Italy is full of nude statues and murals. So why is it so upset about a new kind of tradition: tourists posing basically naked, basically anywhere?

Tourists are often stripping off (and proposing) on Amalfi’s beaches and on the sweaty path of the gods (a hike, in case you were wondering), but outside a cathedral? Well, they have now.

A video of a ‘naked’ British tourist posing for photos in front of Italy’s cathedral of Amalfi (a medieval Roman Catholic cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo in Amalfi) has sent shockwaves through the land of hard, pebbly beaches.

WATCH: woman’s ‘obscene’ photo shoot outside Amalfi cathedral

According to Influencers In The Wild – an Instagram account whose mission is to aggregate all the most hilarious examples of people posing for the ‘gram – the tourist is British and “has been charged with ‘obscene acts’ for taking her clothes off for a photo shoot in front of Italy’s cathedral of Amalfi.”

“Locals captured the incident on video and can be heard calling the tourists ‘crazy’ for being ‘naked at the church.'”

In a video posted by Influencers In The Wild, the woman can be seen posing for photos holding some kind of red robe, with subtitles apparently translating comments from locals. The words on the screen read: “But there are crazy… what excuse are they crazy? He almost greets on top of the church and its expel if you remove the one.”

According to Italian publication Il Mattino, the trio did not have permission for the shoot (apparently it’s hard enough to book the steps for a baptism) and the antics only stopped when local authorities were summoned by onlookers. The Daily Mail reports the trio told the cops they were just tourists creating a “personal memory.”

Though many on Facebook were purple with fury, many Instagram followers of Influencers In The Wild called this video relatively inoffensive. Looking through their videos, you start to see why.

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A post shared by Influencers in the Wild (@influencersinthewild)

“This is the tamest thing I’ve seen in the recent years so I’m not casting judgement on this one,” one wrote. “If they think that’s obscene, wait till they hear about the Catholic Church,” said another.

Others were simply relieved to learn the nationality of the woman (“slightly relieved to learn she wasn’t American,” one said), with American and Australian tourists both having disgraced themselves recently.

More choice comments included: “This is how people are getting attention nowadays” and “as cringe as influencers are, pearl clutching about nakedness is worse.” There were also several more cracks at the catholic church, with various comments like “Maybe if she was a child the church would look at this differently” and “are they upset because she wasn’t a young boy?” rolling in.

Some people came to the defense of the Italian traditionalists, writing things like “just because you can does not mean you should” and “nothing wrong with getting naked but this is not the time or the place…”

“Not ok. Disrespectful to the cultural history of the place and the people,” yet another wrote. According to The Mirror, many people were aggrieved on Facebook too, with one writing: “Undressing badly in front of a cathedral of considerable importance [is] squalid and unacceptable … shame.”

That being said, a lot of people on Instagram supported the photoshoot. Instagram user @girlroz, for instance, wrote: “Italy churches and museums are full of naked statues. I literally was just at the Vatican and saw balls of all sizes in stone. Is it bc it’s a real like body and it’s the men who have an issue with this[?]”

“I’m sure the Catholic Churches have so much more to worry about vs a real life naked body of a woman on their steps.”

Instagran user girlroz

“If they think a naked woman in front of a church is crazy, that’s proof that they aren’t paying attention to all the crazy shit going on inside,” another person added, alongside many other defences of nakedness (“Naked like we were all born?!?!”, “What’s the difference between this and dressing up as a sexy nun?” etc.).

Just another day on social media. La dolce vita indeed. Oh, and for those interested in history, the cathedral in question was founded in the ninth century, rebuilt in the 11th century in the Romaesque style, then altered various more times.

Per The Daily Mail. “The facade and the atrium date from 1800s, but the carved bronze doors were cast in Constantinople around 1000, making them a culturally significant artefact.”

• Italy’s ‘Sexist Statue’ Controversy Reveals Embarrassing Stereotype Tourists Still Believe
• Iconic Italian Beach Scene Sparks Age-Old Debate 

The post Internet Mocks Italy For Getting Upset About A Naked Tourist appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Most Australians grow up watching and playing Australian rules football, rugby league or rugby union, with the best turning professional.

However, there are some athletes that have the skills required for these sports and have instead turned them into an American football career, with some Australians becoming so good they make it all the way to the National Football League (NFL), in America.

There are currently eight Australian players in the NFL for the 2022-23 season, from some of the league’s punters, to the biggest offensive lineman the league has ever seen.

Read on as DMARGE breaks down all the Australians who currently play in the NFL.

