William pays tribute to rangers protecting snow leopards in wildlife series
William's comments are made in an on-screen introduction for the latest episode of his new wildlife documentary series, Guardians, highlighting the work of rangers across the globe.
The future king says: 'Snow leopards are such beautiful creatures, known as the Ghosts of the Himalayas, and just having sight of one is so rare that it feels incredibly special.
'These elusive, big cats may be rarely seen, but they share a deep connection with local people, and as the snow leopards' natural food sources have become scarce, they have ventured closer to human settlements in search of prey, killing livestock and leading to conflicts with local communities.
'In this episode, we meet Kalzang — a ranger bridging the space between tradition and progress.
'His work protects these animals, powers scientific discovery, and helps turn fear into understanding – while guiding a new generation towards sustainable coexistence.'
Veteran broadcaster and naturalist Sir David Attenborough is William's 'inspiration' for the six-part series he hopes will help nature's wardens be 'valued, respected, seen' and promote the 'wonderful' regions they protect.
Ranger Kalzang Gurmet and his team working in the Indian Himalayas are featured in the episode called the Guardians of the Spiti Valley and seen trekking in the mountains.
Mr Gurmet, field manager for Nature Conservation Foundation, said: 'In the context of conserving wild animals, it's said in our stories that wild animals are the jewel of the forest.
'So, for this reason, conservationists are essential. Ultimately, it will benefit us and our region.'
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Forbes
15-07-2025
- Forbes
Inside The Tryall Club: Jamaica's Billionaire Playground Of Heritage, Sport And Elegance
The Great House at The Tryall Club stands as the estate's architectural and cultural heart—a former 19th-century sugar plantation house, now lovingly preserved as a symbol of Jamaica's layered history and refined hospitality. Nigel Lord Photography Above the undisturbed coastline just outside Montego Bay, The Tryall Club is where history lingers in the breeze and luxury is written in quiet strokes. Once an 18th-century sugar plantation, this member-owned Jamaican sanctuary has evolved into a rarefied retreat for those who prefer privacy over performance. It's a place where billionaires arrive quietly, stay longer and often return for generations. In the 1950s William and Ida DeLisser sold what is now The Tryall Club to two American investors from Texas: future Texas governor Tom Connally and future senator Lloyd Bensten. The two imagined the estate as a members-only club, attracting international jet-setters, diplomats, and cultural tastemakers seeking an alternative to resort tourism. When Lennox Lewis, one of boxing's greatest legends, became the first prominent Black homeowner at Tryall, it was a watershed moment in the luxury club's evolution toward greater inclusivity. Many native-born Jamaicans are now villa homeowners. Tryall became a destination with a carefully curated portfolio of more than 90 private villas, each owned, designed, and operated like a billionaire's mood board—from beachfront compounds showcasing arresting art collections to villas dressed in chic, coastal minimalism and everything in between. 'The estate offers an exclusive club that is close to the airport and secure, which adds to the sense of privacy and luxury, while still being part of a close and welcoming community,' said Hugh Benjamin, owner of the Pineapple House at The Tryall Club. Owners rent their villas in weekly blocks, with rates ranging from $393 per night (Great House Villas) to $7,663 per night for stand-alone villas. Jamaica's vibrant soul is woven into every moment. The staff's genuine warmth and time-honored traditions create a living tapestry of hospitality. It's a seamless symphony of past and present, where the island's rich heritage plays out in sunlit moments, slow afternoons, and an ease that lingers long after you've left. Dating to the 1700s, a stone aqueduct and waterwheel stand as enduring symbols of The Tryall Club's storied past, a reminder of its roots as a working sugar plantation, and a treasured piece of Jamaican heritage. The Tryall Club Still standing on the property: the 18th-century stone aqueduct and waterwheel, a majestic relic of the estate's colonial past, gracefully preserved with dedicated plaques. The land remembers. And it's this sense of rootedness that gives Tryall its soul. Well-known to discerning guests but not widely publicized, The Tryall Club quietly hosts a steady stream of celebrities and industry titans. But you won't find bodyguards or entourages here. To them—as to everyone who returns year after year—this isn't a resort. It's a sanctuary, where first names are more common than fanfare, and privacy is part of the welcome. Benjamin's life story offers a useful example. A native of Jamaica, he grew up there, left and now owns a home in New York in addition to his villa at Tryall. Guess which home he visits to get away from a fast-paced lifestyle. 'Celebrities and industry titans have specifically chosen the Pineapple House villa as their destination because of its unobstructed panoramic view of the Caribbean Sea from each bedroom as well as the pool and dining areas,' Benjamin said. 