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When a wild orangutan in Sumatra recently suffered a facial wound, apparently after fighting with another male, he did something that caught the attention of the scientists observing him. The animal chewed the leaves of a liana vine – a plant not normally eaten by apes. Over several days, the orangutan carefully applied the juice to its wound, then covered it with a paste of chewed-up liana. The wound healed with only a faint scar. The tropical plant he selected has antibacterial and antioxidant properties and is known to alleviate pain, fever, bleeding and inflammation. The striking story was picked…

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Objectives The UK government is committed to the eradication of all forms of modern slavery by 2030, as unanimously adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in 2015. The British Embassy Manila is seeking a proposal which supports the following objectives: prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked migrant workers and/or victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and their families, with a focus on survivor engagement increased awareness and access to justice and legal support following instances of human trafficking and OSAEC All bids should be in pounds sterling (GBP). Bidders are strongly advised to limit their…

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The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock today.  Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Baerbock reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s aggression and discussed challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China, including the PRC’s support for Russia’s defense industrial base.  The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed efforts to achieve a ceasefire that would secure the release of hostages and facilitate increased deliveries of humanitarian assistance in Gaza.  They agreed on the importance of preventing an escalation of conflict in the Middle East and…

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Around 8% of human DNA is made up of genetic sequences acquired from ancient viruses. These sequences, known as human endogenous retroviruses (or Hervs), date back hundreds of thousands to millions of years – with some even predating the emergence of Homo sapiens. Our latest research suggests that some ancient viral DNA sequences in the human genome play a role in susceptibility to psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder. Hervs represent the remnants of these infections with ancient retroviruses. Retroviruses are viruses that insert a copy of their genetic material into the DNA of the…

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Housing remains one of Australia’s most pressing issues in both state and federal politics. The RBA keeping rates up and high mortgage repayments have left many Australians struggling. For those Australians who don’t own a home, it’s becoming increasingly hard to get into the housing market. The opposition has blamed the high levels of migration for why Australians feel so much housing pain. Peter Dutton has promised to reduce the permanent migration program (which brings in many skilled workers) as part of getting net overseas migration down. He says more than 100,000 homes could be freed up over five years.…

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Sign up to IndyEat’s free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releasesGet our food and drink newsletter for freeAs a born and bred Dubliner, Anna Haugh knows a thing or two about how to make soda bread.The chef and restaurateur remembers her aunt Sadie baking it fresh every week during her childhood, measuring the ingredients with her hands – never using scales.If the idea of baking bread by eye fills you with fear, Haugh has “taken my talented aunty’s guesswork out of baking” with a recipe from her new cookbook: “If you follow it, you are sure to…

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WASHINGTON – Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su today released the following statement on news of a final contract agreement between the United Steelworkers and Blue Bird Corp, one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of low- and zero-emission school buses.“Congratulations to the United Steelworkers and Blue Bird on their dedication and perseverance in achieving a first contract. As President Biden and I have said, collective bargaining works. This agreement is proof-positive that when workers and employers sit down at the bargaining table together, they can come to a deal that achieves stability for the employer and better and safer conditions…

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Vigilant coexistence Musumeci, the civil protection minister, acknowledged that the state has been slow to act, but claims the government is now preparing to do everything it can to mitigate the risks.  Authorities have so far removed 250 people from their homes as they carry out safety checks on buildings. | Alberto Pizzoli/Getty Images “We southerners are a bit detached, a bit fatalistic, we are used to knocking on wood,” he said, saying that those who choose to live there know the risks and must now be responsible. “We only remember [the volcano] when the earth shakes and this is…

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When you think of a criminal investigation, you might picture detectives meticulously collecting and analysing evidence found at the scene: weapons, biological fluids, footprints and fingerprints. However, this is just the beginning of an attempt to reconstruct the events and individuals involved in the crime. At the heart of the process lies the “principle of exchange” formulated by the French criminologist Edmond Locard in the early 1900s, which states that “every contact leaves a trace”. The transfer of materials between the parties involved in a crime (the victim, the perpetrator, objects, the environment) forms the basis for reconstructing the events.…

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Homeowners will receive more rights, power and protections over their homes under the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act which has become law today. The Act will make it easier and cheaper for leaseholders to buy their freehold, increase standard lease extension terms to 990 years for houses and flats, and provide greater transparency over service charges. The Act will also remove barriers for leaseholders to challenge their landlords’ unreasonable charges at Tribunal. It will further ban the sale of new leasehold houses other than in exceptional circumstances, end excessive buildings insurance commissions for freeholders and managing agents, and scrap the…

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