Offbeat /lifestyle/offbeat en Cold snap chills New York City’s rats, and heats up the fight against them /node/2587479/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AP</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1737610671372742000</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thu, 2025-01-23 05:04</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> NEW YORK: This week’s frigid weather has many New York City residents shivering, scurrying into cozy spots and feeling sapped. Including the rats.<br /> The United States’ most populous city has been spared the Upper Midwest’s extreme wind chills, not to mention the shock of record-breaking snow in the deep South, in this week’s Arctic blast. But temperatures peaked Monday around 26 degrees Fahrenheit (-3 Celsius) and roughly 20 degrees (-7 Celsius) Tuesday and Wednesday, well below average.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/23/4566386-623841200.jpg" width="1098" height="753" alt="" title="The United States’ most populous city has been spared the Upper Midwest’s extreme wind chills, not to mention the shock of record-breaking snow in the deep South. (AP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/new-york-city">New York City</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/rats">rats</a></div></div></div> Thu, 23 Jan 2025 05:39:47 +0000 rbksa 2587479 at The Oscar nominations are Thursday. Here’s what to look for /node/2587476/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AP</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1737608971552585500</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thu, 2025-01-23 05:02</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> In the wake of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles that struck at the heart of the movie industry, nominations to the 97th Academy Awards are going forward Thursday morning after a pair of delays.<br /> The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences will announce the nominations Thursday at 8:30am ET via a wide array of platforms, including on Oscar.com, Oscars.org, the academy’s social network sites, ABC’s “Good Morning America,” as well as on Disney+ and Hulu. Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott will read the nominees.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/23/4566380-1399210817.jpg" width="1130" height="753" alt="" title="In the wake of devastating wildfires in Los Angeles that struck at the heart of the movie industry, the twice-delayed nominations to the 97th Academy Awards are going forward Thursday morning. (AFP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/oscars">Oscars</a></div></div></div> Thu, 23 Jan 2025 05:13:20 +0000 rbksa 2587476 at Microsoft’s LinkedIn sued for disclosing customer information to train AI models /node/2587454/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/225841">Reuters</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thu, 2025-01-23 01:51</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> Microsoft’s LinkedIn has been sued by Premium customers who said the business-focused social media platform disclosed their private messages to third parties without permission to train generative artificial intelligence models.<br /> According to a proposed class action filed on Tuesday night on behalf of millions of LinkedIn Premium customers, LinkedIn quietly introduced a privacy setting last August that let users enable or disable the sharing of their personal data.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/23/4566317-476661095.jpg" width="1024" height="1024" alt="" title="The lawsuit was filed before the federal court in San Jose, California, on behalf of LinkedIn Premium customers. (Wikimedia Commons image)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/linked">Linked-In</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/category/tags/microsoft">Microsoft</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/ai">AI</a></div></div></div> Wed, 22 Jan 2025 23:00:13 +0000 romulo 2587454 at Mittens the cat becomes an accidental frequent flyer after getting mistakenly left on a plane /node/2587336/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AP</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1737531019493697100</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wed, 2025-01-22 07:25</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> WELLINGTON: A Maine coon cat named Mittens became an accidental jetsetter this month when her cage was overlooked in a plane cargo hold and she made three trips in 24 hours between New Zealand and Australia.<br /> Mittens, 8, was booked for one-way travel with her family from Christchurch, New Zealand to their new home in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 13. But owner Margo Neas said Wednesday that as she waited for Mittens to be unloaded from the plane’s freight area, three hours passed with no sign of the cat.