Jornais pelo Mundo

September 01, 2024 

An American hospitality company named Equinox Hotels has planned to construct a resort called Equinox Resort Treyam in Saudi Arabia. This resort will be part of Saudi Arabia’s enormous urban development project called Neom. It will be built within a bridge measuring 450mts in length and will comprise a fitness area, a spa and an infinity pool on top of the structure. It will have 250 rooms with ceilings and floors made of glass. The entire resort will be constructed approximately 40mts above a lagoon and is expected to provide visitors with a spectacular view.

DID YOU KNOW?
Saudi Arabia’s Neom is being built at a cost of $500 billion and will operate using renewable energy sources.

August 16, 2024 

Geologists have found a new microcontinent located between Greenland and Canada, which they have named the Davis Strait proto microcontinent. The microcontinent is 19 to 24kms thick and is located in the Davis Strait after which it has been named. According to geologists, the formation of the microcontinent took place due to tectonic plate activity between Greenland and Canada approximately 33 to 61 million years back. The study of this newly discovered microcontinent will enhance geologists’ understanding of the development of microcontinents around the world. 

Watch this video to learn about Zealandia, Earth’s mysterious landmass 

August 16, 2024 

Based on a new study, researchers have predicted that the temperature of groundwater will increase by the year 2100, which will impact drinking water sources and ecosystems. Researchers created the first global groundwater temperature model and found that groundwater temperatures are expected to increase by 2.1 to 3.5°C, with regions such as Northern China, the Amazon Rainforest and Australia witnessing an extreme level of groundwater warming. According to researchers, warming groundwater could support the growth of pathogens and contaminants in the water, limiting drinking water sources. Furthermore, several industries that rely on groundwater, such as manufacturing and agriculture, could be impacted. This study highlights the importance of protecting groundwater from the impacts of climate change. 

DID YOU KNOW?
India uses the most groundwater compared to any other country. As of 2023, India’s groundwater extraction was 241.34 billion cubic metres. 

August 01, 2024 

A pair of shoes worn by well-known American singer Elvis Presley in the 1950s was auctioned for around ₹1.2 crore in Devizes, UK. The shoes, which feature blue suede, were one of the singer’s most iconic possessions and were donned by him during many of his performances. According to Henry Aldridge & Son, the auction house that sold the shoes, Presley had gifted the shoes to a friend before he joined the US Army in 1958. The shoes, which are sized 10.5 and feature the ‘Nunn-Bush’ brand stamp, were sold to a collector from California, USA. 

DID YOU KNOW?
Elvis Presley, who was known as the King of Rock and Roll, worked as a truck driver for an electric company in Tennessee, USA, before he gained fame as a singer. 

August 01, 2024 

• Spain beat England 2-1 to win the final of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Euro 2024 Championship held in Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany, on July 14. 
• Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal scored the winning goal in the match’s 86th minute, leading the Spanish team to victory. 
• Spain’s Rodri was adjudged Player of the Tournament while Lamine Yamal, who turned 17 during the tournament, won the Best Young Player of the Tournament award. 
• Earlier that same evening, Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz emerged victorious in the 2024 Wimbledon men’s singles final in London, UK. 
• 21-year-old Alcaraz beat Serbia’s 37-year-old Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). With this win, he became the youngest tennis player in the Open Era to win the men’s singles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in a calendar year. 

August 01, 2024 

Archaeologists believe they have found a city called Tu’am, which was famous for pearl trading in ancient times. Excavations carried out by the Italian Archaeological Mission have discovered old residential structures on Siniyah Island in the UAE, which archaeologists believe could be the remains of the city. In addition to the residential structures, a Christian monastery and a pearling village were also found at the site. Archaeologists were unsure about the exact location of Tu’am, which dates back to the 4th century and was prominent for its economic significance. However, the recent discovery provides archaeologists with convincing evidence that the ancient city could be Tu’am. 

DID YOU KNOW? 
Naturally occurring pearls come in a variety of shapes and colours including white, pink, cream and grey. 

August 01, 2024 

To enhance trade and improve connectivity between India and Bangladesh, the two countries have announced plans to start new train and bus services. This decision was made during a bilateral meeting between Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, and Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, in June. According to the announcement, a new passenger train service will operate between Rajshahi and Kolkata soon and a bus service will be launched between Kolkata and Chittagong. Additionally, India will provide funds to set up an inland container depot in Bangladesh’s Sirajganj to facilitate smooth trade. 

DID YOU KNOW? 
India has the world’s second-largest road network after the USA. 

July 16, 2024 

• A lethal bacterial infection called streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS) has been spreading across Japan at an alarming rate. The disease is caused by the group A streptococcus bacteria and can kill people within two days. 
• According to Japan’s Health Ministry, the number of STSS cases in the country reached approximately 1,000 from the beginning of 2024 to the beginning of June. STSS is also called the ‘flesh-eating’ disease and its mortality rate is 30%. 
• The disease’s initial symptoms include vomitting, fever and muscle pain. However, it can cause swelling and organ failure too. 
• According to experts, the relaxation of COVID-19 norms and the weakened immune system of people after the COVID-19 pandemic could have caused STSS cases in Japan to spike this year. 

July 16, 2024 

The wreckage of the ship on which renowned Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton made his last voyage has been located by shipwreck hunters. The expedition vessel, named ‘Quest’, was found intact in the Labrador Sea, off the coast of Canada’s Newfoundland, around 62 years after it sank. Shackleton was on a voyage to Antarctica when he died of a heart attack on January 5, 1922, while he was on board Quest. After Shackleton’s death, Quest was part of numerous other expeditions until ice damage in the Labrador Sea caused it to sink in May 1962. 

DID YOU KNOW? 
Ernest Shackleton was knighted by King Edward VII in 1909 for his Antarctic exploration efforts. 

July 16, 2024 

Japanese design company Nendo has designed a non-inflatable football that users can assemble themselves. The ball comprises 54 parts made of recycled, soft material, which makes the ball lighter than regular footballs. The parts of the ball are interlocked so that the ball stays intact during play. Individual broken pieces of the ball can be replaced, so the ball can be used for a long time. 

DID YOU KNOW? 
The Chinese were among the first people to play a form of football known as ‘cuju’. The sport is believed to date back to the third century.