Under the bright blue water of the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea, the view is stunning. Expansive coral reefs teeming with life; colorful fish and invertebrates. But something crucial has gone missing from this beautiful scene, and that could threaten this entire ecosystem.

Black sea urchins.

In January, Tel Aviv University scientists at the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat noticed that in the span of just a few days, the entire population of the black sea urchins in the northern part of this gulf were gone.

These creatures – jet black, round-bodied and with long spikes – may be better known for their painful stings. But they are also a crucial part of the ecological system of these coral reefs. Without them, the reefs are at risk.

Disappearing in days

Dr. Omri Bronstein leads the team of researchers here. He says he received a panicked phone call from his PhD students one evening in January after they had gone on a regular monitoring night dive.

“They came out of the water, still with their diving suits. And they called and said, ‘Listen, there is something very strange going on our site … the sea urchins are completely gone,’” Bronstein said. “It was shocking. It was simply shocking, because this is a site we know intimately well, for the past five years. And we’ve never seen any fluctuations on that magnitude.”

Bronstein and his team soon realized whatever was killing the sea urchins, most likely a waterborne pathogen, was doing so quickly. And it is spreading to the waters off countries in the region, including Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Greece, and Turkey.

“It takes 48 hours for an individual to go from a live healthy individual to basically bare skeleton,” Bornstein said, adding that the urchins all but vanish within a day because their remains nearly all break down into the water.

The epidemic only affects the black sea urchins, and was even killing them in the research lab’s tanks, and Eilat’s aquarium – which all use freshly circulating seawater.

“We know that it is transmitted through the water, they don’t need direct contact,” Bronstein said.

The tanks are now covered in the algae the sea urchins normally eat.

When we visited, a lone young sea urchin remained in the tanks that once hosted dozens. But these creatures are the kind that can only survive in large numbers.

“When you see an individual, or even a few individuals, even when they survive, that’s not enough to sustain a population. There is a minimum critical size, population size that is needed in order to maintain thriving population,” Bronstein said. “In addition, one of the strategies of this species in terms of protecting themselves [from predators] is that they normally form aggregations of dozens, and sometimes even in the past hundreds of individuals. And then by creating this cushion of spines, basically, they provide protection for the entire group. When you’re alone, your chances are not so good.”

A key part of the reef’s ecosystem

Beachgoers may be relieved they don’t have to worry about stepping on their spikes. But the urchin’s disappearance is incredibly dangerous for the unique coral reefs here and elsewhere in the Mediterranean region.

Black sea urchins feed on the algae that grows on the reef. Bronstein said they’re sometimes called the gardeners of the sea for that reason. Algae competes with coral for sunlight. So by eating it, the urchins give the corals the chance to grow, rather than be suffocated by algae, which has a much faster growth rate than coral.

“There is nothing we can create manually to clear the algae, even in the lab setting,” Bronstein said. “So it’s now not just the sea urchins themselves that are damaged, but the entire network – in our lab or in the sea – that relies on these crucial components.”

A similar pathogen killed off 98% of the black sea urchin population in the Caribbean in the 1980s, and seemingly returned to the Caribbean in 2022. That may be where the Red Sea pathogen came from, Bronstein said.

“There is a very good chance that there’s been transport based on maritime transport that actually basically helped this pathogen jump across the entire Atlantic,” Bronstein said. “The other hypothesis that is still not been overruled is that we might be looking at a pathogen that has always been here, or has been in the environment for many years. And for some reason, something changed and triggered it to be more violent, and cause the mortalities that we see today.”

The threat to the Red Sea’s coral reefs is not just a threat to a beautiful site. These reefs are unique in the world because of their ability to withstand high temperatures, which causes coral bleaching, and the effects of climate change.

Omri Omesi, a marine ranger with the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, called the situation a “catastrophe” not only for this gulf, but potentially for all of the Earth’s coral reefs.

