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Princess Diana's former lover opens up in rare interview

<p>Army Major James Hewitt, who had a five-year affair with the late Princess Diana from 1986, has spoken about the royal in a rare television interview with <em>Good Morning Britain </em>on Tuesday. </p> <p>When asked about whether he thinks Diana may have been able to reunite her sons, who have barely spoken in five years, he replied: "I think any mother would be worried and concerned about such a rift, as you put it." </p> <p>"And she'd do her best to try and get them together."</p> <p>Major Hewitt, who now spends his time doing aid work in Ukraine, revealed that the last time he had spoken to the late Princess was "just after" her <em>BBC Panorama interview </em>with Martin Bashir in November 1995, during which she admitted to their affair.</p> <p>He described the conversation as "distant" and admitted that the interview did "create problems" for him from which he was "trying to move on".</p> <p>After the affair was revealed, Major Hewitt was labelled as a "love rat" by the tabloid media and found his reputation in ruins. </p> <p>He also said that the interview was "very distressing" for the late Princess, as someone she had trusted had used their connection to make money.</p> <p>"It was a stitch-up job," he said of the <em>Panorama</em> interview. </p> <p> "It was appalling of Bashir to [have] inveigled, lied to her, criminal activity, absolutely appalling."</p> <p>"As I've said, I hate bullies and bullying and arrogant people and I think it's appalling."</p> <p>Major Hewitt, who was Diana's riding instructor at the time, has previously denied claiming to have been a "father figure" to the princes but has said that he "played with them, swam with them, taught them to ride".</p> <p>The Duke of Sussex had also addressed the rumours that Major Hewitt was his biological father in his memoir <em>Spare</em>, saying that he felt the rumours were designed to turn him into a "laughing stock".</p> <p>"One cause of the rumour was Major Hewitt's red hair, but another was sadism," he wrote in his memoir. </p> <p><em>Image: Ken McKay/ITV/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

What are cooling blankets? Can they really help me sleep?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linda-grosser-1461631">Linda Grosser</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luana-main-2270550">Luana Main</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p>You wake up exhausted from yet another hot night of tossing and turning, with very little sleep.</p> <p>So you might be tempted to buy a “cooling blanket” after reading rave reviews on social media. Or you might have read online articles with <a href="https://www.news.com.au/checkout/home-and-garden/bedroom/bedding/best-cooling-blankets/news-story/118ce05eba1e7d5cdff3aeadae5ae940">taglines such as</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>Stop waking up in a puddle of sweat with our roundup of the best cooling blankets – including a top-rated option from Amazon that ‘actually works’.</p> </blockquote> <p>But what are cooling blankets? And can they help you get a restful night?</p> <h2>We know a cooler bedroom is best</h2> <p>First, let’s look at why a cooler environment helps us sleep better at night.</p> <p>Our body’s internal temperature has a <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm">circadian rhythm</a>, meaning it fluctuates throughout the day. A couple of hours before bed, it drops about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079203000236">0.31°C</a> to help you fall asleep. It will drop about <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7323637/">another 2°C</a> across the night to help you stay asleep.</p> <p>During sleep, your internal temperature and skin work together to achieve a balance between losing and producing heat. Your skin has sensors that pick-up changes in the environment around you. If it gets too warm, these sensors let your body know, which may cause you to kick-off blankets or bed clothes and wake more often leading to poorer sleep quality.</p> <p><a href="https://www.thensf.org/what-is-sleep-quality/">Sleep quality</a> is an important component of sleep health ensuring you get the physical, mental and emotional benefits that come from a good night’s sleep.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132318300325">ideal temperature</a> for sleep varies depending on the season and type of bedding you have but falls between 17°C and 28°C. Keeping your sleeping environment within this range will help you to get the best night’s rest.</p> <h2>So what are cooling blankets?</h2> <p>Cooling blankets are designed to help regulate your body temperature while you sleep.</p> <p>Different technologies and materials are used in their design and construction.</p> <p>We’re not talking about <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2206487/">hospital-grade</a> cooling blankets that are used to reduce fever and prevent injury to the nervous system. These use gel pads with circulating water, or air-cooling systems, connected to automatic thermostats to monitor someone’s temperature.</p> <p>Instead, the type of consumer-grade cooling blankets you might see advertised use a blend of lightweight, breathable materials that draw moisture away from the skin to help you stay cool and dry through the night. They look like regular blankets.</p> <p>Common materials include cotton, bamboo, silk or the fibre <a href="https://goodonyou.eco/how-ethical-is-tencel/">Lyocell</a>, all of which absorb moisture.</p> <p>Manufacturers typically use a <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/best-sheets/best-thread-count-for-sheets">thread count</a> of <a href="https://www.trustsleep.com/how-do-cooling-blankets-work/">300-500</a>, creating air pockets that enhance airflow and moisture evaporation.</p> <p>Some blankets feature a <a href="https://getrest.com.au/blogs/all/unveiling-the-secrets-of-q-max-the-key-to-a-perfect-nights-sleep">Q-Max rating</a>, which indicates how cool the fabric feels against your skin. The higher the value, the cooler the fabric feels.</p> <p>Others feature <a href="https://www.trustsleep.com/how-do-cooling-blankets-work/">phase change materials</a>. These materials were developed by <a href="https://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2009/ch_4.html">NASA</a> for space suits to keep astronauts comfortable during a spacewalk where temperatures are from roughly <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/spacewalk-spacesuit-basics/">-157°C to 121°C</a>. Phase change materials in cooling blankets absorb and hold heat producing a cooling effect.</p> <h2>Do they work?</h2> <p>If you believe online reviews, yes, cooling blankets can cool you down and help you sleep better in warmer weather or if you get too hot using normal sheets and blankets.</p> <p>However, there is little scientific research to see if these consumer-grade products work.</p> <p>In a 2021 <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/16/9099">study</a> exploring sleep quality, 20 participants slept for three nights under two different conditions.</p> <p>First, they slept with regular bed sheets in an air-conditioned room with the temperature set to their preference. Then, they used cooling bed sheets in an air-conditioned room where the temperature was set 3°C higher than their preference.</p> <p>Participants reported good sleep quality in both conditions but preferred the warmer room with its cooling sheets.</p> <p>This may suggest the use of cooling bedding may help provide a more comfortable night’s sleep.</p> <p>But everyone’s cooling needs varies depending on things like age, health, body temperature, the space you sleep in, and personal preferences.</p> <p>So while these products may work for some people who may be motivated to leave a good review, they may not necessarily work for you.</p> <h2>Are they worth it?</h2> <p>There’s a wide variety of cooling blankets available at different prices to suit various budgets. Positive customer reviews might encourage a purchase, especially for individuals experiencing disrupted sleep at night due to heat.</p> <p>Yet, these cooling blankets have limited scientific research to show they work and to say if they’re worth it. So it’s up to you.</p> <h2>What else can I do if I’m a hot sleeper?</h2> <p>If a cooling blanket isn’t for you, there are other things you can do to stay cool at night, such as:</p> <ul> <li> <p>using air conditioning or a fan</p> </li> <li> <p>placing a damp towel under or over you</p> </li> <li> <p>wearing lightweight or minimal sleepwear and avoiding thick or synthetic fabrics, such as nylon, that can trap heat</p> </li> <li> <p>if you usually share a bed, on hot nights, consider sleeping by yourself to avoid excess body heat from your partner.</p> </li> </ul> <p>On a final note, if you often struggle with hot, disturbed sleep, you can check in with your health-care provider. They can see if there is a medical explanation for your disturbed sleep and advise what to try next.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/244158/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linda-grosser-1461631">Linda Grosser</a>, Research Associate, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-south-australia-1180">University of South Australia</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luana-main-2270550">Luana Main</a>, Associate Professor in Applied Sport Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/deakin-university-757">Deakin University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-cooling-blankets-can-they-really-help-me-sleep-244158">original article</a>.</em></p>

