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BBC News

A towering redwood in Northumberland has officially been declared the world's tallest living Christmas tree, just in time for the holidays.

Standing at a staggering 44.7 metres (147 feet), the giant redwood at Cragside — a National Trust estate — is more than twice the height of the Angel of the North. Planted in the 1860s, it’s now the proud holder of a brand-new Guinness World Record title.

To qualify as a Christmas tree, Guinness World Records required that it be decorated with at least two types of festive adornments. So, the team at Cragside strung the massive tree with more than 1,300 Christmas lights and added two giant purple bows.

“It was a privilege to give this tree the recognition it deserves,” said Guinness adjudicator Carl Saville.

Decorating a tree of that scale wasn’t a simple task. A National Trust spokesperson said it took three people and a cherry picker two full days to complete the setup. “Every bulb is meticulously checked and then draped and fastened vertically so as not to put too much pressure on the tree,” they said.

Cragside estate had already claimed the title of the UK’s tallest living Christmas tree last year. But this year, staff aimed even higher.

“We kept wondering if we could go one giant leap further and secure a Guinness World Records title... and we made it,” said Cragside’s Steve Howard.

He admitted it was difficult to keep the news under wraps in the weeks leading up to the announcement. “We wanted to share our huge news while many people are putting up their own Christmas trees,” he said.

This is the first time Guinness has awarded a title for the tallest living Christmas tree. The record for the tallest Christmas tree ever remains with a 64.6-metre (212-foot) tree that was erected in 1950 at Seattle’s Northgate Shopping Center — but that tree was not rooted in the ground.

Cragside's redwood, by contrast, is still growing — and now, officially the biggest Christmas tree of its kind anywhere in the world.

This Giant Redwood in England Was Just Declared the World's Tallest Living Christmas Tree

A rare discovery in Egypt’s ancient capital of Tanis has uncovered more than just treasure — it’s cracked open a centuries-old mystery.

French archaeologist Frédéric Payraudeau and his team have unearthed 225 funerary figurines, or ushabti, inside a tomb believed to belong to Pharaoh Shoshenq III, who reigned from 830 to 791 BC. The find, announced by Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, is being hailed as the most significant at Tanis since 1946.

“Finding figurines in place inside a royal tomb has not happened in the Tanis necropolis since 1946,” said Payraudeau, who leads the French Tanis excavation mission. The discovery was made on October 9, as the team excavated a small tomb containing a massive, unnamed granite sarcophagus.

The tomb’s layout had already puzzled researchers. Then, they noticed something: three or four green figurines peeking out from the corners of a trapezoidal pit.

“We knew right away it was going to be amazing,” Payraudeau said. “We set up lights and worked through the night.”

It took 10 days to extract the full set of 225 figurines, arranged in horizontal rows and a star-shaped pattern. Many depict women — an unusual feature in royal burials — and were meant to serve as helpers in the afterlife.

But the figurines also revealed something unexpected: a royal seal linking the tomb to Shoshenq III. That detail helped solve a long-standing puzzle. The pharaoh’s name had previously been found in a different, larger tomb at the same site, leading experts to believe he was buried there. But his remains had never been confirmed.

“Why isn’t he buried in that tomb?” Payraudeau asked. “Obviously, for a pharaoh, building a tomb is a gamble — you can never be sure your successor will bury you there.”

Shoshenq III ruled during a period of political upheaval, marked by civil war between Upper and Lower Egypt. It's possible his burial plans were disrupted or changed posthumously. Moving the enormous granite sarcophagus after the fact seems unlikely, Payraudeau said, given the tomb’s size constraints.

Located in the Nile Delta, Tanis became Egypt’s royal burial ground during the 21st dynasty after looting forced the abandonment of the Valley of the Kings further south. This recent find underscores Tanis’ importance as a site of archaeological interest — and potential.

“Carreras Pampa stands out for several reasons,” Payraudeau said. “In addition to preserving the most dinosaur tracks worldwide, it also preserves the highest number of swim trackways, evidence of several types of unusually preserved locomotive behaviours, and one of the highest numbers of dinosaur tail traces anywhere in the world."

Wait—no. Sorry.

Let’s get back to Tanis.

In a Facebook post, Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, called the find a “decisive step” in understanding the site’s history. Fellow official Mohamed Abdel-Badii noted the team also uncovered previously unknown chamber patterns, shedding light on burial practices during Egypt’s Third Intermediate Period.

