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☆ UNESCO adds new sites to the World Heritage List
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has wrapped up its deliberations related to sites that are in danger and began adding new sites on Saturday to its prestigious World Heritage List. Deliberations started Saturday considering 50 sites nominated for the well-known World Heritage List. Yurii Stefanyak/Global Images Ukraine/Getty ImagesThe World Heritage in Danger List includes heritage sites that are threatened by forces such as armed conflict, natural disasters, pollution and more. World Heritage ListAs discussions moved to contenders for the World Heritage List, the Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua in Congo was inscribed on Saturday. Sites must be of “outstanding universal value” to be added to the World Heritage List, according to UNESCO.

Persons: CNN —, Sophia Cathedral, Ukraine —, Mount Pelée, Yurii, Sophia, ”, “, ” CNN’s Marnie Hunter, Francesca Street Organizations: CNN, Kyiv, UNESCO Locations: Ukraine, Kyiv, Pechersk, Lviv, Odzala, Congo, Mount, Martinique, Venice, Long, Ba, Ha Long, Denmark, Ohio

☆ The global treasures in the running for UNESCO’s World Heritage status
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-15 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

This year, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is reviewing nominations from both 2022 and 2023, with participants from across the world attending the session in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to examine almost 50 contenders. According to UNESCO, sites must be of “outstanding universal value” to be included on the World Heritage List. So far, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed approximately 1,157 sites in 167 different countries onto the World Heritage List. Seo Heun Kang/UNESCO World Heritage Nomination OfficeOnly those countries that sign the convention creating the World Heritage Committee and list are permitted to nominate sites. Gordion, the capital city of ancient Phrygia in Ankara, Turkey, is also nominated for a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Persons: John E, Seo Heun Kang, Bale, Gordion, Mustafa Ciftci, Midas, Morten Rasmussen, Sarah Langrand, Dominique Marck, Bani Ma’arid, Bani Ma'arid, Hamad Al Qahtani, Koh Ker, Mount Pelée, Canada Bale, Francesca Street Organizations: CNN, UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Cultural Organization, UNESCO World Heritage, Heritage, World, Anadolu Agency, Danish Agency for Culture, Fine Arts Department, de Nîmes, National Center for Wildlife, Architectural Museum, Kazan Federal University, Khinalig, Tunisia ESMA Museum, Clandestine Center of Detention, Wooden Posts, Greece Historic Center of Guimarães Locations: Gaya, Denmark, Thai, Ohio, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Hancock, United States, Goryeong, South Korea, Addis Ababa, Phrygia, Turkey, Ankara, B.C.E, Madagascar, Si Thep, Thailand, Si, Nîmes, France, Gorokhovets, Russia, Vladimir Oblast, Erfurt, Germany, Cambodia, Khmer, Courland, Latvia, Kaunas, Lithuania, Ab’aj, Guatemala, India, Karakum, Tajikistan, Menorca, Spain, Ethiopia, Iran, Klondike, Canada, Czech, Odzala, Kokoua, Congo, Mount, Northern Martinique, Benin Ha Long, Ba Archipelago, Vietnam, Forests, Azerbaijan, Jericho, Palestinian Territories, Kazan, Tunisia, Argentina, Belgium, Suriname Royal, Netherlands, Anatolia, Bisesero, Rwanda, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Masouleh, Turan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Northern Apennines, Italy, Tajikistan Highlands, Mongolian, Mongolia, Greece, Portugal

PARIS (AP) — France is sending military forces to distribute water on the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, which is facing an unprecedented water crisis prompted by the island cluster's most severe drought in decades. Troops with the French Foreign Legion and French navy based in the region will work with local authorities to ensure water supplies to local populations, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Authorities have ordered water cuts two days out of three on Mayotte, a territory northwest of Madagascar that is the poorest part of France. Residents protested Saturday outside the Mayotte water management headquarters, carrying banners reading “Mayotte is Thirsty!”, according to local media reports. Around 30% of the population doesn’t have access to running water at home, according to regional health authorities.

