These Special Christmas Postboxes Are Spreading Cheer Along This Island

Guernsey Post is spreading Christmas cheer with nine creatively decorated postboxes, adorned with festive crochet designs spelling out Christmas words when combined. The postbox toppers, crafted by Tamara O'Brien, showcase intricate designs and include upgraded features such as lights. O'Brien, dedicated to bringing joy, shared that each design, taking one to three weeks to complete, aims to make people smile and brighten up the island throughout the year.

Read More

Are There Living Microbes on Mars? Check The Ice, Researchers Say

If future missions want the best shot at finding evidence of life on Mars, they may want to aim for ice rather than rock. A new study shows that organic molecules from ancient microbes could survive tens of millions of years when trapped inside Martian ice — far longer than previously believed. In laboratory simulations, researchers from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Penn State found that amino acids from E. coli endured the equivalent of 50 million years of cosmic radiation when frozen in pure water ice. That survival time dramatically exceeded expectations and outperformed samples mixed with Mars-like soil, where organic material broke down up to 10 times faster. The findings, published in Astrobiology, suggest a major shift in strategy for life-detection missions on Mars: drill into clean ice, not just sediment or rock. “Fifty million years is far greater than the expected age for some current surface ice deposits on Mars,” said co-author Christopher House of Penn State. “That means if there are bacteria near the surface of Mars, future missions can find it.” Led by NASA Goddard space scientist Alexander Pavlov, the team froze E. coli inside test tubes filled either with pure ice or with ice mixed with silicate-rich Martian sediment. The samples were then placed in a gamma radiation chamber at Penn State, cooled to –60°F, and blasted with radiation equal to 20 million years of cosmic exposure. Modeling brought the total to 50 million years. After testing, the difference was clear: Pure ice preserved more than 10% of the amino acids after 50 million years. Soil–ice mixtures preserved almost none, decaying far more quickly. The likely culprit: a thin film where ice touches minerals, allowing damaging radiation to travel more freely. “In solid ice, harmful particles created by radiation get frozen in place,” Pavlov explained. “That may prevent them from reaching organic compounds.” The team also ran simulations at temperatures typical of Europa and Enceladus, where conditions are even colder. Organic decay slowed even further — a hopeful sign for missions probing icy ocean worlds. The results align with the goals of NASA’s Europa Clipper, launched in 2024 and scheduled to reach Jupiter in 2030. The spacecraft will make 49 flybys to assess whether Europa’s ice shell and subsurface ocean could support life. Digging into Martian ice won’t be simple. But the precedent exists: NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander in 2008 was the first to excavate and photograph subsurface ice near the Martian Arctic. “There is a lot of ice on Mars, but most of it is just below the surface,” House said. To access it, future missions will need drills or scoops similar to Phoenix — but bigger and more capable. With this study, scientists have new confidence that if Mars ever hosted microbial life, chemical traces may still be waiting underground, locked in ice and shielded from cosmic radiation. Now the challenge is clear: build the tools to reach it.

Read More

A Canadian Teen Just Set a Cricket World Record

You don’t need to know anything about cricket to appreciate what 19-year-old Yuvraj Samra just pulled off. In a global tournament normally dominated by powerhouse nations, a teenager from Canada delivered one of the most remarkable performances the sport has ever seen. During a World Cup match in Chennai, India, Samra scored 110 runs all by himself — an extraordinary achievement in cricket — becoming the youngest man ever to score a World Cup century (meaning 100 or more runs in a single innings). No one his age had ever done this in either of cricket’s two major World Cup formats. To put it simply: it’s the equivalent of a teenager dropping 60 points in an NBA Finals game or scoring a hat trick in a World Cup soccer match. It just doesn’t happen. Samra’s performance was even more impressive because Canada is considered a small, developing team in the cricket world. Until now, no player from an “associate nation” — a country outside the sport’s traditional power circle — had ever scored 100 runs in a T20 World Cup match. He became the first. His 110 runs came from 65 balls and included a mix of powerful shots: 11 hits that reached the boundary (automatic points) and six towering hits over the field that are the cricket version of a home run. And it all happened when Canada needed him most. Facing New Zealand — one of the world’s top teams — Canada needed a standout performance to stay alive in the tournament. Samra delivered immediately. In the sixth round of play, he fired off three straight scoring shots, then launched a massive hit over the field to energize his team. He passed the 100-run mark in just 58 balls, a blistering pace even for elite players, and lifted Canada to a strong final total before their batting turn ended. Adding to the charm of the moment: Samra is named after Yuvraj Singh, a legendary Indian cricket star famous for rescuing his team in difficult moments. On Tuesday, the Canadian teenager lived up to that name — and then some. Whether or not you follow cricket, one thing is clear: this was a breakout moment from a young athlete who just put Canada's Cricket Team on the global sports map.

