We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
Embarking on a marathon is not for the faint-hearted.
Yet, it’s an entirely unique challenge to undertake a marathon in ever-grittier locales, such as a confined 1.38-mile stretch repeatedly traversed across the Williamsburg Bridge.
This concept paved the way for the Williamsburg Bridge Marathon, a maverick race now celebrating its fourth unconventional year. The event operates without a permit, has zero entry fees, and stunningly, lacks a set course length.
Last Friday night, as darkness settled over the city, runners gathered at the Manhattan side of the bridge, completely unaware of their journey’s distance until after they took off.
The suspense was kept alive by a randomly generated number, chosen by computer, ranging anywhere from 10 to 100. This number, disclosed on the event’s website, determined the number of bridge spans participants needed to complete and log on the fitness app Strava.
This year, it was 17 bridge spans (approximating 21.42 miles) a disappointingly short year, according to race organizer and creator Matt White.
“Hopefully the random number generator gives us something harder next time,” White told The Post.
That being said, there were still plenty of DNFs (“did not finish”), but 13 women and 55 men completed the race, with Maya Geller taking top prize for the ladies (with a time of 3:15:04) and Joe Cady coming out on top for the guys (2:30:13).
After failing to qualify for the New York City Marathon, White decided on a whim to create his own race.
“We had gone out for drinks the night before, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I bet I can do it,’” the 31-year-old software engineer told BK Reader last year. “I really liked the idea of continuing to do marathons in progressively worse locations.”
The first year, around 20 runners came out. This year, hundreds gathered for the strange event, with race volunteer James Cashen estimating anywhere between 300 and 400 attended for the same reason many people start running — a sense of community.
“To me, the race is special because it represents the best parts of New York and the running community,” Cashen told The Post. “It’s gritty, difficult and continues to build around the energy of fun-loving NYC runners.
Many participants sign up because of the absurd nature of the race, with previous participants leaving reviews like, “Not finishing this race was a win in itself,” and “This is not actually a race — more of a group experience in mutual pain.”
It also speaks to the community-building group running events lends itself to.
“I like that you can go to the bridge at almost any time of day, and there will almost always be groups of people doing radically different things,” White told BK Reader.
Similarly, Nathan Yan ran the course for the first time last year, right after he’d moved to the city, in search of a “high-effort ridiculousness” endurance event where he’d find his people.
“It was one of my very first ‘New York’ experiences,” Yan told The Post. “I just moved from Colorado where [I] used to do things like 36-hour night skiing marathons — so this was right up my alley.”
For this year’s race, Yan didn’t have high hopes of running far with the high humidity and bridge elevation.
So instead, he strapped a 45-pound rig to his back, opting to play DJ for the night and see how far he could go.
While he completed seven bridge spans (9.06 mi), the highlight was continuously passing by people gathered on the bridge, dancing and cheering on the runners pushing to finish.
“I think that’s one of the beautiful things for the format of this marathon: There’s so much back-and-forth between all the runners and support groups, you could be at a PR pace, fun pace or Type II fun pace, but no one ever gets ‘left behind’ on the bridge route,” Yan said.
Yan’s DJ rig was one of first-time Williamsburg Bridge marathoner Kaeli T.’s favorite things about the race. She said the atmosphere and energy were top-notch.
“My favorite part was, hands down, the people who showed up,” the 28-year-old told The Post.
“Someone brought a cake and was sharing slices at the midway point,” she added. “People brought lawn chairs and yoga mats to hang out on the bridge. The vibes overall were fantastic.”
While she was disappointed it wasn’t a full or even ultramarathon, Kaeli was “grateful to get a good night’s sleep after.”
But it was the support from complete strangers that night that stuck out in her mind.
“I had people clapping as I ran past, and this woman shouted ‘Get it, girl!’ at about 12:15 am on her way home from a night out,” Kaeli recalled.
“Those random moments of support are what make running and races so special in general.”
Cashen agrees with the sentiment that races, especially the unusual ones, embody what running should be about.
“Having fun, not taking yourself too seriously and putting yourself up to challenges you think may be too steep and learning to overcome them,” he explained.
WASHINGTON – In a significant move, U.S. health officials unveiled a proposed rule change on Monday, which would mandate that food manufacturers inform regulators prior to adding new ingredients or additives to processed or packaged foods.
This initiative aims to revise a long-standing policy criticized by advocates as a regulatory loophole that has allowed thousands of untested ingredients to enter the U.S. food market unchecked.
Under the new rule proposed by the Food and Drug Administration, companies would be required to document and submit their safety data for any new ingredients. This would enable regulators to conduct investigations if there are any safety concerns. At present, companies can independently determine if an ingredient is “generally recognized as safe” without needing to notify or submit evidence to the FDA, although some do so voluntarily.
“Transitioning to a mandatory notification system addresses an information gap that has persisted for decades, providing the FDA with crucial oversight necessary to bolster post-market safety,” declared acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas during a briefing on Monday.
The proposal will be open for public comments over the next 120 days, inviting stakeholders to share their viewpoints.
Government scrutiny of ultraprocessed food continues, but with few details
In a separate move, the FDA said it completed work on the federal government’s first-ever definition of ultraprocessed food, but did not release any details or the proposed language. The agency said it has submitted the definition to the White House for further review.
Health advocates consider an official definition of ultraprocessed food a key step toward bringing greater scrutiny to packaged foods that are blamed for multiple chronic health problems afflicting Americans. A government-backed definition could pave the way for more federal research and, eventually, possible labeling or other restrictions on processed foods.
