Disney has proudly declared that its recent remake of The Little Mermaid racked up 16

On Monday stylish crowds descended on Sydney arts center Carriageworks for Afterpay Australian Fashion Week. While we're keeping our eyes peeled for the latest looks on the runways, we’re not ashamed to admit that we find the street style at the event just as alluring.

It lingered on, but the deal had been all but sealed for months. Lewis Hamilton was always extending his stay at Mercedes – where he has claimed six of his seven world titles – and George Russell has joined him in parallel. Particulars of salary and contract length, with Hamilton reportedly receiving a £10m increase to £50m a year, show the gargantuan regard in which he is still held. No barren year or two is going to change that. But Hamilton’s contract announcement came with a message. A series of them, in fact. A press release hammered home the same beat. “We have never been hungrier to win”; “we continue to chase our dreams”; “unfinished business.” Words with substance behind them not just for the fans, but for the Mercedes engineers and mechanics at Brackley and Brixworth. Frankly, it may as well have read: “Give me the car to win – and I’ll make it happen.” But it was a sharp prod in the direction of Max Verstappen, his 2021 nemesis and current runaway leader, which really rippled the currents ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix at Monza, where Verstappen is chasing a record-breaking 10th win on the spin. “In my personal opinion, all my teammates have been stronger than the teammates Max has had,” Hamilton said, less an opinion and more a matter of fact. “Jenson, Fernando, George, Valtteri, Nico. Absolutely. Those guys were very strong and consistent. Max isn’t racing against anyone like that.” It is the sort of needle, a vital statement of intent, which has been missing from Hamilton’s repertoire since that infamous night in Abu Dhabi; the night a record-breaking crown was, in his words, “stolen” from his grasp. Mercedes’ hair-raising fall, coupled with Red Bull’s unrelenting ascendancy, has only exacerbated the sheer anger and exasperation which Hamilton must have experienced behind closed doors and, at times, in real time on team radio. Amid the 2022 season, it all inevitably raised bigger questions about his future. Will he retire? Is the fight still there? Can No 8 still be achieved? Throughout rumours which included a fairytale-esque switch to Ferrari, Hamilton’s response has been unequivocal. Despite the to-ing and fro-ing between representatives regarding his contract, his prophecy unmistakable. Mercedes is the place he wants to be – and he’s here to stay. The hard work for Toto Wolff – whose jadedness in the last 18 months has been obvious – and his team starts now. Wolff’s effective second in command Andrew Shovlin this week emphasised that they are targeting “challenging for a championship next year”. He added: “We’re optimistic we can do that… our entire focus is on making sure we can challenge them next year.” “Them” of course means Red Bull. A team – spearheaded by design guru Adrian Newey – who have maxed (no pun intended) out their potential during this ground-effect regulation era, creating the quickest car on the grid and one made in perfect harmony with their leading driver. A team which has won all 13 races – 16 including sprints – this season. A team which will take some catching. But in Formula One, a sport where every minute detail counts against the clock, a hefty deficit can gradually be eroded. Mercedes bungled their car philosophy last year with their unorthodox “no-sidepod” approach, before bungling once again by persevering with it at the start of this season. Only Monaco in May, race six of 2023, saw a more conventional car out on the tarmac. Yet despite brief flirtations with the top of the standings and Hamilton’s first podium in more than 18 months, their W14 remains some way off Red Bull’s RB19. This time, heading into 2024, there can be no excuses. A shift in the boardroom, with ex-Ferrari chief James Allison reverting to a more hands-on role, swapping with Mike Elliott who shifted back to base, is also an indicator of an evolving approach. For the next few months and the off-season, the priority is next year as opposed to short-term progress this season. Even then, 2024 may come too soon. Red Bull’s superiority – not just over Mercedes, but Ferrari, Aston Martin and McLaren too – is so vast that catching them will be unlikely. 2025, the last year of these current set of rules, may be a more realistic prospect. Building sustainable blocks, though, is paramount. No championships can come about without race-winning consistency first. It may explain why Hamilton, who will now race in Formula One to the eve of his 41st birthday, has once again committed to a two-year deal. The past 18 months have also shown that Russell is closely matched with his compatriot: in-house competition which should only help in the car development phase. But Hamilton has set his stall out. The 38-year-old goes by a fundamental motto: “Still we rise.” For every knockback comes a fresh challenge and opportunity to return better than ever before. Fernando Alonso’s renaissance this year, at 42, shows age is no obstacle either. His quest to be the statistical greatest of all time remains very much alive. But first, before any realistic title aspirations, Mercedes must give him the machinery to challenge. We now all wait to see how soon that could be. Read More Fernando Alonso makes Lewis Hamilton claim: ‘I’d stay with him until he’s 80 years old’ Max Verstappen shrugs off criticism: ‘They cannot appreciate dominance’ Lewis Hamilton signs new Mercedes contract Carlos Sainz fastest in second practice for Italian GP but Lewis Hamilton 17th Max Verstappen fastest in Italian GP first practice as he chases history ‘They cannot appreciate dominance’: Max Verstappen shrugs off criticism

