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Pilot captures once in a lifetime photo of the Northern Lights

<p>A pilot has captured the breathtaking moment he flew beside the Northern Lights while manning a cargo plane. </p> <p>Christiaan van Heijst, a pilot and photographer, shared the incredible image to Instagram, which shows the "turquoise aerial fire" appear in the form of the aurora borealis. </p> <p>Beneath the sea of twirling green lights, the city lights of Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, illuminated the horizon in a contrasting orange glow far away.</p> <p>The extraordinary photo has racked up thousands of likes in just a few days, as Captain van Heijst shared the entertaining story of his flight and the moment he captured the picture in the caption. </p> <p>“Artificial lights on the horizon: a beacon of civilisation and connectedness to the world after many hours of isolation: no communication in my headset except for the bare minimums in regard to procedures, nor any personal interaction from my Icelandic captain, who’s been mute ever since the landing gear went up on the other side of the planet,” he explained in the post.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/C41LrzMsgN6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C41LrzMsgN6/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Christiaan van Heijst (@jpcvanheijst)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>“A character known for his absolute approach to colleagues and deliberate lack of conversational depth during flight."</p> <p>“Hours later, the lights of Reykjavik are abundantly visible and without need, heed or warning, he opens up the intercom and takes his time to start his declaration for a single-person audience: me. Staring out of his window, eyes set on the distant orange glow from his left-hand window, he solemnly proclaims a few seconds later: ‘… the centre of the universe …’, allowing some moments of quiet contemplation and thought on my side, before switching his intercom off again, as if to underline this statement and retreating back in his cone of silence."</p> <p>Mr van Heijst said after the pair touched down four hours later in a cargo-airport in central-Europe, neither shared a single word “besides his solemn proclamation of Iceland’s true worth”.</p> <p>The incredible post has unsurprisingly been met with comments from stunned followers in awe of the natural beauty. </p> <p>“Wow! Incredible shot! Silence is golden indeed,” one person wrote.</p> <p>Mr van Heijst is one of the world’s leading aviation photographers, and has been lucky enough to witness the Northern Lights several times from above, capturing the moment each time to share online.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram </em></p>

International Travel

Woman receives lifetime ban from cruise line over "illegal" item

<p>A 42-year-old mother has received a lifetime ban from Carnival Cruise Line voyages, after she attempted to board one of the company's ships with a seemingly innocent item. </p> <p>Melinda Van Veldhuizen, a nurse practitioner and mother of two from Texas, said she was treated "like a criminal" when cruise ship employees found a bag of the CBD “sleep tight” gummies in her luggage while at a port in Miami. </p> <p>Melinda told local news station <em>WPLG</em> she packed the gummies to help her get some sleep on the August trip she had planned to take with her family to celebrate both her 21st wedding anniversary with her husband and her son’s senior year of high school.</p> <p>Ms Van Veldhuizen was taken to a separate area of the security check-in when the discovery was made, and was questioned by Carnival security and police for two and a half hours. </p> <p>The mother was blocked from boarding the ship, and her husband and son also disembarked as they didn’t want to go on the cruise to Aruba, Curaçao and the Dominican Republic without her.</p> <p>The family had spent just under $9,000AUD on their planned vacation, Ms Van Veldhuizen’s attorney Daren Stabinski told the <em>Washington Post</em>.</p> <p>CBD is a compound commonly derived from hemp that doesn’t cause impairment or a “high,” and is different from marijuana's mind-altering substance of THC. </p> <p>CBD is becoming more readily available across the globe, and is used to treat ailments from chronic pain to sleeplessness. </p> <p>In most parts of the US, CBD products that contain no greater than 0.3 per cent of THC are legal. </p> <p>According to <em>WPLG</em>, Ms Van Veldhuizen’s gummies contained less than 0.01 per cent THC.</p> <p>Despite the product being legal in the state Ms Van Veldhuizen was departing from, the hemp product is prohibited by Carnival Cruise Lines.</p> <p>“While certain CBD products used for medicinal purposes may be legal in the US, they are not legal in all the ports we visit and therefore are also considered prohibited items,” its website states.</p> <p>Soon after Ms Van Veldhuizen was forbidden from going on the cruise she paid for, she received a letter from Carnival informing her she was banned from all Carnival ships for life.</p> <p>The letter signed by Captain Rocco Lubrano states that she will “not be permitted to sail on-board any Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the future.”</p> <p>“This decision was based on your actions on the current cruise, which were a violation of the ship rules, interfered with the safety and/or enjoyment of other guests on the ship or caused harm to Carnival,” Mr Lubrano wrote.</p> <p>Ms Van Veldhuizen said she has taken more than a dozen Carnival cruises over the years and was freaked out by the letter and the whole experience, and was not expecting such a severe reaction. </p> <p>“I thought it was one of those situations where you’re like, ‘Oh shoot, I left a bottle of water in my backpack; you gotta throw it away,’ kind of thing like that happens at TSA,” she said.</p> <p>Ms Van Veldhuizen is pursuing an internal claim with Carnival, but has threatened to sue if her situation isn’t resolved “appropriately” and hired Mr Stabinski to assist her. </p> <p>“Out of all the cases I take, this one was just specifically outrageous,” Mr Stabinski said.</p> <p><em>Image credits: WPLG</em></p>

Travel Trouble

These top 10 tourist attractions could disappear in your lifetime

<p><strong>Places to visit - and protect </strong></p> <p>When places are well-known and popular – historical and modern alike – we might take it for granted that they’ll be around forever. But sadly, many of the world’s best known and culturally significant landmarks are in jeopardy. </p> <p>Human activity has had a devastating effect on many valued places, including massive milestones of human achievement. And many of these are so much more than just tourist attractions – they’re unique, valuable remnants of ancient times and civilisations.</p> <p><strong>The Great Barrier Reef</strong></p> <p>This massive, once-thriving coral reef has suffered enormously over recent years, with coral bleaching – caused by climate change – stripping the coral of its nutrients. This, in turn, harms the rich marine life that calls the reef home. </p> <p>And, of course, this also depletes it of the dazzling colours that once were a hallmark of the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater wonder. The reef remains the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, but projections have warned that the damage to it could become irreversible in the next 10 years.</p> <p><strong>Old City of Jerusalem</strong></p> <p>One of the world’s most spiritually significant places, the Old City of Jerusalem, is in danger of disappearing, UNESCO has found. The walls of the Old City are one of its trademark features. Most famously, the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is a valuable pilgrimage site for people of the Jewish faith, one that dates back to around 20 BCE. </p> <p>The Wall is the only remnant of the city’s Second Temple. The city was actually listed on UNESCO’s list of endangered cultural sites in the 1980s. Widespread urbanisation has been found to pose a significant threat to the city.</p> <p><strong>Everglades National Park </strong></p> <p>This stunning Floridian wildlife sanctuary has sadly found itself fighting for its life in recent years. As ‘the largest designated subtropical wilderness reserve’ in North America, according to UNESCO, it’s been a beloved travel destination for American citizens for decades, but the ravages of time and human activity have not been kind to it. </p> <p>Its survival first came into question after it was battered by Hurricane Andrew in 1993. But it’s human influence that has posed the primary threat, as water flow to the site has decreased and the impacts of pollution have increased, resulting in harmful algal blooms. Its vast, diverse wildlife is more threatened than ever before.</p> <p><strong>The Taj Mahal </strong></p> <p>It’s hard to imagine this monolithic structure, located in Agra, India, being in danger. The structure itself is in some jeopardy from the elements, but the primary reason for concern is that the Indian Supreme Court could potentially close the attraction. The court has butted heads with the government, claiming that unless the government does a better job of preserving it, they’ll have to shut it down. </p> <p>Pollution is visibly altering the Taj’s pristine surface. It’s also experienced insect infestations. Flies of the genus Geoldichironomus, which breed in the heavily polluted Yamuna River, neighbouring the Taj, have encroached upon the structure in recent years.</p> <p><strong>Mount Kilimanjaro's peak </strong></p> <p>This revered mountain, one of the Seven Summits, proves that even giants can fall to climate change. While the mountain itself, located in Tanzania, isn’t in imminent danger, its iconic snow cap might vanish – and shockingly soon. </p> <p>Research found that the snow cap had lost 85 per cent of the total area of its ice fields between 1912 and 2007, and the remaining ice could be history as early as 2030.</p> <p><strong>Machu Picchu</strong></p> <p>Located in southern Peru, Machu Picchu is the remains of a huge stone citadel that was built during the 15th century. These incredible Incan ruins are widely considered one of the must-see spots in South America. Unfortunately, this has backfired in a way. </p> <p>The site has been a victim of over-tourism, seeing the detrimental effects of the surge of tourists it gets as they wear down the structures. In addition, the area surrounding Machu Picchu has seen rampant urbanisation, as well as mudslides and fires, in recent years, leading UNESCO to work for its preservation.</p> <p><strong>Portobelo-San Lorenzo forts</strong></p> <p>While not as ancient as some of the other sites mentioned here, these fortifications on the Panama coast are considered historically significant. The Portobelo-San Lorenzo forts were constructed by the Spanish in Panama in efforts to protect trade routes; they were built over two centuries, starting in the 1590s. They demonstrate a wide range of architectural styles, featuring everything from medieval-style castles to neo-classical 18th-century redresses. </p> <p>The forts face a couple of challenges, urbanisation has encroached upon them on land, and a shrinking coastline and erosion present natural threats on the coastal side. Maintenance has also fallen by the wayside. They were listed as endangered in 2012.</p> <p><strong>Hatra</strong></p> <p>These grand ruins stand in the Al-Jazīrah region of Baghdad, Iraq. As the capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Araba, Hatra is a site of massive historical significance. It withstood Roman military force in the second century CE. It was the king of the Sāsānian Empire, an early Iranian regime, who eventually destroyed it in the third century. The ruins went undiscovered until the 1830s; German archaeologists only began excavating it in the early 1900s. </p> <p>In addition to becoming a UNESCO world heritage site, Hatra was also immortalised as the temple featured in The Exorcist. Sadly, it became a target of ISIS in 2015. Militants assailed the structures with bullets and destroyed statues, seeking to dismantle remnants of polytheism. It was after this that UNESCO gave it an endangered status.</p> <p><strong>Nan Madol</strong></p> <p>This remarkable architectural jewel of the ancient world dates back to the 1200s. It spans more than 100 islands and islets surrounding the Federated States of Micronesia, to the northeast of Papua New Guinea. Throughout the 1200s to the 1500s, indigenous people from the island of Pohnpei built an expansive ‘city on water’, constructing more than 100 man-made islets out of coral boulders and basalt. </p> <p>The stunning expanse, untouched for hundreds of years, is a testament to the ingenuity and skill of ancient Pacific Islander peoples. However, it’s the forces of nature this time that pose a danger to it as plants, storms and water damage encroach upon the impressive structures. It has been on UNESCO’s endangered sites list since 2016.</p> <p><strong>How to help</strong></p> <p>There are plenty of resources you can use to help preserve endangered spots like these. For starters, you could donate to <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/donation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre</a>. UNESCO also gives citizens an option to report threats to protected sites (<a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/158/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scroll to the bottom of this page</a> for contact information. </p> <p>And if you choose to visit these spots, treat them with the utmost care! Be respectful, don’t touch anything you’re not explicitly allowed to touch, and do your part to keep the area clean.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/travel-hints-tips/10-top-tourist-attractions-that-could-disappear-in-your-lifetime?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>. </em></p>

