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☆ Flaco, Escaped Central Park Zoo Owl and Defier of Doubts, Is Dead
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Ed Shanahan | More About Ed Shanahan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Flaco, the Eurasian eagle-owl whose escape from the Central Park Zoo and subsequent life on the loose in Manhattan captured the public’s attention, died Friday night after apparently striking a building on the Upper West Side, officials said. The Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the zoo, said in a statement that Flaco had been found on the ground after hitting a building on West 89th Street. Building residents contacted the Wild Bird Fund, a rescue organization, whose staff members responded quickly, retrieved him and declared him dead a short time later, the society said. Zoo employees took him to the Bronx Zoo, where a necropsy will be performed to determine the cause of death. He would have turned 14 next month.

Persons: Flaco Organizations: Central Park Zoo, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bird Fund, Zoo, Bronx Zoo Locations: Manhattan

☆ Two giant pandas are moving to a California zoo in a rare loan from China
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Taylor Romine | Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —China is sending two giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo – the first time it has granted new panda loans to the United States in two decades. His comments came shortly after the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC sent its three pandas back to China – marking the end of more than 50 years of Chinese pandas being housed at the zoo. The National Zoo was the first US zoo to showcase pandas, and the end of its program had left Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas. San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after its loan agreement ended. According to Xinhua, discussions are ongoing for “a new round of cooperation” with the National Zoo and a zoo in Austria.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Smithsonian National Zoo, Washington , DC, Zoo, Zoo Atlanta, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Xinhua, Washington, Smithsonian, National Zoo, World Wildlife Fund Locations: China, United States, Washington ,, San, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Xinhua, Austria

☆ Vultures, on the verge of extinction, receive a lifeline in South Africa
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Gertrude Kitongo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to four critically endangered species of vulture, and in South Africa, a non-profit conservation and rehabilitation group called VulPro is working to protect these fascinating birds. The operation involved over 50 people, logistics company DHL and WeWild Africa, an NGO specializing in animal rewilding and translocation. It was at that very moment that I actually understood how fragile and misunderstood the species were.”An African White-backed vulture (closest to camera) at the VulPro rehabilitation center near Pretoria, South Africa. Recent efforts have concentrated on the white-headed vulture, with a population of only 3,685 adults continent-wide, according to BirdLife International, and only a small percentage of that figure in South Africa. Poisoning is the most common reason for vultures to require treatment in South Africa, often from ingesting lead in discarded batteries, or bullets in animal carcasses, says Joubert.

Persons: VulPro, ”, Kerri Wolter, Gertrude Kitongo, “, Johan Joubert, Joubert, Wolter, – Organizations: CNN, Reserve, DHL, WeWild, BirdLife International, Shamari Locations: Saharan Africa, South Africa, Eastern Cape, WeWild Africa, African, Pretoria, Africa, West Africa, KwaZulu, Natal, South

☆ ‘Amusing insight’ revealed in Marx’s ‘Das Kapital’ gift to Darwin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jack Guy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Karl Marx once gifted a signed copy of “Das Kapital” to scientist Charles Darwin, but the book remained largely unread, providing an “amusing insight” into the dynamics between these two intellectuals, according to experts. In “Das Kapital,” economist and philosopher Marx explored how the capitalist system works and, he argued, its tendencies toward self-destruction. The gift copy of "Das Kapital" with Marx' inscription top right. Down House, Darwin's former home, in Kent, southern England. The catalog includes 9,300 links to copies of the library contents that are available for free online, inviting the public to peruse what Darwin read.

