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  • Mexico study’s surprising finding: Killer heat hit harder for the young than the elderly

    Mexico study’s surprising finding: Killer heat hit harder for the young than the elderly

    A surprising study of temperature-related deaths in Mexico upends conventional thinking about what age group is hit hardest by heat. Researchers found at higher temperatures and humidity, the heat kills far more young people under 35 than those older than 50.

    For decades, health and weather experts have warned that the elderly and the youngest children were most vulnerable in heat waves. But this study looking at all deaths in Mexico from 1998 to 2019 shows that when the combination of humidity and temperature reach uncomfortable levels, such as the mid to upper 80s Fahrenheit (around 30 degrees Celsius) and 50% relative humidity, there were nearly 32 temperature-related deaths of people 35 years old for every temperature-related death of someone 50 and older.

    The study in Friday’s journal Science Advances shows an especially surprising spike of heat-related deaths in an age group thought to be young and robust: People between 18 and 35. That age group alone had nine times as many temperature-related deaths as those older than 50.

    Study authors and outside experts are scrambling to figure out why. Demographics alone don’t explain why more young adult Mexicans are dying in high heat than their elders. Two theories: Outdoor workers who can’t escape the heat, and young people who don’t know their limits.

    The trend is likely to widen as the world warms from human-caused climate change, according to computer simulations run by the study team.

    “We found that younger people are especially vulnerable to humid heat,” study co-author Jeffrey Shrader, a climate economist at Columbia University, said. “As the climate warms, we’re really going to be shifting the burden of temperature-related mortality towards younger individuals and away from older individuals who tend to be more vulnerable to cold temperatures.”

    Data from cold weather shows more than 300 deaths of Mexican residents 50 and older for every young person dying from cold temperatures, according to the study.

    “People of all ages are increasingly at risk from the rising temperatures, and this study shows that those that we might have considered relatively safe from heat-related adverse health outcomes might not be so much so,” said Marina Romanello, executive director of the Lancet Countdown that monitors health effects of climate change. She was not part of the study team.

    “Heat is a much more dangerous silent killer than most people acknowledge it to be, and that heat is increasingly putting our health and survival at risk,” Romanello said in an email.

    Study authors decided to examine weather-related deaths in Mexico because that country not only has detailed mortality data, but it has a variety of different climates making it an ideal place to study in depth, Shrader said.

    Researchers also want to figure out whether this is just a situation in Mexico or other warmer sections of the globe have similar spikes in young adult deaths in high heat and humidity.

    Initially the team just wanted to look at deaths and what scientists call wet-bulb globe temperatures, but when they looked at age differences, they were surprised and looked in more detail, Shrader said. Wet-bulb temperature, which is intended to mirror how the body cools itself, is derived using a complicated measurement system that factors in humidity and solar radiation. A wet-bulb globe temperature of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) is thought to be the limit for human survivability. Most places don’t reach that level.

    Researchers determined temperature-related mortality by complex statistical analysis that compares numerous factors in the number of deaths and removes everything they can except temperature fluctuations, said study co-author Andrew Wilson, a Columbia climate economics researcher.

    Researchers also calculated the ideal temperature for when there are the fewest excess deaths at each age group. Younger adults’ sweet temperature spot is about nine degrees Fahrenheit (five degrees Celsius) cooler than it is for older people, Shrader and Wilson said.

    Some outside health and climate experts were initially puzzled at the higher youth mortality seen in the study. Co-author Patrick Kinney, a professor of urban health and sustainability at Boston University, said it was likely the study included a higher proportion of outdoor workers exposed to heat than prior studies did.

    Study co-author Tereza Cavazos, a climate scientist at the Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education in Mexico, said she remembers her father’s generations taking siestas in the high heat of the day and that was healthy. That doesn’t happen so much now, she said.

    “There is a lot of population that is vulnerable in the future. Not even in the future, right now,” Cavazos said. She mentioned three Mexican heat waves this year that hit in the middle of the country and kept the deadly heat going overnight so people had little relief. Usually cool nights allow a body to recover.

    Younger people often have a sense of invulnerability to weather extremes and do things that increase their risk, such as play sports in high heat, Cavazos said.

    “High humidity makes it a lot harder for the body to cool itself through sweating – which is how our body primarily stays cool,” said Dr. Renee Salas, an emergency medicine physician and climate change expert at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She was not part of the study team. “So someone young and healthy working outside in heat and high humidity can reach a point where the body can no longer cool itself safely – causing a deadly form of heat injury called heat stroke.”

    ___

    Follow Seth Borenstein on X at @borenbears

    ___

    Read more of AP’s climate coverage at http://www.apnews.com/climate-and-environment

    ___

    The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.



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  • Are YOU at risk from the hidden pension killer?

    Are YOU at risk from the hidden pension killer?

    They have been slammed as ‘weapons of wealth destruction’ and they could be silently wrecking your retirement – without you even realising.

    So-called ‘lifestyle’ funds are a common feature in workplace pensions.

    They are meant to protect the pension pots of millions of workers from the ups and downs of the stock market as they approach retirement age.

    But, rather than shielding people from losses and securing them a more prosperous old age, experts say precisely the opposite is happening.

    Savers who put into lifestyle funds are ending up with much lower pensions than they could have achieved without taking undue risks on their investments.

    The damage is being done right under the noses of millions of middle-aged Britons, whose pension savings are being eroded without their knowledge – let alone consent.

    The idea behind ‘lifestyle’ funds makes sense in theory.

    They are meant to ensure that their nest eggs built up over decades of toil don’t suddenly vanish if the stock market crashes just at the point when workers retire and take their pension, leaving them permanently worse off.

    Lifestyle funds have been slammed as 'weapons of wealth destruction'

    Lifestyle funds have been slammed as ‘weapons of wealth destruction’

    Former pensions minister Ros Altmann sees these funds as unsuitable for many

    Former pensions minister Ros Altmann sees these funds as unsuitable for many

    But far from giving peace of mind, these ‘lifestyle’ strategies – which have been adopted by the vast majority of workplace pension schemes – are virtually guaranteed to lose money in real terms after accounting for inflation.

