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Fighting for change: how much cash Olympic medallists actually win at Paris 2024

As the world soaks up the glitz and glamour of Paris 2024, athletes are not just eyeing the podium – they're also thinking about the cash they might pocket. Or, in some cases, the cash they might not pocket. Because while the Olympics is a billion-dollar spectacle, the earnings for athletes can range from princely sums to pocket change. Australia: A Gold Medal and a Discount Coupon Let’s start with the Aussies. Winning gold at the Olympics might be the pinnacle of an athlete's career, but for Australian athletes, it also means... $20,000. Yes, you heard that right. In a land where a house deposit will likely cost you a LOT more, Aussie Olympians are basically getting paid in Monopoly money. Silver and bronze medalists get $15,000 and $10,000 respectively. That's enough for a decent holiday, but you might still need a GoFundMe for the flights. Singapore: the million-dollar carrot On the other end of the spectrum, athletes from Singapore are practically diving into pools of gold – like Scrooge McDuck, but in real life. A gold medal will earn them a staggering AU$1.13 million. That’s the kind of money that makes you forget about the gruelling four-year training cycle and instead think about which colour Lamborghini matches your national flag. Hong Kong: fencing your way to riches Hong Kong, not to be outdone, will reward its fencing champion Vivian Kong with AU$1.17 million for her gold. That’s enough to make you consider taking up fencing, even if you’re as coordinated as a baby giraffe. Malaysia and Kazakhstan: cars and apartments In Malaysia, winning athletes might not get cold hard cash, but they do get a new car. And in Kazakhstan, you can literally earn a place to call home – with more rooms depending on the colour of your medal. A gold gets you a penthouse, a silver a two-bedroom, and a bronze... well, maybe a studio with a view of the parking lot. France: host with the most (ish) The host nation, France, offers a more modest reward of $108,000 for a gold medal. That’s enough to cover a year's rent in Paris, or a really good wine collection. But let’s face it, in the land of fine dining, they might just spend it all on cheese. New Zealand, Norway and the UK: the love of the game Athletes from New Zealand, Norway and the UK? Well, they’ll have to make do with a pat on the back and a hearty “well done”, because there’s no financial incentive for winning a medal in these countries. Just the satisfaction of representing your nation, which, as any athlete will tell you, doesn't pay the bills. The United States: the great divide The US offers $37,500 for a gold medal, but that's chump change compared to the endorsement deals top athletes like swimmer Katie Ledecky pull in. She's reportedly earning $1 million a year from swimwear endorsements. Meanwhile, many other American athletes are scraping by, with some earning less than $15,000 a year. That's barely enough for a year's supply of Weet-Bix, let alone world-class training. Jamaica: sharing the love Jamaica’s Olympic team will share a pot of about AU$3,500 each, regardless of their results. It's the ultimate participation trophy – except it’s not enough to buy a trophy, or even a decent pair of running shoes. World Athletics: the global jackpot World Athletics is offering a $3.6 million prize pool for track and field events, with $76,000 per gold medalist. It's a model that some athletes, like Australia’s Arianne Titmus, think other sports should follow. After all, nothing says “thank you for your hard work” like a big, fat cheque. So, whether they’re racing for millions or just a modest thank you, athletes at Paris 2024 will be giving it their all. Because at the end of the day, it's not just about the money. It's about the glory, the honour, and ... well, okay, it’s mostly about the money. Images: Instagram \ Shutterstock

Money & Banking

"Am I dreaming?": Prince William serves up burgers from food van

The Prince of Wales has stunned a few unsuspecting customers of a London food truck by serving them burgers. In collaboration with popular YouTube channel Sorted Food, Prince William took part in the stunt to promote The Earthshot Prize, a mission he founded in hopes to repair the planet. They worked together to create a plant-based 'Earthshot burger', which they served to customers, in the clip shared on YouTube. As part of the stunt, Prince William first hid his identity by facing away from the customers, when it was time to serve the food, he turned around with burgers in hand to the shock of the diners. "My brain took three seconds to buffer - am I dreaming?" one said after seeing Prince William serving burgers. "I was lost for words," said another. "I was shell-shocked" said a third. The Prince of Wales also praised last year's Earthshot Prize winners, and explained that the dishes served used three of their innovations, which all represented a solution to help repair the planet. "For those of you who don't know, the Earthshot Prize is there to repair and regenerate the planet. Everything you see here comes from the winners from last year," he said. The ingredients for the burgers were sourced by Indian start-up Kheyti, who support local farmers and help shelter their crops from unpredictable weather events and pests. The burgers were cooked in a cleaner-burning portable stove from Mukuru Clean Stoves, which aims to reduce air pollution, and the food was served on Notpla takeaway containers made from natural and biodegradable materials. This is the verdict from the diners: "the best burger we've ever had." The Prince also joked with diners saying that the global Earthshot Prize started back when he "had hair." "It's designed as an environmental prize tackling the world's greatest environmental problems," he said. "We liked the idea that this is a big deal, this is like something we really need to aim for, but it's about saving the planet, not taking us to the moon." He added: "And there's many people out there who want us to move to the next planet already and I'm like, hang on, let's not give up on this planet yet." Images: Kensington Palace/ Sorted Food YouTube

Food & Wine

"This doesn’t feel right, does it?": Photographer admits Sony prize-winning photo was AI generated

A German photographer is refusing an award for his prize-winning shot after admitting to being a “cheeky monkey”, revealing the image was generated using artificial intelligence. The artist, Boris Eldagsen, shared on his website that he would not be accepting the prestigious award for the creative open category, which he won at <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/entertainment/art/winners-of-sony-world-photography-awards-revealed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023’s Sony world photography awards</a>. The winning photograph showcased a black and white image of two women from different generations. Eldagsen, who studied photography and visual arts at the Art Academy of Mainz, conceptual art and intermedia at the Academy of Fine Arts in Prague, and fine art at the Sarojini Naidu School of Arts and Communication in Hyderabad released a statement on his website, admitting he “applied as a cheeky monkey” to find out if competitions would be prepared for AI images to enter. “They are not,” he revealed. “We, the photo world, need an open discussion,” Eldagsen said. “A discussion about what we want to consider photography and what not. Is the umbrella of photography large enough to invite AI images to enter – or would this be a mistake? “With my refusal of the award I hope to speed up this debate.” Eldagsen said this was an “historic moment” as it was the fist AI image to have won a prestigious international photography competition, adding “How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI generated? Something about this doesn’t feel right, does it? “AI images and photography should not compete with each other in an award like this. They are different entities. AI is not photography. Therefore I will not accept the award.” The photographer suggested donating the prize to a photo festival in Odesa, Ukraine. It comes as a heated debate over the use and safety concerns of AI continue, with some going as far as to issue apocalyptic warnings that the technology may be close to causing irreparable damage to the human experience. Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pirchai said, “It can be very harmful if deployed wrongly and we don’t have all the answers there yet – and the technology is moving fast. So, does that keep me up at night? Absolutely.” A spokesperson for the World Photography Organisation admitted that the prize-winning photographer had confirmed the “co-creation” of the image using AI to them prior to winning the award. “The creative category of the open competition welcomes various experimental approaches to image making from cyanotypes and rayographs to cutting-edge digital practices. As such, following our correspondence with Boris and the warranties he provided, we felt that his entry fulfilled the criteria for this category, and we were supportive of his participation. “Additionally, we were looking forward to engaging in a more in-depth discussion on this topic and welcomed Boris’ wish for dialogue by preparing questions for a dedicated Q&A with him for our website. “As he has now decided to decline his award we have suspended our activities with him and in keeping with his wishes have removed him from the competition. Given his actions and subsequent statement noting his deliberate attempts at misleading us, and therefore invalidating the warranties he provided, we no longer feel we are able to engage in a meaningful and constructive dialogue with him. “We recognise the importance of this subject and its impact on image-making today. We look forward to further exploring this topic via our various channels and programmes and welcome the conversation around it. While elements of AI practices are relevant in artistic contexts of image-making, the awards always have been and will continue to be a platform for championing the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in the medium.” Image credit: Sony World Photography Awards

