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A Mother’s Day poem for those who have lost their mums

Over60 community member Jenny Bush shares this poignant poem on Mother’s Day. “I have been thinking about all the mothers out there for whom Mothers’ Day is a source of disappointment and quite often a day filled with a sense of loss and hurt. I have written this poem for those of us who miss what the special day used to mean in our lives.” – Jenny Bush A Mothers’ Day Lament Reflecting on Mother’s Days of yesteryear My heart laments with a silent tear Of the significance of what that day used to be And the profound impact it had on me. Cherishing time spent with my Nan and my Mum Never dreaming that the day would eventually come When neither were here to share the day To feast with us and watch kids at play. Our whole family would gather and have so much fun Quite often on picnics – enjoying the sun. With aunts and uncles and cousins too But life was simple back then, it’s true. Life now moves on at such a fast pace And every day it seems like we are running a race. People are so busy doing this and that There is so little time to sit, and simply chat. For many reasons families can be torn apart Quite often resulting in a broken heart. There is commercial pressure to buy Mum something new Causing some to resort to writing an I.O.U Many mums now spend the day alone For some it’s a quick chat with family by phone. And some celebrate with friends who are on their own too While accepting that life’s ways are now all new. I will miss my mum and my nan this Mothers’ Day But I am so grateful for memories of the special way We used to celebrate their love and care for us Which was usually given with a minimum of fuss. I am sad for the customs we seem to have lost With the emphasis now placed on the financial cost. Progress is great in so many ways But oh how I sometimes miss “the good old days”. Illustration: Midjourney

Lifestyle

Why friendships could be good for your gut

As well as being good for our mental health, it seems that having plenty of friends can be good for the health of our gut, a new study says. Scientists looked at a group of Rhesus Macaques living on Cayo Santiago, an island off the coast of Puerto Rico, and found that the more sociable primate had more beneficial bacteria and less harmful bacteria than less social monkeys. To measure just how social the monkeys were, the researchers measured the time each monkey spent grooming or being groomed by others, as well as the number of grooming partners they had. “Macaques are highly social animals and grooming is their main way of making and maintaining relationships, so grooming provides a good indicator of social interactions,” Dr Kali Watson, a cognitive scientist at the University of Colorado, said. They also collected faecal samples from the monkeys and performed DNA sequencing to measure the composition and diversity of gut microbes that were present. “Engagement in social interactions was positively related to the abundance of certain gut microbes with beneficial immunological functions, and negatively related to the abundance of potentially pathogenic members of the microbiota,” Dr Philip Burnet, who researches the influence of the gut microbiome on brain health at the University of Oxford, said. They found that the most sociable monkeys had higher levels of protective bacteria, including Faecalibacterium, which has anti-inflammatory properties, and Prevotella, which has been associated with better immunity against pathogens and anti-inflammatory effects. Meanwhile, bacteria such as Streptococcus, which cause diseases such as strep throat and pneumonia, were found in greater abundance in the less social monkeys. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/monkey-guts1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Image: Frontiers Press As for why this happens, the researchers proposed that it may be to do with the transmission of bacteria through physical contact, such as grooming. “The relationship between social behaviour and microbial abundances may be the direct result of social transmission of microbes, for example through grooming,” Dr Katerina Johnson, a researcher at the University of Oxford, said. “It could also be an indirect effect, as monkeys with fewer friends may be more stressed, which then affects the abundance of these microbes. “As well as behaviour influencing the microbiome, we also know it is a reciprocal relationship, whereby the microbiome can in turn affect the brain and behaviour.” The millions of bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms that live in our gut - and make up our <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/mind/your-gut-s-second-brain-may-have-evolved-before-your-head-s-brain">gut microbiome</a> - have become an area of interest for researchers, particularly when it comes to digestive health and the influence it has on our nervous system, in a relationship called the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/health/mind/how-gut-bacteria-could-affect-your-mental-health">‘gut-brain axis’</a>. Previous studies have shown that the levels of different species of these organisms in our guts have been linked to depression, schizophrenia and even autoimmune conditions such as Crohn’s disease and colitis. The gut even creates neurotransmitters, hormones and other molecules the brain needs. With this study finding that being social can influence our gut, which in turn can influence our health more generally, it shows just how crucial social interactions are for our health. Dr Robin Dunbar, a psychology professor at the University of Oxford, said: “As our society is increasingly substituting online interactions for real-life ones, these important research findings underline the fact that as primates, we evolved not only in a social world but a microbial one as well.” The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1032495" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frontiers in Microbiology</a>. Image: Frontiers Press

Health

Celine Dion reveals shock diagnosis

Céline Dion has revealed she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological condition and has cancelled her upcoming Courage world tour. The Canadian songstress shared the news during an emotional video on Instagram, informing fans that she has Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a rare disorder that affects the nervous symptom and causes extreme muscle stiffness and painful spasms. “Recently I’ve been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called the stiff person syndrome, which affects 1 in a million people,” Dion said in the clip. "While we're still learning about this rare condition, we now know this is what's been causing all of the spasms that I've been having. "Unfortunately these spasms affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I'm used to." <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cl5xJY1AjAO/?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/Cl5xJY1AjAO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion)</a> </div> </blockquote> According to the <a href="https://stiffperson.org/sps-101/treatments-for-sps/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stiff Person Syndrome Research Foundation</a>, SPS affects between 1-2 in one million people and is more common in women than men. While there is no cure for SPS currently, the symptoms can be treated with medication and therapies. The My Heart Will Go On singer said she would be unable to restart her world tour in Europe next February, when she was due to tour in Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Croatia, and the UK. She said eight tour dates would be cancelled and rescheduled to 2024. The news comes after the five-time Grammy winner cancelled the North American leg of her tour earlier this year. In the video, Dion thanked fans for their well-wishes and her children for their support, telling fans she was working with medical therapists to build her strength and ability to perform again. "I always give 100 percent when I do my shows, my condition is not allowing me to give you that right now," the 54-year-old said. "For me to reach you again I have no choice but to concentrate on my health at this moment and I have hope that I'm on the road to recovery. “This is my focus and I’m doing everything I can to recuperate." Image: Instagram

Health

Rare new image of Archie emerges

Three-year-old Archie has been seen in a photo with his mum Meghan Markle, making a rare appearance in the public eye after the photo was shared on social media. Archie and Meghan were joined by Doria Ragland, Meghan’s mum, on a video call with Full Circle Strategies CEO Jotaka Eaddy and political strategist Donna Brazile. The toddler was seen on camera sitting on Meghan’s lap, while his grandmother stood behind them. The image was shared by Duchess Harris, a professor in American studies and political science, and quickly spread online. While it is unclear what the meeting was about, the photo marks one of Archie’s few appearances since his birth in May 2019. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/12/archie-meghan-zoom.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Meghan Markle, Archie, and Doria Ragland appeared on a video call with Jotaka Eaddy and Donna Brazile, marking one of the few times Archie has been seen on camera. Image: Twitter The meeting and photo also come as Prince William and Kate Middleton prepare to head to the United States on Thursday, with an itinerary including attending the second Earthshot Prize Awards in Boston, Massachusetts. Coincidentally, Harry and Meghan will also be on the East Coast within days of the Prince and Princess of Wales, as they are due to attend a ceremony in New York to accept the Ripple of Hope award for their stance against “structural racism” in the royal family. The recognition of the Sussexes also comes amid more racial controversy for the royals. On Thursday, Queen Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting Lady Susan Hussey resigned from her royal position for making “deeply regrettable comments” about Ngozi Fulani, the CEO of Sistah Space, an organisation aimed at supporting women of African and Caribbean heritage that are affected by abuse. Image: Twitter

Lifestyle

Chris Hemsworth’s Alzheimer’s gene doesn’t guarantee he’ll develop dementia

Chris Hemsworth, famous for his role as the god Thor in Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, has announced he will be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/nov/21/chris-hemsworth-to-take-time-off-from-acting-after-discovering-alzheimers-risk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking a break</a> from acting after being told he has two copies of the <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/study-reveals-how-apoe4-gene-may-increase-risk-dementia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APOE4 gene</a>, increasing his risk of Alzheimer’s. Having one copy of the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.8346443" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APOE4 gene</a> increases your risk for Alzheimer’s 2-3 times. Two copies increases your risk 10-15 times. But the key here is “risk”. Having one or more copies of the gene doesn’t guarantee Chris or anyone else in a similar situation will go on to develop Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Sharing the news Hemsworth’s willingness to share his concerns about developing Alzheimer’s with millions should be applauded. It’s a reminder to all of us to keep an eye on our health and reduce our risk of future illness. Alzheimer’s, and dementia more broadly, is <a href="https://www.dementiastatistics.org/statistics/global-prevalence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set to challenge</a> health-care systems worldwide. In Australia alone there are <a href="https://www.dementia.org.au/statistics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">up to</a> 500,000 people with dementia, supported by almost 1.6 million carers. By 2036, about <a href="https://www.dementia.org.au/sites/default/files/NATIONAL/documents/The-economic-cost-of-dementia-in-Australia-2016-to-2056.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">450 people</a> are predicted to be diagnosed daily. So understanding how APOE4 alters the risk for the major cause of dementia may be pivotal in preventing cases. But not all people with the APOE4 gene go on to develop Alzheimer’s. This means that there may be a combination of environmental factors interplaying with the gene that lead some people to develop Alzheimer’s, while others do not. What’s APOE4 got to do with Alzheimer’s? Most Australians have APOE3 or APOE2 genes. In Caucasians it’s only <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5531868/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about 15%</a>, like Hemsworth, who have inherited an APOE4 gene. The APOE gene types are best known for their role in modulating the metabolism of lipids (fats), such as cholesterol and triglycerides. They code for synthesis of different versions of the protein APOE, with subtle differences in structure. The APOE proteins become an integral part of lipoproteins in the blood. These are the fat-carrying particles your GP measures to consider your risk of heart disease. APOE proteins have a similar function in the brain, to modulate lipid levels. But in the context of Alzheimer’s, researchers study it for its effect on the integrity of brain cells. Accumulating evidence <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197458022000550" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggests</a> APOE4, is associated with brain inflammation and cellular damage. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> APOE4 is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. A study in <a href="https://twitter.com/Nature?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nature</a> establishes a functional link between APOE4, cholesterol, myelination and memory, offering therapeutic opportunities for Alzheimer’s disease. <a href="https://t.co/bNsmDVPfFW">https://t.co/bNsmDVPfFW</a> <a href="https://t.co/58odE1JASl">pic.twitter.com/58odE1JASl</a> — Nature Portfolio (@NaturePortfolio) <a href="https://twitter.com/NaturePortfolio/status/1594762841487249410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote> Can we prevent Alzheimer’s? 1. Look after your capillaries Damaged and leaky blood vessels (capillaries) in the brain lead to inflammation, the death of brain cells and cognitive impairment. In fact, in Alzheimer’s, damaged capillaries are the earliest sign of the type of brain damage that causes disease. The protein encoded by the APOE4 gene may be less able to support healthy capillaries in the brain. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163782709000563" target="_blank" rel="noopener">We suggested</a> APOE4 increases the abundance of specific complexes of lipoproteins and proteins in blood that silently damage brain capillaries, causing them to leak. We also see more brain capillary leakage in mice fed Western-style diets richer in saturated fats. The relationship between how the APOE proteins mediate lipid metabolism and capillary health in humans is poorly understood. But we have 60 years of research knowledge to say with confidence that eating foods good for the heart should also be good for the brain. This is particularly relevant for people with the APOE4 gene. So if you have the APOE4 gene and want to minimise your risk of Alzheimer’s, a healthy diet is a good place to start. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/497142/original/file-20221124-24-rlqyk5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Capillaries" /></a><figcaption>Looking after your capillaries with a healthy diet is a good place to start. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/system-many-small-capillaries-branch-out-1745173364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></figcaption></figure> 2. Give your brain a break Reducing unnecessary stimuli to “give your brain a rest” may have big impact over decades of your life. The latter may be a more important consideration if you have the APOE4 gene. That’s because the APOE gene is also linked to how the brain uses energy, which may lead to more <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00216/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">oxidative stress and damage</a>. While we’ve yet to collect robust data in humans, take a digital detox now and again, plan some down time, and avoid unnecessary stress if you can. Should we test for the APOE4 gene? Some people might be tempted to get tested for the APOE4 gene, especially if there’s a family history of Alzheimer’s. But unless genetic testing is going to change your treatment (for instance, by taking certain medications to slow progression of brain damage), or your behaviour to minimise your risk Alzheimer’s, then testing is not justified. We can’t change the genes our parents gifted us, but we can change our environment. Poor diet, every drop of alcohol you drink, obesity and diabetes, high blood pressure and sedentary behaviour <a href="https://www.dementia.org.au/risk-reduction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">all contribute, over time</a>, to poorer vascular health and increase your risk of dementia. We’re still learning about how these risk factors for Alzheimer’s interact with the APOE4 gene. But there is no reason we shouldn’t all take greater responsibility for minimising our risk of dementia now, whether we have the APOE4 gene or not.<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/195094/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Writen by John Mamo. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/chris-hemsworths-alzheimers-gene-doesnt-guarantee-hell-develop-dementia-heres-what-we-can-all-do-to-reduce-our-risk-195094" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: Instagram

