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Peter Andre announces baby daughter's name

One month after the birth of his daughter, Peter Andre has finally shared his new baby's name. The announcement comes four weeks after Andre and his Emily MacDonagh shared the news of their daughter's arrival, while admitting to their fans they were <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/help-name-our-baby-peter-andre-s-extraordinary-plea" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggling</a> to find a name. Emily picked out the name of their daughter, as Peter took to Instagram to share the news. "I think you've chosen a beautiful name, [Emily]. Arabella Rose Andréa," the proud dad announced was the baby's name, alongside a professional newborn photo. "I LOVE it and I love her... and you of course," he told his wife of eight years, who is a GP, author and media personality, before adding in what Arabella is written in the Greek alphabet. <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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C6dPoDOIOL-/?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/C6dPoDOIOL-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Peter Andre (@peterandre)</a> </div> </blockquote> Arabella arrived on April 2nd, with the proud new parents sharing photos taken when she was "just minutes old" with fans. "We feel so overwhelmed right now," Andre said. "So happy to welcome our beautiful girl to the family. Mum and daughter are doing amazing." However, he shared an unusual plea with his followers as he shared that the couple were having difficulty coming up with a name for their bub. "As parents, we couldn't be happier. Only thing is…. she has no name yet. Help!" The comment section of the post was flooded with potential names for the little girl, with some suggesting the chosen name of Arabella. Andre and MacDonagh are also parents to Amelia, 10, and Theo, seven. The singer also shares two children - Junior, 18, and Princess, 16, - with his first wife, Katie Price. Image credits: Instagram

Family & Pets

Billy Joel in tears over career announcement

American singer and ‘Piano Man’ Billy Joel is set to conclude his “extraordinary” Madison Square Garden residency with his 150th lifetime show. Joel, MSG CEO James Dolan, and New York City Mayor Eric Adams were at a press conference at the venue when the announcement was made, with Dolan taking to the stage to share that the first of the star’s final ten concert will take place in October 2023, with the final one scheduled for July 2024. "What Billy Joel has accomplished is extraordinary," Dolan said. "Although the residency is coming to an end, we look forward to an exciting closing run to celebrate all that you have accomplished and forever welcoming you back home to the garden anytime, anytime you like." An MSG Entertainment representative went on to discuss Joel’s time at the venue - with the singer having headlined over 60 times more than any other artist, and having sold more than 1.6 million tickets - before a video tribute was played in his honour, prompting another round of tears from him. In the wake of the announcement, Joel went on to offer his own words, telling the crowd, “Madison Square Garden is more than just our office, it's our home. "I'm kinda flabbergasted it lasted as long as it did. "It's hard to end – even 150 lifetime shows, but as I said, we're not abandoning New York, we're just spending a bit more time someplace else.” Reportedly, Joel’s team had advised him that the show could have gone on, but he had reached the decision that it was time to bring it to a close. “It keeps selling, people keep coming, people keep buying tickets,” he said, “[but] I'm now 74, seems like a nice number to just [say] 'okay'.” And as Mayor Adams went on to share, Joel’s music wasn’t going anywhere, even if the residency was moving on. "There's only one thing that's more New York than Billy Joel – and that's a Billy Joel concert at MSG," he said. "For more than 50 years, Billy's music has defined our city and brought us together. “On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all." When the news broke on social media, fans were sad to know the performances would be over, but wasted no time in congratulating him for a job well done, and thanking him for sharing his music with the world. “All good things must come to a end,” one wrote, “congratulations on this amazing run and thank you for some special memories”. “OMG I hope to see one of your shows by then,” another shared. “You give great concerts. That final performance there will be such a heartfelt sadness for all your fans who just love hearing and seeing you perform. Billy Joel, you are amazing and loved.” And as one other told the beloved Piano Man, “incredible! Congratulations and thank you for sharing your beautiful creativity with us. You've entertained, soothed and made us think. All the best!!” Images: Getty

Prince William’s undercover university ‘disguise’ revealed

Prince William knows a thing or two about life in the public eye, with most of his major life moments playing out for the entire world to see. But that hasn’t always been the case, with the prince taking matters into his own hands when it came to his education, and opting to fly under the radar during his time at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. And luckily for William, the media agreed, allowing him to conduct his studies with their constant - and prying - eyes on him. But he still had to take a few extra measures to blend in with the rest of the prestigious student body, with one move rising above all of the others: Prince William decided to go by ‘Steve’. According to The Mirror, the prince did still officially enrol under the name William Wales, but when it came to his friends and fellow students, ‘Steve’ was the perfect solution for avoiding any undesired attention. And, as some have pointed out, it’s likely his now-wife Kate used the nickname, too, as “they were close friends at university and lived in the same student accommodation.” However, it had been previously reported by the same publication that Kate had an entirely different pet name for the royal, in which they claimed she used the name ‘Big Willy’ instead. They also noted that the Princess of Wales had occasionally called him ‘Baldy’, too. As a source explained to The Mirror at the time, “the royals are not very good at communicating with one another so this is one way around it. Nicknames are a way of taking the family tension out of things.” William’s university stint wasn’t the first time he had gone by a different name, either, with the prince admitting in a 2007 interview with NBC that he had actually gone by ‘Wombat’ when he was younger - a nickname bestowed upon him by his mother, Princess Diana. “I can’t get rid of it now,” he said. “It began when I was two. I’ve been rightfully told because I can’t remember back that far. But when we went to Australia with our parents, and the wombat, you know, that’s the local animal. So I just basically got called that. Not because I look like a wombat. Or maybe I do.” And the unintended family tradition seems to have carried on through to William’s own children, with Charlotte having two nicknames of her own that have come to light. At the Chelsea Flower Show in 2019, the royals were with their children in Kate’s ‘Back to Nature’ garden when William called out to Charlotte. Although rather than using her real name, he called out for ‘Mignonette’ - a French word meaning “small, sweet, and delicate” or even “cute”. As for Kate, she revealed her nickname for Charlotte - ‘Lottie’ - during a visit to Northern Ireland in 2019, while she was chatting to another proud mother. Images: Getty

Relationships

Boris Johnson resigns

Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister of the UK. The leader of the controversial Conservative Party was plagued with various scandals from holding parties during lockdown to offering his colleague who was under investigation for sexual misconduct a high profile job. Within 48 hours, 59 people resigned from Johnson’s parliament with many of them calling for him to quit. Johnson eventually resigned from the top job at 12.30pm on Thursday UK time. He said he will remain in his position until a new leader of the Conservative Party is appointed. "It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister,” he said outside 10 Downing street. “I've agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week. “And I've today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until the new leader is in place. "So I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time: 'Thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979’.” Johnson revealed that he tried to convince his party to stick together and how switching governments now would be “difficult”. "In the last few days, I've tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we're delivering so much... and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally," he said. "I regret not to have been successful in those arguments, and of course, it's painful, not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself. "To you, the British public: I know that there will be many people who are relieved and, perhaps, quite a few will also be disappointed. "And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world, but them's the breaks." Read his full speech below. "It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister, and I've agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week. And I've today appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will, until the new leader is in place. "So I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time: 'Thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979’.” "And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019. "And of course, I'm immensely proud of the achievements of this government: from getting Brexit done to settling our relations with the continent for over half a century, reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in parliament, getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown, and in the last few months, leading the West in standing up to Putin's aggression in Ukraine. "And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that I know that we in the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes. "And at the same time, in this country, we've been pushing forward a vast program of investment in infrastructure and skills and technology, the biggest in a century. Because if I have one insight into human beings, it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population but opportunity is not. And that's why we must keep levelling up, keep unleashing the potential in every part of the United Kingdom. And if we could do that, in this country, we will be the most prosperous in Europe. "And in the last few days, I've tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we're delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we're actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in midterm after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally. "And I regret not to have been successful in those arguments, and of course it's painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself. But as we've seen at Westminster the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves. And my friends, in politics, no one is remotely indispensable, and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times, not just helping families to get through it but changing and improving the way we do things, cutting burdens on businesses and families and yes, cutting taxes, because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services. "And to that new leader, I say wherever he or she may be, I say I will give you as much support as I can. "And to you, the British public, I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world. But them's the breaks. "I want to thank Carrie and our children, all members of my family who have had to put up with so much, for so long. I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given our police, our emergency services, and of course, our fantastic NHS who at a critical moment helped to extend my own period in office, as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world, and our indefatigable Conservative Party members and supporters whose selfless campaigning makes our democracy possible. "I want to thank the wonderful staff here at Number 10 and of course Chequers, and our fantastic prop force detectives, the one group, by the way, who never leak. "Above all I want to thank you, the British public for the immense privilege that you have given me. And I want you to know that from now on, until the new prime minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on. "Being Prime Minister is an education in itself. I've travelled to every part of the United Kingdom and in addition to the beauty of our natural world, I found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden. "Thank you all very much." Image: Getty

