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Irish Independent
36 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Getting your colours done is the latest 1980s fashion trend resurrected by TikTok — but does it actually work?
Stylist, personal shopper and colour analysis expert Isabel Gleeson explains the magic of a colour consultation. 'A lot of people say they have a 'typical' Irish skin tone, but really there's always a bit of a difference,' she says. 'Maybe you're a bit more rosy, or have cooler undertones. It's case by case, so a colour consultation is a good investment of time and money. It helps you understand what colour palette best suits your skin tone.' You may have already seen social media posts of women having different colour fabrics draped over them, colour wheels held up to their faces or even the TikTok filter that claims to find your perfect palette. 'I don't find the TikTok filters very accurate,' says Gleeson. 'Neither do my clients. I would say you're better off looking for a celebrity who has a similar tone to you and look at what colours they wear.' If pushed to generalise about what suits the white Irish skin tone, Gleeson says: 'I think teal is generally quite a complimentary colour, as well as a medium purple which people tend to shy away from! I do recommend that people with typical Irish skin tones veer away from wearing black and wear navy for a softer effect. Deeper teal tones will suit darker complexions, it looks really striking. They will be able to pull off a stark white and deep black within the winter palette. Warm tones will suit anyone with golden features. Brown eyes suit gold as they will bring out golden flecks in the eyes.' Colour analysis: Nicola Coughlan The Galway actress and fashion darling is consistently praised for her outfit choices, but what does Isabel Gleeson make of her palette? 'Nicola Coughlan is a light summer which is cool-neutral, light and a delicate seasonal palette,' Gleeson says. 'It sits between summer and spring, meaning it has the cool soft qualities of summer with a touch of the brightness and freshness of spring. Coughlan would do well with low-to-medium contrast, which means softer colours rather than harsh darker ones. Some colours I would suggest for her are: primrose yellow, soft teal, rose pink, periwinkle and clear blue.' See What your Sinead Keary 'The Chloe' dress says about you... You're a romantic at heart who adores old black and white movies. The glamour, the passion, the gowns — you just can't get enough! Classic and timeless can also be used to describe your clothing choices: silhouettes that can remain in your wardrobe for years to come and soft pastels that make your skin glow a little brighter when you wear them. You've loved bows since your mother used to tie them in your hair as a child and now you wear them in a nod to Grace Kelly chic. You're considered the demure one of your friend group. Although you love that label, you'll only give a coy little smile when they bring it up. After all, you must keep up your ladylike appearance! The Chloe Bow Dress in blue, €135, Sinead Keary,
Yahoo
an hour ago
- General
- Yahoo
Locals spot 'fantastic' detail as Aussies share photos of bizarre traffic light trend
As Australia's population grows, so too does the demand for essential infrastructure like roads. But this expansion often comes at the expense of natural habitats, raising concern among environmentalists. Much of our development has taken over land that was home to native wildlife for centuries, but every now and then, nature finds a way to adapt. In Newcastle this week, residents were delighted to see a couple of native birds making themselves at home in quite an unlikely spot — the pair of corellas were perched contentedly inside traffic lights. "Corellas are turning Newcastle East into some sort of red light district with their amorous goings on," a local joked online. What started as a single post quickly attracted an onslaught of replies, with other east coast residents sharing their photos of similar scenes they'd captured. From NSW to Queensland, the quirky occurrence appears to be relatively common. "There must be something extra good about the red lights," one person commented. "Nice and warm in there," said another. "They have been doing that for months now," wrote a third. Others suggested the birds simply evolved due to a lack of "hollow trees". "We need to make homes for them and hang them around the city," a woman suggested. In reality, there's a simple reason red lights might be so appealing to these birds — it is for warmth. The LED globes inside traffic signals generate heat, making them cosy nesting spots during cooler months. Combined with the enclosed casing and elevation