Ten things to know about the life of Queen Elizabeth II: BRITAIN’S LONGEST-REIGNING MONARCH Elizabeth, who marked 70 years on the throne this year, is the oldest and longest-reigning monarch in British history. In September 2015 she surpassed her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years and seven months. In 2016, Elizabeth also became the longest-reigning monarch in the world with the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand. In 2022, she became the second-longest-reigning monarch in world history, behind 17th century French King Louis XIV, who took the throne at age 4. Apart from Elizabeth and Victoria, only…

A man and a child walk through an almost empty Red Square in Moscow, umbrella in hand, snow on the ground. It looks extremely cold - a good day to be inside eating lunch with your family. As dramatic music plays, the advert cuts to close-up shots of the pair - a troubled-looking man in a black overcoat and cap, and his smiling granddaughter. Within seconds they reach their destination: a Pizza Hut restaurant located directly in Red Square - the central plaza where so much of Soviet and Russian history is reflected. But why, 24 years on, is this…

China’s economy has been immensely successful by most measures. Its gross domestic product (GDP) of $17.7 trillion is second only to the United States. It’s also the third-largest trading nation in the world — behind only the U.S. and E.U. However, China’s currency — the renminbi — only accounts for 3% of global trade. Compare that to the 87% market share of the U.S. dollar. Despite its economic and political power, the country doesn’t dominate the global flow of fiat currency. Now, it’s looking to change that. Here is China’s multitrillion, multidecade plan to replace the U.S. dollar as the…

If you’re feeling drained at the end of a demanding day at the office, it could be you’ve been thinking too much. Researchers have found that too much use of the gray matter can lead to mental fatigue, making it harder to make decisions. Scientists analyzed the chemical composition of the brains of two groups of people over the course of an approximate work day. One group was given easy tasks, while the other was told to carry out more demanding versions of the same cognitive assignments. Signs of fatigue, such as reduced pupil dilation, were recorded only in the…