🎨 Low-cost painting turns out to be hidden masterpiece

An English artist bought an oil painting listed as 'in the style of' Helen McNicoll for £2,090 at a regional UK auction. The artwork was purchased by David Taylor in the UK, and experts later confirmed it was the long-lost 'The Bean Harvest' by Helen McNicoll. The piece was initially valued at £150,000-250,000 and was eventually sold for £174,000. Historical research and scientific tests proved its authenticity, tracing its journey over a century. The painting is now part of an exhibition in Canada, celebrating McNicoll's work. 🎨

🔬 Tea bags shed plastic, but the science is complex

Certain nylon and PET pyramid tea bags shed microplastics when steeped in hot water. A 2019 McGill University study claimed a single cup could hold about 11.6 billion particles. However, a German agency disputed the counting method as potentially contaminated. Research on how ingested microplastics affect human health remains essentially absent. Consumers can choose loose-leaf or paper bags to avoid this specific plastic variable. 🍵

🏏 India 'A' sets massive fourth-innings target vs Australia 'A'

India 'A' built a huge lead in the first unofficial Test against Australia 'A' in Puducherry. Devdutt Padikkal scored 59 and Kumar Kushagra hit an unbeaten 46 in the second innings. Despite falling for 199, these scores, plus Sai Sudharsan's 39, set the visitors a 363-run chase. Australia 'A' managed 23 overs in the final session but lost two wickets, still needing 308 runs. The series tension remains high as both sides push for a decisive outcome in the coming days.

🤖 Spotify partners with Meta's Muse AI

Spotify has become the first streaming service to connect with Meta's Muse AI agent. Users can now link their Spotify account to Muse for music control and more. This integration allows the agent to play music, save tracks, and build playlists via conversation. This follows previous AI partnerships with ChatGPT and Claude. The feature comes as Muse sees momentum with 2.8m downloads in the US and Canada.

🥇 Mom-Athlete Slays Olympics with Record Gold 🥇

Francesca Lollobrigida shattered the Olympic record by winning gold in the women's 3,000-metre speed skating event. This historic win took place in Milano Cortina during the 2026 Winter Olympics, with her home crowd cheering her on. She clocked a time of 3 minutes, 54.28 seconds, beating Irene Schouten's previous record. Lollobrigida balanced elite sport with motherhood after her son, Tommaso, was born in May 2023. After the victory, she immediately went to find her toddler, capping off a massive achievement.

🌠 Student spots comet using free NASA images

A high school student spotted a tiny sungrazing comet by scanning free NASA–ESA images. This happened with Quanzhi Ye while using the Sungrazer project through the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. His report in 2005 was the 1,019th comet finding, a major milestone for the program. This citizen science effort allows anyone to contribute to astronomy using public data. Ye later went on to earn the Harold C. Urey Prize in 2023 for his research. 🌠

🌟 16 y/o student turns kickball game into big league

A single inclusive kickball game inspired 16-year-old Lucas Rojas in Miami to start LINKball: Kickball for All. This free league now features six teams, over 40 players, and 60+ teen volunteers at Christopher Columbus High School. The initiative has grown from a small event into a recurring league with fall and spring seasons. Rojas received a $10,000 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes in September 2026. This award recognized his positive community impact among over 750 applicants. 🌟

🏛️ White House blocks reporters again despite court order

The White House denied access to reporters from Politico and MS NOW again on Thursday. This happened even though a judge had previously ordered the Donald Trump administration to immediately restore access. The outlets reported that the reporters' press credentials were confiscated after being barred from the complex on Saturday. Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday for access for at least two weeks. The situation continues as further litigation is expected to play out. 🏛️

🤖 Delhi Police gets new robot for bomb handling

Delhi Police is implementing a new Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to manage suspected bombs and hazardous objects. This tech upgrade was formally demonstrated by the Delhi Police Special Cell at their Headquarters on Thursday. The robot has the capability to lift and transport suspicious materials weighing between 8 kg and 50 kg. This innovation aims to significantly enhance safety by keeping police personnel away from potential dangers. The deployment of this ROV is part of Delhi Police's larger push to integrate modern tech into security operations. 🤖

✨ Neutrinos decide if stars become black holes or explode

Scientists discovered that the fate of massive dying stars hinges on neutrino 'flavor' conversion. Researchers from institutions like the University of Copenhagen studied 195 stellar collapse simulations. This finding shows that neutrino flavor conversion shifts outcomes for stars between 16 and 30 times the Sun's mass. This mechanism could help explain the 'supernova rate problem' observed in the universe. Future models must now account for this complex neutrino physics. 🌌

🏏 Breetzke's century pushes SA to 297 🏏

South Africa posted a competitive total of 297 all out for 8 in their home season opener in Durban. Matthew Breetzke scored a century, reaching 112 runs, alongside Marco Jansen's 75. This innings transformed South Africa from a middling 168 for 5 to a defendable score on the day. The team powered through the latter overs, scoring 54 runs in the final five overs against Australia. South Africa will now look to defend this total, giving the Aussie batters plenty to do.