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Still alive! Golden mole not seen for 80 years and presumed extinct is found again in South Africa

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Researchers in South Africa say they have rediscovered a species of mole with an iridescent golden coat and the ability to almost “swim” through sand dunes after it hadn’t been seen for more than 80 years and was thought to be extinct.The De Winton’s golden mole — a small, blind burrower with “super-hearing powers” that eats insects — was found to be still alive on a beach in Port Nolloth on the west coast of South Africa by a team of researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust and the University of Pretoria.It had been lost to science since 1936, the researchers said.With the help of a sniffer dog, the team found traces of tunnels and discovered a golden mole in 2021. But because there are 21 species of golden moles and some look very similar, the team needed more to be certain that it was a De Winton’s.They took environmental DNA samples — the DNA animals leave behind in skin cells, hair and bodily excretions &#...

‘No one will be turned away’: 988 suicide crisis helpline launches across Canada

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

TORONTO — A new toll-free, three-digit suicide prevention helpline launched across Canada on Thursday morning. People having suicidal thoughts or other mental health distress can now call or text 988 to reach a trained responder 24 hours a day, seven days a week — no matter where they live in the country. “My main message that I want to say to Canadians is that we see you, we hear you, and that you’re not alone. That if you are struggling … there is a low-barrier, easy access, warm voice on the other end of the line,” said Ya’ara Saks, federal minister of mental health and addictions, in an interview before the launch. About 12 people die by suicide in Canada every day, adding up to about 4,500 lives lost each year, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. More than 200 people in Canada attempt suicide every day. The $158.4-million project is funded and overseen by the public health agency and led by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Healt...

Russia’s Supreme Court effectively outlaws LGBTQ+ activism in a landmark ruling

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia’s Supreme Court on Thursday effectively outlawed LGBTQ+ activism, in the most drastic step against advocates of gay, lesbian and transgender rights in the increasingly conservative country.In a statement announcing a lawsuit filed to the court earlier this month, the Justice Ministry argued that authorities had identified “signs and manifestations of an extremist nature” by an LGBTQ+ “movement” operating in Russia, including “incitement of social and religious discord,” although it offered no details or evidence. In its ruling, the court declared the “movement” to be extremist and banned it in Russia.The hearing took place behind closed doors and with no defendant. Multiple rights activists have pointed out that the lawsuit targeted the “international civic LGBT movement,” which is not an entity but rather a broad and vague definition that would allow Russian authorities to crack down on any individuals or groups deemed to be part of the “movement.”“De...

Shane MacGowan, frontman of The Pogues, dies at age 65

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Shane Macgowan, the singer-songwriter and frontman of “Celtic Punk” band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad “Fairytale of New York,” died Thursday, his family said. He was 65.“It is with the deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our most beautiful, darling and dearly beloved Shane Macgowan,” his wife Victoria Clarke, his sister Siobhan and father Maurice said in a statement.The singer died peacefully with his family by his side, the statement added.The musician had been hospitalized in Dublin for several months after being diagnosed with viral encephalitis in late 2022. He was discharged last week, ahead of his upcoming birthday on Christmas Day.The Pogues fused Irish traditional music and rock’n’roll into a unique, intoxicating blend, though MacGowan became as famous for his sozzled, slurred performances as for his powerful songwriting.His songs blended the scabrous and the sentimental, ranging from carousing anthems to sna...

TD Bank reports Q4 profit down from year ago, raises quarterly dividend

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

TORONTO — TD Bank Group reported its fourth-quarter profit fell compared with a year ago, but raised its dividend.The bank says it will now pay a quarterly dividend of $1.02 per share, up from 96 cents.The increased payment to shareholders came as TD said it earned $2.89 billion or $1.49 per diluted share for the quarter ended Oct. 31, down from a profit of $6.67 billion or $3.62 per diluted share a year earlier.TD reported revenue totalled $13.12 billion, down from $15.56 billion in the same quarter last year, while its provision for credit losses amounted to $878 million, up from $617 million a year earlier.On an adjusted basis, TD says it earned $1.83 per diluted share, down from an adjusted profit of $2.18 per diluted share a year ago.Analysts on average had expected an adjusted profit of $1.90 per share, according to estimates compiled by financial markets data firm Refinitiv.This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 30, 2023.Companies in this story: (TSX:TD)Th...

