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Dire Straits guitarist dies at age 68

Dire Straits guitarist Jack Sonni has died at the age of 68. Sonni, who was affectionately known as the band's "other guitarist" had been suffering from unspecified health issues that forced him to cancel performing. The band announced the news of his passing on X, formerly known as Twitter, posting a black and white photo of Sonni and writing, “#JackSonni Rest In Peace #DireStraits“. The official Facebook account for Dire Straits Legacy, a band that Sonni participated in alongside other former members of Dire Straits, also shared the news. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JackSonni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JackSonni</a> 🎸 Rest In Peace 🙏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DireStraits?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DireStraits</a> <a href="https://t.co/W3vx65bY5h">pic.twitter.com/W3vx65bY5h</a> — Dire Straits 🎸 (@DireStraits77) <a href="https://twitter.com/DireStraits77/status/1697209575668170867?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2023</a></blockquote> “Our beloved Jack has left a void in our heart and soul,” the statement read. “We will miss you so much. You are forever with us.” His cause of death is still unknown, however the news of his passing comes just days after the announced that Sonni wouldn't be performing in upcoming concerts “because of health problems.” “Dear fans, unfortunately, Jack Sonni will not be able to participate in our next gigs because of health problems,” the post read. “Jack get better soon, we are waiting for you! With love, the DSL family.” Tributes poured in for the musician from around the world as news of his death spread on Thursday. One person wrote, "So sad to hear, loved his antics on stage, such a big smile," while others who knew him personally recalled their favourite moments and said they were "proud" to know him. Sonni joined the band in 1984 and joked about his role as a guitarist behind Mark Knopfler during the London band’s Brothers in Arms era, famously calling himself “the other guitar player,” a nickname that stuck because the Knopflers also played the instrument. Sonni played with the band during its two-song performance for the massive famine-relief concert Live Aid in July 1985, with Dire Straits slotting in between U2 and Queen at London’s Wembley Stadium. At the time of his death, Sonni was believed to be a writing for a new project. In his final Facebook post on June 2nd, he wrote, “Well chilluns, the last social media post for the foreseeable future as I dive into getting my novel in shape for my agent’s publisher hunt. Play nice and be kind to one another! And hug them while you can.” Image credits: Getty Images

Music

"Possibly carcinogenic to humans": WHO's dire warning over common ingredient

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for one of the world’s most popular artificial sweeteners to be declared a possible carcinogen. The push will be led by the WHO’s research team for the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), pitting it against the food industry and regulators. The sweetener, known as Aspartame, is used in products from Coca-Cola diet drinks, such as Diet Coke and Coke Zero, to Mars’ Extra chewing gum and some Snapple drinks. Later this month, the IARC will list Aspartame for the first time as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” The ruling from the IARC has assessed whether the sweetener is hazardous to humans or not, although it does not stipulate how much of the product a person can safely consume. This advice for individual consumers comes from a different organisation, known as JECFA (the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Expert Committee on Food Additives), who make consumption guidelines alongside national regulators. Despite the claims from the WHO, since as early as 1981 JECFA has said aspartame is safe to consume within accepted daily limits. An adult weighing 60kg would have to drink between 12 and 36 cans of diet soft drink, depending on the amount of aspartame in the beverage, every day to be at risk. Its view has been widely shared by national regulators, including in the United States and Europe. These conflicting reports have angered some regulators and consumers alike, with Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare official Nozomi Tomita writing to the WHO, “kindly asking both bodies to coordinate their efforts in reviewing aspartame to avoid any confusion or concerns among the public.” Image credits: Getty Images

Body

Marine heatwaves during winter could have dire impacts on New Zealand fisheries and herald more summer storms