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/22/4566014-315506139.jpg" width="1130" height="753" alt="" title="A Maine coon cat named Mittens accidentally flew three times between New Zealand and Australia this month after her cage was mistakenly left in the plane’s cargo hold. (AP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/plane">plane</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/cat">cat</a></div></div></div> Wed, 22 Jan 2025 07:31:36 +0000 rbksa 2587336 at Nintendo says its new Switch 2 console will be released in 2025 /node/2586768/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AP</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1737100992486161300</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Fri, 2025-01-17 07:45</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> LOS ANGELES: Gaming giant Nintendo revealed its newest console Thursday in a highly anticipated announcement gamers had been waiting for since rumors of its release first spread years ago.<br /> But the initial reaction to the Nintendo Switch 2 was lackluster, and the company’s Tokyo-traded shares slumped 4.3 percent on Friday. Nintendo’s shares had surged to a record ahead of the announcement.<br /> The successor to the Nintendo Switch system will be released this year, the promotional video says.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/17/4564498-1000220945.jpg" width="1200" height="626" alt="" title=" The successor to the Nintendo Switch system will be released this year, the promotional video says. (Nintendo)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/nintendo-switch">Nintendo Switch</a></div></div></div> Fri, 17 Jan 2025 08:04:59 +0000 rbksa 2586768 at Young gorilla rescued from aircraft hold recovers at Istanbul zoo /node/2586185/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Sun, 2025-01-12 23:51</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> ISTANBUL: A young gorilla rescued from a plane’s cargo hold is recovering at an Istanbul zoo, officials said on Sunday, while wildlife officers consider returning him to his natural habitat.<br /> The 5-month-old gorilla was discovered in a box on a Turkish Airlines flight from Nigeria to Thailand last month. After a public competition, he has been named Zeytin, or Olive, and is recuperating at Polonezkoy Zoo.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/12/4563006-1068933479.jpg" width="1200" height="787" alt="Zeytin, a 5-month-old male gorilla infant who was rescued at Istanbul Airport, reacts with a keeper, in a specially created section of a zoo, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)" title="Zeytin, a 5-month-old male gorilla infant who was rescued at Istanbul Airport, reacts with a keeper, in a specially created section of a zoo, in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025. (AP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/istanbul">Istanbul</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/zoo">Zoo</a></div></div></div> Sun, 12 Jan 2025 20:55:38 +0000 malawi 2586185 at Meta nixes diversity and inclusion program as it prepares for second Trump administration /node/2585980/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Associated Press</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1736544369627303800</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Fri, 2025-01-10 21:18</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> MENLO PARK, California: Joining companies such as John Deere and Walmart, Facebook and Instagram’s parent company Meta Platforms Inc. is getting rid of its diversity, equity and inclusion program that includes hiring, training and picking vendors, a company spokesperson confirmed on Friday.<br /> The move, which was first reported by Axios, comes on the heels of the social media giant’s decision to end its third-party fact-checking program and scale back policies on hate speech and abuse.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/11/4562395-415618242.jpg" width="1130" height="753" alt="" title="The company will also end it’s “diverse slate approach” to hiring. (AFP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div> Fri, 10 Jan 2025 21:28:21 +0000 rbksa 2585980 at US citizen denied entry into Poland after security staff object to handwritten notes in passport /node/2585715/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Associated Press</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1736363504690914800</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wed, 2025-01-08 22:17</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> WARSAW: A US citizen has been blocked from entering Poland because her passport was defaced with handwritten notes, border officials said Wednesday.<br /> The unidentified passenger arrived at Krakow’s Balice airport on a flight from London shortly after midnight, according to Justyna Drozdz, a local border security spokeswoman.<br /> The woman was stopped at passport control because her document contained handwritten notes of locations and airport names under visa stamps from the countries she had visited.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/08/4561720-6009434.jpg" width="670" height="395" alt="" title="A US citizen has been blocked from entering Poland because her passport was defaced with handwritten notes, border officials said Wednesday. (File/@KSA_ACS)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/tags/us">US</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/poland">Poland</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/krakow">Krakow</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/passport">Passport</a></div></div></div> Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:17:48 +0000 rbksa 2585715 at Iraqi archaeologists piece together ancient treasures ravaged by Daesh /node/2585657/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111606">AFP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1736330384697975900</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wed, 2025-01-08 09:54</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> NIMRUD: A decade after jihadists ransacked Iraq’s famed Nimrud site, archaeologists have been painstakingly putting together its ancient treasures, shattered into tens of thousands of tiny fragments.