A remarkable 16th-century map has drawn fresh attention to the long-running search for Noah’s Ark.

Produced in 1587 by Italian aristocrat and mapmaker Urbano Monte, the enormous chart measures almost 10 feet across once its sections are joined. Its richly detailed design includes continents, imagined beasts and regions that remained largely unknown to Europeans at the time.

Among its many illustrations is a small image of Noah’s Ark positioned on the mountains of Ararat in present-day Turkey—an area that continues to attract researchers looking for evidence of the biblical vessel.

The centuries-old drawing has gained renewed interest online because its apparent location and proportions have been compared with the Durupınar Formation, a boat-shaped site now being examined by an international research team.

Independent researcher Jimmy Corsetti highlighted the similarity in a post online, writing: “The same location as the Durupınar site, virtually the exact same length. Coincidence?”

Researchers studying the Durupınar Formation have claimed that their findings “100 percent confirmed” the mound is not a naturally formed geological structure, describing it instead as a “man-made object.”

Andrew Jones, founder of Noah’s Ark Scans, said preliminary radar readings did not reveal “a simple homogeneous solid-rock signature,” suggesting the formation may contain more complex layers beneath the surface.

The team has taken samples from depths approaching 60 feet. Jones said the material recovered so far includes layers of organic matter that researchers believe may represent the decayed upper remains of the Ark.

Monte designed the map during the Age of Exploration, a period when voyages across the Atlantic and toward Asia were rapidly expanding European knowledge of the world.

Rather than using the more familiar east- or west-facing layout, Monte viewed the globe from above the North Pole, placing the Arctic at the center of his unusual circular design.

The work is made up of 60 individually drawn sheets, which fit together to form a single map nearly 10 feet in diameter.

Its pages are crowded with depictions of sailing ships, sea monsters and other mythical creatures, alongside observations about faraway places and the people who lived there.

Historians say Monte may have been influenced by the arrival of a Japanese delegation in Milan in 1585, an event that offered Europeans a broader view of global geography. The original manuscript is preserved at Stanford University’s David Rumsey Map Center, which digitally restored the work and published it online.

The Ark illustration has attracted particular attention because it places the vessel on Ararat centuries before modern expeditions began investigating the region for possible archaeological clues.

According to the Bible, Noah’s Ark came to rest on the “mountains of Ararat” after floodwaters covered the Earth for 150 days, leaving only those aboard the wooden ship alive.

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For generations, the possibility that the Ark landed somewhere in Turkey’s mountainous east has remained a subject of religious belief, historical debate and scientific skepticism.

While many scientists argue the formation is a naturally occurring geological feature, others are convinced it points to something far more extraordinary. 

The team at Noah’s Ark Scans firmly believes the latter.

‘For decades, skeptics have had one simple answer for the boat-shaped Durupınar Formation: it is just a solid lump of natural rock,’ Noah’s Ark Scans said on Wednesday.

‘The mission was direct: put the “solid rock” explanation to the test. Is the formation a single homogeneous mass of natural stone? Does it contain internal structures? 

‘Where does the true bedrock lie beneath it, and how does that bedrock continue across the surrounding valley?’

The team shared online that radar scans found three layers beneath the formation’s surface, claiming they feature chambers, corridors, organized patterns, and tunnels.

Lauren Witzke, head of marketing and fundraising for Noah’s Ark Scans, said on X: ‘Scientists confirm the formation is 100 percent not geological. They say, and I quote, that it is a “man-made object.”‘

Tests conducted by Noah’s Ark Scans have also found higher carbon levels inside the formation than in matching soil collected just a few yards away on the same hillside.

Researchers said the difference could point to a concentration of organic material, potentially the remains of ancient wood, although no timber has been recovered.

Lead archaeologist Dr Cenker Atila said: ‘The amount of carbon coming from the interior of the ship is 40 percent higher than what was found outside.’ 

‘This raises the idea that there may be organic material or remains of wood.’

The findings remain unverified while the collected samples undergo laboratory testing. The team expects to publish a fuller analysis in the coming weeks. 

Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, who described himself as a “sociopath” and is now at the center of a disturbing investigation involving dead and missing women in Philadelphia, had previously been convicted in connection with the attempted abduction of a 9-year-old girl. That child, now an adult, said this week that she feels “really lucky” she survived the encounter.

