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Rare footage captures secluded tribe emerging from the Amazon

Remarkable new footage has captured one of the world's most secluded tribes, who have been known for firing arrows at outsiders who get too close, as they emerged from the Amazon rainforest in Peru. The tribe were spotted near several controversial logging sites that have been making clearings throughout the forest, decimating their home lands. According to the Indigenous rights advocacy group Survival International, members of the Mashco Piro tribe, believed to be the biggest group of indigenous people living with no outside contact, were spotted near the Las Piedras River a few kilometres from tree-cutting projects in Southeastern section of the country. “This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect, but actually sold off to logging companies,” local Indigenous organisation Fenamad’s President Alfredo Vargas Pio said. Near the remote villages of Monte Salvado and Puerto Nuevo, the tribe emerged in search of food, with President Pio voicing concerns that violent fights could break out between loggers and the Indigenous people. He also added that the outside loggers could potentially bring new diseases to the area, which could wipe out the tribe. According to Survival International, Indigenous advocates have urged authorities to pull the certifications from the logging companies to protect the tribes. Logging company Canales Tahuamanu has been granted permission to log on the jungle land since 2002 with its invasive activity now sprawled out over 193 square miles, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/17/mashco-piro-tribe-photos-peru/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a> reported. The publication also reported that the firm also has a history of clashing with local tribes, although in the past, the firm said its workers have never reported seeing any Mashco Piro people and has complied with laws in Peru, where it is illegal to contact the tribe. Despite the Mashco Piro tribe’s seclusion, they have had limited contact with outsiders, with most of their rare contact resulting in violence, as they have been known for fire arrows at tourists boats and park rangers as warnings not to approach the area. Image credits: Survival International

International Travel

New Zealand Prime Minister's heartbreaking family update

New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced his temporary withdrawal from political engagements to care for his 4-year-old daughter who is in hospital. Hipkins, who is mostly private about his personal life, opened up about his daughter's health battle for the first time in a post shared on Facebook. “I don’t normally talk publicly about my kids because I want them to grow up out of the public spotlight, but sometimes it’s unavoidable,” he said. “Both my kids have a blood condition called Von Willebrand Syndrome. It means that sometimes when they get bleeding noses or other health issues they need a bit of extra medical help to get sorted. “Today my four-year-old is in hospital for some needed treatment, so for the rest of the day while that is happening I’ll be working from the hospital while I’m focused on her.” <iframe style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fchrishipkinsmp%2Fposts%2Fpfbid021REVmAth3sr9crVCb7Na1PN42D5vskouAv5QrRf5DXWu7KUbTtq5R96gzq1G18d2l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="381" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> He also thanked his colleagues for covering him over the next few days and extended his gratitude towards blood donors. "All going well I’ll be back at work soon, but thanks to my colleagues for covering a few engagements over the next couple of days that I’m going to have to miss. "Lots of New Zealanders rely on the generosity of those who give blood. Thank you to all those who help out people like my little girl," he concluded. Hipkins, who replaced Jacinda Ardern in January, had previously revealed that he and his wife had separated and lived apart for a year. At the time, he explained that they were living separately for "the best interest of our family," and he acknowledged the pressure of being a family member of a politician and prime minister. Image: Getty

Caring

Ex-Finnish Prime Minister’s rebrand after divorce and leaving office

The former Finnish Prime Minister is living her best life after filing for divorce and leaving her position in office. Sanna Marin, the youngest ever female world leader, has kicked off her single girl summer by attending a three-day music festival in Helsinki, leaning into her love of partying. The 37-year-old shared photos from her summer adventures on Instagram, flaunting her relaxed politics-free new life. “This summer I’ve had a proper summer vacation for the first time in a while,” Marin wrote on Instagram while sharing snaps of her fun-filled days. “It has included, among other things, being busy with [5-year-old daughter] Emma, sports, friends, good food, and unforgettable trips.” Most of her followers applauded the change in her lifestyle, and were happy she was taking some quality time for herself. “You look AMAZING. Thank you for showing the world that you can fill the chair as a president and dress as you like at the same time,” influencer Dr. Caecilie Johansen commented. “Pretty sure we would’ve achieved world peace already if most world leaders were as chill as Sanna,” wrote one. Another agreed, “A politician having fun and looking really cool. This gives a really good example to young people and you give Finland great PR.” Marin’s drastic lifestyle change comes after she officially left her post as Finland’s prime minister three weeks earlier, when the National Coalition Party’s Petteri Orpo took office. As well as being out of a job in politics, Marin is also going through divorce proceedings with her ex-husband of three years and partner for 19 years Markus Raikkonen. The pair announced their separation in May, and said they would still remain best friends and happy co-parents to their daughter Emma despite jointly filing for the separation. Image credits: Instagram / Getty Images

