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Drinking olive oil: a health and beauty elixir or celebrity fad in a shot glass?

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hazel-flight-536221">Hazel Flight</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edge-hill-university-1356">Edge Hill University</a></em></p> <p>In the ever-changing world of wellness trends and celebrity endorsed health fads there is a new trend on the scene: daily olive oil shots.</p> <p>Celebrities such as <a href="https://poosh.com/why-kourtney-kardashian-drinks-tablespoon-evoo/">Kourtney Kardashian</a>, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow and <a href="https://www.womanandhome.com/life/news-entertainment/jennifer-lopez-credits-her-grandmas-crazy-beauty-secret-for-glowing-skin-and-chances-are-you-already-have-it-at-home/">Jennifer Lopez</a> all extol the virtues of swigging extra virgin as well as slathering it on their skin, crediting olive oil for their glowing complexions.</p> <p>Lopez even based her JLo Beauty brand around the kitchen staple, claiming that her age-defying looks were not the result of botox or surgery but the family beauty secret: <a href="https://graziamagazine.com/us/articles/jennifer-lopez-skincare-routine/">moisturising with olive oil</a>.</p> <p>And she’s in good company. Hollywood star <a href="https://jnews.uk/goldie-hawn-swears-by-olive-oil-for-perfect-skin-at-76-best-life/">Goldie Hawn reportedly drinks olive oil</a> before bed and uses it topically as a moisturiser, while <a href="https://www.redonline.co.uk/beauty/a31184313/julia-roberts-olive-oil-hair-skin/">beauty icon Sophia Loren</a> really goes to town by bathing in the stuff.</p> <p>While these celebrities swear by the skin beautifying properties of olive oil, some skin types should <a href="https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1182&amp;context=jdvi#:%7E:text=Background%3A%20Dry%20skin%20or%20xerosis,water%20in%20the%20stratum%20corneum.">give it a swerve</a>. Those <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/dth.14436">prone to acne</a> or eczema, for example, might find the <a href="https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(21)00813-7/fulltext">olive oil exacerbates their problems</a>. Some <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22995032/">dermatologists warn against</a> using it as skin care altogether – bad news for JLo.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3F7uc9jV9V4?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Thanks largely to celebrity promotion, drinking olive oil has now become a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/lifestyle/tiktok-dua-lipa-ice-cream-olive-oil-b2479725.html">worldwide TikTok sensation</a>. Viral videos show influencers tossing back shots of cult olive oil brands, and proclaiming a wide range of health benefits from improving digestion to clearing up acne.</p> <p>Celebrity and influencers are sold on liquid gold but what about the rest of us? Can drinking olive oil really work on miracles for our health?</p> <h2>The benefits of olive oil</h2> <p>There’s no doubt that olive oil is full of good stuff. It’s high in polyphenols and antioxidants, which have protective qualities for the body’s tissues. It’s also a rich source of essential fatty acids, including oleic acid, which is known for <a href="https://foodrevolution.org/blog/olives-and-olive-oil-benefits/#:%7E:text=Compared%20with%20olives%2C%20olive%20oil,in%20polyphenols%20and%20antioxidants%2C%20however">lowering cholesterol</a> so reducing the chances of heart disease.</p> <p>Research has found that the inclusion of olive oil in the diet shows encouraging effects in a variety of <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu11092039">inflammatory and medical diseases</a> and can <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffnut.2022.980429">support weight management</a> if used correctly.</p> <p>Replacing butter, margarine, mayonnaise and dairy fat with olive oil has been linked to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jacc.2021.10.041">lower risk of mortality</a>. There’s also evidence to suggest that the protective compounds in olive oil may help <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0261649">guard against cancer</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10376491/">dementia</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29141573/">support the liver</a> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7916323/">and kidneys</a>.</p> <p>But none of this is new information to health professionals. The health benefits of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7466243/">extra virgin olive oil</a> are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu11092039">well researched</a> and nutritionists have promoted olive oil as a swap for saturated cooking fat for years.</p> <p>After all, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7536728/">Mediterranean diet</a> has been touted as one of the healthiest diets in the world for decades. The diet itself can vary from region to region, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu15092127">virgin olive oil</a> is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu11092039">consistent element</a>. It’s used as the <a href="https://www.themediterraneandish.com/cooking-with-olive-oil/">main source of cooking fat</a> and included in everything from salad dressings to bread.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/krFcE5IPT7g?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <h2>Can fat be healthy? Yes and no</h2> <p>Fats are crucial for a balanced diet, aiding in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A,D,E,K and enhancing the nutritional value of meals.</p> <p>However, fat of any kind is also dense in calories and excessive consumption <a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000336848">can lead to weight gain</a>. According to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/17-07-2023-who-updates-guidelines-on-fats-and-carbohydrates">World Health Organization</a>, to prevent unhealthy weight gain, adults should limit their intake of fat to 30% of total energy intake with no more than 10% coming from saturated fats.</p> <p>Two tablespoons of olive oil – the standard amount in the shots taken by celebrities and social media influencers – contain 28g of fat (238 calories) and 3.8g of saturated fat equating to <a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171413/nutrients">19% of the recommended daily intake</a>.</p> <p>That daily shot of extra virgin, then, might not be the best idea. Adding small amounts of olive oil to meals throughout the day is a more balanced – and appetising – approach to incorporating healthy fats into your diet.</p> <p>But what about Kourtney Kardashian’s <a href="https://poosh.com/why-kourtney-kardashian-drinks-tablespoon-evoo/#:%7E:text=First%20things%20first%2C%20it's%20recommended,a.m.%20(every%20other%20day).">claim that</a>: “It’s recommended to consume extra virgin olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach so the oil can coat your system and neutralize your stomach walls for optimal benefits?”</p> <p><a href="https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/briefs/consuming-olive-oil-on-an-empty-stomach-health-benefits/91503">Some brands</a> have also echoed the idea that consuming olive oil on an empty stomach offers unique health benefits. But no. There’s no scientific evidence to suggest this is true.</p> <p>For a healthy but more satisfying snack, Kourtney might try including a handful of olives into her daily diet. Olives offer the same rich array of nutrients, including vitamins E, A and K, alongside essential minerals such as iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and amino acids.</p> <p>Unlike olive oil, olives have the added benefit of a high fibre content. The combination of fat and fibre enhances feelings of satiety, making olives a nutritious addition to the diet.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224018/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hazel-flight-536221">Hazel Flight</a>, Programme Lead Nutrition and Health, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edge-hill-university-1356">Edge Hill University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/drinking-olive-oil-a-health-and-beauty-elixir-or-celebrity-fad-in-a-shot-glass-224018">original article</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Rob Dale "destroyed" after police shot dead pet dog

