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These 12 things can reduce your dementia risk – but many Australians don’t know them all

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joyce-siette-1377445">Joyce Siette</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dodds-1378067">Laura Dodds</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p>Dementia is a <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/causes-death/provisional-mortality-statistics/jan-may-2022">leading</a> cause of death in Australia.</p> <p>Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is an avoidable part of ageing. In fact, we all have the power to reduce our risk of developing dementia, no matter your age.</p> <p>Research shows your risk of developing dementia could be <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">reduced by up to 40%</a> (and even higher if you live in a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(19)30074-9/fulltext">low or middle-income country</a>) by addressing lifestyle factors such as healthy diet, exercise and alcohol consumption.</p> <p>But the first step to reducing population-wide dementia risk is to understand how well people understand the risk factors and the barriers they may face to making lifestyle changes.</p> <p>Our new <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">paper</a>, published this week in the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">Journal of Ageing and Longevity</a>, found most older people are aware that dementia is a modifiable condition and that they have the power to change their dementia risk.</p> <p>We also found the key barrier to making brain healthy lifestyle choices was a lack of knowledge, which suggests a public awareness campaign is urgently needed.</p> <h2>What we did</h2> <p>We began by <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9259/2/4/21/htm">reviewing</a> the published research to identify 12 factors shown to reduce dementia risk. We surveyed 834 older Australians about their awareness of the 12 factors, which were:</p> <ol> <li>having a mentally active lifestyle</li> <li>doing physical activity</li> <li>having a healthy diet</li> <li>having strong mental health</li> <li>not smoking</li> <li>not consuming alcohol</li> <li>controlling high blood pressure</li> <li>maintaining a healthy weight</li> <li>managing high cholesterol</li> <li>preventing heart disease</li> <li>not having kidney disease</li> <li>not having diabetes</li> </ol> <p><a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">The Lancet</a> subsequently published its own list of factors that help reduce dementia risk, which covered much the same territory (but included a few others, such as reducing air pollution, treating hearing impairment and being socially engaged).</p> <p>Of course, there is no way to cut your dementia risk to zero. Some people do all the “right” things and still get dementia. But there is <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(20)30367-6/fulltext">good evidence</a> managing lifestyle factors help make it <em>less likely</em> you will get dementia over your lifetime.</p> <p>Our study shows many older Australians are quite aware, with over 75% able to correctly identify more than four of the factors in our list of 12.</p> <p>However, few were able to name the less well-known risk factors, such as preventing heart disease and health conditions like kidney disease.</p> <p>The good news is that close to half of the sample correctly identified more than six of the 12 protective factors, with mentally active lifestyle, physical activity and healthy diet in the top three spots.</p> <h2>Two key issues</h2> <p>Two things stood out as strongly linked with the ability to identify factors influencing dementia risk.</p> <p>Education was key. People who received more than 12 years of formal schooling were more likely to agree that dementia was a modifiable condition. We are first exposed to health management in our school years and thus more likely to form healthier habits.</p> <p>Age was the other key factor. Younger respondents (less than 75 years old) were able to accurately identify more protective factors compared to older respondents. This is why health promotion initiatives and public education efforts about dementia are vital (such as Dementia Awareness Month and <a href="https://www.memorywalk.com.au/">Memory, Walk and Jog initiatives</a>).</p> <h2>How can these findings be used in practice?</h2> <p>Our findings suggest we need to target education across the different age groups, from children to older Australians.</p> <p>This could involve a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ajag.13049">whole system approach</a>, from programs targeted at <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5858574/#:%7E:text=Family%20Coaching%20has%20specific%20goals,to%20problem%20solve%20challenging%20situations.">families</a>, to educational sessions for school-aged children, to involving GPs in awareness promotion.</p> <p>We also need to tackle barriers that hinder dementia risk reduction. This means doing activities that motivate you, finding programs that suit your needs and schedule, and are accessible.</p> <h2>What does this mean for you?</h2> <p>Reducing your dementia risk means recognising change starts with you.</p> <p>We are all familiar with the everyday challenges that stop us from starting an exercise program or sticking to a meal plan.</p> <p>There are simple and easy changes we can begin with. Our team has developed a program that can help. We are offering limited <a href="https://www.brainbootcamp.com.au/">free brain health boxes</a>, which include information resources and physical items such as a pedometer. These boxes aim to help rural Australians aged 55 years and over to adopt lifestyle changes that support healthy brain ageing. If you’re interested in signing up, visit our <a href="https://www.brainbootcamp.com.au">website</a>.</p> <p>Now is the time to think about your brain health. Let’s start now.<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/191504/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joyce-siette-1377445">Joyce Siette</a>, Research Theme Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/laura-dodds-1378067">Laura Dodds</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/these-12-things-can-reduce-your-dementia-risk-but-many-australians-dont-know-them-all-191504">original article</a>.</em></p>

Mind

Antarctic heat, wild Australian winter: what’s happening to the weather and what it means for the rest of the year