4 migrants who were pushed out of a boat die just yards from Spain’s southern coast

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

MADRID (AP) — Four migrants have died meters (yards) from shore in southern Spain after being forced out of the boat they were traveling in, officials said Thursday.The Spanish government press office in the southern province of Cádiz said 31 other people from the boat, including six children, survived the Wednesday afternoon incident and four were taken to a hospital.The press office said 27 passengers were forced out by the vessel’s drivers near Camposoto beach, which is where the four died. Another eight were forced off close to another beach, it added.A video shot by a man who works in the area showed migrants being pushed overboard from the boat and others in the choppy waters trying to swim to shore.Javier González, who runs a nautical company, said he and his son managed to rescue eight people. He said they and other workers helped the migrants on the beach.In a telephone message to The Associated Press, González said no police officers or marine rescue personnel took p...

Shane MacGowan, The Pogues frontman, dies at 65

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Shane Macgowan, the singer-songwriter and frontman of “Celtic Punk” band The Pogues, best known for the Christmas ballad “Fairytale of New York,” died Thursday, his family said. He was 65.“It is with the deepest sorrow and heaviest of hearts that we announce the passing of our most beautiful, darling and dearly beloved Shane Macgowan,” his wife Victoria Clarke, his sister Siobhan and father Maurice said in a statement.The singer died peacefully with his family by his side, the statement added.The musician had been hospitalized in Dublin for several months after being diagnosed with viral encephalitis in late 2022. He was discharged last week, ahead of his upcoming birthday on Christmas Day.The Pogues fused Irish traditional music and rock’n’roll into a unique, intoxicating blend, though MacGowan became as famous for his sozzled, slurred performances as for his powerful songwriting.His songs blended the scabrous and the sentimental, ranging from carousing anthems to sna...

Former AG official: skewed math obscures Texas victim compensation delays

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – For more than a year, KXAN has investigated the Texas Attorney General’s Crime Victims’ Compensation program and its impact on victims and family members seeking help in the wake of violent crime.Thousands of survivors are waiting months for assistance, KXAN revealed. Hit by stolen car, victim waits months for state assistance. He’s not alone. Victims like Steven Heller – who was hit and thrown from his bicycle in Pflugerville by a car driving away from police on New Year’s Day – say the process has been frustrating. Six months after he was deemed eligible for money, Heller was still waiting for assistance, according to records he showed KXAN. In that time, the suspect in Heller's case, who was a convicted felon in a stolen car, pleaded guilty to two felonies and was sent to prison, according to court records.Others, like Patricia Bourdon and Dana Ewing – both survivors of domestic assaults – have described the CVC process as anger inducing and “retraumatizing.”The...

Plant hardiness maps updated: Austin shifts zones

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The USDA recently updated their Plant Hardiness Zone Maps (PHZM) to reflect the latest 30-year averages published by the National Weather Service. This map looks at the average coldest temperature of the year over a 30-year period to figure out what plants should be able to survive and thrive there.USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (Courtesy: USDA)KXAN Meteorologist Nick Bannin spoke with the USDA about the changes to the zones in the map and what that means for planters here in Central Texas.KXAN Meteorologist Nick Bannin: The USDA recently issued a Plant Hardiness Zone map update. First of all, what does the map show in general? Who's the map for? And how does it help casual and professional planters and farmers alike?Peter Bretting, USDA Agricultural Research Service: Well, the the map shows what the average annual lowest range of lowest temperatures are for a year. And that's a critical measurement for understanding what perennial plants those woody plants might sur...

EPA proposes requiring lead water pipes to be replaced in 10 years

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 12:51:42 GMT

The Biden administration on Thursday proposed to require drinking water pipes made with lead to be replaced in 10 years. Under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) newly proposed “Lead and Copper Rule Improvements,” water systems would have to replace lead service lines in 10 years, with limited exceptions.  The proposal comes nearly a decade after the start of the Flint water crisis, perhaps the nation’s best known lead contamination incident. About 99,000 Flint, Michigan, residents were exposed to lead after a 2014 water supply switch caused lead pipes to corrode and resulted in the substance leaching into the water. There is no safe level of exposure to lead, which damages children's brains and nervous systems. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician who found high levels of lead in Flint children and drew attention to the issue, praised the rule in a press call with administration officials, saying she was “overjoyed.”“These improvements ensure that in...