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Prince William gets candid about his mental health struggles

Although he has grown up in front of the world and is second-in-line to the British throne, Prince William has candidly opened up about his own struggles with his mental health. The Duke of Cambridge vulnerably discussed his experience while launching a website that aims to improve mental health in the workplace. William partnered with the initiative after hearing that only two per cent of employees in Britain feel comfortable discussing their mental health to their HR departments. Recalling his time as an air ambulance pilot, William explained: “I took a lot home without realising it. You see [so] many sad things every day that you think life is like that." The royal spent two years as an East Anglian Air Ambulance pilot and admitted that while serving, he battled to deal with the emotions that were impacting his personal life. "You're always dealing with despair and sadness and injury,” he continued. "The attrition builds up and you never really have the opportunity to offload anything if you're not careful.” William explained that many who are struggling with their mental health are “suffering in silence” due to the lack of resources available. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"> "If we are going to improve the mental health of our nation, we need to improve things at work. People spend more time there than almost anywhere else, yet research shows that it's also the place where we're least comfortable talking about mental health." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MentalHealthatWork?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MentalHealthatWork</a> <a href="https://t.co/v3Cv6Nn1xy">pic.twitter.com/v3Cv6Nn1xy</a> — Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/KensingtonRoyal/status/1039527432519340032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2018</a></blockquote> "You're human and a lot of people forget the battles, you have shut it off to do the job—but ultimately something pierces the armour," he noted. Prince William, Duchess Kate and Prince Harry first became mental health ambassadors when they launched Heads Together in 2016. The website William launched, Mental Health at Work, is a free portal for employers and employees in the UK where they can access resources on mental health. Earlier this year in March, the 36-year-old expressed his determination to end the stigma surrounding mental health in the workplace. "Just starting a conversation on mental health can make all the difference," Prince William said at the time. "When you talk about something you have less reason to fear it and when you can talk about something you are much more likely to ask for help." Yesterday, he emphasised his view once again, saying: "It just takes one person to change the way a company thinks about mental health."

Mind

The simple hack that could slash $500 off your holiday booking

With summer well and truly around the corner, people all over the country are gearing up to book their holidays, reserving accommodation and coordinating itineraries. Which is why you need to get on board with this one woman’s simple hack that could cut down hundreds of dollars off your final bill. Melbourne mother-of-two Janica Place, 39, spoke to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6157595/Mother-shares-simple-trick-booking-holidays-hundreds-cost-flights.html">Daily Mail</a> and revealed how she got a discount of $500 on return flights between Melbourne and Helsinki for herself and her two children by doing this one simple thing. “I use two devices in order to make sure that prices aren’t being manipulated,” she said. “I search with my computer for instance, and then I book my flights on my phone.” The mother of two was so surprised to see how much cheaper the flights were that she couldn’t believe it until she returned to her computer to check that they were indeed different. “I’ve since booked all my flights that way,” she said. “I had no idea that searching destinations on different devices had such an effect. It’s crazy!” Another simple trick to nab cheap flights is one that is revealed by savvy travellers. All you need to do is clear your “cookies” – which are small computer files that let websites know if you’ve been on their page previously – on your device so that your details are not stored. When information is stored, then there is a chance that sites may raise their prices as they can see that you’re most likely to book the fare. And this trick doesn’t just work on flights, but on hotels too. Will you be trying out this hack? Let us know in the comments below.

Travel Tips

Queensland schoolgirl threatened with suspension after refusing to stand for national anthem

A nine-year-old schoolgirl is facing suspension after she refused to stand for Australia’s national anthem. Brisbane’s Kenmore South State School student Harper Nielsen, chose to protest against Advance Australia Fair, as she claimed it was not inclusive of indigenous Australians. <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/pauline-hanson-labels-australian-anthem-schoolgirl-a-brat/news-story/ce59f6b224bbd79360a049a4d7a9ea8c">The Courier-Mail</a> reported that the Year 4 student was given an ultimatum of either standing or leaving the building. When she refused to do either, the school issued Harper a detention card for “blatant disrespect.” She was then told that she could leave the office premises until she had signed a written apology and that she could be suspended. The event that occurred has caused major outrage throughout radio and television. Infamous Alan Jones and controversial commentator Mark Latham believes Harper was “defying the school.” “We used to have special schools for children with behaviour problems,” said Latham on the 4BC radio show. “Not standing is a behavioural problem, so kick her out.” Jones agreed with Latham’s sentiments, as he too was furious at the young girl’s decision. “What on earth do you do … other than call the parents in and say ‘listen, these are the rules here if you don’t like them you do as we say or go somewhere else because we’re not accommodating you.” Speaking to The Courier-Mail, Harper said that the line in the national anthem, “for we are young and free”, excluded Aboriginal people who lived in Australia for tens of thousands of years post-colonisation. Jones who was offended by this statement said that “colonisation brought the kind of tremendous wealth that all Australians now enjoy.” Latham went on to add: “The school only exists because of colonisation, what sort of fools are these?” But despite the grilling on 4BC, Harper has received a lot of support online. “I do applaud her for considering the words of the national anthem, a lot of people just rattle it off and don’t consider the meaning and I also applaud her strength of character to stand up for what she believes in,” said Today show host Georgie Gardner. But co-host Karl Stefanovic attacked the parents, believing they’re the real problem. “Her parents are obviously supporting her, and I think that’s the big problem here, her parents are supporting her in a way that I don’t think is appropriate,” he said. “The schools have rules, I’m exasperated by this this morning so if you don’t like that as a parent, if you don’t like that your child will have to stand for the anthem then go somewhere else. Schools have rules and they have to be abided by.” Whose side are you on? Let us know in the comments below.

Legal

New $4200 rule for Aussie flyers

Travellers acting suspiciously in Australian airports will have to show identification to police under draft laws introduced to federal Parliament. Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the new identification rule will allow Australian Federal Police to make someone leave the airport or ban them from flying for 24 hours if they pose a security threat. Police will have the authority to “move on” those who refuse to show their ID to police. Mr Dutton said police powers at airports need to be increased as they are one of the greatest targets for terrorism and crime groups. “Police at our airports are highly trained in behavioural analysis and threat assessments,” he said. “However, they don’t currently have the power to check ID unless they can link behaviour to a specific offence.” He explained that suspicious activity could include taking photos or videos of security check areas. Mr Dutton also revealed that the increased powers will allow police to remove bikie gang members from airports for two hours if it is known that an incoming flight has rival gang members. The minister said the legislation would ensure greater safety at Australian airports, adding that travellers could receive a fine of up to $4200 if they do not comply with the check. Police will have to identify themselves before conducting ID checks. Police will be able to use the new powers at major Australian airports including Sydney, Sydney West, Melbourne Tullamarine, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Alice Springs, Canberra, Darwin and Townsville. The increased police powers follow a string of new rules being implemented across Australian airports. Earlier this year it was announced that passengers will have to <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/international-travel/2018/05/bad-news-if-you-wear-glasses-the-new-passport-rule/">remove their glasses</a> in new passport photos taken from July 1. “Research has shown that glasses adversely affect passport facial matching. Matching is more accurate without glasses,” the department said. “A limited exemption for medical reasons may apply where supported by a medical certificate.” From June 30, the government also enforced new limits on how much powder product can be packed in carry-on baggage on international flights. Powders must be presented separately at airport security and inorganic powders must not exceed 350g.

International Travel

“This is our one chance to survive”: Dairy farmers plead with shoppers to boycott Coles

Dairy farmers are pleading with the public to boycott Coles amid claims that the supermarket is failing to comply with their request to increase the price of milk by 10 cents. Queensland dairy farmer, Joe Bradley, said that while there is increasing pressure from the public and support for the dairy industry, Coles has not agreed to meet their request. Woolworths has agreed to raise the price if other supermarkets follow. “What we’re asking people is if Coles doesn’t support local dairy farmers, don’t support Coles,” Mr Bradley told <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/sunrise/">Sunrise</a>. “Don’t shop at Coles, please, this is our one chance to survive.” Mr Bradley says that he cannot wrap his head around as to why Coles won’t get on board to “make sure the dairy industry has a future.” Consumers are being asked to pay 10 extra cents for milk to help support drought-affected farmers. The Queensland Dairy Organisation (QDO) is currently fighting for supermarkets to drop their “dollar-a-litre” range to help save struggling farmers. The petition has called for the increase in price and for processors such as Parmalat, Norco and Lion to give the proceeds back to the farmers. “It wouldn’t amount to 10 cents back at the farm gate, but it would be closer to six to seven cents back at the farm gate price,” QDO president Brian Tessmann told the ABC. “Farmers are really suffering and there are guys who have come to the end of their tether and have basically said ‘someone please come and take my cows.’” Mr Tessmann said: “It’s the farmers that have suffered with the drought and we’ve been locked into $1 a litre as an anchor of the price since 2011.” Robert Miller, a dairy farmer from NSW said that the “dollar-a-litre” milk range found at leading supermarkets has hurt the industry more than the drought. “The cost of milk, just to source the feed alone, is $1.30 per litre,” he said. Mr Miller has campaigned against the cheap milk by posting signs on the front of his dairy farm, as he says it’s “killing farmers.” He has been forced to sell his cattle to China and Japan for the past few years just to keep his business afloat. But according to Mr Miller, selling overseas is no longer a viable option. “I’ve more than had enough. I’m going broke,” Mr Miller said. Mr Miller believes that 50 per cent of dairy farmers will be broke by Christmas. Their only saviour will be an increase in prices or the end of the drought, and neither seems likely.

