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☆ Scottish wildcats bred in captivity released to the wild in a bid to save the species from extinction
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Mark Tutton | Sarah Lazarus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The cats were bred and released by Saving Wildcats, a European project led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) in partnership with a group of conservation and governmental organizations. “It’s a really exciting milestone,” says Dr. Helen Senn, project lead for Saving Wildcats and head of conservation and science programs at RZSS. Saving Wildcats has taken every effort to ensure the captive-bred cats will have the instincts and hunting skills needed for survival in the wild. Saving Wildcats hopes to keep breeding and releasing around 20 kittens annually over the next few years to give the wild population the best chance of getting established. Wildcats could be drivers for healthier ecosystems because creating better habitat for them will benefit many other species, says Senn.

Persons: CNN — Young, “, ”, Helen Senn, “ They’ve, “ We’re, Senn, we’ve Organizations: CNN, wildcats, Scottish Highlands, Saving Wildcats, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Highland, International Union for Conservation, Group, Wildcats, Cairngorms, ”, Wildcats Feline Locations: Britain, Scotland, Europe, England, Wales, Kincraig, Scottish

☆ Senator opens investigation into PGA Tour merger with Saudi-backed LIV Golf
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

PGA Tour logo during the third round of the Travelers Championship on June 24, 2017, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. WASHINGTON — A top Democratic lawmaker launched a probe on Monday into the planned merger of the PGA Tour and Saudi-backed LIV Golf. The agreement will require the approval of the PGA Tour policy board, according to a memo to players from Monahan. LIV Golf declined to comment on Blumenthal's letters. PGA Tour did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Persons: LIV Golf, Sen, Richard Blumenthal, Conn, Jay Monahan, LIV, Greg Norman, Blumenthal, Jamal Khashoggi, Monahan, CNBC's Organizations: WASHINGTON —, Democratic, PGA Tour, Saudi, Washington Post, Investigations, Private Investment Fund Locations: Cromwell , Connecticut, WASHINGTON, Saudi, American

☆ See What Canadian Wildfire Smoke Looked Like in 8 Places This Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( K.K. Rebecca Lai | Jon Huang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Wildfires in Canada produced smoke that shrouded a number of cities in the Northeast and the Midwest over the past several days. Footage captured by livestreaming webcams showed how smoke from the fires blanketed the skies in a gray, sometimes orange, haze. New York CityThe skyline in the city took on an orange hue on Wednesday as the poor air quality hit historic levels, even compared with places around the world that generally experience much worse pollution. Washington, D.C.Local authorities issued a Code Purple air quality alert for Thursday, indicating very unhealthy conditions for all age groups, not just for those with respiratory problems. PhiladelphiaAs smoke from the wildfires drifted south, Philadelphia endured unhealthy air quality on Thursday as well.

Persons: livestreaming webcams Organizations: Midwest, Local, D.C, Philadelphia, Baltimore Air, Toronto, Toronto Public Health, Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency, . Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Locations: Canada, Northeast, New York City, Washington ,, Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Schools, Atlantic Highlands , New Jersey, New Jersey, New York, Highlands , New Jersey, Toronto, Cincinnati, Pennsylvania

The "Dana Desa" village fund introduced by President Joko Widodo in 2015 and valued at $4.7 billion this year has long been criticised as prone to corruption. "So it's reasonable if the use of the village fund is somewhat loose and anyone can do what they want with it." ILLEGAL ARMSIt is unclear how much of the $337 million in village funds allocated for the Papua region in 2023 is being diverted into arms. "I have never seen a project funded by the village fund, not at all," said Bernadus Kobogau, a tourism official in Intan Jaya. In Papua's highlands, village funds are treated like a "revolutionary tax", he said, commandeered either via intimidation and coercion, or given willingly by supporters of independence.

