
Meghan ‘set to sign’ Dior deal: 4 times she’s worn the brand
The Duchess of Sussex could be on the brink of signing a major deal with Dior, reports suggest. If the rumours are true, she would join stars like actors Natalie Portman and Jennifer Lawrence as a face of the French luxury brand. It’s no secret that Meghan, 41, is fond of the fashion house. Over the years, she has worn Dior to a number of special occasions, and even the Duke of Sussex wore a suit from the brand to the coronation earlier this year. Here are five examples of the best times Meghan has worn Dior… 1. The kaftan gown When Meghan arrived at the intimate reception hosted by the British ambassador to Morocco in 2019, she turned heads in a cream-coloured custom Dior kaftan. The gown had embellished voluminous sleeves and a unique neck detailing. She paired the outfit with a clutch bag in the same colour and gold court heels, with reports suggesting the outfit totalled at £99,000. 2. The trench coat For the Platinum Jubilee National Service of Thanksgiving in 2022, two years after the Sussexes announced their departure as working members of the royal family, Meghan wore a white Dior outfit. The set included a long trench coat and skirt in wool and silk with an organza shirt. She paired the outfit with gloves and a wide-brimmed hat designed by milliner Stephen Jones for Dior. 3. The day dress Joining other members of the royal family, Meghan attended the 100th anniversary celebration of the Royal Air Force in 2018 wearing a bespoke navy boat neck Dior A-line midi dress, paired with a Stephen Jones navy fascinator, a navy clutch bag and cream coloured court heels. 4. The silk coat Meghan was spotted wearing a vintage silk double-breasted chocolate brown Dior coat for Mike and Zara Tindall’s daughter Lena’s christening in 2019. She paired it with a navy Stephen Jones beret and her Victoria Beckham bag. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Designer JW Anderson wears Irish rugby top on the runway Can noisy festivals damage your hearing long term? Princess of Wales praises children’s hospices as ‘shining light’ to families
2023-06-19 20:59

Garmin Dash Cam Live Review
The Garmin Dash Cam 66W ($249) earned high marks for its driver safety features, small
2023-06-19 20:57

42,000 pounds of Johnsonville Beddar With Cheddar sausages recalled over possible contamination
Sausage company Johnsonville is voluntarily recalling more than 42,000 pounds of its "Beddar With Cheddar" sausages because of possible contamination.
2023-06-19 20:23

Designer JW Anderson wears Irish rugby top on the runway
Designer JW Anderson wore an Ireland rugby shirt to take a bow at the end of his Milan Fashion Week show. The Northern Irish designer – full name Jonathan Anderson – wore the green T-shirt on Father’s Day. This could have been an homage to his own father Willie Anderson, a former rugby player who captained the Irish international team. Anderson was taking a bow after presenting his latest menswear collection and womenswear resort collection at Milan Fashion Week. He’s also the creative director of fashion house Loewe, where he’s become well-known for surrealist designs. Clothes were a bit more wearable for his latest JW Anderson collection, but the designer still pushed boundaries and continues to show why he’s one of the most exciting voices in fashion right now. There was an emphasis on knitwear – from subdued matching sets in earthy tones to more exuberant colourful creations with 3D effects, which the brand said on Instagram was “creating the structured texture of popcorn”. Anderson wearing a rugby top at the end of the show wasn’t a complete curveball however, as sporty elements permeated the collection. The designer showed his spin on rugby tops, giving them a more structured shape and fashion-forward aesthetic. The brand wrote: “Flipping the idea of British heritage, sporty silhouettes and rugby stripes are reimagined.” Beautifully tailored dresses, coats and shirts rounded out the collection. Anderson has become a celebrity favourite, with Heartstopper actor Kit Connor and Sex Education star Asa Butterfield front row to see his latest show in Milan. He made headlines earlier this year after designing Rihanna’s bright red jumpsuit to perform at the Super Bowl, in his capacity as creative director of Loewe.
2023-06-19 20:20

