[Benjamin]

Stray Pup Chases a Doggie Day-Care Bus and Gets Adopted


Nellie, left, and Waylon ride the Keller Creek Boarding and Grooming pup bus in Franklin County, Georgia. Waylon was later adopted by one of the daycare’s clients. (Keller Creek Boarding and Grooming)

A determined Lab has found a new home in Georgia after galloping alongside a doggie daycare bus until he won over the driver and found a new home.

In Franklin County, the story begins when the driver of the ‘pup bus’ was doing his rounds to bring clients’ dogs to daycare.

Coming to a house he knew well, a Labrador retriever who had been attending Keller Creek Boarding and Grooming for three years named Motley was waiting for the bus like normal, but this time he had a friend.

Tyson Cash, the owner of Keller Creek, contacted Motley’s owners to ask who the new arrival was, but to his double surprise, the owners said they had not adopted any new dogs.

They added, however, that a stray Lab had been in the area for a few days and neighbors were feeding and occasionally letting it stay on their property. Keller Creek is a reputable doggie daycare center, and Cash couldn’t take the risk of letting a stray onboard. So after loading Motley, he closed the door.

“I didn’t know about his vaccination status. I didn’t know if he was on flea and tick prevention,” said Cash. “I didn’t want to jeopardize all the other dogs, [but] he wanted on the bus badly. He was doing everything he could to get on with the other dogs.”

Steeling himself, he drove off, but the yellow Lab gave chase. Heart aching, Cash asked his wife to take a video and photo of the dog alongside the bus to post on social media to see if anyone in the area knew who his owners were.

A crazy dog dad through and through, Cash was pondering if there were any way he could find room in his house—filled with 9 other pooches as things stood—for this dog desperate for company. But fate, fortune, and a friendly soul stayed Cash’s hand.

Also onboard the pup bus was Nellie, another yellow Lab, whose owner saw the Facebook post and felt even worse than Cash did.

“To see a dog so desperate to catch a ride was very heartbreaking,” she told the Washington Post. “I thought, I’ve got to reach out and see if anybody has a home for this dog. If not, I want him.”

Ask and you shall receive. Pearce was put in contact with a woman who had been allowing the stray to stay on her property—she called him Waylon, but her two dogs were entering heat, so she had to cast him off yet again.

Pearce and her boyfriend went to bring the dog to the vet as he was in bad shape; covered in ticks and fleas, and suffering from malnourishment. They also found that Waylon had a microchip—the manufacturer of which was able to organize a transfer of ownership from the previous owners to Pearce without the latter learning anything about the former..


Nellie, left, snuggling with Waylon credit – Sadie Peace

Now Nellie and Waylon are the best of friends, following each other everywhere, and the Pearce home has become one of joy and cuddles.

Last week, Waylon finally got his wish—a ride on the pup bus when he climbed aboard alongside his new sister much to Cash’s delight, who said it was the best ending to the story anyone could have hoped for.

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/stra...-gets-adopted/

[Ammi]

…Nellie and Waylon……gorgeous story…

[Maru]

Old story, but this is the business right here...


Five siblings who were in foster care celebrate Thanksgiving together thanks to a single father who adopted them
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/foster-...five-siblings/

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Maru

Old story, but this is the business right here...


Five siblings who were in foster care celebrate Thanksgiving together thanks to a single father who adopted them
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/foster-...five-siblings/

Awww

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Maru

Old story, but this is the business right here...


Five siblings who were in foster care celebrate Thanksgiving together thanks to a single father who adopted them
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/foster-...five-siblings/

……always so lovely to hear when siblings are able to stay together…

[hijaxers]

It sure is and they are lovely and should stay together.

[Benjamin]

A boy was in tears because he didn't have PJs for Pajamas Day. His bus driver came to the rescue


Bus driver Larry Farrish Jr. made sure Levi was able to participate in Pajama Day at school

School bus driver Larry Farrish Jr. is known in his community for going above and beyond. Now he’s touching the hearts of strangers after an act of kindness went viral.