Jordan Mailata

Jordan Mailata is an offensive tackle who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.

Originally from Bankstown, New South Wales, Mailata played rugby league growing up and was selected for NRL team the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs’ under-18 side. However, he required surgery to repair his heart, resulting in a hiatus from football.

During this time, he weighed up to a whopping 365 pounds (166 kilograms). After failing to make it playing rugby due to concerns about his weight, he tried out for the NFL’s ‘International Player Pathway program’. Despite barely knowing the rules of the game and lacking technique, scouts noticed how quick and strong he was for his giant frame.

Jordan Mailata was taken with the 233rd pick in the 7th round of the 2018 NFL Draft, making his full NFL debut in 2020. This proved to be a breakout year for Mailata, allowing the fewest sacks of all offensive lineman on the Eagles squad.

He became a starter in 2021, eventually signing a four-year $64 million contract.

From being cut from his rugby team to becoming a starter in the NFL, Jordan Mailtala’s career is a great example of an Australian success story.

Michael Dickson

Michael Dickson is an American football punter who plays for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL.

Originally an Aussie rules footballer, Dickson impressed playing for the University of New South Wales and was recruited for the Sydney Swans talent academy.

However, he was overlooked in the 2014 AFL Draft and decided to try his hand at American football, moving to Melbourne to join Prokick Australia, which helps Australian athletes convert to playing gridiron.

Michael Dickson was picked up by the University of Texas, playing there for three seasons. Whilst there, he achieved the ‘Ray Guy Award’, for college football’s most outstanding punter, was a unanimous all-American and was the 2017 Texas Bowl MVP.

Dickson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round with the No. 149 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, he became the Seahawks starter and was the first rookie voted into the 2019 Pro Bowl – a tournament for the league’s best players – since 1985.

He career punt average of 47.4 yards per punt is the second highest average in NFL history.

As well as being one of the best punters in the league, Dickson’s highlight reel is ridiculous, catching the attention of NFL fans with both his “double punt” and “Aussie sweep” signature plays.

Alongside Ugg Boots and Vegemite, Michael Dickson might just be one of Australia’s best exports.

Daniel Faalele

Daniel Faalele is an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL. He was drafted with the No. 110 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Standing at whopping six foot eight inches, and weighing 380 pounds (174 kilograms), Faalele is the heaviest player in the entire NFL, and the fifth heaviest player in the history of the league. To put that in perspective, he weighs the same as a baby African elephant!

Originally from Melbourne, he left Australia as a teen after being scouted playing rugby, eventually playing college ball at the University of Minnesota.

In what was only Faalele’s second game of his career in September, he came on for injured offensive tackle Patrick Mekari in a standout win against the New York Patriots. This earned him praise from Ravens’ MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, saying Faalele “stepped up major”.

Many bright things lie ahead for the behemoth that is Daniel Faalele.

Arryn Siposs

Arryn Siposs is an American football punter, who plays for the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFL.

He originally played Australian rules football, being drafted by St Kilda in 2010 and playing until 2015. A delisting from the Saints as a result of injury did not stop his sports career though, as he decided to make the transition to American Football.

He began training with ProKick Australia, eventually receiving an offer from Auburn University to become the back-up punter there.

He went undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft but was quickly picked up the Detroit Lions and placed in their practice squad.

He now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, using his AFL background to make some crazy touchdown-saving tackles, rare for a punter.

Mitch Wishnowsky

Mitch Wishnowsky is another gridiron punter, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL. He was drafted with the No. 110 overall pick in round four of the 2019 NFL Draft.

Originally from Western Australia, he also grew up playing Aussie rules, but had to give up the sport at 18 due to repeated shoulder injuries.

He became a glazier, but through his friend heard about ProKick Australia in Melbourne, so decided to travel interstate and give American football a crack.

The University of Utah had previously brought in a ProKick graduate, Tom Hackett, so were open to giving Wishnowky a scholarship to join the university team in 2015, aged 23.

In his first year in Utah, he was awarded the ‘Ray Guy Award’ for college football’s best punter and was also voted as a unanimous All-American.

He was the first of two punters selected in the 2019 NFL draft and reached the Super Bowl as a rookie, punting twice as the 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs. He is also the only Australian to score a point in an NFL game, kicking an extra point against the Seattle Seahawks in October 2021.

With all these achievements and the fact that he’s earning $3 million a year, I think it’s fair to sat Wishnowsky was right to make the switch!

