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It took US forces less than two-and-a-half hours to snatch President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the small hours of last Saturday morning, said Dan Sabbagh in The Guardian. But this “extraordinary display of imperial power” – involving 150 US aircraft, including bombers and fighter jets – was the product of months of planning. According to Gen Dan “Raizin” Caine, chair of the US joint chiefs of staff, US intelligence agencies had been working since August to establish Maduro’s “pattern of life”. Using spy drones, and information from one or more agents within the Venezuelan government, they’d discovered “where he lived, where he travelled, what he ate, what he wore, what were his pets”. As the US steadily built up its military presence in the Caribbean from…

In the very first episode of the cult classic show, Gilmore Girls (2000–2007), it becomes clear that Luke and Lorelai are going to end up together. What made them so obviously right for one another? They were opposites, of course. Luke was a lone wolf that ran a diner in the town he grew up in, loved green vegetables and green tea, and grunted in response to most questions. Lorelai was a talkative, quirky single mother with a junk food addiction and coffee flowing through her veins that couldn’t turn left without making friends. Together, they had undeniable chemistry. She coaxed him out of his shell, he was her rock. They balanced each other. Look at a timeline of pop culture and you’ll find versions of this trope through time.…

One of the most consequential developments in the history of computing happened 50 years ago. It set Apple on course to becoming one of the most valuable companies on the planet and changed the face of computing in unfathomable ways. Yet you’ve probably never even heard of what went down. It’s an often-overlooked moment that had incredible consequences for years to come. Typing on a computer is something we all take for granted today. One of Apple’s key philosophies has long been to get the technology out of your way—Steve Jobs and Jony Ive have waxed lyrical on that idea—so day to day, we never really think much about how writing on a computer actually works. We can debate the pros and cons of various displays and even build our…

A lucky few find their life’s passion in a bucket of gravel. This was the case for Tom Mitchell, owner of Mitchell Jewelry Studio, who tried his hand at looking for gemstones as a way to enjoy the outdoors in his new home. Moving from California to Florida, Tom and his wife were looking for ways to spend time outdoors, so they traveled to a rockhounding business in northern Georgia that provided material for screening. FROM PEBBLES TO BUSINESS Sorting through the pebbles, he found rubies, sapphires and amethysts. He also found a new direction. After the success of his first bucket of gravel, he ordered another. Tom says his wife told him, “You’re having too much fun.” She joined the activity and discovered an emerald the size of his…

More than 15 years ago, Clint discovered the charming, centrally located city of Prague — and decided to stay. Including his passion for American barbecue, something he had immersed himself in while spending time in Austin, Texas. That period shaped his own smoky BBQ skills and ultimately inspired him and Eva to bring the “American Way of BBQ” first to Prague, and then across the European continent. In addition to building their business, the couple has organized several barbecue festivals and events in Prague, and with their team “Bohemian BBQ,” they can be found competing at international contests. When asked why he sees the future of barbecue in pellet grills, Clint explains: “Like most people, I grilled with gas and charcoal for years. My first smoker was a cheap offset…

By the time the last split rolls around, the ducks that remain are masters of self-preservation. They’ve seen more spinners than a carnival crowd and have learned that motion doesn’t always mean safety. Come late season, realism is the currency that matters most. Your spread must tell a story birds will believe—one rooted in posture, spacing, and attitude. Over the years, I’ve spent enough mornings in muddy blinds and on freezing tanks to learn that ducks are the best teachers in the marsh. But, for this story, I also leaned on some of the sharpest waterfowlers I know who live for the last weeks of the season, when every detail matters. From those conversations came one shared truth: Late-season success isn’t about numbers. It’s about precision, realism, and a spread…

From birds frozen in flight, to water looking more like fog. Those shots are created by using your camera’s shutter speeds in different ways to create a range of visual effects in your photos. The shutter of your camera is simply a mechanical barrier that prevents light from entering the camera until it is needed, controlling when and for how long light is allowed in to expose the sensor. The latest digital cameras have high-speed electro-mechanical shutters capable of timing exposures with an accuracy measured in fractions of a millisecond. Along with the aperture setting and the sensitivity control, shutter speed is one of the three ways that photographic exposure is adjusted. When a picture is taken, the shutter is opened for a precisely measured amount of time allowing light…

You can imagine the pride that Porsche engineers and designers must’ve felt as rave reviews filed in for the all-new 1978 928. The 928 team probably pitied the creaky old 911 SC (Super Carrera), which came shuffling out that same year. But a bold new day had dawned, and the future was no place for an air-cooled flat-six, hung out behind the rear wheels — a design rooted in the 1930s. Unfortunately, someone forgot to explain all of this to Porsche enthusiasts. While the experts raved about the refined V8, rear-transaxle 928, sales paled compared to the 911’s. Porsche built 57,998 928s over about 18 years of production. Meanwhile, it built 57,890 911 SCs in just six years. Because the SC was so prolifically produced, it eventually became the best…

