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Best photography destinations in Mexico

Mexico is a country where there are incredibly diverse landscapes, and exploring its territory becomes an endless search, from beaches and deserts to forests and volcanoes. It is one of the most varied places in the world. Many people like to take a little something home with them as a reminder of their travels. A keepsake to show where they have been. Something that could remind them of the fantastic experience they had during their travel adventures. Some tourists collect souvenirs when they travel. Others prefer to create photo galleries of their memorable journeys, especially when they visit places with attractions that they have not seen before and want to share with the world. Travel photo galleries are like a time machine that captures our journeys and lets us enjoy them over and over again. Travel photography The idea of traveling with a camera in hand makes many hopefuls lose sleep. As kids, we would scan through the pages of National Geographic magazines, imagining what the adventures must’ve been like for those photographers & explorers. What photographic equipment to take on a trip? If you are a professional, you will have to carry around all the equipment for your work, depending on the type of photography you will do. So this is the equipment you should take on a trip: The camera or camcorder with its lenses; two zoom lenses are sufficient. The flash or lamp for a camcorder; built-in or a small and light attachment. The tripod is another addition you should consider taking along on a trip. Don’t forget the holder that attaches to a belt or backpack that carries the camera. Several memory cards, to avoid losing any photos in case there’s a problem. A power bank, a battery charger, a car charger, and a plug adapter with multiple USB outlets. A basic cleaning kit: blower bulb, lens cloth, and sensor cleaning fluid with its cleaning stick. Your smartphone can serve as a flashlight and remote trigger. Best travel photography tips to improve your photos: Create different perspectives on your shots. The best landscape photos are taken early in the morning or at sunset. Tips and recommendations on improving the quality of your travel photography Take your time when capturing your photos and enjoy the places you’re in Every travel destination has a unique look, culture, history, people, mood, landscapes, and stories. In Mexico, beauty is everywhere. If you like photography, Mexico is a real paradise where great photographs are waiting to be created. There are many places in Mexico with landscapes and scenes that are worth capturing. And although Mexico has many memorable destinations, the ones below are mainly listed because they provide charming panoramas with unique colors & architecture that is a must-have for every amateur or professional photographer. Best photography destinations in Mexico Agua Azul waterfalls in Chiapas The state of Chiapas attracts tourists who like to enjoy nature, and the Agua Azul (“Blue Water”) waterfalls located to the north, 64 km from Palenque, are suitable to love for their fresh mountain jungle and of course for those cliffs with shades that They range from sky blue to turquoise. The waterfalls, coming from several rivers, form natural pools for swimming, the park has perfect viewpoints to accommodate you and take as many photos as you like, at the angles you prefer and take advantage of those tones, then you can enjoy the fresh water. Ask for recommendations from the guides and read the notices posted there. These waterfalls have this special color in dry seasons, so it is not recommended to visit them from June to September since they are the months when it rains the most and the waters become cloudy. The Bacalar Lagoon in Quintana Roo The town of Bacalar, considered a magical town, is located 45 km north of Chetumal, capital of Quintana Roo, next to the well-known Bacalar Lagoon or lagoon of the 7 colors, Would you like to have those tones in your camera? The lagoon is one of the main attractions of Bacalar, being a large expanse of shallow waters and white sand, with blue waves that give a natural landscape with a good environment for its mangroves and coconut palm trees. There are boats to hike around the lagoon as well as palapas around for excellent shots. The Cenote Azul is another unmissable place in Bacalar to take good photos, it is magical because of its circular shape and because it is surrounded by jungle, the water is very clear and you can see the depth. On the shores of this cenote, there is a restaurant to enjoy food with a good view of obtaining very good photographs. Chichen Itza in Yucatan Chichen Itza is one of the best Mayan archaeological sites considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and for its temple of Kukulcán, as one of the wonders of the world. The emblematic architecture of this city or Mayan ceremonial center is recognized for its large structures, worthy of carrying in your camera. The most impressive views are located in the central area where the Ball Court, temples, and the great pyramid of Kukulcán that shows the Mayan calendar are located. In the guided excursions you can take time, (you must have your camera already ready), to get good shots. I recommend that you also schedule your trip for the spring and autumn equinoxes, a unique spectacle is observed because at sunset the sun creates the illusion of a snake descending or ascending the stairs of the Pyramid of Kukulcán. Tulum on Riviera Maya Tulum in Quintana Roo has good tourist attractions but nothing like its National Park where the Mayan archaeological zone is located overlooking the ocean, beautiful for a postcard because of the color of the sea and the green of its palm trees added to the structure frame a good landscape for your photographs. When entering the National Park and knowing the archaeological zone, you can have good photos of El >>Read more