The ocean around New Zealand is getting warmer, and extreme warming events have become more frequent over the past years. These marine heatwaves can have devastating impacts on ocean ecosystems. When they happen in summer, they usually receive a lot of attention. But those happening during winter, when the ocean is cooler, are often ignored. Yet, these winter events can affect the spawning and recruitment of fish and other sea animals, and in turn have significant impacts on aquaculture and fisheries. To monitor the occurrence of such extreme events around New Zealand, we developed a <a href="https://www.moanaproject.org/marine-heatwave-forecast">marine heatwave forecast tool</a> as part of the <a href="https://www.moanaproject.org/">Moana Project</a>. The tool has been operational since January 2021 and it forecasts marine heatwave occurrence, intensity and duration for 13 areas defined in collaboration with the seafood industry. It revealed that most coastal areas around New Zealand were warmer than normal during this last winter (June to August 2021), as highlighted in the map showing the difference between winter 2021 average sea surface temperatures and the climatology (daily mean values based on data from 25 years). <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423715/original/file-20210929-18-37hxt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="Map of ocean warming around New Zealand." /> Temperature anomaly in relation to 25 years of climate data. The boxes show the regions where detailed analysis and detection of marine heatwaves is carried out. Author provided <h2>A warm winter for New Zealand’s waters</h2> Marine heatwaves are defined as periods of five days or more of ocean temperatures in the top 10% of local average values for the time of year. During winter 2021, surface waters were on average 0.3℃ (±0.75) warmer than usual, with peaks occasionally reaching +4.2℃. In contrast, in a few areas, such as the Pegasus and Kaikoura canyons to the north-east of Banks Peninsula, we observed cooler than normal temperatures. Except for the Banks Peninsula and the FMA3 box to the east of the South Island, all other 11 areas experienced marine heatwaves during the winter. The events varied in intensity and duration. While Cape Reinga showed a continuous moderate event, Stewart Island experienced a severe winter marine heatwave that lasted 87 days, with maximum temperatures reaching 1.9℃ above long-term climate data. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423952/original/file-20210929-65532-1d407vf.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="This graph depicts ocean temperature anomalies around Stewart Island." /> Sea surface temperatures for Stewart Island. The blue line shows the daily mean temperatures and the green line the 10% highest temperatures, calculated from a period of 25 years. The shaded red area indicates a marine heatwave. Author provided Both areas are particularly important since they are located at the northern and southern extremities, respectively, of the main currents that hug the eastern coastline of New Zealand. The warm waters in these regions move downstream (southward from Cape Reinga, and north-eastward from Stewart Island) and warm most of New Zealand’s eastern coast. We can expect serious economic impacts from such warming. Recent events in western Canada <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/08/canada-sea-creatures-boiling-to-death/">highlight</a> the devastating impact summer marine heatwaves can have on coastal marine ecosystems and aquaculture. In New Zealand, Fisheries Management Area 7 (FMA7) in the map matches hoki spawning grounds and is, therefore, of critical importance to deep-water fisheries. The hoki fishery is worth about NZ$230 million in export revenue. In 2017, the fishery’s catch shortfall was about 8,500 tonnes, which constitutes a loss to the New Zealand economy of some NZ$13 million. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/423953/original/file-20210929-64991-1q3ju2n.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="This graph shows the ocean temperature anomalies in an area where hoki spawn." /> Sea surface temperatures for the fisheries management area where hoki spawn. The red areas show the occurrence of marine heatwaves this past winter. Author provided While the reasons for this are not yet fully understood, the <a href="https://deepwatergroup.org/">Deepwater Group</a>, which represent quota owners from New Zealand’s deep-water fisheries, suspects warmer-than-usual temperatures resulted in fewer hoki arriving at the winter spawning grounds off the west coast of the South Island. A greater focus on winter marine heatwaves will help us understand how fisheries and aquaculture in New Zealand may be affected and what we can do to minimise economic, societal and biodiversity losses. <h2>Changes across the southwest Pacific affect New Zealand</h2> We know ocean temperatures are warming faster during winter than summer <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-14944-2">around New Zealand</a> and across the wider <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/aop/JCLI-D-20-0886.1/JCLI-D-20-0886.1.xml">subtropical southwest Pacific Ocean</a>. The warming has become particularly evident since 2010 and has manifested in the emergence of the “Southern Blob”. This ocean hotspot is centred northeast of New Zealand and has been linked to <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/southern-blob-of-unusual-pacific-heat-blamed-for-creating-megadrought-20210826-p58m7p.html">drought</a> in both <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/27/how-a-hot-blob-off-new-zealand-is-contributing-to-drought-in-south-america">South America</a> and New Zealand. The current rate of warming in the Southern Blob <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/aop/JCLI-D-20-0886.1/JCLI-D-20-0886.1.xml">exceeds natural variability</a>, implying a contribution from human-induced climate change. Along with changes in the regional atmosphere, this large-scale process increases the likelihood of winter marine heatwaves around New Zealand. Our <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021GL094785">research</a> shows the deepest and longest-lasting marine heatwaves in the Tasman Sea are typically driven by ocean currents — in contrast to shallower summer marine heatwaves, which are driven by the atmosphere. The warmer-than-normal winter ocean temperatures in the Tasman and coastal seas around New Zealand send warning signals about what the summer may bring. On top of impacts on coastal ecosystems, marine heatwaves also affect extreme weather and make floods and tropical storms over New Zealand more likely during the coming summer.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167967/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/joao-marcos-azevedo-correia-de-souza-1270882">João Marcos Azevedo Correia de Souza</a>, MetOcean Solutions Science Manager of the Research and Development Team. Moana Project Science Lead, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/metservice-te-ratonga-tirorangi-5124">MetService — Te Ratonga Tirorangi</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/amandine-schaeffer-1271998">Amandine Schaeffer</a>, , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jonathan-gardner-1271684">Jonathan Gardner</a>, , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/te-herenga-waka-victoria-university-of-wellington-1200">Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/robert-smith-1271656">Robert Smith</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/marine-heatwaves-during-winter-could-have-dire-impacts-on-new-zealand-fisheries-and-herald-more-summer-storms-167967">original article</a>.

