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Plover, not a fighter: protected bird 12th man on Tasmanian cricket ground as staff mow around nest

17 October 2026 at 20:00

While masked lapwings have a reputation for swooping during nesting season, Windsor Park oval’s resident plover just wants a good innings

At Windsor Park in Riverside, just outside Launceston in northern Tasmania, a masked lapwing has claimed prime real estate in the middle of a community sports ground, showing complete indifference to the weekend cricket matches taking place around it.

Warming a nest of eggs, the bird has been affectionately dubbed “Faf Swoop Plessis” by locals – a play on former South African cricket captain Faf du Plessis.

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© Photograph: Tahlia Franklin/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas).

© Photograph: Tahlia Franklin/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas).

© Photograph: Tahlia Franklin/Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas).

Florida fisher dragged into water and killed by 12ft alligator

17 October 2026 at 16:23

Steve Hamilton was fishing in Winter Garden when he was attacked by gator, which was later killed

A man fishing at a pond in Florida was killed on Friday by an alligator that was almost 12ft long in a rare kind of animal attack, according to authorities and media reports.

Steve Hamilton, 71, was on the shoreline in the community of Winter Garden when the animal dragged him into the water, the Florida news outlet WOFL reported, citing local police and the state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission.

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© Photograph: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Recife vai sediar maior festival de animação do Brasil, o Animage

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Amantes de filmes de animação vão se encontrar em novembro no 16º Festival Animage, em Recife. A mostra é a maior do país para esse tipo de filme e um dos mais importantes da América Latina. 

Este ano, o festival traz duas grandes novidades: a mostra competitiva para longas-metragens e o Animage Conecta, com programação voltada para proporcionar ambiente de negócios na área de animação e pensar os desafios e o futuro do setor.   

Notícias relacionadas:

A programação inclui reuniões de negócios, sessões de pitching com projetos de seis países e debates sobre os desafios da animação brasileira, com temas como distribuição, inteligência artificial e coprodução internacional.

Oficinas

A programação do Animage Conecta contará ainda com seis oficinas abertas ao público com um total de 90 vagas. As inscrições começam no próximo dia 19 e vão até 29 de outubro. 

Haverá ainda duas masterclasses com profissionais premiados. No dia da abertura, 20 de novembro, a aula será com a animadora e diretora norte-americana Sarah de Gaudemar. 

Com mais de duas décadas de experiência, Sarah Gaudemar venceu um Emmy do Primetime com o filme Frango Robô e participou de produções como Coraline, Anomalisa e Wendell & Wild e Lego Batman: o Filme. 

No dia 22, haverá uma masterclass com o diretor Hugo Covarrubias, do curta Bestia, indicado ao Oscar de Melhor Curta-metragem de Animação em 2022. 

Também vão participar do festival os cineastas Marco Nguyen, diretor do longa Jim Queen, e Otto Guerra, um dos diretores do filme O Filho da Puta. 

A Agência Brasil estará no Festival Animage. 

Serviço

Festival Animage: 20 a 29/11

Animage Conecta: 20 a 23/11

Local: Recife

Jovem motociclista ferido na estrada Guimarães-Fafe

17 October 2026 at 15:51

Um jovem de 22 anos sofreu ferimentos na sequência de um despista da mota em que seguia, esta tarde, em Fafe.

O acidente aconteceu na Estrada Nacional 206, sentido Fafe-Guimarães, por razões ainda não apuradas.

Prestaram socorro os Bombeiros de Fafe, transportando a vítima para o Hospital da Senhora da Oliveira com ferimentos considerados ligeiros.

A GNR registou a ocorrência.

O conteúdo Jovem motociclista ferido na estrada Guimarães-Fafe aparece primeiro em O MINHO.

The 20 global cities with the best quality of life

17 October 2026 at 13:33
Colorful Bryggen waterfront buildings and moored boats line a harbor beneath forested mountains in Bergen, Norway.
European cities rank highly in quality-of-life rankings.

MEDITERRANEAN/Getty Images

  • Oxford Economics' 2026 Global Cities Index ranked cities around the world on their quality of life.
  • US cities ranked highly for economics, but fell short in the quality of life category.
  • European cities dominated the quality of life list, while only one US city made the top 20.

Cities in the US rank high globally in terms of economics, but they have some ground to cover in quality of life, according to a new report.

For its 2026 Global Cities Index, economic advisory firm Oxford Economics ranked 1,000 cities across the globe based on five categories: economics, human capital, environment, and quality of life.

Every category is viewed from an economic lens, even quality of life, where indicators include income equality and housing expenditure, among others.

"The Global Cities Index records the progress cities are making across a comprehensive range of metrics," Mark Britton, managing director of city services at Oxford Economics, said in the report. "Sitting alongside our forecasts and scenario models, its ability to highlight how paths change under different conditions and its capacity for comparability shows you not just where cities stand today, but also where they are heading."

The overall list features several US cities in the top 20 — eight, to be exact, with New York taking the No. 1 spot. However, when highlighting quality of life specifically, only one US city made the cut.

