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International
Man City vs West Ham – Premier League: score en direct, nouvelles de l’équipe et mises à jour
International
MARKET REPORT: Luxury stocks sparkle as LVMH sales soothe fears
Luxury stocks sparkled as LVMH eased concerns about the health of the industry.
The French giant, one of Europe’s most valuable companies and home to brands such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Tiffany, reported a 3 per cent rise in first-quarter sales to £17.7billion.
The figures soothed investors worried about the outlook, and its shares rose 2.8 per cent in Paris.
The mood spread with Burberry up 1 per cent, or 11p, to 1146p in London, while on the Continent Hermes rose 2.3 per cent, Cartier owner Richemont increased by 3 per cent and Gucci parent Kering went up by 0.2 per cent.
Also publishing figures was Adidas, which raised its profit forecast for this year to almost £600million from £426million after a strong start to 2024. Shares in Germany rose 8.6 per cent.
Fashion stakes: LVMH, one of Europe’s most valuable companies and home to brands such as Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany, reported a 3% rise in first-quarter sales
London peer JD Sports was up 1.8 per cent, or 2.15p, to 119.05p.
Financial markets regained some composure after heavy selling on Tuesday. The FTSE 100 was up 0.4 per cent, or 27.63 points, to 7847.99. The FTSE 250 fell 0.02 per cent, or 4.40 points, to 19,340.14.
Mining stocks helped to push London’s top index higher.
Antofagasta is aiming to ramp up copper production despite output falling 11 per cent to 129,400 tons in the first quarter. It still expects production to increase this year, and rose 2.8 per cent, or 61p, to 2269p.
Rio Tinto’s solid first-quarter results were driven by positive performances in its bauxite and aluminium businesses. It added 2.8 per cent, or 149p, to 5403p.
Anglo American joined the rally after its diamond arm posted higher sales – nearly £360million from mid-March to April 16.
That was more than the £346million between February 1 and March 12. It rose 3.5 per cent, or 73.5p, to 2168.5p.
GSK climbed 1.3p, or 20.5p, to 1590p after fresh data showed its shingles vaccine provided protection for more than a decade in adults aged 50 and over.
And trials revealed an oral antibiotic could treat gonorrhoea in adults.
Banknote printer De La Rue rose 1.8 per cent, or 1.4p, to 80.2p after its update on the year to March 30 contained few surprises.
Food delivery firm Just Eat Takeaway sank 5.2 per cent, or 62p, to 1134p after orders fell 6pc to £214.2million in the first quarter.
Eyewear firm Inspecs reported record sales of frames and returned to profit last year despite a weak December.
It made £203.3million of revenue in 2023 – up from £201million the year before and swung back into a profit of £200,000. Shares gained 7.5 per cent, or 3.5p, to 50.5p.
Investment fund Brooks Macdonald warned clients will pull out more than they put in as they face pressures from high interest rates. It slid 2.9 per cent, or 52.5p, to 1775p, as net outflows hit £294million in the quarter to March 31.
Green investor Scirocco Energy wants to leave London’s Alternative Investment Market, to cut costs by at least £250,000 a year.
If investors agree, shares are likely to stop trading from May 17. It fell 18.2 per cent, or 0.05p, to 0.23p.
Synectics, the security and surveillance business, added 4.3 per cent, or 8p, to 193p after it won a software contract worth £800,000.
International
US House inches closer to vote over aid to Ukraine and Israel
The Republican leader of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday announced a weekend vote on massive new military aid including some $61 billion in long-delayed support for Ukraine, as well as billions for Israel and Taiwan.
International
‘Oscars for airports’ names Doha’s Hamad International best airport in the world for 2024, Newark Liberty snares the gong for best new terminal… and the UK (yet again) fails to win a single award in any category
Doha’s Hamad International Airport has been named the World’s Best Airport at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024, aka ‘the Oscars of the airport industry’.
The airport, home to a 6,000-square-metre indoor tropical garden and which offers unlimited free Wi-Fi, also takes home the gong for World’s Best Airport Shopping.
It previously won the top prize in 2021 and 2022, with Singapore Changi Airport crowned the world’s best in 2023 and occupying the silver-medal position overall this year.