Health

World’s largest active volcano erupts

The world’s largest active volcano has begun to erupt for the first time in 38 years, with officials warning locals to prepare in the event of a worst-case scenario. Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, began to erupt on Sunday night local time at Moku'āweoweo, the volcano’s summit caldera (a hollow that forms beneath the summit after an eruption). While the lava has been mostly contained within the summit, US officials said the situation could change rapidly and have urged Big Island’s 200,000 residents to prepare to evacuate if lava begins to flow towards populated areas. A warning about ashfall was previously issued to residents, given that falling ash can contaminate water supplies, kill vegetation and irritate the lungs, but the advisory has since been lifted. "Based on past events, the early stages of a Mauna Loa eruption can be very dynamic and the location and advance of lava flows can change rapidly," the US Geological Service (USGS) said. The public has also been urged to stay away from Mauna Loa, given the threat caused by lava that has been shooting 30 to 60 metres into the air, as well as the emission of harmful volcanic gases such as sulfur dioxide. The eruption - Moana Loa’s 33rd since 1843 - comes after a series of recent earthquakes hit the region, with more than a dozen reported on Sunday. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/mauna-lua1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />Aerial photos show the first time Mauna Loa has erupted in the past 38 years. Image: USGS Bobby Camara, a lifelong resident who lives in Big Island’s Volcano Village, told The Guardian that he had seen the volcano erupt three times in his life and warned that everyone on the island should be vigilant. “I think everybody should be a little bit concerned,” he said. “We don’t know where the flow is going, we don’t know how long it’s going to last.” Gunner Mench, an art gallery owner in Kamuela, told the outlet that he saw the eruption alert on his phone shortly after midnight on Sunday before venturing out to film the red glow over the island and lava spilling down the side of the volcano. “You could see it spurting up into the air, over the edge of this depression,” Mench said. “Right now it’s just entertainment, but the concern is (it could reach populated areas).” Dr Jessica Johnson, a volcano geophysicist who has worked at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, told the BBC that although the lava poses “little risk” to people, it could be a threat for infrastructure. She warned that lava flows could pose a threat to Hilo and Kona, two nearby population centres, and that the volcanic gases could cause breathing problems. While the USGS has noted there is no indication the lava will spill out of the summit, the agency has opened evacuation shelters due to reports of locals self-evacuating along the South Kona coast. Mauna Loa is the world’s largest active volcano and one of five that make up Hawaii’s Big Island, the southernmost island in the archipelago. Image: H24 NET (Twitter)

Travel

Noble pups! Meet the royal dogs of the British monarchy

These furry friends certainly get the royal treatment! Here's everything to know about the four-legged members of the royal family. Royal dogs For many of us, our dogs play a major – if not the most important – role in our families. Royal dogs are no different, minus all the public engagements they get to attend – like charity events and council meetings. For generations, royal dogs have played an iconic role in public and private life for many members across the royal family tree. Whether it be King Charles II who was rumoured to not go anywhere without a minimum of three spaniels or Queen Victoria who owned a whopping 88 smooth-haired Collies in her lifetime, royals certainly have a history of loving their dogs. Today, the British royal family is known for having a plethora of furry four-legged friend – Queen Elizabeth’s corgis and King Charles III’s dogs are a few of our famous favourites. Here are a few of today’s royal dogs that are beloved by many. Muick and Sandy <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/02-prince-andrew-corgi-GettyImages-1243368841-scaled-e1666119038497-770.jpg" alt="" width="1536" height="998" /> Royal owners: originally Queen Elizabeth II, now Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York Queen Elizabeth was known for her devotion to her country, service and, of course, her love of corgis. The Queen received her first corgi from her father on her 18th birthday, and while the exact number of corgis during her 70-year-rule is only known by a select few, experts estimate England’s longest monarch had over 30 in her lifetime. Muick and Sandy also played a special role for the Queen. Prince Andrew gifted the two adorable corgis to Queen Elizabeth to provide her with comfort while Prince Philip was in the hospital in early 2021. Now, due to the Queen’s passing, her pups will fondly be taken care of by Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson. Bluebell and Beth <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/03-charles-dog-GettyImages-843781242-king-charles-and-dogs-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="500" /> Royal owners: King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla Meet the new pups of Buckingham Palace! Like his mother, King Charles III has a favourite dog breed and has owned many Jack Russell Terriers. Queen Consort Camilla adopted Beth and Bluebell in 2017 from a rescue centre, and these pups even made history as the first rescue pets to ever live in Buckingham Palace! We can’t wait to see how these two will make history next. Orla <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/05-William-Kate-pet-dog-GettyImages-1407226469-770-1.jpg" alt="" /> Royal owners: Prince William and Princess Kate The Prince and Princess of Wales are the proud owners of a black cocker spaniel named Orla, who the couple’s children – Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis – absolutely adore. Black cocker spaniels have a reputation for getting along well with children due to their calm and kind nature. The newest member of the family was actually gifted from Kate’s brother, James, whose dog gave birth to six puppies. Orla also has a sentimental role in the family, as she was bought to help bring joy and energy to the couple’s elderly dog, Lupo, in his old age before his passing in November of 2020. Guy, Mamma Mia and Pula <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/05-beagle-GettyImages-566943335-770.jpg" alt="" width="770" height="500" /> Royal owners: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla aren’t the only members of the royal family with a love for rescue dogs. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest pup, a 7-year-old beagle named Mamma Mia is the couple’s second beagle in addition to Guy, as well as their black Labrador Pula. Prince Harry recently discussed how the couple’s dogs are all emotional support dogs “when they’re behaving,” he joked. Dotty <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/06-princess-Anne-pet-GettyImages-1033476776-e1666118755545.jpg" alt="" width="893" height="893" /> Royal owner: Princess Anne Similar to her brother and mother, Princess Anne is another royal with an affinity for a specific dog breed: bull terriers. During her time as a royal, Princess Anne owned several bull terriers – one of her bull terriers even made history, causing Princess Anne to be the first royal member charged with a criminal offence after her dog, Dotty, attacked two children in Windsor Great Park. Jack, Cici, Teddy and Ginger <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/04-terrier-eugenie-beatrice-GettyImages-844394888-770-scaled-1.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1662" /> Royal owners: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie The two daughters of Prince Andrew aren’t shy about their affection for Norfolk Terriers – an adorable, tiny and energetic breed. In fact, Princess Beatrice loves Norfolk terriers so much that she offered to gift two to her grandmother, birthed by her very own Norfolk Terrier named Ginger. Unfortunately, the Queen was worried about tripping over the pups and getting hurt, so she declined. The granddaughters of the Queen seem to get their love of dogs from her. A recent Instagram photo Princess Eugenie posted after the Queen’s passing shows Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice sitting with the Queen and petting a dog. The caption fondly wrote: “For now dear Grannie, all we want to say is thank you.” Dog name: Unknown <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/07-Sophie-pet-GettyImages-1238871398-770-scaled-1.jpg" alt="" /> Royal owners: Prince Edward and Sophie The Queen’s youngest child, the Earl of Wessex, and his wife own two pups; a black Labrador and a Cocker Spaniel. The Countess of Wessex is known for her love of dogs – she has been seen walking the dogs on the grounds of Windsor Castle and attended the Guide Dogs National Centre in Britain. Fun fact: dogs aren’t the only pets the Earl’s family owns! In a recent video interview, Prince Edward revealed that the family has “two dogs and we’ve also got a tortoise, who basically runs the house.” Written by Jessica Kaplan. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/culture/noble-pups-meet-the-royal-dogs-of-the-british-monarchy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.com.au/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here’s our best subscription offer.</a> Images: Getty Images

Lifestyle

“I believe Prince Andrew”: Fergie’s ex speaks in bombshell interview

Sarah Ferguson’s former partner has made bombshell allegations about Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew and the late Queen, including claims that the convicted sex offender planned to blackmail the monarch. John Bryan, who was in a relationship with Ferguson for four years in the 1990s, made the claims in his first tell-all interview, per The Sun. The US businessman said that Epstein earned some of his wealth by blackmailing others in powerful positions into giving him money in exchange for his silence over their illicit behaviours. “People always ask how Epstein made his money. He was supposed to be this tax wizard. But it was all a con,” Bryan told the Mail on Sunday. “He blackmailed rich men and then made them pay to avoid scandal. He made hundreds of millions of dollars this way.” Bryan also claimed he was secretly drafted for crisis talks with Prince Andrew after the royal’s disastrous 2019 Newsnight interview, including that he was smuggled into the Royal Lodge to advise the royal in the wake of the Epstein scandal and amid claims he had sex with then-teenager Virginia Giuffre. He said the conversation involved probing Andrew about his relationship with Epstein and convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell. “Andrew’s television interview had been a catastrophe so they needed an honest strategic plan that everyone could buy into,” Bryan recalled. “[Fergie] invited me to come over. She was desperate. She told me that Andrew was in terrible shape. “He was distraught. They were distraught.” He claimed that he helped the family come up with a “long term strategy” called “House of Kroy”, a backwards spelling of York. During the interview, Bryan said Epstein’s “ultimate” aim was to blackmail the Queen using the allegations of child sexual abuse and other sexual activities made against Andrew. “Epstein tried to lure Andrew into his web, but I believe his ultimate mark was the Queen,” Bryan said, adding that Epstein’s plan to target the Queen supported his belief that the allegations against Andrew were unfounded. “I believe Andrew is innocent. If he genuinely was involved in ‘orgies’ as has been alleged, then Epstein would have used that to try and bribe the Queen into paying out millions to protect her family,” he said. “Andrew has never had any money. The Queen was the one with money. “I truly believe Epstein was going after her but Andrew never gave him the ammunition to do so.” The financial advisor recalled another meeting with the royals, including Andrew, Princess Beatrice, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. Bryan claimed Princess Beatrice told Andrew, “you’ve hurt our family”, and that Andrew was “downcast” and yelling: “I don’t care anymore, I don’t care. I am being treated unfairly.” He added that the Duke was in a state he had never seen him in before after the interview. “In the four years I dated Sarah I never once heard him raise his voice or lose his temper,” he said. “It showed what strain he was under, how much he cared about the damage this was doing to the Royal Family.” Bryan added that he had only seen Andrew with women aged in their mid-20s while he was dating Fergie, and that he believed there was “no hint” of “anything untoward going on”. “I truly believe if there was anything untoward going on I would have known about it, Sarah would have known about it,” he said. “But there was never a hint of that. I remain and will always remain an outsider, so let me be the first outsider to say that I believe Prince Andrew – and I don’t say it lightly. “This outsider has a lot of inside knowledge.” Image: Getty Images

