Australia is under an “unprecedented” threat of foreign espionage and interference, one of the country’s most senior spy chiefs said in a rare speech, citing the case of a “sleeper agent” who spent years building business links. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess said several nations were working ... Read More »
Battle against coronavirus turns to Italy; Wall Street falls on pandemic fears
The coronavirus death toll climbed to seven in Italy on Monday and several Middle East countries were dealing with their first infections, sending markets into a tailspin over fears of a global pandemic even as China eased curbs with no new cases reported in Beijing and other cities. While health ... Read More »
North African countries mull ‘curtailing Turkey’s influence in region’
Egyptian intelligence chief, Abbas Kamel, yesterday kicked off a tour around the Arab North African countries, including the eastern region in Libya, led by the rebel general Khalifa Haftar, to discuss “limiting the Turkish role in the region.” Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Kamel’s tour was aiming at discussing ... Read More »
UN: Libyan parties reached draft agreement of permanent ceasefire
Today, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) revealed that the two parties to the Joint 5+5 Military Committee will present a draft permanent ceasefire agreement to Fayez Al-Sarraj, head of the internationally recognized Government of National Accord, and retired Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, noting that a new meeting ... Read More »
African killifish may hold key to stopping ageing in humans
Turquoise killifish is able to suspend its development for longer than its average lifespan The curious ability of the African turquoise killifish to press pause on its development could have intriguing implications for human ageing, say researchers. Certain creatures, including the killifish, can put themselves into suspended animation as ... Read More »
Iran elections: Hardliners win every seat in Tehran as they sweep to crushing victory
Hardliners have won a crushing victory in Iran’s parliamentary elections, taking every single seat in the political powerbase of Tehran and leading in regions across the country. One unofficial tally forecasts that the nationalists and religious conservatives have won 178 of the 290 seats in the chamber with the liberals’ ... Read More »
Coronavirus may be ‘Disease X,’ World Health Organization expert warns
The deadly coronavirus is looking a lot like the theoretical “Disease X” that officials have long warned could spark a dangerous pandemic, a World Health Organization expert said. Marion Koopmans, a member of WHO’s emergency committee, said the virus is the first to meet the criteria of the so-called “Disease ... Read More »
Record two million people at risk of type 2 diabetes amid ‘growing obesity crisis’
Increasing numbers at threat from heart attack and strokes, NHS says A record number of people are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, increasing their chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke, the NHS has warned. A “growing obesity crisis” has led to nearly two million people in England ... Read More »
Eating fruit, vegetables and cheese linked to lower stroke risk, study finds
‘The general public should be recommended to increase their fibre and fruit and vegetable consumption,’ researcher says The risk of suffering a certain type of stroke could be diminished through diet, one of the largest studies of its kind has suggested. Scientists observed how food related to two major types ... Read More »
IMF Asks Lebanon to Peg Dollar at LBP 1,750 or 2,000
An International Monetary Fund delegation wraps up Sunday a three-day visit to Lebanon during which it met with senior political and financial officials. “The delegation stressed that the starting point for the solutions should be reforms, topped by the electricity file,” media reports said. “The delegation also asked Lebanese officials ... Read More »