Can noisy festivals damage your hearing long term?
Festival season is in full swing, and thousands of music lovers will soon be flocking to Glastonbury, ready to revel and soak up the sounds. But can all those loud songs and thumping sound effects be detrimental to our hearing? “Attending a concert may give you more than you bargained for,” says Dr Deborah Lee, from Dr Fox Online Pharmacy. “A recent 2022 BMJ study showed one billion people around the world aged 12-34 are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss. With 24% of young people found to have unsafe listening practices with personal music devices.” She adds that 48% were attending noisy venues, such as nightclubs and concerts, at least once a month without noise protection. Dr Adam Hill, associate professor of electroacoustics, University of Derby, says: “While festivals are, for many, one of the most enjoyable features of the summer, care must be taken to avoid over-exposing yourself to high sound levels, as this could result in long-term negative social and health impacts. You need to ‘enjoy responsibly’,” Hill adds. How does noise exposure damage hearing? Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. Our hearing depends on the function of tiny hairs inside the cochlea – a snail-shaped organ in your middle ear, explains Dr Lee: “Sound waves cause the fluid in the cochlea to reverberate, resulting in the movement of these very fine hairs. This generates electrical impulses, which lead to the perception of sound in the brain.” She says there are around 15,000 of these specialised hair cells in each cochlea. Once they have been damaged, they cannot regenerate. “We are all exposed to noise every day, but it’s loud noises above 85 dB that are likely to cause hearing loss,” notes Lee. “This could be a sudden explosion, or continuous exposure to loud noise, such as attending a concert, working in a noisy factory or listening to a personal music device at high volumes.” What are the signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise? There are a few tell-tale signs you’ve been exposed to too much noise at a festival. One of them is tinnitus. “If you have ringing in your ears after attending a festival. This could persist for one or two days after the event – and may become permanent after repeated exposures over many years,” says Dr Hill. Decreased sensitivity to sound is another thing you might notice. “Things sound quieter/muffled,” says Hill. “This usually takes one to two days to return to normal, but may become permanent after repeated exposure over many years.” He says you may also have difficulty understanding what someone is saying to you, especially in a noisy environment, and difficulty telling different sounds apart, like identifying multiple instruments when a band is playing. What can you do to protect your hearing at festivals? “Use earplugs. Ideally custom-made earplugs, which is what musicians use,” says Lee. “Cotton wool or foam rubber earplugs are ineffective. High-fidelity earplugs are a good option. These filter the sound without reducing the quality and provide ear protection.” This is especially important for babies and children at festivals – ear defenders are available to help protect their sensitive ears. Lee adds: “Take regular breaks away from the noise. For every 3 dB above 80 dB, the time you can spend exposed to the noise without it damaging your hearing is halved. “It’s safe to listen to noise at 80 dB for up to eight hours, so at 83 dB this time frame is reduced to four hours. If you do the maths, at the average concert, hearing damage could set in after just five minutes!” She suggests taking breaks such as going to the loo, getting a drink, or taking a walk away from the main body of the noise at regular intervals. And lastly: “Don’t stand within three metres of a loudspeaker.” What can you do if you’re already concerned? Regular festival goers may already have hearing concerns on their radar. “The best thing you can do is to go get your hearing tested,” advises Dr Hill. “This will give you an indication of whether you have any issues already.” If you enjoy going to festivals and other live music events on a regular basis, he says it would be wise to invest in some suitable reusable earplugs: “High quality earplugs will reduce the effect of the musical content equally, so it sounds the same but at a lower level.” If you are involved in the music industry in any way (even if you are a student), Hill suggests making use of the Musicians’ Hearing Health Scheme. He adds: “You can get a hearing test and high-quality bespoke earplugs for a significant discounted rate.”
2023-06-19 18:17