Neither of Monday’s announcements are likely to immediately impact American diets, which are packed with fats, sodium and sugar and are blamed for a host of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. But both initiatives are considered top priorities for Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who entered government vowing to crack down on artificial colors, additives and other ingredients.
Ultraprocessed foods are made using industrial processing and additives, colors, preservatives or other ingredients not found in home kitchens. The foods include sugary cereals, sodas, chips, frozen pizzas and other grocery items.
Scientists have been working to define and classify processed foods for well over a decade. But sweeping definitions come with downsides. They can be often applied to foods like whole grain bread, yogurt and granola that are all highly processed but still considered nutritious. Some recent efforts to define ultraprocessed foods include carve-outs for foods that meet nutrition standards, despite having processed ingredients.
FDA proposal would bring new insights on additives used by food companies
In the U.S., an estimated 10,000 additives are allowed in food, including thickeners, preservatives and packaging ingredients.
Consumer advocates have long argued that many of those ingredients have never been properly vetted because of the FDA’s policy allowing manufacturers to certify for themselves that new additives are “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS.
FDA’s Diamantas stressed Monday that the new policy would not require all new ingredients to undergo FDA review. He said that type of mandatory review would need to be enacted by Congress in order to rewrite FDA’s authority over the food supply.
“What we’re doing is requiring companies that utilize the pathway to notify us of their conclusions so that we have greater visibility into those conclusions and consumers have awareness,” Diamantas said.
Under the proposal, the FDA would be expected to review new ingredient submission within 180 days. If FDA regulators have safety concerns they could request additional information from manufacturers or request that they delay introducing the ingredient.
A rule change in the 1990s created what advocates call a loophole
Any substance intentionally added to food is supposed to undergo formal review — unless the additive is considered safe. Since the late 1950s, the government recognized that many common ingredients in foods, such as spices and vinegar, were widely consumed and understood to be safe for consumption.
The FDA policed the GRAS exemption for years, but it took time and resources. Starting in 1997, the FDA began allowing companies to independently determine that a new additive is safe based on publicly available scientific evidence and the consensus of qualified experts.
However, the list of products deemed GRAS by companies grew to include many synthetic and natural additives, all incorporated into the food supply without independent review.
The process has created a “secret GRAS loophole,” according to the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest, that “undermines the integrity of our food safety system.”
Food industry officials contend their internal reviews of additives are as rigorous as the FDA’s own processes.
___
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Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Dealing with stiff, weakened shoulders after hitting 60? Discover how a trainer’s wall exercises can restore your shoulder strength and agility.
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Having healthy shoulders can significantly enhance daily activities, making tasks like reaching for a mug in the kitchen, buckling up your seatbelt, slipping into a cozy jacket, or hauling bags of groceries much smoother. Yet, once you pass the age of 60, these simple moves can turn challenging as shoulder muscles progressively lose strength, particularly when they’re not routinely engaged. As someone who trains older adults, I often notice a common misconception: people tend to immediately go for heavier dumbbells. However, the key often lies in first nurturing stability and control before introducing additional weights.
While the shoulder stands as the body’s most flexible joint, this mobility also renders it less stable. Thus, simply hefting heavier weights doesn’t guarantee more robust shoulder health. Instead, wall exercises can help establish correct movement patterns by fortifying the muscles that support the shoulder blades and safeguard the joint through its entire motion range. Improved mechanics almost invariably translate to improved strength.
Throughout my years assisting adults over 60, I’ve witnessed remarkable recoveries in pain-free mobility and enhanced confidence in their upper body strength. Those who see the quickest improvements usually don’t start with hefty weights. They focus on basic exercises that enhance posture, coordination, and shoulder stability first. The following five wall exercises target the entire shoulder complex and are gentle enough for most fitness levels. By integrating them into your routine a few mornings a week, you’ll cultivate stronger, healthier shoulders that will support you seamlessly every day.
Wall Push-Ups
Whenever someone asks me how to rebuild shoulder strength safely, wall push-ups become my first recommendation. Every repetition strengthens the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core while allowing the shoulder blades to move naturally against very manageable resistance. I encourage clients to perform slow, controlled repetitions because quality movement builds healthier shoulders than simply doing more repetitions. Many notice reaching overhead and pushing doors open feels easier within a few weeks. It’s one of the safest ways to restore upper-body strength after 60.
How to Do It
Stand facing a wall.
Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Step your feet back comfortably.
Bend your elbows as you lower toward the wall.
Push back to the starting position.
Perform 12 to 15 repetitions.
4 Standing Exercises That Firm Belly Overhang Faster Than Pilates After 60
Wall Angels
Rounded shoulders become increasingly common after years of sitting, driving, and looking down at screens. Wall angels strengthen the muscles between the shoulder blades while improving mobility throughout the upper back and shoulders. I prescribe this exercise frequently because it helps restore proper posture without placing unnecessary stress on the joints. Clients often tell me they stand taller and experience less neck tension after practicing wall angels consistently. Better posture creates stronger shoulders.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
How to Do It
Stand with your back against a wall.
Bend your elbows to 90 degrees.
Press your arms gently into the wall.
Slide your hands upward.
Return slowly.
Complete 10 to 12 repetitions.
Wall Slides
Wall slides strengthen the muscles responsible for upward shoulder movement while improving control throughout the entire range of motion. I often use them with clients who struggle reaching overhead because they reinforce healthy movement patterns without heavy resistance. Keeping the forearms in contact with the wall encourages excellent shoulder positioning from start to finish. Clients frequently notice smoother overhead movement after adding wall slides to their routine. Small improvements in shoulder mechanics often produce significant improvements in everyday comfort.
