Moroccan Opposition Party Calls for Resumption of Winter Time

Moroccan Opposition Party Calls for Resumption of Winter Time
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Moroccan Opposition Party Calls for Resumption of Winter Time

Moroccan Opposition Party Calls for Resumption of Winter Time

A Moroccan opposition party has called on the government to suspend the all-year daylight saving time.

This demand came in the form of a bill submitted by the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PMA) deputies to the parliament's first Chamber, about three months after the government's sudden decision to maintain the daylight saving time throughout the year.

The move has drawn criticism, but the government argued that the measure helps reduce electricity consumption and maintain energy security.

According to the bill proposed by the PMA, "the government decision caused upset after adopting a timing that does not fit the existing infrastructure in various regions of the Kingdom, especially in rural areas."

It stressed that the government is required to provide a deep scientific study that explains the impact of this timing on the various aspects of citizens' lives, away from the non-convincing argument of energy efficiency, as citizens are aware of the significant increase in electricity consumption caused by the adoption of the daylight saving time.



Peru Scientists Unveil Crocodile Fossil Up to 12 Million Years Old

Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
TT

Peru Scientists Unveil Crocodile Fossil Up to 12 Million Years Old

Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP
Paleontologists unveil the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years discovered in Peru. Ernesto BENAVIDES / AFP

Paleontologists unveiled on Wednesday the fossil of a young marine crocodile dating back 10 to 12 million years that was discovered in a Peruvian desert.
The fossil of the gharial -- or fish-eating -- crocodile, around three meters long (nearly 10 feet), was discovered late 2023 in perfect condition in Peru's Ocucaje desert, around 350 kilometers (190 miles) south of the capital Lima, AFP said.
"This is the first time we found a juvenile of this species, that is to say, it had not reached its maximum size yet. It died before that," vertebrate paleontologist Mario Gamarra told a news conference.
The skull and jaws of these specimens differed from that of today's crocodiles and alligators, according to Gamarra, who headed the reconstruction of the fossil.
"They had an elongated snout and their diet was entirely piscivorous, feeding on fish," said Gamarra.
"The closest current relative to this crocodile would be the Indian gharial," he added.
The discovery was made jointly by Peru's Geological, Mining and Metallurgical Institute and the La Union school.
Peru's Ocucaje desert is rich in fossils, such as four-legged dwarf whales, dolphins, sharks and other species from the Miocene period -- between 5 and 23 million years ago -- that were previously discovered there.