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  • 8 more pass away as India deals with longest heatwave

    8 more pass away as India deals with longest heatwave

    A serious heatwave continues to create chaos in India as the eastern state of Odisha on Monday reported 8 deaths within a 72-hour duration.

    Authorities figures launched in Might recommended 60 individuals passed away in between March and Might throughout India due to heat-related factors.

    However the number is most likely to be much greater as heat-related deaths go under-reported in backwoods.

    Authorities state India remains in the middle of the longest heatwave it has actually ever viewed as temperature levels crossed 50C in some locations just recently.

    Women quench their thirst with the tap water on a hot summer afternoon during heatwave in Prayagraj on June 10, 2024

    Skyrocketing temperature levels have actually interfered with lives in lots of locations [Getty Images]

    “This has actually been the longest spell due to the fact that it has actually been experienced for about 24 days in various parts of the nation,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed the Indian Express paper.

    Parts of northern India have actually been experiencing severe heat given that mid-May, with temperature levels hovering in between 45-50C in a number of cities.

    Some locations of the nation have actually likewise been affected by water lacks, with severe heat putting substantial needs on materials.

    Previously this month, a minimum of 18 ballot authorities released for the last stage of the basic elections passed away of heat-related diseases in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states, authorities stated.

    On 31 Might, a minimum of 33 individuals, consisting of election authorities, passed away of thought heatstroke in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

    The monsoon, which struck India’s southern coast in Kerala state on 30 Might, is anticipated to bring some relief as it infects northern parts of the nation in the coming days.

    The IMD has actually anticipated an above-average monsoon season for the nation this year.

    However Mr Mohapatra stated that “heatwaves will be more regular, long lasting and extreme, if preventive or preventive steps are not taken.”

    The weather condition workplace has actually anticipated heatwave conditions for northwest and eastern India for the next 5 days.

    People filling water from a supply water tanker of Delhi Government, during a high temperature heat wave, at Sangam Vihar, on June 9, 2024 in New Delhi, People filling water from a supply water tanker of Delhi Government, during a high temperature heat wave, at Sangam Vihar, on June 9, 2024 in New Delhi,

    Parts of the nation have actually likewise been affected by water lacks [Getty Images]

    India is the world’s 3rd biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, relying greatly on coal to produce power for its requirements.

    “Human activities, increasing population, industrialisation and transportation systems are causing increased concentration of carbon monoxide gas, methane and chlorocarbons,” Mr Mohapatra stated.

    “We are threatening not just ourselves, however likewise our future generations.”

  • Biden is not giving up the fight for Silicon Valley’s project money

    Biden is not giving up the fight for Silicon Valley’s project money

    Donald Trump made a splash this previous week in Silicon Valley, signaling he wishes to challenge for the Bay Location’s deep pockets.

    However President Biden isn’t going to provide those donors up without a battle.

    An evaluation of project financing records, consisting of Biden’s leading private factors up until now this project season, reveals that the president is still quite in the defend Huge Tech money in 2024.

    LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman sits atop Biden’s list with more than $9 million in contributions to the president and outdoors groups supporting Biden, according to information assembled by project financing trackers at OpenSecrets.

    Hoffman has actually offered millions more to groups supporting Democratic congressional prospects.

    US President Joe Biden gestures as he makes his way to board Air Force One before departing from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on May 9, 2024. Biden is heading to the West coast for campaign fundraisers in San Francisco and Seattle. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

    President Joe Biden gestures before leaving on Might 9 for a West Coast swing that saw him raising project money in San Francisco and Seattle. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP by means of Getty Images) (MANDEL NGAN by means of Getty Images)

    He even published an essay about his assistance for Biden Thursday, simply as Trump headed to San Francisco for an extremely expected fundraising event that appears to have actually put about $12 million in the previous president’s coffers.

    The Hoffman essay was a defense of sorts to the inroads Trump has actually made amongst tech executives and Wall Street more normally, with an argument that Trump’s habits and his neglect for the guideline of law would be bad for service.

    “Sadly, numerous American magnate have actually just recently established a type of myopia, overestimating what politics, and which politicians, will really support their long-lasting success,” Hoffman composed.

    He is barely the only one on the West Coast with those views. 8 of Biden’s leading 20 advocates up until now this project have direct ties to Silicon Valley. Those figures vary from Sequoia Capital’s Michael Moritz, with $7.3 million in contributions up until now, to previous Facebook (META) COO Sheryl Sandberg, who has actually offered over half a million.

    The list grows when Biden’s huge advocates advocates in Hollywood are consisted of. DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg and star Seth MacFarlane have actually offered more than $1 million each, according to the records.

    The overalls might currently be substantially greater, with project financing records working on a hold-up due to the fact that of disclosure requirements. Much of the information assembled in current days is through April, with some updates not anticipated for weeks or months offered the differing disclosure guidelines.

    And numerous billionaire presents to both prospects will, obviously, never ever be understood, with specific groups able to accept so-called dark cash that isn’t divulged.

    The race for Huge Tech’s money played out throughout current twin journeys by Biden and Trump to the location.

    CALIFORNIA, USA - MAY 9: U.S. President Biden arrives at Moffett Federal Airfield of NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, United States on May 9, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)CALIFORNIA, USA - MAY 9: U.S. President Biden arrives at Moffett Federal Airfield of NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, United States on May 9, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

    President Biden gets here in Flying force One at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, Calif. on Might 9. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu by means of Getty Images) (Anadolu by means of Getty Images)

    Biden went to Silicon Valley in early Might. He initially took a trip to the Portola Valley home of Vinod Khosla, the billionaire co-founder of Sun Microsystems, to raise money.

    Then came another fundraising drop in Palo Alto together with Marissa Mayer, the previous CEO of Yahoo, and Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the partner of California’s guv. Throughout those remarks, Biden stated the 2 ladies were “emblematic of how America is altering.”

    Biden then right away flew to Seattle to vacuum up more Huge Tech dollars at the home of Jon Shirley, the previous president of Microsoft (MSFT) who is likewise an art collector.

    “Invite to the Seattle art museum,” Biden joked as he started his remarks. Brad Smith, a present vice chair and president at Microsoft, was likewise in participation.

    Trump’s Silicon Valley stop today likewise led to tech billionaires opening their checkbooks. Thursday’s occasion was co-hosted by financier David O. Sacks and investor Chamath Palihapitiya. Popular members of the crypto neighborhood were significantly in participation also.

    Sacks likewise published an essay officially backing Trump and restated his factors for supporting the previous president.

    Messari CEO Ryan Selkis, among the guests, thanked Sacks in a social networks post later for “making it feel much safer for tech leaders to support President Trump this year.”

    A supporter wears a mask of Donald Trump as people rally in anticipation of former US President Donald Trump's arrival to a fundraising event in San Francisco on June 6, 2024. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)A supporter wears a mask of Donald Trump as people rally in anticipation of former US President Donald Trump's arrival to a fundraising event in San Francisco on June 6, 2024. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)

    A Trump advocate using a mask waved a flag as previous President Donald Trump showed up for a fundraising occasion in San Francisco on June 6. (JOSH EDELSON/AFP by means of Getty Images) (JOSH EDELSON by means of Getty Images)

    Biden has actually delighted in a fundraising edge in 2024 however has actually seen his benefit decrease in current months as Republican politicians combine behind Trump following his main season triumph.

    Donald Trump’s total operation — both the project and outdoors groups — stated it raised almost $300 million in Might by leveraging a rise of assistance amongst small-dollar donors on top of his strength with billionaires.

    According to OpenSecrets, practically 69% of Trump’s funds have actually originated from big contributions, with little private contributions of less than $200 comprising the majority of the rest.

    Biden’s ratio is just a little more even, with about 54% originating from big factors and 46% from those smaller sized checks.

    Biden hasn’t yet launched his fundraising overalls for Might, however the most current information readily available revealed his project had more than $84 million on hand through completion of April.

    His total operation, consisting of outdoors SuperPACs, has millions more stashed for the coming project.

    Ben Werschkul is Washington reporter for Yahoo Financing.

    Click on this link for politics news associated to service and cash

    Check out the current monetary and service news from Yahoo Financing

  • Great Dane Puppies: Charming Images and Realities

    Great Dane Puppies: Charming Images and Realities

    Couple of pet dogs record the beauty and marvel of “mild giants” like Great Danes. Called the “Apollo of Dogs,” this big pet type boasts an enforcing look integrated with a mild temperament. Stemming from Germany, they were at first reproduced for searching and safeguarding. Nevertheless, their friendly nature has actually made them precious household buddies today. Regardless of their enormous size as grownups, Great Dane pups begin small and lively, with shaky legs and large paws. If you’re thinking about inviting a Fantastic Dane young puppy into your home or merely can’t withstand those cute faces, here are some cool truths you require to understand about these stunning dogs.

    Terrific Dane pups cost a lot when you’re purchasing them for sale

    Three Great Dane puppies on leather couch.

    (Image Credit: Ben Robson | Getty Images)

    If you’ve discovered yourself asking, “Just how much do Terrific Dane pups cost?” you’re in for a series of responses. Provided their stunning stature and family tree, Great Dane pups don’t come inexpensive. The expense can vary extensively based upon the breeder’s credibility, area, and the young puppy’s family tree. Usually, Great Dane pups can cost anywhere in between $600 to over $3,000.

    It’s likewise fascinating to keep in mind the number of pups a Fantastic Dane can have in a single litter. Typically, a Fantastic Dane’s litter can include 8 to 10 pups, which can affect accessibility and expense. That stated, if you’re thinking about adoption, there’s constantly the alternative to embrace Terrific Dane mix pups from shelters and saves. Not just does this supply a caring home to a canine in requirement, however it can likewise be a more economical method to invite a Fantastic Dane into your household.

    These pups turn into among the biggest huge pet types

    Great Dane puppy runs over the meadow.Great Dane puppy runs over the meadow.

    (Image Credit: chris-mueller | Getty Images)

    Wondering how huge Terrific Dane pups can get? At birth, they’re as simple as any pups, however they grow promptly into among the biggest pet types understood to us. A mature Terrific Dane’s height can rise to 32 inches at the shoulder, making them an imposing figure next to their human buddies. Their size — along with their heart — makes them the title “mild giants” of the pet world. What’s more, their journey from a spirited puppy to a dignified grownup is speedy, with many reaching their complete size by 18 to 24 months. Nevertheless, similar to any type, these pet dogs need early training and socializing to handle their enforcing size with dignity.

    Terrific Dane pups have friendly characters and make great household pet dogs

    Great Dane puppy with toy soccer ball.Great Dane puppy with toy soccer ball.

    (Image Credit: Martin Harvey | Getty Images)

    Typically considered as a kid-friendly pet type, Great Danes have a mild and patient personality, making them exceptional buddies for kids. While their plus size may appear difficult, Terrific Danes typically reveal an user-friendly sense of hurting with kids. As such, these dogs embody the perfect mix of protector and friend within the family. However, it’s important to monitor their interactions with more youthful kids to avoid unintentional knocks. Training these pet dogs from their young puppy days can promote their natural friendliness, making them well-mannered and friendly members of your household circle.

