Latest news with #Worl
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
From George Eliot to JK Rowling: The secret male alter egos of famous women writers
(Written by Somya Panwar) 'I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman,' Virginia Woolf once remarked, drawing light the plight of female authors in the literary world. She suggested that anonymity was less an act of deceit and more a strategy to navigate gender bias and gain literary recognition. Throughout history, female authors have often shielded their intellectual presence by adopting male pseudonyms, enabling them to coexist within a patriarchal structure. By breaking through these barriers, they ensured their voices were heard without facing immediate repercussions—and some even secured their rightful place in literary history. Here are five famous women writers who challenged gendered authorship norms and reshaped power dynamics in literary circles by writing under male pseudonyms: Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, was one of the most celebrated writers of the Victorian era. Renowned for her transformative contributions to literature, she masterfully depicted rural life and social complexities in her works. Her debut novel, Adam Bede, was critically acclaimed and went through eight printings. Today, her works remain essential reading in universities, offering a true reflection of 19th-century societal constraints. Eliot's exceptional body of work includes The Mill on the Floss (1860), Silas Marner (1861), her masterpiece Middlemarch (1871–72)—a profound exploration of idealism, marriage, and political reform—and Daniel Deronda (1876). 'And, of course, men know best about everything, except what women know better,' said the woman who disguised her identity under the name George Eliot. Joanne Rowling, famously known as JK Rowling, was once advised by her publisher to adopt a gender-neutral pen name to broaden her appeal among young male readers. Today, she stands as a global literary phenomenon. Her Harry Potter series marked a turning point in her career, with translations in over 85 languages and more than 600 million copies sold—making it the best-selling book series in history. The last four books also set records as the fastest-selling books of all time. Later, Rowling adopted another male pseudonym, Robert Galbraith, to launch her crime fiction series Cormoran Strike. Writing under a new name allowed her creative freedom, free from the expectations tied to her Harry Potter fame. Her debut novel under this alias, The Cuckoo's Calling (2013), gained traction only after her identity was revealed. Despite the exposure, she continues to write as Robert Galbraith, maintaining a distinct persona for this genre. Her use of pseudonyms underscores the lengths women must go to receive unbiased feedback in the literary world. Alice Mary Norton legally changed her name to Andre Norton in 1934 to survive in the male-dominated world of science fiction and fantasy. A pioneer in her field, she became the first woman to receive the Gandalf Grand Master Award from the World Science Fiction Society in 1977 and was twice nominated for the Hugo Award (1964). Over her 70-year career, Norton published more than 130 novels, also writing under the pen names Andrew North and Allen Weston. Her early work as a librarian saw the publication of eight novels, including her espionage trilogy—The Sword Is Drawn (1944), Sword in Sheath (1949), and At Sword's Point (1954)—written during World War II. Norton's legacy extends beyond her influential writing; she shattered stereotypes about women's intellectual capabilities in male-dominated genres, inspiring countless female authors who followed. The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee, achieved monumental success with her masterpiece. She later served as a consultant for the 1962 film adaptation, starring Gregory Peck, which earned eight Academy Award nominations—with Peck winning Best Actor. Like many female authors of her time, Lee faced significant challenges in a male-dominated industry. The success of To Kill a Mockingbird did not come overnight; it followed years of rejection and perseverance. Before her novel skyrocketed to fame, Lee worked as a reservation clerk for Eastern Airlines and British Overseas Airways while struggling to establish herself as a writer. Alice Sheldon, the woman behind the pseudonym James Tiptree Jr., was a multifaceted talent known for her masculine prose. She also wrote under the name Raccoona Sheldon. Her unconventional career—spanning army intelligence during World War II, farming, and a PhD in experimental psychology—shaped her unique perspective. Despite her feminist leanings, she noted that her work was often assumed to be written by a man, as male authors were seen as the default authorities on universal themes. Even after her death, Alice Sheldon remains an inspirational figure for women challenging traditional roles in publishing. Her work deserves recognition beyond the label of a 'feminist writer who used a male pen name'—she was a literary trailblazer in her own right. (The writer is an intern with the Indian Express)
Qatar Tribune
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Qatar's Abdulwahab makes history with round of 64 berth
