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☆ Saudi Arabia's Neom is looking to fill 262 job vacancies. The roles show just how futuristic the megacity could be.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Saudi Arabia's sprawling megacity, Neom, is billed as a chance to live in the "new future." AdvertisementOfficials say Neom will be a "cognitive city." The chosen candidate will control and operate the fish laboratory, ensuring high standards of fish welfare and supporting surveillance and investigation activities into fish health and disease control. Developers have said they want the island resort Sindalah to act as an "exclusive gateway to the stunning Red Sea." An image showing a nighttime view of mountains in the region in northwest Saudi Arabia where planners say Neom will be built.

Persons: —, Neom, Prince Mohammed bin Salman's, Neom's Organizations: Service, Tech, NEOM Community School Locations: Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Tabuk, Sindalah, Gulf, Aqaba, Neom, Oxagon

☆ Brexit border checks: Britain braces for less choice and higher prices on food imports
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Hanna Ziady | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

The new regime for food imports is perhaps the starkest example of the painful border bureaucracy that UK and EU businesses must contend with in the wake of Brexit. An additional cost of that scale will “significantly increase food prices and reduce choice,” the federation’s CEO Phil Pluck wrote in a letter to environment and food minister Steve Barclay earlier this month. But here too Brexit hasn’t helped, ending as it did the free movement of EU workers on whom British farmers had relied for decades. In addition to Brexit-related challenges, UK farmers have been squeezed by soaring input costs, including those of fertilizer, energy and labor. “I’m not hugely in favor of subsidies, I’m in favor of fair food prices,” Maddocks said.

Persons: Eddie Price, ”, Phil, Steve Barclay, Andrew Aitchison, Andrew Opie, “, Jack Bobo, “ It’s, Price, hasn’t, ” Tom Bradshaw, “ You’re, Chris Ratcliffe, Brexit, ” Philip Maddocks, I’m, ” Maddocks Organizations: London CNN, European Union, EU, Britain, Birmingham Wholesale, CNN, Chain Federation, British Retail Consortium, University of York, Food Systems, University of Nottingham, Birmingham Wholesale Market, Bank, National Farmers ’ Union, Bloomberg, Getty, PDM Locations: United Kingdom, Britain, France, Spain, artichokes, Italy, Birmingham, Dover, Port, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, North Africa, England, Sandwich, Australia, New Zealand, English, Shropshire

☆ Opinion: The next pandemic threat demands action now
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Opinion Jaime M. Yassif | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Well, so far US officials are saying they believe there is minimal risk to the public from the latest iteration of bird flu. According to the Global Health Security Index, there are significant gaps in countries’ pandemic preparedness capabilities. Given the impact of Covid, it is deeply disappointing that national governments are not investing the necessary resources to build life-saving pandemic preparedness capacity. Making matters worse, Congress has made major cuts to pandemic preparedness funding, as part of the ongoing appropriations process. Playing the long game also means supporting the World Bank Pandemic Fund, which is designed to invest in long-term pandemic preparedness capacity of low- and middle-income countries.

Persons: Jaime M, Yassif, ”, —, we’ve, US Department of Agriculture —, It’s, Biden, Covid Organizations: Global Biological Policy, Nuclear Threat Initiative, CNN, Yassif Nuclear, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, US Department of Health, Human Services, CDC, US Department of Agriculture, Global Health, Brown, Pandemic Center, Gates Foundation, NTI, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Global Health Security, Bank, Fund, pandemics Locations: Texas , Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Covid, United States

☆ Why New Zealand spent a small fortune to kill one stoat
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Dhruv Tikekar | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Introduced predators kill about 25 million native birds in New Zealand annually, with about 4,000 native species threatened or at risk of extinction, according to the DOC. Under the program, the government plans to eradicate rats, possums (a marsupial native to the Americas), weasels, ferrets — and the pesky stoat. Chalky Island and the neighboring Passage Islands have been predator-free since 1999 following the first ever stoat eradication campaign, according to the DOC. And for Fleming, the recent stoat incursion only underscores the importance of the Predator Free 2050 plan. “If we eradicate stoats from Aotearoa (New Zealand) completely we remove the costs of incursions, and our wildlife can thrive alongside us,” he said.

