This Mobile Library is Boosting Literacy Among Young Students in DR Congo

A mobile library called Kitabus is bringing books directly to students in Bukavu, DRC. The bus is filled with novels, fables, manga, and more for students to enjoy. This initiative aims to promote basic education by offering a wide range of reading materials aligned with the Congolese curriculum. This project not only enhances the school program but also contributes to strengthening the educational system in Congo by fostering a love of reading among children.

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Venus Williams to Break Australian Open Age Record With Her Comeback This Month

Venus Williams is set to make history at this year’s Australian Open—just by stepping onto the court. The 45-year-old American has been granted a wildcard into the main draw, marking her return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her debut in 1998. In doing so, she’ll become the oldest woman ever to compete in the main draw of the tournament, surpassing Japan’s Kimiko Date, who played at age 44 in 2015. "I'm excited to be back in Australia," Williams said. "I've had so many incredible memories there, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to return to a place that has meant so much to my career." The seven-time Grand Slam champion hasn’t played the Australian Open since 2021, nor has she competed outside North America since 2023. Her recent years have been plagued by health setbacks, including surgery for uterine fibroids. But her wildcard marks a determined comeback after a limited return to the WTA Tour last July. Williams briefly stunned 11th seed Karolina Muchova in the first round of the US Open last year, grabbing a set before ultimately falling 6-3, 2-6, 6-1. Tournament director Craig Tiley praised Williams as “a true legend and trailblazer of our sport — she's an inspiration to us all.” She’ll also compete in the Hobart International as part of her preparation. It's a full-circle moment: in her 1998 debut at the Australian Open, Venus beat younger sister Serena in what would become the first of 31 iconic matches between the siblings. They faced each other in the Australian Open finals twice, in 2003 and 2017, with Serena winning both. The Australian Open women's wildcard roster is now full, with Williams receiving the eighth and final spot. On the men’s side, the last few wildcards have yet to be confirmed, with Nick Kyrgios among the biggest names still waiting. Kyrgios has already secured a wildcard for the Brisbane International, which begins January 4, but his inclusion at Melbourne Park remains uncertain. Former Grand Slam finalist Mark Philippoussis weighed in, calling the decision a "balancing act." "You get a wildcard at a tournament and you don't produce because physically you break down, it doesn't look good," Philippoussis said. "It's not good for the tournament, it's certainly not good for the player." For now, though, the spotlight is on Williams. Her return doesn’t just mark another chapter in an already legendary career—it sets a new standard for longevity in tennis. And in true Venus fashion, she’s not just showing up. She’s showing what’s possible.

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Harry Potter Stunt Double David Holmes Finds New Magic After Life-Changing Injury

