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Funding for refugees has long been politicized − punitive action against UNRWA and Palestinians fits that pattern

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicholas-r-micinski-207353">Nicholas R. Micinski</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-maine-2120">University of Maine</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-norman-862895">Kelsey Norman</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rice-university-931">Rice University</a> At least a dozen countries, including the U.S., have <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/01/1145987">suspended funding to the UNRWA</a>, the United Nations agency responsible for delivering aid to Palestinian refugees. This follows allegations made by Israel that <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/at-least-12-u-n-agency-employees-involved-in-oct-7-attacks-intelligence-reports-say-a7de8f36">12 UNRWA employees participated</a> in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack. The UNRWA responded by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/un-palestinian-refugee-agency-investigates-staff-suspected-role-israel-attacks-2024-01-26/">dismissing all accused employees</a> and opening an investigation. While the seriousness of the accusations is clear to all, and the U.S. has been keen to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/30/us/politics/aid-gaza-israel.html">downplay the significance</a> of its pause in funding, the action is not in keeping with precedent. Western donors did not, for example, defund other U.N. agencies or peacekeeping operations amid accusations of <a href="https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/01/11/un-peacekeeping-has-sexual-abuse-problem">sexual assault</a>, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/former-un-general-assembly-president-and-five-others-charged-13-million-bribery-scheme">corruption</a> or <a href="https://www.hrw.org/legacy/summaries/s.bosnia9510.html">complicity in war crimes</a>. In real terms, the funding cuts to the UNRWA will affect <a href="https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip">1.7 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza</a> along with an additional 400,000 Palestinians without refugee status, many of whom benefit from the UNRWA’s infrastructure. Some critics have gone further and said depriving the agency of funds <a href="https://jacobin.com/2024/01/unrwa-defunding-gaza-israel">amounts to collective punishment</a> against Palestinians. Refugee aid, and humanitarian aid more generally, is theoretically meant to be neutral and impartial. But as experts in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/reluctant-reception/558E2A93FF99B8F295347A8FA2053698">migration</a> <a href="https://www.routledge.com/UN-Global-Compacts-Governing-Migrants-and-Refugees/Micinski/p/book/9780367218836">and</a> <a href="https://press.umich.edu/Books/D/Delegating-Responsibility">international relations</a>, we know funding is often used as a foreign policy tool, whereby allies are rewarded and enemies punished. In this context, we believe the cuts in funding for the UNRWA fit a wider pattern of the politicization of aid to refugees, particularly Palestinian refugees. <h2>What is the UNRWA?</h2> The UNRWA, short for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, was established two years after about <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-nakba-at-75-palestinians-struggle-to-get-recognition-for-their-catastrophe-204782">750,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from their homes</a> during the months leading up to the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 and the subsequent Arab-Israeli war. Prior to the UNRWA’s creation, international and local organizations, many of them religious, provided services to displaced Palestinians. But after <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">surveying the extreme poverty</a> and dire situation pervasive across refugee camps, the U.N. General Assembly, including all Arab states and Israel, voted to create the UNRWA in 1949. Since that time, <a href="https://www.unrwa.org/what-we-do">the UNRWA has been the primary aid organization</a> providing food, medical care, schooling and, in some cases, housing for the 6 million Palestinians living across its five fields: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, as well as the areas that make up the occupied Palestinian territories: the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The mass displacement of Palestinians – known as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-nakba-at-75-palestinians-struggle-to-get-recognition-for-their-catastrophe-204782">Nakba, or “catastrophe</a>” – occurred prior to the <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/about-unhcr/who-we-are/1951-refugee-convention">1951 Refugee Convention</a>, which defined refugees as anyone with a well-founded fear of persecution owing to “events occurring in Europe before 1 January 1951.” Despite a <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pdf/4ec262df9.pdf">1967 protocol extending the definition</a> worldwide, Palestinians are still excluded from the primary international system protecting refugees. While the UNRWA is responsible for providing services to Palestinian refugees, the United Nations also created the U.N. Conciliation Commission for Palestine in 1948 to seek a <a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/4fe2e5672.html">long-term political solution</a> and “to facilitate the repatriation, resettlement and economic and social rehabilitation of the refugees and the payment of compensation.” As a result, the UNRWA does not have a mandate to push for the traditional durable solutions available in other refugee situations. As it happened, the conciliation commission was active only for a few years and has since been sidelined in favor of the U.S.-brokered peace processes. <h2>Is the UNRWA political?</h2> The UNRWA has been <a href="https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/palestinian-refugees-dispossession">subject</a> to political headwinds since its inception and especially during periods of heightened tension between Palestinians and Israelis. While it is a U.N. organization and thus ostensibly apolitical, it has <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">frequently been criticized</a> by Palestinians, Israelis as well as donor countries, including the United States, for acting politically. The UNRWA performs statelike functions across its five fields – including education, health and infrastructure – but it is restricted in its mandate from performing political or security activities. Initial Palestinian objections to the UNRWA stemmed from the organization’s early focus on economic integration of refugees into host states. Although the UNRWA officially adhered to the U.N. General Assembly’s <a href="https://www.unrwa.org/content/resolution-194">Resolution 194</a> that called for the return of Palestine refugees to their homes, U.N., U.K. and U.S. <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">officials searched</a> for means by which to resettle and integrate Palestinians into host states, viewing this as the favorable political solution to the Palestinian refugee situation and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In this sense, Palestinians perceived the UNRWA to be both highly political and actively working against their interests. In later decades, the UNRWA <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">switched its primary focus</a> from jobs to education at the urging of Palestinian refugees. But the UNRWA’s education materials were <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">viewed</a> by Israel as further feeding Palestinian militancy, and the Israeli government insisted on checking and approving all materials in Gaza and the West Bank, which it has occupied since 1967. While Israel has <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">long been suspicious</a> of the UNRWA’s role in refugee camps and in providing education, the organization’s operation, which is internationally funded, <a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/242-unrwas-reckoning-preserving-un-agency-serving-palestinian-refugees">also saves</a> Israel millions of dollars each year in services it would be obliged to deliver as the occupying power. Since the 1960s, the U.S. – UNRWA’s primary donor – and other Western countries have <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">repeatedly expressed their desire</a> to use aid to prevent radicalization among refugees. In response to the increased presence of armed opposition groups, the <a href="https://cup.columbia.edu/book/refuge-and-resistance/9780231202855">U.S. attached a provision</a> to its UNRWA aid in 1970, requiring that the “UNRWA take all possible measures to assure that no part of the United States contribution shall be used to furnish assistance to any refugee who is receiving military training as a member of the so-called Palestine Liberation Army (PLA) or any other guerrilla-type organization.” The UNRWA adheres to this requirement, even publishing an annual list of its employees so that host governments can vet them, but it also <a href="https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/israelpalestine/242-unrwas-reckoning-preserving-un-agency-serving-palestinian-refugees">employs 30,000 individuals</a>, the vast majority of whom are Palestinian. Questions over the links of the UNRWA to any militancy has led to the rise of Israeli and international <a href="https://cufi.org/issue/unrwa-teachers-continue-to-support-antisemitism-terrorism-on-social-media-un-watch/">watch groups</a> that document the social media activity of the organization’s large Palestinian staff. <h2>Repeated cuts in funding</h2> The United States has used its money and power within the U.N. to block criticism of Israel, vetoing at least <a href="https://www.un.org/depts/dhl/resguide/scact_veto_table_en.htm">45 U.N. resolutions</a> critical of Israel. And the latest freeze is not the first time the U.S. has cut funding to the UNRWA or other U.N. agencies in response to issues pertaining to the status of Palestinians. In 2011, the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE79U5ED/#:%7E:text=WASHINGTON%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20The%20United,grant%20the%20Palestinians%20full%20membership.">U.S. cut all funding to UNESCO</a>, the U.N. agency that provides educational and cultural programs around the world, after the agency voted to admit the state of Palestine as a full member. The Obama administration defended the move, claiming it was required by a 1990s law to defund any U.N. body that admitted Palestine as a full member. But the impact of the action was nonetheless severe. Within just four years, UNESCO was <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1758-5899.12459">forced to cut its staff in half</a> and roll back its operations. President Donald Trump later <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/u-s-and-israel-officially-withdraw-from-unesco">withdrew the U.S. completely from UNESCO</a>. In 2018, the Trump administration paused its <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/31/us/politics/trump-unrwa-palestinians.html">US$60 million contribution to the UNRWA</a>. Trump claimed the pause would create political pressure for Palestinians to negotiate. President Joe Biden restarted U.S. contributions to the UNRWA in 2021. <h2>Politicization of refugee aid</h2> Palestinian are not the only group to suffer from the politicization of refugee funding. After World War II, states established different international organizations to help refugees but strategically excluded some groups from the refugee definition. For example, the U.S. funded the <a href="https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/last-million-eastern-european-displaced-persons-postwar-germany">U.N. Relief and Rehabilitation Administration to help resettle displaced persons after World War II</a> but resisted Soviet pressure to forcibly repatriate Soviet citizens. The U.S. also created a separate organization, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ijrl/article-abstract/1/4/501/1598187">the precursor to the International Organization for Migration</a>, to circumvent Soviet influence. In many ways, the UNRWA’s existence and the exclusion of Palestinian refugees from the wider refugee regime parallels this dynamic. Funding for refugees has also been politicized through the earmarking of voluntary contributions to U.N. agencies. Some agencies receive funding from U.N. dues; but the UNRWA, alongside the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, receive the majority of their funding from voluntary contributions from member states. These contributions can be earmarked for specific activities or locations, leading to donors such as the <a href="https://www.peio.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PEIO12_paper_107.pdf">U.S. or European Union dictating which refugees get aid and which do not</a>. Earmarked contributions amounted to nearly <a href="https://unsceb.org/fs-revenue-agency">96% of the UNHCR’s budget, 96% of the IOM’s budget and 74% of UNRWA funding in 2022</a>. As a result, any cuts to UNRWA funding will affect its ability to service Palestinian refugees in Gaza – especially at a time when so many are <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/middleeast/famine-looms-in-gaza-israel-war-intl/index.html">facing hunger, disease and displacement</a> as a result of war.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222263/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nicholas-r-micinski-207353">Nicholas R. Micinski</a>, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-maine-2120">University of Maine</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kelsey-norman-862895">Kelsey Norman</a>, Fellow for the Middle East, Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rice-university-931">Rice University</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/funding-for-refugees-has-long-been-politicized-punitive-action-against-unrwa-and-palestinians-fits-that-pattern-222263">original article</a>.