Persons: Rebecca Teele, ”, Aaron Fleming, Liu Yang, RNZ, —, pesky, Carolyn M, King, hitlist, Stephan Morris, stoats, stoats ”, Fleming Organizations: CNN, country’s Department of Conservation, New, Zealand, New Zealand Taxpayers ’ Union, Southern, New Zealand, University of Waikato Locations: New Zealand, Fiordland, Eurasia, North America, “, New, Americas, Aotearoa

☆ Montana rancher paid $4,200 to clone a dead sheep and launched a farm of super hybrids worth up to $550,000
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

A Montana rancher was charged with illegally selling offspring from a cloned sheep across state lines. There's nothing illegal about selling sheep for exorbitant prices — unless those animals are Marco Polo argali sheep, or in Schubarth's case, hybrids of Marco Polo argali sheep. Marco Polo argali sheep are native to central Asia and are considered threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. Shortly thereafter, Schubarth allegedly got his hands on some of those sheep parts and, in 2015, paid a deposit of $4,200 to produce cloned sheep embryos from the dead argali's remains. AdvertisementIn May 2017, a pure argali sheep was born from one of those cloned embryos.

Persons: —, Arthur, Jack, Schubarth, Marco Polo, George Schaller, Joyce Tischler, Lacey, King, Matthew Polak, Dolly, it's, Alison Van Eenennaam, Davis, Van Eenennaam, Gregory Kaebnick, isn't, Rula Rouhana, Reuters It's, Kaebnick, didn't Organizations: Service, Department, Lewis & Clark Law School's Center for Animal Law, European Union, Getty, University of California, and Wildlife Service, The Hastings Center, Reproductive Biotechnology, Reuters Locations: Montana, Asia, Kyrgyzstan, Dubai

☆ Ship Carrying 16,000 Sheep and Cattle Stranded off Australia
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

"It's very hard to imagine that that is consistent with the animal welfare standards that Australians expect to be applied to Australian animals." ROUGH WEATHERAustralia is a major exporter of live animals, shipping more than half a million sheep and half a million cattle last year. Most cattle go to Asian markets such as Indonesia and Vietnam but the Middle East is by far the biggest destination for Australian sheep. Israel is a key market, receiving 86,100 sheep worth $6.5 million and 10,848 cattle worth $14 million from Australia in the first three months of last year, trade data show. Australia's Labor government has pledged to outlaw exports of live sheep in coming years but faces angry pushback from farm groups who say this would put people out of work and destroy farming communities.

Persons: Peter Hobson CANBERRA, Yemen's, Josh Wilson, Bassem, Geoff Pearson, Canberra, Peter Hobson, Stephen Coates Organizations: Fremantle, WA Farmers, Reuters, Korkyra Shipping, Labor Locations: Australia, Israel, Africa, Red, Europe, Asia, Indonesia, Vietnam, New Zealand

☆ Ship carrying thousands of sheep and cattle held at sea for more than a month as temperatures rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The Australian government has pledged to end the live export of sheep but has yet to give a timetable about when that will happen. A long journeyThe MV Bahijah left the port of Fremantle in Western Australia on January 5 for the Middle East, according to a statement from the Australian government. The photos, shared with CNN, show cattle with tags on their ears, sitting and standing and sheep standing in a ventilated area. An image of sheep aboard the MV Bahijah taken said to have been taken a few days ago after the ship's arrival back in Australia. The RSPCA has requested permission for an independent veterinarian to board the ship to assess the animals.

