Saturday, July 13, 2024

The end of the world as we know it: Famous soothsayer Baba Vanga’s prediction for 2025 is terrifying

Published on 10/07/2024 -

As if we didn't have enough on our plate already... Altogether now: “It’s the end of the world as we know it...”

2024 hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing so far.

Japan’s devastating earthquake... Both the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war continue... The continued rise of the far-right (despite some positive respite with the recent UK and French elections)... The death of Alexei Navalny... And let’s not forget quite how bad Madame Web was and that Kayne West is still releasing music.

We could go on, and we’ve still got the “two old men in an old man war” US election to look forward to, as well as the ongoing threat of increasingly powerful AI models spreading beyond the control of humans and governments...

Now, legendary blind soothsayer Baba Vanga has reportedly revealed that the end times will commence in 2025. More specifically, that the start of our destruction will begin next year with a conflict in Europe that will devastate the continent’s population. It will be the kickstarting of events that will ultimately culminate in our doom.

In other words: 2025 will be the beginning of our end.

Wonderful.

Scroll down for her full predictions.

For those of you who have never heard of her, Vangelia Pandeva Gushterova, popularly known as Baba Vanga or “Nostradamus of the Balkans”, was born in 1911 and had alleged prophetic abilities.

Blind since childhood, the Bulgarian clairvoyant apparently was able to see into the future, "powers" she attributed to a tornado that left her blind. These abilities first brought her to public attention in the midst of World War II, and individuals like Bulgarian Tsar Boris III and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev reportedly consulted her in person.

She died in 1996 and has since become a cult figure among believers of soothsaying – and, as you can imagine, conspiracy theorists.

Apparently, many of her predictions have come true long after her death. For instance, Baba Vanga is said to have foretold the death of Princess Diana, the sinking of the Russian submarine Kursk, and the 9/11 terror attacks. She even allegedly foresaw her own death on 11 August 1996 at the age of 85.

Of course, not many of the predictions attributed to her can be authenticated, as they are based on second-hand accounts.

Even though the mystic is no more, she made predictions for every year up until 5079.

Lucky us. Or maybe not, since she already made seven prophecies for 2024 – none of them particularly comforting (apart from an assassination attempt on Russian President Vladimir Putin by a fellow countryman).

Here are the famous blind mystic’s latest predictions – her timeline for our demise, if you will:

2025: War in Europe

The event that will spark humanity's demise will be an unspecified conflict in Europe which will decimate the continent's population.

2028: The exploration of Venus

Humans will begin to explore Venus as an energy source. (It's worth noting that the second planet from the Sun is inhospitable and nothing can grow there.)

2033: Melting of the ice caps

Baba Vanga reportedly foresaw that the polar ice caps will melt, raising sea levels to drastic heights worldwide.

2076: The return of Communism

Communism will spread to countries across the world.

2130: First contact

Humans will supposedly make alien contact – thereby confirming that The X Files were right all along.

2170: Global drought

Climate change will continue to ravage the planet and a drought will devastate much of the world.

3005: The Martian war

Earth will go to war with a civilization on Mars. There’s no further information on who kicked things off, but we’re betting it’s probably us and not the Martians. We’re not the friendliest of species, let’s face facts.

3797: The end of the world – Part I

The Earth will no longer be able to support life, meaning the humans that have survived the Martian war will have to vacate the Earth because it has become uninhabitable.

5079: The end of the world – Part II (For real this time)

The end of everything. The grand finale. The world ends.

There we have it.

As previously mentioned, not many of the predictions attributed to her can be authenticated, and Vanga was far from infallible, so take all of this with a fistful of salt.

She did get some right, but she did also predict that a major nuclear power plant was supposed to explode last year and that the Earth would be hit by a devasting solar storm... So we dodged those catastrophies.

It’s also worth mentioning that when it comes to predictions on our future, Vanga is not alone. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists also announces a yearly estimation with its Doomsday Clock, which was this year set to 90 seconds to midnight. For the second year in a row. It’s the closest it’s ever been to midnight in the history of the clock.

Not very reassuring, is it?

All we can do now is hope that Baba Vanga’s doomsday visions are skewed, that we finally wake up and learn to live together by focusing on what unites us rather than divides us. And not piss off any Martians, naturally.

Failing that, brace yourselves for next year. It's going to be a doozy.

Euroviews. Uniting Europe through rail is the key to a greener, more passenger-focused future

By TC Chew, Global Rail Leader, Arup

Published on 12/07/2024 -

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent in any way the editorial position of Euronews.

Europe’s rail system must embrace a total systems approach, where silos are broken down, and all stakeholders collaborate for transformative outcomes, TC Chew writes.

For decades, Europe has mooted a more competitive rail sector that could seamlessly cross national borders and carry more passengers and freight.

There have been huge strides forward with shared climate targets and more interoperability of train journeys across borders.

