World News

Thousands of lights flash and soon go out in the night sky over Seoul. The city is hosting the International Fireworks Festival. Teams of the best pyrotechnicians from South Korea, Japan and the United States put on a spectacular light show. The spectators took the best seats in the city park overlooking the Hangang River hours before the show. Each pyrotechnics team prepared its own show, accompanied by...

It has long been known that dolphins love to play. They chase each other, perform acrobatic tricks in the water and jump above its surface. And now Italian scientists have found out that dolphins can also smile. Of course, these sea creatures do not have such a lively facial expressions, as, for example, in dogs or monkeys. Dolphins simply open their mouth, or, as it is also called, beak. Scientists...

Thousands of New Zealanders have broken the Guinness World Record for the largest number of people performing haka, a ceremonial Maori war dance. The event took place in Auckland at New Zealand's largest stadium, Eden Park. Participants came together to take the record away from France. It set it in 2014. The exact number of participants is still being counted. That said, a Guinness Book spokesman said...

There's not a minute to lose. Every second counts at the World Puzzle Championships. Puzzle lovers compete against each other for time in Valladolid, Spain. World puzzle championships have been held since 2019. But since the coronavirus pandemic, interest in the tournaments has grown significantly. Over four days, 3,500 puzzle enthusiasts compete in individual, doubles and team events. The individual...

The unusual art installation stretches for 2.5 kilometers from the King West district to Canoe Landing Park. The author of the project is the British theater company Station House Opera. Ilana Altman, co-organizer of the event: “The magic of this project is that it brings joy to everyone here. This domino playing field includes businesses and homes. It encompasses all the streets as well. So we had to...

Do you dream of losing weight without strict restrictions and enjoying delicious food? The Mediterranean diet is your answer! This style of eating has been recognized as the best system in the world by US News&World Report for the fourth year in a row and has even become a UNESCO cultural heritage. Suitable for everyone from children to the elderly and pregnant women. Based on the nutrition of...

Flying a gas balloon across Europe, and at speed. This is exactly what the participants of the famous Gordon Bennett Cup, the oldest gas balloon competition in the world, do. This year the participants started in Munster, Germany. To the cheers of the spectators, 21 balloons took to the air. The goal was to fly as far away from the starting point as possible. From Germany, the balloons traveled westward...

Funny images are presented by dog owners on this stage in Moscow. They have created costumes for themselves and their pets specially for the competition which takes place during the Petshop Days festival. One of the most colorful was a team of divers. The scuba tanks are made of plastic bottles, and hoses are made of cables. Arina Denzel, festival participant: “Inspired by this aerodynamic image of...

When it's time for Shani to go to work, she doesn't have to say goodbye to her Essie - the woman can simply bring the dog with her to the office. Shani works for an insurance company in Hobart, Tasmania. And it's been a great place to bring her dogs for years. “Everyone lights up when a dog walks around the call center and you can reach out and rub it. It makes people happy.” At first, dogs could...

Dozens of Afro-Cubans with bouffant hair walked the red carpet in Havana. This is the third African-style hairstyling contest in Cuba. Women, men and, of course, children take part in it. Elaine Calderon, mother of a contestant: “My son has been wearing his hair in the African style since he was a kid. He has participated in several of these contests. He loves it and he is also pleased that his...

The legendary footballer Ronaldinho has arrived in the TRNC on a visit. The two-time winner of the FIFA World's Best Footballer title landed at Ercan Airport on Thursday evening. Ronaldinho visited Northern Cyprus to attend the International Summit Awards organized by Turkish media group Pars International. The event will take place at a hotel in Çatalköy. Local media captured the world soccer star at...

Fluffy pets in fashionable outfits and accessories take to the catwalk in New York. All, of course, are accompanied by human models. The collection was designed by designers from various brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Caryna Nina and Johnathan Kayne. The FurBaby show is taking place ahead of New York Fashion Week. But the main thing here is not the outfits, but the charity. More than 20 dogs...

Berlin's specialty currywurst is celebrating 75 years. It is a sliced fried sausage dipped in a tomato and curry sauce. The dish gained popularity in the hungry post-war years, but it has not lost it even now. The Curry 36 café in Berlin has a queue every day. Cafe Curry 36 has been operating in the Kreuzberg district since 1981. The sauce is said to have been invented by Herta Heuwer, who ran a humble...

Using cutting-edge high-resolution microscopy, researchers were able to track the developmental stages of butterfly scales, tracing their formation from caterpillar to butterfly and revealing how they become so vivacious. Their work reveals that actin, a protein in butterfly’s scales, orchestrates the intricate arrangement of the colorful structures. Conducted at the University of Sheffield and the...

Unusual guests have gathered at the Shanghai Museum. Along with people, cats stroll through its halls. This event is held under the slogan “The Night of Meowing”. It is held within the framework of the exhibition devoted to Ancient Egypt. People and furry guests will see the exposition called “Secrets of Saqqara”. In ancient Egypt, the goddess Bastet was honored. She protected the pharaoh and the...

