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Climate change activists turned the blue water of the Trevi Fountain in central Rome black with diluted charcoal on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton is reportedly set to be offered £40m to make a shock switch to Ferrari next year. The 38-year-old, who has won six of his seven world titles at Mercedes since joining the Silver Arrows in 2013, is currently stalling on extending his current contract which expires at the end of the season. While both Hamilton and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff insist a new deal will be agreed, Ferrari now look poised to enter the race for the seven-time world champion with a lucrative offer. According to the Daily Mail, the Scuderia are prepared to offer £40m-a-year to land Hamilton – with president John Elkann already in close contact with the Brit and his team. The report adds that one possible scenario is for Hamilton to replace current Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, in what would amount to a straight-swap deal with the Monegasque joining Mercedes to partner George Russell. The other, more favourable, option is to pair Hamilton with Leclerc, meaning Ferrari would look to offload Spanish driver Carlos Sainz. With Hamilton’s current contract close to the £40m-a-year mark anyway, money would not be the predominant factor in his decision-making. Instead, the competitiveness of both cars compared to current runaway leaders Red Bull would be of greater significance, as Hamilton targets a record-breaking eighth world championship in his final years in the sport. While Mercedes, the dominant team in the hybrid era from 2014-2021 with eight-straight constructors’ crowns, took a backwards step in 2022, Ferrari burst to the front of the field with a potential championship-winning car. Leclerc’s challenge was foiled by reliability problems and strategic errors, as well as a few mistakes himself, and Ferrari have struggled at the start of this year too despite Fred Vasseur replacing Mattia Binotto as team boss. Mercedes are poised to bring new upgrades to this week’s race in Monaco – with a new floor, sidepod design and front suspension in the works. The modifications were set to come in at Imola last week before the race was cancelled due to flooding in the Emilia Romagna region. Whether Mercedes can haul in the deficit to Red Bull out in front – by 128 points in the constructors’ standings – this season remains very unlikely, but Hamilton will want to be encouraged that his team are taking a positive step before signing a new contract. Hamilton has been linked with Ferrari in the past, particularly surrounding contract negotiations in 2019, but stated at the time there were “things that don’t mirror my values and approach.” "The Ferrari thing is not going to happen, I think," he said then. "I’ve always been positive about Ferrari. I watched Michael win there. I’ve always been a Ferrari fan. I remember one of the first cars I ever bought was a Ferrari. And I think it’s a hugely iconic team and brand, particularly. "I think the team has, in my period of time. There have been things I’ve seen that I don’t necessarily feel mirror my values and my approach. However, it is a team that every driver, I think, has dreamed of what it would be like to sit in the red cockpit. Hamilton has not won a grand prix since December 2021, in Saudi Arabia, and a race later missed out on a record-breaking eighth crown in controversial and dramatic circumstances in Abu Dhabi to Max Verstappen. Currently, Hamilton is level in the all-time leaderboard on seven F1 world titles with Ferrari icon Michael Schumacher. Hamilton could, possibly, also be swayed by the fact that hero Ayrton Senna was poised to join Ferrari in 1995 before his fatal crash at Imola in May 1994. Red Bull is not seen as a realistic option for Hamilton, with Christian Horner saying as much in April, while Aston Martin are content with their current driver pairing of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Hamilton currently trails championship leader Verstappen in the standings this season by 63 points after just five races. Read More Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes are the biggest losers from Imola Grand Prix cancellation Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 F1 title still under threat as Felipe Massa bemoans ‘injustice’ Where are Mercedes and Ferrari? Frankly, you don’t want to hear the answer ‘Nasty piece of work’: Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes slammed by Toto Wolff Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ‘pray’ for Imola as they urge people to ‘stay safe’ during floods

Sri Lanka is mulling measures to lure back Chinese tourists in a bid to alleviate an unprecedented debt

Ryanair’s optimistic outlook for the summer season could spell good news for the aviation and holiday industry more

Andrew Tate recalls his father, Emory, throwing away his Nintendo even after writing a two-page apology letter

A white truffle and gold leaf ice cream made in Japan comes with its own custom spoon.