Technology

Breathtaking shots from the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year

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

International Travel

Hilarious winners of the worldwide 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

The winners of the 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have been announced, with some hilarious photos capturing astounding moments of the most adorable animals. An image of a three-month-old lion cub falling out of a tree has been named the overall winner of this year's competition, with Jennifer Hadley in the Serengeti, Tanzania, capturing the moment late one afternoon. "It didn't even occur to me that he would make a go of getting down by himself in the most un-cat like fashion. I mean, how often do cats fall out of trees?" Hadley said in a press release. "No one expected this to happen and of course we were concerned for his safety but happily as cats do, he righted himself just in time and landed on all fours and ran off with his siblings. A happy ending for a hapless kitty who didn't quite know how to get down from a tree." Hadley also won the People's Choice Award for her photo of a dismissive penguin seemingly snubbing his friend, which was titled Talk to the Fin. All image credits: Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2022

International Travel

Happy Howlidays! Most popular pet names of 2022 revealed

The top pet names for 2022 are in, with Luna, Bella and Archie continuing to dominate lists, with a few extra names making their debuts. Luna was the top name for female cats and dogs, while Archie and Charlie are the winners for male dogs. The list was complied by Pet Insurance Australia and showed the top trending names for cats and dogs born in 2022. “It's lovely to explore these lists every year to see the current trends with pet names,” Nadia Crighton from Pet Insurance Australia said. The top name for a male dog was Milo, according to the insurer's data, while the top name for a male cat was Ollie, which ranked in seventh place for dogs. Female cats appeared to be named after pantry staples, with Pepper, Maple, Biscuit and Candy all making the list. Male cats were more likely to have names common among children, including Ollie, Archie, Charlie, Sam, Teddy and Ziggy. While female dogs continue to carry on with monikers that have been able to pass the tests of time – including Daisy, Bella, Ruby, Molly and Lola. Top male cat names: <ol> <li>Ollie</li> <li>Archie</li> <li>Charlie</li> <li>Chino</li> <li>Floyd</li> <li>Loki</li> <li>Sam</li> <li>Snowy</li> <li>Teddy</li> <li>Ziggy</li> </ol> Top female cat names: <ol> <li>Luna</li> <li>Pepper</li> <li>Maple</li> <li>Winnie</li> <li>Angel</li> <li>Audrey</li> <li>Baby</li> <li>Biscuit</li> <li>Candy</li> <li>Charlotte</li> </ol> Top male dog names: 1. Milo 2. Teddy 3. Archie 4. Charlie 5. Buddy 6. Murphy 7. Ollie 8. Alife 9. Leo 10. Ziggy Top female dog names: 1. Luna 2. Daisy 3. Bella 4. Ruby 5. Coco 6. Molly 7. Nala 8. Lola 9. Winne 10. Maggie Images: Getty

Family & Pets

Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker prize for Sri Lankan political satire, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

Sri Lankan novelist Shehan Karunatilaka has won the 2022 Booker Prize for his second novel, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida. The win couldn’t come at a better time for Sri Lanka, a country once more engaged in <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/10/06/sri-lanka-economic-crisis-protests-imf/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">political and economic instability</a>, as it suffers through one of the world’s worst economic crises, with soaring inflation, food and fuel shortages, and low supplies of foreign reserves. And of course, the government was overthrown in July, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled following mass protests. Karunatilaka said in his acceptance speech: <blockquote> My hope for Seven Moons is this; that in the not-too-distant future, 10 years, as long as it takes, Sri Lanka […] has understood that these ideas of corruption and race-baiting and cronyism have not worked and will never work. </blockquote> <h2>Political black comedy</h2> Karunatilaka’s novel is extraordinary – and hard to pin down. It is at once a black comedy about the afterlife, a murder mystery whodunit, and a political satire set against the violent backdrop of the late-1980s Sri Lankan civil war. It is also a story of love and redemption. Malinda “Maali” Kabalana, a closeted war photographer, wakes up dead in what seems to be a celestial waiting room. The setting will be familiar to many who’ve spent time in Colombo (as I have – it’s where my husband’s family is from). We open in a busy, bureaucratic office, filled with confusion, noise, a propensity against queuing – and a healthy dose of “gallows” humour. In other words, Maali is in some sort of purgatory. Maali soon discovers he has seven days – seven moons – to solve his own murder. This isn’t easy – he is interrupted by sardonic ghosts (often with grudges, questionable motives, and a tendency towards extreme chattiness), the violent reality of war-torn Colombo, and piecing together his memories of who he was. He also has seven moons to lead his official girlfriend and his secret boyfriend to a cache of photographs, taken over time, which document the horror of the war – and incriminate local and foreign governments. Karunatilaka’s subject matter and plot highlight, question and explore Sri Lanka’s legacy – and its continued, difficult relationship with its civil war, which spanned 1983 to 2009, though the reverberations continue. And his novel’s provocative, intimate, second-person style implicates us – the readers. Karunatilaka has mastered his craft as a novelist. He never once wavers from a second-person perspective that might be unwieldy (perhaps even gimmicky) in a lesser writer’s hands. The novel tells us, “Don’t try and look for the good guys, ‘cause there ain’t none”. It realises a combined responsibility for the tragedy of that 25-year civil war, in which the country’s colonial history is also implicated. British colonialists brought Tamil workers from South India to Sri Lanka, to work as indentured labourers on their coffee, tea and rubber plantations. Their descendants’ fight for an independent Tamil state was a strong component of the civil war. <h2>Diffusing violence with humour</h2> As a novelist and lover of second-person narration and a long-time follower of Karuntailaka’s accomplished work, I couldn’t be more delighted by this Booker win. I first came across Karunatilaka through his debut novel, <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/chinaman-9780099555681" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinaman</a>, which was handed to me by my sister-in-law several years ago on a family visit to Colombo. That book taught me about cricket, but it also taught me the sardonic brilliance of Sri Lankan humour. Karunatilaka once again uses humour to great effect in The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida – to diffuse confronting moments of violence, to engage his reader, and for pure enjoyment. This novel follows a murder victim through a bloody civil war – and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. It’s also a tighter, more focused book than Chinaman: here is an author in control of his craft and what he wants to say with it. The Booker judges, too, praised the “scope and the skill, the daring, the audacity and hilarity” of the book. Karunatilaka’s winning novel took time to write. Ten years have passed since Chinaman. His skilful use of craft to tell this complicated story is testament to the idea that good books take the time they need: something that all authors know but publishers are not always willing to accept. However, Karunatilaka has been busy in that ten years, not just writing literary fiction, but writing for children – and having a family. The 47-year-old is now married with two kids. Karunatilaka is only the second Sri Lankan novelist to have won the Booker Prize. (The first was Michael Ondaatje in 1992 for The English Patient.) But last year, his countryman Anuk Arudpragasam was also <a href="https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/authors/anuk-arudpragasam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shortlisted</a>, for <a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/Anuk-Arudpragasam-Passage-North-9781783786961" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Passage North</a>, another accomplished novel set in the aftermath of the civil war. I’m excited by what this means for Sri Lankan authors and the Sri Lankan publishing scene. Here is a country with stories to tell and enormous skill to tell them with: let’s hope this leads to more Sri Lankan novels achieving wide readership, success and deserved acclaim. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/shehan-karunatilaka-wins-booker-prize-for-sri-lankan-political-satire-the-seven-moons-of-maali-almeida-192722" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: thebookerprizes.com

