a man sits in a booth while playing video games, looking at a screen, and hands on a joystick controller

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A shopping center in Shanghai, China has opened "husband storage" facilities and couples are calling it the ultimate shopping secret. The Global Harbour mall unveiled a cluster of extraordinary glass pods designed to house husbands while their wives embark on shopping sprees.

<img src="https://content.fortune.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/shanghai-husband-pod.jpg" style="width: 100%;">

Step inside one of these futuristic cocoons, and you'll find yourself immersed in a world of gaming nostalgia. Equipped with a comfy chair, a snazzy monitor, a state-of-the-art computer and a trusty gamepad, these pods offer men a chance to revisit the golden era of gaming from the 1990s. It's an escape from retail boredom and for now, it comes at absolutely no cost. But soon, users will have to scan a QR code and pay a small fee using their mobile phones, guaranteeing a continued gaming extravaganza during those unavoidable shopping sprees.

Opinions on these glassy gaming havens are as diverse as the games themselves. One satisfied pod dweller, Mr. Yang, couldn't contain his excitement, exclaiming, "It's really great. I've just played Tekken 3 and felt like I was back at school!" The sentiment was echoed by Mr. Wu, who shared his delight while pointing out a minor drawback, "There's no ventilation or air conditioning, I sat playing for five minutes and was drenched in sweat."
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Naturally, the advent of husband storage pods has triggered a flurry of laughter and lively discussions on Chinese social media platforms. Supporters applaud the initiative, believing that these futuristic sanctuaries will incentivize men to accompany their partners on shopping sprees and even foot the bill.

Whether you see them as a stroke of genius or a questionable ploy, there's no denying that these husband storage pods have stirred up a frenzy of excitement and ignited the imagination of shoppers everywhere. Who knows, perhaps this playful concept will spark a trend that spreads beyond the mall's walls and inject a dose of gaming thrill into shopping trips worldwide.

This Mall in China Offers "Husbands Storage" While Their Wives Shop

ABCNews

For the first time in its nearly 100-year history, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has welcomed a second baby elephant in a single calendar year — and zoo officials are calling it a major win for conservation.

Late Tuesday night, 38-year-old Phoebe gave birth to a 222-pound (100-kilogram) male Asian elephant calf at 10:41 p.m. The zoo says both mother and baby are doing well, though they’re not yet on public display. For now, they’ll remain behind the scenes to allow for uninterrupted bonding time and close monitoring by the zoo’s animal care and conservation medicine teams.

Staff will watch as the calf begins to stand, nurse, and get used to his surroundings in these first critical days.

The newborn’s father, Sabu, lives at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. His pairing with Phoebe was part of a nationwide effort to support healthy, genetically diverse populations of endangered species, including Asian elephants, in professional care.

Although conservation efforts have made some progress in protecting wild Asian elephants, they remain endangered due to ongoing habitat loss and limited genetic diversity.

This latest birth adds to Phoebe’s growing family, which already includes three other offspring — two females and one male. One of them, 16-year-old Sunny, gave birth to her own calf, Rita Jean, just four months ago.

With two calves born in the same year, the zoo is celebrating a rare and hopeful milestone for a species facing serious threats in the wild.

The Columbus Zoo says it will continue to share updates about the new baby, including when the public can meet him and what his name will be. Until then, all eyes are on mom and baby as they begin their journey together.

Columbus Zoo Welcomes Second Asian Elephant Calf This Year

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Just weeks after opening Aunt Jamie’s Frozen Custard & Waffles in St. Louis, Aaron Roesch has already built a tight bond with the local kids — a bond that may have saved his shop from a break-in.

One afternoon, regular customers Adonis, 9, and 10-year-old Jayceon “JC” walked over hoping to grab a treat. But something felt off.

“We came out here to try to buy some ice cream, and his window was just shattered,” Adonis told Fox 2. “So we just started hearing noise, and I said, ‘Who’s in here?’”