Tribune News Network Doha In a landmark moment for Qatari table tennis, Mohamed Abdulwahab has made history by advancing to the round of 64 at the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Doha 2025, which got underway today at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall and Qatar University Sports Complex on Satuday. Facing New Zealand's World 104th Alfred Della Pena in the round of 128, Abdulwahab delivered a commanding performance, winning 4-0 (11-5, 11-2, 15-13, 11-1) to become the first-ever Qatari player to reach the main draw of the men's singles event at a World Championship. Speaking after the match, Abdulwahab expressed his pride at achieving what he called a 'historic and unprecedented' result. 'I am proud of this result, especially knowing that even some of the world's best players were knocked out in the first round,' he said. 'Qualifying for the next stage is a huge honour for me — my happiness is indescribable.' Abdulwahab, who was also chosen to take the players' oath during the opening ceremony, said the honour marked the beginning of a truly unforgettable tournament experience. 'Being selected to take the oath on behalf of all participating players was already a moment of great pride for me,' he said. 'This result builds on that, and I hope to continue performing at my best in the upcoming rounds.' Tenth seed Dang Qiu survives Meanwhile, It's was a frantic start to the World Championships in the morning session, with tenth seed Dang Qiu requiring late inspiration to fend off a dangerous challenge from Filip Zeljko (11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 6-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-8). Qiu, who reached the last 16 two years back at 2023 Worlds, was looking for four wins in a row against his Croatian counterpart, but Zeljko was out to make a statement, pushing his former youth rival all the way. Three times Zeljko trailed, and he responded to each setback with a positive mentality, going for his shots in the pressure moments to keep Qiu on his toes. Six games weren't enough to find a winner as Zeljko refused to go down without a fight, holding a 6-7 lead in the decider. With time running out, Qiu needed to find something late on, and he'd eventually weather the storm, digging deep in the closing stages of the match to squeeze into the second round. Breathing a huge sigh of relief, Qiu now turns his attention to the round of 64 where Tom Jarvis awaits. Jarvis banked his spot beyond the opening hurdle thanks to a 4-1 win over Benedek Olah, keeping his composure after a third game setback to ignite his in Doha (11-7, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5). 'He's a very tricky player, he's got a lot of quality and if you're not careful you can make it really difficult for yourself. I lost a close match to him at the end of last year, so I went back and reviewed that and had lots of conversations with the coach, made a gameplan and did a lot of good preparation. Luckily, I was able to execute today.' Jarvis said. Meanwhile, Giulia Takahashi has made an impactful start on her singles debut at Worlds, sending a message of intent to the rest of the playing field with a ruthless 4-0 victory over Hope Udoaka (11-3, 11-1, 11-6, 11-8). Competing at the ITTF World Youth Championships on multiple occasions, this was the first time Giulia had stepped up on the senior stage, and she couldn't have asked for a more perfect debut. Controlling the pace from start to finish, Takahashi enjoyed her time at the table, playing with an air of freedom as she embraced the spotlight on one of the sport's most historic stages. Despite her best efforts, Udoaka couldn't live with Takahashi's aggression, and after four games the W firmly belonged to the Brazilian ace. 'It was my first match so I was a little bit nervous, and my first tactic was to be calm. My coach was always there shouting to me, 'be calm, come on Giulia.' He was supporting me and I think this was the most important for me.' Giulia Takahashi Over on Table 1, Sun Yingsha kickstarted her title defence with a complete performance, brushing aside Veronika Matiunina in dominant fashion (11-5, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7). The 2023 champ was facing a somewhat unknown quantity in Matiunina, taking on the rising star for the first time. But there was no huge shock to write home about as ShaSha delivered a professional display, sticking the landing in four games to move on through to the last 64. 'It's my first match in the Championships and my performance was within my normal range. I wasn't quite familiar with my opponent – I got to know who I was up against two or three days after my arrival. The most important thing that I need to do is to focus, upon which I have done a great job. I hope to be in my best form as the tournament progresses.' Sun Yingsha Japan's seventh seed Satsuki Odo began her championship with a confident 4-0 victory (11-5, 11-10, 11-8, 11-5) against Paulina Vega. South Korea's Shin Yubin delivered a decisive 4-0 (11-5, 11-7, 11-3, 11-3) result against Lisa Gear, while Li Yu-Jhun defeated Daniela Fonseca 4-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-5). In a more competitive encounter, Andreea Dragoman overcame Jinnipa Sawettabut 4-1 (11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 11-3, 11-7), to kickstart her campaign.
