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Heartbreaking final message as world's oldest woman passes away

<p>Maria Branyas Morera, the world's oldest woman, has died aged 117. </p> <p>The centurion, who has lived through two world wars and a global pandemic, passed away “peacefully and without pain”, according to her family members who announced her tragic passing on X, formerly Twitter. </p> <p>“Maria Branyas has left us.</p> <p>“She died as she wished: in her sleep, peacefully and without pain.</p> <p>“We will always remember her for her advice and her kindness.”</p> <p>In a heartbreaking final message shared to X on Tuesday, Morera shared that she felt "weak" and that the "time is near". </p> <p>“The time is near. Don’t cry, I don’t like tears. And above all, don’t suffer for me," she wrote. </p> <p>“Wherever I go, I will be happy.”</p> <p>Morera became the world's oldest living person after French nun Lucile Randon passed away aged 118 in January last year. </p> <p>Before her death, Morera agreed to undergo scientific testing by researchers who collected samples of her saliva, blood and urine, in hopes to gain insight into the secrets to a long life. </p> <p>They will compare them with those of her 80-year-old daughter and hope that by studying her genes they may develop drugs which could combat diseases associated with ageing. </p> <p>Morera is survived by her two daughters, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. </p> <p><em>Images: news.com.au/ Guinness Book of Records</em></p>

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World's oldest woman turns 117

<p>One of the world's oldest living person has turned 117. </p> <p>Maria Branyas Morera born on March 4, 1907 in San Francisco, lived through the 1918 pandemic, the two World Wars, Spain’s civil war and fully recovered after contracting Covid just days before her 113th birthday. </p> <p>She was one of the world's oldest Covid survivor's in 2020 and is now the 12th oldest verified person in history. </p> <p>Maria, who moved to Catalonia, Spain when she was eight, proudly announced her age on X, formerly known as Twitter in a post that read:  “Good morning, world. Today I turn 117 years old. I’ve come this far.”</p> <p>Maria, who has lived in a nursing home for the past 23 years, is healthier than ever aside from hearing difficulties and mobility issues, and scientists are studying her to find out the secrets to a long life. </p> <p>“She remembers with impressive clarity events from when she was only four years old, and she does not present any cardiovascular disease, common in elderly people," Scientist Manel Esteller told Spanish outlet <em>ABC</em>.</p> <p>“It is clear that there is a genetic component because there are several members of her family who are over 90 years old.”</p> <p>Scientists and Maria are working together to gain further insights into living longer, and researchers hope that studying Maria’s genes will help with the development of drugs which could combat diseases associated with ageing.</p> <p>Maria had three children with her husband  a Catalan doctor named Joan Moret.</p> <p>Her husband passed away 1976, and Maria also outlived her only son, August who tragically passed away in a tractor accident when he was 86. </p> <p>Maria now has two daughters, 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.</p> <p>The oldest person ever established was a Frenchwoman named Jeanne Calment, who lived to the age of 122 years and 164 days.</p> <p><em>Image: news.com.au/ Guiness Book of Records</em></p>

Family & Pets

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World's oldest dog has title suspended amid doubts about his age

<p>The world's <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/miraculous-meet-the-world-s-oldest-dog" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oldest dog</a>, Bobi, who was reportedly 31 years and 165 days old when he died in October, has provisionally lost his title as Guinness World Records investigates his age. </p> <p>Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, was a livestock guardian breed with a life expectancy of anywhere between 12-14 years, which meant that he lived over double his age. </p> <p>His age was initially confirmed by the Veterinary Medical Service of the Municipality of Leiria, which said he had been registered in 1992, which was then verified by Portuguese government-authorised pet database SIAC. </p> <p>He was crowned the world's "oldest ever dog" in February, and his owner Leonel Costa claimed that there were many reasons behind the dog's extraordinary age. </p> <p>Costa said that Bobi always roamed freely, lived in a "calm, peaceful" environment and ate human food soaked in water to remove seasonings. </p> <p>But now, Bobi's true age has been question after suspicions about the evidence that proved his true age were raised not long after his death. </p> <p>"While our review is ongoing we have decided to temporarily pause both the record titles for oldest dog living and ever just until all of our findings are in place," a spokesperson told CNN. </p> <p>The GWR is now conducting a formal review, which involves analysing existing evidence, seeking new evidence, and reaching out to experts and those linked to the original application.</p> <p>The previous record for the world's oldest dog was held by Australian cattle dog Bluey, who was born in 1910 and lived to be 29 years and five months old.</p> <p><em>Image: Youtube</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

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World’s oldest skydiver dies after record-breaking jump

<p dir="ltr">Just weeks after becoming the oldest person to complete a tandem skydive, 104-year-old Dorothy Hoffner has passed away. </p> <p dir="ltr">On October 1st, the Chicago native <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/retirement-life/104-year-old-woman-becomes-world-s-oldest-skydiver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke a world record</a> by jumping out of a plane with a professional skydiver. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her incredible display of bravery captured global attention, with her amazing feat being recognised by the Guinness World Records association. </p> <p dir="ltr">Less than two weeks after her historic freefall, Dorothy passed away peacefully.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a statement to <em><a href="https://people.com/inspiring-104-year-old-woman-dies-1-week-after-becoming-world-oldest-skydiver-8349727" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a></em> magazine, Skydive Chicago and the United States Parachute Association confirmed the news of her death. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We are deeply saddened by Dorothy’s passing and feel honoured to have been a part of making her world-record skydive a reality,” the statement read. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Skydiving is an activity that many of us safely tuck away in our bucket lists. But Dorothy reminds us that it’s never too late to take the thrill of a lifetime.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are forever grateful that skydiving was a part of her exciting, well-lived life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Her legacy is even more remarkable because of the attention the world gave to her inspiring story.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to a close friend of Hoffner’s, Joe Conant, the Chicago record-breaker passed away peacefully in her sleep. </p> <p dir="ltr">He also told the <em><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-dorothy-hoffner-skydive-chicago-obituary-20231010-bebci7alezdvnmrc4advc7lnm4-story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Tribune</a></em> that despite her 104 years, her death was unexpected.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It came as quite a shock,” Conant said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“She gave an incredible amount of her spirit and life to all of us, and it inspired all of us.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: ABC 7 Chicago / Skydive Chicago</em></p>

