A woman has died in a rare suspected mountain lion attack in Colorado on Thursday, officials said.
Hikers told authorities they saw a mountain lion near a person who was lying on the ground 100 yards away around 12:15 p.m., on the Crosier Mountain trail in unincorporated Larimer County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release.
The hikers scared the lion away by throwing rocks and then attended to the adult woman, the release said. One of the witnesses was a physician and "did not find a pulse," said Kara Van Hoose, spokesperson with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
The victim's identity and cause of death will be released by the Larimer County Coroner.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife is investigating the death as a suspected mountain lion attack.
"There were signs that this was consistent with a mountain lion attack but we can't say for sure," Van Hoose told reporters Thursday. She said it's believed the woman was hiking alone.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife, along with Larimer County Sheriff deputies, Estes Park police and Glen Haven Area Volunteer firefighters responded and launched an extensive search for mountain lions. They were aided by a Colorado Parks and Wildlife biologist who was conducting aerial deer surveys in the county and houndsmen with dogs to track the scent of mountain lions.
One mountain lion was located at the scene but it ran away when officers shot it. It was tracked by the officers and euthanized, the release said.
A second mountain lion was found nearby shortly after and also euthanized, the release said. Colorado Parks and Wildlife policy mandates that wildlife involved in attacks on humans must be euthanized for public safety.
"It is unknown if one or multiple animals were involved in the suspected attack," the Colorado Parks and Wildlife release said.
Pathologists will perform a necropsy on the mountain lions to check for abnormalities and neurological diseases like rabies and avian influenza.
They will also be tested for human DNA, Van Hoose said. If the lions don't prove to have evidence of human DNA, a search will continue.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife said mountain lion attacks on humans in Colorado are considered rare, with 28 previous attacks reported to the agency since 1990. The last fatal attack was 27 years ago, in 1999.
Van Hoose described the area as remote and heavily wooded, with some secluded trails.
"This is an area where mountain lions are really common, along with a lot of other wildlife like bears and moose," she said. "Because mountain lion are really common in this area, we do expect to have conflicts with regular things like sightings or encounters with dogs."
The agency noted that hikers should expect to encounter wildlife along the Front Range and Larimer County, and mountain lions are more visible in the winter as they follow deer and elk to lower elevations.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife advised anyone who may encounter a mountain lion to make noise and scare them, hold objects overhead to appear bigger and back away from the animal.
Behind the nondescript grey buildings that line the streets of Hsinchu lies one of the most important pieces of technology in the world.
Whirring away inside are rows of white machines that are so advanced – and so secretive – that a select few are allowed inside.
This is Taiwan's "Silicon Valley" and these facilitiesproduce the majority of the world's semiconductors– small chips that power virtually every electronic device in use today, from coffee machines to fighter jets.
Every country in the world relies on these chips, including China, which despite threatening to "reunify" Taiwan by force, imports nearly half of the island's semiconductors.
Economists warn that an invasion of Taiwan would cost the world's economy £7.5tn – far more than the cost of theRussian invasion of Ukraineor the Covid-19 pandemic.
Analysts argue that this very fact would act as a key deterrence against Beijing following through on its threats, as China knows if it does invade, its economy would take a direct hit from the fallout.
Known as the "silicon shield", the theory argues that Taiwan's semiconductor industry offers it a de facto security blanket, which would stop China from invading – both because of its own dependency on the chips and the US's, which could come to Taiwan's defence.
Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's former president, popularised the theory in 2021 when she wrote that the silicon shield "allows Taiwan to protect itself and others from aggressive attempts by authoritarian regimes to disrupt global supply chains".
However, leading Taiwan companies within the semiconductor industry have been moving production sites abroad to countries such as Chinaand the US.
Experts have warned that this is effectively disintegrating Taipei's valuable economic deterrence, making it more likely that Beijing would attack Taiwan.
Taiwan produces approximately 60 to 70 per cent of all the world's semiconductors and more than 95 per cent of the advanced chips.
While thousands of companies are involved in semiconductor production, in Taiwan the industry is synonymous with one name –Taiwan's Semiconductor Manufacturing Company(TSMC).
