ICYMI: Stories to put a smile on your face

Kangaroos can communicate with their eyes, study finds

A group of academics from the United Kingdom and Australia found that kangaroos can intentionally communicate with humans  in the same way pets do. The researchers found that kangaroos would try to gaze at humans in a bid to enlist their help, a little like a dog might, when unable to reach food for themselves.

The study, published by the University of Sydney and University of Roehampton in London, carried out experiments at three wildlife sanctuaries across Australia. When trying to open plastic containers filled with food, the kangaroos gazed at researchers when they tried and failed to open the container themselves. 

Cologne asks to replace NYE fireworks with light switch

Under the slogan, "Lights on. Year out," residents of the German city of Cologne are being asked to flick their light switches on and off for five minutes from midnight to mark the start of 2021. The request follows a nationwide ban on fireworks sales.

A statement from the city authority called on residents to stay home, and households are being encouraged to cover their windows with colorful films and decorations in order to enhance the effects of the improvised show. 

Ancient Egyptian artifact discovered in cigar box in Scotland 

A curatorial assistant at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland discovered a missing 5,000-year-old Egyptian artifact, hidden inside a cigar box. The small pieces of cedar wood are thought to be comprise one of three items discovered inside the Queen's Chamber of the Great Pyramid in Giza in 1872, along with a ball and a bronze hook.

The timber, which may have been used in the construction of the pyramid, was donated to the university but never classified, and had been missing for more than 70 years before its rediscovery.

Couscous, watchmaking join UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list

The United Nations added couscous to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list on Wednesday after Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania submitted the entry to UNESCO.

Usually prepared from wheat or barley, couscous can also be made using maize or millet ground into semolina. It is then rolled into small balls, soaked and steam repeatedly. It is also called seksi, kuski or kseksu, and is a staple in the North African region.

Also honored by UNESCO midweek was the craftsmanship of French and Swiss mechanical watchmaking over centuries in the Jura mountain region straddling the two countries. The UN body called said the craft sat at a "crossroads of science, art and technology."

EU Parliament adopts deal to improve tap water quality

The EU approved  a deal to improve the quality of and access to tap water, and to reduce plastic waste. The move came in response to the demands of over 1.8 million Europeans, who signed the first successful European Citizens' Initiative: "Right2Water."

As part of the deal, member states will ensure access to water in public buildings, and will encourage other public spaces to provide water for free or for a low fee. Limits will also be placed on pollutants such as lead, and relevant authorities will boost monitoring of tap water sources. Within two years of passing the law, member states will have to be compliant with the new measures. 

Coral IVF trial offers hope for Australia's Great Barrier Reef

Researchers have found hope for rebuilding  Australia's Great Barrier Reef, after the first "Coral IVF" trial showed that the coral have not only survived recent bleaching events, but are on track to reproduce and spawn next year.

After culturing larvae in specially designed enclosures for about a week, scientists distributed them to parts of the reef damaged by bleaching and in need of live coral. 

Peter Harrison, director of Southern Cross University's Marine Ecology Research Center, first used the method off Heron Island in 2016, where more than 60 coral are now on their way to being the first re-established reproducing population on the reef through Coral IVF. 

"This proves that the larvae restoration technique works just as we predicted and we can grow very large corals from tiny microscopic larvae within just a few years," Harrison said after visiting the restoration site in early December.

lc/msh (dpa, Reuters)