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Conservation in crisis: ecotourism collapse threatens communities and wildlife

From Kenya to the Seychelles, coronavirus has dealt a devastating blow to efforts to protect endangered wildlife

From the vast plains of the Masai Mara in Kenya to the delicate corals of the Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles, conservation work to protect some of the world’s most important ecosystems is facing crisis following a collapse in ecotourism during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Organisations that depend on visitors to fund projects for critically endangered species and rare habitats could be forced to close, according to wildlife NGOs, after border closures and worldwide travel restrictions abruptly halted millions of pounds of income from tourism.

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Britain has faced its toughest test for decades, but we will build a better tomorrow'

Vital lessons about our mutual dependence will help us emerge stronger from the pandemic

If ever a crisis proved that our fates are bound together, it has been the last six weeks. The state has asked many businesses to stand idle to save lives, firms have turned to the state as their guarantor of survival and workers have risked their lives for us all. When we have faced our toughest test for decades as a nation, it has been essential to pull together.

Yet we are only at the beginning of the need to recognise the mutual dependence between public and private sectors and our collective solidarity.

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The coronavirus has exposed the imbalances in modern Britain

What’s needed after Covid-19 is a bigger, smarter state, with more devolved decisions, a greener economy and a stronger safety net

The words are straining to come out. Boris Johnson hero worships Winston Churchill so it is obvious how the prime minister will pitch this week’s announcement of the plan to get Britain out of lockdown.

In late 1942, victory in the north African desert had suggested that the tide of the war might have turned but Churchill was cautious. “Now this is not the end,” he said in a speech at London’s Mansion House. “It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

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Australia has found common ground to respond to Covid-19. We can do the same for climate change | Cassandra Goldie, Innes Willox, Emma Herd

After all we have already endured in 2020 we should know that stopping an emergency is far better than responding to one

In just a few short months, many more people in Australia have faced greater adversity in 2020 than in the decade since we emerged from the global financial crisis.

The bushfires that affected the health of millions, claimed lives and livelihoods, blighted our landscape and destroyed communities were unprecedented in size and intensity. Now the acute shock of the Covid-19 pandemic has also taken lives and left many more living in fear, while throwing hundreds of thousands out of paid work, shattering businesses and leaving us facing an unstable new world.

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'There are no excuses left': why climate science deniers are running out of rope

Guardian environment correspondent Fiona Harvey recalls being heckled at the House of Commons and explains how attitudes to climate have shifted in 10 years

The shouted words rang out across the packed parliamentary corridor: “Fiona Harvey is the worst journalist there is. She’s the worst journalist of them all, because she should know better.”

They were the words of Lord Lawson, former UK chancellor of the exchequer, turned climate denier and now Brexiter, addressing a crowd of more than 100 people trying to cram into a House of Commons hearing on climate change. As listeners craned their necks to hear better, whispering and nudging, he elaborated at length on my insistence on reporting the work of the 97% of the world’s climate scientists whose work shows human responsibility for global heating, and failure to give equal weight to the tiny number of dissenters.

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Why we're rethinking the images we use for our climate journalism

Guardian picture editor Fiona Shields explains why we are going to be using fewer polar bears and more people to illustrate our coverage of the climate emergency

At the Guardian we want to ensure that the images we publish accurately and appropriately convey the climate crisis that we face. Following discussions among editors about how we could change the language we use in our coverage of environmental issues, our attention then turned to images. We have been working across the organisation to better understand how we aim to visually communicate the impact the climate emergency is having across the world.

Related: The Guardian's climate pledge 2019

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'It's a crisis, not a change': the six Guardian language changes on climate matters

A short glossary of the changes we’ve made to the Guardian’s style guide, for use by our journalists and editors when writing about the environment

In addition to providing updated guidelines on which images our editors should use to illustrate the climate emergency, we have updated our style guide to introduce terms that more accurately describe the environmental crises facing the world. Our editor-in-chief, Katharine Viner, said: “We want to ensure that we are being scientifically precise, while also communicating clearly with readers on this very important issue”. These are the guidelines provided to our journalists and editors to be used in the production of all environment coverage across the Guardian’s website and paper:

Related: The urgency of climate crisis needed robust new language to describe it | Paul Chadwick

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Can't hurry love: slow worms embrace marathon sessions of lockdown loving

If you’re gardening more than usual, try not to disturb the legless lizard, which can mate for up to 10 hours at a time in May

Under a small, sun-baked mat, a curled metallic-gold slow worm lies basking in the heat, the dark stripe running down its body revealing its youth. Sensing attention, it begins to wriggle away, revealing a companion, which speeds rapidly into the grasses in the opposite direction.

After a winter of social distancing, slow worms – a type of legless lizard that grows up to half a metre long and is often mistaken for a snake – have been venturing out of hibernation to enjoy warming their cold-blooded bodies in the spring sun.

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Birdsong has risen like a tide of hope from our silenced cities. Is it here to stay?

