घटनाएं – आवारा मुसाफिर

Century-old, architect designed custom clocks still ticking in Pennsylvania’s Capitol

December 23, 202419 Views

Capitol buildings are almost always an imposing presence. The seat of government, they tend to be elegant and stately — and frequently capped by a dome. Visitors to Pennsylvania ‘s Capitol are drawn to its priceless artwork, polished marble and intricate carvings, but hidden behind the doors of some of its most ornate offices and chambers are another treasure: hundreds of antique clocks that were part of its original design. The 273 working clocks include many that are integrated into fireplace mantels and other building features. They are not low maintenance, requiring regular oiling and occasional mechanical overhauls. And every week, in a throwback to a time before wristwatches and cellphones, clock winders roam the halls — ensuring the century-plus-old timeke...

खबरनामाघटनाएंथाईलैंड

Thailand’s sea nomads work to preserve a vanishing way of life

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 22, 202475 Views

When Hook was a child, he started his days by jumping off the boat that his family lived on and into the ocean. By age 3, he could already swim and dive in shallow waters. His home was a kabang, a boat, that his family sailed in Thailand’s southern waters. The ocean was his backyard. Now Hook, whose full name is Suriyan Klathale, lives on land like the rest of his community, a people known as the Moken. The recollections of his childhood, which many Moken of his generation still have, are mostly just memories. The community, a group of indigenous people from Thailand and Myanmar, came to worldwide attention for its members’ understanding of waves when the Indian Ocean Tsunami struck in December 2004 and killed more than 200,000 people. The few tourists who happened to be on the isla...

इटलीखबरनामाघटनाएं

Pope’s big Holy Year only aggravates Rome’s overtourism crisis

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 22, 202466 Views

When Pope Francis left the Vatican earlier this month for his traditional Christmastime outing downtown, he acknowledged what many Romans have been complaining about for months: That his big plans for a Holy Year had turned their city into a giant construction pit, with traffic-clogging roadworks tearing up major thoroughfares, scaffolding covering prized monuments and short-term rentals gobbling up apartment blocks. Francis urged Romans to pray for their mayor — “He has a lot to do” — but to nevertheless welcome the upcoming Jubilee as a time of spiritual repair and renewal. “These worksites are fine, but beware: Don’t forget the worksites of the soul!” Francis said. When he formally opens the Holy Year next week, Francis will launch a dizzying 12-month calendar of events that ...

खबरनामाघटनाएंवियतनाम

UNESCO to study development risks to Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 21, 202460 Views

UNESCO will deploy a team of experts to assess possible risks for the conservation of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam as it is worried about development projects that may threaten the heritage-listed tourist attraction, the U.N. agency told Reuters. The bay and the adjoining Cat Ba archipelago of limestone islets celebrates this year the 30th anniversary of inscription on the UNESCO world heritage list, being considered by the agency "the most extensive and best known example of marine-invaded tower karst." The UNESCO designation contributed to the site becoming a massive tourist destination, drawing millions of visitors every year and boosting Vietnam's revenue from tourism. However, the United Nations' education, scientific and cultural agency, in a statement attributed to its World...

खबरनामाघटनाएं

Northern hemisphere’s shortest day marked at Stonehenge on winter solstice

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 21, 202458 Views

Thousands of tourists, pagans, druids and people simply yearning for the promise of spring marked the dawn of the shortest day of the year Saturday at the ancient Stonehenge monument. Revelers cheered and beat drums as the sun rose at 8:09 a.m. (0809 GMT) over the giant standing stones on the winter solstice — the shortest day and the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. No one could see the sun through the low winter cloud, but that did not deter a flurry of drumming, chanting and singing as dawn broke. There will be less than eight hours of daylight in England on Saturday — but after that, the days get longer until the summer solstice in June. Starting Sunday, days will get a little bit longer in the Northern Hemisphere every single day until late June. These annual ch...