HERBED COTTAGE CHEESE BISCUITS Whisk together 1¼ cups flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1½ teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper and ¼ teaspoon baking soda. Mix in ¾ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 6 tablespoons olive oil, 1 egg and 2 tablespoons each chopped scallions and dill to make a crumbly dough. Knead a few times and form into a 4-by-8-inch rectangle; cut into 8 biscuits. Bake on an unlined baking sheet at 400˚ until golden, 17 to 20 minutes. SAMOSA-STYLE MASHED POTATOES Simmer 1½ pounds peeled, quartered Yukon Gold potatoes in salted water until tender, 20 minutes; drain. Cook 2 teaspoons mustard seeds and ½ each minced onion and seeded serrano chile in 3 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, 5 minutes; add ¾ cup…

HOW HIGH IS your risk of developing pancreatic cancer or suffering a heart attack in the next 20 years? A new generative artificial intelligence system called Delphi-2M aims to answer that question and offer personalized forecasts of your long-term health trajectory. Developed by a team of European biomedical researchers and detailed in a September 2025 Nature article, Delphi-2M represents one of the most ambitious efforts yet to apply AI to predictive medicine. Large language models (LLMs) that power chatbots such as ChatGPT trained on massive amounts of text data to predict the next word in a sentence. Delphi-2M trained on a vast amount of medical data to predict the next stage in a person’s health. Delphi-2M treats medical histories as sequences of events, much as ChatGPT processes words. Its training…

TIGER WOODS never set out to break Jack Nicklaus’s record of major championship victories. That narrative certainly took off as he began racking up titles, and it’s one he never shied away from as the green jackets and Claret Jugs accumulated. But in the early days, he wasn’t focusing on the ultimate hardware. Woods kept a list of Nicklaus’s accomplishments by age, and they didn’t involve majors. It was about breaking 80 for the first time or breaking 70 or winning a state amateur or the U.S. Amateur or some other feat. Tiger checked those off ahead of Jack’s schedule. “The guy’s the best out there and the best of all time,” Woods told Time in 2015. “If I can beat each age that he did it, then I have…

HEALTH Dementia affects people in later life in particular; the term covers a range of brain diseases that can make it difficult for victims to remember things or to perform everyday tasks. There are varied causes for dementia, but researchers from the US Columbia University and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore have found that one factor in particular may have a very significant influence: hearing loss. This can affect many people as they age, and the researchers believe it may be the initial cause of up to one in three cases of dementia. Some 10 million people develop dementia annually, and 57+ million worldwide are currently living with the condition. The researchers behind the new study analysed data from 2946 people aged between 66 and…

THOMAS HERRICK pulled off improbable back-to-back Pro 450 titles at the season-ending Yamaha BLU CRU Aussie Flat Track Nationals at Gunnedah’s Balcary Park over the weekend of 15-16 November. Rival Tom Armstrong held a commanding 110-point buffer over the field coming into the double-header finale, but a serious crash in the opening race left him unable to compete for the rest of the weekend. Armstrong, who had qualified in 11th, surged through the field in the opener but clipped the back of another rider as he was attempting to make up ground and ran off track. Herrick then found his strongest form of the year on Saturday, clearly handling the tricky lines with speed to burn but still frustrated due to the difficult passing opportunities. Cam Dunker, absent at the…

PLAN AND PREPARE Create a weekly meal plan to avoid impulse purchases. Shop seasonally for fresh produce at lower prices. Use coupons and store sales to your advantage. Sign up for grocery loyalty programs. Order groceries online if it’s hard to resist impulse buys at the supermarket. Avoid food waste and save money by taking a weekly inventory and doing meal prep with on-hand items. COOK AT HOME Prepare meals at home and eat out occasionally. Use simple recipes that require few ingredients. Consider batch cooking to save time and money. Use a slow cooker or Instant Pot to cook large batches of food efficiently. Incorporate more vegetarian and vegan meals, which are generally more affordable than meat-centered meals. Explore creative new ways to use leftovers. CHOOSE AFFORDABLE FOODS Opt…

During a recent cinema trip to see the romantic drama Regretting You, I was left fascinated by the trailer for The Housemaid, which was shown before it started. This psychological thriller is an adaptation of Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel of the same title. However, what amplified my excitement was the stellar cast, led by Sydney Sweeney, Amanda Seyfried, Brandon Sklenar and Michele Morrone, with Paul Feig in the director's chair. By the way, Sweeney and Seyfriend also share the executive producer credits. The premise centres on Millie Calloway (Sweeney), the new housemaid for the influential Winchester family, comprising Nina (Seyfried) and her husband, Andrew (Sklenar). In case you are wondering, Morrone is cast as Enzo, a groundskeeper. The plot centres on Millie’s new role within this household, where that familiar…

Hugh Jackman has been singing throughout his entire adult life, so he arguably wasn’t prepared to meet his match in Kate Hudson, whose musical talents had been a secret before the release of her debut album, Glorious, in 2024. Together, they perform duets in the film Song Sung Blue, based on the true story of two down-on-their-luck musicians who form a Neil Diamond tribute band, proving that it’s never too late to find love and follow your dreams. “We’d already bonded, but there was one day when they put a mic in front of us and recorded us. That’s when I got the chills; that’s when I knew that, musically, we would blend,” Hugh says of his co-star, recalling how they transformed Neil’s lesser-known 1969 song Holly Holy into an…