Finance

News

Royal staff face uncertain future amid palace shake-up

King Charles III is reportedly planning to slim down the ranks of staff at England’s royal residences, months after staff at Clarence House were told they were being made redundant. According to a royal insider, the reported 491 full-time staff working across Buckingham Palace, Balmoral Castle, Windsor Castle and other royal residences, per <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/king-charles-reportedly-planning-to-fire-late-queen-s-ladies-in-waiting-among-other-staff/ar-AA14jAlj?cvid=94ec179e798b4a65b52b3da30143492b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">msn.com</a>, are “extremely worried” about their positions and fear they will be unemployed by the end of the year. "It's a really testing time. Many are already resigned to leaving jobs they have cherished for years," the insider told <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/20479578/king-charles-makes-major-royal-shake-up/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Mirror</a>. "It's left a real sense of dread among staff." Royal insiders believe Queen Elizabeth II’s ladies-in-waiting at the Royal Stud in Sandringham are among those at risk. The news comes one week after the King announced a one-off cost-of-living bonus for his staff, with a source telling <a href="https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/king-charles-pays-staff-bonus-out-of-pocket-cost-of-living/c4f05fbe-3d8e-4e13-b475-6b2f9c15a28d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a> that Charles was paying hundreds out of his own pocket to help his lowest-earning employees during the country’s cost-of-living crisis. "It is being given on a sliding scale with those most in need and on lower wages getting the most money," the source said. For some royal staff, the recent risk of redundancy may come for a second time, after up to 100 employees at Charles’ former residence of Clarence House were given redundancy notices during the Queen’s thanksgiving service in September. In a letter sent to staff by Sir Clive Alderton, the King’s top aide, it was revealed that the Clarence House household “will be closed down”. “The change in role for our principals will also mean change for our household … The portfolio of work previously undertaken in this household supporting the former Prince of Wales’s personal interests, former activities and household operations will no longer be carried out, and the household … at Clarence House will be closed down. It is therefore expected that the need for the posts principally based at Clarence House, whose work supports these areas will no longer be needed,” his letter read, as reported by the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/sep/13/king-charles-staff-given-redundancy-notice-during-church-service-for-queen" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guardian</a>. “I appreciate that this is unsettling news and I wanted to let you know of the support that is available at this point.” It is understood that staff made redundant would be offered searches for alternative employment across the royal households. “Our staff have given long and loyal service and, while some redundancies will be unavoidable, we are working urgently to identify alternative roles for the greatest number of staff,” a Clarence House spokesman said at the time. Image: Getty Images

News

“When you win, bring it back to Malibu”: Sean Penn loans Oscar to Ukraine

Actor Sean Penn has shown his support for Ukraine in its war with Russia by loaning one of his two Oscars to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, telling him it could stay on one condition: “When you win, bring it back to Malibu”. A video of the encounter between Zelenskyy and Penn, who is making a documentary about the Russian invasion, was shared by Zelenskyy’s office online and described the gift as “a symbol of faith in the victory of our country”. “It will be in Ukraine until the end of the war.” During his most recent visit to Ukraine, Penn told Zelenskyy that every time he leaves he feels “like a traitor”. “But if I know this is here with you then I will feel better and stronger for the fights,” he said before presenting the leader with his award. “When you win, bring it back to Malibu. Because I feel much better knowing there is a piece of me here.” <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CktdU1RLvIQ/?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/CktdU1RLvIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Володимир Зеленський (@zelenskiy_official)</a> </div> </blockquote> After initially hesitating, Zelenskyy accepted the statue and quipped: “We have to win, quick.” Wednesday’s meeting, which marked Penn’s third visit to Ukraine since the invasion began, also saw the actor accept an award from Zelenskyy. The Mystic River star was presented with the Ukrainian Order of Merit of the third degree, which is given to citizens for outstanding achievements in economics, science, culture or military or political activity. “It was with great pleasure that I presented Sean Penn with the Order of Merit of the III degree,” the caption of the clip shared on Zelenskyy’s official Instagram read. “Thank you for such sincere support and significant contribution to the popularization (sic) of Ukraine in the world!” The video also showed the pair walking around Kyiv and arriving at Constitution Square where there is a “Walk of the Brave” - a walkway lined with plaques for world leaders who have supported Ukraine. Penn also has a plaque laid on the ground along the walkway, engraved with his name and the date February 24, 2022, which was the start of the invasion, as Penn was one of the first people to visit Ukraine after Russian troops moved in. Pointing to the plaque, Penn said there were three sources of pride for him in the world. “The place where my daughter was born, the place where my son was born and this. Thank you,” he said. Image: Getty Images

News

Kate Middleton breaks ‘unwritten’ royal rule

Kate Middleton has been spotted breaking an unwritten rule for royals while posing with a royal fan. After the man approached and put his arm around her, the Princess of Wales reciprocated, breaking the unwritten rule of limiting contact to a handshake. Before smiling for the camera, Kate was seen speaking with him during the official visit she made with husband Prince William to Scarborough. The sweet photo was taken during the couple’s visit to ‘The Street’, a youth and community facility run by the charity Coast & Vale Community Action, where they announced that £345,000 of funds from their Royal Foundation would be used to help young people’s mental health in the area. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/kate-hug-man.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Kate Middleton was photographed with her arm around a royal fan during a sweet encounter in Scarborough. Image: Getty Images Their visit marked the first time royals had been to the town in 12 years and was met with a positive reception from locals. “It’s a feel good factor, which at the present situation as somebody said to me, ‘To see a prince and princess, it’s like a fairytale’,” one local told ITV News. “It’s lovely that they’re helping all the young ones isn’t it, because they’ll be the ones that’s with them, you know, when [William]’s king really,” another said. One of the teens who was lucky to meet with the royals to speak about mental health shared a surprising revelation about what the couple were really like. “I thought they’d be more posh but they were very down to earth,” he said. Both Kate and William were also snapped with their arms around a young child, with other members of the public taking photos of them as well. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/kate-hug-william.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Prince William and Kate Middleton were also spotted with their arms around a young royal fan during their visit to Scarborough. Image: Getty Images But Kate and William’s most recent visit to Scarborough isn’t the first time members of the public have been met with more than a handshake by the younger royals. Earlier this year, William hugged a man who became emotional during a trip to Scotland, and the Prince also hugged the Lionesses after their historic win of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 competition. In the wake of the Queen’s death in September, Meghan Markle was spotted being hugged and kissed by royal fans, while Sophie, Countess of Wessex, was photographed hugging a young boy during a vigil. While there aren’t any official rules for how royals behave while greeting members of the public, a handshake has historically been the extent of contact made. Grant Harold, a former royal butler, told <a href="https://www.ok.co.uk/lifestyle/prince-william-broke-protocol-intentional-27659169" target="_blank" rel="noopener">OK!</a> that at most “you could look but you couldn’t touch”. “If you met a royal, you could look at them and if they offered you a handshake you were to accept it,” he told the outlet. “That was a lot to do with the mystique surrounding the family but also for security reasons, too." Image: Getty Images

News

Car crash claims the life of TV icon Leslie Jordan

TV actor and social media sensation Leslie Jordan has died at the age of 67. The Will & Grace star crashed his BMW into the side of a building in Los Angeles on Monday morning, local time, with the New York Post reporting that he suffered from a medical emergency while behind the wheel. In a statement shared with the Post, Jordan’s manager confirmed the heartbreaking news. “The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan,” his manager said. “Not only was he a mega talent and joy to work with, but he provided an emotional sanctuary to the nation at one of its most difficult times. “What he lacked in height he made up for in generosity and greatness as a son, brother, artist, comedian, partner and human being. “Knowing that he has left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life is the only solace one can have today.” The 4’11” star rose to fame on television screens in the 1990s, with roles in Reasonable Doubts, Ally McBeal, Boston Legal, and Judging Amy, as well as guest appearances on Dharma & Greg, Ellen, and Caroline in the City. He became best-known for his comedic roles, including his starring role in the show Hearts Afire and as sassy socialite Beverly Leslie in Will & Grace, with his humour earning him fame and 5.8 million followers on social media during the pandemic. His fame earned him a spot on CNN’s New Year’s Eve 2021 countdown, where he rang in the new year with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen. <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/CkG-tMgOI-y/?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/CkG-tMgOI-y/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Leslie Jordan (@thelesliejordan)</a> </div> </blockquote> Jordan’s Instagram account, where he shared clips of himself singing gospel hymns and humorous stories about Hollywood, shared the news of Jordan’s passing and encouraged fans to “comfort each other” and share their memories of the actor. “The love and light that Leslie shared will never go out and we invite you to share your memories and comfort each other during this time,” the post read. “In the coming days we will be giving a glimpse of a project Leslie was really proud of and was looking forward to sharing with the world.” The star, who released his memoir How Y’all Doing?: Misadventures and Mischief from a Life Well-Lived last year, was raised as a Southern Baptist and was openly gay, being widely revered as a queer icon. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 1955, Jordan previously said he struggled growing up in a traditional family and conservative city, though he was supported by his beloved mother, Betty. He moved to Los Angeles in 1982 to pursue a career in showbiz, but soon became involved in drugs and alcohol and had been arrested several times by his mid-20s. Overcoming his addictions by the 1990s, Jordan’s TV career quickly blossomed. Jordan’s role in Will & Grace during the 2000s, which he reprised during the show’s reboot in 2017, earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2006. In the wake of his death, his co-stars and others in Hollywood were among the first to pay tribute. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him. There will never be anyone like him. A unique talent with an enormous, caring heart. You will be missed, my dear friend. 😔❤️ <a href="https://t.co/RNKSamoES0">pic.twitter.com/RNKSamoES0</a> — Sean Hayes (@SeanHayes) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeanHayes/status/1584620699473563648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Crushed to learn about the loss of <a href="https://twitter.com/thelesliejordan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thelesliejordan</a>, the funniest & flirtiest southern gent I’ve ever known. The joy and laughter he brought to every one of his <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WillandGrace?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WillandGrace</a> episodes was palpable. Gone about thirty years too soon. You were loved, sweet man. 💔 — Eric McCormack (@EricMcCormack) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricMcCormack/status/1584614461511413760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote> “Crushed to learn about the loss of Leslie Jordan, the funniest & flirtiest southern gent I’ve ever known. The joy and laughter he brought to every one of his #WillandGrace episodes was palpable. Gone about thirty years too soon. You were loved, sweet man. 💔” Eric McCormack, who played Will Truman on Will & Grace tweeted. “My heart is broken. Leslie Jordan was one of the funniest people I ever had the pleasure of working with. Everyone who ever met him, loved him,” fellow Will & Grace actor Sean Hayes wrote. “There will never be anyone like him. A unique talent with an enormous, caring heart. You will be missed, my dear friend 😔❤️.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> I am stunned at the death of Leslie Jordan, who delighted us with his many roles on television and film. The cause of death was a car crash after he suffered a medical emergency. Leslie, we are heartbroken at your loss and will miss your mirth and your inimitable spirit. — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei/status/1584612609956884481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote> Star Trek actor George Takei paid tribute to Jordan for delighting viewers with his roles, writing: “Leslie, we are heartbroken at your loss and will miss your mirth and your inimitable spirit.” Image: @thereallesliejordan (Instagram)