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-jucker-379172">Martin Jucker</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Australia’s south and east have seen <a href="https://theconversation.com/southern-australia-is-freezing-how-can-it-be-so-cold-in-a-warming-climate-233977">freezing temperatures</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/jul/29/australia-winter-weather-forecast-east-coast-colder-records">wild weather</a> this winter. At the same time, the continent as a whole – and the globe – have <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-03/australia-suffers-cold-winter-weather-despite-mild-forecast/104176284">continued to warm</a>.</p> <p>What’s going on? As ever, it’s hard to pinpoint a single cause for weather events. But a key player is likely an event unfolding high above Antarctica, which itself may have been triggered by a heatwave at surface level on the frozen continent.</p> <p>Here’s what’s happening – and what it might mean for the rest of this year’s weather.</p> <h2>When the stratosphere heats up</h2> <p>Out story begins in the cold air over Antarctica. July temperatures in the stratosphere, the layer of air stretching between altitudes of around 10 and 50 kilometres, are typically around –80°C.</p> <p>The winds are also very strong, averaging about 300 kilometres per hour in winter. These cold, fast winds loop around above the pole in what is called the <a href="https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/waugh/research/polarvortex">stratospheric polar vortex</a>.</p> <p>Occasionally, persistent high air pressure in the lower atmosphere can influence large-scale waves that extend around the globe and up into the stratosphere. There they cause the strong winds to slow down, and the air high above the pole to become much warmer than normal.</p> <p>In extreme situations the stratospheric winds can completely break down, in what is called a “sudden stratospheric warming” event. These events occur every few years in the northern hemisphere, but only one has ever been observed in the south, in 2002 (though another <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-air-above-antarctica-is-suddenly-getting-warmer-heres-what-it-means-for-australia-123080">almost happened in 2019</a>).</p> <h2>Pushing polar weather our way</h2> <p>Once the polar vortex is disturbed, it can in turn influence the weather at the surface by steering weather systems from the Southern Ocean towards the Equator. However, this is a slow process.</p> <p>The impact at the surface may not be felt until <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0425.1">a few weeks or even months</a> after the initial weakening of the stratospheric polar vortex. Once it begins, the stratospheric influence can prevail for more weeks or months, and helps meteorologists make <a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2601-2022">long-range weather forecasts</a>.</p> <p>In climate science terms, the weak stratospheric winds put an atmospheric system called the <a href="http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/sam/">Southern Annular Mode</a> into a negative phase. The main effect of this on surface weather is to bring westerly winds further north.</p> <p>In winter, this means polar air outbreaks can reach places like Sydney more easily. As a result, we see more <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI4134.1">rain over much of southern Australia</a>, and snowfall in alpine regions. In spring and summer it means westerly winds blow over the continent before reaching the east coast, bringing warm and dry air to southeastern Australia.</p> <p>The exact impact of a weaker polar vortex depends on how much and for how long the weather systems are being pushed further northward. It will also depend on other weather influencers such as El Niño and the Indian Ocean Dipole.</p> <h1>This winter’s weirdness</h1> <p>Unpicking exactly why any weather event occurs is tricky at the moment, because global weather has been absolutely crazy over the past 12 months or so. Global temperatures are <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-just-blew-past-1-5-degrees-game-over-on-climate-not-yet-213364">much higher than usual</a>, which is making unusual weather very common.</p> <p>But there are indications that the stratosphere is having some influence on our weather this winter.</p> <p>The stratospheric polar vortex started to warm in mid-July, and is about 20°C warmer than the long-term average. At the time of writing, the winds slowed down to about 230 kilometres per hour, 70 kilometres per hour slower than average.</p> <p>These numbers mean that, technically, the event does not qualify as a sudden stratospheric warming. However, further warming may still occur.</p> <p>If we look at how southern hemisphere winds have evolved in the past few weeks, we see a pattern which looks like what we would expect from a sudden stratospheric warming.</p> <p>First, we see warming in the stratosphere which is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL095270">at first accompanied by a poleward shift of weather systems</a>.</p> <p>The stratosphere’s influence then propagates downward and seems to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0425.1">induce many weeks</a> of weather systems shifted towards the equator.</p> <p>This coincides with the period of cold and rainy weather along Australia’s east coast in late July and the beginning of August. Forecasts suggest the Southern Annular Mode will be a long way from normal conditions in the first half of August – four standard deviations below average, which is extremely rare.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&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/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=300&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/611211/original/file-20240804-19-sp862a.png?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=377&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Diagram showing atmospheric warming and winds" /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">How initial warming high in the stratosphere ends up changing winds near the surface and pushing polar weather further north.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://stratobserve.com">Z.D. Lawrence / StratObserve / Annotated by Martin Jucker</a></span></figcaption></figure> <h1>A surface disturbance</h1> <p>The main reason for the polar vortex to slow down is disturbances from the surface. Weather over the Amundsen Sea near Antarctica in the South Pacific is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-22-0425.1">an important source</a> of these disturbances.</p> <p>This year, we have seen disturbances of this sort. There have been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/01/antarctic-temperatures-rise-10c-above-average-in-near-record-heatwave">near-record surface temperatures around Antarctica</a>.</p> <p>These disturbances may be due to the globally high ocean temperatures, or even lingering effects of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-23-0437.1">eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano in 2022</a>. But more research will be required to confirm the causes.</p> <h1>What should we expect for the rest of the year?</h1> <p>There are two pathways until the end of the year. One is that the stratospheric winds and temperatures recover to their usual values and no longer influence surface weather. This is what the forecasts from <a href="https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov">Ozone Watch</a> seem to suggest.</p> <p>Another is that the stratosphere keeps warming and the winds keep being slower all the way into summer. In this scenario, we would expect a persistent negative Southern Annular Mode, which would mean a spring and potentially even summer with warmer and drier than usual weather over southeastern Australia, and a small ozone hole.</p> <p>The seasonal forecasting models from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts <a href="https://x.com/drahbutler/status/1819142206348759170?s=46&t=sayfGwpo3_s310BwYpcdcQ">seem to favour this second scenario</a>.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/martin-jucker-379172">Martin Jucker</a>, Senior Lecturer in Atmospheric Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/antarctic-heat-wild-australian-winter-whats-happening-to-the-weather-and-what-it-means-for-the-rest-of-the-year-236067">original article</a>.</em></p> </div>

