🌞 The reader knitting Halloween treats

It’s almost the end of October, which basically means it’s November, which basically means it’s December which basically means it's the silly season! 

Somewhere in the distance, I can hear Mariah Carey defrosting. 

Olivia Dean gave free concert tickets to multicultural/migrant groups, proving once again why she’s everyone’s fav pop princess. 

According to The Social Outfit, a clothing label that empowers refugee women, Olivia gave 10 refugee women tickets to  her Sydney show. At the concert, Olivia spoke about celebrating immigrants, which was incredibly special to hear - especially given that it was some of the women’s first concerts.

For her Melbourne shows, Olivia gave free tickets to 14 young people via  the Centre for Multicultural Youth. Some of my friends were among those who received the tickets, and told me about their experiences.

Concert-goer Adriel said: "Something that really stuck to me was that song ‘Carmen,’ about her grandmother. I think as immigrants, as newly-arrived multicultural young people, it’s really great to hear that song. I think it’s also such an important message on the importance of art and storytelling in cultures all across the world.” 

Ali said: “Olivia Dean is a true artist. Every song she sang reached the whole arena, and I loved how her voice drew the audio in.”

Another bonus: some of her proceeds from her shows also went to supporting grassroots Aussie music. 

I received a heartwarming message from reader Sharon, who shared her Halloween good deeds:

“I have a granddaughter with type 1 diabetes so Halloween trick or treating was always a challenge. She asked me why no one has little things for kids who can’t have lollies, or who have food allergies or medical issues. 

So about six years ago I started knitting little Halloween treasures as an alternative alongside a bowl of sweet treats. I wasn’t sure any kids would want them! But they were a hit from the very first Halloween. 

One mum contacted me after she heard about it and told me her two children had never been trick or treating due to food allergies and it broke her heart every year to tell them they couldn’t go. She cried when they came to my place and the kids excitedly chose a little knitted treasure each. 

They are now hugely popular and parents bring kids with allergies or medical conditions from all surrounding suburbs. 

Children who usually collect the lollies now shyly ask if they can have a ghostie or a Halloween mouse instead. The answer is always absolutely. And sometimes I give them both ha ha.”

Be like Sharon everyone. Do good and email me about it so I can put it in this newsletter.

Goalkeeper Jan Hanus of FK Jablonec in action during the UEFA Conference League 2026/27 League(Photo by Elyx Cegarra/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

Fifteen rare tiny frogs have been born at London Zoo. The Afia Birago’s puddle frogs are one of the world’s rarest, smallest amphibians, meaning this milestone is extra special. 

How tiny, I hear you ask?

The frogs are no bigger than the tip of a pencil.

They’re also the first of their species to be born under human care, as part of a collaborative effort between conservation organisations in Ghana and the London Zoo. 

The species was only discovered around eight years ago, and only found to survive in two pools in Ghana. To conserve the species, 20 of the frogs were moved to London – and now 15 more of them have been born! 

Amphibian keeper Unnar Aevarsson said: “These 5mm long froglets are cause for celebration, but our work to save Afia Birago’s puddle frog has only just begun: the wider goal now is for our partners to establish sustainable conservation populations in Ghana that can support their recovery in the wild - these births make that a real possibility.”

So many of you enjoyed last week’s story about the wrist device that helps with tremors. In a very similar turn of events, researchers have launched a new wrist device that could help people with Tourette’s.

The device “provides gentle non-invasive stimulation to support calm and relaxation during moments of restlessness or physical tension.” 

The device was developed by psychologists at the University of Nottingham and involves electrically stimulating a nerve at the wrist that’s associated with the suppression of movement. They found rhythmic stimulation "substantially reduces tic frequency and tic intensity, and removes the urge-to-tic, in individuals with Tourette’s.” 

Clinical trials with a prototype device from Neurotherapeutics Ltd showed that people receiving the stimulation saw more than a 25% reduction in tic frequency on average. 

One user was 15-year-old Oliver Elliott. He said: “The device helped massively by reducing my tics so I could go back to my normal activities and hobbies. The feeling of wearing the device is quite calm and peaceful, it’s a little like a heartbeat. I’ve been able to eat and drink with ease and in public I’ve been comfortable eating and drinking, I’ve also been able to start to rejoin education due to the device” 

The device can be worn at home, and is controlled by the individual through an app. 

Earlier this month, UK grocery chain Tesco introduced guaranteed paid leave for employees experiencing domestic abuse. Tesco is the UK’s biggest private employer, with 300,000 workers.

Tesco employees will be entitled to up to three days of paid leave to access support and organise their safety. Tesco will also provide counselling, legal and financial advice. The paid leave can be taken flexibly.

Managers across Tesco have also been trained to spot signs of domestic abuse and respond to colleagues impacted by abuse, in collaboration with a local  union and a domestic abuse organisation. 

While this is a ‘silver linings’ story, it’s still incredibly important. Money, accommodation and childcare are barriers when seeking support from domestic violence, so it’s good to see employers recognise and address the issue. 

A new cultural centre dedicated for Black and African films has opened in London. 

EbonyLife Place has a 160-seat auditorium with a year-round film program, which will primarily focus on Nollywood (Nigerian cinema: Nigeria + Hollywood).

Apart from the cinema, the venue has a bar, lounge, Nigerian restaurant, and a boutique showcasing African designers and African diaspora artwork. 

It was founded by Mo Abudu, a London-born Nigerian media mogul. 

She told the BBC: “This gives a permanent home to our films, to our foods, to our fashion… we are so underrepresented, we need to create spaces where we feel safe and where our content can be shared among us, and also, we want to invite the rest of the world in.” 

Researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) have created an AI tool that analyses DNA to better identify genetic risk factors for stroke. 

The AI tool is unique because it looks at where the genetic variants are in the genome and how they may interact. Researchers found their model was more accurate than previous genetic risk tools differentiating between those who had strokes and those who hadn’t.

Study co-author Dr. Kairui Guo said: “When someone has a stroke, particularly at a young age, they often want to know whether other family members are also at risk. These new AI tools will provide the ability to better help families understand that risk.”