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Noel Gallagher on the highs and lows of Oasis, his legacy and the feud with Liam that ended the band Noel Gallagher knew early on that Oasis were something special. "There was a moment where Oasis started to play one of my songs and everyone joined in," he reminisces of an early band rehearsal. "And at that moment I was like ‘We are going to rule the f***ing world!'" He was absolutely right. Oasis weren't just one of the biggest bands of the 90s. They were a chart-busting, headline-generating, Britpop-defining force with anthems that made a whole generation sing. Part of their cultural cachet was due to the way Noel and his frontman-brother Liam Gallagher were unafraid to speak their minds. They were men with mouths as big as their legacy: music press and tabloids would dedicate much of their publications to their foul-mouthed yet funny quotes. Nearly three decades on, Noel Gallagher remains a professional spinner of golden yarns told through a witty, vivid way with words. Case in point: his anecdote about starstruck fans who encounter him while doing the groceries. "I do my own shopping now. I think sometimes people get a bit disappointed when they bump into you buying soup. "They don't want you to inhabit the same supermarket queue as they do," Gallagher says in the opening episode of Take 5 With Zan Rowe's second season. "I can sense the disappointment in them. I've been asked many a time in a supermarket: 'What are you doing here? You do your own shopping?' I'm like, 'Yeah, I had to fire my butler'," he deadpans. It's one of multiple great moments that Gallagher — funny, self-aware and casually insightful — offers. He shares an engrossing tale about meeting and singing with Burt Bacharach, which he describes as "by far, the most stressful day of my entire life". He talks about his admiration for Pink Floyd and The Smiths during the episode, filmed at Gallagher's personal recording studios, Lone Star. It's where he cut Council Skies — his latest solo record as Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds — and the space is adorned with vintage gear and heavily decorated with memorabilia of his idols, The Beatles. Naturally, the Fab Four's I Am the Walrus made the cut as one of Gallagher's five hand-picked song selections. "I love the story behind the lyrics, of when a professor was trying to psychoanalyse John's lyrics and [Lennon] deliberately wrote a … bunch of nonsense that we're still listening to," says Gallagher. "Like 'sitting on a cornflake'. It's like, 'yes, trust you mate'." It leads to another hilarious off-the-cuff comment from the Oasis songwriter regarding the lyrics to Champagne Supernova, the epic closer to 1996 blockbuster (What's the Story) Morning Glory? "You know, people have said that to me down the years 'What does 'slowly walking down the hall faster than a cannonball mean?' "I'm like 'take enough drugs you'll know what it means'. Sitting on a cornflake? Yeah, I've sat on many a cornflake." From rags to rock star Gallagher also speaks candidly about growing up in working-class Manchester under Margaret Thatcher's reign. "I don't think there's anything more soul-destroying than you, your brother, your dad, and two of your best mates, and both their dads, all going to sign on at the unemployment office," he recalls. "At the time, it was just life. [I’d] just left school and gone on the dole. But looking back on it now, what message does that send? My dad's got no future?" At age nine, Noel's mother Peggy gained custody of him, Liam and their older brother, Paul. At age 12, he picked up the guitar. And by his 20s, he was touring with local rock band Inspiral Carpets as their roadie and technician. Returning from a 1991 tour of the US, Noel learned his brother Liam was singing out front of a local band called The Rain. Rejecting an offer to become the band's manager, Gallagher instead joined the group on the proviso that he would write all the songs and take creative control. "We come from this city that is steeped in musical history, and there was a lot of disused buildings that were turned into rehearsal rooms. So, it's fair to say that Mancunians made the best of it." Oasis's path to success was swift, and they remained proud of their roots. The Gallagher brothers would often champion their upbringing as a point of distinction to "posh" Britpop contemporaries such as Pulp, Suede, and especially chart rivals Blur. "Manchester itself is quite small, and yet, you think of all the amazing music that's come out of that city, from the Bee Gees to the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Oasis," he says. "All those bands' music is quite uplifting. So, there's a lot of defiance in the sound of Manchester." Looking back, Gallagher counts himself "lucky to be born and grow up there, and have that city, the people [and] your surroundings shape who you are? Amazing". Mellowing out During the height of their mid-90s fame, Gallagher wasn't shy about indulging in the benefits that wealth and fame brought him. "Oh, like you wouldn't believe! It was amazing," chuckles Gallagher. The tales of non-stop parties at Supernova Heights — Noel's $10 million property located in the swish London suburb of Belsize Park — were legendary. And he'd think nothing of jet-setting off for a show after a bender. "They'd be like, 'you've got a gig in Paris tonight' and you'd just fix up and go do it. You wouldn't think, 'Well I've been up for 36 hours'. You just go do it. "I look back on it as just really fun, happy, hedonistic, carefree times." But it wasn't always so easy for Gallagher's two pet cats, "who eventually had a nervous breakdown," he says. "[They were named] Benson and Hedges, after the cigarettes. The cats had a thousand-yard stare by the end of it. They’d seen things that no feline should ever see." Now a 56-year-old father of three, Gallagher has mellowed out. "Of course! You move on to a different stage of your life," he says. "Actually, when I look back on it now, if I'd go back, I'd probably hit it a little bit harder." "I just felt I had a little bit of the handbrake on because I was running Oasis. It was a big thing, you know what I mean? I was a tiny little bit more responsible than most people. "But it was great, it was everything I'd hoped it'd ever be." The end of Oasis As with all classic rock'n'roll narratives, the glorious highs were followed by some crushing lows. For Oasis, the infamous in-fighting between Noel and Liam became increasingly hostile. On August 28, 2009, the siblings' bitter feuding boiled over into a scuffle moments before arriving on stage to play Rock en Seine festival in Paris. The next day, Oasis was no more. But Noel says the writing was on the wall before then. "That last tour was not happy. Nobody was happy at the time. The other fellas trying to rewrite history that it was all f***ing great. It wasn't all great," he says. "It was a … dreadful last year of Oasis. A terrible, terrible time. It had come to an end, you could feel it. It was time to move on. "You get one shot at life. Why be unhappy?" Gallagher reasons. "You're just wasting a precious thing. "I was like … I don't need this to make me happy. If I never write another song, I've written some of the best songs of our f***in' era, so I was cool with it." Looking at his track record — Wonderwall, Don't Look Back In Anger, Live Forever, Champagne Supernova, Supersonic, Stop Crying Your Heart Out — it's hard to disagree. Noel's Take 5 songs: 1.The Smiths — Asleep, 1986 2.Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass (written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David) — This Guy's In Love With You, 1968 3.Air ft. Beth Hirsch — All I Need, 1998 4.The Beatles — I Am The Walrus, 1967 5.Pink Floyd — Nobody Home, 1979 The band's iconic songbook and stories have endured, reaching new audiences through the decades. Gallagher is amazed that "the flame is still alive" with lingering rumours and hopes of an Oasis reunion burning bright to this day. "That is truly humbling." "I was up at the Etihad [Stadium] in Manchester last night and a couple of young lads, teenagers — could've only been 1 or 2 when we broke up — were like … massive fans and getting giddy," he said. "It's an amazing thing that it's stood the test of time." All in all, Noel Gallagher doesn't look back in anger. "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think 'hell, we did something really spectacular there'," he reflects. "I still can't articulate what it was. Because it was … although it's the songs and all that, it's more than that."

Major No donor looking to defeat the Voice is an investor in Indigenous land ventures He made a fortune on Wall Street, crusades against the radical left and dismisses human-induced climate change as "alarmism". At the last federal election, he funded a conspiracy theorist candidate and he now runs an investment fund focused on Indigenous land projects. Meet Simon Fenwick, 53, one of the No campaign's most influential donors. Born in Oxford to a Rhodes scholar father and educated at Brisbane Grammar School, Mr Fenwick went on to become an investment manager in London and New York before settling on Sydney's lower north shore. He has so far contributed $750,000 to the campaign against an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, run by the conservative lobby group Advance Australia, The Australian reports. The Australian Electoral Commission is not due to release its data about referendum donors until next year but large corporations such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Commonwealth Bank and Wesfarmers have each publicly pledged millions of dollarsto the Yes campaign. "The problem is, the campaign has been so woeful, that the more they spend, the more they lose, because they're not saying the right things to soft and swinging voters," saidmarketer and former campaign strategist Toby Ralph. "So in this case having a massive war chest has actually damaged the Yes case." On the No side, Clive Palmer committed to spend $2 million. But it is Advance Australia — launched in 2018 as a conservative answer to GetUp! — that has emerged as the most powerful opponent of the Voice. While it derides the politics of "inner city elites", Advance Australia in the past has received donations from wealthy business figures living in some of the eastern seaboard's most expensive suburbs. The Brisbane Broncos chairman Karl Morris, Sam Kennard of Kennards Storage and Marcus Blackmore, a former owner of Blackmores vitamins, all contributed in 2022. 'Putting my money where my mouth is' Mr Fenwick is the largest known donor to Advance Australia, which is behind the Fair Australia campaign. Electoral records from before the referendum campaign show he and his wife had donated $1.4 million to the organisation, which counts former prime minister Tony Abbott as an advisor, and whose Voice campaign is fronted by Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the Opposition's Indigenous Affairs spokesperson. I'm putting my money where my mouth is," Mr Fenwick said in a 2020 speech. "If we wait, it'll be too late not only for us, but more importantly, for our kids and grandkids." His speech warned of an "organised socialist threat" and criticised "prosperity-destroying climate gestures". "It's pretty clear that he considers himself to be an ideological warrior of the right," said Josh Roose, an associate professor of political sociology at Deakin University. "He rails very powerfully against what he considers to be the cultural Marxism that's underpinning Australian politics. He talks about brainwashing, identity politics, he rails against climate change." Mr Fenwick has contributed $365,000 to the Liberal Party, $75,000 to the Liberal Democrats and $25,000 to the anti-Chinese Communist Party activist Drew Pavlou. At the last federal election he also donated $24,500 to Michelle Wilde, a conspiracy theorist One Nation candidate. Ms Wilde, the owner of a Brisbane real estate business, denies COVID-19 and used her platform to spread misinformation about vaccines, the US election and climate change. Ms Wilde belongs to the anti-authority Freedom Movement, which helped promote rallies against the Voice last month. While Advance Australia did not endorse these rallies, Dr Roose argues the group has a number of interests in common with the Freedom Movement, including an opposition to trans activists and climate change denial. "Certainly, there's an ideological overlap, if not a people to people overlap," Dr Roose says. Advance Australia in December posted a meme suggesting both climate change and COVID-19 were tools used by a political class to accumulate power and take money from ordinary people. The group is campaigning for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to dump the Coalition's commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Mr Fenwick, meanwhile, has complained about his daughters being forced to watch "Al Gore nonsense movies" about what he calls "climate alarmism". Interest in Indigenous affairs When it comes to Indigenous affairs, Mr Fenwick is a philanthropist, having funded an academic award at the Australian National University and donated $1.3 million for regional and Indigenous students at his old school, Brisbane Grammar School. "There's no doubt that Aboriginal people are falling well behind and have been, despite all the other silly well-intentioned, plans from previous governments, you know, apologies, and so forth," he said in a radio interview in April. But Mr Fenwick's interest in Indigenous affairs is not solely political or philanthropic. He is also a director and shareholder of New Harvest Investment Management, a private company seeking to raise more than $50 million to invest in joint ventures with Indigenous landholders. "Investments are made to assist traditional owners unlock the value of their land in agricultural and carbon projects," the New Harvest website says of the fund, which has attracted $10 million from the National Australia Bank. Professor Heidi Norman, an associate dean of Indigenous studies at UTS and a supporter of the Voice, says carbon reduction and clean energy projects represent a huge opportunity for Indigenous people. But Professor Norman warns previous collaborations between Indigenous groups and business, many involving mining, have not given sufficient benefit to Indigenous Australians. "In order for this rapid transformation to not be another experience of dispossession, then it's really important that there is good representation to government," she said. "I see a rep body and the Voice as being a really huge utility for local Aboriginal land holders and communities as they enter into negotiations, say in relation to the clean energy transformation. "It will be one way to correct that power and resource and political imbalance." New Harvest has also acted as a consultant to government, receiving nearly $500,000 from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation across 2020 and 2021 to advise on agriculture business models and the divestment of land. The company, which last year won a contract from the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation to manage two cattle stations on the Cape York peninsula, did not respond to questions. Mr Fenwick did not respond to detailed questions about his politics and business interests. Advance Australia declined to answer questions about its biggest donors, climate change and the Freedom Movement. The group instead responded with a statement, including: "We are working to defend and advance our nation's freedom, prosperity and security and we frankly do not care what the ABC thinks of that." Advance Australia's 'permanent campaign capacity' Marketing expert, Toby Ralph, says Advance Australia could have persuaded more undecided voters during the Voice referendum had it chosen different messaging. "I see their messages as very right-wing and they would prosper a lot more were they closer to the centre," he said. But Mr Ralph says the referendum also presents an opportunity. "Through something like the Voice, they are likely to expand their database, they're likely to expand their donor base, they're likely to have more resources and a greater reputation as the end consequence, assuming the Yes case loses," he said. After the vote, the group looks set to continue campaigning on its core issues and during elections, using what Mr Fenwick has described in a speech as "world class" campaign infrastructure. "This is what a permanent campaign capacity looks like," he said. "And we're only just beginning."

