The results are in for this year’s National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest, and the photos are truly exceptional. They were selected from more than 17,000 global entries in the categories Travel Portraits, Outdoor Scenes, Sense of Place and Spontaneous Moments. Anuar Patjane Floriuk won first prize for his underwater shot of divers swimming close to a humpback whale near Roca Partida, an island off of the western coast of Mexico. The grand prize is an eight-day National Geographic Photo Expedition to Costa Rica and the Panama Canal for two....

If you’ve been unfortunate enough to experience physical, emotional or sexual abuse or any other kind of traumatic experience – you know how hard it is to overcome these experiences. They tend to live inside of you, eating up your self-esteem day by day. However, as these days, mental illnesses and hardships get more and more attention, it becomes easier for those who are wounded to open up about their hardships....

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) banned transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. On Monday, the committee updated the Athlete Safety Policy on its website with a document dated June 18. While the update was not publicized by the USOPC, it includes wording that indicates trans athletes will be banned from competing in women’s sports. USOPC updated its Athlete Safety Policy to ban transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports, aligning with federal policies....

Insecurity can wreck relationships because of how much power it has over a person. Someone lacking in self-confidence will find it tough to look past their doubts and see the bigger picture. This can create massive problems in relationships , especially if the reason for insecurity is unfounded. A man on Reddit shared how his wife confronted him after he had a conversation with a woman wearing a bikini. Interestingly enough, his wife shared her side of the story, and her version was quite different....

Parenting is already hard enough. A parent is someone who’s responsible for raising another person the best they can. And still, for some, life throws additional challenges, as if parenting itself wasn’t enough. For example, a neurodivergence disorder(s). What’s even worse, some neurodivergent parents don’t even get diagnosed with these disorders until way later (or, in some cases, even never), which can lead them to feel guilt and dissatisfaction over their parenting capabilities....

Mom-of-three and blogger Ashley Gibson strives to be the best parent. And that’s definitely something to be proud of. However, from time to time she — like all moms — ends up in situations where she has to do things she’s not too psyched about. And if it weren’t for her husband, Ashley even might’ve gotten used to them. “There’s no trophy, Ashley,” her husband said as she was giving birth....

The loss of a loved one is never an easy thing to deal with. When someone is grieving, it’s helpful if everyone else around them can try to make their life a little bit easier. Dropping off meals so they don’t have to cook, making important phone calls when they just don’t have the energy, and being there to make sure that they feel supported can all go a long way....

Relationships are a two-way street, a give-and-take affair. Conversely, cracks in the foundation will begin to form once one partner shoulders most of the burden, much like what this wife did for her husband. As a self-confessed people-pleaser, she had been his doormat for the years they’d been together. Their codependent marriage reached a crisis point when the woman began drawing the line and putting aside more time for herself....

Globally, women are more likely to experience violence , stalking and online harassment. Studies have shown that women’s pain is less likely to be taken seriously in medical settings. Women still carry an unequal share of unpaid domestic labor. These aren’t isolated stories. They’re patterns. That doesn’t mean that men don’t face their own struggles. But gender-based inequality is real, and it shapes women’s daily decisions in ways that often go unnoticed....

What if we told you that steakhouses and sushi restaurants are 62 times more bacteria-filled than your preferred fast food joint? You will likely rethink your dining choices and stick to burgers and fries over high-end otoro tuna. This is just one of the many industry secrets that certain professions would rather the public not be aware of. Today, we’re revealing more of these hidden pieces of information through responses in a recent Reddit thread ....

Each decade brings new cultural changes, including shifts in fashion and music. After watching today’s biggest stars walk the red carpet at the 2026 Grammy Awards , it’s worth looking back at who attended the ceremony ten years ago —and, more specifically, what they chose to wear. Contrasts with this year’s fashion statements show how some trends have faded into oblivion while other, very different ones have emerged. The 2026 Grammy Awards were marked by sheer dresses and other skin-baring looks....

The massive earthquake that struck off the coast of Russia has countries and regions around the Pacific scrambling to get residents to safety for any possible tsunami aftereffects. In Hawaii , evacuations and emergency preparedness have been ongoing, but on the island of Maui, a backup of traffic to flee the island has been getting attention. Major evacuations are underway in several Pacific Ocean regions after an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia....

James Eugene Carrey, a Canadian-American comedy actor, has basically ruled the comedy genre for several decades. Just mention Ace Ventura or The Mask to anyone, and they’ll immediately try to mimic his ingenious facial expressions, his voice intonations, and, well, the essence of Jim Carrey himself. However, there’s only one of him, and he truly is the king of the silver screen. Besides being a famous actor, he is also a published author, and being such, he’s not at a loss for wise words at any time....

If age is just a number, then a prison cell is just a room. When they say that hangovers get worse after your mid-twenties, they’re not lying. Because, heck , they do, and a few bevvies can take a day to recover and two pills of Ibuprofen to get that clapping monkey with cymbals out of one’s head. Do you know what is even less fun? Turning 30. By 30, you’re expected to have a house, two children and to have seen the Taj Mahal....

Like most things, social taboos can be ranked from mild to absolute nope . And on the latter side of the spectrum lies a concept so taboo that even pointing it out in media feels awkward. And that is flirting between siblings . But, interestingly enough, many folks don’t really pick up on these contextually awkward cues in movies and TV. Can’t blame them—they just wanna unwind with a movie. Until someone points it out, that is....

Christmas is the time of merry mood, loads of chocolate and everything green and red. Oh, it’s also the time of giving. And while the idea of Christmas gifts might be exciting for everyone, most of the people find buying gifts pretty stressful, especially if the soon-to-be gift receiver is an important person. So when this guy prepared to get something for his parents on Christmas, the challenge was definitely there....

Traveling is a thing everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. It offers you heaps of great emotions and fills you up with memories that you’re bound to cherish till the end of your sweet days. You get to learn about different countries and people’s cultures, meet great companions, and try all the mouth-watering foods of our world. However, the actual travel process can be rather stress-inducing. The packing, a dreadfully long wait at the airport, and what seem like endless security checks – and don’t forget the unforeseen circumstances – these things are not fun for most....

It’s somewhat ironic that I’m writing this post about office jokes (no, not the jokes from The Office ) while working from the office. Don’t get me wrong, I like my job and writing for you peeps or Pandas, whichever you prefer, but let’s all be dead honest here. We would all prefer to be somewhere else other than at work. But ya know, we’ve got bills to pay and responsibilities to fulfill....

In 2022, 38% of Americans said they or a family member skipped or delayed medical care because of cost, according to a poll from Gallup. 27% of respondents said the treatments they passed over were for “very” or “somewhat” serious conditions or illnesses, while 11% percent reported neglecting to pursue care for non-serious health issues . However, as one recent Reddit thread shows, forgoing treatment can result in substantial consequences and can compound costs down the road....

There’s never a bad time to share a fun fact . You can easily break the ice in any conversation or lighten the mood by sharing some information that others might find amusing. But what are we supposed to do with all of those unsettling, uncomfortable and upsetting facts that are floating around inside our brains? Today, we’re dedicating our attention to disturbing info, pandas. Redditors have recently been sharing some of the least fun facts that they know, so we’ve gathered some that you might not want to know down below....