Home & Garden

Jamie Oliver opens up on former feud with Gordon Ramsay

<p>Jamie Oliver has opened up about his former feud with Gordon Ramsay on <em>The Louis Theroux Podcast</em>. </p> <p>The 49-year-old told Theroux that after years of exchanges with the <em>Hell's Kitchen</em> star, their wives Jools Oliver and Tana Ramsay were the ones who stepped in an encouraged them to patch things up. </p> <p>"I was a target [for] probably 10 years, I think, it was regular," Oliver said of Ramsay.</p> <p>"I generally used to bite [back] once a year, and then that used to set him off for another year ... I think it kind of generated the noise, it was serving its purpose for him - I mean, I'd have to ask Gordon what it was all about.</p> <p>"Cause we never fell out, we got on for the first couple of years, and then - as he did more TV - it just went on and on and on, and it was quite, it was painful but in the end it was Jools and his wife Tana that sorted it out."</p> <p>Oliver revealed that despite their former feud, his kids are friends with Ramsay's children. </p> <p>"It was like, 'come on dads, grow up' so I think that both of us got a telling off, and then we went to have a drink and put it all to rest and let bygones be bygones," he said.</p> <p>When Oliver's Italian chain went under, Ramsay was "very supportive" and "very kind", even sending him messages of encouragement. </p> <p>Oliver also opened up on his feud with Marco Pierre White, and said he was "destroyed" to hear his "hero" slam him in the press and didn't know what sparked it as they never worked together. </p> <p>"He doesn't like me at all, still doesn't," he said, but added "that's fine, I don't need anything from him".</p> <p>"I still think he was like a game changer, he was still my hero for that period of my life but that's life, and it's not just Marco, it's lots of people," Oliver said.</p> <p><em>Image: Alan Davidson/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p> <p> </p>

Food & Wine

Some ancient Romans got to retire with a pension at 42, but retirement’s changed a bit over the centuries

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anthony-asher-247115">Anthony Asher</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Over the ages, there have been broadly three reasons why people have retired.</p> <p>Some are forced to by poor health – theirs or someone they care for. Others have alternative income sources, meaning they don’t rely on a regular pay cheque. And some are made to retire by an employer who wants to overhaul staffing.</p> <p>But where did the idea of retirement come from? And how was it handled in ancient times?</p> <h2>Origins of support</h2> <p>Retirement support – which these days comes in the form of superannuation or a government pension – dates back to ancient history in various forms.</p> <p>Some forms of retirement support were funded by local taxes or tithes, others by donations. Some systems were corrupt and the coverage was patchy.</p> <p>Records are not readily available from other cultures, but we know a little about ancient Rome and English history since then.</p> <p>Emperor Augustus, who ruled after Julius Caesar died, set up a <a href="https://pensionresearchcouncil.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/03Chap3.pdf">scheme</a> for Roman soldiers more than 2,000 years ago. The scheme aimed to ensure they retired while still strong and healthy, and would be less likely to cause trouble.</p> <p>The scheme paid a decent amount for soldiers after 25 years of service, so retirement age could be as young as 42.</p> <p>Pensions for older people in need also have ancient origins. The New Testament <a href="https://biblehub.com/1_timothy/5-9.htm">Bible</a> records the churches had schemes for needy widows right from the beginning.</p> <p>In the early Middle Ages, monasteries often provided for the needy, but Henry VIII famously <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_the_monasteries">closed them</a> and took their assets. A fair share of their assets ended up with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Russell,_1st_Earl_of_Bedford">high government officials</a> after the king’s takeover.</p> <p>Industry funds can also be seen to date back <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/friendly-society">at least to the Middle Ages</a>, where the trade guilds provided for members and their families who fell on hard times.</p> <p>Retail funds mainly began as <a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=history+of+life+insurance">mutual life insurance companies</a> that began more than 200 years ago.</p> <p>In the 18th century, the East India Company and the Bank of England began <a href="https://sas-space.sas.ac.uk/9224/1/McIlvenna%20PhD%20final.pdf">offering pensions</a>. These were at first discretionary based on need and loyalty, but later covered all employees. This idea then spread to other larger companies such railways and banks.</p> <p>As modern states developed the capacity to collect income taxes, it became feasible to provide comprehensive retirement benefits funded by central government.</p> <p>Beginning with <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/history/ottob.html">Germany in 1889</a>, developed countries began introducing universal national age pension arrangements.</p> <p>Unfortunately, a number of countries, such as <a href="https://www.uncdf.org/article/8799/governor-innovation-key-to-expanding-insurance-and-pension-coverage-in-png">Papua New Guinea</a>, still do not have the capacity to provide a universal safety net to cover older people.</p> <h2>Retirement in Australia</h2> <p>Three Australian states <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/publication/economic-roundup-centenary-edition-2001/article-3-towards-higher-retirement-incomes-for-australians-a-history-of-the-australian-retirement-income-system-since-federation">began schemes</a> in 1900, and the federal government provided a universal (but means tested) scheme from 1909.</p> <p>Most Australian retirees seem to enjoy a favourable standard of living. The <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/5-key-takeaways-from-the-retirement-income-review/">Grattan Institute</a> finds that the poorest 30% are, in fact, better off in retirement.</p> <p>Massive house price and rental inflation in the last 30 years, however, has gutted the living standards of those who don’t own their own homes. This gap in the safety net needs to be addressed.</p> <h2>Retirement ages</h2> <p>The Roman army model persists in some countries to this day: retirement from the US military is available <a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/RL34751.pdf">after 20 years</a> of service.</p> <p>Retirement this early is obviously very expensive. The church scheme mentioned in the New Testament had a minimum age of 60, which is still the normal retirement age in many countries.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2023/12/pensions-at-a-glance-2023_4757bf20.html">OECD</a> reports the average age of retirement in their 38 member countries is just under 64 for women, and just over 64 for men.</p> <p>Australians now qualify for the <a href="https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-age-pension?context=22526">age pension</a> at 67, which is slightly older than average.</p> <p>Retirement ages are, however, rising to allow for “population ageing”, a longer life expectancy and lower birth rates. Life expectancy at retirement age is the important number when calculating the cost of pensions.</p> <p>In ancient Rome it was about seven years and was <a href="https://www-cambridge-org.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/30ED00A164475432670833C87D2F9E97/S2046164X00000405a.pdf/contributions_to_the_history_of_insurance_and_of_the_theory_of_life_contingencies_with_a_restoration_of_the_grand_pensionary_de_wits_treatise_on_life_annuities_concluded_from_no_vi.pdf">about the same</a> in Sweden in the middle of the 18th century.</p> <p>In Australia, the life expectancy of a 65 year old woman has risen from 12 years in 1895 to <a href="https://aga.gov.au/sites/aga.gov.au/files/2020-07/Australian%20Life%20Tables%202015-17%20v5.pdf">23 years on average</a>.</p> <h2>Earnings-related pensions</h2> <p>The <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/history/ottob.html">1889 German scheme</a> paid a minimum pension, plus an earnings-related component. Workers had a book for stamps for each week’s earnings.</p> <p>The Australian age pension has always just paid a minimum “liveable” amount. This has been subject to different means tests over time, but retirees have been able to supplement it with their own savings.</p> <p>Until 1987, only 40% of Australian employees were covered by employer sponsored schemes. Then in 1992, the <a href="https://www.apra.gov.au/superannuation-australia-a-timeline">Superannuation Guarantee Scheme</a> was introduced. Under this, employers were required to contribute 3% into all exployees’ super.</p> <p>The standard rate will rise to 12% in July next year.</p> <h2>The future</h2> <p>A growing ageing population will mean the Australian government and superannuation industry will need to adjust current support systems.</p> <p><a href="https://treasury.gov.au/consultation/c2023-441613">Over the next decade</a>, about 2.5 million Australians will move from accumulation (where you’re building up your super) to join the 1.6 million already receiving super benefits.</p> <p>We can expect more people to be living into their nineties and needing pensions for life.</p> <p>One government <a href="https://treasury.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/c2023-441613-dp.docx">priority</a> is to make lifetime pensions as much part of the Australian system as they are in <a href="https://www.mercer.com/en-au/about/newsroom/mercer-cfa-institute-global-pension-index-2024/">the rest of the world</a></p> <p>And after 30 years of growing complexity in the rules covering superannuation, regulators are <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/publication/superannuation-and-the-legislative-framework-for-financial-services-fsl11/">counting the cost</a>, and <a href="https://www.brokernews.com.au/news/breaking-news/asic-targets-regulation-overhaul-286067.aspx">planning some simplification</a>.</p> <hr /> <p><em>This article is part of The Conversation’s retirement series, in which experts examine issues including how much money we need to retire, retiring with debt, the psychological impact of retiring and the benefits of getting financial advice. Read the rest of the series <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/retirement-series-2024-168372">here</a>.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/241121/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></em></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/anthony-asher-247115">Anthony Asher</a>, Associate Professor in the UNSW Business School, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-ancient-romans-got-to-retire-with-a-pension-at-42-but-retirements-changed-a-bit-over-the-centuries-241121">original article</a>.</em></p>