Quality of life, which accounts for 25% of a city's overall score, wasn't a bright spot for the US, but plenty of other cities excelled in that category. See which cities ranked highest in quality of life, according to Oxford Economics.

20. Venice, Italy
Gondolas travel along Venice's Grand Canal between colorful historic buildings under a bright blue sky.
Venice, Italy.

adisa/Getty Images

Overall score: 51.2

Quality of life score: 86.3

19. Stuttgart, Germany
Sunset city skyline with modern high-rise buildings, wooded hills, and a landscaped park in the foreground.
Stuttgart, Germany.

Cyril Gosselin/Getty Images

Overall score: 70.7

Quality of life score: 86.5

18. Prague
Charles Bridge spans the Vltava River with Prague’s historic Old Town skyline under a clear blue sky.
Prague.

rusm/Getty Images

Overall score: 78.1

Quality of life score: 86.9

17. Sydney
Sydney Harbour at sunset with the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, and illuminated downtown skyline.
Sydney.

zetter/Getty Images

Overall score: 88.3

Quality of life score: 87.2

16. Munich
Aerial view of Munich’s old town with the Altes Rathaus tower and red-tiled rooftops under a cloudy sky.
Munich.

Nikada/Getty Images

Overall score: 85

Quality of life score: 87.3

15. Berlin
Berlin Cathedral and the Berlin TV Tower rise behind a bridge over the River Spree at dusk.
Berlin.

Nikada/Getty Images

Overall score: 84.6

Quality of life score: 87.7

14. Zurich
Aerial view of Zürich old town with the Limmat River, bridges, church towers, and boat docks.
Zurich.

pawel.gaul/Getty Images

Overall score: 89.1

Quality of life score: 87.7

13. San Jose, United States
Downtown San Jose city skyline.
San Jose.

f11photo/Getty Images

Overall score: 89.6

Quality of life score: 87.9

12. Linz, Austria
Aerial sunset view of Linz city center with the New Cathedral rising above surrounding streets and buildings.
Linz, Austria.

Mariendom

Overall score: 70.6

Quality of life score: 88

11. Basel, Switzerland
Aerial view of Basel Minster beside the Rhine River at sunset, with city rooftops and towers in the background.
Basel, Switzerland.

@ Didier Marti/Getty Images

Overall score: 79.6

Quality of life score: 88

10. Paris
Eiffel Tower rises between Paris apartment buildings under a colorful sunset sky.
Paris.

Fani Kurti/Getty Images

Overall score: 93.4

Quality of life score: 88.1

9. Ghent, Belgium
Historic riverside buildings line a canal with boats under a bright blue sky in Ghent, Belgium.
Ghent, Belgium.

MEDITERRANEAN/Getty Images

Overall score: 74.9

Quality of life score: 88.4

8. Dresden, Germany
River cruise boats sit on the Elbe beside Dresden’s historic waterfront and domed skyline at sunset.
Dresden, Germany.

Achim Thomae/Getty Images

Overall score: 59.4

Quality of life score: 88.5

7. Luxembourg
Luxembourg City old town overlooks a church, canal, stone ramparts, and autumn trees under a clear blue sky.
Luxembourg.

rusm/Getty Images

Overall score: 82.5

Quality of life score: 89

6. Oslo, Norway
Modern waterfront skyline glows at sunset, with city lights reflecting across calm harbor water.
Oslo, Norway.

MEDITERRANEAN/Getty Images

Overall score: 89.1

Quality of life score: 89.3

5. Bern, Switzerland
Bern old town rooftops, church spires, stone bridge, and hillside are lit by warm evening sunlight.
Bern, Switzerland.

joe daniel price/Getty Images

Overall score: 78.2

Quality of life score: 89.8

4. Grenoble, France
Riverside buildings and an arched stone bridge reflect in calm water beneath a snow-capped mountain.
Grenoble, France.

RossHelen/Getty Images

Overall score: 67.7

Quality of life score: 90.8

3. Singapore
Aerial view of Singapore’s downtown skyline with skyscrapers, roads, and waterfront buildings around a bay at dusk.
Singapore.

primeimages/Getty Images

Overall score: 82.1

Quality of life score: 91.6

2. Bergen, Norway
Twilight aerial view of Bergen harbor with illuminated waterfront buildings, boats, roads, and mountains surrounding the bay.
Bergen, Norway.

Thomas Roell/Getty Images

Overall score: 80

Quality of life score: 94.3

1. Canberra, Australia
Autumn-colored trees line a lakeside promenade with Black Mountain Tower visible across the water.
Canberra, Australia.

HADI ZAHER/Getty Images

Overall score: 79.4

Quality of life score: 100

Read the original article on Business Insider

From little acorns … to his 1,000th article for the Guardian country diary

17 October 2026 at 13:00

As Mark Cocker approaches a landmark for the world’s oldest column in an English-language newspaper, he is still inspired by powerful encounters with nature

In the autumn of 1987, Mark Cocker sat in a field near Norwich and watched a jay burying acorns for the long winter ahead. He described the scene in his first country diary for the Guardian. Thirty-nine years on, some of those jay-planted acorns will be mature oaks now, and Cocker is completing his 1,000th diary for the world’s oldest column in an English-language newspaper.