The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max feature Apple’s best-ever camera systems with higher-resolution sensors front and back. It’s like having eight pro lenses in your pocket. Three 48MP Fusion cameras capture sharper and more detailed images. A new 48MP Telephoto camera has a next-generation tetraprism design with a sensor that is 56 percent larger than the previous generation to improve sharpness in bright light and bring more detail to darker shots. The new 4x optical zoom at 100mm offers a classic lens for portraiture, while the 8x optical zoom at 200mm, the longest ever on iPhone, provides longer reach and more creative choice. With the updated Photonic Engine, the image pipeline uses more machine learning to preserve natural detail, reduce noise, and provide significantly improved colour accuracy.…

AFTER having successfully hunted a blesbuck with my Thompson Center Contender in 7-30 Waters, topped with a Bushnell 2-6x32 handgun scope, I was happy with the accuracy of the firearm and my ability to shoot it in the field. However, I suspected that the 130gr 7mm PMP bullets I’d used on the blesbuck might not be ideal for larger and tougher game like blue wildebeest. Using Winchester cases that had been fire-formed and trimmed, I loaded Speer 130gr Boat-tail soft-points and, after shooting several test groups, settled on 30gr IMR 3031 with a Winchester LR primer. This load produced 3-shot groups averaging 1 inch at 100 metres with an average velocity of 2 115fps from the Contender’s 14" barrel. I am fortunate to have access to a private shooting range…

“Nothing LIVES INSIDE ME as much as the PLACES and the PEOPLE WHO SPEAK FOR and from the SOUL” by PICO IYER Whenever foreign friends are heading towards India, I urge them towards Varanasi. It’s not always a peaceful place, I warn them, or quiet or cosy, but it’s essential. I’d never steer anyone away from the palaces of Rajasthan or the waterways of Kerala, let alone the cobalt skies and dzongs of Ladakh, but Varanasi shakes the soul as few other places on the planet can do. To see visitors streaming through the narrow alleyways, singing as they carry loved ones to be cremated, to watch the faithful bathing in the holy river as the sun comes up and to realise that the city of death is a city…

Every year, the Palm Beach Show showcases excellence in art, jewelry, antiques and luxury design. The 2026 edition continues in this tradition, while also encouraging patrons to look at the art fair as more than just a marketplace—it’s a cultural experience connecting generations of collectors, dealers and design enthusiasts. “Our goal is to highlight the diversity and depth of the global art world while maintaining the refined aesthetic and prestige that defines Palm Beach,” says Kelsi Monteith, Palm Beach Show Group’s executive director of communications. “Each year, we strive to foster meaningful connections between exhibitors and collectors in a one-of-a-kind environment that inspires discovery and appreciation for unique, luxury collectibles.” Collectors can expect an extraordinary mix of works spanning fine art, estate jewelry, furniture, decorative arts, silver, porcelain, textiles, Asian…

It’s 11am on a sunny Monday morning and Lizzo and I are powering through a circuit-training session in the gym of her mid-century modern Los Angeles home. “Let’s get it!” she hollers, Beyoncé’s Renaissance blasting through the room as she launches into her third set of lateral step-overs and I push through bench dips. The set-up flanking us as we train is a bona fide fitness and recovery sanctuary: a Peloton Tread, a StairMaster, a Power Plate whole-body vibration platform, a non-impact Arc Trainer machine and an infrared sauna fill one side of the room; a huge window showcasing greenery frames the other. Clad in a cropped green nylon hoodie and flare leggings from her shapewear brand, Yitty, Lizzo attacks step-ups with an overhead press while rapturously singing along to…

The deposed Venezuelan president Nic olás Maduro pleaded not guilty to drugs, weapons and narco-terrorism charges on Monday, two days after his capture by US special forces in an operation ordered by Donald Trump that sent shock waves around the world. The brevity and formality of the arraignment hearing in federal court in Manhattan – barely 30 minutes during which Maduro was asked to confirm his name and that he understood the four charges – belied the far-reaching consequences of the US action. As Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, addressed the court in Lower Manhattan, the UN security council held an emergency meeting just a few kilometres to the north, where a dozen countries condemned the US “crime of aggression” and secretary general António Guterres suggested the operation constituted…

Violinist Brian King Joseph filed a Dec. 30 complaint against Will Smith and his company Treyball Studios Management Inc., alleging sexual harassment while working with the Oscar and Grammy winner, 57, in March 2025 on his Based on a True Story world tour. Joseph claimed he was wrongfully terminated after reporting evidence “of a sexual threat of violence” in his Las Vegas hotel room, including a note reading, “I’ll be back … just us.” Smith’s attorney called the allegations “false, baseless and reckless.”…

The year 2025 has been a vintage one for astronomy. In January, we were hooked on reports of a buildingsized asteroid on course to collide with Earth. The risk was quickly downgraded from worrying to virtually non-existent, but it set the tone for a year packed with discoveries and surprises. We're living in a golden era of space observation. Telescopes on the ground and up in orbit are revealing more of the Universe than ever before, and in exceptional detail. And we're not just talking about the distant cosmos – some incredible discoveries have taken place close to home. Visitors from outer space, leopard print on Mars, vast hydrogen clouds hiding in plain sight…. At times it's felt like science fiction. So, let's take a whistle-stop tour through 10 of…

