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Debate erupts over groom's unconventional footwear choice

<p>In what seems to be a picture perfect wedding, eagle-eyed social media users spotted one odd detail. </p> <p>The couple were snapped standing at the altar, and while everything else about their outfit seemed flawless, one Reddit user called the groom out for wearing black Crocs and black socks to his wedding. </p> <p>“Imagine you get ready for three hours and your groom shows up in Crocs,” the user said. </p> <p>“Crocs would be a legit reason to say no at the altar,” another wrote, before adding: <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">“Crocs are a valid reason to not date someone. They are horrible.”</span></p> <p>“He’s wearing a suit, maybe he has a problem with his feet that he can’t wear proper footwear,” a third commented</p> <p>“Surely no one, no matter how casual in style, voluntarily leaves the house in Crocs?”</p> <p>However many other social media users were quick to defend the wedding faux pas, with some saying that they wish they had done the same thing at their own weeding. </p> <p>“He probably has an injured foot or broken toe. He’s perfectly groomed (a pun) otherwise and obviously tried to camouflage his socks and crocs with his attire," one sympathised. </p> <p>“Ya I have really severe diabetic neuropathy in my feet, especially my toes. Doctor actually suggested Crocs as they have extra space and don’t restrict movement," another added.</p> <p>“I wore flip flops under my dress. I hate heels with a passion,” a third wrote. </p> <p>"He's wearing a nice suit, matching dark socks so I'm not seeing an issue here as he probably has some kind of foot or back injury or pain. If I were marrying him this wouldn't bother me," added a fourth. </p> <p>“Let the man get married in something comfortable. My wife could have shown up in a potato sack barefoot for all I cared, she is there to marry me, not for a fashion show," a fifth defended. </p> <p><em>Image: Reddit</em></p> <p> </p>

Relationships

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Surprise choice for Time's 2023 Person of the Year

<p>Hold onto your hats, folks: Taylor Swift has been crowned <em>Time</em> magazine's Person of the Year for 2023, leaving the world collectively scratching its head and asking, "Did we miss the memo that we're living in Taylor's world now?"</p> <p>Traditionally reserved for influential political figures or those who've left an indelible mark on the global stage – <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">you know, like Russian President Vladimir Putin, King Charles III, Barbie – </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">this time the Person of the Year honour has been bestowed upon a pop sensation </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">who can make you both weep and dance in the span of a three-minute song.</span></p> <p>In a statement that surely made a few historians raise an eyebrow, <em>Time</em>'s editor-in-chief, Sam Jacobs, explained, "In a divided world, where too many institutions are failing, Taylor Swift found a way to transcend borders and be a source of light." Because when we think of bridging divides and bringing people together, we immediately think of "Shake It Off" and "Love Story".</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Time Magazine: We’d like to name you Person of the Yea-</p> <p>Me: Can I bring my cat. <a href="https://t.co/SOhkYKSTwG">https://t.co/SOhkYKSTwG</a></p> <p>— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) <a href="https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/1732406430857093501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>While past Persons of the Year have included world leaders and political heavyweights, Swift's victory signals a definite paradigm shift. Apparently, in 2023, the ability to make millions of people sing along to your breakup anthems and inspire an army of fans to don cat ears for Halloween is a more valuable global contribution than, say, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy being honoured for his courage in resisting Russia's invasion.</p> <p>In 2023, it seems we've collectively decided that what the world really needs is more "Bad Blood" and less, well, actual bad blood between nations.</p> <p>Chinese President Xi Jinping and Hollywood strikers also found themselves on the shortlist, along with <em>Barbie</em>, who apparently had a banner year as the highest-grossing film of 2023. Forget geopolitics; it's all about the dollars and sense.</p> <p>Swift also triumphed over King Charles III, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell, and even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Apparently, even the promise of artificial intelligence couldn't outshine the real magic of Taylor Swift.</p> <p>In the end, T-Swift's ability to sell out stadiums and break box office records with her concert movie proved that in a world full of political turmoil and global challenges, what we really need is a good sing-along. </p> <p><em>Images: Twitter / X</em></p>

Books

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Surprise choice for "Word of the Year"

<p>The Oxford University Press has named its word of the year, and the results are not what you expect. </p> <p>From "Swiftie" (an evid Taylor Swift fan), "situationship" (an informal romantic or sexual relationship)  and "prompt" (an instruction given to an AI program), it's clear that this year's line up was heavily influenced by Gen Z. </p> <p>This year's winner truly speaks volumes about the impact of the younger generation, after results from a public vote reveal that "Rizz" is the word of the year. </p> <p>Rizz is believed to come from the middle of the word charisma, and it is often used to describe someone's ability to attract or seduce someone else. </p> <p>The publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary also said that it can be used as a verb as in to "rizz up"  which means to attract or chat someone up. </p> <p>"It speaks to how younger generations create spaces — online or in person — where they own and define the language they use," the publisher said.</p> <p>"From activism to dating and wider culture, as Gen Z comes to have more impact on society, differences in perspectives and lifestyle play out in language, too."</p> <p>In a news release,  Oxford Languages President Casper Grathwohl said: "Rizz is a term that has boomed on social media, and speaks to how language that enjoys intense popularity and currency within particular social communities — and even in some cases lose their popularity and become passé — can bleed into the mainstream."</p> <p>One of the first instances of a celebrity using it, was when earlier this year <em>Spiderman</em> star Tom Holland said that he had "no rizz whatsoever", during an interview with <em>BuzzFeed</em>. </p> <p>"I have limited rizz," he said at the time, joking about his relationship with co-star Zendaya. </p> <p>Rizz was one of eight words that made it to the shortlist, which included a few other words like: “beige flag”, “parasocial”, “heat dome” and “de-influencing”. </p> <p>Rizz is heavily used online with the hashtag racking up billions of views on TikTok.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Books

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Your choice of holiday destination is a political act

