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Why David Beckham is suing Mark Wahlberg for $16m

<p>David Beckham has launched legal action against Mark Wahlberg, after a joint business venture into the world of fitness failed. </p> <p>The English soccer legend is suing the Hollywood actor for a whopping £8.5 million (A$16.4 million), claiming he was "duped" by Wahlberg when he started a partnership with the global F45 Training gym. </p> <p>Beckham agreed to be the firm’s global ambassador when he moved to LA as he became friends with Wahlberg, who owns a huge stake of the gym network. </p> <p>The 48-year-old sporting hero is also suing the actor’s firm, Mark Wahlberg Investment Group (MWIG), and gym group F45’s founders Adam Gilchrist and Rob Deutsch for "fraudulent conduct".</p> <p>Beckham is claiming he lost more than $16 million when stocks he was promised were withheld until after share prices plummeted.</p> <p>In August 2023, F45 Training Holdings announced they had delisted from the New York Stock Exchange after its share price fell by 75 per cent.</p> <p>Wahlberg and the other defendants said the allegations are baseless and are asking the judge to dismiss the lawsuit. </p> <p>The defendants’ motion to dismiss goes further to say David Beckham Ventures Ltd (DBVL) are blaming everyone but themselves for the loss of money, adding: “The 209-page, 610-paragraph SAC [complaint] tries to make up with length what it lacks in merit."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p>

Legal

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World's most powerful women come together to mark the end of an era

<p>A group of the most powerful and influential women in the worlds of fashion and entertainment have joined forces to appear on a legendary cover of <em>British Vogue</em>. </p> <p>The iconic cover shoot occurred to celebrate the magazine's editor Edward Enninful, who is stepping back from the role after six years at the helm. </p> <p>Enninful gathered his muses for the history-making "Legendary" edition, featuring the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Jane Fonda, Selma Blair, Salma Hayek, Victoria Beckham, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, and many more. </p> <p>"To get one of these women on a cover takes months. To get 40? Unheard of," Cyrus remarked in an on-set video.</p> <p>In a post to social media, Selma Blair remarked that she "didn't want the day to end". </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3FtXApL8_O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3FtXApL8_O/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by British Vogue (@britishvogue)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The shoot also included models Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, alongside the original '90s supermodels – Naomi Campbell, Iman, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford.</p> <p>Evangelista said of the iconic shoot, "I've met so many people today on my bucket list".</p> <p>Hayek also posted about the experience on Instagram, saying, "So honoured to be part of this legendary cover of British Vogue and Edward Enninful's muses, especially because they are my muses too!" </p> <p>Jane Fonda summed up the energy of the day on set, saying, "Women understand the importance and power of the collective."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p> <p> </p>

Beauty & Style

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“Disappointing”: New inflight Qantas video slammed for “missing the mark”

<p dir="ltr">A new inflight safety video from Qantas has been widely panned for being “elitist” and “sexist”, while skimming over vital safety information. </p> <p dir="ltr">The new video, which is set to replace an earlier retro video released in 2020 that marked the airline’s 100th birthday, features frequent flyers and Qantas staff delivering the pre-flight safety announcement from their favourite “magic places” around the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">The video features destinations such as Litchfield National Park near Darwin and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, as well as international places such as Lapland in Finland and Marrakesh in Morocco.</p> <p dir="ltr">After the video was shared by the airline, members of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia were quick to express their feelings. </p> <p dir="ltr">Flight Attendants Association of Australia national secretary Teri O-Toole told <em><a href="https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/health-safety/new-qantas-safety-video-panned-as-sexist-and-elitist/news-story/078aa2c55cf48e6551a40ad4c0c56011">news.com.au</a></em> the video was “disappointing” for a lot of different reasons. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2dPrw_BNqf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C2dPrw_BNqf/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Qantas (@qantas)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Not one Australian-based international crew member was used,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“There are no cabin crew in uniform and there are no shots of the interior of an aircraft which are all important factors for non-English speaking passengers and those that need to know who is in charge.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not once does it say ‘follow the directions of your crew member’, which you would’ve thought would be the focus of a safety video.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She also questioned why a female pilot appeared in a swimsuit, suggesting that sort of depiction took women in the workplace took the airline “back 20 years”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I didn’t see a male pilot in a pair of budgie smugglers,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to describe the video as “great marketing”, but totally “misses the mark” in terms of a safety video, while also adding “elitist” to focus on frequent flyers during a cost of living crisis.</p> <p dir="ltr">Social media users were equally scathing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’d prefer just focus on, oh I dunno, in flight safety during the in-flight safety video?,” one wrote. “Why do we need a long video with all this added stuff?”</p> <p dir="ltr">Another described it as “slow, long, tedious and boring. I couldn't make it through the entire thing”, while a third person labelled it “absolutely awful”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Qantas chief customer officer Catriona Larritt defended the video insisting safety was the number one priority across the Qantas Group, and the in-flight video together with cabin crew, plays a key role in capturing the attention of travellers to watch and listen to the critical information.</p> <p dir="ltr">“First and foremost, the video is about familiarising our customers with safety procedures and we try to make it as engaging as possible, in particular for regular flyers who might otherwise tune out,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Qantas</em></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d006e7c7-7fff-7037-252e-b0c227e24116"></span></p>

Travel Trouble

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"From child to adult": Unseen pics of Prince Christian mark his 18th birthday