People watched in awe as the world-renowned Lipizzan horses put on a dazzling show this month in the village of Lipica in the small...

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Formula 1’s chief executive has hinted that the organisation may have to consider ways of limiting Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance next season. Verstappen secured a record 17th win of the 2023 campaign at the Brazilian Grand Prix and has long since sewn up a third consecutive world title. The Dutchman has dominated the sport since pipping Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 Drivers’ Championship. While dominance by a single driver or team is far from new, with Hamilton himself securing six titles in seven years between 2014 and 2020, the scale of Verstappen’s superiority has been striking. And while stressing that F1 could not be seen to be targeting the 26-year-old, Stefano Domenicali has hinted that measures may have to be put in place to allow other constructors to mount a more serious challenge. “I think if you look back at the dominance of a driver or a team, it’s always been a part of F1,” Domenicali said to Channel 4. “We need to consider one thing that for sure Max Verstappen has done and is doing an incredible job. We need to recognise that. “But if you see [the gaps in qualifying], it’s just incredible. If you look at the numbers of overtaking we are having the last two seasons, we are at the top of the scale. “We cannot be seen as a sport that is trying to do something against someone, that would be wrong. “On the other hand, the nature of Formula 1 is to make sure that next year the teams can give to the other drivers - that are very, very strong - the possibility to compete in that field.” Verstappen leads the Drivers’ Championship standings by a remarkable 266 points from teammate Sergio Perez. Only Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz at the Singapore Grand Prix has been able to break Red Bull’s monopoly on race wins this year. There are just two more races to come before the conclusion of the campaign, with a first trip to Las Vegas followed by the denouement at Abu Dhabi, where Verstappen secured a controversial first crown two years ago. Hamilton, who fell short on that occasion, raised eyebrows after racing concluded at Interlagos on Sunday when suggesting that Red Bull were so far ahead that other teams would find it too hard to close the gap for the next couple of years. “The Red Bull, I think, is so far away,” the British driver said. “I think they’re probably going to be very clear for the next couple of years. The next truly significant change to the sport is set to come in 2026 when new engine regulations will take effect. It is hoped that this will help level the playing field and attract new engine manufacturers to the sport, with a number already having expressed interest.

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Max Verstappen took pole position for Sunday’s Qatar Grand Prix as the indomitable Dutchman closes in on his third world title. Verstappen will be crowned champion of the world if he finishes at least sixth in Saturday’s 19-lap race at the Lusail International Circuit. And the Red Bull driver started his quest to become just the 11th driver in history to win the title on more than two occasions in typically irresistible fashion by clocking the fastest time in qualifying. In terms of the championship mathematics, Verstappen’s pole lap for Sunday’s main event will be redundant if he secures three points in Saturday’s sprint – the starting order for which will be determined by a second qualifying session here on Saturday afternoon – or Sergio Perez fails finish inside the top three. The probability of both are high. As Verstappen raced to top spot, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton securing second and third on the grid for Mercedes, Perez failed to make it out of Q2. Follow live updates from the Qatar Grand Prix with The Independent Read More How Qatar plans to make F1 grand prix their ‘new World Cup’ F1: How can Max Verstappen win 2023 world championship in Qatar? Fernando Alonso lauds Max Verstappen as best F1 driver since Michael Schumacher