Beauty & Style

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> The discovery and rescue of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/four-missing-colombian-children-found-alive-jungle-sources-2023-06-10/">four young Indigenous children</a>, 40 days after the aircraft they were travelling in crashed in the remote Colombian rainforest, was hailed in the international press as a “<a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2023/06/11/miracle-in-the-jungle-colombia-celebrates-rescue-of-children-lost-in-amazon-rainforest_6030840_4.html">miracle in the jungle</a>”. But as an anthropologist who has spent more than a year living among the Andoque people in the region, <a href="https://www.academia.edu/100474974/Amazonian_visions_of_Visi%C3%B3n_Amazon%C3%ADa_Indigenous_Peoples_perspectives_on_a_forest_conservation_and_climate_programme_in_the_Colombian_Amazon">conducting ethnographic fieldwork</a>, I cannot simply label this as a miraculous event. At least, not a miracle in the conventional sense of the word. Rather, the survival and discovery of these children can be attributed to the profound knowledge of the intricate forest and the adaptive skills passed down through generations by Indigenous people. During the search for the children, I was in contact with Raquel Andoque, an elder maloquera (owner of a ceremonial longhouse), the sister of the children’s great-grandmother. She repeatedly expressed her unwavering belief the children would be found alive, citing the autonomy, astuteness and physical resilience of children in the region. Even before starting elementary school, children in this area accompany their parents and elder relatives in various activities such as gardening, fishing, navigating rivers, hunting and gathering honey and wild fruits. In this way the children acquire practical skills and knowledge, such as those demonstrated by Lesly, Soleiny, Tien and Cristin during their 40-day ordeal. Indigenous children typically learn from an early age how to open paths through dense vegetation, how to tell edible from non-edible fruits. They know how to find potable water, build rain shelters and set animal traps. They can identify animal footprints and scents – and avoid predators such as jaguars and snakes lurking in the woods. Amazonian children typically lack access to the sort of commercialised toys and games that children in the cities grow up with. So they become adept tree climbers and engage in play that teaches them about adult tools made from natural materials, such as oars or axes. This nurtures their understanding of physical activities and helps them learn which plants serve specific purposes. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532019/original/file-20230614-31-hrdd5z.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="A youg girl holding up an insect as her family works alongside" /><figcaption>A local Indigenous girl on an excursion to gather edible larvae. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Activities that most western children would be shielded from – handling, skinning and butchering game animals, for example – provide invaluable zoology lessons and arguably foster emotional resilience. <h2>Survival skills</h2> When they accompany their parents and relatives on excursions in the jungle, Indigenous children learn how to navigate a forest’s dense vegetation by following the location of the sun in the sky. <figure class="align-left zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=551&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532012/original/file-20230614-29-ii5s0u.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=692&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Map of the Middle Caqueta region of Colombia." /></a><figcaption>Map showing where in Colombia the four lost children are from. Gadiel Levi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> Since the large rivers in most parts of the Amazon flow in a direction opposite to that of the sun, people can orient themselves towards those main rivers. The trail of footprints and objects left by the four children revealed their general progression towards the Apaporis River, where they may have hoped to be spotted. The children would also have learned from their parents and elders about edible plans and flowers – where they can be found. And also the interrelationship between plants, so that where a certain tree is, you can find mushrooms, or small animals that can be trapped and eaten. <h2>Stories, songs and myths</h2> Knowledge embedded in mythic stories passed down by parents and grandparents is another invaluable resource for navigating the forest. These stories depict animals as fully sentient beings, engaging in seduction, mischief, providing sustenance, or even saving each other’s lives. While these episodes may seem incomprehensible to non-Indigenous audiences, they actually encapsulate the intricate interrelations among the forest’s countless non-human inhabitants. Indigenous knowledge focuses on the interrelationships between humans, plants and animals and how they can come together to preserve the environment and prevent irreversible ecological harm. This sophisticated knowledge has been developed over millennia during which Indigenous people not only adapted to their forest territories but actively shaped them. It is deeply ingrained knowledge that local indigenous people are taught from early childhood so that it becomes second nature to them. It has become part of the culture of cultivating and harvesting crops, something infants and children are introduced to, as well as knowledge of all sort of different food sources and types of bush meat. <h2>Looking after each other</h2> One of the aspects of this “miraculous” story that people in the west have marvelled over is how, after the death of the children’s mother, the 13-year-old Lesly managed to take care of her younger siblings, including Cristin, who was only 11 months old at the time the aircraft went down. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532007/original/file-20230614-19-7q92j0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Three Indigenous people in western clothes stood under trees in front of a wide building." /><figcaption>Iris Andoque Macuna with her brother Nestor Andoque and brother-in-law Faustino Fiagama after the two men returned from the search team. Iris Andoque Macuna., Author provided</figcaption></figure> But in Indigenous families, elder sisters are expected to act as surrogate mothers to their younger relatives from an early age. Iris Andoke Macuna, a distant relative of the family, told me: <blockquote> To some whites [non-Indigenous people], it seems like a bad thing that we take our children to work in the garden, and that we let girls carry their brothers and take care of them. But for us, it’s a good thing, our children are independent, this is why Lesly could take care of her brothers during all this time. It toughened her, and she learned what her brothers need. </blockquote> <h2>The spiritual side</h2> For 40 days and nights, while the four children were lost, elders and shamans performed rituals based on traditional beliefs that involve human relationships with entities known as dueños (owners) in Spanish and by various names in native languages (such as i'bo ño̰e, meaning “persons of there” in Andoque). These owners are believed to be the protective spirits of the plants and animals that live in the forests. Children are introduced to these powerful owners in name-giving ceremonies, which ensure that these spirits recognise and acknowledge relationship to the territory and their entitlement to prosper on it. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531997/original/file-20230614-15389-7c6oly.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Woman in pink t-shirt sat on chair inside." /><figcaption>Raquel Andoke, a relative of the missing children and friend of the author. Image courtesy of Eliran Arazi, Author provided</figcaption></figure> During the search for the missing children, elders conducted dialogues and negotiations with these entities in their ceremonial houses (malocas) throughout the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Middle-and-Lower-Caqueta-River-region-State-of-Amazonas-Colombia-Map-from_fig1_255580310">Middle Caquetá</a> and in other Indigenous communities that consider the crash site part of their ancestral territory. Raquel explained to me: <blockquote> The shamans communicate with the sacred sites. They offer coca and tobacco to the spirits and say: “Take this and give me my grandchildren back. They are mine, not yours.” </blockquote> These beliefs and practices hold significant meaning for my friends in the Middle Caquetá, who firmly attribute the children’s survival to these spiritual processes rather than the technological means employed by the Colombian army rescue teams. It may be challenging for non-Indigenous people to embrace these traditional ideas. But these beliefs would have instilled in the children the faith and emotional fortitude crucial for persevering in the struggle for survival. And it would have encouraged the Indigenous people searching for them not to give up hope. The children knew that their fate did not lie in dying in the forest, and that their grandparents and shamans would move heaven and earth to bring them back home alive. Regrettably, this traditional knowledge that has enabled Indigenous people to not only survive but thrive in the Amazon for millennia is under threat. Increasing land encroachment for agribusiness, mining, and illicit activities as well as state neglect and interventions without Indigenous consent have left these peoples vulnerable. It is jeopardising the very foundations of life where this knowledge is embedded, the territories that serve as its bedrock, and the people themselves who preserve, develop, and transmit this knowledge. Preserving this invaluable knowledge and the skills that bring miracles to life is imperative. We must not allow them to wither away.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207762/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/eliran-arazi-1447346">Eliran Arazi</a>, PhD researcher in Anthropology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (Paris)., <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/hebrew-university-of-jerusalem-855">Hebrew University of Jerusalem</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-traditional-indigenous-education-helped-four-lost-children-survive-40-days-in-the-amazon-jungle-207762">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Caring

‘Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living’: a (condensed) history of soup, from cave to can

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/garritt-c-van-dyk-1014186">Garritt C Van Dyk</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> Hot soup on a cold day brings warmth and comfort so simple that we don’t think too much about its origins. But its long history runs from the Stone Age and antiquity through to modernity, encompassing the birth of the restaurant, advances in chemistry, and a famous pop art icon. The basic nature of soup has a fundamental appeal that feels primordial – because it is. <a href="https://www.academia.edu/12384834/2015_Speth_When_Did_Humans_Learn_to_Boil_">Archaeologists</a> speculate the first soup might have been made by Neanderthals, boiling animal bones to extract fat essential for their diet and drinking the broth. Without the fats, their high intake of lean animal meats could have led to protein poisoning, so stone age soup was an important complement to primeval nutrition. The fundamental benefit of these bone broths is confirmed by archaeological discoveries around the world, ranging from a gelatin broth in <a href="https://www.archaeology.org/issues/317-1811/trenches/7056-trenches-egypt-giza-livestock-bones">Egypt’s Giza plateau</a>, to <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-11981666">Shaanxi Province</a> in China. The widespread distribution of archaeological finds is a reminder soup not only has a long history, but is also a global food. Today, our idea of soup is more refined, but the classic combination of stock and bread is embedded in the Latin root of the verb suppāre, meaning “to soak”. As a noun, suppa became soupe in Old French, meaning bread soaked in broth, and <a href="https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/middle-english-dictionary/dictionary/MED41830/track?counter=1&search_id=24326280">sowpes</a> in Middle English. This pairing was also an economical way of reclaiming stale bread and thickening a thin broth. Wealthier households might have toasted fresh bread for the dish, but less prosperous diners used up stale bread that was too hard to chew unless softened in the hot liquid. <h2>From rustic to creamy</h2> New ideas about science and digestion in 17th century France promoted <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340977432_The_Transformative_Influence_of_La_Varenne's_Le_Cuisinier_Francois_1651_on_French_Culinary_Practice">natural flavours</a> and thick, rustic preparations gave way to the creamy and velvety smooth soups we know today. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527415/original/file-20230522-21-dcc0ot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="People line up for soup" /></a><figcaption>The Soup Kitchen, Antonio de Puga, ca. 1630. Museo de Arte de Ponce</figcaption></figure> New versions of the liquid food were developed by early modern European chefs, such as the <a href="https://archive.org/details/lenouveaucuisini01mass/page/138/mode/2up">seafood bisque</a>, extracting flavour from the shells of crustaceans. The first restaurant as we understand them today opened in Paris in 1765, and was immortalised for a <a href="https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9785063s/f167.item.r=sante">simple broth</a>, a clear soup made from bone broth and fresh herbs. <a href="https://www.rebeccalspang.org/invention-of-the-restaurant">Mathurin Roze de Chantoiseau</a>, the original French restaurateur, created a new type of public space where weary diners could regain their lost appetites and soothe their delicate nerves at all hours. It may appear to be a contradiction that the first restaurant specifically catered to clients who had lost their appetites, yet it seems perfectly natural soup was the cure. <h2>Easy and affordable</h2> Soup was not destined to be limited to fancy restaurants or the long simmering stock pots of peasants. Modern science made it convenient and less expensive for home cooks. In 1897, a chemist at the Campbell soup company, John Dorrance, developed a <a href="https://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about-us/our-story/campbell-history/">condensed canned soup</a> that dramatically reduced the water content. The new method halved the cost of shipping and made canned soup an affordable meal anyone could prepare. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/527409/original/file-20230522-17-ts8u8f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Painting of men at a table" /></a><figcaption>Lunch (The Soup, Version II), Albin Egger-Lienz, 1910. Leopold Museum, Vienna</figcaption></figure> This revolutionary achievement was recognised at the 1900 Paris Exposition, winning an award for product excellence. Winning the prize was an achievement considering the competition at the world fair. The other technological advances exhibited at the turn of the century included the diesel engine, “talking” films, dry cell batteries and the Paris Metro. The bronze medallion from 1900 still appears on the iconic red and white label, made famous by pop artist Andy Warhol’s <a href="https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/andy-warhol-campbells-soup-cans-1962/">32 Campbell Soup Cans</a> (1962). In his work, Warhol appropriated images from consumer culture and the media ordinary people would instantly recognise, from Coca-Cola bottles to Marilyn Monroe. In his famous soup painting, 32 canvases – one for each flavour of soup – are lined up like cans on a supermarket shelf. Some <a href="https://warhol.netx.net/portals/warhol-exhibitions/#asset/108496">interpretations</a> consider this a commentary on the link between art and consumerism, emphasising the ordinary quality of the everyday object. The artist may also have been influenced by his personal eating habits – he claimed he had <a href="https://whitney.org/collection/works/5632">soup for lunch</a> every day for 20 years. <h2>‘One of the prime ingredients of good living’</h2> A steady diet of soup is not guaranteed to inspire famous art, but its appeal is universal. Soup can be humble or fancy, cutting across cultures and classes. Deceptively simple, the warmth and comfort of soup provide a temporary refuge from the winter chill, comforting the diner from the inside. The French chef Auguste Escoffier, famous for enshrining the five basic “<a href="https://www.escoffieronline.com/our-guide-to-escoffiers-5-mother-sauces/">mother sauces</a>” in French cuisine, raised soups to perfection in the early 20th century, developing refined preparations that remain classics today. Escoffier, <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books/about/Escoffier.html?id=JFIDd639wlQC&redir_esc=y">known as</a> “the king of chefs and the chef of kings”, had very <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/A_Guide_to_Modern_Cookery/KCbkcXHj7qoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=escoffier+guide+culinaire&printsec=frontcover">high standards</a> for soup, claiming “of all the items on the menu, soup is that which exacts the most delicate perfection”. An Austrian apprentice of Escoffier, Louis P. De Gouy, was chef at the Waldorf Astoria for 30 years and wrote 13 cookbooks. He summed up the appeal of soup in a <a href="https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/The_Soup_Book/1tNmDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover">volume</a> dedicated to the dish with over 700 recipes: <blockquote> Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living. For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish. </blockquote> From Neanderthal broth to pop art icon, this humble pantry staple has a rich and vibrant history, giving us both nourishment and food for thought.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205656/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/garritt-c-van-dyk-1014186">Garritt C Van Dyk</a>, Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-newcastle-1060">University of Newcastle</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/good-soup-is-one-of-the-prime-ingredients-of-good-living-a-condensed-history-of-soup-from-cave-to-can-205656">original article</a>. Images: Getty