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104-year-old woman becomes world's oldest skydiver

<p>A 104-year-old Chicago woman is believed to be the oldest person in the world to tandem skydive, after jumping off a plane from 13,500 feet (4,100 meters) in northern Illinois. </p> <p>On Sunday the 1st of October, Dorothy Hoffner left her walker behind without hesitation and hopped on a Skyvan to set a world record.</p> <p>The 104-year-old could not contain her excitement as she sat on the plane.</p> <p>“Let’s go, let’s go, Geronimo!” she said. </p> <p>Hoffner first started skydiving when she was 100, and initially had to be pushed out of the aircraft, but this time around, things were different. </p> <p>The centenarian insisted on leading the jump while tethered to a U.S. Parachute Association-certified instructor. She was cool and confident as the plane doors opened to reveal the golden crop fields below. </p> <p>Hoffner fearlessly tumbled out of the plane head first and successfully did a forward roll before freefalling from 13,500 feet in the air. </p> <p>The dive lasted seven minutes, including the parachutes slow descent on to the ground. </p> <p>As soon as she landed at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, just 140 km southwest of Chicago, friends rushed in to share their congratulations. </p> <p>When asked how it felt to be back on land she simply replied with: “Wonderful." </p> <p>“But it was wonderful up there. The whole thing was delightful, wonderful, couldn’t have been better."</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rQQyc9kRfio?si=3uj4x5hTPyyU6HrJ" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Moments after her touchdown, the centenarian told the cheering crowd: “Age is just a number." </p> <p>The previous Guinness World Record for oldest skydiver was set in May 2022 by 103-year-old Swedish woman Linnéa Ingegärd Larsson. </p> <p>Skydive Chicago is currently working with Guinness World Records to certify Hoffner's jump as a record according to <em>WLS-TV</em>. </p> <p>Hoffner's final message for those who haven't tried it: “Skydiving is a wonderful experience, and it’s nothing to be afraid of. Just do it." </p> <p><em>Images: ABC 7 Chicago / Skydive Chicago</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Oldest living Aussie reveals her secrets to long life

<p>Catherina van der Linden, the oldest living Aussie, is preparing to celebrate her 111th birthday this week, a milestone that she passes on August 26.</p> <p>The great-grandmother, who was born in the Netherlands in 1912, was informed that she was the oldest living person in the country last year when her family received an email on her 110th birthday. </p> <p>She is also believed to be the oldest known Dutch person in the world.</p> <p>The great-grandmother lives in Southern Cross Care's West Beach residential facility in Adelaide and credits her longevity to her active lifestyle, including multiple gym sessions and weekly walks. </p> <p>"Keep on moving, and don't sit still," she said. </p> <p>"I push myself sometimes when I'm getting a bit tired and I think it's about time to do something to yourself to see that you still have that energy that you had before," she said.</p> <p>The centenarian is celebrating her birthday on Saturday, and has also said that aside from a healthy lifestyle, being happy and content with what life has to offer is another factor that helped her live a long life. </p> <p>"I've lived a normal life," she said.</p> <p>"Sometimes it's not very good and sometimes it's better but you have to take the bad with the good as well and it's possible to make living a joy."</p> <p>The residential care's manager Catherine Willoughby also said that van der Linden was an inspiration to staff and other residents. </p> <p>"She's still doing regular walks around the facility, opens the exit doors and around she goes, we've actually got a couple of other new residents that have started doing the same routine," she said. </p> <p>"She also loves the gym. She goes to the gym two or three times a week. She loves doing her exercises."</p> <p>"I think it's amazing that she's 111 and the fact that she's still so mobile and still very much alert and oriented to what's happening around her."</p> <p>The great-grandmother first migrated to Australia with her husband and young family in 1955 and she had various jobs including a grape picker, nursing assistant and typist.</p> <p><em>Images: Southern Cross Care / ABC News</em></p>

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Martha Stewart becomes oldest ever Sports Illustrated covergirl

<p>Martha Stewart has cemented her place in <em>Sports Illustrated Swimsuit </em>magazine’s history, becoming the oldest cover star in the history of the publication at 81 years old. </p> <p>The celebrity chef’s photoshoot was revealed during her appearance on the US breakfast show <em>Today</em>, with her cover - Martha in a plunging white swimsuit with a billowing orange shirt - on full display, according to the New York Post. </p> <p>“I like that picture,” Stewart admitted on the show, before noting that she was “sort of shaking”. </p> <p>She went on to share that it had been “odd” to be snapped in her swimming costume “in front of all those people”, but that things had gone okay. </p> <p>The photographer behind the shoot was Ruven Afanador, and it took place in the Dominican Republic, with Stewart donning no less than 10 swimsuits.</p> <p>“When I heard that I was going to be on the cover of <em>Sports Illustrated Swimsuit</em>, I thought, ‘oh, that’s pretty good, I’m going to be the oldest person I think ever on a cover of <em>Sports Illustrated’</em>,” Stewart told the magazine. “And I don’t think about age very much, but I thought that this is kind of historic.</p> <p>“Age is not the determining factor in terms of friendship or in terms of success, but what people do, how people think, how people act, that’s what’s important and not your age.”</p> <p>Fans were delighted, both with the photoshoot and with her take, and raced to social media to share their enthusiasm when the cover was revealed across <em>Sports Illustrated</em>’s various accounts - as well as Martha’s own. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thrilled to be on cover of the <a href="https://twitter.com/SI_Swimsuit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SI_Swimsuit</a> issue! I hope this cover inspires you to challenge yourself to try new things. Pick up on newsstands May 18th! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SISwimsuit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SISwimsuit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SISwim23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SISwim23</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ruvenafanador?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ruvenafanador</a> <a href="https://t.co/DsRgLr6crK">pic.twitter.com/DsRgLr6crK</a></p> <p>— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaStewart/status/1658195286571753478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>“Martha Stewart being the cover model for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit was not on my 2023 bingo card but here we are!” one wrote. “She looks amazing!”</p> <p>“You look gorgeous, as always, Martha! Love you and the cover!!” another gushed. </p> <p>“Spectacular! Congratulations! So gorgeous and strong!” came one round of praise. “A true role model for women”.</p> <p>“Congrats queen! I had no idea you were 81,” someone confessed, “because your energy is so youthful!”</p> <p>Meanwhile, another had similar thoughts to share, noting that “now this is representative of what 'old age' looks like in reality - diverse, modern, bold, stylish and sexy. A rethink is needed! </p> <p>“A woman is beautiful at any age.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram, Twitter </em></p>