Persons: Dana, Joko Widodo, Phillip Mehrtens, Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo, Dana Desa, Faizal Ramadhani, Sebby Sambom, Bernadus Kobogau, Deka Anwar, Anwar, Latifah Anum Siregar, makan tuan, Stefanno Sulaiman, Lincoln Organizations: Reuters, Indonesia Corruption Watch, West Papua National Liberation Army, Free Papua Movement, Institute for, Democracy Alliance for Papua, Thomson Locations: JAKARTA, Indonesian, Papua, New Zealand, Jakarta, Indonesia, Nduga, Intan Jaya, Nabire

☆ Temperatures have reached 100 degrees in Siberia amid its 'worst heat wave in history'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Dozens of heat records have fallen in Siberia, as temperatures climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius). Last Saturday, temperatures reached 37.9 degrees Celsius (100.2 Fahrenheit) in Jalturovosk, its hottest day in history, according to the climatologist Maximiliano Herrera, who tracks extreme temperatures across the globe. Several all-time heat records were broken on Wednesday, including in Baevo, which reached 39.6 degrees Celsius (103.3 Fahrenheit), and Barnaul, which hit 38.5 degrees Celsius (101.3 Fahrenheit). Some of these stations have between five and seven decades of temperature recordings, Herrera told CNN. On Wednesday, temperatures of more than 45 degrees Celsius (111.2 Fahrenheit) were recorded in China, 43 degrees Celsius (109.4 Fahrenheit) in Uzbekistan and 41 degrees Celsius (105.8) in Kazakhstan.

Persons: Maximiliano Herrera, Herrera, ”, ” Herrera, ” Omar Baddour, Samantha Burgess, Canada –, It’s Organizations: CNN, Twitter, “ Records, Tomsk, World Meteorological Organization, Northern Locations: Siberia, Jalturovosk, Baevo, Asia, China, India, Northern Hemisphere, Canada, Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan

☆ This man is walking the UK coastline with his partner and baby
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

“We’re a tight knit little group.”Life-changing journeyChris Lewis met his partner, Kate Barron, while walking the UK coastline. Courtesy Chris Lewis and Kate Barron“So this lady just kind of wanders down all bubbly and chirpy,” he recalls. I never went home.”The couple, along with Jet, continued on, walking down the east coast of Scotland together, and then into England. According to Barron, Lewis tends to walk ahead on these occasions. Unsurprisingly, walking and camping with a baby has been a totally different experience for both of them.

Persons: CNN —, Christian Lewis, ”, Lewis, Caitlin, he’d, Kate Barron, Jet, Magnus, “ We’re, ” Lewis, Chris Lewis, Barron, Chris, “, ” Barron, Cliff, Kate Barron “, ‘ I’ve, ’, Kate, Lewis ’, ” They’ve, Jet’s, She’ll, they’ve, we’re, “ Magnus, who’ve, she’s, That’s, ” He’s, ” “ I’d, “ Kate, We’re, “ I’ve, I’m Organizations: CNN, CNN Travel, Jet, ”, British Army’s Parachute Regiment Locations: Wales, Llangennith, Swansea, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Scottish, Shetland, Covid, North, St Abbs, Afghanistan, London, Inverness, England, Yorkshire, Dorset, Gower, North Devon, Ssafa

☆ South Africa’s most epic hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Joe Yogerst | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Here are nine of South Africa’s best multiday backpacking trails:Otter TrailThe coastal Otter Trail takes in some of South Africa's most beautiful coastline. South African TourismSouth Africa’s oldest (established in 1968) and most celebrated hiking route, the Otter Trail runs along the Eastern Cape coast between Storms River Mouth and Nature’s Valley in Garden Route National Park. South African TourismSummit the legendary Drakensberg escarpment on a vertiginous route that rises high above Thendele Royal Natal National Park in KwaZulu-Natal province. Distance: About 25 kilometers (16 miles)Time: 2 daysInfo: hikingsouthafrica.co.za/kgaswane-summit-trail/Tsitsikamma TrailThe Garden Route National Park is an advenure sport paradise. Each traverse takes seven to 10 days during the South African spring (September-November).