News

Exile on Main St turns 50: how The Rolling Stones’ critically divisive album became rock folklore

In May of 1972 the Rolling Stones released their 10th British studio album and first double LP, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/exile-on-main-street-96177/">Exile on Main St.</a> Although initial critical response was lukewarm, it is now considered a contemporary music landmark, the best work from a band who rock critic Simon Frith once referred to as “the poets of lonely leisure.” Exile on Main St. was both the culmination of a five-year productive frenzy and bleary-eyed comedown from the darkest period in the Stones’ history. By 1969 the storm clouds of dread building around the group had become a full-blown typhoon. First, recently sacked member Brian Jones was found dead, drowned in his swimming pool. Then, as the decade ended in a rush of bleak portents, they played host to the chaos of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-01/how-the-rolling-stones-killed-the-hippie-dream-at-altamont/11747188">Altamont Speedway Free Concert</a>, a poorly organised, massive free concert, which ended with four dead including a murder captured live on film. Yet amidst all this the Stones produced <a href="https://greilmarcus.net/2020/03/22/the-end-of-the-1960s-let-it-bleed-12-27-69/">Let It Bleed</a> (1969) and <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/sticky-fingers-mw0000195498">Sticky Fingers</a>(1971), two devastating albums that wrapped up the era like a parcel bomb addressed to the 1970s. Songs like Gimme Shelter, the harrowing Sister Morphine, and Sway, which broods on Nietzche’s notion of circular time, exuded the kind of weary grandeur that would define Exile. <h2>Rock folklore</h2> The story behind Exile on Main St. has become <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXcqcdYABFw">rock folklore</a>. Fleeing from England’s punitive tax laws, the Stones lobbed in a Côte d'Azur mansion that was a Gestapo HQ during World War II. Mick Jagger was largely sidelined, spending much of the time in Paris with pregnant wife Bianca. The musicians were jammed into an ad-hoc basement studio, a cross between steam-bath and opium den, powered by electricity hijacked from the French railway system. The house was beset by hangers-on, including the obligatory posse of drug-dealers. Yet with control ceded to the nonchalant, disaster-prone Keith Richards – the kind of person a crisis would want around in a crisis – they somehow harnessed the power of pandemonium. The result was a singular amalgam of barbed soul, mutant gospel, tombstone blues and shambolic country, as thrilling in its blend of familiar sources as works by contemporaries <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/sep/02/roxy-music-40-years">Roxy Music</a> and David Bowie were in the use of alien ones. Jagger shuffles his deck of personas from song to song like a demented croupier, the late, great drummer <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/24/arts/music/charlie-watts-dead.html">Charlie Watts</a> supplies his customary subtle adornments, and a cast of miscreants – most crucially, pianist Nicky Hopkins and producer Jimmy Miller – function as supplementary band members. All 18 tracks contribute to the ragged perfection of the document as a whole. Tumbling Dice and Happy are textbook rock propelled by a strange union of virtuosity and indolence. And there is an undeniable beauty to the likes of Torn and Frayed and Let it Loose, albeit a beauty that is tentative, hard-earned. The package is completed by its distinctive sleeve art, juxtaposing a collage of circus performers photographed by Robert Frank circa 1950 with grainy stills from a Super-8 film of the band and a mural dedicated to Joan Crawford. Exile confused audiences at first: Writer <a href="https://www.amazon.com/EXILE-MAIN-STREET-Rolling-Stones/dp/0028650638">John Perry</a> describes its 1972 reception as mixing “puzzlement with qualified praise”. The response of critic Lester Bangs was typical. After an initial negative review, Bangs came to regard it as the group’s strongest work. Critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/exile-on-main-st-mw0000191639">confirms</a> that the record over time has become a touchstone, calling it a masterful album that takes “the bleakness that underpinned Let It Bleed and Sticky Fingers to an extreme.” <h2>Inspiration</h2> The roll call of artists inspired by Exile is extensive, from Tom Waits and the White Stripes to Benicio del Toro and Martin Scorsese. But two album-length homages stand out. In 1986, underground punks Pussy Galore concocted a feral, abstract <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHAEkWcgBD8">facsimile</a> of the entire double-LP. In 1993, singer-songwriter Liz Phair used the original as a rough template for her acclaimed <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW1nMJ4-2qM">Exile in Guyville</a>. Nonetheless, journalist Mark Masters notes that by the 1980s, the social and cultural circumstances that produced Exile were waning as acts such as Minutemen, Mekons, The Go-Go’s and Fela Kuti gave listeners access to fresh modes of rebellion. Circa 1972, the Rolling Stones deserved the title “greatest rock and roll band in the world.” That it is still claimed 50 years on shows how classic rock continues to overbear all that followed. <h2>The grandfathers of rock</h2> When in 2020 Rolling Stone <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/">magazine</a> made a half-hearted attempt to tweak the classic rock canon – elevating Marvin Gaye, Public Enemy and Lauryn Hill alongside or above Exile and the Beatles – the response was predictably unedifying. One reader complained that the magazine was catering to “young people with no musical history and older people who don’t know anything.” Others raged that rap is not music and the list was proof of rampant political correctness. Such archaic, ignorant language is typical of gatekeepers of the classic rock tradition. It is a language of exclusion, ensuring that exceptional new music by, say, <a href="https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/fiona-apple-fetch-the-bolt-cutters/">Fiona Apple</a> (which sounds something like rock) or <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/listening-booth/the-hypnotic-spell-of-groupers-shade">Liz Harris</a> (which sounds rather different) will always be rated below what came before. The Rolling Stones have an inevitable, if ambiguous, relationship to all of this. In terms of race, writer Jack Hamilton <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2016/10/race-rock-and-the-rolling-stones-how-the-rock-and-roll-became-white.html">argues</a> that they were always “fiercely committed to a future for rock and roll music in which black music and musicians continued to matter.” How they intersect with gender is perhaps more troubling, though also <a href="https://scholar.google.com.au/scholar_url?url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13619460801990104&hl=en&sa=X&ei=GvplYvGUEpyO6rQP_qe3mAs&scisig=AAGBfm2sqr4oKv5EoKYSmkitlR44etMXqA&oi=scholarr">conflicted</a>. While eminent female musicians such as Joan Jett, Carrie Brownstein and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRPpCqXYoos">Rennie Sparks</a> continue to champion the Stones, their role as leading purveyors of an inherently masculine, increasingly archaic musical form cannot be avoided. Exile on Main St. is a significant album made by a bunch of haggard rebels whose heyday (and rebellion) is past but whose art lives on in complex ways. Along with Sly and the Family Stone’s There’s a Riot Goin’ On and Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night, it fits snugly into an aesthetic of washed out, narcotic-smeared masterpieces from the early seventies. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/exile-on-main-st-turns-50-how-the-rolling-stones-critically-divisive-album-became-rock-folklore-181704" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Revealed: New Zealand’s most trusted brands for 2022

