BTN Newsbreak 25/07/2025
You might have heard some people say you need to walk 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. But where did that number even come from? Now, a new study has suggested otherwise. As we all know, walking lots is really good for us. It keeps our hearts healthy, our bones strong, and our minds clear. And since the 1960's, 10,000 steps a day has been the gold standard. But apparently, there's no science behind that number. It's why Katherine and her team decided to do some research of their own. Right now, there's no exact number of steps kids should be doing daily, but the Department of Health suggests 60 minutes of exercise a day is optimal.
STARLINK OUTAGE
If you were using Elon Musk's Starlink internet service this morning, you might've found things were a bit slow. Mr Musk took to his platform X this morning to apologise, after the internet provider suffered a huge outage, with at least 60,000 people globally reporting internet issues. It's become a pretty important service for people in Australia's outback, where high-speed internet can be pretty patchy. Starlink says the outage was caused by a software services issue, and that things should now be back online.
COMIC-CON
Thousands of people from all over the world have travelled to San Diego for one of the world's most popular comic conventions, Comic-Con! When Super Mario characters, Batman, and a giant banana come together under the one roof, it can only mean one thing: it's time for Comic-Con! Comic-Con was started in San Diego back in the 1970s, by a small group of comic, movie and science fiction fans, and was a true comic book convention. Since then it has grown into a global phenomenon and has become more of an opportunity for fans to dress up like this. Comic-Con has also become an important place for actors and Hollywood producers to promote new projects, although they seem to be a little more absent from this years Comic-Con. Over the next couple of days more than 100,000 fans will be able to attend panels, workshops, meet artists and creators, and get unique merch and collectibles!
BOW TIES FOR ANIMALS
First up, to 18-year-old Darius in the US who has turned his passion for sewing into a business that helps save animals. He's raised more than 700 thousand bucks selling bow ties and donating them to shelters for animals to wear, which has helped them get adopted even faster.
VULTURE PUPPETS
Now to a zoo in Prague, where zookeepers have been using hand puppets to feed their new baby vultures. It might look a bit creepy, but they do it so that the birds don't get too close to humans, otherwise it might affect their ability to connect with other birds, and find a mate in the future.
LEONARDO DA PINCHY
And finally, to Leo the cat in New Zealand who's been wreaking havoc on his local community, stealing laundry from his neighbours' clotheslines and bringing his loot back home. He's earnt himself the nickname Leonardo Da Pinchy, and nothing is off the cards: undies, socks, even a 300 dollar cashmere jersey.
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ABC News
27 minutes ago
- ABC News
Quest for agelessness drives longevity boom — and $2.5 trillion global industry
It's a characteristically chilly Melbourne winter morning and tech boss Tristan Sternson is starting the day by plunging into an ice bath. Just how icy? A bone-chilling 3 degrees Celsius — for 4 minutes. Next follows a "strict routine" of exercise, supplements, IV infusions and various treatments like saunas, cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy … all in his quest to feel better and live longer. "Things like cryotherapy, which is minus 165C in a cryotherapy chamber for three and a half minutes, which is quite extreme," he tells The Business from the longevity clinic he co-founded and where he partakes in many of the treatments. "I do red light in a full body machine where you lie down. Kind of like a cocoon. "Red light [is also good] for your hair to make sure your hair doesn't thin as you get older." Mr Sternson admits his wellness club, Super Young, is more of a passion project than anything. "My wife will call it an obsession," he said. Mr Sternson is 45 but says he has a "biological age" of 34 — a metric used by those in the longevity space based on a series of tests. He tracks 65 different markers via blood tests and completes a range of what he calls more "extreme" treatments every few months, some of which he flies to the US for as they are not available in Australia: Super Young is one of many health and wellness businesses vying for a slice of what consulting firm McKinsey says is a $2.5 trillion global consumer wellness industry. It's driven by a growing demand from (often wealthy) individuals to measure and optimise personal health — and a willingness to pay big bucks to do so. The "preventative wellness" or longevity movement's signature alternative health practices have been popularised by US figures including biohackers Bryan Johnson, Peter Attia and even socialite Paris Hilton. It grew in the wellness heartland of Los Angeles and has since spread to Australia. The growing popularity of ice baths and infrared saunas Down Under has made them a more common sight in gyms and spas in the wealthier enclaves of many cities. The