Books

Nobel economics prize: insights into financial contagion changed how central banks react during a crisis

This year’s <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2022/prize-announcement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nobel prize in economics</a>, known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences, has gone to Douglas Diamond, Philip Dybvig and former Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke for their work on banks and how they relate to financial crises. To explain the work and why it matters, we talked to Elena Carletti, a Professor of Finance at Bocconi University in Milan. Why have Diamond, Bernanke and Dybvig been awarded the prize? The works by <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2022/10/popular-economicsciencesprize2022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diamond and Dybvig</a> essentially explained why banks exist and the role they play in the economy by channelling savings from individuals into productive investments. Essentially, banks play two roles. On the one hand, they monitor borrowers within the economy. On the other, they provide liquidity to individuals, who don’t know what they will need to buy in future, and this can make them averse to depositing money in case it’s not available when they need it. Banks smooth out this aversion by providing us with the assurance that we will be able to take out our money when it’s required. The problem is that by providing this assurance, banks are also vulnerable to crises even at times when their finances are healthy. This occurs when individual depositors worry that many other depositors are removing their money from the bank. This then gives them an incentive to remove money themselves, which can lead to a panic that causes a bank run. Ben Bernanke fed into this by looking at bank behaviour during the great depression of the 1930s, and showed that bank runs during the depression was the decisive factor in making the crisis longer and deeper than it otherwise would have been. The observations behind the Nobel win seem fairly straightforward compared to previous years. Why are they so important? It’s the idea that banks that are otherwise financially sound can nevertheless be vulnerable because of panicking depositors. Or, in cases such as during the global financial crisis of 2007-09, it can be a combination of the two, where there is a problem with a bank’s fundamentals but it is exacerbated by panic. Having recognised the intrinsic vulnerability of healthy banks, it was then possible to start thinking about policies to alleviate that risk, such as depositor insurance and reassuring everyone that the central bank will step in as the lender of last resort. In a bank run caused by liquidity (panic) rather than insolvency, an announcement from the government or central bank is likely to be enough to solve the problem on its own – often without the need for any deposit insurance even being paid out. On the other hand, in a banking crisis caused by insolvency, that’s when you need to pump in money to rescue the institution. What was the consensus about bank runs before Diamond and Dybvig began publishing their work? There had been a lot of bank runs in the past and it was understood that financial crises were linked to them – particularly before the US Federal Reserve was founded in 1913. It was understood that bank runs made financial crises longer by exacerbating them. But the mechanism causing the bank runs wasn’t well understood. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/489027/original/file-20221010-11-on0vn4.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Police controlling an angry crowd during a Paris bank in 1904" /></a><figcaption>A bank run in Paris in 1904. <a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/paris-police-hold-back-crowd-making-242294071" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everett Collection</a></figcaption></figure> How easy is it to tell what kind of bank run you are dealing with? It’s not always easy. For example, in 2008 in Ireland it was thought to be a classic example of bank runs caused by liquidity fears. The state stepped up to give a blanket guarantee to creditors, but it then became apparent that the banks were really insolvent and the government had to inject enormous amounts of money into them, which led to a sovereign debt crisis. Speaking of sovereign debt crises, the work by Diamond and Dybvig also underpins the literature on financial contagion, which is based on a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/262109" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2000 paper</a> by Franklin Allen and Douglas Gale. I worked with Allen and Gale for many years, and all our papers have been based on the work of Diamond, and Diamond and Dybvig. In a similar way to how state reassurances can defuse a bank run caused by liquidity problems, we saw how the then European Central Bank President Mario Draghi was able to defuse the run on government bonds in the eurozone crisis in 2011 by saying that the bank would do “<a href="https://qz.com/1038954/whatever-it-takes-five-years-ago-today-mario-draghi-saved-the-euro-with-a-momentous-speech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whatever it takes</a>” to preserve the euro. <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tB2CM2ngpQg?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></figure> The prize announcement has attracted plenty of people on social media saying we shouldn’t be celebrating Bernanke when he was so involved in the quantitative easing (QE) that has helped to cause today’s global financial problems – what’s your view? I would say that without QE our problems would today be much worse, but also that the prize recognises his achievements as an academic and not as chair of the Fed. Also, Bernanke was only one of the numerous central bankers who resorted to QE after 2008. And it is not only the central bank actions that make banks stable. It’s also worth pointing out that the changes to the rules around the amount of capital that banks have to hold after 2008 have made the financial system much better protected against bank runs than it was beforehand. Should such rules have been introduced when the academics first explained the risks around bank runs and contagion? The literature had certainly hinted at these risks, but regulation-wise, we had to wait until after the global financial crisis to see <a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/fsr/art/ecb.fsrart201405_03.en.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reforms such as</a> macro-prudential regulation and more stringent micro-prudential regulation. This shows that regulators were underestimating the risk of financial crises, perhaps also pushed by the banking lobbies that had been traditionally very powerful and managed to convince regulators that risks were well managed. If retail banks become less important in future because of blockchain technology or central bank digital currencies, do you think the threat of financial panic will reduce? If we are heading for a situation where depositors put their money into central banks rather than retail banks, that would diminish the role of retail banking, but I think we are far from that. Central bank digital currencies can be designed in such a way that retail banks are still necessary. But either way, the insights from Diamond and Dybvig about liquidity panics are still relevant because they apply to any context where coordination failures among investors are important, such as sovereign debt crises, currency attacks and so on.<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/192208/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> Written by Elena Carletti. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/nobel-economics-prize-insights-into-financial-contagion-changed-how-central-banks-react-during-a-crisis-192208" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: The Nobel Foundation