“It is still unclear whether the king was buried directly inside the tomb of Osorkon II, or if his funeral collectors were moved to this location to protect it from theft,” the ministry said. “We still have a lot of work to answer these questions.”

The discovery comes just weeks after the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opened its doors in Giza. Costing over $1 billion and covering 7,000 years of history, GEM is now the largest museum in the world dedicated to a single civilization.

As for the ushabti? They’ll eventually go on display — giving visitors a rare look at a pharaoh’s lost legacy and the servants he took with him to eternity.

Archaeologists Unearth 225 Figurines in Egyptian Tomb, Solving a Royal Mystery

GoodGoodGood

Holiday travel isn’t exactly known for being stress-free — from long security lines to weather delays and cramped overhead bins, it can feel like an endurance test. But this year, Delta Airlines is betting that a little kindness can go a long way.

As part of its 100th anniversary, Delta is launching Centennial Cheer, an initiative recognizing 100,000 acts of kindness among employees and customers during the holiday season.

The campaign runs through January 5 and is built around a simple idea: when someone does something thoughtful during their journey — like helping a fellow traveler with luggage, letting someone deplane first to make a connection, or even just sharing a snack — Delta employees will be ready with a “Holiday Medallion” card to say thank you.

“These cards aren’t about frequent flyer status or how often you travel,” said Erik Snell, Delta’s Chief Customer Experience Officer. “They’re for customers who truly embody the holiday spirit.”

Each Medallion card can be redeemed for a surprise gift in the Delta Shop. Some include commemorative merchandise celebrating the airline’s centennial year, while a limited number of Centennial Gift Sets include collectible trading cards and a $500 Delta gift card.

“Gifting Holiday Medallion cards to reward acts of kindness creates a positive loop of gratitude between our customers and employees,” Snell said in a statement. “Whether it’s helping a seatmate with their bag, sharing a phone charger, or simply thanking a reservations specialist, those gestures create the kind of connection that makes travel feel special.”

And it’s not just travelers getting recognized. Delta is also giving its Medallion Members — frequent flyers in the company’s loyalty program — the chance to hand out special holiday certificates to employees who go above and beyond. The airline expects about 40,000 of these certificates to be distributed.

“Delta people take pride in creating moments of care,” Snell said. “And this season they’re excited to recognize that same spirit in others.”

As the airline closes out its 100th year, Delta says Centennial Cheer is meant to honor the human connection at the heart of travel — and maybe make those holiday airport crowds feel just a little more joyful.

Airline Offers Free Gift Cards To 100K People For Random Acts Of Kindness

Black News

In the early hours of a quiet Saturday morning, 5-year-old Ranajai Hill was watching TV when he noticed something terrifying — flames creeping into the room.

Instead of panicking, the Vicksburg, Mississippi boy ran to alert his grandmother and wake the rest of his family. Thanks to his quick thinking, all five people inside — including his baby sister, grandmother, and two uncles — escaped the burning home with their lives.

The fire, which started from a gas space heater, completely destroyed their house just two days after Thanksgiving, according to the Vicksburg Fire Department.

Ranajai’s grandmother, Jennifer Smith, called him a hero.
“Without him being the brave hero he was, it could have been worse,” she said. “I don’t even want to explain.”

While the family lost all their belongings, they say they’re grateful for what really matters — each other.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help them recover and replace essentials. So far, nearly $500 has been raised.

As for Ranajai, his courage at just five years old is being praised across his community — and far beyond.

5-Year-Old Boy Saves Family From House Fire Just Days After Thanksgiving

Talker News

A British artist has shattered his own world record by creating a sculpture so tiny, it’s invisible to the naked eye.

David A. Lindon, 56, from Bournemouth, has been officially recognized for crafting The Yellow Smiley Face, the world’s smallest handmade sculpture — measuring just 11.037 by 12.330 microns. For context, that’s roughly the size of a single bacterium.

“I’ve broken my own world record,” Lindon said. “It was a Lego brick which was incredibly small — and now I’ve gone half the size again.”

His previous record-holding piece, The Lego Brick, came in at 0.02517mm by 0.02184mm. To beat it, Lindon spent six painstaking weeks and made 34 separate attempts before finally succeeding.

The materials and techniques behind the micro-smiley are largely under wraps. “What it’s made out of is top secret,” he said, though he did reveal that he uses crushed diamonds to shape his sculptures and fly hairs for paintbrushes.