News

“It’s moving”: Woman’s deadly discovery in her laundry

A Queensland mother has shared footage from the terrifying encounter she had while attempting to do her washing at home. Bernie Beddie was completing her household chores when a deadly snake appeared in her laundry. Filming the deadly eastern brown snake, Ms Beddie's footage shows the reptile trying to outsmart the snake catcher who was called to their home to deal with the surprise guest. <img style="width: 500px; height:281.25px;" src="/media/7820774/image_.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a3864ff17f15494099a9924af31b1d84" /> The woman can be heard saying in the video: “The snake catcher is on its way – and it’s moving!” “Stay there, snake,” Ms Beddie orders to the serpent, before having a meltdown when it temporarily disappears. Although it didn’t take long for the snake catcher to arrive at her home, the snake moved under her washing machine. The catcher unplugged the washing machine from the wall and moved it outside, but the reptile was still difficult to locate. “Come on out,” the snake catcher calls to the snake. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fbernie.beddie%2Fvideos%2F10205070459557894%2F&show_text=0&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> Anxiously watching on, the mother says: “I’m glad the kids aren’t here.” Ms Beddie’s cats also attempt to have a look at the commotion in the laundry, before they are shooed away by their owner. The catcher eventually managed to get hold of the eastern brown snake and then quickly placed it inside his bag. “You get in there and stay there,” the snake catcher told the difficult snake. “Get back down!” One friend commented on her video, writing: “Omg I would be moving out, stuff that.” Another added that it was $70 well spent to get the deadly snake removed from her home.

News

Four years on: New development in William Tyrrell’s disappearance case

Four years after the disappearance of three-year-old William Tyrrell, police have handed his presumed abduction to the State Coroner. On the fourth anniversary of the toddler’s heartbreaking disappearance, policed announced overnight that the investigation will be handed to Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame. An inquest into William’s case has also been proposed for next year. “Investigators from the Homicide Squad’s Strike Force Rosann would like to acknowledge the continued strength and courage of William Tyrrell’s families today,” the statement reads. “Over the past year, investigators have continued to explore lines of inquiry in an effort to find out what happened to William, including a large-scale forensic search.” William’s family are aware of the development. On September 12, 2014, William vanished from his grandmother’s home in Kendall, NSW. It was later revealed that the young boy had been living in care after he was removed from his biological parents, Karlie Tyrrell and Brendan Collins. William’s abduction sparked one of the largest manhunts in Australia’s history, but no trace of him has ever been discovered. In June, police returned to the area where he disappeared in an attempt to find one last clue to one of Australia’s most notable missing child cases. A four-week “forensic search” was carried out in the bushland that surrounded his foster grandmother’s house, however, no leads were found. Last year, the NSW Supreme Court allowed the identity of William’s birth parents to be publicised but concluded that it was a “tragic probability” the boy was already dead. Both his biological and foster families have been ruled out as suspects in his disappearance. “Her Honour has requested a brief of evidence, which will be provided by the year’s end,” the NSW Police statement reads. “The brief will cover various aspects of the investigation, as determined by the Coroner. “The inquest will be an opportunity to test information and evidence gathered by Strike Force Rosann and further the investigation. “This is another step in ensuring answers are provided to William’s loved ones.” A $1 million reward is still on offer for information that leads to William’s recovery. "Until we know conclusively that William is not alive, we'll treat it with the possibility that he still is alive," Detective Chief Inspector Gary Jubelin said in June. "But obviously we have grave concerns." William, who disappeared while wearing his Spider-man costume, would have celebrated his seventh birthday in June.

Legal

The brilliant $6 Kmart hack for storing your Coles Little Shop collectables

As the dust settles on the Coles Little Shop phenomenon, people are coming up with clever hacks on how to re-use and store their tiny collectables. Little Shop – a promotion run by Coles of mini plastic goods that took the nation by storm – will be ending soon, and naturally, people’s interest is starting to wither. But one thrifty mum has an ultimate hack for that. Melbourne mum, Alannah Koch has used $6 magnetic tape from Kmart to turn her items into magnets. Speaking to <a href="https://www.mamamia.com.au/coles-little-shop-and-kmart-hack/">Mamamia</a>, Alannah said that she’s only been collecting the items for the past seven weeks, and she didn’t realise the hype around them. “At first, we had no idea what they were but found one in our shopping bag when we got home, opened it up and it was a mini Nutella and it was so cute. So, over the following days and weeks we really got to know what it was all about and we’re hooked!” Taking her three weeks to obtain the full collection, Alannah found that her sixteen-month-old son Oakland loved to play with them. “I’ve just got to watch him as he’s only sixteen-months-old so to him everything is edible,” she said. A few weeks into collecting, Alannah found that she owned several spares. “I wanted to do something creative with them as they are so cute I didn’t want to throw them away or waste them,” she said. Her creative juices started flowing and that was when Alannah thought of a brilliant way to repurpose the little items. “I was browsing the Kmart website one day and saw they sold magnetic tape, which works exactly like normal tape except it’s a magnet. “I started sticking it on the backs [of the minis] to make them into magnets, so when Oakland is older he can have them as magnets for his drawings on his part of the fridge.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnIsbt7hyke/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnIsbt7hyke/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" target="_blank">Creative Fridays✌🏻 So we’ve been getting our creative hats on around the house and turning our left over @coleslittleshop collectables into Magnets for the fridge! With this super easy $6 magnet tape from @kmartaus it’s Sooo easy! The tape is adhesive like normal tape and you just use the cutter on the end to the length you want, then stick it on.. it’s that simple! They look super cute, it’s a fun little activity to do at home and you don’t have to feel bad thinking you’d have to throw them out. _____________________________________________________________ What’s everyone else doing with theirs? #kmart #coleslittleshop #creative #creativefriday #creativedaily #repurpose #reuse #recycle #activities #activitiesforkids #activity #mumlife #motherhoodthroughinstagram #friday #fridaymood #sahmlife #sahm #raisingkids #kidscrafts #mummy #secondhand #magnet #creativity #parenthood #parentlife #parenting #getcreative #motherhoodunplugged #reality #instamum</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/new.mummy.life/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" target="_blank"> Alannah🔅</a> (@new.mummy.life) on Aug 31, 2018 at 1:02am PDT </div> </blockquote> Alannah then went on to say, “They will not just be stuck in a collector’s case and eventually put in the cupboard, but they’ll be on our fridge for a very long time!” Oakland is also happy with the new setup. “He loves them on the fridge, pulling them off and throwing them on the floor mostly at this age!”

Retirement Income

News

Terrifying moment two warring snakes crash through bedroom ceiling

A video has captured the scary duel between snakes after they fell through an air duct in an Aussie bedroom. The footage shows the two pythons tangled together and making hissing noises after they fell through the air ducts of the home located in Brisbane’s Kenmore Hills. The fight was captured by Snake Catchers Brisbane on Sunday and shows the two male Coastal Carpet pythons battling for a female mate in the area. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwww.snakecatchers.com.au%2Fvideos%2F2060287627618889%2F&show_text=0&width=267" width="267" height="476" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> “People often mistake this as mating, but it is combat,” explained snake catcher Lana Field. According to Field, whichever snake won the battle would gain the right to mate with the nearby female, whose pheromones they could smell. The two snakes fell through the air duct vent by pushing on the cover and fell into the room of the unknowing inhabitants. Social media users were shocked by the video, with one person commenting: “Imagine being in that bed when they came through the ceiling vent! OMG!” Another wrote: “Oh my God they fell through the roof, I would have died, not looking forward to summer.” Ms Field described the two pythons as “small, average size”, with a length of around 1.75 metres. “They can continue like this for hours also, until one is exhausted, feels like he's going to win the battle, get on top and he'll leave,” she said

News

When to turn your clocks forward one hour

As the weather slowly starts to warm up and the days start to get longer, it’s a reminder that the start of Daylight Savings is only a few weeks away. Mark the date in your diary! The clocks will go forward one hour in NSW, ACT, South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania at 2 am on Sunday, October 7. Daylight Savings will remain in place for 6 months until April 7 next year, where it will be going back an hour. Daylight Saving Time is observed in NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

News

Another urgent product recall from Coles and IGA

A range of South Australian alfalfa sprouts has been recalled after eight people contracted salmonella in the past month. <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">The Sunshine Sprouts, sold at Coles, Foodland, IGA and greengrocers, have been voluntary recalled. <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">SA Health acting executive director Chris Lease said 116 alfalfa products had been sampled after the reports and salmonella was present in three samples. <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">“A number of Sunshine Sprouts alfalfa sprouts products have already been voluntarily recalled and we are advising anyone who has purchased the affected products not to eat them, and to return them to the place of purchase for a refund, or throw them away,” Dr Lease said. <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">“In cases of salmonella a common food source is not often identified, however testing of retail product confirmed its presence in a variety of alfalfa sprout products. <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.53846153846155px;" src="/media/7820737/1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/009060668da34365afcdcd23ce6e9e64" /> <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">“We are working closely with the producer and suppliers while we continue to investigate.” <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">The products recalled include alfalfa sprouts with broccoli, garlic, mustard, onion, radish and the gourmet pack. <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">Symptoms of salmonella can occur between six to 72 hours after ingestion and include fever, diarrhoea, vomiting, cramps and headaches. <p style="margin-top: 0cm; background: white; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; orphans: 2; text-align: start; widows: 2; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; word-spacing: 0px;">Symptoms can last for up to seven days.