Retirement Income

Fergie opens up about double cancer diagnosis

<p>Sarah Ferguson has opened up about the mental toll of her double cancer diagnosis, admitting that her "mind went to some dark places".</p> <p>The Duchess of York was diagnosed with breast cancer and skin cancer in the same year, telling <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/christmas-appeal-sarah-ferguson-cancer-diagnosis-interview-kt86hm7nq" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Times</em></a> how much her health battle impacted her life. </p> <p>"It was hard. I'm generally a positive person but cancer is like a bomb going off in your life," the 65-year-old told the publication.</p> <p>"One diagnosis is enough to deal with, but I had two in the space of a year. I don't mind admitting that my mind went to some dark places, reflecting on my own mortality."</p> <p>"My family have been an immense support to me through this period," she told the outlet.</p> <p> </p> <p>"I've used meditation and mindfulness to help stay positive and balanced."</p> <p>The royal was recently in Australia for her book tour, where she spoke to <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/sarah-ferguson-duchess-of-york-breast-skin-cancer-mental-health-admission/232791d3-c991-40fc-99d5-8f9bc5f60a33" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>9honey</em></a> about how she copes with the struggles in her life while also balancing her health. </p> <p>"For anyone thinking, 'Oh, you sound alright Sarah', or Fergie or Ginger or Duchy or whatever you call me, it's because I also do the work," the Duchess of York told <em>9honey</em>.</p> <p>"And I do it with really studying the spiritual side of life and my own darkness. There can be a lot of darkness, and I'm shining light on my darkness."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Caring

Sir Rod Stewart's sentimental post as he turns "80 years young"

<p>Sir Rod Stewart has celebrated his 80th birthday on Friday. </p> <p>The veteran rocker marked his milestone birthday by sharing a series of photos throughout his life and 60-year career, including being knighted by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. </p> <p>"Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes – 80 years young!" he wrote in the caption with an emoji of two champagne glasses. </p> <p>“What an incredible journey it’s been – from unforgettable moments on and off the stage to earning some truly special honours along the way.</p> <p>“But above all, my greatest joy has always been performing for you.</p> <p>“Cheers to the memories we’ve made and the ones still to come! #80YearsOfRod.”</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/DEpv23UJb3u/?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/DEpv23UJb3u/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sir Rod Stewart (@sirrodstewart)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Among the photos, he also included images of him performing on stage in his younger years, attending his son's wedding and racing Sir Elton John on a football field, as well as a photo of him and wife Penny Lancaster when they were younger. </p> <p>His wife, who he married in 2007, shared her own special tribute to him, saying that she felt “so blessed” to share his 80th birthday with him and their children.</p> <p>“Building more memories to carry with us into the future and to be held close to our hearts forever, I love you xx”, she captioned the post, alongside a photo of Sir Rod while they were on holiday. </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/DEoZPPiMmWg/?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/DEoZPPiMmWg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Penny Lancaster (@penny.lancaster)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The rocker's celebrity friends were also quick to send their birthday wishes, with Sir Elton John sharing a special tribute to his "great mate" on his stories with a series of images of them over the years and the caption: “Hope you have a brilliant day celebrating. Much love.”</p> <p>TV presenter Davina McCall commented: “Happy Birthday Rod! Thank you for all the joy and dancing!!! Hope you all have the best day.”</p> <p><em>The Rolling Stones </em>star Ronnie Wood shared a picture of the pair in their younger days with the caption: “Happy 80th birthday @sirrodstewart! My lifelong pal is having a big birthday today! Please join me in wishing him a wonderful day.”</p> <p>Drummer Kenney Jones also shared his birthday wishes and hoped that Sir Rod had “a great day”.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

