Word of the Week: A brief history of Coachella — the festival and the place
By Rachel Treisman Each April, tens of thousands of people flock to the heart of the Coachella Valley to camp, dance and let loose at the music festival by that same name. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival features hundreds of performers on some half a dozen stages, spread out across two consecutive three-day […]
What Is a Star?
The UniverseFridays What Defines a Star? At the lower end, and to the bitter end, defining a star is tougher than you might expect By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings A view of our sun, as seen by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column […]
How Brexit, a Startling Act of Economic Self-Harm, Foreshadowed Trump’s Tariffs
Tariffs News analysis Britain’s decision to leave the European Union in 2016 was sold to voters as a magic bullet that would revitalize the country’s economy. Its impact is still reverberating. By Mark Landler Reporting from London Britain has watched President Trump’s tariffs with a mix of shock, fascination and queasy recognition. The country, after […]
JWST Spots Remains of Alien Planet That Fell into a Star
JWST Spots Remains of Alien Planet That Fell into a Star NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope provided a closer look at the aftermath of a star that wreaked violence on its planet By Meghan Bartels edited by Dean Visser NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has followed up on what is thought to be the first […]
Zimbabwe starts compensating white farmers 25 years after land seizures
Step is requirement for restructuring country’s debt, including new IMF programme Zimbabwe has started to make compensation payments to white former farm owners, 25 years after Robert Mugabe’s government began confiscating land. The government paid $3.1m (£2.3m) to a “first batch” of 378 farms, the ministry of finance said in a statement on Wednesday, the […]
Kazakhstan plane crash survivors say they heard bangs before aircraft went down, Putin issues statement
Fox News correspondent Stephanie Bennett has the latest on the aftermath of the Kazakhstan plane crash on ‘Special Report.’ Crew members and survivors of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day say they heard at least one loud bang before the aircraft crashed in a ball of fire, heightening speculation that a Russian…
Putin apologizes to Azerbaijani leader for ‘tragic incident’ involving crashed plane
By The Associated Press An official Kremlin statement issued on Saturday said that air defense systems were firing near Grozny airport as the airliner “repeatedly” attempted to land there on Wednesday. It did not explicitly say one of these hit the plane. The readout said Russia has launched a criminal probe into the incident, and…
In Bomb-Scarred Cities, Risking Life and Limb to Get Civilians to Safety
Russia-Ukraine War The danger and hardship gets worse by the day for civilians in eastern Ukraine. Still, they resist leaving the places that have become their homes. The danger and hardship gets worse by the day for civilians in eastern Ukraine. Still, they resist leaving the places that have become their homes. Vasyl Pipa speeding…
Still haven’t filed your taxes? Here’s what you need to know
So far this tax season, the IRS has received more than 100 million income tax returns for 2022. That means tens of millions of households have yet to file their returns. If yours is among them, here are some last-minute tax-filing tips to keep in mind as the Tuesday, April 18 deadline approaches. Not everyone…
Putin apologises for plane crash, without saying Russia at fault
In his first comments on the Christmas Day crash, Putin said the “tragic incident” had occurred when Russian air defence systems were actively repelling Ukrainian drones. Ukraine’s President Volodymr Zelensky said Russia must “stop spreading disinformation” about the strike. The plane reportedly came under fire from Russian air defence systems as it tried to land…
SEE IT: China stuns with maiden flight of sixth-generation aircraft
China appears to have conducted the maiden flight of its new sixth-generation fighter aircraft, marking a significant milestone in the ever-evolving landscape of fighter jets. Video and photos from social media showed the previously unseen aircraft conducting a daytime test flight, alongside a two-seat Chengdu J-20S fighter, which served as a chase plane. The planes…
Delta apologizes — again — after another stowaway boards a flight without ticket
By Rebecca Rosman Delta Air Lines is investigating how an unticketed passenger boarded a flight from Seattle to Honolulu on Christmas Eve — it’s the airline’s second stowaway incident in less than a month. The passenger, whose identity has not been released, was discovered as Delta Air Lines flight 487 taxied from the gate. They…
More than 150,000 people arrived in UK in small boats in last seven years
Labour blames ‘appalling legacy’ left by Tories after milestone for number of arrivals was reached on Boxing Day Labour has blamed the Tories for leaving an “appalling legacy of border security” after figures showed more than 150,000 people have arrived in the UK in small boats since 2018. The milestone was reached after Home Office…
