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Breathtaking winners of the 2024 Panoramic Photo Awards

<p>The finalists of the 2024 Epson International Pano Awards have been revealed, with the talented photographers capturing the wonders of nature in all its glory. </p> <p>The annual contest is the world's largest competition dedicated to panoramic photography. </p> <p>With over 4,500 entries from more than one thousand professional and amateur photographers across 95 countries worldwide, all of them have captured the beauty of our planet.  </p> <p>But the overall winner is Kelvin Yuen, from Hong Kong, who captured "astounding" photographs from China to Patagonia, with a drone shot of a lightning strike above  China's Guilin karst formations landing him the title of  2024 Open Photographer of the Year. </p> <p>"On the day I took this photo, I woke up at 3am and was supposed to hike up for the sunrise. However, a heavy thunderstorm struck out of nowhere, so I decided to shoot it" he said of his winning shot, pictured above. </p> <p>David Evans, competition curator has praised all the entries from the 15th year of the Pano Awards. </p> <p>"The quality of entries is astounding, and I am endlessly fascinated by the spectacular windows to the world presented by highly talented photographers far and wide," he said. </p> <p>A few other photos that caught the attention of the judges include dolphins playing in Western Australia, a sunrise over Japan's Mount Fuji, and Norway's Northern Lights. </p> <p>Take a look at some of this year's best entries below.</p> <p><em>Images: The 15th Epson International Pano Awards</em></p>

International Travel

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Dally M award winner surprised with emotional haka from teammates

<p>The Dally M award ceremony has ended in tears after the coveted award winner was surprised with an impromptu haka from his teammates. </p> <p>Melbourne Storm player and New Zealand native Jahrome Hughes took home the 2024 Dally M award, and at the end of the broadcast, watched on as his teammate Will Warbrick approached the stage.</p> <p>Warbrick then began performing the haka with his Storm teammate Eliesa Katoa and Canberra Raiders player Joseph Tapine joining in. </p> <p>Hughes was left with a tear in his eye as his Kiwi friends honoured his win. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAnvbqxBgDW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAnvbqxBgDW/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by NRL (@nrl)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“That meant a lot,” Hughes said after the award ceremony. “To see that brought a tear to my eye. For them to do that is truly special. For myself, my culture and family, it just topped off an awesome night."</p> <p>“It’s such a surreal feeling. I was nervous, I didn’t come with too much expectations, but when it got down to the wire I was really nervous."</p> <p>“To win this award is massive for myself. You look at the quality of players were have in the game, to be up there is a real honour. I am very humbled.”</p> <p>Warbrick said he was inspired to perform the haka for Hughes after witnessing similar scenes at the 2018 Dally M awards and wanted to follow suit. </p> <p>“I was a bit nervous. I just wanted to show my respect to Jahrome and acknowledge him,” Warbrick said. “We both have Maori culture, that’s what it’s all about."</p> <p>“It was just off the cuff, I’m glad a couple of boys jumped in with me to make it look better. Jahrome is an integral part of the Kiwis team. It was rightful to acknowledge him by doing the haka for him.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

TV

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Princess Diana's niece finally reveals baby daughter's name

<p>Princess Diana's niece, Lady Kitty Spencer has finally revealed the name of her daughter, almost four months after confirming her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/princess-diana-s-niece-secretly-welcomes-first-child" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrival</a> on Mother's Day in the UK. </p> <p>The notoriously private royal took to Instagram to share a black and white photo of her sitting by a window, while holding her daughter. </p> <p>The new mum was pictured kissing her daughter's head as she stared out the window. </p> <p>"Athena watching the world go by," she captioned the photo, with a white heart emoji. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C81dKqtOcmI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C81dKqtOcmI/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kitty Spencer (@kitty.spencer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Royal fans were quick to share their delight and the chosen name. </p> <p>"Such a beautiful name!" one wrote. </p> <p> "What a beautiful name and photo," another added. </p> <p>"Athena is so gorgeous!! Like her mama," a third commented. </p> <p>Kitty, who is the late Princess Diana's niece and daughter of Diana's brother Earl Charles Spencer, shared the post over the weekend. </p> <p>She announced the arrival of her first child with husband Michael Lewis, earlier this year. </p> <p>"It's the joy of my life to be your mummy, little one. I love you unconditionally. Happy Mother's Day to those who celebrate today," she wrote at the time. </p> <p>She had kept her pregnancy private, and many were surprised to learn that she was a mum. </p> <p>Athena was reportedly born in late 2023.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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“Grief eats you away”: Prince Harry's candid interview about losing his mother

