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Harald became King following his father King Olav's death in 1991 and in 2016 he celebrated his Silver Jubilee.
While Queen Margrethe of Denmark's recent abdication has raised questions over whether Harald will do the same, in favour of his 50-year-old son Crown Prince Haakon, he declared in 2017 that he has no plans to abdicate.
Born on 21 February 1937 to Olav V of Norway and Princess Martha of Sweden, Harald became Crown Prince at the age of 20, upon his grandfather Haakon VII's death in 1957.
Harald shares a close bond with many of the European monarchs, including the late Queen Elizabeth II. Elizabeth was a second cousin to Harald and the pair shared the same great-grandparents, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, who were the father and mother of Norway's own Queen Maud.
DON'T MISS
He represented Norway in sailing at three consecutive Olympic Games from 1964 and took a stand over objections to his romance with commoner Sonja Haraldsen.
Take a look at some of the best photos from Harald V's reign and life as he marks another year on Norway's throne.
Silver Jubilee, 2016
This official portrait of King Harald and Queen Sonja was released in 2016 to mark the King's Silver Jubilee.
The Norwegian royals celebrated Harald's 25th year of his reign with a series of events, including a lavish banquet with many of the European royal families in attendance.
Wedding day, 1968
The then Prince Harald with wife Sonja on their wedding day in 1968.
Sonja wore a silk wedding gown by Norwegian department store, Molstad and sported flowers in her hair instead of a tiara to secure her veil.
The couple had dated for nine years but there was controversy over their romance, as Sonja was a commoner.
Harald told his father Olav that if he was not allowed to marry Sonja he would not marry at all. This would have been a disaster as it would have ended the reign of his family and the Norwegian monarchy, as Harald was the sole heir to the throne.
First child, 1971
Harald and Sonja welcomed their first child, Princess Martha Louise, on 22 September 1971.
Although Martha Louise is two years older than her brother, Crown Prince Haakon, she did not feature in the order of succession at the time of her birth, because constitutional law at the time dictated that only males could inherit the Norwegian throne.
The law changed in 1990 but only applied to those born that year or later.
Females born between 1971 and 1990 were given succession rights but their brothers would still be before them in the line of succession.
Princess Martha Louise shares three daughters with her late husband, Ari Behn, (who died by suicide in 2019) – Maud, Leah and Emma.
Family of four, 1977
The King and Queen pictured with their young child, Martha Louise and Haakon, at their home in Oslo in 1977.
A kiss for Queen Elizabeth, 2015
King Harald and Queen Elizabeth II shared a close friendship, given their family ties.
When she became monarch in 1952, Norway was the first country outside the Commonwealth where Elizabeth paid a state visit.
William and Kate's royal tour, 2018
King Harald escorted the then Duchess of Cambridge to a banquet during Prince William and Kate's royal tour of Sweden and Norway in 2018.
Kate was pregnant with her third child, Prince Louis, at the time.
Royal wedding, 2001
King Harald and Queen Sonja celebrated Crown Prince Haakon's marriage to Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, on 25 August 2001 at Oslo Cathedral.
Mette-Marit was already a mother to Marius Borg Høiby, her son from a previous relationship.
She and Haakon later welcomed their children, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus, in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
Family Silver Jubilee celebrations, 2016
King Harald and Queen Sonja were surrounded by their children and grandchildren at their Silver Jubilee celebrations in 2016.
The King and his heirs, 2016
The palace also released a portrait of the King with his two heirs, Crown Prince Haakon and Princess Ingrid Alexandra, to mark his Silver Jubilee in 2016.
Princess Ingrid Alexandra is second in line to Norway's throne after her father, Haakon, and is expected to become the country's second female monarch, after the 15th-century Queen Margaret.
Devoted grandfather, 2022
The King delivered a speech at a glittering gala dinner in honour of his granddaughter Princess Ingrid Alexandra's 18th birthday in 2022.
It marked Princess Ingrid Alexandra's first tiara moment, where she wore the Boucheron Pearl Circle Tiara.
Close cousins, 2017
King Harald was seated alongside Queen Elizabeth II at the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings, where the pair enjoyed a chat and a giggle.
Reunited for the last time, 2018
King Harald and Queen Elizabeth II's last public engagement together was at a Anglo-Norse Society centenary reception in 2018.
The Norwegian king was among the European royals to pay his respects to the late Queen at her state funeral in London in September 2022.
Milestone birthday, 2017
The King and Queen both celebrated their 80th birthdays in 2017, with a big gala dinner held at the palace to mark the occasion.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511454/king-harald-v-norway-best-photos-from-reign-life/
| 2024-01-17T14:00:41Z
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An explosion and fire broke out at the Avangard polymer plant in Shakhty, Rostov Oblast, Russia, on Wednesday, injuring at least nine people, Russia’s state-controlled TASS reported. The factory, opened in June 2023, is Russia’s first polyester plant.
A string of Ukrainian drone attacks has taken place on Russian factories connected to the war effort in recent months; however, this incident has no confirmation of a drone attack.
Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations specified that the fire broke out in the Gidroprivod settlement of Shakhty. They reported that a workshop producing fillers for mattresses and pillows was on fire.
The Russian Telegram channel Mash, citing local residents, wrote that an explosion was heard before the fire. There is no official information yet on the causes of the fire. Mash wrote that the preliminary cause of the fire was “a short circuit.” People in nearby buildings claim that it blew out their windows. Baza TG channel also reports about an internal explosion, citing witnesses.
However, the Telegram channel Rospartisan, a resource of the Russian partisan movement, pointed out that a short circuit cannot cause such an explosion as observed in the video.
According to Rospartizan, the explosion at the factory in Shakhty is a partisan operation that had an important military significance. The channel writes the workshop destroyed by the explosion was not producing “mattresses and pillows” but FPV drones, crucial for Russia’s war against Ukraine. They were produced by a private company that rented the shop and cooperates with the Russian Ministry of Defense.
“According to our information, the explosion destroyed between one hundred and two hundred FPV drones,” Rospartisan wrote.
Later, Vasily Golubev, governor of Rostov Oblast, said the explosion and fire injured nine people: one was given medical assistance on site, three people suffered burns, and five others had injuries of varying degrees.
According to him, the fire affecting an area of 360 square meters was extinguished at 12:49.
Avangard is Russia’s first plant for the production of polyester staple fiber; it was opened in June 2023. The head of the region called it an “import-substituting production facility.”
Recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian objects:
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/17/fire-breaks-out-in-russian-polymer-plant-after-explosion/
| 2024-01-17T14:05:22Z
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The Institute for the Study of War reports in its latest assessment that Russian forces have secured localized gains near the settlements of Kreminna in Luhansk Oblast and Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast over recent days, even as fighting continues along frontlines throughout the contested Donbas region.
According to the ISW report, Russian troops have made advances near Kreminna, south of the strategic city of Svatove. Geolocated footage indicates Russian forces progressed north of the village of Dibrova, southwest of Kreminna.
The assessment states there have also been incremental Russian gains near the long-contested Donetsk Oblast city of Bakhmut. ISW cites geolocated footage showing Russian forces have pushed north of Klishchiivka, located southwest of Bakhmut.
At the same time, ISW reports no major changes to positions around the Donetsk Oblast cities of Avdiivka and Donetsk itself, as both Ukrainian and Russian forces remain locked in positional fighting along the frontlines.
In southern Ukraine, the assessment notes positional battles continue along the line of contact in Zaporizhzhia Oblast with minimal changes in held territory. Per ISW, Ukrainian defenses remain intact in eastern Kherson Oblast despite persistent Russian attacks.
The ISW report characterizes the recent Russian advances near Kreminna and Bakhmut as limited gains achieved amid sustained battling across Donbas, where the frontline remains largely static outside of a few contested areas.
Related:
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/17/isw-limited-russian-gains-near-kreminna-bakhmut-positional-battles-across-donbas/
| 2024-01-17T14:06:02Z
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DUBLIN - China would like to deepen economic and trade cooperation with Ireland, particularly in areas of "huge potential" such as green technologies and the digital economy, Premier Li Qiang said on Wednesday during a trip to Dublin.
Li, the most senior Chinese official to visit Ireland since his predecessor Li Keqiang in 2015, said he had candid, friendly discussions with Ireland's prime minister and president and that the countries were "very much on the same page" on many issues.
"Looking ahead, we would like to work more closely with Ireland to build on what we already achieved," Li said in a speech through an interpreter.
"There's huge potential in our cooperation in green technologies, in bio manufacturing, in the digital economy. We can compliment each other with our respective strength and share development opportunities."
Li, who is finishing his European trip in Ireland, highlighted China's potential for foreign investment in a keynote speech to business leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Tuesday.
Before exchanging toasts with Li, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said Ireland was also committed to pursuing deeper economic ties and assisting Irish and Chinese companies, on the basis of transparency and fair competition.
He said that while the two countries will not agree on everything, Ireland wanted a "very strong and constructive relationship," noting that four Irish ministers had visited China in the last 10 months.
He also described China's role in the world as indispensable when it comes to tackling challenges, such as climate change, global security, global inequality, and the conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and Myanmar.
"The voice of China carries great weight in the world and as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, I believe you can make transformative contributions to the resolution of these issues," Varadkar said. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/on-visit-to-ireland-chinese-premier-eyes-deeper-economic-ties
| 2024-01-17T14:18:54Z
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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysians will pay more for drinking water from Feb 1 as the government moves to raise revenue for new water-treatment plants and to fix leaky pipes.
The move will affect 11 states in Peninsular Malaysia and in the three federal territories.
The National Water Services Commission (Span) – a federal agency – said in a statement on Jan 17 that domestic households will see an average increase of only RM3 (86 Singapore cents) a month in their water bills. It also encouraged water-supply operators in the 11 states to provide rebates for lower-income families.
Water issues, including the management of reservoirs, rivers and water-treatment plants, are generally managed separately by each of the 13 state governments. The states also have different water tariffs.
Sabah and Sarawak states are excluded from the Feb 1 tariff hike.
“A big chunk of the problem is ageing equipment, ageing infrastructure, lack of maintenance and the financial viability of operators,” Span chairman Charles Santiago told The Straits Times on Jan 12.
“What we need to do is pump more money into infrastructure development, and take the issue of the water industry seriously.”
He added that the federal government should commit to spending RM10 billion every year to upgrade the water infrastructure for three or four years. “After that, you will have a certain level of assurance and security,” he said.
Potable water is sold at different prices in the various Malaysian states, with the average tariff charged to households at RM1.43 per cubic m on Dec 31, 2022.
The new water tariff is estimated to be higher by 22 Malaysian sen per cubic m, or at an average of RM1.65 per cubic m.
“The adjustment of domestic water tariffs starting Feb 1 in the peninsula and Labuan involves an average increase of 22 sen per cubic m,” said Span, adding that the rates will be reviewed every three years.
Some states have not reviewed their water tariffs for 40 years, as public complaints often spike when higher water rates are announced.
But Span said it could no longer delay the tariff hike in order “to ensure long-term sustainability of the water-supply industry”, while underlining that even the tariff increase will not cover the actual cost – at RM1.75 per cubic m in 2022 – of providing water.
In response to the announcement, the Penang government said on Jan 17 that consumers in the northern state will have to pay double from Feb 1, with a new tariff of 50 sen for every cubic m for the first 20 cubic m, compared with the current 22 sen.
Negeri Sembilan said state consumers who use up to 20 cubic m of water per month would from Feb 1 be charged 71 sen a cubic m, from 55 sen now.
Span and another federal agency, the Water Asset Management Company, are tasked with overseeing the 12 state water operators in Peninsular Malaysia and the federal territories, and the maintenance and construction of water infrastructure.
The intervention by the federal agencies was to partly alleviate the perennial shortage of funds in state governments to maintain or build new water-treatment plants, enlarge reservoirs or repair thousands of kilometres of ageing underground pipes.
Malaysia’s Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said in November that almost all water-supply companies were operating at a loss.
According to Span, some pipelines date back to the British colonial era. Peninsular Malaysia has about 39,000km of asbestos cement water pipes, some of which urgently need replacing.
More than a third – 37 per cent – of water in the country is what is billed as non-revenue water: potable water pumped out from treatment plants that leaked into the ground.
And some 90 out of 340 water-treatment plants are operating beyond their capacity.
Further, about 85 per cent of Malaysia’s water supply comes from rivers, with Mr Santiago saying the country needs to move towards reclaimed water.
Water consumption is high in Malaysia, at an average of 230 litres a day, compared with 160 litres in Singapore, he noted.
“That’s because it’s cheap. The motivation for wastage is very high,” he said.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysians-to-pay-more-for-water-as-nation-seeks-to-replace-ageing-infrastructure
| 2024-01-17T14:19:04Z
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SELANGOR - CCTV recordings led police to arrest a Pakistani man who allegedly robbed and raped a woman at the Keretapi Tanah Melayu overhead bridge here.
Serdang district district police chief, Assistant Commissioner A. A. Anbalagan said the 29-year-old woman, a promoter at a shopping mall in Putrajaya, was on her way home when the incident occurred at about 12.40am on Jan 14.
“The suspect snatched the victim’s mobile phone before raping her at the overhead bridge,” he told a press conference on Jan 17.
The victim lodged a police report soon after the incident, he said.
“Our investigation led to the arrest of the 23-year-old suspect near a condominium at Taman Serdang Perdana, Seri Kembangan, at about 8.30pm on Jan 15,” he added.
“We also arrested the suspect’s 29-year-old friend, who is believed to be involved in stealing from a 20-year-old woman and injuring her in December last year.”
Both suspects are jobless, Mr Anbalagan said.
According to him, the first suspect entered the country in August last year, while the second suspect has been in the country for six months.
“Both suspects have been remanded until Jan 22. We urge those who have been victims of the suspects to come forward,” he added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/man-nabbed-for-raping-robbing-woman-on-pedestrian-bridge-in-selangor
| 2024-01-17T14:19:14Z
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MANILA – The Philippines is planning “more robust” military activities with the United States and its allies in the face of a “more aggressive” China, the South-east Asian nation’s top defence official said on Jan 17.
“The alliance with the US is extremely strong,” Defence Minister Gilberto Teodoro Jr said in an interview with Bloomberg News in his office in Manila. “We would like to build up our capabilities in order for us to be a more effective contributor to regional stability.”
The Philippines is building on a stronger partnership with the US under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to expand ties with “other allies and like-minded countries”, including Australia, Japan, Britain and Canada, amid the threat of China’s “domination” in the South China Sea.
As the US heads into a crucial election in November, Mr Teodoro hopes that Washington’s defence strategy in the Indo-Pacific will not waver.
“A lot has been invested already on both sides,” Mr Teodoro said, referring to the US and Philippine engagements.
Ensuring security in the Indo-Pacific and rights of passage in the vital trade route benefits not only the US and its allies but also the entire global economy, he said.
Mr Teodoro, 59, a lawyer by training and a one-time presidential contender, is helming the Defence Ministry again at a time when the Philippines is navigating mounting tensions with Beijing that lays a sweeping claim to most of the South China Sea.
Earlier in January, China’s navy and air force conducted joint patrols in the area as the US and the Philippines held drills.
Meanwhile, Beijing summoned the Philippine envoy on Jan 16 after Mr Marcos congratulated Mr Lai Ching-te for winning Taiwan’s presidential election.
Mr Teodoro, who first held the role of defence minister between 2007 and 2009, said that what worries him the most about the sea dispute is “the possibility of a miscalculation or a conflict”.
He reaffirmed an earlier assessment that the South China Sea is a more valuable target for Beijing than Taiwan, given the promise of oil and natural gas reserves in the area.
“This could mean that they really want total domination and control over everything from free passage to resources, or they want to bear hug the Philippines to make them the sole joint venture partner in the exploration or exploitation of resources in this area,” Mr Teodoro said.
“Whatever it is, their legal proposition is untenable and has been rejected by the whole world,” he said.
“You’re dealing with a country without any openness, with opaqueness, with unpredictability, with no external indicators to show what its next move will be.”
As a result, countries like the Philippines have to be prepared all the time, which Mr Teodoro said has kept him busy “hardening and building up our alliances” in line with Mr Marcos’ foreign policy stance.
The Philippine leader has been bolstering his country’s long-standing defence alliance with the US, notably expanding American access to military bases near potential flashpoints – Taiwan and the South China Sea.
The deeper defence ties have drawn criticism from China, with its top diplomat warning Manila in December against colluding with “malicious external forces”.
Beijing has expansive claims in the South China Sea, and has recently clashed with Philippine vessels in the contested waters. BLOOMBERG
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippines-to-ramp-up-us-military-ties-amid-aggressive-china
| 2024-01-17T14:19:25Z
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SINGAPORE - Thomson Medical Group has successfully appealed to the Singapore Exchange (SGX) for a further three-month extension until Apr 10 to restore its public float.
The extension comes after Thomson Medical Group applied to SGX but was initially rejected on Jan 10.
In September 2023, the company’s public float dipped under 10 per cent. Listing rules mandate that at least 10 per cent of a listed company’s shares must be held by public investors, or trading will be suspended.
This is the third time Thomson Medical has submitted an application to SGX seeking a grace period to restore its public float.
On Jan 17, Thomson Medical said: “The further extension is subject to the company monitoring the public float and trading activity in its shares on an ongoing basis, and making an immediate request for a trading halt if there is any indication of disorderly trading.”
Separately, the group announced that FV Hospital in Vietnam was now a member of the group.
It had acquired the multi-specialised healthcare facility in Ho Chi Minh City for US$381.4 million (S$512.8 million).
SGX first granted Thomson Medical three months until Dec 10, 2023, to restore its public float while allowing its trading of shares to continue in the interim; it later granted the company a further one-month period till Jan 10, 2024, to explore options to restore the public float.
Thomson Medical shares closed down 1.9 per cent to 5.3 cents on Jan 17. THE BUSINESS TIMES
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https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/thomson-medical-group-has-until-april-10-to-restore-public-float
| 2024-01-17T14:19:35Z
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SINGAPORE – Giant panda cub Le Le has safely arrived in Chengdu, China, and is now serving his second round of mandatory quarantine, Mandai Wildlife Group and Singapore Airlines (SIA) said in a joint media statement on Jan 17.
The cub, who turns three years old in August, completed a first round of quarantine – which lasted 4½ weeks – at River Wonders in the Mandai Wildlife Reserve in Singapore before his flight.
During the second round of quarantine in Huaying, Guang’an city in Sichuan province, the Singapore-born panda cub will be closely monitored by the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda to determine his next home.
Xinhua news agency reported that he will be in quarantine for 30 days in China.
Ms Qin Wen, cultural counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, had previously said: “If all goes well, he will meet the public around Chinese New Year.” Chinese New Year falls on Feb 10 and 11.
Under the terms of Chinese panda loan agreements, cubs born on foreign soil are generally returned to China when they turn two.
Le Le made his final appearance at the Pavilion Capital Giant Panda Forest at River Wonders on Dec 13, before he was quarantined in his den on Dec 14.
On Jan 16, the VIP – or very important panda, as SIA dubbed him – was transported to Changi Airport via Bukit Timah, Seletar and Tampines Expressways in a customised crate for his chartered flight to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport.
According to aviation site Flightradar24, the flight departed at 7.17pm Singapore time and landed at 11.14pm.
“Departure day was filled with emotional moments as the panda care team prepared Le Le for his flight and said their heartfelt goodbyes to him,” said Mandai and SIA.
The panda care team even made a handcrafted heart-shaped card, with their well-wishes for the giant panda, to attach to his crate to accompany him on his journey.
Guests including Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, Charge d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Singapore Zhu Jing, as well as Ms Qin were on the airport tarmac to bid farewell to Le Le.
Joining him on the flight were his keeper Trisha Tay, a veterinarian from Mandai Wildlife Group, as well as a keeper from China, who fed and checked on Le Le on board the aircraft.
“Le Le took well to the flight and maintained a good appetite throughout, chomping on bamboo and bamboo shoots,” said the statement. “Le Le’s arrival in China marks a new chapter for him as he now officially joins China’s giant panda conservation programme for the protection of his species.”
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/s-pore-born-giant-panda-cub-le-le-arrives-safely-in-china-begins-serving-quarantine
| 2024-01-17T14:19:46Z
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SINGAPORE - From December, Australian airline Qantas will fly between Singapore and Darwin after an 18-year hiatus, adding competition to a route now served only by Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Subject to regulatory approval, the five-hour flights between Singapore’s Changi Airport and Darwin, the capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory, will initially operate five days a week from Dec 9, 2024.
There will be daily flights from March 2025, Qantas said in a statement on Jan 17.
The airline said it will use Embraer E190 regional jets on the route. The planes from the Brazilian manufacturer, which mostly come in a 94-seat configuration with economy and business class cabins, will be the smallest passenger jets at Changi Airport in terms of seat capacity.
Fares start from $792 for a return trip, and ticket sales began on Jan 17. Qantas last operated non-stop flights between the two cities in 2006.
The new flights will add more than 60,000 seats to the Singapore-Darwin route each year, the airline said.
Qantas said the size, range and economics of the E190s allow for the opening up of routes that would not be viable with larger aircraft.
In 2022, the airline had established an E190 base at Darwin Airport as part of a three-year deal with Australian carrier Alliance Airlines, which will operate the Embraer jets. Qantas has a nearly 20 per cent stake in Alliance.
The flights to Singapore will be Qantas’ second international route from Darwin, after flights to Dili in Timor-Leste were launched in 2022, also using the E190s.
Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said the Darwin service will be a welcome addition to the airline’s international network out of Singapore, and it will strengthen trade, business and tourism links between Singapore and Australia.
He added that the new service will save hours of travel for those going to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and other Australian cities, as it eliminates the need to fly through other Australian state capitals.
The flights also open up a one-stop option for Qantas passengers flying from Darwin to Europe and Asia via Singapore, the airline said. At present, Qantas flies between Singapore and the major Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, and London in the United Kingdom.
SIA now operates the only non-stop flights between Singapore and Darwin five days a week using the 154-seat Boeing 737-8 Max planes.
From March 31, it will step this up to a daily service, restoring flight frequencies to the Australian city to pre-pandemic levels.
Low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia, which is 49 per cent owned by Qantas, used to operate non-stop flights between Singapore and Darwin. But the service ended in August 2022.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/qantas-to-relaunch-flights-between-singapore-and-darwin-after-18-year-hiatus
| 2024-01-17T14:19:56Z
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MELBOURNE - Defending champion Novak Djokovic survived a huge scare before beating home hope Alexei Popyrin 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) 6-3 to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old Serb, bidding for a record-extending 11th crown in Melbourne, was in deep trouble in the third set when errors began to flow and he had to save four set points.
With the packed night-time crowd on the edge of their seats, top seed Djokovic used his vast experience to win the pivotal tiebreak and then broke a dispirited Popyrin midway through the fourth set to finally seize control.
Djokovic duly racked up his 30th successive victory at the Australian Open -- his last defeat coming in 2018 -- but for the second successive round he was pushed hard. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/djokovic-survives-popyrin-scare-to-reach-third-round
| 2024-01-17T14:20:07Z
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MADRID - Former Spanish tennis star Arantxa Sanchez Vicario has been given a suspended jail term for fraud, a court in Barcelona said on Wednesday.
Sanchez Vicario, 52, and her former husband Josep Santacana and three other people were convicted by the criminal court of hiding assets to avoid paying a 7.6 million-euro ($8.27 million) debt to Banque de Luxembourg, including interest.
Sanchez Vicario will not serve any time in jail provided she does not commit any other crime within two years.
The two, who divorced in 2019, had denied the charges. Santacana was sentenced to three years and three months in jail, the court said in its statement.
Sanchez Vicario had blamed Santacana, arguing he had been handling her money and she was not aware of any illegal tampering with her family assets.
They were ordered to pay 6.6 million euros in compensation to Banque de Luxembourg and to pay unspecified fines.
Sanchez had told the court in September she had already paid around 1.9 million euros to the bank and had committed to using half of her income for the remainder of what she owes.
Even though she did not have the financial knowledge to carry out the operations, "obviously she had full knowledge of what was done with her assets and was benefiting from them, with the full awareness of the debt she had with Banque de Luxembourg", the court said in sentencing her.
Sanchez Vicario was the first Spanish player to reach the top of women's tennis rankings. She won the French Open three times and the U.S. Open as a singles player before retiring in 2002.
The case stems from her being ordered in 2009 by the Supreme Court to pay a 5.2 million euro fine for tax fraud over the 1989-2003 period, when she was resident in Spain rather than in Andorra, as she had said.
After the couple transferred their assets from Banque de Luxembourg, the Spanish state eventually collected the money from the bank through a guarantee agreement.
The bank accused the couple of never honouring their debt and concealing their assets. In a civil suit in 2014, a Spanish court ruled in favour of the bank but the money was never paid, and the bank resorted to the criminal courts. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/former-tennis-star-arantxa-sanchez-vicario-given-suspended-jail-term
| 2024-01-17T14:20:17Z
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MELBOURNE – Novak Djokovic admitted that he has not been playing at his best, as he survived a huge scare to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Jan 17.
The Serb beat home favourite Alexei Popyrin to stay on track for a historic 25th Grand Slam title, but it was not before the world No. 1 showed his trademark mental strength to prevail 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.
“I sincerely hope so,” said the 36-year-old, when asked if he needed to raise his level for the next match, in which he will face Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
“That’s what it’s going to take for me to go deep in the tournament.
“I haven’t been playing my best, I’m still trying to find my form. Particularly in the early rounds, you play players that have nothing to lose really. They come out on the centre court and try to play their best match, their best tennis.
“I managed to find a way to win in four. That’s what counts in the end, and hopefully I’ll be able to build as this tournament progresses.”
The 10-time champion cruised through the first set, but his unforced error count ticked up in the second and he was broken for the first time in the fourth game, eventually losing the set.
Popyrin asked for a medical timeout when leading 3-2 in the third set and received treatment on his left calf, while the pivotal point in the match came in the 10th game.
Three uncharacteristic unforced errors from Djokovic’s racket gave Popyrin three set points but he was unable to capitalise, missing out on a fourth opportunity as the top seed levelled in a game lasting nearly 10 minutes.
Djokovic won the tie-break to take a firm grip on the match as Popyrin received more treatment on his leg.
It was business as usual in the fourth set as the Serb sealed victory when Popyrin went long, letting out a huge roar.
Djokovic, with 24 Slams under his belt, is gunning for an 11th Australian Open title to pull clear of Margaret Court on the all-time list of Majors.
In other matches, fourth seed Jannik Sinner raced into the third round in Melbourne for the third successive year with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 demolition of Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong.
Teenage rising star Ben Shelton outfought Australian Chris O’Connell 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).
Seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2023 runner-up, also needed four sets to defeat another Australian in Jordan Thompson, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
Away from the action, Alexander Zverev has said he sees no reason to step down as an ATP Tour player representative, after a German court set a date of May 31 for him to go on trial for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend in 2020.
Despite the allegations, he was in January elected by his peers for a two-year term to the player advisory council of the ATP. Asked whether it was appropriate to be on the council ahead of the trial outcome, he said: “Why would it not be?”
He added that he believed players had confidence in him.
“I mean, I think so. Nobody has said anything to me. I don’t have a reason not to believe that,” he said. AFP, REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/novak-djokovic-digs-deep-to-reach-australian-open-third-round
| 2024-01-17T14:20:28Z
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MELBOURNE - Daniil Medvedev will be the clear favourite when he takes on Emil Ruusuvuori at the Australian Open on Thursday, but the Russian will have to contend with his lack of preparation and the weather as he seeks his first title at Melbourne Park.
The Australian Open remains one of the few hard-court tournaments where Medvedev is yet to win a trophy, having lost back-to-back finals to Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal in 2021 and 2022.
This season, the 27-year-old skipped the warm-up tournaments and headed straight to Melbourne, with that decision seeming to work against him as he laboured in warm conditions during his first-round match against Terence Atmane.
A sapped Medvedev ultimately progressed when his French opponent retired due to injury.
"I feel, for whatever reason, I don't know, a little worse in these conditions Australian Open than some other tournaments," the world number three told reporters ahead of the second-round clash with Finland's Ruusuvuori.
"At the same time I was two times in the final, and one I was really close to winning. So I really hope I can show my best tennis one time here, at least one, and win it.
"It's the first tournament of the year. Even if you have a warm-up tournament, it's still kind of the beginning of the year, so the sensations are different."
Elsewhere, Carlos Alcaraz will face Lorenzo Sonego on Rod Laver Arena, and though the Italian has a 1-0 winning record against the second-seeded Spaniard, a lot has changed since the two last faced off in 2021.
"He was really young. He's different now," Sonego told ATPTour.com. "He was (outside the top) 50 in the world. Now he is No. 2. Yeah, he improved a lot in tennis, and I need to do my best to beat him."
Before Alcaraz and Sonego meet, action begins on the main showcourt with world number one Iga Swiatek taking on former finalist Danielle Collins.
While the four-times Grand Slam champion has a 4-1 head-to-head record against the American, her only defeat by Collins came in a semi-final at Melbourne Park two years ago.
Another tasty clash in the women's singles sees local hope Ajla Tomljanovic take on 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko.
The pair had an ugly exchange at Wimbledon in 2021 when the Australian accused her of faking an injury to have a medical time-out, but Tomljanovic has insisted there is no longer any bad blood, saying, "what happened, happened". REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/tennis/undercooked-medvedev-looks-to-beat-the-heat-in-bid-for-australian-open-crown
| 2024-01-17T14:20:39Z
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DAVOS, Switzerland - Argentina's President Javier Milei will meet British foreign minister David Cameron and IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva on his trip to Davos, where he is expected to pitch his ultra-liberal government programme in a special address later on Wednesday.
His foreign minister Diana Mondino will also meet Cameron, as well as the foreign ministers of the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Lithuania and the Swiss secretary for economic affairs, according to her agenda.
The trip marks the right-wing Milei's first overseas tour since he took office last month following a rapid ascent for the relative political newcomer, who made his name as an acid-tongued economist and television pundit.
Argentina and the Britain have a longstanding foreign policy conflict over the sovereignty of the British-run Falkland Islands, where they fought a brief war in 1982.
Argentina has long sought to restore negotiations over Falklands sovereignty, but Britain has said that was not on the table for as long as the island's inhabitants wanted to remain British.
