Despite appearances to the contrary, the wildly unpredictable new A24 film The Drama is anything but a traditional romantic comedy, even if it tangles with modern love in darkly funny ways.
Christopher Walsh, the founder of the financial advice website Moneyhub, is halfway through an extensive business and pleasure trip through Europe, Africa, the US, and various stopovers in between, including Qatar.
When I first spoke to him for this story, he was in Sierra Leone. By the time I got around to asking some follow-up questions, he was in Liberia.
The Middle East conflict and the resulting fuel price surge have upended his trip, just as they have for other New Zealanders overseas. His return flight is – or was – through Qatar, under bombardment of Iranian drones and missiles. The result is a closed airspace and limited flights through what is normally a busy travel corridor for New Zealanders.
Christopher Walsh, the founder of personal finance website, Moneyhub, at a restaurant in Liberia during a recent trip.
supplied
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A Thailand beauty pageant contestant is making waves on social media after busting out some bold dance moves on stage.
Darathorn Yoothong, a professional dancer, made headlines around the world for going against the tide in the scene as fellow contestants stood swaying to the music in their spot during the swimsuit segment dance.
More than 70 contestants from various provinces in Thailand were competing for a chance to represent the country at the Miss Grand International competition.
“I just truly be myself but this is honestly unbelievable than i ever imagine,” Yoothong wrote on her Instagram after seeing all the attention online.
“Thank you so much for the love from everyone all around the world. I promise I’ll be back stronger and even more fun.”
The judges placed her withing the top 20 of the final rankings.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
FX’s Love Story — the Ryan Murphy-produced show that revisits the lives of John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette Kennedy — concludes this week with the episode that won’t be easy to watch, even if everyone knew it was coming.
The nine-episode series began by teeing up the fate that met the couple, who were killed along with Bessette Kennedy’s sister Lauren in a plane crash in July 1999. The tragedy was a seminal moment for some the same way the death of Princess Diana was just two years earlier for others. Bessette Kennedy’s reaction to the former royal’s death in a paparazzi-caused car crash was even fictionalised in last week’s penultimate episode of the show, which has renewed interest in the fashions of the time and in the couple’s life and death.
Some of the journalists who covered America’s answer to a royal couple don’t need a slick limited series to remember the summer weekend when Kennedy’s plane was reported missing after taking off in New Jersey. What followed was a multi-day stakeout both on the mainland in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts near the famed Kennedy compound, and on Martha’s Vineyard, which had been their destination, as the search for the plane continued.
Sarah Pidgeon and Paul Anthony Kelly in episode 7 of Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette.
FX
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Celine Dion, who was previously sidelined from performing due to a rare neurological disorder, has announced a series of concerts that will bring her back to the stage.
Making good on rampant speculation, Dion is set to perform ten concerts in Paris, according to an announcement shared Monday on social media in honour of her birthday. The shows will take place in September and October.
“This year, I’m getting the best birthday gift of my life,” she said in a video posted to her verified Instagram account.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
If you’ve ever tried a diet to fix gut symptoms, you’ll know it can be hit or miss. One person swears it changed their life. Another follows it carefully and feels no better.
This is especially true for irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS. It’s a common condition that causes stomach pain, bloating and changes in bowel habits.
Many people with IBS are told to try the low-FODMAP diet. This reduces certain carbohydrates (known as FODMAPs) that the gut absorbs poorly. These are fermented by gut bacteria, producing gas and drawing water into the bowel, which can trigger symptoms.
FODMAPs are found in foods such as onions, garlic, apples, wheat and some dairy products.
This isn’t a national call to quit caffeine. It’s just a story about a girl who stopped drinking tea and coffee to see how it would feel.
Reducing FODMAPs – found in foods such as onions, garlic, apples, wheat and some dairy products – can help ease symptoms. The diet usually involves restricting these foods for a short period, then slowly reintroducing them to identify which ones trigger symptoms in each person.
For many people, it works. But for many others, it doesn’t. Our new research helps explain why.