<p>Prince Christian of Denmark, the eldest son of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, marked his 18th birthday with a grand gala dinner that befits his future role as a potential monarch. Royals from various corners of the world gathered at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen for a magnificent celebration of this milestone event.</p> <p>At present, Prince Christian holds the position of second in line to the Danish throne. His grandmother, Queen Margrethe, currently reigns, and his father, Crown Prince Frederik, is the heir apparent. With this auspicious celebration, the Danish royal family and their esteemed guests paid tribute to the young prince who may someday ascend to the throne. (Plus, he now <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/princess-mary-s-son-gets-his-own-stamp-for-18th-birthday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has his own stamp</a>!)</p> <p>The guest list for this momentous occasion included a stellar array of fellow future monarchs from across Europe. Princess Elisabeth of Belgium, aged 21, graced the gala with her presence. Alongside her were 19-year-old Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway, who attended with her parents, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit. Princess Estelle of Sweden, aged 11, was also among the esteemed guests, accompanied by her parents, Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel. Furthermore, Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands, the 19-year-old heir to the Dutch throne, added her royal grace to the event.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CybkX1KNjGa/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CybkX1KNjGa/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by DET DANSKE KONGEHUS 🇩🇰 (@detdanskekongehus)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>As Prince Christian stepped into adulthood, his proud parents, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, took a nostalgic look back at their son's journey through life.</p> <p>In a touching post shared on the official Danish royal family Instagram account, an album was published with the caption, "From child to adult. Seen from the parents' camera roll." This digital scrapbook offered a glimpse into the life of the Danish prince, capturing poignant moments that tell the story of his growth and development.</p> <p>The first image in the album featured a precious baby picture, showcasing three generations of the Danish Crown. It served as a testament to the continuity of a rich royal heritage. The subsequent photos depicted the family exploring their native Denmark, emphasising the connection between the Danish royals and their beloved country. The final image showed a mature and poised Prince Christian, symbolising his transition into adulthood and a potential future as a Danish monarch.</p> <p>As Prince Christian's 18th birthday celebration came to a close, it was evident that the royal family and their guests were not only celebrating a birthday but also the promising future of a young prince destined to play a significant role in Denmark's rich history. The gala dinner was not only a magnificent event but a symbol of unity among European royal families, demonstrating the strength of their bonds, both personal and regal.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Elle Macpherson marks major 20-year milestone

<p>Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson has celebrated two incredible milestones this week. </p> <p>The 59-year-old, nicknamed "The Body" during her modelling years, took to Instagram to celebrate her one-year anniversary with her American musician boyfriend, Doyle Bramhall. </p> <p>''Life beyond my wildest dreams they say," she captioned the series of photos of the pair travelling the world together. </p> <p>The post also marked 20 years of sobriety for Macpherson, who recently shared her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cwp_ytApolL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&amp;igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alcoholics Anonymous badge</a> to celebrate the milestone. </p> <p>"As I celebrate my 20 years anniversary this week… I am also celebrating 365+days of heart expanding bliss," she continued in the tribute dedicated to her blossoming relationship with Bramhall. </p> <p>"Our friend @ninamorris calls us Nomadic Lovers - So I've chosen some of my favourite images from around the world," she added. </p> <p>She then listed all the different places they've been to together, which matched the photos on the slide. </p> <p>Among them, we see a picture of the pair kissing underneath the Eiffel Tower, exploring the Sahara desert in Morocco, and one of the shrines in Tokyo. </p> <p>"Real travel requires a maximum of unscheduled wandering, for there is no other way of discovering surprises and marvels, which, as I see it, is the only good reason for not staying at home," she added. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw0CS5OM4yu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw0CS5OM4yu/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Elle Macpherson (@ellemacpherson)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Friends and fans alike took to the comments to congratulate the couple on their one-year anniversary, and celebrate Macpherson's sobriety. </p> <p>"My heart is SO full seeing you love &amp; being truly loved by @doylebramhall2," wrote Dr Simoné Laubscher , the formulator for Macpherson's wellness brand WelleCo. </p> <p>"Gorgeous photos capturing your essence ❤️ Here is to many more years of wild adventures," wrote another. </p> <p>"Congratulations my friend! These are the rewards of sobriety 🙏🏻" commented a third. </p> <p>"So very happy for you both. A beautiful celebration of pure love!" added another.</p> <p>"I’m so happy for you!!! You are the ultimate example of changing your world from the inside out!" commented a fifth. </p> <p>Macpherson and  Bramhall went public with their relationship in December.</p> <p>Macpherson shares two sons, Flynn and Cy, with her French financier ex Arpad Busson, while Bramhall shares daughter India with American vocalist Susannah Melvoin. </p> <p><em><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> Images: Instagram</span></em></p>

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2001: A Space Odyssey still leaves an indelible mark on our culture 55 years on

