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CNET
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNET
Humble Bundle Is Offering 16 Warner Bros. Games Titles for Just $12 Right Now
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BBC News
06-08-2025
- BBC News
International jamboree event takes place in Kent village
The next generation of scouts and guides are gathering in the Kent countryside for an international said this year's event, in the village of Detling, was about sustainability, with a strong focus on environmental Kent International Jamboree is held every four years and includes scouts and guides from 32 countries, including Canada, Kenya, Bangladesh and Bailey, from Lincolnshire Scouts Go Kart activity team, said: "We're giving young people their first opportunity to drive a motorised vehicle. It's providing a key life skill and that is what scouting is all about." More than 7,000 people were expected to attend the Brackley, of Kent International Jamboree, told the BBC that it was a good way for young people to learn life said: "Young people are developing a sense of international venture, learning about the world and making new friends."The bag jump is pretty awesome and the zip wire is good fun. Some of the activities, like car driving, I remember doing that in 2017 myself as a participant and that's really good fun too."Rikki Williams, leader of the Alberta Scout Group, has bought nine Canadian scouts with him to Kent for the seven-day said: "It's been amazing so far – we've met some wonderful people. The welcome and our host groups has been amazing."
Times
04-08-2025
- Times
Tourists with cameras are now as bad as the trophy hunters
Once upon a time, the big difference between a big-game hunter and a safari tourist was that the former brought death to the bush while the latter brought only wonder — but that's changing fast. Last week the South African guide Nick Kleer posted shocking footage from the Mara River in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania showing tourists and their vehicles blocking a riverbank as a herd of wildebeest tried to cross. The post has sparked outrage from guides, lodge owners and tour operators, but that fury seems disingenuous because what was shown in Kleer's video has been going on for years. The Great Migration — in which about two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles follow the rains around the plains of the Serengeti and Masai Mara — is considered to be the most spectacular natural show on earth. It has the challenges, tragedies and triumphs of any epic and, as such, it's high on the wish lists of millions. Being present at a crossing when herds of three thousand or more plunge across the Mara, Sand and Talek rivers — running the gauntlet not only of crocodiles but also the leopards, lions and hyenas lurking on the banks — is the safari industry's hottest ticket, and every tourist wants a front-row seat. But as visitor numbers have soared at Serengeti National Park and just over the border at Masai Mara National Reserve (MMNR) in Kenya, the behaviour of drivers, guides and tourists in pursuit of the best video or photograph has become progressively worse. One year before Nick Kleer posted his video from the Kogatende crossing point, I was 12 miles north, watching from a hillside above the Ashnil crossing point on the Mara River. What followed was not pretty. About 50 tourist vehicles were racing abreast towards the riverbank, weaving in and out of a panicked herd of wildebeest. These animals had tried to cross the day before, but tourist vehicles blocking their exit — as they do in Nick Kleer's video — had forced half the herd to turn back. Many of those stranded were calves, and their mothers were waiting for them on the far bank, until the tourist cars scared them away. Carcasses of the animals that perished in the crossing bobbed in the river, largely ignored by the crocodiles, which had eaten their fill overnight. The injured animals — most with broken legs — had been unable to climb the steep banks to safety, so stood bleating in the shallows, awaiting the inevitable. Above them, as the herd reformed to try again, the cars rushed in, with the photographers hanging over the sides of the vehicles, pointing Canons in the way that hunters aim rifles. Then a group of about 300 wildebeest tried a crossing, and some even made it past the tourists choking the exit point on the other side. Others, again mainly calves, tried to turn back but were trampled beneath the hooves of the oncoming masses. By the time it was over three more wildebeest were dead, with three more stranded on river beaches with broken limbs and little hope of survival. This was a tiny event in the grand drama of the migration, but these deaths would not have occurred had tourists not been blocking the exit routes. • Read our full guide to Africa Sadly, you'll see similar ignorance, selfishness and greed almost every day in the Serengeti and the MMNR. I've counted 41 vehicles parked around a single leopard in an acacia tree; picked up a basket full of plastic, wet wipes, cans and bottles from a sundowner site; seen a fist fight break out after two amateur photographers climbed onto another party's vehicle to get a better angle; and watched an open-topped Land Cruiser repeatedly charge through a herd of zebras so the whooping photographers on board could capture the panic. Such disrespect is not limited to Africa. I've witnessed a car crash in Ranthambore National Park in India as guides jostled to get their clients to the front of a crowd around a tiger, while Yala National Park in Sri Lanka is the only protected area where I've seen roadkill. In Kenya and in Tanzania safari tourism is divided between the so-called value sector — in which guests pay upwards of £800 per person per night in high season for five-star accommodation — and the mass market, in which you can book a day trip from Nairobi for as little as £227. Those in the former are taken on two game drives a day by a qualified guide; the latter typically get a driver with minimal knowledge. 'These guys are earning maybe [£15] a day, but if they promise the world they can make maybe six times that in tips,' said an MMNR guide who wished to remain anonymous. 