(W)rapping up the week with a smorgasbord of tasty good news nuggets.
Hip Hop or Hip Op?
A troupe of rapping South Korean grandmothers has found national fame after a film of them performing went viral. 'Suni and the Seven Princesses' from rural Chilgok county, rap on subjects including life on the farm. The women, who don bucket hats, metal jewellery and baggy pants, says they feel as though they are reliving their youth. The 81 year old troupe leader, aka Suni, said: "Even if I'm old, I'm excited." The ladies have known each other since childhood but only formed the group last year. Does global stardom beckon?
Medical Breakthrough
Rheumatoid arthritis can be prevented, according to a breakthrough Lancet study. Weekly injections of a drug, abatacept, can reduce the risk of so-called "wear and tear" arthritis by as much as 80 percent, the study showed. The approach offers new hope for the half a million people across the UK affected by the auto-immune disease. Prof Andrew Cope, who lead the research, said the findings were "promising news" for the National Health Service given the expense of treating arthritis patients in a growing and ageing population.
River Dolphins
An international effort to protect endangered river dolphins is gathering steam. Known as the Global Declaration for River Dolphins, it commits 14 of the animals’ range countries to implement specific actions and strengthen regional and national initiatives. So far, nine countries have signed the declaration. China, Indonesia, Myanmar, Peru, and Pakistan are pending.
Russophobic
A dislike of Russia or Russian policy that, according to the Kremlin, has been exhibited by a group of British historians accused of making a "significant contribution to the subversive work of London against Russia". Mediterranean history expert David Abulafia, who appears on the new list of 18 British citizens sanctioned by Moscow, said he was "mystified, but honoured".
Rights of Women
France’s lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a measure to enshrine abortion as a 'guaranteed freedom' in the constitution. 'Tonight, the assembly didn’t miss its rendezvous with the history of women and with history in general.'
Inland Waterways
Transporting goods by inland waterways can be a dirty business, but an EU-backed project is looking to clean up its act - launching a container vessel powered by green hydrogen on a major cargo route between the Netherlands and Germany. "Inland waterways are important for freight transport in Europe, we are thrilled to see a high-power container vessel being converted to zero-emission," said Mirela Atanasiu of Clean Hydrogen Partnership. "The H2 Barge 2 will bring knowledge on how to retrofit vessels from diesel combustion to zero-emission alternatives, by using batteries in combination with green hydrogen in a fuel cell."
Turntable II
The first Brian Eno Turntable was widely acclaimed and the multi-hued turntable was recently even scaled up and deployed as the stage at U2’s massively complex Las Vegas Sphere residency. Now there’s a sequel, as Turntable II has become available. As before, it’s a signed and numbered limited edition, with just 150 being made (the first Turntable was made in 50 units). The starting price is £20,000 ($25,000), but it is expected that the price will rise as it sells through the edition.
“I’m an environmentalist. Most of my jokes are recycled.” David Letterman
On This Day
16 February 1957: The British TV broadcasters BBC and ITV ended a postwar policy in which there was no programming between 6pm and 7pm in the evening; known as the “toddler's truce”, the break was designed to help parents put children to bed.
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Mood Booster
Visually stunning musical mood booster.
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