International Travel

How ‘dad jokes’ may prepare your kids for a lifetime of embarrassment, according to psychology

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shane-rogers-575838">Shane Rogers</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a></em> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marc-hye-knudsen-1466723">Marc Hye-Knudsen</a>, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/aarhus-university-967">Aarhus University</a></em></p> <p>This Father’s Day you may be rolling out your best “<a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dad%20joke">dad jokes</a>” and watching your children laugh (or groan). Maybe you’ll hear your own father, partner or friend crack a dad joke or two. You know the ones:</p> <p>"What is the most condescending animal? A pan-DUH!"</p> <p>"Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!"</p> <p>Yes, dad jokes can be fun. They play an important role in how we interact with our kids. But dad jokes may also help prepare them to handle embarrassment later in life.</p> <h2>What are dad jokes?</h2> <p>Dad jokes are a distinct style of humour consisting of puns that are simple, wholesome and often involve a cheesy delivery.</p> <p>These jokes usually feature obvious wordplay and a straightforward punchline that leaves listeners either chuckling or emitting an exaggerated groan.</p> <p>This corny brand of humour is popular. There are hundreds of <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/trending-news/a34437277/best-dad-jokes/">websites</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAgYiERRDPY&t=248s">YouTube videos</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mmmjoemele/video/7207443872232770858">TikToks</a> dedicated to them. You can even play around with <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2019/06/us/dad-joke-generator-trnd/">dad joke generators</a> if you need some inspiration.</p> <h2>Why are dad jokes so popular?</h2> <p>People seem to love dad jokes, partly because of the puns.</p> <p>A <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0191886922005025">study</a> published earlier this year found people enjoy puns more than most other types of jokes. The authors also suggested that if you groan in response to a pun, this can be a sign you enjoy the joke, rather than find it displeasing.</p> <p>Other research shows dad jokes work on at least <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.26613/esic.5.2.248/html">three levels</a>:</p> <p><strong>1. As tame puns</strong></p> <p>Humour typically <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797610376073">violates</a> a kind of boundary. At the most basic level, dad jokes only violate <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781315731162-7/puns-tacit-linguistic-knowledge-debra-aarons">a language norm</a>. They require specific knowledge of the language to “get” them, in a way a fart joke does not.</p> <p>The fact that dad jokes are wholesome and inoffensive means dads can tell them around their children. But this also potentially makes them tame, which other people might call unfunny.</p> <p><strong>2. As anti-humour</strong></p> <p>Telling someone a pun that’s too tame to deserve being told out loud is itself a violation of the norms of joke-telling. That violation can in turn make a dad joke funny. In other words, a dad joke can be so unfunny this makes it funny – a type of <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/the-dubious-art-of-the-dad-joke/">anti-humour</a>.</p> <p><strong>3. As weaponised anti-humour</strong></p> <p>Sometimes, the purpose of a dad joke is not to make people laugh but to make them groan and roll their eyes. When people tell dad jokes to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0033-2909.127.2.229">teasingly</a> annoy someone else for fun, dad jokes work as a kind of <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.26613/esic.5.2.248/html">weaponised</a> anti-humour.</p> <p>The stereotypical scenario associated with dad jokes is exactly this: a dad telling a pun and then his kids rolling their eyes out of annoyance or cringing from embarrassment.</p> <h2>Dad jokes help dads be dads</h2> <p>Dad jokes are part of a father’s toolkit for engaging with his loved ones, a way to connect through laughter. But as children grow older, the way they receive puns change.</p> <p><a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/humor-as-a-key-to-child-development#1">Children</a> at around six years old enjoy hearing and telling puns. These are generally innocent ones such as: "Why is six afraid of seven? Because seven ate nine!"</p> <p>As children age and their language and reasoning abilities develop, their understanding of humour becomes more complex.</p> <p>In adolescence, they may start to view puns as unfunny. This, however, doesn’t stop their fathers from telling them.</p> <p>Instead, fathers can revel in the embarrassment their dad jokes can produce around their image-conscious and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/surviving-your-childs-adolescence/202203/adolescence-and-the-age-painful-embarrassment">sensitive</a> adolescent children.</p> <p>In fact, in a study, one of us (Marc) <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.26613/esic.5.2.248/html">suggests</a> the playful teasing that comes with dad jokes may be partly why they are such a widespread cultural phenomenon.</p> <p>This playful and safe teasing serves a dual role in father-child bonding in adolescence. Not only is it playful and fun, it can also be used to help <a href="https://www.dadsuggests.com/home/the-best-dad-jokes">educate</a> the young person how to handle feeling embarrassed.</p> <p>Helping children learn how to deal with embarrassment is no laughing matter. Getting better at this is a very important part of learning how to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01650250143000535">regulate emotions</a> and develop <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.980104/full">resilience</a>.</p> <p>Modelling the use of humour also has benefits. Jokes can be a useful <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12144-019-00296-9">coping strategy</a> during <a href="https://psychcentral.com/lib/humor-as-weapon-shield-and-psychological-salve">awkward situations</a> – for instance, after someone says <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuRnsrHEQFg">something awkward</a> or to make someone laugh who has <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships-communication/managing-conflicts-with-humor.htm">become upset</a>.</p> <h2>Dad jokes are more than punchlines</h2> <p>So, the next time you hear your father unleash a cringe-worthy dad joke, remember it’s not just about the punchline. It’s about creating connections and lightening the mood.</p> <p>So go ahead, let out that groan, and share a smile with the one who proudly delivers the dad jokes. It’s all part of the fun.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212109/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/shane-rogers-575838"><em>Shane Rogers</em></a><em>, Lecturer in Psychology, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/edith-cowan-university-720">Edith Cowan University</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/marc-hye-knudsen-1466723">Marc Hye-Knudsen</a>, Cognition and Behavior Lab, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/aarhus-university-967">Aarhus University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-dad-jokes-may-prepare-your-kids-for-a-lifetime-of-embarrassment-according-to-psychology-212109">original article</a>.</em></p>

Family & Pets

Research reveals who’s been hit hardest by global warming in their lifetime - and the answer may surprise you

