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Globescan – February 22, 2019
There’s so much happening around the world, Here’s something that will help you stay on top of it. Just click on the hotspots and learn more.
Australia officially declared the rat-like Bramble Cay melomys, a Great Barrier Reef rodent, extinct. Pakistan conferred its highest civilian award, Nishan-e-Pakistan, on Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. U.S. President Donald Trump warned members of Venezuela’s military who remain loyal to socialist President Nicolas Maduro, that they are risking their future. Read on….
Welcome to Islas Malvinas
A remote South Atlantic archipelago, with rugged terrain and cliff-lined coasts, this British overseas territory is home to many islands and islets. Find out more…
Looking at South America, one would perhaps miss the teeny-weeny archipelago located to the south- east of the continent. Being half the size of Wales, Falkland Islands with just 12,173 sq km, comprises 740 islands.
The Falkland Islands receive less rainfall. Summer falls between October and March, whereas winters last from April to September. Interestingly, there is more breeze in summer than winter.
Landform
Among the many islands, the largest are East and West Falkland. A narrow land strip further divides East Falkland into two regions — north and south.
Click on the hotspots to know more about the Islands.
Cuisine
Being an island, seafood is a delicacy. Ranging from mussels, oysters, snow crabs to scallops, the quality of seafood is good. A visit to the islands is incomplete without indulging in grilled sea trout and Atlantic rock and steamed vegetables. Since the British had occupied Falkland Islands at one point, fish and chips is popular. Falkland Islands are famous for organic meat. Freshly grown vegetables are served as accompaniments, alongside lamb dishes.
Culture
Falkland Islands witnessed a British invasion in 1592, when John Davis, an English navigator, set foot on this island. There were European voyagers who visited the islands in the 1600s. The French visited it in 1764 and established the first settlement in East Falkland. The following year, the British settled in West Falkland. It was not long before the Spaniards claimed their hold on these settlements. Even though the British came back in 1771, they left in 1774.
Interestingly, in 1820, Argentina conquered Falkland Islands. This conquest did not last long as the British returned in 1833 and claimed their rights over the islands.
This led to a constant dissent from the Argentinians. The strong British influence is the reason for English being the official language of Falkland Islands. Other languages spoken are Spanish and French.
While in the Falkland Islands, a trip to the annual craft fair is a must. Local artisans display their work at this handicraft fair. Woodwork, leatherwork, paintings, and so on find a place here.
Wooden framed buildings with iron rooftops in Falkland Islands sing with colour. In the past, the buildings were painted to protect the wood from the salty Atlantic air. Over time, the paint rendered a sense of beauty.
As far as sports is concerned, this island has its own national football and cricket team.
Photos: Flickr (Moonshiner69, Randal Schwartz, Matthew Goulding, Byron Howes, yellow magpie, Joan Junyent, peteropaliu, Brittany, Ronald Woan)
Fast friends
Wouldn’t it be cool to have one of these faithful fictional pets as your own? Read about them while you rack your brain, putting the pictures back together in the right order.
Do you have a pet? Perhaps a dog, a cat, or maybe even a fish? Read about these famous fictional pets — they’re cute, smart, sassy and extremely loyal.
Scooby-Doo from “Scooby-Doo”
Wouldn’t it be fun to have a pet dog that helps you solve mysteries? When it comes to a classic master-pet relationship, it doesn’t get better than Shaggy and Scooby. More brother-like in nature, they have an unbreakable bond. They even reflect each other’s personalities — constantly hungry, equally cowardly, and particularly fond of ‘Scooby Snacks’. Shaggy never hesitates to save his pet Great Dane’s neck whenever he is in danger, and the duo often stumbles upon clues, helping the gang crack mysteries, with ease.
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Hobbes from Calvin and Hobbes
If you are a fan of Calvin and Hobbes comics, you will probably want to own a stuffed tiger too! Hobbes is Calvin’s stuffed tiger and best friend. In Calvin’s eyes, Hobbes is a real, live tiger and an equal participant in all his antics. He brims with ideas, is often smarter and wiser than his owner, and is a sort of older-brother. He helps Calvin, though reluctantly, in his incredibly imaginative inventions. Even helping him with his homework at times…now, wouldn’t that be great?