Lockdown has allowed us a glimpse of how different our cities could be in a carbon-neutral world

“When a day that you happen to know is Wednesday starts off by sounding like Sunday, there is something seriously wrong somewhere.”

Never can John Wyndham’s opening lines from The Day of the Triffids have been quite so apt. My friends in London tell me that the heart of the city, like other great conurbations all around the world, is eerily quiet. It is almost as if a neutron bomb has struck, removing in an instant all signs of human life, while leaving buildings, roads and other man-made artefacts perfectly intact.

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Forest fire season is coming. How can we stop the Amazon burning?

The Guardian investigates fire in the state of Pará - to reveal the loopholes that allow deforestation to be legitimised

We found the first fire without looking, crackling and roaring on farmland beside the busy Amazon highway, the flames consuming a road sign with its name – BR-163 – lying in the grass. Trucks thundered past, ferrying soya and corn from the agricultural heartlands of Brazil’s central-west to the ports of Santarém and Miritituba. Nobody was around.

Every year fires roar across the Amazon, and in just a few months they will be here again. But last August the number of blazes reached a nine-year high, and sparked an international crisis for Brazil’s far-right president Jair Bolsonaro. Months later, their traces hung over the forests in the Amazon state of Pará, leaving blackened logs and charred tree stumps where there was once rainforest.

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Winners of the 2020 Whitley wildlife conservation awards - in pictures

Tapirs in South America, hirolas in Somalia, hornbills in Indonesia, chimps in Nigeria, tamarins in Brazil and frogs in South Africa ... the ‘green Oscars’ recognise and celebrate the achievements of the animals’ grassroots protectors

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Country diary: the bumblebees' low drone has replaced the hum of traffic

Marshwood Vale, Dorset: It began in March, when the buff-tailed queens emerged from hibernation, zigzagging from bloom to bloom

In the garden on a bright morning, with sunshine lancing the cherry blossom, my eye is drawn to the fat glitter of a queen bumblebee gathering nectar in the golden bowl of a tree peony flower. A black, almost velvety, body and rich orange-tipped rump indicate that this is a red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius). Her wings shine as if newly waxed, while her tongue briskly probes a tassel of stamens. After a few seconds she’s off to check the next bloom – then airborne again, zooming over the wall.

Lockdown has replaced the background hum of distant traffic with the low, blundering drone of bumblebees. It began in March when buff-tailed queens emerged from hibernation, zigzagging across the lawn. Buff-tails are easily recognised by their size – the queens can be more than 2cm long – and their markings, two well-separated yellow bands and a brown-tinged tail-tip. Because they nest in holes in the ground, they are also called earth bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). The name is like an anchor, tethering a creature of sunlight, pollen and warmth to the chthonic darkness underground.

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Pollutionwatch: breathtaking views will vanish unless we build back better

Only government action will preserve the clearer, bluer skies gifted to us by the coronavirus lockdown

Many of us will have noticed differences in traffic noise and air pollution during the lockdown. Startling images have come from India where, for the first time in a generation, the Himalayas have been visible more than a hundred miles away. Something similar happened in the UK in 1921 when coal shortages during a miner’s strike led to newspaper reports of distant landmarks being visible as never before. In the UK we too have been able to look up at clearer blue skies, less impeded by air pollution and not crisscrossed by aircraft contrails. This helped Germany to break a solar power record.

In Beijing, air pollution controls for the 2014 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting also brought a return to blue skies. The term “APEC blue” emerged in Chinese social media and was nominated as Beijing’s top environmental phrase for the year. Later it took on a tinge of sadness, to mean something wonderful, but brief. One woman posted about love on social media, “He’s not that into you – it’s just an APEC blue!”

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World cannot return to 'business as usual' after Covid-19, say mayors

City leaders publish ‘statement of principles’ putting climate action at centre of recovery plans

Mayors from many of the world’s leading cities have warned there can be no return to “business as usual” in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis if humanity is to escape catastrophic climate breakdown.

City leaders representing more than 750 million people have published a “statement of principles”, which commits them to putting greater equality and climate resilience at the heart of their recovery plans.

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They won't be loved: Maroon 5 play it safe with dullest halftime show of all time

Maroon 5 could have silenced their many haters with a spectacular performance. But they didn’t do that.





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Viola Davis’s message to white women: ‘Get to know me’

But Davis does see a path forward: empathy and becoming educated on one another’s experiences.





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PhoneQuake — Best Cell Phone Plans For Kids - If you are like...

Best Cell Phone Plans For Kids - If you are like most parents, you want your kids to be happy, and you want them to stay safe but giving your kid a cell phone may seem a little overzealous, a mobile device can be a terrific way to always be in touch…




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PhoneQuake — Best Cell Phone Plans For College Students - Being...

Best Cell Phone Plans For College Students - Being a student means making budget your middle name. What better place to start than with your cell phone plan? You want enough minutes, lots of texting, and a data plan that won’t quit. College is an ex…




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PhoneQuake — Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans - For people who...

