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NASA just picked a solar scientist to become the agency's science chief. Nicola Fox, the former top scientist on the Parker Solar Probe mission, has been named as NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate. In her previous role, Fox lead groundbreaking research on the sun, including a better understanding of solar wind and how it affects planets and satellites. Now, she'll be leading the charge overseeing some of the agency's most exciting and high-profile missions.
But that's not all - Fox will also be heading up a NASA study group on UFOs (that’s Unidentified Flying Objects). NASA chief Bill Nelson praised Fox's appointment, saying that she has been instrumental in making the complex world of heliophysics accessible to the public. With an annual budget of roughly $7 billion, the Science Mission Directorate plays a vital role in NASA's efforts to explore the mysteries of the universe, from probing for past life on Mars to studying distant galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Nicola Fox Just Became the First Female Head of Science at NASA

A New Jersey police officer was lauded as a “hero” after jumping into a frozen lake to save a dog on Wednesday, December 17.

Footage from the Sparta Township Police Department shows Patrolman Michael Poon entering the frigid waters of Lake Mohawk and pushing the dog back onto the ice.

The police department said Poon had shown “outstanding bravery and professionalism” during the rescue, calling him a “hero on the ice,” and also thanked the “concerned citizens” who called the police after spotting the dog in distress.

“This incident serves as an important reminder about the dangers of ice,” the department said. “Ice conditions can change rapidly and are often unpredictable. Please use caution around frozen bodies of water and help us keep everyone safe—people and animals alike.”

A New Jersey police officer was lauded as a “hero” after jumping into a frozen lake to save a dog.Footage from the Sparta Township Police Department shows Patrolman Michael Poon entering the frigid waters of Lake Mohawk and pushing the dog back onto the ice.The police department said Poon had shown “outstanding bravery and professionalism” during the rescue, calling him a “hero on the ice,” and also thanked the “concerned citizens” who called the police after spotting the dog in distress.“This incident serves as an important reminder about the dangers of ice,” the department said. “Ice conditions can change rapidly and are often unpredictable. Please use caution around frozen bodies of water and help us keep everyone safe—people and animals alike.”

Heroic Police Officer Saves Dog From Frozen Lake In New Jersey

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Archaeologists working to preserve a grand Roman villa near Pompeii have uncovered dazzling new frescoes—including a lifelike peacock and a comically tragic character from ancient theater—along with the precise layout of a tree-lined garden that hasn’t been seen in nearly 2,000 years.

The finds come from ongoing conservation efforts at the Villa di Poppea, a luxury residence believed to have belonged to Poppaea Sabina, the second wife of Emperor Nero. The villa was buried in ash during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, along with the nearby town of Oplontis, located just south of Naples.

Work is currently focused on the villa’s western wing, where archaeologists have documented an astonishing 103 rooms so far. The latest discoveries come from one of the most elaborately decorated spaces yet—a room now being called the “Hall of the Peacock.” There, workers uncovered two vibrantly colored male peacocks on the south wall, preserved in remarkably vivid pigment.

One nearby fresco shows a figure from Roman popular comedy: Pappus, a recurring character in Atellan Farce, a type of improvised theater. Known as a foolish old man easily manipulated by younger women, Pappus was often portrayed trying to recapture his youth in increasingly ridiculous ways. His appearance on the villa wall adds a rare layer of humor to the otherwise refined surroundings.

“These first results offer new and promising research perspectives for our understanding of the plan of the villa and for the study of the interactions between human settlement and the natural environment in the long term,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.

Researchers also revealed several newly documented spaces—small rooms called cubicula, which may have served as bedrooms or private studies. The name might sound familiar: it’s the origin of the modern “cubicle.” These rooms were decorated with floor mosaics, painted vaults, and intricate stucco and fresco artwork.

Beyond the rooms themselves, archaeologists are learning more about the landscape that surrounded them. Using cast molds to capture the negative space left behind by ancient roots, they’ve now confirmed the exact positions of trees that once stood in the villa’s southern garden. The layout shows a carefully designed ornamental scheme, with the trees mirroring the pattern of a nearby colonnade.