How to Do It
Stand facing a wall.
Place your forearms against it.
Tighten your core.
Slowly slide your arms upward.
Lower with control.
Perform 10 to 12 repetitions.
If You Can Hold a Wall Sit This Long After 60, Your Leg Strength Is Top-Tier
Wall Shoulder Taps
I like this exercise because it combines shoulder strength with core stability and balance. Supporting your body against the wall while alternating shoulder taps forces the stabilizing muscles around each shoulder to stay active throughout the movement. Clients often underestimate how challenging it feels until they begin moving one hand at a time. The exercise also improves coordination, making everyday reaching and carrying feel more controlled. It’s an excellent progression once wall push-ups begin feeling comfortable.
How to Do It
Stand facing a wall.
Lean into the wall with straight arms.
Lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder.
Return your hand.
Alternate sides.
Continue for 30 to 45 seconds.
Is Walking 30 Minutes a Day Enough to Stay Fit After 60?
In bygone days, a dazzling diamond engagement ring stood as a potent emblem of prestige and wealth: the larger the gem, the greater the social standing it conferred.
Nowadays, those showcasing their rings on social media platforms often express a contrasting view: “Is this too large?”
The diamond industry has been upended by a sweeping transformation in recent years, fueled by the rising popularity of lab-grown diamonds.
According to industry data from the United States, the price for a one-carat natural diamond has plummeted by more than half since the beginning of 2022.
Just last month, De Beers — the iconic company that defined and dominated the diamond market for generations — halted operations at South Africa’s largest diamond mine, citing the need to reduce expenses amidst tough market conditions.
It’s the latest sign that the once-booming industry is at a crossroads as collapsing diamond prices force mining behemoths to close mines, delay new projects and suspend production.
At the heart of the upheaval is a physically identical product that has upended one of the most successful luxury marketing stories ever told.
Lab-grown diamonds are real diamonds — chemically and visually identical to those found deep underground.
But rather than forming inside the Earth over a billion years or more, lab gems are created by scientists using one of two primary methods — High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) or Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) — to recreate the conditions under which carbon crystallises into diamond.
It takes a matter of weeks.
How did the story of a gem forged over billions of years, and sold for generations as a symbol of rarity and exclusivity, change so dramatically in just a decade?
A history of diamond-making
After years of experimentation, the first proven human-made diamonds were created in the 1950s.
At the time, there was little concern that they could become serious competition for natural diamonds.
The early synthetic stones were small, brown and of poor quality for use in jewellery, instead used for industrial purposes such as manufacturing.
It wasn’t until the 1970s that General Electric, the American company that pioneered synthetic diamond technology, produced the first gem-quality lab diamonds.
But the technology was still too expensive to make lab diamonds commercially viable for jewellery, and the stones weren’t graded highly under gem colour and clarity standards.
As the technology continued to improve, a turning point arrived in 2007: the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), the world’s leading independent authority on gem-grade diamonds, officially recognised lab diamonds.
The GIA began issuing reports for lab gems that year, but they represented only a tiny fraction of diamonds submitted for grading — around 0.05 per cent.
A decade later, lab-grown diamonds still only accounted for a small share of the global market.
But in the last few years, they’ve erupted into the mainstream.
Paul Zimnisky, a leading independent diamond industry analyst based in New York City, says the influx of lab gems has dramatically altered the global market.
“The technology to make those diamonds has rapidly improved, and the price to make them has come down substantially,” Zimnisky tells SBS News.
As the price has come down, that’s when I’ve really seen consumer demand pick up for the man-made diamonds, and that I would say happened within the last five years in a big way.
In 2016, a one-carat natural diamond would retail in the US for around $9,380, while a lab-grown stone of the same cut and clarity would cost $7,820, according to Zimnisky’s data.
Today, the natural diamond retails for $4,900 while the equivalent lab stone can be bought for around $850 or less.
Zimnisky estimates lab-grown stones now account for around a third of the global diamond jewellery market.
In the US, the world’s largest consumer market for diamonds, six in 10 engaged couples opted for a lab diamond last year, according to annual survey data from wedding planning website The Knot.
That was a 239 per cent increase from the site’s 2020 survey.
At the same time, as lab diamonds are shifting consumer trends, they are also changing global manufacturing and production flows.
With production costs declining, manufacturers in China and India have expanded at an unprecedented scale.
In China, which dominates the global production market, the central province of Henan has become known as the nation’s “diamond capital”. In the city of Zhecheng’s many factories, hundreds of machines work around the clock to produce millions of carats each year.
Today, even experts say they can’t distinguish between a natural or lab-grown diamond without specialised equipment.
“The only way to tell the difference is either through the laser inscription, which is usually engraved on the girdle of the diamond, or through a certificate which is associated with the diamond,” Michael Cohen, managing director of the Diamond Certification Laboratory of Australia, tells SBS News.
“Other than that, you need to put it to a laboratory to actually know the difference. It’s not possible to actually see it visually through a microscope, through basic testing, even your countertop retail test.”
But De Beers has been working to change that.
The London-headquartered multinational has developed a suite of advanced screening machines, costing from around $7,900 to more than $35,000, which allow diamond sellers to distinguish between natural and lab-grown diamonds by analysing microscopic signatures left behind by their different growth processes.
The technology forms part of the company’s broader effort to persuade consumers that a diamond’s origin, rather than its composition, is an important part of its story.
The rise of the big diamond
As larger diamonds have become more affordable and visible on social media, demand for smaller stones of one carat or less has slowed.