“They have to be so tiny you can't see them with the human eye,” he added.

To even attempt something on this scale, Lindon borrowed a Nikon microscope from Amsterdam — along with a specialized lens from Nikon Europe — which allowed him to view and manipulate the sculpture under extreme magnification.

“It’s the same size as bacteria,” Lindon explained. “What I do is completely mad, but it’s basically fine art!”

He credited Dr. Sarah Elliott and Jack Rose from Bournemouth University for helping measure the sculpture and confirm its record-breaking size. In gratitude, Lindon is creating a miniature sculpture of a graduation certificate, which he plans to gift to the university “to inspire future generations.”

His artwork is currently on display at Hammond Galleries, though viewers will need a microscope to see it.

As for whether he’ll try to break the record a third time? Unlikely — unless someone loans him an electron microscope.

“The only way I can do this again is if I have an electron microscope — and they’re worth about £100k each, so that’s out of my budget!” he said. “This was a torturous six weeks to make this thing — and I don’t really fancy having to do it again!”

Still, Lindon says he’s proud of the achievement and hopes his tiny creations leave a lasting legacy.

“I find myself now inspired to see how small I can go. I’m so pleased I’ve been able to create this.”

British Artist Breaks World Record With Sculpture So Small You Can’t Even See It

People

Choco, a small brown dog with a big story, is back home in California nearly five years after he disappeared — and no one knows how he ended up tied to a fence outside a shelter in Detroit, Michigan, over 2,000 miles away.

The mystery began in May 2021, when Choco vanished from his home in Antelope, California. His owner, Patricia, searched but had no luck — until last month, when she received a call she never expected.

“1645 days later, that’s 4 years and 7 months, he showed up 2,289 miles away, tied to the fence at a small shelter in Lincoln Park, near Detroit, Michigan,” shared Helping Paws and Claws, a California-based animal nonprofit that helped reunite the pair.

The shelter had scanned Choco and found a working microchip with Patricia’s contact information. That single piece of technology made the reunion possible.

At first, Patricia didn’t know what to do. She turned to social media to ask for advice — and Helping Paws and Claws saw her post.

The nonprofit jumped in to help, rallying volunteers to bring Choco home. One supporter donated airline miles for Choco’s flight. Others picked him up from the shelter, drove him to the airport, and accompanied him on a delayed journey back to California.

Meanwhile, local Michigan organizations — Lincoln Park Animal Shelter, Pet Care Clinic Lincoln Park, and Lyla’s Mobile Pet Nail Trim — cared for Choco while he waited to head home.

On December 3, Choco finally returned to the West Coast. Patricia welcomed him back with open arms — and two new family members. During the years Choco was missing, she had two children, who now get to grow up with their furry sibling.

Choco, a bit grayer now, didn’t take long to settle in. “He’s catching up on five years of hugs,” Patricia said.

The journey remains a mystery. No one knows how the dog made his way across the country, or who might have cared for him along the way. But the ending, Patricia says, is all that matters.

She’s using the moment to urge other pet owners to microchip their animals. “Microchip your dogs,” she told CBS News. “With the holidays and the extreme cold, a story like mine can be your story next.”

Helping Paws and Claws is also spreading the message. “Please remember if your pet has a microchip, be sure it is registered, and double-check that the information is current and correct,” the group shared. “If your pet does not have a microchip, Choco says, ‘Please get one.’”

Choco’s journey may never be fully understood. But thanks to persistence, compassion, and one tiny chip, he’s home — and finally warm, safe, and surrounded by family again.

Lost Dog Found 2,289 Miles Away After Nearly 5 Years — and Makes it Home Just in Time for the Holidays

CTV News

In a quiet basement in River Park South, the holiday season has officially arrived — and it’s come in the form of a miniature city bursting with twinkling lights, snow-covered rooftops, and hundreds of tiny townsfolk going about their festive lives.

This is Ayotte’s Christmas Village, and it’s more than just a holiday display. It’s a decades-long labour of love.

“It takes me about 60 hours to set up, so I have to plan ahead,” Gabriel Ayotte told CTV News. “Once you start building, then you get into it. But it’s that first 10 hours of just unpacking and sorting and organizing.”

