THE weather bureau has a message for Far Northerners wanting the best chance at avoiding any rain this New Year’s Eve.

"We cannot ignore the fact that protecting our economy is an essential component of our larger security goals," said Attorney General Holder.

City and county trails reopen this weekend. Almost every day, the rules change in the beaches and parks of Southern California. Here's the latest.

This series of infographics reveals the bizarre discoveries made by volunteers during the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup.

In many countries like Vietnam, there is nobody to even pick them up, let alone recycle them.

Discover the miniature, magical world of tide pools -- and beat the heat -- by heading to North America's coastlines.

Scientists and concerned beachcombers are looking for answers.

This dismal finding shows that our eating culture needs a serious overhaul.

The World Cup is starting: here's a football they won't be wanting.

Fancy cycling to the beautiful beaches of Gorai? Want to pedal away on roads lined with mangrove trees before you park your bike in front of sea-facing rocks? Then sign up for an event called Cycling- The Adventurous Islands of Mumbai. And apart from the exercise you get, you can also take in sights like the Golbal Vipassana Pagoda and Uttam Lighthouse.

ON March 3, 6 am to 1 pm
MEET AT Borivali Biryani Centre, Shimpoli Chikuwadi, Borivali West 
CALL 9833376765
Cost Rs 2,500 (for rented cycles)

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

While tourists from across the world come to Goa to enjoy on its picturesque beaches, the locals have of late been holidaying in the state's hinterland to get respite from the summer heat and humidity. Several Goans have been rushing these days to the riverfronts in the rural talukas of Sanguem in South Goa district and Sattari in North Goa district, thus encouraging a new trend of 'agro-tourism' in the state.

There are at least 100 farms in Goa, which operate seasonally, mostly in summer, away from the beaches, a senior state tourism official said. "While foreign and domestic tourists enjoy on the beaches, the locals in the beach belt try to search for something else. The agro-tourism has, thus, come as a good alternative," Goa's tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar said. The state government plans to provide all possible help to boost this hinterland tourism, he said.

"We aim to provide a diverse experience to the visitors. They should know all facets of Goa, right from beaches to our green hinterland," Ajgaonkar said. Prashant Desai, the son of former panchayat minister Venkatesh Desai, has turned a bushy patch at Advai village in Sattari into an agro-tourism destination. "The initial concept was to have modern farming with the cross plantation of banana, areca nut, coconut, papaya, lemon and other trees. But, a few of my well-wishers suggested that I should develop this place into a farm to attract tourists," he said. Now, the locals in large numbers throng the place, famous as the 'peacock farm'.

"My weekends since last four months have been full and now with the vacations on, we have advanced bookings even on weekdays," Desai said.
He claimed that about 90 per cent of the people coming to his farm were locals, while 10 per cent were visitors from other places, including Mumbai, who got to know about it through the social media. In the hinterland, one can also find inspirational stories of aspiring tourism entrepreneurs. Ramchandra Salgaoncar, who manages a papaya farm at Bhironda village in Sattari, left his cushy corporate job to venture into 'agro-tourism'. "I left my job in October last year and since then have been associated with this project of agro-tourism. It is a satisfying experience," Salgaoncar said. While Goa has the image of being a beach destination, several hotel owners from the coastal belt drive to Salgaoncar's farm to enjoy a quiet vacation during weekdays.

"The hoteliers are busy during weekends at their own resorts, so they can spare time to visit the farm only on weekdays," he said. The agro-tourism concept has been welcomed by professionals from various fields in the state and also young students, who prefer to skip weekends and get some discounts during weekdays to enjoy at these farms, Salgaoncar said. "The concept of tourism has changed. Now, people don't want to go to public places with their families. They want a private space where their families can safely enjoy. That is where small farms like ours flourish," he said. The Tanshikar farm in Sanguem taluka has been among the first few 'agro-tourism' ventures. Chinmay Tanshikar, who turned his ancestral farm into a tourist attraction, claimed that the number of visitors to his place has been increasing every year. "The word of mouth publicity works better than any other media campaign," he said.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

Bali has reported nine cases of coronavirus and two deaths while Indonesia is expected to past 1000 cases and currently has a death toll of 55 people.

Thousands of people descended on Bournemouth beach this morning to make the most of the sizzling heat, after the mercury rose to a record-breaking 92F (33.3C) at Heathrow.

Four boats carrying 72 migrants were intercepted by Border Force on the beaches of Kent and Sussex on Easter Sunday. The 12 women and 60 men said they were from Iraq, Iran and Syria.

The awe-inspiring pictures are all from a new book in Amber Books' Visual Explorer Guide series called Egypt, by Trevor Naylor.

The Spit, Surfers Paradise and Coolangatta beaches have been shut down, Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate announced today.

Jampal Williamson, co-founder of the aerial photography firm Salty Wings, snapped a number of beaches including Bondi, Bronte, Maroubra and Gordons Bay.

Gavin Newsom, the governor of Calif., is expected to announce the further restrictions on today, according to a memo after the public thronged to beaches over the weekend.

Gov. Newsom had been expected to shutter beaches statewide, after a leaked memo surfaced Wednesday. But he announced Thursday the new order only applies to Orange County.

At-risk areas include Surfers' Paradise in Queensland, St Tropez, Honolulu, Copacabana, the Costa del Sol and Weymouth, the study reveals.

Sunny days and warm weather are proving to be as challenging to manage as restaurants, hair salons and other businesses as about half of U.S. states partially reopen their economies after the coronavirus lockdown. This report produced by Zachary Goelman.

Love white sand beaches? Thank the bizarre parrotfish which eats coral and poops out sand. Oh, it also sleeps in a pile of snot.

On this week’s show, host Joel Goldberg talks with science journalist Andrew Curry about archaeological finds from thousands of years ago along the shores of Northern Europe. Curry outlines the rich history of the region that scientists, citizen scientists, and energy companies have helped dredge up. Also this week, from a recording made at this year’s AAAS annual meeting in Seattle, host Meagan Cantwell speaks with Elizabeth Margulis, a professor at Princeton University, about musical memory. Margulis explains what research tells us about how our brains process music, and dives into her own study on how Western and non-Western audiences interpret the same song differently. This week’s episode was edited by Podigy. Download a transcript (PDF) Listen to previous podcasts. About the Science Podcast [Image: Sebastian Reinecke/Flickr; Music: Jeffrey Cook]