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5 Oldest Trees In The World And Where They Are Found

Published

9 months ago

December 21, 2024

Trees are more than just a component of our surroundings; they are quiet reminders of our planet’s past. Consider a tree that has endured innumerable storms, survived the rise and fall of civilisations, and is still thriving today. These old trees are living memories that provide us with important historical context and a special link to the past.

These trees, which range from lone survival on isolated mountaintops to vast forests bound together by a single root system, teach us the value of conservation, adaptability, and resilience.

Here are the 5 oldest trees in the world and where they are found.

1. Pando (The Trembling Giant)

Pando, a remarkable clonal colony of quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides) in Utah’s Fishlake National Forest, is more than simply a single tree. Pando, which is said to be about 80,000 years old, covers more than 106 acres and shares a single, enormous underground root system. Technically, it is a single organism that is constantly renewing itself, even if it appears to be a forest of separate trees.

2. The Jurupa Oak

The clonal shrub known as the Jurupa Oak grows in the dry hills of Riverside County, California, in the United States. More than 13,000 years old, this hardy tree survives in a harsh climate. In contrast to tall trees, the Jurupa Oak grows as a low, sprawling bush and reproduces by cloning itself. It can recover and endure despite droughts, wildfires, and other adverse circumstances thanks to this technique. Its extraordinary longevity is evidence of nature’s adaptability.

3. Old Tjikko

The Norway spruce (Picea abies), known as Old Tjikko, which is situated atop Sweden’s Fulufjället Mountain, is roughly 9,558 years old. The tree’s root system is around 10,000 years old, although the visible portion is only 600 years old. Old Tjikko is a non-clonal tree that has survived by vegetative cloning for thousands of years as a single organism. This tree has survived the years by shedding and growing back its trunk, which is part of its survival strategy, and it is a living reminder of the post-Ice Age world.

4. Alerce Milenario (Gran Abuelo)

The Alerce Milenario, also known as “Gran Abuelo,” stands tall as a reminder of the passage of time deep within Chile’s Alerce Costero National Park. Over 5,400 years old, this Patagonian cypress (Fitzroya cupressoides) is an essential component of its ecosystem. Its yearly growth rings give researchers insight into the climate of the past. However, this exquisite tree is seriously threatened by illegal logging and deforestation, which highlights the need for conservation efforts.

5. Llangernyw Yew

The Llangernyw Yew, situated in the churchyard of St. Digain’s Church in Wales, UK, is a living connection to the distant past. This ancient yew (Taxus baccata) is thought to be around 4,000 years old and has seen the shift from Celtic to Christian customs. It has a mysterious atmosphere because of its hollow and gnarled trunk, and it is a symbol of endurance and resiliency in local history and culture.

These trees are living symbols of history, resiliency, and the wonders of nature; they are much more than just plants. Each of these old trees, from the legendary Llangernyw Yew to the expansive Pando colony, provides a window into the past.
VANGUARD

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UK Nursery Worker Jailed For Abusing 21 Babies

Published

40 minutes ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

A judge on Friday jailed a nursery worker for eight years for a string of “gratuitous” and “sadistic” attacks on babies.

In one incident, Londoner Roksana Lecka, 22, kicked a little boy in the face several times.

Lecka, who blamed cannabis for her crimes, admitted seven counts of cruelty to a person under the age of 16 and was convicted after a trial of another 14 counts.

Sentencing her for attacks on 21 babies, Judge Sarah Plaschkes said she had committed “multiple acts of gratuitous violence” at two London nurseries where she worked.

“You pinched, slapped, punched, smacked and kicked them. You pulled their ears, hair and their toes. You toppled children headfirst into cots,” she said.

“Often the child would be quietly and happily minding its own business before you deliberately inflicted pain… Your criminal conduct can properly be characterised as sadistic,” she added.

Lecka’s cruelty was revealed in June 2024 after she was seen pinching a number of children.
Police were called in and found multiple incidents recorded on the nursery CCTV.

Victim impact statements submitted to London’s Kingston Crown Court from parents of Lecka’s victims told how they were left heartbroken and guilt-stricken by the attacks.

“These children were so innocent and vulnerable,” one mother told the court.

“They couldn’t speak, they couldn’t defend themselves and they couldn’t tell us as parents that something had happened to them,” she added.

“They were totally helpless and Roksana preyed upon them.”

The hearing was told that she had apologised to the parents in a letter to the court in which she said cannabis had turned her into a different person.

She had been addicted to the drug around the time of the offences, but had not told the nursery.
She was found not guilty of three further counts of child cruelty.

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Italy Fines Six Oil Firms $1bn Fine For Restricting Competition

Published

3 hours ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

Italy’s antitrust regulator said Friday it has slapped Italian energy giant Eni and five other companies with fines totalling more than 936 million euros ($1.1 billion) for “restricting competition” in the sale of fuel.

The authority said in a statement that Eni, Esso, Ip, Q8, Saras and Tamoil “coordinated to set the value of the bio component factored into fuel prices”, which tripled between 2019 and 2023.

A probe following a whistleblower’s complaint revealed that “the companies implemented parallel price increases — largely coinciding — which were driven by direct or indirect information exchanges among them”, the authority said.

“The cartel began on 1 January 2020 and continued until 30 June 2023,” it added.

AFP

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Trump Signs Order For TikTok’s Sale, Valued At $14bn

Published

5 hours ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order declaring that his plan is to sell TikTok’s US operations to American and global investors.

As reported by Reuters on Friday, the order requires companies bidding for TikTok to meet the national-security requirements of the 2024 law that otherwise would ban the app unless its Chinese owners divest.

Speaking to reporters at an Oval Office briefing on Thursday, Vice President James Vance said the newly created US entity would be “valued around $14 billion.

“We actually think this is a good deal for investors, but they will make a determination about what they want to invest and what they think is the proper value,” he said.

The White House on Thursday pushed back the law’s enforcement date to January 20 to allow time for the transaction, investor commitments, and negotiations with Chinese authorities.

The publication of the executive order shows Trump is making progress on the sale of TikTok’s US assets.

However, details remain to be worked out, including how the U.S. company would handle TikTok’s most valuable asset: its recommendation algorithm.

“There was some resistance on the Chinese side, but the fundamental thing that we wanted to accomplish is that we wanted to keep TikTok operating, but we also wanted to make sure that we protected Americans’ data privacy as required by law,” Vance said.

According to Reuters, Trump’s order says the algorithm will be retrained and monitored by the U.S. company’s security partners, and operation of the algorithm will be under the control of the new joint venture.

Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had indicated approval of the plans. “I spoke with President Xi,” Trump said. “We had a good talk, I told him what we were doing, and he said go ahead with it.”

Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. TikTok did not immediately comment on Trump’s action.

Trump has credited TikTok, which has 170 million U.S. users, with helping him win reelection last year. Trump has 15 million followers on his personal TikTok account. The White House also launched an official TikTok account last month.

“This is going to be American-operated all the way,” Trump said.

He said that Michael Dell, the founder, chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies; Rupert Murdoch, the chairman emeritus of Fox News owner Fox Corp, and newspaper publisher News Corp, and “probably four or five absolutely world-class investors” would be part of the deal.