Sleep-fluencers and ASMR: Why do we like to watch people do next to nothing? Every night at 10pm, Trish lowers the lights in her home in regional Queensland, sits down and turns on her camera. Spread out on the desk in front of her are all manner of objects, from rubber ducks to paint brushes, plush toys, and snacks — and, of course, the microphone. For the next three or so hours, she'll live stream herself doing things that range from the mundane to the bizarre. She might slowly eat a bag of chips, murmur incomprehensibly, or pretend to brush the viewer's hair. Everything she does is designed to create sounds that trigger the "tingles" associated with autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR). Right now, her favourite sound is from "wooden soup", a bowl filled with water and wooden beads. You stir it around and the water and the clacking of the wood sounds pretty relaxing," she says. Trish, who has more than 117,000 followers on TikTok and 10,000 subscribers on YouTube, first started live streaming in an effort to combat her long-running mental health issues. "My therapist actually told me to get a hobby," she says. "I'm pretty shy, I like to avoid going out, and it was my sneaky way of finding a hobby without having to actually go and interact with anyone." Broadcasting live to thousands of strangers might seem like an unusual choice for a shy person, but Trish says it was a perfect fit. Because I have major depression, I get a little numb and I sort of hit the 'I don't care' button," she says. "Talking to people online is what helps me relax, I think because I enjoy helping others." Women have told Trish they have used her videos to relax during labour, lonely teens have opened up about their need for connection, and single parents have sent her videos of their children falling asleep to her live streams. When she does it full time, ASMR videos are Trish's primary source of income, thanks to donations from appreciative viewers, and monetisation through the platforms she uses. So, what is it about live streaming that fascinates, relaxes or invigorates us? The rise of the sleep-fluencer Warren Buffet probably wasn't thinking about TikTok when he said: "If you can't make money while you sleep, you'll work until you die," but he didn't reckon on millennials. Dan Van Boom, the technology correspondent at Capital Brief points to the recent trend of "sleep-fluencers", a relatively recent addition to the live streaming ecosystem, along with the much-talked-about NPC influencers, who stream themselves acting as non-playable characters in video games. "There's two types of sleep-fluencer," Van Boom tells ABC RN's Download This Show. "The type that's like visual ASMR, where, if you have insomnia, you can watch people sleeping — they just stream themselves sleeping for hours at a time." Then there are those who "sleep" in a room "booby-trapped with various forms of hijinks", Van Boom says. "And if you pay money, things like lights [will go on] or songs will blare to wake the sleeper up." The sleep deprivation can go on all night, with some streamers offering more extreme wake-up methods, like electric shocks viewers can trigger if they pay enough. This interactive kind of video, which reportedly earned one Australian creator $50,000 a month, speaks to some of our most innate psychological desires, according to Vasileios Stavropoulos, an associate professor of clinical psychology at RMIT. The experience of [seeing] someone who is in a vulnerable moment and is suffering [while] I'm not in that position is something that relates to a very primitive kind of instinct," he says. "We all have a basic need to feel superior or more 'normal' compared to others." But Professor Stavropoulos says the live streaming medium can also offer an "enhanced" sense of connection and a community, though it's often a commercialised one. "It's a whole ecology," he says. "In the past, we used to say reality/virtuality and real life/online life, but now we know that the two intersect." Edith Hill, an associate lecturer in the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching at Flinders University, agrees. "[Live streaming] is a new human experience," Dr Hill says. "The world has changed so significantly in the last few years, with COVID and the political climate, it feels like we're in this very strange space. I think people are seeking out connections and different ways to experience things." An industry worth billions Regardless of our motivations for watching live streamers, the data bears out one thing with certainty: we want more. Live streaming has become one of the most popular types of video content consumed online, reaching almost 28 per cent of all internet users as of March this year. Meanwhile, the global live streaming market grew more than 20 per cent from 2022 to 2023 and is tipped to reach $US3.2 billion ($5 billion) by 2027. Watching strangers online is, by now, a well-established trend, Dr Hill explains. While sex workers have been using live streams, known as camming, since the 1990s, it was the advent of YouTube in 2005 — and its first live stream in 2008 — that launched the format into the mainstream. At that point, Dr Hill says, reaction videos, where people filmed themselves or others responding to something funny, disgusting, embarrassing or joyful, dominated the medium — and were an extension of existing human behaviour. "[People-watching] is a phenomenon outside of the internet era. "Everyone likes to people-watch on the street and overhear conversations. That reaction video space is where a lot of this came from ... then it's kind of spread and split out into all of these really niche subgenres." Over time, popular platforms for live streaming, like YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Facebook and Kick, have offered different monetisation options that vary around the world and include subscriptions, advertising and gifts. But for those considering a career switch into live streaming, Dr Hill warns it isn't as lucrative as headlines might imply. In fact, those making videos on TikTok are generally earning about 4 cents per 1,000 views, and the platform also takes a cut of gifts viewers give. "The people who are actually making a lot of money are in the vast minority," Dr Hill says. "You see moral panic headlines like, 'Pinkydoll makes millions of dollars pretending to be a video game character' but that's one in a million people." Trish might not be making millions of dollars live-streaming, but she says "as long as people keep watching and wanting to support, I am more than happy to keep going". She used to wonder, "Why are people watching me? Why are people gifting me? "[But] I think … everyone just wants a little bit of peace."

What is Hamas, how does it control the Gaza Strip and why has Israel declared war? Israel's security cabinet has formally declared war on Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, following Hamas's unprecedented attack on soldiers and civilians in southern Israel on Saturday. While the move is largely symbolic, it allows for Israel's military reserves to be called up in greater numbers and potentially lays the groundwork for a ground invasion of Gaza. So what is Hamas, what is the Gaza Strip, and what sparked this most recent Middle East conflict that threatens to escalate into all-out war? What is Hamas? Hamas is a fundamentalist Sunni Islamist group which, along with Fatah, forms one of the two major factions within Palestinian politics. Founded in the late 1980s as an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and backed by Iran, Hamas advocates for an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the establishment of an Islamic state. Up until May 2017, its charter also explicitly called for the destruction of Israel, with which it has fought a number of wars over the past two decades. While officially considered a terrorist organisation by the Australian government due to its reliance on political violence, Hamas nevertheless plays a mainstream role in Palestinian politics, operating as a political party and a provider of social services in addition to a paramilitary force. Since 2007, Hamas has had sole control of the Gaza Strip, after ousting Fatah from the territory in a brief civil war. What is the Gaza Strip? News Home SHARE What is Hamas, how does it control the Gaza Strip and why has Israel declared war? Posted 14h ago14 hours ago, updated 9h ago9 hours ago A column of armed men in military fatigues, black masks and green headbands parade down a street. Hamas is a political and paramilitary group opposed to Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip.(AP Photo: Adel Hana) Share this article Israel's security cabinet has formally declared war on Hamas, the militant Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, following Hamas's unprecedented attack on soldiers and civilians in southern Israel on Saturday. While the move is largely symbolic, it allows for Israel's military reserves to be called up in greater numbers and potentially lays the groundwork for a ground invasion of Gaza. So what is Hamas, what is the Gaza Strip, and what sparked this most recent Middle East conflict that threatens to escalate into all-out war? Live updates: Follow our blog to get the latest news on the Israel-Palestinian conflict What is Hamas? Hamas is a fundamentalist Sunni Islamist group which, along with Fatah, forms one of the two major factions within Palestinian politics. Founded in the late 1980s as an offshoot of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and backed by Iran, Hamas advocates for an end to Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories and the establishment of an Islamic state. Up until May 2017, its charter also explicitly called for the destruction of Israel, with which it has fought a number of wars over the past two decades. While officially considered a terrorist organisation by the Australian government due to its reliance on political violence, Hamas nevertheless plays a mainstream role in Palestinian politics, operating as a political party and a provider of social services in addition to a paramilitary force. Since 2007, Hamas has had sole control of the Gaza Strip, after ousting Fatah from the territory in a brief civil war. What is the Gaza Strip? Gaza is to the bottom left, along the coast while the West Bank is along the western border with Jordan. The Gaza Strip is one of the two main territories, along with the much larger West Bank, which make up the Palestinian territories. A small strip of land along the Mediterranean coast, it is only 41 kilometres long and between six and 12 kilometres wide, but is nevertheless home to more than 2.3 million people. It is one of the most densely populated places in the world. Going back in history to World War II, when it was under British control, the land at the time had an Arab majority and Jewish minority. After the war, with persecuted Jewish people leaving Europe looking for a safe place to live, the United Nations agreed that what had been known as Mandatory Palestine would be divided into a Jewish state named Israel and an Arab state named Palestine. The Jewish side accepted this but neighbouring Arab states rejected it, sparking the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. For the next two decades Gaza was administered in various forms by Egypt, until it was captured by Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. Since then Israel has either occupied or blockaded thousands of square kilometres of Palestinian territory in Gaza and the West Bank, a situation the United Nations maintains is illegal. #australia #russia #unitedkingdom #usa #unitedstates