We found the effectiveness of a low-FODMAP diet for IBS doesn’t come down to food alone, but also how the gut and brain work together.
Different levels of gut sensitivity
IBS affects how the brain and gut communicate. Signals travel between them, shaping how sensitive the gut is and how strongly symptoms are felt.
A simple way to think about it is as a volume dial. For some people, the gut is turned up, so even normal digestion can feel uncomfortable or painful. For others, the dial is lower.
Food matters, but it is only part of the picture. The brain can also turn symptoms up or down, influenced by stress, anxiety about gut symptoms, and expectations about how the body will respond.
To understand this, we studied 112 adults with IBS over six months as they completed the three phases of the low-FODMAP diet. Participants worked with a dietitian through restriction, reintroduction and personalisation, allowing us to track how symptoms changed as foods were removed and then reintroduced.
We measured symptoms, quality of life and psychological factors such as anxiety and expectations. We used statistical modelling to identify response patterns and what predicted improvement.
What we found
Some people improved quickly and stayed better. Others improved only slightly, or not at all, even after completing all phases of the diet. We found psychological factors played a major role in whether the diet worked.
Importantly, the difference was not just what people ate, but how they thought and felt about their symptoms and treatment.
People who believed the diet would help were more likely to improve. This is called “treatment expectancy” and is seen across health care.
People with high gut-focused anxiety were less likely to improve. This means they were very worried about their gut and more sensitive to normal sensations, like gas or movement in the bowel.
People who felt more in control of their symptoms also tended to do better.
These factors often changed before symptoms improved. This suggests the brain may help drive changes in symptoms.
This doesn’t mean IBS is “all in your head”. The symptoms are real and can have a big impact on daily life.
The gut and brain are closely linked. Stress and anxiety can change how sensitive the gut feels and how strongly symptoms are experienced – for example, many people notice “butterflies” in their stomach during stress.
What does this mean?
Right now, IBS treatment is often trial and error, with diet changes commonly tried first, followed by psychological therapies if needed.
Our findings suggest we may need to rethink this approach.
Some people may benefit more from psychological approaches, such as stress-reduction or cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). These can help people reframe unhelpful thoughts about their gut, reduce anxiety, and gradually face foods or situations they fear may trigger symptoms.
Others may respond well to diet alone. And many may need both.
If we can identify these differences earlier, for example by assessing anxiety or expectations, we could better match people to the right treatment.
This research marks a shift in how we understand IBS. It’s not just a food problem. It’s shaped by the interaction between diet, the gut and the brain.
For people living with IBS, this could mean fewer restrictive diets, less frustration and faster access to treatments that work.
For clinicians, it opens the door to more personalised care, where treatment is tailored to how a person’s gut-brain system is working.
In the end, improving IBS care may not be about finding the perfect diet. It may be more about understanding how the gut and brain work together, and using that to guide the right treatment.
Jessica Biesiekierski is a Associate Professor of Human Nutrition, The University of Melbourne. Lauren Manning is a Lecturer in Dietetics and Human Nutrition, La Trobe University.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A woman checks in with her phone at various intervals along her 30-kilometre run route.
As the video flashes back it shows her getting ready, putting on her running belt and shoes.
On another account, a man speaks directly to the camera explaining what his next race will be. He’s training for an ultramarathon where he’ll try run for days around a loop course, until there’s no one left standing.
Katie Dall is a run coach and personal trainer based in Brisbane.
New Zealand is in the middle of an endurance boom — driven by women, younger athletes and post-Covid lifestyle shifts — and events are struggling to keep up with demand.
“In life, all the things you want are on the other side of doing the hard work,” he says.
He’s tagged a popular exercise gear brand in the post.
They’re both part of the online runfluencer community that finds engagement promoting exercise, but has also sparked debate about injury risk and the quality of advice offered.
Ending the ‘doomscroll’
Brisbane-based run coach and personal trainer Katie Dall has had a front row seat to the explosion of running’s popularity both in-person and online.