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-abrams-122305">Nathan Abrams</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bangor-university-1221">Bangor University</a></em></p> <p>2001: A Space Odyssey is a landmark film in the history of cinema. It is a work of extraordinary imagination that has transcended film history to become something of a cultural marker. And since 1968, it has penetrated the psyche of not only other filmmakers but society in general.</p> <p>It is not an exaggeration to say that 2001 single-handedly reinvented the science fiction genre. The visuals, music and themes of 2001 left an inedible mark on subsequent science fiction that is still evident today.</p> <p>When <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Kubrick/Robert-P-Kolker/9781639366248">Stanley Kubrick</a> began work on 2001 in the mid-1960s, he was told by studio executive Lew Wasserman: “Kid, you don’t spend over a million dollars on science fiction movies. You just don’t do that.”</p> <p>By that point, the golden age of science fiction film had run its course. During its heyday, there was a considerable variety of content within the overarching genre. There had been serious attempts to foretell space travel. Destination Moon, directed by Irving Pichel and produced by George Pal in 1950, and, in mid-century, Byron Haskin’s Conquest of Space both fantasised space travel and, in Haskin’s film, a space station, which Kubrick would elaborate on in 2001.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oR_e9y-bka0?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for 2001: A Space Odyssey.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>Most 1950s science fiction films, though, were cheap B-movie fare and looked it. They involved alien invasions with an ideological and allegorical subtext. They were cultural, cinematic imaginations of the danger of communism, which in the overheated political atmosphere of the time was seen as an imminent threat to the American way of life.</p> <p>The aliens in most science fiction films were out simply to destroy or take over humanity; they were expressions, to use the title of a Susan Sontag essay, of “<a href="https://americanfuturesiup.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/sontag-the-imagination-of-disaster.pdf">the imagination of disaster</a>”. There were some exceptions, including Byron Haskin’s film version of The War of the Worlds and Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still.</p> <p>By 1968, then, as the lights went down, very few people knew what was about to transpire and they certainly were not prepared for what did. The film opened in near darkness as the strains of Thus Spake Zarathustra by Richard Strauss were heard. The cinema was dazzled into light, as if Kubrick had <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/stanley-kubrick/9780813587110">remade Genesis</a>.</p> <p>The subsequent 160 or so minutes (the length of his original cut before he edited 19 minutes out of it) took the viewer on what was marketed as “the ultimate trip”. Kubrick had excised almost every element of explanation leaving an elusive, ambiguous and thoroughly unclear film. His decisions contributed to long silent scenes, offered without elucidation. It contributed to the film’s almost immediate critical failure but its ultimate success. It was practically a silent movie.</p> <p>2001 was an experiment in film form and content. It exploded the conventional narrative form, restructuring the conventions of the three-act drama. The narrative was linear, but radically, spanning aeons and ending in a timeless realm, all without a conventional movie score. Kubrick used 19th-century and modernist music, such as Strauss, György Ligeti and Aram Khachaturian.</p> <h2>Vietnam</h2> <p>The movie was made during a tumultuous period of American history, which it seemingly ignored. The war in Vietnam was already a highly divisive issue and was spiralling into a crisis. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tet-Offensive">Tet offensive</a>, which began on January 31 1968, had claimed tens of thousands of lives. As US involvement in Vietnam escalated, domestic unrest and violence at home intensified.</p> <p>Increasingly, young Americans expected their artists to address the chaos that roared around them. But in exploring the origins of humanity’s propensity for violence and its future destiny, 2001 dealt with the big questions and ones that were burning at the time of its release. They fuelled what Variety magazine called the “coffee cup debate” over “what the film means”, which is still ongoing today.</p> <p>The design of the film has touched many other films. Silent Running by Douglas Trumbull (who worked on 2001’s special effects) owes the most obvious debt but Star Wars would be also unthinkable without it. Popular culture is full of imagery from the film. The <a href="https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/stanley-kubrick-2001-a-space-odyssey-music/">music</a> Kubrick used in the film, especially Strauss’s The Blue Danube, is now considered <a href="https://theweek.com/articles/702734/planetarium-brief-history-space-music">“space music”</a>.</p> <p>Images from the movie have appeared <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfK9pEQZyy0">in iPhone adverts</a>, in The Simpsons and even the trailer for the new <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2022/12/16/trailer-for-greta-gerwigs-barbie-spoofs-classic-film-in-best-way-17951854/">Barbie movie</a>.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8zIf0XvoL9Y?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">2001: A Space Odyssey’s influence on this Barbie movie trailer couldn’t be more obvious.</span></figcaption></figure> <p>The warnings of the danger of technology embodied in the film’s murderous supercomputer HAL-9000 can be felt in the “tech noir” films of the late 1970s and 1980s, such as Westworld, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-alien-mutated-from-a-sci-fi-horror-film-into-a-multimedia-universe-204567">Alien</a>, Blade Runner and Terminator.</p> <p>HAL’s single red eye can be seen in the children’s series, Q Pootle 5, and Pixar’s animated feature, Wall-E. HAL has become shorthand for the untrammelled march of artificial intelligence (AI).</p> <p>In the age of ChatGPT and other AI, the metaphor of Kubrick’s computer is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/22/movies/ai-movies-microsoft-bing-robots.html">frequently evoked</a>. But why when there have been so many other images such as Frankenstein, Prometheus, terminators and other murderous cyborgs? Because there is something so uncanny and human about HAL who was deliberately designed to be more <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01439685.2017.1342328?journalCode=chjf20">empathic and human than the people in the film</a>.</p> <p>In making 2001, Stanley Kubrick created a cultural phenomenon that continues to speak to us eloquently today.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209152/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/nathan-abrams-122305">Nathan Abrams</a>, Professor of Film Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/bangor-university-1221">Bangor University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/2001-a-space-odyssey-still-leaves-an-indelible-mark-on-our-culture-55-years-on-209152">original article</a>.</em></p>

Movies

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Ellen DeGeneres shares throwback snap to mark special milestone

<p dir="ltr">Ellen DeGeneres shared a sweet throwback snap of her August 2008 wedding with Portia de Rossi, to mark a very special milestone for LGBTQIA+ love.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 65-year-old comedian took to Instagram to honour the eight anniversary of the Supreme Court legalising same-sex marriages in the United States.</p> <p dir="ltr">"8 years ago today marks an important moment. It's when the Supreme Court said "yes" to letting everyone feel the same joy I got to feel in this moment," she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ellen shared a black-and-white snap of her embracing Portia during their 2008 nuptials.</p> <p dir="ltr">It’s been almost 15 years since the pair got married, and they previously celebrated their love in February 2023, when they <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/ellen-degeneres-surprise-wedding-news" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewed their vows</a> at their California home.</p> <p dir="ltr">Portia even wore the same wedding dress she wore in their 2008 wedding when surprised Ellen with a double celebration - her own birthday party and their vow renewal ceremony.</p> <p dir="ltr">The pair have been head over heels for each other since they first met in the early 2000s, and they continue to choose each other.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many fans took to the comment section to share their love and gratitude towards the couple.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love you and thanks for all your work for the LGBTQIA community. One love 😍” wrote one fan.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This was a defining moment for Ellen and Portia! Congratulations to you both!” commented another.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Love will always win!!🙌🏽✨” wrote a third.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Thank you for making a difference in the world!" commented a fourth.</p> <p><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

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Fence and digging marks at the centre of lion’s escape

<p dir="ltr">A fence and digging marks are at the centre of an investigation into how five lions managed to escape their enclosure at Taronga Zoo.</p> <p dir="ltr">One lion and four cubs were roaming around the Sydney tourist destination prompting emergency alarms to go off and people to run to safety. </p> <p dir="ltr">A family who was sleeping overnight at the zoo as part of the “Roar and Snoar” program were ordered to run as alarms blared “code one”. </p> <p dir="ltr">Luckily no one was injured and the lions are back in their enclosure with a statement revealing what caused the animals to escape. </p> <p dir="ltr">“An initial review of this morning’s incident has confirmed that an integrity issue with a containment fence enabled five lions to temporarily exit their main exhibit,” Taronga said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The lions are now in a back-of-house holding area while a full review continues.</p> <p dir="ltr">“A full report will now be prepared for the NSW Department of Primary Industries.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Keepers and vets report all lions are doing well.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Taronga Zoo remains open and is extremely grateful to its staff and the community for their support today.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Nine</em></p>

News

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Johnny Ruffo marks five years since cancer diagnosis