Seoul Incheon Airport comes third in the global ranking and picks up the award for World’s Most Family Friendly Airport. Rounding off the top five is Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita.
Airports in the UK and the USA are conspicuous by their absence, with both countries failing to make the top 20, though Newark Liberty Airport – Terminal A takes home the prize for World’s Best New Airport Terminal, Houston Airport System snares World’s Best Airport Art and Entertainment, and Heathrow Airport ranks a fairly respectable 21 in the overall global list – out of 597 airports worldwide.
Doha’s Hamad International Airport has been named the World’s Best Airport at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2024, aka ‘the Oscars of the airport industry’
Still, the fact that the UK – regarded as a pioneer of air travel – doesn’t muster a single prize in any category will be seen as shocking by many flyers.
‘This year, Hamad International Airport celebrates its milestone tenth year of operations and we are truly honoured that passengers have voted us Best Airport in the World for a third time,’ said Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Badr Al Meer. ‘We are also delighted to bring home the top awards for Best Airport Shopping and the Best Airport in the Middle East for the second consecutive and tenth time, respectively. Skytrax’s prestigious awards reflect the dedication of our employees who, every day, help innovate and maintain our leading position.
‘Our talented team is pioneering and committed to delivering an excellent passenger experience with industry firsts and one-of-a-kind shopping and dining offerings set amidst our superlative infrastructure, which includes the world-renowned indoor tropical garden, the “Orchard”. We look forward to continuing to surprise and delight passengers by creating memorable and exceptional passenger journeys in the years to come.’
Other highlights from the 2024 ceremony, held at Passenger Terminal Expo in Frankfurt, include Tokyo Narita Airport being recognised for customer service and named as having the World’s Best Airport Staff and the Best Airport Staff in Asia, and elsewhere in Japan, New Chitose Airport has been voted as the World’s Most Improved Airport.
Singapore Changi Airport, crowned the world’s best in 2023, occupies the silver-medal position overall this year
Seoul Incheon Airport comes third in the global ranking
Newark Liberty Airport – Terminal A (above) takes home the prize for World’s Best New Airport Terminal
Dallas Fort-Worth Airport is a first-time winner in the World Airport Awards after being recognised as providing the Best Airport Staff Service in North America, and Vancouver International Airport returns to the top of the region ranking – it’s named the Best Airport in North America once again. The TWA Hotel JFK has been voted by passengers as the Best Airport Hotel in North America.
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport wins the award for World’s Best Airport Hotel for the ninth time in the awards’ history and is also the Best Airport Hotel in Asia.
Rome Fiumicino Airport picks up the award for the World’s Best Airport Security Processing for the first time and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, run by Group ADP, has impressed, with its Terminal 3 facility declared the World’s Best Low-Cost Terminal, and the airport judged to be the Best Airport in Europe for a second successive year.
What’s more, Paris Orly Airport, also run by Group ADP, has been voted by passengers as the Best Regional Airport in Europe.
Istanbul Airport takes home World’s Best Airport Dining Experience and is also named as the Best Airport in Southern Europe. Helsinki Vantaa Airport has been named Best Airport in Northern Europe, and Budapest Airport is once again nominated as the Best Airport in Eastern Europe by the passenger vote.
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport has been judged to be the Best Airport in Europe for a second successive year
Munich Airport is recognised as providing the Best Airport Staff Service in Europe, and also being the Best Airport in Central Europe. In another win for the hub, the Hilton Munich Airport has been voted as the Best Airport Hotel in Europe for 2024.
Down under, the fizz will be flowing in Melbourne Airport, recognised as the best in the Australia and Pacific region, with Perth also having cause for celebrations – it claims the honours for Best Airport Staff in Australia & Pacific.
Cape Town Airport and Durban King Shaka Airport are the major award winners in Africa, as Cape Town has been voted as the Best Airport in Africa and is also acknowledged as having the Best Airport Staff Service in Africa. King Shaka Airport is, again, the Best Regional Airport in Africa.
The World Airport Awards are voted for by customers in ‘the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey’.