Hamas' unprecedented attack throws Israel into crisis, and Hezbollah is now a central player As Israel faces its most serious crisis for decades, the immediate military battlelines have been drawn: the United States and Israel versus Iran and Hezbollah. Hezbollah — the militant Shia Muslim group based in Lebanon — is now a central player in what happens next regarding Israel. Despite Hamas starting this round of attacks, potentially of greater concern to Israel is Hezbollah taking advantage of the crisis. Since Hamas' attack on southern Israel, there have been skirmishes on the northern border between Israel and Hezbollah. Hezbollah is a proxy of Iran. It is known to have tens of thousands of missiles hidden across southern Lebanon. Live updates: Follow our blog to get the latest news on the Israel-Palestinian conflict In 2006, Israel and Hezbollah fought a war. The war went badly for Israel. It was fighting on mountainous terrain with which it was not familiar, and had badly underestimated the military capabilities of Hezbollah. A subsequent formal review by Israel – the Winograd commission — found that Israel's military performance was disturbingly inadequate. In military capability, Hezbollah dwarfs Hamas. Hezbollah fighters have been instrumental in recent years in helping to prop up the embattled regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. They are battle experienced and well trained and armed by Tehran. Caught unprepared While Israel's army has often discussed and trained for the contingency of having to simultaneously fight Hamas on its southern border and Hezbollah on its northern border, this is not something that it wants to do. Particularly as it is dealing with growing unrest in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. Over the next few months, Israel will want to examine very closely its intelligence and military failures that allowed Hamas fighters to run rampant around southern Israel, including the massacre of 260 young people at a music festival — surely a war crime on a major scale. A country which has one of the most powerful armed forces in the Middle East and a famously forensic intelligence apparatus has been caught unprepared for a major assault on its territory. Missile attacks from Gaza into southern Israel are not uncommon. Israel's "Iron Dome" anti-missile system is generally able to intercept the vast majority of these missiles. But the images of Hamas gunmen prowling the streets of southern Israel and taking hostages is unprecedented. As are pictures of Palestinian gunmen on a captured Israeli tank. Israel's dilemma Israel's immediate security challenge is to put an end to the live threat of gunmen in cities. Both US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that other parties should not try to take advantage of the crisis in Israel. By this they were referring directly to Iran. If Hezbollah were activated, Israel would almost certainly retaliate against Iran — a dramatic escalation in the Middle East. Hamas' taking of hostages — believed to be as many as 163 Israelis — creates a dilemma for Israel. Based on history, Hamas would be likely to be placing the hostages in different locations around the Gaza strip to try to give them some protection from Israeli airstrikes — effectively using them as human shields. Israel will be concerned that any attacks on Gaza could kill some of these hostages. The current situation in Israel is unpredictable and changing quickly. One of the few certainties is that Israel will respond ferociously. This crisis is almost certain to get much worse before it gets better.

Rampant identity theft is turning scam victims like Ben into scapegoats for criminals

Uluru visitor numbers slump post-COVID in $200 million hit to tourism industry The Northern Territory's tourism minister says "all Australians have a social responsibility" to visit the NT, as new figures reveal visitation is struggling at the territory's famed landmark of Uluru. Key points: New Parks Australia data shows Uluru visitation remains down on pre-pandemic levels Tourism operators and officials have partly blamed flight availability and costs for the lull The NT's tourism minister says airlines need to give the NT a fairer deal The Parks Australia data, seen by the ABC, shows Uluru visitation has stayed sluggish in 2023. As Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park heads into its hot summer season and annual quieter tourism period, year-to-date visitor numbers are 164,678, compared with more than 300,000 in 2017. The national park saw a massive spike in visitors prior to the closure of the Uluru climb, Parks Australia documents show, with 406,821 tourists travelling to the region in 2019. In 2020, Uluru tourism figures plummeted due to COVID-19 border closures. Now, operators say the remote region is struggling to claw back to its pre-pandemic visitor numbers. Parks Australia said the subdued numbers are due to "cost and availability of flights, international exchange rates, increased competition as Australians return to overseas travel and the slow return of international visitors". Indigenous-run luxury tourism venture Voyages said the region was currently receiving "less than half the flights into Uluru than pre-pandemic" and that they were "working closely with our airline partners to resolve the recent further reductions" in flights. Qantas and Jetstar, both of which are part of the Qantas Group, are the only airlines servicing Yulara Airport. "Domestic and inbound demand is strong and Voyages has invested significantly in demand creation … however without aviation consistency, Central Australia will suffer in terms of tourism growth and employment opportunities," a Voyages spokesperson said. Minister urges Qantas to do more for NT The NT's tourism minister Nicole Manison said "Territorians aren't getting the level of service they deserve" in relation to the choice and cost of air travel to Uluru. She was asked if it was hypocritical of Qantas to be supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart campaign while cutting flights to Uluru during the same period. "I will say to our national carriers, you must be travelling to the Northern Territory," she said. "We want to see more flights, we want to see better prices, we want to make sure Territorians get the services that they deserve." Ms Manison also said there was a "social responsibility for all Australians to make sure they are travelling to the Northern Territory" to help improve economic outcomes for the jurisdiction. Opposition NT tourism minister Marie-Clare Boothby said Australians were currently spoiled for choice on travel destinations, making it difficult for the NT to attract visitors. "I think Australians want to travel all over Australia, but they need to be given a reason to come here, and that is for a great experience," Ms Boothby said. "We have the most amazing destinations here in the Northern Territory, but unless you can make those destinations safe, then people will not come here. "And that is why we need to fix the law and order in our towns and in our regions, and then that'll repair the reputational damage that we've had across Australia." Qantas says it remains committed to region Qantas did not directly answer how many flights it had cut from the region in the past two years. A spokesperson for the airline said: "Qantas and Jetstar remain committed to flights to and from Uluru, while our major competitor has pulled out of the market. "There are plenty of available seats on the routes we operate to Uluru, but demand is well down on what it was pre-COVID. "Some of this can be attributed to the slower recovery of international tourism to Australia since the pandemic. "We are talking to local tourism bodies about how we can both work together to stimulate demand as well as discussing adding extra capacity at the right time." 'We are still very fragile': Industry Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said the last season's lull has had an annual financial impact in the hundreds of millions. "We're about $200 million shy of visitor expenditure numbers," Mr Rochford said. "That statistic clearly shows that's impacting the business community – that's $200 million that's not in the Central Australian tourism industry, that used to be there pre-COVID. "So, we are still very fragile." Mr Rochford said he was optimistic about Qantas's future in the region since the airline had replaced its chief executive officer, following the retirement of controversial former boss, Alan Joyce. "We're always keen to remind our national airline that the NT in Qantas stands for the Northern Territory," Mr Rochford said. "We're hopeful that with the change of leadership … we hope we might see better days ahead." Qantas has announced it will resume four return flights between Cairns in Far North Queensland to Yulara from November, with the return of daily flights from Cairns in March 2024. Qantas also runs services between Uluru and Sydney, while Jetstar has flights from Uluru to Sydney, Melbourne, and a seasonal service to Brisbane.

Waste not, want not': Why Mary wants more people to learn how to preserve food Mary Grant has been preserving food for decades — and she learnt by watching her mother. "We grew up on a farm and had our own orchard and our own vegetables," she says. "I probably followed in my mother's footsteps, because she did it right up until her preserving pan got a hole in it … and she was well and truly into her 80s by then." Mary lives inTallangatta, a picturesque town in north-east Victoria, and has been part of the local Country Women's Associationbranch for 55 years. The retired home economics teacher is a familiar face at weekly markets, where her colourful jams, jellies, relishesand chutneys often sell out. "My mother used to always say 'waste not, want not'," she says. "It was a mantra that I was brought up with, and that's why in this day and age, I'm really conscious of what we're wasting and the awful amount of stuff we actually throw away." How does preserving work? Dr Randy Adjonu is the head of food science and nutrition at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, on Wiradjuri Country. Hesays ordinary ingredients like salt and sugar are key to the preserving process. We know foods by nature start to spoil when we take them from the farm, so the whole idea of preserving is understanding how it happens or the agents that can make the food deteriorate," he explains. "Changing the levels of sugar or salt in food simply means the environment is no longer good for microorganisms to grow." For example, you can turn strawberries into a lovely jam with the help of sugar and lemon juice. Salt can be used to preserve cucumbers, onions, turnips, lemons and other fruits and vegetables. Another important part of the preserving process is heat, which helps to sterilise the food. "During processing, we heat the food to a high temperature because most microorganisms die when they're exposed to extreme heat," Dr Adjonu says. Homemade preserves make for lovely gifts Over the years, Mary's learnt a few tricks of the trade. "One of the secrets for preserving is [to use a] wide-open pan, because you want the evaporation to happen," she explains Also you really need a big rolling boil, so it'll create this froth on top. My students laugh at me when I tell them this, but you will actually hear the jam talk to you when it's ready." While preserving can be a rewarding activity in itself, there's also the added benefit of having homemade treats to share. "I like starting off with some raw product and getting it into a bottle for somebody else to appreciate … and they make lovely gifts too," Mary says. An age-old practice that can help tackle food waste Dr Adjonu says the age-old practice of preserving also helps tackle our mounting food waste problem. "Preserving agents have been used for generations and across many cultures to achieve three things: making food last longer; maintaining the quality of the food; and lastly ensuring food products are safe," he says. "If we are unable to achieve these three outcomes, it simply means the food is going to spoil … and when the food spoils, we've created waste." .According to OzHarvest, Australians waste an estimated 7.6 million tonnes of food each year, despite the demand for food relief increasing by 61 per cent in just the last six months. Dr Adjonu says learning to preserve your own food is a small but sustainable step that can help reduce the food waste problem. "Preserving is one of the strategies we can use to limit waste from the farm, to the food processor, and all the way to the home of the consumer," he says. "We tend to think about large commercial or industrial food processing but in just doing that home level preservation, you've taken a great step in addressing food waste." Preserving isn't as difficult as you might think For many would-be preservers, tackling a tray of overripe tomatoes or bruised boysenberries is a daunting task. But Mary says it's much simpler than people realise. "If you're careful with how you sterilise the jars and you're using clean equipment, you really haven't got anything to worry about," she says. That's because the ingredients you're using are what is going to actually be the preservative — sugar in your sweet things, and salt and vinegar in your savouries." The beauty of learning to preserve things yourself is that you can turn even a handful of fruit and vegetables into something special. "[You might find] fruit that's fallen onto the ground off the tree, and there's nothing wrong with it … it might have a few bruises, but if you just remove those, chop them up, and mix them with something else, you'll have a jam in next to no time," Mary says.