Food & Wine

"I can't hear you!": New feature set to do away with subtitles

Nothing is more annoying than sitting in front of your TV, eager to watch your favourite show only for the dialogue to be completely wiped because of cars passing by or a plane taking off. Not being able to hear the dialogue in a TV show or movie, especially in an action or crime-driven blockbuster where anything exploding masks all dialogue has been an everlasting problem for viewers. Netflix has revealed that 40 per cent of subscribers have subtitles on at all times while surveys in the US and UK saw anywhere between 60 and 70 per cent of young viewers as frequent users of subtitles. If you’re using subtitles for the purpose of hearing the dialogue rather an accessibility reasons, streaming giant Amazon is introducing a new feature that could eradicate the need to turn them on because of the sound mix. The feature is called ”dialogue boost" and it raises the volume of the dialogue track relative to the score, ambient sound or effects. Although Amazon has so generously offered this solution to subscribers, the dialogue boost feature will only be available on a handful of Amazon Prime Video’s originals, like Beautiful Boy, Being The Ricardos, Jack Ryan and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. A similar feature already appears on some expensive sound systems and TV sets, but Amazon boasts it’s the first streaming platform to roll it out worldwide. To work the feature, select it from the audio and subtitles drop-down menu on an individual title, there will be two options to select from, “English Dialogue Boost: High” or “English Dialogue Boost: Medium”. The title page for a TV series or movie will show whether the dialogue boost is available. According to Variety, the helpful feature was originally designed for hearing-impaired viewers. Rest assured, if you struggle to hear the dialogue due to the sound mix, there's help on the way, granted it's exclusive to Amazon. Image credit: Shutterstock

Jacinda Ardern delivers emotional farewell speech

Jacinda Ardern stepped down from her position as New Zealand’s prime minister and delivered her final speech in parliament on Wednesday. In her final address to the country, Ardern reflected on the “privilege and responsibility” that comes with being prime minister, and shared both her political achievements and battles she faced during her career. “It was a cross between a sense of duty to steer a moving freight train... and being hit by one,” she described her first entry into politics. “And that's probably because my internal reluctance to lead was matched only by a huge sense of responsibility,” she added. She then shared the reasons why she got into politics in the first place, before reflecting on the events that have defined her legacy. “The reasons I came here … they’re all there in my maiden speech – climate change, child poverty, inequality. I am, after all, a conviction-based politician,” she said. In her speech, she also asked the parliament to “please take the politics out of climate change,” and mentioned that it is a “crisis” that is upon us. Ardern proceeded to reflect on her time as prime minister, where she faced many challenges including navigating natural disasters, the pandemic, and the Christchurch massacre, which had left her “bereft”. She added that during these series of events she found herself “in people’s lives during their most grief-stricken or traumatic moments.” Ardern’s voice was thick with emotion as she recalled meeting the survivors of the mosque terror attacks. “Having sadly seen our nation in horrific moments of grief, I've concluded that countries don't move on from tragedy, rather they become part of your psyche,” she said. Ardern ended her speech with the hope that leaders shouldn’t be afraid to be kind and sensitive, as they can also be hallmarks of good leadership. “I cannot determine what will define my time in this place, but I do hope I've demonstrated something else entirely - that you can be anxious, sensitive, kind and wear your heart on your sleeve,” she said. Ardern left to thunderous applause and a standing ovation, as members of the parliament sang traditional Māori songs. Image: Getty

