Latest news with #GoldenAge
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Amsterdam is celebrating 750 years – here's how to enjoy a summer weekend in the city
Amsterdam is a city that celebrates individuality, encourages quirkiness and delights in difference. It has a long history of riches and rebelliousness. The glory-days of the 17th century, the über-cosy 1800s, the counter-culture explosion of the 1960s – they've all left tidelines along Amsterdam's canals: opulent gables, Rembrandt and Van Gogh, barrel-lined cafés, gardens of rare blooms, marijuana-selling 'coffeeshops', and Miss Marple bicycles. Now Amsterdam is sweeping into a new Golden Age, making a fresh mark with galleries, sharp shops, award-winning restaurants and hipster cafés. Bristles of audacious architecture have shot up round the city edges but the cobweb of gable-lined canals is still at its heart, with funky stores in the criss-crossing alleys of Negen Straatjes, new galleries to the west in the Jordaan, world-class museums and chic boutiques south around Museumplein, a market and further foodie paradise in De Pijp, and hot new quarters opening up all the time. And here are our other Amsterdam guides, providing inspiration for hotels, restaurants, shopping, bars and cafés, attractions and free things to do (plus the best hotels near Amsterdam airport). In this guide: What's new in Amsterdam this summer Festivities: Amsterdam turns 750 Amsterdam has been celebrating the lead-up to its 750th anniversary all year, with a vast programme of exhibitions, festivals, concerts and more. On June 21, 15km of the city's ring road close for all-day celebrations, including DJ sets, street food and choir performances. Other anniversary events include a free Isamu Noguchi exhibition at the Rijksmuseum until October, showcasing the renowned sculptor's works. An Amsterdam Eats exhibition is also on at the Allard Pierson Museum until early September, that walks through the history of the city's culinary scene. Concerts: Sounds of the Future From August 15 to 24, venues along the canals – homes, gardens, terraces, concert halls, churches and outdoors – host the Grachtenfestival. Amsterdam's rising young musical talent take to the stage to perform classic and jazz concerts in alluring settings. It's the place to hear those who are teetering on the brink of fame. Museum: Photography exhibition Huis Marseille makes imaginative use of its two quite exceptional 17th-century canal houses (complete with ceiling paintings by Jacob de Wit) in Memento, running from June 28 to October 12. More than 100 photos from its rich photography collection track the changes, tangents and curious surprises of photography over the past 25 years.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Stuff of dreams: Amsterdam's ‘Art Zoo' mixes art and taxidermy
AMSTERDAM: A fearsome stuffed crocodile hangs menacingly from the roof, mouth wide open, sharp teeth ready to strike: welcome to the Art Zoo, the new offbeat museum opening in Amsterdam. Aiming to elevate taxidermy to high art, Art Zoo opens Thursday in the heart of the Dutch capital, in a famous building from the 17th century, a period that inspired the two artists that created the show. 'Our work is inspired by 17th century sculptures and painters from the Golden Age, the Dutch painters who painted animal scenes,' said artist Ferry van Tongeren. In that period, Dutch Golden Age painters drew inspiration from brightly coloured parrots, big cats, and exotic animals captured in distant colonies and brought back to Europe to great amazement. They were often painted in theatrical poses, wings spread or neck extended, which the artists tried to replicate with their stuffed displays. A stuffed swan with wings deployed in defensive posture is a nod to 'The Threatened Swan' by Golden Age master Jan Asselijn, currently hanging in the Rijksmuseum nearby. 'It's a sculpture of a skinless animal but it's still a sculpture and we create the drama, we create the story,' Van Tongeren told AFP. He has been working with colleague Jaap Sinke for more than a decade as taxidermy-artists -- a world away from the advertising industry where the two men met more than 20 years ago. Sinke, 52, said he had always enjoyed the varied nature of being an artist. 'You're a little bit sculptor, you're a little bit surgeon, you're a little bit hairdresser and you're a little bit painter,' he said. 