His meeting with the IMF follows an agreement reached last week with IMF staff over the latest review of the country's troubled $44 billion loan programme, unlocking a more-than-expected $4.7 billion, after the previous government missed various economic targets linked to the funding.
En route to Switzerland by commercial jet, the self-described "anarcho-capitalist" said he was attending the forum to "plant the idea of freedom in a forum contaminated by the 2030 socialist agenda". REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/argentinas-milei-to-meet-uk-foreign-minister-imf-on-davos-trip
| 2024-01-17T14:20:49Z
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MOSCOW - Russia's most famous opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, said on Wednesday that President Vladimir Putin's state would one day crumble along with the post-Soviet elite which he cast as venal, power-hungry and duplicitous.
Navalny, 47, a former lawyer who rose to prominence more than a decade ago by lampooning Putin's elite and voicing allegations of vast corruption, is currently in a jail about 60 km (40 miles) north of the Arctic Circle.
"The polygamists have become conservatives in our country. The members of the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union) are now Orthodox (Christian). The owners of 'golden passports' and offshore accounts are now aggressive patriots," Navalny said in a social media post facilitated by his supporters.
"Lies, lies and nothing but lies," Navalny said. "It will collapse and crumble. Putin's state is not viable. One day we will look at his place and he won't be there."
Navalny, who has been sentenced to stay in jail until he is 74, has repeatedly warned that Putin's Russia is a state run by "thieves and criminals" and that one day there will be seismic change via revolt.
Ever since Putin rose to the Kremlin's top job on the last day of 1999, opponents have more than once predicted his political demise and been wrong.
Russian authorities dismiss Navalny's criticism as nonsense and say that he and his supporters are extremists with links to the U.S. CIA intelligence agency intent on sowing discord in Russia.
Navalny is in jail, his movement is outlawed and most of his key supporters have fled abroad.
He earned admiration from the divided Russian opposition for voluntarily returning to Russia in 2021 from Germany where he underwent treatment for what Western laboratory tests showed was an attempt to poison him with a nerve agent in Siberia.
On his return he was jailed. Russia denies Navalny's claims that Russia's secret police poisoned him with Novichok.
Navalny said that fellow prisoners repeatedly asked him "Why did you return?"
He said that modern Russia had been instilled with "cynicism and conspiracy" to such an extent that many people no longer believed in simple motivations, suspecting instead that he was part of some secret Kremlin intrigue.
"I have my country and my convictions. And I don't want to give up my country or my beliefs," Navalny said. "And I cannot betray either the first or the second."
"If your beliefs are worth anything, you should be ready to stand up for them. And if necessary, make sacrifices." REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/from-an-arctic-prison-navalny-says-putins-russia-will-one-day-crumble
| 2024-01-17T14:20:59Z
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PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron steered clear of tricky budget questions about where billions of euros in cost savings will be found when he sketched out his plans for the rest of his term in office.
France needs to find huge budget savings each year for the rest of Macron's term ending in 2027 if it has any hope of sticking to a commitment of bringing the budget deficit in line with EU rules by then.
But instead of preparing the ground for budget cuts, Macron flagged plans to go ahead with 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) in tax cuts for the middle-class next year in a news conference late on Tuesday to outline his priorities for the rest of his term.
With European Parliament elections in June, Macron needs to claw back support from middle-class voters to narrow the far-right National Rally's sizeable lead over his party.
That leaves the unpopular task of finding budget cuts to his veteran Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who said on Monday he would make proposals "in the coming days".
The government has already found 16 billion euros in savings for this year, mainly by phasing out temporary measures to offset high energy prices for consumers.
With a target for a further 12 billion in 2025, finance ministry officials have suggested that France's 110 billion euros in business subsidies could be in the firing line.
They have also raised the possibility of reining in the 16 billion euros spent annually on medical equipment and have raised the possibility of selling state-owned real estate and reducing unemployment benefits for seniors.
Macron said that the deductible for medication reimbursements by state health insurance would be doubled, albeit from 50 euro cents to 1 euro.
His government has committed to reduce the budget deficit from an estimated 4.4% of economic output this year to below an EU ceiling of 3% in 2027.
While France has a long history of flouting that limit, a revision of EU fiscal rules at the end of last year make that more difficult.
"The main thing now is to apply (the rules) and for our country to stick to its commitments until 2027. That would be very new and therefore welcome," Bank of France Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau told the Senate on Wednesday. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/macrons-economic-plan-avoids-tough-budget-questions
| 2024-01-17T14:21:10Z
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Amy Robach has shared a very personal story on social media about someone incredibly close to her.
The former Good Morning America star took to Instagram on Wednesday to share details of her good friend, Morgan Mitchell, who is living with terminal metastatic breast cancer.
The Amy and T.J. Podcast star urged fans that more needs to be done in the way of raising awareness of MBC and shared a number of photos of the pair of them together from over the years.
In the caption, Amy wrote: "Meet one of my best friends... Morgan Mitchell. She is a bad ass. A three time marathoner, with a high powered media sales job, and she is living with stage 4, metastatic breast cancer.
"MBC isn't something we talk about much in the media - right now there are treatments available but it's ultimately terminal - and so many women's stories, like Morgan's, are never told because people shy away from things that are sad or scary. But we HAVE to talk about this disease!
"30 percent of all early stage breast cancer patients will go on to develop metastatic breast cancer. There is no cure. Let's change that!!! Hear Morgan's inspirational journey as a 6 year and counting survivor on our podcast. Morgan's episode is out TODAY!"
Fans were quick to comment on the post, with one writing: "Wishing Morgan the best. Sending light & love. Amy, you’re my friend in my head," while another wrote: "The story that has to be told. Hopefully they find the cure for this insidious disease." A third added: "Thank you for touching topics like these."
Amy herself battled breast cancer in 2013, and has been helping to raise awareness and funds for the disease ever since.
In November 2022, Amy opened up exclusively to HELLO! about the challenging time in her life, while attending the Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Research Foundation Luncheon in New York City.
At the time of her diagnosis, Amy was working as an anchor on Good Morning America, which is where she discovered she had cancer.
The star was assigned to have a mammogram done to her on live television in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month in October.
Speaking of her decision to share her journey with the show's viewers and raise awareness, she said: "I only found my breast cancer because of Good Morning America. I was asked to do a live mammogram in a van in the middle of Times Square."
She explained: "So it was a work assignment that found my cancer so it only felt appropriate to share that then with our viewers.
"It was none other than her colleague Dr. Jennifer Ashton who was right by her side through the tedious but important check-up, and she recalled: "She was with me in Times Square when I walked out of that 'mammo-van.'"
Robin Roberts - a breast cancer survivor herself - also helped Amy through the challenging time.
"So many of us have leaned on each other and supported each other and it's been great to have a vehicle and a platform to talk about this cause, but also to have the incredible co-workers I have," she said.
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/511458/amy-robach-makes-emotional-admission-terminal-cancer-impacting-someone-close-to-her/
| 2024-01-17T14:48:53Z
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Happy birthday Malti Marie Jonas! Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas' adorable daughter officially turned two years old earlier this month, and her parents are in celebration mode.
Priyanka, 41, and Nick, 31, decided to throw their daughter a lavish and red-coded Elmo-themed birthday party, and it looks like it was quite the affair.
The singer and Jonas Brothers trio member took to his social media to share photos from the party, and Malti already looks so grown up!
The two-year-old, welcomed by Nick and Priyanka via surrogacy and a surprise announcement, sported black curly hair and looked like such a blend of her famous parents.
She wore a heart-covered pink sweater with a baby pink tiara, a pair of friendship bracelets, heart-shaped glasses, and a pair of bright red pants, to fit in with the party's theme.
Her dad wore a red sweatshirt to match as well, while Priyanka was dressed in a full orange set, comprising of sweats and a hoodie, plus a pair of matching sunglasses.
Members of the family were present as well, including older brother Joe Jonas, members of the band's touring group, and youngest brother Franklin Jonas and his girlfriend Anna.
Glimpses of the party, held at their Los Angeles home, showed Malti out and about interacting with an Elmo puppet, Elmo-themed sunglasses for guests to wear for photos, red streamers, a huge sign that read "Malti's world," a cake made to look like the iconic Sesame Street character, covered in red fondant, and another smaller cake with Malti's name spelled out in Scrabble tiles.
EXCLUSIVE: Lilly Singh shares rare details of friendships with Priyanka Chopra and Mindy Kaling
"Our little angel is 2 years old," Nick gushed alongside photos from the party, and fans sweetly took to the comments section to dote over the toddler and congratulate her parents.
"Awww. Thank you for sharing her with us, I know the world is awful. Happy birthday beautiful girl!" one sweetly wrote, while another joked: "She's actually my favorite Jonas…but don't tell the others."
MORE: Priyanka Chopra talks 'extremely scary' motherhood moments with daughter Malti in candid confession
A third added: "Can't believe you got Elmo at THE Malti Marie party of the year," while a fourth commented: "It's the way I'm jealous of this bc I want elmo at my next birthday party," and uncle Franklin said: "Taipyo and Anna love us some MM."
Priyanka, for her part, last shared a series of photos and videos from her holiday getaway with her daughter and husband to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and reflected on her year with her family.
MORE: Priyanka Chopra reflects on famous family's emotional marriage news: 'Protect this beautiful love'
Many of the images saw the family-of-three soak up some sun by the beach, with Malti adoringly standing right beside her mom as they stared out at the waves, and in one video, the now two-year-old was even seen playing with the wheel of the family boat.
"Took some time to feed my soul," she penned alongside several glimpses of their trip. "2023 had me spent… maybe I still am. Here's to a 2024 highlighted by peace, respite, family, love, joy and community. Hold your loved ones close. We are very lucky if we can. Happy new year."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features, and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511462/priyanka-chopra-nick-jonas-daughter-malti-marie-turns-two-inside-themed-birthday-famous-family/
| 2024-01-17T14:48:54Z
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The Beckham men make no secret how utterly obsessed they are with their wives.
David has publicly supported Victora for as long as we can remember, from wearing Posh Spice t-shirts to sitting front row at her fashion shows, and it appears his eldest son Brooklyn is following in his footsteps.
A new TikTok explained that 70% of his tattoo-clad body is permanent art dedicated to his wife - actress and film director Nicola Peltz, whom he married in 2022.
Celebrity vlogger Amanda Christine shared close-ups of Brooklyn's tattoos and explained: “Brooklyn Peltz Beckham has 100 tattoos, and 70 of them are dedicated to Nicola.”
From his wedding vows to a sketch of her eyes, here's a breakdown of his love-filled ink...
Brooklyn's tattoos include: a sketch of Nicola on his deltoid, song lyrics that Nicola walked down the aisle to at their wedding, the word ‘married’ on his outer left hand, his entire wedding vows on his bicep, Nicola’s eyes on his neck accompanied by a letter she wrote to him when they were engaged, the word ‘lover’ on his left index finger, an 'N' with a love heart on his ring finger and the words 'Nicola Anne Peltz' and ‘baby’ on his hand.
‘Peltz’ is scrawled across his chest and January 9 on his arm - Nicola’s birthday, followed by a poem dedicated to her.
He's even got tattoos in honour of her matriarchal family members. In honour of Nicola’s grandma who she lost the day before her 25th birthday, he got her name ‘Gina’ tattooed, along with Gina’s prayer, written in her handwriting. He also has rosary beads tattooed on his arm, which resemble the beads owned by Nicola's mother Claudia.
A lot to take in? Same.
It’s fair to say Brooklyn has set the bar ridiculously high as we lead up to Valentine’s Day...
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/hfm/culture/511452/brooklyn-beckham-has-70-tattoos-dedicated-to-nicola-peltz/
| 2024-01-17T14:48:57Z
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The former Crown Prince was officially named King Frederik X of Denmark by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen - the home of the Danish Parliament.
While the new King and Queen's main royal residence will continue to be Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen, the couple and their family do always have the option of returning to their breathtaking summer residence, The Chancellery House at Fredensborg Castle, which also happened to be their first marital home.
Built in 1731, it is a Baroque-style building attached to the main castle via the stable buildings and the church. It used to be the royal couple's primary residence when they first got married in May 2004, until Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen was renovated.
Keep reading to see inside the remarkable royal residence that could be something out of a fairytale…
Not many photos have been shared of the interior, but The Chancellery House is situated on the south side of the newly rebuilt riding ground facility and the exterior features flat, decorative columns.
According to the Kongehuset website, "The Chancellery House’s architecture and interiors are in Baroque style with references to the French régence style." Several of the original features remain today, including stucco ceilings, panelled doors, decorative wrought iron fittings and high wall panels.
Since it was built by architect J.C. Krieger, who was also responsible for the main palace, we've taken a look inside Fredensborg Castle to get an idea of the beautiful interiors.
Inside the orangery at Fredensborg Castle
Outside, there are plenty of grounds for the King and Queen's children to explore, including manicured lawns and the kitchen garden.
Set behind a brick wall, rows of plants and purple flowers offer a wild aesthetic, while the stunning orangery is a stunning spot for summer dining.
Where the Danish royals lounge
Known as the Danish yellow lounge, the room follows a bright colour scheme with patterned wallpaper, matching curtains and gold accents, including vintage chairs with gold legs. Wooden floorboards, a red rug, a crystal chandelier and flowers add the finishing touches.
A glimpse at the great lounge
Perhaps even more impressive is the Great Lounge, which has ornate ceiling roses, splashes of green and huge windows offering natural light.
The library at Fredensborg Castle
Blue, gold and red are the primary colours decorating the French Library inside Fredensborg Castle. It features a striped sofa and a cream and gold lamp, while an entire wall is taken up by rows of books.
Inside the royals' grand dining room
Photographs shared from a dinner party to celebrate King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark's engagement hosted in 2003 show the grand dining room inside Fredensborg Castle.
The Hollywood-esque red carpet
Decorated with plush red carpets that wouldn't be out of place in Hollywood, the hallways appear to be very light, with white walls, tall ceilings and huge windows.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/511456/king-frederik-and-queen-mary-of-denmark-fairytale-castle/
| 2024-01-17T14:49:03Z
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Rob Kardashian is a doting father to his daughter Dream, and he has created a loving family home for her – but his $7.5 million abode also holds sentimental value to him.
The 36-year-old and Dream, seven, live in the Hidden Hills, California, in the home that once belonged to his mom, Kris Jenner, and featured in the first few seasons of E!'s Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which Rob also starred in.
Rob bought the property from Kris in 2020 and has made it his own while keeping the iconic black and white hallway and the dual entrance staircase.
The dad-of-one prefers to keep out of the spotlight nowadays and rarely posts on social media, but on Tuesday he shared a sweet video of Dream dancing while inside her stunning bedroom.
In the video, which you can see below, Dream is kitted out in pink pants and a matching top which she is wearing underneath an animal print coat.
As she adorably sways back and forth while grinning for the camera, it's hard not to notice her surroundings, especially the giant pink gumball machine behind her which has her name emblazoned on it.
The room also boasts wooden floors and a soft, cream rug with matching painted walls. There is also a three-drawer dresser adorned with trinkets that sits underneath a large, flatscreen TV.
In the corner of the clip, you can also make out Dream's huge walk-in closet which has white, fitted wardrobes filled with her clothes and accessories.
Dream's bedroom is just one of six in the sprawling property, which also features eight bathrooms.
Outside the home is just as impressive with a large swimming pool and a built-in hot tub. There is also a firepit, pristine landscaping, and a huge toy house for Dream that comes with a patio.
Kris originally bought the home in 2010 for $4 million, three years after the first episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians aired.
Rob's sister, Kim Kardashian previously confirmed that Rob and Dream are now living in their mom's former home when she shared a tour on her Instagram Story in September 2020.
Speaking to the camera, she said: "So, I just got to my brother's house and God, the nostalgia here is insane. Guys, do you remember this kitchen just from filming?"
She went on to pan the camera and reveal the iconic black-and-white checkered flooring that was featured several times in the early seasons of the show.
Kris then joined Kim at the home and opened up about the sentimental value of the house: "I'm so grateful we still have it in the family because it makes me really happy," she said.
Rob is extremely close to his family, especially his sister Khloe Kardashian, who has referred to herself as Dream's "third parent" in the past.
"Dream is one of my babies too, just like all the rest of them, and I absolutely love being a mom to people," she said during an episode of The Kardashians last year.
"I love mothering people, I don't know if they like that or not but it’s in my blood just to be a mom, I wouldn’t have it any other way."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/511457/rob-kardashian-daughter-dream-jaw-dropping-bedroom-inside-7-million-home/
| 2024-01-17T14:49:09Z
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The Princess of Wales, 41, is in hospital after undergoing successful abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace announced on Wednesday.
In a statement, the palace said: "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.
"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."
It's understood that Kate's condition is non-cancerous, and that Prince William has rescheduled his diary to support his wife and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
The Princess is expected to recover at her home in Windsor with her family, and it's unlikely that there will be any international travel for the Waleses in the coming months.
Previous reports had suggested that William and Kate were due to visit Italy in an official capacity this spring.
Prince William and Kate's last joint outing together was on Christmas Day in Sandringham with their three children.
READ MORE: 21 times royals were hospitalised: Prince William, King Charles, Princess Kate and more
On 9 January, the Princess celebrated her 42nd birthday, with King Charles and Queen Camilla sharing a previously unseen photo of Kate to mark the occasion.
The Prince returned to royal duties last week, presenting CBEs to rugby stars, Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield, at Headingley Stadium in Leeds, as the Wales children returned to their classrooms at Lambrook school.
The London Clinic has previously treated members of the royal family, including the late Duke of Edinburgh, who was admitted to the hospital for "abdominal investigations" in 2013.
The late Princess Margaret also had an operation to remove a benign skin lesion at the clinic in 1980.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511459/kate-middleton-abdominal-surgery-hospital/
| 2024-01-17T14:49:14Z
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The final cost of a wedding can be high - but one area you can easily save money is on the wedding cake. A growing trend has seen brides and grooms eschewing bespoke wedding cakes from private caterers in favour of shop-bought, ready-made wedding cakes from the likes of M&S, Waitrose and more. There’s even a Colin the Caterpillar wedding cake from Marks & Spencer which continues to be popular.
We spoke to Lauren Goodman, wedding expert and founder of Bluebird Creative, to get her opinion. She said: “I'm totally on board with supermarket cake if it's not a priority to a couple. Having a bespoke handmade cake created can be amazing and the taste, texture and design are unparalleled. But for some couples cake design isn't something they want to allocate budget to and I am seeing more and more couples not go for cake at all.
“It's all personal preference. For those considering buying a supermarket cake both Marks and Spencer and Costco both have great options for those wanting to have something to cut. Cutter and Squidge are also great mid-range options for couples.”
Supermarket-bought wedding cakes start from as little as £45. So how does this measure up to a specially-designed cake? “Typically something bespoke starts at an absolute minimum of £350, with extremely skilled artisan bakers starting from at least £550,” says Lauren.
HELLO! Magazine’s own Ecommerce Project Lead Rob Kerr chose a Marks and Spencer wedding cake for his own big day, and it was a massve thumbs up all round. He says: “We had an M&S wedding cake for our 150-odd guests. After some exhaustive research and various tastings, M&S was a great choice and well received by our 100+ wedding guests.”
What to consider when choosing a supermarket wedding cake?
Lauren says: “When purchasing a cake from the supermarket, I would always recommend doing your research first - checking how long the cake is going to stay fresh and allocating the right amount of time between purchasing and your wedding day. In addition, check through the ingredients for those guests who may have dietary requirements.
“In terms of transporting the cake, ensure you have a way of getting the cake to the venue which is flat and secure. You won’t have the luxury of a baker packing, transporting and setting up your cake. Finally, I would recommend scoping out where the cake is going to go with your planner, this helps ensure the cake is going to be the right shape and size.”
How we chose the best supermarket wedding cakes
Trusted brands: We only included the brands our HELLO! Shopping team know and love - and the wedding cakes they tried and loved
Reviews: Where it was wasn’t possible to test the cakes ourselves, we only included wedding cakes with a high volume of positive reviews from verified shoppers
Portion size: We tried to find the cakes with the largest number of portion sizes, considering an average wedding has around a hundred guests, maybe even more.
Aesthetic: The cakes in our edit would suit a variety of different wedding schemes - we tried to find pastel shades and delicate touches lend themselves perfectly to weddings.
Marks & Spencer Flower Festival Tulip Cake
Best budget floral-themed wedding cake
Serves: 24
Notice required: 5 days
Cake type: Sponge and vanilla buttercream
Size: 20cm x 12.5cm
Suitable for nut and peanut allergy sufferers? No
Suitable for vegetarians? Yes
This Marks & Spencer wedding cake - which consists of four layers of sponge, filled and covered with vanilla buttercream - is one of their most popular on-site, with 1729 positive reviews and counting.
Customers give it the thumbs up for being great quality, value for money and tasting great. The decoration - beautiful hand-piped buttercream flowers - is perfect for a wedding. You do need to pick it up in-store and M&S recommend collecting it 24 hours before your wedding.
Waitrose Lemon, Raspberry & Rose Triple Layer Cake
Great for pink-themed weddings
Serves: 18-20
Notice required: 8 days
Cake type: Sponge and rose buttercream
Size: 20cm x 10cm
Suitable for nut and peanut allergy sufferers? No
Suitable for vegetarians? Yes
For the price, this Waitrose option makes a great wedding cake. Designed by the renowned Fiona Cairns bakery, it features three layers of lemon sponge, which are filled with rose flavour buttercream and raspberry jam, and topped with more rose buttercream and freeze-dried raspberry pieces. Reviewers say it’s sweet and moreish and a good crowd-pleaser.
M&S personalised Connie and Colin the Giant Caterpillar cakes
The cute and quirky wedding cake
(Per Caterpillar)
Serves: 40
Notice required: 7 days
Cake type: Chocolate sponge roll and chocolate buttercream
Size: 9cm x 10cm x 43 cm
Suitable for nut and peanut allergy sufferers? No
Suitable for vegetarians? Yes
Possibly the cutest wedding cake in in existence - Marks & Spencer’s Giant Colin the Caterpillar wedding cake is a popular choice with brides and grooms ordering one of each (Colin and Connie) for their wedding reception. It’s a giant chocolate sponge roll filled with chocolate buttercream, covered in milk chocolate with a decorated white chocolate face and sugar-coated milk chocolate beans finished with a personalised leaf decoration.
Choose your message (up to 40 characters) which M&S will write out in icing. This cake must be collected in store and M&S recommend picking it up 24 hours before your wedding.
Patisserie Valerie Five layer Chocolate Wedding Cake
Best chocolate wedding cake
Notice required: 2 days (but you can order up to 90 days in advance)
Cake type: Chocolate sponge and chocolate swiss meringue buttercream
Size: 20cm x 10cm
Suitable for nut and peanut allergy sufferers? No
Suitable for vegetarians? Yes
Patisserie Valerie’s cakes are real show stoppers, and their Five-layer Chocolate Wedding Cake is perfect for choccy fans. It features five layers of light chocolate sponge cake, decorated with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and a lovely hand-piped floral icing waterfall. At the time of publishing, they were accepting orders with two days notice, but it’s worth checking as the next available delivery slots can vary depending on your location.
The cake arrives (with free delivery) frozen and Patisserie Valerie recommends you schedule your order for two days before your wedding, storing it in the freezer. On the morning of the wedding, it needs to be taken out of the freezer and left to defrost at room temperature for at least four hours before serving.
Paxton & Whitfield Wedding Cheese Cake for 100
Best cheese wedding cake
Notice required: 7 days
Cake type: 4 types of artisan cheeses
Size: Not specified, although it’s 3.8kg in total of cheese
Suitable for nut and peanut allergy sufferers? No
Suitable for vegetarians? Yes
A cheese wedding cake might sound like a novel idea, but they are becoming increasingly popular. Paxton & Whitfield’s offering consists of four different types of artisan cheeses, which you can stack to display. The base is the award-winning Gorwydd Caerphilly (often described as a three-in-one cheese as it’s texture varies from rind to centre), the next layer is a deliciously creamy Colston Basset Stilton, the third layer is tasty sheep’s milk cheese Wigmore, and the cake is topped with rich and tangy Langres.
If you’re tempted but not 100% sure about getting a cheese wedding cake, you can order a tasting kit which comes with a promo code to redeem the cost of the sample box from your wedding cheese cake purchase.
Patisserie Valerie Five Layer Floral Wedding Cake (Vanilla Sponge)
Best luxury sponge wedding cake
Serves: 24
Notice required: 2 days (but you can order up to 90 days in advance)
Cake type: Vanilla sponge cake with strawberry compote and buttercream
Size: 20cm x 10cm
Suitable for nut and peanut allergy sufferers? No
Suitable for vegetarians? Yes
If you’re looking for a luxury vanilla sponge wedding cake, this is a great option. It features five layers of vanilla sponge cake sandwiched with strawberry compote and buttercream, topped off with Swiss meringue buttercream swirls and an intricate hand-piped floral waterfall.
As noted above, Patisserie Valerie cakes are delivered free to UK mainland addresses, and they’re frozen to ensure they arrive in perfect condition. Defrost it on the morning of your big day. You can also add a personalised message and cake topper for an extra cost - plus you get a gift box of 6 macaroons free.
Marks & Spencer Vanilla Two Tier Naked Cake
Best 2 tier wedding cake
Notice required: 7 days
Cake type: Madeira sponge cake with vanilla buttercream
Size: 19.3cm x 10.4cm and 15.3cm x 10.4cm
Suitable for nut and peanut allergy sufferers? No
Suitable for vegetarians? Yes
This hand-finished two-tier cake is perfect for adding your own decorations. It’s made of light and fluffy Madeira sponge, filled and lightly masked with vanilla buttercream. The two cakes are delivered separated - you need to assemble the top tier on top of the bottom tier - but multiple reviews say it was easy to put together. It scores top marks for taste, style and value for money.
Meet the expert
Lauren Goodman is the founder and creative director of Bluebird Creative and Bluebird Bride Academy. With a wealth of experience in her field, Lauren is well-versed in all things wedding planning, from table styling and creating the perfect mood board to tips on calming nerves and coordinating the logistics for the big day.
The mission of Bluebird Bride Academy is to make wedding planning accessible to couples across the world via Youtube and digital downloads. Bluebird Creative is the full, luxury wedding planning/coordination arm of the business in which Lauren and the team work hands-on with couples through the process of planning/executing their special day!
Through both tailor-made wedding planning services as well as the library of downloadable resources, Lauren’s goal is to make the wedding planning process enjoyable so that couples can enjoy their big day from start to finish.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/shopping/511136/best-supermarket-wedding-cakes/
| 2024-01-17T14:49:20Z
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Welcome to the Daily Lowdown podcast from HELLO!. In this episode, we're talking about Coachella festival releasing their line-up for 2024 and it features a major new reunion.
Not only that, but an Olivia Rodrigo and Green Day collaboration could be on the cards and Drake's new tour with J. Cole gets off to a tricky start with a postponement in February.
Listen to the episode in full below…
The Coachella line-up for 2024 has been announced and it features a big reunion. Hit 90s band No Doubt will be reuniting for the first time in over 10 years to headline the huge music festival which takes place in California in the Spring. Gwen Stefani confirmed the news when she shared the line-up post to her Instagram and we're hoping this means new music is on the way. Elsewhere in the line-up, other headliners are Lana Del Rey, Tyler The Creator and Doja Cat, with many more big names on the bill. Coachella is one of the most famous festivals in the world and takes place over two weekends in April.
MORE: The Daily Lowdown: Taylor Swift gets a shout-out at the Critics Choice Awards
MORE: The Daily Lowdown: Jennifer Lopez's new song is a love letter to Ben Affleck - take a listen
Olivia Rodrigo and Green Day could be teaming up for a collaboration and this is something we would love to see. Green Day's lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong was giving an interview with Vulture and spoke about the comparisons between their huge album, American Idiot, and the music made today. The frontman spoke of Olivia's talent and said although he doesn't stream or buy her music deliberately, he would love to work with the singer and praised her material, adding it would be fun to do a song together. Meanwhile, Billie and the rest of the band have been recording their new album, Saviors, in London in recent times and the record is due for release later this week.
Drake's new tour hasn't got off to the best start as the rapper has postponed the upcoming leg of his It's All a Blur tour featuring fellow artist J. Cole. The new string of shows were due to kick off this weekend in Denver, however, these shows will now not go ahead. The tour instead will begin on the weekend of February 2nd, and the Denver dates have been rescheduled to April 15 and 16th. There's no word on why the postponement has happened and neither Drake nor J. Cole have made a public statement.
Everybody seems to be talking about the new Mean Girls movie but it seems the star of the original film Lindsay Lohan isn't too impressed with one aspect of the reboot. According to reports, Lindsay has been upset by a joke made in the new musical version of the 2004 film, made by Megan Thee Stallion in reference to the actress during the mid-2000s. Tina Fey, a writer on both films, has even come under fire from Lindsay's family, who say the SNL star is the real Mean Girl. Reports state that Lindsay is keen for the line to be removed but there's no word on whether this will happen. The new Mean Girls movie is out in the UK this week.
And Sam Fender has a new song out on Friday and it's a big one. The Newcastle native has teamed up with the singer of the moment – Noah Kahan, for a collaboration on the song which is called Homesick and we think it sounds brilliant. Folk singer Noah has spent multiple weeks in the charts in both the UK and the US and we think this song will go down very well with fans. Homesick is out on Friday.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511473/coachella-2024-line-up-features-major-reunion/
| 2024-01-17T15:32:49Z
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Mr Bates vs. the Post Office star Will Mellor has spoken out after undergoing surgery for his "rapidly" deteriorating eyesight. The star took to Instagram during the week to fill his followers in on what had happened.
"Today is a big day for me. I'm at OCL VISION, and I'm about to go in for lens replacement surgery," the Line of Duty star shared. "I've had bad eyes all my life, but since I hit 40 my eyes just deteriorated rapidly and now I need glasses for more or less everything."
Revealing what he was expecting, he added: "I looked at laser eye surgery, but I can't have laser because I have one short-sighted and one long-sighted eye, and that would mean they could only correct one or the other, so I'd still need glasses for reading or for long distance, whereas lens replacement, if all goes well, then I'll never need glasses again.
"So how amazing is that? I'm a bit nervous because it's my eyes, but I'm about to go in for surgery so I'll let you know how I get on. I'll see you in a bit."