Celebrating its 100th year as a global brand, Reader’s Digest has announced the <a href="https://www.trustedbrands.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Most Trusted Brands in New Zealand</a> in its annual survey – and the results are about as delicious as we’ve come to expect! Taking out the Number One spot in 2022 was popular chocolate brand Whittaker’s – making this the 11th year in a row it has earned the Reader’s Digest Most Trusted of all Brands award – proving that New Zealanders are clearly very proud of the sweet treat that consistently tastes great. The award-winning brands that appear in the Reader’s Digest 23rd annual survey have stood out among their competitors during the most challenging of times throughout the pandemic, and have continued to build their customers’ trust. “Trust in consumer brands takes years of careful planning, execution and nurturing,” says Reader’s Digest editor-in-chief, Louise Waterson. “But during challenging times, and the past year has been one of the most difficult on record, we’ve seen quality brands live up to their promises to their customers. These brands have been able to win and retain the trust of their customers.” The Trusted Brands survey covers a comprehensive range of products and services across 71 categories, as selected by New Zealanders, was without prejudice. Brands included in the list to be rated were generated by asking local New Zealand consumers for their most trusted brands. This question was unprompted to ensure the rating of top brands in each category, as selected by New Zealanders. Each respondent was asked score each brand out of ten, as well as providing comments on their most trusted brand within each category – providing key drivers of trust for consumers. Each category contains one Winner, and two Highly Commended brands. These brands scored higher in their respective categories than the other brands polled. The top 20 winners – that scored higher in their respective categories than the other brands polled – are as follows: Top 20 Trusted Brands of all brands surveyed <ul> <li>1 Whittaker’s </li> <li>2 St John New Zealand </li> <li>3 Mitre 10 </li> <li>4 Tip Top </li> <li>5 Mainland </li> <li>6 Samsung </li> <li>7 Anchor </li> <li>8 Resene </li> <li>9 Toyota </li> <li>10 Dettol </li> <li>11 Panadol</li> <li>12 Canon</li> <li>13 Dyson</li> <li>14 Bridgestone</li> <li>15 Yates</li> <li>16 Griffin’s</li> <li>17 Fisher & Paykel</li> <li>18 Masport</li> <li>19 Dilmah</li> <li>20 Cookie Time</li> </ul> Under each category one winner and two highly commended placings were awarded. To find out who you can officially trust, see the full results of all 71 categories in the May edition of Reader’s Digest or visit <a href="https://www.trustedbrands.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.trustedbrands.co.nz</a>

Money & Banking

Peter Brock's childhood home sells at auction

The childhood home of the late racing legend Peter Brock has sold at auction for $893,000. The three-bedroom weatherboard home in the Victorian suburb of Hurstbridge, 28km north-east of Melbourne, exceeded its price guide of $750,000 to $820,000. As three bidders battled for the property, a local couple won the bid, as Ciaran Brannigan, director of Morrison Kleeman Estate Agents, told <a href="https://www.realestate.com.au/news/racing-champ-peter-brocks-childhood-home-comedian-shane-bournes-house-sells/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">realestate.com.au</a>. The home was last on the market in 2006 when it was sold for just $337,000, decades after it belonged to the Brock family. Mr Brannigan said, "Definitely almost everybody mentioned it [the connection to Brock] but I don't think anyone was bidding because of that." The red-roofed cottage has bee renovated over the years, with both the kitchen and bathrooms being updated to a modern aesthetic. Features of the unique home include a large paved alfresco area ideal for outdoor entertaining, a free-standing studio and a sunny lounge area with a log-burning fireplace. Despite the up to date renovations, old-style charm has been maintained throughout the home with its decorative cornice work and tessellated tiles. Peter Brock first rose to fame in the 1970s when he won the six-hour endurance race for production cars at Mount Panorama Bathurst nine times between 1972 and 1987. He was soon dubbed King of the Mountain and maintained a high profile both as a competitor and commentator on Australian and New Zealand television. The Bathurst 1000 trophy was renamed the Peter Brock trophy one month after his death in 2006. Image credits: Getty Images / realestate.com.au

Real Estate

Peter van Onselen reveals past abuse in debate with Grace Tame

Content warning: This article mentions paedophilia, child sexual abuse and rape. Grace Tame has called out Peter van Onselen, after the pair engaged in a heated conversation on Twitter that saw him disclose that he was also a victim of child sexual abuse. Van Onselen previously wrote in The Australian that he was “lucky” to not be abused by a notorious paedophile he had gained the attention of, and has now said that wasn’t the case. The conversation was sparked by van Onselen commenting on a separate tweet by Dr Gemma Carey, suggesting that her family being banned from the GP clinic they had been seeing for a long time was “a sign that you’re a complete pain in the arse”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> That’s how I felt when as a survivor myself of child sexual abuse (he was convicted) she accused me of being a threat to my wife. Unfortunately you then helped her raise money when I had the temerity to ask her to apologise. Thanks for all your support. — Peter van Onselen 🎣 (@vanOnselenP) <a href="https://twitter.com/vanOnselenP/status/1509487096087838722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2022</a></blockquote> Grace Tame retweeted a screenshot of his comment with the caption, “When you victimise a vulnerable person, that’s a pretty good sign too.” This prompted van Onselen to say he was a victim of child sexual abuse from a person who was convicted at the time that he shared his story to police. Tame replied noting that the person who he said abused him hadn’t been convicted of crimes against him, writing that “co-opting other survivors’ experiences is a whole new low, mate”. Van Onselen also said Tame forced him to make the disclosure after she accused him of co-opting the stories of other victims of the same person. “You have made me say this which is incredibly distressing but there you go,” he wrote. “The police knew of three other boys he raped who didn’t want to testify. I was one of them.” “I was going off your own words, Peter. You are responsible for when and what you publicly disclose, not me. I ask again that you leave me alone now,” Tame replied, attaching a screenshot from his article in The Australian. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> That’s how I felt when as a survivor myself of child sexual abuse (he was convicted) she accused me of being a threat to my wife. Unfortunately you then helped her raise money when I had the temerity to ask her to apologise. Thanks for all your support. — Peter van Onselen 🎣 (@vanOnselenP) <a href="https://twitter.com/vanOnselenP/status/1509487096087838722?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2022</a></blockquote> “Like lots of survivors I have sought to not go public about what happened to me. I spoke to the police about exactly that as my abuser was being sentenced. Please stop shaming me for not having your courage to choose to go public.” “I have not shamed you, not once,” Tame replied. “You’re manipulating this entire situation. I have pointed out exactly what I have known to be true.” Tame returned to Twitter on Friday morning to explain the situation. “I stood up for a friend whom Peter demeaned unsolicitedly,” she wrote. “He then used ‘convicted’ paedophilia survivorship as a defence, in a tweet he copied and pasted several times - to me a paedophilia survivor. “Prior, he publicly aserted me he was “not sexually abused”, so I called him out.” Earlier the same day, she asserted that every survivor “deserves to be heard and respected”, but that trauma shouldn’t “excuse bad behaviour”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Every survivor of rape and abuse deserves to be heard and receive compassion. Every single one. Trauma, however, doesn’t excuse bad behaviour. It is not a weapon of provocation or oneupmanship to deploy in the face of others at your convenience, especially not fellow survivors. — Grace Tame (@TamePunk) <a href="https://twitter.com/TamePunk/status/1509669097759723523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2022</a></blockquote> “It is not a weapon of provocation or one-up-manship to deploy in the face of others at your convenience, especially not fellow survivors.” Van Onselen originally wrote that he had been groomed by a paedophile but had not been abused in his The Australian piece. “To be very clear from the outset, I was not sexually abused, I am one of the lucky ones” he wrote at the time. “But only just. A teacher … tried to sexually assault me on a school trip. He was convicted for doing so to three other boys on that same trip.” But, he also wrote that he may have “dissociated” during the abuse and may “have blocked more that happened”. In his latest online spat, the Project co-host also referred to a previous altercation with Dr Carey, when he had threatened to sue her over a tweet suggesting he was a danger to his wife in an old photo with Christian Porter. Image: Roy Vandervegt (Adelaide Festival) / Getty Images