<p>Prince Harry has spoken candidly about his ongoing struggles with grief following the death of his mother, the late Princess Diana, when he was just 12 years old. </p> <p>Upon his brief return to the UK, the Duke of Sussex opened up in a new interview as part of his role as global ambassador for Armed Forces charity Scotty’s Little Soldiers, who work to support children who have lost parents in the military, admitting that “grief eats you away”.</p> <p>Harry detailed how difficult it was losing his mother at such a young age, admitting he spent nearly two decades “not thinking” about her death and was forced to eventually get help after years of “total chaos”.</p> <p>He added that learning how to celebrate a late loved one is difficult for a child, as it made them “sad”.</p> <p>“But ­realising if I do talk about it, and I’m celebrating their life, then things become easier,” he said.</p> <p>Harry went on, “You convince yourself that the person you’ve lost wants you, or you need to be sad for as long as possible to prove to them that they are missed … Especially when every defence mechanism in your mind, nervous system and everything else is saying ‘do not go there.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YY-W6VEXlZM?si=SBQyGGCKAOhELxlv" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>"But then there’s this realisation of, no, they must want me to be happy”.</p> <p>The 39-year-old royal shared how, after decades of silent mourning, he learned suppressing grief was “in fact not” the best form of coping with loss.</p> <p>“It can be for a period of time,” he went on to say.</p> <p>“But…if you suppress this for too long, you can’t suppress it forever it’s not sustainable and it will east away at you inside."</p> <p>“Once realising that if I do talk about it and I’m celebrating their life then actually things become easier.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: YouTube</em></p>

Caring

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Princess Diana's brother shares "immensely sad" personal news

<p>Princess Diana's younger brother Charles Spencer has shared that he and his wife are divorcing after 13 years of marriage. </p> <p>The Earl's relationship with his wife, Karen Gordon, reportedly broke down while Spencer was writing his harrowing memoir which detailed the physical and sexual abuse he suffered at boarding school. </p> <p>Revealing the split to the <em><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13509355/charles-spencer-sad-divorce-wife-memoir.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mail on Sunday</a></em>, the 60-year-old said, "It is immensely sad."</p> <p>"I just want to devote myself to all my children, and to my grandchildren, and I wish Karen every happiness in the future."</p> <p>Spencer and Gordon, a Canadian philanthropist, first met on a blind date at a restaurant in Los Angeles in 2010, and got married just one year later in June 2011 on the Althorp estate, where Princess Diana is buried. </p> <p>The couple share a 12-year-old daughter named Charlotte Diana, while Spencer also has four children from his previous marriage to his first wife, Victoria Lockwood, and two children with his second wife, Caroline Freud.</p> <p>Karen was notably absent at events held at Althorp and Spencer House in London in mid-March to launch the Earl's tell-all book, <em>A Very Private School</em>.</p> <p>Charles Spencer told the <em>Mail on Sunday</em> that the five years of work on his memoir has deeply affected him and led to him undergoing residential treatment for trauma late last year.</p> <p>In a March interview with <em><a href="https://people.com/charles-spencer-reveals-he-was-sexually-abused-by-a-woman-as-a-child-at-boarding-school-8606246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a></em>, Spencer opened up about how “supportive” Karen had been throughout his healing journey as he recalled the traumatic details of his childhood.</p> <p>“I think it was very challenging for her to have a husband going through what was essentially four and a half years of the most profound therapy with very difficult undertones to it. And she supported the idea of me doing it,” he said.</p> <p>“I think she always hoped I would come out happier and healthier and that seems to be the case very much. So, I’m grateful to have her standing by me while I went through this, what I now realise was an essential process.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Splashnews.com/Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Relationships

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Award-winning documentary filmmaker dies at age 53