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-canavan-228682">Brendan Canavan</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-huddersfield-1226">University of Huddersfield</a></em></p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCDd7hl3tLw">Tickets, money, passports!</a> We all know what to check for during that last minute packing panic. But preparing for your holidays is about more than what you squeeze into your suitcase. It is about making a political choice.</p> <p>Tourism is an industry tied up with national and international politics like no other. Tourists are a source of foreign exchange, governments promote themselves through visitors, and politicians quite often worry about the social freedom that tourism can nurture. For these reasons tourists are both courted and scapegoated.</p> <p>At the most basic level tourism counts as an export industry. It is a source of foreign currency and can help to prop up a nation financially.</p> <p>However, local people often see few of the benefits of hosting tourists. Large organisations tend to control much of the tourism industry. These frequently pay little in the way of <a href="https://www.taxjustice.net/2015/11/09/guest-blog-sun-sea-sand-tourism-and-fantasy-finance/">local taxes</a>. Meanwhile local people shoulder much of the burden of sharing their space and facilities with visitors.</p> <p>Some <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09669582.2016.1206112">indigenous people</a> have asked foreign tourists to stay away. They have argued that tourism is threatening their culture, damaging their land’s ecosystems, and is a form of colonialism. In <a href="http://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/visitor/sustainable-tourism-project/drafts/Native-Hawaiian-Impact-Report.pdf">Hawaii</a>, attempts are being made to reconcile some of the issues arising from the tourism industry over-exploiting an open and hospitable native culture.</p> <p>Where you spend your holiday money therefore contributes to legitimising particular politicians and their policies. However, tourists don’t just bring money into a destination. They also bring social and cultural inputs.</p> <p>Tourism has been associated with liberalising social values, empowering minorities, and even spreading democracy. In Spain, for example, the growth of tourism, initiated under the dictator, Francisco Franco, as a means of propping up an ailing economy, has been suggested as helping to usher in democratic change.</p> <p>Hosts and guests <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517715300224">exchange observations and ideas</a>. They form relationships. And they stimulate <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261517705000865">mutual creativity</a>. It is only in the past 20 years that China began to allow its people to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/05/only-governments-can-stem-tide-of-tourism-sweeping-the-globe">freely travel abroad</a> after decades of forced isolation. Politicians are frequently fearful of the subversive ideas and awkward questions that travellers might bring back with them.</p> <p>A residual mistrust of tourists can see them scapegoated by politicians looking to place convenient blame. <a href="http://web.mit.edu/11.951/oldstuff/albacete/Course%20Reader/Culture%20and%20History/Tremlett%202006%20Chapter%204.pdf">In Barcelona</a>, a city dependent on tourism for its late 20th-century revival, tourists are being made increasingly unwelcome. They are blamed for increasing costs of living for residents, rather than the broader challenges of inequality and financial stagnation that raise uncomfortable questions about local political capacity.</p> <h2>Image control</h2> <p>Tourism is also a way for governments to assert their ideologies – internally and externally. Visitors to <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g147271-d147980-Reviews-Museum_of_the_Revolution_Museo_de_la_Revolucion-Havana_Ciudad_de_la_Habana_Provinc.html">Cuba</a> for example, can visit the Museum of the Revolution, reportedly one of the top things to do in Havana.</p> <p>Research has shown that the exhibits <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160738399001152">sold as heritage</a> to tourists prioritise certain specific stories and can silence others. Over time the official narrative becomes established and other perspectives may be forgotten. <a href="https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/england-queer-history-recognised-recorded-celebrated">Historic England</a> has, for example, recently begun to try and include the often overlooked queer history of many heritage sites.</p> <p>Meanwhile tourism can be a means of raising and modifying a country’s image on the world stage. Israel has for many years used gay tourism to soften its international image by making the country seem progressive in a part of the world which generally is not. Dubai has established itself in the same region as a deluxe playground filled with sights and indulgence like nowhere else.</p> <p>However, the commitments of both of these destination’s governments to the touristic image they sell is debateable. LGBTQ people in Israel recently had restrictions placed upon their <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/protests-erupt-israel-lgbt-surrogacy-law-approved-1034931">right to surrogacy</a> by their parliament. Meanwhile Dubai is well known for its cases of people facing severe judicial sentences for acts as innocuous as accidentally <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/oct/22/briton-jailed-for-three-months-in-dubai-for-touching-mans-hip">brushing another man’s bum</a>.</p> <h2>Having a better holiday</h2> <p>On the one hand the image sold to tourists is often not the same as the reality faced by like-minded people living within a country. On the other, tourists may themselves be expected to conform to regulations they would not agree with or accept back home.</p> <p>The power of tourism is not lost on political actors. Recently the Chinese government successfully put <a href="https://theconversation.com/taiwan-how-airlines-are-being-dragged-into-chinas-bitter-dispute-over-the-islands-sovereignty-100932">pressure on international airlines</a> to stop referring to Taiwan as a country or face retaliation.</p> <p>Tourists should not leave it up to politicians to exploit their desire for exploration for self-interested purposes. We need to appreciate our power as consumers; supporting destinations that celebrate tourism as a means of mutually rewarding host-guest exchanges and boycotting those which do not. Tourists have a lot of potential influence. They should use it to hold politicians to account.</p> <p>So there are a few things to consider when planning your holiday. Find out whether your travel provider committed to investing in local taxes, jobs and suppliers. Research the attitudes of local residents towards tourism beforehand in order that you can be a better guest. Bring back more than a nice tan by swapping ideas, stories and phone numbers. Check the public image of a destination matches its private one and don’t support hypocrites. And finally, be aware of politicians using tourism to bully those with whom they don’t agree – and be prepared to call them out.<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/100846/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/brendan-canavan-228682"><em>Brendan Canavan</em></a><em>, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-huddersfield-1226">University of Huddersfield</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/your-choice-of-holiday-destination-is-a-political-act-100846">original article</a>.</em></p>

International Travel

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Wes Anderson has an obsessive, systematic repetition of stylistic choices. He’s perfect for this TikTok meme