Cyclone on French Archipelago Exposes Resentments Over Immigrants
In the ruins left by Cyclone Chido, people from Mayotte, off the eastern coast of Africa, are calling to deport the undocumented immigrants who had settled there from neighboring islands. By John Eligon and Julie Bourdin Photographs by Sergey Ponomarev Reporting from Mamoudzou, Mayotte After a vicious cyclone this month razed slums housing many undocumented…
Squid Game 2 reviews range from sensational to letdown
Season two of Squid Game has received reviews as mixed as a Christmas selection box, with TV critics calling it everything from “sensational” to “a letdown”. The Guardian said that after a pretty slow start, the returning series eventually turns into “TV that will make you uncomfortably bloodthirsty indeed”. While the Times described it as…
Syria’s U.S.-backed Kurdish coalition faces an uncertain future after Assad’s ouster
By Fatma Tanis ISTANBUL – In the aftermath of Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, Syria remains territorially fractured as the rebels who defeated Assad work to consolidate power. The country’s uncertain future has raised questions about the fate of the U.S.-backed Kurdish coalition known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). This week, Syria’s new leadership took steps…
Sydney to Hobart yacht race: LawConnect wins back-to-back line honours in event marred by two deaths
A “sombre” LawConnect has delayed celebrations after claiming back-to-back line honour wins in a Sydney to Hobart race marred by the death of two sailors. The Christian Beck-skippered supermaxi was first across the River Derwent finish line at 2.35am on Saturday in a time of one day, 13 hours, 35 minutes and 13 seconds. The…
Trucks Carrying Aid Finally Reach Sudan’s War-Torn Capital Region
Sudan’s Civil War After 20 months of war, and three months of negotiations with the warring sides, a bit of relief arrives for some of the hundreds of thousands of people facing famine. By Eve Sampson and Abdalrahman Altayeb Abdalrahman Altayeb reported from Port Sudan, Sudan. The largest convoy of food and medical aid to…
What we know about the Azerbaijan Airlines crash
On 25 December, 38 people died when an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which had been due to land in Russia, crash-landed in Kazakhstan. The circumstances around the crash remain unclear, but limited evidence so far suggests it may have been damaged by missiles fired by a Russian air-defence system as it tried to land in Chechnya.…
U.S. homelessness jumps to another record high, amid affordable housing shortage
Jennifer Ludden More than 770,000 people were living in shelters or outside in January, according to an annual federal report on homelessness by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The number is up 18% from last year’s count — which had also jumped from the year before — and is the largest number since…
Man charged with two counts of murder after deaths of Milton Keynes women
Jazwell Brown, 49, is also charged with two counts of attempted murder following Christmas Day incident A man has been charged with two counts of murder following the deaths of two women on Christmas Day in Milton Keynes. Jazwell Brown, 49, has also been charged with two counts of attempted murder and one count each…
E.P.A. Promotes Fertilizer Carrying PFAS, Long After 3M Shared Risks
The agency obtained research from 3M in 2003 revealing that sewage sludge, the raw material for the fertilizer, carried toxic “forever chemicals.” The agency obtained research from 3M in 2003 revealing that sewage sludge, the raw material for the fertilizer, carried toxic “forever chemicals.” Tim Gruber for The New York Times By Hiroko Tabuchi Hiroko…
Flights cancelled around UK as fog disrupts travel
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 had been reduced for safety reasons. “Due to widespread fog, temporary air traffic restrictions are in place at several airports across the UK…
NATO boosting Baltic Sea patrols as Finland investigates broken undersea power, internet cables
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday that the military alliance will step up patrols in the Baltic Sea region as Finnish investigators work to establish whether a ship linked to Russia sabotaged undersea cables there this week. Finnish authorities seized control of the ship, the Eagle S, on Thursday as they tried to establish…
Venezuela accuses an Argentine officer of terrorism as relations deteriorate
Venezuela’s attorney general said on Friday that an Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism BOGOTA, Colombia — An Argentine military officer who was arrested in Venezuela earlier this month has been charged with terrorism, Venezuela’s attorney general said Friday. In a statement published on Instagram,…
Costco egg recall for salmonella receives FDA’s most severe designation
By Bill Chappell The Food and Drug Administration has classified its recall of eggs sold under Costco’s Kirkland brand as a Class I recall, a designation reserved for instances of the highest potential health risk — including death. A Class I recall signals that “there is a reasonable probability that the use of or exposure…
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…