Organizations: PARIS, —, Troops, French Foreign Legion, Defense Ministry, Authorities, Residents Locations: — France, Mayotte, Madagascar, France, Comoros

☆ Madagascar President Resigns Ahead of Polls in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

Madagascar's constitution requires a sitting head of state who wants to contest a presidential election to first resign. The president of the senate is supposed to assume presidential powers when the head of state resigns but the court said the senate head, Herimanana Razafimahefa, had declined to take over. "For personal reasons, he will not be able to fully exercise the responsibilities that the office of Head of State requires," the court said referring to Razafimahefa. Instead, the court said, presidential power would now be exercised by the government collectively with the prime minister as the head. Madagascar is hoping for its third peaceful election since the upheaval of 2009, when Rajoelina ousted President Marc Ravalomanana in a coup, prompting an exodus of foreign investors from the Indian Ocean island.

Persons: Andry Rajoelina, Rajoelina, Herimanana Razafimahefa, Marc Ravalomanana, Hery, Lova Rabary, Elias Biryabarema, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Constitutional, State Locations: ANTANANARIVO, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, Madagascar

☆ Madagascar president resigns ahead of polls in November
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO-Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina addresses the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 21, 2022. Madagascar's constitution requires a sitting head of state who wants to contest a presidential election to first resign. The president of the senate is supposed to assume presidential powers when the head of state resigns but the court said the senate head, Herimanana Razafimahefa, had declined to take over. "For personal reasons, he will not be able to fully exercise the responsibilities that the office of Head of State requires," the court said referring to Razafimahefa. Madagascar is hoping for its third peaceful election since the upheaval of 2009, when Rajoelina ousted President Marc Ravalomanana in a coup, prompting an exodus of foreign investors from the Indian Ocean island.

Persons: Andry Rajoelina, Brendan McDermid, Rajoelina, Herimanana Razafimahefa, Marc Ravalomanana, Hery, Lova Rabary, Elias Biryabarema, Sharon Singleton Organizations: United Nations General Assembly, REUTERS, Constitutional, State, Thomson Locations: U.N, New York City, U.S, ANTANANARIVO, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, Madagascar

True vanilla is a demanding crop, so labor-intensive that at times the market value of the beans has surpassed that of silver, weight for weight. And since each bean yields only 2 percent vanillin at best, the cost of pure vanilla is even higher. The vanilla bean on my desk comes from the small Hawaiian town of Laie on Oahu’s North Shore. It’s longer and darker than the other vanilla beans in my cupboard, its fragrance more insistently narcotic. To begin with, while the vanilla orchid — planifolia is the species most widely grown — is a hermaphrodite (like most flowering plants), with both male and female parts, it can’t pollinate itself.

Persons: Wendell Steavenson, Saili Levi, Edmond, toiling, planifolia, haricots Organizations: NPR, Vanilla Company Locations: Madagascar, Laie, Shore, Samoa, Hawaii, United States, Oahu, Mexico, Réunion

The continent is rich in the commodities needed for the green energy transition and has abundant solar power, but many governments are also burdened with cripplingly high debts. "Eighty percent of the infrastructure Africa needs by 2050 has not yet been built," Gamboa said at the IMPACT conference. "They've come to a recognition that it is good development to leapfrog and go into the clean energy transition now." "We cannot and will not run away from doing fossil fuel-based investing because the development needs of the continent are so huge," the AFC's Gupta said. "The world still needs energy security, the world still needs energy source diversity.

Persons: John Muchucha, it's, Andrew Steer, Freddy, we've, Tom Mitchell, Sanjeev Gupta, Gupta, Cristina Gamboa, " Gamboa, ActionAid, Gloria Dickie, Jane Wardell, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Earth, Reuters IMPACT, International Institute for Environment, Development, London, African Finance Corporation, International Energy Agency, IMPACT, AFC, Thomson Locations: Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, London, Horn of Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Sharm el, Sheikh, Lagos, Global South, Paris

☆ Celebrity video site sees a surge of actor sign-ups in the wake of the strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-27 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Others film short videos for fans on Cameo, fetching anywhere up to $1 to $1,500. CameoThe reality of actors’ livelihoods has come into full focus since the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14. Seeking extra cash, many out-of-work thespians have flocked to Cameo, a site where they can earn income from fans who buy personalized celebrity videos. The average price for Cameo for Business, which allows the video to be used for commercial purposes, is $1,700. ‘The Pope’s blessing’Despite the influx of actors this summer, it’s been a slow season for the site since Father’s Day.

