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Pabllo Vittar on Why 'Drag Race' Is Not in Her Future: 'I Would Be a Complete Disaster'

2019-04-30T01:41:00.000-07:00

Pedrita Junckes

Pabllo Vittar

As RuPaul’s Drag Race continues to become an ever-larger pop culture juggernaut, drag queens everywhere are reaping the benefits of increased visibility. One of those queens is Brazil’s Pabllo Vittar, who catapulted into a massive music career without the help of the global phenomenon that is Drag Race.

Yet one of the most common questions asked of the star is whether she ever plans to appear on the show. In a recent interview with Gay Times, Vittar put those questions to bed by definitively stating that she has no plans to become a cast member on Drag Race.

6 Times Pabllo Vittar Stunned Fans in Music Video Performances: Watch

In the interview, the star established that while she is naturally gifted at what she does, she doesn’t believe she has the skills necessary to compete on the show. “I can do my makeup, I can do my hair and I can sing, but girl, I cannot sew,” she said. “I cannot do a lot of things that the fierce queens on that show do. I really want to be a part of the show, but as a competitor I would be a complete disaster.”

That being said, Vittar didn’t rule out the possibility of an appearance on the program as a guest judge or special guest, saying instead that she would absolutely love to make a cameo. “Please Ru, contact me,” she said. “I’m a superfan. Drag Racewas the reason I started doing drag. So I owe it to Ru. I’ll say it again: Call me, Ru!”

Tink Releases New Mixtape Voicemails: Listen

2019-04-30T01:40:00.000-07:00

The Chicago artist’s first tape since 2016

Tink’s VOICEMAILS (Winter’s Diary/WD Records/EMPIRE)

Chicago rapper and R&B singer Tink is back with a new mixtape called Voicemails. The 12-track project features a guest appearance from DeJ Loaf on “Ride It.” Below, hear Tink’s Voicemails (released via Winter’s Diary/WD Records/EMPIRE).

Voicemails is Tink’s first mixtape since 2016’s Winter’s Diary 4. It also follows her March 2018 Pain & Pleasure EP.

Jennifer Lopez quizzed by her kids for new interview

2019-04-30T01:38:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lopez has handed control of her latest interview over to her two children for a new YouTube video.

The superstar recently launched her own channel on the video streaming platform, and to switch things up, she invited her 11-year-old twins Max and Emme to quiz her about her life and career.

"I'm gonna try something a little bit different today," J.Lo explained at the start of the clip, titled, Twin Talk: Ask Me Anything with Emme + Max.

"I've been interviewed maybe 10,000, hundred, million, bajillion (sic) times in my life, and I always get asked mostly the same questions. So I decided that it would be fun to let Emme and Max ask me some questions."

Her son began the chat by asking, "What was the most trouble you got in when you were my age?"

"I used to get in trouble all the time," the 49 year old admitted, revealing she used to always "sneak out of the house" through her bedroom window, using a ladder so she could go and play with her friends.

"I also got punished a lot, but I don't remember why," she added. "I was a really good kid!"

Jennifer went on to share how her life completely changed when she became a mother, and it was only then that she understood the challenges of parenthood.

"You cannot imagine what it's like to be a mum until you are a mum," she shared.

"I remember I used to give my friends who had kids advice all the time... and then... the minute I had you two, I literally apologised to all my friends," the singer/actress continued. "I said, 'I'm so sorry, I didn't understand what it is to have a child... I'm sorry."

And the On the Floor hitmaker confessed she was so shocked to discover she was expecting twins with her then-husband Marc Anthony, she burst into laughter.

"I was like, 'WHAT?!' And I started laughing hysterically," J.Lo recalled of her first ultrasound. "I couldn't believe it."

Later on in the chat, Emme tries to find out if she is her mother's favourite child, but Jennifer dodges the question.

"What!?" she exclaimed, before insisting, "I don't have a favourite, I don't believe in favourites. I could never think of one of you more than the other. I don't understand that, I just don't. I love you both so much."

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Electric Radio Kings

2019-04-30T01:36:00.002-07:00

Paul Christiana: "Electric Radio Kings" by Eileen Shapiro

For those who depend upon rock for their ultimate survival, cast your senses upon the "Electric Radio Kings." Spawned from the likes of the iconic Jim Morrison and The Doors, Stone Temple Pilots, Aerosmith, Guns n Roses, and Cheap Trick, "Electric Radio Kings" have a vibrant, effervescence presence, and a decadent rock 'n' roll sound, that deserves a genre of its own. "Orgasmic Rock" seems to best fit lead vocalist Paul Christiana and "Electric Radio Kings" who have already charted on Billboard's Top 40, coming in at #35, with their hit "Back to Back", a remake of the Amy Whinehouse hit, and that's only the beginning.

Set to release their new album, "Purrr", on April 28th via Grand Vision Records, the new album is inundated with hard driving, explosive "singles" as opposed to track fillers. What ensures this band's success and divides them from the norm is their ability to write catchy message minded, radio ready songs with a dazzling and edgy alternative and diverse mix of rock n' roll.

Bringing back the exciting era of The Doors, The Rolling Stones, and Billy Idol, with a hint of Stray Cats, the Las Vegas based faction manages to remain modern, relevant, and super authentic. The band features: Paul Christiana, the vocalist who writes his heart out, yet can cover Jim Morrison, no problem. National song writer and recording artist Stacey David Blades is showcased on lead guitar. Keith Horne also plays lead and rhythm guitar, while former A&M recording artist Johnny Rude plays the drums. Finally former member of "Sex Slaves", Del Cheetah is featured on bass.

The band has already gained endorsements from icons such as Alice Cooper who featured them on his worldwide, syndicated radio show, "Nights With Alice Cooper." He described their song "Sympathy For Me" as "a fun no frills, back to bar, rock n' roll song." During his segment "Deja New", Alice stated, "The Kings are the real deal with their no frills, in your face, back to basic blues with a 90'sish feel."

I spoke with Paul, who was a complete blast, musically sensitive, and honestly candid, regarding the "Electric Radio Kings", their music and soulful inspirations....

"I'm a music fanatic. I don't just play music, I love it" .....Paul Christiana

What actually inspired you to form "Electric Radio Kings?"

My wife and I talked about my longevity and physicality of playing, going out and actually playing and trying to be in a band. I told her to give me until December, and that was in 2017. I went and recorded with Stacey on our own terms. I wrote some songs and sent them to Stacey and he thought they were cool as hell, and then he put his guitars on it. That's how we write. I play guitar so I write the music on guitar. I basically send it to him and he arranges it and puts in some guitar parts, and then he'll send it back to me and we will add a little drum machine to it. We did three songs and when they came back he asked me to come and do a show. I'll never forget it was on December 7th, 2017, and I flew in and we practiced and we played the show. It was pretty packed. The rest was history. We love each other. We love our band. We actually decided we were going to keep writing and writing. So the writing is never a problem. I am a writer, it's my strength. We don't have a problem with writing good material and I think we're going to follow up with some really good strong material.

Yes, you have to keep on going today.

Yeah. Everybody is telling us you have to have your singles. That's longevity. When one dies out you have to follow up with something.

If you could have an ultimate stage fantasy, what would need to happen?

I can tell you exactly what it would be. It would be the scene that you see in Wembley in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, which I actually saw the original in 1985 when they did Live Aid. You open up that curtain and walk out to 100,000 people all knowing every word of your songs. That's my ultimate stage fantasy.

That's a good one.

It's not the fame that I seek. It's the love of the music that I seek. I love to see people love what we do. You know what, fame doesn't make the soul of who you are. The musician never changes.

If you could have me ask any question in the world, what would you want me to ask you?

Why do I write music?

Ok, why do you write music?

I write music because I like to interact with people and give them a vision and an outlet for something they can relate to. Also, to express myself because in some form there is something inside of me that believes that you can create and be creative and also be honest at the same time. That's why I write music.

What inspires you to write music, especially one song after the other?

My wife inspires me. She's phenomenal. Everybody loves Lee Ann. I think she's a big part of the love songs. Then one other thing that inspires me is musicians who basically I channel through. I listen to them and then gain their inflections and their soul that comes out in my music. So that inspires me a lot. Humble Pie, Rod Stewart when he was with Jeff Beck, Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, The Stones, The O'Jays, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, Barry White, Randy Rhoads, I take pieces from all of it. John Waite, I love the Baby's, I loved John Waite. We do "Head First" live. A huge inspiration for me and one of the biggest influences for my singing is Jim Morrison. I'm a huge Jim Morrison fan. I think what Jim Morrison taught me was don't be inhibited on stage. Say what you mean and mean what you say. Kick ass and don't worry about what people think. Don't offend anybody if you don't need to. Just say what you mean. When you go up there if there is something on your mind, say it. That's your moment, that’s your microphone, that’s your time. Say it. I'm not political on stage. I don't need to talk about the negative. I'm more of a positive person. I don't want to hurt or offend anybody. Getting up on stage and saying things to offend somebody is not something you're going to see out of me. Will I speak the truth? Yes. I might say something that somebody might not like hearing but I'm not going to use that podium and take away from the focus of what people came there to do, which is hear good rock 'n' roll music....and have a great time doing it.

I can't wait to see you in person on stage.

You can tell it's my play-land.

Yes I can, a million percent. You love music so much. Do you feel that music can change the world?

I definitely do and I think it's affected people. For instance, Michael Jackson, I think that he solely as an artist took music to portions of the world that never had it. That I know for a fact because he had such a listenership in countries that people really probably smuggled music in to find out who he was. I do think music can change the world. What people have to have as an open mind and an open soul to allow it. Sometimes I think government and politics stay in the way of actually allowing music to be a part of people’s lives. Take for instance North Korea or China, they don't allow certain aspects of YouTube. YouTube is the largest music platform on earth. It's what everybody goes to when they want to see a band. It's the best service to get your music out there. Some countries don't allow you to. They have their own version but it's watered down. I am not a big fan of censorship because how can somebody really be creative as a musician if they have to be censored? Within reason, I mean I don't want to talk about killing someone. But if somebody is living in a country and that's what's happening in their country for example if they were a reggae band and they're singing about something that happened in their country, that's different. But condoning something that brings harm to others is not something that I believe makes the world a better place. Musically that's something we try to never do. Most musicians are kindhearted people. They don't breed hate. The ones that do we don't seem to gravitate towards. For me if somebody came and asked me to sing about slaughter for $1 million I would tell him to save the million dollars and put it into something a lot more creative and positive towards people. It's wrong to take money from something that's totally wrong. I can't do it. I wouldn't take money from something that would harm people.

You have to be able to live with yourself.

I was just thinking that, you have to wake up every day. I can't imagine making millions of people upset. If you can't say something nice don't say it......I forgot to tell you another artist that inspires me... Tom Jones. I love him.

The Tom Jones? I wouldn't have pinned you as a Tom Jones person.

That's what makes it so crazy. His singing, "Delilah", "Green, Green Grass of Home"...Tom Jones was a bad-ass singer in the day. I mean he still can sing at 80.

Many rockers are still relevant, Adam Ant, Billy Idol...

Billy Idol...I love singing Billy Idol. That's kind of influential in my singing. Actually that voice.... I go to vocal lessons. I have an excellent vocal teacher. I'm a baritone singer. My favorite singers are baritone singers, like Van Morrison. I love music and I'm not stuck in one genre, thank god.

Adele moves on with new man

2019-04-30T01:35:00.001-07:00

Singer Adele has allegedly moved on from her failed marriage after she was spotted sharing a kiss with a new guy in New York City.

The Hello hitmaker's representatives announced the end of the singer's marriage to Simon Konecki on 19 April (19), amid reports suggesting the couple had quietly parted ways months earlier.

Now it seems Adele, who is currently based in Los Angeles, isn't waiting around to find love again as she was recently spotted locking lips with another guy during a visit to the Big Apple.

"Adele is a strong woman and is determined to get on with her life, like any normal person who is getting over a marriage breakup," a source told The Sun.

