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Daily Mail
31 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Emma Raducanu beams in sunny getaway as she enjoys impromptu holiday before teaming up with Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open
Emma Raducanu made the most of her downtime before heading to the US Open by relaxing and soaking up the sun on an impromptu holiday. The British No 1 took to social media to share a series of photos of her short trip to Martha's Vineyard, an island in Massachusetts and a popular tourist destination. Raducanu will not return to the court until the Cincinnati Open begins later this week and she was therefore able to jet out to the haven with a group of friends. She shared several holiday snaps of the trip on Instagram, accompanied by a lighthearted caption which read: 'Ted's on the vineyard - heard it here first. Spontaneous 36h New England summer fun time w [with] friends in MA.' Martha's Vineyard sits just south of Cape Cod in the Atlantic and is famed for its picturesque harbour towns, lighthouses, sandy beaches and farmland. However, there was no sign of Carlos Alcaraz, Raducanu's close friend and doubles partner at the US Open after they were confirmed as wild card entries. Currently ranked No 33 in the world, the Brit was last in action on August 2 when she lost out to world No 7 Amanda Anisimova in the third round in Montreal. Shortly after the defeat, it was confirmed that she had hired Rafael Nadal's former coach, Francisco Roig - the eighth trainer of her burgeoning career. Roig, 57, was in the box for all 22 of Nadal's Grand Slam titles and is highly regarded. Raducanu had worked with old friend Mark Petchey since the Miami Open and vastly improved under his guidance, but the fact he had to split his time between coaching and his broadcast commitments meant the partnership would never be long-term. Petchey himself admitted in July: 'We are very aware she needs a second coach to come on board and maybe just one coach, not me, as well.' Talks with Roig began during Wimbledon, and a trial took place shortly after. Obligations meant he was not available until this week, and he landed in Cincinnati on Monday to help Raducanu prepare for the final WTA 1000 event before the US Open. She will look to earn the wins needed to ensure she is seeded at Flushing Meadows. Then, the US Open will get underway in New York on August 25. Raducanu's highly anticipated doubles partnership is set to take place on August 19 and 20. Alcaraz revealed he had approached Raducanu about teaming up through their agents, and she said yes after taking 'time to think a little bit'. 'I'm super excited about it. I think it's going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament,' Alcaraz said after his opening win at Queen's.
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
Now China enters supersonic passenger plane arm races with C949 jet that can fly from London to NYC in less than 3 hours
CHINA has thrown itself into the supersonic passenger jet race with its C949 plane that can zoom from London to New York in under three hours. The ultra-fast aircraft promises significantly less noise than the retired Concorde and 50 per cent further flight range. 4 4 4 Designed by China 's state-owned aircraft company Comac the aircraft is billed to reach 6,800 miles - a much further stretch than Concorde 's 4,500 mile capacity. This would allow the plane to fly non-stop from the UK to Malaysia. Meanwhile, the powerful jet is expected to fly 1.6 times faster than the speed of sound, allowing it to travel a staggering 11,000km at a time. This means it could fly from London to New York in less than three hours. The stealthy project also aims to reduce the sonic boom to 83.9 perceived level in decibels - equivalent to the sound of a hairdryer, according to the South China Morning Post. That is just one-twentieth of the Concorde's deafening boom. Concorde was blocked from taking overland flights following noise complaints, after civilians complained it was so loud it rattled windows and spooked livestock. Reducing the noise of the sonic boom could help it overcome regulatory barriers, and compete with rival projects from Nasa and Lockheed Martin. The aircraft, which is yet to make it off paper and onto tarmac, could advance China's role in the modern supersonic aviation industry. But, while plans were revealed in March, an official launch date isn't expected until 2049, Globe Trender reports. Before then the firm plans to unveil the C929 – a twin-aisle jet to rival Boeing's 787. And by 2039 it plans on rolling out a massive 400-seater C939 to compete with Boeing's 777X. While it's quieter than Concorde, it will fit just 28 to 48 passengers in its business class configuration - compared with the Nasa jet's 100-strong capacity. Boom 'son of Concorde' flies supersonic for first time The C949 will also blast slightly slower than its predecessor, which managed to top 1,450mph in its heyday. China's Aero Engine Corporation is separately developing a hypersonic jet, known as Nanqiang No 1, that may fly six times faster than the Concorde when it takes to the skies. The team first started working on the hypersonic jet in 2019, but are yet to make it go supersonic and reach speeds over Mach 1 (767mph). A supersonic jet is one that can travel faster than the speed of sound at Mach 1, while a hypersonic jet is specifically five times faster, at Mach 5. Why did Concorde fail? CONCORDE was the supersonic passenger jet