Author: staff
There are certain destinations around the world everyone wants to visit at least once: Venice. Lake Como. Saint-Tropez. But overtourism in many of these top spots is becoming a huge problem, and not everyone has the luxury of being able to travel in shoulder- or off-season to dodge the crowds. Enter: The “destination dupe”. You get to experience all the reasons the original city is popular without the crowds, and an under-the-radar destination benefits from tourism cash. Plus, you’re easing the pressure put on places that just don’t want or need any more visitors. Over the years, we’ve seen some…
Published on 05/08/2026 – 12:56 GMT+2 Certain artists love to defy standard 2-hour runtimes when it comes to concerts, with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and The Cure known for their lengthy and bladder-punishing setlists. However, none can compete with an organ in Germany, which is playing one composition in essentially the world’s slowest concert – one which will outlive us all. Aptly titled ‘ORGAN²/ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible)’, the piece began playing on 5 September 2001 at the medieval St Burchardi church in the eastern town of Halberstadt in Germany and won’t finish until the year 2640. Composed by…
“We are looking at this, we are reviewing what is possible,” Davies-Jones told Newsnight. “I have been assured that the prime minister is taking this very seriously. He will meet with those victims and he is looking at what is possible, now he has access to all of the information as prime minister to see what action we can take.” Justice Minister Jake Richards also confirmed Wednesday morning that an inquiry is on Burnham’s radar. “The prime minister will look into it,” he told Sky News Wednesday morning. “He’ll take his time, no doubt, to think about the best route…
By Mike Starling & AFP Published on 05/08/2026 – 12:00 GMT+2 After delays related to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the first licensed casino in the United Arab Emirates is now set to open at Wynn Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah in September 2027. In a quarterly call with investors on 4 August, Wynn Resorts CEO Craig Billings said that construction is “progressing rapidly” on the new resort, and the company expects the project to open its doors to the public in autumn next year. Billings had announced in May that there would be a “modest delay” in the…
Published on 05/08/2026 – 11:25 GMT+2 AI music generator Suno, which allows users to generate songs via prompts, has lost a copyright infringement lawsuit to German licensing agency GEMA. In the January 2025 filing, GEMA argued that Suno was using songs to train its AI models without obtaining any licenses or paying the artists. The decision, handed down on Friday 31 July by the Munich Regional Court, ruled that Suno’s use of the songs was in breach of both the German and US copyright law, and that the AI platform unlawfully obtained, processed and reproduced music that was represented by…
Giorgetti said Italy will request to spend an additional 0.6 percent of gross domestic product on green energy investments and 0.9 percent on defense — the full amount that is envisaged under the new fiscal guidelines. The additional defense spending will “include both new multi-year investment programs and proposals to reallocate resources already provided for under current legislation,” Giorgetti told MPs. Italy’s parliament is expected to approve Giorgetti’s request to the Commission on Wednesday. The extra flexibility is aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels and moving toward NATO’s target to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense. With 2 percent…
Guatemala remained on high alert Tuesday after evacuating hundreds of people following an eruption of the Fuego volcano, one of Central America’s most active. The disaster management agency CONRED said 659 people were evacuated from eight villages and moved to nearby shelters, with about 10 more communities expected to be evacuated. Authorities raised the alert level to red. Footage showed a lava fountain nearly 500 meters high and pyroclastic flows in multiple ravines, officials said. A major highway near the volcano was closed and classes suspended in nearby towns. A 2018 eruption of Fuego killed hundreds and destroyed a village,…
Four moves would help Europe accelerate. The first is multi-speed procurement. Software-led systems such as drones and targeting improve in rapid cycles throughout their deployment and need procurement that can keep up. Israel’s Iron Dome started out as far less capable than it is today and improved continuously in service. European defense ministries have already set up high-speed procurement units with dedicated teams and greater risk tolerance. These need to become mainstream, rather than the exception. Collaboration in procurement, maintenance and training brings costs down and delivery forward. The second is military collaboration to reduce fragmentation. Collaboration in procurement, maintenance…
Russian missile and drone strikes on Kyiv and the surrounding region killed at least 15 people and wounded 42 overnight into Wednesday, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said. Footage showed firefighters battling large warehouse blazes in Brovary and the villages of Velyka Dymerka, Kvitneve and Peremoha, with smoke and flames engulfing burnt-out structures. In Kyiv, crews extinguished fires in four districts after one person was killed. The Kyiv region suffered the heaviest toll, with 14 deaths and 27 injuries. Crews also put out fires at logistics sites in Bucha district and a vehicle blaze in Fastiv.
Published on 05/08/2026 – 9:06 GMT+2 A boed i’r Grym fod gyda chi. That’s what many Welsh Star Wars fans will be saying instead of “May the Force be with you” later this year. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Star Wars film, Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), and to celebrate the milestone, the iconic sci-fi adventure has been dubbed into the Welsh language – Cymraeg – for the very first time. The new translation marks a collaboration with Welsh language broadcaster S4C and the Welsh Government. Lucasfilm co-president Lynwen Brennan, who was born and raised…