Latest news with #UnescoWorldHeritageSite
Wales Online
6 days ago
- Wales Online
One dead and 19 tourists injured in Turkey balloon crash
One dead and 19 tourists injured in Turkey balloon crash The weather is believed to have played a part Hot air balloons in Turkey (file image) (Image: Pexels ) A hot air balloon has crashed in central Turkey, leaving its pilot dead and 19 Indonesian tourists injured, a local official said. In a statement, the governor's office said the balloon was affected by a sudden change of wind. It was trying to make a hard landing near the village of Gozlukuyu in Aksaray province when the pilot fell out of the balloon's basket and his feet got tangled in a rope, Aksaray governor Mehmet Ali Kumbuzoglu said. 'Unfortunately, our pilot got stuck under the basket and died,' he said, adding that the injured tourists were taken to hospital. Hot air ballooning is a popular tourist activity over the rugged landscape of central Turkey, which is dotted with ancient churches hewn into cliff faces. The attractions include the 'fairy chimneys' of Cappadocia – the tall, cone-shaped rock formations created by natural erosion over thousands of years that are a Unesco World Heritage Site. Article continues below Video from Ilhas News Agency showed one deflated balloon, its passenger basket lying on its side, as emergency services tended to injured people. An investigation is under way. State-run Anadolu Agency said another hot air balloon taking off from the same location of Ilhara Valley also made a hard landing early on Sunday morning, and that 12 Indian tourists were slightly injured and taken to hospital. Two Spanish tourists were killed in 2022 when a hot air balloon made a hard landing following a sightseeing tour of Cappadocia.
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Straits Times
Two men jailed for stealing $7m golden toilet from Winston Churchill's birthplace
James Sheen (left) and Michael Jones have been jailed for stealing an 18-carat golden toilet - a fully functioning artwork - from Britain's Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of British wartime premier Sir Winston Churchill. PHOTOS, SCREENSHOT: THAMES VALLEY POLICE, YOUTUBE Two men jailed for stealing $7m golden toilet from Winston Churchill's birthplace LONDON - Two men were jailed on June 13 for stealing an 18-carat golden toilet that had been on display as an artwork in an exhibition at Sir Winston Churchill's birthplace. The fully functioning toilet - a work titled America, by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan - was stolen from the Churchill family seat of Blenheim Palace in southern England, a major tourist attraction and Unesco World Heritage Site. Prosecutor Julian Christopher told jurors at the start of the trial at Oxford Crown Court in February that a group of five men had driven two stolen vehicles through locked wooden gates into the palace grounds before dawn on Sept 14, 2019. They broke in through a window, smashed down a wooden door, ripped the toilet from the wall and left after five minutes in the building. The toilet, weighing 98 kilos was insured for US$6 million (S$7.6 million). Prosecutors say it was probably divided into smaller amounts of gold to sell it off. None of the gold has ever been recovered. James Sheen, 40, had pleaded guilty before trial to burglary, conspiring to convert or transfer the gold and converting or transferring the gold. Michael Jones, 39, was found guilty of burglary by a jury, having pleaded not guilty. Judge Ian Pringle said the pair had played important roles in the 'bold and brazen heist', though the judge said he could not be sure that Jones was present during the burglary. Sheen was sentenced to four years in jail, with the sentence to begin at the end of a separate jail term of nearly 20 years he is currently serving for a series of thefts. Jones was sentenced to 27 months in prison. REUTERS Sir Winston Churchill was born at Blenheim Palace in southern England, a major tourist attraction and Unesco World Heritage Site. PHOTO: BETTMANN Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
George Town's heritage status safe, says Penang exco member
State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai (center), GTWHI general manager Dr Ang Ming Chee (his right) and representatives from organising partners announcing GTHC 2025 at the GTWHI office in Lebuh Acheh. (June 11, 2025) — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star. GEORGE TOWN: The city's Unesco heritage status is not under threat, thanks to the legal frameworks and town planning policies the Penang state government had implemented since its listing. State tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said this in response to questions by reporters in light of concerns from certain parties regarding gentrification and development. "The state heritage enactment and local council guidelines have ensured that heritage buildings are safeguarded. "We're now also moving beyond that into the area of intangible cultural heritage," he pointed out. Wong said the state was strict regarding projects and developments, particularly within the 109.38ha core heritage zone, which is roughly bordered by Carnarvon Street, Malay Street and Love Lane, and stretches to the waterfront. However, he said he had read about some issues with similar heritage buildings in Melaka. He called on authorities and stakeholders there to continue adhering to Unesco's heritage building guidelines to preserve the heritage status of both cities. Melaka and George Town were jointly inscribed together as a Unesco World Heritage Site in July 2008, so both cities must meet criteria to maintain their status. Just like in Penang, various groups and individuals in Melaka had also expressed concern that gentrification and commercial development would threaten the cities' joint listing. Wong said Penang's success in maintaining the outstanding universal values of George Town was due to the tireless efforts of various bodies such as George Town World Heritage Incorporated (GTWHI), which was set up in 2010 to spearhead efforts in safeguarding, managing and promoting the city.
