When Was the First Exoplanet Discovered?
The UniverseFridays When Was the First Exoplanet Discovered? Evidence of alien worlds goes back farther than you think By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows an exoplanet and debris disk orbiting a polluted white dwarf. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait For […]
As Starlink and Other Satellites Proliferate, Astronomers Learn to Manage Interference
In a Sky Full of Satellites, Astronomers Find Creative Ways to Observe the Stars Swarms of satellites launched by SpaceX and other companies are disrupting astronomical observations. Here’s how scientists are coping By Alexandra Witze & Nature magazine Satellite streaks appear in a photograph taken above the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park, Western Australia. In […]
Venezuela says it will start accepting repatriation flights from the U.S. again
By Joe Hernandez Venezuela has announced that it will resume accepting flights of its citizens who are deported by U.S. immigration authorities. Jorge Rodríguez, the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, said on Saturday in a post on social media that the repatriation flights would begin again as early as Sunday. “Migration is not a crime,” […]
What’s the Definition of a ‘Moon’?
The UniverseFridays What Makes a Moon? Defining the word “moon” is harder than you might think By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings A quintet of Saturn’s moons come together in this image from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait Here’s a simple […]
Keir Starmer Talks Trump, Russia-Ukraine War and the Fragile Europe-US Alliance
Trump Administration The British prime minister said in a series of conversations that the tectonic shifts in America’s relationship with Europe and Russia had to be a ‘galvanizing moment.’ Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Barrow-in-Furness, England, on Thursday.Andrew Testa for The New York Times By Mark Landler Mark Landler spoke with Prime Minister Keir Starmer […]
LawConnect leads Sydney to Hobart yacht race after two deaths in wild weather leave fleet rocked
The Sydney to Hobart yacht race has been left reeling after the deaths of two sailors in wild weather that has forced a fifth of the fleet to retire. Supermaxi LawConnect was in the box seat on Friday evening to take out line honours for a second year running after rival Master Lock Comanche pulled…
Kazakhstan Plane Crash Survivors Describe Chaos on Azerbaijan Airlines Flight
Plane Crash in Kazakhstan Flight attendants and a passenger described the moments before an Azerbaijan Airlines flight went down in Kazakhstan, killing dozens. By Milana Mazaeva and Ivan Nechepurenko Reporting from Tbilisi, Georgia At first, there was a strange banging noise outside the plane. Then, while one flight attendant was standing in the cabin, something…
Russia may be responsible for downed Azerbaijani plane, says US
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby has said that the US has seen “early indications” that Russia was responsible for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on 25 December. Mr Kirby did not elaborate further, but said the US had offered assistance to the investigation into the crash. The plane is…
¿Por qué algunas serpientes se comen las unas a las otras?
Periodista especializado en ciencia, sociedad y medio ambiente “Esta serpiente de cascabel debía de estar demasiado ‘poco hecha’ para la culebra, pues sobrevivía cuando volvió a salir a la superficie”, aseguran los responsables del Departamento de Vida Salvaje del Estado de Georgia, en Estados Unidos, en una publicación de la red social Facebook. Se referían…
Mexico tests cellphone app allowing migrants to send alert if they are about to be detained in US
Mexico is developing a cellphone app that will allow migrants to warn relatives and consulates if they think they are about to be detained by U.S. immigration officials MEXICO CITY — Mexico is developing a cellphone app that will allow migrants to warn relatives and local consulates if they think they are about to be…
Claim of dementia could derail former Abercrombie CEO’s sex trafficking case
Manuela López Restrepo A letter from former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries’ legal team, filed this week, claims that he may not be fit to stand trial in his ongoing sex trafficking case due to an alleged diagnosis of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Jeffries was arrested in October as part of a federal…
Azerbaijan Airlines says there was ‘external interference’ before crash