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Hedwig from the Harry Potter series
Exceptionally smart and intuitive, Harry Potter’s pet owl not only delivers his post, but is also his window between the magical and Muggle worlds, especially during those long, lonely days in Privet Drive. Her unfailing inner compass ensures that she never fails in delivering a letter. A birthday gift from Hagrid, this snowy owl is incredibly faithful to Harry, and protective of him too.
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Snowy from The Adventures of Tintin series
Wherever Tintin goes, so does Snowy. The reporter-cum-adventurer is always on the move, and his pet dog Snowy is his ever-faithful shadow. Tintin can always rely on Snowy to be courageous, in the face of danger, often helping him out of tight corners. The pair is inseparable, only leaving each other’s side when they are forcefully separated. Snowy is ever lively and ever alert.
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Toothless from “How to Train Your Dragon”
Toothless is a rare Night Fury dragon who is playful, curious and intelligent. He is more of a best friend, to Hiccup, than his pet. Like most pets, he is incredibly protective of Hiccup, and doesn’t take kindly to anyone harming his human friend. Though he cannot speak, he certainly is expressive, and often displays strategic thinking skills.
Springing back to life
Then, rivers were the cradles of civilization. Today, they are dumping grounds of toxic industrial and city waste. It’s never too late to revive them. Click here for a few examples…
Rivers are the lifelines of civilization. Egypt is called as “Gift of the Nile” because of the river that snakes through the arid desert to create a narrow strip of green valley. This formed the foundation of the ancient Egyptian civilization. The Yellow River is called the “Cradle of Chinese Civilization”. Likewise, the Indus Valley civization developed around the Indus River. So did Mesopotamia along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Though significant, many rivers around the world, especially those running through big cities, are facing severe degeneration because of pollution. The Ganga and Yamuna are examples of once mighty and notable rivers dying because of pollution.
But it is never too late to do something and help the rivers bounce back to life. Yes, it is possible! Here are a few examples of rivers that were polluted but have been restored to their former glory.
Photos: Flickr (Enrico Strocchi, Wally Gobetz, Pedro Szekely, Hyunwoo Sun, Jez)
Super quiz
How well do you know your superheroes based on their logos, costumes, or scenes? Take this video-quiz to decide if your superhero quotient is spot on.
Budgeting for the country
The Interim Budget presented on February 2 gave us a glimpse of how the government spent our money and what they plan to do in the coming year. Here are some of the highlights.
Piyush Goyal, the Finance Minister of India, presented the Interim Budget on February 2 this year. The Budget is an important event that is watched and talked about by the people of India. Why? Because the Budget explains how the government has spent the country’s money and how it plans to spend it in the coming year. It affects our day-to-day life, since a big part of the country’s money comes from people like you and me — the citizens. An Interim Budget is one that is presented in the year in which there is an election. If a different party comes to power after the election, they can decide if they want to continue with the plans and ideas that the previous party in power has come up with.
Have a chat with your parents and teachers about the words: election, party and democracy. What is democracy? Why is it important?
Become an…
Do you love eating ice- creams? Now, imagine yourself getting paid to eat and sample flavours all day long!
Ice-cream taster! Yes you read that right! Did you know you could have a whole career based on tasting ice-creams. Scroll through the slides to find out more about the job…
Art by Sonal Goyal
Elements of fitness – Flexibility
Do you know some activities can help improve your flexibility? Take this fun quiz to find out more…
Fitness is vital if you want to remain healthy. Cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, body composition, and flexibility are five important elements that constitute fitness. An individual with a healthy mix of all five elements, is usually deemed fit.
Flexibility is the ability to move through the full range of motion allowed by a joint. It depends on many factors, including age, gender, body fat/muscle mass ratio, and exercises done to enhance it. The more a joint is used, the more flexible it will become. Increasing flexibility is most effectively achieved through stretching. The most important areas in which to maintain flexibility are the neck, shoulders, hamstring muscles (back of the upper leg), chest and hips.