<p>Johnny Ruffo has thanked his fans for sticking by him in an emotional Instagram post, as he marks five years since his life-changing cancer diagnosis. </p> <p>The former <em>Home and Away</em> actor took to Instagram to share a series of photos from his years-long health battle, with some featuring his girlfriend Tahnee Sims.</p> <p>After first being diagnosed with brain cancer in 2017, Ruffo underwent his first surgery. </p> <p>Ruffo announced in 2019 that he was in remission, but by November 2020 the cancer had returned.</p> <p>“Still fighting this son of a b****,” Ruffo’s most recent post was captioned, with the blunt hashtag, “F*** cancer.”</p> <p>“Thanks for all the support,” he added.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg89A0rL-mm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg89A0rL-mm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Johnny Ruffo (@johnny_ruffo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Johnny received a flood of support in the comments, with Larry Emdur writing, "Luv ya, mate. Punch on and smash this!"</p> <p><em>Home and Away's</em> Emily Symons posted, “Sending so much love to you Johnny,” while his girlfriend simply said, "Superstar".</p> <p>Cameron Daddo called Ruffo a “brave and inspiring brother ... silky dancer too!,” referring to his recent appearance on <em>Dancing With The Stars</em>.</p> <p>“Your smile inspires the world, legend,” comedian Dave Hughes wrote, while entertainer Rhonda Burchmore said she was “sending big love.”</p> <p>On her own Instagram page, Tahnee Sims paid tribute to her boyfriend’s tenacity.</p> <p>“Five years on, in awe of you every single day,” she wrote.</p> <p>“Still a huge battle ahead but a major milestone reached that was at times uncertain."</p> <p>“Grateful for you always.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram</em></p>

Caring

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Pretty in Pink: Vera Wang marks 73rd birthday with “unreal” looks

<p dir="ltr">Fashion icon Vera Wang has celebrated her 73rd birthday in style, stunning fans with her age-defying looks during her pink, floral-themed celebration.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wang’s Enchanted Garden-themed party was replete with flowers, trees filled with twinkling fairy lights, a gravity-defying cake covered in pink roses, and karaoke.</p> <p dir="ltr">Unsurprisingly, the fashion designer stunned in two outfits: a pink satin princess dress split down the middle to show matching floral shorts, and a pink sequined mini skirt and matching boob tube, with both looks completed with silver stilettos, necklaces with pink jewels, and a pink-and-silver crown.</p> <p dir="ltr">The party appeared to be inspired by Wang’s new Rosé Prosecco, which she posed with throughout the night.</p> <p dir="ltr">Her pomeranian, Lola “the party princess”, also made an appearance among the slew of photos Wang shared with fans on social media.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Celebrating my Bday with CAKES and KARAOKE….. and my new ROSÉ PROSECCO!!!!!!,” she captioned the series of posts.</p> <p dir="ltr">Wang’s friends and a host of fans flooded the posts with well-wishes for the bridal designer, with many sharing their disbelief over her age.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy birthday love!! 💗” fashion designer Lisa Perry wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy Birthday Fellow Cancer Queen ♋✨💗,” model Theodora ‘Teddy’ Quinlaven commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Happy birthday beautiful, you are truly inspirational to us older women,” a fan said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The way you look is unreal! Fabulous!” another added.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You look so beautiful and wearing my favourite colour! Have a great one!” a third wrote.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-d54eb279-7fff-c1e5-80d1-5184703a747e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @verawang (Instagram)</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Aussie with terminal cancer uses time left to make her mark

<p dir="ltr">An Australian researcher who has been diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer is busy making plans for when she’s gone - including a contribution she hopes will help advance research in animal studies.</p> <p dir="ltr">Siobhan O’Sullivan was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in July 2020, finding out within a year that the cancer had spread and that her illness was terminal.</p> <p dir="ltr">“In the week prior to my diagnosis, I was starting to say to people, ‘I’m not feeling right - I think it’s stress because Dad’s going to die soon’,” she told <em><a href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/a-silent-killer-has-left-her-terminally-ill-now-this-aussie-woman-has-a-simple-message-c-6854866" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7News</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The week before dad died, I went to the doctor and said, ‘Something’s not right’.”</p> <p dir="ltr">During her treatments Siobhan suffered multiple strokes - an unexpected side effect - but even extensive treatment couldn’t stop the cancer from spreading.</p> <p dir="ltr">“That was a huge blow for me because a lot of women at that point do get some remission time,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m now at 19 months, which means I’m on borrowed time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Though she’s living with death, Siobhan has maintained her humour and optimism, as well as her advocacy for ovarian cancer and the legalisation of voluntary assisted dying.</p> <p dir="ltr">She also began making plans, divesting her property and funds to her niece, nephew, godson and his sister, and ensuring her podcast is in good hands once she’s gone.</p> <p dir="ltr">Siobhan has also bequeathed $50,000 to the Australisian Animal Studies Association (AASA), which she is a founder of, and is helpling to establish two awards for future researchers.</p> <p dir="ltr">She is an associate professor of politics at Sydney’s University of New South Wales and was extremely involved in research around animal studies and her other passion, the alleviation of social issues related to poverty.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thanks to her donation, the AASA is offering two new prizes: one for early-career researchers, and the other for animal studies scholars, artists or advocates who have worked to promote their insights and findings with their peers and the public.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is an exciting way to help the field of animal studies,” she said in a <a href="https://www.inside.unsw.edu.au/awards/new-awards-scheme-advances-the-emerging-sub-discipline-animal-studies#:~:text=As%20a%20founder%20of%20the,be%20established%20in%20coming%20years." target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “My own research … suggests that many animal studies scholars feel isolated and their research is not acknowledged by their own institutions. </p> <p dir="ltr">“These awards are a way of strengthening the animal studies community and giving scholars a sense of achievement and recognition.”</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-797bc252-7fff-26df-4e48-a4265576659f"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">As she nears the end of her life, Siobhan has said she would feel immensely comforted by the thought that she could legally end her life before her cancer brings her even more suffering.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I was so honoured to speak on behalf of people facing horrible deaths in NSW. Today I'll be watching <a href="https://twitter.com/nsw_upperhouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsw_upperhouse</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/NSWParlLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NSWParlLA</a> closely. I hope our political leaders use their power to ease the load of the terminally ill &amp; their friends &amp; family. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AssistedDying?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AssistedDying</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VAD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VAD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nswpol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nswpol</a> <a href="https://t.co/hecIbBdBAl">pic.twitter.com/hecIbBdBAl</a></p> <p>— Siobhan O'Sullivan 🥦😸♋ (@so_s) <a href="https://twitter.com/so_s/status/1527089433501405184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“My view is that there is no benefit that’s going to come to me, or my family, or this world, for me to suffer the last couple of weeks of a death by ovarian cancer,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the very recent <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/health/caring/emotional-scenes-as-nsw-passes-law-on-voluntary-assisted-dying" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passing of the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill</a> in NSW Parliament might still come too late for Siobhan, since it could take up to 18 months for the law to come into effect.</p> <p dir="ltr">Despite it not necessarily being an option she could take up, Siobhan says her advocacy will help others in the future.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is for the other people, for the next people - the people in one, two, three years time,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-62a0997d-7fff-4443-1f85-8266d60241af"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Siobhan O’Sullivan (Facebook)</em></p>