Horsch, a convicted pornographer who authored the disturbing book “Memoir of an Empathetic Serial Killer,” received a sentence of 2½ to 5 years in prison in 2010 after trying to take Ashley Rivera, according to an investigation by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Her mother and stepfather intervened before Horsch could drive away.

After calling Rivera “sexy,” Horsch allegedly seized her arm and attempted to pull her toward his Jeep. Investigators later reported finding binoculars, recording equipment, an eyepatch and a condom inside the vehicle.

“He looked very evil … I couldn’t forget that face,” Rivera, now 26 and a mother herself, told the Inquirer. Horsch, who has since died, is being examined in connection with more than a million files recovered from his Philadelphia home, including videos investigators have described as snuff films.

“I really do feel like I escaped something big,” Rivera said. “He could have kidnapped me. He could have done the same thing to me that he did to those women. He could have raped me, killed me.

“I was a 9-year-old girl. I was just a kid.”

Rivera recalled that her injured stepfather heard her cries and managed to reach Horsch’s vehicle, where he struck the window and frightened him away. According to Rivera’s mother, Sasha Rivera, Horsch soon returned to the area.

“I chased him with a baseball bat,” Sasha Rivera recalled. “I thought he was going to kill her. If he had taken her, I may never have found my daughter.”

Police arrested Horsch and charged him with luring a child into a motor vehicle and corrupting the morals of a minor.

Rivera said the fear she felt during the incident resurfaced when Horsch stared at her in court.

“I was so scared, and he just kept staring at me. I just broke down crying,” she told the newspaper. Rivera said she was ultimately removed from the witness stand because she could not stop crying.

“I felt like I was looking at a killer,” she said.

Horsch was sentenced to 2½ to 5 years in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender. He later sought a new trial and won that request. Sasha Rivera then decided she could not put her daughter through another courtroom appearance and the trauma of facing the man she believed posed a deadly threat.

“I thought he and his family would do something to us,” she said. Horsch’s conviction was vacated in 2015 after prosecutors determined they could not move forward without the central witness.

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Although Rivera was only 9 at the time, she said she has struggled with the unfounded belief that she somehow could have prevented the suffering of women investigators suspect died inside Horsch’s home.

“Maybe it’s my fault that he was free,” she said. “I thank God every day my stepdad was there to save me because I could be missing or dead. I feel really lucky.

“But I feel so bad for all the victims and their families. I didn’t have to go through what they went through.”

The memory has also shaped how Rivera protects her own son, who is now 9 — the same age she was when Horsch targeted her. She said she becomes “instantly scared” when men stare at her.

“I tried to get that memory out of my head,” she said. “But I can’t. It stays with me.”

The Philadelphia property where Horsch lived with his son, Eugene Horsch, remains a major focus of the investigation. Authorities are reviewing roughly a million photographs and videos recovered from the house, including material described as snuff films.

Last month, investigators uncovered harrowing video footage from 2017 that they say appears to show Horsch strangling a woman in a bedroom.

The woman, who has not been publicly identified, was seen using drugs before being given money by the elder Horsch and then was handcuffed to the bed, Philadelphia police said. 

Horsch then appeared to put a zip tie around her neck before she lost consciousness. 

Cops revealed they found images and video of two women — Maribel Frieses, who was last seen in 2018, and Gabrielle Amarando, last seen in 2012 — that appeared to show them deceased.

Blair Tonzelli, who vanished in 2023, and Amy McHale, Horsch’s ex-wife who was last seen in 2016, have also been named by the authorities.

McHale’s family said her last known location was the home that Horsch and his son lived.

“Something happened to her in that house,” McHale’s mom, Gloria, said.

Authorities have also uncovered multiple alleged snuff movies featuring R.C. and several missing women, along with vats of mysterious chemicals, and writings referencing serial killers.

Video shows the dramatic moment two Royal Air Force pilots ejected from a training jet moments before it crashed in flames in Wales.

The RAF said the Hawk T2 went down near Anglesey on Wednesday, shortly after the two pilots took off from RAF Valley in northwestern Wales.

“Both pilots are doing well, they are in extremely good spirits and expected to make a full recovery,” the RAF said in a statement. The service added that a formal investigation has begun and that Hawk T1 and Hawk T2 flights have been temporarily suspended as a precaution.

