Across India, ancient stones tell stories of power, faith, and cultural exchange.

In the forests of Chhattisgarh, a 6th-10th century CE stone inscription and relief from the Bhima Kichak temple in Malhar stands as a silent witness to the Somavamshi era, depicting legends of Shiva and epic narratives.

Over a thousand kilometers south and nearly a millennium later, another set of stones in Kerala’s Udayagiri Fort tells a vastly different, but equally compelling, tale from the 18th century.

Here, the multilingual tombs of De Lannoy and Fullé Kurichiy (1777 AD) reveal a complex colonial world. De Lannoy, a captured Dutch commander, became the architect of the Travancore army under King Marthanda Varma.

His companion, possibly an indigenous Kurichya warrior leader, shares the same honored memorial. Their inscriptions in Tamil and Latin bridge two worlds, much as the sculpted gods in Malhar connected the divine and the earthly.

The drama of the era is captured in the cryptic note on “Proteste Monnet,” an army demonstration demanding the release of General Peter Flory, who was abducted in 1777. This act of defiance highlights the tensions within a hybrid military force.

Together, these sites—one a fragment of early Hindu temple art, the other a colonial-era epitaph—show how stone endures as the permanent archive of history, recording everything from ancient epics to the loyalties, conflicts, and protests of a rapidly changing world.

By James Kisoo

Terrance Gore, the speedy outfielder and pinch-running specialist who won three World Series championships across parts of eight major league seasons, has died. He was 34.

His death was confirmed by family friend Chad Funderburk, who worked with Gore through his baseball academy. Gore died Friday night; no further details were immediately provided.

While known for his extraordinary speed, Funderburk emphasized Gore’s character: “He was a much kinder human. Just a giving, giving man to so many youth. … That’s just who Terrance was.”

A Georgia native, Gore was a 20th-round draft pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2011. Over his career with the Royals, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and New York Mets, he became a postseason weapon—primarily as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. He amassed 43 stolen bases in 52 attempts across 112 regular-season games.

The Royals paid tribute in a statement from General Manager J.J. Picollo: “Terrance was an unforgettable part of our organisation with a unique talent that catapulted him to some of the biggest moments in Royals history… Those of us who had the opportunity to know him also remember his energy, his humility, and the impact he made in big moments on the game’s biggest stage.”

Gore’s speed was so defining that he stole 23 bases before recording his first major league hit—a single off Max Scherzer in 2018 while playing for the Cubs

By James Kisoo

TOKYO

Polls opened across Japan on Sunday for parliamentary elections that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hopes will deliver her ruling party a decisive victory, granting her the mandate needed to advance an ambitious conservative agenda.

Despite her personal popularity, Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)—which has governed Japan for most of the past seven decades—has been weakened by a series of funding and religious scandals.

Takaichi called the snap election just three months into her tenure, seeking to consolidate her power before her public support potentially wanes.

Her agenda focuses on revitalising Japan’s economy and significantly strengthening its military as regional tensions with China rise.

She also aims to deepen ties with Japan’s crucial US ally and navigate its relationship with a sometimes unpredictable President Donald Trump.

By James Kisoo

COPENHAGEN, Denmark

Creators of mobile apps designed to help shoppers identify and boycott American goods reported a surge of interest in Denmark and beyond, following heightened tensions over US President Donald Trump’s expressed interest in purchasing Greenland.

Ian Rosenfeldt, the creator of the free “Made O’Meter” app, said it was downloaded around 30,000 times in just three days at the height of the diplomatic crisis in late January.

Since its launch in March, the app has surpassed 100,000 downloads.

By James Kisoo

LOS ANGELES

Brad Arnold, the Grammy-nominated frontman of the rock band 3 Doors Down, died Saturday at his home after a battle with cancer. He was 47.

Arnold passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement from the band. He had announced a diagnosis of Stage 4 kidney cancer earlier this year.

The band, which formed in Mississippi in 1995, rose to fame with its 1999 breakout hit “Kryptonite,” a song Arnold wrote in math class at age 15. The track earned the group its first Grammy nomination.

Their debut album, The Better Life, sold over 6 million copies, and they received a second Grammy nomination in 2003 for “When I’m Gone.”

In their statement, the band credited Arnold with helping “redefine mainstream rock music, blending post-grunge accessibility with emotionally direct songwriting and lyrical themes that resonated with everyday listeners.”

By James Kisoo

TUCSON, Ariz.

In a public appeal, Savannah Guthrie told her mother’s potential kidnappers Saturday that the family is prepared to pay for her safe return, as a frantic search for the 84-year-old Arizona resident entered its seventh day.

The “Today” show host, flanked by her siblings in a video posted on social media, said the family had received a message from those holding Nancy Guthrie.

“We received your message, and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her,” she said. “This is the only way we will have peace.

This is very valuable to us, and we will pay.”

The plea references a message sent Friday afternoon to Tucson-based television station KOLD, according to Kevin Smith, a spokesperson for the FBI’s Phoenix office.

KOLD confirmed it received an email related to the case but declined to share details as the FBI investigates.

The station was among several news outlets that received alleged ransom letters this week.

At least one letter made monetary demands and set Thursday evening and the following Monday evening as deadlines.

By James Kisoo

A federal appeals court has affirmed the Trump administration’s policy of detaining certain immigrants without bond hearings, a significant legal victory for the federal immigration agenda that counters several lower court rulings.

On Friday evening, a panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Department of Homeland Security’s practice of denying bond hearings to immigrants arrested nationwide is consistent with the Constitution and federal immigration law.

In a 2-1 majority opinion, Circuit Judge Edith H. Jones wrote that the government correctly interpreted the Immigration and Nationality Act, asserting it mandates that “unadmitted aliens apprehended anywhere in the United States are ineligible for release on bond, regardless of how long they have resided inside the United States.”

This ruling upends a long-standing practice. Under previous administrations, most noncitizens with no criminal record who were arrested away from the border had an opportunity to request a bond hearing while their cases proceeded.

Historically, bond was often granted to those without criminal convictions who were not deemed flight risks, with mandatory detention typically reserved for recent border crossers.

By James Kisoo