Adam Gotsis

Adam Gotsis is a defensive end for the Jacksonville Jaguars in the NFL. He was taken with the No. 63 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

A Melbourne native, who parents are of Greek Heritage, Gotsis also grew up playing Aussie rules before becoming interested in American football at age 13. He discovered local gridiron team the Monash Warriors, eventually becoming the league MVP in 2010.

He enrolled at Georgia Tech, playing for the football team for four years before being drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2016 NFL draft. With the 63^rd pick, he became the highest drafted Australian in NFL history.

After becoming a regular starter in the league, he signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.

Will Gotsis help the Jaguars win their first ever championship? Unlikely, given their two wins and six losses to start the 2022-23 NFL season; still cool to see an Aussie on the team though.

Cameron Johnson

Cameron Johnson is an American Football punter who plays for the Houston Texans in the NFL.

Like many punters in this list, the Geelong native started his career playing Australian rules football, even by drafted Melbourne Football Club in the 2011 AFL draft. However, he was delisted at the season’s end and did not play much for the senior team.

Johnson is also a product of Prokick Australia, gaining a scholarship to Ohio State University in 2013. Whilst here, he won a national championship with the Buckeyes in 2014 and was awarded the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year Award in 2016.

He went undrafted in the 2017 NFL Draft, but was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles, making his debut in the 2018 season opener, recording six punts against the Atlanta Falcons.

In 2021, Johnston signed with the Houston Texans, banking big for a punter with a three-year $8 million deal.

To put that in perspective, Johnson is being paid more per year than the highest paid players in AFL today – not bad for being let go by Melbourne all those years ago.

Matt Leo

Matthew “Matt” Leo plays as a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles In the NFL.

He is an Adelaide local, having grown up playing soccer and basketball as a child.

After becoming a plumber, he decided to try his hand at gridiron football, sending his workout tapes to college coaches. Arizona Western Community College gave him a chance to play for the first semester, but before it had finished, Leo had already received a scholarship. He later moved to Iowa State university.

Despite going undrafted in the 2020 NFL Draft, Leo was picked up by the Philadelphia Eagles as a part of the International Player Pathway Program, designed to get players from around the world an opportunity to get into the league.

With him, Jordan Mailata, Cameron Johnson and Arryn Siposs all in Philly, the Australians are certainly making their mark on the Eagles.

• WATCH: Colin Kaepernick Isn’t Giving Up On NFL Just Yet
• Star Quarterback Cam Newton Is The Style Icon The NFL Needs

The post Australian Players In The NFL 2022: Who Are They? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Extreme athlete Wim Hof is no stranger to shocking the world. From climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts to running a half marathon above the arctic circle barefoot, he is known for his ability to defy nature (and challenge our understanding of the limitations of human nature). But The Flying Dutchman’s latest trick has some fans worried…

Wim Hof has left some followers fretting, after falling backwards (and rotating all the way over, with his legs going above his head) and smacking down in a pond face first. In a rather Zlatan Ibrahimovic (or perhaps Bruce Lee) tone, he captioned the video: “Fear doesn’t come to me, I come to the fear.”

WATCH: Wim Hof backflips into pond

The cold plunge left the dog (who also appeared in the clip) worried for him, as well as a host of his Instagram followers, who wrote remarks like: “Okay that made me anxious” and “you could have killed yourself on those rocks.”

Another wrote: “It’s not the cold water that make[s] me nervous. It’s the back flip into a small pond between massive boulders that makes me cringe. I’ve never been comfortable or confident performing aerial rotations particularly backwards.”

Others were stoked, writing comments like: “You’re pure inspiration man!” and “I respect the fearlessness.”

“I do the breathing technique and the cold shower every single day for almost 3 years,” one follower wrote.

RELATED: What I Discovered Freezing My A** Off In ‘Cold Water Therapy’

Another, however, cautioned The Iceman against such stunts, fearing that if it were to go wrong the cold water community would lose an important guru. They wrote: “Just stay safe and in good health the world needs people like you, right now especially.”

Another Instagram user shared her own experience of jumping into water, writing: “I remember in Poland the first day you made us jump down from a 7 meter high waterfall into icewater! It was scary AF but when I jumped and survived the cold, I felt so strong!”

Yet another cheekily wrote: “Love it Hof. The front face splash must be another cold technique to wake the body up. Inspiration always.”

