Ensuring the weekend gets off to a sunny start with a global round up of good news nuggets.
"Guten Tag Babes x"
Good news for Adele fans who don't want to travel to Las Vegas, as she has announced four concerts in a specially-built stadium in Munich this summer - an idea she described as "a bit random, but still fabulous!" The shows will take place in an 80,000-capacity open-air venue in the German city in early August. It will be the first time the singer has performed in mainland Europe since her last tour in 2016. She said she hadn't been planning any more shows after her current Las Vegas residency but was tempted by the offer of "a one off, bespoke pop-up stadium designed around whatever show I want to put on", which was "pretty much slap bang in the middle of Europe".
Ancient Mayan Mask
At a little-known historical site from the Mayan Empire in Guatemala, the jade funerary mask of a great king has been discovered by archaeologists. A team from Tulane University in Louisiana and the Univ. of Alabama found the item in the city of Chochkitam, which dates to the Pre-Classic Period of Mayan history - about 1,700 years ago. “Everything suggests to me that this was a Maya king who was part of a network of Maya royalty in the sphere of influence of Tikal and Teotihuacán,” Francisco Estrada-Belli, a professor at Tulane University, told Archaeology News. It’s believed the mask was an object used in royal ceremonies when the king would adopt the persona of the storm god worshiped by the Maya.
Mexico Conserves
Mexico’s government has announced the creation of 20 new protected areas across 12 states and two coastal areas in the country, covering roughly 5.7 million acres. Officials introduced four new national parks, four “flora and fauna protection areas,” seven sanctuaries, two biosphere reserves and three “natural resources protection areas” under the protection of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas.
Charitable Guitars
Guitars and amplifiers belonging to Dire Straits star Mark Knopfler have sold for more than £8m ($10m) at auction - much higher than had been estimated. Knopfler sold more than more than 120 of his guitars and amps, with £2.5 million of the proceeds going to charity. The sale was led by Knopfler's 1959 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard, which sold for £693,000 ($881,000), setting a new world auction record for the model. The musician said the auction had been "an incredible journey."
Is This The Best Guitar Solo of All Time? It just might be. See what you think about Dire Straits' Mark Knopfler's virtuoso performance...
Strange But True
A London Marathon runner who is training with a fridge on his back was stopped by police amid suspicion he may have stolen the appliance. Daniel Fairbrother said he was on an early run when police activated blue lights and halted traffic before speaking to him. The 34-year-old said the confusion was soon cleared up after he explained his challenge. The police officers shook his hand and wished him luck before leaving. Mr Fairbrother is running with a fridge strapped to his back to raise funds for Diabetes UK to support his friend who lives with the condition.
AI Cancer Check
America's FDA has granted clearance for the first AI-powered handheld medical device to assist physicians in detecting all three common skin cancers: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. That's good news as providing a more accurate way of identifying skin cancer will enable patients to access necessary treatment more quickly.
Cruise Control
Starting in 2026, only ships powered by alternative fuels will be allowed to visit Norway’s fjords. Lawmakers want to protect the unique natural environment and stop marine diesel oil and mass tourism from damaging the climate. Some ships are now powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), but that will no longer qualify as an acceptable fuel for cruise ships visiting the fjords of Norway.
“When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.”
Abraham Joshua Heschel
On This Day
3 February 1960: The Italian dramedy La Dolce Vita, directed by Federico Fellini, had its world premiere, and it became widely hailed as one of the most important films in cinema.
Scientists are in awe of the new spiral galaxy images released by NASA. Wondrous...
Notoriously low paid sector enjoys wage growth that defies long-standing income disparity patterns. Boost...
Funny quotes about getting old. Enjoy...
Mood Booster
Sugar Sugar: Old Hollywood movie stars dance scenes mashup.