But to boost rail as the go-to form of travel over more carbon-intensive alternatives such as short-haul flights, more work needs to be done on improving the experience for individual passengers.

While ambitious plans to triple high-speed rail across the region by 2050 exist, with trains accounting for just 6% of inland passenger transport in the EU, more needs to be done to make rail journeys a more appealing choice.

A modern, interconnected rail system can help Europe achieve its environmental goals but putting it in place will require relentless focus on the consumer experience.

A continental approach for rail

There are some best-in-class cases of rail systems across Europe. Zurich and Vienna are often featured on best-of lists for offering fantastic conditions for travellers on the continent.

There has also been significant progress in the vision for an integrated, continental rail network, with the European Union having recognised the need to boost cross-border rail.

Initiatives such as the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) are helping smooth train journeys internationally, speeding up journey times and improving safety.

But there are still big challenges to overcome — like the ageing of the vital infrastructure that makes rail work.

As Europe’s railways age, continued investment in maintenance and utilising modern technology and data standards is vital for minimising disruption so consumers are confident they can rely on trains when they travel.

To truly modernise Europe's rail systems, we must fulfil the vision of a continental strategy rather than taking a country-by-country approach. Different countries have varying levels of rail development, but all must come together to harmonise standards and invest in a unified system.

This requires three things: first, a commitment to cross-border collaboration and a set of basic requirements across the region for upgrading stations, tracks and carriages. Second, a strategic approach to investment and upgrades.

Instead of using funds for projects that will only bring quick improvements at the national level, EU states must invest across the whole of Europe in technologies such as integrated communication and passenger information systems.

Finally, a continent-wide regeneration of Europe’s rail systems, from signalling and communications to rolling stock, requires strong leadership to unite efforts and encourage the sharing of best practices.

Designing with humans at the centre

To encourage people to choose rail over cars and planes, rail services must deliver a seamless, safe, and reliable travel experience. This requires a holistic approach to improving performance and train and station conditions.

The entire rail industry — operators, regulators, suppliers, and governments — must work together to enhance passenger experience. Quality services, punctuality, and comfortable facilities will foster trust and encourage more people to choose rail travel.

To do this, we must start with the passengers. Meeting their transport needs in a way that’s as quick, easy, reliable, affordable, inclusive, and comfortable as possible is critical to success.

Staff across the rail industry also need to feel inspired and supported to deliver the quality of service everyone wants to see.

We also need to consider the expectations of communities in and around the rail network if we want our investments to translate into greater prosperity and social well-being.

Projects like Copenhagen’s metro expansion and Madrid’s Chamartin masterplan showcase the potential of integrating rail with broader urban planning to enhance connectivity.

These two cities are acutely aware that the journey doesn’t end at the station and that door-to-door convenience is essential, requiring integration with other modes of transport.

Resilient rail for a changing climate

Trains are touted as the most environmentally friendly form of mass transport – accounting for just 2% of the world’s transport energy demand.

But unprecedented temperatures and increasingly frequent extreme weather events put global rail networks at risk, exacerbating existing challenges like ageing infrastructure and capacity constraints. Rail operators are being forced to spend billions to deal with disruption and damage caused by climate change.

Last month, the UK’s Network Rail announced that it would spend £2.8 billion over the next five years to ensure its infrastructure is able to cope with the risks of climate change. Building more resilient rail systems now will be less disruptive – and less costly – than constantly responding to emergencies.

However, resilience investment shouldn’t be viewed as a distraction from other rail improvements — it’s a vital part of making everything else work.

"Business-as-usual" things like governance, managing existing infrastructure in a smart way, operational planning, use of data and technology, and workforce planning don’t make headlines. But their impact can be as significant as major new investment in building climate change resilience.

We can also draw on lessons from other continents. For example, Japan’s rail network is highly energy-efficient, with electric trains accounting for a significant portion of the fleet and a conscious use of recycled materials.

Europe’s rail system must embrace a total systems approach, where silos are broken down, and all stakeholders collaborate for transformative outcomes.

While achieving a single European rail network may seem ambitious, the benefits outweigh the challenges.

The rail sector already makes a substantial contribution to the EU economy, directly employing more than half a million people with an economic footprint of €143bn.

We need to make bold and united decisions for our railways' future, and we must do it at pace.

TC Chew is Global Rail Leader at Arup.

At Euronews, we believe all views matter. Contact us at view@euronews.com to send pitches or submissions and be part of the conversation.

Here's how Europe's Indigenous peoples are using food diplomacy to save the Arctic

By Daniela De Lorenzo

Published on 14/07/2024

The Sámi community want to protect their long-earned gastronomic traditions across the continent.

The glazed seal fat topping a miniature reindeer blood pancake enhances its coppery flavour. Combined with the smoked whale bites that lie on top of the dark flapjack, it is difficult to tell whether this dish tastes more like game or fish. Either way, it’s delicious.