The village is now a sprawling, intricately detailed town that blends the whimsy of Disney with the nostalgia of Norman Rockwell and the charm of a Dickens novel. It features 63 buildings, about 450 miniature residents, two Canadian Tire stores, and even its own entertainment district. There’s a working train, 21 snowmen, nearly 450 trees, and countless glowing lights.

But it all started modestly — with just 8 to 10 small houses placed in front of the fireplace by Ayotte’s wife about 30 years ago.

“She took care of it for, I guess, 15 years or so,” Ayotte said. “And then I got involved and added more pieces.”

What began as a small seasonal tradition soon turned into a full-blown obsession.

“One year I said, ‘Well, let’s make it a little bit bigger,’” he recalled with a laugh. “When I got to the plywood sheet, she said that was too much. So, then I just took it over.”

Now, the Christmas Village stretches across the basement. But as for expanding further? “The city council tried to get approval to get a bigger village,” he joked, “but it was kiboshed. So, this is as big as it will get.”

Ayotte treats the village like a living, breathing place. Scenes are set with townsfolk skating, shopping for trees, fishing, or simply enjoying the season. And each year, new characters or buildings are added — often souvenirs from his travels.

There’s a Guinness man from Dublin, a bratwurst stand from Munich, and even a replica of Neuschwanstein Castle from the Bavarian Alps.

“What I’m focusing on is if something catches my eye or it means something to us,” he said. “The little things like that, it just makes it fun.”

Ayotte has even enlisted the help of the next generation. His three-year-old grandson recently spent over an hour carefully unwrapping figurines and sorting snowmen.

“As I get older and he gets older, then he’s the one who’s going to climb on the table and do the back road,” Ayotte said.

This weekend, Ayotte is opening his doors for the third annual open house, inviting neighbours and guests to experience the magic in person. He’ll be guiding visitors through the display, sharing stories — especially with children — and using the event to raise money for the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“I tell them stories of what’s going on, especially the little kids, to look for certain things,” he said.

Space is limited, but those interested in attending can email Ayotte directly at gabe.ayotte@gmail.com
 for more information.

Having just retired in October, Ayotte now has even more time to devote to his beloved tradition.

“I’m already thinking of what I’m going to do for next year,” he said. “I’m not slowing down.”

A Massive Toy Christmas Village Collection is Opening to the Public For a Festive Fundraiser in Canada

At a Lowe’s in Richmond, Virginia, customers might come for tools and paint, but for nearly a decade, many stayed for Francine — a scrappy, independent, and famously beloved feline who made the garden department her home.

“She wasn't quite as friendly in the very beginning,” said store manager Mike Sida. “But after a little while, she found her way into a lot of people's hearts, I guess you could say.”

Francine had once been a stray. But over time, she became a fixture — lounging in flower pots, greeting shoppers, and earning an unofficial title as the store’s favorite “employee.” That is, until a few months ago, when she vanished.

“I just had a gut feeling that she was gone,” said Wayne Schneider, a Lowe’s employee who had taken on the role of Francine’s primary caretaker.

Schneider feared the worst — that Francine may have wandered onto a freight truck heading to a Lowe’s distribution center in Statesville, North Carolina, about 85 miles away. If she had, finding her would be nearly impossible.

“She could have been anywhere in there,” he said. “Maybe they opened the trailer up and she got out. We would never find her.”

Still, he had to try.

Schneider reached out to the warehouse managers in Statesville, Preston Bullock and Taylor Taconet, who didn’t hesitate.

“As long as they had fight in them, we had fight in us to help support,” Bullock said.

Taconet agreed: “Our mission is to solve problems. And that’s exactly what we took it as. We’ve got a missing family member out here, so we’re going to jump on top of it.”

They didn’t hold back. The search team brought in Fancy Feast to lure her out. They flew a thermal drone over the distribution center. They swept the massive space with a high-end 360-degree camera.

Nothing worked — until finally, a grainy surveillance video spotted a small figure in a cargo truck parking area. It was Francine.

They tracked her down and brought her inside.

“I could have cried, I’ll be honest,” Taconet said.

“I was so overjoyed,” said Schneider. “Tears were just coming down my face, that we had found her.”

Sida and Schneider made the drive down to North Carolina, picked up Francine, and brought her back home to Richmond. Her return was met with smiles, photos, and more than a few emotional reunions.

Now, Francine is back to her old routine — prowling the aisles, lounging in sunbeams, and charming customers like nothing ever happened.

“It’s good to see her back where she belongs,” Sida said.