The boys spotted a broken window and realized someone was inside. They tried calling Aaron but couldn’t reach him — so Adonis did the next best thing: he called the police.

The boys waited nearby, keeping an eye on the situation until officers arrived and arrested the suspect. No one was hurt, and thanks to their quick thinking, nothing else was taken or damaged.

“If I didn’t have a friendship with these kids, that guy would have walked away scot-free,” Aaron said.

For JC, it was personal. “I don’t know why people do this to him… he is a nice guy, he shouldn’t be treated how people treat him,” he said.

The story quickly gained traction online, with dozens of viewers praising the boys’ courage and the parenting behind it.

“Awesome job boys, stepping up and doing the right thing,” one commenter wrote. “Good to know there are parents still trying to bring their children up right.”

Another added: “I hope the police made sure the boys got their ice cream. Heroes they are!”

Aaron agrees. His shop may serve waffles and frozen custard, but its heart is in the relationships being built — and protected — one scoop at a time.

Local Boys Hailed As Heroes After Foiling Burglary At Ice Cream Shop

BBC News

A few years ago, Presley was being bullied and thrown into bins at school. Now, the 17-year-old from Burnley has lifted a cricket trophy on national TV — and he’s not stopping there.

Presley, who appeared in the BBC show Freddie Flintoff’s Field of Dreams, said cricket helped transform his life. “I went from class clown to lifting a cricket trophy on national TV,” he told BBC Radio Lancashire.

The programme, led by former England captain Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, follows a group of boys from disadvantaged backgrounds around Manchester as they form a cricket team from scratch. Presley quickly stood out — not just for his skills, but for his leadership. He was named captain and led his team to victory.

“That moment showed me the power of sport — especially for kids like me who don’t always ‘fit in’,” he said. “Cricket changed my life.”

Presley’s story isn’t just about personal triumph. It’s now about making sure others get the same chance he did.

“I’m on a mission to carry on Freddie’s legacy,” he said. “Bringing cricket into schools and helping young people find confidence through sport. No matter where you start, you can change your destination.”

He’s already begun working with local schools, including Blessed Trinity in Burnley, and is earning his coaching badges. His goal? To get cricket onto the national curriculum.

Presley knows that’s a tough ask. “It’s a very expensive sport,” he said. “The bat’s over £400, you’ve got about £150 worth of protective gear, and on top of that you’ve got your training kit. With football, all you need is boots and a ball.”

But he’s not backing down. “It’s a challenge and I like challenges,” he said. “I want to inspire others to give cricket a go.”

From being laughed at to leading a team in front of millions, Presley says it’s all down to the sport that gave him purpose — and the coach who believed in him. Now, he’s hoping to pass that on.

From ‘Class Clown’ to Cricket Captain: Teen Star Presley Wants to Bring the Game to Every School

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Five years ago, Kirsty Southern spotted a man pinned under a car and rushed to help. This month, she married him — and posed for wedding photos at the very spot where they met.

Back then, Kirsty had just left a swimming class in Coventry, England, when she saw a man being run over by a car — not once, but twice. “From where the swimming pool was I glanced up and saw this man go under a car,” she told Southwest News Service. “He was banging on the side of the car. Some lady was screaming she was a first aider and I went behind him to tell him to lean on me to make him comfortable.”

The man was Ryan McLeod. With his leg crushed and emergency services stuck in gridlocked traffic, Kirsty sat on the ground and cradled his head for nearly 40 minutes, reassuring him as best she could. At one point, the panicked driver reversed over his leg a second time in an attempt to free him.

“I was run over twice, but I only remember being pinned down and banging,” McLeod recalled. “I didn’t see Kirsty’s face as she was sat behind me propping me up.”

Kirsty remembered a few things clearly — including that he was, in her words, very attractive. “I even checked if he was wearing a wedding ring,” she said.

