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News: Gwyneth Paltrow talks nips, tucks

Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow says women should do what makes them happy

Gwyneth Paltrow says she’s open to getting a nip and tuck at some point in the future, but said women should really just do what makes them happy. “Women should do whatever makes them feel good. I mean, for me, I am sure that at a certain point I’ll do things here and there. I think there’s a line; it’s sad when people are unrecognisable.”

Forbes Magazine’s most powerful people under 30

They’re called the most influential people under the age of 30. The ‘disruptors and agitators’ changing the way we see the world. Forbes said: “Who is reinventing the world? Who should you hire today? Who will you be working for in 20 years? Who, in short, under the age of 30, matters?” And the list of 30 people in each of 12 categories makes for inspired reading. And, let’s be honest, slightly depressing readers. It’s not just pop stars and Hollywood types. There are people really doing quite remarkable things. And they’ve not even hit a third of their life expectancy yet. Check out some of the standouts:

Average age of mums giving birth is now 30

It’s official, Australian mothers are getting older. Sort of. Some are starting later but for the first time since 2000 the average age of first time mums has dropped. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report indicated more than a quarter of mothers were over the age of 35 the first time they gave birth and the average age of first-timers is 28, but 30 for all births. The report is based on 2009 data. More than 294,540 women gave birth to 299,220 babies in Australia in 2009.

Derryn Hinch

He’s ba-ack. Derryn Hinch court-ordered silence lifted.

The Human Headline is allowed to speak publicly again. As of midnight a court ordered suppression of his ability to broadcast was lifted and he tweeted: “Hee’s back. New Liver. New Life. Same old #Hinch.” [sic]. Hinch was ordered on the media blackout for his role in naming pedophiles on air as a broadcaster for 3AW. It’s long been a fight of his that pedophiles should not be given anonymity, arguing the community deserves to know who is dangerous. He said he was going to ‘let it rip’ when he came back on air this afternoon at 4pm.

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Offensive? Bit of a stranger? Why people unfriend on Facebook.

A survey of more than 1600 Facebook users has revealed the top reasons why people ‘unfriend’ others. And why they add them. Bottom line? If you’re offensive, not really a friend or trying to sell something you’ll probably be dumped. Those take out the top three spots. But talking politics rates a mention (religion doesn’t make the list) and people who post ‘depressing’ comments aren’t very welcome either, it seems. The reasons people add are a little more straight forward: if they know someone, are friends with someone or networking. But seven per cent said ‘quality of profile photo’ which is code for what, exactly?

Fewer teenagers studying science

The proportion of kids studying science in their final year of school has been almost cut in half over the past 20 years, a worrying trend for the Australian Academy of Science. It reported teenagers find the subject ‘boring’. The report says: “A number of students are discouraged from studying science because of its perceived difficulty. Students were encouraged to study subjects that were considered easier and hence would maximise their final results for university entrance. Almost three-quarters of non-science students agree that science is important to Australia’s future, with finding cures for disease cited as the most common reason,” it says. However, very few perceive science as important, relevant or useful in their own everyday lives.”