Beauty & Style

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World’s oldest dog celebrates birthday in style

<p dir="ltr">The world’s oldest dog has reached another major life milestone, marking the momentous occasion with a fun-filled 31st birthday party. </p> <p dir="ltr">Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo from the rural Portuguese village of Conqueiros, was born on May 11 1992, and reached the ripe old age of 31 in 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr">And so, it only stood to reason to celebrate, as Bobi’s human family made sure to do with their furry friend - and over 100 other guests from all over the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">Prior to Bobi’s big day, his owner - Leonel Costa - had informed Bobi’s supporters that it was set to be a “very traditional” Portuguese party. </p> <p dir="ltr">The menu was simple, and full of Bobi’s favourites, from local meat to fish, with extra set aside for the human food loving dog.</p> <p dir="ltr">As for entertainment, a dance troupe were scheduled to perform, with one surprise guest star joining their number - Bobi himself.</p> <p dir="ltr">It was a big affair for the canine, who has had a busy life since <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/miraculous-meet-the-world-s-oldest-dog">the Guinness World Records awarded him his title early in 2023</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The family had seen a lot of journalists come their way - as well as people from all across the globe - in search of pictures with Bobi, Leonel explained. </p> <p dir="ltr">“They’ve come from all over Europe,” he noted, “as well as the USA and even Japan.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite the packed schedule, Leonel added that Bobi’s health had been good, and that Bobi had been for a check-up in the wake of all of the attention and the stress that came along with it, with Leonel concerned about his friend’s mental and physical health. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There were a lot of pictures taken and he had to get up and down many times. It wasn’t easy for him,” he said. “His health was a little damaged, but now it’s better.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Leonel actually credits Bobi’s “calm, peaceful environment” for his longevity, though he went on to add that Bobi is finding it more difficult to walk as the years go by - something that can’t have come easy after his decades roaming the forests around their home. </p> <p dir="ltr">But according to Leonel, he’s still a happy dog, even if a good portion of his time is spent enjoying the benefits of a good sleep, especially after he’s eaten or if the fire is on during a cold day.</p> <p dir="ltr">And for Leonel, who has been experiencing life with Bobi at his side since he was just eight years old, Bobi means the world: past, present, and future. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Bobi is special because looking at him is like remembering the people who were part of our family and unfortunately are no longer here,” he said, “like my father, my brother, or my grandparents who have already left this world.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Bobi represents those generations.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Guinness World Records</em></p>

Family & Pets

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106-year-old tattoo artist becomes Vogue’s oldest cover star

<p>Apo Maria ‘Whang-Od’ Oggay has made history as the oldest woman to have featured on the cover of <em>Vogue</em>. </p> <p>Regarded as the last mambabatok of her generation, Whang-Od was born in the remote village of Buscalan in the northern Philippines’ province of Kalinga in 1918, and entered the world of tattooing at just 16 years old. </p> <p>As <em>Vogue Philippines</em>’s editor-in-chief Bea Valdes explained of their decision to feature her on the cover, “we felt she represented our ideals of what is beautiful about our Filipino culture.</p> <p>"We believe that the concept of beauty needs to evolve, and include diverse and inclusive faces and forms. What we hope to speak about is the beauty of humanity.”</p> <p>And Whang-Od was the perfect choice. <em>Vogue Philippines</em>’ demonstrated as much when they wrote on Twitter that “the symbols of the Kalinga tribe signifying strength, bravery &amp; beauty” are imprinted on her skin, and that Whang-Od embodies the “strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Apo Maria “Whang-Od” Oggay symbolizes the strength and beauty of the Filipino spirit. </p> <p>Heralded as the last mambabatok of her generation, she has imprinted the symbols of the Kalinga tribe signifying strength, bravery &amp; beauty on the skin. </p> <p>Read more on <a href="https://t.co/2F1mJ5iQWG">https://t.co/2F1mJ5iQWG</a>. <a href="https://t.co/urVcA3g2Ek">pic.twitter.com/urVcA3g2Ek</a></p> <p>— Vogue Philippines (@vogueph) <a href="https://twitter.com/vogueph/status/1641276503433572353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>As tattoo anthropologist Dr Lars Krutak found out for <em>Vogue</em>, it was through Whang-Od’s father’s mentorship that she launched her career in tattooing. She was the first - and only - mambabatok of her time, and would spend her time visiting neighbouring villages - and beyond - to “to imprint the sacred symbols of their ancestors on individuals who have crossed or about to cross a threshold in their lives.”</p> <p>Her own life story can be found on her skin - featuring everything from her accomplishments to her ailments, and even the names of past lovers - in a story of beauty, bravery, and the heritage of the Kalinga tribe. </p> <p>For men, tattoos reflected them as “a headhunting warrior”, while women were typically tattooed for “fertility and beautification”. As <em>Vogue</em> reported, the elder women of Kalinga say that “when they die, they can’t take their beads and gold with them to the afterlife. They only have the markings on their body.” </p> <p>As <em>Vogue</em> went on to cover, decades of colonial erasure had a significant impact on batok - in Kalinga, village girls had to cover their arms, while many others abandoned the art. </p> <p>But through Whang-Od and her descendants, the ancient art of batok will continue - both in Buscalan and the rest of the world. </p> <p>Batok itself, as explained by the <em>Vogue</em> team who had the honour of receiving a tattoo from Whang-Od, involves “an unused gisi, a bamboo stick with a thorn attached to one end” and a pattern traced “using a length of grass dipped in the soot and charcoal mixture”. </p> <p>The process then sees Whang-Od hold the inked gisi in one hand, while she “uses a larger stick to whack it with her right hand, driving it over a hundred times per minute into the flesh until the three dots are filled and oozing with blood and ink. She dabs at them with a wet wipe before deciding to go over the freshly wounded spots again for good measure.”</p> <p>And now, Whang-Od has been teaching her craft to her grand-niece, Grace Palicas. </p> <p>Under Whang-Od’s mentorship, the thousand-year-old tradition will live on, as the next generation of stick-and-thorn artists strive to preserve their craft, and share it with the world. </p> <p>As for Whang-Od herself? Her plans are quite simple, with the artist explaining that “when visitors come from far away, I will give them the tatak Buscalan, tatak Kalinga for as long as my eyes can see.”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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“Miraculous”: Meet the world’s oldest dog