Designs that were once reserved for celebrities and the ultra-wealthy are now well within reach for many middle-income earners.
And it’s not just the price that’s more attractive: ethical concerns over the origin of gems have been offset by the lab-grown model, which does not rely on mining or supply chains that pass through conflict zones.
On Reddit forums, it’s now common to see everyday people asking whether a diamond looks “too big” or ostentatious on their finger.
At the same time, some owners of natural diamonds have posted on social media worried that people will assume their ring is lab-grown as large diamonds become increasingly prevalent.
It reflects a generational change in consumer sentiment — one that is fast becoming an identity crisis for the natural diamond industry.
De Beers launched its own lab-grown jewellery brand in 2018 but shuttered it last year to focus on its original product.
It has outlined a plan to invest in emotionally driven campaigns that emphasise the rarity and origin of natural diamonds.
Cohen says the company realised it was giving lab-grown diamonds credibility by selling them under the De Beers banner, but its exit did little to slow demand.
Jana Bowden is a professor of marketing and consumer behaviour at Macquarie University, and says much of the identity crisis faced by major brands stems from the historical emphasis on a diamond’s exclusivity.
“Diamonds have always been seen as an absolute status symbol,” she says.
“So much of this has been driven by the perceived rarity and exclusivity of the diamonds, and of course the controlled supply of diamonds through the market, and particularly De Beers as being the pinnacle brand with the most control of the market and supply.”
From rare to abundant: The ‘forever’ diamond
At its peak in the 1980s, De Beers controlled nearly 90 per cent of the global diamond market.
Its tight control of the world’s diamond supply allowed it to stockpile excess diamonds and manage how many entered the market at any time, helping to keep prices elevated.
Through its marketing, the company famously built the idea that a diamond is rare, “forever”, and the ultimate expression of love, turning diamond engagement rings into a social norm.
It also molded societal expectations around how much an engagement ring should cost.
“Isn’t two months’ salary a small price to pay for something that lasts forever?” a 1980s De Beers ad asked.
Bowden says historic luxury brands like De Beers built lasting perceptions in consumers’ minds.
Really, we’ve been taught and we have learnt how to incorporate diamonds into our lives. This is not something that existed prior to the clever marketing campaigns.
Although diamonds are now far from rare, Bowden says many of those perceptions persist — but the market is splitting in two.
“Interestingly, the legacy branding that’s come from the original, traditional mining of diamonds is also now naturally transferred to lab diamonds as well. So consumers still have that association with exclusivity or a milestone.”
Bowden says the lab-grown diamond market is increasingly appealing to younger consumers, who are often more financially constrained and ethically motivated than older generations.
Ms Elangovan, 33, who asked to omit her first name to protect her privacy, tells SBS News she has accumulated more than 10 lab-grown and natural diamonds in her jewellery collection over the past decade or so.
While she’s fascinated by the history and rarity of a natural diamond, she can no longer justify the price when she can buy a “virtually flawless” lab equivalent at a fraction of the price.
“When I look at it, I’m like, ‘Oh, this existed millions of years before me, and it probably would [for] millions of years after me,” she says of natural diamonds.
“So on that point, labs can’t compete.”
But ultimately, she says she’s thrilled to be living in an age where beautiful jewels are accessible to more people.
“I’m intrigued [that] someone can just recreate millions of years of process in a lab,” she says.
“It’s a fascinating industry. I’m just happy I’m alive now, so I can have really pretty jewellery at a very affordable price and ethically sourced.”
Can the mined diamond industry recover?
The natural diamond industry is now facing headwinds from multiple directions.
Changing consumer spending priorities, skyrocketing operational costs, geopolitical uncertainty, and declining diamond yields have all contributed to mines closing or suspending production in recent years.
Some mines were approaching the end of their lifespan regardless, but plummeting diamond prices and the enormous cost to open new mines have made it harder to justify investment in new projects.
“I think the natural diamond industry has to collect itself and come up with a strategy to further differentiate its product from lab-grown diamonds,” Zimnisky says, adding that the industry must give consumers a compelling reason to pay 10 times as much for a natural stone.
He notes that De Beers is currently up for sale by its parent company, Anglo American, with a potential deal expected this year.
The new owner’s arrival will be “an interesting catalyst” for the industry, he says.
I think they’re probably going to pretty aggressively try to kind of reignite interest and demand and emotional appeal for natural diamonds.
For now, unless prices double or triple over the next decade, Zimnisky doesn’t expect to see significant investment in new mines or the reopening of suspended operations.
Cohen, who has worked in the industry for more than 40 years, says there’ll now be a “never-ending supply” of lab diamonds. But he expects prices may eventually increase as the significant energy required to produce them becomes more expensive — which could potentially create new ethical concerns for consumers.
He believes diamond mining will eventually come to an end, but the market for natural diamonds will endure.
“The biggest supply of diamonds will no longer come from the mine, but it’ll come from the second-hand markets,” he says.
“The diamonds don’t get destroyed. As they say, a diamond is forever.”
Colombia has been rocked by a devastating earthquake, leaving numerous individuals trapped under the rubble of fallen buildings.
According to Colombia’s geological service, the powerful tremor struck at 7:30 am local time (1:30 pm UK time), registering a magnitude of 7.4 and reaching a depth of 60 miles.
The epicenter was pinpointed in San Jose Del Palmar, situated roughly 250 miles west of Bogota, the capital. This quake marks the most significant seismic event Colombia has experienced in a decade.
Heartbreaking videos from around the country depict building facades collapsing and desperate residents struggling to stay upright as the earth violently shook.