AsiaOne
11-06-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Zelenskiy denounces Russian attack on historic Kyiv cathedral, World News
KYIV — A Russian attack overnight damaged St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv's historic centre, one of Ukraine's most cherished monuments, an action denounced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as "unacceptable and catastrophic." Zelenskiy said the attack caused part of the facade to collapse on the 11th-century cathedral, a designated Unesco World Heritage Site. "For all people who truly know history and are not strangers to Christianity, even the threat of damage to or the destruction of St Sophia is an absolutely unacceptable thing, catastrophic," Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address. "But not for Russia. Mad with Shaheds (Iranian-designed drones) and the red button. And catastrophes are precisely the meaning of their existence. They produce nothing and will leave nothing else behind." Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi said Russia had "struck at the very heart of our identity again," calling the cathedral "the soul of all Ukraine." Tochytskyi said a blast wave damaged the cornice on the main apse of the landmark. Pieces of white plaster crumbled to the ground with a gap visible in a section of the cornice, Reuters video from the scene showed. This is the first time since the start of the war that the cathedral has been damaged, first deputy director general of the site Vadym Kyrylenko told reporters. Russian drones flying close to the ground present a threat amid continuous air attacks on the capital. "As our security guards say, sometimes (drones) almost touch the crosses on the bell tower 76 metres above the ground," he said. The cathedral was added to Unesco's World Heritage list in 1990 for its architectural importance. The United Nations' cultural body describes the white cathedral and monastery complex with green roofs and golden domes as a symbol of the "new Constantinople" created in the region. Kyrylenko reported no critical damage and said the site will be inspected by a specialised institute and repaired. More than a year after Russia's invasion in February 2022, Unesco's World Heritage Committee placed the cathedral on the list of World Heritage in Danger "due to the threat of destruction the Russian offensive poses" to the monument and integrity of its ancient interiors, mosaics and frescoes. The site was also vulnerable to shockwaves, it said. "It is not only protected by our state, it is protected by the whole world. It is the heritage of the whole world," Kyrylenko said. [[nid:718946]]
The Star
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Johor Regent and Singapore agree to land swap at Holland Road
JOHOR BARU: The Johor Regent and the Singapore government have agreed to a land swap deal in the island republic. Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who is also Johor crown prince, owns the 21.1ha plot of land at Holland Road, according to a media release on Singapore's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) website. The land, comprising Plot B and Plot C, has been under the private ownership of the Johor royal family for generations. "The Regent plans to develop his land. The Singapore government and the Regent have agreed to undertake a land swap so his planned developments will be further away from the Singapore Botanical Gardens Unesco World Heritage Site. "The Regent will transfer Plot C, which is closer to the Singapore Botanic Gardens Unesco World Heritage Site, to the Singapore government," the statement read on Tuesday (June 10). In exchange, the Singapore government will transfer 8.5ha of state land (Plot A, shaded purple in the figure), to the Regent, the statement said, adding that the land parcels to be swapped are comparable in value. Plot B will remain under Tunku Ismail's private ownership, according to the press release. It also mentioned that the Regent might develop his land after the swap, which is suitable for low-rise and low-density residential use. "Any development plans will be subject to due process. URA and agencies will assess any development applications and ensure that the proposed development is sensitive to the surrounding site context. "Prior to commencement of any works, the development will be subject to environmental studies to mitigate any potential impact on the environment," the press release said. The Singapore government also pointed out that it would keep Plot C "undeveloped for now, while keeping open our future plans for the area". Meanwhile, sources say that after the land swap, the Regent's land will be worth between RM15bil and RM30bil.
