Putian – September 24, 2026 -- Meizhou Island, the birthplace of the Chinese sea goddess Mazu in southeast China's Fujian Province, drew about 3.23 million tourist visits in 2025, surpassing 3 million for the first time as the destination shifts from quick temple stops to multi-day stays.

Mazu, born as Lin Mo on the island in 960, is worshipped as a protector of seafarers by more than 300 million followers worldwide. In 2009, UNESCO added "Mazu belief and customs" to its representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Tokyo – September 24, 2026 -- Casio Computer Co., Ltd. has unveiled the MRG-B2100HR, a limited-edition watch marking 30 years since the debut of its flagship MR-G line within the G-SHOCK brand. Only 800 pieces will be sold worldwide.

The dial reimagines a traditional Japanese joinery pattern in platinum

The timepiece features a dimensional latticework dial inspired by kigumi, a traditional wood-joinery technique, finished in platinum leaf. Metal leaf artist Hiroto Rakusho created an original artwork applied to each watch using powdered platinum leaf, giving every piece its own texture and depth.

Laser-etched surfaces shift color depending on viewing angle

The bezel and bracelet use structural color technology, where precision laser processing creates metal leaf-inspired textures that change hue as the viewing angle shifts. Casio built the design around its shock-resistant MRG-B2100 model, retaining its signature octagonal bezel shape.

Wilmington, Del. – September 24, 2026 -- Biophysical Therapeutics is now accepting pre-orders for an anti-aging moisturizer priced at $120, with only 500 units available in its first production run at www.IF1.skin.

The Delaware-based biotech company launched the product under a new consumer brand called IF1, named after a protein the company says plays a role in determining lifespan across mammal species.

The moisturizer's formula is based on research into why species age at different rates.

Biophysical Therapeutics says its research found that species with higher levels of IF1 protein tend to live longer -- comparing a mouse's four-year maximum lifespan to a bowhead whale's lifespan of centuries. The company reports that increasing IF1 protein in mice reduced aging as measured by a biomarker for aging.

Los Angeles – September 24, 2026 -- Crunchyroll subscribers will see Part 2 of "The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System" continue streaming dubbed and subtitled this fall, following the reveal of a new key visual, main trailer, theme songs and four additional cast members.

Four new adventurers join the story as Part 2 shifts to the city of Lacoryna

Kosuke Tanabe voices Kelt, a B-rank Hunter; Tsugumi Sakuragi voices Maebel, a C-rank Priest; Misaki Kuno voices Hilde, a B-rank Magic Swordsman; and Kengo Kawanishi voices Carlos, an A-rank Magic Swordsman known as the "Black Flame Blade." The new trailer opens after the battle with Malice, as protagonists Elymas and Ruche arrive in Lacoryna, described as the city of adventurers.

Chambersburg – September 24, 2026 -- Franklin County Visitors Bureau will host a two-day "Learn & Explore Weekend: Road to Freedom" on October 3-4, spotlighting the local history of John Brown, Frederick Douglass, and the raid on Harpers Ferry.

A bus tour retraces the county's role in the 1859 raid

The weekend opens Saturday, October 3, with "A Freedom Tour of Franklin County," running 9 AM to 3 PM. The bus tour stops at sites tied to the Underground Railroad, John Brown, Frederick Douglass, and the United States Colored Troops, including the Mary Ritner Boarding House, the capture site of John Cook, the home of bounty hunter Daniel Logan, Wertz Farm, and USCT cemeteries.

New York – September 23, 2026 -- Great American Media has launched the first annual Great American Christmas Movie Challenge, offering fans a shot at a $100,000 grand prize for correctly predicting how America will rank its 2026 holiday movie lineup.

Fans must rank all 18 World Premiere films by October 8

The challenge asks viewers to visit GreatAmericanFamily.com/Challenge and create a personal Great American Christmas Movie List, ranking all 18 World Premiere movies from the slate from No. 1 to No. 18 based on which films they predict America will watch most. Entries must be submitted by the October 8 deadline.

Valcourt – September 23, 2026 -- Ski-Doo, in partnership with Backcountry Access (BCA), is launching its eighteenth year of free Avalanche Awareness Seminars, offering more than 35 sessions across Canada and the United States this winter.

More than 30,000 snowmobilers have attended the program since it began

The seminars, run through Ski-Doo's Responsible Rider program, cover route planning, rescue techniques, safety equipment and forecast resources. Open to riders of any snowmobile brand and any experience level, the free sessions are billed as one of the longest-running avalanche education programs in the snowmobile industry.

Norfolk, VA – September 23, 2026 -- The U.S. Postal Service has dedicated its newest Kwanzaa stamp, marking the 11th design since the first was issued in 1997. Postmaster Matthew Toman served as the dedicating official for the ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia.

The stamp depicts a father and daughter sharing a moment

The digital illustration shows a father in a green, yellow and white dashiki and matching kufi hat smiling at his young daughter, who wears a pink-print dress and holds a wrapped gift. He holds a kikombe cha umoja, the unity cup used in Kwanzaa celebrations. It is the first Kwanzaa stamp to center on a father-daughter pair.

Los Angeles – September 23, 2026 -- Speediance is moving beyond its original smart home gym, unveiling a four-product hardware lineup paired with a new AI experience app now in public beta across 105 markets.

Four devices now cover different training needs

The flagship Gym Monster Ultra offers up to 260 pounds of digital resistance across 33 cable positions, with a vertical high-lat pulldown and adjustable thigh restraint for advanced strength work. The freestanding Gym Monster 3 provides up to 220 pounds of resistance through 19 cable positions without wall mounting, while the portable, 8.2-kilogram Gym Nano delivers up to 220 pounds of resistance along with real-time velocity, power and asymmetry data. The Speediance Strap, a screen-free wearable using greenteg Calera technology, tracks wrist-based core-body-temperature trends to add context on training, recovery, sleep and heat exposure.

New York – September 23, 2026 -- World Animal Protection, working with Collective Fashion Justice, has released a new investigation called Blood Feathers, documenting undercover footage of ostrich feather farms in South Africa cutting feathers above the bloodline and later pulling them out with pliers.

South Africa produces 75% of the world's ostrich products, including feathers, meat and skin. In the 2024-25 season, 150,000 ostriches were slaughtered there for these trades, and more than 150 tonnes of feathers were exported globally.

Farms confirmed supplying feathers to YSL, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel and Shein

Investigators identified farms and processing facilities in the region that confirmed supplying feathers to these luxury houses and to fast-fashion retailer Shein. At one farm, birds were live-plucked every six months, a practice the industry itself refers to as producing 'blood feathers' because of the bleeding it causes.