Goodable

Blueberries may be even better for your gut health than previously thought, according to a new study. Researchers found that older adults who consumed about 1 1/2 cups of blueberries daily experienced significant health benefits.

The study, published in the journal Nutrients, involved participants over the age of 60 who were overweight or had obesity. They were divided into two groups: one consumed blueberry powder equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of blueberries each day, while the other received a placebo. Both groups also followed an exercise routine.

After 12 weeks, those in the blueberry group showed lower cholesterol levels and beneficial changes in blood markers related to heart health. Additionally, they had higher levels of gut bacteria that aid in digesting antioxidants.

"The polyphenols in blueberries can positively influence the gut microbiome," said Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD, CLEC. "This is crucial for overall health."

The study also noted an increase in specific gut bacteria among those consuming blueberry powder—bacteria known to help break down and absorb beneficial compounds from blueberries.

While the findings are promising, researchers caution that the small sample size limits broader applicability. The study was funded by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

For those looking to support heart and gut health, incorporating blueberries into daily meals is a simple step with potential benefits. Whether added to smoothies or enjoyed as a snack, these berries offer an accessible way to enhance well-being without drastic lifestyle changes.

<div>Blueberries may be even better for your gut health than previously thought, according to a new study. Researchers found that older adults who consumed about 1 1/2 cups of blueberries daily experienced significant health benefits.</div><div><br></div><div>The study, published in the journal Nutrients, involved participants over the age of 60 who were overweight or had obesity. They were divided into two groups: one consumed blueberry powder equivalent to 1 1/2 cups of blueberries each day, while the other received a placebo. Both groups also followed an exercise routine.</div><div><br></div><div>After 12 weeks, those in the blueberry group showed lower cholesterol levels and beneficial changes in blood markers related to heart health. Additionally, they had higher levels of gut bacteria that aid in digesting antioxidants.</div><div><br></div><div>"The polyphenols in blueberries can positively influence the gut microbiome," said Lauren Manaker, M.S., RDN, LD, CLEC. "This is crucial for overall health."</div><div><br></div><div>The study also noted an increase in specific gut bacteria among those consuming blueberry powder—bacteria known to help break down and absorb beneficial compounds from blueberries.</div><div><br></div><div>While the findings are promising, researchers caution that the small sample size limits broader applicability. The study was funded by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.</div><div><br></div><div>For those looking to support heart and gut health, incorporating blueberries into daily meals is a simple step with potential benefits. Whether added to smoothies or enjoyed as a snack, these berries offer an accessible way to enhance well-being without drastic lifestyle changes.</div>

Scientists Just Uncovered a Big Health Perk in Blueberries

inspiremore

At Edinburgh Zoo, mating season comes with a splash of paint.

The zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, says male penguins are known in the wild to search for the perfect pebble to present to a female mate. At the zoo, the males are working with a very different collection.

For the past four years, patients from Royal Hospital for Children & Young People have painted pebbles as part of a partnership with the zoo.

In an Instagram post, the zoo said the penguins had plenty to choose from this year.

“Penguins try to win over their perfect match by presenting the most beautiful pebbles they can find. And this year the colony was spoilt for choice… with more than 1,000 stunning pebbles to pick from,” the post reads. “A huge thank you to @echcharity for helping make this possible. Together we’re helping children stay connected to nature even during the toughest hospital stays.”

The Edinburgh Zoo also shared a video showing the penguins looking through the coloured pebbles and picking the ones they liked most.

The partnership drew warm reactions online.

“This is just brilliant! How wonderful to see a creative health initiative that actively connects the children with a purpose like this! I really hope you play live footage of the penguins receiving the pebbles and making their nests on the children’s ward too, I’m sure it would raise a lot of spirits!” one person wrote.

“My grandson painted a pebble. He’s hoping it gets picked,” another commenter wrote.

“I would cry if a penguin picked MY pebble. It’s a life goal lol,” a follower joked.

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Kids Paint Pebbles For Penguins, And The Response Is Precious

Talker News

A gene that helps yaks cope with thin air could point to a different way of treating multiple sclerosis.

New research suggests a genetic mutation linked to life at high altitude may help repair damage to myelin, the protective sheath around nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. Scientists say that matters because myelin damage is a feature of conditions including multiple sclerosis, known as MS, and cerebral paralysis.

