A new study shows that you can learn to be happy but practice is crucial for lasting benefits. The findings highlight that doing a course— be that at the gym, a meditation retreat or on an evidence-based happiness course— is just the start as consistency is the key. "It's like going to the gym—we can't expect to do one class and be fit forever. Just as with physical health, we have to continuously work on our mental health, otherwise the improvements are temporary,” senior author Bruce Hood said in the university's statement. READ MORE
A video shared by Instagram user @panteleenko_svetlana showcases a 
Russia n man guiding a bear to play a harmonica. The bear’s seemingly flawless performance has sparked amusement online, sparking several memes and theories. Endearing and funny animal antics caught on tape are a surefire hit on the internet. In one such viral video clip, a bear is seen playing a musical instrument with great finesse. READ MORE
A new study shows that you can learn to be happy but practice is crucial for lasting benefits. The findings highlight that doing a course— be that at the gym, a meditation retreat or on an evidence-based happiness course— is just the start as consistency is the key. "It's like going to the gym—we can't expect to do one class and be fit forever. Just as with physical health, we have to continuously work on our mental health, otherwise the improvements are temporary,” senior author Bruce Hood said in the university's statement. READ MORE
As Felipe Nystrom approaches the hill, the cheers swell. His bike sliding and squelching through the mud, he reaches the bottom and jumps off, shouldering the frame. Hundreds of fans urge him on as he struggles up the steep slope, cycling shoes sliding backwards as he edges forwards and upwards. Far behind the other competitors, Nystrom reaches the top. He pauses, standing in silhouette against the wintery sun, and acknowledges the crowd. They return his salute with yet more cheers. READ MORE
In 1977 it was a golden record, now scientists are sending a “message in a bottle” into space to communicate with aliens. NASA’s Europa Clipper spacecraft will carry a message from Earth in the form of an inscribed plaque when it launches in October, 2024, and heads toward Jupiter’s moon Europa. On one side is an engraving of U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón’s handwritten work In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa, along with a picture of a bottle bobbing in the ocean, at the center of which sits a silicon microchip stenciled with more than 2.6 million names submitted by the public. READ MORE
New research published on Tuesday revealed that remote coral reefs across the Seychelles are closely related despite being scattered across more than a million square kilometres. Scientists used genetic analyses and oceanographic modelling to show that ocean currents scatter larvae between these distant island, creating a kind of “coral superhighways.” READ MORE
The incontestable Oppenheimer made a clean sweep at the 96 Academy Awards taking home 7 trophies out of its 13 nominations. Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster which chronicles the life and times of the father of the atomic bomb, J Robert Oppenheimer, was an inevitable win in the major categories. The film bagged the Best Picture award, as well as Best Director for Nolan. READ MORE
Once a housewife in rural India, Sharmila Yadav always wanted to be a pilot. She is now living her dream somewhat, remotely flying a heavy-duty drone across the skies to cultivate the country’s farmland. Yadav is among the first batch of 300 women trained by the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO), the largest manufacturer of chemical fertilisers in the country. The women trained as pilots are given the 30kg (66-pound) drones for free along with battery-run vehicles to transport them. READ MORE
New research published in journals of the American Meteorological Society indicate changes in ocean-sea ice interactions, moderated temperature variations, and varied reactions to sunlight. The research recently published in journals of the American Meteorological Society demonstrates changes at the Earth’s poles, including altered ocean-sea ice dynamics, dampened temperature extremes, and differing responses to solar radiation at the north and south poles, and suggests that long-term warming trends may have played more of a role in 2023’s record-low Southern Ocean ice than previously supposed. Three papers in the Journal of Climate (JCli) find that the Arctic and Antarctic appear to be adjusting to a warming climate with fundamental changes in regional climate dynamics. READ MORE
Shehbaz Sharif on March 4 took the oath as Prime Minister of Pakistan, taking over the country’s reins for a second time since 2022, amidst staggering economic and security challenges. President Arif Alvi administered the oath to the 72-year-old Mr. Shehbaz in a ceremony held at the Aiwan-i-Sadr, the presidential palace. The ceremony was attended by the three services chiefs, senior officials, diplomats, leading business people, members of the civil society and media organisations. The caretaker premier Anwaarul Haq Kakar was also present. The brief ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, followed by the oath-taking. The ceremony was attended by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and other PML-N workers and Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah was also present on the occasion. READ MORE