<p>Award-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has passed away at the age of 53. </p> <p>Spurlock, who was known for his hit 2004 documentary <em>Super Size Me</em>, died from complications of cancer, according to a statement released by his family. </p> <p>“It was a sad day, as we said goodbye to my brother Morgan,” Craig Spurlock, who worked with him on several projects, in the statement.</p> <p>“Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man. I am so proud to have worked together with him.”</p> <p>Spurlock first made waves in Hollywood with <em>Super Size Me</em>: a documentary in which the filmmaker ate McDonald's everyday for a month to document the detrimental physical and psychological effects of fast food.</p> <p>He then returned in 2009 with a sequel documentary titled <em>Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!</em>, which offered a sobering look at an industry that processes 9 billion animals a year in America.</p> <p>Spurlock would go onto to direct numerous documentaries including <em>Where in the World is Osama bin Laden</em> about the US conflict in Afghanistan where he went searching for the now dead terrorist.</p> <p>He also directed a One Direction concert film titled <em>This is U</em>s and the 2011 documentary <em>POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold.</em></p> <p>Outside of his film work, Spurlock battled alcoholism, and admitted to once being accused of rape and paying to settle a sexual harassment case.</p> <p>He married three times throughout his life and is survived by sons Laken and Kallen and his wife Sara Bernstein.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Andrew H Walker / Shutterstock Editorial </em></p>

Caring

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"First day of school": Charles Spencer shares unseen snap of Diana

<p>Charles Spencer has shared a previously unseen photo from his school days with his late sister Princess Diana. </p> <p>The sweet photo shows a young Charles and Diana in their school uniforms standing side by side on what was their first day of primary school in 1968.</p> <p>Earl Spencer, 59, captioned the photo, "My first day of school, in September 1968: my father took this photograph of me and my sister, Diana, just before he drove us to Silfield, a really lovely primary school in King's Lynn, Norfolk."</p> <p>"The headmistress was Miss Jean Lowe, a warm and thoughtful lady who loved her boys and girls."</p> <p>"I was there till 1972, when I headed off to the place I call - in my memoir - A Very Private School."</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C5TfsiIoQL8/?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/C5TfsiIoQL8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Charles Spencer (@charles.earl.spencer)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Three years after the photo was taken, Charles was separated from his sister to attend a boarding school, Maidwell Hall Prep School.</p> <p>Throughout the Spencer children's schooling life, Diana was always "very protective" over her brother and "just wouldn't settle" in class until she knew he was okay. </p> <p>Charles told <a title="HELLO!" href="https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/516378/charles-spencer-shares-poignant-childhood-anecdote-princess-diana/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>HELLO</em>!</a> that he and Diana had a unique bond when they were growing up. </p> <p>"My mother [Frances] left home when we were young – I was two or three, and Diana would have been five or six – so we were very much in it together," he said.</p> <p>Diana soon fell into a caretaker role, and would look after her brother after their mother left. </p> <p>"Diana looked after me because she was nearly three years older than me," Charles Spencer said.</p> <p>"She said that the worst part was hearing me cry down the hall because she was terrified of the dark and couldn't come to me."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

Family & Pets

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The captivating winners of the Mobile Photography Awards

<p>It turns out your smartphone camera can do much more than capture pictures of your pets, family holidays and fancy meals. </p> <p>These budding photographers have pushed the limits of their smartphone camera and emerged victorious in the first <a href="https://www.britishphotographyawards.org/2024-mobile-photography-awards/gallery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mobile Photography Awards</a>, launched this year by the British Photography Awards (BPA), in partnership with Samsung.</p> <p>Entrants submitted their snaps under categories including Portrait, Landscape, Night Scenes, Food &amp; Drink, Pets and Zoom In, creating some of the most breath-taking pics that look as though they have been taken with a professional camera. </p> <p>BPA Awards Director &amp; Photographer, Hugo Donnithorne-Tait, said, "As photography continues to develop as a medium, it is clear that the way people take and enjoy photos is changing too.'</p> <p>"More and more photographs today are being captured only because people have a top camera in their pocket when they need it. This means so many more of life’s moments are being documented."</p> <p>This year's winning photos feature a father and son sleeping side by side, a hiker atop the Scottish Highlands, the bustling London streets from above and below, a furry friend at bath time, and a few hungry seagulls. </p> <p><em>All image credits: British Photography Awards</em></p>

International Travel

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Princess Diana's brother reveals tragic secret