    So how do you know if you are affected? And what can be done to prevent this hidden danger lurking in your pension from ruining your golden years?

    Am I affected?

    The first thing to say is that if you are lucky enough to be a member of a ‘defined benefit’ scheme, where your pension is linked to your salary, you are not affected and can breathe a sigh of relief. If you are employed directly in the public sector, you are likely to be in a scheme of this sort.

    But if you have a ‘defined contribution’ plan where your savings are invested in a pot of shares and other assets, then you may well be shunted into a ‘lifestyle’ fund in your fifties. Most employees in the private sector are in plans of this sort.

    So what is a lifestyle fund?

    Pension funds invest in a range of assets including shares, bonds and property. These assets carry varying degrees of risk and reward.

    The concept of ‘lifestyle’ funds is that, as people draw near to retirement age, their pension nest-egg is moved into cash and bonds. The latter are essentially IOUs issued by companies and governments.

    Putting savings into a lifestyle fund is meant to ensure they are insulated from the vagaries of the stock market and that savers don’t incur heavy losses just as they approach retirement.

    Lifestyle funds confusingly might also be called something else, such as a ‘target date’ fund.

    Am I in one?

    You are not alone in not knowing. Three quarters of pension savers have never heard of ‘lifestyling’, recent research from RBC Brewin Dolphin revealed.

    Some 64 per cent are unaware that their savings will be put into such a fund unless they take active steps to avoid it.

    If you are within ten years or less of your intended retirement age and you are saving in a defined contribution scheme then you may well be in a lifestyle fund.

    If you are in a defined benefit scheme – most public sector workers are – then don’t worry, it does not apply to you.

    Many private sector workplace schemes switch members into lifestyle funds within six to ten years of their intended retirement date.

    This is usually the State Pension age, which today is 66. The switch to lifestyling normally happens automatically, without your consent.

    The lifestyle fund will be managed by an investment firm selected by your employer.

    These include household names such as Legal & General, Aviva, Scottish Widows and Nest, which alone has 13million lifestyle fund members.

    You can opt out – but the onus is on you to do so.

    OK but why is this a bad thing?

    Because the returns on lifestyle funds are much lower than those savers might reasonably expect to obtain elsewhere, without taking undue levels of risk.

    Lifestyle funds invest in cash and in bonds – which misleadingly are often portrayed as ultra-safe. This type of fund is likely to make low or even negative returns once inflation is taken into account. In other words, savers are missing out on potentially better opportunities and likely to lose money in real terms.

    Once the era of ultra-low interest rates ended in 2021, bond prices began to fall – and the shortcomings of lifestyle funds were cruelly exposed.

    UK government gilts in particular have been lousy performers as the cost of borrowing soared to tame runaway inflation.

    This has spelt disaster for those approaching retirement with their savings in lifestyle funds – usually without their knowledge.

    To rub salt into their wounds, stock markets have boomed in recent years – especially in the US – meaning they have missed out on the opportunity to make much more for their golden years.

    The net result is that those planning to retire have a lot less in their pension pot than if they had stayed invested in shares.

    So how much worse off are we talking?

    You’re not going to like this. Adam Walkom, a financial planner at Permanent Wealth Partners says ‘lifestyling’ is ‘absolutely a weapon of wealth destruction’.

    As he points out, although cash and bonds are meant to be safe investments, savers are actually locking into losses once inflation is factored in.

    ‘If you end up in just cash and bonds you’re not going to get your money back’ in real terms after taking account of inflation, he says.

    Exclusive research for the Mail reveals a pension pot that had been automatically lifestyled over the last 14 years and is worth £100,000 today would have been worth £135,600 if it had been invested in growth assets such as shares since 2010.

    This gap grows to over £61,000 if the money had been invested since 2000.

    ‘Lifestyling is now a proven failure over a quarter of a century,’ says Henry Tapper of AgeWage, a fintech firm that carried out the survey of 3,000 adults with pensions consultancy Hymans Robertson.

    ‘It is not fit for purpose and a hangover of the actuarial culture that has dominated pensions for 50 years.

    ‘Lifestyling is generally a value destroyer for what people want: the biggest pension pot possible.’

    In extreme cases, the results have been disastrous.

    Walkom cites the case of Martin, a 59-year-old man who was forced to retire early because of a disability.

    His biggest pension pot, built up with a former employer, was worth almost £200,000 in June 2021.

    But by October 2023 it had shrunk to just £134,000 because Martin’s pension had been steadily ‘lifestyled’ into a gilt fund whose price crashed in the wake of the Liz Truss mini-Budget.

    Are there any plus points to lifestyle funds?

    Yes. Sonia Kataora, a partner at pensions firm Barnett Waddingham says there are pros as well as cons.

    With a lifestyle fund you don’t need to manage your investments, it is all done for you. You are also protected against sudden stock market sell-offs.

    Lifestyle funds work best if you plan to buy an annuity – a fixed income – at a set retirement date.

    Annuity rates – which determine how much annual fixed income you receive – have increased in recent years as interest rates have risen.

    That means the cost of securing the same annual income has fallen.

    Put another way, if a lifestyle fund’s value drops it still secures the same future benefit because it has become cheaper to buy an annuity.

    If you decide against lifestyling and choose your own investments, you risk making mistakes. Plus, it requires time and effort. There is also the potential for rash decisions that could undermine your long-term goals. But the upside is that you could receive much better returns than through lifestyling.

    It’s crazy. How did this come about?

    Good question. Lifestyle funds are the relic of a past system under which they did make more sense.

    Until 2011, any member of a pension scheme had to buy an annuity – a fixed income for life – by the age of 75.

    Under that system, when people had a ‘target date’ for taking their pension, there was indeed a rationale to move into less volatile investments as retirement beckoned.

    However, there is now no requirement to buy an annuity. Increasingly, people don’t set a cliff-edge retirement date but work part time or flexibly as they get older and ease their way out, often opting not to take their pension all at once.

    Rather than locking themselves into an annuity in a one-off, irrevocable move, people can draw down an income from their pension pot according to their needs and what they can afford.

    With increasing life expectancies, someone in their fifties may have another thirty or more years to live. Over that time horizon, history tells us shares will deliver better significantly returns and protection against inflation than bonds or cash.

