Ted Lasso season 4 could start filming soon according to a mysterious statement from one of the actors

We have *potentially* good news for Ted Lasso fans, as one of the show’s main actors has seemingly teased season 4 of Apple TV+’s beloved show. Now, let’s not rush to conclusions, since the new episodes have not been officially confirmed, and season 3 is still considered the end of the series.

The statement that has fans assuming filming of the new season is imminent came from Nick Mohammed, who played AFC Richmond’s ambitious assistant coach Nate Shelley in the show. The actor teased his return to Ted Lasso in a video while announcing rescheduled dates for his Show Pony comedy tour.

When he explained the reasons for the scheduling conflict, Mohammed explained he has “some filming I have not been able to shift for love of money.” He added: “I cannot say what that filming is. But it will be announced shortly.”

“In the meantime, I would really appreciate if people just didn’t speculate as to what they think it might be. The last thing I want is for people to be going mad,” Mohammed continued, while holding up the iconic blue-and-yellow “BELIEVE” sign from Ted Lasso.

Of course, this cannot be considered an official confirmation for the show’s renewal, as it might have been a joke from Mohammed, or it could be referring to some other Ted Lasso-related project. However, this playful tease has now fans hoping for the show’s return.

Rumours for a new Ted Lasso season are not new, with Deadline reporting last summer that the show is hoping to be greenlighted along with three returning actors — Hannah Waddingham as Rebecca Walton, Brett Goldstein as Roy Kent, and Jeremy Swift as Leslie Higgins.

Ted Lasso season 3 ended with Roy Kent becoming AFC Richmond’s new coach, and Ted going back to the US, so Goldstein could become the new lead in the show. For now, we’ll have to wait and see.

Ted Lasso season 4 has not yet been confirmed. Seasons 1-3 are available to watch now on Apple TV Plus. For more check out the best Apple TV Plus shows, or keep up with new TV shows heading your way soon.

Kevin Costner recalls Whitney Houston friendship on his 70th birthday

Kevin Costner shared a sweet memory with his late pal, Whitney Houston, on his milestone 70th birthday.

After coming across a rare, behind-the-scenes photo of them together on set of their 1992 film The Bodyguard, the Yellowstone looked back on their close friendship and expressed gratitude to celebrate another year around the sun.

‘This photo reminds me of how lucky I am to be getting another birthday,’ he wrote on his Instagram Story as he shared an image that was uploaded to her account, which is managed by her estate. ‘We lost such a light when we lost Whitney.’

In the picture, the two-time Oscar winner can be seen smiling while standing next to the pop icon, who died in 2012 at age 48, and hairstylist Ellin LaVar.

Houston’s estate captioned the image: ‘Happy birthday to Kevin Costner! A behind the scenes photo from The Bodyguard with Kevin, Whitney and Ellin LaVar, Whitney’s hairstylist for the film.’

Earlier in the day, he shared an adorable throwback from his childhood of him wearing a cowboy outfit.

Kevin Costner shared a sweet memory with his late pal, Whitney Houston, on his milestone 70th birthday

‘Thank you guys for the birthday wishes,’ he captioned the post. ‘If you can believe it, this is me. I was chasing the cowboy life just about as soon as I could walk, and here I am doing it still. Here’s to another year of keeping our sights set on our dreams.’

Last year, Costner revealed CNN tried to get him to shorten the eulogy he planned to deliver for Whitney Houston at her 2012 funeral.

Read More Kevin Costner is not looking for a serious romance as he turns 70

While appearing on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, the actor claimed that the news network asked him to cut his tribute to Houston so that it could work in commercial breaks.

Ultimately, he insisted that he wasn’t willing to cut a word from his eulogy, and he dared CNN to cut to commercial in the middle of his speech.

Costner was one of eight people who spoke at Houston’s funeral, which was held in Newark, New Jersey.

The legendary singer was found dead in a bathtub on February 11, 2012, just hours before she was to attend Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy Awards party.

She was later determined to have died in an accidental drowning due to a combination of chronic cocaine abuse and heart disease.

Toxicology reports later indicated that Houston had used cocaine shortly before her death, and she also had Benadryl, the benzodiazepine Xanax, cannabis and the muscle relaxant Flexeril in her system.