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Travel

Plane crash survivors take “selfie of the year”

Survivors of a crash between an airplane and a firetruck have caused outrage after taking a selfie. Two passengers, still covered in firefighting foam, smiled for the camera and shared the snap online with the caption: “When life gives you a second chance #latam”. While the plane’s crew and passengers all survived, what they didn’t know was that two of the firefighters in the truck that collided with the plane at Peru’s Jorge Chavez International Airport had died. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Cuando la vida te da una segunda oportunidad <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/latam?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#latam</a> <a href="https://t.co/Vd98Zu98Uo">pic.twitter.com/Vd98Zu98Uo</a> — Enrique Varsi-Rospigliosi (@enriquevarsi) <a href="https://twitter.com/enriquevarsi/status/1593710356916051970?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote> In light of this, the passengers sparked outrage online for smiling in the wake of the tragedy. “I’ve seen it all now. Crash selfie. End of the internet,” one person tweeted. “Nothing to be proud of, firefighters died,” another wrote in a popular aviation group on Facebook. “Two firefighters die but sure, take a selfie and laugh,” a third commented. Others shared memes criticising the photo, with one Twitter user sharing a photo of a woman posing in front of a wildfire and the caption, “Same vibes!”. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Cuando te convertis en un meme de 9gag <a href="https://t.co/br7L8fdXIG">pic.twitter.com/br7L8fdXIG</a> — 𝕸𝖆𝖚𝖗𝖔 𝕳. 𝕷. (@mxmauro) <a href="https://twitter.com/mxmauro/status/1593936036819865600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> SAME VIBES! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LATAM?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LATAM</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/latamperu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#latamperu</a> <a href="https://t.co/lssuNyI3uv">https://t.co/lssuNyI3uv</a> <a href="https://t.co/8beWSTPWJn">pic.twitter.com/8beWSTPWJn</a> — Alderson (@0Dweller) <a href="https://twitter.com/0Dweller/status/1593739808102227968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote> But, some came to the defence of the passengers, noting that they would also be happy if they had walked away from a crash unscathed. “I mean it is selfie of the year … they walked away from that,” one wrote. “I get it, they are happy they are alive,” another said. “People are just taking it the wrong way and getting offended for anything these days. “Think about it, you realised you’ve just survived an aeroplane crash, then suddenly it catches fire, and on top of it you are able to walk away from it unscratched? I’d be the happiest and most thankful person alive!” A third noted that at the time very few people would have known there had been fatalities resulting from the crash, particularly if they were on the plane. “In the moment they took the picture, only a few people knew that two firefighters had died. They thought it was a problem with the aeroplane,” they explained. “Media took, at least, an hour and a half to report what really happened. Even firefighters from Lima didn’t know for the first hour. They just felt thankful for being alive.” It also seems that the critics are in the minority, with the original post receiving more than 200,000 likes since it was posted on November 19, a day after the crash. None of the 102 passengers or crew on-board the LATAM Airbus 280 at the time lost their lives in the incident, the cause of which is currently being investigated according to Jorge Chavez International Airport. Footage taken by witnesses showed the plane taking off from the runway at full speed before colliding with the truck, also travelling at speed. With damaged landing gear, the plane continued moving forward with its right side dragging along the runway and sending up a trail of sparks. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Todos los videos que me han llegado del accidente en el aeropuerto Jorge Chavez.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Latam?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Latam</a> <a href="https://t.co/uS2d82ls7S">pic.twitter.com/uS2d82ls7S</a> — 2023 VUELVO (@himselfsv) <a href="https://twitter.com/himselfsv/status/1593722983943528448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2022</a></blockquote> When it stopped, the rear of the plane was badly burned and a cloud of smoke escaped the aircraft. According to security official Aurelio Orellana, a rescuer in the truck was also injured during the incident and is “in critical condition due to head trauma”. Manuel van Oordt, the general manager of LATAM Peru, said he was surprised the firefighters were on the runway to begin with, given that the plane’s pilot hadn’t reported any anomalies. “No emergency was reported in the flight, it was a flight that was in optimal conditions to take off, he had permission to take off, and he found a truck on the runway and we do not know what this truck was doing there,” he said at a press conference. Image: Twitter

Travel

Statues found in Italy could “rewrite” history

The discovery of a cache of ancient bronze statues in Tuscany has been dubbed one of the most significant finds in the whole Mediterranean and could “rewrite” history in the region. Archaeologists working in the small hilltop town of San Casciano dei Bagni outside Siena, Italy, have uncovered 24 perfectly preserved bronze statues in the mud and water of ancient thermal baths. Excavation leader Jacopo Tabolli, a historian at the University for Foreigners in Siena, said they found “the largest deposit of bronze states of the Etruscan and Roman age ever discovered in Italy and one of the most significant in the whole Mediterranean”. The statues include a sleeping ephebe (an adolescent male aged between 17-18) lying next to Hygeia, the goddess of health, with a snake wrapped around her arm, as well as a statue of Apollo and figures representing matrons, children and emperors. Along with the statues, some of which date back 2300 years and stand at almost a metre tall, the researchers found thousands of coins and other artefacts, including relics that may have belonged to wealthy Etruscan and Roman families, landowners, lords and Roman emperors. The statues date back to between the second century BCE and first century CE, which was a time of major upheaval in Tuscan history, with the transition from Etruscan to Roman rule achieved through hard-fought battles that were followed by the destruction of Etruscan cultural items. Some bear inscriptions in both Latin and Etruscan with the names of prominent Etruscan families, suggesting the two cultures experienced some kind of harmony during this period. “This discovery rewrites the history of ancient art,” Tabolli said. “Here, Etruscans and Romans prayed together. “Even in historical epochs in which the most awful conflicts were raging outside, inside these pools and on these altars the two worlds, the Etruscan and Roman ones, appear to have coexisted without problems.” With the statues submerged in the mineral-rich waters of the hot springs, they were kept perfectly preserved until their recent discovery. Helga Maiorano, an archaeologist at the University of Pisa, told La Republica that the mud they were in created an atmosphere without oxygen, which is ideal for protecting bronze from bacteria. “One of the last ones [of the statues] particularly struck me for the quality of the details,” Chiara Fermo, an archaeologist at the University of Siena, told La Repubblica. “It is a female statue, entirely bejewelled, with very detailed necklaces and earrings. An example of what a woman of the time must have been like.” The baths are believed to have been built by the Etruscans during the third century and made more opulent under Roman rule. Tabolli told Ansa that the hot springs remained active until the fifth century, before being closed and the pools sealed with heavy stone pillars during Christian times. The find was made when archaeologists removed the covering to the spa. “It is the greatest store of statues from ancient Italy and is the only one whose context we can wholly reconstruct,” said Tabolli. Since their discovery, the statues have been taken to a restoration lab and will eventually go on display in the town of San Casciano. The site of the ancient baths, located nearby to a modern-day spa that is one of Italy’s most popular spa spots, is also due to be developed into an archaeological park. Images: The Italian Ministry of Culture

Travel

Protester detained over royal egging

A protester has been arrested after throwing eggs at King Charles III and Camilla during their royal visit in Yorkshire. The second day of the couple’s royal tour saw them take part in a welcoming ceremony to the City of York on Wednesday, where they greeted well-wishers lining the streets. But things took a turn when a protester hurled an egg at the king from among the crowd, which he appeared to turn his head to avoid before it splattered on the ground next to him. When another three eggs were thrown, security stepped in and moved the King and Queen Consort back from the crowds. As police detained the protester, boos were heard among the crowd that seemed to be aimed at the egg-wielding man before chants of “God Save the King” broke out. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/charles-egg-visit-arrest.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Meanwhile, King Charles and Camilla continued their walkabout on the other side of the street and made one young well-wisher very happy. The couple greeted Jason, a young boy who is visually impaired, before each holding his hands and walking with him. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Thank you to <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RoyalFamily</a> for their special meeting with young resident Jason who is visually impaired. He was thrilled to meet the King and Queen Consort today whilst they visited York. <a href="https://t.co/Vx8nol1mrH">pic.twitter.com/Vx8nol1mrH</a> — City of York Council (@CityofYork) <a href="https://twitter.com/CityofYork/status/1590323338756300800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote> Afterwards, the town clerk read the official declaration of welcome to the city before the couple left for York Minster, where Charles unveiled a statue of his late mother. During his speech, the monarch said he was “deeply touched” to unveil the statue commemorating Queen Elizabeth II, adding that it will “watch what will become Queen Elizabeth Square”. The statue, the first to be unveiled since the Queen’s death in September, was commissioned five years ago to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee this year. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/charles-egg-visit.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> "Now, as we have witnessed, with great sadness, the passing of that reign, it is unveiled in her memory, as a tribute to a life of extraordinary service and devotion," King Charles said. He said the “symbolism of the statue, combining the signs of Church and of State, is perfectly suited to its place on the West Front of this glorious building”. His and Camilla’s tour of the city comes ten years after the last royal visit, when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip entered the city to attend the Maundy Service at York Minster. Images: Getty Images

Travel

Fisherman declared a hero after Tanzanian crash efforts

After a plane crashed in Tanzania’s Lake Victoria on November 6, one fisherman who nearly lost his life trying to save the trapped pilots has spoken about his efforts. The passenger plane was carrying 43 people when the pilots attempted to land at Bukoba airport after encountering problems and enduring bad weather. Majaliwa Jackson, who was officially declared a hero and awarded 1 million Tanzanian shillings ($AU 665 or $NZ 725), told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-63540823" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a> from hospital of the panic he felt when he saw the passenger plane approaching from the wrong direction before crashing into the lake. Mr Jackson told the outlet that he rushed to the scene with three other fishermen, helping to open the rear door by smashing it with a rowing oar and allowing passengers seated towards the back of the plane to be rescued. After moving to the front of the plane and diving into the water, Mr Jackson said he and one of the other pilots communicated by making signs through the cockpit window. "He directed me to break the window screen. I emerged from the water and asked airport security, who had arrived, if they have any tools that we can use to smash the screen,” he said. "They gave me an axe, but I was stopped by a man with a public announcement speaker from going down and smashing the screen. He said they were already in communication with the pilots and there was no water leakage in the cockpit.” But, when he dived back in and waved goodbye to the pilot after he was stopped from smashing the screen, the pilot then indicated he wanted to be rescued. Mr Jackson then attempted to pull the cockpit emergency door off by tying a rope from it to other boats, but he was knocked unconscious when the rope broke and struck him in the face. “The next thing I knew I was here at the hospital,” he said. In addition to his monetary reward, Mr Jackson was offered a job with the firefighting and rescue brigade, as well as training in rescue operations to sharpen his skills. The pilots were among 19 confirmed fatalities from the crash. Emergency crews used ropes to pull the plane, which had been completely submerged, closer to shore. Airline Precision Air previously said that 26 passengers had been rescued and taken to hospital, but has since said there were only 24 survivors. Kagera police commander William Mwampaghale said that the crash occurred at around 8.50am local time on Sunday. “When the aircraft was about 100m mid-air, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water,” he said. Tanzania’s Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said an extensive investigation would be conducted to determine the cause of the crash, and that the government would cover the costs of funerals for the 19 victims. Image: Getty Images