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/alex-munt-1380279">Alex Munt</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a></em></p> <p>Iconoclastic film director Wes Anderson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdt0oam6O1o">says of his films</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>I always feel like any character from one of my movies could walk into another one of the movies and be at home there.</p> </blockquote> <p>With the premiere of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FXCSXuGTF4">Asteroid City</a> at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival next week, fans have been doing just that – walking themselves into faux Anderson movies.</p> <p>TikTokers are creatively “Wes-Andersonifying” their everyday lives: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@keithafadi/video/7221582114880294150">at lunch</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@taramilktea/video/7226286920093977857?q=wes%20anderson%20challenge&amp;t=1683337148719">at the hotel pool</a> or <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hilakleinh3/video/7225644281799691563?q=wes%20anderson%20challenge&amp;t=1683337148719">at the bookstore</a>. The TikToks are all set to a score by Alexandre Desplat from The French Dispatch (2021).</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-855" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/855/b970b886fa15cd22f469e5441d15262ddaa1d2c8/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>It’s fun to see Anderson’s film style rolled out across diverse cultural and geographic borders. This syncs with the filmmaker’s affinity for global cinema. He draws inspiration from the films of Yasujirō Ozu, Satyajit Ray, Jean Renoir, Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut and Jacques Rivette – to name just a few.</p> <p>For Tiktok’s Anderson fans, here’s a “<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@andyyongfilms/video/7227440401572039938">How To</a>” by @andyyongfilms which shows a recipe for the film style: a title card (Futura font, with typewriter effect), symmetrical compositions, bright coloured or pastel outfits, retro props, an overhead shot plus a “<a href="https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/swish-pan-whip-pan-definition-film/">whip-pan</a>” camera movement. A few of the TikToks are highly polished, clearly from creators with a film education, such as <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@qmike/video/7223410519741418757">The British Dispatch</a>.</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-856" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/856/3ed36e627f542ded4bb2f6244eb11b5a4b4a1626/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <h2>Reimagining a film style</h2> <p>The Anderson-inspired TikToks are playful ruminations on the question of “film style” today. Stanley Kubrick once said a film director is a “<a href="https://craigberry93.medium.com/stanley-kubrick-at-the-design-museum-4e79b3c11af9">taste machine</a>”, which Anderson revels in to excess.</p> <p>Symmetry within the frame is perhaps the most obvious element of the Anderson film style and one easy to replicate in the TikToks. With an obsessive devotion to staging scenes in symmetry, Anderson breaks the “<a href="https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-the-rule-of-thirds/">rule of thirds</a>” for visual composition. In contrast, he pins his actors dead centre as shown in this <a href="https://vimeo.com/89302848">video essay</a> by Kogonada.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/89302848" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Working with his regular cinematographer Robert Yeoman, Anderson uses planar compositions to create graphic cinema which shares an affinity with illustration and painting.</p> <p>His “planar” approach to staging means the camera remains perpendicular to the subject, which the rapid whip-pan camera movements maintain <em>within</em> a shot. Anderson stages his actors across the frame – like garments on a clothesline – and in depth. You can see this in the image from Asteroid City above.</p> <p>This staging style is a departure from the mainstream visual style of film and television today which situates the camera at oblique angles to the actors, enhancing the layers of foreground, midground and background – closer to the way we see and experience the world.</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-857" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/857/4a449631c65d123c2342e08df14cd09f3b6d79a4/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>In contrast, Anderson’s approach calls out the artificiality of cinema. He recalls historical film styles from early cinema theatricality to the pop-art cinema of the late 1960s, for example in the films of the late Jean-Luc Godard.</p> <p>Colour is another aspect of Wes Anderson’s visual style, which spills across the TikToks. Like a handful of directors today, he still shoots on film (16mm and 35mm) but now uses digital tools to <a href="https://musicbed.com/articles/filmmaking/cinematography/robert-yeoman-asc-on-shooting-wes-andersons-the-french-dispatch">grade the colour</a> of the images. The Euro-pastels from The Grand Budapest Hotel resurface in American shades for Asteroid City.</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-858" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/858/d333cb73c1d0b0fdb4ca1f8d48313a013754f2ec/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <h2>Where to next?</h2> <p>As a system in and of itself, the film style of Anderson is ripe for TikTok due to its boldness, clarity and repetition of techniques.</p> <p>Film style operates at the level of the shot. We might recall signature shots such as Hitchcock’s “vertigo effect” (where the camera lens zooms into a subject as the camera moves away), Scorsese’s tracking shots, Nolan’s close-up shots of hands or Tarantino’s point-of-view shots from inside a car boot.</p> <p>But these are isolated shots rather than Anderson’s obsessive, systematic repetition of stylistic choices within each film and across his oeuvre. On TikTok some shots are easier to craft that others, as @astonmartinf1 details in his <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@jllacar/video/7226811816553270571?q=wes%20anderson%20challenge&amp;t=1683337148719">analysis</a> of the Wes Anderson Trend, noting the omission of camera movement in many of the videos which is a defining aspect of his film style proper.</p> <p><iframe id="tc-infographic-859" class="tc-infographic" style="border: none;" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/859/f9767494a7a94dd0475e121fc36513afcc110279/site/index.html" width="100%" height="400px" frameborder="0"></iframe></p> <p>In filmmaking, moving the camera is often expensive, separating the amateur from the professional. Anderson’s tracking shots are only feasible within an industrial filmmaking process. While the TikToks may be highly creative, they are made with slim resources a world away from the film budgets of Anderson, who enjoys Medici-like support <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/reliable-source/wp/2015/01/23/mysterious-d-c-mogul-steve-rales-is-behind-oscar-nominated-pic/">from US billionaire Steven Rales</a>.</p> <p>Saying this, there are other aspects of the Wes Anderson style the TikToks could hijack on a budget, such as playfulness with the image aspect ratio and slow-motion photography. Aspect ratio is the relationship between the width and height of an image. TikTok is 9:16, an inverted ratio to our widescreen TVs.</p> <p>As part of his film style, Anderson uses the Classical Hollywood ratio of 4:3 seen in <a href="https://youtu.be/dvubfl-qeC8">The French Dispatch</a>. Both ratios are designed for people (all those selfies) over landscapes, so creative opportunities here for TikTokers.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dvubfl-qeC8?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>Anderson is also a fan of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRGqeHIItY8">slow-motion</a> to accentuate key dramatic moments in his films. Today’s smartphones shoot “slo-mo” well, and using TikTok and other basic editing apps the user can apply speed effects to their footage.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yRGqeHIItY8?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> <p>And as generative AI representations of film style wash across social media there’s a new set of questions altogether. Here’s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CqxBkJnvPRa/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D">Harry Potter as directed by Wes Anderson</a> created by @panoramachannel with AI software Midjourney. But that’s another conversation.<!-- 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/alex-munt-1380279">Alex Munt</a>, Associate Professor, Media Arts &amp; Production, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a></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/wes-anderson-has-an-obsessive-systematic-repetition-of-stylistic-choices-hes-perfect-for-this-tiktok-meme-204803">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Searchlight Pictures</em></p>

Movies

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"I can only do so much": we asked fast-fashion shoppers how ethical concerns shape their choices

<p>You’ve found the perfect dress. You’ve tried it on before and you know it looks great. Now it’s on sale, a discount so large the store is practically giving it away. Should you buy it?</p> <p>For some of us it’s a no-brainer. For others it’s an ethical dilemma whenever we shop for clothes. <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JFMM-01-2019-0011/full/html">What matters more</a>? How the item was made or how much it costs? Is the most important information on the label or the price tag?</p> <p>Of the world’s industries that profit from worker exploitation, the <a href="https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/">fashion industry is notorious</a>, in part because of the sharp contrast between how fashion is made and how it is marketed. </p> <p>There are more people <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/books/WCMS_575479/lang--en/index.htm">working in exploitative conditions</a> than ever before. Globally, the garment industry employs millions of people, with <a href="https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/documents/briefingnote/wcms_758626.pdf">65 million garment sector workers in Asia alone</a>. The Clean Clothes Campaign estimates <a href="https://cleanclothes.org/poverty-wages">less than 1%</a> of what you pay for a typical garment goes to the workers who made it.</p> <h2>How much does a worker make on a $30 shirt?</h2> <p>Some work in conditions so exploitative they meet the definition of being <a href="https://www.commonobjective.co/article/modern-slavery-and-the-fashion-industry">modern slaves</a> – trapped in situations they can’t leave due to coercion and threats.</p> <p>But their plight is hidden by the distance between the worker and the buyer. Global supply chains have helped such exploitation to hide and thrive. </p> <p>Do we really care, and what can we do?</p> <p>We conducted <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-06-2021-0158">in-depth interviews</a> with 21 women who buy “fast fashion” – “on-trend” clothing made and sold at very low cost – to find out how much they think about the conditions of the workers who make their clothes, and and what effort they take to avoid slave-free clothing. Well-known fast-fashion brands include H&amp;M, Zara and Uniqlo.</p> <p>What they told us highlights the inadequacy of seeking to eradicate exploitation in the fashion industry by relying on consumers to do the heavy lifting. Struggling to seek reliable information on ethical practices, consumers are overwhelmed when trying to navigate ethical consumerism. </p> <h2>Out of sight, out of mind</h2> <p>The 21 participants in our research were women aged 18 to 55, from diverse backgrounds across Australia. We selected participants who were aware of exploitation in the fashion industry but had still bought fast fashion in the previous six months. This was not a survey but qualitative research involving in-depth interviews to understand the disconnect between awareness and action.</p> <p>Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-06-2021-0158">key finding </a> is that clothing consumers’ physical and cultural distance from those who make the clothes makes it difficult to relate to their experience. Even if we’ve seen images of sweatshops, it’s still hard to comprehend what the working conditions are truly like.</p> <p>As Fiona*, a woman in her late 30s, put it: “I don’t think people care [but] it’s not in a nasty way. It’s like an out of sight, out of mind situation.”</p> <p>This problem of geographic and cultural distance between garment workers and fashion shoppers highlights the paucity of solutions premised on driving change in the industry through consumer activism. </p> <h2>Who is responsible?</h2> <p>Australia’s Modern Slavery Act, for example, tackles the problem only by requiring large companies to report to a <a href="https://modernslaveryregister.gov.au/">public register</a>on their efforts to identify risks of modern slavery in their supply chains and what they are doing to eliminate these risks. </p> <p>While greater transparency is certainly a big step forward for the industry, the legislation still presumes that the threat of reputational damage is enough to get industry players to change their ways. </p> <p>The success of the legislation falls largely on the ability of activist organisations to sift through and publicise the performance of companies in an effort to encourage consumers to hold companies accountable.</p> <p>All our interviewees told us they felt unfairly burdened with the responsibility to seek information on working conditions and ethical practices to hold retailers to account or to feel empowered to make the “correct” ethical choice.</p> <p>“It’s too hard sometimes to actually track down the line of whether something’s made ethically,” said Zoe*, a woman in her early 20s.</p> <p>Given that many retailers are themselves ignorant about <a href="https://www.afr.com/wealth/investing/companies-risk-litigation-over-modern-slavery-ignorance-20201215-p56nix">their own supply chains</a>, it is asking a lot to expect the average consumer to unravel the truth and make ethical shopping choices.</p> <h2>Confusion + overwhelm = inaction</h2> <p>“We have to shop according to what we care about, what is in line with our values, family values, budget,” said Sarah*, who is in her early 40s. </p> <p>She said she copes with feeling overwhelmed by ignoring some issues and focus on the ethical actions she knew would make a difference. “I’m doing so many other good things,” she said. “We can’t be perfect, and I can only do so much.” </p> <p>Other participants also talked about juggling considerations about environmental and social impacts.</p> <p>“It’s made in Bangladesh, but it’s 100% cotton, so, I don’t know, is it ethical?” is how Lauren*, a woman in her early 20s, put it. “It depends on what qualifies as ethical […] and what is just marketing.”</p> <p>Comparatively, participants felt their actions to mitigate environmental harm made a tangible difference. They could see the impact and felt rewarded and empowered to continue making positive change. This was not the case for modern slavery and worker rights more generally.</p> <p>Fast fashion is a lucrative market, with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-billionaire-family-behind-fast-fashion-powerhouse-boohoo-2019-11?r=AU&amp;IR=T">billions in profits made</a>thanks to the work of the lowest paid workers in the world.</p> <p>There is no denying consumers wield a lot of power, and we shouldn’t absolve consumers of their part in creating demand for the cheapest clothes humanly – or inhumanly – possible. </p> <p>But consumer choice alone is insufficient. We need a system where all our clothing choices are ethical, where we don’t need to make a choice between what is right and what is cheap.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-can-only-do-so-much-we-asked-fast-fashion-shoppers-how-ethical-concerns-shape-their-choices-172978" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Game of Thrones: King Charles III’s choice of royal residences

