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In 1870, a former slave and Union soldier staked a homestead in Nebraska; drought and grasshoppers cost him the claim, but he eventually owned more than 2,000 acres

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In 1870, a former slave and Union soldier staked a homestead in Nebraska; drought and grasshoppers cost him the claim, but he eventually owned more than 2,000 acres

Homestead soddy in Box Butte County. Source: History Nebraska – Nebraska.gov In 1870, Robert Ball Anderson, a former slave and Union Army veteran, filed a claim for a 160-acre homestead in Butler County, Nebraska. Severe drought and grasshopper swarms destroyed his crops, forcing him to give up the property.Instead of abandoning his goals, Anderson spent … Read more

In 1974, Vietnam veteran Kenneth Deardorff moved to Alaska looking for work; 14 years later, he became the last person in US history to receive a homestead title

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In 1974, Vietnam veteran Kenneth Deardorff moved to Alaska looking for work; 14 years later, he became the last person in US history to receive a homestead title

Vietnam veteran Kenneth Deardorff arrived in Alaska in 1974 with a geography degree and plans to find work with the US Geological Survey or another employer. Instead, the California native became fascinated by the idea of building a life in the state’s remote wilderness. He travelled to the Bureau of Land Management office in Anchorage, … Read more

Random Musing: The UK ‘PM-in-waiting’ just beat a guy wearing a trash can – and that sums up post-Brexit politics

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Random Musing: The UK 'PM-in-waiting' just beat a guy wearing a trash can – and that sums up post-Brexit politics

Candidate Count Binface poses for the media during the Clacton by-election count at the Leisure Centre in Clacton on Sea, England, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026.(AP Photo/Richard Pelham) Ever since the Brexit referendum – called by a Prime Minister who had to maintain a stiff upper lip about whether he had any coital relations with a … Read more

An unthinkable crime shatters an Indian family in US— and raises questions about AI

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An unthinkable crime shatters an Indian family in US— and raises questions about AI

Indian-origin teenager charged with double murder of mother, brother in Massachusetts. TOI Corrrespondent from Washington: Before police found his mother and younger brother dead inside their quiet suburban home in Acton, outside Boston, 17-year-old Arjun Aravind had allegedly been exploring a dark world online – using the internet and ChatGPT to search for ideas and … Read more

Male redback spiders somersault directly towards a female’s fangs during mating; scientists found the bizarre behaviour may come from surprisingly simple genetics

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Male redback spiders somersault directly towards a female’s fangs during mating; scientists found the bizarre behaviour may come from surprisingly simple genetics

Breeding scheme to produce backcross males and (b) possible inheritance patterns of self-sacrificial mating traits. Credit: Biology Letters (2026) Male Australian redback spiders perform an acrobatic somersault during mating that sends their abdomen directly toward the female’s fangs. Scientists have now found that this deadly self-sacrifice behavior comes from a surprisingly simple genetic region.In a … Read more

Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei strips daughter-in-law Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah of royal title over ‘unbecoming’ conduct; no divorce yet announced from Prince Abdul Malik

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Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei strips daughter-in-law Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah of royal title over ‘unbecoming’ conduct; no divorce yet announced from Prince Abdul Malik

Brunei’s Sultan revokes daughter-in-law’s royal title over ‘unbecoming’ conduct. Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei has stripped his daughter-in-law, Pengiran Raabi’atul Adawiyyah, of her royal title, with the country’s Office of the Grand Chamberlain saying her conduct was deemed “unbecoming” of a spouse of a member of the royal family. The decree, issued on Saturday, August … Read more

In 2017, conservationists began moving young ospreys from Scotland to Dorset; five years later they bred in southern England for the first time since 1847

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In 2017, conservationists began moving young ospreys from Scotland to Dorset; five years later they bred in southern England for the first time since 1847

Dorset Osprey. Credit: Birds of Poole Harbour In 2017, conservationists began moving young ospreys from Scotland to Dorset. Five years later, the birds bred in southern England for the first time since 1847. A long-term study led by Bournemouth University (BU) has now shown why the project worked and how similar methods could help birds … Read more

France’s top court blocks under-15 social media ban, cites constitutional concerns

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France’s top court blocks under-15 social media ban, cites constitutional concerns

The court said the law did not provide sufficient safeguards for users’ privacy while disproportionately restricting freedom of expression. France’s top court on Friday blocked the law that would have banned children under 15 from using social media, saying some of its provisions infringed on fundamental freedoms and failed to provide adequate privacy safeguards.The Constitutional … Read more

Drugged, robbed & killed: Romanian couple jailed in UK for 17 years over fatal honeytrap scheme

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Drugged, robbed & killed: Romanian couple jailed in UK for 17 years over fatal honeytrap scheme

Romanian couple Madalin Dumitru and Adina Mihai jailed for 17 years. A Romanian couple who drugged men with a powerful sedative before stealing from them have each been jailed for 17 years after admitting responsibility for the deaths of two victims.Adina Mihai, 31, and Madalin Dumitru, 30, admitted the manslaughter of Gary Mouat, 37, from … Read more