off the ground, they provide a safe, weatherproof hideaway that mimics the natural tree hollows many birds are struggling to find in today's urban environments. Bold plan to reintroduce wild animals into Australia's major cities 'Dangerous' problem sparked by city's continuous urban sprawl Photographer surprised by cheeky corellas living inside traffic lights It's not the first time corellas, a type of cockatoo, have been spotted in their cosy makeshift cocoons, with red lights in particular the most attractive to the little birds. Back in 2023, another pair of corellas got the internet talking after they were photographed nesting in a set of traffic lights in Manly, Sydney. Peta Bulling from the Australian Conservation Foundation said it's "truly incredible" that bird species can adapt so well to urban areas. "[Another] great example of that is that is the gang-gang cockatoo. It's endangered… but you wouldn't necessarily realise if you were walking around the suburbs of Canberra because you see them relatively often and have a distinct call,' she had earlier said. "But these cockatoos really like the same sort of habitat we do. They like mature trees, and they're not disturbed by humans as much as some other animals." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Indianapolis Star
an hour ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana Fever recap: Without Caitlin Clark, they lose to Washington Mystics
The Indiana Fever learn life without Caitlin Clark is tough. Their offense has little flow in an 83-77 loss to the Washington Mystics. Indiana's DeWanna Bonner scores 21 points and Kelsey Mitchell has 14, Natasha Howard 11 and Aliyah Boston 10. The Fever shoot below 40% from the field and 23.8% on 3-pointers. Brittney Sykes has 21 points and 9 rebounds for Washington, while rookie Kiki Iriafen has 16 points and 8 rebounds. The Mystics have an 8-rebound advantage. The Fever (2-3) host Connecticut (0-5) on Friday. 3 lessons: DeWanna Bonner gets going but Fever lose The second-year star suffered a quad injury and is expected to miss at least three more games. Chloe Peterson is your best Fever follow, and sign up for IndyStar's Fever newsletter. It'll warm your heart: Indiana grandma's viral TikTok reaction to Caitlin Clark surprise yields VIP upgrade 3:55 left 4Q, Mystics 73, Fever 64: Washington is +8 in rebounds and the Fever are shooting 41.8% from the field, 4-of-18 on 3-pointers. DeWanna Bonner gets inside and lays it in. 6:57 left 4Q, Mystics 68, Fever 60: Washington scores in the open court on two straight possessions to build its biggest lead. Timeout, Indiana. Kiki Iriafen adds 4 quick points, pushing the Mystics' lead to 8 in the 4Q 🔥IND-WAS | League Pass End 3Q, Mystics 60, Fever 53: Kelsey Mitchell (12 points) and Aliyah Boston (7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocked shots) have become more aggressive for Indiana. Brittney Sykes (12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) has done the same for the Mystics. Washington's Lucy Olsen, who didn't play in the first half, has a couple of 3-pointers, giving it a 7-point lead. Another triple for Kelsey Mitchell! It's a 5-point game in Baltimore 🍿IND-WAS | League Pass 🗣️ LUUUUCCYYYYYYYY 4:52 left 3Q, Mystics 52, Fever 48: Aliyah Boston, who had 3 points at halftime, has two baskets early in the quarter. Kelsey Mitchell is 2-of-8 from the field. Kelsey Mitchell with the rainbow TRIPLE! The Fever are pushing for that lead in the 3Q 👏IND-WAS | League Pass Natasha Howard and DeWanna Bonner are the only Fever players with more than one field goal. Shakira Austin has 13 points to lead the Mystics. Sonia Citron's and-1 with 1:01 left gives Washington a 42-39 lead. Citron is reading the defense like a VET 🌟 Damiris Dantas showing off that low-post pivot game 🌟IND-WAS | League Pass 2:41 left 2Q, Fever 35, Mystics 34: Natasha Howard has 10 points and 5 rebounds, and DeWanna Bonner has 9 points. 5:27 left 2Q, Fever 32, Mystics 29: Kelsey Mitchell gets an and-1 to put Indiana up by five, drawing Shakira Austin's second foul. Austin has 12 points off Washington's bench. tough finish through contact from Kelsey Mitchell 💪 End 1Q, Fever 23, Mystics 19: DeWanna Bonner has 7 points and 2 rebounds off the bench. DeWanna Bonner hesitates and gets to the hoop for two 💨 Emily Engstler's 3 gives Washington its first lead, 19-18, with 1 minute left. 3:17 left 1Q, Fever 12, Mystics 10: Washington starts 1-of-10 from the field but makes 3 straight. Shakira Austin has 6 points off the Mystics bench. Natasha Howard has 6 points for Indiana. Natasha Howard takes the opening tip and scores 5 seconds in. Sydney Colson scores on the Fever's second play. Natasha Howard scores off the opening tip ⚡️ Fever: Sydney