Carrier suspends flights to five Russian airports after early findings of investigation into crash on Christmas Day The aircraft that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing 38 people, experienced “external physical and technical interference”, according to preliminary results of an investigation, Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday. The early findings led the carrier to suspend…
Syria’s New Leaders Try to Unite Rebel Factions Under Defense Ministry
Syria’s Civil War As the fighters who ousted Bashar al-Assad set out to assert control over the country, they pursued former government forces loyal to the Assad regime, resulting in deadly clashes in parts of the country. By Adam Rasgon and Ephrat Livni Adam Rasgon reported from Jerusalem. Syria’s new leadership has taken steps to…
Relatives of Bashar Assad arrested as they tried to fly out of Lebanon, officials say
Lebanese officials say the wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad’s cousins have been arrested at the Beirut airport BEIRUT — The wife and daughter of one of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad ’s cousins were arrested Friday at the Beirut airport, where they attempted to fly out with allegedly forged…
Hogmanay plans at risk as severe weather warning issued for Scotland
Preparations for new year’s street parties under way as Met Office warns of ‘significant disruption’ due to heavy rain on 30 and 31 December A severe weather warning is threatening to put a dampener on Hogmanay plans across Scotland as the nation braces for 48 hours of heavy rain. The Met Office has issued a…
Canadian Ministers to Meet Trump Aides at Mar-a-Lago to Discuss Border, and Tariffs
Canada’s Political Turmoil President-elect Donald J. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canadian exports unless the country stops the flow of migrants and fentanyl to the U.S. By Ian Austen and Lisa Friedman Two top Canadian ministers will meet with members of President-elect Donald J. Trump’s circle in Florida on Friday about a border…
Netflix sets streaming record with Christmas Day NFL games
Netflix set records for the most streamed NFL game Source: www.cnbc.com
Italian journalist Cecilia Sala detained by police while reporting in Iran
Italy’s foreign ministry says an Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police ROME — An Italian journalist who was reporting in Tehran has been detained by the Iranian police, Italy’s foreign ministry said in a statement Friday. Cecilia Sala was reporting in the Iranian capital when she was…
Biden administration pledges additional military aid to Ukraine amid Russia war
Security assistance package in works as North Korean troops are deployed in Kursk after Putin-Kim agreement The Biden administration is pledging to approve fresh military aid to Ukraine in the coming days, including crucial air defense systems, as North Korean forces face mounting casualties in their first major deployment to a European conflict. John Kirby,…
What We Know About the Ship Finland Seized Over Fears of Russian Sabotage
Russia-Ukraine War Finland seized an oil tanker that authorities believe might have deliberately cut vital undersea cables. Finnish authorities believe the tanker may be linked to Russia. By Johanna Lemola and Lynsey Chutel Johanna Lemola reported from Helsinki, Finland, and Lynsey Chutel from London. A day after Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker suspected of…
Houthis vow to continue attacking Israel despite strikes on Yemen
A Houthi political official says the group will continue attacking Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians despite the escalating Israeli air strikes in Yemen. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told the BBC that the Houthis would “escalate our military targeting of Israel” until it stopped what he described as “the genocide in Gaza”. On Thursday, Israeli warplanes struck…
Nvidia delivered an encore performance in 2024. What stands in the way of a three-peat
Competitive dynamics around custom AI chips cannot Source: www.cnbc.com
NATO will step up Baltic Sea patrols as Finland probes the possible sabotage of undersea cables
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte says the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea area as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea…
Italian journalist arrested and held in solitary confinement in Iran
Il Foglio war correspondent Cecilia Sala taken in by police while reporting in Tehran, says Italy’s foreign ministry An Italian journalist has been arrested while reporting in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and held in solitary confinement for a week, according to Italy’s foreign ministry. Cecilia Sala, 29, a war correspondent and reporter who works for…
In a Political Year, Some Deaths Spoke to the Struggles for Democracy
