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Kenya Poet: 'Dear Corona Virus. Don't Be Surprised If You Fail.'

2020-04-04T04:18:00.001-07:00

I met "Sir" Lucky Samuel Man'gera just days after the Kenyan government had begun shutting down flights and schools and asking people to stay at home. Kenya has reported 31 cases of COVID-19 and over the past two weeks, the government has been rolling out a more and more stringent lockdown, which now includes a curfew.

We met at a bar, past Nairobi's industrial area. The bar was completely empty, but on the way there, I saw people paying little mind to the new restrictions: Men, women, children were out on the streets, buying and selling produce; they were boarding crowded buses and without the masks we've gotten so used to seeing on TV in other countries.

I wanted to meet Man'gera after I read one of his Facebook posts. It was an open letter to the new COVID-19.

Dear Corona virus,

Welcome to Kenya. A few things you should know. Here we don't die of flu, don't be surprised if you fail to succeed. Usishangae [Don't be surprised], everything fails in Kenya.

The post pointed out the constant struggle of living in Kenya and the many ways Kenyans are let down by the government. It pointed out that when this new epidemic arrived here, there were already many other things Kenyans had to worry about — from disease to traffic deaths. It is a sentiment I've heard from other Kenyans and something I heard often in Democratic Republic of Congo when I was covering the second largest Ebola outbreak in history.

Kenya is not excited to host coronavirus, Mang'era wrote. The locusts – a historic infestation that experts warn could eat through much of Kenya's food — got here first. "We also cannot afford to pay you too much attention because we really really broke," he wrote.

I laughed at thatline.

I looked at Mang'era sitting on the far side of the table. He's a college student who writes poetry and makes films. He's slim and waits for a reaction to his words with a mischievous grin. I tell him while his post is funny, it's also really sad.

He nods in agreement. He said that's what he wanted to capture — the humor you have to have to live in a place as tough as Kenya.

"Honestly, Kenyans are hardcore people," he said. "So I wanted to express how Kenyans are survivors in a comic way."

The thing is, out here you don't have to look far to find death. The roads are filled Proboxes, station wagons that zig-zag the country at high speeds, sagging with passengers and cargo. In Japan, the cars were recalled by the manufacturer for being dangerous.

"Here in Kenya we survive by Probox," he said, "because we don't have an alternative."

Mang'era's open letter to coronavirus is full of bravado — but also an admission of a deep vulnerability.

We are more likely to die of a cholera attack than to be killed by you. For us, every day is a run escape from death. We are the walking dead. Death is part of our lives the shadow that lingers over us from the time the umbilical cord is cut and buried behind the house to the time we fund raise for expensive arrangements to bury a no longer useful block of dead meat.

As we talked, one other customer walked into the empty bar. He opened a laptop and jumped on the phone. He told the person on the other end that he's worried. Kenyans live hand to mouth. How will they stay home? How will they survive this lockdown?

Mang'era admitted that this is the first time he had been out of his house for days. He had a cough and he was terrified he might have CoVid-19. But in his writing, there is no fear.

Death can befall us anytime and we are not scared. It if comes, let it come. Why worry over what we can't control? Everything dies right? Even you corona will die!

Luba el-Helw - Egypt’s Female Lion Tamers Show the Men How to Do It

2020-03-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

The broader struggle for women’s equality may be lagging in Egypt, but six women dominate the field of lion taming in the country.

GAMASA, Egypt — At her apartment in a seaside town, Luba el-Helw, a working Egyptian mother, faced multiple demands. She juggled business calls, prepared a chicken dish and parried the demands of her three sons, aged 4 to 8, who were stretched out before the TV.
AMASA, Egypt — At her apartment in a seaside town, Luba el-Helw, a working Egyptian mother, faced multiple demands. She juggled business calls, prepared a chicken dish and parried the demands of her three sons, aged 4 to 8, who were stretched out before the TV.

Are obese people a threat to the earth?

2020-03-11T17:38:00.003-07:00

People who suffer from obesity also cause harm to those who are lean, agile, and energetic, according to a study that found that overweight people worldwide Obese people cause 70 million tons of carbon dioxide gas annually

Researchers at the obesity research firm TheOBCT Society say in their research that obese people are responsible for generating 1.6% of the world's greenhouse gas, according to researchers. Excessive food intake, including the speed of metabolism of individuals and the transport of vehicles from one place to another According to the company, it has concluded its findings using greenhouse gases emissions, demographic data and obesity data for research.

Researchers believe that heavy-weight humans cause up to 20% more greenhouse gases than average-weight ones

Head of the study, Fidon Meg Kos, says that increasing the average human body size can affect efforts to reduce human-caused carbon dioxide gas in the world. Research is more important for people working to relieve obesity.

Neglecting Physical Changes Can Be Dangerous

2020-03-11T09:28:00.001-07:00

Every new change that takes place in the human body brings a certain message of health, rather than ignoring these changes. Then this seemingly minor inconvenience or symptom may later emerge in the form of a major illness, which in turn leads to remorse with ourselves, but time has passed out of our hands and treatment of the disease. Is Running a daily life should keep a close watch on yourself and contact the physician as soon as the following symptoms appear.

