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Does eating cheese before bed really give you nightmares?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Have you heard people say eating cheese before bed will cause you to have vivid dreams or nightmares?</p> <p>It’s a relatively common idea. And this week, a <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544475/full">new study</a> has landed this suggestion <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9005656/are-cheese-dreams-real-new-study-reveals-how-diet-affects-sleep/">back in the spotlight</a>.</p> <p>But is it true? Let’s unpack the evidence.</p> <h2>A gouda night’s sleep?</h2> <p>Canadian researchers recently <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544475/full#h3">investigated this idea</a> in a sample of 1,082 undergraduate psychology students. The students completed a survey, which included questions about how they perceived their diet influenced their sleep and dreams.</p> <p>Some 40% of participants reported certain foods impacted their sleep, with 25% of the whole sample claiming certain foods worsened their sleep, and 20% reporting certain foods improved their sleep.</p> <p>Only 5.5% of respondents believed what they ate affected the nature of their dreams. But many of these people thought sweets or dairy products (such as cheese) made their dreams more strange or disturbing and worsened their sleep.</p> <p>In contrast, participants reported fruits, vegetables and herbal teas led to better sleep.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Snacking on cheese late at night may haunt your dreams, Canadian study finds<a href="https://t.co/ne5poEo7N7">https://t.co/ne5poEo7N7</a> <a href="https://t.co/rMpSbzoGzk">pic.twitter.com/rMpSbzoGzk</a></p> <p>— Edmonton Journal (@edmontonjournal) <a href="https://twitter.com/edmontonjournal/status/1940531062615990327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>This study used self-reporting, meaning the results rely on the participants recalling and reporting information about their sleep and dreams accurately. This could have affected the results.</p> <p>It’s also possible participants were already familiar with the notion that cheese causes nightmares, especially given they were psychology students, many of whom may have studied sleep and dreaming.</p> <p>This awareness could have made them more likely to notice or perceive their sleep was disrupted after eating dairy. In other words, the idea cheese leads to nightmares may have acted like a self-fulfilling prophecy and results may overestimate the actual likelihood of strange dreams.</p> <p>Nonetheless, these findings show some people perceive a connection between what they eat and how they dream.</p> <p>While there’s no evidence to prove cheese <em>causes</em> nightmares, there is evidence that does explain a link.</p> <h2>The science behind cheese and nightmares</h2> <p>Humans are diurnal creatures, meaning our body is primed to be asleep at night and awake during the day. Eating cheese before bed means we’re challenging the body with food at a time when it really doesn’t want to be eating.</p> <p>At night, our physiological systems <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2024.101953">are not primed to digest food</a>. For example, it takes longer for food to move through our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1681.2009.05254.x">digestive tract</a> at night compared with during the day.</p> <p>If we eat close to going to sleep, our body has to process and digest the food while we’re sleeping. This is a bit like running through mud – we can do it, but it’s slow and inefficient.</p> <p>Cheese can be particularly challenging to digest at night because of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2006.11.006">high concentrations of fat and protein</a>, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1997.sp021881">slows down our digestion</a>.</p> <p>If your body is processing and digesting food instead of focusing all its resources on sleep, this can affect your shut-eye. Research has shown eating close to bedtime <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/an.116.012336">reduces our sleep quality</a>, particularly our time spent in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is the stage of sleep associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2009.12.001">vivid dreams</a>.</p> <p>People will have an even harder time digesting cheese at night if they’re lactose intolerant, which might mean they experience even greater impacts on their sleep. This follows what the Canadian researchers found in their study, with lactose intolerant participants reporting poorer sleep quality and more nightmares.</p> <p>It’s important to note we might actually have vivid dreams or nightmares every night – what could change is whether we’re aware of the dreams and can remember them when we wake up.</p> <p>Poor sleep quality often means we wake up more during the night. If we wake up during REM sleep, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1063530">research shows</a> we’re more likely to report vivid dreams or nightmares that we mightn’t even remember if we hadn’t woken up during them.</p> <p>This is very relevant for the cheese and nightmares question. Put simply, eating before bed impacts our sleep quality, so we’re more likely to wake up during our nightmares and remember them.</p> <h2>Can I still have brie before bedtime?</h2> <p>Don’t panic – I’m not here to tell you to give up your cheesy evenings. But what we eat before bed can make a real difference to how well we sleep, so timing matters.</p> <p>General <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/sleep-topics/sleep-hygiene-good-sleep-habits">sleep hygiene guidelines</a> suggest avoiding meals at least two hours before bed. So even if you’re eating a very cheese-heavy meal, you have a window of time before bed to digest the meal and drift off to a nice peaceful sleep.</p> <h2>How about other dairy products?</h2> <p>Cheese isn’t the only dairy product which may influence our sleep. Most of us have heard about the benefits of having a warm glass of milk before bed.</p> <p>Milk can be easier to digest than cheese. In fact, milk is a good choice in the evening, as <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12040936">it contains tryptophan</a>, an amino acid that helps promote sleep.</p> <p>Nonetheless, we still don’t want to be challenging our body with too much dairy before bed. Participants in the Canadian study did report nightmares after dairy, and milk close to bed might have contributed to this.</p> <p>While it’s wise to steer clear of food (especially cheese) in the two hours before lights out, there’s no need to avoid cheese altogether. Enjoy that cheesy pasta or cheese board, just give your body time to digest before heading off to sleep. If you’re having a late night cheese craving, opt for something small. Your sleep (and your dreams) will thank you.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/260205/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/charlotte-gupta-347235">Charlotte Gupta</a>, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Appleton Institute, HealthWise Research Group, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140">CQUniversity Australia</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-eating-cheese-before-bed-really-give-you-nightmares-heres-what-the-science-says-260205">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Pexels / </em><em>Ivan Oboleninov</em></p> </div>

Mind

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"Devastated": Football star dies at 28, just days after wedding

<p>Liverpool and Portugal football star Diogo Jota has died in a tragic car crash in Spain, just days after celebrating his wedding to long-time partner Rute Cardoso.</p> <p>The 28-year-old forward was killed alongside his younger brother, 26-year-old Andre Silva, in the early hours of Thursday morning near Zamora in north-western Spain. Authorities confirmed the pair died at the scene after their Lamborghini suffered a tyre blowout while overtaking, veered off the road, and burst into flames.</p> <p>The heartbreaking accident comes less than two weeks after Jota married Rute in Portugal on June 22. The couple, who shared three children, had posted a joyful photo from their wedding day with the caption: “Yes to forever.”</p> <p>Now, that forever has been cruelly cut short.</p> <p>Jota had only recently capped off one of the most successful periods of his career. In May, he helped Liverpool clinch the English Premier League title, contributing six goals across the season. He also featured for Portugal in their dramatic UEFA Nations League final win over Spain last month, coming off the bench in extra time before his team triumphed in a penalty shootout.</p> <p>In a statement, Liverpool FC expressed their devastation:</p> <p>“Liverpool Football Club are devastated by the tragic passing of Diogo Jota,” it read. “We will be making no further comment at this time and request privacy for the family, friends, teammates, and club staff as they try to come to terms with an unimaginable loss.”</p> <p>Portuguese football is also in mourning. Pedro Proenca, President of the Portuguese Football Federation, paid tribute to both brothers, describing Jota as “much more than a fantastic player... an extraordinary person, respected by all.”</p> <p>“We have lost two champions,” he added. “The passing of Diogo and Andre Jota represents an irreparable loss for Portuguese football and we will do everything we can to honour their legacy.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Everyone at the Premier League is shocked and devastated to learn of the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre. Our sincerest condolences go to Diogo’s family, friends, Liverpool FC, and all their supporters at this heartbreaking time. Football has lost a champion… <a href="https://t.co/KG4coUHY1P">pic.twitter.com/KG4coUHY1P</a></p> <p>— Premier League (@premierleague) <a href="https://twitter.com/premierleague/status/1940707922608054436?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>Jota made almost 50 appearances for the national team and was known as much for his spirited play as for his humility and positivity off the pitch. A minute’s silence was held ahead of Portugal’s Women’s Euros match against Spain on Thursday, following a request from the federation.</p> <p>Jota’s career began at Paços de Ferreira in Portugal, before moving to Atletico Madrid in 2016. He was loaned to Porto and then moved to England, joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2017. His performances at Wolves were electric, helping the club earn promotion and firmly establish themselves in the Premier League.</p> <p>Wolves, where Jota is still adored by fans, released a heartfelt statement: “We are heartbroken. Diogo was adored by our fans, loved by his teammates and cherished by everyone who worked with him. The memories he created will never be forgotten.”</p> <p>He joined Liverpool in 2018, quickly becoming a vital part of Jurgen Klopp’s side. In the 2021-22 season, he played key roles in Liverpool’s FA Cup and League Cup victories, scoring in both final shootouts against Chelsea.</p> <p>Off the field, Jota was a dedicated family man, sharing a quiet life away from the spotlight with Rute and their three young children.</p> <p>The world of football – and the families of both men – are reeling from the loss. </p> <p>Jota was 28. Andre Silva was 26.</p> <p><em>Images: X (Formerly Twitter)</em></p>

Caring

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Iconic Hollywood star found dead at 67

<p>Michael Madsen, the gravel-voiced Hollywood tough guy who made his mark in Quentin Tarantino's blood-soaked cinematic universe, has died. He was 67.</p> <p>The veteran actor was found unresponsive at his Malibu home on Thursday morning and later pronounced dead, authorities confirmed. His manager, Ron Smith, said the cause of death was cardiac arrest.</p> <p>Known for portraying menacing antiheroes and morally ambiguous outlaws, Madsen built a career playing unforgettable characters on the fringes of society – from the ear-slicing Mr. Blonde in <em>Reservoir Dogs</em> to the washed-up hitman Budd in <em>Kill Bill: Vol. 2</em>.</p> <p>“In the last two years Michael Madsen has been doing some incredible work with independent film... and was really looking forward to this next chapter in his life,” his team – managers Ron Smith and Susan Ferris, along with publicist Liz Rodriguez – said in a joint statement. “He was one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors, who will be missed by many.”</p> <p>Over a career spanning four decades, Madsen became a cult figure, equally at home in gritty crime thrillers, indie dramas, and blockbuster fare. His smouldering screen presence, weary stare, and distinctive voice earned him dozens of roles — many of them dangerous, unpredictable, and unforgettable.</p> <p>Born in Chicago on September 25, 1957, Madsen was the son of a firefighter and a filmmaker. His sister, Virginia Madsen, is an Oscar-nominated actor. He got his start on stage at Chicago’s renowned Steppenwolf Theatre, where he apprenticed under John Malkovich – an experience that shaped his early work in films like <em>WarGames </em>and <em>The Natural</em>.</p> <p>But it was 1992’s<em> Reservoir Dogs</em> that turned Madsen into a cinematic icon. As Mr. Blonde, the sadistic criminal who danced gleefully to “Stuck in the Middle With You” while torturing a cop, he etched one of the most disturbing, charismatic villains in film history. His performance earned praise from critic Roger Ebert, who wrote, “Madsen… emerges with the kind of really menacing screen presence only a few actors achieve.”</p> <p>He was originally cast to play Vincent Vega in <em>Pulp Fiction</em>, a role that eventually went to John Travolta after Madsen opted instead for Wyatt Earp – a decision he later said he regretted.</p> <p>Still, his collaborations with Tarantino remained a defining element of his career. Beyond <em>Reservoir Dogs</em> and <em>Kill Bill</em>, Madsen appeared in <em>The Hateful Eight</em> and <em>Once Upon a Time in Hollywood</em>, helping bring the director’s stylised worlds to life with quiet intensity and simmering menace.</p> <p>Outside of Tarantino’s orbit, Madsen racked up credits in films like <em>The Doors</em>, <em>Donnie Brasco</em>, <em>Thelma & Louise</em>, <em>Sin City</em>, and even the James Bond adventure <em>Die Another Day</em>. He also lent his voice to video games including Grand Theft Auto III and Dishonored, and published poetry and photography that revealed a softer, more introspective side.</p> <p>Though his name became synonymous with grit and danger, Madsen's passion for art in all forms endured. His independent film work remained prolific until the end, with several projects – <em>Resurrection Road</em>, <em>Concessions</em>, and <em>Cookbook for Southern Housewives</em> – still on the horizon.</p> <p>Madsen was married three times, most recently to DeAnna Morgan. He is survived by four children, including actor Christian Madsen. His son Hudson tragically died in 2022, a loss that friends say weighed heavily on him.</p> <p>Michael Madsen may have spent much of his screen life on the edge, but behind the gruff exterior was a fiercely devoted artist who never stopped working, creating or chasing the next role. He leaves behind a legacy of fearless performances, an indelible mark on American cinema – as well as a generation of fans who will never hear “Stuck in the Middle With You” the same way again.</p> <p><em>Images: X (Formerly Twitter)</em></p>

