Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind is a book by Yuval Noah Harari that surveys the history of humankind from the Stone Age to the 21st century, focusing on Homo sapiens. It was first published in Hebrew in Israel in 2011, and in English in 2014.Here's a summary of the book, according to the Wikipedia article:

• Framework Harari places human history within a framework where the natural sciences set the limits for human activity, and social sciences shape what happens within those bounds. History, as an academic discipline, is the account of cultural change.
• Divisions of History Harari divides the history of Homo sapiens into four major parts:
• Main ArgumentHomo sapiens came to dominate the world because they are the only animal that can cooperate flexibly in large numbers. This ability arises from the unique capacity to believe in things existing purely in the imagination, such as gods, nations, money, and human rights. Harari argues that these beliefs give rise to discrimination and that it is potentially impossible to have a completely unbiased society.
• Agricultural Revolution While it promoted population growth for H. sapiens and co-evolving species like wheat and cows, it made the lives of most individuals (and animals) worse than they had been when H. sapiens were mostly hunter-gatherers, since their diet and daily lives became significantly less varied.
• Unification of Humankind Over history, the trend for H. sapiens has increasingly been towards political and economic interdependence. For centuries, the majority of humans lived in empires, and capitalist globalisation is effectively producing one, global empire. Money, empires, and universal religions are the principal drivers of this process.
• Scientific Revolution Innovation in European thought, whereby elites became willing to admit to and try to remedy their own ignorance. Harari claims there is a lack of research into the history of happiness, and posits that people today are not significantly happier than in past eras. Modern technology may soon end the species by ushering in genetic engineering, immortality, and non-organic life.

The book has been translated into 65 different languages and made The New York Times best-seller list for 182 weeks. It has received both positive and mixed reviews from critics. Some have praised its broad scope and engaging style, while others have criticised its accuracy and lack of originality.

The 2025 Audi RS Q8 performance is a powerful SUV with a starting price of $136,200 or Rs 2.49 crore. It is powered by a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 engine that delivers 631 HP (640 PS) and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. This allows the RS Q8 performance to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds. Some sources state slightly different figures of 3.6 seconds for 0-100 kmph. The vehicle has an electronically limited top speed of 305 kmph.Key Features

• Performance:
• Exterior Design:
• Interior Design and Features:
• Technology and Driver Assistance:
• Dimensions:
• Safety:

Additional Information

• The RS Q8 performance is available in eight exterior colour options, including Mythos Black Metallic, Glacier White Metallic, and Chili Red Metallic.
• The vehicle does not have any special edition offerings in India.
• Alternatives to the RS Q8 performance include the Lamborghini Urus, Aston Martin DBX, and Porsche Cayenne.
• The Audi RS Q8 has a user reported mileage of 9 kmpl.

February 18 is the 49th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 316 days remaining until the end of the year, or 317 in leap years.Events that occurred on February 18:

• 3102 BC: The Kali Yuga, the fourth and final yuga of Hinduism, started with the death of Krishna.
• 1229: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signed a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem without military engagements.
• 1478: George, Duke of Clarence, was executed for treason against his brother Edward IV of England.
• 1791: Congress passed a law admitting Vermont to the Union, effective 4 March.
• 1861: Jefferson Davis was inaugurated as the provisional President of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Alabama. Also, Victor Emmanuel II assumed the title of King of Italy.
• 1873: Bulgarian revolutionary leader Vasil Levski was executed by Ottoman authorities in Sofia.
• 1885: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain was published in the United States.
• 1900: Imperial forces suffered their worst single-day loss of life on Bloody Sunday during the Second Boer War.
• 1911: The first official flight with airmail took place in Allahabad, British India.
• 1915: The Imperial German Navy instituted unrestricted submarine warfare around Great Britain and Ireland.
• 1930: Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto.
• 1930: Elm Farm Ollie became the first cow to fly in a fixed-wing aircraft and to be milked in an aircraft.
• 1965: The Gambia became independent from the United Kingdom.
• 1977: The Xinjiang 61st Regiment Farm fire, the deadliest fireworks accident in the world, occurred during Chinese New Year, killing 694 personnel.
• 1979: Richard Petty won a then-record sixth Daytona 500.
• 2001: FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested for spying for the Soviet Union.
• 2003: An arsonist set fire to a subway train in Daegu, South Korea, killing 192 people.
• 2013: Armed robbers stole diamonds worth $50 million during a raid at Brussels Airport in Belgium.
• 2021: The Mars rover Perseverance successfully landed on Mars.