News

I scream, you scream we all scream for ice-cream

Peters Ice Cream has been slapped with a massive $12 million fine after it was caught preventing competitors from selling their products at petrol stations and convenience stores. The Federal Court found that Peters, from November 2014 to December 2019, made a sketchy deal with their transport partner PFD Food Services to not sell competitor’s ice cream without prior consent. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), who prosecuted Peters in court, said the deal very clearly reduced competition and reduced options for consumers. “This is an important competition law case involving products enjoyed by many Australians,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said. “We took this action because we were concerned that Peters Ice Cream’s conduct could reduce competition in this market and impact on the choice of single-serve ice-creams available to consumers.” Other ice cream manufacturers who make Bulla, Gelativo and Pure Pops had approached PFD asking them to distribute their product. However, PFD said they were unable to distribute the ice creams due to its exclusive deal with Peters. "Peters Ice Cream admitted that if PFD had not been restricted from distributing other manufacturers' ice cream products, it was likely that one or more potential competitors would have entered or expanded in this market,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb continued. “This case is a reminder to all businesses of the serious and costly consequences of engaging in anti-competitive conduct. “The ACCC is targeting exclusive arrangements by firms with market power that impact competition as one of our compliance and enforcement priorities for 2022/23.” Peters Ice Cream was ordered to establish a compliance program for three years and pay a contribution to the ACCC’s legal costs. Image: Instagram

Money & Banking

Toddler steals the show during royal visit

Prince William and Kate Middleton attended a St Patrick’s Day Parade in Aldershot with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards - but they weren’t the stars of this year’s show. Lieutenant Colonel Rob Money’s young daughter, Gaia Moloney, <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/prince-william-kate-middleton-duke-duchess-cambridge-st-patricks-day-parade-irish-guards-toddler-gaia-money/287fa8e7-761f-426f-a87d-a12bf21028b2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attracted</a> plenty of attention after he placed his bearskin hat over her head. The Duke and Duchess couldn’t hold back their laughter as the 1.5-year-old stood patiently while her father balanced the large, fluffy black hat over her head. Kate also accepted a posy from the young girl after kneeling down beside her and having a chat. Other cute attendees the royal couple met included a baby in a red jumper, who Prince William cooed over, and an Irish wolfhound called Seamus, who is the regimental mascot. William and Kate were dressed to the nines for the event, with the prince donning his full uniform as Colonel of the Irish Guards, and Kate styling a belted green coat dress with military detailing with green suede pumps, a pillbox-esque hat and a gold shamrock pin. Though the pandemic forced them to skip the event for the past two years, the couple quickly returned to following tradition at this year’s event. Kate was seen handing out Shamrock sprigs to members of the regiment - a custom begun by Queen Alexandra in 1901 - before the couple sat with officers and sergeants for the official mess photo. They later visited the junior ranks dining hall, where the senior guardsman in the battalion proposed a toast to the royals. Images: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Mum makes dating ad for daughter in Times Square

A woman with terminal cancer has <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10370849/Mom-cancer-61-takes-Times-Square-billboard-help-daughter-30-boyfriend.html" target="_blank">taken out a billboard in Times Square</a> to help her daughter find a boyfriend, with the hope she can see her marry before she dies. Beth Davies was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, receiving chemotherapy to treat it. However, she was informed in June 2020 that she had developed metastatic breast cancer which had spread to her bones. The 61-year-old Boston woman is now hoping to help her daughter Molly, 30, secure a partner so that she can watch her daughter walk down the aisle. She also wants “to know I am leaving her in good hands”. Last week, Ms Davies’ 14-by-seven-metre ad went up at the famed spot, showing a photo of Molly and a link to her profile on dating app Wingman, which lets friends and family share testimonies about the person and pitch them as a suitable partner. Beneath the photo, a message from Beth was also included, reading: “I’m Molly’s wingman and her Mom”. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846641/daughter-ad1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d923f15e7b954133a78f2a04f169b2bc" /> Image: The Daily Mail Speaking to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/03/cancer-stricken-mom-gets-times-square-billboard-to-help-daughter-find-a-man/" target="_blank">New York Post</a>, Ms Davies said she and her husband Rick were determined to help Molly get married. “I would like to see my daughter well-settled,” Beth told the publication. “Considering that I have serious health issues, there is urgency.” She is currently taking Ibrance tablets, which she hopes will keep the cancer at bay for at least two years. Molly told The Post the app and billboard “cases a wider net”. “I want someone who adores me and someone I adore as well. I want someone who adds to my life. If this broadcasts that, it will all be worth it.” Her mother added that her role as ‘wingwoman’ to her daughter came after Molly acted as her wingwoman. “It is only fair since Molly acted as my wingman, escorting me to various oncology appointments,” she said. Though Ms Davies said some of her friends’ daughters would “kill them” for attempting a similar stunt, Molly said she appreciated her mum’s efforts. “It’s such a trip. Especially up there next to Gen-Z icon Olivia Rodrigo,” Molly said of the billboard. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7846642/daughter-ad2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/969c6959ffe746bca39f62a4ef29e9ff" /> Image: Beth Davies (Facebook) Since its appearance, Molly and her mum have made the trip to Times Square together, with Ms Davies sharing photos of them beneath it on Facebook. The billboard ad came to be after Molly’s profile came to the attention of Wingman’s founder Tina Wilson, who arranged the whole thing. “She still is focused with love and attention for her daughter and so I wanted to help her accelerate that search and find someone great,” Ms Wilson told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/mom-gets-times-square-billboard-to-help-daughter-find-a-date/2927663/?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand" target="_blank">NBC</a>. Image: Beth Davies (Facebook)

Family & Pets

Peter Andre's ex-wife sentenced after horror smash

Image: Getty UK reality TV star Katie Price – the former wife of Peter Andre – has been handed a 16-week suspended prison sentence for drink-driving with a disqualified license and without car insurance. The 43-year-old will need to meet certain conditions as part of her sentence, which has been suspended for 12 months. These conditions include 100 hours of community service and a driving ban. The sentence was handed down on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT) at Crawley Magistrates’ Court. Price, who has had previous driving convictions, crashed her car near her Sussex home in the early hours back in September and was pulled out of the vehicle by a witness. No one else was injured in the crash, but Katie was arrested and taken to hospital. In September, she pleaded guilty to charges of drink-driving, driving while disqualified and operating a motor vehicle without insurance. She's become a staple in British unscripted television, taking part in a season of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! in 2004, where she first met Peter Andre. The couple went on to have their own reality shows together. Price and Andre were married from 2005-2009 and share two children together.