Caring

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The Project has been axed – but someone forgot to change the passwords

<p>Move over, NSW Police social media team – there’s a new sheriff in town, and they’re armed with memes, mischief and exactly zero supervision.</p> <p>Despite <em>The Project</em> being officially axed by Network Ten last Friday, the show’s Instagram account has come alive with the kind of unhinged humour usually reserved for group chats and late-night impulse tweets. And the results? Glorious chaos.</p> <p>“The bosses really should have changed the password from Password1,” read the first sign that something was afoot – or at least, afootloose.</p> <p>What followed was a gleeful digital coup. “Well, well, well, look who is in charge now… It’s me! The social media hero (that’s what I call myself),” the mystery admin announced. “So, one question: what should I do with these accounts?”</p> <p>So far, the self-appointed “social media hero” has shared six rogue posts that are funnier than half the comedy on TV right now – and that’s not just our opinion. Former co-host Lisa Wilkinson chimed in with, “I am SO HERE FOR THIS!!” while Rove McManus, part-owner of the show’s production company, added, “I just assumed the news stopped when we did.” Mood.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLhO6vEzFDv/?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/DLhO6vEzFDv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Project (@theprojecttv)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Other ex-<em>Project</em> personalities Gorgi Coghlan and Georgia Love offered moral support in the form of popcorn and laughing emojis, which in 2025 might as well be legal tender.</p> <p>But the rogue admin isn’t just here for the nostalgia. They’ve been keeping up with current events – kind of. One post featured a video of a woman being taken out by wild winds during this week’s “bomb cyclone” in NSW.</p> <p>“We have been off air for less than a week, and a woman has been knocked over by a fridge box?” read the caption. “You just can’t make this stuff up.”</p> <p>Honestly? This person deserves their own spin-off show. Or at the very least, a raise – assuming they’re still employed.</p> <p>No word yet from Ten HQ, but we suspect someone in middle management is frantically Googling “how to revoke Instagram access”.</p> <p>Until then, we live, laugh and like.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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What is aflatoxin, the toxic chemical behind Coles’ peanut butter recall?

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Coles <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/food-recalls/recall-alert/coles-supermarkets-peanut-butter-smooth-1kg-and-peanut-butter-crunchy-1kg">is recalling</a> two of its homebrand peanut butter products, over concerns they have been contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxic chemical linked to liver cancer.</p> <p>The supermarket chain <a href="https://www.coles.com.au/help/safety/product-recalls/coles-smooth-and-coles-crunchy-peanut-butter-1kg">has issued the recall notice</a> for Coles Smooth Peanut Butter 1kg and Coles Crunchy Peanut Butter 1kg, with the best before date of February 5 2027. They were sold in supermarkets and online nationally between May 1 and June 30 this year.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">⚠️ Food recall notice⚠️<br />Coles Supermarkets are conducting a recall on Coles Smooth and Coles Crunchy Peanut Butter 1kg with all best before dates 5/2/27. The recall is due to Biotoxin (aflatoxin) contamination. The product has been available at Coles Supermarkets and online. <a href="https://t.co/7eunBttfD3">pic.twitter.com/7eunBttfD3</a></p> <p>— Queensland Health (@qldhealth) <a href="https://twitter.com/qldhealth/status/1939606370791325892?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p>Aflatoxin can cause injury or illness if eaten, according to Australia’s <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/food-recalls/recall-alert/coles-supermarkets-peanut-butter-smooth-1kg-and-peanut-butter-crunchy-1kg">food safety authority</a>.</p> <p>But what is aflatoxin? How does it get into food? And what is the risk if you eat it?</p> <h2>What is aflatoxin? Where does it occur?</h2> <p>Aflatoxins are a toxic chemical (a mycotoxin) produced by fungi. The mould-like fungi that produce aflatoxins belong to a large group called <em><a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/mycology/fungal-descriptions-and-antifungal-susceptibility/hyphomycetes-conidial-moulds/aspergillus#aspergillus-flavus-complex">Aspergillus</a></em>.</p> <p>These fungi are found in all environments, for example in soils, compost, building surfaces and on crops and other plants, and can cause infections or poisoning <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/Peanut%20pistachio%20and%20aflatoxins.pdf">in humans and animals</a>.</p> <p><em>Aspergillus flavus</em> and <em>Aspergillus parasiticus</em>, which produce aflatoxins, thrive mainly in agricultural crops but also in soils, rotting food and compost. The fungi emerge as spores and form networks of microscopic filaments that can grow on products such as grains and nuts.</p> <p>As these fungi grow they release a range of chemicals, including aflatoxins, that <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins">can lead to contamination</a> of produce before and after harvest, or after processing.</p> <p>Aflatoxins are some of the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins">most poisonous types</a> of mycotoxin.</p> <p>Different kinds of aflatoxins <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/natural-toxins-food/mycotoxins">usually affect</a> contaminated food (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1), crops (G2) and milk (M1).</p> <h2>Which foods are most risky?</h2> <p>Crops produced and stored in warm, humid or moist tropical locations are most at risk, as toxin-producing moulds <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/natural-toxins-food/mycotoxins">thrive in these conditions</a>.</p> <p>High-risk foods include peanuts, corn and tree nuts (such as brazil, walnut and pistachio nuts). The toxin-producing fungi <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins">can also grow</a> on wheat, rice, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/sorghum-grain">sorghum</a> and spice crops such as turmeric, chilli, ginger and coriander.</p> <p>If animals graze on contaminated crops, their milk and meat can also become contaminated.</p> <p>Internationally, the Joint Food and Agriculture Administration and World Health Organization is responsible for setting guidelines and monitoring standards for mycotoxins via its <a href="https://www.who.int/groups/joint-fao-who-expert-committee-on-food-additives-(jecfa)/about">expert committee on food additives</a>.</p> <p>In Australia, aflatoxin food contamination <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-11/Peanut%20pistachio%20and%20aflatoxins.pdf">is not common</a>. In the past decade, there have only been <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/language/urdu/en/article/australian-supermarkets-revealed-to-be-selling-dangerous-or-banned-foods/r8z2f4pvf">a handful of recalls</a>.</p> <h2>Why are aflatoxins dangerous?</h2> <p>Aflatoxins can damage your liver and cause cancer.</p> <p>Eating <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins">a lot of contaminated foods</a> over a short period of time can lead to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557781/">aflatoxicosis</a>, acute poisoning that immediately damages the liver. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and convulsions, and may be life-threating.</p> <p>Over <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/natural-toxins-food/mycotoxins">a long period</a>, smaller amounts of contaminated foods can lead to liver cancer, birth defects, kidney disease and immune system dysfunction.</p> <p>There is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557781/">no specific treatment</a> for alfatoxins. Management after acute or long-term exposure focuses on addressing symptoms and monitoring liver health.</p> <h2>How can I stay safe?</h2> <p>There is <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/natural-toxins-food/mycotoxins">not much individuals can do</a> to control the presence of aflatoxin and other mycotoxins in foods, as contamination occurs during agriculture and processing.</p> <p>You should store nuts and nut products in a way that stops mould growing. Use well-sealed containers kept in dry and cool conditions.</p> <p>Freezing and cooking may <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/24/13322">kill the fungi</a>, but the toxin can survive extreme temperatures.</p> <p>Unfortunately, it is difficult to see the fungi with the naked eye. However <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mycotoxins">you should avoid</a> visibly mouldy foods and throw away nuts and grains that are shrivelled or discoloured.</p> <h2>What should I do if I’ve bought or eaten these products?</h2> <p>Coles <a href="https://www.coles.com.au/help/safety/product-recalls/coles-smooth-and-coles-crunchy-peanut-butter-1kg">has advised</a> customers to return the products to stores and contact its hotline for more information (1800 061 562).</p> <p>If you’re concerned you may have eaten contaminated peanut butter, speak to a health professional.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/260194/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/thomas-jeffries-1511629">Thomas Jeffries</a>, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/charles-oliver-morton-2423921">Charles Oliver Morton</a>, Senior Lecturer in Medical Microbiology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-sydney-university-1092">Western Sydney University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-aflatoxin-the-toxic-chemical-behind-coles-peanut-butter-recall-260194">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Queensland Government</em></p> </div>

Food & Wine

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Kyle Sandilands mocked after huge on-air meltdown

<p>Kyle Sandilands has come under fire after delivering an explosive and expletive-laden rant live on air, storming off The Kyle & Jackie O Show in protest over censorship – only to return to the mic a day later.</p> <p>The outburst was sparked when segments of the popular radio program, broadcast in Sydney and Melbourne, were censored during a discussion about former <em>Beauty and the Geek</em> star Tamika Chesser, who is alleged to have murdered and decapitated her boyfriend.</p> <p>Returning to air the following day, Sandilands launched into a tirade over what he described as overly strict rules for broadcasters discussing criminal matters.</p> <p>“OK, so the show got dumped in the middle of a planned discussion that I had already discussed with the legal team,” he said. “Why was that dumped, when I was using all the correct lingo?”</p> <p>Sandilands was told that the call to censor the broadcast came from show director Bruno Bouchet. His response escalated quickly: “Some laws are just so dumb and stupid, and I’m not playing ball.”</p> <p>“Until this show runs the way I intend it to be run, I will not be back on the air at all, in any way, shape or form,” he continued. “I do what I want to do and if you don’t like it, tough s***.”</p> <p>The veteran shock jock even went so far as to suggest he would “go on a hunt” for the show’s director “with dogs and a baseball bat”.</p> <p>Bouchet’s intervention was later backed up by Sandilands’ manager, who admitted to pulling the show to avoid contempt of court. “Yeah for the contempt of court stuff. I just don’t want you guys going to jail,” he explained.</p> <p>Sandilands responded with more profanities: “I’d rather be r***d in jail than be puppeteered by losers. That’s the show ripped up. Judges can shove it in their a***, ACMA can shove it in their a***, and so can the management of the radio station.”</p> <p>He then signed off with a dramatic farewell: “Enjoy the rest of the week, guys. Arrivederci from me.”</p> <p>However, despite declaring he’d be off the air until at least Monday, Sandilands was back on the show Thursday morning.</p> <p>Listeners wasted no time criticising the presenter’s dramatic walkout, calling it a textbook tantrum.</p> <p>“Ooop we’ve had a proper white entitled man public tantrum. Imagine being his wife!” one social media user wrote.</p> <p>“Big man throwing a tantrum, how embarrassing!” said another, while a third added: “Wow, men are so emotional.”</p> <p>As of now, neither the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) nor the radio network has commented publicly on the matter.</p> <p><em>Images: KIIS FM</em></p>

Music

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King Charles unveils new memorial to Queen Elizabeth II