Read More

Snowplow Driver Stops Highway Traffic to Save Two Lost Dogs in a Long Island Whiteout

In the middle of blinding snow, with visibility shrinking by the second, Department of Public Works employee Kenny McGowan spotted something that made him hit the brakes. While plowing near Town Hall in Babylon, he caught a glimpse of movement along Sunrise Highway — two dogs sprinting down the busy roadway through near-whiteout conditions. “I looked over and I seen something in the corner of my eye … and then I looked in my mirror, and I saw a dog,” McGowan told CBS New York. “I immediately put my sirens on, and stayed right behind them.” For about a mile, he followed the pair, snow whipping across the pavement as traffic barreled by. Realizing the danger, McGowan swung his plow sideways to block cars and create a protective barrier around the dogs. “Being an animal lover, being a father, I went right into protection mode,” he said. “I was gonna do whatever I had to do to stop these dogs from getting hurt.” The dogs — later identified as Lab mix sisters Harper and Heidi — eventually dove into the snowy median. “It was like three feet of snow, and they buried themselves,” McGowan said. One lay down, and the other climbed on top — an instant sign to him that they were family. McGowan called fellow DPW worker Jason Koza, who arrived with a leash, and together they coaxed the dogs into the truck. Several strangers also jumped in to help: a truck driver supplied rope to secure them, and a mother and daughter wrapped them in a blanket to warm them up. The dogs weren’t wearing collars, but once they were brought to the Babylon Animal Shelter, staff found a microchip in one of them and quickly located the owners. The sisters were home within a day. “If nobody would have found them, they could have froze,” kennel attendant Danny Deutsch said. Thanks to one snowplow driver who refused to look away — and a small crowd of fast-acting Good Samaritans — Harper and Heidi’s whiteout ordeal ended with a warm reunion instead of a tragedy.

Read More

A Sharp-Eyed Kid Spotted a ‘mistake’ in an Airline Manual — It Landed Him a VIP Trip to Southwest HQ

Most kids collect toy planes. Five-year-old William Hines from Colorado collects details — the kind most adults overlook. And that’s exactly what launched him into the spotlight at Southwest Airlines. William has been fascinated by aviation for as long as his mom, Amber, can remember. “I love flying,” he says. “[Airplanes] get you from place to place a lot faster than a car does. I don’t have to walk 7,000 miles.” His curiosity runs deep. As a baby, he studied how toy wheels rotated, took apart his cars and tried to understand how everything worked. His love for airplanes grew during visits to Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport, where he spent hours watching takeoffs and landings. But things really took flight after he met a Southwest pilot named Josh, who spent two hours teaching him how to read aeronautical charts and sharing a Southwest training manual — the kind full of technical diagrams, systems descriptions and safety protocols. That’s when William noticed something off. “I discovered that two terrain monitors did not match. They did not match at all,” he said. Amber shared his discovery online, and it soon reached Southwest CEO Bob Jordan. Instead of brushing it off, the airline invited William and his family to Dallas for a behind-the-scenes visit to its training center. William met staff members, including a simulator pilot named Chris and a team member named Earl. He even climbed into a flight simulator — a dream for most aviation lovers, let alone a newly minted five-year-old. Southwest later clarified that the mismatch he spotted wasn’t actually an error, but the company was still impressed by his precision. Amber wasn’t surprised. “What 5-year-old knows that? Newly minted 5-year-old,” she said. “But I also know that he’s a details guy… he really absorbs information.” And William already knows what comes next. Asked if he plans to become a pilot, he didn’t hesitate. “Yeah,” he said. “Then, I can transport people to a place and not just myself, like 140 people to a place.” For now, he’s still a kid with big dreams, a sharp eye and a story that proves curiosity can take you a long way — sometimes all the way to the cockpit.