"She has developed a real soft spot for American guys since living in L.A. and had a kiss with a very handsome gentleman in a New York bar. He had a big beard like Simon, but it was tidier and more groomed."

However, the Brit isn't planning to rush into another relationship so soon after separating from Simon: "They're getting to know each other better, but Adele is by no means looking for anything serious," the insider added.

"Her son, Angelo, is her main focus. She's young and having fun. Her pals have even been joking that she should download (dating app) Tinder."

Adele and Simon became parents to six-year-old Angelo in 2012, and secretly tied the knot in 2016 after five years of dating.

It appears the singer has been enjoying life as a single woman of late, joining pal Jennifer Lawrence for a night out in New York in March (19), when they partied at gay bar Pieces.

Adele is reportedly in the Big Apple working on new music. Her last album, 25, was released in 2015.

Chinese satellite is one giant step for the quantum internet

2019-04-30T01:29:00.005-07:00

Cai Yang/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire

China’s 600-kilogram quantum satellite contains a crystal that produces entangled photons.

Update: China launched the world’s first quantum satellite on 16 August. The Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) satellite, which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northern China at 1:40 a.m. local time, successfully entered orbit at an altitude of 500 kilometres.

China is poised to launch the world’s first satellite designed to do quantum experiments. A fleet of quantum-enabled craft is likely to follow.

First up could be more Chinese satellites, which will together create a super-secure communications network, potentially linking people anywhere in the world. But groups from Canada, Japan, Italy and Singapore also have plans for quantum space experiments.

“Definitely, I think there will be a race,” says Chaoyang Lu, a physicist at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, who works with the team behind the Chinese satellite. The 600-kilogram craft, the latest in a string of Chinese space-science satellites, will launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in August. The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Austrian Academy of Sciences are collaborators on the US$100-million mission.

Quantum communications are secure because any tinkering with them is detectable. Two parties can communicate secretly — by sharing a encryption key encoded in the polarization of a string of photons, say — safe in the knowledge that any eavesdropping would leave its mark.

So far, scientists have managed to demonstrate quantum communication up to about 300 kilometres. Photons travelling through optical fibres and the air get scattered or absorbed, and amplifying a signal while preserving a photon’s fragile quantum state is extremely difficult. The Chinese researchers hope that transmitting photons through space, where they travel more smoothly, will allow them to communicate over greater distances.

At the heart of their satellite is a crystal that produces pairs of entangled photons, whose properties remain entwined however far apart they are separated. The craft’s first task will be to fire the partners in these pairs to ground -stations in Beijing and Vienna, and use them to generate a secret key.

During the two-year mission, the team also plans to perform a statistical measurement known as a Bell test to prove that entanglement can exist between particles separated by a distance of 1,200 kilometres. Although quantum theory predicts that entanglement persists at any distance, a Bell test would prove it.

The team will also attempt to ‘teleport’ quantum states, using an entangled pair of photons alongside information transmitted by more conventional means to reconstruct the quantum state of a photon in a new location.

“If the first satellite goes well, China will definitely launch more,” says Lu. About 20 satellites would be required to enable secure communications throughout the world, he adds.

The teams from outside China are taking a different tack. A collaboration between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the University of Strathclyde, UK, is using cheap 5-kilogram satellites known as cubesats to do quantum experiments. Last year, the team launched a cubesat that created and measured pairs of ‘correlated’ photons in orbit; next year, it hopes to launch a device that produces fully entangled pairs.

Costing just $100,000 each, cubesats make space-based quantum communications accessible, says NUS physicist Alexander Ling, who is leading the project.

A Canadian team proposes to generate pairs of entangled photons on the ground, and then fire some of them to a microsatellite that weighs less than 30 kilograms. This would be cheaper than generating the photons in space, says Brendon Higgins, a physicist at the University of Waterloo, who is part of the Canadian Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) team. But delivering the photons to the moving satellite would be a challenge. The team plans to test the system using a photon receiver on an aeroplane first.

An even simpler approach to quantum space science, pioneered by a team at the University of Padua in Italy led by Paolo Villoresi, involves adding reflectors and other simple equipment to regular satellites. Last year, the team showed that photons bounced back to Earth off an existing satellite maintained their quantum states and were received with low enough error rates for quantum cryptography (G. Vallone et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 040502; 2015). In principle, the researchers say, the method could be used to generate secret keys, albeit at a slower rate than in more-complex set-ups.

Researchers have also proposed a quantum experiment aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that would simultaneously entangle the states of two separate properties of a photon — a technique known as hyperentanglement — to make teleportation more reliable and efficient.

As well as making communications much more secure, these satellite systems would mark a major step towards a ‘quantum internet’ made up of quantum computers around the world, or a quantum computing cloud, says Paul Kwiat, a physicist at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign who is working with NASA on the ISS project.

The quantum internet is likely to involve a combination of satellite- and ground-based links, says Anton Zeilinger, a physicist at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, who argued unsuccessfully for a European quantum satellite before joining forces with the Chinese team. And some challenges remain. Physicists will, for instance, need to find ways for satellites to communicate with each other directly; to perfect the art of entangling photons that come from different sources; and to boost the rate of data transmission using single photons from megabits to gigabits per second.

If the Chinese team is successful, other groups should find it easier to get funding for quantum satellites, says Zeilinger. The United States has a relatively low profile when it comes to this particular space race, but Zeilinger suggests that it could be doing more work on the topic that is classified.

Eventually, quantum teleportation in space could even allow researchers to combine photons from satellites to make a distributed telescope with an effective aperture the size of Earth — and enormous resolution. “You could not just see planets,” says Kwiat, “but in principle read licence plates on Jupiter’s moons.”

Nature

535,

478–479

(28 July 2016)

doi:10.1038/535478a

Updates

Updated:: This article was updated after the launch of China's quantum satellite.

Gravitational waves hint at detection of black hole eating star

2019-04-30T01:29:00.002-07:00

LIGO and Virgo observatories have spotted ripples from what could be the first-ever detection of this long-sought event.

Davide Castelvecchi

Scientific simulation of a black hole consuming a neutron star.Credit: A. Tonita, L. Rezzolla, F. Pannarale

Gravitational waves may have just delivered the first sighting of a black hole devouring a neutron star. If confirmed, it would be the first evidence of the existence of such binary systems. The news comes just a day after astronomers had detected gravitational waves from a merger of two neutron stars for only the second time.

At 15:22:17 UTC on 26 April, the twin detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) in the United States and the Virgo observatory in Italy reported a burst of waves of an unusual type. Astronomers are still analysing the data and doing computer simulations to interpret them.

But they are already considering the tantalizing prospect that they have made a long-hoped-for detection that could produce a wealth of cosmic information, from precise tests of the general theory of relativity to measuring the Universe’s rate of expansion. Astronomers around the world are also racing to observe the phenomenon using different types of telescope.

“I think that the classification is leaning towards neutron star–black hole” merger, says Chad Hanna, a senior member of LIGO’s data-analysis team and a physicist at Pennsylvania State University in University Park.

But the signal was not very strong, which means that it could be a fluke. “I think people should get excited about it, but they should also be aware that the significance is much lower” than in many previous events, he says. LIGO and Virgo had previously caught gravitational waves — faint ripples in the fabric of space-time — from two types of cataclysmic event: the mergers of two black holes, and of two neutron stars. The latter are small but ultra-dense objects formed after the collapse of stars more massive than the Sun.

The latest event, provisionally labelled #S190426c, appears to have occurred around 375 megaparsecs (1.2 billion light-years) away, the LIGO–Virgo team calculated. The researchers have drawn a ‘sky map’, showing where the gravitational waves are most likely to have originated, and sent this information out as a public alert, so that astronomers around the world could begin searching the sky for light from the event. Matching gravitational waves to other forms of radiation in this way can produce much more information about the event than either type of data can alone.

Mansi Kasliwal, an astrophysicist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, leads one of several projects designed to do this type of follow-up work, called Global Relay of Observatories Watching Transients Happen (GROWTH). Her team can commandeer robotic telescopes around the world. In this case, the researchers immediately started up one in India, where it was night time when the gravitational waves arrived. “If weather cooperates, I think in less than 24 hours we should have coverage in almost the entire sky map,” she says.

Two at once

Astronomers were already working in overdrive when they spotted the potential black hole–neutron star merger. At 08:18:26 UTC on 25 April, another train of waves hit the LIGO’s detector in Livingston, Louisiana, and Virgo. (At the time, LIGO’s second machine, in Hanford, Washington, was briefly out of commission.)

That event was a clear-cut case of two merging neutron stars, Hanna says — nearly two years after the first historic discovery of such an event was made in August 2017.

Researchers can usually make such a call because the waves reveal the masses of the objects involved; objects roughly twice as heavy as the Sun are expected to be neutron stars. Based on the waves’ loudness, the researchers also estimated that the collision occurred some 150 megaparsecs (500 million light-years) away, says Hanna. That was around three times farther than the 2017 merger.

Iair Arcavi, an astrophysicist at Tel Aviv University who works on the Las Cumbres Observatory, one of GROWTH’s competitors, was in Baltimore, Maryland, to attend a conference called Enabling Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (EMMA) — the practice of observing these events in multiple wavelengths. The alert of the 25 April event came at 5:01 a.m. “I set it up to send me a text message, and it woke me up,” he says.

A storm of activity swept the meeting, with astronomers who would normally compete with each other exchanging information as they sat with their laptops around coffee tables. “We’re losing our minds over here at #EMMA2019”, tweeted astronomer Andy Howell.

But in this case, unlike many others, LIGO and Virgo were unable to significantly narrow down the direction in the sky that the waves came from. The researchers could say only that the signal was from a wide region that covers roughly one-quarter of the sky. They narrowed down the region slightly the day after.

Still, astronomers had well-honed machines for doing just this type of search, and the data they collected the following night should ultimately reveal the source, Kasliwal says. “if it existed in that region, there’s no way we would have missed it.”

In the 2017 neutron-star merger, the combination of observations in different wavelengths produced a stupendous amount of science. Two seconds after the event, an orbiting telescope had detected a burst of gamma rays — presumably released when the merged star collapsed into a black hole. And some 70 other observatories were busy for months, watching the event unfold across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to X-rays.

If the 26 April event is not a black hole–neutron star merger, it is probably also a collision of neutron stars, which would bring the total detections of this type up to three.

Long-sought system

But seeing a black hole sweep up a neutron star could produce a wealth of information that no other type of event can provide, says B. S. Sathyaprakash, a LIGO theoretical physicist at Pennsylvania State. To begin with, it confirms that these long-sought systems do exist, originating from binary stars of very different masses.

And the orbits the two objects trace in the final phases of their approach could be rather different from those seen with pairs of black holes. In the neutron star–black hole case, the more-massive black hole would twist space around it as it spins. “The neutron star will be swirled around in a spherical orbit rather than a quasi-circular orbit,” Sathyaprakash says. For this reason, “neutron star–black hole systems can be more powerful test beds for general relativity”, he says.

Moreover, the gravitational waves and the companion observations from astronomers could reveal what happens in the final phases before the merger. As tidal forces tear the neutron star apart, they could help astrophysicist solve a long-standing mystery: what state is matter in inside these ultra-compact objects.

The LIGO-Virgo collaboration began its current observing run on 1 April, and had expected to see roughly one merger of black holes per week and one of neutron stars per month. So far, those predictions have been met — the observatories have also seen several black-hole mergers this month. “This is just amazing,” says Kasliwal. “The Universe is fantastic.”

Chinese quantum prize rewards international stars of the field

2019-04-30T01:28:00.002-07:00

The Micius Quantum Prize celebrates a field that China increasingly values.

David Cyranoski

A satellite-to-Earth link is established between the quantum satellite 'Micius' and a quantum teleportation experiment. Credit: Jin Liwang/Xinhua/Alamy

A private Chinese foundation has announced the first 12 winners of the Micius Quantum Prize, a new prize awarded to quantum scientists from across the world.

