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Ganges river dolphin

South Asian river dolphins are toothed whales in the genus Platanista. They inhabit fresh water habitats in the northern Indian subcontinent. They were historically considered to be one species, but the Ganges river dolphin (pictured) and the Indus river dolphin were described as separate species in 2021, having diverged around 550,000 years ago. South Asian river dolphins are small but stocky cetaceans with long snouts or rostra, broad flippers, and small dorsal fins. Living in murky river waters and relying on echolocation for navigation, they have tiny, lensless eyes. The skull has large crests over the melon, which help direct their echolocation signals as they prey, mainly on fish and shrimp. They are active throughout the day in small groups. Both species are listed as endangered mammals by the IUCN Red List. Major threats include dams, barrages, fishing nets, and both chemical and acoustic pollution. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Mary Jo Shelly

... that Mary Jo Shelly (pictured) used her background in modern dance and physical education to train women in the military during two wars?
... that Gavriil Popov's Fourth Symphony was not publicly performed until 2023, 74 years after it was composed?
... that German forester Carl A. Schenck founded the first forestry school in North America at George W. Vanderbilt's Biltmore Estate?
... that Russell Shorto's mobster grandfather was described by one reviewer as the "holy trinity of a reprobate—a drunk, a philanderer, and a cheat" in the 2021 family memoir Smalltime?
... that in one of NFL player Earl Witte's only games, he hit a player so hard that the player "stopped, curled up and dropped to the ground as if he had hit a stone wall"?
... that the Cure's Shows of a Lost World has grossed $37.5 million and become their highest-grossing tour to date, despite the band's refusal to use Ticketmaster's dynamic pricing?
... that Ganjar Pranowo's 2024 presidential campaign is headquartered in the same building that hosted the incumbent president's 2019 campaign?
... that a 15-year-old student was brought to court over throwing an egg during a vegetable fight?

In the news

Daniel Noboa

Daniel Noboa (pictured) is elected President of Ecuador.
Parties opposing the ruling United Right win a combined majority of seats in the Polish general election.
The National Party, led by Christopher Luxon, wins the most seats in the New Zealand general election.
Australian voters reject altering the Constitution to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

On this day

October 24

Bust of Qutuz

1260 – Qutuz (bust pictured), the sultan of Egypt, was assassinated and replaced by fellow Mamluk leader Baybars.
1796 – War of the First Coalition: The Battle of Schliengen was fought between the French and Austrian armies, who both claimed victory.
1945 – The Charter of the United Nations entered into force after being ratified by the five permanent members of the Security Council and a majority of the other signatories.
1975 – In protest against wage discrepancy and unfair employment practices, 90 percent of Iceland's female population went on strike for a day.
2003 – The inaugural Afro-Asian Games opened in Hyderabad, with 2,040 athletes from 96 nations competing.

Tycho Brahe (d. 1601)
Peng Dehuai (b. 1898)
Letitia Woods Brown (b. 1915)
Regina Purtell (d. 1950)

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Today's featured picture

Arothron stellatus, also known as the stellate pufferfish, starry puffer or starry toadfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Tetraodontidae, the puffer fishes. It is found in shallow water in the Indo-Pacific region. It is a large fish, growing up to 120 centimetres (47 in) in length. Its body is spherical and relatively elongated, with skin that is not covered with scales but is prickly. The fish has no pelvic fin and no lateral line. The dorsal fin and the anal fin are small, symmetric, and located at the rear end of the body. The head is large with a short snout that has two pairs of nostrils, and the mouth is terminal with four strong teeth. This A. stellatus individual was photographed in the Red Sea near Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Photograph credit: Diego Delso

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