News

Aussies slam Serena Williams' outburst

After an eventful US Open final consisting of Serena Williams throwing a tantrum on the court, the champion player has been dubbed as disgraceful and disappointing by Australian media. In the playoffs against 20-year-old Japanese player Naomi Osaka, Williams unleashed on the umpire when she was given a code violation for receiving instruction from her coach. Clearly upset, she responded: “You owe me an apology. I’ve never cheated in my life. I have a daughter and stand for what’s right for her.” After the events unfolded, Williams addressed her behaviour at a press conference. “I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things. I’m here fighting for women’s rights and women’s equality,” she said. “For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was sexist. “He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief’. For me, it blows my mind.” Her conduct was the topic of discussion for commentators as they slammed Williams' comments. Appearing on ABC’s Offsiders, Fairfax’s Caroline Wilson took offence after Williams justified her behaviour with the women’s rights argument. “She is doing a terrible disservice to women’s rights, to the #metoo movement, to gender equality,” said Wilson. “To say she’s fighting for women’s rights when what she is, is a bad sport. She’s not fighting for women’s rights, that is a joke and that’s an insult to people who do fight for women’s rights and go through terrible bloodshed and heartbreak.” Wilson backed up her statements by pointing out Williams' history of bad behaviour. “I know we take sport incredibly serious these days but how seriously does Serena Williams take herself sometimes,” she said. “I mean that is just disgraceful. The comment about having a daughter, women around the world would have cringed at that and will have a look at what she had to say afterwards. “This is a woman who in 2009 threatened to shove a ball down an umpire’s f-ing throat and was only fined $10,000 by her sport. This is a woman who, again, verbally threatened a linesman in 2014. People have not stood up to Serena Williams.” The Australian’s Peter Lalor agreed with those sentiments, saying the outburst was hard to watch. “It was her McEnroe moment,” he said on Offsiders. “It’s very disappointing to see a champion like that let themselves down. Nobody owes you an apology, you owe a lot of people an apology and when you calm down, I hope you realise that. “It just felt uncomfortable because she really snapped, she really lost it. I felt sorry for her to some degree, but she doubled down later, and she really does owe her opponent an apology. It was poor form.” On Channel 9’s Sports Sunday, Richard Freedman also had something to say. “The whole bringing in the motherhood thing, ‘I’ve got a daughter and I don’t want her to think I was cheating’, what about blowing up in front of a stand full of people and international television audience and going on like a two-bob watch, is that what you want your daughter to see,” he said. “And I cannot get over the crowds cheering that sort of behaviour – what sort of morons are sitting in those stands? – and booing the poor girl who stood at the other end, first grand slam, totally intimidated and then booing her. That’s just unbelievable.” Osaka made history as she is the first Japanese person to take home the title, and the first Japanese player to win a grand slam event. The 20-year-old is still undefeated in 2018. But while the achievement was meant to be celebrated, instead what Osaka was faced with was being overshadowed by her much more senior opponent. Osaka even apologised for winning the match, saying, “I know everyone was cheering for her, I’m sorry it had to end like this.” <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="/media/7820732/gettyimages-1029927246.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/61f03241787a4bf3bf11e1efaf563448" /> Williams was seen comforting the champion and asked the crowd to stop booing. Do you agree with the umpire’s decision? Or are you on Serena Williams' side instead? Let us know in the comments below.

News

Travel

Severe weather warnings in place as temperatures soar

Forecasters have warned Aussies of a “wild day of weather” as above-average temperatures, rain, 100km-plus gales and even blizzards are forecasted. Tasmania is expected to be hit with “vigorous and damaging” gusts of up to 100km/h. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe warning for the Western, Upper Derwent Valley, South East and parts of East Coast, Central Plateau and Midlands areas today. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> ⚠️ Severe Weather Warning issued for Damaging <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Winds?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Winds</a> for Western and Southern <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tasmania?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tasmania</a> for Wednesday morning and early afternoon. See <a href="https://t.co/lu3PDZ9GbE">https://t.co/lu3PDZ9GbE</a> for details and updates; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hobart?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hobart</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weather?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weather</a> <a href="https://t.co/lJW3P9PkP2">pic.twitter.com/lJW3P9PkP2</a> — Bureau of Meteorology, Tasmania (@BOM_Tas) <a href="https://twitter.com/BOM_Tas/status/1039311209135316992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2018</a></blockquote> Last night a cold front crossed Tasmania overnight, followed by a trough to cross Tasmania this morning. The windy conditions will continue to Thursday in the North-West, with showers contracting to the West and easing during the day. Friday will be mostly fine, with temperatures heating back up to the high teens. Hobart is expected to reach a maximum of 15 degrees today and 17C tomorrow. The wild weather follows many states encountering a burst of warm weather yesterday. Yesterday, Townsville had a top 27C and will rise to 29C towards the end of the week. Brisbane will experience 24C today, which will rise to 27C on the weekend. Today, Sydneysiders will experience 28C in the CBD which will drop back to 22C the following day. Yesterday, South Australia also encountered wild winds, with winds of 80-85km/h hitting Cleve, Whyalla, Roseworthy, Edinburgh and Hindmarsh. Today, South Australia is forecasted a high of just 16C. The Northern Territory will continue to experience warm weather with a high of 33C today and 35C on Friday. In the west of the country in Perth, temperatures have already fallen and the cloudy skies are expected to continue until the weekend.

Domestic Travel

Harry and Meghan’s Aussie tour schedule revealed: Where you can meet the royals

Next month, Aussie royal fans will have the special opportunity to get close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their Australian tour. Last night, Kensington Palace announced that Prince Harry and Meghan will visit Sydney, Melbourne, Dubbo and Fraser Island during their tour. The couple’s visit is centred around the 2018 Sydney Invictus Games, the international sporting event for injured and ill veterans that was founded by Prince Harry. The couple will arrive in Sydney on October 16 for a day and then they will spend October 17 in Dubbo, in rural New South Wales. Harry and Meghan will then head to Melbourne on October 18, before returning to Sydney for the Invictus Games from October 19-21. The opening ceremony for the games will be held on October 20. On October 22, the royals will travel to Fraser Island in Queensland to see a completed Queen’s Canopy project, which aims to restore rainforests across the Commonwealth. Harry and Meghan will then visit Fiji and Tonga, before returning to Sydney on October 26, so they can attend the Invictus Games closing ceremony the following day. It is expected the couple will have time allocated in their itinerary to visit community groups involved with young people, focusing on employment, training and community leadership. Royal spectators also expect that the newlyweds will take time to visit a community group that assists farmers struggling with the drought. The 16-day tour will mark the couple’s first major international tour and there will be several opportunities for the public to see the royals. Kensington Palace revealed in a statement that the governments of Australia and New Zealand had invited the couple to visit. At the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK, the royals will also visit Fiji and Tonga. “The programme across these four Commonwealth countries will focus on youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts — including the dedication of several new Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy projects — and the recovery and rehabilitation of servicemen and women through the Invictus Games Sydney 2018,” a spokesperson said last night. Following the Invictus Games closing ceremony in Sydney, the royals will travel to Wellington on October 28. It is expected Harry and Meghan will meet New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden and her newborn Neve Te Aroha during their time in the country. The pair will visit Abel Tasman National Park in New Zealand on October 29 and then head to Auckland on the 30th. To conclude their trip, Harry and Meghan will visit Rotura in New Zealand on October 31 before heading home. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that he is looking forward to welcoming Prince Harry and Meghan into Australia. “Their visit will be an opportunity to promote the incredible achievements of Invictus athletes from around the world, and showcase Australian programmes promoting youth leadership, environmental and conservation efforts,’’ he said.

Domestic Travel

TV star vanishes from cruise ship

A massive search is underway for a German TV star and singer who has gone missing while on a cruise to Canada. The cruise operator, Aida Cruises, said there was reason to believe Daniel Kueblboeck may have jumped into the sea on Sunday morning. “That is our suspicion,” spokesman Hansjoerg Kunze said. Kueblboeck first entered stardom after appearing on Germany’s version of Pop Idol in 2003. However, the star’s disappearance follows a recent post the 33-year-old wrote about being bullied. Kueblboeck revealed on his official fan club page that he had suffered “months of bullying” as a child at school, that shook him “deeply”. “Dear fans. Unfortunately, I still do not feel better mentally and physically,” he wrote. “I have yet to cope with this pain of the past months.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgiiwEmjKKS/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgiiwEmjKKS/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Daniel Kaiser-Küblböck (@daniel_kaiserkueblboeck)</a> on Mar 20, 2018 at 2:18am PDT </div> </blockquote> Kueblboeck, who auditioned but was not selected as Germany’s Eurovision entry in 2014, was travelling to Newfoundland, Canada, with 2200 passengers. When Kueblboeck was found to be missing, Aida said the ship was stopped and returned to the spot off the coast of Newfoundland where it is believed he went overboard. The incident occurred 185km north of the city of St John’s, Newfoundland. The Canadian coastguard confirmed on Sunday that it was using a surveillance plane and helicopter to search the Labrador Sea for Kueblboeck. Two other cruise ships also reportedly assisted with the search. Kueblboeck, who was born in Bavaria, made his last major TV appearance in the eighth season of Let’s Dance in 2015 and was studying to be an actor at the European Theatre Institute Berlin. Kueblboeck's cruise ship disappearance comes months after an Australian woman died after she fell from an upper-level deck of the Pacific Dawn into the ocean off the coast of New Caledonia. Last month, a British cruise passenger was rescued after surviving 10 hours floating in the Adriatic Sea off Croatia. The 46-year-old claimed that she fell over the balcony, but passengers have since claimed that she jumped after a <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/bizarre-twist-in-case-of-woman-who-was-lost-at-sea-for-10-hours/">drunken argument</a> with her boyfriend.