The study, published in the journal Neuron, identified what researchers described as a naturally existing pathway that promotes regeneration after nerve damage.

Chinese scientists behind the work said the finding could open up new treatment options by using molecules already present in the human body.

Study corresponding author Professor Liang Zhang said: “Evolution is a great gift from nature, providing a rich diversity of genes that help organisms adapt to different environments.

“There is still so much to learn from naturally occurring genetic adaptations.”

Zhang explained that myelin allows nerve signals to travel efficiently. He said low oxygen during brain development can damage that layer, leading to conditions such as cerebral paralysis in new-born babies.

In adults, damage to the myelin sheath is linked to MS, a disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys myelin.

Reduced blood flow to the brain, often associated with ageing, can also damage myelin and contribute to conditions such as vascular dementia.

Previous research found that animals living on the Tibetan Plateau carry a mutation in a gene called Retsat. The plateau has an average elevation of 14,700 feet above sea level.

Scientists suspected the mutation helps animals including yaks and Tibetan antelopes maintain healthy brain function despite long-term low oxygen levels.

Zhang and his team investigated if the mutation could protect against myelin sheath damage.

They exposed new-born mice to low-oxygen conditions equivalent to elevations above 13,000 feet for about a week.

Zhang, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, said: "Mice carrying the Retsat mutation performed significantly better in learning, memory, and social behaviour tests than those with the standard version of the gene.

"Brain analyses also revealed that the high-altitude gene mice had higher levels of myelin surrounding their nerve fibres."

The team then tested if the Retsat mutation could repair myelin damage like that seen in MS.

They found that in mice carrying the mutation, the myelin sheath regenerated "much faster and more completely" after injury.

The injury sites also contained more mature oligodendrocytes, the cells that produce myelin.

Zhang said: "Further investigation showed that mice with the mutation produced higher levels of ATDR, a metabolite derived from vitamin A, in their brains.

"The Retsat mutation appeared to increase the enzymatic activity that converts vitamin A into its metabolites, which in turn promotes the production and maturation of myelin-producing oligodendrocytes."

The researchers also gave ATDR to mice with an MS-like disease. They found the disease became less severe and the animals showed improved motor function.

Zhang said the finding could lead to new treatments for MS, which currently focus on suppressing immune activity.

He added: “ATDR is something everyone already has in their body.

"Our findings suggest that there may be an alternative approach that uses naturally occurring molecules to treat diseases related to myelin damage."

Can a New Yak Altitude Gene Discovery Lead to a New Multiple Sclerosis Treatments?

A seaside play spot turned dangerous fast when a mother and her young daughter became stuck waist-deep in wet sand as the tide came in at Southend’s Three Shells Lagoon.

CCTV footage captured the incident at about 5:20 pm on Tuesday, March 10, near the lagoon in Southend, Essex. The video shows the young girl playing in the sand before she suddenly sank into the ground.

Her mother then rushed over to help, but also sank and became stuck metres away from her daughter.

The pair began shouting for help as the tide was coming in.

Four men from the nearby Adventure Island theme park, along with a truck driver, went to help. Video shows the group pulling the mother and daughter out with a rope.

Adventure Island said one of its managers spotted the pair in trouble and alerted staff.

In a post on Facebook, a spokesperson for Adventure Island said: "Yesterday at around 5:20pm, one of our managers spotted a mother and her young daughter stranded in the Three Shells Lagoon, waist-deep and stuck in wet sand that had recently been placed there by the council, with the tide coming in.

"He immediately alerted members of our workshop team, who quickly brought ropes to secure around them and carefully pull them to safety.

"Drawing on their training and expertise, the team acted quickly and calmly to rescue them, while another member of the workshop team contacted the Coastguard.

"Thankfully this happened while our team were still on site at the end of the day, allowing staff to spot the situation and step in when it mattered most.

"A huge well done to our team who jumped straight into action and safely rescued them.

"We hope the mother and daughter are both safe and well after the incident. If they see this post, we’d love them to get in touch with us.”

It is believed the sand the pair became stuck in had been placed there by Southend-on-Sea City Council.

Philip Miller MBE, executive chairman of Stockvale Group, also thanked the team involved in the rescue.