Delicate pigments found throughout the site—including Egyptian blue—are undergoing careful conservation to preserve their original luster. Despite the devastation caused by the eruption nearly two millennia ago, the ongoing work at the Villa di Poppea continues to reveal its former grandeur, and offer new insights into Roman life, luxury, and design.

The discoveries are the latest in a series of breakthroughs in the so-called Greater Pompeii area. Just last month, archaeologists unearthed a lavish private spa in a different part of the ancient city, suggesting a culture of extravagant leisure among the Roman elite.

Peacocks, Plays, and Precise Gardens: New Frescoes Uncovered in Lavish Roman Villa Near Pompeii

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Ron Howard has had a remarkable journey in Hollywood—from child actor on The Andy Griffith Show to iconic sitcom star on Happy Days, and eventually, one of the most respected directors in the industry. But one collaboration from early in his directing career still stands out to him: working with Michael Keaton.

Howard directed Keaton’s breakout performance in Night Shift (1982), a sharp-witted comedy that launched a working relationship between the two. The pair teamed up again on later projects including Clean and Sober and The Paper, creating a dynamic that many fans still talk about.

More than three decades later, Howard says he’s eager to work with Keaton again.

“I’ve been so lucky in this business, I’ve worked with so many great people,” he said in 2015, while accepting his second star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I have so few regrets, practically none, and one of them is just only that it’s been far too long since Michael [Keaton] and I made a movie together, so I’m hoping to rectify that sooner rather than later.”

That wasn’t a one-off comment either. Howard brought up Keaton again in 2013 at the British Academy Film Awards. “Michael Keaton is great, and I’m dying to work with Michael again,” he said. “If I find the right role, he’ll be my first call. I’d love to.”

The admiration seems to go both ways. Keaton has often spoken fondly of Howard’s creativity and collaborative style.

While both men have stayed busy—Howard with award-winning directorial projects and Keaton with critically acclaimed performances in films like Birdman and Dopesick—fans haven’t given up hope that the two will reunite on screen.

As Howard put it, he’s just waiting for the right story to bring them back together. For many moviegoers, that moment can’t come soon enough.

Ron Howard Reveals His Dream Collaboration With a Hollywood Legend

Actor and comedian Will Ferrell dressed up as an NHL referee as he watched the Los Angeles Kings take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, January 1.

LA Kings arena host Mikey Alexander, @mikeydelorean on X, posted this footage of the Anchorman actor attempting to make calls from behind the glass.

“You never know if one of these guys go down, I may have to put on the skates and get out there,” Ferrell said during a mid-game interview.

Unfortunately for Ferrell, his team, the Kings, were defeated 5-3.

Actor and comedian Will Ferrell dressed up as an NHL referee as he watched the Los Angeles Kings take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, January 1.LA Kings arena host Mikey Alexander, @mikeydelorean on X, posted this footage of the Anchorman actor attempting to make calls from behind the glass.“You never know if one of these guys go down, I may have to put on the skates and get out there,” Ferrell said during a mid-game interview.Unfortunately for Ferrell, his team, the Kings, were defeated 5-3.

Will Ferrell Suits Up as NHL Referee at LA Kings Game Against Tampa Bay Lightning

Video from Italy’s national fire service shows you can be as sure-footed as a mountain goat and still occasionally need some help from the experts.

The Vigili del Fuoco said a team was called in on December 28 to Tessari, in the hills north of Verona, where a chamois had become tangled in ropes on a disused climbing wall.

The area was described as “inaccessible from above due to dense vegetation, and even less so from nearby areas due to the lack of passable roads and trails.”

A Drago 149 helicopter spotted the chamois from above and lowered two rescuers who reached the animal, the fire service said.