Travel Trouble

This Italian city is fining people for eating in public

The tourist magnet of Florence in Italy is cracking down on visitors who eat on sidewalks, doorsteps or driveways during lunch or dinner time. Mayor Dario Nardella has said that a new ordinance, calling for fines up to €500 (AUD$813), aims to combat "boorish tourists". The ordinance, which went into effect this week, applies to certain streets in the Renaissance city, including near the Uffizi Galleries, and only from noon to 3pm and from 6pm to 10pm. It's valid through 6 January 2019 to the end of the Italian holiday season. Tourists often eat in the street to avoid paying to dine at cafes. Last year, after a man swam naked in Rome's Trevi Fountain and that city began fining people eating on monumental fountains or bathing in them. Have you visited Florence before? What do you think about this new rule and the hefty fine? Tell us in the comments below.

International Travel

Health

People are still dying from the 9/11 attacks 17 years later

The flood of people coming down with illnesses stemming from the toxic dust kicked up by the 9/11 terror attacks in New York City in 2001 has been so great that the US$7.3 billion (AUD$10.4 billion) dedicated to sufferers could run out before everyone has been helped, the Daily News has learned. The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund (VCF), which is responsible for providing financial assistance to those suffering from illnesses caused by Ground Zero contaminants, is already showing signs of strain. "We do periodic assessments of our data," VCF Special Master Rupa Bhattacharyya told the Daily News. The assessments, she said, create projections that will determine if the fund will be able to help everyone before it expires on December 18, 2020. "Looking at the data more recently, I'm starting to get a little concerned," she said. Bhattacharyya wouldn't say if the fund is running out of money. She said the VCF plans to publish its updated projections in the next few weeks "and maybe seek some public comment on changes that will have to be made regarding our policies and procedures." <div class="sics-component__ad-space sics-component__ad-space--storybody "> Survivor advocates are concerned that, as the money peters out, those who file for compensation from now until the end will get less money than those who filed earlier with the same problems. "I'm pretty confident that they will run out of money," said 9/11 advocate John Feal. "But I don't think people should be concerned right now. I bet my one kidney that we will get the VCF extended." Sources with knowledge of the VCF's money woes said that a bill to extend the fund could be brought to Congress as early as next month. Through August 31, the VCF has reviewed 38,502 compensation claims from 9/11 illness sufferers this year – a nearly 28 per cent jump over the 30,081 claims it took in last year over the same period. Of the 38,502, about 20,000 claims already have been approved with payouts that can range up to US$200,000 AUD$280,660), depending on the illness. The VCF has also seen a 94 per cent jump in "deceased claims" – requests for compensation by estates or family members of a 9/11 survivor who has already succumbed to illness. As of the end of August, 720 families have sought some form of financial compensation this year. In 2017, about 371 families did so in the same timeframe. And these numbers could continue to rise in the next few years, Bhattacharyya said. "There are diseases with long latency periods," she said. "Mesothelioma is one that is talked about often, and you won't even see it for 15 or 20 years. We won't see those claims for a while." According to the website Asbestos.com, an estimated 400 tonnes of asbestos – the microscopic fibres that cause mesothelioma – was used in the construction of the World Trade Center. All of it was released into the air when the buildings were pulverised into dust. A source with knowledge of the assessment procedure said the VCF still has more than US$3b (AUD$4.2b) in funding left to distribute, so any concerns Bhattacharyya might have are not imminent. "We're required by statute to periodically reassess our policies and procedures to make sure we are prioritising the claimants with the most debilitating conditions," the source said. "Her concerns are part of the periodic reassessment process that was built into the statute. It's part of what the statute requires VCF to do." Scores of the people inhaled the dust as they sifted through the powder-caked debris looking for survivors and remains, in what is considered one of the worst environmental disasters in the United States. "It was unprecedented in the US," said Dr John Howard, administrator for the World Trade Center Health. "The acute number of fatalities on that day has not been surpassed, and the chronic health effects have people succumb to illnesses ... it seems incomparable that any other disaster is close. "We don't want to see another one like this," he said. <img style="width: 500px; height: 284.091px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/media/7820766/1-twin-towers.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/a38b355628894a28a3898a2870e444d6" /> As of June, 88,484 first responders and survivors have registered with the World Trade Center Health Program. Of that number, roughly 10,000 have some form of cancer that has been certified by the program. "[That's] 10,000 people that were either first responders or were in the trade union, or victims, survivors or volunteers," former Daily Show host and 9/11-survivor advocate John Stewart told the Daily News. "I mean, this is an outrageous number." Howard said the health program has seen a "growth spurt" within the last year – including a 260 per cent increase in those who either worked or lived at or around the site, which the program categorises as "survivors". So many survivors have been coming through the door that the program has opened a new clinic on Franklin St in Lower Manhattan that will see an estimated 750 patients a month. According to the best estimates, 90,000 first responders showed up at the World Trade Center in the aftermath of the attack. An additional 400,000 survivors lived and worked in the area at the time. Of that number, about 55,000 first responders and fewer than 20,000 survivors have registered with the World Trade Center Health Program – meaning thousands more could be signing up in the next few years. "The numbers are real," said Feal. "This is not getting better. It's getting worse." Feal estimates that someone dies of a 9/11-related illness an average of every 2.7 days. Neither the VCF nor the World Trade Center Health Program keeps records on how many people have died of a 9/11-related illness, but Feal says the number is close to 2100. By the 20th anniversary of 9/11, more people will have died of an illness stemming from Ground Zero than the 2700 who died at the Twin Towers that day. "More people will have cancer," he said. "More people will have died, and that pains me." On the weekend, the FealGood Foundation will add 163 new names to its wall of 9/11 heroes in Nesconsent in the US state of New York. They're people who died of 9/11 illnesses – both survivors and first responders – since last September, when 141 names were added to the wall. "It's the most we've ever put on our wall," said Feal, who in just the last two weeks has collected three more names for next year's ceremony. "The 9/11 fraternity is shrinking." Feal showed up at Ground Zero a day after the terror attacks. He, too, inhaled the smoke and dust swirling around, but hasn't gotten sick yet. But tomorrow is another day. "We're all looking over our shoulder, asking ourselves, 'When am I next?' That's the most prevalent conversation between survivors." And it didn't have to be that way. Advocates say the federal government could have demanded first responders and volunteers wear masks so they didn't have to breathe the toxic stew of death in – but they didn't. Instead, Christie Todd Whitman – administrator for the federal Environmental Protection Agency at the time – announced a few days after the attacks that the air was safe to breathe. "Her moral compass was pointed in the wrong direction," Feal said. "Ten thousand people are sick because of her words. If she didn't say it, people wouldn't have gotten sick. We weren't given the respiratory and hazmat gear. Human life took a backseat to the almighty dollar." A call to Whitman for comment was not returned. Stewart, who fought to get the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act passed – giving coverage to those afflicted with Ground Zero-related health woes for the next 75 years – tends to get indignant when someone mentions how the government said the air was safe to breathe. "No scientist in their right mind, no environmental-protection person in their right mind [would have thought that]," Stewart said. "I'm not a professional, I just live near there – I knew how dangerous the air was. "You couldn't not know," he said about the white dust that seemed to be everywhere in the weeks after the attack. "We had it all on our windows and cars. You could smell it for weeks and months. Every material that was at that site was pulverised and then burned, and anybody that was near there was inhaling it as fine atmospheric molecules." Written by Noah Goldberg and Thomas Tracy. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/106981880/people-are-still-dying-from-the-911-attacks-17-years-later">Stuff.co.nz</a>. </div>

Body

Needless medical procedures: When is a colonoscopy necessary?