    ‘The lifestyle and target-date default funds are not suitable for many people,’ says former pensions minister Ros Altmann.

    ‘Workers are unknowingly having their money put into investments that will usually give much lower returns,’ she adds.

    ‘Lifestyle funds should have been re-designed when pension freedom reforms came in more than a decade ago.

    ‘But that didn’t happen and the industry has just kept on doing the same old same old thing,’ she laments.

    Shouldn’t they be doing something now?

    You’d think – but the wheels move slowly in the pensions world.

    The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the industry regulator, is on the case.

    ‘Pots at retirement are smaller than they otherwise would be, with some savers stuck in under-performing default [funds] for a sustained period of time,’ said Sarah Pritchard, the FCA’s markets director as she launched a ‘value for money’ review earlier this year.

    Don’t hold your breath.

    What can I do?

    If you are in your fifties or above, check your workplace pension to see if you have been switched into a lifestyle fund or if you will be in future.

    Most will have a website where you can see which funds you are in, and how those funds invest your money.

    The sooner you act the better because the closer to retirement you are, the less time you have on your side. If you still have several years to go before you plan to give up work, then there may be scope to make up for at least some poor performance in your pension due to ‘lifestyling.’

    It is a good idea in any case to check regularly on how much you and your employer are paying into your pension and on the performance of your plan.

    ‘Having some idea about retirement plans and how income will be produced is essential as we enter our fifties,’ says Rob Burgeman, senior investment manager at wealth manager RBC Brewin Dolphin.

    As you get older, it does make sense to take fewer risks with your pension pot, so it’s important not to veer from one extreme to another and shift into highly speculative assets.

    If your pension is less than you hoped but you are still some years away from retiring, you could increase your contributions if you can afford it.

    Another option, if you are able to, is setting a later retirement date.

    You can decline to have your savings put in a lifestyle fund in the first place if you act in time. You can also switch your savings out of a lifestyle fund into one that invests in shares in the hope of better performance, although this is not guaranteed and you might lose money.

    Employer pensions will offer a range of funds to choose from.

    You may be able to switch between funds yourself online on the scheme website. If that is not the case, you can ask your workplace pension provider to move your pension into a fund or funds that you prefer.

    Choosing your own fund can be daunting, so it may be worth paying to see a regulated financial adviser who can assess the options for you. Given the sums at stake, that may prove the best investment of all.

    Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.

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  • The silent killer: What about your lifestyle contributes to the development of cancer?

    The silent killer: What about your lifestyle contributes to the development of cancer?

    The silent killer: What about your lifestyle contributes to the development of cancer?

    Cancer is a terrible illness that comes on without warning. It’s true that you are born with certain genes that predispose you to develop cancer; however, other factors such as lifestyle risk factors are crucial in determining the fate of the disease. But by learning about these factors and taking appropriate action, we can decrease our vulnerability to this silent but deadly killer.
    Individual Risk Factors That Increase Cancer Risk
    Use of Tobacco: Smoking and, chewing tobacco are two of the most common reasons why many people develop cancer. These habits subject people to, toxic chemicals that cause DNA damage and eventually result in abnormal changes within the cell.
    Drinking Too Much Alcohol: The more you drink alcohol, the higher the risk that you will develop liver, esophageal, as well at breast cancers. DNA can be damaged by alcohol, which in turn can damage the body’s self-healing capacity.
    Poor Diet: According to a study, nutrition that includes large quantities of processed food, red meat, and unhealthy fat can be a reason for increased cancer risk. On the other end of the spectrum, a healthy diet that includes a good amount of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins seems to provide a protective effect.
    Physical Inactivity: More and more studies insist on keeping active lifestyle making it important to note that for many people who adhere to a sedentary lifestyle, the risk of developing several cancers, including colon, breast, and endometrial cancer, is elevated. Fatigue of this sort makes it difficult to maintain a regular workout routine which plays a crucial role in lowering inflammation levels, hormone regulation, and enhancing the immune system.
    Obesity: Overweight in general, but especially centralized obesity, is a risk factor for developing breast, colon, and endometrial cancer, among numerous other types of cancer.
    Sun Exposure: But it is essential to remember that overconsumption of sunlight also has adverse effects. Prolonged use of the sun by poor people with no skin protection can put them at a higher risk of skin cancer. Daily activities such as using sunscreen and avoiding prolonged exposure during peak sun hours can help reduce the risk.
    Chronic Infections: Other research has identified additional risk factors such as chronic infection e.g. hepatitis B and C, Papillomavirus, and Helicobacter pylori (He. pylori) which has been shown to stimulate malignancy development

    India’s Silent Killer: Heart Surgeon Unmasks Root Cause Of Heart Attack Crisis

    Strategies and Self Management of One’s Life To Prevent Cancer
    • Quit Smoking: The most corresponding factor for lung cancer and cancers related to smoking is smoking. Therefore, quitting smoking brings huge benefits in terms of risk reduction.
    • Limit Alcohol: Alcohol moderation is fine but excess alcohol consumption does lead to increased cancer risk.
    • Eat a Healthy Diet: Dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and products low in fat should be emphasized. Processed foods, red meat, and sodas should be minimized.
    • Engage in Physical Activities: Moderate physical activities of at least 150 minutes should be practiced every week.
    • Weight Control: Reduced risk of cancer would be due to the possession of optimal body weight.
    • Avoid Direct Sunlight: High SPF sun protection, coverage on the body, and sun exposure time limitation should be observed.
    • Get an Immunization: Getting an HPV and hepatitis B vaccination lowers the chances of developing certain types of cancer.
    • Routine Health Checks: Periodic examinations and visualisation helps in the early detection of the disease when cancer cures may be at their most successful.
    To conclude all I can say is health is wealth and it can only be managed when choices in life are made carefully. It is also essential to rest assured that yes, cancer can often be prevented.
    (By: Dr. Tejinder Kataria, Radiation Oncology & Cancer Center, Medanta – The Medicity)



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  • The silent killer: What about your lifestyle contributes to the development of cancer?

    The silent killer: What about your lifestyle contributes to the development of cancer?