David Holmes was just 17 when he first stepped onto the set of Harry Potter, tasked with making magic happen from behind the scenes. A trained gymnast from Essex, he served as Daniel Radcliffe’s stunt double—flying on broomsticks, dodging fireballs, and battling creatures too dangerous for an 11-year-old actor. But in 2009, during filming for the seventh movie, a stunt went wrong. Holmes was yanked backwards by a harness with such force that his spine snapped. At 24, he was paralysed from the chest down. Now, at 42, he says he has no regrets. “I had the time of my life on the Harry Potter set,” Holmes says. “I was the first person to play Quidditch on a broomstick.” The accident happened during a scene where Harry fights a giant snake. “I remember hitting the wall and my chest folding into my nose,” he recalls. “I was fully conscious for the whole thing. I knew I had broken my neck.” Instead of blaming anyone, Holmes focused on recovery. “I owned the fact that I chose a dangerous profession,” he says. “Even though my accident was not my fault, I could do nothing about it.” He chose not to sue Warner Bros., saying the studio’s insurance covered his needs and that he wanted to use his energy for healing, not legal battles. “I know so many people who don’t have the luxury of an insurance policy so I would feel like a sham if I moaned about my situation.” The hardest part, he says, wasn’t the physical impact—it was watching his loved ones endure the trauma of his injury. “The experience and the character of Harry Potter meant so much to me,” he says. “Harry Potter is a safe space for a lot of people. It’s a gift for humanity, and I will always be proud of that.” That pride is personal, too. Holmes’ partner Rosie, whom he met three years ago, is also a quadriplegic—and Harry Potter, she told him, helped her through some of her darkest moments long before they met. “It took me to break my neck to meet the woman of my dreams,” he says. “She makes me feel like a man.” Six years ago, he underwent high-risk surgery to treat a cyst on his spinal cord. His right side is getting weaker, and doctors can’t guarantee how long he’ll retain speech or swallowing function. Before the operation, he recorded a video explaining his role in Harry Potter, in case he didn’t survive. He did survive—and thrived in a new way. At Radcliffe’s encouragement, Holmes told his story in the documentary David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived. He hasn’t watched it yet. “One day I won’t be able to get out of bed and I will watch it then,” he says. Since its release, Holmes says his self-acceptance has only grown. He’s used his platform to push for disability awareness and change. “People aren’t aware of how difficult it is to live as a disabled person,” he says. “If me and Rosie moved in together, we would lose access to a lot of our support. We live in a society where disabled people are punished to love each other.” Even something as simple as watching a movie together can be impossible. “I can’t go to a cinema and sit next to her because there aren’t two disabled spaces,” he says. “I can’t visit my friends’ houses because they are not accessible.” But this year, Holmes made a return to the Harry Potter universe—this time as a voice actor. He plays Stan Shunpike, the eccentric Knight Bus conductor, in a new audiobook version of The Prisoner of Azkaban. The role is a full-circle moment: he worked on the original film as Radcliffe’s stunt double in the Knight Bus scenes. “I was honoured when they asked me to audition,” he says. “It’s really cool to be back in the wizarding world. The character breakdown is a cockney who talks himself up a lot, so it wasn’t hard for me!” He’s also long campaigned for more visible disability representation in the Potter world. “It’s nice for the fan base that know my story, that I’ve been included,” he says. “My voice is still there and I can still create art with it.” Holmes now organises an annual charity cricket match with Harry Potter cast and crew, raising money for a spinal injury centre in Stanmore. He’s writing a children’s book about a teenage stunt performer, dreams of launching a fully inclusive festival for disabled people, and hopes to put on a one-man show about his time in the industry. “I want people to leave my show with an appreciation for stunt performers,” he says. “If my legs came back to life tomorrow, I would go straight back to work. It’s the best job in the world. I travelled the world telling stories with my physicality.” His message, ultimately, is simple. “The thing I’m most proud of is that I broke my neck and stayed the same person,” he says. “And I want to remind people to wiggle your toes. Health is real wealth. Practise gratitude every day.”

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Tiny Clues, Big Breaks: How Moss Is Helping Solve Cold Cases