Caring

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Photos released marking Prince Louis’ fourth birthday

<p dir="ltr">Adorable photos showing Prince Louis on his fourth birthday have been released. </p> <p dir="ltr">The third and youngest child to Prince William and Duchess Kate was born on April 23, 2018 at the private maternity Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in London. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess took the photos earlier in April of Prince Louis on the dunes in Norfolk, England, grinning from ear-to-ear in a grey sweater with stars over a button down shirt and blue shorts.</p> <p dir="ltr">The series of photos show Louis running and playing in the sand with an orange ball and laughing.</p> <p dir="ltr">Louis is fifth in line to the throne after his grandfather the Prince of Wales, his father Prince William, and older siblings Prince George and Princess Charlotte.</p> <p dir="ltr">Will and Kate occasionally share photos of their children to mark special events such as the first day of school. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Duchess is a former art history student and is an honoured member of the Royal Photographic Society.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Duchess of Cambridge/Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Man charged with inciting others to arrest WA Premier Mark McGowan

<p dir="ltr">A 74-year-old has been <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-11/geraldton-man-charged-with-inciting-others-to-arrest-wa-premier/100822884" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> for allegedly posting videos to social media inciting people to arrest WA Premier Mark McGowan and other government ministers.</p><p dir="ltr">Wayne Kenneth Glew, who is part of an informal “sovereign citizens” movement, was arrested by officers from the State Security Investigation Group at his property in Glenfield, in mid-west WA.</p><p dir="ltr">Mr Glew has been charged with inciting another to commit an indictable offence, after it was alleged he posted a series of videos on social media using threatening language and calling on others to arrest government and health officials.</p><p dir="ltr">He made the videos after documents claiming to be arrest warrants were handed in at Perth Police Station in January.</p><p dir="ltr">This isn’t the first time Mr Glew has caused trouble, after he was declared a “vexatious litigant” (meaning he takes legal action without sufficient reason) by the WA Supreme Court.</p><p dir="ltr">In 2018, his property was seized by the local council in lieu of $300,000 in council rates and legal costs, which he refused to pay because he believed local governments were unconstitutional. At the trial, he <a href="https://www.geraldtonguardian.com.au/news/geraldton-guardian/wayne-glew-v-city-of-greater-geraldton-man-ejected-from-court-gallery-ng-b881082056z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> the Magna Carta and English Bill of Rights, and questioned the magistrate’s authority to hear the case.</p><p dir="ltr">Mr Glew is a member of the informal movement of “freemen” or “sovereign citizens” who believe Australian laws only apply if you consent to them.</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2e655a0e-7fff-c9b2-7d19-10f65f08ed4b"></span></p><p dir="ltr">The former police officer also has a significant following on social media, where he shared a document that he claims allows individuals to become “Commonwealth Public Officers” by pledging their allegiance to the Queen.</p><p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/02/whackjob-form.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Wayne Glew claims that one can become a “Commonwealth Public Officer” by simply completing this form and having it witness, even though impersonating a Commonwealth public official can lead to serious consequences. Image: Wayne Glew CPO (Facebook)</em></p><p dir="ltr">In a separate matter, two people were charged with falsely representing themselves as Commonwealth public officials after they served electronic arrest warrants on government officials.</p><p dir="ltr">Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Todd White, the officer in charge of the State Security Investigation Group, said the documents and those handed in to Perth Police Station were not lawful.</p><p dir="ltr">“Any person impersonating either a Commonwealth or state public official, or attempting to serve or enforce these types of documents, may commit an offence and could be subject to a police investigation,” he said.</p><p dir="ltr">Mr Glew was granted bail and is due to face Geraldton Magistrates Court in March.</p><p dir="ltr">The other two people were also granted bail and will appear in Perth Magistrates Court later this month.</p><p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-836d3946-7fff-fee3-7821-b23ead7171e9"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Wayne Glew (Facebook)</em></p>

Legal

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‘Sex & the City’ reboot is more groan than groove, and misses the mark

