean on the other.”</p> <p>And don’t forget that the runway was extended from 1613 metres to 2780 metres by building it out into the ocean on 180 concrete pillars – it is now like a runway on stilts! The ambitious project won the 2004 Outstanding Structure Award which is considered the Oscars of structural engineering.</p> <p><strong>Courchevel Airport, France</strong></p> <p>Located in the French Alps, near the Italian border, sits this dangerous airport serving ski resorts and their daredevil guests. What makes the Courchevel Airport so dangerous is the altitude of course (1980 metres60), but also the tiny 536-metre runway and its 18.5 percent gradient slope making it necessary for the small planes landing here to touch down at inclined angles just to slow down. The lack of lighting and no approach system also help to place this airport anywhere on the scale from treacherous to simply impossible to use in adverse weather.</p> <p><strong>Gibraltar Airport, Gibraltar</strong></p> <p>Wow Travel says that the Gibraltar Airport has but one runway and that that dangerous runway cuts right through the main street of the city! “Vehicles are made to stop every time an aircraft lands or takes off. Somehow there has never been a major accident.”</p> <p><strong>Gisborne Airport, New Zealand</strong></p> <p>While road traffic must come to a standstill for airplanes in Gibraltar, landings at Gisborne Airport on the eastern edge of New Zealand’s North Island must be coordinated with the national rail service which runs the Palmerston North–Gisborne Line directly across the one main paved and three grass runways.</p> <p><strong>MCAS Futenma, Okinawa Japan</strong></p> <p>“The situation of MCAS Futenma,” according to <em>The Diplomat</em> “is in direct violation of the safety standards set down for military airfields by the U.S. Department of the Navy, in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.” The dangerous U.S. Marine Corps Air Station runway sits smack dab in the middle of a crowded city, with schools, hospitals, businesses, and more than 3,000 residents in what is supposed to be a “clear zone.”</p> <p><strong>Bert Mooney Airport, Butte Montana</strong></p> <p>Sure it has a lovely new $10.5 million dollar terminal, but this picturesque airport between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks still ranks as a dangerous one thanks to a lack of control tower and the need for pilots to navigate numerous obstructions while landing.</p> <p><strong>Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, Colorado, USA</strong></p> <p>Any airport that requires special pilot training easily makes a list of the most dangerous airports in the world. Aspen’s airport, according to the Telegraph, fits the bill thanks to its steep approach and mountains surrounding the runway which force those specially trained pilots to land and take off in opposite directions while using the single runway.</p> <p><strong>Telluride Regional Airport, Colorado</strong></p> <p>Not surprisingly, another Colorado Rocky Mountain airport is ranked as one of the most dangerous. Telluride’s Regional Airport sits over 9,000 feet above sea level, making it the highest commercial airport in North America. There are huge cliffs at both ends of the airport’s single runway, and strong mountain winds in the cold of winter, all serving to make landing an airplane in Telluride a dangerous proposition for even experienced pilots.</p> <p><strong>Saba Airport, Dutch Caribbean</strong></p> <p>You might think that King Kong is dangerous but his “native island” (Saba provided the silhouette for Skull Island in the original King Kong film) in the Dutch Caribbean (a 15-minute flight from St. Maarten) has an airport that incites more fear than the famous gorilla ever could. Sitting precariously on the edge of a cliff, this tiny and narrow 396-metre runway is scary enough to have even the most seasoned traveller clutching the armrest during a landing on this gem of a remote Caribbean island known for stellar SCUBA diving.</p> <p><strong>Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, Brazil</strong></p> <p>Per a Forbes report, this regional airport serving the 12 million people of Sao Paulo is “located in a heavily built-up part of the huge city and gives you the impression that you are scraping the tops of high rise buildings as you land.” In addition to the busy metropolis rising up from the ground to make this airport one of the world’s most dangerous, “the runways are considered the most slippery in the world and have resulted in a large number of fatal crashes.”</p> <p><strong>Svalbard Airport, Norway</strong></p> <p>Built upon a layer of permafrost, Svalbard is the northernmost airport in the world with scheduled public flights. Due to the lack of runway lights, flights are only permitted during daylight, which is fine when there are 24-hours of it during summer days but not when the opposite reality takes hold in winter.</p> <p>Because this dangerous airport was deemed to be not in line with international standards, Svalbard’s Longyearbyen Airport lost its international designation in 2017 meaning the only way to reach this remote Arctic Circle airport, and to experience the frequent polar bear sightings on the archipelago, is from Tromsø or Bergen on mainland Norway.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/flights/16-most-dangerous-airports-in-the-world?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