McLeod’s ankle was badly torn in the accident and he lost some range of motion in his foot. After reconstructive surgery, he continued with physiotherapy and now wears an ankle support. But despite the lingering pain, he said he wouldn’t change a thing.

“I still struggle, wear an ankle support, and have regular physio. But it’s how I met my wife so I’d say it was worth it.”

The two lost contact at first. But from his hospital bed, McLeod posted on Facebook, asking for witnesses to the crash to come forward. Kirsty saw the post, recognized his name — and reached out. What started with a message quickly turned into long conversations, socially distanced dates, and eventually, moving in together.

“I had a little Facebook look as I knew his name afterwards. I didn’t message him, just a look,” Kirsty admitted. “Then we started chatting.”

After four years together, McLeod proposed during a weekend getaway. And yes — given his injury, Kirsty briefly worried about him getting down on one knee.

This month, they tied the knot. And for their wedding photos, there was only one place that made sense: the pedestrian crossing where their paths first crossed — one of them lying on the pavement, the other holding his head.

“It is a lovely story, and we still don’t quite believe it,” said Kirsty. “Married life is like living in a cosy love story. We’re in a beautiful bubble together, and it’s absolute bliss.”

Couple Marries at Crash Site Where They First Met After a Car Accident

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When Tiffany opened her backyard pool for the summer, she wasn’t expecting to share it — let alone give it up — to a family of ducks. But when a female duck made herself at home near the water, Tiffany welcomed her with a bag of duck feed and a lot of curiosity.

Not long after, she noticed something new: the duck was nesting. Before long, seven fluffy ducklings had hatched, right as Tiffany’s plum tree began dropping ripe fruit into the pool.

With hatchlings now living in her yard, Tiffany made a key decision. She stopped putting chlorine in the water, knowing it would be safer for the ducklings to swim in a chemical-free pool. Baby ducks are capable swimmers just days after hatching, and by two weeks old, Tiffany said they had become "seasoned professionals."

What followed was something out of a nature documentary — or a children’s book. The plums would fall into the pool, sink to the bottom, and the ducklings, now confident swimmers, began diving for them. One by one, they’d pop up with a piece of fruit in their beaks, sometimes sharing it with their siblings. Tiffany described it as nothing short of heart-melting.

Mama Duck has stayed close the entire time, watching over her ducklings with care. To help the little family along, Tiffany set up a splash pad on her deck with clean water for the ducklings to play in, and installed floating ramps to help them get in and out of the main pool.

“I’m not using the pool this summer,” Tiffany said, “but watching them has been completely worth it.”

The ducklings are expected to stay about six weeks before they’re ready to fly off. In the meantime, Tiffany has been documenting their daily adventures on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook — and gathering quite a few fans along the way.

This Woman Welcomed a Duck Family to Her Pool —Now, She Loves Watching Them Grow

Florida pets embraced the Halloween spirit with some adorable costumes at this year’s Fantasy Fest Pet Masquerade on October 22.

Footage posted by Florida Keys News Bureau shows pets and owners take to the stage in costumes inspired by celebrities, fantasy films, and pop culture.

Notable contenders included a chihuahua sporting a snazzy Elvis Presley costume, as well as a woman and her cat in Cleopatra-inspired outfits.

Part of the 10-day Fantasy Fest event, the contest raises money for rescued and adopted animals, according to local news reports. This year’s event will continue through Sunday, October 26.

Florida pets embraced the Halloween spirit with some adorable costumes at this year’s Fantasy Fest Pet Masquerade on October 22.Footage posted by Florida Keys News Bureau shows pets and owners take to the stage in costumes inspired by celebrities, fantasy films, and pop culture.Notable contenders included a chihuahua sporting a snazzy Elvis Presley costume, as well as a woman and her cat in Cleopatra-inspired outfits.Part of the 10-day Fantasy Fest event, the contest raises money for rescued and adopted animals, according to local news reports. This year’s event will continue through Sunday, October 26.