After coming across a rare, behind-the-scenes photo of them together on set of their 1992 film The Bodyguard, the Yellowstone looked back on their close friendship and expressed gratitude to celebrate another year around the sun

‘We lost such a light when we lost Whitney,’ he wrote on his Instagram Story as he shared a throwback of them together

While speaking about his contribution to the memorial service, Costner told Shepard that the issues about his speech — which came out to just under 20 minutes — popped up shortly after he put the finishing touches on it.

‘I had been working on this speech… and I tried to compile everything I wanted to do and finally crafted this speech,’ he explained. ‘Somebody said, ‘CNN’s here, they wouldn’t mind if your remarks were kept shorter because they’re going to have commercials.”

But Costner wasn’t interested in giving his former costar a shortened eulogy in order to appease CNN’s commercial desires.

‘I said, ‘They can get over that. They can play the commercial while I’m talking, I don’t care,” he recalled saying.

It’s unclear if CNN or other cable news channels ultimately cut out of his speech to air commercials or if they broadcast his text in its entirety.

The Horizon star recalled the discomfort he felt before giving his speech, as he worried he might be going too long even for some of the attendees or other speakers.

‘There were some people that really wanted to speak, and they’re kind of staring daggers at me. What was I going to say?’ Costner recalled. ‘I started, and about 17 minutes later I was done.’

Earlier in the day, he shared an adorable childhood throwback as he thanked fans for their birthday wishes and reflected on ‘chasing the cowboy life just about as soon as’ he ‘could walk’

‘Thank you guys for the birthday wishes,’ he captioned the post. ‘If you can believe it, this is me. I was chasing the cowboy life just about as soon as I could walk, and here I am doing it still. Here’s to another year of keeping our sights set on our dreams’ (seen on June 24, 2024)

Costner worked with Houston on their 1992 romantic drama The Bodyguard, in which the singer shored up her acting bona fides by playing a pop star similar to herself who was threatened by a crazed stalker.

Costner played a former Secret Service agent-turned-body guard hired to protect Houston’s character, though their romantic feelings threaten to get in the way of his duty.

The film earned mixed reviews, but it was massively popular with viewers. It became the second highest-grossing film of 1992 and was at the time the tenth highest-grossing film of all time.

Houston’s soundtrack was also a massive hit, becoming the biggest-selling soundtrack and the best-selling album by a woman.

It featured Houston’s cover of Dolly Parton’s I Will Always Love You, which came to be intimately associated with her.

The single spend 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, which broke a record at the time.

From Everyday Innocence to Unseen Threats: The Dark Side of Familiar Comforts and Hidden Health Risks

Imagine this — a seemingly innocuous household item, something as ordinary as a hot water bottle, suddenly turning into a source of unbearable agony. In the heart of Leicestershire, a simple attempt to alleviate everyday pain turned into a harrowing ordeal for Karen O’Brien. This 52-year-old retail worker was left with severe burns, a vivid reminder of an incident that began with a seven-year-old hot water bottle bursting on her lap. It was as if the devil himself had decided to wreak havoc through a seemingly harmless object.

Karen’s story is an unsettling reminder of the hidden dangers in everyday objects. She recounted the experience, her voice carrying the weight of the trauma: “When I first could see the skin, I had blisters coming up straight away, and then you could see where the skin just melted away.” In a blink of an eye, her life took a painful detour, marked by “holes in the skin” that worsened by the hour.

In an attempt to combat shingles-induced pain, Karen filled her trusty hot water bottle with boiling water, straight from the kettle — an act that seemed innocuous yet turned perilous. She sat down, and in a moment of unforeseen terror, the bottle burst. The result was a searing injury that left her screaming in agony as her skin adhered to her trousers. “I’ve never known pain like it,” she confessed.

She was fortunate in one sense: her neighbor, a nurse, swiftly intervened, directing her to soak in a bath. Hours later, as her skin continued to deteriorate, Karen was whisked to the hospital. Nurses there meticulously removed damaged skin layers to stave off infection. Yet the emotional scars, just as profound, began emerging two weeks later — a cascade of tears and a struggle to reconcile her new reality.

In an ironic twist of fate, Karen discovered she wasn’t just battling physical trauma but also financial setbacks. Her employment situation denied her sick pay, leaving her unable to afford time off. Her sister, empathetic to her plight, set up a GoFundMe campaign, though it only managed to raise a modest £60. This, Karen noted with gratitude, “covered a day’s wage” for respite.