International
Violent arrests seen in Iran as ‘morality patrols’ resume in nationwide crackdown
A year and a half after the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, police in Iran have resumed “morality patrols” to crack down on women violating the Islamic Republic’s strict hijab rules. Patrols consisting of uniformed male officers and female officers in black chadors have been seen in the capital Tehran and other cities, along with the notorious white vans used to transport arrested women to police stations. The FRANCE 24 Observers spoke to one woman arrested in Tehran shortly after the crackdown was announced on April 11.
International
Thousands of everyday snacks that face being BANNED in multiple states because their ingredients are linked to cancer – including Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, Lucky Charms and Gatorade
Bills advancing in multiple states could see ‘thousands’ of America’s favorite candies, snacks and sodas banned in their current form.
Last October California approved a historic ‘Skittles ban’ that outlawed four food additives linked to cancer and fertility issues.
Now, New York, Pennsylvania and Illinois have advanced similar measures, targeting a total of 13 additives that are already banned in some European countries over alleged health risks.
New Jersey and Missouri are also considering the bans. If passed, they would force companies to change their recipes or face legal action.
And experts say the moves could change the look, taste and texture of some Americans’ favorite food items.
The above graphic shows the foods that are on the chopping block in some states
Brian Ronholm, director of food safety at Consumer Reports, a campaign group which has championed the bans, said: ‘There is no consumer confusion on this issue — they want these chemicals out of foods.
‘But when [consumers] see that the FDA has not been able to keep up with the latest research… they recognize that the states are the only ones trying to protect them from toxic food chemicals right now.’
He warned that thousands of food products including breakfast cereals, sweet treats and beverages could be impacted.
California’s landmark ‘Skittles Ban’, set to go into force in January 2027, outlawed four additives — brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and Red 3.
Those ingredients have been banned in Europe for years due to their links to kidney, thyroid and gastrointestinal cancer and mood disorders.
The ban in California triggered the introduction of a series of similar bills in New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Missouri and Pennsylvania.
But some are seeking to go even further than the Golden State.
Pictured above is senior reporter Luke Andrews reviewing items in grocery stores for food dyes
New York’s bill calls for the ban of azodicarbinamide, used in breads and other baked goods, and butylated hydroxyanisole, a preservative used in processed meats.
And lawmakers in Pennsylvania are calling for multiple food colorings — Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1 and Blue 2 — to be outlawed, due to their links to hyperactivity in children.
Pennsylvania’s ban is the most far-reaching because it targets five of the food coloring agents that are commonly used to give candies bright, attractive colors or to change the hues of processed foods to make them more appealing.
Several studies — including a 2021 review by the California Environmental Protection Agency — have suggested synthetic dyes can cause adverse behavior including inattentiveness, hyperactivity and restlessness.
Scientists suggest this may be because the dyes interfere with dopamine in the brain, according to some studies, a neurotransmitter associated with mood and behavior.
‘They are linked to restlessness,’ Ronholm said, ‘so that’s pretty much the crux of the effort to try to get these synthetic dyes out of foods in children.
‘These additives are introduced to children at an age where they are still developing, and when you introduce them at a young age… it really just increases their risk over time.’
However, Chris Gindlesperger, from the National Confectioners Association, said there was no strong evidence linking the color additives to hyperactivity or cancers.
‘The bans on color additives because of the adverse impacts on children often reference a 2021 study done in California.
‘But this has blatant shortcomings. Other bodies have consistently countered that study and concluded there is no causal relationship between food color additives and behavior in children.’
Several studies in animals have also linked the additives to some cancers, including in the kidneys and blood.
Three of the dyes — Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 — can also be contaminated with benzene, a known carcinogen.
Mr Ronholm added: ‘When you combine the fact that they are linked to certain types of cancers but then linked to behavioral difficulties, it really highlights the point that these are things that don’t belong in food because of the increased risk that it presents. That is the crux of the bill.’
California has introduced another bill aiming to ban all of the dyes — and Green 3 — from its schools.
Studies have also linked Green 3 to hyperactivity in children.
While states are leading the way, the FDA is now considering a ban on brominated vegetable oil over links to nervous system damage. It is currently used in products including Sun Drop soda and DG Genuine Jamaican Ginger Beer.
Campaigners say it is ‘likely’ bans in other states will pass — pointing to the ‘bipartisan’ efforts in Pennsylvania.
They also say it is easy for companies to change their recipes, pointing out that many have already done so in Europe in order to get their products into the market.