Travel

Health

Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Probably not

We’ve long suspected that children are “smarter” than us and can learn much faster than adults - but now science has confirmed it as all but true and explained why. A new study has found that children learning something new experience a rapid boost in GABA, a brain messenger that helps to stabilise newly-learned material, while adults don’t. “Our results show that children of elementary school age can learn more items within a given period of time than adults, making learning more efficient in children,” Takeo Watanabe, a professor in cognitive and linguistic sciences, said. With previous research only looking at changes in levels of GABA at a single time-point that wasn’t at a specific time in relation to learning, the scientists set out to measure the levels of GABA in children and adults before, during and after undergoing visual training. They found that learning something visually triggered an increase in GABA in the visual cortex - the area of the brain that processes information - in children that lasted for several minutes after the training ended. But, this increase wasn’t observed in adults, with no changes in GABA levels seen at all. This suggests that children’s brains respond to learning in a way that enables them to learn more quickly and stabilise information faster. “It is often assumed that children learn more efficiently than adults, although the scientific support for this assumption has, at best, been weak, and, if it is true, the neuronal mechanisms responsible for more efficient learning in children are unclear,” Professor Watanabe said. With this finding also suggesting that the concentration of GABA would rapidly increase in children’s brains as a result of training, which would allow for the new information learnt to rapidly stabilise, the team also tested whether this would be true. “In subsequent behavioural experiments, we found that children indeed stabilised new learning much more rapidly than adults, which agrees with the common belief that children outperform adults in their learning abilities,” Dr Sebastian Frank, a cognitive neuroscientist and the study’s first author, explained. “Our results therefore point to GABA as a key player in making learning efficient in children.” He said that their results imply that the increased levels of GABA help children outperform adults despite having poorer cognitive control and attention. “Although children’s brains are not yet fully matured and many of their behavioural and cognitive functions are not as efficient as in adults, children are not, in general, outperformed in their abilities by adults,” Professor Watanabe added. “On the contrary, children are, at least in some domains such as visual learning, superior in their abilities to adults.” The researchers said their findings should be explored further in future studies, particularly looking at differences in how the different brain regions mature, as well as how GABA levels affect other types of learning, such as reading and writing. They published their findings in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.10.021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Current Biology</a>. Image: Getty Images

Health

Man who lived in airport for 18 years dies

The man who inspired Steven Spielberg’s The Terminal, as well as a French film and an opera, has died in the airport where he lived for 18 years. Mehran Karimi Nasseri suffered a heart attack in Terminal 2F of the Charles de Gaulle airport on Saturday and died after police and a medical team were unable to save him, according to an official with the Paris airport. Mr Nasseri, believed to have been born in 1945 in Soleiman, the then-British controlled area of Iran, lived in Terminal 1 between 1988 and 2006, at first while he was in a legal limbo because he was without residency papers and later by choice. The airport official said the 76-year-old had been living in the airport again in recent weeks. His first stint at the airport, when he spent years sleeping on a red plastic bench, making friends with airport workers, showering in staff facilities and spending time writing in his diary, studying economics and watching passing travellers inspired The Terminal starring Tom Hanks, as well as French film Lost in Transit and the opera Flight. Mr Nasseri published his autobiography, The Terminal Man, the same year The Terminal was made. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/mehran-nasseri1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Mehran Karimi Nessari lived in the Charles de Gaulle airport for 18 years, with his belongings surrounding a red plastic bench he slept on. Image: Getty Images After leaving Iran to study in England in 1974, he was reportedly imprisoned on his return for protesting against the shah while abroad and was exiled soon after. He applied for political asylum in several European countries and was given refugee credentials by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Belgium in 1981, but was later denied entry into England after the briefcase containing his documents was stolen at a Paris train station. Although he was arrested by French police after being sent back to Charles de Gaulle from England, he couldn’t be deported because he had no official documents and stayed. After lengthy legal campaigning, more bureaucratic bungling and increasingly strict European immigration laws kept him in a legal no-man’s land for years, Mr Nasseri was offered French and Belgian residency, but he refused to sign the papers as they listed him as Iranian and didn’t show his preferred name, Sir Alfred Mehran. He stayed at the airport for several more years before being admitted to hospital in 2006 and he later lived in a French shelter. Those at the airport who befriended him said Mr Nasseri’s years of living there had taken a toll on his mental health, while the airport doctor described him as “fossilised here” in 1990. One friend, a ticket agent, compared him to a prisoner incapable of “living on the outside”. “Eventually, I will leave the airport,” Mr Nasseri told the Associated Press in 1999, looking frail with thin hair, hollow cheeks and sunken eyes. “But I am still waiting for a passport or transit visa.” Image: Getty Images

Health

“You are not alone”: Prince Harry pens emotional letter to bereaved children

Prince Harry has penned a letter to children whose parents have died as a result of being in the military, telling him they share a bond in losing a parent and experiencing grief. The former royal wrote of how he learnt to cope with grief and encouraged the children to “lean into your friends” in his letter, which was shared by the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers on Remembrance Sunday. “As many of us observe and reflect on Remembrance Sunday, I wanted to write to you and let you know you are all in my thoughts and heart today,” he began. “We share a bond even without ever meeting one another, because we share in having lost a parent. I know first-hand the pain and grief that comes with loss and want you to know that you are not alone. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/prince-harry-nov-letter.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Prince Harry penned a letter to children supported by the charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers for Remembrance Sunday. Image: Scotty’s Little Soldiers "While difficult feelings will come up today as we pay tribute to heroes like your mum or dad, I hope you can find comfort and strength in knowing that their love for you lives and shines on. Whenever you need a reminder of this, I encourage you to lean into your friends at Scotty’s Little Soldiers. "One of the ways I've learned to cope has been through community and talking about my grief, and I couldn't be more grateful and relieved that you have amazing people walking beside you throughout your journey. "We all know some days are harder than others, but together those days are made easier." Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charity that supports children who have lost a parent in the military, was founded in 2010 by Nikki Scott, whose husband Corporal Lee Scott was killed in Afghanistan in 2009 and left behind two young children. On Sunday, 55 children and their parents took part in the Remembrance Sunday parade wearing black and yellow scarves. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A proud moment for Scotty’s 💛 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RemembranceSunday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RemembranceSunday</a> <a href="https://t.co/CsD7wL9BQP">pic.twitter.com/CsD7wL9BQP</a> — Scotty's L Soldiers (@CorporalScotty) <a href="https://twitter.com/CorporalScotty/status/1591767075567333378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2022</a></blockquote> In his letter, Prince Harry acknowledged that taking part in the parade would be “hard but equally important to do” to raise awareness for others. “Today you will bring new awareness to young people, just like you, who will benefit from this community of support,” he wrote. “I salute you for serving others in need, in the most honourable memory of your parent.” The Duke of Sussex has long supported the charity, which was one of the organisations chosen by Harry and Meghan Markle to benefit from donations they received as gifts for their 2018 wedding. In 2017, he met with children who’d lost a military parent at a special party on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. This year, he and Meghan attended a service on Remembrance Day to pay their respects to those who died in war across the US and the Commonwealth. Image: Getty Images

Health

COVID-19 has similar effect on brain as Parkinson’s disease

A new study from the University of Queensland has found that being infected with COVID-19 can trigger a similar reaction in the brain to Parkinson’s disease - and they have identified a possible treatment to stop Covid’s impact on the brain in its tracks. A growing number of reports have found that Covid affects more than just our lungs, with several studies finding up to 85 percent of people with Covid, including severe, mild and asymptomatic infections, have neurological complications from being infected with the virus. This can show up in a variety of symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, confusion, seizures, and change in mood, including depression and anxiety. The team of scientists has discovered that the virus can cause inflammation in the brain, which could make people more vulnerable to developing Parkinson's and other similar conditions. “We studied the effect of the virus on the brain’s immune cells, ‘microglia’ which are the key cells involved in the progression of brain diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s,” Professor Woodruff said. “Our team grew human microglia in the laboratory and infected the cells with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “We found the cells effectively became ‘angry’, activating the same pathway that Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s proteins can activate in disease, the inflammasomes.” Inflammasomes are a kind of complex of proteins that activate inflammatory responses in the body. Dr Albornoz Balmaceda, another of the 33 authors of the study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-022-01831-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Molecular Psychiatry</a>, said that triggering this pathway can spark a “fire” in the brain that silently kills neurons over time in a similar way to Parkinson's and Alzheimer’s. “It’s kind of a silent killer, because you don’t see any outward symptoms for many years,” he said. “It may explain why some people who’ve had COVID-19 are more vulnerable to developing neurological symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease.” They also found that the triggering of the inflammasome pathway was exacerbated in people who were already predisposed to developing Parkinson’s. “So if someone is already predisposed to Parkinson’s, having COVID-19 could be like pouring more fuel on that ‘fire’ in the brain,” Professor Woodruff said. “The same would apply for a predisposition for Alzheimer’s and other dementias that have been linked to inflammasomes.” While the findings are concerning, the team has also found a potential treatment that could stop the inflammation and put out the “fire” in the brain. Using inhibitory drugs developed at the University of Queensland currently being trialled with Parkinson’s patients, they found that inflammasome activation was reduced in comparison to no treatment at all. “We found it successfully blocked the inflammatory pathway activated by COVID-19, essentially putting out the fire,” Dr Balmaceda said. “The drug reduced inflammation in both COVID-19-infected mice and the microglia cells from humans, suggesting a possible treatment approach to prevent neurodegeneration in the future.” As a result, Professor Woodruff said that it means that potential treatments for Covid’s impact on the brain already exist. “Further research is needed, but this is potentially a new approach to treating a virus that could otherwise have untold long-term health ramifications,” he said. Image: Getty Images