Legal

The Beatles: Get Back review – Peter Jackson’s TV series is a thrilling, funny (and long) treat for fans

The Beatles’ Get Back project, undertaken in January 1969, has finally been completed. Again. For most of the last 50 years it has been known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Let_It_Be_(1970_film)">Let it Be</a>, a film and LP record released in 1970. The project, conceived by Paul McCartney, was originally intended to be a television special documenting the band’s preparation for a live concert (their first in two and a half years). Because of the performance element, the Beatles decided to get back to their roots and only develop material that could be played without adding overdubs. As it happened, the concert didn’t go ahead, the Beatles famously deciding instead to play a short unannounced gig on the roof of their headquarters. The TV special became a feature film, and the audio was handed over to the “wall of sound” producer, Phil Spector (leading to controversial results). Meanwhile, in the early 1980s, the Beatles withdrew the film version (a fly-on-the-wall documentary directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg) from circulation. Lindsay-Hogg’s Let it Be is remembered as a portrait of a band in the process of breaking up. And indeed, George Harrison did briefly quit the band early into the four-week project, though Lindsay-Hogg’s documentary does not cover this episode. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433853/original/file-20211125-17-14zc63j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433853/original/file-20211125-17-14zc63j.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> George Harrison in Get Back. Walt Disney Pictures, Apple Corps, WingNut Films Let it Be was seen as a downer in part because the Beatles, especially Lennon, were keen to trash it in the light of the band’s breakup (which occurred just weeks before the release of Let it Be, both film and album). As Lennon said in December 1970, the shoot was “hell”, and Spector was “given the shittiest load of badly recorded shit”. <h2>A different tenor</h2> While the newly released The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, covers Harrison’s departure and return, Jackson’s film is tonally different from Lindsay-Hogg’s. According to Jackson, the dour account of Let it Be is inaccurate, since there is much “joy” and friendship evident in the 60 hours of film and 150 hours of audio tape that has been sitting in a vault for half a century. Much of this audio has long been available as bootlegs, informing written accounts of this period of the Beatles’ history. The audio without the video, however, doesn’t always tell the whole story. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hmDy9x3AUc0?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> While Jackson and his team haven’t shied away from the moments of friction, ennui, and aimlessness experienced by the band, the tenor of Get Back is more upbeat than Lindsay-Hogg’s version (though there is perhaps more levity in that film than Jackson or its reputation allows). But Get Back is not just a recut of Let it Be; it is a documentary in its own right, a film about the making of a film. Lindsay-Hogg is now a character in the drama of trying to work out what the project is about, and how it will end. Unlike the cinema verité style of Let it Be, Get Back gives much-needed context in the form of titles naming the protagonists and songs, as well as explaining what is happening. The use of a day-by-day countdown to the live performance gives the otherwise shapeless events a sense of narrative and even tension. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nSrCk1icisI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Get Back was to be a feature film with a theatrical release, but COVID-19 led to a rescheduling and reconceptualising of the work, so that it became a documentary for Disney+. Recent reports were that the series would be a three-part series with a six-hour running time. <h2>The climactic rooftop concert</h2> As it turns out, that running time is closer to eight hours. (Let it Be is a mere 80 minutes long.) Almost all of these eight hours show the Beatles at work on a sound stage (at Twickenham Film Studios) or in an ad hoc recording studio (put together in the Beatles’ Apple headquarters, when – after Harrison’s walkout – it was decided that Twickenham wasn’t conducive to creativity). The Apple studio is clearly more pleasant, and the tone is further lightened when the Beatles are joined by an outsider, their old friend Billy Preston, on keyboards (a crucial moment for the project). <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/385eTo76OzA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> There is nevertheless something of a hermetic feel to most of Get Back, so that when the Beatles and Preston head up to the rooftop to play in public – the cinematic “payoff” that the band and Lindsay-Hogg had been looking for throughout the project – there is a palpable sense of release. And the famous rooftop concert, presented with creative use of split screen, is stunningly good (and is also, for the first time, presented in its 42-minute entirety). After the countless run throughs and takes of the same songs over the preceding weeks (as well as numerous covers and early Beatles tunes), the sense of energy and the quality of playing gives the film the climactic moment that it needs, complete with police officers demanding, albeit politely, that the Beatles stop breaching the peace of London’s West End. <iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I392lK8QUhQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <h2>Cigarettes, cups of tea, and white bread</h2> Get Back is very different from Let it Be in part due to Jackson’s editing, especially his use of montage, which produces a dynamic, sometimes frenetic, energy. Beyond these stylistic elements, Get Back is notable as a technical feat. It looks and sounds astonishingly good, not something that was ever said about Let it Be. Jackson and his technical team have employed the kind of film restoration techniques used in his war documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7905466/">They Shall Not Grow Old</a> (2018). The vision in Get Back is beautifully saturated, sharp, and less grainy than Lindsay-Hogg’s film. Harrison and Starr, in their sartorial splendour, often resemble their cartoon equivalents from <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063823/">Yellow Submarine</a> (1968). If there is anything unvarnished about Jackson’s film it is the sight of people apparently living off cigarettes, cups of tea, and white bread. Also notably “historical” is the homosocial nature of the project; almost all of the active participants are men. Even Yoko Ono, who sits beside Lennon throughout, is almost entirely silent (save for her vocal participation in a couple of impromptu jams). While the film has been painstakingly restored, the soundtrack has been almost remade. Much of the audio was recorded on mono quarter-inch tape. Jackson’s technical team used machine learning to effectively “remix” these mono tapes, allowing Jackson to hone in on individual voices masked by other sound sources (voices or musical instruments). <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433854/original/file-20211125-19-e4obm5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/433854/original/file-20211125-19-e4obm5.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> John Lennon in Get Back. Walt Disney Pictures, Apple Corps, WingNut Films This is an extraordinary technological breakthrough, allowing key conversations to be heard properly for the first time, and for the remixing of the play throughs and rehearsals of songs, which weren’t being recorded as “takes” on the eight-track system. Get Back is a treat for any Beatles fan. It’s a reminder, too, if one is needed, that some classic songs were recorded for the project. (Given that McCartney supplied at least three of these classics – Let it Be, The Long and Winding Road, and Get Back – it’s unsurprising that he has long been unsatisfied with the way they were originally showcased.) But Jackson’s film isn’t all sweetness and light. Lennon, for instance, is dismissive of Harrison’s I, Me, Mine, and he makes a throwaway joke about Bob Wooler, a Liverpool disc jockey whom Lennon assaulted in 1963. Also notable is the relative absence of George Martin, who largely hands production duties to his sound engineer, Glyn Johns, surely a sign that Martin found something amiss with the project. And indeed numerous sequences show a band lacking focus and discipline. Get Back, then, is unquestionably a mixed bag: thrilling, compelling, and funny, but also sometimes just a little boring. In this, Jackson has been true to the original project. His extraordinary TV series is essential viewing for anyone interested in popular music.<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/172404/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-mccooey-308502">David McCooey</a>, Professor of Writing and Literature, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</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/the-beatles-get-back-review-peter-jacksons-tv-series-is-a-thrilling-funny-and-long-treat-for-fans-172404">original article</a>. Image: Apple Corps Ltd

See the new Ferris wheel in Times Square

The pandemic has seen New York City’s Times Square go quiet, but a new attraction has launched to bring the people back and turn the economy around. The Times Square Wheel gives riders a bird’s eye view of the ‘Crossroads of the World’ in midtown Manhattan over a 12 minute ride. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CTeKIW3D4fH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CTeKIW3D4fH/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Eric's New York (@visitnewyork)</a> </div> </blockquote> “I don’t remember the last time I’ve been on a Ferris wheel. That was so much fun,” said Deborah Johnson after having a go. “It was special to be able to go that high in a Ferris wheel in Times Square. How often do you get that opportunity? Never,” said Penelope Bustamante. <img style="width: 0px; height:0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843925/gettyimages-1336385436.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/91fb7961d60e42bf89651a2af5649abb" /> Image: Getty Images Vito Bruno, the man behind the concept, said the idea was to bring back the joy of childhood. “It’s a feel-good thing. It’s just the right time. You see people come alive again. New York and this country needs happy right now,” he said. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTAAsMdHDf0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTAAsMdHDf0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by NYC's CULTURE CURATOR (@fomofeed)</a> </div> </blockquote> But, some riders were less enthused about the experience. “It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. This was eh,” said Arlene Shchulman. “I thought I could go up to the elevator at one of the hotels and get a better view. Or maybe I’m just a jaded New Yorker.” Image: Getty Images