    These pups have huge hungers needing even larger food spending plans

    Great Dane puppy eatingGreat Dane puppy eating

    (Image Credit: ChristopherBernard | Getty Images)

    With such a substantial size, it’s not a surprise Terrific Dane pups have huge hungers to match. Preparation for your young puppy’s feeding is essential as this huge pet type needs a diet plan that supports their quick development and advancement. Moreover, sufficient nutrition is type in avoiding health concerns, particularly those associated to bone development and strength. So, if you’re bringing a Fantastic Dane young puppy into your home, be gotten ready for a bigger food spending plan to accommodate their hearty cravings.

    Terrific Danes like Scooby Doo are a few of our preferred film pet dogs

    Scooby-Doo, a Great Dane.Scooby-Doo, a Great Dane.

    (Image Credit: WB Children by means of YouTube)

    Terrific Danes have actually recorded our hearts not just in our homes however likewise on our screens. Characters like Scooby Doo — the mystery-solving dog — have actually celebrated Great Danes as precious figures in popular culture. This adorable, albeit imaginary, Terrific Dane showcases the type’s charming characteristic, such as commitment, bravery, and a pressing cravings. While Scooby Doo may be among the most well-known Terrific Danes, lots of real-life Danes have actually likewise left their paw prints in numerous functions in motion pictures and tv, fascinating audiences with their worthy and mild existence.

    This type makes an outstanding service pet or ESA

    Great Dane puppy kissing little girl.Great Dane puppy kissing little girl.

    (Image Credit: ChristopherBernard | Getty Images)

    Apart from being terrific household animals, Great Danes likewise stand out as service pet dogs or psychological assistance animals (ESAs). Their mild nature and eager sense of compassion towards their owners make them best for these functions. Typically described as “velcro pet dogs” for their propensity to remain near their human beings, Great Danes are extremely user-friendly. In truth, they have a unique leaning habits where they rest their excellent weight versus their preferred individuals for additional cuddles. This particular, together with their excellent size, allows them to supply physical assistance and a sense of security to people with particular requirements.

    Terrific Dane pups can be found in lots of coat colors

    Cute brindle Great Dane puppy sitting on a yellow path in a park.Cute brindle Great Dane puppy sitting on a yellow path in a park.

    (Image Credit: bettphotos / 500px | Getty Images)

    Among the interesting elements of Terrific Dane pups is their range in coat colors and patterns. From fawn, brindle, black, and blue to harlequin and more, the type boasts an excellent selection of looks. This variety can be a lot more noticable in Terrific Dane mix pups, where genes from another type present brand-new characteristics and colors. Despite the coat color, all Terrific Danes share the very same adorable and mild personality that makes them such precious animals.

    Great Dane puppy on newspaper.Great Dane puppy on newspaper.

    Terrific Dane young puppy on paper.

    Great Dane puppy sleepingGreat Dane puppy sleeping

    Terrific Dane young puppy sleeping

    Great Dane puppyGreat Dane puppy

    Terrific Dane young puppy

    Black Dane puppy on deckBlack Dane puppy on deck

    Black Dane young puppy on deck

    Great Dane lying in grassGreat Dane lying in grass

    Terrific Dane depending on yard

    Terrific Dane pups have distinct and captivating characteristics that set them apart from other pet types. From their stunning stature and caring leaning habits to their record-breaking tail wagging, these mild giants have a method of winning hearts with their caring nature.

    Thinking about including a Fantastic Dane to your household? Keep in mind to embrace from a shelter or rescue!

    The post Terrific Dane Puppies: Charming Images and Realities appeared initially on DogTime.

  • Behind the ‘Zuma tsunami’ in South Africa

    Behind the ‘Zuma tsunami’ in South Africa

    Chosen, implicated of corruption – fired, implicated of rape – acquitted, chosen president, implicated of corruption once again – rejected once again, ousted, sent to prison for contempt of court – released, disallowed from ending up being an MP.

    For many political leaders practically any of these punches would have shown deadly to their profession, however not for South Africa’s Jacob Zuma.

    Like an undaunted prize-fighter, the 82-year-old previous president might have been torn down on events, however he has actually never ever been knocked out.

    Throughout the current election project he has actually been doing his familiar dance and the outcomes of recently’s vote program he still wields big impact.

    He is at the helm of a brand-new celebration that handled the African National Congress (ANC), getting 15% of the vote.

    The outcomes have actually been embarrassing for the ANC, the freedom motion Mr Zuma as soon as led, as it has actually lost its straight-out parliamentary bulk for the very first time in thirty years – and the “Zuma tsunami”, as it has actually been called, is instrumental.

    In the centre of the seaside city of Durban, the primary city in KwaZulu-Natal province, Mr Zuma’s smiling face beams below practically every street light on green-and-black election posters of his just recently formed celebration, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) or Spear of the Country.

    There is no questioning the octogenarian’s exalted status here in his heartland, where he is appreciated for supporting his cultural and standard Zulu beliefs.

    He is likewise admired for his function as a peace broker throughout political violence in the early 1990s, which practically thwarted the nation’s shift to democracy.

    And more than twenty years earlier, he was credited with bringing citizens in KwaZulu-Natal from the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Liberty Celebration to the ANC.

    Supporters at the MK manifesto launch at Orlando Stadium on May 18, 2024 In Soweto, South Africa

    The previous president had the ability to take his devoted fans with him into uMkhonto weSizwe [Getty Images]

    This year he had the ability to take his devoted fans with him to MK, which is called after the ANC’s previous armed wing and holds big political significance since of its function in defending completion of white-minority guideline.

    The launch of MK’s manifesto, a week before the 29 Might election at a jam-packed 40,000-seater arena, was a clear signal that “uBaba” (dad), as Mr Zuma is understood, was back.

    The sea of his fans braving the scorching heat shouted: “Zuma! Zuma!”

    One screamed: “Uyinsizwa nxamala”, which loosely equates from Zulu as “a courageous warrior who never ever pulls back”.

    On election day, getting to his ballot station, a decently constructed main school without flushing toilets, the MK celebration leader was welcomed by numerous individuals who called out his clan names: “Msholozi, Nxamalala, Maphum’ephethe”.

    The previous president waved and smiled at them before getting in a class to vote.

    As he left the ballot station, his fans sang a pro-Zuma tune in Zulu made popular numerous years ago when the previous president was implicated of corruption.

    One refrain they vocalized translates as: “What has Zuma done? You’re affected by propaganda from so-called white monopoly capital.”

    Numerous political leaders can depend on a devoted core of backers, however Mr Zuma’s capability to really get in touch with the bad and marginalised is what sets him apart.

    And this might discuss his long-lasting appeal regardless of dealing with various scandals and damning allegations.

    6 years earlier, it appeared that his luck had actually lastly gone out when he was required from the presidency, following a list of corruption accusations, which he rejected.

    Cyril Ramaphosa changed him as president and Mr Zuma ended up being a political pariah and a broken brand name.

    A supporter protesting ahead of the motion of no confidence vote against President Jacob Zuma on August 08, 2017A supporter protesting ahead of the motion of no confidence vote against President Jacob Zuma on August 08, 2017

    While president, Jacob Zuma dealt with various no-confidence movements connected to the corruption accusations versus him [Getty Images]

    Then 3 years earlier, things worsened: he was sent out to prison after being discovered in contempt of court for stopping working to offer proof and affirm at a judicial examination into corruption throughout his nine-year term as president.

    His arrest in July 2021 triggered the most dangerous riots because completion of white-minority guideline in 1994 and caused the deaths of more than 300 individuals.

    He had actually been sentenced to 15 months, however President Ramaphosa launched him after he had actually served just 3, in an effort to soothe him and his mad fans.

    Simply a couple of weeks earlier, it appeared Mr Zuma was dealt another blow after being lawfully disallowed from standing as a member of parliament since of his conviction.

    However none of that appeared to matter to citizens, and his tendency to outmaneuver his political challengers appeared, which the ANC acknowledged.

    “Jacob Zuma is a force to be considered in South African politics… we never ever undervalued him,” confessed ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, as he assessed his celebration’s depressing efficiency.

    Regardless of his suspension from the ANC, Mr Zuma stays a member of the celebration that brought an end to apartheid.

    Without any official education and a modest childhood, his anti-apartheid advocacy ultimately saw him imprisoned for ten years at the well-known Robben Island jail together with Nelson Mandela.

    After the restriction versus the ANC was raised by the white federal government in 1990, Mr Zuma returned from exile and increased through the celebration’s ranks. In 1999 he was selected deputy president of the nation.

    He was then linked in corruption accusations in 2005, which he rejected, including a 1999 arms offer and was fired by then-President Thabo Mbeki. This case continues to drag out – and he still deals with charges over the multi-billion dollar scandal.

    In December of that year, he was implicated of raping the child of a celebration associate. He confessed to making love with the female, who was HIV favorable, however stated the encounter was consensual.

    Mr Zuma welcomed ridicule when he stated he had actually had a shower after sex to avoid HIV transmission and thought that a healthy male was not likely to capture HIV from a lady.

    The list below year, he was acquitted of rape.

    Supporters, as well as opponents, of Mr Zuma protested outside the court where he was being tried for rapeSupporters, as well as opponents, of Mr Zuma protested outside the court where he was being tried for rape

    The rape case happened a couple of years before he ended up being president [AFP]

    He then combated his method back to the top of the ANC and ended up being president in 2009.

    Mr Zuma stayed in the function up until he was required to resign in 2018 after extreme pressure from his own celebration.

    This followed he was implicated of being associated with a procedure called “state capture”, where he permitted a household of rich entrepreneurs – the Guptas – to wield huge political impact.

    Mr Zuma and the Gupta siblings have actually dismissed the accusations of corruption as a fabrication.

    The previous president and his fans blame his follower, Mr Ramaphosa, for his failure.

    And now he may wish to settle a rating with his competitor.

    With union talks under method, the MK celebration has actually made it clear that it will just form a collaboration with the ANC if the president resigns.

    Newly pushed by his celebration’s efficiency, Mr Zuma tossed the very first punch on Saturday, declaring abnormalities.

    “No one should state outcomes, don’t provoke us, don’t begin problem,” he stated on the eve of the statement of the last election outcomes.

    The electoral commission has actually highly rejected these accusations.

    Cops are now on alert since of the danger of prospective discontent following Mr Zuma’s remarks.

    Yet regardless of this acrimonious scenario and relationship, the ANC has actually not dismissed a union with the MK celebration.

    “We are speaking to everyone who is prepared to form a federal government with us,” Mr Mbalula stated.

    Everything programs Mr Zuma’s impressive capability to stay in the ring.