On 26 April, the Micius Foundation announced winners for the 2018 and 2019 prizes, which recognize quantum computation and quantum communication, respectively. Six scientists won for each year, all of whom will receive one million yuan (about US$150,000).

Although the prize recognizes international recipients, it celebrates a field that China increasingly values and contributes to. “The prize symbolizes China’s growing ambition but also research accomplishments in quantum technologies,” says quantum physicist Artur Ekert of the University of Oxford, UK, who is one of the 2019 prizewinners, for his theoretical contributions that helped to establish the field of quantum cryptography.

The winners also include other stars of quantum science, such as Peter Shor, a mathematician at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, and David Deutsch, a physicist at the University of Oxford, UK — both of whom wrote pioneering quantum algorithms — and Pan Jian-Wei, a physicist at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in Hefei. Pan was the main architect of the world’s first quantum-communications space satellite, also called Micius, after an ancient Chinese philosopher. Eleven of the winners are from Europe and North America; Pan is the only award recipient from China.

Encouraging development

The Micius Foundation, which is located at the USTC, was established in 2018 with 100 million yuan in donations from private entrepreneurs.

“We see a rapid and encouraging development of quantum-information science worldwide, and we are very excited about it,” says USTC physicist Luo Yi, the foundation’s chair and a member of the prize’s seven-person selection committee. “We hope to be part of history.”

The Shaw Prize, which awards international scientists in astronomy, the life sciences and mathematics, is based in Hong Kong. But prizes from mainland China that celebrate scientists from around the world are rare.

“I see this prize as an effort to embrace and recognize an international quantum-physics community beyond national interests,” says theoretical physicist Peter Zoller of the University of Innsbruck, Austria, who is one of the 2018 prizewinners, for his theoretical work on quantum computation. He says that the prize is recognition that Chinese quantum science is “part of an international family”.

Other prizes in quantum science include the Rolf Landauer and Charles H Bennett Award in Quantum Computing, which is sponsored by the American Physical Society, and the International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing award. Gilles Brassard, a quantum physics from the University of Montreal in Canada, one of the Micius prizewinners in the 2019 quantum-computation category, says that the Micius award is “certainly the biggest in terms of money”, and “was created to be the biggest in terms of prestige”. The “future will tell”, he adds.

Lu Chaoyang, the secretary-general of the foundation and a quantum physicist at the Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, was mentored by and has collaborated with Pan. But Luo says that this collaboration did not create a conflict of interest during the selection of winners. “The secretary-general is in charge of daily operations of the foundation,” he says. “Dr Lu is not in the selection committee, and doesn’t have the right to nominate, recommend, and evaluate.”

Protect our right to light

2019-04-30T01:27:00.002-07:00

Skyscrapers in cities rob people of sunlight and put human health, well-being and sustainability at risk, warn Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska and Kyra Xavia.

Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska &

Kyra Xavia

PDF version

High-rise buildings cast shade for much of the day on public spaces in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities on Earth.Credit: Ian Teh/Panos

“The struggle for light” is how the Swiss architect Le Corbusier described the history of architecture in 1935. Today, with the skies crowded out by buildings in modern cities, those words should ring in the ears of policymakers and planners.

Skyscraper construction is booming. China is the leader, last year completing 88 of the 143 buildings around the world that are taller than 200 metres (see ‘Vertical growth’). As the nation’s urban populations swell, by 2025 it will need to build 10 cities the size of New York, or 5 million buildings, to house people migrating from the countryside1. Most of the buildings will be tightly packed towers of flats. These ‘vertical cities’ will look a lot like Hong Kong, one of the world’s densest urban areas, which has 26,000 people packed into each square kilometre.

Beyond Asia, even historic European cities such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam and London are now embracing skyscrapers. London’s skyline is set to be transformed by 510 tall structures over the next decade. Middle Eastern cities such as Dubai and Doha are competing to erect ever more showy palaces in the air.

But dense, vertical development comes at a huge price. Placing tall buildings close together slashes levels of natural light in and around them. In Asia and Australia, solar ultraviolet radiation can be reduced by up to 90% in shaded ‘urban canyons’2. Evidence is emerging of the widespread health effects of chronic low exposure to natural light, from vitamin D deficiency3 to short-sightedness. And dense, dark cities will be energy-hungry and unsustainable.

Source: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

The problem of stolen light is not new. The United Kingdom and Japanhave long had planning laws that enshrine the right to light. In the United States, San Francisco in California protects the illumination of its parks and plazas with a Sunlight Ordinance; in Switzerland, Zurich restricts the length of time a high-rise addition to residential areas can cast shadows on a surface, limiting it to less than 2 hours a day during winter. Last month, Germany became the first country to adopt the new European Standard on daylight in buildings (EN 17037).

Elsewhere, protective measures are missing. Many towers are constructed without planning restrictions or height limits. And the scale of development demands a rethink before unhealthy conditions are cemented in.

Surprisingly, access to natural light is not mentioned in the World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities concept4, nor in any of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Light accessibility needs to be part of global discussions about sustainable living, health and well-being.

Research gaps need to be filled, including the impacts of urban light loss on people, animals and plants, and on sustainability and energy. Standards for natural lighting are essential to guide architects and city planners.

Living in shadow

Daylight is vital for our physical health and mental well-being. Natural light drives basic biological processes, from circadian rhythms to sleep and mood. Most artificial lighting disturbs those processes, and the blue-rich white light from LEDs might even be harmful (especially at night)5.

Before the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, the majority of city dwellers spent most of their day in the open air, although residential buildings generally had small windows to conserve heat and because glass tended to be inordinately expensive and impractical.

Later on, the design of industrial buildings shifted to include larger windows and skylights to give people enough daylight to go about their business. After incandescent lamps became commercially available, artificial illumination extended the day into the evening. Modern society is now so dependent on electric lights that we seem to have forgotten that access to natural light is crucial.

The results are plain to see. Europeans and North Americans now spend 90% of their time indoors, on average. People sit in offices under artificial lighting from early in the morning until late at night. Children spend more time indoors, too, and when they do go out, the courtyards, playgrounds and parks they play in are often overshadowed by buildings.

Alarming health consequences are emerging. For example, a global rise in short-sightedness (myopia) since the 1960s has been linked to low exposure to daylight6. Today, around 70–80% of young adults living in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and other parts of eastern Asia are short-sighted7; by contrast, in 1950s China, only 10–20% of the population was affected. By 2050, half of the world’s population could be myopic. Yet myopia might be prevented by spending just 2 hours a day outdoors in bright sunlight8. Researchers are trying to pin down the particular biological mechanisms involved.

Similarly, around one billion people globally are deficient in or have insufficient levels of vitamin D9. Some health professionals have noted an increase in conditions related to this insufficiency that weakens bones, such as rickets and solar osteomalacia. Most of the vitamin D in our bodies comes from exposing the skin to UVB radiation: 80–100%, according to the WHO. The sunlight-derived form of this vitamin is stored in the body for twice as long as that absorbed through supplements, and it has no risk of toxicity.

A lack of outdoor natural light during winter has been linked to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and depression. Up to 10% of the world’s population is thought to have SAD. Exposure to outdoor daylight can reduce symptoms.

Time spent in sunlight might also improve other conditions. For example, about 1.7 billion people, or 23% of the world’s population, are thought to have a latent tuberculosis infection. Again, vitamin D has been linked to its prevention. Even in high-income countries such as the United Kingdom, winter dips in sunshine correlate with peaks in the incidence of tuberculosis six months later. The burden on hospitals and health-care systems could also be reduced, because research suggests that patients experience less stress, require less medication and recover faster in sunny rooms10.

Studies in the field of photobiology and the effects of ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation on living organisms should be re-examined. Health fears about sun exposure — mainly concerns over skin cancer and premature ageing — might need to be reconsidered. For decades, people have been encouraged to shy away from direct sun and to cover up to avoid damaging the skin and eyes. Researchers need to develop balanced recommendations for sun exposure that promote vitamin D while avoiding burning, and should examine the impacts of sunscreens.

Energy boost

By ignoring the benefits of sunlight, cities will also miss goals for sustainability, including reducing carbon emissions and energy use. Sunshine is free, and a building designed to capitalize on that can have 20–60% lower energy costs for lighting11 and heating. High-rise office buildings are often more energy hungry than are low-rises. Offices that are higher than 20 storeys use nearly 2.5 times as much electricity per square metre of floor area as do those with fewer than 7 storeys. More research is needed to understand why, but greater exposure to wind and direct sun on high floors might increase the need for heating and cooling.

Yet architects continue to prioritize form over function. Overshadowing by tall buildings reduces the amount of solar radiation falling on photovoltaic solar panels on roofs by 30–40%, limiting the amount of clean electricity that can be generated. The orientations of buildings relative to the path of the Sun are often not considered; north-facing flats are now common in northern Europe. Legislation on window size (in the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia and the United States, for example) is of little use if an adjacent building blocks light.

Sunshine also promotes the growth of urban trees and vegetation that absorb carbon dioxide and air pollution, thus cleaning the air and lowering greenhouse-gas emissions. Without enough light to photosynthesize, trees suffer stress and grow poorly12. The benefits of planting trees in cities to reduce heat-island effects fall as urban density increases. More research is needed into urban planting and lighting to understand the details.

Light on laws

Inadequate legislation has a lot to answer for. In many countries, a land owner has exclusive rights to develop the spaces above and below their plot. The owner of an old 3-storey building, for example, can profit by allowing a 35-storey skyscraper to be built in its place. In New York City, rights to build in the air can be traded, allowing the upper floors of a high-rise to extend over the footprints of lower adjacent buildings and land.

This laxity is accelerating dense growth, threatening treasured public spaces. For instance, 7 towers are planned or being built on the south side of Central Park in New York City, with the tallest projected to cast a shadow as long as 1.6 kilometres — equivalent to almost 6 Manhattan-standard blocks. The public is often not consulted, and there is no legal requirement in the United States to share information on the scale of a building or its shadow. Public uproar about access to light is growing (see, for example, go.nature.com/2gkoyqg).

The United Kingdom, by contrast, has some of the firmest laws on the right to light. The Prescription Act of 1832 states that if a building has enjoyed continuous sunlight through its windows for 20 years, the owner has the right to such undisturbed sunshine forever. Surveyors and the justice system uphold people’s right to light, although developers still try to flout it, for example by paying residents compensation that seems generous but is a fraction of the profit they stand to make over decades. Legal guidance informing city residents of their rights should become standard in all cities.

Brighter future

Direction is needed on a global level. Targets and actions for protecting access to daylight and sunshine should be included in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the WHO’s ‘health for all’ policy (HEALTH21). National and regional governments should pass comprehensive legislation on the right to light.

On a local level, city authorities, urban planners and policymakers must prioritize good ‘daylighting’ — sufficient access to natural light to improve public health and quality of life. Access to natural light must be integrated into the early stages of urban planning. All applications should supply a thorough analysis of the shadows that will be cast by proposed buildings. Moreover, businesses and schools could encourage employees and children to take longer lunch breaks outside.

More research is needed to understand the relationships between natural light and circadian rhythms, and their effects on health and well-being. Many societies are ageing, so the links between a lack of sunlight, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease should be explored. Another potential research question is whether there is any relation between daylight exposure and increased chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Impacts on the environment need to be better understood; there have been few studies on shadowing and vegetation in cities, for example, or on the development of moulds inside buildings, which might affect health.

Cities should establish interdisciplinary technical committees to provide advice, with leading experts and professionals from fields such as daylighting and urban planning, sustainability, architecture, engineering, medicine, neuroscience and chronobiology.

Architects should integrate courtyards, internal gardens and skylights to let in as much daylight as possible. Codes and standards for natural lighting must be updated. Better access to outdoor spaces should be provided for children, elderly people, nursing-home residents and people with disabilities. More research is needed to develop alternative models for urban expansion that don’t diminish the many benefits of natural light.

