oleh admin | Mar 27, 2025 | art, art history, asia, news, visual arts
The director of Asia’s largest contemporary art fair on finding her voice through art and immersing herself in the artistic community
During my early years, I lived in Mainland China. My mother traveled with me across various regions of China due to her work, which spanned journalism, trading, and publishing. The precise sequence of her career changes eludes me, but I recall moving from one place to another frequently.
Shanghai, Shenzhen
And Nanning, close to the Vietnamese border. When I was about 12 years old, I was dispatched to England. Similar to numerous youngsters during that period, I was among the tide of children who were sent overseas for education.
Luck of the draw
In primary school, we were encouraged to maintain a journal. I recall my teacher mentioning, “There’s no need to begin your diary with ‘
jintian
‘Today, you could begin by illustrating your day; perhaps opt for a more artistic approach.’ When I was around eight or nine years old, I clearly preferred coloring my days rather than merely documenting events.
Finding a forte
Back when I was in mainland China, fields like art were not seen as legitimate subjects; they weren’t taken seriously compared to literature and sciences. Therefore, it wasn’t until I relocated to England that I discovered my passion for art and design. It took getting an A-Level art scholarship for me to realize, “Maybe this could actually be a viable career option.”
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Express permission
When I was around 15 or 16 years old, my teacher first showed me
Alberto Giacometti’s work
His creations aren’t particularly simple to appreciate—they’re not the most visually appealing or vibrant. However, I found myself intrigued by the story behind them and the reasons driving this artist to produce such somber works. The paintings and sculptures exuded a profound sense of weightiness. For me, this represented the duality of art—it’s not merely about beautiful aspects of life. This realization led me to view art as more than decoration; instead, it became for me a form of expression and a historical record.
Master plan
My mom was skeptical about my choice of pursuing a fine arts degree. She felt I should opt for something closely related to art, but with better prospects for employment. As a result, I went ahead with that alternative option.
urban design and planning
At University College London, they offered me an unconditional place to pursue my master’s degree. I convinced my mother once more to let me study art history for my master’s since I had taken architectural history as part of my foundational coursework.
Goodbye, Gagosian
During my master’s degree, I worked in galleries and also had an internship at the Pinta Art Fair. Later, I received an invitation from the Gagosian to join as a registrar. However, I chose to relocate to Dubai with my then boyfriend instead of accepting the position at Gagosian.
Hello, Dubai
The first time I went to Dubai, sometime between 2008 and 2009, the city was just starting to develop its modern art community. I searched for galleries but could find only one or two. After interning at Art Dubai, I started looking into various possibilities until I connected with an individual collector named Rami Farook. He gave me a position within his collection. At that point, I informed my mom, “I’ve secured a role in Dubai.”
Moving on up
I applied to
Art Basel
Since I learned about the plan for a new fair opening in Hong Kong back in 2012, I decided to apply, not really expecting anything to come of it. However, I received a phone call the very next day offering me the position. Before I could fully process everything, three weeks had passed, and I found myself relocating to Hong Kong.
Community spirit
Upon arriving in Hong Kong
When I returned to Dubai, the art scene had expanded significantly since my initial arrival. However, the strong sense of community where everyone supported one another remained unchanged, which made the adjustment smooth. From Rami, I understood the significance of having a supportive community, a lesson I’ve carried with me ever since. Over these past 13 years, I have witnessed and been part of the growth of Hong Kong’s artistic circle alongside it.
In the family
I am a parent to two kids, and engaging with art has been an integral aspect of their upbringing. In contrast, this wasn’t something present during my own childhood. By the time my eldest child arrived in early February, the nearby Art Basel event took place just weeks later in March. Even at merely a month old, he attended his inaugural Art Basel exhibition. This tradition continued as he joined us for each subsequent show.
My young ones exhibit remarkable creativity through painting; they’re free to convey themselves without constraints imposed by notions of correctness or error within artistic expression. For them, making art comes naturally—almost like second nature—an inherent trait woven into who they are from birth.