While the size of your home can affect aspects of your life, it’s not the be-all and end-all to hosting an enjoyable, intimate event. You don’t need to shrink your guest list or dim your sparkle; whether you’re working with a compact HDB flat or a snug condominium unit, the scale of your space does not dictate the scale of your hospitality. With the right design choices, even the most modest of homes can be transformed into a warm and welcoming haven — one that is equal parts function and fabulous, and matches your personal party-hosting needs. Here, we bust the biggest myths surrounding entertaining in tight quarters. From clever tweaks in your layout and tricks for preserving your privacy to flexible furnishings and space-saving hacks, we’re here to help…

We’ve all been there. Sprawled out on the couch watching the Olympics, tossing popcorn into the air and catching it in our mouths. It’s our own form of rigorous physical activity. We see Simone Biles do a double-twisting double backflip on the balance beam and ask ourselves, “How hard is that really?” We end up missing the rest of Biles’s routine, too busy imagining ourselves flying through the air in a leotard. We could do that, right? Or some form of it? But what if…every Olympic event allowed one ordinary person to compete? An average Joe who actually competed alongside Olympians, just to show us couch-cruisers how talented Biles really is? The ordinary person would be there exclusively to help fans form a comparison between Olympians and the rest of…

Perched along the pristine stretch of Mexico’s Caribbean coast, the Grand Velas Riviera Maya instantly feels like a place suspended in time—where turquoise waters meet soft, white sand, and every detail whispers luxury. From the moment we arrived, the resort’s seamless elegance embraced us. Palm-lined pathways led us to our suite, a sprawling second-floor sanctuary with a private plunge pool overlooking the endless expanse of the Caribbean. The suite was generously proportioned, every corner thoughtfully designed, and the balcony became our morning refuge, where the sun rose over the sea and painted everything in golden light. But what truly set this stay apart was the culinary promise of Grand Velas. As a resort recognized with AAA Five Diamond status and home to the MICHELIN-starred Cocina de Autor, it is at…

It was the concluding day of the Annapolis Sailboat Show in Maryland. Along with longtime sailing mates and colleagues Tim Murphy and Ralph Naranjo, I was the third member of the judging panel for Cruising World’s 2026 Boat of the Year contest, with sea trials scheduled to commence on Chesapeake Bay the next day. And yet, all I could think of was the early Bob Dylan classic A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall. Unbeknownst to Dylan, he’d nailed the short-term forecast. An early autumn nor’easter was spinning up the mid-Atlantic coastline, accompanied by serious breeze and heavy precipitation to match. Cruising World Editor-in-Chief Andrew Parkinson had already called off the next day’s full sailing schedule for the contest’s 14 current nominees, and was scrambling to assemble a workable plan B for…

The denser the fiberglass ceiling, the more force is needed to demolish it. ¶ In the case of the biennial Transpacific Yacht Race (established 1906), this force had been gathering for 72 years before Alli Bell became the first woman skipper to win this 2,225-nautical-mile race aboard Restless, her Cal 40, this year. It began in 1953 when Willard Bell—Alli’s grandfather—first skippered Westward Ho, his Lyle Hess-designed 36-foot sloop, in Transpac. Bell returned in 1959 with Westward Ho and a crew that included his wife, Inez, before upgrading to Westward, his Lapworth 50, which he first raced in the 1965 Transpac alongside sons Charles (Alli’s dad) and Sam. Over the years, Willard Bell skippered all five of his children—three boys and two girls—to Transpac’s iconic finishing line off Diamond Head…

“We think the hormones released as part of the body's response to strength training lead to the improvement in memory,” says study author Lisa Weinberg. “Best of all, it doesn't have to be a long workout—even a relatively short one had an effect.” Although this study tested participants who exercised only once, other research (including long-term intervention studies) suggest that more is better, so keep up your regular workouts to maximize results. —Diana Kelly The Hidden Danger of Winter Weight Gain Those few pounds you put on over the holidays might be doing more harm than you think. A new study found even a small amount of extra weight can raise blood pressure levels and affect cardiovascular health. The study, presented at the most recent American Heart Association's High Blood…

It was a three-month residency in Japan in 2004 that fundamentally changed the way Bosco Sodi made art. “The residency changed my point of view about aesthetics, it evolved my work,” the Mexican artist says. “I’ve always felt very close to the Buddhist philosophy, but for me the impact mentally and on my work was tremendous.” It was there he realised that imperfections — like the cracks and chinks in his clay sculptures — are what make each artwork individual, mirroring nature’s imperfections. Rooted in Zen Buddhism, wabi-sabi also celebrates the natural cycles of growth and decay and the beauty of transience. “The passing of time, the impermanence of life, are what characterise my work now.” He returned home to Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York and over the years gained…

In our fast-paced world, have we drifted further away from something that once felt so natural – our connection to the earth? What if the key to feeling more balanced, energised and even healthier lies right beneath our feet? Grounding, or earthing, is the act of connecting with the Earth’s surface – walking barefoot on the grass, feeling the sand between our toes or lying on the ground beneath a big open sky. We engage in it naturally during the summer, but we tend to keep our shoes on as the cooler months approach. It may sound too simple to be effective, but emerging research suggests that this ancient practice has real, measurable benefits for our bodies and minds. WHY ARE WE SO DISCONNECTED? Modern life has made it harder…

