Latest news with #Biblical
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- North Wales Chronicle
Johns' Boys Welsh Male Voice choir to perform at Venue Cymru
The Johns' Boys Welsh Male Voice Choir, which was a semi-finalist in the 2023 series of the ITV talent show, will perform at Venue Cymru in Llandudno on Friday June 20. The choir is known for their 'distinct rich harmonies' and 'contemporary take on the traditional Welsh male voice ensemble'. (Image: Supplied) The choir is known for their 'distinct rich harmonies' and 'contemporary take on the traditional Welsh male voice ensemble'. The tour will showcase the choir's 'unique and celebrated sound', which blends contemporary chart-topping hits with choral classics, from Harry Styles to traditional Welsh hymns. The shows will feature the choir's viral cover of Calum Scott's Biblical, which they performed in their Britain's Got Talent audition and later released as a debut Boys Welsh Male Voice Choir in action (Image: Supplied) This worldwide hit reached number one on the iTunes Classical charts and has more than 21 million views globally. They will also perform the Welsh hymn Calon Lan and Ennio Morricone's Italian song, Nella Fantasia. The choir is made up of men of all ages and backgrounds, who come together to create an 'emotional, once-in-a-lifetime listening experience'.The Johns' Boys at appear on Britain's Got Talent (Image: Tom Dymond) Their appearance on Britain's Got Talent launched them into the international spotlight, where Simon Cowell stated "A brilliant choir. "I love them". Amongst the choir's many accolades include being crowned the 2019 Choir of the World at the prestigious Llangollen International Music Festival, making them the first British male voice choir to ever win this award. Aled Phillips, artistic director and conductor, said: "As a group of men from all walks of life and a wide range of ages, it's an incredible honour to be on this extraordinary journey, performing to sold-out audiences in some of the most prestigious venues across the UK. "Each show is a celebration of the music we love to sing, and the chance to connect with audiences through such a wide variety of genres makes every performance truly special." For more information visit the Johns' Boys website.
Middle East Eye
4 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel approves construction of 22 settlements in occupied West Bank
Israel has approved the construction of 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, including at previously dismantled sites. The announcement will also include the formalisation of nine already constructed settlements, including the Homesh outpost, built on the site of another settlement evacuated in 2005. According to Haaretz, the decision was approved by the government two weeks ago, but the announcement was delayed until this week. One planned settlement is set to be built on Mount Ebal near Nablus, the location of what Israeli settlers claim is the altar of Biblical figure Joshua. "This is a great day for the settlement and an important day for the State of Israel," wrote Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on X on Thursday. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters "Through dedicated effort and persistent leadership, we have succeeded, thank God, in creating a profound strategic change, returning the State of Israel to a path of construction, Zionism, and vision." Since the beginning of the war on Gaza in October 2023, both the Israeli military and settlers have carried out hundreds of attacks across the West Bank. According to data from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, settlers carried out 231 acts of vandalism and theft of Palestinian property in the West Bank during April. Exclusive: UK considered Palestine recognition in 2014 if Israel built settlements now being planned Read More » These attacks affected large areas of land, resulting in the uprooting of 1,168 olive trees. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks and army operations. In the past few days, Israel's strategic affairs minister warned Britain and France that Israel may annex parts of the West Bank if they recognise a Palestinian state, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz. Ron Dermer, appointed in February to head Israel's Gaza ceasefire negotiation team, reportedly made the threat in a conversation with France's foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot. On Sunday, the Israeli daily Israel Hayom reported that Gideon Saar, the Israeli foreign minister, warned his British and French counterparts that Israel could take unilateral action if Britain and France made the move. Haaretz, quoting an unnamed diplomat, reported on Monday that Dermer threatened that Israel could legalise unauthorised settler outposts in the West Bank and annex parts of Area C.