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oleh admin | Mar 27, 2025 | celebrities, entertainment, music, music and lyrics, news
Johnny Mathis has announced he’s retiring from live stage performances due to “age and memory issues which have accelerated.”
The announcement was made in a statement regarding the 89-year-old individual.
Facebook page
Wednesday: “Although several thrilling concerts remain on the schedule, unfortunately, all Johnny Mathis performances scheduled for June 2025 and beyond have been canceled.”
“Many of you might know that Johnny Mathis will soon turn 90 years old this year,” the announcement went on. “Unfortunately, because of his advanced age and worsening memory problems, we must express our deep sorrow as we share news about his retirement from touring and performing at live events.”
According to Mathis’
website
, the singer-songwriter has four concerts remaining on his 2025 Voice of Romance tour before he officially retires, including in Pennsylvania, Indiana, California and New Jersey, with his final show scheduled for May 18. As for the four canceled shows, “refunds will be made through the original point of purchase,” according to the post.
Johnny Mathis and his whole team extend their deepest appreciation to all the fans around the globe who have consistently shown love and support for his music! They conclude with ‘It’s genuinely been “Wonderful, Wonderful,”’
Mathis, the voice behind the hits “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late,” “Gina,” “What Will My Mary Say” and “Misty,” has been touring across the world for seven decades, since releasing his self-titled debut album in 1956.
Aside from receiving five Grammy nominations during his career, he was honored with The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. Additionally, Mathis boasts three recordings – “Chances Are,” “It’s Not For Me To Say,” and “Misty” – which have been enshrined in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
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Chappell Roen and Olivia Rodrigo announce their partnership with record label UMG, facilitated by producer Daniel Nigro.
-
Anthropic Emerges Victorious in Initial Legal Battle Against Music Publishers Concerning Song Lyrics
oleh admin | Mar 25, 2025 | infectious diseases, news, public health, viral diseases, viruses
-
EXPLORE FURTHER: Britain needs immediate action to combat fatal Disease X
Top health authorities have cautioned
bird flu
might ignite the next pandemic, after a recent ‘development in the tale’.
Richard Peobody, who leads the work on epidemic and emerging infections at The UK Health Security Agency, warned that the strain of the virus under scrutiny, H5N1, could potentially trigger a worldwide crisis akin to COVID-19.
He stated in Manchester today that ‘H5N1 has the capability to turn into a pandemic, potentially a future one.’
His remarks follow the detection of the virus in a sheep in Northern England yesterday.
the first known case
unique of its kind globally.
Regarding that transition across species, Mr Peabody mentioned it was a key aspect of how birds evolve.
flu
has undergone changes since it initially appeared in the 1990s.
As he mentioned, ‘Its characteristics have evolved over the last three or four years,’
We’re observing this phenomenon in the United States among dairy cows and various other animal species. Similarly, we’re noticing it here in the UK as well. Therefore, we are collaborating closely with our peers specializing in animal health to ensure that public health remains safeguarded.
When asked about whether UKHSA’s evaluation of avian influenza had shifted due to the latest incident, Mr. Peabody stated it introduced “a new turn in the narrative,” yet he also noted with relief that additional cases among sheep have not been detected.
He stated: “As usual, it enters this continuous, ongoing risk evaluation,” he explained. “Currently, that has not really altered.”
His remarks follow the UK Health Security Agency’s serious warning regarding 24 lethal viruses that have the potential to cause the next ‘Disease X,’ a term frequently used for the possible agent behind the future pandemic.
The body has narrowed the list down to four pathogens deemed to pose a significant pandemic threat, with bird flu being one of them.
The virus, exhibiting a worrying capability to leap across species, has already been identified in a single UK farmer who was reported to have come into contact with contaminated poultry.
In the meantime, the disease took its initial human life in the United States way back in January, resulting in the death of a 65-year-old individual with pre-existing medical issues after being exposed to their own group of wild birds.
A measles-like virus that could potentially be ‘significantly more hazardous than Covid’ has been added to the list, as per expert opinions.