The aftermath is a cautionary tale of vigilance around hot objects. “Never, ever use them,” Karen warned, particularly to keep them away from children. Her husband, mindful of her newfound apprehension, instead opted for a battery-powered fleece to keep her warm.

Meanwhile, in the world of medical research, a different kind of danger was brought to light — one hidden within the very fibers of our bodies. While the headlines often emphasize the visible dangers of obesity, new findings have revealed a stealthy internal threat: fat nestled within muscles. Researchers from Harvard Medical School uncovered that even slim individuals could harbor this “intramuscular fat,” akin to the marbling in Wagyu beef, increasing their risk of heart conditions.

The findings, based on a study of 669 women, sound an alarm for the unsuspecting — those who might assume thinness equates to health. Every 1 per cent increase in this muscle-bound fat heightened their risk of severe cardiac events by 7 per cent. The research, spearheaded by Professor Viviany Taqueti, underscores the limitations of traditional markers like BMI, questioning its reliability in assessing cardiovascular risk.

As science delves deeper into the mysteries of fat, shedding light on once unseen dangers, public health continues to wrestle with age-old challenges in new forms. Bird flu, an ever-persistent threat, continues to evolve — its symptoms often mirroring human influenza. The tragic case of a Louisiana patient has already highlighted the virus’s capacity to mutate while within a human host, fueling concerns about future transmissibility.

With 67 confirmed human cases in the current outbreak, including one fatality, the specter of a bird flu pandemic looms. Remarkably, despite the fatal mutation, there’s been no evidence of human-to-human spread. Yet scientists remain vigilant — each infection a potential step closer to a virulent, easily transmissible strain. Those in direct contact with birds or their environments remain on the front lines, while we hope for the best and prepare for the unforeseen.

Everyday Dangers and Unseen Health Risks: A Call for Mindfulness and Safety

In a cautionary tale that sends chills down the spine — quite literally for Karen O’Brien — a 52-year-old mum from Leicestershire has sounded the alarm on the dangers lurking within seemingly innocuous household items. Her unfortunate encounter with a bursting hot water bottle has left her, quite literally again, scarred for life.

Karen’s ordeal unfolded in March 2024, when, in an attempt to alleviate the pain from shingles, she filled her trusty hot water bottle with boiling water and settled on her sofa. The catastrophe, she claims, was not a result of a design flaw but rather the wear-and-tear of time — her bottle was seven years old, a stark revelation she only discovered after the incident. An unexpected rupture resulted in third-degree burns and a permanent scar, a reminder of the day her skin “just melted away”. “It didn’t look that bad at first,” Karen recounts. But the situation escalated swiftly, her trousers peeling away blistered skin as she struggled to comprehend the immense pain.

With her neighbor — a nurse — by her side offering immediate advice, Karen sought professional help. At Leicester Royal Infirmary, medics worked meticulously to remove layers of damaged skin, preventing infection from compounding her woes. The emotional aftermath, Karen confessed, hit two weeks later, leaving her unexpectedly emotional, bursting into tears, grappling with the reality of her new scar.

Despite this, Karen has embraced her resilience, urging others to reconsider using hot water bottles entirely — especially around children. “Never, ever use them. If you are desperate, just use hot water from the tap,” she advises. Her husband has since opted for a battery-powered fleece, a safer alternative for warmth. Even health professionals, she notes, encounter many burn cases, underscoring her cautionary tale with a broader message of safety and vigilance.

In another arena of public health, a recent study shines light on a hidden danger for individuals appearing deceptively healthy — slim people with fatty muscles. Conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School, this study reveals that intramuscular fat, often flying under the radar due to a normal body mass index (BMI), poses a significant risk for heart conditions. This discovery, akin to uncovering a time bomb, highlights the importance of nuanced health assessments beyond traditional metrics like BMI.

The study, published in the European Heart Journal, examined 669 women and found a startling correlation between high intermuscular fat levels and increased risks of heart attacks or heart failure. “Knowing that intermuscular fat raises the risk of heart disease gives us another way to identify people who are at high risk,” stated Professor Viviany Taqueti. The study confronts the inadequacies of BMI as a sole health indicator, especially in women, urging a deeper exploration into how these hidden fats contribute to inflammation and potentially harmful conditions.

While these revelations are compelling, they are not without their limitations. An editorial accompanying the study cautions that factors like diet and exercise performance were not included, leaving room for further inquiry and understanding.