They may be no wider than an eyelash, but mosses are quietly making their mark in crime labs. A growing number of forensic scientists are turning to moss and its plant cousins to help solve crimes. These small, ground-hugging plants—often found in damp, shaded places—can contain microscopic clues that point to when, where, and how a crime occurred. “Plants, and specifically bryophytes, represent an overlooked yet powerful source of forensic evidence that can help investigators link people, places, and events,” says Jenna Merkel, a forensic scientist who co-authored a recent study on the topic. The paper, published in Forensic Sciences Research, reviews more than 150 years of cases in which bryophytes—mosses and similar small plants—played a role in solving crimes. Merkel, then a Master's student at George Washington University, co-authored the study with Matt von Konrat, Head of Botanical Collections at the Field Museum in Chicago. Von Konrat’s team had firsthand experience with this type of evidence. In 2013, they were called to assist in a high-profile case involving a missing infant in northern Michigan. The child’s father had confessed to the crime but couldn’t pinpoint where he had buried her body. Investigators found microscopic moss fragments on his shoes and called in von Konrat’s group to help match the samples to the landscape. “There are hundreds of species of moss and dozens of species of grasses and trees living in that area,” von Konrat said. “But based on the bits of moss, we knew what sort of micro-habitat we were looking for.” Using that knowledge, the team surveyed the region and managed to narrow the search area from seven counties to just 50 square feet. The father later confirmed that it was, in fact, the burial site. That case spurred von Konrat and Merkel to dig deeper into moss’s forensic potential. “I thought, why don’t we look into writing a review of how bryophytes have been used in forensics?” von Konrat said. What they found was surprising: not many documented cases exist, but the ones that do point to a field full of untapped promise. The earliest case they uncovered dates back to 1929, when moss growth on a decomposed body helped investigators estimate the time of death. Since then, moss has helped solve crimes in countries including Finland, Sweden, Italy, China, and the U.S., aiding in everything from location tracking to time estimates. Mosses are ideal for this kind of work because they’re highly sensitive to their environment. Each species thrives in specific micro-habitats—some cling to shady rocks, others prefer damp tree bark, and some grow beneath the canopy of grasses. That precision can help narrow down where a person or object has been. “They can find a spot that works for them in the shade, or in the canopy, or even growing under the grasses,” said von Konrat. “And different types of even smaller organisms can live on those mosses, which can give even further clues.” Unlike many plants, mosses don’t have stems, roots, or seeds. They absorb water and nutrients directly from their surroundings, which makes them especially well-suited to boggy, hard-to-reach environments. Their structure also allows them to retain trace materials that can serve as evidence. Despite their potential, mosses are often overlooked in crime scenes, simply because most people don’t know what they’re looking at. That’s something the authors hope to change. “With our paper, we wanted to highlight the significance of botanical evidence,” von Konrat said. “Chances are, investigators are simply overlooking it because they don't know what they're looking at. We're hoping that our study helps show how important these tiny plants can be.” Beyond their role in solving individual cases, the researchers believe mosses could become standard tools in forensic investigations—especially as climate change and urbanization push these hardy plants into new environments. For now, the Riotous Collective of moss-loving scientists hopes their work brings more attention to what they see as a green goldmine of information. And maybe, just maybe, it helps bring some closure to the families still waiting for answers.

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Leicester’s Punk Rock Rebellion: How Women Over 50 Are Taking Over the Stage

Leicester is building a reputation as the all-women punk rock capital of the UK—and it’s not your usual story of twenty-somethings with guitars. This wave of music is powered by women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s who, until recently, had never picked up an instrument. It started with Ruth Miller. In 2021, frustrated by the lack of older women in the music scene, she launched The Unglamorous—a project aimed at teaching women to play instruments and form bands. The goal: to get more older women on stage, loud and proud. Just two years later, more than two dozen all-female punk bands have emerged in Leicester. The scene has continued to grow even after Miller’s death from breast cancer in October 2023. Her legacy now lives on through the Riotous Collective, a not-for-profit group with around 80 members and counting. “It’s like a movement now,” said Janet Berry, who performs under the name Planet Janet. “Leicester really is the all-women punk rock band capital of the UK.” Berry, 56, was among the first to join Ruth Miller’s sessions. She saw an ad that promised to transform older women with little or no music experience into full-fledged punk rockers in just 66 days. That promise came at just the right time. “It’s that idea that you become invisible and that people don’t listen to you any more,” she said. “I was being talked to about pensions and retiring—and I really felt that’s not the end.” On her first day in a music studio, she was grouped with a few other women. By the end of the session, Velvet Crisis was born. Two months later, they played their first gig at a local venue on International Women’s Day. Berry said the experience had a huge impact. “It just really helped with my memory and also my mental health—just being able to sing about what’s really frustrating you that day,” she said. “I’m still me, but I feel so much happier.” That same energy is fuelling the Riotous Collective today. They offer regular taster sessions for newcomers, many of whom are trying music for the first time in their lives. For Michelle Haggerty-Wood and Lou Baker, who co-host a podcast about menopause, the idea of becoming punk musicians sounded like the perfect way to shake things up. “We’re trying everything that we’ve ever wanted to try, and we’re not saying ‘no’—we’re saying ‘yes’ to everything,” said Baker. Christine Riedhofer, 62, performs as Whizzy McFly in a band called The Boilers. She’s helped mentor many new members over the years and keeps things simple for first-timers. “I teach them an E chord and tell them that’s all you need,” she said. But for Riedhofer, this isn’t just about learning music. It’s about confidence—especially for women who once felt uncomfortable going to gigs alone. “It’s like, a lot of times, women were very iffy about going out in the nighttime,” she said. “And now with all these women bands, people will go out, they’ll know they’ll be in a safe space. And I think that’s the biggest thing.” That sense of belonging, of having space to be loud, visible, and unapologetic, is what continues to draw more women into Leicester’s growing punk rock community. “If men can go out there and have fun playing music, why can’t we?” Riedhofer said.