Persons: Bahijah, “, ”, John Hassell, ” Hassell, he’d, Suzanne Fowler, they’ve, Mark Harvey, Sutton, Fowler, it’s, Alex Stambaugh, Akanksha Sharma, Robert Shackelford Organizations: Australia CNN, of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, Animal, Western Australian Farmers Federation, CNN, Royal Society for, Animals, Australian Livestock, ’, RSPCA Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Red, Fremantle, Western Australia, Iran, Israel, Gaza, Africa, Perth, WAFarmers, Australian

California poultry farms are implementing strict biosecurity measures to curb the spread of the disease. So we’ve got to be as vigilant as possible to protect our birds,” said Bill Mattos, president of the California Poultry Federation. Climate change is increasing the risk of outbreaks as changing weather patterns disrupt the migratory patterns of wild birds, Pitesky said. For example, exceptional rainfall last year created new waterfowl habitat throughout California, including areas close to poultry farms. “I’m very concerned because this avian flu is transmitted by wild birds, and there’s no way I can stop the wild birds from coming through and leaving the disease behind,” Peterson said.

Persons: Mike Weber, “, ”, Weber, Annette Jones, we’ve, Bill Mattos, Maurice Pitesky, Pitesky, Rodrigo Gallardo, Gallardo, Ettamarie Peterson, I’m, ” Peterson, Weber’s, ” Weber, they’ve, “ We’re Organizations: —, Sunrise, California Poultry Federation, San Francisco Bay Area, U.S . Department of Agriculture, University of California, USDA . Industry, UC Davis Locations: PETALUMA, Calif, Sonoma County, San Francisco, Petaluma, California, Midwest, Merced County, Central California, San Francisco Bay, U.S, Turkey, Australia, Davis, North Coast, Central Valley

☆ Papua New Guinea to recruit Australia police in security deal - minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape will travel to Canberra on Thursday to sign the security agreement, his office said. "The security arrangement is in the best interest of Papua New Guinea and also for Australia and its regional security interests," Marape said in a statement on Tuesday. The Australian Federal Police and the defence minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the security agreement. "Its a big issue and Australia can help us out considerably," said Tkatchenko, who began negotiations with Australia on the deal last year. They will be contracted officers reporting directly to the police commissioner of Papua New Guinea and they will be under all the laws of PNG.

Persons: James Marape, Lillian Suwanrumpha, Marape, Justin Tkatchenko, Tkatchenko, Kirsty Needham, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Guinea's, APEC, APEC Business, Economic Cooperation, Rights, Papua New Guinea, Australia, U.S, Reuters, Defence, Australian Federal Police, PNG Royal Constabulary, CID, Australian, Thomson Locations: Papua, Asia, Bangkok, Thailand, Papua New Guinea, biosecurity, Papua New, Canberra, United States, China, Solomon Islands, Australia, France

☆ Passengers were left on a 'crummy cruise to nowhere' after their ship was turned away from New Zealand because it had 3 mussels and a piece of coral stuck to the hull
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The report said passengers were experiencing seasickness and were offered a refund and $200 onboard credit. AdvertisementPassengers on a P&O cruise have been stuck on board and experiencing seasickness after the ship was turned away from New Zealand, The Guardian reported. The cruise was supposed to stop at multiple ports in New Zealand after departing Sydney last Monday. AdvertisementAs a result, the report added, passengers had been left at sea for longer than expected. Welch told The Guardian that P&O initially offered a 50% "future cruise credit" plan to passengers, which prompted an outcry.

Persons: —, Jake Welch, Welch Organizations: Guardian, Service, Sydney, Australia, Business Locations: New Zealand, Australia

☆ This corn was down to its last two cobs. Now it could help farmers grow food in the climate crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Jeremy Harlan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

What he saved he delivered to his only Jimmy Red customer two hours down the road in Charleston. “Not only was I counting on it, but High Wire Distilling was absolutely counting on it,” explained Coxe. A local moonshiner – and the last known grower of Jimmy Red corn – had just died, and the family no longer wanted to grow corn for whiskey distilling. Campbell Coxe harvests 50 acres of Jimmy Red corn on his Darlington, South Carolina, farm in September. This year, the distiller used 1.1 million pounds of Jimmy Red corn in its bourbon whiskey production.