☆ They've been beaten, trolled, threatened with sexual violence but refuse to be silenced
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Adie Vanessa Offiong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Ixchíu Hernández had already been the victim of years of online threats -- attempts to humiliate and silence her. Published in April 2021, it reveals: "Online attacks on women journalists appear to be increasing significantly, as this study demonstrates, particularly in the context of the 'shadow pandemic' of violence against women during COVID-19. "Online violence against women journalists is designed to: belittle, humiliate, and shame; induce fear, silence, and retreat; discredit them professionally, undermining accountability journalism and trust in facts; and chill their active participation...in public debate. Ricchiardi-Folwell explains that because of the often-sexualized nature of the attacks, women remain silent about their harassment, which leads them to believe they are alone. Editor's note: This story was originally published in 2021 and updated to reference the latest report by UNESCO.

☆ Archaeologists in Peru find adolescent mummy wrapped in bundle
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The mummy was probably an adolescent and found in an underground tomb wrapped in a funerary bundle, along with ceramics and rope and including bits of skin and hair. [1/5] Skeletal remains and parts of the funerary bundle of a mummy found by Peruvian archaeologists are seen in the ruins of Cajarmarquilla, in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, April 24, 2023. The mummy was discovered about 200 metres (220 yards) from where the first mummy of Cajamarquilla was found, explained Huaman, referring to another mummy found nearby last year. The complex is the second largest mud-brick city in Peru after Chan Chan in the north of the Andean country. Located in a dusty area about 20km (12 miles) from Lima, the site was believed to be a thriving trading center.

☆ How to put your best travel foot forward for Earth Day 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Forrest Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +20 min

But you don’t have to totally cut out travel or stay super close to home to be a good planetary citizen. You need a city that’s dedicated to getting it right to best enjoy an urban biking vacation. Here, we've curated 30 of our favorite corners, including the Thu Bon River, which flows through central Vietnam. A maze of rivers and caves, the UNESCO World Centre is defined by its craggy limestone facades and jade green water. Bruno De Hogues/Photodisc/Getty Images Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage, Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is heaven for spelunkers.

☆ Beyond Kyoto: Japan recommends 11 lesser-known spots to visit
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Rob Goss | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Japan wants travelers to go beyond the country's iconic tourist sites — and consider spending their yen in lesser-known locations. CNBC Travel takes a look at what each of the 11 spots has to offer travelers — whether or not they're wealthy. Koichi Kamoshida | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesIse-shima is arguably the "model destination" most ready to welcome the JTA's wealthy targets. Kagoshima, Aso and UnzenThe island of Kyushu in western Japan feature everything from active volcanoes to glimpses of samurai culture. Okinawa and AmamiIn 2021, Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, the northern part of Okinawa's main island, and Iriomote Island were given joint UNESCO Natural World Heritage status for their biodiversity and endemic wildlife.

☆ UK identifies several areas to scour for vital rare earth metals in push for minerals sovereignty
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Pembrokeshire, Wales was one of the areas recognized by the British Geological Survey to be prospective for critical raw materials. Several large swathes of the U.K. on Monday were identified as prospective sites to search for critical raw materials, reflecting the country's push to deliver a domestic supply of rare earth minerals that are seen as crucial for a clean energy transition. Critical raw materials are economically important minerals and can be used to make the batteries and semiconductors that are vital to the global shift away from fossil fuels. The report was produced on behalf of the government-funded Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre, the country's first-ever center established to collect and analyze information on the supply of critical minerals. The mapping of these prospective areas for critical raw materials represents one of the first steps in the U.K. government's critical minerals strategy.

☆ Peering Into Volcanoes at Tanzania’s Crater Highlands
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Patrick Scott | Photographs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Cloud shadows darkened sections of the leafless rim and the tan crater floor. A silvery green lake spread out on the left, and a patch of emerald woodlands near a stream stretched out on the right. In the rainy seasons, the expansive floor is lush and teeming with animals, including massive herds of migrating wildebeests. And because nearly all of the inhabitants are herbivores, we saw no chasing and fleeing. Instead, the wildebeests milled about or rested in acacia shade, and the zebras did a lot of standing around, motionless, like they were trying to remember something they’d just forgotten.