Hundreds of robots zip back and forth across the floor of a colossal robotic warehouse, grabbing items and delivering them to human workers for packing and shipping. Such warehouses are increasingly becoming part of the supply chain in many industries, from e-commerce to automotive production. However, getting 800 robots to and from their destinations efficiently while keeping them from crashing into each other is no easy task. It is such a complex problem that even the best path-finding algorithms struggle to keep up with the breakneck pace of e-commerce or manufacturing. READ MORE
UAE rider Pogacar claimed a statement victory in his first race of the 2024 season in which he will attempt a Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double for the first time. Pogacar finished just under three minutes ahead of the chasing pack, smashing the previous record winning margin of 42 seconds set by Fabian Cancellara in 2012 to win the race for the second time. READ MORE
Social media trends keep on evolving, but amid the chaos, one intriguing yet silly song has become a global sensation. The children’s song Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa, accompanied by its catchy beats and lyrics is on everyone’s lips, it is even dominating social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for its charm and mysterious lyrics. The song came into existence in 2003, but it garnered popularity in 2022, especially on TikTok, where videos featuring people dancing and lip syncing to the tune quickly received millions of views. Users have added their unique choreography, and even used the phrase into memes and various internet challenges. The origins of its popularity remain unclear, but reports suggest that an animation video played a pivotal role in pushing Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa to viral fame. READ MORE
The widow, Dr. Ruth Gottesman, was left the money by her late husband ‘Sandy’ Gottesman, who was an early investor in Berkshire Hathaway, and when her gift to the school was announced, the cheers—and tears—filled the auditorium of Albert Einstein Medical College. READ MORE
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently took a sword-making lesson from 
Japan ese sword master, Akihira Kokaji. He shared a video of himself making a katana—a traditional Japanese sword known for its sharpness. Zuckerberg shared a series of posts on February 24 wherein he can be seen posing with the sword master. In another picture, he created the sword with the help of his master. He also shared a video of himself using the sword. Sharing the post, Zuckerberg wrote, “Really special afternoon learning about making katanas with master akihira.kokaji — thank you for sharing your craft with us!” READ MORE
The Kenya Wildlife Service celebrated the successful transfer of 21 eastern black rhinos to establish a new viable breeding population for the species that was on the brink of extinction decades ago. In an 18-day exercise executed by highly trained capture and veterinary experts, the 
Loisaba Conserva ncy received the 21 rhinos from three different locations, becoming the 17th sanctuary in Kenya where the mammoth animals can roam and intermingle. READ MORE
Newly-discovered fossils have allowed scientists to reveal a 240-million-year-old “dragon” in its entirety for the first ever time, National Museums Scotland (NMS) said in a statement on Friday. The five-meter-long reptile from the Triassic period in China was first identified in 2003 but, after studying five newer specimens for ten years, scientists were able to depict the entire creature, which is named Dinocephalosaurus orientalis. READ MORE
Thailand ’s capital Bangkok has long attracted tourists from all over the world who seek fun and adventure. Bangkok is known for its vibrant nightlife and scrumptious food markets. Despite being a popular tourist destination many people are unaware of Bangkok’s real name which is 168-letter long. It is composed of Pali and Sanskrit words and is listed as the ‘longest place name’ by the Guinness World Records. Now a video is going viral that shows a tour guide speaking the Thai capital’s long name in one breath. The clip, which appears to be taken on a tour bus, shows the woman say, “krungthepmahanakhonamonrattanakosinmahintharaayuthayamahadilokphopnoppharatratchathaniburiromudomratchaniwetmahasathanamonpimanawatansathitsakkathattiyawitsanukamprasit" in one go. When she finishes, the tourists burst into cheers and laughs. READ MORE
Inevitably enough, Taylor Swift was the biggest-selling artist in the world last year - but new figures from the recording industry suggest that Western artists have lost their grip on the charts. Four of 2023's top 10 best-selling acts came from 
South Korea , with bands such as Stray Kids and Seventeen outselling stars like Drake and The Weeknd.