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Earth’s inner core is ‘superionic’, a state of matter somewhere between solid and liquid

Earth’s inner core is ‘superionic’, a state of matter somewhere between solid and liquid, study suggests core is ‘superionic’, a state of matter somewhere between solid and liquid, study suggests We’ve known for a while that Earth’s deepest depths, its “solid iron” inner core, isn’t made of pure iron — and now scientists say it might not be solid either. Key points: The structure of Earth’s inner core has been a mystery since its discovery in 1936 Physicists originally thought it was solid, but a new study suggests it’s somewhere between solid and liquid Such studies potentially shed light on some, but not all, of our planet’s deepest secrets Simulations by a team of researchers in China suggest our planet’s innards are somewhere between solid and liquid in a “superionic” state. The research has been published in the journal Nature. Yu He, a physicist at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and co-author of the study, said the calculations were “a new starting point to understand the inner core”. This study, and others like it, Dr. He added, might one day help earth scientists solve some fundamental but complex problems, such as when the inner core started to take shape. But the new study can’t completely explain all the inner core’s quirks. Why states of matter matter On the surface of the Earth, we generally deal with three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Take water, for instance. As the ice in a cool drink, water molecules are arranged in a regular, 3D crystal. When that ice melts to become liquid water, those molecules can now move around but are still in close proximity. And like a gas, like the water vapor that gives humid days their oppressive stickiness, those mobile water molecules are free to move far away from each other. But when substances are subjected to intense pressure or heat, they can switch into other, weirder states of matter. Such as superionic matter, which is somewhere between liquid and solid. In superionic water, molecules split apart into oxygen and hydrogen atoms. The oxygen atoms crystallize into a 3D structure — like you’d see in a solid — while hydrogen atoms move freely around, like a liquid. Superionic water ice could make up the bulk of giant icy planets, such as Neptune and Uranus. And some geophysicists think the very center of Earth, its inner core, is superionic too. Instead of water, though, the inner core is made of a metal alloy: mostly iron, a bit of nickel, and a few other much lighter elements, such as hydrogen and carbon, mixed in there too. It’s the iron atoms that form the 3D “solid” structure in a superionic state and the lighter elements that flow around it like liquid. Earthquakes used to probe Earth’s core Earth’s inner core reaches temperatures similar to the surface of the Sun and pressures 3.7 million times what we experience at sea level. Physically digging to the inner core is impossible, and we can’t yet recreate its conditions in the lab. So to get an idea of what the inner core is like, scientists measure how seismic waves, generated by earthquakes, change in speed and direction as they rumble through the center of the planet. This information can tell scientists how dense the inner core’s iron alloy is, as well as its stiffness, said Hrvoje Tkalcic, a geophysicist at the Australian National University who was not involved in the work. “And then we also have mineral physics, geodynamics, and mathematical geophysics trying to work together to figure out what the heck is happening at the center of our planet,” Professor Tkalcic said. Dr. He and his crew used computer simulations to see how seismic waves might travel through an alloy made of iron, hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen under immense pressure and heat. They’re not the first to do this: other studies have done similar, albeit with fewer lighter elements included. The new study’s conclusions are in line with what scientists have deduced from earthquakes: that the core is less dense than pure iron, so lighter elements must be mixed in, and it’s relatively soft. But there’s still a mystery Something the new study can’t fully explain is a peculiar but distinct feature of the inner core. The speed at which a seismic wave moves through the inner core depends on its direction through the planet. For instance, a wave traveling between north and south magnetic poles will ripple faster through the inner core than a wave traveling across the globe from the equator to the equator — even if they’re traveling the same distance. It’s a phenomenon called seismic anisotropy, and why it happens, no one’s really sure. Dr. He and colleagues suggest lighter, liquid-like elements are not evenly distributed through the superionic inner core. Instead, they’re concentrated into a flattened sphere around the middle, which puts the brakes on waves passing through. But how exactly how — and why — lighter elements might accumulate that way is not specified. In any case, the middle of the planet definitely requires more scrutiny, Dr. He said. “I think more studies are needed to explain other seismic features, such as seismic anisotropy, in the inner core.” Source: abc.net.au
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Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Vaccines