Colson, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull, Natasha Howard, Aliyah Boston Mystics: Sug Sutton, Brittney Sykes, Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, Stefanie Dolson Caitlin Clark is going to sit near the coaching staff to hear their conversations in the period she's on how this injury could be an opportunity for CC to learn from a different perspective: Chloe Peterson, IndyStar: Fever 72-70 "With the news of Caitlin Clark's quad injury putting her out two weeks, this one has likely become much more of a toss-up than the Fever would like. "The Mystics have impressed, relatively, to start the season. They had three top-6 picks in the draft in Sonia Citron (No. 3), Kiki Iriafen (No. 4) and Georgia Amoore (No. 6). Amoore suffered an ACL injury in training camp, but both Citron and Iriafen hit the ground running in the starting lineup. Iriafen has recorded four straight double-doubles, and Citron is averaging 15.4 points per game. "The Mystics are 2-3, sure, but all of those losses have been close — including a three-point loss to Las Vegas, two-point loss to Golden State, and six-point loss to Phoenix. Washington also has wins over Atlanta and Connecticut. "Indiana has a tight window to figure out new rotations without Clark, and there will likely be multiple adjustments to figure out who's running point. With the way the Mystics are playing, it really could go either way; but this is one the Fever need to win to stay on track, especially with Clark out." Fever: Caitlin Clark (quad) is out. The Fever anticipate her missing two weeks. Mystics: Georgia Amoore (ACL) is out. Fever second-year guard Caitlin Clark is out with a left quadriceps injury. She dealt with a similar injury during preseason, but team officials say this one is different. Fever coach Steph White added that she does not know the specific strain of Clark's injury. Based on her reevaluation timeline of two weeks, however, it is likely a Grade I or II strain. A Grade I strain is mild and only involves a small number of muscle fibers, according to the Physiotherapy and Sports Injuries Centre, and there is usually pain and tightness but no loss of function. It usually takes two weeks to recover from a Grade I strain. A Grade II strain is slightly more serious, where there would be some loss of function, and that typically takes 4-6 weeks for a full recovery. In four games this season, Caitlin Clark averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals, making 31.4% of her 3-pointers. TV: WTHR Channel 13, NBA TV Radio: 93.5 and 107.5 FM in Indianapolis, with John Nolan (play-by-play) and Bria Goss (analysis). via BetMGM Favorite: Fever by 4.5 points Over/under: 163.5 total points Moneyline: Fever -185, Mystics +150 ESPN's matchup predictor gives the Fever a 58.9% chance of winning. Fever-Mystics tickets start at $38 on StubHub
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Special guests to star at festival celebrating nature, music and arts
SPECIAL guests will take centre stage at a four-day festival celebrating community, art, nature and music from across the world. The Harmony Festival will take place at St Mary's Church on Edward Road in Dorchester from Wednesday June 11 to Saturday, June 14. Filled with energy and creative expression, nature will take centre stage quite literally with the church to be adorned in a plethora of colours depicting elements of art and music. The floral designers are previous Chelsea Flower Show medal winners, Jo Richards and Helen Joyce , principals of the Academy of Floristry in Bournemouth. Local artists will be displaying their works both inside and outside the church, giving visitors the chance to wander through the gallery of paintings and sculptures. Sculptures on display will include Robert Marshall's installation of a front door scorched and bombed during war in Ukraine. It was previously on display in Bridport. Landscape Artist of the Year Ben McGregor will be on hand on Friday for a live paint-out in the grounds. His painting will be auctioned for Weldmar Hospicecare. Guests will be able to enjoy musical performances from individual artists and choral groups. Tik Tok and YouTube star Matt Walters, aka Reductiomusic, is fitting in an organ recital at the festival on Saturday in whilst he is on his UK-wide Cathedral tour. Other concerts include the West Dorset Singers, Broadoak Choir, Dorchester Rock Choir and Encore Singers. Supporting the end of life charity Weldmar Hospicecare, the festival will also feature a selection from the baby herd of Stampede elephants created by local schools before they make their way to the Corn Exchange. On top of all this, an artisan pop-up market will join the final two days of the festival for those on the lookout for a gift. A spokesperson for the event said: 'Bring friends, family and an open heart, and be transported into a realm where creativity flourishes, harmony abounds and friendships blossom amidst the backdrop of one of Dorchester's beautiful landmarks. 'Mark your calendars and be part of this magnificent summer event – let the Harmony Festival awaken your spirit and reaffirm the connections that unite us all.' Full information on all events can be found at