Business Insider
04-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
'Buckle up': What bearish forecasters are eyeing as they call for a recession in 2025
A recession looks likely to some forecasters on Wall Street — and they're eyeing some big disturbances that could result if the economy does plunge into a downturn. Fears of a potential economic downturn have spiked since Trump unveiled sweeping reciprocal tariffs in early April. Eighty percent of fund managers said they see the trade war triggering a global recession as the biggest tail risk to markets, according to a survey conducted by Bank of America in April. Betting markets have also been pricing in a higher chance that the economy could tip into a downturn this year. Here's how a recession could unfold, according to bearish prognosticators on Wall Street. Mark Zandi, Moody's Analytics Estimated probability of a recession: More than 50% chance of a global recession starting this year. Reasoning: The economic pressures stemming from Trump's tariffs look more likely than not to push the global economy into a recession, Zandi said in an interview on The David Lin Report on Friday. "It all revolves around trade policy. If the administration can take an offramp on policy, lower the tariffs, de-escalate the trade war, then I think we have a fighting shot of making our way through without a downturn. But I say that with each passing day with less confidence, because the longer this goes on, the more damage it's going to do, and the harder it is to bring it all back from the brink," Zandi said. How a downturn could materialize: If the US doesn't back down on tariffs, a downturn could first start to hit the manufacturing, transportation, distribution, and agricultural sectors, Zandi said. The slowdown could then spread to the consumer discretionary sector, suggesting that consumers would pull back on spending in areas like entertainment, recreation, and hospital "soon." If the economy tips into a recession, stocks could lose another 10% from the lows touched in the days after tariffs were announced. That implies the S&P 500 dropping 20%-30% from its peak in mid-February. If the economy can avoid a downturn, stocks have already likely hit bottom, he said. "Buckle up. It's going to be a difficult 2025, one way or another," he added. JPMorgan Estimated probability of a recession: 60% chance that the global economy tips into a recession. Reasoning: Trump's tariffs have made US trade policy "decisively less business-friendly" than the bank had originally anticipated, analysts wrote in a note in April. JPMorgan raised its probability of a global recession from 40% to 60% shortly after Trump's tariffs. The White House is still negotiating trade deals with other countries, but if left unchanged, the US tariff rate would rise to 24%, equivalent to around 2.4% of the US's total GDP. "We thus emphasize that these policies, if sustained, would likely push the US and possibly global economy into recession this year," the bank said. How a recession could materialize: Trump's original tariffs would effectively result in the largest tax hike on consumers since World War II, analysts said. When factoring in retaliatory measures from other countries, that could cause business sentiment in the US to sink, while supply chains will get disrupted, they added. Michael Feroli, JPMorgan's chief US economist, said a two-quarter recession could begin as soon as the second-half of 2025. In a separate note in April, Feroli's team estimated that GDP could contract by as much as 1% over the third quarter and half a percent in the fourth quarter. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, could rise as high as 5.3%. On Thursday, first-quarter GDP came in at -0.3%, the first contraction in three years. Torsten Sløk, Apollo Global Management Alphabet Estimated odds of a recession: 90% chance a US recession occurs this year. Reasoning: Small businesses, a key pillar of the US economy, are expected to take a big hit from tariffs, which could push the economy into a downturn, according to Torsten Sløk, the chief economist at Apollo. Small businesses, for one, account for most of the employment in the US. They also account for more investment than large-cap firms, according to Apollo's analysis. The firm estimates that tariffs could shave off as much as four percentage points from US GDP, basing its estimates on the hit to US growth when Trump first imposed tariffs on China in 2018. "Small businesses that have for decades relied on a stable US system will have to adjust immediately and do not have the working capital to pay tariffs. Expect ships to sit offshore, orders to be canceled, and well-run generational retailers to file for bankruptcy," Sløk said in a recent note. How a recession could materialize: A recession could arrive as soon as this summer, Slok said in a note to clients. In his timeline, Slok said he believed container traffic from China to US ports could come to a halt by the middle of May. That could cause trucking demand to fall by mid- to late-May. Later, that could lead to " empty shelves" in stores and force companies to lay off workers by the end of the month, he predicted.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Unparalleled' snake antivenom made from man bitten 200 times
