Watch: Swimmer circumnavigates Martha's Vineyard for shark conservation
British-South African swimmer Lewis Pugh became the first swimmer to circumnavigate the Massachusetts island when he completed his swim on Monday.
"It's been one of the toughest swims of my life. Cold water, relentless wind, big waves and the constant thought of what might be beneath me," Pugh wrote on social media.
The swimmer chose Martha's Vineyard for his swim on the 50th anniversary of Jaws to push back against the common perception of sharks as undersea monsters.
"For the past 50 years, it's all been about fear and about the danger of sharks. What I want to do is I want to try to change the narrative for a new generation and say sharks actually bring life, they sustain life, they make oceans healthy," Pugh told PBS News.
Pugh said Jaws and the films that followed in its wake contributed to negative perceptions of the animals.
"They portrayed sharks in a way that they are villains. They're out to get humans and we know that they are nothing of the sort. And so this is an opportunity to try and tell a new narrative for a new generation," he said.
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Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
All the benefits of having a G&T over a glass of wine
If you're going to indulge in a drink or two, whether on holiday or in a pub garden, a gin and tonic could be the best option for your health. As a registered nutritionist, Sophie Trotman is bound to repeat the words that we are all so used to hearing: 'I would always recommend that you don't drink at all, or at least lower the amount that you drink,' she says. 'Wines can be quite sugary and contain a lot of sulphates,' Trotman says, which can wreak havoc on your digestive system, while beers 'are high in carbohydrates' and can cause your blood sugar to spike. The heroic G&T, meanwhile, is a drink that 'I often recommend to my clients if they don't want to cut out alcohol entirely,' says Trotman. 'The calories and sugar in a single gin with a light tonic are as low as you're going to get.' This will be welcome news to many. The majority of people in Britain now prefer to drink gin and tonic with friends rather than cups of builders' tea, according to spirit brand Bacardi's cocktail trend report, and the UK constitutes the world's biggest market for gin. So what are the benefits of swapping your regular pint or glass of wine for a G&T? The health benefits of a G&T 1. Fewer calories than beer and wine One shot of gin will provide you with around 50 calories, compared with about 130 calories in a medium glass of red or white wine or the 200-300 calories in a pint of beer. A 200ml serving of light tonic to mix your drink will come in at around 30 calories, keeping a health-conscious G&T under 100 calories to a glass. The average British man drinks 17.6 units of alcohol every week, according to NHS data, the equivalent of eight to nine pints of lager (with beer still being the drink consumed most frequently by men in the UK). Drinking the same number of single-measure G&Ts each week – though it is not recommended that any adult consumes more than 14 units of alcohol in this timeframe – would mean cutting around 900 'empty' calories from your diet and losing a stone within a year. Meanwhile, women who switch from the average nine units or four medium glasses of wine per week to single G&Ts would drink 120 fewer calories. This might not sound like much, but tweaks like this can make all the difference in limiting your party-season weight gain. At this time of year when the units we consume will likely outpace our average for the year, 'a gin and tonic is definitely a better option to manage your weight,' Trotman says. 2. Less sugar and carbs than other contenders A single shot of gin contains zero grams of sugar, as well as no carbohydrates. This is one of the reasons that gin is often the drink of those on a ketogenic diet, as it is less likely to knock your body out of its fat-burning state (though all alcohol will make it harder for your liver to process food). Aside from leading to weight gain, drinking any beverage that has a high carbohydrate content – like lager, with 10-15 grams of carbs to a pint, or cider which has as much as 40 grams a glass – can cause uncomfortable bloating and an upset stomach. A no-carb drink such as gin 'will have less of an impact on your blood sugar levels too,' Trotman says, another factor that makes it a better option for keeping your waistline static (and making sure that you've still got some energy the morning after). And while vodkas and rums typically come mixed in fizzy, sugary drinks, the sugar in a slimline tonic typically comes in at around 7.6 grams per 200ml glass, compared with the 21.2g in 200ml of full-fat Coca Cola. Light rather than diet tonic is ideal with your gin as 'diet tonic will be full of artificial sweeteners that can worsen your health in the long term,' Trotman says. 