Teachers share their sweetest gifts from students and it's a moving lesson in generosity

Some of the most precious gifts come straight from the heart. A former teacher shared an incredible story of a student's selflessness, generosity and thoughtfulness. Nine years ago, the student didn't have a Christmas gift for her, so he opened up a pack of crayons, gave her the purple one, and said "I hope you love it, I know it's your favorite color." Flex those love muscles; share stories that show you care and recognize heartfelt gestures with admiration 😊

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An mRNA Vaccine is Showing Long-Term Benefits for Skin Cancer Patients

A personalised mRNA cancer vaccine developed by Moderna and Merck is showing lasting promise for patients with high-risk melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. New five-year follow-up data from a phase 2 clinical trial suggests that the therapy provides strong, long-term protection against cancer recurrence. Patients who received the combination treatment had a 49 percent lower risk of their cancer returning or dying, compared with those treated with immunotherapy alone. The experimental therapy pairs Moderna’s personalised mRNA vaccine — called intismeran autogene — with Merck’s established immunotherapy drug, Keytruda. Keytruda is already used widely to treat a range of cancers by blocking a protein called PD-1, which tumours use to hide from the immune system. The mRNA vaccine is custom-designed for each patient to train their immune system to identify tumour-specific markers. By flagging these unique mutations, the vaccine helps the immune system recognize and target cancer cells. When used alongside Keytruda, which removes the tumour’s defenses, the treatment appears to enable the body’s T-cells to launch a more powerful, sustained attack. “We continue to invest in our platform in oncology because of encouraging outcomes like these, which illustrate mRNA's potential in cancer care,” said Kyle Holen, Moderna’s senior vice president. Moderna and Merck are now awaiting the results of phase 3 trials — the final and largest stage of testing — to determine whether the benefits hold up across a broader group of patients. High-risk melanoma refers to stage 3 and 4 cases where the cancer has spread beyond the original site or is likely to return even after surgery. These cases account for about 15 percent of all melanoma diagnoses, or around 15,700 patients each year in the European Union alone. Melanoma itself has become more common in recent decades. In 2022, more than 330,000 people worldwide were diagnosed with the disease, which stems from the uncontrolled growth of melanin-producing cells in the skin. The encouraging data from Moderna and Merck comes as other pharmaceutical companies race to develop similar treatments. BioNTech and Roche are both working on their own mRNA-based cancer vaccines targeting high-risk melanoma, but those therapies remain in earlier trial phases. Moderna and Merck are also expanding their mRNA approach to other cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer, bladder cancer, and renal cell carcinoma, the most common form of kidney cancer. If confirmed in larger trials, the findings could mark a turning point in the use of mRNA technology — first widely adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic — to treat cancer.

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From Spies to Sovereigns, Five Centuries of Love Letters Go on Display in the UK

A new exhibition at Britain’s National Archives is putting love on paper — literally. Opening just in time for Valentine’s Day, Love Letters features handwritten confessions, pleas, and partings that span five centuries and every shade of affection. The exhibition explores passion in its many forms — from doomed affairs and family bonds to longing and sacrifice — through documents from both the famous and the forgotten. “There is a lot of connection in these items even though on the surface they seem very different,” said curator Victoria Iglikowski-Broad. “In common they have just this human feeling of love … that the sacrifice is actually worth it for love.” Among the most striking items on display is a letter from Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester, to Queen Elizabeth I — his final words to the monarch he had long courted. Written in 1588, just days before his death, the letter was found by her bedside nearly 15 years later when Elizabeth herself died. On the outside, Dudley had scribbled, “his last lettar.” The exhibition doesn’t limit itself to traditional romance. Jane Austen’s will, written in 1817, leaves nearly everything to her sister Cassandra. A 1956 letter from the father of London’s notorious Kray twins begs a court for leniency, arguing that “all their concern in life is to do good to everybody.” In a petition from 1851, Daniel Rush, a 71-year-old weaver, pleads with authorities not to send him and his wife to separate workhouses. The note sits beside one of British history’s most famous romantic gestures: the 1936 abdication letter of King Edward VIII, who gave up the throne to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American. Together, they speak to love's power — whether in poverty or palaces. Not all letters end in happy endings. A newly displayed 1944 letter from John Cairncross, later revealed to be a Soviet spy, reflects on a relationship that couldn’t survive wartime distance. “Would we have broken off, I wondered, if we had known what was coming?” he wrote to his former girlfriend Gloria Barraclough. Another document, penned in 1890 by Lord Alfred Douglas, pleads for a royal pardon for Oscar Wilde, then imprisoned for “gross indecency” after their relationship was exposed by Douglas’ own father. The plea was unsuccessful. Wilde served two years in prison and died in exile. Some letters are more tragic still. A 1541 note from Catherine Howard to her lover Thomas Culpeper reveals the panic of a queen under surveillance. She signs off “yours as long as life endures.” Weeks later, both were executed for treason. The show also includes a rare glimpse into royal intimacy. A letter from Queen Henrietta Maria to her husband King Charles I, whom she calls “my dear heart,” was found among the king’s belongings after a battlefield defeat in the English Civil War. Charles was later executed in 1649, and the letter ended up in Parliament’s archives before its recent transfer to the National Archives. According to historian Neil Johnston, letters like this between monarchs are exceedingly rare. “This is a little gem within the disaster of the English Civil War,” he said. Other entries include same-sex personals from the early 20th century and soldiers’ love letters from the front lines. There’s even a medieval heartbreak song. “We’re trying to open up the potential of what a love letter can be,” Iglikowski-Broad said. “Expressions of love can be found in all sorts of places, and surprising places.” Love Letters opens Saturday and runs through April 12. Admission is free.