<p>A dog from the rural village of Conqueiros, Portugal, has taken the world by surprise and claimed the title of not only the world’s oldest living dog - he’s also the oldest dog ever. </p> <p>Two weeks ago, Guinness World Records announced that Spike the chihuahua was the oldest living dog. Spike has been melting hearts for 23 years. </p> <p>Bobi, a purebred Rafeiro do Alentejo, was confirmed as being 30 years 266 days old as of February 1 2023. With seven years on his fellow senior canine, it was safe to say that a title transfer was in order. </p> <p>While Spike was the previous oldest living dog, the former oldest dog ever was an Australian cattle dog who went by the name Bluey. Bluey, who was born in 1910, lived to be an astounding 29 years and 5 months old and held that record for almost an entire century. </p> <p>Bobi’s breed, Rafeiro do Alentejo, is a livestock guardian breed. They typically have a life expectancy of anywhere between 12-14 years, meaning Bobi has more than doubled that prediction. </p> <p>The accomplishment is impressive in itself, but Bobi’s miraculous story started many, many years ago. </p> <p>The Costa family, Bobi’s family, told Guinness World Records that Bobi was one of four male puppies born in an outbuilding where they stored their wood. </p> <p>“I was eight years old,” said Leonel Costa, “my father was a hunter, and we always had many dogs.”</p> <p>“Unfortunately,” he went on to explain, “at that time it was considered normal by older people who could not have more animals at home… to bury the animals in a hole so that they would not survive.”</p> <p>Leonel’s parents took the puppies the next day while their mother, Gira, wasn’t there. Leonel and his brothers were distraught, but soon noticed that Gira continued to visit the outbuilding where the pups were born. </p> <p>“We found the situation strange,” Leonel admitted, “because if the animals were no longer there, why would she go there?” </p> <p>After following Gira on one of her expeditions, the brothers discovered a sole surviving puppy - Bobi. Bobi had been disguised amongst the wood in the outhouse, and overlooked by the Costa parents. Leonel and his brothers opted to keep him a secret. </p> <p>Of their decision, Leonel explained, “we knew that when the dog opened its eyes, my parents would no longer bury it. It was popular knowledge that this act could not or should be done.”</p> <p>“I confess that when they found out that we already knew, they screamed a lot and punished us,” Leonel admitted, reflecting on Bobi opening his eyes and securing his place in their family, “but it was worth it, and for a good reason!”</p> <p>Leonel confessed that only Bobi knows the secrets behind his longevity, but believes his lifestyle and environment have been significant factors. </p> <p>Bobi has enjoyed 30 years of roaming freely around the forests and farmlands at home, alongside a whole host of other animals. </p> <p>His diet has consisted of human food, with Leonel mentioning that the decision may or may not have been entirely their own, “what we ate, they ate too. Between a can of animal food or a piece of meat, Bobi doesn’t hesitate and chooses our food.”</p> <p>Happy and healthy senior pets are not an unfamiliar thing for the Costa family. Bobi’s mother, Gira, lived to the age of 18, and another of their dogs, Chicote, saw 22. </p> <p>“I never thought of registering Bobi to break the record because fortunately our animals have always lasted for many years,” Leonel explained. “We see situations like this as a normal result of the life that they have, but Bobi is one of a kind.”</p> <p>Bobi has already achieved a lot this year, and is set to celebrate even more when his 31st birthday rolls around in May. </p> <p><em>Image: YouTube</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Record-breaking "oldest" twin babies born

<p>The world's "oldest" twin babies have been born more than 30 years after being frozen as embryos. </p> <p>They could well be the longest-frozen embryos to ever result in a live birth, according to official records.</p> <p>Lydia and Timothy Ridgeway were welcomed into the world on October 31st 2022, three decades after the embryos were created for an anonymous married couple using IVF on April 22nd 1992.</p> <p>Lydia and Timothy's parents, Philip and Rachel, were never expecting to set a record as their fifth and sixth children were born. </p> <p>"We liked the idea that we are saving lives that are trapped,” Philip, 35 and a software developer, told <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/11/21/twins-lydia-and-timothy-ridgeway-already-age-30-at-birth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Post</a>.</p> <p>The couple chose the oldest available option from National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC), a Knoxville, Tennessee, non-profit that provides donated embryos to couples wanting kids. </p> <p>“We knew basic information [about the genetic parents] such as height and weight, but we weren’t using that [as criteria] how we were going to choose,” said Rachel, a 34-year-old stay-at-home mom near Portland, Oregon.</p> <p>But they were more interested in, as Rachel put it, “How long have {the embryos} been waiting — which ones were waiting for parents to come and get them?”</p> <p>“When we went into this process, we wanted to find the embryos that were overlooked or most unwanted,” Rachel said. “We were looking for embryos that needed a home because they had been overlooked.” </p> <p>The process is sometimes referred to as “embryo adoption”, and is a recent phenomenon within the Evangelical Christian community in the Unites States. </p> <p>“The idea of giving birth to your adopted child was fantastic to me,” said Rachel.</p> <p>Philip would have been five years old when the embryos were first frozen, to put their age into perspective.</p> <p>"There is something mind-boggling about it," Philip told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2022/11/21/health/30-year-old-embryos-twins/index.html">CNN</a>.</p> <p><em>Image credits: The Ridgeway family</em></p>