Airfares will not fall until mid-2024 with low capacity keeping prices high and regional routes worst affected, experts say Teree Burr used to travel for work every month — but that has stopped because of the soaring cost of flights. Ms Burrruns a tourism and events company in Nundle in the New England region of New South Wales andhas had to cut back on business travel because of the high cost of flights from nearby Tamworth airport. "I just simply can't afford the outlay of the travel now, to be in Sydney. I used to be in Sydney or Melbourne at least every four weeks, once a month," she said. Ms Burr said the pre-pandemic $89one-way flightfrom Tamworth to Sydney now costs at least $200 and flights were often cancelled. One part of life that hasn't got back to normal after the COVID-19 pandemic has been cheap airfares — and nowhere is the expense of flying being felt more than in country Australia. David Beirman, adjunct fellow in management and tourism at Sydney's University of Technology, said fares were now competitive on "heavily travelled" routes like Sydney to Melbourne and Sydney to Brisbane but in regional flights were still high. "Many regional airfares in Australia actually will probably remain high because the airlines who operate there treat those routes as a cash cow," he said. "From their point of view, they don't lose as many customers by ripping people off in the regions as they do if they try to rip them off between capital cities or between popular holiday destinations like the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast." A Qantas spokesperson rejected this claim. "While there are some realities about the cost of operating regional flights that we can't change, our resident fare program is designed to make regional air travel more accessible for residents while ensuring it remains sustainable," they said. A Virgin Airlines spokesperson said the airline understood the importance of providing affordable airfares for residents living in regional areas and worked to deliver value and choice to Australian travellers. REX winds back on regional routes Regional residents are set to have even fewer flights with Rex Airlines' recent announcement that they were cutting NSW flights between Sydney and Albury, Coffs Harbour, Griffith, Narrandera, Orange, Parkes, Armidale and Port Macquarie. A spokesman for Rex pointed to their announcement of changes to regional flights in April, citing a "chronic shortage of airline professionals, particularly pilots and engineers", as well as disruptions to the aircraft parts supply chain. Ms Burr said some people living in New England needed to fly to Sydney for medical reasons. "Increasingly what we're seeing in Tamworth is those flights are regularly being cancelled," she said. "And because they only do one flight twice a week or something like that, you can't get on another flight same day." The Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) collects airline data on domestic and international flights. BITRE's fare index showed that domestic airfares peaked in October last year and had fallen back close to pre-COVID levels. The cheapest available price has increased by only 11 per cent on the Melbourne to Sydney route compared with pre-COVID, but has more than doubled on the Coffs Harbour to Sydney route. They are a third higher on the Sydney to Tamworth route. Lower capacity means higher fares Dr Beirman said airline capacity was the main factor affecting airfares. The BITRE data showed that overall, the number of seats available on international flights was 76 per cent of pre-COVID levels and on domestic flights was 97 per cent. While many Australian cities have roughly the same number of available seats as pre-COVID, some popular holiday destination routes, such as Ballina to Sydney and Hamilton Island to Sydney, have up to 50 per cent more seats than before COVID. Meanwhile, regional routes, such as Coffs Harbour to Sydney or Melbourne to Mildura, have up to 40 per cent less seats available than pre-COVID levels. Dr Beirman said while capacity was continuing to recover to 2019 levels, fares would stay high. "I don't honestly foresee airfares across the board coming down much until about mid-2024," he said. No return of airfares to pre-COVID levels International airfares are also "stubbornly" high on most routes, according to Flight Centre Travel Group CEO Graham Turner. He said restricted capacity and high demand was "by far" the biggest factor keeping airfares high. "Anyone who's flown recently internationally, it'll be obvious that there's just not spare seats around," he said. Mr Turner said international flights out of Sydney through the Middle East were only at 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels. The data showed that seat availability in and out of the Middle East in March this year was 60 per cent of the seat numbers in March 2019. Capacity to the US was 78 per cent of pre-COVID levels and 93 per cent to Singapore, which Mr Turner said was reflected in cheaper airfares to those destinations. Dr Beirman said before COVID, airlines were running "on the smell of an oily rag" with a business model of "high volume and low yield". It created a lot of competition between airlines and bargains for customers. He said the COVID crisis resulted in airlines amassing huge debts and reassessing how they ran the business as the pandemic ended. "If you look at the big picture, the expectation that people had that because tourism was recovering that airfares would drop down, is a bit of an urban myth," he said. He did not expect airfares to Europe and North America to go back to 2019 levels. "I think airlines now realise they can't operate on a 0.5 per cent yield, they need to have a little bit more than that," he said. Push to ease restrictions on capacity Transport Minister Catherine King recently blocked Qatar Airways from doubling their number of flights into Australia. Mr Turner said the federal government needed to ease restrictions on capacity. Australia has air service agreements, which allow airlines to schedule flights within defined capacity entitlements, with more than 60 countries, but not with Qatar. "It depends on the government attitude. Whether they want cheaper airfares, or they want to keep the fares high, which seems to be their policy at the moment," Mr Turner said. A spokeswoman fo Ms King said scheduled international flights were projected to return to around 91 per cent of pre-COVID levels in September. The data for September has not yet been released. "Qatar airlines could also increase its capacity today by flying larger planes to the main international airports, as Etihad has announced it will do next month, and by choosing to exercise its unlimited rights to fly into Canberra, Cairns, Gold coast and other secondary international airports in Australia," she said.

Dog walker rescues historic photo albums from Creswick forest rubbish dump A Ballarat woman is on the hunt for the owner of albums filled with historic photographs and postcards after rescuing them from a bushland rubbish dump. Key points: Six historic albums containing photographs and postcards were found in an unofficial bushland rubbish dump The woman who found the items is hoping to reunite the items with their owner Some items in the books are dated 1906 and 1915 Leanne Middleton was walking her dogs in Creswick Regional Park two weeks ago when she came across an unofficial household rubbish dump. While looking for any identifying information to make a report something unexpected caught her eye — six damp, old-looking photo albums. "I thought they were beautiful and very very old," she said. "I knew the rain was coming so I didn't want to leave them there if they weren't rubbish." Ms Middleton found some canvas grocery bags amongst the dump and used them to carry the books the remaining two kilometres of the walk to her car. Once home and looking through the pages she realised she had stumbled across a treasure trove from a time past. One of her favourite discoveries was a black and white portrait photograph of a man taken at a studio in Ballarat. Writing on the photographs revealed some of the others were taken in Geelong and Bairnsdale. It was unclear exactly when the photos were taken, but other items in the albums, including a Victoria and Tasmania Methodist Conference ticket, indicate they could date back to around 1915. Photographers Wilmot and Key in Geelong, C.R Baker Photographer, and Thos. D Ferris Photographer were listed on the bottom of some of the pictures. Newspaper clippings detailing soldiers from Colac who had died at war and a few handwritten notes in highly cursive writing, dated 1915, are part of the collection. An album of old postcards appears to have been gifted to a person named Bessie according to a handwritten note inside its cover dated 1906. Ms Middleton posted about her find on four Ballarat community Facebook pages as the first step of her quest to find their owner. The posts have attracted community attention and have been shared dozens of times. There have been lots of beautiful comments, people saying 'I hope you find their original owner' and 'thanks for saving them'," Ms Middleton said. "I think a lot of people in Ballarat have realised they are quite precious photos." Ms Middleton said she would contact a museum if her quest to find the owner was unsuccessful. "I hope the owner is found and that these are something special for the owner," she said. "But on the other hand if they have been dumped, as things often are in the forest, I hope they will go to someone who will appreciate them."

Beekeeper with anaphlyaxis to bee stings shares how allergy desensitisation is potentially life-saving Beekeeper Ian Cass had been in the middle of performing his usual duties when he suddenly collapsed and almost died from a bee sting. Key points: A beekeeper who developed anaphylaxis to bee stings has overcome his condition Ian Cass underwent rapid desensitisation and is injected with bee venom every five weeks The process is recommended by allergy experts for people who are at risk His sudden anaphylaxis had been a shock on multiple counts — he had worked with bees for two years without incident. "I'd been working some bees on canola and about 20 minutes after a sting, I got hot … so I headed back to the car to pull my bee suit off," he said. "I woke up on the ground, I don't know how long later, tried to get to my feet, crashed to the ground a second time and then managed to crawl to the car to call my wife. "When she got there, she realised I'd broken my tibia, fibula, dislocated my ankle and permanently destroyed a couple of tendons in the process." He had no idea he was experiencing an anaphylactic reaction. It would take another sting — and another close call — three months later for the Riverland man to get an official diagnosis. For the previous two years, whenever Mr Cass was stung, he "just flicked the stings out and kept going". The former dryland farmer had turned to beekeeping in 2018 after a severe car accident left him unable to operate heavy machinery. Determined not to give up his beekeeping, Mr Cass sought urgent action to protect his career and passion. A solution to the sting Once diagnosed, the regional beekeeper discovered desensitisation as a way to stop him from putting his life at risk in his line of work every day. Also known as allergen immunotherapy, the process involves the regular administration of allergen extracts, such as bee venom, into the human body over a number of years. Mr Cass was referred to a rapid desensitisation program at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and was injected with small doses of bee venom in a controlled environmentover the course of two days. "The first dose might be one-hundredth of a sting and then they go up to a fiftieth of a sting andthey slowly build you up to retrain your body," he said. The injectionsmoved to weekly and then monthly, before Mr Cass settled into his now regular routineof receiving a shot of bee venom from his local GP once every five weeks. "As long as I'm beekeeping I'll need to keep getting the venom injected," he said. Long-term success Arecent studyfrom the UnitedStates found venom immunotherapy was effective on about75 to 85 per cent ofhoneybee allergies. Allergist professor Peter Smith said allergen immunotherapy had been used on Australian patients for more than a century and had a good success rate locally. Professor Smith, from Queensland Allergy Services, said allergens created protective antibodies, which migrated to places in the body under threat, including the eyes, nose and lungs. "When the allergens come in, the [antibodies] act like a molecular sponge and neutralise the allergen," Professor Smith said. It gets chewed up and the tissue heals, making it more resilient to these potential allergen threats. "The longer you do it, the more likely the molecular sponge is going to work." Professor Smith said the treatment was effective in protecting against a range of allergies, including dust mites and grasses. "About half the patients [who go through immunotherapy] can stop their medication and the other half can reduce the amount they need," he said. "Always see someone who is a trained specialist to help your [individual] situation." Bee therapy ineffective against wasps Despite successfully receiving treatment for his bee-sting allergy for the past three years, Mr Cass learnt just last month that his regular injections were ineffective against wasp stings. The beekeeper had been driving home on September 14 after being stung by a European wasp when he had to pull over and lie on the ground until an ambulance arrived. "I didn't get to the point of full anaphylaxis … but it still scared me pretty badly," Mr Cass said. "I didn't realise I was anaphylactic to wasps as well, so it was a bit of a shock to the system.