Video from Italy’s national fire service shows you can be as sure-footed as a mountain goat and still occasionally need some help from the experts.The Vigili del Fuoco said a team was called in on December 28 to Tessari, in the hills north of Verona, where a chamois had become tangled in ropes on a disused climbing wall.The area was described as “inaccessible from above due to dense vegetation, and even less so from nearby areas due to the lack of passable roads and trails.”A Drago 149 helicopter spotted the chamois from above and lowered two rescuers who reached the animal, the fire service said.

Air Crew Rescues Chamois in Distress

A community café in Rushden, Northamptonshire, that opened just six months ago is already eyeing expansion after turning a profit in its very first month.

Café 16:15, launched in July by Stan Robertson—a former rough sleeper—is part of Project 16:15, a local initiative aimed at helping homeless people in Northampton. The café is entirely volunteer-run, and all profits are reinvested directly into the charity's outreach work.

“We were in profit in our first month and we haven’t looked back really,” Robertson said. “It’s grown steadily. We’ve become well-established in such a short space of time. We’ve really become part of the community.”

That early success has already funded two new welfare and outreach volunteers and is now fueling Robertson’s broader plan: a new café in Wellingborough, followed by a drop-in centre in Northampton.

The café, located in Hamblin Court, serves homemade food sourced from local suppliers. The popular sausage rolls, in particular, have developed a following. Linda Nightingale, who came to Rushden on a pensioners’ trip from Raunds, said she made a point of stopping by.

“It’s a fantastic idea,” she said. “It’s word of mouth that has spread the news that it is such a lovely, welcoming, bright, wonderful facility... and the prices are so good.”

Regulars like Shirley Heard, from nearby Irchester, now stop in for soup and a chat. “I like the company, the food is good, and it’s a bonus helping others,” she said. She recently donated a sleeping bag to the charity. “I like to give him [Stan] a bit extra so he can put it into the charity.”

Lorna, a volunteer from Northampton, said she helps out a few days a week to give back and connect with others. “It’s a chance to meet new people and work within the community,” she said.

David Gillings, a local from Rushden, was already familiar with Robertson’s work through his job and said he was quick to support when the café opened. “It’s brought an empty unit back into use, Stan’s great, the volunteers are great, and it’s great quality food,” he said. “Nice quality, and good-sized portions.”

Robertson emphasized that this is just the beginning. “This is only phase one of a three-year plan,” he said. “The cafés are being established to help fund the future plans as well.”

Café 16:15 is set to reopen on Saturday, January 3 after a short festive break—ready to keep serving meals, community, and a mission with real impact.

Charity Café Turns First-Month Profit, Plans Expansion to Help More Homeless

People

Ra-Jon James wasn’t sure he would survive—let alone walk again.

The Virginia Beach man was left paralyzed in July 2025 after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare autoimmune condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own nerves. Now, after months in the hospital and intensive rehab, he’s defied the odds and is sharing his story to raise awareness.

“I told myself when all of this stuff happened, when I was fully recovered, I said this could happen to anyone,” James told WTKR 3.

His ordeal began on July 28, when he started feeling weak and others noticed his eyes were unusually red. He went to urgent care, but test results came back normal. Hours later, his condition worsened dramatically.

He collapsed on the floor at home and couldn’t get up. His father tried to take him to the hospital, but James couldn’t walk. He remembers hearing a voice that told him, “You’re gonna be okay.”

Once admitted, he was rushed to intensive care. “I was on the trach, I was on the ventilator. I was actually paralyzed,” he said. “Am I going to live? That was my thought.”

GBS typically appears after an infection and can quickly escalate. “For some reason, your body creates antibodies that attack your own nerve cells,” explained Dr. Jennifer Quilter of Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital. “This is a nerve problem. It’s not a muscle problem.”

James was treated with plasma exchange therapy and spent nearly three months hospitalized. Doctors told him he had been “close to death.”

But thanks to intense rehab, he slowly regained movement. When he returned to visit the hospital team, Dr. Quilter and her colleagues were stunned.