International Travel

World erupts in protest following George Floyd murder

The world has refused to stand still after watching in horror as US citizens took to the streets to protest the vicious death of George Floyd, a black man who died when a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck until he could no longer breathe. The civil unrest came to its breaking point this week after a number of deaths left Americans feeling helpless. Floyd's death on May 25 in Minneapolis was the latest in a series of deaths of black men and women at the hands of police in the US. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3thNJA07j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3thNJA07j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by george floyd justice (@georgefloydjustise)</a> on May 31, 2020 at 4:23pm PDT </div> </blockquote> Protestors gathered together in central London on Sunday to offer support to all the American demonstrators. They held signs including "No justice! No peace!" and waving placards with the words "How many more?" at Trafalgar Square. <img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836306/trafalgar-square-central-london.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/efba07d54d354c25a1c68d8b839982d2" />Trafalgar Square, Central London Protestors then marched to the US Embassy, where a long line of officers surrounded the building. Protesters in Denmark also converged on the US Embassy on Sunday carrying placards with messages including “Stop Killing Black People”. Several hundred more people took to the streets on Sunday in the capital's Kreuzberg of Berlin, Germany with signs saying "Silence is Violence," "Hold Cops Accountable," and "Who Do You Call When Police Murder?" <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7836307/copenhagan.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7bb215669d644ad5bdd3ce11ab61eebe" /> Copenhagan, Denmark In Italy, the Corriere della Sera newspaper's senior US correspondent Massimo Gaggi said that the reaction to Floyd's killing was "different" than other cases of black Americans killed by police and the ensuing violence. "There are exasperated black movements that no longer preach nonviolent resistance," Gaggi wrote. He went on to note that the Minnesota governor is warning that "anarchist and white supremacy groups are trying to fuel the chaos.'' Russia denounced Floyd’s death as the latest murder in a series of police violence cases against African American people. The country has accused the United States of "systemic problems in the human rights sphere.'' "This incident is far from the first in a series of lawless conduct and unjustified violence from US law enforcement,'' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "American police commit such high-profile crimes all too often.''

News

Where did he go? Pope Francis rescued after 25-minute scare

While thousands of eager churchgoers gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the usual traditional Sunday service, the main attraction was nowhere to be found. Usually, the service starts specifically at the dot-of-noon, and involved the Catholic leader sharing a few words and giving his blessing, but after seven minutes of waiting the same question began to buzz around the square: where is the pope? After 25 minutes, he appeared and said: "First of all I must excuse myself for being late. I was blocked in an elevator for 25 minutes." Francis explained the electric power had a “drop in tension,” which caused the elevator to become stuck. "Thank God the firefighters intervened," he said in reference to the on hand Vatican City State’s own fire department. The influential Catholic church leader concluded his announcement by asking the audience to give his “rescuers” a round of applause for he shared the news of 13 new churchmen of becoming new cardinals. The Vatican has not confirmed if the pope was alone or accompanied by any of his aides in the elevator.

Travel Trouble

The massive milestone Princess Charlotte will celebrate this week

Princess Charlotte of Cambridge will be sure to tug on the heart strings of her parents, Prince William and Duchess Kate, once the little royal reaches a massive milestone this week. The-4-year-old will officially wrap up her last day at nursery – which she started attending in January 2018 – and will join her big brother Prince George at big school in September. We are sure the little royal will be sad to wrap up her time at Willcocks Nursery (located in Kensington), but it won’t be too long before she is back in action alongside her older brother in her adorable new uniform. The Duchess of Cambridge shared a stunning photograph of her daughter on her first day at nursery in a red coat and matching shoes, with the adorable royal looking ready to tackle the big day ahead of her. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdsccZ-gYel/" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdsccZ-gYel/" target="_blank">The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are very pleased to share two photographs of Princess Charlotte at Kensington Palace this morning. The images were taken by The Duchess shortly before Princess Charlotte left for her first day of nursery at the Willcocks Nursery School.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kensingtonroyal/" target="_blank"> Kensington Palace</a> (@kensingtonroyal) on Jan 8, 2018 at 8:01am PST </div> </blockquote> At Willcocks Nursery, Princess Charlotte has learnt a number of handy skills that can be used when she gets a little older, including singing, cooking and learning values aligned with the school’s ethos: “High standards, excellence and good manners.” Kensington Palace confirmed earlier this year the little royal would join her big brother at Thomas’s Battersea on September 5.