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  • 8 of the very best Beaches in Krabi To Contribute To Your Container List

    8 of the very best Beaches in Krabi To Contribute To Your Container List

    Part of the factor I enjoy being location-independent is due to the fact that it enables me to leave and go anywhere for any quantity of time. Okay, so possibly that’s the greatest, essential reason that I enjoy being location-independent. Anyhow, in the spirit of that concept, I invested 3 months a number of years back taking in the heat, culture, and food in a few of the most stunning locations in Thailand.

    Over the 3 months that I called Thailand home, I invested a great portion of time chasing after the very best beaches in Thailand, much of which are discovered in the province of Krabi. Krabi is home to the very best beaches in Thailand and beach-hopping is, without a doubt, among the very best things to do in Krabi.

    However what are the very best beaches in Krabi? With many to select from you might discover it frustrating to even understand where to begin. So to assist make your beach bottom preparing a bit simpler, I’ve listed the beaches in Krabi that I am itching to get back to.

    Phra Nang Beach

    Tuomas A. Lehtinen via Getty Images

    Phra Nang Beach

    You have actually probably heard of the famous Railay Beach — the beach off of mainland Krabi that is only accessible by boat. Well, on the other side of the point is another gorgeous beach surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and pocketed with caves.

    Phra Nang Beach has a gentle crescent of golden sand, turquoise water, and, what I found to be quite interesting, a cave with literally thousands of carved penis shrines. Here’s why: The cave is said to be a spot for fertility because the spirit of Phranang is said to live along the coastline. It is a supremely sacred spot, so please keep that in mind when visiting. This isn’t a place to get “the shot” for the ‘gram, but more to learn about an interesting part of Thai culture.

    Penises and tradition aside, the beach is also a great spot for trekking up into the rainforest. The view from one of the top of the hills is stellar, with a panorama of the sparkling waters and limestone islands off in the distance.

    Most Beautiful Beaches in ThailandMost Beautiful Beaches in Thailand

    Meagan Drillinger

    Tub Island Beach

    This fleck of green in a sea of blue is breathtaking. Tub Island is the second island in a three-island chain. At low tide, you can walk across a sand bridge to get to the largest island, Koh Gai. To get there, you can sign up for an island-hopping tour or hire a long-tail boat to take you there privately. No matter which way you get there, you’ll have to pay a national park fee of about 400 THB.

    Things to Do in KrabiThings to Do in Krabi

    Meagan Drillinger

    Koh Gai Beach

    Speaking of Koh Gai, this uninhabited island has several spectacular beaches, as well. The island’s name translates to “Chicken Island” because of a rock formation that looks remarkably like the head of a chicken. But it’s not so much the rocks you’ll be paying attention to when you’ve got a seductive stretch of sun-bleached beach out in front of you.

    things to do in Krabithings to do in Krabi

    Meagan Drillinger

    Nopparat Thara Beach

    You’ll get a little bit of everything at Nopparat Thara Beach. It’s the main boat launch for people heading off on day tours, so the constant whir of long-tail boat motors is a consistent backdrop. But the west side of the beach is saved for a conservation area, so it’s the perfect spot to hop in the water. One of my favorite things to do at Nopparat Thara is to hit the string of bars and restaurants on your way back into Ao Nang. This is where you’ll find a night market, as well, which is always a lot of fun. Tip: Leon Bar is my favorite.

    View of Long Beach on Koh Lanta, Krabi Province, Thailand, AsiaView of Long Beach on Koh Lanta, Krabi Province, Thailand, Asia

    pigphoto by means of Getty Images

    Long Beach

    I absolutely adore Long Beach. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that this is one of the best beaches in Thailand. While I was camped out on Koh Lanta for two weeks, Long Beach was my “local” beach. Long Beach faces west into the Andaman Sea. It’s a gorgeous, gorgeous view of sparkling turquoise with the faint rounded heaps of islands in the distance. Along the beach are many boutique, locally owned hotels and guesthouses, as well as fabulous restaurants. My favorite was Fat Turtle, which served seriously excellent steaks and burgers all with a mesmerizing sunset view.

    beautiful beach attractions ,Klong Muang beach on sunset, Krabi province, Thailandbeautiful beach attractions ,Klong Muang beach on sunset, Krabi province, Thailand

    gee1999 via Getty Images

    Klong Muang

    This peaceful retreat is a paradise with sleepy beachfront bars and a few scattered restaurants that dot the mile-long beach. You can hire a long-tail boat from shore to do island hopping at a much more relaxed pace than some of the tours that you’ll snag in Ao Nang. And if you do want the energy of Ao Nang, it’s only about 10 minutes away by motorbike.

    Coast, sandy beach, Bamboo Bay, Ko Lanta island, Krabi, Thailand, Southeast Asia, AsiaCoast, sandy beach, Bamboo Bay, Ko Lanta island, Krabi, Thailand, Southeast Asia, Asia

    Andreas Rose via Getty Images

    Bamboo Bay

    If you can get yourself down to the southern tip of Koh Lanta, it will be worth it for many reasons. But one of the main reasons is Bamboo Bay, which is just inside Mu Koh Lanta National Park. The crescent-shaped beach has beautiful soft, white sand and is fringed all around with a lush, thick blanket of jungle. Because it’s in the national park, you won’t find this beach to be very crowded at all. That said, it doesn’t have any facilities; you’ll have to bring everything in with you for the day.

    Thai traditional wooden longtail boat and beautiful sand beach in Krabi province. Thailand.Thai traditional wooden longtail boat and beautiful sand beach in Krabi province. Thailand.

    frank600 via Getty Images

    Koh Poda

    Koh Poda will have your jaw on the floor. Part of the Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park, Koh Poda is yet another unspoiled tropical island within eyesight of the Krabi mainland. You’ll most likely visit Koh Poda if you book an island-hopping tour. It’s known for its snorkeling, white sand, and limestone mountains. There are no facilities on Koh Poda, however a trip will likely include lunch. If you employ a long-tail boat to take you, you’ll need to bring everything yourself. However a picnic on this beautiful beach is a can’t-miss out on chance.

    Meagan Drillinger·Yahoo Developer

    Meagan Drillinger is an expert tourist whose profession has actually taken her to 6 continents. You can read her things in Travel + Leisure, AFAR, The Points Guy, and other worldwide publications.

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  • India’s Modi might win 3rd term, surveys forecast

    India’s Modi might win 3rd term, surveys forecast

    India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi is most likely to win a 3rd successive term in workplace, exit surveys recommend.

    Experts caution the surveys, launched by numerous news companies, have actually typically been incorrect in the past and are not neutral.

    Nevertheless, they have actually put Mr Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) as the frontrunner in the basic election.

    The BJP, the primary opposition Congress celebration and local competitors fought it out in an intense project over 7 stages of ballot.

    Outcomes will be revealed on 4 June.

    A celebration or union requires 272 seats in parliament to form a federal government.

    The BJP led-coalition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), will cross this target – according to leave surveys, which anticipate it being close to taking about two-thirds of the seats.

    In his very first remarks after voting ended, Mr Modi declared success without describing the exit surveys.

    “I can state with self-confidence that individuals of India have actually enacted record numbers to re-elect the NDA federal government,” he composed on X, without supplying proof of his claim.

    VARANASI, INDIA - FEBRUARY 17: India's Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi (sitting atop a vehicle, wearing white) takes part in a roadshow as part of his 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' (India Come Together Anew Tour) on February 17, 2024 in Varanasi, India

    India’s primary opposition Congress has implicated the BJP of silencing challengers, which the BJP rejects [Getty Images]

    What are the exit surveys stating?

    Prime Minister Modi entered into this election with definite appeal, however his primary competitor – the leader of the Indian National Congress, Rahul Gandhi – and a union of opposition celebrations collected substantial momentum through the course of the prolonged election project.

    Now an aggregate of 6 exit surveys projections big wins for the BJP-led NDA, however such studies are not constantly reputable.

    Though the specific numbers differ, they forecast that the NDA will get in between 355 and 380 seats.

    The INDIA bloc is anticipated to get in between 125 and 165 seats, according to the Reuters news firm.

    By Itself, the BJP might win about 327 seats, not rather satisfying its 370-seat target.

    Supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hold cut-outs of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign rally in New Delhi on May 18, 2024, ahead of the fifth phase of polling in the ongoing country's general election. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)Supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hold cut-outs of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an election campaign rally in New Delhi on May 18, 2024, ahead of the fifth phase of polling in the ongoing country's general election. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

    Mr Modi is among the most popular leaders that India has actually seen in current years [Getty Images]

    A truly huge election

    India is the world’s most populated nation, with 1.4 billion individuals, and holding an across the country election is absolutely nothing except a Burden.

    Some 969 million people were qualified to cast their tally, which amounts to the populations of the United States, Russia, Japan, Britain, Brazil, France and Belgium.

    Exit pollsExit polls

    [BBC]

    Exit pollsExit polls

    [BBC]

    Exit pollsExit polls

    [BBC]

    What made headings this election?

    Ballot for the election, which concluded simply hours earlier, started on 19 April.

    The season was marked by intense speeches by political leaders (a few of them questionable), many rallies, diatribes, jibes and propaganda as political celebrations wanted to outmaneuver their challengers – on the ground and even online.

    And there wasn’t a scarcity of headline-making events. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in an alcohol policy case days before ballot started drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders and even areas of the media.

    Opposition leaders implicated the BJP federal government of attempting to silence competitors and reject them an equal opportunity – which the BJP rejects.

    A court gave Mr Kejriwal bail on 10 May to project for the elections. Nevertheless, he needs to go back to prison on 2 June.

    The election was likewise eclipsed by reports of political leaders and celebration employees damaging voting makers, Muslims being rejected their right to vote in some locations and celebrations flouting the Design Standard procedure – standards provided by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to make sure totally free and reasonable elections.

    Opposition leaders likewise implicated the commission of not acting upon their grievances versus the BJP – a claims the ECI has actually rejected.

    NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 25: Voters seen standing in queues to cast their vote during the sixth phase of Loksabha Elections at a polling station at Rajiv Nagar on May 25, 2024 in New Delhi, India. Polling for the sixth phase of general elections concluded in 58 constituencies across six states and two Union territories, including all seven seats in Delhi. Voter turnout across six states and two Union Territories during Phase 6 polling has been recorded at approximately 58.84 per cent, according to the Voter Turnout App of the Election Commission. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 25: Voters seen standing in queues to cast their vote during the sixth phase of Loksabha Elections at a polling station at Rajiv Nagar on May 25, 2024 in New Delhi, India. Polling for the sixth phase of general elections concluded in 58 constituencies across six states and two Union territories, including all seven seats in Delhi. Voter turnout across six states and two Union Territories during Phase 6 polling has been recorded at approximately 58.84 per cent, according to the Voter Turnout App of the Election Commission. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

    Ballot in India is a massive workout as millions mark time to enact each stage [Getty Images]

    What did individuals elect this election?

    The inauguration of the Ram temple, which was among the BJP’s greatest survey assures this election, and the federal government’s well-being plans are anticipated to benefit the ruling celebration.

