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This specific year was marked by every human nightmare you might dread freezing temperatures, famine, drought and plagues upon plague

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In 1347 CE, the Black Death had settled upon Afro-Eurasia and went on to kill as many as 200 million people around the world.

The Spanish Flu of 1918 wrecked the lives of 500 million people in a world still recovering from the devastation of the First World War.

The years of the Holocaust have been deemed by many to be one of the darkest periods in human history.

Some may even say 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic began, should join the ranks of the worst years in human history. The pandemic has since killed over three million people worldwide.

However researchers say human civilization went through a year much worse than any of these events, a year they say was the worst-ever to be alive 536 CE.

To most people, its a relatively obscure year. It marked the 10th year of Byzantine rule, under the emperor Justinian The Great, and apart from the constant struggles for more power among the world rulers at the time, there wasnt much going on that that would be politically interesting.

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Meteorological experts, however, would beg to differ.

At the time, a mysterious fog began to cloud the skies of Europe, the Middle East and parts of Asia, a fog so dense and dark that it blocked sunlight for a year-and-a-half.

And it came about during this year that a most dread portent took place, wrote Byzantine historian Procopius, For the sun gave forth its light without brightness, likethe moon, during this whole year, and it seemed exceedingly like the sun in eclipse, for the beams it shed were not clear nor such as it is accustomed to shed.

In turn, the diminished sunlight set off a series of cataclysmic events that took human civilization at least 100 years to recover from, until 640 CE, researchers found in a study published in 2018.

Temperatures drastically fell, beginning one of the coldest decades in the past 2,300 years, medieval historian Michael McCormick told Science Magazine.

Chinas summer was marked by snow and crop failure. The Irish could not grow wheat for bread for the next three years.

Drought and famine spread everywhere. And then in 541, the first plague pandemic struck Pelusium, a Roman port in Egypt. Named the Plague of Justinian, it would continue until 750 or 767 and be followed by another 15 or 18 major waves of plague.

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It was the beginning of one of the worst periods to be alive, if not the worst year, Michael McCormick, a Harvard University archaeologist told Science Magazine.

Historians long knew about this period in the sixth century, since called the Dark Ages, but not until 2018 were they able to figure out what caused it to happen.

According to McCormick, it was a catastrophic volcanic eruption in Iceland that spewed ash across the Northern Hemisphere in 536 CE. Two more massive eruptions would follow in 540 and 547 CE.

Scientists stumbled upon the answer by analyzing ice cores in Colle Gnifetti glacier on the border between Switzerland and Italy. The layers of ice deposits in the core are a valuable resource to archaeologists because each layer can provide information about what was happening in the atmosphere at the time.

Researchers found that around the years of 536 and 540 CE, quantities of ash and debris had been deposited into the ice, signalling large volcanic events during the time.

But by 640 CE, they noticed a encouraging sign in the ice lead, indicating that humans had begun to mine and smelt silver from lead ore.

This unambiguously shows that, alongside any residual pool of Roman bullion and imported metal, new mining facilitated the production of the last post-Roman gold coins debased with increasing amounts of silver and the new silver coinages that replaced them,the researchers wrote in their study.

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The worst year to be alive in human history? It's not what you think - National Post

Human remains were found in the stomachs of two black bears suspected of killing a woman in southwestern Colorado, state wildlife officials said.

The 39-year-old woman was found dead on Friday in Durango, and bear scat and hair was found at the scene. Officials later found three bears -- a mother and her two yearling bears -- near the woman's mauled body and euthanized them to keep them from attacking humans again, said Cory Chick, Colorado Parks and Wildlife Southwest Region manager.

A Colorado Parks and Wildlife pathologist who performed necropsies on the three bears said nothing looked abnormal -- all three bears were healthy, with adequate fat stores and no signs of disease, according to a news release from the agency.

But two of the bears -- the mother and one of the yearlings -- had human remains in their stomachs, the wildlife agency said.

It's not clear yet why the bears consumed human remains, but bears can grow aggressive if humans are "in the way" of their food sources, Chick said.

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"Bears will return to a food source over and over," Chick said in the release. "A bear that loses its fear of humans is a dangerous animal. And this sow was teaching its yearlings that humans were a source of food, not something to fear and avoid."

The La Plata County coroner's office will identify the remains found in the bears and conduct an autopsy on the woman found last week. CNN has reached out to the coroner's office for more information and is waiting to hear back.

Bear attacks on humans are extremely rare in Colorado -- the only recorded fatal attacks happened in 1971, 1993 and 2009, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

CNN's Melissa Alonso, Leslie Perrot and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report.

