Lucky snake: A beloved pet snake, missing for over a year from its home in Spennymoor, England, made a surprising return when it was spotted atop a neighbour's garage roof. Speculation arose among locals and an animal rights officer that the snake may have been inadvertently transported by a crow, then dropped due to its weight and bulkiness. Despite the ordeal, the resilient, 0.9 m reptile managed to endure both the avian encounter and the harsh winter temperatures. Snakes, being ectothermic creatures, depend on their surroundings for warmth, making its survival all the more remarkable. Its unexpected reappearance brought immense relief and joy to its owners, who had long feared the worst.

Tone transformer: A Japanese firm has created an artificial intelligence filter that transforms angry screams into calm speech, aiming to alleviate the stress faced by call centre operators. Developed over three years, this technology detects aggressive tones and softens them into a polite voice, without altering the words being spoken. The filter works in two stages identifying anger and then changing the intonation. Engineers trained the AI with over 10,000 voice samples from actors mimicking common angry phrases. Nearly half of the members of a Japanese union of service and other workers recently reported being on the receiving end of anger and other intimidation.

Buzz beer: Scientists at a university in Wales are revolutionising the beer brewing process by forgoing traditional hops in favour of honey bees. These insects naturally harbour brewer's yeast in their guts. In collaboration with researchers from the University of Namibia, the researchers extracted brewer's yeast from naturally deceased African bees and combined it with yeast from Welsh honey bees to brew several batches of beer. Beyond offering enjoyment of the beverage, this project is exploring how the pollination of certain plants can help to develop new drugs to treat superbugs and antibiotic resistance. The scientists hope to find a brewer willing to continue producing the beer, with proceeds supporting the ongoing research.

Island hoppers: In northern Scotland's Orkney Islands, an extraordinarily brief flight connects the islands of Westray and Papa Westray, spanning just 2.7 km, which is shorter than some airport runways. This flight typically lasts around 90 seconds, although favourable winds can reduce it to under a minute, while rough conditions can extend it to nearly three minutes. The flight is served by a Britten-Norman Islander, a small aircraft with eight seats and no in-flight service. This route, often likened to a bus ride, is crucial for the island's inhabitants, who otherwise face weather-disrupted ferry rides. Despite environmental criticisms, it remains a vital link for locals.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realise they were the big things. ~ Robert Breault

The sun himself is weak when he first rises, and gathers strength and courage as the day gets on. ~ Charles Dickens

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1. How many toes does a rhinoceros have on each foot?

2. Phobophobia is the fear of blood, beetles, or fear?

3. Dorothy Hamill competed in skiing in the 1976 Olympics T/F?

4. John Cleese and Michael Palin belonged to this comedy troupe.

5. Does Europe have any deserts?

Bear origins: A.A. Milne, the author of Winnie-the-Pooh, didn't invent the bear's name. His son, Christopher Robin Milne, called his own teddy bear Winnie after a visit to the London Zoo, where he saw a bear named for Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada).

Staying warm: The small Arctic fox lives within the Arctic Circle, where the sun never rises from late September to early March. But its thick fur coat helps it maintain a body temperature near 38C, and its tail acts as a warm blanket.

Feline festival: In New York City (USA), cat lovers can enjoy a selection of short films about felines at the annual New York Cat Film Festival. The films, submitted by cat owners, must showcase something essential about cats.

Gaga's godsons: Elton John, one of pop music's most successful artists, and his partner David Furnish have two sons, Elijah and Zachary. They designated the famous American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga as the boys' godmother.

Bridal colours: In North America, brides typically wear white, symbolising purity and simplicity. In China, the tradition is to wear red, representing luck, happiness, and celebration; white is often associated with death and mourning.

Swimmer: Are you sure there are no sharks on this beach? Lifeguard: Yes, they don't get along with the alligators.

What did the bunny think of the scary movie? Thought it was hare raising!

Skydivers chute first, ask questions later. No wonder they are so grounded.

My kid's grades are so bad they're underwater. They're below c-level.

1. Three 2. Fear 3. False 4. Monty Python 5. Yes