<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-king-103126">Andrew King</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ed-hawkins-104793">Ed Hawkins</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-reading-902">University of Reading</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-douglas-1460792">Hunter Douglas</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/te-herenga-waka-victoria-university-of-wellington-1200">Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luke-harrington-489028">Luke Harrington</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-waikato-781">University of Waikato</a></p> <p>Earth is warming and the signs of climate change are everywhere. We’ve seen it in the past few weeks as temperatures hit record highs around the world – both in the Northern Hemisphere and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-is-australia-having-such-a-warm-winter-a-climate-expert-explains-210693">warm Australian winter</a>.</p> <p>Global warming is caused by humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions, which continue at <a href="https://theconversation.com/global-carbon-emissions-at-record-levels-with-no-signs-of-shrinking-new-data-shows-humanity-has-a-monumental-task-ahead-193108">near-record pace</a>. These emissions are predominantly generated by people in the world’s wealthiest regions.</p> <p>Our world-first analysis, <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/2752-5295/aceff2">published today</a>, examines the experience of global warming over the lifetimes of people around the world: young and old, rich and poor. We sought to identify who has perceived warmer temperatures most keenly.</p> <p>We found middle-aged people in equatorial regions have lived through the most perceptible warming in their lifetimes. But many young people in lower-income countries could experience unrecognisable changes in their local climate later in life, unless the world rapidly tackles climate change.</p> <h2>Measuring the climate change experience</h2> <p>We examined temperature data and population demographics information from around the world.</p> <p>Key to our analysis was the fact that not all warming is due to human activity. Some of it is caused by natural, year-to-year variations in Earth’s climate.</p> <p>These natural ups and downs are due to a number of factors. They include variations in the energy Earth receives from the sun, the effects of volcanic eruptions, and transfers of heat between the atmosphere and the ocean.</p> <p>This variability is stronger in mid-to-high-latitude parts of the world (those further from the equator) than in low-latitude areas (in equatorial regions). That’s because the weather systems further away from the equator draw in hot or cold air from neighbouring areas, but equatorial areas don’t receive cold air at all.</p> <p>That’s why, for example, the annual average temperature in New York is naturally more variable than in the city of Kinshasa (in the Democratic Republic of Congo).</p> <p>To account for this, we applied what’s known as the “<a href="https://archive.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/tar/wg1/346.htm#:%7E:text=The%20%EF%BF%BDsignal%20to%20noise,to%20this%20natural%20variability%20noise.">signal-to-noise ratio</a>” at each location we studied. That allowed us to separate the strength of the climate change “signal” from the “noise” of natural variability.</p> <p>Making this distinction is important. The less naturally variable the temperature, the clearer the effects of warming. So warming in Kinshasa over the past 50 years has been much more perceptible than in New York.</p> <p>Our study examined two central questions. First, we wanted to know, for every location in the world, how clearly global warming could be perceived, relative to natural temperature variability.</p> <p>Second, we wanted to know where this perceived change was most clear over human lifetimes.</p> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=394&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541474/original/file-20230807-17-ogjdti.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=495&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" alt="Annual-average temperatures at four major cities with signal-to-noise ratios shown for 20, 50 and 80 years up to 2021." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Annual-average temperatures at four major cities with signal-to-noise ratios shown for 20, 50 and 80 years up to 2021.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure> <h2>Our results</h2> <p>So what did we find? As expected, the most perceptible warming is found in tropical regions – those near the equator. This includes developing parts of the world that constitute the Global South – such as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia.</p> <p>Household incomes in the Global South are typically lower than in industrialised nations (known as the Global North). We might, then, conclude people in the poorest parts of the world have experienced the most perceptible global warming over their lifetimes. But that’s not always the case.</p> <p>Why? Because most parts of the Global South have younger populations than wealthier regions. And some people under the age of 20, including in northern India and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, haven’t experienced warming over their lifetimes.</p> <p>In these places, the lack of recent warming is likely down to a few factors: natural climate variability, and the local cooling effect of particles released into the atmosphere from <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac3b7a">pollution</a> and changes in land use.</p> <p>There’s another complication. Some populated regions of the world also experienced slight cooling in the mid-20th century, primarily driven by human-caused <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10946">aerosol emissions</a>.</p> <p>So, many people born earlier than the 1950s have experienced less perceptible warming in their local area than those born in the 1960s and 1970s. This may seem counter-intuitive. But a cooling trend in the first few decades of one’s life means the warming experienced over an entire lifespan (from birth until today) is smaller and less detectable.</p> <p>So what does all this mean? People in equatorial areas born in the 1960s and 1970s – now aged between about 45 and 65 – have experienced more perceptible warming than anyone else on Earth.</p> <h2>Rich countries must act</h2> <p>Our findings are important, for several reasons.</p> <p>Identifying who has experienced significant global warming in their lives may help explain <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2660">attitudes to tackling climate change</a>.</p> <p>Our findings also raise significant issues of fairness and equity.</p> <p>Humanity will continue to warm the planet until we reach global net-zero emissions. This means many young people in lower-income countries may, later in life, experience a local climate that is unrecognisable to that of their youth.</p> <p>Of course, warming temperatures are not the only way people experience climate change. Others include sea-level rise, more intense drought and rainfall extremes. We know many of these impacts are felt most acutely by <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/5/11/climate-change-is-devastating-the-global-south">the most vulnerable populations</a>.</p> <p>Cumulative greenhouse gas emissions are much higher in the Global North, due to economic development. To address this inequality, rich industrialised nations must take a leading role in reducing emissions to net-zero, and helping vulnerable countries adapt to climate change.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211108/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/andrew-king-103126">Andrew King</a>, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-melbourne-722">The University of Melbourne</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ed-hawkins-104793">Ed Hawkins</a>, Professor of Climate Science, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-reading-902">University of Reading</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hunter-douglas-1460792">Hunter Douglas</a>, PhD Candidate, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/te-herenga-waka-victoria-university-of-wellington-1200">Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luke-harrington-489028">Luke Harrington</a>, Senior Lecturer in Climate Change, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-waikato-781">University of Waikato</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/research-reveals-whos-been-hit-hardest-by-global-warming-in-their-lifetime-and-the-answer-may-surprise-you-211108">original article</a>.</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Explore Antarctica on this once-in-a-lifetime cruise

<p dir="ltr">For the first time since the start of the Covid pandemic, keen travellers and adventure seekers can travel to one of the most remote corners of the globe: Antarctica. </p> <p dir="ltr">This largely untouched region boasts indescribable scenery and chance to get up close and personal with some amazing wildlife, making Antarctica a bucket list travel destination for many. </p> <p dir="ltr">Now, APT Cruises are back with their 14-day Antarctic Voyage: an opportunity not to be missed. </p> <p dir="ltr">APT Product Manager for South America and Antarctica, Kelly D'Aucourt said: “This will be our first cruise back in Polar waters since before the pandemic. We are already well established as the leading expedition cruise operator in Australia’s Kimberley region, so it is very exciting taking guests to Antarctica once again.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Antarctica is one of the most bucket-list worthy expedition cruising destinations. Our February 2024 cruise has just 200 places and we expect it to sell out fast so guests should move quickly to secure a place.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The trip, which combines three nights in Buenos Aires with a 10-night cruise to Antarctica aboard Le Boreal, will give travellers the chance to take daily expeditions to visit penguin rookeries, seal colonies and the chance to look for orca, humpback and minke whales.</p> <p dir="ltr">Guests will also head to Deception Island, an active volcano and once home to a whaling station, and may also get the opportunity to stop at the Port Lockroy scientific base.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Le Boreal vessel has been purpose built for glacial cruising and features lounges, multiple restaurants, a theatre, heated pool, fitness centre and spa for travellers to enjoy on their trip of a lifetime. </p> <p dir="ltr">Prices for the 14-day Antarctic Voyage start from $19,995 per person twin share, including a private return APT charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia.</p> <p dir="ltr">For more information, call APT on 1300 278 278, visit <a href="http://www.aptouring.com.au/destinations/south-america-antarctica">www.aptouring.com.au/destinations/south-america-antarctica</a>, or see your preferred travel agent.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Supplied - APT</em></p>

Cruising

New study reveals the lifetime health benefits of social interaction

<p dir="ltr">A new meta-analysis study - undertaken by the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (otherwise known as the CHeBA) at the University of New South Wales - has revealed that social interaction could have benefits many would never have thought to predict, from a reduced risk of dementia to overall increased longevity. </p> <p dir="ltr">Researches were investigating the link between social connections in senior citizens and the risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as well as dementia and morality, compiling the results from 13 other international studies following individuals aged 65 years and up over extended periods of time - research published in <em><a href="https://u26892420.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=B8NE7CRkW4hCmh1dHfJbPqy22DjCz8-2Bq3ZidKWozGaZDoG-2FmVx-2BVsAja535jGrbQlYGwKkrcgY4HPBHrSRE-2Bpq1fwuJ0AQZcKTgnOiva5gsjqRFzNLSYGGzJ4hgT-2Bp0b-7Jp_W1g0lLgOQvKHpoedb1QOitWbx1JxegS3ChuQBoUMMSvQphp8oKfzCnK1hk7FLUZqqTLorFP-2FYQB6URmHLHx65PjMZSysYz3YQI-2BzvIxBhVdZr2Z1gRzt72cMfkaib4uVOYXTxECJWWsRmLyHtb8tdUoPs6u4lvqr8I7xD4zbJqJTqeP2zMO2vFFc6dcczrApzJnOWkq2tOchRyvzstzbQnlU1N4WSe4ZAMtqjmGx6sSvfxYICFLpppnmosd6kUUL-2B2zjjEQ61i38e9TYUaT6LZA5aIGcpHJw26Ob-2BXzuvv-2BuHbhihyIqh2AUTJ2WAYsCw6hpo5SJ7JKlgCF4nYeiekLQeVVLm4GRjjckYyIIN48-3D">Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">As author, clinical psychologist, and researcher Dr Suraj Samtani explained, “we know from previous research that social connections are important for our health and being isolated puts us at higher risk of dementia and death.”</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our goal was to find which social connections protect us from dementia and death.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Researches drew intel from studies in a number of countries - spanning low, middle, and high-income nations - and compiled a study population more diverse than the meta-analyses to come before, including the likes of Australia, European nations, North and South America, Asia, and Africa, as opposed to the previous North America and European study groups.</p> <p dir="ltr">From there, they looked at information about the connections between the participants, paying close attention to the types of social links (whether they were in a relationship, single, or married, or involved with their community), the function of them (whether or not they had social support on hand, or a close confidante), and the quality (how much satisfaction they did - or did not - receive from their relationships).</p> <p dir="ltr">With this information, they sought to find out if the participants had developed either MCI or dementia - as well as whether or not they had passed away.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We looked at social variables across these studies, such as living with others, interacting with friends and family, engaging in community activities, and social support,” Dr Samtani said. “We wanted to know which of these are associated with risk of getting dementia over time or dying.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And from their research, they discovered that positive social connections did appear to be linked to a lower risk of MCI, dementia, and death. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We found that frequent interactions - monthly or weekly - with family and friends and having someone to talk to reduced the risk of getting dementia. We also found that living with others and doing community activities reduced the risk of dying,” Dr Samtani noted.</p> <p dir="ltr">Recommendations from the researchers suggest that people should be prioritising their social connections if they hope to reduce their risk of cognitive decline - with the added benefit of living longer, too. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Try to meet with friends and family at least once a month, take part in community activities like volunteering or a rotary club, and open your heart to someone when you feel stressed,” Dr Samtani said. “Living with others, for example in an intergenerational household, is also helpful.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Connecting with others helps us to keep our bodies and minds healthy.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We hope that helping people to stay engaged in conversations and maintain healthy friendships and relationships will help them to stay healthy and happy.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty </em></p>