Among the notable figures who died in a sometimes polarizing 2024, many championed justice, equal rights and political freedom. By William McDonald William McDonald is the obituaries editor of The Times. In a year saturated with politics in an ever more polarized world, where the obituary many feared they’d be reading would be that of…
Travellers at UK airports warned as fog disrupts flights
Passengers at some of the country’s busiest airports, including Gatwick and Manchester, are facing widespread disruption due to fog. The UK’s main air traffic control provider, Nats, said the flow of flights was being reduced for safety reasons. “Due to widespread fog, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place at several airports across the UK…
Azerbaijan says plane hit by ‘external interference’ over Russia before crash
Azerbaijan’s transport minister has said the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on 25 December was subjected to “external interference” and damaged inside and out, as it tried to land in Russia’s southern republic of Chechnya. “All [the survivors] without exception stated they heard three blast sounds when the aircraft was above Grozny,” said Rashad Nabiyev.…
Google CEO Pichai struggled to navigate a pressure-filled year
Google CEO Pichai notched some AI wins but struggl Source: www.cnbc.com
Azerbaijani official suggests airliner was hit by a weapon before crash that killed 38
An Azerbaijani minister suggested Friday that an airliner that crashed this week was hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and survivor testimony indicating that the plane was struck from the outside. The statement from Rashad Nabiyev raised pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone attack was underway in the region that…
Montenegro approves the extradition of cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon to the United States
Montenegro has approved the extradition of a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to the United States PODGORICA, Montenegro — Montenegro has approved the extradition of a South Korean mogul known as “the cryptocurrency king” to the United States, the Balkan country’s Justice Ministry said on Friday. Minister Bojan Bozovic has issued a…
Shyam Benegal, influential director of India’s ‘parallel cinema’, dies aged 90
The film-maker challenged mainstream Bollywood and pioneered a new wave cinema movement in the 1970s that tackled social issues Shyam Benegal, a renowned Indian film-maker known for pioneering a new wave cinema movement that tackled social issues in the 1970s, has died aged 90 after suffering from chronic kidney disease. Benegal passed away on Monday…
What We Know About the Ship Finland Seized Over Fears of Sabotage
Russia-Ukraine War Finland seized an oil tanker that authorities believe might have deliberately cut vital undersea cables. Finnish authorities believe the tanker may be linked to Russia. By Johanna Lemola and Lynsey Chutel Johanna Lemola reported from Helsinki, Finland, and Lynsey Chutel from London. A day after Finnish authorities seized an oil tanker suspected of…
Pope urges ‘hope and kindness’ in Thought for the Day message
The Pope has urged “hope and kindness” in a message recorded for Thought for the Day for BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Pope Francis will also emphasise the importance of humility in the recording which will be broadcast on 28 December. “A world full of hope and kindness is a more beautiful world. A society…
European stocks close higher after holiday closures; Delivery Hero sheds 4%
European stocks were higher on Friday, as markets Source: www.cnbc.com
Israel forcibly evacuates north Gaza hospital, leaving it on fire
Israeli forces on Friday raided the Kamal Adwan Hospital, one of three medical facilities on the northern edge of Gaza, ordering dozens of patients and hundreds of others to evacuate and leaving part of the site on fire, Health Ministry officials said. Elsewhere in Gaza, Israeli strikes killed at least 25 people, including 15 in…
Travelers face disruptions as foggy weather affects UK airports
Travelers to and from the U.K. are facing disruption and delays with foggy weather affecting some of the country’s airports LONDON — Travelers to and from the U.K. faced disruption and delays Friday with foggy weather affecting some of the country’s airports. Nats, the U.K.’s main air traffic controller, said restrictions were in place at…
Rushdie’s Satanic Verses returns to Indian bookshops after 36 years
Book banned since 1988 is ‘selling out’ after import bar was overturned due to missing paperwork Salman Rushdie’s 1988 novel The Satanic Verses – which led to a fatwa threatening his life, forcing him into hiding for a decade – has finally returned to bookshops in India, the land of his birth. The novel, inspired…
Berrien Moore III Is Dead