<p>King Charles and Queen Camilla have honoured the memory of Queen Elizabeth II during Royal Week in Scotland, unveiling a memorial stone in the same cathedral where the late monarch briefly lay in rest before her final journey to London.</p> <p>On Wednesday, the royal couple attended a solemn ceremony inside Edinburgh’s historic St Giles’ Cathedral, pausing in quiet reflection before the black slate memorial, engraved with the ER cypher, the Scottish crown, and the dates Her Majesty's coffin rested on the cathedral's Holy Table.</p> <p>St Giles’ Cathedral holds deep significance for the Royal Family and the public alike. After Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle on September 8, 2022, her body was taken to the cathedral, where more than 33,000 people filed past to pay their respects.</p> <p>It was also the setting for poignant public moments of mourning, including the "Vigil of the Princes", when the late Queen’s four children – King Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward – stood guard around her coffin. Later, all eight of her grandchildren repeated the symbolic vigil in Westminster Hall.</p> <p>On Wednesday, Their Majesties were flanked by members of the Royal Company of Archers, the monarch’s ceremonial bodyguards in Scotland, and joined by clergy including Reverend Dr Scott Rennie, minister of St Giles’, who led a short dedication.</p> <p>“It has been a great honour and privilege to welcome Their Majesties… for such a special event,” Dr Rennie said. “Our sincere desire is that this memorial stone will offer… encouragement to live a life of commitment and service to others… as Her Late Majesty did.”</p> <p>Queen Camilla wore a soft powder blue coatdress, while King Charles was dressed in grey as they stood together at the simple yet poignant stone. At one moment during the ceremony, the couple bowed their heads solemnly in remembrance.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLnOObdMmf4/?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/DLnOObdMmf4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Plans are also underway in London to honour Queen Elizabeth II – Britain’s longest-serving monarch – with permanent memorials in St James’s Park, just outside Buckingham Palace. Around 250,000 mourners were estimated to have viewed her coffin during the lying in state at Westminster Hall, following her reign of 70 years.</p> <p>The newly unveiled Edinburgh memorial now stands as a quiet, enduring tribute to a monarch who served with dedication — and whose passing marked the end of a historic era.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram / The Royal Family</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Australia's worst drivers caught on camera

<p>Western Australia's drivers have made headlines – and not the good kind – with police left shaking their heads and muttering “mind-boggling” after a high-tech camera trial captured more than 130,000 road offences in just six months.</p> <p>The cameras, rolled out across hotspots since January 26, have been snapping everything from missing seatbelts to mobile phone acrobatics, with one driver managing the feat of being caught <em>81 times</em>. </p> <p>Police Minister Reece Whitby laid out the astonishing numbers in WA Parliament on Tuesday, describing the evidence as “quite astonishing” and the rate of offending as “astounding”. “I cannot believe that one driver has been caught offending 81 times,” he said, no doubt wondering if that driver even knows what a road rule is.</p> <p>In total, the AI-powered cameras – apparently more observant than some humans – spotted 50,000 people misusing seatbelts, and 75,000 using phones illegally. That’s 800 offences every single day. Makes you nostalgic for the days when traffic violations were rare enough to make dinner conversation.</p> <p>Among the greatest hits caught on camera:</p> <ul> <li>A driver simultaneously drinking beer and using a mobile phone, while forgoing the inconvenience of a seatbelt.</li> <li>A motorist smoking a glass pipe (yes, <em>that</em> kind).</li> <li>Someone literally holding a child while driving.</li> <li>A P-plater outsourcing steering duties to their passenger.</li> <li>And a personal favourite: a driver cruising with their leg casually resting on the dashboard. Perhaps auditioning for <em>Australia’s Got Lazy Limbs</em>?</li> </ul> <p>“These cameras are the most advanced in the country,” Whitby said, showing off images of offenders mid-disaster. “They capture multiple offending within the cabin of the vehicle.” Unfortunately, they can’t yet capture common sense.</p> <p>The Road Safety Commission backed the rollout, noting other states had seen massive behavioural shifts after similar tech went live. “Queensland saw nearly a 75 per cent drop-off in the first months after it introduced similar cameras,” said Commissioner Adrian Warner. “We are hopeful… there will be a significant shift in behaviour.”</p> <p>One could argue that shift should probably start before you're caught 50 times.</p> <p>For now, the cameras are still in “trial mode”, meaning over 44,000 caution letters have been issued instead of fines. But come October, the real fun begins – and by fun, we mean fines. A lot of them.</p> <p>“If this continues at the rate we’ve seen, we are going to see revenue roll in like we’ve never seen it before,” Whitby warned, “and I’ll be gladly spending it on more safety measures.”</p> <p>Translation: keep it up, and we’ll have gold-plated speed bumps and diamond-studded seatbelt reminders in no time.</p> <p>So buckle up (correctly), put the phone down, and maybe – just maybe – don’t smoke anything while driving. WA’s new cameras are watching, and frankly, they’ve seen enough.</p> <p><em>Images: WA Govt / Road Safety Commission</em></p>

Legal

News

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Habemus Papam! – We have a pope!

<p>In a moment charged with history and hope, the Catholic Church has elected its first American pontiff: Cardinal Robert Prevost of Chicago, who will now be known as Pope Leo XIV.</p> <p>The 69-year-old, who has spent much of his career in Peru, made his first appearance as pope from the balcony of St Peter’s Basilica at 7:24pm local time, just over an hour after white smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney, sending the world a long-awaited message: <em>Habemus Papam!</em> (We have a pope!)</p> <p>Cheers erupted from the tens of thousands gathered in the square, with flags waving, church bells ringing and emotion rippling through the international crowd as the new pontiff smiled, waved and offered a heartfelt greeting. His first words: <em>“La pace sia con tutti voi.”</em> (“Peace be with you.)”</p> <p>Delivering his inaugural speech in Italian and Spanish, Pope Leo XIV struck a tone of unity, humility, and dialogue. “We must build bridges,” he declared, echoing the spirit of his predecessor. “Build bridges with dialogue, coming together, uniting, becoming one single people – one single people in peace.”</p> <p>The election of an American pope is a stunning departure from centuries of Vatican tradition, with many believing the idea had long been off the table due to the global influence of the United States. But Leo XIV’s unique path – from Chicago to Chiclayo – positioned him as a bridge-builder between North and South, tradition and change.</p> <p>His deep ties to Latin America, including years as a missionary and later as Archbishop of Chiclayo, Peru, along with his recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, gave him a global pastoral perspective. He also served as president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.</p> <p>Leo’s election comes after a dramatic and closely watched conclave. On Thursday afternoon, the 133 cardinal-electors gathered for a fourth round of voting. Just after 6pm, the unmistakable white smoke billowed into the Roman sky – the signal that consensus had been reached.</p> <p>By the time the Swiss Guard and military band took their positions, the anticipation in the square was electric. Crowds, including school groups, pilgrims and reporters from around the world, packed the piazza. And when the ancient formula <em>“Habemus Papam!”</em> was pronounced from the loggia, followed by Leo XIV’s public appearance, the square exploded with joy.</p> <p>Leo’s election drew swift global attention. Even US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social to extend congratulations, writing: “It is such an honour to realise that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honour for our Country.”</p> <p>While the conclave was notably longer due to the large number of electors – 108 of whom were appointed by Pope Francis – it reflected the wide diversity of today’s global church. Cardinals came from places like Mongolia, Tonga and Sweden, a testament to Francis' efforts to make the Church more inclusive.</p> <p>Back in St Peter’s Square, the celebration continues, with some faithful expressing hope that Pope Leo XIV will carry forward Francis’ work of outreach and reform – and perhaps take it even further. As one young Argentine pilgrim, Pedro Deget, put it: “Francis opened the Church to the outside world. Let’s see what Leo can do now.”</p> <p><em>Images: Sunrise</em></p>

News

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Rory McIlroy conquers Augusta at last with agonising final hole victory

<p>Rory McIlroy has finally done it! In a heart-pounding, edge-of-your-seat finale at Augusta National, the Northern Irish superstar captured his long-awaited first Masters title, ending an 11-year major championship drought in unforgettable fashion.</p> <p>After years of close calls and crushing near misses, McIlroy delivered a performance packed with drama. His road to the iconic green jacket was anything but smooth – and that's what made this triumph so electrifying.</p> <p>Sunday at Augusta began with fireworks as McIlroy double-bogeyed the first hole, immediately falling into a share of the lead with Bryson DeChambeau. But true to form, the four-time major winner stormed back, building a commanding five-shot lead midway through the final round over DeChambeau and English veteran Justin Rose.</p> <p>Just when it seemed McIlroy might cruise to victory, the course bit back. Disaster struck at the treacherous 13th when McIlroy found water and carded another double bogey, watching his lead evaporate as Rose surged to 11-under, becoming the shock leader.</p> <p>But Augusta’s relentless drama wasn’t finished yet. Rose bogeyed shortly after, and McIlroy steadied himself to reclaim the lead. DeChambeau, too, stumbled out of contention with a costly trip to the water hazard.</p> <p>As the tension mounted, Rose delivered under pressure with a brilliant birdie at the 18th, pulling level with McIlroy at 11-under and setting the stage for a nail-biting conclusion. McIlroy birdied the 17th and had a golden chance to seal the victory with a simple par on the final hole. But golf, as ever, proved unpredictable – McIlroy’s putt went millimetres astray, forcing a playoff that had the gallery roaring with anticipation.</p> <p>In the playoff showdown, McIlroy's grit and class shone through. With unwavering focus, he outduelled Rose to capture the elusive green jacket, completing his career-defining triumph at Augusta on his 11th attempt.</p> <p>This moment was more than just a victory – it was the culmination of a decade-long pursuit of golfing glory. For McIlroy, it’s a Masters win for the ages, and for fans around the world, it’s a reminder of why we love this sport: the drama, the heartbreak, and the unforgettable joy of watching a champion finally reach the mountaintop.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

News

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Captain Cook statue vandalised ahead of Australia Day

<p>A statue of Captain Cook has been vandalised in Sydney just days ahead of Australia Day. </p> <p>The statue, which sits on Belmore Road in Randwick, had its hand ripped off in the attack and parts of its face destroyed before it was covered in red paint. </p> <p>It's the second time in 12 months the statue has been vandalised, with the attack being condemned by Randwick councilor Andrew Hay. </p> <p>"The Captain Cook Statue has been vandalised again," he said in a statement. "They've broken the sandstone and cut off his hand and nose."</p> <p>"Low lives in Randwick know no bounds, or have any reverence for great people of history, and will vandalise him to make a political point that he's not directly related to."</p> <p>Randwick City councillor Dr Carolyn Martin told <em>2GB</em> radio that the vandals scaled the fence around the statue and left it in an "absolute mess".</p> <p>"It's absolutely disgraceful behaviour. We're all absolutely horrified," she said.</p> <p>Randwick mayor Dylan Parker also called out the vandalism, saying, "Vandalism has no place in public discussion."</p> <p>"Vandalism is an illegal act that does a disservice to progressing your cause, a disservice to the community and a disservice to reconciliation."</p> <p>"Council will clean and restore the statue. The statue was cleaned and restored last year after a similar incident in February 2024."</p> <p>Australia Day, which is recognised each year on January 26th, marks the landing of the First Fleet in 1788 when the first governor of the British colony of New South Wales, Arthur Philip, hoisted the Union Jack at Sydney Cove. </p> <p>But for many First Nations people, it is regarded as 'Invasion Day' or the 'Day of Mourning' because it marks the beginning of Australia's colonisation. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 2GB </em></p>

News

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Man dies and several others injured after severe storms lash NSW