There you have it. Not something you can try in your shower (in fact, we don’t recommend you try it anywhere), but an interesting video to watch nonetheless…

• ‘The Iceman’ Wim Hof Trades The North Pole For Noosa
• Why Taking Ice Baths Is Great For Your Mental Health, According To Wim Hof

The post Wim Hof’s Latest Stunt Has Followers Fearing For His Life appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The following article was produced in partnership with Chopard.

Nothing gets watch fans’ motors humming more than a luxury sports watch with an integrated bracelet. Indeed, in 2022, the market is full of them – but not all are created equal.

The Chopard Alpine Eagle, however, is a true exemplar. First introduced in 2019 yet the spiritual successor to the immensely popular St. Moritz sports watches of the 1980s, the Alpine Eagle combines Chopard’s 162 years of watchmaking heritage with the best of modern watchmaking.

In just three short years, the Alpine Eagle collection is now one of Chopard’s most expansive and features many exciting different takes on the stylish sports watch – from the high-beat titanium Cadence 8HF to the visually stunning Flying Tourbillon and immaculately diamond-paved high jewellery models, there’s plenty of Alpine Eagles to choose from.

But for our money, the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is the pick of the litter – and demonstrates perhaps better than any other watch in Chopard’s extensive range why you should invest in a watch from this highly esteemed, incredibly exciting Swiss watchmaker.

First of all, let’s talk about what’s under the hood; the ‘chrono’ part of the XL Chrono: the self-winding, in-house Calibre 03.05-C. Chopard is known as one of the world’s best jewellers but they’re also responsible for some of the most impressive and refined watch movements in the industry, and this movement is no exception.

This COSC-certified movement features a column-wheel system, which is a mark of distinction in a chronograph, and a vertical coupling clutch, which allows the chrono to be activated for hours on end without loss of time – a highly desired feature in a high-end chronograph movement.

The watch also features a flyback function, a jumping minutes counter and a 60-hour power reserve. This means it’s not only highly precise and technical but also highly robust.

It is also enhanced by several technical innovations that have earned Chopard three patents stemming from the boldness of its R&D teams. First of all, it is equipped with a unidirectional gear drive system that prevents energy losses while ensuring rapid winding, a function that’s very useful for an inherently energy-hungry chronograph.

In addition, its vertical clutch ensures accurate time measurement starts, and its flyback function – which means you can reset without having to first stop the chronograph, a highly useful feature – enables butter-smooth successive timing operations thanks to three pivoting hammers with elastic arms, which facilitate the zero-setting of the counters.

In short, it’s not your average chronograph movement. Maybe that’s why Chopard has put it on show with an exhibition caseback, so you can admire how, just like the Alpine Eagle’s dial, it features a subtle radial finish.

It’s also exceptionally easy to use. The XL Chrono’s larger 44mm case size and large chronograph counters make it exceptionally legible, and the chrono pushers, which are elegantly integrated with the Alpine Eagle’s case, are as ergonomic as they are stylish.

While you’re watching those chrono counters, you’ll also love to gaze upon the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono’s stunning dial treatment: a subtle radial texture that evokes an eagle’s iris (hence the watch’s name). It’s stunning.

That’s sort of the thesis of the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono: it’s the perfect marriage of form and function.

Speaking of form, the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is available in a variety of materials, from 100% stainless steel (or rather Lucent Steel A223: Chopard’s innovative and lustrous steel alloy), ethical 18ct rose gold with ceramised titanium highlights or two-tone steel and rose gold.

While it’s hard to look past the classic steel options, which are now available with a sporty rubber strap, we’re a big fan of the two-tone. The gold centre links on the integrated bracelet look like a little cascade of gold bars stretching down the watch… It’s a really unique and luxurious aesthetic.

As Chopard Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele – a co-designer of the Alpine Eagle alongside his son Karl-Fritz – shared with DMARGE, “chronographs are the ultimate expression of mechanical watches. They’re a real delicacy when it comes to watchmaking – like a 12-cylinder engine.”

It’s an apt analogy. Just as you only find 12-cylinder engines in only the most high-end vehicles, such an impressive chronograph like the Alpine Eagle XL Chrono can only be executed by one of the most high-end, respected watchmakers in the world: Chopard.

Sporty yet refined, technical yet approachable, and above all else, truly sumptuous, the Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono is inarguably one of the most exciting chronographs on the market today. Arguably, it’s the perfect chronograph.

For any serious collector, it’s a watch that simply has to be in contention – and for someone new to the luxury watch world looking to start off their collection properly, we can’t think of a better watch.

View the entire Alpine Eagle XL Chrono collection at Chopard’s online boutique here, and contact the Chopard Sydney Boutique to view the collection in person.