'I think it's nice to combine all those crafts into one,' added Sinke. In other exhibits, majestic tigers are displayed poised to attack, while birds of prey grip long snakes in their claws. To head off criticism from animal lovers, the artists have prominently displayed a sign with their 'Golden Rule.' 'None of the animals in our taxidermy artworks were taken from the wild or bred specifically for the Art Zoo Museum. All died of natural causes, under the care of zoos and breeders.' Eva Krook, museum director, described the exhibition as an 'aesthetic tribute to nature, wonder, and everything fragile and cherished.' 'In a city where everything is becoming bigger, more high-tech, and part of a chain, this museum offers an intimate space in the city centre where the art of taxidermy is celebrated in all its beauty,' said Krook.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Ravi Mohan's estranged wife Aarti Ravi opens up about ‘the first man to love me' and his influence on her sons: ‘I now see what I once took for granted'
Following months of controversies and verbal spats on social media, the situation has somewhat calmed down for Aarti Ravi, the estranged wife of Tamil actor Ravi Mohan. As she finally embraces her status as a single parent, Aarti is ensuring that her two sons never feel a dearth of love or compassion. And in this journey, it appears she is not alone and has the expert support of 'the man who loved me first'. Recently, Aarti took to social media to share with the world the impact her father, Krishnamurthy Vijaykumar, has had on her life. She also emphasised that he now plays an equally significant role in her children's lives. On the occasion of Father's Day, she penned a heartfelt note dedicated to him, reflecting on how he has always stood by her with 'no noise, no praise'. In a carousel post, she shared a photo of the two of them together, along with a short video of him spending time with her sons, Aarav and Ayaan. Aarti wrote, 'When so much around me felt unsure, you were the one thing that wasn't. There were days I didn't know how I'd get through. But you were there. You didn't ask what to do. You just stood by me — calm, steady, and strong.' Also Read | Bollywood's most celebrated Golden Age writer died penniless, burdened by heavy debts; Javed Akhtar blamed Raj Kapoor She continued: 'Daddy, I now see what I once took for granted — the way you always showed up, without needing to be asked. No noise, no praise — just you, being there.' Opening up about the influence he has on her children, Aarti added, 'They say children mirror what they see. And while my boys are still figuring out the world, I know they're learning something important: What it looks like to be loved without conditions. You didn't just raise me. You're raising them too — in all the ways that truly matter.' Assuring her father that she will recover from her struggles and find herself again, Aarti wrote: 'And Daddy… I know I'm not the same girl you once let go with hope in your eyes. Life has tested me in ways none of us expected. I know you'd want her back — just the way she was. I'm trying. And I promise — I'll find her again. I'll come back as your little girl.' A post shared by Aarti Ravi (@ A post shared by Krishnamurthy Vijaykumar (@krishnamurthyvijaykumar) A post shared by Aarti Ravi (@ After 15 years of marriage, Ravi Mohan announced his separation from Aarti in September 2024. Since then, speculation has been rife that he is dating singer-spiritual healer Keneesha Francis, although neither has confirmed the rumours. Last month, Aarti claimed she was facing 'home eviction' and was left alone to care for her children. 'My children are 10 and 14. They deserve security, not shock. Stability, not silence. They are too young to understand legal clauses, but old enough to feel abandonment. Every unanswered call, every cancelled meeting, every cold message meant for me but read by them – these are just not oversights. They are wounds,' she wrote. Dismissing her claims, Ravi responded by saying he felt 'stabbed in the chest'. 'What breaks me most is seeing my children used as tools in public narrative rooted in financial gain, and to sway public sympathy, while I have been deliberately kept away from them since our separation. I have only decided in full knowledge and understanding of my past circumstances to leave my ex-wife and not my kids. My children are my eternal pride and happiness, and I will do all things better than the best for the two boys I live my life for,' he shared.