The international sales figures were compiled by the IFPI, which represents the global music industry. Bad Bunny and Lana Del Rey also made the top 10. Although none of the South Korean bands in the list have broken the UK Top 40, they are responsible for millions of streams around the world, as K-Pop continues its phenomenal growth. READ MORE
Quasars are the bright cores of distant galaxies powered by supermassive black holes, and 12 billion light years away, one has been found that is shining brighter than 500 trillion suns. Growing in mass by the equivalent of one Sun per day, it’s the fastest-growing black hole to date, but at 12 billion light years away, it probably burnt out long ago. The light detected today is merely the echo of its existence. READ MORE
Researchers at the University of 
Bristol have discovered that tiny external structures within the wax coating of blueberries are responsible for their blue color. This applies to lots of fruits that are the same color including damsons, sloes, and juniper berries. In the study, published today in Science Advances, researchers show why blueberries are blue despite the dark red color of the pigments in the fruit skin. Their blue color is instead provided by a layer of wax that surrounds the fruit which is made up of miniature structures that scatter blue and UV light. This gives blueberries their blue appearance to humans and blue-UV to birds. The chromatic blue-UV reflectance arises from the interaction of the randomly arranged crystal structures of the epicuticular wax with light. READ MORE
In some countries, executive government action is what creates big protected areas of wild lands, but in Bolivia , with the announcement of the establishment of a truly gargantuan patch of protected forest, credit must be given to the ordinary people of the country. In the municipality of Sena (pop. 2,500) a law was just created to protect 452,639 hectares (1.1 million acres) of Amazon rainforest. Called the Gran Manupare Integrated Management Natural Area, the law was overseen by, and passed for the benefit of, “peasants and indigenous communities,” per a statement from the mayor’s office. READ MORE
Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr and director Christopher Nolan were all honoured for their work on Oppenheimer as the film dominated the Bafta Awards. Murphy was named best actor for playing J Robert Oppenheimer, known as the father of the atomic bomb, while Downey Jr won best supporting actor. The drama won seven Baftas including best film. Poor Things picked up five, including Best Actress for Emma Stone. The best supporting actress went to Da'Vine Joy Randolph for The Holdovers. READ MORE
The brown bear is one of the largest terrestrial carnivores alive today, with a broad distribution throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast to numerous other large carnivores that faced extinction by the end of the last Ice Age (cave bear, sabretoothed cats, cave hyena), the brown bear is one of the lucky survivors that made it through to the present. The question has puzzled biologists for close to a century – how was this so? Brown bears are ecologically flexible and have a broad dietary range. While they are carnivores, their diets can also consist primarily of plant matter making them adaptable to environmental changes. However, brown bears also experienced extensive range reductions and regional extinctions during the last Ice Age. Brown bears used to occupy a much wider range including Ireland, Honshu, the largest island of Japan, and Quebec (Canada). READ MORE
All of us have that one teacher we used to adore back in our school days. The individual not only made the subject interesting but also made learning a fun activity and not just about exams. One such video showing the wonderful bond between the students of a boarding school in Nepal and their teacher Sujan sir is viral. The video was recorded at Gandaki Boarding School (GBS) in 
Pokhara . It was a special day for the teacher named Sujan sir, as his students planned a surprise to celebrate his birthday in the most memorable way. READ MORE
Kiwifruit has proven itself as a powerful mood booster and new research from the University of Otago has shown just how fast its effects can be. In a study, published in The British Journal of Nutrition, researchers found the furry fruit improved vitality and mood in as little as four days. Co-author Professor Tamlin Conner, of the Department of Psychology, says the findings provide a tangible and accessible way for people to support their mental well-being. READ MORE
Former general Prabowo Subianto claimed victory in Indonesia's presidential election on Wednesday as preliminary results put him well ahead of his two rivals to lead Southeast Asia's biggest economy. "All counts, all pollsters... showed figures that Prabowo-Gibran won in one round," he told a cheering crowd at a packed arena in central 