But the opposition says this is not a ‘tidal wave’ of change, adding that five states — Indiana, Maryland, South Dakota, Washington and West Virginia — have had attempts to bring in bans on the additives quashed.
Additionally, the bills are only currently in committees in their state Houses. They will need to pass votes in the House, committees, Senate and gain a signature from the Governor before they become law.
And if passed, they are currently not set to come into force until January 2027. The lag is to give manufacturers time to update their recipes or face being banned from the state.
International
David Moyes hopes newly-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen are still DRUNK from their celebrations as they try overturn a two-goal deficit in the Europa League
- The Hammers are hoping to overturn a two-goal deficit on Thursday night
- Bayer Leverkusen are unbeaten in 34 matches in all competitions this season
- Liverpool have been ‘hungover’ since Man United dumped them out of the FA Cup – where has their energy gone? Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
David Moyes hopes Bayer Leverkusen’s players are still drunk from downing giant steins of beer when West Ham take on newly-crowned Bundesliga champions in their crunch Europa League clash on Thursday night.
Leverkusen won the German title for the first time in their history this week and celebrated in wild fashion as players stormed the post-match press conference to drench manager Xabi Alonso in beer before they continued the party in an alcohol-soaked dressing room.
West Ham will wish those hangovers carry into their critical game at the London Stadium where Moyes’s side must overturn a two-goal deficit against a Leverkusen team that haven’t lost in 43 games.
‘Rightly so, why would you not celebrate,’ said West Ham boss Moyes. ‘To be the champions you should celebrate, should enjoy it because the moments go very quickly. I hope they’ve been downing those big giant glasses of beer they get in Germany!’
It’s not the only thing Moyes is hoping for either, as he confirmed that top scorer Jarrod Bowen will face a late fitness test to see if he’s ready to face Leverkusen.
David Moyes is hoping his side can overturn a two-goal deficit in the second-leg at the London Stadium
Bayern player and manager Xabi Alonso (middle) celebrated winning the side’s first-ever Bundesliga title at the weekend
Alonso was covered in beer by his Bayer Leverkusen players during his press conference
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Bowen missed last week’s quarter-final final first leg and the defeat to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday with a back injury but took part in full West Ham training on Wednesday alongside Kalvin Phillips and goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
‘It was great to see Jarrod out there,’ said Moyes. ‘It’s the first time we’ve had him out. I’m not sure yet [if he’ll be involved].
‘We had Kalvin and Alphonse out there as well but I’m not sure about them either. They will all be late calls tomorrow.
‘I would never risk any player if I thought they had chance of injury or it wasn’t right. The player’s welfare is always the most important thing. But you always want your best players back in, you want goalscorers back in as well. Jarrod’s been that for us this season. If he came back it would give us a real lift as well and give the crowd a lift.
‘We have to find a way of making some magic happen.’
Regardless, Moyes insisted the result on Thursday night would have no impact on his future at the club.
The Scot is out of contract in the summer and has said previously there is an extension on the table if he wants to sign it despite perpetual debate over whether he’s the right man to take West Ham forward.
‘It has not got a bearing on my decision,’ said Moyes. ‘Let’s be fair, it wasn’t too long ago we were talking about trying to avoid relegation.
‘As a manager you have to accept that your job is like that. We’ve had lots of ups, some downs as well but in the main it has been really positive.’
While Leverkusen extended their unbeaten season, West Ham missed the chance to move up to sixth in the Premier League when they lost to Fulham on Sunday amid a run of just three wins in 14 top-flight matches as they look to secure European football for a fourth straight season and follow up their Europa Conference League triumph last year.
The celebrations occurred after Alonso guided Bayer to their first ever Bundesliga title
West Ham star Jarrod Bowen (middle) was out on the grass during Wednesday’s training session
The Hammers are coming off a disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Fulham on Sunday
‘Maybe West Ham are a different sort of club (to Leverkusen),’ said Moyes. ‘This place has never been smooth at any time, I don’t think. This club has bobbed up and down.
‘It’s probably had its highest standing for a long time in the last few years. The people who watch West Ham and come here probably know that’s part of it.
‘I don’t think anyone comes here to have a smooth time, I think it’s always got a tinge of something else about it. It’s a club that has been relegated, it has been up and down, but it’s never been in Europe three times in a row, I know that. Our plan is to try and make it four.’