Farrish Jr., who drives buses in Louisville, Kentucky, recently noticed a little boy named Levi was having a rough morning.

“Normally when I pull up, he’s standing there waiting for me with a big smile, but on this day, he was sitting on the ground with a jacket over his head,” Farrish Jr., 35, tells TODAY.com. “I asked him, ‘Hey buddy, what’s going on? What’s wrong?’”

That’s when Levi, a first grader at Engelhard Elementary School, explained through tears that he didn’t have pajamas for Pajama Day. Farrish Jr. closed the doors, and watched as Levi slid into a seat away from his friends.

Farrish Jr. says knowing that Levi wanted to participate but couldn't, filled him with sadness.

“I thought, ‘I gotta fix this,” Farrish Jr. says.

After Farrish Jr. finished up his morning routes, he headed to a Family Dollar store and purchased two pairs of pajamas for Levi. Then he headed over to Levi’s school to make things right.

“I said, ‘You were hurting this morning, you were crying,so I got you these pajamas,” Farrish Jr. recalls. “He was so excited — you should’ve seen how his face lit up.”

Farrish Jr. adds that Levi hugged the pajamas to his chest.


Levi rocking his pajamas on Pajama Day.Jefferson County Public Schools

Mr. Larry, as the kids call him, turned Levi’s whole day around.

“I can tell Mr. Larry is nice and his heart is filled with joy,” Levi said in a news release. “When he got me the pajamas, I did a happy cry.”

Farrish Jr., who previously worked as a correctional officer and a truck driver, says he’s found his calling.

“I’ve been driving buses for seven years. It’s my passion because I get to build bonds with the children,” he says. “I truly love every minute of it.”

After Jefferson County Public Schools posted on its Facebook what Farrish Jr. did for Levi, people started sharing their own stories.

“Mr. Larry is the absolute best. We were blessed with him as our bus driver for 4 years. Top notch human," one person wrote.

Added another, “Larry is the absolute best and kiddos know they are in great, caring, capable hands with him!!!

https://www.today.com/parents/family...boy-rcna139017

[GoldHeart]

Originally Posted by Benjamin

https://www.today.com/parents/family...boy-rcna139017

Awww

[Benjamin]

Thousands Raised for Homeless Busker After Performance Goes Viral on TikTok



Donations totaling nearly five thousand dollars were raised for a homeless busker after a video of his soothing voice and guitar riffs went viral on TikTok.

The 59-year-old was filmed wowing strangers with his rendition of the Dire Straits hit ‘Sultans of Swing’ as drivers queued up at a MacDonald’s drive-thru.

And now nearly £5,000 (British pounds) have been donated to John Metcalfe, who says he’s hoping to buy a camper van to tour the country while playing music.

Before the fateful encounter, Stephen Flynn had dined with some colleagues for breakfast in Liverpool on August 20.

“Coming back out, we spotted John on the corner. My mate said, ‘Look at him with his guitar.’

“So I drove round and started to record. I just said, ‘Give us a little tune,’ and the rest is history.

“I put it on TikTok and it just went through the roof.”

Stunned by the tally of 11 million views of the performance (watch it below), Stephen decided to do more to support the man, beyond his original cash tip.

“I went back, and I saw him, and I went, ‘John, you’ve gone viral. Give us your number, I’ll stay in contact with you.’”

He set up a GoFundMe page to support John after learning he’d been living in a broken-down Peugeot.

“I’ve been ringing him every day and I’ve been going up and looking after him.”

Stephen said he was in awe of the amount of money that locals donated to John—but the notoriety has also led to an opportunity to perform in Liverpool.

“People just come together when things like this happen.

“He just needed a little bit of a pick me up. He hasn’t looked back since.

“Hopefully he’ll get his little camper-van and he can then sail off into the sunset—that’s the plan.”