Footage recorded by local resident Danni Jones and obtained by Storyful captures the pilots descending by parachute as a fireball rises from the Welsh countryside below.

According to the RAF, the Hawk T2 is a “high-performance, 2-seat training jet equipped with advanced avionics and synthetic radar” designed to replicate the capabilities of front-line aircraft such as the Typhoon.

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The aircraft is used mainly for advanced jet instruction, helping prepare pilots to operate in demanding tactical conditions, the RAF said.

Officials had not determined what caused Wednesday’s crash.

RAF Valley, located on Anglesey, is home to No. 4 Flying Training School, which trains the next generation of British fighter pilots. The base also provides instruction for aircrew preparing for mountain and maritime missions around the world, according to the RAF.

On the latest Palace Confidential, Diary Editor Richard Eden and a panel of royal commentators examined reports that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could consider returning to California if they are refused taxpayer-funded security in the UK.

Mail Editor at Large Alison Boshoff reported over the weekend that friends of the Sussexes believe the couple may leave Britain if a Home Office review denies them automatic police protection.

Speaking alongside columnist Sarah Vine and royal biographer Robert Hardman, Eden described the reported ultimatum, coming so soon after their return, as “akin to blackmail” and an apparent attempt to influence the review.

He said it would be “outrageous” for the Sussexes—whom the King recently reaffirmed are effectively private citizens—to receive the same level of protection as working members of the Royal Family.

Harry lost his automatic taxpayer-funded security in 2020, after he and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and moved overseas. He later failed to overturn that decision in court, while their return to the UK has prompted a new review.

“My goodness, that makes the whole thing seem like… some sort of blackmail,” Eden said, suggesting the couple’s position amounted to: “We’ll move to Britain in an attempt to get the taxpayers to pay for security.”

Eden said the consequences could be significant if the Sussexes received the protection they are seeking. “Harry and Meghan can come and go, and they’ll still be getting police protection,” he explained, adding that they could then argue for similar protection while in the United States.

“So those hard-pressed taxpayers in the US might find that they’re having to pay for security too,” he continued. “So it could ease any money worries that they have.”

“Harry and Meghan would be absolutely thrilled. They’d have these huge costs paid for by someone else,” Eden added.

The panel also considered whether a decision in the Sussexes’ favour could lead to them being recognised as internationally protected persons.

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That designation, which applies to diplomats, could require other countries to provide protection for the couple when they travel abroad.

Harry and Meghan maintain that, as the King’s son and a former Afghanistan serviceman, he faces the same level of risk and deserves protection comparable to that provided to other senior royals.

Eden countered that the King’s own siblings do not receive permanent protection, with security provided only when they are undertaking official royal duties.

Vine predicted that Harry could eventually return to official duties in some capacity, describing it as an “inevitability” if security were granted on that basis.

“They will say you can have the protection, but you need to start doing some royal duties,” she said.

“Maybe not Meghan, just Harry. He’s good at that stuff and if he does it on his own, then she doesn’t need to be involved. She can’t get upset about it. It sort of makes sense.”

Hardman, however, stressed that security decisions are based solely on the level of threat, rather than being negotiated as part of a transaction.

He said: ‘I don’t think it can be on the basis of, you get an extra copper with an earpiece if you cut a few ribbons. It doesn’t really work like that.

‘The people judging security are not interested in plaque unveilings, ribbon cuttings and hospital openings. They’re just interested in the threat, and I think that’s how it’ll be decided.’

Watch the full episode, including more analysis of the fallout from Earl Spencer’s explosive memoir, on Palace Confidential’s YouTube channel and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

A California tech startup that has drawn attention for its alleged preference for hiring “hot” women has become embroiled in a public meltdown after provocative social media posts by employees triggered widespread backlash.

San Francisco insurance-tech company Corgi is now better known online for controversial dating standards, “mean-girl” accusations and internal friction than for its insurance business. The turmoil has even prompted CEO Nico Laqua to issue an awkward defense of the culture at the reported $4 billion startup.

Brooke LeBlanc, Corgi’s head of community, deleted her X account this week after a highly publicized list of dating requirements spread across social media.

