Latest news with #Hungary
Times
6 hours ago
- Times
Win a seven-night full-board Danube river cruise for two with Riviera Travel worth £5,400
There's nothing quite like a European river cruise. You board, unpack once and then get to wake up in a new town or city every day, stepping off the ship to find grand architecture, immersive museums, and pretty old towns before coming back to enjoy the comforts of your floating hotel. As part of this prize, you'll join Riviera Travel's seven-night Blue Danube river cruise on a full-board basis, spending time in six countries with views of vineyard-cloaked valleys, castle-dotted riverbanks, imperial cities and more along the way. The ship sails from Budapest — known for its thermal spas and quirky ruin bars — upriver to Vienna with its imperial palaces and concert halls, before returning to its starting point. Along the way, you'll stop in Esztergom in Hungary (make sure to admire the renowned basilica); Slovakia's Bratislava with its charming medieval and gothic old town; Dürnstein in Austria (with a visit included to Benedictine Melk Abbey, just half an hour away); and picturesque Salzburg or Linz. A classical quartet recital on board with views of Vienna is the perfect way to end the trip. You can explore on your own, or join any of the nine guided excursions included in the prize. As for accommodation, you'll stay in one of the middle deck cabins with a French balcony, which gives you plenty of opportunities to watch the landscape drift by as you sail. Also included are return flights from UK regional airports and transfers from Budapest airport. There are no blackout dates, but you must book your journey within ten months of the draw, and travel within 12 months. For more information, click here. For your chance to win, simply vote in each category in this year's Times and Sunday Times Travel Awards. There are 17 categories in total. Click here to vote. For the full list of prizes, see closes at 23.59pm on August 31, 2025. Open to residents of the United Kingdom who are aged 18 years or older, excluding employees and agents of the Promoter and its group companies, or third parties directly connected with the operation or fulfilment of the Promotion and their affiliates, and their immediate families and household members. One entry per person. Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. No cash alternative and prize is non-transferable. Prize includes transfers from destination to the cruise. Prize excludes UK transfers. Winner and guest responsible for getting to and from UK airport at their own expense. Prize also includes drinks package, wi-fi, tea and coffee onboard, port charges and nine excursions. Subject to availability, Prize must be booked in advance within ten months. Select from departure dates in September 2025, or April to October 2026 only. Winner and his/her guest(s) must travel on same itinerary. All parts of Prize must be used in conjunction with same booking. Winner and his/her guest(s) are solely responsible for ensuring they are available to travel and have valid travel documentation (including passport/visa/visa waiver as may be required), obtaining adequate travel insurance and appropriate vaccinations/inoculations for foreign travel at their own expense. Travel insurance, food and drink (outside what is previously declared in the board basis), spending money and all incidental expenses are the responsibility of the Winner. Prize is subject to Riviera Travel standard booking conditions. Preferred date of travel must be confirmed ten weeks prior to departure. The contact details provided may be used for marketing purposes by Riviera Travel and will not be shared with any third parties, except where disclosure is required by law. For privacy policy (including compliance), please go to Your information will be used to administer this Promotion and otherwise in accordance with our privacy policy at and those of the partners. Promoter is Times Media Ltd. Full T&Cs apply — see
SBS Australia
8 hours ago
- Science
- SBS Australia
Libraries usually like bookworms - but not these ones
The Benedictine Archabbey has stood for the last 1,000 years, perched on top of a hill overlooking the town of Pannonhalma in Hungary. Its library houses the country's oldest collection of books as well as many of its earliest and most important written records, including a complete Bible from the 13th century. It also houses several hundred manuscripts from before the invention of the printing press in the mid-15th century, and tens of thousands of books from the 16th century. The current director is Ilona Ásványi. "Every day, I experience being the guardian and caretaker, and custodian of this very valuable collection of books." The Abbey library is said to have survived centuries of conflicts, including the Ottoman invasion of the 16th century. But now it's facing a new problem: drugstore beetles have infested about a quarter of the Archabbey's 400,000 precious works. The Benedictine abbey is governed by a set of rules that have been in use for nearly 15 centuries - a code that obliges the library to do everything it can to save its vast book collection. Accordingly, Zsófia Edit Hajdu has been brought in as the chief restorer. "We have been working mostly on mould damage in both depositories and in open collections for 30 years, but we've never encountered such a degree of infestation before. Usually, we see problems of mould in warehouses and in other collections. But due to global warming, it is expected that more and more insect infestations will appear." The drugstore beetle, also known as the bread beetle, is often found among foodstuffs like grains, flour, spices, and other dried products. But they are also attracted to the gelatine and starch-based adhesives found in old books. Ms Hajdu believes the effects of climate change have played a role in spurring the beetle infestation. "Higher temperatures are favourable for the life of insects. They are quite inactive below 20 degrees Celsius. Below that, their activity slows down; above that, they're more active. The persistently greater heat leads to more life cycles per year than in cooler periods. In warmer conditions, the reproduction cycle of the drugstore beetle can be up to four per year compared to only two in cooler weather.' The beetle invasion was first detected during a routine cleaning of the library, when employees noticed unusual layers of dust on the shelves and then saw that holes had been burrowed into some of the book spines. Upon opening the volumes, burrow holes could be seen in the paper where the beetles had chewed through. Ilona Ásványi says everyone is heartbroken at the prospect of losing books because of the infestation. "When I see a book chewed up by a beetle or infested in any other way, I feel that no matter how many copies are published and how replaceable the book is, a piece of culture has been lost.' But the Abbey's restoration workers are trying hard to avoid that possibility. They're removing roughly 100,000 hand-bound books from the shelves and carefully placing them in crates. Zsófia Hajdu says so many books are being taken down because the infestation has been detected in several parts of the library. "This is an advanced insect infestation which has been detected in several parts of the library, so the entire collection is classified as infected and must be treated all at the same time. We have to remove all the books from the shelves, put them into boxes, then into hermetically sealed plastic sacks. Inside them, an anoxic disinfection process takes place. Basically, we create an oxygen-free environment in which insects perish.' Once that process is done - and before being reshelved - each book will be individually inspected and vacuumed, and any book damaged by the pests will be set aside for later restoration work. The abbey hopes to reopen the library at the beginning of next year.