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/thou...-tiktok-watch/

[Benjamin]

‘We all want to feel like we belong’: Teen girl’s joy over a rare birthday party invite goes viral

One teenager's overjoyed reaction to being invited to a birthday party is going viral.

Macy is a 15-year-old high school freshman and she has Down syndrome. Her mom says she can “count on one hand the amount of birthday parties” Macy has been invited to since she started kindergarten.

“Yesterday Macy got in the car and showed me an invitation to a birthday party for a friend at school who is also in the life skills program,” Macy’s mom, Heather Avis, began an Instagram post.

“Her joy from this invitation is palpable. WOW!” Avis wrote. “To me it spoke of a longing fulfilled. All I could do was laugh with her and then cry as I celebrated with her.”


Heather Avis and her daughter Macy.

In the video, Macy’s excitement is contagious as she waves the invitation in the air for her mother to see.

“You got invited to a birthday party?” Avis asks.

“Yeah!” Macy replies, with a huge grin on her face. Moments later, she lets out a happy squeal.

“You can hear me start to get choked up because my sweet girl is so elated to be included,” Avis tells TODAY.com in an interview. “It speaks to the common humanity that we all share. We all as humans want to feel like we belong. We all want to be wanted.”

Macy was in a general education setting with her grade-level peers until high school, when she switched to a life skills program for students with intellectual disabilities.

“As soon as Macy walked into the classroom as a new student, she was instantly embraced,” Avis tells TODAY.com. “No one was questioning if she has value and worth. She’s finding a place where she feels belonging and community.”

On May 30, Avis shared a much-needed birthday party update. In the footage, Macy is laughing and clapping her hands. Though Avis says Macy's language is limited, her body language tells you everything you need to know.

"What did you tell me when we were there?" Avis asks.

"I love it here!" Macy replies.

Later, she adds, "I love birthday parties!"

"Noteworthy detail: the birthday boy is a disabled student in the life skills class at Macy’s school. The party was inclusive not because a student in the general education program invited Macy, but because a person with an intellectual disability invited both disabled and non-disabled individuals," Avis wrote. "It was inclusive because people like Macy and the young man we were celebrating, who are often excluded, truly understand how to include others. Let’s reflect on that for a moment!"

Avis hopes that Macy will inspire others to embrace those who are left out.

“We all have opportunity to be the person to say, ‘I’m going to create a space where everyone can belong,’” she says.

https://www.today.com/parents/teens/...ral-rcna154928

[Ammi]

…ok, so the story itself isn’t recent but obviously it’s inspired a movie which is now a release…so we can allow…?…

Released to a delighted movie audience, My Pengiun Friend tells the story of a man and his long-lasting friendship with a Megallanic penguin.

But before the silver screen bore witness to the tale, it arose first on the news—in Brazil, where a retired stonemason named João Pereira de Souza discovered a penguin covered in oil from a recent spill on Proveta Beach in Rio de Janeiro state.

Taking the penguin home, João found the bird exhausted and depleted from his bout swimming through the oil spill. He nursed the penguin back to health, with plenty of soapy scrubbing and fish treats, naming it ‘Dindim’ after the toddler-speak of his son trying to say the Portuguese word for penguin (pinguim) when he was growing up.

After Dindim recovered his pomp, João released him on an island near Proveta Beach and went home; only to find that Dindim had followed him back, and remained on his lawn waiting to be let inside.

He finally left of his own accord in February of 2012. What happened then, and continued happening for years, is an annual visit following the fishing season where penguins remain at sea for months slurping squadrons of fish. Dindim would always come back to Proveta to see João, rather than travel off to a lovely summer island with his kin.

Every February he would leave, only to return in June—again and again for eight years.

Brazilian director David Schurmann embellished the story for My Pengiun Friend, at times going beyond the facts of the original story. (See the trailer below…)

“It’s lovely, lively, and guaranteed to get kids interested in the wild world around them,” writes Kate Erbland at the Indie Wire. “All the better if that also includes some outside research into what really happened with João and Dindim.”