Founded in 1987, the company has grown over the years to make up more than 60 per cent of the global market share and 9 per cent of Taiwan's GDP. It is the most important company to the country's economy and, in many ways, its national security.
It is one of more than 400 companies based in the Hsinchu Science Park, a concentrated industrial zone in central Taiwan often compared to Silicon Valley in the US.
The park's unique "ecosystem" is one of many reasons that Taiwan has become a global leader in the semiconductor industry, according to Alisa Huang, who has spent over 25 years working as a senior manager at TSMC.
Ms Huang, who now works as an independent consultant, told The Telegraph: "We call it a cluster effect because we have spare parts, equipment, material, design, software, [integrated circuit] manufacturing and assembly tests all in one place. We have a complete supply chain, a complete ecosystem."
TSMC's monopoly over the industry in Taiwan and around the world is often connected to its unprecedented structure as a foundry model. This means it manufactures chips for other companies but is not responsible for the designs. Instead, companies like Apple and Nvidia come to TSMC with orders for products they want to build.
"By choosing not to design, manufacture or market any semiconductor products under its own name, the company ensures that it never competes with its customers," TSMC claims on its website.
While most of TSMC's production is based in Taiwan, the company has gradually been opening fabrication plants, factories where semiconductor chips are made, in China, the US and Japan.
There is one under construction in Germany, which is set to begin operations by the end of 2027. TSMC announced in March that it plans to invest an additional $100bn (£75bn) to grow its US manufacturing operations.
Some experts believe that TSMC and other companies involved in the supply chain are moving production out of Taiwan in response to thegrowing threat from China.
Beijing's increasingly hostile rhetoric towards Taiwanand its routine show of force towards the island has spooked foreign governments and semiconductor customers.
Kharis Templeman, a research fellow on Taiwan at the US-based Hoover Institution, explained that the Covid-19 pandemic served as a wake-up call for many companies who were reliant on chips from Taiwan and had to scramble overnight when their supply was interrupted.
It offered an insight into what could happen if China launched an attack against Taiwan, which could result in the supply of chips being permanently cut off.
Mr Templeman said: "Generally the idea of having over-concentration from one supplier located in one location is a big problem for your business model in this new world.
"They want at least some supply or some production that's closer to the ultimate customers."
Pressure from the US government and the Trump administration specifically has also been a factor in moving production out of Taiwan.
Shih-Chang Hung, a professor of technology at Taiwan's National Tsing Hua University, said: "Trump's Maga – 'Make America Great Again' – they want to bring manufacturing back to the United States. That's the primary reason for why they want to build their own manufacturing infrastructure in the US."
But this means that Taiwan could lose an element of its deterrence. If the US is making its own semiconductor chips, rather than relying on Taipei's, it may be less likely to come to Taiwan's defence in a war.
TheUS is Taiwan's main defence supplier, responsible for equipping the island with virtually all of its military technology. The country also holds a trump card over Taiwan in its ability to make or break a future conflict with China.
War game simulations have shown that the US' decision to come to Taiwan's defence could be the difference between the country remaining autonomous and it falling under Chinese control.
However, TSMC has kept an insurance policy.
The company has made sure that only its mature chips will be manufactured overseas. The production of advanced chips will remain in Taiwan.
In fact, in October, Taiwanese officials criticised a proposal by Howard Lutnick, the US commerce secretary, who said that Washington was talking to Taipei about a "50-50" split in semiconductor manufacturing.
In response, Eric Chu, the then-chairman of Taiwan's opposition party, said: "No one can sell out Taiwan or TSMC, and no one can undermine Taiwan's silicon shield".
While the diversification of TSMC's production and the semiconductor industry more generally offers a safety net for other countries, experts are torn on how this affects Taiwan.
Some, such as Ms Huang, believe that increasing the number of TSMC fabrication plants around the world strengthens Taiwan's ties with other nations.
"When we invest outside Taiwan, either in Europe, in America or in Japan, all these countries become bonded with TSMC," she explained.
