How Supermassive Black Holes Can Become Cosmic Nightmares
The UniverseFridays Do We Live in a Haunted Galaxy? Huge eruptions from the Milky Way’s supermassive black hole in the distant past may have sterilized much of the inner galaxy By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait Galaxies are spooky […]
Why an interstellar comet has scientists excited
Jaclyn Diaz An ancient comet that entered our solar system this summer is offering a rare opportunity to learn more about distant planetary systems far beyond the reach of any spacecraft, researchers say. The comet is special both because it is interstellar — meaning it came from outside our solar system — and also because […]
Did Astronomers Photograph UFOs Orbiting Earth in the 1950s?
UFOs Are Just One Explanation for Mysterious Patterns in Old Telescope Data New peer-reviewed research reporting strange lights in the pre-space-age sky is sparking curiosity and controversy By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings For generations, UFO enthusiasts have longed for claims of aliens visiting Earth to be seriously investigated by scientists. Now they are […]
Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands
For many, Dungeons & Dragons may seem like a insurmountable entry point to the world of RPGs, and, in many ways, especially without at least one seasoned veteran in your group, it isn’t necessarily an incorrect assumption. The all new Dungeons & Dragons – Starter Set: Heroes of The Borderlands aims to eliminate that hurdle […]
Kickstarter Tabletop Alert: Time Loop Shenanigans in ‘Chronofiends!!’
The research station is stuck in an ever-shrinking time loop—use your time-manipulating powers to accomplish your objectives before time runs out! Chronofiends!! (yes, the exclamation points are part of the title) is a cooperative time-loop game for 1 to 4 players, ages 13 and up, and takes about 90 minutes to play. It’s currently seeking […]
At least six people seriously injured on flight from Nigeria to Washington DC
Nigerian officials say a Boeing 787-800 belonging to United Airlines was forced to make an emergency return last Friday Multiple people were injured on a United Airlines flight heading from Lagos, Nigeria, to Washington DC last week. In a statement released on Friday, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria said that a Boeing 787-800 belonging…
Exclusive: White House in talks to have Oracle and U.S. investors take over TikTok
Bobby Allyn The Trump administration is working on a plan to save TikTok that involves tapping software company Oracle and a group of outside investors to effectively take control of the app’s global operations, according to two people with direct knowledge of the talks. Under the deal now being negotiated by the White House, TikTok’s…
Trump Cancels Science Reviews at NIH, World’s Largest Public Biomedical Research Funder
Trump Abruptly Cancels Crucial Science Reviews at NIH, World’s Largest Public Funder of Biomedical Research President Trump has placed an indefinite suspension on research grant reviews and travel at the National Institutes of Health and appears to have erased diversity programming pages at the agency’s website By Max Kozlov & Nature magazine A vaccine research…
‘My beauty, you’re home’: Israeli women soldiers reunited with families
Nineteen-year-old Liri Albag rushes into her parents’ arms, igniting screams of joy. “My beauty. You’re a hero. You’re home. That’s it,” her mother says as the three laugh and cry together. The moment, filmed by the Israeli military, was the first time the family had seen each other in more than 15 months. Liri was…
Sutton Foster Supports Hugh Jackman at Opening of His New Show
Sutton Foster was photographed at the opening night of Hugh Jackman’s new concert residency in New York City, weeks after the two confirmed their romance. Weeks after she and Hugh Jackman went public with their relationship, Sutton Foster showed support for her music man on a special day. The fellow Broadway star was photographed at…
Scientists point to Andes potato pathogen as origin of Irish famine
Researchers say study may help global efforts in controlling disease that still destroys crops today It was a disaster that killed about 1 million people, devastating 19th century Ireland, but while the potato disease linked to the Irish famine is well known, a battle has raged over where it originated. Scientists have long been divided…
Israel Welcomes the Return of the Women Who Warned of a Raid From Gaza
Middle East Middle East Middle East Young female “spotters” for Israel’s army reported suspicious activity across the border. When Hamas attacked, 15 were killed and seven abducted. Four came home on Saturday. By Isabel Kershner Reporting from Jerusalem The Israeli Army lookouts were monitoring Hamas in Gaza across a security fence from a base in…
Joints Are the Ultimate Flex
Opinion Joints Are the Ultimate Flex The evolution of joints is how we went from blobs to badasses By Bethany Brookshire Middle age is when you get to know your joints. I have spent the last few years learning that my many youthful party tricks—popping shoulders out of their sockets on a whim, bending elbows…
Once off-limits to Syrians, Assad’s former summer residence now attracts tourists