Amidst these alarming reports, another pressing issue resonates globally — burnout. Dubbed “Blue Monday,” a term reflecting post-holiday blues, many individuals find themselves grappling with exhaustion and stress. Despite the idyllic “honeymoon phase” of enthusiasm in new roles, the relentless pursuit of excellence often spirals into chronic stress, burnout, and eventually, habitual burnout.

Doctors urging introspection suggest a five-stage burnout progression — a path many might unknowingly traverse. The initial bliss gradually gives way to stress and eventually chronic fatigue, marked by a loss of productivity, emotional detachment, and even physical symptoms like headaches and insomnia.

The narrative, shared by a seasoned doctor who found herself on the brink of collapse, serves as a potent reminder to be vigilant of burnout’s insidious onset. Her candid account echoes the sentiments of many — it’s a universal struggle, transcending professions and geographies, reminding us of the imperative to seek help and embrace self-care.

These stories, though disparate in nature, converge on a vital theme — the oft-overlooked risks in our daily lives, whether through the innocuous comforts of warmth, the deception of perceived health, or the relentless pursuit of professional success. They call for mindfulness, urging us to scrutinize the familiar, the taken-for-granted, and to prioritize health and safety in all its forms. Whether it’s reconsidering the reliability of household items, understanding the complexities of health metrics, or acknowledging the pervasive nature of burnout, this tapestry of narratives encourages introspection, resilience, and proactive measures toward a safer, healthier existence.

Unveiling Hidden Threats: Intermuscular Fat and Avian Flu Cast Shadows This January

Amidst the wintry chill of January, whispers of the so-called “Blue Monday” reverberate through the air — a day reportedly tinged with melancholy as post-holiday blues and failed resolutions loom large. Known as the gloomiest day of the year, January 20, 2025, carries the weight of this moniker, serving as a reminder of how seasonal shifts can weigh on our spirits. While some dismiss Blue Monday as pseudoscience, others recognize the legitimate struggle of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), where the lack of sunlight casts a shadow over one’s well-being.,Yet, the turning of the calendar is not our only foe. Another insidious threat lurks not in the mind but in the very fabric of our bodies — intermuscular fat. This hidden adversary, lying dormant within our muscles, poses a risk of heart disease that remains hidden from the quaint simplicity of a BMI chart.,Unlike its more celebrated counterpart, subcutaneous fat, which might give you a pinch of discomfort, intermuscular fat sneaks in where the eye cannot see. A recent study published in the European Heart Journal shines a spotlight on this peril, revealing that clusters of fat nestled within our muscles can significantly increase the risk of heart failure and heart attacks. And don’t think you’re safe just because your BMI claims you’re within healthy bounds. Intermuscular fat is a stealthy operator, transcending the traditional metrics that often mislead us into false security.,”Obesity is now one of the biggest global threats to cardiovascular health,” says Professor Viviany Taqueti, an eminent figure at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital. “Yet body mass index — our main metric for defining obesity and thresholds for intervention — remains a controversial and flawed marker of cardiovascular prognosis.”,The research led by Professor Taqueti is ground-breaking, highlighting that the subtleties of our body composition may hold the key to understanding our cardiovascular risks. People with heightened levels of intermuscular fat are more likely to suffer from coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) — a sneaky condition affecting the heart’s tiny blood vessels and escalating the odds of severe heart complications.,In a world where weight is often seen as a mere number on a scale, this study shifts the focus to the unseen layers below. For every 1% uptick in the fatty muscle fraction, there’s a 2% rise in CMD risk and a 7% leap in the likelihood of severe heart disease. The takeaway? Muscle-bound fat is the wolf in sheep’s clothing, silently undermining your health whilst you remain blissfully unaware.,Meanwhile, across the nation’s heartlands, a different kind of threat has stretched its wings — the avian flu. Georgia’s poultry industry, a bustling hub of economic activity, faces a precarious future as the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) makes its unwelcome entrance. The shutdown of poultry operations in Elbert County follows the detection of the bird flu virus, a scenario that’s as bleak as a January sky.,The ripple effect is palpable, with egg shortages and price hikes throwing households into disarray. The Department of Agriculture has made a decisive move, clamping down on poultry exhibitions, shows, swaps — wherever birds might congregate and spread the disease.,Georgia’s agriculture commissioner, Tyler Harper, voices the concern of many, calling it “a serious threat to Georgia’s #1 industry and the livelihoods of thousands of Georgians who make their living in our state’s poultry industry.” This crisis is not just about breakfast table inconveniences — it’s about the lives and jobs intertwined with the feathered fowl that populate the state’s farms.,As the frost of January lingers, two tales intertwine — one of the heart and one of the hearth. The challenges we face are as varied as the stars, yet both root deep within, whether in our muscles or in the marrow of our communities. The question remains — how will we respond?

