For half a century, millions of workers have repeated a task across the deserts in northern China: inserting forearm-length sticks into shifting sand, first in a row, then in an intersecting line, gradually forming a grid. Then saplings are planted at the center of each small square.

The technique, known as “straw checkerboards,” is a simple yet widely used method to stabilize sand dunes against the wind and help plants take root by using water supplied through an irrigation system.

The widespread lattice it created across the sand has become the iconic image of China’s decades-long campaign against the spreading of desert conditions, known as the Three-North Protective Forest Program or the Green Great Wall.

The generations of work have yielded measurable progress, but scientists caution that preserving the gains will require decades of continued effort.

For a long time, drought, overgrazing and farming removed vegetation, harmed the soil and made areas vulnerable to wind and sandstorms. That kind of degradation of the land over time is known as desertification. The area of desertified land in northern China peaked in 2000, and it has been reduced by over 1,000 square kilometers (400 square miles) each year since then, according to data published by state media.

The Chinese government said the initiative launched in 1978 has played a crucial role in transforming vast regions covering nearly half of China from “the desertification advancing and people retreating” to “greenery advancing and the desertification retreating.” Forests planted by the program now cover a cumulative 500,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) .

“The broad significance of the Three-North Program is not only the scale of restoration, but the long-term political commitment behind it,” said Barron Joseph Orr, chief scientist for the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification. In a response to The Associated Press, he wrote that reversing desertification is possible when it becomes part of long-term development strategies.

Elsewhere, efforts to combat desertification have included a project launched in Africa in 2007 to plant trees across a number of countries to hold back the Sahara Desert.

Measuring the success of the Green Great Wall

The progress is the result of the efforts of frontline sand-control workers, along with top-level planning and substantial state investment, said Zhu Jiaojun, a scientist at the Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, who has long been dedicated to the construction and management of the program. He added that increased rainfall in recent years in some areas has made vegetation restoration easier.

“The achievement of desertification combat is due to people’s hard work and a bit of luck with climate,” he said.

According to long-term monitoring data by Zhu’s team, China’s desertified land has shrunk by around 10% overall since 2000, and areas of severely or extremely desertified land have decreased by more than 40%. Forest cover in the program area has risen from around 5% in 1978 to 14% in 2022.

In a recent government-organized media tour to a corner of Kubuqi Desert, about 800 kilometers (500 miles) to the west of Beijing, 60-year-old Yin Yuzhen recounted her early days of being a sand-control worker as “very lonely.” Working alongside her husband near her hometown in the neighboring Mu Us desert, she said that it felt delightful to encounter any other creature.

“Even the passing of a bird across the sky made me happy,” she said.

Four decades ago, she recalled, the sand often blew so thick that it made it hard to see a short distance.

“But now we can see the sun. We can see the green in the distance. We can see the road,” said Yin.

She and her husband now work from dawn to noon every day, attending to trees and fixing or replacing checkerboards. They are joined by their children and sometimes local volunteers.

Zhu, the scientist, estimated that over 300 million rural laborers have been involved in the program, mostly on a paid, part-time basis.

Sustaining both land and livelihood

Orr said restored ecosystems in drylands can become increasingly self-sustaining over time, but they still require careful management and long-term monitoring, with success depending on factors such as water availability and soil health.

The environmental advocacy group Green Camel Bell in Gansu province works to explain desertification and its risks to farmers and herders, plant trees with them in dryland areas, and help restore and sustain vegetation.

“Efforts to combat desertification and restore forests should be linked to local livelihoods, so communities do not see economic development and ecological protection as an either-or choice,” said its founder Zhao Zhong.

Orr agreed that restoration efforts have a much greater chance of succeeding if they’re structured to help communities benefit economically.

Zhu said that a key question for the project is how conservation can be sustained if the scale of human intervention and investment is reduced.

“This is what we are very concerned with and this is also the biggest challenge,” he said.

Yin hopes the younger generation will continue her work.

“We need to teach young people to love this Earth. If we love it with all our hearts, nature will love us in return,” she said.