<p><em>Warning: the following article contains spoilers about the “Sex and The City” reboot</em></p> <p>I started watching <em>Sex and the City</em> after the HBO series wrapped in 2004. The show’s zeitgeist rippled through conversations about sex, fashion and relationships, but I didn’t know what the buzz was all about.</p> <p>As a PhD student in the mid 2000s with no cable subscription, my visual entertainment consisted of renting VHS tapes and snuggling my cats on a navy futon.</p> <p>My friends couldn’t stop talking about the four main characters who wanted a lot from life, especially in terms of love and relationships. I often heard debates over whether someone was <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/whitneyjefferson/which-sex-and-the-city-character-are-you">a Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte or Miranda</a>.</p> <p>From the first episode I was hooked by the edgy banter and sexual situations they got into. They were also hashing out big issues like work, friendship, LGBTQIA+ rights and most of all what sex means.</p> <p>These issues have woven their way into my career as a sexuality scholar and as a women who identifies with the sexual verve of Samantha, Miranda’s biting humour and Carrie’s writerly profession.</p> <p>But I’m aghast at <em>Sex and the City</em>‘s bougie, whitewashed and sexless reboot called <em>And Just Like That</em> which debuted on Dec. 9. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/09/arts/television/review-and-just-like-that.html"><em>New York Times</em> television critic James Poniewozik</a> describes it as being like two shows:</p> <blockquote> <p>“One, which tries to grow with the women as they navigate their 50s and mortality, is a downer, but it takes risks and in moments is very good. The other, which tries to update its sassy turn-of-the-century sensibility for an era of diversity, is painful.”</p> </blockquote> <p>What can we take away from this epic fail as a society that continues to undervalue women and shun open discussions of age, class, race and sex?</p> <h2>The Peloton Effect</h2> <p>In the first episode Big dies in Carrie’s arms after an intense Peloton (exercise bike) session in their massive Upper East Side apartment. This rather dark scene foreshadows the decline of the smart and saucy social commentary that once defined <em>Sex and the City</em>.</p> <p>The characters seem stuck in the past and confused about who they are as older women. Instead of unpacking these tensions, they’re glossed over. Given that very few characters over 50 in mainstream film and TV are women — <a href="https://seejane.org/research-informs-empowers/women-over-50-report/">as few as one in four</a> — we need shows that feature women’s complex lived experiences instead of those that bend to the whims of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234460">male-driven entertainment industry</a></p> <p>Fingers crossed that the show bounces back with some fun, anti-ageist narratives like Peloton did after its <a href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/peloton-releases-ad-with-mr-big-chris-noth-still-alive/0392415a-8ed5-410f-acae-98b139f952cc">stocks descended following the opening episode</a>.</p> <p><iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cy8Zz7Q56dY?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <span class="caption">Trailer for Sex and the City ‘And Just Like That’</span></p> <h2>Miranda</h2> <p>Miranda still has the best lines, like when she describes accidentally touching her son’s used condom over brunch: “I stepped on my son’s semen before coffee.” But she’s also framed as chronically unwoke and <a href="https://www.mediavillage.com/article/and-just-like-that-is-more-reflux-than-reboot/print/">offensive to everyone</a> — how is that comedic?</p> <p>In another scene Miranda contemplates dying her silvering hair. Going or staying grey is a hot topic among Hollywood actors, including Andie MacDowell, who <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/andie-macdowell-gray-salt-and-pepper-hair">calls staying grey a “power move.”</a> Many if not all women grapple with this issue, which can make them feel like they must choose between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/08952841.2021.1899744">feeling authentic and looking competent</a>. Miranda decides not to dye, which may encourage other women to resist dominant beauty trends that are designed to mask the ageing process.</p> <p>We’ve also seen Miranda partake in several morning drinks. When middle-age women drink excessively, we either laugh about it — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.14082">mummy wine memes — or pathologize it</a>. This is a topic of growing concern and bringing it out of the shadows on primetime could help women who have a problematic relationship with alcohol.</p> <p> </p> <h2>Charlotte</h2> <p>Charlotte resumes her role as the well-meaning, emotional and out-of-touch musketeer. Her character is shown parenting two very different daughters, one who may be non-binary. The challenges that this presents are worth examining given the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13229400.2019.1650799">increasing visibility of transgender and gender-diverse children in the public sphere</a>.</p> <p>Charlotte is also depicted pressuring Carrie to attend one of her daughter’s piano recitals at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music. She repeats the name of the musical academy so many times it’s no longer a semi-funny classic Charlotte move but a bloated display of class privilege.</p> <p>Her new friendship with Lisa Todd Wexley, played by accomplished Black actor Nicole Ari Parker, is also problematic. Instead of exploring the dynamics of racialized friendships, Wexley’s character is lauded for being on <em>Vogue</em>‘s best-dressed list. She’s <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-12-10/nicole-ari-parker-sex-and-the-city-and-just-like-that-black-girlfriends">even called “Black Charlotte</a>,” which is racist and drains the character of any attributes of her own.</p> <h2>Carrie</h2> <p>Seeing Carrie behind the computer screen reminds me that she has an occupation — other than being on a podcast beyond her generational reach. She’s the white cis woman on the podcast, amongst a team of racialized and non-binary hosts. Carrie appears to be there to “represent” white women, but the idea that such a representation is needed smacks of dated racialized privilege or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1367549420985852">what feminist scholars call “political whiteness”</a>.</p> <p>When Carrie is asked to join sexy, confessional dialogue in a meaningful way on the podcast she is shocked. But how could someone be shocked who, decades earlier, called out the orgasm gap way before anyone else?</p> <p>It was pretty revolutionary, as Jordin Wiggins, founder of The Pleasure Collective discusses in her book <a href="https://www.thepleasurecollective.com/"><em>The Pink Canary</em></a>. Women in mid-life don’t need pearl-clutching when it comes to talking about sexuality, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5903159/">we need to see women owning their desire and using their erotic voice</a>.</p> <h2>Closets to climb back into</h2> <p>As I watched Miranda, Charlotte and Carrie stroll around in expensive clothes with beautifully coiffed hair and Music School memberships I was struck by the stain of their white richness.</p> <p>I used to relate to them when they were struggling in their careers and relationships, but now in their palatial New York City apartments with massive walk-in closets, it doesn’t feel right.</p> <p>The uptake of shows like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/dec/14/maid-the-bleak-humour-of-netflixs-hit-show-rings-true-to-victims-and-thats-not-all-it-gets-right"><em>Maid</em></a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTjlurdbNnw"><em>I May Destroy You</em></a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd2ldTR-WpI"><em>Sex Education</em></a> demonstrate what viewing audiences want to see. <a href="https://socialsciences.ucla.edu/hollywood-diversity-report-2021/">They want to see themselves</a> in their socio-economic, racialized and embodied diversity.</p> <p>Just like the crumbling patriarchy, the reign of the white, cis, hetero woman is coming to an end as the predominant representation of “women.” It’s far from the only kind of show that sells.</p> <p>The old version of SATC not only reflected our society at the time, but it also helped change it in a lot of ways. Will the ladies of the Upper East Side ever step up their Blahniks?<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173722/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/treena-orchard-752204">Treena Orchard</a>, Associate Professor, School of Health Studies, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-university-882">Western University</a></em></span></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sex-and-the-city-reboot-is-more-groan-than-groove-and-misses-the-mark-173722">original article</a>.</p> <p><em>Image: HBO Max</em></p>

TV

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"A true dance of love”: Cameron Daddo and Alison Brahe mark major milestone