My partner died the night before our wedding. Three years later, our daughter was born Sian Goodsell's husband, Jason, was diagnosed with cancer six days after he proposed to her on a WA beach. Tragically he died the night before the wedding they had planned in 2019. Three years later, Sian became pregnant through IVF using Jason's frozen sperm. This is her story. From marriage proposal to cancer diagnosis We were doing a lap of Australia in a camper trailer. It's something Jase had always wanted to do. We were staying at Bunbury, in the caravan park. It was Valentine's Day and he said, "We'll go down to the beach."I said, "The bloody beach? We've been there millions of times." Once we arrived, he came and stood next to me. He said, "I love you. I'll love you forever, so will you marry me?" We found out six days later that he had cancer. We were shocked but we had to make a plan for what to do next. So, we packed up to head straight back to Sydney. It was a drastic change, because we were used to living the life of waking up and going to the beach at midday. That's what we felt like doing, going snorkelling and doing all the fun things. But we got thrown back into multiple doctors' appointments and hospital admissions. Jase had to have radiation first to shrink the tumour, because it was too big for them to operate. We were told at one stage that he was in remission and there was no more need for chemo. But three months later they did a whole-body scan and they found that the cancer had come back — and it was bigger. It was just devastating. We lost Jason the night before our wedding On the Friday before our wedding, Jason was feeling unwell and quite lethargic. We did the rehearsal at the venue, and we decided to sign the papers and make everything official to shorten the ceremony the next day. But he passed away a few hours later. We had everything booked in, people flying interstate for the wedding. I made a decision to still go ahead, and it turned into a celebration of love. A celebration of Jase. It was comforting for everyone to be together on one of the hardest days of our lives. Jase and I had spoken about having children. The first time was when we were travelling Australia and we were planning the names of our future children. It was his radiation oncologist who actually brought up the idea of freezing sperm, because radiation and chemo isn't good if you want to have children. Jase decided to go ahead with that. Then it became a conversation about whether we would try to do IVF while he was in the middle of treatment or wait until treatment had ended. We decided to wait because he was quite sick. Not long before our wedding, we did speak about me potentially using his sperm if he were to pass away. He said it was up to me — and that he would support me 100 per cent in whatever decision I made. My journey to become a mum After everything Jason and I had been through in the two years when he was sick, I wanted to take a bit of time to get myself back on track and move closer to family for support. I moved into a house, spent time renovating and getting on track with my career. Then my sister was having children, and I knew if I was going to have children, I wanted them to grow up and be close in age to my sister's kids. That's when I decided to try IVF. It did work — on the first go. I was extremely lucky. I hadn't told anyone I was doing IVF except my sister and one of my cousins. Even my mum didn't know. So, it was a very big surprise for everyone when I told them. I cried — all the emotions just sort of hit me all at once. There was only the one embryo out of that IVF round, but it worked and my daughter's here today. Matilda (or Tilly, as we call her) was born 17 weeks — or four months — premature. It was Boxing Day morning, and I woke up at about 3am with a bit of cramping. I just thought I'd had a big Christmas Day and I've probably overdone it. I called my midwife and she said to come in. I turned up and they did an examination. I was actually having contractions and was fully dilated. Welcoming baby Matilda Tilly was born breathing, but the doctors intubated her to save her energy. She had to stay at the Grace Centre NICU, at Westmead Children's Hospital, for more than 100 days. I was very lucky with the support that I had from my friends and my family, but it was hard because I didn't have Jason there with me. A lot of the parents there obviously had each other to lean on. The nurses and the doctors there became my family. I take her back in to see them sometimes and all the girls there, her "aunties" as we call them. They love seeing her and how big she's gotten. She's eight months old now. As she was born four months early, her adjusted age is four months. She's doing fantastic and doing everything that I would expect a four-month-old baby to be doing. She looks exactly like Jason, right down to the little dimple in her bum chin that she got from him. She raises one eyebrow and just does this cheeky little grin, which is something that I can't do — but something that Jason used to do all the time. #australia #usa #unitedkingdom

Kellogg's splits into Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co but Australian shoppers may not notice the difference The owner of iconic cereals Corn Flakes and Nutri-Grain, formerly known as the Kellogg Company, has split into two and rebranded as Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co — but Australian consumers are unlikely to notice the change. Key points: Kellanova unveiled a plan last year to split itself into companies focused on snacks, North American cereals, and its plant-based meat Australian products will retain the recognisable Kellogg logo Stocks in both companies have fallen on the first day of trade Kellanova unveiled a plan last year to split itself into separate companies focused on snacks, North American cereals, and its plant-based meat business. CEO Steve Cahillane said in a statement the name Kellanova signalled the company's ambition to build on the 117-year-old brand. "The 'Kell' overtly recognises our enduring connection to Kellogg Company, while 'anova,' which combines 'a' and the Latin word 'nova,' meaning 'new,' signals our ambition to continuously evolve as an innovative, next-generation, global snacking powerhouse," he said. However, despite the name change, the Australian products will retain the recognisable Kellogg logo. The name WK Kellogg Co is a nod to the company's founder, Will Keith Kellogg. "While the company's corporate name has changed to Kellanova, the Kellogg's brand will remain on its products around the world and in Australia," managing director of Kellanova ANZ Anthony Holme said. "Consumers will still be able to buy the brands they know and love, with no change to the distinctive and globally recognised 'Kellogg's' brand name. "For example, Kellogg's will remain on Special K and other cereal boxes in Australia." Mr Cahillane said the company had entered "a new era with a new name and a new ambition". "We are starting from a position of strength that is rooted in a century-old legacy as we embark on a journey to achieve our vision of becoming the world's best-performing snacks-led powerhouse." Stock prices dip under new brands The name change, however, has not fared well on the stock market. Shares of Kellanova fell more than 7 per cent on Monday after the packaged food giant completed the spin-off of its North American cereal business into a new standalone entity called WK Kellogg Co. Under the separation agreement, Kellanova shareholders received one share of WK Kellogg Co common stock for every four shares of Kellanova stock held as of September 21, a statement said. Kellanova shares fell to as low as $US51.83 ($82.41), down 7.2 per cent, after opening at $US55.70, while WK Kellogg Co dropped by more than 11 per cent and was last at $US13.79. Both companies are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and are trading for the first time under their new corporate names. "What we are seeing today with the share declines in Kellanova and WK Kellogg is a jigsaw puzzle problem; in other words, the pieces just don't fit in many institutional and strategic portfolios," said chief investment officer at Running Point Capital Advisors Michael Ashley Schulman, in California. Kellanova expects to generate up to $US13.6 billion in annual sales from its snack brands, including Pringles, Cheez-It and Pop-Tarts. Earlier in February, the company announced that it would keep in-house its plant-based business, known for its MorningStar Farms brand. WK Kellogg Co's cereal brands, including Kellogg's, Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies, are expected to generate annual sales of about $US2.7 billion. Multiple analysts, including from Jefferies and Piper Sandler, cut their price target for Kellanova's stock citing its dour sales outlook and low-margin business. The median price target for the 18 analysts covering Kellanova's stock is $US68.50 and their average recommendation is "hold", according to LSEG data. "We expect to see near-term volatility in the shares of both companies," said CFRA Res #australia #usa #america #unitedkingdom

Not enough room for chickens? Here's why you should consider quail instead If you're keen on the idea of having backyard birds to produce fresh eggs, but aren't keen on the mess and noise that can come with chickens, quail might be the pocket-sized solution for you. As well as producing eggs, and meat for some, quail also provide hours of entertainment and free therapy. Michelle Gitrap got her first quail in 2015 after she and her husband moved to Kettering in southern Tasmania. "We bought four and that's how it started," she says. She now has about 110 quail in a converted two-car garage space, producing and selling eggs to Hobart restaurants. "They're just such wonderful characters and personalities …so inquisitive and full of life and personality." Good for kids and beginners Lis in Launceston has a much smaller flock of backyard quail, getting her first four just last year. "Since then we've hatched two lots in the incubator ourselves, which has been lots of fun," she says. "It's free entertainment for hours and hours just watching them all." Lis says her small quail flock makes practically no noise and doesn't scratch up the backyard like chickens do. "They're great for kids. They're not really a petting pet though," she says. Why quail can be tiny-feathered therapists Angela Darch remembered her family having quail when she was a kid, so she was keen to get her own for her property in Margate. "Quail are very interactive birds, they're very social. There's lots of social learning that goes into just watching quail interacting," she says. Angela and her husband built an aviary that's large enough for people to comfortably sit in, so that the space can be used as a quiet spot for contemplation and animal-based therapy. "I work in child and adolescent mental health, so it really does help me, that intentional letting go on the day by checking in on the birds," she says. Angela says watching quail can be helpful when she has clients who aren't interested in talking much, as it gives them something to focus on and can help spark conversation as they respond to what the quail are doing. What to know about quail Michelle, Lis and Angela all have coturnix quail, which is the most common species of domestic quail in Australia. Quail are social birds that do best in a flock. If you're keeping just hens, you need at least three for them to be happy. If keeping roosters with hens, it's very important to make sure you have at least four hens to every one rooster, otherwise the roosters can cause injuries and stress to the hens by hassling them. In terms of space, it's generally recommended to have 1 square metre of space for every three birds. Quail can start to lay eggs from six to 10 weeks old with a hen laying an egg a day in the warmer months. Michelle says you need about four to five quail eggs for the equivalent volume of a chook egg, but as quail eggs have a higher yolk-to-white ratio, they tend to be creamier than the average store-bought chook egg. Tips for keeping quail Michelle, Lis and Angela say the first thing you need to consider before getting any quail is where you'll keep them. You do need to have them in an area that's nice and protected, especially from rain and from the wind. They don't do very well if they get wet, especially if their feet get wet," Michelle says. If startled, a quail can leap and fly straight up in the air. This means an enclosure either needs to be tall enough to have room to do that freely (tall enough for an adult human to stand in), or low enough so they can't get the momentum up (30–40cm). Quail like to scratch around. So having a layer of straw, sawdust, or woodchips can be good if the enclosure is static, or you could also have the option of a movable home, like a chicken tractor, to move them around your yard to scratch in the dirt. It's best to use small wire mesh to prevent rodents and snakes from getting in to eat the birds and to prevent the birds from squeezing out. Build hidey holes for happy birds Michelle uses baskets and buckets on their side to provide extra shelter, as hens will only lay their eggs in places where they feel safe. Quail need a high-protein diet and won't eat up all your kitchen scraps like chickens can. They do need regular fresh greens in their diet, as well as shell grit or sand for their crops — a pouch near their throat which is used to store food. They will eat bugs from your garden when they get access to them. Giving them access to regular dust baths, using fine sand or wood ash, helps keep them happy and healthy. While the birds might not want to be cuddled, they are inquisitive little creatures and may want to come and check you out and see what you're doing. "You've got a little civilisation or society at your feet and you're just watching them and caring for them," Michelle says.