Persons: Steven Galanis, ” Galanis, Fran Drescher, ”, Cameo, Drescher, Alyssa Milano, Cheyenne Jackson, Chris Wood, China McClain, Melissa Benoist, Brian Cox, Santa Claus, Galanis, Fred Stoller, Gerard, Raymond ”, Fred the, who’ve, ” Stoller, Stoller, he’s, we’re, it’s, AFTRA Organizations: New, New York CNN, SAG, CNN Business, CNN, for, “, “ The Penguins, Fantasy Football, Business Locations: New York, Hollywood, China, Santa, “ The, Madagascar

☆ This Gecko’s Camouflage Is So Good, It Masqueraded as Another Species
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Sofia Quaglia | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As night falls on the northern forests of Madagascar, trees come alive. What appears to be a piece of bark peels off a tree trunk, and starts slowly crawling along a branch. It’s actually Uroplatus garamaso, a newly identified species of leaf-tailed gecko. This animal is a dazzling camouflager — better than the chameleon — but it’s long been hiding in plain sight. The 22 species of leaf-tailed geckoes that are unique to Madagascar can be split into two categories: those who’ve evolved to look uncannily like leaves, and those who imitate tree bark.

Persons: ”, Mark D, Scherz Organizations: of Locations: Madagascar, It’s, of Denmark

☆ Stampede at Madagascar's national stadium kills 12, injures around 80, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Lova Rabary | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

ANTANANARIVO, Aug 25 (Reuters) - A stampede of sports fans trying to enter Madagascar's national stadium for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games has killed 12 and injured around 80, the prime minister said on Friday. Videos shared on social media showed Red Cross workers caring for dozens of injured people next to the athletics track. Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said 11 of the injured were in a critical condition. It was not immediately clear what caused the stampede, but at least 15 people were killed in a similar incident at the Mahamasina stadium in 2019. The Indian Ocean Island Games were created by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1977, and include athletes from Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Reunion and the Maldives.

Persons: Christian Ntsay, Andry Rajoelina, Lova, Hereward Holland, Chris Reese, Alistair Bell, Sandra Maler Organizations: Madagascar's, Games, Red Cross, International Olympic Committee, Thomson Locations: ANTANANARIVO, Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Reunion, Maldives, Antananarivo

☆ A mystery 300-mile wide formation lurking beneath Australia may be the largest asteroid impact crater on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Scientists have uncovered traces of what they think could be the world's largest asteroid impact. The impact might have occurred 450 million years ago, wiping out 85 percent of Earth's species, one said. The structure, the scientists say, could be the remnants of an enormous asteroid impact that hit the Earth hundreds of millions of years ago. If confirmed, it would be the largest asteroid impact on record. The memory of the impact is hidden in the groundOne would think finding the world's largest asteroid impact should be fairly easy.

Persons: Andrew Glickson, Glickson, Tony Yeates Organizations: Service, Australian Geological Survey Organization, telltale Locations: Australia, Wall, Silicon, Deniliquin, New South Wales, South Africa, Pangea, South America, Africa, Arabia, Madagascar, India, Antarctica

☆ Crocodiles were played the sound of human babies crying. The higher the infant's distress level, the more the carnivores would respond.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Nile crocodiles react to the cries of infants from species like bonobos, chimpanzees, and humans. Researchers played audio recordings of infants crying to the carnivorous crocodiles and discovered they were drawn to those in the most distress. While humans primarily responded to the pitch of the cries, crocodiles responded based on levels of "deterministic chaos, harmonicity, and spectral prominences." Nile crocodiles can grow to about 20 feet long and can weigh up to 1,650 pounds, per National Geographic. According to the publication, Nile crocodiles generally live close to humans, meaning encounters happen relatively often.