Florida Pets Dazzle in Adorable Costumes at Fantasy Fest Pet Masquerade

A British teacher has shattered the women’s world record at one of the toughest endurance races in the world — running nearly 400 miles over the course of four sleepless days.

Sarah Perry, 34, from Cockermouth in Cumbria, completed 95 laps of a 6.7km (4.167 mile) loop — one lap every hour on the hour — at the Backyard Ultra Individual World Championships in Tennessee this week.

That totals more than 395 miles (over 635 kilometers) in 95 hours, with almost no sleep. Representing the UK and one of just four women among 72 runners, Perry finished as the “last woman standing,” smashing the previous women’s record of 87 laps and also beating the UK all-time record — previously set by Matt Blackburn.

“I love entering races or challenges that I am not certain I can complete,” Perry said after the race.

The Backyard Ultra format is as punishing as it is simple: runners complete one 4.167-mile loop every hour. If you don’t finish in time, you’re out. The event goes on until only one runner remains. In Perry’s case, she stopped at 95 laps due to a back injury — but not before cementing her place in ultramarathon history.

“My back went and I ended up doing the last lap kind of bent over at a 90 degree angle,” she said.

With no time for long breaks, Perry managed only brief moments of rest. “I kind of mastered a slightly faster night lap, and then coming in and closing my eyes for, like, five to 10 minutes of sleep,” she said. “You feel fine while you’re running and as soon as you stop you sort of realise how bad you feel.”

Despite falling just short of her goal to complete 100 laps, Perry walked away with two new records — and plenty of exhaustion. “It was amazing,” she said, “but I just need to catch up on sleep and come to terms with what I have achieved.”

Teacher Breaks Women's Ultra Marathon Record, Covering 400 Miles

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Atlanta just hit a major milestone in its fight against homelessness and rising rents — and it started with a 1960s motel.

In the city’s Reynoldstown neighborhood, an aging two-story motel has been transformed into The Ralph David House, a 56-unit affordable housing complex now home to residents who were previously unhoused. It’s the first adaptive reuse development along the Atlanta Beltline, the city’s 22-mile multi-use trail and transit corridor that’s becoming a hub for more than just joggers and cyclists.

“Once an aging 1960s era [motel] is now a driving community for our city’s most vulnerable residents that need it the most,” said Mayor Andre Dickens at the project’s opening. “We delivered affordable housing faster and more efficiently, proving that creative solutions can drive real results.”

The project is part of a broader push to create more than 5,000 affordable homes by 2030. As of now, the city is already 69% of the way to meeting that goal. The new development is specifically reserved for those making 30% or less of the area’s median income, with priority given to those who were recently unhoused. Rent, including utilities, is capped at 30% of each tenant’s income. The site also includes an on-site social worker's office for ongoing support.

To bring the project to life, the Atlanta Beltline invested $500,000 toward the renovation, with additional funding from the Atlanta Affordable Housing Fund, City of Atlanta HOME funds, Partners for HOME’s HomeFirst program, and Housing Choice Vouchers from Atlanta Housing.

“This is the first time the Atlanta Beltline has invested in this kind of project,” said Clyde Higgs, president and CEO of the Beltline. “We saw this as a catalytic opportunity to continue guiding equitable, inclusive, and sustainable development in Atlanta, which has many historically disinvested neighborhoods.”

The development is named after Ralph David Abernathy, the civil rights leader and close friend of Martin Luther King Jr., tying the project to a legacy of justice and equality. That legacy continues today — the building now offers safe, stable housing to a group of residents that will largely be made up of low-income BIPOC individuals.

The project comes at a time when Atlanta, like many cities across the U.S., is facing a severe housing shortage. Between 2018 and 2023, the Atlanta metro area lost more than 200,000 affordable housing units, leaving thousands of low-income renters struggling to find homes.

But with projects like The Ralph David House and continued investment in Beltline-adjacent housing, the city is showing how creativity and commitment can turn overlooked spaces into opportunity — and offer a lifeline to those who need it most.

