Category: News

Conservationists hope the birth of a monkey will help raise awareness of a “vulnerable” breed threatened by deforestation of its habitat.

Northumberland College Zoo at Kirkley Hall, Ponteland, welcomed a new baby Goeldi’s monkey as part of its conservation breeding programme and the zoo said it was “thriving”.

The species is classed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and sits on the organisation’s Red List of Threatened Species.

The zoo said it wanted to contribute to the Goeldi’s monkey population through its breeding programme and raise awareness of the “stunning primates”.

A British father and son are hoping to set two new world records by embarking on a year-long bike ride around the world.

George Kohler, 56 and his son Joshua, 22, from Norfolk in East Anglia, will cycle 30,000km (18,641 miles) through 29 countries across four continents while fundraising for Unicef.

The adventurous duo, who previously cycled across the United States in 2022, will bike through Europe, Asia, Australia and South America over the course of a year.

The pair, who will take on the challenge while carrying all their kit on their bikes, are hoping to set two Guinness World Records – the longest distance cycled and the fastest circumnavigation of the world by a father and son on bikes.

They plan to set off from Norfolk to Harwich in Essex on March 29 and take the ferry to the Hook of Holland where they will kick off the European leg of their tour.

“The sheer scale of the challenge is incredible, with us encountering diverse cultures, remote landscapes and dangerous wildlife,” George Kohler told the PA news agency.

Mr Kohler, who served in the British military for 27 years until 2014, before setting up a chimney sweeping business, says he is looking forward to sharing this experience with his son.

“I know we will face huge adversity on this adventure, but I’m looking forward to seeing how our relationship develops as it’s tested to its limits.

“There are times where we will be at each other’s throats, I’ve got no doubt about that, but there will be times where we will share the most amazing joy together with the most amazing people.”

The pair will encounter a diverse range of landscapes, from the familiar architecture of Europe to the Silk Road of Tajikistan, to the vast expanses of China and the jungles of south-east Asia, to the majestic mountains of New Zealand and the Andes.

Mr Kohler said he is most nervous about cycling across the Pamir Highway, which runs through Central Asia and the Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia.

“There’s an element through the Stans called the Pamir Highway, which is part of the old Silk Route,” he said.

“It’s the second highest highway in the world, and it’s supposed to be absolutely stunning as a cycling route, but clearly very high altitude, very remote.

“It’s a mixture of excitement to go into that level of remoteness, but also a bit of trepidation on something that’s going to be quite tough, physically and emotionally to get through.”

Regarding the Nullarbor Plain, a flat, arid landscape which spans 746 miles at its widest point, he said: “Anyone who knows that we’re cycling through that thinks we’re nuts as it’s because it’s a treeless desert for miles and miles and miles.

“So there’s a lot of logistics involved in it to make sure we’ve got enough water and food.”

The father and son started cycling together in 2021 as a means of enjoying adventures together.

Later that year the pair cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats and in 2022 they cycled 3,728 miles across the US in just three months.

Joshua Kohler, a content creator and filmmaker, said he is excited to document their journey and to share the experience with his father.

“I am very much looking forward to taking on this challenge with my dad,” he told PA.

“We know there are going to be many ups and downs along the way but this will only strengthen our relationship.

“I also want to inspire others to appreciate the times they have with their parents or children and to make time to do things together.

“We can often get carried away in our own worlds and only realise the importance of these relationships when it may be too late.”

To learn more about George and Joshua Kohler’s cycling challenge you can visit their fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/georgeandjoshpedaltheplanet

In Michigan, United States, a 10-year-old child was crushed to death when his foster mother sat on his head and neck as punishment for “acting bad,” till he stopped moving. The child’s killer, his foster mother, was charged with reckless homicide and has been sentenced to six years in prison, with one year suspended probation.

What happened?

On April 25, 2024, Dakota Levi Stevens, a 10-year-old child, died after his foster mother, 48-year-old Jennifer Lee Wilson, sat on him as a punishment for him “acting bad”. 

Also read | Want to slow your brain’s ageing? Have children, says recent study

Wilson admitted to laying on top of her ward and in a home ring camera footage of the incident, she can be heard saying “I was laying on him, and he was acting bad”.