Chest pain complaint:
Experts say there are 30 causes of chest pain, some of which are minor, such as chest burns as a result of a hazardous diet, but not every nutritionist should consider this as a cause. A minor heart attack may also not be tolerated if the chest pains include shortness of breath, cold sweating, and a sharp heartbeat.

Headache Complaint:
When you experience a headache, understand that your body is saying something to you. If you are drinking water and still have no headache, take action on it. Some of the causes of headaches may include poor nutrition, sleep deprivation or depression.

Feeling of pain in the body:
If you are healthy, well-fed and well-fed, it is not a good idea to have pain in the body, even if you have a very busy day, if you use a good diet. Health is also apparently good and still there is constant complaining of fatigue or pain in the body Weight gain or

loss : If those who want to lose weight begin to lose weight without a diet plan or exercise prescribed by their doctor, then celebrating it is not a symptom at all, but the results can be extraordinary, If you start to change or lose weight due to exercise, consult your doctor right away. You may suffer from TB, diabetes, viral infection, gastrointestinal disease, depression, or some other silent illness.

Sore or scar spots on the skin : If your skin suddenly becomes irritated without any injury, wounds, acne or acne scars, do not ignore them. It is normal to have a few scars or moles. If the stain or size of the spots is changing or changing, see a specialist immediately

Hair
Thinning: It is common for men to have baldness, if you are a woman and getting bald or falling off your hair or getting thinning hair, then it is a matter of concern. Fine causes may be due to poor nutrition, lack of vitamins or excessive use of chemicals and tightening.

Skin and
lip bursts : If your lips and skin are dry even in hot weather with dry weather, consult your doctor; most of the body contains our skin and if it starts to dry, worry about it. Sadly, skin and lip bloating may also be due to vitamin B and B12 deficiency, which also causes nightmares.

What is the right way to achieve healthy skin?

2020-03-11T08:02:00.002-07:00

Often women are more sensitive to their skin and are ready to follow every suggestion in the world, however it is also a fact that many of the tips and beauty creams available to women are either to their skin. Further worsening or their effects are only temporary, the question arises as to what is the correct way to achieve healthy skin.
If we look at the science of dermatology, we find that two types of acids contribute to healthy skin one is alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and the other betahydroxy acids (BHAs).
Although these two types of acids are different from one another, they are of great importance to human skin. Not one of these acids can be given priority over the other because they meet different requirements to keep the skin healthy.
You will find these acids on the labels of many beauty products available in the market, but no one knows how these acids make the skin more healthy and shiny.
Alpha Hydro Acids (AHAs):
This is a class of acidchemic compounds They are naturally produced in the skin and can also be obtained from external sources. Alpha hydro can be obtained from any source of acids by any means, but the best way to get them is by fold and milk. It can also be obtained from such plants. Contains glycolic acid in sugarcane which is included in the fruit acids class. The alpha hydroxy acids contained in it are the smallest molecular size and most commonly used in skin care products because of their small molecular size due to their extremely high skin content.
Absorbed in the style
The Benefits of Alpha Hydro Acids:
These outer layers of skin are useful for epidermis and deep layer drums Research shows that dead skin cells often stay on the outer layers of the skin called alpha hydro as an acid-oxifo lettuce effect. They also increase the production of collagen in the skin which helps in refreshing and wrinkling the skin.
Alpha Hydro keeps the outer layer of acids moisturized and clean, while the harsh chemical soap on the skin exfoliates the effects of wash and lotion, etc. It also eliminates wrinkles, deep scars and acne wounds. The glycolic acid contained in acids has great effect, especially on oily and acne skin.
Alpha hydro may be irritating to acids on the skin of sensitive skin individuals, so such individuals should use a product with a low rate of about 4% of its acidity. There are
Betahydroxy acid BHAs:
They are also called salicylic acid and they are obtained from aspirin. Science tells that betahydroxy acids are organic (organic) carboxy leech acids, and they are different because of the azoxy group with the beta hydroxy acids. The hydroxyl group is connected. This feature makes it different from beta-hydroxy acid, otherwise the two acids have the same texture.
Benefits of Betahydroxy acid:
The most common example of this is anti-acne starch, which is the most important example of acne. Effective Sewing Silent acid is widely used in over-the-counter products due to their similar properties.
It has a natural ability to cleanse the sebum and dirt contained in the gums so that it does not neutralize the bacteria born in the gums, otherwise it will cause the skin to go into the skin and prematurely. Cause wrinkles from time to time
Sewing also helps in the defense against starchy bacteria and is very effective in treating hard skin areas. Products that have high acid levels, are useful in the treatment of waxes.

France's Minister of Culture reports the virus found in the Corona virus, and in large numbers

2020-03-11T07:52:00.005-07:00

PARIS: French Minister for Culture Corona virus wrapped up, and reports of the virus occurring among large numbers of people, a source close to the French Ministry of Culture, have said that the country's Minister of Culture, Frank Roster, has been infected with the Corona virus. Moreover, the 46-year-old minister is in stable.According to French sources, the minister said that he had visited Parliament in recent times. During this time there he was mixed with those affected by Corona. Due to this, the Minister of Culture conducted a Corona test which resulted in "positive".France records four more deaths due to the Corona virus on Monday. So far in France, the death toll from the deadly virus has increased to 25. Besides, 1412 cases of Corona have been confirmed in the country. According to the director of health department in France, there are 15 men and 10 women.