The blood of a US man who deliberately injected himself with snake venom for nearly two decades has led to an "unparalleled" antivenom, say scientists. Antibodies found in Tim Friede's blood have been shown to protect against fatal doses from a wide range of species in animal tests. Current therapies have to match the specific species of venomous snake anyone has been bitten by. But Mr Friede's 18-year mission could be a significant step in finding a universal antivenom against all snakebites - which kill up to 14,000 people a year and leave three times as many needing amputations or facing permanent disability. In total, Mr Friede has endured more than 200 bites and more than 700 injections of venom he prepared from some of the world's deadliest snakes, including multiple species of mambas, cobras, taipans and kraits. He initially wanted to build up his immunity to protect himself when handling snakes, documenting his exploits on YouTube. But the former truck mechanic said that he had "completely screwed up" early on when two cobra bites in quick succession left him in a coma. "I didn't want to die. I didn't want to lose a finger. I didn't want to miss work," he told the BBC. Mr Friede's motivation was to develop better therapies for the rest of the world, explaining: "It just became a lifestyle and I just kept pushing and pushing and pushing as hard as I could push - for the people who are 8,000 miles away from me who die from snakebite". Antivenom is currently made by injecting small doses of snake venom into animals, such as horses. Their immune system fights the venom by producing antibodies and these are harvested to be used as a therapy. But venom and antivenom have to be closely matched because the toxins in a venomous bite vary from one species to another. There is even wide variety within the same species – antivenom made from snakes in India is less effective against the same species in Sri Lanka. A team of researchers began searching for a type of immune defence called broadly neutralising antibodies. Instead of targeting the part of a toxin that makes it unique, they target the parts that are common to entire classes of toxin. That's when Dr Jacob Glanville, chief executive of biotech company Centivax, came across Tim Friede. "Immediately I was like 'if anybody in the world has developed these broadly neutralising antibodies, it's going to be him' and so I reached out," he said. "The first call, I was like 'this might be awkward, but I'd love to get my hands on some of your blood'." Mr Friede agreed and the work was given ethical approval because the study would only take blood, rather than giving him more venom. The research focused on elapids – one of the two families of venomous snakes – such as coral snakes, mambas, cobras, taipans and kraits. Elapids primarily use neurotoxins in their venom, which paralyses their victim and is fatal when it stops the muscles needed to breathe. Researchers picked 19 elapids identified by the World Health Organization as being among the deadliest snakes on the planet. They then began scouring Mr Friede's blood for protective defences. Their work, detailed in the journal Cell, identified two broadly neutralising antibodies that could target two classes of neurotoxin. They added in a drug that targets a third to make their antivenom cocktail. In experiments on mice, the cocktail meant the animals survived fatal doses from 13 of the 19 species of venomous snake. They had partial protection against the remaining six. This is "unparalleled" breadth of protection, according to Dr Glanville, who said it "likely covers a whole bunch of elapids for which there is no current antivenom". The team is trying to refine the antibodies further and see if adding a fourth component could lead to total protection against elapid snake venom. The other class of snake – the vipers – rely more on haemotoxins, which attack the blood, rather than neurotoxins. In total there are around a dozen broad classes of toxin in snake venom, which also includes cytotoxins that directly kill cells. "I think in the next 10 or 15 years we'll have something effective against each one of those toxin classes," said Prof Peter Kwong, one of the researchers at Columbia University. And the hunt continues inside Mr Friede's blood samples. "Tim's antibodies are really quite extraordinary - he taught his immune system to get this very, very broad recognition," said Prof Kwong. The ultimate hope is to have either a single antivenom that can do everything, or one injection for elapids and one for vipers. Prof Nick Casewell, who is the head of the centre for snakebite research and interventions at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, said the breadth of protection reported was "certainly novel" and provided "a strong piece of evidence" that this was a feasible approach. "There is no doubt that this work moves the field forwards in an exciting direction." But he cautioned there was "much work to do" and that the antivenom still needed extensive testing before it could be used in people. But for Mr Friede, reaching this stage "makes me feel good". "I'm doing something good for humanity and that was very important to me. I'm proud of it. It's pretty cool."