considered the ultimate luxury in air travel. Air France and British Airways announced they would be retiring their fleet of Concorde planes on April 10, 2003. The plane had its first commercial flight on January 21, 1976, and was retired after 27 years of service and 50,000 flights. Several reasons led to the decision to retire Concorde. Air France and British Airways cited low passenger numbers and high maintenance costs. By the early noughties, the planes were outdated and expensive to run, despite being incredibly advanced when they were first introduced almost three decades previously. The 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001 majorly impacted passenger numbers, as people opted not to fly. Passenger numbers also fell after an Air France Concorde crashed just minutes after taking off from Paris in July 2000. The disaster killed all 109 people on board and four others on the ground. The plane ran over a small piece of metal on the runway, which burst a tyre and caused an engine to ignite. It was also the only aircraft in the British Airways fleet that required a flight engineer. Plans for C949 come as NASA's supersonic "Son of Concorde" plane inches ever closer to take-off. The X-59 jet will break the sound barrier when it flies - but won't produce a sonic boom, thanks to its unique design. When up and running, the aircraft will hurtle along at altitudes of at speeds of 937mph at 55,000 feet up. Nasa revealed it struck another milestone in the plane's journey toward the skies with crucial low-speed taxiing tests. The X-59 moved around purely under its own power for the first time at US Air Force Plant 42 on July 10. Taxiing is the final stage of ground tests before Nasa can take it up into the skies - and the maiden voyage is chalked for later this year.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Skip the plane food and other ways to look after your gut on holiday
I always look forward to my trips to Spain – not for grand restaurant meals, but for the simple pleasures of local ingredients that put their dull British counterparts to shame. Often it's the most basic, affordable foods that bring the greatest joy. The first thing I seek out is proper tomatoes, which taste like a completely different fruit, and nothing at all like the bland versions back home. I made a salad with spring onions, local extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil. The local anchovies are fantastic, and I'll have some served as tapas on some fresh bread soaked in tomatoes and olive oil. In summer, the peaches and nectarines are amazing, and I keep a large bowl on the table. Holidays are rightly seen as a time where we can relax and indulge in good food and drink. However, over recent years as I've become more immersed in how what we're eating affects our health, I've come to realise that there are still ways we can indulge that also look after our health. You can absolutely still enjoy wonderful food, and look after your gut. Travel, especially long flights, can quickly disrupt your digestive system. Dehydration, changes in routine, alcohol or sugary drinks, and unfamiliar foods can all upset your gut microbes, who are just as sensitive to change as you are. This might mean constipation, bloating, or sudden digestive upsets – even in the absence of any infection. Here are my simple tips on how to look after your gut while still making the most of your well-earned break. Bring travel snacks – and never eat on the plane Even on long haul flights to the US, I'll never eat a meal on the plane. Airline meals are usually mass-produced, over-processed, overpriced and not remotely gut-friendly. Worse still, eating at 35,000 ft can confuse your internal body clock – your gut microbes have circadian rhythms too – and eating out of sync can disrupt your digestion and sleep. Hold off until you land and eat a proper meal on solid ground. For most of us flying to European destinations this summer, the flight will be less than three hours, so there's no reason to accept the biscuits or pretzels either. These snacks are designed to make you thirsty, encouraging you to spend more on drinks. They're low in fibre, full of sugar and salt and are highly processed, and eating them will signal to your immune system that something's wrong – leading to fatigue, inflammation, and hunger pangs soon after. Instead, have a well-balanced meal before leaving home, so you're not at the mercy of what's available on your journey – the food you'll come across at service stations, in the airport and on your flight will be lousy. To avoid being tempted, I try to always bring a bag of mixed nuts and seeds (or a sachet of Zoe daily 30+ mix), the more variety of plants and the fresher the better, usually in at least a 50g bag or a jar, and bigger if I'm sharing with the family. If you forget, you can often pick up nuts at the airport. I think of nuts as a treat and look forward to eating them, knowing they are high in protein, healthy fats and also high in polyphenols and fibre for my gut microbes. Dodge the hotel breakfast trap Some of the worst dietary decisions you'll make on holiday happen first thing in the morning. Hotel breakfasts can be a minefield of heavily processed choices: white bread, pastries, jams, sugary cereals and fruit juices masquerading as healthy options. It's a sugar overload that leaves you crashing by mid-morning, more tired and more likely to overeat later in the day. Then there's the cooked breakfasts loaded with processed meats like