Revealing the Hidden Threat: Intermuscular Fat’s Role in Heart Disease Beyond BMI

In a telling revelation, the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) has spotlighted a stealthy adversary lurking in our muscles — intermuscular fat. This obscure deposit is now identified as an insidious risk factor for heart disease, independent of the ubiquitous Body Mass Index (BMI). Contrary to the allure it holds in culinary delights like beef steaks, intermuscular fat marks its presence as a harbinger of health concerns, setting the stage for cardiovascular calamities such as heart failure and attacks.

The research, published in the European Heart Journal, unravels the complexity of our body’s fat composition — a complexity that BMI fails to capture. Professor Viviany Taqueti, leading the study at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, underscores this very point. She elucidates, “Obesity is now one of the biggest global threats to cardiovascular health, yet body mass index — our main metric for defining obesity and thresholds for intervention — remains a controversial and flawed marker of cardiovascular prognosis. This is especially true in women, where high body mass index may reflect more ‘benign’ types of fat.”

Intriguingly, the study’s cohort of 669 individuals, predominantly female and racially diverse, offered a fertile ground for examination. These patients, all evaluated for chest discomfort sans coronary artery obstruction, underwent sophisticated PET/CT scanning. The scans enabled researchers to map the intricacies of fat and muscle distribution in their bodies, quantifying the elusive fatty muscle fraction. This metric became the linchpin, revealing a troubling connection — a 1% hike in this fraction catapulted individual risk for coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) by 2% and heightened the potential for severe heart disease by 7%.

Professor Taqueti’s insights drive home a stark reality — “People who had high levels of intermuscular fat and evidence of CMD were at an especially high risk of death, heart attack and heart failure. In contrast, people with higher amounts of lean muscle had a lower risk.” The study delineates an insidious cascade where intermuscular fat possibly incites inflammation, metabolic disarray, and insulin resistance, all of which contribute to vascular damage.

The potential of these findings reverberates beyond academia. They offer a clarion call to re-evaluate our understanding of adiposity and heart health, especially in an era marked by the advent of fat and muscle-modifying incretin therapies. Yet, as Taqueti cautions, “What we don’t know yet is how we can lower the risk for people with fatty muscles. For example, we don’t know how treatments such as new weight-loss therapies affect fat in the muscles relative to fat elsewhere in the body, lean tissue, and ultimately the heart.”

The research beckons further exploration, posing more questions than it answers, as noted in the accompanying editorial by Dr. Ranil de Silva and colleagues from Imperial College London. They resonate with the sentiments that the findings are “hypothesis generating” and urge integration of adiposity markers into conventional and budding cardiac risk stratification frameworks.

The narrative of intermuscular fat, it appears, is not just about layers of hidden lipids but a deeper story of human health — one that interconnects fat, muscle, and life’s most vital organ, the heart.

Tanzania Faces Down Marburg Virus: A Tale of Resilience and Rapid Response

In a rapidly evolving health landscape, Tanzania finds itself thrust into the global spotlight. A virus — as menacing as it is elusive — casts a shadow over the country’s northern stretches. The Marburg virus, infamous for its lethality, has been confirmed once more in the Tanzanian region of Kagera, sparking both fear and a fervent response.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, addressing a concerned nation from Dodoma, revealed the grim reality: a single sample from this remote area tested positive for Marburg disease. It’s a sobering reminder of how quickly these situations can change — the president’s announcement coming just days after health officials had confidently refuted any such outbreak, following tests that initially returned negative results.

The Marburg virus, a close cousin to Ebola, spreads through fruit bats and requires close contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person for transmission. Its symptoms are brutal — fever, muscle pains, and extreme cases of hemorrhagic fever that can lead to death. The mortality rate for untreated cases is jaw-droppingly high, reaching up to 88%.