The public should be consulted on all planning applications and be made aware of legal pathways to defend their right to daylight. The upholding of recent lawsuits against developers to maintain these rights in the United Kingdom and China, and rejections of tall buildings by planning authorities in the United States, lights the way.

Global 5G wireless networks threaten weather forecasts

2019-04-30T01:26:00.002-07:00

Next-generation mobile technology could interfere with crucial satellite-based Earth observations.

Alexandra Witze

Water vapour over the continental United States is shown in this false-colour satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Credit: NOAA/GOES

The US government has begun auctioning off blocks of wireless radio frequencies to be used for the next-generation mobile communications network known as 5G. But some of these frequencies lie close to those that satellites use for crucial Earth observations — and meteorologists are worried that 5G transmissions from cellphones and other equipment could interfere with their data collection.

Unless regulators or telecommunications companies take steps to reduce the risk of interference, Earth-observing satellites flying over areas of the United States with 5G wireless coverage won’t be able to detect concentrations of water vapour in the atmosphere accurately. Meteorologists in the United States and other countries rely on those data to feed into their models; without that information, weather forecasts worldwide are likely to suffer.

“This is a global problem,” says Jordan Gerth, a meteorologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA are currently locked in a high-stakes negotiation with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which oversees US wireless networks. NOAA and NASA have asked the FCC to work with them to protect frequencies used for Earth observations from interference as 5G rolls out. But the FCC auctioned off the first chunk of the 5G spectrum with minimal protection. The sale ended on 17 April and reaped nearly US$2 billion.

Sharing the sky

Because the United States is such a large communications market, the decisions the government makes about how to deploy 5G are likely to influence global discussions on how to regulate the technology. Regulators from around the world will gather starting on 28 October in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to hammer out international agreements for which frequencies companies will be able to use for 5G transmissions, and what level of interference with Earth-observation frequencies is acceptable.

Astronomers, meteorologists and other scientists have long worked to share the spectrum with other users, sometimes shifting to different frequencies to prevent conflicts. But “this is the first time we’ve seen a threat to what I’d call the crown jewels of our frequencies — the ones that we absolutely must defend come what may”, says Stephen English, a meteorologist at the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Reading, UK.

They include the 23.8-gigahertz frequency, at which water vapour in the atmosphere emits a faint signal. Satellites, such as the European MetOp probes, monitor energy radiating from Earth at this frequency to assess humidity in the atmosphere below — measurements that can be taken during the day or at night, even if clouds are present. Forecasters feed these data into models to predict how storms and other weather systems will develop in the coming hours and days.

But a 5G station transmitting at nearly the same frequency will produce a signal that looks much like that of water vapour. “We wouldn’t know that that signal is not completely natural,” says Gerth. Forecasts would become less accurate if meteorologists incorporated those bad data into their models.

Noisy neighbours

The recent FCC auction involved 2 groups of frequencies: one between 24.25 and 24.45 gigahertz and the other between 24.75 and 25.25 gigahertz. Wireless equipment transmitting near the lower end of that range could interfere with the 23.8-gigahertz water-vapour measurement. The FCC did not respond to Nature's request for comment on the matter.

The situation is akin to having a noisy neighbour next door, Gerth says. If that person blasts music, a lot of the noise will probably bleed through the wall into your apartment. But if you can persuade the person to turn their music down, you’ll be able to sleep more peacefully.

Source: ITU

Radio-frequency engineers measure noise in units of decibel watts. Regulators set controls that limit the noise allowed; more-negative numbers indicate increasingly stringent controls. The FCC auction set a noise limit on the US 5G network of –20 decibel watts, which is much noisier than the thresholds under consideration by almost every other nation for their systems. The European Commission, for instance, has settled on –42 decibel watts for 5G base stations, and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is recommending –55 decibel watts.

Many hope that the WMO numbers will influence regulators to adopt strict global noise standards at the meeting in Egypt. Because of how the scale is devised, the US proposal would allow over 150 times more noise than the European proposal — and more than 3,000 times more than the WMO plan, says Eric Allaix, a meteorologist at Météo-France in Toulouse who heads a WMO steering group on radio-frequency coordination.

Future fears

There’s relatively little research on exactly how bad weather forecasts could get as interference increases at 23.8 gigahertz and other frequencies crucial for Earth observations, says Gerth. “But the more we lose, the greater the impact will be,” he says.

NOAA and NASA have reportedly finished a study on the effects of differing levels of noise interference, but it has not been made public, despite at least one formal request from Congress. A 2010 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that losing scientific access to the 23.8-gigahertz signal would eliminate 30% of all useful data in microwave frequencies, which contribute significantly to global weather forecasts.

And not having atmospheric data from the United States can dramatically hurt forecasts for Europe, whose weather patterns are often steered by conditions over the United States 3–4 days earlier, says English.

The Department of Commerce, which oversees NOAA, said that it "strongly supports the administration's policy to promote US leadership in secure 5G networks, while at the same time sustaining and improving critical government and scientific missions." NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine declined to comment, but spoke at length about his concerns over 5G at an agency meeting earlier this month. "This is a big deal," Bridenstine said.

The FCC plans to begin its next 5G auction, which will be the country’s largest ever, in December. It will involve three more frequency bands — some of which are used for satellite observations of precipitation, sea ice and clouds.

Sugar 'not necessary' for a good cuppa

2019-04-30T01:24:00.002-07:00

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionThe cup that cheers... but do you really need sugar in it?

It might be a ritual for many but scientists say your cup of tea does not actually need a spoonful of sugar.

A study found participants were able to cut it out without their enjoyment being affected - suggesting a long-term change in behaviour was possible.

Scientists said quitting in one go or reducing intake gradually were both effective strategies to reduce consumption.

The authors said a bigger trial was needed to confirm their findings.

A team including researchers from University College London and the University of Leeds analysed data over one month for 64 men who usually drank tea sweetened with sugar.

Participants were split equally into men who quit in one drastic step, those who gradually reduced sugar in their tea over four weeks and a control group who continued to drink sweetened tea.

The results suggested that the groups who reduced sugar were still able to enjoy a cuppa without a spoonful of the sweet stuff.

At the end of the study, 42% of those in the gradual reduction group quit sugar in tea as did 36% of those who eliminated it in one go.

Obesity: Study of 2.8 million shows increased disease and death risks

2019-04-30T01:23:00.003-07:00

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

A major study has highlighted the scale of the obesity problem in the UK, with a significant risk of death and disease attached to weight gain.

People with a body mass index (BMI) of 30-35 were at 70% higher risk of developing heart failure than their healthy weight peers (18.5-25 BMI).

The study of 2.8 million adults showed even slightly overweight people were twice as likely to get Type 2 diabetes.

Public Health England said "sustained action" was needed to tackle obesity.

The study, to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO) in Glasgow, also showed:

For those with a BMI of 35-40, the risk of Type 2 diabetes was almost nine times higher, and 12 times higher for sleep apnoea
People with severe obesity (BMI of 40-45) were 12 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and had a risk of sleep apnoea that was 22 times greater
People with a BMI of 40-45 had triple the risk of heart failure, high blood pressure, and dyslipidaemia (abnormal levels of cholesterol and other fats in the blood)
BMI of 40-45 was also linked to a 50% higher risk of dying prematurely from any cause

The study's author, Christiane Haase, of healthcare firm Novo Nordisk which funded the work, said: "With the number of people living with obesity almost tripling worldwide over the past 30 years (105 million people in 1975 to 650 million in 2016), our findings have serious implications for public health."

BMI and obesity: Where are you on the UK fat scale?

We calculate BMI using the standard formula of a person's mass in kg divided by the square of their height in metres (kg/m2) and display it to one decimal place.

Where a user's data is entered in imperial units, we first convert to metric and then carry out the BMI calculation.

The BMI result is assigned to a standard category:

Less than 18.5 - underweight

18.5 to 24.9 - healthy weight

25 to 29.9 - overweight

30 to 39.9 - obese (split into two categories for the new study)

40 and over - very obese (also known as morbidly obese)

The research found that the risk of developing serious health problems was highly dependent on whether or not people already had issues at the start of the study.

For example, having high blood pressure at the start of the study was strongly associated with developing dyslipidaemia, chronic kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Researchers looked at health, death and BMI data from more than 2.8 million adults between January 2000 and July 2018 from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

This was linked with hospital data to estimate the risk for serious health problems.

But the authors stress that their findings show observational differences, so no firm conclusions can be drawn about cause and effect, and they point to a number of limitations:

the study participants must have seen their doctor and had their weight measured for a reason
other, unmeasured factors may have influenced the results

Victoria Taylor, nutrition lead at the British Heart Foundation, said: "More than a quarter of UK adults (28%) are obese and it's something that we urgently need action on."

Novo Nordisk manufactures medications for Type 2 diabetes.

Urine test to end 'smear fear'

2019-04-30T01:23:00.000-07:00

Image copyrightSCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Women who are too anxious or embarrassed to go for a smear test could instead provide a urine sample to be screened for cervical cancer, research suggests.

A trial found urine testing was as good at detecting a virus called HPV that is a big risk factor for the cancer.

Bigger trials are still needed but experts said self-testing could be a game-changer for women.

The number of people going for smear tests is lower than ever in the UK.

NHS figures show attendance is now down to 71%, meaning several million women across England have not had a smear test for at least three and a half years.

Smear tests prevent 75% of cervical cancers, so while they may not be pleasant, they are important.

A smear test can detect early, abnormal cell changes before a cancer develops.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionBig Brother contestant Jade Goody died on 22 March 2009 after being diagnosed with cervical cancer

The NHS invites women between the ages of 25 and 64 to attend for smears.

Celebrities and campaigners have tried to encourage more women to attend but scientists are also looking at other ways to screen for the condition to improve screening uptake.

Some pilot studies are already asking women to try out self-testing at home with a vaginal swab.

Now, researchers at the University of Manchester say urine testing would be another option.

They asked 104 women attending a colposcopy clinic to try the urine test and it performed just as well as conventional smears for detecting high-risk HPV, BMJ Open reports.

Lead researcher Dr Emma Crosbie said: "We're really very excited by this study, which we think has the potential to significantly increase participation rates for cervical cancer screening.

"Campaigns to encourage women to attend cervical screening have helped. The brilliant campaign by the late Jade Goody increased numbers attendance by around 400,000 women.

"But sadly, the effects aren't long lasting and participation rates tend to fall back after a while. We clearly need a more sustainable solution."

She said larger trials of the urine test were still needed before it could be recommended to the NHS.

Athena Lamnisos, from the Eve Appeal, said: "Finding ways of screening that avoid the need for a physical test and use of a speculum is important.

"For women living with the impact of FGM [female genital mutilation] or those who have suffered sexual abuse or live with conditions such as vaginismus, screening in a non-invasive way could be game-changing for screening uptake.

"This research sounds like a promising early step but is some way off being rolled out through the NHS.

"In the meantime, women must continue to book their screening appointment when they're called. It's a life-saving test."

'Completely avoidable' measles outbreak hits 25-year high in US

2019-04-30T01:21:00.002-07:00

Media captionBBC health correspondent Smitha Mundasad explains the US measles outbreak

American health officials report that more than 700 people have been infected by measles this year, marking a 25-year high for the infectious disease.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Monday that cases had been recorded in 22 states and were mostly affecting unvaccinated children.

Officials said the increase in cases is the largest since 1994, including 78 reported in the past week.

There have been no deaths reported as as result of the outbreak.

"The suffering we are seeing today is completely avoidable," US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said on Monday.

Mr Azar directed his comments at some parents who have chosen to leave their children unvaccinated due to the unscientific claim that vaccines cause illnesses such as autism.

Media captionPresident Trump tells Americans to get vaccinations

"We know vaccines are safe because they're among some of the most studied medical products we have," he said.

The findings mark a 1.3% increase over the report last Wednesday, which found 695 cases that have been detected in the US this year, and was the highest level discovered since the disease was declared eliminated from the US in 2000.