Persons: CNN — Karl Marx, “, Charles Darwin, Marx, Darwin, Karl Marx, ”, Mankind, Darwin's, Tal Cohen, Reuters Tessa Kilgarriff, Kilgarriff, Francis Darwin, Francis Organizations: CNN, Heritage, Down, Cambridge University Library, Reuters, Kapital, Darwin Locations: Darwin, Kent, England

☆ Tesla faces hurdle in Germany as locals vote to oppose factory expansion
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lora Kolodny | In Lorakolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Electric vehicle maker Tesla failed to secure a vote among locals in favor of authorizing a major factory expansion for the company's battery and car assembly plant in Brandenburg, Germany. The vote is nonbinding, according to The New York Times, which reported that local officials would try to find another solution. While Tesla has remained a top-selling brand in Europe, it faces competition from more battery electric models than ever in and beyond the region. Sales of new battery electric passenger vehicles in Europe increased 29% year over year in Europe in January, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. Germany and France currently represent the two biggest markets for fully electric vehicles in Europe.

Persons: Tesla Organizations: Tesla, DW, The New York Times, European Automobile Manufacturers Association . Germany, CNBC PRO Locations: Berlin, Brandenburg, Germany, Grünheide, Red, Europe, France

☆ Opinion | Kicking Native People Off Their Land Is a Horrible Way to Save the Planet
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Robert Williams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

That’s why government officials recently announced a change in the legal status of Ngorongoro that will prohibit human settlement inside and near it. The decision will force authorities to remove nearly 100,000 people — mostly Maasai pastoralists who have used Ngorongoro’s vast grasslands to sustain their seminomadic cattle-herding way of life for generations — from the protected area. According to the government, the Maasai must be removed to conserve the land and protect biodiversity. The Maasai argue that removal puts their lives and cultural survival at risk and that the government should instead expand tourism in a way that respects their rights. Yet in many cases people are already living and surviving off these lands — indeed, an estimated 476 million Indigenous peoples dwell on lands that are home to 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity.

Organizations: World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society, University of Arizona Indigenous Peoples Law, United Nations, Indigenous Peoples Locations: Mara, Kenya, United States, France, Germany, Japan

☆ Chinese fishing vessels are going scorched earth and pumping cyanide into contested waters, Philippine fishing authority says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The bureau on Saturday accused Chinese vessels of pumping cyanide into the shoal's waters. AdvertisementThe Philippines' fishing bureau has accused Chinese fishing vessels of using cyanide to destroy the Scarborough Shoal, a fish-rich atoll in the South China Sea contested by both Manila and Beijing. Cyanide fishing is a controversial fishing method that typically involves dumping the highly toxic chemical near coral reefs or in fishing grounds to stun or kill fish so they can be easily captured. Notably, the Philippines' fishing industry was known to use cyanide fishing back in the 1960s to capture live fish for aquariums and restaurants, though the practice has become less common. The Scarborough Shoal is contested by The Philippines, China, and Taiwan.

Persons: —, Nazario Briguera, Brigeura, Briguera, hadn't, Jay Tarriela, Guo Shoujing, Hague Organizations: Service, Bureau of Fisheries, Aquatic Resources, The Philippine, Philippine, Scarborough, Philippine Star, ROSA, GMA, Philippine Coast Guard, Conservation, Education Foundation, Global Times, The, TED, Getty, Google, Fisheries, Business Locations: Philippines, China, Scarborough, South, Manila, Beijing, Masinloc, Spanish, Scarborough Shoal, AFP, Bajo de, Cebu, South China, Taiwan, The Philippines, Quezon City, Philippine

In exchange for executing the deed, Trump "paid significantly lower property taxes on Mar-a-Lago," Engoron said. REUTERS/Marco BelloOn the witness stand in November, mid-way through his three-month civil fraud trial, Trump obsessed over the valuation of Mar-a-Lago. Under oath, Trump griped that Mar-a-Lago was worth at least $1 billion and called the judge a "fraud" for not agreeing to that valuation. Advertisement"The fraud is on the court when you rule that Mar-a-Lago is worth $18 million," Trump said on the witness stand in November. In the trial, Trump switched back to claiming Mar-a-Lago was worth much more.