Mr Templeman noted that by opening fabrication plants in other countries it "gives them a stronger incentive to care about what's happening in the Taiwan industries and the security threats potentially to this Taiwan company than what previously existed."
In theory, this could support the second branch of the silicon shield argument, which stipulates that the US and allies are more likely to come to Taiwan's defence in the event of a conflict, thereby deterring China.
However, other experts are concerned that if reliance on Taiwan's chip production decreases, and China is able to source its semiconductors outside the country, there will be less standing in Beijing's way.
Earlier this month, Mr Trump gave Nvidia permission to sell its second-most-powerful chip to China, which could signal a drop in Beijing's dependency on Taiwan.
A Taiwanese semiconductor engineer, who spoke to The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity, said: "If they have no need for Taiwan, there will be less reluctance to invade Taiwan because they won't hit their major league economy so their costs will be reduced."
Experts and those within the industry are also worried about Beijing's habit of stealing innovations from other countries.
"First, they welcome your business. Second, they look at your technology. Third, they build a competitor that can beat you. Then, fourth, they kick you out of the country," said the engineer.
This article is the second of four pieces that The Telegraph is publishing on Taiwan's plans to repel a Chinese invasion and Beijing's efforts to undermine the island's defences. The first story in the series can be readhere.
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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The first place in the world to legalize voluntary euthanasia 31 years ago could this year become the last part of Australia to secure the same legal reform as the Northern Territory government on Friday announced plans to legislate for doctor-assisted dying for a second time.
The Northern Territory's world-first laws passed in 1995 wereoverturned by the Australian Parliamenttwo years later and after four terminally ill patients were legally helped to die.
Since then, all six Australian states havepassed assisted dying lawsand the Australian Parliament has lifted the ban on the two territories, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory, passing such laws of their own.
The Australian Capital Territory passed its voluntary euthanasia laws in 2024 and Northern Territory Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby said Friday that lawmakers in her jurisdiction would consider a bill by mid 2026.
Lawmakers would be allowed to vote on it according to their own consciences rather than being expected to follow a party line.
"Legislating for the rights of the terminally ill is one of the most sensitive and complex reforms any government can undertake," Boothby said in a statement. "We're taking the time to get this right. We're working carefully and consultatively — not rushing it — and we are committed to getting the balance right."
A parliamentary committee recommended in September 2025 that a doctor-assisted suicide law be adopted by the Northern Territory, as well as recommending a public education campaign be launched to raise awareness and counter misinformation particularly in remote and Indigenous communities.
Drafting of the bill was underway, Boothby said.
"We won't shy away from difficult issues and we are committed to progressing these reforms carefully, thoughtfully and responsibly," Boothby said.
The Northern Territory has several unique characteristics and challenges among Australian states and territories.
The territory has by far the smallest population of the eight Australian jurisdictions: 260,000 people scattered across an area almost the size of France. Australia's population currently is 28 million.
While Indigenous people accounted for 3.8% of the Australian population of 25 million at the last census in 2021, they account for more than a quarter of the Northern Territory population.
Indigenous views vary on voluntary euthanasia. Some Indigenous people are suspicious of the medical system and fear they could be killed against their wishes. Others advocate for equitable access to assisted dying with strong cultural safeguards. There also are conflicting cultural beliefs surrounding death.
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly Speaker Robyn Lambley said establishing adequate education about the assisted dying law for Indigenous people, many of whom don't speak English as a first language, was "probably unrealistic."
"I don't think we're ready," Lambley said in an online post. "Maybe we'll never be ready in the Territory. Aboriginal people have reluctance around accessing health services for anything, even having babies."
"It will be a disaster. I don't think it will work. We just need to take it at our own pace," she added.
SEATTLE (AP) — Matty Beniers scored twice during the Seattle Kraken's three-goal first period and Philipp Grubauer stopped 24 shots in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.
The win gave the Kraken five victories in their past six games, coming on the heels of a stretch where they lost 10 of 11.
The Kraken took the lead when Beniers scored his first at the 3:48 mark of the first on a shot from near the blue line.
Jamie Oleksiak made it a two-goal game at 10:41, and Beniers added his second goal just 10 seconds later to make it 3-0.