Retirement Life

A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses used in entertainment

The recent <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/rings-of-power-horse-death-lord-of-the-rings-peta-1235564884/">death of a horse</a> on the set of Amazon’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7631058/">The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</a> is the latest incident raising questions about how humans use horses for entertainment and sport. While a statement from producers said the horses’s cardiac arrest occurred before the day’s filming began, animal rights activists PETA used the death to call on all screen producers to replace on-set horses with CGI and mechanical rig alternatives. The incident feeds into growing public concern about horse welfare on film and TV sets, at the track and in equestrian sports. But improving horse welfare is about more than just reputation repair – too often it’s about survival for horses and humans. <h2>Horse welfare in film and TV</h2> The riding of a horse over a cliff to its death for the movie Jesse James (1939) led to the establishment of <a href="https://humanehollywood.org/about-us/">American Humane</a>, which now oversees around 100,000 animals on more than 1,000 productions each year. While things have improved since the early days of film and television, deaths and mistreatment of horses still occur. In 1987, on the set of <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118307194">The Man From Snowy River II</a>, a seriously injured horse was killed using the blunt end of an axe. More recently, the high-profile series <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/the-real-story-behind-hbos-cancellation-of-luck">Luck</a>, starring Dustin Hoffman, was cancelled following the deaths of three horses. <h2>The good and bad of unprecedented global exposure</h2> In 2021, the Tokyo Olympics beamed to a global audience the excessive <a href="https://7news.com.au/sport/olympics/peta-calls-for-abusive-equestrian-events-to-be-axed-from-olympics-c-3703388">whipping and punching</a> of modern pentathlon horse Saint Boy and show jumper Kilkenny’s <a href="https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/kilkenny-suffers-nosebleed-during-olympic-individual-final">spectacular nosebleed</a> during the controversial show jumping program. While the bleed must have been obvious, officials did not intervene to stop the ride. Confronting images, and the perceived failure of organisers to protect the horses involved, brought into clear and global focus the indisputable welfare issues faced by horses competing at the elite level. The global outcry led to <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-9892093/Name-price-Kaley-Cuoco-offers-buy-horse-cruelly-punched-Olympics.html">actress Kaley Cuoco offering to buy Saint Boy</a> and the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/nov/02/modern-pentathlon-votes-to-ditch-horse-riding-after-tokyo-olympic-turmoil">withdrawal of the equestrian phase from modern pentathlon</a>. <h2>Risk to humans and horses</h2> Horse welfare does not just impact animals. Since the 1840s, 873 jockeys are known to have <a href="https://www.thoroughbredracing.com/articles/2062/facts-and-figures-jockey-fatalities-australia/">died in race falls</a> in Australia. Internationally, the sport of eventing (where competitors complete three phases: dressage, show jumping and cross-country) reported 38 rider and 65 horse fatalities during or after competition between 2007-15. Riding horses is considered one of the most <a href="https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/evj.13934">dangerous of all sporting pursuits</a>, and the deaths of riders and jockeys, usually from falls, are common. Public concern about risk to horses and humans through horse racing and equestrian sports, as well as screen production, also <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/15/1987">threaten these industries’ social licence</a>. <h2>Better horse welfare is related to better rider safety</h2> Our research offers hope for the horse industry and for those passionate about riding horses. Last year, we <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159121003269">published a paper</a> demonstrating the link between horse welfare and rider safety. We asked riders how they cared for their horses and how their horses behaved when ridden – for example, we wanted to know how often horses were bucking or rearing. From this information, we calculated a relative welfare score for each horse. We also asked riders about their accidents and injuries. After analysing the data from over 400 riders, we found the higher the horse welfare score, the fewer accidents and injuries a rider reported. In a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08927936.2023.2176589">subsequent study</a>, we found horses with better welfare scores are more enjoyable to ride, most likely because they perform better and riders feel more in control, creating a win-win for horses and riders. <h2>Good horse welfare means more than good health</h2> Often good welfare is thought of in terms of an animal being healthy. While this is part of good welfare, good health alone is not enough – especially for a horse competing at the elite level or taking part in a film. Horses are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159117300710?casa_token=5E77h_TYKGEAAAAA:EUBGz7BTnACvpvB_3iYM-urXpBxJbS95G0-05yMRJEbMTg_SEeb_VnSoVgn35su8_aNOZEpSqctL">neophobes</a> – this means they find new things frightening – so most horses are likely to find a movie set or travelling to a new location stressful. The most up-to-date <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/10/1870/htm">understanding of welfare</a> tells us that stress and poor mental health means poor animal welfare. When a horse is stressed or in pain they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159117300692">behave in a very predictable way</a> – they run away, panic, kick out or buck and rear. Yet, anecdotally and in the media, people seeing a horse behaving in this way often claim the horse is crazy, unpredictable or just plain mean. More likely, an “unpredictable” horse is suffering from poor welfare. As part of our research program, we have developed a <a href="https://hub.rspca.org.au/attachments/88">new framework</a> to help horse owners identify aspects of their care and training that diminish horse welfare. This information can be used to make modifications to improve horse welfare, and, importantly, can be applied to horses in any equine sector, including racing, sport and film and television. <h2>Investing in the future of horses in entertainment and sport</h2> Although a veterinarian assessed the recent horse death on the set of The Rings of Power as “unlikely to be associated with the horse’s participation in the film”, more can be done to protect horses and the industry. In Australia, <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/11/7/1986">no specific standard exists for the use of animals</a> in filmed media, and each state and territory has differing risk management guidelines. An opportunity now exists for the industry to set a new standard for horse care and training. An easily executable first step for the industry could be to insist a scientifically trained and credentialed equine behaviour expert be involved in the recruitment and supervision of horse actors and their trainers at all stages of production. This would ensure horse actors are appropriately trained to be on set and that horses are trained using the most up-to-date ethical methods. Horse behaviour experts could also help in scene design to minimise horses’ exposure to stressful situations and identify tasks that are incompatible with good horse welfare. If these suggestions were to be adopted, the film and television industry would be setting the benchmark for horse welfare – and pressure other horse industries to follow suit. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-horse-died-on-the-set-of-the-rings-of-power-more-needs-to-be-done-to-ensure-the-welfare-of-horses-used-in-entertainment-202939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Images: The Rings of Power / Amazon

Streaming service giant pays woman 5 figures to watch content

If you think you spend too much time on Amazon Prime, think again as one lucky lady has snatched up her “dream” job with the streaming service. The woman, Alex Bain, 36, has been dubbed Prime Video’s “Buff”, and her job entails reviewing content for Amazon Prime, which came after the platform searched nationwide to fill the role of watching new content. Here’s the real kicker, the 36-year-old will be paid $40,000 for three months of viewing new content and sharing her opinions. She is not new to the scene of content review as she frequently posts to her Instagram, TikTok and Youtube reviewing various TV shows and movies. Upon seeing the advertisement from Amazon Prime, one of Bain’s friends encouraged her to apply. “Everything on it, it was like seeing a list of what would be my ideal job,” Ms Bain told NCA NewsWire. “I’m 36, so I want to do something I’m passionate about, so I decided to just go for it. “I got a phone call from Amazon saying I’d been short-listed, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’” She said the time between applying for the role and being told she was successful went “so quickly”. Not long after, she received the news she was the lucky one chosen to fill the role. Image credit: Instagram

4 great movies to stream on Amazon, HBO, Netflix and Disney+

Nothing cures boredom like a great movie! Catch up on new releases and take a dive into the beloved classics. Bored? Let’s what a movie! Here are some of the goodies you can enjoy. Amazon: Smile (2023) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Sosie Bacon, Kyle Gallner, Caitlin Stasey </li> </ul> Premise: After witnessing a strange and traumatic incident with a patient, Dr Rose Cotter (Sosie Bacon) begins experiencing unexplainable, terrifying occurrences. As terror takes over her life, Rose is on a desperate attempt to escape her new reality. HBO: Gravity (2013) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller, Drama </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris </li> </ul> Premise: This mind-blowing space thriller one seven Oscars! Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is on her first space shuttle mission. Veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky (George Clooney) is commanding his last mission before retirement. Disaster strikes, and the shuttle is destroyed, with all communication with Earth eradicated. Watch them navigate their terrifying situation. Netflix: You People (2023) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Comedy, Romance </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Jonah Hill, Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus </li> </ul> Get ready for some laughs with this movie, with a stellar cast - how could it NOT be funny? When Ezra (Jonah Hill) and Amira (Lauren London) fall in love, they know they’re not so well-suited, but love is love. An issue arises as they find themselves navigating societal expectations of being an interracial couple. Watch to find out if their love endures the culture clash! Disney +: Disenchanted (2022) <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> Stars: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph </li> </ul> 15 years after moving to the “real world” and marrying Robert (Patrick Dempsey) in Enchanted, and Giselle (Amy Adams) has grown unattached to the city. As she searches for her fairy tale life, the pair move to the suburbs, however, they soon find there are a completely new set of rules in their new suburb. Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph) runs the show in this suburb, and she’s not a massive fan of whimsical Giselle. In hopes of finding her perfect community, Giselle turns to magic, but it doesn’t work out in her favour. It’s then a race against time to figure out what her happy ever after really is! Image credit: Shutterstock

Movies

“You wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive”: Man rescued after 31 days in the jungle

A Bolivian man has survived 31 days in the Amazon jungle. Jhonattan Acosta, 30, was hunting in northern Bolivia when he was separated from his four friends. He told United TV he drank rainwater collected in his shoes and ate worms and insects while hiding from jaguars and peccaries, a type of pig-like mammal. Acosta was finally found by a search party made up of locals and friends a month after he went missing. “I can’t believe people kept up the search for so long,” he said in tears. “I ate worms, I ate insects, you wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive all this time.” He also ate wild fruits similar to papayas, known locally as gargateas. “I thank God profusely, because he has given me a new life,” he said. His family said they will still have to string all the details together regarding how Acosta got lost and how he managed to stay alive but will ask him gradually as he is still psychologically damaged after the experience. There has also been significant physical changes. Acosta lost 17kg, dislocated his ankle and was severely dehydrated when he was found, but according to those who found him, he was still able to walk with a limp. “My brother told us that when he dislocated his ankle on the fourth day, he started fearing for his life,” Horacio Acosta told Bolivia’s Página Siete newspaper. “He only had one cartridge in his shotgun and couldn’t walk, and he thought no one would be looking for him anymore.” As for his encounters with wild animals in the jungle, including a jaguar, his younger brother said that his brother used his last cartridge to scare off a squadron of peccaries. After 31 days, Acosta spotted the search party about 300m away and limped through thorny bushes, shouting to draw attention to him. Acosta’s brother, Haracio, said that he was found by four local people. “A man came running to tell us they’d found my brother,” he said. “It’s a miracle.” Acosta has since decided to give up hunting for good. “He is going to play music to praise God,” Haracio said. “He promised God that, and I think he will keep his promise.” Image credit: BBC News