He said: "They recognised that two people were in real difficulty and worked together, with real calmness and professionalism, to bring them safely out while the Coastguard were contacted.

After the incident, the lagoon was fenced off and warning signs were put in place over what was described as "deep wet stand".

Southend Council said it was treating the incident seriously and had already sent engineers to the site.

A Southend Council spokesperson said: “We are aware of this incident and are taking it very seriously.

“Our engineers have already been on site to install fencing and signage around the lagoon.

“No injuries were reported and we will keep the signage on site advising caution due to deep, wet sand until we are confident that the lagoon is safe.

“We will consider any other urgent measures which may be necessary following the next low-tide inspection.”

The council said no injuries were reported.

The warning signs and fencing remain in place around the lagoon while the council continues to assess the area.

Adventure Island said the rescue happened at the end of the day, while staff were still on site, which allowed them to spot the situation and respond.

The Coastguard was contacted during the rescue, according to the theme park.

Southend Council said it would keep the signage in place "until we are confident that the lagoon is safe."

Theme Park Staff Rescued a Mother And Daughter Trapped In Wet Sand as the Tide Rises

Tiny coats are doing a big job at Auchingarrich Wildlife Park, where two baby goats are being wrapped up against the cold Scottish spring.

Cedar and Sweetheart are five-week-old Anglo-Nubian goats being raised by staff at the park. Because of their age, and the chilly weather, the pair have been dressed in thick coats to keep them warm.

The goats have quickly become favourites with staff, who have been bottle-feeding them twice a day. Anglo-Nubian goats are described as the "dogs of the goat world" because of their friendly nature.

Honey Thomas, a keeper at the park, said: "The whole team is absolutely in love with them.

"The goats are very affectionate and easy to work with, and most importantly, they absolutely love people and animals, this is why they're such a great addition to our park.

"At the moment, they're currently being bottle-fed by staff, but also by customers during experience days, which have been very popular recently.

"Their first feed of the day is about half past six in the morning. They'll get about 200-250ml of lamb milk each.

"When the rest of the staff come in, we'll go and check on them and make sure they've got plenty of fresh water and hay.

"Despite the fact that they're on the bottle, they can still eat a little bit of hay as well.

"We try and encourage that, because that's what mum would do naturally, which will get them used to it as well."

Sweetheart was named for a heart-shaped patch on her back. She and Cedar are currently being kept in isolation while medical tests are completed.

Once that process is finished, they will join another goat, Maple, in the main pen.

Honey Thomas said: "We got these little guys for our male goat, Maple.

"He's a bit older and he's recently lost a few of his friends, so we decided to get him these baby goats as some companions.

"Sweetheart is a lot more confident than her brother, she's very outgoing.

"She's the first one to run off to find something to play with, whereas Cedar is a little bit more calm.

"Sweetheart is very bouncy and all over the place, whereas Cedar will happily cuddle in your lap.

"Maple is a very, very affectionate goat and he loves other goats very much, so it'd be really sweet to bring them all together."

Visitors have also been reacting to one of the breed's best-known features, their ears.

Honey said visitors to the park have been "shocked" by their size.

She said: "People have absolutely loved them.

"Lots of customers don't actually realise that's what baby goats look like, and it's quite a bit of a shock to see how big their ears are.

"These guys will be part of our trekking, where we tale animals on a walk with customers, so them being friendly goats is very important.

"At the moment, customers can pay to bottle feed them, which has been very popular recently."

For now, Cedar and Sweetheart are staying in isolation and being cared for by staff while they continue on bottles. In the future, they will take part in treks with visitors to the park.

Until then, guests can meet them during bottle-feeding experiences, which the park says have been drawing plenty of interest. Honey said: "At the moment, customers can pay to bottle feed them, which has been very popular recently."

Scottish Wildlife Park Puts Coats On Baby Goats To Brave Chilly Spring

Scientific American

China has taken brain implants out of the trial phase and into approved patient use.

The country has approved an invasive brain-computer interface, or BCI, made by Shanghai-based Neuracle Medical Technology for commercial use in people with partial spinal cord injuries. According to the source text, this is the first time a brain implant has been approved for broad use in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Neuracle’s device is an invasive BCI, meaning it is surgically implanted in or on the brain. BCIs record brain activity, and in invasive systems, the implant records electrical signals from neurons. Software then decodes those signals so they can be used to control things like a computer cursor or a prosthetic limb.