<p>Rob Dale, who has previously starred in reality TV show <em>Aussie Gold Hunters</em>, was left heartbroken after his pet dog Monty was shot dead during an arrest in Perth's north-east. </p> <p>Police were making an arrest in Dale's house on Stratton Blvd at around 9:30am on Tuesday when the incident occurred. </p> <p>“While at the residence, a dog owned by another person approached and attacked the arrested suspect and a female police officer,” authorities said at the time. </p> <p> A male officer fired at Monty "to prevent further injury". </p> <p>Two men were arrested for aggravated home burglary and commit, stealing and trespassing, after a series of incidences that led police officers to Dale's home. </p> <p>Dale was not home at the time of the incident, and there is no suggestion that he was involved in any alleged crimes. </p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The TV personality said that his nine-year-old French mastiff x Great Dane, was a  much loved “member of the family," and he was only trying to protect the occupants of the house. </span></p> <p>“He was loyal and protective and he gave me a lot of comfort knowing that if anything was to happen ... my family would be safe with him,” Dale said. </p> <p>“This has destroyed my children and myself.”</p> <p>Dale described his pet as  a “really soft-natured animal”, and was a "protector of the family”. </p> <p>“He was just fulfilling his duty in that house and that’s to protect the occupants, and it’s cost him his life,” Dale added. </p> <p>Both the suspect and police officer were taken to hospital after the incident and discharged on Tuesday afternoon. </p> <p>Images: <em>7NEWS</em></p> <p> </p>

Family & Pets

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Sonia Kruger’s cheeky shot during Logies victory speech

<p>The 2023 Logie Awards ceremony was filled with memorable moments, both triumphant and awkward. Sam Pang took on the role of the host, becoming the first in 11 years to do so. He kicked off the proceedings with a pointed and humorous monologue, highlighting the win for diversity as the first-ever host representing both Channel 7 and Channel 10.</p> <p>“I would like to acknowledge a win for diversity tonight. I am the first host in the history of the Logies to be half and half - half Channel 7 and half Channel 10,” Pang began.</p> <p>“Let’s be honest, it’s just be great to have an Asian on Channel 7 who isn’t trying to smuggle live birds through border security,” he continued, telling viewers to strap in for the “two-day” ceremony.</p> <p>One of the night's obvious highlights was the announcement of the Gold Logie winner, Sonia Kruger. Overwhelmed with joy, Sonia expressed her gratitude and thanked everyone involved in her shows, including <em>Big Brother</em>, <em>Dancing With the Stars</em>, and <em>The Voice</em>.</p> <p>She also playfully teased last year's Gold Logie winner, Hamish Blake, for sharing the same agent and their agent's hopes for concentrating on her in the future.</p> <p>Kruger quoted a conversation with the agent who had allegedly told her “I think people are a little over Hamish [Blake].”</p> <p>She added that the man had told her “Frankly I am hoping that he will leave the agency, so I can concentrate all of my efforts on you, Sonia”.</p> <p>Karl Stefanovic, on the other hand, faced a challenging moment during his appearance. Trying to add some impromptu humour to introduce a tribute to Barry Humphries, his joke about David Koch's favourite show, <em>Bump</em>, fell flat with the audience. </p> <p>“I did want to just check something... I am pretty sure before I heard Kochie say he loves Bump’s.... season 3. Did anyone mishear that? Because I am pretty sure I did. Anyway, those are the headlines tomorrow morning...” Karl said.</p> <p><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">The cameras caught Kochie looking bewildered to say the least.</span></p> <p>Sam Pang then by saying “I don’t want to say Karl’s joke about Kochie sank, but OceanGate are offering expeditions to visit it.”</p> <p>Following the In Memoriam segment, Sam Pang dedicated another In Memoriam to TV shows that had low ratings in the past year. This included Seven's <em>Blow-Up</em>, lacking the entertainment, artistry, and family fun it aimed for, and Ten's <em>The Real Love Boat</em>, which seemingly did not receive favourable reviews.</p> <p>Throughout the night, Sam Pang entertained the audience with a series of witty remarks. He thanked those who declined the hosting gig, <span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">including Hamish Blake: “I appreciate it, mate, some of us have a mortgage,” said Pang. “By the way, a mortgage is when the bank loans... Ah,don’t worry about it.” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He joked that Kenny star Shane Jacobson said yes to hosting, “before even knowing what the question was.” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“Karl Stefanovic said yes, as long the show was held in a park in Noosa.” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"Eventually, it came down to two candidates, but “Rolf Harris said no, so here we are.” Then he took aim at the stars of <em>MAFS</em>, seated in the audience - he welcomed them to their “last-ever Logies." </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“<em>The Voice</em> is nominated tonight," continued Pang, "despite Peter Dutton’s strong opposition to the nomination...” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">“<em>The Block</em> shows Australians what it is like to own their own home, making it the greatest fantasy series since <em>Game of Thrones</em>.” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He said <em>I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here</em>! is “a wonderful show where we find out which Australian celebrities haven’t been adding to their super. Hi Kerri-Anne!” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He noted that Hamish Blake is up for his second Gold Logie this year, while comedy partner Andy Lee... “is mates with Hamish.” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He paid tribute to recently retired <em>Sunrise</em> host David Koch, who “changed breakfast television forever. Warmth, humour, personality... you needed none of those.” </span></p> <p><span style="color: #343541; font-family: Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Noto Sans', sans-serif, 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, 'Apple Color Emoji', 'Segoe UI Emoji', 'Segoe UI Symbol', 'Noto Color Emoji'; font-size: 16px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">And then Today host Karl Stefanovic, sat with co-host Sarah Abo. Or as Pang put it: “Sitting next to your co-host - who do you have this year, Karl?” He said Karl’s table would only be more fun if “Michael Clarke was on it.”</span></p> <p>While Pang's monologue ended on a controversial note with a joke about being an Asian on <em>I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!</em>, the overall ceremony was filled with moments that kept the audience entertained.</p> <p>He also advised audience members “not to mix beer and wine, and make sure that you don’t mix your acceptance speech with an active court case.”</p> <p><em>Images: Channel Seven</em></p>

TV

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King's-eye-view: Story behind incredibly rare shot from palace balcony

<p>Getty photographer Chris Jackson has shared insight into what it was like to capture the coronation, and watch the moment King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla walked out onto Buckingham Palace balcony from a unique perspective.</p> <p>Taking to Instagram, Jackson shared a rare image that gave the public a small sense of what Charles and Camilla would see from the balcony.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6FZQwtiE6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6FZQwtiE6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chris Jackson (@chrisjacksongetty)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"An honour to shoot 'behind the scenes' and a never seen before angle from today's historic Coronation, what a day!!!!!! Save a 🥂 for me!", he captioned the post.</p> <p>That wasn’t the only ‘behind-the-scenes' look at the King and Queen’s time on the Palace balcony. Jackson also shared a photo of the pair watching the Royal Navy, Army Air Corps and Royal Air Force doing a flypast.</p> <p>The image shows the aircraft leaving a trail of red, white and blue exhaust as they flew over the proceedings.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6M3BDNoYw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr6M3BDNoYw/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chris Jackson (@chrisjacksongetty)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>"What a view! What a day!" Jackson captioned the post.</p> <p>King Charles and Queen Camilla were captured waving to the crowd from the Palace balcony following his coronation at Westminster Abbey.</p> <p>The pair travelled to the infamous site in a royal carriage for the long-lived tradition.</p> <p>Charles and Camilla were joined on the balcony by their royal pages and members of the British royal family.</p> <p>Prince William and Princess Katie appeared on the balcony with their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.</p> <p>There were two noticeable absences from the balcony, although neither were expected to be there as only working royals are given the honour of making an appearance on the balcony.</p> <p>Although Prince Harry did attend the coronation, he left shortly afterwards to travel back to the US for his son Archie’s fourth birthday celebrations.</p> <p>Prince Andrew was also present at the coronation but not on the balcony as Charles looks to “slim down” the monarchy.</p> <p>The day marked the first time the royal family appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony since the death of Queen Elizabeth II.</p> <p>The late Queen waved to the crowd from the balcony, accompanied by Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and their children during Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022.</p> <p>She passed away three months later on September 8, 2022, with Prince Charles immediately anointed as King.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty/Instagram</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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"One more shot": Turia Pitt undergoes life-changing surgery