Travel Trouble

Victoria Beckham's cooking skills hilariously slammed by her own daughter

<p>Victoria Beckham's cooking skills have been playfully roasted by her daughter, Harper Beckham.</p> <p>In an Instagram story shared to her 31.4 million followers, the former Spice Girl documented a family baking session featuring herself, husband David Beckham, and their daughter Harper.</p> <p>David was filmed in the middle of whipping up an apple crumble using apples from the "Beckham Orchard," while Harper was busy baking chocolate chip cookies.</p> <p>While the father-daughter duo were channeling their inner baker, Victoria was filming the moment and asked Harper whether she inherited her culinary talents from her mum or dad.</p> <p>"Did you learn to cook from daddy or mummy?" Victoria asked Harper in the light-hearted clip.</p> <p>With a mischievous grin, Harper retorted, "Mummy, you can't even make cereal!"</p> <p>"Oh wow, Mummy can't even make cereal," Victoria responded. </p> <p>"Well you can make chicken Kiev but that comes from M&S," the 12-year-old said, adding insult to injury. </p> <p>M&S (Marks and Spencer) is the local British retailer, which specialises in clothing, food and home products among other things. </p> <p>Victoria hilariously captioned the video: "I get it Harper… I can't cook."</p> <p>The Beckhams often invite fans into their kitchen through their social media, and document their cooking escapades. </p> <p>Watch the full clip <a href="https://kitchen.nine.com.au/latest/harper-beckham-roasts-mum-victoria-beckham-cooking-skills-in-new-clip/e538cdaa-f295-427d-b334-4bb7351da1bd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Cooking (and heating) without gas: what are the impacts of shifting to all-electric homes?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trivess-moore-12580">Trivess Moore</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-pears-52">Alan Pears</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joe-hurley-157161">Joe Hurley</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p>Gas connections for all new housing and sub-divisions will be <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-victorian-homes-go-all-electric-2024">banned in Victoria</a> from January 1 next year. The long-term result of the state government’s significant change to planning approvals will be all-electric housing. The ACT made <a href="https://www.climatechoices.act.gov.au/policy-programs/preventing-new-gas-network-connections">similar changes</a> early this year, in line with a shift away from gas across <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-47559920">Europe</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jan/19/gas-stove-culture-war-united-states">other locations</a>, although the NSW Premier Chris Minns has <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/31/nsw-wont-ban-gas-in-new-homes-as-premier-declares-i-dont-need-another-complication">baulked</a> at doing the same.</p> <p>Around <a href="https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/victorias-gas-substitution-roadmap">80% of homes</a> in Victoria are connected to gas. This high uptake was driven by gas being seen as more affordable and sustainable than electricity over past decades. The situation has <a href="https://www.iea.org/events/net-zero-by-2050-a-roadmap-for-the-global-energy-system">changed dramatically</a> as renewable electricity generation increases and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/aemo-wholesale-electricity-prices-fall-impact-power-bills/102654498">costs fall</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/all-electric-homes-are-better-for-your-hip-pocket-and-the-planet-heres-how-governments-can-help-us-get-off-gas-207409">Research</a> has suggested for more than a decade that the benefits of all-electric homes <a href="https://bze.org.au/research_release/energy-efficient-buildings-plan/">stack up in many locations</a>. New homes built under mandatory building energy performance standards (increasing from <a href="https://thefifthestate.com.au/innovation/building-construction/victoria-kicks-the-can-down-the-road-again-on-the-national-construction-code/">6 to 7 stars</a> in Victoria in May 2024) need smaller, cheaper heating and cooling systems. Installing reverse-cycle air conditioning for cooling provides a cost-effective heater as a bonus.</p> <p>Savings from not requiring gas pipes, appliances and gas supply infrastructure help to offset the costs of highly efficient electric appliances. Mandating fully electric homes means economies of scale will further reduce costs.</p> <h2>How does this ban help?</h2> <p>To achieve environmentally sustainable development, reforms of planning policy and regulation <a href="https://theconversation.com/sustainable-cities-australias-building-and-planning-rules-stand-in-the-way-of-getting-there-84263">are essential</a> to convert innovation and best practice to mainstream practice. Planning policy is particularly important for apartment buildings and other housing that may be rented or have an owners’ corporation. Retrofits to improve energy efficiency can be difficult in these situations.</p> <p>Banning gas in new and renovated housing will <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/getting-off-gas/">cut greenhouse gas emissions</a>. It’s also <a href="https://theconversation.com/gas-cooking-is-associated-with-worsening-asthma-in-kids-but-proper-ventilation-helps-151591">healthier for households</a> and <a href="https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/research-data-and-insights/research/research-reports/the-victorian-healthy-homes-program-research-findings">reduces healthcare costs</a> as well as <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/getting-off-gas/">energy bills and infrastructure costs</a>. The Victorian government suggests the change will save all-electric households <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-victorian-homes-go-all-electric-2024">about $1,000 a year</a>. Houses with solar will be even better off.</p> <p>The government appears to be offering wide support to ensure these changes happen, but this will need to be monitored closely.</p> <p>Some households will face extra costs for electric appliances and solar panels. The government’s announcement of <a href="https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-victorian-homes-go-all-electric-2024">$10 million</a> for Residential Electrification Grants should help with some of these costs while the industry adjusts.</p> <p>There will be impacts and benefits for the local economy. Some jobs may be lost, particularly in the gas appliance and plumbing industry. The government has announced financial support to retrain people and they will still have essential roles in the existing housing sector.</p> <p>Many gas appliances are imported, including ovens, cooktops and instantaneous gas water heaters. Some components of efficient electric products, such as hot water storage tanks, are made locally. Local activities, including distribution, sales, design, installation and maintenance, comprise much of the overall cost.</p> <h2>Challenges of change must be managed</h2> <p>Sustainability benefits will depend on what <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/getting-off-gas/">happens with the energy network</a>. We need more renewable energy, energy storage and smarter management of electricity demand.</p> <p>The shift to all-electric homes may mean winter peak demand for heating increases. Energy market operators and governments will have to monitor demand changes carefully to avoid the reliability issues we already see in summer. However, improving energy efficiency, energy storage and demand management will help reduce this load (and household costs).</p> <p>While the benefits are clear for new homes, the changes may <a href="https://www.bsl.org.au/research/publications/enabling-electrification/">increase gas costs and energy poverty</a> for residents of existing housing who don’t shift to efficient electric solutions. The government has reconfirmed financial rebates to help households switch from gas.</p> <p>In addition, existing housing may face building quality and performance issues. Some may require electrical wiring upgrades as part of the transition.</p> <p>Social acceptance of some electric appliances may also be an issue. For example, <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/schools-colleges/property-construction-and-project-management/research/research-centres-and-groups/sustainable-building-innovation-laboratory/projects/heet-housing-energy-efficiency-transitions">our research</a> has found some households dislike the way heating from reverse cycle air conditioners feels. Others do not like cooking on induction cooktops.</p> <p>Consumer education and modifications to appliances and buildings may be needed to increase acceptance and avoid backlash.</p> <p>Some electric appliances are available overseas but not in Australia. Higher demand may increase the range of imports. For example, floor-mounted heat pumps can make heating feel similar to gas heating while still providing effective cooling.</p> <p>We should not assume electric appliances are all equal. To improve consumer protection, action is needed on weak standards and limited and inconsistent public information. For example, information on noise levels and efficiency under a range of weather conditions must be standardised.</p> <p>Moving housing away from gas is an <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-981-99-2760-9">important step</a> in the transition to a zero-carbon economy and energy system. Careful management is needed to ensure this transition is effective, accepted and fair.</p> <p>Continued planning reforms are also essential to ensure environmentally sustainable development of housing and communities. Other urgent priorities include urban cooling and greening, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/turning-the-housing-crisis-around-how-a-circular-economy-can-give-us-affordable-sustainable-homes-208745">circular economy approaches</a> to reduce the material and waste impacts of housing and thus the carbon that goes into building and running homes.<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/210649/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trivess-moore-12580">Trivess Moore</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alan-pears-52">Alan Pears</a>, Senior Industry Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joe-hurley-157161">Joe Hurley</a>, Associate Professor, Sustainability and Urban Planning, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/cooking-and-heating-without-gas-what-are-the-impacts-of-shifting-to-all-electric-homes-210649">original article</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

