First recorded in 687BC, the meteoroids were once part of the tail of a comet discovered in 1861This week, the annual Lyrid meteor shower returns to the spring skies. Although active since 16 April, the shower peaks during the late evening of Wednesday 22 April and early the next morning.The chart shows the view looking east from London at 00.01 (BST) on Thursday 23 April. The origin point of the meteors, known as the radiant, is labelled Lyrids. It sits in the constellation of Lyra, the Lyre, close to the bright star of Vega. Continue reading...
• Usain Bolt, 39, competed in the 4x100-meter relay at the New York Grand Prix on Friday, marking his official return to competitive sprinting after a five-year retirement.
• Bolt's relay team finished second with a time of 39.12 seconds, demonstrating unexpected competitiveness for the legendary sprinter.
• The return came as part of a exhibition series celebrating the careers of track and field's all-time greats.
• Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot returned to noncontact practice on Tuesday, signaling a faster-than-anticipated recovery from injury.
• Chabot has recorded 31 points (7 goals, 24 assists) in 55 games this season while averaging 22:34 of ice time before his injury.
• The early return to practice suggests the Senators could have Chabot available sooner than originally projected for the remainder of the regular season.
• Amanda Bynes is releasing her new single 'Girlfriend' on April 10, marking her return to music after nearly 4 years away from the scene.
• The track blends EDM and rap elements and is described as "built around a strong hook and confident, flirt-heavy energy," featuring Los Angeles-based rapper Fenix Flexin.
• Bynes, known for roles in 'She's The Man' and 'Easy A,' teased the collaboration on social media, calling the music "straight fire."
‘Here we go, ready or not, let’s do the news,’ Guthrie said, two months after the disappearance of her mother, NancySign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxToday show co-anchor Savannah Guthrie made an emotional return to the NBC morning show on Monday, 64 days after her mother, Nancy, was abducted from her home in Phoenix, Arizona.“Welcome to Today on this Monday morning. We are so glad you started your week with us, and it’s good to be home,” Guthrie told viewers. Continue reading...
• The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 8-3 in downtown Cincinnati, with Reds catcher Elly De La Cruz and Sal Stewart hitting back-to-back home runs in the 8th inning.
• Brandon Williamson made his first Major League appearance in two years, struggling in his comeback from Tommy John surgery by giving up six runs including three homers in 4 2/3 innings.
• Oneill Cruz homered twice for the Pirates in the victory.
National Trust says one year after reintroduction they are enriching habitats and may be having kits this summerThey were released this time last year with fanfare, much hope and also, perhaps, a little trepidation.Twelve months on, there have been ups and downs for the first beavers to be (officially) reintroduced into the wild in England since the semiaquatic mammals were hunted to extinction 400 years ago. Continue reading...
• The U.S. Senate passed its version of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (H.R. 6644) by a 89-10 vote, sending it back to the House for reconciliation on federal housing policy reforms.
• This bipartisan legislation aims to ease housing development barriers, building on prior House actions amid national affordable housing efforts.
• The U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on March 24, 2026, sending it back to the House to increase housing supply through reforms.
• The legislation targets zoning and permitting barriers to boost construction amid ongoing housing shortages.
• Passage marks a key step in addressing national housing crisis, potentially easing affordability for millions if enacted.
Mors Imperator caused a scandal in 1887 amid fears it mocked the German kaiser – more than 100 years later it is being displayed in a state museumWrapped in a cloak with ermine fur and wearing a jagged iron crown, a hulking skeleton rests one foot on a globe and knocks over a royal throne with a dramatic flick of its ivory wrist.Entitled Mors Imperator (“Death is the Ruler”), the German artist Hermione von Preuschen’s 1887 symbolical painting was meant to express the transience of fame and power. But authorities feared the picture could be seen as mocking the ageing German Emperor Wilhelm I, who then had recently turned 90, and refused to accept its submission to the Berlin Academy of the Arts’ annual exhibition that year. Continue reading...
After series of delays, US space agency hopes to carry out first crewed flyby of the moon in more than half a century Nasa has begun returning its towering SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft to its Florida launch pad ahead of a planned flyby of the moon, after completing necessary repairs.Artemis engineers began the manoeuvre, which can take up to 12 hours, at 8pm local time. The US space agency will then begin the final preparations before its next launch window opens on 1 April. Continue reading...
• Sprite has reclaimed its position as the NBA's official global soft drink sponsor after an 11-year absence, marking a significant return to professional basketball partnership.
• The multi-year deal reconnects the league with a brand that was synonymous with pro basketball culture during the 1990s.
• This sponsorship renewal reflects the NBA's continued focus on securing major consumer brand partnerships to enhance league visibility and cultural relevance.
• Congress reconvenes Monday amid multiple crises: ongoing DHS shutdown, Middle East war impacts, and an impending East Coast storm.
• Republicans prioritize the SAVE Act vote while DHS funding debates, linked to H.R. 7147, raise immigration service risks.
• The session's timing on the Ides of March underscores high-stakes challenges for lawmakers returning from recess.
Djidji Ayôkwé was handed to Ivorian officials in Paris earlier this monthA sacred artefact looted by French colonial authorities more than a century ago has been returned to Côte d’Ivoire in one of the most significant cultural restitutions to a former French colony in years.The Djidji Ayôkwé, a talking drum confiscated in 1916 by French administrators, landed at 8.45am on Friday at the airport in Port Bouët on the outskirts of the economic capital, Abidjan. It was handed over to Ivorian officials in Paris earlier this month after being removed from the Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Museum. Continue reading...