The report adds that 40 people in 2019 have brought measles back to the US after returning from international travel, with Ukraine, Israel and the Philippines being the most frequent sources.

Most cases occurred in 13 outbreak zones, including in New York City's orthodox Jewish communities.

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image captionA state of emergency has been declared in some New York City orthodox Jewish enclaves

Up to 10% of patients are adults who have received measles-mumps-rubella vaccine, leading officials to warn that some adults may need additional booster vaccines.

Adults travelling to outbreak zones, or adults who were vaccinated prior to 1968 with an earlier prototype of the vaccine, should consider receiving another vaccination, federal officials say.

The 22 states where cases have been reported are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee and Washington.

The disease was declared eliminated from the US in 2000, which meant it was no longer continually present year round, but health officials say that sporadic outbreaks do still occur from travellers coming from countries where measles are more common.

Samsung says Galaxy S10 sold better than the company’s plummeting profit suggests

2019-04-30T01:18:00.001-07:00

Photo by James Bareham / The Verge

Samsung Electronics warned investors it was going to make a lot less money this quarter, and sure enough, the company just reported first-quarter earnings that show profits slid 60 percent compared to last year, from 15.64 trillion won (roughly $13.4 billion) to just 6.2 trillion won (about $5.3 billion).

But unlike Google earlier today, the company’s not blaming its expensive phones for anything whatsoever — Samsung says the Galaxy S10 lineup actually sold well, with the company shipping 78 million phones overall (as well as 5 million tablets) in the quarter, and that any weakness in phones can be explained by its low and mid-range models cannibalizing sales for last year’s Galaxy models. (A big part of Samsung’s new phone strategy is bringing hot features to its mid-range phones, like the new A-series.)

Samsung’s expecting to ship slightly more phones next quarter, too.

Instead, the stated reasons for the decline are primarily the same as last quarter: falling demand for memory chips, which is Samsung’s true bread and butter, as well as decreased demand for displays. The company says things should improve in the second half of the year, with more demand for flash memory in servers, as well as smartphones with 256GB of storage and up, and the company says it’s actually shipping more processors and modems even as demand for its image sensors are slowing — that last one due to “weak smartphone seasonality.”

Samsung didn’t initially mention its beleaguered Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone on the earnings call, but did answer one question about the phone by saying the company would announce an updated launch schedule “within the next few weeks.” It’s possible that date will be in the second half of the year, depending on how you interpret this passage in its press release (bolding ours):

For the second half, despite intensified market competition, Samsung expects smartphone sales to increase led by new models in all segments from the Galaxy A series to the Galaxy Note amid strong seasonality. In the premium segment, the Company will strengthen its leadership through the new Galaxy Note as well as its innovative products such as 5G and foldable smartphones.

More generally, the company predicts that increased demand for flexible screens may help its display business due to some unspecified “new smartphone launches,” but also that demand for flexible displays may be “soft” for now. The company’s display business is banking on other, non-flexible smartphone screens to help the division “rebound.”

Here’s the company’s slidedeck if you’d like to peruse its earnings further.

Huawei: US official warns 'no safe level' of involvement with tech giant

2019-04-30T01:16:00.002-07:00

Image copyrightPA

The US has warned that its intelligence sharing with other countries would have to be re-evaluated if those countries use Huawei to build their 5G networks.

Senior US official Rob Strayer said any such role for the firm posed an "unacceptable risk" to security.

It has been reported that the UK might allow the Chinese telecoms firm into the non-core parts of its 5G network.

But opponents of the plan have raised concerns about Huawei's ties to the Chinese government.

Last week, a leak from the UK's National Security Council indicated the government had decided to allow the Chinese telecoms firm to have a limited role in bringing 5G to the UK.

The news provoked controversy, with reports several of Prime Minister Theresa May's senior cabinet ministers had warned against the move.

Media captionEmily Taylor from the Royal Institute of International Affairs explains what worries security experts about 5G.

The US expressed serious concerns at the time, since, along with Australia and New Zealand, it belives the Chinese firm is a security risk because of its ties to the state.

Responding to Mr Strayer's intervention, Mrs May's official spokesman said: "Our position has always been that where national security concerns arise in any foreign investment the government will assess the risks and consider what course of action to take."

China's ambassador in London said Britain should resist pressure from other nations, and that the company had a "good track record on security".

'Stakes couldn't be higher'

Mr Strayer, the deputy assistant secretary for cyber and international communications at the US State Department, said the US was letting other countries know that if they put "unsecure and untrusted vendors" into their 5G networks, "in any place" then it was "going to have to consider the risk that produces to our information-sharing arrangements with them".

5G is the next - and fifth - generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections.

In an interview with the BBC, Mr Strayer said: "We think the stakes couldn't be higher with regard to 5G technology, because of all of the things we build out over the coming years on top of that tech.

"This is truly a monumental decision being made now... we think there's unacceptable risk in letting untrusted vendors provide that base infrastructure because they could disrupt any of those critical services.

"In addition we're concerned about the ability for a government that has the track record... that China has, to potentially have access to that massive increase in data, personal data in many cases, that could be used in nefarious ways."

Mr Strayer earlier told journalists even allowing an "untrustworthy" operator into the "edges" of the network created risks of espionage or sabotage.

He added: "We should be concerned about all parts of the 5G network. No part of the 5G network should have parts or software coming from a vendor that could be under the control of an authoritarian government."

It is understood telecoms operators who use Huawei equipment in their networks have been asked to attend a meeting with officials including Mr Strayer at the US Embassy in London on Tuesday.

Why do we need 5G?

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Image caption5G promises great benefits but may come with higher security risks

5G is the next (fifth) generation of mobile internet connectivity, promising much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections.

The world is going mobile and existing spectrum bands are becoming congested, leading to breakdowns, particularly when many people in one area are trying to access services at the same time.

5G is also much better at handling thousands of devices simultaneously, from phones to equipment sensors, video cameras to smart street lights.

Current 4G mobile networks can offer speeds of about 45Mbps (megabits per second) on average and experts say 5G - which is starting to be rolled out in the UK this year - could achieve browsing and downloads up to 20 times faster.

What is Huawei?

Huawei was started by a former People's Liberation Army officer in 1987.

The company started out making equipment for phone networks and has grown rapidly to become a global leader.

It is based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, and is owned by 80,000 of its 180,000 employees.

More recently it has started making smartphones as well, and Huawei has now captured about 16% of the global market, making it the world's third-largest supplier after Samsung and Apple.

The US points to its founder's military background and potential interference from the Chinese government to argue it represents a risk to national security.

Australia and New Zealand have blocked telecoms companies from using Huawei equipment in 5G networks, citing security concerns.

But the company is keen to portray itself as a firm with no ties to the Chinese government. It says it prioritises safety and security and that at least some of the hostility is because the firm poses a competitive threat.

Climate change: Electric car target 'needs to be sooner'

2019-04-30T01:15:00.001-07:00

The UK government's plan to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2040 is too tame, advisers will say.

Drivers will benefit if electric cars come to dominate the new car market a full decade earlier, they will claim.

The Committee on Climate Change believes the cost of electric cars will be similar to that of petrol or diesel vehicles by 2024-5.

But the speed of installing charging points will have to radically improve to cope with the coming demand.

What is the current policy?

The UK government's current policy is to insist that by 2040, all new cars and vans sold in the UK should be zero emissions - that means electric or hydrogen.

But critics have pointed out that would mean some older petrol and diesel vehicles will still be on the roads after 2050.

That's the expected date by which the government should have reduced carbon emissions from all sources to zero.

How soon could British drivers be going all-electric?

The committee believes drivers can cash in by switching to zero-emissions vehicles when the price comes down.

It anticipates big savings in fuel and also in the costs of running and servicing an electric vehicle.

The committee will say 2030 would be a feasible date for the government to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars.

But members have to be sure their recommendations are achievable and they're not certain there will be enough cobalt in the world by then to build the batteries needed.

So I understand they'll recommend that the end date for new fossil fuel-powered cars should be 2035 at the latest.

When will there be an adequate charging network?

There's a big question mark over whether we will be able to reliably charge up. The committee has repeatedly warned the government that the installation of charging points is too slow.

MPs have weighed in, too. Mary Creagh, chair of the environment audit committee, told me: "Ministers are useless.

"They seem to think the market will miraculous provide charging point and the government has no job to regulate charging points."

From my own personal experience of borrowing an electric car for a long weekend, charging at motorway services was fine - but in deepest Dorset I tried two charge points provided by smaller firms, but both had software problems which made it impossible for me to get any power.

Is it possible to switch to all-electric by 2030?

AA President Edmund King says not. He said if battery manufacturers could find enough resources, electric cars might undercut petrol cars on price in the late 2020s.

But, he said: "On balance we feel that the 2040 target is about right and still challenging for industry and governments."

But Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates that electric vehicles will compete on cost with petrol and diesel, starting in 2024. China will be in the lead, it says.

The Scottish government has a target of 2032 - and the insurance group LV is backing that. It said: "The UK is in a fortunate position in that motor manufacturers have already matched demand with a production line stacked with electric car and plug-in hybrid models, as the clamour from consumers' changes to cleaner motoring."

A source at the Department for Transport indicated that the government might consider bringing forward the switchover date if drivers were turning to electric cars more quickly.

He said the department was in talks with the Treasury over a plan to subsidise car charging points in people's homes.

This, he said, would be more economical than trying to get a comprehensive network of public charging points across the country.

Apple defends removing parental control apps

2019-04-30T01:14:00.001-07:00

Image copyrightGETTY IMAGES

Apple has defended its decision to remove a number of parental control apps from the App Store, citing security concerns.

Several app-makers complained to the New York Times that Apple had taken their products off sale when it launched its own similar tools.

But Apple said the apps were removed because they "put users' privacy and security at risk".

It said the apps had been given time to make changes to meet Apple's rules.

The latest version of Apple's iOS mobile operating system added Screen Time tools, which let people see how much time they spend using their favourite apps.

The tools also let parents control how much time their children can spend on apps and websites.

Some app-makers claimed Apple had removed their products from the App Store after Screen Time was launched, and said it was trying to limit competition.

However, in a blog post, Apple said it had taken action against apps that were using "risky" Mobile Device Management (MDM) to control children's smartphones.

Many corporations and organisations use MDM to control what employees do on their phones. It lets businesses keep an eye on what staff are doing, and even wipe their phones remotely.

Apple said it was not appropriate for family-focused time management tools to use MDM.

"MDM gives a third party control and access over a device and its most sensitive information, including user location, app use, email accounts, camera permissions, and browsing history," Apple said in a blog.

"It is incredibly risky - and a clear violation of App Store policies - for a private, consumer-focused app business to install MDM control over a customer's device.

"Contrary to what The New York Times reported over the weekend, this isn't a matter of competition. It's a matter of security."

The company said it had given a number of affected apps 30 days to submit updated software that did not break its rules. It said many of the companies did make changes and were not removed.

Serena Williams: The Champion’s Mindset

2019-04-30T01:06:00.002-07:00

In the first in-depth interview about her new, self-funded brand, the world-class tennis player talks to BoF about her love of fashion, her previous challenges in the space and how on-court successes and setbacks have helped prepare her for entrepreneurship.

Discover the essential tools for successful entrepreneurship in BoF’s Start-Up School: a resource comprised of a practical guide on topics ranging from fundraising and finding product-market fit to planning an exit; along with supplemental tools, templates and frameworks. Become a member to access.

LOS ANGELES, United States — Serena Williams has just come back from tennis practice and collapses into a chair at her home in Beverly Hills. The only visible hints of her status as a tennis legend are the gold, racket-shaped earrings dangling discreetly from her ears.

“I’m exhausted. I’m going on, like, three hours of sleep in five days,” Williams says. “The baby got sick last night travelling.”