Persons: Campbell, Coxe, ”, Red, moonshiners, Jimmy Red, “, sobered, ‘, Jimmy Red’s, Florence, Ted Chewning, Chewning, Campbell Coxe, Peter Frank Edwards, Brian Ward, it’s, Ward, ” Ward, Carolina Gold Rice, Ann Marshall, Scott Blackwell, Marshall, It’s, We’re Organizations: CNN, Hurricane, High, Clemson University, Carolina, Jimmy Locations: Hurricane Florence, Darlington County , South Carolina, Charleston, Florence, Colleton, Darlington, South Carolina, Island , South Carolina, Mississippi, Gulf of Mexico, Charleston , South Carolina

☆ Opinion: Trust in science is declining. Here’s how we can regain it
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Opinion Megan L. Ranney | Katelyn Jetelina | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

And what if more Americans refuse to get their kids vaccinated or if our public health institutions are shut down? Trust in scientists, physicians and science itself — amongst all demographic groups — is still higher than Americans’ trust in, say, elected officials or journalists. The public health workforce has declined by half over the past two years, according to research from Harvard T.H. Data-sharing efforts like Connecticut’s DataHaven show how urban neighborhoods can be involved in gathering and analyzing health data. By combining facts with stories, we can share tangible examples of how science and public health protect us, thereby increasing trust.

Persons: Megan L, Katelyn, CNN —, —, Megan Ranney, ” Dr, Annenberg, We’re, Harvard T.H, there’s, Connecticut’s, Ranney, ” —, It’s, we’ve Organizations: Yale School of Public Health, US Centers for Disease Control, CNN, Pew Research, KFF, Pew, Trust, Harvard, of Public Health, National Academy of Medicine, Council for Medical Specialty Societies, World Health, YouTube Locations: America, Chan, West Virginia, St, Louis , Missouri, Marin County , California, United States

The 4.6 million birds killed this year compares to the nearly 58 million birds the U.S. Department of Agriculture said were slaughtered last year in the first year of the outbreak. Retail turkey prices aren't tracked the same way, but USDA reports show that wholesale frozen turkey prices averaged $1.15 per pound in October, down from last year's $1.79 per pound and the previous year's $1.35 per pound. “I think there should be a lot of relief coming in the holiday season.”A combination of factors contributed to the sharp drop in bird flu cases this year. Officials say bird flu doesn’t represent a significant health threat. Bird flu vaccines are being developed and might help in the future, but at this point they remain impractical.

Persons: ”, Denise Heard, haven't, they're, “, Jada Thompson, ” Heard, hasn't, It’s, John Clifford Organizations: U.S . Department of Agriculture, U.S . Poultry, Egg Association, U.S . Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Turkey Federation, University of Arkansas, Farmers, USDA, Export, USA, Egg Export Council Locations: OMAHA, Neb, Minnesota , Iowa, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, Turkey, United States

☆ CDC to expand disease surveillance at four major US airports to include flu, RSV
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Amanda Musa | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding its infectious disease surveillance program at four major US airports to more than 30 pathogens, including flu, RSV and other respiratory viruses. The program currently operates Covid-19 surveillance at seven major international airports in the United States. The traveler surveillance program was introduced in 2021 when the CDC began collecting nasal swab samples from anonymous international travelers arriving at participating airports who volunteer to get swabbed. The program has collected samples from travelers from more than 135 countries and has sequenced more than 14,000 samples for further analysis. The wastewater program, which was introduced in August 2022, collects wastewater from a single plane using a custom-made collection device.