<p>A man has tragically died after severe thunderstorms pummelled New South Wales on Wednesday night. </p> <p>The extreme storm system swept through the eastern part of the state on Wednesday evening, leaving several people injured and thousands without power. </p> <p>In the central west town of Cowra, 300km west of Sydney, a man in his 80s was killed when a tree fell on his car as the region experienced wind gust speeds of 107km/h at the time, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.</p> <p>Police were in attendance at the scene and had launched an investigation into the incident, while the man has yet to be formally identified.</p> <p>Four campers have also been injured when their shelters were destroyed in high winds at Wagga Wagga in the Riverina region in the state’s southwest.</p> <p>The storm also triggered major power outages with Endeavour Energy reporting more than 47,000 impacted customers across the Blue Mountains, Western Sydney, Illawarra and the South Coast at 10pm, and Ausgrid reporting more than 62,000.</p> <p>On Thursday morning, the SES said they had received 2250 calls and responded to more than 1800 incidents in the last 24 hours, with the majority of the incidents were for fallen trees, powerlines and damaged properties.</p> <p>Scattered showers and severe storms are expected to continue on Thursday, particularly in the east and north east of the state. </p> <p><em>Image credits: 9News</em></p>

News

Travel

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Hero dad jumps overboard to save daughter who fell from Disney cruise ship

<p>A father and his daughter were rescued from the ocean after falling overboard from a Disney Cruise Line ship on Sunday afternoon, prompting praise for the ship’s crew and relief among passengers who witnessed the ordeal unfold in real time.</p> <p>The incident occurred aboard the <em>Disney Dream</em> as it sailed on a roundtrip voyage between Florida and the Bahamas. Passenger Gar Frantz said he was on the fourth-floor deck when he saw the child, who had been sitting on the ship’s railing while the father took a picture, fall into the water.</p> <p>“Then the child fell overboard,” Frantz recalled. “We watched it, you could see two little things ... it was crazy, it was horrific.”</p> <p>The father reportedly jumped in immediately after the child in an effort to save her.</p> <p>Fellow passenger Gail Merrick was playing bingo when she noticed a sudden commotion outside. “We came to find out that it was a child and then the father had gone in after the child, so we were watching with bated breath basically waiting for what would happen,” she told <em>NBC News</em>.</p> <p>Merrick said she saw a yellow rescue boat with crew members being deployed, and the <em>Disney Dream</em> itself made a sharp turn to return to the spot. According to Disney, the two guests were recovered within minutes.</p> <p>“We commend our Crew Members for their exceptional skills and prompt actions, which ensured the safe return of both guests to the ship,” Disney said in a statement. “We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of our guests, and this incident highlights the effectiveness of our safety protocols.”</p> <p>Disney did not provide any identifying details about the guests or clarify how far into the journey the ship was when the fall occurred.</p> <p>Passenger James Tackett said he felt the ship lurch into a sharp turn before hearing what had happened. “When they did officially get the people, everyone cheered,” he said. “It was a good moment.”</p> <p>His mother, Brenda Tackett, who was also onboard, praised the crew’s swift and professional response.</p> <p>“You could tell they’ve practiced this – hopefully have never used it before – but they were great,” she said. “The whole thing was maybe 10, 15 minutes and they safely got back on board.”</p> <p>Disney After the rescue, the <em>Disney Dream</em> resumed its journey. “Thankfully it turned out positive,” Merrick said, “and we were able to enjoy the rest of the cruise.”</p> <p><em>Images: Disney Dream / NBC News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Millions warned to prepare for "bomb cyclone"

<p>Eastern New South Wales is on high alert as a rapidly forming weather system threatens to bring dangerous conditions to a vast stretch of the state’s coast – including the heaviest rainfall Sydney has seen in years.</p> <p>The Bureau of Meteorology has warned of a potential east coast low – possibly a “bomb cyclone” – developing off the coastline. The intense system is already impacting the Mid North Coast today and is expected to deliver its most severe weather to Sydney on Tuesday.</p> <p>Hazardous wind and surf warnings have been issued for large sections of the NSW coast, and an initial flood watch is in place for the Hawkesbury-Nepean, Georges, Cooks, Sydney Coast and Illawarra Coast catchments.</p> <p>A “bomb cyclone” is a rapidly intensifying weather system that can form in just a matter of days and bring destructive conditions. If it continues to strengthen, this could be the first east coast low to directly strike Sydney since 2022.</p> <p>Rain and strong winds are forecast to escalate over the next 24 hours, with up to 90mm of rain predicted to fall over Sydney tomorrow. The Bureau is forecasting sustained winds of 45km/h, with gusts reaching a dangerous 125km/h.</p> <p>The NSW State Emergency Service has issued a broad warning to residents from Bega to Coffs Harbour, urging millions to prepare for cyclonic conditions.</p> <p>“We are urging the public to take this threat seriously,” an SES spokesperson said on Monday morning. “Now is the time to secure outdoor items, check on neighbours, and have a plan in case of flash flooding.”</p> <p>Authorities are closely monitoring the system, which is continuing to develop off the coast and could rapidly intensify overnight.</p> <p><em>Image: Weatherzone</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Could this be Australia's worst roundabout?

<p>A Sydney suburb is making headlines for a traffic feature so confusing, it’s giving GPS systems an existential crisis and forcing drivers into interpretive dance routines with their steering wheels.</p> <p>Residents of Austral have been left bewildered by a diamond-shaped roundabout that’s turning an ordinary intersection into a high-stakes game of vehicular Twister. It’s not clear who approved this geometric oddity, but what is clear is that nobody can drive around it without looking like they’re auditioning for <em>Fast & Furious: Suburban Drift</em>.</p> <p>Liverpool City Councillor Peter Ristevski, who seems to have drawn the short straw as the face of this fiasco, confirmed to <em>Today</em> that he's requested an official investigation into the design decision.</p> <p>"My inbox last night was bombarded with over 300 responses asking, 'what is going on? You guys can't even build a roundabout,'" <a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/diamond-roundabout-liverpool-council-design-flaw-labelled-embarrassing/960c2e76-d1b4-4425-a184-0000fde9c7ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peter told <em>Today</em></a>, possibly while rubbing his temples and Googling “how to disappear”.</p> <p>Local drivers have reportedly been attempting three-point turns, four-point turns, and even something resembling modern dance to navigate the angular nightmare, before giving up and just driving over it – a choice that, while technically illegal, is increasingly viewed as emotionally valid.</p> <p><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/diamond-roundabout-liverpool-council-design-flaw-labelled-embarrassing/960c2e76-d1b4-4425-a184-0000fde9c7ed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aerial footage revealed</a> there was, in fact, enough room for a traditional roundabout, leading many to question how this avant-garde concrete rhombus got approved in the first place. Was it modern art? A prank? A failed Illuminati summoning circle?</p> <p>Peter Ristevski didn’t have the answers. “It’s quite embarrassing,” he admitted. “I’m in Canberra for the Australian Local Government Conference, where I’ve had every single councillor here in Australia rip into me about this roundabout.”</p> <p>Yes, while the rest of the country’s councillors are exchanging ideas about sustainability and infrastructure, Peter is fending off jokes like “Hey mate, did Picasso design that thing for you?”</p> <p>Peter also revealed he didn’t know how much the roundabout cost to install, which is fair – the true cost may be measured in dented bumpers, strained marriages and a sharp uptick in meditation app downloads.</p> <p>“It’s a pretty good reflection of where things are at with council, but ratepayers are paying for it all and they’re going to have to pay for this to be rectified because it’s an absolute joke looking at it,” <em>Today</em> host Karl Stefanovic pointed out with the grim amusement of a man watching a train crash in slow motion.</p> <p>Local authorities have yet to announce how or when the diamond disaster will be fixed, but residents are hoping for something a little more traditional – perhaps even... round. Until then, drivers in Austral are advised to keep calm, steer cautiously and maybe bring a compass.</p> <p><em>Images: Today show</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Eight dead as hot-air balloon erupts in flames

<p>At least eight people have died after a hot-air balloon carrying 21 passengers caught fire mid-flight over southern Brazil, in what authorities have described as a tragic accident.</p> <p>The incident occurred early Sunday near the coastal town of Praia Grande in Santa Catarina state. Santa Catarina governor Jorginho Mello confirmed the toll in a statement on X, writing: “Eight fatalities and 13 survivors.”</p> <p>Dramatic footage captured by bystanders and aired on Brazilian television showed the balloon engulfed in flames, swinging violently before the passenger basket broke off and plummeted to the ground in flames. The weather was reported to be clear at the time of the disaster.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nqz8c6VS-Jo?si=cMv3w7kUfME2vRs9" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>According to local fire officials, 13 people – including the pilot – miraculously survived and were taken to hospitals. Our Lady of Fatima hospital said five survivors were treated there; three remained in stable condition with minor injuries while two had already been discharged. Details on the other survivors were not immediately available.</p> <p>An investigation is now underway to determine the cause of the fire. The pilot told local media that the blaze may have started with a blowtorch used in the basket. “I don’t know if it stayed lit or if it reignited on its own, but it was the torch that started it all,” he told Jornal Razao.</p> <p>The pilot said he attempted an emergency landing as soon as the fire broke out and urged passengers to jump once they were close to the ground. “Once it was close to the ground, [the pilot] told the passengers to jump from the basket. But some of them couldn’t do it and the fire grew,” Tiago Luiz Lemos, a police official in Praia Grande, told reporters.</p> <p>Fire department official Zevir Cipriano Junior said four victims died from burns and four others died from injuries sustained in the fall.</p> <p>In a video statement, Governor Mello said: “We are in mourning. It’s a tragedy that happened. We will check the developments, what happened, and why it happened.”</p> <p>Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also expressed condolences and offered federal support for the rescue and recovery efforts.</p> <p>Praia Grande, known for its scenic coastline, is a popular hotspot for hot-air ballooning. This is Brazil’s second fatal ballooning accident in under a week; just days earlier, a woman was killed during a flight in Sao Paulo state.</p> <p>Authorities say investigations will focus on safety protocols and equipment standards in the ballooning industry.</p> <p><em>Images: NBC / Youtube</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Health

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‘It feels like I am being forced to harm a child’: Why Aussie teachers are burning out