    However the high joblessness rate and rate increases, specifically of food and fuel, were likewise at the top of numerous citizens’ minds.

    The election likewise came in the middle of accusations from the opposition, activists and international rights organisations that Indian democracy is under risk. It is a problem that might have affected the method individuals cast their votes.

    Find out more India election stories

  • Temperature levels cross 50C in northern India

    Temperature levels cross 50C in northern India

    Temperature levels have actually crossed 50C in parts of northern and main India as the nation faces severe heatwave conditions.

    Today, more than 37 cities in the nation taped temperature levels over 45C.

    On Tuesday, temperature level in capital Delhi’s Narela and Mungeshpur locations struck a record-breaking 49.9C .

    India’s weather condition workplace has actually released an extreme heatwave alert for parts of the city.

    A shopkeeper selling table fans waits for customers at a market on a hot summer day in Varanasi on May 27, 2024

    Heatwave conditions are anticipated to continue a number of parts of India for the next couple of days [Getty Images]

    A customer court in Delhi stopped hearing cases on Tuesday, after the judge stated it was too hot to work without cooling.

    Churu in the western state of Rajasthan and Sirsa in the northern Haryana state were amongst the most popular locations in the nation, with temperature levels over 50C.

    Rajasthan’s Jaipur city reported 3 deaths due to heat stroke on Tuesday.

    A construction worker quenches his thirst as he takes a break, amid the ongoing intense heatwave on a hot summer day along the bank of the river Yamuna, in New Delhi.A construction worker quenches his thirst as he takes a break, amid the ongoing intense heatwave on a hot summer day along the bank of the river Yamuna, in New Delhi.

    Temperature levels have actually struck record highs in parts of northern India [Getty Images]

    Indian summer seasons, which extend from March to September, are typically hot and damp.

    However the weather condition department has stated the nation is most likely to experience longer and more extreme heatwaves this year.

    This month, the states of Rajasthan and Gujarat saw 9 to 12 days of heat wave, with temperature levels in between 45-50C, it stated.

    A vendor with an umbrella over his head talks on mobile phone as he wipes his face with a cloth on a hot summer day in Varanasi on May 27, 2024A vendor with an umbrella over his head talks on mobile phone as he wipes his face with a cloth on a hot summer day in Varanasi on May 27, 2024

    The weather condition workplace has actually anticipated more heatwave days in June [Getty Images]

    In June, optimal temperature levels are most likely to stay above regular, India Meteorological Department (IMD) primary Mrutyunjay Mohapatra stated today, including that northwestern India is anticipated to see heatwave conditions for 4 to 6 days compared to 3 typically.

    The IMD has actually likewise anticipated an above-average monsoon season for the nation this year.

    The monsoon is anticipated to strike the coast of the southern state of Kerala on 31 Might.

    Learn more India stories:

  • Micheál Martin condemns ‘barbaric’ strike on Rafah

    Micheál Martin condemns ‘barbaric’ strike on Rafah

    Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin has actually condemned an Israeli air campaign on a camp for displaced Palestinians, explaining it as “barbaric”.

    Speaking in Brussels on Monday, Mr Martin, who is Ireland’s deputy prime minister, required an instant ceasefire and the release of all captives.

    A minimum of 45 individuals were eliminated in the strike on the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

    Previously, Hamas had actually fired 8 rockets from Rafah towards Tel Aviv – the very first long-range attacks on the main Israeli city considering that January.

    aftermath of air strike in rafah

    Damage from the strike on Sunday night emerged today [Getty Images]

    Mr Martin stated there can be no military option to the dispute and criticised any group utilizing violence or terrorism to get rid of the state of Israel or Palestine.

    “I condemn the violence of the other day. The rockets that were struck at Tel Aviv and the abhorrent attack on the Rafah camping tent refugee camp where innocent kids and civilians were eliminated,” he stated.

    Mr Martin included: “What we experienced last night is barbaric. Gaza is an extremely little enclave, largely inhabited city.

    “One cannot bomb a location like that without stunning repercussions in regards to innocent kids and civilians”.

    Israeli military operations have actually continued in Rafah in spite of a judgment on Friday by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) purchasing it to stop.

    Mr Martin was speaking after a conference of EU foreign ministers at which he stated the possibility of sanctions versus Israel if it did not adhere to ICJ judgments had actually been talked about.

    aftermath of air strike on rafahaftermath of air strike on rafah

    The Israel Defense Forces stated it targeted senior Hamas figures however would examine civilian casualties [Getty Images]

    On The Other Hand, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris has actually stated sanctions on Israel must not be “off the table”.

    He called the air campaign on Rafah “definitely unthinkable and unconscionable”.

    “Overnight we have actually seen Israel attack a displaced individual centre, a location where moms and dads were informed to get away with their kids, and they bombed it,” he stated.

    “In relation to sanctions, I do not believe anything can be off the table when it pertains to Israel, especially with what we’re seeing presently taking place in Rafah now, when we’re seeing the global neighborhood being disregarded, when we’re seeing global courts being disregarded,” he informed Ireland AM.

    Israelis take cover during rocket fire near Herzliya on SundayIsraelis take cover during rocket fire near Herzliya on Sunday

    Israelis hide throughout rocket fire near Herzliya on Sunday [Getty Images]

    Previously this month, Ireland was among 3 European nations to reveal strategies to formally acknowledge a Palestinian state.

    Ireland, Norway and Spain will officially acknowledge Palestinian statehood on Tuesday.

    “We did acknowledgment not to be pro-Palestinian or pro-Israeli however to be pro-peace,” Mr Harris stated.

  • North India boils as temperature levels near 50C

    North India boils as temperature levels near 50C

    Parts of northern India continue to reel under an extended heat spell that has actually tossed regular life out of equipment.

    On Thursday, temperature levels skyrocketed beyond 45C in lots of states and touched 48.8C in Rajasthan state’s Barmer city.

    India’s weather condition department has actually stated that the heatwave is most likely to continue till Wednesday.

    A number of areas are dealing with water and electrical power scarcities due to spikes in power usage.

    A young girl washes her face as increasing temperature during hot weather, on May 18, 2024 in New Delhi, India.

    A female puts water on her face on a hot day in Delhi [Getty Images]

    On Wednesday, Delhi’s peak power need reached 8,000MW, the greatest in the history of the Indian capital.

    Delhi is experiencing a harsh heat spell, with temperature levels hovering around 45-46C through today.

    Weather condition specialists state that the heat index – or the obvious or knowledgeable temperature level – has actually crossed 50C due to the fact that of the high levels of humidity.

    Healthcare facilities in the city have actually established unique centers to deal with clients experiencing heat-related health problems, which are likewise growing.

    A Kashmiri man swims in waters of the Dal Lake to cool off during hot weather, in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 22 May 2024. Kashmir is witnessing above normal temperatures as the summer season gets underway. The local meteorological department has forecasted mainly dry and hot weather conditions until 28 May in the Himalayan region. Kashmir experiences hot weather conditions, Srinagar, India - 22 May 2024A Kashmiri man swims in waters of the Dal Lake to cool off during hot weather, in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 22 May 2024. Kashmir is witnessing above normal temperatures as the summer season gets underway. The local meteorological department has forecasted mainly dry and hot weather conditions until 28 May in the Himalayan region. Kashmir experiences hot weather conditions, Srinagar, India - 22 May 2024

    A male swims in the Dal Lake in Kashmir. The Himalayan area is likewise experiencing above regular temperature levels this summertime [EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock]

     Indian elephant takes a water shower to beat the heat in an enclosure at Zoological Park on May 20, 2024 in New Delhi, India.  Indian elephant takes a water shower to beat the heat in an enclosure at Zoological Park on May 20, 2024 in New Delhi, India.

    Elephants being hosed down in the Delhi zoo, where authorities state they are taking additional steps to keep the animals comfy [Getty Images]

    Rohit Nair, 34, who operates in marketing in Delhi, states that the heat is excruciating.

    “I simply feel tired the whole day. Delhi is boiling this year,” he states.

    Mr Nair states he prevents marching throughout the afternoons, however it’s uneasy even inside your home.

    “It’s difficult to sit without the air conditioning unit on,” he states.

    People travelling on an electric rickshaw cover their heads during a hot sunny day in old quarters of Delhi on May 21, 2024. Indian authorities in the capital have ordered schools shut early for the summer holiday, after temperatures hit 47.4 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) with Delhi gripped by a "severe heatwave". (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)People travelling on an electric rickshaw cover their heads during a hot sunny day in old quarters of Delhi on May 21, 2024. Indian authorities in the capital have ordered schools shut early for the summer holiday, after temperatures hit 47.4 degrees Celsius (117 degrees Fahrenheit) with Delhi gripped by a "severe heatwave". (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

    Individuals operating in the casual sector are more vulnerable to experiencing heat-related health problems [Getty Images]

    BUDGAM, INDIA - 2024/05/15: A non-local labourer uses a mould to make bricks at a brick kiln in Budgam. The substantial emission of toxic elements from brick kilns poses grave threats to public health and the environment. These kilns release harmful fumes that can adversely affect the eyes, lungs, and throat of individuals exposed to them. In Jammu and Kashmir, traditional brick kilns' pollution concerns are being addressed with a shift to zig zag technology. Zig zag technology introduces a zig zag pattern in the kiln's firing system. This design allows for a more controlled airflow, optimizing the combustion process that helps in achieving better heat distribution, resulting in increased energy efficiency and reduced emissions. (Photo by Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)BUDGAM, INDIA - 2024/05/15: A non-local labourer uses a mould to make bricks at a brick kiln in Budgam. The substantial emission of toxic elements from brick kilns poses grave threats to public health and the environment. These kilns release harmful fumes that can adversely affect the eyes, lungs, and throat of individuals exposed to them. In Jammu and Kashmir, traditional brick kilns' pollution concerns are being addressed with a shift to zig zag technology. Zig zag technology introduces a zig zag pattern in the kiln's firing system. This design allows for a more controlled airflow, optimizing the combustion process that helps in achieving better heat distribution, resulting in increased energy efficiency and reduced emissions. (Photo by Idrees Abbas/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    This summertime has actually been especially difficult for labourers, who work for long hours under the sun [Getty Images]

    NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 12: Visitors seen out on a hot afternoon at India Gate, on May 12, 2024 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)NEW DELHI, INDIA - MAY 12: Visitors seen out on a hot afternoon at India Gate, on May 12, 2024 in New Delhi, India. (Photo by Sanjeev Verma/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

    Individuals rest under the shade of a tree in Delhi [Getty Images]

  • Blast in sugar factory eliminates 11 in Tanzania

    Blast in sugar factory eliminates 11 in Tanzania

    Eleven individuals have actually been eliminated and 2 others hurt in a surge at a sugar factory in Tanzania’s eastern district of Mvomero, authorities state.

    The blast occurred after a strong steam pipeline burst as employees were beginning production on Wednesday night, the fire and rescue group stated.

    In addition to Tanzanians, people of Brazil, India, China and Kenya are amongst the dead, authorities state.