Hadeel Al-Shalchi QARDAHA, LATAKIA, Syria — There is a long, winding road leading to what was once the family home of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad just outside Latakia on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. On either side of the road in the village of Burj al-Islam, there are lush orange trees and olive trees. The quiet…
Gunfire and Bandits Make School an Impossible Dream for Haitian Children
Turmoil in Haiti Turmoil in Haiti Turmoil in Haiti Some school buildings are in gang-occupied territory or have become de facto shelters for those forced from their homes, leaving hundreds of thousands with no chance for formal learning. Some school buildings are in gang-occupied territory or have become de facto shelters for those forced from…
RSVP Yes to These Secrets About The Wedding Planner
All these years later, we still have one question: Who plans the wedding planner’s wedding? Because while Mary knew more than anybody about throwing the nuptials of her clients’ dreams, was she ever really able to enjoy her own big day and not sweat all the little details herself?! Anyway… The Wedding Planner waltzed into…
Rwandan army ‘ready to invade DRC’ and help rebels seize city
Intelligence sources suggest battle for Congolese regional capital Goma is imminent before UN crisis talks on Monday Large numbers of troops from Rwanda have been pouring across the border into the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help rebels seize the regional capital of Goma before an emergency UN meeting about the crisis takes place…
American underdog Keys stuns Sabalenka in Grand Slam final
This video can not be played Underdog Keys beats Sabalenka to win Australian Open American underdog Madison Keys finally got her hands on a Grand Slam trophy after holding off defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to win the Australian Open women’s title. Keys, playing her second major final and first for more than seven years, overcame…
Nail-biting finale brings The Traitors to dramatic end
Warning: This article reveals the outcome of The Traitors. The third series of The Traitors has been won after a nail-biting conclusion. The finale saw faithfuls Francesca Rowan-Plowden, Alexander Dragonetti, Leanne Quigley and Jake Brown go up against traitor Charlotte Berman. After weeks of challenges, murders, roundtables and banishments, the final prize fund stood at…
How Reality TV Helps Explain Trump’s Success
Opinion How Reality TV Helps Explain Trump’s Success What makes reality shows so popular also helps explain why Donald Trump is so popular By Maxim Voronov, Madeline Toubiana & Trish Ruebottom edited by Megha Satyanarayana In May 2024 a red hat with the saying “Make America Great Again” was placed on the Hollywood Walk of…
His Opponents Sidelined, Lukashenko Is Set for a 7th Term in Belarus
Russia-Ukraine War Russia-Ukraine War Russia-Ukraine War President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia’s leader, Vladimir V. Putin, has been making signs of reaching out to the West. He is all but certain to win an election on Sunday. By Nataliya Vasilyeva When Aleksandr G. Lukashenko last ran for president of Belarus, the former…
How Zoe Saldaña, Bella Hadid & More Found Partners Outside Spotlight
Navigating a romance in the public eye isn’t easy, and stars like Lady Gaga, Lana Del Rey and Keanu Reeves have found partners who live a more private life. The 2025 Oscars nominations marked a golden day for Zoe Saldaña. The actress received a nod in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category for her performance…
Hamas releases 4 more hostages as part of ceasefire agreement with Israel
Jerome Socolovsky Four female soldiers taken hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023 incursion into southern Israel by fighters belonging to the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza have won back their freedom. Liri Albag, 19; Karina Ariev, 20; Daniella Gilboa, 20 and Naama Levy, 20, were handed over to representatives of the International Committee of…
Belize removes Queen Elizabeth’s image on banknotes as ‘step in decolonisation’
New dollar bills will honor national heroes including George Cadle Price, considered country’s father of independence Belize has taken a “significant step” toward removing the remnants of colonialism by replacing the image of the late Queen Elizabeth on its dollar bills with those of national heroes. Unveiling the new design of the bank notes late…
Ontario premier Doug Ford to call snap election to fight Trump tariff threat
Progressive Conservative leader of Canada’s most populous province seeks ‘strong mandate’ to counter 25% tariff plan The Ontario premier, Doug Ford, has said an early election is needed in the Canadian province in order to fend off an income “attack” from Donald Trump as a trade war looms between the close allies. But opposition parties…
Gypsy Rose Blanchard Slams Claim CPS Visited Her Baby
Gypsy Rose Blanchard hit back at rumors that Child Protective Services was called to check on her baby Aurora Urker, as well as claims she is using weight loss drugs post-pregnancy. Gypsy Rose Blanchard is laying the rumors to rest. Weeks after welcoming baby daughter Aurora Urker, her first child with boyfriend Ken Urker, the…
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s embattled pick for defense secretary, wins Senate confirmation
