World

China’s tree cover increased, but natural forests kept shrinking and fragmenting. (AI photo) China’s ambitious tree-planting campaigns have helped increase the country’s overall forest cover over the past three decades. But a new study says the growth in planted forests tells only part of the story.While millions of hectares of trees were added to the…

Indian student denied entry to US, asked to leave voluntarily (AI image) A social media post shared on an NRI group claimed that an Indian student who was returning to the US after visiting India had to deal with an unfortunate situation which ended with a ticket back home. The post claimed that the Webster…

15 elephants have died in southern Kenya in what wildlife authorities believe is one of the region’s worst wildlife poisoning incidents in decades. Preliminary laboratory tests detected cyanide in samples taken from the animals, with investigators suspecting the elephants ingested pesticide-contaminated tomatoes from farms bordering Amboseli National Park. The deaths occurred over a month between…

Image Credit: CBS LA / YouTube A Stevenson Ranch woman was rushed to the hospital after a rattlesnake that jumped out of her garden bit her. Cutting roses was part of her evening ritual, but it turned out to be nearly fatal.On Saturday evening, 25 July, Linda Martin stepped into her garden as the sun…

Hermitage quarry beside Oaken Wood. Under the soil sits Kentish ragstone, which Kent county council says is crucial for the conservation of ancient buildings. In 1600, Oaken Wood near Maidstone was already an established English woodland; in 2026, Kent County Council proposed turning 41 hectares of it into a stone quarry, reports the Guardian.The Reform-led…

Senate unanimously opposes pardon for Ghislaine Maxwell The US Senate unanimously approved a resolution on Wednesday opposing any presidential pardon or other form of executive clemency for Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for sex trafficking offences, according to The New York Post.The…

For decades, one idea has shaped discussions about human intelligence: our ability to recognise geometric patterns was thought to set us apart from other primates. People naturally notice features such as symmetry, parallel sides and right angles, and many researchers have argued that this reflects a uniquely human way of thinking.A new study was published…

French officials said the vessel had been operating as a “taxi boat”. Four migrants died in two separate attempts to cross the English Channel overnight, French authorities said, highlighting the dangers of increasingly common “taxi boats” used by smuggling networks to ferry people to the UK.The first incident occurred late Wednesday night near Hardelot, on…

US court orders removal of Indian national Mitul Patel. An Indian national living unlawfully in the United States has received an order of removal after pleading guilty to his role in a conspiracy that staged fake armed robberies to support fraudulent U visa applications.According to the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Mitul Patel, 40, was…

In 2014, Matthew Myerscough’s life changed during a mountain accident that nearly cost him his life. While climbing Yr Wyddfa, also known as Snowdon, he was caught in an avalanche and buried beneath snow for around 20 minutes before being rescued. The experience altered his relationship with the mountains and eventually led him towards a…