LEOPARD

The leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It has a pale yellowish to dark golden fur with dark spots grouped in rosettes. Its body is slender and muscular reaching a length of 92–183 cm (36–72 in) with a 66–102 cm (26–40 in) long tail and a shoulder height of 60–70 cm (24–28 in). Males typically weigh 30.9–72 kg (68–159 lb), and females 20.5–43 kg (45–95 lb).

The leopard was first described in 1758, and several subspecies were proposed in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, eight subspecies are recognised in its wide range in Africa and Asia. It initially evolved in Africa during the Early Pleistocene, before migrating into Eurasia around the Early–Middle Pleistocene transition. Leopards were formerly present across Europe, but became extinct in the region at around the end of the Late Pleistocene-early Holocene.

The leopard is adapted to a variety of habitats ranging from rainforest to steppe, including arid and montane areas. It is an opportunistic predator, hunting mostly ungulates and primates. It relies on its spotted pattern for camouflage as it stalks and ambushes its prey, which it sometimes drags up a tree. It is a solitary animal outside the mating season and when raising cubs. Females usually give birth to a litter of 2–4 cubs once in 15–24 months. Both male and female leopards typically reach sexual maturity at the age 2–2.5 years.

Listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, leopard populations are currently threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and are declining in large parts of the global range. Leopards have had cultural roles in Ancient Greece, West Africa and modern Western culture. Leopard skins are popular in fashion.

Republican former president *Donald Trump is closing in on a second term in the White House* after winning the biggest battleground prize of *Pennsylvania*, US networks projected early Wednesday.

Pennsylvania has a whopping 19 electoral votes, putting him *close to securing victory against Democrat Kamala Harris*, CNN and NBC News reported.

When the replacement from God comes you will forget what you have Lost

*Donald Trump won the first of the swing states* as he pulled ahead of White House rival Kamala Harris, narrowing her path to victory in an agonizingly tight and suspenseful US presidential election.

The first of the seven key battlegrounds -- *North Carolina* -- went to Trump, confirming his growing momentum.

*Democratic Vice President Harris appeared to be underperforming* in other key areas compared to the Republican former president.

Harris's camp said the race was now _"razor-thin"_ and that her _"clearest path"_ to victory was through the so-called Blue Wall swing states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Cheetah

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat and the fastest land animal. It has a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. It reaches 67–94 cm (26–37 in) at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between 1.1 and 1.5 m (3 ft 7 in and 4 ft 11 in). Adults weigh between 21 and 72 kg (46 and 159 lb). The cheetah is capable of running at 93 to 104 km/h (58 to 65 mph); it has evolved specialized adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail.

The cheetah was first described in the late 18th century. Four subspecies are recognised today that are native to Africa and central Iran. An African subspecies was introduced to India in 2022. It is now distributed mainly in small, fragmented populations in northwestern, eastern and southern Africa and central Iran. It lives in a variety of habitats such as savannahs in the Serengeti, arid mountain ranges in the Sahara, and hilly desert terrain.

The cheetah lives in three main social groups: females and their cubs, male "coalitions", and solitary males. While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges, males are more sedentary and instead establish much smaller territories in areas with plentiful prey and access to females. The cheetah is active during the day, with peaks during dawn and dusk. It feeds on small- to medium-sized prey, mostly weighing under 40 kg (88 lb), and prefers medium-sized ungulates such as impala, springbok and Thomson's gazelles. The cheetah typically stalks its prey within 60–100 m (200–330 ft) before charging towards it, trips it during the chase and bites its throat to suffocate it to death. It breeds throughout the year. After a gestation of nearly three months, females give birth to a litter of three or four cubs. Cheetah cubs are highly vulnerable to predation by other large carnivores. They are weaned at around four months and are independent by around 20 months of age.

The cheetah is threatened by habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases. The global cheetah population was estimated in 2021 at 6,517; it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. It has been widely depicted in art, literature, advertising, and animation. It was tamed in ancient Egypt and trained for hunting ungulates in the Arabian Peninsula and India. It has been kept in zoos since the early 19th century.

Harris or Trump: America decides in knife-edge election

AFP is live at polling stations across the US, bringing you images from New York, Atlanta, Dearborn, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Palm Beach and more.

LIVE FEED: https://youtube.com/live/CtL4_mXO4eA

Beauty queen

North Korea has fired a salvo of short-range ballistic missiles, Seoul's military said,* Pyongyang's second launch in days and just hours before Americans vote for a new president.

The nuclear-armed *North last week test-fired what it said was its most advanced and powerful solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile* (ICBM) in Kim Jong Un's first weapons test since being accused of sending soldiers to help Russia fight Ukraine.

*Pyongyang*, which has denied the deployment, *is under growing international pressure to withdraw its troops from Russia,* with Seoul warning Tuesday that thousands of soldiers were being deployed to frontline areas, including Kursk.

*The missiles flew approximately 400 kilometers (248 miles)* and Seoul's military said it had tracked the launch in real time while sharing information with Tokyo and Washington.