Three people on their backyard chicken coops (and how much they cost) When I convinced my boyfriend we needed chickens about six months ago, I thought building a coop would be easy and relatively cheap. While I adore our now-complete henhouse, it ended up costing about $2,000 upfront (we'd budgeted$500) even though we used mostly second-hand materials. We've also had to make several costly modifications since then to make it harder for predators and rodents to get in. It got me thinking: how much have other chicken people spent building their coops? What did they learn in the process? And are store-bought coops ever a good option? I asked three people about their henhouse do's and don'ts. Mandy Watts' backyard coop is only used for sleeping. It cost $500 to build — 14 years ago! Mandy has 11 bantams at the moment, having started off with just two Isa Browns in her Toowoomba backyard in regional Queensland over a decade ago. "We had an old shed up the back of the yard and decided to build the coop onto that, because the structure was already there. It was big enough for me to be able to walk in, making it easier to clean," Mandy says. It took us four full days to get it all up and running. The coop — which is only for sleeping as my chickens free-range all day — is about two metres by three metres inside. "By the time we bought galvanised iron posts from a demolition yard and the chicken wire and corrugated iron for the roof, all second-hand, we'd spent $500." Like me, Mandy had to spend more money afterwards on more appropriate wire mesh. "Another thing I didn't consider was the weather and coop positioning," Mandy continues. To help her chickens make it through the Queensland summer, Mandy had to erect shade cloths and put water misters on the roof of her coop. She's also growing a vine over it for added coverage. With time, Mandy realised all of her chickens wanted to use the same nesting box even though their original coop design included three, so she and her husband built a longer one without partitions and with curtains along the front for privacy. They've also changed their perches, bringing them lower, since silkies like to either sleep on a pile or just slightly above the floor. And she lowered the other chickens' perches after realising rising hot air was making the highest perches particularly stuffy over summer. "That's another thing I'd do differently — I'd add more ventilation." Based just outside of Launceston in northern Tasmania, Jane and her partner live with three delightful Polish chickens. "I did have a lot more, but about two years ago one was mysteriously killed by something while free-ranging, and then about a year and a half ago a quoll killed three of them overnight," she says. "It was a scene of carnage." Shaken, Jane and her husband decided build a new coop dubbed "Fort Knox", featuring a concrete floor in the house and run. When finished, their new coop will have a timber frame and will be clad in corrugated iron. They're looking to use recycled materials and expect the build will cost about $300. In the meantime, they've moved their chickens to a new $250 prefabricated coop. "It's an A-frame shape and has little nesting boxes and is fine for three small hens, but it's not very big," Jane says. "Our chickens free-range during the day, so it's just to keep them safe at night." And while it's not her girls' forever home, "it's kept them very safe at night," Jane says with relief. Erin Steiner has built a chicken village over the last four years, with each coop an improvement on the last Erin got a dozen fertilised chicken eggs to try hatching in an incubator not long after moving to a property in Wollombi, in NSW's lower Hunter Valley, in 2019. "That was the end of the story," she laughs. "I don't know how many chickens I have now — I'm gonna say more than 150?" She's had to build something of a chicken village to house her ever-growing flock and has improved her coop design with every new one that goes up. I've got about 20 coops now. Each of them cost between $700 and $1,000 to make," Erin says. "I build them with corrugated metal walls and externally treated solid timber posts because my place is in a flood area." Erin lets different batches of chickens free-range at different times throughout the day to keep fighting at a minimum. This means each standalone coop is big enough for the chickens in them to stay inside for most of the day. Predator protection was also a big design concern: "In this area, you've got everything to worry about from snakes and foxes to goannas, owls, hawks and eagles," Erin says. She has guardian dogs to watch over her flock, and her coops feature wire buried underground to stop rodents from digging in. The walls are made up of a combination of corrugated metal (which helps discourage mites) and fox-proof wire, and her coops are enclosed at the roof. "There are heaps of nesting boxes … and I've got a special place for broody hens to go and hatch out eggs away from the others." All this room and thoughtful design means Erin's never had issues with aggression towards chicks, new arrivals or general squabbling despite having such a big flock. "It also helps with disease control," she adds.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says the government 'fumbled' the No campaign's deductible gift recipient status. What are the facts? This week, we investigate a claim that the No campaign in the Voice to Parliament referendum was delayed in receiving tax deductible donations due to a government "fumble". We also look at whether Labor is censoring public feedback over the draft wording of its proposed online misinformation bill, and reveal which erstwhile US presidential hopeful fell for an old hoax — hook, line and sinker. Is the government to blame for No campaign tax 'fumble'? Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has taken to social media to assert that the No campaign for the Voice to Parliament referendum, in which she is a key leader, had been treated unfairly overits finances. OnFacebook, the senator claimed that while the Yes campaign had been granted tax-deductible status last year, the government had "fumbled and only just recognised and awarded the No campaign [the same status] last month". But is the government to blame for the delay? While the Yes campaign has indeed been eligible to receive tax-deductible donations for months longer than the No campaign, the delay appears to be principally the result of decisions made by No campaign leaders, rather than by the Albanese government. Furthermore, it took eight months from the date of application for the Yes campaign to have its deductible gift recipient (DGR) status approved, while the process for the No campaign took only 12 weeks. As the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) explains, organisations endorsed as DGRs are eligible to receive tax-deductible donations from supporters. In most cases, DGR status applications are handled by the Australian Tax Office (ATO). However, in cases where an organisation does not fit into a predefined category, a proposal must be submitted to the assistant minister for competition, charities and treasury (currently Andrew Leigh) to be granted DGR status as a "specific listing". Intended to be used by exception only, this approval process "involves consideration by the government through the budget process, followed by consideration by the Parliament through an amendment to the tax law," the ATOexplainson its website. Both the Yes and No campaigns are required to be specifically listed. According to a spokesperson for the Department of Treasury, the Yes campaign, led by Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition (AICR), first applied for DGR status via Mr Leigh on June 20, 2022. Ameasurein the October 2022 budget outlined the government's plan to grant the Yes entity DGR status, with the requiredamendmentsto tax lawpassingthe parliament in February 2023 and coming into effect on April 1, 2023 — eight months after the initial application. On the No side, however, an application for DGR status did not reach Mr Leigh's desk until March 6, 2023, according to the spokesperson. The request came from the "Voice No Case Committee, campaigning as the Warren Mundine-led group Recognise a Better Way". Another DGR application for a yet-to-be-established No campaign vehiclewas lodged on March 23 by Advance Australia, which is affiliated with Senator Price. Additional information supplied to the department in April identified a new group, Australians for Unity, as the campaign vehicle. In May, the government's budgetmade provisionfor DGR status to be granted to Recognise a Better Way. However, a merger between that group and Fair Australia (the No campaign division of Advance Australia), under the banner of Australians for Unity, saw Mr Mundinewithdrawthe original application at the eleventh hour. Following parliament's passing of the relevant changes to tax laws, Australians for Unity was granted DGR status in June, three months after the initial application was lodged and around two months after the group was specified on the application. According to the Treasury spokesperson, DGR endorsement would apply to the Yes campaign (AIRC) from July 1, 2022 through to June 30, 2024, and for the No campaign (Australians for Unity) from May 31, 2023 through to June 30, 2024. Importantly, the discrepancy is largely the result of Australians for Unity first registering as a charity in April 2023, while AIRC has been registered since October 2019. Mr Leigh told parliament in June that DGR status for Australians for Unity would be backdated to its charity registration date (April 13). Despite requests, a spokesman for Senator Price's office did not provide evidence to back up her claim, but told CheckMate it was "an opinion held by" the senator. "The government gave the Yes campaign an inside running on DGR status from the get go, whereas the No campaign was frustrated at every turn," the spokesman said. Is Labor censoring feedback on its misinformation bill? Opposition and former crossbench politicians have taken aim at the federal government over the consultation process for draft legislation designed to stop the spread of harmful information on social media. Under Labor's proposed Combatting Misinformation and Disinformation Bill, social media platforms would be required to develop an enforceable code of practice to combat harmful information. The legislation would also empower the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to enforce its own code if the industry version proved ineffective. But despite conducting a two-month public consultation process over the draft bill, on August 21, the day after submissions closed, the government was being accused of a cover-up. On X (formerly Twitter), Shadow Communications Minister David Coleman issued a statement criticising what he claimed was Labor's plan to "selectively release misinformation bill submissions". Meanwhile, sharing his statement, United Australia Party national director Craig Kelly — who, months earlier, shared a link to the submissions page and directed his followers to "Tell Albanese what you think of his Ministry of Truth" — accused the government of "censoring" debate. "Albanese is now censoring public submissions into his Misinformation Bill aimed at giving the government power to order social media to censor political debate," he wrote. "YOU COULDN'T MAKE THIS UP." So, why the outcry? According to Mr Coleman's statement, the government's plan was revealed in an update made to the website of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, which stated: "Submissions on the draft legislation have now closed. Public submissions will be uploaded on this page in several tranches from early September 2023." An archived version of the page shows that this staged approach had been flagged from as early as July 10. In a statement to CheckMate, a spokesman for the department said this approach to "large consultation processes reflects longstanding practice of ensuring compliance" with how it was expected to handle information. He said the department planned to publish submissions according to when they were received, and "will not selectively release submissions in tranches on the basis of the views of the submitter or [their] identity". As for whether any would be withheld, the spokesman said the department's usual process was to publish any submissions intended to be made public, unless prevented by "legal considerations" such as the risk of defamation. "Redactions or non-publication would only relate to such considerations." Notably, the department confirmed it had received "over 23,000 responses" to its public consultation process. (The figure includes "comments and submissions", of which the "overwhelming majority" were comments.) To put that in context, the former Coalition government's independent review of the public service received just over 750 submissions and 800 comments. The 2020 Senate inquiry into media diversity in Australia received just over 5,000 submissions — which the inquiry's final report described as "one of the largest ever number received by a Senate inquiry". Labor's draft misinformation bill has been criticised by some groups representing journalists and lawyers for, among other things, adopting an overly broad definition of misinformation, though the wording is subject to revision. A similar proposal was put forward by the former Coalition government, which went to the 2022 election promising to give ACMA "the ability to hold platforms to account should their voluntary efforts prove inadequate". As Tropical Storm Hilary (downgraded from a hurricane as it moved north) bore down on California this week, Republican senator Ted Cruz found himself swept up in a years-old online hoax after he shared a shocking photo of a shark on a highway. Posted to X by US sports podcaster Dan Katz, the photo purports to show a shark swimming down a highway in Los Angeles (Interstate 405, according to Katz), with the podcaster granting permission for news outlets to share the image. Reposting the photo, Senator Cruz stated simply: "Holy crap." But the photo is a fake, and has circulated frequently during natural disasters for more than a decade. According to fact checkers at Snopes, the edited image originally appeared online in the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico in 2011. "Since then the same image has been recirculated several times over, typically localised to some big city in the United States that has just experienced a hurricane or other weather event producing heavy rains and floods," Snopes stated in a fact check first published in 2011 and updated and shared often since. "Then and now, the photograph is a digital hoax." The shark seen in the image, as Snopes found out, was lifted from a 2005 photograph of a kayaker being stalked by a Great White. Posting to X again just minutes after sharing the photo, Senator Cruz wrote that he had been "told this is a joke". "In LA, you never know… 🤷🏻‍♂️," the senator added.