The post Is The Chopard Alpine Eagle XL Chrono The Perfect Chronograph? appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen is continuing his historic season in F1, with a record-breaking 14^th victory of the year at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher’s season in 2004, and Sebastian Vettel’s in 2013, previously shared the record for most wins in a single season with 13 each.

In Mexico, ‘Super Max’ has gone one better. He started on pole and was near-faultless in the hot conditions. 7-time World Champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished in second, with hometown hero Sergio Pérez finishing third.

The win puts Verstappen – who has already won the 2022 Driver’s Championship with two races to go – on 416 championship points.

This total also breaks the record for most points in a single F1 season, previously held by Lewis Hamilton for his victorious 2019 season.

“What an unbelievable season”

The Dutchman rarely missed a beat with the race in Mexico City, only losing his lead briefly during a tire change.

A resurgent Hamilton put up a good fight, setting a blistering pace early on, but Verstappen pulled away in the second half of the race, eventually crossing the line 15 seconds ahead of his long-time rival.

Speaking after the race Verstappen was elated, saying “what an unbelievable season.”

“It’s an incredible atmosphere. We love to come here. It’s been an incredible year so far. We are definitely enjoying it and we will try to go for more.”

Max Verstappen

The win cements Red Bull’s place atop the 2022 Constructors Championship, 200 points clear of the next-nearest team, Ferrari.

RELATED: Charles Leclerc’s Attitude Is A Refreshing Change Of Pace For Formula 1

Their total of 696 points already sits at the fifth-best of all time, with Mercedes currently holding the record of 765 in 2016. Will we see Red Bull break the record for most points in a single season? They’re already on a roll and it’s mathematically possible…

Mercedes’ tyre issues

Strong finishes from both Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell saw them close the gap to only 40 points behind Ferrari in the constructor’s standings.

RELATED: Lewis Hamilton Swaps Race Seat For Director’s Chair, Launches Own Production Company

That being said, both drivers reflected that Mercedes’ tire strategy was not as strong as Red Bull’s. The pair started on medium tyres, with Verstappen starting with softs.

After 29 laps, Hamilton changed to hard tyres which saw Verstappen, then-on mediums, start to extend his lead.

After the race, George Russell commented that driving on the hard tyres was comparable to “driving on ice.”

Standout performances

Elsewhere, Daniel Ricciardo showed why he still deserves a spot in F1 next year after putting in a mega drive to finish in seventh.

It was one of his best drives this season, with ‘The Honey Badger’ overcoming a ten-second penalty in the race for clipping the car of AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda.

But the penalty was no big deal for Danny Ric – in fact it arguably fired him up – with the Australian finishing more than 10 seconds ahead of eighth-placed Esteban Ocon, on his way to being voted ‘Driver of the Day’.

RELATED: Sebastian Vettel Says McLaren ‘Failed’ Daniel Ricciardo

Meanwhile, hometown hero Pérez was hoping to grab the fifth win of his career in front of his home fans. Starting in fourth, the Mexican driver managed to gain one place, splitting the Mercedes cars of Hamilton and Russell. Still, fans were pretty stoked to see ‘Checo’ on the podium.

With an electric atmosphere in Mexico City, one could only imagine the scenes if he’d topped the podium this year…

The final two races of the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship are the São Paulo Grand Prix on the 11-13th of November, and then the season finale Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the 18-20th of November.

• Who Is Toto Wolff? Meet The Mercedes-AMG F1 Team Principal
• ‘F1 Car’ Spotted Sending It On Major European Motorway

The post Max Verstappen Beats Michael Schumacher’s Unbeatable Record appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Alex de Minaur is an Australian professional tennis player, currently ranked number 25 in the world.

His most recent victory came against former world number one Daniil Medvedev at the Paris Masters tennis tournament, marking his first victory against a top-five player.

If he wins his next match at the tournament, he will overtake Nick Kyrgios in the rankings as Australia’s tennis number one.

So, who is Alex de Minaur? Read on as DMARGE tells you all you need to know about one of Australia’s brightest young tennis stars.

Alex de Minaur Quick Facts

Who is Alex de Minaur?

Alex de Minaur is an Australian professional tennis player who plays on the ATP world tour.

He is currently ranked as world number 25 but has previously been ranked as high as world number 15 in June 2021.

At the age of only 23, de Minaur has won six career titles over the course of his ATP career.

He has the humorous nickname of “speed demon”, given his signature speed and agility.