The Neuracle system consists of a coin-sized wireless implant that sits on the surface of the brain’s outer membrane. It is specifically designed for people with spinal cord injuries.

The approval puts Neuracle in direct competition with a growing field of companies working on the same technology, including Elon Musk’s start-up Neuralink. Brain implants have been used in clinical trials for decades, but the source text says this is the first time one has been cleared for broad patient use rather than limited experimental testing.

BCIs, also called brain-machine interfaces, are generally being developed for people with paralysis or other disabilities. Musk has said Neuralink could one day be used by people with no health problems, but the source text says that application is farther off.

One of the earliest and still one of the leading BCIs came from BrainGate, a research consortium that developed its device in the early 2000s. That system allowed study participants with locked-in syndrome, a condition involving total paralysis caused by a stroke or injury, to control a computer mouse and type on a virtual keyboard. Since then, other research groups have built devices capable of similar results.

In the United States, Neuralink has moved closer than other companies to commercializing the technology, but the source text says questions about safety remain. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration initially rejected Neuralink’s request to test its device in a clinical trial. The agency approved a trial the following year.

Neuralink’s first implant user was 30-year-old Noland Arbaugh, who was paralyzed below the neck. As of January 2026, the company said it had 21 participants enrolled in its trial.

Other American start-ups are also developing invasive BCIs. The source text names Synchron and Paradromics as companies running ongoing trials.

Even with promising results from clinical testing, these devices are still considered experimental in the United States. The source text points to the risks that come with implanting devices in the brain. Brain surgery is highly invasive and can lead to infection and other complications. Implants can also move over time or lead to scar tissue buildup, which can weaken the signals they pick up.

No BCI devices have been approved for commercial use in the United States, according to the source text.

That makes China’s decision on Neuracle’s implant a notable step for the field. The company’s device is now approved for people with partial spinal cord injuries, while similar systems in the United States remain in trials.

Neuracle’s implant is described in the source text as coin-sized, wireless, placed on the surface of the brain’s outer membrane, and designed specifically for people with spinal cord injuries.

China Approves First Brain Implant For People With Spinal Cord Injuries

Artnet

The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam has acquired a 19th-century painting by French artist Virginie Demont-Breton, a work that inspired Vincent van Gogh to make his own copy. The painting, L’homme est en mer, or The man is at sea, is only the third painting by a woman to enter the museum’s collection.

The deal was made at the booth of Gallery 19C, from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the painting had been in a private Dallas collection for the past 20 years. The purchase price was between €500,000 and €1 million, or about $543,000 to $1.1 million, and was paid for with public funds dedicated to acquisitions.

The sale did not come together quickly. It had been in the works for months and was only finalized after the museum’s team brought in its own specialists and conservators to examine the work.

According to the museum’s curator of paintings, Lisa Smit, the institution had been looking for the painting for a long time. Van Gogh had seen Demont-Breton’s work reproduced in black and white in a magazine about French salon paintings. The original was made between 1887 and 1889, and it made enough of an impression on him that he copied it himself. It is one of the only paintings by a woman artist known to have been emulated by Van Gogh.

The museum’s curators contacted Eric Weider, the owner of 19C, to help source the painting. The work was traced to a private collection in Dallas.

Weider said the collectors were “receptive to the idea” of selling the painting, but only if it would go to a public institution.

The painting is described as a realistic scene of a mother sitting by a fireplace, looking on pensively as her young baby sleeps on her lap. In the corner of the room, fish netting can be seen, which the woman would have been working on making.

Smit linked the work to Van Gogh’s admiration for Demont-Breton’s family as well as the subject itself.

“Van Gogh was a big fan of the work of Demont-Breton’s father, Jules Breton,” Smit said. “He would have seen a lot of sentiment in this work. It is heartfelt, it is truthful. You can immediately feel for the figure. It is a depiction of motherhood that is not idyllic.”

The acquisition adds to a small group of works by women artists in the museum. The Van Gogh Museum has only two other paintings by women, along with several works on paper.

The purchase also comes at a time when museums have been trying to address historical gaps in their collections, especially in relation to women artists.