Research suggests those who use buy-now-pay-later services end up spending more

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ashish-kumar-1056067">Ashish Kumar</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p>Once, borrowing money to make a purchase was a relatively tedious process, not a spur-of-the-moment thing.</p> <p>True, some stores offered lay-by plans that would let you pay for goods in instalments. But if they didn’t, and you didn’t already have a credit card, you’d have to go to a bank and apply for one.</p> <p>That would mean providing a range of supporting documents, negotiating an appropriate credit limit, and waiting for approval. It’s unlikely you’d apply for credit just for a single, small purchase.</p> <p>In recent years, though, the financial technology or “fintech” revolution in the customer credit market has changed all that, with the meteoric rise of buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services.</p> <p>BNPL credit allows consumers to split their purchases into smaller, interest-free instalments. It is often directly integrated into online checkouts with fast approval, making it easy to purchase something instantly and spread the cost over coming months.</p> <p>There are some obvious risks. Many BNPL providers charge less visible fees, such as late payment fees and account maintenance fees. In many countries, the BNPL sector is also less regulated than traditional credit.</p> <p>But does it also change our spending habits? Our recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2024.09.004">research</a> uncovered a concerning insight: consumers who use BNPL services end up spending more money online than those who don’t. This effect is particularly strong among younger shoppers and those with lower incomes.</p> <h2>Our research</h2> <p>We <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2024.09.004">analysed</a> data from an online retailer in the Nordic region that offered customers three payment options for online purchases: card, pay on delivery and BNPL.</p> <p>We found that consumers who used BNPL spent an average of 6.42% more than those who didn’t.</p> <p>This increase was particularly noticeable for low-ticket items, suggesting that BNPL may encourage customers to buy more when shopping for smaller, everyday things.</p> <p>Why might this be the case? For one, BPNL spending is constrained by the size of the loans on offer. In the US, the average BNPL loan amount is <a href="https://files.consumerfinance.gov/f/documents/cfpb_consumer-use-of-buy-now-pay-later_2023-03.pdf">US$135</a> (A$217).</p> <p>It may also be related to what’s known in economics as the “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2008/dec/22/recession-cosmetics-lipstick">lipstick effect</a>”, where customers under financial strain tend to reduce spending on big-ticket items in favour of lower-priced luxuries.</p> <p>Selling such low-ticket items doesn’t always give online retailers the biggest profit margins. But it can play a crucial role in acquiring and retaining customers, and creating opportunities to upsell.</p> <p>Our research also showed that younger, lower-income customers were more likely to spend more when using BNPL services, likely because it provides them with additional “liquidity” – access to cash.</p> <h2>Why might they be spending more?</h2> <p>It’s easy to see why so many consumers like BNPL. Some even think of it as more of a way of payment than a form of credit.</p> <p>The core feature of such services - offering interest-free instalment payments for online purchases - has a significant psychological impact on customers.</p> <p>It leverages the principle that the perceived benefit of spending in the present outweighs the displeasure associated with future payments.</p> <p>This behaviour aligns with theories of “hyperbolic discounting” – our preference for smaller immediate rewards over larger later ones – and the related “<a href="https://www.behavioraleconomics.com/resources/mini-encyclopedia-of-be/present-bias/">present bias</a>” phenomenon.</p> <p>Our results also suggest customers with high category experience – that is, more familiar with the larger product categories carried by a retailer – and those more sensitive to deals and promotions are likely to spend more when online retailers provide BNPL as a payment option.</p> <h2>A growing influence on spending</h2> <p>The economic impact of BNPL is substantial in the countries that have pioneered its adoption.</p> <p>In Australia, birthplace of Afterpay, Zip, Openpay, and Latitude, it’s <a href="https://www.oxfordeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/AFIA_BNPL_Research_Report-1.pdf">estimated</a> that (allowing for flow-on effects) BNPL services contributed A$14.3 billion to gross domestic product (GDP) in the 2021 financial year.</p> <p>Industry research firm Juniper Research <a href="https://www.juniperresearch.com/press/pressreleasesbuy-now-pay-later-users-to-exceed-670-million-globally/">projects</a> the number of BNPL users will exceed 670 million globally by 2028, an increase of more than 100% on current levels.</p> <p>Substantial projected growth in the sector is attributed to multiple factors. These include increasing e-commerce usage, economic pressures, the flexibility of payment options and widespread adoption by merchants.</p> <h2>Buyer, beware</h2> <p>BNPL services can be a convenient way to pay for online purchases. But it’s important to use them responsibly.</p> <p>That means understanding the potential risks and benefits to make your own informed decisions. Be mindful of your spending. Don’t let the allure of easy payments let you get carried away.</p> <p>Customers should explore beyond the marketing tactics of interest-free split payments and pay close attention to terms and conditions, including any fees and penalties. They should treat BNPL like any other form of credit.</p> <p>Whether you’re a shopper considering using BNPL or a business thinking about offering it, our research highlights that it may have the power to significantly influence spending patterns – for better or worse.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/246686/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ashish-kumar-1056067"><em>Ashish Kumar</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/research-suggests-those-who-use-buy-now-pay-later-services-end-up-spending-more-246686">original article</a>.</em></p>

Money & Banking

Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic team up for ultimate doubles match

<p>Nick Kyrgios has dropped a bombshell announcement that he will be teaming up with Novak Djokovic at the Brisbane International competition in 2025. </p> <p>Kyrgios made the announcement with a post to his Instagram stories on Monday night, re-sharing a photo of the pair walking onto the court ahead of their 2022 Wimbledon final.</p> <p>Kyrgios captioned the photo, "Doubles at Brisbane. See y'all there".</p> <p>The original photo was posted by Kyrgios at the end of 2022, where the Aussie tennis champion teased they were planning to team up, suggesting the move may have been in the works for some time.</p> <p>Kyrgios has played only one professional match in two years due to a series of injuries, and is set to make his return to the court in just a few weeks.</p> <p>Many have commented on how "strange" the pairing is, given their long rivalry both on and off the court. </p> <p>However, in 2022, Kyrgios confirmed that they had mended bridges and were building a friendship. </p> <p>Ahead of the 2022 Wimbledon final, he said, “We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird. I think everyone knows there was no love lost for a while there.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

International Travel

"You made me enjoy the game": Federer's emotional retirement letter to Nadal

<p>Roger Federer has penned an emotional tribute to Rafael Nadal ahead of his retirement, reflecting on their stellar careers together. </p> <p>Nadal’s career officially came to an end when Spain was defeated 2-1 by the Netherlands in the Davis Cup quarter-final in Malaga on Wednesday morning, with Nadal in tears as he stepped onto the court for the final time. </p> <p>Thousands of tributes poured in for Nadal as his retirement officially began, but Federer's tribute quickly went viral for his emotional words.</p> <p>“As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional,” Federer said. </p> <p>“Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me - a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground."</p> <p>“You made me reimagine my game - even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge. I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals."</p> <p>“Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear … All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique - it was so you."</p> <p>“And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more. OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the No. 1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was - until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly."</p> <p>"All that buzz I’d been hearing about you - about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday - it wasn’t just hype."</p> <p>“We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens - historic! You made Spain proud … you made the whole tennis world proud."</p> <p>“And then there was London – the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side – not as my rival but as my doubles partner."</p> <p>“Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.”</p> <p>Federer signed off the 585-word tribute from “your fan Roger”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Retirement Life