<p dir="ltr">After King Charles III was sworn in as England’s next monarch, he isn’t just assuming his late mother’s royal duties, but also ownership of her residences.</p> <p dir="ltr">Charles has a choice of five palaces when it comes to his official home, though he doesn’t necessarily have to select just one.</p> <p dir="ltr">If he follows in his mother’s footsteps, he could choose to travel between several locations for official duties and downtime.</p> <p dir="ltr">"He is going to have to weigh up the cost against the importance of keeping these palaces and castles and residences truly royal by using them," a source told The Times.</p> <p dir="ltr">With choices spanning London to Berkshire, here’s a whirlwind tour of the residences King Charles III can choose from.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Buckingham Palace, London</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Having been the official London residence for monarchs for 185 years, when Queen Victoria first took up residence there in 1837, Buckingham Palace has a lengthy history.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/buckingham-palace1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">The 775-room building is now used as the administrative headquarters, or royal office, of the monarch thanks to its 92 offices, 188 staff bedrooms, and 52 royal and guest bedrooms.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, if Charles does want to move in, current renovations to the palace mean he’ll have to wait. The changes are estimated to cost over $700 million, with an expected completion date in 2027.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Clarence House, London</strong></p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-2d39489f-7fff-5e30-274a-64c59b13a02d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Located beside St James’ Palace, Clarence House has been a royal residence for slightly longer than Buckingham Palace, having been built in 1827 for Prince William Henry, Duke of Clarence.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/clarence-house.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">King Charles and Camilla, now the Queen Consort, have called Clarence House home since 2003.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Sandringham House, Norfolk</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">The 20,000-acre Norfolk property is known as the royal’s country house and has been passed down through the royal family for centuries.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4bb18b46-7fff-90ad-bae9-edbe888bb618"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">With its sprawling acreage, more than 200 people make their living from the estate, including gamekeepers, gardeners, farmers and workers at Sandringham’s sawmill.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/sandringham-house.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">Sandringham House has also gone down in history as the location of Queen Elizabeth II’s first televised Christmas message.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Highgrove House, Gloucestershire</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-5f131cc5-7fff-199d-a2a2-8d500d15656c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">King Charles has used Highgrove House as his private residence since the 1980s - over 180 years after it was built.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/highgrove-house.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">Before Charles lived there, the Georgian home belonged to Maurice Macmillan, the son of former British PM Maurice Macmillan.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nowadays, Highgrove House sees around 40,000 visitors walk through the estate’s expansive gardens each year.</p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Windsor Castle, Berkshire</strong></p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-8caa6e34-7fff-332d-a7be-5ff6431b396c"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">With more than 1000 rooms and over 300 fireplaces, Windsor Castle has been in the royal family for 900 years.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/09/windsor-castle.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr">But it isn’t the only building located on the property, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s residence, Frogmore Cottage.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4717eb95-7fff-b26c-bd92-01a19636cb35"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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ACCC says consumers need more choices about what online marketplaces are doing with their data