    The silent killer: What about your lifestyle contributes to the development of cancer?

    Cancer is a terrible illness that comes on without warning. It’s true that you are born with certain genes that predispose you to develop cancer; however, other factors such as lifestyle risk factors are crucial in determining the fate of the disease. But by learning about these factors and taking appropriate action, we can decrease our vulnerability to this silent but deadly killer.
    Individual Risk Factors That Increase Cancer Risk
    Use of Tobacco: Smoking and, chewing tobacco are two of the most common reasons why many people develop cancer. These habits subject people to, toxic chemicals that cause DNA damage and eventually result in abnormal changes within the cell.
    Drinking Too Much Alcohol: The more you drink alcohol, the higher the risk that you will develop liver, esophageal, as well at breast cancers. DNA can be damaged by alcohol, which in turn can damage the body’s self-healing capacity.
    Poor Diet: According to a study, nutrition that includes large quantities of processed food, red meat, and unhealthy fat can be a reason for increased cancer risk. On the other end of the spectrum, a healthy diet that includes a good amount of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean proteins seems to provide a protective effect.
    Physical Inactivity: More and more studies insist on keeping active lifestyle making it important to note that for many people who adhere to a sedentary lifestyle, the risk of developing several cancers, including colon, breast, and endometrial cancer, is elevated. Fatigue of this sort makes it difficult to maintain a regular workout routine which plays a crucial role in lowering inflammation levels, hormone regulation, and enhancing the immune system.
    Obesity: Overweight in general, but especially centralized obesity, is a risk factor for developing breast, colon, and endometrial cancer, among numerous other types of cancer.
    Sun Exposure: But it is essential to remember that overconsumption of sunlight also has adverse effects. Prolonged use of the sun by poor people with no skin protection can put them at a higher risk of skin cancer. Daily activities such as using sunscreen and avoiding prolonged exposure during peak sun hours can help reduce the risk.
    Chronic Infections: Other research has identified additional risk factors such as chronic infection e.g. hepatitis B and C, Papillomavirus, and Helicobacter pylori (He. pylori) which has been shown to stimulate malignancy development

    India’s Silent Killer: Heart Surgeon Unmasks Root Cause Of Heart Attack Crisis

    Strategies and Self Management of One’s Life To Prevent Cancer
    • Quit Smoking: The most corresponding factor for lung cancer and cancers related to smoking is smoking. Therefore, quitting smoking brings huge benefits in terms of risk reduction.
    • Limit Alcohol: Alcohol moderation is fine but excess alcohol consumption does lead to increased cancer risk.
    • Eat a Healthy Diet: Dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and products low in fat should be emphasized. Processed foods, red meat, and sodas should be minimized.
    • Engage in Physical Activities: Moderate physical activities of at least 150 minutes should be practiced every week.
    • Weight Control: Reduced risk of cancer would be due to the possession of optimal body weight.
    • Avoid Direct Sunlight: High SPF sun protection, coverage on the body, and sun exposure time limitation should be observed.
    • Get an Immunization: Getting an HPV and hepatitis B vaccination lowers the chances of developing certain types of cancer.
    • Routine Health Checks: Periodic examinations and visualisation helps in the early detection of the disease when cancer cures may be at their most successful.
    To conclude all I can say is health is wealth and it can only be managed when choices in life are made carefully. It is also essential to rest assured that yes, cancer can often be prevented.
    (By: Dr. Tejinder Kataria, Radiation Oncology & Cancer Center, Medanta – The Medicity)



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  • Who is Lord Lucan? Real story of killer aristocrat 50 years after he vanished following…

    Who is Lord Lucan? Real story of killer aristocrat 50 years after he vanished following…

    4 November 2024, 10:16

    Lord and Lady Lucan

    Lord and Lady Lucan.

    Picture:
    Getty


    Fifty years ago, on November 7, 1974, the dead body of a children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, was discovered in a mail sack in the basement of a Belgravia townhouse.

    The chief suspect was the father of the children, an Eton-educated gambler called Richard John Bingham, the seventh earl of Lucan, who had vanished.

    While most of Lord Lucan’s friends and family insisted that he had taken his own life, no body has ever been found. The manhunt for Lucan has lasted decades.

    Lord and Lady Lucan

    Lord and Lady Lucan.

    Picture:
    Getty


    Read More: Is Lord Lucan alive? Computer expert says elderly man in Australia’s face is ‘conclusively’ same as vanished killer

    Read More: Three missing Cluedo cards discovered in Lord Lucan’s car deepen nanny murder mystery

    Who was Lord Lucan?

    Richard John Bingham was the seventh Earl of Lucan, whose great-great-grandfather ordered the Charge of the Light Brigade, and whose father was a socialist peer who served in Clement Atlee’s government.

    Born in 1934, Lucan went to Eton, did National Service in the Coldstream Guards, and briefly worked at Brandt’s merchant bank in London.

    A spectacular win at chemin de fer (worth £26,000, when his annual salary was only £500) convinced him to become a professional gambler. He did not thrive: his nickname, “Lucky”, was ironic.

    Even so, he lived a ritzy lifestyle, driving powerboats, racing bobsleighs and owning race horses; his suave demeanour led to him apparently being considered for the screen role of James Bond.

    How was his marriage?

    Lord Lucan was a snob who reportedly refused to talk to people who “didn’t have proper shoelaces”, but he still married a middle-class woman, Veronica Duncan, in 1963; she was the sister-in-law of his friend Bill Shand-Kydd.

    Soon after, his father died and he succeeded to the earldom. The couple had three children, but Lady Lucan suffered from postnatal depression and the marriage gradually fell apart.

    He tried to have her committed to a psychiatric hospital, and they separated in 1973. A bitter custody battle ensued; Lucan became obsessed with the idea that she was incapable of raising his children, but he lost the court case, running up huge legal fees in the process.

    Police officer outside the home where Sandra Rivett was murdered

    Police officer outside the home where Sandra Rivett was murdered.

    Picture:
    Getty


    What happened on the night of Thursday 7 October 1974?

    At around 9:45pm, Lady Lucan stumbled from her home on Lower Belgrave Street into the nearby Plumber’s Arm. drenched in blood and screaming: “Help me, help me, help me! I have just escaped from being murdered! He’s in the house! He’s murdered the nanny!”