<p dir="ltr">After 12 years of hoping, Turia Pitt has finally undergone a “life-changing” nose surgery to help her breathe better.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pitt, 35, a survivor of the devastating grassfire that broke out in Kimberley during a 2011 ultramarathon, has revealed that she still has trouble breathing because of the shape of her nose.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s frustrating because I spend most of my days teaching women how to run, and talking about running, and both of those things - talking and running - require breath,” she shared in a video posted on Instagram.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pitt shared that she’s been wanting to get surgery to fix the issue for 12 years, but has struggled with finding the right surgeon until late last year.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m a persistent person, but this cycle of building hope, and having it smashed down over and over again, has been hard,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s been demoralising. But late last year, I heard back from one more surgeon, a bloke in Baltimore in the USA, so I decided to give it one more shot.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In another video she revealed that she also wanted the surgery to look like her best self when she marries her long-term partner and fiancé, Michael Hoskin.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want surgery for my nose so that I can breathe better, but I also want it to look better too,” she captioned the video.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to have a nice big smile, a nice even nose, long glossy wavy hair, my big eyes, my shoulders will be tanned, and I’ll wear a flower crown and black pearls,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She added that even though she wanted to “look really good” for her fiancé, her partner “doesn’t give a s***” how she looks because he loves her regardless.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He loves me now like he loved me before my accident. So it’s not for Michael; this surgery is for me.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Post-surgery, Pitt shared a follow up video of herself in the US with her heavily bandaged nose. She’s been updating her followers on the progress consistently, and on day five showed what her nose looked like with the bandages off.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I can breathe through my nostrils, and I also think that’s helped my voice quality,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">In her latest podcast, <em>Yes Darling, You Look Beautiful</em>, she shared further details about how she felt about the surgery and her fiancé’s reaction.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I really like it, I’m happy, I start crying, and when I get back to my hotel room I look at myself in the mirror and I feel more symmetrical,” she said, sharing that her nose is much straighter after initially not being able to see the difference.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pitt also revealed her fiancé’s sweet reaction and how he was “blown away”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Yes darling, you look very beautiful, it was a wonderful operation”.</p> <p dir="ltr">She said that even though she doesn’t look any different “for the average person on the street”, her fiancé understands that she can be self-conscious about how she looks and supports her decision.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Royal photographer admits to faking iconic shot

<p>Jason Bell, the photographer responsible for the official family portraits from Prince George’s 2013 christening, has revealed the truth about the shots - and admitted to faking one significant detail. </p> <p>In the documentary <em>Portrait of the Queen</em>, Bell admitted to feeling pressure over getting the shot just right. It was, after all, the first time that four generations of direct heirs had been captured together in over a century - since Queen Victoria’s reign specifically. </p> <p>The iconic picture sees the Queen and her four heirs - Prince Charles (now King Charles), Prince William, and Prince George - gathered around the chair upon which the Queen sits in the Morning Room at Clarence House, with sunlight streaming in around them. </p> <p>The catch? The light wasn’t real. </p> <p>“A christening picture is a happy picture,” Bell explained, “and when I think about happy, I think about - sort of - summer, and sun, and light, and bright. </p> <p>“So I think in a way, that was my first creative decision going into it. I want[ed] it to feel like a beautiful, warm, summer-y afternoon.</p> <p>“Obviously, the problem with that was I was actually doing the shoot in October in London and, you know, I’m a longtime Londoner, and I know that you can’t rely on London weather.</p> <p>“So, what I did was I put big heavy lights around all of the windows and the window behind them outside in the street. And, you know, to get enough light coming through the windows to really feel like a sort of summer afternoon, you know, you need quite a lot of light.”</p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2023/03/Portrait_of_the_Queen_Sharmill.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p>As well as the big creative decisions necessary on the day, Bell had to plan well ahead, and explained how “it’s always important to research around the project and you know, see what people have done before – who goes where. Where does the Queen go? Where does Prince George go?</p> <p>“You’re thinking about the sort of lineage, if you like, and the structure of the picture wants to reflect [that].”</p> <p>Bell also admitted that he drew inspiration from a portrait of Queen Victoria and her heirs in 1894 - in that picture, Queen Victoria was holding her youngest direct heir, who would go on to become King Edward VIII. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CisbmEIu2vP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CisbmEIu2vP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Jason Bell (@jasonbellphoto)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>And with the opportunity may have been daunting, and the stakes for his career high, Bell noted that one detail in particular stood out to him, confessing that he was “quite drawn” to it. </p> <p>“The personal element of it, you know, is the same as it is in any other family,” he said, “and that’s kind of interesting watching, you know, them be[ing] a family together if you like.”</p> <p><em>Images: @jasonbellphoto / Instagram, </em><em>Portrait of the Queen / Sharmill</em></p>

Art

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Time to focus: The accidental photographer’s guide to taking great travel shots

