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Tabanus eggeri, a species of horse-fly

Horse-flies are large flies of the family Tabanidae that feed mainly on nectar. The males have weak mouthparts; only the females bite animals, including humans, to obtain enough protein from the blood to produce eggs. For this they use a stout stabbing organ and two pairs of sharp cutting blades to bite, and a spongelike part to lap up the blood that flows from the wound. They can transfer blood-borne diseases from one animal to another. They can also reduce growth rates in cattle and lower the milk output of cows if suitable shelters are not provided. Horseflies prefer to fly in sunlight, avoiding dark and shady areas, and are inactive at night. They are found all over the world except for some islands and the polar regions. The larvae are predaceous and grow in semiaquatic habitats. Horse-flies have appeared in literature since Aeschylus in Ancient Greece wrote about them driving people to madness. Gadflies (horse-flies and botflies) are mentioned in Shakespeare's plays King Lear and Antony and Cleopatra. (Full article...)

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British Prime Minister David Cameron
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June 24: Nativity of St John the Baptist (Christianity); Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day in Quebec, Canada

Manila Cathedral
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Jorge Drexler
Jorge Drexler

Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler has received awards and nominations for his contributions to the music industry. Drexler released his first album in 1992, La Luz Que Sabe Robar, and following an invitation from Spanish singer-songwriter Joaquín Sabina, he relocated to Spain, where he signed an international recording contract. In 2005, he received Uruguay's first Academy Award, taking Best Original Song for "Al Otro Lado del Río", written for the film The Motorcycle Diaries; the track also received Latin Grammy and World Soundtrack Awards nominations. Drexler has been nominated four times at the Grammy Awards, for the albums Eco (2004), 12 Segundos de Oscuridad (2006), Cara B (2008), and Bailar en la Cueva (2014); for the latter album, he won the award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album at the 15th Latin Grammy Awards. At the same ceremony, the singer earned a Latin Grammy for Record of the Year for his song "Universos Paralelos", performed with Chilean artist Ana Tijoux. Overall, Drexler has received 13 awards from 46 nominations. (Full list...)

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Blenduk Church

Blenduk Church, formally the Immanuel Protestant Church of Western Indonesia, is a Protestant church in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia. Established in 1753, it is the oldest church in the province. The current building dates back to 1787; the towers and dome were added in 1894.

Photograph: Chris Woodrich

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