Jakarta , referring to his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka. "This victory should be a victory for all Indonesians." Official results are not due until next month but at least four government-approved groups — making projections based on official early tallying — showed Mr. Subianto winning a clear majority in one round. READ MORE
The third day of the much beloved Valentine’s Week, 9th February, is celebrated as Chocolate Day, where people treat their loved ones with chocolates to add more sweetness to their lives and display their sweet affection towards them. Whether it’s a token of love for your significant other, a sweet gesture for a friend, or a caring gift for a family member, chocolate has the unique power to bring smiles and warmth to everyone’s day, hence, holding special significance among all during Valentine’s week. READ MORE
In October, it was reported that the first winner of the Vesuvius Challenge, which sought to inspire young people to use AI technology to decode burnt scrolls found in a Pompeii library. Now, the grand prize has been collected by Youssef Nader, Luke Farritor, and Julian Schilliger, who will split an amazing $700,000 bounty for their efforts. 21-year-old Luke Farritor, college student and SpaceX intern from Nebraska, was the first person in history to read an entire word from the inside of a Herculaneum scroll (????????, “purple”). This won him the first-place ‘First Letters Prize,’ a few weeks before Youssef’s results. READ MORE
Researchers have discovered genes that impact obesity risk differently in men and women and across various ages, revealing potential new pathways for understanding and treating obesity. From influencing how our body stores fat to how our brain regulates appetite, hundreds of genes, along with environmental factors, collectively determine our weight and body size. Now, researchers add several genes, that appear to affect obesity risk in certain sexes and ages, to that list. The study, published in the journal Cell Genomics, may shed light on new biological pathways that underlie obesity and highlight how sex and age contribute to health and disease. READ MORE
NASA and all space lovers were able to bid a final farewell to the boundary-breaking Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, after a lonely, far-off glimpse of the little craft was captured by the Perseverance Mars Rover on Sunday. A stark picture shows Ingenuity in its final resting place among the Martian dunes after needing to execute an emergency landing and damaging one of its rotors. Perseverance captured the scene on its Left Mastcam-Z Camera, one of a pair of cameras located high on the rover’s mast. READ MORE
In the age of viral sensations and innovative sports, one X user has shared an interesting video which quickly began to garner views for showcasing a unique version of cricket, which arguably involves a higher dose of athleticism. Calling the innovation ‘swimket’, a blend of swimming and cricket, the user @Madan_Chikna posted, “We should add this Cricket + Swimming sport in olympics calling it Swimket. This is brilliant”. READ MORE
“The new stick insect Nesiophasma sobesonbaii n. sp. from the island of Timor is described and illustrated from both sexes and eggs,” the authors noted. “It is the first species of the genus Nesiophasma Günther, 1934 to be recorded from Timor and the second species of Phasmatodea known from the island.” The female’s body size reaches around 20-35 centimeters (8-14 inches). Davis said he and the foreign scientists chose the name Nesiophasma sobesonbaii in honor of Sobe Sonbaii III, the last ruler of the Sonbai Besar kingdom, which fought the Dutch colonial forces in Timor for much of the 19th century. READ MORE
“The new stick insect Nesiophasma sobesonbaii n. sp. from the island of Timor is described and illustrated from both sexes and eggs,” the authors noted. “It is the first species of the genus Nesiophasma Günther, 1934 to be recorded from Timor and the second species of Phasmatodea known from the island.” The female’s body size reaches around 20-35 centimeters (8-14 inches). Davis said he and the foreign scientists chose the name Nesiophasma sobesonbaii in honor of Sobe Sonbaii III, the last ruler of the Sonbai Besar kingdom, which fought the Dutch colonial forces in Timor for much of the 19th century. READ MORE
Hayato Ueda, a geologist from Niigata University, embarked on a submarine journey alongside pilot Chris May into the heart of the Japan Trench, the epicenter of the catastrophic 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake and tsunami on September 4, 2022. Descending to the trench’s floor at a depth of 7,500 meters, they encountered a 26-meter-tall near-vertical cliff on the eastern side of a ridge standing 60 meters tall.