Oleksiak left the game briefly in the third period after taking a puck off the back of his knee, but returned to the ice later.
Roman Josi scored Nashville's goal on a power-play late in the second period, with assists from Luke Evangelista and Ryan O'Reilly.
But Jared McCann scored on a long distance empty-netter with 2:13 left in the game for the final score.
Juuse Saros had 19 saves for the Predators.
Jordan Eberle, Ryan Winterton, Ryker Evans, Jacob Melanson, Kaapo Kakko, and Ryan Lindgren each had an assist for the Kraken.
Nashville: Play at Calgary on Saturday.
Kraken: Play at Vancouver Friday night.
AP NHL:https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics pulled away down the stretch to beat the Sacramento Kings 120-106 on Thursday night.
Brown shot 11 of 25, including 1 for 9 from 3-point distance, but made six free throws and added four assists before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.
The four-time All-Star has been on a scoring tear lately, pouring in 20 or more points in 12 of his last 15 games.
Payton Pritchard had 16 points and six assists as Boston improved to 3-1 on its five-game trip. Sam Hauser hit five 3-pointers to finish with 15 points. Anfernee Simons also scored 15.
DeMar DeRozan led Sacramento with 25 points. Dennis Schroder scored 18 and Keon Ellis added 16. The Kings (8-26) have lost four of five and nine of 11.
AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA
PASADENA, Calif. — Finally, the team that was supposed to win did.
No. 1 Indiana shut down No. 9 Alabama and picked up a convincing 38-3 winat the Rose Bowl on Thursday afternoon. The Hoosiers, who are now a perfect 14-0 this season, will advance to the Peach Bowl next week to take on No. 5 Oregon in theCollege Football Playoffsemifinals.
Indiana is now the first team in the expanded playoff's history to win a postseason game after receiving a first-round bye. Entering Thursday's contest in Southern California, teams who had received a bye were a combined 0-6.
After a bit of a slow start — this was the first Rose Bowl in 26 years to have a scoreless opening quarter — things quickly spiraled out of control for the Crimson Tide. Kalen DeBoer and Alabama, after a bit of failed trickery, opted to go for it on a short fourth down deep in their own territory early in the second quarter. It backfired completely. They tried a short pass to convert the fourth down, which set up Indiana with incredible field position after it didn't work.
Just four plays later, Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza found an open Charlie Becker in the back of the end zone for the touchdown. That put the Hoosiers up 10-0 at the time.
FERNANDO MENDOZA AND INDIANA FIND THE END ZONE FIRST 🎯(via@espn)pic.twitter.com/3CX3T4WUOQ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports)January 1, 2026
Indiana's defense forced another turnover just before halftime, too, after Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson tried to scramble for a first down. He was hit hard by D'Angelo Ponds and lost the ball, which led to a 1-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. right before the break.
[Get more Hoosiers football news: Indiana team feed]
Indiana entered the locker room up by 17 points. Alabama, which trailed Oklahoma at halftime in the first round of the playoff, managed just 30 rushing yards and five first downs while averaging less than four yards per play in the opening 30 minutes of the game.
Whatever DeBoer said at halftime didn't work. Alabama came back and had to punt the ball away about 90 seconds into the third quarter. Mendoza then quickly led Indiana down the field and hit Elijah Sarratt for a 24-yard touchdown. That put the game out of reach not even halfway through the third period.
A DART FROM MENDOZA FOR THE TD 🔥pic.twitter.com/ivhddNF2OQ
— ESPN (@espn)January 1, 2026
DeBoer even tried to switch quarterbacks after that, but it didn't matter.Austin Mack came in to replace Simpson, who briefly went into the injury tent, and actually led Alabama on its first scoring drive of the game. He got them into scoring position on a few deep passes, and set up an easy field goal to avoid the shutout.
But Indiana, of course, kept piling on. Kaelon Black capped a six-play drive with a 25-yard touchdown run right away, and then Mendoza got them back into scoring position on their next drive to set up an 18-yard touchdown run from Roman Hemby.
