What's for breakfast? Mealworms may have been served at the Chicago hotel hosting the Democratic National Convention.
CHICAGO (AP) — Mealworms may have been the culprit behind guests falling ill while dining at a Chicago hotel during the Democratic National Convention earlier this week, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling said Thursday when asked for an update on Wednesday's incident. Police said multiple suspects entered the Fairmont Chicago, which was hosting a breakfast for Democratic National Convention delegates, and began placing “unidentified objects” on food tables before leaving just before 7 a.m. Wednesday. One person who ingested the food was treated by medical staff and released at the scene, Chicago police said.
The largest diamond in over a century has been discovered in Botswana – weighing in at a whopping 2,492 carats.
GABORONE, Botswana (AP) — A mine in Botswana has found the largest diamond in more than a century. The country's president unveiled the fist-sized stone to the world at a public ceremony Thursday. The Botswana government says the 2,492-carat behemoth is the second-largest ever found in a mine and the largest diamond found since 1905. The diamond was unveiled to the world in the office of Botswana's President Mokgwetsi Masisi. It weighs about 500 grams. Officials said it was too early to put a value on it or decide how to sell it. Another smaller diamond from the same Botswana mine sold for $63 million in 2016, a record for a rough diamond.
“Saddle Horse Man” Steven Nedorosik to appear on “Dancing with the Stars”
NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh from the Olympics, rising U.S. star and medalist Steven Nedorosik will compete on the next season of “Dancing with the Stars.” The online celebrity, better known as “Pommel Horse Man,” announced Thursday on ABC's “Good Morning America.” He's the first celebrity contestant named for the season that premieres Sept. 17 and the first male gymnast to compete. The rest of the cast will be announced at a later date, the show said. The 25-year-old gymnast won two bronze medals in Paris and became an overnight star, thanks in part to his preparation and his glasses.
A sword and bullhorn were stolen from Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino's office at St. John's University.
NEW YORK (AP) — Two thieves stole a ceremonial sword and a bullhorn from St. John's University coach Rick Pitino's office. The theft happened Tuesday night, said Brian Brown, a spokesman for the Catholic school in New York City. He said it wasn't immediately clear whether other items were taken from the Hall of Fame coach's office or elsewhere in the building. The athletics office sits on the hardwood at Carneseca Arena, where Pitino's Red Storm play. Surveillance footage released by police Thursday shows two suspects carrying the sword and bullhorn walking down the building's hallway.
Australian penguin Sphene, one half of famous same-sex couple, dies at age 11
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An 11-year-old member of a world-famous same-sex penguin couple has died at a Sydney aquarium. SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium announced Thursday that Sphen, a gentoo penguin, died this month. He and his 8-year-old partner, Magic, attracted international attention in 2018 when they built a nest of pebbles together and tried to raise a chick in the enclosure. International attention grew when they successfully adopted and raised two chicks in 2018 and 2020. Their union was celebrated with a float at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, featured in the Netflix series “Atypical” and incorporated into the Sydney-based New South Wales education curriculum.
Naming two baby giraffes is a big job for Berlin Zoo
BERLIN (AP) — Naming two baby giraffes this summer was a tall order for the Berlin Zoo. After the half-brothers were born June 24 and Aug. 11 at Tierpark, one of the city's two zoos, officials turned to a school class and the zoo director's 18-year-old daughter for inspiration. The class shared the name of the mascot giraffe, Gisbert, and shortened it to Berti for the new male. And because the zoo director's teenage daughter, Emily, is about 1.80 meters (5.91 feet) tall, almost the same height as the newborn giraffe, the female baby was named after her. The names were officially announced Thursday.
German warship blasts Darth Vader's national anthem in central London: 'No deeper message', Navy says
BERLIN (AP) — The German Navy says there was “no deeper message” in its choice to play “The Imperial March,” the theme song made famous by Darth Vader in the “Star Wars” series, from a warship as it sailed down the River Thames in London. A passerby captured the spectacle on video Monday, and the video quickly went viral on social media. The song choice caused a stir across Europe. The warship Braunschweig is named after a city in the German state of Lower Saxony, far from London. The German embassy in London said the ship's commander is a big “Star Wars” fan. It's unclear whether Anakin Skywalker was on board.
Taylor Swift says Vienna show cancellation is 'devastating', explains silence
LONDON (AP) — Two weeks after organizers canceled Taylor Swift's Vienna show after a thwarted terror plot, Swift has issued her first statement about the cancellation. She called the cancellation devastating, saying it filled her with “a renewed sense of fear” and “immense guilt because so many people were planning to come to the show.” She thanked authorities and said she was holding off on speaking out until the end of her European Eras tour to prioritize safety. Following the cancellation, Swift's representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Associated Press and other news organizations, and her social media pages have been dormant.
Authorities said that among the bodies recovered from the wreckage of the yacht was that of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch.
PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — The body of British tech tycoon Mike Lynch was among those recovered off the coast of Sicily from the wreckage of a superyacht that a shipyard had deemed unsinkable, according to the Italian coast guard. Lynch's body and that of five others were recovered. One woman remains missing. Lynch's 18-year-old daughter, Hannah Lynch, whose identity has not been released, is reported missing. The Baysian sank in a storm early Monday. Authorities believe it was hit by a tornado, known as a water tornado, which caused it to sink so rapidly. Fifteen people survived. Lynch had recently celebrated being acquitted of fraud charges.
Francis Ford Coppola's 'Megalopolis' trailer banned after critics' comments were fabricated
Lionsgate pulled the new trailer for director Francis Ford Coppola's “Megalopolis” on Wednesday amid revelations that critics' comments were fabricated. “Lionsgate is immediately retracting the trailer for Megalopolis,” a Lionsgate spokesperson said in a statement to The Associated Press. The trailer, released early Wednesday, included quotes from critics of Coppola's other films, including Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, that did not actually appear in their reviews. The film has also recently come under scrutiny for allegations of on-set misconduct after video surfaced of Coppola embracing and kissing extras during a club scene, but a rep did not respond to a request for comment.
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