Money & Banking

Stunning winners of 2022 iPhone Photography awards

The winners of the 2022 iPhone Photography Awards have been announced, with these talented photographers showing how the Apple smartphone can be used to the best of its ability. The annual awards, which is in its 15th year, received "thousands of submissions from all over the world", with many of this year’s winning photographs depicting "beauty rising out of isolation" and honouring "photography’s ability to build bridges across lost connections", according to the judges. Awards were given out in several categories, including abstract, animals, architecture, children, city life, environment, landscape, lifestyle, nature, other, people, portrait, series, still life, sunset and travel. The overall winner of the competition was Italian photographer Antonio Denti, who captured a poignant picture of a child and a solider in Iraq, described as a "moment of tenderness in the dusty rubble of war". Commenting on the winners, jury member Whitney Van Nes says, "With images that appreciate the sublime and the beautiful, this year’s winning photographers share a strength of spirit in the face of our unnerving world." "Congratulations to all the winners and your awareness in the moment that life is happening." All image credits: iPhone Photography Awards

Technology

Qantas reports huge loss but even bigger revenue

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has announced a whopping $1.9 billion loss for the 2022 Financial Year. Following almost two years of next to no flights due to the Covid pandemic, Mr Joyce explained that flights are “all full” as they push to get them out of storage. He however revealed that despite air travel resuming, his company has faced a devastating loss but quite an impressive revenue. “The Group had an underlying loss before tax of almost $1.9 billion, and a statutory loss before tax of just under $1.2 billion,” Mr Joyce said. “That brings our total losses since the start of the pandemic to more than $7 billion and takes lost revenue to more than $25 billion. “To put that in perspective, on a statutory basis, COVID cost us more money in the past three years than we made in the five years before that. “The fact we’ve been able to steer through this is remarkable. And now that we are through it, things are improving even faster than we expected.” Mr Joyce then noted the frustration felt by flyers due to delayed and cancelled flights, lost luggage, and labour shortage. He said that they are working toward improving customers’ experience as leisure flying soared to 125 per cent of pre-Covid levels and business travel to 90 per cent. “As many of you have probably experienced, strong travel demand has also brought some difficulties,” he continued. “We knew the recovery was coming and we were ready for the restart. What we weren’t ready for – after 18 months of COVID being suppressed – was such high levels of community transmission and the sick leave that followed. “The rebound in travel demand also coincided with a massive labour shortage. Of course, that shortage has been more acute in aviation because of how many people left the industry during two very uncertain years. “All of this resulted in well-publicised problems: long queues, delayed flights and misplaced bags. “It was incredibly tough for our people and deeply frustrating for our passengers. It simply wasn’t good enough, and for that, we have apologised.” Mr Joyce revealed that the company has hired more than 1,500 staff since April, with more new recruits to come in the next few months. “We’re reducing our domestic flying – in part – to give us more buffer. We are rostering more crew across fewer flights, which means we can better cover sick leave that is averaging almost 50 per cent above normal,” he continued. “We’re also investing more in technology, including an upgrade to our airport kiosks and bag drop facilities, as well as new scanners at boarding gates.” Image: Getty

Travel Trouble

Inflation is 2022’s boogeyman. How can we address rising living costs, while helping bring it down?

An entire generation has never experienced life with high inflation. But that is set to change. Countries like Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and others are <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/06/inflation-stats-usa-and-world/">reporting rising inflation</a>. In New Zealand, inflation has climbed to its <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/129293267/annual-inflation-hits-73">highest rate in 32 years</a>. Our collective inexperience with the scourge of inflation, and how to solve it, could be a real problem. For those experiencing high inflation for the first time, it is helpful to understand just what economists and politicians are talking about. Inflation is a sustained increase in overall prices. Not everything goes up by the same amount but when people are having to pay more each week, month or year for the same basket of goods and services then that’s inflation. Inflation is harmful in many ways. It works like rust – slowly eating away at the value of your money. Inflation affects all of us. It doesn’t matter what the face value of your money is – what matters is the quantity of goods and services you can buy with it. The real value of money One easy way to understand inflation is to look at what you can buy for the money you have. Suppose at the start of the year your $100 note bought you 20 cups of coffee. However, inflation pushes coffee from $5 to $6 a cup. By the end of the year, your same $100 only buys you 16 cups of coffee. The face value of your money is the same but its real value (in terms of the number of coffees you can buy) has gone down. Your money is worth less now than a year ago. This rise in costs hurts wage earners who have limited opportunity to renegotiate their wages. Inflation also hurts those on fixed incomes such as beneficiaries and superannuitants who only receive periodic adjustments. Rising inflation hurts savers who find the real value of their savings going down if returns on savings don’t keep up with inflation – which they currently aren’t. Inflation can benefit borrowers who have the same debt at the end of the year but the value of that debt is lower in real terms. Providing there is at least some inflation adjustment to their income, borrowers have to sacrifice less to repay their debt. While this sounds good, it’s not. It encourages poor borrowing decisions and discourages savings. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/474465/original/file-20220718-495-2r9amx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/474465/original/file-20220718-495-2r9amx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474465/original/file-20220718-495-2r9amx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474465/original/file-20220718-495-2r9amx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474465/original/file-20220718-495-2r9amx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474465/original/file-20220718-495-2r9amx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474465/original/file-20220718-495-2r9amx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Young woman looking at a grocery receipt." /><figcaption>Inflation has risen to levels not seen for three decades. Consumers will feel the squeeze as their purchasing power drops. <a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/checking-receipt-royalty-free-image/691853536?adppopup=true">Getty Images</a></figcaption></figure> The all-encompassing impact of inflation In a progressive tax system, inflation hurts salary and wage earners who get pushed into higher tax brackets as they receive inflation adjustments to their pay. Inflation can also cause issues at a national level. If one country’s inflation rate is higher than their trading partners then its currency falls in value. In the early 1970s, the NZ dollar was worth almost US$1.50. Our higher inflation rates of the 70s and 80s saw it fall to around US$0.50 by the mid 80s. This drop in value limits what we can buy from overseas – things like life-saving drugs will become more expensive for us if we don’t get inflation down and others do. The causes of inflation can come from good intentions Inflation is too much money chasing too few goods. If central banks push more money into circulation, there is a real risk of inflation. A big increase in demand for goods from, for example, an increase in government spending can also trigger inflation. So can supply chain disruptions that reduce the goods available (meaning the same amount of money chasing fewer goods). Unfortunately, all these triggers are currently in play as countries respond to a series of global crises. The invasion of Ukraine and ongoing COVID-19 supply chain disruptions have reduced the goods available. Governments globally have boosted spending to support their economies. But this latter factor has been put on steroids by central banks being willing to purchase government debt. <figure class="align-center "><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/474468/original/file-20220718-53534-kfbvw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/474468/original/file-20220718-53534-kfbvw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474468/original/file-20220718-53534-kfbvw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474468/original/file-20220718-53534-kfbvw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474468/original/file-20220718-53534-kfbvw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474468/original/file-20220718-53534-kfbvw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/474468/original/file-20220718-53534-kfbvw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Man with mask pushing supermarket trolly." /><figcaption>Russia’s war in Ukraine and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused a cost-of-living crisis. <a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/photo/man-wearing-mask-while-shopping-in-supermarket-royalty-free-image/1235145649?adppopup=true">Getty Images</a></figcaption></figure> Unintended consequences The RBNZ bought billions of government bonds to keep interest rates low as part of its <a href="https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/library-research-papers/research-papers/library-research-brief-large-scale-asset-purchase-lsap-programme">“large scale asset purchases” programme</a>. In New Zealand, the average money growth between 1995 and 2019 was about 8% per year. This accommodates a growing population, a growing economy and a little bit of inflation (a little bit is OK). In the last two years money supply has grown by around 30% per year. Of course it’s easy to look back with the benefit of hindsight. Those who made the decisions at the time don’t have that luxury. The RBNZ is now they are having to wind back their asset purchases and raise interest rates to rein in inflation. Some argue the RBNZ has been <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/129311096/more-pain-expected-as-inflation-runs-hotter-than-a-government-can-handle">distracted and has dropped the ball on their key job</a> and we are now facing the risk the inflation genie is out of the bottle. Whether that criticism is justified or not, the RBNZ will now have to act decisively to reduce inflation. But getting inflation down is never painless. Households with mortgages will find their weekly budgets squeezed as interest rates rise. Firms will face falling demand from consumers with less to spend. Job growth will dry up – though New Zealand is in the fortunate position of starting with very low unemployment. Regardless, the RBNZ must do the job they got back in 1989 with the passing of the <a href="https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/-/media/29ada25bfa8b4e50922262618fb03e00.ashx?sc_lang=en">Reserve Bank of New Zealand Act</a>. New Zealand’s central bank is the only one that can control monetary conditions; it’s the only one that can get inflation under control. The same could be said for many of the countries facing growing inflation. If central banks don’t take decisive action, we could get a sharp reminder of just how bad inflation can be.<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/187154/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-hickson-1288490">Stephen Hickson</a>, Economics Lecturer and Director Business Taught Masters Programme, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canterbury-1004">University of Canterbury</a> 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/inflation-is-2022s-boogeyman-how-can-we-address-rising-living-costs-while-helping-bring-it-down-187154">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Money & Banking

