Following the Sputnik launch in 1957 and Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon 12 years later, jewelers looked to the sky for inspiration. A new exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, “Cosmic Splendors: Jewelry from the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels,” explores how space exploration impacted our collective creative spirit. All 70 gems included were pulled from the Van Cleef & Arpels archives for a celestial reason, whether mythological or scientific. On view will be a full moon in yellow gold with rubies dating back to 1969, alongside topaz star clips to scatter across a lapel. Astrological signs grace pendants that span the 1970s and find their modern counterparts in the brand’s current Zodiaque collection. If fate is in the stars, best to keep the cosmos close at hand. The exhibition will run until January 4, 2026. Above: Clockwise from top left—Van Cleef & Arpels pendant, 1969, and clips, 1947; Zodiaque necklaces, $22,900 each, vancleefarpels.com. Supernova wallpaper by Studio DB, calicowallpaper.com. Produced by Will Kahn. Styled by Miako Katoh. This story originally appeared in the May 2025 issue of Elle Decor. SUBSCRIBE

President Trump met today with the El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, and as part of the press coverage he answered questions related to US tariffs, including a mention of speaking to Apple CEO Tim Cook and helping him out recently. Trump says ‘I speak to Tim Cook’ in response to tariff questions Despite ongoing volatility around US tariff policy, for now at least, Apple seems to have largely dodged a bullet with the recently announced exclusions for smartphones, laptops, computer processors, and more. Though it was previously unknown why such exclusions went into effect, it seems Trump’s relationship with Tim Cook was a factor. Earlier today, when discussing possible short-term tariff exemptions for various products, Trump speaks first about the auto industry then is asked: “What about any Apple products, other cell phones?” Here is his response (via Aaron Rupar): Look, I’m a very flexible person. I don’t change my mind, but I’m flexible. And you have to be. You just can’t have a wall, and you’ll only go—no, sometimes you have to go around it, under it, or above it. There’ll be maybe things coming up. I speak to Tim Cook. I helped Tim Cook recently. And that whole business—I’m not, I don’t want to hurt anybody, but the end result is we’re going to the position of greatness for our country. Although the exact meaning of some of Trump’s words are unclear, a couple things stand out. He seems to be saying: That he helped Cook out with tariff exclusions And that Cook is a business leader he speaks to about these economic matters. Trump’s acknowledgement of Cook’s difficult situation with tariffs seems to point to ongoing favor from the administration toward Apple. Even though the president doesn’t want to explicitly say that Apple is in the clear, he seems to be signaling that input from Cook will continue being part of his “flexible” approach with tariffs. We’ll see how things turn out in the months ahead. Best iPhone accessories Add 9to5Mac to your Google News feed.  FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Image by Getty / FuturismStudiesAs wildly overinvolved parents shell out to give their kids growth hormones to make them taller, some research suggests that putting them on drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may have the opposite effect.As the New York Times reports, the scientists behind the Multimodal Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Study, or MTA Study for short, weren't exactly looking for physiological changes in their subjects: a cohort of 579 kids with ADHD, some of whom were given methyphenidate (better known as Ritalin), counseling, a mix of the two, or neither.Beginning in 1994, researchers across the country began tracking outcomes of children who were seven to ten years old at the start of the study. After 36 months, the researchers realized something odd: that the children who had been given the popular stimulant seemed to be growing more slowly than their non-medicated counterparts.The researchers presumed, per their retelling to the NYT, that this "height gap" would close in adolescence. When they followed up with them nine years after the study began, however, the medicated cohort was still 1.6 inches, on average, shorter than the kids who didn't take Ritalin.On a certain level, the concern is very shallow. There's nothing wrong with being short, and if a drug can help with a myriad of other symptoms, maybe the risk is worth it.But that's not the only controversy around prescribing ADHD drugs to kids. The MTA study's biggest takeaway was, troublingly, that the attention benefits of Ritalin seemed to cease after the first year, and that there were no apparent benefits to academic performance.And even on top of that, the "height suppression" side effect was also enough to give the researchers pause.In 2017, the MTA study scientists published a follow-up looking into the height gap that tracked the original cohort until they were 25. That height gap remained, per the study, into adulthood. And the findings countered bold academic assertions from just a few years prior claiming that any height suppression from ADHD meds in children would, as the researchers initially presumed, ultimately be undone in adolescence.Years later, another group of scientists reviewed 18 childhood