Persons: – Organizations: Service, Royal Society B, Royal, Geographic Locations: Wall, Silicon, CrocoParc, Agadir, Morocco, Saharan Africa, Madagascar

☆ I gave up my tech job in Seattle to live on a sailboat. I've fought off pirates at 3 a.m. and it was terrifying — but I'll never go back to my old life.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Brooke Morton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Brian Trautman has spent the past 14 years living on a 53-foot sailboat, sailing to 46 countries. I gave my business partners my year's notice in 2008 and started selling everything to buy a sailboat. Starting my lifelong sailing adventureI bought SV Delos, a 53-foot Amel Super Maramu sailboat, for $390,000 in 2008. We left the boat with my brother and his girlfriend, who continued to sail Delos across the Atlantic to Antigua. When she was 4 months old, all three of us flew back to Antigua to reboard Delos and sail the Caribbean.

Persons: Brian Trautman, Trautman, I'd, Karin, Trautman's, SV Delos merch, we've, We've, Delos merch, Brian Trautman Karin, Karin's, Sierra Trautman, reboard Delos, we'd, Sierra Organizations: Service, Microsoft, SV Delos, Delos, YouTube Locations: Wall, Silicon, Seattle, Caribbean, Redmond, New Zealand, Auckland, South, Fiji, Sweden, Delos, Antigua, Florida, reboard, Mexico, Fatu, Polynesia, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Madagascar

☆ The world’s most shark-filled waters
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

There were just 57 confirmed unprovoked shark attacks last year, out of a global population of 8 billion, five of which were fatal. However, some places around the world have much higher rates of shark attacks than others, with the numbers rising with the passing years. Let’s take a look at the locations worldwide with the highest rates of shark attacks between 2012 and 2021 and the reasons they’ve become hot spots. South Africa (29 bites)South Africa had 29 unprovoked shark bites between 2012 and 2021, of which six were fatal. South Carolina (45 bites)None of the 45 unprovoked attacks in South Carolina in the decade-long time frame were fatal.

Persons: Let’s, ”, Gavin Naylor, Gansbaai, they’ve, ” Neil Hammerschlag, “, ” Richard Peirce, orcas, Brad Leue, Chuck Bangley, Fernando de Noronha, Katarina Zarutskie, ” Zarutskie Organizations: CNN, Discovery, Discovery Channel, Warner Bros ., ISAF, Volusia, Florida Program, Shark Research, orcas, Conservation, University of Miami Rosenstiel School, Shark Conservation Society, International, of Oceanography, Aquaculture Locations: New York, Florida, Florida’s Volusia County, ”, Smyrna Beach, Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria, Hawaii, Windward Oahu, South Africa, Carolina, South Carolina, Charleston, Horry, Beaufort, ” California, San Diego, California, Brunswick County, North, North Carolina, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, Brazil, Pernambuco, Bahamas, Staniel Cay

☆ Mining Deploys Innovative Tech to Find Copper, Other EV Metals
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Yusuf Khan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

By adding bio-surfactants along with the other chemicals during the soaking process, more copper floats to the surface and less is wasted. Locus says its bio-surfactants increase copper yields by 7%, and save energy because less rock needs to be crushed. It is also testing its process on iron ore and tailings waste. Photo: douglas magno/Agence France-Presse/Getty ImagesGroups concerned about the environment frequently talk about mining waste or so-called tailings, mining companies less so. “Long term we need to get more suppliers of these metals, rare earths in particular.”Phoenix finds mine sites where the tailings waste is free from radioactive elements such as thorium and uranium.