'But I know qualified guides who are just as bad. We depend on good reviews so it is very hard to resist a client who is saying, 'I want to be at the front at the crossing and I will pay you well.'' The value sector blames all the bad behaviour and overcrowding on the day-trippers at the cheap end of the market, but that's not entirely fair. Guests from two high-end lodges were filmed at the Kogatende crossing last week and, regardless of the finger-pointing, the truth is that — with no cap on peak-season visitor numbers — overtourism has arrived in the bush and it's hurting the wildlife. Two years ago the MMNR's new management plan warned that overcrowding was not only spoiling the tourist experience but was also leading to habitat degradation and 'a major decline in several of the reserve's charismatic wildlife species'. • Two women died on safari last week — are these trips becoming more dangerous? Access to the Serengeti is relatively cheap (£3 a day for Tanzanians and £52 for foreigners) and — while many in the industry say that a significant increase in fees is the most effective way to limit numbers — the Tanzania National Parks Authority is actively encouraging low-cost, high-volume tourism and will raise prices by just 15 per cent in 2026. However, it is not guaranteed that higher prices would limit numbers. Last summer the entrance fee to the MMNR for foreigners increased from £52 to £150 a day. Official arrival figures aren't yet available, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it's had little effect on demand — and last week President Ruto of Kenya announced a new push to increase overall visitors from three million in 2025 to five million in 2027. Restricting visitor numbers to the Serengeti and the MMNR, perhaps by copying the Rwandan model of limited permits, would reduce pressure on wildlife but would require significant increases in conservation fees and risk turning safari tourism into even more of a pursuit for the rich than it is now. And this won't improve behaviour. Guides always want to earn tips; tourists (especially the frantic ones with the big cameras) always want the best view at every sighting — and that doesn't change because you're paying £1,100 a night in a top-end lodge rather than £227 for a day trip in a pop-top minibus. One argument is that the parks can do without the so-called box-tickers who come for migration, but every species in the Greater Mara ecosystem — and elsewhere in the protected areas of Africa — is dependent on tourism for its survival. Take away the tourists, the conservation argument goes, and the only way to make that grassland pay is to put cattle on it. Calls for heavier sanctions on irresponsible tourist traffic have fallen on deaf ears in park administrations, so here is a simple, effective fix: position rangers at the key crossing points during migration and ban all safari vehicles from approaching within 1,000ft until the herds have moved on. The industry will argue that the crossings are the most exciting and dramatic feature of the migration, and a ban on getting close up will hit bookings. Maybe it will, especially from the trophy hunters dreaming of an award-winning photo. But is their money worth the life of a single wildebeest? Share your views in the comments
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Born on One of These 4 Dates? You're Divinely Guided by Ancestors
Born on One of These 4 Dates? You're Divinely Guided by Ancestors originally appeared on Parade. Spiritually, we are all connected to ancestors, guides, and guardian angels who accompany us throughout our lives. However, some individuals are more receptive to wisdom from higher realms than others. Those who are spiritually gifted can more easily tap into higher wisdom, divine intervention, and intuitive insights. While we can all learn to enhance our spiritual communication, expert mystics, astrologers, and numerologists suggest that four specific birth dates have a stronger connection to the other side. Check for the date your birthday falls on, regardless of month, for pro insights. READ: Magnetic Energy? 3 Birth Months Blessed with Goddess Auras Expert numerologists note that the number four is associated with foundation, generational heritage, and emotional groundedness. If you're born on the 4th, your destiny calls for ancestral strength, wisdom, and guidance. You're here to break generational curses. While this can sound intimidating, you have a spiritual team on the other side rooting for your success. At any moment, you can meditate, pray, or seek higher wisdom from these angels, helping you honor what was for what can be. OTHER: Intuitively Wise? 4 Spiritual Gifts Only Old Souls Have In numerology, seven is associated with mystical powers, introspective mystery, and intuitive wisdom. Those born on the 7th rely on their inner knowledge. While they are certainly social creatures like us all, they equally value their solitude. In their lifetime, their ancestors' wisdom is intertwined with their own inner voice, ensuring they make decisions from a grounded, higher perspective. They are old souls, full of genuine advice, counsel, and wisdom. FURTHER: 4 Most Seductive, Irresistible Zodiac Signs The number 13 has always been associated with spiritual wisdom and occult taboos. Witches, mystics, and the misunderstood magicians of their time are often linked to this karmic number. If you were born on the 13th, your ancestors were the outcasts of their era, living through you. You're here to honor their sacred wisdom and utilize their higher powers while ensuring you establish cycles relevant to truth, overcome false beliefs, and transmute darkness to light. NEXT: Libra Zodiac Compatibility: The Zodiac's Synastry With Each Star Sign The number 31 not only closes out the month, but it also symbolizes spiritual culmination and full-circle moments. Your ancestors are by your side, as you often act as a messenger between the visible and invisible realms. Bridging the gap, ancestral intuition, clear clairvoyance, and psychic dreams are some of your tools. With a strong connection to the divine, you're able to heed the calling of your guides. Born on One of These 4 Dates? You're Divinely Guided by Ancestors first appeared on Parade on Jun 16, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Telegraph
