The Islamic holy month of Ramadan — observed by roughly a quarter of the global population — began the evening of Feb. 28, marking a period for prayer, spiritual reflection, and spending time with loved ones. It commemorates the revealing of the Quran to the prophet Mohammad, and lasts 29 or 30 days, depending on the lunar cycle. To draw closer to God, cultivate self-discipline, and practice gratitude, many Muslims observe the month by fasting during the sunlit hours each day. The fast commences after a pre-dawn meal called "suhoor" — a tradition that some households' feline members refuse to miss out on, no matter how sleepy they are. Learn more about Ramadan. — the Nice News team
Featured Story
This Gym Teacher Invented Basketball on a Challenge by His Boss
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March Madness kicks off today with Selection Sunday, and we have a fitting story for you to read while you're getting ready to fret over your brackets. Long before LeBron James was shooting hoops on the world's stage, another James was the biggest name in basketball — though folks today may not know it. In the winter of 1891, James Naismith was a graduate student and P.E. instructor at Massachusetts' Springfield College, where students forced to take gym class inside were growing restless. "There was no indoor game that would invoke the enthusiasm of football or baseball," Naismith later wrote. So his boss put the 30-year-old in charge of coming up with one. He thought long and hard, tried a few things and failed, and, finally, had a lightbulb moment. "I can still recall how I snapped my fingers and shouted, 'I've got it!'" Naismith wrote. Click below to get the whole story and see the original typewritten rules he hung in the school gym.
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This Week's Top Stories
Humanity
The Overlooked Key to High Performance at Work? Kindness
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We talk a lot about kindness at Nice News — why it matters, what it can look (and taste) like, and how to be kinder to yourself and others. But what's less talked about is how kindness pays off in the workplace. "Kindness drives performance," Graham Allcott wrote for Next Big Idea Club magazine. Allcott is the author of KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work, a book that dives into the roles of empathy, trust, and psychological safety as cornerstones of successful workers and leaders — and bigger picture, successful businesses. Unlike the traditional notion that being ruthless and self-serving is key to climbing the ladder, Allcott writes that putting kindness at the heart of a business offers "strategic advantages" that keep people feeling engaged, productive, innovative, and happy. However, this is often easier said than done. "Kind is about telling people what they need to hear," not necessarily what they want to hear, Allcott explained. He added: "We can offer difficult and uncomfortable truth, but from a place of love." Read his tips on how to practice kindness at work.
Culture
From Authors to Farmers: Eames Institute Honors 100 Curious Leaders
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The Academy Award winner who did the production design for the Black Panther movies. An author and marine biologist leading the charge to protect our oceans. A chef on a mission to reclaim the culinary heritage of Indigenous communities around the world. All of these changemakers and more made the cut for The Curious 100, a list released last week by the Eames Institute. The initiative honors 100 leaders across myriad disciplines, including food, arts, community building, technology, and social impact, per a press release shared with Nice News. "Curiosity is not merely an intellectual pursuit," said Scott Shigeoka, one of the panelists who helped curate the list and the author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. "It's a powerful tool for human connection and social change. The Curious 100 is an inspiring example of how leaders use their curiosity as a powerful practice to solve the biggest problems we face today." The honorees run the gamut from academics and artists to farmers and philanthropists. But all of them are people making their mark on the world, whether through advancing racial justice, tackling food insecurity, combating climate change, or opening doors of opportunities for others. "We want to shine a bright light on people leading with curiosity and wonder," explained John Cary, the president and CEO of the Institute. "Each of them are testaments to the boundless potential of curiosity to shape a brighter, more creative, and hopeful future." Meet The Curious 100.
Lifestyle
Sri Lanka Named 2025's Most Family-Friendly Country
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If you frequently daydream about packing up your bags — and your kids' bags — to fly off to an international vacation (or full-on move), here's a new list to put on your radar. The money transfer service Remitly assessed 82 countries and ranked them by how family-friendly they are, looking at the cost of childcare, the quality and accessibility of education, and the expected years of schooling. Sri Lanka topped the listfor its "impressive education system" and "incredibly low annual childcare costs" of around $350 per year. The vibrant island nation is also home to plenty of beaches, ancient temples, national parks, and incredible wildlife, all of which make it sound like a pretty special place to be a kid (and adult for that matter). The second most family-friendly country was Sweden, due to its high education score and "moderate" childcare costs, and Norway followed in third place. Check out the rest of the top 10.
Sunday Selections
Deep Dives
Naples, Italy, is home to a collection of gold, jewel-encrusted objects donated over the past 500 years to honor the city's patron saint
Break out the leg warmers: Jazzercise is still going strong, empowering women of all ages to shimmy and shine like the stars they are
There are TV shows and films that are so bad they're good — and then there are some that are just plain awful. The distinction is up to the viewer, but Bruce Vilanch is intimately familiar with his work being the fodder for that debate. In addition to the award-winning content he's helped create, plenty of flops can be found on the 76-year-old comedy writer's resume. In this humorous memoir, he dives into the decisions behind shows like The Star Wars Holiday Special and The Brady Bunch Variety Hour, answering that oft-asked question "How did this get made?"
A meditation on love and loss in the form of a nature documentary, Every Little Thing follows Terry Masear, the founder of a Los Angeles hummingbird rescue, and her work caring for her nonprofits' tiny, iridescent denizens — whose brief time on Earth provides much opportunity for metaphor. Per The Guardian, kindness is at the core of this "shimmering, densely layered film," which reveals Masear's own life story between mesmerizing, close-up footage of the birds. Catch it in theaters now — and bring the tissues.
This Week in History
Apartheid Ends in South Africa
March 17, 1992
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After nearly a century of legalized racism, a reality made more powerful by the 1948 election of the Nationalist Party, white South Africans voted to eliminate minority rule on March 17, 1992. The decision put an end to apartheid ("separateness" in Afrikaans), the brutal, institutionalized segregation that had been the subject of decades of protests. "Today we have closed the book on apartheid," then-President F.W. de Klerk told cheering crowds the day after the vote. Two years later, in the first free, nonracial election, activist Nelson Mandela — who had served 27 years in prison for his nonviolent opposition to the policies — became the country's first Black president.
19 Amazon Cooking Gadgets That You Need to Try, Courtesy of Brad's Deals
Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice home cook, the right tools can elevate your cooking game and spark creativity in the kitchen. Amazon has become the go-to hub for viral cooking gadgets, and Brad's Deals experts have filtered through all the top sellers to find out which ones are actually worth the hype.
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