Corona spread to 30 US states, casualties increased to more than 4,000 worldwide

2020-03-11T07:49:00.000-07:00

Corona spread to 30 US states, casualties increased to more than 4,000 worldwide

Spread koruna in 30 states, at least 4 were over a thousand worldwide
in the rebel-TV reported koruna were virus killed 3 affected Ephraim d, Corona virus causing the deaths of Washington and South Dakota

Corona virus death toll rises to 30 in US

Corona virus death toll rises to 4,298 worldwide, 64,393 Corona virus-affected patients recuperate worldwide, the number of people affected by the Corona virus in the UK has risen to 383, the United States 975, Italy 10 thousand 149 and Iran 8 thousand 42 infected, South Korea 7 thousand 1,414 and South Korea 7 thousand 4 Thousands 695 were affected.

Corona virus has been confirmed in Germany 561, Japan 581 and 476 people in Switzerland, US 30, Japan 12 Switzerland 3 and 6 people in the UK have been confirmed from Corona, Pakistan 19, Algeria 20, Russia 20 and Poland 18 confirmed Corona virus, India confirmed 61 is done.

Give up Some Habits to Always Look Beautiful and Young

2020-03-11T05:35:00.000-07:00

We see women around us who, despite being 40 or 50 years old, not only look beautiful and attractive, but also appear to be far above their age, the main reason for their daily habits.

On the contrary, we often see women who are 25 or 30 years old, because of these habits that illiteracy is pushing us towards rapid aging, where wealthy people around the world look for age. People try different things but it is helpful to stop some common habits from preventing the effects of old age from appearing.

Performing different tasks at one time:
Most women have a habit of doing many things at a time, and they consider it a pride for themselves, but your body has to pay for it. Too much stress causes damage to bodily cells and accelerates aging so try to do the same thing at a time.

Exercise: The
effects of daily exercise can easily hide the effects of aging, but most of us do exercise only when they gain weight a week. However, doing a daily workout routine will not only help you gain weight as well as keep you from getting sick, fit, and fat.

Don't give time to friends:
We get so engrossed in our busy lives that most friends are left behind but did you know that time spent with friends can help prevent the effects of aging on the body? Is that women who suffer from depression simply because of engagement, the effects of age begin to appear prematurely.

Sleep style:
Normally dark mouth sleeping is a habit of most people, but your style of sleep can also cause the appearance of wrinkles and wrinkles in your face so always be careful not to fall asleep and straight. Make bedtime a habit of lying down. Face pillows can also cause wrinkles, so avoid having any pillows or cushions on the face for comfort while sleeping.

Sitting style:
Sitting on the leg is a very common habit and most people do not pay attention to it while sitting but experts say that sitting on the leg affects high blood pressure, nausea and bleeding on the legs. As problems arise, plus the size of those who sit horizontally sideways, the texture of the spine can cause spinal pain and increase fat.

Ignoring Moisturizers:
One of the habits you show your age is to ignore moisturizing. Every person's skin needs differently. If someone's skin is too skinny, in the case of moisturizing one's skin. Skin Moisture Can Be Maintained Moisturizing Dry the surface of the skin, which exposes excessive wrinkles on the skin, but regular moisturizing protects your skin and eliminates wrinkles.

More Diet Damage:
Over-sweetening causes weight gain as well as aging your face, rings and wrinkles under the eyes. Medical experts are of the opinion that sugar is absorbed into our cells. And as a result the headline disappears

Straw
Uses: Should not be used for cold drinks or drinks of any kind, rather than glass, as it can be applied to the lines and wrinkles on your face. What should be done.

Attention also to the neck and hands feet:
Most of us women are very careful about facial skin to look beautiful and young but forget the neck which results in the color of the neck looks different and the wrinkles on you. The effects of old age become noticeable as the lines on the neck become more prominent with age, which does not hide even the best make-up artist, so the face with the neck should be equally noticed. Also do not forget that while applying an anti-aging mask on the face as well as on the neck Also for hands that reflect the personality of women, not only the face should look beautiful hands and feet also pay special attention, so special attention should be taken on the mini-carver and pedicure. Even on Sun Block.

Corona virus wiped out all the differences, from the common man to the king to the suburbs, now the British deputy minister of health

2020-03-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

By the morning of March 11 in the UK, 382 people had been confirmed coronas, out of which 6 had died. According to the British government, 18 out of 382 people suffering from 'corona virus' had recovered by March 11. Were.

Deputy Health Minister Nidan Doris, 62, confirmed in a tweet on March 11 that she had succumbed to the 'corona virus' and that it was "very disturbing" but she hoped everything would go well and well.
The Deputy Health Minister also expressed concern over the nature of his 84-year-old mother in her tweet and said that her mother had also started coughing, so she would now be tested.

British newspaper The Guardian reported in its report that after the confirmation of the 'Corona virus' in the Deputy Minister of Health and the first Member of Parliament, there was a wave of concern among other MPs and politicians, and it is now possible for all these politicians and politicians. Members of Parliament will be tested who have met with the deputy health minister for the past few days.

Deputy Health Minister Nidan Doris, who is suffering from 'Corona virus', met British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his pregnant girlfriend and other MPs three days ago at an event in 10 Downing Street (Prime Minister's House). Was.