International Travel

Placeholder Content Image

How to keep a gratitude journal, with 16 prompts to help you get started

<p><strong>Benefits of gratitude</strong></p> <p>Maybe you’ve heard about the potential benefits of practising gratitude or keeping a gratitude journal. You may have even been advised to keep a gratitude journal by a doctor, family, or friends.</p> <p>But are there any real benefits from keeping a gratitude journal? And how exactly does gratitude journaling work?</p> <p>Experts say there’s no wrong way to do gratitude exercises like keeping a gratitude journal, unless of course you’re focusing on negative things or things that can encourage shameful feelings.</p> <p>Here’s what the experts want you to know about why and how to keep a gratitude journal.</p> <p><strong>What is a gratitude journal?</strong></p> <p>According to experts, a gratitude journal is typically a journal or notepad where you jot down things for which you are grateful.</p> <p>This doesn’t need to be a notepad or journal, though; it can also include listing things for which you are grateful aloud or in your mind. Some smartphone apps even allow you to text or digitally enter things you are grateful for.</p> <p>“You can keep a gratitude journal on your phone, you could do it in a notebook, you could even just kind of take time to really think about those things,” says Laurie Santos, PhD, a professor of psychology.</p> <p>“All of these types of forms of engaging with a gratitude journal can really improve your wellbeing.”</p> <p><strong>What does research show about the effects of gratitude journaling?</strong></p> <p>Experts say the evidence is overwhelming: Keeping a gratitude journal is good for your health and overall well-being.</p> <p>“There’s lots and lots of studies basically suggesting that gratitude improves wellbeing,” Dr Santos says.</p> <p>“There’s evidence, for example, that people who are more grateful experience more benefits in terms of their self-regulation, they’re more likely to eat healthier, they’re more likely to save more for retirement,” she explains. “And there’s even evidence that people sleep better when they’re feeling more grateful.”</p> <p>Jane Wilson, PhD, says there are even more benefits of keeping a gratitude journal.</p> <p>“People who keep a gratitude journal experience more positive emotions such as love, joy, contentment, improved social connections, increased sense of inner peace, improved exercise and deepened sense of focus in learning,” Dr Wilson explains.</p> <p>“Keeping a gratitude journal strengthens one’s gratitude muscle,” she adds. “By strengthening one’s gratitude muscle, people will find they more quickly notice good things in life, and they’re better able to manage future stressful situations.”</p> <p><strong>What is gratitude?</strong></p> <p>Gratitude can have many definitions depending on whom you talk to. But according to Emiliana Simon-Thomas, PhD, gratitude is often defined into two basic ways.</p> <p>“Science defines gratitude in a couple of ways,” she says.</p> <p>“One way is reverence for that which is given. Recognising that all kinds of stuff around us every day has nothing to do with our effort, talents, our skills. It’s just there.”</p> <p>She says another way we define gratitude is as a specific emotional experience.</p> <p>“So how you feel that kind of warmth in your chest, that affectionate sentiment, when you are in a moment where someone has done something that’s really wonderful for you, you feel grateful right then and there is that sense of trust and connection, and social support,” she explains.</p> <p><strong>How do I make an entry in a gratitude journal?</strong></p> <p>Dr Simon-Thomas says the most simple way to make a gratitude diary entry, very generally, is to list sources of goodness that you enjoy in your life that you haven’t had to work toward or earn.</p> <p>“It can be as simple as running water that is drinkable from a tap, or can be really complex and detailed, like the role that a mentor in your life has played in advancing your professional career or by introducing you to a topic or a community that has been instrumental,” she explains.</p> <p>She says examples of this include gratitude for things many people take for granted, such as democracy, freedom, access to education and health care. “Those are really important kinds of gratitude,” she says, “and they do shift us toward a more optimistic view in the world.”