Best Prepaid Cell Phone Plans - For people who don’t like the idea of signing a long-term contract then choosing the best prepaid cell phone plans might fit your needs. A prepaid phone plan is the only way to control your monthly cell phone bill. Yo…

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PhoneQuake — Best Unlimited Data Plans - Do you use your cell...

Best Unlimited Data Plans - Do you use your cell phone for streaming music or videos or use it as a Wi-Fi hotspot? Having unlimited data could really save you some money on your next phone bill. Switching to an unlimited data plan would allow you to…




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One Dead and 5 Missing After Canadian Military Helicopter Crashes off Greece

The Cyclone helicopter was participating in a NATO training exercise. A Nova Scotia native died, and two others from the province were missing.




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Two Medical Systems, Two Pandemic Responses

A health economist who has taught on both sides of the border examines the difference between Canada and the United States.




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El ‘avispón asesino’, una plaga mortal que llegó a Norteamérica

Los avistamientos del avispón asiático gigante han provocado temores de que el insecto se establezca en Estados Unidos y extermine a las poblaciones de abejas.




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House Hunting on Prince Edward Island: Nine Acres for $1.7 Million

Canada’s smallest province remains one of its most affordable, despite a shortage of inventory exacerbated by the pandemic.




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Trump Tweets About NYT’s ‘Illegal’ Sources After Report On Barr’s Mueller Review

President Trump on Thursday did not directly address reports that Attorney General William Barr’s assessment of special counsel Robert Mueller’s...




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Nielsen: ‘I Just Want To Thank The President, Again’

Nielsen: "I just want to thank the President, again." pic.twitter.com/5m8WSU9Xej — TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) April 8, 2019




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Schumer Wants Ousted Secret Service Chief To Testify On Mar-A-Lago ‘Vulnerabilities’

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Monday called for ousted Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles to testify before...




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Top GOP lawmaker disclosed holdings in Chinese company he criticized

Rep. Mike McCaul was tapped on to head a GOP House panel scrutinizing China. Disclosures show his family holds stock in a Chinese internet company.




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McCarthy embraces ex-rival Jordan as the top partisan fighter

Despite their clashes in past, the two Trump allies find themselves in alignment now.




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Trump's personal valet tests positive for coronavirus

The White House confirmed that both President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have tested negative for coronavirus.




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The 2024 election test arrives early for Mike Pence

The vice president’s allies are watching two tracks for Pence as he battles the pandemic: one for Trump in 2020 and another for his own potential bid.




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'Not nearly enough' coronavirus testing to safely reopen, Senate health chair says

Millions more coronavirus tests will be needed to safely reopen the country, the chairman of the Senate HELP Committee said at a hearing Thursday.




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Melinda Gates gives Trump administration 'D-minus' for coronavirus response

The co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation cited a lack of national coordination.




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Live tracker: How many coronavirus cases have been found in each U.S. state?

Using data from the COVID Tracking Project, we’re following how each state is responding to COVID-19.




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Black and Latino New Yorkers get vast majority of social distancing summonses




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House coronavirus oversight panel demands large companies repay small-business loans

“Returning these funds will allow truly small businesses ... to obtain the emergency loans they need to avoid layoffs," they write.




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Jeff Sessions grapples with new round of Trump attacks

“I stood up for the truth and performed at the highest levels,” Sessions said.




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Watchdog warns SBA that loan limits will hurt small business borrowers

The SBA's IG said the agency veered from the law Congress drafted to create the program when the agency set rules for how businesses could obtain loan forgiveness.




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Tammy Duckworth moves to assist newborn babies amid pandemic

The Senate's newest mother wants parents of newborns to more quickly access money allocated to them by the CARES Act.




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California becomes first state to switch November election to all-mail balloting




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New York City hospitals begin planned surgeries delayed by coronavirus




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FDA chief self-quarantines after exposure to Pence aide

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn is asymptomatic and tested negative for the virus on Friday, one senior administration official said.




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Political fantasy battles economic reality after tens of millions of jobs lost

Trump expects a sharp bounce-back in jobs. But as bankruptcies pile up, the labor market will need much of the next decade to replace the jobs gone for good.




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Trump’s base escapes the worst of job losses

Compared to the Great Recession, fewer male and blue-collar workers have lost jobs, while women, Latinos, African Americans and young workers have been hit hardest.




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Newsom finally endorses Biden at virtual campaign event for top-dollar donors

The California governor, who previously endorsed Sen. Kamala Harris, had yet to formally throw his support behind Biden.




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Cannabis employees are in high demand during economic crash

The industry is looking for thousands of workers across the country.




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As restaurants struggle, cities look to cap delivery fees




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Tara Reade allegations spill into 2020 Senate races

Republicans are raising Brett Kavanaugh to criticize Democrats over what they say is hypocrisy over a sexual assault allegation against Joe Biden.




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Type 2 diabetes: Do your gums look like this? It could mean high blood sugar levels



TYPE 2 diabetes is a common condition which affects millions of people worldwide. There is a warning sign which lies in your gums indicating blood sugar levels are dangerously high.