Health

Lifestyle

Wimbledon to make key change to all-white dress code

<a href="https://oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/female-tennis-stars-speak-out-against-all-white-wimbledon-dress-code" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wimbledon’s controversial all-white dress code</a> is expected to undergo a major change after the prestigious tennis competition faced months of pressure from female athletes. The 1880s rule restricts players to wearing only white clothing - including undergarments such as underwear and bras - and has been the subject of criticism for the toll it takes on female players in relation to their periods. Current guidelines require players to wear all-white, with undergarments that can be seen during play or because of sweat only allowed to have a “single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre”. Now, Wimbledon bosses are due to scrap the undergarments rule for female players, which will come into effect from 2023 and will allow for different coloured underwear and bras to be worn. The archaic rule became the subject of widespread attention after stars spoke about the anxiety around getting their period while competing, including Australian player Daria Saville who admitted she has needed to skip her period altogether and British star Heather Watson revealing she would likely take birth control to stop her period ahead of Wimbledon. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Hey <a href="https://twitter.com/Wimbledon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Wimbledon</a>, wanna chat periods? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AddressTheDressCode?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AddressTheDressCode</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wimbledon2022?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wimbledon2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/mcjAioqMw4">pic.twitter.com/mcjAioqMw4</a> — gabs (@gabriellaholmez) <a href="https://twitter.com/gabriellaholmez/status/1543197239182508033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2022</a></blockquote> At the same time,the rule drew fresh criticism when Romanian player Mihaela Buzarnescu was forced to swap her bra for her coach’s prior to her first-round match in July, after officials noticed hers was too dark. "My bustier was too black and could be seen up here," she told Eurosport at the time. "The white one I had was too transparent and you could see everything underneath and I couldn't wear it, so I borrowed from my coach, I took her bustier.” A group of protestors also made headlines during the ladies’ singles final, gathering outside Wimbledon dressed in white shirts and red undershorts with signs reading “About bloody time”, “Address the dress code” and “You can do it Ian Hewitt”, referring to the All England Club chairman. Gabriella Holmes and Holly Gordon, who organised the campaign Address the Dress Code to highlight the anxiety women face while competing in all-white, were among those protesting, telling <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jul/09/protesters-at-wimbledon-urge-end-to-all-white-dress-code-due-to-period-concerns#:~:text=3%20months%20old-,Protesters%20at%20Wimbledon%20urge%20end%20to%20all%2Dwhite,code%20due%20to%20period%20concerns&text=Campaigners%20are%20urging%20Wimbledon%20organisers,female%20players%20who%20are%20menstruating." target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Guardian</a> they began calling for change after opening up to each other about the challenges of playing sport while menstruating. “We’ve come down today because we want Wimbledon to address the white dress code that doesn’t take into consideration female athletes on their periods,” Holmes said at the time. <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/wimbledon-protest.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Members of the public have begun calling for action too, including Gabriella Holmes and Holly Gordon, the women who started the campaign Address the Dress Code. Image: Getty Images “We want to make it really known to Wimbledon that the rules they are making at the top, they’re all already filtering down to grassroots levels. We are already seeing tons of young girls who drop out of sports when they start their period or by the time they’ve hit puberty they’ve stopped sports altogether. “We think it’s the time to address those barriers for young girls getting into the sport and it starts at the top, so that’s Wimbledon. We want women to be able to focus on the tennis and on the sport and not have to worry about other factors when competing at this level.” More athletes have since spoken out about the issue, with Andy Murray’s mother and coach Judy describing it as a “traumatic experience” and noting that other sports had already dropped similar rules. “One of the biggest problems previously in sport was that it was always white shorts, white kit and so on in lots of different sports,” Murray told the Daily Mail. “Everything was white. Nearly all sports have moved over to colour now. “I think it’s certainly a much more open talking point, if you are wearing all white and then possibly have a leak while you’re playing. “I cannot think of a much more traumatic experience than that.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Indeed, it is time to address the dress code in sports and especially in Tennis competitions like Wimbledon. #<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AddressTheDressCode?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AddressTheDressCode</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZMD9OXg1iN">https://t.co/ZMD9OXg1iN</a> — OJEApads (@OJEApads) <a href="https://twitter.com/OJEApads/status/1555134095717441541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2022</a></blockquote> Since the announcement of the rule change, tennis icon Billie Jean King has slammed the rule, saying it was one of her biggest “pet peeves”. “My generation, we always worried because we wore all white all the time,” she told CNN. “And it’s what you wear underneath that’s important for your menstrual period. “And we’re always checking whether we’re showing. You get tense about it because the first thing we are is entertainers and you want whatever you wear to look immaculate, look great. We’re entertainers. We’re bringing it to the people.” In a statement, the All England Club stated they were in discussions over ways to support players and prioritise women’s health. “Prioritising women’s health and supporting players based on their individual needs is very important to us, and we are in discussions with the WTA, with manufacturers and with the medical teams about the ways in which we can do that,” the statement read. Image: Getty Images

Lifestyle

Camilla’s new royal cypher unveiled

Buckingham Palace has unveiled the new cypher for Camilla, which she will use as Queen Consort on personal letterheads, cards and gifts. The cypher combines “C” for Camilla’s initial, and “R” for regina, the Latin word for queen beneath a crown, and was designed by calligrapher and Professor in Design Ewan Clayton in collaboration with Timothy Noad, Herald Painter and Scrivener at The College of Arms. According to <a href="https://people.com/royals/queen-camilla-receives-cypher-new-royal-rank/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People </a>magazine, the 75-year-old’s insignia is her personal property and was selected from a series of designs The Palace also confirmed that the new symbol would be used on the Queen Consort’s cross, which she is due to lay at the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday. It comes after the new cypher for King Charles III was revealed in September, with the monarch personally selecting the emblem from a range of designs produced by the College of Arms also created by Mr Noad. Like Camilla’s, King Charles’ emblem features the initial of his first name, “R” for rex, the Latin word for king, and the Roman numeral for three. While adoption of his insignia has been immediate for most things, the king’s insignia will only gradually replace Queen Elizabeth’s “ER II” symbol in other places, such as on postboxes. With 60 percent of the nearly 70,000 current post boxes featuring the late queen’s symbol, per the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-63547165" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a>, they will be updated when the post boxes need replacing. There are even some featuring the emblems of Queen Victoria, Edward VII, George V and George VI, as the post boxes were installed during their reigns and are still functional. Images: Getty Images / Buckingham Palace

Lifestyle

Grandma gives birth to her own grandchild

While it might be her fifth time welcoming a grandchild, the way this US woman has done so is a first for her and her family. Nancy Hauck gave birth to her granddaughter Hannah last week, according to the New York Post, and did so for a special reason. The 56-year-old from Utah offered to be a surrogate for her son Jeff and his wife Cambria after her daughter-in-law experienced a traumatic birth and underwent a life-saving hysterectomy. Speaking to <a href="https://people.com/human-interest/utah-grandmother-gives-birth-son-daughter-in-law-baby-feeling-so-blessed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a> magazine, Ms Hauck said giving birth to her granddaughter “went perfectly” and that they are feeling “so blessed to have her in our family”. She said the nine-hour labour was a “remarkable and spiritual experience”, but admitted to feeling “some sadness” since the birth. “Even though I know that the baby’s going to my son, I know there’ll be a little bit of that empty feeling,” she said. Now, the grandmother plans to take a break from work and write a book about her experience. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkihR3cMu-0/?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/CkihR3cMu-0/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Cambria Hauck (@cambriairene)</a> </div> </blockquote> Her son and daughter-in-law were high school sweethearts and always knew they wanted a big family. “From the time I was a teenager, I knew that if I could only be one thing, I wanted to be a dad,” Jeff told People. "We always had in our mind that we wanted four to six — whatever the Lord would bless us with, is what we would always say," Cambria added. But, the couple struggled to fall pregnant for six years before having two sets of twins, four-year-old Vera and Ayva and 13-month-old Diesel and Luca, through IVF. After giving birth the second time in 2021, Cambria was advised to have a hysterectomy and was unable to safely carry more children - which is when Ms Hauck stepped in. Starting hormone treatments in January this year, Ms Hauck injected herself every day for 12 weeks with the help of her husband Jason. A month later, a fertilised embryo created by Jeff and Cambria through IVF was transferred to Ms Hauck and she became pregnant with her grandchild. <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/CgvWEb_LtM2/?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/CgvWEb_LtM2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Cambria Hauck (@cambriairene)</a> </div> </blockquote> According to the couple, baby Hannah’s name has a special meaning and is a tribute to her grandmother. Jeff said that six days after the transfer, when his mother tested positive on a pregnancy test, she was “woken up in the middle of the night, and she heard a little voice that said, ‘My name is Hannah’”. Ms Hauck was also convinced her grandchild was a girl even before testing, and soon convinced Jeff and Cambria as well. Cambria explained that they discovered that “the name Nancy comes from Hannah” and that “they both mean grace”. “I knew instantly that that was her name,” the 30-year-old added. Since Hannah’s birth, Ms Hauck and her husband have been adjusting to the idea of being her grandparents. “I hope that we won’t treat Hannah any differently,” Jason said. “But we’ll always have that connection — that Nancy carried her for nine months. Just the magic of the whole experience will always be unique in our eyes.” Ms Hauck added that she wants all of her grandchildren to know that they’re equally loved and she “would’ve done it for any of them”. Image: @cambriairene (Instagram)

Lifestyle

See inside Roger Federer’s teenage bedroom

While Roger Federer’s adult life has been filled with fame and success on and off the tennis court, a throwback photo has revealed that his teenage years were more similar to most of ours than we might expect. A photo of the tennis maestro’s bedroom has been doing the rounds on social media and shows a 17-year-old Federer grinning for the camera with bleach-blond hair, some spots, and wearing a baggy Nike sweatshirt. The future World No. 1’s bedroom walls were covered in posters of his teenage idoles, including Pamela Anderson, and NBA stars Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> A 17-year-old Roger Federer with pin-ups of Jordan, Pamela Anderson and a Macedonian flag 🇲🇰 in his bedroom in Basel 😀 <a href="https://t.co/IPEIqzV9sw">pic.twitter.com/IPEIqzV9sw</a> — Luigi Gatto (@gigicat7_) <a href="https://twitter.com/gigicat7_/status/1584598092065648642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2022</a></blockquote> Other items dotted around his room included what appears to be an Akubra hat, along with the Montenegrin flag, a mini basketball hoop and a collection of trophies. Just five years after the photo was taken, Federer would win his first Major at Wimbledon in 2003. Fans were quick to share their thoughts on the photo, with many sharing lighthearted jokes and commenting on how normal the future star’s room looked. “Lol i like the 90s randomness of it all,” one person shared. “Looks like any normal kids room at the time,” another said. “Really been living up to his two as the blandest white guy on earth since day one,” a third teased. “The GOAT with my country’s flag 😍,” one fan enthused. As for his bleached locks, one fan dubbed it his “Eminem phase”, referencing American rapper’s iconic bleach blond hair which he had during the 1990s and 2000s. Image: Getty Images

Lifestyle

Finance

Kevin Spacey found not guilty of battery

Content warning: This article mentions child sexual abuse (CSA). A New York jury has found that Kevin Spacey isn’t liable for battery in a sexual abuse lawsuit brought against him by actor Anthony Rapp. The civil suit related to allegations from 1986, where Spacey allegedly picked Rapp up and briefly laid on top of him in a bed after a party. After deliberating for about an hour, the jury concluded that Rapp didn’t prove that Spacey “touched a sexual or intimate part” of him and the judge dismissed the case. Rapp, who was 14 at the time of the alleged incident, first publicly accused Spacey of sexual abuse in 2017. He alleged that Spacey, then 26, invited Rapp over to his home in Manhattan, where Spacey picked Rapp up, laid him down on a bed, grabbed his buttocks and pressed his groin into his hip. Rapp sued Spacy for $US 40 million in damages, and his claim of assault was dismissed by the judge before the trial started. The actor’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress was also dismissed after Rapp’s attorneys rested his case, meaning the jury only had to decide whether Spacey is ‘liable’ to damages for the claim of battery. Under New York law, battery is defined as touching another person without their consent and in a way that a reasonable person would find offensive. Rapp’s attorney Richard Steigman suggested in his closing statement that Spacey twisted his testimony during the trial to suit his defence, noting that Spacey apologised to Rapp when he first made the allegations. "Don't listen to what I said in real time. I'm defending a lawsuit now. Listen to me now. I've got it straightened out," Steigman said, mocking Spacey’s testimony that he regrets giving the statement in 2017 and was coerced by publicists to do it. Steigman also said Spacey’s testimony was rehearsed in comparison to Rapp’s and dismissed claims that Rapp came forward to out Spacey as gay. "When you're rehearsed, and a world class actor and you're following the script and following the testimony of someone else, you can take that stand and be perfectly polished," Steigman said. "When you're merely coming to court coming forward and telling the truth of your experience, especially one like this that's a little bit complicated." "The point of the story is not that Kevin Spacey is gay. It's that he sexually abused him when he was 14. That's what he's sharing with people, he's sharing his experience - nothing more, nothing less. Where's the proof that he said to any media outlet, you know, Kevin Spacey is gay, you really should run with this?" Jennifer Keller, Spacey’s attorney, said in her closing statement that Rapp “hitched his wagon” to the #MeToo movement when he came forward. "This isn't a team sport where you're either on the Me Too side, or you're on the other side," Keller told the jury. "This is a very different place. Our system requires evidence, proof, objective support for accusations provided to an impartial jury. However polarised as society may be today, it really should not have a place here." She also suggested that Rapp’s allegations were false and details taken from a scene from Broadway show Precious Sons, which Rapp performed with Ed Harris in 1986 at the time of the alleged incident. "We're here because Mr. Rapp has falsely alleged abuse that never occurred at a party that was never held in a room that did not exist," she said. Keller concluded her remarks by asking the jury not to compromise their judgement by finding Spacey liable but only awarding Rapp a single dollar in damages. "You're here to be judges of the facts. Did it happen? It didn't happen. One penny is too much for something that did not happen,” she said. “And for Mr. Spacey this is not about the money. For Mr. Spacey, this is about the truth that day and he was falsely accused.” Image: Getty Images