Money & Banking

Couple who found love in chemotherapy raise funds for final trip

Ainslie Plumb, 22, and Joe Fan, 29, found love in an unexpected place, at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. The couple met in 2022 while they were both undergoing leukaemia treatment. “We met at an event for young people with cancer and became friends following that,” Plumb told 7News. “(We) would hang out during our hospital stays, I asked him out in October 2022 and (we) have been together ever since.” While Plumb successfully entered remission, last October, Fan was told that he was now terminal, as doctors had run out of options to treat his Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. With only months left to live, Fan, who has actively given back to the hospital and cancer community by playing his violin for patients and staff and worked with the Queensland Youth Cancer Service, has one final wish - to travel. The couple have set a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-joe-live-his-dreams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a>, to help raise funds which cover flights, accommodation and specialised travel insurance, for Fan's final trip. “I go through my cancer treatments and observe the toll that takes on my physical and mental wellbeing,” Fan said. “The end of a trip can hopefully mark the start of another — and I have held onto hope, looked forward and dreamed for one more trip, more time, one more experience with that someone I love.” Their first destination will be Taiwan and Hong Kong, where Fan's parents are from and where he spent a majority of his childhood. They also intend to travel to New Zealand and Western Australia to swim with whale sharks at Ningaloo in the state’s north. “We’re aiming at going at the end of February to give us time to co-ordinate with his doctors around his appointments and infusions, which are all booked in advance,” Plumb said. “We recently reached 75 per cent on the fundraiser and are hoping to hit 100 per cent perhaps by the end of January.” As of today, the couple have successfully raised over $21,000 from their $20,000 goal, and have thanked everyone in their community and strangers for their support. “Truly, words do not suffice,” the couple said. Images: 7News

Relationships

"It was a relief": Rebecca Gibney opens up on mental health struggles

Rebecca Gibney has revealed what a "relief" it was to finally open up about the mental health struggles she faced from 14 to 30-years-old. The New Zealand actress, 58, said she spent a lot of that time "pretending" she was okay despite growing up around domestic violence, as her mother suffered from abuse in the hands of Gibney's late father, Austin. In an interview with Stellar on Saturday, the Packed to the Rafters star shared that she is "loving" how mental health is now being framed. “When I started talking about my mental health struggles and anxiety ... it was a relief,” she told the publication. “I could drop the mask of pretending that I was OK. What I’m loving seeing is that more and more people are now going, ‘I’m not OK’”. Gibney first opened up about her struggles in 2017, when she opened up about the abuse her mother faced and how she was “beaten so badly she had bruises for six months on her legs. “She’d always shut the doors ... you’d hear the yelling and the shouting and the slapping, but you’d never actually see it," she told Women's Day, at the time. After Gibney's father died in 1982, the actress began seeing a therapist, but was "on Valium and in a dark place for quite a while”. In her latest interview with Stellar, Gibney also added that more needed to be done to prevent domestic violence and help survivors. “We still don’t want to talk about it. We need to really drill down (and question), ‘Why is this happening?’ We need more education, more centres," she said. “We need people to be able to get the help they need.” Images: Instagram

Mind

Women get far more migraines than men – a neurologist explains why, and what brings relief

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/danielle-wilhour-1337610">Danielle Wilhour</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-anschutz-medical-campus-4838">University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus</a> A migraine is far <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/what-is-migraine/">more than just a headache</a> – it’s a debilitating disorder of the nervous system. People who have migraines experience severe throbbing or pulsating pain, typically on one side of the head. The pain is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and <a href="https://theconversation.com/migraine-sufferers-have-treatment-choices-a-neurologist-explains-options-beyond-just-pain-medication-181348">extreme sensitivity to light or sound</a>. An attack may last for hours or days, and to ease the suffering, some people spend time isolated in dark, quiet rooms. About 800 million people worldwide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.21857">get migraine headaches</a>; in the U.S. alone, <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/what-is-migraine/">about 39 million</a>, or approximately 12% of the population, have them regularly. And most of these people are women. More than <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2012/04/16/150525391/why-women-suffer-more-migraines-than-men">three times as many women</a> as compared to men get migraines. For women ages 18 to 49, migraine is the leading <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-020-01208-0">cause of disability throughout the world</a>. What’s more, research shows that women’s migraines are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04643-8">more frequent, more disabling and longer-lasting</a> than men’s. Women are more likely than men to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2156-7">seek medical care and prescription drugs</a> for migraines. And women who have migraines <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-021-01281-z">tend to have more mental health issues</a>, including anxiety and depression. <a href="https://som.cuanschutz.edu/Profiles/Faculty/Profile/29586">As a board-certified neurologist</a> who specializes in headache medicine, I find the gender differences in migraines to be fascinating. And some of the reasons why these differences exist may surprise you. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lorXYK2OtAA?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>A variety of medications and therapies offer relief for migraines.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Migraines and hormones</h2> There are several factors behind why men and women experience migraine attacks differently. These include hormones, genetics, how certain genes are activated or deactivated – an <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/epigenetics">area of study called epigenetics</a> – and the environment. All of these factors play a role in shaping the structure, function and adaptability of the brain when it comes to migraines. The hormones <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/estrogen-vs-progesterone#functions">estrogen and progesterone</a>, through different mechanisms, play a role in regulating many biological functions. They affect various chemicals in the brain and may contribute to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/aws175">functional and structural differences</a> in specific brain regions that are involved in the development of migraines. Additionally, sex hormones can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-020-04643-8">quickly change the size of blood vessels</a>, which can predispose people to migraine attacks. During childhood, both boys and girls have an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102409355601">equal chance of experiencing migraines</a>. It’s estimated that about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557813/">10% of all children will have them</a> at some point. But when girls reach puberty, their likelihood of getting migraines increases. That’s due to the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2018.00073">fluctuating levels of sex hormones</a>, primarily <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/estrogens-effects-on-the-female-body">estrogen</a>, associated with puberty – although other hormones, including <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24562-progesterone">progesterone</a>, may be involved too. Some girls have their first migraine around the time <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.23903">of their first menstrual cycle</a>. But migraines are often most common and intense <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmj.39559.675891.AD">during a woman’s reproductive and child-bearing years</a>. Researchers estimate about 50% to 60% of women with migraines <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/menstrual-migraine-treatment-and-prevention/">experience menstrual migraines</a>. These migraines typically occur in the days leading up to menstruation or during menstruation itself, when the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-012-0424-y">drop in estrogen levels can trigger migraines</a>. Menstrual migraines can be more severe and last longer than migraines at other times of the month. A class of medicines that came out in the 1990’s – <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/triptan-migraine#side-effects">triptans</a> – are commonly used to treat migraines; certain triptans can be used specifically for menstrual migraines. Another category of medications, called <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/11086-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-medicines-nsaids">nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs</a>, have also been effective at lessening the discomfort and length of menstrual migraines. So can a variety of birth control methods, which help by keeping hormone levels steady. <h2>Migraine with aura</h2> But women who have <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-with-aura/symptoms-causes/syc-20352072">migraine with aura</a>, which is a distinct type of migraine, should generally avoid using estrogen containing hormonal contraceptives. The combination can increase the risk of stroke because estrogen can promote <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.thromres.2020.05.008">the risk of blood clot formation</a>. Birth control options for women with auras include progesterone-only birth control pills, the Depo-Provera shot, and intrauterine devices. Auras affect about 20% of the people who have migraines. Typically, prior to the migraine, the person most commonly begins to see dark spots and zigzag lines. Less often, about 10% of the time, an inability to speak clearly, or tingling or weakness on one side of the body, also occurs. These symptoms slowly build up, generally last less than an hour before disappearing, and are commonly followed by head pain. Although these symptoms resemble what happens during a stroke, an aura tends to occur slowly, over minutes – while strokes usually happen instantaneously. That said, it may be difficult and dangerous for a nonmedical person to try to discern the difference between the two conditions, particularly in the midst of an attack, and determine whether it’s migraine with aura or a stroke. If there is any uncertainty as to what’s wrong, a call to 911 is most prudent. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Tn91p-PY2h8?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption>If you’re a woman and your migraines happen at the same time every month, it might be menstrual migraines.</figcaption></figure> <h2>Migraines during pregnancy, menopause</h2> For women who are pregnant, migraines can be particularly <a href="https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=headaches-in-early-pregnancy-134-3">debilitating during the first trimester</a>, a time when morning sickness is common, making it difficult to eat, sleep or hydrate. Even worse, missing or skipping any of these things can make migraines more likely. The good news is that migraines generally tend to lessen in severity and frequency throughout pregnancy. For some women, they disappear, especially as the pregnancy progresses. But then, for those who experienced them during pregnancy, migraines tend <a href="https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/postpartum-headache/">to increase after delivery</a>. This can be due to the decreasing hormone levels, as well as sleep deprivation, stress, dehydration and other environmental factors related to caring for an infant. Migraine attacks can also increase during <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21608-perimenopause">perimenopause</a>, a woman’s transitional phase to menopause. Again, fluctuating hormone levels, <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/perimenopause-and-migraines-4009311">particularly estrogen, trigger them</a>, along with the chronic pain, depression and sleep disturbances that can occur during this time. But as menopause progresses, migraines generally decline. In some cases, they completely go away. In the meantime, there are treatments that can help lessen both the frequency and severity of migraines throughout menopause, including <a href="https://www.webmd.com/menopause/menopause-hormone-therapy">hormone replacement therapy</a>. Hormone replacement therapy contains female hormones and is used to replace those that your body makes less of leading up to or after menopause. <h2>Men’s migraines</h2> The frequency and severity of migraines slightly increase for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102409355601">men in their early 20s</a>. They tend to slow down, peak again around age 50, then slow down or stop altogether. Why this happens is not well understood, although a combination of genetic factors, environmental influences and lifestyle choices may contribute to the rise. Medical researchers still have more to learn about why women and men get migraines. Bridging the gender gap in migraine research not only empowers women, but it also advances understanding of the condition as a whole and creates a future where migraines are better managed.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207606/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/danielle-wilhour-1337610">Danielle Wilhour</a>, Assistant Professor of Neurology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-colorado-anschutz-medical-campus-4838">University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus</a> Image credits: Getty Images This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-get-far-more-migraines-than-men-a-neurologist-explains-why-and-what-brings-relief-207606">original article</a>.