The controversy intensified when another Corgi employee, who uses the name Nicole Clash, faced criticism over repeated online use of an ableist slur and a now-deleted post that appeared to downplay concerns about the N-word. A colleague subsequently denounced the remarks.

“Reading is hard for the retarded it’s ok I understand,” Clash wrote in an X post dated Sept. 20, according to Insurance Business, which identified her as a Corgi marketing employee.

In a separate post that was later removed, Clash said she would “not attempt to police” people who use the N-word. The comment prompted angry reactions on X, where users branded her a “mean girl,” as well as an apparent rebuke from fellow employee Ella Schlaghecke. The Post did not view the original post but reviewed screenshots of it.

“There is a distinct difference between believing that society should not censor people and deciding that we have no responsibility to challenge language that dehumanizes others,” wrote Schlaghecke, who is listed on LinkedIn as a partnerships manager.

Clash said she deleted some of the posts after reconsidering them. She also said the comments were her own and did not reflect the views of Corgi.

The episode followed LeBlanc’s viral list of qualities she said she wanted in a future husband. Her requirements included being “post economic (still hardworking),” “fit and sober,” “healthy masculine” and between 35 and 42 years old.

“Sorry, I don’t want to date a loser!” LeBlanc added.

LeBlanc, 29, later claimed that the list attracted five potential suitors before she shut down her X account.

Corgi’s 26-year-old chief executive responded by posting a lengthy criticism of “cancel culture” after LeBlanc’s comments went viral.

“If I’ve learned one thing about startups, it’s that VCs and very online figures care mostly about press and social media. However, real hackers and builders care about making a durable business, and that’s what we’re doing at Corgi,” Laqua wrote on X.

Corgi later said Laqua’s free-speech defense had been posted before Clash’s remarks became known. The company added that he does not support the language in question and that it does not represent Corgi’s position.

The online firestorm has also raised an obvious question: how did an insurance startup become the center of a social media scandal?

“Suddenly, people were looking at Corgi for all the wrong reasons,” said public relations veteran Chris Harihar, discussing the reaction to LeBlanc’s post. “Now, you’re the company known for provocative or offensive posts, not insurance.”

Harihar noted that provocative content can help a young company attract attention, but warned that a reputation built around controversy may alienate more conventional customers. “At some point, the wrong kind of attention costs you money,” he said.

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Corgi describes itself as an “AI native, full-stack” insurance platform that underwrites and sells coverage directly to businesses. The company has also become associated with a hustle-focused workplace philosophy that promotes 12-hour workdays, including weekends.

“If your days off happen to be Saturday and Sunday every week, you will not have a place at Corgi,” Laqua boasted on the 20vchq podcast, alleging he sleeps 3-4 hours per night on an office mattress.

That image helped fuel the nickname “Corgi girls,” tied to claims that the startup uses “hot” and highly online women as part of its marketing strategy. SFisms described “a steady stream of photogenic women announcing their marketing and growth roles in viral X posts.”

Corgi has rejected that characterization, calling the rumor “false” in a statement provided by its attorney, Jeremy Eisemann.

“We hire people for their ability to contribute to our business. Characterizing our colleagues as a marketing tactic is disrespectful to them and misrepresents our culture,” he said.

Corgi announced lofty plans to open 100 “Corgi Cafes” operating 24/7 to serve smoothies and snacks to fellow late-night techies — but reportedly removed the staffer in charge of that expansion this week.

The 400-person company said it remains committed to the cafe expansions and is also expanding its products to include “admitted insurance and reinsurance,” among other offerings.

“There is a good amount of eye-rolling in their direction. A lot of people in tech and VCs are like, this is ridiculous,” one San Francisco venture capitalist told The California Post.

“But to give them some amount of credit, consumer insurance and fintech at the end of the day is brand driven. Their play clearly seems to be are we going to get a certain kind of customer to our insurance products with a non-corporate, Gen Z voice,” the investor continued.

Aaron Peskin, a former city supervisor and critic of San Francisco’s tech industry, said Corgi’s cafes — which have been lambasted online as “smelly” and poorly maintained — left him wondering, ““What the f— is going on in this town?

“Look, immature, silly people and organizations are not a new thing on the planet Earth,” Peskin said. “It’s like watching a train wreck.”