'So if you're having a few, always opt for a light version and a single shot.' 3. A boost from juniper berries and garnishes Gin is made by brewing a neutral-tasting grain with juniper berries and other botanicals such as lemon peel, coriander seeds, cardamom or thyme. Juniper berries contain flavonoids as well as large amounts of vitamin C, which can improve circulation and help ward off colds, and antioxidants which promote skin regeneration. These berries can also speed up your digestive system and soothe inflammation. While the amount of these goodies left over in a single serving of gin is likely 'negligible', Trotman says, gin can also be infused with ingredients that up its health benefits: some kinds on the market have been paired with large volumes of fruit juice for added vitamin C, while some have been specifically blended to provide micronutrients as well as collagen. Others are brewed with extra juniper berries. G&Ts are also easy to make and serve creatively. A quick health tip is just to 'eat the slice of orange that comes with your drink, because every little does help,' Trotman says, or at home 'you could mix in some cranberry juice for antioxidants or add some blueberries for helpful polyphenols'. 4. Easier to drink in moderation The versatility of a gin and tonic is a major reason why Sophie Trotman recommends it to her clients. Along with a light tonic, 'you can add a lot of ice to make it a long drink that you're able to keep sipping over a longer period,' reducing the total amount of alcohol you drink in the course of an evening. The reduced sugar and artificial sweeteners involved meanwhile will make it easier to stop at just a few, turning down the dial on your cravings and helping you to call it a night earlier. Unlike wine, the leftover bottle of which can call from the fridge on a Monday evening, a G&T takes more effort to make and so it becomes 'easier to have days off,' Trotman says. 'It's also very easy to alternate your G&Ts with glasses of water, which you'll thank yourself for the next day,' Trotman says. For those looking to cut down there are other benefits too. 'It shouldn't be a concern, but if you start on G&Ts and switch to a non-alcoholic version later in the night, there will be no label on your glass and so no peer pressure from anyone else to keep going.' 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Associated Press
16 hours ago
- Associated Press
Two London pubs, both alike in riverside locality, keep a civil grudge over which is more ancient
LONDON (AP) — On a charming cobblestone street tucked away in London's East End, a pub proudly hangs out a sign that reads 'Oldest riverside pub in London.' Across the Thames River, a pub with a different name makes the same bold claim. The unofficial title of the oldest riverside pub in the city has long been disputed, with both the Mayflower and the Prospect of Whitby laying claim to the title. The two contenders can be found along a quiet stretch of the Thames, far from the city's crowded souvenir shops and tourist sites, serving up traditional British dishes — from steak and ale pie to sticky toffee pudding — with a side of history. The Mayflower is named after the Pilgrim Mayflower ship, which set sail from the site in 1620 to begin its journey to America. Though it only got its name in 1957, it is said to have some of the ship's original timbers incorporated into its structure. Today, pubgoers who can prove direct descent from one of the Mayflower passengers can sign its 'Descendants Book.' Escaping the skyscrapers Every night, tourists step out of black cabs at the doors of the two pubs, trading the capital's modern skyscrapers for the storied streets of London's East End, lined with quaint terraced houses and red brick warehouses. In both pubs they enter spaces where old paintings hanging on dark paneled walls and other mementos of their histories seem to leave the contemporary world behind. 'There really is a feeling that you might have stepped back in time and could be drinking beer with sailors or pirates or anybody from any Dickens novels really,' said Emily Godwin, a Londoner who has been to both. She spoke while sipping a pint of lager with friends at the Prospect on a recent summer evening. The Prospect boasts a pewter bar – the longest of its kind in Britain — where the infamous 'Hanging Judge Jeffreys' is said to have watched the many hangings that took place at the nearby 'Execution Dock.' Early on, the pub was known as the Devil's Tavern due to its association with thieves and smugglers. A hanging noose outside serves as a reminder of the pub's grisly history. It 'feels like such a pocket of history in London,' Godwin said. 'So much of London's East End feels very new and trendy, and the Prospect feels like it's barely changed.' Challenging times for the pub industry British pubs have always been at the center of social life, with locals coming together over a pint, even in times of war and economic hardship. But the last five years have been challenging for the industry as pubs contended with the COVID-19 pandemic and rising costs. This year an estimated 378 venues are set to shutter across England, Wales, and Scotland, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. 