</p> <p>Dr Wilson says she suggests beginning by pausing to reflect upon your day or week, taking a moment to savour a few blessings in your life, and then jotting the things you noticed or think of.</p> <p><strong>How often should you write in a gratitude journal?</strong></p> <p>Experts say there’s no hard and fast rule about how frequently to make entries in a gratitude journal to reap the benefits.</p> <p>Dr Simon-Thomas says there are some general patterns that seem to pop up like the suggestion to write three times a day, she adds, but that won’t work for everyone.</p> <p>If you’re more anxious person, maybe for you the best schedule for gratitude journaling is twice a day for two weeks. For some people who lean toward a more open-minded and flexible emotional demeanour, she says journaling once every other day for four weeks may be the most impactful.</p> <p>Some research suggests the ideal frequency to write in a gratitude journal seems to be around one to three entries per week for at least two weeks. Experts say this is likely because it can become easier to become numb to sources of goodness around us if we track it every day.</p> <p><strong>How much should you write in a gratitude journal?</strong></p> <p>According to the experts, any amount of expression or embracing of gratitude, including writing it down in a journal, can be beneficial. But most also agree that the more specific and in-depth an entry is, the more impact it tends to have.</p> <p>Dr Simon-Thomas says some people find it helpful to go into a lot of detail as to why they are grateful for something or how it made them feel. Some experts also advocate for the benefit of making extended entries that can be shared with others.</p> <p>“The most impactful gratitude practice is writing a gratitude letter to someone, around 300 to 500 words, and then reading it aloud to that person,” Dr Wilson says.</p> <p><strong>How long do you need to keep a gratitude journal to reap the benefits?</strong></p> <p>The jury is still out on exactly how long you need to keep a gratitude journal to reap the benefits.</p> <p>“There’s evidence, for example, that simply scribbling down a few things that you’re grateful for every day can significantly improve your wellbeing in as little as two weeks,” Dr Santos According to some experts, about 15 days is the period at which people start experiencing long-term benefits from gratitude journaling. But Dr Simon-Thomas says there are a lot of different statements out there about the relative period of time required, adding that some studies suggest just experiencing 30 to 60 seconds of gratitude, writing or reflection, can change how someone acts in the next moment, and in the next couple hours.</p> <p><strong>What is gratitude fatigue?</strong></p> <p>In general, experts say expressing and embracing gratitude, and keeping a gratitude journal, are good for the well-being of most people. But like most things, some people can experience gratitude fatigue, which may cause them to feel worse about their situation or life.</p> <p>“Some people experience gratitude fatigue if they find themselves writing down the same thing each time they open their journal,” Dr Wilson says. “To remedy this, look for new [or] surprising things you’re grateful for. Or … take a break from writing things down and resume the practice after a break.”</p> <p><strong>Writing prompts for gratitude journal entries</strong></p> <p>The experts say some people have no issue coming up with things they are grateful for, but this isn’t always an easy process for everyone. For some people, even trying to think of things they are grateful for, or not being able to come up with any, can be overwhelming and make you feel hopeless.</p> <p>If you’re having trouble thinking of entries to make in a gratitude journal, experts advise using basic prompts that help you get started in the process, although there is no perfect prompt for everyone or every situation. Some prompts may seem well-suited for a certain person or situation, but others may make someone feel worse, so choose what works for you.</p> <p>Examples of good prompts for gratitude journal entries include:</p> <ul> <li>I am grateful for a natural resource (water, food, clean air, sunlight).