<p>Charles Spencer has bravely detailed the alleged sexual abuse he experienced as a child.</p> <p>The younger brother of Princess Diana, now 59, initially made the revelation that he was abused as a child while in boarding school when he was 42. </p> <p>Now, the 9th Earl Spencer is recalling the alleged trauma in his new memoir <em>A Very Private School,</em> and the first moment he told anyone about the abuse he experienced. </p> <p>“I was doing a 10-day course of very deep introspection and therapy,” he told Fox News Digital.</p> <p>“My therapist said to each of us, ‘Whisper to me one secret you’d never told anyone.’ I whispered to him that I was sexually abused as a child by an adult.</p> <p>"And I remember him looking so shocked, and he had heard it all. Afterwards, he took me aside and said, ‘This is very serious stuff.’”</p> <p>He added that at that stage, he already had children, and having kids of his own made him realise how devastating his experience was. </p> <p>“I suddenly put it into context. What if one of my children of either gender had been subjected to this as an 11-year-old? It made my blood boil," he said. </p> <p>"I then started to allow myself to feel the full devastation of what had happened to me.”</p> <p>Spencer was eight when he was enrolled at Maidwell Hall, an elite English boarding school, and he claimed that it didn't take long for him to witness and experience incidents of alleged abuse. </p> <p>He claimed that  he was groomed and sexually abused at age 11 by an assistant matron at the school, who was 19 or 20 years old. </p> <p>“It was a brutal experience,” he claimed in his memoir. </p> <p>“The headmaster was a sadistic pedophile. He staffed a very small number of teachers in this place who were either … perverted or would never tell tales against him. There wasn’t really anyone to go to.“</p> <p>He added that the beatings had become "a ritual part of every day," and his parents had no idea the extent of what was going on behind closed doors.</p> <p>The royal also alleged that one student was whipped so badly he struggled to take off his pants at night because the dried blood and clothing stuck to his skin, and that it took two weeks for him to recover. </p> <p>Spencer claimed he was allowed to write a letter to his parents once a week, with the messages being supervised so he was unable to tell his parents what was going on. </p> <p>“We were just left there at the mercy of some really dangerous people,” Spencer alleged.</p> <p>He said that meeting with other former pupils was what motivated him to write the new memoir, and revisit the painful memories of his past. </p> <p>The historian recalled the moment he met another former student, who kept quiet about the abuse he experience because it was so traumatising. </p> <p>"He told me how he was made to feel worthless every day, how he’d been seriously sexually assaulted as a nine-year-old three times by somebody who was meant to protect him," he recalled.</p> <p>“I took 10 pages of notes, stopped and said, ‘This is too terrible — I can’t tell this story.’ He reached across, grabbed my arm and said, ‘Somebody has to do it – it’s got to be you.’ That convinced me, the truth needed to be shared with the world.”</p> <p>The 9th Earl also said that he is undergoing “a very effective” post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, as well as Tai Chi and breathing exercises.</p> <p>“I’ve got a whole armoury of support techniques to try and get to a better place,” he shared.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