A <a href="https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/early/2018/08/06/bmjqs-2018-008338">recent study</a> found up to 20 per cent of all procedures performed in a New South Wales hospital were either unhelpful or harmful. Some of these, which included performing a colonoscopy for constipation, were becoming more prevalent. A colonoscopy is a test where a small, flexible tube is inserted into the bowel to check for abnormalities such as growths on the bowel, which can lead to bowel cancer. Around 600,000 colonoscopies were <a href="http://acsqhc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=4192ad4f3a394c9ca5f7dfed5923698a">performed in Australia</a> in 2013-2014. This figure is expected to rise to more than a million a year by 2020, equivalent to one in every 25 Australians. A colonoscopy is an invasive procedure and comes with risks, including bowel perforation. So, it’s important to have the test only if you’re likely to benefit from it. Why are colonoscopies performed? Bowel cancer is the <a href="https://bowel-cancer.canceraustralia.gov.au/statistics">second-most-common</a> cause of cancer-related death in Australia. Current <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22356322">evidence suggests</a> colonoscopy significantly reduces the risk of bowel cancers. This is where colonoscopy’s greatest benefit lies. Colonoscopy can also be used to diagnose inflammatory bowel diseases. Bowel cancers start out as small growths in the bowel called polyps. These can be seen with a colonoscopy and cut out by doctors during the test. So, colonoscopy is more worthwhile when done in people at an increased risk of bowel cancer. The most important risk factor is age, as cancer rates increase in people older than 50. But some younger people can be at risk due to family history. And <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/25251195/?i=5&from=/23011536/related">recent data suggest</a>s bowel cancer in young people is rising here and internationally, though we’re not sure why. Who should have a colonoscopy? A doctor will usually recommend a colonoscopy if patients are at increased risk of bowel cancer due to family history (particularly first-degree relatives who develop bowel cancer before the age of 55), if their “poo test” is positive for blood, or if they have concerning symptoms such as bleeding. An <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1365-2036.2010.04344">Australian study</a> tried to determine which symptoms could best predict bowel cancer. The authors collected data on around 8,000 patients with a range of symptoms – including rectal bleeding and constipation – undergoing colonoscopy. They followed them to see who was diagnosed with a cancer (or a large polyp) during the colonoscopy. They found that, apart from age, rectal bleeding was the strongest predictor of bowel cancer. Other common symptoms such as abdominal pain or constipation alone were not associated with bowel cancer, suggesting colonoscopy in these cases was unnecessary. These <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18676420">findings</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19935790">have been</a> <a href="https://gut.bmj.com/content/65/Suppl_1/A225.2">replicated</a> in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21689337">other studies</a>. When not to have a colonoscopy Small polyps grow slowly and may take 10 years or longer (if at all) to develop into bowel cancer. This is why it is considered inappropriate to <a href="http://www.choosingwisely.org/clinician-lists/american-college-surgeons-colorectal-cancer-screening-tests/">continue screening</a> in people aged over 75. International speciality groups <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18938166">don’t recommend</a> ongoing screening when life expectancy is less than 10 years, because many people will not benefit. And they will be exposed to the risks of colonoscopy, including bowel perforation and major bleeding. <a href="https://wiki.cancer.org.au/australia/Guidelines:Colorectal_cancer">Australian guidelines </a>also recommend stopping colonoscopy in people aged around 75. In young people, colonoscopy is often performed to look for inflammatory bowel disease, but new non-invasive stool tests can select out people at higher risk. Young people with irritable bowel syndrome may also undergo repeated colonoscopies to try to find an alternative reason for their symptoms, but this strategy is usually unhelpful. Why are colonoscopies on the rise? <div class="grid-ten large-grid-nine grid-last content-body content entry-content instapaper_body"> Australia’s population is ageing and the number of people older than 55 is increasing. Consumer demand can also drive unnecessary testing. Evidence shows that <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25531451">people frequently overestimate</a> the benefits and underestimate the harms of tests such as colonoscopy. Often there’s a misconception that more tests and more health care leads to better health, when data suggests the opposite is true. The global <a href="http://www.choosingwisely.org.au/home">Choosing Wisely</a> campaign aims to educate consumers about risks of over-testing. In the future, <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/nrgastro.2018.1">symptoms-based algorithms</a> and new diagnostic tests might improve a doctor’s ability to identify those at increased risk of bowel cancer for colonoscopy. In the meantime, prioritising colonoscopy for patients who are at higher risk should be the goal. Written by Suzanne Mahady. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/needless-medical-procedures-when-is-a-colonoscopy-necessary-102576">The Conversation</a>. </div> <div class="grid-ten grid-prepend-two large-grid-nine grid-last content-topics topic-list"></div>

Body

How old is too old for surgery?

Juliana Kok is a clinical lecturer and anaesthetist at the University of Melbourne. Many of us will have been in situations with older loved ones where a doctor says surgery is too risky given the patient’s advanced age. Why is it surgery becomes risky in the elderly, and is it based on chronological age or their health? During surgery and anaesthesia, there are many changes in the body that occur in response to injury and trauma. This is known as the stress response to surgery. The surgical stress response results in an increased secretion of hormones that promote the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the body to provide extra energy during and after surgery. The hormonal changes associated with the surgical stress response also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/bja/85.1.109">activate the sympathetic nervous system</a>. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for the “fight or flight” response and causes a rise in heart rate and blood pressure. The changes in the heart rate and blood pressure during surgery and anaesthesia create a state where the heart requires more oxygen, while the surgical stress response and anaesthesia often impedes the oxygen supply to the vital organs such as the heart and the brain. This is a result of less blood flow to the body organs during and after the operation. Anaesthesia confers risks separate from the risks of surgery. These are mostly minor and easy to treat. But serious problems with the heart, lungs and other major organs are more likely during emergency surgery or in the presence of other health conditions. These factors may increase with chronological age, but frailty is the bigger factor for doctors in deciding whether a patient should undergo surgery and anaesthesia. Frailty Frailty is a state where a person is vulnerable due to decline in body function. This in turn reduces their ability to cope with acute and every day stressors. In a frail person, there is an accumulation of defects in different organ systems of the body, causing them to function close to the threshold of failure. The organ systems near the threshold of failure are then <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qjmed/hcs125">unable to “bounce back”</a> from an external or internal stressor. An apparently small insult such as a simple fall can result in a significant and disproportionate reduction in reserve and function. The need to have surgery, and the condition that has caused a need for surgery, would often be considered a large insult in a frail person. Although frailty is more common in older people, it’s not exclusive to older people. Most frail people have chronic health problems, and their frailty increases with the number of chronic health conditions. But most people with chronic health conditions <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4369632/">are not frail</a>. There are certain health conditions that are more common in people who are frail, such as heart failure, chronic airways disease and chronic kidney disease. How do we identify frailty and how does it affect health? There are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.050051">many different tools</a> we can use to detect frailty. The Clinical Frailty Scale is one tool based on clinical features present in the patient and the Frailty Index is another tool based on the accumulation of deficits in the patient. The Clinical Frailty Scale is a single descriptor of a person’s level of frailty using clinical judgement graded from one to nine. Level one is a very fit person; level four is “vulnerable” – where the person is not dependent on others for help with daily activities but does have symptoms that limit activities; and level nine is a terminally ill person. It has been observed that people with a higher Clinical Frailty Scale were more likely to be older, female, have a degree of cognitive impairment and incontinence. The higher proportion of females will most likely reflect the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)62167-9">longer life expectancy of women</a>. Frail people have a higher risk of recurrent falls and fractures and subsequent disability and reduced function. There have been <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1503%2Fcmaj.161403">many studies</a> performed to examine how well frailty predicts outcomes after surgery. In people who have surgery, frailty has been shown to be associated with a higher risk of surgical complications, a greater chance of requiring discharge to a residential care facility and a lower rate of survival. And the frailer the patient, the higher the risk the patient will require readmission after surgery, and the higher the risk of death. As our population gets older and more frail people have surgery, this will become an important issue, and health care professionals in all areas will need to be more aware of it. Written by Juliana Kok. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-old-is-too-old-for-surgery-and-why-95860">The Conversation.</a> <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; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/95860/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />

Caring

Huge egg recall in Australia

After 23 cases of salmonella poisoning caused by eggs have been reported so far, the farmer who is responsible claims that it’s not his fault. The Glendenning Farms worker, who chose not to provide his name, has said that he has never experienced something like this in his 20 years of being in the business. “Even the Food Authority said it wasn’t my fault,” he told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/egg-farmer-says-salmonella-contamination-not-my-fault/news-story/24edd0227f0abd0feec49c2f159d633e?utm_source=Daily%20Telegraph&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial" target="_blank">The Sunday Telegraph</a> from his farm in Cobbitty, in south-west Sydney. “It is something to do with the birds. Some birds have been flying in from overseas, landed on the shed and chucked a sh*t.” The farm is run by the Osman family and the company Eggz on the Run. Their lawyer, Raed Rahal, said they are “shell-shocked by the news as it is their livelihood.” “They would certainly not do anything to risk anyone’s safety,” said Mr Rahal. “We are not even certain that the outbreaks are in the eggs. “The strain is from overseas. There was only a certain batch that was supposed to be removed but the company has voluntarily decided to remove all batches of eggs.” According to Mr Rahal, the outbreak led back to a bakery in Sydney, though he is unsure of its location. Sydney consumers are being told to avoid the eggs after those affected were shown to have symptoms of Salmonella enteritidis. The staggering amount of cases are now being investigated by the NSW Food Authority and NSW Health, and the company, Eggz on the Run, is undertaking a voluntary recall of the eggs. <img style="width: 500px; height:300px;" src="/media/7820718/7e049a8c97b855261d9da514d47cbfb5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d49e3a4d8ecb494baea535dba12e87b1" /> The recall is for Glendenning Farms whole shell eggs with best before dates: 8, 10, 15, 17, 22, 24 and 29 September 2018 and 1 October 2018. The recall is only for eggs sold in cartons and bulk trays throughout NSW. “The NSW Department of Primary Industries has issued a biosecurity direction of the farm to restrict movement of livestock, eggs, manure and disposables and order the disinfection and decontamination of equipment,” an NSW Health statement said. “This direction will be in place while further investigations are underway.” Symptoms of Salmonella enteritidis include fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, usually around six to 72 hours after the contaminated food is eaten. Consumers have been advised to either return the eggs back to the place of purchase for a full refund or dispose of them. Proof of purchase for a recalled item is not required.

Body

Lifestyle

Heated online debate as mum asks: "Is it OK for my child to watch me give birth?"

