Australia now has the highest prices in the world for cigarettes. A pack of 20 Marlboro cigarettes cost around US$19.82 in Australia, with New Zealand a close second at $17.54.
That’s over $6.69 more expensive than in the UK and close to $13.39 more than in the US.
The cheapest prices are in Kazakhstan, where a 20-cig pack goes for $1.06. Other cheapest locations include Vietnam ($1.10), Ukraine ($1.15), the Philippines ($1.23), and Pakistan ($1.30).
A photographer in Australia captured incredible footage of bioluminescent algae emitting a wondrous neon blue glow. The breathtaking event was reportedly filmed by Jordan Robin at a site known as Plantation Point in the waters of the country’s Jervis Bay. “This rare occurrence only usually happens once or twice a year,” he marveled, no doubt thankful that he inadvertently stumbled upon the scene and managed to document it.
In the captivating footage, Robin can be seen dipping his hand into the water and running it through the glowing algae, creating an almost ghostly effect. “What can be seen as a red tide during the day,” he said, “the microalgae Noctiluca scintillans produces a bright blue glow at night, like seen in the video.” Robin went on to explain that the bioluminescence is activated in the creatures when they are disturbed.
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon (Latin: Pauperes commilitones Christi Templique Solomonici), commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple (French: Ordre du Temple or Templiers) or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders. The organization existed for nearly two centuries during the Middle Ages.
Officially endorsed by the Catholic Church around 1129, the Order became a favored charity throughout Christendom, and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were among the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades. Non-combatant members of the Order managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom, innovating financial techniques that were an early form of banking, and building fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land.
Mobula is a genus of ray in the family Myliobatidae (eagle rays). Their appearance is similar to that of manta rays, which are in the same family. Species of this genera are often collectively referred to as “flying mobula” or simply “flying rays”, due to their propensity for breaching, sometimes in a spectacular manner. The devil fish can attain a disc width of up to 5.2 m (17 ft) and can probably weigh over a ton, second only to the Manta species in size. Despite their size, little is known about this genus, much of it being from anecdotal accounts.
The MarkoZen Blog 