Relationships

“Once-in-a-lifetime find”: Man discovers gold nugget worth six figures

<p>A man from Victoria has struck gold armed with his budget metal detector.</p> <p>The man, who wishes to not be named, discovered a 4.6kg rock in Victoria’s “Golden Triangle” which stretches between Ballarat, Bendigo and up to St Arnaud.</p> <p>Unsure of whether it was worth anything, he brought the rock to Lucky Strike Gold in Geelong for evaluation where Gold trader Darren Kamp discovered it contained a staggering 2.6kg of gold worth $240k.</p> <p>“He said, ‘Oh, do you think there’s $10,000 worth in it?’, and as soon as it hit my hand I looked at him and said: ‘Try a $100,000’,” Kamp told <em>9News</em>.</p> <p>"And he said, 'Oh wow, the wife's going to be happy with that," said Kamp.</p> <p>Funnily enough, the man had only brought in half of the rock and left the other half “at home”.</p> <p>“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime find,” said Kamp.</p> <p>Small nuggets of gold are worth up to $1000, but the value of gold has soared due to inflation.</p> <p>“You’ll hear the term, ‘if it’s got your name on it, you’ll find it’,” Kamp said.</p> <p>“You just need some luck and persistence. It’s like a Tattslotto ticket, you’re never going to win it unless you’ve got a ticket,” he added.</p> <p>The gold nuggets from this region were famous for their quantity, size and purity, and were mostly found in streams or river beds.</p> <p><em>Image: Nine News</em></p>

Money & Banking

Genetic mutations slowly accumulated over a lifetime change blood production after 70 years of age

<p class="spai-bg-prepared">Ageing is likely caused by the gradual accumulation of molecular damage, or genetic mutations, in the cells of our bodies that occurs over a lifetime. But how this translates into the rapid deterioration in organ function that’s seen after the age of 70 has so far not been clear.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">Now, scientists have discovered that the accumulation of genetic mutations in blood stem cells are likely responsible for the abrupt change in how <a class="spai-bg-prepared" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/biology/why-do-we-have-blood/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blood</a> is produced in the body after 70 years of age.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">The <a class="spai-bg-prepared" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04786-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">new study</a>, published in <em class="spai-bg-prepared">Nature</em>, points to a change in the diversity of stem cells that produce blood cells as the reason why the prevalence of reduced cell regeneration capacity, <a class="spai-bg-prepared" href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fonc.2020.579075/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cytopenia</a> (one or more blood cell types is lower than it should be), immune disfunction, and risk of blood cancer dramatically rises after 70.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“We’ve shown, for the first time, how steadily accumulating mutations throughout life lead to a catastrophic and inevitable change in blood cell populations after the age of 70,” says joint-senior author Dr Peter Campbell, head of the Cancer, Ageing and Somatic Mutation Program at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, UK.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“What is super exciting about this model is that it may well apply in other organ systems too.”</p> <p><strong>Blood cells are made in a process called haematopoiesis</strong></p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">All of the cells in our blood – including red cells, white cells and platelets – develop in a process called haematopoiesis from haematopoietic stem cells in our bone marrow. These stem cells are what’s known as multipotent progenitor cells, which simply means that they can develop into more than one cell type.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">Researchers were interested in better understanding how this process changes as we age, so they sequenced the entire genomes of 3,579 haematopoietic stem cells from a total of 10 people – ranging in age from newborn to 81 years.</p> <div class="newsletter-box spai-bg-prepared"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p193434-o1" class="wpcf7 spai-bg-prepared" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> </div> </div> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">Using this information, they were able to construct something similar to a family tree (<a class="spai-bg-prepared" href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/reading-a-phylogenetic-tree-the-meaning-of-41956/#:~:text=A%20phylogenetic%20tree%2C%20also%20known,genes%20from%20a%20common%20ancestor." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a phylogenetic tree</a>) for each stem cell, showing how the relationships between blood cells changes over the human lifespan.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">They found that in adults under 65, blood cells were produced from between 20,000 and 200,000 different stem cells – each contributing roughly equal amounts to production.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">But after 70 years of age they observed a dramatic decrease in the diversity of stem cells responsible for haematopoiesis in the bone marrow. In fact, only 12-18 independent expanded sets of stem cell clones accounted for 30-60% of cell production.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">These highly active stem cells had outcompeted others and progressively expanded in numbers (clones) across that person’s life, and this expansion (called <a class="spai-bg-prepared" href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04785-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clonal haematopoiesis</a>) was caused by a rare subset of mutations known as driver mutations that had occurred decades earlier.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“Our findings show that the diversity of blood stem cells is lost in older age due to positive selection of faster-growing clones with driver mutations. These clones ‘outcompete’ the slower growing ones,” explains lead researcher Dr Emily Mitchell, a haematology registrar at Addenbrooke’s Hospital,UK, and PhD student at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, US.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“In many cases this increased fitness at the stem cell level likely comes at a cost – their ability to produce functional mature blood cells is impaired, so explaining the observed age-related loss of function in the blood system.”</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">Which clones became the dominant stem cells varied between individuals, which explains why variation is seen in disease risk and other characteristics in older adults.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“Factors such as chronic inflammation, smoking, infection and chemotherapy cause earlier growth of clones with cancer-driving mutations. We predict that these factors also bring forward the decline in blood stem cell diversity associated with ageing,” says joint-senior author Dr Elisa Laurenti, assistant professor at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, UK.</p> <p class="spai-bg-prepared">“It is possible that there are factors that might slow this process down, too,” she adds. “We now have the exciting task of figuring out how these newly discovered mutations affect blood function in the elderly, so we can learn how to minimise disease risk and promote healthy ageing.”</p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" class="spai-bg-prepared" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=193434&title=Genetic+mutations+slowly+accumulated+over+a+lifetime+change+blood+production+after+70+years+of+age" width="1" height="1" /></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/mutations-change-blood-production/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/imma-perfetto" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Imma Perfetto</a>. Imma Perfetto is a science writer at Cosmos. She has a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Science Communication from the University of Adelaide.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Body

10 top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

<p><strong>Places to visit – and protect</strong></p> <p>When places are well-known and popular – historical and modern alike – we might take it for granted that they’ll be around forever. But sadly, many of the world’s best known and culturally significant landmarks are in jeopardy. Human activity has had a devastating effect on many valued places, including massive milestones of human achievement. And many of these are so much more than just tourist attractions – they’re unique, valuable remnants of ancient times and civilizations.</p> <p><strong>The Great Barrier Reef</strong></p> <p>This massive, once-thriving coral reef has suffered enormously over recent years, with coral bleaching – caused by climate change – stripping the coral of its nutrients. This, in turn, harms the rich marine life that calls the reef home. And, of course, this also depletes it of the dazzling colours that once were a hallmark of the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater wonder. The reef remains the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, but projections have warned that the damage to it could become irreversible in the next 10 years.</p> <p><strong>Old City of Jerusalem</strong></p> <p>One of the world’s most spiritually significant places, the Old City of Jerusalem, is in danger of disappearing, UNESCO has found. The walls of the Old City are one of its trademark features. Most famously, the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is a valuable pilgrimage site for people of the Jewish faith, one that dates back to around 20 BCE. The Wall is the only remnant of the city’s Second Temple. The city was actually listed on UNESCO’s list of endangered cultural sites in the 1980s. Widespread urbanisation has been found to pose a significant threat to the city.</p> <p><strong>Everglades National Park</strong></p> <p>This stunning Floridian wildlife sanctuary has sadly found itself fighting for its life in recent years. As ‘the largest designated subtropical wilderness reserve’ in North America, according to UNESCO, it’s been a beloved travel destination for American citizens for decades, but the ravages of time and human activity have not been kind to it. Its survival first came into question after it was battered by Hurricane Andrew in 1993. But it’s human influence that has posed the primary threat, as water flow to the site has decreased and the impacts of pollution have increased, resulting in harmful algal blooms. Its vast, diverse wildlife is more threatened than ever before.</p> <p><strong>The Taj Mahal</strong></p> <p>It’s hard to imagine this monolithic structure, located in Agra, India, being in danger. The structure itself is in some jeopardy from the elements, but the primary reason for concern is that the Indian Supreme Court could potentially close the attraction. The court has butted heads with the government, claiming that unless the government does a better job of preserving it, they’ll have to shut it down. Pollution is visibly altering the Taj’s pristine surface. It’s also experienced insect infestations. Flies of the genus Geoldichironomus, which breed in the heavily polluted Yamuna River, neighbouring the Taj, have encroached upon the structure in recent years.</p> <p><strong>Mount Kilimanjaro’s peak</strong></p> <p>This revered mountain, one of the Seven Summits, proves that even giants can fall to climate change. While the mountain itself, located in Tanzania, isn’t in imminent danger, its iconic snow cap might vanish – and shockingly soon. Research found that the snow cap had lost 85 per cent of the total area of its ice fields between 1912 and 2007, and the remaining ice could be history as early as 2030.</p> <p><strong>Machu Picchu</strong></p> <p>Located in southern Peru, Machu Picchu is the remains of a huge stone citadel that was built during the 15th century. These incredible Incan ruins are widely considered one of the must-see spots in South America. Unfortunately, this has backfired in a way. The site has been a victim of over-tourism, seeing the detrimental effects of the surge of tourists it gets as they wear down the structures. In addition, the area surrounding Machu Picchu has seen rampant urbanisation, as well as mudslides and fires, in recent years, leading UNESCO to work for its preservation.</p> <p><strong>Portobelo-San Lorenzo forts</strong></p> <p>While not as ancient as some of the other sites mentioned here, these fortifications on the Panama coast are considered historically significant. The Portobelo-San Lorenzo forts were constructed by the Spanish in Panama in efforts to protect trade routes; they were built over two centuries, starting in the 1590s. They demonstrate a wide range of architectural styles, featuring everything from medieval-style castles to neo-classical 18th-century redresses. The forts face a couple of challenges, urbanisation has encroached upon them on land, and a shrinking coastline and erosion present natural threats on the coastal side. Maintenance has also fallen by the wayside. They were listed as endangered in 2012.</p> <p><strong>Hatra</strong></p> <p>These grand ruins stand in the Al-Jazīrah region of Baghdad, Iraq. As the capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Araba, Hatra is a site of massive historical significance. It withstood Roman military force in the second century CE. It was the king of the Sāsānian Empire, an early Iranian regime, who eventually destroyed it in the third century. The ruins went undiscovered until the 1830s; German archaeologists only began excavating it in the early 1900s. In addition to becoming a UNESCO world heritage site, Hatra was also immortalised as the temple featured in The Exorcist. Sadly, it became a target of ISIS in 2015. Militants assailed the structures with bullets and destroyed statues, seeking to dismantle remnants of polytheism. It was after this that UNESCO gave it an endangered status.</p> <p><strong>Nan Madol</strong></p> <p>This remarkable architectural jewel of the ancient world dates back to the 1200s. It spans more than 100 islands and islets surrounding the Federated States of Micronesia, to the northeast of Papua New Guinea. Throughout the 1200s to the 1500s, indigenous people from the island of Pohnpei built an expansive ‘city on water’, constructing more than 100 man-made islets out of coral boulders and basalt. The stunning expanse, untouched for hundreds of years, is a testament to the ingenuity and skill of ancient Pacific Islander peoples. However, it’s the forces of nature this time that pose a danger to it as plants, storms and water damage encroach upon the impressive structures. It has been on UNESCO’s endangered sites list since 2016.</p> <p><strong>How to help</strong></p> <p>There are plenty of resources you can use to help preserve endangered spots like these. For starters, you could donate to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre. UNESCO also gives citizens an option to report threats to protected sites (scroll to the bottom of this page for contact information. And if you choose to visit these spots, treat them with the utmost care! Be respectful, don’t touch anything you’re not explicitly allowed to touch, and do your part to keep the area clean.</p> <p><em><strong>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/travel-hints-tips/10-top-tourist-attractions-that-could-disappear-in-your-lifetime?pages=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader’s Digest</a>. </strong></em></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

