Countries of the World

[CaaC (John)+]

One of India's biggest food delivery companies has introduced period leave

A Zomato food delivery boy takes rest near a closed shop on the outskirts of New Delhi, India on 26 April 2020.

Hong Kong / New Delhi (CNN Business) - One of India's biggest food delivery companies says it will give all female employees 10 days of "period leave" a year — a significant milestone in a country where menstruation remains a taboo topic.

In a statement, Saturday, Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal said women and transgender people would be entitled to one day of period leave for each menstrual cycle.

Zomato — which bought Uber's food delivery business in India earlier this year — is the most high profile company in the country to introduce period leave. At least a handful of other companies have introduced similar policies in the past, according to local media reports.

"At Zomato, we want to foster a culture of trust, truth and acceptance," Goyal said in an email to staff that was posted publicly. "There shouldn't be any shame or stigma attached to applying for a period leave. You should feel free to tell people on internal groups, or emails that you are on your period leave for the day."

He urged anyone who experienced "unnecessary harassment" or "distasteful comments" for taking period leave to speak up, and told male colleagues it "shouldn't be uncomfortable for us."

"This is a part of life, and while we don't fully understand what women go through, we need to trust them when they say they need to rest this out," Goyal said. "I know that menstrual cramps are very painful for a lot of women — and we have to support them through it if we want to build a truly collaborative culture at Zomato."

Menstruation is such a taboo subject in India that women in many homes aren't allowed to cook or touch anyone during their period as they are considered impure and dirty. That social shame can prevent women from talking openly about menstruation, meaning many girls aren't taught about safe, hygienic practices.

Some in the country have tried to change that stigma. For example, Bihar — one of India's most populous states — allows women to take two days of leave each month because of "biological reasons." However, India's federal government hasn't pushed to change the nationwide rules around period leave.

Zomato's move prompted debate online, with some complaining on Twitter that women should be entitled to 12 days rather than 10. Others disagreed with creating the leave, including one person who said it amounted to "special treatment." Others warned that giving women period leave could open them up to gender discrimination in the workplace.

Ranjana Kumari, the director of non-profit Centre for Social Research, which advocates for women's rights in India, acknowledged that some people believe period leave makes it appear as if women have a disability and may make it harder for women to get employed.

But she still welcomed Zomato's initiative, saying it helps to normalize women's bodies and allows them to take care of their health.

"We are women and we have to accept and respect -— and make society accept and respect — who we are, and what happens to us as women," she said, adding that she would welcome any legislation that introduced a nationwide policy of period leave. "This is our body, and this is what happens to our body."

"Let society accept who we are and how we are, instead of trying to fight to become what men are."

Similar schemes have been in place in a number of Chinese provinces and other countries in Asia for years. Women in Japan have been granted menstrual leave since 1947.

Research released last year based on a survey of 32,748 Dutch women between the ages of 15 and 45 found 81% said they had been less productive as a result of their menstrual symptoms. The researchers calculated that on average, women were absent from work or school for 1.3 days per year because of their period — and productivity loss was equivalent to 8.9 days per year.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/10/business-india/zomato-india-period-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

[CaaC (John)+]

Fires destroy home of one of the world's rarest birds in Brazil

Blue macaws perch on a tree in the São Francisco do Perigara sanctuary prior to the devastating wildfire.

Sao Paulo, Brazil (CNN) - A Brazilian sanctuary, home to 15% of the world's population of blue macaws, has been consumed by fires -- and there are fears for the well-being of the rare birds.

"It is very sad to see decades of my family work, years taking care and preserving nature, for this to happen," said Ana Maria Barreto, owner of the São Francisco do Perigara, a cattle ranch and bird sanctuary of more than 61,000 acres in Mato Grosso state.

More than 70% of the farm's vegetation was destroyed by the blaze, she said. "It is an unprecedented disaster."

Between 700 and 1,000 blue macaws lived on the ranch, she said. "It is the largest known population of free macaws in the world," Barreto told CNN.

The total world population of blue macaws is estimated to be about 6,500 birds, according to Arara Azul Institute, which advocates for environmental conservation. The birds are threatened with extinction and live in nature only in Brazil.

Most of the birds may have flown to safer locations, said Neiva Guedes, president of the institute. "They can manage to escape fires because they fly, but soon they will run out of food, and that is what we think will affect them most." The blue macaws survive on fruits and nuts and "as forests burn, so does their food," Guedes added.

Blue macaws perch on a tree in the São Francisco do Perigara sanctuary prior to the fires.

The fires had raged since August 1. On Monday, officials said that blazes closest to the macaws' nesting areas had been brought under control, but that they could still re-ignite, given the high temperatures and parched conditions.

"Every day is a surprise," said Sergeant Rogério Perdigão, of the Mato Grosso do Sul Fire Department. "We cannot say that we won, because that is not how it works, but we will continue the battle."

He sent CNN a video showing macaws sitting on trees close to where the fire was recently extinguished.

"Any victory against the fires has to be celebrated," he told CNN. "Macaws are close to us all the time, they don't stop talking. It seems that they are thanking us," Perdigão said.
A protected region, rich in biodiversity

The sanctuary is located in the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland area, which stretches across two states in Brazil, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. Consisting of more than 37 million acres, its rich biodiversity is recognized in Brazil's constitution and also by UNESCO.

But it's also a region that has been targeted for fires, aimed at clearing trees and brush to create pasture land.

On July 16, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro signed a decree banning fires in the Pantanal for 120 days, following pressure from dozens of international investors who threatened to divest from Brazilian companies unless steps were taken to curb the destruction.

But according to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE), there were 3,121 fires detected in the region in the first 15 days of August, compared with 1,690 for the entire month last year.