खबरनामाघटनाएं

Giant sloths and mastodons lived with humans for millennia

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 21, 202478 Views

Sloths weren’t always slow-moving, furry tree-dwellers. Their prehistoric ancestors were huge — up to 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) — and when startled, they brandished immense claws. For a long time, scientists believed the first humans to arrive in the Americas soon killed off these giant ground sloths through hunting, along with many other massive animals like mastodons, saber-toothed cats and dire wolves that once roamed North and South America. But new research from several sites is starting to suggest that people came to the Americas earlier — perhaps far earlier — than once thought. These findings hint at a remarkably different life for these early Americans, one in which they may have spent millennia sharing prehistoric savannas and wetlands with enormous beasts. This combinat...

खबरनामाघटनाएं

LA Zoo hatches first-ever perentie lizards, one of largest lizard species in the world

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 20, 2024115 Views

Two new baby lizards have hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo, the first of their species to be bred there, zoo officials said Thursday. Perentie lizards, or Varanus giganteus, are native to Australia and one of the world’s largest lizards, dwarfed only by the Komodo dragon and a few others. “It is incredibly rewarding for our team to experience success breeding this species,” zoo curator Byron Wusstig said in a statement. “This species is not endangered, but it is rarely seen in zoo settings outside of Australia.” The LA Zoo is one of only three institutions accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that have successfully reproduced them, Wusstig said, and it is the first time the zoo has bred the perentie lizard species in its history. Zoo officials said the bab...

खबरनामाघटनाएंपेरू

‘Amphibious mouse’ among 27 new species discovered in Peru’s Amazon

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 20, 202480 Views

An "amphibious mouse" with partially webbed feet that eats aquatic insects was among 27 new species discovered during a 2022 expedition to Peru's Amazon, according to Conservation International. Scientists also discovered a spiny mouse, a squirrel, eight types of fish, three amphibians and 10 types of butterflies, Trond Larsen, head of Conservation International's Rapid Assessment Program, told Reuters this week. A specimen of spiny mouse (Scolomys sp.), a species discovered on a Conservation International Rapid Assessment expedition into the Alto Mayo Landscape in Peru, is pictured, June 16, 2022. Conservation International/photo by Ronald Diaz/Handout via REUTERS He added that another 48 species found by investigators were potentially new, but needed further study. The...

खबरनामाघटनाएंदक्षिण कोरिया

A historic urban spa with over 1,000 years of history attracts the world

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 19, 202461 Views

Walk into Korea introduces Yuseong hot springs Yuseong Hot Springs, located in Bongmyeong-dong, Yuseong District, Daejeon, South Korea, is a renowned hot spring destination. Its origins date back to the ancient Baekje era, with records indicating that Taejo, the founder of the Joseon Dynasty, and his son Taejong visited Yuseong for hot spring baths. The hot spring water in Yuseong contains over 60 beneficial minerals, known to be effective for neurological disorders and chronic diseases. However, the 2010s saw the closure of famous hotels, leading to a decline in visitors and a crisis for the hot spring city with over 1,000 years of history. Yuseong Hot Springs District offers a variety of facilities and activities for both business and leisure. Revitalizing Yuseong hot spri...

खबरनामाघटनाएंब्राजील

A fur seal’s rare appearance on Rio’s famous beach turns heads

AWARA MUSAFIR BUREAU

December 18, 202485 Views

Short, and dark, and young, and tired, the seal on Ipanema was basking ... The fur seal on Rio de Janeiro’s iconic beach was turning heads of locals and tourists alike Wednesday morning — though not for the same reasons as the famous “Girl from Ipanema.” A fur seal stands on Ipanema beach in Rio de Janeiro, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruna Prado) The animal is often spotted along Brazil’s coastline during winter and spring, but rarely is it seen this time of year, a few days before the start of the Southern Hemisphere’s summer, said Suelen Santiago, a biologist who works at the company that monitors the beach. “This year we’re having atypical situations,” she said. Cordoned off by tape and flags, the young male seal became the main attraction on one of the world’s ...