'The views are magnificent, and our VIP guests note that the villa's architecture, curated furniture and Caribbean artwork, five-star amenities, and world-class staff truly make their stay at Pineapple House a personalized experience.' The Tryall Club's Sport Legacy: Where the Court and Course Matter Framed by the Caribbean Sea and the lush hills of Hanover Parish, The Tryall Club's 18-hole course is one of Jamaica's most storied and scenic places to play. The Tryall Club Great Golf At The Tryall Club In Jamaica Golf, too, is more than an amenity at The Tryall Club—it's a legacy. The 18-hole championship course, designed by Ralph Plummer in 1958, has hosted global events like the Johnny Walker World Golf Championship, and today includes a popular junior golf clinic, nurturing the next generation of players who may one day return as villa owners themselves. Many owners and visitors arrange cocktails and golf soiree just before sunset. A new program, The Social Swing, is formally debuting this year. (Look to book the package on the website later in 2025.) The concept is for guests of all golf levels to enjoy three holes with a bit of socialization and great drinks. Think of it as a happy hour gathering where guests enjoy cocktails while taking a few easy swings on three of the holes on the resort's championship golf course. It's less about the competition and more about the camaraderie—pairing the joy of play with the pleasure of good company and Jamaican-inspired refreshments. 'What makes golf at Tryall so special is the setting,' General Manager Kenton Jones said. 'You're playing along the sea, through the hills, and incredible, historic spots like our old aqueduct. It's a beautiful, relaxed course that still offers a great challenge, whether you're a serious golfer or just out to enjoy the views and a good time with friends.' Great Tennis At The Tryall Club, Jamaica Tennis with a View: Set against the lush backdrop of Jamaica's northwest coast, The Tryall Club's championship courts blend sport and scenery in equal measure. The Tryall Club Far from a leisure-only property, Tryall is ranked among the Top 10 tennis resorts in the Caribbean. It's not just a bullet point in a marketing campaign. Tennis is integral to the club's culture. With nine courts, expert instructors, and tournament-quality programming, it's as serious as it is serene. 'It's a big part of the Tryall lifestyle: friendly matches, daily clinics, and a really welcoming tennis community,' Jones said. The Nanny Program At The Tryall Club Play as many rounds of golf and tennis as you can fit in a day. The Tryall Club's uniquely equipped nanny program is beloved, and appropriately elevated—think less babysitter, more Caribbean Mary Poppins. Trained childcare professionals become part of the family's experience, allowing parents to unwind while children are engaged, cared for, and safely entertained. 'It gives parents peace of mind knowing their kids are in great hands, whether they're in the villa, at the beach, or exploring the property,' Jones said. 'It makes it easy for everyone in the family to fully relax and enjoy their time here.' Dining At The Tryall Club Ooshan Bar & Restaurant, the newest addition to The Tryall Club, has quickly become its crown jewel for dining—both a culinary and an architectural standout. The Tryall Club Sitting right on the edge of the Caribbean is the Ooshan Bar and Restaurant at The Tryall Club. The architectural standout opened in November 2024 and has quickly become the club's crown jewel for dining. The bar is a buzzy and boozy affair from 5 to 6 p.m. daily, where guests and locals gather in a ritualistic ceremony to visit and try some of the clever cocktails (like the Tropical Storm and Drunken Pimento) for which Ooshan has become known. Complementing the Beach Club, just steps from Ooshan along the beach, is the Beach Bar and Grill. This casual outpost delivers exactly what its setting promises: pizza, salads, burgers and baskets of onion rings, chicken wings and fish and chips. The atmosphere is relaxed, unfussy, and unmistakably Jamaican; barefoot and covered in sand is just as okay here as a linen cover-up. Throughout Tryall, the rum punch is fabulous. Don't hesitate to have a few (or many). The Spa At The Tryall Club The recently opened spa at The Tryall Club is a peaceful retreat that reflects the restorative energy of Tryall. The Tryall Club Livity Spa by Tryall Club, which opened at the end of 2024, blends holistic wellness with focused, results-based treatments. Guests can choose from an expansive menu designed to promote balance and vitality, while also offering space for stillness and reflection. Offerings range from massages and facials to sound meditation, a restorative practice that uses harmonic frequencies to quiet the mind and support nervous system regulation. The spa was designed to feel completely connected to nature: open-air treatment spaces, ocean views, and the sound of the waves in the background. The island's restorative nature is reflected in the peaceful and intimate calm of the spa. 'People come for a massage and end up staying to just soak in the surroundings," Jones said. The Private Villas At The Tryall Club, Jamaica Celestial Villa at The Tryall Club in Jamaica offers five stunning bedrooms for up to ten guests and the most stunning ocean views. The Tryall Club With more than 90 privately owned villas ranging in price from $1 million to $5 million (and up), there's a footprint for nearly every size family. Villas range from one to two bedrooms up to the expansive 10-bedroom stand-alone villas that reflect the owner families. 