Fifteen elephants have died in southern Kenya after apparently ingesting cyanide, a highly toxic chemical that wildlife officials suspect was used on nearby tomato farms. The Kenya Wildlife Service said preliminary testing of samples from the carcasses detected traces of cyanide, while 10 of the elephants reportedly showed signs of partial paralysis before dying. The deaths occurred between June 24 and July 24 around Kimana Sanctuary and Kuku Group Ranch, near Amboseli National Park, an ecosystem home to more than 1,600 elephants. Kimana is a major tomato-growing area, and officials said the stomach contents of one dead elephant contained “lots of tomatoes,” raising concerns that contaminated crops may have been responsible. “Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical,” KWS director general Erustus Kanga said. “If elephants consume cyanide, they cannot survive a day or two.” Kanga warned the poison could also threaten cattle and goats grazing near affected farms. “We have the goats, we have the cattle that are there. Eventually, if this cyanide is truly the one that is in the system, then we are going to see a bigger impact,” he said.

A French student was fined the equivalent of $465 after pleading guilty in Singapore to a public nuisance charge for filming himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and putting it back. Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 19, admitted to licking the straw and returning it to the vending machine while recording himself for his online followers. The incident happened at a shopping mall in March, and he was charged in April after the video spread rapidly. A separate mischief charge was taken into consideration during sentencing, and the court did not order any community-based punishment after weighing mitigating factors. Prosecutors, who sought the maximum fine of $1,551, said the staged act risked undermining public confidence in the hygiene of a commonly used machine. They noted Maximilien retrieved the straw himself, that no member of the public used it, and that he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. The defense lawyer said his client, who studies at a business school in Singapore, is “truly sorry for having caused all this trouble.” Maximilien’s parents will ensure he pays the fine himself. IJooz, the company that operates the machine, sanitized the dispenser, replaced all 500 straws, and plans to upgrade its machines with individually packaged straws.

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When it comes to cookware, few brands have earned as much credibility among professional chefs as Made In. Designed in collaboration with some of the world’s top culinary talent, the premium cookware company has established itself as a staple in restaurant kitchens and home kitchens alike thanks to its professional-grade performance and heirloom-worthy construction. Whether it’s the brand’s award-winning Stainless Clad collection, its naturally seasoned Carbon Steel pans, or the convenient ceramic nonstick options, there’s a reason the brand has developed such a devoted following.

Now, Made In is making it even easier to shop its healthiest cooking essentials with the launch of a dedicated Clean Cooking collection. The lineup brings together the brand’s PFAS-tested and non-toxic cookware in one place, making it simple to upgrade your kitchen without sifting through dozens of products.

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According to the brand, it’s the largest collection of independently tested clean cookware available, spanning everything from PTFE-free CeramiClad cookware and naturally seasoned Carbon Steel to Stainless Clad, Cast Iron, and Enameled Cast Iron pieces. Each collection has undergone third-party testing for PFAS, lead, cadmium, BPA, and other common contaminants.

Plus, unlike many “clean” cookware options that favor safety at the expense of performance, Made In’s pieces are still engineered with serious cooking in mind (regardless of your level). You can expect restaurant-quality heat distribution, durable materials built to last for years (if not decades), and thoughtful, chef-approved designs that make everyday cooking feel a little more elevated. Thanks to Made In, you no longer have to choose between avoiding toxic chemicals and a perfectly seared steak.

Smoke that filled the business class cabin of a Swiss International Airlines plane and forced an emergency landing was caused by a damaged headphone case, the airline said. Flight LX16 had been traveling from Zurich, Switzerland, to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Monday, but was forced to make an unscheduled touchdown in Bangor, Maine. After landing, technicians found a headphone charging case had slipped between two seats, where it had become damaged. Lufthansa subsidiary Swiss praised its crew on Thursday, affirming that all 208 people onboard the 14-year-old Airbus A330 had returned to the ground safely. While most airlines forbid power banks from being stowed in the hold, they allow them to be brought on as carry-on luggage. Swiss, however, banned their use in the cabin at the start of the year, although passengers can bring them with their hand luggage. Citing Bangor airport spokesperson Aimee Thibodeau, the Daily Express reported that the incident led to the temporary closure of one of the runways. It reopened after around half an hour.

