World

Former CIA official David Rush, found with 303 gold bars worth over $40 million, reaches plea agreement in principle as prosecutors cite classified-material litigation

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Federal prosecutors and attorneys for former Central Intelligence Agency official David Rush have reached a plea agreement in principle, stopping proceedings before a grand jury indictment in a case involving $40 million in stolen gold bars and classified operations. A joint court filing submitted to the United States District Court for the Eastern District of … Read more

Meet Henry Xie: The 17-year-old Portland student whose method made smaller AI models more empathetic in at least 90% of tests

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A 17-year-old student from Portland, Oregon, has developed a two-step training method that helps small artificial intelligence models copy the empathetic communication style of much larger systems. The method achieved higher empathy ratings in at least 90 per cent of comparison tests. Henry Xie, a senior at Westview High School in Portland, created the computer … Read more

‘Intolerance and racism’: US senator slams Texas Republican nominee over post targeting Asian students

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US senator slams Republican nominee’s ‘racist’ post. US Senator John Cornyn has publicly rebuked his fellow Republican Bo French over a social media post targeting students of color celebrating at a University of Texas football game, accusing the GOP nominee for Texas railroad commissioner of promoting “intolerance and racism”.The morning after the Texas Longhorns pulled … Read more

In 2016, NSW began fencing feral cats and foxes out of three reserves; 10 years later, 13 locally extinct species had returned, some after 100+ years, and were breeding again

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Thirteen native animal species that had become locally extinct in New South Wales have returned and started breeding again across three major conservation reserves. The recovery comes a decade after state authorities built large predator-proof fences to keep out feral cats and foxes. The results come from a 10-year conservation partnership involving the NSW National … Read more

18-year-old Afghan refugee pleads guilty to murdering man in London; accused of stalking cousin’s wife | World News

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Afghan refugee Sulaiman Tajzai pleads guilty to murdering Farmanullah Sherzad in London. An 18-year-old Afghan refugee has pleaded guilty to murdering a 26-year-old man in London after travelling from Leeds with a knife he had bought earlier that day.Sulaiman Tajzai admitted killing Farmanullah Sherzad at the Old Bailey on Friday, the Metropolitan Police said. He … Read more

Pakistan Saudi Arabia Relations: Mecca Pact, but no troops yet: Pakistan expresses ‘solidarity’ with Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks on kingdom

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File photo: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud The Mecca pact may promise “one for all, all for one”, but Pakistan is not putting boots on the ground just yet.Islamabad on Sunday expressed “complete solidarity” with Saudi Arabia after a fresh wave of Houthi attacks on the … Read more

In 1991, Monty Don bought a Herefordshire home with a 2-acre abandoned field; 35 years later, Longmeadow became the garden millions knew from TV

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After 23 years at the helm, Monty Don announced that he is stepping down from the BBC’s long-running Gardeners’ World series, bringing an end to one of the longest and most recognisable chapters in British gardening television.“I have decided that the current series of Gardeners’ World is to be my last,” Monty Don, 71, confirmed … Read more

Australia switched on a $7.8 million wastewater plant that can process 700 megalitres a year; its inventor says it breaks down stubborn pollutants 16 times more efficiently

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Australia has switched on a new advanced wastewater treatment plant in regional New South Wales that could turn discarded sewage effluent into a valuable source of recycled water. The $7.8 million facility in Dubbo can process up to 700 megalitres of wastewater a year, roughly the equivalent of 280 Olympic-sized swimming pools, as the region … Read more

Cheyenne’s Twin Chimneys motor court stood for almost 90 years; this week its landmark chimneys fell in about 30 seconds to make way for a drive-thru coffee shop

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The twin chimneys were saved until the end of the demolition. The Twin Chimneys Motor Court in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which once gave travellers a place to stay along the historic Lincoln Highway, has been demolished to make way for a 7 Brew Coffee drive-thru stand. Its distinctive twin stone chimneys, the last parts of the … Read more

In 1876, Los Angeles built the Perry House; 99 years later it was moved to Heritage Square for preservation, and at 150 its normally closed second floor opened to visitors

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Los Angeles preservationists have marked a rare milestone as the historic Perry Mansion celebrated its 150th anniversary by opening its restricted second floor to the public. The grand Victorian residence, built in 1876, welcomed visitors to its normally off-limits upper rooms during an anniversary fundraising event. Organisers held the gathering to raise essential funds for … Read more