Finding the perfect summer dress is no mean feat. Something stylish which feels on trend as well timeless, so you can wear it year after year. Something loose and flowing for the hot, sticky days which will keep you looking glamorous even when you feel like you may genuinely be melting. Well, it looks like Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has solved the dilemma, as she stepped out in a beautiful Zimmerman wrap dress. The best part? It’s now on sale.
Max Mumby/Indigo
For a visit to the Central School of Ballet last week (24 June), the Duchess wore an aqua green maxi dress with billowing sleeves by Zimmermann, featuring a watercolour style floral print. The dress is currently on sale across a range of sizes in various retailers, with the biggest discount (at time of writing) at Net-a-Porter, with 40% off, which would be an investment purchase.
Zimmermann Everly wrap dress
You can also find it on sale in further sizes at Selfridges and there’s a similar version of the dress in lilac, which is also on sale:
Everley Plunge Midi Dress
For timeless, billowing summer dresses at a more accessible price tag, look to brands like Nobody’s Child, ME+EM, Boden and Aspiga (another favourite brand of Sophie’s). Here are a few of our top picks available online now:
Blue Watercolour Floral Anya Midi Dress, £150
Orange Floral Print Maxi Dress, £150
Billie Organic Cotton Block Print Dress, £195
During Sophie’s visit to the ballet school she toured The Countess of Wessex Studios – named in her honour, after her former title “in recognition of her longstanding patronage and support of the school” according to the royal family.
While she was there, Sophie was able to have a sneak peek of the rehearsals for an upcoming summer showcase as well as meet staff and students and receive a tour. Despite a busy summer of royal engagements, the Duchess was able to celebrate a personal milestone, during a day at Royal Ascot earlier this month.
Sophie and Prince Edward have now been married for 26 years, and spent their anniversary together at the races, which are an annual staple of the royal social calendar.
Newswise — News readers often click on articles not based on topic but rather the behavior of their fellow audience members, according to new research from the University of Georgia.
And the way that news organizations label those articles could directly influence how much attention they receive and ultimately impact their revenue.
When you go to a news organization’s homepage, they typically label articles that readers are engaging with the most. The researchers focused on two common labels: “most shared” and “most read.”
“These types of labels are not going anywhere. Popularity even in news labels is a psychological phenomenon,” said Tari Dagago-Jack, lead author of the study and an assistant professor of marketing in the UGA Terry College of Business. “Popularity labels on news outlets are taking advantage of the idea that we follow the lead of others and that our decision-making is influenced by what other people are doing.”
Article section labels influence click rate
At first glance, you may assume that these labels, “most shared” and “most read,” mean the same thing: A lot of people checked out the article. But there’s a clear difference that consumers pick up on.
“If something is most shared, we might assume that means many people had to read it and then deem it interesting enough or important enough to pass it on,” Dagogo-Jack said. “But then there’s this other reality where we know a lot of things that are widely shared are often extremely frivolous like cat videos or funny memes.”
In nine surveys and experiments involving hundreds of people, the study found respondents interpreted “most read” stories as being more informative. “Most shared” articles were viewed as less serious and more entertainment based.
“The primary goal for reading news is to gain information, and the label ‘most read’ is a stronger signal of an article’s information value.” —Tari Dagago-Jack, Terry College
“We as readers have two primary motives: to be informed or to be entertained — that is, for a welcome diversion,” said Dagogo-Jack. “At a baseline level, we were finding that people were choosing ‘most read’ at a way higher rate than ‘most shared.’ The primary goal for reading news is to gain information, and the label ‘most read’ is a stronger signal of an article’s information value.”
That means if editors want certain articles to get more attention, they should tailor the label to the readers’ goals.
Knowing your audience, content is key for engagement
The same went for articles advertised on social media. Posts from faux news organizations that had captions describing a more educational article as “most shared” received fewer clicks.
This wasn’t the case, however, for news stories that were less serious and newsworthy. In that case, the “most shared” label worked as well as the “most read” label.
It’s a key message for reporters, editors and web developers: Know your audience and your content.
“People should ask themselves: Why am I even clicking on this thing? Is it just because everyone else read it?” —Tari Dagago-Jack
“For pop culture, sports or music — more entertainment — in those sections you should highlight what is ‘most shared,’” Dagogo-Jack said. “But for world news, politics and science sections, you should be using things like ‘most read’ or ‘most viewed.’”
Dagogo-Jack also recommends putting thought into labels. Ambiguous choices like “trending” or “most popular” may stump readers altogether, as there are so many things this could mean.
“Providing these lists helps us get over information overload or choice paralysis,” he said. “It’s a crutch and makes the decision process easier, but I often wonder: At what cost?
“You’re clicking on something that a lot of people like and social proof is valuable, but it may not necessarily provide what you are looking for, and you just gave up on the search. People should ask themselves: Why am I even clicking on this thing? Is it just because everyone else read it?”