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Video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this story.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

CCTV footage shows a man loading ‘some kind of wooden stick’ into a car on the morning before Miss Widdecombe was murdered

A man was seen loading a “wooden stick” into a car outside a home reportedly linked to the suspect arrested for the murder of Ann Widdecombe, it has been reported. The former Conservative minister and Reform UK spokesperson was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor at about 11.40am on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries.

On Sunday, there was a substantial police presence at a house in Byrley Road in the Kimberworth Park area of Rotherham – more than 200 miles from the former minister’s home in Devon.

It comes after Devon and Cornwall Police said a 28-year-old white British man had been arrested on suspicion of murder in the South Yorkshire town on Saturday evening.

CCTV footage seen by The Telegraph appears to show a man leaving an address linked to the suspect at around 7am on Wednesday – the day Miss Widdecombe is believed to have been attacked.

The man is said to have been seen putting “some kind of wooden stick” into the passenger side of a red car before driving off, the newspaper reported.

Neighbours in Byrley Road told the Press Association police arrived at the terraced property just before the kick-off of the England World Cup match on Saturday night.

A number of units arrived and officers took a red car from the driveway at about 3am.

On Sunday evening, a South Yorkshire Police Tactical Support Group van was parked outside the house with at least two other marked vehicles, and forensics officers in white overalls were going in and out of the property.

One neighbour said: “It all happened just before the match. When we came home from watching it there were just two plain police cars there but everyone says there were loads more here before that.”

A woman said: “Nothing happens on this street. We’ve been here 12 years and nothing has ever happened.”

Asked about the man who lives in the house, she said the rest of the family moved out some time ago.

She said: “He’s been living there on his own. We’ve never even seen him. We don’t really know him. I don’t think anybody knows him. It’s so strange.”

Miss Widdecombe, who was 78, was first elected a Conservative MP in Kent in 1987, and went on to serve as an MEP for the Brexit Party and then a spokeswoman for Reform UK.

She also found fame outside politics after starring in Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

On Sunday, Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “At this point, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident and at this point we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this murder.

“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it was politically motivated.”

He said detectives “remain open-minded about the potential motive” and stressed there is not believed to be any threat to the wider public.

He added: “We are aware of online and public speculation, particularly with regards to motive.

“Again, I urge people not to share or engage with that speculation – it’s unhelpful, it doesn’t aid our investigation, and particularly, it’s distressing to the family and friends of Miss Widdecombe.”

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Chief Constable James Vaughan, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said the force has “mounted an extraordinary response to a horrific murder of a very prominent public figure”.

“The operation has been running at a lightning pace for 48 hours,” he added.

“I am really pleased that we have a suspect firmly in custody and that will undergo some further work from us today.

“Well done to all – this is clearly British policing at its very best.”

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It has a mix of character cottages, modern family homes and more

Cambridgeshire has no shortage of towns and villages offering commuters the opportunity to live in affordable, rural-locations while being within easy reach of major employment hubs. Doddington is an attractive option for commuters seeking the tranquility of village life while having easy access towards Ely, Peterborough, Huntingdon and Cambridge.

Around half way between Chatteris and March, the village is home to more than 2500 residents, according to the 2021 census. A third of residents leave the village each day for work.

Steve Bowles, director of estate agents Next Level Property says: “Doddington ticks every single box” with “very few” people choosing to ever leave the village once moving there.

“Unlike many villages that have become little more than commuter locations, Doddington still feels like a proper village. People know their neighbours. Local events are well supported…while sports clubs, community groups and local organisations ensure there’s always something happening,” he adds.

Alongside its community spirit, Mr Bowles also says the variety of housing is one of the village’s biggest strengths. Its character cottages, modern family homes, rural homes with generous gardens and bungalows means there is something for buyers at every stage of life.

Despite its rural setting, it doesn’t compromise on convenience. It offers a GP surgery and minor injuries unit, a primary school, a choice of pubs and restaurants, and ample green space.

The village also boasts a wealth of local history with landmarks including St Mary’s Church and its Victorian Clock tower, giving the village character and identity.

Surrounded by the Fenland landscape, residents can enjoy open skies, sunsets, peaceful country walks and wildlife, while remaining well connected to some of the region’s largest towns and cities.