☆ Can’t Afford to Scuba in Aruba? Try This Snorkeling Adventure Closer to Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Caleb Johnson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

STREAMING NOW Snorkel in a freshwater river for a brief encounter with an eel, a lamprey and other colorful fish. MY SNORKELING ADVENTURE began in a parking lot at Mile-0 of the French Broad River, which flows across more than 200 craggy miles in western North Carolina and into eastern Tennessee. It was a sunny day, and Kevin Merrill, who would serve as my guide, asked me to meet him there so he could gauge the conditions and figure out where to start. Over the weekend, heavy rain had fallen across Transylvania County, so the river was running higher than normal. I followed his white Subaru through the town of Rosman, N.C., where Mr. Merrill grew up and later worked at the public high school before starting Oxbow River Snorkeling along with his wife, Christie.

☆ In Peru, Protests Reveal Deep Social Divide
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Ryan Dube | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ANDAHUAYLAS, Peru—The ouster of leftist President Pedro Castillo in December sparked a wave of violent protests in this poor and largely indigenous region, revealing deep frustrations in the rural highlands where many people feel they have been long overlooked by the country’s political class. Three months later, the ire shows little signs of abating in tiny Andean villages and small cities like Andahuaylas, a bastion of Peru’s far-left, rural politics and a cradle of rebellion going back centuries.

☆ I traveled to 79 countries as a digital nomad. I'm not tied to one place and I find work on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr.
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Katie Macleod has traveled to 79 countries as a digital nomad. The 28-year-old graphic designer wants to visit 100 countries before turning 30. I was in Sri Lanka when the pandemic struck, making my goal of visiting 100 countries before turning 30 a bit more of a challenge. Traveling gives me freedom and being a digital nomad means adapting your surroundings to suit you. I've also found that networking online and within digital nomad hotspots is also beneficial.

☆ Adventure Awaits in the Scottish Highlands—for Those Who Make the Trek
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( Matthew Kronsberg | Photographs Robert Ormerod For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

I HAVE LONG been of the mind that the harder a place is to reach, the better it must be. That bit of folk wisdom hasn’t always worked to my advantage, but a trip to the west coast of Scotland left me more convinced than ever. The odyssey began at the former fishing village of Badachro, a 70-mile drive west from the city of Inverness. Those driving the scenic North Coast 500 route detour here for elevated pub grub at the Badachro Inn, with its views of Loch Gairloch. He issues each visitor a passport; mine was number 14,933.

☆ Australian professor among three hostages released in Papua New Guinea - report
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 26 (Reuters) - An Australian professor, held for a week by armed men in a remote part of Papua New Guinea, has been released along with two local colleagues, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported on Sunday. A group of archaeology researchers, including the professor working for an Australian university, two Papua New Guinean university graduates and a programme coordinator were taken hostage by last Sunday by men demanding a cash ransom, officials have said. Release of the three would end days of negotiations and a security operation involving Papua New Guinea police and defence personnel, in consultation with the Australian and New Zealand governments, according to the ABC. The professor is an Australian resident and New Zealand citizen. At that time, Papua New Guinea police said they were working for a "peaceful resolution" to the situation.

☆ Deadlier and more media savvy, separatist rebels evolve in Indonesia's Papua
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Kate Lamb | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Egianus Kogoya, young West Papuan rebel commander, sits on a captured plane piloted by New Zealand national Philip Mehrtens in Indonesia's Papua region in this undated picture released on February 14, 2023. Separatist rebels kidnapped New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens, 37, after he landed his small plane in the remote Papuan highlands on Feb 7. An estimated 500 fighters identify as members of the West Papua National Liberation Army (TPNPB), the armed wing of the Free Papua Movement (OPM). Cahyo Pamungkas, a researcher from the National Research and Innovation Agency, said the separatists are using social media to get their message out. "Social media is a tool of resistance to deliver the stories from Papua because national media is mainly dominated by perspectives from Jakarta," he said.