Five beautiful hotels you need to visit in your lifetime

<p dir="ltr">After a global pause on international travel, many keen travellers have been inflating their bucket lists with must-see destinations.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many have had to put off their lavish global adventures in favour of exploring their own backyards, but now that borders have started to reopen, so have luxurious travel plans.</p> <p dir="ltr">Thanks to travel TikTok account @unseenwonders, here are just a few must-see hotels to add to your next international holiday. </p> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Calilo, Greece</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Located on Greece’s Ios island, this five-star resort overlooks the crystal turquoise waters of the Mediterranean.</p> <p dir="ltr">The lavish hotel has just 30 suites and is framed by more than 400 hectares of protected land. </p> <p dir="ltr">Featuring photogenic surroundings, this resort is a must-stay location for any beach lover.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXNYVtOswm8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXNYVtOswm8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by La’Tese Travel N Tours (@latesetravelntours)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>andBeyond Sossusvlei, Namibia</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Located in the world’s oldest living deserts, this private lodge is situated on more than 12,000 hectares, deep in the Namib desert. </p> <p dir="ltr">With just 10 luxury suites, this resort is made from stone and glass, and is surrounded by dunes and gravel plains. </p> <p dir="ltr">Each suite has its own living room, private plunge pool, and ensuite bathroom with glass-encased rain shower with 180 degree desert views.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3v3B8qBwV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY3v3B8qBwV/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by andBeyond Sossusvlei (@andbeyondsossusvlei)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Azulik, Tulum</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">Azulik is known as a “sanctuary for reconnection and wellness where the jungle meets the sea” in Mexico.</p> <p dir="ltr">This adults-only private retreat is marketed as an “atmosphere for rest”, with the architecturally beautiful design created for ultimate relaxation. </p> <p dir="ltr">The resort has no air conditioning, television or electric lights, helping guests avoid the disruptions of the outside world. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4UCWnIcQ4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY4UCWnIcQ4/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by AZULIK™ (@azulik)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Soneva, the Maldives</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">These over-water villas are located in the desert island hideaway of the Maldives.</p> <p dir="ltr">Many of the larger villas boast their own waterslides that go right into the tranquil waters below. </p> <p dir="ltr">All villas have open-air bathrooms, to bathe under the starry skies of their private gardens in paradise. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaQojNgvs2R/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaQojNgvs2R/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Soneva (@discoversoneva)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><strong>Boutique Hotel Glacier, Switzerland</strong></p> <p dir="ltr">This resort, located in the Switzerland town of Grindelwald, is surrounded by the mountain atmosphere of the Bernese Alps. </p> <p dir="ltr">The four star resort comes with a variety of rooms to choose from, with ski lodge interiors for the ultimate cosy vibes. </p> <p dir="ltr">All the signature rooms come with their own private outdoor hot-tub to watch the sunset behind the snow top ranges. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxfxzyP58T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxfxzyP58T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Luxury Travels Vibes (@luxurytravelvibe)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em><span id="docs-internal-guid-0ccdfc7f-7fff-fa4d-244a-2098e48bc43f">Image credits: Instagram </span></em></p>

International Travel

The 7 stages of marriage

<p><span>Building a successful marriage is a lifelong challenge. Understanding the different stages of marriage and the phases you’ll go through as a couple may help you build a stronger and more fulfilling relationship.</span></p> <p><strong>Stage one of marriage: Passion</strong></p> <p>This is the honeymoon stage, when romance and intense attraction bond a couple together and lead to commitment. In retrospect, it often seems as short-lived as springtime – by two years, most couples have usually lost that initial magic, though this can vary by couple. But when it is happening, the passion stage is very strong and significant. It is a wave of feel-good brain chemicals orchestrated by Mother Nature to make the two of you forsake all others and take action to ensure the survival of the species.</p> <p>Even if you’re marrying later in life, or for the second time, nature supplies these delicious bursts of neurotransmitters to make you bond. Couples not only frolic and fall madly in love in the passion stage – they begin to establish the trust, respect and emotional intimacy that will support their relationship forever.</p> <p><strong>Stage two of marriage: Realisation</strong></p> <p>In this stage, the honeymoon ends, and a more real vision of the rest of your life together begins. In this stage, you discover your spouse is not only human, he also doesn’t load the dishwasher or lower the toilet seat. Disappointment and early conflicts are the hallmarks of this difficult, unavoidable period, as the two of you make the first steps toward accepting each other for who you really are.</p> <p>The mission and challenge? No less than laying the groundwork for a long future together based on acceptance, respect and openness to change. You’ll need to assertively discuss and emphatically listen as you both introduce your deepest personal needs and wants. This creates a foundation for being truly known, understood and supported in the years ahead.</p> <p><strong>Stage three of marriage: Rebellion</strong></p> <p>She misses her friends; he misses his cool toys. She wants to travel; he wants to play weekly softball. She wants to build her career; he wants to build his career. Even for couples who successfully navigate the realisation stage of marriage and lay the foundation for a happy, respectful coexistence together, a time inevitably emerges when self-interest often overtakes the interests of the marriage. And when this happens, be ready for the battles.</p> <p>Love amid the power struggles of the rebellion stage is tricky business. You both believe you’re right, so of course your partner’s wrong. That means you’re simultaneously offended at being called wrong and claiming the moral high ground. Is this any way to run a marriage?</p> <p>Experts say the drama of the rebellion stage are unavoidable. Learning the art of the good fight is the mission now – often it is the nature of the battles, rather than the substance of the discussion, that leads to trouble. Why? Rebellious thoughts, when met with anger and frustration, often lead to rebellious actions, such as infidelity, outlandish spending, or saying yes to the sudden offer from work to transfer to a new city. Any of these can spell disaster for a marriage.</p> <p><strong>Stage four of marriage: Cooperation</strong></p> <p><span>As marriages progress over time, they inevitably become more complicated. Careers grow, houses get bigger, personal commitments grow deeper, and children arrive. In the cooperation stage, marriage takes on a business-like personality. Set aside all that love and emotion and personal-realisation stuff: there are mortgages to be paid, investments to be handled, careers to be directed, health to be managed, and – first and foremost – children to be raised.</span></p> <p><strong>Step five of marriage: Reunion</strong></p> <p>If you have children, the cooperation stage often lasts 10 to 20 years – then suddenly it is gone. Your parenting commitments are lessened, your finances established, your career set, your mortgage paid. What then? For happy couples, it is a time to appreciate each other again, not as parents and providers but as lovers and friends, thinkers and seekers. Achieve this and there’s peace, happiness and reconciliation.</p> <p>That all sounds wonderful but this ideal is often hard to achieve. The embers of passion need stoking; the disillusionment and distance of middle age need to be managed; the roles and expectations of the marriage need recalibrating.</p> <p><strong>Step six of marriage: Explosion</strong></p> <p>Job loss, major health problems, a move to a new city, financial troubles, the illness or death of a parent – as you pass through midlife and into the golden years, major life developments seem to come one upon the other. In the explosion phase, either you, your spouse, or both of you are dealing with major, life-shaking events that could affect your relationship for a day, a year, or the rest of your lives. While the other six stages tend to occur in order, the Explosion stage can happen at any time in a marriage – though it happens most as we pass through our 40s and 50s.</p> <p>Confronted by a personal crisis, your marriage can be a source of solace or be sorely tried by the unexpected pressure of new roles, new limitations and new fears. The mission of the explosion stage: deal the best you can with life’s challenges and changes, but at the same time, keep yourself happy and healthy. Letting your marriage see you through can be as simple as sharing daily joys, provided you sometimes practice the Zen-like art of putting aside fear and stress.</p> <p><strong>Stage seven of marriage: Completion</strong></p> <p>It’s no coincidence: lots of surveys find that marital happiness soars after several decades of a shared life. Experts say simply that it’s because the kids are grown, and couples know each other very, very well. But there’s more to it than that. Knowing each other isn’t merely about tolerating each other’s habits, quirks and needs. In the completion stage, ‘knowing’ each other has a far deeper meaning-and a bigger payoff as well.</p> <p>Part of being a happy man is to never lose the boy within; the same goes for women-there is the spirit of a young girl inside, no matter how many wrinkles edge the eyes. Maintaining a childlike love of life, laughter, nature, and each other is the real secret to a perpetually blessed relationship. It is also living in the present, not the past. In the completion stage of marriage, there is never a belief that the best times are over-they should always be today and tomorrow.</p> <p><em><span>This article first appeared in </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/culture/the-7-stages-of-marriage" target="_blank"><span>Reader’s Digest</span></a><span>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </span><a rel="noopener" href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA87V" target="_blank"><span>here’s our best subscription offer.</span></a></em></p> <p><em><span>Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Relationships