Alex Lahey covers Cass Elliot’s 'Make Your Own Kind Of Music' for Like A Version The springtime vibes have entered the chat withAlex Lahey's 60s-tinged folk-rock cover ofCass Elliot's 'Make Your Own Kind Of Music'. If you think you've heard this one somewhere recently, you have! The 1969 classic fromthe Mamas & the Papassinger was featured intheBarbiemovie trailer, and now Alex has brought it into the Like A Version studio. She crammed seven people into the studio – including a three-piece brass section – to roll through the fuzzy cover, filled with moments of empowerment and confidence boosts. It even featured a breaking of the fourth wall where Alex stepped away from the band to address us directly. "This song goes out to anyone who feels like they can't dress how they want to dress, or love who they want to love, or just feel like they can't be themselves," she said, straight down the barrel of the camera. "You gotta make your own kind of music, and sing your own special song, because you're special. And you're special because you're you." Tell you what, Alex Lahey sure knows how to give us goosebumps every time she sets foot in our LAV studio. Check out more from her visit below. Behind Alex Lahey's cover of Cass Elliot 'Make Your Own Kind Of Music' for Like A Version

Mount Gambier councillor calls for Autofest return as city struggles with hoons The success of motoring festivals getting hoons off the streets is fuelling interest in reviving anannual eventon South Australia's Limestone Coast. Key points: A video of dangerous driving in Millicent sparked renewed interest in Autofest's return Police say they receive regular reports of dangerous driving Autofest's organiser says he receives reports the event has reduced hooning in other host locations City of Mount Gambier councillor Jason Virgo has called for the return of the Autofest Performance Car Festival, which waslast held at the city's showgrounds in 2018. The event was cancelled due to concerns about smoke and noise and an inability to find another suitable venue. The renewed interest comes after the arrest of an 18-year-old Millicent man this week in relation to online video footage of a burnoutalong the town's main street. Mr Virgo said the event would be a "carrot" to curb hoon driving, with the stategovernment providing the "stick", such as legal penalties and crushing cars. "I think it's important that we offer a safer alternative for people than hooning on the road," he said. "Perhaps we'll get a place where they can go and enjoy their motorsportwithout endangering lives." Idiotic behaviour' rampant Limestone Coast police officer Campbell Hill said dangerous driving was a community issue, with "quite a few reports" coming in to police. There are people out there performing this idiotic behaviour at times," Superintendent Hill said. "But the reality is that there's plenty of police officers that are very motivated with our current state of lives lost on our roads to get ahead of it take these people off the road." Mr Virgo said he lived near a busy road and heard dangerous drivers passing "all the time". "I think if we have an Autofest in Mount Gambier, it's not going to make the situation worse," he said. "I can only see that it will actually offer an alternative, a safer place for people to do these activities off our roads, and that can only be a good thing." A chance to show off Autofest Australia runs events in regional towns in SA, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, with burnout competitions and show and shines a regular part of the festivals. Operations manager Les Adams said he has received anecdotal reports from police of a reduction in hoon driving at many of the host locations. "We're about to do an event up in Far North Queensland near Cairns ... the police told us last year when we ran that event that they could see a dramatic reduction just in our first year there, and Bathurst was the same thing," he said. "Over the years wherever we've gone ... the authorities tell us thanks for that and they back us everywhere we go. "Anything that can fix that problem is a right step forward. "We would look at maybe coming back if we had the community and council support." Mr Adams said the event gave participants a chance to "show off in front of a crowd". "Rather than just them and a few of their mates in the back roads or streets around town, all of a sudden they have an audience ... and we've had attendances up to 60,000-odd people watching them," he said. Supt Hill said he was unsure if the return of the event would have an impact. "We wouldn't be able to make that assessment until an event was held and we can then assess it," he said. "We know anecdotally that there is still poor behaviour that occurs on the back [of these events]. "There are still immature people or idiots that are inspired by the motor racing that they're attending to then drive away and drive poorly and drive dangerously when leaving the event."

I started Wear it Purple day so the rainbow youth no longer felt alone On the last Friday in August 2010, I was so nervous climbing the steps at Croydon Station in Sydney, it felt like I was having an invisible appendectomy at the turnstiles. I had spent the school holidays creating a movement called Purple Armband day, later shortened to Wear it Purple day, and today was the day. But I wasn't nervous because I thought I'd be bullied for Wear it Purple or rejected by my family for being gay or disciplined by my school for uniform violations. I was nervous because of the apathy that much of Australia and the world showed towards making LGBTQIA+ youth feel like they too belonged. Time to do something about the crisis in our midst In 2010, LGBTQIA+ young people were in crisis. In the US, media were writing about an epidemic of gay youth suicides. In Australia, the Writing Themselves In study exploring the health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ young people by Latrobe University reported that rainbow youth experienced high rates of discrimination, mental ill health, and homelessness. Reassurances that life got better beyond the school gate were not good enough. As a young person, I decided I had to do something. Young people were dying. So, my best friend at the time, Scott Williams, and I teamed up to organise the first Wear it Purple … in about three weeks. The very first Wear it Purple We called, talked, harangued everyone — friends, family, the media, schools, unions, businesses, anyone who would listen. Scott registered us as a charity. Meanwhile, I walked up and down King Street, Newtown, asking businesses if they would put up posters. All we asked is that they listen, they care, and they wear purple on the last Friday in August. In fights like this, you are never truly alone. We got some essential help from advertising agencies, mental health charities, and MPs from both sides of the political divide. A family friend helped us build our website. My dad bought the first Wear it Purple buttons. My mum listened to numerous versions of speeches. The opposite to feeling 'othered' is to feel unified We decided that Wear it Purple would (like any good revolution) be something everyone could be a part of. Our movement's name starts with the verb "wear". We didn't mind what the "it" was — as long as the "it" was purple. This meant people could make Wear it Purple day their own, from morning teas to soccer games as long as you were wearing purple, you were participating in Wear it Purple day. We chose a colour because we wanted the support to be visible. The opposite to feeling 'othered' is to feel unified. If for one day everyone who cared wore the same colour then young rainbow people would know they were not alone. We weren't asking for people to avail themselves of all the violet they can find in their closets (although every year I am continually impressed this happens), a purple scarf or shirt was enough to say, "I care". When I finally arrived at school on that Friday in 2010, I could see people cared. Teachers and students were awash in a purple glow. Even people I didn't know wore something purple. I felt truly proud not only of what we'd achieved but also of who I was. Scott and I went on to coordinate the second Wear it Purple day the following year. Then after high school, I handed on the coordination to the next generation of LGBTQIA+ young people, which has kept Wear it Purple current and youth-focused. Wear it Purple day has become one of the key advocacy organisations for young rainbow people in Australia. Wear it Purple also celebrates and amplifies the voices of young rainbow people. Now as a 30-year-old adult, what makes me truly proud is how Wear it Purple has contributed to making LGBTQIA+ acceptance and inclusion the default setting. Last week, on the way to Friday drinks I saw two schoolboys holding hands in front of Sydney's town hall. As I passed them, they still hadn't mastered the art of walking faster than a shuffle while their fingers were locked. It made me smile. It was so wonderfully normal and undramatic. I don't mind telling you I may have shed a tear.

How the re-imagining of Mother and Son came about and why there's a remake When the creator of Mother and Son Geoffrey Atherden was approached by comedian, actor and writer Matt Okine to remake the beloved classic, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. "This wasn't the first time that someone had approached me and asked for approval for a remake," Atherden told ABC News. "And I had always said nobecause I just couldn't see the point in doing another version." There was something different, however, about Okine's proposal. "I thought Matt was onto something that gave it a real additional and new value," Atherden continued. "And that was firstly, the cultural aspects that Matt is half African. So, it tells a different kind of multicultural story about Australia. That wasn't something that was at all in my mind very much back in the late 70s, early 80s when I started developing the series. "But as well as that, he said that the world has changed a lot. The kind of person that I wrote about as Maggie [would have] had a very different upbringing and experiences [as] a young woman from someone in that age group today and he wanted to bring that up to date. "And as well as that we've had the royal commission into aged care. So, families would have a different kind of view about putting a member of their family into aged care now than was the case back then." At the core of Okine's desire to remake Mother and Son was the fact that he loved the original series. "Obviously, part of the reason of remaking the show was because I was a fan of the first one," Okine told ABC News. "And actually, part of the reason I was a fan of the first one is because my dad used to watch it as well because he was a big Garry McDonald fan. "So, I mean, there's a lot of people out there who are sort of saying, 'Oh, you know, you've got expectations on your shoulders, and big shoes to fill and stuff. "But, I mean, I've got my dad that I need to impress more than anyone. "So that's what I'm most nervous about. Because he's going to be a harsh critic out of everyone." There was no question in Okine's mind who his co-star would be in the new series. "Denise [Scott] was the reason why I came up with the idea of recreating it in the first place," he said. "So, we were touring in Hong Kong. I remember just having a really good time with her, really admiring her as a performer and as a person. "And I remember thinking, God, I wish that there was some way that me and Denise could be in a project together. "And at the time, it was 2013. So, you know, things are changing in the Australian landscape. But I remember I kept thinking, 'But there is literally no world in which me and Denise would be on an Australian TV show. It just wouldn't happen.' At the time, I just couldn't see it. "And then I had the idea. I was like, well imagine if we redid Mother and Son." Taking on the new series Okine said the new series, which premieres on ABC TV and ABC iview tonight touches on issues such as technology, the morality around tracking someone who is losing their cognitive abilities, and aged care in the wake of the royal commission. It stars Okine as Arthur, and Scott as his mother Maggie. The character of Robbie, who was Robert in the original series and played by Henri Szeps, is now a woman in a same-sex relationship. Okine acknowledges this is something that wouldn't have happened in the original series. "This absolutely would have been unheard of," Okine said. "And that's just because Australia has changed in 30 years. And that's why we're doing it. We're doing it because Australia has changed. "But I also think that people are reading into it too much. "And I think that people think that we are trying to do something woke or doing some diversity, box-ticking exercise, but I came up with the idea that I wanted to remake Mother and Son, alright? "If my mum was still alive, she would be a 60-something-year-old white woman. "I also have a sister, who is older than me, who is half African as well. We have the same dad, the same mum. This is just what my house looks like." He said any family that he's in is going to include both black and white people. "I'm not trying to tick any boxes, I'm just living. So, it kind of frustrates me when that conversation consistently comes up because it sort of disqualifies the existence of so many Australians and how we are Australian today." Okine is encouraging people to watch the new series and also re-watch the old one, with the original series available on ABC iview and Stan. "We're not trying to copy anything," he said. "People keep asking, 'Oh, are the oranges going to fall in the grave?' No! Are you kidding me? No way. I wouldn't touch anything that sacred." Scott opened up to the Australian Women's Weekly earlier this month about being diagnosed with cancer just as filming on the new series was due to start. "It was overwhelming," Scott told ABC News about dealing with the diagnosis. "Because oncologists warn you about the fatigue, and the aches and the nausea. And of course, you know, you're going to have no hair and all that. "But the level of it was pretty mind-blowing. And at times, it was quite overwhelming because I think I just don't know that I can keep going today. But I would think, well, I have to. And I found great joy when the cameras were rolling. "I would just escape really, mentally, into the world of Arthur and Maggie. And I really would enjoy it. "It felt like a respite." Scott has had surgery and is currently undergoing radiation, with months of chemotherapy ahead. She says her prognosis is good. Handling expectations For now, she's excited for people to tune into the show tonight, but is also nervously bracing herself. "I felt the pressure," she said. "I'm not an idiot. I mean, it was everywhere. I literally walk down to my local shops and I'll have a shopkeeper say to me, 'You do know what big shoes you've got to fill, don't you?' with this look of horror on their face — or neighbours. "When we were shooting the show. It was incredible. We'd be on location in Padstow at the shopping centre, and people would come up, and basically say, 'This is never going to work. It's just not going to work.' "But I just couldn't let it get to me. I just kind of thought, 'Well, too bad.' "I love the re-imagining of the show. And I love what the writers did and what Matt created. So that's what I've got to concentrate on and focus on. And hope that somebody else out there likes it."