<p>Consumers using online retail marketplaces such as eBay and Amazon “have little effective choice in the amount of data they share”, according to the <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/publications/serial-publications/digital-platform-services-inquiry-2020-2025/digital-platform-services-inquiry-march-2022-interim-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">latest report</a> of the Australian Competition &amp; Consumer Commission (ACCC) Digital Platform Services Inquiry.</p> <p>Consumers may benefit from personalisation and recommendations in these marketplaces based on their data, but many are in the dark about how much personal information these companies collect and share for other purposes.</p> <p><a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/concerning-issues-for-consumers-and-sellers-on-online-marketplaces" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb</a> said:</p> <blockquote> <p>We believe consumers should be given more information about, and control over, how online marketplaces collect and use their data.</p> </blockquote> <p>The report reiterates the ACCC’s earlier calls for amendments to the Australian Consumer Law to address unfair data terms and practices. It also points out that the government is considering <a href="https://www.ag.gov.au/integrity/consultations/review-privacy-act-1988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proposals for major changes to privacy law</a>.</p> <p>However, none of these proposals is likely to come into effect in the near future. In the meantime, we should also consider whether practices such as obtaining information about users from third-party data brokers are fully compliant with existing privacy law.</p> <p><strong>Why did the ACCC examine online marketplaces?</strong></p> <p>The ACCC examined competition and consumer issues associated with “general online retail marketplaces” as part of its <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/focus-areas/inquiries-ongoing/digital-platform-services-inquiry-2020-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">five-year Digital Platform Services Inquiry</a>.</p> <p>These marketplaces facilitate transactions between third-party sellers and consumers on a common platform. They do not include retailers that don’t operate marketplaces, such as Kmart, or platforms such as Gumtree that carry classified ads but don’t allow transactions.</p> <p>The ACCC report focuses on the four largest online marketplaces in Australia: Amazon Australia, Catch, eBay Australia and Kogan. In 2020–21, these four carried sales totalling $8.4 billion.</p> <figure class="align-center "><em><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460716/original/file-20220502-18-4pvx0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/460716/original/file-20220502-18-4pvx0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=401&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460716/original/file-20220502-18-4pvx0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=401&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460716/original/file-20220502-18-4pvx0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=401&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460716/original/file-20220502-18-4pvx0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460716/original/file-20220502-18-4pvx0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/460716/original/file-20220502-18-4pvx0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=503&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="" /></em><figcaption><em><span class="caption">Online marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Catch and Kogan facilitate transactions between third-party buyers and sellers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/new-york-usa-november-1-2018-1219079038" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shutterstock</a></span></em></figcaption></figure> <p>According to the report, eBay has the largest sales of these companies. Amazon Australia is the second-largest and the fastest-growing, with an 87% increase in sales over the past two years.</p> <p>The ACCC examined:</p> <ul> <li>the state of competition in the relevant markets</li> <li>issues facing sellers who depend on selling their products through these marketplaces</li> <li>consumer issues including concerns about personal information collection, use and sharing.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Consumers don’t want their data used for other purposes</strong></p> <p>The ACCC expressed concern that in online marketplaces, “the extent of data collection, use and disclosure … often does not align with consumer preferences”.</p> <p>The Commission pointed to surveys about <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Consumer%20Policy%20Research%20Centre%20%28CPRC%29%20%2818%20August%202021%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian consumer attitudes to privacy</a> which indicate:</p> <ul> <li>94% did not feel comfortable with how digital platforms including online marketplaces collect their personal information</li> <li>92% agreed that companies should only collect information they need for providing their product or service</li> <li>60% considered it very or somewhat unacceptable for their online behaviour to be monitored for targeted ads and offers.</li> </ul> <p>However, the four online marketplaces analysed:</p> <ul> <li>do not proactively present privacy terms to consumers “throughout the purchasing journey”</li> <li>may allow advertisers or other third parties to place tracking cookies on users’ devices</li> <li>do not clearly identify how consumers can opt out of cookies while still using the marketplace.</li> </ul> <p>Some of the marketplaces also obtain extra data about individuals from third-party data brokers or advertisers.</p> <p>The <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3432769" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harms from increased tracking and profiling</a> of consumers include decreased privacy; manipulation based on detailed profiling of traits and weaknesses; and discrimination or exclusion from opportunities.</p> <p><strong>Limited choices: you can’t just ‘walk out of a store’</strong></p> <p>Some might argue that consumers must not actually care that much about privacy if they keep using these companies, but the choice is not so simple.</p> <p>The ACCC notes the relevant privacy terms are often spread across multiple web pages and offered on a “take it or leave it” basis.</p> <p>The terms also use “bundled consents”. This means that agreeing to the company using your data to fill your order, for example, may be bundled together with agreeing for the company to use your data for its separate advertising business.</p> <p>Further, as my research has shown, there is <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3905693" target="_blank" rel="noopener">so little competition on privacy</a> between these marketplaces that consumers can’t just find a better offer. The ACCC agrees:</p> <blockquote> <p>While consumers in Australia can choose between a number of online marketplaces, the common approaches and practices of the major online marketplaces to data collection and use mean that consumers have little effective choice in the amount of data they share.</p> </blockquote> <p>Consumers also seem unable to require these companies to delete their data. The situation is quite different from conventional retail interactions where a consumer can select “unsubscribe” or walk out of a store.</p> <p><strong>Does our privacy law currently permit all these practices?</strong></p> <p>The ACCC has reiterated its earlier calls to amend the Australian Consumer Law to prohibit unfair practices and make unfair contract terms illegal. (At present unfair contract terms are just void, or unenforceable.)</p> <p>The report also points out that the government is considering proposals for major changes to privacy law, but <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-new-proposed-privacy-code-promises-tough-rules-and-10-million-penalties-for-tech-giants-170711" target="_blank" rel="noopener">these changes</a> are uncertain and may take more than a year to come into effect.</p> <p>In the meantime, we should look more closely at the practices of these marketplaces under current privacy law.</p> <p>For example, under the <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C2004A03712" target="_blank" rel="noopener">federal Privacy Act</a> the four marketplaces</p> <blockquote> <p>must collect personal information about an individual only from the individual unless … it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so.</p> </blockquote> <p>However, <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3905693" target="_blank" rel="noopener">some online marketplaces</a> say they collect information about individual consumers’ interests and demographics from “<a href="https://www.ebay.com.au/help/policies/member-behaviour-policies/user-privacy-notice-privacy-policy?id=4260&amp;mkevt=1&amp;mkcid=1&amp;mkrid=705-53470-19255-0&amp;campid=5338596835&amp;customid=&amp;toolid=10001#section4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data providers</a>” and <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202075050&amp;ref_=footer_iba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">other third parties</a>.</p> <p>We don’t know the full detail of what’s collected, but demographic information might include our age range, income, or family details.</p> <p>How is it “unreasonable or impracticable” to obtain information about our demographics and interests directly from us? Consumers could ask online marketplaces this question, and complain to the <a href="https://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-complaints" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Office of the Australian Information Commissioner</a> if there is no reasonable answer.<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/182134/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/katharine-kemp-402096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katharine Kemp</a>, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Law &amp; Justice, UNSW, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/accc-says-consumers-need-more-choices-about-what-online-marketplaces-are-doing-with-their-data-182134" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Technology

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"I had no choice": Tragic reason why F1 boss took his own life

<p dir="ltr">The heartbreaking reason why F1 boss Max Mosley committed suicide has been revealed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 81-year-old was found dead with “significant injuries consistent with a gunshot wound”, <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/18101716/max-mosley-shot-himsel-terminal-cancer-diagnosis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sun</a> reported.</p> <p dir="ltr">On Tuesday, the Westminster Coroner in London heard that Mosley had shot himself when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.</p> <p dir="ltr">Following his terminal diagnosis, Mosley was told that he had “weeks” to live, and there was no cure for his chronic bladder and bowel pain. He was offered palliative care.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mosley was found dead lying in a pool of his blood with a double-barreled shotgun in between his knees on May 24, 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">Outside on his bedroom door was a note that read: “Do not enter, call the police”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police had also found a suicide note on the bedside table that was covered in blood. The only words they could make out were, “I had no choice”, the court heard.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It was obvious he had used the shotgun on himself and endured a life-ending injury. It’s clear he had injuries not compatible with life,” the coroner said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mosley was referred to Dr Rasha Al-Quarainy, a consultant in palliative care from the Central and North West London NHS Trust, a month before his suicide.</p> <p dir="ltr">She told the courts that Mosley’s B-cell Lymphoma was “inoperable” and that he hadn’t mentioned any suicidal thoughts.</p> <p dir="ltr">“On the contrary he said that he had plans to renovate their home in Gloucestershire that wasn’t going to be finished until July.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was still seeking treatment possibly in the US, possibly in the UK, and some other matters he spoke to me about.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Dr Christopher McNamara, a consultant haematologist, who had been treating Mosley since 2019, said he had spoken about his life.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He emailed me on 22 May 2021, these were questions about the management of the condition. He had accepted this would not be cured,” Dr McNamara said in court.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was extremely upset as his quality of life was poor and left him uncomfortable.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He had expressed ideas of committing suicide to myself and other members of the team previously.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He never expressed a plan of doing this and all he said was that the problem was his wife would not accept this.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Caring

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New Zealand dominates Traveller’s Choice Awards