Body

11 surprising home remedies for constipation relief

Constipation remedy: Sesame seeds Sesame seeds make great home remedies for constipation, according to a study published in the International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology. The oily composition of sesame seeds works to moisturise the intestines, which can help if dry stools are a problem and provide constipation relief. Add the seeds to cereals or salads for crunch, or pulverise them in a coffee grinder and sprinkle on food like a seasoning. Constipation remedy: Molasses One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses before bed should help ease your constipation by morning. The ingredient was studied by the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2019 on paediatric constipation with successful results. Blackstrap molasses is boiled and concentrated three times, so it has significant vitamins and minerals; magnesium, in particular, will help you achieve constipation relief. Constipation remedy: Fibre Fibre acts like a pipe cleaner, scrubbing food and waste particles from your digestive tract and soaking up water. It adds bulk to your stool, giving the muscles of your GI tract something to grab on to, so they can keep food moving along. The Mayo Clinic suggests aiming for 20 to 35 grams of fibre a day to stay regular. Foods particularly high in fibre include bran cereals, beans, lentils, oats, almonds, barley, many vegetables, and fresh and dried fruits. All of these things can be home remedies for constipation. If you’re constipated and taking in additional fibre, be sure to drink more water than usual to keep your stool soft and easy to pass. Constipation remedy: Mint or ginger tea Mint and ginger are both proven home remedies to help alleviate a slew of digestive problems. Peppermint contains menthol, which has an antispasmodic effect that relaxes the muscles of the digestive tract. Ginger is a ‘warming’ herb that causes the inside of the body to generate more heat; herbalists say this can help speed up sluggish digestion. Dr Stephen Sinatra recommends ginger in either capsule or tea form. In tea, the hot water will also stimulate digestion and provide constipation relief. Dandelion tea is also a gentle laxative and detoxifier. Constipation remedy: Healthy fats Olive oil, nuts and avocados all contain healthy fats, which can help lubricate your intestines and ease constipation, according to the experts at Harvard Medical School. A salad with fibre-rich leafy greens and a simple olive oil dressing, a small handful of nuts, or a tablespoon of natural nut butter on fruit or toast are good options. Even if you’re watching your weight, healthy fats are necessary for basic body functions; they are very satiating to keep you satisfied with less. Constipation remedy: Lemon water The citric acid in lemon juice acts as a stimulant to your digestive system and can help flush toxins from your body, providing constipation relief. Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a glass of water every morning, or add lemon to tea; you may find that the refreshingly tart water not only acts as a natural remedy to your constipation but also it helps you drink more water each day, which will improve your long-term digestion. And don’t be afraid to warm it up, says the American Cancer Society, sharing that warm or hot fluids can also be a helpful treatment. Constipation remedy: Coffee Coffee can stimulate your colon and speed up your trip to the bathroom. Other hot drinks work as home remedies for constipation too: herbal tea or a cup of hot water with a little lemon juice (a natural laxative) or honey may stimulate your colon as well. Coffee is also a diuretic, however, so make sure to keep drinking water or your constipation could become worse, according to Harvard Medical School experts. Constipation remedy: Raisins High in fibre, raisins also contain tartaric acid, according to Stanford Children’s Health, which has a laxative effect. Cherries and apricots are also rich in fibre and can help kick your constipation. Eat these fruits with a bowl of yoghurt for the added benefits of gut-soothing probiotics. Constipation remedy: Prunes This fibre-rich fruit is a go-to home remedy for getting your digestion back on track. Three prunes have 3 grams of fibre, and contain a phenolic compound that triggers the intestinal contraction that makes you want to go. Another great dried fruit choice is figs, which may not cause as much bloating as prunes. Constipation remedy: Castor oil This home remedy for constipation has been handed down for generations. One of the primary uses for castor oil is as a laxative, according to Cleveland Clinic; take one to two teaspoons on an empty stomach and you should see results in about eight hours. Why? A component in the oil breaks down into a substance that stimulates your large and small intestines. Constipation remedy: Exercise The Mayo Clinic promotes exercise as a way to increase muscle activity in your intestines. Even a daily 15-minute walk can help move food through your bowel more quickly. If you feel sleepy after a heavy meal, try to move around instead of lying down. Jump-starting the digestive process can help you avoid that painfully full feeling that often follows a large meal. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/11-surprising-home-remedies-for-constipation-relief-2?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Body