<br /> Once the crown jewel of the ancient Assyrian empire, the archaeological site was ravaged by Daesh fighters after they seized large areas of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014.<br /> The precious pre-Islamic artefacts destroyed by the jihadists are now in pieces, but the archaeologists working in Nimrud are undaunted by the colossal task they face.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/08/4561570-749103988.jpg" width="1130" height="753" alt="" title="This picture shows a damaged artifact at the archaeological site of Nimrud, south of Mosul, on January 3, 2025. (File/AFP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/tags/iraq">Iraq</a></div></div></div> Wed, 08 Jan 2025 10:22:31 +0000 rbksa 2585657 at Man charged in Tupac Shakur killing files motion to dismiss the case /node/2585499/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/120821">AP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Associated Press</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1736211390528384300</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Tue, 2025-01-07 00:47</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> LAS VEGAS: An ex-gang leader is seeking to have all the charges against him dismissed in the 1990s killing of rap music icon Tupac Shakur.<br /> Attorney Carl Arnold filed the motion on Monday in the District Court of Nevada to dismiss charges against Duane Davis in the 1996 shooting of Shakur. The motion alleges “egregious” constitutional violations because of a 27-year delay in prosecution. The motion also asserts a lack of corroborating evidence and failure to honor immunity agreements granted to Davis by federal and local authorities.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/07/4561180-1874248471.jpg" width="1140" height="753" alt="" title="Duane &quot;Keffe D&quot; Davis. (Las Vegas Sun/AP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div> Tue, 07 Jan 2025 00:58:01 +0000 rbksa 2585499 at Algerians campaign to save treasured songbird from hunters /node/2585381/middle-east <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111606">AFP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Mon, 2025-01-06 06:55</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> SETIF, Algeria: With its vivid plumage and sweet trill, the goldfinch has long been revered in Algeria, but the national obsession has also driven illegal hunting, prompting calls to protect the songbird.<br /> Amid a persistent demand for the bird that many choose to keep in their homes, conservation groups in the North African country are now calling for the species to be safeguarded from illegal hunting and trading.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/06/4560901-1621408571.jpg" width="1200" height="800" alt="" title="A European goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) perches in a cage during a competition in Algiers on November 2, 2024. (AFP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/middleeast">Middle-East</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/algeria-0">Algeria</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/wild-songbird-protection-association">Wild Songbird Protection Association</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/goldfinch-0">goldfinch</a></div></div></div> Mon, 06 Jan 2025 04:02:49 +0000 romulo 2585381 at World’s oldest person dies at 116 in Japan /node/2585211/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111606">AFP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">AFP</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1735983651990521100</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Sat, 2025-01-04 09:25</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> TOKYO: The world’s oldest person, Japanese woman Tomiko Itooka, has died aged 116, the city where she lived, Ashiya, announced on Saturday.<br /> Itooka, who had four children and five grandchildren, died on December 29 at a nursing home where she resided since 2019, the southern city’s mayor said in a statement.<br /> She was born on May 23, 1908 in the commercial hub of Osaka, near Ashiya – four months before the Ford Model T was launched in the United States.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/04/4560432-1562695538.jpg" width="1130" height="753" alt="" title="Tomiko Itooka celebrates her 116th birthday at the nursing home she lives in Ashiya, western Japan on May 23, 2024. (Ashiya City via AP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/tags/japan">Japan</a></div></div></div> Sat, 04 Jan 2025 09:44:21 +0000 rbksa 2585211 at Former UK home secretary mocked for claiming she visited ‘land border’ between Italy and Turkiye /node/2585143/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/rbitem-author/arab-news">Arab News</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Fri, 2025-01-03 18:00</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> LONDON: Former UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman faced widespread ridicule after claiming in a radio interview that she visited a land border between Italy and Turkiye — two countries separated by hundreds of kilometers.