Ward: Good News

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The best subscription box gifts for 2025

Subscription boxes are the rare gift that keeps its charm long after the wrapping paper is gone. You make the choice once, but the surprises keep landing on their doorstep for months after that. For anyone who loves the buzz of a delivery, these are gifts that extend the season well past December. E…

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The Guardian view on hope: with your help, charities can help to repair the social fabric

Effective challenge to the alarming rise of far-right, anti-migrant politics starts with the grassrootsAusterity, cost of living pressures and a chronic lack of investment have damaged the physical and social fabric of some UK towns and neighbourhoods far more than others. In places where large numb…

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Young care leavers in England to get free prescriptions, dental and eye services

Those under-25 to receive help while a pilot will trial paid internships in NHS and a guaranteed interview scheme Young people leaving care in England will receive free prescriptions, and dental and eye services up to their 25th birthday, the government has said.A pilot to trial paid internships for…

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There are reasons to be cheerful about UK plc in 2026. Here are four | Heather Stewart

Be it better prospects for consumer spending or the tentative signs of rising productivity, the doom and gloom of 2025 could be behind usStalling growth, sticky inflation and fragile bond markets, the UK’s economic record in 2025 has hardly been one to inspire cheer. But in the spirit of the festive…

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Should kids at least do a little bit of school work over the holidays?

As the summer holidays begin in Australia, parents may feel concerned their children will "forget how to spell their own names" during the long school break.

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The Latest Gaza Hostages Freed: Women Whose Hamas Warnings Were Ignored

The swap for four soldiers stationed on the border of the Gaza Strip at Nahal Oz follows 15 months of captivity and a campaign by their families.

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Hamas Releases Four Female Israeli Soldiers Under Gaza Cease-Fire Deal

The hostages are the second set to be released since the multiphase agreement came into effect, raising hopes for a lasting end to the war.

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Manchester Museum seeks help to uncover hidden histories of African collection

New Africa Hub confronts colonial-era silences by asking visitors to share insights on 40,000 objectsIt’s a rare thing for a museum to talk about what it doesn’t know. But unanswered questions and archival silences are at the heart of the new Africa Hub at Manchester Museum, north-west England, whic…

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Freed Nigerian schoolchildren to be reunited with families

Month-long ordeal ends but no details released on how they regained their freedom or who was behind abductionA final group of 130 kidnapped Nigerian schoolchildren freed by the government on Sunday are expected to be reunited with their families in the central Niger state on Monday, ending a month-l…

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‘Miracle’ of Zealandia: chick is born to rare takahē pair thought to be infertile

Unexpected arrival is a boon for birdlife in New Zealand, where there are only 500 takahē leftA pair of rare native New Zealand takahē birds who were believed infertile have stunned staff at the world’s largest urban eco-sanctuary, after hatching a “miracle” chick.The roughly seven-week old chick wa…

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‘Rare’ squirrels set free together after bonding at Florida hospital for injured wildlife

Big Cypress fox squirrels released as a pair to reduce stress and support natural behaviors during transition back into the wildTwo “rare and elusive” juvenile squirrels have a new home for the holidays after they were injured falling from their nests and spent several weeks in a Florida wildlife “r…

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Q&A: The secret sauce behind successful collegiate dining

Andrew Mankus, MIT’s award-winning director of dining, describes why leading with a “students-first mentality” leads to better food offerings for the entire community.

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Fraternities and sororities at MIT raise funds for local charities

“Our students’ ... dedication reflects not only their generosity, but also the spirit of engaging the MIT community in giving back through philanthropy.”

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MIT takes manufacturing education across the country

The new TechAMP program teaches production principles to workers, helping them advance their careers and identify savings at their firms.

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Lisa Su ’90, SM ’91, PhD ’94 to deliver MIT’s 2026 Commencement address

An electrical engineer by training, Su is the chair and CEO of the semiconductor company AMD.

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Lessons From My Father's Long, Good Life

Frederick Baker was born in 1920 and died last week. He was an even-tempered man of kindness and faith.

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Did you solve it? Are you ready for twenty twenty-six…seven?

The answers to today’s problemsEarlier today I set you the following set of numerical challenges to celebrate the arrival of 2026.Auld lang signsFive 9sSix 8s.Six 7s.Six 6s.Four 5s.Six 4s.Four 3s.Four 2s.a partridge in a pair tree. (Only joking) Continue reading...

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Five big global health wins in 2025 that will save millions of lives

From HIV to TB, scientists and doctors made breakthroughs in treatment and prevention of some of the world’s deadliest diseasesWith humanitarian funding slashed by the US and other countries, including the UK, this year’s global health headlines have made grim reading. But good things have still bee…

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Pink platypus spotted in Gippsland far from a monochrome monotreme

Biologist says specimen filmed by a Victorian fisher is ‘unusual’, but not a rare albino as some had wonderedFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastCody Stylianou thought he saw a huge trout. But, skimming just below the surfa…

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Prince William brings his son to the same homeless shelter he first visited with Princess Diana

Prince William and his son, Prince George, have helped make Christmas lunch at a homeless shelter