Youtube video

[Ammi]

'Ultra rare' orange lobster returned to ocean after ending up in New York supermarket
The orange lobster arrived at a store in Long Island in early June and was later named Clementine…

An "ultra rare" orange lobster has been returned to the sea after ending up in a supermarket's seafood section.

The lobster, later named Clementine, arrived at a store in Long Island, New York, in early July, and immediately stood out among a group of traditional brown lobsters.

With just one in 30 million lobsters being naturally orange, the rare crustacean became something of an attraction in the seafood section, according to animal advocacy group Humane Long Island.

The store's owner reached out to an aquarium to take Clementine in, but it declined the offer.

That is when Southampton Animal Shelter stepped in, calling in Humane Long Island to secure the lobster's safe release.

Working with the store, the animal advocacy group got Clementine back into the sea on Tuesday.

John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island, told Sky News' US partner NBC News: "We got ourselves a big saltwater tank to rehab her in, we brought her down to the ocean, and she immediately began foraging."

"She was ready to go as soon as she saw the ocean," Mr Di Leonardo added.

The group said they put her in a cold saltwater tank shortly before dropping her in, at the advice of a veterinarian.

"Within hours, Clementine was swimming, foraging, and exploring the Long Island Sound, playfully following us around before disappearing into the ocean depths where she'll travel as far as 100 miles or more each year," the group said in a news release.

Mr Di Leonardo said lobsters like Clementine deserve to live freely.

"They all want to live natural lives in the wild," he said.

"They don't want to boil in someone's pot or stay in a cramped aquarium."

Lobsters often appear a shade of bright red or orange when cooked, but while alive can come in a variety of colours, including, most commonly, a mottled brown or a deep blue.

Their colour changes because of a pigment called astaxanthin, which is stored in their skin underneath their hard shell.

There are layers of lobster colours stored under the shell, according to the American Chemical Society, which includes red skin at the bottom, a layer of blue pigment in the shell's bottom layer, and orange on the outside of the shell.

These break down when lobsters are cooked, leaving just the bright red skin visible.

[Nicky91]

https://nltimes.nl/2024/08/31/number...rlands-doubles

The number of online bookstores more than doubled in the last five years, the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (KVK) reported. Especially the provinces of Utrecht and Noord-Brabant have seen more book-oriented online stores being run. The number of books sold online has stayed at around the same number.

According to the KVK, the Netherlands had 935 online bookstores in 2019, and there are now 1,948. Most online bookstores are run from the provinces of Noord-Holland and Zuid-Holland, with 382 and 396, respectively. The number of online bookstores increased the most in Utrecht, going from 88 to 207 in five years. But the number of online book stores also rose strongly in Noord-Brabant, from 116 to 271.

"There is an increase in the number of entrepreneurs in online book sales, but that does not translate into more online sales," said Marianne Slagter of the Dutch Booksellers Association. She referred to research conducted by KVB Boekwerk, the knowledge platform of the book sector, and market researcher GfK. The study showed that book sales have remained the same over the past three years at 43 million books annually. "So the market is quite stable," says Slagter.

The KVK also reported that the number of physical bookstores has been around the same for years. The Netherlands had 696 of these stores in 2019 and has 665 now. Slagter: "We see that people appreciate looking around in physical bookstores to pick a nice book out there.

this is what i call good news for book authors

[Benjamin]

The teen who’s developing a treatment for skin cancer, one bar of soap at a time



Time magazine has named a 15-year-old scientist ‘Kid of the Year’ after he devised a skin cancer-treating soap

Heman Bekele, a 15-year-old from Virginia, US, has been honoured by Time magazine for his pioneering work and research into skin cancer treatment.

Heman was four years old when he started conducting his own science experiments at home, creating concoctions with whatever he could find. At six, he was given a chemistry set for Christmas, helping Bekele to the realisation that he wanted to help the world in some way using science.