People born on February 18:

• 1516: Mary I of England
• 1745: Alessandro Volta, Italian physicist, invented the battery
• 1838: Ernst Mach, Austrian physicist and philosopher
• 1898: Luis Muñoz Marín, Puerto Rican poet and politician, 1st Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
• 1931: Toni Morrison, American novelist and editor, Nobel Prize laureate
• 1933: Yoko Ono, Japanese-American multimedia artist and musician
• 1954: John Travolta, American actor, singer and producer
• 1954:

Presidents' Day, known officially as Washington's Birthday at the federal level, is a US holiday celebrated on the third Monday of February.Here is a summary of information about the holiday from the source:

• It is often a celebration of all US presidents, but has been a federal holiday honoring George Washington since 1879. Washington led the Continental Army to victory in the American Revolutionary War, presided at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and was the first US president, serving from 1789 to 1797.
• The state holiday may celebrate Washington alone, Washington and Abraham Lincoln, or some other combination of US presidents.
• The Uniform Monday Holiday Act moved the holiday to the third Monday in February in 1968, to give federal employees a three-day weekend. The presence and placement of the apostrophe in the name varies.
• Nearly half of state governments have officially renamed their observances "Presidents' Day", "Washington and Lincoln Day", or other designations.
• The following states use "President" in the official title: Hawaii, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, South Dakota, Texas, Vermont, and Washington use "Presidents' Day"; Alaska, Idaho, Maryland, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Wyoming use "President's Day"; Nevada and Oregon use "Presidents Day"; Maine uses "Washington's Birthday/President's Day" and Arizona uses "Lincoln/Washington Presidents' Day".
• Some states use "Washington" alone in the title: Virginia uses "George Washington Day"; Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, and New York use "Washington's Birthday".
• Other states use both "Washington" and "Lincoln": Montana uses "Lincoln's and Washington's Birthday"; Colorado and Ohio use "Washington–Lincoln Day"; Utah uses "Washington and Lincoln Day"; Minnesota uses "Washington's and Lincoln's Birthday".
• Still, other states use "Washington" and another person, for example, Alabama uses "George Washington/Thomas Jefferson Birthday" and Arkansas uses "George Washington's Birthday and Daisy Bates Day".
• California uses the generic term, "The third Monday in February".
• Delaware does not observe the Washington's Birthday federal holiday.
• In Massachusetts, the state officially celebrates "Washington's Birthday" on the same day as the federal holiday, but state law also directs the governor to issue an annual "Presidents Day" proclamation on May 29, honoring presidents with Massachusetts roots: Kennedy, John Adams, John Quincy Adams, and Calvin Coolidge.
• In New Mexico, Presidents' Day is observed on the Friday following Thanksgiving, for state-government paid holiday, although the legal public holiday remains the third Monday in February.
• The federal holiday honoring Washington was originally implemented by an Act of Congress in 1879 for government offices in Washington and expanded in 1885 to include all federal offices.
• Celebrations are held throughout February in Washington's adopted hometown of Alexandria, Virginia.
• A food traditionally associated with the holiday is cherry pie, based on the legend of Washington in his youth chopping down a cherry tree.
• Federal and state government services close.
• The Purple Heart medal, which bears Washington's image, is awarded to soldiers injured in battle.
• Since 1862, the United States Senate has had a tradition of reading George Washington's Farewell Address on his birthday.
• The holiday is well-known for coinciding with sales discounts for big ticket items such as appliances, furniture, and mattresses.
• Since the mid-2000s, the National Basketball Association has held their annual All-Star festivities during the holiday weekend.

Michelle Monaghan is an American actress who was born on March 23, 1976, in Winthrop, Iowa.Here's a summary of her life and career:

• Early Life: Monaghan was raised in Winthrop, Iowa, and has Irish and German ancestry. She graduated from East Buchanan High School in 1994 and then moved to Chicago to study journalism at Columbia College Chicago, where she also began modeling.
• Career Beginnings: Before making her acting debut, Monaghan worked as a model in cities like Milan, Singapore, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Her first credited television appearances were in 2000, and she made her film debut in 2001.
• Breakthrough Roles: Monaghan's early roles included appearances in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the film Unfaithful. She gained recognition for her role in the television series Boston Public.
• Film Career: Monaghan has starred in a variety of films, including:
• Mission: Impossible Series: She is known for her role as Julia Meade in the Mission: Impossible films:
• Television Career: Monaghan has also had a successful television career, including:
• Personal Life: Monaghan is married to Australian graphic artist Peter White, and they have two children. They married in 2005 and live in New York.
• Awards and Nominations: Monaghan's accolades include nominations for a Golden Globe Award, a Saturn Award, and a Critics' Choice Movie Award. She won a San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress for her role in Trucker (2009).