Reuters
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Chebet wins Tesgay duel, Jackson back on track in Diamond League
Summary Chebet beats Tesgay in 5,000m Duplantis takes pole vault Jackson second on return to 200m XIAMEN, China, April 26 (Reuters) - Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet triumphed in her distance duel with Gudaf Tesgay, Mondo Duplantis won the pole vault and Shericka Jackson finished second on her return to the track as the 2025 Diamond League season got underway on Saturday. Sweden's Duplantis was the headline act at the Egret Stadium but there was to be no repeat of his record-breaking feats in Xiamen last year as he failed with three attempts at 6.01 metres to win with a jump of 5.92, well short of his world mark of 6.24. With five months until the season peaks at the world championships in Tokyo in September, many athletes are still testing their bodies in competition after winter training. Chebet was delighted with how she came through her race against world record holder Tesgay and nine other Ethiopians in the women's 5,000m after pulling away down the home straight to win in 14 minutes and 27.12 seconds. "The season is still new and I was not sure where the body is so I just thought I'd try to push because there were a lot of Ethiopians there," she said. "Thank God I was able to run good, my speed is still there, my 200 reaction is still there, so I'll go back home and do more training and focus on the world championships." South African Akani Simbine and American Anavia Battle confirmed their fine early season form with victories in the showcase sprint races. Simbine leads the world in the 100m so far this year and he powered to victory in 9.99 seconds ahead of Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala (10.13) and world indoor sprint champion Jeremiah Azu of Briton (10.17). Battle, the only woman to run under 11 seconds in the 100m this season, scorched off the bend to beat world champion Jackson into second place in the women's 200m in 22.41. Jamaican Jackson, who clocked 22.79 with American Jenna Prandini third in 22.97, was happy with her first outing of the year in the event she dominated for two years until a leg injury ended her 2024 season before the Olympics. "I just wanted to finish healthy and I'm healthy so I'm good," she said. "I think I did pretty good tonight." KIPYEGON FALLS SHORT Chebet's compatriot and triple Olympic 1,500 champion Faith Kipyegon comfortably won the 1,000m but once again fell short of claiming the world record when she crossed the line in 2:29.21. Ethiopian Samuel Firewu handed twice Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali a rare defeat in the 3,000m steeplechase, holding off the Moroccan after stumbling on the final hurdle to win in 8.05.61 Bayapo Ndori of Botswana won the men's 400m in 44.25 seconds, while American Cordell Tinch stormed home to win the 110m hurdles in 13.06 seconds as Olympic champion Grant Holloway pulled up and finished last. Karsten Warholm, the world record holder in the 400m hurdles, later lowered his own world best with a dominant win in 33.05 seconds in the 300m hurdles, an event only ratified by World Athletics in March. Jamaican Danielle Williams, who will be going for a third world title in September, surged ahead of American Grace Stark off the final barrier to win the women's high hurdles in 12.53 seconds. There were no surprises in the women's high jump as Ukraine's Olympic and world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh ran out of rivals at 1.97m, well short of her world record of 2.10. Dutchwoman Jessica Schilder threw 20.47m with her opening effort to win the shot put ahead of world champion Chase Jackson, while American Valarie Allman took discus honours with a throw of 68.95m. There was also Chinese success for the crowd to cheer when Zhang Mingkun won the men's long jump ahead of Australian Liam Adcock with a leap of 8.18m.
