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Perth Now
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Opera legend Lesley Garrett is considering retirement
Lesley Garrett could be heading for retirement. The 70-year-old soprano has been a name in the world of opera for decades but is determined "quit while [she] is ahead" because her voice is "changing" as time goes on. She told The Sunday Express: "I do think about retiring because don't want to go on when I'm not as good as was. "I want to quit while Im ahead, I don't want to carry on past my sell by date. My voice is changing, as voices do. It's still beautiful in the middle, but I can't get as high as I used to. Every season I think could be my last." "This one I seriously think could be my last year, because I am 70 and it seems like a very round number - I've been doing this for exactly 45 years." The former Strictly Come Dancing star - who has released eleven solo albums and appeared in productions of The Sound of Music and Carousel over the course of her career - recently revealed that she previously discovered a rare tumour that she worried could have spelled the end of her career. She said: "They found by accident that I'd got a tumour on my thymus gland, which is a tiny gland which sits almost on top of your heart. "At first I was told not to worry about it as they are so slow growing they are almost benign nut then a year later I noticed my voice wasn't working properly. "I was worried that my singing career might be over - I was really quite scared. "A lot of the nerves that given the larynx govern the same area." Lesley went back for a second visit and it was then decided that the tumour should be removed. She added: "So, I went back and they scanned me. During that yeat since my I still visit, they had reclassified the tumour and changed the advice. They thought I should have it removed."
Indian Express
26-04-2025
- Indian Express
Pahalgam terror attack: ‘Saw death… not sure if I would ever return to Kashmir'
For Debasish Bhattacharya and his family, it was their maiden visit to the Kashmir Valley. And it turned out to be a nightmare last Tuesday when they saw people being shot dead in front of their eyes in the meadows of Pahalgam. 'Our 5-day trip to Kashmir was to conclude on April 26, and we planned to spend a day in Pahalgam. On April 22, we reached the Baisaran meadow, which is called mini-Switzerland, from the rear. Not many people were there. We were all very relaxed. My wife was looking at shawls, and my son was walking around, while I took photos. Suddenly, I heard gunshots. I asked the local photographer. He told me that sometimes, to scare the monkeys away, shots are fired by forest officials,' recounted Bhattacharya, a professor at Assam University Speaking to The Sunday Express over the phone from his Silchar residence, Bhattacharya said he saw four terrorists gun down men in front of his eyes. 'After shooting a man, one of the terrorists quietly walked up to us and asked me, 'kya bol rahe ho?' (What are you saying?). Everyone near us was chanting kalma (Islamic verses), and I also started chanting. Though out of fear, nothing was coming out of my mouth. I do not know what the terrorist felt, and he walked away. A little while later, the terrorist returned from the opposite direction, took a round and walked away. When the terrorist was around 20 metres away, we all ran for our lives. Crossed the fence and wandered for two hours in the mountain where there was no cellphone signal and we didn't know where we were heading,' he said. 'We were still in fear that terrorists could reappear from the forest and shoot them. We followed the hoof marks of the horses and reached a village. We heaved a sigh of relief when they were able to contact our local driver. A local person helped us reach safety. A family from Chhattisgarh was also with us. They got separated, and their child was with us. We quickly returned to Srinagar,' he said. 'Definitely, it's a new life for us. We faced death right on our faces,' the professor of the Bengali Department said. Bhattacharya is not sure if he would ever return to Kashmir, but his son Drobadeep wants to visit the Valley again; sometime later.
