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The young woman breaks into a broad smile as she gets ready to mount the horse for her weekly ride. She laughs as the animal takes its first steps. “She was happy the first time she rode a horse,” Hector Chen said, recalling their initial visit. His daughter, Chen You-ching, was diagnosed with cerebral palsy more than 16 years ago. He has since been bringing the now 18 year old to horse therapy sessions. At the Therapeutic Riding Center of Taiwan in Taoyuan, a city in the island’s north, children with cerebral palsy, autism, ADHD and other conditions receive companionship and therapy by riding and interacting with horses. Animal-assisted therapy is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, whether for children with intellectual disabilities or veterans coping with trauma. Abigail Liu said her five year old daughter has benefited greatly from the therapy. Her daughter, Ayah, has Angelman syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes developmental delays. She said her daughter “has become less afraid of unfamiliar things and is more willing to try new things. All of this began after she started riding horses here.” Read More: ‘Paush Sankranti’ horse race keeps rural tradition alive in Narail The horses require special training to handle a child’s movements and to remain calm when surrounded by several people, said Chan Shu-ya, a horse therapist. At times, children simply want to hug a horse for an extended period or listen to its heartbeat, and the animals will stand quietly with them. “They feel very relaxed, because the horse doesn’t show irritation even if they keep talking to it,” said Alain Chang, a horse riding coach at the Fang Hsing-Chung Social Welfare Foundation for Horses in Education and Health. “For them to come here to touch, observe or even hug the horses is a very special experience.” “Many of the students I work with look forward to coming here every week, rain or shine,” he said.

A loggerhead sea turtle with only three flippers swam back into the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday after months of rehabilitation in Florida, drawing cheers from a bundled-up crowd and now carrying a satellite tracker to monitor her movements. The turtle, named Pyari—a Hindi word meaning “beloved”—had been recovering at the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach following a likely shark attack. The predator left her with severe injuries to her neck, shell, and front flippers, resulting in the amputation of most of her left forelimb. Japan's last pair of pandas have arrived back in China To prepare Pyari for her release, staff maintained her tank water at around 80 F (27 C) to help her acclimate. Beachgoers captured photos as she made her way down the sand, the long antenna of her satellite tracker waving behind her, before disappearing into the waves. Heather Barron, chief science officer and veterinarian at the Marinelife Center, noted that while the beach air was chilly, ranging in the 40s Fahrenheit (4–9 C), the Atlantic remained at a comfortable 77 F (25 C), ideal for her return. Pyari arrived at the center in November from the nearby Inwater Research Group, where staff began her care after the injuries left her in critical condition. The satellite tracker will now allow scientists to study how she adapts to swimming and surviving in the wild with just three flippers. 

Japan’s last pair of giant pandas have returned to China, ending the country’s 50-year tradition of hosting the beloved animals. The twin pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, are leaving amid strained diplomatic relations between Japan and China over the new Japanese Prime Minister’s stance on Taiwan, making it unlikely that replacement pandas will be sent to Japan. Thousands of fans had gathered at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo to bid farewell to the pandas, who were born there in 2021. China first sent pandas to Japan in 1972 to mark the normalization of diplomatic ties. Over the years, Beijing has used pandas as a diplomatic tool, symbolizing goodwill and soft power, which can be withdrawn when relations sour. Pet dog guards owner’s body for 4 days amid freezing snowfall State broadcaster CCTV showed the pandas arriving in crates in Sichuan province, southwestern China. They are now under quarantine at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, which confirmed their safe arrival early Wednesday morning. Although pandas are often lent to other countries, China retains ownership of the animals, including any offspring.

A moving incident from Bharmour in Himachal Pradesh’s Chamba district  in India has highlighted the extraordinary loyalty of a pet dog, which stayed beside its dead owner for four days amid heavy snowfall and extreme cold. The tragedy unfolded near the Bharmani temple area, where two young relatives, Bikshit Rana and Piyush, went missing while recording videos. They were later found dead after being trapped in deep snow during severe weather. When rescue teams and local residents reached the remote spot four days later, they found Piyush’s body buried under thick layers of snow. Sitting next to him was his pet pitbull, which had refused to leave the place since its owner’s death. Despite freezing temperatures, snowstorms and strong winds, the dog did not move or eat during those four days. It remained alert, guarding the body from harsh weather and wild animals common in the area, reports NDTV. Positive attitude towards ageing can help people live longer, studies show Rescuers said the dog initially reacted aggressively when they tried to recover the body, apparently thinking the strangers might harm its owner. After patient efforts and gentle reassurance, the animal eventually calmed down and stepped aside, allowing the team to proceed. The incident has deeply touched many people, once again showing the powerful bond and loyalty animals can display, even in the face of death.                                                