Demont-Breton was a celebrated French Realist painter. In 1883, she showed her work outside competition at the Paris salons. She later won gold medals at the Paris World’s Fairs in 1889 and 1900.

In 1900, she also served as honorary chair of the Union of Women Painters and Sculptors.

Van Gogh Museum is Adding Rare Art by a Woman Artist to Its Collection

People

Movie musicals have filled cinemas since the first talkies, but the Academy has only handed its top prize to 10 of them.

That small list stretches from The Broadway Melody in 1929 to Chicago in 2003. Along the way, the genre had a huge run in the 1960s, when four musicals won Best Picture in one decade. Since Chicago, no movie musical has won the category.

The first was The Broadway Melody. The 1929 film was the first talkie to win Best Picture and MGM's first musical. Featuring music by Nacio Herb Brown and lyrics by Arthur Freed, it starred Anita Page, Bessie Love and Charles King as vaudeville performers and songwriters trying to get their big break on Broadway. It won at the Academy's second annual awards, beating dramas including Alibi, In Old Arizona and The Patriot, plus fellow musical The Hollywood Revue.

The next musical to win was The Great Ziegfeld in 1936. Based on the life and career of Ziegfeld Follies creator Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., the film starred William Powell, Myrna Loy and Best Actress winner Luise Rainer. It won Best Picture at the ninth Oscars over nine other nominees, including San Francisco and Three Smart Girls. The film later spawned two sequels, Ziegfeld Girl in 1941 and Ziegfeld Follies in 1945.

Going My Way followed at the 17th annual Oscars for films released in 1944. It was the only musical nominated for Best Picture that year and won over Double Indemnity, Gaslight, Since You Went Away and Wilson. The year's highest-grossing film starred Bing Crosby as a priest in a troubled New York City parish. Its success led Paramount Pictures to release a sequel, The Bells of St. Mary's, the next year, and that film also earned a Best Picture nomination.

In the 1950s, Gene Kelly was the era's defining musical star, and An American in Paris won Best Picture in 1952. The film, about two friends who fall for the same Parisian woman, featured a George Gershwin score with songs including "Embraceable You," "Nice Work If You Can Get It," "I Got Rhythm" and "'S' Wonderful." It won six Academy Awards after being nominated alongside A Place in the Sun, A Streetcar Named Desire, Decision Before Dawn and Quo Vadis. The film is also known for its 17-minute final ballet sequence, which Entertainment Weekly reported cost half a million dollars to produce.

Gigi won next, at the 31st Oscars for 1958. Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the film won nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture over Auntie Mame, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Defiant Ones and Separate Tables. The record did not last long, because Ben-Hur won 11 Oscars the following year. Based on Colette's 1944 novella, Gigi starred Leslie Caron as a young girl and Louis Jourdan as a wealthy Parisian playboy in an unlikely courtship. Its songs came from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.

Then came the 1960s, when musicals dominated the category. West Side Story won Best Picture for 1961 and took home 10 Oscars, the most Academy Award wins for any movie musical. Adapted from Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's 1957 Broadway musical based on Romeo and Juliet, it starred Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer and Rita Moreno. Jerome Robbins co-directed with Robert Wise and recreated his choreography from the stage production. The film beat Fanny, The Guns of Navarone, The Hustler and Judgment at Nuremberg, and the official website says it was the year's second-highest-grossing film.

My Fair Lady won for 1964. Based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, the film starred Rex Harrison as Henry Higgins and Audrey Hepburn as Eliza Doolittle. It won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture over Becket, Dr. Strangelove, Mary Poppins and Zorba the Greek. Harrison also won Best Actor for reprising his Broadway role. Hepburn was not nominated, and the Best Actress Oscar went to Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins.

The Sound of Music followed with a Best Picture win for 1965. Julie Andrews starred as Maria, a young Austrian nun-in-training who becomes governess to the seven children of a retired naval officer played by Christopher Plummer. The Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation was the highest-grossing film of the year and won five Oscars, including Best Picture, despite mixed reviews. It beat Darling, Doctor Zhivago, Ship of Fools and A Thousand Clowns.

Oliver! closed out the decade's run. The adaptation of Lionel Bart's stage musical won Best Picture in 1969 and took home six awards. Directed by Carol Reed, it starred Mark Lester as Oliver, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger and Ron Moody as Fagin. Wild and Moody were nominated for acting Oscars, and choreographer Onna White received an honorary award. The film beat The Lion in Winter, Rachel, Rachel, Romeo and Juliet and Funny Girl.