Sneaky reasons you’re bloated all the time

While bloating may be common, it is never enjoyable. Bloating happens when your gastrointestinal tract is filled with air or gas, and can make you feel overly stuffed. Not only can it be uncomfortable, but you may notice physical signs as well, including a swollen or misshapen belly. The good news? According to Abby Langer, a registered dietitian, not all bloating is bad. “Bloating itself is normal after eating,” she says, noting that it simply means your gut and intestinal bacteria are feasting. “But if it’s accompanied by gas, cramps or gastrointestinal symptoms, then it becomes problematic.” Your stomach should not feel hard, and you should not be experiencing severe pain. If you find yourself bloated all the time, the five factors below may be to blame. <h2>You ate capsicum or broccoli</h2> If you’re bloated all the time, it might be down to that heaping pile of veggies you had for dinner. Capsicum, broccoli, legumes and other cruciferous vegetables are rich in fibre and low in kilojoules, but they’re also big-time gas-producers. That doesn’t mean you should leave the veggies off your plate. “You may want to eat fewer at one time – but definitely don’t stop eating them,” says Langer. “Because, again, bloating can be a good sign that the bugs in our gut are having a party.” You can kerb the worst of your veggie bloating by drinking between six to eight 250mL glasses of water throughout the day and cutting down on any added salt, which causes water retention and will only add to the bloating. <h2>Your skim latte</h2> You don’t need to give up your morning coffee, but if you’re prone to ordering the “skim” version of drinks, or use sugar alcohol-based alternative coffee sweeteners like mannitol or sorbitol, this may be the reason you’re bloated all the time. “Sugar alcohols are very popular in the low-carb community,” Langer says. Unfortunately, sugar alcohols like xylitol, lactitol and isomalt also cause bloating – and may be the reason that you’re starting off mornings filled with air or gas. If you’re insistent on a lower-kilojoule take on coffee, you can always try drinking your coffee black – so long as you’re not typically sensitive to caffeine, of course. (In some studies, drinking coffee has been linked to gastrointestinal issues like bloating. Try keeping a journal of how you feel after your morning cup to see if it’s the culprit.) Switching to tea is also on option, since it’s usually less acidic than coffee and has tons of health benefits. <h2>Too much fibre, too fast</h2> According to Langer, many people experience unexpected bloating when they make healthy changes to their diet, thanks to the sudden influx of fibre. When you start eating more high-fibre fruits like apples, mangoes, bananas and strawberries, that fibre can sit in your colon and ferment, which causes bloating. Just as you shouldn’t cut veggies out of your diet, don’t ditch the fruit – or your quest to increase your fibre intake. (On average, women need 25 grams of fibre per day and men 38 grams, but most of us are only getting half that amount.) Go gradually, try a variety of fibre-rich foods and spread your intake across meals. And remember, drinking enough water throughout the day can help keep your bloating in check. <h2>You’re stressed out</h2> Stress and bloating can feel like being stuck in an endless loop. You’re stressed, so you’re bloated… and because you’re bloating, you’re stressed! “When we’re stressed out,” says Langer, “the brain tells the gut to slow down our digestion.” That’s because stress triggers the body’s fight-or-flight response. When that happens, your gut isn’t contracting as often and food isn’t moving through your digestive system because your brain and body are focused on the stressor. Defeating stress can be tricky – especially since we aren’t always outwardly aware we’re feeling that way. Maybe you’re on holiday at a warm, relaxing place, and yet the subconscious stress of travel means you’re both bloated and constipated. Miserable! <h2>You love carbonated water</h2> Many people love sparkling water as an alternative to flat water. In fact, the sparkling water industry is one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverage categories. It can be a much healthier choice than certain indulgences, such as soft drink and alcohol, so it feels like a win. But, “If you consume gas, you’re going to be having gas in your belly,” Langer says. Movement, whether it’s intense or gentle, can help move the gas through your system. Langer suggests getting up and going for a short walk, especially if you’ve been sitting at a desk all day. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/healthsmart/conditions/sneaky-reasons-youre-bloated-all-the-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. Images: Getty

Body

How do I find out what my superannuation fund invests in? A finance expert explains

You want your superannuation savings to be invested in things that also serve the planet’s long-term interests. But how can you be sure your fund’s values align with yours – or even its own claims? This question has become increasingly pertinent as demand for environmentally and socially sustainable investments <a href="https://asic.gov.au/about-asic/news-centre/find-a-media-release/2022-releases/22-141mr-how-to-avoid-greenwashing-for-superannuation-and-managed-funds/">grows</a> – and with it incentives for financial institutions to put the best spin on their offerings. One consultancy specialising in “responsible investment” reckons <a href="https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/superannuation/2021/08/16/greenwashing-super-funds/">10% of the funds</a> it has examined do not have the sustainability orientation they claim. Among those <a href="https://www.edo.org.au/2022/08/10/hestas-fossil-fuel-investments-may-amount-to-a-breach-of-the-law/">accused of greenwashing</a> in recent months is one of Australia’s biggest super funds, HESTA (the industry fund for health and community service workers), which has promoting its “clean energy” credentials while still holding shares in fossil-fuel companies <a href="https://www.ai-cio.com/news/australias-hesta-accused-of-greenwashing/">Woodside and Santos</a>. So how can you check what your superannuation fund invests in? Super funds are legally obliged to disclose how they invest your money in two different disclosure documents – a Product Disclosure Statement and a Portfolio Holdings Disclosure. Both will be available on a super fund’s website, though how easily you can find them will vary. The rest of this article is going to explain what information these documents provide, how useful this information is likely to be, and your best bet to ensure your super fund reflects your values. <h2>The Product Disclosure Statement</h2> Product disclosure statements are required by the financial regulator (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission) for all financial products. This document outlines the most basic but important information of an investment product’s features, benefits, risks and costs, including fees and taxes. The format is standardised, with one section (Section 5) covering with “How we invest your money”. The information it contains is broad. At best you’ll learn how the fund splits its investments between safe and riskier assets, and between different asset classes – Australian shares, international shares, property trusts, infrastructure trust, cash and so on. <h2>Portfolio Holding Disclosure</h2> For a comprehensive look at where your money is invested in, you can consider the Portfolio Holdings Disclosure. This document lists a fund’s complete holdings – including the percentage and value of every single company stock held. Portfolio holdings disclosures are relatively new, being obligatory only since March 2022 under <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2021L01531">legislation</a> meant to improve transparency in the sector. However, super funds aren’t obliged to provide this information in a consistent, easily understandable way. For a non-expert who doesn’t know what to look for, the level of detail can be mind-boggling. You may find yourself scrutinising a spreadsheet listing thousands of items. The Australian Retirement Trust’s Portfolio Holdings Disclosure for its “Lifecycle Balanced Pool”, for example, has more than <a href="https://www.australianretirementtrust.com.au/investments/what-we-invest-in/superannuation-investments">8,000</a> line items. Some super funds have made the effort to provide this information in a more user-friendly format. An example is Future Super, which allows you to <a href="https://www.futuresuper.com.au/everything-we-invest-in/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=1757241588&utm_content=68234193065&utm_term=future%20super&campaigntype=SearchNetwork-1757241588&device=c&campaignid=1757241588&adgroup=68234193065&keyword=future%20super&matchtype=p&placement=&adposition=&location=9069039&gclid=CjwKCAjwmJeYBhAwEiwAXlg0AYOEe2tJViZiZBgUk3bt1h9LNuHx1jWnGy6VzqGaNjBzOEi60852JRoCel8QAvD_BwE">search and filter</a> portfolio holdings by asset class and country of origin. But if your concern is to avoid investing in some specific activity such as in mining fossil fuels or gambling, you’ll need to know the companies and other assets you want to avoid for this to be helpful. <h2>Your best options</h2> This is not to say portfolio holding disclosure obligations are useless. They are incredibly useful – a huge leap forward in the sector’s accountability. They just aren’t designed for consumers. So there is still much work to be done to make the sector truly transparent. What would really help is independent certification and ratings of super products, similar to government websites and programs that certify energy efficiency and allow comparison of electricity plans. In the meantime, I can offer you one big tip. Choose a specific superannuation product that markets itself on its environmental or social sustainability credentials. Most super funds now provide these choices alongside their more traditional investment options. There is a variety of “screening” approaches to ethical investments. Some exclude entire sectors. Others include the best environmental and social performers even among “sinful” industries such as tobacco or weapons. So just because a super product is marketed as “ethical” or “sustainable” doesn’t guarantee you will agree with all its investments. But there is a much higher likelihood of it living up to its claims due to greater scrutiny by third parties such as environmental groups as well as the financial regulator. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission put super funds on notice earlier this year with a “<a href="https://asic.gov.au/regulatory-resources/financial-services/how-to-avoid-greenwashing-when-offering-or-promoting-sustainability-related-products/">guidance note</a>” about the growing risk of greenwashing in sustainability-related financial products. It reminded funds that “making statements (or disseminating information) that are false or misleading, or engaging in dishonest, misleading or deceptive conduct in relation to a financial product or financial service” is against the law. So super funds know their portfolios are being scrutinised. Switching your investment option or fund is simpler than you think. You only need to fill out and lodge a form. Just be sure to compare fees and performance, and seek a second opinion from trustworthy adviser before “voting with your wallet”. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-i-find-out-what-my-superannuation-fund-invests-in-a-finance-expert-explains-188802" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Retirement Income

8 key steps to healing after loss

Healing may mean different things to different people and may also look different, but it has one common theme: getting better. Healing may seem simple, yet it is a complex process that often involves many intricate aspects and phases coming together in perfect synchronicity. In straightforward terms, healing means finding relief and getting and feeling better, which can be felt physically, emotionally and spiritually. Healing is not an easy process and nobody knows how long it will take for any individual to start feeling better. However, one thing is for sure: healing needs your active participation, and possibly even your complete devotion. It can be hard work and it requires intention, focus, support, faith, understanding, compassion, empathy and a large dose of love. Healing from any type of loss is a lifelong commitment. Although the work of healing yourself is always ongoing, it can be seen as a promise to be restored, a pledge to feel joy again. Through my exploration into healing my own trauma and working with grief I have found eight key elements that are vital in helping to move forward and embrace the joy of living. It can be a tough process but I have learned one simple fact: there is nothing wrong with admitting I am a work in progress and I am not perfect. You are a work in progress and you are not perfect, and that is completely fine. Acceptance of who you have become and who you are at the present moment will bring you inner peace. I hope you will find the eight key elements useful on your healing journey. 1. Make your intention to heal clear to the universe and, more importantly, to yourself. Use the following affirmation: ‘I am ready to heal.’ 2. Focus your attention: do not allow distractions or self-destructive talk. Take a few cleansing breaths to focus your mind and direct your attention on what you need to address in order to ease the healing process. 3. Keep an open heart: always keep your heart open to welcoming love and joy no matter how hard it is. 4. Release everything that does not serve you in your quest for healing. Use the following affirmation: ‘I release any negative energy that is obstructing my healing process. I invite only positive energy to bless my healing process.’ 5. Commit to undertaking the healing work every day. Use the following affirmation: ‘I commit to always do what it takes to heal every single day.’ 6. Have hope: inculcate a desire for change, as it will keep the flame of trust burning. 7. Love: love is our blueprint for life. Always go back to love. 8. Have faith: faith is knowing deep inside you will be all right. You may never be complete, but you will still be doing just fine. Do not fear grief, for it is a natural process and a partner in your healing. Remember: healing is an ongoing process so always be gentle and compassionate with yourself. Edited extract from The Art of Grieving: Gentle self-care practices to heal a broken heart (Rockpool Publishing, $29.95), by Corinne Laan. Now available where all good books are sold and online at <a href="http://www.rockpoolpublishing.co" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.rockpoolpublishing.co</a> Image: Shutterstock