As per reports, 30 minutes before emergency vehicles reached their home, the young boy, Dakota, ran to a neighbour’s house asking her to adopt him and claimed that his foster parents hit him in the face. 

Wilson brought Dakota home, but claimed that he was “acting bad” and that she was trying to stop him from leaving. As per a Fox5Atlanta report, she told police that “he does not know if she tackled Dakota, or they fell to the ground, however her intention was to hold him”.

Also read | WATCH | 10 people injured as escalator glitch throws them off in Philippines

The woman, who, as per reports, weighs over 150kg, sat on the young boy for around five minutes and only got off him after he stopped moving. When she rolled Dakota over, she noticed that his eyelids were pale, so she began to administer CPR.

Another foster child reportedly called emergency services. However, emergency personnel were unable to resuscitate the young boy. He was found with bruising on his neck and chest and died two days after the incident. It was subsequently revealed that he died of mechanical asphyxia. A CT scan at the hospital showed severe swelling in Dakota’s brain, which could be consistent with being deprived of oxygen for an extended time.

(With inputs from agencies)

People might not have the same opinion on certain things, but that’s okay. The least they can do is be inclusive!

This woman’s parents have strong opinions about her wife. Basically, they don’t approve of her.

When it came to plans for the parents’ anniversary, the daughter finally took a stand.

Check out the full story.

I (32F) have been with my wife, Emily (34F), for five years, married for two.

My parents have never fully accepted my relationship, though they insist they still “love” me.

Things have always been bitter with them…

They didn’t come to our wedding, claiming it was “too painful” for them, but I tried to move past it.

Recently, they asked me to plan their 40th anniversary party.

I handled everything, the venue, catering, guest list, decorations. I spent months making sure it would be a perfect night for them.

This is where it gets bad!

But last week, when I went over final details, my mom casually said, “Of course, Emily won’t be coming.”

I was stunned.

I asked what she meant, and my dad chimed in, saying they “didn’t want any drama” and just wanted a “traditional family celebration.”

She put her foot down.

I told them that if Emily wasn’t invited, I wouldn’t be coming either.

My mom sighed and said, “We just don’t want to make people uncomfortable.”

That broke me.

Make people uncomfortable? My wife, who has done nothing but try to be polite to them isn’t welcome at a party that I organized because they’re worried about appearances?

I told them that if Emily wasn’t welcome, neither was their party.

She did what she had to!

I called the venue and canceled everything.

No caterer, no decorations, no celebration.

My parents freaked out, saying I was being vindictive and punishing them for their “boundaries.”

Her extended family is split on this decision.

My extended family is divided, some say I was right to stand up for Emily, but others think I overreacted and ruined something that wasn’t about me.

Now my parents aren’t speaking to me, and part of me wonders if I did go too far.

I wasn’t trying to be cruel, I just couldn’t justify throwing a party for people who refuse to accept my marriage.

AITA for canceling the event?

YIKES! That must have been pretty rough!

Why can’t the parents understand that Emily is important to their daughter?

Let’s find out what folks on Reddit think about this story.

This user is sorry that the parents are so conservative.

That’s right! This user believes she had every right to cancel the party.

This user supports her fully!

Exactly! This user knows that couples are one unit!

This user thinks she should just let the parents be and move on.

That escalated quickly!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a daughter who invited herself to her parents’ 40th anniversary vacation for all the wrong reasons.

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is the latest to criticise a US influencer whose video of her taking a wild baby wombat away from its distressed mother has angered conservationists.

Albanese suggested that the woman, Sam Jones, tries doing so with animals that “can actually fight back”: “Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there.”

Ms Jones, who calls herself an “outdoor enthusiast and hunter”, was filmed picking up the joey by the road and running across it to a car, while its mother ran after them.

The man filming can be heard laughing: “Look at the mother, it’s chasing after her!” The video, which was filmed in Australia, has since been deleted.

Immigration officials are reviewing Ms Jones’s visa, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told the BBC, following calls for her to be deported.

An online petition supporting Ms Jones’s deportation has received 10,500 signatures so far.

“Given the level of scrutiny that will happen if she ever applies for a visa again, I’ll be surprised if she even bothers,” Burke said in a statement.