AsiaOne
an hour ago
- AsiaOne
How Mexico's cartels recruit children and groom them into killers, World News
MEXICO CITY — Sol remembers her first kill for a Mexican cartel: a kidnapping she committed with a handful of other young recruits that twisted into torture and bled into murder. She was 12 years old. Sol had joined the drug cartel a few months earlier, recruited by someone she knew as she sold roses on the sidewalk outside a local bar. She started as a lookout, but rose fast. The cartel liked her childish enthusiasm for learning new skills, her unquestioning loyalty, and perhaps most importantly, her status as a minor protected her from severe punishment if the cops ever caught her. "I obeyed the boss blindly," Sol, now 20 years old, told Reuters, speaking from the rehabilitation centre in central Mexico where she is trying to patch her life back together. "I thought they loved me." Sol declined to say how many people she killed during her time in the cartel. She said she'd been addicted to methamphetamine from the age of nine. When she was 16 she was arrested for kidnapping — her only criminal conviction — and spent three years in juvenile detention, according to her lawyer. Reuters is withholding Sol's full name, and the names of the city where she worked and the cartel she joined, to protect her. The news agency was unable to independently verify the details of Sol's account, although psychologists at the centre and her lawyer said they believed it was accurate. Security experts say children like Sol are a casualty of a deliberate strategy by Mexican organised crime groups to recruit minors into their ranks by preying on their hunger for status and camaraderie. In cartel slang they are known as 'pollitos de colores' or 'colourful chicks', after the fluffy baby chicks sprayed with lurid toxic colors and sold at Mexican fairgrounds. They're cheap, burn bright, and don't live long. Reuters spoke to 10 current and six former child assassins, as well as four senior cartel operatives, who said cartels are increasingly recruiting and grooming young killers. Their experiences reveal the growing brutalisation of Mexican society and the failure of President Claudia Sheinbaum and past governments to address not only the expanding territorial influence of the cartels but their extensive cultural hold too. Mexico's presidency and interior ministry did not reply to requests for comment. The news agency contacted active cartel members through Facebook and TikTok. Many shared pictures of themselves holding rifles, one had a cap emblazoned with a cartoon chicken firing off automatic rounds — a reference to the 'colourful chicks'. They were aged between 14 and 17. Most said they had been recruited by relatives or friends, joining principally out of a desire to belong to something. They usually came from homes wrecked by violence and drugs. Many were already battling addictions of their own to drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine. "You join with your death sentence already signed," said one 14-year-old child killer who has worked for a cartel for eight months, requesting anonymity to protect themselves. "But it's worth it," they said. Now they're no longer hungry and have a sense of family. Failed policies Although 15 security experts and those within the cartels say child recruitment is becoming more common, a lack of hard data makes the issue difficult to track. The US government's Bureau of International Labor Affairs estimates that some 30,000 children have joined criminal groups in Mexico. Advocacy groups say the number of vulnerable children prone to being recruited is as high as 200,000. It is not clear how these numbers have changed over time, though experts say child recruits are getting younger. A Mexican government report into the cartel recruitment of children published last year found minors as young as six have joined organised crime and also highlighted the growing use of technology, like video games and social media, to draw in young recruits. The report said 70 per cent of adolescents pulled into the cartels grew up surrounded by high levels of extreme violence. In 2021, Mexican authorities intercepted three boys between the ages of 11 and 14 in the state of Oaxaca who they said were