slowly

Dozens of dilapidated stone buildings are all that remain of the once-thriving border village of Martoli, in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand. Nestled in the Johar Valley and surrounded by Himalayan peaks, the most notable being Nanda Devi, once considered the tallest mountain in the world, this village had traded sugar, lentils, spices, and cloth for salt and wool with Tibetans across the border.

The nomadic inhabitants of several villages spent the winter months in the plains gathering goods to be traded with Tibetans in the summer. However, the border was sealed following an armed conflict between India and China in 1962, disrupting life in the high villages and leaving people with little incentive to return.

Kishan Singh, 77, was 14 when he left with his family to settle in the lower village of Thal. He still returns to Martoli every summer to till the land and cultivate buckwheat, strawberries, and black cumin.

His ancestral home has no roof, so he sleeps in a neighbour’s abandoned house during the six months he spends in this village.

“I enjoy being in the mountains and the land here is very fertile,” he says.

In late autumn, he hires mules to transport his harvest to his home in the plains, where he sells it at a modest profit.

The largest of the Johar Valley villages had about 1,500 people at its peak in the early 1960s. Martoli had about 500 residents then, while some of the dozen or so other villages had 10 to 15 homes each.

Now, only three or four people return to Martoli each summer.

A few villagers are returning in summer to the nearby villages of Laspa, Ghanghar, and Rilkot, as they can now travel by vehicle to within a few kilometres (miles) of their villages on a recently built unpaved road.

Among the scattered remnants of earlier stone houses in Martoli, a new guesthouse has appeared to cater for a few trekkers who pass through the village en route to the Nanda Devi Base Camp.

HUMAN remains potentially containing contagious diseases are slowly being revealed on a creepy UK island.

While there are some spooky islands in the UK, this haunting isle was a former burial site and is off-limits to the public.

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Deadman’s Island is a small island in the River Medway estuary of Kent and has long been the subject of gruesome tales.

More than 200 years ago, the island was used as a burial ground for convicts who died aboard prison ships, known as hulks, anchored nearby in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Many succumbed to horrendous conditions with regular outbreaks of disease sweeping through the ships.

Hundreds were buried in unmarked wooden coffins, six feet under the mud.

Trevor Mason, who runs Deadman’s Island social media page, told the BBC: “Unfortunately in many cases sailors were sick, and in some cases they died, so while the boats were moored here those who succumbed to those contagious diseases were buried.”

“The sailors who would have been living on board those ships must have been in horrendous conditions – not being able to come off the ship to go [on] land and see their families etc, and the risk of catching a disease from their fellow sailor.”

He added that an archaeologist revealed some of the remains may still contain contagious diseases.

For many years the grim finds remained invisible to the human eye.

But now, changing sea levels and erosion are bringing the human remains to the surface.

It’s not uncommon for them to be washed out into the Thames Estuary or discovered on the Kent coastline.

In 2016 the remains of more than 200 humans were found on the island, believed to belong to men and boys who had died on board the floating jails.

The uninhabited mudbank is owned by Natural England, who lease it to two people.

Visitors are banned from the island, though camera crews are sometimes permitted.

Human bones are littered among the shells, while coffins that were once six feet under have risen to the surface, threatening to expose their contents.

As well as a graveyard of bones, the protected wetland also serves as an important breeding and nesting site for birds.

The Sun paid a visit to the hidden UK island last year where you can only visit by kayak.

It was said that local fisherman spotted human ghosts calling out to them to come and save them.

Historians have often been left open-mouthed as they continue to uncover skulls, ribs and jawbones on the island.

Previous footage shows dozens of human remains scaled in barnacles and littering the sludgy banks.

What looks like it could come straight out of a horror film, the truth behind the creepy area was revealed back in 2017.

MANCHESTER UNITED have agreed a deal to sell Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea.

The Red Devils have sanctioned an exit for the wantaway winger worth £40million.

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Garnacho, 21, will join the Blues on a reported seven-year contract after waiting for a move to materialise all summer.

The Argentine had been pushing for an exit after falling down the pecking order under boss Ruben Amorim.

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A TERRIFYING giant wasp spider that can camouflage itself has been discovered in the UK.

The rare spider with a wasp-like body has been found in a garden in Norfolk – and they’re slowly spreading across the nation.

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The creepy crawly was spotted by Craig Calvin and his two children, Ralph and Hugo, in their garden last week.