bacon and sausages, full of unwanted unhealthy chemicals and additives that will irritate your gut microbes. My advice is to avoid all of these options. For the healthiest start to the day, fill a bowl with an unflavoured yogurt and top with any fruit, nuts and seeds that are available. Also put some of the local cheeses on your plate for some extra protein. These are all gut-friendly foods adding polyphenols or natural probiotics in the fermented foods that have been shown to improve your immune health. Don't assume this option will be boring or that it won't fill you up. The local fresh food will be delicious and healthy – reframe it as a proper treat you don't get to enjoy at any other time of the year. When I'm in Spain, I particularly look forward to eating the local goat's cheese on a pan con tomate or a slice of bread covered in olive oil and squeezed tomatoes. If there aren't many fruits or nuts available, seek out a good supermarket on the first day and stock up, so you can add your own healthy toppings to your yogurt the next day. Get your fibre fix – and enjoy some diversity When you find a nice restaurant for lunch or dinner, the salad and vegetable options can sound dreadfully boring on the menu. However, while the translation may just be 'boiled vegetables', these will often be a fantastic mix of local vegetables with a delicious dressing. I try to find fried artichokes, charcoal grilled aubergines and large flat green beans fried in garlic. Try to get some diversity into your diet by enjoying these vegetables that you wouldn't normally include in your meals back home. The more different plants you eat the more diverse your gut microbiome is supporting many different species. With Zoe, we have worked out that around 30 per week is optimal. Holidays in the Mediterranean also provide a great opportunity to try local fish. My favourite are fresh barbecued sardines which are great in Spain and Portugal. Bear in mind that many prawns and calamari on menus in Europe are likely to be imported from Asia and frozen, rather than being local and fresh. Try orange wines – and stay hydrated It's easy to overdo it on alcohol on holiday, but if you are going to drink then red wine is always a good option as it's high in polyphenols. But if red wine isn't your thing, it's worth trying local orange wines, which contain more polyphenols than their white counterparts. Polyphenols are essentially fuel for your gut microbes. While going about your day, remember to always carry water with you to keep hydrated. I don't bother in the UK, but it's really important in the heat. I carry my reusable water bottle with me when travelling, which I can fill up at airports now. Dehydration can make you easily constipated and your gut sluggish. Passing urine less often than usual, having dark urine or being constipated are all signs you need to be drinking more. For non-alcoholic options that aren't water, you'll be better off with a non-alcoholic beer than a sugary soda, like Coca-Cola or Fanta, or enjoy some fizzy mineral waters that have some taste, like the San Pellegrino in Italy or Vichy Catalan in Spain. Remember to eat fermented food Whatever damage you do to your gut by overindulging in food and alcohol on holiday, fermented food can help to counterbalance this. Fermented foods, if eaten daily, help protect your gut lining and reduce gut and body inflammation. Just three small portions a day can make a meaningful difference. One way to get them into your day is to enjoy fresh, local cheeses, many of which are naturally fermented and rich in beneficial microbes. I also always pick up some kefir (a fermented milk drink) from a local supermarket and add it to my breakfast each morning throughout my holiday. If I'm going somewhere like the US, where fresh fermented foods are harder to come by, I take no chances: I'll take a sachet of dried kefir grains and add milk to it on the first day, effectively making my own kefir. It will last me the holiday and is a guaranteed way of keeping your microbes happy – even in the most processed of food environments. Don't forget to move It's easy to slip out of your exercise routine when you're on holiday, but staying active is one of the best things you can do for your gut. Regular exercise prevents constipation, reduces bloating and even has a modest but meaningful impact on the diversity of your gut microbiome. Think about what you can do in the local area – climb the steps at the tourist attraction and make the most of sunny mornings and late evenings by going for a walk. Don't get stressed about it, but don't completely abandon your step count – I aim for at least 10,000 steps a day even when on holiday. Don't worry about holiday weight gain Your holiday won't damage your gut health irreparably, but you can get it back on track by getting back into a healthy routine when you're back home. Resuming your regular meal times and including enough fibre at each meal will help. I also find it helpful to try time-restricted eating, delaying breakfast until 11 am and not eating after 9 pm, to give my gut a break – but that's not as easy in the Med. Almost everyone puts on weight while on holiday – I often gain 2kg – but it should return to normal within two weeks without too much stress. While these tips can keep your gut in good shape while on holiday, don't be too obsessed about your health while on your break. Relax, de-stress and savour the local food, your gut – and your whole body – will thank you for it. Bon Voyage!