In addition, the Deputy Minister also attended the meetings of the Parliament, where he met with several members and is now compiling a list of all the members, politicians and persons who have met with the Deputy Health Minister.

According to British media, it is believed that they will test all MPs, politicians and individuals who have recently met Deputy Minister of Health Nedan Doris, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson's media team is urgently in the process. But it was not said whether the Prime Minister would also take the test.

#CoronaVirus #CoronaAlert #CoronaUpdates

Coronavirus: Troops sent to New York 'containment zone'

2020-03-10T15:03:00.000-07:00

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a one-mile (1.6km) coronavirus "containment zone" around a town north of New York City.

New Rochelle has seen "probably the largest cluster" of US cases, he said.

National Guard troops will be used to clean schools in the town and deliver food to any quarantined individuals.

The death toll in Italy, one of the countries worst hit by the virus, rose to 631 as the authorities placed the whole country in lock down.

The latest increase in deaths in Italy - 168 - is the biggest the country has recorded in a single day, and the total number of cases went from 9,172 to 10,149.

Italy's death toll is the highest outside China, which recorded its lowest number of new infections, just 19, on Tuesday.

What does containment mean?

New York state has 173 active cases, the most in the US, and 108 of them are in Westchester County, where New Rochelle is located.

New York City, 25 miles (40km) south of New Rochelle, has 36 confirmed cases of the virus in its population of eight million people.

Coronavirus: Why Is Handwashing Important To Fight Coronavirus? Know When And How To Wash Your Hands To Stay Safe

2020-03-10T14:55:00.003-07:00

Handwashing is extremely important to keep your hands infection free. Wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol based sanitizer.

The coronavirus spread took a serious turn on Wednesday when the health ministry confirmed 23 new cases. With another fresh case later in the day the total number of cases in Indian reached 40. Many are still under observation at different hospitals all across the country. The Union Health Ministry has advised citizens to avoid public gatherings. Coronavirus also known as COVID-19 can spread easily from an infected person. A person infected with coronavirus can experience symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, sore throat and some may experience difficulty in breathing. It is extremely important to follow the right precaution steps to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Handwashing is the basic step you need to follow to avoid the spread of coronavirus. Washing hands with water or soap or the use of alcohol-based sanitiser are considered as the best practice to avoid possible contact with the virus.

8 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Features to Try Right Away

2020-02-15T12:57:00.003-08:00

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Features 2020

#ZFlip #Samsung

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

8 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Features to Try Right Away

Features:
A 6.7" Foldable Glass Display,
Dual Cameras, 12MP Primary, 12MP Ultra Wide, 10MP Selfie Camera, Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+,
8GB RAM,
256GB Storage,
3300mAh battery,
Fingerprint Sensor,
Wireless Charging
Wireless Power Share.

Here are 8 features and settings you should try on your brand new Galaxy Z Flip. Some of these features are exclusive to the new phone while others are Android settings that will help make your Z Flip easier to use, especially one-handed. On Friday, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone went on sale just days after it was formally announced at the Samsung Unpacked Event in San Francisco. It comes out just days after the Motorola Razr, another foldable screen clamshell phone, hit stores. The Razr and Galaxy Z Flip have as much in common as they do different, but together they represent some of the biggest form-factor changes to hit phones in years. If you're lucky to get your hands on a shiny new Galaxy Z Flip, there are a lot of amazing features to explore like the tiny 1.1-inch pill-shaped external display, the ability to take with either the interior camera or the ones on the outside.

If you want to get This amazingly new gadget grab it here

Grizzly Bear Death Rates Are Increasing

2020-02-12T13:47:00.000-08:00

Grizzly Bear Death Rates Are Increasing

ESSEX, Mont. — The long freight trains climb slowly over Marias Pass, through snow-draped mountains south of Glacier National Park and north of the Great Bear Wilderness, snaking through some of the wildest country in the Lower 48.

Some 25 trains a day, each a chain of 90 to 120 cars, make the journey over the Rocky Mountains in northern Montana at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. They have long been a threat to grizzly bears, and last year was the worst with eight of the bears — a federally protected species — run over by trains. On one day in June, a mother and her two cubs were killed by trains in two separate incidents. The long-term average for grizzly deaths by train is two a year.

“A train can sneak up on you,” said John Waller, the supervisory wildlife biologist for Glacier National Park, as he stopped to watch one chug through the forest. “They are amazingly quiet on the down grade and there are a lot of times the sound is blocked, coming in and out of the valleys.”

The death rate of grizzlies in this region has been rising, attributed not only to trains, but to poaching, cars and the removal of troublesome bears. In 2018, a record number — 51 — were killed in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, millions of acres in and around Glacier Park. And last year, 51 bears were killed. In 2017, just 29 bears were killed or euthanized.