explosion of an industry full of alternative health practices has been met with scepticism by some in mainstream medical fields. "I think the evidence base for a lot of them is minimal and, where there is evidence, it's often for particular parts of the population and not for the general population," the president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, Michael Wright, tells The Business. For those who want to dip their toes in the longevity pool, Dr Wright advises a healthy dose of scepticism and careful thought before doing extra tests or investigations clinics might offer. "I often talk to patients when they are talking about these tests and ask them, 'What's the cost of this?' and, 'Who is most likely to benefit? Is it you or is it the person who is selling the test?'" He notes the principle in medicine of "first, do no harm" and questions whether the extensive blood work and diagnostic tests often associated with longevity screening and measurement fit that bill. "Potentially, if you're investigating unnecessarily, you're putting people through stress and also economic impacts if the tests are unnecessary and that's something we should try and avoid," he said. But Mr Sternson says the treatments at his wellness hub are backed by evidence and there is strong demand from consumers willing to pay for detailed analysis of their health and personalised programs. "Each machine or each protocol that we have, every supplement that we offer, will have some research back behind it," he argues. But he does acknowledge the difficulty of establishing evidence given "you haven't had anyone live to 150 that's gone through these sorts of protocols". Another Australian company riding the trillion-dollar wellness wave is high-profile startup Eucalyptus, which launched a longevity app for men last year. They pulled the pin soon after, with the pricey subscription fee a major factor, but are hoping to relaunch in Australia next year at a lower cost with more automation. "What we learnt was that patients really had a curiosity about their own diagnostics, were really keen to make behavioural change," Eucalyptus chief executive and co-founder Tim Doyle explains in an interview with ABC News. The company, which is backed by Woolworths and Blackbird, runs a suite of health platforms and has grown rapidly — largely thanks to the rise of its weight-loss service, which enables users to access drugs like Ozempic via a telehealth app. Mr Doyle says Eucalyptus's digital platform made the experience of prescribing the drugs to patients seamless. "People are seeking convenience, quality of care, in a way that suits their lifestyle and so I think what we've been able to tap into is the evolving trends there," he said. Ozempic and similar prescription weight-loss drugs shot to prominence over the past few years and Eucalyptus has become a major player in the weight-loss market thanks to its provision of those drugs. "I think we're an evolution of where health care will definitely go," Mr Doyle said. Mr Doyle said more than 100,000 customers globally had accessed the weight-loss drugs through the company. "I think ultimately these medications are going to change the world for the better," he asserts. "We provide a set of services that give you the best chance of hitting your weight-loss goal and maintaining weight loss and I think the reality is that for most patients that are suffering with obesity, there are serious health considerations for that." However, medical bodies have been critical of the app's online prescription model for pharmaceuticals. "We do have to be really careful of other providers who are potentially fragmenting care, because it's important that whoever else you see in the health system that they confirm and share information with your usual GP," the RACGP's Dr Wright said. "There's no substitute for the quality of care that you get from a GP who knows you and your history. So although these other services are available, they don't replace what you should get and what you can get from your GP. "I think that's a fair criticism," Mr Doyle acknowledges, though he notes that "a lot of patients don't have a regular relationship with a standard GP that they live their whole lives with. Like Eucalyptus, Super Young's co-founder said they were not trying to compete with established medicine but offer something different, without adding an extra burden or cost to publicly funded healthcare. "We're kind of an adjunct. We help out and we can kind of take the strain off it a little bit, because you can help people prevent certain illnesses," Mr Sternson says. "I don't think we're disrupting the current healthcare system … the current healthcare system is really, really good when you're sick. He says the industry can cater for well individuals willing to pay money for testing privately to optimise their health, rather than go through Medicare. "Our medical system can't support every single person that comes through and says, 'Hey, I'm feeling 100 per cent well, can you test all my blood markers so I make sure I don't drop off to 90 per cent next week?" he says. "Doctors just don't have the capacity and time for that locally in Australia and fair enough — that's probably an area where longevity has really come into it."