“This is one of the most northern tropical reefs in the world, this is actually a miracle that they exist,” Omesi said. “It’s very, very important to keep this place going because gives hope for other coral reefs in the world. We can learn why we have this resistant coral bleaching.”

A major aspect of Bronstein’s team’s research is studying the environmental DNA of the water. Without the need for more invasive methods, the DNA analysis can also help predict what may be happening – like another epidemic and spawning activity – before researchers can physically see it.

Time is running out

Given how quickly the urchins disappeared, Bronstein said scientists have little time to take action. His team skipped the normal academic process that can take months or years to conduct studies and release journal papers, choosing to sound the alarm as quickly as possible with fast-paced academic articles and public appeals.

“We need to understand, and decision makers need to understand, that the window of opportunity to take action is very, very narrow. And it’s closing rapidly,” Bronstein said.

The first step, needed in the coming weeks, is to establish “broodstock populations” that will eventually help repopulate and reintroduce the black sea urchins into the region. But the surviving sea urchins that could be used to do so are themselves under threat.

“[The mass mortality] is currently occurring south of Turkey and Greece, but it is making its way down along the eastern Mediterranean coastline, towards Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Once it gets there, we probably will have pretty much closed our window of opportunity to take action,” Bronstein said.

Bronstein said he’s been in constant contact with government agencies as well as other researchers in the region.

Israel shares the gulf with Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, with which it has no formal relations. But underwater there is no such thing as politics, and Bronstein said international cooperation will be key to fixing this issue.

“It is our mandate, it is our responsibility to make sure that we do everything that we can to make sure these reefs, these unique reefs, probably the most unique coral reef in the world, it is our responsibility to make sure that they will remain here for future generations,” Bronstein said.

French soccer player Karim Benzema has played his last game for Real Madrid and may soon be joining the great Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi’s state-run Ekhbariya news on Sunday reported that Benzema and the Saudi Al Ittihad club had reached an agreement on a two-season contract.

The contract reportedly offers Benzema more than 100 million euros ($107.05 million).

Italian soccer journalist Fabrizio Romano on Sunday told his 15 million followers on Twitter that the striker “is invited to Saudi next week in order to prepare his move to Al Ittihad as [a] new star of Arabian league.”

“The announcement is expected next week if all goes to plan — it could be Wednesday,” Romano tweeted.

Benzema, a Ballon d’Or winner and once described by Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti as a “complete player,” scored in his final Real game on Sunday, with the Spanish club in a statement calling the striker “one of our greatest legends.”

Benzema had been with Real Madrid since 2009, joining when he was just 21 years old. During his time in Spain, he won a club record 25 trophies, including five European Cups, five league titles and five Club World Cups.

The Frenchman could be the first of many established star names to join Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League next season.

Ronaldo plays for Al Nassr, while Lionel Messi – who has been a tourism ambassador for the kingdom since 2022 – is reportedly preparing to sign a deal with the kingdom’s Al Hilal club.

In an interview with the Saudi Pro League, Ronaldo last week said that he was happy in Saudi Arabia and encouraged other players to join him.

The 38-year-old Portuguese star signed a two-and-a-half year deal with Al Nassr earlier this year. According to Saudi state-owned media, Ronaldo will earn an estimated $200 million a year, making him the world’s highest-paid soccer player.

It’s dubbed “Golf’s Longest Day,” a grueling 36-hole slog endured by hundreds of players across the US and Canada as they battle to stamp a last-minute ticket to the 123rd US Open Championship in California next week.

It’s a war of attrition that all the top stars on the PGA Tour are exempt from, their place at the major already assured. But that didn’t stop the Tour’s newest champion from taking part.

Because less than 24 hours after victory at the Memorial Tournament, Viktor Hovland was back out on the course to caddy for his former college roommate at a final qualifying event in Columbus, Ohio on Monday.

The Norwegian took up the bag for fellow Oklahoma State University alumni Zach Bauchou, who teed off bright and early at 8am E.T. at Lakes Golf and Country Club. Ranked 1859th in the world, Bauchou is one of 103 players vying for 11 spots in his qualifying group, and shot one-over par across his first nine holes to trail the leading score by five strokes.