about to join a cartel after being recruited through the violent multiplayer game "Free Fire". Mexico's National Guard has since issued guidelines on the safe use of video games, while a legislative proposal is currently before the Lower House seeking to criminalize the cultural glorification of crime in music, TV, and video games. "We see more and more criminal groups co-opting ever younger children," said Dulce Leal, a director at Reinserta, an advocacy group focused on children who have been victims of organised crime. She said this trend has grown alongside the use of new technologies like video games with integrated chat messaging systems. At the rehabilitation centre in central Mexico, another former child killer, Isabel, 19, who is being treated for extreme trauma and depression said her uncle recruited her when she was 14. The uncle helped her murder a former teacher who had raped her, she said, and they then became a couple despite him being 20 years her senior. He got her pregnant but she miscarried, she thinks because of her heavy drug use. Reuters was unable to corroborate all of Isabel's account, but her arrest as an unnamed child cartel member was published in news reports at the time. Isabel had tattoos with her uncle's name removed, but still bears a stencil of his faceless silhouette. 'Disposable' kids While the youngest kids might only be useful for simpler tasks, like delivering messages or working as look-outs, their loyalty and malleability quickly make them an asset. They're also cheap and easily replaceable. By the time they're eight-years-old, they can usually handle a gun and kill, one cartel member said. There are some parallels with child soldiers fighting in places like Sudan and Syria, but Mexican cartels differ in their for-profit nature and arguably in the cultural sway they exert. Cases of child killers have emerged in other places too, including Sweden. "These kids are disposable, they can be used... but in the end, all they await is death," said Gabriela Ruiz, a specialist in youth issues at Mexico's National Autonomous University. In 2021, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on Mexico to combat the forced recruitment of minors after reports of children in the state of Guerrero joining a community defence force to fight criminal groups in the area. Despite a government focus under former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and now under Sheinbaum, on combating the social roots of cartel violence — including programs aimed at keeping children away from drugs and crime — little measurable progress appears to have been made, the 15 experts who spoke with Reuters said. There are no specific government programs aimed at rescuing recruited children, they added. One problem is a lack of clear criminal law banning the recruitment of minors into organised crime. Another is the broader problem of child labour in Mexico. In 2022, the most recent official data available, 3.7 million children aged between five and 17 were already working, about 13 per cent of that total age group in Mexico. By law, children in Mexico can work from the age of 15 if they meet certain criteria, including signed parental approval. Fleeing from death Daniel was 16 when he joined a cartel in a state on Mexico's Pacific coast in 2021. The group turned up to a party he was at and forced the kids to join at gun point. For the next three years Daniel worked for the cartel — starting as a lookout, becoming an enforcer collecting protection money, and eventually a cartel killer. Many of his friends died along the way, some at the hands of rivals, some by his own cartel — murdered to set an example, because they refused to follow orders or because they were manoeuvring to rise up the ranks. Last November, he fled the cartel — leaving his partner and three-year-old son behind — and escaped to Mexico's north, applying for a US asylum appointment through the Biden-era government app CBP One. The programme was dismantled when Trump took office. He's now hiding near the border. Afraid for his life and even more scared his old cartel will come after his partner and child. He's saving to pay a smuggler to get him to the United States. "I have no choice, I'm scared to die," he told Reuters at the migrant shelter where he was staying. For Sol, her focus is on starting her life over in Mexico. She is studying for a law degree and wants to build a career and stable life away from the death and violence she wrought and suffered as a child. She hopes to specialise in juvenile law and serve as a mentor for younger children tempted by a life of crime. "I never thought I would make it to 20, I always thought I would die before," she said, fighting back tears. [[nid:718123]]