    It transpired that at around 9pm, she had asked her nanny, Sandra Rivett, 29, to make a cup of tea. Rivett had gone down to the basement kitchen. When she did not reappear, Lady Lucan had gone down to investigate, and had been attacked by a man whose voice she said she recognised as her husband’s.

    After fighting him and convincing him to stop the attack; she said that he admitted to having killed Rivett (by mistake). After he had taken her up to her bedroom, she managed to escape. When the police arrived, they found Rivett’s body in a sack, with a bloody lead pipe that had been used to beat her to death.

    What Lucan did after the attack?

    He left London and arrived at his friend Ian Maxwell-Scott’s home, in Uckfield in Sussex, at 11:30pm.

    His told Susan Maxwell-Scott that he had had a “traumatic night of unbelievable coincidence.” While passing the family house he seen an intruder struggling with his wife in the basement. He had run in to help, and the man had run off.

    Realising that his wife would accuse him of being responsible and that the evidence looked damning, he said he had decided to “lie doggo for a while”.

    The last confirmed sighting of Lucan was him leaving Uckfield in the early hours of Friday. His car was found near the harbour in Newhaven, 16 miles away; it had been parked between 5am and 8am.

    What is the evidence against him?

    In a landmark inquest in June 1975, it took a jury just 31 minutes to find that Lucan had murdered Rivett. This was based on Lady Lucan’s testimony, and on a wealth of other details.

    The car Lucan was using, a Ford Corsair, was found splattered with blood types matching both Rivett and Lady Lucan, along with another length of pipe, similar to the murder weapon.

    Lucan had borrowed a car, perhaps because it was less conspicuous than his Mercedes, and had found out from his daughter that the nanny’s night off was on Thursdays, though she in fact swapped her days that week.

    He knew that his wife made a cup of tea at 9pm; a light bulb had been removed in the basement.

    Lucan’s friend Greville Howard later told police Lucan had told him that killing his wife would save him from bankruptcy, because he would reclaim his house, and that he could dump her body in the Solent; she “would never be found”.

    What happened to Lucan?

    Initially police believed he had fled to Africa. Some speculated that the peer’s wealthy friends, dubbed “the Clermont set”, had helped spirit him away, and perhaps killed him because he had become an embarrassment, or at least encouraged him to shoot himself before his body was fed to tigers owned by John Aspinall at Howletts, his private zoo in Kent.

    There have been ‘sightings’ of the missing peer as far away as India, Mozambique and Australia.

    The most plausible theory remains that he committed suicide shortly after the nanny’s death. Lady Lucan believed that he took a ferry from Newhaven and threw himself into the Channel.

    In 2016, his son George Bingham said he believed his father had been dead since 1974, and that it was time to find “another Loch Ness monster out there”.

    Neil Berriman, son of Sandra Rivett

    Neil Berriman, son of Sandra Rivett.

    Picture:
    Alamy


    Why are people still fascinated by the case?

    There has been a real human cost in this case and tragically people often forget that Sandra Rivett is the real victim

    The BBC is to air a documentary series looking to solve the mysterious disappearance of Lord Lucan following the murder of his children’s nanny Sandra Rivett almost 50 years ago.

    The three-part series follows Ms Rivett’s son, Hampshire builder Neil Berriman, who has been consumed by the case since he discovered his mother’s identity at the age of 40, having been put for adoption as a baby.
    In 2016, Lord Lucan’s son Lord George Bingham inherited his title as the eighth Earl after he applied for a death certificate 42 years after his father vanished, under the Presumption of Death Act, which came into effect in 2014.

    Lady Lucan was estranged from her children and lived as a recluse, before killing herself in 2017.

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  • Who is Lord Lucan? Real story of killer aristocrat 50 years after he vanished following…

    Who is Lord Lucan? Real story of killer aristocrat 50 years after he vanished following…

    4 November 2024, 10:16

    Lord and Lady Lucan

    Lord and Lady Lucan.

    Picture:
    Getty


    Fifty years ago, on November 7, 1974, the dead body of a children’s nanny, Sandra Rivett, was discovered in a mail sack in the basement of a Belgravia townhouse.

    The chief suspect was the father of the children, an Eton-educated gambler called Richard John Bingham, the seventh earl of Lucan, who had vanished.

    While most of Lord Lucan’s friends and family insisted that he had taken his own life, no body has ever been found. The manhunt for Lucan has lasted decades.

    Lord and Lady Lucan

    Lord and Lady Lucan.

    Picture:
    Getty


    Read More: Is Lord Lucan alive? Computer expert says elderly man in Australia’s face is ‘conclusively’ same as vanished killer

    Read More: Three missing Cluedo cards discovered in Lord Lucan’s car deepen nanny murder mystery

    Who was Lord Lucan?

    Richard John Bingham was the seventh Earl of Lucan, whose great-great-grandfather ordered the Charge of the Light Brigade, and whose father was a socialist peer who served in Clement Atlee’s government.

    Born in 1934, Lucan went to Eton, did National Service in the Coldstream Guards, and briefly worked at Brandt’s merchant bank in London.

    A spectacular win at chemin de fer (worth £26,000, when his annual salary was only £500) convinced him to become a professional gambler. He did not thrive: his nickname, “Lucky”, was ironic.

    Even so, he lived a ritzy lifestyle, driving powerboats, racing bobsleighs and owning race horses; his suave demeanour led to him apparently being considered for the screen role of James Bond.

    How was his marriage?

    Lord Lucan was a snob who reportedly refused to talk to people who “didn’t have proper shoelaces”, but he still married a middle-class woman, Veronica Duncan, in 1963; she was the sister-in-law of his friend Bill Shand-Kydd.

    Soon after, his father died and he succeeded to the earldom. The couple had three children, but Lady Lucan suffered from postnatal depression and the marriage gradually fell apart.

    He tried to have her committed to a psychiatric hospital, and they separated in 1973. A bitter custody battle ensued; Lucan became obsessed with the idea that she was incapable of raising his children, but he lost the court case, running up huge legal fees in the process.