A prominent scientist cautioned that the UKHSA list encompasses viruses which might prove ‘infeasible to contain with even the most rigorous measures.’
lockdown
’.
This prompted the government to unveil a new reference manual that will undergo constant updates, ensuring that scientists and researchers remain current regarding emerging risks.
One concerning pathogen belongs to the Picornaviridae family, known for causing viruses that lead to illnesses similar to polio.
For instance, consider the illness known as acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare ailment that causes muscle weakness and paralysis.
In January, a 15-year-old lad from Rochdale ended up paralyzed following an AFM infection.
BBC
reported.
Health authorities have likewise cautioned that viruses from the Paramyxoviridae family could potentially lead to pandemics.
These encompass illnesses such as measles, mumps, and certain respiratory tract infections, along with the Nipah virus — known for transmitting from bats or pigs to humans — leading to encephalitis and fatalities.
Significant measles outbreaks have already been documented globally due to falling immunization rates.
In last year, 2,911 instances of measles were confirmed in England, marking the highest annual tally recorded since 2012.
The severe disease, which predominantly impacts children, may lead to complications such as pneumonia, inflamed eyes and potential blindness along with swelling in the brain causing seizures, hearing impairment, and harm to the brain.
Other viruses that authorities are monitoring closely include coronaviruses like Covid-19 and
MERS, which has thus far claimed over 900 lives, predominantly in the Middle Eastern region.
Mark Woolhouse, who is a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Edinburgh, stated
The Mirror
Scientists are primarily worried about a virus similar to measles.
‘A virus similar to measles could present a much greater danger than COVID-19,’ he stated.
‘A such virus would possess a significantly higher reproduction rate compared to the initial strains of COVID, rendering it uncontrollable through even the most stringent lockdown measures.’
The R number indicates the average number of individuals that an infected person will transmit the virus to.
‘This is precisely the type of pandemic that global public health organizations worry about,’ he mentioned additionally.
Measles has demonstrated an ability to erase our immune memories, which suggests that a significant epidemic might lead to an increase in various other infections across the country.
According to a study conducted at Harvard Medical School in 2019, the measles virus can eliminate up to 75 percent of the antibodies that defend against various viruses or bacteria which a child had been previously protected from.
Dr Isabel Oliver, the Chief Scientific Officer for UKHSA, stated that the updated virus list serves as a means to showcase how scientific investigations can be directed towards enhancing the UK’s readiness against potential health risks.
‘We are employing this tool during our discussions with the scientific community to assist in directing investments towards areas that will yield the most significant outcomes.’
‘We trust this initiative will accelerate the development of vaccines and diagnostic tools precisely where they are critically required, ensuring we are thoroughly equipped for combating potential lethal pathogens.’
In September 2019, the now-disbanded Public Health England warned that growing bacterial resistance to antibiotics might contribute to what is known as Disease X.
Read more
oleh admin | Mar 25, 2025 | football clubs, news, premier league, soccer, sports
-
All teams in the top division except for two still have nine Premier League fixtures remaining.
-
Liverpool and Arsenal have had their fixtures rescheduled for later in the season.
-
LISTEN NOW: Things Are Getting Exciting! Available on all podcast platforms. New episodes drop every Monday and Thursday.
The
Premier League
has announced schedule modifications for several of its prominent teams — including those contending for the championship.
Liverpool
and
Arsenal
.
The Reds are close to securing the Premier League trophy.
Arne Slot
In his initial season at the helm, he now has a lead of 12 points over Arsenal, with each team having nine fixtures remaining.
The gentlemen will have to compete against things like
Everton
,
Tottenham
And during the concluding matches, Arsenal only needs five victories to secure their second Premier League championship.
However, one match has been rescheduled as television selections for the season finale keep getting finalized, including Liverpool’s encounter with
Chelsea
In Match Week 35, now scheduled for Sunday, May 4 at 4:30 PM.