</li> <li>I am grateful for a component of the natural world (wildlife, mountains, bodies of water).</li> <li>I am grateful for modern comforts (running water, toilets, indoor heat, electricity, cars, airplanes, trains, grocery stores).</li> <li>I am grateful for institutions or services (hospitals and health care, education centres and education, emergency services like firefighters and natural disaster response services).</li> <li>I am grateful for a leisure activity (writing, reading, watching TV or movies).</li> <li>I am grateful my body is capable of … (walking, exercising, maintaining balance and posture, recovering from illness).</li> <li>I am grateful my brain is capable of … (thinking, being intelligent, being curious, having an imagination, learning new things, talking, coordinating body movement, remembering things and feelings).</li> <li>I am grateful for a stress-reducing activity (meditation, yoga, mindfulness, talking with friends and family).</li> <li>I am grateful I am alive now because … (modern amenities and comforts, scientific breakthroughs or advancements, ability to travel around the world, ability to connect with others easier).</li> <li>I am grateful for basic rights such as … (freedom, civil liberties, the right to receive education, expression of thought, the right to vote).</li> <li>I am grateful for something that someone did to help me or make me feel more secure.</li> <li>I am grateful for components of my work (respect of co-workers or bosses, benefits, positive impact of work on others or the environment, feelings of fulfillment or engagement).</li> <li>I am grateful to have certain people in my life.</li> <li>I am grateful for my pet because …</li> <li>I am grateful for a certain experience.</li> <li>I am grateful that something happened to me today.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Other tips for keeping a gratitude journal</strong></p> <ul> <li>Go for depth of entries versus quantity. It’s generally better to go into as much detail as possible about why you are grateful for something than generating a long, less detailed list.</li> <li>Try to not simply go through the motions. Keeping a gratitude journal is more effective if you first commit, and stay committed to, being more grateful, happy, or optimistic. A gratitude journal entry should not be viewed as a to-do list or something you have to do against your will.</li> <li>Don’t try to make any entry if you really aren’t ready or in a good space. Pushing yourself to simply make entries can actually make you feel worse or overwhelmed and may lead to entries that are negative or shaming.</li> <li>Don’t overdo it. Many people think you have to write in a gratitude journal every day to see positive effects. But writing once or twice per week long-term may be more beneficial than daily journaling.</li> <li>Think about subtractions, not only additions. One way to stimulate feelings of gratitude is to think about how your life would be affected without certain things, such as modern comforts, friends and family, meaningful work, etc. This approach can be especially effective if someone is having a hard time coming up with something they’re grateful for.</li> <li>Savour surprises. Events that are surprising or unexpected often stimulate stronger feelings of gratitude.</li> <li>Get personal with your entries. Recording or thinking about people you are grateful for often is more impactful than thinking about things you’re grateful for.</li> <li>Think of things you’re grateful for as gifts. Thinking of things we are grateful for as gifts helps prevent many people from overlooking them or taking them for granted.</li> </ul> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Jennifer Hiuzen. This article first appeared in </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/conditions/mental-health/how-to-keep-a-gratitude-journal-with-16-prompts-to-help-you-get-started" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Reader’s Digest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&amp;utm_medium=articles&amp;utm_campaign=RDSUB&amp;keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">here’s our best subscription offer.</span></a></em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