Traditional Indigenous food is based on ingredients harvested from nature: we receive a three-course meal that embodies the richness of Sami cuisine with fish and meat appetisers, a reindeer stew and a squeaky cheese dessert with wild berries.

Sitting on reindeer skin inside the Nomad Indigenous Food Lab which combines a ‘lavvu’ - the traditional Sámi tent - with a stainless steel kitchen, Indigenous youth and chefs tell researchers and policymakers about their struggles in keeping their food culture and tradition alive.

100,000 nomadic Indigenous people can’t find food in the same places as before

Arctic biodiversity is the basis for Arctic food systems and the livelihood of Indigenous populations in ten countries. But, today, Arctic environments are experiencing climate and environmental changes four times faster than any other place in the world.

Retreating sea ice and permafrost thawing impact pasture conditions and routes for livestock and over 100,000 nomadic Indigenous people.

Changing routes make their journeys more complex: “Indigenous communities are being dragged away from their berries patches,” Stephan Schott, a professor in natural resource management at Carleton University, shares as an example.

Food security of these communities becomes more difficult to sustain as they cannot rely on food resources along their paths like in previous years, he says.

But human-caused climate change does not happen in a vacuum. Booming Arctic tourism, increased Sámi land use, and overfishing disrupt further Arctic food systems. It also threatens the passing of culture onto younger generations.

Back in 2014, the world’s top climate scientists, under the IPCC, named protecting grazing land as the most important adaptive strategy for reindeer herders. But Sámi communities’ pastures in Northern Europe are seized as rare minerals are abundant and the construction of mines to extract them can help fasten the green transition. Renewable energy parks have been built on Sámi land in Norway and Finland.

Alongside all this, Schott believes some communities are losing the ability and knowledge to slaughter, hunt, butcher, gather, and conserve food in traditional ways.

“As Sámi youth, it’s hard to preserve some traditions also due to exploitation of resources like salmon,” says Julius Mihkkal Lindi, a young Sámi working in the Arctic and Environmental Unit of the Saami Council. He remembers the first salmon he caught, but nowadays wild salmon fishing is off-limits for Indigenous communities in Canada, Norway and Alaska as the government ban is intended to replenish fish stocks.

What can food diplomacy do for Indigenous communities?

Food security is essential for the survival of these communities - and the right to food sovereignty is a recent innovation in international law, with the United Nations’ recognition and adoption in 2018.

Convincing policymakers to protect Indigenous people’s culture and environment had to be done in a particular way and this is why reindeer herders adopted food diplomacy strategies:

“When you work with food, you work with all the things that are critical for us as Indigenous peoples. It's about both physical and mental health and animal welfare. It's about our economy, our security, identity and language,” says Anders Oskal, executive director of the International Centre for Reindeer Husbandry (ICRH).

The Arctic Council is the only political organisation that has permanent Indigenous people representatives. In 2018, they harnessed the power of their food and made the first food diplomacy attempt: an Indigenous people’s cookbook co-created by 50 Indigenous youth groups. ‘Eallu’ won the prize for Best Cookbook at that year’s Gourmand awards, mainstreaming the knowledge of their food cultures and traditions.

Nomad Indigenous Food Lab: Feeding top European politicians

The Nomad Indigenous Food Lab spun off in late 2020. The ICRH came up with the concept and made it mountable so they could bring it to various political arenas.

The strategy was simple: feeding decision makers with what could soon be lost.

Young Sámi chefs fed Norwegian politicians with the food they love and cherish, as they sat around the fireplace during a top Norwegian political event in 2023. The nomadic kitchen was also transported and rebuilt inside the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) during its World Food Forum in Rome.

“The response is enormous because people in the modern world are no longer used to having discussions around the fire. It is the arena where we have our most important conversations. It feels different, and it's something people remember,” Oskal says.

Strengthening Indigenous communities from the inside

The Centre for Reindeer Husbandry believes that the recognition of Indigenous knowledge by FAO was strengthened by the presence of their nomadic kitchen - but, they say, more work and convincing needs to be done.

The Indigenous people's mantra is ‘to take only what you need from nature and use everything of what you get’ - an increasingly popular mantra in gourmet restaurants and beyond.

“Our concept has the potential to get people to understand more about our food systems and how one might think about true sustainability,” says Oskal. Putting Indigenous people’s knowledge and food systems on the agenda is not easy. But it is vital if they are to have a liveable future.

To navigate the climate crisis - that they are not responsible for - Nomadic people believe they have to strengthen their communities so as to have a voice at the table: “The goal is to help younger Indigenous peoples realise the importance of our food systems,” says Oskal. “We need to engage our youth to take charge themselves to become the leaders of their future, and empower them."

This is the aim to avoid being left behind: “The European Union has a very progressive policy towards Indigenous peoples in the world. However, it does not practice those same regulations for the Indigenous peoples inside the European Union,” Oskal says. “I'd like to see our nomadic food lab in Brussels.”

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