Relationships

Couple tackle the Nullabor to raise funds for polio charity

A Tasmanian couple are jumping on their bicycles ahead of their 2750-kilometre journey - and they’re doing it to raise funds for a good cause. Phil and Joyce Ogden, who have been members of Rotary for over a decade, are undertaking the trek from Perth to Adelaide as part of an epic fundraiser for Rotary’s END POLIO campaign. The campaign, which was started over 30 years ago by Rotary, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation, has been driving towards the goal of completely eradicating Polio, beginning with a project to vaccinate children in the Philippines against the disease in 1979. Now, Polio is believed to only be naturally spreading in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but according to the <a href="https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/wha65/A65_20-en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Health Assembly</a>, failing to eradicate the disease would be a “global health emergency”. “We feel the enormous effort which has gone into turning the tide of the disease will be lost if pressure, and fundraising, is not maintained until the final handful of cases is consigned to history,” the Ogdens said in a message to all Rotarians. With the support of their South Launceston Rotary Club, the Odgens have planned to begin their trip in mid-May and hope to raise awareness of the cause along the way. “If we take our collective eyes off the ball, the disease will re-establish,” the couple said. “So, we are still committed to making our personal donations every year but felt we might harness another of our passions, cycling, to push things along - once again with the assistance of Rotary.” With limited sources of water and no shops to buy food from along the Nullarbor, the couple will carry a week’s worth of food and two days of water at a time, and they’re relying on dehydrated food which will be mailed ahead of them. Their upcoming journey isn’t a first for the Ogdens, who have covered more than 100,000 kilometres from crossing the European Alps, the Pyrenees and the Rockies. Heather Chong, the Tasmanian District Governor, praised the pair and described them as “adventurous philanthropists”. The couple have started an <a href="https://raise.rotary.org/phil-ogden/fundraiser" target="_blank" rel="noopener">online fundraiser</a> with a goal of raising $40,000. As of publication, the fundraiser has already collected $10,000 in donations, with every $1 donated prompting the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to contribute $2. Image: Supplied

Caring

Why do antidepressants help with nerve pain relief?

<div class="copy"> Tricyclic antidepressants have long been known to have more than one purpose: among other things, they can alleviate pain – particularly nerve pain. Recent research has finally established why these tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) can help with nerve pain. The discovery could lead to the rapid development of pain relief medications that don’t include the side effects of TCAs. Nerve pain comes from a variety of sources – including cancer, diabetes, trauma, multiple sclerosis, and infections. These treatments could address a range of different types of nerve pain. It turns out the drugs inhibit a key protein in our nerves, called an N-type calcium channel. These N-type calcium channels are shaped like tiny gates, allowing positively charged calcium ions, or Ca2+, through them. This helps with the transmission of pain signals in the body. Researchers have long been keen to find things that “close” the gate of these calcium channels because that’s likely to have analgesic effects. Adjunct Professor Peter Duggan, a researcher with the CSIRO and senior collaborator on the project, says that he and his colleagues initially stumbled across TCAs from a very different direction: they were investigating the toxins of venomous marine cone snails. “A few of the components in that toxin are actually painkillers and they block these calcium ion channels very, very effectively,” says Duggan. The cone snail toxin has the potential to be very dangerous to people, as well as needing to be administered in an impractical way, so the researchers started looking at similar compounds that might have some of the same properties. “What we’ve been doing is designing and making small molecules that mimic the activity of those kinds of toxins,” says Duggan. “One class that we looked at gradually trended towards the same structure as the tricyclic antidepressants.” Once they realised that TCA-like molecules could block these calcium channels, the researchers set out to look at TCAs specifically. Duggan’s collaborators at the University of Queensland set up a lab-based experiment with 11 TCAs and two drugs that are chemically very similar to TCAs. These 13 drugs were administered to in vitro neuroblastoma cells. “They’re (neuroblastoma) a type of brain cancer cell that naturally expresses the channel we’re interested in,” explains Duggan. Analysis of the cells by UQ, CSIRO and Monash University researchers showed that the drugs could all limit the amount of calcium that got transmitted through the cells. This means that these TCAs must alleviate pain by inhibiting the N-type calcium channel. A paper describing the work is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1039/D1MD00331C" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published</a> in RSC Medicinal Chemistry. Duggan says that there may be other mechanisms by which TCAs kill pain as well, and they definitely have other biochemical effects in the body. But it’s unlikely that the calcium channel-blocking is helpful in treating depression. TCAs are a very old and well-established form of antidepressant, and for treating depression, they’ve largely been replaced by newer drugs with fewer side effects. “They’re what we call ‘dirty drugs’,” explains Dr Michael Vagg, dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, and an associate professor at Deakin University. “They have effects on lots of transmitter systems and receptors in the body. They don’t have just the one straightforward action; they have multiple actions.” This means that TCAs typically have several side effects, including drowsiness, blurred vision and constipation. But because the researchers now have a specific understanding of how they alleviate pain, they can develop new drugs that don’t have these side effects. “The more we understand about how TCAs are causing the painkilling effect, the actual intimate mechanism of how they’re doing it, then there’s more chance of us being able to develop compounds that target that type of activity and not have other side effects or the other antidepressant effects,” says Duggan. Vagg is optimistic that better drugs are on the way. He cites the recent proliferation of new migraine treatments, which arrived less than a decade after researchers <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/migraine-masters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">found a similar key mechanism</a> in the brain, as his reasoning for this. He emphasises that it’s not yet a done deal – any new drug based on this research would still need to make it through the development pipeline and clinical trials. “I think because the tricyclic drugs are already widely used, and already seem to have – for most people – an acceptable level of safety, I suspect that means that development will go smoother rather than rougher,” says Vagg. This is good news for the roughly one in 20 Australians who suffer from nerve pain. “Nerve pain is highly disabling and ruins lives. The best current treatments only work to a useful degree on every third or fourth person who receives them,” says Vagg. “We have not had any really effective new treatments for nerve pain for a long time and this work opens up the possibility of designing a new class of drugs with improved safety and effectiveness.” Image credits: Getty Images <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=189966&title=Why+do+antidepressants+help+with+nerve+pain+relief%3F" width="1" height="1" data-spai-target="src" data-spai-orig="" data-spai-exclude="nocdn" /></div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/tricyclic-antidepressants-nerve-pain-treatments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. </div>

Mind

Ed Sheeran joins concert for Ukraine relief

Ed Sheeran is the latest musician added to the lineup of a charity concert to help Ukraine. He joins the likes of Snow Patrol, Camila Cabello, Tom Odell, Becky Hill, Manic Street Preachers, Emeli Sande and many more, who will all be performing the fundraising concert in Birmingham. Proceeds from the concert will go to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Ukraine Humanitarian appeal, which is providing food, water, shelter and medical assistance to refugees in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. "I will be singing to try to help every human being forced to flee their home and in solidarity with those being racially discriminated against even within this humanitarian crisis," Emeli Sande said in a statement. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> 💙💛 <a href="https://twitter.com/Camila_Cabello?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Camila_Cabello</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/edsheeran?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@edsheeran</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/emelisande?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@emelisande</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/GregoryPorter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GregoryPorter</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/snowpatrol?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@snowpatrol</a> are the first performers to be announced for Concert for Ukraine, a two hour fundraiser event raising money for the <a href="https://twitter.com/decappeal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@decappeal</a> humanitarian appeal in Ukraine on Tuesday 29 March on ITV 🌻 <a href="https://t.co/TnoBCfWX3f">pic.twitter.com/TnoBCfWX3f</a> — ITV (@ITV) <a href="https://twitter.com/ITV/status/1505822111448842244?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2022</a></blockquote> "Nobody should be refused access to relief, aid and the right to cross the border to safety, and I'm pleased for the chance to support the DEC's appeal to help all people whose lives have been affected by the conflict." The concert will be hosted by Spice Girl Emma Bunton, alongside Marvin Humes and Roman Kemp on March 29th at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, United Kingdom. Another fundraiser concert will also be taking place in the UK at west London’s famous Shepherd’s Bush, with big name acts performing at A Night For Ukraine, with 100 percent of profits going towards the Disasters Emergency Committee‘s (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. Image credits: Getty Images