Scientists create human embryo with a heartbeat without using sperm or eggs
Scientists have created a model human embryo to study the first weeks of life, complete with a heartbeat and traces of blood. The synthetic embryo was created with human stem cells and did not require sperm, eggs or fertilisation. It mimics the structure that occurs during the first month of pregnancy. Yet, scientists ensured it was designed to not form a foetus. Researchers involved in the extraordinary project discovered that the model had early stages of developing a brain and beating heart cells, which generally develop after 23 days in a human embryo. It was achieved through embryonic stem cells, which are 'blank' cells from a human embryo. Scientists grew the model in a lab before transferring it to a rotating bottle to act as an artificial uterus, The Guardian reported. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Scientists hope the findings will help them understand more about the impact of genetic disorders and miscarriage. Dr Jitesh Neupane, of the University of Cambridge’s Gurdon Institute, told the publication: "I randomly took my plate under the microscope and when I saw the [heartbeat] for the first time I was scared, honestly. I had to look down and look back again. "It was overwhelming for me. People get emotional when you see the heartbeat." He went on to emphasise that the model is "neither embryos nor are [they] trying to make embryos actually." "They are just models that could be used to look into specific aspects of human development," he continued. The findings are yet to be published in either a preprint or a journal paper. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-19 17:19

Beyoncé wore all-Black designers at Amsterdam concert ‘in honour of Juneteenth’
Beyoncé has revealed that she wore outfits created exclusively by Black designers during her Renaissance tour concert in Amsterdam on Saturday night (17 June). Since beginning her tour in May, the pop star has worn sparkling disco-themed looks onstage by designers such as Mugler, Alexander McQueen and Balmain. However, ahead of the US holiday Juneteeth (Monday 19 June), Beyoncé decided to switch things up. In an Instagram post published on Sunday night (18 June), she shared a series of photographs of herself wearing a rhinestone-covered red dress with silver cuffs, which she wore while performing one night ago. She wrote: “In honour of Juneteenth, everything I wore for RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR tonight was created exclusively by Black designers.” It has not yet been revealed who the designers are and which looks they created for her concert. The Independent has contacted Beyoncé’s representatives for comment. This is far from the first time the “Flawless” singer has shone a spotlight on Black designers and creators through her own work. In 2019, she released Black Is King, the visual accompaniment to her album The Lion King: The Gift. The full-length film, which is streaming on Disney+, featured independent Black designers such as D.Bleu.Dazzled, Loza Maléombho, Lace by Tanaya, Levenity, and more. The 29-time Grammy winner’s wardrobe department is spearheaded by US stylist and costume designer Zerina Akers, who founded the retail platform Black Owned Everything to showcase Black fashion designers and businesses. Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the US that commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is sometimes dubbed “America’s second Independence Day” and takes place on the anniversary of the day Major General Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for slaves in Texas on 19 June 1865. Beyoncé previously marked the holiday by releasing a surprise song, “Black Parade”, in 2020. The song dropped after the singer announced a project of the same name to support Black-owned businesses. Some of the “Dangerously In Love” singer’s standout outfits throughout her tour so far include a custom LOEWE catsuit that features gloved hands with sharp red nails. She is also a long-time fan of French fashion house Mugler and wore at least two looks from the label at her show in Stockholm – including a black-and-yellow outfit with an insect-like headpiece that emulated a bee. Fans believe this is a nod to the name of her fandom, the Beyhive. The Independent gave Beyoncé’s concert in Cardiff on 17 May four out of five stars and described her as “sizzling as ever”. Read More Dirty talk isn’t always mortifying, but it can – and should – be better Security snatch Beyonce’s sunglasses after singer throws them into crowd Why Spotify ‘ended its £15m deal’ with Harry and Meghan Glastonbury regular reveals best clothing to take to festivals - and what to avoid Vogue divides opinion with controversial job ad for Anna Wintour’s assistant Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter Apple Martin revives her infamous 2002 Oscars dress
2023-06-19 16:51

Cancer Warnings on Beer, Wine in Ireland Spark Industry Alarm
New health warnings by Ireland set to be the world’s strictest on beer, wine and spirits have sparked
2023-06-19 12:58

Danone Pins Turnaround Hopes on AI
Making the yogurt of the future requires a cast of 21st-century helpers: machine learning, gut science and even
2023-06-19 12:19

Cathay Pacific to Hire More Cabin Crew From Mainland China
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. will recruit more cabin crew from mainland China and widen the use of Mandarin
2023-06-19 11:53

South African taps run dry after power shortages
Electricity problems have led to water shortages and those with money are digging their own boreholes.
2023-06-19 07:19

She was denied an abortion in Texas - then she almost died
Over a dozen women are suing Texas after being denied abortions they say were medically necessary.
2023-06-19 04:55