Musician, author, studied astronomy, Star Trek, sci-fi addict, tennis/Arsenal fan. Nature, the Arts, did I leave anything out? Very occasional tweeter...no DMs
Coming soon: one of history’s most complex missions
Tune in on Tuesday, June 9, at 11am ET, to meet the astronauts flying aboard Artemis III, the mission that will test docking capabilities with commercial landers in low Earth orbit — an important step to crewed lunar landings.
William Saliba: “The first season I arrived, we were playing incredible football. That was the season where I said we deserved the title. We finished second - as usual, people made fun of us.”
“The second season too, we were playing good football, finished second. People made fun of us, ‘Bottle, bottle’. Last season too, we were playing well, even if we weren’t playing as well as the first two seasons, we still finished second.”
“This season, even if I don’t agree with everything they say, as if there was only one team that was playing. Well, we’re playing football, except it’s true that sometimes we score a lot more from set-pieces.”
“Now, in the Premier League, you see everyone does long throws, focuses on corners, it’s NOT just us. We just do it better than the others, so we’re going to continue like this.” 🏆🇫🇷 [@lequipe]
90% of the soldiers on the first boats to hit the beach didn't live to see the end of the day. Look at those faces. Some of them never made it to 18.
Never forget that they paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We live our lives the way we do because of them.
The parallels of supporting Arsenal and being a successful filmmaker? Dedication.
It's not every day you get to sit down with an icon like Spike Lee 🤩
🤝 @chivasregal
It was terrible Mr Vice President what happened. And lessons will be learned. But here’s a thought - maybe concentrate instead on why 44000 Americans died last year from gun related deaths, and what can be done about your dreadful disease before you start lecturing others
A 24-year-old Polish tennis player arrived in Paris last week ranked 114th in the world, with no sponsors, no guaranteed income, and no certainty she could even pay for her hotel room.
She had to win three qualifying matches just to enter the French Open main draw. Prize money is only paid at the end of the tournament, so a Polish sports drink brand quietly stepped in and covered her hotel bill.
Her name is Maja Chwalinska. And today, she plays in the French Open final.
Before this tournament, she had won exactly one Grand Slam main draw match in her entire career. She had battled depression so severe that in 2021 she couldn't get out of bed. She underwent knee surgery in 2022. She spent years grinding through small tournaments across Europe just to stay afloat.
Then she arrived in Paris, won three qualifiers, and kept winning. Zheng Qinwen. Elise Mertens. Maria Sakkari. Diana Shnaider. Nine straight matches. One set dropped.
She is now the first qualifier in French Open history to reach the final. The last time a qualifier reached a Grand Slam final, it was Emma Raducanu at the 2021 US Open. Raducanu won.
By simply making the final, Chwalinska has earned more prize money than her entire career combined. The runner-up cheque alone is $1.6 million. If she wins today, she takes home $3.25 million.
One week ago she couldn't pay for her hotel room.
Imagine being so talented you could make marble appear soft to the touch. Gian Lorenzo Bernini was only 23 years old when he created this breathtaking masterpiece in the 1600s.
Gian Lorenzo Bernini was just 23 years old when he finished The Abduction of Proserpina in 1622. Widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements of the Baroque era, the sculpture is celebrated for making solid Carrara marble appear remarkably soft and lifelike. Its most famous detail depicts Pluto’s fingers sinking into Proserpina’s thigh, creating the astonishing illusion of flesh yielding under pressure.
Through dramatic movement, deep shadows, and exquisitely polished surfaces, Bernini transformed rigid stone into what seems like flowing fabric, delicate skin, and even tears. Today, this extraordinary display of artistry and emotion can be seen at the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
Today is the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression. For Ukrainians, this is a painful reality that has become part of everyday life.
Since 2022 alone, Russia has killed 707 Ukrainian children, injured 2,548, and left 2,318 missing. The youngest victim was just two days old - born and killed in a maternity hospital.
These figures may be far higher, as the full truth about what has happened in the temporarily occupied territories remains unknown. In addition, at least 20,470 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia or forcibly displaced.
Eternal memory to all the children whose lives have been taken by Russia's aggression...
3 white English boys raped a young girl at knifepoint. Judge Nicholas Rowland let them walk free, telling them "you done very well."
No outrage from the "English patriots?" The "Reform voters?"
No outrage & even less news coverage. Why?
Because they are white, English rapists.
When I called out Trump years ago for being a danger to democracy, a free press, and truth itself, I was accused of making myself the story and showboating. How did things turn out? Trump is all of those things. Tonight, the free press is very much in danger in America. Wake up!
You can all see that Ukraine’s positions on the frontline are strong and that we are gradually taking back occupied territory. In May, Russia achieved almost no meaningful results on the battlefield. And that matters.
Please also pay attention to Russia's losses. They're losing 30,000 to 35,000 troops every month. And the nature of those losses changed in the past year: around 63% killed and another 37% seriously wounded. These are massive irreversible losses.
Even for Russia, this is becoming a serious problem, because the overall size of its occupation forces is shrinking.
From an address to the participants of the NATO–Ukraine Council meeting in Kyiv (2/5).
What's up for June?
The solstice brings summer to the Northern Hemisphere. Jupiter and Venus will appear close together in the night sky, and Mercury will join them soon after. The Moon will also pass in front of Venus on June 17. Learn more: https://t.co/Ujal0GZVJU
Today, I presented state awards of Ukraine to the people without whom Operation “Spiderweb” would not have happened. We have no right to name them – everything remains absolutely classified and will remain so for a long time. This is already a historic operation by the Security Service of Ukraine, one that was carefully prepared, and on this very day one year ago, it entered its final stage – striking Russian military equipment. Farther than Ukrainian long-range capabilities had ever reached before. As precisely as no one in Russia expected. And as justly as the enemy’s strategic aviation deserves.
“Spiderweb” destroyed or at least damaged 41 aircraft. Never before had Russia lost such equipment, in such numbers, and as a result of strikes by drones that were incomparably cheaper. Ukraine has once again proved that it knows how to act asymmetrically, that it defends itself actively and truly creatively, and that Russia has no chance of overcoming Ukrainian courage. Ukraine will always be one step ahead – in technology, in bravery, and in the ability to capture the world’s attention and rally the support of millions of human hearts.
Ukraine is now applying long-range sanctions against Russia for this war literally every day. We did not start this war, we did not provoke it, and the only thing we wanted for Ukraine and Ukrainians was peace. But as long as the Russians choose the opposite, and as long as Russia does everything to drag out this war and expand it, Ukrainians will continue to find responses that will definitely work. I thank all our warriors for their precision! I thank the Security Service of Ukraine for its long-range leadership! I thank everyone who helps us! Glory to Ukraine!