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Roland Mesnier, White House Pastry Chef for 25 Years, Dies at 78

In this file photo taken on November 30, 2006, US First Lady Laura Bush (R) stands with Guest Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (L) while talking about the ginger bread White House he created for the State Dining Room, during a media preview of the 2006 holiday decorations at the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on November 30, 2006, US First Lady Laura Bush (R) stands with Guest Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (L) while talking about the ginger bread White House he created for the State Dining Room, during a media preview of the 2006 holiday decorations at the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP)
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Roland Mesnier, White House Pastry Chef for 25 Years, Dies at 78

In this file photo taken on November 30, 2006, US First Lady Laura Bush (R) stands with Guest Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (L) while talking about the ginger bread White House he created for the State Dining Room, during a media preview of the 2006 holiday decorations at the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP)
In this file photo taken on November 30, 2006, US First Lady Laura Bush (R) stands with Guest Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier (L) while talking about the ginger bread White House he created for the State Dining Room, during a media preview of the 2006 holiday decorations at the White House in Washington, DC. (AFP)

Roland Mesnier, the French-born longtime pastry chef at the White House whose whimsical confections served five American presidents, has died at age 78, a historical association said.

The culinary master -- who joined the presidential mansion's staff in 1979 under Jimmy Carter and worked there until his 2004 retirement during George W. Bush's presidency -- died Friday "following a short illness," the White House Historical Association said on its website.

"I have such fond memories of Chef Mesnier," former first lady Hillary Clinton said Saturday in a Twitter post that included a photograph of her and Mesnier standing next to some of his gingerbread holiday pieces.

"He loved making people smile with his beautiful creations, including his famous gingerbread houses at Christmas," she added. "He will be missed!"

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute also expressed condolences about Mesnier's passing, noting he had served as White House executive pastry chef for 25 years.

"His passion, commitment, and love for his work will always be remembered," the foundation said.

Mesnier, born in Bonnay, a small village in eastern France, died in the US state of Virginia following complications from cancer, according to The Washington Post, which quoted his son George.

Born into a modest family of nine children, he had worked in large hotels in Germany, Britain and Bermuda before first lady Rosalynn Carter hired him in 1979.

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80% of China’s Lanterns Are Made in One Little Town

80% of the country's lanterns are still made by hand (Getty images)
80% of the country's lanterns are still made by hand (Getty images)
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80% of China’s Lanterns Are Made in One Little Town

80% of the country's lanterns are still made by hand (Getty images)
80% of the country's lanterns are still made by hand (Getty images)

In China, red lanterns could guide a traveler to safety in cold winter alleyways, be symbols of power outside an imperial hall, or act as a call to religious devotion when hung in a temple.

They are also absolutely synonymous with lunar new year celebrations right across the vast country and link today's Chinese people with the culture of their ancestors, according to BBC.

To imagine how many lanterns would be hung here, at any given time, is like trying to count how many trees would be in the Amazon.

And yet it is claimed that a remarkable 80% of the country's lanterns are still made – by hand – in one small town in Hebei Province.

Walking around the dusty streets of Tuntou you see evidence of lantern making everywhere you go.

A view through an open door into a courtyard might reveal a small group of villagers sitting on stools and making lanterns while they chat, while down the main street, red lanterns are piled up one on top of the other.

Nobody seems to know just how many hundreds of years ago the craft started in this part of northern China but, if you're born in Tunou, you are immersed in lantern making from a very young age.

“When you see others in your family doing it every day, you get the hang of it quickly,” one woman told the BBC, adding that “kids here can pick it up at from around 10-years-old.”

It seems remarkable that, in an era of high-tech production lines, this town has been able to maintain a stranglehold on the lantern market, using production techniques from another era.

When asked about this, one elderly lantern maker said it was because they could easily fill diverse orders, no matter how small in scale, and do it more cheaply than factories could.

In the future, modern production may find a way to match what this village can do by hand, offering the same diversity of options at a competitive price, but it has not happened yet.

But a challenge for Tuntou is that many young people these days are not satisfied with a life of lantern making, instead opting for the lure of the city and the possibilities that urban existence can bring. This could mean a shortage of labor in the years to come.

However, for now, this is China's lantern town, and its residents are proud that it is known this way.

