World leaders pay respects to Pope Francis
Viral TikTok "Miracle Tree" draws hundreds seeking healing and hope
An olive tree native to Jerusalem grew into a tree from a branch in the ground fertilised with prayer. Twenty-two years later, claims of the miraculous are still rooted near "The Miracle Tree" in Concepcion, Texas.
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News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Viral map completely confusing the internet
Now look what happens when you use a different projection like the Gall-Peters. This map corrects for size and shows each country in proportion to its actual land area. The result? Africa dominates the page, and suddenly Western countries look much smaller. It's a jarring reminder that the maps we trust are far from neutral. Picture: iStock Now, Gen Z is catching on. TikTok and YouTube are full of explainer videos breaking down map distortions and exposing the truth behind why countries like Africa have been visually minimised. It's part of a wider conversation about decolonising education. Picture: TikTok/@NASDAILY In true social media fashion, the viral issue has been turned into a meme. Picture: Reddit Australia appears almost comparable in size to Africa on a Mercator map. In reality, it's not even close. Africa is nearly four times bigger than Australia. Picture: Supplied Even in the digital age, the distortion lives on. Google Maps still uses Mercator projection for zoomed-out views, meaning countries far from the equator are stretched and inflated. Picture: Google Maps There's no such thing as a perfect map because every projection distorts something. But equal-area maps like the Eckert IV projection aim to show countries in their true size, without dramatically skewing shape or scale. It's less extreme than Gall-Peters, more balanced than Mercator, and offers a clearer picture of how continents actually compare. Picture: iStock The Equal Earth projection, introduced in 2018, is a modern attempt to balance aesthetics with size accuracy. It keeps continents in proportion without looking too unfamiliar, acting as a middle ground between Mercator and Peters. Picture: iStock The Robinson projection is often used in atlases. It's not strictly accurate in area or shape, but it looks 'right' to many viewers, which is why it's common in schools and classrooms. Picture: iStock
7NEWS
05-06-2025
- 7NEWS
INSIDE MEDIA: Rick Astley passes 1 billion streams on Spotify
A video version of this article is available in the player above with vision of the interviews quoted. Rick Astley passes 1 billion If you've ever been 'Rickrolled' (and who of us hasn't), you might be interested to know the song behind the prank has reached 1 billion streams on Spotify. Never Gonna Give You Up was released in 1987 by renowned hitmakers Stock Aitken Waterman and was a number 1 hit in the UK, US and here in Australia. Around 2007, the song became something of a phenomenon when people started sending prank links to it on YouTube. A user would be told the link was for one thing, but ended up being 'Rickrolled', or taken to the song. There's no doubt the prank helped the song stay fresh in the minds of people, leading consumers to search for the song on Spotify, which eventually led to the 1 billion streams. 'So who would have believed, after all these years, Never Gonna Give You Up has had a billion streams on Spotify' Astley posted on his official TikTok account. 'How amazing. Thank you for listening and lots of love and I'll see you all soon, I hope.' What an amazing achievement. You can see his message in the video player above and, no, it won't take you to the song – I promise! Let the spin begin It's always funny when a company tries to discredit a story by trying to change the narrative. That's just what happened in regard to my exclusive story last week about I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! facing major budget cuts and its plan to pre-record for the 2026 series. On Wednesday, Pedestrian published a hit job on my reporting without attributing the original article and without including the writer's byline. Instead, it credited The PR fluff piece had obviously been given to the outlet by Channel 10, who did not want to officially confirm my reporting, but rather change the narrative. According to the gushing story, the change from live to pre-recording has nothing to do with budget cuts (heaven forbid), but more to do with the availability of big names who do not want to do the show live. As per the article: 'This change is massive,' one network insider spilled to 'Live TV has always been the dealbreaker for certain 'celebs.' Now that it's pre-recorded, a whole bunch of big names who used to say 'nah' are suddenly very interested.' It continues: Basically, removing the live element means 'celebs' don't have to stress about getting cancelled in real time and producers can flex a bit more control over the chaos. Think better editing, bigger stunts, and (hopefully) fewer awkward silences when someone gets booted. But then comes the big one, squarely taking aim at my reporting this change was made for budgetary reasons: And before anyone starts screaming 'budget cuts!', our sources are insisting this has nothing to do with Network Ten's upcoming Big Brother reboot stealing all the coins. 'If anything, this frees up resources to chase even bigger names,' the insider said. 