Young adults in Japan are having less and less sex, according to a recent review – and no one knows why. The review estimated that around half of Japanese people reach their mid-20s with no sexual experience at all, and approximately 10 per cent reach their 30s before having sex. Even those who have lost their virginity don't seem to be having much sex. Online surveys from the 2020s indicate that around half of Japanese adults aged 20–49 are sexually inactive, meaning they haven't had sex in the past year. In comparison, just over one in three Japanese adults aged 20–24 reported being sexually inexperienced in 2002, compared to 51–60 per cent by the 2020s. These are the conclusions of a review of Japanese sexual attitudes and behaviours, published in…

“Land is the only thing in the world worth workin’ for, worth fightin’ for, worth dyin’ for,” says Gerald O’Hara in Gone with the Wind. “Because it’s the only thing that lasts.” Though fictional, Gerald (father of protagonist Scarlett O’Hara and an immigrant from Ireland) could have spoken for any number of our ancestors for whom land was everything. The abundance of land in the United States—and the ability for common people to own it—attracted immigrants from around the world. In some European countries, land ownership was unheard of, and it was sometimes more expensive to rent land in Europe than it was to buy land in America. Land out West also drew Americans from the East, spurring waves of migration. Land virtually guaranteed wealth and was a hot commodity. That…

My story It's hard to believe what I've achieved in just over a year. I moved in here with my daughter, Annabel, after I separated from her dad, and it was perfect, as it's so close to her school. It also has two bedrooms and lots of storage space, which was important, as I was downsizing from a large, four-bedroom house. I have a chronic illness, which means I can't work, and it takes me a lot longer than most to finish a project, so I'm very proud that I've transformed our home as I have. Everything was white when we first moved in, which was fine as I was in my ‘grey era’. Then, one day, I decided to add a bit of colour to one of the bedroom…

Forest River’s Dockside 20DF hits two targets effectively: entry-level pontooners, and angling enthusiasts. The lightweight 20-foot twin-toon platform comes standard with a Suzuki DF 50 out-board, but buyers can opt for a 90 horse-power to get to the fish faster. Mercury and Honda outboards are also available. With the Suzuki 50, top speed is an even 20 mph at 6,000 rpm twisting a standard 11-inch-pitch Suzuki aluminum propeller. That speed comes up in 9.7 seconds from an in-gear idle start. You might not get across the lake first with 50 horsepower, but you’ll pass nearly every gas dock. Best cruise is at 4,500 rpm, where speed is a tick under 15 mph and the Suzuki 50 is sipping from the 21-gallon tank at a rate of just 2.2 gph. That’s…

WHEN A CHILD actor gets a first gig, their trajectory can go one of a few ways. They might continue to get job after job, accelerating into early fame and, typically, a premature end to childhood. They might score a few more roles before the auditions dry up and they decide showbusiness isn’t for them, after all. Or, as in the case of Rose Byrne, you get cast out of the blue in a movie at age 13, and then you take a job at Bakers Delight. “I got ‘Dallas Doll’ before I worked at the bakery,” Byrne says now of the part in the director Ann Turner’s 1994 black comedy. “That was an extraordinary, flukey situation, getting that role.” A casting agent dropped into one of the classes Byrne…

Simple Steps to Stitch-and-Flip Success If you're new to quilting, you've probably seen quilt blocks with pretty triangles in the corners that look tricky to sew. Here's a secret: many of those blocks use a simple technique called Stitch-and-Flip. It's an easy way to create triangle shapes without cutting or piecing any stretchy bias edges. This method gives your blocks a polished, professional look —and you'll see it in all sorts of quilt patterns! Why Quilters Love It It's beginner friendly. You only sew straight lines—with no troublesome bias edges. It's accurate. Stitching along a drawn line ensures straight and sharp corners. It's versatile. This technique is used for many quilt blocks, including Snowballs and even some Flying Geese. It's satisfying! There's just something fun about flipping open that little…

From peach fuzz to armpits, there are around 5 million hair follicles dotted all over your body. Around 150,000 of them are found on your head. But why do we have hair, and do we still need it? Homo sapiens have always had hair. As mammals, it’s one of our defining features. But over millions of years of evolution, we’ve shed the furry coats of our ancestors to become the naked mole rats of the ape world, while all of our chest-beating cousins are covered in thick coats of fur. There are countless theories as to why we lost our hair as a species, including thermoregulation, pest control and even streamlining our bodies for swimming. However, the hair on our heads has persisted. Science’s best guess as to why we…

WHAT ANIMAL KILLS more humans than any other? The answer is not lions or tigers or sharks. It’s the tiny mosquito, the vector for the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria. Every year, more than 600,000 people die from the mosquito-borne illness, despite the use of vaccines, insecticide sprays, and insecticide-treated bed nets. But in July 2025, a study in Nature proposed a new approach for the fight against malaria. By altering a single gene in the mosquito’s genome, researchers have created a mosquito that’s unable to transmit the parasite. “It seems remarkable that that particular variant has such a huge effect,” says Ethan Bier, a study author and geneticist at University of California San Diego. “To be honest, I still can’t believe this.” FREP1 IS A GENE that’s necessary for mosquitoes…