Family & Pets

The internet is now an arena for conflict – and we're all caught up in it

Most people think the internet operates as a kind of global public square. In reality, it’s become a divided arena where conflict between nation states plays out. Nation states run covert operations on the same platforms we use to post cat videos and exchange gossip. And if we’re not aware of it, we could be unwittingly used as pawns for the wrong side. How did we get here? It’s complicated, but let’s walk through some of the main elements. The age of entanglement On the one hand, we have an information landscape dominated by Western culture and huge multi-national internet platforms run by private companies, such as Google and Facebook. On the other, there are authoritarian regimes such as China, Iran, Turkey and Russia exercising tight control over the internet traffic flowing in and out of their countries. We are seeing more cyber intrusions into <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-state-actor-has-targeted-australian-political-parties-but-that-shouldnt-surprise-us-111997">nation state networks</a>, such as the recent hack of the Australian parliamentary network. At the same time, <a href="https://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/news/lucas-kello-gives-evidence-to-house-of-lords-committee.html">information</a> and influence operations conducted by countries such as Russia and China are flowing through social media into our increasingly shared digital societies. The result is a <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/stack">global</a> ecosystem <a href="https://nsc.crawford.anu.edu.au/news-events/podcasts/video/10698/towards-political-ecology-cyberspace-3-3">perpetually</a> close to the threshold of war. Because nations use the internet both to assert power and to conduct trade, there are incentives for authoritarian powers to keep their internet traffic open. You can’t maintain rigid digital borders and assert cyberpower influence at the same time, so nations have to “<a href="https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/files/IS3903_pp007-047.pdf">cooperate to compete</a>”. This is becoming known as “entanglement” – and it affects us all. Data flows in one direction Authoritarian societies such as China, Russia and Iran aim to create their own separate digital ecosystems where the government can control internet traffic that flows in and out of the country. The Chinese Communist Party is well known for maintaining a supposedly secure Chinese internet via what is known in the West as the “<a href="https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs181/projects/2010-11/FreedomOfInformationChina/the-great-firewall-of-china-background/index.html">Great Firewall</a>”. This is a system that can block international internet traffic from entering China according to the whim of the government. For the majority of the <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/21/china-reaches-800-million-internet-users/">802 million people online</a> in China, many of the apps we use to produce and share information are not accessible. Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter are blocked. Instead, people in China use apps created by Chinese technology companies, such as Tencent, Alibaba and Baidu. Traffic within this ecosystem is monitored and censored in the most sophisticated and comprehensive surveillance state in the world. In 2018, for example, Peppa Pig was <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/how-peppa-pig-became-a-gangster-figure-in-china">banned</a> and the People’s Daily referred to her as a “<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180502092019/http://media.people.com.cn/BIG5/n1/2018/0426/c40606-29950870.html">gangster</a>” after she became iconic of rebelliousness in Chinese youth culture. Complete blocking of data is impossible A key objective of this firewall is to to shield Chinese society and politics from external influence, while enabling internal surveillance of the Chinese population. But the firewall is not technologically independent of the West – its development has been reliant upon US corporations to supply the software, hardware innovation and training to ensure the system functions. And since the internet is an arena where nations compete for economic advantage, it’s not in the interest of either side to destroy cyberspace entirely. As cyber security expert Greg Austin <a href="https://www.springer.com/la/book/9783319684352">has observed</a>, the foundations of China’s cyber defences remain weak. There are technical ways to <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F11957454_2">get around the firewall</a>, and Chinese internet users exploit <a href="https://theconversation.com/from-metoo-to-ricebunny-how-social-media-users-are-campaigning-in-china-90860">Mandarin homophones and emoji</a> to evade internal censors. Chinese economic and financial entanglement with the West means complete blocking of data is impossible. Consistent incentives to openness remain. China and the United States are therefore engaged in what Canadian scholar of digital media and global affairs Jon R Lindsay <a href="https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/files/IS3903_pp007-047.pdf">describes</a> as: <blockquote> chronic and ambiguous intelligence-counter intelligence contests across their networks, even as the internet facilitates productive exchange between them. </blockquote> That is, a tension exists because they are covertly working against each other on exactly the same digital platforms necessary to promote their individual and mutual interests in areas such as trade, manufacturing, communications and regulation. Since Russia is less dependent upon the information technology services of the United States and is therefore less entangled than China, it is <a href="https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/unsw-canberra-cyber/news/australian-cyber-ideas-moscow">more able</a> to engage in bilateral negotiation and aggression. Different styles of influence If the internet has become a contest between nation states, one way of winning is to appear to comply with the letter of the law, while abusing its spirit. In the West, a network of private corporations, including Twitter, Google and Facebook, facilitate an internet system where information and commerce flow freely. Since the West remains open, while powers such as Russia and China exercise control over internet traffic, this creates an imbalance that can be exploited. Influence operations conducted by China and Russia in countries such as Australia exist within this larger context. And they are being carried out in the digital arena on a <a href="https://blog.google/technology/safety-security/update-state-sponsored-activity/">scale</a>never before experienced. In the words of the latest <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/2019-ATA-SFR---SSCI.pdf">US Intelligence Community Worldwide Threat Assessment</a>: <blockquote> Our adversaries and strategic competitors […] are now becoming more adept at using social media to alter how we think, behave and decide. </blockquote> The internet is a vast infrastructure of tools that can be used to strategically manipulate behaviour for specific tactical gain, and each nation has its own style of influence. I have previously written about attempts by <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-digital-media-blur-the-border-between-australia-and-china-101735">China</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/russian-trolls-targeted-australian-voters-on-twitter-via-auspol-and-mh17-101386">Russia</a> to influence Australian politics via social media, showing how each nation state utilises different tactics. China takes a subtle approach, reflecting a long term strategy. It seeks to connect with the Chinese diaspora in a <a href="https://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/57781/apt/operation-cloud-hopper-apt10.html">target country</a>, and shape opinion in a manner favourable to the Chinese Communist Party. This is often as much as about <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-china-will-be-watching-how-we-commemorate-anzac-day-75856">ensuring some things aren’t said</a>as it is about shaping what is. <a href="https://theconversation.com/russian-trolls-targeted-australian-voters-on-twitter-via-auspol-and-mh17-101386">Russia</a>, on the other hand, has used more obvious tactics to infiltrate and disrupt Australian political discourse on social media, <a href="https://theconversation.com/weve-been-hacked-so-will-the-data-be-weaponised-to-influence-election-2019-heres-what-to-look-for-112130">exploiting</a> Islamophobia – and the divide between left and right – to undermine social cohesion. This reflects Russia’s primary aim to destabilise the civic culture of the target population. But there are some similarities between the two approaches, reflecting a growing cooperation between them. As the <a href="https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/2019-ATA-SFR---SSCI.pdf">US Intelligence Community</a> points out: <blockquote> China and Russia are more aligned than at any point since the mid-1950s. </blockquote> A strategic alliance between Russia and China The strategic <a href="https://toinformistoinfluence.com/2017/07/24/forget-sun-tzu-the-art-of-modern-war-can-be-found-in-a-chinese-strategy-book-from-1999/">origins of these shared approaches</a> go back to the early internet itself. The Russian idea of <a href="https://www.nato.int/DOCU/review/2015/Also-in-2015/hybrid-modern-future-warfare-russia-ukraine/EN/index.htm">hybrid warfare</a> – also known as the <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/03/05/im-sorry-for-creating-the-gerasimov-doctrine/">Gerasimov Doctrine</a> – uses information campaigns to undermine a society as part of a wider strategy. But this concept first originated in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). In 1999, Chinese PLA colonels penned a strategy titled <a href="https://www.oodaloop.com/documents/unrestricted.pdf">Unrestricted Warfare</a>, which outlined how to use media, government, pretty much everything, in the target country not as a tool, but as a weapon. It recommended not just cyber attacks, but also fake news campaigns – and was the basis for information campaigns that became famous during the 2016 US presidential election. In June 2016, Russia and China <a href="http://www.russia.org.cn/en/russia_china/president-vladimir-putin-and-chairman-of-the-people-s-republic-of-china-xi-jinping-held-talks-in-beijing-june-25-2016/">signed</a> a joint declaration on the internet, affirming their shared objectives. In December 2016, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off on a new <a href="http://www.mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/official_documents/-/asset_publisher/CptICkB6BZ29/content/id/2563163">Doctrine of Information Security</a>, which establishes how Russia will <a href="https://www.cyberdb.co/russia-and-china-are-making-their-information-security-case/">defend</a> its own population against influence operations. <a href="https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=d23109be-661d-4e90-a92c-32b7330e3a49">Observers</a> noted the striking similarity between the Russian document and Chinese internet <a href="https://www.chinalawtranslate.com/cybersecuritylaw/?lang=en">law</a>. Russia and China also <a href="https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/cyberattack-revelations-appear-undercut-russia-un">share a view</a> of the global management of the internet, pursued via the United Nations: <blockquote> […] more regulations to clarify how international law applies to cyberspace, with the aim of exercising more sovereignty – and state control – over the internet. </blockquote> The recent “sovereign internet” <a href="http://sozd.duma.gov.ru/bill/608767-7">bill</a> introduced to the Russian Parliament <a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/russian-bill-on-autonomous-operation-of-internet-advances-in-duma/29765882.html">proposes</a> a Domain Name System (DNS) independent of the wider internet infrastructure. If the internet is now a site of proxy war, such <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2466222">so-called</a> “<a href="https://www.rferl.org/a/q-a-hurdles-ahead-as-russia-surges-on-with-sovereign-internet-plan/29766229.html">balkanization</a>” challenges the dominance of the United States. Nations are competing for <a href="https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/harnessing-david-and-goliath-orthodoxy-asymmetry-and-competition">influence, leverage and advantage</a> to secure their own interests. Russia and China don’t want to risk an all out war, and so competition is pursued at a level just below armed conflict. Technology, especially the internet, has brought this competition to us all. We're entering turbulent waters Despite its best efforts, China’s leaders remain concerned that the digital border between it and the rest of the world is too porous. In June 2009, Google was blocked in China. In 2011, Fang Binxing, one of the main designers of the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quicktake/great-firewall-of-china">Great Firewall</a> expressed concern Google <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=dEGdCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA113&lpg=PA113&dq=Fang+Binxing+2011+riverbed+benjamin+bratton&source=bl&ots=61Gnc-6vW-&sig=ITVdygMm5ZmxuelLYB6w9oa6Cos&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwib66X9mPvcAhXHU7wKHRHrDiUQ6AEwAHoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=Fang%20Binxing%202011%20riverbed%20benjamin%20bratton&f=false">was still potentially accessible in China</a>, saying: <blockquote> It’s like the relationship between riverbed and water. Water has no nationality, but riverbeds are sovereign territories, we cannot allow polluted water from other nation states to enter our country. </blockquote> The water metaphor was deliberate. Water flows and maritime domains define sovereign borders. And water flows are a good analogy for data flows. The internet has pitched democratic politics into the fluid dynamics of <a href="http://politicalturbulence.org/">turbulence</a>, where algorithms shape <a href="https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/xwjden/targeted-advertising-is-ruining-the-internet-and-breaking-the-world">attention</a>, tiny clicks <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/political-science-research-and-methods/article/quota-sampling-using-facebook-advertisements/0E120F161C9E114C6044EBB7792B5E70">measure participation</a>, and personal data is <a href="https://www.chinoiresie.info/the-global-age-of-algorithm-social-credit-and-the-financialisation-of-governance-in-china/">valuable</a> and apt to be <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3224952">manipulated</a>. While other nations grapple with the best mix of containment, control and openness, ensuring Australia’s <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/china-in-focus/10181900">democracy remains robust</a> is the best defence. We need to keep an eye on the nature of the political discussion online, which requires a coordinated approach between the government and private sector, defence and security agencies, and an educated public. The strategies of information warfare we hear so much about these days were conceived in the 1990s – an era when “surfing the web” seemed as refreshing as a dip at your favourite beach. Our immersion in the subsequent waves of the web seem more threatening, but perhaps we can draw upon our cultural traditions to influence Australian security. As the rip currents of global internet influence operations grow more prevalent, making web surfing more dangerous, Australia would be wise to mark out a safe place to swim between the flags. Successful protection from influence will need many eyes watching from the beach. Written by Tom Sear. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-internet-is-now-an-arena-for-conflict-and-were-all-caught-up-in-it-101736">The Conversation.</a>

