Daily News Roundup

 

THURSDAY  APRIL 29

Prince William and Catherine, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, have released two new portraits ahead of their tenth wedding anniversary tomorrow. 

In the photos, taken this week, the pair are pictured in a warm embrace around the grounds of Kensington Palace.

They were posted to the couple’s official Twitter account, Kensington Royal, alongside the caption: “10 years”.

The royal couple, who met in 2001 when they were freshmen at St Andrew’s University in Scotland, tied the knot a decade later at Westminster Abbey.

Two years after marrying, the Duke and Duchess welcomed their first child, Prince George, followed by their daughter, Princess Charlotte, in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018.

The couple tied the knot in 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

While the portraits were taken by British photographer, Chris Floyd, the Duchess has become known for publicly releasing her original photography, which has featured portraits of her family and documentation of royal trips abroad.

Last week, she published a photograph of their youngest child Louis to mark his third birthday.

The photograph was taken by Kate at Kensington Palace, the family’s home in London, shortly before Louis left for his first day at a nearby nursery school.

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The only farm in Australia that grows chlorella is scrambling to meet demand amid a TikTok and Instagram frenzy, but doctors and dieticians say you should probably just eat your veggies, reports the ABC.

BioGenesis farm manager Frank Mason said production had blossomed in the three years since the company set up outside Bowen in North Queensland.

Now the farm is looking to expand its operation as demand for the nutrient-rich algae – which contains chlorophyll – soars in popularity online.

“At the moment we’re producing about 300 square metres – about 30 kilos per day – but the reality is that we have enough capacity to produce 800 kilos per week,” Mr Mason said.

“We’ve certainly got demand.

“What it is is we need more processing machinery.”

Algal supplements have been around for many years but social media marketing for chlorophyll dietary supplements seems to be driving a spike in demand.

Chlorella is marketed as having the highest source of natural chlorophyll on the planet and there is no shortage of recommendations coming from prominent influencers.

The hashtag “chlorophyll” has trended on TikTok, Instagram and other social media sites, with searches bringing up hundreds of thousands of posts.

But the health benefits of chlorophyll – the pigment that makes the leaves of plants green – are questionable, according to Nutrition Australia dietitian Leanne Elliston.

“It’s important chlorophyll does get researched thoroughly — it’s still fairly early days for me to recommend using this on a regular basis,” she said.

“There needs to be vigorous studies — we need to look into more studies to find whether chlorophyll is in fact an important component in our health.

“I think what’s most important is the other nutrients in green leafy vegetables — your folate, vitamins, iron and antioxidants.”

Dermatologist Leona Yip said chlorophyll has taken off as a treatment for skin problems, but more research was needed into its potential benefits.

“We know theoretically chlorophyll has some antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but there are extremely limited human studies,” she said.

“We don’t know whether this translates to benefits to treat problems like acne, rosacea, or whether it even gets to your skin at all.”

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Two men have died days after receiving a coronavirus vaccination in New South Wales, with reviews underway to determine whether the jab contributed to their deaths.

No links have been established yet, but the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said the reviews were being undertaken by clinical staff as standard practice. 

“All reports to the TGA of death following vaccination are reviewed to assess the likelihood that the vaccine contributed to the event or medical condition that lead to a fatal outcome,” the TGA said in a statement.

One man, reportedly in his 50s, died at a hospital in Tamworth in the state’s northwest. The other man, believed to be in his 70s, died in Sydney.

Authorities have not confirmed when the men died, or what vaccination they were administered.

The next-of-kin of the Tamworth man, who wished to remain anonymous, told the local newspaper, the Northern Daily Leader the “otherwise fit and healthy man” died on April 21.

He said he was told by staff at the hospital that the patient had suffered a “massive” blood clot, but added he wasn’t “pointing the finger” at the vaccine.

The TGA has said it would not comment on individual cases, but “the reporting of an adverse event to the TGA post-vaccination does not mean the event was caused by the vaccination”.