Tag Archives: Travel

National Geographic Magazine – January 2025

National Geographic (December 16, 2024): The latest issue features….

Finding The Endurance

On the hunt for Shackleton’s lost ship

The Ancient Art of Tea

A journey to the mountain forests of China

Saving New Zealand’s Birds

Inside one of the world’s boldest conservation plans

Secrets of Arctic Caves

Searching for climate clues in Greenland

Time-Lapse Travel: ‘Alaska – The Final Frontier’ (2024)

Little Big World (December 16, 2024): Alaska is the largest and northernmost state in the USA. It’s also my new favorite place in the US so far.

have been there a while back for a documentary shoot and extended my stay for a bit to collect some material for this epiosde. Unfortunately the wheather was not too great for a large amount of the time there, but I guess that’s part of the deal in Alaska… Either way, enjoy this trip though amazing glaciers, beautiful vilages and breathtaking sceneries. A time-lapse & tilt-shift & aerial video by Joerg Daiber

The New York Times — Sunday, December 15, 2024

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Syria Shudders as Assad’s Prison Atrocities Come Into the Light

At the country’s most notorious prison, Syrians confront their worst fears: that they will never know what happened to the loved ones who disappeared.

South Korea’s President Is Impeached After Martial Law Crisis

Some members of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own party helped remove him from office. But the political uncertainty is far from over.

What Ever Happened to the Lady Jaguars?

When we met them a dozen years ago, they were teenagers in trouble, playing for a basketball team that always lost. Did they find a way to win at life?

Gas Could Mean Billions for Indigenous People in Canada. Some Fear a Cost.

New export terminals along the rugged Pacific coastline have reignited a generations-old debate over identity and environmental stewardship.

The New York Times Magazine – Dec. 8, 2024

Issue Archive - The New York Times

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE (December 14 2024): The 12.15.24 issue features ‘The Silence of Alice Munro’…

What Alice Munro Knew

The Nobel-winning author’s husband was a pedophile who targeted her daughter and other children. Why did she stay silent?

Opioids Ravaged a Kentucky Town. Then Rehab Became Its Business.

In Louisa, an unbearable social crisis has become the main source of economic opportunity.

Could This Tiny School Break Down the Wall Between Church and State?

Officials in Oklahoma are laying the groundwork to push Christianity into public schools.

Architecture: Kārearea House In New Zealand

The Local Project (December 15, 2024): Located in the Wakatipu Basin on New Zealand’s South Island, Kārearea House by RTA Studio, which takes inspiration from the region’s majestic native falcons, is the most breathtaking home shaped by nature.

00:00 – Introduction to the Most Breathtaking Home 01:12 – The Location Centred Brief 02:36 – Approaching the Home 03:09 – Walkthrough of the House 04:11 – Restrained Interior Styling 05:44 – The Kitchen Design and Appliances 07:21 – A Balanced Material Palette 08:29 – Curating The Views 09:21 – Proud Moments

What defines it, however, is the site’s staggering 360-degree views to The Remarkables, Coronet Peak and the Crown Range, and the architects’ response to these multifaceted aspects. “We’ve done a few houses in this area and, over the years, we’ve developed an approach that’s firstly about identifying the significant views,” says Richard Naish, founder of RTA Studio.

Though Naish acknowledges that the perspectives are a gift, he believes good architecture is more about the control and release of views. This philosophy underscored RTA Studio’s approach to crafting the most breathtaking home shaped by nature. The roof lines played heavily into this idea; designed to follow the contours of the land and echo the surrounding topography, the roof dips in parts and soars in others, creating views both vast and precise.

#Nature #Home #NewZealand

The New York Times — Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024

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How U.S. Firms Battled a Government Crackdown to Keep Tech Sales to China

An intense struggle has unfolded in Washington between companies and officials over where to draw the line on selling technology to China.

Joy Buoys Syria’s First Friday Prayers Since Assad Ouster, but Hardships Loom

In an impoverished, war-ravaged country, the first prayers after the fall of a brutal regime drew jubilant crowds, even in areas seen as regime strongholds.