A lone penguin, trekking across the icy expanse of Antarctica towards a massive snow-covered mountain, has unexpectedly become a symbol of resilience and defiance. The brief clip, originally from the 2007 documentary Encounters at the End of the World, has gone viral, racking up millions of views and being widely shared across social media, reports NDTV. Many commentators suggest the penguin chose the “road not taken,” showing more courage than humans confined to routine 9-to-5 lives. The penguin’s image has inspired a wave of memes, with US President Donald Trump even sharing an AI-generated version of the penguin to fuel his Greenland annexation rhetoric. ChatGPT also weighed in on the phenomenon. On the official ChatGPT Tricks handle, the bot noted that the clip isn’t simply about wildlife. “It's about recognition. People didn't share the clip because it was strange. They shared it because the words said out loud what a lot of people have been thinking in silence,” the caption read. The original story behind the nihilist penguin The clip comes from Werner Herzog’s 2007 documentary, which captured an Adelie penguin walking away from its colony. Instead of heading toward the sea, where the birds normally feed and thrive, the penguin ventured toward remote icy mountains. Herzog described this inland journey as a “death march,” as survival was highly unlikely. Dr. David Ainley, featured in the film, explained that even if the penguin were guided back to the colony, it would turn away and resume the “death march.” Experts and Herzog have confirmed the penguin died shortly after its solitary journey, reportedly covering 70 km alone before perishing in Antarctica. Some social media users speculate heartbreak drove the bird, mourning the loss of its mate. Why the nihilist penguin is trending now In January 2026, the “Nihilist Penguin” memes exploded online. Many people feeling burnt out, stuck, or emotionally drained relate to the penguin’s solitary trek into the unknown. Viral posts show the penguin against Antarctica’s icy mountains with captions such as, “I am a bird, yet I can't fly, so I reached for the mountains hoping to touch the sky.”

For centuries, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was practiced with ritual and patience: dried roots and peels were weighed from wooden drawers, brought home and slowly boiled into a bitter brew whenever the body required healing. Today, it can be ordered iced and sipped on the commute. On Chengdu’s bustling Chunxi Road, a long established commercial district in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, an unexpected cup of coffee is reshaping perceptions. “It tastes like regular coffee at first,” said Shazia, a Pakistani student in China. “But there’s a light, lemony note at the end.” The drink, a dried tangerine peel and hawthorn Americano, comes from Tong Ren Tang, a renowned traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pharmacy with more than 350 years of history. For many visitors, the combination can seem puzzling. Why are coffee, bread and trendy tea drinks in China increasingly blended with medicinal ingredients? The shift reflects not a return to traditional treatments but changing attitudes toward health and everyday consumption. Read More: 5 simple lifestyle changes that may help slow biological ageing: Experts Founded in 1669, Tong Ren Tang has expanded beyond clinical medicine into lifestyle retail. Through its youth-focused sub-brand, Zhima Health, it now offers coffee, tea, baked goods and bottled “wellness waters,” incorporating familiar herbs into modern café settings. The menu features items such as goji berry lattes and monk fruit Americanos. These products fall under China’s concept of “medicinal and edible homology,” where certain herbs are considered food ingredients that provide mild nourishment rather than treatment. Modern store designs and familiar flavors reduce resistance to traditional medicine. For many young consumers, the appeal lies less in proven effects than in reassurance. Health becomes a low-effort daily ritual, woven into coffee breaks and meals, as TCM finds a new role in fast-paced urban life.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 10 (Xinhua/UNB) — Two giant pandas from China, named “Chenxing” and “Xiaoyue,” made their first public appearance in Malaysia on Saturday. A milestone moment: Indonesia’s first giant Panda cub revealed The panda pair, which is on loan to Malaysia, was formally introduced to visitors during a special ceremony at the Giant Panda Conservation Center at Zoo Negara, the country’s national zoo. The debut followed a period of quarantine and adjustment to their new environment. Meet Jia Jia and De De, Hong Kong's first locally born giant pandas Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim attended the event as the guest of honor, alongside senior government officials and Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Ouyang Yujing. Giant Panda "Yi Yi" celebrates second birthday in Malaysia

A wave of wintry weather swept across New England on Wednesday, bringing a mix of snow, ice, sleet and freezing rain that led to hazardous driving conditions and widespread school closures, while forecasters warned of additional storms later in the week. Rain, snow and slush coated roads across the region, prompting dozens of school districts to either close or delay opening. Although snowfall totals were expected to be modest, officials said icy roads made it too dangerous to operate school buses safely. Some areas saw around a tenth of an inch of ice accumulation—enough to create slick and dangerous conditions, though slightly below levels typically associated with widespread power outages. Even so, several thousand customers lost electricity, mainly in Maine, with hundreds more affected in Massachusetts. School officials cited safety concerns as the main reason for closures. Administrators at Maine Regional School Unit 21 in Kennebunk said icy conditions along both morning and afternoon bus routes posed risks to students and staff. All six New England states were placed under winter weather advisories by the National Weather Service, which also issued hazardous outlooks for northern regions that may face more severe winter storms in the coming days. Forecasters warned that heavy rain followed by falling temperatures could further worsen road conditions later in the week. Transportation officials in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts reported numerous crashes and vehicles sliding off roads, though no serious injuries had been reported by late Wednesday morning. Several regional airports, including Boston’s Logan International Airport, were forced to deice aircraft due to the snow and ice. In parts of southern Maine, winter weather advisories were issued even though snowfall was expected to reach only about two inches. Meteorologists said the combination of freezing rain, sleet and snow justified the warnings. Another weather system is forecast to bring rain late Friday into Saturday, followed by a chance of snow extending into Sunday. Patriotic crystal ball to light up Times Square on New Year’s Eve as US 250th anniversary begins Officials said such mixed winter precipitation significantly worsens travel conditions, even when snow totals remain relatively low.