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Photos from Dolphin Spotters Help Scientists Track Booming Bottlenose Pod Along Yorkshire Coast

A growing pod of bottlenose dolphins has become a regular sight along the Yorkshire coast—and it’s thanks to thousands of photos taken by members of the public that scientists are now learning exactly who they are and where they’ve come from. Researchers have confirmed that many of the dolphins seen near Scarborough, Whitby and Bridlington are part of a population long associated with the Moray Firth in northeast Scotland. That revelation is reshaping how experts think about dolphin movements in UK waters. “It seems that they’re being seen quite a lot in Yorkshire, so we’re really interested to know which animals they were and to understand more about their movements between England and Scotland,” said Grant Ellis of the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews. Through a project called Citizen Fins, researchers have received over 5,000 photographs from the public since 2020, allowing them to identify more than 70 individual dolphins by the unique notches and markings on their dorsal fins. “In July, a pod of more than 200 bottlenose dolphins was seen feeding off Scarborough,” Ellis said. “Some animals have even been documented moving between the Moray Firth and Yorkshire.” The evidence has been so compelling that it’s forcing scientists to rethink how the entire population is monitored. “This project has given us the evidence that there are definitely Scottish animals in England,” Ellis said. “That’s a massive boon to scientists.” Among those contributing regularly to the project is 66-year-old Stuart Baines from Scarborough. A former solicitor, Baines is now the local representative for the Sea Watch Foundation, and the person behind the Scarborough Porpoise Facebook page—an online community that has grown to more than 120,000 followers. He began tracking local marine life 15 years ago, often noting sightings during his morning commute. “Every morning on my way to work I would drive around Marine Drive and then come back that way in the evening and jot down what I saw,” he said. “And then I retired four years ago and since then I’m down there far too much.” Baines said sightings of bottlenose dolphins have exploded. “For the first 10 years of recording cetaceans off Yorkshire, we’d get lots of harbour porpoise and minke whales and perhaps five or six bottlenose dolphin sightings a year,” he said. “Now it’s over 700 sightings—it’s just gone up and up.” He credits the Citizen Fins project with helping researchers confirm that these animals are venturing far beyond their traditional northern territories. “It enables them to provide evidence that these animals are not only off Scotland and in northern England and Northumberland, but also off Yorkshire now,” he said. “And the more photographs that people can submit of fins, that’s great,” he added, “because about 50% of the bottlenose dolphins have identifiable fins one from another. They’re quite boisterous animals. They tend to grab each other’s fins or scrape the side, and then they keep that mark for life.” With dolphin activity now a daily feature off parts of the Yorkshire coast, what began as a personal passion for local wildlife watchers is now proving to be a powerful scientific tool.