    Alex Mkama, the local fire and rescue commissioner stated that his group was examining the reason for the occurrence.

    The surge happened at about 01:00 regional time on Thursday [23:00 GMT Wednesday] at a factory run by Mtibwa Sugar Estates Limited, among Tanzania’s primary sugar makers.

    All the deceased were electrical and device personnel who were operating in the control space at the time, Mr Mkama included.

    Following the blast, Mtibwa Sugar Business has actually suspended all production activities in the factory.

    The bodies of the departed employees have actually been relocated to the mortuary of the factory’s health center.

    You might likewise have an interest in:

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  • These are the very best historical sites in Mexico

    These are the very best historical sites in Mexico

    Possibilities are you’ve become aware of Tulum. If you’ve been to the Mexican Caribbean, you’ve likely even been to Tulum. You’re most likely all up to speed on Chichen Itza, also. However, think it or not, when it pertains to ancient ruins in Mexico, you’ve just scratched the surface area.

    There are lots (perhaps even hundreds) of ancient ruins throughout Mexico, from Mayan ruins and pyramids around Cancun to those buried deep in the jungles of southern Mexico, and others set down atop plateaus in the mountainous highlands. Mexico is, without a doubt, a paradise for history and culture fans. So if you wish to level up your antiquities video game, here are a few of the very best historical sites in Mexico where you’ll avoid the crowds and dive deep into history.

    Palenque Mexico ruins

    Meagan Drillinger stands in front of Palenque’s Temple of the Engravings (Meagan Drillinger)

    Palenque, Chiapas

    Chiapas, Mexico is among my preferred states. It’s one of the most naturally beautiful I’ve ever seen, home to the misty city of San Cristobal de las Casas, steeped in ancient Mayan shamanism traditions, flush with plunging waterfalls, lush jungles, fantastic coffee, and rich chocolate. But it also has some of the best Mayan ruins in Mexico.

    Shrouded in jungle and surrounded by mountains, the lost city of Palenque was one of the most powerful in the Mayan world, rivaling Tikal in Guatemala. It’s a sprawling complex of temples (the Temple of the Inscriptions is mind-blowing), palaces, and pavilions seemingly untouched by time and rising out of the jungle in true lost city splendor. Palenque was abandoned around 900 C.E. and was stumbled upon by intrepid explorers in the 18th century. Its hieroglyphics have been integral to the study of Mayan culture today.

    Majestic Mayan Pyramid 1 at Calakmul rises above the breathtaking Jungle Canopy for as far as the eye can see on a beautiful day in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche MexicoMajestic Mayan Pyramid 1 at Calakmul rises above the breathtaking Jungle Canopy for as far as the eye can see on a beautiful day in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche Mexico

    Randy Evoy via Getty Images

    Calakmul, Campeche

    Right next door to the state of Quintana Roo is the state of Campeche, one of the more mysterious states in the country. About 15% of Campeche is covered in jungle. Hidden within this thick foliage are some of the most beautiful Mayan ruins in Mexico, many of which are overlooked by the majority of tourists.

    Calakmul was put on the archaeological maps in the 1930s, however, only a small part of the place has been uncovered and opened to the public. The site was occupied for more than 1,000 years and was the main rival to Tikal in Guatemala. Today you can explore burial crypts, carvings, pyramids, and temples. About 6,000 buildings have been located, but only a few have been explored.

    Coba. Archeological site.Coba. Archeological site.

    toltequita-juanrojo via Getty Images

    Coba, Quintana Roo

    If you’re looking for some cool pyramids in Mexico (near Cancun, but closer to Playa del Carmen and Tulum), the ancient ruins of Coba will fit the bill. Believe it or not, the ruins at Coba include the tallest pyramid in Quintana Roo — and you can climb it. Talk about views.

    Coba only opened to the public less than a decade ago and it’s still relatively under the radar, especially when everyone else is sweating in the sun at the actual ruins in Tulum, Mexico. But now you know where to beat the crowds (and the heat) with this more secretive, jungle-enveloped location.

    The complex is massive, so consider renting a bike to cycle the many ancient stone pathways (for which Coba is particularly famous).

    Afternoon view of the ancient circular pyramids of Guachimontones, dating back over 2300 years old, found above the city of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, Mexico.Afternoon view of the ancient circular pyramids of Guachimontones, dating back over 2300 years old, found above the city of Teuchitlán, Jalisco, Mexico.

    MattGush via Getty Images

    Guachimontones, Jalisco

    Looking for cool things to do in Guadalajara? Look no further than Guachimontones. These unique, circular pyramids were discovered outside of Guadalajara in the 1960s. Built around 2000 years ago by yet another indigenous tribe of Mexico, the largest pyramid rises about 60 feet high and has more than 50 steps to the top.

    Road trip tip: Guachimontones makes a great stop if you’re doing a road trip from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta. The new super highway connects Guadalajara with Puerto Vallarta in less than three hours.

    best ruins in Mexicobest ruins in Mexico

    Monte Alban is the main archaeological site outside Oaxaca (Meagan Drillinger)

    Monte Alban, Oaxaca

    Traveling in Oaxaca, Mexico? While you’re there I’m sure you’ll be stuffing your face with mole and mezcal. But you should make it a point to visit the Monte Alban pyramids, as well. This ancient site was built by the Zapotecs, one of the many indigenous tribes of Mexico. Monte Alban is about a 10-minute bus ride out of the city center and provides a great way to spend the afternoon. Since it’s so close you don’t even have to commit the entire day to it, though you can if you want. Trust me, there’s plenty to see.

    The entire city sits on a plateau, surrounded by towering mountains and overlooking the entire Oaxaca valley.

    Uxmal Merida archaeological sites in MexicoUxmal Merida archaeological sites in Mexico

    Meagan Drillinger looks out at the Pyramid of the Magician at Uxmal (Meagan Drillinger)

    Uxmal, Yucatan

    If you’re exploring Merida, I suggest taking a day trip out to visit the Mayan site of Uxmal. Uxmal is rather impressive — it’s considered to be one of the most important sites in the Mayan empire. Its Pyramid of the Magician is a sight to behold, with rounded sides that make it one of the more unique Mayan pyramids in Mexico. It rises out of the thick, green jungle like a white-stone beacon. Visitors can spend hours wandering the complex and its many platforms, temples, and structures.

    Maya City of Ek Balam. MexicoMaya City of Ek Balam. Mexico

    Anton Klyudt via Getty Images

    Ek Balam, Yucatan

    While everyone else is making the journey to Chichen Itza, you’re taking a detour and heading off to Ek Balam. This Mayan city is just outside Valladolid, a town that sits between Cancun and Chichen Itza. Ek Balam was at its height between 700 and 1000 C.E., though the city was in operation for more than a millennium. The site to see here is El Torre, one of the largest Mayan ruins in Mexico that stands 100 feet tall, 500 feet long, and 200 feet wide. It is among the few structures in the Mayan world that visitors can still climb.

    Arqueological Tajin, veracruz MexicoArqueological Tajin, veracruz Mexico

    Ivan Malagon Fernandez via Getty Images

    El Tajín, Veracruz

    Perhaps one of the most awe-inspiring archaeological sites in Mexico, El Tajín is likewise one shrouded in mystery. No one knows the creators of this enigmatic site, but it’s thought that its roots can be traced back to the Totonac and Huastec peoples who were eventually conquered by the Aztecs. The main attraction here is The Pyramid of the Niches, a squat pyramid composed of six platforms. Each platform is pocked with niches (hence the name) and archaeologists believe it was used as a calendar.

    Meagan Drillinger·Yahoo Creator

    Meagan Drillinger has actually been traveling the world professionally since 2009. Originally from New York, her career has taken her to 6 continents, and she currently calls Mexico home. Her passion is helping to inspire people to see the world and to provide insight on how to enrich experiences while taking a trip properly.

    Find Out More

  • Scientists solve mystery of ancient ‘tree of life’

    Scientists solve mystery of ancient ‘tree of life’

    Scientists have solved the mystery of the origins of ancient baobab trees.

    According to DNA studies, the iconic trees first arose in Madagascar 21 million years ago.

    Their seeds were later carried on ocean currents to Australia and also to mainland Africa, evolving into distinct species.

    The researchers are calling for greater conservation efforts for the trees, which they say may be closer to extinction than previously thought.

    Baobabs are known as “the tree of life” or “upside down tree” for their strange shapes and longevity. They are in trouble because of climate change and widespread deforestation.

    African baobab

    The African baobab grows across much of the continent [Getty Images]

    Dr Ilia Leitch, of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, worked on the study, alongside her husband, Prof Andrew Leitch, of Queen Mary University of London.

    “We have been able to pinpoint the origin of baobabs, which are an iconic keystone species supporting a wide diversity of animals and plants as well as humans,” she told the BBC.

    “And the data have enabled us to provide important new insights which will inform their conservation to safeguard their future.”

    The researchers studied eight baobab species, six of which are found in Madagascar, one widespread across Africa, and another in north-west Australia.

    They are calling for a higher conservation status for two endangered Malagasy species, including the biggest and most famous of Madagascar’s baobabs, the giant baobab.

    Baobabs are one of the most remarkable trees on earth, deeply intertwined with local cultures and traditions.

    They are also known as “mother of the forest” in Malagasy language, the “upside down tree” and the “tree of life”.

    The trees can live for thousands of years, growing to a huge size and storing large amounts of water in their trunks to survive through the dry seasons.

    Their fruits are regarded as a super food and their trunk can be used to make fibres which are used for ropes or clothing.

    They produce large white flowers that open at dusk, attracting bats as pollinators, which travel vast distances to feed on their nectar, and they are important nesting sites for birds.

    The research involved collaboration between Wuhan Botanical Garden (China), Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew, UK), University of Antananarivo (Madagascar) and Queen Mary University of London (UK).

    Follow Helen on Twitter @hbriggs

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  • How the Israeli Air Force once destroyed over 60 enemy jets and dozens of Soviet missile systems in battle without losing a single fighter

    How the Israeli Air Force once destroyed over 60 enemy jets and dozens of Soviet missile systems in battle without losing a single fighter

    • The Israeli Air Force achieved an unmatched air combat victory in the 1982 Lebanon War.

    • The battle, known as Operation Mole Cricket 19, saw over 60 enemy aircraft eliminated without a single Israeli loss.

    • Israel’s aircraft, weapons, training, and strategic adaptations led to the historic win.

    The Israeli Air Force (IAF) accomplished a feat unmatched in modern military aviation in June 1982, shooting down over 60 Syrian combat aircraft in the largest air battle of the jet age and destroying 29 of 30 surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries without losing a single one of its fighter jets.

    Operation Mole Cricket 19, as the famous engagement was designated, was aimed at destroying the Syrian SAMs positioned in Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley. The operation took place during the first week of the 1982 Lebanon War that saw Israel and its Lebanese allies face off against Syria, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and their allies in Lebanon.

