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State Department Puts ‘All Direct Hire’ USAID Personnel on Administrative Leave
Wed, 05 Feb 2025 02:36:00 +0000
The US government’s primary foreign aid agency has employees stationed all over the world, many of whom are now bracing to abruptly leave their posts.
Match ID: 0 Score: 35.00 source: www.wired.com age: 0 days
qualifiers: 35.00 travel(|ing)
Bullseye!
Tue, 04 Feb 2025 20:01:02 +0000
This image from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, released on Feb. 4, 2025, shows the gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424, aptly nicknamed the Bullseye. A far smaller blue dwarf galaxy went through the Bullseye’s center, leaving nine star-filled rings. Astronomers using Hubble identified eight visible rings, more than previously detected by any telescope in any galaxy, and confirmed […]
Match ID: 1 Score: 35.00 source: www.nasa.gov age: 0 days
qualifiers: 35.00 travel(|ing)
NASA Demonstrates Software ‘Brains’ Shared Across Satellite Swarms
Tue, 04 Feb 2025 19:49:25 +0000
Talk amongst yourselves, get on the same page, and work together to get the job done! This “pep talk” roughly describes how new NASA technology works within satellite swarms. This technology, called Distributed Spacecraft Autonomy (DSA), allows individual spacecraft to make independent decisions while collaborating with each other to achieve common goals – all without […]
Match ID: 2 Score: 35.00 source: www.nasa.gov age: 0 days
qualifiers: 35.00 travel(|ing)
Straight Shot: Hubble Investigates Galaxy with Nine Rings
Tue, 04 Feb 2025 15:00:03 +0000
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured a cosmic bullseye! The gargantuan galaxy LEDA 1313424 is rippling with nine star-filled rings after an “arrow” — a far smaller blue dwarf galaxy — shot through its heart. Astronomers using Hubble identified eight visible rings, more than previously detected by any telescope in any galaxy, and confirmed a […]
Match ID: 3 Score: 35.00 source: science.nasa.gov age: 0 days
qualifiers: 35.00 travel(|ing)
My journey into the fairytale world of Maramureș – the Romania time forgot
Tue, 04 Feb 2025 07:00:14 GMT
A German couple who renovate abandoned wooden houses and rent them out offer a window onto a traditional way of life in the north of the country
Cattle are lumbering home in the twilight, horse-drawn farm carts trundle by and shepherds huddle around bonfires. We spy a woman milking her one cow in her garden and another, ancient-looking but upright, strolling back from the field, hoe over one shoulder. Traditional houses are made entirely of wood, roofs included, and many are dwarfed by ornate carved gateways, with tiled roof and massive beam across the top.
We could be in south-east Asia, but this fairytale world of time-honoured custom and lives lived close to the land is a lot nearer home – in south-eastern Europe.
Continue reading...Meteorite falls are extremely rare and offer a glimpse of the processes that formed our world billions of years ago. When a space rock came to an English market town in 2021, scientists raced to find as much out as they could
At 21.54 on 28 February 2021, 16 cameras belonging to amateur sky-watching network UKMON picked up a bright shape headed towards Earth. Pictures show a long white line, which was visible for eight seconds, a glowing globule of light against the dark sky. “For me it’s like fishing,” said Richard Kacerek, one of the founders of UKMON. “You cast your line and then you wait. There are days when you catch nothing but there are days when you catch a really, really big fish and it’s so exciting.” The fireball of February 2021 was such a fish: a lump of flaming extraterrestrial rock travelling at a speed of about 8.4 miles a second – 15 times the speed of a rifle bullet – and headed for the Cotswolds market town of Winchcombe.
Meteorites are rocks from space that have entered our atmosphere. Most were once part of asteroids – the rocky, airless remnants left over from the formation of our solar system 4.6bn years ago. Almost all of them are what collectors call “finds”, meaning that the stone has been discovered by searching the ground, having fallen earlier – in most cases several thousand years earlier. A “fall”, a meteorite that is seen in flight and then recovered, is very, very rare. Worldwide, typically only about 10 such rocks are picked up each year. Before 2021, the last reported UK fall was a rock the size of a cricket ball that landed in a hedge in Glatton in Cambridgeshire in May 1991.
Continue reading...Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Turkey and its militias have cut off the Kurdish city of Kobane from the rest of Syria.