No more Mr Nice Guy: Tom Hanks blows up at movie critics

<p>Tom Hanks has taken aim at movie critics in a heated on Conan O'Brien's podcast, calling out the entire review section of the entertainment industry. </p> <p>The Hollywood actor launched into his tirade on the <em>Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend</em> podcast as he looked at how movie reviews and the general audience reception to films has changed over the years. </p> <p>“Now what happened is that time has become one of the metrics for how these things matter, right?” he said.</p> <p>“In the day it was just a fist fight. It was every movie you came out, are you going to make the playoffs or not? Guess what? No, kid, you’re 2 and 12 and you ain’t going nowhere. Or, you got a shot.”</p> <p>“It used to be you had these Rubicons that you crossed,” he continued. “First of all, do you love it or not? That’s the first thing. Yes, okay, you have crossed the Rubicon, right? The next Rubicon you cross is when the movie is completely done a year and a half later, and you see it for the first time, and you might like it. It doesn’t matter if it works or not, you look at it and say, ‘Hey, I think we acquitted ourselves pretty good.’ That’s Rubicon No. 2.”</p> <p>Hanks went on, “Then the critics weigh in, that’s Rubicon No. 3, and that’s always up down. ‘We hate it, we like it. This is the worst thing … Oh hey, oh hi Tom, I saw you in a movie. It was cute.’”</p> <p>“That’s when you ask the wife, ‘Hey, honey, could you take the revolver out of the glove box and hide it somewhere, because I think…,” Hanks joked.</p> <p>Podcast host O'Brien then brought up that Hanks was initially “disappointed” with his 1996 film <em>That Thing You Do!</em>, which marked his directorial debut, but the movie has since become a cult classic in pop culture.</p> <p>“Let me tell you something about these c***suckers who write about movies,” Hanks responded, before asking O’Brien and his co-hosts, “Can I say that?”</p> <p>“Somebody who wrote about it is, ‘Tom Hanks has to stop hanging around with veterans of TV, because this is just like the shot on TV and it’s not much of anything,’” Hanks recalled. “That same person then wrote about the cult classic <em>That Thing You Do!</em> Same exact person. They said, ‘All you need is 20 years between now and then, and it ends up speaking some words.’”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p>

Movies

Prince William pops up in Robert Irwin's socials

<p>Prince William has made a surprise appearance on Robert Irwin's Instagram as the pair team up for an important award ceremony in South Africa. </p> <p>The Prince of Wales and the wildlife warrior posted a video from Cape Town as they take part in the annual Earthshot Prize Awards: an initiative founded by William, of which Irwin is an ambassador.</p> <p>“G’day, it’s Robert here, with, of course, Prince William,” Irwin began the video. “Lovely to see you. How are you enjoying South Africa so far?”</p> <p>“Good thanks, really good, having a lovely time so far, loving it,” the prince responded.</p> <p>“Robert, you’ve been a fantastic ambassador for us at the moment, so looking forward to the Prize on Wednesday – tune in!”</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?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/reel/DB_C75lP9Wa/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Irwin said that the event was “going to be amazing” before asking William, “We’re in South Africa, one of the most amazing countries and continents for wildlife – do you have a favourite African animal?”</p> <p>The future King pointed out it was a “really tough question”, adding, “My children ask me this regularly. I think it’s going to have to be the cheetah.”</p> <p>“Cheetahs, OK. Very cool. It’s chameleons for me, the unsung hero, I love them,” Irwin told him, before signing off the video, “Thanks so much for having me, for having us, Earthshot Week has been amazing so far and I cannot wait for tomorrow night … South Africa rules!”</p> <p>On the second day of Prince William's four-day tour of South Africa, he joined Irwin for a walk together towards Cape Town's Signal Hill, as the royal and the Aussie conservationist met with a variety of local park rangers and firefighters, with Irwin telling media afterwards that they had both “fallen in love with Cape Town”.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em> </p>

International Travel

"I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested": do driving apps help people break road rules?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a></em></p> <p>Apps such as Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze can tell drivers when they are approaching speed cameras or random breath testing stations. Countries such as Germany, France and Switzerland have banned apps from displaying these enforcement locations.</p> <p>But what effect are these apps having in Australia – are they helping drivers break road rules?</p> <p>Our new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524002972">paper</a>, published in the journal Safety Science, examined this question.</p> <p>We found this technology can, in some cases, contribute to people thinking they are invincible on the roads. However, we also found they can sometimes help people drive more safely.</p> <h2>Being made aware of enforcement can help road safety</h2> <p>We conducted focus groups and interviews with a total of 58 drivers from Queensland, to understand how the use of this technology influences perceptions of being caught for breaking road rules.</p> <p>One driver told us: "If I know it’s coming up, I’ll put my phone down. If I was, say, texting or checking something, but then like once a good few 100 metres away, I sort of pick it up again, depending though."</p> <p>Another said: "It sort of depends where I am driving, I guess. Like, if I am driving on a country road and there is a speed camera there I would probably slow down for the speed camera and then sort of speed up again once I am sort of past that; it sort of depends on the circumstances."</p> <p>We also found that, for some people, being made aware of enforcement locations can help drivers better regulate their speed. This helped them comply with road rules more consistently.</p> <p>Waze also shows the speed limit in the area, which further assisted some drivers to stick to the speed limit. One driver told us: "I’m a bit careful if I just look at the speedo and just double check that I’m on the right amount of speed."</p> <p>Another said: "It just gives you a warning like, ‘OK, you need to check your speed.’ Just to double-check you’re going on the right speed perhaps or when it’s a camera coming up."</p> <h2>Concerning behaviours</h2> <p>Concerningly, we also found some drivers who use these apps are looking at and touching their screens more than they otherwise would. This can distract drivers and increase their <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925753524001097">risk of crashing</a>.</p> <p>One driver told us they post traffic updates on the app they use while driving, “which I know is wrong.”</p> <p>Another said: "Just hit the button on the phone. Just two steps after I go past the camera."</p> <p>Another driver told us: "It’s so helpful […] Especially if it’s, say, late night and I’m coming home from a party, and I don’t want to end up getting arrested."</p> <p>One driver said: "I probably feel slightly more invincible, which is probably not a good thing."</p> <p>When asked why these apps are used, one driver said: "I guess the drug and the drink-driving."</p> <h2>Apps can help and hinder road safety</h2> <p>We know breaking road rules significantly contributes to <a href="https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/safety-and-mobility/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2023">crashes and road fatalities</a>, with deaths on Australian roads continuing to <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">increase</a> over time.</p> <p>On the one hand, when drivers are aware of enforcement measures like cameras and police, they are more likely to stop breaking the rules in those areas. That’s particularly true for behaviours such as speeding and using a phone while driving, we found.</p> <p>Using apps that flag where cameras and police are located also means drivers would be more exposed to enforcement activities than they otherwise would be on a normal drive.</p> <p>On the other hand, our results suggest some drivers are using these applications to break road rules more often in places where they think they won’t be caught.</p> <p>These apps are also not always completely accurate.</p> <p>For instance, even though Waze can display some police operation locations such as roadside breath testing, it can’t capture <em>all</em> on-road police activities. Further, camera locations are not always up to date or accurate.</p> <h2>Weighing benefits against risks</h2> <p>While these apps do have some benefits, it’s important to weigh these against the risks.</p> <p>It’s also important to recognise traffic enforcement isn’t just there to make you comply with road rules at a specific point; it is meant to remind you of the constant risk of being caught and to encourage consistent rule compliance.</p> <p>The goal is to ensure that drivers are following the traffic rules across the entire network, not just in isolated spots.</p> <p>With road fatalities at some of the <a href="https://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/ongoing/road_deaths_australia_monthly_bulletins">highest rates we’ve seen in recent years</a>, we need everyone to work together to stop more preventable deaths and injuries.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/237664/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/verity-truelove-1237331">Verity Truelove</a>, Senior Research Fellow in Road Safety Research, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michelle-nicolls-1299069">Michelle Nicolls</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/oscar-oviedo-trespalacios-1417150">Oscar Oviedo-Trespalacios</a>, A/Professor Responsible Risk Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/delft-university-of-technology-1040">Delft University of Technology</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/im-coming-home-from-a-party-and-i-dont-want-to-end-up-getting-arrested-do-driving-apps-help-people-break-road-rules-237664">original article</a>.</em></p>