'Think, international guests and proper A-listers, not just someone who got kicked off The Bachelor six years ago.' Why, then, did Channel 10 pre-record the finale this year, shooting three different versions and sending the entire production team home early? Obviously, that had nothing to do with budget! I can't wait to see Tom Cruise, Scarlett Johansson and other top tier talent take to the jungle in the next season, rather than a tragic bunch of nobodies. If 10 wants to change the narrative, then why not go on the record, confirm my reporting (which is correct) and make an official statement, rather than leaking to an outlet. At least we know they've already confirmed that McKnight was right! Media Watch hits out at Today It was interesting watching the hit job done by the ABC's Media Watch on Monday night against Channel 9's Today Show. The publicly funded broadcaster took issue with the fact the breakfast show dared into a commercial deal with UAE. Host Linton Besser wasn't happy with the show showing the positive tourist attractions of the country, rather than focusing on the negatives. 'The UAE is a repressive nation-state governed by an absolute monarchy whose arbitrary and fickle approach to justice and the law can create frightening risks for those who move there for work, like 28-year-old Emirates Airlines flight attendant Tori Towey, an Irish citizen who in June last year was strip searched and charged with attempting suicide after fleeing domestic violence' Besser said. All of that is true. But even though Besser declared Today had failed in 'spectacular fashion' in journalistic terms, he did have to acknowledge Nine did not hide anything from viewers. 'Despite the entire outside broadcast being funded by UAE government-backed businesses, which Nine did disclose, a spokesman for the media company told us the 'event TV' project had not been vetted by the foreign government'. OK, so what exactly is the problem here? Breakfast shows have always been a mix of news and entertainment. Sunrise certainly turned the format on its head in the 2000s when it introduced 'newstainsment' and became the number one breakfast show – a position which is still in place today. Commercial arrangements are a part of breakfast TV and there is no issue as long as those deals are made clear to the audience. Media Watch did not challenge Nine's position that the deal with UAE was disclosed. Nine and Today have never been shy about reporting on the atrocities that have taken place in the region and I don't believe this short-term deal will change that. So, Media Watch – which does not rely on commercial deals thanks to the $1.1 billion of government funding the ABC receives each year from taxpayers – thinks the show should have refused the money or done a big expose. Let's live in the real world. Commercial broadcasters are doing it tough and deals like this help them to survive. If a big story about the UAE had broken and the Today Show hadn't covered it, then Media Watch should rightly call them out. But that didn't happen. Instead, what we have here is an elitist attitude from a government-funded entity that doesn't rely on revenue to survive.
News.com.au
02-06-2025
- News.com.au
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz detail ‘intense' wedding that allegedly sparked Victoria feud
Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz recalled their 'intense' wedding planning process that allegedly sparked her feud with his mum, Victoria Beckham. 'Weddings can be intense, especially when you're busy making sure everyone else is having fun,' Peltz said in a joint Glamour interview with Brooklyn published today. The Lola actress also noted that, ahead of their wedding, they were advised to 'take a moment' for themselves on their special day. 'Step away, breathe, be together. Those were my favourite moments,' Peltz mused. Brooklyn agreed, telling the outlet that they found a moment to 'disappear for a second' after their ceremony. 'We took a quick drive, just the two of us. It was perfect,' he revealed, noting that the best wedding advice he could offer was to 'love each other, be honest, and always protect one another.' When asked about how he and his wife protect their relationship while living under the spotlight, Brooklyn said that he simply 'ignore[s] the noise.' 'Keep your head down, work hard, be kind,' Brooklyn, 26, continued. 'People are always going to talk. What matters is that we're happy together.' Peltz, 30, admitted that 'it's not always easy' to shrug off the whispers and is often tempted to respond. 'On TikTok there are always random stories popping up about us,' she said. 'When I see fake news, my instinct is to shut it down.' But the actress finds that defending herself can sometimes do more harm than good. 'It's not worth it. I just scroll past and move on,' she said. Brooklyn and Peltz tied the knot in April 2022. Months later, rumours surfaced that Peltz and Victoria had feuded during the wedding planning process. Their relationship allegedly soured when Peltz wore a custom wedding gown by Valentino instead of one by her mother-in-law's eponymous fashion label. While Peltz and the Spice Girls singer, 51, shut down rift rumours by repeatedly posting about each other on social media, tensions arose again last month when the model and her husband were a no-show at David Beckham's 50th birthday party. An insider told us that Peltz and Brooklyn made no attempt to attend the retired soccer player's star-studded soirees amid a 'very sad' estrangement. Last week, sources claimed that Victoria stole the spotlight at their wedding. 'Before the song began, Marc Anthony asked Brooklyn to come to the stage, and then announced, 'The most beautiful woman in the room tonight, come on up…Victoria Beckham!'' an insider told People. Peltz allegedly felt that Victoria 'ruined' their wedding and 'couldn't understand' her actions. The bride allegedly ran from the room in tears over the incident. A source close to the young couple told Page Six last week that Peltz is still 'deeply' haunted by the stunt to this day. 'Everyone in the room witnessed what happened,' the source said. 'The shock was palpable. It was deeply hurtful. Unfortunately, this wasn't a one-off. It's a pattern that still happens to this day.'