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Three Rescued Orangutans Returned to the Wild After Years of Rehabilitation in Borneo

Three critically endangered orangutans have been released back into the forests of Borneo, marking a hopeful step for a species on the brink. Badul, Korwas, and Asoka were transported to Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park in Indonesia after years of rehabilitation. Each has a backstory shaped by habitat destruction and the illegal wildlife trade. Badul spent years in a zoo enclosure, living next to animals like porcupines and sun bears, before entering a forest school to relearn how to survive in the wild. Korwas was rescued after being advertised for sale on social media by wildlife traffickers. And Asoka, taken from the wild as an infant, spent a decade in care before proving ready for release. All three were under the care of the YIARI Orangutan Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Ketapang, West Kalimantan, run in partnership with Indonesia’s wildlife protection agency, BKSDA. At the centre, they were taught vital survival skills including foraging, nest building, climbing, and social behaviour. “Every orangutan successfully returned to the forest is the result of a long process: rescue, rehabilitation, and routine care by dedicated teams,” said Silverius Oscar Unggul, chairman of YIARI. “The release of these three orangutans is not only good news for YIARI but also for the future of Indonesia’s biodiversity.” Bukit Baka Bukit Raya National Park was chosen as the release site due to its dense forest cover, ample food supply, and relatively low human impact. A team from YIARI and the park authority will now monitor the orangutans to make sure they adapt well to their new home. That includes tracking their ability to build nests, forage, and maintain natural behaviours. Gavin Bruce, CEO of the UK-based International Animal Rescue (IAR), which partners with YIARI, said the release is the result of years of work. “Without this intervention, their story would have been very different, and they would have been lost to the population,” Bruce said. “YIARI will now monitor these newly reintroduced orangutans to ensure they thrive in the wild and help rebuild the population.” Bornean orangutans are critically endangered, with numbers in decline due to widespread deforestation for palm oil, mining, and agriculture, as well as poaching and wildfires. Conservation groups say restoring individuals like Badul, Korwas, and Asoka to the forest is vital — but only part of a much larger effort to protect their habitats before it’s too late.

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Community Rallies Around 10-Year-Old Jam Maker After Stall Theft

When James and his grandmother Kate set up a jam stall outside their home, they never expected it to be targeted by thieves. But after their entire stock — including more than £40 worth of homemade preserves and cash — was taken overnight, their small village has come together to turn things around. James, 10, has been making jam with his grandmother for two years. Every jar sold was part of his savings plan — he’s hoping to buy a motorbike when he turns 16. But the theft on 8 January hit hard. “I went out in the morning just to put the eggs out and noticed everything was gone,” Kate told BBC Radio Somerset’s Charlie Taylor. “You get the odd pot going missing but to take the whole lot, it was a bit of a shock.” Despite the setback, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Neighbours, friends, and strangers online have rallied behind James, raising more than £200 in donations and dropping off jars and fresh fruit to help him restart the business. Kate said she was “quite shocked” by the theft, but her grandson didn’t stay down for long. “He is 10, so generally they do bounce back quite quickly from things like that,” she said. “He’s up for the challenge of starting it all again.” James said the community’s support has made a lasting impression. “I felt like I had a nice community around me,” he said. With the help of local donations, they’ve now installed a new shed, a light, and even a security camera to prevent future thefts. Kate said they’ve received over 300 supportive messages through social media, many from people offering donations, supplies, and words of encouragement. “People have been really kind,” she said. What started as a sour moment for the young entrepreneur has turned into something far sweeter.