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The best of the 2024 Oscars

<p>Hollywood’s night of nights is back in full force this year and it's more glamorous and chaotic than ever.</p> <p>Jimmy Kimmel, who returned as a host at the annual Academy Awards for the fourth time, kicked off the festivities by addressing the <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/movies/margot-robbie-snubbed-as-oscar-nominations-announced" target="_blank" rel="noopener">controversial snubs </a>of Margot Robbie for best actress and Greta Gerwig for best director. </p> <p>“Barbie, what a film. What an achievement. To take a plastic doll nobody even liked any more, now Barbie is an icon thanks to Greta Gerwig, who many people believe should be nominated for Best Director,” he began. </p> <p>“I know you are clapping, but you’re the ones who didn’t vote for her, by the way. Don’t act like you had nothing to do with this," he added. </p> <p>While he did compliment Robbie “putting this giant hit together”, his joke about her and co-star Ryan Gosling's appearance fell flat. </p> <p>Despite the awkward joke, Gosling pulled off one of the most memorable moments in Oscars history, as he belted-out an energetic and fabulously pink performance of <em>I’m Just Ken</em>, a <em>Barbie</em> original song, with other Kens including co-star Simu Liu. </p> <p>Gosling began his dazzling performance by serenading co-star Margot Robbie in the audience, who could not hold in her laughter. </p> <p>British-American musician Slash also made a surprise cameo on the electric guitar and everyone in the room could feel the Kenergy. </p> <p>In another unforgettable moment, John Cena caused the audience to erupt with laughter when he slowly emerged from side stage without clothes on, as Kimmel referenced the 1974 Oscars moment when a streaker infamously ran across the stage.</p> <p>“I changed my mind, I don’t want to do the streaker bit anymore,” Cena told Kimmel.</p> <p>“I just don’t feel right about it. This is an elegant event.”</p> <p>Cena then presented the Best Costume Design award while concealing his private parts with a piece of paper. </p> <p>“Costumes... They are so important,” he said, as the audience exploded in laughter. </p> <p><em>Poor Things</em> won the Best Costume Design award and snagged three other awards including  Best Production Design, Best Hair and Makeup, and Emma Stone winning Best Actress.</p> <p>In a more wholesome moment, Messi, a seven-year-old border collie, who starred in <em>Anatomy of A Fall </em>was being a very good boy and could be seen sitting amongst A-list and "clapping" his paws for all the winners. </p> <p>Oppenheimer snagged seven awards, including the Best Picture award, the Best Director award and Cillian Murphy winning his first ever Oscar for Best Actor.</p> <p>“We made a film about the man who created the atomic bomb. For better or worse we’re all living in Oppenheimer’s world, so I would really like to dedicate this to the peace makers everywhere,” Murphy said when he accepted his award. </p> <p>The film landed its first ever honour of the night when Robert Downey Jr also won his first ever Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. </p> <p>The full list of winners can be found <a href="https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p> <p>Of course, the Oscars aren't just about who takes home what award, but who looked like tens during the red carpet. </p> <p>Check out some of our favourite looks and highlights below: </p> <p><em>Images: Getty/ news.com.au</em></p> <p> </p>

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Dive below the surface with the Underwater Photographer of the Year awards

<p>There's a world beneath us that we don't know much about, and photographers around the world have all tried to capture its beauty. </p> <p>With over 6,500 photos submitted for this year's Underwater Photographer of the Year contest, one photo captured the panel of judges' heart - Alex Dawson's 'Whale Bones'. </p> <p>The image shows a diver swimming among the enormous skeletons of slaughtered whales off the coast of Greenland. </p> <p>"Whale Bones was photographed in the toughest conditions, as a breath-hold diver descends below the Greenland ice sheet to bear witness to the carcasses," Alex Mustard, Chair of the UPY Jury said. </p> <p>"The masterful composition invites me to consider our impact on the great creatures of this planet," he added. </p> <p>"Since the rise of humans, wild animals have declined by 85%. Today, just 4% of mammals are wildlife, the remaining 96% are humans and our livestock.</p> <p>"Our way needs to change to find a balance with nature." </p> <p>Lisa Stengel from the US won the title of Up &amp; Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024, for her shot titled 'Window of Opportunity'. </p> <p>The photo captured the beauty of nature as a mahi attacks a swarm of fish, an action shot that captured "high speed hunting at the decisive moment."</p> <p>Nuno Sá from Portugal won the award for 'Save Our Seas Foundation' Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2024 for his work titled Saving Goliath. </p> <p>The photo showed dozens of sun seekers working together to try and save a stranded sperm whale off the beaches of Costa da Caparica. </p> <p>UK residents Jenny Stock won the title of British Underwater Photographer of the Year for her work  'Star Attraction' and Sandra Stalker won the title of Most Promising British Underwater Photographer 2024 for 'Midnight raver'. </p> <p><em>Images: UPY </em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

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Kylie Minogue wins her first Grammy in 20 years

<p dir="ltr">Kylie Minogue has won her first Grammy in 20 years, taking home the award for Best Pop Dance Recording. </p> <p dir="ltr">The songstress picked up the award for her hit track <em>Padam Padam</em>, beating fellow Aussie Troye Sivan for his song <em>Rush</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The award was handed out during the Premiere Ceremony of the 66th annual Grammys, where she was nominated for six awards for her new album <em>Tension</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 55-year-old shared a sweet clip of her reaction to the win, showing her screaming and running around in a dressing gown while her team shared their congratulations. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C28KH94vZoR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C28KH94vZoR/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Kylie Minogue (@kylieminogue)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">She captioned the video, “Padam? Padam! ❤️❤️ Thank you SOOO much recording academy 🥹🥰😘”</p> <p dir="ltr">Padam Padam reached the top 20 in several countries, including Australia, the UK and America.</p> <p dir="ltr">This is the sixth time Kylie has been nominated for the prestigious award throughout her career, only winning it once before in 2004 for her song <em>Come Into My World</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Before her win, Minogue dazzled on the red carpet at industry heavyweight Clive Davis’s pre-Grammys gala on Sunday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Sporting a black mini dress, Kylie posed with country music legend Shania Twain while other stars walked the carpet. </p> <p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em><span id="docs-internal-guid-44812604-7fff-e385-0206-a2af0888283c"></span></p>

