No Day After

This is The World Today [View in browser](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvZjRkdW1ncTJqMy8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) No Day After [Formerly DailyChatter - Why are we changing our name?](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvYnpkMG5uOTIyNi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) [Share Today's Edition](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvMGcyY2ZpZXZmcC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) [GlobalPost] [Listen to Today's Edition](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvb29rOW55OHR4eC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) [GlobalPost] [Share Today's Edition](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvZmdpNXVjM2RkMy8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) [Listen to Today's Edition](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvaWplNnNmaTB3bS8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) GlobalPost is an exclusive benefit for subscribers of The Charlotte Observer The Largest Daily Newsletter Devoted to World News No Day After THE WORLD TODAY — Monday, September 16, 2024 No Day After No Day After Need to Know No Day After [Cameroon](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvb2VyNWJnaWJyMi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) Cameroonian President Paul Biya is 92 and has ruled his Central African country for 42 years. Despite his age and length of time in office, however, he appears to have made no succession plans. Instead, he’s expected to run again for president in the Oct. 25 general election. His allies in parliament in the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement political party recently extended their terms and postponed their elections by a year to 2026, too. Meanwhile, Biya has banned opposition groups that might pose a threat to his rule, Human Rights Watch [noted](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvYnB4MzZ1Z2F6ZS8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). Even so, Cameroonians are thinking about “life after Biya,” [wrote](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvbXFuOXFkOG9lZC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) World Politics Review. Many hope the corruption, electoral fraud, the suppression of dissent, the press, free speech, and civil society – authorities recently threw a [rapper](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvOWpqcDJoYnFnci8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) in jail for insulting a local official – might change when their president leaves office. Those Cameroonians also hope the economic stagnation that has gripped the country for years will be reversed. Economic growth in Cameroon has lingered at around 3 percent for 30 years – not an impressive rate for a developing country – due to bad governance and a lack of public and private investment, the World Bank [noted](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvZ3hwZzJlM2l4ci8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). Foremost among the causes for this anemic growth is corruption in the country’s vital oil industry, where revenues have been flagging. Swiss commodity trading and mining company Glencore, for example, now stands accused of bribing Cameroonian officials for oil contracts, [according](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvNmh6OWFyNmUwbi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) to the Africa Report. Glencore pled guilty to similar charges in 2022. Separatists in the English-speaking western region of the county, who want to break away from the French-speaking areas, have also hampered growth in six out of 10 of Cameroon’s provinces. As Reuters [explained](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvZGhkMzQ1NHN4OC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~), this conflict dates back to 1960 when French and British colonies were merged to become one country. Conflicts between Nigerian forces and Islamist militants such as Boko Haram have also spilled over the border in Cameroon’s north, further destabilizing the country and triggering refugee crises as people flee violence, [added](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvc2JuOWg5N2JsYy8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) the Norwegian Refugee Council. These large-scale challenges result in problems that affect the services that people really need. A third of the doctors who graduate from medical schools in Cameroon, for example, have left the country in search of work elsewhere, [reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvbWtuNmpqbWc1aC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) the Associated Press. That’s especially true for nurses, who emigrate around the world to fill staff shortages. Earlier this year, Biya, noting the rising brain-drain, appealed to young Cameroonians’ sense of patriotism and duty to remain in Cameroon, saying leaving was “not the solution” to Cameroon’s problems, Deutsche Welle [reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsveno3aXprOXBkay8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). Rather than solving the problems that lead young people to leave, Biya seems committed to ignoring them while focusing on retaining his control over his people, said leaders of the opposition party, the Social Democratic Front, in an [interview](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvNzh0emdic21udi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) with Voice of America. If reelected – as he surely will be – Biya will rule up to 2032. By then, he will be 98 years old, VOA noted. The issues that need to be addressed will linger for his successor to deal with. And the emigration will go on. “You can’t use moral appeal or patriotism