Argentina’s prez bans gender change for minors
Buenos Aires, Feb 6: Argentina’s president has signed a decree banning gender-affirming care for people under age 18, a presidential spokesperson said Wednesday.
The announcement comes days after a massive mobilization of the LGBTQ+ collective in repudiation of President Javier Milei’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, during which he slammed “wokeism,” feminism and referred to homosexuals as “pedophiles.” Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni in a statement to the press announced the repeal of a 2012 gender identity law provision allowing such practices with parental or guardian consent.
“Gender ideology taken to the extreme and applied to children by force or psychological coercion simply constitutes child abuse,” the government of the far-right president said in a subsequent statement. “Children do not have the cognitive maturity to make decisions about irreversible processes.” (AP)
Trump to participate in decades-long tradition
Washington, Feb 6: President Donald Trump will participate in the National Prayer Breakfast at the Capitol on Thursday, joining a more than 70-year-old Washington tradition that brings together a bipartisan group of lawmakers for fellowship.
Trump will also speak at a separate prayer breakfast at a Washington hotel sponsored by a private group.
The Republican president made waves at the final prayer breakfast during his first term. That year the gathering came the day after the Senate acquitted him in his first impeachment trial.
Trump in his remarks threw not-so-subtle barbs at Democratic then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who publicly said she prayed for Trump, and Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, who had cited his faith in his decision to vote to convict Trump.
“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,” Trump said in his winding speech, in which he also held up two newspapers with banner headlines about his acquittal. “Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you,’ when they know that that’s not so.” (AP)
Researchers produce first kangaroo embryos through IVF
Sydney, Feb 6: Australian scientists have successfully produced the first kangaroo embryos through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in a major breakthrough for conservation efforts.
In a study published on Thursday, the team led by researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) detailed how they produced the eastern gray kangaroo embryos by injecting sperm into a mature egg, a process commonly used in human IVF called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Lead researcher Andres Gambini said that the groundbreaking achievement could support the conservation of Australia’s endangered iconic marsupials, including koalas, wombats, possums and Tasmanian devils.
“We aim to safeguard the genetic material of these unique and precious animals for future use to ensure their conservation,” he said in a media release.
“While it’s difficult to provide an exact timeline, with sustained collaboration, funding and continued technical advancements, we are hopeful the birth of a marsupial through IVF could become a reality within a decade.” (IANS)
Cops yet to crack 100,000 eggs heist in Pennsylvania
Antrim Township, Feb 6: The heist of 100,000 eggs from the back of a trailer in Pennsylvania has become a whodunit that police have yet to crack.
Four days after the theft that law enforcement say could be tied to the sky-high cost of eggs, no leads have come in, Trooper First Class Megan Frazer, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Police, said Wednesday.
“We’re relying on leads from people from the community. So we’re hoping that somebody knows something, and they’ll call us and give us some tips,” she said.
Police are also following up with any possible witnesses and looking into surveillance footage that could help them identify the perpetrator as they race to solve the mystery.
“In my career, I’ve never heard of a hundred thousand eggs being stolen. This is definitely unique,” said Frazer, who has a dozen years on the job.
Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. And it appears there may be no relief in sight with Easter approaching. The average price per dozen eggs nationwide hit USD 4.15 in December. That is not quite as high as the USD 4.82 record set two years ago, but the Agriculture Department predicts egg prices are going to soar another 20 per cent this year. (AP)