Clothes to exercise gear: Kmart sales up in cost of living crisis Cash-strapped shoppers flocking to Kmart for everything from fashion to exercise equipment have helped power profits at retail giant Wesfarmers close to five per cent higher for 2023. The $56 billion operator of the Kmart, Target and Bunnings brands revealed on Friday morning that its revenues had risen by 18.2 per cent for the year to $43.6 billion. Profits were up by 4.8 per cent to $2.47 billion, with Kmart Group and Officeworks the standout performers for the year. Chief executive Rob Scott called out the success of discount department store Kmart, which recorded strong growth across all categories and in all regions of Australia over the past year. As people become more value conscious, and also as the quality of products improves, we’re attracting a lot of new shoppers,” he said. The company told investors that the group’s strong full-year result meant it was upping its dividend, with the final fully-franked payout coming in at $1.03 per share. This brings the full-year dividend payment to $1.91 per share, a 6.1 per cent increase on 2022. Wesfarmers said cost pressures would continue to be elevated in the face of inflation and wage cost increases, but said its brands were able to leverage their scale to and sourcing capabilities to offset some of this. The stock opened 0.7 per cent stronger to $49.76, putting shares ahead by 9.2 per cent year-to-date.

Kmart, Officeworks deliver the goods to boost Wesfarmers’ coffers Retail giant Wesfarmers is unfazed by the softening consumer outlook, and is confident its stable of home-grown consumer brands, including Kmart and Bunnings, can keep shoppers interested in parting with their cash. The ASX-listed $56 billion operator of Kmart, Target and Bunnings on Friday posted an 18.2 per cent jump in revenues for the year to $43.6 billion. Profits for the period were up 4.8 per cent to $2.47 billion, with Kmart and Officeworks delivering strong returns for the year. Growth at DIY powerhouse Bunnings was slower for the 2023 full year, recording a 1.2 per cent jump in earnings to $2.2 billion for the year, with consumers more cautious about big-ticket purchases and renovations. However, Wesfarmers chief executive Rob Scott was unconcerned about Bunnings’ trajectory, and told media the group had delivered a strong result after growing sales and earnings by about 40 per cent during the pandemic. The fact that they continue to move sales forward is a real credit to the team,” he said. “Hopefully, it really demonstrates that the core of the Bunnings proposition is a lot of that repeatable, regular, essential spend.” The performance of discount department store Kmart delivered the strongest evidence that Wesfarmers is meeting the demands of cash-strapped shoppers. Scott and Kmart Group boss Ian Bailey both said consumers were shopping across a broader range of categories within Kmart stores. “As the quality of products improves, we’re attracting a lot of new shoppers,” Scott said. Kmart has attracted a cult following on social media thanks to its low-cost lines of homewares, but Scott said customers had been branching out to spend in other areas at the retailer. The products with solid growth include activewear, exercise equipment and health and beauty products, he said. Bailey told analysts that shoppers in high, middle and lower income earning groups were all flocking to the brand. “We are seeing all three groups growing with us – in terms of absolute numbers and average spend,” he said. Kmart Group, which includes the Kmart and Target brands, recorded revenues up 16.5 per cent to $10.6 billion and earnings up 52.3 per cent for the year, to $769 million. Kmart Group had continued to benefit from “strong trading results” in the first weeks of the 2024 financial year, though this has moderated from the momentum during the six months to June. The optimistic outlook for Kmart comes after other discount department store retailers flagged tougher conditions this week. Woolworths boss Brad Banducci said the company’s Big W brand faced challenging trading conditions as families cut back their spending on discretionary goods such as small appliances. Wesfarmers’ technology and school supplies business Officeworks had revenues rise 5.9 per cent to $3.3 billion, while earnings were up 10.5 per cent to $200 million. Improved back-to-school sales results helped drive the growth amid an increased demand for stationery, art and office supplies, the retailer said. Wesfarmers told investors that the group’s strong full-year result meant it was raising its dividend, with the final, fully franked payout coming in at $1.03 per share. This brings the full-year dividend payment to $1.91 per share, a 6.1 per cent increase on 2022. Wesfarmers said cost pressures would continue to be elevated in the face of inflation and wage cost increases, but said its brands were able to leverage their scale and sourcing capabilities to offset some of this. UBS, which has a buy on Wesfarmers, has kept its target price for the stock at $55 after the full-year numbers, noting that earnings at Bunnings, Kmart and Officeworks exceeded expectations, while its health and WesCEF divisions were just below market consensus.

Shack on Glenelg River at Donovans sells for $210k despite Crown lease uncertainty A shack on the Glenelg River, in South Australia's far south-east, has sold for $210,000, despite some apprehension from buyers about the possibility its lease could be extinguished in five years' time. Key points: A shack on the Glenelg River at Donovans has sold for $210,000 Some potential buyers questioned how the crown lease arrangement worked The local council and the shack association are working on installing a sewerage system for the shacks Located in the small river town of Donovans on the border of SA and Victoria, the shack is the first to be sold on the river in about 30 years. The one-bedroom dwelling has no running water and is not connected to the sewerage system, with bathroom access via a communal toilet block. For its Crown lease to be extended for another 50 years, the property must have a grey-water system installed within the next five years to comply with current public health standards. Legislation that passed in 2019 has allowed for the renewable and transferable tenure of SA's iconic river shacks, including those at Donovans, and for upgrades to be made to them. Before the legislation was passed, a shack was forfeited when its owner died. Real estate agent Kim Cawthorne received about 350 enquiries about the property, but only 16 people placed offers to buy it. She said there was some angst among potential buyers — especially those outside the region — in relation to how a Crown lease arrangement worked. Ms Crowthorne said the owner was happy with the sale price. "[It was] slightly higher than I thought it might achieve, but certainly, I understood the uniqueness of the property," Ms Cawthorne said. "Where else can you buy a property that's right over the river? "So, yeah, I think people did see value." Freehold properties in Donovans, but not on the river, sell for similar prices. Plan to install sewerage system The District Council of Grant is working with the Glenelg River Shack Association to extend the sewerage system in Donovans to the river shacks, as well as others at Dry Creek and Reed Bed. It has received a draft design from an engineering firm. The council's director of environmental services Leith McEvoy says the unique location of the shacks, which protrude over the riverbank, has required creativity on the part of the engineers. "To actually have a wastewater treatment system placed along the edge of the shacks in that water environment is challenging," he said. Mr McEvoy said early costings indicated the project was "achievable". "At this stage … [the cost is not] out of reach by any means," he said. Strong shack interest Owners can also connect their shacks to the existing town sewerage infrastructure at their own cost if they don't want to wait for the council extension. Ms Cawthorne says if shack owners hold off on selling until a sewerage system is connected, potential buyers will have more certainty. Based on the recent sale, she said there was strong interest in purchasing a river shack as a holiday home or weekender. "But [I'm] certainly happy to talk to anyone who wants to sell … because, essentially, we've got 16 buyers who were sitting there," Ms Cawthorne said. Shack association president Brett Orr said his group was "really happy" with the council's progress and that it was not unusual for there to be complexities associated with Crown lease arrangements. He urges people to be patient for details of the council's proposal.

Stationery lover Garry Trinh turns in-store doodling and pen sampling into works of art Over the past two and a half months, Garry Trinh has spent more hours in Officeworks than even the most hardcore stationery lover. But he hasn't bought a single pen. The Sydney artist decided in early June to combine his love of stationery with a long-held appreciation of doodling. Known for capturing the magic in the mundane, the photographer and painter goes to a stationery store armed with a piece of paper, and uses every single sample pen or marker to create an abstract work of art. Pens and markers don't mix "The idea of an artist coming in and using the sample pens to make an artwork and then leaving not buying anything, it is funny," Trinh says, grinning. "It just gives me joy. It makes me smile. And getting away with it makes me smile." A selection of his in-store doodles, which take one or two hours each, are on display this week at a Darlington gallery. Speaking at one of his regular stops, Auburn Officeworks, Trinh says he likes to keep a low profile. "I don't want to get busted. I don't want to cause any trouble for the staff. I just want to come in here, do my thing and leave." A man wearing a cap selects a pen from rows of different coloured pens. Sometimes staff come over and ask if he needs assistance, or a security guard hovers nearby, but so far it's been hassle-free. Beauty of doodling Before this, he spent several years admiring the doodles done by other people at the pen testing area. "Sometimes I would take those sheets of paper because they were so beautiful and I couldn't bear thinking about them getting tossed in the bin." Other times he would photograph what strangers had doodled. A combination of colourful highlighter scribbles He encourages everyone to embrace drawing as a distraction or a way out of boredom. "You do it over the phone when you're on call waiting or you do it when you're waiting for an email or something," he says. "That's where the inspiration came from [for this series], the unconscious mark making. It's therapeutic in a way." He admits, however, his current approach of doing it in store is not the usual relaxing drawing experience. "There's music, there's customers walking by and all sorts of stuff, and I have to look out for staff members who might get angry at me." Even as he tries to do something different each time, he's noticed he has a particular doodling style. "It's really difficult to break that instinct of just doodling where my hand wants to go" Dreaming of buying stationery He has become quite the expert on the range of pens at different stores in the process — he rates the four-colour pens and steers clear of gel pens. "I like pens that have a really strong, even colour and flow." A series of blue scribbles on a white page. It is the perfect project for someone as obsessed with stationery as Trinh. "For a while there I was buying a lot of stationery. I was going and buying a lot of pastels, a lot of pencils and a lot of different stationery. "Then one day I woke up wanting to buy stationery, I had buying stationery in my mind." Originally, he considered buying all of the pens sold by Officeworks and creating a drawing with them at home. Then he realised that would cost thousands of dollars, so he thought why not do it in the store without spending a cent? Far from curing his stationery addiction, Trinh says he loves it even more and he plans to continue his doodling visits. "Now I have a different relationship with the store. But I love coming here."