Legal

Your Go-To guide to game-changing Christmas skincare

<p dir="ltr">When it comes to Christmas presents, it’s hard to go wrong with skincare, makeup or anything in the general “self-care” space. </p> <p dir="ltr">This Christmas, <a href="https://gotoskincare.com/collections/holiday-2024">Go-To</a> (the revolutionary skincare brand founded by Zoe Foster-Blake) have released their most beautiful collection yet in collaboration with Alémais to deliver the very best in feeling good, for any budget. </p> <p dir="ltr">With 11 extremely limited gifts and sets to help you spread some serious cheer this season, you’ll find something for everyone, whether it’s for your daughter, granddaughter, neighbour, or that one friend that is always looking to level up their skincare routine. </p> <p dir="ltr">For the second year running, Go-To’s undeniably unique print and packaging is thanks to a local collaboration with Alémais, celebrating the very vibrant and zesty DNA of both brands.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DBsyJSnxTMY/?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/DBsyJSnxTMY/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Go-To (@gotoskincare)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The gorgeous gift sets start at just $26 with Perfect Present, or for those looking more on the luxury side, the $300 must-have Facial In A Box has everything you need.</p> <p dir="ltr">You’ll also spot several never-before-seen items from Go-To, like, Bon Bons, a trio of tinted lip balms, and custom tarot cards.</p> <p dir="ltr">In addition to all the stunning skincare, Go-To have created gifts that live on as keepsakes, such as the signature silk pillowcase and matching silk eye mask.</p> <p dir="ltr">Or, if you can’t pick just one gift for that special someone, or you want to treat yourself and just can’t wait until December 25th, the 12 Days Of Go-To advent calendar is filled with so many merry items of merch paired with the effective, quality, clinically-proven skincare you know, love and need.</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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBrsRwlJRsG/?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/reel/DBrsRwlJRsG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Go-To (@gotoskincare)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The Go-To treats are ones you can feel good about in more ways than one, as Go-To is donating $1 from all marked gifts and sets, to their 2024 charity partner, Orange Sky: a not-for-profit that provides complimentary laundry services and warm showers to people in the community who are experiencing homelessness and hardship.</p> <p dir="ltr">With this glorious fusion of colour, wonderfully wacky motifs, and giving to those in need in the spirit of Christmas, Go-To has a gift for everyone in their most coveted holiday collection to date.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Go-To Christmas range is available at <a href="https://www.mecca.com/en-au/go-to/">Mecca</a>, both in-store and online, and on the official <a href="https://gotoskincare.com/collections/holiday-2024">Go-To</a> website.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Shutterstock / Instagram </em></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-bb2c25c8-7fff-6953-de80-1b3c24792a23"></span></p>

Beauty & Style

How was Halloween invented? Once a Celtic pagan tradition, the holiday has evolved to let kids and adults try on new identities

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linus-owens-457047">Linus Owens</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a></em></p> <p>“It’s alive!” Dr. Frankenstein cried as his creation stirred to life. But the creature had a life of its own, eventually escaping its creator’s control.</p> <p>Much like Frankenstein’s monster, traditions are also alive, which means they can change over time or get reinvented. Built from a hodgepodge of diverse parts, Halloween is one such tradition that has been continually reinvented since its ancient origins as <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/T/bo46408548.html">a Celtic pagan ceremony</a>. Yet beneath the superhero costumes and bags of candy still beats the heart of the original.</p> <p>The Celts lived in what’s now Ireland as far back as 500 B.C. They celebrated New Year’s Day on Nov. 1, which they called <a href="https://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween-santino.html">Samhain</a>. They believed that leading up to the transition to the new year, the door between the worlds of the living and the dead swung open. The souls of the recently dead, previously trapped on Earth, could now pass to the underworld. Since they thought spirits came out after dark, this supernatural activity reached its peak the night before, on Oct. 31.</p> <p>The Celts invented rituals to protect themselves during this turbulent time. They put on costumes and disguises to fool the spirits. They lit bonfires and stuck candles inside carved turnips – the first jack-o’-lanterns – to scare away any spirits looking for mischief. If all else failed, they carried a pocketful of treats to pay off wayward spirits and send them back <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/halloween-9780195168969?cc=us&lang=en&">on their way to the underworld</a>.</p> <p>Sound familiar?</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/halloweens-celebration-of-mingling-with-the-dead-has-roots-in-ancient-celtic-celebrations-of-samhain-191300">Although focused on the dead</a>, Samhain was ultimately <a href="https://utpress.org/title/halloween-other-festivals/">for the living</a>, who needed plenty of help of their own when transitioning to the new year. Winter was cold and dark. Food was scarce. Everyone came together for one last bash to break bread, share stories and stand tall against the dead, strengthening community ties at the time they were needed most.</p> <p>When Catholics arrived in Ireland around A.D. 300, they opened another door between worlds, unleashing considerable conflict. They sought to convert the Celts by changing their pagan rituals into Christian holidays. They rechristened Nov. 1 “All Saints Day,” which today remains a celebration of Catholic saints.</p> <p>But the locals held on to their old beliefs. They believed the dead still wandered the Earth. So the living still dressed in costumes. This activity still took place the night before. It just had a new name to fit the Catholic calendar: “All Hallows Eve,” which is <a href="https://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween-santino.html">where we got the name Halloween</a>.</p> <p>Irish immigrants <a href="https://www.irishpost.com/heritage/how-irish-great-famine-brought-halloween-to-america-161376">brought Halloween to America in the 1800s</a> while escaping the Great Potato Famine. At first, Irish Halloween celebrations were an oddity, viewed suspiciously by other Americans. As such, Halloween wasn’t celebrated much in America at the time.</p> <p>As the Irish integrated into American society, Halloween was reinvented again, this time as an all-American celebration. It became a holiday primarily for kids. Its religious overtones faded, with supernatural saints and sinners being replaced by generic ghosts and goblins. Carved turnips gave way to the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/the-history-of-jack-o-lantern">pumpkins</a> now emblematic of the holiday. Though trick-or-treating resembles ancient traditions like guising, where costumed children went door to door for gifts, <a href="https://www.bakersfield.com/opinion/jack-santino-five-myths-about-halloween/article_6fe79e19-d106-52cc-a895-4a3a72d09c93.html">it’s actually an American invention</a>, created to entice kids away from rowdy holiday pranks toward more wholesome activities.</p> <p>Halloween has become a tradition many new immigrants adopt along their journey toward American-ness and is increasingly <a href="https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-4438-0153-9">being exported around the world</a>, with locals reinventing it in new ways to adapt it to their own culture.</p> <p>What’s so special about Halloween is that it turns the world upside down. The dead walk the Earth. Rules are meant to be broken. And kids exercise a lot of power. They decide what costume to wear. They make demands on others by asking for candy. “Trick or treat” is their battle cry. They do things they’d never get away with any other time, but on Halloween, they get to act like adults, trying it on to see how it fits.</p> <p>Because Halloween allows kids more independence, it’s possible to mark significant life stages through holiday firsts. First Halloween. First Halloween without a parent. First Halloween that’s no longer cool. First Halloween as a parent.</p> <p>Growing up used to mean growing out of Halloween. But today, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/10/24/halloween-adults-costumes-elvira-mistress-of-the-dark/1593177/">young adults</a> seem even more committed to Halloween than kids.</p> <p>What changed: adults or Halloween? Both.</p> <p>Caught between childhood and adulthood, today’s young adults find Halloween a perfect match to their struggles to find themselves and make their way in the world. Their participation has reinvented Halloween again, now bigger, more elaborate and <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/halloween-prices-cost-more-expensive-pumpkin-candy-costumes-1754635">more expensive</a>. Yet in <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-has-halloween-become-so-popular-among-adults-104896">becoming an adult celebration</a>, it comes full circle to return to its roots as a holiday celebrated mainly by adults.</p> <p>Halloween is a living tradition. You wear a costume every year, but you’d never wear the same one. You’ve changed since last year, and your costume reflects that. Halloween is no different. Each year, it’s the same celebration, but it’s also something totally new. In what ways are you already reinventing the Halloween of the future today?</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/linus-owens-457047"><em>Linus Owens</em></a><em>, Associate Professor of Sociology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/middlebury-1247">Middlebury</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-was-halloween-invented-once-a-celtic-pagan-tradition-the-holiday-has-evolved-to-let-kids-and-adults-try-on-new-identities-192379">original article</a>.</em></p>