The tremors were felt far beyond Colombia, reaching as far as Ecuador and Panama to the north, as well as Venezuela, which recently endured its own seismic challenges, leading to swift evacuations in Bogota.
18 people in the city of Periera died following the earthquakes, while in Manizales, west of Bogota, at least two people were killed.
In Cali, a city of 2.3million people in Colombia’s west, at least 20 buildings collapsed following the earthquake.
Hospitals in Cali were forced to evacuate their patients. Rows of elderly people on hospital beds were seen outside.
In Choco, residents were seen running for their lives as entire buildings collapsed around them.
As two men were seen picking up a woman who had fallen, a man was screaming: ‘Oh my God!’
People run out of the hospital building during an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, on August 10, 2026
In Choco, residents were seen running for their lives as entire buildings collapsed around them
Footage showed one of the spires of Manizales Cathedral collapsing in the earthquake
President Abelardo de la Espriella announced the establishment of an emergency centre at the epicentre to support those affected, adding: ‘You are not alone. You have a President who cares deeply for his people and who will do everything necessary to protect you, support you, and move forward together in rebuilding the affected regions.’
Choco governor Nubia Carolina Cordoba-Curi said on X: ‘We have just experienced a major earthquake in the department of Choco. We are concerned about aftershocks.
‘Although the epicentre was near San Jose del Palmar, there are injuries and significant damage to buildings in the capital, Quibdo. We are already carrying out a damage assessment and will issue the first official report shortly.’
The governor of neighbouring Risaralda province, Juan Diego Patino, told local Blu Radio there was ‘serious damage to some buildings’ in Pereira, the provincial capital.
‘What has just occurred is very severe. The images are truly shocking, with people injured and building facades collapsed,’ he said.
Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said it was in contact with local authorities to verify potential damage.
Bogota’s mayor, Carlos Galan, said on X there was no major damage in the capital.
In Cali, a large crowd of people were seen gathered around the wreckage of a collapsed building.
They were seen frantically trying to pull pieces of rubble away to reach people trapped underneath.
Reuters witnesses in the Venezuelan border state of Tachira and the central-western city of Barquisimeto reported the quake had been felt there.
Footage showed one of the spires of Manizales Cathedral collapsing in the earthquake, leaving it leaning heavily on the roof of the building.
Patients are evacuated outside a hospital after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, on August 10, 2026.
Vehicles damaged by a collapsed wall are seen following an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, August 10 2026
Following the quake UAEAC, the country’s aviation authority, said flights from six airports had been suspended.
UAEAC said damage was reported at the airports of Pereira, Manizales, Quibdo, Armenia, Cartago and Buenaventura.
‘There is no electricity or cell phone coverage. It was strong, really strong. Things fell in my house,’ Martha Estrada, a 66 year old resident of the Eje Cafetero region told AFP.
Following the earthquake, Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar wrote on X: ‘We are following with concern the news about the earthquake that has struck Colombia. I have offered my counterpart, Colombia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Omar Bula, all the assistance that Israel can provide.
‘Israel is prepared to help Colombia in whatever is needed. My thoughts and prayers are with the Colombian people in these difficult times.’
Venezuela was hit by devastating twin earthquakes in June, which killed more than 6,000 people, mostly on the coast near the capital, Caracas.
Earthquakes are common in Colombia due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a tectonic belt where the Earth’s plates meet.
Colombia’s geological service said the magnitude of the quake, which struck at 7.30am local time (1.30pm UK time), was 7.4 and that its depth was 60 miles
Vehicles damaged by a collapsed wall are seen following an earthquake in Cali, Colombia, August 10 2026
About 90 per cent of the world’s largest earthquakes occur within the belt.
The southeastern and easternmost areas of Colombia are not as seismically active as the rest of the country.
Colombia’s most devastating earthquake happened in August 1868, off the coast of Equador, and killed about 70,000 people.
Displayed above: From left, Dante Campbell’s image from GoFundMe, Charlotte Kurek and Devario Cruz’s booking photos from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office. In the background: West Allis police officers on scene after discovering a child unresponsive outside a Dairy Queen in West Allis, Wisconsin, as reported by WTMJ/YouTube.
In a tragic turn of events, a Wisconsin mother confessed to ignoring her 4-year-old son’s distress by playing loud music instead of shielding him from alleged abuse by his father, leading to the boy’s untimely death.
Thirty-one-year-old Charlotte Kurek pled guilty to charges of child neglect resulting in death and chronic child neglect, according to court documents. Her sentencing has been slated for September 29.
Meanwhile, Devario Cruz, Kurek’s partner and the father of young Dante Campbell, continues to face grave charges, including first-degree reckless homicide, repeated acts of physical abuse of a child causing death, bodily harm through repeated abuse, and neglect. His upcoming court appearance is scheduled for September 11.
The associated criminal complaints reveal horrifying details of sustained abuse. As noted by a law enforcement official within the court files, “These are the most extensive and severe injuries observed on a child in my experience.”
Cruz woke up in West Allis, a Milwaukee suburb, around 7 a.m. on Oct. 18 and went into Dante’s and his twin sister’s bedroom. Dante was “stiff,” and when his father picked him up, he said he looked “unreal.” Cruz reported that the boy had fallen down a flight of stairs the previous evening, noting that the child “smelled bad,” per WITI.
The child was “blue” and let out a final gasp as Cruz picked him up, the affidavit states.
Cruz told Kurek, “I don’t think [the victim] is alive, I think he is dead,” according to authorities. Kurek is said to have begun screaming and said they needed to go to a hospital, but neither adult called 911.