According to sales data over the past 12 months provided by Next Level Property, the average house price in Doddington is £285,000.

Andrew Castle and Tim Henman commentated on the Wimbledon men’s singles final together before paying emotional tributes to each other after the match’s conclusion

Tim Henman paid a heartfelt tribute to Andrew Castle following his final Wimbledon commentary for the BBC.

Castle, who has served as the corporation’s lead television commentator at the Championships for the past 23 years, is departing after this summer’s tournament. The announcement came ahead of play getting underway at the All England Club, with Castle discussing the change in an interview with The Times before the BBC later confirmed the news with an official statement.

Before bidding farewell to his viewers, Castle received a warm send-off from his long-time colleague, Henman, in an emotional live exchange on BBC One.

The four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist said: “Andrew, I’ve got to head up to the studio now, but I want to take the opportunity to thank you so much for sharing the commentary box with you for so many years.

“You’ve been an absolute star, you’ve taught me so much, and I’ll miss you a lot, but what a great way to finish off.”

Castle responded by saying: “I knew you when you were an annoying 14-year-old, and I’ve known you that whole time. Thanks for your company, and you, Andre.”

Andre Agassi and Henman joined Castle in the commentary box for the men’s singles final, in which Jannik Sinner successfully defended his title, defeating French Open champion Alexander Zverev 6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Castle continued: “Tim, all the best, and take care. See you, mate. I shall never forget Tim Henman shooting up in 2013 when Andy Murray won and elbowing me right in the head on match point because he was so excited.”

He signed off by saying: “What a pleasure and a privilege it has been to watch him [Sinner] and [Carlos] Alcaraz and [Roger] Federer and [Novak] Djokovic and [Rafael] Nadal, and Andy Murray perhaps in particular, over the years. Take care and thank you.”

Earlier in the broadcast, Castle sent a parting shot to the BBC as he claimed he’d been ‘booted’ out of his role. He said: “Yes, I am a bit sad about it, of course. I have fabulous memories, even working with John (Lloyd). And John is finishing as well, we’re being put out to grass, I mean, that’s it. Booted.”

Lloyd responded warmly: “I’ve had a good run. We were talking about it earlier. I started when there was still black-and-white TV, so it’s been a while.

“You didn’t start that young, you’re much younger than me, and you were great to work with, and I loved every minute of it.”

Castle brought proceedings to a close with: “Well, I did too. My kids were eight and 10 when I did my first Wimbledon final, and they’re now married. One has children, and there’s one expecting on the way, so don’t tell me there’s nothing to do.”

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

In The Mixer’s World Cup special

Everything you need to know about the World Cup – England updates, the games to watch and stories you missed – in five minutes, at 1pm, every day.

The southbound carriageway was affected between junctions 4 (Walkden) and 2 (Kearsley), with all traffic temporarily held and delays reaching up to 40 minutes.

All lanes have now reopened, and police have issued an update.

Greater Manchester Police said: “The incident was a two vehicle road traffic collision.

“We were called at around 1:45pm. Three people being treated for injuries but not deemed life changing or threatening. No arrests at this time”

The incident was first reported just at around 1:45pm, and emergency services attended the scene.

Three people were treated for injuries, but nothing was considered life changing or life threatening.

Lanes two and three reopened by around 2:52pm, with delays at this point expected to be around 40 minutes above normal with three miles of congestion.

National Highways confirmed at 3:55pm that all lanes had reopened, though there were still 20 minute delays for drivers and two miles of congestion.

Luckily for those living in York, there are so many beaches that are easy to reach from the city to have a cooling dip in the sea.

If you are looking for somewhere family-friendly or want a quieter beach to relax on, there are plenty of options to suit each person’s needs.

Here are five beaches you should visit along the Yorkshire coast this summer.

These five beaches would be great for a family day trip. (Image: Tripadvisor)

What beaches can I easily reach from York?

Mappleton Beach

Mappleton Beach can be found three miles south of the popular seaside resort of Hornsea.

This means you won’t find the usual attractions in the area, so it offers a quieter alternative for dog walking and relaxing.

The Old Post Office Tea Rooms can be found a short walk away from the beach and serves savoury dishes as well as cakes and coffees for your trip.