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

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

Legal

Cooking mistakes that are making your food unhealthy

<p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Boiling your veggies</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">A review published in the <em>International Journal of Gastronomy and Food Science</em> in 2016 showed that boiling vegetables resulted in a high loss of vitamin C and folate. One study found that broccoli, for example, lost about 33 per cent of its vitamin C. “Water-soluble vitamins leach out,” says Nishta Saxena, a registered dietitian. “If you’re not using the fluids in something like a soup, you’re missing out on nutrients.”</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Rinsing raw chicken</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">While your favourite old cookbooks likely tell you to rinse a chicken before roasting, this outdated advice is a safety hazard. Running poultry under the tap may remove some of the bacteria (including salmonella and campylobacter, which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and fever), but it’s also likely to transfer it around your kitchen –as far as nearly one metre from the sink, according to research from Drexel University in Philadelphia. “Droplets can spread from your hands to countertops and even onto the floor, which can be a concern, especially if you have small children,” says Saxena. To stay safe, skip the rinse and wash your hands thoroughly after you’re finished prepping your bird.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Removing skins from produce</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">Peeling your produce rids your food of an important layer of nutrients. “Significant amounts of vitamins, minerals and fibre are found in the skins,” says Liz Powell, a registered dietitian. Researchers at the University of Maine estimate that the skins of potatoes, for example, contain 10 to 12 times more antioxidants than the flesh. Peeling fruits and vegetables also strips away a dose of insoluble fibre, which is crucial for digestion and bowel function. Concern about herbicide or pesticide residue isn’t a good enough reason to forego the peelings, says Powell. Washing your fresh produce will remove some pesticide residues from the surface, she says. You can also opt for organic varieties of heavily sprayed produce, such as peaches.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Blending everything</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">A smoothie is a smart way to sneak in some greens (and down your breakfast in a hurry), but liquid meals tend to be unbalanced. They’re often lacking in protein, healthy fat and complex carbohydrates. These components work together to keep us feeling full and satisfied, Powell says. “Without them, it’s not really a balanced meal.” Powell recommends adding a scoop of yoghurt or protein powder and part of an avocado or a spoonful of hemp hearts for protein and fat. To sneak in a complex carb, you can add some oats to the blender or have a piece of wholegrain toast on the side, she says.</p> <p style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Overdressing salads</strong></p> <p style="font-weight: 400;">“Salads have this health halo – we think we can add anything to them and they’ll still be a nutritious choice, but it’s just not true,” says Saxena. “If you’re topping your bowl with dried cranberries, candied pecans and a sweet goat cheese, you’ve easily added 30 grams of sugar to your so-called healthy lunch.” Chopped, raw nuts and seeds are better options to beef up the flavour profile of your greens. Oil-based dressings also tend to be more nutritious than their creamy counterparts.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/home-tips/cooking-mistakes-that-are-making-your-food-unhealthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Home Hints & Tips

8 air fryer cooking tips you need to know

<p><strong>Check your air fryer's temperature</strong></p> <p>Just like with ovens, temperatures may vary between air fryer models. Test your air fryer to see if it runs above or below the selected temperature setting. You’ll want your fryer nice and hot.</p> <p><strong>Know your air fryer's cooking times</strong></p> <p>Since air fryer temperatures vary, so do cook times. That’s why air fryer recipes have wider time ranges. So, to find your air fryer cooking times you’ll need to experiment. Start checking the food at the shortest time, and check back a little later if it’s not done.</p> <p><strong>Give it a shake (or a flip)</strong></p> <p>To help food crisp, always turn, rotate, or shake contents in air fryer basket (just like flipping French fries, fish fillets, or homemade chicken strips halfway through cooking in a traditional oven).</p> <p><strong>Cook food in a single layer for best results</strong></p> <p>Allow plenty of air circulation to get even cooking and crispy results. One exception where you can stack and pack foods is if you’re roasting veggie side dishes in the air fryer. For instance, you can load the basket with a 400 grams of Brussels sprouts and roast them at 180° for 12-15 minutes, stirring once.</p> <p><strong>Bake up a little treat</strong></p> <p>Yes, you can bake homemade cookies in the air fryer! All it takes is a few minutes and chilled dough on stand-by. Models differ in their “baking” functions, so test just one or two cookies at first. You may need to adjust the temperature or cooking time.</p> <p><strong>Seeing smoke? Here's what to do </strong></p> <p>First off, don’t panic. Simply unplug the air fryer and remove the food basket. Make sure no food is lodged in the heating coil. Return food to the air fryer and continue cooking. If smoke persists, there may be oil or residue on the heating element. Unplug the machine, cool, and then wipe the coil clean with a damp cloth, just like the heating coil on an electric stove. From now on, make sure to clean your air fryer regularly.</p> <p><strong>Use a thermometer when cooking meat</strong></p> <p>Because the food can brown nicely on the outside before reaching an appropriate temperature on the inside, checking the temp with a meat thermometer is an important step for safety. That goes for previously frozen foods and fresh ones.</p> <p><strong>It's a quick option when cooking for one or two </strong></p> <p>Any more than that, and you may have to cook in batches – so be sure to account for that in your timing.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/food-home-garden/8-air-fryer-cooking-tips-you-need-to-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

Food & Wine

Indigenous artist seeking white Australian to donate their “future deceased body” to an art installation

<p dir="ltr">An Indigenous artist has put a call out for Australians of “British descent” to donate their “future deceased body” to an art installation. </p> <p dir="ltr">Nathan Maynard, a well known Palawa artist and playwright, put an advertisement for the unusual request in the weekend edition of The Age newspaper.</p> <p dir="ltr">Maynard signed the bizarre request as a “palawa” artist: one of the terms First Nations people from Tasmania use when referring to themselves. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Palawa artist wanting to find an Australian of British descent who is willing to donate their future deceased body to an art installation,” the notice read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“The work will speak to sacrifice for past sins perpetrated against the palawa. Potential applicants should see this opportunity as an honour.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“The body and memory of the successful applicant will be treated with the utmost respect at all stages of the project.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The call-out was quick to spark backlash when it was reposted on social media, with one writing, “You can’t just obtain bodies for display in newspapers now. This is very bizarre on multiple levels.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Others questioned the legality of the request, with one person writing, “I dunno that this would be legal, tampering with a corpse is a crime! You can donate your body to medical science, but I don’t think this.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Another wrote, “Borderline psychotic, definitely completely illegal.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the criticism, Mr Maynard told Daily Mail Australia that since the notice went to print, he has received half a dozen applications for their body to be used in the installation in November. </p> <p dir="ltr">The artist said if white Australians are upset by the request, they should ask themselves why they didn't have the same reaction to the mass murder of Aboriginal people. </p> <p dir="ltr">“If you’re not an Aboriginal person and you’re upset by this, I think you should ask yourself why you’re not upset that there is still First Nations remains that have been stolen from their people, stolen from their country in institutions all around the world that are still not repatriated to their own communities,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nathan said the motivation behind his installation revolves around the fact that thousands of First Nations people were killed by colonists, with their remains being sent overseas to be displayed in institutions and museums without a proper ceremony. </p> <p dir="ltr">“So many Aboriginal people's remains are still overseas. People are trying to bring their ancestors home and they are being denied that right,” Mr Maynard said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Human bodies are very sacred and they should be treated with respect.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Whitefellas obviously don't know how to handle remains with respect, so I'm going to show them how,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">The artwork has already received support from the state-funded Tasmanian Museum and Gallery and the Hobart City Council, which has donated $15,000 to the unusual installation.</p> <p dir="ltr">The artwork has been commissioned to appear as part of an exhibition for the popular Hobart Current biennial exhibition in November 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Facebook / The Age</em></p>