After his surgery, Will filled in his fans about how the procedure went. "I've just come out of surgery looking very sexy as you can see. Unbelievable," he joked. "I mean both eyes took about twenty minutes in total to do both eyes if that. Not much pain at all, a bit of pressure on the eye like a bit of a headache on the eye but that was it. Unbelievable. Dr Romesh is a genius. A bit blurry, but I'll keep you posted".
Fans were quick to support the 47-year-old following the operation, as one penned: "You will be also fine. I have had macular holes in my eyes. I lost sight in both eyes albeit separately, had surgery which included new lens & now have brilliant sight. All the best."
A second posted: "Had mine done a year ago, need some more laser on one eye, which I'm getting next week. Fab not to wear glasses all the time but watch on for dry eyes!" and a third commented: "I had both eyes done, and I now have twenty twenty vision."
Will has previously battled health issues, and ahead of his appearance on Strictly Come Dancing back in 2022, he revealed his knee issues might hinder him, though thankfully he ultimately faced no worries and made it to the semi-finals.
Speaking about how the injury could have impacted him, Will shared: "If [my knees] pop out in the middle of a dance routine live on telly, there's not much I can do because I will just hit the floor. They’ve popped out while I've been walking down the stairs, before now.
DISCOVER: Mr Bates vs The Post Office: the astonishing true story behind ITV's Post Office scandal drama
DISCOVER: Mr Bates vs The Post Office: where are Alan Bates, Jo Hamilton and Lee Castleton now?
"So as long as that stays, then whatever will be will be. But I just want to make it through the journey. I don't want to go out with injury, it'd kill me because I think I feel like I'd have the experience."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/511463/mr-bates-vs-post-office-star-will-mellor-unbelievable-surgery-rapid-deterioration/
| 2024-01-17T15:32:55Z
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Kieran Culkin has been sweeping up during awards season thanks to his role in Succession – but his happiness has been masking secret family heartache.
The 41-year-old has bagged awards for his role as Roman Roy at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, and most recently, the Emmy Awards.
However, when he was named Best Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys on Monday, he broke down as he paid tribute to his beloved mother, Patricia Brentrup, who has recently had "hard times with her health". See the video below.
After thanking his co-stars and the crew during his speech, Kieran choked up as he said: "I've got to switch to the personal really fast.
"I have to thank my mom for giving me life, my childhood which was great, so thank you for that."
Backstage, the actor praised his mother further, telling the press: "She’s just an absolutely wonderful woman who took on raising seven kids in a studio apartment, by herself.
“There was a guy there — he didn’t do anything,” he added, referring to his estranged father Christopher 'Kit' Culkin, whom he has previously called "not a good person".
Now, it has been revealed that Kieran's mom has been battling with her health and was recently living with her son and his family in Brooklyn while she attended several doctor's appointments.
"Kieran was looking after her and she was going to doctors in the city," his stepfather, Mart Cox told Page Six.
"We certainly are proud of Kieran and we're really happy life is just beginning for him. But we have nine kids, and we love them all."
He added. "None ever gets more love than the other. That's how their mom raised them – although Kieran always thought he was the favorite!"
Kieran has a very close bond with his mom and previously revealed that when he found out he was going to be a father, he looked to his mother as a role model.
"I didn’t know that I wanted to be a parent, but the moment that I knew I was going to become a father. I knew I wanted to become the parent that she was," he told Vanity Fair in 2018.
Kieran shares two children, daughter Kinsey 'Zissou' Sioux, four, and son Wilder Wolf, two, with his wife Jazz Charton, although there may be more on the way if he gets his wish.
During his Emmy speech, Kieran turned his attention to his wife and asked her for more children.
He said: "And of course, my beautiful wife Jazz. Thank you for sharing your life with me and for giving me two amazing kids. Kinsey Sioux and Wilder Wolf, I love you so much.
"And Jazz - I want more. You said maybe, if I win. I love you so much," he added.
Elaborating on his speech in the press room, Kieran explained: "A couple of months ago – I have been asking for a while – my wife said maybe if you win the Emmy and I didn't bring it up for months.
"Then when I won the Globe I said, 'Remember what you said,' and she didn't remember and I spent all week nervous, and instead of talking to her like a human, I blasted her on stage and it was very rude."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/health-and-fitness/511471/succession-kieran-culkin-mother-poor-health-revealed/
| 2024-01-17T15:33:01Z
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There has been an outpouring of love and support for the Princess of Wales following the concerning news that she has undergone abdominal surgery and will be in recovery for the next two weeks.
Commenting on the statement on Instagram, one person wrote: “Get well soon our very own beautiful HRH Princess of Wales Catherine. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, HEH Prince of Wales William and the children.” Another person added: “That’s a long time to be in the hospital after a planned procedure. Yikes.”
A third person added: “I’ve had an abdominal surgery too, and it is painful recovery. Praying for the princess and appreciate her desire to protect her and her children’s privacy.”
Giovanna Fletcher, who interviewed Kate for her podcast, Happy Mum, Happy Baby, commented: “Sending love!” Another fan wrote: “Get well soon HRH and don’t be rushing to get back to ‘normal’ so as your medics advise!”
A spokesperson said: “The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
Speaking about the surprise announcement, HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash said: "This has come as a shock at a time when most of us were expecting to see the Princess back in action with a busy schedule of engagements lined up... Obviously everyone wishes her well and is hoping for a speedy recovery."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511467/royal-fans-saying-the-same-thing-following-princess-kates-hospital-statement/
| 2024-01-17T15:33:08Z
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The HELLO! Shopping section is where you'll find all the best shopping advice, guidance and top deals coverage. Whether you're after style advice, unbiased beauty reviews, expert tips or gift inspiration (perfect for Valentine's Day or Christmas as well as all year round!), you've come to the right place to help with your next purchase.
Now more than ever we know how stretched all our budgets are, so we want to make sure the advice we give is the best it can be.
We wanted to introduce you to the team of shopping experts we have at HELLO! But also, so you know, if you click on a writer's name in their article it will take you straight to their bio page along with a list of their most recent articles.
This is a team that works really hard to provide helpful advice, reviewing products where possible and reaching out to experts to add guidance in their field.
We cover many topics, from fashion to beauty, health and wellness, travel and so much more. As well, we try to visit brand press days in order to use the products and discover the way various brands make their products, so we always take this into consideration prior to including.
It's important to stress that we would never feature a product we didn't approve of.
While we occasionally run advertisements across the section, this is clearly stated on the site with a disclaimer for our readers.
We have a thorough calendar of shopping events to make sure we don't miss all the big campaigns, whether it's the launch of the new iPhone or the annual Black Friday extravaganza. Deals are everywhere, you've just got to know where to find them, and that's what our team of experts excel at.
We prioritise journalistic integrity, factual accuracy, and also having fun with every story we share.
Meet the HELLO! Shopping Team.
Leanne Bayley
Specialist subject: Beauty: Makeup, Skincare & Fragrances
Leanne Bayley is our Director of Lifestyle & Commerce, overseeing shopping strategy and content across HELLO! She looks at trend forecasts and leads a team of talented editors and writers, and commissions where possible.
When in content mode, Leanne mainly focuses on beauty content and gifting. Her goal is to help readers make the best choices while they’re shopping for makeup, skincare or fragrances - and will always share a discount code if she can find one.
Having worked at HELLO! since 2018 she’s now quite the expert when it comes to Princess Kate & Meghan Markle’s style. And if she can find you a royal beauty must-have on sale, she will tell you all about it.
Leanne is a digital native and has a background at British GLAMOUR, Cosmopolitan UK, ELLE UK, Fabulous magazine, Daily Mail Fashion Finder, Harrods magazine and many more. When she’s not curating shopping content for HELLO! readers you’ll find our resident magpie sharing all of her favourite sparkly #SequinSunday fashion buys on her Instagram account @leannebayley.
Email Leanne with new beauty product launches and commerce enquiries at leanne.bayley@hellomagazine.com and follow her on X and Instagram @leannebayley and @dailybayley9to5 on TikTok.
Karen Silas
Specialist subject: Homeware & garden outdoor must-haves
Karen is a Senior Lifestyle Editor at HELLO! Online and joined the Commerce team in 2020, having worked in digital media for nearly two decades. An online customer since the invention of Amazon, she creates shopping content with a focus on homeware and outdoor essentials, as well as gifting ideas.
She earned a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Washington, and now applies her analytic skills to her role, not to mention calculating the best deals and product rating averages. Although she shops for a living, outside of her 9 to 5 you'll find her travelling, cooking, napping and watching murder shows, and jotting down notes about new products she has tried. Her greatest joy is hanging out with her husband, son, and two cats, Lotta and Pixie.
Email Karen at karen.silas@hellomagazine.com and follow her on Instagram @_karensilas_/ , X and Flipboard.
Katherine Robinson
Specialist subject: Kids essentials & Accessories
Katherine is a Senior Lifestyle Editor at HELLO! Online, and for the past three years has joined the publication’s shopping experts in finding the best deals, newest gadgets and shopping trends - specialising in Amazon and more specifically, what the kids will love.
She pulls on over two decades of editorial experience and is a pro at covering shopping events, including Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day - always digging out the top discounts.
She is an expert at helping readers find the best products for their children and frequently reviews trending accessories, gadgets and new launches.
As a mum-of-two she has years of experience in testing kids toys and parenting gadgets.
Email Katherine at katherine.robinson@hellomagazine.com and follow @kathydelmar on Instagram and @kathydelmarr on X and TikTok.
Carla Challis
Specialist subject: Accessories and Travel
Carla Challis is our Shopping Partnerships Editor and she is obsessed with jewellery and handbags.
Carla's role is varied, and she works with HELLO! loved brands/merchants to strike up a closer working relationship.
She is fully immersed in our advertisers and their products, driving digital excellence in optimisation across the many HELLO! verticals. She also identifies and onboards new fashion and beauty brands on to our various affiliate networks.
When she's in editorial mode, accessories and travel must-haves are her forte, with Carla keen to try out the hottest viral handbag or perusing the holiday destinations top of everyone's wish list.
Carla has written about celebrities, fashion, beauty, travel, lifestyle and fitness for over 15 years, from the BBC and Press Association to ASOS, beauty mags and teen publications.
Away from work, Carla loves catching up on The Real Housewives franchise, listening to crime podcasts, and hanging out with her family, including her young daughter and dog, Sal.
Email Carla at carla.challis@hellomagazine.com and follow @carla.challis on Instagram.
Hollie Brotherton
Specialist subject: Fashion
Hollie Brotherton is our Lifestyle & Commerce Senior Writer, covering all things shopping, with a big focus on occasion wear and curating the hottest trend edits.
She is an NCTJ-qualified journalist with a Multimedia Journalism degree from Bournemouth University. Working across both print and digital, she's written for titles including Glamour, Marie Claire, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar. She’s also worked on countless photoshoots from celebrity to fashion editorial.
Hollie lives in London and when she’s not shopping or fangirling over Hailey Bieber and Sienna Miller’s latest looks, you’ll find her trying the latest restaurant launches, sweating it out at Barry’s and Barrecore or ideally in the airport departure lounge.
Contact her at hollie.brotherton@hellomagazine.com or follow her on Instagram @holliebrotherton.
Sophie Bates
Specialist subject: Fashion & Footwear
Sophie is a Commerce Writer at HELLO! writing about all the latest fashion trends that hit the high street, the cool shoes going viral on TikTok and the celebrity and royal style must-haves.
Sophie has worked on the HELLO! Shopping team since 2022, and has brought her experience working as a copywriter across many of the verticals on side, and finding the latest deals that shoppers will love.
She has an eye for a bargain, whether it be a celebrity-loved Amazon find or an unmissable saving on a reader-loved brand.
Sophie has a keen interest in fashion, and when she's not shopping the latest style trend, she's scrolling through TikTok in search of the next viral skincare product to review or exploring London's restaurants and rooftop bars.
To find out more, follow Sophie on Instagram at @sophiebates21 and TikTok at @sophiebates217.
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| 2024-01-17T15:33:14Z
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TOKYO – Singapore was once dismissed as a “warm-up” for integrated resort (IR) projects in Japan, which had been hailed the world’s largest untapped IR market with the potential to blow even Macau out of the water.
But Japan has become a damp squib while Thailand, with reported plans to legalise up to five IRs by 2025, is emerging as Singapore’s most immediate threat, even as details remain fuzzy as to what its casino laws would entail.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/japan-s-casino-star-has-dimmed-despite-early-fanfare-and-seeming-threat-to-singapore
| 2024-01-17T15:51:23Z
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DAVOS - At least US$15 billion (S$20 billion) would be needed to rebuild housing in the Gaza Strip, Palestine Investment Fund chairman Mohammed Mustafa said on Jan 17 at the World Economic Forum, after much of the besieged enclave was flattened by Israel's war on Hamas militants.
The Palestinian leadership would, in the short-term, continue to focus on humanitarian aid including food and water but eventually the focus would shift to reconstruction, Mr Mustafa said.
The war has driven most of Gaza's 2.3 million people from their homes, some of them several times, and caused a humanitarian crisis, with food, fuel and medical supplies running low.
"If the war in Gaza continues, more people are likely to die of hunger or famine than war," Mr Mustafa said.
The first steps should be to bring food, medicine, water and electricity back to the besieged enclave, he added.
Israel's campaign in Gaza since the Oct 7 Hamas assault has turned much of the Palestinian territory into a wasteland, killed more than 24,000 people and wounded nearly 61,000, health officials in the Hamas-ruled territory say. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/gaza-post-war-housing-reconstruction-to-cost-at-least-15-billion-fund
| 2024-01-17T15:51:33Z
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Malaysia’s King and Queen presented a segment of prime time news on free-to-air channel TV3 on Jan 17, drawing praises from scores of netizens within hours of their debut as news anchors.
The special royal bulletin segment, which aired at 8pm, was pre-recorded in the morning during the royal couple’s visit to media conglomerate Media Prima Group’s headquarters in Selangor.
During the 10-minute segment, Sultan Abdullah Ahmad Shah and his wife, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, presented three news items.
The first featured interviews with Malaysians who said they would like to see everyone united, just like during a football match.
The second story was about how patin fish has contributed to Pahang’s economy and tourism.
The third item was about their visit to Media Prima’s office.
“Their Majesties were given a corporate brief by the Media Prima’s management, followed by a visit to the Radio City. They even went live with the DJs at Hot FM,” the Queen read as the b-roll footage featuring her and the King played on TV.
She then remarked that “their faces look familiar”, and the King agreed as they chuckled on screen.
Their news segment quickly drew hundreds of comments on social media.
Some netizens said they were proud of the King and Queen’s performance.
Facebook user Adrian Ratnasamy called them the “most adorable King & Queen ever”.
Another user Avvani HR said she couldn’t get enough of the news delivered by the “cute and sweet” royal couple.
Many took the chance to thank the King for looking after the country during the political crisis in the last few years.
Sultan Abdullah played an unusually active role in Malaysian politics, picking the country’s last three prime ministers during the leadership vacuum caused by coalition infighting, and the 2022 elections that threw up a hung Parliament.
He will be succeeded by Johor Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar on Jan 31.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-s-king-and-queen-win-hearts-with-tv-debut-as-news-anchors
| 2024-01-17T15:51:43Z
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TAIPEI - Taiwan's defence ministry said it had detected on Jan 17 evening 18 Chinese air force planes operating around Taiwan and carrying out "joint combat readiness patrols" with Chinese warships, the first large-scale post-election military activity.
China, which views Taiwan as its own territory, has over the past four years regularly sent warplanes and warships into the skies and waters around the island as it seeks to assert sovereignty claims that the Taipei government rejects.
Taiwan voted for the ruling Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Lai Ching-te as its next president on Jan 13, a man Beijing has repeatedly blasted as a dangerous separatist and bringer of war.
Taiwan's defence ministry said that starting around 7.50pm (7.50pm Singapore time) on Jan 17, it had detected 18 aircraft including Su-30 fighters operating off northern and central Taiwan and to the island's south-west.
Eleven of those aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait's median line, or areas close by, working with Chinese warships to carry out "joint combat readiness patrols", the ministry added.
The strait's median line once served as an unofficial barrier between the two sides, but Chinese planes now regularly fly over it. China says it does not recognise the line's existence.
Taiwan sent its own forces to monitor, the ministry said.
"The security and prosperity of the Taiwan Strait region are closely related to global development and stability, and are obligations and responsibilities that all parties in the region must share," it said in a statement.
"The military will continue to strengthen its self-defence capabilities in accordance with enemy threats and self-defence needs, and respond to regional threats."
There was no immediate response from China's defence ministry.
Earlier on Jan 17, China's Taiwan Affairs Office said Beijing's position that it would not renounce using force to bring Taiwan under its control was aimed at foreign interference and a tiny number of separatists, but added that Taiwanese needed to be disabused of "biases" against China.
Mr Lai, who takes office on May 20, has repeatedly offered talks with China but has been rebuffed. He says he will maintain peace and stability across the strait, but that only Taiwan's people can decide its future. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/taiwan-reports-first-major-post-election-chinese-military-activity
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WASHINGTON - US retail sales accelerated more than anticipated in December, helped by the auto sector, government data showed on Jan 17.
Sales picked up in the last month of the year by 0.6 per cent to US$709.9 billion (S$954.5 million), up from a 0.3 per cent bump in November, said the Commerce Department in its latest report.
For the full year of 2023, total sales were up 3.2 per cent from 2022, the report added.
The strong showing comes even though consumer demand was expected to weaken in the face of higher interest rates. In part, a resilient job market has helped support spending over the past year.
The Federal Reserve rapidly lifted the benchmark lending rate from early 2022 and has in recent months held rates steady at a high level, in order to lower inflation sustainably.
While this is typically expected to hit consumption as borrowing becomes more expensive, retail sales have generally held up.
Compared with December 2022, retail sales in December 2023 were 5.6 per cent higher, according to the latest data.
Among the different sectors, sales at motor vehicles and parts dealers rose 1.1 per cent from November in December, and those at department stores jumped 3 per cent, said the Commerce Department.
But sales at petrol stations were down by 1.3 per cent between November and December 2023, while those at health and personal care stores slipped 1.4 per cent.
Analysts warn that advance retail sales estimates may be revised significantly.
Before the report, economists believed that consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of US economic activity, topped a 2 per cent annualised rate in the fourth quarter. Growth estimates for the overall economy are currently as high as a 2.2 per cent rate. The economy grew at a 4.9 per cent pace in the third quarter.
The government is scheduled to publish its first estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the October to December quarter on Jan 25.
Some of the anticipated slowdown in GDP growth will likely reflect smaller inventory accumulation relative to the third quarter’s size. AFP, REUTERS
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| 2024-01-17T15:52:04Z
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SINGAPORE - The Singapore Management University (SMU) on Jan 17 launched a new Urban Institute that will carry out research on Asian cities, to address challenges such as climate change and ageing infrastructure.
The institute will bring together experts from different backgrounds to conduct research on urban cities in Singapore and South-east Asia.
SMU chairman Piyush Gupta noted that cities are facing unprecedented challenges, from demographic shifts due to migration to the rising demand for access to education and jobs. The new institute will create a hub for urban planners, designers, economists, social scientists, and policymakers to work together to explore solutions, he said.
The research produced will not just be for academia, but also for industry and policymakers, he said.
The Urban Institute will focus on three areas of research. The urban life pillar will explore what makes a city liveable and how place-making can contribute to improve its diversity and vibrancy.
The urban growth pillar will look at strategies for equitable access to urban services, such as housing and employment opportunities, among other things.
Under the urban infrastructure pillar, researchers will examine topics such as how hard infrastructure – materials – and soft infrastructure like social or regulatory constraints affect urban development. The institute also plans to partner global universities and think-tanks that are focused on studying cities.
SMU on Jan 17 signed a memorandum of understanding with Thailand’s Thammasat University to facilitate student exchanges, the sharing of research materials and the joint organisation of seminars and symposiums.
Speaking at the event, Senior Minister of State for National Development as well as Foreign Affairs Sim Ann said the institute will “play an important role in promoting the exchange of experience and research between Singapore and our regional neighbours, and in helping policymakers and practitioners create a better built environment for all”.
SMU Associate Professor of Geography Orlando Woods, who helms the Urban Institute, hopes it will further develop the three main pillars to create more impact for government stakeholders and partner South-east Asian cities.
He said that as a social science and humanities university, SMU can provide a unique perspective on issues in urban cities.
There are currently about nine projects under the institute, according to its website, with plans to increase this number further. The institute is also in talks to form research partnerships with institutions in Toronto and Melbourne.
Noting that SMU has launched overseas centres in Bangkok and Jakarta to promote knowledge sharing, Prof Woods hopes the new institute will build a footprint in South-east Asia.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/smu-launches-urban-institute-to-address-complex-issues-faced-by-cities-in-asia
| 2024-01-17T15:52:15Z
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BERLIN - RB Leipzig's first half of the season could have been better but the team is firmly in the hunt for a top four finish this season to secure Champions League football that is crucial for the club, Leipzig top scorer Lois Openda said on Wednesday.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a sensational first half of his maiden Bundesliga campaign, having scored 11 goals and delivered four assists.
"It's important to feel good and feel at home. I know that I can, for sure, do more," Openda told reporters. "I want to be a top player, play for the best team in the world. The move to Leipzig can help me to do that."
Together with fellow new signing Xavi Simons, who has netted four times and added another seven assists, they have plugged the attacking gap that was initially left by the departures of Christopher Nkunku and Dominik Szoboszlai last summer and the injury of Dani Olmo earlier this season.
"Now we have our objectives. The first part of the season was good but it could be better because we lost some games, missed some points," the Belgium international said.
"We wanted to be in the top four and three and we are still there. We have to continue in the second part of the season, there are more than 15 games."
"We still have the time to be better in the table and win a lot of games. The first half was good. Our objective was to be in top four," he said. "Now we are focused on the second part of the season.
The new year got off to a bumpy start for Leipzig as they were beaten by Eintracht Frankfurt in their first match following the winter break.
Leipzig are fourth in the Bundesliga, three points ahead of fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund and one behind VfB Stuttgart who are third.
The top four teams qualify automatically for next season's Champions League group stage.
"We still have a lot of objectives. We will do it all together it is important to stay in the Champions League next season. That's really important," Openda said.
In this season's Champions League, the Saxony club face Real Madrid in the last 16 next month.
But for Openda this game is still a long way away with league leaders Bayer Leverkusen awaiting on Saturday.
"Saturday against Leverkusen we have to win for sure to be better in the table," he said. "We are focused on Leverkusen. We are not thinking about Real Madrid yet." REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/leipzig-can-improve-in-second-half-of-season-says-club-top-scorer-openda
| 2024-01-17T15:52:25Z
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DUBLIN - Experienced Munster backrow Peter O'Mahony was named as the new Ireland captain on Wednesday as coach Andy Farrell began the post-Johnny Sexton era by naming a mostly experienced 34-man squad to defend their Six Nations championship.
O'Mahony, 34, has captained the side 10 times before having led Ireland at underage levels before winning his first of his 101 caps. He has also skippered Munster for years and captained the British & Irish Lions in the opening test of the 2017 tour.
O'Mahony got the armband ahead of new Leinster co-captains Garry Ringrose and James Ryan, who were included in the squad. Given his age, O'Mahony may well lead Ireland for the next couple of Six Nations rather than through to the 2027 World Cup.
"Ever since I was a boy starting off in the game, I have always dreamed of captaining Ireland," O'Mahony said in a statement.
"To be now asked to captain Ireland ahead of the Six Nations is without doubt one of the proudest moments of my life and I would like to thank Andy for this show of faith in me." REUTERS
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| 2024-01-17T15:52:35Z
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PARIS - Paris is well on track to host this year's Summer Olympics as all the infrastructures will be ready in time for the extravaganza despite some minor hiccups.
The athletes village will be delivered on March 1 by SOLIDEO, the public company in charge of infrasctructures, its president Nicolas Ferrand told a panel of French senators on Wednesday.
"Some 500 beds that were expected for the Olympic village will only delivered during the months of April (a handful of weeks behind schedule)," Ferrand said, pointing out "important efforts made" to deliver the Grand Palais to Paris 2024 on time.
Fencing and taekwondo events will be held at the Grand Palais, a few steps away from the Champs Elysees.
"In total, there are three topics out of 70 that caused minor problems, without changing the global programme," Ferrand said, adding that the building of the Aquatic centre where the diving and synchronized swimming competitions will be held would be delivered a month ahead of schedule, in March.
Ferrand stressed that the works were made almost within budget "in constant euros", for a price of 1.412 billion euros -against an expected 1.378 billion.
The Olympics will be held from July 26-Aug. 11 and the Paralympics will take place from Aug. 28-Sept 8. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/paris-2024-infrastructure-to-be-delivered-on-schedule-within-budget
| 2024-01-17T15:52:46Z
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MELBOURNE - Ten-time Australian champion Novak Djokovic invited a heckling fan to confront him face-to-face during his hard-fought second-round win against local hope Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old Serb was not at his best and was irritated at times by a raucous late-night crowd on Rod Laver Arena.
But the world number one fought off four set points in the third set to claim a 6-3 4-6 7-6(4) 6-3 victory to stay on course for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam title.
Popyrin's chances quickly evaporated in the fourth set in which Djokovic traded barbs with an unruly fan -- commentator Nick Kyrgios saying on Eurosport, for whom he was analysing, that the individual concerned should not have "poked the bear".
Explaining what happened later, Djokovic said: "I mean, you don't want to know (what he said).
"There was a lot of things that were being told to me on the court, particularly from that corner, and the same side the other corner. I was tolerating it for most of the match.
"At one point I had enough, and I asked him whether he wants to come down and tell it to my face. Unfortunately for him, he didn't have the courage to come down.
"That's what I was asking him. If you have courage, if you're such a tough man, tough guy, come down and tell it to my face, and let's have a discussion about it."
Heckling aside, Djokovic also had trouble with his game. His forehand was unusually fragile and at times he seemed bothered by the wrist problem that flared up prior to the tournament.
He also looked flat at times as he dealt with a cold but still managed to get the job done against the 24-year-old Popyrin who will rue not taking the third set.
Next up for Djokovic is Argentine Tomas Etcheverry who has already accounted for Andy Murray and Gael Monfils.
After a tumultuous night on Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic said he may prepare for that by visiting Melbourne's Botanical Gardens -- and spend some time with his favourite tree.
"There's one particular tree that I've been having special relationship with, so to say, in the last 15 years," he said. "I love every corner of botanical gardens. I think it's (an) incredible treasure for Melbourne.
"That particular tree, I cannot reveal which one, I'll try to keep it discreet for myself when I'm there to have my own time. I like to ground myself and connect with that old friend." REUTERS
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SINGAPORE – Imagine standing on the Parc des Princes pitch as French superstar footballer Kylian Mbappe sprints past you at over 30kmh before collecting the ball and placing it into the top corner – all this as the crowd roars from the stands.
And you would not even need to leave the comfort of your sofa to soak in this experience. This is what watching sport could look like in the future with the development of technology and the emergence of the metaverse, say experts.
Sebastian Lancestremere, Global Sports Innovation Centre (GSIC) president and chairman of the board, said: “I think there are going to be blended experiences both online and offline so you will get more statistics and possibilities.
“Probably with tiny wearables, you will be able to have a first-person view as though you were a player or on the pitch or from different angles.
“Hopefully that experience will expand into the people who are outside the stadium with different types of virtual reality, augmented reality or mixed reality devices, so the vision will be that a stadium that hosts 60 to 70,000 people now can host 70 million or 80 million people or many more.”
Lancestremere was speaking on the sidelines of the GSIC Summit Apac, which was held at the Singapore Sports Hub on Jan 16 and 17.
The two-day event saw members of the global sports industry discussing topics that ranged from fan engagement to the metaverse and e-sports.
Software developer Virtex has already created an immersive experience for fans in e-sports that involves a virtual stadium which enables spectators to enter the games’ battlefield. Fans can opt to watch the action from a seat in the Virtex Stadium, or get into the thick of the action by following their favourite players up close.
Game titles such as Valorant and League of Legends already use the technology for competitions and the company is now venturing into traditional sport, with co-founder and chief operations officer Christoph Ortlepp saying it has done some live tests and demonstrations with European football leagues.
Noting that its co-founder Tim Mcguinness wanted to make these in-stadium experiences accessible to fans around the globe, Ortlepp believes these virtual realities will not replace the real-world experience for now.
He said: “It adds to it, it will get people more excited to go to the actual venue because you’ve been there virtually and once in your lifetime, you want to see it in the real world.
“Our very long-term ambition is to make this the best experience because you don’t have any limitations to what the fan can do and how you can work with the game environment, but in the short term no one can take away the uniqueness and authenticity of the real event.”
Smart stadiums that incorporate advanced technologies have also become more common as sports entities explore ways to provide a personalised experience for fans during match day.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, which cost £850 million (S$1.4 billion) to build and was opened in 2019, has a retractable pitch to allow the venue to be used for different sports such as football, rugby and American football.
Teams have built applications that make information like statistics and scores available to fans at a touch of their fingertips, but National Football League team Las Vegas Raiders take it further by providing access to events, parking information, directions and real-time information on food and beverage concession lines.
Digital efforts are also part of Kallang Alive Sport Management’s (KASM) plans to enhance the experience for patrons of the Singapore Sports Hub, as it looks to grow its space from 35ha to 89ha over the next few years.
The first step would be having a good 5G infrastructure in place, said Andrew Low, KASM group head, technology and data, while discussions for other initiatives are ongoing.
He said: “We want to reimagine how these three segments of sports, entertainment and lifestyle can be in play within this space...
“There are various touch points we are talking about today that we hope will develop in the coming year or two.”
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/wow-factor-for-sports-fans-in-future-with-technology-artificial-intelligence
| 2024-01-17T15:53:07Z
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BANGKOK - Around 20 people were killed in Thailand in an explosion on Jan 17 at a firework factory north of Bangkok, police said, as authorities inspected the site but were yet to find survivors.
It was not immediately clear what caused the incident, which took place mid-afternoon in Suphan Buri province about 120km north of Bangkok, police said.
"We cannot tell whether all the workers were killed. The officials are entering the site to investigate. They have not found any survivors," provincial governor, Nattapat Suwanprateep, told Reuters.
A preliminary investigation put the death toll at 20, according to a police statement, with many injured.
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin was briefed on the explosion while at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and urged a swift investigation.