Ritalin studies and found, similarly to the MTA researchers, that the drug can indeed "result in reduction in height and weight" — though their opinion was that the size of the effect is negligible when compared to the purported benefits of these drugs.To this day, researchers can't agree as to whether or not stimulants can cause height suppression in children, primarily because the mechanism behind the demonstrated effect remains unknown.Speaking to the website Health Central in 2022, childhood psychiatrist and MTA study co-author Laurence Greenhill of the University of California, San Francisco suggested that amphetamines' well-known propensity to suppress appetite could be behind the growth differences."There could be some lack of nutrition going on that explains this," Greenhill told the website."However, the kids aren't malnourished," he countered. "They're just growing a little more slowly."If Ritalin or other stimulants help a child significantly, such a minor height disparity would be worthwhile. But with some of the original MTA study authors now questioning how effective these medical interventions really are, it may behoove parents to think before they put their kids on these pills.Share This Article

Apr 14, 2025Ravie LakshmananEmail Security / Cyber Attack Cybersecurity researchers are calling attention to a new type of credential phishing scheme that ensures that the stolen information is associated with valid online accounts. The technique has been codenamed precision-validating phishing by Cofense, which it said employs real-time email validation so that only a select set of high-value targets are served the fake login screens. "This tactic not only gives the threat actors a higher success rate on obtaining usable credentials as they only engage with a specific pre-harvested list of valid email accounts," the company said. Unlike "spray-and-pray" credential harvesting campaigns that typically involve the bulk distribution of spam emails to obtain victims' login information in an indiscriminate fashion, the latest attack tactic takes spear-phishing to the next level by only engaging with email addresses that attackers have verified as active, legitimate, and high-value. In this scenario, the email address entered by the victim in a phishing landing page is validated against the attacker's database, after which the bogus login page is displayed. If the email address does not exist in the database, the page either returns an error or the user is redirected to an innocuous page like Wikipedia so as to evade security analysis. The checks are carried out by integrating an API- or JavaScript-based validation service into the phishing kit that confirms the email address before proceeding to the password capture step. "It increases the efficiency of the attack and the likelihood that stolen credentials belong to real, actively used accounts, improving the quality of harvested data for resale or further exploitation," Cofense said. "Automated security crawlers and sandbox environments also struggle to analyze these attacks because they cannot bypass the validation filter. This targeted approach reduces attacker risk and extends the lifespan of phishing campaigns." The development comes as the cybersecurity company also revealed details of an email phishing campaign that uses file deletion reminders as a lure to grab credentials as well as deliver malware. The two-pronged attack leverages an embedded URL that seemingly points to a PDF file that's scheduled to be deleted from a legitimate file storage service called files.fm. Should the message recipient click on the link, they are taken to legitimate files.fm link from where they can download the purported PDF file. However, when the PDF is opened, users are presented with two options to either preview or download the file. Users who opt for the former are taken to a bogus Microsoft login screen that's designed to steal their credentials. When the download option is selected, it drops an executable that claims to be Microsoft OneDrive, but, in reality, is the ScreenConnect remote desktop software from ConnectWise. It's "almost as if the threat actor intentionally designed the attack to trap the user, forcing them to choose which 'poison' they will fall for," Cofense said. "Both options lead to the same outcome, with similar goals but different approaches to achieving them." The findings also follow the discovery of a sophisticated multi-stage attack that combines vishing, remote access tooling, and living-off-the-land techniques to gain initial access and establish persistence. The tradecraft observed in the activity is consistent with clusters tracked as Storm-1811 (aka STAC5777). "The threat actor exploited exposed communication channels by delivering a malicious PowerShell payload via a Microsoft Teams message, followed by the use of Quick Assist to remotely access the environment," Ontinue said. "This led to the deployment of signed binaries (e.g., TeamViewer.exe), a sideloaded malicious DLL (TV.dll), and ultimately a JavaScript-based C2 backdoor executed via Node.js." Found this article interesting? Follow us on Twitter  and LinkedIn to read more exclusive content we post. SHARE    