France’s famed Bordeaux wine country is facing a growing threat from wildfires that are spreading across Europe, with shifting winds and scorching temperatures putting vineyards on edge just weeks before harvest. “There is talk of zombie fires that keep coming back to life,” said Séverine Bonnie, who works at a château producing Pessac-Léognan wines, told the Financial Times. “The situation remains fragile so we are on edge.” More than 300,000 people have been forced to flee fires across France and Spain, including George and Amal Clooney. Greece has reported three firefighter deaths. But the southwest of France, including Bordeaux, is bearing the brunt of wildfires this month, with the country’s biggest blaze spreading across an area roughly four times the size of Paris. At Château Malartic-Lagravière, growers are watching the flames and winds closely. The estate sits just 10km from areas evacuated over the fire threat. But the danger is not limited to flames. Smoke can contaminate grapes with compounds that later produce harsh, smoky flavors in wine. Eric Serrano of France’s Vine and Wine Institute called the effect “a time bomb.” Meanwhile, Gilles Troullier told the Financial Times that nearly all of his nine-hectare vineyard has already burned. “It’s an irreplaceable wine-growing heritage that has burnt,” he said.

Everyone wants a good night of sleep. But if cutting screen time, caffeine, and late-night sugary treats haven’t moved the needle, truly restful sleep may seem out of reach. Before you lose all hope, there is another option—Blue Sky CBD’s Sleep Gels.

The absence of melatonin, a popular sleep aid, is a deliberate choice: while melatonin can help you fall asleep, it also leaves many people feeling foggy the next morning. Blue Sky’s Sleep Gels take a different approach, relying on 25mg of CBD (for relaxation effects) and 25mg of CBN (for its unique sedative properties). Plus, they’re free of THC.

Cindy Curletti had tried other CBD brands with little success—until she packed the Sleep Gels for a trip. That first night, she slept, in her words, “like a dreamboat.” Another Blue Sky user, Laura, has a similar story. After a frustrating cycle of waking up in the middle of the night, anxious and wide-eyed, rarely being able to fall back asleep, Laura found that Sleep Gels made a huge difference. Laura says “My sleep scores went from the 40s to the 80s, sometimes even hitting the 90s. It was life-changing.” Other Blue Sky fans report similar success, falling asleep faster and spending more time in deep and REM sleep.

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College Football Hall of Famer and San Diego Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith Jr. has died at the age of 64. His family said in a statement that he “passed away peacefully surrounded by family.” “Billy Ray faced his long journey with dementia caused by CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) with unmatched bravery, dignity, and strength,” they continued. “Billy Ray brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the world as a devoted father, husband, son, and loyal friend. On the NFL gridiron for a decade with the Chargers, and decades that followed in sports broadcasting, Billy Ray earned deep respect from teammates, colleagues, and fans, who he cherished in return. He leaves an irreplaceable void in our lives. His undeniable legacy will live forever in our hearts...” His glittering career saw him spend 10 seasons in the NFL with the Chargers. He went on to TV and radio work and ran a kids’ after-school program. “To know Billy Ray was to love Billy Ray,” said Chargers owner Dean Spanos. “Yes, he was a member of our 50th Anniversary team. Yes, he was a Charger for life, playing his entire 10-year career here. But he wasn’t merely a great football player. He was, truly, larger than life. Always smiling. Lighting up every room he walked into. Infectious laughter. The kind of friend a friend should be. That was Billy Ray.”

Oscar-winning animator Glen Keane was airlifted from a mountain in Arizona on Wednesday after becoming too dizzy and weak to hike back down. The 72-year-old was hiking Mummy Mountain near Paradise Valley with family shortly after 6 a.m. when he became stranded on a narrow ridge. Firefighters arrived after he called for help and found him alert but unable to walk. Crews secured him with ropes before hoisting him aboard a Phoenix Fire Department helicopter. Keane was flown down the mountain and checked by paramedics, but did not require further treatment. “I was being lifted up [in the helicopter], and I was looking at all the areas that I used to climb around as a kid. And I thought, Lord, thank you,” Keane told Arizona’s Family, adding that “it was very much just like a razor’s edge up there.” The veteran Disney animator won an Oscar in 2018 with Kobe Bryant for Dear Basketball. His credits include Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. Keane later warned hikers to respect extreme summer heat, saying: “Things change.”