    Police officer outside the home where Sandra Rivett was murdered

    Police officer outside the home where Sandra Rivett was murdered.

    Picture:
    Getty


    What happened on the night of Thursday 7 October 1974?

    At around 9:45pm, Lady Lucan stumbled from her home on Lower Belgrave Street into the nearby Plumber’s Arm. drenched in blood and screaming: “Help me, help me, help me! I have just escaped from being murdered! He’s in the house! He’s murdered the nanny!”

    It transpired that at around 9pm, she had asked her nanny, Sandra Rivett, 29, to make a cup of tea. Rivett had gone down to the basement kitchen. When she did not reappear, Lady Lucan had gone down to investigate, and had been attacked by a man whose voice she said she recognised as her husband’s.

    After fighting him and convincing him to stop the attack; she said that he admitted to having killed Rivett (by mistake). After he had taken her up to her bedroom, she managed to escape. When the police arrived, they found Rivett’s body in a sack, with a bloody lead pipe that had been used to beat her to death.

    What Lucan did after the attack?

    He left London and arrived at his friend Ian Maxwell-Scott’s home, in Uckfield in Sussex, at 11:30pm.

    His told Susan Maxwell-Scott that he had had a “traumatic night of unbelievable coincidence.” While passing the family house he seen an intruder struggling with his wife in the basement. He had run in to help, and the man had run off.

    Realising that his wife would accuse him of being responsible and that the evidence looked damning, he said he had decided to “lie doggo for a while”.

    The last confirmed sighting of Lucan was him leaving Uckfield in the early hours of Friday. His car was found near the harbour in Newhaven, 16 miles away; it had been parked between 5am and 8am.

    What is the evidence against him?

    In a landmark inquest in June 1975, it took a jury just 31 minutes to find that Lucan had murdered Rivett. This was based on Lady Lucan’s testimony, and on a wealth of other details.

    The car Lucan was using, a Ford Corsair, was found splattered with blood types matching both Rivett and Lady Lucan, along with another length of pipe, similar to the murder weapon.

    Lucan had borrowed a car, perhaps because it was less conspicuous than his Mercedes, and had found out from his daughter that the nanny’s night off was on Thursdays, though she in fact swapped her days that week.

    He knew that his wife made a cup of tea at 9pm; a light bulb had been removed in the basement.

    Lucan’s friend Greville Howard later told police Lucan had told him that killing his wife would save him from bankruptcy, because he would reclaim his house, and that he could dump her body in the Solent; she “would never be found”.

    What happened to Lucan?

    Initially police believed he had fled to Africa. Some speculated that the peer’s wealthy friends, dubbed “the Clermont set”, had helped spirit him away, and perhaps killed him because he had become an embarrassment, or at least encouraged him to shoot himself before his body was fed to tigers owned by John Aspinall at Howletts, his private zoo in Kent.

    There have been ‘sightings’ of the missing peer as far away as India, Mozambique and Australia.

    The most plausible theory remains that he committed suicide shortly after the nanny’s death. Lady Lucan believed that he took a ferry from Newhaven and threw himself into the Channel.

    In 2016, his son George Bingham said he believed his father had been dead since 1974, and that it was time to find “another Loch Ness monster out there”.

    Neil Berriman, son of Sandra Rivett

    Neil Berriman, son of Sandra Rivett.

    Picture:
    Alamy


    Why are people still fascinated by the case?

    There has been a real human cost in this case and tragically people often forget that Sandra Rivett is the real victim

    The BBC is to air a documentary series looking to solve the mysterious disappearance of Lord Lucan following the murder of his children’s nanny Sandra Rivett almost 50 years ago.

    The three-part series follows Ms Rivett’s son, Hampshire builder Neil Berriman, who has been consumed by the case since he discovered his mother’s identity at the age of 40, having been put for adoption as a baby.
    In 2016, Lord Lucan’s son Lord George Bingham inherited his title as the eighth Earl after he applied for a death certificate 42 years after his father vanished, under the Presumption of Death Act, which came into effect in 2014.

    Lady Lucan was estranged from her children and lived as a recluse, before killing herself in 2017.

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  • What to stream: ‘Warriors’ album, ‘The Dating Game’ killer, ‘NCIS: Origins’ and Travis Kelce’s games

    What to stream: ‘Warriors’ album, ‘The Dating Game’ killer, ‘NCIS: Origins’ and Travis Kelce’s games

    Travis Kelce adds game show host to his growing resume with “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?” and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Warriors,” a musical concept album inspired by the 1979 cult classic film, are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

    Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists: Anna Kendrick stars in a movie about the time a serial killer made his way onto the television show “The Dating Game,” Nintendo fans get Super Mario Party Jamboree and “NCIS” looks back at character Leroy Jethro Gibbs in “NCIS: Origins,” a series set 25 years before the original.

    — In 1978, a serial killer made his way onto the television show “The Dating Game.” Rodney Alcala was already a murderer by the time he appeared on the show as one of three bachelors seeking a date with a woman named Cheryl Bradshaw. He even won. Had they done a background check, they might have discovered that he’d been on the FBI’s 10 most wanted fugitives list and already been imprisoned for violent crimes against an 8-year-old. In the new Netflix film “Woman of the Hour,” streaming on Friday, Oct. 18, Anna Kendrick (also making her directorial debut) stars as the woman on the show (spelled Sheryl here) and puts the attention back on the victims. “Woman of the Hour” received good reviews out of the Toronto Film Festival last year.

    — If fake serial killers are more your style, “MaXXXine” starts streaming on MAX on Friday, Oct. 18. The third film in Ti West and Mia Goth’s unlikely trilogy (following “X” and “Pearl”) takes the audience to the sleazy underground of 1980s Hollywood. Goth’s Maxine Minx is an adult film star hoping for a big break in mainstream movies. She gets a shot from Elizabeth Debicki’s refined director. But she’s also running from her past and a killer terrorizing the town. It’s very stylized and a little silly and underdeveloped but it’s a fun watch with a fun, extended Lily Collins cameo.

