On November 8, a huge sinkhole swallowed part of an intersection in Fukuoka, Japan, creating a hole in the street almost 100 feet wide and 50 feet deep. While the hole was repaired and the street reopened about a week later, it has begun sinking yet again, according to Mashable.

The city’s mayor, Soichiro Takashima, initially said that after the two-day filling period, the new road was 30 times stronger than it had been before the sinkhole appeared. The hole was probably caused by underground construction work on a subway line extension.

At 1:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 26, police closed the rebuilt section of road near the city’s Hakata railway station because it began sinking again, sagging by about 2.8 inches. No one was injured, nor were there any gas leaks or power outages reported, and the road was reopened to traffic by 5:30 a.m.

According to The Japan Times, the joint venture responsible for the subway construction warned that sagging could occur again, and promised to close the road if it sank by more than an inch. On his Facebook page, the mayor pledged that officials would keep monitoring the height of the street for further sinkage; in another Facebook post, he also apologized for not warning citizens of the possibility of the road dropping again.

[h/t Mashable]

The work of Wes Anderson isn’t hard to identify if you know what to look for: He has a soft spot for smooth tracking shots, festive color palettes, and quality hats. All of this is on display in the short film “Come Together,” a new holiday commercial from H&M directed by the iconic filmmaker.

The piece stars one of Anderson’s go-to actors, Adrien Brody. Here the star of Darjeeling Limited (2007) finds himself on a train once more, this time as the conductor. After announcing to passengers on the “H&M Lines Winter Express” that train delays will interfere with their holiday plans, he invites everyone for hot cocoa in the cafe car. The scene ends with the train’s unaccompanied minor walking into a makeshift winter wonderland as John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas” plays in the background.

Commercials may seem like a departure for the accomplished auteur, but the H&M project is hardly his first: He’s also directed ads for Hyundai, IKEA, and American Express.

In the search for sunlight-harvesting real estate, one French engineering group is turning to roadways. As Bloomberg reports, Colas SA, a subsidiary of Bouygues, has plans to incorporate super-strong solar panels into pavement around the world.

The team has already designed technology capable of collecting solar energy while supporting heavy tractor-trailers overhead. At the apparatus’s core is a regular solar panel. Colas SA’s Wattway unit has reinforced it with several coatings of different plastics to protect the solar cells inside without blocking the Sun’s rays. A layer of crushed glass on top keeps cars from sliding. Wiring in the road routes the power directly to the grid.

Construction of a test site in Tourouvre in Normandy, France began last month. The kilometer stretch of road includes more than 30,000 square feet of photovoltaics, which are predicted to generate up to 280 kilowatts of energy. According to Wattway, that’s enough electricity to power a year’s worth of public lighting in a town of 5000. In addition to supplementing the power grid, Wattway’s solar roads can also charge electric cars, light billboards, and run hydrogen power plants.

Wattway isn’t the first group to come up with the bright idea. Last year, the Missouri Department of Transportation announced plans to build America’s first public solar road along a section of Route 66, and in that same year a solar bike path in the Netherlands generated enough energy to power homes for year. But this latest project is especially ambitious—after building their next two sites in Canada and the U.S., Wattway has plans to test the technology in Africa, Europe, and Japan. They’re installing panels in 100 test sites over the next year with hopes to have them ready for commercial use by 2018.

Before that happens, the group needs to ensure their panels can withstand the weight of traffic. At this point, their panels can hold up beneath an 18-wheeler truck, but Wattway’s chief technology officer Philippe Harelle says they may have worse luck under a snowplow. Cost is another roadblock: Panels used in solar roads are more expensive than the ones used in solar farms. But unlike solar farms, panels embedded in highways take advantage of free space. As Harelle told Bloomberg, “We wanted to find a second life for a road.”

[h/t Bloomberg]

The world’s national anthems are a delightful mixed bag of patriotism, poetry, and the peculiar. While some of these verses rarely receive airtime—and there’s always risk that something is lost in translation—each lyric is like a postcard, rich with details about a country’s history and culture. Enjoy!

1. AUSTRIA: WE HAVE HAMMERS

Land of mountains, land by the river,
Land of fields, land of cathedrals,
Land of hammers, with a promising future!

Land of Mountains, Land by the River (Hammers are a symbol of industry.)

2. ARGENTINA: ALERT THE ZOMBIE REVOLUTIONARIES 

The Inca is roused in his tomb
and fire is rekindled in his bones,
on seeing his sons renewing
his homeland’s former splendor

Himno Nacional Argentino (Canción Patriótica)

3. GABON: NO SORCERERS ALLOWED

Yes, may the happy days dreamed by our ancestors
Come for us at last, rejoice our hearts,
And banish the sorcerers, those perfidious deceivers
Who were sowing poison and were spreading fear.

