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Illustration of the first wing-bone
Illustration of the first wing-bone

The Mauritius sheldgoose (Alopochen mauritiana) is an extinct sheldgoose that was endemic to Mauritius. Accounts by visitors in the 17th century mentioned geese, with few details. In 1893, a wing-bone (depicted) and pelvis were attributed to a new species of comb duck, but later determined to belong to a relative of the Egyptian goose in Alopochen, a genus of sheldgeese. The bird may have descended from Egyptian geese that colonised the Mascarene Islands. This small sheldgoose had wings that were half black and half white. Although smaller than the Egyptian goose, it had more robust legs. Accounts indicate they were very tame, were grazers, lived in groups, and were usually found on the north side of the island except when seeking water to drink in the dry season. They were terrestrial, and avoided water. The species was eaten by travellers, and while abundant in 1681, it was declared extinct in 1698, probably due to overhunting and predation by introduced animals, particularly cats. (Full article...)

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Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Williams

The 2013 American computer-animated comedy film Despicable Me 2 won eight awards from fifty-three nominations. It was directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin, and stars the voices of Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, and Ken Jeong. The film follows Gru (Carell) as he is recruited by agent Lucy Wilde (Wiig), who is investigating a theft of the mutagen called PX-41, stolen from the Arctic Circle. During their investigations, they extract Eduardo Pérez / El Macho (Bratt), a supervillain with the goal of causing world domination after faking his death. The film garnered a Golden Globe nomination at the 71st ceremony. Despicable Me 2 won one of ten nominations at the 41st Annie Awards. At the 86th Academy Awards, the film received two Oscar nominations, including Best Animated Feature, and Best Original Song for "Happy", composed by Pharrell Williams (pictured). (Full list...)

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K. K. Usha

K. K. Usha (3 July 1939 – 5 October 2020) was an Indian judge who served as the chief justice of the Kerala High Court between 2000 and 2001. The first female judge on the court, she advocated for women's rights and for the elimination of all forms of discrimination. After retiring from the court, she served as the president of the Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal and then headed an Indian People's Tribunal enquiry in 2005 and 2006 into communal violence in Orissa. The enquiry was disrupted by activists from the Sangh Parivar. In 2011, she served as a member of an IPT panel on human rights issues in Manipur. This portrait photograph of Usha in court dress was taken in May 2020.

Photograph credit: Augustus Binu

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