Bringing the cheese to Georgians - Europe Cheese

2020-02-11T07:48:00.003-08:00

Mikadze-Chikvaidze says she has now found more than 60 cheese varieties from villages all over Georgia, and she estimates that there are now 10 shops and restaurants in Tbilisi selling them. And, although these artisanal cheeses aren’t yet sold outside the capital, local businesses and the Georgian government have both heard about Mikadze-Chikvaidze’s work and are eager to expand production and promote them on a larger scale. (Credit: Taylor Weidman)

Canadian Mountain Life - Travelogue

2020-02-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

The Canadian Pacific Railway connected the east and west of the country, passing through popular tourist destinations such as Banff (Credit: MJ_Prototype/Getty Images)

As a solution, CPR built Glacier House, an alpine chalet close to the summit of the pass, where passengers could get off the train for meals and stay overnight if they chose. This was the latest iteration in CPR president William Van Horne’s vision of the railway as a vehicle to bring wealthy tourists to experience the romantic lifestyle of the mountains. CPR had already played a significant role in the development of Glacier and Yoho National Parks, and built grand hotels in Banff and Lake Louise. But, concerned that guests would wander off and become lost (or worse) in these serrated peaks and crevassed glaciers so close to Glacier House – and the negative press that might ensure – CPR hired Swiss mountain guides, known as the best in the world for their depth of skill and breadth of knowledge, to stay at the chalet and guide its guests through these undiscovered mountains. This move was the advent of adventure tourism in Western Canada.

The Swiss Village became a tourist attraction of its own, with a Disneyland-like sign at the base of the hill, visible from the passing train, announcing the presence of mountaineering greatness and the potential for hopeful climbers to leverage such accomplished guidance. The Swiss guides became well-known for guiding many tourists, aspiring climbers and serious climbers in the Selkirks. As much as CPR’s original mission was to provide the first transportation route to connect the young country, CPR’s marketing mission was to sell this part of Canada as unblemished country ripe for the adventurous to explore – and the Swiss guides were the lynchpin in this strategy. As Arthur Wheeler wrote in the Canadian Alpine Journal in 1928, “The coming of the Swiss guides created a new era. Climbing became more general, and not confined only to mountaineers of repute in alpine circles and mountain clubs.”

Parking at the highway’s zenith, we headed into the Rogers Pass Discovery Center, where staff directed us to the Swiss Guides room to don ski boots, examine maps and routes and read the avalanche report. It was like walking back in time. Glacier House no longer exists – pieces of its foundation still remain down by the Illecillewaet Campground in a ghost of its former glory – but a glimpse of its grand heyday has been preserved in antiques, recovered from the chalet, here in this room. Among the plush chairs, stone fireplace fronts, gold mantles and timber bar, with the sawtooth massif of the Hermit and Tupper mountains rising out the window, it was easy to imagine the train pulling up to Glacier Station and seeing Ernest Feuz brandishing climbing gear, waving from his post on the platform in what became a familiar sight for travelers on the CPR.

The LAB Grown Diamond - The sparkling rise of the lab grown diamond

2020-02-10T21:41:00.000-08:00

On a grey January morning in 2019 Meghan Markle emerged onto a London street on her way to a meeting. She wore a smart coat and heels, but it was not her clothing that caught the attention of the world. It was a pair of glittering drop earrings embedded with diamonds that had been grown in a lab.

It took just five days to grow the diamonds adorning Markle’s ears according to Sidney Neuhaus, co-founder of Kimaï, the company that made them. Based in Antwerp, the capital of the world’s diamond business, both she and her co-founder Jessica Warch grew up in diamond families. Nauhaus’s father owns a diamond jewellery shop, and her grandfather worked for De Beers, making his career in diamonds after World War Two.

Despite their illustrious family histories in the trade, Neuhaus and Warch chose to break away from conventional diamonds because of the environmental and humanitarian toll of extracting them. Millennials and now Generation Z – who together are the main purchasers of diamonds for engagement rings – are moving away from conventional diamonds, with nearly 70% of millennials considering buying a lab grown alternative.

So what are lab grown diamonds, and are they really a more sustainable alternative to traditional mined diamonds?

You might also like:

• Can we heat buildings without fossil fuels?
• The quest to make a material harder than diamonds
• How does Future Planet count carbon?

First up, a lab-grown diamond is a diamond: chemically, physically and optically identical to a mined diamond. Naturally occurring diamonds are forged in the crushing pressure and immense heat of the Earth’s mantle around 100 miles underground. Most were formed between 1bn and 3bn years ago at a time when our planet was hotter than it is today.

The XF58 Ice Princess Is Part of Cadillac, Part Studebaker And Lots Of Awesome

2020-02-10T12:03:00.000-08:00

The Chicago Auto Show is known (mostly) as a truck, SUV and van event, but one of the most unique models on display was a car. However, it’s one you probably didn’t see coming.

We’re talking the XF58 Ice Princess which was one of several vehicles exhibited by Klairmont Kollections.

Essentially a combination of a Studebaker and a Cadillac, the XF58 Ice Princess is a six-wheeled oddity that looks like nothing else on the road. The front end gives way to a long flowing which meets a double bubble canopy. There’s also side exiting exhaust pipes and massive rear fins.

he unique styling continues in the cabin as there are golden seats which are separated by a V-shaped console. They’re joined by retro gauges and red carpeting.

The custom model was created by Richard Fletcher and reportedly uses a massive 8.2-liter V8 engine from Cadillac. There’s no word on specifications, but the engine had a number different outputs over the years including a peak of 400 hp (298 kW / 406 PS) and 550 lb-ft (745 Nm) of torque.