As Law&Crime previously reported, after 8 a.m., Cruz and Kurek drove to a friend of Kurek’s — leaving three children “home alone” — and dropped off the twin girl. They kept Dante in the car, and Kurek finally called 911. Because they were near a West Allis Fire Department station, the 911 operator asked them to pull over so help could come to them.
As they waited for first responders, Cruz allegedly said, “I killed my kid, I want to kill myself.”
The couple drove into the parking lot of a nearby Dairy Queen, where emergency personnel and then police arrived. Dante was found “stiff,” and his gums were “bone white,” indicating to police that he had been without oxygen for some time.
He was brought to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators found “substantial bruising” on the child’s body, and his clothes reeked of urine, according to court documents.
Kurek told investigators that Dante fell down the stairs of their home, with bikes and other items tumbling on top of him. But officers were skeptical, not believing that his injuries matched such a sequence of events.
She later admitted that she lied “out of fear for her own safety,” authorities said, “despite earlier denying any previous domestic violence” by Cruz. She also allegedly made a startling comment: “My son looked like he got his a— beat by a grown man.”
Kurek would also allegedly admit that Cruz was “heavy-handed” but believed she had “addressed the issue” with him. Despite the alleged abuse, she never called police to report her boyfriend. Instead, she would crank up the music to drown out Dante’s cries for help, police said.
“Defendant Kurek watched Defendant Cruz abuse the twins and did not call the police or threaten Defendant Cruz in order to try and get Defendant Cruz to stop,” cops wrote. “It appeared as Defendant Kurek cared more for Defendant Cruz than the twins.”
Dante had been in the care of other family members until shortly before his death, when he was returned to his parents’ care, local NBC affiliate WTMJ reported.
Child Protective Services knew the parents, with Kurek having a CPS worker in her phone as “CPS b—.”
A former neighbor of the couple claimed that there was a pattern of abuse. The parents would leave their twins “home alone” during the night, and the young kids would cry out for their parents, according to the criminal complaints. There were guns in the home, and Cruz was also believed to be selling marijuana from his car parked outside the residence.
Kurek and Cruz lived at home with the twins as well as three children from Kurek’s previous relationship who would spend alternating weekends there.
Dante’s twin sister was also interviewed — and seen with her own injuries. She had a bandage over her right eye, and when an officer asked her what happened, she responded, “Daddy hurt me.” Her eye appeared to be swollen and she had several scratches on her face, as well as bruises throughout her body.
In the hallway of the home, investigators found “children’s shoes with a red substance on one of the shoes that appeared consistent with blood,” per the court documents. Investigators also found more than a pound of marijuana in the home.
Detectives believe Cruz beat his son the day before he and Kurek called 911. When they asked the father how hard he had hit Dante, “on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the hardest Defendant Cruz could possibly strike another human being, Defendant Cruz admitted that it was ‘a 7 or 8,'” the affidavit stated.
When shown the photos of Dante’s injuries, he began to breathe heavily, authorities said, and stated, “I only used my hands.”
A GoFundMe for Dante said, “he was taken from us over this last weekend by the very people that were supposed to keep him safe in what we can only compare to a true crime documentary.”
“Dante was a happy and loving boy that deserved so much better than what happened to him,” the remembrance said. “He loved life and had the most amazing smile and laugh. His memory will forever live on with those of us who truly loved and cared for him.”
Conrad Hoyt contributed to this report
The post ‘Smelled bad’: Mom of 4-year-old boy found ‘stiff’ outside Dairy Queen after she played music to drown out toddler’s cries pleads guilty first appeared on Law & Crime.
Savannah Guthrie has returned to her spot on the Today show after taking a brief hiatus to work on her new Wordle-inspired project.
“I’m glad to be back,” Guthrie, 54, expressed during the Today show’s Monday broadcast on August 10 while sharing a moment with cohost Craig Melvin. She graciously welcomed the audience, thanking them for “beginning your week with us.”
During the lighthearted exchange, Melvin mentioned the show’s absence was felt during Guthrie’s assignment and added some humor related to the $905 million Powerball jackpot.
He jestingly remarked, “You might not see me again if I strike it big with the Powerball—I’m playing tonight. If it’s a win for me, SG, it’s been a wonderful journey.”
In related developments, Savannah Guthrie is set to embark on an exciting new project, a game show inspired by the popular New York Times puzzle, Wordle. Meanwhile, her family is still dealing with the mystery of her mother Nancy Guthrie, who has gone missing. NBC revealed plans for this Wordle-themed show on Monday, May 11, which offers a thrilling challenge of deciphering a five-letter word in six attempts or fewer.
Guthrie announced last month that she would be taking time away from the morning show to work on the network’s new Wordle game show, executive produced by Jimmy Fallon alongside The New York Times.
“We’re going to shoot the whole season, and we’re super excited,” she said on July 16. “Cannot wait for everyone to see it.”
Savannah GuthrieDia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Guthrie’s brief step back from Today came amid the ongoing search for her mother, Nancy, who was reported missing in Arizona in February. Nearly six months into the investigation, Guthrie issued a new plea to her mom’s kidnappers.
“Our family is in agony. We are in a nightmare that will not end. Nothing about our situation has changed. … The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place, and I know that you have tried to do things the right way,” she said in an Instagram video on July 27. “So I’m asking you, begging you to do the right thing now. Make the right choice. Help us find her. Tell us where to look for her. I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing. … Please make the right choice.”
She captioned the clip, “Bring her home 💛.”