Previous bathymetric surveys from the sea surface have revealed that the ridge did not exist before, and appeared just after the megaquake accompanied with a fault on its eastern flank. He and his colleague scientists on deck thus concluded that the cliff was a surface expression of a coseismic movement of the fault. The cliff consisted of unconsolidated soft mud. The lower slope than the cliff was occupied by abundant debris of the same soft mud blocks, which obviously supplied from the cliff. The observed sharp fracture surfaces and highly angular edges, both on the cliff and debris blocks, imply very quick increase of stress that fractured the soft muds before they plastically flowed, and thus support a coseismic origin of the cliff. READ MORE
In 1609, the area was declared the Captaincy General of Guatemala by the Spanish, which included the territory that would become El Salvador until its independence from Spain in 1821. It was forcibly incorporated into the First Mexican Empire, then seceded, joining the Federal Republic of Central America in 1823. The geography of El Salvador can be divided into two regions, the first region includes the mountain ranges and the central plateaus while the second region is made up of the coastal plains, commonly known as the Pacific lowlands. Two parallel mountain ranges cross through the country to the west. El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has declared himself the winner of national elections that revolved around the trade-off between security and democracy. Bukele on Sunday claimed to have won more than 85 percent of the vote despite electoral authorities not yet releasing the official results. READ MORE
Cameron Mason, Anna Kay and Zoe Backstedt lead British hopes at the Cyclo-Cross World Championships in the Czech Republic this weekend. Cyclo-cross involves laps around a course which lasts an hour, consisting of ramps, muddy bends and flat road surfaces. Britain's Tom Pidcock - world champion in 2022 - is not competing in Tabor . Belgium and the Netherlands are the most successful nations, with Fem van Empel and Mathieu van der Poel leading the favourites. READ MORE
Every dog has its day – but some clock up more years than others. Now research has revealed that when it comes to longevity, small, long-nosed breeds are top dog, while flat-faced ones are more at risk of an early death. Once size, face shape and sex were taken into account researchers found that overall small, long-nosed female dogs tended to have the longest lifespans among pure breeds, notching up a median of 13.3 years. However, breeds with flat-faces – a trait that has become fashionable in recent years – had a median lifespan of 11.2 years, and a 40% increased risk of shorter lives than dogs with medium-length snouts, such as spaniels. READ MORE
Amid a frigid cold front in 
Grand Prairie , Alberta, a mother and her son embarked on an experiment on January 13 involving a steaming bowl of ramen noodles exposed to sub-zero temperatures, a video of which had gone viral. This challenge has taken the online world by storm, leaving many wonder what makes this experiment so captivating. READ MORE
An international research team led by astronomers from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) has meticulously mapped expansive cold and dense gas regions, the future stellar nurseries, in a galaxy outside the Milky Way with unprecedented detail. Utilizing the NOEMA interferometer, these observations cover a vast expanse within the galaxy, providing insight into varying conditions conducive to star formation. The data marks a ground-breaking achievement in this type of measurement, allowing researchers, for the first time, to scrutinize the early phases of star formation beyond the Milky Way on scales as minute as individual gas clouds birthing stars. READ MORE
Electrolysis is a process that uses electricity to create hydrogen and oxygen molecules from water. The use of proton exchange membrane (PEM) and renewable energy for water electrolysis is widely regarded as a sustainable method for hydrogen production. Sustainable electrolysis for green hydrogen production is challenging, primarily due to the absence of efficient, low-cost, and stable catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction in acidic solutions. A team of researchers has now developed a ruthenium catalyst by doping it with zinc, resulting in enhanced stability and reactivity compared to its commercial version. The proposed strategy can revolutionize hydrogen production by paving the way for next generation electrocatalysts that contribute to clean energy technologies. READ MORE
What do you do if you’re the last person who speaks an indigenous language that reveres silence? That’s a fine pickle to find yourself in, and for the last speaker of Chaná in Argentina, it was time to finally speak up. Chaná, correctly called ‘Lanték’ is part of the Charruan language family, and according to the New York Times reporting on the phenomenon of the resurrection of Lanték, it’s a quiet, throaty sort of language that requires far more manipulation of the back of the mouth rather than the front. READ MORE
China’s economy grew by 5.2 percent in 2023, hitting the government’s official target, but concerns about growth momentum remain amid a protracted property crisis, sluggish consumer and business confidence, and weak global growth. China’s National Bureau of Statistics said gross domestic product (GDP) in the world’s second-biggest economy also rose by 5.2 percent in the final three months of 2023, compared with the same period last year. READ MORE
According to a study published in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, key molecules required to produce life consist of inorganic materials, essential to understanding the formation of the first living systems on our planet. Researchers at Newcastle University studied how the earliest life on Earth emerged from inert geological materials more than 3.5 billion years ago. They mixed hydrogen, bicarbonate and iron-rich magnetite under conditions resembling hot springs or mild hydrothermal vents. The reaction produced a spectrum of organic molecules, notably fatty acids up to 18 carbon atoms in length. READ MORE