Is there a vaccine for COVID-19? Yes there are now several vaccines that are in use. The first mass vaccination programme started in early December 2020 and as of and as of 15 February 2021, 175.3 million vaccine doses have been administered. At least 7 different vaccines (3 platforms) have been administered. WHO issued an Emergency Use Listing (EULs) for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2) on 31 December 2020. On 15 February 2021, WHO issued EULs for two versions of the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and SKBio. WHO is on track to EUL other vaccine products through June. The products and progress in regulatory review by WHO is provided by WHO and updated regularly. Once vaccines are demonstrated to be safe and efficacious, they must be authorized by national regulators, manufactured to exacting standards, and distributed. WHO is working with partners around the world to help coordinate key steps in this process, including to facilitate equitable access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for the billions of people who will need them. When will COVID-19 vaccines be ready for distribution? The first COVID-19 vaccines have already begun to be introduced in countries. Before COVID-19 vaccines can be delivered: The vaccines must be proven safe and effective in large (phase III) clinical trials. Some COVID-19 vaccine candidates have completed their phase III trials, and many other potential vaccines are being developed. Independent reviews of the efficacy and safety evidence is required for each vaccine candidate, including regulatory review and approval in the country where the vaccine is manufactured, before WHO considers a vaccine candidate for prequalification. Part of this process also involves the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety. In addition to review of the data for regulatory purposes, the evidence must also be reviewed for the purpose of policy recommendations on how the vaccines should be used. An external panel of experts convened by WHO, called the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), analyzes the results from clinical trials, along with evidence on the disease, age groups affected, risk factors for disease, programmatic use, and other information. SAGE then recommends whether and how the vaccines should be used. Officials in individual countries decide whether to approve the vaccines for national use and develop policies for how to use the vaccines in their country based on the WHO recommendations. The vaccines must be manufactured in large quantities, which is a major and unprecedented challenge – all the while continuing to produce all the other important life-saving vaccines already in use. As a final step, all approved vaccines will require distribution through a complex logistical process, with rigorous stock management and temperature control. WHO is working with partners around the world to accelerate every step of this process, while also ensuring the highest safety standards are met. More information is available here. Will COVID-19 vaccines provide long-term protection? Because COVID vaccines have only been developed in the past months, it’s too early to know the duration of protection of COVID-19 vaccines. Research is ongoing to answer this question. However, it’s encouraging that available data suggest that most people who recover from COVID-19 develop an immune response that provides at least some period of protection against reinfection – although we’re still learning how strong this protection is, and how long it lasts. How quickly could COVID-19 vaccines stop the pandemic? The impact of COVID-19 vaccines on the pandemic will depend on several factors. These include the effectiveness of the vaccines; how quickly they are approved, manufactured, and delivered; the possible development of other variants and how many people get vaccinated Whilst trials have shown several COVID-19 vaccines to have high levels of efficacy, like all other vaccines, COVID-19 vaccines will not be 100% effective. WHO is working to help ensure that approved vaccines are as effective as possible, so they can have the greatest impact on the pandemic. What types of COVID-19 vaccines are being developed? How would they work? Scientists around the world are developing many potential vaccines for COVID-19. These vaccines are all designed to teach the body’s immune system to safely recognize and block the virus that causes COVID-19. Several different types of potential vaccines for COVID-19 are in development, including: Inactivated or weakened virus vaccines, which use a form of the virus that has been inactivated or weakened so it doesn’t cause disease, but still generates an immune response. Protein-based vaccines, which use harmless fragments of proteins or protein shells that mimic the COVID-19 virus to safely generate an immune response. Viral vector vaccines, which use a safe virus that cannot cause disease but serves as a platform to produce coronavirus proteins to generate an immune response. RNA and DNA vaccines, a cutting-edge approach that uses genetically engineered RNA or DNA to generate a protein that itself safely prompts an immune response. For more information about all COVID-19 vaccines in development, see this WHO publication, which is being updated regularly. Will other vaccines help protect me from COVID-19? Currently, there is no evidence that any other vaccines, apart from those specifically designed for the SARS-Cov-2 virus, will protect against COVID-19. However, scientists are studying whether some existing vaccines – such as the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine, which is used to prevent tuberculosis – are also effective for COVID-19. WHO will evaluate evidence from these studies when available. What are the benefits of getting vaccinated? The COVID-19 vaccines produce protection against the disease, as a result of developing an immune response to the SARS-Cov-2 virus. Developing immunity through vaccination means there is a reduced risk of developing the illness and its consequences. This immunity helps you fight the virus if exposed. Getting vaccinated may also protect people around you, because if you are protected from getting infected and from disease, you are less likely to infect someone else. This is particularly important to protect people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, such as healthcare providers, older or elderly adults, >>Read more