Finance

"You don't do that to a hearse": Thieves blasted over despicable act

A funeral home has been the subject of an unusual robbery after thieves stripped the wheels of a hearse - and its owner has a message to share with those responsible. Arriving at work on Sunday at Te Awahou Funeral Services in Foxton, New Zealand, owner Jayden Moore discovered that one of his hearses was missing its two rear wheels. "In between Saturday and Sunday, we had boy racers out past the funeral home doing skids – obviously we don't know if it was them, but putting two and two together we can imagine they've needed wheels for their car,” he said. The hearse had been sitting out, ready to be used for a service that morning, with Mr Moore telling the <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/thieves-steal-wheels-from-hearse-at-foxtons-te-awahou-funeral-home/52LRSJUVM4GLPSVRE7D5ABRBSM/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald </a>that he had to run around to find an alternative. "We came into work to do a service for a family and we've had to run around and find a new [hearse] - we have two but they're set up for different reasons,” he told the outlet. In a message for the thieves, Mr Moore urged them to consider the implications of their actions. "You've not ripped me off, you've ripped these loved ones off," he said. Mr Moore told the Herald that his staff and the local community had been left fuming at the theft. "Everyone is a bit p***ed off, you don't do that to a hearse – these a***holes don't know or don't care that it's tapu (‘sacred’ and prohibited) to touch anything to do with funeral services – they've got some bad karma coming their way." He added that the community had been incredibly supportive and his business and “fully backed up” the funeral home. “The community has been right behind us especially our local – fully backing the whole 'what a***holes would do that' kind of mentality,” he said. Mr Moore isn’t aware of any cameras that could have captured the theft and has urged anyone in the community who saw anything or who has information to come forward. “If anyone has any information, please get in touch with us,” he said. Image: NZ Herald

Finance

7th century gold coins found hidden in wall

A collection of coins have been found concealed in a wall at a nature reserve in what has been described as an "extremely significant archaeological find". During an excavation at the Hermon Stream (Banias) in Israel, archaeologists found 44 gold coins dating back to the 7th century. Weighing in at about 170g, experts estimate that the hoard was hidden during the Muslim conquest in 635 CE. They say the discovery sheds light on this significant moment in history which saw the end of the Byzantine rule in the area. "We can imagine the owner concealing his fortune in the threat of war, hoping to return one day to retrieve his property," Yoav Lerer, the director of the excavation, told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-63122180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a>. "In retrospect, we know that he was less fortunate." <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/ancient-coins1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /> Numismatic (currency) expert Dr Gabriela Bijovsky of the Israel Antiquities Authority said some of the coins were minted by Emperor Phocas (602-610 CE), while the majority were of his successor, Emperor Heraclius, with the latest coins the latter minted dating back to 635 CE. Eli Escusido, the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, said it was a significant find and that the public could soon see the coins for themselves. "The coin hoard is an extremely significant archaeological find as it dates back to an important transitional period in the history of the city of Banias and the entire region of the Levant," he said. "The Israel Antiquities Authority, together with the National Parks Authority, will work together to exhibit the treasure to the public." Along with the coins, Israeli authorities said the excavation also uncovered remains of buildings and bronze coins, as well as water channels and pipes. Images: Israel Antiquities Authority (Facebook)

Finance

The FBI tracked Aretha Franklin for 40 years - here’s why

Until 2007, Aretha Franklin was tracked by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with her bumper 270-page file recently obtained by <a href="https://rollingstoneindia.com/aretha-franklin-was-tracked-by-the-fbi-for-40-years-heres-whats-in-her-file/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rolling Stone</a>. The Queen of Soul, who passed away in 2018 aged 76, was subjected to false phone calls and surveillance, as well as having her inner circle infiltrated by FBI sources, according to the outlet. Franklin’s file, first requested via the Freedom of Information Act shortly after her death, is reportedly filled with phrases such as “Black extremists”, “pro-communist”, “hate America”, “radical”, “racial violence”, and “militant Black power”. It also contained plenty of suspicion about the singer, her work, and the other artists and activists she associated with, as the FBI tried and failed to connect the Respect singer to the Black Liberation Army and other “radical” movements. According to the documents, Franklin’s civil rights work and association with activists including Martin Luther King Jr and Angela Davies, became a focus for the FBI, with agents tracking her addresses, phone numbers and activities. The singer’s son, Kecalf, told the Rolling Stone he was unsure whether Franklin knew she was under surveillance but said it was a “waste of time” for the FBI to follow her “every move” for so many years after failing to connect her to radical movements of any kind. "I'm not really sure if my mother was aware that she was being targeted by the FBI and followed. I do know that she had absolutely nothing to hide though…” he said. "It does make me feel a certain way knowing the FBI had her targeted and wanted to know her every move. "But at the same time knowing my mother and the way she ran her business I know she had nothing to hide so they wouldn't have found anything and were wasting their time. As you see…they found nothing at all." The documents obtained by Rolling Stone, which include some newly-declassified files and others that are heavily redacted, include a 1968 report discussing funeral plans for Martin Luther King Jr which described it as a “racial situation”. “Sammy Davis Jr., Aretha Franklin…of this group, some have supported militant Black power concept…[performance at MLK memorial by these prominent entertainers] would provide emotional spark which could ignite racial disturbance in this area,” it reads. The FBI also included files “just in case”, such as her 1971 contract with Atlantic Records to attempt to connect the Blues Brothers star’s business dealings to the Black Panther Party. Letters and reports of death threats were among the collection of documents as well, including one from a man threatening to kill her and her family and another extortion attempt against her. With some documents indicating that there are additional materials in the FBI’s possession that haven’t been released, Rolling Stone requested these records be made available. The FBI has yet to comment on the report. Image: Getty Images

Finance

Entertainment

New NASA images capture birth of a star

The James Webb Space Telescope continues to stun with its images of the universe following the release of an image showing a “fiery hourglass” housing a newborn star. The image of the protostar (a young star that is still unstable and cocooned in a cloud of dust and gas) has offered scientists insight into what stars might look like “in their infancy”. With the star located in the dark cloud L1527 and only visible in infrared light, the image was captured using Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). The protostar itself is hidden from view within the “neck” of the hourglass shape. "An edge-on proto-planetary disk is seen as a dark line across the middle of the neck," NASA said in <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-catches-fiery-hourglass-as-new-star-forms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a release</a>. "Light from the protostar leaks above and below this disk, illuminating cavities within the surrounding gas and dust." <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/11/star-birth1.jpg" alt="" /> The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a photo of a young star using its infrared camera. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI) Blue and orange clouds forming above, below and around the protostar that form the hourglass represent empty spaces created as material shoots away from the protostar and collides with surrounding matter, with the colours being caused by layers of dust between the camera and the clouds. The thicker the dust, the more orange the clouds appear, since blue light is unable to escape and be perceived by our eyes. While it may appear small, the disk in the middle of the hourglass is about the size of our solar system. According to NASA, the protostar is relatively young at about 100,000 years old and considered a class 0 protostar, “the earliest stage of star formation”. ‘Protostars like these, which are still cocooned in a dark cloud of dust and gas, have a long way to go before they become full-fledged stars,” NASA said. "L1527 doesn't generate its own energy through nuclear fusion of hydrogen yet, an essential characteristic of stars. "Its shape, while mostly spherical, is also unstable, taking the form of a small, hot and puffy clump of gas, somewhere between 20 and 40 percent the mass of our Sun." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Our universe is beautiful. <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAWebb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAWebb</a> captured a stellar birth which is so poetically nestled in this hourglass shape. A truly stunning marker of time. <a href="https://t.co/8UflbFPdid">pic.twitter.com/8UflbFPdid</a> — Shannon Stirone 💀 (@shannonmstirone) <a href="https://twitter.com/shannonmstirone/status/1593026314310934528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2022</a></blockquote> The protostar will get closer to stable nuclear fusion (the requirement to be a star) as it gathers more mass and its core compresses. "The scene shown in this image reveals L1527 doing just that," NASA said. "The surrounding molecular cloud is made up of dense dust and gas being drawn to the centre, where the protostar resides. “As the material falls in, it spirals around the centre. "This creates a dense disk of material, known as an accretion disk, which feeds material to the protostar.” “Ultimately, this view of L1527 provides a window into what our Sun and solar system looked like in their infancy.” Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Image processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI)

Entertainment

These emojis make you ‘old’ according to Gen Z

Language is an ever-evolving thing, full to the brim with nuance and meaning that might not seem obvious upon first glance - and it turns out that emojis are no exception. Members of Generation Z have taken to social media claiming that using certain emojis is a sign that you’re “officially old” and that the popular thumbs-up emoji is actually rude. According to users on Reddit, the official list of “cancelled” emojis includes: <ul> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> ❤️ (Red heart) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 👍 (Thumbs up) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 👌 (“OK” hand) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> ✅ (Tick or Checkmark) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 💩 (Poo) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 🙈 (Monkey covering eyes) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 😭 (Loudly crying face) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 👏 (Clapping hands) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 💋 (Lipstick kiss mark) </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> 😬 (Grimacing face) </li> </ul> Many younger users also considered the thumbs-up emoji to be rude, explaining that it gives off a passive-aggressive or even confrontational air. “For younger people (I’m 24 for reference) the thumbs-up emoji is used to be really passive-aggressive,” one person wrote. “It’s super rude if someone just sends you a thumbs up. So I also had a weird time adjusting because my workplace is the same.” They chalked up the difference in the workplace to a “generational communication culture difference”. “Everyone my age in the office doesn’t do it, but the Gen X people always do it,” they wrote. “Took me a bit to adjust and get out of my head that it means they’re mad at me.” Others agreed, saying using it in the workplace makes team members “unaccommodating” and seems “unfriendly”. “I understand what you mean, my last workplace had a WhatsApp chat for our team to send info to each other on and most of the people on there just replied with a [thumbs-up emoji],” one commenter said. “I don’t know why but it seemed a little bit hostile to me, like an acknowledgment but kind of saying ‘I don’t really care/am not interested’? Don’t know if that’s the way you feel but I got used to it in time and I’m just as bad for sending a thumbs up now.” Another said: ““It’s not that odd to see it as passive-aggressive. Just imagine how would it feel to go into your boss’ room, say something, and then see him turn to you, look you in the eye, and [give a thumbs-up].” But, older users expressed their confusion at this emoji etiquette, with one saying it must be “a younger generational thing”. “So it’s like a sarcastic thing? Man I’m getting old lol,” one wrote. Another defended their use of the thumbs up, saying it “means many things”. “It means ‘I approve’ or ‘I understood and will obey’ or ‘I agree’. If anything, my only objection would be that some days it might be hard to tell which one it means,” she offered. “But it is generally pretty clear.” “It’s just a way to say ‘i’ve read your message and have nothing to add and I hope and pray to all the gods all the bazillion people in this group chat have nothing to say on it too,’” another chimed in. Linguists have been studying emojis since the appearance of the modern emoji in 2015. In her book Because Internet: Understanding how language is changing, linguist Gretchen McCulloch explains that some emojis, like most of those that have been “cancelled”, are gestures, like the ones we make with our hands while talking. While these can be quite universal, like the thumbs up or smiling emojis, there can also be nuance based on culture and the writing systems people use. With younger people interpreting emojis such as the thumbs-up as “rude” or “old”, it seems there is nuance between generations too. Image: Getty Images