As a researcher at several universities and an adviser at NASA, he used data analysis to show how the planet’s different systems are interrelated. By Max Bearak and Ash Wu Berrien Moore III, who for decades spearheaded cutting-edge climate science at several universities and research institutes as well as at NASA, died on Dec. 17…
Man charged with murder and arson in New York subway killing
Prosecutors have formally charged a man in the death of a woman set alight on a New York subway train. On Friday, Sebastian Zapeta was indicted on charges of murder and arson, though he did not appear during the brief court hearing. Mr Zapeta, 33, is accused of setting fire to the woman, who may…
Schools, hospitals and prisons among England’s crumbling public buildings
Guardian analysis finds 1.6 million pupils in schools in need of repair, while some NHS sites endanger patients and staff Back in September, before his government’s first budget, the prime minister, Keir Starmer, addressed the Trades Union Congress. “So much of our crumbling public realm – universities, councils, the care system – [are] all even…
‘Home swap holidays with strangers have shown us a different world’
Inviting a stranger to stay in your home might seem like the opposite of a relaxing holiday, but for some travellers house exchanges are worth taking the leap of faith. “It’s just like dating for homes,” Liz Barlow tells me. Aged 70, the semi-retired management consultant has 31 home swaps under her belt and estimates…
Matt Gaetz, former Trump AG pick, had sex with underage girl while in Congress, House Ethics report says
Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress after President- Source: www.cnbc.com
Top global TikToks in 2024: Mr. Bean disciple, lip-synch for their life, baby hippo!
Ari Daniel Depending on how the Supreme Court rules, we may be in the final days of TikTok in the U.S. But it continues to be a powerful platform for creators and communities the world over, “particularly with young people in the Global South,” says Payal Arora, a digital anthropologist at Utrecht University. “TikTok has…
Nato to boost Baltic Sea presence after suspected sabotage of underwater cable
Finland seizes ship it suspects of damaging cable connecting Estonia and Finland on Christmas Day Nato is to increase its military presence in the Baltic Sea, the alliance has announced, after the suspected sabotage of an underwater power cable running between Finland and Estonia. The Estlink 2 submarine cable was disconnected from the grid on…
Pope Francis Calls for Peace in Ukraine and Gaza on Christmas
Pope Francis’ Christmas message was a plea for reconciliation, peace and care for others. By Elisabetta Povoledo Elisabetta Povoledo is a reporter based in Rome, covering Italy, the Vatican and the culture of the region. As Christians around the world celebrated Christmas on Wednesday, Pope Francis called for peace, asking that cease-fires be put in…
Man charged with murder, arson in NYC subway killing
Prosecutors have formally charged a man in the death of a woman set alight on a New York subway train. On Friday, Sebastian Zapeta was indicted on charges of murder and arson, though he did not appear during the brief court hearing. Mr Zapeta, 33, is accused of setting fire to the woman, who may…
Israel prepares for a new battlefront against the Houthis in Yemen
The Houthis have ramped up their attacks on Israel Source: www.washingtonpost.com
Nordstrom to go private in $6.25 billion deal with founding family, Mexican retailer
Nordstrom will become a private company after it a Source: www.cnbc.com
Azerbaijan Airlines blames deadly plane crash on ‘external interference’ as Russia speculation grows
Fox News correspondent Stephanie Bennett has the latest on the aftermath of the Kazakhstan plane crash on ‘Special Report.’ Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights to eight additional Russian airports after a flight meant to carry passengers from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to Grozny, Russia crashed “due to physical and technical external interference,” the airline has…
Nato to boost Baltic Sea presence after suspected sabotage of Finland-Estonia cable
Finland seizes ship it suspects of engaging in Source: www.theguardian.com
Russia Strikes Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure on Christmas Day
Russia-Ukraine War Moscow again struck Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, part of an effort to wear down the country. “In the trenches, there are no holidays,” one man said. By Marc Santora and Liubov Sholudko Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine Air-raid alarms and explosions sounded on Christmas Day in Ukraine as Russian missiles and drones targeted the nation’s…
Quiz of the Year, Part 2: Nemo won Eurovision, but who was disqualified?
