Verified News Online

Environmental crews and volunteers physically clear thickets of invasive red mangrove trees and tangled stilt roots from a coastal waterway in Kailua, Oahu Environmental teams in Hawaii have launched a major effort to remove invasive red mangroves from nearly two miles of waterways in Kailua. The project aims to reverse more than a century of environmental damage and protect endangered native waterbirds. The multi-year project, announced on 25 August 2026 by the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR), will target thick stands of red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) that have spread through streams feeding the Kawainui and Hamakua wetlands on the windward coast of Oahu. The work is funded through joint grants from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It brings together the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW), the University of Hawaii Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit and Kailua-based environmental..

Thieves stole 400,000 juvenile oysters worth about $350,000 Waterborne thieves have raided an oyster farm on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, stealing 400,000 young oysters worth about $350,000 AUD (£177,000). The theft has wiped out around a third of the grower's total stock. The large-scale theft is being investigated by the New South Wales Police Force. It happened at a remote water lease operated by Latitude 31 Oysters at Scotts Creek on Oxley Island, along the Manning River near Old Bar. According to ABC News Australia, farm owner Ryan Freeman discovered the theft on Tuesday morning, 25 August 2026, when he arrived to prepare his stock for the upcoming Christmas sales season. The thieves removed about 320 mesh bags containing young Sydney rock oysters, as well as floating equipment and sorting gear. Freeman said the total loss, including damaged equipment and stolen hardware, could be as high as $400,000 AUD. “We noticed our floating gear and tumblers were missing,” Freem..

AdvertisementBritainWorldEuropeForeigners jostle to secure UK residency rights before rules tightenThe proposed reforms to a scheme offering permanent residency would double the qualification period from five to 10 years
2-MIN READ2-MIN1BloombergPublished: 11:12pm, 27 Aug 2026The United Kingdom has seen a spike in the number of migrants applying for citizenship and permanent settlement ahead of a planned government clampdown.
Government data shows what appears to be a rush to secure residency rights in response to changes announced by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood that would force migrants to wait longer before they can gain them.
The Home Office said 199,628 people were granted settlement, giving them the right to live, work and study in the UK permanently, in the year through June 2026. Most granted indefinite leave to remain can then apply for citizenship after 12 months.
These figures represent a 24 per cent increase from a year earlier and the highest number since 2010. Over the ..

AdvertisementCrime in Hong KongHong KongLaw and CrimeHong Kong officer charged over indecent messages to suspect’s friendMan, 32, charged with misconduct after allegedly contacting a friend of a suspect and sending her indecent texts and images
1-MIN READ1-MIN ListenDanny MokPublished: 11:09pm, 27 Aug 2026Updated: 11:25pm, 27 Aug 2026A Hong Kong police officer has been charged with misconduct after allegedly sending obscene messages and photos to a woman friend of a suspect in a criminal investigation.Officers from the New Territories South regional crime unit detained the 32‑year‑old man in Tuen Mun on August 20, a police spokesman said on Thursday.
During an investigation into a case in May last year, the officer from Kwai Tsing police district allegedly contacted a friend of one of the suspects and sent her indecent texts and images.
The woman reported the incident to police later that month.
Following inquiries, the officer was charged with one count of misconduct in public office…

Ashka Shah (Jericho Senior High School, Jericho, NY) A 17-year-old student from New York has developed a targeted method to stop cancer cells from growing, earning national recognition for tackling one of the biggest challenges in cancer research. Ashka Shah, a senior at Jericho High School on Long Island, developed a method that blocks the harmful activity of a key cancer-driving protein without stopping its important functions in healthy cells. Her research earned her a place as a finalist in the 2026 Regeneron Science Talent Search, one of the oldest and most prestigious science and maths competitions for American high school students. The project focuses on the Wnt signalling pathway, an important biological system that controls normal cell growth, stem cell maintenance and tissue repair. When mutations occur, a key protein in this pathway, beta-catenin, can build up in large amounts and move into the cell nucleus. There, it activates genes that help aggressive tumours grow, especi..

The University of Cincinnati is also considering programmes in information technology and professional studies. (University of Cincinnati photo) For decades, a four-year bachelor's degree has been the standard in the US. That model is changing now as more colleges introduce three-year degree programmes that require fewer credits.As of this spring, colleges in 26 US states offered at least one reduced-credit, three-year bachelor's degree, according to an analysis by the nonprofit research group RAND. By May, 119 such programmes had been publicly announced.The new programmes allow students to complete a bachelor's degree with as few as 90 credit hours, compared with the typical 120 hours required for a four-year degree. While the change can cut a year from college, it can also reduce the cost of tuition and living expenses.The shorter route can also be attractive for students who need to start working sooner. Giles Sims, 34, turned to a three-year programme after being lai..