Duluth celebrated Derby Day this past Saturday, hosting a viewing party for the Kentucky Derby on the Town Green that included a best-dressed competition. Click for more.

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Wildlife officials find human remains in bears suspected of killing a woman in Colorado - Gwinnettdailypost.com

Officials said four people were killed in alleged clashes between Trinamool and BJP supporters.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) ordered a spot inquiry following reports of post-poll violence from several districts in West Bengal.

The state was in the throes of widespread violence on Monday that allegedly left several BJP workers dead and injured in clashes, and shops being looted, prompting the centre to seek a factual report from the government on incidents of attack on opposition workers.

Officials said four people were also killed in alleged clashes between Trinamool and BJP supporters in Burdwan district on Sunday and Monday.

The Trinamool claimed three of them were its supporters.

The NHRC said it has come across several media reports published in newspapers on Tuesday regarding the death of some people in the alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal on Monday.

Political workers allegedly clashed with each other, party offices were torched down and some homes were ransacked and valuables also looted, the body said.

District administration and local law and order enforcement agencies appear not to have acted to stop such violation of human rights of the affected persons, it noted.

"Considering as a fit case of alleged violation of Right to Life of the innocent citizens, the commission has today taken suo-motu cognizance of the matter and has requested its DIG (Investigation) to constitute a team of officers of the Investigation Division of the commission to conduct an on-the-spot fact-finding investigation and to submit a report at the earliest, preferably within two weeks," it said in a statement.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rights Body Orders Inquiry After Reports Of Post-Poll Violence In Bengal - NDTV

One of Scotlands leading campaigners against human trafficking has described the hundreds of women helped by her organisation in the past three years as the tip of the iceberg.

Bronagh Andrew, operations manager for Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance (TARA), is calling for the criminalisation of paying for sex in off-street venues, which is not currently illegal in Scotland. She said her group has assisted many women coerced into sexual exploitation in places such as Inverness, and rural Caithness as well as our major cities.

Glasgow-based TARA, which supports victims trafficked for sexual exploitation, has helped 293 women in the past three years alone.

Andrew said: I have been involved in supporting trafficked women since 2004 and theres been an increase more or less year-on-year.

A lot of people think it only happens abroad or in big cities, but there have been victims identified in every one of Scotlands local authorities. Its an issue in our towns and cities, and our rural communities.

Trafficking victims sold into slavery have been identified across Scotland. Three men and a woman, thought to be Romanian, were held after police raids in Blairgowrie, Perthshire, last week in a trafficking probe allegedly linked to fruit-pickers.

Support organisations say women are duped into travelling to Scotland with promises of a better life before being sold into prostitution.

However, Andrew said: Its about Scottish and UK nationals being trafficked and exploited here, as well as people from abroad being brought to the UK.

Where there is an off-street sex industry, there will be women trafficked and hidden in plain sight. We told last month that official UK figures showed there were 387 people feared trafficked here last year alone, a four-fold increase in under a decade.

Andrew said: The official statistics are the tip of the iceberg. They dont reflect the people who are in situations of exploitation in Scotland right now and have not been able to seek help.

If you are in a situation of exploitation, help is available 24/7 from organisations like ourselves, Migrant Help and the police.

The women we support are often survivors of childhood abuse and child trafficking. They are then subjected to abuse at the hands of Scottish men willing to pay for sex. They suffer trauma after being abused on a daily basis.

We have supported women from teenage years to their 60s. Men who pay for sex are responsible for creating this market. We support the criminalisation of paying for sex, but think this can only happen when theres action to prevent exploitation, and services to help get the women involved out of prostitution.

Kirsty Thomson, of human rights lawyers JustRight Scotland, which operates a dedicated anti-trafficking unit, said: The reality is that human trafficking is happening throughout Scotland and survivors tell me it is happening in plain sight.

We need increased awareness so that people can see when human trafficking is happening in order that more people can be protected.

The Scottish Government said trafficking human beings was an appalling abuse of human rights and added work had begun to ensure it was recognised, recorded and punished and that victims get the help they need.

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Human trafficking warning: It's happening today, right now, in every city and every town - The Sunday Post

Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife, First Lady Marty Kemp, traveled to Buford Tuesday morning to send a message that Georgia will take a stand against human trafficking.

The governor signed three anti-human trafficking bills Senate Bills 33 and 34 and House Bill 287 into law during a ceremony at Home of Hope at Gwinnett Childrens Shelter. The star of the show, however, may have been the first lady, whose anti-trafficking GRACE Commissions work led to some of the changes included in the bills.