"The prime minister ordered an inspection of the plant to see if it was operating legally and if the explosion was caused by negligence. The law must be enforced to the fullest extent because there are innocent deaths and injuries," Mr Srettha's office said. REUTERS
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| 2024-01-17T15:53:17Z
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BRUSSELS - The European Union has drafted plans to capture and store hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 emissions by 2050 to ensure industries can meet Europe's climate change goals, a draft document showed.
Achieving the EU's 2050 net zero emissions target will require companies to switch to green energy and change their production methods. For sectors lacking the technologies to do this, their remaining emissions will need to be captured, to avoid them reaching the atmosphere and fuelling global warming.
By 2050, the EU will need to capture up to 450 million tons of CO2 per year, according to a draft European Commission plan, seen by Reuters.
"By the same date, most of the remaining emissions from EU industries will have to be captured and stored, in particular from the cement and the chemical sectors," the draft said.
The EU emitted 3.6 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2022, official data show.
Most CO2 captured in 2050 would be permanently stored underground. Some would be used in industrial processes like chemicals manufacturing.
The draft said 100 million tons of the CO2 captured by 2050 would be in the power sector, from power plants running on CO2-emitting fossil fuels or "biogenic" sources like organic waste.
The EU would need to capture up to 200 million tons of CO2 from the atmosphere directly, to balance out some remaining emissions in 2050, the draft said.
Chris Davies, director of campaign group CCS Europe, said a lack of political support has left the EU playing catch-up to quickly scale the technology. The EU has no operating CO2 storage projects.
"Most governments simply have done their best to put this on the 'too difficult' back burner," said Davies, a former EU lawmaker.
The Commission declined to comment on the draft document, which was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The draft said building carbon capture and storage infrastructure this decade would require both EU and national funds. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/eu-drafts-plan-to-zero-out-industrys-carbon-footprint-by-2050
| 2024-01-17T15:53:27Z
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CAIRO - Aid destined for Israeli hostages and Palestinian residents in the Gaza Strip was delivered to Egypt on Wednesday for transfer across the border, following a deal brokered by Qatar and France.
Two Qatari planes arrived in El Arish in the north of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where supplies were unloaded and transferred to the Rafah border crossing with Gaza about 28km (17 miles) away to the east, Egyptian security and Red Crescent officials said.
One of the planes was carrying medical packages for 45 of the 253 hostages Israel says were captured by Palestinian militant group Hamas during its deadly incursion into Israel on Oct. 7.
More than 100 hostages were released during a brief truce in late November.
Qatar has said that supplies for Palestinian civilians that arrived on Wednesday would be distributed to parts of Gaza worst affected by the conflict between Israel and Hamas sparked by the Oct. 7 attack, in exchange for the aid delivered to hostages.
A French official said earlier that the initial idea for the aid delivery had come from the families of some of the Israeli hostages, and that negotiations had continued for weeks.
Israel began letting aid into Gaza on Oct. 21, although agencies say the amount delivered falls far short of what is needed for Gaza's population of 2.3 million, and there have been backlogs of aid flown in to El Arish.
Israel's military campaign has left the entire population of Gaza facing crisis levels of hunger and at growing risk from disease as supplies run low, aid agencies say.
On Wednesday, Sigrid Kaag, the new U.N. Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, visited Sinai as part of the effort to increase the flow of relief.
"I'm here because the mandate of the (U.N.) Security Council to see how we can facilitate, accelerate and expedite all areas of the assistance that is so much needed for civilians in Gaza, given the very acute humanitarian conditions that they have to live with," she told reporters. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/aid-for-israeli-hostages-and-palestinian-civilians-arrives-at-gaza-border
| 2024-01-17T15:53:38Z
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LONDON – British royal Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, has undergone a successful planned abdominal operation and will be in hospital for up to a fortnight, Kensington Palace said on Jan 17.
The palace statement said it was expected that Princess Kate, wife of the heir to the throne, Prince William, would remain in the London Clinic, a private hospital in central London, for 10 to 14 days before returning home to recover.
It said she was unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate,” the statement said. “She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible, and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.”
Her office said it would provide updates on her progress only when there was “significant new information to share”. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/britain-s-princess-kate-has-abdominal-surgery-will-be-in-hospital-for-a-fortnight
| 2024-01-17T15:53:48Z
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ROME - An Italian province is turning to DNA tests to tackle the scourge of dog mess on the streets.
Once a dog DNA registration database is up and running, street cleaners and health officials in Bolzano will be able to collect abandoned poop, have it genetically tested and then trace the owners who will face fines of 50 to 500 euros ($54 to $540).
Any owner who refuses the DNA profiling for their dog will face fines of 292 to 1,048 euros.
The provincial government covering Bolzano city and surrounding towns in the picturesque Dolomites region is creating the database for the almost 40,000 dogs in the area, veterinary department director Paolo Zambotto said. About 10,000 have already been registered.
"Bolzano receives a few hundred complaints a year from citizens about improper management of public land. More than half are for dogs," he told Reuters.
"Law enforcement could only catch three or four of them because they have to go there and set up some kind of stakeout."
DNA registration will become compulsory from around late March. Owners will be expected to have blood tests for their dogs, in municipal dog shelters or vet clinics, at a cost ranging from 65 to over 100 euros.
He did not give an estimated cost for the project, with the detection and administration expenses expect to be covered from the fines.
Bolzano, a mountainous German-speaking province near Austria, has wide autonomy in making its rules. Zambotto said other Italian cities had been in touch to potentially replicate the law.
Tourists and non-residents are exempted from the regulation. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/dog-dna-detectives-trace-owners-not-scooping-the-poop-in-italian-province
| 2024-01-17T15:53:59Z
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DAVOS, Switzerland -Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday that attacks against Israel and its interests by the "Axis of Resistance" will stop if the Gaza war ends, warning that the conflict could heighten tensions across the Middle East.
The Islamic Republic backs Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war with Israel, which has devastated Gaza in an aerial and ground offensive, and Tehran accuses the United States of backing what it calls Israeli crimes in Gaza.
"An end to the genocide in Gaza will lead to an end of military actions and crises in the region," Amirabdollahian said at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
"The security of the Red Sea is tied to the developments in Gaza, and everyone will suffer if Israel's crimes in Gaza do not stop ... All the (resistance) fronts will remain active."
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday called Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi forces a "terrorist" group, after American and British warplanes, ships and submarines launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen overnight.
The Houthi militia, which has been targeting Red Seas shipping in what it calls solidarity with Palestinians against Israel, has threatened a "strong and effective response" to the U.S. and British strikes.
Amirabdollahian also said t Tehran shared intelligence with Iraq about what it said were activities of the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad in the Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
Iran has said its Revolutionary Guards attacked Israel's "spy HQ" in Iraq in the city of Erbil on Monday. Iraq later denied that there was any such spy centre in the country. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/iran-foreign-minister-in-davos-attacks-on-israel-will-end-if-gaza-war-stops
| 2024-01-17T15:54:10Z
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RABAT - Six consecutive years of drought have left Moroccan dams at critical levels, prompting a big drop in the area of land being irrigated, Morocco's water and agriculture ministers said.
By mid-January, Morocco's average dam filling rate had dropped to 23.2% from 31.5% a year earlier, water minister Nizar Baraka told a meeting on Tuesday, according to a royal palace statement.
Rainfall was 70% lower than in an average year, he said.
The country's second biggest dam, Al Masira, which serves the economic hub of Casablanca, is almost empty.
The worst drought in more than two decades prompted authorities to ban the use of drinking water to clean streets or irrigate parks in cities and to stop dam water being used to irrigate some key farming areas.
The decision took many farmers by surprise in the area of Taroudant in the Souss region, the main source of Morocco's fresh produce, which supplies supermarkets across Europe and is a major source of export revenue.
"Stopping dam irrigation has sapped my investments ... this year's production is in danger,” Mbark N'Ait Ali, a banana and vegetable farmer in Taroudant, said.
Wells have dried up in the area, with farmers having to dig down to 400 meters with no guarantee of finding enough water, he added.
This "violent drought" had forced a reduction in the dam-irrigated area to 400,000 hectares from 750,000 hectares before the dry spell, agriculture minister Sadiki said.
"Autumn crops are at a critical condition ... we pray for rain,” he said.
The ploughed area with rain-fed cereals has dropped this year to 2.3 million hectares, from 3.65 million hectares last year, which was also a dry year, he said.
Morocco's statistics agency expects the cereals harvest to be less than average this year, meaning more wheat imports.
As well as building waterways and new dams, Morocco plans eight new desalination plants powered by renewables.
It aims to produce 1.3 billion cubic metres of fresh water from desalination by 2035.
"We are afraid it will be too late when desalination will be ready to irrigate our farms," said N'Ait Ali. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/moroccos-irrigated-area-shrinks-as-drought-empties-dams
| 2024-01-17T15:54:20Z
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ISLAMABAD -Pakistan recalled its ambassador from Iran on Wednesday after Iran violated its airspace in a 'blatant breach' of its sovereignty, a Pakistani foreign ministry spokeswoman said, as the incident stoked tensions between the two Muslim neighbours.
Pakistan said on Tuesday the airspace violation, which Iranian state media said came as Iranian missiles targeted two bases of the militant group Jaish al Adl, had resulted in the deaths of two children.
Iran's Foreign Minister Amir-Abdollahian said it hit militants in "missile and drone" strikes, saying no Pakistani national was targeted. Pakistan has not confirmed the nature of the violation, or the location of the strikes.
Only "terrorists" were hit, the Iranian foreign minister said at Davos, Switzerland, where he was participating in the World Economic Forum, alleging that those targeted were linked to Israel.
Provincial officials in Pakistan said two children were killed and several others injured by missile strikes near the Iran border.
The violation was an unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan's sovereignty and was "unacceptable," the Pakistan foreign ministry spokeswoman, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said, adding that the country reserved "the right to respond to this illegal act."
Pakistan and Iran have in the past had rocky relations, but the strikes are the highest-profile cross-border intrusion in recent years.
FOLLOWS STRIKES IN IRAQ AND SYRIA
The strikes in Pakistan came a day after similar attacks carried out by Tehran inside other neighbours, Iraq and Syria. Baghdad recalled its ambassador from Tehran after Iran's state-backed media said it had hit an Israeli espionage centre.
Jaish al Adl has previously mounted attacks on Iranian security forces in the border area with Pakistan.
Pakistan will not allow Iran's ambassador, who was visiting his home country, to return, the ministry's spokesperson said in a statement.
Officials in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, which borders Iran, said that four missiles had hit the Panjgur district close to the Iranian border.
"Four missiles were fired in the village of Koh-i-Sabaz which is around 50 km inside Pakistan soil," a senior official of the Panjgur administration told Reuters.
"A mosque and three houses were damaged in the attack," another official said, adding that two young girls were killed and three other people injured. REUTERS
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The genuine restoration of justice entails holding accountable all individuals responsible for launching an all-out war on Ukraine – from Russian soldiers to Russian leaders, including Vladimir Putin, says Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin, UkrInform reports.
Since the very first days of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Ukrainian and international experts have started raising questions about bringing the Russian perpetrators to accountability. During a speech at The Hague on 14 July, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suggested creating a Special Tribunal to prosecute Russian military and political administrations for crimes committed in Ukraine.
According to Kostin, more than 40 countries have already supported the creation of a special tribunal for the investigation of Russian crimes against Ukraine.
“The genuine restoration of justice demands a comprehensive approach. We refer to it as a “Network of Comprehensive Responsibility”. Comprehensive – because it entails responsibility for all war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression. It also includes compensation for damages to our state and all victims.
It signifies the inevitability of punishment for criminals at all levels, from ordinary soldiers to the leaders of the Russian regime and personally Putin,” said Kostin.
The prosecutor general says that the establishment of the special tribunal is crucial for the full functionality of the network.
He also reminded that according to the World Bank’s estimates, the losses inflicted by Ukraine due to Russian aggression amount to $400 billion.
“We are also documenting and assessing environmental damages. Currently, the discussed number is around $50 billion.
However, this evaluation, made in the middle of last year, increases daily,” emphasized Kostin, adding that every affected individual should receive compensation at the expense of the aggressor country.
In addition, the prosecutor general highlighted that in Davos, the Ukrainian delegation presented the second set of points of the Peace Formula: withdrawal of Russian troops, ending the hostilities, restoration of justice, environmental safety, prevention of escalation, and repetition of aggression.
“In other words, the discussion of all 10 points of the Formula has already been completed,” Kostin concluded.
On 16 January 2024, Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy took part in the World Economic Forum in Davos (Switzerland). During his speech, the Ukrainian leader said that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would not stop if Ukraine’s allies withdrew their support.
Zelenskyy meets with global leaders and investors at Davos, calls for confiscation of Russian assets
President Zelenskyy called Vladimir Putin “a predator who is not satisfied with frozen food” and said that Ukraine would never accept a frozen conflict. Zelenskyy reiterated that Russia must pay for its invasion and called for the confiscation of Russian-frozen assets.
Related:
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/17/restoring-justice-means-holding-aggressors-accountable-at-all-levels-ukraines-general-prosecutor-says/
| 2024-01-17T15:58:05Z
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Ukraine has deployed its first hybrid air defense system under the “FrankenSAM” program, a joint project of Ukraine’s Defense Forces and the Pentagon, using it to shoot down a Russian drone on 17 January, officials announced.
The FrankenSAM systems aim to address Ukraine’s shortage of missiles for its Soviet-era air defense systems by combining old Soviet surface-to-air missile systems with new American missiles and radars. Air defense is the top priority for Ukraine as Russia continues missile and drone attacks.
Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin revealed the news during the World Economic Forum summit in Davos. He said the unspecified FrankenSAM system shot down a Russian Shahed-136 drone from a distance of 9 km during an overnight attack.
“We shot down a Shahed from 9 kilometers away, and this is the first successful use of such a system,” Kamyshin said. “I’m very happy we deployed it on the battlefield to protect our skies and our people.”
Overall, Ukraine’s air defenses shot down 19 out of 20 attacking Shahed drones overnight, according to officials, with FrankenSAM contributing to the success.
“Instead of developing some completely new air defense system, which would take many years, we took Soviet components and applied Western missiles to them,” Kamyshin said.
Kamyshin said approximately five FrankenSAM systems are already deployed after successful testing, although the first test launch failed. Thanks to close Ukraine-US cooperation, developers fixed issues and brought the system to full combat readiness.
Three possible FrankenSAM variants have been publicly voiced, according to Defense Express:
- Buk launchers fitted with American RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles
- Soviet-era radars paired with American AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles
- Patriot missiles and launchers combined with Ukrainian radars
Kamyshin did not specify which FrankenSAM version was used on 17 January. But Defense Express believes it was likely the Sea Sparrow missiles on Buk launchers, which can hit targets up to 20 km away, matching the 9 km strike.
“The accuracy of the system was proven in difficult combat conditions,” Kamyshin said. “This is an important step towards strengthening Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.”
By integrating Western missiles, the FrankenSAM systems address Ukraine’s shortage of munitions for Soviet-era air defenses. Russia is the only source of new compatible missiles.
Kamyshin stressed the FrankenSAM project is “filling critical gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses” as Russia continues attacks. More variants are coming, including one with Patriot missiles to shoot down ballistic missiles.
The New York Times reported in October that the first FrankenSAMs will be delivered to Ukraine in the fall of 2023. However, Kamyshin’s announcement today is the first confirmed case of its use.
Related:
- Ukraine ramps up weapons production with US, Italian support
- NYT: Ukraine, US cooperate to retrofit Soviet-era air defenses with Western missiles
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https://euromaidanpress.com/2024/01/17/ukraine-downs-drone-from-9-kilometers-in-first-reported-use-of-frankensam/
| 2024-01-17T15:58:45Z
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It's universally known that Jodie Foster is an incredibly talented actress. She's been acting since she was three years old, scored her first Oscar nomination aged 14, and graduated from Yale University magna cum laude.
As she's set to star in the latest season of True Detective, the actress has experienced renewed interest in her family life. Jodie has been married to photographer Alexandra Hedison for almost 10 years.
What you might not know about the Oscar winning actress is she's also a mother. Jodie has two sons, Charles and Christopher 'Kit' Foster, with her ex-partner, film producer Cydney Bernard.
The mother of two is very protective of her personal life, including her family life. While the two boys are rarely-seen in public, they have accompanied their mom to awards season parties every so often.
Here's everything you might want to know about Jodie Foster's kids.
Charles and Kit's father is not publicly known
Jodie first gave birth to her son Charles in July 1998, after 12 hours of labor while she was with ex-partner Cydney. She went on to have Kit in September 2001 with the film producer.
It's believed that Jodie conceived them via IVF or artificial insemination, and she has never named or revealed whether Charles and Kit share the same sperm donor or father.
Randy Stone, a film producer who Jodie was a close friend of, reportedly told his mother Beverly Bates that the actress would reveal to her kids who the 'father' was when they were 21.
Raising sons hasn't always been easy
Jodie has been open about life parenting two sons - and she said it's got easier over time. In a 2008 interview with People, she talked about the fact that "there are just a lot of bruises when they're young".
"With boys, you get a lot of accidental jabs in the eye and stepping on your feet, and those tantrums they cause when they don’t want to leave the toy store", she said.
But as they've got older, apparently things have got better. She revealed about the 10-year old and eight year old that "they go to school all day, and then one wants to do T-ball and the other wants to do karate, so they’re actually gone until four-thirty. I want them to have curiosity about things they don’t know, and a desire to see places bigger than where they grew up."
For years the boys didn't know their mom was an actress
Growing up, Jodie made sure that her kids only really saw her as a mom rather than a two-time Academy Award winning actress.
"I didn’t show them my movies when they were younger," she told The New York Times.
"I think they thought I was in construction because occasionally they would come to set and see guys with hammers and tool belts. I didn’t want them to know me that way. I wanted them to know me as their mom."
Her sons are all grown up now
Charles and Kit have all grown up now, as they are respectively 25 and 22. But Jodie has always been aware that one day she'll experience empty nest syndrome.
When the boys were nine and six years old, she told More magazine that when her kids were tiny, she was "caught up in the identity of being a mom. You’re still changing diapers, and it feels like it’s going to last forever."
As they started to grow older, she became more aware that one day they would leave home - especially as their relationship began to change.
Still, Jodie is often seen with her adult sons out and about, showing that the family remains close-knit.
A family of Ivy Leaguers
Jodie's sons have followed in her footsteps as incredibly intelligent individuals. As such they have both attended Ivy League schools.
Charles attended his mother's alma mater, Yale University, while his brother Kit opted to study Chemistry at Princeton instead where he will graduate in 2024.
The boys are born and raised feminists
Raised by three women, Jodie recently explained that Kit and Charles don't fit into a particular stereotype of what it means to be male.
"My two don’t like sports," she told The Guardian. "They like to watch movies and sit at home, and they’re really into their female friends. They’re super feminist."
She revealed there was, perhaps, a slip in high school where her older son was "trying to figure out what it was to be a boy" - and he didn't know how to treat women. Needless to say his mom set him straight.
"I was like, no! That’s not what it is to be a man! That’s what our culture has been selling you for all this time." While the phase went on for six months, Jodie was having none of it. "I was like, you won’t be talking to me like that."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511477/everything-you-need-to-know-true-detective-jodie-foster-rarely-seen-sons/
| 2024-01-17T16:21:08Z
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Jennifer Lopez has released the first trailer for her exciting new Prime Video movie This is Me… Now, which follows the Jenny from the Block star’s personal journey to love as told in a narrative-driven, musical original - and it looks unlike everything we’ve seen!
The official synopsis reads: “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story is like nothing you’ve ever seen from Jennifer Lopez. Alongside director Dave Meyers, Jennifer has created a narrative-driven cinematic odyssey, steeped in mythological storytelling and personal healing.
“Dropping in tandem with her first studio album in a decade, this genre-bending Amazon original showcases her journey to love through her own eyes. With fantastical costumes, breathtaking choreography, and star-studded cameos, this panorama is an introspective retrospective of Jennifer’s resilient heart.”
The trailer showcases some incredible moments from the upcoming movie, which is set to be released on 16 February, and fans were seriously impressed.
Taking to Twitter, formerly known as X, one person wrote: “The acting!!! The budget! The references! the music! Jennifer put her whole soul into this, words can't describe how excited I am #thisismenow," while another person added: “The storytelling in the #ThisIsMeNow trailer is next level. @JLo is not just back; she’s reinvented herself yet again!”
A third person added: “Can’t wait for this.”
Jennifer shared the trailer herself, writing: “The story of the journey from then to now is the most personal thing I’ve ever done. The musical experience continues February 16 when This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, my new Amazon Original, is streaming on.”
The trailer also confirmed that Jennifer’s husband, Good Will Hunting star Ben Affleck, would also be starring in the movie - though he doesn’t appear in the trailer.
Speaking to Variety about her relationship with Ben, she explained: “When they say, 'You know,' you know. And other times when you didn't know… you also didn't know. I think you always go in with the best of intentions every single time that you ever leap into anything.
“I do, anyway, not just in my personal life but in my professional life too… I think, you know, he sees me as an artist, and he knows I'm going to express myself. He's always my biggest fan and my biggest supporter, as I am of his.”
Jennifer and Ben were engaged in 2002, but split up for almost two decades before rekindling their relationship in 2021. In April 2022, Jennifer confirmed that they were engaged for a second time. The pair tied the knot in Las Vegas in July, before holding a wedding celebration one month later.
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| 2024-01-17T16:21:14Z
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The Princess of Wales has been admitted to hospital after undergoing planned abdominal surgery on Tuesday 16 January, Kensington Palace confirmed.
A statement shared by the Palace read: "The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter."
Emily Nash, HELLO!'s Royal Editor, chimed in on the unexpected news on the Princess' health. "This has come as a shock at a time when most of us were expecting to see the Princess back in action with a busy schedule of engagements lined up," she said.
"It means that neither she or William will be on public duty in the next few weeks and Kate is unlikely to be back at work before Easter. Similarly, William wants to be at her side and with their children until she's settled back at home, so a lot of diary events are being postponed.
"Obviously everyone wishes her well and is hoping for a speedy recovery," Emily concluded.
The wife of Prince William was admitted to The London Clinic for the planned procedure, which is where she is believed to remain throughout her inpatient recovery. Luckily, The London Clinic is one of the most well-equipped and largest private hospitals in the country, having provided quality care from internationally renowned consultants since it was established in 1932.
The Princess will be able to enjoy many home-from-home comforts as she recovers at the hospital's lavish inpatient facility, including her own en-suite bathroom, an electronic bed, as well as a TV and radio.
Perhaps the most impressive amenity at The London Clinic is the inpatient 'Concierge service' which is described on their website as a service where "concierges can help you arrange travel and accommodation, book tours, theatre shows and restaurants."
On the list of services include booking commercial flights and private charters, as well as tickets to sporting events, luxury retail tours and hotel bookings to "make your stay easier and make the most of your time in London."
The concierge service may not be needed by the Princess, but she will no doubt enjoy the five-star culinary offering at The London Clinic. "We prepare all our dishes with fresh produce and, where possible, we buy our ingredients locally and source our fish sustainably," reads the Clinic's website, which also confirms the hospital sources produce from Smithfield meat market, Billingsgate, Home Counties farms and Cornish day boats.
Reviews from patients on Google evidence just how lavish the food can be at the hospital.
"The catering service was exceptional," reads one five-star review, as another patient said: "Post surgery I was given the best fresh ginger tea and freshly made chicken consomme which I still genuinely dream about."
"For breakfast I ordered salmon and scrambled eggs and toast and butter," added a third.
Kensington Palace confirmed that updates to Kate's health will only be shared publicly if there is "significant new information to share."
They added: "The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."
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| 2024-01-17T16:21:20Z
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As the Princess of Wales is recovering from planned abdominal surgery, her husband is understood to have postponed some upcoming official engagements to support his wife and their three children.
Prince William last conducted an official engagement last Thursday, 11 January, and is expected to limit his future public appearances as Princess Kate recuperates.
The mother-of-three was taken into hospital on Tuesday, where she underwent surgery which went well, Kensington Palace reported as they released a statement about the news on Wednesday.
The Princess' condition is understood to be non-cancerous but she will need to remain in hospital for the next few days. While a date for William's return hasn't been announced, Kate is not expected to resume public duties until after the Easter break. That will mark her first public appearance of the year, as she was last seen with her family on Christmas Day at Sandringham.
She celebrated her 42nd birthday privately on 11 January, with King Charles and Queen Camilla marking the day by sharing a beautiful behind-the-scenes image of Kate taken at their coronation last year.
Her husband returned to royal duties last week, presenting CBEs to rugby stars Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield in Leeds. As she recovers, William will no doubt support Kate and their children, Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, who have now returned to school at Lambrook following the festive break.
The couple were previously believed to be headed to Italy later this year in their first joint overseas visit at the request of the Government since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales but the trip may now be delayed.
HELLO!'s Royal Editor Emily Nash previously said they had "a very packed schedule between now and Easter," each focused on projects close to their hearts, Homewards for William and Shaping Us for Kate, but their workloads now look to be significantly rearranged.
In a statement revealing the Princess' hospitalisation, Kensington Palace said: "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
"The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."
The London Clinic previously treated Prince Philip for "abdominal investigations" in 2013 and also performed an operation on Princess Margaret.
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| 2024-01-17T16:21:26Z
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The Princess of Wales is recovering from a successful planned abdominal surgery, Kensington Palace has announced. Kate is expected to spend the next ten to 14 days at The London Clinic where she was admitted on Tuesday – so who is looking after her children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis?
Prince William is, of course, expected to be caring for the couple's three young children. Like Kate who has cancelled her upcoming engagements, it wouldn't be a surprise if William also postponed a number of appearances to be at his wife's side and to also support their kids.
He is not expected to carry out royal duties while Kate is in hospital and during her immediate recovery at home in Windsor.
William is also likely to have the support of the children's nanny, Maria Teresa Turrion Borrallo, as well as Kate's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who are very hands-on with ten-year-old George, eight-year-old Charlotte, and five-year-old Louis. The Middletons live in Bucklebury village about 40 minutes' drive away from the Wales' family home, Adelaide Cottage.
Spanish nanny Maria, who studied at the prestigious Norland College in Bath, has worked for the royals since 2014 when George was eight months old.
At the time, an insider told HELLO! that Maria had "worked for other high-profile families and it was from there that the Cambridges heard of her and hired her".
They added: "She is not married and doesn't have a boyfriend, as her life is totally dedicated to the family she is working with. She is known for being totally professional – married to the job."
Meanwhile, Carole, 68, has previously opened up about how hands-on she is as a grandmother.
"I want to run down the hills, climb the trees and go through the tunnel at the playground," she told Good Housekeeping. "As long as I am able to, that's what I'll be doing. I cook with them, I muck around dancing, we go on bike rides."
Kensington Palace announced the Princess' health news on Wednesday, saying in part in a statement: "Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter. The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share.
"The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."
HELLO!'s royal editor Emily Nash said: "This has come as a shock at a time when most of us were expecting to see the Princess back in action with a busy schedule of engagements lined up.
"It means that neither she or William will be on public duty in the next few weeks and Kate is unlikely to be back at work before Easter. Similarly, William wants to be at her side and with their children until she's settled back at home, so a lot of diary events are being postponed.
"Obviously everyone wishes her well and is hoping for a speedy recovery."
It's understood that Kate's condition is non-cancerous.
It's unlikely that there will be any international travel for the Waleses in the coming months. Previous reports had suggested that William and Kate were due to visit Italy in an official capacity this spring.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511480/kate-middleton-surgery-who-is-looking-after-george-charlotte-louis/
| 2024-01-17T16:21:32Z
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The King has sought treatment for an enlarged prostate and will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure, Buckingham Palace confirmed on Wednesday.
In statement the palace shared: "His Majesty's condition is benign and he will attend hospital next week for a corrective procedure. The King's public engagements will be postponed for a short period of recuperation."
It's understood that the King, 75, was keen to share the details of his diagnosis to encourage other men who may be experiencing symptoms to get checked in line with public health advice.
According to the NHS website: "Benign prostate enlargement (BPE) is the medical term to describe an enlarged prostate, a condition that can affect how you pee (urinate). BPE is common in men aged over 50. It's not a cancer and it's not usually a serious threat to health."
The King had a series of meetings and events planned at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire on Thursday and Friday, which are now being postponed on his doctor’s advice.
Guests, including foreign dignitaries and members of the Cabinet, were due to travel to Scotland and the Palace made the announcement to allow for them to be made aware of the situation.
Charles was last seen publicly on Sunday when he attended a church service with Queen Camilla at Crathie Kirk near the Balmoral estate.
The King and Queen have been residing at their Scottish home, Birkhall, since the start of the year following their Christmas break at Sandringham.
The news about the King's medical procedure comes just hours after Kensington Palace announced that Charles' daughter-in-law, the Princess of Wales, was recovering in hospital following planned abdominal surgery.
In a statement, the palace said: "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to hospital yesterday [Tuesday] for planned abdominal surgery.
“The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter.
“The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
“Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness’ progress when there is significant new information to share.
“The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.”
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511482/king-charles-to-undergo-treatment-enlarged-prostate/
| 2024-01-17T16:21:38Z
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Anyone that knows me knows one thing – I’m not a big fan of sequins. So it might seem at odds that about to wax lyrical about sequin skirts, but ever since I saw Alexa Chung wear one with a grey cable knit sweater a few years ago, I did a 180. For sequin skirts, I make an exception, and it seems I’m not alone; they’ve become a partywear staple, as synonymous with a shindig as an LBD. And spoiler alert: they're not just for Christmas - they'd be perfect for a Valentine's Day date or your girly Galentine's dinner.
And I’m not joking when I say for every jeans and a nice top, or LBD, there’s a sequin skirt mentioned. Sequin skirts are universally cool; they can be dressed up, toned down and are always flattering. From Loewe to Ellie Saab, they’ve made their way up and down the catwalk and the sales speak for themselves - from midi sequin skirts to micro-mini and even maxi, these sell fast so you've got to be quick if you want to add one to your fashion rota.
Best sequin skirts - at a glance
Best sequin skirt under £50: River Island Sequin Skirt - It's green, it's fitted and it's only £17 in the sale.
Best black sequin skirt:Hobbs Sequin Skirt - The fluid shape and longer length make this look far more expensive than its on sale price tag.
Best gold sequin skirt: ASOS Gold Sequin Skirt - Mini sequins give a sophisticated vibe to this column-fitted skirt.