Technology

The Young and the Restless star tragically dies at 52

Kristoff St. John, mostly known for his starring role on the long-running soap opera The Young and the Restless, has died aged 52 years old, according to his lawyer Mark Geragos. A cause of death for the beloved actor has not been released. Police reportedly responded to a call on Sunday from friends of St. John who found him unresponsive at his home in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. The celebrity news site, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/mystery-surrounds-soap-star-kristoff-st-johns-death-at-52/news-story/3e60195047aea81083454c1aced21240" target="_blank">TMZ who first reported</a> the news, says the actor was pronounced dead at the scene. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Few men had the unique strength, courage & sensitivity that <a href="https://twitter.com/kristoffstjohn1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kristoffstjohn1</a> lived every single minute of every day. He impacted everyone he met and millions who he inspired and in turn admired him. On behalf of <a href="https://twitter.com/MiaStJohnBoxer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiaStJohnBoxer</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/TheStJohnFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheStJohnFamily</a> thank you for all of your love <a href="https://t.co/C5ladfILSD">pic.twitter.com/C5ladfILSD</a> — Mark Geragos (@markgeragos) <a href="https://twitter.com/markgeragos/status/1092453792686239745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote> The 52-year-old played Neil Winters on the highly acclaimed soap opera since 1991. Over his 25 years he worked on The Young and the Restless, the actor received numerous awards including nine Daytime Emmys. His role on the show was praised by fans for being one of the first African-American characters on the series, and regarded as a “pioneer” in daytime soaps. The tragedy follows just two weeks after the anniversary of the death of his son Julian. He died at 24, and was shared with ex-wife and boxer, Mia St. John. Julian tragically committed suicide while a patient at a mental health facility in 2014. The family won a lawsuit against the treatment centre for negligence, according to TMZ. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> On November 23rd Kristoff St John and I lost our beautiful son, Julian St John. Our son wa... <a href="http://t.co/mDtPTqEMTT">http://t.co/mDtPTqEMTT</a> <a href="http://t.co/nVUDtEuFBG">pic.twitter.com/nVUDtEuFBG</a> — Mia St. John (@MiaStJohnBoxer) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiaStJohnBoxer/status/538808180248420352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2014</a></blockquote> Born July, 15 1966 in New York, the actor began making a name for himself at a young age. At just 7 years old he appeared in That’s My Mama. In 1979 St. John played Alex Haley in the miniseries Roots: The Next Generations. He also regularly appeared on the CBS comedy series The Bad News Bears airing from 1979-1980. The actor had a small role playing on The Cosby Show as Denise Huxtable’s boyfriend. Later on in 1985, he worked on the CBS sitcom Charlie & Co. St. John also had small and large guest roles on shows including Jake and the Fatman, Diagnosis Murder, Suddenly Susan, The Jamie Foxx Show and many others. Supporters of the highly acclaimed actor took to social media to share their thoughts and prayers with his family. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> I am absolutely devastated by this news. OMG. My thoughts and prayers are with Kristoff St. John's family. 😪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YR</a> <a href="https://t.co/ITChGnR3pe">pic.twitter.com/ITChGnR3pe</a> — Brinard Sweeting (@brinardtalks) <a href="https://twitter.com/brinardtalks/status/1092438037961822208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> i was not ready for this news about Kristoff St. John. I am truly heart broken right now, this man was my TV Dad for over 25 years. He was clearly still hurting from the lose of his son. Sometimes the pain is too much to bare. I will miss this man soo much! <a href="https://t.co/sA4eHxDvgw">pic.twitter.com/sA4eHxDvgw</a> — Crystal Morrison (@CrazySpitFire89) <a href="https://twitter.com/CrazySpitFire89/status/1092428477767319552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2019</a></blockquote> A family marred by heartbreak, our thoughts are with Kristoff St. John’s loved ones during this time. Do you watch The Young and The Restless? Let us know in the comments below.

Caring

6 Irish films to watch this St. Patrick’s Day

Looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day that doesn’t involve drinking green beer and wearing a sequined hat? Why not snuggle into the comfiest couch you own and watch some of these wonderful Irish films? 1. Once This 2007 film is a pure delight to behold. Simultaneously an inspiring musical and tender love story, Once features mesmirising performances from Markéta Irglová and Glen Hansard, and unforgettable music. The film won an Academy Award for its signature tune, “Falling Slowly”, and was reimagined as an award-winning Broadway musical in 2012. 2. In the Name of the Father A co-production between Irish, British, and American creative forces, this 1993 courtroom drama is based in the true story of four people falsely convicted of the 1974 Guildford pub bombings. In the Name of the Father is captivating, with standout performances from lead Daniel Day-Lewis, and from Emma Thompson. 3. Sing Street Hailed by some as the best original musical of 2016 (over the beloved La La Land), Sing Street follows the exploits of a boy growing up in 1980s Dublin. As a way to escape his troubled family life, and in an effort to impress the girl he likes, Robert Lawlor starts a band. The rest is pure, musical joy. 4. The Crying Game This thriller explores nationality, sexuality, gender, and race, with the perfect backdrop of the Northern Ireland conflict setting the scene. Considered one of the greatest British films of all time, The Crying Game explores a member of the IRA, who has a brief but impactful encounter with a soldier. To say more risks ruining the film, and that would be a shame. 5. Brooklyn This endearing romance from 2015 solidified Saoirse Ronan as a bona-fide star, reminding the world why she earned her first Oscar nomination at the age of 13 (in Joe Wright’s Atonement). Ronan’s Eilis immigrates to Brooklyn from her small Irish town, hoping to find employment. After arriving in Brooklyn, Eilis finds work, studies bookkeeping, and meets a charming young suitor, but misses her beloved sister. A true love letter to both Ireland and Brooklyn, this film is a delight you shouldn’t pass by. 6. The Secret of Kells If you’re looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with your grandchildren, this charming animated film might just be the perfect way to do it. With a cast of characters that includes a brave monk and a fairy, and a captivating setting of a fort-like monastery and a gorgeous forest, The Secret of Kells is sure to join the ranks of your family’s favourite animated classics. Which of these Irish gems is your favourite?

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6 Irish films to watch this St. Patrick’s Day