Coronavirus kills doctor who tried to raise the alarm

2020-02-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

A Chinese doctor, among the first to raise the alert about China's new coronavirus, himself died from the pathogen on Friday, emphasizing the depth of a worsening crisis that has killed at least 630 people.

He later contracted the disease while treating a patient and has been hailed as a hero by Chinese internet users.
Li was among more than 28,000 people who have been infected in China, where authorities are struggling to contain the outbreak, despite ordering millions indoors in a growing number of cities.
Two dozen countries have confirmed cases of the respiratory disease, which emerged from a market selling exotic animals in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
Thousands of holidaymakers on cruise ships in Hong Kong and Japan face an agonising wait to find out if more among them have been infected.
At least 20 people on the Diamond Princess -- off Yokohama since Monday -- have tested positive. Some 3,700 passengers and crew from more than 50 countries have been confined to quarters.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said another cruise ship, the Westerdam, was heading to the country with one confirmed case.
He said no foreigners from the vessel, capable of carrying nearly 3,000 passengers and crew, would be allowed to disembark.
Anxiety in Hong KongIn Hong Kong, 3,600 people spent a second night confined aboard the World Dream. Authorities conducted health checks after eight former passengers tested positive for the virus.
Hong Kong has been particularly nervous because the crisis revived memories of another coronavirus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). It killed nearly 300 people in the city and another 349 on the Chinese mainland in 2002-2003.
Panic buying in semi-autonomous Hong Kong left supermarkets empty of toilet paper following false online claims of shortages, prompting authorities to appeal for calm.
One person has died after contracting the virus in Hong Kong.
While the death toll rises in China with the death of Li and others, experts have stressed that at two percent mortality, 2019-nCoV is far less deadly than SARS, which killed around 10 percent of the people it infected 17 years ago.
The outbreak has nevertheless been declared a global health emergency, prompting several governments to warn against travel to China and ban arrivals from the country, while airlines have halted flights and brought home their citizens.
Almost 200 Canadians showed up at the airport in Wuhan for the country's first evacuations, most on a commercial airliner chartered by Ottawa, officials said.
Germany's foreign ministry said it was working to bring home several nationals who had not made it out on a flight that reached Frankfurt last Saturday.
Saudi Arabia banned citizens and resident foreigners from travelling to China, while Air France-KLM extended its flight suspension by another month until March 15.
Chinese President Xi Jinping told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a call that all countries should "follow World Health Organization guidelines on travel and health in a timely manner", state news agency Xinhua reported.
After Britain advised nationals to leave China, Beijing's ambassador to London said there should not be "such a panic."
Short of medical staff China has enacted unprecedented measures to contain the virus, which spread during the Lunar New Year holiday in late January, when millions criss-crossed the country.
But deaths and new infections continue to rise, especially at the epicentre in Hubei province, where 18 cities housing 56 million people have been under virtual lockdown since late last month.
There is a shortage of 2,250 medical personnel in Hubei, deputy provincial governor Yang Yunyan said Thursday. The inability to offer health workers adequate protective gear is hindering the numbers that can be deployed on the front lines, he added.
With Hubei's capital Wuhan overwhelmed, authorities were due to open a second, 1,600-bed field hospital.
The central government has announced measures intended to ensure the supply of vital resources, with tax breaks for manufacturers of medical equipment.
BGI Group, a genome sequencing company in southern China, said it had opened a lab in Wuhan able to test 10,000 people a day.
'Don't go out' More cities are ordering people to stay indoors.
They include Hangzhou, 175 kilometres (110 miles) from Shanghai, where fences block streets and loudspeakers tell people: "Don't go out!"
In Beijing -- where streets remain eerily quiet -- restaurants have been barred from accepting reservations for parties.
And in Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province which borders Hubei, pharmacists must send reports to the authorities on anyone buying fever or cough medicine.
The outbreak has also hit major businesses.
Workers making iPhones at tech giant Foxconn's plant in Henan province, bordering Hubei, will be quarantined for up to two weeks, the company said.
China said it would halve tariffs on $75 billion worth of US imports, as part of a trade truce with Washington and as officials look to calm markets unnerved by the outbreak.

Antarctica just hit 65 degrees, The warmest temperature ever recorded in Antartica

2020-02-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

Just days after the Earth saw its warmest January on record, Antarctica has broken its warmest temperature ever recorded. A reading of 65 degrees was taken Thursday at Esperanza Base along Antarctica’s Trinity Peninsula, making it the ordinarily frigid continent’s highest measured temperature in history.

The Argentine research base is on the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Randy Cerveny, who tracks extremes for the World Meteorological Organization, called Thursday’s reading a “likely record,” although the mark will still have to be officially reviewed and certified.

The balmy reading beats out the previous record of 63.5 degrees, which occurred March 24, 2015.

The Antarctic Peninsula, on which Thursday’s anomaly was recorded, is one of the fastest-warming regions in the world. In just the past 50 years, temperatures have surged a staggering 5 degrees in response to Earth’s swiftly warming climate. Around 87 percent of glaciers along the peninsula’s west coast have retreated in that time, the majority doing so at an accelerated pace since 2008.

The WMO notes that cracks in the Pine Island Glacier “have been growing rapidly” in the past several days, according to satellite imagery.

