Scientists film whale giving birth while other whales work together to help her

Female named Rounder surrounded by family members when about to give birth to her second calf

Scientists have managed to film a sperm whale giving birth while other female whales worked together to support the mother and her newborn.

A team from Project Ceti, an international effort seeking to understand how whales communicate, was in a boat near a pod of 11 whales off the coast of the Caribbean island of Dominica on 8 July 2023.

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Italy investigates beauty brands over concerns about young girls’ mental health

Regulator fears use of ‘covert marketing strategies’ by Sephora and Benefit might fuel compulsive habits

Italian regulators are investigating Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics over the apparent use of “covert marketing strategies” to sell beauty products to young girls that might be fuelling an unhealthy skincare obsession known as “cosmeticorexia”.

The Italian Competition Authority said it was looking into promotions for skincare products such as face masks, serums and anti-ageing creams that in some cases appeared to target girls under 10.

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Barcelona, Spain euthanasia: Noelia Castillo, 25-year-old Spanish woman, dies by euthanasia in case that drew national spotlight – ABC7 Chicago

  1. Barcelona, Spain euthanasia: Noelia Castillo, 25-year-old Spanish woman, dies by euthanasia in case that drew national spotlight  ABC7 Chicago
  2. She spent 20 months battling to die under a euthanasia law. On Thursday, Spain let her  CNN
  3. At Noelia Castillo’s hospital, Spanish women back her euthanasia fight  thetimes.com
  4. Noelia Castillo Ramos Dies in Spain After Winning Right to End Her Life  nytimes.com
  5. Spanish woman who died through euthanasia failed by state, say critics  BBC
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Minnesota to host ‘No Kings’ flagship rally, headlining Springsteen amid tensions over ICE and war – AP News

  1. Minnesota to host 'No Kings' flagship rally, headlining Springsteen amid tensions over ICE and war  AP News
  2. St. Paul closing several streets downtown on Saturday for planned No Kings protest  5 EYEWITNESS NEWS
  3. No Kings rally in St. Paul on March 28: Everything you need to know  FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
  4. Tens of thousands expected for No Kings national flagship rally in St. Paul  MPR News
  5. Walz, Omar added to list of speakers at No Kings rally in St. Paul  Bring Me The News
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Missing aid boats have safely reached Cuba, US confirms

Two convoy vessels that were supposed to get to Havana by Wednesday have made it to Cuba, says US Coast Guard

Two sailing boats that went missing while carrying humanitarian aid to Cuba have safely reached the Caribbean island, the US Coast Guard said on Friday.

Earlier in the day Cuba’s president, Miguel Díaz-Canel, had said his country would do everything it could to save the people on the two boats that disappeared while travelling to Cuba from Mexico.

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View / What a month of war has taught us in the Gulf – Semafor

  1. View / What a month of war has taught us in the Gulf  Semafor
  2. Trump's Iran war hits one month, US considers more troops. Live updates  USA Today
  3. From Dubai with love – a room with a frontline view on a rapidly changing world  strategic-risk-global.com
  4. One month has passed since fighting with Iran began  Yahoo
  5. Every sound heard in the Gulf countries has started to create panic.  en.haberler.com
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Nixon to Trump: Pakistan’s long record as backchannel between rival powers – aljazeera.com

  1. Nixon to Trump: Pakistan’s long record as backchannel between rival powers  aljazeera.com
  2. Pakistan, Playing Mediator Between U.S. and Iran, Is Calling Several Countries  The New York Times
  3. Politics  The Economist
  4. Europeans to press Rubio over Russian support for Iran at G7 meeting  Reuters
  5. Why Pakistan has emerged as a mediator between US and Iran  AP News
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Exclusive-U.S. can only confirm about a third of Iran’s missile arsenal destroyed, sources say – Yahoo

  1. Exclusive-U.S. can only confirm about a third of Iran's missile arsenal destroyed, sources say  Yahoo
  2. US has destroyed only a third of Iran’s missiles, intelligence suggests  theguardian.com
  3. U.S. and Israel Have Pounded—but Not Eliminated—Iran’s Missile Threat  WSJ
  4. Exclusive: U.S. can only confirm about a third of Iran's missile arsenal destroyed, sources say  Reuters
  5. How long can Iran keep firing missiles?  Financial Times
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Older Australians in ‘immediate danger’ as fuel crisis affects travel for aged care workers

Unions and farmers call for government intervention as agriculture, construction and waste industries also at risk from higher prices

Care workers, tradespeople and transport drivers are being hit hard by ballooning fuel costs, with some industry groups urging the government to roll out assistance packages or even a jobkeeper-style wage assistance program to help businesses avoid laying off staff.

Reports of small mining businesses scaling back operations and some construction companies deciding against hiring more apprentices have prompted suggestions the government should step in to help, with the Master Builders Association already forecasting a downturn in the number of homes that will be built this year.

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Putin denies asking business leaders to finance the war in Ukraine – politico.eu

  1. Putin denies asking business leaders to finance the war in Ukraine  politico.eu
  2. Putin Makes Humiliating Request as His War Costs Surge  The Daily Beast
  3. Putin asks oligarchs to donate to Russia’s dwindling defence budget  The Guardian
  4. Kremlin denies Putin asked businessmen to fund Russian war effort  Reuters
  5. How Ukraine killed Putin’s plan to make billions from Iran war  The Telegraph
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Ukraine closes on Mideast deals to help counter Iranian drones – Reuters

  1. Ukraine closes on Mideast deals to help counter Iranian drones  Reuters
  2. Ukraine announces ‘mutually beneficial’ defence deal with Saudi Arabia  aljazeera.com
  3. Ukraine signs deal with Saudi Arabia offering drone expertise  BBC
  4. Zelenskiy Kicks Off Surprise Gulf States Tour With Defense Pitch  Bloomberg
  5. Ukraine Spent Big to Shield Energy Industry From Drones. Is the Mideast Next?  The New York Times
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UN’s landmark slavery ruling energises African Union’s fight for reparations

• UN votes to describe slave trade as ‘gravest crime against humanity’

Despite resistance from states who had role in chattel slavery, many feel this is an idea whose time has come

John Mahama knows a thing or two about beating the establishment. On Wednesday, less than two years after completing a remarkable comeback as Ghana’s president with a landslide defeat of the ruling party candidate, he rallied the world to ratify a landmark vote against transatlantic chattel slavery, despite major opposition from the same western entities that drove it for centuries.

The resolution to declare the practice as “the gravest crime against humanity” passed with a decisive majority at the UN general assembly and has been largely welcomed across Africa. Yet the details of the tally reveal a world still deeply divided on the gravity of the sin of enslaving more than 15 million people as chattel over the course of 400 years.

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