This study was published in the Journal of Consumer Research and was co-authored by New York University assistant professor Jared Watson.
An explosive new report from the Fake News Watchdog has cast a shadow of doubt over the authenticity of India’s much-publicised Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission.
The 65-page white paper, released recently, claims that the mission was largely a media spectacle rather than a scientific achievement.
The watchdog reported that live visuals of the moon landing, which were broadcast to millions worldwide, were created using computer-generated graphics (CGI).
The “live” footage of Chandrayaan-3’s descent and landing was, according to the report, fabricated and presented within a staged environment.
The command centre scenes shown on national television were also described as being choreographed, giving viewers the impression of a high-stakes space mission.
The report raises concerns about the transparency of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and challenges the space agency’s claim of landing at the Moon’s south pole.
Read: India’s satellite launch fails after technical fault in PSLV rocket
The watchdog contends that the actual landing site was 630 kilometers away from the claimed location.
Moreover, Chandrayaan-3’s mission reportedly failed to deliver scientific data or post-landing rover footage, with alleged faults in the lander’s navigation system and mechanical limitations preventing the rover from operating as claimed.
International experts, particularly from China, have questioned the scientific validity of the mission, calling into doubt the authenticity of ISRO’s findings.
The report criticizes India’s use of the space programme for political purposes, rather than genuine scientific exploration, alleging that the mission served as a tool for regional posturing and image-building.
Pro-government media in India, according to the report, presented the mission as a triumph of national pride without providing verifiable results.
Furthermore, the report highlights India’s broader military ambitions in space, linking the Chandrayaan-3 mission to defence objectives.
The watchdog accuses the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of leveraging ISRO’s advancements for military purposes, especially in its rivalry with Pakistan and China.
Read More: India achieves space docking milestone with SpaDeX mission
The paper references India’s 2019 anti-satellite test, “Mission Shakti”, and the establishment of military institutions like the Defence Space Agency (DSA) as evidence of militarisation of space.
The report also sheds light on India’s satellite programme, revealing that 10 out of the country’s 56 satellites are used by the military for surveillance, navigation and communication during operations like “Operation Sindoor”.
It criticises the Indian government’s “Space Vision 2047” and “Make in India” initiatives, labelling them as propaganda tools to foster a brand of technological nationalism rather than serving public interest.
While India’s defence budget has surpassed $86 billion – nearly nine times the size of Pakistan’s – the report underscores the stark contrast between this investment and the fact that over 300 million Indians still lack access to necessities such as clean water, electricity and sanitation.
The report concludes by accusing India’s media of using artificial intelligence (AI) to manipulate national narratives and promote fake news, a practice that has backfired on global platforms.
The Fake News Watchdog claims that India’s space missions, including Chandrayaan-3, are primarily for political optics, raising serious concerns about the country’s space programme’s ethics, transparency and intent.
A vicious heatwave has engulfed southern Europe, with punishing temperatures that have reached highs of 46C (114.8F) in Spain and placed almost the entirety of mainland France under alert.
Extreme heat, made stronger by fossil fuel pollution, has for several days scorched Portugal, Spain, France, Italy and Greece as southern Europe endures its first major heatwave of the summer.
The high temperatures have prompted the authorities in several countries to issue new health warnings and scramble firefighters to prevent wildfires from breaking out. More than 50,000 people in Turkey have been evacuated from their homes due to forest fires, according to the interior ministry’s disaster and emergency management authority.
António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said at a development conference in Seville on Monday: “Extreme heat is no longer a rare event – it has become the new normal.”
People queue at a fountain during a heatwave in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City. Photograph: Angelo Carconi/EPA
In Portugal — his home country — a reading of 46.6 C (115.9F) was registered in Mora, about 60 miles east of Lisbon. Weather officials were working to confirm whether that marked a new record for June.
The southern Spanish city is forecast to roast in more than 40C heat for the next three days and face night-time temperatures of at least 25C until Thursday morning. Doctors have expressed alarm at the combination of hot days and uncomfortably warm nights, which can place a lethal stress on the human body.
In Italy, where 21 out of 27 cities were placed on the highest heat alert on Sunday, hospital admissions in some of the hottest regions – such as Tuscany – are up 20%. People have been advised not to venture outside between 11am and 6pm.
In France, heat warnings covered nearly the entire mainland for the first time in history. Météo-France has placed 88% of administrative areas under the second-highest orange heat alerts. “This is unprecedented,” said the ecology minister, Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
A wildfire broke out in Bizanet, southern France. Photograph: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
The French government asked businesses to adapt staff hours to protect workers from the heat, and 200 public schools are to be partly or totally closed on Monday and Tuesday. The first fire of the summer broke out in France in the south-west of the country at the weekend, burning 400 hectares and leading to the precautionary evacuation of more than 100 people from their homes.
