21. #EggcellentFacts: Egg yolks are one of the richest sources of choline, a nutrient essential for brain function and development. 22. #FishyBusiness: The world's most expensive fish is the bluefin tuna, which can sell for up to $2,000 per pound. 23. #RiceRiceBaby: Rice is the staple food for over half the world's population, with Asia producing over 80% of the world's rice. 24. #MeatMe: The world's largest meat consumers are the Australians, with the average Australian eating over 200 pounds of meat per year. 25. #SweetPotatoSurprise: Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, with a single medium-sized sweet potato providing over 100% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin A. 26. #GingerGuru: Ginger has been used for centuries in traditional medicine, with its active compound gingerol having anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 27. #OnionOrigins: Onions are one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, with evidence of onion cultivation dating back to ancient Egypt. 28. #MilkMythBuster: Milk is not essential for human health, and many cultures around the world do not consume milk or dairy products. 29. #PecanPower: Pecans are one of the richest sources of antioxidants, with a single ounce of pecans providing over 7,000 units of antioxidant capacity. 30. #ChiliChamp: The world's hottest pepper is the Carolina Reaper, which has an average Scoville heat unit (SHU) rating of over 1.5 million. #FoodFacts #Foodie #FoodLover #FoodHistory #FoodScience #Sustainability #FoodSecurity

Festus Igube from Ezza North, Ebonyi, has made Nigeria and Ebonyi proud by winning a bronze medal at the ongoing Invictus Games in Canada! He secured the medal in the men’s 50-meter freestyle swimming event, finishing behind competitors from Australia and the United States. Congratulations, Festus! 🎉 #Congratulations Ebonyi state to the world.

3️⃣ Novak *Djokovic retired injured after losing a gruelling first set of his Australian Open semi-final* to Alexander Zverev, leaving his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam crown in tatters. 🇦🇺 🎾 🇷🇸 The *37-year-old Serbian great's upper left leg was heavily taped* after he hurt it in the quarter-finals and he called time after going down 7-6 (7/5) to the German. *Djokovic left the court to a mixture of boos and applause from the crowd* as Zverev reached his first Melbourne final. It means *Djokovic has now gone five Grand Slams without winning the title he needs* to surpass Margaret Court's 24 and become the all-time leader. *Djokovic later said there is a chance he may have played his last Australian Open:* _"I want to keep going. But whether I'm going to have a revised schedule or not for the next year, I'm not sure."_

This Australia's longest and straightest road, spanning an impressive 145.6 kilometers (90 miles) without a single bend, lies between Balladonia and Caiguna. In addition to Australia's remarkable road, Saudi Arabia holds the Guinness World Record for the longest uninterrupted highway, stretching an incredible 256 kilometers from Haradh to Al Batha. #ebira4real

Boxing Day is a public holiday in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It is observed on December 26, the day after Christmas Day. _Origin:_ The origins of Boxing Day are unclear, but there are two popular theories: 1. _Gift boxes for servants_: In the 19th century, servants and tradesmen would receive gift boxes, known as "Christmas boxes," from their employers on the day after Christmas. These boxes contained leftover food, clothing, and other items.

3️⃣ *A powerful earthquake has hit the Pacific nation of Vanuatu,* smashing buildings in the capital Port Vila including one used by foreign embassies, with a *witness telling AFP of bodies lying in the city.* 🇻🇺 The *7.3-magnitude quake struck at a depth of 57 kilometres (35 miles),* some 30 kilometres off the coast of Efate, Vanuatu's main island, at 12:47 pm (0147 GMT) on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey. A *5.5-magnitude aftershock struck minutes later, followed by a string of lesser tremors* -- shaking the low-lying archipelago of 320,000 people that lies in the quake-prone Pacific Rim of Fire. The *ground floor of a four-storey concrete block in Port Vila* -- used by US, French, British, Australian and New Zealand diplomatic missions -- *was flattened, AFP photos showed.*

3️⃣ *Australia will force Meta and Google to pay for news shared on their platforms under a new scheme*, threatening to tax them if they refuse to strike deals with local media. 🇦🇺 *Traditional media companies the world over are battling for survival* as precious advertising dollars are hoovered up online. *Australia wants big tech companies to compensate local publishers* for sharing articles that drive traffic on their platforms. _*"The rapid growth of digital platforms in recent years has disrupted Australia's media landscape,* and it is threatening the viability of public interest journalism,"_ Communications Minister Michelle Rowland told reporters. _*"It is important that digital platforms play their part.* They need to support access to quality journalism that informs and strengthens our democracy."_ Social media *platforms with Australian revenue of more than US$160 million a year will be taxed* a still-to-be-decided figure earmarked to pay for news.

#michaeljackson #australia #philanthropist

*Social media giants have hit out at a landmark Australian law* banning them *from signing up under-16s,* describing it as a rush job littered with _"many unanswered questions"._ 🇦🇺📱 The UN children's charity *UNICEF Australia warned the law was no _"silver bullet"_ against online harm* and could push kids into _"covert and unregulated"_ spaces online. The legislation, approved by parliament Thursday, *orders social media firms to take _"reasonable steps"_* to prevent young teens from having accounts. It is *due to come into effect after a year.* The *crackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X* would lead to _"better outcomes and less harm for young Australians"_, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. The *legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced* -- prompting concern among experts that it will be largely symbolic.

*Social media giants have hit out at a landmark Australian law* banning them *from signing up under-16s,* describing it as a rush job littered with _"many unanswered questions"._ 🇦🇺📱 The UN children's charity *UNICEF Australia warned the law was no _"silver bullet"_ against online harm* and could push kids into _"covert and unregulated"_ spaces online. The legislation, approved by parliament Thursday, *orders social media firms to take _"reasonable steps"_* to prevent young teens from having accounts. It is *due to come into effect after a year.* The *crackdown on sites like Facebook, Instagram and X* would lead to _"better outcomes and less harm for young Australians"_, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. The *legislation offers almost no details on how the rules will be enforced* -- prompting concern among experts that it will be largely symbolic.