Music

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Christina Applegate's Emmy’s appearance moves audience to tears

<p dir="ltr">Christina Applegate has moved audiences to tears after making a courageous appearance at the Emmy Awards. </p> <p dir="ltr">Applegate announced at the beginning of 2023 that she would be taking a step back from acting after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), with the disease making a drastic impact on her life. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, the 52-year-old took to the stage, supported by a cane, at the Peacock Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on Monday night, with the crowd rising to their feet in a round of applause. </p> <p dir="ltr">Applegate immediately began to tear up as she leaned on host Anthony Anderson for support, telling the audience, “I’m gonna cry more than I’ve been crying.”</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jOJNgHgKnFs?si=Y8K-e2H8gFq1Pr0u" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">Keeping her sense of humour, she said to the sea of celebrity faces, “Thank you so much! Oh my God! You’re totally shaming me (and my) disability by standing up.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Applegate presented the award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, with the award going to Ayo Edebiri for her role in <em>The Bear</em>. </p> <p dir="ltr">The heartfelt moment of the standing ovation was shared on X, with fans saying, “She deserves that ovation and more.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The iconic actress has been candid about her battle with MS since she was first diagnosed in 2021, keeping her fans updated as her illness progressed. </p> <p dir="ltr">In 2023, Applegate told <em>Vanity Fair</em> that her work on the hit Netflix TV show <em>Dead To Me</em> would be her last as an actor, saying “I can’t even imagine going to set right now.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m probably not going to work on-camera again,” Applegate said at the time, adding that while she loved her cast and crew, working had been a “struggle.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p> </p>

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Queen Elizabeth’s secret “anger” at Lilibet’s name

<p dir="ltr">Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to name their daughter Lilibet allegedly greatly “angered” the late Queen Elizabeth, according to an explosive new book. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the new biography <em>Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story</em>, by veteran royal journalist Robert Hardman, a source close to the royal family shared the secret anger about the Sussexes using Her Majesty’s childhood nickname for their child. </p> <p dir="ltr">The affectionate moniker was used frequently during the late Queen’s childhood, after it emerged from her own mispronunciation of her name as a child. </p> <p dir="ltr">The nickname was used only by her late parents, her sister Princess Margaret, husband Prince Philip, and closest inner circle.</p> <p dir="ltr">Meghan Markle gave birth to her daughter in June 2021, naming her Lilibet Diana, in tribute to both the Queen and to Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. </p> <p dir="ltr">According to the explosive new book, a senior palace source described the late monarch as being “as angry as I’d ever seen her” when the couple said in a statement she’d approved the use of the name for their second child. </p> <p dir="ltr">In the wake of the new claims, the Daily Mail’s royal editor Rebecca English added that aides told her at the time that the Queen had felt her name had been “taken”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“‘I don’t own the palaces, I don’t own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name. And now they’ve taken that,” they reportedly told her.</p> <p dir="ltr">English added that she’d been told the Queen was “taken aback” when Harry informed her of his intention with the name, but “didn’t feel, given the circumstances, she could say no”, describing it as “being pushed into an impossible corner.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The claims of the Queen’s disappointment first began to swirl shortly after Lilibet’s birth, but a law firm representing Harry and Meghan quickly fired off a statement to news organisations, suggesting the claim was false and defamatory.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement – in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called,” the message read.</p> <p dir="ltr">“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In the days after Lilibet’s birth, Buckingham Palace released a statement saying that the Queen and other senior royals were “delighted with the news.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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Extraordinary snaps from around the world for the Nature Photographer of the Year awards