Paul Simon is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. Born October 13, 1941, in Newark, New Jersey, he is known for his solo work as well as his collaboration with Art Garfunkel.Here is a summary of Paul Simon's career:

• Early Career: Between 1957 and 1964, Simon wrote and recorded over 30 songs, sometimes reuniting with Garfunkel under the name Tom & Jerry. He also used pseudonyms such as Jerry Landis and Paul Kane.
• Simon & Garfunkel: In early 1964, Simon and Garfunkel signed with Columbia Records. Their first LP, Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., was released in October 1964. In 1965, Simon moved to London and performed in folk clubs. The duo gained recognition with hits such as "The Sound of Silence," "Mrs. Robinson," "America," and "The Boxer". Their final album, Bridge over Troubled Water (1970), was a best-selling album. The relationship between Simon and Garfunkel became strained, and they broke up in 1970.
• Solo Career (1970s): Simon taught songwriting at New York University in 1970. He released albums such as Paul Simon (1972), There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973), and Still Crazy After All These Years (1975).
• 1980s: In 1980, Simon released One-Trick Pony with Warner Bros. Records, which he also wrote and starred in. In 1981, Simon & Garfunkel reunited for a concert in Central Park. Simon released the album Hearts and Bones in 1983. In 1986, he released Graceland, incorporating South African musical influences.
• 1990s: Simon released The Rhythm of the Saints in 1990, with Brazilian musical influences. Another Simon & Garfunkel reunion took place in September 1993. Simon wrote a Broadway musical, The Capeman, which premiered in 1998.
• 2000s: Simon released the album You're the One in 2000. In 2003, Simon and Garfunkel received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which led to a US tour. Simon released the album Surprise in 2006. In 2007, Simon was the first recipient of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
• 2010s: Simon released So Beautiful or So What in 2011. In 2012, a 25th-anniversary box set of Graceland was released. Simon collaborated with Sting for a concert tour in 2014. Simon released his thirteenth solo studio album, Stranger to Stranger, in 2016. In 2018, Simon released In the Blue Light, consisting of re-recordings of lesser-known songs from his catalogue.
• 2020s: Simon released a new album, Seven Psalms, in April 2023.

Simon has received numerous awards and honors, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, and sixteen Grammy Awards. He is also a co-founder of the Children's Health Fund.

February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 317 days remaining until the year's end, or 318 in leap years.Events that have occurred on February 17 include:

• 1370: The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights clashed in the Battle of Rudau.
• 1411: Musa Çelebi became Sultan of the Ottoman Empire with the support of Mircea I of Wallachia.
• 1500: Duke Friedrich and Duke Johann tried to subdue the peasantry of Dithmarschen, Denmark, during the Battle of Hemmingstedt.
• 1600: Philosopher Giordano Bruno was punished for heresy by having a wooden vise placed on his tongue before being burned at the stake.
• 1616: Nurhaci declared himself Khan of the Later Jin, which preceded the Qing Dynasty.
• 1621: Myles Standish was appointed as the first military commander of the English Plymouth Colony in North America.
• 1674: An earthquake in Ambon, Indonesia, triggered a megatsunami, causing over 2,300 deaths.
• 1753: Sweden transitioned from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, with February 17 being followed by March 1.
• 1801: Thomas Jefferson was elected President and Aaron Burr Vice President by the United States House of Representatives, resolving an Electoral College tie.
• 1819: The United States House of Representatives passed the Missouri Compromise for the first time.
• 1863: The International Committee for Relief to the Wounded, later known as the International Committee of the Red Cross, was founded in Geneva.
• 1864: The H. L. Hunley became the first submarine to sink a warship, the USS Housatonic, in combat.
• 1905: Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia was assassinated in the Moscow Kremlin.
• 1913: The Armory Show opened in New York City, showcasing influential painters of the early 20th century.
• 1948: The Alwaziri coup briefly ousted the ruling Hamidaddin dynasty of Yemen, and Imam Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din was killed.
• 1949: Chaim Weizmann began his term as the first President of Israel.
• 1959: Vanguard 2, the first weather satellite, was launched.
• 1964: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Wesberry v. Sanders that congressional districts must have approximately equal populations.
• 1965: The Ranger 8 probe was launched to photograph the Mare Tranquillitatis region of the Moon.
• 1969: American aquanaut Berry L. Cannon died during an attempt to repair a leak in the SEALAB III underwater habitat.
• 1972: Cumulative sales of the Volkswagen Beetle surpassed those of the Ford Model T.
• 1979: The Sino-Vietnamese War began.
• 1980: The first winter ascent of Mount Everest was achieved by Krzysztof Wielicki and Leszek Cichy.
• 2006: A mudslide in Southern Leyte, Philippines, resulted in a death toll of 1,126.
• 2008: Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.
• 2011: Libyan protests against Muammar Gaddafi's regime began as part of the Arab Spring.