He grew up in Ethiopia, witnessing first-hand the damaging effects of the sun, particularly on labourers, who often work in the blistering sun without skin protection. Bekele was shocked to realise that the cost of skin cancer treatment for those without insurance could be up to $42,000 (£32,000). It became his mission to come up with a more affordable treatment.



After reading about imiquimod, a drug used to treat certain types of skin cancer that usually comes as a cream, Bekele thought a bar of soap – simple and affordable – could in fact be the drug’s perfect vehicle. Aimed at patients in the early stages of the illness, he resolved that the soap would be not only cost-effective, but more easily accessible too.

In 2023, Bekele applied for 3M’s Young Scientist Challenge and was invited to deliver his pitch to a panel of judges. He was declared the winner, receiving $25,000 (£19,000). Months later at a networking event, Bekele met his current lab partner, Vito Rebecca, a molecular biologist and assistant professor, who had read about Bekele’s work and found the teen inspiring. The two are now researching the effects of the soap at a Johns Hopkins University laboratory in the US, with the young scientist juggling the work with his classroom studies.



He’s come up with a way to combine the soap with a lipid-based nanoparticle that remains on the skin when the soap is washed away. “I’m really passionate about skin-cancer research,” he told Time magazine, “whether it’s my own research or what’s happening in the field. It’s absolutely incredible to think that one day my bar of soap will be able to make a direct impact on somebody else’s life. That’s the reason I started this all in the first place.”

Alongside Rebecca and his parents, Bekele is also supported by Deborah Isabelle, his 3M mentor, who says how fortunate she was to be paired with him, “an incredible, passionate, very inspiring young man”.

“A lot of people have this mindset that everything’s been done, there’s nothing left for me to do,” he told Time magazine. “To anybody having that thought, [I’d say] we’ll never run out of ideas in this world. Just keep inventing. Keep thinking of new ways to improve our world and keep making it a better place.”

https://www.positive.news/society/te...oap-at-a-time/

[Ammi]

…the vid did come up on today’s news page so I’ll put it here…

Youtube video

[arista]

Happy Bear.

[Ammi]

…Lioness rescued from Ukraine steps out on grass for the first time…

Youtube video

An animal rescue charity has successfully evacuated two lionesses from a war-affected part of Ukraine, and one has just been filmed taking her first steps into a new, calmer world.

Yuna the lioness had never even felt grass beneath her paws—having been raised in captivity in a small concrete enclosure. She had been traumatized long before the arrival of Russian bombs.

In concert with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England, organized the retrieval and air transport of Yuna out of Ukraine in an operation that took 30 hours.

But it was a big success, with Yuna safely arriving at their 32-acre facility in Kent, and another lioness being dropped off at a similar sanctuary in Belgium.

At first, Yuna chose to remain in her artificial den sleeping on straw. For days she stayed there, traumatized by the sound of explosions and unwilling to venture out into the glowing light at the entrance of her new home.

“Yuna’s confidence growing day by day, and it’s truly moving to see. After more than two and a half years since the war, Yuna had her first opportunity to step outside,” states Cam Whitnall, Project Lead at Big Cat Sanctuary.

“Although she didn’t quite venture out, watching her tentatively peek at her outdoor space was such a heartwarming sight. It felt like a small but significant step forward in her journey of recovery. Each day here at the sanctuary, she’s becoming a little braver and more assured.”

[arista]

Yes nice Lion
saved from that War Nation

[Ammi]

Portland International Airport decided to surprise its visitors by bringing in a couple of therapy llamas for people to hug, pet, and feed
It was around the last holiday season when the staff of the Portland International Airport decided to add a twist to their regular support animal rotation, consisting mainly of dogs, by inviting a couple of llama newcomers.
Meet Prince and Beni — the two residents of Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas & Alpacas farm, who are more than happy to pose for some pictures or be petted, hugged, fed, and loved.
Residing outside the city, the llamas visit the airport approximately twice a month, and they never go unnoticed. “It’s just pure joy,” said the PDX media relations manager, Allison Ferre, in her interview with PEOPLE, adding that “travelers’ faces say it best.”