The wasp spider cunningly disguises itself as its namesake and is easily recognisable due to its striped abdomen and legs.

With its vivid black and yellow stripes and dramatic zigzag web, it’s been dubbed the “great mimic” by the Wildlife Trust.

The species was once a rarity in the UK but now they’re being spotted more frequently across the country.

Mr Calvin said: “I’d never seen one before – it’s quite large and looks completely out of place on the Norfolk Broads.

“It’s such a beautiful creature. A perfect example of how wildlife is changing right on our doorsteps.”

One of the biggest in Britain

Although it has the external characteristics of one, the spider is simply a mimic of a wasp.

It’s the female spiders who have the yellow, black and white stripes just like the common wasp and it’s legs are stripy too.

The males are smaller and pale brown.

They build their webs in grassland and heathland and attach their silk egg-sacs to the grasses.

Wasp spiders are completely harmless to humans and are a fascinating addition to the UK’s biodiversity.

They are originally native to southern Europe and can be found in southern England but they’re slowly spreading northwards too.

The wasp spider measures as one of the six biggest spider species in Britain.

Spider season approaches

Spider season occurs from August to October, with wetter conditions often enticing them into homes, the Royal Meteorological Society reports.

Among its spider prevention tips are keeping windows shut at night. clearing any clutter that they may like to hide in and vacuuming regularly.

The website also praised cats and dogs as great helpers in terminating the critters.

And B&Q has the perfect solution to keep your house creepy crawly free for just £7.99.

Beyond getting rid of spiders, the spray also helps to prevent the build-up of cobwebs.

You can also keep spiders out the house by using a simple kitchen staple.

Earlier this year, The Sun revealed that white vinegar can often do the job.

Peppermint oil is also a great way to keep critters out.

Keep pests out all summer

IF you want to ensure that your home is pest free this summer, here’s what you need to know.

Hornets and wasps – hate the smell of peppermint oil so spraying this liberally around your patio or balcony can help to keep them at bay.

Moths – acidic household white vinegar is effective for deterring moths. Soak some kitchen roll in vinegar and leave it in your wardrobe as a deterrent.

Flying ants – herbs and spices, such as cinnamon, mint, chilli pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, or garlic act as deterrents.

Mosquitoes – plants, herbs and essential oil fragrances can help deter mozzies inside and out. Try eucalyptus, lavender and lemongrass.

“They can’t just go all foreign and bring in a host of Kiwis and South Africans, so they’re going to make sure that they’re clever,” says Noon.

“I think they’re conscious of trying to get enough quality guys to get through the season, but with a view that actually there’s a long-term project. With a bit more time and patience they can get the guys they want, as opposed to who is available.”

Red Bull’s entry into the Prem marks the end of a year-long search for a buyer for Newcastle.

Early last autumn, long-time club owner Semore Kurdi brought in A&W Capital, specialists in the sale of sports teams, to find someone to take the club on.

It was a pressing concern not just for Kurdi, who has put many millions of his own money into the club since becoming owner in 2011, or Newcastle, but the league as a whole.

After the demise of Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish, another club going under would have reduced the Prem to nine clubs. Each round would involve only four fixtures and the gate receipts and product for broadcasters and sponsors would shrink.

The situation was so stark that earlier this year Sky News reported, external the other Premiership clubs, along with CVC Partners who part-own the league, were prepared to loan Newcastle £4m to keep them upright.

Red Bull’s investment is a vastly preferable option for all involved.

Newcastle’s dire circumstances and Kurdi’s desire to see the club in good hands meant Red Bull could cut a deal with little initial cost beyond taking on responsibility for the club’s £39m debts.

Prem Rugby has been understandably eager to facilitate an acquisition that solves a short-term problem and fits long-term goals.

The league has rebranded from the Premiership to target a younger demographic, one that ties in well with Red Bull’s consumer base.

It also hopes to switch to a franchise model, perhaps as soon as 2026-27, doing away with on-pitch relegation. Such a move would reduce the risk of investing in distressed assets such as Newcastle, something that can spook potential owners.

Even the plan to rename Newcastle Falcons as Newcastle Red Bulls was simple and supported.

Red Bull ran into stiff opposition from the German football federation over their renaming of RB Leipzig in 2009. The RB officially stands for RasenBallsport, rather than the energy drink that bankrolled the team’s rise up the leagues, as a concession to officialdom.

English rugby, which has seen plenty of rebrands and title sponsors since the dawn of professionalism, has no such qualms.