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Stolen Spanish Artwork Reclaimed, Returned to Owners
Spain's culture ministry has begun returning over 5,000 items taken by the Franco regime, starting with a painting confiscated 84 years ago. The ministry published an online list of plundered items to help families reclaim their property after the Civil War. The first looted work, a portrait of Francisco Giner de los Ríos, was returned to its rightful owners at the National Library of Spain this week. Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun emphasized the importance of restoring these pieces as an act of reparation for victims of the Franco dictatorship.
Score (97)
Scientists Develop Breakthrough Treatment That Kills Cancer Cells With Light
A team of US researchers has developed a new light-based cancer treatment that could one day offer a gentler, less invasive alternative to chemotherapy and radiotherapy — using something as simple as an LED. Their technique, tested in lab studies, uses near-infrared LED light combined with microscopic flakes of tin oxide, or SnOx nanoflakes, to kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. In early results, it destroyed up to 92 percent of skin cancer cells within half an hour, without damaging surrounding tissue. The approach builds on a growing body of research into photothermal therapy — a treatment that uses light to heat and destroy tumors. But unlike traditional versions that rely on powerful and expensive lasers, this method swaps them out for affordable, portable LEDs. The real breakthrough, researchers say, is how they’ve engineered the nanoflakes to absorb light efficiently and convert it into heat. That heat is then used to destroy cancer cells from the inside out. “We’re seeing extremely high selectivity,” the team said in a summary of the research. “Healthy human skin cells were unaffected.” Photothermal therapy isn’t new, but previous versions often lacked precision and came with side effects. Lasers can penetrate deep into tissue but can also burn or damage healthy areas. They require specialized facilities and are rarely used outside major hospitals. LEDs, by contrast, emit a gentler, broader spectrum of light. They’re safer, cheaper and easier to use — which could make this kind of cancer treatment far more accessible. In practice, the system would work like this: patients would receive the SnOx nanoflakes, which naturally seek out and attach to cancer cells. Then, a small LED device — even something as simple as a patch — could be applied to the skin. The LED light activates the nanoflakes, heating them up just enough to rupture cancer cells, leaving healthy tissue intact. This makes it particularly promising for surface-level cancers like melanoma or basal cell carcinoma. After surgical removal, doctors could use LED therapy to target any cancer cells left behind, reducing the chance of recurrence — all without drugs or additional hospital stays. What makes the tin oxide nanoflakes special is how they’re made. Researchers started with tin disulfide, a compound often used in electronics, and converted it into oxygenated tin oxide. That transformation significantly improves its ability to absorb near-infrared light, making it a better “heater” under LED exposure. And because the process uses water-based, non-toxic methods, it’s safe, low-cost, and scalable. The team believes this kind of system could one day be used in outpatient clinics — or even at home. They’re also exploring how it might work in combination with other cancer treatments. Heating up tumor cells makes them more vulnerable to immunotherapy or targeted drugs. It also appears to trigger immune responses that help the body fight off cancer more effectively. “This opens the door to combination therapies,” the researchers said. There’s still a long way to go. So far, the treatment has only been tested in lab conditions. Human trials are years away. But the early results are promising enough that researchers are now experimenting with how the nanoflakes behave under different wavelengths of light, how long the exposure should be, and whether similar materials could be used to reach deeper cancers, like breast or colorectal tumors. They’re even looking into implantable devices that could deliver ongoing photothermal treatment from inside the body. But perhaps the most exciting part is how accessible this could be. LED technology is already cheap and widespread. With a treatment like this, doctors in low-resource regions — or even patients at home — could someday fight early-stage cancers without relying on complex hospital infrastructure. That accessibility, combined with the treatment’s safety profile, could change the game. Unlike chemo, which affects the whole body, or radiation, which can scar and fatigue healthy tissue, this method affects only what it touches. There’s no systemic toxicity, no immune suppression, and far fewer side effects. Cancer cells also tend to be more sensitive to heat than healthy ones. Their fast-growing nature and chaotic metabolism make them vulnerable to thermal stress, meaning even small increases in heat can cause them to break down. The result is a precise, targeted attack — one that doesn’t come at the cost of damaging the rest of the body. The next step will be moving from lab to clinic. But the idea is clear: a future where cancer treatment is simpler, safer, and maybe even as easy as turning on a light.
Score (90)
Edinburgh Zoo Shares Incredible Video of Giraffe Anesthesia Procedure
Edinburgh Zoo released some fascinating footage showing just how much work goes into anesthetizing a giraffe. The video on X captures the process of examining Gilbert, a giraffe with mysterious swelling on his face. The animal-care team at the zoo put in some serious effort to keep things running smoothly. They massaged Gilbert's long legs and used elastic bands to promote blood flow during the procedure, according to a comment from the zoo under their post. After the examination, the team carefully folded his legs and guided him into a seated position before quickly exiting the enclosure. It was no small feat and took weeks of planning and coordination by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), as stated in the zoo’s press release. Despite all this effort, they didn't find out what caused Gilbert's facial swelling. However, vet Harry Winrow offered an interesting thought; he suggested lifestyle might be to blame since Gilbert “quickly refilled his cheek pouch with food right after it was emptied!” Gilbert thankfully made a full recovery after the procedure.
