Latest news with #eastern
The Guardian
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Walking with Dinosaurs review – a cheap, tired revival whose cliches are as old as fossils
Walking with Dinosaurs began a new era of natural history broadcasting when it landed on BBC One in 1999. Rejecting the received wisdom that factual telly couldn't afford to create CGI dinosaurs as convincing as the ones from the Jurassic Park movies, it opened with Kenneth Branagh's narration confidently claiming that we were about to be transported to the Earth as it was 65m years ago. Then it pulled off this incredible illusion. In the quarter of a century that has elapsed since then, much has changed. Palaeontologists have advanced their knowledge, discovering new species and coming to the realisation that not all of their conjecture about what dinosaurs looked like was correct. Now, we know some of them had feathers, or fur, or were brightly coloured, when previously we'd envisioned them all as a uniform reptilian greeny-brown. And, in TV, the dream of making a dino show that is indistinguishable from nature programmes shot on live cameras in the present day (because the computer-generated monsters are so realistic) has got closer and closer. Reviving the Walking with Dinosaurs brand suggests that we are about to take another ground-shaking leap forward. But, it would be surprising if the increasingly extinct-smelling BBC of 2025 were able to perform the same feat it did in 1999 – and it hasn't. The new Walking is a decent dino documentary and nothing more: it's fine but compared with the competition, it feels cheap and tired. We start at an archaeological dig in eastern Montana, which Bertie Carvel's voiceover describes as 'a vast, untamed wilderness'. To confirm that his script will be happy to use cliches that are almost as old as the fossils in the dry Montana dust, Carvel then informs us that the team from the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is excavating an 'iconic species' – a Triceratops. Specifically, the scientists are exhuming an animal they have nicknamed Clover, a dog-sized baby Triceratops who died when she was around three years old. Cue the digitally created pictures of Laramidia, a continent that was the lush, green ancestor of what we call North America. Clover is surviving alone, bewildered by run-ins with the intimidating pterosaur, Infernodrakon – which hadn't been discovered back when the original WWD went out – and surviving attacks from her most feared predator, the Tyrannosaurus rex. The ill-fated Clover tries to tag along with a passing adult Triceratops, but the show imagines a Disney-ish dynamic, where the old-timer can't be doing with an annoying pup, so Clover has to join a herd of the cow-like Edmontosaurus instead. The visuals are certainly better than they were 25 years ago, but they have a slight jerkiness that doesn't look totally cutting-edge. Viewers who have immersed themselves in Prehistoric Planet, the stunning 2022 Apple TV+ series narrated by David Attenborough, are being asked to take a step backwards here: that show was so crisp and smooth it actually achieved the impossible and felt real. As if it knows it can't compete, the new Walking with Dinosaurs changes direction. All dino documentaries are based on the work of palaeontologists, and they usually mention what recent breakthroughs have been made. Here, however, we regularly leave the Clover story, return to the present and watch those experts carry out everyday tasks in a way that is painstaking to the point of tedium. As soil is brushed away, bones are measured and facts are delivered verbally by experts, instead of being illustrated by Clover the anthropomorphised digital dinosaur, it's not clear who Walking with Dinosaurs is aimed at. Dinosaurs are massively popular with primary-schoolchildren, but it tends to be an interest that doesn't survive the asteroid impact of puberty; of course there is a section of a Sunday teatime audience that might grow up and retain a desire to become the next generation of palaeontologists, but perhaps showing them real palaeontologists at work isn't the best way to encourage them. The science and the drama do interact effectively on occasion. In one thrilling sequence, vascular channels on the surface of a Triceratops bone lead the museum guys to surmise that the creature could change the colour pattern on its frill; then we see an adult Triceratops doing just that, making it look as if it has a pair of giant, blood-red eyes to scare off a T rex. Kids who haven't become too fidgety during the science bits will also enjoy a neat twist at the end of the fictional Clover story, guessing at how she might have survived for at least a little longer. But when the bone-diggers of the future look back, this won't be the dinosaur documentary they remember most fondly. Walking with Dinosaurs aired on BBC One and is on iPlayer now.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sunny and hot again for your Monday