to make people stay,” Tumenta F. Kennedy, a Cameroon-based international migration consultant, told DW. “Addressing the mass movement requires efforts on addressing the root causes of migration, such as political instability, economic hardship, lack of job opportunities and last but not the least, security concerns.” [Share this story](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvMjV1bHA1cDZxNy8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) No Day After ~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvNDZudWt2bjl2bC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~ The World Briefly Pulling the Strings Pulling the Strings [Poland](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvanRmM3h2bmhsNC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) Thousands of people protested in the Polish capital Warsaw over the weekend, as part of an anti-government rally organized by the conservative opposition to boost support for next year’s presidential election, the Associated Press [reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvODl1MXpjbGZ0Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). The opposition Law and Justice Party (PiS) and its supporters gathered in front of the Ministry of Justice to criticize the pro-European Union administration of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski accused Tusk of acting against Poland’s national interests and breaking laws. He cited the ongoing probes into mismanagement and corruption during the PiS administration between 2015 and 2023. However, Poland has charged more than 60 officials from the former PiS government with offenses related to misuse of funds, while more than 100 others are under investigation, Reuters [reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvamI1NWhlc2pubi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) earlier this month. Tusk said the government was conducting further investigations, with 200 tax inspectors investigating 90 units in 17 ministries, and that the scale of potential irregularities was estimated by the tax office to total as much as $25.23 billion. The PiS lost power to Tusk’s Civic Platform party in last year’s parliamentary elections. Still, the opposition wields influence through President Andrzej Duda, an ally of Kaczynski, who has been blocking government legislation. Duda’s second and final term ends in August 2025. [Share this story](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvZjczcjFtNmttbi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) The Thumb and the Scale The Thumb and the Scale [Tunisia](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvYXB2M250ZDc0Ny8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) Tunisia’s election campaign season kicked off Saturday, a day after mass protests erupted in the capital Tunis against President Kais Saied, who demonstrators say is trying to rig next month’s presidential vote, Reuters [reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvd2g1M2F0MHdrNC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). Friday’s demonstrations were among the largest in the three years since Saied dissolved parliament and began ruling by decree, a move opponents have described as a “constitutional coup.” Protesters accused the 66-year-old president of acting as a dictator and demanded the release of opposition politicians, journalists and activists detained for opposing Saied. The protests come weeks after the electoral commission – whose members were appointed by Saied – disqualified three major election candidates over alleged irregularities. Earlier this month, a court ordered the commission to reinstate the contenders, but the electoral body rejected the ruling. With the disqualifications, only three candidates remain in the Oct. 6 presidential election: Saied, Zouhair Maghzaoui, and Ayachi Zammel. However, Zammel was jailed last week over allegations of falsifying voter signatures, charges he said are politically motivated. Meanwhile, authorities have arrested more than 100 members of the main Islamist opposition party, Ennahda, ahead of the race, the Middle East Eye [reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvdjMxeDE2d2dyOS8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). First elected in 2019 on a campaign against corruption, Saied has come under fire for cracking down on the opposition and consolidating his own power, including rewriting Tunisia’s constitution to benefit himself, Africanews [added](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvOWlhbWM4OW81aC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). Despite his promise to set a new direction for the country, Tunisia’s unemployment rate has continued to rise, reaching 16 percent, one of the highest in the region, with young Tunisians bearing the brunt of the impact. Many of Saied’s opponents have accused him of undermining the democratic progress Tunisia made after the 2011 revolution. [Share this story](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvbHIxbGMxaThlai8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) No Day After Support Our Student Initiative ~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvMmhiN2p6bDlzcS8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~ GlobalPost provides free subscriptions to students and teachers around the world. Help us expand students’ global knowledge. [Donate now](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvNGxtaWVyMXFxai8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). Your contribution is fully tax deductible. No Day After ~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvb2syb2JuZjh5OC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~ Extra Shifts Extra Shifts [China](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvYTN2OTlsd212Yi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) China