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Aussie stars Cameron Daddo and Alison Brahe have celebrated three decades of marriage in the sweetest way imaginable - by going back to where it all began.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The couple enjoyed a romantic stay at the Park Hyatt in Sydney, where they celebrated their wedding day in 1991.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daddo, 56, also shared a touching post documenting their stay on Instagram, including a snap of the pair laying in bed with a framed photo taken on their wedding day.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMvFGgPphp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXMvFGgPphp/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Cameron Daddo (@camerondaddo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Waking up 30yrs married and messing around trying to do a “cool shot” to say thank you 🙏 to the @parkhyattsydney for leaving this pic of us taken 30yrs ago with a bottle of champers,” the former </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Home and Away</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> star captioned the photo.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It was a fun, kind and thoughtful gesture that we really appreciated. PS it was also brilliant to revisit the place we spent 5hrs at 30yrs ago and finally really enjoy the majesty of the hotel and location. #notapaidadvertisement.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daddo also shared a series of throwback photos on the eve of their anniversary, writing, “30 years of ups, downs and roundabouts… oceans apart and together. A true dance of love”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I knew from our …second date that I wanted to spend my life with you and I am so grateful you’ve chosen to hang in there with me and ride the see-saw of life.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXK0BxBvWQn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXK0BxBvWQn/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Cameron Daddo (@camerondaddo)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I stopped counting how many homes we’ve lived in when it reached a dozen and I reckon we’ve done really well to grow 3 amazing kids… and through it all, you still have the sharpest wit, the biggest and kindest heart and best laugh of anyone I know.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’ve kindled the fire, burned it, stoked it back up many times, ours is a love that goes deep… and I am so grateful for your grit and love in all its forms.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He ended his lengthy tribute on a joking note and with a simple declaration of his feelings.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Also, it was me that took your phone charger this morning 😞 but I did take the recyclables out… again,” he wrote. “You know it’s the little gestures. 💗 I love you 🙌</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">🥂</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">💗.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daddo’s co-stars commented with their congratulations and well wishes, including Rebecca Gibney, Georgie Parker, and television presenter Melissa Doyle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Happy anniversary you two. Lots of love 💗💗💗,” Parker wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Happy Anniversary you two!! 💗💗👏👏👏,” the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Packed to the Rafters</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> star shared.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Happy anniversary you two! Love love love 💗,” Doyle added.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daddo and Brahe were married in 1991, after dating for just three months.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">They share three children, Lotus, 24, River, 20, and Bodhi, 14.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @camerondaddo (Instagram)</span></em></p>

Relationships

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“They were taken from us”: White Island survivor marks second anniversary of tragedy

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Two years after the eruption of New Zealand’s White Island/Whakaari volcano, one survivor has looked back on the incident that “ripped apart” her family.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stephanie Browitt, her 21-year-old sister Krystal, and their father Paul were among 47 people on the Ovation of the Seas cruise ship when it stopped on the privately-owned island on December 9, 2019.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The volcanic eruption </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/news/new-zealand/white-island-survivor-stephanie-browitt-reflects-on-tragedy-that-ripped-apart-her-family-c-4875885" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">resulted</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> in the deaths of 22 people, including 14 Australians, and another 25 people who were badly injured.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stephanie was among the survivors, suffering burns to 70 percent of her body and spending six months in hospital. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unfortunately, Krystal and Paul were among those who died that day.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXPVRu8P8c0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXPVRu8P8c0/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Stephanie Coral Browitt (@stephaniecoral96)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a candid post on Instagram two years on, Stephanie said she had “very mixed emotions”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Today marks 2 years since the incident my family &amp; I were a part of. The day that ripped us apart,” she wrote, sharing a series of photos of her family and her recovery.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For a lot of burn survivors they call it their “burnversary”, a day where they can celebrate their achievements, accomplishments and the fact they survived such awful tragedy’s (sic) on this very date.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I truly want to celebrate all that I have accomplished since I was severely burnt, just like other burn survivors do.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Unfortunately today’s not only the day I survived the unimaginable, it’s the day I lost my dad, Paul and sister, Krystal.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s the day they were taken from us.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My accomplishments mean nothing to me knowing they aren’t shared with my sister and dad by my side.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stephanie added that she was “grateful” for making it home to her mother, but “heartbroken that only I made it back”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My heart hurts when I remember what I felt that day, but it hurts more not knowing what my dad and sister felt, that I wasn’t next to them during their last moments,” she continued.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Today marks two years of accomplishments but also loss, pain and never ending grief. I miss and yearn for my family every day.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I love you so much dad and Krystal, so much it kills me.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @stephaniecoral96 (Instagram)</span></em></p>

Caring

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Queen Elizabeth II marks first wedding anniversary without Prince Philip

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Queen Elizabeth II has reached her first wedding anniversary without her late husband, Prince Philip.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The milestone comes seven months after the Duke of Edinburgh </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/news/news/prince-philip-dies-aged-99" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">passed away</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> aged 99, and would have been a celebration of their 74 years of marriage.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Today should have been the 74th wedding anniversary of this special couple, HM Queen Elizabeth II and The Late Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh🙏 <a href="https://t.co/ufHW5s00YH">pic.twitter.com/ufHW5s00YH</a></p> — The Royal Butler (@TheRoyalButler) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRoyalButler/status/1462133052281438216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Princess Elizabeth married Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The couple’s union has been the longest of any British sovereign in history.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the celebration marking their 50th anniversary in 1997, the monarch said her husband often gave her “strength” over the years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years,” she </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-21/queen-elizabeth-wedding-anniversary-without-prince-philip-/100637618" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> at the time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Following his death in April, the Queen said she was comforted by the tributes that came from all over the world.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNvYjpIn7CB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CNvYjpIn7CB/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by The Royal Family (@theroyalfamily)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days,” she said in a message on her 95th birthday, shared to the royal family’s Instagram</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 95-year-old has faced a series of difficulties this year, with the </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/entertainment/queen-elizabeth-ii/queens-wedding-anniversary-without-philip-c-4631731" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">most recent</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> involving a back injury that forced her to pull out of attending the Remembrance Sunday service and only commit to light duties.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Previously, the Queen was admitted to hospital on October 20 for preliminary investigations and was ordered to rest by royal doctors.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @theroyalfamily (Instagram)</span></em></p>

Relationships

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Bindi posts sweet tribute for dad to mark Steve Irwin Day