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Crocodile Caught in an Australian Creek 1,200 Miles from Its Tropical Habitat

In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)
In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)
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Crocodile Caught in an Australian Creek 1,200 Miles from Its Tropical Habitat

In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)
In this photo provided by Australian Reptile Park, its manager Billy Collett holds a freshwater crocodile caught in a creek near Newcastle, Australia, Monday, March 2, 2026. (Chloe Burgess-Jones/Australian Reptile Park via AP)

Stephanie Kirsop didn’t believe her son when he phoned to say a crocodile was lurking in a creek near their home.

The family live in the temperate coastal city of Newcastle, which is 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) south of Australia's crocodile habitat in the tropical north.

Lionel Saunders, 12, and his friends had spotted the juvenile meter-long (39-inch-long) croc early Saturday afternoon. Authorities were initially skeptical of the reported find but had caught the elusive reptile by Sunday night.

“My son took videos because he was trying to convince me it was real and I didn’t believe him. It did look like a crocodile but I was like, no it’s a log,” Kirsop said Tuesday.

“He rang me back a little bit later and he’s like: ‘I’m so serious mom. You have to come down here and have a look,’” Kirsop said. “The whole drive down there I’m thinking this is going to be a trick. They’re going to laugh at me.”

She was in no doubt it was a crocodile when she arrived.

“There is a little crocodile just swimming around in the creek where local kids go to fish and sometimes kids swim in there. Wow,” Kirsop said.

She phoned a wildlife rescue service and was told crocodiles don’t live in the area. Kirsop sent her own photos and video as proof.

Kirsop was referred to the Australian Reptile Park, which keeps its own crocodiles in a temperature-controlled environment.

Park manager Billy Collett said he suspected the images might have been artificial intelligence-generated fakes. But police confirmed there was a croc in Ironbark Creek.

“I was a bit suspicious because we get a lot of phone calls. These days with AI, it’s just so crazy,” Collett said.

He recognized it was an Australian freshwater crocodile, or crocodylus johnstoni, a smaller and less dangerous species than saltwater crocodiles.

“They’re capable of inflicting a serious injury,” Collett said of the smaller species.

Collett’s team caught the croc Sunday night 3 kilometers (2 miles) from where it was first spotted.

“I just wanted to get him out of there because he would’ve perished in winter,” Collett said. It is currently autumn in the Southern Hemisphere.

The croc is healthy and will stay at the park until authorities decide where it should go permanently, Collett said. Crocs are protected under Australian law.

He suspects the croc was a pet that had been released into the wild after growing too big for a fish tank or too dangerous.

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Scores of Grandfather Clocks to be Sold at Auction in the UK

Grandfather pendulum clocks collection for sale at an antique market (Shutterstock)
Grandfather pendulum clocks collection for sale at an antique market (Shutterstock)
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Scores of Grandfather Clocks to be Sold at Auction in the UK

Grandfather pendulum clocks collection for sale at an antique market (Shutterstock)
Grandfather pendulum clocks collection for sale at an antique market (Shutterstock)

A private collection of antique grandfather clocks - which have been assembled over the course of 35 years - is to go on sale.

They come from town such as Devizes, Royal Wootton Bassett and Calne in Wiltshire and currently belong to Paul and Jan Succony, according to BBC.
The couple want to see the historic items go to a good home when they go under the hammer at RWB Auctions on Wednesday.

“I'm now well over 70 and I'm still working as a consultant in the food sector and we felt it was time to move on some clocks from the part of our collection which still need to be restored,” said Paul. “We do have to consider the future and it's not practical for us to keep all that we have.”

The couple's collection includes various clocks and clock parts. What began as a personal purchase grew into a lifelong passion for the pair.

Paul, who lives near Devizes, continued: “My wife had a vision of sitting beside a log fire, reading Thomas Hardy novels with the reassuring tick of a grandfather clock in the room. So 35 years ago I bought her a grandfather clock.”

“That was the start of it. We embraced the challenge of finding clocks made by local makers and restoring them as we both love local history, and each clock has its own identity.”

Paul added: “Today we have well over 60 clocks and we've sold several to buyers across the globe who want to reconnect with their own history or heritage.”

The collection is expected to sell for upwards of £1,000 at RWB Auctions.

Junior auctioneer and valuer Will Walter said, “These are interesting local pieces which will attract local collectors or those with local ties who may live overseas or who have a connection with these places.”