In his next diary, he will reflect on the changing birdlife around Flint Clough, in the Peak District, where he first marvelled at rare birds aged 12 after devouring bird books in his bedroom. As a boy, he would find cuckoo, golden plover, ring ouzel and twite, a once-common bird which is now virtually extinct in England.

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© Photograph: Fabio de Paola/The Guardian

© Photograph: Fabio de Paola/The Guardian

© Photograph: Fabio de Paola/The Guardian

A rare family of barn owls moved into Manhattan's Upper West Side, captivating New Yorkers

This is the first documented instance of barn owls nesting in Manhattan in modern history, according to one expert, and the owls have attracted nightly crowds of people in the street eager to get a glimpse of the elusive birds.

Surfe: Yago Dora, Ítalo Ferreira e Medina vão às quartas em Peniche

16 October 2026 at 23:12

Logo Agência Brasil

O surfe brasileiro avançou às quartas de final na etapa Supertubos Peniche (Portugal) do circuito mundial de surfe com o atual campeão e líder da temporada Yago Dora, Ítalo Ferreira (3º no ranking) e Gabriel Medina (5º). A etapa é a última antes da decisão do título da temporada em Pipeline, no Havaí, em dezembro. Na disputa feminina, Luana Silva foi eliminada na estreia no primeiro round pela havaiana Bettylou Sakura. As quartas de final estão previstas para este sábado (17), a partir das 5h (horário de Brasília).  

Um dos pontos altos do primeiro dia de competição em Peniche foi a disputa de oitavas de final protagonizada pelos campeões mundiais Gabriel Medina (2014, 2018 e 20121) e Filipe Toledo (2022 e 2023). Antes de enfrentar Medina, Filipinho vencera a estreia contra o australiano Liam O’Brien com somatório de 14,43 contra 12,93 do adversário.

Notícias relacionadas:

A bateria valendo vaga nas quartas teve clima de revanche, já que Medina caíra duas vezes para Toledo em oitavas anteriores este ano. Mas hoje Medina, que estreou direto nas oitavas, dominou a disputa desde o início e carimbou a classificação com notas 7,00 e 5,00 contra 1,33 e 0,97 de Fipinho.   
SUPERTUBOS, PENICHE, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 16: Three-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil surfs in Heat 2 of Round Two at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal on October 16, 2026 at Supertubos, Peniche, Portugal. (Photo by Manel Geada/World Surf League) SUPERTUBOS, PENICHE, PORTUGAL - OCTOBER 16: Three-time WSL Champion Gabriel Medina of Brazil surfs in Heat 2 of Round Two at the MEO Rip Curl Pro Portugal on October 16, 2026 at Supertubos, Peniche, Portugal. (Photo by Manel Geada/World Surf League)
Medina brilhou ao surfar dois tubos, totalizou 12,00 e superou o compatriota Filipinho que somou apens 2,30 - Manel Geada/WSL/direitos reservados

Na sequência, o potiguar Ítalo Ferreira sobrou contra o australiano Jack Robinson. Campeão mundial (2019) e olímpico (Tóquio 2021), Ítalo conseguiu surfar em dois tubos -  totalizou 15,00 contra 10,43 de Robinson, assegurando presença nas quartas.

O último brasileiro a avançar foi o líder da temporada, o catarinense Yago Dora que travou uma batalha acirrada contra Connor O'Leary, representante do Japão. O adversário comandava a bateria com notas 5,17 e 6,50 enquanto o brasileiro tinha somente notas 4,00 e 0,83. No meio da bateria, o brasileiro desceu boas ondas: na primeira 7,83 e depois levou nota 5,83, Com somatório 13,66, Dora virou o placar e segue firme na disputa do bicampeonato consecutivo.

O rival direto de Yago Doral pelo título da temporada, o italiano Leonardo Fioravanti, vice-líder do ranking, deu adeus a Peniche ao ser derrotado nas oitavas pelo australiano Morgan Cibilic.

Fechando as oitavas, o paulista Miguel Pupo perdeu de virada para o havaiano Seth Moniz nos segundo finais da bateria. Pupo dominava a disputa com notas 6,33 e 6,27. O adversário somava apenas 6,87, mas conseguiu cravar 5,93 ao surfar um tubo curto próximo ao fim, carimbando a classificação.

Outros dois brasileiros deram adeus a etapa de Peniche. Surfista de Saquarema (RJ), João Chianca (somatório de apenas 5,10), foi superado na estreia no primeiro round contra o australiano Jack Robison (13,33), que depois seria eliminado por Ítalo Ferreira. Irmão mais novo de Miguel Pupo, também parou no primeiro round: somou 8,27 contra 13,00 do português Frederico Morais.

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