Early Life

Alex de Minaur was born in Sydney to a Uruguayan father and a Spanish mother. His family owned an Italian restaurant on George Street in Sydney.

When de Minaur was five years old, the family moved to Alicante in Spain, where he honed his tennis ability.

Alex de Minaur’s current coach, Adolfo Gutierrez has coached the tennis star since he was nine years old and living in Alicante.

He relocated with his family back to Australia at the age of thirteen and balances his time between Sydney and Spain. He has a strong bond with Australia, telling the Sydney Morning Herald:

“I used to represent Spain, but I always felt I was Australian. As soon as we moved back here again that was the first thing I wanted to do – play for Australia.”

Growing up he played in a number of boys’ Grand Slams, and won the 2016 Australian Open boys’ doubles. In juniors, he reached the world ranking of number two.

Professional Career

Alex de Minaur actually turned professional a year before his Australian Open triumph, in 2015, making his debut in the Spain F22 tournament age only 16 years old.

In 2017, he made a number of Grand Slam debuts, including the French Open, US Open and the Australian Open. In the latter, he entered as a “wildcard” winning his first-round match up against Gerald Meltzer, saving a match point in the fourth set in the process.

His first ATP title came at the 2019 Sydney Open, becoming the youngest winner of the tournament since Lleyton Hewitt in 2001. Hewitt would go on to act as mentor for young de Minaur throughout his professional career.

This proved to be his first of six ATP career titles to date, his latest coming in 2022 with a victory at the 2022 Atlanta Open.

In 2021, after winning his fifth title at the Eastbourne International, de Minaur achieved his highest ranking on the ATP tour, reaching world number 15.

Unfortunately, de Minaur has not achieved quite the same success in Grand Slams.

His best result is a quarterfinal result at the 2020 US Open at age 21, only bowing out to eventual winner Dominic Thiem.

In 2022, de Minaur has managed to reach the fourth round of both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, showing that the future is bright for the young tennis star.

2022 Paris Masters

Despite being a perennial top-35 player for the last two years, Alex de Minaur has struggled to compete with upper echelon of the tennis rankings.

He was beaten in 18-straight games against top-five players dating back to his professional debut.

However, he was able to break this streak on 2 November 2022, at the Paris Masters.

Taking on world number three Daniil Medvedev in the round of 32, who had previously topped the ATP ranking, Alex de Minaur came out victorious in a thrilling match, winning 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, to beat the Russian.

A win in his next match against world number 21 Frances Tiafoe would put de Minaur ahead of current Australian number one Nick Kyrgios, who currently sits three places above de Minaur at 22.

Here’s hoping Alex can pull it out of the bag in the next round!

Alex de Minaur’s Prize Money

Having won six ATP tournaments and achieving decent Grand Slam finishes, Alex Minaur’s prize money is pretty impressive for a 23-year-old.

The young tennis stars has netted a total of $7,699,718 (AU $12,151,756) throughout his professional career.

He has a chance to increase this further in the Paris Masters, with the winner netting $826,536 (AU $1,292,503).

Alex de Minaur’s Girlfriend

On International Women’s Day last year, de Minaur confirmed that he was in a relationship with fellow tennis player Katie Boulter.

Boulter is from the UK and plays on the WTA tennis tour, reaching the singles rank of world number 82 back in 2019.

de Minaur gave Boulter a shout-out after reaching the third round of Wimbledon in 2022.

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A post shared by Alex De Minaur (@alexdeminaur)

Read Next:

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The post Who Is Alex de Minaur? The Tennis Maestro Gunning To Be Australia’s Number One appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

A sanctioned AU $156 million superyacht has attempted to flee Barcelona, in what one commentator has described as a “KGB” esque manoeuvre. The superyacht was almost successful in fleeing, but was sprung by authorities at the last minute.

A $156 million superyacht, formerly known as Motor Yacht Valerie, and now known as Meridian A, almost escaped Barcelona, where it was under arrest, by changing its name and applying to leave. The superyacht has been stuck in Barcelona since March, under sanction in the MB92 shipyard (a far cry from the happier days of 2020 when it was still cruising around freely).

The transition from summer to winter season brought with it the joy of greeting familiar faces. It’s a pleasure to see 85m MY Valerie comfortable in her berth once again.

To find out more about our marina facilities and berth services, visit https://t.co/YcJOFWOAZv pic.twitter.com/7CVhNPWNbl

— VilanovaGrandMarina (@vilanova_marina) November 25, 2020

The owner allegedly stopped paying for the maintenance of the vessel as soon as it was arrested in March 2022.

