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5 min read“We shouldn't see major devastating outbreaks of a disease that affect entire communities until the Neolithic, until we have this farming revolution. When people started living in closer quarters.” That long-held theory about the plague has just been overturned by a 5,500-year-old tooth found in southern Siberia. An international team of researchers was conducting a genetic analysis of ancient human teeth when they discovered DNA belonging to the bacteria that causes the plague. The lead author, Rory McLeod, an anthropologist at the University of Oxford, explained that this version of the bacteria is different from the one that caused the Black Death in Europe millennia later. The finding matters because it shows that dangerous pathogens can affect people in all social structures, not just in dense farming communities. This changes the scientific understanding of how devastating outbreaks spread through human history.
Israel and Hezbollah Agree to Cease Heavy Fighting
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:17) **Israel and Hezbollah Agree to Ceasefire in Southern Lebanon** - A deal to stop heavy fighting is reached after a deadly exchange of fire kills 47 in Lebanon and four Israeli soldiers, threatening a tentative U.S.-Iran agreement.
- 2 (00:49) **Strait of Hormuz Reopens After U.S.-Iran Preliminary Agreement** - Commercial ships resume transit through the critical oil and gas conduit following a preliminary deal to end the war and reopen the strait.
- 3 (01:29) **New Air Force One Jet Arrives at Joint Base Andrews** - The luxury Boeing 747, a gift from the Qatari government to President Trump, arrives ahead of schedule.
- 4 (02:20) **Oldest Known Plague Traces Found in Prehistoric Teeth** - Scientists discover 5,500-year-old plague bacteria DNA in ancient human teeth from Siberia, challenging long-held theories about disease outbreaks.
- 5 (03:14) **Fatal Train Collision North of London** - At least one person is killed and others injured when two trains collide near Bedford, both traveling to London's St. Pancras Station.
- 6 (03:38) **Missing Baby Giraffes Found Safe After Over a Year** - Two newborn giraffes that vanished from a Virginia zoo in 2025 are found; the zoo's owners face animal cruelty charges.
- 7 (04:33) **Windham Clark Leads U.S. Golf Open After Two Days** - Clark holds the lowest 36-hole score ever at Shinnecock Hills, with Matt Fitzpatrick and Xander Schauffele tied for second, four strokes back.
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