Serena Williams | Photo: Allyssa Hueze

The hubbub at her house is not unlike family scenes unfolding at homes across America — except Williams is no ordinary working mom. For one, she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr, (named after husband and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian), in September 2017, just seven months after winning her 23rd Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. Soon after she gave birth, blood clots travelled to her lungs, leading to a pulmonary embolism and several other serious post-labour complications that threatened to take her life. But even this hasn’t slowed her down.

It’s been a packed week for Williams. Just a few days earlier she was co-hosting a lavish baby shower for her friend Meghan Markle (now the Duchess of Sussex, following her marriage to Prince Harry, sixth in the line of succession to the British throne) at the Mark Hotel in New York. “Planning something like that takes a lot of effort. I’m a perfectionist, so I’m like, ‘Let’s make it perfect,’” she explains. “It’s been a lot the last few days.”

Today, Williams is gearing up for yet another star turn, this time at the 91st Academy Awards where she is set to introduce best picture nominee “A Star is Born,” featuring Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.

But that’s not all. On top of the tennis, the baby and her A-list social calendar, Serena Williams recently became the founder and chief executive of her own direct-to-consumer brand, S by Serena, her latest attempt to crack the fashion business.

“I always joke with my husband that I never thought I would have my own start-up, but I have my own start-up now and it’s going pretty well!” she says enthusiastically. “It hasn’t even been a year. We launched 10 months ago officially, even though we’ve been working on it for two and a half, three years — and in my mind since I was a teenager.”

I didn’t want to have the exact same look that everyone else was wearing. I like to stand out.

Indeed, Williams’ longstanding interest in fashion will come as no surprise to her fans, who have followed her meteoric rise since she and her sister Venus first arrived on the tennis scene in the 1990s, with their exceptional physiques, unstoppable serves and bold on-court outfits.

But why try her hand at launching a fashion line again, and why now?

Fashion On and Off the Court

“I’ve always loved fashion,” she says. “I remember when I was a kid, my mom used to make all our outfits. Back then, they had Vogue patterns. I would always see her pinning them and making all our clothes. And she taught us how to sew early on. So, I used to sew clothes for my dolls out of old socks and I would cut them up and make little outfits out of them,” she laughs.

“Eventually after high school — somewhere in between winning Wimbledon and several US Opens — I went to art school,” she continues. Williams studied fashion at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in Florida from 2000 to 2003. “I excelled at pattern making. I think it’s because I love mathematics and I like the technical part.”

But eventually, her professional tennis career took priority. By July 2002, she was ranked the world’s number-one singles player by the Women’s Tennis Association for the first time. She would later hold the number one rank on eight separate occasions for a total of 319 weeks between 2002 and 2017, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, and two Grand Slams in mixed doubles, as well as four Olympic gold medals, one in women’s singles and three in women’s doubles.

Occasionally, her fashion training came in handy on the tennis tour. “I remember one time playing a tournament and, after I won, I put on a skirt to take a picture and my skirt broke,” she laughs. “Everyone in the locker room was like, ‘Oh, the seamstress left.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, did she leave her stuff?’ And they were like, ‘Yeah,’ so I said, ‘I’ll get it.’

“You fixed the skirt?” I ask, trying to picture legendary tennis champion Serena Williams in the changing room hunched over a sewing machine fixing her broken skirt.

“Yeah, it was just a simple stitch, you know, I could have hand-sewn it too,” she says gamely. “And everyone’s jaws were on the floor!”

Throughout her tennis career, Williams has been a careful curator of her personal brand, often using fashion statements to craft her public image. On the court, she has worn tutus, catsuits, denim miniskirts and even statement jewellery. “This is where a lot of people see me and I’m a super creative,” she says. “It’s like, how do I express who I am? That’s one thing I love about clothes. You can express how you’re feeling [and] who you are by what you wear. I didn’t want to have the exact same look that everyone else was wearing. I like to stand out.”

Over the years, Williams went from customising her own outfits to working with sponsor Nike to create show-stopping looks. Most recently, she worked with Virgil Abloh to create the “Queen” collection she wore at the US Open last August. “In the beginning I really was able to push the envelope and now we work with great designers that really get it, and they push it with me.”

Sometimes her sartorial choices have created controversy, most recently at the French Open in 2018. It was Williams’ first grand slam tournament since the birth of her daughter. For her triumphant return, she wore a black one-piece Nike catsuit with a single red stripe, designed to help prevent further blood clots. Afterwards, she said it made her feel like a “superhero,” telling USA Today that it represented “all the moms out there that had a tough pregnancy and have to come back and try to be fierce, in [the] middle of everything.”

It’s so easy when you’re so successful at something else to just do that... But that’s not the story I wanted to tell.

But the French Tennis Federation wasn’t having it. The association’s president, Bernard Giudicelli, said that they would “impose certain limits” on clothing that can be worn during the event, beginning with the 2019 French Open. “It will no longer be accepted. One must respect the game and the place,” he said, sparking a global debate. Former tennis champion, Billie Jean King, tweeted support for Williams: “The policing of women’s bodies must end. The ‘respect’ that’s needed is for the exceptional talent @serenawilliams brings to the game. Criticising what she wears to work is where the true disrespect lies.”

Williams’ first real fashion venture was a brand called Aneres, Serena spelled backwards, And, like many entrepreneurs, her journey started with a failure.

“Everyone that goes to fashion school wants to do eveningwear,” Williams reflects. “I stuck with that for years and years and I loved it. But I was doing evening gowns and we never actually sold anything — nothing that people could really actually buy in store. We did some amazing shows and I was able to be super creative in those shows, from head-to-toe, from makeup to eyelashes to shoes to nail polish. Literally every decision was based on what I wanted… But it didn’t work,” she sighs. “So many times, I would be at a meeting with Macy’s or lots of other companies and they would be like, ‘We love it. We love the presentation, but we’re not going to get this collection.’ I’ve sat through so many of those meetings, more than I can count to be honest. And they’re demoralising.”

“Eventually I got realistic. I can’t do eveningwear, so let me think of different things that I can do,” Williams recounts. “And that’s when I got into just sportswear stuff, more everyday wear. And then I ended up attaching myself with HSN, which was really good.”

The Home Shopping Network partnership, under the brand name Serena Signature Statement, began in 2014 with see-now-buy-now shows staged at New York Fashion Week. But Williams wasn’t satisfied and after three shows the partnership ended. “I learned a lot, but I felt like there was so much more I wanted to do at a different demo, a broader demo that I wanted to reach. Design-wise, there was only so many fabrics you could use. It just wasn’t me. As much as we pushed for a label at HSN, it still wasn’t what I wanted to do,” she recalls.

“And then one day I was talking to my friend, and she was like, ‘Oh, you know, I really love my music and I don’t want to give up.’ And I was like, well, sometimes you have to invest in yourself and if people don’t want to invest in you, you have to believe in yourself and invest in yourself,” she recounts. “And then I stopped. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was like, ‘Oh my God, all this time I have been doing different things and meeting different people and doing HSN, but I’d never actually invested in me.’ So, I was like, ‘I’m investing in me!’”

With more than $86 million in career prize money, and millions more in endorsements from Nike, Audemars Piguet and Beats, among others, Williams is the highest-earning female athlete of all time and is certainly in a financial position to fund her own business. She is also an investor in many other start-ups founded by women and minorities, but until recently she never considered backing her own ambitions in fashion entrepreneurship.

“I’ve been trying for years and years to do something in fashion. I’ve been doing this for so long and it’s never hit,” she confesses. “It’s so easy when you’re so successful at something else to just do that and keep being amazingly successful at it. But that’s not the story I wanted to tell. And I always felt like if I didn’t at least do it one more time, a 100 percent with my backing, that I would always have some sort of regret.”

Surprisingly, there is nothing at all sporty or athletic about Serena’s new collection. Due to her Nike contract, there are constraints on what Williams can sell through her own line. “I can’t do athletic wear or athleisure,” she explains, nonplussed. But whereas many would see this as a stumbling block for a world-famous athlete launching a line, she sees it as an opportunity. “Right now, I think the market might be really saturated with athleisure.”

Instead, Williams’ first collection under her latest brand is squarely focused on accessibly priced fashion basics with a colourful punch. It’s also an inclusive line, available in a wide range of sizes for women with varying body types.

While Williams declined to disclose business performance, her new line has certainly caught on with one famous customer. Last October, her friend Meghan Markle was seen wearing the “boss blazer” during the royal tour of Australia, which the company says has become a best-seller for the brand.

I’ve been trying for years and years to do something in fashion. I’ve been doing this for so long and it’s never hit.

“It’s so fun because people are like, ‘Oh my God. Like wow, the quality is crazy,’” she says proudly. “Listen, if we’re giving our stuff to Meghan, it has to be the highest quality that we can get. So, that’s what I tell our team internally: ‘We have to make sure it’s super high quality that, you know, is fit for a royal princess!’”

When big PR moments like this happen, Williams is more than happy to seize the opportunity, though all of her products are created as limited-edition drops only. “We don’t really like to re-order,” she explains. “We turn around a lot of stuff really fast — but we don’t have a ton of inventory. We don’t have 5,000 units. We have a lower number of units and then we just keep turning it around. Fast fashion seems to be every week — we do it, like, twice a month or maybe once a month.”

Alongside the “boss blazer,” other key items include T-shirts and sweatshirts emblazoned with positive slogans like “I am strong, I am beautiful.” The vast majority of her SKUs are under $200. But not everything is basic. “Sometimes there’s pieces in there that are a little less wearable — but very few. Those are what we call our marketable pieces that get a lot of attention. You have to really look at our website and almost be a fan to understand some of the lingo, like the GOAT collection (“greatest of all time”) is exclusive pieces.”

For now, Williams controls her distribution, keeping the business strictly direct-to-consumer, via her e-commerce website and occasional pop-up events scheduled around global events, including the US Open and Art Basel Miami.

“As someone who appreciates fashion and follows the industry, Serena is well aware of the rapidly changing retail market,” says longtime supporter Anna Wintour, the artistic director of Condé Nast and editor of American Vogue, who has put Williams on the cover of her magazine three times. “Like many entrepreneurs of her generation, she has decided to forego traditional retail stores, a move that makes sense given the level of connection with her audience.”

If you truly love what you do then setbacks are just a motivation for you to keep going.

Williams’ audience is most certainly vast. With more than 10 million fans on Instagram and a personal brand more than 20 years in the making, there is no doubt about the commercial potential of a brand linked to the star power of the world-class athlete. Thus far, the S by Serena fashion line has attracted 169,000 followers on Instagram. Yet, how this translates into fashion and other categories remains to be seen.

What’s more, direct-to-consumer sales usually lead to favourable margins. But Williams is still figuring out the unit economics and trying to strike the right balance between price and quality. “Our margins are sometimes a little bit lower than I would like to see,” she admits. “I just tell the team it’s going to pay off in the end, because eventually people will be able to see the high quality that we have and be like, ‘wow this is great.’”

“You know, in the beginning it never pays off,” she adds. “I was reading a book about Amazon and — believe me, I am not comparing myself to Jeff Bezos in any way, shape or form — but they were down a billion before they made their first dollar and that was so encouraging to me. I was like, ‘Okay, we’re doing so much better than that.’ We just started in May and we have all this stuff coming, and eventually we’re coming out with beauty and then we have jewellery,” she says.

Mental Toughness from the Court

The start-up journey has not been easy for Serena Williams. But her on-court success has been a support in more ways than one.
“Everything that I’ve been doing in my life and tennis, I can relate everything to entrepreneurship,” Williams says. “Everyone can win when people are supporting them or giving them money and backing their careers. Of course they’re going to win. But if something happens and you fall, how do you recover? How do you come back? How do you change the narrative? How do you be true to yourself and be authentic? For me, it’s the same for the greatest entrepreneurs.”

“Everything that Serena takes on, she approaches fearlessly and wholeheartedly,” says Wintour. “The same unwavering dedication that makes her a champion on the court carries over into every aspect of her life — whether that be in business, motherhood or tennis. Serena decisively commits to any endeavour that she pursues.”

