分类： society

In a landmark celebration of national excellence, Katherine Bennell-Pegg—Australia’s inaugural officially qualified astronaut—has been distinguished as the 2026 Australian of the Year. The prestigious accolade, announced at a formal ceremony in Canberra, recognizes her pioneering contributions to the nation’s burgeoning space sector and her role as an inspirational figure for future generations.

Ms. Bennell-Pegg earned her place in history by graduating from the European Astronaut Centre in Germany in 2024, outperforming 22,500 international candidates to secure one of six coveted positions. She is the first individual to qualify as an astronaut under the Australian flag, a moment she described as profoundly emotional. “It signified something far greater than myself,” she reflected during her acceptance address. “It represented Australia’s rightful place at the forefront of human exploration and kindled hope for more Australians to venture into space.”

Her journey began in childhood, gazing at the stars from her backyard. However, with no national space agency at the time, she pursued her ambitions overseas, accumulating expertise on international space missions before returning to catalyze Australia’s space industry. As a prominent advocate for STEM diversity, she emphasized the importance of inclusion: “For years, I was often the only woman in the room. We must encourage young women to contribute their unique perspectives to scientific fields.”

The awards ceremony also honored other exceptional Australians: Professor Henry Brodaty, named Senior Australian of the Year for his transformative research in dementia prevention; ultra-marathon runner Nedd Brockmann, recognized as Young Australian of the Year for raising over $8 million to combat homelessness; and Indigenous entrepreneur Frank Mitchell, awarded Local Hero for creating vocational opportunities for Aboriginal communities.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presided over the event, announcing a government partnership with FightMND, the foundation led by 2025 Australian of the Year Neale Daniher, to establish a dedicated clinical network for motor neurone disease research. The national honors underscore a collective commitment to innovation, compassion, and social progress.

The New South Wales government is implementing a significant expansion of its shark surveillance capabilities, deploying drone patrols to 80 beaches following what officials describe as an ‘unprecedented’ series of attacks. This emergency response comes after four separate shark incidents occurred within a concerning 48-hour window, including the tragic fatal attack on 12-year-old Nico Antic.

The comprehensive $4.2 million funding package will dramatically enhance existing monitoring systems, adding 30 new patrol locations to the current network of 50 beaches covered by Surf Life Saving NSW’s drone operations. The expansion includes 19 Sydney beaches and 11 regional sites, creating the largest drone surveillance program in the southern hemisphere. From January 24 through the end of the April school holiday period, these aerial patrols will operate seven days per week, providing approximately 35,000 additional flight hours of monitoring.

Beyond drone deployment, the initiative includes installing advanced shark listening stations in Sydney Harbour designed to provide rapid detection of tagged sharks. The scientific component of the program will focus specifically on bull sharks, investigating their population dynamics in Sydney Harbour, movement patterns, and potential high-risk periods.

NSW Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty emphasized that recent shark incidents following storm activity and heavy rainfall underscore the critical need for clear, practical safety information for beachgoers. ‘This funding will help expand drone surveillance, improve education and ensure timely warnings, so swimmers and surfers can make informed decisions about when to enter the water,’ Moriarty stated, while acknowledging that the measures do not constitute a ‘silver bullet’ solution.

The enhanced surveillance comes as Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce reported that seven beaches were closed on a single Saturday following ten shark sightings. During the 2025/26 summer period, drone operations have already identified 461 sharks, triggering 170 countermeasures including beach evacuations, siren alerts, and rescue vessel deployments.

The technology upgrade will enable semi-autonomous drone operations managed from a central headquarters, while the existing shark management tools—including 305 drumlines across 19 local government areas, 51 seasonal shark nets, and 37 existing listening stations—will remain operational. This expansion follows previous government trials removing shark nets at several beaches after scientific assessments questioned their effectiveness at preventing bites while creating a false sense of security.

A London-based cosmetic surgeon has ignited a significant conversation about medical ethics and body image after publicly analyzing pop star Troye Sivan’s appearance without consent. Dr. Zayn Khalid Majeed, who boasts over 250,000 social media followers, posted a two-minute video dissecting what he termed “problem areas” in the 30-year-old singer’s facial structure following a red carpet appearance in Australia.

The video, which employed comparative imagery of Sivan throughout his career, introduced the concept of “twink death” – referring to the perceived aging of individuals who previously embodied a youthful, boyish aesthetic. Dr. Majeed proceeded to outline various cosmetic procedures including dermal fillers and skin boosters that could theoretically “retwinkify” the artist, framing his analysis within a hypothetical patient consultation scenario.

This unsolicited medical commentary prompted immediate backlash from both fans and general social media users. The situation escalated when Sivan himself responded through a heartfelt Substack essay, revealing how the video had exacerbated long-standing body image insecurities and nearly pushed him toward considering cosmetic interventions. “I’ve struggled with my body image for a lot of my life, as I’m sure most people have,” the singer wrote, questioning the societal pressure to “fix all of these flaws that this random plastic surgeon told me I have.”

Following the widespread criticism, Dr. Majeed removed the content from his TikTok and Instagram platforms and extended a personal apology to Sivan, which the singer described as “thoughtful and sweet.” In subsequent statements to BBC Newsbeat, the cosmetic practitioner expressed regret for the distress caused while maintaining his educational intent. “I felt terrible and it was never my intention to make him feel like that,” Majeed acknowledged, adding that he now recognizes how his content might contribute to negative beauty standards.

The incident has stimulated broader discussion about ethical boundaries in medical social media content. Samantha Rizzo, a New York-based content creator focused on skin positivity, distinguishes between consensual educational content and unauthorized celebrity analysis: “I appreciate if you’re using your clients and they consent to their before, during, after photos. I feel a little icky when they’re just taking the celebrity’s picture. Just because they’re famous doesn’t mean you have the right to just pick them apart.”

Rizzo speaks from personal experience, having undergone Botox injections that resulted in limited facial movement after being influenced by online content. She reflects that “the things you can see can skew your perception of yourself so much that it forces your hand for a decision like that.”

Irish social media personality Keelin Moncrieff further emphasizes the impact on young audiences, noting that even well-intentioned transparency about procedures can inadvertently endorse them. “People can’t make up or fill in the gaps of what they’re not seeing behind the scenes,” she observes. “People think that this is an easy process.”

Despite the controversy, Dr. Majeed indicates he will continue creating celebrity-focused content, believing there remains substantial public interest in “demystifying surgeries that celebrities have.” However, he now pledges to leverage his platform to promote body positivity and natural aging processes, stating: “I have a voice and I need to use it to shape conversations for the better.”