Murali Swaminathan, Chief Technology Officer, Freshworks April 14, 20254 Min ReadBonaventura via Alamy StockAs tech pros, the question isn’t just whether AI will disrupt our industries -- it’s how we can leverage its power in a responsible, sustainable way. At SXSW 2025, I had the privilege of serving on the “Innovation Unbridled: Balancing the Promise and Peril of AI” panel. The session provided a thought-provoking exploration of AI’s transformative potential, and the challenges tech leaders face when integrating AI into their operations. What made this panel particularly engaging was the diverse audience -- attendees from all walks of life, asking tough questions that forced us to consider AI from ethical, practical, and social perspectives. Here are six key takeaways to guide your AI journey: 1. AI should solve problems, not create them AI must address real business challenges, not introduce new ones. Too often, organizations rush to adopt the latest tools and technologies without fully understanding their impact on existing processes. The result? More complexity, confusion, and inefficiency. It’s crucial to ensure that any AI implementation directly addresses specific pain points within your organization. Whether it’s automating tasks, improving customer personalization, or enhancing decision-making, AI should add measurable value. When deploying AI, start by asking: How will this improve our business outcomes? What specific problem does it solve? Related:Actionable insight: Prioritize AI tools that seamlessly integrate with existing systems and processes. Use AI as a strategic asset to enhance productivity and deliver tangible results. 2. AI should upskill people, not replace them It’s no secret that many fear AI will lead to widespread job displacement. While this concern is valid, the reality is that AI is designed to augment human abilities, not replace them. It can handle repetitive tasks, analyze vast amounts of data, and provide real-time insights, allowing employees to focus on higher-value activities that require creativity, empathy, and complex problem-solving. The key is understanding that AI’s real value lies in enabling your team to work smarter, not harder. AI can help streamline operations and improve efficiency, but it should never be seen as a substitute for human ingenuity. Actionable insight: Invest in upskilling and reskilling your workforce to ensure employees are ready for a future where AI complements their work. Offer training programs or collaborate with educational institutions for continuous learning opportunities. 3. Balancing open-sourcing AI with ethics Related:While open-sourcing AI has the potential to democratize access and drive innovation, it also raises important ethical concerns. How can we ensure that AI tools are used responsibly and safely? What measures need to be put in place to prevent misuse or unintended harm? It’s vital to ensure that any AI system deployed in your organization follows strict ethical guidelines. Whether you’re using open-source models or proprietary tools, transparency, accountability, and safety should always be top priorities. Actionable insight: Establish a robust AI governance framework within your organization, including security protocols, ethical guidelines, and regular audits. Collaborate with legal and compliance teams to create policies that protect both your business and customers. 4. AI’s role in reshaping industries AI is transforming industries, from precision healthcare to environmental sustainability, by driving value, personalization, and innovation. To fully leverage AI’s potential, businesses must adapt their operating models and become more agile. The challenge lies not only in adopting AI but also in fostering an environment where innovation thrives. This requires rethinking organizational structures, embracing cross-functional collaboration, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement. Related:Actionable insight: Build an agile organization that adapts quickly to AI advancements. Encourage cross-functional collaboration, experimentation, and view AI as an enabler of ongoing business transformation, not a one-off project. 5. Fostering a culture of support and growth Workforce burnout is an increasing concern as businesses push employees to adopt new technologies and work longer hours to stay competitive. While AI can alleviate some repetitive tasks, leaders must prioritize creating an environment that nurtures employee growth and well-being. Actionable insight: As you implement AI to boost efficiency, foster a culture of support and growth. Encourage flexibility, invest in employee development, and set realistic productivity expectations. Innovation should empower your team, driving both business and personal growth without compromising employee satisfaction. 6. AI regulation -- balancing innovation with responsibility AI is evolving rapidly, and the need for regulation is becoming more pressing. Strong guardrails are essential to ensure AI is developed responsibly and ethically. As tech pros, it’s our responsibility to stay ahead of the regulatory curve, ensuring that your AI initiatives align with emerging ethical standards. While regulation may evolve over time, embedding ethical considerations into your AI strategy now will help future-proof your business. Actionable insight: Stay informed about AI regulation and collaborate with industry bodies to help shape the future of AI governance. This proactive approach will protect your organization from legal challenges and demonstrate your commitment to responsible innovation. Closing Thoughts AI must be used thoughtfully, serving both business goals and societal well-being. As tech pros, it is our responsibility to harness AI in ways that solve real problems, empower employees, and drive ethical