Mappleton Beach also has a free car park.

Whitby West Cliff Beach

Whitby West Cliff Beach is mostly sandy with a few rocks and is also known as Whitby Sands Beach.

The beach is only a few minutes’ walk away from the town centre, making it easy to pop into the shops and restaurants nearby.

You can hire one of the colourful beach huts to call home for the day, as well as deckchairs and windbreaks.

There are paid car parks at the West Cliff and Pavilion Top.

Sandsend Beach

Sandsend beach is close to Whitby and is a great place for children to explore with plenty of rock pools around and fossil hunting.

The Hart Inn is the village’s local pub where you can enjoy a drink or meal in the beer garden.

Visitors of the beach on Tripadvisor have said it’s a “lovely” and “clean” beach with lots of “little cafes and kiosks for snacks and ice creams”.

You can park in the Sandsend car park that is at the north end of the beach.

Scarborough beach

Scarborough is a hugely popular seaside resort and might be the perfect option for those with children.

You can easily fill a day here in the amusement parks, walking along the Victorian promenade with an ice cream or splashing in the sea.

Reviewers on Tripadvisor have said the beach is a “beautiful oasis.”

During the busy periods, there is a park and ride service available to get into Scarborough.

Fraisthorpe Beach

Fraisthorpe Beach is another sandy area on the Yorkshire coast that is a calmer alternative to many busy seaside resorts.

At low tide, the beach goes on for miles making it perfect for beach games and long walks.

There is a privately owned car park that you can pay to use.

There is a café close to the entrance of the car park that sells refreshments and snacks, as well as toilets.

Will you be visiting any of these beaches throughout the summer? Let us know in the comments.

The MenB vaccine was added to the UK NHS childhood immunisation programme for babies born on or after 1 July 2015. All babies are now offered it.

But it means teenagers and young adults over the age of 11 have not received this jab.

Young babies are vaccinated because they are more likely to get invasive infections more often than other age groups, and their bodies are less likely to be able to fight them off.

However, research suggests the MenB vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent transmission of the infection from person to person, doesn’t target all the different B bacteria strains and doesn’t provide long-term protection.

UK vaccine experts have therefore concluded that it isn’t cost effective to offer the MenB vaccine to all adolescents.

But they do want everyone who is eligible to come forward and get the vaccine because it can prevent serious illness.

Around 10,000 people in the Kent region will have already received jabs, as part of the response to the March outbreak.

President Donald Trump rang the opening bells of the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq exchanges remotely from the Oval Office Monday morning to tout the launch of “Trump accounts,” which will use federal money and private donations to start newborns off with $1,000 in savings.

But the dynamics of that move — the country’s first billionaire president leveraging his financial experience to help the masses — could not be more at odds with the unprecedented crypto enterprise Trump and his sons have been running over the last year.

Trump, who called Bitcoin a “scam” back in 2021, made more than $1.4 billion through his family’s own cryptocurrency ventures in 2025, while hundreds of thousands of everyday investors in these companies lost their shirts. It was the president’s most profitable year ever across any business in his multi-decade career.

Fatime Elrgdawy, a 29-year-old software project engineer from California, told Reuters she lost more than $1,000 in savings on one $TRUMP coin play last year. At first she thought, “Oh my God, this is brilliant,” she told the news wire, but within five months her $2,000 investment was worth less than $120.

Still, she told Reuters, she considers herself lucky compared to other more heavily invested $TRUMP buyers into a meme coin that lost 97% of value from its January 2025 peak.

The Trump family launched its main crypto firm, World Liberty Financial, in the fall of 2024, in the final throes of Trump’s third presidential campaign. The move came after months of candidate Trump’s overtures to the industry, such as promising to fight for a national Bitcoin reserve. The crypto bosses seemed pleased, with billionaire executives backing the Trump campaign and the crypto industry emerging as the top sector donating in the 2024 elections.

Their faith in Trump and his Republican allies was soon rewarded. Bitcoin hit an all-time high in 2025, and the Trump administration drastically scaled back efforts to police the industry and stop crypto scams, while pardoning convicted fraudsters.