<p><em>Interested in photography? Travelling overseas? Freelance travel writer, photographer and content queen Carolyne Jasinski shares some of the best tips to get great shots wherever you are.</em></p> <p>What makes the perfect photograph? Is it a complicated combination of aperture settings to determine depth of field or shutter priority to choose between blurred movement or keeping everything in focus?</p> <p>No. It’s much simpler than that.</p> <p>The perfect photo is the one you like best. But there is a knack to getting those pics.</p> <p>I am a travel journalist, so words are my main focus. But most stories need good photos to get published, so I have had to learn how to take photos for publication.</p> <p>I am the accidental photographer.</p> <p>I have taken courses, sat in on workshops and even been on a photography-based expedition to the Arctic.</p> <p>I have travelled with landscape photographers, wildlife snappers, photojournalists who cover war zones, news “togs” and those who shoot food and fashion. Each has taught me something different.</p> <p>So how do we get those great shots? Here are some simple tips to help budding photographers – and you might be surprised at how many of these you are already doing.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>1. Don't knock the automatic setting</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Digital cameras have made life easy. If you’re happy with what your camera produces on automatic, stick to it. That’s what you’ve paid for.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, if you want to learn the “how and why” of photography, play with all those extra dials. </p> <p dir="ltr">Take a course or better still, go on a photography weekend and learn from the professionals. It’s really interesting knowing how to be in control.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>2. Horizontal and vertical</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Take horizontal and vertical shots of the same subject — you’ll be surprised at how different the photos turn out.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s especially important if you are going to try and sell them to a magazine or online site. More than once I’ve heard designers despair because they have the perfect image to go alongside a story, but it’s oriented the wrong way. Give them both and double your chances of getting published.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you want to make it to the cover of a magazine, take a vertical (portrait) photo.</p> <p dir="ltr">Horizontal (wide) shots are best for inside pages, especially a spread. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>3. Rule of thirds</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Divide your frame into thirds — both horizontally and vertically.</p> <p dir="ltr">Place the focus of your pic on one of those third lines rather than in the middle of your frame.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>4. Change your angle... Move</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">A photo that looks ordinary from front-on can be much more interesting from a different angle. The trick is to move. Get in closer — unless it’s a wild animal. If there are big teeth or horns involved, just zoom in with your camera.</p> <p dir="ltr">Try getting down on the ground or taking the shot from a high point</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>5. People</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">For me, travel is all about people.  Photos always look better with people in them as they add perspective and “life”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Take snapshots to help remember the people you meet.</p> <p dir="ltr">But be kind. Lift chins and cover cleavages. Be aware of what shooting from down low does to your friends — no-one will thank you for highlighting their double chin or looking up their nostrils. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>6. Zoom in</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Get up close and personal with your zoom lens. It can be a powerful tool for capturing the nitty gritty.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>7. Shapes & patterns</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Look for interesting shapes. Natural patterns make naturally great shots.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>8. Diagonals and leading lines</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Diagonals create visual flow and add the illusion of movement and dimension to photos.</p> <p dir="ltr">No matter where they start in a frame, they can pull you in and act as a leading line to where you want the focal point to be.</p> <p dir="ltr">Not all leading lines have to be diagonals … a curving river, for example can lead you to a spectacular backdrop.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>9. Work with the light</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The general rule when it comes to working with light is: Don’t shoot into the light. Unless it works. Sunsets are a great example.</p> <p dir="ltr">But when shooting sunsets, always turn around and look at what the light is doing behind you. Sometimes it’s even prettier than what’s in front.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bright sunny days will often give the most ordinary pics. Early morning, shadows and evening light offer the best contrasts.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>10. Contrast</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">If you see contrast, capture it — look for light and dark, colour and mono. It might be a bright green shoot coming out of a blackened tree trunk, or a pop of colour in a sea of grey. They always make for interesting shots.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>11. Framing</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Use natural elements to frame your shot. Same goes for man-made structures — they often make perfect boundaries for your pics.</p> <p dir="ltr">Natural props make your job easy.</p> <p><strong>12. Location markers</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Signs or souvenirs (with names) can help you remember where you are.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pics of information boards are great memory joggers and the best notes when trying to write your journal or travel story later.</p> <p><strong>13. Aim for something different</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Shoot the obvious but aim for more and shoot that, too.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>14. Ask permission when shooting people</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Cultural cringe — if you are in a foreign country, always ask for permission to take a photo. It’s common courtesy. And before including children, always ask their parents and explain what you are doing. If you want to publish those photos, you’ll need written permission.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>15. Surprise element</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Try to capture people (you know) when they are unaware that you are there. Candid shots are often the best.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>16. Capture the moment</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">It’s all about being in the right place at the right time. If you see a great photo opportunity, don’t think, “I’ll come back and get that later.” Later might be too late.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>17. Reflections</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Use reflections to reflect on the moment.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>18. Mood</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Let photos reflect how you feel.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>19. Aperture and shutter priority</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">It had to get technical somewhere.</p> <p dir="ltr">As you increase the size of your aperture (increasing the hole you shoot through) you let more light into your image sensor.  That means you need a shorter shutter speed. </p> <p dir="ltr">If you increase the length of time your shutter is open, you decrease the aperture needed to get a well exposed shot.</p> <p dir="ltr">Aperture and Shutter Priority modes are semi-automatic on most cameras. If you set one, your camera will set the other. Or it will have a dial or meter to show where the perfect setting is.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>20. Depth of field</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Aperture Priority — ‘A’ or ‘AV’ on your camera program dial.</p> <p dir="ltr">When would you use it? To get “depth of field”.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you want a shallow depth of field — an object in front in focus but the background blurred — choose a large aperture (f/1.4) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you want an image with everything in focus, choose a smaller aperture (f/22) and let the camera choose an appropriate shutter speed (generally a longer one).</p> <p dir="ltr">Or you can use Portrait mode on your iPhone.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>21. Movement</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Shutter Priority — ‘TV’ or ‘S’ on your camera dial.</p> <p dir="ltr">When would you use it? To capture movement.</p> <p dir="ltr">If you want to photograph a moving object but want to freeze it so there is no motion blur, choose a fast shutter speed (1/2000) and let the camera decide how much light there is available and set an appropriate aperture. </p> <p dir="ltr">If you want to photograph the object but include some motion blur, choose a slower shutter speed (1/125) and let the camera choose a smaller aperture as a result.</p> <p dir="ltr">The slower the shutter speed, the more need for a tripod.</p> <p><strong>22. High resolution photos</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">What does high resolution mean? It means a photo with a lot of information — showing a lot of detail. For publication in magazines, you need a photo with at least 300 dpi (dots per inch) that means your photos need to be at least 2MB in size (but the more, the better).</p> <p><em>All images: Carolyne Jasinski</em></p> <p style="color: #0e101a; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> </p>

Travel Tips

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Breathtaking shots from the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year

<p>The winners of the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year have been announced, showcasing stunning photography with a focus on conservation and sustainability. </p> <p>The competition, regarded as one of the world’s most prestigious photography competitions, received nearly 20,000 entries from both amateur and professional photographers in 154 different countries. </p> <p>The top prize went to Slovenian photographer Matjaz Krivic who submitted a stunning shot of one of the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos. Najin, the 33-year-old rhino, was pictured with her keeper, Zachary Mutai. </p> <p>The picture was shot in Kenya’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy and demonstrates the impact of the Cumbre Vieja volcano’s eruption on La Palma’s landscape. </p> <p>As the judges commented, Krivic told their story “beautifully and sensitively. The images are tender and intimate.”</p> <p>“I am honoured to have my work recognised and acknowledged by the judges of the Travel Photographer of the Year competition …” Krivic said of his win. “Travel and photography has been my passion and a big part of my life since I can remember and this award inspires me to continue with my journey.”</p> <p>A 14-year-old Australian, who now lives in Portugal, took home the Young Travel Photographer of the Year award. Kaia Tham’s work is shot solely on an iPhone, and the judges praised this choice by commenting, “seeing the world in a different way and exploring it with a phone rather than a camera has given this young photographer’s portfolio a fresh feel and a different perspective observing the streets of Lisbon.”</p> <p>Two other Australians received acknowledgement for their work, securing themselves special mentions from the judges - Jason Edwards with one, and Scott Portelli with three.</p> <p>2022’s People’s Choice award went to Romain Miot from France. This award is the only category in which the judges have no say on the winner - the 130 finalists are instead voted on by the general public. </p> <p>Miot’s work features a salt caravan in Mauritania’s Sahara Desert. Of the photograph, Miot said, “when I returned from the trip, I realised that this image of a camel owner ordering the dromedaries looked like a conductor with an orchestra.”</p> <p>The photos from the 2022 awards will be exhibited in May at the Royal Photographic Society as part of World Photography in Focus, ahead of the 21st Travel Photographer of the Year awards for 2023.</p> <p><em>All image credits: 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year </em></p>

