Free Republic

One girl from Spain is proving that anyone can make their dreams come true, even people like her who were born with Down syndrome. Marian Avila has made a successful career as a model, despite how difficult it can be for people with Down syndrome to find a job. She is leveraging the media attention she’s received to bring awareness to the chromosomal disorder and encourage people to pursue their dreams no matter what. As a child, Marian always dreamed of becoming a model. Not only was she born with Down syndrome, she is only 5-foot-3. Her height alone would...

Last week British cruise line Saga Cruises announced they would require all guests to be vaccinated before being allowed onboard one of their ships. As a cruise line that caters exclusively to guests 50 years old and over, this can be seen as a reasonable requirement. But what about the three major cruise lines? Once we finally get back to cruising, will Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, and Norwegian Cruise Line require guests to be vaccinated? So far, none of them have made any commitments towards a requirement, but that’s not saying the cruise lines are not looking at implementing...

Carnival Cruise Line has released a major update on ship deployments. This includes several changes for when ships will return after their dry dock and some deployment changes. Unfortunately, most of it is not so good as the cruise line has already announced a further suspension until May and further delays ships. Carnival Cruise Line Deployment Changes The Miami-based cruise line has made a number of changes, and original plans have been thrown out the window with further delays due to dry docks. The global pandemic and the impact on the industry are not making it easy, so ships have...

A new variant of COVID-19 that is inflicting heavy damage across Southern Africa can evade the immunity that is normally provided by previous infection, researchers are discovering. The research is the latest to raise questions about the dangers of the new variants that were detected in South Africa, Britain and Brazil in recent weeks. Scientists have already warned that the new variants are about 50 per cent more transmissible than earlier variants. It is still unclear whether the COVID-19 vaccines will be fully effective against the new variants, or whether the vaccines might need to be modified. Studies to be...

Norwegian Cruise Line and its Regent Seven Seas Cruises brand will be asking all of its crew members to receive the COVID-19 vaccine prior to boarding, the cruise companies' spokespeople told Insider in an email statement. However, one glimmer of hope shines at the end of the no-sail tunnel: the COVID-19 vaccine. "We are exploring all options regarding vaccinations for guests and crew and it is our intention that all crew members be vaccinated before boarding our vessels to begin their duties, subject to availability of the vaccine," Norwegian and Regent Seven Seas' statements read. "We will continue to partner...

48 people, including the driver, were on board the bus, which is managed by a Las Vegas-based company. "One occupant was deceased on scene, two occupants were critically injured and transported to nearby hospitals, seven occupants were transported to Kingman Regional Medical Center via ambulance with less-severe injuries, and 33 occupants were transported to KRMC for minor injuries," stated MCSO officials.

Myotis nimbaensis, shown here, is a new species of bat named for the mountain range in which it is found, the Nimba Mountains in West Africa. Credit: © Bat Conservation International ====================================================== A group of scientists led by the American Museum of Natural History and Bat Conservation International have discovered a new species of a striking orange and black bat in a mountain range in West Africa. The species, which the researchers expect is likely critically endangered, underscores the importance of sub-Saharan “sky islands” to bat diversity. The species is described today in the journal American Museum Novitates. “In an...

The small town of Nuoro, on Italy’s Sardinia island, is home to what many are calling the world’s rarest pasta, an intricate, hand-made treat that only a handful of people can make. Known as su filindeu (in Sardinia’s Sardo dialect), or Fili di Dio (in Italian), and translated as threads of God, this traditional pasta had been linked to La Festa di San Francesco, an ancient religious ritual celebrated every year, in May. For the past two hundred years, the only way to try threads of god pasta was to complete a 33km pilgrimage on foot or horseback from Nuoro...

Nearly 16 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the United States, and even though less than 5% of the population has been vaccinated so far, some travel providers are already accepting proof of vaccination as a requirement to travel. What’s more, travelers who’ve had the vaccine are itching to hit the road. “I have multiple trips planned for later this year, the biggest one being South Africa,” said Michele Scott, a physician and member of TPG’s Facebook group who had just had her first dose of the vaccine. “[But even after being vaccinated], I’m still taking precautions [like]...