<div class="theconversation-article-body">Australia is in the grip of a <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/national-teacher-workforce-action-plan">teacher shortage</a>. Teachers are <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-am-exhausted-australian-teachers-speak-about-how-compassion-fatigue-is-harming-them-and-their-work-244519#:%7E:text=I%20found%2073.9%25%20of%20respondents,Victorian%20teachers%20reported%20similar%20rates.">burning out</a>, warning the job is no longer sustainable and leaving the profession.</p> <p>We know this is due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/this-is-like-banging-our-heads-against-the-wall-why-a-move-to-outsource-lesson-planning-has-nsw-teachers-hopping-mad-188081">excessive workloads</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/00049441221086654">stress</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/make-me-a-sandwich-our-surveys-disturbing-picture-of-how-some-boys-treat-their-teachers-228891">abuse</a>. But research suggests there is another element at play: some teachers are also experiencing moral injury.</p> <p>Moral injury occurs when teachers are forced to act against their values – leaving them feeling disillusioned and complicit in harm. In <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131911.2025.2504523">my study</a> of 57 Australian teachers, many shared emotionally-charged accounts of being put in impossible situations at work.</p> <h2>What is moral injury?</h2> <p>Moral injury is when professionals cannot act in line with their values due to external demands.</p> <p>It differs from burnout or compassion fatigue: <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303817089_Understanding_the_burnout_experience_Recent_research_and_its_implications_for_psychiatry">burnout</a> stems from chronic stress and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/compassion-fatigue">compassion fatigue</a> comes from emotional overload.</p> <p>Moral injury was initially developed in <a href="https://moralinjuryproject.syr.edu/about-moral-injury/">military psychology</a> but has since been applied to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0969733020966776">healthcare</a> and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057240.2023.2237202#abstract">education</a> – professions where high-stakes ethical decision-making and institutional failures often collide.</p> <p>Previous studies on <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0002831219848690">moral injury in schools</a> have shown how rigid disciplinary policies, high-stakes testing regimes and chronic underfunding often force teachers to act in ways that contradict their professional judgement. This can lead to frustration, guilt and professional disillusionment.</p> <p>Recent studies have <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03057240.2023.2237202">reframed moral injury as a systemic issue</a> rather than an individual psychological condition. This is because institutional constraints – such as inflexible accountability measures and bureaucratic inefficiencies – prevent teachers from fulfilling their ethical responsibilities.</p> <h2>My new study</h2> <p>This research stems from an <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-024-00755-8">initial study</a>, which looked at burnout in Australian teachers.</p> <p>The initial study included a national sample of 2,000 educators. This <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00131911.2025.2504523">new study</a> is a subset of 57 teachers who participated in follow-up surveys and focus groups. The teachers were a mix of primary and secondary teachers and some also held leadership positions within their schools.</p> <p>While the original study focused on compassion fatigue and burnout, a striking pattern emerged: teachers repeatedly described moral conflicts in their work.</p> <h2>‘It feels like I’m being forced to harm a child’</h2> <p>A key theme of the new research was teachers having to enforce school or departmental policies they believed were harmful. This was particularly the case when it came to discipline. As one teacher described:</p> <blockquote> <p>The policy says I should suspend a student for attendance issues, but their home life is falling apart. How does that help? It feels like I’m being forced to harm a child instead of helping them.</p> </blockquote> <p>Others talked about having to focus on standardised tests (for example, NAPLAN), rather than using their professional judgement to meet children’s individual needs. This is a <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/opinion-the-fundamental-flaws-of-standardised-testing/273711">contentious issue for teachers</a>.</p> <p>As one high school teacher told us:</p> <blockquote> <p>We’re asked to push students through the curriculum even when we know they haven’t grasped the basics […] but we’re the ones who carry the guilt.</p> </blockquote> <p>A primary teacher similarly noted:</p> <blockquote> <p>Teaching to the test means leaving so many kids behind. It’s not what education should be.</p> </blockquote> <h2>‘It’s heartbreaking’</h2> <p>Teachers also spoke about teaching in environments that were not adequately resourced. In some schools, teacher shortages were so severe that unqualified staff were delivering classes:</p> <blockquote> <p>We’ve got classes being taught by teacher aides […] but that’s because we don’t have enough staff.</p> </blockquote> <p>Or in other classes, students were not getting the help they needed.</p> <blockquote> <p>Larger class sizes and fewer staff mean that the kids who need the most attention are getting the least. It’s heartbreaking.</p> </blockquote> <p>The emotional impact was profound, as one high school teacher told us:</p> <blockquote> <p>At some point, you stop fighting. You realise that no matter how many times you raise concerns, nothing changes. It’s like the system is designed to wear you down until you just comply.</p> </blockquote> <h2>What can schools do to prevent moral injury?</h2> <p>While these findings are confronting, teachers also gave positive examples of what can buffer against moral injury in the workplace. This involved listening to teachers and including them in policies and decisions.</p> <p>One primary teacher told us how their school had changed their disciplinary approach:</p> <blockquote> <p>Our school’s push for restorative justice instead of punitive measures has been a game changer. It lets us address the root causes of issues instead of just punishing kids.</p> </blockquote> <p>Others talked about being asked to collaborate with school leadership to address discipline issues. As one primary teacher said:</p> <blockquote> <p>We helped create a new behaviour management framework. Having a say in the process made all the difference.</p> </blockquote> <h2>What now?</h2> <p>My research indicates when teachers are consistently asked to compromise their ethics, they don’t just burn out, they question the integrity of the entire system.</p> <p>This suggests if we want to keep teachers in classrooms, we need to do more than lighten their workloads. We need to make sure they are no longer placed in positions where doing their job means going against their professional values.</p> <p>This means teachers need to feel heard, respected and empowered in classrooms and schools.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/258821/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/glenys-oberg-1334483">Glenys Oberg</a>, PhD candidate in education and trauma, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/it-feels-like-i-am-being-forced-to-harm-a-child-research-shows-how-teachers-are-suffering-moral-injury-258821">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Pexels / </em><em>Andrea Piacquadio</em></p> </div>

Caring

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1200 children to undergo testing after child abuse charges laid

<p><em><strong>Warning: This article contains details of alleged child sexual abuse which may be distressing to some readers.</strong></em></p> <p>More than 1,200 children are being urged to undergo precautionary health screening after a former childcare worker was charged with more than 70 offences relating to alleged child sexual abuse at a centre in Melbourne’s south-west.</p> <p>Joshua Dale Brown, 26, from Point Cook, has been charged over alleged sexual offences against eight children – aged between five months and two years – at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook, where he worked between April 2022 and January 2023.</p> <p>Victoria Police revealed Brown has worked at 20 childcare centres between 2017 and 2025, with investigations ongoing and additional allegations, including one involving a centre in Essendon, being pursued.</p> <p>Deputy Commissioner Wendy Steendam said the case is “incredibly distressing”, describing the allegations as confronting and involving “some of our most vulnerable people in our community”.</p> <p>The charges laid against Brown include sexual penetration of a child, producing child abuse material, and recklessly contaminating goods to cause alarm or anxiety.</p> <p>Detectives from the Sexual Crimes Squad began investigating in May after they allegedly uncovered child abuse material and executed a search warrant at Brown’s Point Cook home. He had not previously been known to police and held a valid Working with Children Check at the time of his employment.</p> <p>Police said the families of the eight alleged victims were notified last week.</p> <p>“As you can imagine, this was deeply distressing for the families to hear,” said Acting Commander Janet Stevenson, adding that not all centres where Brown worked are believed to be connected to the alleged offences.</p> <p>In a coordinated response, Victoria Police and the Department of Health have contacted more than 2,600 families whose children may have been at centres during Brown’s employment. About 1,200 children have been recommended for infectious disease testing “out of an abundance of caution”, authorities said.</p> <p>Chief Health Officer Dr Christian McGrath said while the public health risk is low, the testing was being recommended due to a potential exposure risk during the relevant period.</p> <p>“We do understand this is another distressing element to the situation and we’re taking this approach as a precaution,” Dr McGrath said, assuring families that any infections could be treated with antibiotics and that there is no broader risk to the public.</p> <p>Letters sent to families on Tuesday stated: “At this stage, there is no evidence to suggest that your child has been offended against. If this changes, you will be contacted directly by Victoria Police.”</p> <p>Support lines staffed by professionals have been established, and the government has promised free testing and assistance for affected families.</p> <p>G8 Education, the operator of the Point Cook centre, said it was “extremely distressed” by the allegations and is fully cooperating with authorities. In a statement, the company said all legally required employment and background checks were carried out during Brown’s employment.</p> <p>“G8 Education has no tolerance for any behaviour that compromises the safety or wellbeing of children,” the company said.</p> <p>Brown has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court in September.</p> <p>The investigation remains ongoing.</p> <p><em>Images: ABC News / Supplied</em></p>

Caring

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Play School icon passes away at 86

<p>Australia is mourning the loss of one of its most cherished performers, with the passing of actor and playwright Donald Macdonald, aged 86.</p> <p>The former <em>Play School</em> presenter and prolific stage and screen actor died following a battle with cancer. News of his death was shared on Monday by entertainment reporter Craig Bennett, who described him as “one of our showbiz greats”.</p> <p>Macdonald’s contributions to Australian entertainment stretched across more than four decades. He began his television career in the 1960s, notably appearing on <em>Play School</em> between 1966 and 1969, captivating a generation of young viewers with his warmth and charisma.</p> <p>Beyond the children’s show, Macdonald carved out a distinguished career on the stage and screen. He wrote the hit play <em>Caravan</em>, dazzled on London’s West End, and brought joy to audiences through roles in iconic Australian series including <em>Certain Women</em>, <em>The Box</em>, <em>Cop Shop</em>, <em>Skyways</em>, and <em>A Country Practice</em>. His film appearances included <em>Superman Returns</em>, while his stage credits also included <em>Is Australia Really Necessary</em>, <em>A Cup of Tea</em>, <em>a Bex and a Good Lie Down</em>, and more.</p> <p>Bennett, who had spent time with Macdonald in his final days, paid tribute with a touching post on social media. “Donald Macdonald was a stalwart of stage and screen,” he wrote. “Donald was a dapper delight and always great company.”</p> <p>In a poignant detail, Bennett recalled turning Macdonald’s hospital room into a celebration just days before his passing, joined by his cousins Paula Duncan and Amelia Barrett. “On Saturday we turned his hospital room into a party, laughs and smiles a-plenty, as Donald enjoyed some bubbly and lemon meringue pie,” Bennett wrote.</p> <p>“Blue was always his colour, even in a hospital gown! He gave his permission to post his last photo, saying ‘what the heck!’ Vale to a true gentleman.”</p> <p>Fans and colleagues have taken to social media to share their grief and memories. One wrote, “We were VERY LUCKY to meet Donald… What a lovely gentleman.” Another added, “A very good man… was honoured to be part of the first national tour of Caravan. Some wonderful memories.”</p> <p>In a heartfelt message, one fan wrote: “A sad day for those left behind who loved this dear gentleman… May he rest in peace.”</p> <p>Donald Macdonald is remembered not just for the roles he played, but for the kindness, humour and generosity he brought to every stage he graced and every person he met.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Caring

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Unusual use of nicotine patches or gum to fight brain fog

<div class="theconversation-article-body"> <p>Some people with long COVID are turning to an unlikely remedy: nicotine gum and patches. Though typically used to quit smoking, nicotine is now being explored as a possible way to ease symptoms such as brain fog and fatigue.</p> <p>One such case, detailed in a recent <a href="https://slate.com/technology/2025/06/nicotine-gum-patch-cigarettes-cognitive-benefits-research.html">article in Slate</a>, describes a woman who found significant relief from debilitating brain fog after trying low-dose nicotine gum. Her experience, while anecdotal, aligns with findings from a small but interesting study from Germany.</p> <p>The <a href="https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-023-00104-7">study</a> involved four participants suffering from symptoms related to long COVID. The researcher administered low-dose nicotine patches once daily and noticed marked improvements in the participants’ symptoms. Tiredness, weakness, shortness of breath and trouble with exercise rapidly improved – by day six at the latest.</p> <p>For those who had lost their sense of taste or smell, it took longer, but these senses came back fully within 16 days. Although it’s not possible to draw definitive conclusions on cause and effect from such a small study, the results could pave the way for larger studies.</p> <p>While some people slowly recover from COVID, others remain unwell for years, especially those who became sick before vaccines were available. Between <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2024-08-01-new-study-highlights-scale-and-impact-long-covid">3% and 5%</a> of people continue to experience symptoms months, and sometimes even years, after the initial infection. In the UK, long COVID affects around <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/conditionsanddiseases/bulletins/prevalenceofongoingsymptomsfollowingcoronaviruscovid19infectionintheuk/4august2022">2.8% of the population</a>.</p> <p>Brain fog and other neurological symptoms of long COVID are thought to result from a combination of factors – including inflammation, reduced oxygen to the brain, vascular damage and disruption to the <a href="https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/researchers-identify-mechanism-behind-brain-fog-long-covid">blood-brain barrier</a>. Research continues as there is still a lot we don’t know about this condition.</p> <p>The researcher in the German study thinks that long COVID symptoms, such as fatigue, brain fog and mood changes, might partly be due to problems with a brain chemical called acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. This chemical is important for many functions in the body, including memory, attention and regulating mood.</p> <p>Normally, acetylcholine works by attaching to special “docking sites” on cells called nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, which help send signals in the brain and nervous system. But the COVID virus may interfere with these receptors, either by blocking them or disrupting how they work. When this happens, the brain may not be able to send signals properly, which could contribute to the mental and physical symptoms seen in long COVID.</p> <p>So why would nicotine potentially be useful? Nicotine binds to the same receptors and might help restore normal signalling, but the idea that it displaces the virus directly is still speculative.</p> <p>Nicotine is available in different forms, such as patches, gum, lozenges and sprays. Using nicotine through the skin, for example, with a patch, keeps the amount in the blood steady without big spikes. Because of this, people in the study didn’t seem to develop a dependence on it.</p> <p>Chewing nicotine gum or using a lozenge can cause spikes in nicotine levels, since the nicotine is absorbed gradually through the lining of the mouth. But unlike a patch, which delivers a steady dose, the user has more control over how much nicotine they take in when using gum or lozenges.</p> <p>There are mixed <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33899218/">results</a> on the effectiveness of nicotine on cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. But most <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36736944/">studies</a> agree that it can enhance attention. Larger studies are needed to gauge the effectiveness of nicotine specifically for long COVID symptoms.</p> <h2>Not without risks</h2> <p>Despite its benefits, nicotine is <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/nicotine-addiction-101-2825018">not without risks</a>. Even in gum or patch form, it can cause side-effects like nausea, dizziness, increased heart rate and higher blood pressure.</p> <p>Some of these stimulant effects on heart rate may be useful for people with long COVID symptoms such as exercise intolerance. But this needs to be closely monitored. Long-term use may also affect heart health. For non-smokers, the risk of developing a nicotine dependency is a serious concern.</p> <p>So are there any options to treat long COVID symptoms?</p> <p>There are some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667257X22001000">studies</a> looking at guanfacine in combination with N-acetylcysteine, which have shown improvement in brain fog in small groups of people. There has been at least <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02720445">one clinical trial</a> exploring nicotine for mild cognitive impairment in older adults, though not in the context of long COVID. Given that anecdotal reports and small studies continue to draw attention, it is likely that targeted trials are in development.</p> <p>The main <a href="https://www.nhsinform.scot/long-term-effects-of-covid-19-long-covid/signs-and-symptoms/long-covid-brain-fog/">recommendations</a> by experts are to implement lifestyle measures. Slowly increasing exercise, having a healthy diet, avoiding alcohol, drugs and smoking, sleeping enough, practising mindfulness and doing things that stimulate the brain are all thought to help brain fog.</p> <p>For those grappling with long COVID or persistent brain fog, the idea of using nicotine patches or gum might be tempting. But experts caution against self-medicating with nicotine. The lack of standardised dosing and the potential for addiction and unknown long-term effects make it a risky experiment.</p> <p>While nicotine isn’t a cure and may carry real risks, its potential to ease long COVID symptoms warrants careful study. For now, those battling brain fog should approach it with caution – and always under medical supervision. What’s clear, though, is the urgent need for more research into safe, effective treatments for the lingering effects of COVID.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><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/259093/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>By <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/dipa-kamdar-1485027">Dipa Kamdar</a>, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kingston-university-949">Kingston University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/some-people-are-turning-to-nicotine-gum-and-patches-to-treat-long-covid-brain-fog-259093">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Wikimedia Commons </em></p> </div>