“Today we seized – the technical term is provisionally immobilised – a yacht belonging to one of the principal oligarchs,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Spanish television at the time.

According to SuperYachtNews, “It’s been sat there ever since.” Despite the fact that, if the owner really did stop paying for upkeep, it is unclear as to who has been paying crew salaries, SuperYachtNews claims “obviously it still has a crew on board” based on the unusual actions that have occurred recently.

What are those actions? Well, the name Motor Yacht Valerie, which was on the stern, has allegedly been changed to Meridian A, something which is “highly unusual for a vessel to be allowed to do… when it’s under arrest,” SuperYachtNews reports.

“The story behind this, you could make a movie out of this actually… the vessel was moved recently… out of the shipyard to a vacant berth to continue working on it,” SuperYachtNews reports.

“According to the international maritime organisation the vessel is owned by Solberg Services Limited and the management company… is Royale Oceanic International Yacht Managament Limited, which is in the UK. But there is another company name that is being thrown about in some of the press reports that I’ve been seeing which is… Amtech Worldwide Limited.”

SuperYachtNews goes on to claim that Solberg Services is a shell company and that “the owner of the yacht is obviously in the background but it’s done on purpose to hide the ownership.”

“Both [are] reported to be owners of the yacht, one company owned by the other to create confusion.”

SuperYachtNews

“The company which is called Amtech, gave permission to another shell company, which is currently unknown the name of that company, they gave permission to them to run this yacht. It’s most likely the same people. It’s just movements on paper and then they change the name of the yacht from Valerie to Meridian A – then the crew on board removed the old name, put up a temporary new name removed the names off the side of the boat and then the management company which applied for and was granted permission for the vessel to leave under the new name.”

WATCH: Onboard Motor Yacht Valerie

“The management company asked for and then initially received permission for the vessel to leave. The plan was apparently to leave the EU and get out into international waters and then to head to a friendly country,” SuperYachtNews speculated.

“Now what I believe most likely would have happened is that vessel was probably light on fuel.. they certainly wouldn’t have been allowed to fill up so they probably would have needed fuel and gone to North Africa somewhere to fill up and then probably headed to Turkey.”

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“The port authority transit granted that permission, but then they got wise and then they sort of figured out it was the same boat that was under sanctions and then the Spanish Civil Guard went down and boarded that vessel and prevented it from leaving, but I’m told it was minutes away from leaving.”

In the build-up to the alleged attempted escape, the superyacht is said to have disconnected the generator it had been given by the port, started using its own generators, got ready to leave and then was thwarted at the last minute. SuperYachtNews makes a further interesting claim, too, saying the boat’s owner, Sergey Chemezov, is ex-KGB and close with Putin.

SuperYachtNews claims there is an ex-KGB story of them trying to do something similar back when they were in the KGB, which also failed, speculating that “it seems like they might have gotten the idea from an old KGB plan.”

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The post Superyacht Owner’s ‘KGB Plan’ Thwarted At Last Minute In Barcelona appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Filming for season 6 of the blockbuster Netflix drama series is currently underway in Paris, where they’re re-enacting one of the most tragic moments in British royal history – the death of Princess Diana.

Photos have emerged of filming taking place on location at the Place De La Concorde in the city’s eighth arrondissement, close to the site of the car crash that killed Diana on the 31st of August, 1997.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Diana and her partner Dodi Fayed died after a horrific car crash in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel after trying to escape the paparazzi. Henri Paul, their driver, was driving at twice the speed limit and was severely intoxicated. Fayed and Paul were pronounced dead at the scene, while Diana succumbed to her injuries later that evening.

It’s a deeply sad and controversial event in royal history – so a bunch of camera crews filming a Mercedes-Benz W140 S-Class being pursued by a flock of paparazzi on scooters in the middle of Paris in a recreation of the event is a rather shocking sight.

Thankfully, this is about as grim as filming will get: Peter Morgan, creator of The Crown, has made clear that the crash itself will not be filmed, and instead filming will only focus on the events immediately preceding and following the crash.

”It’s the run-up: the car leaving The Ritz after midnight with paparazzi in pursuit and then the aftermath with the British Ambassador to France swinging into action with the Foreign Office and then the subsequent constitutional aftermath,” a Netflix source told Deadline.

“We’ve been dreading getting to this point [of filming],” the source additionally explained, saying “it’s fair to acknowledge that there’s a certain anxiety; a palpable sense of being slightly on edge… There’s bombshell sensitivity surrounding this one.”