Mostly clear conditions will continue through your Sunday evening with low clouds arriving early Monday morning. There could be some areas of haze or even fog, but mainly in northern and eastern communities as temps start out in the mid 70s. It will be mostly sunny, hot, and humid Monday afternoon with highs in the low 90s and feels like temperatures near 100 degrees. This hot, humid, and dry stretch of weather continues through Wednesday with lows in the mid to upper 70s and highs in the lower 90s. In fact, no big changes are in store until Thursday when a weak cold front moves through. There could be a few showers Thursday with slightly cooler low temperatures to finish the work week. Lows will be in the low 70s with highs around 90 degrees with lower humidity. Saturday should be mostly sunny and dry with highs in the mid 90s, but isolated showers are back in the forecast next Sunday and Monday afternoon with above average temperatures. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kreston Global adds Jordan's AGI to Middle East network
Kreston Global has expanded its presence in the Middle East region with the addition of Jordan-based Alothman Group International (AGI) to its network. Established in 1980, AGI is a mid-market accounting and advisory firm based in Jordan. It has built a client base that includes small owner-managed businesses as well as multinational corporations operating globally. The firm advises clients across several industries, including insurance and re-insurance, non-profit organisations, financial services, the public sector, trading and distribution, information technology, retail and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), contracting and construction, and healthcare. In a press statement, Kreston Global said AGI has been active internationally for 'many years' and is 'well-equipped' to assist and serve international businesses seeking to invest in Jordan. AGI's team comprises three partners and 35 staff members. AGI executive director Faisal Othman said: 'As a firm with considerable international experience we can see that membership will assist us not only with client needs but also being able to exposure our people to knowledge sharing, training and development opportunities globally and regionally.' Kreston Global's Middle East network now consists of 13 member firms across ten countries. The network offers financial, audit, accounting, taxation and advisory services to large and mid-sized businesses engaged in inbound and outbound growth. Kreston Global CEO Liza Robbins said: 'We are really pleased to welcome AGI to our network. Our Middle East region is flourishing and our firms are incredibly entrepreneurial and ambitious. 'AGI fits extremely well into this portfolio and Jordan certainly is home to many middle eastern businesses wishing to expand, as well as offering opportunity for inward investment. I am very excited to see how the next year unfolds in this busy market and to introduce AGI to our network.' "Kreston Global adds Jordan's AGI to Middle East network" was originally created and published by International Accounting Bulletin, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Portsmouth mosquito monitoring, Dover awards: Community news update
PORTSMOUTH — The city announced its mosquito control program will begin monitoring on April 7. The city has contracted with Dragon Mosquito Control, Inc. to check swamps, salt marshes, woodland pools, ditches, catch basins and other shallow, stagnant water for mosquito larvae. Citywide spraying for adult mosquitoes is not planned. Any decision to conduct emergency spraying of adult mosquitoes on city-owned property is made by city officials in collaboration with Dragon Mosquito Control and is based on mosquito surveillance data, disease test results, and weather conditions. Diseases such as eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile virus are generally found in mosquitoes during the latter part of the summer and early fall. Residents will be advised in advance if spraying is planned. Residents who do not want their property treated can sign up with the No-Spray Registry at or write to Dragon Mosquito Control, Inc., P.O. Box 46, Stratham, NH 03885. When writing, residents should be sure to include name, physical address, phone number, the color of the house and acreage or road frontage. For more information on spray dates, location, materials used, precautions or other concerns, call 603-734-4144 or email help@ DOVER — Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year opened on March 10. The Dover Schools has transitioned to a new online student registration system,, therefore all demographic, emergency and some medication information will be updated electronically. However, some paper forms and documents will still be needed. The system is a secure and green process, which allows