Music

France’s pledge to Ukrainian artists

In order to help struggling artists in Ukraine who have been impacted by the Russian invasion, the French government has announced a $1.5 million relief fund to help workers in the arts. According to a statement from the French Ministry of Culture, the initiative will also be available to “dissident” Russian artists fleeing the nation’s crackdown on free speech. “The emergency reception program will finance Ukrainian artists and cultural professionals and their families for a period of three months, via the Pause program, [consisting of] residencies within the network of public establishments of the ministry and through the Cité internationale des arts [an artist-in-residence building in Paris],” the ministry’s statement said. Two thirds of the funds will be dedicated to an emergency telephone service offered in both Russian and Ukrainian that will offer support to imperilled artists through networking with regional professionals and studio space opportunities. The remainder of the funds will be directed to help Ukrainian students to enrol at colleges and cultural organisations in France. Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, the French minister of culture, said the ministry “wants Ukrainian artists to be supported so they can continue their creative work in France…This additional support will be in the form of research grants and funding for artistic projects, but also for organising exhibitions.” Russia’s unprompted attack on Ukraine began on February 24th, and has seen at least 2.6 million Ukrainians flee their war-torn home country. According to the French interior minister, Gèrald Darmanin, the French government has pledged to accept around 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

Government funds bail out festival cancellations with Event Saver Fund

As another year of music festivals and summer events have been cancelled in the eleventh hour by the pandemic, the NSW government has put their hand up to help the arts. The state government recently announced the Event Saver Fund, which is aimed at financially supporting the state’s music industry that has been devastated by the latest wave of Omicron. At a recent press conference, NSW Treasurer Matt Kean revealed that a $43 million fund has been established for organisers of the cancelled events to be financially supported if they've been cancelled or may be affected by changes to public health orders. “This fund is a $43 million fund that will ensure that we will underwrite sunk costs for the festivals that could be impacted by changes to public health orders,” he said. The fund will help organisers to pay their staff and suppliers, as well as recoup other costs lost in the event planning that got cancelled or cut short due to lockdowns or border closures. Minister for the Arts Ben Franklin said the vital funding will give event organisers to continue to plan festivals without the stress of a last-minute cancellation costing them thousands. “Major events provide tremendous social benefits to the community, bringing us together to enjoy live performances,” he said. “As we look to rebound from the effects of the past two years, this funding will help support local jobs and ensure major event organisers can plan with confidence to safely deliver their events in 2022/23.” Australian Festivals Association chair Julia Robertson welcomed the Event Saver package, and emphasised how much the industry has suffered since the start of the pandemic. “This package is really great for building confidence,” she said. “For helping those festivals that have got events coming up — to maintain those festival lineups — but also to those events that have had to be cancelled over the last couple of weeks due to the Omicron variant. “We will be able to help those events recover some of those costs that they’ve lost. We’ve got a really long way to building that confidence for the festival industry, so thank you.” Image credits: Getty Images

Music

Labor’s proposed $10 billion social housing fund isn’t big as it seems, but it could work

The centrepiece of Labor’s election program so far is its A$10 billion social housing policy, officially called the <a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/housing_future_fund">Housing Australia Future Fund</a>. In the first five years the fund would be used to build <ul> <li> 20,000 social housing properties for people on low incomes - 4,000 of the 20,000 for women and children fleeing violence and for low income older women at risk of homelessness </li> <li> 10,000 “affordable” housing properties </li> <li> $200 million for the repair, maintenance and improvements of housing in remote Indigenous communities </li> <li> $100 million for crisis and transitional housing for women and children fleeing violence and for low income older women at risk of homelessness </li> <li> $30 million to build more housing and fund specialist services for veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness </li> </ul> Although needed, its a far short of the 100,000 extra social housing units we would have had if social housing been growing in line with total housing in recent years, a gap that is climbing by 4,000 homes a year. And, like the frilled-neck lizard, the $10 billion looks much bigger than it is. Labor could probably do what it has promised to do for $450 million per year. Instead, it says it would borrow $10 billion at low interest rates, invest the money for much higher returns, and use the proceeds to pay for the program. If the fund earns 4.5% more than the cost of borrowing it’ll get the $450 million per year. Rather than use the money to build the houses it will use the money to fund service payments to community housing providers who build them. As Labor points out, it’s a mechanism used by the current government, which has set up five such funds in addition to the <a href="https://www.futurefund.gov.au/">Future Fund</a> used to fund public service pensions (of which more later). <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440171/original/file-20220111-13-1erhnaj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440171/original/file-20220111-13-1erhnaj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/housing_future_fund" class="source">Extract from Labor's Housing Australia Future Fund election policy</a> Two of these funds, the Medical Research Future Fund and the Disability Care Australia Fund are actually bigger than the proposed Housing Fund. A problem with this structure designed to make the commitment look bigger than it is is that spending on social housing will depend on the returns of the fund. Allocating money from one source to spending on one particular purpose is called <a href="https://www.cis.org.au/app/uploads/2015/07/pm75.pdf">hypothecation</a>, a word closely related to “<a href="https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/429589/is-hypothecate-anything-to-do-in-origin-or-meaning-with-hypothetical/570700">hypothetical</a>”. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440181/original/file-20220111-19-6m0mfi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440181/original/file-20220111-19-6m0mfi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Medicare funding is independent of the levy. Dean Lewins/AAP The Medicare Levy of 2% of most taxable incomes is intended to be for funding Medicare, but funds only part of it. In contrast, there doesn’t appear to be any plan to guarantee payments for social housing if in any year the Social Housing Fund fails to make money. The bigger question is whether it makes sense for governments to use funds like the Future Fund to put money into income-generating investments in private companies (the Future Fund invests in <a href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1918/20200630_-_Top_100_largest_listed_equity_holdings.pdf">Apple, Microsoft and the Commonwealth Bank</a>) or to use any available funds to pay down government debt. The answer depends in part on whether the profits the funds earn are genuine or mere compensation for the risky business of investing in shares, which can always go wrong. My work on the so-called “equity premium”, the excess return for investing in shares, suggests that is <a href="https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/15061616.pdf">genuine</a> and exceeds what’s needed to compensate for risk, making investment in the stock market an appealing option for governments in the absence of better opportunities. But the premium is not limitless, for two reasons. One is that if governments borrow enough and buy enough shares, we can reasonably expected the government’s cost of borrowing to rise and the rate of return on shares to fall, reducing the equity premium. The other is that if buying shares is pursued far enough, governments will become major, or even majority, shareholders in large businesses, effectively becoming owners. <h2>Future funds should invest in what governments do best</h2> Long experience suggests that while governments are quite good at running some types of businesses (especially those involving infrastructure and requiring large amounts of capital) they are not nearly as good at running others. Retailing comes to mind. If we accept that large debt-financed public investment can make sense, it follows that governments should own as much as 100% of some types of businesses (businesses such as Telstra come to mind) and little or none of others, such as shopping centres, which Australia’s government <a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7139681/the-sale-of-belconnen-mall/">did indeed once own</a>. And that was generally the way Australia’s economy worked during the brief period of broadly shared-prosperity in the mid-20th century. Governments borrowed at low rates and invested in physical and social infrastructure, such as roads and communications services. The more funds there are like Labor’s proposed Housing Australia Future Fund the more likely it is we will get back there.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174406/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/john-quiggin-2084">John Quiggin</a>, Professor, School of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-queensland-805">The University of Queensland</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-proposed-10-billion-social-housing-fund-isnt-big-as-it-seems-but-it-could-work-174406">original article</a>.