The post Twelve Days in Kobane, Where Syrian Kurds Are Under Attack by Turkey appeared first on The Intercept.
Video:
00:06:40
A group of volunteers is spending two months lying in bed—with their feet up and one shoulder always touching the mattress—even while eating, showering, and using the toilet. But why? This extreme bedrest study is helping scientists understand how space travel affects the human body and how to keep astronauts healthy on long missions.
Microgravity causes muscle and bone loss, fluid shifts, and other physiological changes similar to those experienced by bedridden patients on Earth. By studying volunteers here on Earth, researchers can develop better countermeasures for astronauts and even improve treatments for medical conditions like osteoporosis.
In this study, participants are divided into three groups: one stays in bed with no exercise, another cycles in bed to mimic astronaut workouts, and a third cycles while being spun in a centrifuge to simulate artificial gravity. Scientists hope artificial gravity could become a key tool in protecting astronauts during deep-space missions.
Whether you hiked the Atlas Mountains or enjoyed a beach or city break, share a tip on your favourite Moroccan find – the best wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
Morocco saw visitor numbers climb by an incredible 20% in 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world. From the cultural highlights of Marrakech and Fes to the surf beaches of the Atlantic and up into the remote villages of the High Atlas mountains, the country offers extraordinary variety. We’d love to hear about your favourite spots, whether it’s a gorgeous riad hotel tucked away in the medina, a fantastic surf beach, a desert retreat or an off-the-beaten-track discovery.
If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition.
Continue reading...In some of the photographs you have to squint hard to see it – sandwiched between tree trunks or cloaked in fog. In others, it’s so close up that all you see are rivets or the cross-hatching of metal beams. In his series Thirty-Six Views of the Golden Gate Bridge (the title nods to Katsushika Hokusai’s famous woodcut prints of Mount Fuji), US photographer Arthur Drooker set out to defamiliarise the great Californian landmark, asking: “Is it possible to see the most photographed bridge in the world anew?” After two years on the project, he came away with “deep admiration” for its builders who defied predictions that the mile-wide strait could never be bridged. “What I found most resonant,” says Drooker, “even more than the span’s status as an engineering and architectural icon, is its power as a symbol of possibility.”
The founder of Mothers Against College Antisemitism says her 62,000-member Facebook group is influencing NYU policy.
The post A Well-Connected NYU Parent Is Trying to Get Students Deported appeared first on The Intercept.
Asylum-seekers are being detained because they come from Russia and Central Asia, immigrants and attorneys told The Intercept.
The post They Flee Russia as Dissidents Seeking Asylum. The U.S. Locks Them Up. appeared first on The Intercept.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors. You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
From biking adventures to city breaks, get inspiration for your next break – whether in the UK or further afield – with twice-weekly emails from the Guardian’s travel editors.
You’ll also receive handpicked offers from Guardian Holidays.
Continue reading...Prof James Hansen says pace of global heating has been significantly underestimated, though other scientists disagree
The pace of global heating has been significantly underestimated, according to renowned climate scientist Prof James Hansen, who said the international 2C target is “dead”.
A new analysis by Hansen and colleagues concludes that both the impact of recent cuts in sun-blocking shipping pollution, which has raised temperatures, and the sensitivity of the climate to increasing fossil fuels emissions are greater than thought.
Continue reading...Trump administration pulling references online ‘won’t make crisis’ stop affecting Americans’ lives, say experts
Donald Trump’s administration has started to remove or downgrade mentions of the climate crisis across the US government, with the websites of several major departments pulling down references to anything related to the climate crisis. Climate scientists said they were braced “for the worst”.
A major climate portal on the Department of Defense’s website has been scrapped, as has the main climate change section on the site of the Department of State. A climate change page on the White House’s website no longer exists, nor does climate content provided by the US agriculture department, including information that provides vulnerability assessments for wildfires.
Continue reading...
SEMrush and Ahrefs are among
the most popular tools in the SEO industry. Both companies have been in
business for years and have thousands of customers per month.
If you're a professional SEO or trying to do digital
marketing on your own, at some point you'll likely consider using a tool to
help with your efforts. Ahrefs and SEMrush are two names that will likely
appear on your shortlist.
In this guide, I'm going to help you learn more about these SEO tools and how to choose the one that's best for your purposes.
What is SEMrush?
SEMrush is a popular SEO tool with a wide range of
features—it's the leading competitor research service for online marketers.
