World

When Mud Mountain Dam was completed in 1948 along Washington State’s White River, its purpose was straightforward. The earthen structure was built to reduce flooding across downstream communities, protecting homes, businesses and farmland from damaging seasonal flows. Fish passage existed from the beginning, but it reflected the engineering standards of another era. As salmon populations…

Credit: Erik Karits from Pexels Hummingbird hawkmoths may have their own version of being left-handed or right-handed, using one preferred eye and one side of their long feeding tube together to search flowers for nectar.The discovery, made by a team of biologists at the University of Konstanz, shows how creatures with small brains save mental…

Iran’s secret oil money network scandal widens as billions go missing, 15 Interpol notices sought Iran’s shadowy oil revenue network has come under the radar after officials revealed that intermediaries handling state funds had misappropriated billions, with some fleeing the country, Iran International reported.The controversy has brought renewed attention to the system of “trusties” —…

Kangaroo Island free from feral pigs after successful eradication program In 1802, a French explorer released pigs on Kangaroo Island as a food supply for passing sailors; 224 years later, Australia has officially removed the last of them.Kangaroo Island has been declared completely free of feral pigs, making it the largest island anywhere in the…

Netflix executive sues the company for firing him based on what he said at a company outing earlier this year. A Netflix executive has sued the company after being fired on the basis of what he said at a company retreat earlier this year. New York Post reported that Kevin Baillie said in his lawsuit…

A new ecological modelling study suggests that climate change could reshape where Europe’s snakes can survive, with cold-adapted species facing the greatest risk. While much of Western Europe may become less suitable over time, the Balkan Peninsula could emerge as one of the most important refuges for snake diversity.The research looked at 31 European snake…

Paramount-Warner Bros. $111 billion merger: Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong urge UK to block deal, warn of job losses and fewer films Actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Alan Cumming and Benedict Wong have called on the UK government to block the proposed $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, warning that the deal could cause “immense…

Mandeep Singh/Image: Halton Regional Police An Indian-origin Uber driver has been charged with two counts of sexual assault following an investigation into two alleged incidents involving the same woman near a GO station in Burlington, Canada.According to the Halton Regional Police Service, the alleged offences took place at about 5.15pm on 16 June in the…

Dolphins frolic in the surf off Long Beach, California — but sightings are more and more rare Ocean temperatures along the California coast have climbed up to 4°C above average, driving whales away from usual feeding spots, starving seabirds, and pushing great white sharks uncomfortably close to public beaches.Data from the US National Oceanic and…

Mayor Mike Coffman spends every Friday night at a shelter. 71-year-old Mike Coffman, the mayor of Aurora, Colorado, has been following a routine for the last few weeks. On every Friday afternoon, he has been going to the Aurora Regional Navigation Center, where he spends the night with other homeless people. Coffman wants to gain…