Travel Trouble

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership

“Uneasy is the head that wears the crown”, wrote Shakespeare, way back in the 1500s. It’s not a new idea that top-level leadership jobs are intensely <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984316300923">stressful</a> and pose a heavy toll. Extended periods of stress are known to put people at <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.psych.52.1.397">risk of burnout</a>. Yet probably few of us can ever grasp just how unrelentingly demanding and difficult leading a country actually is. Especially in times of crisis and with our modern media and online environment, every statement and every move a leader makes is subject to extensive scrutiny and commentary. Increasingly, a troubling feature of the commentary about New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has been its abusive, violent, sexist and misogynistic tenor. While she has not focused on this as a reason for her decision to <a href="https://theconversation.com/arderns-resignation-as-new-zealand-prime-minister-is-a-game-changer-for-the-2023-election-198149">resign yesterday</a>, being targeted in this way, and knowing <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2022/03/where-is-clarke-gayford-jacinda-ardern-laughs-off-conspiracy-theories-reveals-the-answer.html">her partner</a> and even <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/482761/the-hatred-and-vitriol-jacinda-ardern-endured-would-affect-anybody">her child</a> were also targeted, must surely have made an already difficult job so much more challenging. <h2>Crises, kindness and courageous decisions</h2> Crises have long been understood as the most intensive tests of a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984322000649">leader’s skill and character</a>. They involve making weighty decisions, at times about matters that quite literally have life and death implications. Decisions have to be made at speed, but often with insufficient information to confidently predict the consequences of the choices made. Ardern’s premiership has thrown crisis after crisis her way. And time and time again, she has displayed a strength of character and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003099109-10/leading-crisis-adaptive-leadership-jacinda-ardern-deidre-le-fevre">considerable leadership skills</a> in responding to them. Her handling of the Christchurch terror attacks won <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/03/18/new-zealands-prime-minister-wins-worldwide-praise-her-response-mosque-shootings/">global admiration</a> for her composure, compassion and decisive resolve to ensure such heinous acts could not be repeated here. Her response to the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/white-island-eruption-how-good-is-ardern-world-praises-pm-for-disaster-response/4S5BZ6NCOWXN4R63HDIEV4KXVM/">Whakaari White Island eruption</a> garnered similar praise, showing yet again her intuitive grasp that a leader offering support to those caught up in such a distressing event actually makes a difference. That Ardern has sought to combine compassion and kindness with the courage to make tough decisions is a key feature of <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/978-1-80262-157-020221003/full/html">her style</a>. <h2>Unrealistic expectations of a leader</h2> Throughout the pandemic, Arden has repeatedly proved her willingness to make courageous decisions. Combined with her prowess at <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1742715020929151">mobilising the public’s understanding</a> and support for the government’s COVID response, this was critical to the success of the elimination strategy. Many <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2022/03/21/two-years-since-nz-first-locked-down-expert-reaction/">lives and livelihoods have been saved</a> due to her leadership. When Delta and then Omicron emerged, Ardern <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-jacinda-arderns-clumsy-leadership-response-to-delta-could-still-be-the-right-approach-169926">sought to continually adapt</a> the government’s policies to a changing context. While tenacity and resilience may number among her many strengths, dogmatism is not one of her weaknesses. Of course not all decisions <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/300763211/ombudsmans-criticism-of-miq-virtual-lobby-doesnt-go-far-enough">proved to be optimal</a> – expecting them to be so would be wildly unrealistic. Some of her decisions have sparked a <a href="https://thespinoff.co.nz/summer-2022/04-01-2023/the-day-the-grounds-of-parliament-burned-2">strong negative response</a>. But it’s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Differently-About-Leadership-Critical/dp/1784716782">foolish to expect perfection from leaders</a>, and the job unavoidably means making tough calls not everyone will agree with. <h2>Rise in sexist and mysogynistic abuse</h2> No leader is omnipotent, especially in a democracy and in a globally interconnected world. The latest crisis Ardern has been grappling with – the cost of living – is in large measure <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/09/21/economy/central-banks-inflation-global/index.html">driven by global forces</a> far beyond the control of any New Zealand prime minister. New Zealand’s situation is <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129353834/think-inflation-is-biting-spare-a-thought-for-turkey">better than many other countries</a>, but unfortunately for Ardern this holds little sway for some people. The reality, then, is that her growing unpopularity has in part been rooted in people having unrealistic expectations of what leaders can and can’t actually do, and needing someone to blame. But there’s also no getting away from the fact that far too much of the criticism directed at her has been coloured by sexist and misogynistic attitudes. There’s a continuum in how this is expressed. It starts with one C word – <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/122658284/shes-not-a-doll-so-dont-call-the-prime-minister-cindy">Cindy</a> – which is a sexist attempt to belittle her authority and status as an adult woman who is the elected leader of our country. It ends with the other C word. Research by the <a href="https://thedisinfoproject.org/2022/11/29/dangerous-speech-misogyny-and-democracy/">Disinformation Project</a> shows its usage is enmeshed within a wider discourse that denigrates other aspects of her identity as a woman and extends to <a href="https://twitter.com/justinsight/status/1616144565433663488">fantasising about her rape and death</a>. This kind of behaviour is simply inexcusable. It should be to New Zealand’s eternal shame that Ardern has been subjected to this. It cannot be justified by arguing her policies have been controversial and she “deserves” this abuse: that line of reasoning simply replicates the defence long used by rapists and domestic abusers. Ardern is New Zealand’s third woman prime minister. The <a href="https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=277628">glass ceiling</a> for that role is well and truly broken. We now also have <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/477290/women-will-have-equal-share-of-seats-in-parliament-with-soraya-peke-mason-s-swearing-in">equal representation of women</a> within parliament. But the sexist and misogynistic nature of so much of the criticism and abuse directed at Ardern also shows we are a very long way from having equal treatment of women in leadership. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/jacinda-arderns-resignation-gender-and-the-toll-of-strong-compassionate-leadership-198152" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Life

Chris Hipkins announced as next Prime Minister of New Zealand

Labour MP Chris Hipkins has been elected as New Zealand’s next prime minister after a caucus meeting in Wellington on Sunday. Hipkins was the sole nominee, and the 64-person vote - considered to be largely a formality - was unanimous. “As a team we will continue to provide strong, stable and focused leadership that New Zealanders expect from us,” Hipkins told reporters in a conference after the vote. He went on to announce that his government would turn their attention to a key election concern - helping families that were struggling through difficult economic times, in the wake of rising inflation and housing affordability concerns. On this, he noted, “you shouldn't have to be on a six-figure salary to buy a new house.” Hipkins has helped to steer the country through crises before, having played a crucial role in New Zealand’s COVID-19 response after being appointed as health minister in 2020, work that established him as a household name in New Zealand. He was first elected to parliament in 2008, and as of 2020 was Minister of Education, Minister for the Public Service, and COVID-19 Response Minister. However, to many around him he is known instead as “Chippy”. Hipkins has strong ties within his party, and was seen walking to Sunday’s vote with “very good friend” Jacinda Ardern. He praised her leadership, and like many before him, noted the inspiration she provided for women and girls everywhere. Australia’s own PM Anthony Albanese took to Twitter to congratulate Chris, and to share that he looks forward “to working with him as Prime Minister.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A warm discussion this morning with incoming NZ Labour Leader Chris Hipkins. I congratulate him and look forward to working with him as Prime Minister. 🇦🇺🇳🇿 — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1616585939052265472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote> Treasurer of Australia Jim Chalmers echoed Albanese’s sentiments, telling Sky News Australia, “Chris Hipkins is someone of immense experience and depth and intelligence. He’s a very worthy successor to prime minister Ardern.” Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni was voted in as incoming deputy by the caucus. Sepuloni, who has Samoan and Tongan heritage through her mother, was said by Hipkins to become the first Pasifika person to become deputy prime minister. In a six part thread to Twitter, Sepuloni shared her gratitude for and commitment to her new role, as well as her enthusiasm at working alongside Hipkins, writing, “It’s hard to fathom the working class girl from Waitara can become the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. I’m incredibly humbled that Chris Hipkins and my colleagues have put their faith in me to take up this important role. “I also acknowledge the significance of this for our Pacific community. I am proudly Samoan, Tongan and New Zealand European and represent generations of New Zealanders with mixed heritage.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/THREAD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#THREAD</a>: 1/6 It’s hard to fathom the working class girl from Waitara can become the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand. I’m incredibly humbled that <a href="https://twitter.com/chrishipkins?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chrishipkins</a> and my colleagues have put their faith in me to take up this important role. ⬇️ <a href="https://t.co/uGPCCZDpM4">pic.twitter.com/uGPCCZDpM4</a> — Carmel Sepuloni (@CarmelSepuloni) <a href="https://twitter.com/CarmelSepuloni/status/1617011240731283456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote> Hipkins’ full Cabinet has not yet been announced, but he has stated that he intends to keep former deputy prime minister, Grant Robertson, on in the role of finance minister. It is expected that Hipkins will be sworn in as the country’s 41st prime minister on Wednesday. Image: Getty Images