    The battle, which marked the first time a Soviet SAM battery was destroyed by a Western aircraft, had such an effect that the Soviet Union, whose aircraft Syria primarily used, sent military officials to investigate how Soviet aircraft and SAMs were defeated.

    Many different factors came together to produce the stunning air combat victory.

    Better aircraft, weapons, and training

    At the time, the Syrian Air Force was mostly flying the outdated MiG-21, which had been introduced in 1959, and some Su-20 and MiG-23 export models. The MiG-21 fared well during the Vietnam War against American F-4s, but by 1982, it was significantly outclassed by the fourth-generation fighters of the IAF.

    The IAF was primarily flying the recently introduced air superiority F-15 and F-16s fighters that would form the strike arm of the operation. It also had a smaller contingent of F-4s and Israeli-made Kfir jets that took on auxiliary roles.

    The F-15 and F-16s were more maneuverable and could accelerate faster than Syria’s jets. They had better radars that allowed them to fire missiles outside the detection range of the Syrian radars. The fourth-generation Israeli jets were also made much more lethal by the AIM-9L Sidewinder missile that could be fired from any angle. The Sidewinder accounted for most of the kills.

    A picture taken on June 28, 2016 shows an Israeli Air Force F-16 D fighter jet taking off at the Ramat David Air Force Base located in the Jezreel Valley, southeast of the Israeli port city of Haifa

    A picture taken on June 28, 2016 shows an Israeli Air Force F-16 D fighter jet taking off at the Ramat David Air Force Base located in the Jezreel Valley, southeast of the Israeli port city of HaifaJACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

    In contrast, Syrian jets used older K-13 missiles that had a much shorter operational range than Israel’s AIM-9L. And the MiG-21s’ warning systems could only pick up incoming missiles approaching from their nose and tail, leaving them otherwise “blind.”

    Furthermore, Israeli pilots and ground crews had significant combat experience. They had been practicing attacks against SAMs, and Israeli pilots had been flying over Beqaa Valley for some years becoming familiar with the area.

    In contrast, Syrian SAM crews performed horribly. They hadn’t moved their SAM batteries in months, allowing the IAF to pinpoint their locations before the battle, and they had placed them in vulnerable locations. On the day of the fight, the Syrians used smoke to conceal their batteries rather than camouflaging them, which, instead, made their locations more visible to Israeli jets. They also deployed the mobile SAM systems in a fixed configuration.

    But Israel’s technological edge and the training its personnel had received weren’t the only deciding factors, and the IAF had to learn from past mistakes to achieve victory.

    Adapting to win

    During the Yom Kippur War nine years before, Egyptian SAM batteries shot down 42 Israeli aircraft, 14% of the IAF’s fleet, in the conflict’s first two days. The loss led the IAF to recognize the importance of suppressing and destroying enemy air defenses.

    For Operation Mole Cricket 19, it used UAVs to identify the Syrian batteries’ radar signatures months before the battle. Day of, Israel used UAVs to mimic the radio signature of Israeli jets, thereby tricking the Syrian batteries into activating their radars to take them down. This allowed Israeli jets, with targeting assistance from UAVs, to destroy the SAMs using anti-radiation missiles.

    A picture taken on June 28, 2016 shows an Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet preparing to take off at the Ramat David Air Force Base located in the Jezreel Valley, southeast of the Israeli port city of HaifaA picture taken on June 28, 2016 shows an Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet preparing to take off at the Ramat David Air Force Base located in the Jezreel Valley, southeast of the Israeli port city of Haifa

    A picture taken on June 28, 2016 shows an Israeli Air Force F-16 fighter jet preparing to take off at the Ramat David Air Force Base located in the Jezreel Valley, southeast of the Israeli port city of HaifaJACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images

    Additionally, Israel had superior Command, Control, and Communications (C3) capabilities.

    Israel boosted its own C3 abilities with Grumman E-2C Hawkeye airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft. Operation Mole Cricket 19 ­was the first time modern AWACS were used in combat, assisting Israeli fighters with targeting and battlefield control.

    And it actively degraded Syrian C3 capabilities by employing aircraft with jammers to disrupt Syrian radar and communications. This further reduced the effectiveness of the SAF’s older aircraft by preventing them from receiving targeting assistance and battlefield updates from the ground.

    Highlighting the effectiveness of Israel’s tactic, a Western observer, cited by a RAND Corporation report on the battle, said, “I watched a group of Syrian fighter planes fly figure-eights. They just flew around and around and obviously had no idea what to do next.”

    Lastly, Israel protected its own communications by equipping its fighters with electronic countermeasure pods and developed a variable frequency radio system to prevent Syrian forces from identifying and jamming it.

    The outcome of the battle was a total Israeli victory, and due to its one-sided outcome, Operation Mole Cricket 19 came to be known as the “Beqaa Valley Turkey Shoot.”

    IAF would go on to destroy approximately 20 more Syrian jets in the days following the operation, bringing the total to more than 80. Though it lost no jets during the operation, it suffered losses later, but those only amounted to one F-4, one old A-4 Skyhawk, and two helicopters during the entire conflict.

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  • Photos show Russia flaunting its war spoils, including a Howitzer, Leopard 2, Bradley, and other modern weapons from over a dozen NATO countries

    Photos show Russia flaunting its war spoils, including a Howitzer, Leopard 2, Bradley, and other modern weapons from over a dozen NATO countries

    • Russia’s monthlong open-air exhibition features more than 30 vehicles captured in the Ukraine war.

    • Many of them are NATO-made, including the US Bradley and Abrams, as well as the German Leopard 2.

    • The variety of vehicles also shows the sheer diversity of weaponry that Ukraine is using on the battlefield.

    Russia launched an exhibition on Wednesday showcasing more than 30 military vehicles it’s captured from Ukraine since the invasion began, in an open-air “trophy” display gloating over its seized NATO equipment.

    The exhibition was packed with visitors on opening day, which coincides with Russia’s International Workers’ Day. It is being held for a month at Moscow’s Victory Park.

    Photos of the “Trophies of the Russian Army” exhibition show equipment from over a dozen countries, giving a glimpse of the sheer diversity of weaponry used by Ukraine’s forces since 2022.

    Not all of them were recently obtained. Some vehicles, including American-made ones, were already displayed in an earlier exhibition in August.

    Dutch-based open-source outlet Oryx reported that Ukraine has deployed more than 5,640 vehicles, about 1,000 of which were captured during the war.

    A special focus of the exhibition was an Abrams M101 battle tank, a heavy tank-buster with a track record of punching through Soviet armor.

    A US Abrams tank was put on display for Moscow residents to see in an open-air exhibition featuring equipment from nearly a dozen NATO countries.

    A US Abrams tank was put on display for Moscow residents to see in an open-air exhibition featuring equipment from nearly a dozen NATO countries.Russian Ministry of Defense

    Reuters reported that the wrecked Abrams tank has been a favorite for Russian state media, with one TV correspondent saying it’s not been the “wonder weapon” that the US thinks it is.

    “But that was all nonsense — look at this — all of its reputation has been destroyed,” he said, per a translation by the wire.

    Ukraine received 31 of these from the Pentagon, five of which were lost in battle.

    A woman reads a placard with information on the Abrams.A woman reads a placard with information on the Abrams.

    A special focus for the show was a US Abrams M101 battle tank. Ukraine received 31 of these from the Pentagon, five of which were lost in battle.Contributor/Getty Images

    The US on April 26 said Ukraine is withdrawing its Abrams tanks from the front lines, over concerns that they were being undermined by drone attacks.

    Russian surveillance drones can spot the prized armor more easily and make the tanks more difficult to protect.

    Russia also displayed an American M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

    A Bradley IFV with a mounted dummy.A Bradley IFV with a mounted dummy.

    A Bradley IFV with a mounted dummy.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Ukraine was given 186 Bradleys, which are armed with a 25mm gun that can fire 300 rounds per minute.

    Around 63 Bradleys were captured or damaged by October 2023, though some have been repaired and returned to service, per Dutch open-source outlet Oryx.

    Other US equipment showcased included a Humvee (with a Slovenian TAM-150 in the background)…

    A Humvee with a cracked windshield on display in Moscow.A Humvee with a cracked windshield on display in Moscow.

    A Humvee with a cracked windshield on display in Moscow.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The US has delivered some 1,700 high-mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles to Ukraine since the war began.

    … an M88 recovery vehicle…

    A visitor walks past an M88 recovery vehicle captured by Russia.A visitor walks past an M88 recovery vehicle captured by Russia.

    A visitor walks past an M88 recovery vehicle captured by Russia.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Ukraine has since early 2023 been given M88 recovery vehicles to haul damaged tanks and heavy-duty weaponry off the battlefield.

    … and an International Maxxpro, a hefty mine-resistant armor-protected vehicle.

    A visitor snaps a photo of an International Maxxxpro in Moscow.A visitor snaps a photo of an International Maxxxpro in Moscow.

    A visitor snaps a photo of an International Maxxpro in Moscow.Contributor/Getty Images

    The Maxxpro’s armor has been lauded by Ukrainian troops, who they say say it can easily withstand heavy Russian fire. In late 2023, Ukraine was reported to have been using the vehicles in direct assaults on Russian positions.

    Russia also showed off an M777 Howitzer, a prominent artillery piece used widely on the Ukrainian front.

    Visitors take photos of an American M777 Howitzer.Visitors take photos of an American M777 Howitzer.

    Visitors take photos of an American M777 Howitzer.Russian Ministry of Defense

    Kyiv says the towed artillery units have been key to staving off the Russian advance, but a lack of ammunition in recent months has severely affected the weapon’s effectiveness on the battlefield.

    Another highlight of the exhibition was a German Leopard 2A6 tank.

    Visitors take a selfie at the "Trophies of the Russian Army" open-air exhibition, which paraded an array of Western-made military hardware captured by Russian troops.Visitors take a selfie at the "Trophies of the Russian Army" open-air exhibition, which paraded an array of Western-made military hardware captured by Russian troops.

    Visitors take a selfie at the “Trophies of the Russian Army” open-air exhibition, which paraded an array of Western-made military hardware captured by Russian troops.Contributor/Getty Images

    Ukraine has received several dozen Leopard 2 tanks from several countries, including Portugal, Canada, Poland, and the Netherlands. At least 18 were delivered by Germany.

    A captured Marder, a German-made infantry fighting vehicle, was also put on display.

    A captured infantry fighting vehicle made by Germany is put on display.A captured infantry fighting vehicle made by Germany is put on display.

    A captured infantry fighting vehicle made by Germany.Ulf Mauder/picture alliance via Getty Images

    The Marder has been in service since 1971. It was notably used by Ukrainian forces to breach Russian lines and defenses during their counteroffensive.

    Vehicles from the UK were also featured, like the Husky…

    A man snaps a photo of a  Husky with bullet holes in its windshield.A man snaps a photo of a  Husky with bullet holes in its windshield.