Persons: Arthur Engoron, Donald Trump, Trump, Engoron, Donald Trump's, Marco Bello, Lago, I'm, Letitia James, James, Donald Trump , Jr, Eric Trump, Allen Weisselberg Organizations: Business, Mar, FBI, Republican, Trump Organization, Trump Locations: Manhattan, Beach , Florida, Lago, Beach, DC, Palm Beach

☆ What a Viral Post on Giraffes Says About China’s Fed-Up Investors
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Li Yuan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After that, he shut down his trading account and started investing in Chinese funds that track stocks in the United States. Many investors have instead flocked to the exchange-traded funds that track foreign markets and that have been performing much better. But Chinese investors are experiencing something especially alarming: financial losses in the markets, declining home values and a government that doesn’t want any public discussion of what’s happening. With their frustrations piling up, Chinese investors recently found a way to vent that wouldn’t be quickly censored. The giraffe post has been liked nearly one million times since Feb. 2, much more than what the embassy’s Weibo posts usually get.

Persons: Jacky Organizations: Weibo, U.S, Embassy Locations: United States, China

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Workers from Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida have released 11 cold-stunned Kemp’s ridley sea turtles back into the Atlantic Ocean. The turtles were released earlier this week near Cape Canaveral after two months of rehabilitation, the aquarium said in a news release Thursday. They were part of a group of 16 turtles that arrived at the Tampa Bay area facility from the New England Aquarium in Massachusetts in December. Rehabilitation facilities in the Northeast frequently collaborate with other facilities to treat cold-stunned turtles. A total of 52 sea turtles were flown this past winter to Florida, where they were treated by Clearwater Marine Aquarium, as well as Mote Marine Laboratory, Florida Aquarium and Loggerhead Marine Life Center.

Persons: Kemp’s ridley, ridley, Dr, Shelly Marquardt Organizations: —, Clearwater Marine, New, Aquarium, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Marine Laboratory, Florida Aquarium, Life Locations: CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla, Clearwater, Florida, Cape Canaveral, Tampa Bay, Massachusetts, ”, Cape Cod

☆ Tyagarah, New South Wales: Australian nude beach faces possible closure
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Tyagarah Beach, a secluded 800-meter (875-yard) stretch of beachfront north of Byron Bay, has been the topic of heated debate in recent weeks. The beach, long loved by naturists from Australia and around the world, is part of the Tyagarah Nature Reserve and maintained by the New South Wales state government. “Nude recreation is a legitimate way of life,” Benham wrote. In 2018, a similar measure was rejected by the Shire Council and CCTV cameras were installed as a compromise. “I’ve been nude bathing on Byron Shire beaches since I was a child in the 70s and 80s,” Benham told 9 News.

Persons: Bradley Benham, Byron Naturists, Penny Sharpe, ” Benham, “ I’ve, CNN’s Angus Watson Organizations: CNN, naturists, New, 9News, Council, Nature, ” Local, Shire Council Locations: Tyagarah, Byron Bay, Australia, New South Wales, NSW, Shire, Byron Shire

☆ Who Kissed First? Archaeology Has an Answer.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Franz Lidz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

They met a week earlier at a pub near the University of Copenhagen, where both were undergraduates. “I had asked my cousin if he knew any nice single guys with long hair and long beards,” Dr. Rasmussen said. “I do,” said Dr. Rasmussen, who had taken some of the same classes. The researcher, at the University of Cambridge, suggested that the custom — a lip-kissing precursor that involved rubbing and pressing noses together — developed into hardcore smooching. — about when the Indian how-to sex manual, the Kama Sutra, was published — kissing had spread to the Mediterranean with the return of Alexander the Great’s troops from Northern India.

Persons: humanity’s, Sophie Lund Rasmussen, Troels, “, Dr, Rasmussen, ’, Arboll, ”, buss, —, Alexander the Organizations: University of Copenhagen, University of Oxford’s, Conservation Research Unit, Aalborg University, University of Cambridge Locations: Assyriology, Denmark, Asia, Northern India

For polar bears, the climate change diet is a losing proposition, a new study suggests. With Arctic sea ice shrinking from climate change, many polar bears have to shift their diets to land during parts of the summer. Usually polar bears eat high-fat seals while based on sea ice, near where the seals are. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service lists polar bears as a threatened species “due to the loss of its sea ice habitat." When polar bears have sea ice, they feast on seals.