ROMAN HEMBY TDpic.twitter.com/PuGyQ2fO71
— NFL Paint (@NFLPaint)January 1, 2026
From there, the Hoosiers were on cruise control for the rest of the game.
The playoff win was the first in Indiana school history. The Hoosiers also made the playoff last season in Curt Cignetti's first year with the team, but fell to Notre Dame in the opening round. Indiana is now an incredible 24-2 under Cignetti's reign. The Hoosiers' 14 wins this season marks a school record, which was set last year, and this is now the first time in program history that they've had back-to-back seasons with double digit wins.
Indiana will now take on Oregon next week in Georgia. TheDucks rolled past Texas Tech 23-0 in their quarterfinals matchup at the Orange Bowlearlier on Thursday. The winner of that contest will advance to the national championship game, a place Oregon hasn't been to in over a decade. Indiana hasn't even come close.
But now, with a playoff win finally under their belts, the Hoosiers have more than proven themselves as a real threat to win it all in just a few weeks.
The Hoosiers complete the 38-3 blowout of Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Next up for Indiana: No. 5 Oregon in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 9 with a spot in the championship game on the line.
INDIANA DOMINATES ALABAMA 38-3 TO WIN THE ROSE BOWL 🌹
The Hoosiers hand the Crimson Tide its worse playoff loss in program history 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mCbyXuIdbr— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) January 2, 2026
2026 will bring severallunar eventsthat backyard astronomers will want to stay awake for.
The first full moon of the year will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and is known as the Wolf Moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac.
The moon will also be a super moon, which will look around 30% brighter and up to 14% larger. It will be the last super moon until November 2026.
But January's full moon isn't the only lunar event to look forward to in 2026. From an eclipse and a blue moon to super moons, these are the events you should mark your calendar for.
The first full moon will take place on Saturday, Jan. 3, and it will also be a super moon.
A blue moon is set to occur on May 31, and will peak at 4:45 a.m. ET. And no, the moon won't actually look like the color blue.
A blue moon is not a common occurrence, hence the expression "once in a blue moon," and only occurs every 2.5 years, according toNASA.
The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, when the moon was asuper blue moon, meaning it was the closest it had been to Earth that month and appeared brighter and larger.
There will be two lunar eclipses in 2026, according toNASA. Both will be visible in the Americas.
The lunar eclipses will take place on the following dates:
Total lunar eclipse/blood moon- Tuesday, March 3
Partial lunar eclipse- Friday, Aug. 28
2026 will have three super moons, including the one in January.
The super moon will take place on the following dates, according to theDetroit Free Press, a part of the USA TODAY Network:
Saturday, Jan. 3
Tuesday, Nov. 24
Wednesday, Dec. 23
The moon will be full on the following dates, according to theFarmer's Almanac:
Wolf Moon- Peaks Jan. 3, at 5:03 a.m. ET
Snow Moon- Peaks Feb. 1, at 5:09 p.m. ET
Worm Moon (total lunar eclipse)- Peaks March 3, at 6:38 a.m. ET
Pink Moon- Peaks April 1, at 10:12 p.m. ET
Flower Moon- Peaks May 1, at 1:23 p.m. ET
Blue Moon- Peaks May 31, at 4:45 a.m. ET. The blue moon occurs when two full moons occur in the same month. The last blue moon occurred on Aug. 19, 2024, according to Space.com.
Strawberry Moon- Peaks June 29, at 7:57 p.m. ET
Buck Moon- Peaks July 29, at 10:36 a.m. ET
Sturgeon Moon (partial lunar eclipse)- Peaks Aug. 28, at 12:18 a.m. ET
Harvest Moon- Peaks Sept. 26, at 12:49 p.m. ET
Hunter's Moon- Peaks Oct. 26, at 12:12 a.m. ET
Beaver Moon (super moon)- Peaks Nov. 24, at 9:53 a.m. ET
Cold Moon (super moon)- Peaks Dec. 23, at 8:28 p.m.
Contributing: Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press
Julia is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers scientific studies and trending news. Connect with her onLinkedIn,X,Instagram, andTikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:See list of 2026 lunar events. A blue moon, eclipses and more