'Villas offer a mix of amenities including private pools, gyms, game rooms, and more,' said Nicola Delapenha, a Coldwell Banker luxury property specialist. 'Each comes with a dedicated staff, combining the comforts of a private home with resort-style service. Styles vary, but all reflect the relaxed, elegant spirit of the Caribbean.' The customer base for The Tryall Club largely consists of North Americans, especially from the U.S. and Canada. International clients from the U.K. and Europe, and local Jamaican homeowners round out the mix. According to Delapenha, each family is reflective of a customer type: affluent families, business leaders or celebrities seeking luxury, privacy and a multi-generational retreat. Celestial Villa At The Tryall Club, Jamaica At Celestial Villa, indoor and outdoor living converge—the view from the great room flows seamlessly to the private pool and onward to the Caribbean Sea. The Tryall Club The chic, airy oceanfront design of Celestial Villa is accentuated with the precision of fine British tailored service. The staff, the unseen gears that keep a house humming, is worthy of Downton Abbey. Laundry is attended to daily, even on-demand, while the housekeeping staff operates with a relaxed yet relentless efficiency. The chef at Celestial—a culinary goddess who conjures soulful meals, steeped in love and legacy—reigns supreme over the kitchen. There's also a nice selection of daily treats, from freshly baked banana bread and blueberry cobbler to chocolate chip cookies and pound cake. Each dish is a whispered reminder of Jamaica's rich sun-kissed heritage. Add the cinematic backdrop of the Caribbean with every bite. Aqua Bay Villa At The Tryall Club In Jamaica Aqua Bay, owned by the founders of the Sandals Resorts brand, is a crown jewel at The Tryall Club. The sanctuary space sits right on the ocean and includes its own private cinema worthy of a studio mogul, a fully-fitted gym and a luxurious spa suite with two massage tables. More than a simple accommodation, Aqua Bay is an empire of repose. In a world of hyper-marketed destinations, The Tryall Club offers the ultimate luxury: relevance without reinvention. It remains a place of private legacy and personal return, where families, billionaires, and lovers of timeless design come not to be seen, but to live well, quietly. Jamaica's vibrant soul is woven into every moment here. The staff's genuine warmth and time-honored traditions create a living tapestry of hospitality, a seamless symphony of past and present.
Fast Company
14-07-2025
- Fast Company
‘Johnny Mnemonic' predicted our addictive digital future
In the mid-1990s, Hollywood began trying to envision the internet (sometimes called the 'information superhighway') and its implications for life and culture. Some of its attempts have aged better than others. Perhaps the most thoughtful is the 1995 film Johnny Mnemonic, the screenplay for which was written by cyberpunk pioneer William Gibson, based on his 1981 short story. The film tells the story of Johnny (played by Keanu Reeves), whose vocation is couriering large amounts of data uploaded to a digital memory bank installed in his brain. As Johnny is asked to carry more and more data, his memory bank crowds out or burns away his own organic memories. Desperate to earn enough for a brain operation to restore them, he agrees to a final, dangerously large data haul that may cost him his life. Johnny Mnemonic brought Gibson's projections of our online future to millions who might never have encountered them in his books. A fan of Gibson's books (especially Neuromancer), I remember watching the movie in the mid-2000s and thinking that its effort to visualize and expand the world of the short story felt plasticky and forced. Critics at the time saw something similar, with The New York Times calling it 'incomprehensible' and 'visually garish,' Variety condemning it as a 'confused mess of sci-fi clichés,' and Roger Ebert awarding it just two out of four stars. But in 2025, Johnny Mnemonic hits me differently. The internet is 30-some years old, and many of Gibson's most prescient ideas have now been more fully realized. If Johnny Mnemonic got some of the details wrong, its larger metaphorical themes of tech addiction, transhumanism, and our drift toward digital spaces have only become more clear. I think Gibson was feeling the zeitgeist of a future moment when we all have to decide how much of our organic lives we're willing to give away as our digital lives grow larger. This story is part of 1995 Week, where we'll revisit some of the most interesting, unexpected, and confounding developments in tech 30 years ago. This tension between digital and organic memory arguably began at the turn of the century, when Google established itself as the de facto directory of the information available online. Suddenly, we had access to a vast public store of shared knowledge, data, and content. Studies soon showed that people were forgoing committing information to (organic) memory because they knew it was readily available via Google. Researchers from Columbia, Harvard, and the University of Wisconsin discovered the 'Google Effect' in a 2011 study, which showed that people are far more likely to remember where data is stored than the actual data itself. Increasingly, the value of consumer tech products seems to be measured by their ability to addict—by how much of the user's time and brain space they can claim. Addiction hijacks the brain, reserving more and more time and attention for the