Best pleated sequin skirt: John Lewis Sequin Skirt - A silver sequin skirt from this British high street fave.
Best designer sequin skirt:Dries Van Noten Sequin Skirt - Pooling into stunning sequins, Dries Van Noten's jersey sequin skirt is absolutely stunning.
How to style a sequin skirt for spring
A sequin midi skirt is far easier to style than you might think - just look at Holly Willoughby, Alexa Chung and a host of street style influencers who wear theirs with knits through winter and spring. The sequin skirt is the fun alternative to a traditional party dress, looking as stylish with a silky cami and heels as they do a chunky roll-knit jumper and hiking boots – wearable, affordable and statement making are just some of the reasons we love them so.
Party time? Add a sheer blouse, satin tee or clashing sequins. Brunch calls for a hoodie or cable-knit sweater with sneakers and your sequin skirt, because life's too short to save those sequins for the dancefloor.
Anything that can be dressed up or down season upon season gets pride of place in our wardrobe. Trust us, the cost per wear will be pennies because you’ll be wearing it so often. The only downside of a sequin skirt? They go out of stock, and fast.
How I chose the best sequin skirts
I've shopped the high street for the best sequin skirts in stock. Or at least they are for now. Here's how I chose them:
Price: There's no need to spend hundreds on a sequin skirt - some of the best are under £20, and they don't scrimp on quality or style either. I've found a range of prices, so there should be one to fit your budget. Many are on sale, making it a great time to buy one even if it's to store till next Christmas.
Style: You won't find any subtle embellishment in here. The sequin skirts here are as sparkly and full-on sequinned as is humanly (or high street) possible. The more sequins the better.
Length: When I first think of a sequinned skirt, I think of the classic midi length. But a sequin mini skirt works just as well so I've included a variety of lengths into this edit.
Colour: Gold and silver might seem standard sequin fodder, but it's worth considering sequinned skirts in brights, patterns and muted tones too. In this edit, you'll find a range of shades.
Shop the best sequin skirts
New Look Sequin Midi Skirt
The black sequin skirt
Shipping: £2.99 for standard delivery
Sizes: 8-16
Returns: Within 28 days
Embellished with light reflecting, black sequins, this sequin skirt has an elasticated waist plus a full lining to create a smooth silhouette.
Editor's note: "I chose this to go into spot number one because it’s absolutely beautiful. Rather than one-dimension sequins, the light-reflecting sequins makes it look far more glittery yet somehow less showy, while the length adds even more drama. And did I mention the price?!"
River Island Sequin Skirt
The green sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with a £40 spend
Sizes: 2-14
Returns: Within 28 days
Green sequins adorn this column fitted midi skirt, which hits just below the knee and has a high waist fit.
Editor's note: "This River Island sequin skirt is a steal. The green is a gorgeous shade and a little different, and has a sexy little slit for showing a bit of leg."
Phase Eight Sequin Skirt
The silver sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with £150 spend
Sizes: 8-18
Returns: Within 28 days of purchase
This is a showstopper! With a midi length and sexy slit at the back, it's a great one to keep in your arsenal for those big occasions.
Editor's note: "I love that the sequins are beyond sparkly on this midi skirt, which is cut in a straight yet relaxed pencil style. The slit adds interest, and the silver tones are spot on for parties."
Arket Sequin Skirt
The brown sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with a £125 spend
Sizes: XS - Large
Returns: Within 30 days
This sequin covered skirt has a semi-sheer finish, and is cut at a midi-length with a straight silhouette. Also has a narrow elasticated waistband and jersey lining.
Editor's note: "Brown and sequins shouldn't technically work, but it does! I love that muted tones paired with glittery embellishment. A great one for those who want a more casual sequin skirt."
Hobbs Greta Sequin Skirt
The fluted sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with a £150 spend
Sizes: 6-18
Returns: Within 30 days of purchase
Hobbs' fit and flare sequin skirt is embellished with black sequins, cut to a high waist and made from recycled polyester.
Editor's note: "This fit and flare shaped sequin skirt is ultra feminine and I adore the liquid-toned sequins that shimmer as the skirt naturally moves."
Dancing Leopard Sequin Skirt
The pink sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with a £70 spend
Sizes: 6-14
Returns: Within 14 days of receipt
Dancing Leopard's maxi sequin skirt has a slightly flared cut, zip fastening and slit at the back.
Editor's note: "I can't stop dreaming of this absolutely beautiful sequin skirt. It's the most beautiful pink shade, and the maxi length makes it even more glam than it already is."
The White Company Sequin Skirt
The bridal sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with a £50 spend
Sizes: 4-18
Returns: Within 30 days
Made from a jersey blend, The White Company's sequin skirt has a thin, flat waistband for comfort and a subtle shimmer.
Editor's note: "I'm all for an alternative bridal look and I think this The White Company skirt would look incredible on a modern bride, either for the big day or the rehearsal dinner."
Olivia Rubin Rainbow Stripe Sequin Skirt
The rainbow sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with a £50 spend
Sizes: 6-16
Returns: Up until 23 January 2024
Shaped to an A-line silhouette, this rainbow stripe skirt is 100% polyester with a mid rise waistband for comfort.
Editor's note: "This Olivia Rubin sequin stripe skirt is pricey, but I can't imagine you wouldn't whip it out every Christmas, birthday and single occasion."
Hush Mini Sequin Skirt
The mini sequin skirt
Shipping: Free delivery with a £75 spend
Sizes: 4-18
Returns: Within 14 days
Created from a stretch sequin fabric, Hush's sequin embellished mini skirt sits high on the waist, with a sexy, bodycon fit and dark, light-reflecting sequins.
Editor's note: "This is a great staple to have in your wardrobe whatever the occasion. It has a stretchy fit which I love for ultimate comfort and the chocolate brown sequins make it a little different, but neutral too."
You may also like
We want to be completely transparent – the HELLO! Loves badge indicates a paid product placement in this article, but we only recommend products that we believe in and think you would love to discover and shop.
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| 2024-01-17T16:21:44Z
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Berlin is on every cool girl's travel list this winter. Now, I'm about as far from the edgy, underground Berlin club scene as you can get, but I found myself planning a winter break in the city because of my history-mad husband's interest in all things World War Two. Once a mecca for tourists seeking out its excellent museums, the German capital has more recently synonymous with awe-inspiring architecture, trendy bars and clubs and fine dining restaurants with innovative menus.
And what better way to visit culture rich Berlin than to be immersed in the heart of it? Enter the Hotel Telegraphenamt, once the biggest postal hub in Germany. The spectacular neo-baroque building has been lovingly restored and transformed into an art deco haven, retaining its resplendent grandeur with nods to its origins as the hub of the revolutionary wartime telephone network.
The brainchild of Roland Mary, the popular restaurateur at the helm of celebrity hotspot Borchardt, the Mitte-based hotel has welcomed swathes of star guests and trendy urbanites since it opened its doors in late 2022. Its success lies in the way it seamlessly blends old and new – the spacious and welcoming lobby, for instance, is the perfect mixture of new and old Berlin with exposed brick and urban steelwork coinciding with original features.
Checking into the Telegraphenamt
With accommodation to suit every budget, the impressive building encompasses 97 unique rooms, maisonettes and suites. Our room was small but perfectly formed with beautiful 1920s touches and a sleek, modern design. There was ample space to store clothing (which came in handy as I'd accidentally packed half my wardrobe) and an adjoining bathroom with a grey granite sink, marble finishes and 360 mirrors.
Unique touches in the room included a Marshall Bluetooth speaker providing the soundtrack to pre-dinner drinks, and a fun compass sign outside your door which allows you to alert housekeeping to whether you're snoozing or out on the town.
The heavenly super king-sized bed had some of the softest linen I've had the pleasure of sleeping in – a must after a long day of pounding the pavements and exploring everything Berlin has to offer. On that subject, the Telegraphenamt's location overlooking Monbijou Park is unbeatable for a winter weekend exploring the city. Close to two different artists' markets and a short walk from Museum Island, you're never too far from the action.
Dinner at ROOT
In-house restaurant ROOT was the place to be on a Friday night. The vibe at the adjacent bar for a pre-dinner cocktail was buzzing it soon became clear the venue was a hotspot for well-dressed creative types once the resident DJ set up shop for the night.
The Telegraphenamt's Pan-Asian restaurant, which also doubles up as the breakfast room, was an impressive sight thanks to its high glass roof and indoor plants framing the intimate, velvet-lined booths. Hanging orange orb lighting completed the greenhouse effect, and I spent much of the meal observing my Instagrammable surroundings.
Sushi isn't my favourite, but I was pleasantly surprised by the varied menu, which promised to add a "German touch of efficiency" to established Asian delicacies. Steering clear of the popular sushi platters being ordered by fellow guests, I sampled teriyaki skewers, soft shell crab tempura, the freshest papaya and carrot salad, and tender Wagyu steak with chimichurri sauce.
Make sure to check out the original post office feature at the back of the room. The remains of the largest pneumatic mail tube system in Germany are still there, and it is quite spectacular.
Book a table at Borchardt
A visit to Berlin isn't complete without a trip to Borchardt, or so I'd been told. The celebrity hotspot, which has played host to everyone from German superstar Heidi Klum to US royalty Barack Obama, has become the place to go to people watch… so much so that the menu boasts an note urging guests not to photograph their glittering clientele. I didn't spot any famous faces during my visit, but I did dine on the best steak I've had in quite some time.
The bustling restaurant, whose queues of eager diners snake around the block, is styled like a traditional Bistrot and the extensive menu is filled with French classic dishes with a Deutsch twist. My steak was perfectly done, served with melt-in-your-mouth gratin dauphinoise, garlic tossed greens and a punchy pepper sauce.
The service was impeccable; despite the Saturday night rush, the waiters were attentive and friendly and even produced a complimentary glass of Sekt (a dry local fizz not unlike Cava) which was a lovely touch. As expected, the wine list was superb and a special mention must go to the dessert; a rich crème brûlée that really hit the spot. We left saying we'd be recommending it to anyone who visits Berlin and will most certainly be booking back in when we return to the city.
A walk through history
Berlin is steeped in rich history and I spent much of the weekend traipsing around after my politics-obsessed husband, ticking off items from his bucket list.
Braving the subzero temperatures, we booked a walking tour from the East to the West side stopping off at the Brandenburg Gate, the site of Hitler's bunker, and finishing up at checkpoint Charlie (where the museum is excellent).
I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing the city from the comfort of a canal boat, which enabled us to get our initial bearings. The Berliner Fernsehturm offers a panoramic view of the city, but don't bother if, like us, you're visiting on a foggy day.
The DDR museum was by far my favourite; a crowd-pleasing, interactive museum featuring installations including the iconic East German Trabant car and a life-sized model home from the 60s, offering a sense of what life was like in a divided nation. Carve out plenty of time for the Topography of Terror exhibition, too, which provided the clearest overview of the Nazis' rise to power and life in the concentration camps.
DISCOVER: I went to the Maldives on my own - here’s why the romantic destination isn’t just for couples
If you're planning to visit the Reichstag, I recommend booking a visiting slot weeks in advance as sadly, two weeks before didn't cut it. Christmas markets abound in the city if you're going in December - avoid the anxiety-inducing crush of the most popular ones and stick to the Wintermarkt Schloßplatz. Thank me later. And of course, make sure to stop off at the East Side Gallery Memorial to visit all the wall art, including the iconic Brezhnev and Honecke kiss.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/travel/511468/hotel-telegraphenamt-berlin-germany-review/
| 2024-01-17T16:21:50Z
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Unless ghosts have found a way to break the second law of thermodynamics (and have then used this knowledge mainly to spook the hell out of people in spooky old houses), every ghost story has some sort of logical explanation. Be it fakes, sleep paralysis, or just a good old-fashioned case of a hotel manager trying to drum up tourism, if you dig deep enough it can be solved without having to call upon the services of an exorcist, psychic, or Scooby-Doo.
One such case was solved by a professor and an opthalmologist over 100 years ago. Writing up the story in a medical case report, W.H. Wilmer described a haunting of a whole family, who began to see and hear strange people moving about in the night after they moved into an old, run-down house.
In 1912, the house of Mrs H and her husband G – as they named in the case report – burned down. For the winter, they were forced to look for an interim home. Finding none of good quality, they ended up taking a house that had not been occupied for the last ten years, aside from the occasional renter. Mrs H described it as being on the sunny side of the street, though oddly no warmth or sun seemed to penetrate through the windows and into that large, rambling house.
It wasn't long after they moved in that they begin to notice strange occurrences, and not long after that before everything went full The Shining.
"G. and I had not been in the house more than a couple of days when we felt very depressed," Mrs H said of the events of that winter. "The house was overpoweringly quiet. The servants walked about on thickly carpeted floors so quietly that I could not even hear them at their work."
The house was as cold as it was quiet, with the very old furnace breaking down two days into their stay. They had decided to stay in the house without the children at first, for that very reason.
"One morning I heard footsteps in the room over my head. I hurried up the stairs. To my surprise the room was empty. I passed into the next room, and then into all the rooms on that floor, and then to the floor above, to find that I was the only person in that part of the house."
When the furnace was repaired, the children arrived, and the whole family began to feel ill, and hear and see things that weren't there. Despite bed rest and iron supplements, Mrs H couldn't shake a headache that had set in two weeks after moving in. Mr H, meanwhile, was having other problems.
"It had always been G.'s habit at night before going to bed, to sit in the dining room and eat some fruit. In this house when seated at night at the table with his back to the hall, he invariably felt as if someone was behind him, watching him. He therefore turned his chair, to be able to watch what was going on in the hall."
A poltergeist will tend to ruin your enjoyment of fruit.
The children became pale, listless, and lost all interest in playing in their playroom at the top of the house. Eventually, Mrs H took them away for a few weeks, leaving him entirely alone with the ghost that liked to watch him eat bananas. He spent those weeks being woken by doors knocking and bells ringing, though when he investigated there was never anyone in sight.
One night, upon her return, Mrs H was woken by footsteps, doors slamming, and pots crashing as if something was going on downstairs.
"Soon I realized that there was no staircase behind the wall, only the thickly carpeted front stairs on which no footsteps could be heard."
All that paled in comparison to what came next, when all residents of the house began to see apparitions.
"On one occasion, in the middle of the morning, as I passed from the drawing-room into the dining-room, I was surprised to see at the further end of the dining-room, coming towards me, a strange woman, dark haired and dressed in black. As I walked steadily on into the dining-room to meet her, she disappeared, and in her place I saw a reflection of myself in the mirror."
On returning from a night at the opera, Mr and Mrs H did not have a normal one.
"That night I had vague and strange dreams, which appeared to last for hours. When the morning came, I felt too tired and ill to get up. G. told me that in the middle of the night he woke up, feeling as if someone had grabbed him by the throat and was trying to strangle him."
Mr H at first put this down to a prank being played by his wife (I guess strangulation was the 1920s equivalent of being punk'd) until he saw that she was in an unusually heavy sleep, which had only happened since she moved into the house. He had, conversely, been a heavy sleeper before moving in, but now was constantly getting up in the middle of the night to answer a door that hadn't been knocked, or a phone that hadn't been rung.
The family's nurse – who lived with them in the house – soon added to the tales, reporting that on the night that they were at the opera, one of the children had been "attacked". One of them had burst into her room shouting "don't let that big fat man touch me". The next morning, when the child awoke, he asked "why have you been sitting on top of me," and refused to accept the answer that she hadn't.
She was convinced the house was haunted, and had heard the footsteps of an old man walking slowly above her, as well as following her as she walked.
"One night I woke up and saw sitting on the foot of my bed a man and a woman. The woman was young, dark and slight, and wore a large picture hat. The man was older, smooth shaven and a little bald. I was paralyzed and could not move, when suddenly I felt a tap on my shoulder and I was able to sit up, and the man and the woman faded away."
Other members of staff reported having heard furniture being piled up against a door, only to investigate and find nothing. It didn't help calm things down when the family investigated and found that the previous occupants had had the same experiences as they had, nor when all the plants in the house died – though both gave almighty big clues as to what was going on.
A rational explanation was guessed at by Mr H's brother. He believed that everyone in the house had been poisoned, and called in a professor to assist in finding a rational explanation. Pretty soon after interviewing the occupants and conducting a search of the whole house, he found the culprit: bog-standard carbon monoxide poisoning.
"He found the furnace in a very bad condition, the combustion being imperfect, the fumes, instead of going up the chimney, were pouring gases of carbon monoxid into our rooms. He advised us not to let the children sleep in the house another night. If they did, he said we might find in the morning that some one of them would never wake again."
Years later, the theory would be confirmed by ophthalmologists looking at one of the younger children's eyes, whose vision had become distorted.
"Nothing apart from the exposure to a poisonous gas could be found bearing a causal relation to the ocular disturbance," they stated.
It's possible that other hauntings could be attributed to the same cause. Not supernatural forces, just a boiler in need of a service.
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https://www.iflscience.com/100yearold-haunted-house-mystery-solved-by-professor-and-ophthalmologist-59607
| 2024-01-17T16:28:01Z
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Once upon a time, half a million people perhaps lived on a vast archipelago that stretched out of Australia’s north coast. Unfortunately, the prehistoric homeland was eventually lost to the ocean waves due to intense sea level rise that hit the globe some 14,000 years ago.
Scientists led by Griffith University have recently been studying the ocean floor topography on the Australian northwest continental shelf to understand how this area appeared in an era before the oceans rose.
They conclude that this long-lost land could have potentially been home to a substantial population of humans, perhaps as many as 500,000 people at its peak.
The new research revealed that the region, which is now submerged by seawater, was an extensive archipelago between 71,000 to 59,000 years ago. It then transformed into a fully exposed shelf between 29,000 to 14,000 years ago, featuring an inland sea and a huge freshwater lake, encircled by high cliffs and deep gorges.
This timespan includes a pivotal moment in human history. People first set foot in Australia around 65,000 years ago after migrating southwards from Wallacea, the region of modern-day Indonesia. When they first arrived, the landmass would have included the since-submerged landscapes identified in this new study, suggesting that early human settlers roamed here.
The study notes that “Australia has traditionally lagged behind many parts of the world with respect to exploration of the archaeology of submerged continental shelves,” adding that marine archaeology has kicked off in other parts of the world, most notably around the Mediterranean.
However, archaeological evidence has shown that northernmost Australia was the host of many dynamic cultures before the last Ice Age.
Furthermore, the researchers note that the time of global sea level rise is directly linked to a significant uptick in the amount of rock art and human-made stone artifacts found in the Kimberley and Arnhem Land regions. This, they say, could imply that human populations were retreating inland away from the since-submerged area.
Based on the size of the sunken land and the number of archaeological discoveries in Northern Australia, the team speculated that the long-lost archipelago could have potentially supported human populations ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 people at various times.
"The temptation to overlook the continental shelf margins of Late Pleistocene Sahul in discussions of early peopling and expansion risks oversimplification and misunderstanding of this pivotal period in history," Kasih Norman, lead researcher from the Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution at Griffith University, said in a statement.
"Our demographic modeling showed a peak in population size at the height of the last ice age ~20,000 years ago, when the entire extent of the Northwest Shelf was dry land. This finding has now been supported by new genetic research showing very large populations for the Tiwi Islanders – located just to the east of the study region – at the height of the last glacial period," added Norman.
The discovery has been dubbed the “Aussie Atlantis”, but that might be a little misleading. Researchers are yet to find extensive long-lost settlements here, nor even the physical remains of tools, fire, or other hints that humans were once here.
Besides anything, the discovery of any submerged human settlements is regularly branded as that nation’s own “long-lost Atlantis”. There’s been "Egypt's Atlantis", “England’s Atlantis”, and “the Welsh Atlantis”. It’s a great hook to get people interested in a discovery, but not always accurate.
After all, serious archaeologists aren’t even convinced that the original Atlantis spoken about in ancient Greek texts was a real place.
The new study is published in the journal Quaternary Science Reviews.
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https://www.iflscience.com/500000-people-may-have-once-lived-on-australias-long-lost-landmass-72490
| 2024-01-17T16:28:07Z
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Men are naturally better navigators than women, right? It’s a pervasive assumption that has become deeply ingrained in Western thinking. But it may not be completely true. According to a new and comprehensive study, there is good reason to doubt that any apparent difference between the wayfinding abilities of males and females is due to natural selection. In short, if there are differences, then it has nothing to do with men having evolved to be better.
Existing research has focused on spatial cognition, where hundreds of studies, and a few meta-analyses, have accumulated results that can be summed as this: males outperform females in a statistically significant way in multiple spatial tasks and to varying degrees.
The idea is pretty popular, the authors explain. “The tendency to explain sex differences as products of natural selection is especially common in evolutionary psychology, where there is a long-standing preoccupation with cognitive sex differences.”
The standard explanation, known as the sex-specific adaptation hypothesis, explains this by comparison to other species, especially those where the males have larger home size ranges (the size of the area an animal travels in during its daily activities) than females. In these instances, it is assumed that males experience more selection for wayfinding skills than females.
To test this explanatory hypothesis, US researchers from various organizations examined the differences in wayfinding in 21 different species, including humans, and compared the sizes of their home ranges.
Some of the animals they examined included Asian small-clawed otters, brilliant-thighed poison frogs, Californian mice, chimpanzees, rats, horses, giant pandas, and various species of voles.
The results revealed very little evidence of sex differences in home range size that correlated with how well each species navigated.
"Over the past half-century, significant resources have gone into testing the sex-specific adaptation hypothesis as an explanation for sex differences in navigation abilities," the authors wrote. "In a previous meta-analysis, we found the evidence was weak, and in this paper with an expanded dataset, we again find little evidence supporting the sex-specific adaptation hypothesis."
Sex differences in behavior or performance can arise from biological or cultural factors, neither of which necessarily stem from evolution in all instances. In particular, the brain’s plasticity means it's particularly good at restructuring, a factor that is often ignored.
In particular, evolutionary psychologists consider a trait as innate if it is culturally universal, but that does not hold with spatial skills.
“Recent evidence in subsistence populations strongly suggests that sex difference in spatial navigation in humans is not a cultural universal”, the authors explain. “Rather, it disappears in cultures where males and females have similar ranging behaviour.”
“We believe that future research on human sex differences in navigation should focus on the role of socialization and culture, rather than evolutionary genetic factors.”
The paper is published in Royal Society Open Science.
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https://www.iflscience.com/are-men-naturally-better-navigators-than-women-study-disproves-old-belief-72495
| 2024-01-17T16:28:13Z
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When astronauts head to Mars, they will experience time dilation. That's to be expected. In fact, your feet and your head experience time dilation, with your head aging ever so slightly faster than your feet. But how much time dilation will they experience (relative to Earth observers)?
First off, let's check we're all on the same page. Time passes at different rates for different observers, depending on their relative speeds, and their proximity to (and strength of) nearby gravitational fields. Time dilation is the difference between time elapsed on two clocks due to these causes, as described by special relativity and general relativity.
Gravity curves spacetime. The result is that the stronger gravity is near you, and the closer you are to the mass creating it, the slower time moves (from the standpoint of an observer, or whoever has the second clock. From your perspective, time ran at the usual speed). This is how your foot is younger than your old (relatively speaking) haggard head.
The further you get away from Earth's gravity – say, by working at the top of a skyscraper – the more pronounced the time dilation effect (compared to observers on the ground). It's not a huge effect, measuring just a tiny fraction of a nanosecond a year.
For astronauts and cosmonauts living in zero-gravity environments for long stretches, the effect is more pronounced, but effectively canceled out by the speed at which spacefarers tend to travel.
"Because astronauts and satellites orbiting the Earth are slightly further away from the centre of the planet (compared to people on the ground) they actually experience less gravitational time dilation. On its own this would mean astronauts' time would run faster," astronomer Colin Stuart explained for Ted Ed. "However, this effect is quite small because Earth's gravity is quite weak and so the time dilation due to their speed wins out and astronauts really do travel a tiny amount into their futures."
When cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev became stranded in space for 803 days, 9 hours, and 39 minutes as the Soviet Union collapsed, he technically traveled 0.02 seconds into the future according to Universe Today.
Heading to Mars on a 21-month round trip, astronauts will experience small amounts of time dilation. From their point of view, time will pass normally – while compared to Earth observers, there will likely be a few nanoseconds difference. Though the speeds will be faster than any human has traveled in history, in comparison to light speed – where time dilation effects get extremely pronounced – it is peanuts.
If astronauts are to stay on Mars for extended periods of time, then the effect of gravitational time dilation gets within the realms of noticeable. According to The Illinois Physics Van, a human living exactly 80 years on Mars would die about 12 seconds earlier than if they lived exactly 80 years on Earth. But from their point of view, it wouldn't have felt like that, spacetime is just weird.
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.
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https://www.iflscience.com/astronauts-heading-to-mars-will-experience-the-effects-of-time-dilation-72481
| 2024-01-17T16:28:19Z
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“Ugh, nobody has any common sense these days!” We’ve probably all said it at one time or another, even though common sense is supposed to be this universal ability to know and understand something. A new study, however, suggests that there’s nothing universal about it at all – our sense of common sense may actually be less collective and more about personal perspective.
When a person calls something “common sense”, it generally means they think it should be viewed and understood in the same way by everyone. Researchers Mark Whiting and Duncan Watts from the University of Pennsylvania sought to determine what people believe to be common sense and to what degree this is, well, common.
The duo asked 2,046 people to rate 4,407 claims of common sense from multiple sources, including news media, political campaign emails, and popular sayings. These ranged from factual claims like “triangles have three sides” to the more abstract “perception is the only source of knowledge, what is not perceived does not exist” (#deep).
Participants were asked whether they agreed with a claim, why they answered the way they did, and how they thought most other people would answer. They also had to answer several other questions, such as whether or not they thought a claim was about physical or social reality and if it was an opinion or factual.
Overall, the team found that what’s perceived to be common sense varies considerably between people. That was less the case when it came to the facts, such as the number of sides in a triangle – although at this point, we wouldn’t be surprised to find a conspiracy theory claiming “Big Math” is lying to us about shapes.
When taking a closer look at the reasons for differences in people’s perception of common sense, it indicated that the way a person viewed a topic could have a significant impact on whether or not they felt something was common sense or not. For example, when it comes to the phrase “all people are created equal”, people who didn’t believe that were less likely to think of it as common sense.
Someone’s level of social perception was also found to play a role, but perhaps most surprising, was that demographic factors such as age, education, and gender didn’t.
“We conclude that while there may exist a body of knowledge that is truly common to everyone, it constitutes only a fraction of what any one person considers to be common sense, where the latter is highly idiosyncratic and potentially unique to them alone,” the researchers write.
As for the uses of this research – other than letting us know we should probably be a tad more considerate the next time we’re about to bemoan someone for their lack of common sense – the team believes it has potential uses in both social science research and in the improvement of artificial intelligence.
The study is published in PNAS.
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https://www.iflscience.com/common-sense-there-may-not-be-anything-common-about-it-72491
| 2024-01-17T16:28:25Z
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NASA’s Stardust mission to Comet Wild 2 has revealed its secrets very slowly. They’re finally coming together, however, and the results are showing that the outer Solar System in its early days was not the simple place previously thought. How one comet came to have dust from widely separated parts of the early Solar System remains unanswered, however.
Long before Rosetta’s Philae landed on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko or space agencies brought back samples from asteroids, NASA sent a mission to collect pieces of Comet Wild 2. After a 1974 encounter with Jupiter, this once-distant comet follows an orbit more typical of asteroids, between Mars and Jupiter. The mission is so old it launched last century (1999), returning its sample to Earth in 2006.
Back then we lacked the confidence to try and land on a comet, let alone take off again with a sample in tow. Instead, NASA took advantage of the distinguishing feature of comets: they produce tails as they approach the Sun containing gas that has boiled off their surface, and dust that has been carried with it.
The Stardust mission put a gel-covered plate shaped like a tennis racket into Comet Wild 2’s tail and brought home whatever stuck. Although preliminary analysis was published not long after the first samples were analyzed, a more detailed picture is now emerging.
"Comet Wild 2 contains things we've never seen in meteorites, like unusual carbon-iron assemblages, and the precursors to igneous spherules that make up the most common type of meteorite," study author Dr Ryan Ogliore of Washington University in St Louis said in a statement. "And all of these objects have been exquisitely preserved within Wild 2. The comet was a witness to the events that shaped the solar system into what we see today."
The reason it has taken so long to reveal this is that the samples were around a million tiny grains trapped in the aerogel. Identifying the bits of the comet was so hard that NASA had to call on thousands of volunteers who looked at microscope images of the collection plate to spot where the bits had landed.
"Nearly every Wild 2 particle is unique and has a different story to tell," Ogliore said. "It is a time-consuming process to extract and analyze these grains. But the science payoff is enormous."
Although the majority of the grains are still unstudied, many have been investigated using techniques that were not available when the mission occurred.
These reveal that, instead of being composed of dust unaltered from the supernova that seeded the early Solar System with heavier elements, the comet had a mix of sources. Along with small amounts of this interstellar dust, the samples contain traces from many parts of the cloud that became planets and asteroids after the Sun’s formation. This includes material from both sides of the gap Jupiter created in the cloud. “Comet Wild 2 does not exist on a continuum with known asteroids,” Ogliore writes in the paper.
This was a surprise, since Wild 2 probably formed beyond the orbit of Neptune, in the vast spaces where little was thought to have happened.
Once these pieces became part of Comet Wild 2, they experienced almost no further processing, being quite literally put on ice. Being only around 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide, the comet also didn’t have the sort of geological processes that would transform the grains through great pressure or reactive chemistry.
"The Stardust samples…contain a record of the deep past covering billions of miles," Ogliore said. "After 18 years of interrogating this comet, we have a much better view of the solar system’s dynamic formative years."
How typical Comet Wild 2 is remains unknown. Perhaps many comets were like this, but it’s also possible that by sheer chance the first comet we sampled was one of the most interesting.
The analysis is published in the journal Geochemistry.
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https://www.iflscience.com/eighteen-years-after-stardust-mission-the-solar-systems-wild-past-becomes-clearer-72486
| 2024-01-17T16:28:31Z
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Down in the deep ocean off the coast of Costa Rica scientists have discovered, not one, not two, not three, but four new species of deep-sea octopus in a 259-square-kilometer area (100 square miles).