Music

New flag furore erupts as Djokovic crushes Aus Open final

<p>Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open in convincing fashion to equal Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam record, a year after he was deported over his COVID vaccination status.</p> <p>The Serbian star defeated Greek player Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets in the final in Melbourne on Sunday, making it Djokovic's 10th Australian Open title – equal to Nadal's Grand Slam record of 22 men's singles titles.</p> <p>However, during the broadcast an eagle-eyed viewer couldn’t help but single out the disturbing appearance of a flag bearing a controversial far-right symbol, waved by a Djokovic supporter.</p> <p>“Why am I seeing a Chetnik flag amongst the Serbian crowd at the Tsitsipas vs Djokovic match?” wrote Twitter user Sophie Mak. “Are ultra fascist symbols allowed in the Australian Open now?”</p> <p>The Chetniks were paramilitary ultranationalists who committed war crimes during WWII. Respected tennis journo Ben Rothenberg then responded by calling for future Australian Opens to be completely flag free if security cannot control such incidents.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I really think they need to make the 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> a flag-free zone if their security repeatedly can't figure this stuff out.</p> <p>Tournament security has been pretty abysmal (though we haven't had the ~annual court invader during the men's final yet). <a href="https://t.co/Mztq6NstPg">https://t.co/Mztq6NstPg</a></p> <p>— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenRothenberg/status/1619649716932988929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 29, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“Tournament security has been pretty abysmal (though we haven’t had the ~annual court invader during the men’s final yet),” added Rothenberg.</p> <p>Tennis Australia were moved to introduce a complete ban on Russian and Belarusian flags earlier in the Australian Open after a Belarusian flag was spotted being waved during a Ukrainian’s match. </p> <p>Djokovic’s father Srbjan was then caught up in a controversy when he inadvertently posed alongside pro-Vladimir Putin protesters outside the stadium who were holding up a flag with the Russian leader’s face on it. Srbjan then elected not to attend the semi-final nor the final of the tournament in which his son was victorious for a record tenth time.</p> <p><em>Images: Twitter</em></p>

News

Kate Walsh shares how she met the Australian love of her life

<p>Kate Walsh has revealed how she first crossed paths with her Australian fiancé, Andrew Nixon. </p> <p>On an episode of Kelly Clarkson’s talk show, the American actress - best known for her role as Addison Montgomery on <em>Grey’s Anatomy</em> - confirmed the rumour that the two had met on a journey to Antarctica. </p> <p>“We were on a ship to the Antarctic,” she told Kelly when the singer expressed her disbelief, “and that's how I met him.”</p> <p>The trip took place in early 2020, and Kate explained how she had wanted to see Antarctica in the wake of the planet’s climate crisis, having already visited the Arctic. </p> <p>Kate shared some of the highlights from her trip, featuring everything from the animals to the scenery - including, of course, love at first sight. </p> <p>"It was incredible,” she said, “it was an incredible trip and then bonus, you know, found the love of my life. Saw the penguins, check. Ice, check. Whales, check. Man, check.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8eg95UnsAY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B8eg95UnsAY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kate Walsh (@katewalsh)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The couple got engaged in 2022, with the 54-year-old actress revealing the news during an Instagram Live in October. Andrew Nixon, a Western Australian farmer and Kate’s fiancé, made an appearance in the video. </p> <p>Speaking with Kelly, Kate opened up about living in Australia, and how driving on the left side of the road has proven to be quite the change for the actress, admitting that it’s often as though “some old operating system clicks in”.</p> <p>Kate initially moved to Australia a month after the Antarctica trip. She was visiting friends and exploring the Margaret River when COVID-19 cases broke out across the country, and she made the decision to buy a property when lockdowns were enforced.</p> <p>"I got a little place up here in Perth and that's where I am," Kate told 9Honey Celebrity at the time, "and I have to say, I love it. I really love Perth.”</p> <p>Kate and Andrew now live together in Perth, and made their red carpet debut as a couple in December for season 3 of Kate’s hit Netflix show <em>Emily in Paris</em>. </p> <p>Andrew posted a photo from the event, of the two of them smiling and matching in grey outfits. Fans were delighted to see the pair so happy together, with Kate commenting, “we cute.” </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmCDkkdLcp2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CmCDkkdLcp2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Andrew Nixon (@andynix1)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Despite Andrew’s post, and the occasional appearance in Kate’s Instagram Lives, the farmer of over 30 years is primarily kept private when it comes to what Kate shares with her audience. </p> <p>Whatever their reasons, the couple appear to be happier than even. No wedding date has been announced, but supporters are eager for news, and thrilled for this exciting new chapter in their lives. </p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images, Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

"He wants to get in my head": Djokovic takes stand against rowdy fans

<p>Novak Djokovic has spoken out against tennis officials for how they reacted when a group of fans disrupted play at the Australian Open.</p> <p>The Serbian tennis player, ranked world number one, was up against World Number 191 Enzo Enzo Couacaud when he was forced to take his fight from the court to the stands. </p> <p>A group of four young men dressed in <em>Where’s Waldo </em>costumes were responsible for the chaos, and poked at the tennis star’s patience until the fourth set, when Djokovic had had enough. </p> <p>“He’s been provoking all night, the entire night, the entire night,” Djokovic said to the chair umpire, “what are you going to do about it?”</p> <p>The problems began when the group saw fit to shout and taunt during Djokovic’s serves, with their drunken antics leading him to suspect they intended to throw off his game. </p> <p>“The guy's drunk out of his mind, from the first point he's been provoking me,” he told the umpire, gesturing to the trouble in the crowd, “he's not here to watch tennis. He just wants to get in my head.</p> <p>“So I’m asking you, what are you going to do about it? You’ve heard him at least 10 times — I’ve heard him 50 times. What are you going to do about it?”</p> <p>Djokovic called for the expulsion of the disruptive fans, asking officials, “why don’t you get security guards and get him out of the stadium?”</p> <p>A security guard was reportedly sent to speak with the men, and sat in the row before them.</p> <p>The week before, the organisers of the Australian Open stated that anyone who was found to be taunting Djokovic without reason, and disrupting the enjoyment of everyone else, would be removed from the venues. </p> <p>The measure was likely put in place as Djokovic, like Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios, is frequently the subject of heckling from audiences at these events. </p> <p>Despite the security guard’s presence, the interruptions were ongoing, and eventually the men were escorted from the game - but it may have proven too little too late for the Serbian player. </p> <p>In a press conference about the event, Djokovic told reporters, “it’s just unnecessary because why should we as players be put in a position where we have to always react when it‘s been two hours. It’s not been 10 minutes. This is what I mind, and this is why I felt the need to go out there because I had enough, you know?</p> <p>“I can tolerate five, six times somebody telling me something, but there is a limit. That limit was crossed, and I stepped in and I asked the chair umpire, is he going to do something about it or not? He did, and I thanked him.”</p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

News

“A little life update”: Naomi Osaka’s big news

<p>Right on the heels of <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/best-year-yet-ash-barty-shares-pregnancy-announcement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ash Barty’s announcement</a> that she will become a mum in 2023, Naomi Osaka has revealed that she too will join Barty in welcoming a baby to the world this year.</p> <p>Tennis fans were rightly downcast when two-time Australian Open champ Osaka pulled out from the tournament last week – but now the world can see that her reasons were joyous indeed, after the 25-year-old revealed the news she was expecting on Instagram on Thursday morning.</p> <p>Posting a snap of an ultrasound in a carousel of images, Osaka wrote: "Can't wait to get back on the court but here's a little life update for 2023."</p> <p>This will be the first child for Osaka and rapper boyfriend Cordae, 25.</p> <p>In a statement shared in English and Japanese in the slides of her Instagram post, Osaka shared reflections on her next chapter.</p> <p>"The past few years have been interesting to say the least, but I find that it's the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun," she wrote.</p> <p>"These few months away from the sport have really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I've dedicated my life to."</p> <p>"I realise that life is so short and I don't take any moments for granted, every day is a new blessing and adventure.</p> <p>"I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I'm looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, 'that's my mum,' haha."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnSHJx9Jw7Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnSHJx9Jw7Z/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 大坂なおみ🇭🇹🇯🇵 (@naomiosaka)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In her post, Osaka said she would be back playing in time to compete at the 2024 Australian Open.</p> <p>"2023 will be a year that'll be full of lessons for me and I hope I'll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I'll be at Aus 2024. Love you all infinitely," she wrote.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

No, you shouldn’t wash raw chicken before cooking it. So why do people still do it?

<p>Food safety authorities and regulators <a href="https://foodsafety.asn.au/topic/tips-poultry/">around</a> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/chicken.html#:%7E:text=after%20handling%20chicken.-,Do%20not%20wash%20raw%20chicken.,that%20previously%20held%20raw%20chicken.">the</a> <a href="https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/cleaning">world</a> <a href="https://www.mpi.govt.nz/food-safety-home/preparing-and-storing-food-safely-at-home/clean-cook-chill/#:%7E:text=Don't%20wash%20raw%20chicken,food%20poisoning%20from%20campylobacter%20bacteria.">recommend</a> you don’t wash raw poultry before cooking. </p> <p>That’s because washing chicken can splash dangerous bacteria around the kitchen. It’s best just to thoroughly cook the chicken without washing it, so it is safe to eat.</p> <p>Despite this, chicken-washing remains common. A <a href="https://www.safefood.qld.gov.au/newsroom/does-raw-chicken-need-rinsing/">survey</a> by Australia’s Food Safety Information Council showed almost half of Australian home cooks washed whole chickens before cooking. Dutch research found <a href="https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2022/05/dutch-survey-finds-a-quarter-of-people-wash-chicken-despite-expert-advice/">25%</a> of consumers washed their chicken often or almost always.</p> <p>So why do people do it – and what does the research say about the risks of chicken-washing?</p> <h2>Chicken meat and germs</h2> <p>Incorrect cooking temperatures and cross-contamination between different foods are two of the most important factors linked to foodborne illness. </p> <p>This is particularly relevant to poultry meat. Two leading causes of foodborne illness are the bacteria <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/campylobacter/index.html">Campylobacter</a> and <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/communication/salmonella-food.html">Salmonella</a>, which are commonly found on raw poultry. </p> <p>In Australia, reported cases of Campylobacter and Salmonella have almost <a href="https://foodsafety.asn.au/topic/tips-poultry/">doubled</a>over the last two decades. </p> <p>Of the estimated 220,000 cases of Campylobacter infection each year, <a href="https://foodsafety.asn.au/topic/tips-poultry/">50,000</a> can be attributed either directly or indirectly to chicken meat.</p> <h2>Chicken-washing myths, busted</h2> <p>One <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107682">analysis</a> of consumer responses to an education campaign about the dangers of washing raw poultry shed light on why many people still wash raw chicken before cooking.</p> <p>Some believe there is a need to wash faeces and other matter off the chicken meat. In fact, modern processing techniques mean chicken carcasses do not need additional cleaning. </p> <p>Others believe washing with a slightly acidic solution (such as vinegar or lemon juice) will kill bacteria. </p> <p>On the contrary, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2018.06.034">research</a> has shown washing raw poultry in lemon juice or vinegar does not remove bacteria and can increase the cross-contamination risk.</p> <h2>Washing chicken splashes bacteria around</h2> <p>One of the more compelling arguments why washing raw poultry under a running tap is a risky activity comes from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0083979">recent research</a> on water droplets ejected from the surface of washed chicken. </p> <p>The study clearly showed bacteria can be transferred from the surface of the chicken to surrounding surfaces via water droplets.</p> <p>Using high-speed imaging, the researchers found a higher tap height can increase splashing. </p> <p>Chicken meat is often soft and the water flow can create a divot in the surface. This leads to splashing that would not occur on a curved, hard surface. </p> <p>The researchers placed large agar plates next to the chicken surfaces to capture any water droplets. This allowed them to grow the bacteria that were transferred with the splashed water. </p> <p>They found the level of bacterial transmission increased with greater tap height and water flow rate. </p> <p>Aerated water (which is what you get when the tap is running very hard) also increased splashing and bacterial transmission. </p> <h2>What if I still really want to wash my chicken meat?</h2> <p>While washing raw poultry is not recommended, it appears some home cooks are reluctant to let go of this old habit. </p> <p>If you insist on washing chicken meat, consider doing so in a sink of water rather than under a running tap.</p> <p>Use a paper towel to mop up any liquids, dispose of the towel and clean up afterwards. </p> <p>This will help reduce the risk of cross-contamination and keep the kitchen safe. And please wash your hands after handling raw meat!</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-you-shouldnt-wash-raw-chicken-before-cooking-it-so-why-do-people-still-do-it-192723" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Food & Wine

Novak Djokovic holds no grudge against Australia

<p>Novak Djokovic says he still has plenty of love and admiration for Australia, despite being deported due to the vaccine mandates.</p> <p>Djokovic says he received the reception he wished for in his triumphant return to singles action in Australia.</p> <p>Djokovic booked a spot in the second round of the Adelaide International 1 with a thumping 6-3 6-2 win over Frenchman Constant Lestienne on Tuesday.</p> <p>It was his first singles match in Australia since being deported in January 2022 for refusing to have the COVID-19 vaccine.</p> <p>The 21-time grand slam champion received a rousing reception when he stepped out on court on Tuesday, and he didn’t disappoint his adoring fans.</p> <p>Djokovic’s power, court speed, and deft work at the net proved too much to handle for Lestienne, with the match lasting just 74 minutes.</p> <p>The world No.5, who lost his low-key doubles match on Monday, repeatedly touched his heart before signalling to the crowd and the sky upon winning his singles match.</p> <p>He also kissed his hand and touched the court, later saying he was delighted to be back in the country where he’s won nine of his 21 grand slam trophies.</p> <p>“I’m glad to be back in Australia,” Djokovic said in his post-match on-court interview.</p> <p>“Thank you all for coming out today. Thank you for giving me the welcome that I could only wish for.</p> <p>“Over the years, Australia has been the place where I’ve played my best tennis, without a doubt.</p> <p>“If I have to pick one country where I’ve had the most success, which treated me in the best way in terms of tennis, it’s here, definitely.</p> <p>“Even the circumstances last year, it wasn’t easy for anybody. But I’m just happy to be here focusing on tennis, and enjoying my time with you guys.”</p> <p>The result sets up a round of 16 clash with Frenchman Quentin Halys, who defeated Australian Jordan Thompson in straight sets on Monday. Djokovic lost only five points on serve during the opening set, but did have to save a break point in the fifth game.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Ash Barty makes history while flashing her stunning wedding ring

<p dir="ltr">Ash Barty has once again made history when she became the first person to win a fifth Newcombe Medal at the Australian Tennis Awards.</p> <p dir="ltr">The retired tennis player turned heads when she arrived at Melbourne's Crown Palladium on Monday night where she was honoured for her Australian Open success.</p> <p dir="ltr">All eyes were on the 26-year-old as she stunned in a black dress and massive $14,000 diamond wedding ring as she walked down the red carpet with her husband Garry Kissick.</p> <p dir="ltr">The former world No.1 was then presented the highest individual honour in Australian tennis by John Newcombe following her success at the 2022 Australian Open - 11 singles and four doubles victories.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s obviously an amazing way to cap off what has been an incredible journey,” Barty said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The journey of a lifetime, the journey of me chasing after my dreams and exploring what was possible out in the world.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barty beat six Newcombe Medal nominees including: Hunter, Ajla Tomljanović, Nick Kyrgios, Alex de Minaur, Matt Ebden and Max Purcell.</p> <p dir="ltr">Tennis legend Evonne Goolagong Cawley was also honoured that night receiving the Spirit of Tennis Award.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Full list: 2022 Australian Tennis Awards recipients as per Tennis Australia</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Newcombe Medal: Ash Barty (QLD)</p> <p dir="ltr">Spirit of Tennis Award: Evonne Goolagong Cawley (NSW)</p> <p dir="ltr">Female Junior Athletes of the Year: Talia Gibson (WA) and Taylah Preston (WA)</p> <p dir="ltr">Male Junior Athlete of the Year: Edward Winter (SA)</p> <p dir="ltr">Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability: Heath Davidson (VIC)</p> <p dir="ltr">Most Outstanding School: Aitken Creek Primary School (VIC)</p> <p dir="ltr">Most Outstanding Tennis Club or Venue: Collaroy Tennis Club (NSW)</p> <p dir="ltr">30+ Tennis Senior of the Year: Jarrod Broadbent (VIC)</p> <p dir="ltr">Coaching Excellence – Club: David Grainger (SA)</p> <p dir="ltr">Coaching Excellence – Development: Luke Bourgeois (NSW)</p> <p dir="ltr">Coaching Excellence – Performance: Craig Tyzzer (VIC)</p> <p dir="ltr">Excellence in Officiating: Robyn Tucker (SA)</p> <p dir="ltr">Most Outstanding Tournament: Euroa Lawn Tennis Club Labour Day (VIC)</p> <p dir="ltr">Volunteer Achievement Award: Julie Polkinghorne (SA)</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

Beauty & Style

The five best books to read by the pool this summer

<p>Australian literature is having a real moment, so here’s our pick of the best Australian novels to soak up with the sun this summer…</p> <p><strong>The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Richard Flanagan</strong></p> <p>It took Tasmanian author Richard Flanagan 12 years to write this Booker Prize-winning novel, and it’s easy to see why.</p> <p>Based on his father’s real-life experience, it’s a beautifully written, haunting read about a Japanese Prisoner of War camp on the Thai-Burma death railway during the Second World War.</p> <p>It focuses on Dorrigo Evans, an Australian surgeon haunted by a love affair with his uncle's young wife two years earlier, struggling to save the men under his command from starvation, cholera, and brutal beatings. </p> <p>At times the novel is harrowing, graphic and disturbing, but is ultimately a story of love in the midst of a cruel war.</p> <p><strong>The Light Between Oceans, M. L Stedman</strong></p> <p>Read this novel. We could just leave it there, to be honest, it’s that good.</p> <p>Hollywood movie rights were recently snapped up so, because books are nearly always better than subsequent films, read it quickly! It has won three prestigious ABIA awards, including their 'Book of the Year', and also won the Indie Awards' 'Book of the Year'.</p> <p> It’s 1926 and Tom Sherbourne is a young lighthouse keeper on a remote island off Western Australia. He and his young wife Isabel live a quiet life, cocooned from the rest of the world.</p> <p>Fatefully soon after suffering devastating miscarriages, a boat washes ashore carrying a dead man and a crying infant.</p> <p>Only years later do they discover the devastating consequences of the decision they made that day - as the baby's real story unfolds.</p> <p>Get your tissues ready. This book will stay with you for life. Promise.</p> <p><strong>The Night Guest, Fiona McFarlane</strong></p> <p>Fiona McFarlane’s debut novel has been shortlisted for the Stella prize and the Miles Franklin Award.</p> <p>One morning Ruth, an elderly widow, wakes thinking a tiger has been in her house in a small coastal town. Later that day a carer, Frida, arrives to look after her. Both Frida and the tiger are here to stay, and neither is what they seem.</p> <p>The Night Guest is a mesmerising novel about love, dependence, and the fear that the things you know best can become the things you're least certain about.</p> <p><strong>Eyrie, Tim Winton</strong></p> <p>Tim Winton’s 25<sup>th</sup> book follows Tom Keely, whose reputation is in ruins, whose marriage is over and career finished. Holed up in a grim high rise, cultivating his newfound isolation, he reluctantly meets a woman from his past and a boy who will change his life.</p> <p>Eyrie is heart-warming and human, and reassures the reader that no matter how low you can feel, life will renew itself and take new paths, whether you want it to or not. </p> <p><strong>The Swan Book, Alexis Wright</strong></p> <p>This is like nothing you’ve ever read before.</p> <p>Set in the future, around the time of Australia’s third centenary, we see Aboriginals still living under the Intervention in the north, in a country fundamentally altered by climate change.</p> <p>The book centres around the life of a mute young woman called Oblivia, the victim of gang-rape by petrol-sniffing youths. We follow her from the displaced community where she lives to her marriage to Warren Finch, the first Aboriginal president of Australia, and her elevation First Lady.</p> <p>Alexis Wright’s previous novel, <em>Carpentaria</em>, was a prize-winning best-seller and The Swan Book has been short-listed for the Miles Franklin Award. </p>