Today, as Brian signs SB 33, SB 34 and HB 287, we continue to send that message that there is no place for human trafficking in this great state of Georgia, Marty Kemp said.

Combating human trafficking has been a major focus of the first lady and her GRACE Commission, which stands for Georgians for Refuge, Action, Compassion and Education Commission. She said it first came to her attention earlier on in her husbands tenure as governor, when they attended a press conference where 72 school buses were lined up to represent 3,600 kids who are taken into human trafficking each year in Georgia.

The average age of a victim is 12 to 14, she said.

The governor said human trafficking represents a theft of innocence and opportunity, which requires decisive action from the state. Addressing the support side for victims is a needed part of that fight, he said.

A lot of people forget the fact that, in the fight against human trafficking and putting an end to it is the support for victims part of it, so this was another effort to not only go after perpetrators also to support the victims, the governor said.

He also said trafficking is happening in a wide range of places in Georgia, from metro Atlanta counties such as Gwinnett and Clayton counties, to rural Georgia counties such as Clay County.

There is no prejudice when it comes to human trafficking, Kemp said.

He praised Home of Hope officials for their part in helping children who have been the victims of human trafficking.

As we stand before you today, we know that Gwinnett County is one of the main hubs for human trafficking in our state and the folks here at (Home) of Hope are on the front lines of this fight every single day, and were just incredibly grateful for all of your efforts, the governor said.

But, this problem is not just singular to the metro Atlanta region. In fact, we know its happening in communities in every corner of our state, so we cannot waste time, we cannot ignore what we know is happening all around us and we must take action.

Home of Hope Executive Director Maureen Kornowa said the shelter was pleased to take part in the bill signing event, adding that all aspects of Georgias communities must be involved in the fight against human trafficking.

It is important that we all come together in collaboration to take care of our most vulnerable population, and so were honored to host this very important signing ceremony today to further impact the future success of victims of trafficking, Kornowa said.

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State Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Buford, filed both Senate bills. He said Senate Bill 33 allows victims of human trafficking to file a civil suit against their perpetrator, or anyone else who benefited financially from them being trafficked.

Victims of human trafficking have 10 years after they gain their freedom or 10 years after they turn 18 if they were a minor when they were a human trafficking victim to file the lawsuit.

Dixon also said Senate Bill 34 allows a person who has been the victim of human trafficking who have escaped to have the records of a name change, if they chose to change it, sealed by the courts to prevent their perpetrators from finding them.

And, House Bill 287 deals with awareness programs that schools must teach to students. Although it primarily deals with adding tobacco and vapor products to the list of mandate alcohol and drug awareness education programs, it also mandates schools must teach human trafficking awareness to middle and high school students.

State Rep. Bonnie Rich, R-Suwanee, authored that bill and State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R-Marietta, worked on the anti-human trafficking piece in it after meeting with members of a Girl Scout troop who wanted to raise awareness of the issue.

One thing people dont realize is how big these rings are, Dixon said. They think its an individual or a small group, but its actually a larger group that would, in many cases, encompass a hotel or a motel thats involved either directly or indirectly. Sometimes, (it involves) a trucking or some type of transportation group that theyll have in the ring and then the ring is actually operating in the community, out recruiting people in or whatnot.

Over 50% of people that are trafficked, they know their perpetrator. Either its a relative, friend, boyfriend (or) girlfriend.

Dixon said he was pleased to see the governor sign the bills into law.

We got a lot of bipartisan support with it, he said. Of course there were some folks in certain industries that pushed back a little bit because they felt like most of the folks in their industry, which is true, were upright business folks (and) there were just a few bad actors and they were concerned repercussions.

But the way (Senate Bill 33 is) written, most of it mirrors a federal statute.

Georgias first lady said the bill signing Tuesday was not the end of the effort against human trafficking. There will be a continued effort to combat trafficking through legislation in upcoming legislative sessions.

With these important initiatives, we can continue taking important steps to end modern day slavery and ensure that our state is a safe haven for those who have been victimized, Marty Kemp said. I want every every Georgian, and the perpetrators of this evil industry to hear me loud and clear: These are only the most recent steps in the ongoing fight to end human trafficking, and certainly not our last.

As more and more Georgians join us in this important mission, we will continue to make lasting change in our state, by giving a voice to the voiceless, supporting victims and bringing justice to the criminals who support this sinister enterprise. We will continue to shine a bright light on a dark place and change lives for the better.

Duluth celebrated Derby Day this past Saturday, hosting a viewing party for the Kentucky Derby on the Town Green that included a best-dressed competition. Click for more.