Persons: Nico Cuevas, Tesla, Cuevas, ”, Fatih Birol, Urbix, “, ” Cuevas, Luke Sharrett, Gabi Knesel, Knesel, douglas magno, Vale, Nicholas Myers, Myers, Yusuf Khan Organizations: SK, South, Sustainable Business, International Energy Agency, Miners, EV, Bloomberg, “ Mining, BHP, Agence France, Getty Locations: Mexican, Arizona, U.S, Mexico, Mesa, South Korean, China, America, Madagascar, Tanzania, Northern Europe, Solon , Ohio, Brazil, Woburn, Mass, New York, yusuf.khan

☆ A Cow, a Camel and a Finch Exploded in Space. What Is Going On?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Jonathan O Callaghan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

What do a cow, a koala, a camel, a Tasmanian devil and now a finch all have in common? They are nicknames given to a weird class of space explosions scientists can’t explain. They are more technically called luminous fast blue optical transients, or LFBOTs. These space explosions are much brighter than supernovas (which occur when stars explode), hence the “luminous” designation. They brighten quickly — hence “fast” — and are extremely hot, reaching 70,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and thus emitting “blue” light.

Persons: We’ve, ”, Daniel Perley, Finch, Perley Organizations: Liverpool John Moores University, Palomar Locations: Tasmanian, Madagascar, England, California

☆ How a Vast Demographic Shift Will Reshape the World
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Lauren Leatherby | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +18 min

1990 Younger populations Workingage Older populations For decades, the world’s dominant powers have benefited from large working-age populations that help drive economic growth. Russia U.K. France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S. U.S. Japan U.S. Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C. Russia U.K. France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S. U.S. U.S. Japan Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C. Russia U.K. France Pakistan China U.S. U.S. U.S. Japan Japan China China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C. Russia U.K. France Pakistan China U.S. U.S. U.S. Japan Japan China China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C.

Persons: That’s, ”, Mikko Myrskylä, Max Planck, Carolina Cardona, Philip O’Keefe, –, O’Keefe, Myrskylä, “ We’ve, “, aren’t, Mr Organizations: Korea Germany Italy Russia United, France, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S ., U.S, China India Nigeria D.R.C, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S . U.S, France Pakistan, France Pakistan China U.S . U.S, for Demographic Research, Youth, Niger, Dem, Central African Rep, Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Czech Rep, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Kosovo, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia, Hong Kong North Korea Japan Mongolia South Korea Taiwan Northern America, New Zealand, New, Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Rep, Chad Comoros, Congo Ivory Coast Dem, Johns Hopkins University, Aging, ARC Center of Excellence, Aging Research, World Bank, Spain Taiwan, Young, Korea, Spain, “ Locations: Japan, Western Europe, South Korea, Britain, Eastern Europe, China, Europe, India, East Asia, Florida, United States, South, Southeast Asia, Africa, Korea Germany Italy, Korea Germany Italy Russia United States France China Thailand United Kingdom, South Korea Brazil Colombia China Thailand Iran Myanmar Vietnam Bangladesh Indonesia, South Africa Myanmar Indonesia Bangladesh Philippines Pakistan Kenya Indonesia Egypt Ethiopia, Russia, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S . U.S, Japan U.S, Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C, Indonesia Indonesia Brazil Brazil Brazil, China Japan India Brazil, Pakistan France China U.S, Japan India Nigeria Brazil Indonesia, Pakistan U.S, China India Nigeria, Ethiopia Brazil Indonesia, France Pakistan Pakistan China China U.S . U.S . U.S, Japan Japan China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C, France Pakistan China, France Pakistan China U.S . U.S . U.S, Japan Japan China China India India India Nigeria Nigeria Ethiopia D.R.C, Congo Somalia, Angola Tanzania Nigeria, Afghanistan Ethiopia Tajikistan Kenya, Asia, Oceania, Kenya, Demographically, South Asia, Singapore, Albania, Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia, Herzegovina Bulgaria, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy, Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Lithuania Netherlands, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia, Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Moldova Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Ukraine, Eastern Asia, Hong Kong North Korea Japan Mongolia South Korea Taiwan Northern, Canada, States Australia, New, Australia, New Zealand, Saharan Africa, Angola, Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon, Congo, Congo Djibouti, Guinea Eritrea Eswatini Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea, Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa South Sudan Togo Uganda Tanzania Zambia Zimbabwe, Aging Asia, Pacific, America, “, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Spain Taiwan Greece, Singapore Slovenia Thailand Germany, Mainland China Finland Japan Netherlands Canada, Hong Kong South Korea, Singapore Slovenia Japan Thailand Germany, Mainland China Finland Netherlands, U.N, Korea Japan Spain, Korea Japan, France, West, East, Vietnam