Time Magazine
4 days ago
- General
- Time Magazine
Unfettered Capitalism Nearly Wiped Out America's Wild Animals Once. It Just May Again
Here is an inconvenient truth: our forebears used the unrestrained free market to effect a staggering destruction of continental wildlife, an unforgivable crime against evolution in America. They believed all life was created by a deity, and therefore extinction was impossible. Biblical ideas about the utility of animals encouraged them to think of creatures like beavers, sea otters, bison, passenger pigeons, and many others as simple market commodities, without value except for the money they might bring. The end result was myopic, almost casual obliteration of one ancient species after another. As a 2018 article in the National Academy of Sciences put it, since the start of the colonial age, here and elsewhere, we have destroyed half a million years of Earth's genetics, a near 'worst case scenario.' Enacting that history, many Americans enriched themselves. Southerners who slaughtered snowy egrets on their nests for fashion industry feathers, westerners who shot down entire bison herds for tongues and hide leather, 'wolfers' who poisoned predators on behalf of the livestock industry—for their efforts, many of them joined the middle class. In a single year, market hunters in Bozeman, Mont. shipped out the body parts of about 7,700 elk, 22,000 deer, 12,000 pronghorns, 200 bighorn sheep, 1,680 wolves, 520 coyotes, and 225 bears at the time. It was a haul of wild animal parts that netted them $1.6 million in today's dollars. They told Yellowstone's superintendent that so long as the government stood aside, they planned to continue doing exactly as they wished. To be sure, the unrestrained freedom to destroy the country's wild legacy for money bought many of these people houses, islands, and ranches. John Jacob Astor, one of the country's first millionaires, became a famous and wealthy celebrity through the near eradication of beavers and otters and the vital, ancient ecologies they created. During the years after the Civil War, America embraced an economic philosophy called laissez-faire, celebrating the notion that government should stand aside and let capitalism work. Both political parties believed in it so ardently that the federal government failed to act to save bison (now our National Mammal) or passenger pigeons, both among America's most numerous and iconic species. In the 1870s, Congress twice considered bills to make the non-Native market hunt for female bison illegal. Neither attempt became law. The first successful federal law the U.S. established to halt the slaughter of wildlife was place-specific when Congress created the country's first national park, Yellowstone, and banned hunting in the area. In an environment so regulation-free, America's bison population plunged from roughly 30 million in 1800 to fewer than 10 million in 1865. At that point, railroad transport and new uses for bison leather ramped up a post-war, industrial level of animal destruction. In a too-late effort to halt the mayhem, General Philip Sheridan enlisted the departments of War, Interior, and Indian Affairs to drive market hunters off Indian lands. But few animals of any kind were left to save. In 1885, an estimate of 1,000 bison remained alive in the West, so few it was a scramble to preserve enough genetic diversity to save the species at all. When Congress in 1894 imposed stiff fines for killing bison and other animals in Yellowstone, Sheridan's troops were the only protectors a weak government could muster. Then there's the pigeon story. Of all the grim capitalist crimes against American animals (and there is competition), among them are the 1840s extinction of our northern hemisphere penguin, the great auk, and an 1886 sale in London of the skins of 400,000 American hummingbirds. But the passenger pigeon's fate occupies a special place on the shelf of historical horrors. Having thrived on the continent for 15 million years, pigeons couldn't survive a mere three centuries of the free market. By 1914, they were entirely erased. Extinction is one of those non-ideological 'objective facts' and 'truths' it's hard to deny. While I'd love to see passenger pigeons de-extincted, that wouldn't change the historical lesson. Until Congress passed a mild federal law called the Lacey Act in 1900, which banned interstate shipment of some market-killed animals and their body parts, America never stepped up to rein in capitalism's assault on the natural world. We allowed the Singer Sewing Machine company to log down the last habitat with a verified ivory-billed woodpecker population as late as the 1940s! Destroying species for money was an American freedom. Some argued it was part of our 'franchise.' In truth, it was the best example of what we mean now when we say something is 'Like the Wild West,' a place where human nature goes entirely unrestrained. Economists have long used the fate of America's bison and pigeons in particular to argue that, sans effective regulation, market forces inevitably diminish nature's diversity. The truth is, if you're an American, an often unacknowledged result of our past of unfettered capitalism is to diminish the world you get to experience. As early as the 1850s, Henry David Thoreau lamented all the species already gone from his time: 'I should not like to think some demigod had come before me and picked out some of the best of the stars. I wish to know an entire heaven and an entire earth.' The past does not remain in the past for us, either. A great many charismatic creatures are missing from 21st-century America because of the actions of our ancestors. Yet as part of the Trump administration's blizzard of executive orders and business-friendly policies, in March, Lee