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Saucepan Lids, Singing, and Cider: Wassailing Makes a Joyful Comeback Across the UK

If you hear the sound of saucepan lids clanging in an orchard this January, you’re not imagining things. Wassailing—an old midwinter tradition mixing music, ritual, and community spirit—is enjoying a revival in orchards and villages across the UK. “Post-Covid, there has been a significant uptick in people holding wassails,” says folk musician and author Simon Bailes, who’s currently writing a book on the subject. Based in Dunton, Bedfordshire, Bailes is inviting groups across the country to share how they celebrate the custom. Wassailing varies from place to place, but it typically involves singing, dancing, and toasting fruit trees to encourage a good harvest. “It’s a bit wacky to go into an orchard in the winter when it’s cold – it’s such a colourful part of our local community,” Bailes said. He runs his own event near Biggleswade, which has grown to attract around 250 people and continues late into the night with music in the village hall. “Because it’s big in the folky traditional world, it’s become a popular community activity,” he added. “We do a lot of banging of saucepan lids. Parents bring tiny babies in papooses through to pensioners in their 80s.” Wassailing events often take place around Twelfth Night in early January, though some are more family-friendly daytime affairs. In Colchester and Luton, for example, community groups are taking their own spin on the tradition. “Some people think of a cider-fuelled night-time fest with fire, but we’re not there yet,” said Konni Deppe, project co-ordinator of Luton Orchards. Instead, her group encourages attendees to bring a mug for mulled juice and something to make noise with. “There will be drummers to make a lot of noise, and we normally paint our faces green.” For Deppe, these events are a way to reconnect people with the land around them. “It’s just a thing of wonder that you have a tree there, and without you doing much, it gives you a crop,” she said. At the Irvine Road Community Orchard in Colchester, the focus is on celebrating neighbourliness as much as the trees. “We have mulled cider and apple juice, and eat some leftover mince pies,” said organiser Shaun Thomas. “Then we progress into the orchard, making as much noise as possible to ward off evil spirits, and put bird seed out for the robins.” They also play the Essex wassail song. “People really get into the spirit of it,” Thomas said. “Last year we had a really good wassail and a really good harvest.” While it’s tempting to imagine these events as relics of ancient times, Bailes says the tradition is more diverse—and more modern—than many assume. “There were two types of wassailing historically,” he explained. “One was a bit like Hallowe’en trick or treating, going from property to property and singing songs, dancing, and asking for a favour: money, beer or food. The other is agricultural wassailing – it’s a celebration of the crop and encouraging a better crop next year.” People have even been known to wassail livestock and bees. And while there are references to scaring off evil spirits and awakening the tree’s spirit, Bailes says the tradition isn’t strictly pagan. “I’ve also found modern wassails with a Christian bias—usually because the local vicar runs it.” His upcoming book will focus less on ancient origins and more on how wassailing is thriving in the 21st century, thanks in part to the growing number of community orchards. “Groups want more than just an apple day in October,” he said. “Wassailing in January fits a dead time of year. My feeling is people have always done something in the middle of winter, and gathered together for a bit of a party.” It’s not just grassroots groups getting involved. The National Trust has joined in as well. Connor Brown from Lyveden in Northamptonshire said their wassailing event offers visitors a chance to “learn about the old traditions and have some fun, while warding off bad spirits and encouraging a good harvest for the season ahead.” Whether you’re into Morris dancing, green face paint, or just a warm mug of mulled juice in an orchard, wassailing seems to be striking the right note for communities looking to gather, make some noise, and chase away the winter gloom.

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High School Sweethearts Reunite After Sharing Hidden Messages Through Spotify Playlists

Kayla Sentell and Trenton Miller were high school sweethearts for 12 years. Then, in February 2024, they broke up. Eight months later, Kayla found herself scrolling through Trenton’s public Spotify playlists. One in particular caught her eye—titled alasKa, it was filled with songs that felt personal and familiar. Hoping he might notice, she made a playlist of her own. The final three songs said everything: “If You See This,” “Call Me,” and “I Wanna Be Yours.” Trenton saw it. He responded with his own playlist—ending with “If You See This,” “Speak Now,” and “I Want You Back.” They reunited on November 3. Ten days later, on November 13, they were married in Las Vegas. Spotify got wind of the story and surprised the couple at their wedding with a personalized video from singer Teddy Swims. Proof that sometimes, love really does have a soundtrack.