The Fall of al-Assad Quickly Infuses Europe’s Debate Over Asylum

Nearly a million Syrians in Germany alone have made new lives. But after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, some politicians across the continent have suggested that refugees could return home.

McKinsey to Pay $650 Million in Opioid Settlement With Justice Department

A former senior partner will also plead guilty to obstruction of justice after destroying company documents.

The Economist Magazine – December 14, 2024 Preview

All weekly editions | The Economist

The Economist Magazine (December 12, 2024): The latest issue features ‘What Now?’…

How the new Syria might succeed or fail

The end of the house of Assad. Much will go wrong. But for now, celebrate a tyrant’s fall

What Spain can teach the rest of Europe

Our number-crunching suggests it was the best-performing rich economy in 2024

America’s searing market rally brings new risks

Financial innovation is just as much to blame as the technological sort

Multilateral institutions are turning away from the poorest countries

Even bail-outs are getting expensive

The New York Times — Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024

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Syria’s New Leaders Balance Huge Struggles Amid Disorder

The rebels who seized control called for foreign help in prosecuting atrocities, while trying to restore order in a fractured country.

Power, Intimidation and the Resurrection of Trump’s Support for Hegseth

The president-elect became convinced that letting Pete Hegseth fail would set off a feeding frenzy among senators. What followed was a MAGA swarm that helped salvage his bid, at least for now.

Recent Immigration Surge Has Been Largest in U.S. History

Under President Biden, more than two million immigrants per year have entered, government data shows.

The Gold Rush at the Heart of a Civil War

Heavily destroyed streets.

Famine and ethnic cleansing stalk Sudan. Yet the gold trade is booming, enriching generals and propelling the fight.

Politics: The Guardian Weekly-December 13, 2024

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The Guardian Weekly (December 11, 2024): The new issue features The fall of Syria’s brutal dictatorship. Plus The best books of 2024.

Not even the most optimistic of rebels could have predicted the rapid collapse, last weekend, of the Assad dynasty that ruled Syria with an iron fist for more than 50 years. Yet while there was relief and joy both inside Syria and among the nation’s vast displaced diaspora, it was also accompanied by apprehension over what might come next.

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Spotlight | Russia and Ukraine wait warily for Trump transition
The idea of the US president-election as a saviour for Ukraine, as unlikely as it may seem, holds an appeal for an exhausted nation without a clear path to victory. Shaun Walker and Pjotr Sauer report

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Environment | The jailed anti-whaler defiant in face of extradition threat
Capt Paul Watson talks to Daniel Boffey about his arrest on behalf of the Japanese government, his ‘interesting’ Greenland prison, and separation from his children

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Feature | The growing threat of firearms that can be made at home
One far-right cell wanted to use 3D-printed guns to cause ‘maximum confusion and fear’ on the streets of Finland. Could the police intercept them in time? By Samira Shackle

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Opinion | Farage is lying in wait. Britain can’t afford for Starmer to fail
It is not enough for the Labour leader’s ‘milestones’ to be achieved. Voters must feel the improvement in their daily lives, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland

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Culture | The best books of 2024
From a radical retelling of Huckleberry Finn to Al Pacino’s autobiography, our critics round up their favourite reads of the year

The New York Times — Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024

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Suspect in C.E.O. Killing Withdrew From a Life of Privilege and Promise

The suspect, Luigi Mangione, was an Ivy League tech graduate from a prominent Maryland family who in recent months had suffered physical and psychological pain.

How a Realtors’ Nonprofit Quietly Funds Conservative Advocacy Groups

The National Association of Realtors has created a nonprofit that gives more heavily to one side of the political aisle and to groups that have little to do with real estate and housing.

What to Know About Syria’s Notorious Sednaya Prison

Amnesty International described it as a “human slaughterhouse,” where, other rights groups say, tens of thousands of people were detained, tortured and killed during the 13-year civil war.

Rage Grows Over a Spate of Brutal Murders of Women in Kenya

Almost 100 women have been killed in the span of three months, the police say. Rights groups want President William Ruto to declare femicide a national crisis.