Body

Lifestyle

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"Welcome to the world!": John Farnham's double celebration

<p>Music legend John Farnham has another reason to smile – he’s officially a grandfather!</p> <p>On the same day he celebrated his 76th birthday, Farnham's family shared the heartwarming news that his son James and partner Dr Tessa Effendi have welcomed a baby boy into the world.</p> <p>“James Farnham and his partner Dr Tessa Effendi are thrilled to announce the arrival of their first baby,” a family statement read. “Arriving ahead of the expected date of birth, the baby boy named Jett John Farnham was born at 5:26pm on Wednesday, June 18, at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Melbourne, weighing 3.176kg.”</p> <p>Little Jett was named in honour of his famous grandfather – a tribute that clearly touched the Farnham family deeply.</p> <p>The proud new parents shared their joy, saying, “We thought we were excited to meet him – but turns out he was even more excited to meet us, arriving a little ahead of schedule. Jett is our whole world in one tiny, noisy, perfect package. We're smitten, we're sleep-deprived, and we wouldn't have it any other way.”</p> <p>John and wife Jill were equally emotional, calling the birth a “perfectly beautiful” gift. “He’s already filled our hearts with so much love and we’re so proud and happy for James and Tessa. Welcome to the world, Jett!”</p> <p>James had first revealed the pregnancy in a creative social media post six months ago, sharing a video of a cake with the words “Coming 2025” on top. As the top layer burned away, the cake revealed the message “Boy” – delighting fans and friends alike.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEj0BaHzmRM/?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/DEj0BaHzmRM/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by James Farnham (@jimbofarnham)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The joyful milestone comes after a difficult few years for Farnham, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2022 and has been on the road to recovery since. The birth of baby Jett brings a bright new chapter for the beloved entertainer and his family.</p> <p>Congratulations to the Farnhams on their growing family – and happy 76th birthday, John!</p>

Family & Pets

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Neighbours star splits from billionaire husband

<p>Former <em>Neighbours</em> actress and pop star Holly Valance has reportedly split from her husband, billionaire property developer and Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy, after 13 years of marriage.</p> <p>According to <em>The Sun</em>, the couple parted ways in recent weeks and are heading for divorce. Valance, 42, and Candy, 52, married in 2012 in a star-studded ceremony in California attended by 300 guests. They share two daughters.</p> <p>“This has been a very difficult period for both Nick and Holly, and they are keeping things private out of respect for their family,” a family friend told the newspaper. “The joint parenting of their two amazing daughters remains their top priority.”</p> <p>“They’ve had to juggle a demanding lifestyle. Between family, public life, and Nick’s intense work commitments, it’s been a tough balance,” the source added. “This is a family matter and they’re doing their best to handle things thoughtfully.”</p> <p>A spokesperson for Valance said there would be no official comment, adding: “The privacy of all parties involved is respectfully requested.”</p> <p>The couple are known for their political connections and involvement with Reform UK. In 2022, they visited former US President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort, accompanied by party leader Nigel Farage.</p> <p>Valance first rose to fame playing Felicity ‘Flick’ Scully on <em>Neighbours</em> before launching a successful pop career, including her chart-topping debut single “Kiss Kiss” in 2002. She later appeared in a string of television and film roles and reached the semi-finals of <em>Strictly Come Dancing</em> in 2011.</p> <p>Candy is one half of the high-profile Candy brothers, renowned for developing luxury properties in London.</p> <p><em>Image: Woman's Weekly</em></p>

Relationships

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Channel 7's "most beautiful woman alive" shares happy news

<p>There’s a new reason to celebrate in the Smith-Ballin household – Channel 7 sports presenter Alissa Smith and her husband, former NRL star Matt Ballin, are expecting their first child together!</p> <p>The couple, who tied the knot in October last year, shared their exciting news with fans this week, revealing their little one is due in November – just in time to mark their first wedding anniversary.</p> <p>“We are both extremely excited to share that our family tree will be growing a new branch this November!” the couple wrote in a joyful Instagram post.</p> <p>The announcement follows a heartfelt Mother’s Day tribute from Ballin, who praised Smith for the love and care she shows to his three children from a previous relationship.</p> <p>“You have been a positive and loving part of their lives for a long time now,” he wrote. “The love, care, energy and commitment you show towards their lives displays the beautiful person that you are. We are lucky to have you in our lives.”</p> <p>Smith, who joined 7NEWS in Brisbane as a sports reporter and presenter in 2023, has been a familiar face to viewers across the country, while Ballin – best known for his premiership-winning career with the Manly Sea Eagles – retired from the NRL in 2017 before stepping into coaching. When asked about how Ballin met Smith, the former NRL star told the <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/lifestyle/qweekend/the-most-beautiful-woman-alive-broncos-coach-marries-tv-bride-at-starstudded-wedding/news-story/b2624f6ecee96d55ae399d471a52237a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Courier Mail </a>that he saw Alissa for the first time in 2019 at Fox Sports studio.</p> <p>'When I saw her I thought, "She’s the most beautiful woman alive,"' he said. Now an assistant coach with the Brisbane Broncos, the 41-year-old is preparing for a very different kind of team addition.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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MasterChef star shares joyous family news

<p>Adelaide chef and MasterChef favourite Callum Hann has shared some wonderful news – he and his wife, Crystal Jagger, have welcomed a beautiful baby girl into their growing family.</p> <p>Callum, who first won hearts as a 20-year-old contestant on the second season of MasterChef Australia in 2010, is now embracing his most rewarding role yet: fatherhood. The couple’s newest arrival, named Fleur, was introduced to the world in a heartwarming Instagram post on Tuesday.</p> <p>“Welcome to the world baby girl. We love you so much and you are the perfect addition to our little family,” Crystal wrote, alongside a sweet photo celebrating their newest bundle of joy.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLRkj2VTBVC/?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/DLRkj2VTBVC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Crystal Jagger (@crystal_jagger)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Fleur joins big sister Elle, born in 2020, and brother Henry, who arrived in 2022. The happy news comes as Callum continues to juggle his busy career as a chef, author, entrepreneur and contestant on MasterChef: Back to Win, all while enjoying life as a proud dad of three.</p> <p>Congratulations to the Hann-Jagger family on their newest addition!</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

Finance

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Should Australia scrap superannuation? Experts clash in heated debate

<p>Australia’s superannuation system has come under intense scrutiny after two financial experts clashed in a fiery debate on SBS’s <em>Insight</em>, with one economist declaring the system should be dismantled entirely – and the other branding that idea “insane”.</p> <p>The central question – should Australia’s superannuation system be scrapped? – sparked impassioned responses from both Cameron Murray, chief economist at Fresh Economic Thinking, and Andy Darroch, independent financial adviser and director at Independent Wealth Advice.</p> <p>Dr Murray argued the system is fundamentally flawed and does more harm than good, claiming it primarily benefits the wealthiest Australians while failing to assist the poor or the already rich.</p> <p>“It’s skewed to the people who would never be on the age pension and would be independently wealthy at retirement age anyway,” he told the program.</p> <p><a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/superannuation/call-to-scrap-australias-superannuation-system-sparks-heated-debate/news-story/ab56297c9ce2f43d9cb5808ab8593084" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Speaking to news.com.au after the broadcast</a>, Dr Murray pointed to major inefficiencies in the current setup, calling super an “unnecessary industry” that drains national talent and resources.</p> <p>He also raised concerns about accessibility, noting that one in seven men die before ever touching their super savings.</p> <p>“Super doesn’t help the poor, who generally will still need to rely on the pension. It doesn’t help the rich, as they have enough wealth to support themselves,” Dr Murray said.</p> <p>“It only increases the retirement income of the middle by making them poorer when they are young and poor with a family to support, so they can be richer when they are old and rich with no one to support.”</p> <p>Dr Murray proposed a radical alternative: abolish compulsory super entirely and allow Australians to access that money during their working lives. He suggested a phased transition, with capped annual withdrawals and eventual conversion of super funds into non-tax-advantaged investment accounts.</p> <p>In stark contrast, Mr Darroch defended the system as one of Australia’s greatest economic achievements. “You would have to be insane to want to get rid of it,” he said on <em>Insight</em>, calling Australia’s super setup the “envy of the world”.</p> <p>He said scrapping it would be “the single most destructive thing you could do to middle class Australians” and warned it could plunge a third of the population into poverty during retirement.</p> <p>“I think Australia is the only country on Earth that you can have a nurse and a diesel fitter get to age 65 with close to a million dollars in super,” he said.</p> <p>Mr Darroch also pushed back against arguments that superannuation could or should be used to address issues like housing affordability or the cost of living.</p> <p>“Understandably, people see their superannuation balance and have a desire to use it to assist with housing,” he said, “but superannuation can’t and won’t fix housing. Any of the suggestions won’t even move the dial.”</p> <p>Worse still, he warned, using super to fund home ownership or ease short-term cost-of-living pressures would ultimately “create systemic issues with poverty in retirement”.</p> <p>As for Dr Murray, he believes that without super, most Australians would still save voluntarily and fall back on the age pension if needed – an existing system he says already keeps older Australians out of poverty.</p> <p>“The age pension is the safety net,” he said. “We can quibble about its adequacy, but we should do it in the context of all welfare payments.”</p> <p>With the future of superannuation now firmly back in the spotlight, it’s clear that while the system may need reform, whether to overhaul – or outright abolish – it remains a fiercely divisive question.</p> <p><em>Images: SBS</em></p>

