Sebastian Smith
Sebastian Smith, 19, is an early-career Canadian correspondent covering social trends, technology and community reporting. Their reporting aims to be clear, sourced and accountable to readers.
Brasília Forest Fire Destroys 20% of Protected Area
Brasília was built from nothing. In 1956, President Juscelino Kubitschek ordered a capital carved out of the dry central plateau. Lúcio Costa drew the airplane-
Harris Campaign Paid Influencers for Fake Support
Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign is facing allegations that it paid social media influencers to create fake supportive content. Reports from July 2024 claim…
Mistral AI Releases Mistral Large 2 Model
Mistral AI, a French artificial intelligence company, has taken a significant step forward in the development of large language models with the release of Mistr
CrowdStrike Update Bricks 8.5 Million Computers
One faulty software update. One Friday in July. Eight and a half million computers turned into bricks.
The numbers alone tell a story of unprecedented scale. B
Anthropic Releases Claude 3.5 Sonnet AI Model
Anthropic's latest model release didn't just arrive out of thin air. The company has been building toward this moment since March 2023, when its Claude chatbot
Shoigu Leaves Russian Defense Post Amid Graft Probe
Sergei Shoigu is no longer Russia's defence minister. After nearly twelve years in the post, he has been shifted to secretary of the Security Council. The Kreml
Shmyhal Warns Stalled US Aid Risks Wider War
If the $61 billion aid package for Ukraine fails to clear the U.S. Congress, the consequences will ripple far beyond Kyiv. That was the core of Prime Minister D
Crisis Text Line Surpasses 9 Million Support Conversations
The Crisis Text Line, a global nonprofit organization, has been providing free and confidential text-based mental health support and crisis intervention since its launch in...
Bridge Collapse Kills Two in Netherlands Construction
A devastating incident occurred on February 21, 2024, in Lochem, the Netherlands, where a bridge under construction suddenly collapsed, resulting in the loss of
Sinaloa Cartel Loses 12 Gunmen in Sonora Shootout
Sonora state police ambulances were still on the highway when the body count came in. Twelve dead gunmen. Two wounded officers. A failed rescue attempt that tel
Thai Fireworks Blast Kills 19, Three Missing
SUPHAN BURI, Thailand — Rescue workers are still sifting through rubble at a fireworks factory here, three days after a blast turned the site into a graveyard o
Darts 180s Pile Up Record Donation for Prostate Cancer UK
Prostate Cancer UK Set for Record Donation as 180s Pile Up at Ally Pally
The 2024 PDC World Darts Championship has already produced a new record for the most 1
Avian Flu Kills 522 Seals on Brazilian Coast
The avian flu virus now has a foothold in a new host along the Brazilian coast. Five hundred and twenty-two seals are dead in Rio Grande do Sul. The cause, conf
476,000-Year-Old Wooden Structure Unearthed in Zambia
A groundbreaking discovery has been made at the Kalambo Falls in Zambia, with the unearthing of the oldest known wooden structure, a staggering 476,000-year-old
Apple Unveils iPhone 15 With USB-C Switch
Apple has just unveiled the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the seventeenth generation of iPhones, at the Apple Event held at Apple Park in...
Apple Unveils iPhone 15 Pro with USB-C Port
Apple has just unveiled the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, the seventeenth-generation flagship iPhones, at the Apple Event held at Apple Park...
Prigozhin Plane Crash Follows Wagner Rebellion
The crash of an Embraer Legacy 600 business jet in Tver Oblast on August 23, 2023, did not happen in a vacuum. It came exactly two months after Yevgeny Prigozhi
Tropical Storm Franklin Drenches Hispaniola in Deadly Rains
The mountainous spine of Hispaniola is now a waterlogged funnel. Tropical Storm Franklin, which made landfall on August 23, 2023, is wringing itself out over so
Jet Bridge Collapse Damages American Airlines 787
A dramatic incident occurred at Dublin Airport in Ireland on July 9, 2023, when a jet bridge collapsed, causing damage to an American Airlines Boeing 787 aircra
Tamil Nadu Bus Crash Kills 5, Injures 34
A government vehicle and a bus collided on June 25 in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. Five people died. Thirty-four others were injured. The immediate toll is clea
Titan Implosion Kills Five on Deep-Sea Tourism Dive
Deep-Sea Tourism's Fatal Calculus: The Titan Implosion and the Price of Access
The Titan submersible cost $250,000 a seat in 2022. That ticket bought a ride to
Typhoon Mawar Hits Guam With 175 Mph Category 5 Winds
Typhoon Mawar is barreling toward Guam with sustained winds of 282 km/h. That is 175 mph. Category 5 strength. The island, a U.S. territory of 168,801 people, s
Cholera Outbreak Strains South Africa Health System
South Africa's cholera outbreak, first detected on 1 February 2023, is now testing the country's public health infrastructure in ways that will ripple outward f
Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted on December 19, 2022, by the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity...