The Concord

4. COLOMBIA: METAL BAND NAME #1, “A CONSTELLATION OF CYCLOPS”

Thus the motherland is formed,
Thermopylaes are bursting forth;
a constellation of cyclops
its night brightened.
The trembling flower
finding the wind mortal,
underneath the laurels
safety sought.

Himno nacional de Colombia

5. SENEGAL: METAL BAND NAME #2, “LION’S FROTH”

Senegal, you the son of the lion’s froth,
Sprung from the night to the gallop of horses.

Pluck Your Koras, Strike the Balafons/The Red Lion

6. PARAGUAY: WE ARE ROME!

A new Rome, the Fatherland shall proudly display
Two leaders of name and valor
Who, rivals, like Romulus and Remus
Divided government and power.

Paraguayans, The Republic or Death

7. ROMANIA: NO YOU’RE NOT, WE’RE ROME!

It’s now or never that we prove to the world
That in these veins still flows Roman blood
And in our hearts for ever we glorify a name
Triumphant in battles, the name of Trajan.

Wake Up, Romanian!

8. BANGLADESH: LET’S PLAY IN THE DIRT

O mother! The fragrance from your mango groves makes me wild with joy,
Ah, what a thrill!

My Golden Bengal

9. HONDURAS: SHOUT OUT TO FRANCE

It was France, the free, the heroic,
Which in its dreams of centuries slept,
Awoke irate to life
At the virile protest of Danton:
It was France, who sent to the death
The head of the consecrated King,
And which built up proudly at its side,
The altar of the goddess of Reason.

National Anthem of Honduras

10. ANDORRA: WE <3 FRANCE (OR AT LEAST THE FRANKS), TOO

The great Charlemagne, my father,
liberated me from the Saracens
And from heaven he gave me life …
I am the only remaining daughter,
of the Carolingian empire

The Great Charlemagne

11. ALGERIA: SCREW YOU, FRANCE!

O France,
Past is the time of palavers
We closed it as we close a book
O France! The day to settle the accounts has come!

The Pledge

12. FRANCE: DON’T MESS WITH US

Tremble, tyrants and you traitors
The shame of all parties,
Tremble! Your parricidal schemes
Will finally receive their reward!
Everyone is a soldier to combat you
If they fall, our young heroes,
The earth will produce new ones,
Ready to fight against you!

The Song of Marseille

13. CABO VERDE: MOTIVATE YOURSELF WITH THIS BEAUTIFUL TRUTH

Hope is as big as the sea
Which embraces us

Song of Freedom

14. ARMENIA: DEMOTIVATE YOURSELF WITH THIS DEPRESSING TRUTH 

Death is the same everywhere,
A man dies but once,
Blessed is the one that dies
For the freedom of his nation.

Our Fatherland

15. KIRIBATI: LET’S MAKE THIS THE ANTHEM FOR THE PLANET, PLEASE? 

Stand up, People of Kiribati!
Sing with jubilation!
Prepare to accept responsibility
And to help each other!
Be steadfastly righteous!
Love all our people!
Be steadfastly righteous!
Love all our people!

The attainment of contentment
And peace by our people
Will be achieved when all our hearts beat as one,
Love one another!
Promote happiness and unity!
Love one another!
Promote happiness and unity!

We beseech You, O God,
To protect and lead us
In the days to come.
Help us with Your loving hand.
Bless our Government
and all our people!
Bless our Government
and all our people!

Stand Up, Kiribati

It’s tough to stay healthy and fit during the holidays, but Amazon’s making it a little easier this Cyber Monday. Stay active during the festivities and get a head start on that “Be healthier” New Year’s resolution, with a new Fitbit at a bargain price. Amazon is knocking up to $50 off several of the most popular Fitbit models, so you’ve got a great excuse to buy one for yourself or as a gift. This sale means you can start tracking your fitness for as little as $59.46, and even the Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness watch is marked all the way down to $127. If you’ve had your eye on a Fitbit, take advantage of this deal while it lasts.

Mental Floss has affiliate relationships with certain retailers (including Amazon) and may receive a small percentage of any sale. But we only get commission on items you buy and don’t return, so we’re only happy if you’re happy. Good luck deal hunting!

Fitbit Flex 2, Black for $59.46 (list price $99.95)

Fitbit Alta Fitness Tracker, Silver/Black for $84.96 (list price $129.95)

Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband, Black for $109.86 (list price $149.95)

Fitbit Blaze Smart Fitness Watch, Black, Silver, Large for $127.46 (list price $199.95)