This is one out of six matches that were rescheduled to cater to broadcasting requirements that weekend, with the match being broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s match for that week has also been rescheduled,
Mikel Arteta
‘side to face
Bournemouth
At the Emirates on Saturday, May 3rd at 5:30 PM, also broadcasted on Sky Sports.
In another match,Manchester City is scheduled to welcome Wolves on May 2 as part of their Friday night fixture for that week, airing live on Sky Sports at 8 pm.
During the Saturday noon match, Fulham is set to play away against Aston Villa, with the game being broadcast live on TNT Sports.
Additionally, on Sunday, Brighton will welcome Newcastle to their stadium as the opening match of the broadcaster’s double-header Super Sunday lineup.
The week concludes as Crystal Palace welcomes Nottingham Forest on Monday, May 5th, with the match starting at 8 PM.
According to the timetable, both Manchester United and Tottenham have away matches scheduled for Saturday at 3 pm, and none of these games will be televised in the UK.
Manchester United will head to Brentford, whereas struggling Tottenham Hotspur will face West Ham in an East London rivalry – however, these fixtures might still be rescheduled.
The Premier League has stated that should a team reach the Europa League semi-finals, one of their matches will be rescheduled for Sunday with a kickoff time of 2 pm; however, this match won’t be televised.
The rescheduled match between Newcastle and Crystal Palace, set for Wednesday, April 16, has been confirmed to start at 7:30 PM and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Read more
oleh admin | Mar 25, 2025 | military, national security, news, news media, politics
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Leading US government figures such as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth have faced accusations of a significant security lapse involving military intelligence. This followed an incident where a journalist inadvertently received confidential plans outlining potential U.S. attacks in Yemen.
On Monday, an article in the Atlantic by Jeffrey Goldberg, who serves as the magazine’s editor-in-chief, disclosed that he had been included in a group conversation on the Signal messaging platform earlier this month.
Consequently, he managed to access communications from high-ranking national security officers regarding impending assaults on the Iran-supported Houthis in Yemen. This included comprehensive details about the objectives and the specific armaments that would be employed in these operations.
Soon after, locations throughout Yemen were hit with bombs on March 15th. Since the militant group started attacking commercial and military ships in the Red Sea in November 2023, the U.S. has conducted airstrike operations against the Houthis.
Goldberg stated that he would refrain from publishing messages from the group chat that might endanger the United States’ national security.
Nevertheless, in the Atlantic piece, the journalist disclosed certain remarks made within the closed group, which counted among its members Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Tulsi Gabbard, who served as Trump’s director of national intelligence.
The released communications initially debate whether the strikes should proceed. Subsequently, they reveal that after the commencement of the military action, members within the group shared congratulatory messages with each other.
The US National Security Council has verified that the text message thread “seems to be genuine.”
One of the biggest mistakes in operational security
Following Goldberg’s disclosure, both politicians and experts voiced their concerns over the news that high-ranking officials within the Trump administration were deliberating about war strategies using Signal.
National security personnel typically talk about military operations through the government’s dedicated channels within secure compartments known as SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities).
“We have significant concerns regarding this matter and will investigate it from a non-partisan perspective,” stated Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee and a Republican from Mississippi.
At the same time, Chuck Schumer, a prominent Democratic senator from New York, described it as “one of the most astonishing compromises of military intelligence I have come across in a very, very long period.”
His coworker Jack Reed, who hails from Rhode Island and is the leading Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, mentioned that the discussion thread about Yemen might have endangered the lives of U.S. military members.
“The negligence exhibited by Trump’s Cabinet is both astounding and perilous. I am going to demand explanations from the Administration right away,” he stated additionally.
Hegseth criticizes journalist as Trump claims ignorance
The National Security Council stated in an announcement that they were looking into how a journalist’s phone number ended up being included in the Signal group conversation.
In his first comments on the matter, Hegseth attacked Goldberg for being what he called a “discredited so-called journalist”. He did not shed light on why Signal was being used to discuss the sensitive operation or how Goldberg ended up on the message chain.