innovation. By embracing these takeaways, you can position your organization to thrive in the AI era while staying true to your values and responsibilities. About the AuthorMurali SwaminathanChief Technology Officer, Freshworks Murali Swaminathan serves as chief technology officer at Freshworks, responsible for the company’s technology roadmap and strategy, and leading global engineering and architecture teams. With 30+ years of experience, he has held leadership roles at ServiceNow, Recommind (now OpenText), and CA Technologies (now Broadcom), delivering scalable, secure solutions that drive digital transformation. Murali holds a master’s in software engineering management from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s in electronics and instrumentation from Annamalai University in India.See more from Murali SwaminathanWebinarsMore WebinarsReportsMore ReportsNever Miss a Beat: Get a snapshot of the issues affecting the IT industry straight to your inbox.SIGN-UPYou May Also Like

Here is my hottest Harry Potter take: Out of all the books, films, theme park attractions, and video games, the single best aspect of this mega-multimedia franchise is ... the one you drink.Harry Potter-branded Butterbeer was initially only served at the Harry Potter lands in various Universal Studios parks around the globe. First described in the Potter books as a butterscotch-flavored concoction (with a slight alcoholic content), and then consumed by the flagon-full in the cinematic adaptations, real-world Butterbeer became one of the signature selling points of the very first Wizarding World of Harry Potter when it opened at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in the summer of 2010.The precise makeup of Universal’s (non-alcoholic) Butterbeer is a secret, but it sort of tastes like a cross between cream soda and butterscotch, topped with a butterscotch whipped cream topping. Whatever is in it, it’s delicious; it might be my favorite carbonated beverage on the planet. And I can’t be alone in that opinion, because Universal (and whoever is in charge of Harry Potter licensing) keep adding more varieties: There’s not just a Butterbeer drink, there’s also Butterbeer slushes and Butterbeer ice cream and Butterbeer cream puffs and Butterbeer fudge, and so on. (I’m not sure you could actually make Butterbeer the flamethrower, but at this point, it wouldn’t feel out of place.)I haven’t tried all of these varietals, but I’ve sampled a bunch — including the underrated hot Butterbeer — and they are all good. The latest expansion to this lineup takes the treat out of theme parks and official Harry Potter stores and into grocery chains, which are now selling Butterbeer versions of well-established snack foods.Given my taste for all things Butterbeer, when Warner Bros. reached out and offered to send me a box of these treats they are promoting as part of “Butterbeer Season,” I immediately said yes — and not for the usual reason that I am honor bound to eat any and all foods inspired by movies. This time I undertook my sacred duty not out of obligation but genuine curiosity.They ultimately sent me four different Butterbeer-y foods. Here are all of them.“Butterbeer Season” Snacks That Taste Like ButterbeerThere is now a whole slew of snack foods that taste like the famous Harry Potter beverage. But which is the best?I should note that I shared all these snacks with my family, and everyone had a different favorite. I preferred the Goldfish, my wife liked the popcorn, my older daughter loved the Kisses, and my youngest liked the cookies. Perhaps this is the true “magic” of movie food; its success can only be measured subjectively.A Brief History of Movie Tie-In FoodHow movies fell in love with chain restaurants (and vice versa)...Categories: Longform, TV News

LocationFully remoteThe companyAt Nearcut and Book in Beautiful (one company, two brands), we exist to help our clients build and grow their businesses, giving barbers and hairdressers time back to do what they love. We’re a close knit, autonomous team of self-starters who support each other to build amazing tech to empower our customers.The roleWe are looking for an experienced content marketer who is both creative and organised, to take ownership of our content planning and execution across multiple channels. You will be the second full-time marketer in the team, so this is a great opportunity for someone who wants to learn a lot while being both creative and hands-on day-to-day.What you’ll be doingYou’ll be working closely with our Growth Marketer and a team of ad hoc content creators to creatively deliver a multi-channel content strategy that successfully differentiates our brand across 3-4 key geos:Crafting and editing compelling written content, including ad copy, website content, and social media postsBriefing expert content creators and our in-house designer to create exciting and innovative visual content to grab the attention of our potential customersPlanning and executing a multi-channel content calendar of campaigns that convertTurning customer insights into compelling stories and case studies for email, social, video and ad campaignsAnalysing, iterating then replicating what worksYour experienceEssentialYou’re a talented copywriter, content marketer, and overall storytellerYou’re a whizz at crafting content for social media, website conversion pages, email marketing, sales enablement materials and other creative assetsYou’re organised and comfortable planning multi-channel campaigns and