<p dir="ltr">New Zealand has beaten Australia in TripAdvisor’s annual Traveller’s Choice list across several adventurous categories, with Queenstown taking out the top spot for the Pacific.</p><p dir="ltr">The annual list is compiled using reviews and ratings on the TripAdvisor website, and 2021’s results showed it was the year for short getaways and outdoor destinations.</p><p dir="ltr">Auckland ranked as the third most popular destination in the Pacific, following behind scenic balloon tours by Lake Wakatipu and jet skiing in Bora Bora in first and second place.</p><p dir="ltr">As for the best overall experiences, Rotorua came in first and fourth for white water rafting and ziplining respectively, followed by quad bike tours on Kangaroo Island in second place, and a discovery tour on Queensland’s Magnetic Island coming in third. </p><p dir="ltr">Though New Zealand took out the top spots, Australia had six “best destinations” in the top 10 over their Kiwi neighbour’s three.</p><p dir="ltr"><strong>Top 10 Popular Destinations in the South Pacific</strong></p><p dir="ltr">1. Queenstown – New Zealand</p><p dir="ltr">2. Bora Bora – French Polynesia</p><p dir="ltr">3. Auckland – New Zealand</p><p dir="ltr">4. Gold Coast – Australia</p><p dir="ltr">5. Hobart – Australia</p><p dir="ltr">6. Sydney – Australia</p><p dir="ltr">7. Port Douglas – Australia</p><p dir="ltr">8. Cairns – Australia</p><p dir="ltr">9. Melbourne – Australia</p><p dir="ltr">10. Rotorua – New Zealand</p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-67978a44-7fff-7bde-be38-e2ffc87116fa"></span></p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @queenstownnz (Instagram)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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What your music choice says about your personality

<p dir="ltr">A study has found the link between an individual’s music preferences and distinctive personality traits in music fans around the world. </p><p dir="ltr">The research, conducted by the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/musical-preferences-unite-personalities-worldwide">University of Cambridge</a>, found that those who like Ed Sheeran’s latest album are likely to be extroverted and confident, with their findings consistent across multiple countries. </p><p dir="ltr">Neurotic traits were found in global fans of Nirvana’s grunge hit <em>Smells Like Teen Spirit</em>, while most people will tend to sing Marvin Gaye’s <em>What’s Going On</em>, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's <em>Shallow</em>, regardless of personality. </p><p dir="ltr">The study, which involved more than 350,000 people from over 50 countries, found that conscientious people are unlikely to like the music from Rage Against the Machine, while international borders could not stop people from playing David Bowie’s <em>Space Oddity</em>. </p><p dir="ltr">Leader of the study Dr David Greenberg, who is also a musician, said the research shows an international common ground through music. </p><p dir="ltr">He said, “People may be divided by geography, language and culture, but if an introvert in one part of the world likes the same music as introverts elsewhere, that suggests that music could be a very powerful bridge.”</p><p dir="ltr">Dr Greenberg was surprised by the results of how neuroticism is expressed through a musical outlet, expecting people would prefer a slower, more sad song to express their discomfort. </p><p dir="ltr">However, according to Dr Greenberg, “Actually, on average, they seem to prefer more intense musical styles, which perhaps reflects inner angst and frustration.”</p><p dir="ltr">“That was surprising but people use music in different ways — some might use it for catharsis, others to change their mood.”</p><p dir="ltr">Today, people are using music as a way to signal their personality and so, the study argues, there is potential to use music as a way to bridge gaps between different social groups through the common language of music. </p><p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Music

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10 tips on how to make healthier choices when you go out to eat

<p><strong>Ask for it your way </strong></p><p><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Dining out is no time to be a meek consumer, notes Dr Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and co-author of the book </span><em style="border: 0px;font-size: 16px;margin: 0px;padding: 0px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #444444;background-color: #ffffff">Restaurant Confidential</em><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">. “You need to be an assertive consumer by asking for changes on the menu,” he says. For instance, if an item is fried, ask for it grilled. If it comes with French fries, ask for a side of veggies instead. Ask for a smaller portion of the meat and a larger portion of the salad; for salad instead of coleslaw; baked potato instead of fried. “Just assume you can have the food prepared the way you want it,” says Dr Jacobson. “Very often, the restaurant will cooperate.”</span></p><p><strong><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Ask to "triple the vegetables please"</span></strong></p><p><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Often a side of vegetables in a restaurant is really like garnish – a carrot and a forkful of squash. When ordering, ask for three or four times the normal serving of veggies, and offer to pay extra. “I’ve never been charged,” says dietitian Dr Jeff Novick. “And I’ve never been disappointed. I get full.”</span></p><p><strong><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Ask how the food was prepared</span></strong></p><div id="page4"><div id="test"><div><p>Get an idea of the ingredients in your dish, such as salt, butter and oil, and how much is used.</p><div data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/20-tricks-to-eating-healthy-while-eating-out"> </div></div></div></div><div id="page5"><div id="test"></div></div><p><strong><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Order from the "healthy or light" entrees on the menu</span></strong></p><div id="page5"><div id="test"><div><p>Some restaurants list kilojoules and nutritional content of their meals. Check first before ordering.</p><div data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/20-tricks-to-eating-healthy-while-eating-out"> </div></div></div></div><div id="page6"><div id="test"></div></div><p><strong><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Beware of "low-carb" options</span></strong></p><p><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Restaurant chains have jumped on the low-carb bandwagon, offering numerous low-carb options on their menu. But low-carb doesn’t mean low-kilojoule.</span></p><p><strong><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Share with a partner</span></strong></p><p>A CSPI survey found that restaurants often serve two to three times more than food labels list as a serving.</p><p><strong>Order a salad before ordering anything else on the menu</strong></p><p><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Scientists at Pennsylvania State University found that volunteers who ate a big veggie salad before the main course ate fewer kilojoules overall than those who didn’t have a first-course salad, notes Novick.</span></p><div id="page7"><div id="test"><div><div data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/20-tricks-to-eating-healthy-while-eating-out"> </div></div></div></div><div id="page8"><div id="test"><strong>Do the fork dip </strong></div><div><div id="page2"><div id="test"><p>Don’t like it when your salad is drowning in a sea of oil? Get your dressing on the side, in a small bowl. Dip your empty fork into the dressing, then skewer a forkful of salad. You’ll be surprised at how this tastes just right, and how little dressing you’ll use.</p><p><strong>Ask the waitor to skip the bread basket</strong></p><p><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">If you must have something to munch on while you wait for your order, ask for a plate of raw vegetables.</span></p><p><strong><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">Skip the fancy drinks</span></strong></p><p><span style="color: #444444;font-size: 16px;background-color: #ffffff">If you must order an alcoholic drink, forget the margaritas, piña coladas and other exotic mixed drinks. They often include sugary mixers. Opt instead for a glass of wine, a light beer, a vodka and tonic or a simple martini (without the chocolate liquor, sour green apple schnapps, or triple sec).</span></p><div class="slide-image" style="border: 0px;font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, Arial;font-size: 16px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;margin: 0px;padding: 0px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #444444;letter-spacing: normal;text-align: start;text-indent: 0px;text-transform: none">This article origianlly appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/20-tricks-to-eating-healthy-while-eating-out">Readers Digest</a>.</div><div data-url="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/20-tricks-to-eating-healthy-while-eating-out"> </div></div></div><div id="page3"><div id="test"></div></div></div></div><div class="slide-image" style="border: 0px;font-family: Raleway, sans-serif, Arial;font-size: 16px;font-style: normal;font-weight: 400;margin: 0px;padding: 0px;vertical-align: baseline;color: #444444;letter-spacing: normal;text-align: start;text-indent: 0px;text-transform: none"> </div>

Food & Wine

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"I was not aware": Audrey Hepburn's son responds to casting choice