International Travel

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"Her own doing": Lisa Wilkinson slammed for parting shot

<p>Lisa Wilkinson has once again been blasted, but this time it was over her speech she gave while quitting The Project.</p> <p>It was on Sunday night’s show when she <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/lisa-wilkinson-leaves-the-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced she was stepping down</a>, after a tough six months.</p> <p>Australian media commentator, Sophie Elsworth has accused Wilkinson of “playing the victim”, claiming that most of the attacks coming from the media were “her own doing”.</p> <p>This includes delaying the trial of Brittany Higgins alleged rapist Bruce Lehrmann, due to her problematic Logies acceptance speech.</p> <p>The trial was scheduled for June 27, but in the aftermath of the acceptance speech, the judge had made the decision to delay the high-profile case ruling it would be “unfair” to go on among public commentary surrounding the case.</p> <p>“Lisa Wilkinson, in typical fashion, made it all about her and plays the victim,” Ms Elsworth told Sky News' Chris Kenny on Monday night.</p> <p>“She made headlines back in June for that speech we know she gave at the Logies that was problematic, so that's why she predominantly made a lot of headlines.</p> <p>But she took last night's exit from The Project to slam the media on the way out.”</p> <p>Kenny said Wilkinson's leaving message was "bizarre", and said she appeared to be “blaming other media for her errors”.</p> <p>“She's very good at playing the victim, and she did this very well last night,” Ms Elsworth added.</p> <p>“All her fans say how shocking the media has treated her, but I must say a lot of it has been caused by her own doing.”</p> <p>Wilkinson has been on Aussie screens for over 20 years and even signed a deal with Ten for a huge $1.7 million per year in 2018. However, her appearance on the show has done little to stop rapidly declining ratings.</p> <p><em>Images: Sky News / The Project</em></p>

TV

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“We need answers”: Parents of man shot by police speak out

<p dir="ltr">The parents of a man who was shot and killed by a police officer on a Queensland beach have spoken about how they were told the heartbreaking news.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke Gilbert was with his girlfriend at Airlie Beach, Townsville, when he allegedly approached police with a pen knife in the early hours on the morning of Saturday, October 1.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 24-year-old allegedly continued advancing towards the patrolling officers when he was shot five times.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-ad2fc8d6-7fff-dc87-9780-c25d1c364773"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After police rendered first aid to him, Luke was transported to Proseperine Hospital but died a short time later.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">AIRLIE BEACH: A man aged in his 20’s and allegedly armed with a knife was fatally shot by police in Airlie Beach this morning (October 1) <a href="https://t.co/cBz4wyfM3u">https://t.co/cBz4wyfM3u</a> <a href="https://t.co/mGcTxtosUo">pic.twitter.com/mGcTxtosUo</a></p> <p>— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/QldPolice/status/1575945897787109377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">His parents, Nicola and Darren Gilbert, told <em>9News</em> of the tragic moment when police informed them that their son had died.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Two police officers came in and they just stood, they didn’t even ask us to sit down, and they just stood at the kitchen bench and just said, ‘We’ve very sorry to tell you but your son has died’,” Ms Gilbert said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke, who grew up in Western Australia, was working in Townsville at the time of the incident.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Gilbert has called for an explanation for why his son was shot, describing it as a “massive failing” of police.</p> <p dir="ltr">“What happened? We need answers,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is a massive failing of the Queensland Police.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the police union, officers had no choice but to shoot Luke after he allegedly “lunged” at them with the knife.</p> <p dir="ltr">The officers fired four or five shots at Luke after he continued to approach them despite them drawing their weapons and telling him to stop.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ian Leavers, the President and CEO of the Queensland Police Union, said Luke had “all of a sudden produced a knife from his hoodie and started threatening police”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The police have tried to further engage and they have retreated and moved from that location and tried and continue to communicate with that male person,” he told reporters.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At a point, (he) has lunged at police and they’ve had no other alternative but to use their firearm.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Police did all they could to try and resolve this matter peacefully.”</p> <p dir="ltr">As police swarmed the popular tourist spot on Saturday to determine the circumstances surrounding the shooting, Superintendent Graeme Paine said officers were speaking to several witnesses and that the incident was captured on CCTV.</p> <p dir="ltr">Several people in the area at the time also captured the shooting on video.</p> <p dir="ltr">In one clip, shots can be heard in the background and a man says, “They just f***ing shot him.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I thought they were gonna get him with a taser.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They just f***ing shot him c***s. He just kept walking to the cops.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the wake of the news, the 24-year-old’s brother Zac shared an emotional tribute on Facebook.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I don’t know how to say this It’s not even sinking in yet and it doesn’t seem real,” he wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Life will never be the same, he deserved a lot better than this! I can’t believe this has happened, he's at rest now.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Luke’s brother claimed that police used “excess force” after the 24-year-old pulled out a knife “for reasons unknown right now”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“For all those who don't know this, my brother was on a night out with his girlfriend and as far as we know luke walked up to two police officers, they were talking and then for reasons unknown right now, luke pulled out a pen knife (4cm) and in reaction to that the officers shot 4 to 5 times at my brother and 1 of them being fatal,” Zac wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There’s a lot of speculation in the media about the circumstances surrounding the loss of my brother but just know the truth is excess force was used on him which killed him and that can never be undone, they didn’t try the taser, the baton or the pepper spray first they went straight for the guns carelessly.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The incident is being investigated by the Ethical Standards Committee on behalf of the state coroner.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-eb938256-7fff-1bf8-14d1-92cd0fe3a9d7"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 9News / Facebook</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Outrage after husky pup shot and killed by hunter