Historic Motel Transforms Into Vibrant Affordable Housing Named After Civil Rights Icon

A fisherman from the UK is turning the tide on plastic pollution with a kitchen-born invention that’s now attracting backing from global giants like Mercedes Benz and L’Oréal.

Ian Falconer, a longtime skipper, was fed up with the sight of discarded nylon fishing nets piling up on harbors across southwest England. Most nets, he said, are replaced every six months and then either tossed in the sea, burned, or buried in landfills. The result: a mountain of plastic waste and serious harm to marine wildlife.

So he decided to do something about it.

After experimenting in his kitchen with old nets given to him by the harbor master in Newlyn, Falconer developed a method to turn discarded nylon fishing nets into raw plastic pellets. His startup, 0rCA, now uses patented recycling technology to process up to 1 metric ton of netting per day.

The resulting pellets can be used just like virgin plastic — for injection molding, 3D printing, or even to make products like lampshades and razor handles. It’s an approach that’s gaining serious attention. Falconer has already raised more than $1.35 million in investment from companies including Phillips and L’Oréal.

“The beauty of it is that it all fits in a shipping container and pretty much anyone can operate it,” Falconer told The Guardian. “So you could have one of these at every harbor around the world, converting a costly and hazardous waste into a profitable raw material.”

And that’s exactly what 0rCA is now offering: a plug-and-play recycling micro-factory, shipped in a single container and priced at $500,000. The idea is to bring the solution directly to the ports where the waste is generated — and stop it before it reaches the ocean.

Globally, the scale of the problem is enormous. Falconer estimates that about one million tons of fishing nets are wasted every year. While nylon is a strong and effective fishing material, it doesn’t stay invisible forever. After several months in the sea, the fibers develop a layer of algae and lose their original blue tint. That cloudiness makes the nets more visible to fish, which means a drop in catch rates — and a reason for skippers to discard them.

In most cases, those nets aren’t recycled. In fact, only a small fraction of nylon fishing nets in the UK ever are. That’s what Falconer wants to change, not just in Cornwall, but at fishing harbors worldwide.

By transforming something harmful into something valuable, he’s proving that even waste can be a resource, if you have the right tools.

This Innovation Is Transforming Discarded Fishing Nets Into 3D Printer Filament

People

At Smithills Open Farm in Bolton, England, one little rabbit is proving that fitting in doesn’t require being born the same as everyone else — sometimes, it just takes a bit of yarn and heart.

Van Gogh, a gray rabbit born without ears, stood out in his litter not just for his missing appendages, but for the special attention he’s since received. One of the farmers at Smithills — who also runs a crocheted scrunchie business — decided to craft him a custom pair of soft, pink-and-gray ears to help him feel more included with his siblings.

“Knowing one of our farmers crochets on the side, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to make Van Gogh feel more included with his siblings,” said Caitlyn, a spokesperson for the farm, in an interview with SWNS.

The farm shared a video on TikTok showing the moment Van Gogh tried on his new ears. The clip begins with the bunny nestled among his siblings — all shades of cream and gray — before cutting to the star of the show wearing his fluffy crocheted ears, tied gently with a bow under his chin. With his new accessory, Van Gogh confidently hopped around, his handmade ears flopping in time.

Born about four months ago, Van Gogh’s condition is still a bit of a mystery. “He was born earless, but we don’t really know why,” said Caitlyn. “Luckily, it hasn’t affected his hearing, so it’s a purely aesthetic issue.”

And while the ears are just for fun — and only worn briefly under farmer supervision — they’ve made a lasting impression.

Smithills Open Farm is home to a variety of animals including donkeys, pigs, cows, llamas, and more. But lately, it’s Van Gogh and his one-of-a-kind look who’s stealing hearts — proving that sometimes, a small gesture can go a long way in helping someone feel like they belong.

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