    A man snaps a photo of a Husky with bullet holes in its windshield.Contributor/Getty Images

    Some of the vehicles can be seen displayed with a NATO symbol. Russia continues to amplify its rhetoric that NATO’s supplying of weapons to Ukraine essentially constitutes a war between the treaty organization and Moscow.

    … a Saxon AT-105…

    A Saxon AT105 seized by Russia.A Saxon AT105 seized by Russia.

    A Saxon AT-105 seized by Russia.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Dubbed, the “battle-taxi,” the Saxon is a 4×4 vehicle that’s low-cost and armored. Ukraine has been using these since before the start of the war.

    … and the Mastiff, a heavily armored six-wheel drive vehicle that can typically carry eight troops.

    A woman takes a photo next to a UK-made Mastiff.A woman takes a photo next to a UK-made Mastiff.

    A woman takes a photo next to a UK-made Mastiff.Contributor/Getty Images

    The Mastiff counts among the 120 armored vehicles first sent by the UK to Ukraine in 2022.

    The trophy exhibition also showed a Turkish Kirpi…

    A mine-resistant, armor-protected Kirpi.A mine-resistant, armor-protected Kirpi.

    A mine-resistant, armor-protected Kirpi.Russian Ministry of Defense

    The Turkish-made MRAP is an armored troop carrier, and 50 of them have been delivered to Ukraine.

    … a Swedish Combat Vehicle 90…

    A Swedish-made CV90 is seen behind a fence.A Swedish-made CV90 is seen behind a fence.

    A Swedish-made CV90 is seen behind a fence.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Sweden donated 50 of these armored fighting vehicles to Ukraine when the war began.

    … a Finnish Patria Pasi armored personnel carrier…

    A Finnish Patria Pasi APC sits in front of an information placard.A Finnish Patria Pasi APC sits in front of an information placard.

    A Finnish Patria Pasi APC sits in front of an information placard.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    It’s not immediately clear how many of these are deployed by Ukraine, but around 10 of them have been reported to be lost in combat in Ukraine, per Oryx.

    … and the lightweight French AMX-10 RC fighting vehicle.

    A French AMX-10 RC tank with a seemingly fresh paint job is shown off on Victory Park.A French AMX-10 RC tank with a seemingly fresh paint job is shown off on Victory Park.

    A French AMX-10 RC tank with a seemingly fresh paint job is shown off on Victory Park.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The AMX-10 RC, generally considered a scouting vehicle, is sometimes also seen as a tank. They entered service in Ukraine in mid-2023 and are typically meant to provide fire support and push through weaknesses in the front lines.

    However, they were reported to have performed poorly when used at the front of columns in Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Oryx reports that at least four such vehicles have been lost in combat.

    Non-NATO weapons were also on display. Like this Australian Bushmaster Protected Mobility vehicle…

    A visitor takes a selfie in front of an Australian Bushmaster PMV.A visitor takes a selfie in front of an Australian Bushmaster PMV.

    A visitor takes a selfie in front of an Australian Bushmaster PMV, the left-most vehicle.Contributor/Getty Images

    Australia has sent around 120 Bushmasters to Ukraine, and around 12 were reported by Oryx to be destroyed or damaged. In the first year of the war, Ukrainian troops said they were using the four-wheel drives as infantry fighting vehicles because they didn’t have enough of the latter to go around.

    … what Russia indicates is a Czech BMP-2…

    A BMP-2 fighting vehicle from Czechia.A BMP-2 fighting vehicle from Czechia.

    A BMP-2 fighting vehicle from Czechia.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    The BMP-2 is a Soviet amphibious infantry fighting vehicle that was typically produced in the 1980s.

    … and South African Mamba 4×4 armored personnel carriers.

    South African Mamba MK2 EE, likely donated from Estonia.South African Mamba MK2 EE, likely donated from Estonia.

    South African Mamba MK2 EE, likely donated from Estonia.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    At least seven of these vehicles were donated to Ukraine by Estonia in 2022.

    An array of smaller arms from countries like Bulgaria, Israel, and Czechia were also spotted at the exhibition.

    Mines and grenades from various NATO countries on display.Mines and grenades from various NATO countries on display.

    Mines and grenades from various NATO countries on display.Ali Cura/Anadolu via Getty Images

    Russia showed off everything from mines to grenades to scopes at the Victory Park exhibition.

    Russia has long sought to portray the war in Ukraine as a battle against NATO itself, and it’s telling that the exhibition is being held at Victory Park, which commemorates World War II.

    A billboard with a masked Russian soldier.A billboard with a masked Russian soldier.

    A billboard with a masked Russian soldier.Contributor/Getty Images

    The opening also comes as the US approved a $61 billion tranche of long-awaited aid to Ukraine, which Kyiv repeatedly said is vital to its fight against Russia.

    Moscow has decried it as insignificant to the war’s outcome, saying Russia is starting to win the war and the renewed inflow of US aid won’t make a difference.

    Meanwhile, international observers and Western authorities say Russia has been taking heavy casualties since the war began, at one point in the winter suffering a reported 1,000 losses per day.

    But reports by think tanks like the Royal United Services Institute say Moscow can likely sustain these losses for years as it boosts its recruitment drive and production capacities.

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  • Couple in Brazil Reportedly Planted Over 2M Trees in 20 Years To Combat Erosion Caused by Farming. Here Are the Facts

    Couple in Brazil Reportedly Planted Over 2M Trees in 20 Years To Combat Erosion Caused by Farming. Here Are the Facts

    Claim:

    A couple in Brazil planted over 2 million trees in 20 years to recreate the forest.

    Rating:

    Rating: True

    Rating: True

    Context:

    While it’s true that a couple in Brazil planted more than 2 million trees over a 20-year period, they reportedly received help from local students and workers to accomplish the task.

     

    In 2019, an aerial view captured the lush greenery of Instituto Terra’s tree nursery, nestled in Aimorés, Brazil. This land, once devastated by erosion and deforestation from cattle farming, now stood as a testament to the power of reforestation efforts.

    Tributes to the tree nursery garnered widespread attention on social media platforms such as Facebook and Reddit, where posts claimed that a Brazilian couple planted 2 million trees to recreate the forest.

     

    (visuraXD/Reddit)

    The claim that this couple planted more than 2 million trees over a 20-year period — albeit with help reportedly from local students, hired workers, donations from multinational corporations, plus financial support from the government — holds true.

    In 1998, award-winning photographer and photojournalist Sebastião Salgado and his wife, Lélia Deluiz Wanick Salgado, founded Instituto Terra, a federally recognized nature preserve and nonprofit organization, thus embarking on a remarkable journey to revive the ecosystem.

    The roots of this endeavor trace back to the mid-1990, shortly after Salgado’s return from a photo assignment covering the genocide in Rwanda, and the couple’s acquisition of the cattle ranch reportedly purchased by Sebastião Salgado’s father in the 1940s.

    “The land was as sick as I was – everything was destroyed,” Salgado said at a Paris climate change meeting in 2015, according to The Guardian. “Only about 0.5% of the land was covered in trees. Then my wife had a fabulous idea to replant this forest. And when we began to do that, then all the insects and birds and fish returned and, thanks to this increase of the trees I, too, was reborn – this was the most important moment.”

    According to Smithsonian Magazine, replanting the farm with trees was Lélia’s idea. “There was no hidden agenda,” she told the outlet in 2015. “It was so natural, instinctive. The land was so degraded, so horrible. What a bad gift! Why not plant?”

    Over two decades, the Salgados transformed barren landscapes into thriving forests by planting millions of seedlings, starting with an initial donation of 100,000 seedlings from a local mining company. This monumental effort aimed not only to restore the ecosystem but also to produce plants and trees that would be a natural habitat for native fauna including birds and insects.

    The former farmland is now known as Instituto Terra, serving as a hub for environmental education, seedling cultivation and ecological research. Located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, this 1,750-acre expanse sits about 100 miles inland from the Atlantic coast, nestled within the valley of the Rio Doce. The biodiverse Atlantic Forest was integral to the Rio Doce Valley’s ecosystem, covering both the family cattle farm and surrounding areas.

    Nov. 2019, aerial view of the Instituto Terra tree nursery in Aimorés, Brazil. (Getty Images)

    The transformative impact of the Salgados’ efforts is documented in various sources. Earth Observatory, a NASA initiative dedicated to sharing images and stories about the environment, Earth systems and climate research, highlighted the couple’s role in reforesting and the restoration of degraded ecosystems.

    Numerous sources corroborate the remarkable achievements of the couple, with their story garnering attention from media outlets worldwide, including the Daily Mail and DeMilked, which chronicled the couple’s two-decade journey to transform the barren ranch into a thriving habitat for wildlife and biodiversity conservation.

    Visual evidence of the couple’s achievements can be found in a YouTube video showcasing the lush greenery that now blankets the once-devastated landscapes, showcasing the couple’s transformative impact on the landscape.

    The pioneering efforts of the Salgados’ initiative in reclaiming lost forests and combating deforestation not only contribute to environmental conservation but also serve as a source of inspiration for individuals and organizations worldwide to take action.

    Snopes has previously reported on environmental issues in Brazil, including a Swedish multimillionaire purchasing around 400,000 acres of Amazonian rainforest, and claims that a logger cut down the world’s oldest tree.

    Sources:

    A New Patch of Green in Brazil. 23 July 2019, https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/145324/a-new-patch-of-green-in-brazil.

    “Brazilian Couple Plants Over 2 Million Trees To Restore A Destroyed Forest.” AA Environment Possibility Award, https://www.ep-a.org/trend/en/brazilian-couple-plants-over-2-million-trees-to-restore-a-destroyed-forest. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

    Chronos. THIS COUPLE FROM BRAZIL PLANTED 2.7 MILLION TREES! AND HERE’S WHY. 2021. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ9YxXauP1M.

    “Instituto Terra.” Instituto Terra, https://institutoterra.org/.

    Log in or Sign up to View. https://www.facebook.com/login/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

    Magazine, Smithsonian, and McKenzie Funk. “Sebastião Salgado Has Seen the Forest, Now He’s Seeing the Trees.” Smithsonian Magazine, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/sebastiao-salgado-forest-trees-180956620/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

    ORFL. Instituto Terra – ORFL. 13 Sept. 2022, https://www.orfl.org.hk/instituto-terra/.

    Reforestation Institute Finds Room to Grow. https://www.ecoamericas.com/issues/article/2020/3/444CA184-06F2-48E9-8AC1-4AF8245EA4C9. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

    Uptas, Aušrys. “This Couple Planted Over 2 Million Trees In 20 Years And Made The Animals Return To The Forest.” Demilked, 24 Apr. 2019, https://www.demilked.com/couple-replant-forest-sebastiao-leila-salgado-reforestation/.

    Vidal, John. “Sebastião Salgado Focuses on Big Picture with Parable of Reforestation in Brazil.” The Guardian, 27 July 2015. The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/jul/27/sebastiao-salgado-fredrick-shoo-reforestation-brazil-tanzania.