<p>WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT</p> <p>A wave of anti-hunting outrage has been sparked online after a hunter in Montana, US, took to social media to pose alongside the carcass of a Siberian husky that she had shot and skinned .</p> <p>The woman in question, Amber Rose, claims that she mistook the dog for a wolf pup. She shared the graphic images on Facebook of her clutching a rifle and grinning while holding up the animal’s body.</p> <p>“So this morning I set out for a solo predator hunt for a fall black bear however I got the opportunity to take another predator wolf pup 2022 was a great feeling to text my man and say I just smoked a wolf pup. #firstwolf #onelesspredatorMT,” Rose wrote.</p> <p>“Amber Rose here hunted, shot, AND SKINNED a HUSKY.. not a wolf, an obvious #HUSKY,” one furious Twitter user pointed out.</p> <p>“Also the fact that she is calling it a ‘pup’ concerns me that she thinks it’s OK to hunt young animals which, as you know, is not good for an area’s ecosystem #revokeherlicense,” the animal lover added.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/MontanaFWP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MontanaFWP</a> Amber Rose here hunted, shot, AND SKINNED a HUSKY.. not a wolf, an obvious <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HUSKY?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HUSKY</a>. Also the fact that she is calling it a “pup” concerns me that she thinks it’s ok to hunt young animals which, as you know, is not good for an areas eco system <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/revokeherlicense?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#revokeherlicense</a> <a href="https://t.co/hPNLzBzbJq">pic.twitter.com/hPNLzBzbJq</a></p> <p>— Tracy 🖤🏳️‍🌈 (@impurrfectwitch) <a href="https://twitter.com/impurrfectwitch/status/1574336321853825025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Another user seethed that “this woman is bragging about trapping, killing, and skinning a dog while claiming it’s a wolf pup. This is very clearly a Siberian Husky … I hope that @MontanaFWP looks into this.”</p> <p>The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying it had been contacted by someone who reported picking up “several husky and shepherd mix dogs” in the area of Doris Creek in the Flathead National Forest.</p> <p>The department said it was advised that one of the dogs “may have been shot”.</p> <p>“The parties were able to pick up 11 dogs which were turned over to Animal Control and taken to the animal shelter,” a statement read. “During this investigation, we were advised through Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks that one of the dogs may have been shot.”</p> <p>The Sheriff’s Office, Animal Control and Fish and Game agencies say that they have launched investigations into the shooting.</p> <p>Amber Rose reacted to the condemnation by admitting her mistake — but insisted that she shot the animal in self-defence.</p> <p>“Yes I made a mistake because I did think it was a hybrid wolf pup,” she wrote, adding that she was unaware of several dogs “being dropped 11 miles into the wilderness”.</p> <p>The woman pushed back against her critics by saying that she is “human” and made a mistake.</p>

Travel Trouble

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Why the value of these coins has shot through the roof

<p>Aussies around the country will be racing to check their wallets in light of the revelation that the value of two rare $2 coins has exploded virtually overnight.</p> <p>Leading Australian coin expert Joel Kandiah has shared that two coins in particular have shot up in value following the Queen’s death. The Perth based teacher is an avid coin collector and has racked up a huge following on Instagram and TikTok with his page, The History of Money.</p> <p>In a recent video he shared the 2012 Red Poppy coin and the 2013 Purple Coronation coin are now worth a combined total of $550. The increase in demand for these rare $2 coins is of course all due to the Queen’s passing.</p> <p>“The market has been hot for these two $2 coins, which are the lowest minted coloured $2 coins in Australian history,” Mr Kandiah explained in the video.</p> <p>The 2013 Purple Coronation $2 coin has a slightly higher mintage of 995,000, but its value has also soared.</p> <p>If the coins are in mint condition they could go for an even higher price. A simple search on Ebay will reveal a number of Red Poppy coins selling in recent days for between $390 and $434, while the 50c coin released for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee initially sold for $12.50, but is now valued at $100.</p> <p>The 2019 “Effigies Over Time” collector set has also seen a huge spike in demand, with the price soaring from $50 two weeks ago to $250 in the current market.</p> <p>“I’ve been collecting for 27 years and I’ve never seen price rises like that ever,” Mr Kandiah said.</p> <p>According to Mr Kandiah, the 5c coin could also soon be taken out of circulation.</p> <p>The Royal Australian Mint disclosed that 5c coins currently cost 12c to make due to high metal prices. It also costs 24c to make a 10c coin and 48c to make a 20c.</p> <p>The cost is simply unfeasible for a coin everyone hates, Mr Kandiah said. The Queen’s death was the perfect time for authorities to reset a flawed system, according to the coin expert.</p> <p><em>Image: TikTok</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Olympic star shot and killed

<p>An Olympic sprinter has been shot and killed while trying to break up a fight. </p> <p>Shavez Hart, an Olympian from the Bahamas, tragically died just days before his 30th birthday when a fight between a group of men broke out in the carpark of a nightclub. </p> <p>According to reports, one man left the scene but returned armed with a gun and opened fire, shooting Hart in the chest around 2am.</p> <p>The Olympian was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead. </p> <p>Police have taken a suspect into custody and an investigation into the shooting is ongoing. </p> <p>The Bahamas Olympic Committee paid tribute to the sprinter in a statement.</p> <p>They said, "The Olympic family is saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Shavez Hart."</p> <p>"He was always very humble, yet proud and determined to offer the very best of himself for the sake of country."</p> <p>Hart's mother told the Nassau Guardian her son will be greatly missed.</p> <p>She said, "He was such a good son – very quiet and always helpful."</p> <p>"He did a lot of work in the community and was always trying to give back. I will certainly miss him."</p> <p>The country's Prime Minister Philip Brave Davies paid his respects in a tweet and said, "On behalf of my family and the people of The Bahamas, I extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of Shavez Hart."</p> <p>"As a country, we've been blessed to have had an amazing athlete carry our flag worldwide."</p> <p>"Ann and I will keep the family of Shavez in our thoughts and prayers."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

News

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The secret to taking the most amazing photos you’ve ever shot

<p>If you are an aspiring photographer you may have heard of RAW. It is a common term bandied in digital photography, but what is often not explained is why it is important and what it means for your images. We sort out fact from fiction so you can see what RAW can do for your photographs.</p> <p><strong>What is RAW?</strong></p> <p>RAW is a file format comparable to a negative in the digital world. As we know from the time before we all went digital, negatives possess all the necessary information to create a photo. When you use RAW, you capture your images like a negative – meaning the image you capture in not yet processed. This is different to shooting in the common JPEG format where the camera processes and compresses the image for you. Information is lost in the JPEG process, which results in a lower-quality image that is harder to edit. For professionals, using RAW is preferable as you can decide how you want to edit a photo and thus produce what you had in mind, rather than letting the camera decide for you.</p> <p><strong>Why is it good?</strong></p> <p>As the RAW format provides you with the most information possible when capturing an image, the quality of the photograph is going to be higher and better than any other format. The greatest benefit, however, lies in the editing process. As no information has been processed or compressed, you will be able to correct problems you see in your photos – this would not be possible if shot in JPEG format. With RAW capture you also have control over the white balance, contrast, highlights, shadows, colours and saturation. You can easily correct both over- or under-exposed images without a reduction in quality, which is particularly useful if you shoot under difficult lighting circumstances like at night-time. You can also adjust the white balance of photos which helps you achieve the proper colour balance, crucial in creating great photos.</p> <p><strong>What are the downsides?</strong></p> <div> <p>RAW is the best option for photographers who want to take control over their images but as so much information is captured in the image; the file size is much larger than its JPEG relative which could mean complications with storing your images. If you are shooting a lot of images with little need to edit then RAW format is not necessarily for you. However, if you are looking to take your photography to the next level then you should learn to start shooting like the professional do: with RAW capture. As any professional will tell you, RAW is one of the best tools for a photographer. The editing capabilities in RAW far outweigh any other form and creating great photos is just as much about editing as it is about shooting the perfect picture. And if you are aspiring to take your photography further, looking into a photography course to develop your skills and techniques could be beneficial.</p> </div> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Mind

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"Absolute tragedy": 9-year-old girl shot dead in her own home