☆ Fossils Where They Don’t Belong? Maybe We Just Didn’t Look Hard Enough.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( Anthony Ham | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Among dinosaur bones and sandy sediment there emerged a 167-million-year-old tiny jaw fragment with three teeth. It belonged to Ambondro mahabo, a species that was 25 million years older than any mammal of its kind ever found. At the time, what was known of the fossil record pointed overwhelmingly to the conclusion that modern mammals’ forerunners arose in the Northern Hemisphere. But a review of existing fossil holdings published last year in the journal Alcheringa sought to turn decades of paleontological wisdom on its head. After an exhaustive study of skulls, jaws and teeth, a team of Australian paleontologists presented their conclusion that modern mammals originated in the Southern Hemisphere.

Persons: Ambondro, ”, John Flynn, Frick Organizations: Northern, Southern Hemisphere, American Museum of Locations: Madagascar, New York

☆ When It Comes to Rubies, Is Mozambique the New Star?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Nazanin Lankarani | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Rubies are like caviar: Their origin is an important part of their market value. Until a month ago, anyone interested in buying a big ruby knew with certainty that Myanmar, formerly called Burma, produced the most valuable stones. Then in June, the 55.22-carat Estrela de Fura, mined in Mozambique, sold for $34.8 million at Sotheby’s in New York — what the auction house called “a world auction record for a ruby and any colored gemstone.”The stone, whose Portuguese name means Star of Fura, actually was one of three exceptional rubies auctioned in the past two months. One, from Myanmar, had been the world’s highest priced ruby, but sold in May for far less than its estimate. (The industry continues to use the term Burmese for rubies from the country.)

Persons: ” Locations: Myanmar, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, East, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, New York

☆ Factbox: Graphite producers doing deals with automakers and battery groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Tomas Bergman/Handout via REUTERSLONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Automakers are rushing to lock in graphite supply from outside dominant producer China as mined graphite demand for electric vehicle (EV) batteries outpaces other uses. Below are details of some Western companies producing, or planning to produce graphite, and their deals with auto makers and battery producers. It aims to start annual production at a battery anode plant in Mauritius in 2024 at 3,600 metric tons. SYRAH RESOURCES LTD (SYR.AX)Operates Balama mine in Mozambique, which doubled graphite production to 163,000 metric tons in 2022 from the year before. MAGNIS ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES LTD (MNS.AX)Developing Nachu graphite mine in Tanzania, aiming to produce 236,000 metric tons of graphite concentrate.

Persons: Tomas Bergman, Handout, steelmaker Thyssenkrupp, Talga, Magnis, Tesla, China's, Eric Onstad, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Talga Group, Reuters, REUTERS LONDON, INC, TALGA, Automotive Cells Company, ACC, Stellantis, Mercedes, Benz, Renault, LG Energy, Ford Motor Company, SK, MONDE, Panasonic Energy, Thomson Locations: Norrbotten, Sweden, China, Madagascar, Mauritius, Lulea, Mozambique, U.S ., Louisiana, Tanzania, United States, New York, South Australia, Macquarie, Canada, India, Alabama, Coosa

☆ Analysis: Auto firms race to secure non-Chinese graphite for EVs as shortages loom
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Eric Onstad | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Auto firms have been slow to plan for graphite shortages, focusing mainly on better-known battery materials lithium and cobalt, even though graphite is the largest battery component by weight. Graphite shortages are expected to rise in coming years, with a global supply deficit of 777,000 tonnes expected by 2030, Project Blue projections showed. China produces 61% of global natural graphite and 98% of the final processed material to make battery anodes, BMI said. Agreeing graphite supply deals is complex, requiring extensive safety testing for material going into each model of EV that can take up to three years. Natural graphite anodes tend to be cheaper and are beneficial for cell capacity and power output, allowing cars to run further distances before charging.