“We were like, ‘Holy smokes—we can’t believe it.’ He looked great,” she said. “We don’t often see it that severe.”

Now fully mobile, James wants to use his experience to help others recognize the early signs of GBS and seek help quickly. Symptoms can include tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and loss of coordination.

His message is simple: this could happen to anyone. But with fast action and the right care, recovery is possible—even from the most frightening of circumstances.

Virginia Beach Man Paralyzed by Rare Syndrome Walks Again After Near-Death Ordeal

When a group of Buddhist monks set out on a peace walk across India, they didn’t expect to gain a four-legged companion. But along the way, an abandoned dog—now named Aloka—joined them, and never left.

The monks, who now live at the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana temple in Fort Worth, Texas, first met Aloka during a 112-day journey in India meant to spread messages of peace and unity. The stray dog followed them step by step across the country, enduring heat, illness, and even a car accident.

At one point, the monks loaded him onto a truck to rest and recover. He jumped out and returned to walking beside them.

“He followed us the whole time,” one of the monks said in a TikTok video. “He’s a true hero. He wanted to walk. That inspires a lot.”

Aloka—believed to be an Indian Pariah dog—has since joined the group on a new journey: a 2,300-mile walk from Texas to Washington, D.C. that began in October. The mission, known as the Walk for Peace, will take 110 days and cross through 10 states before arriving at the U.S. Capitol in February.

“It really touches the hearts and minds of people,” said Texas Representative Nicole Collier. “We live in a time when the noise often drowns out understanding, where division can feel louder than unity—but this is what the community and interfaith solidarity looks like.”

By late December, the group had made it to Atlanta, with a live tracker on Facebook documenting their route. Along the way, the monks and Aloka have been welcomed by strangers offering meals, checkups, and encouragement. A Dairy Queen in Texas served them ice cream—and made sure Aloka got a treat, too. In Alabama, doctors gave him a free health check.

The walk isn’t just symbolic. It’s a daily act of endurance. “It’s a journey filled with both known and unforeseen challenges,” the group shared on Instagram. “Yet, with hearts anchored in calmness and minds set firmly on their purpose, the monks move forward—step by step—embodying peace, resilience, and unwavering determination.”

Aloka, now affectionately known as the “Peace Dog,” has become a symbol of that resilience. He’s also developed a fan base of his own, with followers keeping up via his dedicated Instagram account.

“Aloka is a very good boy helping to carry the message of peace and harmony,” the group wrote.

The peace walk has drawn attention not only for its spiritual mission but for the quiet joy and connection it sparks wherever it goes. Crowds have gathered to meet the monks, ask questions, and share meals. For many, it’s a chance to slow down and connect with something hopeful.

And through it all, Aloka remains right there—leading, watching, and walking alongside them.

Rescue Dog Leads 19 Buddhist Monks On 2,300-Mile Peace Walk Across The US

BBC News

Every day for the past five years, Hilary Fleming has put on a different hat—some silly, some colourful, all worn with purpose.

The retired NHS podiatrist from Wroughton, near Swindon, has now worn 1,825 unique hats and raised £5,000 for Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance, the charity she credits with saving her husband Shaun’s life.

“They got him to hospital quickly and basically saved his life,” she said. “So as a payback I try and raise money.”

The air ambulance was called out twice for Shaun, once in 2013 and again in 2014, after he fell from a ladder. That experience became the inspiration for Hilary’s unusual fundraiser—a daily ritual she calls “hatsercise,” where she dons a new hat each day for a brisk half-hour walk.

Over the years, friends, neighbours, and even strangers have donated hats to the cause. Some were given by her husband, others by people who’ve crossed her path during her daily walks. She’s kept many of them, sold others to raise more money, and sparked countless conversations along the way.

“If I’m out for a walk and I’ve got a silly hat, I often get into conversations,” she said. “I’ve met so many people who have used the air ambulance who want to tell their story. It’s raising awareness and also giving people a chance to have a chat and also just have a laugh.”