Real Estate

The compelling case for a future fund for social housing

As more and more Australians are forced into private renting, including Australians who once would have owned homes or lived in social housing, more are living in <a href="https://www.acoss.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/ACOSS_Poverty-in-Australia-Report_Web-Final.pdf">poverty</a>, suffering <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/912-Money-in-retirement.pdf">financial stress</a> and becoming <a href="https://blog.grattan.edu.au/2019/06/who-is-homeless-in-australia/">homeless</a>. Social housing – where rents are typically capped at 25% of tenants’ incomes – used to make a big difference to the lives of many vulnerable Australians. Infrastructure Victoria has found that it makes a big difference to homelessness. Only 7% of renters in social housing subsequently become homeless, compared to 20% of private renters. But the stock of social housing – currently around 430,000 dwellings – has barely grown in 20 years, during a time Australia’s population has grown 33%. Given that most social housing tenants stay for more than five years, the stagnating stock of such housing means there are few openings available for people whose lives take a turn for the worse. We not only have fewer social houses per person, we also have vastly fewer openings for anyone looking. <h2>The fund would leverage cheap money</h2> Social housing is expensive. The capital cost per unit over and above what is recouped in rent amounts to about A$300,000. A new Grattan Institute paper released on Monday makes the case for a $20 billion federal government <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/a-place-to-call-home-its-time-for-a-social-housing-future-fund/">Social Housing Future Fund</a>, which would make regular capital grants to state governments and community housing providers. Future funds are not unusual. The <a href="https://www.futurefund.gov.au/about-us/who-we-are/board-of-guardians">Future Fund Board of Guardians</a>, chaired by former Commonwealth Treasurer Peter Costello already manages $247.8 billion in assets across six funds addressing problems ranging from covering federal public servants’ superannuation entitlements to drought to disability care to medical research. <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434062/original/file-20211126-27-iuq4w2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434062/original/file-20211126-27-iuq4w2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Peter Costello chairs the Future Fune Board of Guardians. Dean Lewins/AAP The endowment for the Social Housing Future Fund could be established by borrowing at today’s ultra-low interest rates. Some states, including Victoria, NSW, and Queensland already operate social housing investment funds, some financed by privatisations, others financed by government borrowing. The funds would be managed by the existing Future Fund Board of Guardians with only the returns above inflation used to provide capital grants for housing, maintaining the real value of the fund over time. Capital grants for new social housing units would be allocated by the existing <a href="https://www.nhfic.gov.au/">National Housing Finance and Investment Corporation</a> via competitive tenders after specifying dwelling size, location and subsidies for tenants. As is the case with the existing Future Fund, the funding would be off budget, with only each year’s profits or losses affecting the budget balance. The extra $20 billion in gross government debt would be small compared to the nearly <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-09/federal-budget-2020-debt-deficit-blowout-explained/12741472">$1 trillion</a> currently on issue, supported by about $500 billion a year in federal government revenues. <h2>How much could a $20 billion fund support?</h2> A $20 billion fund that achieved after-inflation returns of 4-5%, could over time provide $900 million each year – enough to deliver 3,000 extra social housing units a year in perpetuity, assuming capital grants of $300,000 per dwelling. Starting in 2022-23, the fund could build 24,000 social housing dwellings by 2030, and 54,000 by 2040. Future governments would be at liberty to top up the fund, helping expand the social housing share of the national housing stock. <hr /> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434215/original/file-20211127-23-1xithw8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434215/original/file-20211127-23-1xithw8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Assuming $300,000 capital grant per dwelling, indexed to inflation. <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/a-place-to-call-home-its-time-for-a-social-housing-future-fund/" class="source">Source: Grattan analysis</a> <hr /> The <a href="https://alp.org.au/policies/housing_future_fund">Labor Party</a> has proposed something similar, in which funds are used for annual service payments to community housing providers rather than via upfront capital grants. The on-budget cost of our proposal would be modest: about $400 million a year, or less than 0.1% of federal government spending in the form of interest costs. Alternatively, part of the above-inflation return from the fund each year could be used to cover these costs, leaving $500 million available to fund the construction of nearly 1,700 new social housing units per year with no hit to the budget. The Commonwealth should require state governments to match its contributions. <h2>States could double the money</h2> Any state that did not agree to provide matching contributions would be ineligible for capital grants for social housing in that year, with the savings reinvested in the Future Fund and distributed across all states the following year. If matched state funding was forthcoming, the fund could provide 6,000 social homes a year – enough to stop social housing shrinking as a share of the total housing stock. This would double the build to 48,000 new homes by 2030, and 108,000 by 2040, boosting the current stock by one quarter. <hr /> <a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434216/original/file-20211127-23-h5zalb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434216/original/file-20211127-23-h5zalb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> Assuming $300,000 capital grant per dwelling, indexed to inflation. <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/news/a-place-to-call-home-its-time-for-a-social-housing-future-fund/" class="source">Source: Grattan analysis</a> By itself, a Social Housing Future Fund wouldn’t solve the housing crisis for low-income Australians. We would still need to boost rent assistance for people on income support and do more to boost housing supply to bring rents down. But it would give a much-needed helping hand to some of our most vulnerable, and keep social housing there for future generations should they need it.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172508/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-coates-154644">Brendan Coates</a>, Program Director, Economic Policy, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/grattan-institute-1168">Grattan Institute</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-compelling-case-for-a-future-fund-for-social-housing-172508">original article</a>. Image: Shuttershock

Real Estate

Promising pain relief

Chronic pain is a global health burden. In Australia, it is estimated that over 3.4 million people suffer from persistent pain. Nonetheless, a lack of therapeutics has led to <a style="font-size: 14px;" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/pain-education-could-end-the-opioid-crisis/" target="_blank">overprescription of opioids</a>, which provide only limited relief in patients with chronic neuropathic pain and can lead to severe adverse effects, <a style="font-size: 14px;" rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/medicine/opioids-and-overdose-risk/" target="_blank">including addiction and overdose</a>. <div class="copy"> Neuropathic pain is often chronic and occurs when the pain system – brain, nervous and immune system – is not working correctly. When the pain system function well, nerves fire “danger” signals to the brain when a threat is present – when your hand is touching a stove, for example. If the brain perceives the threat as dangerous – the last time you touched the stove, your finger got badly burned – it creates pain to protect the body. An injury, a viral infection, a disease or cancer treatment can damage the pain system leading the nerves to misfire such danger signals and the brain to misinterpret threats. The pain persists because the brain thinks the body needs constant protection. Opioids are the most commonly prescribed painkillers, but while they might be very effective in acute pain episodes, they are ineffective for the long-term treatment of ongoing pain and carry many severe side effects. In a new study <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03897-2" target="_blank">published today</a> in Nature, Monash University researchers reported a new class of molecules that might be a safer and effective alternative to opioids. “The world is in the grip of a global opioid crisis, and there is an urgent need for non-opioid drugs that are both safe and effective,” said Professor Arthur Christopoulos, dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Monash University and author of the study. The researchers discovered that these molecules, called positive allosteric modulators (PAM), bind the adenosine A1 receptor (A1R), which has long been recognised as a promising therapeutic target for non-opioid drugs to treat neuropathic pain, with high precision in rats. By binding to A1R, the PAM regulates the increased adenosine levels in the spinal cord of rats with neuropathic pain. Although non-opioid analgesic agents targeting A1R had been studied before, the development of therapeutics has failed because of a lack of drug-A1R binding selectivity, which led to low efficacy and adverse effects. The Monash researchers used high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy to solve the structure of the A1 receptor bound to either its natural activator, adenosine, and an analgesic PAM to the atomic level. That allowed them to zoom in into the mechanism underpinning allosteric drug actions, said Associate Professor Wendy Imlach, head of the Pain Mechanisms lab at Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and an author of the study. Understanding the drug-A1R binding mechanism to the atomic level could help researchers design an allosteric drug that best binds A1R. “This multidisciplinary study now provides a valuable launchpad for the next stage in our drug discovery pipeline, which will leverage structure-based insights for the design of novel non-opioid allosteric drugs to treat chronic pain successfully,” said Professor Christopoulos. While the current best scientific evidence on chronic pain treatment includes a <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/australia/pain-and-the-brain-closing-the-gap-between-modern-pain-science-and-clinical-practice/" target="_blank">combination of pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical therapies</a>, the lack of therapeutics has led to a global opioid crisis. If proved safe and effective in humans, this new class of analgesics could offer some relief to the millions who suffer from chronic pain across the world.  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=164905&title=Promising+pain+relief" alt="" width="1" height="1" /> </div> <div id="contributors"> <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/body-and-mind/non-opioid-painkillers-are-on-the-way/" target="_blank">This article</a> was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/manuela-callari" target="_blank">Manuela Callari</a>. Dr Manuela Callari is a Sydney-based freelance science writer who specialises in health and medical stories. </div>

Body

Dad spends daughter’s wedding fund on car and holiday

After posting about his situation on <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/comments/mhgoq5/aita_for_spending_my_daughters_wedding_fund_on_a/" target="_blank">Reddit</a>, a father has been questioning whether it was wrong of him to spend the $35,000 (AUD $45,045) he had saved for his daughter’s wedding on gifts for himself instead. In the post, he explained his daughter’s wedding had been postponed for more than a year, ending with her choosing to elope rather than going through with the ceremony. Having saved the cash for the wedding fund, the man said he was ‘thrilled’ that his daughter was still able to get married, but also that he could ‘put [the money] to other use’. He revealed that he used the money to treat himself to a new car and take his wife on a holiday. ‘I didn’t think this was controversial,’ the man said. But, his decision has caused major controversy. Just weeks after the daughter had eloped, she asked whether she could dip into the fund of savings to put a down payment on a property. After learning that he had spent the cash, his daughter and ex-wife called him out as ‘selfish’. Her dad defended himself, saying, ‘I never told her it was a wedding or whatever she wanted fund, so I didn’t think I did anything wrong.’ But he’s questioning whether his opinion was biased. ‘I’m a blue collar guy. She knew that I had money put aside for her wedding,’ he added. ‘I never told her it was a fund for her to use on whatever. I paid for her [university] and planned on paying for her wedding but beyond that didn’t plan on paying her way through life.’ The Reddit post received over 1,000 comments, many sided with him and supported his decision to spend the money he’d earned on himself. ‘[This man] paid for his daughter’s entire [university] tuition and living expenses so she’s starting out in life with zero debt,’ one user replied. ‘Isn’t that gift enough?’ Another said, ‘[Your] daughter is allowed to be disappointed, but not an ungrateful, entitled brat.’ Offering a more neutral view, a third commenter said, ‘At the end of the day, it is your money and adult children are not owed houses, cars or weddings by their parents’, claiming they ‘personally’ would have ‘at least given her some of the money as a wedding present.’