Persons: Anthony Pagano, fatten, Pagano, Andrew Derocher, ” Derocher, ”, Derocher, Karyn Rode, “, ” Rode, Kristin Laidre, Laidre, Stephanie Windeler, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: Nature Communications, Geological Survey, Data, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Alberta, University of Washington, Canada, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Hudson, London, AP.org

☆ Indonesia election: Over 200 million will head to the polls across vast nation in world’s biggest election day
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —More than 200 million eligible voters will head to the polls in Indonesia on Wednesday, in what is billed as the world’s biggest single-day election. Mascots depicting presidential candidate and Indonesia's Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto (L) and vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka (R) in an election event on February 5, 2024. He has strong links with Islamic political groups, and his vice-presidential pick, Muhaimin Iskandar, is the leader of Indonesia’s largest Muslim political party, the National Awakening Party. A presidential candidate needs a simple majority of at least 50% of total votes and 20% of votes in more than half of the country’s 38 provinces to win. The use and abuse of AIWith more than 210 million Internet users, Indonesia boasts one of the world’s largest digital populations.

Persons: Suharto’s, Prabowo Subianto, he’s, Suharto, ” Kenneth Roth, Ganjar, Mahfud, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Adek Berry, Anies Baswedan, Muhaimin Iskandar, Anies, –, Basuki Tjahaja, Joko Widodo, Jokowi, Prabowo, Gibran, Jokowi’s, ”, Adrian Vickers, Vickers, “, Yusof, Maria Monica Wihardja, ” Wihardja, Sayyidatiihayaa, Satya Bumi, ” Sayyidatiihayaa, Ulet Ifansasti Organizations: CNN, Human Rights Watch, Princeton University, Indonesian Democratic Party of, Indonesia's Defence, Getty, Former Jakarta, Islamic, National Awakening Party, University of Sydney, Prabowo, Lembaga, Transparency International, Indonesia Locations: Indonesia, United States, Central Java, Jakarta, Indonesia’s, AFP, Chinese, Indonesian, Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, Nusantara, Borneo

☆ Migratory species are in a shocking state of decline, landmark UN report shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Angela Dewan | Rachel Ramirez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Migratory species include some of the most iconic animals on the planet, like elephants. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty ImagesBaby Leatherback sea turtles head to the sea at sunset on Indonesia's Lhoknga Beach in February 2023. Those activities also fragment migratory species’ pathways, sometimes making it impossible for them to complete their journeys. Around 58% of the monitored locations recognized as important for migratory species are facing what the CMS says are unsustainable levels of pressure from humans. “Migratory species have a special role in nature as they don’t recognize political boundaries,” said Anurag Agrawal, professor of environmental studies at Cornell University.

Persons: They’ve, Yasuyoshi Chiba, Chaideer Mahyuddin, Didier Brandelet, Kristin Laidre, Amy Fraenkel, Scott Gibbons, Zheng Yuanjian, Carl de Souza, Sergio Pitamitz, Wolfgang Kaehler, ” Inger Andersen, ”, Anurag Agrawal Organizations: CNN, UN, Convention, Animals, Getty, McCormick, United Nations Environment, Cornell University Locations: Asia, Alaska, Kimana, Kenya, AFP, Beach, Greenland, Elsehul, South Georgia, longline, Chicago, Lake Michigan, Xinhua, Mongolia, UN, Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Michelle Lujan Grisham has advocated for a more robust spending package, a 10% annual spending increase that would shore up housing opportunities, childhood literacy and health care access. Senate budget amendments apply $75 million in state matching funds to the effort. Under another $1.5 million budget provision, New Mexico would for the first time help compensate landowners and agricultural producers when wolves are confirmed to have killed livestock or working animals. The fund underwrites an array of conservation programs at state natural resources agencies, from soil enhancement programs in agriculture to conservation of threatened and big-game species. The Legislature's budget bill would place $512 million in the trust.