SEMrush's SEO Keyword Magic tool offers over 20 billion Google-approved
keywords, which are constantly updated and it's the largest keyword database.
The program was developed in 2007 as SeoQuake is a
small Firefox extension
Features
Ahrefs is a leading SEO platform that offers a set of
tools to grow your search traffic, research your competitors, and monitor your
niche. The company was founded in 2010, and it has become a popular choice
among SEO tools. Ahrefs has a keyword index of over 10.3 billion keywords and
offers accurate and extensive backlink data updated every 15-30 minutes and it
is the world's most extensive backlink index database.
Features
Direct Comparisons: Ahrefs vs SEMrush
Now that you know a little more about each tool, let's
take a look at how they compare. I'll analyze each tool to see how they differ
in interfaces, keyword research resources, rank tracking, and competitor
analysis.
User Interface
Ahrefs and SEMrush both offer comprehensive information
and quick metrics regarding your website's SEO performance. However, Ahrefs
takes a bit more of a hands-on approach to getting your account fully set up,
whereas SEMrush's simpler dashboard can give you access to the data you need
quickly.
In this section, we provide a brief overview of the elements
found on each dashboard and highlight the ease with which you can complete
tasks.
AHREFS
The Ahrefs dashboard is less cluttered than that of
SEMrush, and its primary menu is at the very top of the page, with a search bar
designed only for entering URLs.
Additional features of the Ahrefs platform include:
SEMRUSH
When you log into the SEMrush Tool, you will find four
main modules. These include information about your domains, organic keyword
analysis, ad keyword, and site traffic.
You'll also find some other options like
Both Ahrefs and SEMrush have user-friendly dashboards,
but Ahrefs is less cluttered and easier to navigate. On the other hand, SEMrush
offers dozens of extra tools, including access to customer support resources.
When deciding on which dashboard to use, consider what
you value in the user interface, and test out both.
If you're looking to track your website's search engine
ranking, rank tracking features can help. You can also use them to monitor your
competitors.
Let's take a look at Ahrefs vs. SEMrush to see which
tool does a better job.
The Ahrefs Rank Tracker is simpler to use. Just type in
the domain name and keywords you want to analyze, and it spits out a report
showing you the search engine results page (SERP) ranking for each keyword you
enter.
Rank Tracker looks at the ranking performance of
keywords and compares them with the top rankings for those keywords. Ahrefs
also offers:
You'll see metrics that help you understand your
visibility, traffic, average position, and keyword difficulty.
It gives you an idea of whether a keyword would be
profitable to target or not.
SEMRush offers a tool called Position Tracking. This
tool is a project tool—you must set it up as a new project. Below are a few of
the most popular features of the SEMrush Position Tracking tool:
All subscribers are given regular data updates and
mobile search rankings upon subscribing
The platform provides opportunities to track several
SERP features, including Local tracking.
Intuitive reports allow you to track statistics for the
pages on your website, as well as the keywords used in those pages.
Identify pages that may be competing with each other
using the Cannibalization report.
Ahrefs is a more user-friendly option. It takes seconds
to enter a domain name and keywords. From there, you can quickly decide whether
to proceed with that keyword or figure out how to rank better for other
keywords.
SEMrush allows you to check your mobile rankings and
ranking updates daily, which is something Ahrefs does not offer. SEMrush also
offers social media rankings, a tool you won't find within the Ahrefs platform.
Both are good which one do you like let me know in the comment.
Keyword research is closely related to rank tracking,
but it's used for deciding which keywords you plan on using for future content
rather than those you use now.
When it comes to SEO, keyword research is the most
important thing to consider when comparing the two platforms.
The Ahrefs Keyword Explorer provides you with thousands
of keyword ideas and filters search results based on the chosen search engine.
Ahrefs supports several features, including:
SEMrush's Keyword Magic Tool has over 20 billion
keywords for Google. You can type in any keyword you want, and a list of
suggested keywords will appear.
The Keyword Magic Tool also lets you to:
Both of these tools offer keyword research features and
allow users to break down complicated tasks into something that can be
understood by beginners and advanced users alike.
If you're interested in keyword suggestions, SEMrush
appears to have more keyword suggestions than Ahrefs does. It also continues to
add new features, like the Keyword Gap tool and SERP Questions recommendations.
Both platforms offer competitor analysis tools,
eliminating the need to come up with keywords off the top of your head. Each
tool is useful for finding keywords that will be useful for your competition so
you know they will be valuable to you.