The Trump family, meanwhile, did even better.

Four days before Trump was inaugurated, an Abu Dhabi royal’s company secretly bought nearly half of World Liberty Financial, steering $187 million to Trump family entities, The Wall Street Journal reported. It was a striking transaction — a foreign authoritarian buying into a U.S. president’s family business — given World Liberty’s egalitarian mission to “democratize a new financial system.”

That same week, Trump unveiled a meme coin featuring an image of his triumphant fist pump after surviving the assassination attempt in Butler, Pa. The coin made him about $636 million last year.

Trump investors haven’t been so lucky.

Roughly two-thirds of those who bought Trump’s meme coin have lost money, according to crypto data firm Nansen. As of late June, their losses totaled $3.81 billion. Another Nansen analysis, drawing from a smaller pool of data, finds that 85 percent of buyers in one of World Liberty’s tokens are in the red.

Civilian investors lost billions betting on Trump; political and financial elites backing his crypto, meanwhile, have had abundant good fortune.

The UAE, one of whose rulers bought into World Liberty, got approval last year to import highly coveted, advanced American AI chips. During negotiations, an employee at one of the royal’s investment firms reportedly held a job at World Liberty at the same time, the New York Times reported.

Another of the royal’s firms, MGX, which used $2 billion in a World Liberty coin in a recent investment, is now among the owners of TikTok’s U.S. operations, after the Trump administration spent months pressuring the social media company to spin off an American subdivision.

Asked for comment, the Trump administration told The Independent there are “no conflicts of interest” regarding his business activities. The Independent has also contacted the companies mentioned in this article for comment.

Trump, meanwhile, has described himself as being in the dark over the nature of his newfound crypto fortune.

“I could know about it,” Trump told CNBC last Thursday. “I didn’t. There’s nothing illegal. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Meanwhile, prices for Trump’s meme coin and one of his World Liberty tokens have plummeted, part of a larger “crypto winter” of drooping prices across the entire sector.

No matter though, at least for the man in the Oval Office. As the president’s financial disclosures show, no matter what part of a financial cycle is underway, in the world of Trump and crypto, it pays to be at the top.

oth children are now confirmed to be safe, and were taken to hospital to be checked over

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Two men have died after diving into the sea to help two children in difficulty. Emergency services were called to the scene at Seaton Carew, on Teesside, at around 3.45pm today, Sunday July 12.

Police were called after concerns were raised for two children who had got into difficulty in the water at Seaton Carew beach. Officers attended the scene along with RNLI, Coastguard and North East Ambulance Service colleagues.

Two men were reported to have gone into the water to assist the children. Both children are now confirmed to be safe, and were taken to hospital to be checked over, reports TeessideLive.

The men were brought out of the water by the RNLI and received immediate medical treatment, but both men were pronounced dead a short time later.

Specially trained officers are now supporting both families affected.

Superintendent Glen Ward said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the families of both the men involved in this tragic incident today. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, sadly both men were pronounced dead a short time after being brought out of the sea.

“We are conducting enquiries into the circumstances of what happened today, although the deaths are not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the Coroner.

“I would like to remind everyone that open water comes with serious risks. We know it is inviting in the hot weather, but we would encourage people to refrain from entering any open water at all. Today we have sadly seen the true tragedy that can happen as a result. “Please take extra care and enjoy the warm weather as safely as possible.”

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Several police and ambulance crews were also in attendance, in car parks off The Front at the seaside resort. One image sent to Teesside Live by a member of the public shows paramedics in, what is known locally as, ‘The Sandy Car Park’, while the red and white Coastguard helicopter hovered over the shore in front of the dunes.

Footage sent by another reader who was enjoying the afternoon on North Gare sands further along the shoreline, shows the helicopter hovering, and a lifeboat passing.

A NEAS spokesperson said: “We received a call at 3.45pm on Sunday, July 12, to reports of an incident on Seaton Carew beach. We dispatched three ambulance crews, a clinical team leader, a duty officer, three crews from our Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), and requested support from our colleagues at the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) who attended by road.

“Two patients were taken to North Tees Hospital for further treatment.”

Crowds of people lined the promenade watching as the crews carried out their duties.

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