☆ Factbox: Separatist insurgency in Indonesia's Papua region
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JAKARTA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The kidnapping of 37-year-old New Zealand pilot Philip Mehrtens by separatist rebels in Indonesia's easternmost region of Papua has thrown a spotlight on the decades-long, low-level insurgency in the remote, resource-rich area. Here are some facts about the region and its conflict:THE GEOGRAPHY* The western half of New Guinea island is Indonesia's easternmost region, commonly referred to as Papua. * The population of the Papua region is about 4.3 million. * In 2017, armed separatists occupied several villages, threatening to disrupt operations at the nearby Grasberg copper mine. * In April 2021, rebels killed a regional intelligence chief in an ambush in the highlands.

☆ Australian university professor taken hostage in highlands of Papua New Guinea, prime minister says
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

An Australian university professor has been taken hostage in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea's prime minister has confirmed. The Australian man is an archaeologist who works for an Australian university and was accompanied on a field trip by several Papua New Guinean students from a local university who were also taken hostage, two sources with knowledge of the incident told Reuters. Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape told local reporters on Monday that police and the military were on stand-by, and the government was working with missionaries who were acting as mediators. "There is no place to run, there is no place to hide," Marape added. A source in Papua New Guinea told Reuters on Monday morning the situation was in "a crucial moment" and they could not comment further.

☆ Australian university professor taken hostage in highlands of Papua New Guinea
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SYDNEY, Feb 20 (Reuters) - An Australian university professor has been taken hostage in the highlands of Papua New Guinea, two sources with direct knowledge of the situation told Reuters. The Australian man is an archaeologist who works for an Australian university, who was accompanied by several Papua New Guinean students from a local university who were also taken hostage. A source in Papua New Guinea said the situation was in "a crucial moment" and they could not comment further. It is believed a ransom has been demandedAustralia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ See the photos that won National Geographic’s ‘Pictures of the Year’ contest
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Audrey Wan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

National Geographic announced the winning photographs from its first "Pictures of the Year" photo competition. The photo will be featured in an upcoming issue of National Geographic's U.S. magazine. Their photos will be published on National Geographic's Your Shot Instagram page, which has some 6.5 million followers. Salt wells on a hillside in the Salt Mines of Maras in Peru. An LiThe mines comprise around 4,500 salt wells, each of which produces some 400 pounds of salt per month.

☆ Airbnb's 13 most wish-listed properties in the world for 2023—including an $18 million home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Airbnb's most wish-listed new global listings for 2023Modern Smoky Mts Getaway Cabin - Gatlinburg, TennesseeThis cabin is nestled in the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, United States. Luxury Glass Tiny House - Warren, VermontLocated in the heart of the Green Mountains in Vermont, this tiny home is just 200 square feet. AirbnbThis tiny home, with a jaw-dropping view, sits in the heart of the Green Mountains in Vermont. AirbnbThis cabin at Highlands Hideaway in Blue Ridge, Georgia, has three bedrooms, a bunk room, and three full bathrooms. AirbnbThis tiny home in Hawson, South Australia, Australia, was built between 2018 and 2019.

☆ 55 years after sending a hit squad on a deadly raid in Seoul, North Korea has found new ways to threaten South Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-22 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

In January 1968, North Korean commandos slipped across the border into South Korea. Infiltrations into South Korea, both across the DMZ and by sea, by North Korean agents and commandos were also increasing. After cooperating with South Korean authorities, Kim Shin-jo was released in 1970 and received South Korean citizenship, which led North Korean officials to execute his parents and siblings. In December, a North Korean drone flew into a no-fly zone around South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's office in Seoul. It was one of five North Korean drones that flew into South Korea, the first to do so in five years.

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