The duo, teammates in OSU Cowboy Golf’s 2018 title-winning side, are set to start the second 18-hole leg of the qualifier at Brookside Golf and Country Club at 2 p.m. E.T.

It will mark Hovland’s third Ohio course stint in 24 hours after sealing his fourth career PGA Tour triumph at Muirfield Village Golf Club on Sunday. If that wasn’t taxing enough, the victory arrived via the longest route possible – a playoff.

An agonizing closing bogey from Denny McCarthy saw the American – chasing his maiden PGA Tour title – join Hovland in a replay of the 18th hole, the pair unable to be separated at seven-under par overall.

Hovland had been four shots adrift of the lead with nine holes to play but roared back, holing the round’s only 17th hole birdie to reel in McCarthy. Having not shot below bogey all week, the 25-year-old fittingly capped an unnerving week of consistency with a par to win.

The triumph sealed Hovland $3.6 million in prize money and lifted him to World No. 5. Fresh off a joint runner-up finish at the PGA Championship and a tied-seventh outing at The Masters, the Norwegian heads into the third major of the season in terrific form.

“It’s incredible,” Hovland told reporters.

“Obviously I feel like I’ve won a decent amount of tournaments for only being a pro for four year, however, they have been at low key places, resort courses, and abroad, so it feels really cool to get my first win on the U.S. soil.

“Especially at a tournament like this where this week the golf course is arguably harder than most major championship golf courses we play and the crowds were amazing out there. It felt like a major. So it was a really cool that I was able to get it done at a place like this.”

After weeks of reporting about the wildfires in Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia, Quebec is now the latest hotspot for fires in Canada.

More than 8 million acres have burned this year across Canada, with nearly half a million acres in Quebec alone, which is sending thick smoke south and east into the US, affecting air quality for millions.

Air quality alerts are in effect Monday for portions of Wisconsin, Minnesota and northern Illinois, including places like Milwaukee, Green Bay and Chicago.

“Weather conditions are such that widespread ozone and or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the unhealthy for sensitive groups category of the air quality index,” the National Weather Service in Chicago said. “Active children and adults especially people with pulmonary or respiratory disease such as asthma should limit prolonged outdoor activity.”

In the Northeast, the smoke is at higher altitudes, which is creating hazy skies and keeping temperatures slightly cooler.

A cold front will move south over the next few days, bringing northerly winds and pushing smoke-filled Canadian air even farther south and east through the week.

By Tuesday afternoon, thicker smoke will push into some of the bigger cities like New York, Boston and Washington, DC, especially affecting people who have respiratory problems.

While the smoke shouldn’t cause visibility issues, the weather service in New York City said haze aloft and the smell of smoke are likely.

More than 400 wildfires continue to rage across Canada, with an estimated 26,000 people still displaced from their homes after being forced to evacuate, according to Canada’s federal government in a news conference held today.

“I will acknowledge the images that we have seen so far this season, are some of the most severe we have witnessed in Canada,” Bill Blair, Canada’s minister of public safety said. “The current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher than normal fire activity.”

In Quebec, more than 150 active wildfires are burning, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center., which is more than double the number of fires currently burning in any other Canadian province. They are the fires largely responsible for the poor air quality in the US at the moment.

The amount of land burned is far more than normal. Quebec has seen 10 times the number of acres burned this year compared to average, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.

Just last week, fires were burning out of control across Nova Scotia, forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes as crews worked tirelessly to put out the flames.

Nova Scotia has seen more than 200 wildfires this year alone, which have burned more than 65 thousand acres.

“Year after year, with climate change, we’re seeing more and more intense wildfires and in places where they don’t normally happen,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in today’s news conference.

Inter Milan and Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku says the world’s top soccer stars could form a union to tackle racist abuse in the sport.