Shakira and J. Lo's FULL Pepsi Super Bowl LIVE Halftime Show

2020-02-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

Shakira & J. Lo perform at the Super Bowl LIVEPepsi Halftime Show.

Shakira e J. Lo se apresentam no Super Bowl LIVEPepsi Halftime Show.

Shakira & J. Lo se produisent au Super Bowl LIVEPepsi Halftime Show.

Shakira y J. Lo actúan en el Super Bowl LIVEPepsi Halftime Show.

Winning Olympic decathlon gold in 1976 as Bruce Jenner 'left me trapped' Said Caitlyn Jenner

2020-02-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

"I remember getting up the next morning and walking to the bathroom without a stitch of clothes on. The gold medal was sitting there on the table. I put it around my neck, looked in the mirror and asked myself… 'Am I stuck with this person the rest of my life?'"

In 2019, Caitlyn Jenner is probably the most recognisable transgender woman in the world, largely due to her family's reality TV series 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'.

Her story of transitioning from Bruce Jenner, the 26-year-old all-American hero with a 1976 Montreal Olympics decathlon gold medal, to 70-year-old LGBT icon and vocal trans-activist, has been well told.

Fame, film and TV careers, three marriages, six children and then 2017 gender reassignment all followed.

"I have the great double. Olympic decathlon champion and Glamour's woman of the year," Jenner jokes.

In an era where the debate around trans athletes competing at elite level is one of the most divisive issues in sport, Jenner tells the BBC about her lifelong experiences of gender dysphoria and the importance of the Olympics "taking the issue seriously".

Speaking in an exclusive interview for BBC Radio 4's Don't Tell Me The Score podcast, Jenner recalls the turmoil immediately after her Olympic glory.

"Did you build up this person so big," Jenner remembers thinking, "that you're stuck with him the rest of your life? It was scary.

"People suffering from gender dysphoria [a mismatch between someone's biological sex and their gender identity], is basically like being born right-handed or left-handed. It's just who you are. It's something I didn't understand, especially growing up in the 1950s and 60s."

As a child Caitlyn says she would "sneak around" in her mother's clothes. She struggled at school with dyslexia and low self-esteem. But through sport, she became a champion water skier, a star American basketball player, then through decathlon, an Olympic champion.

But once the afterglow from the 1976 games started to wear off, Caitlyn's gender dysphoria became all-consuming."I remember getting up the next morning and walking to the bathroom without a stitch of clothes on. The gold medal was sitting there on the table. I put it around my neck, looked in the mirror and asked myself… 'Am I stuck with this person the rest of my life?'"

In 2019, Caitlyn Jenner is probably the most recognisable transgender woman in the world, largely due to her family's reality TV series 'Keeping up with the Kardashians'.

Fame, film and TV careers, three marriages, six children and then 2017 gender reassignment all followed.

"I have the great double. Olympic decathlon champion and Glamour's woman of the year," Jenner jokes.

Speaking in an exclusive interview for BBC Radio 4's Don't Tell Me The Score podcast, Jenner recalls the turmoil immediately after her Olympic glory.

"Did you build up this person so big," Jenner remembers thinking, "that you're stuck with him the rest of your life? It was scary.

But once the afterglow from the 1976 games started to wear off, Caitlyn's gender dysphoria became all-consuming.

F1 billionaire owner leads rescue deal for Aston Martin

2020-02-07T16:30:00.000-08:00

Struggling luxury UK carmaker Aston Martin has announced plans to raise emergency funding worth £500m.

A consortium led by billionaire Lawrence Stroll will put in £182m, with the rest of the money coming from existing investors.

Mr Stroll partly owns the Racing Point Formula 1 team, which will be branded Aston Martin from 2021 under the deal.

The move comes hours after a board meeting held to discuss how to prop up the ailing firm.

Aston Martin's best known customer is fictional spy James Bond and the company recently revealed that four of its cars will feature in the next Bond movie, No Time To Die.It's all very well to build James Bond's company cars, but Aston Martin can't rely on a flashy brand alone.

Many of its troubles can be traced to the decision to build a new factory at St Athan in South Wales, where it will produce its long-anticipated sports utility vehicle, the DBX.

Lionel Messi will end career at Barcelona - Prediction

2020-02-07T15:42:00.003-08:00

Pep Guardiola has played down suggestions that Lionel Messi could join him at Manchester City and believes the forward will end his playing days at Barcelona.

Messi, 32, has spent his career with Barca but has a clause allowing him to leave for free this summer.

Guardiola coached Messi at the Nou Camp between 2008 and 2012, winning three La Ligas and two Champions Leagues.

"He will stay there [at Barca], that's my wish," said the City boss.

Guardiola left Barca for Bayern Munich having become their most successful manager, with 14 trophies in four seasons.

He went on to win three successive league titles in Germany and has won the Premier League for the last two seasons with City, although this term they trail Liverpool by 22 points with only 13 games remaining.

Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or player award six times, 10 league titles and four Champions Leagues, is under contract until 2021.

But he spoke out this week against Barcelona sporting director Eric Abidal after the Frenchman accused players of not working hard under former coach Ernesto Valverde.

Barca are three points behind leaders Real Madrid in La Liga but Guardiola would not be drawn on the apparent unrest between Messi and Abidal - both former players of his - adding: "I'm not going to talk about players for other clubs.