'When a pub closes, it puts people out of a job, deprives communities of their heart and soul and hurts the local economy,' said Emma McClarkin, head of the BBPA. Pubs across the country have been forced to find new ways to attract customers. History is a big draw for pubgoers, with a trip to a traditional British pub coming in high on tourists' London bucket lists, raising the stakes of the Prospect and the Mayflower's competition. A 'loving rivalry' The Prospect claims it was established in 1520, with its original flagstone surviving an arson attack in 1666 — the same year as the Great Fire of London. The pub was outside of the city limits at that time and was not affected by the conflagration that gutted the medieval city. Justin Billington, assistant manager at the Prospect, said some people date the pub to its full reconstruction in 1774 after the 1666 fire. But he doesn't see it that way, noting that it operated continuously. The day after the fire, the workers rolled out a barrel of beer that had survived the flames and locals showed up with their tankards, drinking vessels, and enjoyed a drink on the spot. There were several reconstructions in the pub's subsequent history, but none withstood the salt water and shifting foundations of the Thames, Billington explained. Not, that is, until 1774 when the retired captain of a merchant ship called 'The Prospect' rebuilt it using the ship. 'This rebuild held and continues to hold on for dear life,' he said. If the pub was actually established in 1774, that would make the Mayflower — established in the 16th century — older. But there are no hard feelings between the pubs as Billington described their competition as a 'loving rivalry.' 'We compete against each other to be the oldest, and to serve the best food and drink,' he said. The search for the oldest pub in London But the question remains: How can either pub definitively claim the title? Unlike the title of the 'Oldest pub in England,' held by the Porch House in southern England, which is said to date to the 10th century, there is no official certification for the oldest pub in London. Guinness World Records said it has not formally awarded the title because of the complexities created by numerous name changes, relocations and reconstructions. 'There are lots of very old pubs that might make a claim to being oldest, but it could be contested because it could be argued they weren't always in 'London,'' English historian and author Jacob Field said. 'Many pubs have changed name over time, making it hard to claim they are the oldest.'
UPI
a day ago
- UPI
On This Day, Aug. 1: Worldwide ban on cluster bombs goes into effect
Aug. 1 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1498, Italian explorer Christopher Columbus set foot on the American mainland for the first time, at the Paria Peninsula in present-day Venezuela. In 1790, the first U.S. census showed a population of 3,929,214 people in 17 states. In 1907, an Aeronautical Division was added to the Army Signals Corps. The first aircraft bought by this forerunner of the U.S. Air Force was built by the Wright brothers. In 1961, the first Six Flags amusement park opened on 212 acres in Arlington, Texas. In its opening year, admission for adults cost $2.75 and for children cost $2.25. File Photo by Ian Halperin/UPI In 1966, Charles Whitman killed 16 people, including his wife and mother, in Austin, Texas. Thirty-two people were wounded. Most of Whitman's victims were struck by shots fired from the University of Texas Tower. The gunman, a student and ex-Marine, was killed by a police officer. In 1977, Francis Gary Powers, pilot of a U-2 spy plane shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, was killed in the crash of his weather helicopter in Los Angeles. In 1981, MTV premiered with the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star." In 1994, Lisa Marie Presley confirmed rumors that she had married pop star Michael Jackson May 26 in the Dominican Republic. The couple divorced less than two years later. In 2004, nearly 400 people died in a supermarket fire on the outskirts of Asuncion, Paraguay. In 2005, Saudi King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, who had ruled since 1982, died after a long illness at the age of 83. He was succeeded by his half-brother, Crown Prince Abdullah. File Photo courtesy the Arafat press office In 2007, an eight-lane bridge across the Mississippi River at Minneapolis, collapsed during the evening rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring nearly 150. About 50 vehicles were thrown into or near the water when the steel-and-concrete Interstate 35W span buckled and fell. In 2010, a worldwide ban on cluster bombs went into effect. Cluster bombs, usually dropped from planes, are filled with smaller anti-personnel bombs, which are scattered over wide areas. More than 120 states have ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions. In 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama said CIA agents who interrogated suspects after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States "crossed a line" and "tortured some folks." In 2024, Simone Biles became the first American in history to win two Olympic all-around gymnastics titles, taking home gold at the Paris Summer Olympics. Fellow American Suni Lee -- who won the all-around gold in 2020 -- took home bronze, and Brazilian Rebeca Andrade captured silver.