Placeholder Content Image

Mum of 16 shares how she does Christmas on a budget

<p dir="ltr">Stay-at-home mum Reni Bonell has shared her family’s secret to celebrating Christmas on a budget. What makes her advice unusual is that it’s based on her experience raising a whopping 16 children!</p> <p dir="ltr">Jeni and Ray Bonell live in Toowoomba, and<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/thebonellfamily_/" target="_blank">their family</a><span> </span>has often been dubbed ‘Australia’s largest’ because they have 16 children aged between seven and 32 years old.</p> <p dir="ltr">They have to plan Christmas as far out as one year in advance, which includes buying presents for next year’s Christmas on Boxing Day.</p> <p dir="ltr">Jeni says the family tries to stick to a $4000 budget that covers gifts, decorations and food, and they don’t just factor in their own children, but their children’s partners and their grandchildren as well. The family also like to “share their blessings” by donating to charity around Christmastime as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">She shared her budget tips on her YouTube Channel, and her primary piece of advice is to know your budget. “We all know this time of year budgets are really hard to stick to and finances are really tight. [So] know how many people you need to buy for. Know what is your disposable income.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everyone knows to have a really good budget you need to know what is coming in and what is going out. If you have a large income and you can afford to spend thousands on Christmas gifts, that’s fantastic, but for most people it’s pretty tight this time of year and you have to be very careful with your money.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Jeni likes to buy during sales, and keeps a close eye on catalogues. She also doesn’t rely on just one supermarket, explaining to<span> </span><em>7 News</em>, “We don’t do the full grocery shop at one supermarket. You can really save money by grabbing bits and pieces from different stores. It’s worth it to shop around.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She told<span> </span><em>7 News<span> </span></em>that her Christmas 2021 lunch menu will consist of a range of salads, legs of ham, roast chicken, and turkey for the main course, as well as ice cream, plum pudding, custard and fruit salad for dessert. Fortunately, her older kids pitch in by bringing food on the day as well.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for gift shopping, she starts almost a year in advance, taking advantage of the Boxing Day sales. She also gets her kids to write their wishlists as early as July, as buying presents early allows her to pay in installments so it is less overwhelming. “We have a lot of kids, so a lot of different personalities, which is challenging to buy for them all.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Her other tips include having a Christmas fund and signing up to a rewards program. She explains, “Most banks will offer you a Christmas fund account where you can put money in each month and only withdraw it at a certain time of year.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As for rewards programs, she explains that you can then use the points you have accrued over the year to buy gifts, or turn them into a gift card. She recommends Shopback, where users can receive cash back from purchases made at over 2000 online retailers. This service allowed her to save over $700 in 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family has numerous social media pages where they post about regular family experiences, with a twist: for example, having to buy 17 movie tickets, or having to meal prep 53 meals for the coming week. They’ve previously discussed their weekly grocery shop, which usually comes to a total of $600 per week, and can include as many as six dozen eggs, 18 litres of milk, 30 chicken drumsticks and 24 rolls of toilet paper.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

Placeholder Content Image

Reality star raises over $1 million in just 16 hours for stricken baby

<p>A social media influencer has raised over £1m (AUD$1.8m) in less than a day to help his daughter get life-saving treatment for leukaemia.</p> <p>Ashley Cain, who appeared on the MTV series Ex on the Beach, wrote on Instagram on Saturday that he and his partner Safiyya Vorajee, also an influencer, "are on our knees asking for help" after their seven-month-old, Azaylia, had a leukaemia relapse.</p> <p>The baby requires a year-long CAR-T therapy, plus a haplo transplant, for the best chance of survival, Cain wrote.</p> <p>It only took 16 hours after the post went up for Cain to hit the £1m target after more than 83,000 people donated.</p> <p>The 30-year-old said: “After long discussions and a global outreach for treatment, our consultants along with consultants from around the world have come to the conclusion that the ONLY option to save a minimum period of 1 year.</p> <p>“Because of the aggressiveness of Azaylia’s disease, we don’t have time on our side and we may have to fly out within a matter of weeks. Azaylia is such a strong little girl who has fought through every near impossible battle so far and she has done it all with love in her heart and a smile on her face!”</p> <p>Cain and Vorajee welcomed Azaylia in August, and learned their baby was suffering from leukemia at eight weeks old.</p> <p>“Azaylia had a frighteningly high leukemia count plus tumours in her spleen, stomach, lungs and kidneys which put her in critical condition and resulted in her being put into intensive care,” Cain wrote on the fundraising page.</p> <p>“The doctors warned us that there was a high probability that she wouldn’t survive past the first round of chemotherapy due to the aggressiveness and rareness of her disease combined with her age.”</p> <p>The couple, who have already surpassed their fundraising target, said they will donate any extra money to “other children and their families in the same situation”.</p>

Caring

Our Partners