No smoke without fire: Smallholders’ view from ground zero of the haze

Quote of the day by Cristiano Ronaldo: "I don't think a tournament of six or seven…"

25-year-old wins 116-year-old cottage after handwritten letter beats $60K bid

California restores 67 acres farmland into wetlands & grasslands; restored landscape opens Sept 20

California is restoring 67 acres of former agricultural land at Ensen Community Park in Salinas into wetlands, grasslands and wildlife habitat. The project has reshaped more than 172,000 cubic yards of soil and includes 6,000 native plants, 100 trees, 1.7 miles of trails and three bridges. The restored landscape will open to the public on September 20.

Princess Diana’s brother makes new explosive claims against Charles

LONDON, United Kingdom – Princess Diana’s brother has unleashed a string of criticism against King Charles III in his new book, alleging the monarch was “giddily elated” the night his ex-wife died in a car crash, as Buckingham Palace issued a rare rebuke of the startling claims. Charles Spencer wrote that the then-prince “sounded giddily elated

Chinese, US top diplomats hold call days before leaders’ meeting

BEIJING, China – China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone call on Thursday, Chinese state media said, days before an expected meeting between their two countries’ leaders. President Donald Trump is expected to host Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping at the White House next week to discuss a host

Last wild Chilean tree daisy gets hope as ropes support survivor, seedlings reach Scotland

Taiwanese students turn oyster shells and coral waste into 3D-printed reef structures

Taiwanese students developed Reefvive, using oyster shells and coral gravel for 3D-printed reef bases. These structures provide a stable foundation for coral fragments to grow. Underwater trials showed a perfect survival rate for all attached coral fragments. Marine creatures quickly inhabited the new reef structures, demonstrating their effectiveness. The project aims to make coral restoration more accessible and scalable.

Canada’s Carney pushes ‘new alliance’ with EU despite Trump threats

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney shrugged off a threat of US retaliation Thursday as he pitched a “new alliance” with Europe as a bulwark against outside pressures, in a closely watched address to the European Parliament. Carney’s speech came after EU chief Ursula von der Leyen suggested Canada could become the 27-nation

Woman buys old piano for $25, finds hidden Babe Ruth card that sells for $130,053 27 years later

In 1992, Ellen Kelly bought her aunt’s old piano in Maryland for $25. While repairing a stuck pedal, a friend found 112 baseball cards hidden inside it, including a 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card. Kelly kept the discovery quiet for 27 years before selling the card at auction for $130,053, far above its estimate.

'Rewards for justice': US offers $15M for info on Iran's secretive financial networks

King Charles warns AI leaders of 'existential dangers'

CUMNOCK, Scotland — Britain's King Charles warned AI leaders on Thursday of the "existential dangers" posed by the technology falling into the wrong hands, saying safeguards were needed before it was too late. Charles was hosting the co-founders of chipmaker Nvidia and the Google DeepMind AI research laboratory, along with leaders from the AI providers OpenAI and Anthropic, in Scotland as concern grows that safety efforts are lagging behind the development of increasingly powerful systems. In recent weeks, the debate has centred on whether the industry can and should regulate itself, drawing interventions from figures including Pope Leo, Charles and U.S. President Donald Trump. Charles calls for controls 'before it is too late' Charles said artificial intelligence had the potential to improve and save lives, particularly in life sciences and medicine. But its creators were increasingly warning that it could develop darker capacities, "perhaps even to take life," he said. "There seems urgency in adequately considering the existential dangers of such technologies falling into the wrong han

US jobless claims fall to 196,000, lowest since mid-July

WASHINGTON — The number of people applying for unemployment benefits dropped sharply last week, another sign that layoffs remain rare and most Americans enjoy job security. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims slid to 196,000, the fewest since mid-July and down from 206,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, dropped to 203,250. Economists had expected claims to come in at 207,500, according to a survey by the data firm FactSet. Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. For the past year, claims have mostly stayed within a historically low range of 200,000 to 230,000 a week. The American job market has remained sturdy despite higher gasoline prices that have squeezed businesses and consumers since the fighting with Iran began Feb. 28. Layoffs are low. Businesses, remembering the labor shortages that followed the end of pandemic lockdowns, are reluctant to let go of staff. They’re hiring — but modestly by the