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Cosmonaut Shares 'Incredible' Video of Aurora From Space Station

The dazzling northern lights were captured by a cosmonaut from the International Space Station on January 19. Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who is currently on a mission aboard the ISS, posted the footage on Instagram describing the sight as “incredible.” “Yesterday’s solar flare triggered an incredible aurora borealis. In addition to the familiar green glow, a red one appeared as well, which usually occurs at altitudes of 300–400 km. This is what it looks like when you fly right through it!” he wrote.

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Coldplay's Chris Martin Serenades Teen on Stage, Helps Shine Light on Scoliosis

A teenager’s dream became a reality — and turned into something much bigger — when she shared the stage with Coldplay in front of 83,000 fans at Wembley Stadium, using the moment to raise awareness for scoliosis. Fourteen-year-old Isla, from Plymouth, has been living with scoliosis — a curvature of the spine — for the past 18 months. Her treatment requires her to wear a back brace for 20 hours each day, something she admits has been both painful and difficult. But when her favourite band came to town, Isla saw an opportunity. The concert had been on her calendar for a year — coincidentally, the exact same amount of time since she picked up her first back brace. Determined to use the moment for good, she made a vow: “I'm going to get on that stage and raise awareness of scoliosis.” She kept that promise. Wearing her brace proudly over her clothes so the massive crowd could see it, Isla was invited on stage by Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin. Martin, who is from nearby Devon, asked Isla to sit with him as the band performed two songs. Videos of the moment show Isla smiling alongside Martin, singing as tens of thousands looked on. Afterwards, Isla shared the video online as part of her campaign to educate others about scoliosis. The response was immediate. She said the video racked up more than 200,000 views and prompted messages from other young people facing similar challenges. “I feel like I helped quite a lot of people that day,” Isla said. Despite the physical discomfort, Isla wears her brace every day in the hope of avoiding surgery. It hasn’t been easy, but she’s embraced it. “I've come through a lot of challenges with it [scoliosis] and I've tried to spread awareness,” she said. Getting serenaded by Martin, she added, was “unbelievable. I can't believe it happened.” The moment also sparked a change in her own confidence. “It made me realise I didn’t mind wearing the brace outside of my clothing,” she said. Isla’s mother, Leanne, said the experience meant more than Martin could possibly know. “I don't think he will realise what he did that day. It's incredible,” she said. Through one night on stage, Isla not only met her hero — she became one to others.

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Amsterdam to install tiny canal staircases to help save drowning cats and wildlife

Amsterdam is taking a new step—literally—to help save its cats. Following a spike in drownings among the city’s stray cats, officials have approved a plan to install dozens of small wooden staircases along canal walls to give trapped animals a way out. These “fauna exit points” will be built using €100,000 in previously unused city funds, after a push from Dutch councillor Judith Krom of the Party for the Animals. In just the first six months of 2025, 19 cats drowned in Amsterdam’s canals, prompting alarm among local residents and animal welfare advocates. While the city’s historic waterways draw millions of tourists every year, they pose a hidden danger for animals—particularly cats, who often fall in by accident. “It often happens due to a startle reaction,” said Maggie Ruitenberg, a behavior and welfare specialist at the Dutch Cat Knowledge Center. “A cat is sitting on the edge of the quay, gets startled by a dog or a person, jumps backward, and falls into the water.” And in some cases, it’s not an accident. “Unfortunately, some people find it funny to throw a cat into the water,” she said. Krom’s proposal followed a similar move in the nearby city of Amersfoort, which began installing 300 wildlife exit ladders along its own canals. At first, Amsterdam’s alderman Zita Pels said there wasn’t enough money to fund the project. But Krom combed through the municipal budget and uncovered €100,000 in unallocated funds. That money will now be used to build and install the staircases—not just for cats, but for hedgehogs, frogs, and birds as well. Eelco Miedema, operational manager of Animal Ambulance Amsterdam, said his team is already keeping track of hotspots where animal incidents are most common. “It’s quite a puzzle,” he said, explaining how the current of the canal water means animals are often found far from where they fell in. Still, he supports the plan. “Every cat that can be saved by this is one less cat [lost],” he told de Volkskrant. Cats are strong swimmers, but they tire quickly—especially when their fur becomes waterlogged. “A cat ladder can then truly be life-saving,” said Ruitenberg, “provided they are placed every few meters.” She also explained why placement is so important. In a panic, cats tend to swim toward the nearest dark and sheltered space. “For example, under a bridge,” she said. “That feels safer for them than being in the middle of the open canal.” In addition to the staircases, Ruitenberg has recommended installing floating platforms in high-risk areas. “That significantly increases their chances of survival,” she said. Installation sites are being chosen with input from Animal Ambulance data, local ecologists, and residents who have witnessed animal emergencies. Ruitenberg has also offered advice to the city on where and how the staircases should be installed for maximum effectiveness. The project is a rare mix of data-driven planning and grassroots compassion. And if it saves even one life, animal advocates say, it will have been worth it.