Persons: Michelle Lujan Grisham, Sen, George Muñoz, ” Muñoz, Biden, ”, Nathan Small Organizations: SANTA FE, Texas, New, New Mexico Gov, Democratic, Gallup, ” Locations: SANTA, New Mexico, Las Cruces

“We expect stringent government oversight of our mining-to-reclamation project, which will be fully protective of the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge and the region’s environment,” Ingle said in a statement. The swamp’s wildlife, cypress forests and flooded prairies draw roughly 600,000 visitors each year, according to the U.S. Despite efforts by President Joe Biden to restore federal oversight, the Army Corps entered a legal agreement with Twin Pines to maintain its hands-off position. The mining project is moving forward as the National Park Service seeks designation of the Okefenokee wildlife refuge as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Twin Pines denied wrongdoing, but said it agreed to the fine to avoid further permitting delays.

Persons: Deb Haaland, Josh Marks, “, Steve Ingle, ” Ingle, C, Rhett Jackson, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Ben Prater, EPD Organizations: Georgia Environmental, Twin, Twin Pines Minerals, Refuge, Georgia -, Twin Pines, U.S . Fish, Wildlife Service, and Wildlife Service, University of Georgia, ., Army Corps of Engineers, Army Corps, National Park Service, UNESCO, of Wildlife Locations: SAVANNAH, Ga, Georgia, Twin Pines, Birmingham , Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia - Florida, Atlanta, Twin, blackwater

☆ Monarch Butterfly Numbers Are Down Sharply at Wintering Areas in Mexico
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Catrin Einhorn | More About Catrin Einhorn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The number of monarch butterflies at their overwintering areas in Mexico dropped precipitously this year to the second-lowest level on record, according to an annual survey. The census, considered a benchmark of the species’s health, found that the butterflies occupied only about 2.2 acres of forest in central Mexico, down 59 percent from the prior year. Only the winter of 2013-14 had fewer butterflies. Scientists said the decline appeared to be driven by hot, dry conditions in the United States and Canada that reduced the quality of available milkweed, the only plants monarch caterpillars can eat, as well as the availability of nectar from many kinds of flowers, which they feed on as butterflies. “It’s telling us that we need to intensify conservation and restoration measures,” said Jorge Rickards, the general director of World Wildlife Fund in Mexico, which conducted the survey with the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas and other partners.

Persons: “, ”, Jorge Rickards Organizations: World Wildlife Fund, National Commission Locations: Mexico, United States, Canada

☆ Zimbabwe Bets on No Till Farming to Reduce El Nino Impact on Grain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

No till farming minimises soil disturbance, which helps keep carbon in the soil and also enriches soil biodiversity, reducing the need for chemical fertilisers that emit greenhouse. Zimbabwe is one of the countries worst affected by the El Nino weather pattern and struggles to feed itself. Zimbabwe produced 2.3 million tons of maize last year. The country requires 2.2 million tons of the staple grain annually for human and livestock consumption. "This is a reflection that farmers are adopting the recommended climate-proofing interventions, especially during the El Nino condition," cabinet said in a statement released late on Tuesday.

Persons: Vangelis Haritatos, Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe's, Nelson Banya, Michael Perry Organizations: Reuters, El, Finance, Nino Locations: HARARE, Zimbabwe, El Nino, Pacific

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The number of monarch butterflies at their wintering areas in Mexico dropped by 59% this year to the second lowest level since record keeping began, experts said Wednesday, blaming heat, drought and loss of habitat. The butterflies’ migration from Canada and the United States to Mexico and back again is considered a marvel of nature. But the number of a smaller population, the western monarch butterflies that overwinter in California, has dropped, too. The butterflies themselves aren't at risk of disappearing, but the monarchs’ migration is. After wintering in Mexico, the butterflies fly north, breeding multiple generations along the way for thousands of miles.