Lukaku, who was racially abused when Inter Milan played against Juventus in April, said he watched the situation at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium unfold from his home and was left incredulous that these incidents continue to occur so frequently.

Lukaku says the idea would be for many of the world’s most prominent players “to come together and speak with UEFA and FIFA” directly, as well as the governing bodies for domestic leagues, about how best to tackle the ongoing “problem” of racism in the game.

“It’s really disappointing that it happens because we’re in 2023, the world is different cultures, different religions, different people of color and still we make the same mistakes all the time,” Lukaku added.

“That’s the thing that rubs me the wrong way because I always say, if we want the brand of football to be representative in this way, it also starts with the people above [authorities] that have to fight against this type of thing.

“For me, it really doesn’t happen enough, really in a strict manner that fans come to the stands and really respect people of different colors, people of different religions, sexuality, also online hate.

“I think you have to also attack that because a lot of players online get a lot of stuff said to them which is not nice. So then I say governments also have to start getting involved in that stuff, which doesn’t happen enough for me.”

Lukaku also called for “more diversity in positions of power” at the top of soccer.

FIFA, global soccer’s governing body, also supported Lukaku’s call for governments to get involved, saying education in schools was the first measure in its five-step plan to tackle racism in soccer.

FIFA pointed to the appointments of Senegal’s Fatma Samoura as Secretary General, Rwanda’s Martin Ngoga as chairman of the Ethics Committee, Ghana’s Anin Yeboah as deputy chairman of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee and India’s Mukul Mugdal as chairman of the Governance Committee as “very diverse people” in “key positions” within the organization.

“That’s where you need to start, that’s where we need to have diversity,” Lukaku said of the upper echelons of the sport. “People of color, put them in the top of every boardroom and that’s when the change will start.

“That’s why, for example, in our Belgian federation, that’s where they started, they’re trying to put in people of color, different sexuality and stuff like that. So every situation that can happen, if it’s racial or every form or type of discrimination, can be attacked straight away.”

In 2021, the Belgian football federation (RBFA) launched the ‘Come Together’ action plan that focused partly on tackling discrimination and improving representation within the federation, including the addition of a Diversity Board.

“I think that’s how it should happen,” Lukaku added. “If you put people of different color in positions of power, I think things would get taken care of much faster than now.”

There was the hope that when mask mandates on planes ended and people got used to traveling again, airplane passenger behavior might improve. Perhaps all those midair scraps, diverted flights and the abuse and harassment of flight attendants might die down.

That dream’s been dashed.

Unruly passenger incidents were more than a third higher in 2022 than in 2021, a new global analysis by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has revealed.

The aviation body has recorded an increase of 37% year on year, with the most common types of incidents being ones that involve non-compliance, verbal abuse and intoxication.

Smoking of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes and “puff devices” in the cabin or lavatories was the No.1 non-compliance issue highlighted by the IATA, followed by failure to fasten seat belts when instructed, exceeding the carry-on baggage allowance or failing to store baggage when required, and consumption of own alcohol on board.

Physical abuse on rise

There was one unruly incident reported for every 568 flights in 2022, up from one per 835 flights in 2021, says the IATA.

This year might not be any better, either. On Sunday, the day the report was announced, a flight from Paris to the US was diverted to Canada due to disruption that was allegedly caused by a drunk male passenger.

Incidents of physical abuse remain thankfully rare but had a worryingly huge increase of 61% in 2022 over 2021. They erupted on only one out of ever 17,200 flights.

In US skies, 2021 was the worst year on record for bad air passenger behavior, according to US Federal Aviation Administration data, with 2022 seeing a decline. However, the IATA analysis gives a global snapshot, with data collated by more than 20,000 reports submitted by around 40 airlines.

Zero tolerance

“The increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying. Passengers and crew are entitled to a safe and hassle-free experience on board,” said Conrad Clifford, IATA’s Deputy Director General. “There is no excuse for not following the instructions of the crew.”

IATA is calling for governments and the aviation industry to work together on a zero-tolerance approach to unruly behavior.