object of desire. Every major technology wave in the last three decades has resulted in increased dependency on digital devices and content. Mobile phones proved remarkably addictive. A number of recent studies peg our daily use at between 3.5 and 4.5 hours per day. Pew Research found in early 2024 that 16- to 24-year-olds (tomorrow's adults) often spend more than six hours a day looking at their smartphones. Numerous studies have shown strong correlations between smartphone addiction and mental and physical health problems, including anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and academic struggles. Mobile phone makers have been forced to add features to help people moderate their screen time, but usage continues to rise. The social media revolution in the 2010s introduced highly addictive digital spaces where almost three-fourths of Americans now spend an average of 2 hours and 10 minutes per day (and that's just a third of their total online time). The addictiveness was and is a feature, not a bug. 'The thought process that went into building these applications . . . was all about: 'How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?'' Facebook founding president Sean Parker said at an Axios event in 2017. Congress has introduced several bills to restrict addictive design, but none have passed. In the mid-2010s, Facebook discovered that angry, hyperpartisan content was even more potent catnip for keeping people scrolling and posting. In the 2020s, TikTok 's AI algorithm set a new standard for addictiveness. It processes thousands of signals indicating a user's tastes and beliefs to serve a tailor-fit stream of short videos designed to keep them swiping. The app reached 2.05 billion users worldwide in 2024, with users averaging around an hour per day. A 2024 Pew Research report found that about 58% of U.S. teens use TikTok daily, including 17% who said they use it 'almost constantly.' These tech waves build on each other. Internet usage increased with mobile devices; mobile usage increased with the social web. Generative AI apps may prove even more addictive and intrusive. OpenAI's ChatGPT is the fastest-growing consumer app in history, amassing 100 million users just two months after launching in late November 2022, and 500 million weekly active users by March 2025. ChatGPT generates everything from computer code and companionship to custom images and video. Internet sites and social platforms no longer rely strictly on human-created content—they'll soon generate much of it using AI. This might be a personalized companion, a business coach, or even a version of a loved one who's gone, like the ghostly AI character who advises Johnny in the film. This is likely to further increase the share of our time spent in digital spaces. These technologies capture our brains by capturing our attention, but the tech industry is already developing devices that capture space in our physical bodies—just like Johnny's memory bank. Neuralink's brain–computer interface (BCI) is implanted in the brain and can translate brain activity to communicate with external tech devices. In the near future, we may choose to use such interfaces to augment our brains with specialized knowledge bases or connect 'memory prosthetics' that allow us to store, retrieve, or even offload memories digitally. Some in AI circles even believe the only way humans can stay relevant in the age of AI is by integrating AI models with their brains. Human–computer fusion is a major theme in Gibson's work. In Neuromancer (arguably Gibson's most revered book), the protagonist Case has a bodyguard/sidekick named Molly who has implanted cybernetic eyes that see in the dark, display data to her, and improve her spatial vision during fights. His characters often use 'dermal sockets' in the skull behind the ear to gain new skills (like operating weapons or vehicles). Case and Johnny use these neural interfaces to plug their brains and nervous systems into an alternative, digital world referred to as 'cyberspace' or 'the matrix.' The best-known description of this realm comes from Neuromancer: 'A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation . . . A graphic representation of data abstracted from the banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding.' In the decades after Johnny Mnemonic, tech companies would invest heavily in developing virtual reality spaces for both consumers and businesses. Companies like Second Life, Microsoft, Magic Leap, Oculus Rift, and more recently Meta and Apple, have taken up the chase. But so far, the tech industry's attempts at creating entertaining, social, and functional digital spaces have failed to go mainstream. After Facebook sunk billions into building the 'metaverse'—even appropriating part of the term as its company name—mainstream consumers decided it wasn't the new digital 'town square' and not a place they wanted to spend their time. But that was mainly due to shortcomings in the hardware and software, not a cultural rejection (like with video phones or Google Glass). As extended reality (XR) hardware gets smaller, more powerful, and more comfortable, and digital experiences become more believable, XR could yet go mainstream. It could still become another wave of addictive technology that traps users in digital space. Gibson's presentation of technology in Johnny Mnemonic betrays an awareness of its addictive qualities. Johnny's last and biggest courier job looks like a drug deal. He meets a crew of Chinese underworld figures