One of the weekly run clubs she hosts now attracts crowds in the hundreds. It’s so popular they’ve had to get marshals involved.
Runners at another of the clubs she hosts said consuming content online, as well as posting it themselves, helped with motivation and inspiration.
“Anything that helps get young women out and about and gives them confidence and gets them healthy, I think that’s always a good thing,” one said.
“It’s when you’re sitting about lazy, doomscrolling on the phone and then come across a video of somebody running and you’re like … ah, just get my shoes on,” another added.
“I get a lot of inspiration from others as well … and use that for my own motivation and drive,” a third said.
But in recent months, discussion online has turned to conversations about injuries – particularly those related to stress or overuse – after some high-profile influencers shared injury news and started posting about recovery.
Dall said running influencers were mostly having a positive impact, but admitted she was “definitely” aware of a lack of education about over-training and how to structure a weekly running plan, as well as how to know how many events to sign up to each year.
“I see people coming to every single run club, signing up for every single race, trying to get a PB at every Parkrun on a Saturday or even some of the 5km run clubs that I host,” she said.
‘Doing too much’
The run clubs hosted by Ms Dall attract big numbers. (Supplied: Club KT)
ABC/Club KT
Even with her years of experience in the industry, Dall concedes it is “easy to be influenced and to get caught up in what other people are doing”, although said that is something she no longer struggles with herself anymore.
“A lot of people get FOMO, so I can definitely see how people are getting injured … and how physios are becoming a lot busier than they used to be,” she said.
On the other hand, she said she could understand influencers themselves would feel the pressure from brands to enter more events than she would recommend, and to perform well in them.
“With Hyrox and all these new running events popping up … people are definitely doing too much,” Dall said.
“It’s quality over quantity … just stay in your lane.”
Stress injuries not a ‘badge of honour’
Dr Cam McDonald runs Precision Health Alliance in Brisbane.
ABC News: Luke Bowden
Brisbane-based exercise physiologist and dietician Cam McDonald agreed promoting exercise and running was “a great thing”, given how many people still did not exercise enough.
But he was concerned by running influencers promoting “overtraining” or wearing injuries like a stress fracture like “a badge of honour”.
“It’s the worst thing that we could possibly be doing for people,” he said.
“The way to think about exercise … is that it’s stress on your system.
“The only time you get stronger from running, stronger from the gym, or the only time you benefit is when you rest afterwards.”
McDonald said a stress fracture could be interpreted as a sign of “lots of stress but no recovery”.
He understood where some of the pressure on influencers to perform and keep “pushing forward” would be coming from.
“It’s hard to commercialise sleeping, or videos of sleeping,” he said.
“[They show] working really hard all of the time … at race pace all of the time, and it’s a great example, but it needs moderation and it needs a lot of recommendation around the right recovery.”
McDonald said he would be concerned to see runners training for anything more than three marathons a year, and wanted to see more conversations about fuelling properly and taking rest days.
“It is unrealistic … the elites don’t do that kind of training, they actually have a whole lot more rest.”
“There’s an imbalance there and we can do something [to make] this great message … a little better.”
Digital anthropologist Crystal Abidin said the promotion of lifestyles that seemed unattainable or unrealistic was not an issue unique to running influencers.
“We need to remember the origin story of lots of influencers is that they’re pedestrian, everyday ordinary civilians just like you,” the Curtin University professor of internet studies said.
“They’re not celebrities, they’re not experts and therefore what they promote to us feels attainable.”
Dr Crystal Abidin is a is a digital anthropologist and professor of internet studies at Curtin University.
Aran Hart
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Denim is present in practically every country in the world and is widely adopted as one of the most common forms of everyday attire. Its appeal spans generations and social groups: jeans are worn worldwide by those who follow fashion and those who do not, by people seeking to stand out and by those who prefer to blend in. However, many of us have never found the perfect pair.
Although denim has been produced since the 16th century, its association with American culture and durable workwear emerged during the Californian gold rush of the 1850s. It was during this time that Levi’s – now arguably the most recognisable denim brand – was established.