Domestic Travel

“I want to go back”: Novak Djokovic weighs in on Australian visa outcome

<p dir="ltr">Novak Djokovic has said he was “very happy” to find out that he will be allowed to compete at the Australian Open next year, after he was granted a visa that lets him return to the country.</p> <p dir="ltr">The World No.1 was barred from entering Australia until 2025 after being at the centre of a major international drama ahead of this year’s Australian Open, which saw him being held in a detention centre for attempting to enter the country without being vaccinated.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, Djokovic will now be able to go for his record-extending 10th Australian Open title after receiving the visa and has said he couldn’t have received “better news”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s a relief, obviously, knowing what I and people closest to me in my life have been through this year with what happened in Australia and post-Australia obviously,” he said after defeating Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals in Turin.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I could not receive better news for sure — during this tournament as well. [The] Australian Open has been my most successful grand slam. I made some of the best memories there.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Of course, I want to go back there, I want to play tennis, do what I do best, hopefully have a great Australian summer.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm always thankful to go through experiences, no matter what the experiences are. I try to be optimistic and positive in life.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I look forward to starting the new year in Australia, and we'll see how the next year goes."</p> <p dir="ltr">Having received the news before the match, where Djokovic beat Rublev 6-4, 6-1 to qualify for the semi-finals, the 35-year-old reckons the good news helped him perform on court.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Did it affect my game today? I would like to believe it did,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Why not? I don't think it did affect me too much because I'm familiar with what I need to do in order to prepare myself for every match.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Of course, knowing that I have clarity now, what I do in the off-season, starting the season in Australia, also of course it did relieve some of the pressure me and my team felt. Just giving that clarity makes it great for us."</p> <p dir="ltr">After missing out on this year’s competition, the Serbian athlete’s future in Australia has looked like a possibility since the government ended rules requiring overseas visitors to declare their Covid vaccination status in July.</p> <p dir="ltr">Earlier this week, Djokovic commented that he had received positive signs about the ban being overturned and his potential return.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-22a4009e-7fff-0279-d152-f1bb40eb3082"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Twitter</em></p>

Travel Trouble

“I was always going to be back”: Ash Barty shares career news

<p dir="ltr">Tennis champion Ash Barty has announced that she will be returning to the sport at next year’s Australian Open - but she won’t be returning as a player.</p> <p dir="ltr">After she caused a stir when she hung up her racket earlier this year, the 26-year-old has rejected suggestions that she would be returning to her professional sport in the future.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, Barty will be attending the Australian Open as an ambassador for the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I was never going to run away, I promise. I was always going to be back,” she told the <em>Today Show</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It wasn't something that it was close the door and never come return.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While she won’t be making an appearance on the centre court again, Barty said she will be “doing my thing” in the background.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I certainly will be enjoying it, like everyone else,” she told the program.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can't wait, it's scary to think it's so close, it feels like a couple of sleeps and it will be here.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But I am certainly excited for a big summer ... It's an incredible way to bring people to the Australian Open to help them experience it in just the most incredible fashion.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Barty shared her excitement at attending the championship, saying it “will be a great way to bring people together”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Obviously Melbourne during the Australian Open is crazy for the players and now I am excited to actually see what it is like on the other side,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Experience the culture, the different way the city buzzes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">This year has been a busy one for the former World No.1, who married her long-term partner Garry Kissick, and released several books, including her memoir <em>My Dream Time</em> and <em>Little Ash</em> children’s book series with Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm not bored, I think this year obviously was very busy with all my book stuff and the memoir release, the Little Ash books which has been great,” Barty said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's been a lot to take in. I think there was a part of me that was a little bit scared and fearful of how it would be received.</p> <p dir="ltr">“But so far, so good.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It's the first time that really my life, my thoughts, my biggest fears were on the page for people to read and judge and to take in.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So many people cheered for me when I won, cried with me when I lost and now it was time to let them in and really enjoy the journey for what it was in all of its truths, some of it ugly, some brilliant, but for all that it was.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When asked whether she missed tennis, Barty had a mixed answer.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yes and no. There are certainly parts of it that I miss,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I miss testing myself against the world's best, I miss seeing my mates that I met from all corners of the globe.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I'm certainly happy and I know that it was the right time for me, it was the right decision and certainly no regrets.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8d5a855f-7fff-bfe8-bbec-c188124b90bc"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @ashbarty (Instagram)</em></p>

News

Steve Martin discusses his love for Indigenous Australian art

<p dir="ltr">Comedian and actor Steve Martin has long been an avid art lover and collector. </p> <p dir="ltr">After making onto ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list several times in the 1990s, he has recently turned his attention to Indigenous Australian art and its deep cultural history. </p> <p dir="ltr">With his wife Anne Stringfield, he’s bought works by Indigenous artists such as Bill Whiskey Tjapaltjarri, Timo Hogan, Carlene West, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri, and Doreen Reid Nakamarra, among many others.</p> <p dir="ltr">His love for these works began almost 10 years ago, as he shared with <a href="https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/actor-steve-martin-on-the-joys-and-the-difficulties-of-collecting-contemporary-indigenous-australian-art-1234644806/">ARTnews</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">He said, “It all started with one picture by this artist, Warlimpirrnga Tjapaltjarri. I just really liked it, bought it, and hung it in our house for several years. I really didn’t know that there was a whole big funnel going back this way of its history.” </p> <p dir="ltr">“I hadn’t really seen anything like this before. And they were available, which is an aspect of the art world now that is the opposite—most things are unavailable. And I loved them. I thought they were great.”</p> <p dir="ltr">He said his collection, which includes over a hundred works, is “hard to improve” when dealing with art pieces that are increasingly rare. </p> <p dir="ltr">Some of the works he owns have been displayed in non-selling shows at Gagosian locations in New York and Beverly Hills, California, with Steve saying he “loves just getting these pictures seen” by like-minded art fans. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Art

Princess Mary’s adorable 50th birthday wish fulfilled

<p dir="ltr">Princess Mary has finally received her 50th birthday present - months after announcing that the Australian animal exhibition at Copenhagen Zoo would be expanding.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Princess announced on February 5 that "Mary's Australian Garden" at the zoo would be introducing several more Aussie animals for visitors to enjoy.</p> <p dir="ltr">Among the Aussie animals already calling the Princess’ Garden home are kangaroos and Tasmanian Devils.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new facility is home to the cockatoo, the rock kangaroo, the emu and the ant hedgehog, and the bear-like wombat.</p> <p dir="ltr">The new additions include koalas, echidnas, yellow-footed rock wallabies, wombats and emus.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the most special animal to arrive at Mary’s Australian Garden is the kookaburra, described as the "Australian laughing bird" by the zoo.</p> <p dir="ltr">"We are of course happy and proud to be able to accommodate that," Copenhagen Zoo director Jørgen Nielsen said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"In the Australian Garden, we can draw guests even closer to the animals and the zookeepers' daily work, and the hope is that our commitment and efforts to look after the world's animals rub off on both children and adults.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Back in 2006, Princess Mary was gifted four Tasmanian Devils for the baptism of her son Prince Christian.</p> <p dir="ltr">Copenhagen Zoo was the first place outside of Australia to keep the animals and then went on to successfully breed a pup in 2013.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

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“I want to go back”: Novak Djokovic weighs in on Australian visa outcome

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