<p>Every year, the <a href="https://naturephotographeroftheyear.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Photographer of the Year</a> awards showcase the best that Mother Nature has to offer. </p> <p>For the 2023 competition, photographers from all around the world have captured beautiful snaps of wildlife in their natural habitat, picturesque landscapes and much more. </p> <p>The annual competition is an initiative of Nature Talks, the organisation responsible for the Nature Talks Photo Festival that takes place in the Netherlands. </p> <p>This year, the competition saw entrant from South Africa, Germany, the USA, England, Finland, France, Luxembourg and many more corners of the globe. </p> <p>This year's winner is a photographer hailing from Canada, Jacquie Matechuk, who stole the show with her photo of the Spectacled Bear. </p> <p>Chairman Marco Gaiotti explained why her photo was chosen as the winner, "The Spanish moss hanging from this centuries-old fig tree gives an incredible sense of three-dimensionality while the soft light filtering through the colours highlights the profound connection between species and habitat in this image."</p> <p>"Finally, the pose of this spectacled bear fits perfectly into the texture of the photograph. Congratulations to Jacquie Matechuk for this outstanding photograph of the spectacled bear."</p> <p><em>All image credits: Nature Photographer of the Year</em></p>

International Travel

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Princess Di misquote in final Crown season sparks outrage

<p>Fans of <em>The Crown</em> have shared their fury over a quote from Princess Diana, after details of a pivotal scene from the royal drama have emerged. </p> <p>The sixth season of the show, which will be <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/major-twist-in-store-for-final-season-of-the-crown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> on Netflix on November 16th, features a key part of Princess Diana's life, in which she dedicated much of her time lobbying for an international treaty banning landmines and her support of victims.</p> <p>Just three weeks before her death in a car crash in 1997, she visited Bosnia and Herzegovina to meet with affected communities.</p> <p>In the upcoming episode of the show, Diana – played by Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki – tells her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed, played by Khalid Abdalla, about the horrors of the explosives and how they are responsible for thousands of deaths.</p> <p>“A man called Ken Rutherford drew my attention to it. He started the Landmine Survivors Network. After his jeep hit a landmine in Somalia he lost both of his legs,” Diana explains to her boyfriend on-screen.</p> <p>Diana then makes a bold statement, likening stepping on a landmine to her ill-fated marriage to Prince Charles. </p> <p>“He said to me every survivor has a date of the day they stepped on the landmine. He said, ‘Mine was December 16, 1963’. I said, ‘Mine was 29 July, 1981 — my wedding day’.”</p> <p>In the scene, Dodi laughs in response.</p> <p>The inclusion of the presumably fictional quote has been criticised by royal biographer and <em>Majesty</em> magazine editor Ingrid Seward, who had a personal relationship with Diana.</p> <p>“Diana would never have said anything like that. I think it is an unfortunate comparison,” she told <a href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/tv/24707487/the-crown-risks-angering-royal-family-diana-wedding-charles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>The Sun</em>.</a></p> <p>“I think the mere fact that <em>The Crown</em> is depicting Diana’s life and her death is exploiting her memory so they can put into her mouth anything that they want to — however distasteful people might find it.”</p> <p>Seward went on to emphasise the significance of landmine awareness to the late princess.</p> <p>“It was very important – it was her big thing and it was a great success too. It is something that she will always be remembered for,” she told the publication.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Netflix </em></p>

TV

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Princess Di's relative lays to rest longstanding burial myth

<p>Princess Diana's relative has corrected a longstanding myth about where the late Princess of Wales is actually buried. </p> <p>Countess Karen Spencer, who is married to Diana's brother Charles, responded to a fan on her Instagram account to address the claim. </p> <p>Since Princess Diana's death in 1997, there have been many rumours about where she was actually laid to rest. </p> <p>After a large funeral in Westminster Abbey, Diana's casket was returned to her family home for burial. </p> <p>She was buried within a mausoleum on the Oval Lake, on an island in the middle of the Althorp estate, where she grew up. </p> <p>Lady Diana spent her childhood and teenage years at Althorp House, a 90-room stately home located in Northamptonshire, prior to marrying the Prince of Wales in 1981.</p> <p>There is no public access to the island where Diana is buried, with a seperate memorial laying elsewhere on the Althorp grounds for members of the public to pay their respects.</p> <p>Since the Princess's death, she believe she is not buried at Althorp at all.</p> <p>Instead, it's claimed the late Princess of Wales was laid to rest alongside her late father John, who died in 1992, in the Spencer family vault at St Mary's Church in Great Brington.</p> <p>But the countess has now publicly denied such claims.</p> <p>Sharing an innocent photo of the Oval Lake to Instagram, one person asked the countess about the rumour. </p> <p>They said, "I saw online that she may have been buried in the family crypt with her father in a church which was used by the Spencer family".</p> <p>Karen commented below, "The law in the UK is that she would have needed to be creamated [sic] in order to go in the crypt and that was not what she wanted, so that wasn't possible."</p> <p>Another person added to the conversation, "Thank you for publicly addressing this longstanding myth. A statement from the family has been the missing piece in 26 years of speculation."</p> <p>While another comment said, "Agreed this is the first public statement from the family. A bit bizarre it's in the Instagram comments section but at least it's now been addressed!"</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