Art

Readers response: Have you picked up any new skills or learned something unexpected since retiring?

<p>When many of us retire and our time is now fully our own, some people use this time to pick up a new skill or hobby they've always wanted to try.</p> <p>We asked our readers if they have picked up any new skills since retiring, and the response was overwhelming. Here's what they said. </p> <p><strong>Marion Thompson</strong> - Cycling, travelling and watercolour art.</p> <p><strong>Dee Douglas</strong> - How to take a walk and look at everything with new eyes rather than a head filled with work issues.</p> <p><strong>Margaret Mason</strong> - Line dancing and croquet since moving in the last 18 months. I have actually been retired for 18 years and in that time also learnt some New Testament Greek.</p> <p><strong>Yvonne Cooper</strong> - Spoon carving and wood work. Loving it!</p> <p><strong>Glenn Azlin</strong> - Competed Certificate III Applied Languages (Mandarin).</p> <p><strong>Anne O'Donohue</strong> - How to take all week to do the chores I could do in a day.</p> <p><strong>Helen Morgan</strong> - It turns out I am very good at doing nothing, a real expert!</p> <p><strong>Sheila Ball</strong> - Taking time to read a book.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p>

Retirement Life

"Absolute honour": Federer's stirring words as Nadal hangs up his racquet

<p>Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have led a wave of tributes after Rafael Nadal announced he would be retiring from playing professional tennis. </p> <p>Nadal announced the news in an emotional Instagram video, where he thanked his family, team, friends and loyal fans for their support, while announcing that the David Cup Finals in November would be his last competition. </p> <p>In his video, the Spanish tennis champion also thanked his "greatest rivals" for giving him fierce competition throughout his stellar career. </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-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA8EpTsg3iV/?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/reel/DA8EpTsg3iV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Those great rivals were the first to honour Nadal after his shock announcement, with Roger Federer sharing a photo of their pair sitting side by side, both in tears, as the Swiss great announced his own retirement two years ago. </p> <p>He wrote, “What a career, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour.”</p> <p>Novak Djokovic also shared a message for Nadal, posting a photo collage of their friendship behind the scenes. </p> <p>“Rafa, one post is not enough to express the respect I have for you and what you have done for our sport,” the 24-time Grand Slam title winner wrote.</p> <p>“You have inspired millions of children to start playing tennis and I think that’s probably the greatest achievement anyone can wish for. Your tenacity, dedication, fighting spirit is going to be taught for decades. Your legacy will live forever."</p> <p>“Only you know what you had to endure to become an icon of tennis and sport in general. Thank you for pushing me to the limit so many times in our rivalry.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Daniel Irungu/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Retirement Life

"Not much of me left": Elton John's grim health confession

<p>Elton John has made a blunt admission about his health battles. </p> <p>The 77-year-old singer opened up about his many health issues in a speech at the screening of his new documentary<em> Elton John: Never Too Late</em>, at the New York Film Festival on Tuesday. </p> <p>“To be honest with you, there’s not much of me left,” Elton told the audience. </p> <p>“I don’t have tonsils, adenoids or an appendix,” he continued, according to <a href="https://people.com/elton-john-jokes-not-much-of-me-left-listing-missing-organs-documentary-premiere-8721741" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>People</em></a> magazine. </p> <p>“I don’t have a prostate. I don’t have a right hip or a left knee or a right knee. In fact, the only thing left to me is my left hip.</p> <p>“But I’m still here,” Elton continued. “And I can’t thank you [enough], you’re the people that made me.”</p> <p>The documentary is directed by his husband David Furnish, and American filmmaker R.J. Cutler.</p> <p>Throughout the years Elton has struggled with his health, and just last month he revealed he was recovering from a "severe eye infection" that affected his vision. </p> <p>This occured after he underwent knee and hip replacement surgery. </p> <p>The <em>I'm Still Standing</em> singer also got a pacemaker fitted in back in the 90s, and was hospitalised for influenza and a bacterial infection in 2009. </p> <p>In 2013 he had an abscess on his appendix, and three years later he had suffered from "gastric flu". </p> <p>In addition to all of these health woes he has dealt with hearing loss caused by years of touring. </p> <p>The singer also talked about his retirement from touring at the premiere of his new documentary, following a successful five years of performances and more than 300 shows worldwide. </p> <p>“As you know, I decided to stop touring because I’m 77 years of age,” he said.</p> <p>“I’ve done all there is to do, to play. I’ve succeeded. I’ve been there and I’ve done it.”</p> <p>The documentary explores his 50-year career leading up to his final North American show at Dodger Stadium in 2022. It is set to stream on Disney+ in the US on December 13. </p> <p><em>ADAM VAUGHAN/EPA-EFE/ Shutterstock Editorial</em></p>