CNA
11 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
WTA roundup: Lois Boisson makes first final in Hamburg
No. 5 seed Lois Boisson of France and No. 7 Anna Bondar of Hungary will both play in their first WTA Tour final on Sunday in the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open in Germany. Boisson eliminated No. 2 seed Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-1, 7-6 (5) in Saturday's semifinals. She converted three of five break chances and found success with her second serve, winning 70 per cent of the points (16 of 23). Bondar rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan. Bondar converted five of six break points and took advantage of six double faults by Juvan. Unicredit Iasi Open No. 6 seed Jil Teichmann of Switzerland advanced to her first WTA Tour final since 2021 and will take on No. 7 seed and home hopeful Irina-Camelia Begu on Sunday in Romania. Teichmann knocked out Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the first set by winning nine of the next 10 games. Teichmann also saved four of six break points. Begu ousted fellow Romanian and No. 2 seed Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 6-4. Begu saved nine of 11 break points and finally put away Cristian on her fifth match point.
Reuters
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
WTA roundup: Lois Boisson makes first final in Hamburg
July 19 - No. 5 seed Lois Boisson of France and No. 7 Anna Bondar of Hungary will both play in their first WTA Tour final on Sunday in the MSC Hamburg Ladies Open in Germany. Boisson eliminated No. 2 seed Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine 6-1, 7-6 (5) in Saturday's semifinals. She converted three of five break chances and found success with her second serve, winning 70 percent of the points (16 of 23). Bondar rallied for a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win against Slovenia's Kaja Juvan. Bondar converted five of six break points and took advantage of six double faults by Juvan. Unicredit Iasi Open No. 6 seed Jil Teichmann of Switzerland advanced to her first WTA Tour final since 2021 and will take on No. 7 seed and home hopeful Irina-Camelia Begu on Sunday in Romania. Teichmann knocked out Romania's Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 6-3 in the semifinals, overcoming a 3-1 deficit in the first set by winning nine of the next 10 games. Teichmann also saved four of six break points. Begu ousted fellow Romanian and No. 2 seed Jaqueline Cristian 6-4, 6-4. Begu saved nine of 11 break points and finally put away Cristian on her fifth match point. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Researchers make stunning discovery after studying wildlife living near wineries: 'Can be further enhanced'
Researchers make stunning discovery after studying wildlife living near wineries: 'Can be further enhanced' A team of researchers from the HUN-REN Center for Ecological Research and the University of Milan recently established a connection between vineyard ecosystems and local bird and bat species. The HUN-REN Center's mission is to support biodiversity research, and it is resolute in the understanding that a more informed public can make better environmental decisions. Published in the Journal of Applied Ecology, their study addressed one part of the ongoing problem of habitat reconfiguration — that is, when natural landscapes are repurposed into human-oriented mechanisms. In an agricultural context specifically, it's crucial that we maintain a balance between crop yields for human needs and ecological sustainability, a balance these researchers aimed to identify within vineyards. In addition to being land-replenishing pollinators, birds and bats serve as natural predators, keeping pests in check while supporting beneficial arthropod species. Per it's a predisposition that can serve to our benefit as well, when it comes to vineyards and other agricultural endeavors — and by monitoring and recording bird and bat activity against arthropod activity across various Hungarian vineyards, these researchers worked to prove just that. By demonstrating that predatory birds and bats regulate pest populations on behalf of farmers, the team is encouraging the protection of these species by vineyard management, hoping that humans can work with birds and bats rather than allowing vineyards to devolve into sites of human-animal conflict. The researchers called for the sustenance of these agricultural projects without the use of synthetic pesticides — after all, why turn to polluting and often harmful chemicals when the natural solution is just as effective, requires fewer resources, and brings about less contamination to the air and soil? Uncontrolled pesticide use not only leaks toxic contaminants into the soil to kill pests, but also leaves lingering traces in the affected plants and the atmosphere of the region, posing risks to human health. Exposure through the food we eat and the air we breathe leaves us vulnerable to a variety of health concerns, ranging from reproductive damage to cancers. Moreover, the ripple effects of pesticides have lowered biodiversity around the world, destablizing ecosystems. The HUN-REN Center seeks to make its ecological findings more mainstream, bridging the gap between the discipline of environmental research and the average individual. If more of us can become cognizant of the issues infiltrating every step of our daily lives — from the pollutants we consume to the wine we drink — we can prove better-equipped to encourage our environmental authorities to address them. HUN-REN, specifically, is involved closely with the European Union. Research author Péter Batáry summed it up for "Pest control services can be further enhanced through organic management, which avoids herbicides and synthetic insecticides, thereby facilitating the colonization of beneficial arthropods and strengthening pest predation pressure in vineyards." Do you worry about pesticides in your food? All the time Sometimes Not really I only eat organic Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the the daily Crossword
