Ocean plastic pollution solutions

A HONEYMOON in the Maldives has always been a bucket-list trip that risks breaking the bank . . . until now. The island of Dhiffushi offers the palm-lined beaches and crystal-clear waters newlyweds would expect from a holiday to the atoll nation — but at a fraction of the cost. Rooms at a top-rated 3H hotel on the Indian Ocean island are from just £99.39pp for a week. That is cheaper than a single night on most resort islands. So what’s the catch? Unusually for the Maldives, Dhiffushi is a residential island where locals live alongside tourists. A decade ago, the mile-long stretch of land became the first non-resort island in the Indian Ocean to host holidaymakers after its government opened up local islands to tourism. The Maldives is a Muslim country and, unlike resort islands, alcohol is prohibited on local islands. For visitors after a taste of the real ­Maldives, the trade-off is worthwhile. But you need not detox entirely: Guests can visit a floating … [Read more...] about Take a trip to the Maldives’ palm-lined beaches and crystal-clear waters for just £14pp a night

Shamima Begum has been left "angry, upset and crying" after a court ruled she could not return to Britain to fight a citizenship battle, friends said. The ISIS bride is now stuck in a detention camp in Syria after the Supreme Court unanimously turned down her request to come back to Britain yesterday. Ms Begum left east London with two friends when she was aged 15 to join the terror group, which led to her British citizenship being revoked on grounds of national security. The now 21-year-old has not spoken to journalists since the verdict. But friends say the decision to block her return to Britain has left her devastasted. Do you have a view on this story? Let us know in the comments below. They told Sky News : "She's very angry. And she's very upset and crying. She doesn't want to talk to us." Ms Begum was seen walking through the al-Roj detention camp where she has been living in northern Syria following the collapse of the terror group's Middle East … [Read more...] about Isis bride Shamima Begum left ‘angry, upset and crying’ after court blocks UK return

The World Health Organisation-backed COVAX programme has released details of the numbers of COVID vaccine doses it aims to provide to participating countries by the end of May. It plans to deliver 237 million of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot to 142 nations over the next three months as it steps up the rollout - with COVAX seen as the "only true global solution to the pandemic". The initiative, also supported by the GAVI vaccine alliance, was created to ensure access to jabs for low and middle-income countries, and it aims to have two billion doses available by the end of the year. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Shots will be free for the 92 poorest countries, including Ghana which started its COVID-19 vaccine drive this week, after receiving 600,000 shots. Advertisement The doses will have a maximum price of $3 (£2.15) each and countries will begin inoculating mainly frontline healthcare workers and the most … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Which countries are receiving vaccines in WHO-backed COVAX programme – and how many doses each?

BAKE Off's Paul Hollywood has revealed he lost a stone on a diet of boiled eggs, bread and soup. The TV host, 55, went back to basics to trim down after he piled on the pounds from the first lockdown. Paul has told how he stripped back his diet and upped his exercise to get fit again. He told The Mirror : "I’ve actually lost a stone. In fact, just over. I am working out a little bit – doing a bit of walking and running and tinkering... just watching what I’m eating really." He explained: "Every morning I have a couple of eggs from the farm down the road and I make my own toast. So, it’s chucky eggs and soldiers and then in the evening I may have another slice of bread with tomato soup." He revealed he has kicked booze to the curb too, telling the outlet: "I’m on about 1,100 calories a day. I drink about two litres of water as well. I haven’t had alcohol for about four months." Paul said that he put on a few extra pounds because he couldn't leave his house to … [Read more...] about Bake Off’s Paul Hollywood reveals he lost a stone on a diet of boiled eggs, bread and soup

On Monday, a letter was leaked in which Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita suggested to his prime minister that all Morocco government offices suspend their relationship with the German embassy in the capital, Rabat, as well as with other German cultural and political organizations in the country. Bourita said this was necessary because of "deep misunderstandings" on "issues fundamental for Morocco." The foreign minister said that his ministry had already suspended contact with German diplomatic representation in Rabat. Germany's embassy is in the Moroccan capital and it has two consulates in Casablanca and Agadir. Although there has been no official German government statement on the matter, the word from Berlin is that the German government sees no reason to disrupt the two nations' good relationship like this. The Moroccan ambassador had been invited to come to the German Foreign Office urgently and explain the letter, insiders said. Deliberate leak As one source, … [Read more...] about Behind Moroccan-German diplomatic crisis, a list of grudges