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Today's featured article

Metrosideros bartlettii, commonly known as Bartlett's rātā, is a rare species of tree in the family Myrtaceae. It is only found in three patches of dense forest remnants near Piwhane / Spirits Bay in New Zealand's North Island. It reaches a height of up to 30 metres (100 feet) with a trunk diameter of 1 to 1.5 metres (3.3 to 4.9 feet). The species is known for its distinct whitish, paper-like bark and small white flowers. Bartlett's rātā was accidentally discovered in 1975 by John Bartlett near Cape Reinga and first described by John Dawson in 1985. Bartlett's rātā typically begins life growing on another plant, inhabits lowland forests, and grows near wet areas. A 2018 article documented 13 adult trees in the wild, down from 31 in 2000. Its decline has been attributed to land use changes and the introduction of common brushtail possums. In 2013, it was listed as a critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List, with a decreasing population trend. (Full article...)

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In the News

Robert Francis Prevost

Robert Francis Prevost (pictured) is elected as Pope Leo XIV, becoming the first pope of the Catholic Church born in the United States.
Friedrich Merz is elected Chancellor of Germany and sworn in alongside his coalition government.
Zhao Xintong defeats Mark Williams to win the World Snooker Championship.
In the Singaporean general election, the People's Action Party retains a supermajority of seats.

Did you know?

Entrance to the Lavatory Madeleine

... that a public toilet in Paris (entrance pictured) is a French national heritage site?
... that a Wisconsin TV station claimed to have the only revolving stage in a TV studio east of California when it went on the air in 1953?
... that Jatin Chakraborty was sued by pop singer Usha Uthup after Chakraborty labelled her shows as "decadent"?
... that a special election in February 1963 put the first Republican in four decades into the Mississippi Legislature?
... that a Choquei Instagram post claiming that Lula had won the 2022 Brazilian election received more than 1.3 million likes before the official result was announced?
... that Gannon University's original American football program lasted only two years due to fan "apathy", despite going undefeated and holding scoreless six of eight opponents in its first year?
... that the hedonistic pursuit of pleasure may itself prevent pleasure?
... that the arsonist who burned down a golden Buddhist temple secretly removed one nail, then reinserted it, then removed it again?
... that carrot recorders, butternut squash trombones, and aubergine castanets are all instruments in the London Vegetable Orchestra?

On this day...

May 9: Europe Day in the European Union; Liberation Day in the Channel Islands (1945)

Hotel Polen fire

1877 – An earthquake struck northern Chile, leading to the deaths of 2,385 people, mostly victims of the ensuing tsunami, as far away as Hawaii and Fiji.
1944 – World War II: The Japanese Take Ichi convoy arrived at Halmahera in the Dutch East Indies after losing many ships and thousands of troops to Allied attacks while attempting to carry two divisions of troops from China to New Guinea.
1977 – The Hotel Polen in Amsterdam was destroyed by fire (pictured), leaving 33 people dead.
1980 – Part of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Florida collapsed after a pier was struck by the MV Summit Venture, killing 35 people.
2001 – Police at the Ohene Djan Stadium in Accra, Ghana, fired tear gas to quell unrest at a football match, leading to a stampede that killed 126 people.

Al-Adid (b. 1151)
John Dalrymple, 2nd Earl of Stair (d. 1747)
Yukiya Amano (b. 1947)

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