Despite the gravity of this confirmation, the president struck a note of resilience. “We are confident that we will overcome this challenge once again,” she asserted, harking back to the country’s battle against the virus mere months ago. Then, as now, the World Health Organization had sounded the alarm, noting a spate of suspected cases and fatalities. Yet, the cause of the initial eight deaths flagged by WHO remains unexplained.

Following the confirmation, Tanzania has deployed a rapid response team to Kagera to oversee and manage the situation. To date, 25 samples have been scrutinized, with only one yielding a positive result for Marburg. While this offers a glimmer of hope, it underscores the necessity for vigilance and collaboration.

WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, tempered fears of a regional crisis, labeling the global risk from Tanzania’s outbreak as “low”. However, he stressed the importance of immediate action, adding, “Even though there is no approved treatment or vaccines, outbreaks can be stopped quickly. WHO advises against restrictions. Now is the time for collaboration.”

In an interconnected world, Kagera’s status as a transit hub is a crucial factor in the rapid identification and testing of contacts. More than 300 individuals have been pinpointed, with a significant proportion being healthcare workers — those on the frontline of this battle.

The Marburg virus poses a formidable challenge. Yet, with swift action and international cooperation, the hope is to contain its spread. As Tanzania tackles this threat head-on, the world watches, offering both aid and solidarity.

Tanzania Confronts Marburg Outbreak: Resilience Tested Once Again Amid WHO Concerns

Tanzania stands at a crossroads with an unsettling announcement—an outbreak of the Marburg virus has been confirmed, just days after the initial denial from the country’s health minister. In the region of Kagera, a case has been validated, turning the focus sharply towards containment and response efforts.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan, in a candid press conference, declared confidence in the nation’s ability to surmount this challenge, harking back to a prior outbreak that was managed two years prior. “We are confident that we will overcome this challenge once again,” she stated, hinting at the resilience forged through past health crises. The announcement comes in the wake of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) earlier report suspecting an outbreak, outlining nine possible cases and eight fatalities within a span of five days—rattling the public and health authorities alike.

Initially, the Health Minister Jenista Mhagama’s statement had reassured the public that analyses returned negative results for the feared virus. Yet, the joint press briefing with WHO not only signals a shift in the narrative but underscores the gravity of the situation—a rapid response team is now actively engaging to track and manage suspected cases.

The Marburg virus, deadly and highly infectious, shares a grim kinship with Ebola. Symptoms range from fever to muscle pains, diarrhea to vomiting, and in severe cases, can lead to death through extreme blood loss. The frightening reality is a mortality rate that averages about 50% among those infected, as noted by the WHO.

Despite the ominous tones, Tanzania maintains a vigilant eye on its health infrastructure. Of the 24 individuals originally suspected alongside the confirmed case, all have fortunately tested negative. The source of the eight deaths earlier reported remains a mystery yet to be unraveled.

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director-General, sought to temper fears, indicating that the global risk from this outbreak remains “low”. He emphasized the importance of international collaboration at this critical juncture, stating, “Even though there is no approved treatment or vaccines, outbreaks can be stopped quickly.” WHO’s stance against restrictions aims to foster a spirit of cooperation rather than isolation.

Meanwhile, the Africa CDC, representing the public health arm of the African Union, disclosed that over 300 contacts have been pinpointed for further testing. This includes a considerable number of health workers, underscoring the frontline risks faced by those tasked with battling the virus.

The International Health Regulations (IHR) mandate countries to report public health events with potential cross-border impacts, a critical protocol given Kagera’s position as a transit hub linking people from neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda. In a poignant reminder of the virus’s reach, Rwanda declared the end of its own Marburg outbreak last December, where lives lost numbered 15 among 66 confirmed cases.

As trials for specific treatments and vaccines against the Marburg virus continue, the disease, transmitted from fruit bats and through direct contact with bodily fluids of the infected, remains a specter that looms—challenging both human resilience and scientific innovation.

From Eye to Brain: Groundbreaking Surgery Offers Hope for Inoperable Tumors Amid Winter Blues Battle

Imagine a tumor nestled within the delicate confines of the skull — an uninvited guest threatening the sanctity of one’s health. For Ruvimbo Kaviya, this was a grim reality with a meningioma perched beneath her brain and behind her eyes, defying traditional surgical methods. However, the UK witnessed a medical marvel as surgeons from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust embarked on a daring journey through an eye socket, a feat never before accomplished within the region.