It wants more countries to ratify Montreal Protocol 2014, which allows for the prosecution of these transgressive passengers. Currently only 45 nations, comprising about a third of international passenger traffic, have taken this step.

IATA also wants to increase guidance, training and sharing of best practice when it comes to preventing and de-escalating incidents. Said Clifford, “As the vast majority of intoxication incidents occur from alcohol consumed prior to the flight, the support of airport bars and restaurants to ensure the responsible consumption of alcohol is particularly important.”

This year is set to be another bumper year for travel, as more and more people set out on post-pandemic adventures.

For the sake of the majority, we make no apology for seeking to crack down on the bad behavior of a tiny number of travelers who can make a flight very uncomfortable for everyone else,” said Clifford.

Yellowstone National Park has urged visitors to protect wildlife after a string of incidents that have left animals killed or endangered, including one in which tourists gave a newborn elk a ride in their car.

The park issued a plea late last week asking visitors to drive carefully and follow safety regulations after several reports of fatal collisions between vehicles and wildlife.

“In recent days, some actions by visitors have led to the endangerment of people and wildlife and resulted in the death of wildlife,” the park said in a press release.

“The park calls on visitors to protect wildlife by understanding how their actions can negatively impact wildlife.”

On Memorial Day weekend, visitors put a newborn elk calf in their car and brought it to the West Yellowstone Police Department. The calf later ran into the forest. Its condition is unknown, the park said.

On May 28, two adult black bears, both dark chocolate brown in color, were struck and killed in separate vehicle collisions in the park, Yellowstone said.

At about 5 p.m., a vehicle hit an adult male black bear near milepost 14 on U.S. Highway 191 in the northwestern section of Yellowstone.

Later that evening, a second adult male black bear was struck and killed by a vehicle at milepost 29 on U.S. Highway 191, the park said.

One elk and one bison were also hit by separate vehicles in the days since, Yellowstone said.

Speed enforcement

The park said they would be “significantly increasing speed enforcement” on U.S. Highway 191 in the park, where the speed limit is 55 mph. On most other park roads, the limit is 45 mph or less, Yellowstone said.

The park urged drivers to be careful at night, noting that animal fur absorbs light, making them harder to detect.

Yellowstone also warned visitors to keep their distance from the wildlife after a number of incidents were reported.

A man grabbed a struggling newborn bison calf and pushed it up from the river and onto the roadway in the northeastern section of the park on May 20.

The calf ended up being euthanized and the man pleaded guilty to one count of feeding, touching, teasing, frightening or intentionally disturbing wildlife, the US attorney’s office for Wyoming said on May 31.

Last year, two visitors were gored by bison after getting too close to the animals, the park said.

The park said they are investigating a range of other recent bison-related incidents.

Yellowstone emphasized that park regulations require visitors to remain 25 yards away from all wildlife and at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves.

“Approaching wild animals can drastically affect their well-being and, in some cases, their survival. When an animal is near a campsite, trail, boardwalk, parking lot, on a road, or in a developed area, leave it alone and give it space,” the park said in the release.

Paradise Afshar contributed to this story.

Their shared love of travel was one of the main topics of conversation during their first date back in 2004.

But other than a “couple of cruises,” Janell and Stu Clarke, both from Australia, had barely traveled beyond their home country nearly a decade later.

Once Janell got her motorbike license in 2009, after some gentle persuasion from longtime rider Stu, they began taking motorcycle trips throughout Australia with their dog Skyla, and were keen to broaden their horizons.

“I’d kind of attempted to go backpacking when I was 18, but I was far too young,” says Stu, who previously worked as an engineer in the Australian navy. “It was always something that I really wanted to do. I was waiting until my obligation with the navy had ended.”

Ultimate road trip

When he left the navy in 2014, the couple, who have been married since 2009, decided that, not only was it finally time to get out there and see the world, they would see it all “in one go.”

According to Janell and Stu, one of the main reasons they chose to take an extended trip was due to the cost of flights to and from Australia.