Williams is one of those rare athletes who has transcended her sport to become something bigger. As a black woman who rose out of the Compton ghetto and won her first Grand Slam tennis championship at the age of 17, becoming the number-one player in the world in a sport dominated by white athletes, Williams is a powerful symbol of the American Dream and a hero for millions of people around the world.

“She’s always been about empowerment,” says Jill Smoller, a partner at William Morris Endeavour who has been Williams’ manager for more than 20 years. “A lot of the topics that are on the forefront of the conversation in the media and society right now — such as racism, sexism — are all things Serena has been speaking out against her whole career, and it is what has made her now one of the most influential people in the world. The things that used to hold her back are now propelling her, and helping her create effective change in the world.”

These experiences have undoubtedly made her stronger. “When I first started, I had to work so hard to get to where I am. Whenever I step on that court, I work really hard. And even in fashion, hearing the word ‘No’ I don’t know how many times. That made me want to work hard because I’ve heard the word ‘No’ in tennis before, too. That just brings me back to those memories. If it wasn’t for those setbacks, we wouldn’t be where we are with the business right now.”

Speaking of setbacks, last September at the US Open finals, Williams was on the cusp of winning her 24th Grand Slam, which would have put her in a tie with Margaret Court as the tennis player — male or female — with the highest number of Grand Slam titles. But in the final match against rising star Naomi Osaka, Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou was observed making hand gestures that umpire Carlos Ramos interpreted as coaching, which is strictly forbidden on the professional tour.

Williams denied this, saying she would “never cheat to win and would rather lose“ and soon this escalated into a shouting match with Ramos. Later, Osaka was awarded a point after Williams smashed her racquet, something that countless male tennis players have done over the years without penalty. A debate erupted on social media and in newspapers around the world, with some suggesting that Williams’ career-long fight against double standards, racism and sexism was far from over.

Why do I have to face a different standard than the man?

I ask if she regrets losing her cool that day. “That’s a really loaded question,” she says. “Do I feel regret for being penalised for something which has never happened in the history of tennis and I didn’t use one single curse word? And what, do I feel regret over that?”

I explain that there are days when all of us wish we might have handled a given situation differently. It’s about the process of learning to be our best selves in the midst of the intense emotions that can come with professional ambition, whether that be building your own business or being a professional athlete.

She pauses and reflects: “For me, being a perfectionist and being a professional, it would be impossible not to wish I didn’t handle a lot of situations differently, even that particular situation. So, absolutely. However, I have to tell myself, because of my daughter, that I should be able to have any emotion that any man can have. It’s about teaching our new generation that everyone should be treated the same.”

Williams, who sits on the board of Survey Monkey, recalls the data from a recent survey of women, which asked about managing emotions in the workplace. “A lot of women said they feel they have to manage their emotions because they’re called ‘too emotional’ or they’re called something else just because we face different challenges than men face. So, I always think about that. Why do I have to face a different standard than the man?”

Over the years, Williams has also shown a remarkable resilience and tenacity through constant public scrutiny. “It’s part of life, you know,” she says matter-of-factly. “If someone’s not scrutinising you or talking about you, then you’re not doing something right. If everyone’s praising you and everything’s perfect, then it’s not the real world. People are going to scrutinise you no matter what. They’ll find something wrong with you even if you’re not doing anything wrong. And I don’t let that affect me anymore. I think in the past I did,” she admits.

According to a study undertaken by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, entrepreneurs are 50 percent more likely to report mental health conditions. They are two times more likely to suffer from depression, six times more likely to suffer from ADHD and 10 times more likely to suffer from bipolar disorder. So how does Williams advise entrepreneurs to keep bouncing back, as she has consistently done in her tennis career?

Serena Williams | Photo: Allyssa Hueze

“I can really only do so as it relates to tennis because my fashion brand isn’t a billion-dollar business — yet,” she says. “There have been so many times I was like, ‘I should just stop. This is pointless. I don’t have to do this.’ But I love what I do. And if you truly love what you do then setbacks are just a motivation for you to keep going. You get through it by knowing that it’s vital to have setbacks, or you won’t appreciate it when you make it.”

Williams is on a tight schedule and we’re almost out of time. Before she leaves for her Oscars rehearsal, I ask about visualisation, another technique she is known to use to achieve her tennis goals, even writing herself little match notes like “You’re number one” and “Play with a purpose!”

“Millions of people have ideas every day and they just remain ideas. But how do you get the idea to become something successful? I am a strong believer in visualisation. It’s like this meditation. You need to see things happening and envision yourself in a fantasy world, and really believe in that fantasy world until it comes true — or else it’s just going to be an idea.”

So how does she visualise her business going forward?

“I’m not going to tell you,” she replies instantly.

“Why not?” I ask.

“I don’t want to jinx myself, but it’s definitely way bigger than what we’re talking about. I have huge plans for this brand. Whenever I have a goal, even in tennis, I just keep it to myself and among my tennis team. For fashion, I keep it with our business team and we just have it on a board and work towards it every day.”

Lessons in Mental Toughness

On Failure

“You’ve got to have really thick skin and not take anything personally, even though it might be hard to hear. It’s the same in sport. You have to have super thick skin, especially me. And you can’t take anything too personally because you have to be back in the next week, in our sport, to play again.”

On Visualisation

On Resilience

“There have been so many times I was like, ‘I should just stop. This is pointless. I don’t have to do this.’ But I love what I do. And if you truly love what you do then setbacks are just a motivation for you to keep going. You get through it by knowing that it’s vital to have setbacks, or you won’t appreciate it when you make it.”

On Emotions

“I’m not going to make a decision based on emotions or something that may have happened in the past. I have to think about managing them. I make a decision that’s best for the business. And that’s our motto: do what’s best for the business.”

On Burnout

“When I first started, I was close to burnout because I was working from 9:00am until 3:00am. I would be on calls and sending emails because I was acting as the CEO, the COO and the president. I was on a fast track to burnout. You need to have a good team, be able to delegate and have great communication with your team.”

On Taking Risks

“As an athlete, what’s important to me is making the first move. As an entrepreneur, it’s about making the first move and taking a step towards your success. For me, it was making the first move and putting the first money down to invest in the company that I was deciding to build — I probably should have done it years ago.”

Gucci Revival Rests on CEO Bringing Sexy Back to Design Choices

2019-04-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

Of all the fall-winter fashion collections on show in Milan over the next four days, the label that will attract the most attention will probably be Gucci, and not because of the clothes.

Gucci fall/winter 2014 campaign | Source: Gucci

MILAN, Italy — Of all the fall-winter fashion collections on show in Milan over the next four days, the label that will attract the most attention will probably be Gucci, and not because of the clothes.

As models parade the luxury label’s latest men’s designs, most of those watching will be more interested in the company’s choice to replace Creative Director Frida Giannini. She left the 94-year-old brand last week after more than a year of little-to- no growth. Who succeeds her may be the most important decision Gucci’s new Chief Executive Officer Marco Bizzarri has to make.

“He’s got to get the appointment right,” said Isabelle Harvie-Watt, who heads advertising company Havas SA’s global luxury practice LuxHub in Milan. “They have to go back to the product to make Gucci the cool brand that people want again.”

Gucci-owner Kering SA announced the end of Giannini’s nine- year stint as creative director in December and hastened her planned departure after 52-year-old Bizzarri started as CEO. She failed to establish a consistent, identifiable aesthetic for the fashion house, unlike her predecessor Tom Ford, who made Gucci sexy, according to fashion researcher WGSN. Her designs ranged from horse-bit print silk blouses that were deemed too safe by critics, to garish multi-furred jackets.

“Giannini was designing by being inspired rather than inspiring,” said Lorna Hall, head of market intelligence at WGSN in London. “There’s been a lack of dynamism about the brand, who it is and what it stands for.”

Sex Appeal

Identity was something Bizzarri never had to search for at Bottega Veneta. The label, designed by Tomas Maier since 2001, is synonymous with understated luxury and its signature woven leather goods. Bizzarri more than doubled revenue in five years as CEO by opening more stores and investing in existing ones.

With growth slowing across the industry, those are measures he can’t solely rely on at Gucci, making the designer choice all the more important. Gucci, whose $4 billion revenue is more than three times Bottega’s, “has lost its sex appeal,” said WGSN’s Hall. The Gucci customer “has got lost.”

Giannini’s departure within two weeks of Bizzarri joining Gucci may signal that the label already has a replacement lined up, said Giovanna Brambilla, a partner at Value Search Srl.

Names being mentioned in fashion circles include Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, who dressed singer Rihanna in black hot pants and thigh-high boots for her “Diamonds” world tour, and former Tisci acolyte Joseph Altuzarra, in whose fashion label Kering has a stake. Giannini’s longtime associate and accessories designer Alessandro Michele has also been linked.

Stirred Up

An established star would create a buzz around the brand, but could be difficult to manage, while promoting from within could have the opposite effects, according to Jane Kellock, founder of consultant Unique Style Platform in London.

“There is less likelihood that an internal promotion will stir things up and encourage the team to look at the brand with a fresh perspective,” Kellock said.

A Gucci spokesman declined to comment on where the company is in its search for a successor. Gucci’s design team will present Giannini’s final menswear collection in Milan on Monday and an announcement of a new creative director “will be made in due course,” it said. A spokesman for LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis VuittonSA, which owns Givenchy, declined to comment.

Immediate steps the new CEO can take to improve results include upgrading stores in some parts of Asia and improving service, said Chris Walker, an analyst at Nomura International Plc in London. Bizzarri also needs to cut manufacturing costs for lower-priced goods, said Fabio Fazzari, an analyst at Equity SIM SpA in Milan.

After appointing a new creative director, the key task of revitalizing Gucci’s offer will take at least a year and even then revenue growth will at best be low to mid-single digit, according to Fazzari.

“Rebuilding your image is not something that can happen in a few months, especially in this period,” he said.

By Andrew Roberts; editors: Celeste Perri, Paul Jarvis.

Jeffrey Campbell and Model La’shaunae Steward Are Releasing Size-Inclusive, Curve-Friendly Shoes

2019-04-30T01:01:00.000-07:00

Footwear brand Jeffrey Campbell is addressing a blind spot in its own inventory: shoes designed to fit all bodies.

In April the brand announced it was teaming up with curve modelLa'shaunae Steward to launch a capsule collection of size-inclusive shoes. Now the collaboration is finally available for purchase.

In an Instagram post about the collaboration, Jeffrey Campbell promised five styles "made to fit your every curve."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BhXQmPflxeU/

"When we say our shoes are made for everybody we truly mean everyBODY," the brand captioned an image of Steward from a Girlbosseditorial in which she's wearing one of the designs from the collaboration. "Stay tuned. 🖤"

In an interview with Refinery29, Steward explained that the seed was planted when she and her friend Sanam Sindh, Jeffrey Campbell's creative director, were discussing the lack of boots on the market for plus-size customers. "I was telling her how a lot of the boots don't fit thicker legs, and as my friend—who knows how the fashion world doesn't celebrate fat brown women enough—she saw this as an opportunity for me, an underappreciated curve model," she said.

The model pointed out that even when brands do attempt to be size-inclusive, they don't make an effort to create fashionable or attractive products. "So many brands never care about their fat customers," she told Refinery29. "Most plus-size stores have the ugliest clothes and wide-fitting shoes."

This capsule marks a huge step forward for size-inclusive shopping, according to Steward—especially considering the reach of an affordable, trend-driven footwear brand such as Jeffrey Campbell. "I grew up never being able to afford the things I like, and for [a brand I’ve] loved since a young teenager to believe in me and to acknowledge me is amazing," Steward said.

Steward is also a body-positivity activist who hopes to break barriers in the fashion industry, according to Refinery29—and this collaboration is just the beginning. "[I want to see] girls who actually look like me in high-fashion and walking the runways," she told Refinery29. "Representation is so important. So many models are glamazons who are 5'7" or taller. They have small waists and perfect thighs. [For plus-size models, they're] a size 16 at the biggest. And these are the women 'representing' all fat women. I’m 5'3" and bigger, [and I] also deserve the spotlight!"