News

“It’s time”: Jacinda Ardern announces shock resignation

New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern has announced she will be stepping down from her position. Ardern confessed that she “no longer had enough in the tank to do it [her role] justice”, and confirmed a national election for October 14th. While her term will conclude no later than February 7th, she will continue on as an MP until the election. Jacinda has served as the 40th prime minister of New Zealand since 2017, when she made history by becoming the world’s youngest female head of government at 37 years old, and is a member of the Labour Party. Of her decision to resign, she stated, “I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not.” “I don’t want to leave the impression that the adversity you face in politics is the reason that people exit. Yes, it does have an impact. We are humans after all, but that was not the basis of my decision,” she went on to explain. She noted that she has her family’s support, and looks forward to spending more time with them. Jacinda and her partner, Clarke Gayford, welcomed their first child, Neve, in 2018. In her address, she told them, “to Neve: mum is looking forward to being there when you start school this year. And to Clarke – let’s finally get married.” Her announcement comes in a tight election year for the Labour party, but she is confident in their victory, and stressed that the polls were not the driving force behind her decision, “I’m not leaving because I believe we can’t win the election, but because I believe we can and will, and we need a fresh set of shoulders for that challenge.” Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, took to Twitter to share his respect for Jacinda after the news broke, writing, “Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength … Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Jacinda Ardern has shown the world how to lead with intellect and strength. She has demonstrated that empathy and insight are powerful leadership qualities. Jacinda has been a fierce advocate for New Zealand, an inspiration to so many and a great friend to me. <a href="https://t.co/QJ64mNCJMI">pic.twitter.com/QJ64mNCJMI</a> — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1615871202580639744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2023</a></blockquote> Albanese went on to add that he looks forward “to working with the next Prime Minister of New Zealand,” and that he wishes Jacinda and her family well in this next chapter of their lives. He cited her “powerful leadership qualities” in her empathy and her insight, both demonstrated by Jacinda herself when she admitted that she has always worked with and relied on her team, and has not led on her own. She asked only that people remember her “as someone who always tried to be kind.” “I hope I leave New Zealanders with a belief that you can be kind, but strong, empathetic but decisive, optimistic but focused. And that you can be your own kind of leader – one who knows when it’s time to go,” she added. Ardern has faced many challenges over her five and a half years in the role - from natural disasters to an international pandemic. Of the experience, she reflected, “it’s one thing to lead your country through peace time, it’s another to lead them through crisis. I had the privilege of being alongside NZ in a crisis and they placed their faith in me.” Images: Getty Images

News

Chokepoint Capitalism: why we’ll all lose unless we stop Amazon, Spotify and other platforms squeezing cash from creators

In 2020, the independent authors and small publishers whose audiobooks reach their readers via Audible’s <a href="https://www.acx.com/">ACX platform</a> smelled a rat. Audiobooks were booming, but sales of their own books – produced at great expense and well-reviewed – were plummeting. Some of their royalty statements reported negative sales, as readers returned more books than they bought. This was hard to make sense of, because Audible only reported net sales, refusing to reveal the sales and refunds that made them up. Perth-based writer <a href="https://www.susanmaywriter.net/single-post/audiblegate-the-incredible-story-of-missing-sales">Susan May</a> wondered whether those returns might be the reason for her dwindling net sales. She pressed Audible to tell her how many of her sales were being negated by returns, but the company stonewalled. Then, in October 2020, a glitch caused three weeks of returns data to be reported in a single day, and authors discovered that hundreds (and even thousands) of their sales had been wiped out by returns. Suddenly, the scam came into focus: the Amazon-owned Audible had been offering an extraordinarily generous returns policy, encouraging subscribers to return books they’d had on their devices for months, even if they had listened to them the whole way through, even if they had loved them – no questions asked. Encouraged by the policy, some subscribers had been treating the service like a library – returning books for fresh credits they could swap for new ones. Few would have realised that Audible clawed back the royalties from the book’s authors every time a book was returned. Good for Amazon, bad for authors It was good for Amazon – it helped Audible gain and hold onto subscribers – but bad for the authors and the performers who created the audiobooks, who barely got paid. Understanding Amazon’s motivation helps us understand a phenomenon we call <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">chokepoint capitalism</a>, a modern plague on creative industries and many other industries too. Orthodox economics tells us not to worry about corporations dominating markets because that will attract competitors, who will put things back in balance. But many of today’s big corporations and billionaire investors have perfected ways to make those supposedly-temporary advantages permanent. Warren Buffett salivates over businesses with “<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/warren-buffett-moat-etf-simple-explanation-for-how-he-invests-and-its-easy-to-replicate-2017-10-1005613232">wide, sustainable moats</a>”. Peter Thiel scoffs that “<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/peter-thiel-competition-is-for-losers-1410535536">competition is for losers</a>”. Business schools teach students ways to lock in customers and suppliers and eliminate competition, so they can shake down the people who make what they supply and buy what they sell. Locking in customers and creators Amazon is the poster child for chokepoint capitalism. It boasts of its “<a href="https://feedvisor.com/resources/amazon-trends/amazon-flywheel-explained/">flywheel</a>” – a self-described “<a href="https://fourweekmba.com/amazon-flywheel/">virtuous cycle</a>” where its lower cost leads to lower prices and a better customer experience, which leads to more traffic, which leads to more sellers, and a better selection – which further propels the flywheel. <hr /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=379&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494907/original/file-20221111-21-lnbmh1.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=477&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <hr /> But the way the cycle works isn’t virtuous – it’s vicious and anti-competitive. Amazon openly admits to doing everything it can to lock in its customers. That’s why Audible encourages book returns: its generous offer only applies to ongoing subscribers. Audible wants the money from monthly subscribers and wants the fact that they are subscribed to prevent them from shopping elsewhere. Paying the people who actually made the product it sells a fair share of earnings isn’t Amazon’s priority. Because Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ famous maxim is “<a href="https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/the-cost-of-your-margin-is-my-opportunity">your margin is my opportunity</a>”, the executive who figured out how to make authors foot the bill for retaining subscribers probably got a bonus. Another way Audible locks customers in is by ensuring the books it sells are protected by <a href="https://www.fortinet.com/resources/cyberglossary/digital-rights-management-drm">digital rights management</a> (DRM) which means they are encrypted, and can only be read by software with the decryption key. Amazon claims DRM stops listeners from stealing from creators by pirating their books. But tools to strip away those locks are freely available online, and it’s easy for readers who can’t or won’t pay for books to find illegal versions. While DRM doesn’t prevent infringement, it does prevent competition. Startups that want to challenge Audible’s dominance – including those that would pay fairly – have to persuade potential customers to give up their Audible titles or to inconveniently maintain separate libraries. In this way, laws that were intended to protect against infringement of copyright have become tools to protect against infringement of corporate dominance. Once customers are locked in, suppliers (authors and publishers) are locked in too. It’s incredibly difficult to reach audiobook buyers unless you’re on Audible. When the suppliers are locked in, they can be shaken down for an ever-greater share of what the buyers hand over. <hr /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494908/original/file-20221111-16-pua9cp.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></a><figcaption></figcaption></figure> <hr /> How a few big buyers can control whole markets The problem isn’t with middlemen as such: book shops, record labels, book and music publishers, agents and myriad others provide valuable services that help keep creative wheels turning. The problem arises when these middlemen grow powerful enough to bend markets into hourglass shapes, with audiences at one end, masses of creators at the other, and themselves operating as a chokepoint in the middle. Since everyone has to go through them, they’re able to control the terms on which creative goods and services are exchanged - and extract more than their fair share of value. The corporations who create these chokepoints are trying to “monopsonise” their markets. “Monopsony” isn’t a pretty word, but it’s one we are going to have to get familiar with to understand why so many of us are feeling squeezed. <a href="https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/monopoly">Monopoly</a> (or near-monopoly) is where there is only one big seller, leaving buyers with few other places to turn. <a href="https://www.wallstreetmojo.com/monopsony/">Monopsony</a> is where there is only one big buyer, leaving sellers with few other places to turn. In our book, we quote William Deresiewicz, a former professor of English at Yale University, who points out in his book <a href="https://www.chicagoreview.org/william-deresiewicz-the-death-of-the-artist/">The Death of the Artist</a> that “if you can only sell your product to a single entity, it’s not your customer; it’s your boss”. Increasingly, it is how the creative industries are structured. There’s Audible for audiobooks, Amazon for physical and digital versions, YouTube for video, Google and Facebook for online news advertising, the <a href="https://www.liveabout.com/big-three-record-labels-2460743">Big Three record labels</a> (who own the big three music publishers) for recorded music, <a href="https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/12/streaming-doesnt-pay/">Spotify</a> for streaming, Live Nation for live music and ticketing – and that’s just the start. But as corporate concentration increases across the board, monopsony is becoming a problem for the rest of us. For a glimpse into what happens to labour markets when buyers become too powerful, just think about how monopsonistic supermarkets bully food manufacturers and farmers. <figure class="align-right "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=966&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/494912/original/file-20221112-11-u879gw.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1214&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /><figcaption><a class="source" href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Scribe Publications</a></figcaption></figure> A fairer deal for consumers and creators The good news is that we don’t have to put up with it. <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Chokepoint Capitalism</a> isn’t one of those “Chapter 11 books” – ten chapters about how terrible everything is, plus a conclusion with some vague suggestions about what can be done. The whole second half is devoted to detailed proposals for widening these chokepoints out – such as transparency rights, among others. Audible’s sly trick only finally came to light because of the glitch that let authors see the scope of returns. That glitch enabled writers, led by Susan May, to organise a campaign that eventually forced Audible to reform some of its more egregious practices. But we need more light in dark corners. And we need reforms to contract law to level the playing field in negotiations, interoperability rights to prevent lock-in to platforms, copyrights being better secured to creators rather than publishers, and minimum wages for creative work. These and the other things we suggest would do much to empower artists and get them paid. And they would provide inspiration for the increasing rest of us who are supplying our goods or our labour to increasingly powerful corporations that can’t seem to keep their hands out of our pockets. <hr /> Chokepoint Capitalism: how big tech and big content captured creative labour markets, and how we’ll win them back is published on <a href="https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/chokepoint-capitalism-9781761380075">Tuesday November 15</a> by Scribe.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194069/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by Rebecca Giblin and Cory Doctorow. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/chokepoint-capitalism-why-well-all-lose-unless-we-stop-amazon-spotify-and-other-platforms-squeezing-cash-from-creators-194069" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Neighbours is saved!