Retirement Income

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That was fast: Diamond roundabout removed – instant chaos ensues

<p>Just when Sydney motorists thought the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/could-this-be-australia-s-worst-roundabout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saga of the “diamond roundabout”</a> was finally in the rearview mirror, it made a spectacular comeback – not in physical form, but as the ghost of traffic confusion past.</p> <p>On Monday, a collision between a car and a truck was reported at the site of the now-former diamond-shaped roundabout on Fifteenth Avenue in Austral. You might remember it: the avant-garde traffic solution that resembled a normal roundabout's edgy cousin who took a geometry class and got carried away.</p> <p>The roundabout – which became a viral sensation for all the wrong reasons – was removed over the weekend after baffled drivers decided the best way to use it was to ignore it entirely and plough straight through, as captured in glorious dashcam footage. One highlight included a large truck behaving like Pac-Man, charging directly over the diamond while a fleet of SUVs followed in hot pursuit.</p> <p>The artistic experiment in traffic flow was met with widespread ridicule, even prompting one local councillor to label it “embarrassing” – a term rarely used lightly in Australian politics unless someone’s been caught on a jet ski during a flood.</p> <p>Council took the criticism on board, rolled out the high-vis and painted over the offending geometry. The plan? Replace it with a traditional, good old-fashioned circular roundabout. But as with all good plans, there was a slight hiccup: Monday came, no roundabout existed (of any shape), and – surprise! – an accident occurred.</p> <p>“People over the weekend were still driving like the roundabout was still there, it’s confused people and it’s a bloody mess,” one local woman <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/residents-erupt-after-incident-at-controversial-roundabout-a-mess-045054839.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Yahoo News</a>, managing to sum up both the situation and modern life in a single sentence.</p> <p>Another resident chimed in with, “It was bound to happen”, and a third suggested those responsible should take accountability – though it’s unclear whether they meant the traffic planners, or perhaps Pythagoras.</p> <p>Local MP Nathan Hagarty also got involved, arriving on-site with the weary air of a man who has seen one too many traffic experiments go horribly wrong. “Cars are still stopping, they’re not sure what to do,” he explained helpfully in a social media video, as if narrating a wildlife documentary about confused suburban sedans.</p> <p>But Hagarty wasn’t finished. “I think some serious questions need to be asked to Liverpool Council and the contractors… how much money has been wasted?” he said, echoing the sentiment of anyone who’s ever watched a government try to install anything more complicated than a speed bump.</p> <p>Liverpool City Council, for their part, confirmed the roundabout is officially gone. “There is no roundabout, it’s gone,” a spokesperson clarified, as if the public might believe it had simply rotated out of view.</p> <p>To sum up: there was a roundabout, but it was a diamond, which confused everyone. Then there was no roundabout, which confused everyone even more. At this point, locals are simply asking for a flat bit of road with some arrows and maybe a friendly traffic warden holding a sign that says “Please try your best”.</p> <p>No one was injured in the Monday crash – except, perhaps, the last shreds of dignity clinging to local traffic planning.</p> <p><em>Images: Today show / Facebook</em></p>

Legal

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Antiques Roadshow uncovers incredibly rare Beatles snaps

<p>A lifelong Beatles fan has discovered that her teenage memories are worth more than just nostalgia – they’re worth a small fortune.</p> <p>Appearing on a recent episode of <em>Antiques Roadshow</em>, the woman brought along a well-loved album filled with original photographs from a weekend in July 1963 that would change her life forever.</p> <p>Back then, she and four Beatles-obsessed friends travelled to Great Yarmouth, England, just as the Fab Four happened to be in town. After seeing them perform live – “screaming like mad”, as she recalled – the group of girls got an insider tip from a local friend about where the band was staying.</p> <p>“We went and sat in the lounge and they came downstairs and sat with us,” she said, beaming as she shared the story.</p> <p>Among the photos and memories was something even more remarkable: four original Beatles autographs, carefully tucked into her diary from the trip.</p> <p>Antiques expert Marc Allum could hardly believe what he was seeing. “In addition to the photographs, you've got a little album here with something even more special in it,” he said, visibly impressed.</p> <p>Allum estimated the collection, particularly the autographs from John, Paul, George and Ringo, could fetch up to £5,000 – nearly $10,500 AUD – at auction.</p> <p>“Good gracious. Wow!” the stunned owner exclaimed, holding her priceless teenage memories a little tighter.</p> <p>It’s a story of friendship, fandom and a little rock 'n' roll magic – and proof that sometimes, history hides in the most unexpected places.</p> <p><em>Images: Antiques Roadshow</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Teen charged with murder of popular Brisbane CEO

<p>The co-founder of popular Australian fashion brand Universal Store, Greg Josephson, has been tragically stabbed to death during a house party at his home in Clayfield, one of Brisbane’s most affluent suburbs.</p> <p>Police were called to Mr Josephson’s residence shortly after 8pm on Thursday night, where they discovered the 58-year-old businessman dead upstairs. A large party, attended by around 30 teenagers, was underway at the time.</p> <p>A 15-year-old boy, also from Clayfield, was arrested near the scene and has since been charged with one count of murder. He was refused bail and is expected to appear before Brisbane Children’s Court.</p> <p>Police say the altercation between Mr Josephson and the teen involved a “household implement” rather than a knife, and confirmed the incident was not a case of someone bringing a weapon to the party.</p> <p>“There was some sort of altercation that’s resulted in this 58-year-old male tragically losing his life,” said Acting Assistant Commissioner Rhys Wildman. “It’s not a case of carrying knives – it’s unfortunately allotted in a home.”</p> <p>Inspector Jane Healy said the teenager himself contacted police after the incident, claiming involvement and knowledge of what had occurred. “He is the only person who was aware of what happened,” she said.</p> <p>The scene that greeted officers was described as “chaotic, confusing and confronting”, with the home quickly cordoned off as a crime scene. Other teenagers at the party were taken to Boondall Police Station, where they were interviewed and later reunited with their families.</p> <p>“This is quite a traumatic incident that occurred,” Mr Wildman said. “So the welfare of those young people will also be considered in this.”</p> <p>Police confirmed that the murder weapon has been recovered and that the Child Protection Investigation Unit is leading inquiries. The motive for the deadly altercation remains under investigation, with officers still working to piece together the full timeline of events.</p> <p>Mr Josephson was well-known in Brisbane’s business and retail circles. After graduating with a commerce degree from Griffith University in 1987, he spent over a decade in high-level leasing roles at Jones Lang LaSalle, Lendlease, and Westfield before co-founding Universal Store with his brother Michael in 1999. Their first store opened in Carindale, with the brand eventually expanding to more than 80 locations nationwide.</p> <p>He sold his stake in the company in 2018 when it was valued at around $100 million and later invested in hospitality, including the purchase of Noosa Reef Hotel for $13.9 million in 2021.</p> <p>Friends and former colleagues have expressed shock at the sudden and violent loss. “We are completely in shock,” said one close friend. “He was such a kind person, you just don’t expect this to happen so close to you. It’s just so incredibly sad.”</p> <p>In a statement released on Friday, Universal Store paid tribute to their former founder:</p> <p>“We wanted to share the sad news that Greg Josephson, who founded our company and played a significant role until 2018, has recently passed away. Our sincere thoughts and condolences are with his family at this very sad time.”</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">Investigations are ongoing, and </span>police are urging anyone with information, CCTV, or dashcam footage from the Clayfield area to contact Crime Stoppers.</p> <p><em>Images: Supplied</em></p>

Legal

Entertainment

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Deborah Knight leaving 2GB for major role with Nine

<p>Veteran journalist Deborah Knight is making a full-time return to television, stepping down from her top-rating radio show Money News on 2GB to take on a major role at the Nine Network.</p> <p>Knight, 52, will anchor the national 9News Morning bulletin at 11.30am on weekdays and will also front the Sydney edition of 9News Afternoon, cementing her as a key face in Nine’s daytime news coverage.</p> <p>Currently hosting <em>A Current Affair</em> on Saturday nights, Knight will continue that role alongside her expanded responsibilities.</p> <p>“I’m incredibly excited to be stepping back into a full-time television role with 9News and Current Affairs,” she said. “It’s a fantastic opportunity to be part of the daily news cycle and connect with viewers during these important bulletins.”</p> <p>Knight also expressed gratitude to her Money News listeners, saying, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in radio… and I’m grateful for the wonderful listeners who tuned in.”</p> <p>Her final Money News broadcast will be on July 3, with her successor yet to be announced.</p> <p>Knight’s appointment brings stability to the morning and afternoon bulletins, which have recently featured a rotating roster of presenters including Kate Creedon, Sophie Walsh, Mark Burrows and Lizzie Pearl.</p> <p>Her broadcast career began at the ABC before moving to Network Ten, where she served as US correspondent. Knight joined the Nine Network in 2011 and has since held several prominent roles, including a controversial 2019 stint as <em>Today</em> co-host alongside Georgie Gardner, following Karl Stefanovic’s temporary departure.</p> <p>She replaced Steve Price on 2GB Afternoons in 2020 and went on to host Money News in early 2023, taking over from Brooke Corte.</p> <p>Knight’s full-time return to TV marks a new chapter in her versatile and enduring media career.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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"Bring back The Project!": Viewers divided over new Channel 10 show

<p>Just weeks after Channel 10 confirmed the shock axing of <em>The Project</em>, its replacement show <em>10 News+</em> made its prime-time debut – and reactions have been anything but quiet.</p> <p>The new current affairs program, hosted by seasoned journalists Amelia Brace and Denham Hitchcock, launched Monday night with bold promises and a serious tone, setting itself apart from its long-running predecessor.</p> <p>“Firstly, we’re not here to tell you what to think. We’re not here to scare or depress you,” Hitchcock told viewers in the show’s opening minutes. “We will give you facts, information you can trust, the truth,” Brace added, outlining the show’s mission for “digging deeper with investigations and original reporting you won’t see anywhere else”.</p> <p>Despite landing a world-exclusive with convicted drug smuggler Debbie Voulgaris – speaking from a prison cell in Taiwan – and featuring an interview with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the show failed to win over many of <em>The Project</em>’s former fans.</p> <p>“Seriously Channel 10!” one viewer wrote on social media. “There’s enough depressing news already out there and now you’ve brought it to us at 6pm! Bring back The Project.”</p> <p>Another slammed the show as “A Current Affair, yawn!” while one frustrated viewer branded it “a SNOOZE FEST of a show with NO SOUL”, accusing the network of underestimating its audience.</p> <p>“Cut and paste of Channel 9’s A Current Affair. Not interested. Already changed channel,” another viewer declared.</p> <p>The comparisons to <em>A Current Affair</em> – and the shift in tone from <em>The Project</em>’s lighter, panel-style format – were a recurring theme in the online backlash.</p> <p>“Genuine feedback and not at all a criticism of the hosts,” one person commented, “but this show is so vastly different from The Project and more like A Current Affair. It’s not unique... Was it just a cost-cutting measure all along?”</p> <p>Others went even further, suggesting the show might not last the year. “Give it a month,” one viewer said. Another quipped, “Are the hosts AI-generated?”</p> <p>Still, <em>10 News+</em> wasn’t without its defenders. Some viewers praised the show’s content and approach.</p> <p>“Loving @10NewsPlus – strong launch story. Is this the new Schapelle Corby story we all need to know about?” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter). “10 News should be very proud.”</p> <p>“I liked 10 News+. It was very interesting and I liked the interview with the astronaut,” another added.</p> <p>For now, Channel 10 is betting on its revamped format to reinvigorate its 6pm slot. Whether audiences warm to the serious tone – or keep demanding the return of <em>The Project</em> – remains to be seen.</p> <p><em>Images: Network 10</em></p>