Tom Bowman Pete Hegseth overcame allegations of sexual assault, public drunkenness and questions of financial mismanagement at two veterans’ groups he ran to narrowly win Senate approval to become Donald Trump’s defense secretary. The vote was 50-50 . Vice President J.D. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote after Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky joined Sens. Lisa…
Los Angeles Fires Force Us to Confront Our Dystopian Present
Opinion We’re Living in a Dystopian Climate Thriller. It’s Time to Rewrite the Ending Decades of warnings went ignored about the threats from climate change. With homes everywhere now burning, flooding and washing away, it’s time we start listening to scientists’ climate solutions By Peter H. Gleick edited by Daniel Vergano A motorcyclist stops to…
How Riad Sattouf Uses His Cartoons to Draw a Window Into the Middle East
The Global Profile Riad Sattouf’s saga of his parents’ failed bicultural marriage, with its harsh depiction of life in rural Syria, has become a literary sensation. By Richard Fausset Richard Fausset reported from Rennes, France, and from Paris. One early evening in December, the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad fled his country as rebel forces advanced…
High winds continue as Storm Éowyn leaves nearly a million without power
Nearly one million properties are without power in the UK and Ireland and significant travel disruption continues after Storm Éowyn brought winds of up to 100 mph (161 km/h) on Friday. One man died after a tree fell on a car in Ireland, while Scotland and Northern Ireland both saw widespread property damage as well…
Matt James Teased Family Plans With Rachael Kirkconnell Before Split
Amid Bachelor alum Matt James’ breakup with Rachael Kirkconnell, a newly-resurfaced video featuring the former couple showed he intended to start a family with his now-ex. Matt James had dreams of being a dad before his breakup with Rachael Kirkconnell. After the Bachelor alum shocked Bachelor Nation by announcing he and his longtime girlfriend were…
US Covid adviser Fauci has his security protection revoked by president
President Donald Trump has revoked security protection for former top US health official Anthony Fauci, who has faced death threats since leading the country’s Covid-19 response. “You can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for government,” Trump told reporters, when asked about the decision on Friday. “It’s very…
Weekend Rain Poses Landslide Risk in Wildfire-Scarred Los Angeles
Rain Is Coming to Burning Los Angeles and Will Bring Its Own Risks The Los Angeles area is expecting rain this weekend—potentially offering a respite from fires that have blazed throughout the month but increasing the risk of debris slides By Meghan Bartels edited by Dean Visser Trees burned by the Palisades Fire are seen…
Hamas Names Four Hostages It Says Will Be Released Saturday
Middle East Middle East Middle East Hamas identified four female soldiers abducted from a military base as those who will be freed in the next exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. By Aaron Boxerman and Patrick Kingsley Reporting from Jerusalem Hamas said on Friday that it would release four female soldiers held hostage for…
Military chief killed as M23 rebels close in on Goma in eastern DRC
Maj Gen Peter Cirimwami Nkuba shot near frontline as advance causes panic among civilian population The military governor of North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has died from injuries sustained during the army’s fight against the M23 rebel group as it advances towards the city of Goma. Maj Gen Peter Cirimwami…
Arrest warrant proposed for Taliban leaders for gender-based crimes
By Ruchi Kumar The Netherlands-based International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday announced that it is seeking arrests of two Taliban leaders for their role in gender-based crimes. The statement says persecutions have been committed since at least Aug. 15, 2021, the day the Taliban took over Afghanistan following the collapse of the Western-backed government. Since…
How the world has responded to Trump’s Paris climate agreement withdrawal
From Europe to Africa and South America, countries reaffirm commitment to tackle crisis World leaders, senior ministers and key figures in climate diplomacy have, one by one, reaffirmed their commitment to the Paris agreement this week, in response to the order by Donald Trump to withdraw the US from the pact. The prospect of the…
Gaza at Last Welcomes More Aid. It Needs a Deluge.
Middle East Middle East Middle East By Vivian Yee and Bilal Shbair Reporting from Cairo and Khan Younis, Gaza Outside a warehouse in southern Gaza one day this week, a small crowd of men and boys waited their turn for a bit of the humanitarian aid that Gaza — sick, starving, freezing Gaza — has…
Mum who left sons home alone jailed after they died in a fire
A woman has been jailed for 10 years for the manslaughter of her four sons who died in a house fire while she was out shopping. Deveca Rose, 30, had left her two sets of twins alone when a fire ripped through their terraced house in Sutton, south-west London, on 16 December 2021. Rose was…
Get a $522 Face Serum for $98 and See a 198% Skin Boost in 15 Minutes
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Teaching Evolution Has a Bright Future in the U.S.