International
The grueling process to find five more impartial Trump jurors: Inside the unforgiving selection that saw a bookseller who listens to NPR in the shower dismissed for being too political
Prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked each of the 18 prospective jurors in front of him to look across at Donald Trump and then take a long look inside themselves and decide whether they were up to the job of deciding guilt or innocence.
‘You have to be able to come back from your deliberations and look the defendant in the eye and say “guilty.’
‘And only you can know that.’
The defendant knew exactly where to look. He wrenched his body around to the right facing them, and delivered a penetrating glare as each in turn answered ‘yes.’
It made for a dramatic moment on day two of Trump’s hush money trial. The former president went eye-to-eye with some of the Manhattan men and women who will deliver one of the most important verdicts in history.
Cameras are not allowed in court 1530 so sketch artists provide images of the action. Former President Donald Trump is seen here with his lawyers Todd Blanche (left) and Emil Bove (right)
The laborious process highlights the challenge of finding people who can deliver a verdict on a highly polarizing defendant without bias.
As they quizzed the panel of 18 possibles, prosecutors wanted to know that each of them were capable of delivering a guilty verdict without adding extra hurdles to protect the most famous man in the country, a man who claims to be the victim of a political witch hunt.
The defense wanted to know what the 18—New York Times readers almost to a man and woman—thought of their client. They only need one to decide
Not that many wanted to share their views.
Juror B113, a Manhattan bookseller with short gray hair in his 50s or 60s and who said he listened to NPR in the shower, said it had no bearing on the case.
‘That is a separate thing,’ he said, in the sort of tone that said he wasn’t here to debate who won the 2020 election.
Defense lead Todd Blanche smelled a rat. Imagine, we were sitting at a bar, he said, would you tell me your views then?
‘If we were at a bar, I would,’ he said, raising laughter around the court.
Blanche had to smile but prospective juror B113 pressed on.
Judge Juan Merchan moved quickly through prospective candidates and managed to get more than half way to filling a panel of 12 by the end of Tuesday. The court does not sit Wednesday
‘I’ll say I’m a Democrat so there you go but I walk in there and he’s a defendant and that’s all he is,’ he said.
Trump watched the exchange intently, looking as if he were trying to read the man’s face for signs that he had already made up his mind.
More on that later.
There were brief moments of levity.
Juror B402, a black woman in a cardigan who works with seniors, admitted she already had thoughts on Trump. After all, who doesn’t?
Trump smiled when she said he ‘stirs the pot’
‘You can’t judge him because he speaks his mind, I mean the way everyone wants to judge him for speaking his mind. … I know what’s right and what’s wrong,’ she said.
Blanche pressed her to explain what she meant, part of his effort to tease out any feelings that might mean his client didn’t get a fair go.
‘If I told you all the time what I thought about people—I want to say some things to people but my momma said be nice,’ she said.
A social media post about Donald Trump saying ‘lock him up’ led to one potential juror being struck from the Manhattan case
Judge Juan Merchan is aiming to complete jury selection this week so that opening statements can begin on Monday. He has Thursday and Friday to find five more jurors and six alternates
Of the first batch of 96 prospective jurors, more than half had put up their hands on Monday to say they did not think they could be impartial.
At each subsequent step, another handful admitted they could not put aside their feelings about Trump or outlined work clashes and were excused.
B354 said growing up in Texas and working in finance might leave him compromised by ‘unconscious bias.’
Others who had said they had no problem with being impartial on Monday had second thoughts by Tuesday.
By Tuesday afternoon, Judge Merchan was ready to begin the business of selecting from the first batch of 18 to fill the final seats.
Not so fast said Blanche. His team had been scouring social media profiles of the jurors for anything that might undermine their impartiality.
Merchan had no time for memes posted eight years ago by the husband of B330, from the Upper West Side, showing a Simpsons character holding Trump’s decapitated head.
‘If this is the worst thing you’re able to find about this juror,’ said Merchan, then it gave him more confidence in her ability to be impartial.
