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Discord will soon require users worldwide to confirm their age before accessing adult content. Users must verify their age with a face scan or upload an official ID. The platform says it has more than 200 million monthly users. The company says the new safety measures will place all users into a teen-appropriate environment by default. Discord already requires age checks in the UK and Australia to comply with online safety laws. The platform will expand the system globally from early March. Savannah Badalich, Discord’s policy head, said teen safety remains a top priority. She added that teen-by-default settings strengthen…
Black Carbon Accelerates Melting As Arctic sea ice melts at record rates, new shipping routes are opening that were once locked in ice year-round. But the rise in marine traffic comes at a heavy environmental cost. Ships emit black carbon, or soot, which settles on ice and snow, darkening surfaces that would normally reflect sunlight. Instead, the sun’s heat is absorbed, speeding up warming in what scientists describe as a self-reinforcing cycle. “It ends up in a never-ending cycle of increased warming,” says Sian Prior, lead adviser for the Clean Arctic Alliance. This unchecked pollution contributes to global climate impacts,…
People who drink moderate amounts of tea or coffee show a lower risk of dementia, researchers say.A US study followed more than 130,000 adults for up to 43 years.Those drinking two to three coffees or one to two teas daily had 15–20% lower dementia risk. Caffeinated coffee drinkers also showed slightly less cognitive decline than non-drinkers.Decaffeinated coffee showed no protective link.Researchers published the findings in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study cannot prove caffeine protects the brain.Lifestyle factors may partly explain the results. Lead author Yu Zhang from Harvard University said the evidence fits known biology.Tea and…
The Seattle Seahawks overwhelmed the New England Patriots with a punishing defensive display, winning the Super Bowl 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium. The victory marked Seattle’s second championship in franchise history. Two of the NFL’s strongest defences faced off in the season’s biggest game, and Seattle dominated from the opening snap. Briton Aden Durde became the first overseas coach to lift the league’s top prize in the United States. Dark Side Defence Rules the Game Seattle’s 46-year-old defensive coordinator has built the NFL’s most feared unit, nicknamed “the Dark Side.” On Super Bowl Sunday in Santa Clara, California, the Patriots could…
A commanding mandate at the polls Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looks set for a decisive victory after snap elections, with media projections showing her ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its allies securing a two-thirds majority in the lower house. If confirmed, it would mark the party’s strongest performance since 2017, during the era of her mentor, former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Estimates suggest the LDP alone could win around 300 of the 465 seats, reclaiming a dominant position in parliament and potentially governing without coalition support. LDP Secretary General Shunichi Suzuki said voters had endorsed Takaichi’s “responsible, proactive…
BP faces growing pressure from investors as it prepares to publish full-year results expected to show weaker profits. Analysts forecast earnings of about $7.5bn, down from nearly $9bn in 2024, after oil prices fell sharply in 2025. The company also suffered a fourth-quarter hit as crude dropped below $60 a barrel. Incoming chief executive Meg O’Neill will face demands to present a clear long-term strategy. Shareholder groups, including the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility and Follow This, want BP to explain how it will manage spending as fossil fuel demand declines. Activists argue BP’s recent return to oil and gas…
Gigafactory Plans Put on Ice Automotive Cells Company (ACC) has scrapped plans to build major electric vehicle battery plants in both Italy and Germany, dealing a blow to Europe’s push to strengthen its homegrown battery industry. The decision comes as demand for electric vehicles has grown more slowly than expected, making large-scale investment harder to justify. Italy’s metalworkers’ union UILM confirmed the move, saying ACC management had officially ruled out the long-planned gigafactory in Termoli, along with a similar project in Germany. Both sites had already been on hold since 2024. EV Demand Falls Short of Expectations ACC, which is…
Houston’s rent growth has slowed, offering relief to renters and creating new opportunities for prospective homebuyers. The increase in rental options, combined with more affordable housing, is helping balance the local market. After years of rapid rent increases, Houston’s rental market is easing. Monthly rent hikes have moderated, allowing households to better manage living costs. Analysts say this slowdown gives renters more flexibility to save for down payments or explore homeownership. Stronger rental inventory is also contributing to a more balanced market. More available units mean renters have increased options when searching for housing. In some neighborhoods, the additional inventory…
A South Korean cryptocurrency exchange accidentally sent customers more than 40 billion dollars in bitcoin. The mistake briefly turned some users into multimillionaires. The company had intended to give a small reward of 2,000 won, worth about 1.37 dollars. Instead, it sent 2,000 bitcoins to customers on Friday. The platform Bithumb apologised for the error and described the incident. The company said it quickly noticed the mistake and recovered almost all missing tokens. It restricted trading and withdrawals for 695 affected customers within 35 minutes of the glitch. Exchange Recovers Nearly All Misplaced Bitcoin Bithumb said it retrieved 99.7 percent…
Researchers say testing menstrual blood could offer a simple alternative to cervical screening.A sanitary pad with a sample strip can detect human papillomavirus, which causes most cervical cancers.Women could use the test at home, avoiding invasive clinical procedures. Researchers in China compared menstrual blood samples with clinician-collected cervical samples.The study involved 3,068 women aged 20 to 54 with regular menstrual cycles.Findings were published in the BMJ. The pad-based test detected serious cervical cell abnormalities with 94.7% sensitivity.This matched the accuracy of samples collected by clinicians.Specificity was slightly lower, but negative results proved equally reliable. Experts say the method could help…