A mother has created an online debate after asking people to share their thoughts on her allowing her eight-year-old daughter to watch on as she gives birth to her new baby at home. The divisive question was discussed on parenting forum <a href="https://www.mumsnet.com/">Mumsnet</a>, where members shared their opinions on the topic. "I'm pregnant and my eldest has expressed that she would like to be there for the delivery," the mum wrote. The mum explained that her previous labours have been smooth, saying that she always coped well with the pain and was planning to do her next birth at home. She said that if her daughter found the experience overwhelming, she could retreat to her bedroom to read. Although the midwives told the mum they had no opposition to an older sibling being present during the birth, she admitted that the family was still struggling to make a decision. "I'm not sure if the idea is entirely crazy, or a wonderful thing to do," she wrote. This is the mum’s last pregnancy and will be the only chance for her eight-year-old daughter to witness a sibling being born – making the decision even more difficult. A debate quickly sparked over the mum’s dilemma, with some believing a birth could be “frightening” for an eight-year-old child. "Sorry but I think this is a bad idea," commented one person. "How well do you honestly think an 8-year-old would cope seeing her mother like that?" Another person agreed, saying: “I hope everything will go well for you, but what if it doesn't? That would be very frightening for a child her age." “Even if you have the most straightforward birth ever, and the most predictable 8-year-old ever, they could still be alarmed by a normal birth,” another chimed in. “Blood, a newborn screeching – or not screeching quick enough – tears. Or any kind of discussion of needing resuscitation or a trip to the hospital. Any of that could really frighten a child.” However, others believed that if the child was properly supported, it could be a wonderful experience. "Absolutely just make sure she understands it all first and has someone there that can be in the room or outside if she needs to get out. What a wonderful bond they would have," wrote one supporter. "Maybe watch some birth videos beforehand, and talk about what she may see/hear, and if she changes her mind she can leave then I genuinely don't see an issue,” another commented. One mum, who allowed her seven-year-old daughter to watch her give birth, also shared her thoughts on the experience. Assuring the undecided mother that it was a beautiful experience, she explained that her daughter was “allowed to pop in and out and my sister was there to look after her". "She was asleep for most of the labour as it was during the night but was there for the last hour or so. She was fascinated, if anything and was really mature about the situation, we'd talked a lot about it beforehand so she knew what to expect. "Some people might think it's a bit odd but it was an amazing moment to have shared as a family.” In 2016, it was revealed that Jamie Oliver’s two eldest daughters, Poppy Honey and Daisy Boo, witnessed the birth of their baby brother River Rocket. Jamie’s wife, Jools, said the girls were the ones who cut his cord. The celebrity chef described the experience as “amazing to witness” and “very, very emotional”. Do you think children should watch their mothers give birth? Let us know in the comments below.

Family & Pets

Can you guess who these famous siblings are?

Can you work out who the famous siblings are in this throwback photo? Recently shared online with 321,000 followers on Instagram, the famous sisters might be hard to recognise from this childhood throwback pic, but once you find out the answer, it is so obvious! Here are some hints: One of the young girls in the photo is set to wed in the coming weeks, and her cousin married the love of his life just a few months ago. If you guessed Princess Eugenie, you would be right! The 28-year-old shared the adorable photo from 1994 of herself on her first day of school with big sister Princess Beatrice in their school uniforms. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnZAsc2A4K2/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnZAsc2A4K2/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" target="_blank">Throwback to school days. Clearly I was more excited than Beatrice! #throwbackthursday</a> <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 post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/princesseugenie/?utm_source=ig_embed_loading" target="_blank"> Princess Eugenie</a> (@princesseugenie) on Sep 6, 2018 at 9:07am PDT </div> </blockquote> Eugenie accompanied the photo with a funny caption, writing: “Throwback to school days. Clearly I was more excited than Beatrice! “throwbackthursday.” It’s well-known the royal sisters share a close bond, revealing in a rare interview with British Vogue in August that they are each other’s “rocks”. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="/media/7820761/1-eugenie-beatrice.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fdb9cd0d79884334abd1db0f742299e4" />

Family & Pets

Age gap love: "I left my husband for a man 23 years my senior"

Pete and I met in 2001. He was 61 and I was 38. This December we'll be celebrating 14 years of marriage. When we met, we were both married with children and tried to stay with our partners, but we quickly found that our love was too strong for us to be apart. At the time, my parents found the whole situation very hard to deal with – not because of his age, but because I was going to get a divorce. They were both raised with a strong faith and were opposed to the idea. Adding to the fact that we were both married at the time, Pete was my boss, which meant this relationship was frowned on by many people around us. <div class="sics-component__ad-space sics-component__ad-space--storybody "> Through all of this, we quickly found out who our true friends were and in time, my parents and family grew to love him. His children welcomed me into their family, as my son welcomed Pete into ours. Over the years, life has been great to us. There have been minor problems but in all, there was nothing we couldn't work through together. I never once thought that I would marry an older man, but it's true what they say, you can't help who you fall in love with. My husband still keeps very good health and now, at almost 77 years of age, has only recently retired. I am often told that Pete doesn't look his age and he often points out how lucky he is to have such good genes. Overall, the age gap hasn't been an issue in our relationship. A few years ago he got hearing aids, but that ended up being a relief for both of us. Pete and I enjoy cycling while he also enjoys socialising and doing crosswords, which he says will prevent dementia. He is on no medication and hardly visits a GP. In fact, he refuses to even get the flu shot. Recently, we have moved to a small town where we live mortgage free and are retired. Thankfully, I am lucky enough to piggy back on Pete's pension due to his age so we now spend all of our time together doing things without work getting in the way of our day. While we have similar interests, we also do things on our own to keep our independence. We both volunteer at different places, he attends Tai Chi every week, while I enjoy walking regularly. For our future, our plans are to make the most of each day with each other, enjoy some travel and keep well. Having previously worked in aged care for many years I am aware of what is coming. I'm certain that is still a long way off yet but when it comes, I'll be by his side to see him through those tough times. Life is good with Pete, and we laugh, love and live each day together. Written by Mary-Anne Evans. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/106872135/maryanne-evans--age-gap-relationship">Stuff.co.nz</a>. </div>

Relationships

Carrie Bickmore reveals how to explain death to a three-year-old

The Project co-host, Carrie Bickmore, has opened up about the hard questions she has been asked about life recently. The first difficult question came during an appearance of Anh’s Brush with Fame. While painting the TV and radio host, Anh Do asked Carrie: “What is life all about, Carrie?” Admitting that she was attempting to dodge the hard question, Carrie responded: “I am someone who is always on the move, hurtling from one thing to the next, never stopping to ponder what it all means.” However, a few weeks later, Carrie’s three-year-old daughter Evie presented her with some more difficult questions to answer. The most recent difficult conversation with her daughter came about after the family attended the funeral of a friend’s mother. “Where does the grandma go now she is dead?” Reflecting on what she chose to say, Carrie shared in Stellar magazine, “I tried to remember what I had been told as a child: all my dead relatives went to heaven and were protectively looking down on me. Interestingly that idea brought me a strange level of comfort as a child, but Chris, who lost his brother growing up, wished people hadn’t told him that. “So we opted for the biological answer ... “We said the grandma had died now and her time on Earth was done, and sadly she won’t come back and her body would be buried in the ground.” Evie then asked Carrie: “Won’t she get dirty?” “She can’t feel dirty, sweetie. She doesn’t hurt anymore. She doesn’t feel love anymore. She doesn’t feel anything anymore.” Reflecting on the experience, Carrie explained: “I am still wondering if we told little Evie the right thing.” “There is clearly no right or wrong and I am fully aware the tough questions will keep on coming. “However, Evie’s incessant probing did help me get closer to my answer for Anh. “Maybe life is simply about working out life’s imponderables with the people you love. “It’s about feeling deeply, hurting deeply, loving deeply and getting dirty until you no longer can.” Just two weeks earlier, while Carrie was in the bathroom rubbing oil on her pregnant belly, Evie popped her head in to observe her mum. “Mama, how did the baby get in there?” Thrown off guard by her daughter’s curiosity, Carried slowly replied: “Well … I can tell you how the baby comes out.” In an open-ed for <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au">Stellar</a> Carrie recalled of the experience: “I went on to explain how babies are born, which led to more awkward questions about the size of the hole it comes out of.” “Phew,” I thought, “dodged that one.” But then, Evie asked how the baby gets in there in the first place. She ushered her daughter onto her husband, Chris, but three days later she was back again with the same question. “I toyed with using the idea of a stork (or taxi, as my friend told her kids) dropping the babies off fully formed, but fortunately I was rushing out the door, so I cowardly washed my hands of that parental responsibility,” Carrie explained. Carrie admitted that Chris rose to the occasion and gave a very honest answer to her questions. “Daddy’s p**** and mummy’s v***** make the babies.” Evie took in the information and then proceeded to ask: “What about Mummy’s butt?” “Not as helpful,” replied Chris.

Family & Pets

Finance

Hairdresser’s warning over popular hair product sold at Woolworths

A Queensland hairdresser has slammed a major supermarket over its knowledge of the hair products it stocks in store. According to Marie Nieuwoudt, a North Lakes hairdresser, “professional use” products are currently being sold at Woolworths and are putting customers at risk because staff are unable to provide the right advice on how to use them. Ms Nieuwoudt has been a hairdresser for 30 years. “We train for years to have that insight, to know how to use these chemicals,” she said. Ms Nieuwoudt was outraged that professional haircare brand Sol-fine is being sold on supermarket shelves. She was surprised when she stumbled upon the products at the Woolworths North Lakes store last week. <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="/media/7820775/solfine_product.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/3986b9796c2347518d4c870470370709" /> Ms Nieuwoudt claims that there was not one single staff member who could properly instruct her on how to use the product, labelled “professional use only.” Unlike other hair dyes on the market, this one must be carefully mixed according to a specific ratio. Ms Nieuwoudt said that those suffering from conditions such as psoriasis can have an adverse reaction to the ingredients. The product is also available online and from other retailers. The product distributor says that the hair dye should be displayed on a separate stand which provides more information on the hair colour. The box contains a leaflet, instructing consumers on how to use the product, including mixing methods and timing. “My question to Woolworths is, how are you protecting your customers?” Ms Nieuwoudt said. In a statement to <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/hairdressers-warning-hair-dye-sold-woolworths-125416068.html">7 News</a>, Woolworths said it treats the concerns and wellbeing of their customers very seriously. According to the supermarket giant, the product complies with all hair dye regulations in Australia. They added that Woolworths North Lakes would be receiving a product display stand shortly.