Persons: Dr, Cindy Friedman, John F, “, ” Friedman, Friedman, Ginkgo Bioworks, Matthew McKnight, ” McKnight, Sanjay Gupta, Deidre McPhillips Organizations: CNN, Centers for Disease Control, CDC’s, Health, Boston Logan International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Dulles International, Washington , D.C, Kennedy International, CDC, Get CNN, CNN Health Locations: United States, Washington ,, New York, Ginkgo

☆ Giant chicken frog faces extinction due to a deadly amphibian fungus
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The mountain chicken frog was once so abundant in Dominica, with thousands found across the island, that it became a national delicacy, supposedly tasting of chicken. Chytridiomycosis is a fungal infectious disease that affects more than 500 frog species across the world. A research team spent 26 days searching for the mountain chicken frog in Dominica. The research team spent hundreds of hours searching for the chicken frog during the months of July and August. “There are many things that people can do to prevent the spread of chytrid and help protect frogs,” Kaganer said in an email.

Persons: Chytridiomycosis, Andrés Valenzuela Sánchez, ZSL, Sánchez, Jeanelle Brisbane, “, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, ” Kaganer, chytrid, Kaganer, … Organizations: CNN, Zoological Society of London, & Conservation Biology, Cornell Wildlife Health Lab, London Zoo Locations: Dominica, Caribbean, Montserrat, ” Brisbane, Dominica —

☆ Mozambique reports bird flu outbreak on laying hen farm
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Test tubes labelled "Bird Flu" and eggs are seen in this picture illustration, January 14, 2023. The bird flu outbreak was found on a farm of 54,207 laying hens aged between 23 and 30 weeks kept in a high biosecurity facility, the Paris-based body said, quoting information from Mozambique's health authorities. Neighbouring South Africa, a leading poultry producer on the continent, is currently grappling with a major bird flu outbreak that killed millions of chickens. The spread of the highly contagious virus is raising concern among governments and the poultry industry after it ravaged flocks around the globe in the past years, disrupting supply, fueling food prices and posing a risk of human transmission. Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide, editing by Gus TrompizOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Sybille de La, Gus Trompiz Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Organisation for Animal Health, Thomson Locations: Mozambique, Paris, South Africa

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Highly pathogenic bird flu has made its first appearances in U.S. commercial poultry flocks this season, affecting one turkey farm in South Dakota and one in Utah. The outbreaks are the first reported among commercial flocks in the U.S. since the disease struck two turkey farms in the Dakotas in April. While wild birds often show no symptoms of avian influenza, infections in them are a concern to the poultry industry because migrating birds can spread the disease to vulnerable commercial flocks. South Dakota producers lost nearly 4 million birds last year. Iowa, the hardest-hit state, with nearly 16 million birds lost, hasn't recorded a case since March.

Persons: “, Bailee Woolstenhulme, Woolstenhulme, hasn't Organizations: The U.S . Department of Agriculture, Dakotas, Agriculture, Utah Department of Agriculture, Food Locations: MINNEAPOLIS, South Dakota, Utah, The, Jerauld County, Sanpete, U.S, Cambodia, Europe, Dakota, Iowa

☆ Redonda: A Caribbean island once ruled by rats is now a wildlife haven
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Nell Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But with the humans came invasive species, such as black rats and feral goats. In 2016, they launched an effort to restore the island and eliminate the invasive species. We just removed the rats and the goats, and the island transformed right in front of our eyes,” she says. Jenny Daltry/Fauna & Flora/Re:wild Jenny Daltry/Fauna & Flora/Re:wild Redonda island, before and after the eradication of invasive species. Redonda, which is about a mile long, was estimated to have around 6,000 rats and 60 goats pre-eradication, explains Bradshaw.

Persons: Christopher Columbus, Redonda, Ed Marshall, ”, Johnella Bradshaw, Jenny Daltry, they’re, Bradshaw, “, ” Bradshaw, Lawson Lewis, Nneka Nicholas, Helena Jeffery Brown, Nature Organizations: CNN, Environmental, Barbuda Defence Force, Department of, Department for Environment, “ Locations: Redonda, Antigua, Barbuda, Caribbean, Fauna

☆ Aid agencies call for end to mass graves after Libya floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Emma Farge | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Displaced people receive food aid from private schools and parents from east of Libya, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 15, 2023. A torrent washed away whole districts of Derna, a city in eastern Libya, on Sunday night after two dams collapsed. A U.N. report published on Thursday said that over 1,000 bodies in Derna and over 100 bodies in Albayda had been buried in mass graves after the floods on Sept. 11. "Bodies are littering the streets, washing back on shore and are buried under collapsed buildings and debris. He warned that unexploded ordnances, common in some parts of Libya, posed a risk for those involved in recovering the dead.