The most significant find is the Roman-era shipwreck, which carried amphorae (Dressel 20) containing oil constructed in Spain in the area of Guadalquivir (1st to 3rd century AD), as well as Africana I amphorae made at the ceramic workshops of Africa Proconsularis and specifically in the region of present-day Tunisia, dating between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD.The underwater discovery also found another three shipwrecks:one carrying amphorae made in the North Aegean in the Hellenistic era (1st century B.C.)another carrying amphorae made in ancient Mendi during the Classical era (5th century B.C.)a third that dates to more modern times

Bali authorities made wearing a face mask in public mandatory last year as Indonesia battled a raging Covid-19 outbreak. Foreigners caught not wearing face masks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali are being subject to an unusual punishment: push-ups. Video footage circulating on social media this week shows tourists in T-shirts and shorts being made to do the exercise in sweltering tropical heat as masked security officials stood over them. More than 70 people paid a fine of 100,000 rupiah ($7), but about 30 others said they did not have the cash. Instead, they were ordered to do push-ups....

An archaeological mission from Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities has discovered the remains of a Roman fort at the Shiha archaeological site in Aswan.A press release from the council stated that the remains include a church from the early Coptic era, and the remains of a temple from the Ptolemaic period.Mustafa Waziri, Secretary-General of the council, explained that the mission discovered inside the fort a group of architectural elements from the temple of Ptolemy, and an incomplete sandstone panel, on which was depicted a model of the entrance to the temple and a man who appears to be a Roman...

...archeologist Ruth Shady, who discovered the Caral site in Peru, has been threatened with death if she doesn't abandon investigating its treasures..."There are people who come and invade this site, which is state property, and they use it to plant," archeologist Daniel Mayta told AFP."It's hugely harmful because they're destroying 5,000-year-old cultural evidence." ...Developed between 3,000 and 1,800 BC in an arid desert, Caral is the cradle of civilization in the Americas.Its people were contemporaries of Pharaonic Egypt and the great Mesopotamian civilizations.It pre-dates the far better known Inca empire by 45 centuries.None of that mattered to the squatters, though,...

What can we expect Biden to do about the cruise industry? Cruising is estimated to be a $150 billion global business, according to Travel Pulse, and the U.S. is its biggest market. But currently, all cruises are suspended under a “no sail order” until March 1 and no ships are allowed into U.S. waters. This date falls barely six weeks after Joe Biden’s inauguration. So the question is: Will he extend it? If not, all cruise lines must pass the Centers for Disease Control’s “conditional sail order” that includes testing crew members, simulated test sailings and several mountains of paperwork....

Before the election here in West Texas for the last several years gas has been 1.60 to 1.70 now it's up to 2.10! Wonder why?

US President Donald Trump on Monday rescinded entry bans imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic on most non-US citizens arriving from Brazil, the United Kingdom and all European Union countries. The new travel guidelines will come into effect as of January 26, the White House said in a statement. The alleviation of the ban may not last long enough for it to be implemented, though. President-elect Joe Biden gave the notion short shrift.His spokeswoman said the new administration, set to assume office on Wednesday, “does not intend to lift these restrictions.” Jen Psaki tweeted: “In fact, we plan to strengthen...

There are stunning floor-to-ceiling windows which let you gaze out at the views of Mexico as you rumble towards your destination. And, there are two lounge areas so you can read your book and enjoy a drink while feeling like Agatha Christie’s Poirot on a classy adventure. Guests in the Elite class will be offered a new range of custom made cocktails plus access to the Premium Bar with Reserva de la Familia, Tequila Maestro Tequilero, Centenario, 1800, rum, vodka and whiskey.

The 30-year-old stewardess says in the video: "Rule number one – never consumer any liquid that is not in a can or a bottle. "The reason being is those water tanks are never cleaned, and they are disgusting. "So talk to a flight attendant, we rarely, rarely drink the tea or coffee, they come from the same water tank and so when you're drinking that coffee and tea it comes from that hot water and it's absolutely disgusting." She then shows what the coffee makers look like and says the parts in the machine won't be cleaned "unless they are...

On January 12, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control issued an Order, in effect January 25, requiring all air passengers arriving in the US from a foreign country to get tested no more than 3 days before their flight departs. All passengers will also be required to present the negative result of the test, or documentation of having recovered from COVID-19 to the airline before boarding the flight. This puts the US in line with various other countries that have introduced similar measures over the last weeks. UK Mutation Accelerating Measures The mutation of COVID-19 recently discovered in the United...

One of the best things about travelling the globe is trying amazing world cuisine – and there’s nothing better than hot, fresh street food. And the good news is that even if we’re not able to travel at the moment due to Covid-19 restrictions, we can still feel like we’re away from home by taking inspiration from our adventures’ best dishes. From the food markets of São Paulo to enjoying stroopwafel on a dutch canal, here are some of the best culinary experiences the world has to offer.