Read More

Phil Collins, Lauryn Hill, Shakira & More Earn 2026 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Nominations

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame just dropped its list of 2026 nominees, and it's packed with big names across diverse music genres. Phil Collins, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, INXS, and Iron Maiden are a few highlights among the 17 acts up for consideration. This year's nominations sweep through genres like rap, metal, R&B, hip-hop, Britpop, blues rock, and pop. First-time nominees include Collins and Hill. Collins has racked up eight Grammys over his career with hits like "In the Air Tonight." Meanwhile, Hill made history when her album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" became the first hip-hop album to win a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1999. Mariah Carey is back on the ballot after previous nods in 2024 and 2025. She boasts a record of 19 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Sade also returns to the nominations; her smooth vocals have given us classics like "Smooth Operator." The Wu-Tang Clan joins them with their innovative sound that first hit airwaves in 1993. INXS is another band making waves again with songs like "Need You Tonight" that dominated late-1980s charts. Melissa Etheridge returns too; she’s best known for "Come to My Window." Iron Maiden continues to be celebrated for its role in British heavy metal via albums like "The Number of the Beast." New Edition brings their hits "Cool It Now" into play alongside Shakira; she’s recognized for bridging Latin music with mainstream pop. Pink rounds out this list with her successful tracks and albums such as "The Truth About Love." This year sees ten newcomers on the ballot: Jeff Buckley, Etheridge, New Edition, Shakira, Luther Vandross, Pink among others join this prestigious lineup for the first time. Vandross sold over 25 million albums during his lifetime with popular tunes like "Here and Now," while Buckley's album "Grace" remains critically acclaimed despite his early passing. John Sykes of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation emphasizes how this list reflects rock's evolving nature and ongoing impact on youth culture. A panel comprising over 1,200 artists along with historians will vote to decide who makes it in next April. Last year saw an eclectic mix inducted including Cyndi Lauper and Outkast among others. This time around will surely bring another exciting selection as fans wait eagerly until spring for results that could see some favorites finally taking their place in music history's storied hallways.

Read More

The World's Largest Radio Telescope Just Captured the Heart of the Milky Way’s Core

A new cosmic portrait is giving astronomers their clearest look yet at the Milky Way’s turbulent heart. Using the ALMA telescope network in northern Chile, researchers have released an unprecedented image showing the dense, swirling clouds of gas and dust that cradle newborn stars near the center of our galaxy. The photo, shared Wednesday by the European Southern Observatory, spans more than 650 light-years across — a stretch of cold, star-forming gases clustered around the supermassive black hole at the Milky Way’s core. One light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles, a scale that makes even this enormous cosmic region difficult to comprehend. Captured by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array in the Atacama Desert, the image is the largest ever produced by the observatory’s 66-antenna system. The Atacama’s extreme dryness makes it one of the best places on Earth for detecting faint millimeter-wavelength signals from deep space. Astronomers refer to this region as the Central Molecular Zone, a chaotic stretch of cold gas where stars ignite under intense gravitational pressure. Studying it helps scientists understand not only how stars form in extreme environments, but also how galaxies — including our own — evolve across billions of years. “It’s a place of extremes, invisible to our eyes, but now revealed in extraordinary detail,” said Ashley Barnes of the European Southern Observatory, part of the project’s research team. Survey leader Steve Longmore of Liverpool John Moores University said the findings will help answer fundamental questions about how galaxies grow and change over time. The view is stunning, but it’s also scientifically rich — a rare chance to peer into a region so dense and so shrouded in dust that ordinary telescopes can’t see it at all. ALMA’s composite data cuts through that darkness, mapping the movement and composition of the material that eventually becomes stars. For astronomers, it’s another reminder that even the galaxy we call home still holds enormous mysteries — and that, with the right tools, those mysteries are slowly starting to come into focus.

Read More

Canada Launches First National Men’s Health Strategy With Movember, Citing $12.4B in Potential Savings