These new species live in seamounts in and around hydrothermal springs that were discovered in 2023. These areas contain octopus nurseries that have been found to be active all year round. One of the new species is in the genus Muusoctopus, and will be called the Dorado octopus after the area in which it was found, a small rocky outcrop nicknamed El Dorado Hill. This species was the only one of the new four to be found brooding its eggs in warm springs on the seafloor.
“Through hard work, our team discovered new hydrothermal springs offshore Costa Rica and confirmed that they host nurseries of deep-sea octopus and unique biodiversity,” said Dr Beth Orcutt, of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, in a statement sent to IFLScience.
These observations were made by a team from Schmidt Ocean Institute onboard R/V Falkor (too). In total, over 160 deep-sea animal specimens will be archived in the Museum of Zoology at the University of Costa Rica, adding to an existing collection of specimens numbering around 150 from an expedition last June.
These collections mark the first time the specimens will be kept in the Central American country where they were collected, rather than being sent to the United States or housed somewhere in Europe. Keeping them in Costa Rica also allows scientists to access the specimens easily, helping to inform management decisions surrounding this deep-sea habitat.
“The impact of the R/V Falkor (too) expeditions on understanding the deep Pacific waters of Costa Rica will last into the future and hopefully create awareness that evolves into policies to protect the deep sea of the country,” said Dr Jorge Cortés of the University of Costa Rica. “I hope that the expedition serves as an inspiration for new generations. We need more international collaborations to advance knowledge of our deep-sea heritage.”
As well as the four octopus species, the team discovered a skate nursery, calling it the Skate Park, also off the coast of Costa Rica. Three more hydrothermal springs with different fluid temperatures and chemistries were also found in the area, 10 to 30 nautical miles from each other.
“Drs. Cortés and Orcutt formed a team that truly exemplifies international collaboration which empowers scientists within Costa Rica and enriches local knowledge and understanding of the ocean," said Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Executive Director, Dr. Jyotika Virman
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https://www.iflscience.com/four-new-deep-sea-octopus-species-and-one-skate-park-discovered-off-costa-rican-coast-72499
| 2024-01-17T16:28:37Z
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A year-long study has found what people have been complaining about on hard-to-find Reddit posts for a while now: Google is getting worse.
People have complained online that Google's search results have taken a dive in quality over the last year or so. The new study called it "a troubling sign that a noticeable number of social media users are sharing their observation that search engines are becoming less and less capable of finding genuine and useful content satisfying their information needs."
"Reportedly, a torrent of low-quality content, especially for product search, keeps drowning any kind of useful information in search results."
A particularly spammy area, focused on by researchers at several German universities, is product review queries. The team monitored 7,392 such queries over the course of a year on search engines Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. The problem mainly seems to stem from search engine optimization (SEO), i.e. content created and tailored towards ranking on search engines, rather than focusing on useful quality information.
This can take the form of pages crammed full of keywords, or else holding back key information until far down an article in order to increase read time (think of articles about how to change your phone settings that insist on telling you about what a phone is at the top). In product reviews, affiliate marketing – where marketers or influencers are paid for getting people to click on or buy a product – is also playing a role.
"Our findings suggest that all search engines have significant problems with highly optimized (affiliate) content—more than is representative for the entire web," the team explained, adding that "only a small portion of product reviews on the web uses affiliate marketing, but the majority of all search results do."
Unfortunately, it's a problem that could get worse as people utilize chatbots to churn out more and more content, trying to stay ahead of search engines' ability to downrank such content by tweaking their algorithms.
"We further observe an inverse relationship between affiliate marketing use and content complexity, and that all search engines fall victim to large-scale affiliate link spam campaigns," the team wrote. "However, we also notice that the line between benign content and spam in the form of content and link farms becomes increasingly blurry—a situation that will surely worsen in the wake of generative AI."
There are a number of explanations for the decline in search engine usefulness, including what is termed "enshittification", where companies "abuse their users to make things better for their business customers" before "finally, they abuse those business customers to claw back all the value for themselves."
Marissa Mayer, the 20th employee to join Google, who went on to serve as CEO of Yahoo, believes that the problem is down to the Internet itself becoming worse.
“I do think the quality of the Internet has taken a hit," Mayer told Freakonomics. "When I started at Google, there were about 30 million web pages, so crawling them all and indexing them all was relatively straightforward. It sounds like a lot, but it’s small. Today, I think there was one point where Google had seen more than a trillion URLs.”
Mayer added that it was natural for people to blame Google when they aren't getting the quality search results they used to, but she sees Google's results as more of a window into the web itself.
"The real question is, why is the web getting worse?"
The study has been made available online by the Webis Group.
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https://www.iflscience.com/its-not-just-you-google-really-has-gotten-worse-72487
| 2024-01-17T16:28:43Z
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The routine of taking a rapid COVID-19 test is one that’s become depressingly familiar to many of us in the years since the beginning of the pandemic. Generally, you need to wait with your fingers crossed for about 15 minutes before reading the result, but what if that timeframe could be shortened to just a minute? A new prototype test that’s being developed could do just that, and it takes inspiration from an unlikely source – bioluminescent crustaceans.
Bioluminescence, the ability to generate light, can be found throughout the natural world. From fairy lanterns, to fierce underwater hunters, to forests of foxfire, there’s no shortage of living glowsticks out there.
Generally, bioluminescence works through a reaction between an enzyme, luciferase, and its substrate, a class of proteins called luciferins. However, some luciferins are less fussy than others – they’ll react with other proteins, even ones not considered to be enzymes.
These special luciferins are known as imidazopyrazinone-type (IPT) compounds, and previous research suggested they could be put to use in medical tests that use the glow of these molecules to alert the user to the presence of a particular protein. Something like the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, perhaps.
A team led by Ryo Nishihara and Ryoji Kurita at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan began investigating IPT luciferins from different species to see if any of them had potential for use in a COVID-19 test. Only one of the 36 molecules emitted light when it reacted with the spike protein, a luciferin found in tiny crustaceans in the genus Cypridina.
Over the course of a 10-minute reaction, enough light was released to be detected using a commercial luminescence-reading device – it was not visible to the naked eye, which will come as a blow to anyone planning a COVID test-themed rave in the near future. Another key point in this IPT molecule’s favor is that it was found to be selective, only reacting to the spike protein and not to six other proteins that naturally occur in saliva.
The cherry on the cake was that the luciferin-based test was found to be as accurate at detecting the spike protein in saliva samples as a test that’s currently used in vaccine development. The only difference was that it produced this accurate result in just one minute, significantly faster than any rapid test available to the public right now.
The authors write in their study that their method “offers a novel platform to detect virus antigens simply and rapidly without genetic manipulation or antibodies.” A future COVID test could use a simple “mix and read” protocol; the IPT luciferin could simply be added to a saliva sample from a suspected COVID patient, and any light emitted could then be detected.
And it’s not just COVID. Other coronaviruses like the one responsible for MERS, as well as influenza viruses, have spike proteins, and so are potential candidates for this new testing approach.
COVID looks set to be with us for a long time to come. Access to rapid testing remains important for a variety of reasons, and anything that can make the process quicker and easier is likely to be welcomed. If the authors can build on the success of this study, the next generation of test kits might even come with a glowing surprise.
The study is published in the journal ACS Central Science.
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https://www.iflscience.com/new-covid-19-test-prototype-glows-literally-with-accurate-results-in-just-1-minute-72488
| 2024-01-17T16:28:49Z
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You may recognize Choriaster granulatus from such subreddits as r/mildlypenis, r/intentionallypenis, and r/oddlyarousing. The starfish is famous for its penis-like “arms” – but what you’re really looking at is a whole lot of head.
C. granulatus, commonly known as the granulated sea star, is found across the Indo-Pacific. It enjoys warm waters and chilling on everything from rocky, rubbly surfaces to coastal coral reefs. Granulated sea stars sometimes ride solo, but they can also be found in gangs.
They are carnivorous animals with mouths concealed beneath their doughy bodies, which have earned them the nickname "doughboy starfish" in honor of the Pillsbury Doughboy. It typically has the appearance of a classic five-armed sea star, but this can be deformed by parasitic limpets that are partial to clinging to their underside.
Its five “arms” are a great demonstration of the five-fold symmetry we see in starfish, which have no clear head or tail. If you were ever wondering where to stick a hat on one, you might gamble on the center, but in truth, these animals are basically all head.
The staggering discovery was made in a 2023 study that used a combination of imaging and genetic techniques to create a 3D atlas of starfish gene expression. This included micro-CT scanning, which illustrated the skeleton, muscles, and digestive, nervous, and water vascular systems of a starfish, combined with RNA tomography and in situ hybridization – staining genetic material with fluorescent labels – to show which genes were being expressed and where.
Their efforts revealed that the “head” of a starfish is, in fact, composed of headlike regions distributed in the center of its “body” and the center of each of its five limbs. Thus, what we think of as a starfish’s body is actually more like a head.
“It’s as if the sea star is completely missing a trunk, and is best described as just a head crawling along the seafloor,” said Laurent Formery, lead author of the new starfish study, in a statement. “It’s not at all what scientists have assumed about these animals.”
So before you go branding the granulated sea star a cluster of penises or the Pillsbury Doughboy, have a bit of respect and see it for the example of one of nature’s strangest heads that it truly is.
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https://www.iflscience.com/no-those-arent-penises-the-nsfw-starfish-is-real-72485
| 2024-01-17T16:28:55Z
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Astronomers have estimated the size and activity of a supermassive black hole discovered in one of the most distant galaxies we have ever seen. Because the speed of light is finite, looking farther into the universe is like looking farther back in time. The light from this galaxy comes from just 400 million years after the Big Bang, making this the oldest known supermassive black hole found yet.
At the time, the black hole had a mass 1.6 million times that of our Sun, about a third of Sagittarius A* which sits at the center of our galaxy, but its own galaxy, GN-z11, is a mere one-hundredth of the Milky Way.
This is another example of an overmassive black hole from the early universe, however, such a large object so early is a bit of a problem. Scenarios put forward to explain supermassive black holes include that they may have formed from a "light seed" – a truly massive star going supernova, forming a sizable black hole that then grows supermassive – or a "heavy seed" scenario which sees a supermassive black hole form directly from gas clouds, 10,000 to 100,000 times the mass of the Sun. The latter would fit better with data from this galaxy, but the black hole's activity makes it less clear-cut.
“It’s very early in the universe to see a black hole this massive, so we’ve got to consider other ways they might form,” lead author Roberto Maiolino, from Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory and Kavli Institute of Cosmology, said in a statement sent to IFLScience. “Very early galaxies were extremely gas-rich, so they would have been like a buffet for black holes.”
Recent data from JWST has pushed a preference towards the "heavy seed" scenario, but it is not clear which scenario would work best for this particular supermassive black hole, and that’s because of the incredible accretion of material it is undergoing. The balance between the gravitational pull of an object and the pressure from the radiation (light) created by said object is called the Eddington limit. Above this limit, things are broken apart, below they collapse.
Supermassive black holes don’t emit light but the material that surrounds them does. As it spins around ready to be eaten, this material experiences incredible gravitational forces. It heats up, releasing incredible energy. Supermassive black holes are extreme objects and they can overcome the Eddington limit. In the case of the supermassive black hole at the core of GN-z11, the rate of accretion (and associated light) is five times the Eddington limit.
The team is not convinced that this extreme feeding has been constant since its formation, but if it was, it would allow for the "light seed" scenario to be possible. The team hopes that the discovery of even more distant black holes might help disentangle the scenarios: do they start out large or do they grow really fast?
A paper describing the research is published in Nature.
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https://www.iflscience.com/oldest-black-hole-found-gobbling-gas-just-400-million-years-after-the-big-bang-72497
| 2024-01-17T16:29:02Z
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You have probably heard of the Fermi Paradox, but if you haven't, here it is in a nutshell: Given the high probability that alien life exists out there in the universe (bearing in mind the vastness of space and that we keep finding planets within habitable zones) why has nobody got in touch yet? If there are so many other civilizations out there, possibly at far more advanced stages than we are because of how long the universe has dragged on for, surely at least one would send out messages or probes, or do what we are doing: Desperately searching for signs of life?
Answers to the paradox range from the optimistic to the downright frightening. It could be that we simply haven't been looking long enough, nor emitting our own traceable signatures for aliens to find us yet. Or it could be that no aliens will ever make it to the point where they are able to make contact with other species, destroying themselves long before they get to the kind of tech required to do so.
On the very edge of the creepy end of the spectrum falls Dark Forest Theory, a piece of speculation on the topic outlined in Liu Cixin's sci-fi novel The Dark Forest. In conversations between a sociology professor and former astronomer and the mother of their dead friend.
The professor states that there life will strive to stay alive, and there is no way of knowing the intentions of other alien species. Some could be benevolent, some could be hostile. Even if the life out there isn't hostile, it will still be expanding in a universe with limited resource, increasing the likelihood of conflict with others who need those same resources.
Given these factors, the book suggests, all intelligent life is left with the safest course of action: to wipe out any other lifeforms before they can do the same to them.
“The universe is a dark forest. Every civilization is an armed hunter stalking through the trees like a ghost, gently pushing aside branches that block the path and trying to tread without sound. Even breathing is done with care. The hunter has to be careful, because everywhere in the forest are stealthy hunters like him. If he finds other life—another hunter, an angel or a demon, a delicate infant or a tottering old man, a fairy or a demigod—there’s only one thing he can do: open fire and eliminate them," a famous passage from the book reads.
"In this forest, hell is other people. An eternal threat that any life that exposes its own existence will be swiftly wiped out. This is the picture of cosmic civilization. It’s the explanation for the Fermi Paradox.”
This doesn't mean that we haven't heard from other species because they have all been wiped out, the book argues. If even one species out there acts like this, it makes sense for all others to keep quiet, and not advertise their existence to others.
However there is one factor that the book expands on, that though wiping out others before they can do the same to you is the most rational course of action, aliens may not do it for practical reasons. Say you send out a fleet of destroyers to another star system. By the time it gets there, your fleet will remain at the same technological level you sent it, while the people you are attacking will have advanced by centuries or even millenia.
As such, it may be beneficial to most civilizations to simply sit out there like many other forms of benevolent lifeforms, all hiding themselves in the forest in fear.
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https://www.iflscience.com/the-dark-forest-hypothesis-an-unsettling-explanation-for-why-aliens-havent-made-contact--59407
| 2024-01-17T16:29:08Z
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It’s time to meet The Hulk of the fish world. Well, sort of – one species of medaka fish (Oryzias celebensis), might not have been exposed to lethal levels of gamma radiation, but does change color when they get angry. And you won’t like them when they’re angry.
Normally, this species of medaka fish is small and white colored, found swimming about in southwest Sulawesi in Indonesia. They exhibit a high level of sexual dimorphism, meaning that the males look quite different from the females. A team of researchers, writing in a pre-print paper that has not yet undergone peer review, found that the male fish showed distinctive black markings on their fins and sides, and that the coloration of these markings could change rapidly within a period of a few seconds. Many animal species can change color, either to blend in with their surroundings or to signal that they are looking for a mate. Guppies change their eye color to black when acting aggressively around food.
To look more in-depth into what was causing the color change, researchers set up three experiments. The first was in an algae-covered tank containing one female fish and two males, the second was in an algae tank with three males, and the final one was in a non-algae tank with two males and one female.
The team found that there was a similar number of attacks by the males on each other regardless of whether the females were present in the tanks. In the transparent tank without any algae, neither attacks nor color changes were observed.
The number of attacks by males with black markings was higher than in those without black markings, or the females. This suggests that the males with black markings are more aggressive than their single-colored counterparts. Indeed, the results also showed that males with black markings were more likely to attack and be attacked by other males with black markings, and attacks from males without black markings or the females were rare.
Males that had no black markings were attacked by both females, non-colored males, and males with black markings. The females in the tanks experienced a similar level of attack as the males.
Overall, the team suggests that, given the attacks between all of the fish, the likelihood is that they are competing for resources rather than mates. They further suggest that male fish with the black body markings were the most aggressive of the three groups of fish. The reason for the black markings appearing on the male fish could be to signal dominance and fighting ability and prevent the attacks from becoming physical.
The paper is uploaded to the biology preprint server bioRxiv .
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https://www.iflscience.com/tiny-indonesian-color-changing-fish-turns-black-with-anger-when-provoked-72489
| 2024-01-17T16:29:14Z
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Salmon is a great source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various important nutrients – it also makes a great hat (if you happen to be an orca in the late 80s), but that’s neither here nor there.
When buying it in the grocery store you have two options: wild caught or from the farm. But does it really matter which you choose?
What’s the difference?
The difference between the two lies in how they’re caught or raised. As you might expect, wild salmon are caught in their natural environment, be that oceans, rivers, or lakes. They are generally one of five types of Pacific salmon: chinook (king), coho, sockeye, pink, or chum.
Unlike farmed salmon, they are not bred to be eaten and so have not been fed certain foods or additives. They also tend to be a bit more expensive, are available seasonally, and have a shorter shelf life.
Farmed salmon, meanwhile, are reared in tanks or enclosures and given a high-fat, high-protein diet to make them grow larger. They are typically Atlantic salmon, are available year-round, and account for around 75 percent of all salmon you eat, according to WebMD.
Which is better?
There are several nutritional differences between wild and farmed salmon. In general, wild salmon has fewer calories and a lower fat content. And it’s thought it often contains a higher amount of minerals, including iron and calcium.
On the other hand, farmed salmon has more omega-3 fatty acids, but also more saturated fat.
Nutrients aside, it’s also worth considering exposure to pollutants, something that both types of salmon are at risk of. Both have been found to contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs), chemicals that have been linked to type 2 diabetes and obesity, although farmed salmon may contain several times more of one type of POP, polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB).
There are also concerns that wild salmon may contain more mercury than farmed salmon, although at such low concentrations that it is not believed to be harmful when the fish is eaten in moderation.
It is still largely thought that the health benefits of eating both types of salmon outweigh these small risks. If you do want to reduce exposure to contaminants and pollutants, you can try removing the skin, registered dietitian Julia Zumpano told Cleveland Clinic.
Moreover, antibiotics are sometimes used when farming salmon, which has sparked concerns about furthering antibiotic resistance.
So, which should you choose? While there are some minor nutritional and environmental differences between the two, both are still a nutritious choice, so don’t get too bogged down in the wild vs farmed debate. The American Heart Association recommends most adults eat two servings of fatty fish, such as salmon, per week. Either wild or farmed will do.
Now the only question left is: What about 3D-printed vegan salmon? We’ll let you make your own mind up about that.
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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https://www.iflscience.com/whats-the-difference-between-farmed-vs-wild-caught-salmon-72493
| 2024-01-17T16:29:21Z
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After thousands of years of cohabiting with domesticated dogs, it’s surprising to think that we still don’t fully understand why our furry companions wag their tails. Hoping to finally crack this canine conundrum, the authors of a new opinion piece speculate that the behavior may have arisen to satisfy humans’ intrinsic sense of rhythm.
While it’s commonly believed that dogs wag their tails when they’re happy, the scientific literature doesn’t always back this up. For instance, after reviewing more than 100 studies, the authors uncovered evidence to suggest that aggressive dogs wag their tails more than docile dogs – “a result that is counterintuitive to the widely held human belief linking tail wagging to positive valence in dogs.”
Other studies included in the review found that dogs wag their tails when presented with random objects such as fans and plastic bags, “with tail wagging in these situations thought to indicate positive emotions and/or high arousal, but not fear or stress.” On other occasions, pet pooches were observed wagging when they wanted to be fed, suggesting that the behavior could also function as a request signal.
Faced with such varied and contradictory data on tail wagging, the study authors are ultimately unable to draw any definitive conclusions as to why dogs shake their booties so readily. However, they do propose two hypotheses, neither of which have been tested but both of which carry some logic.
The first of these is known as the “domestication syndrome” hypothesis, and states tail-wagging may have emerged as an unintended by-product of human selection for other traits. To back this up, the researchers point to a study carried out on silver foxes, which were bred to become increasingly tame and docile over 40 generations.
“Although tail wagging behavior was not directly selected for, tamed foxes showed dog-like tail wagging behavior and had more curled tails,” write the authors. “This could have been due to a genetic link between the selection for tameness and tail anatomy,” they continue, all of which hints at a possible accidental link between friendliness and more waggly tails in domesticated dogs.
“Alternatively, tail wagging behavior may have been one target of the domestication process, with humans (un)consciously selecting for dogs who wagged their tails more often, and potentially more rhythmically,” say the researchers. “We call this the ‘domesticated rhythmic wagging’ hypothesis.”
Though highly speculative and unproven, this theory is based on cognitive neuroscience research which indicates that human brains have a natural preference for rhythmic stimuli. “This propensity for isochronous rhythms could have driven human selection for the conspicuous rhythmic wagging of the tail in dogs, and could explain why dogs exhibit it so often in human-dog interactions,” conclude the researchers.
Acknowledging the tentative nature of their proposals, the authors conclude that neither of these hypotheses is currently supported by robust evidence. They therefore call for more detailed studies to track the movement of dogs’ tails in different situations and monitor the brain activity associated with tail wagging.
The opinion piece is published in the journal Biology Letters.
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https://www.iflscience.com/why-dogs-really-wag-their-tails-new-theory-could-help-solve-mystery-72494
| 2024-01-17T16:29:28Z
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For the milestone 75th Primetime Emmy Awards, producers of the show pulled out all the stops, reuniting a handful of former co-stars from beloved shows in the name of television history.
First off, the awards kicked off with a tearful, surprise appearance from Christina Applegate, and special reunions from the casts of Ally McBeal, Cheers, Grey's Anatomy, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and more followed.
However, one reunion some fans expected to happen but didn't was from the Friends cast – Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, and David Schwimmer – who had been previously rumored to gather in honor of their late friend and co-star Matthew Perry.
The late actor – whose seminal Chandler Bing character is one of comedy's most memorable and influential – passed away on October 28 from acute effects of ketamine, among other health complications. His former co-stars subsequently paid tribute in joint and individual statements, and were all seen attending his funeral in November.
While thousands of fans would have loved to see them get together at the Emmys in honor of Matthew, Emmys executive producer Jeannae Rouzan-Clay has since said "it's still very fresh" for the remaining cast members.
In a post-Emmys conversation with The Hollywood Reporter alongside fellow executive producer Jesse Collins, the two detailed their approach to the In Memoriam segment, considering the passing of television greats like Matthew, as well as Norman Lear, the brains behind legendary shows such as All in the Family and The Jeffersons.
Though the producers shared they did talk "early on" about the potential of a Friends reunion, they revealed they ultimately opted to not do it, and the idea was never pitched to the cast.
MORE: Minnie Driver reveals special talent of the late Matthew Perry: 'He made people feel good'
MORE: Zac Efron pays an emotional tribute to Matthew Perry as he is recognized on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Jesse explained: "I can imagine, from their side, they're mourning someone who was still very close to them," adding: "I can't speak for them, but we all have to respect that they were their own family. It was probably just a little too soon."
They then focused on how to give "special attention" to both Matthew and Norman, while making sure no one else deserving of a mention was left "slighted."
MORE: Jennifer Aniston opens up about Matthew Perry with emotional new message
In the end, they found their "perfect setup;" they started the segment with All in the Family alums Rob Reiner and Sally Struthers presenting, starting the slideshow with Norman, and after Charlie Puth alongside The War and the Treaty performed "When I See You Again," they segued into a mellow rendition of the iconic Friends theme song, "I'll Be There For You," ending the slideshow with Matthew.
While the Emmys aren't typically part of the January to March awards season slate, Monday's ceremony was honoring the Television Academy's 2023 nominees, after the awards were pushed forward from September due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which ended in November.
Some of the biggest winners of the night were Succession, The Bear, and Beef, plus stars such as Quinta Brunson, Ayo Edebiri, Kieran Culkin, Jeremy Allen White, among others.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511486/friends-emmys-reunion-matthew-perry-real-reason-it-did-not-happen/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:02Z
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Coachella 2024 is gearing up to be an epic reunion festival with No Doubt named in the new line-up.
Gwen Stefani's band will perform together for the first time in nine years at the music extravaganza in the Southern California desert.
This means Gwen, 54, will reunite with her former bandmates, Tom Dumont, Adrian Young and her ex-boyfriend, Tony Kanal, 53, who was also a member of No Doubt.
But what has happened to Tony since his split from Gwen and are the two still friends? The couple began dating when they were teenagers and stayed together for several years but when they split they used their breakup as inspiration for many of the songs.
However, it wasn't easy as Tony later explained: "We were on tour for the Tragic Kingdom for 28 months. We were going through a breakup, and in every interview, we were talking about it, so we were opening this wound on an hourly basis. It was so brutal, but I don’t know how we made it through."
That being said, Gwen and Tony remained more than amicable and maintained a friendship. She ultimately went on to marry Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale and have three children with him, before they split and she found love with her current husband Blake Shelton.
As for Tony, his personal relationships and life have remained much further out of the spotlight compared with Gwen's.
He married American home designer, Erin Lokitz, in 2014 after being in a long-term relationship with her. They fell in love in 2008 and proving the No Doubt band were still close, Gwen and Tom, attended their nuptials.
Tony and Erin became parents in 2011 when they welcomed their daughter, Coco Reese. As a bassist and co-writer, Tony continues to work in the music business and produces and writes for various artists and has had success in creating movie soundtracks too.
Tony, Tom and Adrian also formed the band Dreamcar with AFI vocalist Davey Havok.
Tony appears excited at the reunion with No Doubt and looked overjoyed when Gwen hinted at the news before it was officially announced. In a video which Tony later shared, Gwen called all of her former bandmates after texting them to say she missed them.
They then discussed doing a show together as Gwen asked: "What are we doing? Why do we not hang out?" This sent fans into overdrive as they kept their fingers crossed for tour news.
A few hours later it was confirmed that they would be headlining at Coachella this year. "We'll see you in the desert this April!!!," read a statement on the band’s social accounts.The festival will take place over the weekends of April 12-14 and 19-21.
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletterand get them delivered straight to your inbox.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511490/what-happened-to-gwen-stefani-ex-boyfriend-tony-kanal-no-double-prepare-reunion/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:08Z
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Michael Strahan made sure that his beloved mother had a day to remember as he celebrated her birthday this week.
The Good Morning America star took to Instagram to share a number of pictures from his mom Louise's special day, which saw the doting son treat her to a spa day.
The well-deserved pamper seemed to be a hit with both of them, as they were all smiles as they posed for a picture in their slippers by a heated swimming pool.
Other pictures from the post included one of Louise's jaw-dropping birthday cake.
In the caption, Michael wrote: "Happy birthday to my momma!! So much fun celebrating you! Momma got a spa day and a great meal!! Love you, Lou!!"
Fans were quick to wish Louise many happy returns, while other commented on the sweet bond the pair clearly have. Michael and Louise's mother-son trip is more than needed, following a stressful few months for their family.
Earlier this month, Michael and his teenage daughter Isabella, 19, gave an emotional joint interview on Good Morning America, as they told Robin Roberts that Isabella had been diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer, which can be viewed in the video below.
Doctors successfully removed a medulloblastoma, a malignant tumor, in her cerebellum, back in October, and during this time, Michael took a leave of absence from work to be by his daughter's side.
Following the surgery, Isabella faced a rigorous rehabilitation process that re-taught her how to walk. Now, Isabella is opening up about her journey and the next steps, which include chemotherapy in February, on a new YouTube channel.
This series not only serves as a personal chronicle but also aims to benefit Duke Children’s Hospital & Health Center in North Carolina. It is here that Isabella will begin her chemotherapy treatment.
“It’s been a long six weeks and I’m very happy to finally heal my head after all of this because the side effects and everything get to you,” she shared with her viewers.
The day marked by the ringing of the bell was a culmination of Isabella's resilience and strength. Her family, including her twin sister Sophia, was there to support her, bringing flowers and balloons to celebrate this significant achievement.
“So excited to ring that bell… Never thought I’d be ringing the bell,” Isabella said.
Sharing how proud he is of Isabella, Michael said during his interview with co-star and good friend, Robin: "I literally think that in a lot of ways, I'm the luckiest man in the world because I've got an amazing daughter," maintaining: "I know she's going through it, but I know that we're never given more than we can handle and that she is going to crush this."
Read more HELLO! US stories here
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511492/gma-michael-strahan-well-deserved-break-new-family-update/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:15Z
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The 47-year-old Australian actress can pull off any attire, whether she's rocking designer dresses, off-duty jeans and a T-shirt, or a striking swimsuit while soaking up the sun on an idyllic vacation.
While we're used to seeing her in her finest attire during awards season or at movie premieres, she will, on occasion, give her followers a glimpse inside her private life, which includes photos of her showcasing her incredible physique in swimwear.
Check out Isla Fisher's best swimwear photos below…
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Plunging swimsuit
In February 2022, Isla sparked a huge reaction with an unexpected swimsuit selfie which saw her inundated with fire emojis!
The Wolf Like Me actress teased her social media followers with a snapshot of her wearing a chic, orange one-piece with a plunging neckline and gold detailing.
Isla accessorized her look with a black cover-up which she wore open and simple hoop earrings.
She smirked for the camera and captioned the post: "Orange you glad to see me," and fans said they most definitely were, with one responding: "Yes! I'm very glad. You look happy and amazing,"
Polka dot one-piece
Isla is certainly a fan of a plunging swimsuit. In October 2021, she shared a gorgeous snapshot of herself sprawled out on a sandy beach wearing a low-cut polka dot one-piece that highlighted her toned figure and endless legs.
Her fans were quick to react to the stunning images, with one responding: "Stunning!" A second said: "Why so beautiful?" A third added: "Looking good hot stuff."
Cut-out gingham
Changing up the neckline in January 2023, the actress opted for a gingham-print one-piece with cut-outs across the chest that showed off her petite physique.
Once again, Isla was enjoying some time relaxing on a beach and added a crochet-style skirt as she laid back and soaked up the sun.
Her fans rushed to comment, with many calling her, "very beautiful," and a "beach goddess," while others added fire emojis.
Itsy-bitsy bikini
When Isla wanted to promote her series, Wolf Like Me, in November 2023, she knew the best way to get her followers' attention – sharing a photo of herself rocking a tiny white bikini.
She looked gorgeous in a throwback photo of herself modeling a plunging bikini top.
The photo was taken from a high angle and showed off Isla's décolletage as she gazed into the camera while her fiery red hair cascaded down her chest.