Prices for this collection start at $125 and go up to $235. Check out (and shop!) the whole range, below.

A Star Is Born Merch Is Here, and Goodbye, Money

2019-04-30T00:59:00.002-07:00

If you flocked to the movie theaters to watch A Star Is Born this weekend—or, heck, just watched the trailers on loop hundreds of times—and found yourself craving a little merch to show your fandom, you're not alone. Maybe we should be content with the just-dropped full soundtrack, which people went crazy for, but, well, we still wanted more. Twitter has been asking for merch for a while now. As Doreen St. Félix over at The New Yorker tweeted exactly a month ago, "It seems like if ever a film should have merch, 'A Star Is Born' is it."

Well, St. Félix—and the rest of us—got a huge present this weekend from Lady Gaga herself: She tweeted on Sunday that merch was in stock on the movie's website. And, yep, you might as well kiss whatever's left of your paycheck goodbye.

For the dangerously justifiable price of $35, you can get your choice of an Ally T-shirt (cream) or Jackson T-shirt (black) plus a digital copy of the A Star Is Born soundtrack (unless you live outside of the U.S., where said download will not work). Both the Ally and Jackson T-shirts come in small to 2X.

Ready for a glimpse?

Here's Every Model Walking in the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

2019-04-30T00:56:00.002-07:00

And their adorable reactions to the news.

By Zoe Weiner

November 1, 2018

Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

UPDATED, NOVEMBER 1, 2018: Victoria's Secret has shared more exciting details about the 2018 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. We now know that this year's show will be taped in New York City on November 8, and air on ABC on December 2. And there's big casting news along to go with those updates: Three familiar faces will return to the sparkly runway this year. Keep scrolling for the full announcement.

ORIGINAL POST:The beginning of fall might herald the return of pumpkin spice lattes and cozy sweaters, but it also signifies the countdown to the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. With T-minus two-ish months until the big event—it usually films at the end of November, though no official date has been announced—models have begun taking to Instagram to confirm their casting as models in the iconic show.

While we can't yet say for sure yet whether some of the star-powered angels from the past—like Martha Hunt and Karlie Kloss—will be strutting their stuff on this year's runway, Victoria's Secret has confirmed a number of models who will be making an appearance in the show. Forever favorites, like Devon Windsor and Herieth Paul, will be donning their wings this year, as well as a number of new faces. For many of them, this is a lifelong dream come true, which means there's no shortage of adorable videos on Instagram of their reactions to the news.

Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, and Kendall Jenner

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bpo3tQtAD1q/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=nwzgxvrfrecy

Victoria's Secret announced the official air-date of this year's show—and the return of three marquee models—on its Instagram account. "MARK YOUR CALENDARS! The #VSFashionShow will air Sunday, Dec. 2 at 10/9c on @abcnetwork. See the Angels in action (and yes… @kendalljenner, @gigihadid & @bellahadid, too!) It's a big moment for Gigi Hadid and Jenner: Neither model walked in last year's show in Shanghai, China.

Winnie Harlow

https://www.instagram.com/p/BneLHhEg9m4/?taken-by=winnieharlow

"I had a break down before i walked into the most nerve wrecking casting of my life. I asked my driver to go around the block twice before i could walk into the @VictoriasSecret offices so i could re coup, and remember (while my trainer @bodybymato reminded me on the phone through sobs - thank you lol) how hard I’ve been working! I went in and made new friends and saw old friends and it already felt like home! We patiently waited while @ed_razek @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine carefully took time to get to know each girl. When it was finally my time, within my nervous storm of anticipation i changed into a black Victoria Secret set and stepped out!!!! I spoke to them about Jamaica, Nick Knight, my abs, and how i was beyond honoured to be given the opportunity to try out.. then I walked for my life!!!! I can’t believe this!! Thank you for giving me all the energy and kindness in that room! Thank you for allowing me to walk for VICTORIA’S SECRET Thank you to my agencies @firstaccessent @womenmanagementnyc @women_paris @thesquadmanagement my pr @remibrb my agent @mannyuk and mama bears #sarahstennett & @thelilmisse for having my back supporting and believing in me! I love you guys you’re FAMILY!! Thank you mommy for praying with me everyday for the past 3 days. And thank you so much to my fans who have been pushing me forward to this point in my career. I’m so blessed thank you Lord!! IM WALKING THE VICTORIA’S SECRET SHOW! Thank you @voguemagazine for the exclusive interview 😭🙏🏽💗🙈"

Herieth Paul

SHANGHAI, CHINA - NOVEMBER 20: Herieth Paul walks the runway during the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show In Shanghai at Mercedes-Benz Arena on November 20, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Victoria's Secret)Matt Winkelmeyer

"I watched my first vs show when I was 13 years old. I am so beyond excited to be walking my third @victoriassecret fashion show I am so grateful for this opportunity," she wrote on Instagram. "Thank you @johndavidpfeiffer @monica.mitro @10magazine @ed_razek1 and my amazing team @womenmanagementny @angiesmodels Ya’ll dreams do come true ❤️ #3"

Grace Bol

https://www.instagram.com/p/BncovOalBVU/?hl=en&taken-by=gracebol

"Happy to be back @victoriassecret #victoriafashionshow @ed_razek @monica.mitro @10magazine @johndavidpfeiffer Thank You...♥️💋"

Sadie Newman

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 31: Sadie Newman attends the U.S. book launch of 'Backstage Secrets by Russell James' at the Alley Cat in the Financial District on May 31, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gotham/GC Images)

Nasa's Insight Mission Target Mars'quakes' - मंगल के राज खोलने के उद्देश्य से निकला इनसाइट मार्स लैंडर, ये हैं खूबियां..

2018-05-05T04:25:00.000-07:00

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ख़बर सुनें

अमेरिकी अंतरिक्ष एजेंसी नासा ने शनिवार को मंगल ग्रह का आंतरिक अध्ययन करने व उस पर आने वाले भूकंप की रिकॉर्डिंग के लिए तैयार किए गए पहले मोस्ट अवेटेड मिशन को लॉन्च किया है। इस मिशन को इनसाइट (इंटीरियर एक्प्लोरेशन यूजिंग साइस्मिक इनवेस्टिगेशन जऑडसी एंड हीट ट्रांसपोर्ट) का नाम दिया गया है। यदि यह मिशन कामयाब रहता है तो इससे मंगल ग्रह से जुड़े कई सारे रहस्यों से पर्दा उठ सकेगा।

कैलिफोर्निया में वांडेनबर्ग एयरफोर्स बेस से स्पेस लॉन्च

अंतरिक्ष यान कैलिफोर्निया के वांडेनबर्ग वायुसेना अड्डे से पैसिफिक समयानुसार सुबह 4.05 बजे एटलस वी. रॉकेट से लॉन्च किया गया। नासा के सुरक्षा अधिकारियों ने शुक्रवार को बताया कि लॉन्च किए जाने से पहले धुंध ही एकमात्र चिंता की बात थी, जिसके खत्म होने के बाद लॉन्चिंग प्रक्रिया शुरू की गई। नासा के एक सुरक्षा अधिकारी ने शुक्रवार को ट्वीट कर कहा, ‘इस मिशन के तहत मंगल की सतह के नीचे क्रस्ट, मैटल और कोर का पता लगाने के लिए उत्साहित हूं।’

कॉम्प्लेक्स 3 से छोड़ा जाएगा इनसाइट मार्स लैंडर

इनसाइट मंगल के गहरे आंतरिक संरचना का अध्ययन करेगी ताकि यह पता लगाया जा सके कि पृथ्वी और इसके उपग्रह चंद्रमा समेत सभी चट्टानी खगोलीय पिंडों के निर्माण के बारे में पूर्ण जानकारी दे सके। इसके साथ ही यह भी जांच करना संभव होगा कि ग्रह के आंतरिक भाग से कितनी गर्मी प्रवाह हो रही है।

- मंगल पर होने वाले भूकंपों का पता लगाने के लिए उपकरण में लगाया गया एक सिस्मोमीटर
- इनसाइट मार्स लैंडर का वजन 630 किलो है।
- 99.3 करोड़ डॉलर की लागत से तैयार हुई परियोजना।
- 26 नवम्बर तक सही तरीके से करने लग जाएगा काम।
- अरबों वर्ष पहले धरती की तरह पथरीले ग्रह बनने के कारणों का चल सकेगा पता।

कॉम्प्लेक्स 3 से छोड़ा जाएगा इनसाइट मार्स लैंडर

आगे पढ़ें

ये हैं खूबियां

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Bjp Said People Who Are With Jinnah Are The Same Who Stood With Terrorist Afzal Guru - Amu पर बीजेपी नेता के विवादित बोल 'जिन्ना के समर्थक वही जो अफजल गुरु के साथ खड़े थे'

2018-05-05T04:24:00.000-07:00

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न्यूज डेस्क, अमर उजाला, नई दिल्ली
Updated Sat, 05 May 2018 04:49 PM IST

ख़बर सुनें

अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम यूनिवर्सिटी में जिन्ना की तस्वीर को लेकर फैला विवाद थमने का नाम नहीं ले रहा है। शनिवार को बीजेपी के प्रवक्ता और वरिष्ठ नेता सुधांशू त्रिवेदी ने एक बार फिर विवादित बयान देकर इस मामले को और हवा दे दी है। सुधांशू त्रिवेदी ने कहा कि आज जो लोग जिन्ना के साथ खड़े हैं और उनका समर्थन कर रहे हैं ये वही लोग हैं जो आतंकी अफजल गुरु के साथ खड़े थे। उन्होंने अफसोस जताते हुए कहा कि बहुत दुख की बात है कि हमारे देश के कुछ लोग उन लोगों के साथ खड़े हैं जिन्होंने देश के विभाजन में अहम भूमिका निभाई है।

बता दें कि पिछले चार दिनों से अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम विश्वविद्यालय में तस्वीर को लेकर बबाल मचा हुआ है। एहियात के तौर पर अलीगढ़ में इंटरनेट की सेवा भी बंद कर दी गई है। त्रिवेदी से पहले केंद्रीय अल्पसंख्यक मंत्री मुख्तार अब्बास नकवी ने अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम यूनिवर्सिटी के छात्रों और प्रशासन से इस मुद्दे का संवेदनशील समाधान निकालते हुए तस्वीर को हटाने की अपील की थी।

केंद्रीय मंत्री मुख्तार अब्बास नकवी ने कहा, 'जिन्ना की तस्वीर को हटाने के लिए अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम यूनिवर्सिटी को अड़ियल रुख नहीं अपनाना चाहिए'। उन्होंने कहा, 'हिन्दुस्तान के लोग जिन्ना को खलनायक के रूप में देखते हैं, इसलिए उस तस्वीर को हटा देना चाहिए।

यही नहीं इन नेताओं से पहले इस मामले में सपा विधायक नफीस अहमद ने मीडिया को विवादित बयान दिया था। गोपालपुर से विधायक और अलीगढ़ मुस्लिम युनिवर्सिटी छात्रसंघ के पूर्व अध्यक्ष नफीस अहमद ने आंदोलन का विरोध करने वाले लोगों को दोगला कहा था।

People who are standing with Jinnah today, are the same people who stood with terrorist like Afzal Guru. It is unfortunate that certain people are standing by the side of a person (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) who was responsible for the division of this country: Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP pic.twitter.com/vUSlvN5IRl

— ANI (@ANI) May 5, 2018

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Nasa's Insight Mission Target Mars'quakes' - मंगल के राज खोलने के उद्देश्य से निकला इनसाइट मार्स लैंडर, ये हैं खूबियां..

ये हैं खूबियां

ये हैं खूबियां

Bjp Said People Who Are With Jinnah Are The Same Who Stood With Terrorist Afzal Guru - Amu पर बीजेपी नेता के विवादित बोल 'जिन्ना के समर्थक वही जो अफजल गुरु के साथ खड़े थे'