News.com.au
27 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Gymgoer almost dies after common post-workout habit
A doctor has warned of a 'shower mistake that could happen to anyone' after a young man hit the gym and 'almost didn't survive'. Dr Aditj Dhamija, a GP in India, shared a case involving a regular gymgoer who collapsed after a jumping into a hot shower immediately after an intensive workout. But the regular post-gym habit put him in intensive care, with the doctor claiming 'the patient barely escaped death'. 'A 24-year-old man hit the gym like every day … but when he didn't come out of the bathroom for 30 minutes, the door had to be broken down,' Dr Dhamija explained in an Instagram video. 'He was found unconscious on the floor, pulse barely there.' Once in the emergency room, he was put on a ventilator. Dr Zac, a leading Australian GP, notes that in most cases, it's not dangerous to shower after exercise. 'However, it can be risky if you jump straight in after intense exercise,' he told 'When you finish working out, your heart rate is high, blood vessels are dilated, and your body is cooling itself. 'Very hot water at this point can further dilate blood vessels and cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, which may lead to dizziness, fainting, or – in rare cases – collapse.' He recommends waiting five to ten minutes to let your body cool down before turning on the hot water. He also mentions that, when done carefully, hot showers can actually help recovery. 'They relax tight muscles and boost blood flow, which can be helpful later in the day. But they might also prolong inflammation and direct more blood to the skin instead of the muscles, possibly slowing recovery if used immediately,' he said. He suggests opting for a cold or lukewarm shower straight after a workout, as these can help lower core temperature and reduce inflammation. Sports medicine research shows that cooling methods like cold water immersion are most effective for muscle recovery, but shower temperature is still worth considering. In his video, Dr Dhamija also warned to look out for signs that something's wrong if you're getting into an overly hot shower. 'Don't ignore light-headedness or dizziness,' he said, and 'Don't forget to hydrate properly.' He also advised rehydrating well after exercise, and if you feel faint, lie down and elevate your legs. 'Fitness should make you stronger — not take you closer to death.'
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Boy's suicide in residential care home should 'jolt' child safety department into action, advocates say
WARNING: This story contains distressing content. A 15-year-old Aboriginal boy, subject to a child protection order, died by suicide in a Queensland residential care home last weekend. His body was discovered by other children at the Ipswich facility, south of Brisbane. It has prompted calls from advocates for his death to be investigated by an ongoing inquiry into the state's "broken" child protection system. That 17-month commission of inquiry is reviewing the system's approach to keeping children safe. Sisters Inside chief executive Debbie Kilroy said the young people supported by the organisation were extremely "distressed" by the boy's death. "I'm confused about why these deaths of children in care continue to happen," she told the ABC. Youth Advocacy Centre chief executive Katherine Hayes said the child's "shocking death" should "jolt" the Department of Child Safety into action. "How many more lives of children will be wasted?" she questioned. Ms Hayes urged the government to "address the obvious failings in the residential care system without delay". "Everyday, children are suffering in placements that are not fit for purpose," she said. "These kids cannot wait for the outcome of the current Child Safety Commission — the government must act now." The risk of suicide is up to four times higher among children in out-of-home care than in the general population, according to research by Queensland's Child Death Review Board. The state's Family and Child Commissioner Luke Twyford said he struggled to comprehend the numbers. "Over the last five years, 29 children who were known to the child protection system have died by suicide," he said. "The death of any child is an immense loss, and it's vital we honour them by learning all we can from their life experiences." The Department of Child Safety said legislation prevented it from disclosing information about individual cases. "Keeping vulnerable children safe remains our highest priority," a spokesperson said in a statement. "Young people known to the department have often been exposed to trauma, including abuse, violence and neglect, which can negatively affect their mental health and wellbeing." The department said if a child who died had been known to child safety authorities in the 12 months before their death, a review would be undertaken by a specialist internal team. "This review is then considered by the independent Child Death Review Board located within the Queensland Family and Child Commission," the spokesperson said. Queensland Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm said the loss of any young life was a "tragedy". "The Children in Care Census 2024 details a harrowing picture of the mental health struggles of young people living in out-of-home care in this state, and that is deeply concerning to me," she said. The minister said the commission of inquiry had been called to investigate the system as a whole "through the lens of young people".