Captioning the intimate snapshot, the Australian actress cheekily penned: "Got your attention! Now watch Wolf Like Me @stanaustralia @peacock @amazonprime."
Green with envy
To celebrate the festive season in December 2023, Isla posed for a photo with none other than Father Christmas – but it was her green swimsuit that stole the focus.
Returning to her favored plunging neckline, the former Home and Away star wrapped her arms around Santa's waist while displaying her long legs.
With the sun shining down on her, Isla looked radiant as she beamed for the camera, accessorizing her bathing suit with a pair of black sunglasses and a green and white baseball cap to protect her auburn hair.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/celebrity-style/511489/isla-fisher-jaw-dropping-bikini-swimsuit-photos/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:21Z
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Loose Women star Denise Welch blew her fans away on Wednesday when the popular presenter shared an incredibly risque photo as she donned a costume for her upcoming performance in The Gap, a play by Jim Cartwright.
In the daring image, the 65-year-old looked gorgeous in a slinky negligee that was paired with a red-hot floral corset and a pair of see-through tights. Denise posed seductively on a stool as she looked sultrily into the camera. The star had opted to go for a bright-red lipstick, which only heightened the sauciness of the picture.
Sharing a line from her new play, the actress penned: "Corral.....'The most powerful place on the planet. It's the 4 inch gap of leg flesh betwixt stocking top and knicker edge. What is about that space that drives the male demented, that fosters such devotion and frenzy?' From 'The Gap' by Jim Cartwright. @hopemilltheatre. Feb 9th to March 9th."
Her followers were in awe at the divine photo as one commented: "Mother is mothering," and a second joked: "Haven't worn stockings since the 90's, my hubby would have heart failure if I wore these lol."
A third enthused: "DENISE GURL….. YOU LOOK STUNNING MAMA," while a fourth shared: "You look insanely hot, get it mama, show them how it's done properly," and a fifth added: "Good grief," and a series of flame emojis.
The synopsis of the play reads: "The audacious adventures of Walter and Corral. He's back up north, she's still down south. They haven't seen each other for fifty years, not since their Soho days, back in the swinging '60s. A chance phone call reunites them for one magical night and in next to no time, they're back to their old tricks."
The play runs at the Hope Mill Theatre from 9 February to 9 March and will also star Matthew Kelly, who recently starred in West End show Noises Off.
Back in August, Denise headed on holiday with her husband Lincoln Townley, and the mum-of-two looked absolutely magical in a slinky button-up shirt, that she rested her sunglasses in, alongside a pair of short shorts that showed off her sculpted legs.
The former Hollyoaks star looked absolutely radiant as she was seen laughing, and made sure to look her most glam with her choice of makeup, including a bold shade of red lipstick.
"Last day of Denise in Nice!!!" she captioned the snap. "A fab lunch @boscolonice with my Geordie mates and @lincolntownley. Great to see you @janeyspoony and @dubaicarl #hystericaljoke." She finished the message with a string of rolling on the floor laughing emojis.
Back in 2019, the mum of Matty Healy, lost two stone and she revealed that her family were her "inspiration" when it came to keeping her weight down.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with HELLO!, Denise shared: "My family inspire me to keep healthy and happy, radiating positivity impacts everyone in your life and I love looking and feeling my best."
The star added: "I think it's about time we change our mindset and start celebrating our health and happiness. We're all human and have down days but it's such a shame that young women especially, focus on their imperfections. I'm 60 and celebrate my flaws because I'm a survivor!"
WOW: Denise Welch sizzles in plunging swimsuit after 'stressful few weeks'
SEE: Loose Women's Denise Welch sparks comments with 'hot' swimsuit photo
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/celebrity-style/511494/loose-women-denise-welch-sizzles-risque-corset-see-through-tights/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:26Z
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Mark Harmon doesn't ascribe to the world of celebrity. A Hollywood heavyweight, the actor, 72, prefers to keep a low profile in California. Notoriously humble, and extremely private, the TV star has become something of an enigma, despite appearing in major blockbusters and becoming an NCIS legend.
With that in mind, we're exploring the life and career of one of Hollywood's most private actors. From his childhood in the spotlight to his sweet love story with Pam Dawber, and the incredible act of heroism that changed a teenager's life forever. Here's what you need to know about the man, the myth, the legend.
Famous family
Mark hails from the illustrious Harmon family. His mother, Elyse Knox, was an established actress, model, and fashion designer, with over 39 acting credits by the time he was born. Meanwhile, his father – Tom Harmon – was an American football player, military pilot, actor, and sports broadcaster.
Asked about his childhood, Mark told TV Insider: "My parents kept things real. I had no idea they were famous. In fact, it didn't hit me until one day when I was riding in the car with my father in Ann Arbor, Michigan—I was maybe 8 and could barely see above the dashboard—and we stopped at a crosswalk.
"Suddenly we were surrounded by people who recognized my dad and were really thrilled to see him. I remember looking at this man I thought I knew so well and thinking, 'Who are you?'"
One of three siblings, Mark grew up with two sisters, Kelly and Kristin. Following in their mother's footsteps, Kelly, worked as an actress and model, appearing in Bay City Blues, Battlestar Galactica and CHiPS.
As for Kristin, the late actress and painter was married to actor and musician Ricky Nelson for 19 years. Together, they shared four children. Kristin and Ricky eventually divorced in 1982. In April 2018, it was confirmed that Kristin had died of a heart attack at her home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Her daughter, actress Tracy Nelson, shared the news.
Early career
Mark hadn't intended to be an actor. After graduating cum laude from UCLA in 1974 with a B.A. in Communications, his sights were set on a career in advertising or law. Like something out of a movie, it was a random encounter with a total stranger that changed everything. Speaking to Men's Journal in 2018, Mark revealed that he'd taken a job as a shoe salesman when he overhead a stranger's conversation on a flight.
"When I was doing that shoe salesman job. I was coming back from Boston and I was sitting next to a 33-year-old who was talking about trying to make pension at 65," explained the A-lister. "He was drinking his second martini by the time we were wheels up. He was miserable in his job and he was trying to maintain the job for another [32] years. I went home, got in my car, drove out to the place where I worked, and gave my notice."
Shortly after, Mark's sister, Kristin, was able to get him his first acting job. At the time, Kristin was married to musician Ricky Nelson, and thanks to her in-laws, Ozzie and Harriet, Mark was able to appear in a 1973 episode of Ozzie's Girls.
Following up with guest appearances in Adam-12 (1975), Police Woman (1975) and Laverne & Shirley (1976), Mark went on to bag supporting roles in the feature films, Comes a Horseman (1978) and Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (1979).
It was in 1983, that Mark got his big break. Cast as Dr. Robert Caldwell in the series, St. Elsewhere, the aspiring actor played the role for three years. During this period, his career truly blossomed, and he was even named People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive in 1986.
Finally on the map, Mark went on to star in Summer School (1987), The Presidio (1988), Crossfire Trail (2001) and Freaky Friday (2003), among others. But, the best was yet to come…
MORE: All we know about NCIS: Origins – from Mark Harmon's comeback to all the returning characters
READ: Inside Mark Harmon's sweet bond with lookalike son Sean Harmon
NCIS stardom
Mark was cast as special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in 2003. The actor – then 52 – had already established himself in Hollywood, but little did he know how popular the show would become.
Over 18 years, Mark became an NCIS legend. Chatting to Larry King, in 2014, the actor credited the "cast and crew" with the show's enduring success. "You know I think we've worked really hard," he said. "It wasn't always as successful as it is now, and I think a lot of people are responsible for that. I think it's important on this show how people are treated, and you've got to give credit to the cast and the crew."
While Mark decided to leave NCIS in 2021, he remains a producer, and he's also planning to reprise his role in the prequel series, NCIS: Origins.
On-set feuds
Mark didn't get off to a great start with his NCIS co-star, Michael Weatherly. In 2020 – four years after he'd left the drama – Michael revealed that the two had initially clashed on set. "Mark Harmon and I were on different poles," he told The Futon Critic. "I was Antarctica, he was the North Pole and we were just looking down there going, 'What is up with your polarity? What's going on? The water goes down the drain the other way for me.'"
"He was confused by my presence right from the get-go," added Michael. "When CNN Showbiz Today or one of those things asked what was the best part about doing the pilot when we were doing the upfronts, I said, 'I got a rubber gun and I got a fake badge.'
"Harmon looked at me like, 'That is your CNN answer?' [Laughs.] And I was like a little kid who had one too many bowls of Count Chocula."
These days, Michael and Mark are on far better terms, and after becoming the lead of Bull, in 2016, Michael was "illuminated" and finally understood Mark's stance on the show. "It's been very illuminating and given me a great deal of insight and regard for what Mark Harmon was doing all those years," he said. "When I was like, 'How come he doesn't have as much fun as the rest of us?'"
During his time on NCIS, Mark had another famous feud, specifically with Pauley Perette. Following the actress' decision to depart the show in series 15, reports quickly emerged of a falling out with series lead Mark. The two stars allegedly clashed behind the scenes in 2016 after the Gibbs actor brought his dog to set, where it bit a crew member, leaving him needing 15 stitches.
"In Pauley Perrette's case, there was an incident with the show with a dog. The dog was Mark Harmon's, and apparently the dog bit someone. Pauley was a huge, huge SPCA [Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals] animal person. And then the dog kept coming with Harmon, and she felt it wasn't safe for the show," executive producer Charles Floyd Johnson revealed.
"By the end of that year, she just felt like it wasn't working for her anymore, and it was time to move on." Mark has never addressed the reports, and as of 2020, Pauley has retired from acting.
Family life with Pam Dawber
Mark fell for Mork and Mindy actress Pam Dawber in 1986. Speaking to People in November, the actor explained that a mutual friend had intended to set them up on a group date. But, preferring a more direct approach, he decided to take the reins.
"I said, 'Can I just call? Can I get a number and just cold call?' And so I did," he recalled. "I got the number, and I called, and I got an answering machine. And I started to leave a message that said, 'We don't have to all go out. We could get a cup of coffee or something.' And then she was monitoring and she picked up. We went out that night and we're together ever since."
Almost a year to the day, Mark and Pam tied the knot in 1987, and they've since welcomed two sons – Sean, 35, and Ty, 31. The duo – who live a quiet life in California – recently celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary.
An extremely private couple, while Mark rarely divulges details about his family life in interviews, he has mentioned Pam on occasion. Declaring that there's "no secret" to a happy marriage, Mark told People: "We laugh. You got to laugh, and you got to talk and communicate. That's the fun part. Do we sit and talk about it? No. Maybe you just get fortunate and find the right one. We share many things and yet we're really different."
When he's not on set, Mark has a collection of rings that he likes to wear on his wedding finger. "I wear it or a few others I have because when I'm not shooting, I like to make sure I have something on my ring finger, because I'm proud to be married, and I'm proud of who I'm married to," he shared in 2019. "I'm just so proud of her." We're not crying…
Incredible act of heroism
Much like his NCIS counterpart, Mark is fiercely courageous, and in 1996, the actor risked it all to save a teenager from a burning car. The driver, a 16-year-old boy, had managed to exit the vehicle, but his friend and passenger Colin Specht, also 16, had been unable to get out. After spotting the crash near his Brentwood home, Mark sprang into action, smashing the windows of the car with a sledgehammer, and pulling Colin to safety.
Commended by the Los Angeles Fire Department, spokesman Brian Humphrey stated: "The youths owe their lives to the action of Mr. Harmon."
Years later, an extremely grateful Colin spoke about the incident in an interview with CBS, where he said he "would not be alive" if Mark hadn't saved him. Admirably, Mark has remained incredibly humble about the entire incident, and in 2013 said: "I won't take credit for it, because if the car explodes and I'm there next to the car, then you're talking about two young boys who don't have a father," he said.
NCIS return
Two years after he waved goodbye to NCIS, Mark announced that he would be reprising his iconic role as Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Signed on to NCIS: Origins – a spin-off show set in 1991 – it was Mark's oldest son, Sean, who first coined the idea, after portraying a fledgling Gibbs in seven episodes of NCIS.
Tracing the origins (literally) of a young Gibbs, who has just been recruited as a special agent at the NCIS Camp Pendleton office, the series is slated for the 2024-25 broadcast season. Much like the winning formula of Young Sheldon, Mark will narrate the series as an older Gibbs. Meanwhile, casting for a younger version of the character has begun.
Excited to collaborate on the project, Sean will executive produce the series with his father, and said in a statement: "The character of Gibbs has been an important part of my life for 20 years, both in watching my father craft the role and previously having the honor to play young Gibbs myself.
"I always felt there was a tale worth telling about his earlier years, so I am thrilled to be stepping into a producing role alongside [NCIS writers-producers Gina Lucita Monreal, David J. North] and my dad as we tell this story and reveal a new side of this beloved character."
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511460/mark-harmon-life-and-career-ncis-stardom-pam-dawber-marriage-and-more/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:27Z
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's daughter Chicago turned six on January 15, and had a party to remember!
The little girl was treated to a Bratz themed birthday party, and even took part in a fashion show at the family event. In footage shared by her doting mom, Chicago was seen walking down a catwalk with her older cousin Dream Kardashian, seven, after being introduced to the stage.
Chicago looked adorable with her hair straightened, dressed in an all-pink outfit, complete with a faux fur gilet and bucket hat. Dream looked equally cute, dressed in a black leather jacket, skirt and sunglasses, which can be viewed in the video below.
To mark Chicago's birthday, several members of her family paid tribute to her on social media. Kim led the tributes to the birthday girl, sharing several pictures of herself and her mini-me daughter on her Instagram feed, alongside a loving message.
She wrote: "Happy 6th Birthday Chicago! I honestly didn’t know too much about what raising a Capricorn girl would be like but you make it so easy and fun and silly!!!
"I can already see the determination and ambition you have within you. You are so smart, sweet, silly and so lovable to everyone around you especially your cousins!
"It’s magical to see you all together and all the love that exists between the tribe. I love you so much Chi Chi and can’t believe you are 6 years old! I’m so so so happy to be your mommy!"
Kris Jenner, meanwhile, wrote: "Happy birthday to my angel pie Chi Chi!!!!! You are such a beautiful girl inside and out and your smile brightens everyone’s day!!!! You are the most amazing granddaughter, daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and friend and you are so kind, sweet, smart, creative, generous, loving and give the best hugs! You are such a blessing in our lives my sweet girl and I love you to the moon and back. @kimkardashian."
Uncle Rob Kardashian also posted a sweet photo on his Instagram Stories featuring Chicago and Dream wearing matching outfits while eating out at a restaurant. "Happy birthday Chi," he wrote, alongside a slew of love heart emojis.
Chicago is Kim and Kanye's youngest daughter and third child. The former couple are also parents to ten-year-old North, eight-year-old Saint, and four-year-old Psalm.
While they are the offspring of two of the most well-known celebrities of the 21st century, Kim and Kanye's children enjoy a private life for the most part of their childhoods, although occasionally appear on The Kardashians and in Instagram posts.
Read more HELLO! US stories here
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| 2024-01-17T17:05:45Z
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Madonna has put her personal life on display more so than usual over the past few months, ever since she embarked on her long-awaited The Celebration Tour.
The world arena romp has served as a "celebration" of her four-decade long career, marking its incredible impact on the world of music, particularly women in music.
The 65-year-old singer's family members have been an active part of the tour, with all six of her children taking to the stage at some point or the other alongside their iconic mom. Watch a peek below...
However, Madonna took to her Instagram Stories to highlight another special member of her family – her rarely-seen father, Silvio Anthony "Tony" Ciccone.
A photo she posted saw the singer in her stage outfit embrace her 92-year-old dad, dressed in suspenders and walking with a cane, as she sweetly wrote: "I love you dad," with a slew of blue heart emojis.
Back in June, on Father's Day, Madonna shared the most loving tribute to all fathers out there, as well as her own father, sharing a throwback photo of his as a striking youth.
She penned: "Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there!!! She's, He's, Them's and They's!! But most of all to my father – Silvio – who once told me he was gonna go until the wheels fell off!!
"S.A. M. E. Thanks for your unrelenting work ethic and love and for refusing to spoil me in any way. You taught me how to be a Survivor! Forever Grateful. But also really tired…… xxxxxxxx"
Her mother, Madonna Louise, passed away when the singer was just five years old in 1963 due to breast cancer, and on Mother's Day, the singer shared a lengthy tribute to her mom, wondering what she could've been like as a grandmother.
"I miss my mother every day," she wrote. "And have fantasized for decades of what it must be like to have a mother to: call on for help, guidance, care and wisdom.
"And yet, I rejected the idea of being a mother well into my 30s because I associated motherhood with sacrifice, suffering and ultimately death and I wanted none of that."
MORE: Madonna shares emotional at-home Christmas montage with kids — and the best ornament ever
She expanded upon how those feelings changed when she first became a mother, welcoming her daughter Lourdes Leon, now 27. "When I finally did become a mother I was astonished at how grounded I felt, but also dazed and confused as to how I would figure out the balancing act between being a good mother and an uncompromising artist."
Since then, the pop sensation has welcomed five other children – sons Rocco Ritchie, 23, and David Banda, 18, and daughters Mercy James, 17, and twins Stella and Estere, 11.
MORE: Madonna reveals Kabbalah teacher saved her life after she 'passed out' in bathroom
"To say that I am proud of my children sounds arrogant or implies ownership," Madonna continued. "Better to say that they are all shining stars and I'm happy that their souls chose me to be their mother."
She concluded: "And dear Mother…wherever you are. I hope you are happy with your grandchildren!! I often imagine you singing and dancing with us in the kitchen!"
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/healthandbeauty/mother-and-baby/511488/madonna-emotional-tribute-rarely-seen-father-while-touring-six-kids-photo/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:51Z
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Claudia Winkleman is a regular face on our screens thanks to being one half of the presenting duo on Strictly Come Dancing, alongside Tess Daly, and now as host of The Traitors, which recently returned for its second series.
But when Claudia isn't busy filming at the huge Ardross Castle in Scotland for the gameshow, or at Elstree Studios filming Strictly, she retreats to her stunning home in central London where she resides with her husband Kris Thykier and their three children.
The couple, who share children Matilda, Jake and Arthur, live in a Grade II-listed townhouse close to Westminster, where she is said to count former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie among her neighbours. The swanky London abode is said to have cost around £3 million when she bought the property pre-2010, however, it's likely to have risen significantly in the years gone by.
The central London location is clearly a hit with the mum-of-three, who once told the Evening Standard: "I can leave my house at 4am and buy a kebab, rent a movie and get some shampoo. I love my shower, my bread bin and our tortoise, Yoshi."
Claudia and her family tend to keep themselves away from the spotlight, but The Traitors host has shared the occasional glimpse into her super chic home, giving us an idea of the interiors and design of the beautiful house.
Inside Claudia Winkleman's swanky townhouse…
Library
Those who follow Claudia closely will know that she has posted a few videos to her Instagram to discuss various topics, such as beauty products she is using or promoting, and she tends to film in one of the rooms in her house which features a huge bookcase.
The high ceilings and tall bookcased emphasize the size and scale of the rooms at Claudia and Kris' home, even if we can't see the room in its entirety.
The room also features a desk in front of the bookshelves, perfect for home-working or filming videos for social media.
Don't miss
Dining area
The family of five clearly adore celebrating big milestones in their home and to mark her son Jake's fourteenth birthday back in 2017, she showed off one room – perhaps a dining room – which featured huge balloons spelling out her eldest child's name.
The room is super chic thanks to its on-trend wood-panelled walls in a neutral tone.
Claudia opted for two large prints on the wall, too, adding a splash of colour and dimension.
Bathroom
Claudia gave fans a peek inside her pristine bathroom while filming an interview with makeup artist Sali Hughes in the summer of 2017.
Speaking while sitting in her white bathtub, the interview offered a look at her marble-panelled walls and flooring, with black-and-white framed family photos hanging behind her.
The bathroom also has a sleek white vanity unit, while the shower appears to be in a separate wet room with white subway tiles on the walls.
Claudia posted this photo of a cuddly toy in her hallway but our eyes were immediately drawn to the gorgeous beige carpet runner heading up the stairs.
No doubt this complements the neutral tones throughout the house entirely.
Outside area
This photo shows a small glimpse out the front window of their home – offering a view of the super-posh road they live on.
Looking closely, you can spot the shrubbery that features just outside their front door, as well as the black iron gates, typical for that style of home in central London.
You can also see the multi-storey houses across the road, giving an idea of the scale of their huge home.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/homes/511479/claudia-winklemans-swanky-london-townhouse-with-rarely-pictured-husband-and-three-children/
| 2024-01-17T17:05:57Z
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The news that the Princess of Wales had been taken into hospital for abdominal surgery came as a surprise to royal watchers on Wednesday. However, in retrospect, there were some hints that Kate might not return to royal duties as early as anticipated, with the Princess not having been seen in public since Christmas at Sandringham.
It's not unusual for the Prince and Princess of Wales to lay low at the start of the year while their children are still on holiday from Lambrook School. However, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis all returned to class last week.
William enjoyed a public appearance in Leeds, presenting CBEs to rugby stars Rob Burrow and Kevin Sinfield at Headingley Stadium, Kate had not yet announced her return to royal duties – and is now not expected to return to work until after Easter.
In addition, while the family traditionally celebrates the Princess' birthday privately, she will typically issue a personal message on social media to thank fans and family for their good wishes but did not do so this year.
The King and Queen kindly marked the day with a heartfelt message on Instagram as they shared an unseen image of the beloved royal at their coronation last year. "Wishing The Princess of Wales a very happy birthday today!" read the caption.
Kate also did not attend a meeting for The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood earlier this month, with photos from the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood at Kensington Palace on 15 January notable for her absence, as you can see below.
HELLO!'s royal editor Emmy Nash comments: "This has come as a shock at a time when most of us were expecting to see the Princess back in action with a busy schedule of engagements lined up."
As she recovers, William will no doubt support Kate and their children, Prince George, ten, Princess Charlotte, eight, and Prince Louis, five, having significantly rearranged his diary in light of his wife's hospitalisation.
The couple were previously believed to be headed to Italy later this year in their first joint overseas visit at the request of the Government since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales but the trip may now be delayed.
Kensington Place announced the news of Kate's successful surgery on Wednesday, the day after it occurred. Their official statement read: "Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales was admitted to The London Clinic yesterday for planned abdominal surgery. The surgery was successful and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for ten to fourteen days, before returning home to continue her recovery.
READ: King Charles to be treated in hospital for enlarged prostate
"Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter. The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private.
"Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share. The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible."
The London Clinic previously treated Prince Philip for "abdominal investigations" and also performed an operation on Princess Margaret. The Princess' condition is understood to be non-cancerous but she will need to remain in hospital for the next few days before recovering at home.
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/511475/the-telling-signs-that-kate-middleton-was-delaying-her-return-to-royal-duties/
| 2024-01-17T17:06:03Z
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An animation of an asteroid's close approach to Earth has attracted a lot of views over the last few days, largely because of just how close it appears.
The animation, shared by Facebook page Cosmoknowledge on Sunday, shows asteroid 99942 Apophis's path, culminating in its closest approach on April 13, 2029. To be clear, there is nothing to fear from this asteroid, which is predicted by NASA not to hit Earth in 2029, nor in another close approach in 2036. However, the animation is still what is known as a nailbiter.
In April 2029, Apophis is predicted by NASA to come within 32,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) of the Earth's surface. Closer than some satellites, it should be visible from the Eastern Hemisphere without the aid of a telescope or binoculars.
It may sound close (in terms of space that is, not in terms of a jaunt) but astronomers are not concerned. In 2021, Apophis made a flyby of Earth, at which point astronomers made powerful radar observations in order to better define its orbit. Before that, NASA believed that it had a chance of impact later in the century, but the observations ruled that out.
“A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore," Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies said of the asteroid, "and our calculations don’t show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years."
Other animations, a little closer and from a different angle, are more reassuring. NASA's Eyes On Asteroids website also provides more detailed views of this and other asteroids, for anyone who has a bit of free time and fancies feeling at the mercy of random space rocks.
NASA is going to use the 2029 flyby to take a better look at the asteroid, named for the Egyptian serpent deity that wanted to devour the Sun, using the spacecraft that returned samples from asteroid Bennu. A little science cherry on top of the main treat? That we aren't going to be hit by a big rock from space.
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https://www.iflscience.com/99942-apophis-animation-shows-asteroids-nail-biting-close-approach-to-earth-in-2029-72492
| 2024-01-17T17:20:03Z
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It’s almost four years since COVID-19 was officially declared a pandemic. Although the state of emergency has now passed, and vaccines and treatment advances have helped turn the tide, the virus is very much still out there. The latest variant, JN.1, has brought with it some unexpected new symptoms – but how worried should we be?
JN.1 is a descendent of the “Pirola” variant, BA.2.86, that began to spread in late Summer 2023. In fact, it was only a single change in the virus’s spike protein that gave rise to JN.1. It’s now the dominant variant in the UK, responsible for around 60 percent of new COVID cases, as well as in the US according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.
The fact that JN.1 has become so dominant has been taken as evidence that it is either more transmissible than previous variants, or better at evading the immune system. The latest UK figures at the time of writing, for the seven days up to and including January 3, 2024, show cases are up by 8.6 percent.
At first glance, a variant that gets around the immune protection conferred by vaccines or prior infections sounds like bad news, but the number of people catching COVID is only part of the story. It’s also important to look at how sick they’re getting.
There, at least, there may be some cause for cautious optimism. Paul Hunter, a professor at the University of East Anglia, took a look at the figures and told New Scientist that this wave of the pandemic is resulting in far fewer serious illness cases than before.
“On average, someone catching COVID-19 in this wave is less likely to be admitted to hospital,” Hunter said. “I think immunity is probably playing a big role, but it may be that the latest variant is also less virulent.”
That’s not to say that the number of people being hospitalized with the virus is no longer an issue at all. In the US, admissions to hospital for COVID-19 saw increases for nine consecutive weeks up to the first week of January, predominantly in the 65 and over age group.
As we’ve learned, hospitalization is not the only factor that should be taken seriously with COVID-19. Even mild infections carry with them the risk of long-lasting symptoms that can be very debilitating.
So, should we be worried?
While the numbers of deaths from COVID-19 no longer make as disturbing a reading as they did at the height of the pandemic, the virus still has the potential to put enormous pressure on healthcare systems – which in the Northern Hemisphere are already trying to cope with the usual winter illnesses like flu and respiratory syncytial virus. On an individual level, people are still dying or developing life-altering complications.
At a recent briefing, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, encouraged world leaders not to take their foot off the gas when it comes to COVID-19 surveillance.
Vaccination, for those able to access it, remains key when it comes to protecting yourself. A study published just this week in The Lancet concluded that over 7,000 hospitalizations and deaths in the UK during the summer of 2022 could have been avoided with better vaccine coverage.
Ever-controversial mask mandates are also making a comeback in some quarters, and we can all do our part to try and limit the spread by doing our best to keep our distance from others when we're sick.
While for many people, infection with JN.1 is likely to be mild and self-limiting, if the last four years have taught us one thing, it’s that you can never completely write off COVID-19 as a potential threat. So far, the data do not seem to suggest that we need to be especially worried about this variant. However, they do underline the importance of continuing to keep a close watch on this disease – it could still surprise us.
All “explainer” articles are confirmed by fact checkers to be correct at time of publishing. Text, images, and links may be edited, removed, or added to at a later date to keep information current.
The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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https://www.iflscience.com/how-worried-should-we-be-about-the-new-covid-19-variant-jn1-72496
| 2024-01-17T17:20:09Z
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Somebody on the Internet has asked a question that comes up from time to time: "How did the human race survive for thousands of years without vaccines?"
Well, the answer, as has been explained to the poster in X's (formerly known as Twitter) community note feature, is that the human race did survive without vaccines (hence you reading this), but millions upon millions of people died from diseases that could have been prevented by vaccines.
The question has a small whiff of survivor bias to it. If you haven't encountered survivor bias, think of a person (probably on Facebook) who tells you: "My gran smoked every day of her life and she made it to 95". Or Uncle Billy, who says, "I used to pound 35 cans of Budweiser before every commute, and not once did I die".
These are all examples of "survivor bias", which goes like this: these activities look less dangerous than they are because you are in the group of survivors. There's a reason you don't hear from people with similar stories, such as "I used to pound 35 cans of Budweiser before driving and died instantly, day one" from Uncle Billy (God rest his soul), and it's because Uncle Billy is dead.
Though overall the human species has survived every disease thus far, that doesn't mean that diseases of the past (ones named things like "the Black Death") were harmless. You are just the latest in a long line of people who have procreated without being killed by said diseases.
In the case of the plague, 30 to 50 percent of the entire population of Europe was killed, sometimes to be catapulted at their enemies. The disease resurged in pockets for centuries after the initial epidemics of the 1300s. We can now treat the plague, which occasionally spreads to humans from animal sources, with antibiotics, but vaccines are also available.
Another example of a disease that we "survived" before vaccines is smallpox. Smallpox, to put it lightly, was extremely deadly, with about 30 percent of people infected with the variola virus succumbing to the disease. With no vaccines to fight it, and no other tools against it other than deliberately infecting people with pus from pustules, the disease was a constant threat to life.
That is until the world's first vaccine was developed by Edward Jenner in 1796, after he heard rumors that milkmaids were immune to smallpox following previous infections with cowpox. Thanks to a successful global vaccination program, the World Health Organization (WHO) was able to declare it eradicated in 1979.
Another disease we survived without vaccines, by dying in huge numbers until a vaccine was developed.
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| 2024-01-17T17:20:15Z
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AL KHOR, Qatar - Defending champions Qatar became the first team to advance to the knockout stages of the Asian Cup with a 1-0 win over Tajikistan on Wednesday after Akrim Afif scored to seal top spot for the hosts in Group A with a game to spare.
Tajikistan dominated the opening stages but it was Qatar who took the lead in the 17th minute when Almoez Ali won a scrappy battle in midfield to regain possession and released Afif, who chipped the onrushing goalkeeper to find the net.
Tajikistan went down to 10 men in the 81st minute when Amadoni Kamolov was sent off for kicking Ahmed Al Ganehi in the chin as he fell over while challenging for the ball, with the referee producing a straight red card after a VAR review.
