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Great Big Green Week: Cornwall Beach Cleaners Join Forces For Clean-Up

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Anti-litter campaigners joined forces at a Cornwall beach to mark a week of environmental events.

Beach cleaners including Pat Smith of The Final Straw, Emily Stevenson of Beach Guardian and Andrew Forst of Turn the Tide met at Carlyon Bay.

The aim was to mark the final day of the Great Big Green Week.

“It’s great to join forces with others who are passionate about protecting our planet,” said Ms Smith.

“Getting together inspires us all to find new ways and encourage more people to join in efforts to do something really positive to tackle huge issues such as climate change and plastic pollution.”

UK Water Quality: New Commission Aims To Restore River Wye And Lugg

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Ways to restore the water quality of rivers running though Herefordshire are to be looked at.

A commission enabling the county council to work with other local authorities and agencies to improve the rivers Wye and Lugg has been set up.

Both rivers are struggling with high levels of nutrients, mainly phosphates, which affect water quality and eco-balance, the council has said.

It aims to protect the wildlife habitats.

Both the Wye and Lugg are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and are also Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).

Natural England ensures the ecology of watercourses remains in good health and sets limits for the level of nutrients.

Ireland Wildlife Act: Basking Sharks Get Special Protected Status

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From Monday, it is an offence to hunt or injure a basking shark (without permission or licence), wilfully interfere with or destroy its breeding or resting places

The basking shark is the second biggest fish in the world.

Basking sharks are to get special protection under new regulations that have been introduced in the Republic of Ireland.

They are now protected under Ireland’s Wildlife Act.

The basking shark is a globally-threatened species, which faces a high risk of extinction.

Basking sharks are one of the largest species of the shark family.

They are the second largest species of any fish, reaching sizes in excess of ten metres and weighing several tonnes.

Each year, between May and October, they visit UK and Irish waters.

When an animal like the basking shark is protected under the act, it is an offence to hunt or injure them, unless done so under permission or licence granted by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

It is also an offence to wilfully interfere with, or destroy, the breeding or resting places of such species.

The move had been announced previously, but came into effect from midnight on Monday.

Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan and Minister for the Marine Charlie McConalogue. made the announcement on Monday.

In Northern Ireland, basking sharks are protected under the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985. It makes it illegal to intentionally kill, injure or harass basking sharks in UK waters.

Amazing Show Of Aurora Borealis Captured In Northumberland

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An amazing show of the aurora borealis has been captured in Northumberland.

The phenomenon, also known as the Northern Lights, was seen at Kielder Observatory.

Astronomer Dan Monk said it was the best display he had seen “in ages”.

The light show happens when atoms in the Earth’s high-altitude atmosphere collide with charged particles from the sun.

Wales Braces For 80mph Winds,Heavy Rain

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A man battles through wind and rain during Storm Angus at Porthcawl, South Wales. The met office have issued a weather warning for rain for Wales. PIC Matthew Horwood © WALES NEWS SERVICE

Winds of up to 80 mph (129 km/hr) could batter parts of Wales on Wednesday, according to the Met Office.

It could cause “danger to life from flying debris” as well as damage to buildings and travel disruption.

The warning covers Anglesey, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Pembrokeshire, Powys and Wrexham.

“Heavy rain may prove an additional hazard across north western areas,” the forecaster has said.

The Met Office said the “most likely scenario” was for wind gusts of up to 65mph (104 km/h) within the warning area.

Northern Israel: Hidden 7th Century Gold Coins Found In Wall

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Forty-four pure gold coins dating to the 7th Century have been found hidden in a wall at a nature reserve in northern Israel, archaeologists say.

Weighing about 170g, the hoard found at the Hermon Stream (Banias) site was hidden during the Muslim conquest of the area in 635, experts estimated.

They said the findings shed light on the tail end of the Byzantine Empire.

The Byzantine Empire was the eastern half of the Roman Empire, which survived for more than 1,000 years.

“We can imagine the owner concealing his fortune in the threat of war, hoping to return one day to retrieve his property,” said Yoav Lerer, director of the excavation.

“In retrospect, we know that he was less fortunate.”

Mr Lerer added that the discovery “may shed light on the economy of the city of Banias during the last 40 years of Byzantine rule”.

Apart from the gold coins, the excavation – in a residential quarter of the ancient city – also uncovered the remains of buildings, water channels and pipes, bronze coins and much more, Israeli authorities said.

Dr Gabriela Bijovsky, a numismatic (currency) expert at the Israel Antiquities Authority, said some of the coins were of Emperor Phocas (602-610), but most were of his successor Heraclius.

Banias has a particular place in Christian tradition, being the site where Jesus is said to have told the apostle Peter, “on this rock, I will build my church”.