Princess Charlotte joins her dad in rare video message

Princess Charlotte has joined Prince William in a rare video message as the royal father and daughter wished England's football team good luck in the Euro 2022 women's final. In the video shared by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Instagram, William and Charlotte sent a message to the Lionesses, who later made history by winning their first major women's tournament by beating Germany 2-1. "We both want to wish the Lionesses the best of luck for tonight," William said. "You've done amazingly well in the competition and we're rooting for you all the way." Sitting on her father's lap, Charlotte chimes in with a short and sweet declaration of her own, saying, "Good luck, I hope you win. Bye!" and signing off with a wave. <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/Cgq4TEyFBbg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cgq4TEyFBbg/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@dukeandduchessofcambridge)</a> </div> </blockquote> The women's team responded to the royal message with their gratitude for the well wishes. Queen Elizabeth later sent a message of congratulations to England, after the match went into extra time on Sunday. "My warmest congratulations, and those of my family, go to you all on winning the European Women's Football Championships. It is a significant achievement for the entire team, including your support staff," Her Majesty said in a statement. "The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise. However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned." "You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations. It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today." Prince William attended the final match at Wembley, and handed out the trophy to England's winning team. Image credits: Instagram / Getty Images

Family & Pets

The world's best restaurants for 2022 have been revealed

The cosmopolitan city of Copenhagen has had another incredible culinary year after a restaurant in the Danish capital was crowned best on the planet for the second year in a row. Geranium, which serves a meat-free, seasonally based Scandi menu, located in the unique location of the eighth floor of Denmark's national soccer stadium. It's open four days a week, a choice made by head chef Rasmus Kofoed and co-owner Søren Ledet in order to keep to an ethos of work-life balance. The two friends hugged joyfully as they celebrated winning their award at a lavish ceremony held in London's Old Billingsgate, a Victorian building that was once the world's largest fish market. Hollywood actor and CNN presenter Stanley Tucci hosted the ceremony, in a white tuxedo jacket on one of the UK's hottest days on record. Restaurants are only permitted to scoop the awards' top prize once, after which they're entered into a separate "Best of the Best" program. Members of that elite group include Geranium's Copenhagen neighbor Noma, as well as New York's Eleven Madison Park, The Fat Duck near London, Osteria Francescana in Modena, Italy, and Mirazur in Menton, France. South American restaurants fared well. In Lima, chefs Virgilio Martínez and Pía León's Central climbed two places to the second spot, while Maido, which serves Japanese-Peruvian fusion, slipped down to No. 11. Brazil's A Caso do Porco – a celebration of all things porcine has climbed 10 places to No. 7. Spain's presence on the list this year was solid with Barcelona's Disfrutar at No. 3, while Madrid's Diverxo shot up to 4th place. Larrabetzu's Asador Etxebarri – where all dishes, even dessert, are flame-grilled has slipped down to No. 6. Mexico City was represented by fifth place winner Pujol this year's Best Restaurant in North America and Quintonil, which climbed all the way from last year's No. 27 has landed in a No. 9 spot. Italy's Lido 84 and Le Calandre also moved up the rankings this year. Uliassi, in Italy's Senigallia region, was at No. 12, this year's Highest New Entry. It's not until No.20 that an Asia-based restaurant makes an appearance, with Den in Tokyo earning the highest place on this year's list. In the 20 years the awards have been running, no restaurant outside Europe or North America has ever won the World's 50 Best prize. All winners so far have come from Spain, the United States, the UK, Denmark, Italy and France. Here are the world’s best restaurants: 1. <a href="http://www.geranium.dk/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Geranium</a> (Copenhagen, Denmark) 2. <a href="http://centralrestaurante.com.pe/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Central</a> (Lima, Peru) *Best Restaurant in South America* 3. <a href="http://www.disfrutarbarcelona.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disfrutar</a> (Barcelona, Spain) 4. <a href="https://diverxo.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diverxo</a> (Madrid, Spain) 5. <a href="https://www.pujol.com.mx/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pujol</a> (Mexico City, Mexico) *Best Restaurant in North America* 6. <a href="http://asadoretxebarri.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asador Etxebarri</a> (Axpe, Spain) 7. <a href="https://acasadoporco.com.br/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Casa do Porco</a> (São Paulo, Brazil) 8. <a href="https://www.ristorantelido84.com/en/home-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lido 84</a> (Gardone Riviera, Italy) 9. <a href="http://www.quintonil.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quintonil</a> (Mexico City, Mexico) 10. <a href="https://www.alajmo.it/en/sezione/le-calandre/le-calandre" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Le Calandre</a> (Rubano, Italy) 11. <a href="http://www.maido.pe/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maido</a> (Lima, Peru) 12. <a href="https://www.uliassi.com/homepage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uliassi</a> (Senigallia, Italy) 13. <a href="https://www.steirereck.at/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steirereck</a> (Vienna, Austria) 14. <a href="http://www.parrilladonjulio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Don Julio</a> (Buenos Aires, Argentina) 15. <a href="https://www.nikoromito.com/reale/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reale</a> (Castel di Sangro, Italy) 16. <a href="https://www.restauranteelkano.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elkano</a> (Getaria, Spain) 17. <a href="https://www.nobelhartundschmutzig.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nobelhart & Schmutzig</a> (Berlin, Germany) 18. <a href="https://alchemist.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alchemist</a> (Copenhagen, Denmark) 19. <a href="https://www.piazzaduomoalba.it/it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Piazza Duomo</a> (Alba, Italy) 20. <a href="http://www.jimbochoden.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Den</a> (Tokyo, Japan) *Best Restaurant in Asia* 21. <a href="http://www.mugaritz.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mugaritz</a> (San Sebastian, Spain) 22. <a href="http://www.septime-charonne.fr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Septime</a> (Paris, France) 23. <a href="https://www.thejaneantwerp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Jane</a> (Antwerp, Belgium) 24. <a href="https://www.thechairmangroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Chairman</a> (Hong Kong) 25. <a href="http://www.restaurantfrantzen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Frantzén</a> (Stockholm, Sweden) 26. <a href="https://tim-raue.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Restaurant Tim Raue</a> (Berlin, Germany) 27. <a href="https://www.hofvancleve.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hof van Cleve</a> (Kruishoutem, Belgium) 28. <a href="https://www.le-clarence.paris/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Clarence</a> (Paris, France) 29. <a href="https://www.st-hubertus.it/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">St. Hubertus</a> (San Cassiano, Italy) 30. <a href="https://www.aoyama-florilege.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florilege</a> (Tokyo, Japan) 31. <a href="https://www.alain-passard.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arpège</a> (Paris, France) 32. <a href="https://www.maytalima.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mayta</a> (Lima, Peru) 33. <a href="https://www.atomixnyc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atomix</a> (New York City) 34. <a href="https://www.hisafranko.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hiša Franko</a> (Kobarid, Slovenia) 35. <a href="http://thecloveclub.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Clove Club</a> (London, UK) 36. <a href="http://www.odetterestaurant.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Odette</a> (Singapore) 37. <a href="https://fynrestaurant.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fyn</a> (Cape Town, South Africa) 38. <a href="https://restaurantjordnaer.dk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jordnær</a> (Copenhagen, Denmark) 39. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sornfinesouthern/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sorn</a> (Bangkok, Thailand) 40. <a href="https://schauenstein.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schloss Schauenstein</a> (Fürstenau, Switzerland) 41. <a href="http://www.la-cime.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">La Cime</a> (Osaka, Japan) 42. <a href="https://en.quiquedacosta.es/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quique Dacosta</a> (Dénia, Spain) 43. <a href="https://www.borago.cl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boragó</a> (Santiago, Chile) 44. <a href="https://www.le-bernardin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Le Bernardin</a> (New York City) 45. <a href="http://www.narisawa-yoshihiro.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Narisawa</a> (Tokyo, Japan) 46. <a href="https://belcanto.pt/index.php?lang=pt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Belcanto</a> (Lisbon, Portugal) 47. <a href="http://www.oteque.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oteque</a> (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) 48. <a href="http://www.restauranteleo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leo</a> (Bogotá, Colombia) 49. <a href="https://ikoyilondon.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ikoyi</a> (London, England) 50. <a href="https://www.singlethreadfarms.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SingleThread</a> (Healdsburg, California) Image: Eatweek