Lionel Messi was crowned as the best men’s player for 2023, while Aitana Bonmati added to her collection of individual accolades by winning the women’s award at FIFA’s award ceremony in London . Messi retained the award on Monday night by beating Manchester City’s treble-winning Norwegian striker Erling Haaland in a tie-break as France’s Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe finished third. READ MORE
Kenya's Agnes Ngetich became the first woman to run 10km in under 29 minutes as she won the 
Valencia Ibercaja road race in Spain. The 22-year-old triumphed in 28 minutes 46 seconds, beating Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw's 2022 road world record by 28 seconds. Compatriot Emmaculate Anyango also ran under 29 minutes, finishing second in 28:57. "I'm so happy. I didn't expect this world record," Ngetich said. "I was coming to improve my time, at least somewhere around 29:14, but I am happy that I ran a world record." READ MORE
In a recently published study, researchers at the Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics (MBB) at Karolinska Institutet have questioned the old paradigm surrounding isotopes of light elements—carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. These isotopes have now emerged as more powerful than once thought. Traditionally, scientists believed that isotopic effects in biochemical reactions were more or less proportional to the mass difference between isotopes. For instance, a 0.5% mass difference between normal and ultralight enzymes (molecules with depleted heavy isotopes 13C, 2H, 15N, and 18O) should yield a kinetic effect of no more than 1%. However, the study reveals that the effect can be 250-300%, which is two orders of magnitude larger than expected, depending on temperature. READ MORE
A team of ichthyologists in Türkiye (Turkey) has rediscovered a “legend” in the form of a carp-like, spotted fish called the leopard barbel (Luciobarbus subquincunciatus) in the Turkish section of the Tigris River. The leopard barbel was once abundant, ranging from Eastern Türkiye, Eastern Syria, Iran and Iraq in the Tigris-Euphrates river system. Over the last three decades, however, fishing, pollution, habitat destruction and dam construction have pushed the species to the edge of extinction, and was last scientifically documented in 2011. READ MORE
Jerry Choudhary has embarked on a jaw-dropping journey from India to Australia on a cycle and has been sharing captivating videos that provide a unique glimpse into the diverse cultures and scenic beauty of each country he visits. READ MORE
Singapore has decided to lift a 30-year ban on owning cats in government housing, in which about 80% of the 3.6 million inhabitants live. Singapore’s a beautiful, friendly, ordered place—a vision of a classless, harmonious, market-based society. But the government has gone to extreme lengths to establish and preserve this, and outrightly made illegal many normal things like chewing gum and cats. Dogs, however, were not banned when the government housing program began more than 30 years ago, and many citizens now feel that a not-so-small modicum of justice has been served to the pet-owning community. READ MORE
Space and space travelers are all about mysticism. We all want to know how do they live in space, what do they eat, and more. Hence, you would come across videos and journals of the astronauts explaining their daily lives up there. In several such documents, we have seen them having packaged foods in space, which are dehydrated and bland at times. But now, it won't be the same anymore. You heard us. Researchers reporting in ACS Food Science & Technology have designed a specialized meal, which reportedly, helps the men there get all the nutrition needed. It's an "optimal space meal: a tasty vegetarian salad", the report on the official website of ACS Food Science & Technology reads. READ MORE
The 2024 Golden Globes have cemented the place of major Oscars contenders in the awards race at large. Handed out Sunday via CBS' live broadcast and a Paramount+ livestream, the Golden Globes capped months of film festival and precursor awards positioning as they honored the best films, TV shows, and performances of 2023. This year's ceremony, hosted by comedian Jo Koy at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles , saw Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer emerge as the contender to beat among big-screen Hollywood productions, earning five accolades throughout the evening — including for Best Picture — Drama, Actor (Cillian Murphy), Supporting Actor (Robert Downey, Jr.), and a host of other technical honors. READ MORE
Sheikh Hasina has secured her fifth term as Bangladeshi prime minister in an election whose outcome was decided the moment its schedule was announced in early November when the main opposition boycotted the poll. Instead of any political party, independent candidates secured a total of 63 seats, the second highest after Hasina’s Awami League (AL), which won 222, creating a problem of finding a parliamentary opposition. READ MORE
The next time you’re aboard a plane watching the safety demonstrations, don’t brush them off as unnecessary details of a catastrophe that won’t save anyone—because on a runway in the Japanese Airport of Haneda, they saved 379 souls. “The Miracle on Haneda” as it’s being called, saw an Airbus A350 owned by Japan Airlines set completely ablaze but every passenger and crew member escaping to safety. Inquests into the incident detail that the pilot received the all-clear from the control tower to land, but a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft was crossing the runway at the time. Striking it, the plane caught fire and had to come to a complete stop from landing speed before the evacuation could take place. READ MORE
Royal Mail is releasing a set of 15 stamps which will mark three decades of the massively successful pop group, who formed in 1994.