"Insensitive" new movie shows Meghan Markle dying in a car accident

<p>A new TV movie released by Lifetime has coped backlash over the shocking and insensitive scenes of Meghan Markle.</p> <p>The movie, titled <em>Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace, </em>shows graphic images of Meghan Markle laying in a car crash wreckage, that was heavily inspired by the death of Princess Diana.</p> <p>In the scenes, <span>the actress playing the 40-year-old Duchess is seen lying in the wreckage of an overturned car, surrounded by photographers.</span></p> <p>Prince Harry is then depicted trying to push his way through the mob of paparazzi before pulling the car door open <span>where a seriously injured Meghan pleads with him to “help me.”</span></p> <p>But the images of the crash occur in a nightmare of Harry's, and is comforted to wake up and find his wife and baby Archie.</p> <p>The scenes have faced global criticism, with many viewers pointing out how the <span>sickening scenes mirror the real-life tragedy of Harry‘s late mother, Princess Diana, who died in a car accident in Paris in August 1997.</span></p> <p><span>The drama will be broadcast to US audiences on Monday, and sees British actor Jordan Dean and American actress Sydney Morton take over the roles of Harry and Meghan.</span></p> <p><span>The film explored the "real details" of the decision that lead the couple to resign from their royal life before relocating in the US.</span><span></span></p> <p><span>The trailer has left fans and royal enthusiasts horrified, with many taking to Twitter to express their outrage. </span></p> <p><span>One fan writes, “Harry & Meghan, escaping the palace? I think Diana would be appalled.”</span></p> <p><span>One Hollywood insider took to social media and wrote, "Lifetime movie stoops to new low of tastelessness."</span></p> <p><span>Check out the trailer below:</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YCWVDn2Xku8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty Images</em></p>

Did you know these 5 places could disappear in your lifetime?

<p>When places are well-known and popular – historical and modern alike – we might take it for granted that they’ll be around forever. But sadly, many of the world’s best known and culturally significant landmarks are in jeopardy. Human activity has had a devastating effect on many valued places, including massive milestones of human achievement. And many of these are so much more than just tourist attractions – they’re unique, valuable remnants of ancient times and civilizations.</p> <p><strong>The Great Barrier Reef </strong></p> <p>This massive, once-thriving coral reef has suffered enormously over recent years, with coral bleaching – caused by climate change – stripping the coral of its nutrients. This, in turn, harms the rich marine life that calls the reef home. And, of course, this also depletes it of the dazzling colours that once were a hallmark of the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater wonder. The reef remains the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, but projections have warned that the damage to it could become irreversible in the next 10 years.</p> <p><strong>Old City of Jerusalem </strong></p> <p>One of the world’s most spiritually significant places, the Old City of Jerusalem, is in danger of disappearing, UNESCO has found. The walls of the Old City are one of its trademark features. Most famously, the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is a valuable pilgrimage site for people of the Jewish faith, one that dates back to around 20 BCE. The Wall is the only remnant of the city’s Second Temple. The city was actually listed on UNESCO’s list of endangered cultural sites in the 1980s. Widespread urbanisation has been found to pose a significant threat to the city.</p> <p><strong>Everglades National Park </strong></p> <p>This stunning Floridian wildlife sanctuary has sadly found itself fighting for its life in recent years. As ‘the largest designated subtropical wilderness reserve’ in North America, according to UNESCO, it’s been a beloved travel destination for American citizens for decades, but the ravages of time and human activity have not been kind to it. Its survival first came into question after it was battered by Hurricane Andrew in 1993. But it’s human influence that has posed the primary threat, as water flow to the site has decreased and the impacts of pollution have increased, resulting in harmful algal blooms. Its vast, diverse wildlife is more threatened than ever before.</p> <p><strong>The Taj Mahal </strong></p> <p>It’s hard to imagine this monolithic structure, located in Agra, India, being in danger. The structure itself is in some jeopardy from the elements, but the primary reason for concern is that the Indian Supreme Court could potentially close the attraction. The court has butted heads with the government, claiming that unless the government does a better job of preserving it, they’ll have to shut it down. Pollution is visibly altering the Taj’s pristine surface. It’s also experienced insect infestations. Flies of the genus Geoldichironomus, which breed in the heavily polluted Yamuna River, neighbouring the Taj, have encroached upon the structure in recent years.</p> <p><strong>Mount Kilimanjaro’s peak </strong></p> <p>This revered mountain, one of the Seven Summits, proves that even giants can fall to climate change. While the mountain itself, located in Tanzania, isn’t in imminent danger, its iconic snow cap might vanish – and shockingly soon. Research found that the snow cap had lost 85 per cent of the total area of its ice fields between 1912 and 2007, and the remaining ice could be history as early as 2030.</p> <p><em>Written by Meghan Jones. This article first appeared in </em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/travel-hints-tips/10-top-tourist-attractions-that-could-disappear-in-your-lifetime">Reader’s Digest</a><em>. For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V">here’s our best subscription offer.</a></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Travel Tips

5 Top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

<p>When places are well-known and popular – historical and modern alike – we might take it for granted that they’ll be around forever. But sadly, many of the world’s best known and culturally significant landmarks are in jeopardy. Human activity has had a devastating effect on many valued places, including massive milestones of human achievement. And many of these are so much more than just tourist attractions – they’re unique, valuable remnants of ancient times and civilizations.</p> <p><strong>1. The Great Barrier Reef</strong></p> <p>This massive, once-thriving coral reef has suffered enormously over recent years, with coral bleaching – caused by climate change – stripping the coral of its nutrients. This, in turn, harms the rich marine life that calls the reef home. And, of course, this also depletes it of the dazzling colours that once were a hallmark of the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater wonder. The reef remains the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, but projections have warned that the damage to it could become irreversible in the next 10 years.</p> <p><strong>2. The old city of Jerusalem </strong></p> <p>One of the world’s most spiritually significant places, the Old City of Jerusalem, is in danger of disappearing, UNESCO has found. The walls of the Old City are one of its trademark features. Most famously, the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is a valuable pilgrimage site for people of the Jewish faith, one that dates back to around 20 BCE. The Wall is the only remnant of the city’s Second Temple. The city was actually listed on UNESCO’s list of endangered cultural sites in the 1980s. Widespread urbanisation has been found to pose a significant threat to the city.</p> <p><strong>3. Everglades national park </strong></p> <p>This stunning Floridian wildlife sanctuary has sadly found itself fighting for its life in recent years. As ‘the largest designated subtropical wilderness reserve’ in North America, according to UNESCO, it’s been a beloved travel destination for American citizens for decades, but the ravages of time and human activity have not been kind to it. Its survival first came into question after it was battered by Hurricane Andrew in 1993. But it’s human influence that has posed the primary threat, as water flow to the site has decreased and the impacts of pollution have increased, resulting in harmful algal blooms. Its vast, diverse wildlife is more threatened than ever before.</p> <p><strong>4. The Taj Mahal </strong></p> <p>It’s hard to imagine this monolithic structure, located in Agra, India, being in danger. The structure itself is in some jeopardy from the elements, but the primary reason for concern is that the Indian Supreme Court could potentially close the attraction. The court has butted heads with the government, claiming that unless the government does a better job of preserving it, they’ll have to shut it down. Pollution is visibly altering the Taj’s pristine surface. It’s also experienced insect infestations. Flies of the genus <em>Geoldichironomus</em>, which breed in the heavily polluted Yamuna River, neighbouring the Taj, have encroached upon the structure in recent years.</p> <p><strong>5. Mount Kilimanjaro’s peak</strong></p> <p>This revered mountain, one of the Seven Summits, proves that even giants can fall to climate change. While the mountain itself, located in Tanzania, isn’t in imminent danger, its iconic snow cap might vanish – and shockingly soon. Research found that the snow cap had lost 85 per cent of the total area of its ice fields between 1912 and 2007, and the remaining ice could be history as early as 2030.</p> <p><em>Written by Meghan Jones. This article first appeared in </em><a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/travel-hints-tips/10-top-tourist-attractions-that-could-disappear-in-your-lifetime"><em>Reader’s Digest</em>.</a><em> For more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, </em><a href="http://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRN93V"><em>here’s our best subscription offer.</em></a><em><strong> </strong></em></p> <p><img style="width: 100px !important; height: 100px !important;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7820640/1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/f30947086c8e47b89cb076eb5bb9b3e2" /></p>

