Author: News Desk

Ichikawa, Japan: Punch, a seven-month-old baby macaque who stole the hearts of animal lovers worldwide, is gradually outgrowing the Ikea djungelskog plush toy that comforted him after he was initially rejected by his mother and other monkeys at the Ichikawa City Zoo near Tokyo. Images of Punch dragging a toy larger than himself around the enclosure drew attention from visitors and social media users, showing the tiny macaque clutching the stuffed orangutan whenever other monkeys tried to shoo him away. Recently, Punch has begun mingling more with other macaques, climbing on their backs, sitting alongside adults, and occasionally receiving grooming…

London: Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, medications widely used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, may also help reduce the risk of addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs such as cannabis and cocaine. The research published in the British Medical Journal further suggests these drugs could lower the chances of overdose, hospitalisation, and death among individuals already using addictive substances. GLP-1 drugs, including brands such as Mounjaro and Ozempic, are designed to mimic a hormone released after eating, helping people feel fuller for longer. Scientists believe they may also act on the brain’s reward pathways, potentially reducing cravings…

Victoria: The Australian state of Victoria has announced plans to introduce legislation granting employees the legal right to work from home two days per week, marking one of the most significant workplace reforms in the country. Under the proposed laws, which are scheduled to take effect on September 1, any employee whose role can reasonably be performed remotely will be entitled to work from home, regardless of the size of their workplace. The right will be formally embedded into Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act, making it unlawful for employers to refuse eligible requests without valid grounds. https://twitter.com/JacintaAllanMP/status/2029019149872296081 The reforms will be…

Geneva: An international study has cautioned that without urgent and far-reaching intervention, more than 220 million children worldwide could be living with obesity by 2040. The report was released to mark World Obesity Day, highlighting the urgent need for global action to tackle rising childhood obesity rates. The latest projections from the World Obesity Federation indicate that around 180 million children were obese in 2025. However, the 2026 World Obesity Atlas forecasts that by 2040, approximately 227 million young people aged 5 to 19 will have obesity, while over half a billion in the same age group are expected to…

Abu Dhabi / Manama: Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing division of Amazon, has confirmed that drones struck three of its facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain following US and Israeli strikes against Iran over the weekend. Initially, AWS stated that ‘objects’ had hit a data centre in the UAE, causing sparks and a fire. The company also reported that it was investigating power and connectivity disruptions at a facility in Bahrain. AWS confirmed that drone strikes were responsible for the outages. According to the company, two facilities in the UAE were directly hit. In Bahrain, a…

London: More than a quarter of the healthy years lost to breast cancer worldwide are linked to lifestyle-related risk factors such as high red meat consumption and smoking, according to the largest global study of its kind. Published in The Lancet Oncology, the research used data from population-based cancer registries to deliver a comprehensive analysis of breast cancer incidence, mortality, and risk factors. The study examined figures spanning 1990 to 2023 from more than 200 countries and territories, and also generated projections for trends through to 2050. In the UK, approximately one in seven women is expected to develop breast…

Melbourne: The 2026 Formula 1 season is fast approaching, bringing sweeping changes that fans will encounter from the opening round in Melbourne, Australia, taking place from 6–8 March. With bold new technical regulations and the arrival of an 11th team on the grid, the championship enters one of its most transformative phases in history. Among the most significant updates are extensive rule changes covering the power unit, chassis, tyres, and fuel. The new-generation cars are smaller and designed with greater environmental sustainability in mind. Their engines now feature an almost equal 50-50 split between electric and internal combustion power, and…

Sydney, Australia: North America, Australia, and New Zealand will witness a rare total lunar eclipse on March 3, known as a ‘blood moon.’ During this event, the full moon will pass into Earth’s shadow, taking on a deep, copper-red color, explains astrophysicist Dr. Rebecca Allen of Swinburne University. This will be the last opportunity to see this phenomenon for nearly three years. What is a blood moon? A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth aligns between the Sun and the Moon, blocking direct sunlight from reaching the lunar surface. However, some sunlight passes indirectly through Earth’s atmosphere, giving the moon…

London: Young shoppers inspired by resale platforms such as Vinted and Depop are driving renewed success for charity shops, helping them remain resilient despite mounting pressures from higher energy bills, rent, and employment costs. Retail sales at Save the Children rose by 3 percent last year. The growth was boosted by a strong December performance, when sales climbed 11 percent compared with the same month a year earlier, generating more than £1 million for the charity’s causes. Ian Matthews, Director of retail and communities, described a ‘big spike’ in sales, with momentum remaining solid into January. The charity outperformed the…

Dubai: Air travel across the Middle East and far beyond was severely disrupted after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting widespread airspace closures and airport shutdowns across the region. Countries throughout the Middle East suspended civilian flights, while three of the most critical aviation hubs linking Europe, Africa, and the West to Asia — Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha temporarily halted operations. Israel, Qatar, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Bahrain closed their airspace, stranding or diverting hundreds of thousands of passengers. According to flight tracking platform FlightRadar24, there was no air traffic over the United Arab…