Money & Banking

Man who rescued baby whale plans to donate fine funds to marine charities

<div class="body_text "> Django Hopkins didn’t think twice when he saw a baby whale calf tangled in shark netting and rescued the whale in his tinny. However, as Hopkins is from Queensland, it’s illegal to interfere with equipment used for shark control and he could have received a possible fine of up to $26,900. A fundraising page was set up to cover the costs of the fine and it quickly raised more than $20,000. "The GoFundMe page is by two guys I don't even know – they started it, and I think it's about $24,000 today," Hopkins said. He’s made it clear he’s not planning on pocketing the money, as a Department of Fisheries investigation has cleared him of any serious breaches. "It can either go to Sea Shepherd or it can go back to them - I'm not just going to get it and go to the pub when they open." The whole experience of saving the calf was “the best part of the whole thing”, according to Hopkins. "I'm a typical Aussie male, I do stuff first and think about it later. There was no real thinking, I saw it and that was it, you just get going and get in the water," Django told 2GB's Ben Fordham on Thursday. "(Saving the calf) was the best part of the whole thing. Because of the adrenaline going through the whole experience, I can barely remember any of it." <div class="embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9"><iframe class="embed-responsive-item" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2jk90q1eTtc"></iframe></div> He also holds no ill will towards the Department of Fisheries and said they’ve done the right thing. "It's hard to put yourself in the position where you're going to break the law or help something or someone, but they have pulled bodies out of these things - so I get it on their behalf." The whole experience wouldn’t stop him from helping another animal in distress but warns others not to do the same. "I was going straight in. I'm not scared of it, to be honest," he said. "I wouldn't recommend everyone go and do it, its highly dangerous." </div>

Travel Trouble

Federer and Nadal go above and beyond at Aussie Open's Rally for Relief

The tennis world has dug deep to raise a staggering $4.8 million for bushfire victims in a night of thrilling entertainment at the Rally for Relief which took place at Rod Laver Arena. The man behind the groundbreaking initiative was none other than Aussie’s own Nick Kyrgios, who was completely overcome with emotion after the total figure of $4,826,014 was revealed to him on court. The crowd in Melbourne was thrilled as he went head-to-head with Roger Federer in a one-set finale that was the highlight on the night. “I just got goosebumps when you said that number,” said Kyrgios. “It’s been an emotional couple of weeks. I just wanted to send a message, I just had to do it so I wrote the Tweet. “The whole Aussie team got behind it and I woke up the next day and it exploded, it was so emotional. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> "It's been an emotional couple of weeks," says <a href="https://twitter.com/NickKyrgios?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NickKyrgios</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rally4Relief?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rally4Relief</a> To contribute: <a href="https://t.co/a3qgsExZQj">https://t.co/a3qgsExZQj</a> <a href="https://t.co/RKvhFLyscU">pic.twitter.com/RKvhFLyscU</a> — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1217393053138288640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote> “Back home at Canberra I couldn’t even go outside (due to the smoke), it was hard and I’m just so happy that we had Roger, Rafa, Novak – some of the greats – to get behind this.” The one-off special event saw some of the biggest names in tennis taking part, including Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams, who donated their time to encourage support for charities helping deal with the bushfire crisis. The night was enjoyed by many, as the atmosphere was lighthearted with 12 players competing in a series of jovial matches and challenges to help raise money for the natural disaster. Spanish favourite Nadal also made a major announcement, revealing that he and Federer had donated a cumulative $250,000 from their own pockets after chatting earlier in the day. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> "Talking with Roger, we decided to give $250,000 together." 👏 👏 👏 👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rally4Relief?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rally4Relief</a> To contribute: <a href="https://t.co/9RPgZ7cBoB">https://t.co/9RPgZ7cBoB</a> <a href="https://t.co/ocdiw8D0if">pic.twitter.com/ocdiw8D0if</a> — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/1217378578188447745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote> “Talking with Roger a couple of hours ago we decided to give $250,000 Australian dollars to the bushfire relief together,” he said. “Hopefully that can keep inspiring people to support this terrible disaster that we were going through and helps to recover all the things that we need (sic).” Later in the night, a Victorian firefighter had her dreams come true after she was given the chance to play with Nadal himself for an epic doubles match. Deb, a member of the Stuart Mill fire brigade, revealed on air that for the last few weeks she has been involved in battling fires in the crisis gripping the country. She admitted that it had been a very difficult time, as she witnessed neighbourhoods and wildlife being destroyed due to the fires. "We're there trying to make all the farmers feel safe while they go about their business."

Money & Banking

Million dollar men: Elton John and Chris Hemsworth's huge bushfire pledges

Celebrities are putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to donating to bushfire relief that’s ravaging Australia. Elton John received a standing ovation at his concert as he pledged to donate $1 million for Australia’s bushfire relief efforts. “There are people out there who have lost their lives trying to save homes. There are people who have lost their lives and their homes,” he said <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/BrittA2211/status/1214516183023542272" target="_blank">to the crowd</a>. “And lastly there’s the plight of the animals. A loss of their habitat that frankly is on a biblical scale, and heart-breaking. Therefore, tonight I will be pledging one million dollars to support the bushfire relief fund.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> Elton John just donated one million dollars to the bushfire relief <a href="https://t.co/Ld2i0t9n98">pic.twitter.com/Ld2i0t9n98</a> — Britt (@BrittA2211) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrittA2211/status/1214516183023542272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">7 January 2020</a></blockquote> He matched Marvel star Chris Hemsworth donation of $1 million, as Hemsworth encouraged his 38.9 million followers on Instagram to dig deep and help in any way that they can. “We’re still in the thick of it here with plenty of challenging times ahead and still to come. So, what we need is your support and your donations,” the father of three said in a video. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7AG8XHp-wQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B7AG8XHp-wQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth)</a> on Jan 6, 2020 at 6:34pm PST </div> </blockquote> Kylie Minogue made headlines for donating $500,000 to the bushfire relief and said that the devastation in Australia is “heartbreaking”. “As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Big or small, from near or far, any support will help those affected by the devastating bushfires.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-EYf-gnCy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6-EYf-gnCy/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Last year I had the incredible opportunity of visiting some of the many beautiful places in my homeland for the first time. Returning home to such devastation throughout much of the country is heartbreaking. As a family, we’ve donated $500,000 towards the immediate firefighting efforts and the ongoing support which will be required. Big or small, from near or far, any support will help those affected by the devastating bushfires. With love, The Minogue Family. @redcrossau @nswrfs @cfavic @sa_countryfireservice @wireswildliferescue #Australia</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/kylieminogue/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Kylie Minogue</a> (@kylieminogue) on Jan 5, 2020 at 11:28pm PST </div> </blockquote> Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban were one of the first celebrities to donate to bushfire relief, as they donated $500,000 after spending Christmas in Sydney with their daughters. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B66mowFpyI9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B66mowFpyI9/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">Our family’s support, thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the fires all over Australia. We are donating $500,000 to the Rural Fire Services who are all doing and giving so much right now.</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/nicolekidman/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> Nicole Kidman</a> (@nicolekidman) on Jan 4, 2020 at 3:10pm PST </div> </blockquote> Aussie favourite Pink also donated $500,000 “directly to the local fire services that are battling so hard on the frontlines.” The singer wrote she is “totally devastated watching what is happening in Australia right now with the horrific bushfires. My heart goes out to our friends and family in Oz”. However, the campaign that has caught the most attention is run by comedian Celeste Barber, as her campaign has currently raised $45 million for the Trustee for the NSW Rural Fire Service and Brigades Donation Fund. The fund is managed by a group of trustees, according to SBS, who have significant experience with the NSW RFS. "The purpose of the trust is to make available to brigades the ability to accept tax-deductible donations, both in person and online, with as little administrative burden as possible," its <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/95062/NSW-RFS-and-Brigade-Donations-Fund-DGR-Trustees-Annual-Report-2017-2018-....PDF" target="_blank">most recent annual report says</a>. "It was established and is operated solely for the purpose of supporting the volunteer-based fire and emergency service activities of the brigades." The NSW RFS said that they are focusing on the ongoing bush fire emergency before even thinking about spending the money. They said in a statement to SBS: "The NSW RFS is focused on the ongoing bush fire emergency that continues to affect communities across NSW. We are continuing work to slow the spread of fires, establish containment lines, conduct building impact assessments and return residents to their communities as soon as possible," a spokesperson said. "It's important that our members, who know what's best for their brigades and communities, have a say in the use of donated funds." "Once the bush fire emergency eases, the NSW RFS will work with senior volunteers and brigades to ensure donated funds are used for the greatest benefit of our members and their communities." OverSixty, its parent company and its owners are donating a total of $200,000 to the Vinnie’s Bushfire Appeal. We have also pledged an additional $100,000 of product to help all those affected by the bushfire crisis. We would love you to support too! Head to the <a href="https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw">Vinnie's website</a> to donate!

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