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Gov. Brian Kemp signs anti-human trafficking bills into law during visit to Home of Hope in Buford - Gwinnettdailypost.com

Last year, the V.A. started a new social prescription program, called Compassionate Contact Corps. Originally a home visitation program, it was restarted as a teleservice for veterans experiencing loneliness and social isolation when the pandemic hit. About 1,000 veterans are participating in the program, which involves phone or video calls with trained volunteers and requires a referral from the veterans medical care team.

Veterans we werent able to reach with the in-home program, we are able to reach with the phone buddy program, said Prince Taylor, deputy director for the V.A.s Center for Development and Civic Engagement. Overwhelmingly, the veterans who have participated in this program tell us it is helping them.

But how, exactly? And can the outcomes of social prescribing be accurately measured? I would not have any hesitation saying that socialization is an important aspect of health, said the Cleveland Clinic neurologist Marwan Sabbagh, director of translational research at the clinics Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. But the quantification is something that needs to be done in a way that would be universally accepted. We can measure things like memory and cognition, but Im not familiar with ways we can clinically capture or quantify social isolation.

He added that researchers in other disciplines the social sciences, for example might have tools to help with this and could play a role in the future of developing social prescription protocols in the United States.

The authors of a recent New England Journal of Medicine article on the British social prescription model agree that better assessment methods are needed. While calling the implications of social prescribing profound, they noted that physicians need reliable information on what interventions work best and for whom and how social prescription can best be integrated into conventional medical practice.

Some see this as linked to a larger shift in medicine toward a more holistic approach. We have to remember, said Dr. Kasaraneni, people dont come to us with a list of medical problems; they come with a life, and a life that may have medical issues but also social and emotional issues.

Other doctors say that social prescribing may become the norm in the United States sooner than later. I think the pandemic has really opened up the door for this kind of thing, said Dr. Malissa J. Wood, co-director of the Corrigan Womens Heart Health Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital Heart Center. Dr. Wood has used structured support groups as part of community programs she designed to improve the cardiovascular health of low-income, high-risk women.

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Doctors Harness the Power of Human Connections - The New York Times

Credit: Courtesy of Thomas Courtney

If you asked me two years ago which student owned a guinea pig named Max or eight dogs, I am certain I could not have told you. But now I can. Its strange to be in a position where we see so much of our students lives through a computer screen, and yet also feel so disconnected from the students and the families we serve. Now, as schools and their communities seek to re-establish these relationships, state and district leaders are considering how to spend tax dollars for this very purpose. How can we best do it?

Years ago, I was a part of a faculty that needed to re-establish ties with our community. Here at Chollas-Mead Elementary, a Title 1 school where 93% of our students are considered economically disadvantaged, we decided to create ties that were in a word fun. In doing so, Chollas-Mead went from empty open houses to packed celebrations of all kinds, and many of our teachers have become both teacher and school parent, me included. The lessons we learned then can help any school in California now figure out how to spend money in ways that work to reconnect schools with their communities.

How did we connect? For me, it started with a plate of potato salad the summer my own child was about to begin kindergarten.

That July, my wife and I received an email from our sons soon-to-be kindergarten teacher at a local charter school. Was there a problem?

Just the opposite. The email announced a pre-kindergarten play date at the park. Families were invited to come, meet one another and have a potluck. Never having heard about such a thing at the school where I taught, I stood agape while parents around me socialized, my son and his new soon-to-be classmates laughing all around us.

What I saw that afternoon fundamentally changed my teaching.

Holding my plate of potato salad, I stared as parents scheduled new play dates with one another. They discussed school programs and figured out carpools.

Classmates began their school careers as friends. Back-to-School Night featured more good-to-see-yous than nice-to-meet-yous. Parents knew the names of children, and children knew the names of parents, many of whom would serve as classroom volunteers because they felt welcome.

Returning to my own classroom that year, I picked up my roster from the office and studied my students names. Their ID numbers. Their genders. Their first and last names. A mark that designated if they had asthma. I knew then that things were going to change, but I had no idea how I would change, too.

The following year, at my first ever Ice Cream and Library Night event, the students selected Epic Bulldogs as a class name, met tutors, and their families laughed together at the neighborhoods favorite heladera. I stood this time holding a pistachio paleta, watching as the magic unfolded around me.

That year, I had perfect parental attendance at Back-to-School Night, where we played Ice Breaker Bingo. The same thing happened at parent-teacher conferences.

Courtesy: Thomas Courtney

A proud parent takes photos during a student assembly at Chollas-Mead Elementary School near San Diego.

Each month, I created an optional classroom event, making sure it was fun enough that my own children would want to attend. I figured if theyd go, so would my families. I was right.

