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Globescan: May 9, 2024

There’s a lot happening around the world this week. Here are some snippets.

In West Asia, Israel pounds Gaza and the Cairo peace talks with Hamas continue. In Africa, the death toll from Kenya floods rises to 228. In yet another climate disaster in Asia, Indonesia will permanently relocate 10,000 people after Ruang volcano eruptions.

Paris is gearing up for the Summer Olympics and members of the global super-rich are spending as much as $500,000 on “ultra-exclusive” packages that promoters claim will include meeting athletes, access to the athletes’ village and “the chance to be part of the opening ceremony”.

Read on.

Sweat it out

Are you wondering how you can get your daily quota of exercise in this blazing heat? Here are some options for an indoor workout.

Staying fit and healthy is important in any weather. Though you do need a dose of the sun, you need to stay indoors during the peak hours to avoid problems like sunburn and heat stroke. So, how can you get your daily quote of exercise? Simple, workout indoors. Check out these four. Unravel their images as you read about them.

Mountain climbing

No, you don’t have to go hunting for a hill. This workout can be done on the floor. First, get into a plank position on the floor. This involves lying down on the stomach and raising yourself on your arms. Your weight will be resting on the toes at one end and your arms which will be flat against the floor at the other. Your body will be lifted away from the ground. Keep your stomach and chest muscles tight and try to bring one knee to your chest and take it back again. Repeat with the other knee. Start slowly and increase the speed as you get more comfortable.

Cycling

Yes, it can be done indoors too and is less time-consuming as you don’t need a specific route. Just head to your cycle and your workout can take off with a bang. Cycling improves stamina, increases the heart rate, strengthens your core and calf muscles without taxing them as much as running does. Rain or shine, you can cycle indoors.

Jump squat

Jump squats strengthen your quads and glutes. First, lean forward slightly as you squat. Use your arms to help you rise and jump as high as you can. Cushion your landing with bent legs. Sink into another squat and repeat. Start by doing as many as you can and increase the number as your stamina improves.. Here’s a little tip: aim for the maximum height during every jump.

Lunges

Lunges work your hamstrings, calves, glutes, and quads. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bring your right foot forward and lower your body till your thigh is parallel to the ground and the left knee touches the ground. Hold for at least five seconds. Go back to starting point and repeat with the other side. Do this as many times as you can initially and slowly increase the count.

Waterways of the world

One of the biggest sources of freshwater, rivers are integral to survival. Do you know which are the longest rivers in the world?


Rivers provide water for a multitude of human uses and also support various other life forms. The first human civilisations grew around river systems. Rivers are present on land and even under the ocean.

The Nile (6,650km) is the world’s longest river flowing across 11 countries in Africa. It is the primary water source of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. Then comes the Amazon River (6,575 km) in South America, covering five countries. The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world. In third place is the Yangtze River (6,300 km) is Asia’s longest river. One-third of China lives in the Yangtze River basin. Next comes the Mississippi River (6,275km), in the U.S., which originates in northern Minnesota, with lake Itasca as its source, and flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Yenisei River (5,539km) begins in Mongolia and flows through Lake Baikal and empties itself into the Arctic Ocean. The Yellow River (5,464km), the birthplace of Chinese civilisation, is also known as the Sorrow of China because it frequently changes its course and causes flooding. At seventh place is the combination of the Ob and the Irtysh Rivers (5410km). Together the two flow through countries of Russia, Kazakasthan and China. South America’s Parana River (4,880km) is the second largest in the continent and harbours a rich and varied animal life. The Congo River (4,700km), formerly known as the Zaire River, is the world’s deepest river, with depths reaching 700 feet in some parts. Finally, there is the Amur River (4,480 km), also known as the Heilong, which forms the natural border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China.

Here is a fun game to help you apply what you have read. Arrange the rivers in order of length, beginning with the Nile.

Out in the garden

Summer is a time for flowers and outdoors. But, to get the plants to bloom, you need to use the right tools.

Zinnias, sunflowers, petunias, verbena, marigold… the list of summer flowers goes on and gardens blossom into a riot of colours. Behind this beauty lies the art of gardening. Finding out the right kind of soil to plant the seeds, keeping the plants safe from insects and other pests, making sure they get enough water and nutrition … all this plays a role in getting plants to prosper.

One of the crucial things in gardening is the right kind of tools. And that’s what this activity is about.

Origami safari

Do you know how to play a Picdoku? It’s a Sudoku but with a twist. Read on to play the game.