Not everyone gets to meet them, as the animals can only stay at the airport for a specific period, so it doesn’t pose a danger to their health, but they’re sure to return for more
But despite their massive popularity and some people literally planning their flights in a way to get to visit Portland airport, these cute animals can’t stay there for too long at a time. “[The animals are] only here for periods of time that are healthy for them.”
Fortunately, the information about when you’ll be able to meet Prince, Beni, and perhaps other llamas from their herd is widely available online. “We usually promote it on our social channels in advance of when they’re coming,” explained Allison. “We get disappointment when people miss them.”
People online loved learning about this almost as much as travelers at the Portland International Airport loved actually meeting the llamas. The comments section was full of warm messages saying how wonderful it was to have such cute animals to greet you at the airport, while others were quick to make jokes about other, less huggable animals that you can encounter in other airports.

Therapy animals are no novelty. We have all encountered or at least heard of therapy dogs and cats who can be a great assistance to those in need. But if there are also llamas and alpacas who can do this job just as well, why don’t we meet different animals doing these jobs as often?
As animal behaviorist Julie Bond explained to Bored Panda when we reached out to her for an interview, it’s all about logistics and practicality. “Dogs and cats are just more available! There are far more dog and cat owners than llama owners,” she said, adding that most people who keep farm animals don’t really breed them for therapy work.
In addition, livestock can hardly be ‘house trained,’ which complicates the visits to indoor places where these animals are most commonly used for therapy. That is especially true when looking through the perspective of cleanliness since the chance of a cat or a dog leaving a stinky mess is much less likely than that of a farm animal.

[Benjamin]

Aaaw therapy llamas

[Ammi]

‘Miracle’ penguin found two weeks after escaping captivity in Japan…

A fugitive penguin in Japan has been found safe and sound two weeks after escaping into the sea and paddling for miles in what her keeper called a miracle.

Pen-chan, a female Cape penguin born and raised in captivity, who had never swum in the open sea before or fended for herself, absconded from an event in the central Aichi region on 25 August.

Her keeper, Ryosuke Imai, said a team began scouring the area immediately but a powerful typhoon that brought record rains across Japan hampered the search.

Given Pen-chan’s lack of preparation for life in the wild, the team thought she would not get very far or survive for longer than a week.

But on 8 September, Imai received information that the bird had been spotted happily bobbing in the water at a beach 30 miles (45km) away.

“I thought she would look exhausted, but she was swimming as usual,” Imai said after the animal was recaptured. “It was beyond my surprise … It’s a miracle.”

He said Pen-chan, who is six years old, must have been eating fish and crabs that she caught herself.

“I think she got there by stopping at various places for a break, but it’s still unbelievable,” he said. “She lost a little weight but she is doing great.”

Spoiler:

[Ammi]

@NIAMH @Benjamin

…just to keep updated on the good …(…and the bad…)…news regarding everything potato and potato related…there is a site called Potato News Today…I mean, what other vegetable has its own dedicated news site because of its International/world value and importance….

https://www.potatonewstoday.com/

…anyways, today’s Potato Good News is…


Irish potato market holds steady, European seed production looks promising…

The latest weekly potato market report from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) reveals a steady demand for potatoes in Ireland, with consumption holding strong as the harvest season progresses. As Irish growers continue to lift their crops, the market remains optimistic, although concerns about yields in later-planted crops are growing.

Recent reports suggest that these later-planted crops are likely to experience reduced yields, a situation exacerbated by colder night temperatures forecasted for the coming week. These conditions could further hinder the ability of these crops to bulk up, posing potential challenges for growers as the season advances.

Across the Irish Sea, the U.K. potato market is described as producing an “average” crop. Industry experts indicate that the final outcome of the season will largely depend on the success of the ongoing harvest and the sustained level of market demand. However, quality issues have surfaced this week, with high levels of bruising being a predominant concern. Additionally, some reports highlight significant waste deductions due to greening, impacting overall market efficiency and profitability.