Courtesy: Thomas Courtney

A student embraces Mr. Jeff Smith, a volunteer karate instructor with the Dolphin Defender program at Chollas-Mead.

Twelve years later, Mr. Courtneys Star Night is a tradition. So is Ice Skating Night, Opera Night, Gardening Sunday at the EarthLab and the End of Year Fishing and Barbecue at Chollas Lake. Then came the Dolphin Defenders Karate Program and the Dolphin Splash newspaper.

I had transformed my teaching and my class. Meanwhile, our incredible principal transformed our school. Under her leadership, Chollas-Mead Elementary began to host packed talent shows, winter celebrations, cocoa with Santa, daughter or son dances, movie nights, sports events at recess with cheering parents, and family Fridays. Our principal, listening to her community while her husband grilled hot dogs, brought back assemblies, art, theater and music programs. On Power Tuesdays, second and third graders even learned how to walk the tightrope with the Fern Street Circus.

Welcome side effects emerged among the students schoolwide, just as I had seen in my classroom: They worked together and stayed on task; more completed their in-class assignments and homework; they were engaged in school, and their parents participated in their childrens education. Student academic achievement test scores in both math and reading rose.

The elements that make a successful classroom and a strong community were there all along; we just hadnt been listening to the experts our families.

What builds bridges with parents.

What creates barriers to parental participation.

As this pandemic recedes, we certainly will need to allocate money to reinvigorate, revitalize and reconnect our school communities. But we also needto create authentic opportunities for our families and teachers to reacquaint themselves. These moments shouldnt be done in a transactional space that forgets we are all human. This is a fundamental truth at Chollas-Mead Elementary. At our school, involving our parents with their childs education starts with the word fun.

Thomas Courtney isthe San Diego Unified School District Teacher of the Year, a Teach Plus, California, Senior Policy Fellow, and a fifth grade teacher at Chollas-Mead Elementary school. Both his son and daughter have attended Chollas-Mead due in part to the positive climate staff have created there.

The opinions in this commentary are those of the author. If you would like to submit a commentary, please review ourguidelinesandcontact us.

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COMMENTARY: What to remember as we reconnect post-pandemic with student families - EdSource

PORT MOODY, B.C. Police say a search for a missing person has turned into a homicide investigation after human remains found in Hope, B.C., were identified.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says in a statement that human remains found March 29 are those of Trina Hunt.

The Port Moody woman, 48, had been missing since Jan. 18.

Police say foul play is suspected.

The remains were found in the area south of Silver Creek in Hope and the circumstances were deemed suspicious.

Homicide investigators say theyre working with officers at the Port Moody Police Department to further the investigation.

The missing person investigation of Trina Hunt has now transitioned into a case of homicide, Sgt. Frank Jang says in the statement.

As this is an active and ongoing investigation, there will be no further details provided at this time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2021.

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Foul play suspected after human remains identified as missing B.C. woman - National Post

Mountain rescuers in Snowdonia saw the funny side of an emergency call-out instigated by a gaggle of goggle-eyed goats.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation (MRO) quipped the areas wild goats were now using human decoys and baiting the team with human-sounding voices.

This now proves the goats are on to us, sighed the team after it was dispatched to what turned out to be a false alarm.

Earlier the team had received reports from a climber on Idwal Slabs who had heard repeated shouts for help.

He could see a group of walkers standing together on broken ground on what he thought was the flank of Y Garn.

It later transpired he had been looking at Twll Du, the Devils Kitchen.

Fearing the worst, he alerted Ogwen Valley MRO, which decided to send out a small team to investigate even though no 999 calls had been made.

When team members met the climber, he told them the group was now moving slowly down the mountain.

After catching up with the group, they were met with blank looks.

They reported that they had heard goats bleating behind them all through their descent! said Ogwen Valley MRO on Facebook.

This now proves the goats have evolved their tactics to include human decoys to improve their chances of deploying the team on false alaaaarms.

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Some goats have an uncanny ability to mimic human sounds as their bleats have a similar pitch and timbre.

A few appear to yell like people, especially when disgruntled or hungry.

However they all have different bleats and YouTube videos abound with examples, from high-pitched screams to husky-voiced barks.

Ogwen Valley MRO took its goat encounter in good humour.

All joking aside, it was a false alarm with good intent, it wrote.

The team will always respond to peoples concerns for their fellow mountaineers.... and goats.

Know of other animals with human-like abilities? Share your stories in the comments section below.

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Wily goats fool Snowdonia climbers and bait rescuers with 'human' cries for help - North Wales Live