Persons: ”, Gloria Tavera, ” Tavera, Ryan Drum, Gregory Mitchell, Mitchell, ” Humberto Peña Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Monarchs, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Canada, United States, Mexico City, Rocky, California

It's a story increasingly familiar in the energy industry: Some utility companies don't properly assess the risks wildfires pose to their operations. The primary purpose is to prevent power lines from igniting a wildfire during periods of high fire danger. The lawsuit also alleges the company "inexcusably kept their power lines energized during the forecasted high-fire danger conditions." A PG&E utility worker locates a gas main line in the rubble of a home burned down by wildfire in Paradise, California, Nov. 13, 2018. Several of those agencies track statewide wildfire information, but most did not keep track of the names of utility companies associated with wildfire incidents.

Persons: Michelle Glogovac, Glogovac, Laurie Allen, Brent Jones, Allen, Jones, inexcusably, Michael Wara, Shelee Kimura, Yuki Iwamura, David Pomerantz, Pomerantz, Patti Poppe, It's, JOSH EDELSON, Warren Buffett's, Stanford's, CNBC's Brian Sullivan, David Paul Morris, Institute's Pomerantz, Tama Organizations: CNBC, Electric, Energy, Stanford University, Hawaiian Electric, AFP, Getty, Policy, Policy Institute, NV Energy, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Bloomberg, Getty Images Locations: Paradise , California, Lahaina , Hawaii, Hawaii, Maui, Maui County, Lahaina, California, Nevada, Warren, — Arizona, California , Colorado, Hawaii , Montana , Nevada , New Mexico , Oregon , Utah, Washington, Arizona , New Mexico, Utah

☆ ‘Moths to a flame’: Insect behavior around light isn’t about attraction, scientists say
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Gaining a better understanding of the impact of artificial light on these winged creatures is crucial as light pollution plays an increasing role in the decline of global insect populations, the researchers wrote. Artificial light confuses nocturnal insectsWhen artificial light does not interfere, nocturnal insects keep their backs pointed toward whatever direction is brightest, which is typically the sky versus the ground. By using insect-scale motion-capture cameras, the researchers determined that the flying insects exhibited three consistent behaviors: orbiting, stalling and inverting. Moths and other insects can become trapped in a disorienting orbit around artificial light sources such as street lamps and porch lights. The new findings could help with conservation by fueling research on how to minimize the effects of light pollution on the insects, Dombroskie said.

Persons: it’s, critters, Samuel Fabian, Sam Fabian “, … It’s, ” Fabian, that’s, ”, Yash Sondhi, Sondhi, Sam Fabian, Fabian, Floyd Shockley, Shockley, ancestrally, “, Jason Dombroskie, Dombroskie Organizations: CNN, Nature Communications, Imperial College London’s, Florida Museum, Florida International University, Smithsonian National Museum of, Cornell, Insect, National Wildlife Foundation Locations: bioengineering, Miami, Washington , DC

☆ Factbox-Policy Pledges of Indonesia's Presidential Candidates
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