How well do you remember the stories and people in the news this year? Test your memory of 2024 in our four-part Christmas quiz – 52 questions for 52 weeks of the year. Part two covers April to June. Part three is on Saturday 28 December. Room for some more? Part one covered January to…
MicroStrategy rides ‘red sweep’ to 477% gain in 2024, topping almost all U.S. stocks
Of the 439,000 bitcoin that MicroStrategy owns, mo Source: www.cnbc.com
Officials report 29 survivors and 38 killed as plane crashes in Kazakhstan
Aircraft carrying 62 passengers and five crew was en route from Baku to Grozny in Chechnya Twenty-nine people have survived after a passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines burst into flames as it crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after veering hundreds of miles off its planned route. The flight was carrying 62…
King Charles Addresses U.K. Riots and His Cancer in Christmas Speech
The British monarch recorded his annual holiday address from the chapel of a former hospital, rather than from a palace. By Stephen Castle Reporting from London King Charles III on Wednesday thanked the medical workers in Britain who helped treat him and his daughter-in-law, Catherine, Princess of Wales, after their cancer diagnoses, and praised communities…
Macao is becoming a city of sports and entertainment, Sands China CEO says, as President Xi urges diversification
Sands China CEO Grant Chum told CNBC that a new de Source: www.cnbc.com
Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh dies aged 92
The ex-politician was admitted to hospital on Thursday after his health deteriorated Manmohan Singh, India’s first Sikh prime minister and the architect of the big-bang economic reforms that set the stage for the country’s emergence as a global powerhouse, has died aged 92. A hospital statement attributed Singh’s death to “age-related medical conditions”. The government…
If Syrian Chemical Weapons Were Found, the U.S. Army Could Safely Destroy Them
Syria’s Civil War A civilian team at a base in Maryland disposed of Syrian toxins a decade ago after hundreds of people were killed in a nerve agent attack. By John Ismay Reporting from Washington Since armed rebels entered Damascus, Syria, and overthrew the reign of President Bashar al-Assad on Dec. 8, U.S. government officials…
TV is too risk-averse, says Grange Hill creator
Grange Hill and Hollyoaks creator Sir Phil Redmond has said that modern broadcasting lacks courage, and suggested that TV watchdog rules should be broken more often. The man behind the iconic soaps said gritty programming was important, and that there was a vacuum of such for today’s youth. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme,…
Here’s why business leaders are spending big on Trump’s inaugural committee
Donations to President-elect Donald Trump’s inaugu Source: www.cnbc.com
Rescue team ends search for a man overboard from Norwegian Cruise Line ship
By Rebecca Rosman Rescue teams ended a search on Friday for a 51-year-old man who fell overboard from the Norwegian Epic cruise ship en route to the Bahamas, less than 24 hours after he was reported missing. A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line told NPR that the man was reported missing at around 3 p.m.…
Azerbaijan Airlines says there was ‘external interference’ before plane crashed
Carrier suspends flights to five Russian airports after early findings of investigation into crash on Christmas Day The aircraft involved in the Christmas Day plane crash in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people experienced “external physical and technical interference”, according to preliminary results of an investigation, Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday. The early findings led the…
In Syria, U.S. Hopes to Avoid Replay of Afghanistan
American officials are wary as they try to persuade the rebels now in control in Syria to govern with an inclusive and moderate hand. American officials are wary as they try to persuade the rebels now in control in Syria to govern with an inclusive and moderate hand. Daniel Berehulak/The New York Times By Michael…
U.S. launches new probe into legacy Chinese chips as tech pressure on Beijing escalates
The Biden administration launched a new probe into Source: www.cnbc.com
New leaders in Damascus call for cordial Syria ties with a resistant Israel
The conflict between Israel and Palestinians — and other groups in the Middle East — goes back decades. These stories provide context for current developments and the history that led up to them. Hadeel Al-Shalchi DAMASCUS, Syria — The newly appointed governor of Damascus has called on the United States to use its influence to…