Origami, the ancient art of paper folding, traces its roots back to Japan. Derived from the Japanese words “ori” (to fold) and “kami” (paper), origami transforms a simple sheet of paper into intricate creations through precise folds and creases, without the use of cutting or adhesive.

This game features some Origami animals/birds. Can you place them in the grid correctly?

How to play:

A Picdoku is just like a Sudoku, but with pictures instead of numbers. Fill up the grid in such a way that each animal appears only once in every row, column and 2*3 grid.

Circle of life

Learn about the different stages of a butterfly’s life cycle through this video.

Circle of lifeFeatured Video Play Icon

The write way

Watch this video for some tips on how you can write better, and put them to use the next time you sit down to write.

The write wayFeatured Video Play Icon

Naturally wonderful

Learn about some unique formations where Nature has played sculptor and artist. Read on to learn more.

Unique formations in Nature are a result of scientific processes. Rock formations happen through erosion and tectonic activity. Biology informs us about the formation of intricate patterns in living organisms, from branching in trees to the symmetry of snowflakes. While atmospheric sciences talk about the science behind cloud formations, hurricanes, and other atmospheric phenomena, Chemistry tells us the molecular structures beneath the crystal formations…Each geographical formation has its own distinct characteristics, such as size, shape, composition, and formation process, making them unique and interesting. Let’s take a look at seven such wonders.

Find the author

So you know the Famous Five, the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and Charlotte’s Web, but do you know the names of the people who wrote these books?

Let’s see how familiar you are with the names of authors. Here is a fun game to test your knowledge. Can you place these names in the grid correctly?

Safari through sanctuaries

Which sanctuaries in India host the largest concentration of an animal? Here are the numbers…

Which sanctuaries in India host the largest concentration of an animal? Here are the numbers. Move the slider from right to left to reveal the details.

Diverse vegetation types ranging from dry deciduous to moist deciduous and evergreen forests makes Bandipur — a part of the larger Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve that includes Mudumalai National Park in Tamil Nadu and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala — ideal for pachyderms. The landscape allows elephants to migrate across different habitats.

Did you know that Corbett National Park is India’s first Project Tiger reserve? The park’s ecosystem, ranging from dense forests to grasslands and riverine belts, offers the best environment for the big cat to thrive.

Home to more than two-thirds of the global population of this endangered species, Kaziranga’s tall grasslands, marshes, and dense forests offer adequate food, water, and shelter for these large herbivores, allowing them to live longer in their natural environment.

The last remaining natural habitat of the Asiatic lion in the world, Gir has been instrumental in successfully saving this majestic species through habitat protection, anti-poaching measures, and community involvement. The population of lions has increased significantly, showcasing a remarkable conservation success story.

Covering an expanse of roughly 227 sq.km., the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary is a habitat for a diverse array of species, such as tigers, leopards, and U.P.’s State Animal Barasingha. Named for its antlers that have a dozen points, the deer thrives in this sanctuary, which boasts dense riparian forests and moist deciduous trees like sal, teak, and jamun.

Nestled amid the lush ranges of the Nallamalais is the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR), one of India’s largest sanctuaries spread across 5,937 sq.km. and five districts. The terrain comprises plateaus, ridges, gorges, deep valleys and a tropical dry deciduous forest teeming with bamboo and grasses; one of the main reasons for the 15% increase in the population of leopards.

Located in Karnataka, this protected area spans approximately 83 sq.km. The bears find refuge in its rocky terrain and scrub forests. Visitors have an opportunity to observe these elusive creatures in their natural habitat.

The showpiece of the national park, situated in the Western Ghats and known for its biodiversity, this mountain goat is endemic to the region, with the park’s high-altitude grasslands and shola forests being crucial for the endangered animal’s survival.

Located in the Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, the home of the ghudkhur or khur, as the Indian wild ass is known, is characterised by vast salt marshes, thorny scrublands, and grasslands.

The Kashmir stag, also known as the Hangul, is often sighted in Dachigam, named after the 10 villages that were relocated for its formation. It has remained a protected area since 1910, under the care of the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir and was upgraded and declared a National Park in 1981.

This 78.6 sq.km. park stands at an altitude of more than 7000 feet above sea level. Best known for its trekking route to Sandakphu, this Alpine valley has rhododendron forests and rare species of animals and orchids, which makes it the best place to spot the only other species of panda besides the Giant Panda.