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Taking regular Vitamin D supplements may reduce cancer deaths in the population by 15%, according to scientists. Data gathered from the UK Biobank, an online database of medical and lifestyle records of around 500,000 Britons, indicates vitamin D deficiency is linked to an increased cancer mortality risk – particularly in relation to bowel, stomach, prostate, and lung cancers. The researchers said their work, published in Elsevier’s European Journal of Cancer, adds to evidence that vitamin D may have a protective effect against cancer. While the findings do not explain why this happens, the team said one possibility is that vitamin D supplements may induce anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and DNA damage repair mechanisms, which can thwart mutations that allows tumours to grow. Study author Ben Schottker, an epidemiologist at the German Cancer Research Centre, said: “Our findings identified a statistically significant relationship between vitamin D deficiency and increased mortality among several cancers. “These results can be explained by other studies, which found mechanisms by which vitamin D inhibits cancer growth and metastasis.” The NHS advice is that adults and children over four take a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D throughout the year. According to the Department of Health and Social Care, around one in six adults and almost 20% of children in the UK have vitamin D levels lower than government recommendations. Older people, the housebound and people from black and South Asian communities are more likely to have lower levels of vitamin D. Our findings identified a statistically significant relationship between vitamin D deficiency and increased mortality among several cancers Ben Schottker For the study, the researchers looked at data from more than 400,000 people aged 40–69. In-depth medical information was gathered through blood, urine and saliva samples. A short interview and a questionnaire as used to assess vitamin D consumption as well as lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption, smoking. Follow-up data on health outcomes were gathered through NHS links as well as care data, cancer screening data, and disease-specific registers. Over a period of nearly 13 years, close to 13,000 people died of cancer. Results showed a majority of the study population had either vitamin D deficiency (21.1%) or insufficiency (34.4%) – used to describe low levels of vitamin D. Of the people involved in the study, only 4.1% regularly took a vitamin D supplement and 20.3% regularly took a multivitamin. Results showed that vitamin D supplement users had 15% lower total cancer mortality and 25% lower lung cancer mortality compared to those who did not take the supplement. The also found researchers found that those with vitamin D deficiency had 42% increased mortality for stomach, 27% for bowel, 24% for lung, and 36% for prostate cancers. Meanwhile those with vitamin D insufficiency were found to have 14% increased bowel cancer mortality and 19% increased lung cancer mortality. The scientists said that the potential to reduce cancer mortality by vitamin D supplementation in populations with low levels should be further explored in new research. Commenting on the study, Dr Jenna Macciochi, senior lecturer in immunology at the University of Sussex, said: “This study adds to the growing body of evidence on vitamin D and cancer. “Vitamin D plays multiple key roles in immune health and the immune system is part of the body’s cancer defence system. “With cancer rates rising and presenting a serious public health issue, its useful to have further insight into the role of vitamin D in the prevention of cancer.” But Dr Macciochi also cautioned that the Biobank data might not be diverse and representative of the whole of the UK population. Alex Ruani, doctoral researcher at University College London and chief science educator at The Health Sciences Academy – who was not involved in the study, said that the exact dosage taken by participants was not ascertained and the risk reduction was not the same for all cancers. She said: “This research doesn’t imply that taking vitamin D3 supplements will for sure lower your risk of death from cancer. “Supplementation may help with consistent vitamin D levels, whereas production from sunlight can be variable and dependent on weather, time of the day, exposure duration, being outdoors or indoors, protective UV wear or sunblock, and many other factors.” She added: “Common food sources of vitamin D3 include full-fat dairy, egg yolks, and fish. “Although toxicity is rare, there is an upper tolerable limit set in the UK, where vitamin D3 supplementation shouldn’t exceed 100 micrograms a day.”

You don’t need to watch more than the first few minutes of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie to realize the impact of fashion in the film. As soon as Barbie (played by Margot Robbie) steps onscreen — dressed as Mattel’s first-ever adult doll in a black-and-white swimsuit, cat-eye sunglasses, and heeled mules — the children instantly smash the baby dolls they used to play with to worship at the altar of the style icon. “My main inspiration was to stick closely to the history of Barbie. To look into the Mattel back catalog and find looks for different moments in the movie,” Barbie costume designer Jacqueline Durran tells Refinery29 of the film’s wardrobing.

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