Ariana Madix is booked and busy — even without Vanderpump Rules. Since the Scandoval heard ’ round the world, the reality star, 40, has hosted Love Island USA and its spinoff Love Island Games, starred in Chicago on Broadway and made guest appearances on Will Trent and St. Denis Medical. Most recently, Madix cohosted The Voice’s season 28 finale preshow with another recent TV fan favorite, Dylan Efron from The Traitors and Dancing With the Stars. “Everyone is just so talented,” she told Us at the Dec. 15 taping of the The Voice. The Something About Her co-owner shared that her top three choices to win were Jazz McKenzie, Ralph Edwards and Aiden Ross — and she was able to witness Ross taking home the trophy as part of coach Niall…

It’s hard to believe Cindy Crawford, the most famous supermodel to come out of the Eighties and Nineties, turns 60 this February – a milestone that feels almost impossible for the woman who defined supermodel status! From her all-American beauty and iconic mole to her era-defining Versace runways and Pepsi moments, Cindy didn’t just dominate the Nineties – she shaped modern celebrity. About to celebrate her six decades, the mum-of-two remains a symbol of confidence, longevity and effortless glamour. You have a big birthday coming up. What are your thoughts on ageing and getting older generally? I embrace it. When I turned 50, I wrote a book about how ageing can be scary and daunting for a woman, especially if you happen to be in the public eye. I learned…

The discipline of working equitation began in Europe in 1996 to highlight the skills of horses used to work cattle, and it has rapidly caught on around the world. No longer reserved for just one breed, the sport welcomes all breeds and many tack and attire styles and traditions—it truly is a global sport! Riders competing in working equitation classes embody grace and poise, guiding their horses through intricate dressage movements and a variety trail obstacles—all while having fun! So what is it, exactly? Working equitation embodies equestrian versatility, combining a classical dressage foundation with practical skills that test maneuverability, obedience, bravery, and correctness of gaits and movements, explains Kasey Riddle, the Youth Development Committee Chair for USA Working Equitation (USAWE), the sport’s governing body. But you don’t need a…

Microsoft unveiled its new Secure Future Initiative (SFI) for Windows at Microsoft Ignite. The focus is on Administrator Protection, which is set to replace the deprecated User Account Control. Current statistics from the Microsoft Digital Defense Report 2024 [1] show an alarming 39,000 incidents of admin rights abuse every day, making better protection for local accounts a top priority. Microsoft introduced User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista. Although it requires users to confirm actions with admin authorization, the protection turned out to be incomplete. Microsoft is now looking to improve protection for Windows 11 workstations and replace UAC with Administrator Protection [2]. In this article, I show you what this new feature is all about and present several arguments to explain why switching to a state-of-the-art protection setup makes…

A world of light Arctic by BIG, designed for Artemide, reflects and deconstructs reality. Effectively an Archimedean solid without external faces, the light’s structure becomes a mingled world of its own light, natural light, and the surrounding environment. Formed from geometric elements that break apart and reassemble in modular compositions, the mirrored surfaces multiply and shift. Photo, Pierpaolo Ferrari. artemide.com The red room Opening in New Delhi’s prestigious The Chanakya mall this year, Baccarat, the iconic French Maison of art de vivre for over 260 years, builds on its legacy and deep-rooted ties with India, beginning a new chapter with the inauguration of its gorgeous flagship store. baccarat.com Papa puff daddy “I imagine visitors assembling to watch these giant figures come to life. As the dawn breaks, they see Skywhalepapa…

1 CRICKHOWELL WALKING FESTIVAL The picturesque town of Crickhowell, nestled in the beautiful Usk Valley, Wales, plays host to one of the year’s earliest walking festivals, from 7–15 March 2026. Enjoy over 80 walks of various distances. For the competitive amongst you, there’s the Table Mountain Challenge, where you walk or run up and down the 380m-high Table Mountain as many times as you can. There are prizes for the female and male winners. Just remember to pack a waterproof – this is Bannau Brycheiniog in springtime, after all. crickhowellfestival.com 2 RIDE2STRIDE WALKING AND MUSIC FESTIVAL, NORTH YORKSHIRE This week-long bonanza runs from Tuesday 28 April to Monday 4 May 2026 and takes in the delights of the western Dales and Eden Valley. To add a thematic edge, the varied…

Few people think of winemaking as a hazardous occupation. But danger lurks everywhere: in the cellar, winemakers die from asphyxiation, drown in their vats and get crushed by rolling barrels. Even the vineyard is eve- rything but safe. More often than not, the winemaker is himself the greatest danger. When it happened there was a rough rumble and the ground around the warehouse slightly quaked under the feet. On 4 May 2021, a thin steel leg underneath a vat buckled under the weight of more than 50 tonnes of metal and liquid. The tank in the warehouse of Darling Cellars (Western Cape, South Africa) tipped over a second one, starting a rippling, unstoppable domino effect. Several vessels broke through the outer walls of the winery, tearing stairs, walkways and pipes along…