Money & Banking

Why difficult childhood experiences could make you age prematurely

We know that comparatively disadvantaged people, even in rich countries, have worse health and <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/01/31/low-socioeconomic-status-affects-life-expectancy-more-than-obesi_a_21704449/">shorter life expectancy</a> than others. But what is it exactly about socioeconomic disadvantage and other environmental difficulties that affects our biology? And at what age are we most vulnerable to these effects? While it is unclear exactly how the social environment influences a person’s biology at the molecular level, processes related to ageing are likely to be involved. One such process is DNA methylation, a mechanism used by cells to control gene expression. Specifically, it determines whether and when a gene is turned on, turned off or dialled up or down. Now a new study, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/aje/advance-article/doi/10.1093/aje/kwy155/5060528?guestAccessKey=df5d8e87-4e2d-4bff-b0fb-72ad5319f825#119252619">published in the American Journal of Epidemiology</a>, suggests that this process may be affected by circumstances in our youth – ultimately affecting how we age. All cells in the human body – from blood and skin cells to neurons – share the same genetic code. So how are they so different? The answer lies in gene expression: which of the many thousands of genes in each human cell are switched on, to what extent, and at which stage in the cell’s development. This varies not just between cell types but between people, helping to explain why identical twins can be visibly different. Physically, DNA methylation involves modification of “letters” of the genetic code by addition or removal of a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/methyl-group">methyl group</a> – affecting how much the gene is expressed. Because the distribution of methyl groups along the genome changes in systematic ways with ageing, you can estimate a person’s age from DNA methylation patterns in cells from a blood sample by applying an algorithm. This <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-epigenetics-may-help-us-slow-down-the-ageing-clock-76878">measure of “biological age”</a> is relevant to longevity – individuals with an “older” DNA methylation age are at greater risk of age-related disease and mortality. Meanwhile, it seems environmental influences may alter or “accelerate” age-related changes in methylation: associations have been shown between DNA methylation age and stress, dietary factors and pollution. This suggests DNA methylation age may be one pathway by which the social environment can affect health. New data Data was used from 1099 adults in the UK to look at whether different dimensions of socioeconomic disadvantage were linked to elevated DNA methylation age, calculated in two ways. When blood samples were collected, the survey had already collected annual information on the same people’s socioeconomic circumstances for 12 years. This meant the study was able to consider current and longer-term measures of things like income, employment status and educational qualifications. Crucially, this data also included information about the occupational social class of an individual’s parents when they were 14. The research discovered that only the last measure showed a clear link with DNA methylation age. Individuals whose parents worked in semi routine or routine occupations were about one year “older” than individuals whose parents worked in managerial or professional roles. Individuals who did not have working parents, or had parents who had died, fared still worse: they were 2.4 or 1.85 years older depending on the algorithm used. The calculations did take account of other relevant factors including smoking, body mass index and the actual age of the study participants. These results suggest DNA methylation age is an aspect of a person’s biology which is vulnerable to influences early in life, but surprisingly robust when it comes to difficulties experienced in adulthood. The next question is which aspects of the childhood socioeconomic environment are most relevant. Is it financial strain, housing quality or diet? Equally important will be to figure out which factors could provide resilience to these effects, potentially buffering children from a lasting impact of disadvantage on DNA methylation age. Of course, the results will need to be replicated, and since DNA methylation age was only measured once, the survey could not definitively prove cause and effect. But the results <a href="https://jech.bmj.com/content/62/5/387">add to extensive evidence</a> that early life circumstances can cast a long shadow on adult health. Perhaps most importantly, this strengthens the case for making sure all children are fully supported. Written by Amanda Hughes and Meena Kumari. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/difficult-childhood-experiences-could-make-us-age-prematurely-new-research-102807">theconversation.com</a>.

Legal

The little-known Kmart hack hardly anyone knows about

Who doesn’t love a good Kmart bargain? The nation's most popular discount department store is known for its affordable yet great quality products, but what do you do if the item you were after is out of stock? Because of the growing popularity of Kmart, it can be hard to nab in-demand items as soon as they land on shelves, as chances are, you’re not the only one that has their eye on it. But there is a sneaky hack that will ensure you walk out with the item you were after. Bargain hunters will rejoice as Kmart has a secret “raincheck” service that means staff will put aside a particular product for you when it comes back in stock, and then notify you when it’s time to be collected. A Kmart spokeswoman confirmed the raincheck hack to <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/chains-raincheck-service-key-to-scoring-most-popular-products/news-story/77503d4bae53132685c4ae4a77a3da5f" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. “At Kmart, we strive to ensure our products are easily accessible for our customers, to support their everyday needs,” the spokeswoman said. “Sometimes when there is a particularly strong demand for a product, it may sell out in stores. “When this occurs with advertised products during a promotional period, customers are able to request a raincheck, meaning they will be contacted when more stock becomes available in store, or alternatively, they will be offered a substitute item if no future stock is expected.” Shoppers are also advised to call Kmart’s customer service team on 1800 124 125 for help locating products in store. Did you know about Kmart's "raincheck" service and have you used it before? Tell us in the comments below.

Money & Banking

The shopping initiative Coles has just introduced to 173 stores

Coles will be expanding its Quiet Hour initiative to 173 stores from today, where they will dim the lights, turn down the music and reduce in-store distractions. The supermarket giant said that they want to provide an autism-friendly shopping environment which is why they will be adding an additional 103 stores nationwide in order to give a “more inclusive environment for all customers". Receiving an influx of support from parents of autistic children, Quiet Hour was first introduced in August last year and now will be put in place in 56 stores in New South Wales, 27 in Queensland and 20 in Western Australia – every Tuesday from 10:30 am to 11:30 am. “It’s been very positive,” said Sarah Miller, a mother of two autistic children, Cameron and Kevin. “Shopping is one of those life skills that as a parent I need to teach my boys, not just actually going to the shops but making healthy choices, spending money, going through the cash register. With this, I’m able to take a bit more time.” Ms Miller said that Kevin, 6, would get “very upset” and “worked up, particularly in busy environments with lots of lights and things going on". "The stigma of shopping with kids on the spectrum is pretty difficult,” she said. To counteract that issue, she said that in the past she would try not to take both children at once on a shopping trip, but often at times, that was not possible. “I would try to divide and conquer,” she said. “Now I make a point of putting (the Tuesday shopping trip) on my visual calendar, just like I would book in speech therapy, occupational therapy appointments. For my boys that becomes familiar.” Ms Miller said Quiet Hour also allowed her to meet parents in the same situation. “We’ve listened to our customers, and our store teams have worked hard to make our stores more welcoming and responsive to the needs of the local communities in which we operate,” said Coles managing director John Durkan in a statement. “We initially started with 70 Quiet Hour stores across the country, and now we’re thrilled to be more than doubling this figure to make Quiet Hour more accessible for our customers and help make a difference to their shopping experience at Coles.” Coles developed the program in partnership with Autism Spectrum Australia. During Quiet Hour, lighting is dimmed, Coles Radio is switched off, register and scanning volume is reduced to the lowest level and PA announcements are stopped except in emergencies. Collection of trolleys are also put on hold and additional customer service staff are on hand. What do you think of the Quiet Hour initiative? Let us know in the comments below.

Money & Banking

Entertainment

Why Camilla didn't want Prince William to marry Kate

An author reveals that Prince William and Duchess Kate were nearly “broken up by Camilla". It is said that the Duchess of Cornwall wanted her eldest step-son to end all ties with “pretty but dim” Kate, partly due to her “lowly” roots, reports <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/7219341/camilla-william-marry-pretty-but-dim-kate-prince-charles-split-them-up/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>. The claims were made by author Christopher Anderson in his book: Game of Crowns: Elizabeth, Camilla, Kate, And the Throne. According to Anderson, Camilla did not approve of Prince William’s relationship with the now Duchess, and the two women failed to see eye to eye. She allegedly also disapproved of Kate’s non-royal background, which made her “too lowly” to marry into the family. While they seem to share a good relationship now, it is said that in the past, Camilla thought Kate to be “pretty, but rather dim". The rivalry went so far that Camilla allegedly is said to have asked Prince Charles to convince his son to end things with Kate. Anderson also claims that Camilla was jealous of Kate and felt threatened by her growing popularity and had concerns that the young couple would overshadow her and Charles. While Prince William and Duchess Kate did go through a brief break-up while at university, whether it has something to do with Camilla is yet to be confirmed. The two women seem to get along well now as they are regularly seen attending events together.

Books

Dancing With The Stars returns – with new hosts!