Here are some activities that could help improve your flexibility. Check out the flashcards and see how many you get right. Get, set, go!
Take the field
Take a look at some venues that overshadow the sport played in them because of their sheer popularity and significance. Plus, play a fun game while you are at it.
World over there are several iconic, historical and beautiful sporting venues, each as important and unique as the other. Let’s take a look at a few of them:
Colosseum, Rome, Italy:
This is the oldest and only not-in-use venue on the list. The 157 feet-tall stadium was completed in 80 AD under the Roman emperor Titus, and featured 80 entrances and could seat about 50,000 people.
The Colosseum, though an architectural marvel and a major tourist attraction, was infamous for hosting some of the bloodiest events. There were gladiatorial combats, animal hunts, and simulated naval battles. The animals used in the battles ranged from lions, elephants, wild donkeys, hyenas to elks and hippopotamuses.
Photo: Flickr/daisy.images
Wembley Stadium, London, England:
Wembley Stadium is the second-largest stadium in Europe – with a seating capacity of 90,000 – and the tallest stadium in the world with every seat under cover. Opened in 2007, “The Venue of Legends” hosts the final of the world’s oldest football tournament, the FA Cup, and is the home ground of the English football team.
The stadium also regularly hosts major rugby tournaments, besides concerts.
Photo: Flickr/Elena
Melbourne Cricket Ground, (MCG)Melbourne, Australia:
MCG is one of the most famous cricket venues in the world. Since 1854 when it was inaugurated, the ground has hosted Australia’s first bicycle race, served as the main venue for the 1956 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games, the Australian Football League Grand Final every year, and most famously, the Ashes Test between the Australian and English cricket teams. The first game of cricket was played here was on September 30, 1854.
The MCG, or The G as locals call it, is also home to the infamous Bay 13, one of the most disorderly spectator areas in sport.
Photo: Flickr/Charlievdb
Circuit de Monaco, Monaco:
Though there are numerous Formula One Grand Prix circuits around the world, this one is unique because the streets in the neighborhood of Monte Carlo turn into a racing circuit. This tiny city-state on the French Riviera hosts the Monaco Grand Prix touted to be one of the most challenging and dangerous of races because it features a narrow course with several elevation changes and tight corners.
Photo: Flickr/Edward Weston
Beijing National Stadium, Beijing, China
Built primarily for the 2008 Being Olympics, the stadium has a capacity of 80,000. It will be used again in the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Its bowl shape with curvilinear outer steel shell gives it the look of a bird’s nest, which is another name for the stadium. It was designed by Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron, and built at a cost of $480 million.
The stadium has also hosted football matches between Football League Championship team Birmingham City and Beijing Guoan, and Arsenal and Manchester City. Besides, the stadium hosts pop events and pageants.
Photo: Flickr/Wojtek Gurak
Stade Roland-Garros, Paris, France:
Home of the French Open, this clay court is named after Roland Garros, a pioneering French aviator who completed the first solo flight across the Mediterranean Sea. He was also the inventor of the first forward-firing aircraft machine gun, and a World War I hero.
The facility was constructed to host France’s first defence of the Davis Cup in 1928. The 21-acre complex contains twenty courts; Les Jardins de Roland Garros – the restaurant complex; Le Village – the press and VIP area; France’s National Training Centre; and the Tenniseum, a multimedia museum of the history of tennis.
It was also used as a detention centre during World War II, where “indésirables” were held pending imprisonment.
Photo: The Hindu Photo Library
India is home to several popular sporting venues like the Mahalaxmi Racecourse in Mumbai, Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkatta, and Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi.
One that stands out for its location is the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala. It is located amidst the Dhauladhar Ranges of the Himalayas, the peaks of which serve as a beautiful background for a racy game of cricket. Situated at an altitude of 4110 feet, it is the highest international cricket stadium in the world. Dotting the sky above the stadium are golden eagles and Griffin vultures. The Dalai Lama is one of its frequent visitors.
Here are two similar-looking pictures of this stunning stadium. Find six differences between them.
Photo: Flickr/Abhijit Athavale