Ms Jones’s “appalling” behaviour could have caused severe harm to the wombats, conservationists say.

The Wombat Protection Society said it was shocked to see the “mishandling of a wombat joey in an apparent snatch for ‘social media likes’”.

“[She] then placed the vulnerable baby back onto a country road – potentially putting it at risk of becoming roadkill,” it noted in its statement, adding that it remains unclear if the joey reunited with its mother.

“I caught a baby wombat,” Ms Jones exclaimed in the video, while the joey could be heard hissing and struggling in her grip.

Her caption in the now-deleted post read: “My dream of holding a wombat has been realised! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush.”

“The baby was carefully held for one minute in total and then released back to mom,” she wrote in the comments, responding to criticism.

“They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I don’t ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so.”

Following the backlash, Ms Jones, who has more than 92,000 followers on Instagram, made her account private. But several media outlets had already shared the video – as well as earlier posts, said to be taken in Australia, which show her holding an echidna and a “little shark”.

Wombats, which are native to Australia, are a legally protected species across the country. Baby wombats share a strong bond with their mothers, and any separation can be distressing and harmful, conservationists say.

“Wombats are not a photo prop or plaything,” said Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia, in a statement online.

“It’s just unacceptable, and we’re glad she’s being called to account. Snatching a screaming baby wombat from their mother is not just appalling, it’s very possibly illegal under state or national laws,” Ms Milthrope said.

Some experts believe Ms Jones broke the law because Australia prohibits people from harming or taking native wildlife.

It is only allowed if the joey is in need of help because its mother has died, wildlife veterinarian Tania Bishop told ABC News.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong also weighed in on the “dreadful” video.

“I think everyone who would have seen that would have thought, leave the baby wombat alone. Leave it with its mum,” she told 7News.

Additional reporting by Simon Atkinson

A British father and son are hoping to set two new world records by embarking on a year-long bike ride around the world.

George Kohler, 56 and his son Joshua, 22, from Norfolk in East Anglia, will cycle 30,000km (18,641 miles) through 29 countries across four continents while fundraising for Unicef.

The adventurous duo, who previously cycled across the United States in 2022, will bike through Europe, Asia, Australia and South America over the course of a year.

The pair, who will take on the challenge while carrying all their kit on their bikes, are hoping to set two Guinness World Records – the longest distance cycled and the fastest circumnavigation of the world by a father and son on bikes.

“The sheer scale of the challenge is incredible, with us encountering diverse cultures, remote landscapes and dangerous wildlife,” George Kohler told the PA news agency.

Mr Kohler, who served in the British military for 27 years until 2014, before setting up a chimney sweeping business, says he is looking forward to sharing this experience with his son.

“I know we will face huge adversity on this adventure, but I’m looking forward to seeing how our relationship develops as it’s tested to its limits.

“There are times where we will be at each other’s throats, I’ve got no doubt about that, but there will be times where we will share the most amazing joy together with the most amazing people.”

The pair will encounter a diverse range of landscapes, from the familiar architecture of Europe to the Silk Road of Tajikistan, to the vast expanses of China and the jungles of south-east Asia, to the majestic mountains of New Zealand and the Andes.

Mr Kohler said he is most nervous about cycling across the Pamir Highway, which runs through Central Asia and the Nullarbor Plain in southern Australia.

“There’s an element through the Stans called the Pamir Highway, which is part of the old Silk Route,” he said.

“It’s the second highest highway in the world, and it’s supposed to be absolutely stunning as a cycling route, but clearly very high altitude, very remote.

“It’s a mixture of excitement to go into that level of remoteness, but also a bit of trepidation on something that’s going to be quite tough, physically and emotionally to get through.”

Regarding the Nullarbor Plain, a flat, arid landscape which spans 746 miles at its widest point, he said: “Anyone who knows that we’re cycling through that thinks we’re nuts as it’s because it’s a treeless desert for miles and miles and miles.

“So there’s a lot of logistics involved in it to make sure we’ve got enough water and food.”

The father and son started cycling together in 2021 as a means of enjoying adventures together.