Health Canada is teaming up with Movember Canada to build the country’s first national strategy focused on the health of men and boys — a move officials say could save lives and unlock $12.4 billion in annual economic benefits. A new study from Movember, The Real Face of Men’s Health, paints a stark picture: men in Canada are three times more likely to die by suicide than women. Health Canada says that improving men’s health could dramatically reduce healthcare costs and boost productivity. On Feb. 23, the federal government launched a nationwide survey to help shape the upcoming strategy, which is expected later this year. The data behind the effort underscores why policymakers are moving quickly. According to the Movember report, 28 percent of men meet the criteria for a substance use disorder at some point in their lives. Males account for 72 percent of all apparent opioid-related toxicity deaths from July 2024 to June 2025. Men are also three times more likely than women to develop a gambling addiction. Health Canada says social factors are compounding the problem. Harmful online spaces — including corners of the so-called “manosphere” — along with rising isolation, are increasing health risks for boys and men. In 2021, men were twice as likely to die from preventable causes as women. And even when symptoms develop, many delay seeking help: 65 percent of men wait more than six days before seeing a doctor. Health Minister Marjorie Michel says the strategy is meant to open a national conversation. “To build Canada Strong, we need the full participation of everyone in our society. Help us build a strategy that improves health, prevents harm, and strengthens our communities — for men, boys, and for everyone in Canada,” she said. Movember’s global CEO Michelle Terry calls the partnership a “landmark moment.” For decades, she says, the group has witnessed how preventable illness, poor mental health and ineffective services ripple out into families and communities. A national strategy, she argues, allows Canada to move from “isolated projects to a co-ordinated, evidence-based approach that reaches men effectively and drives real outcomes.” The federal plan will draw on input from provinces and territories, Indigenous partners, community groups, and stakeholders across the public and private sectors. Its goals include creating safer, more supportive environments, challenging harmful stereotypes, reducing stigma and encouraging men and boys to seek help early. Canadians who want to take part can visit Canada.ca/Healthy-Men. Starting March 2, the public can submit feedback through an online form. Health Canada says it wants to hear from men, boys, partners, families, friends, community organizations and elected officials. The message is clear: improving men’s health isn’t just a healthcare issue — it’s a national project with human and economic stakes, and one the government hopes Canadians will help shape.

Read More

These Volunteers Were Tired of the Trash Piling Up, So They Started a Clean-Up Movement

Curtis Peters remembers the moment he’d had enough. Outside his family’s furniture shop, TS Domestics, litter kept piling up, and no matter how often it was cleared, more seemed to appear. “I think it all starts with pride,” he told BBC News. “If people have no pride in the area or pride where they live, then they're just gonna throw stuff everywhere.” So he and his family didn’t wait for someone else to fix it. They launched the “Make Tunstall Great Again” campaign and started picking up rubbish themselves. Sixteen months later, they’ve carried out hundreds of litter picks, building a community effort one bag of trash at a time. Social media helped spread the word. “We were just tired of seeing how the streets were,” Peters says. “We’ve just got a mission to make it better… so we'll just go and do it.” Tunstall, the northernmost of Stoke-on-Trent’s six towns, has watched the effort ripple outward. TS Domestics team members Callum Wiggins and Lewis Martin say they’ve now spotted plenty of residents doing their own litter picks, inspired by the group’s example. Volunteer Rhys Oakes says the message is simple: “We’re spreading a message of, like, loving your community you know.” Their work has grown enough to spark partnerships beyond Tunstall. The campaign recently teamed up with the Newcastle-under-Lyme Business Improvement District, which had been watching their progress online. “They’ve got a really good following and… a really young following as well that are really engaged,” says BID manager Charlotte Pearce. “They’re the kind of people that we really want to be targeting in the town centre.” Meanwhile, the city has been trying to tackle the problem from the top down. Stoke-on-Trent City Council says it has spent £260,000 on fly-tipping enforcement since June 2023. In that period, the council recorded 16,726 reports of littering and fly-tipping, cleaned 20,347 incidents, and issued 5,330 fines. The total amount dumped was equivalent to filling 8,600 skips. Councillor Amjid Wazir says the council has added four street cleaning posts and now clears waste within three working days of a report. The council has also tightened its collaboration with Peters’ team. “Following a meeting with TS Domestics last year, we have strengthened our working relationship,” Wazir says. TS Domestics now has direct contact with the council’s environmental team to arrange quick collections after each event. “They do excellent work in our communities and we are keen to support them wherever we can.” Next, the group is taking its mission into schools, hoping to spark a long-term cultural shift. For Peters and his volunteers, instilling pride early is the key. If you want clean streets, they say, start with people who believe their area deserves better.