“We figured as soon as you get out of Australia, it’s best to just be gone for as long as you can afford to be,” explains Stu. “Because it’s so expensive to leave Australia.”

While they initially intended to travel for six months, this was extended to 18 months, and then two years while they were making plans.

There was one small problem. Neither could bear the thought of leaving Skyla behind for that long.

When the couple looked into the possibility of taking her with them, they soon realized that it “wasn’t as impossible as others had led us to believe” and began making preparations for a world tour with their pooch in tow.

“It [the planning] was all around Skyla,” explains Stu. “We had the import permits completed for her to enter every country that we intended to go to. We wanted to make sure she was completely covered.”

But as their epic motorcycle journey drew closer, the Clarkes were left devastated when their beloved pet was diagnosed with cancer.

While this was undoubtedly a major setback, Skyla received chemotherapy and underwent a bone marrow transplant and was eventually deemed healthy enough to go on the trip.

“While the odds were against her, we had every reason to believe she could go on to live a full, happy, healthy life,” says Janell, a civil engineer.

In February 2014, they flew from Australia to Dallas, Texas, where they would begin their trip.

The couple purchased two motorbikes, Janell went for a 2006 BMW F650GS, while Stu opted for a 2012 G650GS, while in Texas.

“Bikes are expensive in Australia,” explains Janell. “And then you have the cost of the shipping. So it just made sense to buy the bikes when we were starting our trip.”

They set off on their brand new bikes in March, with Skyla traveling alongside them comfortably in a motorcycle dog carrier they’d designed themselves to suit her needs.

“She was our number one concern,” adds Janell. “Our main focus before we left was making sure that she was going to be comfortable.”

Canine on board

As they rode towards Mexico, Janell and Stu tried to put the stress of Skyla’s illness behind them and focus on the mammoth journey ahead.

However, a little while after they crossed the border into Mexico, they learned that Skyla’s cancer had returned, and little could be done this time.

“Then, our only option was chemotherapy drugs and spending as much time with her and giving her the best quality of life we could,” explains Janell.

They continued on across Mexico into Central America, riding through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, where they crossed the border over to Panama.

Once they reached Panama, they took a ferry to South America to avoid having to put Skyla in a crate for a flight. As they entered the continent, Skyla’s condition worsened, and the pair prepared themselves for the inevitable.

“We were surrounded by people who were trying their best to help us and care for Skyla,” says Janell. “But we just really felt a long way from home at that point. It was a difficult time.”

When Skyla passed away in Venezuela on September 10, 2014, the couple were so devastated that they considered packing up and returning to Australia.

“I just wanted to go home,” admits Janell. “It just felt like it was all over. I was really, really in a bad place.”

They decided to take some time out, and went on a hiking trip up the table-top mountains in Venezuela to “get away from everything” and give themselves some time to reflect.

“All we had to do was carry our bags and hike and not think too much,” adds Janell. “It was a really good way to grieve.”

Once the hike was over, they took a few more weeks off to process things, before ultimately deciding to keep going.

New outlook

However, their perspective had changed completely by then, and Janell and Stu, who have been chronicling their travels on their website, The Pack Track, vowed to approach the rest of the trip in a very different way.

“After we lost Skyla, we decided that we would slow down,” says Stu. “We would concentrate on our relationship – because that [Skyla’s cancer] had been really hard on our relationship – and we wouldn’t have an end date for the trip.”

Shortly before they left Venezuela, the couple returned to visit the vet who had treated Skyla during her final days and asked if they could meet Weeti, a mixed breed, whose blood had been given to their pet during a transfusion.

“When we said, ‘Hello’ to her, the vet said, ‘Would you like to adopt her? And we said, ‘Yes,’” Janell says of their decision to take on the disabled dog. “We didn’t put any thought into that, which was a little crazy.”

From Venezuela, they continued on through South America, “riding all the way to the bottom.” While passing through Colombia in August 2015, they picked up their second rescue dog, Shadow.