Food & Wine

The world's best cities in 2022 revealed

The top 53 cities in the world have been crowned, after Time Out asked 20,000 city dwellers around the world to share their opinion. The guide's <a href="https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/best-cities-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noreferrer noopener">2022 World's Best Cities Index</a> revealed that Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, has been voted the best city in 2022, due to its beauty, history and walkability. The Illinois capital city of Chicago came in second, the Colombian city of Medellin in third, Glasgow in fourth place and The Netherlands' capital of Amsterdam in fifth place. The ranking is now in its fifth year, as it calls on those who live in a city to "point people in the direction of the places that locals are raving about" and putting an emphasis on "the things that make cities great places to visit as well as to live". Edinburgh took the crown as the best city in world, with locals calling the city "ever-evolving". Time Out added about the city, "Self-expression is encouraged, with 88 per cent of locals saying it is easy to express who you are in the city. It's something that’s celebrated every summer with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which this year will be marking its 75th anniversary." Chicago's second place spot is largely due to the city's thriving art and culture scene, with 95% of people claiming there is always something new to do. The guide adds, "Whether you want to try world-class dining from high-end restaurants to outstanding family-run eateries, party until 4am at historic clubs, spend a day soaking up the sun along Lake Michigan, see iconic artworks or just wander among different neighbourhoods – all this is putting the city on the map for visitors." One New Zealand city was featured in the list, with Auckland coming in at 47th. Two Aussie cities also made the list, with Melbourne coming in at 15th and Sydney taking out the 46th spot. Check out the entire list of the top 53 cities for 2022 below. 1. Edinburgh, Scotland 2. Chicago, USA 3. Medellin, Colombia 4. Glasgow, Scotland 5. Amsterdam, The Netherlands 6. Prague, Czech Republic 7. Marrakech, Morocco 8. Berlin, Germany 9. Montreal, Canada 10. Copenhagen, Denmark 11. Cape Town, South Africa 12. Madrid, Spain 13. Manchester, England 14. Mumbai, India 15. Melbourne, Australia 16. Taipei, Taiwan 17. London, England 18. Porto, Portugal 19. Lyon, France 20. New York, USA 21. Buenos Aires, Argentina 22. Birmingham, England 23. Stockholm, Sweden 24. Tokyo, Japan 25. San Francisco, USA 26. Delhi, India 27. Toronto, Canada 28. Lisbon, Portugal 29. Boston, USA 30. Mexico City, Mexico 31. Tel Aviv, Israel 32. Paris, France 33. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 34. Manila, Philippines 35. Athens, Greece 36. Dublin, Ireland 37. Sao Paulo, Brazil 38. Miami, USA 39. Barcelona, Spain 40. Dubai, United Arab Emirates 41. Rome, Italy 42. Los Angeles, USA 43. Accra, Ghana 44. Singapore 45. Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 46. Sydney, Australia 47. Auckland, New Zealand 48. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 49. Johannesburg, South Africa 50. Istanbul, Turkey 51. Bangkok, Thailand 52. Hong Kong 53. Doha, Qatar Image credits: Getty Images

International Travel

It’s 2022. Why do we still not have waterproof phones?