He has been with Amazon since 1999, long enough to have watched the company evolve from an online bookstore into an everything store, a global technology conglomerate, and a major long-term investor in India. So, when Amazon recently announced a $35-billion investment in the country, it made sense to speak with Amit Agarwal, Senior Vice President for Emerging Markets at Amazon, and one of the executives closest to that growth story. In a conversation with BT, Agarwal spoke about what the announcement signals. He also reflected on his years at Amazon and what he took away from working closely with founder Jeff Bezos as his technical advisor in 2007 — especially the focus on customer obsession, innovation and thinking big. That thinking, Agarwal confirms, is also reflected in the way…

1 Continuous hormone monitors will be the new CGMs Female fertility tracking is getting an upgrade. Amit Shah, consultant gynaecologist and co-founder of Fertility Plus clinic, envisages a ‘cycle score’, derived from basal body temperature, resting heart rate, sleep patterns and hormonal measures that indicate where you sit in your fertile window and assess cycle regularity. Natural Cycles, which just launched a perimenopause-tracking algorithm, now integrates with Oura Ring and Apple Watch; Mira Ultra4 uses at-home urine testing to track four menstrual hormones; and in the US and Canada, Eli Health’s app scans a saliva test stick to measure progesterone and cortisol. Using similar tech to CGMs, UK start-up Level Zero also starts clinical trials this year on an arm patch monitoring progesterone, oestrogen and testosterone. Beyond aiding conception, having…

“YOU’RE RIGHT. EVERYONE ELSE IS WRONG.” A few hours after writer and performer Cole Escola offered this advice to LGBTQ+ viewers in a Logo TV interview, they made history as the first openly nonbi-nary actor to win a Tony Award for performance in a play (Oh, Mary!, which they also wrote). I looked on in ecstatic disbelief as they accepted the most prestigious award for an American theatre actor, wearing a stunning gown and a gorgeous wig. As I watched, I could hear the voice of my acting professors telling me I’d never be taken seriously if I wore a skirt and heels to an audition. Or that I needed to bulk up and look like a man to be accepted as a dancer. Without exam- ples—role models that disproved these…

Donald Trump had been waiting Four years to get back in the Oval Office, and he arrived with a long to-do list. “They came out of the gate like Man o’ War,” says Joseph Grogan, who served as director of Trump’s domestic policy council during the first term. “They set a blistering pace of administrative actions across all major agencies.” On his first day alone, he pulled the U.S. out of the Paris climate-change agreement, froze all foreign aid, suspended refugee admissions, and granted clemency to more than 1,500 people charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot that tried to overturn his 2020 election loss. And he was just getting started. Within a month, he’d fired 17 inspectors general, allowed immigration agents to arrest people inside courthouses, taunted Denmark…

VisionOS 26 adds support for 180-degree, 360-degree and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon. With support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, players can enjoy a new class of games on Apple Vision Pro.Across the Apple ecosystem, widgets offer personalised and useful information at a glance, and with visionOS 26, widgets become spatial, integrating seamlessly into a your space and reappearing every time you put on Apple Vision Pro. Widgets in visionOS 26 are customisable, with a variety of options for frame width, colour and depth. Beautiful new widgets — including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos — all offer unique interactions and experiences. Shared Experiences Users love how visionOS lets them connect with family, friends, and colleagues remotely, and with visionOS 26, you can share spatial experiences with other…

Royal Lodge, surrounded by velvet lawns and ancient oaks, has been entwined with the House of Windsor since the early 1800s, a retreat for three generations of monarchs and their children, a symbol of continuity and family – and now, of modern scandal. For Andrew, the late Queen’s beloved third child, this Christmas just passed will have been his last in the 30-room mansion, his home of more than 20 years, before the forced move to a smaller residence privately owned and paid for by the King on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. Allowing him to stay in Royal Lodge in Windsor into the New Year, sources say, will ensure that there are no awkward crossovers between the disgraced former Duke of York, his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson and the rest…

Understanding the root causes of the continent’s employment gap, how education can align with labor market needs, and how academia, industry, and government can collaborate to bridge it, was the focus at The 2025 Future of Education Summit, hosted by CNBC Africa and moderated by Editor-in-Chief, Godfrey Mutizwa. On September 4, Professor Mark E. Smith, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Southampton, participated in a panel discussion on the topic. He shared insights from his experience leading a top 100 global university (QS World University Rankings, 2026) with an award-winning inclusive access and economic mobility plan embedded in its strategy. Together with Professor Letlhokwa Mpedi, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg; Siegie Brownlee, Chief Executive Officer of Eduvos (one of South Africa’s largest private higher education institutions);…

I once asked Mark Bouris — a business leader known for his sharp insights — “What’s your sleep strategy?” He looked at me, slightly puzzled, and said: “What do you mean?” I replied: “Sleep isn’t wasted time — it’s a tool that unlocks mental clarity, peak productivity, emotional resilience, and sustained energy. It’s our most valuable asset. Just like you need a strategy for nutrition and fitness, you need one for sleep.” Since then, I’ve heard him speak publicly about his sleep strategy — and every time, I’m proud. To help shape the mindset of one of Australia’s greatest leaders was a privilege. And today, I’m equally grateful to be here shaping yours. Often described by the media as Australia’s Leading Sleep Expert, my mission is to help people rest,…