“She stepped out onto the road in front of me,” says Stu. “I got around her, but the car behind me went straight over the top of her.”

When he went back to check on her, Stu realized that the dog was still alive, and asked around to try to find out if she had an owner.

After learning that she was apparently part of a group of strays, Stu and Janell put the injured dog with Weeti in their dog carrier, and rode on to Bogota, where they took her to see a vet.

Although they’d initially planned to try to re-home Shadow, a miniature pinscher, in the Colombian capital, the pair were informed that this was unlikely due to the amount of strays there, and she “wouldn’t stand much of a chance” if they left her behind.

“She’s so tiny,” says Janell. “So we were just like, ‘Well, we’re already traveling with one dog. To add one tiny little dog wouldn’t be too bad.”

When they reached Ecuador a few months later, they returned to the US, treating themselves to a luxury cruise to the UK on board Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 (QM2,) the only ship in the world that allows pets to cruise with their owners.

Expanding brood

After a seven-day journey to UK city Southampton, they got back on their bikes, rode to mainland Europe and eventually sailed over to Morocco, before making their way to West Africa, and riding down to the bottom of South Africa.

“Africa was very challenging for us,” admits Stu. “We really did struggle as we were doing it. But looking back, it’s one of our highlights.”

The couple then rode to Egypt, where they shipped their bikes back to the UK and made their way to collect them.

But after spending a few months touring Europe in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and Stu and Janell were forced to stay in one place.

“We were stuck in Portugal until June or July,” says Stu. “It wasn’t awful at all. But it really did slow us down.”

Once restrictions began to lift, they were able to get on the move again, and spent months “bouncing around Europe,” avoiding big cities as much as they could due to the infectious disease, which was still rising at rapid rates in various countries throughout the world.

After another trip back to the UK when “things got worse with Covid,” they headed to Eastern Europe.

The Clarkes picked up their third rescue dog, Azra, also a mixed breed, when she ran out in the road in front of them while they were riding through Turkey in December 2021.

“I walked to the village with her to see if anyone recognized her, or if there was a mum around,” Janell explains.

When they were once again unable to find an owner, the couple asked a local farmer if he would take the puppy, but he was unwilling.

Rather than leave the canine “by the side of the road,” they opted to ride to the next city and take her to a rescue center.

However, they say they were told the puppy had a highly contagious virus, and the vet treating her was only willing to continue if they adopted her.

Now, after setting off from Australia with one dog, Janell and Stu are preparing to finish their trip almost 10 years later with three entirely different dogs.

“They’re all black, and they’re all girls,” notes Janell, before admitting that taking on a puppy has been challenging.

Puppy challenge

“We’ve never had a puppy,” she adds. “They change so much as they grow up. And they’re so needy and energetic.”

They had to remain in Turkey for around three months in order to get all of the necessary paperwork to travel onwards with Azra.

“Having dogs slows us down,” explains Janell. “You have to think about their welfare. We can push ourselves, but it’s not fair to push them. So you have to slow down a bit.”

Aside from having to move at a slightly slower pace, traveling with three dogs can cause issues when it comes to place to stay, and there are various activities they’ve been unable to do, such as go to museums.

“You’re thinking about them all the time,” says Stu. “You’re thinking about them going to the toilet, stopping for water.

“Whether the accommodation is pet friendly, and if the rooms that we’re staying in are comfortable for them. That’s also there.”

The couple stress that they never feel like they’re missing out on anything by traveling with their “girls.”

In fact, having Weeti, Shadow and Azra along for the ride has brought them a huge sense of comfort, particularly now they’ve been on the road for so long.

“When just the two of us go out, and we leave them in a hotel room. We come back and open the door, and it’s just like coming home,” says Stu. “Three wagging tails waiting to see us.”

The couple launched a small business selling their redesigned dog motorcycle carrier, the Pillion Pooch, aimed at small to medium sized dogs, a few years ago.