Levi Strauss, an immigrant entrepreneur who arrived in California from Bavaria in the 1850s, opened a dry goods business catering to miners. One of his customers, the tailor Jacob Davis, developed the innovative use of metal rivets to reinforce stress points in work trousers, making them more durable. Strauss and Davis jointly patented this technique, and the Levi’s brand was born.
Denim is a popular fabric around the world.
123RF
Blue jeans were originally a seen as symbol of labourers (like the miners) and they also gained a strong association with cowboys. In the decades that followed, denim jeans evolved from practical workwear into one of the most iconic and enduring symbols of global fashion and culture. Film stars such as Marlon Brando and James Dean popularised the jeans and t-shirt look to a young generation in the 1950s. These films personified motorcycle-loving nonconformists, and 1950s Hollywood embraced denim as the garment of rebellion.
Today, the cultural significance of denim jeans has moved beyond early associations with workwear, the cowboy and the teenage rebel, to become a staple worn by people of all ages and backgrounds.
Finding the perfect pair
Denim jeans are often seen as a problematic fashion product in terms of sustainability, because their production leaves a considerable environmental footprint.
Cheap prices on the high street can encourage consumers to treat denim products as short-term items, reducing their lifespan. Cotton, which is commonly the main fabric for denim, is incredibly water intensive; the production of one pair of jeans uses approximately 7,500 litres of water.
Different components involved in the making of a single pair of jeans, such as denim, thread, cotton and buttons, can originate from different countries all over the world. This raises questions regarding the environmental costs involved in the production process. Further issues include that jeans are often not made from single fibre materials and therefore cannot be recycled.
Adding to sustainability concerns, at the consumer level, the perfect pair of jeans remains an elusive concept. But in a recently published book chapter, I explain that the perfect pair of jeans is elusive for a reason. Jeans have to be correct for the individual wearer in terms of comfort, social and personal identity, and also the complexity of fit.
Previous reports have focused on women’s struggle to find jeans that fit and are flattering. The inability to find the perfect pair of jeans may encourage overconsumption, due to repeated purchasing based on poor fit.
My research shows that this is an issue which applies to all genders. The men I spoke to noted how they resented paying a higher price for brands like Levi’s, so spent less by purchasing cheap, high street alternatives. This attitude can lead to overconsumption, as low price points achieved through low-quality production often compromise product longevity.
This demonstrates the perpetuating cycle of fast fashion, driven by cheap, low-quality production, and contradicts the original purpose of jeans of being highly durable and having longevity. The combination of highly environmentally damaging production processes with overconsumption results in even greater environmental harm.
Retailers can make efforts to reduce the trend of overconsumption with better fitting garments. However, fit is a complex issue for retailers as well as consumers. For the retailer, producing jeans in a wide range of sizes and styles is often not cost effective, and complex sizing systems can also confuse the consumer.
Technology could provide future solutions to improving the accuracy of fit. Personalised virtual fitting, made possible through improvements in 3D human shape recognition, could ensure improved fit for the consumer. This would benefit online shoppers, although the technology does remain in its infancy, and is yet to be adopted by major online fashion retailers. Virtual fitting rooms also cannot replicate the feeling of denim next to the skin, so although the fit may be perfect, comfort could be compromised.
Ultimately, the enduring challenge of finding the “perfect pair” of jeans highlights not only the garment’s cultural significance but also the opportunity for the fashion industry – and consumers – to move toward more sustainable, better-fitting and more thoughtfully designed denim for the future.
Rose Marroncelli is a lecturer at Nottingham Trent University
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
“On my first day as a refugee lawyer – in three different jobs – they thought I was the refugee, not the lawyer’, Perera says in a clip of her stand-up posted to social media that many Australians related to.
“The best thing about comedy is saying something very personal, but having it resonate around a room, around the country. That’s what makes it really, really beautiful.
“I keep looking over my shoulder like, is this allowed for an adult to be having quite this much fun?” she tells RNZ’s Saturday Morning.
This video is hosted on Youtube.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand