A 25-year-old was outbid by $60,000 for a 116-year-old cottage; her handwritten letter convinced the owner to reject higher developer bids and sell it to her

She wrote about her family ties to Malanda, her childhood nearby and her hopes of eventually raising children in the town she had always considered home. The personal appeal made an impression. In a property market where a higher offer can seem impossible to beat, Karli Bryant discovered that sometimes a house is worth more…

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Australian researchers sent edible fungi to the ISS for nearly a month; after returning to Earth, the mushrooms grew and were eaten in pasta |

Representative Image of a rocket carrying mycelium fungi launching into space on a mission to the International Space Station (AI Generated Image) In August 2024, researchers at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia sent 36 small vials containing fungi into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket bound for the International Space Station. The vials…

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Taiwanese students are turning discarded oyster shells and coral waste into 3D-printed structures for damaged reefs |

A group of students in Taiwan has found a way to give discarded shellfish waste a second life beneath the waves. Their project, named Reefvive, takes oyster shells and coral gravel that would otherwise be thrown away and turns them into 3D-printed bases for growing coral. According to the James Dyson Award, the structures have…

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World’s last known wild Chilean tree daisy gets a lifeline as conservationists use ropes to support its only survivor and two seedlings arrive at a Scottish garden |

A rare tree daisy from Chile’s Robinson Crusoe Island is receiving a new lifeline after two seedlings arrived at Logan Botanic Garden in south-west Scotland. Dendroseris neriifolia has been reduced to one known wild tree, which grows on a steep cliff and is supported by ropes to prevent it from falling. Conservationists in Chile and…

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‘Rewards for justice’: US offers $15M for info on Iran’s secretive financial networks

US offers up to $15 million for information on IRGC financial mechanisms (Image released by US State Department) The US department of state has offered a reward of up to $15 million for information that could help disrupt the financial mechanisms of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its various branches, including the IRGC-Qods…

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In 1992, a Maryland woman bought her aunt’s old piano for $25; a stuck pedal revealed more than 100 baseball cards, and 27 years later a 1916 Babe Ruth rookie sold for $130,054

The card received a BVG grade of 2.5, described as Good+ A $25 piano bought in Maryland in 1992 turned out to be hiding 112 baseball cards, including a 1916 Babe Ruth rookie card. The card was found inside a stuck pedal and remained with the buyer for 27 years before being put up for…

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Yellow-bellied venomous sea snake returns to California beach after 8 years; rare reappearance after 2018 gives scientists clues about the species’ changing Pacific range

Yellow-bellied sea snake Representative image by Canva A yellow-bellied sea snake has washed ashore on an Orange County beach, marking the first reported appearance of the venomous species in California since 2018. The rare sighting took place at Crystal Cove, according to video footage cited by the Los Angeles Times. The snake’s return has drawn…

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‘Heartbreaking and extremely rare’: Mother humpback whale carries stillborn calf through the ocean; scientists explain the unusual behaviour

A mother humpback whale was filmed repeatedly returning to her stillborn calf off Australia’s Gold Coast, displaying prolonged attention toward the newborn in an encounter researchers describe as the first scientifically documented case of such behaviour in the species. The footage, recorded in July 2025, is now detailed in a new study published in Discover…

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In 1973, a California homeowner paid $5,000 for a city-permitted backyard pool; 53 years later, a sanitation district says it must go as the 29-property easement dispute heads to trial

Clarke, who has lived at his home since the early 1970s, installed his swimming pool a few years after buying the property (Representational AI image) In 1973, California homeowner Frank Clarke paid $5,000 for a backyard swimming pool after getting the required city permits. More than five decades later, the pool is part of a…

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In 2007, a Florida hunger-relief group began packing meals for families in need; nearly two decades later, volunteers have packed more than 100 million meals

In 2007, a small hunger-relief effort in Southwest Florida began with a simple idea: bring people together to pack nutritious meals for communities facing food insecurity. Nearly two decades later, Meals of Hope has grown into a major nonprofit operation, with volunteers packing more than 100 million meals for families in need across the United…

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