Zeldin, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, reframed the purpose of his agency, announcing 'the largest deregulatory announcement in U.S. history.' President Trump followed that with an executive order, titled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, that accused historians of 'a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation's history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.' Both these signal an effort to reframe our national story, emphasizing a return to the kind of unbridled economic freedom that once characterized the country's history, and coincidentally compromised many of America's most dramatic wild spectacles. Much of this history, however, is in danger of being scrubbed, canceled, or banned from libraries. If that were to happen, it would leave future generations perplexed about why a half-century ago the U.S. needed to pass legislation like the Endangered Species Act in 1973. It would also create a public consciousness that is unable to understand our country's long practice of extending rights to those who lack them. While a new, politicized version of history is bound to deny it, expanding the circle of moral inclusion and compassion has long characterized Americans as a people. It is who we are. Is this story ideological? I don't think so. It calls on an undeniable history to point out how nature will fare when governments are missing in action with respect to environmental regulation. It's an American story that urges us to be very suspicious of a future of unregulated capitalism. The purpose of history, after all, is not to make some look good and others bad. Its purpose is, or should be, to let us consult the past so we can create the future we want.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mirror
Sun blotted out as sky above Greek islands turn orange after two earthquakes hit
A cloud of Saharan dust hung above the Greek island of Crete over the weekend, causing an eerie hue to fall over Heraklion and Chania. The weather event is called Calima Things have been feeling a little Biblical in Crete, where the skies have turned orange a week after a strong earthquake hit. A cloud of Saharan dust hung above the Greek island over the weekend, causing an eerie hue to fall over Heraklion and Chania. The stretched-out, dreary sunset feeling doused the island before a blanket of orange dust began to cover rooftops, cars and the heads of holidaymakers. Combined with heat and rainfall, the dust created a stifling atmosphere. The Civil Protection Authority of the Region of Crete urged citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. A particularly urgent plea to stay inside was issued to people with respiratory or heart conditions, as well as children and the elderly. Hellenic National Meteorological Service warned that there were: 'Approximately 21 kilograms of dust per acre were recorded in Heraklion in just one day." The worst of the weather event was over by Sunday evening, when the southeastern winds responsible for carrying the dust to Crete weakened. The meteorological phenomenon is a regular one and is known as Calima or Kalima. It takes place when fine sand and dust particles from the Sahara are lifted into the atmosphere and transported by prevailing winds. The Canary Islands are most frequently impacted by it. In 2002, the Santa Cruz International Airport in Tenerife had to be closed because visibility fell to less than 50 meters. Five years ago, 2,000 people were forced to evacuate Tenerife and Gran Canaria due to the terrible air quality. It was measured to be the worst air quality in the world that weekend, with about 40 times the particle density considered safe by the World Health Organization. As a result, 745 flights were canceled and 84 others diverted. Depending on the direction of the wind, the Saharan dust clouds can also reach mainland Europe and northeast to the Greek islands, such as Crete. A point of particular concern for those reliant on tourism on Crete and other holiday islands impacted by Calima is that it is likely to increase in regularity and intensity. 'We have seen such phenomena before, but the increasing intensity is deeply concerning," a local official in Crete told Agrophillia. Last year New Scientist reported: "Recently there has been an eightfold increase in these dust intrusions – even during colder months when they are unusual – and the spike in frequency and intensity has researchers concerned they are becoming more common." The culprit is, of course, climate change and rapidly rising global temperatures. The island has been metaphorically in the wars these past few weeks. Prior to the dust cloud, Crete was hit by two earthquakes. Last Thursday it was rocked by 6.1 magnitude earthquake that struck just off the coast, with locals and tourists were urged to stay away from coastal areas. Aftershocks were ongoing for some hours amid fears that a tsunami could hit the islands. Thankfully, the offshore location of the epicentre meant the impact from the seas was limited. A week prior to that a similarly strong earthquake struck. Claire Gibson, 49, from Pontefract, West Yorkshire, had been holidaying with her family at a plush resort in Crete when the second earthquake hit. The flooring and furniture retailer was staying at Hersonissos, and she described the terrifying moment the seismic waves hit the island. "My phone just woke me up. There was an earthquake notification. The alert went off, woke us up and the whole room was shaking. It was my first experience of an earthquake. The floor was shaking - it was an unsettling experience. The wardrobe doors were banging like mad and we could feel the whole building shake. Thankfully there was no damage. It was my first experience of an earthquake."