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Score (96)
Colorado Deputies Just Rescued This Deer That Got Stuck in a Tomato Cage
Animal control officers in Colorado responded to a unique call when homeowners spotted a doe stuck in a structure that had been supporting their tomato plants. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, an adult female mule deer had “decided to explore the latest in suburban fashion: a 4-panel wire tomato tower” and found herself trapped in the metal garden structure, trying to flee from officers with it still around her neck. Officers managed to carefully free her from the trellis before she got too far, “hopefully to rethink her gardening decisions,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. They added: “Reminder: Tomato towers are for tomatoes, not deer couture. Secure your garden gear and call us if animals need help.” Body-worn camera footage shows Officers McMullen and Bennett responding to the scene in Littleton, south of Denver, on September 15. High-fiving each other after the exhausting work of chasing down and freeing the deer, one officer is heard telling the other, “We don’t need deputies!”
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This Teenager is Being Hailed as a Hero After Pulling His Neighbor from a Burning Home in Pennsylvania
A 15-year-old boy from North Braddock, Pennsylvania is being celebrated as a hometown hero after rescuing his elderly neighbor from a house fire. Xaiveyon McMillan Taylor had just stepped off his school bus when he heard screams nearby. Without hesitation, he ran toward the sound — and found his neighbor’s home on fire. The woman, known in the community as “Ms. Evelyn,” is in her 80s and has dementia. “She’s everybody’s family. Everybody’s grandmother,” said Xaiveyon’s mother, Tallula Thompson, in an interview with KDKA. Thompson said her son, who is autistic, didn’t panic. “He’s very intelligent, but he’s never experienced anything like this before. So, he tried to put it out, and when he couldn’t, he pulled her out of the house.” “When I got to the kitchen, I saw the engulfing flames,” Xaiveyon told the station. “They were small, and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I had to grab her by the hand and pull her out.” Neighbors say Ms. Evelyn tried to go back inside several times before finally being convinced to stay out. Her home was a total loss, but thanks to Xaiveyon’s quick actions, she made it out safely. “Evelyn threw her arms around him and thanked him so graciously for saving her,” said neighbor Tracy Musilek. “Xaiveyon is our hero.” The teen admitted he was “a bit” scared, but said he feels like a hero because he got to “help other people.” His mother agreed. “I’m very proud of what he’s done,” Thompson said. “Who knows, if she didn’t call him up there, she might have still been in there trying to do it herself — and we might have lost her.”
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Scientists Discover Life's Building Blocks Frozen Beyond The Milky Way
Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have made a major discovery: the frozen ingredients for life—complex organic molecules—have been detected in another galaxy for the first time. Led by Marta Sewiło of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland, a team of researchers identified several prebiotic compounds trapped in ice around a young star in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), a dwarf galaxy located about 160,000 light-years from Earth. Among the molecules found were ethanol, acetaldehyde, and methyl formate—each detected in ice form for the first time beyond the Milky Way. The team also identified acetic acid, a key compound that, until now, had never been conclusively spotted in ice anywhere in space. “With this discovery,” Sewiło said, “we've made significant advancements in understanding how complex chemistry emerges in the Universe and opening new possibilities for research into how life came to be.” These molecules, known as complex organic molecules or COMs, are significant because they serve as precursors to life-forming compounds such as amino acids and nucleobases. COMs contain at least six atoms, including at least one carbon atom, and are considered essential ingredients in the chemistry that may one day lead to life. Finding them outside the Milky Way is not just a novelty—it’s a sign that the conditions needed to form life’s basic building blocks exist in vastly different parts of the Universe. The star at the center of the study is known as ST6. It’s located in a region of the LMC called N158, near the well-known Tarantula Nebula. Using JWST’s mid-infrared capabilities, the team examined the light passing through the icy material surrounding ST6 and searched for patterns that matched known molecular fingerprints. Each molecule absorbs light at specific wavelengths, leaving distinct imprints on the light spectrum. By comparing those patterns with lab-based databases, the team was able to identify the molecular mix within the ice. The data revealed methanol, ethanol, acetaldehyde, methyl formate, and acetic acid, confirming that these compounds form not only in our metal-rich, dust-heavy galaxy but also in harsher, less forgiving environments like the LMC. That’s especially intriguing because the LMC is different from the Milky Way in several key ways. It has only about a third to half the abundance of heavy elements—what astronomers call “metals”—and far less dust. It also has intense star formation activity, which bathes its clouds in high levels of ultraviolet radiation. Despite those challenges, grain-surface chemistry—the process believed to create these complex molecules—is still active. In this process, tiny dust particles in space become coated in ice. Within that ice, atoms and simple molecules can move and interact, forming more complex compounds when energized by cosmic radiation. Until now, acetic acid had only been detected in vapor form in space. Seeing it frozen supports earlier models that predicted it would form on ice-coated dust grains and play a role in assembling life’s precursors. The findings also raise broader questions. Is ST6 unique, or are such chemical reactions widespread across the LMC? To find out, the team plans to look at more young stars in the dwarf galaxy to see if the same molecular patterns appear elsewhere. “We currently only have one source in the Large Magellanic Cloud and only four sources with detection of these complex organic molecules in ices in the Milky Way,” Sewiło said. “We need larger samples from both to confirm our initial results that indicate differences in COM abundances between these two galaxies.” If those patterns hold, the implications could be vast: life’s building blocks may not just be common in our galaxy—they could be a universal feature of star and planet formation, even in places with very different chemistry. The research was published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
Score (98)
Columbus Zoo Welcomes Second Asian Elephant Calf This Year
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.
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Local Boys Hailed As Heroes After Foiling Burglary At Ice Cream Shop
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.
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From ‘Class Clown’ to Cricket Captain: Teen Star Presley Wants to Bring the Game to Every School
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.
Score (97)
Couple Marries at Crash Site Where They First Met After a Car Accident
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.”
Score (99)
This Woman Welcomed a Duck Family to Her Pool —Now, She Loves Watching Them Grow
ChatGPT said: 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.