    — And for those looking for a comedy, Josh Brolin and Peter Dinklage play brothers, and former partners in crime in a starry new movie coming to Prime Video on Thursday. Brolin is the one trying for a more normal life when Dinklage convinces him to embark on a road trip to a promised big score. “Brothers,” directed by Max Barbakow (who made the delightful time loop romantic comedy “Palm Springs”) also features Marisa Tomei, Glenn Close, Brendan Fraser and Taylour Paige in its big ensemble.

    — AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr

    — On Friday, Oct. 18, Lin-Manuel Miranda — in his first full post-“Hamilton” musical — and the award-winning actor and playwright Eisa Davis will release “Warriors,” a musical concept album inspired by the 1979 cult classic film that follows a street gang as they make their way from the Bronx to their home turf of Coney Island amid an all-out blitz. There are some notable departures here, including some gender-flipping and inventive genre-melding, no doubt an extension of its all-star cast, which features everyone from Ms. Lauryn Hill and Marc Anthony to Colman Domingo, Busta Rhymes and more. Last month, the duo told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that their version of “Warriors” is about unity and peace. But it sounds full of action.

    — AP Music Writer Maria Sherman

    — Austin Stowell plays a younger version of Mark Harmon’s “NCIS” character, Leroy Jethro Gibbs in “NCIS: Origins,” a series set 25 years before the original. We meet this Gibbs as he’s beginning his career as a naval investigator. “NCIS: Origins” debuts Monday on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

    — A new Peacock docuseries digs into the wild but true story of Elizabeth Finch, a former writer on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” Finch wrote storylines she claimed were inspired by her own life and medical history, including a battle with bone cancer. She later admitted to lying. The three-part docuseries also tells the story of Finch’s ex-wife, who was the one to expose her deceit in the first place. “Anatomy of Lies” streams Tuesday on Peacock.

    — Travis Kelce adds game show host to his growing resume. The Kansas City Chiefs tight-end hosts “Are You Smarter than a Celebrity?” beginning Wednesday on Prime Video. On the show, adult contestants answer elementary grade questions with a pool of celebrities on standby ready to help.

    — In the Apple TV+’s dramedy “Shrinking,” Jason Segel plays Jimmy, a therapist grieving the death of his wife and trying to navigate being a single parent to a teen daughter. In season one, he begins to give his patients unorthodox advice, like inviting one (Luke Tennie) to move into his home. We also saw a new kind of family blossom between Jimmy, his colleagues (Harrison Ford and Jessica Williams), and neighbor (Christa Miller). Season two of the heartwarming comedy premieres Wednesday on the streamer.

    — In season three of Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer,” Mickey Haller is rocked by the murder of his former client Gloria Days (Fiona Rene), but he also agrees to defend the man accused of killing her. The story is based on No. 5 of Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer book series called “The Gods of Guilt.” It premieres Thursday on Netflix.

    — The “Sheldon-verse” continues with “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” debuting Thursday on CBS. The series stars Montana Jordan as Sheldon’s older brother George “Georgie” Cooper and his new bride Mandy, played by Emily Osment. It’s a sequel to “Young Sheldon” which wrapped last May after seven seasons. Episodes also stream on Paramount+.

    — “Hysteria!”, coming to Peacock on Friday, Oct. 18, follows members of a high school band who pretend to be in a Satanic cult for attention. Their plan falls apart when town members target the teens in a witch hunt. The series stars Julie Bowen of “Modern Family” and “Evil Dead” star Bruce Campbell.

    — Alicia Rancilio

    — Holiday season is almost here, and for Nintendo fans, there’s no party like a Mario Party. Super Mario Party Jamboree follows the classic formula: It’s a virtual board game in which most of the spaces lead to a multiplayer contest. Up to four people can play in-person or online, though one online mode lets up to 20 compete in a hectic “Koopathlon.” There are 22 characters, seven different boards and more than 110 minigames covering the gamut of Mario Party silliness, from races to brawls to minigolf. And there are few cooperative challenges, like a cooking game where four chefs try to slice and dice in rhythm. The festivities start Thursday on Switch.

    — Barcelona-based Nomada Studio gained plenty of fans and a handful of awards with 2018’s stylish Gris, a haunting tale in which a young girl worked through grief by solving puzzles and collecting stars. The indie developer’s Neva starts in a similarly gloomy place: A warrior named Alba sets out with a white wolf, Neva, to explore a dying world. Nomada calls it “a love song dedicated to our children, our parents and our planet,” and the arresting, painterly landscapes will look familiar to fans of Gris. The journey begins Tuesday on PlayStation 5, Xbox X/S, Switch and PC.

    — Lou Kesten



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  • Sweetpea’s Ella Purnell on her killer new show

    Sweetpea’s Ella Purnell on her killer new show

    The grind of normality is the catalyst for the show.

    Protagonist Rhiannon’s situation will be recognisable to many; frustrated with work, where she’s ignored for promotions, and commitment issues in her life, she’s also grappling with an ill father. Something of a wallflower, she feels invisible.

    So far, so familiar.

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    People under pressure snap, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t broken down at some point in their lives.

    “I think that in order to feel empathy for her and not just judge her too harshly too quickly, you need to have a certain level of relatability,” Purnell tells the Herald. “You need to see a little bit of yourself in that character.”

    The concept of a cataclysmic breaking point – and what can trigger it – is something that looms over anyone with an understanding of how far people can go when pushed.

    For Rhiannon it comes in episode one; killing a stranger who antagonised her, then realising she quite likes it.

    This newfound power, and the homicides that beget it, are our premise for the show.

    Ella Purnell stars in new series Sweetpea, streaming on Neon on October 10. Photo / Sky TV
    Ella Purnell stars in new series Sweetpea, streaming on Neon on October 10. Photo / Sky TV

    “I don’t think there’s any one moment that contributes to Rhiannon’s snap at the end of episode one, her first kill, I think it’s an accumulation of lots of different things,” explains Purnell. “Years of being mistreated, being invisible, not heard and just pushed aside and underestimated.”

    Those frustrations, and that concept of a cumulative build-up, are terrifyingly commonplace.

    “The key to her is her vulnerability,” she says. “Not how terrifying I make her.”

    Are angry, vengeful woman a taboo? “I think that it’s probably more terrifying to see female range, because we don’t see it very often.”