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- General
- Daily Mirror
House where Jesus' Last Supper took place 'close to being discovered'
Has the site of the Last Supper been found? (Image: Getty Images) The house where the Last Supper may have taken place is still standing in Jerusalem 2,000 years later, according to archaeologists. They believe the Biblical event took place in the 'Upper Room' of a two-storey house with limestone walls and a red, sloping roof that remarkably still stands in the city after two millennia. The room is briefly mentioned in the Book of Luke 22:11-13, when Jesus Christ asked for a large, furnished upper room where he and his disciples could eat their Passover meal. The Bible recounts the story of the Last Supper in 33 AD, when Jesus sat with his 12 apostles and revealed that one among them would betray him - identifying that man as Judas Iscariot. He also told his followers that his death was near and Jesus was crucified by the Romans shortly after being arrested. According to The Daily Mail, the location has been depicted in several artworks dating back to at least the fourth century AD - which was also when Christians first started visiting the room to honour Christ's last moments of freedom before his crucifixion - thousands of people still visit the Upper Room every year, reports the Mirror US. Experts believe the house it was held in is still standing (Image: Getty Images) In the story, Jesus blessed the bread and wine, and explained it symbolised his body that would be broken and the blood he would shed for the forgiveness of their sins - it is still referenced symbolically today during Christian services incorporating the eucharist sacrament. The Upper Room, believed by archaeologists to be the site of the Last Supper, also known as the Cenacle, was originally a prayer room capable of accommodating over 120 people. This location is briefly mentioned in the Book of Luke 22:11-13, where Jesus asks for a large, furnished upper room where he and his disciples could share their Passover meal. This two-storey house is situated in Jerusalem's old city on Mount Zion, positioned above the southern gate. It was built with large, branching columns that supported a vaulted ceiling and a sloping red roof that remains visible today. However, due to the lack of archaeological excavations at the site, it remains unconfirmed whether the building existed during Jesus' time. In 1884, while constructing a new church in Madaba, Jordan, Greek Orthodox Christians discovered what is thought to be the earliest map of Jerusalem, dating back to 560 AD. The map was created as a depiction of the Holy Land, showcasing the Cardo Maximus (main street) and two sacred structures at the southern end, identifiable by their red roofs. They say they're close to locating it (Image: Getty Images) However, it wasn't until 2017 that David Christian Clausen, an adjunct lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, noticed something unusual. He was drawn to a building with the same red, sloped roof as the Cenacle, located in the exact same spot. Scholars were stunned when they stumbled upon a drawing from sixth-century Italy in 1846 that portrays Jesus ambling through Jerusalem's southern gates on a donkey, with what could potentially be the site of the Last Supper, known as the Cenacle, in the background. The discovery gives gravitas to the narrative found in the Book of Matthew, depicting Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as a fulfilment of Zechariah's prophecy; this prophesy anticipated a 'Second coming of Jesus Christ' and the revival of the dead. Adding depth to this story is the citation: "Tell the city of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Another clue emerged in 1585 AD with the find of a fourth-century sculpture that seemingly shows Jesus post-resurrection, standing before Mary Magdalene with a structure sporting a distinctive slanted roof behind him. However, the Book of John suggests Jesus ventured back to the Upper Room after his resurrection, a detail that might connect the depiction with the gospel narrative, although not every expert is on board. There are dissenting opinions suggesting the image may actually depict Christ with an unnamed kneeling woman pleading for healing, as opposed to alluding to his triumph over death. A depiction of Jesus at the Last Supper (Image: THE CHOSEN) In an epic project reminiscent of a Dan Brown thriller, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) launched a trailblazing examination of the Cenacle in 2019, using cutting-edge laser scanning and high-definition photographic techniques to peel back layers of history and uncover the original appearance of the site believed by many to have hosted the Last Supper. "I felt like I was in the book by Dan Brown, 'The Da Vinci Code'," said Jerusalem district archaeologist Amit Re'em, sharing his intrigue with Fox News. "We needed to decipher the ancient symbols." Carefully surveying every nook and cranny, the researchers crafted 'create accurate models of the space', unveiling unusual characteristics including 'obscure' artwork featuring Agnus Dei or 'Lamb of God' emblems, alongside the Lion of Judah iconography on the ceiling. "The lion was the symbol of King David," Re'em highlighted to Fox, with a nod to historical texts that align Jesus as a scion of King David. The veracity of the Cenacle as the true venue for the Last Supper has yet to be pinned down, pointed out Re'em, citing a lack of concrete archaeological proof. The dilapidated state, poor lighting, and numerous renovations at the site have long stood in the way of a thorough investigation, according to the IAA. "From time to time, when we have an opportunity, we're continuing to document other parts of the holy complex," explained Re'em to Fox. "I hope that maybe, in the future, we will have the opportunity to conduct a small-scale classical archaeological investigation."