15-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
China will soon once again be the primary civilisation of the world
In May I had the opportunity to spend a month travelling around China. Many things caught my attention while I was there. In general, I came away with some strong and clear impressions, from what I observed, from interactions with people there and from things guides and others said. The first is that the infrastructure that has been built in the last thirty years or less is simply amazing, not just impressive but jaw-dropping. Most spectacular is the network of high-speed railway lines built since roughly 2005. Currently there are 30,000 miles of such lines, all built in the last twenty years. The total railway network, which has also been massively expanded, stands at 96,000 miles including the HSR lines with the plan being to extend it to 170,000 miles by 2050. According to the best estimates by outside observers, the return on this investment is between six and eight per cent. Since the system has largely been built from scratch, it features enormous brand-new stations the size of airport terminals. The trains, which run at 200 mph, are comfortable and clean and the ride is so smooth that the speed is almost unnoticeable. It is not only trains. There is also a series of airports all over China, most as big as major international ones in Europe. Again, these are brand new. Alongside the railways is a dense network of both long-distance motorways and modernised provincial and local roads. There are 114,000 miles of expressways with the rest of the national highway system amounting to 1.3 million miles (1.9 million kilometres). As with the rail system, this is being constantly extended. The big caveat is that building the infrastructure is one thing (not that Western countries are doing that) but the real challenge is maintaining it. The other aspect of infrastructure that anyone visiting China notices is the urban development. China has seen a dramatic process of urban development in the last two decades, with new cities springing up everywhere and older ones adding millions of new housing units. This takes a distinctive form, which is high-rise and high-density. Chinese cities and towns have grown upwards as much as outwards. Cities feature forests of high-rise towers, typically of thirty to forty floors. The initial impression is of uniformity but on closer examination that changes. Most of the towers are not simple boxes but have decorative features as part of the design and what seems a single mass resolves into grouped clusters of towers with similar styles. At ground level it becomes clear that each cluster is fenced off and forms a single gated neighbourhood, with retail and other facilities on the lower floors of the towers. The new cities thus have a high-density modular structure. The other feature of Chinese urban development is how green the cities are. There are trees and green spaces everywhere with most of the trees clearly planted in the last thirty years. The expressways and major roads have ivy growing up the sides of supporting pillars and boxes of flowers and plants along their lengths, all maintained. The pattern is what is known as a 'sponge city' with threads and 'holes' of greenery and open space between the high-rise neighbourhoods and the older low-rise ones and the very high-rise commercial centres. This pattern is far less car-centric than its American equivalent and although there are many cars, they are not at present the primary means of transportation. That is the electric scooter with swarms of them zooming around all of the streets, supplemented by both public transport and walking. Another difference between Chinese cities and many Western ones is their orderliness. There are no homeless people or beggars and although the cities are lively and dynamic you do not see or find anti-social behaviour. Public spaces are spotlessly clean, partly because of a veritable army of street cleaners (most of them older people) but also because littering simply does not happen. One reason for this is a low-key but pervasive police presence: each small neighbourhood has its own attached police officer with photographs of them displayed along with that officer's mobile number for contacting them. Police are highly visible. However, the evidence suggests that the police are simply backing up strong social norms of public behaviour, which strongly disapprove of anti-social conduct. The darker side of the orderliness is the degree of control. There are security checks at all transport terminals and most major historical sites or public buildings. Visiting many places requires photo identification, passports for foreigners, ID cards for locals. There is an important qualification to this though: while the security checks and ID system are uniform and national, the well-known social credit system is not – it varies considerably from one province or locality to another. This reflects a major feature of the Chinese state which is its relative decentralisation. The Party is not uniform and monolithic. Although there are national strategies and policies, each provincial or even city level Party has a great deal of autonomy and can pursue its own strategy to a great extent. As a result there is considerable variation in details of policy and strategy from one part of China to another. This is not novel – it reflects a system of governance found throughout the history of the Chinese state all the way back to its formation in 221 BC. This reflects one of the most surprising observations I made, the persistence and even reassertion of older Chinese ways of thinking and living. Although the cities and infrastructure are impressive, the striking feature is the prosperity and success of the countryside. Across most of China, rural towns and villages have new, modern housing, often funded by private savings. Alongside the network of major roads is a dense system of smaller paved roads and paths that connect the countryside to the national system. This is coupled with