World
Europeans much less concerned about energy prices, new poll shows
Europeans seem to have moved on from the worst of the energy crisis.
The question of energy supplies, which were dramatically upended in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has dropped from the top five worries of European citizens, according to the spring edition of the Eurobarometer.
The study, published on Monday morning, shows energy falling from third to sixth spot in the list of “main concerns at European level.”
The findings were compiled between May and June across the bloc’s 27 member states and were then compared to the results of the winter edition, which covered January and February.
Inflation and the cost of living remain the top concern for 27% of all respondents, closely followed by the international situation (25%), a catch-all term that mostly refers to the Ukraine war.
Both topics have however receded in the past six months.
Immigration, on the other hand, has jumped to the third position (24%), a rise that can be attributed to a series of recent tragedies in the Mediterranean Sea and the persisting logistical problems that many governments face in the reception of asylum seekers.
The renewed interest in migration has been mirrored by EU leaders as they inject a fresh political push to revamp the bloc’s common asylum rules. But the topic is proven increasingly explosive and unpredictable, as shown in the abrupt collapse of the Dutch ruling coalition.
Climate change (22%) and the economic situation (17%) complete the top five concerns of European citizens.
In the meantime, energy sees the strongest decline across the board: from 26% in the previous Eurobarometer to 16% in the latest edition. Greece is the only member state where energy represents the top concern, tying at 25% with immigration.
The change in perception comes after several consecutive months of decreasing gas prices: trading at the Title Transfer Facility (TTF), Europe’s leading hub, closed on Friday at €33 per megawatt-hour, a far cry from the three-digit territory that haunted consumers for most of 2022.
The regained stability in global markets has allowed governments to replenish their underground storage facilities without fuelling a price spiral: the EU’s storage levels currently stand at almost 80%, compared to 60% last year.
The bloc’s successful response to the energy crisis was the result of a variety of personal measures, policy initiatives and external factors that worked together to rebalance the supply-demand mismatch and mitigate speculative behaviour.
The new Eurobarometer shows broad support for some of the actions that helped weather the storm: 85% of respondents think the EU should invest “massively” in renewable systems and 82% believe the bloc should cut down its dependency on Russian fossil fuels “as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, 78% of people surveyed say they have taken steps to reduce their energy consumption at home or plan to do “in the near future.” Policymakers and analysts have credited personal savings as the driving force to stabilise the market.
World
Ron Ely, Star of TV’s Tarzan, Cause of Death Revealed
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World
Scientists study ‘very rare’ frozen remains of 35,000-year-old saber-toothed cub
A mummified saber-toothed cub of a catlike animal dating back 35,000 years was left almost perfectly preserved in Siberia’s permafrost.
The remains had been found back in 2020, northeast of Yakutia, Russia. Research regarding the study of the cub was published in the journal Scientific Reports on November 14, 2024.
The discovery of frozen remains from the Late Pleistocene period is “very rare,” according to the published research, though most discovered in Russia lie in the Indigirka River basin, the authors note.
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The mummified cub remained well-preserved, frozen in time for thousands of years. The frozen nature of this find left it in impressive condition, even still containing fur.
“The mummy body is covered with short, thick, soft, dark brown fur with hair about 20–30 mm long,” the authors wrote in the published research, also pointing out that the fur that was located on the back and neck of the cub was longer than the hair that was found on the legs.
The head of the mummy was also left well-preserved, down to its chest, front arms and paws.
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The study of this find wasn’t just a unique opportunity for scientists, it also provided first-of-its kind research.
“For the first time in the history of paleontology, the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogues in the modern fauna has been studied,” the authors of the study explained.
The scientists determined that the cub had died at about three weeks old. It was identified by the authors of the study as belonging to the species Homotherium latidens and had many differentiations from a modern lion cub of a similar age.
The shape of the muzzle displayed by the mummified cub, which had a large mouth and small ears, plus a “massive” neck, long forelimbs and a darker colored coat, were all among key differences from today’s modern lion cubs that scientists observed.
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Scientists also worked in their research to find out how the extinct species was able to survive through frigid temperatures.
Large contributors to their survival were the shape of the large paws and absence of carpal pads. Scientists believe these elements helped them get through the snow.
In recent years, there have been other ancient animals found in Siberian permafrost.
For example, in 2021, a mummified wolf was discovered that dated back over 44,000 years, Live Science reported in June 2024.
World
More than 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in 48 hours
Director of the Kamal Adwan hospital says several staff wounded in Israeli bombardment.
At least 120 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in two days, Palestinian health officials said, as Israel intensified its bombardment across the besieged territory.
At least seven people were killed when a residential home was hit overnight in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, health officials said on Saturday. The other deaths were recorded in central and southern Gaza.
Israeli air raids caused significant damage to al-Faruq Mosque in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to a social media video verified by Al Jazeera.
Israeli forces also deepened their ground offensive and bombardment of northern Gaza, where one of the last partially operating hospitals was hit, wounding several workers.
Hussam Abu Safia, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, said in a statement on Saturday that Israeli forces “directly targeted the entrance to the emergency and reception area several times, as well as the hospital courtyards, electrical generators, and hospital gates”.
The bombardment “resulted in 12 injuries among doctors, nurses, and administrative staff within the emergency and reception areas”, he said.
The Israeli military rejected the allegations and said it was “not aware of a strike in the area of the Kamal Adwan Hospital” following an initial review of the situation.
On Friday, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said hospitals have fuel left for only about two days before it needs to start restricting services.
Israel’s military imposed a siege and launched a renewed ground offensive in northern Gaza last month, saying it aimed to stop Hamas fighters from waging more attacks and regrouping in the area.
The United Nations warned earlier this week that almost no aid had been delivered to northern Gaza since Israel’s renewed offensive as aid groups and food security experts warn of a famine in the area.
In a call with Defence Minister Israel Katz on Saturday, United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pressed Israel to “take steps to improve the dire humanitarian condition in Gaza”, the Pentagon said.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people and wounded more than 104,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian health officials.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which at least 1,139 people were killed and about 250 others seized as captives.
A spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas, Abu Ubaida, said later on Saturday that a female Israeli captive in the group’s custody had been killed in northern Gaza in an area under attack by Israel’s forces.
“The life of another female prisoner who used to be with her remains in imminent danger,” he added, accusing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being responsible and of undermining efforts to end the war.
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