Savannah Guthrie is back on Today after a four-day absence from the show. “So glad that Savannah’s back in Studio 1A,” Today cohost Craig Melvin said, kicking off the Tuesday, July 14 broadcast. “Had some much-deserved time off.” Guthrie, 54, was all smiles for her return, sporting a red and pink floral dress. The journalist […]
Days later, Guthrie shared another emotional post about her family’s heartache.
“This is our beautiful Mom,” she captioned a photo of Nancy, 84, on August 1. “Six months ago, someone took her out of her bed in the dead of nightWe have lived every moment, every breath, and every heartbeat in agony and despair ever since. Every day, we wake up and try to be strong and go on because that’s what our joyful and resilient Mom taught us to do, but make no mistake — our hearts are in ruins.”
Guthrie added that her loved ones would “never stop looking for answers,” reminding followers that “the reward is available” for information about Nancy’s whereabouts.
“We will always be hoping and praying and believing in the best of our world — in spite of circumstance,” she added. “This is what our faith makes possible. Please. Bring her home.”
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Guthrie previously took time away from the Today show after her mother disappeared, returning in April. Since then, she has made rare remarks about the case on camera.
“I don’t have any comment on this story. I’m not involved in our coverage, but I can’t pretend I’m not here,” she said in June, referencing reports that an alleged ransom note alluded to Nancy’s death. “Since I am, I just wanted to take the opportunity to ask people — really, to beg people — to come forward.”
She added, “Somebody knows something. This is a news story today that is on your radar, because this is the life my sister lives, that I live, that my brother lives and our extended families live, that our children live every day. We are in agony. We cannot be in peace.”
On Thursday, Arabella Chi turned to Instagram to proudly showcase her blossoming baby bump, announcing that she is now halfway through her pregnancy journey.
The 38-year-old Love Island alum, who is eagerly awaiting the arrival of her first child with partner Billy Henty, flaunted her bump in comfy low-rise pajamas and a matching set of underwear.
With her long blonde locks styled into elegant waves, Arabella gazed lovingly at her belly while gently cradling it, embodying the serene beauty of impending motherhood.
The reality TV star shared that she and Billy are thrilled about the upcoming gender reveal of their baby, which is set to happen later this week.
In her heartfelt post, she expressed, “Halfway through my pregnancy—20 weeks of nurturing and cherishing you, with a lifetime of love ahead.”
‘2 days until we find out if you will be a little princess or prince and we can’t wait.’
Arabella Chi showed off her growing baby bump as she revealed she is ‘half way’ through her pregnancy on Instagram on Thursday
Last month, Arabella revealed she is expecting a child with her boyfriend Billy, just two months after the couple confirmed their romance.
The model shared the news with a bikini-clad clip on Instagram as her hunky partner cradled her blossoming bump.
Arabella looked sensational in the tiny two-piece as she beamed, proudly displaying her baby scan picture and positive test.
Unable to wipe the smile off her face she wrote ‘May 2025’ in the sand, confirming the tot’s due date.
She captioned the post: ‘Dreams do come true … Baby Henty due May 2025’.
‘You already make our hearts full and we can’t wait to meet you little one’.
Fans and famous friends rushed to share their congratulations, with Ferne McCann writing: ‘Wowwwwwwwww congratulations darlings wonderful news.’
While Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu said: ‘Omg you kept that quiet!!! Congratulations.’
The Love Island star, 38, also revealed the couple are excited to find out the gender of their baby later this week
Last month, Arabella and boyfriend Billy Henty revealed they are expecting their first child together, just two months after they confirmed their romance
Arabella looked sensational in a tiny black-and-white bikini as she beamed, proudly displaying her baby scan picture and positive test
Billy is co-founder of a company specialising in biohacking and regenerative medicine, with clinics in London, Canada and Greece.
In October they looked more loved up then ever as they made their red carpet debut at the UK premiere of Venom: The Last Dance, just weeks after going Instagram official.
The pair had previously jetted off on a lavish holiday to Santorini and Arabella took the opportunity to share a photo of them together on social media for the first time, captioned: ‘Making memories with you’.
The couple had reportedly been dating secretly for months in private, with sources telling The Sun at the time: ‘Arabella has made no secret of wanting to find the one and it looks like Billy could be that man.’
‘He’s clever, handsome and has a jet setting lifestyle, which she loves. It was a big step putting him on her socials – she didn’t tag him but she’s happy for people to see her happy and in love.’
Arabella previously confessed she was looking to find true love and her ‘happily ever after’, wanting to get married and have kids.
She told The Sun on Sunday: ‘Last year was probably my unluckiest when it came to finding the one. I’ve been so unlucky in love. I’ve dated people I thought at the time were the one, which was a mistake I’ve since learnt from.’
‘What I’ve learnt from dating last year is that you think you know someone but you don’t really know them at all. I dated people that perhaps, looking back, weren’t best suited to me.’
She added: ‘I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out in Hollywood circles but I have still not found love. I’ve never felt more ready to settle down.’
‘All I’ve ever wanted is true love and that fairytale dream. I’m 32, I want to get married and have babies.’
The couple made their first red carpet together at the UK premiere of Venom: The Last Dance after reportedly dating in secret for months (pictured in October)
The start of the year saw Arabella face a string of heartbreaks, after first being dumped by footballer Rúben Dias (pictured in July) following a New Year’s break
She then appeared on Love Island All Stars in January, and struck up a connection with Adam Maxted, but they split just five weeks after leaving the villa (pictured on the show)
‘I haven’t got lots of time left and I know more about myself now than ever. This is my last shot to find my happily ever after.’
The start of the year saw Arabella face a string of heartbreaks, after first being dumped by footballer Rúben Dias following a New Year’s break.