Family & Pets

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James Webb Telescope captures oldest galaxy

<p dir="ltr">After its <a href="https://oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/technology/nasa-releases-highest-resolution-images-of-infrared-universe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first images</a> spread like wildfire across the internet, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is believed to have broken the record for the oldest galaxy ever detected.</p> <p dir="ltr">Scientists from the Harvard and Smithsonian Center of Astrophysics have identified a 13.5-billion-year-old galaxy called GLASS-z13, which dates to 300 million years after the Big Bang.</p> <p dir="ltr">The previous record-holder was a galaxy known as GN-Z1, spotted by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2016, with its light taking 13.4 billion years to reach Hubble.</p> <p dir="ltr">The team of researchers, who shared their findings in a pair of preprints published on Wednesday, also identified another galaxy, GLASS-z11, which is roughly the same age as GLASS-z13.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-52462869-7fff-9362-ee05-0113f733676e">"We found two very compelling candidates for extremely distant galaxies," Rohan Naidu, one of the researchers who detected GLASS-z13 in Webb's data, told <em><a href="https://go.skimresources.com/?id=35871X943606&amp;isjs=1&amp;jv=15.2.4-stackpath&amp;sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.businessinsider.com%2Fwebb-space-telescope-found-oldest-and-most-distant-known-galaxy-2022-7&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.newscientist.com%2Farticle%2F2329601-jwst-has-found-the-oldest-galaxy-we-have-ever-seen-in-the-universe%2F&amp;xs=1&amp;xtz=-600&amp;xuuid=388e4cc6413616544971c2f592b98908&amp;abp=1&amp;xcust=xid%3Afr1658964936510ffc&amp;xjsf=other_click__auxclick%20%5B2%5D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Scientist</a></em>.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/glass-z13-1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>The red circle captured by the James Webb Space Telescope is believed to be the oldest galaxy ever observed. Image: Naidu et al, P. Oesch, T. Treu, GLASS-JWST, NASA/CSA/ESA/STScI</em></p> <p dir="ltr">"If these galaxies are at the distance we think they are, the universe is only a few hundred million years old at that point."</p> <p dir="ltr">Researchers told the publication that these two galaxies are relatively small compared to the Milky Way galaxy, which is 100,000 light-years wide. In comparison, GLASS-z13 is approximately 1600 light-years wide, while GLASS-z11 is 2,300 light-years in diameter.</p> <p dir="ltr">"With the advent of JWST, we now have an unprecedented view of the universe thanks to the extremely sensitive NIRCam instrument," researchers explained in the <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2207.09434" target="_blank" rel="noopener">preprint</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the JWST commenced science operations in mid-July, it is expected that it will help scientists uncover more about the universe’s age and evolution. </p> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://webb.nasa.gov/content/science/firstLight.html#:~:text=Webb%20will%20be%20a%20powerful,darkness%20of%20the%20early%20universe." target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA attributes this</a> to its ability to peer further back in time - as far as the first few hundred million years after the Big Bang - allowing for the discovery of previously unseen galaxies.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-9589b833-7fff-c5fc-c0d6-834b46d8fe93"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Naidu et al, P. Oesch, T. Treu, GLASS-JWST, NASA/CSA/ESA/STScI</em></p>

Technology

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How climate change is erasing the world’s oldest rock art