<p>A nine-year-old has been shot and killed during a tragic home invasion in England's northern city of Liverpool.</p> <p><span style="color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: #ffffff;">Olivia Pratt-Korbel was caught in the crossfire </span><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">when a gunman fired three shots at a man who forced his way into her home as he sought refuge from the attacker, police said.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; background-color: #ffffff;">The Merseyside Police department said the young girl died shortly after the shooting in </span><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Alder Hey Children's Hospital.</span></p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;"> The girl's mother, Cheryl Korbel, 46, was shot in the wrist as she tried to close her front door on the gunman, who wasn't known to the family.</p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;">"This is a shocking and appalling attack which will reverberate around our communities, and I want to take this opportunity again to appeal to anybody who knows who was responsible for this attack to please come forward and give us those names,'' Merseyside Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said at a news conference.</p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;">"They will have vital information that can help us. The killing of a nine-year-old child is an absolute tragedy and crosses every single boundary, and I would urge them to do the right thing so we can put this person behind bars," she added.</p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;">"We need to find all who are responsible for this — not just the gunman. We need to find who supplied the weapon and who arranged this terrible incident."</p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;">Police said the incident began when an armed man fired at two other men on the street outside the Korbel home.</p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;">When Cheryl went to investigate the noise, one of the targets forced their way into the home. </p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;">The gunman gave chase, firing indiscriminately into the home as Korbel tried to bar the door.</p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;">The man who entered the home suffered gunshot wounds to his upper body, as friends picked him up and took him to the hospital as Olivia lay dying.</p> <p class="" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.625rem; font-size: 17px; line-height: 1.5rem; color: #111617; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', Helvetica, sans-serif; background-color: #ffffff;"><em>Image credits: Merseyside Police</em></p>

News

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Heartbroken father of shot girl speaks out

<p dir="ltr">The heartbroken father of one of the women who was showered with gunshots while sitting in a car has spoken out about his “beloved angel”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Lametta Fadlallah, 48, and Amy Al-Hazzouri, 39, were gunned down as they sat in a car on Hendy Avenue, Panania in Sydney’s inner south-west about 10 pm on Saturday.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is believed that Ms Fadlallah had some information about underground figures and was targetted to be kept quiet. </p> <p dir="ltr">Unfortunately, Ms Al-Hazzouri was in the wrong place at the wrong time and succumbed to her wounds, dying a short time later. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her grieving father, Khaled, broke down as he described her as an “angel, friendly and beautiful”.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Beautiful, beautiful," he told <a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/double-sydney-murder-family-of-innocent-hairdresser-caught-up-in-panania-execution-speaks-out/12288bff-40fa-4e60-8441-be817c69fe33?ocid=Social-9NewsS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nine News</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Anyone who used to be upset, depressed, anything would go to Amy and she would give them the support, the power and energy.</p> <p dir="ltr">"They would go to Amy, Amy was everything to them, that's the kind of person she was."</p> <p dir="ltr">Mr Al-Hazzouri said that he wished that it was him that died instead of his daughter. </p> <p dir="ltr">Her sister, Manal Raunegger, launched a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/amy-hazouri-transfer-her-body-to-lebanon?utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_source=customer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> in hopes of raising enough money to help transport Amy to Lebanon to be laid to rest. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Amy, you left us too soon my darling. May Allah have mercy on you, the heart of your sister. I can’t believe it, you’re done, you won’t tell me again,” her post read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Amy Hazouri was my beautiful sister, who was an innocent party who was murdered in southwest Sydney on Saturday 13th August 2022.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Amy was the sole provider for our family in Lebanon that is currently struggling with the economic crisis in Lebanon. We require urgent funds to carry out funeral services and transfer her body to Lebanon to lay at rest.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our mother is not well and cannot travel to Australia to see her daughter. We are asking family, friends and the community to donate what they can and share this page around as we require urgent funds during this time as we cannot afford this service.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Every dollar and support is appreciated. May her soul rest in peace.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Police are investigating the shooting which they have described as an “assassination”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Four torched cars were found nearby in Presland Ave in Revesby, Devlin Drive in Wattle Grove and Elizabeth Crescent in Yagoona, with police hoping to find any links relating to the shooting. </p> <p dir="ltr">NSW Police Force Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty described the shooting as a "organised, methodical murder".</p> <p dir="ltr">"This is an appalling attack on two women who have lost their lives in a planned murder, an assassination really, that's happened in a public street in Sydney," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It's not acceptable by any standards. It's unprecedented, really and we're determined to get the answers for the family.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Nine/Supplied</em></p>

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Law and Order crew member shot dead on set in New York City

<p dir="ltr">A Law and Order: Organized Crime crew member has been fatally shot outside the series set in New York.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johnny Pizarro, aged 31 who was identified as the show's parking enforcer, was killed on the 19th of July, during a car ambush in Brooklyn, according to the NYPD.</p> <p dir="ltr">The father of three, was then take to Woodhull Hospital where he was pronounced dead.</p> <p dir="ltr">The murder happened around 5:15 am in the Greenpoint area when a killer opened the door of the victim's vehicle and shot him in the face and neck.</p> <p dir="ltr">Pizarro was inside his vehicle and had a traffic cone on the roof of the car at the time of the shooting. Reports claim he was gunned down while reserving spaces for filming.</p> <p dir="ltr">The NBC crime show, had been gearing up for its third season after it was renewed in May. "We were terribly saddened and shocked to hear that one of our crew members was the victim of a crime early this morning and has died as a result," NBC said.</p> <p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;">"We are working with local law enforcement as they continue to investigate. Our hearts go out to his family and friends and we ask that you respect their privacy during this time."</p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"> </p> <p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; outline: none !important;"><em>Image: Fox News</em></p>

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Japan's former PM shot during public campaign speech

<p><em><strong>UPDATE: </strong></em>Japan's current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has confirmed Shinzo's condition is critical, as doctors are "doing everything they can" to keep him alive.</p> <p><em><strong>EARLIER...</strong></em></p> <p>Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been shot following an attack at a campaign event in Nara.</p> <p>Abe, 67, was reported to be unconscious and unresponsive just after 11:30am Tokyo time and has allegedly entered a state of cardiac arrested.</p> <p>According to various reports from the event, Abe had collapsed after gun shots were heard, while people at the scene started to perform CPR. Local media sources have also stated that he was bleeding profusely from the neck at the time he collapsed, prompting him to be rushed to hospital.</p> <p>The alleged gunman who made no attempt to run away was then apprehended by police, who confiscated his weapon. The man is believed to be in his 40s.</p> <p>In the past few weeks, Abe had been campaigning on behalf of the Liberal Democratic Party ahead of the House of Councillors election on July 10th.</p> <p>Not only was Shinzo Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, but he was also the most influential Japanese political figure of his generation. He held office in 2006 for one year and again from 2012 to 2020, when he was forced to step down due to a debilitating health condition.</p> <p>Australian PM Anthony Albanese has taken to Twitter shocked about the news, keeping Abe’s family and the people of Japan in his thoughts.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Shocking news from Japan that former PM Shinzo Abe has been shot - our thoughts are with his family and the people of Japan at this time</p> <p>— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AlboMP/status/1545263750818988032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 8, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>There have been no official reports stating Shinzo has gone into heart failure, with an update on his condition yet to be confirmed.</p> <p>More to come.</p> <p><em>Image: ABC News / NHK Japan</em></p>

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Why can you still get influenza if you’ve had a flu shot?