Now nearing the end of their nearly decade long trip, Janell and Stu, who were in South East Asia at the time of writing, have traveled 240,000 kilometers (150,000 miles) and rode through 108 countries.

The couple are currently getting ready to ship their bikes to the US, where they’ll spend a few months getting the documentation together and going through the necessary channels that will allow them to re-enter Australia in early 2024 with their dogs.

Unfortunately, the rules around bringing pets into Australia have changed since they’ve been away, so Weeti, Shadow and Azra will need to spend 30 days in quarantine, rather than 10 days, which was the requirement before March.

They deliberately chose to fly from the US so that they and their pets would be able to travel directly to Australia.

Although Janell and Stu, who hope to write a series of books about their travels in the future, say they have no definite plans beyond that point, there’s one thing they’re determined to do once they’re back Down Under.

“We want to tour Australia, because we’ve never done that on motorbikes,” says Janell. “I think it’d be a nice way to finish the trip.

“To do a tour around our own country with the girls on the bikes and then retire. Retire the bikes and retire the girls.”

At least nine people have been killed in protests in Senegal’s capital Dakar and other cities, following the sentencing of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on Thursday to two years in prison, which could jeopardize his chances of running in next year’s presidential race.

The court found Sonko guilty of “corrupting youth,” according to state media, but cleared him of other charges, including rape.

Sonko, 48, didn’t attend Thursday’s hearing and remained at his home, but following the verdict he can be arrested any time.

The former tax inspector who came third with 15% of the vote in the 2019 presidential election can appeal the ruling within 15 days, but his chances of participating in next year’s election now seem slim, if possible at all.

Government spokesman Abdou Karim Fofana said authorities were working to maintain order in the disturbed cities, while Interior Minister Antoine Felix Abdoulaye Diome said in a press conference late Thursday that social media and messaging apps had been restricted to “limit fake news.”

Nteblocks confirmed the restriction of social media apps such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.

Sonko’s political party PASTEF (Patriots of Senegal for Ethics, Work and Fraternity), said the verdict was politically motivated as he is challenging President Macky Sall’s government.

The party urged its supporters to “stop all activity and take to the streets.”

Sonko’s trial had fueled deadly protests in the country since it started in 2021, with his supporters accusing President Sall, who’s reportedly mulling a third term bid, of attempting to undermine him.

Sall, first elected in 2012 for a seven-year term in office was reelected for a second term of five years in 2019, after a 2016 referendum approved shorter presidential terms.

His silence on whether or not he would seek a third term has ignited an already tense political climate, where critics accuse him of doing little about employment and cracking down on the opposition.

Forty-five bags containing human remains with characteristics matching seven missing call center staff has been discovered in a ravine in a suburb of Guadalajara, according to the state prosecutor’s office in Jalisco.

The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office investigating the deaths said it has preliminary information that the body parts “match the physical characteristics of some of the young people missing employees of the call center.”

Seven call center employees were reported missing between May 20 and 22 in the metropolitan area of ​​Guadalajara, in western Mexico.

Luis Joaquín Méndez Ruíz, a Jalisco prosecutor, said they found the human remains inside bags thrown on a lot with a very steep slope.

Forensic experts have yet to determine the number of victims and their identities.

The Jalisco Institute of Forensic Sciences is working with the families of those missing to determine the identification of the human remains.

The country has been troubled by an epidemic of disappearances with more than 100,000 Mexicans and migrants still missing.

More than 1,500 bodies have been found in Jalisco state since 2018, official figures show. According to the office of the Jalisco’s special prosecutor for missing persons, 291 bodies were discovered in 2019, 544 bodies were found in 2020, 280 bodies in 2021, and 301 the following year. So far in 2023, 147 bodies have been found.

In March, after four Americans were kidnapped in Mexico, resulting in the deaths of two of them, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador argued that Mexico is a safer country than the United States.

Kidnapping and human trafficking are also not unusual in parts of Mexico, particularly in border areas and Mexico’s overall homicide rate is among the highest in the world.