    Wingate, Sophie. “Brazilian Photographer Transforms Barren Ranch into Tropical Paradise.” Mail Online, 3 June 2019, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7099537/Brazilian-couple-spends-20-years-planting-trees-barren-ranch-create-paradise-animals.html.

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  • ‘Best thing’ is for everyone to stay ‘puzzled’ on last week’s odd retaliation strike on Iran, Israeli president says

    ‘Best thing’ is for everyone to stay ‘puzzled’ on last week’s odd retaliation strike on Iran, Israeli president says

    • Israel last week responded to Iran’s unprecedented attack earlier this month with a one-off strike.

    • Friday’s strike raised questions about the limited nature of the attack and how it unfolded.

    • Israel’s president told Axel Springer media outlets that it’s “best” for people to remain “puzzled.”

    Israel’s lone strike on an Iranian military base last week quickly raised questions about the scope of the damage and exactly how the attack was carried out, with competing narratives from Tehran. But Israeli President Isaac Herzog doesn’t seem to mind the ambiguity.

    “I think the best thing would be for everybody to stay puzzled,” Herzog said during an interview with Axel Springer media outlets on Sunday.

    “The only thing I can say,” he added, “is that the last two weeks have exposed the real threat to world stability. It starts in Tehran and emanates throughout the region of the Middle East with proxies.”

    An Israeli aircraft reportedly used a long-range air-to-surface missile to strike an air-defense system at a military base near the central Iranian city of Isfahan early Friday morning local time. The area is also home to sites affiliated with Tehran’s nuclear program, which the United Nations has since confirmed remain secure.

    Motorists drive their vehicles past a billboard depicting Iranian missiles in Tehran on April 20, 2024, a day after Iran's state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan.

    Motorists drive their vehicles past a billboard depicting Iranian missiles in Tehran on April 20, 2024, a day after Iran’s state media reported explosions in the central province of Isfahan.Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

    Israeli officials have not publicly claimed responsibility for the strike, while Tehran attempted to downplay the incident by denying the employment of a missile, but, per US officials cited in multiple reports, the strike was Israeli. Experts say the limited attack was likely Israel’s way of sending a message that it could hit deep into Iran without further escalating an already risky situation.

    The strike came several days after Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, during which Tehran and its proxies fired more than 300 missiles and drones at the country. Nearly all the munitions were intercepted by Israeli and partner forces in the region, including the US military.

    Israeli officials vowed to retaliate in response to the barrage, despite many of its Western partners urging the country to exercise restraint, warning that any further escalation could risk a broader military confrontation with Iran and plunge the Middle East into even more violence.

    Herzog’s comments on Sunday echoed similar remarks made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday, who told reporters at a briefing that Iran and its proxies are the “single biggest threat” to the security of Israel, America, and most countries in the Middle East.

    “The attack that was launched by Iran was like an attack of declaring war,” Herzog said in the interview.

    “However,” the president continued, “we are responsible and we seek stability and peace. And I think part of the actions in world affairs — or in the chess game of world affairs — is also, in many times, to act in a responsible and restrained manner.”

    Military equipment displayed at the Army Day ceremony in front of the President of Iran and high-ranking military commanders on April 17, 2024 in Tehran, Iran.Military equipment displayed at the Army Day ceremony in front of the President of Iran and high-ranking military commanders on April 17, 2024 in Tehran, Iran.

    Military equipment displayed at the Army Day ceremony in front of the President of Iran and high-ranking military commanders on April 17, 2024 in Tehran, Iran.Photo by Contributor/Getty Images

    “That’s what we have done throughout this crisis, without going into any further detail,” he said.

    Iran’s April 13 attack was itself a retaliation for an Israeli airstrike on an Iranian diplomatic facility in Syria on April 1. The bold strike killed several high-ranking military officials, including two generals in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tehran promised a harsh response.

    The incidents of the past few weeks have dragged a decades-long shadow war between Israel and Iran into broad daylight. The two bitter foes had historically relied on covert assassinations, strikes in other countries, and proxy forces to trade blows instead of overt attacks on the enemy.

    These tit-for-tat attacks have also left the Middle East on edge as it continuously braced for a response — first from Iran and then from Israel. However, Tehran has signaled that it won’t retaliate over the Isfahan strike after appearing to dissociate itself from the attack.

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  • Bleak images show snapshots of daily life in the closed world of North Korea

    Bleak images show snapshots of daily life in the closed world of North Korea

    • An AFP photographer captured rare shots showing everyday life in North Korea.

    • Pedro Pardo accessed a remote part of the border in China’s Jilin province to get the photos.

    • `The images show a bleak picture of life in the completely isolated nation.

    An AFP photographer captured rare images showing daily life in North Korea.

    To get the photos, Pedro Pardo accessed a remote part of North Korea’s border with China in the latter’s Jilin province.

    The images Pardo took between February 26 and March 1 offer a bleak yet fascinating look at life in a country shrouded in secrecy.

    North Korea was founded in 1948 under Kim Il-sung as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), inspired by strict Marxist-Leninist principles.

    Its population of roughly 26 million people lives largely in isolation from the rest of the world in the austere communist state, barred from going abroad without permission from the government and subjected to state-run media that blare propaganda praising the nation and its supreme leader, Kim Jong Un.

    North Korea’s self-imposed isolation is largely due to its guiding principle of “juche,” or “self-reliance” — the idea that it should be able to function completely independently and remain separate from the rest of the world.

    In practice, this has achieved little other than to stifle the country’s economy and trade, and many of its citizens face high poverty levels and severe food shortages. The CIA says North Korea “remains one of the World’s most isolated and one of Asia’s poorest.”

    Since the 1950s, it is estimated that around 31,000 North Koreans have sought to escape and defected to South Korea, The Guardian reported in January.

    That number surged last year amid what the unification ministry in Seoul called “worsening conditions in North Korea.”

    Pardo’s photos present a unique look into those conditions and life in one of the world’s last communist states.

    North Korean soldiers working on the border.

    North Korean soldiers working on the border.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    The North Korean city of Hyesan.

    The North Korean city of Hyesan.The North Korean city of Hyesan.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    A wagon in the North Korean city of Namyang.

    A mobile wagon in the North Korean city of Namyang.A mobile wagon in the North Korean city of Namyang.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    A sign on a hillside in the town of Chunggang reads: “My country is the best.”

    A sign saying "My country is the best"A sign saying "My country is the best"

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    A watchtower by the border in Hyesan.

    A watchtower on the border in the North Korean village of Hyesan.A watchtower on the border in the North Korean village of Hyesan.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    Portraits of former North Korean leaders Kim Il sung and Kim Jong Il in Chunggang.

    Chunggang.Chunggang.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    Another set of portraits of the former leaders on a government building in Namyang.

    A government building in Namyang.A government building in Namyang.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    North Korean people working in a field.

    North Korean people working in a field.North Korean people working in a field.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    A sign in Chunggang reading: “Let’s unify the party and all society with the revolutionary ideas of comrade Kim Jong Un!”

    A sign reading, "Let's unify the party and all society with the revolutionary ideas of comrade Kim Jong Un!" in Chunggang.A sign reading, "Let's unify the party and all society with the revolutionary ideas of comrade Kim Jong Un!" in Chunggang.

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

    Trucks crossing a border bridge connecting Changbai, China, and Hyesan, North Korea.

    Trucks crossing the border bridge that connects the Chinese towns of Changbai (L) and the North Korean of HyesanTrucks crossing the border bridge that connects the Chinese towns of Changbai (L) and the North Korean of Hyesan

    Pedro Pardo / AFP via Getty Images

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  • Easter eggs may cost more as warming hits cocoa crops

    Easter eggs may cost more as warming hits cocoa crops

    Climate change is a key reason your chocolate Easter egg could cost more this year, according to researchers.

    Most chocolate is made from cocoa grown in West Africa, but a humid heatwave has blasted the crops and massively cut yields.

    Experts say that human induced climate change has made the extreme heat 10 times more likely.

    The resulting shortage of cocoa has seen prices soar to almost $8,500 (£6,700) a tonne this week.

    Cocoa trees are particularly vulnerable to changes in the climate. They only grow in a narrow band of about 20 degrees latitude around the Equator.

    Most global production is concentrated in West Africa. In 2023, 58m kilogrammes of cocoa beans worth £127m were imported to the UK from Ivory Coast and Ghana with 85% of the UK’s cocoa beans sourced from Ivory Coast.

    However, severe drought conditions have hit the West Africa region since February this year.

    This has been caused by temperatures that soared above 40C, breaking records in countries including the Ivory Coast and Ghana.

    Easter egg
    A chocolate maker works on an Easter egg

    It was these exceptionally high temperatures that the World Weather Attribution group, based at Imperial College London, found were made ten times more likely by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.

    Their study found that unless the world quickly reduces fossil fuel use, West Africa will experience similar heatwaves about every two years.

    “There were reports from farmers in Ivory Coast that the heat weakened the cocoa crop,” according to one of the authors of the study, Izadine Pinto from the University of Cape Town.

    He said the high temperatures increased the rate of evaporation, leaving the crops without sufficient moisture.

    Another factor impacting the crops was El Niño.

    This is a recurring, natural fluctuation in weather patterns in the tropical Pacific that drives up global temperatures and can lead to extreme weather in some places. A strong El Niño has been active since last June.

    El Niño years often present challenges for farmers, but global warming is exacerbating those changes, says Ben Clarke, an expert on extreme weather at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College.

    “Increasingly, climate change driven by fossil fuel use is multiplying this natural challenge in many regions. It fuels more extreme conditions, devastates harvests, and makes food costs higher for all,” Mr Clarke said.

    Drought is not the only factor affecting cocoa growers. Both Ivory Coast and Ghana have been hit with an extreme weather double whammy.

    In December last year both countries experienced intense rains. Total precipitation in West Africa was more than double the 30-year average for the time of year.

    The wet and humid conditions allowed a fungal infection called black pod disease to flourish, rotting cocoa beans on the trees.

    The result of these different extreme events has been the same – the price of cocoa has more than trebled since this time last year and doubled in just the last three months.

    Chocolate makers typically buy beans months ahead of time but soaring prices are now beginning to affect prices in the shops.

    “Lots of players who have already announced price increases. We are also part of that group,” Martin Hug, of chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli told city analysts earlier this month.

    Easter eggsEaster eggs

    Easter eggs

    In February Mondelez, the company that owns the Cadbury brand, and the American chocolate maker Hershey were already warning rising cocoa prices could drive up the price of chocolate.

    Feeling the brunt of these price fluctuations are the farmers who grow the cocoa crops.

    There are estimated to be some two million smallholder farmers in the West African cocoa belt who rely on this labour-intensive crop for most of their income.

    Amber Sawyer, an analyst at the climate think-tank the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said wealthy countries like the UK can provide financial and technical support to developing countries to help their farmers better cope with extreme weather.

    But she warned that, “as climate change worsens, more support will undoubtedly be needed to protect their livelihoods and keep the flow of cocoa beans coming into the UK.”

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