Beautiful Nigeria: Osuuru Spring, Ogun State

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The Osuuru spring is situated at Imeko town of Imeko/Afon local government area of Ogun State, Nigeria’s South-West.

The spring flows from a rocky hill and its torrents gushes forth onto a flat space and then down a valley in a way that makes for a perfect, visual scenery.

The Osuuru spring is situated at Imeko town of Imeko/Afon local government area.

The spring flows from a rocky hill and its torrents gushes forth onto a flat space and then down a valley in a way that makes for a perfect, visual scenery.

You can also enjoy horse racing or even walk the trails.

Ghasa’s Hanging Bridge, Nepal  

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The Ghasa’s Hanging Bridge is newly built, scary bridge that stretches high above a river valley in the vicinity of the town of Ghasa, within Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal.

This very narrow bridge is located at a great height above the river that runs beneath it, however, it was built not just for the people to cross it, but also the very important cattle.

Despite the look it has as a fragile, extremely unstable, ready to break and badly shaken piece of architecture, it is definitely very reliable as it is equipped with high railings making it very safe for everyone to cross.

The main purpose for the construction was so that the herds of animals would not have to go the winding small and very narrow paths in the valley, the Ghasa’s Hanging Bridge eased the locals’ lives and their principal mean of livelihood today moves around faster than before.

Being one of the most striking attractions for the trekkers and tourists in the Himalayas of Nepal, the popular Annapurna Circuit passes right through the hanging bridge which is inevitable to cross if one would want to get to the marked target in the Himalayan foothills.

Once Upon A Time – October 3 – 1941 – Adolf Hitler Says Russia Is Already Broken And Will Never Rise Again

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2333 BC State of Gojoseon (Modern-day Korea) founded by Dangun Wanggeom during the reign of the Chinese Emperor Yao

52 BC Vercingetorix, leader of the Gauls, surrenders to the Romans under Julius Caesar, ending the siege and battle of Alesia

1283 Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Gwynedd, Wales, becomes the first person executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered

1922 1st facsimile photo sent over city telephone lines, Washington, D.C.

1935 Italy invades Ethiopia, starting the Second Italo-Ethiopian War

1990 Reunification of East and West Germany. West German flag is raised above the Brandenburg Gate on the stroke of midnight.

HISTORICAL EVENTS TODAY

TODAY IN FILM & TV

1941 “The Maltese Falcon” directed by John Huston and based on Dashiell Hammett’s 1929 novel of the same name, starring Humphrey Bogart and Mary Astor, premieres in New York City

1992 Irish pop singer Sinéad O’Connor rips up a picture of Pope John Paul II on “Saturday Night Live” [1]

1995 Former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O.J. Simpson found not guilty of the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman in Los Angeles, California

TODAY IN SPORT

1888 New Zealand Natives, a privately organised and mainly Māori rugby team, plays first game in UK; beats Surry 4-1; first national rugby team to wear all-black & perform the ‘haka’

1995 Former NFL running back, broadcaster and actor O.J. Simpson found not guilty of the murder of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman in Los Angeles, California

MORE FACTS…

1908 Pravda newspaper founded by Leon Trotsky, Adolph Joffe, Matvey Skobelev and other Russian exiles in Vienna

1941 Adolf Hitler says Russia is “already broken and will never rise again” in a broadcast to the German people

FAMOUS WEDDINGS

1609 Painter Peter Paul Rubens marries his first wife Isabella Brant in St. Michael’s Abbey, Antwerp

1833 French composer Hector Berlioz (29) marries actress Harriet Smithson (30)

1944 American comedian Jerry Lewis (18) marries American singer Patti Palmer (22); divorce in 1980

Reparation For War: Poland Demands $1.3 Trillion In Damages From Germany

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Poland’s foreign minister on Monday signed an official note to Germany requesting the payment of some $1.3 trillion in reparations for the damage incurred by occupying Nazi Germans during World War II.

Zbigniew Rau said the note will be handed to Germany’s Foreign Ministry. The signing comes on the eve of Rau’s meeting in Warsaw with Germany Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who is attending a security conference.

Rau said the note expresses his view that the two sides should take action “without delay” to address the effects of Germany’s 1939-45 occupation in a “lasting and complex, legally binding as well as material way.”

He said that would include German reparations as well as solving the issue of looted artworks and archives.

Poland’s right-wing government insists that Poland is owed reparations for extensive war damage, while Berlin says it has paid compensation to the affected countries, including Poland, and considers the matter closed.

On the war’s 83rd anniversary, September 1, Poland’s government presented an extensive report on the damages, estimating it at the $1.3 trillion figure.

Eye brows apparently are been raise and analysts have said others especially countries in Africa are watching if the damages are paid , this will give rise to streams of other requests from around the world.