<p>In caves on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, ancient peoples marked the walls with red and mulberry hand stencils, and painted images of large native mammals or <a href="https://theconversation.com/indonesian-cave-paintings-show-the-dawn-of-imaginative-art-and-human-spiritual-belief-128457">imaginary human-animal creatures</a>. </p> <p>These are the oldest cave art sites yet known — or at least the oldest attributed to our species. One painting of a Sulawesi warty pig was recently dated as at least <a href="https://theconversation.com/we-found-the-oldest-known-cave-painting-of-animals-in-a-secret-indonesian-valley-153089">45,500 years old</a>.</p> <p>Since the 1950s, archaeologists have observed these paintings appear to be blistering and peeling off the cave walls. Yet, little had been done to understand why. </p> <p>So our research, <a href="http://nature.com/articles/s41598-021-87923-3">published today</a>, explored the mechanisms of decay affecting ancient rock art panels at 11 sites in Sulawesi’s <a href="https://www.worldheritagesite.org/tentative/id/5467">Maros-Pangkep</a> region. We found the deterioration may have gotten worse in recent decades, a trend likely to continue with accelerating climate change.</p> <p>These Pleistocene (“ice aged”) cave paintings of Indonesia have only begun to tell us about the lives of the earliest people who lived in Australasia. The art is disappearing just as we’re beginning to understand its significance.</p> <h2>Australasia’s rock art</h2> <p>Rock art gives us a glimpse into the ancient cultural worlds of the artists and the <a href="https://youtu.be/3OLaNtKoJFk">animals</a> they may have hunted or interacted with. Even rare clues into early people’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/indonesian-cave-paintings-show-the-dawn-of-imaginative-art-and-human-spiritual-belief-128457">beliefs in the supernatural</a> have been preserved.</p> <p>We think humans have been creating art of some kind in Australasia — which includes northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia — for a very long time. <a href="https://theconversation.com/buried-tools-and-pigments-tell-a-new-history-of-humans-in-australia-for-65-000-years-81021">Used pigments</a> are among the earliest evidence people were living in Australia more than 60,000 years ago.</p> <p>Tens of thousands of distinctive rock art sites are scattered across Australasia, with Aboriginal people creating many <a href="https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/first-rock-art">styles of rock art</a> across Australia. </p> <p>Until as recently as 2014, scholars thought the earliest cave art was in Europe — for example, in the Chauvet Cave in France or <a href="https://cuevas.culturadecantabria.com/el-castillo-2/">El Castillo</a> in Spain, which are 30,000 to 40,000 years old. We now know people were painting inside caves and rockshelters in Indonesia at the same time and even earlier.</p> <p>Ongoing surveys throughout Australasia turn up new rock art sites every year. To date, more than 300 painted sites have been documented in the limestone karsts of Maros-Pangkep, in southern Sulawesi. </p> <p>Cave paintings in Sulawesi and <a href="https://theconversation.com/borneo-cave-discovery-is-the-worlds-oldest-rock-art-in-southeast-asia-106252">Borneo</a> are some of the earliest evidence we have that people were living on these islands.</p> <p>Tragically, at almost every new site we find in this region, the rock art is in an advanced stage of decay. </p> <h2>Big impacts from small crystals</h2> <p>To investigate why these prehistoric artworks are deteriorating, we studied some of the oldest known rock art from the Maros-Pangkep region, scientifically dated to between at least 20,000 and 40,000 years old.</p> <p>Given these artworks have survived over such a vast period, we wanted to understand why the painted limestone cave surfaces now appear to be eroding so rapidly. </p> <p>We used a combination of scientific techniques, including using high-powered microscopes, chemical analyses and crystal identification to tackle the problem. This revealed that salts growing both on top of and behind ancient rock art can cause it to flake away.</p> <p>Salts are deposited on rock surfaces via the water they’re absorbed in. When the water solution evaporates, salt crystals form. The salt crystals then swell and shrink as the environment heats and cools, generating stress in the rock. </p> <p>In some cases, the result is the stone surface crumbling into a powder. In other instances, salt crystals form columns under the hard outer shell of the old limestone, lifting the art panel and separating it from the rest of the rock, obliterating the art. </p> <p>On hot days, geological salts can grow to more than three times their initial size. On one panel, for example, a flake half the size of a hand peeled off in under five months.</p> <h2>Climate extremes under global warming</h2> <p>Australasia has an <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S027737911200529X?via%3Dihub">incredibly active atmosphere</a>, fed by intense sea currents, seasonal trade winds and a reservoir of warm ocean water. Yet, some of its rock art has so far managed to survive tens of thousands of years through major episodes of climate variation, from the cold of the last ice age to the start of the current monsoon.</p> <p>In contrast, famous European cave art sites such as Altamira in Spain and Lascaux in France are found in deep caves, in more stable (temperate) climates, so threats to rock art are different and generally weathering is less aggressive. </p> <p>But now greenhouse gases are magnifying climatic extremes. In fact, global warming can be up to <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-explained-will-the-tropics-eventually-become-uninhabitable-145174">three times higher in the tropics</a>, and the wet-dry phases of the monsoon have become stronger in recent decades, along with more numerous La Niña and El Niño events.</p> <p>The net effect is that temperatures are higher, there are more hot days in a row, droughts are lasting longer, and other extreme weather such as storms (and the flooding they cause) are more <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/chapter/spm/">severe and frequent</a>. </p> <p>What’s more, monsoonal rains are now captured in rice fields and aquaculture ponds. This promotes the growth of art-destroying salt crystals by raising humidity across the region and especially in nearby caves, prolonging the shrink and swell cycles of salts.</p> <h2>What happens now?</h2> <p>Apart from the direct threats associated with industrial development — such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/rio-tinto-just-blasted-away-an-ancient-aboriginal-site-heres-why-that-was-allowed-139466">blasting away archaeological sites</a> for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2020/feb/21/worlds-oldest-art-under-threat-from-cement-mining-in-indonesia-sulawesi">mining and limestone quarrying</a> — our research makes it clear global warming is the biggest threat to the preservation of the trpoics’ ancient rock art.</p> <p>There’s a pressing need for further research, monitoring and conservation work in Maros-Pangkep and across Australasia, where cultural heritage sites are under threat from the destructive impacts of climate change.</p> <p>In particular, we urgently need to document the remaining rock art in great detail (such as with 3D scanning) and uncover more sites before this art disappears forever.</p> <p>If humans are ultimately causing this problem, we can take steps to correct it. Most importantly, <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-1-5-global-warming-limit-is-not-impossible-but-without-political-action-it-soon-will-be-159297">we need to act now</a> to stop global temperature increases and drastically cut emissions. Minimising the impacts of climate change will help preserve the incredible artworks Australasia’s earliest people left to us.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-climate-change-is-erasing-the-worlds-oldest-rock-art-159929" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Art

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Is this Australia’s oldest lawn mower?

<p dir="ltr">Geoff has tried to retire five times but just can’t seem to adhere to a lifestyle without work. </p> <p dir="ltr">A bit shy of 80, Geoff and his wife Gayl, 69, have together purchased a Jim’s Mowing Franchise and is now mowing lawns in Mackay and Ayr.</p> <p dir="ltr">The even more exciting bit is that Geoff is basically booked out - working from sunrise to sunset. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm up at 5.30 every morning and in bed by 8. I work from sun up to sun down," Geoff said. </p> <p dir="ltr">"I've got so much work I am now going to employ my own kids and my grandkids. They have to help me out because I've got so much work on I can't keep up with it all.</p> <p dir="ltr"> "People can't believe I'm turning 80 and I'm mowing five lawns a day."</p> <p dir="ltr">Geoff and Gayl are part of a group of retirees who refuse to stop working. </p> <p dir="ltr">A study of 4,000 elderly people, conducted by National Seniors Australia shows 20 per cent of pensioners would consider returning to the workforce after retirement if Age Pension requirements. </p> <p dir="ltr">Sixty per cent of respondents said the main reason to re-enter the workforce was to earn more money, while 15 per cent wanted to keep active, and 12 per cent wanted to contribute to society. </p> <p dir="ltr">Professor John McCallum, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director of Research at National Seniors said that elderly Australians re-entering the workforce will become more common. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We have got something we are looking backwards at and not looking forwards for the next 20 years of an ageing society, which continues to 2040, and not setting up the systems to really make it work and to benefit the economy, frankly,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Elon Musk’s mum becomes oldest ‘Sports Illustrated’ model