The blonde beauty and the ex Manchester City player were at the heart of romance rumours for several months and were said to have begun dating in September last year.
In November, The Sun reported that Arabella had been regularly jetting from her home in Ibiza to spend time with Rúben in the UK.
They added the Portuguese hunk had been ‘showering’ the stunner with gifts, but that the couple were trying to keep their romance at the time under wraps.
They were also seen at Manchester Airport on New Year’s Day, heading off on holiday together.
However, Ruben reportedly dumped Arabella soon after they returned to the UK, leaving her heartbroken.
She then appeared on Love Island All Stars in January, and struck up a connection with Adam Maxted, but they split just five weeks after leaving the villa.
In a heartfelt onstage tribute, Hilary Duff paid homage to her late ex-boyfriend, Aaron Carter, evoking fond memories of their past.
Making a poignant fashion statement during her Lucky Me World Tour in Philadelphia on Sunday, the pop sensation donned a vintage T-shirt adorned with the image of the former child star, who had faced numerous challenges throughout his life.
The T-shirt showcased a youthful Carter in the early stages of his career, captured nostalgically wearing jean overalls paired with a white and red shirt.
Duff and Carter’s youthful romance began in 2000 when they were both merely 13, marking the start of a relationship that would see its share of ups and downs.
For three tumultuous years, the couple oscillated between being together and apart, eventually parting ways due to a widely publicized love triangle involving Lindsay Lohan.
“I just got a little bored, so I went and I started getting to know Lindsay, dating Lindsay,” the “I Want Candy” singer admitted on CNBC’s “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch” in 2005, adding that Duff “really got her heart broken,” which he felt “sorry” about.
After the “Lizzie McGuire” alum grew up and started a family years later, Carter continued to express regret over how he had treated her.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to better myself to get back to her,” he wrote in a since-deleted tweet in 2014. “I don’t care what ANY of you think.”
The “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” crooner eventually moved on and got engaged to Melanie Martin in 2020. They welcomed a son named Prince in 2021.
However, the former child star — who was the younger brother of Backstreet Boys member Nick Carter — struggled with addiction and family trauma in the final years of his life.
He was found dead on November 5, 2022, in a bathtub at his California home at age 34.
“Aaron worked very hard towards the end of his life in recovery, to be a good father and to make amends with his family,” his rep told Page Six at the time.
Shortly after his death, Duff, 38, paid tribute to her ex in a sweet Instagram post.
“For Aaron- I’m deeply sorry that life was so hard for you and that you had to struggle in-front of the whole world,” she penned. “You had a charm that was absolutely effervescent … boy did my teenage self love you deeply.”
Duff concluded her message by telling Aaron to “rest easy” and “sending love” to his grieving family.
She also continued to defend Aaron after his tragic passing. In November 2022, Duff publicly slammed the publisher of the “Crush on You” singer’s posthumous memoir, which claims the former flames “lost [their] virginity to each other” when they were pre-teens.
“It’s really sad that within a week of Aaron’s death, there’s a publisher that seems to be recklessly pushing a book out to capitalize on this tragedy without taking appropriate time or care to fact check the validity of his work,” the “Younger” actress told the Daily Mail.
“To water down Aaron’s life story to what seems to be unverified click-bait for profit is disgusting,” she continued.
“In no way do I condone shedding any light on what is so obviously an uninformed, heartless, money grab.”
A North Carolina woman who vanished during a Caribbean getaway with friends may have tragically drowned, her husband revealed.
Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 43, disappeared from Grenada on July 22. According to her husband, her last known location was in the ocean, spotted by a group of jet skiers.
Cailen Waddell, Liz’s husband, provided an update on FindLiz.com. He mentioned that the jet skiers attempted for several minutes to persuade her to board a jet ski instead of staying in the water.
Elizabeth “Liz” Waddell, 43, disappeared from Grenada on July 22.(Cailen Waddell)
Cailen detailed, “They spent five to ten minutes engaging with her, encouraging her to accompany them back to shore on a jet ski rather than remain in the open sea. Reportedly, she assured them, ‘I’m a good swimmer,’ and gave a thumbs-up in response.”
He has been releasing information on his wife’s case using the website her family created.
Liz Waddell and her husband Cailen Waddell pose together for a photo during a trip.(Cailen Waddell)
The conversation with the jet skiers allegedly happened around 5:30 p.m. on July 22, the day she was reported missing to the Royal Grenada Police Force.
“I am grieving her absence and the loss of her in my daily life right now, understanding that it is incredibly likely she is gone and hoping that the investigation will offer more clarity as to what happened,” Waddell said.
Liz Waddell disappeared in Grenada after appearing to go into the water.(Jan Wehnert/Getty Images)
Waddell traveled to Grenada to join search efforts to find her two days after she was reported missing. He returned to the U.S. a week later, following an unsuccessful search.
Surveillance video from a nearby Airbnb property recorded the possible moment Liz entered the water that day; a person appearing to be Waddell is seen walking near a pool and holding a towel.
Liz Waddell of North Carolina vanished in Grenada.(Royal Grenada Police Force)
Next, she appears to jump in the water off of a dock, then swims out of frame.
Despite drones, dive teams and dogs, search efforts by law enforcement for any trace of Liz have come up dry.
Shot of St George in Grenada.(iStock)
Police are still treating her disappearance as a missing persons case. Her husband is still holding on to hope.
“If Liz walked out of the jungle tomorrow and said, ‘Hey, where’s my passport?’ I’d not be surprised and obviously get on a plane and go get her in a heartbeat,” he said.