While manufacturers have successfully increased the water-repelling nature of smartphones, they are still far from “waterproof”. A water-resistant product can usually resist water penetration to some extent, but a waterproof product is (meant to be) totally impervious to water. Last week, Samsung Australia was <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/samsung-australia-to-pay-14m-penalty-for-misleading-water-resistance-claims" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fined A$14 million</a> by the Australian Federal Court over false representations in ads of the water resistance of its Galaxy phones. The tech giant admitted that submerging Galaxy phones in pool or sea water could corrode the charging ports and stop the phones from working, if charged while still wet. Similarly, in 2020, Apple was fined <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apple-fined-12m-dollars-by-italy-over-iphone-water-resistance-claims/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">€10 million</a> (about A$15.3 million) in Italy for misleading claims about the water resistance of iPhones. It’s very common for phones to become damaged as a result of being dropped in water. In a 2018 survey in the US, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/959492/us-top-common-smartphone-damage-cause/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">39%</a> of respondents said they’d dropped their phones in water. <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/damaged-devices-a-fact-of-life-for-most-smartphone-users-100614.html">Other</a> <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/damaged-devices-a-fact-of-life-for-most-smartphone-users-100614.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveys</a> have had similar results. So why is it in 2022 – a time where technological marvels surround us – we still don’t have waterproof phones? Waterproof vs water-resistant There’s a <a href="https://www.iec.ch/ip-ratings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rating system</a> used to measure devices’ resistance against solids (such as dust) and liquids (namely water). It’s called the Ingress Protection (IP) rating. An IP rating will have two numbers. In a rating of IP68, the 6 refers to protection against solids on a scale of 0 (no protection) to 6 (high protection), and 8 refers to protection against water on a scale of 0 (no protection) to 9 (high protection). <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471066/original/file-20220627-13-hyrp6k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Chart showing International Electrotechnical Commission's IP Ratings Guide" /></a><figcaption>The International Electrotechnical Commission is the body behind the IP ratings guide. International Electrotechnical Commission</figcaption></figure> Interestingly, the benchmark for the water-resistance rating varies between manufacturers. For example, Samsung’s IP68-certified phones are <a href="https://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/what-is/water-resistant/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water-resistant</a> to a maximum depth of 1.5m in freshwater for up to 30 minutes, and the company cautions against beach or pool use. Some of <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple’s iPhones</a> with an IP68 rating can be used at a maximum depth of 6m for up to 30 minutes. Yet both <a href="https://www.samsung.com/au/support/warranty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samsung</a> and <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Apple</a> are unlikely to consider repairing your water-damaged phone under their warranties. Moreover, IP rating testing is done under <a href="https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251513569" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controlled</a> laboratory conditions. In real-life scenarios such as boating, swimming or snorkelling, factors including speed, movement, water pressure and alkalinity all vary. So, gauging a phone’s level of water resistance becomes complicated. How are phones made water-resistant? Making a phone water-resistant requires several components and techniques. Typically, the first <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/how-does-waterproofing-work-apple-iphone-7-samsung-galaxy-s7-sony-xperia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">point of protection</a> is to form a physical barrier around all ingress (entry) points where dust or water could enter. These include the buttons and switches, speakers and microphone outlets, the camera, flash, screen, phone enclosure, USB port and SIM card tray. These points are <a href="https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?arnumber=8671469" target="_blank" rel="noopener">covered and sealed</a> using glue, adhesive strips and tapes, silicone seals, rubber rings, gaskets, plastic and metal meshes and water-resistant membranes. After this, a layer of ultra-thin polymer <a href="https://www.conformalcoating.co.uk/index.php/materials/nano-coatings/%22%22" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nanocoating</a> is applied to the phone’s circuit board to help repel water. Nevertheless, a phone’s water resistance will still <a href="https://www.phonearena.com/news/phone-not-waterproof-water-resistant-forever_id115587" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decrease</a> with time as components age and deteriorate. Apple <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT207043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">admits</a> water- and dust-resistance are not permanent features of its phones. <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471544/original/file-20220629-19-pektlc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Phone gets flushed in a toilet bowl" /></a><figcaption>Many people drop their phones down the toilet – be careful! Shutterstock</figcaption></figure> Cameras are not entirely impervious to water, but some can tolerate submersion a lot better than smartphones. Often that’s because they’re relatively simpler devices. A smartphone has much more functionality, which means internal components are more sensitive, fragile, and must be built into a smaller casing. All of these factors make it doubly difficult to afford phones a similar level of water resistance. Adding water resistance to phones also <a href="https://inshorts.com/en/news/waterproof-phones-would-cost-2030-more-xiaomi-1466431118612" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increases their price</a> for consumers (by 20% to 30%, according to Xiaomi’s co-founder). This is a major consideration for manufacturers – especially since even a small crack can render any waterproofing void. Keeping devices dry Apart from nanocoating on the internal circuit boards, applying <a href="https://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/why-aren-t-all-our-smartphones-waterproof-right-now-1327692" target="_blank" rel="noopener">water-repellent coating</a> to the exterior of a phone could boost protection. <a href="https://www.p2i.com/solutions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Some</a> <a href="https://www.hzo.com/solutions/protection-capabilities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">companies</a> are working on this technology for manufacturers. Future phones <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003039922031327X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">might also have</a> circuitry that’s fabricated directly onto (waterproof) silicone material using laser writing techniques, and further coated with water-repellant technologies. For now, however, there’s no such thing as a waterproof phone. If your phone does find itself at the bottom of a pool or toilet and isn’t turning on, make sure you take the best steps to ensure it dries out properly (and isn’t further damaged). You can also buy a waterproof case or dry pouch if you want to completely waterproof your phone for water activities.<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/185775/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ritesh-chugh-162770" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ritesh Chugh</a>, Associate Professor - Information and Communications Technology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/cquniversity-australia-2140" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CQUniversity Australia</a> 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/its-2022-why-do-we-still-not-have-waterproof-phones-185775" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>. Image: Getty Images

Technology

Benji Marshall’s incredible decision for Celebrity Apprentice prize money

After being crowned the winner of Celebrity Apprentice for 2022, Benji Mashall has revealed the extraordinary way he plans to spend his prize money. <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/i-didn-t-expect-that-celebrity-apprentice-2022-winner-crowned" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The former football star won</a> after raising $387,105 ($NZD 426,230) in the grand finale - and receiving another $100,000 from Lord Alan Sugar - making for a total of $504,000 ($NZD 554,000) raised for his chosen charity, Souths Cares. But, in an interview with KIIS FM’s Will and Woody show, it was revealed he called the radio hosts - and castmates on the show - shortly after the finale to thank them, though the scene never made it to air. “Something the TV show didn’t show was that Benji called me after the finale - cause I did go back to help him with the final challenge - to thank me for getting so involved in the finale,” Woody Whitelaw explained. “He’s taken $30,000 ($NZD 33,000) out of the money he made, and he’s putting $30,000 in Gotcha4Life.” Gotcha4Life, the charity Woody and co-host Will McMahon chose, aims to prevent suicide through programs and social connections. It was revealed that Marshall also shared the cash with several of his other castmates, with another $30,000 going to Samantha Jade’s charity Cancer Council Australia, $30,000 to Vince Colosimo’s Dementia Australia and $30,000 to Bronte Campbell’s Carers Australia, per <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/benji-marshalls-incredible-act-with-celebrity-apprentice-prize-money/news-story/64b71506c77ca16f88556704e251e2af" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news.com.au</a>. <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/Cea7Ahyh1ks/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cea7Ahyh1ks/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Will and Woody (@willandwoody)</a> </div> </blockquote> During the interview, it emerged that Marshall, Whitelaw and McMahon being castmates wasn’t the only thing they had in common - they had all picked the same charity to support too. “Before the show started, Will and I locked in Gotcha4Life as our charity. So all the money we raised was going to go to Gotcha4Lide,” Woody said. “Benji was late in replying to the email with what charity he wanted to do, and his first pick was Gotcha4Life. “And Benji, you’ve raised money for an incredible charity in South Cares, and I know that’s really close to your heart … But just to compare for the poor charity of Gotcha4Life, Will and I raised $20,000 and Benji, all up, how much money did you raise?” “$540,000,” Marshall said laughingly. <a href="https://www.rabbitohs.com.au/community/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Souths Cares</a> is closely affiliated with Marshall’s former club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, and supports disadvantaged and marginalised youth and their families by delivering programs that address people’s education, training, health and employment needs. Image: @benji6marshall (Instagram)