(Reuters) - Three candidates are running in Indonesia's presidential election on Feb. 14. The following is a summary of policy objectives they have pledged while campaigning. ANIES BASWEDAN- Target 5.5%-6.5% average annual economic growth from 2025-2029- Create 15 million jobs, including 'green' jobs- Raise the tax-to-GDP ratio from 10.4% in 2022 to 13%-16% by 2029- Target annual inflation of 2%-3% from 2025-2029- Offer incentives for renewable energy projects- Impose a carbon tax with proceeds to be used as an endowment fund to finance development of renewable energy- Increase the 'village fund' to 5 billion rupiah ($317,965) for each village, from the current 1 billion rupiah. - Widen access to global markets for palm oil farmers- Strengthen free trade agreements and Indonesia's role in international financial institutions- Minimise imports of staple foods- Create 2 million new affordable housing units, including for informal workers, youth- Expedite forest conservation and rehabilitation projects- Limit new construction of, and retire existing coal-fired power plants, especially in Java, Bali islands- Review debt of state-owned enterprises, continue debt restructuring programme- Revise Jobs Creation Law with goal to ensure fair wages for workers- Evaluate the $32 billion new capital city project- Evaluate food estate programme, replacing it with contract farming, a scheme to ensure farm products will be sold- Impose a wealth tax on Indonesia's 100 richest people- Audit the nickel industry with focus on its impact on the environment and ensuring welfare of domestic workers- Strengthen the anti-corruption agency by revising the law that regulates it- Ease permitting requirements for building places of worshipGANJAR PRANOWO- Continue programmes of outgoing President Joko Widodo's administration- Target average annual economic growth of 7%- Create 17 million new jobs- Expedite construction of new capital city- Increase the defence budget as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) to between 1%-2%, from about 0.8% presently. Modernise military hardware- Target 30% share for renewable sources in energy mix by 2029- Allow more renewable energy producers to use electricity grids of state utility firms to boost green energy adoption- Set up a dedicated ministry for the palm oil sector- Maintain moratorium on deforestation, accelerate reforestation programmes- Create digital tax collection system under the new tax agency separated from finance ministry- Limit permit issuance of new nickel smelter to avoid a further oversupply- Expand social welfare to cover 15 million families, up from 10 million currently- Provide funding to ensure at least one member of a poor family receives education until college- Strengthen national anti-corruption agency- Maintain foreign policy of non-alignment- Strengthen Indonesia's commitment to support fight of Palestinian people- Revitalise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its decision-making process, especially regarding South China Sea disputes.

Persons: ANIES, GANJAR, Joko Widodo's, PRABOWO, Joko, Stanley Widianto, Ananda Teresia, Stefanno Sulaiman, Bernadette Christina Munthe, Martin Petty Organizations: Reuters, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Locations: Java, Bali, South

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An adorable, furry baby Hoffman's two-toed sloth has made its debut at zoo in Florida. Zookeepers at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society have been monitoring the baby sloth and its mother, Wilbur, since witnessing the birth early in the morning of Jan. 23. Zoo officials are waiting to identify the baby sloth's gender before deciding on a name. So we like to give it a few weeks, and really be able to know for certain what the gender is before we start with the naming process.”But the public is now welcome to visit the baby sloth. “We’re excited for guests to witness the development of this unique little baby," said Renee Bumpus, Chief Animal Conservation Officer.

Persons: Zookeepers, Wilbur, Kelly, ” Wilbur, Dustin, ”, it's, Renee Bumpus, “, — Frisaro Organizations: Conservation Society, Zoo, Animal Locations: BEACH, Fla, Florida, Palm, Fort Lauderdale

Future Forward, the main Democratic super PAC supporting Mr. Biden’s bid, has a $250 million ad blitz planned. Mr. Trump still carried veterans, but his erosion of support followed an array of evidence that he had been disrespectful to military officials and families. Credit... Justin T. Gellerson for The New York Times“There’s political ramifications to all this,” Mr. Soltz said. VoteVets had $11 million in cash at the end of 2023, according to its filing with the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Soltz said VoteVets intended to conduct focus group research and polling of its network of families of veterans and active-duty service members.

Persons: Biden, Jon Soltz, VoteVets, Mr, Biden’s, MoveOn, Donald J, Trump, Hillary Clinton, Soltz, aren’t, ”, “ hasn’t, Justin T, “, Ruben Gallego, Elissa Slotkin of, Andy Kim of, Robert Menendez, Trump’s, Brian Mast Organizations: Democratic, Senate, PAC, Mr, Pew Research, “, Capitol, VoteVets, The New York Times, Gold Star, League of Conservation Voters, Federal, Commission, Democrats, Trump Locations: Iraq, Afghanistan, VoteVets ., Montana , Nevada , Pennsylvania, Ohio, Ruben Gallego of Arizona, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, Andy Kim of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida

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