A species of lynx found in remote areas of Spain and Portugal has rebounded from near extinction, with its adult population growing more than tenfold since the start of the millennium. Wildlife experts are calling the recovery of the Iberian Lynx unparalleled among felines in an age of extinction in which species are vanishing at a rate not seen in 10 million years due to climate change, pollution and habitat loss. The International Union for Conservation of Nature, which categorises species according to the level of risk they face in a "Red List" produced several times a year, bumped up the Iberian Lynx from "endangered" to "vulnerable" on Thursday. FILE PHOTO: A female Iberian lynx, a feline in danger of extinction, named Ilexa is released with other four lynxes, as part of the...
Read MoreMonth: June 2024
Whale-watching excursions off Rio de Janeiro’s coast begin captivating tourists
Famous for its beaches and vibrant parties in the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, Rio de Janeiro now has an attraction for winter: humpback whales. The tourism agency of Niteroi, Rio’s sister city across the Guanabara Bay, on Thursday launched a whale-watching program that enables tourists to closely observe the mammoth mammals. A humpback whale breaches off the coast of Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil, Thursday, June 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo) Between June and November, humpback whales migrate to Brazilian waters to breed. Around 25,000 humpback whales make a 2,500-mile (4,000-kilometer) journey from feeding areas in Antarctica to northeast Brazil. Most concentrate in the Abrolhos region, an area of coral reefs off the coast of Bahia and Espirito Santo states know...
Read MoreBarcelona, a top Spanish holiday destination, announced on Friday that it will bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move as it seeks to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city liveable for residents. The city's leftist mayor, Jaume Collboni, said that by November 2028, Barcelona will scrap the licences of the 10,101 apartments currently approved as short-term rentals. "We are confronting what we believe is Barcelona's largest problem," Collboni told a city government event. FILE PHOTO: Tourists and locals take pictures as they celebrate the beginning of summer at Barceloneta beach in Barcelona, Spain June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Nacho Doce The boom in short-term rentals in Barcelona, Spain's most visited city by foreign tourists, means some resi...
Read MoreTourists who have booked a hotel on Capri will be allowed back onto the Italian island as the local administration works to secure water supplies after damage to the aqueduct on the mainland deprived it of running water. "We're preparing a less restrictive new order to allow back residents, people who own second homes, which often have their own water tank, and tourists with a hotel booking. It will be the hotels' responsibility to ensure they have water," Capri mayor Paolo Falco told Italian news programme TGCOM24. Tourists wait at the port to travel to the Italian island of Capri as local administration works to secure water supplies, in Naples, Italy, June 22, 2024. REUTERS/Ciro De Luca Earlier on Saturday Falco had issued an order that halted tourist arrivals after some pipes...
Read MoreMore than 250 million years ago, Scotland was not veiled in mist and rain, as it often is today, but rather a desert blanketed in sand dunes. One of the denizens of this challenging landscape was a squat, vaguely pig-like mammal forerunner named Gordonia, with a pug face and two tusks protruding from beaked jaws. Using high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging on a fossil of this Permian Period creature, researchers have been able to see its brain cavity and make a digital replica of the brain, providing insight into the size and composition of this crucial organ at an early stage in mammalian evolution. To be clear, Gordonia's brain was a far cry from that of a modern mammal. But the relative size of its brain compared to its body seemed to presage the intelligence that later help...
Read MoreMarriott International recommends how to get the most of your trip during the Green Season First of all, if we propose you to go sightseeing during the rainy season, does it sound like a good plan? Wait until we tell you what happens in Costa Rica before you respond. The rains in Costa Rica unleash a natural spectacle that turns the country into a paradise for wildlife enthusiasts, with a captivating green predominating in the landscapes, accented by multicolored flowers. Because of this scenery, and as an initiative of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, the rainy season has been promoted for some years now as the Green Season, which lasts from May to November throughout the country, except in the Caribbean. The term aims to encourage travelers to discover the magic that rain...
Read MoreTwo more properties in Rajasthan- Jaipur and Jawai in the portfolio Strengthening the presence of Brand Storii, ITC’s Hotel Group has announced the signing of two Storii resorts in Rajasthan. With these signings the chain’s portfolio of managed properties continues its high growth trajectory through the asset right strategy. Expected to open in early 2025, Storii by ITC Hotels, Jaipur and Storii by ITC Hotels, Jawai will exemplify the brand’s ethos to offer immersive experiences. Including the recently announced signing of Storii Jaisalmer, Brand Storii will now have a total of 3 properties within the state of Rajasthan. Speaking on the expansion of Brand Storii, Anil Chadha, Chief Executive, ITC Hotels said, “Brand Storii is a diverse collection of properties that tell their...
Read MoreTravellers seeking a European road trip are always in search of the best places to witness stunning sunsets, from Santorini to Tuscany. The motoring experts at LeaseCar.uk have revealed nine hotspots across the continent for sunset-lovers looking to travel this summer. Social media is filled with pictures of amber skies, as sightseers travel far and wide to get a glimpse of the best sunsets. Primrose Hill in London, Parc del Guinardó in Barcelona and Zadar in Croatia have been named among the list of desirable sunset spots across Europe to visit. Tim Alcock, expert at LeaseCar.uk, said: “Sunsets are a spectacle and something so many of us love to see. Many sunset lovers have taken to social media to share pictures of their most picturesque finds. “There are stunning locations...
Read MoreIn late 2019 the previously unremarkable galaxy SDSS1335+0728 suddenly started shining brighter than ever before. To understand why, astronomers have used data from several space and ground-based observatories, including the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), to track how the galaxy’s brightness has varied. In a study out today, they conclude that they are witnessing changes never seen before in a galaxy — likely the result of the sudden awakening of the massive black hole at its core. “Imagine you’ve been observing a distant galaxy for years, and it always seemed calm and inactive,” says Paula Sánchez Sáez, an astronomer at ESO in Germany and lead author of the study accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics. “Suddenly, its [core] starts s...
Read MoreBringing refined bohemian living to Türkiye’s Aegean coast Bobo by The Stay, the newest of the Stay Hotels, has now opened in Bodrum. Perched high above the sparkling Aegean, Bobo offers guests exclusive access to the turquoise waters of Cennet Bay, on the Turkish Riviera. Bobo was designed by visionary architect Mahmut Anlar and his team at Geo ID. The hotel, tailored for adults, opens with 24 exclusive rooms and suites, each with nature-inspired curved walls and floor-to-ceiling windows allowing breath-taking views of the surrounding coastline and centuries-old olive groves. The hotel's layout ensures space and privacy for every guest. True to its name, Bobo has been created to celebrate refined bohemian living, and offers a unique fusion of entertainment, gastronomy, and...
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