Ahrefs' domain comparison tool lets you compare up to five websites (your website and four competitors) side-by-side.it also shows you how your site is ranked against others with metrics such as backlinks, domain ratings, and more.
Use the Competing Domains section to see a list of your
most direct competitors, and explore how many keywords matches your competitors
have.
To find more information about your competitor, you can
look at the Site Explorer and Content Explorer tools and type in their URL
instead of yours.
SEMrush provides a variety of insights into your
competitors' marketing tactics. The platform enables you to research your
competitors effectively. It also offers several resources for competitor
analysis including:
Traffic Analytics helps you identify where your
audience comes from, how they engage with your site, what devices visitors use
to view your site, and how your audiences overlap with other websites.
SEMrush's Organic Research examines your website's
major competitors and shows their organic search rankings, keywords they are
ranking for, and even if they are ranking for any (SERP) features and more.
The Market Explorer search field allows you to type in
a domain and lists websites or articles similar to what you entered. Market
Explorer also allows users to perform in-depth data analytics on These
companies and markets.
SEMrush wins here because it has more tools dedicated to
competitor analysis than Ahrefs. However, Ahrefs offers a lot of functionality
in this area, too. It takes a combination of both tools to gain an advantage
over your competition.
When it comes to keyword data research, you will become
confused about which one to choose.
Consider choosing Ahrefs if you
Consider SEMrush if you:
Both tools are great. Choose the one which meets your
requirements and if you have any experience using either Ahrefs or SEMrush let
me know in the comment section which works well for you.
The Trump minion has said Jan.6 defendants should get cash reparations and those responsible for the charges should get jail.
The post The Capitol Rioters Are Free — But Ed Martin’s Crusade Against Jan. 6 Prosecutors Is Just Getting Started appeared first on The Intercept.
Public Accounts Committee examined series of site purchases and found ‘troubling culture that repeatedly wastes public money’
The Home Office’s plans to house asylum seekers reveal a “dysfunctional culture of repeated mistakes and weak internal challenge” that wasted nearly £100m, parliament’s spending watchdog has concluded.
A Public Accounts Committee report said the department had a “troubling culture that repeatedly wastes public money” after examining the acquisition of the £15.4m HMP Northeye site to house new arrivals.
Continue reading...Plays join shortlist for prestigious international award honouring scripts by female, transgender and non-binary playwrights
Plays submitted by the National Theatre, the Almeida and the Royal Shakespeare Company are among the finalists for this year’s Susan Smith Blackburn prize for female, transgender and non-binary playwrights.
The international playwriting award, now in its 47th year, has a shortlist of nine scripts. The National’s submission is Inter Alia, about a judge whose son is accused of rape. The play will be staged this summer in the Lyttelton theatre, starring Rosamund Pike in the lead role. It is written by Australian playwright Suzie Miller, who had a hit with her previous legal drama, Prima Facie, starring Jodie Comer.
Continue reading...Whether you hiked the Atlas Mountains or enjoyed a beach or city break, share a tip on your favourite Moroccan find – the best wins £200 towards a Coolstays break
Morocco saw visitor numbers climb by an incredible 20% in 2024, making it one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the world. From the cultural highlights of Marrakech and Fes to the surf beaches of the Atlantic and up into the remote villages of the High Atlas mountains, the country offers extraordinary variety. We’d love to hear about your favourite spots, whether it’s a gorgeous riad hotel tucked away in the medina, a fantastic surf beach, a desert retreat or an off-the-beaten-track discovery.
If you have a relevant photo, do send it in – but it’s your words that will be judged for the competition.
Continue reading...UNRWA delivered the majority of food aid during the war and sheltered more than 1 million people. What happens when it’s banned?
The post Israel Bans UNRWA as Trump Throttles Foreign Aid appeared first on The Intercept.
Following Trump’s executive order, a trans woman held at a federal prison was told she would be moved to a men’s prison.
The post Trans Women in Federal Custody Face the Terror of Being Transferred to Men’s Prisons appeared first on The Intercept.
The founder of Mothers Against College Antisemitism says her 62,000-member Facebook group is influencing NYU policy.
The post A Well-Connected NYU Parent Is Trying to Get Students Deported appeared first on The Intercept.
Gabbard is a rare Washington politician who defended the NSA whistleblower. But she has also changed positions and even political parties.