Asian Cup debutants Tajikistan had their moments but they lacked either the final pass or the final touch in the box to test the Qatar keeper, as the central Asian side extended their wait for a first goal in the tournament. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/afif-shines-again-as-qatar-beat-tajikistan-to-move-into-asian-cup-knockouts
| 2024-01-17T17:24:07Z
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ABIDJAN - Ghana coach Chris Hughton said he was thankful for messages of support received after an angry supporter tried to attack him at the Africa Cup of Nations over the weekend but preferred not to dwell on the incident on Wednesday.
Hughton was accosted at the team hotel as Ghana returned from their upset 2-1 defeat by the Cape Verde Islands in their opening game of the tournament on Sunday but the angry fan was intercepted by security officials.
The 65-year-old Hughton was also subjected to a volley of a verbal abuse after the loss came from a stoppage time goal by Cape Verde, the smallest of the 24 teams at the tournament in the Ivory Coast.
"I very much appreciate the levels of support that I have had but in this press conference we are looking forward very much to the next game," Hughton told reporters.
Of the incident he added: "It's something that is very much in the past, it's had a lot of media coverage so I thank everybody for messages of support but I think today is a day to look forward to a very competitive game that we have tomorrow."
Ghana are up against Egypt in their second Group B match in Abidjan, needing a positive result on Thursday to keep alive their chances of advancing to the next stage.
The Ghana Football Association said it was backing Hughton despite the shock loss, which followed a similarly embarrassing defeat by the small Comoros Islands in a World Cup qualifier in November.
Former Ireland international Hughton, whose father hailed from Ghana, has been coach of the team since March, having helped them at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar as a technical advisor. His record is four wins from 11 games. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/hughton-thankful-for-support-after-attack-from-fan
| 2024-01-17T17:24:08Z
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ABIDJAN - Goalkeeper Andre Onana is likely to be included in Cameroon’s line-up for Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations group game against holders Senegal after returning to training with the team on Wednesday.
Onana missed Cameroon’s opening match of the tournament in the Ivory Coast on Monday after he was allowed to stay at Manchester United and play in their 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
He flew by charter plane overnight to the Ivory Coast after the clash at Old Trafford but only arrived hours before kick off of the Group C clash against Guinea, in which Cameroon came from behind to force a 1-1 draw.
The decision to allow the 27-year-old to forgo the opening match of the tournament caused controversy among Cameroon supporters.
In an interview after his arrival in the Ivory Coast, Onana told reporters of the difficult tug of loyalty between club and country, especially for African internationals forced to leave their European clubs mid-season to compete at the Cup of Nations.
“It's like choosing between my father and my mother, but my country comes first, that's why I'm here,” he said
“Let people continue to criticise me. I'm used to it. I do what is good for my country,” Onana added.
Onana has a chequered history with Cameroon after breaking through into the team while still a teenager at Ajax Amsterdam.
He turned down a call-up to the 2017 Cup of Nations finals, which Cameroon went onto win, and at the last World Cup in Qatar was sent home after one match following a row with coach Rigobert Song, which has since been patched up.
But he did compete at the last edition of the Cup of Nations two years ago, just months after returning from a lengthy doping ban. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/onana-back-training-with-cameroon-and-likely-to-play
| 2024-01-17T17:24:10Z
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SINGAPORE – The regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) will come in a spectrum, with deepfakes placed at the extreme end, likely needing the heavy hand of the law to rein them in, Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo said on Jan 17.
Deepfakes, which involve AI tools being used to fraudulently create images in the likeness of others, are “an assault on the infrastructure of fact” and pose an issue to all societies, she said during a panel discussion at the World Economic Forum (WEF), which is being held in Davos, Switzerland, between Jan 15 and 19.
Mrs Teo spoke in the session titled 360° on AI Regulations alongside European Commission vice-president for values and transparency Vera Jourova, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy director Arati Prabhakar, and Microsoft vice-chair and president Brad Smith.
Mrs Teo said a risk-based approach could be taken to regulate the AI industry without hampering innovation, with laws for extreme matters like deepfakes, and “lighter” frameworks and guidelines that can apply to innovation on the other end of the spectrum.
“There is a real sense that (deepfakes are) an issue that all societies, regardless of political model, will have to deal with. And what is the right way of dealing with deepfakes?”
She added: “I cannot see an outcome where there isn’t a law in place. Exactly in what shape or form it will take, we will have to see.”
Ms Jourova, who sits on the European Commission, said concerns about AI-driven disinformation have prompted European regulators to mandate that AI-made content be labelled.
The European Union’s AI Act passed in December will eventually require all AI-generated content to be watermarked.
She added: “For me, it is a nightmare (if) voters are manipulated in a hidden way by means of AI and a combination of targeted disinformation. It would be the end of democratic elections.”
Singapore’s Model AI Governance Framework for Generative AI, announced on Jan 16, identifies nine key dimensions of AI governance, like accountability and security, expanding on the existing framework from 2019 that covers only traditional AI amid rapid AI development.
Content provenance is a key way to address the misuse of AI, the framework stated, referring to technical solutions that clearly show the source of AI-generated content like digital watermarking and the ability to trace the source of such content.
This comes as a spate of deepfakes that have hit Singapore, including videos of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, whose likenesses were used in scam videos to promote investment products.
The authorities also announced on Jan 10 that $20 million has been earmarked for a new research initiative to tackle the rising scourge of deepfakes and misinformation.
Global standards needed
Asked about how easy it will be for Singapore to navigate differing AI standards globally, Mrs Teo said that views on the use of AI and the risks are split.
But this is a “divergent phase” and views will likely converge as AI’s uses and risks become clearer, she added.
“We can’t have rules that we made for AI developers deployed in Singapore only, because they do cross borders... These have to be international rules.”
Mr Smith of Microsoft said many of the regulations around the world have shaped up around similar concerns. These build on existing fundamental laws in data privacy, competition and consumer protection that already apply to AI, even though they may not have been written for the technology.
Asked about China’s role in influencing global AI, Ms Jourova said there were similarities in views between Europe and China on how AI should be used, but they differ in the use of AI for surveillance.
“The main issue was how far to let the states go in using AI, especially in law enforcement, because we want to keep this philosophy of protecting the individual and balancing it with national security measures,” she said. “So here, we cannot have common language with China.”
Mrs Teo said China has been open regarding its use of AI and has published its expectations for businesses. “If you go to China and you talk to its AI developers, there is no misunderstanding on their part about the expectations that their government has on them.
“If your AI models are primarily going to be used within the enterprise sector, there is a light touch (in regulation). But if it is going to reach consumers in society, there are a whole host of requirements that will be made.”
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https://www.straitstimes.com/tech/law-needed-to-rein-in-deepfakes-says-josephine-teo-at-wef-panel
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SARAJEVO - Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik took to the stand on Wednesday in a trial in which he is accused of defying the rulings of an international peace envoy, calling the proceedings a "political process" and attacking prosecutors.
In an unexpected move towards the end of the day's hearings, following which the trial was adjourned for a fourth time, Dodik stood to say that his acts have been in line with the Serb Republic's constitution and the Dayton peace accords, of which Bosnia's constitution is part.
"This is a political process," Dodik said. "This court must not allow the political process to go on," he said, adding that the prosecutors were "good-for-nothing lawyers". It was the first time he has spoken in court.
Dodik, who is the president of Bosnia´s autonomous Serb Republic, was indicted along with another Serb official in August by state prosecutors after signing laws that suspended rulings by the constitutional court and by the peace envoy, even though the envoy had revoked the legislation.
The start of the trial has already been delayed three times in the past two months over procedural issues brought by Dodik's legal team.
On Wednesday, his lawyers requested the trial be adjourned because another defendant, Milan Lukic, did not show up in court for health reasons.
Judge Mirsad Strika refused that demand, saying that he suspected it was another reason for a delay, and decided to separate the two defendants' cases.
Dodik's lawyer Goran Bubic then requested that Strika and seven other judges be removed from the case over alleged bias towards Dodik and lodged a new request for the trial to be moved to a court in the Serb Republic´s main city of Banja Luka.
An earlier demand to move the case was rejected by the court's appeal chamber, which must now rule on the latest requests before the trial can continue.
Strika adjourned the proceeding until Jan. 30. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/bosnian-serb-leader-calls-trial-political-proceedings-adjourned-again
| 2024-01-17T17:24:12Z
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NEAR BAKHMUT, Ukraine - Ukrainian artillery forces fighting near the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut say Russian troops are constantly making offensive assaults as fighting intensifies and Kyiv waits for more military aid from the West.
Ukrainian forces have taken up a more defensive stance in many areas of the snow-bound front after a counteroffensive in 2023 was unable to break through heavily-defended Russian lines in the occupied south and east.
"Now because of the weather, we switched to defensive actions. The enemy constantly tries to conduct offensive actions," said Mykhailo, a fighter for Ukraine's 92nd separate assault brigade.
The Ukrainian General Staff's daily readout on the war with Russia reported 98 combat clashes in the last 24 hours on Jan 17, double the figure given at the end of last week.
Ukrainian forces, it said, were holding the line and inflicting significant losses, repelling attacks on the fronts near the towns of Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and several other smaller eastern settlements.
Mykhailo's unit, which was firing off rounds from a self-propelled howitzer on Jan 16, was focused on counterbattery fire at Russian artillery, mortars, anti-tank cannon, tanks as well as infantry being moved for rotation, the soldiers said.
"Foreign weapons were not designed to work under such weather conditions," Mykhailo said, adding that vehicles were getting stuck in swamps.
"We saw the howitzer skidding while trying to drive out of the positions, it skidded on the ice," he said.
Another of the unit's soldiers, Pavlo, said Ukrainian troops would not be able to move forward unless they received more ammunition and more manpower.
Political wrangling in the United States and European Union has held up two major packages of military and financial support for weeks, although Kyiv has said it hopes the assistance will eventually materialise.
"In order to advance, to move the front line, we need ammunition, we need more man power, we need weapons.
"If the enemy understands that we have zero resources, it can easily put pressure on us. If other countries help us and provide us with ammunition, manpower and weapons, we will be successful.
He said their unit had a shortage of ammunition and that it had been a "while" since they had fired as many as 20 shells in a day. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/fighting-intensifies-in-ukraines-east-as-russia-steps-up-offensive-action
| 2024-01-17T17:24:29Z
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DAVOS, Switzerland - Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Jan 17 said his country’s priority for 2024 is to gain control over its skies as Russia’s full-scale assault enters its third year.
His comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos came just hours after Russian drone and missile attacks overnight wounded at least 20 people across Ukraine and shelling killed two civilians.
The barrage left massive craters in the southern city of Odesa where AFP journalists saw residential buildings charred in the wake of the assault.
Rescue workers hauled out vulnerable residents on stretchers from housing blocks that had had their windows blown out in the Black Sea city, footage from emergency services showed.
“In 2024, of course the priority is to throw Russia from the skies,” Mr Kuleba said, in an address to the World Economic Forum in Davos. “Because the one who controls the skies will define when and how the war will end,” he added.
Kyiv has long pressured the West to deliver advanced fighter jets to support its troops entrenched in the south and east of the country.
Responding to those calls, President Emmanuel Macron announced this week that France would deliver a new batch of around 40 Scalp long-range cruise missiles, as well as hundreds of bombs, as Kyiv fights the Russian invasion.
But even that pledge is limited compared to the range of munitions that Russian forces have recently been raining down across Ukraine.
Beating Russia ‘takes time’
Officials in Kyiv have seen a steep rise in civilian casualties since December, as Moscow intensifies air attacks, reversing a downward trend seen earlier in 2023, the United Nations has warned.
On Jan 17, officials in the southern region of Kherson said one person had been killed and another injured by Russian shelling.
And in the northeastern Kharkiv region, Governor Oleg Synegubov said a woman was killed in Russian shelling on a village near the border.
A boy, aged 10, had to have a limb amputated and a 14-year-old girl received shrapnel wounds in the attack, he added.
Kyiv also said it destroyed all by one of 20 Iranian-designed drones Russia launched at southern Ukraine in an attempted overnight attack.
Mr Kuleba called for patience among Ukraine’s key Western backers after last year’s long-awaited counter-offensive in 2023 failed to punch through Russian positions.
“We are fighting a powerful enemy, a very big enemy that doesn’t sleep,” said Mr Kuleba. “It takes time.
“We defeated them on the land in 2022. We defeated them in the sea in 2023 and we are completely focused on defeating them in the air in 2024,” he told a discussion panel at the forum in Switzerland.
‘Difficult’ moment on Russian border
His comments echo remarks by President Volodymyr Zelensky, who on Jan 16 said that Ukraine “must gain air superiority” to enable “progress on the ground”.
Various Nato countries are currently training Ukrainian pilots on American-made F-16 fighter jets.
Denmark said earlier in January it would transfer 19 F-16s in the second quarter of this year.
Washington had previously resisted allowing the jet transfers for fear of being deemed by Moscow a direct belligerent in the Ukraine war.
Russia, meanwhile, on Jan 17 announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to New York next week for a meeting of the United Nations’ Security Council on the Middle East.
Russia has also been weathering increased numbers of Ukrainian strikes, particularly in border regions where officials and residents are bolstering defences.
“The situation is, of course, difficult at the moment,” a member of a volunteer defence group, Mr Oleg Gerasimov, told AFP, in the border city of Belgorod.
“But we are hoping, believing, that the threat to our city and the whole country will end in the very near future,” he added.
Late in 2023, more than two dozen people were killed in a series of strikes on the city – the deadliest attack on Russian soil so far. AFP
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| 2024-01-17T17:24:39Z
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DAVOS, Switzerland - Poland's new government is looking into how it can make more ammunition and military equipment as it works on a new aid package for Ukraine, Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said in Davos on Jan 17.
Warsaw has been a close ally of Kyiv during Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but relations were dealt a blow last year by a dispute over grain imports and a blockade of some border crossings by Polish truckers demanding that the European Union reinstate a permit system for Ukrainian hauliers.
Mr Sikorski signalled his intention to put ties back on a stronger footing by visiting Ukraine in December, shortly after his appointment to the new Western-looking government, and the new government has announced a new aid package for Kyiv.
"We are looking at all issues to do with Ukraine with fresh eyes," Mr Sikorski told Reuters, in an interview at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.
"We're examining what options we have of making more ammunition and equipment and also what we still have in our stores."
Though Warsaw has provided Kyiv with military and financial aid since Russia's invasion, the previous government under the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party said in 2023 it was carrying out only previously agreed arms deliveries to Ukraine.
Mr Sikorski's remarks indicated Warsaw is looking into ways to produce more ammunition and military hardware to be able to send more military aid to Kyiv.
"What we think and communicate to our allies is that the cost of deterring Mr Putin after he'd conquered Ukraine would be much bigger than the cost of supplying Ukraine to effectively defend itself against his act of aggression," he said.
Truckers deal
Mr Sikorski welcomed a deal reached this week under which Polish truckers agreed to suspend their protests calling for the EU to reinstate a system which it waived after Russia's invasion but which Polish hauliers said created unfair competition.
Mr Sikorski acknowledged that Ukraine and Poland, which is a member of both the EU and Nato, must keep working on resolving challenges.
"Poland shouldn't be the country that bears the brunt of most of the cost of solidarity with Ukraine on behalf of all of the European Union... the cost is inevitable, we accept it, but it should be born more fairly," he said.
He endorsed a US plan to confiscate up to US$300 billion (S$400 billion) in frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine, saying: "It's the aggressor who should pay for the damage to Ukraine."
Mr Sikorski said Poland was "back from a faraway trip into populism" after eight years of PiS in power.
"I hope we inspire democrats around the world that you can win against populist politics. We now need to bring back rule of law, respect for the constitution, respect for the rights of citizens," he said.
PiS were accused of democratic backsliding during their time in office, but the party says its policies sought to remove the residue of communist rule, protect Poland's sovereignty and raise living standards. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/ukraines-ally-poland-looking-into-how-to-make-more-ammunition-foreign-minister
| 2024-01-17T17:24:49Z
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DOHA - A criminal court in Qatar has sentenced the Gulf Arab state's former finance minister to 20 years in prison for laundering more than $5.6 billion, according to a document outlining the judgment seen by Reuters.
The court of first instance also ordered Ali Sherif al-Emadi to pay a fine in excess of 61 billion Qatari riyals ($16.7 billion), consisting of 40.9 billion riyals -- or twice the amount of money he laundered -- plus additional fines amounting to more than 21 billion riyals, the document shows.
Judges also found Sheikh Nawaf bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, a high-ranking member of Qatar's ruling family and a brother of Qatar's former prime minister, guilty of misuse of public funds, sentencing him to six years in prison and fined him 825 million riyals, the same document shows.
Emadi and Sheikh Nawaf, who faced trial along with 14 others, can appeal against the conviction, which the court issued on Jan. 10. It was not immediately clear whether the two had entered pleas in answer to the charges during the trial.
Emadi's lawyers did not respond to Reuters' requests for comment on the conviction and Emadi has not commented publicly since he was arrested.
Sheikh Nawaf could not be reached for comment. Katara Hospitality, the company he previously chaired, declined to provide contact details. A charitable foundation run by his branch of the ruling family, which he previously chaired, said it no longer has links to him.
Emadi was convicted on charges of bribery, abuse of position and power and damage to public funds in addition to money laundering, according to the document, which did not detail the nature of the corruption.
A lawyer representing another of the defendants and a source with knowledge of the case confirmed the contents of the five-page court document seen by Reuters.
Emadi was arrested in May 2021 and fired as minister of finance.
Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said the investigation of Emadi was related to his capacity as finance minister, and not to other posts he held in the business community during his time as minister.
The arrest, prosecution and now conviction of high ranking Qataris like Emadi and Sheikh Nawaf has sent shockwaves through Qatar's financial establishment.
Such a high-profile anti-corruption probe is unusual in the Gulf, where high-ranking public figures rarely face public scrutiny or prosecution. The day before Emadi's 2021 arrest, Qatar's emir abolished provisions that gave ministers immunity from prosecution, according to the official gazette.
Sheikh Nawaf, a brother of Qatar's former prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, was until 2021 chairman of Katara Hospitality, the hotel arm of QIA, which owns London's Savoy and New York's Plaza and developed the $600 million Katara Towers hotel project in Qatar. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/qatari-court-convicts-ex-finance-minister-of-laundering-56bn-document
| 2024-01-17T17:25:00Z
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WASHINGTON - The Biden administration on Wednesday returned the Yemen-based Houthi rebels to a list of terrorist groups, U.S. officials said, in the latest attempt by Washington to stem attacks on international shipping.
Officials said the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" (SDGT) designation, which hits the Iran-aligned group with harsh sanctions, was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes.
The Houthis' campaign has disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.
"These attacks fit the textbook definition of terrorism," said one of three administration officials who briefed reporters ahead of the announcement on condition of anonymity.
The designation comes after American and British warplanes, ships and submarines last week launched dozens of air strikes against the Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen.
The U.S. military on Tuesday carried out its latest strike against four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles, two U.S. officials told Reuters.
The Houthi militia movement, which says the attacks on commercial ships are aimed at supporting the Palestinians in Israel's war in Gaza, has threatened a "strong and effective response."
The attacks are part of a broad response to the Gaza conflict by a so-called Axis of Resistance - including the Houthis alongside Palestinian militants Hamas, Lebanon-based Hezbollah and Iraq's Shiite militias - with ties to U.S. adversary Iran.
"We will continue to counter and blunt Iranian malign influence wherever we can. So of course the choice to move away from Iran is now in the hands of the Houthis," said a second official, adding that the U.S. would consider lifting the designation if the attacks on shipping cease.
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthis in a war widely seen as a proxy conflict between U.S. ally Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The Trump administration added the Houthis to two lists designating them as terrorists a day before its term ended, prompting the United Nations, aid groups and some U.S. lawmakers to express fears that sanctions would disrupt flows of food, fuel and other commodities into Yemen.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Feb. 12, 2021, revoked the designations in "recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen."
The United Nations describes the humanitarian crisis in Yemen as "severe" with more than 21 million people — two thirds of the population — in need of aid. It says more than 80% of the population struggles to access food, safe drinking water and adequate health services.
Blinken was on Wednesday relisting the Houthis as SDGTs, the U.S. officials said, but not as a "foreign terrorist organization," which includes stricter prohibitions on providing material support to those on the list and would mean automatic travel bans.
The former designation "provides better flexibility to achieve the aims that we have in terms of carving out and safeguarding humanitarian assistance," an official said, a reference to measures to mitigate the impact of the move on Yemen's people that Washington plans to introduce before the designation takes force in 30 days. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/us-relists-houthis-as-terrorists-in-response-to-red-sea-attacks
| 2024-01-17T17:25:10Z
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LONDON - The Greenland Ice Sheet lost 5,091 sq km (1930 sq miles) of area between 1985 and 2022, according to a study in the journal Nature published on Wednesday, the first full ice-sheet wide estimate of area loss on that scale.
This shrinkage reflected the 1,034 gigatonnes (1.034 trillion kg.) of ice that have been lost as glaciers retreated, shedding ice through "calving" - when ice chunks break off from a glacier - at their terminating ends.
The study is also the first to fully estimate how much ice Greenland has lost due specifically to glacial retreat. It suggests previous estimates of changes to the Greenland Ice Sheet's mass balance - how much snow and ice is accumulated each year versus how much is lost - undercounted those losses by as much as 20% by neglecting glacial retreat.
The lost 5,091 sq km represents an area about the size of the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
The study used more than 200,000 satellite and AI observations of glacier positions to analyze changes over time.
"In Greenland, we have these areas around the edges where everything is just kind of retreating and crumbling," said study co-author Alex Gardner, an earth scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
"The previous methods weren't really that great at measuring that change in the ice sheet. But the change is huge."
The Greenland Ice Sheet is one of the world's two remaining ice sheets, the other spanning the Antarctic continent. Comprised of hundreds of glaciers, it covers about 80% of Greenland's landmass.
If fully melted, the Greenland Ice Sheet would raise global sea level by about 7.4 metres (23 feet).
With climate change warming the Arctic four times faster than the rest of the world, scientists say it is inevitable that the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet will raise sea level by at least 27 cm (10.6 inches) due to warming that has already occurred.
The new estimate of ice loss from glacial retreat would have little impact on global sea levels, scientists said, but a big impact on ocean circulation.
That much added freshwater into the salty ocean could strengthen coastal currents around Greenland and help to weaken the Atlantic Meriodonal Overturning Circulation, which moves water from north to south and brings warmth to Europe. REUTERS
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https://www.straitstimes.com/world/scientists-reveal-how-greenland-ice-sheet-has-shrunk-over-past-four-decades
| 2024-01-17T17:25:21Z
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With not one but two jewellery companies under his belt and numerous appearances on The Repair Shop, it's no wonder that Richard Talman was the first port of call for Will Kirk when he wanted to design his wedding rings.
Three months before Will married his wife Polly on 5 August 2021, he visited Richard's workshop to discuss custom-made rings for himself and doctor Polly. While this can be a fast turnaround for a bespoke ring service, Richard – who also worked with Jay Blades on his wife's engagement ring – told HELLO! that Will had a "very clear vision" about what he wanted which made the process very easy.
"Some customers, they're not sure what they want, it can be a very, very long process," explained RTFJ founder Richard, before adding that Will and Jay did not fall into this category. "There was no sort of any back and forth. They're very easy people to work with. They trusted me," he said during a discussion about his new jewellery brand, Emilice.
Will asked Richard to create a "classic" wedding ring to match Polly's diamond engagement ring. "They went for more classic. And their engagement ring was also very classic, they had classic yellow gold with a diamond. They very much went down the classic route," he said.
Although the Master Goldsmith said he was "really, really honoured" that Will gave him such a crucial role in the wedding, he added it came with a bit of added pressure since he was a friend and colleague.
"When people walk into a shop, they see an item of jewellery they like and they buy it, there's no element of trust. Whereas when someone comes to me they're relying on me to get it right. With the likes of Will and Jay, they could have gone anywhere, any jeweller would have loved their business, but they chose me and I was honoured by that," said the jewellery expert.
"It's always more pressure. This is the funny thing - all of my friends have bought their engagement rings from me. I've even had a very, very good friend of mine who is a lady, her husband came to me for it. And it was always a lot of pressure to know that, 'Well, hold on, what if they don't like it are they going to be honest with me because we're friends?' It actually sort of ups the pressure, I'm thinking, 'Am I going to portray their vision correctly?'"
Judging by the rare photos Will has shared from his wedding day, the rings were very well-received. The couple exchanged vows at Kings Head Hotel in Cirencester before posing for photos at popular Cotswolds tourist attraction, Arlington Row in Bibury. The TV star donned a blue suit while his bride looked equally as striking in a beautiful white gown with sheer lace sleeves and a V-neckline.
Richard was also responsible for helping fellow The Repair Shop star Jay with his engagement and wedding rings – which were both very different.
The furniture restorer and television presenter announced the "very happy" news that he had got engaged to Lisa Zbozen by sharing a snap of his then-fiancée modelling her new sparkly rock on her left and writing: "Ring designed by me & made by @rtfj."
A round-cut diamond was flanked by marquise diamond clusters on a band of platinum or white gold. Richard addressed the special milestone by posting the same photo and stating: "It was a real honour to make this engagement ring for another one of my #repairshop family!"
Before Jay and Lisa exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony in Barbados in 2022, the fitness trainer had been sharing regular updates on Richard's progress with their unique gold wedding rings. "I really don't want a perfect wedding ring because I think nothing is perfect," Lisa said of the rings, which contain the couple’s birthstones hidden on the inside. "It's also more individual and has got a lot more care and love thought into it."
LOOK: 15 best diamond engagement rings for 2024: From oval to princess cuts
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/brides/511496/the-repair-shop-richard-talman-on-pressures-creating-will-kirk-classic-wedding-ring-exclusive/
| 2024-01-17T17:53:23Z
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Margot Robbie has been married to Tom Ackerley for seven years now, as the couple caused a stir with their iconic engagement photo back in 2016. The cheeky photo, which she shared to her Instagram account before it was deleted, at first appeared to show Margot flipping off the camera.
But upon second glance, Margot was announcing her marriage to Tom, who she had dated for three years. The photo shows an iconic 1.5 carat pear shaped diamond in a pave setting on a gold band. The ring has a distinctive pink and white center stone which makes it particularly unique.
The ring is, in fact, incredibly on trend. Pandora UK's latest study revealed that pear-shaped engagement rings ranked among the top 10 most sought-after styles in 2023.
According to Pandora UK's Emma Fox, there's a rising trend in 2024 of engagement rings with a distinctive center stone - just like Margot's.
"The allure of these rings lies in the individuality they offer, creating a more meaningful and symbolic representation for couples", she said.
Considering how gorgeous her engagement ring was, you can totally understand why she might have wanted to flaunt it in photos - as she did at Marie Claire's Image Makers Awards in 2017.
At the time, experts estimated the ring was worth between $20,000 to $30,000.
Having been together for over ten years now, Margot Robbie still can't stop gushing over her love for Tom Ackerley.
The star recently revealed that she is so lucky to be with Tom, who she first met on the set of Suite Francaise in 2013 where he was working as an assistant director.
"He likes being behind the camera. He’s not fazed by any of this stuff. He’s just the best."
"It's so fun," she continued. "I love the word 'normie,' yes, like all my friends, everyone's like, 'That's cool what you do but it's more fun just to hang out and talk about other stuff.' And you're like, 'I know.'"
Together the couple run LuckyChap Entertainment, which has produced Promising Young Woman, Barbie, I, Tonya and Saltburn.
It seems that she was "always in love" with Tom, as she revealed to Vogue that before she met her now husband she was: "the ultimate single gal. The idea of relationships made me want to vomit. And then this crept up on me."
"We were friends for so long. I was always in love with him, but I thought, 'Oh, he would never love me back. Don't make it weird, Margot. Don't be stupid and tell him that you like him.'"
And then it happened, she explained "And I was like, 'Of course we're together. This makes so much sense, the way nothing has ever made sense before.'"
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/511504/margot-robbies-engagement-ring-will-be-your-wedding-inspiration-for-2024/
| 2024-01-17T17:53:29Z
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Almost four months after Holly Willoughby confirmed that she would be stepping down from This Morning, it has been confirmed that the breakfast show’s showbiz reporter, Sian Welby, will be stepping into her shoes as a new presenter on the show.
Taking to Instagram Stories to share the exciting news, Sian wrote: “Ok... not sure how I've been trusted to do this but… Next week, instead of waking you up on the @capitalofficial breakfast show...I'm going to be sitting next to this legend doing @thismorning. Very surreal. Obviously excited byt also quite nervous!! I have to say the whole team has been incredibly supportive and I know I'm in good hands with @dermotolearly - what an incredible opportunity. It hasn't really sunk in yet!”
According to the MailOnline, ITV bosses have tipped Sian as a rising star - and we can’t wait to see her in action! So what do we know about her so far? Sian currently hosts Capital Breakfast alongside Roman Kemp, and fans of This Morning might recognise her as being a regular reporter on the show.
Holly stepped down from the breakfast after 14 years following the revelation that she was the target of a kidnap plot. Back in October 2023, the mum-of-three said: "I have let ITV know today that after 14 years, I will not be returning to This Morning. To everyone who has ever worked on the show over the years, thank you so so much. This is such a difficult goodbye, you are incredible and I forever will be proud of what we've done together.
"Thank you to everyone at ITV for being supportive. To every guest who has sat on our sofa, thank you. Most of all, thank you to the wonderful viewers. You've been so loyal, so supportive and the very best company every day.
"Richard and Judy said 'we only look after this show, it will always belong to the viewers'. It's been an honour to just be part of its story and I know this story has many chapters left to go. Sadly, however, I now feel I have to make this decision for me and my family. I will miss you all so much. Holly.”
After a long break, Holly has returned to our screens as the host of Dancing on Ice alongside Stephen Mulhern. Sharing a snap of herself in a stunning gown, she wrote: “Dancing on Ice series 16! … Let’s do this 1 sequin at a time.” Fans were delighted to see her return, with one person tweeting: “Holly looks amazing and I’m so happy she’s with Stephen, he's a great presenter.”
Another fan added: “SO lovely to have #DancingOnIce back on!! but it’s also SO lovely to see Holly back on the screen!! Holly truly is such a strong lady to come back into the industry after the past year she has had, and i seriously hope people recognise that!”
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https://www.hellomagazine.com/film/511501/this-mornings-replacement-for-holly-willoughby-finally-revealed-meet-the-new-star/
| 2024-01-17T17:53:35Z
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