Trump’s lawyers Blanche and Susan Necheles return to the courtroom after a break. Blanche questioned prospective jurors over their social media posts
Stormy Daniels appears at an event, May 23, 2018, in West Hollywood, California. The case revolves around hush money payments allegedly paid to the adult movie star
But the social media history of others proved more contentious.
Juror B38, a middle-aged white man with thinning hair and black, thick-rimmed glasses, was out for a post calling for Trump to be locked up for his 2016 travel ban.
B113, the bookseller with a no-nonsense approach and the idea that his status as a Democrat would be no barrier to impartiality, was quizzed about posts that showed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
In a dark blue button-down shirt, he said it was related to selling buttons for a political action committee. He said it does not support a political party but works to get out the voter.
Again he said his political views had no bearing on the case but admitted that he had a negative view of Trump. ‘Politically, yes I do,’ he said.
That was enough for Merchan.
‘I’m having a hard time crediting responses,’ he said later, ‘and if I’m having a hard time crediting his responses I have a hard time having on the jury.’
And with that, B113 was struck from the pool.
By the end of the day, seven prospective jurors had survived and been sworn in. That means the court must find about five jurors plus six alternates by the end of Friday if the judge is to hit his target of holding opening statements on Monday.
International
Embattled Boeing in spotlight as Congress calls whistleblower to testify about plane defects
Boeing is the subject of back-to-back Senate hearings Wednesday, as Congress examines allegations of major safety failures at the embattled aircraft manufacturer.
International
Scientist share world’s first ‘conversation’ between humans and whales – and say it’s the first step to understanding aliens
Scientists claim they have had the first one-on-one conversation with a whale.
The team from the SETI Institute and the University of California ‘spoke’ with a 38-year-old humpback whale, named Twain, off the coast of Alaska.
They used an underwater microphone to send out whale calls, ‘whup/throp’ sounds, and received 36 responses that seemed like Twain was actively engaged in a communicative exchange.
AI-powered algorithms analyzed the replies, revealing Twain may have shared a greeting call with the team on a boat in the Pacific Ocean.
While speaking to a different species has never been done in this manner, researchers are using the experience to hopefully one day converse with extraterrestrial life.
Twain, a 38-year-old female humpback whale (pictured) communicated with researchers 36 times over a 20-minute period. The researchers said it’s possible the communication was a back-and-forth ‘Hello.’
Researchers hope the interaction with Twain could lead to communications with aliens because the whale’s language is so complex that it forces researchers to identify what their vocalizations mean
In the absence of any aliens, the researchers hope to use whales to develop strategies for non-human communication.
Humpback whales make such a good alien proxy because of their extremely high intelligence and powers of communication.
‘Humpbacks are very socially complex,’ lead research author Brenda McCowan told UC Davis.
‘They travel vast distances. They have a huge vocal repertoire. I always say that every sound ever made in the natural world the humpback makes. It’s incredible the diversity of sounds that they produce.’
The team found Twain with a pod in the Pacific Ocean and decided it was the best place to deploy the underwater microphones.
Twain had left the pod and joined the team by there boat, allowing researchers to capture the first one-on-one conversation with a whale – along with chatter of the pod while they hunted their next meal.
Although some sounds the whales made could be socializing noises, the researchers believe they could be making commands such as telling each other to go up or down.
For example, the team suggested the whales may be telling each other to ‘blow the net deeper’ or even said ‘you idiot’ for an emotional response.
The team told UC Davis that when they first dropped the underwater microphones they heard nothing but weren’t concerned because the whales had traveled thousands of miles from Hawaii and were feeding.
They searched until they found a pod that were vocalizing with each other and tried the attempt again to record what they were saying.
The following day, the researchers dropped the speakers and recorders into the water and played back the recording of the sounds when a whale surfaced near the boat.
Twain was part of a pod (pictured) that the researchers initially recorded to use their own sounds to illicit a response. The following day, Twain separated from the pod when the researchers played back their sounds on an underwater speaker
Whale pods swim in circles to capture their prey, and researchers are trying to understand how they communicate during this process
Dr Brenda McCowan (left) and Dr Fred Sharpe played a pre-recorded greeting call into the water as Twain came near their research vessel
It took three attempts before Twain responded to the call and each time after that, the response became stronger and McCowan tried to match the pitch of the whale’s responses who then adjusted her latency to match the recording.