both near-complete electrification and internet provision. The pattern of agriculture is very traditional and strikingly different from the Western model. The rural landscape (and much of the open space around and within cities) is one of very small fields, more like allotments. What is practised is traditional Chinese intensive permaculture with regular rotation of crops and mixed farming, a pattern of agriculture that is very efficient in terms of yields but which does not rely on high energy inputs. It is however still very labour intensive but this is changing with urbanisation. However, there are still very strong connections between countryside and city, with many who have moved to the city retaining a connection with and responsibility contract for portions of rural land, which they still farm. The farming is very intensive – not a square inch of land suitable for farming is left idle no matter where it is. Agriculture is only one of many ways in which old China persists and re-emerges. Traditional ideas, such as the polarity of Yin and Yang are as strong as ever. Among the young there is a clear revival of traditional religious belief and observance, notably of Buddhism, but also of Taoism and Confucianism. Buddhist temples are crowded with young people, particularly women, who come not as tourists but to pray. The Party is comfortable with this and in many regions actively encourages it, rebuilding Buddhist temples and even Confucian ones. (That is surprising because of Confucianism being the official philosophy of imperial China.) In fact, the impression gained is that the ideological basis of the state is slowly but steadily shifting, to a hybrid one that owes as much to the historic traditions of Confucianism and Legalism as modern thought. The cult of Mao, while officially as strong as ever, is slowly fading not so much because of ideological repudiation as the simple passage of time. Mao is becoming simply another major historical figure, similar in many ways to his own role model, the First Emperor Ch'in Shi Huang Ti. The current system still has strong legitimacy but the Cultural Revolution is regretted. For middle aged people the figure who is admired is Deng Xiaoping, credited with the opening of China to the rest of the world and the transformation of the economic system from a command economy to a dirigiste market one. Another revered figure is Sun Yat Sen, the founder of the Republic in the 1920s. Uniquely, he is venerated on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and the actual policy of the state owes as much to his 'Three Principles' as socialism (particularly 'Nationalism' or Minzu and Welfarism or Minsheng). There is a widespread popular interest in the historical past of China, and veneration of much of the history. One amusing aspect of this is younger people, particularly women, visiting historical sites while wearing historical period costume. This varies by region – in Beijing it is mainly Manchu court dress from the Qing dynasty, in Xi'An Tang era dress, while in the Yangtze Delta cities it is Song costumes. The past is not accepted uncritically but is generally admired and respected. Past figures who are widely admired are Ch'in Shi Huang Ti, the Hongwu and Yongle emperors from the Ming dynasty and Empress Wu and the Taizong emperor from the Tang. Generally, the Han, Tang, and Ming dynasties are admired, the Song and Qing less so. The common theme is that the figures and dynasties that are respected are ones seen as having promoted Chinese prosperity and power along with openness to the rest of the world, while the deprecated ones are those associated with Chinese weakness relative to the rest of the world and cultural decay. This all reflects another old idea that is reviving, that the crucial thing for state success is not so much institutions or policy but the quality of leadership. This is a very dynamic and innovative society that is also intensely competitive at an individual and familial level. It is highly futuristic and forward looking but also connected to its past, which is venerated in various ways. It has an authoritarian but effective and competent government. How long all this will survive is another matter but right now China is an advert for the idea of 'state capacity'. There is a strong cultural commitment to ideals of education and self-improvement, often very materialistic. One form this takes at a personal level is commitment to physical fitness and health, with public exercise classes being a major feature of urban life. This is coupled with a powerful work ethic. All of this faces challenges. It is not clear how long the ethical collectivism and work ethic will survive the impact of modern cellular communications and social media. There is concern, getting close to panic in official circles, about the below replacement birth-rate but, as elsewhere, there is no sign that the pro-natalist policies of the state are having any effect. The ageing population poses a massive challenge going forward but the current acute problem, as everywhere in the world, is housing costs in major cities – Shanghai has costs comparable to major metros in North America or Europe. That this coincides with massive and continuing supply suggests that it is not supply constraints that cause this but the financialisation of housing and the derangement of the global monetary system. One thing that many locals commented on was the continuing impact of the Covid pandemic – it has halved domestic air travel for example. For now, China is, on all of the evidence, a dynamic society with a functioning and effective state and economy that is comfortable with its past and its identity. There is a strong commitment to engagement with and openness to the rest of the world and a desire to see China recover the kind of position it had under the Tang, as the leading world civilisation. We are only starting to see the impact this model will have on the rest of the world. For a long time, China saw itself as the central or middle kingdom of the world and the rest of the world regarded it as the most powerful and most civilised state – this only changed after the 1770s. We are almost certainly going to revert to that.
