Category: Feature Stories

As the darker months set in, concerns about home break-ins rise across Europe. Police are now warning about a particularly unusual method spreading from Italy to other countries, including Germany: the so‑called “cookie trick.” What sounds almost humorous at first glance is, in fact, a simple but effective tactic used by burglars to identify empty homes. A New Burglary Method From Italy According to the Italian daily Leggo.it, authorities have reported a surge in break-ins involving this peculiar strategy. German outlets, including Ippen Media, note that similar cases have already…

Read More

A team led by microbiologist Cristina Purcarea from the Institute of Biology at the Romanian Academy has uncovered a remarkable ancient microorganism deep within the Scarisoara Ice Cave in the Carpathian Mountains. The discovery, published in Frontiers in Microbiology, sheds new light on the origins of antibiotic resistance — and may even point toward future medical breakthroughs. A Window Into the Distant Past To reach the bacterium, researchers drilled a 25‑meter ice core from an underground glacier inside the cave. The sample containing the strain Psychrobacter sp. SC65A.3 was extracted…

Read More

Researchers from the Universities of Leeds and Liverpool have uncovered surprising evidence of colossal, ultra‑hot rock formations hidden nearly 2,900 kilometers beneath our feet — structures that may have shaped Earth’s magnetic field for hundreds of millions of years. A Dynamic World Beneath the Crust Although humanity has ventured more than 25 billion kilometers into space, our understanding of Earth’s interior remains remarkably limited. The deepest man‑made borehole, drilled on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, reaches just 12 kilometers — barely scratching the planet’s thin crust, which ranges from 5 to 70…

Read More

A new scientific analysis suggests that Europe could face a significantly higher risk from the Chikungunya virus in the coming years, as global case numbers continue to rise. According to research published in the Royal Society’s journal Interface, the virus is capable of spreading at lower temperatures than previously assumed—making transmission in much of Europe more likely. Lower Temperatures Enable Wider Transmission The study, led by Sandeep Tegar of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, examined existing data to determine the minimum temperatures at which the virus can be…

Read More

Austrian psychiatrist Michael Musalek warns against trivializing excessive smartphone use—and argues that what many dismiss as a habit is, in fact, a genuine addiction. For many people, the smartphone has become an almost permanent extension of the hand. The constant scrolling, checking, refreshing—often performed automatically and with a hint of compulsion—has long been dismissed as a harmless quirk of modern life. But according to Vienna-based psychiatrist Michael Musalek, this behavior is anything but trivial. “Smartphone addiction is a real addiction,” he says. And the consequences, he warns, can be far…

Read More

Pope Leo XIV marked the beginning of Lent on Wednesday with the traditional Ash Wednesday liturgy, urging Catholics worldwide to embrace a period of sincere spiritual renewal. The pontiff began the day at the Benedictine Abbey of Sant’Anselmo in Rome before joining the short procession to the nearby Basilica of Santa Sabina, where he blessed the ashes and traced the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the faithful. The rite of distributing ashes signals the start of the Lenten season for more than 1.3 billion Catholics around the…

Read More

In a rare convergence on the global religious calendar, Christians and Muslims around the world are observing Lent and Ramadan within the same week this year. The parallel timing has sparked interfaith conversations, community initiatives, and a renewed focus on shared values such as reflection, discipline, and compassion. A Season of Reflection for Christians Lent, a 40‑day period leading up to Easter, is one of the most significant seasons in the Christian tradition. It commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and invites believers to engage in…

Read More

As Lent begins on February 18, the ancient practice of fasting is once again moving into focus. Although often reduced to the idea of “giving something up,” fasting has deep cultural and religious roots that stretch back thousands of years. According to Christian Feichtinger, theologian at the University of Graz, many traditions share three core dimensions that reveal fasting as a holistic practice rather than a mere dietary restriction. Three Dimensions of Fasting “The first dimension concerns the individual,” Feichtinger explains. “It’s about confronting one’s own dependencies, comforts, and weaknesses…

Read More

Somewhere over the Alps, the cabin lights flicker. A drink trembles on a tray table. A sudden jolt presses passengers back into their seats. A few gasps ripple through the aisle. The aircraft shudders again, and for a moment, time seems to stretch. Turbulence — the word alone can tighten stomachs faster than takeoff. But how dangerous is it, really? The Invisible Weather That Finds Every Flyer Turbulence is, at its core, nothing more than disturbed air. It can be caused by storms, jet streams, mountains, or even the wake…

Read More