Researchers created the underwater communication technology by using sophisticated hydrophones – an underwater recording device – and AI algorithms that record and analyze the sounds the whales make.
The AI is trained on data from whale calls and the human language and looks for patterns and language structures.
Twain’s continued response to the recording could have stemmed from the recording from the day before, according to researchers who said it turned out the whale had been part of that pod.
‘It’s very possible that this particular call was very salient to her, either because she…it was a group member hers that was producing the call, or perhaps even her own call,’ McCowan told UC Davis, adding: ‘We just don’t know.
‘But so this was a call that she would have been familiar with one way or the other. And maybe that’s the reason why she responded so directly to it all and stayed with us for 20 minutes.
In the research paper, the team suggested that Twain’s response was motivated by ‘excitement and possibly the onset of agitation.’
When the researchers stumbled upon the pod in Alaska, Twain began circling the boat when the researchers played recorded humpback whale sounds.
The six researchers who work for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) set out to understand humpback whale communication hope it can help when they connect with aliens.
‘Because of current limitations on technology, an important assumption of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence is that extraterrestrials will be interested in making contact and so target human receivers,’ said Dr. Laurance Doyle of the SETI Institute and co-author of the paper.
‘This important assumption is certainly supported by the behavior of humpback whales,’ she added.
‘As far as we know, this has probably been the most elaborate acoustic interchange reported to date with a baleen whale,’ Fred Sharpe, a co-author on the paper told UC Davis.
‘And the way that that was conducted and the fact that the animal hung around for so long, and interacted temporally with us. It opens the door for further dynamic playbacks.’
International
ASOS losses jump amid inflationary pressures and inventory clearance
- ASOS revealed its half-year adjusted pre-tax losses climbed to £120m
- The London-based company did reduce its inventory levels to £593m
ASOS has reported larger losses as cost-of-living pressures and stock reduction measures continued to weigh on sales.
The online fashion retailer revealed adjusted pre-tax losses climbed to £120million in the six months ending 3 March, from £87.4million over the same period last year.
Its margins were significantly impacted by heavy discounting aimed at removing old stock accumulated during the peak of Covid-related restrictions.
Struggling retailer: ASOS revealed adjusted pre-tax losses climbed to £120million in the six months ending 3 March, from £87.4million over the same period last year
ASOS did reduce its inventory levels to £593million, having set a goal to hold around £600million of stock by the end of this financial year.
But the move also contributed to its half-year turnover slumping by 18 per cent to £1.51billion, with sales further hit by poor trade across major territories and shipping disruptions in the Red Sea.
In the UK, the group’s revenue declined by 16 per cent as the challenging economic backdrop discouraged its younger customer base from making clothes purchases.
Meanwhile, its revenue plunged by a quarter in the United States, which the group blamed on heavy competition and a ‘more restrained approach’ to advertising.
ASOS faces increasing rivalry from Chinese fast fashion brands Temu and Shein, whose sales have skyrocketed in recent years.
And like other online retailers, ASOS has struggled to boost sales since the end of lockdown curbs drove shoppers back to buying more of their apparel in stores.
As a result, ASOS shares have slumped by around 94 per cent since peaking in April 2021 at around £59.95. They were 5 per cent up at £3.50 on Wednesday morning despite the company reporting a higher loss.
Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, said if ASOS ‘can successfully tighten its inventory, which it has already made progress with, and align more closely with its customers’ evolving tastes and spending power, it may be able to find its footing when the backdrop improves.’
ASOS further announced on Wednesday that it has appointed a new chief financial officer, Dave Murray, who will replace current interim finance boss Sean Glithero from 29 April.
Murray was most recently the CFO of the e-commerce platform Matches Fashion, which fell into administration in March, just three months after being acquired by Frasers Group.
Mike Ashley’s retail empire said it was unwilling to finance a turnaround of Matches because it continued to make losses and miss business plan targets.
Prior to Matches, Murray was a vice president at beauty products seller Farfetch and also held senior finance roles at Amazon and Sainsbury’s.
José Antonio Ramos Calamonte, chief executive at ASOS, said Murray’s ‘wide-ranging experience in the retail sector…will make him a valuable partner in the next phase of ASOS’ journey to becoming a faster, more agile and more profitable business.’