From comedy specials to scripted television, Muslim American creator Mo Amer draws heavily from his own life when telling stories, a choice that has resonated strongly with audiences and critics alike. Amer, a Palestinian American comedian, writer and actor, has earned widespread praise for his Netflix series “Mo.” Its second season follows the fictional Mo Najjar and his family as they navigate the challenges of seeking asylum in the United States after fleeing as Palestinian refugees. The show is part of a broader movement of television created by Arab American and Muslim American voices that explores identity with depth and realism, moving beyond long-standing stereotypes. Amer said grounding stories in real cultural experiences allows audiences of all backgrounds to connect. In the new season, Najjar is shown operating a falafel taco stand in Mexico after being caught in a failed attempt to recover stolen olive trees tied to his family’s hopes of starting an olive oil business. Both seasons of “Mo” were major successes on Netflix, with the first earning a Peabody Award. Amer’s third Netflix stand-up special, “Mo Amer: Wild World,” debuted in October. While the series timeline ends before the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel, it addresses Israeli-Palestinian relations, the war in Gaza and the realities faced by asylum seekers in U.S. detention centers. Other programs also reflect this growing representation. “Muslim Matchmaker” features matchmakers helping Muslim Americans find spouses, while the animated series “#1 Happy Family USA,” created by Ramy Youssef and Pam Brady, centers on an Egyptian American Muslim family living in New Jersey after the 9/11 attacks. Scholars note that portrayals of Arabs and Muslims have long been shaped by political and historical contexts. After 9/11, many U.S. shows depicted Muslims as villains, often conflating Arab identity with Islam. Earlier portrayals leaned on “orientalist” imagery, presenting Middle Eastern people through a colonial lens. Bandarban’s ‘Ala Mi Tlang’ Eco Resort: A hope of Bawm community Experts and industry figures say recent shows mark progress, but argue more diverse stories and decision-makers are still needed. Research also suggests positive representation can reduce public support for anti-Muslim policies. Amer said the main barriers remain with those who approve projects, not creators themselves. While recent successes are encouraging, he views them as only a beginning. Source: AP 

After descending at midnight on New Year’s Eve in New York, the famous Times Square crystal ball will rise once again—this time glowing in red, white, and blue—to welcome 2026 and launch months of festivities marking the United States’ 250th anniversary. This year’s New Year’s Eve celebration will include patriotic elements such as a second confetti release, offering a preview of the nationwide commemorations planned to honor the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Hundreds of events, both large and small, are expected across the country. America250 Chair Rosie Rios, who leads the bipartisan commission established by Congress in 2016 to organize the semiquincentennial, said the celebrations will exceed expectations. She described the anniversary as a once-in-a-generation moment meant to inspire the nation and beyond. Rios and her team partnered with the Times Square Alliance and One Times Square—the building from which the ball is dropped—to introduce this year’s ceremonial updates. They are also planning an additional ball drop on July 3, the night before Independence Day, staged in classic Times Square fashion. According to Rios, it will be the first ball drop in Times Square not held on New Year’s Eve in more than a century. The tradition of the Times Square ball drop dates back to 1907. The original ball, designed by immigrant metalworker Jacob Starr, weighed 700 pounds and featured 100 light bulbs. Over the years, the ball has evolved significantly. The latest version, unveiled last year, measures roughly 12 feet in diameter and weighs nearly 12,000 pounds. The only interruptions to the ball drop occurred in 1942 and 1943, when New York City imposed nighttime blackouts during World War II. During those years, crowds marked the new year with silence followed by church bells. Midnight this New Year’s Eve will also signal the official start of America Gives, a national volunteer initiative launched by America250, with organizers aiming to make 2026 the biggest year for volunteer participation in U.S. history. On New Year’s Day, America250 will take part in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California, with a float titled “Soaring Onward Together for 250 Years.” The float will feature three oversized bald eagles symbolizing the nation’s past, present, and future. Rios said the celebrations are designed to connect communities across the country—from the East Coast to the West Coast and beyond—and to encourage grassroots involvement nationwide. President Donald Trump has also announced a separate initiative, called “Freedom 250,” to organize additional activities tied to the anniversary. Rios said the wide array of planned events—from fireworks and community meals to student competitions and oral history projects—aims to bring Americans together despite political divisions. By offering many ways to participate, she said, organizers hope to engage people across the entire nation.