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The 16 Most Anticipated Movies of 2026, From Nolan’s Epic 'Odyssey' to 'Wuthering Heights'

The 16 Most Anticipated Movies of 2026, From Nolan’s Epic 'Odyssey' to a Wildly Divisive 'Wuthering Heights' From witchy sequels to space sagas, high-fashion drama to Greek mythology, 2026 is packed with bold, star-studded releases. Here’s a guide to the buzziest films hitting screens this year, handpicked by BBC critics. 1. Wuthering Heights Emerald Fennell’s bold, stylised adaptation of Emily Brontë’s classic is already dividing audiences before its release. The trailer stirred strong reactions over its raw sensuality and casting choices—particularly Margot Robbie as Cathy and Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff, who some argue strays too far from Brontë’s “dark-skinned” character description. But Fennell isn’t backing down. She described her vision as “primal, sexual,” the version of the novel she imagined when she first read it at 14. The film features striking visuals—bright red costumes, burnt skies—and a supporting cast that includes Hong Chau and Owen Cooper. Wuthering Heights is released on 13 February. 2. Practical Magic 2 Two decades later, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are back as witchy sisters in this long-awaited sequel. The original flopped on release in 1998 but gained cult status thanks to its “cottagecore” aesthetic and sisterly warmth. Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest also return. It’s been 28 years since the first movie—just one year shy of the Hocus Pocus sequel delay—so the timing might be just right for magic to strike again. Practical Magic 2 is released on 18 September. 3. The Mandalorian and Grogu After anchoring the Star Wars universe on Disney+, the beloved bounty hunter and his green sidekick hit the big screen. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film promises action, humour, and emotional beats about fatherhood. Jeremy Allen White voices Rotta the Hutt, while Grogu remains the galaxy’s most adorable scene-stealer. The Mandalorian and Grogu is released on 22 May. 4. The Dog Stars Ridley Scott returns to sci-fi with a post-pandemic survival story. Jacob Elordi stars as a pilot clinging to life with his dog, while Josh Brolin plays a hardened Marine. They battle roving gangs in a world nearly emptied by a flu outbreak. Scott called it “maybe my best movie” despite its quick 34-day shoot. The Dog Stars is released on 28 August. 5. The Bride! Maggie Gyllenhaal’s reimagining of The Bride of Frankenstein relocates the gothic horror to 1930s Chicago. Jessie Buckley plays the reanimated bride, Christian Bale is Frankenstein’s monster, and Annette Bening is the doctor who makes it all happen. Gyllenhaal gives the silent character a voice—and a whole lot of attitude. The Bride! is released on 6 March. 6. Digger In a surprising pivot, Tom Cruise stars in a dark comedy directed by Alejandro G Iñárritu. Little is known about the plot, but the tagline, “a comedy of catastrophic proportions,” hints at chaos. The cast includes Sandra Hüller, John Goodman, and Jesse Plemons. Could this be Cruise’s Oscar moment at last? Digger is released on 2 October. 