<p dir="ltr">Maye Musk has made history at the age of 74, becoming the oldest model to appear on the cover of <em>Sports Illustrated</em>’s swimsuit edition.</p> <p dir="ltr">Musk appeared in the edition along with Kim Kardashian, musician/fashion entrepreneur Yumi Nu and Grammy-Award-winning singer Ciara as part of the magazine’s efforts to celebrate women no matter their age, life stage or job title.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The journey we’ve been on - to break out of the mould the world puts us in - may sound familiar,” Sports Illustrated Swimsuit editor-in-chief MJ Day <a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/swimnews/meet-your-cover-model-2022-maye-musk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d1363065-7fff-a846-84ae-e5c83dddbacf"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s certainly familiar to the women we’ve chosen to be our cover models: Maye, Ciara, Yumi, Kim. So in this issue, we encourage readers to see these models as we see them: multifaceted, multitalented - and sexy while they’re at it.</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/CdoC4UBO1ll/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdoC4UBO1ll/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@si_swimsuit)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“The world may label them one way, but we want to focus our lens on all the ways they see themselves and how they own who they are,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“No matter your age, whether you’re a new mom, partner, sister, entertainer, athlete, entrepreneur, advocate, student, mentor, role model, leader or dreamer - or all of the above - we want to celebrate these women, their evolution and the many dimensions of who they are.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The longtime model, author, activist and registered dietician-nutritionist took to Instagram to share the news with fans, writing of her appearance: “It’s about time!”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I am so excited to be on the cover of @si_swimsuit at the age of 74,” she continued in her caption.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-142a2780-7fff-fd26-c3ec-4f39143a5383"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <em>People </em>magazine, Musk admitted the opportunity was something she never dreamed would happen.</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/CdqTWnSrn4f/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdqTWnSrn4f/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Maye Musk (@mayemusk)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“My first reaction was, I could never dream up something like that because why would anyone have a 74-year-old on their cover, especially in a swimsuit,” she told the publication.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I do think it’s going to make women feel more comfortable in their seventies when they swim, as well as women in their twenties and thirties.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When women go to the beach, we’re kind of shy about our bodies, but men will walk around, looking terrible and they don’t care…</p> <p dir="ltr">“I think we have to not care that much!”</p> <p dir="ltr">Musk, who lives by the motto ‘#ItsGreatToBe74’, appeared on the cover in a burnt-orange and beige Maygel Coronel one-piece with a ruffled neckline and accessorised with chunky palm tree earrings, in one of four outfits she wore for the magazine feature.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-562c5fdd-7fff-5772-a71a-61983f79099d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Remains of Australia’s oldest people to be reburied

<p dir="ltr">The 42,000-year-old remains of 108 Indigenous Australians, including Mungo Man and Mungo Lady, will be reburied in the Willandra Lakes Region of New South Wales.</p> <p dir="ltr">The federal environment minister, Sussan Ley, announced that the government had approved the reburial while visiting Mungo national park, within the world heritage-listed region about 750 km west of Sydney.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Forty-two thousand years ago Aboriginal people were living - and thriving - on the edge of what was then a rich lakeside. In the last four decades their remains have been removed, analysed, stored, and extensively investigated in the interests of western science,” Ms Ley said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have determined that the remains can be reburied in the Willandra Lakes region in accordance with the wishes, rights and interests of the local Aboriginal community, represented by the Willandra Lakes Region Aboriginal Advisory Group (AAG).”</p> <p dir="ltr">The ancient remains will be reburied in 26 anonymous locations in national parks over the coming months, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-61006118" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">The remains of Mungo Man, discovered in 1968, and Mungo Lady, whose burned remains were found in 1974, are among the earliest modern humans found in the world and are the oldest remains found in Australia.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mungo Lady, who was burned before her burial, is the oldest known example of human cremation. Her remains were returned to Lake Mungo in 1992.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meanwhile, Mungo Man’s remains were kept by the Australian National University, then the National Museum of Australia, until his remains were repatriated in 2017.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-fdb140f2-7fff-e8d3-2d93-1a436896c17f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The decision to rebury the remains comes after four years of deliberations, including a formal assessment under national environment law.</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/reel/CcABTzGOLXB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CcABTzGOLXB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sussan Ley (@sussanleymp)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">However, some Indigenous groups claim they weren’t consulted in the process.</p> <p dir="ltr">Michael Young, who was involved in the return of Mungo Man’s remains to country, told <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/06/mungo-man-and-mungo-lady-to-be-reburied-in-willandra-world-heritage-area-after-federal-decision" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guardian Australia</a></em> that the Barkindji people, who hold native title claim for 80 percent of the land where the reburial will be, weren’t consulted before the decision was made.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have not even been included in the process,” Mr Young, a Barkindji man and former member of the Wilbarra AAG, told the publication. “This is the arrogance of both the federal and the state government.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We feel really traumatised by this.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We have always canvassed the idea of a keeping place … to hold it over for the future generations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Ley has denied the claims, noting that the AAG included representation of the Barkindji people, which also includes representatives from the Mutthi Mutthi and Ngiyampaa groups.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Everyone was listened to, everyone was heard,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-fa1e886c-7fff-0838-e6cf-244bbac0b4ce"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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Tributes flow for one of our oldest WWII veterans