Get ready to return to Ramsay Street in 2023, with the new year bringing along a new season of Neighbours. Amazon have swooped in and saved our beloved Aussie soap just as the long-running series wrapped up in July after a huge 37 years on air. Actors Stefan Dennis, Alan Fletcher, Ryan Moloney and Jackie Woodburne are all signing on to reprise their roles as Ramsay Street residents, in the fictional suburb of Melbourne known as Erinsborough. "Neighbours has captivated its audience for nearly 40 years, building a dedicated and loyal following for the lives and stories of the characters on Ramsay Street," Lauren Anderson, head of AVOD original content and programming for Amazon Studios said in a statement when announcing the news. "With the power of streaming, we're able to offer a catalogue of thousands of Neighbours episodes for new audiences to discover this legendary series and current fans to relive their favourite moments. "We look forward to immersing the audience in new Ramsay Street experiences when we relaunch the show next year for Amazon Freevee and Prime Video customers.” For us watching in Australia, the series will return to channel 10 for the first-run episodes but will be available a week later on Amazon Prime Video which will host the series for viewers in New Zealand and Canada. Fans in the UK and US will be able to watch it on Amazon Freevee. "Neighbours is a unique series with a powerful connection with its fans across the world," Jennifer Mullin, global CEO of production company Fremantle, said in the announcement. "We cherish the show and all those who have been part of its incredible story over many decades, so we are thrilled that we have found a new home with Amazon Freevee.” We can expect new episodes to roll out later in the year, with the soap going back into full production in 2023. Image: Instagram

The new UK Prime Minister is richer than King Charles

The new UK Prime Minister and his wife are richer than the royal family, making waves after featuring on the 2022 Rich List. Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty, who come from wealthy families and backgrounds, have an estimated fortune of £730 million ($A1.3 billion), according to the <a title="www.thetimes.co.uk" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-sunak-akshata-murty-net-worth-sunday-times-rich-list-86ls8n09h">Sunday Times </a><a title="www.thetimes.co.uk" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-sunak-akshata-murty-net-worth-sunday-times-rich-list-86ls8n09h">2022 Rich List</a>. The list placed them as the 222nd richest people in Britain. In comparison, the same list placed Queen Elizabeth II’s fortune at £370m ($A660m) before her death. King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort’s wealth is estimated to be between £300m ($A536m) and £350m ($A626m), according to The Guardian. Mr Sunak formerly worked as a hedge fund manager, while Ms Murty is the daughter of a tech giant who is known as one of the richest men in India. She has a A$1.2 billion stake in her father's company, while also working as a fashion designer, and invests in start-ups through her private investment firm. The couple, both 42, met when they were studying at Stanford University and have two daughters together. They have a property portfolio of four homes worth an estimated £15m ($A26.7m), including a penthouse in Los Angeles. Mr Sunak won’t only be one, if not the, richest UK prime ministers in history, he will also be the first prime minister of colour and the youngest person to take office in more than 200 years. He takes over from Liz Truss, who he lost the leadership race to in September. She <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/revolving-door-of-chaos-uk-pm-quits-after-44-days-in-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned last week</a> after 44 days in office. Image credits: Getty Images

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"Revolving door of chaos": UK PM quits after 44 days in office

Liz Truss has resigned as UK Prime Minister after just 44 days in the top job. Ms Truss was sworn in as prime minister on September 6 by Queen Elizabeth II. She has now become the shortest-serving prime minister in Britain's history. Previously, this record was held by George Canning, who served for 119 days in 1827. She explained that she tried to deliver on the "vision for a low-tax high-growth economy" but was unable to continue her role following pressure from members of her party. A leadership election will be held in the next week to find Truss’ replacement but until then she will remain Prime Minister. Speaking in front of Number 10 Downing Street, Ms Truss accepted that she was unable to deliver her promises as leader of the Conservatives Party. Opposition Leader Keir Starmer said the Tory "soap opera" was damaging the country's economy and the issue needed to be sorted. "We can't have a revolving door of chaos," he told the BBC. "We can't have another experiment at the top of the Tory party. "There is an alternative and that's a stable Labour government and the public are entitled to have their say, and that's why there should be a general election." Liz Truss’ Full Speech “I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability,” she said. “Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills. “Putin's illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent. “And our country had been held back for too long by low economic growth. “I was elected by the Conservative Party with a mandate to change this. “We delivered on energy bills and on cutting national insurance. “And we set out a vision for a low tax, high growth economy – that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit. “I recognise though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. “I have therefore spoken to His Majesty The King to notify him that I am resigning as Leader of the Conservative Party. “This morning I met the Chair of the 1922 Committee Sir Graham Brady. “We have agreed there will be a leadership election to be completed in the next week. “This will ensure we remain on a path to deliver our fiscal plans and maintain our country's economic stability and national security. “I will remain as Prime Minister until a successor has been chosen. “Thank you.” Image: Getty

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Who is Liz Truss, the new UK prime minister?