Caring

200-year-old message in a bottle unearthed

<p>In a discovery that has the archaeology world buzzing (and possibly rolling its ancient eyes), a team of student volunteers in northern France has unearthed something rather unexpected during their dig at a Gaulish village.</p> <p>While they were hoping for the usual – ancient pottery shards, perhaps a coin or two – they instead stumbled upon what can only be described as the 19th-century equivalent of a DM in a bottle.</p> <p>The scene played out like a low-budget historical drama: volunteers painstakingly sifting through centuries-old dirt on the cliff-tops near Dieppe when, voilà! They found an earthenware pot containing a small glass vial, like something you might see in a vintage pharmacy, but with fewer essential oils and more existential surprises.</p> <p>Guillaume Blondel, the team leader and head of the archaeological service for the nearby town of Eu, was immediately intrigued. “It was the kind of vial that women used to wear around their necks containing smelling salts,” he explained, before casually dropping the bombshell: inside the vial was a note.</p> <p>Cue dramatic music.</p> <p>After what we can only assume was a long, suspenseful pause, Blondel and his team opened the note, which turned out to be written by none other than P.J. Féret, a 19th-century intellectual who clearly had a flair for both excavation and theatrics.</p> <p>The note, written with all the panache of a man who had just unearthed Caesar’s salad fork, read:</p> <p>"P.J. Féret, a native of Dieppe, member of various intellectual societies, carried out excavations here in January 1825. He continues his investigations in this vast area known as the Cité de Limes or Caesar’s Camp."</p> <p>Naturally, Blondel was floored. “It was an absolutely magic moment,” he said, no doubt imagining Féret winking at him from the beyond. “We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago? It was a total surprise.”</p> <p>Local records confirm that P.J. Féret was indeed the real deal. He wasn’t just a dabbler in dirt – he was a notable dabbler in dirt who had conducted an earlier dig at the site in 1825.</p> <p>In a stroke of irony not lost on Blondel, he mused, “Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won’t be anyone coming after them because they’ve done all the work.” Féret, however, clearly believed in leaving a trail of breadcrumbs – or, in this case, a literal note in a bottle, just to remind future archaeologists that he got there first. Féret: 1, Modern Archaeology: 0.</p> <p>Of course, this whole affair raises some important questions: Did Féret expect someone to find this? Did he laugh to himself as he buried it, imagining Blondel’s reaction? Did Féret know how cliff erosion would eventually turn his humble Gaulish village into a treasure trove for future archaeologists? Or was he simply trolling them from the past?</p> <p>Whatever the case, Féret’s note may not have contained ancient secrets, but it certainly delivered some 19th-century sass. And if we’ve learned anything from this dig, it’s this: archaeology isn’t just about discovering the past – it’s also about being occasionally roasted by it.</p> <p>As Blondel and his team continue their emergency dig (which was ordered due to cliff erosion eating away at the site like a bad buffet), they’ve already uncovered a number of artefacts, mostly pottery, from around 2,000 years ago. But will any of <em>them</em> have the audacity to leave a note for the archaeologists of 2225?</p> <p>We’ll have to wait and see. In the meantime, Féret is probably laughing somewhere in the afterlife, shaking his head and muttering, “Amateurs”.</p> <p><em>Images: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Guillaume Blondel / Facebook</span></em></p>

International Travel

TikTok couple slammed for leaving toddlers unattended in cruise cabin

<p>TikTok Influencers Matt and Abby Howard have been slammed online for their controversial parenting choice while on a family vacation. </p> <p>In a now deleted video, the couple explained that they had brought their sons Griffin, 2, and August, 1 on a family cruise, and they went to dinner without the boys, but monitored the room through FaceTime. </p> <p>"So we ended up taking them for 5 nights and it became apparent that they weren't enjoying it and therefore we weren't either," they said in the caption. </p> <p>"So THEN we switched our dinner time to AFTER their bedtime and FaceTimed the monitors while we ate."</p> <p>Abby noted that baby monitors "don't work on board unless you're only like 10 feet away", adding that their dinnertime solution worked out "much better for everyone" </p> <p>Social media users were quick to respond to their decision, with many highlighting the safety concerns. </p> <p>"They literally could not have gotten to them fast enough if anything had happened and I cannot stop thinking about that. It’s sickening," one wrote on Reddit. </p> <p>"It's literally common sense that you do not leave a baby alone unsupervised," another added. </p> <p>"The fact that they would so willingly leave their children in an unfamiliar environment completely alone is shocking," another added. </p> <p>"Are they seriously that f****** dumb? Do they not watch the news, have they not seen what happened to Madeline McCann?" a fourth wrote. </p> <p>Following the controversy, the couple released a video claiming that a family member was always with the children while they were at dinner, although they didn't clarify who. </p> <p>"We take our roles as parents extremely seriously and we love our children more than anything in the entire world, and we're very protective of our kids," Matt said in the video. </p> <p>"We had someone with our children at all times on this boat," he continued adding that the speculation surrounding them is "completely untrue". </p> <p>"I do want to clarify that we have not, would not, will not ever leave our children unattended. We would would never, ever want to put them in harms way in anyway," Abby added. </p> <p>She explained that her family would "tag team" to help the couple out with watching their children. </p> <p>Viewers were quick to speculate whether they were telling the truth, while others were glad they clarified. </p> <p>"Thanks for the clarification because it did come off like the boys were alone- context is everything," one wrote. </p> <p>"I hope this is the truth," another added. </p> <p>"For them to post about it like it's some genius parenting hack is just wild," a third wrote. </p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

"I don't call that a life": Couple sign up to die in double suicide pod

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains sensitive content that some readers may find distressing. </strong></em></p> <p>A couple from the UK has signed up to be the first to die in a double suicide pod, invented by an Australian doctor, after 46 years of marriage.</p> <p>Peter and Christine Scott, from Suffolk in England’s east, have shared their plans to travel to Switzerland to die together after Ms Scott, a former nurse, was diagnosed with early-stage vascular dementia.</p> <p>After meeting at a jazz club, the pair married 46 years ago, and shared that they have opted out of potentially years of hospital treatment and the crippling costs of care which could eat into their life savings. </p> <p>“We have had long, happy, healthy, fulfilled lives but here we are in old age and it does not do nice things to you,” Mr Scott, 86, told<a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13825105/Former-RAF-engineer-nurse-wife-sign-British-couple-use-double-suicide-pod-Switzerland-dementia.html"> <em>The Daily Mail</em></a>. </p> <p>“The idea of watching the slow degradation of Chris’s mental abilities in parallel to my own physical decline is horrific to me,” the former Royal Air Force pilot added. </p> <p>“Obviously I would care for her to the point I could not, but she has nursed enough people with dementia during her career to be adamant she wants to remain in control of herself and her life”.</p> <p>“I would not want to go on living without her,” he said of his 80-year-old wife. “I don’t want to go into care, to be lying in bed dribbling and incontinent – I don’t call that a life”.</p> <p>As English law does not allow for euthanasia, the couple have planned their trip to Switzerland for the procedure, where Ms Scott has planned out her final days with her husband. </p> <p>“I’d like to go walking with Peter in the Swiss Alps, by a river. I’d have a beautiful plate of fish for my last supper, and enjoy a great bottle of Merlot,” she said. </p> <p>“I’d make a playlist including <em>Wild Cat Blues</em> and <em>The Young Ones</em> by Cliff Richard and I’ve found a poem called <em>Miss Me But Let Me Go</em>, which sums up exactly how I feel”.</p> <p>The suicide pod, known as Sarco, can be turned on with a simple flick of a switch from inside the futuristic capsule that resembles a modern car.</p> <p>The machine was invented by Australian Dr Philip Nitschke, who has long been behind a number of initiatives to allow legal euthanasia in Australia.</p> <p>The 3D printed Sarco capsule ends the lives of those inside by pumping the pod with nitrogen which replaces the oxygen in the pod, which renders the occupants unconscious within about a minute without, its claimed, any panic or distress. </p> <p>With falling oxygen, the person eventually suffocates.</p> <p>Dr Nitschke said the machine is activated by a button from inside the pod. </p> <p>“The capsule for two people works exactly the same as the single Sarco but there is only one button so they will decide between them who will push it,” he told <em><a title="www.dailymail.co.uk" href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13825105/Former-RAF-engineer-nurse-wife-sign-British-couple-use-double-suicide-pod-Switzerland-dementia.html">The Daily Mail</a></em>. </p> <p>“Then they’ll be able to hold each other”. </p> <p><em>Image credits: Courtesy of Exit International</em></p>

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"I don't call that a life": Couple sign up to die in double suicide pod