Opinion Teaching Evolution Has a Bright Future in the U.S. By Glenn Branch edited by Daniel Vergano Lawyers, scientists, and supporters of the legal challenge to anti-evolution law, July 1925. Dayton, Tennessee. One hundred years ago a young teacher, John T. Scopes, went on trial in Dayton, Tenn., for violating a recently enacted state law…
The U.S. just experienced its slowest annual sales of homes since 1995
Laurel Wamsley The final figures for home sales last year are in, and the story is quite grim: 2024 was the slowest year for existing home sales in nearly three decades. Existing-home sales last year totaled 4.06 million, the lowest on an annual basis since 1995, according to the National Association of Realtors on Friday.…
Thailand Starts Recognizing Same-Sex Marriage
Hundreds of people began registering their marriages at a mall in Bangkok, as Thailand became one of the few places in Asia to legalize same-sex unions. transcript “It means the world to us and to Thai people because we’ve been waiting for this moment for long. Now we can express our love in public and…
Glowing “Mystery Mollusk” Finally Identified
Glowing “Mystery Mollusk” Finally Identified This strange sea creature stumped scientists for 20 years. Here’s what it really is. By Jude Coleman edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier A mystery mollusk observed by MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle Tiburon in the outer Monterey Canyon at a depth of approximately 1,900 meters Join Our Community of Science Lovers!…
How the Southport attack unfolded, as told by survivors
“The dance club was full of laughter and excitement,” is how one girl, 14, described the atmosphere as a group of 26 children gathered for a Taylor Swift-themed class in Southport. Their summer holidays had just begun and the sun was shining down on the town as they were dropped off by their parents. As…
Europe overhauls funding to Tunisia after Guardian exposes migrant abuse
Allegations of rape, beatings and collusion by EU-funded security forces prompt shift in migration arrangements The European Commission is fundamentally overhauling how it makes payments to Tunisia after a Guardian investigation exposed myriad abuses by EU-funded security forces, including widespread sexual violence against migrants. Officials are drawing up “concrete” conditions to ensure that future European…
Andie MacDowell Shares Piriformis Syndrome Diagnosis
Four Weddings and a Funeral star Andie MacDowell—who is also the mom of Margaret Qualley—thought she was “literally falling apart” amid her piriformis syndrome diagnosis. Andie MacDowell is getting candid about her heath. The Four Weddings and a Funeral star opened up about her struggles with piriformis syndrome, a muscle condition that compresses the sciatic…
The U.S. is trying to unravel a hacking plot that targeted climate activists
By Michael Copley A yearslong U.S. Justice Department investigation of a global hacking campaign that targeted prominent American climate activists took a turn in a London court this week amid an allegation that the hacking was ordered by a lobbying firm working for ExxonMobil. Both the lobbying firm and ExxonMobil have denied any awareness of…
Italy says Libya war crimes suspect was sent home due to ‘social dangerousness’
General Osama Najim was released on a technicality and repatriated by Italy without any prior consultation, says international criminal court Italy’s interior minister said on Thursday a Libyan man detained under an international war crimes arrest warrant and then unexpectedly released had been swiftly repatriated because of his “social dangerousness“. Osama Najim, also known as…
Remembering Margarethe Hilferding, the First Woman Admitted to Freud’s Vienna Psychoanalytic Society
Margarethe Hilferding, Sigmund Freud and the Conspiracy of Silence Margarethe Hilferding was the first woman admitted to Sigmund Freud’s Vienna Psychoanalytic Society, but her radical work on maternal instinct was dismissed and ignored By Marcy Thompson, Katie Hafner, Deborah Unger & The Lost Women of Science Initiative In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day next…
Stay at home warnings as risk-to-life storm to batter UK
Millions of people have been urged to stay at home on Friday as Storm Éowyn is set to bring potentially life-threatening winds to the north and west of the UK. Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland are set to experience the worst disruption, where the Met Office has issued red weather warnings which means there…
Everything You Need To Throw The Ultimate Galentine’s Day Party
From Galentine’s Day favors to decorations, nothing says friendship quite like a party to celebrate all your besties. The products featured in this article are from brands available in NBCUniversal Checkout. E! makes a commission on purchases. Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be about romance. It can be a day to celebrate all kinds of love.…
One of the Jan. 6 defendants has turned down Trump’s pardon
By Alana Wise President Trump this week issued pardons to more than 1,500 Jan. 6 defendants, but one 71-year-old woman turned down the president’s offer of clemency, telling NPR it would be a dishonor to the truth of what happened that day. “I broke the law that day, period. Black and white,” Pamela Hemphill told…
Rebels Backed by Rwanda Close In on Major City in Congo
Many Congolese see the rebel advance as an invasion of their country by a foreign power in an attempt to seize land and Congo’s valuable rare minerals. By Ruth Maclean and Elian Peltier Reporting from Dakar, Senegal. Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo have surrounded the eastern city of Goma, in one of the…
The Neuroscience of Severance: What’s Real? What’s Fake?