JUST as two sunrises are never the same, no two hangovers are ever alike. There are the common basics to address—get yourself hydrated, move gently and consider a breakfast that will provide the best response from your body as well as your mind. However, from here, things quickly diverge. Sometimes your route to recovery will be fruit, perhaps a bacon roll, and I’ve even heard tell of the powers of an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet. There will be those who firmly believe in a strong cup of coffee, yoga or a dip in the sea. Be warned, however: any hangover roused too rapidly can send a surging torrent of bodily rage coiling from your core and must, therefore, be respectfully dealt with. As if it were a king cobra basking in…

SUSPENDED SIX FEET off the ground and surrounded by giant silks hanging from the ceiling, Connor Storrie is grappling gamely with the loss of gravity. As Lola Young plays over the speakers at the Aerial House, a brick-walled studio in Los Angeles’s Eastside, an instructor coaches Storrie through a flying banana roll and other poses until he’s heels over head. It’s an apt metaphor for the actor’s life since the Canadian TV series Heated Rivalry premiered at the end of November and shot the 25-year-old to international celebrity. Storrie plays stoic Russian hockey star Ilya Rozanov, who engages in an intense affair with a Canadian opponent, played by Hudson Williams, as the two scrabble for primacy within the sport. Based on the hit Game Changers books by Rachel Reid, creator…

Don’t expect Taylor Swift to turn bridezilla because she is fed up planning the big day all by herself. It turns out that fiancé Travis Kelce is just as involved in all the details. “When it comes to wedding planning, nothing feels rushed or one-sided,” a source told People magazine. “They’re both equally involved and excited, and this isn’t something one or the other is carrying on their own. They’re approaching it as a partnership, talking things through together and enjoying the process in a way that feels natural to them.” Kelce and Swift, both 36, got engaged in August, two years after they started dating. For the proposal, he transformed his backyard into a floral paradise. The couple are believed to have chosen to tie the knot at a…

WHEN I PURCHASED my most recent iPad Air, I always envisioned that it would be used in various ways. It’s why I also bought a Smart Keyboard Folio — a device that has since been replaced by the superior Magic Keyboard Folio with its extra line of function keys and a trackpad — along with an Apple Pencil. This was going to be an iPad used for work, creativity, and entertainment. Yet, I admit that I haven’t really got stuck into the work side of things using an iPad. I tend to use a MacBook on my travels and a Mac mini in the office, so ditching both for a full week did fill me with some trepidation. Would it slow me down? Would I become frustrated if key features…

DECEMBER 2025 U.S. Paper Money Price Guide Private companies continue to be crucial for producing bank notes. Based on the Federal Reserve Board’s recently published 2026 print order, Crane NXT recently announced it is projecting 2026 bank note printing orders to range between 3.8 and 5.1 billion pieces. This will include an anticipated increase in higher denomination notes. Crane NXT President and Chief Executive Officer Aaron W. Saak explained, “We are pleased with the significant increase in expected demand in 2026 for higher denomination bank notes containing advanced security features. Additionally, we look forward to continuing to support the U.S. Currency Program’s strategic priorities, including the currency redesign starting with the introduction of the new $10 bank note scheduled for release next year.” Crane anticipates that fewer new $1, $2,…

WITSAND BY THE SEA Little Paradise This laid-back beach house overlooks the Breede River estuary and Cape Infanta in the distance. It's right on the main beach, but the dunes shelter you on both sides and hide you from the neighbouring houses. When you sit in the living area on the top floor, the dunes feel close enough to touch. Indeed, the sand nearly swallowed the house in 2015 and the roof collapsed under the weight. The house has since been fully restored and there's a dune rehabilitation project in place to prevent it from happening again. Little Paradise has a long history that goes back further than the advance of sand. The place was first known as Opstalletjie. Built in 1930, it was one of the first residences in…

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is technology that allows a computer to learn and adapt like humans do. This year, its role in our daily lives has continued to grow. Although there are many concerns about AI, including that it will take jobs from people and provide incorrect answers when used to gather information, the technology has led to several big breakthroughs. In medicine, an AI“brain decoding” tool tracked the brain waves of people who struggle with spoken language, turning their thoughts into text so they could communicate. An AI stethoscope quickly detected heart conditions in patients, while specially trained dogs and AI worked together to detect cancer in people. AI also changed how people write and talk to each other. The AI platform ChatGPT used certain words so many times…

IN THE FADING LIGHT, they came back to Bondi, to light candles, to sing and to stand together, in solidarity and in defiance of the terror that had been visited upon their beach, their world. Across Bondi, and Sydney, and Australia, people lit candles in solidarity with the Jewish community, which suffered the worst antisemitic attack in the country’s history when two gunmen allegedly opened fire on a Hanukah celebration at Bondi beach shortly after 6.40pm last Sunday evening. Fifteen people, including a 10-year-old girl, a London-born rabbi whose fifth child was born only two months ago, and an 87-year-old survivor of the Holocaust, were among the slain. The “Chanukah By the Sea” event had promised faith and fraternity. “Come celebrate the light of Chanukah together with the community,” a…