will raise the retirement age next year, a move aimed at addressing the demographic challenges in a country where the current age for workers to retire is one of the lowest in the world, the BBC [reported](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvMXNrdnY2dHdsay8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). Under current laws, Chinese men can retire at the age of 60, while women could stop working as early as 50. But the new regulations will raise the statutory retirement age to 63 for men and 55 for women in blue-collar jobs. The retirement age for women in white-collar jobs will increase from 55 to 58. Starting in January 2025, the changes will affect millions of workers, with the respective retirement ages raised every few months over the next 15 years. The plan will require younger generations to work even longer: By 2039, workers will need to contribute to the pension system for 20 years to be eligible for benefits, up from the current 15 years, [according](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvbnV6YzU0OWxxbi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) to the Wall Street Journal. The reform comes amid concerns regarding the sustainability of China’s pension system in the face of a rapidly aging population. China’s pension fund may run out of funds by 2035, according to a 2019 report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. At the same time, the country is grappling with a demographic decline as a result of low birth rates, an aging population and the effects of the decades-long one-child policy – the latter was scrapped in 2016. It has moved to promote marriage and children, recently tightening rules on abortion access and divorce. The upcoming changes sparked criticism from Chinese workers, both young and middle-aged. Some netizens also complained about older generations still occupying jobs, while many younger workers struggle to find employment. Youth unemployment reached more than 17 percent in July 2023. Even so, others viewed the changes as inevitable, noting higher retirement ages in other major economies, such as the United States and those in Western Europe, where male workers typically retire around the ages of 65 to 67. Analysts said the reform is necessary to maintain productivity because it would allow educated and skilled workers to continue contributing to the workforce. But others warned that the gradual approach to increasing the retirement age is too slow, postponing the political and economic burden on future generations. [Share this story](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvbDduMGt6NzNqai8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) Weekly Quiz ~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvM3FpdndsN3dseS8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~ Ancient Stones, Modern Ingenuity Discoveries Ancient Stones, Modern Ingenuity Archeologists and scientists recently conducted a geological and architectural analysis on the Dolmen of Menga, a megalithic monument in southern Spain that dates to between 3600 and 3800 BCE. The large stone chamber was made 1,000 years before the more famous Stonehenge in modern-day England, but required the same level of [technical ingenuity and know-how to build it](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvYzZhZWN0dDZkdS8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~), according to a [new study](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvbXYxcjc3MTFrcy8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~). “These people had no blueprints to work with, nor … any previous experience at building something like this,” co-author Leonardo García Sanjuán [told](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvYnRtOWJka3l6Zi8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) Nature News. “And yet, they understood how to fit together huge blocks of stone with a precision that would keep the monument intact for nearly 6,000 years.” García Sanjuán and his team explained that the prehistoric inhabitants used elaborate techniques to transport the large stones – some of which were larger than those used at Stonehenge – and join them. This involved tilting and locking the stones with millimeter-scale precision to ensure the monument’s stability for thousands of years – an impressive feat considering that it was built in an earthquake-prone area. The ancient builders used counterweights, ramps, and other methods to set the stones upright in deep sockets. One notable feature of the dolmen is the shaping of the largest horizontal stone: It curves upward in the center and slopes toward the edges, which helps distribute weight like an arch, making the structure stronger. The early engineers also protected the stones from water damage by covering them with layers of beaten clay, which shows their knowledge of materials and their properties. “What’s surprising about this is the level of sophistication,” Susan Greaney, a researcher at the United Kingdom’s University of Exeter who was not involved in the study, [told](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RCaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvd3Fyamt3M3lsOS8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) New Scientist. “The architectural understanding of how the weight distribution works, I’ve not seen that anywhere else before.” [Share this story](~/AASU4wA~/RgRoyoY-P0RmaHR0cHM6Ly9hLnBvc3QubGhkLmxpbmsvNXpjNWZnb2J2cC8_bGhfYWlkPTE4ODMzJmxoX2NpZD1zMGw1NWFkODhvJmxoX2VtPXRyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5JTQwZ21haWwuY29tVwNzcGNCCmbhPwHoZouOIG5SG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjg5QGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAWg~~) Thank you for reading or listening to GlobalPost. 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