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2023 Drone Photo Awards fly high as winners are revealed

<p dir="ltr">The winners of the 2023 Drone Photo Awards have been announced, with photographers all around the world recognised for their commitment to aerial photography in the fierce international competition.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thousands of submissions were received for the annual contest across nine different categories: photo of the year, urban, wildlife, sport, people, nature, abstract, wedding, series, and video. </p> <p dir="ltr">The Drone Photo Awards are open to both aerial photography and video, with platforms including “fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, balloons, blimps and dirigibles, rockets, kites, and parachutes.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The competition’s top award, Photo of the Year, went to a shot by Israeli photographer Or Adar. </p> <p dir="ltr">His submission, ‘Must resist’, presents the image of “protesters holding banners during a demonstration again Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plans” from an aerial perspective, capturing the moment in Tel Aviv when “tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Israeli cities for the ninth straight week, on Saturday March 4th, to fight a government plan to overhaul the country's court system.” </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">🏆“𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑” 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 🏆</p> <p>Congrats to Or Adar for his stunning image “Must resist”. 👏👏👏<a href="https://t.co/leaZw2sazu">https://t.co/leaZw2sazu</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sienawards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sienawards</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dronephotoawards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dronephotoawards</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/photocontest?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#photocontest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dronephotography?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dronephotography</a> <a href="https://t.co/pyReGOTMC9">pic.twitter.com/pyReGOTMC9</a></p> <p>— Siena Awards (@SIPAContest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SIPAContest/status/1671458317472866313?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Polish photographer Sebastian Piórek took home the win in the Urban category for his shot of Chorzów in southern Poland, which was described by The Siena Awards as a photo that “beautifully juxtaposes the colourful ambiance and harmony of the playground against the backdrop of the city.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Indian photographer Danu Paran won the Wildlife category with his shot of a napping elephant, where “the elephant’s grey and wrinkled skin perfectly merges with the natural landscape, creating a harmonious composition that showcases the beauty of wildlife.”</p> <p dir="ltr">French photographer David Machet won for Sport with his photo of tightrope walker Nathan Paulin in the French Alps, as Paulin traversed a ‘highline’ almost 2.5 km in the air. </p> <p dir="ltr">The People category went to British photographer Simon Heather’s picture of people in Portugal enjoying a sunny day by the sea, while the Series award went to American photographer George Steinmetz for his photo series of farmland.</p> <p dir="ltr">Indian photographer Thomas Vijayan took home the Nature award for his photo of Svalbard, with Vijayan sharing that “it was surprisingly sad to see that the ice had already melted in June, and we were able to reach the ice cap with our ship.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The Abstract winner was Spanish photographer Ignacio Medem for a shot demonstrating how drought and poor water resource management has impacted a river in the American West.</p> <p dir="ltr">Polish photographer Krzysztof Krawczyk found success in the Wedding category, with his snap of newlyweds on a boat in the middle of a lake, while “they are enveloped by voluminous clouds and surrounded by thousands of dry leaves, resembling stars and creating gentle waves.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And last but not least, Bashir Abu won the Video category with “Why I Travel the World Alone”.</p> <p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z6t4y3A28uA" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p dir="ltr">And for anyone hoping to check the winners out for themselves, Adar’s image - as well as the top photographs from the other winning categories - will be available for viewing in the Above Us Only Sky exhibition set to take place for the first time at Italy’s San Galgano Abbey from July 8 to November 19. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Drone Photo Awards</em></p>

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