Entertainment

“We’ve been expecting you”: Daniel Craig receives royal honour

Daniel Craig has been awarded one of the highest royal honours - the same one held by the character he is most well-known for playing: James Bond. Craig was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Tuesday. In Ian Fleming’s Bond novel, From Russia With Love, a Soviet spy chief notes that 007 received the honour in 1953, and that it’s “an award usually given only on retirement from the Secret Service”. Outside of fiction, spies aren’t the only recipients of the honour, with diplomats and Brits working overseas also receiving it in recognition of their services to the UK “internationally”. Craig, who holds citizenship in the US and is listed on the Investiture roll as being from New York, received the CMG in recognition of his service to film and theatre in the 2022 New Year Honours. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> We’ve been expecting you… 🎖️The Princess Royal presents Daniel Craig with The Order of St Michael and St George - the same honour held by his character James Bond - in recognition of his outstanding contribution to film and theatre. <a href="https://t.co/X20TP6BogL">pic.twitter.com/X20TP6BogL</a> — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalFamily/status/1582319162307018752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2022</a></blockquote> He was presented with the medal during Tuesday’s ceremony by Princess Anne, with the royal family sharing a photo of the pair on social media with the playful caption, “We’ve been expecting you”. After 15 years, Craig ended his time as the martini-slinging spy in 2021, starring in the film No Time To Die. As for who will take the reins after Craig, Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson told <a href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/bond-producers-barbara-broccoli-and-michael-g-wilson-on-the-fate-and-future-of-007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Empire</a> that No Time To Die wasn’t the end of the story for 007 - but it could take some time to find the actor’s replacement. "When you change the actor you have to reimagine the direction the film's gonna go in. When you hire an actor, you're hoping you're going to spend a decade at least with them and make four or five or six films with them,” Broccoli said. “It's not just flicking through Spotlight and saying, 'Oh, there's a guy who's 6'1"' We're going to take our time. We want to get a sense of where we want to go with the series and we want to do that before we bring anybody else on.” Image: @RoyalFamily (Twitter)

Entertainment

The Crown sparks backlash over plans to recreate Diana’s final moments

Royal drama The Crown has drawn criticism after announcing plans to recreate Princess Diana’s final moments in Paris, with crew members fearing “a line has been crossed”. The show, which stars Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, is facing increasing upset over its plotlines and claims of insensitivity in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II’s death. Scenes suggesting that Prince Philip had an affair with a female friend are also causing strife for the producers. But, The Sun reports that scenes focusing on Diana’s ill-fated Paris trip in 1997 and the days and hours before the fatal car crash in the Alma tunnel are being worked on, with a source from the show telling the outlet that some crew members are starting to push back on the show’s ideas. “To be going back to Paris and turning Diana’s final days and hours into a drama feels very uncomfortable,” the source said. “Finally, some of the crew members are pushing back on the ideas being tabled. “The show always tried to present a fictional version of royal history with as much sensitivity as possible. “But lately, as things get closer to the present day, it feels harder to strike that balance. “With some of those moments still so fresh and upsetting, it feels as though a line is being crossed. “Some production staff are now starting to speak up about their feelings.” A spokesman for Netflix told the outlet that the “exact moment of the crash impact” won’t be recreated or shown. Meanwhile, sources close to Prince William said they expect him to be angered by the show’s reproduction of his mother’s final days for entertainment purposes New scenes alleging then-Prince Charles went against his late mother, suggesting she was too old and out of touch, are also facing criticism - but a Crown spokesman defended the controversial scenes as “fictional dramatisation”. “Series five is a fictional dramatisation, imagining what could have happened behind closed doors.” Image: @thecrownnetflix (Instagram)

Entertainment

Property

“A king without a palace to live in”: Why King Charles III can’t live in Buckingham Palace

King Charles III has reportedly been stopped from moving into Buckingham Palace - and won’t be able to for five years - due to delays to multi-million-dollar renovations. Instead, The Sun reports that the king and Queen Consort Camilla will divide their time between several residences, including three days a week at Clarence House, two days at Windsor Castle and weekends at Sandringham, Norfolk. A source told the outlet that the monarch’s move-in date to the royal residence in London has been delayed as renovations are “very far behind schedule”. “Refurbishment is very far behind schedule but the Monarch should be living at Buckingham Palace,” they said. “It’s the heart of the monarchy in London, otherwise it risks becoming just a tourist attraction. We effectively have a king without a palace to live in.” The ten-year refurbishment is only half-complete, with the project including fitting new electrics, plumbing and heating and the palace uninhabitable until 2027. As for Christmas festivities, Charles is said to be planning to host his family at Sandringham, with a source telling The Sun that it would be a “difficult Christmas this year” as the royal family continues to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth II. The source added that the monarch considers Sandringham a “sort of retreat when needed”, which would be especially needed during the festive season. The news comes less than a month after it was announced that <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/property/real-estate/you-could-visit-the-queen-s-residences-sooner-than-expected" target="_blank" rel="noopener">several of the late Queen’s royal residences would reopen to the public</a>, including the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace. However, the Royal Collection Trust confirmed that the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace would not go forward this year. Images: Getty Images

Property

King Charles III offloads Kiwi mansion

In an estate that boasts the likes of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, one property belonging to the newly-minted King Charles III is located in a surprising place: northwest Auckland. But, the documents for the two-storey heritage villa in Hobsonville show the registered owner to be the Queen herself, forming part of an expansive portfolio inherited by the new king. In actual fact, the home doesn’t belong to King Charles III since Crown real estate is owned by the Defence Force. As a result, the Auckland mansion, known as Clark House, was used for Royal New Zealand Airforce operations from 1950 to 2016, when they moved out and left the home boarded up and unused. According to historical records, the Crown paid just £8000 for the home, which now holds a category 1 listing on the Historic Places Register. The home was built in 1902 to showcase innovative new building blocks created by entrepreneur Rice Owen Clark, whose family stayed in the house until it was sold to the Crown. During its use by the RNZAF, the house became the office of Task Force Headquarters and even hosted a South East Asian Treaty Organisation conference in the grand rooms in 1955. Phill Gurnsey, a general manager of estate strategy for Defence, said Clark House had most recently been used as a medical unit, with rooms upstairs acting as offices and the lower floor used for reception and medical testing. Harcourts agent Graham Lewis said the sale of Clark House was an opportunity to own a piece of New Zealand history that might not be seen again in our lifetime. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a special buyer to purchase a slice of New Zealand’s history from the current owner, His Majesty the King,” Mr Lewis said. “The building is a fine example of the Italianate villa style. Because of its role as a showpiece, no expense was spared in the building.” Most of the original features have survived, including the grand staircase, ceilings and carved mantlepieces made with timber from the kauri tree, stained glass windows, a wrought iron verandah and a tiled entry floor. As a historical building, Mr Lewis noted that potential buyers should be aware of the responsibilities and restrictions that come it, adding that the home could be turned into a lodge or fine hotel, an art gallery, or even corporate headquarters. “It takes your breath away the first time you see it. This was a supreme legacy to Rice Owen Clark’s beloved family, status and ambitions,” Mr Lewis said. “I think he’d be pleased that the passion and care of a new owner will bring this home back to its former glory as a historic landmark for generations to come.” The house will be <a href="https://www.oneroof.co.nz/25-59-clark-road-hobsonville-waitakere-city-auckland-1823259" target="_blank" rel="noopener">available for tender</a> until November 21. Images: Getty Images, Harcourts Realty

Property

Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway hits the market

The sprawling mansion that served as the hideaway for Elvis and Priscilla Presley has hit the market for just $US 5.65 million ($SG 8.10 million). The Presleys called the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home in Palm Springs, California, home for the first few days of their marriage, renting out the mansion for $US 21,000 in 1967. Although he initially planned to use the home as the location of his wedding, he and Priscilla decided to tie the knot in Vegas instead after the media found out about his plans. Complete with a spa, pool, multiple private terraces and spectacular mountain views, the Presleys spent four days honeymooning at the mansion, before Elvis had to leave for filming. Hosting music icons isn’t the only claim to fame the mansion has though. The house, designed by William Krisel in 1960, came with a futuristic design and modern amenities - including vacuum ports, an indoor kitchen grill, and wall-mounted radios - that made it ahead of its time and earned it the nickname ‘The House of Tomorrow’ in 1962 by Look Magazine. In more recent years, the house has been branded as Elvis’ Honeymoon Hideaway and open to the public for tours. Given its design features, it’s certainly a house you wouldn’t want to miss seeing. Highlights include its spaceship-like winged roof, the stepped waterfall located at the centre of the house, carved-wood double-height entry doors, and a circular theme throughout. The living room area boasts stacked stone walls, built-in seating, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a “futuristic steel beaker-shaped fireplace hood and floating hearth”, according to the <a href="https://www.compass.com/listing/1350-ladera-circle-palm-springs-ca-92262/1149386563352880433/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listing</a>. The dining room area overlooks the living room from a raised platform and opens out to a terrace and the pool, while the kitchen boasts top-notch appliances and a circular centre island. Each of the bedrooms comes with an ensuite, with two also featuring sprawling terraces and the main bedroom accessed via a grand staircase. The home has been renovated in recent years, with many of its original architectural details being restored. Images: Compass / Getty Images

Property

UK couple strike gold under their kitchen floor

A UK couple have made a surprising discovery while renovating their home, with their find selling for £754,000 at auction. After ripping up the existing floorboards and jackhammering through the concrete in the kitchen of their East Yorkshire home, the couple uncovered a small urn containing 260 ancient coins. The BBC reported that the coins dated from 1610 to 1727 and belonged to the Fernley-Maisters, a family who traded through the Baltic region. Auction house Spink & Son said Joseph Fernley and Sarah Maister were married in 1694 and lived in Ellerby. Joseph died in 1796 aged 76, and Sarah died aged 80 in 1745, with the family line “dying out soon after” according to the auction house. Auctioneer Gregory Edmund told the outlet that the sale sum was an “absolutely extraordinary” result and said the costly urn was no larger than a can of soft drink. “Picture the scene – you’re choosing to re-lay your uneven kitchen floor, you put a pick-axe through the concrete and just beneath you see a tiny sliver of gold,” he said. “At the time, you think it must just be a bit of electrical cable, but you find it’s a gold round disc and beneath it there are hundreds more. “I will never see an auction like this again.” <img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/10/coins-find.jpg" alt="" /> The coins were found during renovation works in an East Yorkshire home (left) before being sold at auction. Images: Spink & Son Though the couple made the discovery in 2019, they have only just sent the coins to auction. Spink & Son said the collecction was “one of the largest hoards of 18th Century English gold coins ever found in Britain”. The coins are only represent about £100,000 in today’s currency, but they attracted such a high price due to their rarity, which only skyrocketed after the find gained global attention and became the subject of media coverage. Selling in lots, the highest individual price for one of the coins was a hefty £62,400, paid for a 1720 coin described by the auction house as “imperfect”. Mr Edmund described the bidding as “electrifying”, with the auction attracting the interest of collectors around the world. Image: Spink & Son

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