A planet-wide conflict that claimed as many lives as the first two world wars combined would hardly make any difference to the world’s exploding population, according to a study.

Passive smoking causes “irreversible” damage to children’s arteries, ages their blood vessels by three years, and significantly increases the risk of heart or stroke problems in later life.

ICA members are invited to show solidarity with Roses from the Heart, a unique memorial to the 25,566 convict women transported to Australia from Britain and Ireland from 1788 to 1853.

MORE than 120 whales and dolphins died after swimming onto beaches on two southern Australian islands, where rescue teams were desperately trying today to prevent others becoming stranded.