Carlos Rittl, the executive secretary of the Brazilian Climate Observatory, a coalition of civil society organizations, blames the government for failing to prevent fires. "The government has been reducing environmental surveillance since the beginning of Bolsonaro's government," he said.

 

Macaws perched on trees at the sanctuary after the fires this week.

That's compounded by the weather, which is drier than usual due to deforestation, he added. "Researchers are indicating this drier weather in Pantanal is due to the rise of Amazon deforestation, which lowers the level of humidity in Pantanal," he said.

At a meeting with leaders from neighbouring Amazon nations last week, Bolsonaro insisted reports about fires in the Amazon were untrue and defended Brazil's preservation efforts. "Our policy is zero-tolerance. Not only for a common crime but also for the environmental issue. Fighting illicit activities is essential for the preservation of our Amazon rainforest."
But for the owners of the São Francisco do Perigara, Ana Maria Barreto and her sister Maria Ignêz, the fires destroyed years of preservation efforts. In 2002, there were only 200 blue macaws on the farm. In recent years, they managed to quadruple that number, she said.

"It is very sad," Ana Barreto said. "We end up being very concerned about what is yet to come. If we are experiencing this in a protected area, what can we expect in the future?"

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/08/18/americas/brazil-blue-macaws-wildfires-intl/index.html

[CaaC (John)+]

Amazon fires: Are they worse this year than before?

Preserving the Amazon rainforest is of global importance in the fight against climate change, but it is under threat from forest fires, mostly started to clear land for agriculture.

Early numbers from this year's fire season show an increase, leading to concern from scientists.

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil recently said that claims the Amazon "is going up in flames" were not true, despite statistics published by his own government showing the spread of fires.

So what does the data show about what's happening this year?

Is the forest in Brazil burning?

FULL REPORT

[CaaC (John)+]

Amazon: Brazilian official killed by an arrow near an indigenous tribe

A top Brazilian expert on isolated Amazon tribes has been killed by an arrow that struck him in the chest as he approached an indigenous site.

Rieli Franciscato, 56, died on Wednesday in a remote region of Rondônia state in north-western Brazil.

He was in the area to monitor a tribe as part of his work for the government's indigenous agency, Funai.

An NGO founded by Mr Franciscato described him as an "excellent, serious and dedicated professional".

The Kaninde Ethno-Environmental Defence Association, which he helped create in the 1980s, said the indigenous group had no ability to distinguish between a friend or a foe from the outside world.

FULL REPORT

[CaaC (John)+]

The world's most beautiful tunnels

SLIDES - 1/31

Tunnel vision

Since the dawn of time humankind has had the urge to tunnel and burrow, whether for safety, storage, irrigation or to extract natural resources. Recently our most extraordinary tunnels were dug for transportation. From modern engineering marvels and regenerated historic passages to naturally occurring tunnels, we dig deep to find some of the world’s most beautiful tunnels.

[CaaC (John)+]

Aurora and rare moonbows light up the night

The Aurora Borealis could be seen in the skies from parts of Scotland overnight. Also known as the Northern Lights, the displays are linked to activity on the surface of the Sun. The aurora is caused by the interaction of solar wind - a stream of charged particles escaping the Sun - and Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. When weather conditions are favourable, Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland offer some of the best places to observe the aurora, or Northern Lights as the phenomenon is often known. Moonbows were also spotted overnight. Also known as a lunar rainbow, the rare optical phenomenon is caused when the light from the moon is refracted through water droplets in the air.

[CaaC (John)+]

Quote

The world’s 50 most amazing wonders

SLIDES - 1/51

Wonderful sights

Only one of the original seven wonders of the world remains, but there are many more awe-inspiring places that astound and delight us. From captivating ancient cities, medieval cathedrals and modern architectural gems, to biodiverse volcanic craters, thundering waterfalls and otherworldly ice forms, we pick 50 of the world’s incredible wonders.

 

[CaaC (John)+]

Quote

These amazing places from fairy tales and fiction actually exist

SLIDES - 1/31

Legendary landscapes

From enchanting castles and haunting ruins to emotive landscapes shrouded in myths and folklore, some of the greatest works of fiction and enduring fairy tales are based on real-world places. We take a look at locations around the globe that have been a source of inspiration for stories old and new…

 

[CaaC (John)+]

[Mel81x+]

Looking at those pics makes me wish we had a chance to travel a bit more this year so I can actually go visit Scotland.

[CaaC (John)+]

On 07/01/2021 at 04:04, Mel81x said:

Looking at those pics makes me wish we had a chance to travel a bit more this year so I can actually go visit Scotland.

If you do and you are driving then you know when you hit Scotland from the Scottish/English borders when you see the sign below and also the grass is greener as they say in Haggis land. 

                         Welcome to Scotland (Gaelic - Fàilte gu Alba)  

                                                   

[CaaC (John)+]

Quote

 India is trying to build its own internet 

(CNN Business) - While Twitter finds itself in a prolonged standoff with the Indian government over the company's refusal to take down certain accounts, a senior executive of a very similar Indian social network says the sudden attention on his app has been "overwhelming."

"It feels like ... you've just been put in the finals of the World Cup suddenly and everyone's watching you and the team," Mayank Bidawatka, co-founder of Koo, told

Koo, touted by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and used enthusiastically by several officials and ministries in his government, has been downloaded 3.3 million times so far this year, per-app analytics firm Sensor Tower. It's a promising start for a company founded less than a year ago, but less than Twitter's 4.2 million Indian downloads during the same period.

However, the Indian social network, which sports a bird logo familiar to any Twitter user, was downloaded more times than Twitter in the month of February — when the Indian government called out the US company for not doing enough to block accounts sharing what it called "incendiary and baseless" hashtags around a protest by farmers against new agricultural laws.

"We're building as fast as we can," Bidawatka said.

 

FULL REPORT