Netflix had previously paused production on series 6 of The Crown in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the 8th of September, with production resuming this month.

RELATED: Queen Elizabeth II’s Most Iconic Moments

The Crown, which covers the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II, has proven to be one of Netflix’s most acclaimed as well as expensive TV series ever, having won 21 Emmys for its first four seasons as well as two Golden Globes against an estimated production budget of over US$260 million.

Seasons 5 and 6 will be the show’s final two seasons, with season 5 airing on the 9th of November this year and season 6 around the same time next year.

Imelda Staunton will play the Queen in seasons 5 and 6, with Dominic West as Prince (now King) Charles, Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana, Jonathan Pryce as Prince Phillip and Olivia Williams as Camilla Parker-Bowles.

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The post ‘The Crown’ S6 Filming In Paris Is The Grimmest Thing You’ll See This Week appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The soleus pushup is an exercise that is likely to be new to many people, even the most die-hard of fitness fanatics. And, before you think it’s going to be a more extreme variation of a conventional pushup, the soleus pushup couldn’t be easier to perform and it could, according to science, be one of the most beneficial exercises you could ever think to perform.

So, what is a soleus push-up, how do you perform one and what benefits can it bring? Read on to find out.

What is the soleus muscle?

The soleus pushup concerns the soleus muscle. This is found on the rear of the leg, just below what we consider to be the calf muscle – officially known as the gastrocnemius – and above the Achilles tendon. The soleus muscle actually makes up one half of the calf muscle, in combination with the gastrocnemius.

The soleus, as Andrew Huberman, professor at Stanford University and host of The Huberman Lab podcast says, is rather unique “because it’s designed to be used continuously over and over again for stabilising your body when you’re standing upright or when you’re walking. It’s designed to contract over and over and over again, and in fact, you could walk all day on this muscle and most likely it would not get sore.”

To put this into context, one can compare the soleus muscle with the bicep or tricep, as an example. Andrew Huberman explains, “if I were to have you perform hundreds or thousands of repetitions, even with a very light weight, eventually it would fatigue. You would feel a burn there. The soleus muscle is designed to be used continuously.

What is a soleus pushup?

So if the soleus muscle is being used continuously throughout the day, why is there even a “pushup” to work it even more? Well, while the soleus pushup isn’t performed with the intention of making the muscle bigger and stronger, a team of researchers have now found that performing pushups with it can “improve the metabolic health in the rest of your body,” the University of Houston surmises.

WATCH: Personal Trainer Trevor McBride Explains How To Perform A Soleus Pushup

The soleus pushup is performed, as Andrew Huberman explains, “when you’re sitting down [on a chair] with your knee bent at approximately a right angle and pushing up, or lifting your heel, while pushing down on your toe and contracting the calve muscle, and then lowering the heel.”

This process is repeated over and over for either a specified number of repetitions or for a specified amount of time. The theory suggest that you can perform soleus pushups constantly, all day, without ever feeling any fatigue or soreness.

It seems very similar to a seated calve raise, although in the case of the soleus pushup, you don’t necessarily need to add any extra weight.

What does the science say?

It was only in October 2022 that a team of researchers discovered the potential benefits of performing soleus pushups, and how they can positively affect your metabolism and blood glucose control. The study, published in iScience, had participants continuously perform soleus pushups so that the researchers could examine blood glucose utilisation and metabolism, to name a couple.

The participant group “included an equal number of male and female volunteers with a wide range of BMI, age, sedentary time and habitual daily steps.”

After examining changes in metabolism and blood glucose utilisation, the researchers found the group that performed the soleus pushups while seated in the laboratory – some performed them for up to 270 cumulative minutes, i.e. 270 minutes worth of pushups, spread throughout the day – “experienced dramatic improvements in blood sugar regulation and in metabolism, despite the fact that the soleus is just 1% of the total musculature.”

Why should you care?

So, while it’s all well and good saying the researchers found performing soleus pushups can have a positive effect on your body, what does it mean in the real world?

Andrew Huberman, as ever, makes the information easy to digest. He says, “if you’re somebody who cares about blood glucose regulation or you want to keep your metabolism running, please don’t stop exercising. But if you’re somebody who wants to maximise your health, doing these soleus pushups fairly continuously while seated, is going to be beneficial.”

“In addition to that, they offer benefits with very low investment and zero cost.”

So, while the soleus pushup can’t replace a full workout or gym routine, they certainly can offer some other incredibly beneficial health benefits.

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