the district to quickly obtain up to date information on your child. The online system will be used for all new and returning student registrations for student demographic and emergency information and allow you to update that information prior to the start of the new school year. For more information and registration instructions, visit PORTSMOUTH — Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. Your child must turn five by Sept. 30. To help with determining class size and staffing needs, parents/guardians are asked to register their rising kindergarten student no later than Friday, April 11. For more information visit DOVER — In honor of Earth Day, Don't Trash Dover in partnership with the City of Dover will host the 2nd Annual "Power of an Hour" event, a community-wide volunteer litter collection initiative on Saturday, April 26, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. All six Dover wards will host cleanup sites: Ward 1: Frances G. Hopkins Elementary School (78 Horne Street) Ward 2: Dover Ice Arena (110 Portland Avenue) Ward 3: Woodman Park Elementary School (11 Towle Avenue) Ward 4: Garrison School (50 Garrison Road) Ward 5: Dover Middle School (16 Daley Drive) Ward 6: Hellenic Center (219 Long Hill Road) Participants should arrive at their ward location by 9:15 a.m. wearing safety vests or bright clothing, gloves, and appropriate walking shoes. Volunteers are encouraged to bring their own litter collection tools or wagons if available. Upon arrival, first-time participants will complete a waiver form. Volunteers will receive bags and directions from site leaders, then spend one hour collecting litter throughout their ward. Children under 12 years must be accompanied by an adult. For more information, contact dontrashdover@ or visit Don't Trash Dover on Facebook. DOVER – The city Recreation Department, along with the Dover Recreation Advisory Board, held its 27th annual Volunteer, Sponsor of the Year, and Heyliger Awards Banquet Tuesday, March 25, hosted by the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge No. 443. This was the first ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Heyliger Awards are given in memory of late past Dover Recreation Director Don Heyliger, who served the community with great commitment and dedication for 10 years and who died in 1988. These recipients possess high quality traits that Mr. Heyliger himself portrayed. These include: treating all participants with the same respect and support regardless of their skill level, allowing all children to participate in every event, using praise to motivate, never belittle or embarrass anyone, helping a child develop confidence and self-respect, being compassionate and forgiving in relationships, looking out for the less fortunate, disadvantaged and those who may need more personal and emotional support, and be fun to be with. This year's winners of the 2024 Don Heyliger Awards include: Paul Barnes, Garrison City Football Club, David Devoy, Dover Football League; Cam Paquette & Camden Barrett, Dover Youth Basketball; Josh Hersey, Dover Youth Hockey; Jamie Stevens, Dover Youth Softball; Tim Pine, Dover Baseball; The Merrill Family, Cocheco Lacrosse; and, Melissa Chandler, Dover Little Green Cheerleading. The 2024 Volunteer of the Year Award was announced by Heather Twombly, Chair of the Recreation Advisory Board, and went to Paul Barnes. The Recreation Advisory Board also recognized Mourgenos Lawn Care and Wade Landscaping as the 2024 Sponsors of the Year. ROCHESTER — Hope on Haven Hill's annual Hope Springs Eternal gala brought together community leaders, advocates, and supporters to celebrate the organization's vital work in providing comprehensive perinatal recovery services. With an outpouring of generosity from our attendees, the event raised an $488,701. An additional charitable gaming contribution helped bring our total fundraising efforts to over $500,000 — unlocking a full matching gift from the Nanda Family Charitable Fund and bringing the total impact to $1 million for mothers and families in recovery. The gala honored three exceptional individuals for their unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of mothers and families in New Hampshire: Tom Raffio, for his dedication to community wellness and advocacy. Jen Chinburg, for her leadership and unwavering support of women's empowerment. Valerie Sununu, for her tireless efforts in championing family-centered support services. Funds raised will directly support Hope on Haven Hill's programs, including residential treatment, outpatient care, and wraparound services for pregnant and parenting women in recovery. The overwhelming success of the evening reaffirms the power of community-driven support in ensuring that every mother and child has the opportunity to thrive. Information: This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Portsmouth mosquito monitoring, Dover awards: Community news update
