arts-and-entertainment

Nocturama review: French terrorism thriller feels eerily familiar

Most audiences will see this film's relevance to recent incidents of homegrown terrorism in Western Europe, but its protagonists defy easy categorisation.

The opening of the film is an almost wordless series of shots of young people moving around a sunny Paris via trains, footpaths and pedestrian tunnels. Their movements are precise and the editing conveys the idea they are acting in a coordinated way.

The "what" of the plan is soon terrifyingly evident, but the "why" is something the film leaves us to ponder.

Elton John kicks off regional tour with Mackay show

Sir Elton will play tonight in Mackay and next Saturday in Cairns, with performances in Wollongong and Hobart in between.

The four dates are the 70-year-old singer's only public shows on his Australian tour, which is largely sold out but now has limited tickets in some locations.

Fifteen thousand visitors are expected at tonight's Mackay performance, with 5,000 of that number travelling from outside the region, including 200 from overseas.

Big boost for local economy

Blood flows through veins of challenging art exhibition

Blood: Attract & Repel explores why we're both attracted to and repulsed by blood — a liquid that fills our body but still makes people squirm.

So how do you feel about blood? Let's take a look at some of the featured works, in which art and science collide in curious and sometimes confronting ways.

Compass made from placenta

Art and metallurgy combine in this surprising artwork, where the blood of 69 women's placentas was used to forge the metal needle of this compass.

What sort of future are we creating?

The photo is one of the finalist images selected for the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, now in its 53rd year.

After the announcement, expedition leader and underwater photographer Justin Hofman shared the photo on Instagram, saying he wished it "did not exist".

"Now that it does, I want everyone to see it," he wrote.

Fears cheap Asian imports of Papua New Guinea cultural products undermining local market

Women who sew the traditional "meri blouse", a type of dress introduced by missionaries, fear their industry is being undermined by cheap Asian imports.

They want rules to ensure cultural items can only be made in Papua New Guinea so they can keep earning an income.

Regina Robert sews meri blouses and sells them at Port Moresby's handicraft market.

"Those of us who worked in the market before used to make good money because there was not much competition," she said.

Kanye designed sneakers stolen at knifepoint

A 22-year-old man had advertised a pair of Adidas 'Yeezy' 750 triple black SD sneakers online for $1,100.

He arranged to meet a prospective buyer in Johnson Park at Dulwich Hill, at 7:30pm on Monday.

The buyer tried on the shoes before pulling a knife from his backpack and forcing the seller to leave the park empty-handed.

Police said the thief may also be responsible for another theft earlier in the night.

The seller of a jacket, advertised for $1,000 online, organised to meet a prospective buyer in the nearby Arlington Light Rail Station.

Hidden gorge turned into natural amphitheater

Ormiston Gorge, 130 kilometres west of Alice Springs in the West MacDonnell National Park, became a natural amphitheatre for the concert.

It was one of the final events for the 10-day Desert Song Festival, and director Morris Stuart said it was a big turnout.

"The crowd is up and happy and positive, so it's a wonderful way to round off the 2017 Desert Song Festival," he said.

"I think we had well over 1,000 people here today which put a bit of pressure on us, but logistics apart, beautiful afternoon, wonderful contribution from singers and from musicians as well.

The Aussie company behind THAT epic Game of Thrones scene

That was the reality for hundreds of staff at Australian visual effects firm Iloura, who were tasked with bringing to life a key battle scene in the latest season of the global phenomenon.

WARNING: IF YOU'RE NOT UP-TO-DATE ON GAME OF THRONES, THERE ARE SPOILERS AHEAD.

The epic scene in episode four, called The Loot Train, was brought to life by hundreds of staff over seven months.

They added fire, smoke, horses and people to hundreds of shots — though a different firm handled the dragons.

What it's like to be cast as a reality TV villain

Being a reality TV fan was something I used to be ashamed of, but now I've embraced it. I wanted to explore the bizarre world of reality TV — to separate realism and truth from the construction and manipulation.

When we watch reality television, we contradict ourselves. We don't believe it to be real yet we behave as though it is. For evidence of this, you just to need to look at how reality TV stars are treated when they return to their day to day lives — for the viewers, they are forever the "character" they played.

'The ultimate gift': Selena Gomez reveals kidney transplant

In the post, the Good For You singer said fans had been wondering why she had been "laying low" over the summer.

"I found out I needed to get a kidney transplant due to my lupus and was recovering. It was what I needed to do for my overall health," she said.

The singer also shared images of a post-operative scar on her lower abdomen.