After that, the genre went a long time without another Best Picture winner. The source notes that movie musicals largely disappeared from cinemas after box-office flops in the 1970s and 1980s, though films including Hello, Dolly!, Fiddler on the Roof, Cabaret, Beauty and the Beast and Moulin Rouge! still received Best Picture nominations.

Chicago finally ended the drought at the 75th Academy Awards in 2003. Directed by Rob Marshall, the adaptation of John Kander and Fred Ebb's 1975 stage musical follows two murderous women in the 1920s whose crimes turn them into celebrities. The film won six Oscars, including Best Supporting Actress for Catherine Zeta-Jones. Renée Zellweger, John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah were also nominated, while Richard Gere was identified in the source as one of the year's biggest snubs. Chicago beat Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and The Pianist to win Best Picture.

The 98th Academy Awards will air live on ABC and stream live on Hulu on March 15, with Conan O'Brien returning as host.

These 10 Movie Musicals Won Best Picture at the Oscars

Sunny Skyz

The person helping children get to school safely in Richardson needed a lift of her own, and parents at Moss Haven Elementary decided to do something about it.

When families at the Texas school learned their crossing guard had been relying on buses and ride-shares after her car broke down, they raised money and surprised her with a replacement vehicle.

Trecia Crawford, known around campus as “Ms. Crawford,” helps children cross the street each day at Moss Haven Elementary in Richardson, Texas. For many families, seeing her at the crosswalk has become a familiar part of the daily routine.

Parents said she is a steady presence for students and families. They said she greets children with smiles, reminds them not to run through the crosswalk and often knows parents by their first names.

“She’s part of the community,” one parent said.

A few months ago, getting to work became much harder for Crawford after her car broke down. She was left without reliable transportation, but she kept finding ways to get to the crosswalk.

At first, she paid for rides through Lyft. When that became too expensive, she started taking the bus.

“I had to do what I had to do,” she said.

Members of the school’s Dad’s Club later learned about her situation. The group decided they wanted to help the woman who had spent years helping their children.

"We're a group of dads that have all signed up to come together and better the students, teachers, and environment here at Moss Haven Elementary," Luke Wagner, the club's president, told CBS News Texas.

The fathers sent out a couple of emails to parents in the community, hoping to raise money for Crawford. The response moved quickly.

Within a few days, the group had raised several thousand dollars.

Then came the surprise. The dads presented Crawford with a white Jeep.

Their help went beyond the vehicle itself. The Dad’s Club also helped cover insurance, handled the title transfer and set up a few oil changes to help her get started.

For the parents who organized the effort, it was a way to thank someone who has played a steady role in their children’s daily lives.

The Dad’s Club also helped cover insurance, handle the title transfer, and even set up a few oil changes to help her get started.

📸 Richardson ISD

These School Dads Surprised a Beloved Crossing Guard With A New Car

The Guardian

A drum that once carried messages across villages has come home after 109 years in France.

The Djidji Ayôkwé, a sacred talking drum confiscated by French colonial authorities in 1916, landed at 8.45am on Friday at the airport in Port Bouët on the outskirts of Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire’s economic capital. Its return is one of the most significant cultural restitutions to a former French colony in recent years.

The drum was handed over to Ivorian officials in Paris earlier this month after being removed from the Quai Branly, Jacques Chirac Museum.

Aboussou Guy Mobio, chief of the Adjamé-Bingerville community, said the artefact’s return carried deep meaning.

“After a long stay away from this land, it is returning to its own people and it is an honour for us and a relief to welcome it,. This is the missing piece of the puzzle that is returning today … Receiving this sacred instrument is a relief, but it is also another form of connection with our ancestors who were very close to this instrument.”

Talking drums are hourglass-shaped pressure drums designed to mimic the tone, pitch and rhythm of human speech. The Djidji Ayôkwé is 4 metres long and weighs 430 kilograms.

It held cultural and political significance for the Ebrié people, after whom the lagoon in Abidjan is named, and served as a symbol of resistance. Before and during colonial times, it was used to send messages over several miles to announce deaths or celebrations and, in some cases, to alert villages about coming danger.