In contrast, the European seed potato sector appears poised for a positive outlook. Reports indicate that seed production across Europe is expected to be sufficient for the 2025 season, thanks to an increase in planting area and favorable tuberisation conditions. This development offers a reassuring signal for the future stability of the potato industry across the continent.

As the season progresses, growers and market participants in both Ireland and the U.K. will be closely monitoring the weather patterns and market demand, which will play critical roles in shaping the outcomes for this year’s potato crop.

…so that’s all very lovely, especially for the potato farmers……

[Ammi]

Ukrainian soldier says dogs have saved 'hundreds' in war with Russia and praises British Army training…

Dogs have saved "hundreds" of Ukrainian lives by detecting Russian landmines on the front line, a serviceman has said.

The 24-year-old is one of 20 Ukrainians learning dog handling techniques from the British Army at a barracks in the East Midlands, as part of Operation Interflex.

Speaking through an interpreter at the barracks, the serviceman said he had always wanted to be a dog handler and that he is "proud" of working with them during the war.

"I really like the idea that I can pass on this knowledge," he added. "They save tens or hundreds of lives."

Biden 'not ruling out' allowing Ukraine to fire into Russia

The soldier, who cannot be named for security reasons, also said he and others have "got a lot" out of their UK training as it lets troops "experiment in order to become better".

"When different sabotage groups are entering the area and they are mining the roads, for example, we are using dogs there to be able to go through this area safely," he added.

"We have lots of different areas where the combat actions are not so active, but there is still a threat there, so there is a threat to life."

Sergeant Chris Jacques, of the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, said the dog handling training involves using "stress factors" such as replicating battlefield sounds.

"It's important to give something back and also to see, especially in the current climate, how dogs can be used in the environment [Ukrainians] find themselves in at the minute," he said.

"We see what challenges they've had to deal with, we see what factors they're having to consider which we, at the minute, aren't having to consider, and they've been really engaging."

Armed forces minister Luke Pollard added that military working dogs "are an irreplaceable part of our defence forces," and said: "Their keen instincts, unwavering loyalty and remarkable ability to detect threats makes them vital to protecting our personnel.

"We owe them and their handlers a deep debt of gratitude for their service."

The Ministry of Defence said more than 45,000 Ukrainians have received training in the UK since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

It comes after the National Audit Office (NAO) said in a report that Operation Interflex "constrains" the British Army's ability to train its own troops.

The parliamentary body said that as a result of the operation, Army units bidding for training areas were rejected eight times more often last year than in 2019.

The NAO report did not seek to evaluate the strategic case for supporting Ukraine or reach conclusions on value for money, and was intended only to set out the facts regarding what support was being provided.

Spoiler:

[Benjamin]

Originally Posted by Ammi

@NIAMH @Benjamin

…just to keep updated on the good …(…and the bad…)…news regarding everything potato and potato related…there is a site called Potato News Today…I mean, what other vegetable has its own dedicated news site because of its International/world value and importance….

https://www.potatonewstoday.com/

…anyways, today’s Potato Good News is…


Irish potato market holds steady, European seed production looks promising…

The latest weekly potato market report from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) reveals a steady demand for potatoes in Ireland, with consumption holding strong as the harvest season progresses. As Irish growers continue to lift their crops, the market remains optimistic, although concerns about yields in later-planted crops are growing.

Recent reports suggest that these later-planted crops are likely to experience reduced yields, a situation exacerbated by colder night temperatures forecasted for the coming week. These conditions could further hinder the ability of these crops to bulk up, posing potential challenges for growers as the season advances.

Across the Irish Sea, the U.K. potato market is described as producing an “average” crop. Industry experts indicate that the final outcome of the season will largely depend on the success of the ongoing harvest and the sustained level of market demand. However, quality issues have surfaced this week, with high levels of bruising being a predominant concern. Additionally, some reports highlight significant waste deductions due to greening, impacting overall market efficiency and profitability.

