Author: OMN AI

Police in Jakarta blocked access roads and tollways to Parliament, creating massive traffic jams across the city.Thousands of students marched on Monday to protest lawmakers’ monthly housing benefits of 50 million rupiah (€2,637).Riot police fired tear gas as protesters attempted to reach the heavily guarded Parliament compound.Protesters hurled rocks and bottles in retaliation and set fires beneath a nearby flyover.Authorities deployed more than 1,200 security personnel to protect Parliament. Anger Over Lawmakers’ Allowances Reports revealed 580 lawmakers have received the housing benefit since September 2024.Protesters denounced the allowance as unfair, given widespread economic struggles across Indonesia.The benefit equals nearly 20…

A long-term study has found that following a Mediterranean-style diet may help reduce the risk of dementia, even for people with a strong genetic predisposition. Researchers identified the APOE4 gene variant as a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Having one copy of APOE4 can triple the risk, while two copies can increase it up to twelvefold. Diet as a Protective Factor The study, published in Nature Medicine, tracked more than 5,700 participants over three decades, analyzing their diets, genetic profiles, and cognitive performance. Results showed that those who regularly consumed a Mediterranean-style diet…

Once one of the world’s least-visited regions, Antarctica is now experiencing a tourism boom. Fewer than 8,000 people visited each year in the 1990s, but in the 2023–24 season more than 124,000 made the journey, and projections suggest this could rise to 450,000 by 2034. Researchers warn that the continent’s fragile ecosystems are under growing threat from both tourism and expanding scientific operations. Toxic metals in soil and snow have risen tenfold in areas with human presence, while ships, planes and research bases leave behind carbon emissions and pollution that accelerate snow melt. Environmental Consequences and Urgent Solutions Tourism’s impacts…

New research shows that extreme heat can darken our moods. Scientists studied over a billion social media posts worldwide. They tracked emotional tone in relation to daily temperatures from more than 150 countries. When the thermometer climbed above 35°C, negative moods surged, particularly in low-income regions. The investigation included 1.2 billion posts from X and Weibo across 157 countries. Each message received a sentiment score between negative and positive. Hotter conditions consistently reduced positivity, with stronger effects in poorer areas than in wealthier ones. Anger, Violence, and Heat Links between temperature and aggressive behaviour stretch back decades. Drivers show more…

Asia leads global cryptocurrency growth, while the US has recently accelerated its strategy during Trump’s second presidency. Europe, however, stands apart by concentrating on tight regulation. Bitcoin, launched in 2009, has climbed from a few cents to around $120,000, symbolizing the industry’s rise. Once created as an alternative to state currencies, digital assets have now entered mainstream finance and face growing legal scrutiny. The EU’s MiCA directive introduces stricter oversight with mandatory separate wallets for customers, compulsory audits, company registration fees, and transfer verification rules. Regulators see this framework as necessary stability, but many market participants argue compliance costs hinder…