Irish Examiner
24-04-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Bernard O'Shea: Five things I learned from letting horoscopes guide my week
As all questionable decisions do, it started with a biscuit and a scroll. I was halfway through a pack of fig rolls, casually flicking through my phone, when I saw it: 'Pisces, this is your week to finally let go of that toxic situation.' I'm an Aries, but I kept reading for some reason. Maybe it was the fig rolls talking. Or I wanted to believe that some celestial body 93m miles away gave a toss about whether I emailed my mobile phone provider back. But the more I read, the more I realised: this wasn't advice. This was a vibe (I couldn't think of a better word, OK … dude?) I don't know when horoscopes became part of my daily inner monologue, but I've realised I treat them the same way I treat voice notes from friends (I'm trying to start a 'no voice notes' movement — more on that next week): I may roll my eyes at them, but I absolutely listen to every word. They've become little micro-coaches. Pocket-sized philosophies. Emotional Google Maps. And they've been doing it for decades — long before 'wellness influencers' told us to hydrate, journal, and build a vision board shaped like our higher self. It got me thinking: are horoscopes just the original influencers? Did the stars walk so the affirmations on Instagram could run? So, in the name of science — or at least column-writing — I decided to live by my horoscope for a week. We like to think of astrology as a modern indulgence. The Babylonians were at it 2,400 years ago, tracking planetary movements to predict the rise and fall of kings. Then the Greeks got involved, giving us the zodiac signs we now know and use to justify our worst behaviour. 'I'm not being difficult; I'm just an Aries with boundaries.' But it wasn't until the 1930s that horoscopes really got their glossy breakout role. The Sunday Express published a star chart for Princess Margaret's birth, and boom — the British public was hooked. Soon, every paper had a daily astrology column, written with just enough vagueness to cover everything from heartbreak to bunions. Fast forward to now, and we've just… rebranded it. Today's horoscopes are Co-Star apps, TikTok astro girls, and Instagram tarot pulls set to lo-fi music. They've gone from newspaper margins to full-blown lifestyle branding. If the moon is in Leo, you'll hear about it. At their core, horoscopes have always done what modern influencers claim to do: Offer bite-sized wisdom. Give people something to believe in and suggest you buy a candle. And like all great influencers, horoscopes don't tell you what to do — they mean, hint, and gently nudge. 'It's a good day to reflect.' 'Don't overcommit today.' 'Your energy is low — be kind to yourself.' I know what you're thinking: horoscopes aren't science. And you're right. But here's the thing — they don't have to be. Because the effect they have on us is real. A 2020 study from the University of Toronto found that people who read daily horoscopes reported feeling more 'in control' of their emotions — even if they didn't believe in astrology. No matter how cosmic, just checking in with a message grounded them. Horoscopes work not because the planets know your mood, but because they give you a moment to reflect. And in a world constantly screaming for your attention, anything that encourages you to take 60 seconds to ask: 'How am I actually doing?' can't be all bad. So, with that said, here are … Five things I learned from letting horoscopes guide my week 1. Vague advice can be weirdly helpful Yes, 'something unexpected may happen today' is basically life. But once you start your day with that kind of warning, you find yourself more tuned in. You're watching out. You're more aware of your mood, reactions, and the potential chaos of accidentally leaving your phone in a Dunnes Stores trolley (yep, did that!) 2. Horoscopes give you permission to feel things you're already feeling Most days, my horoscope told me to 'slow down', 'reflect', or 'give myself grace'. Which, frankly, is the same thing my body's been shouting at me since 2019. But there's something about seeing it 'written in the stars' that makes it feel official. 3. Modern wellness is just astrology in designer tracksuits Today's influencers — with their palo santo sticks and sunrise journaling — are doing what the Babylonians were doing, just with better lighting and discount codes. 'Tap into your feminine energy' and 'Mars is in Gemini' are two sides of the same vague coin. 4. It's All About Micro-Moments of Pause Reading your stars makes you pause. They interrupt the scroll. They create a beat between thought and action. And in a week where I followed my horoscope religiously, I noticed I was slightly — just slightly — less reactive. 5. I now blame mercury retrograde for everything Lost my keys? Mercury retrograde. Emotional for no reason? Mercury retrograde. Did something awkward in a WhatsApp group? Definitely Mercury's fault. Do I believe horoscopes are real? No. But can they be useful? Yes. Sometimes, we just need a gentle narrative to carry us through the day. Something to make us feel like we're part of a bigger pattern — even if the pattern is mostly nonsense. So, if you see me sitting in the car, quietly muttering: 'It's a day for rest and self-compassion', I'm not being lazy; I'm just taking advice from the planetary system. Read More