The Neuroscience of Severance: What’s Real? What’s Fake? The hit show Severance can be refashioned as a teaching moment about certain brain disorders. But its famed “Innie” versus “Outie” conceit is totally bogus. By Rachael Elward, Lauren Ford & The Conversation US Adam Scott in season two of Severance. The following essay is reprinted with…
‘Evil’ Southport killer jailed for a minimum of 52 years
Southport killer Axel Rudakubana has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years for the “sadistic” murders of three young girls in an attack described as “shocking” and “pure evil”. Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died while eight other children and two adults – dance class leader…
U.S. judge temporarily blocks Trump’s birthright citizenship order
Brian Mann U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour issued a ruling on Thursday temporarily blocking President Trump’s executive order that aimed to end birthright citizenship for children born to migrants in the U.S. temporarily or without legal status. Coughenour issued the temporary restraining order after a hearing in Seattle. The judge signed the temporary restraining…
U.S. Security Contractors Going to Gaza to Oversee Truce, Officials Say
Middle East Middle East Middle East The contractors have been enlisted to do weapons checks on vehicles carrying displaced Palestinians back to their homes in the north under the terms of the new cease-fire. By Patrick KingsleyRonen Bergman and Aaron Boxerman Patrick Kingsley and Aaron Boxerman reported from Jerusalem, and Ronen Bergman from Tel Aviv.…
‘We were betrayed’: families of apartheid victims sue South African government
High court case demands inquiry into 1985 Cradock Four killings and ‘constitutional damages’ worth £7.3m Lukhanyo Calata’s first memory of his father was the funeral. His mother sobbing, the earth beneath his feet shaking from the number of people gathered at the graveside, and the fear he felt aged three as the red box holding…
Sean “Diddy” Combs Files Defamation Lawsuit Over Alleged Sex Tapes
Sean “Diddy” Combs filed a defamation lawsuit for $50 million against an accuser who claimed to have incriminating sex tapes, as well as their attorney and the parent company of NewsNation. Sean “Diddy” Combs is denying incriminating claims. The R&B musician filed a $50 million lawsuit against an accuser who, according to court documents…
How Fernanda Torres, Karla Sofía Gascón and More Are Making History
The 2025 Academy Awards nominees include Emilia Pérez star Karla Sofía Gascón and I’m Still Here’s Fernanda Torres as history-making nominees. Find out how. The 2025 Academy Awards are set to be a historic night. Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott announced the nominations across 23 categories on live stream Jan. 23, and some names are making…
Family of jailed dissident urge Lammy to prioritise case as he visits Egypt
‘Moment of truth’ for UK foreign secretary over Alaa Abd El Fattah, who is still being held in a Cairo prison The family of the jailed British-Egyptian writer Alaa Abd El Fattah have urged the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, to prioritise the dissident’s release above trade deals during his visit to Egypt. Fattah remains…
Why Grapefruit Interferes with Medication, and What to Do about It
Why Grapefruit Interferes with Medication, and What to Do about It Could gene editing produce a tasty citrus fruit that doesn’t interfere with prescription drugs? By Charlotte Hu edited by Tanya Lewis Unfortunately for lovers of grapefruit, mixing the appealingly bitter citrus with certain medications can lead to dangerous side effects. According to the National…
Trump wants to end birthright citizenship. That’s easier said than done
By Rachel Treisman President Trump is trying to end birthright citizenship, the legal principle enshrined in the Constitution that automatically makes anyone born within the U.S. or its territories a citizen. It’s a move that Trump first proposed during his first term and one that most legal experts agree he cannot make unilaterally. Indeed, within…
Hamas Takes Charge in Gaza After 15 Months of War
Middle East Middle East Middle East Israel says it has killed thousands of the armed group’s members and destroyed much of its infrastructure, but since the cease-fire started Hamas has shown it still holds power in the enclave. By Adam Rasgon and Iyad Abuheweila Reporting from Jerusalem and Istanbul The morning the cease-fire in Gaza…