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">An upcoming biopic focusing on the life of Audrey Hepburn </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/rooney-mara-to-play-audrey-hepburn-in-new-biopic/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">has revealed</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> who will bring the classic film star to life - and Hepburn's son has since weighed in on the decision.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The news broke that American actress Rooney Mara (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) has made a deal to portray Hepburn in the future film from </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Call Me By Your Name </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">director Luca Guadagnino in early January, as Mara prepares for a role in Guilermo del Toro's </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nightmare Alley</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sean Ferrer, Hepburn's son, told </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fox News</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> he had no idea about the upcoming project.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">"I was not aware of the project," he told the outlet.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Rooney is a delight. Sounds like there is a lot of love there.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ferrer has spent much of his life keeping his mother’s legacy and memory alive since her passing in 1993 from cancer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In 2020, Ferrer and his wife, Karin, wrote </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Little Audrey’s Daydream</em>, </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">a children’s book that followed Hepburn’s rocky childhood in Holland during the war and her dreams of becoming a Hollywood star.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking to </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fox News</span> <a rel="noopener" href="https://nypost.com/2022/01/10/audrey-hepburns-son-responds-to-rooney-maras-biopic-casting/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">at the time</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Ferrer said his favourite moment with his mother was “anytime I made her laugh”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s one of the greatest things you can take from any relationship if you can make someone laugh and give them that moment of sunshine,” he said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But there are many moments I think about.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I think about when she drove me to the airport and I left to do my first job. I was walking through security and when I turned around, there were tears coming down her face. As a parent and having been through it, I now understand.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“But I take great comfort in those moments when I simply made her laugh.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hepburn was known for her roles in </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Breakfast at Tiffany's</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">My Fair Lady</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Charade</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>,</em> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sabrina</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>,</em> and she received a Grammy award posthumously in 1994, making her the fifth person to receive an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the plot of the new film is still </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://variety.com/2022/film/news/rooney-mara-audrey-hepburn-apple-luca-guadagnino-1235148712/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">under wraps</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Apple has backed the project, with </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>The Giver</em></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>’s</em> Michael Mitnick writing the script and Mara producing.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Images: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Movies

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The Rock shocks fans by giving away his People’s Choice Award

<p dir="ltr">Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, WWE star turned beloved actor, was awarded the People’s Champion Award at the 2021 People’s Choice Awards on Tuesday, and surprised everyone by promptly giving the award away.</p> <p dir="ltr">He was presented with the award by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who said of Johnson, "His achievements are legend. His work ethic is unparalleled. He transcends all demographics. He is impossible not to like and he can sure put down a lot of pancakes.</p> <p dir="ltr">"But even with all that, the thing that really stands out the most? He's kind. … You see, kindness is a choice. And what I admire most in Dwayne is his choice to show unwavering kindness to everyone around him."</p> <p dir="ltr">Taking the stage, Johnson thanked Bezos, who he called his “drinking buddy”, before sharing a story about the first time he met Muhammad Ali, who was also known as the “People’s Champ”. He went on to talk about the last time he saw Ali, which was at an event for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, adding that working with the organisation was a “privilege and an honour”.</p> <p dir="ltr">He then told the audience that there was a recipient of a wish in the audience, a woman named Shushana. He said of Shushana, "I met her earlier. I told her how inspired I was by her story. She is a survivor. She has fought literally for her life. She has inspired her family, her friends, now you guys here, now the world that is watching."</p> <p dir="ltr">The Rock proceeded to invite her onto the stage and offer his award to her. Handing his award to her, he told her, "You represent everything that it means to be a people's champion.” Kind gestures like this demonstrate why Johnson is so beloved by fellow celebrities and fans alike.</p> <p dir="ltr">Johnson was nominated for three other People’s Choice Awards that evening: Male Movie Star of 2021, Male TV Star of 2021, and Social Star of 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for DJ</em></p>

Caring

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Stars make bold choices at the 2021 Met Gala

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After spending 2020 on hiatus due to the pandemic, the annual Met Gala is back for the 2021 event. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stars from all over the world gathered at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City to celebrate the biggest moments in fashion. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This year, the theme was “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”, which gave guests an opportunity to pay homage to the rich history of American designers. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The first celebrity on the carpet was international teenage superstar and Met Gala 2021 co-chair Billie Eilish, who stunned in an Oscar de la Renta gown that was inspired by fashion icon Marilyn Monroe. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Billie took to her Instagram account to tell her fans that she agreed to wear the gown on the condition that the world-renowned designer would no longer use real fur. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other stars also used the high profile event to make political statements in their outfits. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The two New York congresswomen in attendance, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Carolyn B Maloney, made bold statements in their gowns, with AOC’s dress reading “Tax The Rich” on the back. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Carolyn B Maloney’s gown was an homage to the suffragette movement, with her dress resembling the “Votes for Women” sashes worn by women in the 1910s.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Other celebs used the opportunity to stun in extravagant pieces that stood out amongst all the attendees. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">International supermodel Iman wore an elaborate gold embellished outfit that was adorned with feathers and a show-stopping headdress that was designed by her date, revolutionary designer Harris Reed. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Debbie Harry stuck to the theme with a ballgown shrouded in the American flag and partnered with a bedazzled denim jacket. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The star-studded event showcased some of the most inventive and daring outfits to honour the American fashion industry. </span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">All image credits: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Beauty & Style

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Mum causes family rift after “insensitive” baby name choice

<p><span>One woman has taken to social media to ask if she is in the wrong or not after she decided to name her newborn after her biological mother, which left her step mum seething.</span><br /><br /><span>Taking to reddit, the new mum wondered if her decision was “insensitive” to not include her step mother in the baby name.</span><br /><br /><span>"I had my daughter last month," she explained.</span><br /><br /><span>“I named her after my mum because she and I are so close and I loved the idea of my daughter having my mum's name.</span><br /><br /><span>"I honestly did not think of my stepmum when I was picking the name, but she was upset when we announced the name and she made it very clear that I was insensitive because she has been in my life since I was 5 and she felt like if I could honor one mom, why not honor both."</span><br /><br /><span>The mum went on to say that speaking to her mother was a “really awkward conversation” because she wasn't a huge part of her life.</span><br /><br /><span>"I spent most of my time at my mum's growing up and really I was more focused on my relationship with my dad as a kid," she said.</span><br /><br /><span>However, even when the mum explained that “it had not been intended as anything against her”, the step mum got even more upset.</span><br /><br /><span>“told me the least I could have done was warn her," the new mum wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>“I guess now I'm just wondering if she was right that at the very least I should have given her a heads up?</span><br /><br /><span>Things are pretty explosive now and she's angry and sad."</span><br /><br /><span>Redditers were quick to jump to the new mum's defence, with one writing: "You are not responsible for your step mother's feelings or expectations.You've named your daughter honoring both sides of her family, how many names was she expecting you to give your daughter?"</span><br /><br /><span>"She is trying to guilt-trip you," another wrote.</span><br /><br /><span>"A true mother wouldn't make such a big whoop about a grandchild being named after her," a reddit user said.</span><br /><br /><span>"You get to name your kid whatever you want to, and please, don't give her a thousand middle names, just to please people.</span><br /><br /><span>“Having a lot of names can be a real drag."</span></p>

Family & Pets

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"Justice for Chloe": Unbearable choice for grandfather accused of cruise ship fatal fall