People born on February 17 include Wu Zetian (624), René Laennec (1781), Lola Montez (1821), Banjo Paterson (1864), Michael Jordan (1963), Denise Richards (1971) and Ed Sheeran (1991).People who died on February 17 include Jovian (364), Giordano Bruno (1600), Molière (1673), Heinrich Heine (1856), Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia (1905), Imam of Yemen Yahya Muhammad Hamid ed-Din (1948), Berry L. Cannon (1969), Rush Limbaugh (2021) and Gamini Jayawickrama Perera (2024).February 17 is celebrated as Revolution Day in Libya and Independence Day in Kosovo.

Bromance is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by Arun D. Jose, produced by Ashiq Usman, and written by Arun D. Jose, Raveesh Nath, and Thomas P. Sebastian. The film stars Mathew Thomas, Arjun Ashokan, Mahima Nambiar, Sangeeth Prathap, Shyam Mohan, and Kalabhavan Shajohn.Here's a summary of the key aspects of the film:

• Plot: The film's plot revolves around Binto, who teams up with his brother Shinto's friends in a thrilling adventure to find him, which leads to unexpected twists and discoveries.
• Cast: The cast includes Mathew Thomas as Binto, Arjun Ashokan as Shabeer, Sangeeth Prathap as Hariharasudhan, Shyam Mohan as Shinto, Mahima Nambiar as Aishwarya, and Kalabhavan Shajohn as Courier Babu.
• Release:Bromance was released in theatres on 14 February 2025, coinciding with Valentine's Day.
• Reception: The film received positive reviews from critics. One user review on IMDb described it as "a full pack entertainment!" and praised its comedic elements, strong performances, and groovy songs.
• Technical Details:
• Additional Credits:

The Delhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi and surrounding cities like Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram and Noida. Key aspects of the Delhi Metro include:

• Overview:
• History:
• Lines:
• Network Expansion:
• Driverless Operations:
• Finances:
• Signalling and Telecommunication:
• Ticketing:
• Feeder Buses:

The film Chhaava, released on 14 February 2025, is a Hindi-language historical action film. Here's a summary of the film based on the sources:

• Synopsis: The movie is set after the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and revolves around his son Sambhaji, who takes up the mantle of Maratha leadership. The film depicts Sambhaji's bravery, military strategies, and conflicts with Aurangzeb, including a massive campaign planned by Aurangzeb to quell the Maratha insurgency. It also delves into internal conflicts within the Maratha court, including plots to place Rajaram on the throne.
• Characters:
• Sambhaji: The lead character, is portrayed as a capable warrior who challenges Mughal authority.
• Aurangzeb: The Mughal emperor who recognizes the continuation of resistance led by Sambhaji.
• Yesubai Bhonsale: Sambhaji's wife.
• Production: Directed by Laxman Utekar, the film is based on the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant. The filmmakers undertook extensive research to accurately represent the 17th-century Maratha era, including costume design and recreating historical items. A. R. Rahman composed the film's score.
• Reception:Chhaava received mixed reviews from critics, with praise for Vicky Kaushal's performance but criticism for its historical accuracy and depth.
• Box Office: The film had a strong opening day, earning ₹31 crore net domestically, particularly in Maharashtra.