maintaining a content calendar for different target marketsYou have experience briefing and working directly with content creatorsYou’re comfortable using ad platform data (e.g. running A/B tests) and existing analytics tools (we use Posthog) to leverage data to inform your content marketing decisionsYou have a strong sense of visual and UX designNice-to-haveProven experience in B2B SaaS content marketingFrench, German or Spanish speaking is a plusBenefits of our working environmentHigh autonomy and responsibility: We’re a small team with a big product and client-base, so every individual has lots of independence and scope for impact.Remote-first: We are a remote-first company without an in-person office. We trust our employees to work flexibility and autonomously to efficiently meet business goals.Flexible working hours: Aside from regular team meetings and availability during the normal workday, we are happy for you to complete your work whenever you’re most productive.Close and supportive team: Although we work remotely, our team is close knit and colleagues are always there to help one another.Continuous client feedback: Our clients are small business owners who are very grateful to have our support. We are privileged to work closely with them to continue to improve our product.“Everyone is pulling in the same direction and supports each other. I've never worked for a company that gets so much positive feedback from the clients - we can really see the impact of our work. I also enjoy that fact that we work remotely and can be flexible.”Nearcut colleague for more than 3 years“Working at Nearcut is a breath of fresh air! The business is full to the brim of great people who are motivated to improve themselves and the business on the whole, and the entire company is structured to allow individuals to thrive. I haven't looked back since joining!”Nearcut colleague for more than 1 yearWhat you’ll getA remote-first, autonomous working environment; one where you’re proactively making and communicating your own decisions; not being told what to do nextWorking with an experienced Growth Marketer to experiment with creative and innovative content to crack new marketsPlus… the nitty grittyAn annual salary of between £45,000 - £55,00033 flexible holiday days per year. Since our remote-first team is based all over the world, you can choose whether or not to take time off on your country’s public holidays.A Macbook ProWe’re a small team and we’re passionate about being a great company to work with and work for.Please answer the following key questions in order to apply! The deadline is Wednesday 14th May at 6pm GMT.bit.ly/3RO3Ts5Apply NowLet's start your dream job Apply now Automatically Apply to Remote Sales and Marketing JobsLet your copilot automatically search and apply to remote jobs from We Work Remotely

This is today's edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what's going on in the world of technology. DOGE’s tech takeover threatens the safety and stability of our critical data —Steven Renderos is the executive director of Media Justice Tech buzzwords are clanging through the halls of Washington, DC. The Trump administration has promised to “leverage blockchain technology” to reorganize the US Agency for International Development, and Elon Musk’s DOGE has already unleashed an internal chatbot to automate agency tasks—with bigger plans on the horizon to take over for laid-off employees. The executive order that created DOGE in the first place claims the agency intends to “modernize Federal technology and software.” But jamming hyped-up tech into government workflows isn’t a formula for efficiency. Successful, safe civic tech requires a human-centered approach that understands and respects the needs of citizens.Unfortunately, this administration laid off all the federal workers with the know-how for that. And if this administration doesn’t change its approach soon, American citizens are going to suffer far more than they probably realize. Read the full story. Meet the researchers testing the “Armageddon” approach to asteroid defense One day, in the near or far future, an asteroid about the length of a football stadium will find itself on a collision course with Earth. If we are lucky, it will land in the middle of the vast ocean, creating a good-size but innocuous tsunami, or in an uninhabited patch of desert. But if it has a city in its crosshairs, one of the worst natural disasters in modern times will unfold. Homes dozens of miles away will fold like cardboard. Millions of people could die. Fortunately for all 8 billion of us, planetary defense—the science of preventing asteroid impacts—is a highly active field of research. We already know that at least one method works: ramming the rock with an uncrewed spacecraft to push it away from Earth.But there are circumstances in which giving an asteroid a physical shove might not be enough to protect the planet. If that’s the case, we could need another method, one that is notoriously difficult to test in real life: a nuclear explosion. Read the full story.