In Spain, which has had the worst of the weather, a June temperature record of 46C was set on Saturday afternoon in El Granado, in the Andalucían province of Huelva. The highest temperature previously recorded for June was 45.2C logged in Seville in 1965.
Sunday was the hottest 29 June in Spain on record, according to records from Aemet, the Spanish meteorological agency, that stretch back to 1950. The heat is expected to last till Thursday.
A woman takes to the shade the Retiro park in Madrid, Spain. Photograph: Paul White/AP
In Portugal, where seven of 18 regions are under red warnings of “extreme risk”, meteorologists expect the weather to cool down on Wednesday night.
Countries farther north are also in danger. The German weather service has said heat and dry weather are stoking the risk of forest fires, with some cities imposing limits on water extraction as temperatures in parts of the country approach 40C by Wednesday.
In Brandenburg, the state surrounding Berlin, the government has urged employers to take the danger to their staff into account. “Companies are bound by heat protection rules at the workplace,” the regional health minister Britta Müller said, including maintaining an acceptable temperature indoors and guarding against excessive sun exposure.
The UK is projected to have temperatures of 34C in London and the south-east of England, with the Met Office warning that high temperatures and humid conditions will be “quite uncomfortable” for those working outside, as well as people leaving Glastonbury and attending the start of Wimbledon.
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Radhika Khosla, an urban climatologist at the University of Oxford, said: “Populations in urban areas like London are particularly susceptible to extreme heat as the concrete and asphalt absorb and re-emit the sun’s radiation, amplifying its impact on our bodies. For this reason, outdoor workers are particularly at risk and should take regular breaks to hydrate in the shade.”
Wildfires rage across Turkey’s Izmir province – video report
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said its teams were supporting responders who were battling fires in Turkey, Greece and Norway. In other countries such as Spain, Italy and the UK, its volunteers were handing out water and checking in on vulnerable people.
Heat kills an estimated half a million people globally each year, with older people and those with chronic illness particularly vulnerable.
The extreme temperatures across Europe are a result of a heat dome that is trapping an area of high pressure and hot air – a phenomenon that is also currently scorching the US. It comes amid an ongoing marine heatwave that has left the Mediterranean 5C hotter than normal, according to data from the University of Maine’s climate change institute.
Dr Michael Byrne, a climate scientist at the University of St Andrews, said heat domes were nothing new but the temperatures they delivered were. “Europe is more than 2C warmer than in preindustrial times, so when a heat dome occurs it drives a hotter heatwave,” he said.
Doctors across the continent warned people to take extra care in the hot weather, encouraging them to stay out of the heat, drink lots of water, wear loose clothing and check in on vulnerable neighbours.
Researchers estimate that dangerous temperatures in Europe will kill 8,000 to 80,000 more people by the end of the century, as the lives lost to stronger heat outpace those saved from milder cold.
“The planet is getting hotter and more dangerous,” said Guterres, who called for more action to stop climate change. “No country is immune.”
Additional reporting from Angelique Chrisafis in Paris, Angela Giuffrida in Rome and Deborah Cole in Berlin
LONDON (AP) — Two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur retired during her first-round match Monday after taking a medical timeout, the latest issue for her during an injury-filled season.
Jabeur, a 30-year-old from Tunisia, quit playing while trailing Viktoriya Tomova 7-6 (5), 2-0.
Jabeur was visited by a trainer in the first set. At one point, she sat on her sideline seat and cried into a towel.
“I wasn’t expecting not to feel good. I have been practicing pretty well the last few days. But I guess these things happen,” Jabeur said afterward. “I’m pretty sad. Doesn’t really help me with my confidence and what I keep pushing myself to do even though it was a very tough season for me. I hope I can feel better.”
She lost to Elena Rybakina in the 2022 final and to Marketa Vondrousova in the 2023 final. Jabeur also was a finalist at the 2022 U.S. Open, losing to Iga Swiatek.
Jabeur’s 2024 season ended early because of a shoulder injury and she’s dealt with leg problems this year.
Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to CuriousKidsUS@theconversation.com.
How does the camera on the James Webb Space Telescope work and see so far out? – Kieran G., age 12, Minnesota
Imagine a camera so powerful it can see light from galaxies that formed more than 13 billion years ago. That’s exactly what NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is built to do.
Since it launched in December 2021, Webb has been orbiting more than a million miles from Earth, capturing breathtaking images of deep space. But how does it actually work? And how can it see so far? The secret lies in its powerful cameras – especially ones that don’t see light the way our eyes do.
I’m an astrophysicist who studies galaxies and supermassive black holes, and the Webb telescope is an incredible tool for observing some of the earliest galaxies and black holes in the universe.