    Women are socialised to be careful about how they express emotion Purnell explains, acknowledging it’s a generalisation. “We have to be very diplomatic in how we make our points and ask for what we want.” So, when women do snap – and she’s not just talking about murder here, but things as mundane as having a freak out or sobbing into a pillow – it can be jarring. “It is shocking, because we don’t see it,” she says. “It is unpredictable and it is terrifying.”

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    In her role as Rhiannon, getting to act that was cathartic. “It’s therapy, being able to completely let that go and be this wild uninhibited animal.”

    It was challenging. “I’m an overthinker as it is, and I was really getting twisted around in circles,” she explains, before remembering that her job is to find – and focus – on the truth of the character.

    “I knew it was going to be difficult to bring the audience on this journey where they relate to this character and they relate to their motivations, but not necessarily their actions,” she explains. “I wanted to cause the audience to feel morally conflicted and confused.”

    Purnell was attracted to the challenge of playing a character so different from herself. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

    Ella Purnell stars in new series Sweetpea, that is set to stream on Neon from October 10. Photo / Sky TV
    Ella Purnell stars in new series Sweetpea, that is set to stream on Neon from October 10. Photo / Sky TV

    Preparing for the role, she started with female serial killers and psychopaths and sociopaths (stressing the difference between them) before shifting to the impacts of childhood trauma and early abandonment. “That really unlocked a lot of things for me,” she explains. “That led me to trichotillomania, the pulling of the hair, which then led me into her physicality.”

    “I went through the script and I mapped out at every single moment what her hands were doing,” she says. “Whether she’s gripping her bag, or biting or chewing at her nails or her skin – or she’s squeezing because she has anxiety.”

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    These actions – tense and twitching, with visible stress – then led Purnell to Rhiannon finding power in a knife, and the actor understanding the trajectory to the killing. “The whole time she’s trying not to pull [her hair], then she finds this release in the knife.”

    Women who kill is territory that’s been trod before, some fictional, like Pearl’s titular murderer and Killing Eve’s professional assassin Villanelle, others are, like Monster’s depiction of Aileen Wuornos, are based on true events.

    The idea of female revenge was explored in less homicidal fashion in Emerald Fennell’s 2020 film Promising Young Woman.

    Is Rhiannon a psychopath? Purnell thinks she’s more likely a sociopath, due to her capacity for empathy. “I was trying to put her in a box,” she says. “The biggest thing that scared me was ‘how can someone do that?’”

    Serial killers are often painted as criminal masterminds or murderous savants, but the horror in Sweetpea is her relatability. However, at some point, Purnell stresses, it’s important you stop relating to Rhiannon.

    Purnell knew a story humanising a female serial killer would be hard to pull off. “I didn’t know if I could do it, therefore I really wanted to do it.”

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    Ella Purnell stars as a killer in new Neon series, Sweetpea. Photo / Sky TV
    Ella Purnell stars as a killer in new Neon series, Sweetpea. Photo / Sky TV

    The six-month shoot was challenging, with a lot of nights. The subject matter is challenging too, all that rage and killing.

    It’s tempered by the tone of the film; it’s a dark comedy. Purnell believes humour gives you licence to go to dark places, providing levity to the heavy stuff – of which there’s plenty as the series unfolds.

    Her catalogue of work has a shared theme of survivalism, but what loops them all together, she says, is a touch of comedy.

    Sweetpea’s based on the book by C.J. Skuse (the first in a series about Rhiannon), which Purnell loved. “The show is very different from the books … Chapter one of the books she’s fully fledged Sweetpea; she’s a serial killer and she doesn’t care what anybody thinks. She’s funny and she’s confident.”

    That would have made for a very different show. “It would have been definitely very funny but not pulling on your heartstrings in the same way, because you wouldn’t have been fully inside her head in the same way.”

    The television adaptation is more of an origin story to the original text.

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    “It’s so interesting to go on that journey with her. You sort of do see yourself in her. And those problems are problems that normal people have.”

    Ella Purnell stars gets to grips with female rage in Sweetpea. Photo / Sky TV
    Ella Purnell stars gets to grips with female rage in Sweetpea. Photo / Sky TV

    Sweetpea also sees Purnell take on the role of executive producer. She’d been looking for a project in the UK after filming Fallout in New York – Purnell is British and grew up in London’s Whitechapel, a neighbourhood steeped in serial killer infamy. After reading the Sweetpea script and learning that See-Saw Films was open to her stepping into that role too, she seized the opportunity.

    “It is this female rage story where she is seeking vengeance and television is always such a great outlet for you to experience things that you’re not experiencing in your own life,” she explains. “Maybe it suggests that at the moment in the world, women are full of rage and want an outlet.”

    Rhiannon, Jackie, Lucy. They’re all complicated, relatable women dealing with radically changed circumstances, and Purnell’s drawn to these kinds of roles. “Those are the characters I want to play.”

    She enjoys the challenge of empathising and understanding them, finding that bit of yourself in there, and then embodying their experience as something extraordinary happens in their world. “In all of the things I’ve done that seems to be the recurring theme.”

    Most women will see something of themselves in Rhiannon, whether it’s picking your nails or being passed over for a promotion. As for the fact that she can take someone’s life and find power in doing so, the why and how looms large. “Rhiannon doesn’t know either,” says Purnell. “She’s terrified of herself.”

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    She doesn’t have the answer. “Nobody has the answers. Nobody knows what makes somebody do something like that. It’s unthinkable,” she explains. “My job was not to understand that. And I can’t. But what I can do is not judge my character. And remember that no bad guy thinks that they’re the bad guy.”

    Rhiannon developed this moral code as a “desperate attempt to justify” what she’s done, believing she’s a good person.

    “I don’t know if you’ve ever done something that you can’t rationalise, can’t understand?” People do bad things all the time – cheating, lying, saying something hurtful – and then struggle to cope with their actions and the fall out.

    “We spend a lot of time trying to understand why we’ve done that, because we think we know how who we are.”

    Sweetpea is screening in New Zealand on Neon from October 10.

    Emma Gleason is the Herald’s lifestyle and entertainment deputy editor. Based in Auckland, she covers culture, media and more.

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