Caring

Blak Douglas becomes second ever Indigenous Archibald Prize winner

Western Sydney artist Blak Douglas has won the 2022 Archibald Prize, taking home $100,000 along with the coveted title. The self-taught 52-year-old artist has become the second Indigenous artist to win the prize in its 101 years for his portrait of Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens. The 2022 competition was Douglas' fifth time as an Archibald finalist, and accepting the prize at the Art Gallery of NSW ceremony, he said: "This painting represents 20 years of taking the risk of pursuing a dream [and] surrendering normalised employment. And I'm sure many of my artist colleagues can relate to that." His winning portrait depicts Karla Dickens, who he describes as a “legendary practitioner”, knee-deep in the muddy floodwaters of her hometown in Lismore, Bundjalung Country — holding a leaking pail of water in each hand, and looking grumpy. His painting reflects on the damage and after-effects of the devastating February and March floods in the Northern Rivers. "I've been up there [to Bundjalung Country] several times; it's a war zone," Douglas told <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-13/archibald-prize-2022-winner-blak-douglas-karla-dickens/101060204">ABC News</a>. "And so to be able to further aid some of my dearest, closest friends up there, through this win — not only metaphorically, but also financially — it's a big plus." Speaking via live video link from her home during the ceremony, Karla Dickens said she was "over the moon", and thanked her friend for "acknowledging everybody up here on Bundjalung Country that has gone through so much". "I'm so proud of you, Adam. Such a killer painting," she added. Image credits: Getty Images

Art

All the most controversial and stunning looks from Met Gala 2022

On fashion's night of nights, the who's who of show-business stepped out in their best outfits for the annual Met Gala. Held each year the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the 2022 theme for the Met Gala was In America: An Anthology of Fashion, which showcased the history of fashion and style. While there were countless celebrities on the steps of the Met, the handful of best dressed showcased fashion in a ground-breaking way. Actress Blake Lively opened the show with a one of a kind, two-in-one transforming dress by Versace which turned her red carpet presence into a performance. Kim Kardashian took to the carpet in a piece of fashion history, as she wore the archived dress worn by Marilyn Monroe when she sang Happy birthday Mr President. The Met Gala marks the opening of the museum’s annual fashion exhibition and serves as a fundraiser for the Met raising millions of dollars, with each seat costing $US30,000 ($A42,000). Check out the host of celebrities on the coveted Met Gala carpet below. All image credits: Getty Images

Beauty & Style

Revealed: New Zealand’s most trusted brands for 2022

Celebrating its 100th year as a global brand, Reader’s Digest has announced the <a href="https://www.trustedbrands.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Most Trusted Brands in New Zealand</a> in its annual survey – and the results are about as delicious as we’ve come to expect! Taking out the Number One spot in 2022 was popular chocolate brand Whittaker’s – making this the 11th year in a row it has earned the Reader’s Digest Most Trusted of all Brands award – proving that New Zealanders are clearly very proud of the sweet treat that consistently tastes great. The award-winning brands that appear in the Reader’s Digest 23rd annual survey have stood out among their competitors during the most challenging of times throughout the pandemic, and have continued to build their customers’ trust. “Trust in consumer brands takes years of careful planning, execution and nurturing,” says Reader’s Digest editor-in-chief, Louise Waterson. “But during challenging times, and the past year has been one of the most difficult on record, we’ve seen quality brands live up to their promises to their customers. These brands have been able to win and retain the trust of their customers.” The Trusted Brands survey covers a comprehensive range of products and services across 71 categories, as selected by New Zealanders, was without prejudice. Brands included in the list to be rated were generated by asking local New Zealand consumers for their most trusted brands. This question was unprompted to ensure the rating of top brands in each category, as selected by New Zealanders. Each respondent was asked score each brand out of ten, as well as providing comments on their most trusted brand within each category – providing key drivers of trust for consumers. Each category contains one Winner, and two Highly Commended brands. These brands scored higher in their respective categories than the other brands polled. The top 20 winners – that scored higher in their respective categories than the other brands polled – are as follows: Top 20 Trusted Brands of all brands surveyed <ul> <li>1 Whittaker’s </li> <li>2 St John New Zealand </li> <li>3 Mitre 10 </li> <li>4 Tip Top </li> <li>5 Mainland </li> <li>6 Samsung </li> <li>7 Anchor </li> <li>8 Resene </li> <li>9 Toyota </li> <li>10 Dettol </li> <li>11 Panadol</li> <li>12 Canon</li> <li>13 Dyson</li> <li>14 Bridgestone</li> <li>15 Yates</li> <li>16 Griffin’s</li> <li>17 Fisher & Paykel</li> <li>18 Masport</li> <li>19 Dilmah</li> <li>20 Cookie Time</li> </ul> Under each category one winner and two highly commended placings were awarded. To find out who you can officially trust, see the full results of all 71 categories in the May edition of Reader’s Digest or visit <a href="https://www.trustedbrands.co.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.trustedbrands.co.nz</a>

Money & Banking

Phenomenal winners in Sony World Photography Awards 2022

The World Photography Organisation has announced the winners in the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards 2022. Acclaimed photographer Adam Ferguson from Australia won the Photographer of the Year title along with $25,000 (USD) cash prize and a range of Sony digital imaging kit. His series titled Migrantes is a series of black and white portraits of migrants in Mexico, as they wait to cross the border into the United States. "By giving his subjects the shutter release, Adam hands a certain power to the sitter to make that decision on how to be perceived. These photographs are beautiful, meaningful and kind," said Mike Trow, chairman of the Professional competition. Winners were revealed in a celebratory announcement video featuring interviews and reactions from the winning photographers. Winners will also go on to see their work exhibited at Somerset House, London, from April 13 to May 2, 2022, displayed alongside other winning and shortlisted photographers. Images: World Photography Organisation

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Fighting for change: how much cash Olympic medallists actually win at Paris 2024

"Am I dreaming?": Prince William serves up burgers from food van

"This doesn’t feel right, does it?": Photographer admits Sony prize-winning photo was AI generated

Breathtaking shots from the 2022 Travel Photographer of the Year

Hilarious winners of the worldwide 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

Happy Howlidays! Most popular pet names of 2022 revealed

Shehan Karunatilaka wins Booker prize for Sri Lankan political satire, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida

Nobel economics prize: insights into financial contagion changed how central banks react during a crisis

Stunning winners of 2022 iPhone Photography awards

Qantas reports huge loss but even bigger revenue

Inflation is 2022’s boogeyman. How can we address rising living costs, while helping bring it down?

Princess Charlotte joins her dad in rare video message

The world's best restaurants for 2022 have been revealed

The world's best cities in 2022 revealed

It’s 2022. Why do we still not have waterproof phones?

Benji Marshall’s incredible decision for Celebrity Apprentice prize money

Blak Douglas becomes second ever Indigenous Archibald Prize winner

All the most controversial and stunning looks from Met Gala 2022

Revealed: New Zealand’s most trusted brands for 2022

Phenomenal winners in Sony World Photography Awards 2022