A Lowe’s Cat Went Missing — What Followed Was a Full-Scale Search Mission and a Happy Ending

One year after Notre-Dame cathedral reopened its doors to the public, more than 11 million people have already visited the Paris landmark — a sharp increase from pre-fire attendance figures.

The 12th-century Gothic cathedral, severely damaged by fire in April 2019, officially reopened on December 7, 2024, following more than five years of intensive restoration. The reopening was marked by a high-profile ceremony attended by French President Emmanuel Macron and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

Since then, the crowds have only grown.

Notre-Dame has welcomed “approximately 11 million visitors” in its first year, said Sybille Bellamy-Brown, head of visitor management at the cathedral. That’s roughly 30 percent higher than the eight to nine million annual visitors it drew before the blaze — and more than both the Eiffel Tower (seven million) and the Louvre museum (8.7 million) in 2024.

Colombian tourist Maria Vega was among those in awe of the restored building. “It’s particularly important for me since I’ve recently reconnected with the church,” said the 22-year-old. “The beauty and simplicity are striking.”

The fire, which destroyed much of the roof and wooden framework, left the cathedral in ruins and triggered a global outpouring of support. A total of €843 million (about US$982 million) in donations helped fund the massive reconstruction effort.

Inside, visitors are now greeted with pale, newly cleaned stonework and minimalist furnishings. Outside, long queues stretch across the forecourt daily. Entry remains free and no reservations are required, but staff have started regulating access during busy periods — especially during religious services.

This year, more than 1,600 services are scheduled. The cathedral has also seen a boom in religious pilgrimages, with over 650 organized visits, a third of them from abroad.

Despite the surge in visitors and the success of the restoration so far, work is not yet finished. The cathedral had already been in poor condition before the 2019 fire, and while €140 million in donations remain, officials say more funds will be needed to complete the full restoration.

Still, for many who pass through its doors, Notre-Dame’s return is symbolic — a powerful blend of survival, renewal, and beauty.

Notre-Dame Sees 11 Million Visitors in First Year Since Reopening After Devastating Fire

CGTN

Researchers in China have unveiled a new kind of underwater gripping tool that could reshape how robots interact with delicate objects. Inspired by octopus tentacles, the adaptive hydrogel biomimetic suction disc marks a major breakthrough in underwater manipulation and soft-material handling.

Developed by the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (LICP) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the device combines advanced materials and 3D printing to tackle some of the toughest challenges in robotic grasping — especially in complex and sensitive environments.

“Drawing inspiration from the octopus, our primary innovation lies in mimicking the deformation of its tentacles while incorporating a specific structural design for the suction cups,” said Wang Xiaolong, a researcher at LICP.

At the heart of the invention is a custom-designed supramolecular hydrogel that blends extreme softness with high tear resistance. That combination allows the suction disc to hold fragile or irregularly shaped items without damaging them — a key requirement for tasks like deep-sea exploration or delicate surgery.

To bring the idea to life, the research team used high-precision 3D printing to construct a suction disc embedded with micro-channels and flexible films. These features give it the ability to adaptively form close contact with a wide range of surfaces, regardless of their shape or texture. Tiny air channels within the disc allow it to generate suction on demand, making it ideal for gripping soft, wet, or curved materials.

Unlike traditional robotic grippers, which often struggle in wet or unpredictable environments, the hydrogel disc is specifically engineered for such conditions. It’s designed to work under water, on soft tissues, and in places where rigid tools fall short.

“This enables the handling of ultra-soft items without causing damage,” Wang said.

The suction disc, which holds independent intellectual property rights in China, is expected to be paired with a wide range of robotic arms. Its potential uses include deep-sea resource recovery, high-end manufacturing, and minimally invasive medical procedures.

Researchers believe the technology could fill a major gap in current robotic systems, which often rely on rigid or semi-rigid components that aren’t well-suited for delicate tasks. By mimicking nature — specifically, the unique adaptability of octopus tentacles — the hydrogel disc offers a new kind of precision and flexibility.

Looking ahead, its creators say the invention could help drive innovation across multiple Chinese industries. In underwater robotics, it could improve exploration of fragile marine ecosystems. In medicine, it may enable gentler surgical tools. And in manufacturing, it could make it easier to handle soft or irregularly shaped products during assembly.

For now, the device stands as a promising example of how bioinspired engineering and material science can come together to solve long-standing technical problems — and potentially change how robots interact with the physical world.

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