Channel 10 has revealed that it is rebooting one of Australia’s prime-time favourites, Dancing With The Stars. The show, which was axed from Channel 7 after 15 series, will also have two new judges who were both former contestants on the TV competition. Amanda Keller and Grant Denyer will slip on their dancing shoes to host the series. Talking about their new venture, Keller said: “Grant and I have had the length and breadth of experience. “He won, he is good. I enjoyed learning the dances but wasn’t that good at doing them and was voted off pretty early. I recently found my old dancing shoes and was thinking of burning them. It was that bad.” Keller explained that she is happy she will be able to help the new amateurs tackle the challenges of the show. "I can’t wait to be part of the spangly madness that is Dancing With The Stars. Having been a terrified, uncoordinated contestant, it will be fun to lend a sympathetic ear and a spare sequin or two, to a new batch of amateur hoofers," Keller added. "I’m so excited. And let’s face it, this is the only way I’m guaranteed to get to the grand finale." Although more than 150 Aussie celebrities competed on the Channel Seven show, Denyer and Keller believe there are still many famous names that need to show off their moves. Denyer confessed that his dream contestant for the show would be convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, who he believes could “bring a mountain of drama and all the boogie-board contraband a contestant could dream of to take the pain away from all the injuries”. Keller said that she has her eye on recruiting international politicians for the show. “I would love to see Barack and Michelle Obama. Maybe Donald Trump if we could get him with Putin. Actually, Malcolm Turnbull has a bit of time on his hands.” Denyer said: “This series will be much bigger, more glamorous and dazzling than ever. “Australia has never seen dancing this spectacular. “Get ready for something truly outstanding. I’m so happy I’m crying sequins down my fake tanned cheeks.” Will you tune in to the new series of Dancing With The Stars? Tell us in the comments below.

Controversial Aussie cartoon of Serena Williams sparks backlash

An Australian cartoonist has sparked backlash after he tweeted a depiction of Serena Williams' meltdown in the US Open final. Drawn by Herald Sun editorial cartoonist Mark Knight, the picture shows Williams in a fit of rage on the court with a baby’s dummy beside her. In the cartoon, chair umpire Carlos Ramos is seen asking her opponent Naomi Osaka: “Can you just let her win?” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> My toon in today’s <a href="https://twitter.com/theheraldsun?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@theheraldsun</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SerenaWilliams?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SerenaWilliams</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/usopen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@usopen</a> <a href="https://t.co/didwtQg1R5">pic.twitter.com/didwtQg1R5</a> — Mark Knight (@Knightcartoons) <a href="https://twitter.com/Knightcartoons/status/1039017329030393856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2018</a></blockquote> The controversial cartoon was quick to draw criticism, with US sportswriter Julie DiCaro saying that his depiction of the events was sexist. She tweeted: “Where was this cartoon for all the men who have broken their rackets over the years?” However, Knight defended his drawing, writing: “Well Julie here’s a cartoon I drew a few days before when Australian male tennis player Kyrgios at the US Open was behaving badly,” he wrote. “Don’t bring gender into it when it’s all about behaviour. I’ll accept your apology in writing.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"> Well Julie here’s a cartoon I drew a few days before when Australian male tennis player Kyrgios at the US Open was behaving badly. Don’t bring gender into it when it’s all about behaviour. I’ll accept your apology in writing😁 <a href="https://t.co/NLV0AjPGsY">pic.twitter.com/NLV0AjPGsY</a> — Mark Knight (@Knightcartoons) <a href="https://twitter.com/Knightcartoons/status/1039056385462349825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 10, 2018</a></blockquote> Author JK Rowling also slammed the cartoon, saying: “Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop.” America’s National Association of Black Journalists denounced the cartoon, arguing that the illustration was “unnecessarily sambo-like”. “The art of editorial cartooning is a visual dialogue on the issues of the day, yet this cartoon grossly inaccurately depicts two women of colour at the US Open, one of the grandest stages of professional sports,” the NABJ said in a statement. In an interview on Melbourne’s 3AW radio, Knight continued to defend the viral cartoon. “The world’s gone crazy,” Knight said. “It’s a cartoon about poor behaviour. It’s nothing to do with race. “I drew this cartoon on Monday night, I saw the world’s greatest tennis player spit the dummy. “She’s great to draw, she’s a powerful figure, she’s strongly built. “I’m sorry it’s been taken by social media and distorted so much. “I’ve tried to reply to these people but they don’t listen.” Herald Sun editor Damon Johnston also supported the cartoon. “A champion tennis player had a mega tantrum on the world stage, and Mark’s cartoon depicted that,” he said. “It had nothing to do with gender or race.” The cartoon has since been retweeted 7600 times and received over 20,000 likes. The cartoon depicted William’s verbal attack on chair umpire Ramos during her match against Japan’s Naomi Osaka on Saturday. Williams received three code violations during the finals match – the first for receiving coaching, the second for racket abuse and the third for verbal abuse of the umpire. The first penalty that sparked William’s anger was also questioned by WTA Tour chief executive Steve Simon and former tennis star Billie-Jean King. Do you think the cartoon is offensive? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Art

The day my son became a lifelong Bruce Springsteen fan

Tony Wilson is the author of more than a dozen books for both adults and children. His bestselling book The Cow Tripped Over the Moon is dedicated to his son Jack. Our son Jack, aged five, is one of Australia’s biggest Bruce Springsteen fans. He has cerebral palsy, which affects all four limbs, and cortical vision impairment, which means he struggles to see further than a metre. He has inherited his Bruceness from me. I received a copy of Born to Run from my uncle when I was 11 – a dubbed tape containing my first taste of true rock ‘n’ roll, and it was love. My wife, Tamsin, is a respecter of Bruce, if not a devotee. She’s been to two live shows now. She thinks they are great, if a fraction long. But Jack’s obsession takes mine to a different level. He watches ‘Bwuce’ all day on YouTube. Jack is no ‘greatest hits’ fan. He requests specific gigs, tracks, guest artists (Bwian from The Gaslight Anthem with Bwuce!). He knows all of the E Street Band by name. We were so unsure whether to take him to see Springsteen when he played in Melbourne in February 2017. On the one hand, he is seriously obsessed. On the other hand, his lack of vision and his sensory processing issues mean he can’t cope with loud music. He’s made screaming exits from the school fete and dozens of other similar scenarios. He hates it if it’s raining too loud on the roof. So, we thought he’d have no chance of coping; my prediction was two minutes, max. All day he said he didn’t want to go. “Maybe I’ll see Bwuce later,” he said over and over. Then he’d cry, begging not to go. “I want to see Bwuce another time! Not today!” We tried to reassure him, “Just give it a try,” but he was insistent. I started to consider who else might go in his place. Tamsin was the one who convinced me to give Jack a shot. “Let’s just get him close to the stadium, and if he doesn’t get upset, we’ll just keep going. It’s his favourite thing in the world. We’ve got to try.” The concert We set up plans for our inevitable failure. My brother Ned offered to wait outside AAMI Park in Melbourne. The plan was that if Jack was upset, I’d run him out, and Ned would take him home. Jack flinched at the first blast of noise as we exited the train. I felt a flutter of concern. But Jack regrouped. “Is that Bwuce?” “No, that’s Jet,” I said. “Is there clapping at Jet?” “Yes, there will be clapping at Jet.” “Will Bwuce be on soon?” “Yes, after Jet.” “And Steven Van Zandt?” “Yes, he’ll be on guitar.” “And Patti?” “Yes, she’ll be there, too.” “Bwuce’s wife, Patti?” “Yes, she’s Bruce’s wife.” “And Nils?” And so, we name-checked the whole E Street Band as we crossed the railway yards, on the one-kilometre walk from Jolimont Station to AAMI Park. It got louder and louder, but he seemed to be coping. Then a nervous moment. Security told me I couldn’t take in a backpack. It wasn’t a standard backpack. It was a child carrier of the type you buy at camping shops. Usually, they are used with toddlers, but because Jack is slim hipped, and still unable to walk, we use it in situations where a pusher or wheelchair don’t work. With the noise of the concert, we guessed Jack would appreciate being close. I explained Jack’s cerebral palsy. “Without this I reckon he hasn’t got a chance,” I said. “Fair enough,” said the most sensible security officer on earth, then he ushered us in. We found our way to the back of the stadium, using lifts and ramps that took us halfway around the venue. We found our spots. Plenty of room. Not too loud at all. The calm before the storm. Springsteen was still 40 minutes away. “Will Bwuce play ‘American Land’?” Jack asked, which is Bruce’s thumping Pogues-ish ode to American immigration. Jack’s favourite. “Maybe,” I said. “Will he play ‘Badlands’?” “Definitely.” Then it started. The “MELBOOOURNE”, the clapping, the drums, the music. ‘American Land’ it was. Jack shrieked as he does for the YouTube songs. He called Bruce’s name. He called Steven Van Zandt’s name. He jiggled, he rocked, he had a ball. For 12 songs. One hour and 10 minutes. Then he broke. ‘Youngstown’ broke him, and he asked to go home. We tried to stay on another couple of songs, hoping a favourite track might revive his exaltation, but it wasn’t to be. I messaged Ned, still patiently waiting for us outside the stadium. “Outside in 10?” Then we did a handover on Swan Street. Jack, with the noise behind him, was euphoric again. I returned to the show. Jack earbashed Ned all the way home about what he’d experienced. Then he told it all again to Tamsin. His first words to me when he woke up the next day were: “I’m a Bwuce Springsteen fan. I’m a Bwuce Springsteen goer.” Written by Tony Wilson. This article first appeared in <a href="http://www.readersdigest.com.au/true-stories-lifestyle/entertainment/day-my-son-became-lifelong-bruce-springsteen-fan?items_per_page=All">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestsubscribe?utm_source=readersdigest&utm_campaign=RDSUB&utm_medium=display&keycode=WRA85S">here’s our best subscription offer</a>. <img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" />

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