Domestic Travel

Dire warning to cat owners after elderly woman's tragic death

An 80-year-old Melbourne woman has died after being scratched by her pet cat. The grandmother, whose identity is kept private at the request of her family, was rushed to Box Hill Hospital in May after she was found unresponsive in bed with her cat Minty curled up nearby. The woman was later found to have bacterial meningitis from her cat’s saliva. Her daughter told the <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/dire-warning-to-cat-owners-after-womans-tragic-death/news-story/c0bb59847b0f689d19ec24e709456b14">Herald Sun</a> the cat likely licked the woman’s wound when she was sleeping, causing the saliva to enter her bloodstream. Cat’s saliva commonly contains pasteurella multocida, which may cause infections in humans. The woman spent nine days in a coma and became critically ill before being taken off her life support. She had previously suffered cellulitis due to cat scratches. Austin Health’s director of infectious diseases Lindsay Grayson said people with weak immune systems should avoid cats. “Infections related to cat bites and scratches like this person, we’d get at least one a week where somebody comes into the hospital,” he told the outlet. “It is very important that if a cat is biting or scratching you, you mention it to your GP. It immediately triggers a greater concern and a different medical approach to just a routine scratch.”

Family & Pets

Jamie Oliver in dire straits: “I haven’t got any more money”

Jamie Oliver has admitted he can’t afford to prop up his struggling restaurant chain any more after injecting $AU23 million of his own money to save them from closing last October. Things really started to go pear-shaped for the the celebrity chef’s Jamie’s Italian restaurants, which opened in 2008, earlier this year when it was announced that 12 restaurants would close, and the company requested rent cuts at 11 other locations in a bid to pay $AU130 million worth of debt. Over 600 people were made redundant with more many more jobs in jeopardy. According to Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group chief executive John Knight, the dire straits is due to rapid expansion and choosing the wrong locations, reports <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/jamie-oliver-says-he-has-no-more-money-to-shore-up-struggling-restaurants/news-story/ae1b22ffe1cf50613b4b0166c1af8ef1" target="_blank">news.com.au</a>. Although the celebrity chef said he “was not broke”, he told the Mail on Sunday that he couldn’t put the rest of his business interests, in jeopardy by bleeding more cash into his restaurant chain. “There’s a point where I can’t put the other side of the business at risk as well and the people who work there," Oliver said. “The upside is I am now fully in control of the restaurant business. It’s fully owned by me. We’re getting on top of it and we’ve learned lots of lessons. “I haven’t got any more [money]. I tried to do the right thing, I’ve never been paid by the restaurant group, I’ve always reinvested. My living was always the other side [of the business]. “So I could have just gone, ‘Do you know what? Let it go.’” Oliver told the Financial Times in an interview earlier this year that the business had “run out of cash". “We hadn’t expected it,” he said. “That is just not normal, in any business. You have quarterly meetings. You do board meetings. People [who are] supposed to manage that stuff should manage that stuff.” He revealed just how desperate the situation had become for his restaurant chain, forcing his decision to inject millions of his own money to try and save it. “I had two hours to put money in and save it or the whole thing would go to s*** that day or the next day,” he told the publication. “It was as bad as that and as dramatic as that.” Oliver revealed to Sunday Night that the experience was a humbling one, and that people shouldn’t think that even those who are immensely successful are not “untouchable". “I’ve had my fair share of failure … don’t be under the illusion I’m untouchable,” he said. Although the drama has been “character building,” he told the program dealing with the troubled Jamie’s Italian restaurants had been “really tough". “Yeah a huge weight, I carry lots of burden … of stuff … which is my choice to do so,” said Oliver. But Knight claims that within four years, Oliver will get his money back “or at least most of it”, with Jamie’s Italian restaurants “back to value” and debt free.

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