The Wiltshire and Bath Air Ambulance team responded to a record 1,343 incidents last year, with doctors onboard for more than half of those callouts. For many, like the Flemings, the service has meant the difference between life and death.

To mark the fifth anniversary of her daily hat challenge on 8 January, Hilary hopes to visit the air ambulance’s base in person to celebrate.

Amy Noad, marketing and communications manager for the charity, said volunteers like Hilary are essential to keeping their service running. “Our volunteers play a vital role,” she said, “from supporting us at events, distributing collection tins across the community, to becoming our mascots.”

Hilary, it seems, is all three.

Five Years, 1,825 Hats: Woman Raises £5,000 for Air Ambulance That Saved Her Husband

Luke Littler didn’t just defend his world title. He obliterated the competition.

The 18-year-old has now won two World Championships in three visits to Alexandra Palace, dropping only four sets across the entire tournament. His final match—an emphatic dismantling of Gian van Veen—sealed what was a near-perfect run and confirmed what most of the darts world already suspected: Littler isn’t just good. He’s dominant.

“It’s what dreams are made of,” Littler said after hoisting the Sid Waddell Trophy. “To go back-to-back feels amazing.”

He might be humble—“At times, I am unstoppable,” he offered at the post-final press conference—but his record is anything but modest. Ten major titles. Two world championships. A single final loss. All before his 19th birthday.

And he’s not slowing down.

“I want to dominate everything,” he said. “I want to try to win everything.”

If there was any lingering doubt before, Littler has now made it clear: he’s the best darts player on the planet right now.

He’s also doing it in record-breaking fashion. His 106.02 average in the final was the sixth-highest in a PDC world final and the best since 2018. Across the tournament, he averaged 104—a level of consistency that darts analyst Wayne Mardle described as “ridiculous.”

“When he has this 'off' game, he had one that was a 97 average,” Mardle told Sky Sports. “That is how 'badly' he has played, and it’s still world class.”

The comparisons to legends are inevitable. Only Phil Taylor (16) and Michael van Gerwen (3) have more PDC world titles. Littler is now one of just four players to win back-to-back championships, alongside Taylor, van Gerwen, and Gary Anderson.

Anderson was 45 when Littler won his first. Adrian Lewis, who also won consecutive titles, has already been passed in total majors by Littler. Even Eric Bristow and van Gerwen, both considered generational talents, didn’t win their second world titles as early.

Littler’s pace is historic. Taylor didn’t win his first PDC crown until age 34. Littler is 18. Asked if he thinks he can catch Taylor’s 16-title record, Littler didn’t rule it out.

“It’s so far away, 14 to go,” he said with a grin. “Another 15 or 16 years, I’d say… I think I could if I stay around long enough and keep the hunger.”

That hunger, he insists, is going nowhere. “Once the hunger goes there’s no point playing,” he said, “but there’s a lot of hunger left inside me.”

The final also signaled a new era for darts. Littler’s opponent, 23-year-old Gian van Veen, held his own through the early stages. Together, they made history as the youngest-ever World Championship final pairing, with a combined age of just 41.

“We’re always going to have battles,” Littler said. “Pro Tour, Euro Tour, majors, everything. We’re going to play so many times.”

Van Veen agrees. “I know I can match him,” he said, already looking forward to a rematch.

And it’s not just those two. A wave of young talent is changing the face of the sport. “With us two, Josh Rock, Wessel Nijman—the young boys are here,” said Van Veen. “Even Luke Humphries is still a young guy in the sport. I think this game is for the young players now.”

Add Beau Greaves and Charlie Manby to that list, and the picture becomes clearer: the future of darts isn’t coming. It’s already here.

Still, it’s Littler who leads the charge—winning not just titles but the imagination of fans, broadcasters, and a new generation of players who grew up watching Phil Taylor but are now watching someone even younger do things even faster.

What comes next is anyone’s guess. But if Littler’s current trajectory holds, the sport may be witnessing the rise of its next all-time great.

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