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James Webb Captures Stunning ‘Eye of God’ Image, Offering a Glimpse of the Sun’s Future

Astronomers have gotten their clearest view yet of the Helix Nebula — one of the most iconic and recognizable sights in space — thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The new image, taken with JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), reveals remarkable detail in a structure that has fascinated scientists for centuries. Nicknamed the “Eye of God” for its striking ring-like shape, the Helix Nebula is the remains of a star that once resembled our own sun. Located around 650 light-years from Earth in the constellation Aquarius, it's one of the closest and brightest planetary nebulas visible from our planet. The nebula formed when that sun-like star exhausted its nuclear fuel and shed its outer layers, sending waves of gas and dust into space. What’s left behind is a white dwarf — the dense, collapsed core of the original star — surrounded by glowing shells of material. While the white dwarf itself isn’t visible in the JWST image, the light and radiation it emits continue to energize the gas nearby, creating the eerie, glowing structures captured in the new photo. The image reveals hot stellar winds bursting outward from the white dwarf, colliding with colder gas and dust that was ejected earlier in the star’s life. It shows a dramatic contrast between searing hot gases near the center and much cooler pockets farther out. At the nebula’s outer edges, astronomers also spotted clumps of cold molecular hydrogen — regions cold and dense enough to support the formation of complex molecules. These dusty zones are potential incubators for future planetary systems, suggesting that even in death, stars like this can contribute to new cycles of cosmic creation. That’s not just a poetic idea. In fact, the Helix Nebula may offer a preview of what lies ahead for our own sun. Scientists estimate that in about 5 billion years, the sun will burn through its hydrogen fuel and undergo a similar transformation, eventually becoming a white dwarf surrounded by a planetary nebula of its own. The Helix has been observed many times before — including by the Hubble Space Telescope — but JWST’s infrared capabilities allow it to pierce deeper into the dust and gas, exposing more structure than ever seen before. First spotted before 1824 by German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding, the Helix (also known as NGC 7293 or Caldwell 63) continues to reveal new secrets centuries later. While the image resembles a glowing cosmic lava lamp, astronomers say it’s also a kind of crystal ball — offering a look not only at our solar system’s future, but perhaps also a reflection of its ancient past, when the dust and gas left behind by older stars coalesced to form the planets we know today.

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‘Red as a Lobster’: P.E.I. Boy Lives NHL Dream with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins

When 10-year-old Myer Gallant from O’Leary, Prince Edward Island, was granted a Make-A-Wish, he took his time deciding. A pool? A Disney cruise? Maybe. But after weighing his options, Myer knew exactly what he wanted: to meet Sidney Crosby and Ryan Graves, and watch a Pittsburgh Penguins game in person. “It’s just really cool,” he said simply. “I just figured it out somehow.” Myer has spinal muscular atrophy, a rare genetic condition that affects his muscles and mobility. He’s been a devoted Penguins fan for the past three years. Last week, his dream came true as he travelled to Pittsburgh with his mom, Jaclyn Ellis, and cousin Rowan Rennie — and got far more than he imagined. From the moment they arrived, the Penguins organization went above and beyond. At a team practice, Myer walked into the locker room to find his own stall waiting: helmet, hockey bag, and a personalized #87 jersey with his name on it. Then, the big moment. “Sidney Crosby came in, we shook hands and all that and we just talked for a while,” said Myer. “I actually had to do a little interview like this.” And then it got official. “I signed a contract to be on the Pittsburgh Penguins for a day,” Myer said. “I was red as a lobster, sweating.” He fist-bumped players as they hit the ice and even read out the starting lineup before the game. “It was really cool, but stressful too at the same time,” he said. For Myer’s mom, watching it unfold in person was unforgettable. “Make-A-Wish, they do an incredible job,” Ellis said. “But Myer’s experience was completely over the top, and that was because of the Penguins. They surpassed any potential expectation that we had for the trip.” The family didn’t show up empty-handed either. As a thank-you, they brought gifts from the Maritimes — snacks and treats that NHL players don’t get every day. Both Crosby and Graves are Nova Scotians, and the gesture hit home. “Funny story,” Myer said. “We told [Graves] there’s just a couple like treats in there. And he’s like, ‘Is there Cow’s chips in here?’ And the first thing he pulled out was Cow’s chips.” That Maritime connection came through again later. After practice, Graves ran into the family outside the arena and invited them back into the dressing room before the next game — something that wasn’t part of the original plan. “Ryan had said: ‘They’re fellow Maritimers and we’re the players and we want them to come down,’” said Ellis. One of the highlights for Myer was sharing the experience with his cousin and best friend, Rowan. Myer’s brother even stepped aside so Rowan could go instead. “They’ve been best friends since they were born,” said Ellis. “There’s a little less than a year in between them and their relationship is just so special. They’re cousins, but they’re also besties.” That bond didn’t go unnoticed. Near the end of the trip, Crosby handed Myer a gift — but it wasn’t just for him. “I opened this thing and then I saw two jerseys,” Myer said. “I looked at it and it said ‘Rowan,’ and I was like, ‘Rowan?’” Rowan remembers the moment clearly. “I was so excited and then I dropped to my knees. Like, what is happening?” he said. Two Olympic Team Canada jerseys — home and away — one for each of them. For the boys, it was the perfect ending. For Ellis, the trip was more than a dream fulfilled — it was a rare chance to watch her son be fully seen, included, and celebrated. “From a parent’s perspective, to be able to watch your child have this experience and be present to watch his facial expressions and see how all of these players treated not just Myer, but Rowan too. It was just an exceptional experience.”

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Bats Use Doppler Effect to Navigate Cluttered Forests, Study Finds

Bats are known for their ability to navigate in total darkness using echolocation, but how they manage to avoid obstacles in dense, chaotic environments has puzzled scientists for decades. A new study may have finally cracked the mystery. Published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the research reveals that bats rely on the Doppler effect—the shift in sound frequency caused by motion—to make sense of the barrage of overlapping echoes bouncing off leaves, branches, and other objects as they fly. “Imagine being at a party with hundreds or even thousands of people all talking at once,” said Marc Holderied, a sensory biology professor at the University of Bristol and co-author of the study. “That’s comparable to what a bat may be dealing with as the animal zooms around a dense forest.” To test their theory, researchers built what they dubbed the “bat accelerator” — an 8-metre tunnel lined with about 8,000 plastic leaves, each stapled on by hand. The tunnel functioned like a treadmill, simulating motion through dense foliage. By adjusting the direction of the moving leaves, scientists could manipulate the bats’ perception of speed. When the foliage treadmill moved in the same direction as the bats’ flight, the bats sped up. When the leaves appeared to move toward them, the bats slowed down. The researchers believe the animals were responding to the perceived change in pitch caused by the Doppler effect, using it to adjust their speed. “We tricked them into thinking that their speed is different,” Holderied said. “This Doppler shift, in this complex echo of thousands of reflectors, carries information.” Some bat species are known as Doppler specialists, adapted specifically to use this effect. But pipistrelle bats—small, common bats found across Europe—are not among them. The study’s findings suggest the Doppler effect plays a broader role in bat navigation than previously thought. The implications go beyond bats. Athia Haron, a co-author and medical engineering researcher at the University of Manchester, said the findings could inform the design of better navigation systems for drones and self-driving cars, which often struggle in similarly cluttered environments. “If that pans out,” Haron said, “that would benefit a lot of navigation systems that fail in these kinds of cluttered environments.” By uncovering how bats use subtle changes in sound to move through their world, researchers are not only solving an old biological mystery—they may be paving the way for smarter, more adaptable machines.

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