<p>A grandfather accused in the fatal fall of his granddaughter Chloe from an 11th storey window of a cruise ship pleaded guilty on Thursday to negligent homicide.</p> <p>Salvatore "Sam" Anello said that he wanted to help end "this nightmare" for his family.</p> <p>His 18-month-old granddaughter Chloe slipped from his grip and fell 46 metres from an open window on a Royal Caribbean Cruises' Freedom of the Seas ship in July 2019 as the ship docked in Puerto Rico.</p> <p>Puerto Rico prosecutor Laura Hernandez said Anello would be sentenced on December 10th.</p> <p>“We have found justice for Chloe,” she said.</p> <p>A representative for Anello’s attorney, Michael Winkleman, said in a statement to America’s NBC TODAY that Anello will not serve any jail time and will serve his probation in Indiana.</p> <p>“This decision was an incredibly difficult one for Sam and the family, but because the plea agreement includes no jail time and no admission of facts, it was decided the plea deal is in the best interests of the family so that they can close this horrible chapter and turn their focus to mourning Chloe and fighting for cruise passenger safety by raising awareness about the need for all common carriers to adhere to window fall prevention laws designed to protect children from falling from windows,” Winkleman said in a statement.</p> <p>Winkleman also added that the family would continue its civil suit against Royal Caribbean with the goal of discovering why the window was allowed to be open.</p> <p>Anello, 51, said that he did not know that the window in the children's play area was open.</p> <p>“I wasn’t drinking and I wasn’t dangling her out of a window,” he said in a previous statement. He said he is colourblind and might not have realized the tinted window was open.</p> <p>“We will continue the fight for justice for Chloe and to hold Royal Caribbean accountable for its brazen failure to follow the standards designed precisely to prevent children from falling out of windows,” Winkleman said in his statement.</p>

Legal

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“It’s more bridal than mine!” Woman’s surprise over mum’s wedding day dress choice

<p>One of the unwritten rules of weddings is that none of the guests should wear white, for fear of upstaging the bride.</p> <p>It explains why an Australian woman was mortified to learn that her mother was wearing a white bridal dress on her wedding day.</p> <p>Businesswoman Jane Lu revisited the memory of her wedding day by sharing her reaction over her mother’s outfit choice in a video on TikTok.</p> <p>Lu showed off her wedding dress to the camera before unzipping a dry-cleaning bag to reveal her mother’s gown.</p> <p>“It’s more bridal than mine!” she said.</p> <p>Lu’s friends joked about her mum “renewing the vows”.</p> <p>A montage of Lu’s mother in her dress followed with the caption: “My dress was quite simple… Hers looks way more bridal than mine!”</p> <blockquote style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="6826635101548432646"><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@thelazyceo" target="_blank" title="@thelazyceo">@thelazyceo</a> <p>I found out on the morning of MY wedding that my mum is wearing a white bridal gown! 🤦🏻‍♀️ <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/wedding" target="_blank" title="wedding">##wedding</a> <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingfail" target="_blank" title="weddingfail">##weddingfail</a> <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/weddingdress" target="_blank" title="weddingdress">##weddingdress</a> <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/motherofthebride" target="_blank" title="motherofthebride">##motherofthebride</a></p> <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-6826635052063984389" target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - thelazyceo">♬ original sound - thelazyceo</a></blockquote> <p>The video has received more than 700 comments, with some commenting that she looked like a guest at her own wedding.</p> <p>“I would've made my mum go and buy a different dress that second,” one wrote.</p> <p>But others celebrated her mother’s fashion choice.</p> <p>“I would want my mum to look prettier than me at my wedding,” one commented.</p> <p>Lu tied the knot with her partner James Waldie in early October last year. The fashion CEO was wearing a $299.95 satin dress from her own brand Showpo.</p>

Family & Pets

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Never been done before: Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi reveal odd choice for best man

<p>Princess Beatrice and her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have made royal history after revealing their unlikely choice for best man in their upcoming wedding.</p> <p>It has been confirmed that it will be Edoardo’s three-year-old son Christopher, whom he shares with ex-partner Dara Huang, who will take on the massive role as best man for his dad’s wedding to Princess Beatrice.</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/B23ycotot3y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/B23ycotot3y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Beatrice and Eugenie (@beatriceandeugenie.ofyork)</a> on Sep 26, 2019 at 3:50am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>A spokesperson for the couple first confirmed the news to the <em>Daily Mail</em>, citing that the couple wanted the three-year-old to know how important he was to his stepmother.</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/B23zE1yn7Ky/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/B23zE1yn7Ky/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by •Cambridge•Sussex•York• (@aboutcambridgesussexandyork)</a> on Sep 26, 2019 at 3:56am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The Palace has also confirmed the exciting nuptials will take place on May 29, at The Chapel Royal in St James’s Place, London.</p> <p>Edo and Beatrice got engaged in September 2019 after the property developer proposed while they were holidaying in Italy.</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/BvsUhHjhJAK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <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/BvsUhHjhJAK/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Dara Huang (@dara_huang)</a> on Mar 31, 2019 at 5:17pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The pair spoke about their exciting news in a statement, saying: "We are both so excited to be embarking on this life adventure together and can't wait to actually be married.</p> <p>"We share so many similar interests and values, and we know that this will stand us in great stead for the years ahead, full of love and happiness."</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery to see Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's engagement pictures. </p>

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Fiery debate erupts over news reporters’ risqué outfit choice

<p>A fiery debate has erupted over a Belgian journalist and a former pro cyclist, when he made a crude comment towards a young female reporter’s clothing choice while covering the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina.</p> <p>Former pro cyclist Sven Spoormakers referred to the reporter’s low-cut top after taking a screenshot of her interviewing one of the riders for television, asking in Dutch: “Is it cool in Argentina?”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.4992025518341px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7834244/firestorm-over-clothing-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ab48e546884b4172810c54d2768d4cef" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The young female reporter was working on the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina.</em></p> <p>The response was bitter and fiery after numerous fans and pundits condemned him for allegedly sexually objectifying the young reporter.</p> <p>Australian journalist Sophie Smith criticised Spoormakers on his remark, writing: “Seriously? Please tell me this is lost in translation and you did not just publicly objectify a young female reporter.</p> <p>“Speaking from experience, let me say she does the exact same job as you but has to work and withstand twice as much still because of bulls*** like this.”</p> <p>Spoormakers refused to back down from his controversial statement, however and shot back a fiery response:  “Objectify, really? Come on. Don’t draw the feminist card on this one. She knows exactly what she’s wearing – or not wearing – and why.</p> <p>“If I would interview a female athlete with my balls out, you’d be joking about it too. Or calling it a disgrace.”</p> <p>Smith then incredulously hit back: “So it’s her fault because you can’t stop looking at her boobs?</p> <p><em><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7834246/sven-spoormakers.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/34fbcdb2baf04d798507de56f5fc2288" /><br /></em></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Sven Spoormakers competing in the Amstel Curacao Race 2010.</em></p> <p>“What’s she meant to do, wear a potato sack so you don’t get excited?</p> <p>“If I take a picture of you at work, post it and comment on how small your d**k looks in a pair of shorts would you be all right with that?”</p> <p>British reporter Ned Boulting added his opinion to the conversation to lend his support, quoting one of Smith’s tweets and writing: “Over and over and over again, my female colleagues have to defend themselves from institutional disrespect.</p> <p>“I take your voice, Sophie, and I add mine.”</p> <p>Spoormakers’ tweets were also taken by upset fans, with one writing: “Mate, she’s wearing a top. That’s it. What’s the problem? Jesus Christ you’re a dinosaur.”</p> <p>Another added: “She isn’t exposed in any way Sven. You commented inappropriately as if her body is available for you to simply discuss. That’s objectifying her. Not cool.”</p> <p>While another person on social media added: “Absolutely frustrating. @SvenSpoormakers your comment is inappropriate.</p> <p>“We are more than the clothes we wear. If you can’t understand why your comment is inappropriate I suggest getting some training around sexism.”</p>

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