Later that year the pair cycled from Land’s End to John O’ Groats and in 2022 they cycled 3,728 miles across the US in just three months.

“I am very much looking forward to taking on this challenge with my dad,” he told PA.

“We know there are going to be many ups and downs along the way but this will only strengthen our relationship.

“I also want to inspire others to appreciate the times they have with their parents or children and to make time to do things together.

“We can often get carried away in our own worlds and only realise the importance of these relationships when it may be too late.”

To learn more about George and Joshua Kohler’s cycling challenge you can visit their fundraising page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/georgeandjoshpedaltheplanet

OpenAI whistleblower Suchir Balaji’s cause of death has once again been questioned by his mother, who is staying firm on murder conspiracy accusations.
Sharing a photo of Suchir from the day of death, Poornima Rao took to social media platform X, questioning the investigation, claiming the use of sedatives. “Suchir’s picture on the day of his death at 7.30 pm , getting dinner. This is from CCTV footage. OCME saw this video and still concluded he was depressed and called it suicide,” she said in her post.
Further casting doubts, she added, “Another cover by OCME: they stated to our attorney that GHB is endogenous 3 days after death. But we found out that level of endogenous GHB is less than 5000ng/L. A line in autopsy report says that toxicology report will include GHB only if it is more than 50000 Ng/L. Combined with alcohol this is a sedative. With this combination he will be losing muscle control or possibly unconscious. We are waiting for toxicologist to give a written report.”
Later, she made another post alleging that some of the CCTVs near her son’s vicinty, “One more suspensions finding CCTV in garage of Suchir’s apartment and neighbors stopped working. One of the elevator CCTV also stopped working. This m*rder conspiracy is executed over long term planning and watching Suchir.”
She also shared other people’s post who shared her sentiments. One X user identified as Mia Stretch commented, “Suchir DID NOT Take his own Life! Suchir was not depressed—utterly the opposite! He was a fearless force, brimming with fierce determination, unshakable joy, and a blazing vigor, pouring every ounce of his radiant spirit into a relentless pursuit of justice.” In response Ramarao replied, “He was like that since he was born.” “Its staged as suicide we know,” she replied to another user.
Suchir Balaji’s mother has raised concerns over the death in the past as well. In a post on X last month, Poornima Rao wrote “We received the autopsy report last Friday. Our counsel and we disagree with their decision”. She stated that the report contains “tons of inconsistencies” and that its conclusions do not align with the facts.The family has now taken their own steps in the investigation, sending the recovered hair sample for testing. “We are fighting for justice and will not back down,” Ramarao added.
Despite, the allegation, authorities have maintained Balaji’s cause of death a suicide. The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) released a joint statement and a 13-page medical examiner’s report in February, reaffirming their initial finding that Balaji died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, as per Fortune. “The OCME found no evidence or information to establish a cause and manner of death for Mr. Balaji other than a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” the medical examiner’s report stated.“SFPD conducted an independent investigation and based on the information SFPD reviewed, there is insufficient evidence to find Mr. Balaji’s death was the result of a homicide,” it added.
The conspiracy in the case, found backing with Elon Musk also hinting at foul play. “This doesn’t seem like a suicide,” Musk said in a reply to Suchir Balaji’s mother, who at the time also raised doubts on the investigation. Then in January this year, Musk once again called the situation “extremely concerning” while sharing a video from Tucker Carlon’s YouTube channel which also raised doubts on labeling the case a ‘suicide’.

Death of Suchir Balaji

Balaji, prominently -known in the technology industry, earned recognition for his outspoken views against artificial intelligence methodologies.
Excelling in computer science at UC Berkeley, he started working at OpenAI in 2020, contributing to foundational projects that led to ChatGPT’s development. His tenure ended in August when he resigned due to concerns regarding ethical issues surrounding copyright infringement.
“If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company,” he expressed during an interview with The New York Times in October.
Soon after his criticisms went public, he was found dead in his San Francisco residence on November 26, shortly after he celebrated his 26th birthday.

Trending video sharing platform TikTok has announced its decision to introduce new features catered towards parents of teenaged users on the app, as per a report by TechCrunch.