—Robin George Andrews This story is from the next edition of our print magazine, which is all about creativity. Subscribe now to read it and get a copy of the magazine when it lands! The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Consumer tech products may be subject to steep tariffs after all The Trump administration says that while smartphones and other gadgets are exempt from ‘reciprocal’ tariffs, they will be included in forthcoming semiconductor tariffs. (FT $)+ Trump has promised to investigate the semiconductor sector. (The Guardian)+ The White House’s tariff chaos is showing no signs of slowing. (Reuters) 2 Meta is preparing for its day in court The landmark monopoly trial follows an investigation that took close to six years. (NYT $)+ The trial's ruling could force Mark Zuckerberg to spin off Instagram and WhatsApp. (Politico)+ But the US government is facing an uphill battle. (Wired $)3 Lauren Sánchez is heading into spaceThe pilot, who is also Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, will travel to the edge of outer space today. (CNN) + The all-female mission is expected to take around 11 minutes. (BBC)4 Chinese sellers aren’t worried about the USA’s tariffs  Even though they’re anticipating that the US won’t buy everyday goods any more. (WSJ $)+ The tariffs are hitting ordinary Americans pretty hard. (The Guardian)+ Meanwhile, Apple has increased its iPhone production in India by almost 60%. (Bloomberg $)5 Here’s what could happen to your 23andMe DNA data Now the company has gone bankrupt, a sale could be imminent. (Insider $)+ How to… delete your 23andMe data. (MIT Technology Review) 6 The hacking groups you need to know aboutFrom crypto thieves to sabotage specialists. (Wired $) + Cyberattacks by AI agents are coming. (MIT Technology Review)7 Netflix is testing out a new AI search functionPowered by OpenAI’s technology. (Bloomberg $) + It’s currently available for select users in Australia and New Zealand. (Engadget)8 San Francisco residents are turning Waymos into community bulletin boardsThey’re leaving handwritten notes seeking new hires and dates inside the robotaxis. (WP $) + How Wayve’s driverless cars will meet one of their biggest challenges yet. (MIT Technology Review)9 Who is hacking California’s crosswalks? Crossings are playing AI recordings mocking Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. (The Verge) 10 Instagram is the hottest place to shop for kids’ clothes 👕 Enterprising moms are on the hunt for bargains. (The Verge)+ The best part of Facebook these days is Facebook Marketplace. (The Atlantic $) Quote of the day “The mass confusion created by this constant news flow out of the White House is dizzying for the industry and investors and creating massive uncertainty and chaos for companies trying to plan their supply chain, inventory, and demand.”’ —Dan Ives, a senior analyst for Wedbush, sums up the latest twists and turns in the Trump administration’s tariff plans, the Washington Post reports. The big story Africa fights rising hunger by looking to foods of the past After falling steadily for decades, the prevalence of global hunger is now on the rise—nowhere more so than in sub-Saharan Africa.Conflicts, economic fallout from the covid-19 pandemic, and extreme weather events linked to climate change have pushed the share of the population considered undernourished from 18% in 2015 to 23% in 2023. Africa’s indigenous crops are often more nutritious and better suited to the hot and dry conditions that are becoming more prevalent, yet many have been neglected by science, which means they tend to be more vulnerable to diseases and pests and yield well below their theoretical potential. Now the question is whether researchers, governments, and farmers can work together in a way that gets these crops onto plates and provides Africans from all walks of life with the energy and nutrition that they need to thrive, whatever climate change throws their way. Read the full story. —Jonathan W. Rosen We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction to brighten up your day. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or skeet 'em at me.)+ The Minecraft movie sounds like absolute chaos (in a good way)+ Huge congratulations are in order for Rory McIlroy, the first European to win golf’s Grand Slam.+ Mark my words, nothing good can come from a British version of SNL.+ Enjoy these gorgeous otter pups taking their very first swim with their patient mom 🦦

View of the Goods Station scheme's two tallest towers 1/6 show caption Councillors have deferred a planning decision on Simpson Haugh’s five-tower housing scheme in Birmingham due to concerns over the proliferation of tall buildings in the city. Urban regeneration developer Vita Group’s 1,200-home Goods Station scheme had been recommended for approval by planning officers ahead of Birmingham city council’s planning committee meeting last Thursday. But a decision on the scheme, which includes buildings up to 49 storeys, has now been put back after one councillor warned the local authority was allowing the city to go in a “New York direction”. The council has approved a string of city-centre towers in the past year including Fuse Studios’ 37-storey build-to-rent tower, a 47-storey tower designed by Glancy Nicholls and Corstorphine & Wright’s controversial three-tower redevelopment of the Ringway Centre. Submitted last autumn, the Goods Station scheme would consist of three blocks of 49, 39 and 10 storeys containing a combined 868 build-to-rent homes, a 29-storey student accommodation tower containing 720 bedpsaces and a 19-storey hotel building containing 229 serviced apartments. Councillor Philip Davis claimed there was a lack of clear policy on tall buildings in the city centre and said councillors were stuck in a “grey area” when making decisions on high rise applications. “The situation that we’re actually in is that we don’t have a view,” he said. “We’re just allowing it to happen, and this is really significant in terms of transformational change to the way the city looks.  “And if we want to go in the New York direction, let’s have a debate about it, but if we don’t then that should be considered as well, but we need to have some view on this.” Davis said he was “very concerned” that the Goods Station scheme “represents another incremental twist towards a city of tall towers without a clear policy being made on our part.” The scheme consists of five buildings up to 49 storeys The scheme would be built on the vacant 2.2ha site of the former Axis office development near the Mailbox shopping centre. An application to rebuild the site as a new office scheme designed by Fletcher Priest was approved in 2017 but never started, although the existing buildings, which had been occupied by Atkins, were demolished in 2021. Councillor Gareth Moore welcomed a new application coming forward for the long-vacant site but criticised Simpson Haugh’s designs for the new scheme, which he described as “just a collection of boxes”.  “We have far too many boxes being built in this city and we need to make sure these buildings are distinctive in their own rights,” he said. “We just seem to be allowing developers to come forward and put up bland boxes which are not distinctive in any way. If you line them all up you could not tell them apart from a distance. So I do think we need to push back on the design and if we’re going to be allowing tall buildings… they should be distinctive so people can see a building and know exactly what it is and it be an addition to the skyline rather than [the skyline] just be cluttered.” The meeting was told by planning officers that policy on tall buildings was covered by the local design code and ongoing work on the local plan, along with a supplementary planning document on tall buildings. The project team for the Goods Station scheme includes landscape architect LDA Design, planning consultant Turley, structural and civil engineer Ramboll, cost consultant Arcadis, commercial agent CBRE and daylight consultant GIA. The deferral of the scheme’s planning decision came on the same day as a significant win for lead architect Simpson Haugh with the approval of its 76-storey Viadux 2 development in Manchester, set to be the UK’s fourth tallest building when built. Vita Group has been contacted for comment.

The competition – organised by the Brussels ‘Bouwmeester’ chief architect – seeks proposals to transform the offices of Crelan, which was founded in 1937 and operates around 600 branches, into a new residential complex. The phased €22.9 million ‘Westpark’ project will convert the large office block next to Westland shopping centre in Anderlecht into a ‘sustainable, innovative, and inclusive place to live.’ Intended as a single long-term investment and an alternative to the traditional housing market, the project – backed by developer GML ESTATE – will prioritise shared spaces, affordability and a sustainable management model.Advertisement According to the brief: ‘The project is guided by strong principles of sustainability and circularity. Preserving the existing structure will prevent unnecessary demolition and minimize its ecological footprint, as by using reclaimed materials and applying circular construction principles. ‘Architecture will play a key role in the success of this transformation. The goal is to create a recognizable and well-integrated residential complex while offering a variety of housing types suitable for a diverse population, including young families, seniors, and people with reduced mobility. ‘Improved insulation and the reduction of thermal bridges will enhance the building’s energy performance, while repurposing the underground levels will ensure optimal space management.’ Crelan’s occupation of the 10,000m² office building on the western fringes of Brussels is due to end in 2028. Planned to complete in early 2030, the building’s conversion will deliver an estimated 120 apartments plus new green spaces close to the Brussels Ring road. The latest procurement comes two years after an open international contest was held to create a new €60 million-to-€80 million stadium for Belgian football club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.Advertisement Caruso St John and Bovenbouw Architectuur transformed the insurance firm Royale Belge's former headquarters into a multi-use building, including a hotel, workspaces and gym in 2023. The Westpark competition languages are French and Dutch. The overall winner be announced in mid-July. The fees for the winning team will be based on 90€/m² for sellable residential areas, 30€/m² for common areas and 10€/m² for basement areas. Non-winning teams who participate in the design phase of the competition will each receive a €12,500 honorarium. Competition details Project title Crelan HQ Client Contract value €22.9 million First round deadline 3pm local time, 5 May 2025 Restrictions In analyzing references, the project owner will pay particular attention to the following specific capabilities: - Ability to qualitatively anchor a residential building in its context - Ability to effectively integrate high-quality residential typologies into an existing building, taking into account quality of life - Ability to develop an innovative sustainability concept, paying particular attention to circularity and flexibility The applicant must demonstrate each capability with a single reference. More information https://bma.brussels/en/crelan-hq/