Traditionally, removing tumors from such precarious locations necessitated extensive surgery — the skull, a fortress to be breached, the brain, a territory to be cautiously navigated. But with the evolution in medical technology and techniques, the path less tread has become the path that’s possible. Neurosurgeon Asim Sheikh highlighted this progress, stating, “There’s been a move towards minimally invasive techniques over the last few years or so, with the advancement of technology, tools, 3D innovation.” The result? Less trauma, quicker recovery, and a near-invisible scar for Ms. Kaviya.

This groundbreaking procedure didn’t spring from thin air. It was a dance of preparation and precision — rehearsed first on 3D models, then on cadavers. What unfolded next was not just surgery; it was artistry. Maxillofacial surgeon Jiten Parmar added a stroke of genius by cutting a sliver from the eye socket’s wall, enhancing the already slender endoscopic trans-orbital approach. “Going through the eye socket gets into the same area and it’s a way more elegant approach,” Parmar emphasized, “disturbing fewer nerves.”

The procedure was a beacon of hope, casting light on patients whose conditions were once deemed inoperable. Ms. Kaviya, plagued by excruciating headaches, was the pioneer — her decision fueled by necessity rather than choice. “I had no option to agree because the pain was just too much,” she recounted. Her willingness to embrace the unknown has since allowed her to reclaim her life, her scar a mere whisper against her skin, barely visible to the naked eye.

Yet, as we celebrate medical advances, we turn our gaze to another January phenomenon — the infamous Blue Monday, a concoction of weather woes and post-holiday blues. Originally a PR invention, its alleged status as the most depressing day of the year is a myth, though it serves as a reminder of the seasonal shifts that affect millions. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) lurks in the shadows of short winter days, a tangible condition marked by its distinctive symptoms: fatigue, mood swings, and a craving for carbohydrates.

Though Blue Monday’s formula — W+(D-d)xTQ/MxNA — stands unscientific, its conversation starter status cannot be denied. As Dr. Ravi Shah articulated, “Rather than dial in to one specific day, I think the more interesting question is what it is about the winter that affects our mood.” Indeed, while Blue Monday lacks empirical backing, it nudges us toward acknowledging the genuine struggles of SAD.

Combatting these winter blues involves a multifaceted approach — light therapy, dietary adjustments, and exercise. Light therapy boxes simulate the missing sunshine, offering a beacon of hope for many battling this seasonal specter. Staying active and connected with loved ones further dismantles the isolation SAD may impose.

Winter, with its frosty grip, affects us all in varied measures, yet, as Kaviya’s story shows, there are always new horizons to explore — be it through groundbreaking surgeries or finding ways to warm our spirits when the world grows cold.

David Lynch’s kids mourn the loss of their dad, invite fans to honor his legacy

David Lynch’s four kids are remembering their dad after his death by inviting fans to honor his legacy.

In a post from the late director X’s account on Saturday, his children Jennifer, Austin, Riley, and Lula Lynch shared a joint statement to pay tribute to their dad, calling him “a guiding light of creativity, love, and peace.”

“On Monday, January 20th — what would have been his 79th birthday — we invite you all to join us in a worldwide group meditation at 12:00pm NOON PST for 10 minutes,” the statement read. “Let us come together, wherever we are, to honor his legacy by spreading peace and love across the world.”

The statement continued, “Please take this time to meditate, reflect, and send positivity into the universe. Thank you for being part of this celebration of his life. Love, Jennifer, Austin, Riley and Lula Lynch.”

Lynch died at the age of 78, his family announced last week.

“It is with deep regret that we, his family, announce the passing of the man and the artist, David Lynch,” a statement on his official Facebook account said on Thursday. “We would appreciate some privacy at this time. There’s a big hole in the world now that he’s no longer with us. But, as he would say, ‘Keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.’”

“It’s a beautiful day with golden sunshine and blue skies all the way,” the statement added at the time.

The sad news came after Lynch revealed in August 2024 that he had developed emphysema after years of smoking.

“I’m homebound whether I like it or not,” Lynch told Sight and Sound magazine. “I can’t go out. And I can only walk a short distance before I’m out of oxygen.”

The filmmaker shared in a social media post at the time that he was otherwise “in excellent shape,” declaring, “I am filled with happiness, and I will never retire.”

Lynch, an Oscar-nominated director, was married four times during his life. He was renowned for his surreal films including “Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive,” and was also the co-creator of the popular cult drama series “Twin Peaks.”