TV

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"It hurts like a b***h!" TV star axed ahead of 2026 season

<p>After nearly a decade at the helm, longtime <em>Australian Survivor</em> host Jonathan LaPaglia has been axed from the show ahead of its 2026 season.</p> <p>LaPaglia, 55, who has hosted the Channel 10 reality series since its 2016 revival, confirmed in an emotional Instagram post that he had been “blindsided” by the decision, delivered via a phone call from the network.</p> <p>“<em>Australian Survivor</em> has seen some of the most epic blindsides over the last 10 years, but this one might just be the craziest of them all… because it happened to me,” LaPaglia wrote.</p> <p>He explained that Channel 10 thanked him for his contribution but said they were “going in a different direction” after recent ratings dips, prompting what he described as not a tribe swap, but a “HOST SWAP®.”</p> <p>LaPaglia, who has already filmed the upcoming 13th season titled <em>Australia v The World</em>, described the decision as painful.</p> <p>“I wish I could say, ‘Before we go to vote, tonight is a little different….no one’s going home.’ But I can’t. None of that non-elim bulls**t tonight! Someone IS going home. And with no idol in my back pocket, that someone is me,” he said.</p> <p>He also paid tribute to the show’s crew, contestants and loyal fans, calling it “one of the greatest adventures” of his career. “It is without a doubt the hardest challenge of all to snuff my own torch,” he added. “But here goes; ‘JLP… the tribe has spoken.’”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLghpD-tzIv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLghpD-tzIv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by @jonathanlapaglia</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While no official replacement has been named, it’s widely rumoured that <em>Survivor</em> alum and <em>Deal or No Deal Island</em> winner David Genat, 45, will step into the role. Genat, who won<em> Australian Survivor: All Stars</em> in 2020, recently <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/money-banking/aussie-tv-star-wins-9-2m-on-game-show-the-largest-in-history" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made global headlines</a> after winning a staggering $US5.8 million ($A9.2 million) on the US game show.</p> <p>LaPaglia will return for one final season when <em>Australia v The World</em> airs later this year – an instalment he has called “probably our best season EVER” – then ended it all with one last thought on being let go from the network this way:</p> <p>"Whoever said a blindside is the most humane way to put someone down is an idiot. It hurts like a b***h!”</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

TV

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Jimmy Barnes' 15yr-old granddaughter releases debut album

<p>In a joyful leap from family tradition to forging her own musical path, 15-year-old Ruby Rodgers has released her debut EP Crisis, delighting thousands of fans already familiar with her soulful voice and famous lineage.</p> <p>The daughter of Mahalia Barnes and Ben Rodgers – and granddaughter of Aussie rock legend Jimmy Barnes – Ruby grew up immersed in music. But while she once dreamed of being on <em>MasterChef</em>, acting on stage, or designing buildings, it was her deep-rooted musical heritage that ultimately called her home.</p> <p>“I’m so grateful for everyone who has been supporting my music because obviously it’s a very different genre from my grandpa’s and mum’s,” Ruby said. “But I see how open people are to hearing this new stuff.”</p> <p>Ruby’s journey to Crisis began in an unconventional way – on a school bus powered by vegetable oil. While travelling across Europe with seven other kids for Damon Gameau’s documentary <em>Future Council</em>, she found herself inspired to write. The film, a bold attempt to challenge global leaders on climate solutions, also gave Ruby the chance to perform a moving cover of Coldplay’s Fix You.</p> <p>“I sent Chris Martin and the band a copy of the song and a letter so we could get permission to use the song on the film trailer,” she said. “Apparently all the band heard it because they had to approve it… I’m just so grateful.”</p> <p>The <em>Future Council</em> film had a special screening at the United Nations last year, where Ruby and her co-stars addressed the General Assembly – just another pinch-me moment for the teenager.</p> <p>Her first single Hits the Heart was written as a tribute to her fellow young changemakers, while the opening track Family Tree was born from homesickness during her travels.</p> <p>“My family have played such a big part in my life and the opportunities I’ve had are absolutely thanks to them,” she said. “The song isn’t just about family by blood… it’s about anyone who makes you feel safe, like someone to go back to.”</p> <p>For now, Ruby is balancing school life with music – and dreaming of a full-circle moment on stage.</p> <p>“I love singing with [my grandpa], I love singing with the family,” she said. “It would be an honour for me to be able to sing one of my songs with my grandpa.”</p> <p>Ruby Rodgers’ Crisis EP is out now, and with it, a new musical voice has officially arrived.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Music

Property

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A decade in the making: Jamie Durie finally unveils dream home

<p>After a decade of meticulous planning, popular TV host Jamie Durie has finally revealed his dream home, a breathtaking sustainable property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.</p> <p>The Seven Network presenter took to Instagram to share an album of images showcasing the eco-friendly sanctuary he built for his family. "Grateful. 10 years of planning, 2 years of construction and we’re finally back home," Durie, 54, captioned the post.</p> <p>The luxurious and environmentally conscious home is now the residence of Durie, his fiancée Ameka Jane, and their two children: three-year-old daughter Beau and one-year-old son Nash.</p> <p>The entire process of planning and construction has been chronicled on Durie’s latest TV venture, <em>Growing Home With Jamie Durie</em>, airing on Seven.</p> <p>"It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to build an off-the-grid house," Durie told <em>Woman’s Day</em> in November. "Ten years ago, I sketched the house. We lodged the plans five years ago, and then the last two years have been dedicated to construction."</p> <p>Durie said that the journey to completion was anything but smooth. "I don’t think poor Ameka had any idea what she was signing up for when we met. But she came up with a number of ideas that added a lot of value to it."</p> <p>He also admitted that building the house tested the family in a variety of ways. "Any family out there who’s building their own house will go through the same as what we’ve gone through," he said. "Huge budget blowouts, rising interest rates, massive construction costs that are constantly going up. We’ve had to go back to the bank four times." </p> <p>Despite the hurdles, Durie and Jane remained committed to using innovative eco-friendly features wherever they could. "We challenged ourselves with new eco-initiatives that not many people would ever dream of trying, or may not even know about," he said, before describing the experience as "the toughest project I have ever taken on in my whole life".</p> <p>Following Durie’s Instagram reveal, a wave of celebrity friends flooded the comments section with praise for the spectacular home. <em>The Morning Show</em>’s Larry Emdur wrote, "Mate!!! Just wow";fFormer Bachelor star Anna Heinrich called it "incredible"; while TV personality Sally Obermeder simply stated, "WOW". </p> <p>Comedian Dave Hughes was equally impressed, writing, "That’s proper wow. My god." <em>Getaway</em> host Catriona Rowntree described the home as "bloomin’ gorgeous".</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Real Estate

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Dr Chris Brown recalls "dramatic" personal renovation disaster

<p><em>Dream Home</em> host Dr Chris Brown has revealed his own renovation fail on the latest episode of the show. </p> <p>The vet turned TV star has taken on a new role where he guides six teams of aspiring renovators through the joys — and pitfalls — of house remodelling in the new Channel 7 reality show. </p> <p>Speaking to 7NEWS, the star recalled the terrifying moment his home nearly fell in on itself when he was trying to build a garage. </p> <p>“On my first renovation, I decided I needed a garage underneath my house,” he said, adding that he had council approval for the renovation. </p> <p>“With a couple of tradies, we went about digging out the garage underneath the house, in the sand.</p> <p>“We just kept on digging, digging, digging, until a rather large sound indicated the house was about to fall into the hole!</p> <p>“So that’s about as dramatic as it as it gets.</p> <p>“To have your house sort of falling in on itself, that was a pretty big learning curve.”</p> <p>He said that the problem was solved "very quickly" with a lot of underpinning and structural support. </p> <p>“A lot of those steel support posts that you can sort of wind up and down, they went in, and thankfully the house didn’t fold in half,” he said, laughing at the situation. </p> <p>He added that unexpected situations like this are what make renovation shows so appealing as "there’s so much natural drama, you don’t have to fake anything." </p> <p>“Choices have to be made, and it’s either the right way or the wrong way, and you only really discover that as you go along," he added. </p> <p>“Sometimes it’s too late to turn back once you realise you’ve made a terrible mistake.”</p> <p>Chris added that his role on the show is almost as a"coach" to the pairs, supporting them through the renovation challenges, and helping them get to the finish line. </p> <p>“What these couples are going through, and just how much they put on the line to get these renovations done, is quite inspiring and quite uplifting and but also thoroughly entertaining,” he said. </p> <p><em>Image: Seven</em></p>

Real Estate

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Yoko Ono selling John Lennon's New York home for first time in 50 years

<p>For the first time in 50 years, the house where John Lennon and Yoko Ono lived in New York City has hit the market.</p> <p>The brick, bluestone and terra cotta structure at 496 Broome St. was the first home the pair bought together in New York City before they moved to the Upper West Side of Manhattan. </p> <p>Yoko Ono has held onto the property since she first bought it with the late Beatles member, and has now listed it with her son with JLL Real Estate, for an asking price of $US5.5 million ($8.23m AUD).</p> <p>“The building on Broome St. was sort of like a base for their artistic ventures,” Philip Norman, author of “John Lennon: The Life,” told the <em><a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/21/real-estate/yoko-ono-lists-former-nyc-home-for-5-5m/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a></em>. “Bank Street was their salon, where people could just walk in.”</p> <p>First built in 1885, the two-storey building has an open-plan format, with a gallery-like ground floor space with 14.4-foot-high ceilings, an open kitchen and a lofted bedroom.</p> <p>On the second floor, there’s a live-work space and a recording studio.</p> <p>“496 Broome St. is both a unique piece of New York history and popular culture and a prime investment opportunity for the right buyer,” said Paul Smadbeck, who holds the listing.</p> <p>“Versatile zoning and its location in one of the city’s most desirable and trendsetting neighbourhoods offers an exciting opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind property.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Mediapunch / JLL Real Estate </em></p>

Real Estate

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Airbnb launches real-life "Up" house - and it actually floats!

<p>Airbnb is taking its latest listing to the sky - literally. </p> <p>The accommodation provider has announced a partnership that will see the iconic house from Pixar's hit film <em>Up</em> being lifted into the air, balloons and all. </p> <p>In their ongoing quest to redefine hospitality, Airbnb has launched a permanent category called “Icons,” which features partnerships with brands and celebrities that promise unforgettable experiences.</p> <p>Suspended over the New Mexico desert with the aid of a crane, the property looks like an exact replica of the home and contains adorable easter eggs from the film - including the Adventure Book. </p> <p>“Icons take you inside worlds that only existed in your imagination — until now,”  Airbnb CEO and co-founder Brian Chesky said in a statement.</p> <p>“As life becomes increasingly digital, we’re focused on bringing more magic into the real world … we’ve created the most extraordinary experiences on Earth." </p> <p>The house offers a stunning view of the desert, which you can enjoy while sitting on replica's of Ellie and Carl's chairs or have breakfast with a view in the kitchen. </p> <p>Alternatively, you could look at the stars while sitting on the front porch - but don't look down because the adventure is out there. </p> <p>Of course there are questions about the logistics of the stay, including plumbing and electricity, but the accommodation giant has assured that the house is “fully functional,” connected to generators and utilities that will be seamlessly managed before and after its flight.</p> <p>Other fantastical listings include a replica of the mansion from the “X-Men ’97” cartoon, a stay at the Ferrari Museum in Italy, and Prince's house that was featured in the legendary film <em>Purple Rain</em>. </p> <p>Check out the <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/rooms/1126185893236246260?_set_bev_on_new_domain=1715826165_M2NkZDdkODdhMjcy&amp;source_impression_id=p3_1715826166_A20M4770EGAtl8AV&amp;modal=PHOTO_TOUR_SCROLLABLE" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Up</em></a> listing here, be warned the sweet listing may make you shed a tear or two. </p> <p><em>Images: Airbnb</em></p> <p> </p>

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