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Weeks after sticky black balls washed up on the famed beaches of Sydney, scientists say they have partly solved the mystery behind the “disgusting” blobs. Initially thought to be tar balls, the golf-ball-size debris turned out to be something much different — a combination of decomposed cooking oils, hair and food waste, the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority said Wednesday. The investigation, carried out by the Australian government and scientists from the University of New South Wales, revealed that the black balls “likely originated from a source that releases mixed waste,” the EPA said in a statement . “Authorities have considered several possible causes, such as a shipping spill or wastewater outflow,” it said. The exact origin is yet to ...

Germany’s government coalition has collapsed in dramatic fashion after Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the pro-business Free Democrats in a late-night move following a marathon of crisis meetings. The three remaining ministers of the Free Democrats resigned in response, leading to the downfall of the government coalition. Scholz is expected to lead the country with a minority government, but the opposition is calling for an immediate no-confidence vote. But early Thursday, Transport Minister Volker Wissing from the Free Democrats unexpectedly took back last night’s resignation and told reporters that after talking to Scholz, he had decided to stay on as minister and leave the party instead. Lindner will receive his certificate of dismissal fro...

The Baltimore Ravens won a divisional thriller to kick off Week 10 on Thursday, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 35-34. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for four touchdowns in the victory. His last pass of the night was a five-yard pitch to Reshod Bateman for the go-ahead score with one minute and 49 seconds remaining. Joe Burrow led the Bengals down the field for a touchdown in the final minute, but he couldn’t complete a go-ahead pass on a two-point conversion attempt. Ja’Marr Chase was sensational in defeat, catching 11 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. This was the second high scoring duel between the teams, as Baltimore won a 41-38 game in overtime in Cincinnati in Week 5. The first half of Thursday’s game was relatively quiet, as the teams combined for only 2...

After she helped engineer Donald Trump’s improbable and sweeping victory in the presidential race, Susie Wiles, the president-elect’s unassuming co-campaign chief, is seen as the front-runner to become his White House chief of staff, according to six sources familiar with discussions inside the campaign. In a world riven by rivalries, advisers credit Wiles’ ability to gain Trump’s respect and corral big personalities. If she is chosen, Wiles would become the first female White House chief of staff in history. “She has commanded a ton of respect amongst the staff, as well as loyalty. She doesn’t play games. And she means what she says: On the campaign, she said we are checking egos at the door and held everyone to it,” said a campaign official, who, like others in this article, wa...

MUNICH — A U.S. citizen suspected of offering intelligence about the American military to China has been arrested in Frankfurt , German authorities said Thursday. Identified only as Martin D. under German privacy law, the federal prosecutors office said in a statement that the suspect “worked for the U.S. armed forces in Germany,” until recently. Prosecutors added that, as some point this year, the suspect “contacted Chinese government agencies and offered to provide them with sensitive U.S. military information for forwarding to a Chinese intelligence service.” They did not say when the offer took place. The suspect “obtained the information in question during his work with the U.S. armed forces,” prosecutors said, adding that investigators had searched his apartment. L...

“X-Men” alum Simon Kinberg is preparing to visit a galaxy far, far away. Lucasfilm is developing a new “ Star Wars ” trilogy with Kinberg set to write and produce the three films with studio chief Kathleen Kennedy. This will begin a new series after “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” starring Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver and Oscar Isaac, concluded the original nine-chapter “Skywalker Saga” in 2019. Though plot details haven’t been revealed, Lucasfilm has disputed the notion, first suggested by Deadline in their initial report of the forthcoming trilogy, that Kingberg’s movies will continue the story that George Lucas began with 1977’s “A New Hope,” introducing Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, Harrison Ford as Han Solo and Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia. Disney curr...

A masked bandit sent Spirit Airlines passengers scurrying at LaGuardia Airport in New York City on Monday when a raccoon was spotted bursting through a ceiling tile. Video shows the raccoon dangling from a cord from inside a ceiling tile next to the Spirit Airlines counter. It soon takes a nosedive, landing on the ground and sending airline personnel and passengers alike into a frenzy as they run away. As screams fill the budget airline’s terminal, another video shows someone is carrying what seems to be a trash can in an effort to catch the raccoon. The raccoon rendezvous occurred around 8 a.m., after which the raccoon was safely removed, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said in a statement. Airport staff members are working closely with a professional wildlife co...

A "Jeopardy!" contestant is addressing the "problematic" clue given on the show's Oct. 28 episode, for which host Ken Jennings apologized. Heather Ryan, who came in second by just $1, spoke to Pipe Dream , the student-run newspaper at Binghamton University in New York, on Wednesday to share her thoughts about the clue. The clue from the category "Complete the Rhyming Phrase" read, "Men seldom make passes at..." To which the correct question was "Who are girls who wear glasses?" Ryan, the only female competitor on the episode, happened to be wearing glasses. Jennings read the clue with a slightly awkward tone, then immediately apologized to Ryan after it was answered. "Yeah, a little problematic," he said. "Sorry, Heather." Will Wallace, who...

A federal judge chastised Rudy Giuliani on Thursday for offering a “farcical” explanation of why he hasn’t complied with a court order to turn over valuables to former Georgia election workers he defamed after the 2020 presidential campaign. U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman made the remark in a New York courtroom after an attorney for Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, claimed he wasn't sure where some of his belongings are. “The notion that your client doesn’t have any knowledge of where his assets are located is farcical," Liman told Giuliani lawyer Ken Caruso. Giuliani, a onetime personal attorney to President-elect Donald Trump, had been ordered to transfer personal property, “including cash accounts, jewelry and valuables," to former election workers Ruby Fr...