The United Kingdom now has its third ever female prime minister. Liz Truss was elected as leader by grassroots members of the Conservatives to lead the party – and hence the nation – on a platform that positioned her as the continuity candidate from Boris Johnson. This result will be celebrated on all sides of British politics. Members of the Conservative party – the <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn05125/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approximately 180,000</a> people who elected the new leader – will be delighted that the continuity candidate got over the line. Similarly, strategists for the opposition parties – Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party – will also be delighted that the continuity candidate got over the line. In electing Truss as leader, Conservative members have increased their party’s chances of losing the next general election. This is because Truss essentially offers more of the same. She steps into 10 Downing Street at a moment when the views of the Conservative party and the experience of the wider electorate are diverging. As Britons find themselves in the throes of a cost-of-living crisis, the leadership debates between Truss and her main opponent, Rishi Sunak, were focused on the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/2901846c-9424-47dc-b986-fc8e570a2098" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extent of tax cuts</a>, weakening the public purse when it is needed most. This was music to the ears of the older and wealthier Conservative members, but a case of “same world, different planet” for the wider electorate. To add insult to injury, Truss disparaged the idea of support for struggling Britons as “<a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/times-liz-truss-attacked-handouts-27838296" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handouts</a>”. Furthermore, her views on British workers as “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-62571016" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lazy</a>” resurfaced during the leadership contest. This is unlikely to endear her to those one-time Labour voters in the 45 so-called “Red Wall” seats in northern England that switched to the Johnson-led Conservatives at the 2019 election. Newly-minted Conservative MPs in such seats fear that, faced with this disdain, their new supporters <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1657586/UK-election-polls-red-wall-seats-Labour-Tory-voters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may switch back to Labour</a>. Additionally, as someone who symbolises continuity with the Johnson government, Truss may struggle in the 20 so-called “Blue Wall” seats in southern England. Former Conservative voters switched to the Liberal Democrats in three recent by-elections in such seats, heaping pressure on Johnson to resign earlier this year. Conservative MPs in this part of England fear that voters who were switched off by Johnson’s political tone and governing style, <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/tories-tipped-lose-26-blue-27377717" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may not warm</a> to Truss’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/aug/21/the-tory-leadership-contest-could-alienate-voters-in-blue-and-red-wall-seats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">embrace of the same tactics</a>: hostility to the EU, goading the French, and waging a “war on woke”. North of the border, Truss’s embrace of all things British, from her <a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/1532994/liz-truss-cheese-speech-this-is-a-disgrace-foreign-secretary-chatham-house-spt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">famous support for British cheese</a> to the self-conscious adoption of <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/11/30/liz-truss-ukraine-russia-tank-war-invasion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thatcherite imagery</a>, will consolidate support for Scottish independence. There are only six Conservative MPs in Scotland, but having Truss as leader won’t make the job of retaining seats at the next election any easier. Given these strategic perils, why was she elected? A <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/boris-johnson-would-win-tory-leadership-race_uk_62ea575fe4b0da5ec0f02397" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouGov opinion poll</a> found a plurality of Conservative members did not want to see Johnson ousted from Number 10, despite his record in government. A <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/trackers/should-boris-johnson-remain-as-leader-of-the-conservative-party" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gulf has emerged</a> between grassroots Conservatives and the wider electorate. If Truss emulates Johnson too closely – as the party seems to want – it is the party that will pay the price. <h2>What does this mean for Australia?</h2> Truss will find a series of pressing yet complex issues in her in-tray. The foremost of these will be the cost-of-living crisis. This will intensify as winter approaches and <a href="https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/ofgem-updates-price-cap-level-and-tightens-rules-suppliers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">energy price caps are lifted</a>, leaving many struggling to heat their homes and buy food. The industrial action witnessed during the summer, will intensify. The next issue is the war in Ukraine. Part of the Russian global strategy is to hope that western states, not least the UK, tire in their support for Ukraine. This will not happen under Truss. She is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/ukraines-greatest-friend-uks-truss-pledges-more-support-kyiv-2022-07-28/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a firm supporter of Ukraine</a> and can be expected to retain the UK’s current posture of support. Truss is also the continuity candidate as far as Anglo-Australian relations are concerned. Like Johnson, Truss is a big fan of Australia (Dan Tehan’s <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-21/uk-chair-fight-criticised-canberra-trade-talks/100085830" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uncomfortable chair</a> during free trade negotiations notwithstanding). As the British author of the free trade agreement (FTA) between Australia and the UK, this form of bilateral relationship will only strengthen. Being very favourably disposed to Australia means the commitment to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/sep/16/what-is-the-aukus-alliance-and-what-are-its-implications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AUKUS</a> – the strategic alliance between Australia, the UK and the US – will remain. Of course, Johnson had an ideological confrère in Scott Morrison as his Australian counterpart. Truss will not enjoy such an ideological affinity with Anthony Albanese or Foreign Minister Penny Wong. Nevertheless, the ALP view of the Australia-UK FTA is broadly favourable, with perhaps some stronger provisions for workers’ rights built in. Less is known about ALP views towards AUKUS, or whether the Australian government will choose British over US submarine designs (or whatever there might be <a href="https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/can-australia-get-nuclear-powered-submarines-this-decade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on offer in the interim</a>). Questions remain about whether, like her predecessor, Truss believes in herself more than in Britain. Given her ability to hold more than one political position with great conviction (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jul/30/liz-truss-profile-ambition-charm-thick-skin-thatcher" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she started out as a Liberal Democrat and voted to remain in the EU</a>) it might be that we have a new leader more interested in their own CV than the common good. Boris Johnson <a href="https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/johnsonism-and-the-strange-death-of-conservative-england/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">damaged trust in politics</a>, but Truss may not be equipped to address that particular issue. Her advisers will be tempted to consider a quick election – giving her a spurious “mandate” that the Westminster system doesn’t require – and there are lessons in what happened to Theresa May when that temptation arose. Yet for all his faults, Johnson bequeaths Truss an imposing 73-seat majority. But Truss must tread carefully: she’s the best hope of ousting the Conservatives that the opposition has had in many years. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-is-liz-truss-the-new-uk-prime-minister-189774" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Getty

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Queen breaks 114-year-old royal tradition

Queen Elizabeth II will be greeting outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his successor at the Balmoral estate, as being unable to travel down to London will see her breaking a royal tradition that predates her reign. Since 1908, it has been a royal tradition that the sovereign greets the outgoing and incoming Prime Minister of the United Kingdom at Buckingham Palace in London. The leaving PM will visit the monarch after resigning or losing an election to advise her on who commands a majority of MPs in the House of Commons, as well as who should lead the country next. Then, the incoming leader will meet the Queen and “kisses hands” with her. While this previously required the new PM to actually kiss the sovereign’s hands, it now just refers to the meeting between the Queen and the PM. The shock development will mean that Boris Johnson - who <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/boris-johnson-resigns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resigned from the top job</a> in early July - will be travelling 1600 kilometres to Balmoral to take part in the royal tradition. He will also be joined by the next Prime Minister, who will be announced on Monday evening. Currently, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is the frontrunner to take on the role, with Rishi Sunak, the former Chief Secretary of the Treasury, following up behind. The decision comes amid growing concerns about the 96-year-old monarch’s health, after it was reported last week that Prince Charles is making “regular, daily” visits to his mother. Charles doesn’t typically make unplanned visits to see his mother, with most meetings planned by palace officials. He has been staying with the Queen at the estate in Aberdeenshire, which is where she spends most of her summers. Image: Getty Images

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Neighbours is saved!

The new UK Prime Minister is richer than King Charles

"Revolving door of chaos": UK PM quits after 44 days in office

Who is Liz Truss, the new UK prime minister?

Queen breaks 114-year-old royal tradition

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

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Rare footage captures secluded tribe emerging from the Amazon

New Zealand Prime Minister's heartbreaking family update

Ex-Finnish Prime Minister’s rebrand after divorce and leaving office

How traditional Indigenous education helped four lost children survive 40 days in the Amazon jungle

‘Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living’: a (condensed) history of soup, from cave to can

"I can't hear you!": New feature set to do away with subtitles

Jacinda Ardern delivers emotional farewell speech

A horse died on the set of The Rings of Power: more needs to be done to ensure the welfare of horses used in entertainment

Streaming service giant pays woman 5 figures to watch content

4 great movies to stream on Amazon, HBO, Netflix and Disney+

“You wouldn’t believe all I had to do to survive”: Man rescued after 31 days in the jungle

Jacinda Ardern’s resignation: gender and the toll of strong, compassionate leadership

Chris Hipkins announced as next Prime Minister of New Zealand

“It’s time”: Jacinda Ardern announces shock resignation

Chokepoint Capitalism: why we’ll all lose unless we stop Amazon, Spotify and other platforms squeezing cash from creators

Neighbours is saved!

The new UK Prime Minister is richer than King Charles

"﻿Revolving door of chaos": UK PM quits after 44 days in office

Who is Liz Truss, the new UK prime minister?

Queen breaks 114-year-old royal tradition

"Revolving door of chaos": UK PM quits after 44 days in office