Travel Tips

Once-in-a-lifetime $100k cruise sells out in just three hours

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A unique and exclusive cruise experience has sold out in less than three hours, with tickets costing upwards of $99,000 per person. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Regent Seven Seas Cruise will set sail in January 2024 and stop at 66 ports in 31 countries, with 132 nights on the high seas. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Those who managed to get the high-class will board the Seven Seas Mariner in Miami, Florida, before sailing </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">through North and Central America, the Caribbean, Mediterranean, South Pacific, Middle East and more.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 374.41130298273157px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843000/cruise-1.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/740c46df8efa47d396708cdf32a73bd4" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Regent Seven Seas Cruises</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Travellers will cover 34,500 nautical miles and visit 61 UNESCO World Heritage sites over the four month trip. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The UNESCO stops include the churches and convents of Goa in India, the archaeological heritage of the Lenggong valley in Malaysia, the Gondwana Rainforests of Australia and the Tongariro National Park in New Zealand.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fares start at $99,592AUD per person for the Deluxe Veranda Suites and $271,000AUD per guest for Master Suites with personal butler service for the duration of the trip.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 373.6176935229068px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843001/cruise-2.png" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b6bb1147825b4854b9076aa75238c10a" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credit: Regent Seven Seas Cruises</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Regent’s president and CEO Jason Montague released a statement before the voyage went on sale on July 14th, saying he’d seen record breaking bookings for world cruises over the past two years. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We believe our 2024 World Cruise is our most enriching to date, representing the opportunity for uniquely immersive exploration thanks to access to a huge number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and hundreds of free shore excursions,” he said.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While out at sea, travellers will be treated to luxurious amenities, as well as dining and entertainment options onboard the Seven Seas Mariner, which can carry 700 guests and 445 crew members. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The once in a lifetime cruise comes in the wake of the cruising industry taking a severe financial hit during the pandemic, as the company attempts to resume operations. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image credits: Regent Seven Seas Cruises</span></em></p>

Travel Trouble

5 top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

<p><strong>Places to visit - and protect</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">When places are well-known and popular – historical and modern alike – we might take it for granted that they’ll be around forever. But sadly, many of the world’s best known and culturally significant landmarks are in jeopardy. Human activity has had a devastating effect on many valued places, including massive milestones of human achievement. And many of these are so much more than just tourist attractions – they’re unique, valuable remnants of ancient times and civilizations.</span></p> <p><strong>1. The Great Barrier Reef</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This massive, once-thriving coral reef has suffered enormously over recent years, with coral bleaching – caused by climate change – stripping the coral of its nutrients. This, in turn, harms the rich marine life that calls the reef home. And, of course, this also depletes it of the dazzling colours that once were a hallmark of the Great Barrier Reef’s underwater wonder. The reef remains the largest coral reef ecosystem in the world, but projections have warned that the damage to it could become irreversible in the next 10 years.</span></p> <p><strong>2. Old City of Jerusalem</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">One of the world’s most spiritually significant places, the Old City of Jerusalem, is in danger of disappearing, UNESCO has found. The walls of the Old City are one of its trademark features. Most famously, the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, is a valuable pilgrimage site for people of the Jewish faith, one that dates back to around 20 BCE. The Wall is the only remnant of the city’s Second Temple. The city was actually listed on UNESCO’s list of endangered cultural sites in the 1980s. Widespread urbanisation has been found to pose a significant threat to the city.</span></p> <p><strong>3. Everglades National Park</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This stunning Floridian wildlife sanctuary has sadly found itself fighting for its life in recent years. As ‘the largest designated subtropical wilderness reserve’ in North America, according to UNESCO, it’s been a beloved travel destination for American citizens for decades, but the ravages of time and human activity have not been kind to it. Its survival first came into question after it was battered by Hurricane Andrew in 1993. But it’s human influence that has posed the primary threat, as water flow to the site has decreased and the impacts of pollution have increased, resulting in harmful algal blooms. Its vast, diverse wildlife is more threatened than ever before.</span></p> <p><strong>4. The Taj Mahal</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s hard to imagine this monolithic structure, located in Agra, India, being in danger. The structure itself is in some jeopardy from the elements, but the primary reason for concern is that the Indian Supreme Court could potentially close the attraction. The court has butted heads with the government, claiming that unless the government does a better job of preserving it, they’ll have to shut it down. Pollution is visibly altering the Taj’s pristine surface. It’s also experienced insect infestations. Flies of the genus </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Geoldichironomus</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which breed in the heavily polluted Yamuna River, neighbouring the Taj, have encroached upon the structure in recent years.</span></p> <p><strong>5. Mount Kilimanjaro’s Peak</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This revered mountain, one of the Seven Summits, proves that even giants can fall to climate change. While the mountain itself, located in Tanzania, isn’t in imminent danger, its iconic snow cap might vanish – and shockingly soon. Research found that the snow cap had lost 85 per cent of the total area of its ice fields between 1912 and 2007, and the remaining ice could be history as early as 2030.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Meghan Jones. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/travel-hints-tips/10-top-tourist-attractions-that-could-disappear-in-your-lifetime">Reader’s Digest</a>. Find more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="https://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA93V">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</span></em></p>

International Travel

These tourist attractions could vanish in your lifetime

<p><strong>1. Machu Picchu</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Located in southern Peru, Machu Picchu is the remains of a huge stone citadel that was built during the 15th century. These incredible Incan ruins are widely considered one of the must-see spots in South America. Unfortunately, this has backfired in a way. The site has been a victim of over-tourism, seeing the detrimental effects of the surge of tourists it gets as they wear down the structures. In addition, the area surrounding Machu Picchu has seen rampant urbanisation, as well as mudslides and fires, in recent years, leading UNESCO to work for its preservation.</span></p> <p><strong>2. Portobelo-San Lorenzo forts</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While not as ancient as some of the other sites mentioned here, these fortifications on the Panama coast are considered historically significant. The Portobelo-San Lorenzo forts were constructed by the Spanish in Panama in efforts to protect trade routes; they were built over two centuries, starting in the 1590s. They demonstrate a wide range of architectural styles, featuring everything from medieval-style castles to neo-classical 18th-century redresses. The forts face a couple of challenges, urbanisation has encroached upon them on land, and a shrinking coastline and erosion present natural threats on the coastal side. Maintenance has also fallen by the wayside. They were listed as endangered in 2012.</span></p> <p><strong>3. Hatra</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">These grand ruins stand in the Al-Jazīrah region of Baghdad, Iraq. As the capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Araba, Hatra is a site of massive historical significance. It withstood Roman military force in the second century CE. It was the king of the Sāsānian Empire, an early Iranian regime, who eventually destroyed it in the third century. The ruins went undiscovered until the 1830s; German archaeologists only began excavating it in the early 1900s. In addition to becoming a UNESCO world heritage site, Hatra was also immortalised as the temple featured in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Exorcist</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Sadly, it became a target of ISIS in 2015. Militants assailed the structures with bullets and destroyed statues, seeking to dismantle remnants of polytheism. It was after this that UNESCO gave it an endangered status.</span></p> <p><strong>4. Nan Madol</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This remarkable architectural jewel of the ancient world dates back to the 1200s. It spans more than 100 islands and islets surrounding the Federated States of Micronesia, to the northeast of Papua New Guinea. Throughout the 1200s to the 1500s, indigenous people from the island of Pohnpei built an expansive ‘city on water’, constructing more than 100 man-made islets out of coral boulders and basalt. The stunning expanse, untouched for hundreds of years, is a testament to the ingenuity and skill of ancient Pacific Islander peoples. However, it’s the forces of nature this time that pose a danger to it as plants, storms and water damage encroach upon the impressive structures. It has been on UNESCO’s endangered sites list since 2016.</span></p> <p><strong>How to help</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There are plenty of resources you can use to help preserve endangered spots like these. For starters, you could donate to </span><a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/donation"><span style="font-weight: 400;">UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. UNESCO also gives citizens an option to report threats to protected sites (</span><a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/158/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">scroll to the bottom of this page</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> for contact information. And if you choose to visit these spots, treat them with the utmost care! Be respectful, don’t touch anything you’re not explicitly allowed to touch, and do your part to keep the area clean.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Written by Meghan Jones. This article first appeared in <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/travel/travel-hints-tips/10-top-tourist-attractions-that-could-disappear-in-your-lifetime">Reader’s Digest</a>. Find more of what you love from the world’s best-loved magazine, <a href="https://readersdigest.innovations.co.nz/c/readersdigestemailsubscribe?utm_source=over60&utm_medium=articles&utm_campaign=RDSUB&keycode=WRA93V">here’s our best subscription offer</a>.</span></em></p>

International Travel

Escaping the Palace: Harry and Meghan to be the subjects of a third Lifetime movie