The post Tulsi Gabbard Once Called for an Edward Snowden Pardon. Will She Flip-Flop Now? appeared first on The Intercept.
This live coverage has ended. You can find the latest US news here.
As the clock nears midnight in Washington DC, signalling the beginning of Trump’s tariffs on China’s imports, here is a look at how China might respond, via AFP:
From retaliatory tariffs on US goods like car parts and soya beans to controls on raw minerals essential for American manufacturing – analysts say China has plenty of options if it wants to reply to fresh US levies.
9:00 AM In-Town Pool Call Time
2:00 PM THE PRESIDENT signs Executive Orders
Oval Office
Closed Press
4:00 PM THE PRESIDENT greets the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
Stake Out Location
Open Press
4:05 PM THE PRESIDENT hosts a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
Oval Office
In-House Pool
4:20 PM THE PRESIDENT participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
Cabinet Room
Closed Press
5:10 PM THE PRESIDENT holds a press conference with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
East Room
Pre-Credentialed Media
Media Sign Up Here
Media Link closes Tuesday, at 10am EST
5:40 PM THE PRESIDENT has dinner with the Prime Minister of the State of Israel
State Dining Room
Closed Press
Bondi approved 54-46 as staunch political ally of president propelled to top perch of US law enforcement
The US Senate confirmed Pam Bondi on Tuesday as the next attorney general to steer the justice department through Donald Trump’s second term and his clear intent to turn it into an extension of his executive power, especially as a cudgel against his personal and political adversaries.
The 54 to 46 vote to confirm Bondi was largely across party lines. All Republicans voted to confirm and all but one Democratic senator, John Fetterman, voted against.
Continue reading...Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Turkey and its militias have cut off the Kurdish city of Kobane from the rest of Syria.
The post Twelve Days in Kobane, Where Syrian Kurds Are Under Attack by Turkey appeared first on The Intercept.
With the Democratic Party reeling from its losses, the DNC is voting on a new chair. Will it choose to reform its top-down model?
The post The Democratic National Committee Is Undemocratic. That’s by Design. appeared first on The Intercept.
Trump’s recent executive orders show unwavering support of Israel and the further dehumanization of Palestinians.
The post Trump’s Nightmare Plan for Gaza appeared first on The Intercept.
Facing more than a dozen questions about her views on the NSA leaker, Gabbard held her ground at her DNI confirmation hearing.
The post Tulsi Gabbard Refused to Back Down on Edward Snowden. It Could Tank Her Nomination. appeared first on The Intercept.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is writing law today. This has required no changes in legislative procedure or the rules of legislative bodies—all it takes is one legislator, or legislative assistant, to use generative AI in the process of drafting a bill.
In fact, the use of AI by legislators is only likely to become more prevalent. There are currently projects in the US House, US Senate, and legislatures around the world to trial the use of AI in various ways: searching databases, drafting text, summarizing meetings, performing policy research and analysis, and more. A Brazilian municipality ...
The FBI trawled NSA records without a warrant to investigate a man suspected of trying to join a terror group, prosecutors admit.
The post FBI’s Warrantless Search Ruled Unconstitutional in a Blow to Government Spying appeared first on The Intercept.
Asylum-seekers are being detained because they come from Russia and Central Asia, immigrants and attorneys told The Intercept.
The post They Flee Russia as Dissidents Seeking Asylum. The U.S. Locks Them Up. appeared first on The Intercept.
The Alien Enemies Act provides sweeping powers to detain or deport foreign nationals. It’s ripe for abuse, experts say.
The post Trump Leans on WWII Japanese Incarceration Law to Deport Immigrants appeared first on The Intercept.
The “privacy-first” company surprised its user base when CEO Andy Yen lauded Trump on social media.
The post Proton Mail Says It’s “Politically Neutral” While Praising Republican Party appeared first on The Intercept.
For many government employees, merely owning cryptocurrency is off-limits. Not for Trump, who created a “very grifty” meme coin.
The post Trump Appointees Can’t Own Crypto. That Rule Doesn’t Apply to Trump Himself. appeared first on The Intercept.
Advocates say the bill will put domestic violence survivors who face false allegations from their abusers at greater risk of deportation.
The post Republicans Say This Anti-Immigrant Bill Will Protect Victims of Abuse. It Will Do the Opposite. appeared first on The Intercept.
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