in a Beijing hotel room to pick up the data. The upload procedure itself, with its careful assortment of digital paraphernalia, smacks of an allegory to administering a dangerous drug like heroin. Because Johnny lacked enough space in his memory bank for the data, his post-upload reaction looks like an overdose. His body shakes. He grinds his teeth. He perspires heavily. After staggering to the bathroom, he's physically jolted by hallucinatory flashes of the data as it bursts through the limits of his memory bank and into his brain. Staring into the mirror, he discovers his nose is bleeding. Later, Johnny's love interest, Jane (Dina Meyer) is shown to suffer from a tech-related disease. She has a system of interconnected contact points on her inner forearm—like the track marks of a junkie. She suffers from a condition called NAS (nerve attenuation syndrome), or the 'black shakes,' a neurological disorder caused by overexposure to computers and other electronics. Asked for the cause of NAS, Henry Rollins's Spider character (an anti-corporate activist and underground cybernetic doctor) gestures around at all the electronic equipment in his lab and huffs: 'All this . . . technological civilization, but we still have all this shit 'cuz we can't live without it!' Later in the film, an associate named J-Bone (Ice-T) informs Johnny that the data he's carrying is actually the cure for NAS, complete with clinical trials data, and the property of a big pharma multinational. The company, Pharmakom Industries, had been hiding the cure from the public to continue selling drug treatments for the disease's symptoms. That too has a prophetic ring. In 2025, I already reserve a large part of my cognitive capacity for my online, digital life. Most of us do, and we're already shouldering a heavy cognitive load of digital information—and paying for it. We're more stressed, depressed, isolated, and lonely. As digital devices like Neuralink bring the digital world even closer to our brains, the side effects may become more visceral. By giving up part of his brain to someone else's data, Johnny gave up part of his memories. He gave up part of his identity—part of himself. At times, as data burst from the limits of his memory bank, pieces of it flashed in his mind like broken images and mingled with flashes of his own, real memories. One day, an AI implant may introduce a foreign intelligence into our brains that mixes with our organic, 'earned' knowledge and experience. Did Johnny ever wonder where the digital part of him ended and his real self began? Will we?
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Prince Louis' loud hobby is the hilarious reason Prince William spends his life with 'his fingers in his ears'
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Prince and Princess of Wales have raised some very active children, with all three of their youngsters finding joy in various hobbies. Over the years, we've learnt about Prince George's unusually mature hobby and Princess Charlotte's love for dancing and gymnastics. And it seems that Prince Louis has found his calling in a musical pastime - but it's left Prince William living with 'his fingers in his ears'. During an appearance at the 2024 Tusk Conservation Awards in London, HELLO! reports that William told guests, "My youngest is learning the drums – that's why I spend my entire life with my fingers in my ears." Arguably one of the loudest instruments you could pick up, it's no surprise that Louis, who sits fourth in the royal line of succession and has delighted royal fans with his loud, bubbly personality during public appearances, has picked up the expressive instrument. While Prince William jokingly complained about the noise caused by Louis' latest hobby, he might actually be the one to blame for his interest in the drums. Last year, during an appearance on the Apple Fitness+ podcast Time to Walk, William revealed that he's a massive fan of the Australian rock band AC/DC, especially their 'head-banging' song Thunderstuck, admitting that blaring it is his favourite way to start the week. "There's nothing better than, on a Monday morning, when you're a bit bleary-eyed after the weekend and trying to get yourself back into the grind of the week, listening to AC/DC - Thunderstruck," he said. "It absolutely wakes you up, puts your week in the best mood possible, and you feel like you can take on anything and anyone," he added. "I'd imagine you're going to walk quite fast listening to it, maybe with a skip in your step, with the head-banging. It's a difficult song not to dance to or to nod along to." What are most parents doing on a Monday morning? The school run! With George, Charlotte, and Louis in the car as he blasts out that song, who can blame Louis for being inspired and wanting to take up the drums? When he's not playing the drums, Louis is out on the rugby pitch. Prince George enjoys the sport, too, as the Princess of Wales revealed when she and Prince William attended the Six Nations match between England and Wales earlier this year. "At weekends we go from one competition to the next," William said when speaking with injured players, according to Hello! . Kate added, "Louis is six and he's just started touch rugby, and George is 11 and he plays a bit more. They do really enjoy it." An exclusive afternoon of drinks and conversation! Meet celebrities and W&H editor Hannah Fernando on 20th and 27th June. Every ticket comes with an Ancient + Brave goody bag worth £100. Book your ticket today