In contrast, the European seed potato sector appears poised for a positive outlook. Reports indicate that seed production across Europe is expected to be sufficient for the 2025 season, thanks to an increase in planting area and favorable tuberisation conditions. This development offers a reassuring signal for the future stability of the potato industry across the continent.

As the season progresses, growers and market participants in both Ireland and the U.K. will be closely monitoring the weather patterns and market demand, which will play critical roles in shaping the outcomes for this year’s potato crop.

…so that’s all very lovely, especially for the potato farmers……

[Ammi]

Moo-Deng: the two-month-old baby pygmy hippo becoming an online giant….


A two-month-old pygmy hippo has become an internet sensation across Thailand and beyond after footage went viral online of her wobbling around her enclosure, nibbling her zookeeper and being sprayed with water.

Moo-Deng has captured hearts across Asia. Fans have made cakes in her image and artworks showing off her cartoonish rosy cheeks and bright eyes. One cosmetics chain even jumped on the trend, telling social media users to “wear your blush like a baby hippo” in posts promoting products in pink and peach tones. In a reflection of her growing global clout, Time magazine’s website named her an “Icon” and “Legend”, saying “She Is the Moment”.

Her fame stems from a TikTok account with 2.5 million followers dedicated to the hippos and other species at Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. Hundreds of thousands of people also follow accounts documenting their daily life on Facebook and Instagram.

Atthapon Nundee, 31, a zookeeper at Khao Kheow Open Zoo, said he began posting clips of animals on social media during the pandemic, when he found he had more spare time on his hands. Moo-Deng, whose name means “bouncy pork”, also the name of a Thai dish, has attracted the most attention by far.

“The moment I saw Moo-Deng born, I set a goal to make her famous, but I never expected it would spread abroad. I thought she could be famous in Thailand but not internationally,” he said.

Tourists’ social media videos have helped her achieve fame online, but so too has her character, he said. “She is called ‘bouncy’ and she is quite ‘bouncy’ too,” Atthapon said. Her siblings are also called variations of pork dishes: her half-sister is called Moo Wan (Thai sweet pork), her other half-sister is called Pha Lor (pork belly stew), and her brother is called Moo Tun (stewed pork).

Her popularity has created a surge in visitors to the zoo, which has raised concerns about her welfare. Tourists were accused of throwing water and seashells at Moo Deng to wake her, apparently because they wanted to take photos.

The zoo authorities have condemned those who have tried to disturb Moo-Deng. Atthapon said CCTV has been installed and an officer is present to watch over her.

“Most of the time she is sleeping,” said Atthapon, who added her behaviour is similar to a human baby, with playful outbursts and lots of rest. “She only has milk from mom, she doesn’t eat anything else besides milk.” At two months old, she already weighs more than 20kg, and it is possible that she will begin to eat grass next month.

Related: No more monkey business: Thai city’s macaques to be put in enclosures

Adult pygmy hippos also like to sleep a lot during the day. “Mostly they just sleep and soak in the water because it gets quite hot,” Atthapon said.

Pygmy hippos are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List. A 1993 study suggested there were between 2,000 to 2,5000 pygmy hippos remaining in the wild. They are native to West Africa, where they live in swamps and near rivers, but are threatened by habitat loss due to human activities such as logging, mining, as well as hunting.

Edwin Wiek, founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand, questioned the need for more pygmy hippos to be kept in zoo settings, where they have already been bred successfully, saying the focus should be on keeping them in the wild. “They are very endangered, but actually, with the proper enforcement and conservation plan in the wild – leave them alone, they can do really well.”

Atthapon said the zoo keeps Moo-Deng and other animals as close to nature as possible, and that zoos contribute to conservation work.

“I hope that the cuteness of Moo-Deng will raise awareness for people to come and learn about [the species],” Atthapon said.

Youtube video