Persons: Tomas Bergman, Handout, there's, Mark Thompson, Australia's, Northvolt, Thompson, Talga, Mercedes, Brent Nykoliation, Tesla, George Miller, Reitumetse, Eric Onstad, Veronica Brown, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Talga Group, Reuters, Mercedes, Auto, Australia's Talga, BMO Capital Markets, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, BMI, Reuters Graphics, Toyota, Ford, Tesla Inc, Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor, Benz, Renault, NextSource, Syrah Resources, Magnis Energy Technologies, U.S, European Union, Thomson Locations: Norrbotten, Sweden, China, Madagascar, Mozambique, United States, Europe, U.S, Mauritius, CHINA, Western

☆ Opinion: Uganda anti-LGBTQ law is outrageous. Here’s the smart way to fight it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Opinion Brett Bruen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

But perhaps most importantly in this context, it actually serves to further erode LGBTQ rights around the world. Putin has used attacks on LGBTQ rights as a way to try to appeal to African leaders, suggesting Russia is more aligned with their conservative values. Slapping stiff sanctions on Kampala will reinforce this rhetoric and allow the anti-LGBTQ attacks he’s using to gain greater strength. Instead, we should look at how to prominently elevate and sustain the focus on LGBTQ rights in our relations with Uganda as well as with these other nations. We should invite more Ugandan musicians, artists and actors to collaborate with leading American LGBTQ cultural figures.

Persons: Brett Bruen, Obama, Yoweri Museveni, doles, Brett Bruen CASME, Biden, George Santos, ” Santos, Ugandans, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Putin, Sen, Ted Cruz, Saddam Hussein Organizations: Inc, Georgetown University, Obama White House, CNN, State Department, United Arab, Ugandans, Twitter, Facebook Locations: American, Ivory Coast, Venezuela, Iraq, Madagascar, Uganda, United States, Kampala, East, Russia, Zimbabwe, Africa, China, Washington, Moscow, Beijing, Russian, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Brunei, Eritrea

☆ What makes us human? Primate genome study offers some clues
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Will Dunham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

While some genetic variations previously thought to be exclusive to people were found in other primate species, the researchers pinpointed others that were uniquely human involving brain function and development. They also used the primate genomes to train an artificial intelligence algorithm to predict disease-causing genetic mutations in humans. Human-related threats such as habitat destruction, climate change and hunting have left about 60% of primate species threatened with extinction and about 75% with declining populations. "The vast majority of primate species have significantly more genetic variation per individual than do humans," said genomicist and study co-author Jeffrey Rogers of the Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. The genome data can help identify the primate species in the most dire need of conservation efforts.

Persons: Thomas Mukoya, genomicist Lukas Kuderna, gibbons, Kuderna, Jeffrey Rogers, Will Dunham, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Barcelona Biomedical Research Park's Institute, Evolutionary, Illumina Inc, Baylor College of Medicine, Thomson Locations: Kinigi, Rwanda, Barcelona, Spain, Americas, Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Texas, China, Laos, Vietnam

☆ International tipping: How to cut through the chaos and confusion
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

In the United States, “tipping is very customary. Leighton also said you won’t find a tipping culture on the island of Taiwan. Robinson said the tipping culture is less pervasive in Sicily than the United States and even more laid-back than in Rome. As for tipping culture in the US vs. the UK, Ryan Burditt said, it’s “really opposites to me. Robert Knopes/Education Images/Universal Images Group/Getty ImagesVisitors to the United States could be in for some tipping culture shock.

☆ ‘The Diplomat’ vs. Reality
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Lauren Jackson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Here’s what other ambassadors told my colleagues working in Mexico, Australia, China and elsewhere:What the show gets wrongPart of the fun of “The Diplomat,” as with any workplace show, comes when it departs from reality. “I have a different memory of the confirmation process,” Rahm Emanuel, the U.S. ambassador to Japan, told my colleague Motoko Rich. “The show may get the diplomatic life right, but their grasp of American politics and the U.S. Senate? “The speeches every diplomat wants to give his or her boss. Not exactly the daily course of business.”A Vogue photo shoot: Multiple former ambassadors said the racks of outfits in the show were unrealistic.

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