Ava Zonfrillo, the eldest daughter ofMasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo, has spoken out for the first time since his unexpected death on 30 April. The celebrity chef died suddenly at the age of 46. His death was confirmed by Network 10 on 1 May, as well as by his family, who shared a statement. Posting a series of photographs and videos of her father, Ava wrote on Instagram: “Still can’t accept that we’ll be remembering you for more time than we had you, but doesn’t mean we’ll love you any less.” The 22-year-old added: “I love you dad, always.” Her poignant post included a photograph of her as a toddler with Zonfrillo, with both wearing comedy glasses with thick black eyebrows and large plastic noses attached. Other more recent photos show her posing with her father at various events. Ava also shared two clips of Zonfrillo, with one of him blowing a kiss at the camera. Friends of the family sent Ava love and well wishes in the comments. Chef Alex Prichard wrote: “We are all here for you! Love you both.” Meanwhile, Australian designer Collette Dinnigan sent “so much love” to Ava and wine expert Samantha Payne said: “Love you dearly and will be giving you the biggest of hugs soon, my darling friend. We’ve got you.” Zonfrillo was laid to rest at a private funeral two weeks ago. The service was attended by his wife, Lauren Fried, and their four children. A select group of family and friends, some who flew to Sydney from other countries, were also in attendance. During the service, Fried said in her eulogy: “We were two halves that found each other at the exact moment in life when we were ready. “We were ready for that big love to live a life of adventure, to become parents together, to imagine extraordinary things and to actually make them happen.” The late chef, who was born in Glasgow, was found at a hotel in Melbourne on Lygon Street the day before the 2023 season of MasterChef was set to be aired. The show was postponed following news of Zonfrillo’s passing. According to Daily Mail Australia, police believe that Zonfrillo died of natural causes and nothing unusual or suspicious was discovered in the hotel room where he was found. As news of his sudden passing broke, many in the food industry paid tribute to Zonfrillo, including Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White. Pierre White praised his former apprentice chef and said: “Very few chefs have an inquisitive mind, an intellectual mind and a creative mind. That’s what makes him special, that’s what makes him rare.” Read More Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay pay tribute to chef Jock Zonfrillo MasterChef Australia to return with ‘full support’ of Jock Zonfrillo’s family following his death Jamie Oliver shared selfie with late MasterChef Australia judge Jock Zonfrillo hours before his death

Another week of Succession, another barrage of impressively shocking, cringey and downright wince-inducing moments. Season

Jennifer Lopez was seen sporting a bright red maxi dress with ruffles during the school event, which she and her husband, Ben Affleck, attended

China’s wheat imports are booming, but one top supplier is missing out: Russia. The Asian nation is on

MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 22, 2023--

There is a scene in the 2020 film The Father, starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, that is all too familiar for people caring for someone with dementia. In it, Hopkins’ character Anthony struggles to keep up with his daughter Anne’s (Colman) movements. One moment, she is bringing home dinner. The next, she is talking about moving to Paris with a boyfriend he doesn’t like. She’s in his flat. Suddenly, he’s in her flat. Her face shifts – she looks like someone he used to know, then a total stranger. Where is he? When is he? Dementia is a cruel sickness that radiates outwards, seeping into the lives of anyone in its orbit. Patients become lost in a maze of memories. The present day becomes too slippery to hold on to, so many retreat into themselves. Wayfinding – meaning the ability to find one’s way in the world – becomes severely impaired, resulting in anxiety, confusion, and distress that can be very difficult for families and carers to cope with. There is no cure for dementia, and most medical research is focused on finding treatments for diseases that cause dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. It’s extremely important work, but there’s also a need for tools that can help those living with dementia as well as their families and carers. As research shows that visual cues can help deliver much-needed aid and relief, a number of small creative companies are stepping in to fill in the gap. Sarah Harrison is the founder of Recognii, the world’s first entertainment DVD made especially for people with moderate to later-stage dementia. The idea for Recognii came about after Harrison began taking care of her father when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2015. She and her mother, a former nurse, opted to care for him in their family home in Harrogate, where Sarah also resides. “As the condition progressed, he became very withdrawn,” she recalls. “He couldn’t watch TV or engage himself in his own activities, couldn’t really have a conversation, couldn’t read books anymore because he couldn’t follow the plot.” But amid all the gloom cast by the disease, there’d be breakthrough moments when Sarah saw her father as she always knew him. These moments often came when he watched children’s TV, as the faces of smiling, happy children and brightly coloured graphics grabbed his attention. “It was great, but it was also too childish and didn’t reflect his life,” Sarah says. “I thought, surely there must be something out there that is more simplistic viewing that does reflect adult experiences – but there was absolutely nothing.” An idea began to form. Sarah thought that if she could create engaging short clips of “gentle, joyful stuff” with no storylines, it would bring him some relief from the fog in his mind. “He responded to very bright colours and contrasts, and two-dimensional images, which reflected what we know about the way dementia impacts cognitive and visual processing.” Changes in visual perception occur when the sensory journey between the brain and organs (such as the eyes and ears) gets interrupted, or slows down due to dementia. According to Alzheimer’s UK, the disease can also lead to damage to the eyes or parts of the brain, which can then lead to misperceptions, misidentifications, hallucinations, delusions and time-shifting. Like Anthony’s experience in The Father, time becomes an amorphous thing, which jumps back and forth instead of moving in a linear fashion. As such, older memories can become safer places for dementia patients to revisit. I noticed the iPad gathering dust. She said it wasn’t easy for her to use and she missed getting letters and postcards like she did in the past Famileo, a company that creates “family newspapers” for elderly people – many with dementia – works with families of patients to create personalised hard-copy newspapers that utilise “reminiscence therapy” to help soothe and comfort. “Typically, people with dementia are more likely to remember long-term memories,” explains Tanguy De Gelis, a co-founder of the company. “Famileo includes old photographs of themselves and the family, which stimulates their memory and helps them remember people as they were.” Each photograph included in the newspapers is accompanied by text that helps provide context, so that the reader can easily identify who they’re looking at, as well as their own place in the family in relation to the people in the picture. “Managers and activity coordinators at care homes often tell us that a person’s dementia journey is not linear, that symptoms come and go,” De Gelis continues. “The consistency and reliability of these personalised newspapers allows it to be appreciated even more on the ‘good days’ patients have. It can be very hard for family members to think of things to talk about with an older relative, but the newspaper can be a conversation starter and provide a visual guide for both sides.” Having a physical newspaper is also a boon for many elderly people who struggle with smartphones, tablets and laptops. For De Gelis, it was his grandmother who inspired the idea for Famileo. “I bought my grandma an iPad as a Christmas present so she could keep in touch with the family through our WhatsApp group,” he recalls. “But one day I went to visit her and I noticed the iPad gathering dust. She said it wasn’t easy for her to use and she missed getting letters and postcards like she did in the past.” The slow pace in developing tools for coping with dementia is down to a lack of understanding about the disease, says Dr Emilia Molimpakis, CEO and co-founder of Thymia. For years, patients languished in care homes, their minds deteriorating as families watched on helplessly. “Unfortunately, up until recently, pinpointing clear signs of Alzheimer’s disease relied on invasive and/or expensive medical tests and these often don’t show clear results until the disease has progressed substantially.” But recent developments in medical treatments and in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) have shifted things. Dr Molimpakis’ platform involves building AI-powered tools to improve the speed, accuracy and objectivity of dementia diagnoses. Thymia also uses video game-style activities to test for symptoms of cognitive disorders, she says, such as major depression, anxiety and dementia. “Each game is built around one or more cognitive tests, the results of which show tell-tale signs of symptoms, such as fatigue issues, memory impairment, concentration difficulties and more,” she explains. It does so by using software that analyses “biomarkers” of disease while players complete the activities across three key data streams: voice, video and behavioural measures. By analysing how someone speaks or what facial micro-expressions they make, Thymia’s work-in-progress models have identified symptoms in major depressive disorders with more than 90 per cent accuracy, Dr Molimpakis says. Major improvements in healthcare mean that people are living longer – but in a cruel twist of fate, this means that dementia is becoming ever more prevalent. There are currently more than 55 million people living with dementia globally, and according to Alzheimer’s Disease International, this figure is expected to balloon to 78 million in 2030 and 139 million in 2050. While scientists are working on earlier diagnosis and treatment, the need for coping mechanisms for living with the disease is growing. Harrison remembers how her father would react when she showed him the clips she created. He passed away before the final version of Recognii’s DVD could be launched. “It’s like the clouds would part, just for a few seconds,” she recalls. “Suddenly, I saw Dad again. The moments when you get a glimpse of who they used to be are so precious, because as the disease progresses, you do feel like you are losing them. So having made something that helps bring them back, even temporarily – it’s like a gift.” Read More A One Direction fan claimed she had a brain tumour. Five years after her death, we still need answers ‘Death acceptance brings peace’: Are death doulas the cure for our fear of the end? ‘You always feel like you’ve done something wrong’: Why UK surrogacy laws need a ‘real overhaul’ Jason Manford comforted by fans after announcing death of family member Grandmother praised for refusing to babysit daughter’s newborn for free 7 tips and tricks for hay fever relief