• A murmuration of migrating starlings fly across the sky near the city of Beer Sheva, southern Israel, January 11, 2022. Picture taken with a drone on January 11, 2022. REUTERS / Amir Cohen
    A murmuration of migrating starlings fly across the sky near the city of Beer Sheva, southern Israel, January 11, 2022. Picture taken with a drone on January 11, 2022. REUTERS / Amir Cohen
  • Groups of birds twist, turn and swirl in the sky.
    Groups of birds twist, turn and swirl in the sky.
  • Starlings fly in groups for many reasons, one is to protect them from predators, such as peregrine falcons.
    Starlings fly in groups for many reasons, one is to protect them from predators, such as peregrine falcons.
  • They create beautiful cloud-like shapes as they fly.
    They create beautiful cloud-like shapes as they fly.
  • Starlings can be seen every winter in Israel as they arrive from Europe.
    Starlings can be seen every winter in Israel as they arrive from Europe.
  • A single flock, or murmuration, can contain more than a million individual starlings.
    A single flock, or murmuration, can contain more than a million individual starlings.
  • It is thought birds copy one another's aerobatic routines, allowing them to form impressive shapes in the sky.
    It is thought birds copy one another's aerobatic routines, allowing them to form impressive shapes in the sky.
  • The starlings will spend the winter in the Middle East before returning to Russia and eastern Europe in the spring.
    The starlings will spend the winter in the Middle East before returning to Russia and eastern Europe in the spring.

MENA

A murmuration of migrating starlings in Israel - in pictures

The formations are seen across the sky near the city of Beer Sheva in southern Israel

The National

January 14, 2022

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John Cena pinned Triple H in a singles match

Cedric Alexander retained the WWE Cruiserweight title against Kalisto

Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt win the Raw Tag Team titles against Cesaro and Sheamus

Jeff Hardy retained the United States title against Jinder Mahal

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Braun Strowman won the 50-man Royal Rumble by eliminating Big Cass last

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T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat

Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain

Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain

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Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final

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Gender equality in the workplace still 200 years away

It will take centuries to achieve gender parity in workplaces around the globe, according to a December report from the World Economic Forum.

The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.

But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.

At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.

The Geneva-based organisation's annual report tracked disparities between the sexes in 149 countries across four areas: education, health, economic opportunity and political empowerment.

After years of advances in education, health and political representation, women registered setbacks in all three areas this year, WEF said.

Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.

And the number of women in leadership roles has risen to 34 per cent globally, WEF said.

At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.

And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.

* Agence France Presse

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Updated: January 14, 2022, 8:28 AM
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