A British Airways captain was forced to grab the controls of a stalling passenger jet 4,000 feet over London, narrowly averting disaster. Flight BA919 from Dusseldorf, Germany, was on approach to Heathrow Airport on July 6 when one of the Airbus A320’s systems that measures air speed failed. The 180-seater plane was over the city’s financial district, Canary Wharf, when it stalled. The co-pilot tried to solve the issue but failed, forcing the captain to physically step in, a scenario that’s been reported as virtually unheard of in the aviation sector. Sources said the incident was the U.K.’s “most serious near miss” in years. Experts have even warned it could have resulted in a “hull loss”—a jet wrecked beyond saving. The captain has reportedly been placed on “stress leave” over the incident, which is now subject to investigation by U.K. aviation authorities.

A Canadian man was wrongly convicted of child pornography and served 18 months in prison after investigators mixed up his instant messaging username with another account. Brandon Klayme, 30, was convicted of sending sexually explicit material to a 12-year-old girl on the platform Kik. But an appeals court acquitted Klayme after it turned out the offending username had two underscores in between its first two words (fus__ro_dah), whereas Klayme’s username had just one (fus_ro_dah). Both names were inspired by the dragon language in the role-playing console game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The Dane County Sheriff’s Office in Wisconsin, which first investigated the messages sent to the victim, and the Halifax Regional Police in Nova Scotia, which took over the case, both missed the username discrepancy, which went “completely unnoticed” at trial, according to Klayme’s appeal. He hadn’t used his Kik account in years when the explicit messages were sent, he added. The other account belongs to a different person in California. It wasn’t immediately clear if that person was being investigated.

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Whether for college, at the office, or just daily life, unless you’ve got the memory of an elephant, taking notes is a must. Remarkable has built a name for itself with innovative tablets that cut out distracting apps and focus on productivity. In fact, a study by Remarkable found that users experience 35 percent less stress and 20 percent more focus when using a paper tablet compared with working on a PC. The brand’s Remarkable Paper Pure is its latest model, allowing users to experience the feel of taking notes with old-fashioned pen and paper, with modern upgrades like Google and Microsoft integration, AI summary functionality, handwriting conversion, and so much more.

The Paper Pure is designed with a 10.3-inch screen, a three-week battery life on a single charge, and a super-crisp black-and-white canvas display. Writing on the Remarkable Pure Paper feels just like writing on paper, with the digital ink appearing in as little as 21 milliseconds—faster than the blink of an eye.

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The next-level tablet also comes with a custom-made marker that can be used as a ballpoint pen, pencil, or even highlighter. Plus, since the tablet is held together with screws and snaps (not glue), repairs aren’t a headache for professionals.

Need a weekly planner? There’s a template for that. Want a notebook with ruled lines? There’s a template for that, too. You can even connect with productivity apps like Outlook, Slack, Google Drive, and OneDrive to pick up writing on your laptop. Whether you’re using it for work, school, or just as a journal, the Paper Pure is an all-in-one note-taking device.

Arlene Smith, an original member of the pop R&B girl group The Chantels who co-wrote and sang lead on the classic 1957 hit “Maybe,” has died at the age of 84. One of her friends confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that Smith died on Wednesday of natural causes in New York City. Smith and the other members of The Chantels had already been singing together for years when they formed the group while still in high school in 1957. Smith, who received classical training and performed at Carnegie Hall at age 12, wrote the lyrics to their songs, including their first single “He’s Gone.” It was their second single, “Maybe,” that put them on the road to stardom, selling more than one million copies. The Chantals broke up in 1959, with Smith embarking upon a solo career. The group would later reform, although without Smith, although Smith fronted another group called Chantels in the 1970s. She later became an elementary teacher in the Bronx after leaving the music business. In 2003, Rolling Stone placed “Maybe” at No. 199 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Folk singer Linda Perhacs has been found alive after a mysterious eight-month disappearance. The 82-year-old went missing after she left the residential care facility where she had reportedly been living as she dealt with dementia. She had been put under the supervision of a legal guardian, who was the last person to see her. The identity of the guardian is unclear. After friends and colleagues sounded the alarm earlier this week that she’d gone missing, the LAPD Missing Persons Unit told The Daily Mail on Wednesday that Perhacs was “found today.” They noted that they could not share further details but said, “She’s safe.” The news comes after Perhacs’ former manager, Laurel Stearns, told The New York Times that “repeated attempts to communicate with her guardian” had gone unanswered, prompting concern among friends and loved ones. Stearns said they were “seeking confirmation that Linda is safe, well, and receiving appropriate care, while expressing concern over the prolonged absence of communication with a beloved public figure.” The singer is best known for her album Parallelograms, which she recorded in the 1970s while working as a dental hygienist.