” Nobody was sending texts about battle strategies, and that’s everything I need to comment on,” Hegseth stated during an interaction with journalists upon arriving in Hawaii on Monday, marking his inaugural journey to the Indo-Pacific region as defense secretary.
Late on Monday, in an official statement, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt mentioned that the president continues to have “complete faith” in his national security team.
On Monday earlier, Donald Trump informed journalists: “I have no knowledge regarding this matter. This is the first I’m hearing about it.”
oleh admin | Mar 25, 2025 | air travel, air travel safety, flights, news, united airlines
A United Airlines flight heading to Shanghai had to be rerouted back.
California
Three hours into the journey, they had to halt due to the pilot realizing they had left their passport behind, as stated by an airline spokesperson.
UA Flight 198 left
Los Angeles
The international flight departed from Los Angeles International Airport at 1:44 pm PDT and was expected to arrive at Shanghai Pudong International approximately 14 hours later. However, the pilot uncovered a critical error during the journey.
The aircraft was rerouted back to California and touched down in San Francisco shortly after 5 pm, as recorded in the flight logs.
Flight Aware
.
The passengers aboard the Boeing 787-9 eventually departed for Shanghai at approximately 9 pm and landed shortly after midnight, around 12:30 am local time.
The airline organized a new team to transport the 257 passengers to Shanghai and offered them meal coupons along with compensation for the disruption, according to a statement from a media representative.
The aircraft finally touched down at its destination with a delay of six hours, affecting several travelers’ arrangements.
A traveler, who was airborne for work purposes, mentioned
CNN
, as a result of the considerable delay, they were forced to rearrange their Monday commitments.
A second traveler said they had to drive another two hours after landing in Shanghai, leaving them exhausted.
Yang Shuhan, who was also aboard the flight, mentioned that the pilot communicated his awkward error via the intercom and seemed to be ‘quite exasperated.’
Yang informed CNN that she was given two meal vouchers worth $30 in total to utilize for a dining experience at the San Francisco airport.
Shukor Yusof, the founder of Endau Analytics, which offers consultancy services for aviation, stated that it was ‘unacceptable’ for an airline such as United to commit such an error.
He pointed out that despite the detour being just a few hours away from the departure point, it indicated a degree of ‘absent-mindedness’ which probably resulted in significant losses for the airline. He further stated that such an error was ‘unacceptable.’
Online commentators were equally critical of the pilot for this error, with someone posting on X: “How can THE PILOT of all individuals overlook their passport?”
“How did the pilot even board the aircraft? Don’t they all have their passports verified?” someone else asked.
Other passengers were stunned that the airline only offered meal vouchers for such a considerable disruption.
‘A $15 voucher at SFO would have barely covered a glass of water and a single piece of bread,’ a commenter quipped.
‘Is this $15 for real? It’s amusing how the multi-billion-dollar corporation managed only to gather a small amount for passengers just to get some water and a partially consumed bag of chips,’ one user commented.
The awkward error adds yet another blot to the aviation sector, which has faced increased examination since the
deadly crash in Washington DC
that resulted in the deaths of 67 passengers on board an American Airlines flight.
Since the accident, airlines have come under close scrutiny from the public, with errors being more widely exposed.
United Airlines faced criticism recently when an actress
In January, Jones posted on Instagram
she received just $15 worth of food vouchers following a 16-hour delay in her flight.
She posted a screenshot of her significant delay and tagged the airline, asking them to ‘Step up.’
‘Couple of $15 food vouchers won’t be enough. Our 7:30 p.m. flight from last night still hasn’t taken off,’ she mentioned additionally.
United was similarly under examination early this week when a passenger alleged they faced an issue.
forcefully pulled out of an aircraft restroom
caught off guard by a pilot.
A passenger called Yisroel Liebb, aged 20, filed a complaint alleging that after being inside the restroom for 30 minutes, the pilot yelled at him to leave and then broke the lock before forcibly removing him.
According to
Flight Radar
,
One of the biggest airlines globally in terms of fleet size is United, ranking just below American Airlines.
Read more