Persons: Omran, Kazunobu Kojima, Cross, Bilal Sablouh, Emma Farge, Miranda Murray, Mark Potter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, World Health Organization, WHO, International Committee, International Federation of, Red Crescent Societies, Regional, ICRC, Thomson Locations: Libya, Derna, WHO's, Albayda, Africa, Geneva, Benghazi

[1/5] People walk amidst the wreckage, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 15, 2023. "Bodies are littering the streets, washing back on shore and are buried under collapsed buildings and debris. Mohammad al-Qabisi, head of Derna's Wahda Hospital, said a field hospital was treating people with chronic illnesses needing regular attention. Thursday's U.N. report said more than 1,000 bodies in Derna and over 100 bodies in Al Bayda, another coastal city which was hit by flooding, had been buried in mass graves. The ICRC sent a cargo flight to Benghazi, eastern Libya's largest city, on Friday with 5,000 body bags.

Persons: Omran, DERNA, Bilal Sablouh, Ibrahim al, Mohammad al, Nouri Mohamed, Derna's, Kazunobu Kojima, Derna, Thursday's U.N, Al Bayda, I've, Ahmed Bayram, Saad Rajab Mohamed al, Martin Griffiths, Ahmed Elumami, Ayman al, Laila Bassam, Emma Farge, Gabrielle Tetrault, Farber, Nayera Abdallah, Mark Heinrich, William Maclean, Edmund Blair Organizations: REUTERS, WHO, World Health Organization, Reuters, Derna's, Organization for, International Committee, Cross, International Federation of, Red Crescent Societies, ICRC, Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee, Thomson Locations: Derna, Libya, U.N, GENEVA, Libyan, Africa, Geneva, Libya's Tripoli, Libya's, WHO's, Al, Benghazi, Susah, Beirut

☆ WHO Dismisses Biosecurity Expert After Sexual Misconduct Inquiry, Lawyer Cries Foul
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

GENEVA (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said it has dismissed a biosecurity expert after an internal inquiry upheld allegations of sexual misconduct but the man's lawyer dismissed the investigation as a smear campaign. "(The expert) has been dismissed from WHO following findings of sexual misconduct against him and corresponding disciplinary process," WHO spokesperson Marcia Poole said in an email to Reuters overnight. The expert's lawyer told Reuters on Thursday that her client contested the allegations against him and would challenge the dismissal. "This shows the true aim of the campaign - which was to smear my client without a visible accuser." Asked to respond, the WHO spokesperson said the staff member had been dismissed following a thorough investigation.

Persons: Marcia Poole, Emma Farge, Jon Boyle Organizations: World Health Organization, WHO, Reuters Locations: GENEVA, Swiss

☆ Covid Continues to Rise, but Experts Remain Optimistic
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | More About Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has announced that the state will send high-quality masks and rapid tests to school districts that request them. But in interviews, experts offered reassurances that the country will not see a return to the nightmarish scenarios of previous years. And although hospitalizations and deaths are increasing week by week, the numbers remain low, noted Gigi Gronvall, a biosecurity expert at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Hospital admissions for Covid increased by about 16 percent in the week ending Aug. 26, compared with the previous week. But the 17,400 new admissions were less than half the number in the same period last year, and about one-fifth the number in 2021.