7. Toy Story 5 Woody and Buzz are back, this time competing for attention with a sleek new toy: a tablet named Lilypad, voiced by Greta Lee. Andrew Stanton directs this installment, which revisits the original series' themes of obsolescence—just updated for the iPad generation. Toy Story 5 is released on 19 June. 8. The Drama Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in this twisted romcom that goes off the rails just before the wedding. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario), the film turns a relationship comedy into a bloodied, bourbon-soaked spiral. Alana Haim co-stars. The Drama is released on 3 April. 9. Mother Mary Anne Hathaway leads this surreal, pop-infused horror-musical as a diva begging her estranged designer (Michaela Coel) for one last masterpiece. Directed by David Lowery, the film features music by FKA Twigs, Charli XCX, and Jack Antonoff—and fashion to match. Mother Mary is released in April. 10. The Social Reckoning Aaron Sorkin returns with a follow-up to The Social Network, this time focusing on Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen. Mikey Madison plays Haugen, and Jeremy Strong steps in as Mark Zuckerberg. No Fincher this time—Sorkin directs as well as writes. Release date TBA. 11. The Devil Wears Prada 2 Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep) is back—and so are Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci. The sequel follows a now-powerful Andy clashing with her old boss in a high-stakes media showdown. Kenneth Branagh joins as Miranda’s husband. Filmed in NYC and Milan, with characters attending actual fashion week events. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is released on 1 May. 12. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping This new prequel dives deeper into the history of Panem, set 24 years before Katniss. The cast features Ralph Fiennes as a young President Snow, Kieran Culkin, Jesse Plemons, and Elle Fanning in familiar roles with new faces. Director Francis Lawrence returns. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping is released on 20 November. 13. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew Greta Gerwig follows Barbie with a big-budget fantasy prequel. Emma Mackey stars as the White Witch in this origin story of Narnia’s magical world. Carey Mulligan and Daniel Craig co-star, with Gerwig directing her first full-on blockbuster. Narnia: The Magician’s Nephew is released on 26 November. 14. Disclosure Day Steven Spielberg returns to extraterrestrial suspense in this mystery-drama about a global alien revelation. Josh O’Connor, Emily Blunt, and Colin Firth lead a cryptic ensemble. The trailer features crop circles and odd behaviour, but plot details are scarce. Some speculate it’s a stealth sequel to Close Encounters. Disclosure Day is released on 12 June. 15. The Odyssey Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to Oppenheimer tackles Homer’s epic. Matt Damon stars as Odysseus, Anne Hathaway as Penelope, and Zendaya as the goddess Athena. Expect surreal monsters, large-scale battles, and cerebral storytelling. Nolan said he was drawn to Odysseus’ cleverness, calling him “genius” and “inventive.” The Odyssey is released on 17 July. 16. Avengers: Doomsday Marvel pulls out every stop in this mega-crossover. It brings together the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four—plus returning stars like Chris Evans, Tom Holland, and Robert Downey Jr, now playing Doctor Doom. Directed by the Russo brothers, it’s the studio’s biggest swing since Endgame. Avengers: Doomsday is released on 18 December.