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Auto insurance for teen drivers

Is there a newly licensed driver in your home? Reduce the stress by understanding the implications for your car policy. For parents, the excitement of having a first-time driver in the house is usually tempered with worry. With little driving experience, immature drivers are at a higher risk for accidents. Of course, safety concern is uppermost in most parents’ minds but other stressors—like the high cost of insuring your new driver and the financial liability implications of a teen driving mishap—can be reduced with these steps. Before getting a learners permit, make a call to your insurance professional Your agent or rep can clearly explain the costs involved in insuring a teenage driver. The good news is, as your teenager gets older, insurance rates will drop—providing he or she has a good driving record. Therefore… Involve your teen in the car insurance discussion From the outset, it’s important to talk to your kid about the relationship between driving a car and the attendant responsibilities, including insurance costs. Explain and reinforce driving safety tips and the serious consequences of driving infractions or accidents, including increasing the cost of insurance. Encourage positive behaviors Auto insurers offer discounts or reduced premiums to: Students who maintain at least a “B” average in school Teens who take a recognized driver training course College students who attend school at least 100 miles away from home and don’t bring their car to campus Choose the right auto insurance company It’s generally less expensive for parents to add teenagers to their auto insurance policy than it is for teens to purchase one on their own. By insuring your teenager’s car with your insurer, you may also qualify for a multi-vehicle discount. That said, insurance companies differ in how they price policies for young drivers, so do some research into prices to be sure to find the best fit for you and your teen. Assign your teen to the right car Find out how your insurer assigns drivers to cars—some insurers will assign the driver who is the most expensive to insure (generally the teenager) to the car that is the most expensive to insure. If possible, assign your teen to the least valuable car. Note that with this kind of arrangement there can be no exceptions; your teen must use only the car to which he or she is assigned, even in an emergency. If your teenager is involved in an accident with an unassigned car, penalties could be imposed and your own premiums might increase. Increase your liability insurance for greater protection If your teen gets into an accident, state minimums for liability insurance will not be enough to fully protect you from lawsuits. Consider purchasing higher amounts of liability coverage—if your teenager is found negligent in an accident and the damages exceed your insurance limits, you will be held financially responsible and could be sued in court for those amounts not covered by your insurance. Depending on the value of your financial assets, you may even want to have the extra protection that a personal umbrella liability policy provides. Raise your deductible to save on your premium The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premium, so consider raising your deductible from the minimum amount required. You may want to use those savings to increase your liability insurance.
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Vancouver library stabbing leaves 1 dead and 5 injured

Vancouver library stabbing leaves 1 dead and 5 injured including boy, 7, after ‘lone suspect knifed victims at random’. One person died and several others were wounded in a mass stabbing at the Lynn Valley Library in North Vancouver on Saturday afternoon. At least six people were taken to the hospital after the attack, including a woman who later succumbed to her wounds, police confirmed. Police confirmed that one suspect was in custody and they believe that he was acting alone. “We have six victims who sustained stab wounds. We have a victim who has sadly succumbed to injuries. That victim is a woman,” police Sgt Frank Jang said during a news conference after the attacks. The stabbings reportedly occurred inside and outside of the library. Witnesses driving by reported seeing multiple people bleeding outside the building. One witness told Global News that he saw a woman and her 7-year-old son outside of the library with multiple stab wounds. The woman reportedly said that the suspect was a stranger and it was a random attack. It wasn’t immediately clear who the suspect is and police said they are unsure why he attacked the library. While police did not share the suspect’s name, they did confirm that he was known to law enforcement. Video taken outside of the library appears to show the suspect being apprehended by police after stabbing himself in the street. The North Vancouver District Public Library announced on Twitter that the Lynn Valley Library will be closed until further notice. “This afternoon a police incident took place outside the Lynn Valley Library’s entrance,” the tweet said. “We are thinking of everyone affected by this terrible situation, both victims and their families. “All library staff and volunteers are safe and are grateful for the quick action of the first responders. The library will remain closed until further notice.” Source: the-sun.com
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