The updates, which seek to ensure a secure environment for teenagers, include the option to view both following and followers lists for the account they are operating, as well as a timer that allows parents to block off their teen from accessing the app at specific hours of the day.

How does it work

Through the app’s Family Pairing feature, parents will be able to access the teen’s following and followers lists, as well as who they have blocked. The company says this will allow teen users to develop digital literacy skills, the report noted.

Interestingly, it pointed out that a teen – when they encounter a piece of content they believe to be in violation of TikTok’s rules – will be able to flag aberrations to their parents even if the latter is not using Family Pairing.

The Time Away feature on the other hand allows parents to block access to the app during any particular time of the day, such as school hours, at night etc. Parents will also be able to set a schedule for a recurrent timer that will automatically block off the teen’s access to TikTok at a specific time.

The company has additionally announced a “wind-down” feature that displays a message reminding teen users to turn off their devices at night.

Henceforth, whenever a teen user under the age of 16 uses TikTok past 10 pm, their For You feed will display a message with relaxing music requesting them to be mindful of the time. If they dismiss the message, the pop-up will appear for a second time.

Lessons in order?

The issue assumes prominence when taking into account fellow social media companies’ struggle with questionable content, like Meta’s longstanding struggles with safety on its platforms, with the latest fiasco involving a sudden appearance of violence and gore-related reels on Instagram that led to the company apologising for the mishap; or YouTube’s algorithm reportedly suggesting teens content related to eating disorders.

Advertisements

Notably, this has not been an isolated incident, with ample coverage of young users facing issues such as sextortion, mental health conditions, and a general demand for changes catered towards teens on its platform being demanded by users and administrations around the world for a while now – something the company now plans to tackle with its teen-only accounts that debuted in the US and were recently rolled out in India as well.

However, it would be worthwhile to note at this point that TikTok saw a slew of similar allegations, and even lawsuits, in the past that accused the platform of having harmful mental health effects on teens.

While there have been occasional extreme scenarios related to TikTok use that made headlines, this is arguably one of the few instances in which the platform announced dedicated efforts to address teen user specific issues and assign parents power over children’s activities – in what can be looked at as a direction that other platforms might follow in times to come.

Also Read:

Coronation Street’s Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown) is left stunned when a loved one makes a seriously unexpected proposal about her unborn baby next week. 

The character found out she was pregnant last year after the murder of her evil ex-fiancé Joel Deering (Calum Lill), who she’d slept with after their break-up.

Given his heinous crimes, Dee-Dee did not want to keep the baby and had planned to have an abortion. But she eventually decided to go through with her pregnancy after learning that Lauren Bolton’s (Cait Fitton) baby son Frankie needed a bone marrow transplant. 

Frankie was born after Joel groomed and abused Lauren, meaning Dee-Dee’s unborn baby is its half-sibling and would therefore likely be a donor match for Frankie. 

However, there is a change of plan next week when Lauren reveals they’ve found another donor for Frankie, meaning he won’t have to wait until her baby is born for the transplant. 

Having only decided to keep her baby in order to help Frankie, Dee-Dee is upset but masks her emotions in front of Lauren. 

But she’s later thrown a huge curveball from her brother James Bailey, who returns to the cobbles next week with Jason Callender taking over the role from previous actor Nathan Graham.

James suggests to his sister that he and his boyfriend Danny – who he has been living with in the US since his exit in 2022 – could adopt her baby, leaving Dee-Dee stunned. 

Spoilers have revealed that later in the week, Dee-Dee discusses the adoption process with her social worker and confirms that she’d like to arrange a meeting with the prospective parents – but are they James and Danny or another couple?

Upon the news of his casting, Jason revealed his character ‘really wants to be a dad’, adding: ‘James is determined, whatever he puts his mind to he absolutely goes for it.’

Will Dee-Dee agree to the plan?

Coronation Street airs these scenes from Monday 17 March at 8pm on ITV1 or stream first from 7am on ITVX.

If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.

Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.

MORE: Coronation Street star heaps praise on co-star as he exits: ‘You amaze me’

MORE: Coronation Street fans rediscover star’s ‘incredible’ Britain’s Got Talent audition

MORE: Coronation Street’s Cait Fitton shares love for co-star after murder story