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From Moons to Meteors: What The World Can Look Forward to in Space Travel This Year

After a spectacular year in space in 2025—from a rare interstellar visitor to jaw-dropping auroras and the long-awaited opening of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory—the new year is shaping up to be just as exciting. Whether you’re a seasoned stargazer or just like watching the skies, 2026 is packed with moments worth looking up for. Meteors to Mark on Your Calendar It starts with the Quadrantids in early January, a lesser-known but fast and furious meteor shower that can deliver up to 120 meteors an hour. That is, if you manage to catch it. “It’s one of those showers where, if you get it at the right time and the conditions are right, you actually see the ramp up in activity,” said Peter Brown, Canada Research Chair in meteor astronomy at Western University. But this year’s show will be muted by bad timing: a full moon will wash out most of the faint streaks, and January weather isn’t always kind to skywatchers. The Perseids in August are a different story. One of the most popular showers of the year, they could reach up to 150 meteors per hour, and best of all, the peak falls on a new moon. “We [have a] good moon for next year,” Brown said. “Actually, it’s literally a new moon.” That means even faint meteors will be visible, especially in darker areas away from city lights. Later in December, the Geminids return for another round. They’ll also peak under great conditions, with only a waxing crescent moon to compete with. Again, that could mean up to 150 meteors per hour on the night of Dec. 13–14. A Canadian Is Going to the Moon For Canadians, one of the biggest events of the year won’t be visible from Earth—but it’ll make history. Jeremy Hansen, an astronaut with the Canadian Space Agency, is one of four crew members aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, which is currently targeting a launch window that opens Feb. 5. The mission will send humans around the moon for the first time in more than 50 years. The crew—Hansen, along with NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch and Victor Glover—will orbit Earth before heading toward the moon, making a single orbit and then returning to Earth. The planned trajectory will take them farther from Earth than any human has ever gone. Eclipses Are Back Canada didn’t see many eclipses in 2025, but this year, there are three to watch for. First up: a total lunar eclipse on March 3, best seen from the West Coast and Northwest Territories, where the full event will be visible. Further east, you’ll catch it as the moon sets. Then in August, just as the Perseids peak, parts of the world will see a total solar eclipse—though Canada will only get a partial version. On Aug. 12, viewers in central and eastern regions will notice a subtle bite taken out of the sun. Two weeks later, on Aug. 28, the moon slides back into Earth’s shadow for a partial lunar eclipse visible across the country. Nearly the entire moon will turn a reddish-orange hue, depending on atmospheric conditions. New Missions Beyond Earth Aside from Artemis II, several major space missions are on the calendar. Rocket Lab plans to launch a probe to Venus in summer 2026. The mission will drop a small craft into the planet’s atmosphere to search for potential organic molecules. That follows the 2020 debate over whether signs of phosphine—associated with life on Earth—had been detected in Venus’s clouds. Japan is targeting 2026 for its Martian Moon Exploration mission, which aims to collect a sample from Mars’ moon Phobos and return it to Earth. If successful, it will be the first sample ever retrieved from a Martian moon. And possibly launching by the end of the year (or slipping into 2027) is the long-anticipated Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. The mission’s goal is ambitious: to investigate the dark matter and dark energy that are thought to make up most of the universe. The Unknown Awaits Space has a way of surprising us. In 2025, scientists welcomed only the third-known interstellar object to pass through our solar system, named 3I/ATLAS. No one knew it was coming. So while 2026 has plenty already on the calendar—meteors, moonshots, eclipses and explorations—there’s always the possibility that something entirely unexpected could light up the sky. It might be another comet. It might be another visitor from another star. Or maybe something no one’s predicted yet. Best advice? Keep looking up.

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Boston College Couple Gets Engaged on the Same Campus Shuttle Where They First Met

Four years ago, Thomas Scordino and Sophia Paranzino struck up a conversation on a Boston College shuttle bus. Last week, they returned to that exact spot—but this time, Scordino got down on one knee. The finance and marketing major planned a surprise proposal for Paranzino in the center aisle of a Newton campus shuttle, where they first met as freshmen. “He was wearing a Johns Hopkins shirt and I’m from Baltimore, so I asked about it,” Paranzino told Boston College News. “Then we talked for the rest of the ride.” The campus became a big part of their relationship, she said. “Most nights we would go to 10 p.m. Candlelight Mass, take the bus back, and walk around Newton Campus for hours, just getting to know each other and growing closer.” So when it came time to propose, Scordino knew exactly where he wanted to do it. He reached out to Gabe Parker, Boston College’s Director of Transportation and Parking, with what he called a “crazy ask.” Parker didn’t hesitate. “He said, ‘Yes, we love it. Do it,’” Scordino recalled. “And I was like, ‘Oh, heck yeah.’ I’m so very, very grateful to them.” With the help of Coach Supervisor Manny Alves, they spent a week figuring out how to stage the proposal without disrupting regular bus service. The couple boarded a bus marked “special event,” sat in their old seats, and after a short ride, Scordino stood up to deliver a heartfelt speech. Then, in the exact spot where their story began, he proposed. A photographer captured the moment through the shuttle doors, and soon after, friends and family joined the couple for a celebration—including a custom cake shaped like a shuttle bus that read: “Congratulations Thomas & Sophia … the real magic school bus.” Parker praised the effort Scordino put into the proposal. “This is a kid who’s in college, worrying about midterms, thinking about where he’s going to work next year, and he still took the time to plan something so thoughtful. We were happy to be a small part of it.” Paranzino said she started to suspect something was going on before the big moment. “He’s not a good liar, which I always say is a really good quality in someone I want to marry,” she joked. As for Scordino, he had one takeaway for other students: “Don’t have your head down in your phone all the time — just say hi to people. It worked for me.”

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