<p><span>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's highly publicised royal exit is getting its very own Lifetime movie after it was revealed by the network that they intend to make a third tele-film about the couple’s life together.</span><br /><br /><span>The film aims to chronicle the events of Meghan and Harry’s announcement to step down as senior royal members.</span><br /><br /><span>The made-for-TV movie will, of course, present a fictional account of “the couple's controversial conscious uncoupling from the crown, after the birth of their son Archie,” as said by TVLine.</span><br /><br /><span>“The movie details the struggles of the new parents and unique challenges of being part of the royal family, which ultimately led Harry and Meghan to give up their royal ties to forge a new life on their own terms.”</span><br /><br /><span>However, despite the green light to go ahead with the project, there has been no information on casting, likely due to the coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CABkPVgK40W/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CABkPVgK40W/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by _Meghan_Markle_fan (@_meghan_markle_fan)</a> on May 10, 2020 at 3:41pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><br /><em>Harry & Meghan: Escaping the Palace</em><span> will follow Lifetime's last two movies about the couple: </span><em>Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance<span> </span></em><span>and </span><em>Harry & Meghan: Becoming Royal</em><span>.</span><br /><br /><span>The first film was announced in January 2018 — just under two months after Harry, 35, and Meghan, 38, announced their engagement — and aired that May, five days before their royal wedding.</span><br /><br /><span>Parisa Fitz-Henley and Murray Fraser played Meghan and Harry in the first biopic, showed how the pair fell in love from their first date in 2016 to their engagement in November 2017.</span><br /><br /><span>Actress Tiffany Smith played the Duchess of Sussex, while British star Charlie Field took on the role of the Duke of Sussex in the second film which looked at their lives after marriage and aired in May 2019.</span><br /><br /><span>The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shook not only the world but the royal family on January 8 when they revealed on Instagram that they were going to step back as senior royals, become financially independent, and split their time between North America and the United Kingdom.</span><br /><br /><span>It was reported at the time that no member from The Firm were made aware of Harry and Meghan’s announcement.</span></p>

Movies

Why your once-in-a-lifetime trip should be to LUX

<p>One week out from the trip of a lifetime, I’m rummaging through my parent’s bookshelf, searching for one particular photo album. It’s bulky and I’m having to peel the pages apart, probably due to the sticky hands of my younger self. I’ve always loved looking through Mum & Dad’s old travel photos, but this one trip they took is my favourite.</p> <p>Two sun-kissed love birds stand on the horizon where a strip of golden sand meets a brilliant, turquoise ocean. The sea and the sky fade into one another in a smooth gradient of “has-this-been-photoshopped?” blue. On the back of the photo, in my Dad’s distinctive cursive writing, “Maldives, 1988.”</p> <p>Around the time my parents visited, a tiny island called Olhahali was a famed picnic spot for those seeking a private dining experience in the Indian Ocean. Part of the North Male Atoll, the island was rimmed by pastel corals, sand bars and a flurry of brightly-coloured fish that inhabit them. The surrounds are much the same today, but the island itself has been transformed beyond belief.</p> <p><strong>Why stay at LUX* North Male?</strong></p> <p>LUX* North Male Atoll is everything I imagined the Maldives to be and more. Much more. Just from the name, you’ve probably gathered that this resort is no run-of-the-mill hotel. LUX* embodies luxury in every sense, but that’s not where the name comes from. Lux is the Latin word for light, and the asterisk represents a new philosophy – lighter, brighter.</p> <p>This new approach spans from the design and decor to the way the staff interact with guests. It’s a leap away from the stuffy, over-furnished, and often heavy feel of other 5-star hotel brands. LUX* offers an exceptional, personalised experience, delivered playfully.</p> <p>LUX* North Male immediately stands out from the other resorts in the Maldives. You won’t find the typical thatched roof-style villas. Instead, extravagant penthouse villas with infinity pools and private rooftop terraces await. The crisp white walls glisten in the sun, in striking contrast against the #nofilterneeded blue of the ocean. Superyacht-chic just about sums it up.</p> <p><strong>Your dining options</strong></p> <p>With just 67 villas, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were the only person on the island. Everything you need is right there in your mini-mansion so guests tend to revel in their own space. In-villa dining makes this even more fun. In the morning, you can have a spread of pastries, fruits, eggs and juices delivered and launched into your private pool. Floating breakfasts have become the hallmark of luxury tropical holidays and there’s no better place to experience it than the Maldives.</p> <p>In the evening, your Island Host will create the perfect setting for a dinner under the stars. The in-villa dining menu spoils guests with a variety of seafood, steaks, Maldivian-inspired and Western cuisine. Each course is delivered on your cue with wine glasses topped up swiftly and generously.</p> <p>After dinner, your private restaurant turns into an outdoor cinema. A film of your choice is projected onto the white wall and the daybed serves as the perfect spot to snuggle up and enjoy the movie. You may find your attention being drawn upward though. The sky above puts on a show of its own. The lack of light pollution allows for some of the best stargazing in the world.</p> <p><strong>The Villas</strong></p> <p>As someone who often judges a hotel by its shower, I was more than a little excited to see the bathroom. Two double doors roll away to reveal a deep stone bathtub sitting on an intricate mosaic tile floor. Behind the glass, the pane is a shower big enough to park your car in. It has three settings, two shower heads and one hell of a view to the garden (which has yet another shower).</p> <p>The already magnificent bathroom is made even more magical with the finer details, particularly the toiletries. Mamma Aroma is a signature bath and skincare range, exclusive to LUX* resorts. It’s made from locally sourced ingredients with no nasties. After a day in the sun, there’s nothing better than rinsing off the salt from the ocean and slathering on the moisturiser.</p> <p><strong>Your daily schedule, sorted</strong></p> <p>If sunning yourself by the pool or swimming off your private dock gets a bit tiresome, you can try one of the island excursions. The Turtle Quest comes highly recommended. The three-hour round trip involves a boat ride out to a protected reef where marine life thrives in the warm water of the Indian Ocean. Equipped with a snorkel, flippers and a life vest (if needed), you’ll jump in and swim side-by-side with turtles, as well as a few thousand tropical fish.</p> <p>If you’d prefer to stay dry, LUX* North Male Atoll has its mini-submarine that takes you out to explore the home reef. Most importantly, a sunset cruise on the island’s private yacht or a catamaran trip could be more your style. In addition, it’s also just as entertaining to park yourself on the sun lounges near Beach Rouge and watch the jet skiers whip around leaving a flurry of whitewash in their wake.</p> <p><strong>The on-site restaurant options</strong></p> <p>While you’re there, it’s only fitting to toss back a cocktail or two from the bar. Beach Rouge has a fabulous selection of cocktails but the bartenders love it when you say “surprise me.” During the day, this is where your fellow holiday-makers may be hanging out. It’s the best restaurant on the island for lunch with the resident DJ playing a mix of laid-back tunes.</p> <p>For sunset though, you’ll want to head to the other side of the island. Glow overlooks a huge infinity pool with plenty of comfy lounges and dining tables. The cocktail menu is even more extensive but it’s the wine list that will blow you away. Savour the sunset and toast to another day in paradise, and as soon as the sun dips into the ocean, head upstairs for a true culinary treat.</p> <p>Inti is a Peruvian-Japanese restaurant with a stellar team of chefs plating up some of the most delicious food I’ve ever eaten. There is a live sushi station sits in the middle of the room with expert knives man slicing and dicing today’s catch. Delicate decanters fill impeccably polished wine glasses and beautifully presented dishes grace the tables of hungry diners.</p> <p>The ceviche is unbelievable, and the quinoa risotto comes in a close second. You can spoil yourself with a five-course feast complete with wine pairings from Alexander Van Beek’s two chateaux in Bordeaux.</p> <p>To sum up, the second you arrive at LUX* North Male Atoll to when the staff wave you goodbye at the jetty, every moment is special. The experiences, restaurants and villas are all carefully thought out. You have everything you need to fulfil your dream Maldivian holiday. And with your Island Host on speed dial, you truly feel as if you’re the only person in the world.</p> <p><em>Written by Bethany Plint. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/luxnorthmaleatoll/">MyDiscoveries.</a></em></p>

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Pilot captures once in a lifetime photo of the Northern Lights

Woman receives lifetime ban from cruise line over "illegal" item

These top 10 tourist attractions could disappear in your lifetime

How ‘dad jokes’ may prepare your kids for a lifetime of embarrassment, according to psychology

Research reveals who’s been hit hardest by global warming in their lifetime - and the answer may surprise you

Explore Antarctica on this once-in-a-lifetime cruise

New study reveals the lifetime health benefits of social interaction

“Once-in-a-lifetime find”: Man discovers gold nugget worth six figures

Genetic mutations slowly accumulated over a lifetime change blood production after 70 years of age

10 top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

Five beautiful hotels you need to visit in your lifetime

The 7 stages of marriage

"Insensitive" new movie shows Meghan Markle dying in a car accident

Did you know these 5 places could disappear in your lifetime?

5 Top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

Once-in-a-lifetime $100k cruise sells out in just three hours

5 top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

These tourist attractions could vanish in your lifetime

Escaping the Palace: Harry and Meghan to be the subjects of a third Lifetime movie

Why your once-in-a-lifetime trip should be to LUX

News

Shop

Catalogues

Travel

Health

Lifestyle

Finance

Entertainment

Property

Information

Keep up to date

Search

Pilot captures once in a lifetime photo of the Northern Lights

Woman receives lifetime ban from cruise line over "illegal" item

These top 10 tourist attractions could disappear in your lifetime

How ‘dad jokes’ may prepare your kids for a lifetime of embarrassment, according to psychology

Research reveals who’s been hit hardest by global warming in their lifetime - and the answer may surprise you

Explore Antarctica on this once-in-a-lifetime cruise

New study reveals the lifetime health benefits of social interaction

“Once-in-a-lifetime find”: Man discovers gold nugget worth six figures

Genetic mutations slowly accumulated over a lifetime change blood production after 70 years of age

10 top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

Five beautiful hotels you need to visit in your lifetime

The 7 stages of marriage

"Insensitive" new movie shows Meghan Markle dying in a car accident

Did you know these 5 places could disappear in your lifetime?

5 Top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

Once-in-a-lifetime $100k cruise sells out in just three hours

5 top tourist attractions that could disappear in your lifetime

These tourist attractions could vanish in your lifetime

Escaping the Palace: Harry and Meghan to be the subjects of a third Lifetime movie

Why your once-in-a-lifetime trip should be to LUX

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