<p dir="ltr">To mark Steve Irwin Day, held annually on November 15, his daughter Bindi Irwin posted a heartfelt message for her Dad on Instagram. Underneath a photo of the pair enjoying a sunset, Bindi wrote, “Your legacy will live on forever. I love you for even longer.”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRi414PIhF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRi414PIhF/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bindi Irwin (@bindisueirwin)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Younger brother Robert also posted tributes to his Dad to mark the occasion. Underneath a photo of Robert, Bindi, and Steve, Robert wrote, “Today is #SteveIrwinDay. Thinking a lot about my Dad today and the impact that he made on our planet, inspiring an entire generation. I also think about what a truly amazing dad he was.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Through a lifetime captured on camera and stories from my family and those who knew him best, I’m able to remember the special times with dad. I still look up to him every day and while I miss him so much, it means the world to me and my family that each year we can have a day for the world to celebrate what he stood for❤️”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Bindi commented on the photo, “Love you so much”.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRc8kJBUPz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRc8kJBUPz/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Robert posted another tribute later in the day, thanking supporters for celebrating Steve Irwin Day. His second post read, “Wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who celebrated Steve Irwin Day today. It means the world to see so many people sharing stories and memories of how my dad changed their lives and inspired them. It is the honour of my life to get to continue his mission ❤️”.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWS__1chnBV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWS__1chnBV/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Robert Irwin (@robertirwinphotography)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Other tributes included one from the Australian Embassy in the United States, where Steve Irwin became incredibly popular thanks to his<span> </span><em>Crocodile Hunter</em><span> </span>series. Their tweet read, “Throw on your best khaki today as we celebrate Steve Irwin Day. Steve created a legacy inspiring people to love all wildlife, no matter how big, small, fluffy or scaly. So let’s all take a page out of Steve’s book today &amp; appreciate &amp; be kind to every living thing 💚🐍🐊🐨”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Throw on your best khaki today as we celebrate Steve Irwin Day. Steve created a legacy inspiring people to love all wildlife, no matter how big, small, fluffy or scaly. So let’s all take a page out of Steve’s book today &amp; appreciate &amp; be kind to every living thing 💚🐍🐊🐨 <a href="https://t.co/qjj32ch8UH">pic.twitter.com/qjj32ch8UH</a></p> — Australia in the US 🇦🇺🇺🇸 (@AusintheUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/AusintheUS/status/1460331434544181257?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2021</a></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, the non-profit organisation established by Steve and wife Terri, also posted in honour of the special day. Their Instagram post, accompanied by a photo of the entire Irwin family, read, “Today, we are celebrating Steve Irwin Day by honouring the most extraordinary Wildlife Warrior that ever lived. Steve’s passion and enthusiasm to conserve wildlife inspired countless others, people just like you, to fight for the protection of wildlife and wild places. 🙌🏻</p> <p dir="ltr">Join us as we come together and continue Steve’s important conservation work by educating and connecting people with wildlife, in the hope that one day humans and wildlife will live harmoniously alongside each other. We’re all #WildlifeWarriors, and we are proudly wearing our khakis today. 💚”</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRf0OwPk5Y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRf0OwPk5Y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Wildlife Warriors (@wildlifewarriorsworldwide)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Steve died in September 2006 after being injured by a stingray, leaving behind wife Terri, Bindi, 8, and Robert, 2.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: John Stanton/WireImage</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Mark Zuckerberg reveals Facebook’s new name

<p dir="ltr">Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder and CEO of Facebook, announced the company’s new name at its annual Connect conference on Thursday. The company will now be known as Meta, partly in an effort to distinguish it from the website Facebook, which will retain its name, and partly to reflect Zuckerberg’s vision for the future of the internet.</p> <p dir="ltr">The name is a reference to the metaverse, a concept that takes its name from the 1992 Neal Stephenson novel<span> </span><em>Snow Crash</em>. While there is no single universally accepted definition of the metaverse, an<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://about.fb.com/news/2021/09/building-the-metaverse-responsibly/" target="_blank">about page<span> </span></a>on Meta’s website describes it as, “ a set of virtual spaces where you can create and explore with other people who aren’t in the same physical space as you.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Other definitions are more complex. Venture capitalist Matthew Ball, author of<span> </span><em>Metaverse Primer,<span> </span></em>describes it as, “an expansive network of persistent, real-time rendered 3D worlds and simulations that support continuity of identity, objects, history, payments, and entitlements, and can be experienced synchronously by an effectively unlimited number of users, each with an individual sense of presence.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Digital scholar Janet Murray’s definition is far more straightforward; she describes the metaverse as “a magical Zoom meeting that has all the playful release of Animal Crossing.”</p> <p dir="ltr">When announcing the name change, Zuckerberg explained that the name Facebook is still closely linked to one product, and doesn’t fully encompass everything the company is and does, including its other popular social media platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp. The decision to distinguish between a company and its most popular product isn’t unusual in Silicon Valley: Google was renamed Alphabet Inc. following a 2015 restructuring, and Apple dropped the ‘Computers’ from its company name in 2007 in order to reflect its shift into offering a wider range of products.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We are a company that builds technology to connect,” Zuckerberg said. “Together, we can finally put people at the center of our technology. And together, we can unlock a massively bigger creator economy.” He added, “over time, I hope we are seen as a metaverse company.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Chesnot/Getty Images</em></p>

News

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Handsome young royal set to mark historic milestone

<p>Arthur Chatto, 21, is about to become the first ever Royal to join the Marines – and of course he shared his exciting news with the Queen first, gaining her approval and making her proud.</p> <p>The young royal is the son of Lady Sarah Chatto and Daniel Chatto, while his grandmother (Princess Margaret) is the Queen’s younger sister, making Arthur 29th in line for the throne.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843640/arthur-chatto-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ff51e3734579446488d99da9f7c07892" /></p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p> <p>Chatto’s excitement for this new chapter of his life has seen him off into the wilds around Balmoral Castle on multiple camping trips and hiking long distances all throughout the Scottish Highlands while visiting his Royal Family. All of this done in preparation for commando training.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843641/arthur-chatto.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4667573b0f4649099822dd7e14504b51" /></p> <p><em>Image credit: Instagram @artchatto</em></p> <p>After having gained serious popularity on social media it is obvious Arthur is super self-confident and takes a lot of pride in both his appearance on and offline. With the support of Prince Edward, he is no doubt going to achieve great things.</p> <p><em>Images: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p> <p> </p>

Beauty & Style

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