When Webb takes a picture of a distant galaxy, astronomers like me are actually seeing what that galaxy looked like billions of years ago. The light from that galaxy has been traveling across space for the billions of years it takes to reach the telescope’s mirror. It’s like having a time machine that takes snapshots of the early universe.
By using a giant mirror to collect ancient light, Webb has been discovering new secrets about the universe.
A telescope that sees heat
Unlike regular cameras or even the Hubble Space Telescope, which take images of visible light, Webb is designed to see a kind of light that’s invisible to your eyes: infrared light. Infrared light has longer wavelengths than visible light, which is why our eyes can’t detect it. But with the right instruments, Webb can capture infrared light to study some of the earliest and most distant objects in the universe.
Infrared cameras, like night-vision goggles, allow you to ‘see’ the infrared waves emitting from warm objects such as humans and animals. The temperatures for the images are in degrees Fahrenheit. NASA/JPL-Caltech
Although the human eye cannot see it, people can detect infrared light as a form of heat using specialized technology, such as infrared cameras or thermal sensors. For example, night-vision goggles use infrared light to detect warm objects in the dark. Webb uses the same idea to study stars, galaxies and planets.
Why infrared? When visible light from faraway galaxies travels across the universe, it stretches out. This is because the universe is expanding. That stretching turns visible light into infrared light. So, the most distant galaxies in space don’t shine in visible light anymore – they glow in faint infrared. That’s the light Webb is built to detect.
The rainbow of visible light that you can see is only a small slice of all the kinds of light. Some telescopes can detect light with a longer wavelength, such as infrared light, or light with a shorter wavelength, such as ultraviolet light. Others can detect X-rays or radio waves. Inductiveload, NASA/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
A golden mirror to gather the faintest glow
Before the light reaches the cameras, it first has to be collected by the Webb telescope’s enormous golden mirror. This mirror is over 21 feet (6.5 meters) wide and made of 18 smaller mirror pieces that fit together like a honeycomb. It’s coated in a thin layer of real gold – not just to look fancy, but because gold reflects infrared light extremely well.
The mirror gathers light from deep space and reflects it into the telescope’s instruments. The bigger the mirror, the more light it can collect – and the farther it can see. Webb’s mirror is the largest ever launched into space.
Webb’s 21-foot primary mirror, made of 18 hexagonal mirrors, is coated with a plating of gold. NASA
Inside the cameras: NIRCam and MIRI
The most important “eyes” of the telescope are two science instruments that act like cameras: NIRCam and MIRI.
NIRCam stands for near-infrared camera. It’s the primary camera on Webb and takes stunning images of galaxies and stars. It also has a coronagraph – a device that blocks out starlight so it can photograph very faint objects near bright sources, such as planets orbiting bright stars.
NIRCam works by imaging near-infrared light, the type closest to what human eyes can almost see, and splitting it into different wavelengths. This helps scientists learn not just what something looks like but what it’s made of. Different materials in space absorb and emit infrared light at specific wavelengths, creating a kind of unique chemical fingerprint. By studying these fingerprints, scientists can uncover the properties of distant stars and galaxies.
MIRI, or the mid-infrared instrument, detects longer infrared wavelengths, which are especially useful for spotting cooler and dustier objects, such as stars that are still forming inside clouds of gas. MIRI can even help find clues about the types of molecules in the atmospheres of planets that might support life.
Both cameras are far more sensitive than the standard cameras used on Earth. NIRCam and MIRI can detect the tiniest amounts of heat from billions of light-years away. If you had Webb’s NIRCam as your eyes, you could see the heat from a bumblebee on the Moon. That’s how sensitive it is.
Webb’s first deep-field image: The MIRI image is on the left and the NIRCam image is on the right. NASA
Because Webb is trying to detect faint heat from faraway objects, it needs to keep itself as cold as possible. That’s why it carries a giant sun shield about the size of a tennis court. This five-layer sun shield blocks heat from the Sun, Earth and even the Moon, helping Webb stay incredibly cold: around -370 degrees F (-223 degrees C).
MIRI needs to be even colder. It has its own special refrigerator, called a cryocooler, to keep it chilled to nearly -447 degrees F (-266 degrees C). If Webb were even a little warm, its own heat would drown out the distant signals it’s trying to detect.
Turning space light into pictures
Once light reaches the Webb telescope’s cameras, it hits sensors called detectors. These detectors don’t capture regular photos like a phone camera. Instead, they convert the incoming infrared light into digital data. That data is then sent back to Earth, where scientists process it into full-color images.
The colors we see in Webb’s pictures aren’t what the camera “sees” directly. Because infrared light is invisible, scientists assign colors to different wavelengths to help us understand what’s in the image. These processed images help show the structure, age and composition of galaxies, stars and more.
By using a giant mirror to collect invisible infrared light and sending it to super-cold cameras, Webb lets us see galaxies that formed just after the universe began.
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