In a world overflowing with information, the news can overwhelm us. Columnist Mary Contrary tells us how exploring different news perspectives, backgrounds, and underreported voices, can offer us nuanced insights and context and a clearer picture. It can provide a deeper understanding of our complex world, beyond prevailing beliefs. Let's delve into the quiet news — the news we might otherwise miss.

We've always sought answers in the sky, yet it sometimes poses intriguing questions. Consider the enigmatic Min Min Lights in Australia and Marfa Lights in Texas. Despite being worlds apart, these phenomena share similarities that blend local folklore, cultural significance, and scientific intrigue. Can we appreciate them without explanation?

Different cultures and nations celebrate the New Year in different ways and at different times. Together, they demonstrate that what we often consider a single truth is merely one perspective among many. Moreover, despite their differences, all these perspectives share a common thread: the celebration of hope, renewal, and, of course, our shared humanity. Let's take a look at a few. Happy New Year!

Women's empowerment remains a vital topic, and Ingrid, a promising Dutch artist in Rome, is highlighting it through vibrant colors and bold brushstrokes. Her work has been featured in prominent exhibitions, including those on the iconic Via Margutta, and is currently on display at the Museo Civico di Zoologia. A glimpse into an innovative artist's studio in Rome.

The team behind the renowned Sextantio project, and the unique revival of the once-abandoned mountain village of Santo Stefano in Italy's Abruzzo region, continues to innovate. Their latest venture, restaurant Sextantio Cucina, revives the region's history. Spearheaded by a celebrated local chef, it demonstrates how honouring the past through inspiring cuisine can lead to a promising future.

Italian culture often embraces a superstitious outlook on life, with these beliefs weaving together elements of history, religion, death, and mystery. Ingrid, a Dutch writer and painter residing in Rome, explores these superstitions, covering topics like black cats, the color purple in theaters, and selecting inappropriate flowers. Here, we introduce: Ingrid's Italian superstitions.

My Time In Ghana: During her filming trip to Ghana in the nineties, Mary Contrary, a perspectivator at heart, discovered aspects of African life which are so incredibly rich, they contrast sharply with the poverty and hardship often seen by Western visitors. This is her story.

Jenny Hamilton, a Senior Lecturer in Counselling and Psychological Therapies at the University of Lincoln, GB, has come up with a cool idea called the MOVIE Model. It's a science-based, fun twist on therapy that lets you enjoy some therapeutic benefits right from your couch... by simply watching a movie!

Here's an unusual thought: What if nature had the ability to observe life? What would its perspective be? Mary Contrary suggests nature already imitates us and invites you to see this through rare images. Intrigued? Presenting: Abstract Art: "Life, By Nature".