Emma Bunton, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Melanie C, Victoria Beckham and Mel B - known by their nicknames of Baby Spice, Ginger Spice, Sporty Spice, Posh Spice and Scary Spice - reached worldwide success with banging tunes such as Wannabe, 2 Become 1, Who Do You Think You Are?, Stop and Spice Up Your Life. They sold over 100 million records before taking a break in 2000 and then returning in 2007 for a worldwide tour and then performing at the closing ceremony of the 
London Olympics in 2012. In 2019, they toured the UK, minus Victoria. READ MORE
By nature, the 24-year-old Brit School graduate is a perfectionist. Her guiding principle: "If you don't love it, don't do it." As an aspiring musician, that approach paid off. Her throwback pop-soul sound and pillowy, jazz-toned vocals were so compelling that she sold out a European tour, gained two million Spotify followers and became a Chanel ambassador before she'd even released an album. Then, she started to worry she'd set the bar too high. READ MORE
On February 10th, the Lunar New Year will herald the end of the year of the Water Rabbit and the beginning of the year of the Wood Dragon. A being of natural perfection, the dragon symbolizes so much in Chinese mythology and astrology, and is believed to be the single most important creature. As such, the Year of the Dragon is rich in symbolism and hope. The Chinese zodiacal calendar follows a 12-year cycle, with each year corresponding to an animal whom legend says the Jade Emperor invited to a running race. Furthermore, each animal has five elemental incarnations that follow a 60-year cycle. READ MORE
The Antarctic island served as a winter base for early 20th-century polar explorers. Topped year-round with a layer of ice, Antarctica’s Argentine Islands display a winter-like appearance even in summer. Ice caps are visible across half of the total land area in summer, though the proportion is a bit higher on Winter Island where an ice cap spans about 70 percent of the land. Landsat 9’s OLI-2 (Operational Land Imager-2) acquired these images on February 16, 2023, during the southern hemisphere’s summer. The wide view (above) shows the island group’s location with respect to the Kyiv Peninsula that projects from the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula. READ MORE
As the trend gained popularity, various organisations and companies jumped on the Wrapped bandwagon. From Swiggy Wrapped to Google Wrapped, and now even personal life Wrapped, the evolution has been remarkable. One particular user on X, @ashittaaaa, shared her life’s Wrapped choices for 2023. “Resigned from a job I loved to take care of my health and put it first,” was her top choice. READ MORE
As Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) ties up a fifth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated Jan. 6, 2024), Swift also carves out a new piece of chart history. Swift’s total weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — across all 13 of her chart-topping releases — now climb to 68 weeks, surpassing Elvis Presley for the most weeks at No. 1 by a soloist. He logged 67 weeks at No. 1 across 10 chart-topping albums spanning 1956-2002. Only The Beatles have more weeks at No. 1, with 132 weeks on top, across 19 No. 1 albums in 1964-2001. READ MORE
An international research team from Trinity College 
Dublin , along with collaborators in Australia, Germany, and the USA, has discovered evidence suggesting the presence of some form of conscious experience from birth, and possibly during the late stages of pregnancy. This study, which has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Trends in Cognitive Science, carries significant implications in the realms of clinical practice, ethics, and potentially law, according to the authors. READ MORE
A new study shows that you can learn to be happy but practice is crucial for lasting benefits. The findings highlight that doing a course— be that at the gym, a meditation retreat or on an evidence-based happiness course— is just the start as consistency is the key. "It's like going to the gym—we can't expect to do one class and be fit forever. Just as with physical health, we have to continuously work on our mental health, otherwise the improvements are temporary,” senior author Bruce Hood said in the university's statement. READ MORE
Social media trends keep on evolving, but amid the chaos, one intriguing yet silly song has become a global sensation. The children’s song Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa, accompanied by its catchy beats and lyrics is on everyone’s lips, it is even dominating social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram for its charm and mysterious lyrics. The song came into existence in 2003, but it garnered popularity in 2022, especially on TikTok, where videos featuring people dancing and lip syncing to the tune quickly received millions of views. Users have added their unique choreography, and even used the phrase into memes and various internet challenges. The origins of its popularity remain unclear, but reports suggest that an animation video played a pivotal role in pushing Chipi Chipi Chapa Chapa to viral fame. READ MORE
Mont Saint-Michael
France
 (1).png "Spider-Man Beyond the Spider-Verse: Everything to know")