Read More

How a Village Repair Café Saved the Weight of a Range Rover From Landfill

If you wander into a church hall in North Hampshire on a Saturday morning, you might hear the whirr of a sewing machine, the click of a screwdriver or the soft cheer of someone watching a once-broken lamp flicker back to life. It’s all part of the North Hampshire Repair Café, a volunteer-run project that has quietly saved 2,670 kilograms of waste from landfill in just four years — roughly the weight of a Range Rover. The café is part of a global movement of more than 2,500 similar groups, all built on the same idea: fix what you have instead of throwing it away. Here, the service is free, donations are optional, and the doors are open to anyone with something old, damaged, or sentimental they’d like to keep going. For lead organiser Derek Prior, the project’s impact has been profound. He calls it one of his “proudest achievements,” and it’s easy to see why. Each month, villages including Hartley Wintney and Rotherwick host a four-hour session staffed by more than 30 volunteers. Some repair electronics, sharpen knives, stitch up clothing, or restore soft toys. Others greet visitors, manage the website, or hand out chocolate biscuits to keep the mood light. And sometimes the work goes far beyond a simple fix. Annette Cotterill arrived with a terrarium given to her as a wedding present 50 years ago by her late husband. The glass had cracked, and no professional shop would take it. A volunteer used a lead line to repair it, restoring it to its original form. “It’s like bringing a memory of my husband back,” she said. “I’ve been trying for years to get it repaired… so it’s lovely.” The café isn’t just about mending objects. It’s about shifting habits. Gill Harden brought her grandchildren along during half-term, hoping to spark a conversation about sustainability. “I’m hoping to teach them that you just don’t throw things away, and to value things really,” she said. “If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out, but you try.” Those small choices add up. Research for BBC Bin Day showed that Hart District Council collected nearly 35,000 tonnes of waste in 2023/24, roughly 343 kilograms per person. Every lamp rewired, teddy restitched, or toaster revived at the café cuts into that total. The volunteers feel that impact every time someone walks out smiling. “Everybody that comes to the repair café knows it's wrong to throw things away,” Prior said. “We’re all just volunteers, giving up our time, and the best thing of all is seeing the smile on the customer's face when they walk out the door.” A few biscuits, a few hours, a few spare parts — and a mountain of waste kept out of the ground. Sometimes repair really is the sweetest kind of recycling.

Read More

Why This Young Climber Vows To Never Give Up On Scaling The World's Highest Peaks

Ayaan Mendon isn’t spending his preteen years the way most kids do. The 11-year-old mountaineer from Dubai is preparing to take on Mount Lenin, a 7,134-metre peak in Kyrgyzstan, as part of his long term goal to climb some of the tallest mountains on Earth. For him, the appeal is simple. “It’s really challenging, the views are nice and it makes me stronger,” he told The National during a break from endurance training. “What I love most about climbing is that feeling of accomplishing something, going through an adventure that was so hard, that is very rare to do in your life… just remembering that you don't give up.” Ayaan began mountaineering at seven and quickly built a résumé that seasoned climbers would admire. By eight, he had already climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at 5,895 metres, Mount Kosciuszko in Australia at 2,228 metres and Mount Elbrus in Europe at 5,642 metres. Mount Lenin will be his first attempt above 7,000 metres — and a key step before the peaks he’s truly after. “My dream is to climb Mount Everest before I’m 18,” he said. He understands the difficulty. Thin air near the summit, unpredictable weather and the sheer physical demand test even experienced climbers. A failed attempt on Mount Aconcagua in Argentina last year drove that home. Climbers were forced to turn back at 6,000 metres due to high winds. Aconcagua, at 6,962 metres, remains on his list. Ayaan’s interest began after hearing about his father’s Kilimanjaro expedition in 2019. Since then, the family has taken on the challenge together. His parents climb with him when possible, using the years before age restrictions kick in to build the skills he’ll need at higher altitudes. “It’s a good time to get Ayaan stronger for the bigger mountains, and we will climb with him,” said his father, Saboor Ahmad. That training covers everything from rope skills to moving in heavy boots to learning crampon technique on ice. More importantly, it teaches him how to read his own body. “If something is not right, he needs to be able to understand and speak up so we can take the right measures.” Expeditions have become a family ritual — tents instead of screens, shared meals instead of emails. “We are away from electronics, really connecting with each other, enjoying nature and challenging ourselves,” Saboor said. His wife, Vani Mendon, joins every climb despite being afraid of heights. “I want to be there with Ayaan… I don’t summit any more because heights scare me, but Saboor goes with him all the way to the summit to make sure Ayaan is perfectly fine.” Preparation is year round. There are long weighted walks, endurance sessions, strength workouts and nights spent acclimatising in an oxygen tent. His coach, Kenyan trainer Ceejay Bollo, blends physical and mental conditioning. “We go case by case and mountain by mountain,” he said. “Your body could be strong, but if your mentality is not strong enough then the mountain will definitely conquer you.” Balance, coordination, core strength and stability work dominate the routine. “Sometimes we are running for a whole hour, other days we’re lifting heavy weights, like dead lifts, doing pull-ups,” Bollo said. Despite the intensity, Ayaan still finds moments to be a kid. At rest stops on snowy slopes, he pulls out a yo-yo — his second favourite hobby — tossing it into the air and looping it around his ears as climbers cheer him on. “I really want to win the world yo-yo contest,” he said. “It requires some serious skill.” For now, Mount Lenin is the next big test. Everest can wait. But not for long, if Ayaan has his way.

Read More