It's every man for himself here. A tomato battle is raging in Buñol, Spain. Thousands of people are pelting each other with ripe, juicy tomatoes. The famous festival is called La Tomatina. Tomatoes are bought in the region of Extremadura, where they are cheaper. 120 tons of tomatoes are brought in seven trucks. The main rule of the festival is to crush the tomatoes before throwing them. Also, you can't...

These dogs come to the California beach town of Del Mar with their owners almost every day to prepare for the big swim. They are being trained for the Surf-A-Thon dog surfing championships, which will be held in September. Here, everyone is introduced to special boards for the sport, dog floats and water safety rules. Dog surfing instructor Scott Owens comes to the class with his two Dalmatians Bentley...

Across various cultures and countries, the wisest members of society are often seen as those who are both logical and reflective, with a strong ability to consider the feelings and perspectives of others. A recent study explored how people from 16 diverse world cultures, ranging from Japan and Slovakia to Ecuador and Morocco, understand wisdom as a valued trait. Wisdom is celebrated as a profound human...

The food choices we make every day have a big impact on the climate and environment, and it seems that younger generations are more in tune with this issue than ever before. A new study, conducted by OnePoll and commissioned by Avocado Green Mattress, found that the majority of Gen Z and millennials desired greater clarity from restaurants regarding the environmental impact of different food...

Almonds are the edible seeds of the fruit of the almond tree. Its composition includes many essential substances for the body. First of all, almonds are a valuable source of natural acids. Oleic acid, which refers to monounsaturated fatty acids, helps to reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol. Phytic acid is considered a natural antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals. Among other...

Hundreds of California sea lions have taken over a beach in Monterey in the US. Local authorities have temporarily closed the area to people so as not to disturb or frighten the animals. However, many people come here and admire the sea lions from afar. “They are noisy and seem belligerent. Some are attacking each other. They have a lot of energy and seem to be having a great time. They are cool. They...

In the course of practical research, experts from America and Australia have come to an unambiguous conclusion: chocolate increases brain activity. Back in the mid-1970s, psychologist Merrill Ellias began tracking the cognitive abilities of the brain of more than a thousand people over 30 years old in New York State. His goal was simply to establish a correlation between blood pressure levels and brain...

Once nearly extinct, California condors are gradually returning to the wild in Mexico. For example, two males were recently released in the Sierra de San Pedro Martir Mountains. They were born and raised in the Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City. The feathered raptors have been named Enia and Hulu. California condors are found in the American states of California, Utah and Arizona, as well as in Mexico....

Sadly, the world's oldest bird has likely lost her mate. But life goes on and now, in her 70s, she is looking for a new suitor. A female dark-backed albatross named Wisdom aka Wisdom was photographed dancing alongside potential partners at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Supposedly, she is about 72 years old and can be recognized by her Z333 ring. In late November, Wisdom was back for another...

An elementary school teacher crocheted miniature replicas of all the students in her class to give each of them a unique gift at the end of the school year. Sarah Shabbir started crocheting in May and presented the tiny doppelgangers to her third graders at the end of July, when classes ended at the local Tyndale School in Oxford. It took her about eight hours to create each of the 30 souvenir dolls -...

In this regatta, the main goal is to reach the finish line without sinking. No matter how impressive the vessels look, all the structures are based on an ordinary bathtub. This playful race takes place in the Belgian town of Dinant, and this year marks the 42nd edition. This year's theme is Belgium, so participants dressed up as Smurfs, Tintin, or singer Jacques Brel, and decorated their boats with...

Florists in the Colombian city of Medellin have created an amazingly beautiful seascape of flowers. The giant installation is located in a local shopping center. Its central figure is a stylized seahorse. Its height is eleven meters. Maria Fernanda Bertel, an employee of the shopping center: “We decided to create something inspiring. The huge seahorse reminds us to take care of the seas, rivers and...

The Turkish authorities are preparing a large-scale project to combat illegal migration, and as one of the measures it has been decided to fingerprint all those entering the country. Ankara plans to adopt American and British experience, said the head of the Turkish Interior Ministry Ali Yerlikaya. New identity cards with electronic chips will be printed for those who have applied for refugee status,...

The Perseids have rightly been called the major summer starfall. Its period is from 17 July to 24 August, but the peak of the flow in 2024 is two summer nights, from 11 to 12 and from 12 to 13 August. Expect up to 100 falling "stars" per hour. Interesting data for 1863: then observers recorded in the sky at 215 bright flashes per hour. Observe the Perseids usually begin at 11 pm local time. After...

These are radar images of the world's largest iceberg. It's about 4,000 square kilometers in size. And it's been spinning on its axis for the past few months, according to observations. That's a very strange thing for icebergs to do. Scientists from the British Antarctic Survey are analyzing how the iceberg's shape has changed in recent years. It's been around for a long time. In 1986, it broke off the...