<p>Restrictions have eased, international borders are open and influenza is back in Australia after a two-year absence.</p> <p>Suddenly, major <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06-08/medical-evacuations-as-flu-arrives-early-in-nt/101132294" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flu outbreaks</a> are occurring across the country, catching many off guard.</p> <p>Flu vaccinations aim to protect against four influenza viruses that cause disease in humans (two subtypes from influenza A and two from influenza B).</p> <p>But vaccine-mediated protection varies each year depending on how well the vaccine matches the disease-causing influenza viruses that are circulating at a given time. Vaccine effectiveness – a real-world measure based on the proportion of vaccinated people who still develop the flu – <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ranges</a> from <a href="https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/comment/us-flu-vaccine-efficacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16%</a> to <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-surveil-ozflu-flucurr.htm/%24File/Vacc-efficacy-effect-impact-Oct18.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">60%</a>.</p> <p>However, it’s still important to get your flu shot. If you’ve been vaccinated and still get the flu, you’re <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">less likely</a> to get as sick.</p> <h2>Why it’s difficult to predict which subtypes will dominate</h2> <p>Of the four types of influenza viruses that exist in nature, two cause significant disease in humans: influenza A and influenza B.</p> <p>The 2022 influenza vaccine is quadrivalent (targets four distinct viruses): two influenza A viruses (subtypes H3N2 and H1N1) and two influenza B viruses from distinct lineages.</p> <p>Within each flu A subtype further genetic variation can arise, with mutations (known as genetic drift) generating many viral variants that are classified into “clades” and sub-clades.</p> <p>H3N2 is particularly good at generating lots of diversity in this way. So predicting exactly which H3N2 virus to target in the vaccine is especially difficult.</p> <p>A key challenge for flu vaccines is the decision for which virus to target has to be made months ahead of time. The the H3N2 virus in the Australian flu vaccine (A/Darwin/9/2021) was chosen in September 2021 to enable the vaccine to be manufactured and distributed in time for the 2022 winter.</p> <p>There is no guarantee a different H3N2 virus that isn’t so well targeted by the vaccine won’t arrive in the country in the months leading into winter and start causing disease.</p> <p>Another factor that has made predicting which H3N2 virus to target in the vaccine uniquely difficult for 2022 is the lack of data on which viruses were dominant in the preceding flu seasons, both in Australia and on the other side of the Equator.</p> <p>With travel restrictions easing towards the end of 2021, flu cases did start to reappear during the northern hemisphere 2021-22 winter. But the lack of flu cases during the preceding seasons (due to COVID) meant the data used to predict which viruses to target was inadequate.</p> <p>The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) analysed data from more than 3,000 children and <a href="https://www.clinicaltrialsarena.com/comment/us-flu-vaccine-efficacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> a vaccine effectiveness of just 16% protection from mild to moderate disease from H3N2. Protection from more severe disease was just 14%.</p> <h2>We don’t know which subtypes will circulate in Australia</h2> <p>Data about flu vaccine effectiveness in the southern hemisphere 2022 winter isn’t yet available, and it’s unclear how protective the current vaccine is against the currently circulating disease-causing subtypes.</p> <p>While H3N2 viruses appears to be <a href="https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-surveil-ozflu-flucurr.htm/%24File/flu-05-2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">driving some disease now</a>, other flu viruses may become more prevalent later in the season.</p> <p>The flu vaccine is a quadrivalent vaccine, so in addition to influenza A H3N2, it will protect against another influenza A subtype (H1N1) and two distinct lineages of influenza B virus. These viruses don’t change as rapidly as H3N2, so it’s more likely the vaccine will give better protection against these other influenza viruses.</p> <p>Even if vaccine protection against H3N2 is lower than usual this year, the vaccine <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/vaccineeffect.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could make the difference</a> between recovering at home versus ending up in hospital.</p> <h2>So who should get a flu shot and when?</h2> <p>The flu vaccine offers the highest level of protection in the first three to four months months after vaccination. The season <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/immunisation/vaccines/influenza-flu-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">generally peaks</a> between June and September – although this year we have seen a much earlier than usual start to the flu season. It’s unclear whether this early start will mean a longer flu season or an early finish. So it’s not too late to get vaccinated.</p> <p>Flu vaccines <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/immunisation/vaccines/influenza-flu-vaccine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are recommended</a> for everyone aged six months and over, but are particularly important for people who are more at risk of complications from influenza, including:</p> <ul> <li>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged six months and over</li> <li>children aged six months to five years</li> <li>pregnant women</li> <li>people aged 65 years or over</li> <li>people aged six months or over who have medical conditions that mean they have a higher risk of getting serious disease.</li> </ul> <h2>What if you still get the flu?</h2> <p>If you develop flu symptoms, isolate and <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/flu-influenza#diagnosis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">see your GP</a> for an influenza PCR test to determine whether you are indeed infected with influenza, particularly if you’re in the higher-risk groups.</p> <p>Specific antivirals for influenza <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/health-topics/flu-influenza#treatment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can help</a>, if given early. To ensure rapid access to particularly vulnerable aged-care residents, aged-care facilities are being <a href="https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/clinical/plans-ramp-up-for-tamiflu-deployment-in-aged-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stocked</a> with the flu antiviral drug Tamiflu.</p> <p>In New South Wales, free <a href="https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/4cyte-drive-through-covid-19-testing-centres-to-conduct-conduct-influenza-and-rsv-testing-94671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drive-through clinics</a> now offer testing for influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. Other states and territories may follow.</p> <p><em><strong><span id="docs-internal-guid-b2ed596f-7fff-517f-5af4-3572469f8c42">This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-can-you-still-get-influenza-if-youve-had-a-flu-shot-184327" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</span></strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

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Man shot dead after trying to enter school

<p dir="ltr">A man who was seen trying to enter a primary school where a summer class was being held has been shot dead by police. </p> <p dir="ltr">Robert Tyler White, 32, was spotted trying to get into numerous doors at Walnut Park Elementary School in Alabama when the principal raised the alarm.  </p> <p dir="ltr">A police officer who was working as a school resource officer encountered Robert trying to break into a ​​marked Rainbow City police car near the school.</p> <p dir="ltr">The officer raised the alarm before he was joined by one other colleague who attempted to arrest Robert.</p> <p dir="ltr">The man was then shot dead after resisting and trying to take the police officer’s gun. </p> <p dir="ltr">Officials did not reveal how many times they shot Robert, whether or not he was armed, and whether he was an intruder or passerby. </p> <p dir="ltr">Gadsden City Schools Superintendent Tony Reddick said the school resource officer sustained minor injuries and all 34 children were safe. </p> <p dir="ltr">"Our primary concern was just making sure that someone who wasn't authorised to be in our building does not enter and our kids are safe," he told local media. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: 7News</em></p>

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