Crowds gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Sunday for Shivaratri, a Hindu festival where worship, music, and a rare allowance of marijuana use marked the celebration, according to Euronews. Meanwhile, in India, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the country has 100 million weekly active ChatGPT users, making it one of the company's largest markets globally, as reported by TechCrunch. Elsewhere, the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service continued its vital work, providing medical care to remote villages inaccessible by road, as highlighted by NPR News.
Tens of thousands of people attended the Shivaratri festival at Kathmandu's Pashupatinath Temple, where they prayed, sang, and danced in honor of Shiva, Euronews reported. Although marijuana is typically banned, police permitted limited use during the festival, reflecting Shiva's historical connection to cannabis. Across the Bagmati river, ash-covered holy men and young devotees openly smoked.
In India, Altman's announcement of ChatGPT's widespread adoption came ahead of the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, where OpenAI was set to formally participate, according to TechCrunch. The company opened a New Delhi office in August 2025 and is looking to India's large population and internet user base to fuel its global expansion.
NPR News showcased the work of the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service, which provides essential medical care to isolated villages. The service relies on airplanes and helicopters to reach communities like Mphooko, which are inaccessible by road. Dental therapist Senate Makhoali described the challenging journeys, including a stormy flight in a small plane and a bumpy helicopter ride.
In other news, Wired discussed the concept of "ground-state energy," or zero-point energy, which remains even when a box is emptied of all visible and invisible contents, according to quantum mechanics. The Verge recommended the cult classic film "Possession," urging viewers to watch it without prior knowledge.
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