A groundbreaking study from the University of Bristol reveals that while individuals can learn to be happier, sustained benefits require ongoing practice. The research, based on the university's 'Science of Happiness' course, demonstrates that short-term boosts in wellbeing from learning evidence-informed habits like gratitude and meditation fade without continuous implementation. Senior author Prof Bruce Hood compares happiness training to physical fitness, emphasizing the need for ongoing mental health efforts. Launched in 2018, the course, which draws from psychology and neuroscience studies, has shown a 10 to 15% improvement in student wellbeing. However, only those who persist in applying course teachings maintain increased wellbeing long-term Source: Oman News Agency New York, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that Israel's military operation in the Gaza border city of Rafah would lead Palestinians to 'an even deeper circle of hell.' Head of the United Nations is urging Israel to honour the spirit of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan by 'silencing the guns.' Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that Monday marks the start of Ramadan, when 'Muslims around the world celebrate and spread the values of peace, reconciliation and solidarity.' Yet in Gaza, 'the killing, bombing and bloodshed continue,' he said, with civilian killings and destruction in the territory 'at a level that is unprecedented' in his more than seven years as UN secretary-general. He warned that Israel's threatened assault on the southern city of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have sought safety, 'could plummet the people of Gaza into an even deeper circle of hell.' Source: Syrian Arab News Agency