<p>One of Australia's oldest surviving World War II veterans, Bert Collins has died. Aged 105, he was the oldest member of the Australian Labor Party.</p><p>Albert "Bert" Collins was due to celebrate his 106th birthday in March.</p><p>Tributes recognising and remembering the Bankstown local have been posted online following news of his death. "My friend Bert Collins passed away this morning," Blaxland MP Jason Clare said.</p><p>"Bert was the oldest member of the Australian Labor Party.</p><p>"He would have turned 106 next month. Rest in Peace old friend."</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sad news. My friend Bert Collins passed away this morning. <br /><br />Bert was the oldest member of the ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianLabor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AustralianLabor</a>⁩ Party. <br /><br />He would have turned 106 next month. Rest In Peace old friend. <a href="https://t.co/kN0Td8I2wz">pic.twitter.com/kN0Td8I2wz</a></p>— Jason Clare MP (@JasonClareMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonClareMP/status/1492753650015703040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2022</a></blockquote><p>The Labor Party also posted "Vale Bert Collins" on social media.</p><p>Mr Collins rose to the rank of a sergeant in the 52nd Australian Composite Anti-Aircraft Regiment (AIF) based in Papua New Guinea.</p><p>The veteran's Anzac spirit has never wavered and was a quality admired by many.</p><p>"When I was a boy, my Mum instilled in me a very important lesson, which I've lived by my entire life," he told the Canterbury-Bankstown Council last year.</p><p>"She said I must remember to never be rude to anyone, to never tell lies and to always show respect towards others … and I have every day of my life."</p><p><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

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World's oldest living person celebrates 119th birthday

<p>Japanese woman Kane Takana has turned 119-years-old, making her the world's oldest living person. </p> <p>Her great-granddaughter Junko Takana took to Twitter to celebrate Kane's incredible milestone, and praising her resilience. </p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“Great achievement. (Kane Tanaka) reached 119 years of age,” Junko tweeted, with a photograph of her great-grandmother, who she saw in December. “I hope you’ll continue to live life cheerfully and to the fullest.”</p> <p><span>“Birthday gift 1: Introducing the presents received for Kane’s birthday. Really appreciate this gift. Coca-Cola company made a commemorative birthday bottle. It seems (Kane) is still drinking Coca-Cola as usual,” Junko tweeted.</span></p> <p><span>Kane was gifted the custom bottles from Coca-Cola, with labels displaying her name and age.</span></p> <p><span>Junko spoke to CNN in March 2021 when Kane was due to carry the Olympic torch ahead of the postponed 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. </span></p> <p><span>“I might be biased because I’m related to her but I think it’s kind of amazing - I wanted to share that with the world and for people to feel inspired and to feel her joy,” Junko said.</span></p> <p><span>Kane Takana was born in 1903 and married a rice shop owner at 19 years of age, and she continued to work in her family's shop until she was 103. </span></p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">Tanaka has lived through a multitude of historical events, surviving two world wars and the 1918 Spanish flu, as well as living through 49 Summer and Winter Olympic Games.</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020">“I don’t remember her talking much about the past ... She’s very forward thinking, she really enjoys living in the present,” Tanaka’s grandson, Eiji Tanaka, told CNN last year.</p> <p class="css-1316j2p-StyledParagraph e4e0a020"><em>Image credits: CNN</em></p>

Retirement Life

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Is this the world’s oldest drawing?

<div> <div class="copy"> <p>A faint, red, cross-hatched design discovered in a cave in South Africa just might be the oldest known drawing in history, researchers say.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0514-3" target="_blank">In a paper</a> published in the journal Nature, a team led by Christopher Henshilwood from the University of Bergen in Norway reveals the discovery of a decorated piece of stone – of a type known as silcrete – excavated at an archaeological site called Blombos Cave, 300 kilometres east of Cape Town.</p> <p>The stone flake features a cross-hatched pattern, which the researchers say microscopic and chemical analysis confirms was applied deliberately with an ochre “crayon” fashioned into a tip between one and three millimetres wide.</p> <p>The design – which has been dubbed the world’s first hashtag – might originally have been part of a larger, more complex piece.</p> <p>The sediment layer in which the decorated stone was recovered has been reliably dated as 73,000 years old. The find is highly significant, because it pre-dates the earliest known abstract and figurative drawings discovered in Africa, Europe and southeast Asia by at least 30,000 years.</p> <p>Henshilwood and his colleagues note that the same sediment layer in the Blombos Cave has previously yielded other artefacts, including shell beads.</p> <p>The latest find, they write, “demonstrates the ability of early Homo sapiens in southern Africa to produce graphic designs on various media using different techniques”.</p> <em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></div> <div id="contributors"> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/history/archaeology/is-this-the-worlds-oldest-drawing/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Andrew Masterson. </em></p> </div> </div>

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“Records are made to be broken”: Oldest person tackles Appalachian Trail

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An 83-year-old has become the oldest person to finish the 3,500 km Appalachian Trail in the US.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">MJ “Sunny” Eberhart, also known as Nimblewill Nomad, is a seasoned hiker who has been tackling trails since he retired in 1993.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The former veteran said the trail was still quite tough despite his experience.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve got a couple of marks on me, but I’m OK,” he </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-09/appalachian-trail-record-broken-by-83-year-old-us-hiker/100604392" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You’ve got to have an incredible resolve to do this.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845450/hiking1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f2a405a3358043b3bc3e83775440472f" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: nimblewillnomad.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Eberhart took on the trail in reverse order so that he could take advantage of the weather, and completed his final section in western Massachusetts.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dale “Greybeard” Sanders, the former record holder, joined Mr Eberhart at the finish line.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He said he wasn’t sad that his record had been overtaken.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My dear friend Nimblewill is taking my record away from me, and I’m happy for him. Records are made to be broken,” Mr Sanders said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Appalachian Trail has formed the bulk of his final trek, which he has named “Odyssey 2021 ‘Bama to Baxter - Hike On”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After finishing the 3,500-kilometre trail, Mr Eberhart has just 1.2 kilometres left of the Pinhoti Trail according to his </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://nimblewillnomad.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">website</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845451/hiking2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4d85088e61f347d4be4e2af7c0f3009f" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: nimblewillnomad.com</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though his first hike was motivated by a search for peace, he said he has eventually found it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You can seek peace. That doesn’t mean that you’re going to find it,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I persevered to the point that the good Lord looked down on me and said, ‘you’re forgiven, you can be at peace’.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s a profound blessing. It’s as simple as that.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though Mr Eberthart has said it will be his last hike, his friend Mr Norman said that wasn’t too likely.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t think it’s going to be his last hike. I just don’t think he knows what he’s going to hike next,” Mr Norman said.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: nimblewillnomad.com</span></em></p>

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