Ward: Good News

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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

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Christmas season brings $1.7 billion Powerball for a lucky winner. It hasn’t hit yet

Since Sept. 6, there have been 46 straight drawings without a big winner.

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'A huge surprise': 1,500-year-old church found next to Zoroastrianism place of worship in Iraq

A 2,000-year-old palace in the Republic of Georgia and a 1,500-year-old church in Iraq suggest Zoroastrians coexisted with people of other religions.

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Yemen’s government, Houthis agree to exchange thousands of prisoners

Nearly 3,000 detainees to be released under latest prisoner swap deal reached during talks in Oman.

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Meet Dr Happi. With $100m and a steely determination could he save the world from the next pandemic?

The Cameroonian professor made the Time most influential list in 2025 and saw the project he co-founded receive $100m for its virus detection work. Now he is on a mission to transform Africa’s genomics capabilityWinning the world’s health lottery is a lonely business in the current climate. “It’s li…

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New Jersey Honors Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Who Kept an Election Safe

For their heroics after a wave of bomb threats in New Jersey on Election Day, more than two dozen dogs were presented with an award from the state attorney general.