Persons: Jill Biden, Kathy Hochul, Gigi Gronvall, Gronvall Organizations: Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Locations: New York, Kentucky, Texas

☆ Invasive species cost the world $423 billion every year and are causing environmental chaos, UN report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Helen Regan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Scroll through the gallery to see more of the planet's most problematic invasive species. Sarefo / Wikimedia Commons In pictures: Invasive species around the world Prev Next‘Prevention, prevention, prevention’Along with invasive species, other key drivers of biodiversity loss include destruction of land and sea habitats, exploitation of organisms, climate change and pollution. As well as flammable invasive plants sparking and spreading wildfires, climate change is enabling invasive species to move north – even to remote areas such as high mountains, deserts and frozen tundra. Preventing the arrival of new species into new regions is the best way to manage threats from invasive species, according to the report. For invasive species that have already taken hold, eradication has been a useful tool, especially on islands, according to the report.

Persons: ”, Helen Roy, ” Roy, David Gray, Peter Stoett, Anibal Pauchard, Ian Hitchcock, Starling, MENAHEM KAHANA, Phil Mislinski, Jeff J Mitchell, SANJAY KANOJIA, MUNIR UZ ZAMAN, ” Stoett, Stoett, –, ” Pauchard Organizations: CNN, United Nations, UN, Services, billabong, Nile Virus, Ontario Tech University, Chile’s Institute of Ecology, Pacific, World Wildlife Fund, US Department of Agriculture, USA, Studies, New Zealand Government, European, Starlings, AFP, Getty, North, Wikimedia Locations: Darwin, Australia, Africa, Caribbean, Guam, North America, Hawaii, Maui, Antarctica, Pacific, North, South America, Azov, China, Japan, Europe, Bermuda, New Zealand, New York, USA, Australasia, South Africa, United States, AFP, East Africa, Western Asia, Americas, Kenya, India, Puerto Rico, Kunming, Montreal

Warmer temperatures under climate change are expected to further drive the expansion of invasive species. Invasive species are plants or animals, often moved around by human activity, that take hold in an environment with deleterious effects. ERADICATING INVADERSAbout three-quarters of the negative impacts from invasive species occur on land, especially in forests, woodlands, and farmed areas. Getting rid of invasive species once they are established, however, is difficult. Last December, the world's governments committed in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to reducing the introduction and establishment of priority invasive species by at least 50 percent by 2030.

Persons: Graeme Sawyer, David Gray, Helen Roy, Anibal Pauchard, Roy, Gloria Dickie, Angus MacSwan Organizations: Northern Territory, billabong, REUTERS, United Nations Intergovernmental, Services, Chile's Institute of Ecology, Thomson Locations: Darwin, Hawaii, Africa, West Nile, New Zealand, Kunming, Montreal, London

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves midday: Best Buy, Big Lots, Coinbase, Nio and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Best Buy — Shares popped nearly 6% after the retailer's fiscal second-quarter earnings beat on both the top and bottom lines. Big Lots — The discount retailer surged 26.7% after its earnings report came in better than analysts expected. Big Lots lost $3.24 per share, on an adjusted basis, less than the $4.11 forecasted by analysts surveyed by FactSet. Bernstein reiterated its outperform rating and said investors should buy the stock after a recent pullback in share prices. Futu Holdings — The Asian wealth management stock popped 10% following a double-upgrade to buy from underperform by Bank of America.

Persons: Heico, Tesla, Morgan Stanley, tailwinds, General Motors, they're, — Catalent, Catalent, Elliott, Ginkgo, Wells, it's, Bernstein, Jefferies, Splunk, Raymond James, —, Sarah Min, Samantha Subin, Yun Li, Hakyung Kim, Michelle Fox, Pia Singh, Jesse Pound Organizations: Refintiv, Revenue, FactSet, Marathon, Securities and Exchange Commission, Marathon Digital, Industry, Nvidia, Holdings —, Oracle — Software, Oracle, UBS, Verizon, Citi, General Motors, Google, General, Motors, Elliott Investment Management, Rockwell Automation, Bank of America, Futu Holdings, NextEra Energy Partners Locations: San Francisco , California, underperform

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