French colonial authorities seized the drum in 1916 after villagers resisted forced labour on a road in one incident that year. It was then taken to France.

French President Emmanuel Macron promised to return the drum in 2021, but the move took four years of discussions and lobbying before the French parliament ratified and approved the decision.

Françoise Remarck, Côte d’Ivoire’s minister of culture and Francophonie, said the handover marked “a moment of justice and remembrance”.

“I feel deep emotion. We are indeed experiencing a moment of justice and remembrance,” she said in a speech on Friday.

She thanked President Alassane Ouattara and Macron for what she called “a historic day”.

Then she addressed the drum directly.

“Djidji Ayôkwé, today your return is a message for our youth who have chosen to reclaim their history, and for the communities … a symbol of social cohesion, peace and dialogue … 13 March is just one step.”

As a forklift operator rolled the wooden crate holding the drum from the aircraft, a cultural troupe performed the traditional tchaman dance.

Another ceremony is expected to mark the drum’s permanent installation at the Musée des Civilisations de Côte d’Ivoire in the Plateau administrative district. That event is expected at a later date believed to be in April.

Unesco has donated $100,000 through its Abidjan office for research and training at the museum as it prepares the exhibition for the public.

Sylvie Memel Kassi, former director of the museum and founder of the TAPA Foundation for Arts and Culture, said the return could lead to further restitutions.

“We are studying eight other objects,” she said, referring to the Ivorian and French authorities.

📸Philémon Henry/MEAE

France Returns Sacred Talking Drum Looted From Côte D’ivoire More Than 100 Years Ago

GoodGoodGood

Graduation day looked a little different inside the California Institution for Women.

But the moment was familiar all the same. Caps, gowns and a group of proud students celebrating years of hard work.

22 incarcerated students recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies through California State University, Los Angeles. They are the first women to complete a degree through a partnership between the university and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The milestone marks a significant expansion of higher education opportunities inside California prisons.

“Higher education is key to the transformation and growth that we see today from many of the students graduating,” said Gavin Newsom. “I’m proud to see them taking a step in the right direction to contribute positively to our society.”

Officials say the program reflects a broader shift in how correctional systems approach rehabilitation.

Jeff Macomber, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said the graduates demonstrated remarkable dedication while completing their studies.

“Today’s milestone reflects the power of education to transform lives,” Macomber said. “These graduates have demonstrated a true commitment to building a better future. By expanding access to higher education inside our institutions, we are not only opening doors for personal growth but also strengthening pathways for safer, healthier communities across California. I congratulate each graduate and extend my gratitude to all who supported them along the way.”

The ceremony also featured a keynote address from tennis legend and Cal State LA alumna Billie Jean King, who spoke directly to the graduates about perseverance and opportunity.

“Never stop learning, and never stop learning how to learn,” King said. “Be a problem solver and an innovator. Only you graduates understand what it took to earn this degree. This can be a turning point. Use your new platform, live your new future. Today is your day. Keep believing yourself, keep dreaming and keep going for it.”

The graduation is part of the Prison Graduation Initiative, a collaboration between the corrections department and Cal State LA that began in 2016 at California State Prison, Los Angeles County.

Since then, 73 incarcerated students have earned bachelor’s degrees through the program. Another 21 completed their coursework after being released and continued their studies at the university.

California has steadily expanded educational opportunities behind bars in recent years. Officials say thousands of incarcerated people enroll annually in programs designed to help them gain skills and prepare for life after release.

Research has shown the impact can be significant. Studies indicate that incarcerated individuals who participate in correctional education are 48 percent less likely to return to prison within three years compared with those who do not have access to such programs.

The initiative continues to grow.

In May, Cal State LA partnered with the corrections department to establish the first college campus inside a prison at the California Institution for Men. The program currently serves 59 students pursuing degrees through a two-year, 60-unit curriculum designed to connect classroom learning with future career paths.

By the 2025–26 academic year, the Prison Graduation Initiative is expected to serve about 180 students across three facilities: California State Prison, Los Angeles County; the California Institution for Women; and the California Institution for Men.

More broadly, California’s corrections system now works with public universities across the state to offer associate, bachelor’s and even master’s degree programs through community colleges, the California State University system and the University of California.

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