Metro
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Little Rascals actress and former child star Betsy Gay dies aged 96
The former child star Betsy Gay, who rose to prominence in the 1930s, has died aged 96. The late screenstar and renowned yodeller died on June 13, as confirmed by her friend Bob Satterfield. As a child star during the Golden Age of Hollywood, her movie career kicked off after appearing in a series of comedy films called Our Gang comedies e.g. Our Gangs Follies of 1938, which later became well known as Little Rascals. After starring in the role of Alfalfa's girlfriend Effie for multiple years, she moved on at the end of the decade. Other high-profile projects she was involved in included Arbor Day, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Pinch Singer, with her featuring in over 40 movies (credited or uncredited) over the course of her career. In 1941, she had a yodelling scene in an Andy Clyde short, and after performing the skill in a handful of other movies, she started singing with country music stars of the time such as Stuart Hamblen and his Lucky Stars and Tex Williams. She was also California State Yodelling Champion two years in a row in the mid-1940s. Per reports, Betsy was also the youngest entertainer to sing and yodel for the Hollywood Victory Committee Shows during World War Two. As well as appearing on stage in productions like Quality Street, A Kiss For Cinderella, and Heros Unlimited. More Trending Alongside her brewing music career, which involved touring and radio appearances on shows like The Jimmy Wakeley Show and The Don Amache Show, she continued pursuing acting opportunities. At one point, she was a regular cast member of the ABC show Squeakin' Deacon's Country Store and in the 1960s was a regular on the Mike Douglas show, International Party Time which ran for 13 weeks. In 1954, she married Thomas Cashen and they shared five children – twins Mimi and Gigi, Tommy, Suzy and Cathy. Although she has not been in the limelight for several decades, in 2019 she uploaded a brief YouTube clip celebrating World Yodel Day. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
EPA set to roll back rules that limit greenhouse gases and mercury from US power plants
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is poised to eliminate rules that limit greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas, part of a wide-ranging rollback of environmental regulations that Administrator Lee Zeldin has said would remove trillions of dollars in costs and 'unleash' American energy. The EPA also plans to weaken a regulation that requires power plants to reduce emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants that can harm brain development of young children and contribute to heart attacks and other health problems in adults. The planned rollbacks, set to be announced Wednesday, are meant to fulfill President Donald Trump's repeated pledge to "unleash American energy" and make it more affordable for Americans to power their homes and operate businesses. If approved and made final, the plans would reverse efforts by President Joe Biden's administration to address climate change and improve conditions in areas heavily burdened by industrial pollution, mostly in low-income and majority Black or Hispanic communities. The power plant rules are among about 30 environmental regulations that Zeldin targeted in March when he announced what he called the 'most consequential day of deregulation in American history.' He said the actions would put a 'dagger through the heart of climate-change religion' and introduce a 'Golden Age' for the American economy. Environmental groups vowed to challenge the rules in court. 'Power plants are among the largest sources of dangerous pollution in the nation. We have modern technologies that allow these plants to reduce pollution with available and cost-effective solutions,' said Vickie Patton, general counsel of the Environmental Defense Fund. The clean-air standards targeted by the EPA under Trump, a Republican, "are protecting people across America today and will safeguard future generations,'' Patton said. 'Ignoring the immense harm to public health from power plant pollution is a clear violation of the law,'' added Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council. 'Our lawyers will be watching closely, and if EPA finalizes a slapdash effort to repeal those rules, we'll see them in court.' The EPA-targeted rules could prevent an estimated 30,000 deaths and save $275 billion each year they are in effect, according to an Associated Press examination that included the agency's own prior assessments and a wide range of other research. It's by no means guaranteed that the rules will be entirely eliminated — they can't be changed without going through a federal rulemaking process that can take years and requires public comment and scientific justification. Even a partial dismantling of the rules would mean more pollutants such as smog, mercury and lead — and especially more tiny airborne particles that can lodge in lungs and cause health problems, the AP analysis found. It would also mean higher emissions of the greenhouse gases driving Earth's warming to deadlier levels. Biden, a Democrat, had made fighting climate change a hallmark of his presidency. Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a strict EPA rule issued last year. Then-EPA head Michael Regan said the power plant rules — the Biden administration's most ambitious effort to roll back planet-warming pollution from the power sector — would reduce pollution and improve public health while supporting a reliable, long-term supply of electricity. The power sector is the nation's second-largest contributor to climate change, after transportation. In its proposed regulation, the Trump EPA argues that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from fossil fuel-fired power plants 'do not contribute significantly to dangerous pollution' or to climate change and therefore do not meet a threshold under the Clean Air Act for regulatory action. A paper published earlier this year in the journal Science found the Biden-era rules could reduce U.S. power sector carbon emissions by 73% to 86% below 2005 levels by 2040, compared with a reduction of 60% to 83% without the rules. 'Our research shows that EPA's power plant rules make substantial strides to protect human health and the environment,'' said Aaron Bergman, a fellow at Resources for the Future, a nonprofit research institution and a co-author of the Science paper. 'Carbon emissions in the power sector drop at a faster rate with the (Biden-era) rules in place than without them,'' Bergman said in an email. 'And we also would have seen significant reductions in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, pollutants that harm human health."