</p> <p> Speaking on LBC Radio on Thursday morning, Braverman, known for her hardline anti-immigration stance, described visiting what she said was a wall built by Italy to stem migration.</p> <p> “Italy have reinforced their borders. They built a wall. I went to see that wall,” she said.</p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/03/4560240-153579394.jpg" width="1800" height="1200" alt="Following the backlash, Braverman attempted to clarify her remarks, admitting on X that she had misspoken. (AFP/File)" title="Following the backlash, Braverman attempted to clarify her remarks, admitting on X that she had misspoken. (AFP/File)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/category/tags/uk">UK</a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/tags/italy">Italy</a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/turkiey">Turkiey</a></div></div></div> Fri, 03 Jan 2025 15:04:32 +0000 gabriele.malvisi 2585143 at Bereaved orca seen carrying another dead calf in US waters /node/2585129/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/111606">AFP</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1735898125774349300</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Fri, 2025-01-03 09:39</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> Washington, USA: A bereaved female killer whale who carried her dead calf for more than two weeks in 2018 has again lost a newborn and is bearing its body, US marine researchers said.<br /> Scientists say whales are among the world’s most intelligent animals, exhibiting complex social behavior including self-awareness and suffering.<br /> The Washington state-based Center for Whale Research said the endangered orca named Tahlequah, also known as J35, was spotted carrying her deceased calf in Puget Sound off Seattle on New Year’s Day.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/03/4560200-1880601348.jpg" width="1129" height="753" alt="" title="The orca known as J35 (Tahlequah) carries the carcass of her dead calf in the waters of Puget Sound off West Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (Candice Emmons/NOAA Fisheries via AP)" /></div><div class="field-item odd"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/03/4560201-1178473997.jpg" width="1130" height="753" alt="" title="An orca known as J35, foreground, swims with others near San Juan Island in Washington state. (Ken Balcomb/Center for Whale Research via AP, File)" /></div><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/03/4560202-1742691817.jpg" width="1130" height="753" alt="" title="The orca known as J35 (Tahlequah) carries the carcass of her dead calf in the waters of Puget Sound off West Seattle, Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (NOAA Fisheries via AP)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/wildlife">wildlife</a></div></div></div> Fri, 03 Jan 2025 10:01:37 +0000 rbksa 2585129 at Olympics-World’s oldest living gold medallist Agnes Keleti dies at 103 /node/2585033/offbeat <div class="field field-name-field-rbitem-author field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">article author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/taxonomy/term/225841">Reuters</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-author field-type-text field-label-inline clearfix"><div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Reuters</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-id field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">ID:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">1735814374159296600</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-publication-date field-type-datestamp field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thu, 2025-01-02 10:11</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p> BUDAPEST: Five-time Olympic champion Hungarian gymnast Agnes Keleti, the world’s oldest living Olympic gold medallist and a survivor of the persecution of Jews in World War Two, died at the age of 103 on Thursday, the Hungarian Olympic Committee said.<br /> Born as Agnes Klein in Budapest on Jan. 9, 1921, Keleti joined the National Gymnastics Association in 1938 and won her first Hungarian championship in 1940, only to be banned from all sports activities that year because of her Jewish origin.<br /></p></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-binary field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025/01/02/4559964-1017250822.jpg" width="1110" height="753" alt="" title="Keleti joined the National Gymnastics Association in 1938 and won her first Hungarian championship in 1940. (REUTERS)" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-1 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Main category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/lifestyle/offbeat">Offbeat</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-taxonomy-vocabulary-9 field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/tags/olympics">Olympics</a></div></div></div> Thu, 02 Jan 2025 10:40:51 +0000 rbksa 2585033 at