"I think he will finish his career there."

This is how a single locust becomes a plague

2020-02-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

Vast swarms of desert locusts are tearing through the Horn of Africa and south Asia, devouring crops and threatening food supplies and livelihoods. It's the worst infestation in a quarter of a century. How did it get so bad?

A desert locust like this - a type of grasshopper - usually likes to live a shy, solitary life. It develops from an egg into a young locust - known as a hopper - and then into a flying adult. It's a simple, if unremarkable, existence.

But every now and then, desert locusts undergo a Jekyll and Hyde transformation. When they get crowded together - such as on diminishing areas of green vegetation - they stop being solitary creatures and become "gregarious" mini-beasts.

In this newly-sociable phase, the insects change colour and form groups that can develop into huge flying swarms of ravenous marauding pests.

Such swarms of locusts can be huge. They can contain up to 10 billion individuals and stretch over hundreds of kilometres. They can cover up to 200km (120 miles) in a day, devastating rural livelihoods in their relentless drive to eat and reproduce.

Even an average swarm can destroy crops sufficient to feed 2,500 people for a year, according to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

The last major upsurge - a sharp rise in the number of swarms - in West Africa in 2003-05 cost $2.5bn in harvest losses, according to the UN.

But there were also large and damaging upsurges in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Some of them spanned multiple regions, reaching the numbers required to be declared a "plague".

Swarms are devastating crops in East Africa and Pakistan

The worst swarms of desert locusts in decades are now decimating crops and pasture across the Horn of Africa - an area covering Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia - and beyond, threatening the food security of the entire sub-region.

The ravenous insects are currently spreading through Kenya after wreaking havoc in Somalia and Ethiopia. It is the worst infestation in Kenya for 70 years and the worst in Somalia and Ethiopia for 25.

Somalia has declared a national emergency in response to the crisis. It is the second country to do so after Pakistan, where the insects have ravaged cotton, wheat, maize and other crops in eastern areas.

But it is the Horn of Africa that is of most concern, the FAO says, with the locusts breeding so fast that numbers could grow 500 times by June.

Swarms are also developing along both sides of the Red Sea, affecting Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and along the India-Pakistan border - a situation the UN has described as "extremely alarming".

Even though such infestations are notoriously hard to battle because of the wide geographical area affected, the FAO's Mr Cressman believes more could have been done earlier to tackle this particular locust upsurge.

"If there were greater and more successful efforts of control made in some of the key countries, it might have minimised the situation," he said.

People are trying to tackle the huge swarms

With the locust swarms in the Horn of Africa now unprecedented in terms of their size and destructive potential, countries are scrambling to deal with them.

Containment of the outbreak depends on two major factors - monitoring and effective control.

The Desert Locust Information Service, run by the FAO, provides forecasts, early warning and alerts on the timing, scale and location of invasions and breeding.

But once populations reach critical levels, such as in the Horn of Africa, urgent action needs to be taken to reduce locust populations, as well as prevent more swarms from forming and spreading.

How locust swarms are tackled

"Very large-scale aerial control operations are needed now in Kenya and in Ethiopia - and ideally in Somalia, but this is just not possible due to the security situation," says Mr Cressman.

"As the [locust] populations now are mainly in mature swarms, it would be ideal to hit them hard with aircraft, so that we can reduce the number that could mature and lay eggs."

Although there is ongoing research into more environment-friendly solutions, such as biological pesticides or introducing natural predators, the most commonly used control method is pesticide spray.

Showered onto the pests via hand pumps, land vehicles or aircraft, whole swarms can be targeted and killed with chemicals in a relatively short period of time.

Efforts to combat the invasion in Kenya have intensified with aerial spraying, but controlling such large populations over large, remote areas remains a logistical challenge.

Amazing Fact: Vikings have 'Allah' and Ali embroidered into funeral clothes

2020-02-07T15:17:00.000-08:00

Researchers in Sweden have found Arabic characters woven into burial costumes from Viking boat graves. The discovery raises new questions about the influence of Islam in Scandinavia, writes journalist Tariq Hussain.

They were kept in storage for more than 100 years, dismissed as typical examples of Viking Age funeral clothes.

But a new investigation into the garments - found in 9th and 10th Century graves - has thrown up groundbreaking insights into contact between the Viking and Muslim worlds.

Patterns woven with silk and silver thread have been found to spell the words "Allah" and "Ali".

The breakthrough was made by textile archaeologist Annika Larsson of Uppsala University while re-examining the remnants of burial costumes from male and female boat and chamber graves originally excavated in Birka and Gamla Uppsala in Sweden in the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.

She became interested in the forgotten fragments after realising the material had come from central Asia, Persia and China.

Larsson says the tiny geometric designs - no more than 1.5cm (0.6in) high - resembled nothing she had come across in Scandinavia before.

"I couldn't quite make sense of them and then I remembered where I had seen similar designs - in Spain, on Moorish textiles."

Unlocking a puzzle

Larsson then realised she was not looking at Viking patterns at all but ancient Arabic Kufic script.

There were two words that kept recurring. One of them she identified with the help of an Iranian colleague. It was the name "Ali" - the fourth caliph of Islam.

But the word next to Ali was more difficult to decipher.