President Donald Trump threatened Turkey with economic devastation if it attacks a U.S.-allied Kurdish militia in Syria, weakening the Turkish lira and prompting sharp criticism from Ankara on Monday. Relations between the two NATO allies have been strained over U.S. backing for the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey views as an ... Read More »
Nearby planet could support primitive life, scientists announce
A super-Earth known as Barnard’s star b might be far more habitable than previously thought A planet near our own could support primitive life, scientists have announced. The nearby world – orbiting around Barnard’s Star, the second closest star system to our own – is known as a super-Earth and ... Read More »
Scientists close to first sighting of black hole in the Milky Way
International team say ‘spectacular’ data hints at historic breakthrough Astronomers attempting to capture the first images of the black hole at the heart of the Milky Way have given early hints that the ambitious project has been successful. The observations, by the Event Horizon Telescope, are expected to be unveiled ... Read More »
India rejects Trump’s ‘sermons’ on Afghanistan, says it is building lives
India’s ruling and opposition parties condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s comments this week mocking New Delhi’s role in war-torn Afghanistan, where the South Asian country has invested billion of dollars in economic projects and military training. The United States and India have drawn closer in recent years as they seek ... Read More »
Fragmenting nuclear arms controls leave world in a more dangerous place
US could withdraw from a second treaty while Vladimir Putin’s Russia promises a new generation of nuclear weapons The decision on whether or not to destroy the world came down to a humble Soviet duty officer early one morning in 1983. Stanislav Petrov was told by his computer that the ... Read More »
‘One giant leap’: China’s Chang’e 4 rover Jade Rabbit 2 sets off on moon mission
Project leader echoes Neil Armstrong’s quote after rover’s successful separation from lander China’s space agency has posted the first photo of its Chang’e 4 lunar rover on the far side of the moon after its groundbreaking touchdown on Thursday. The rover – named Yutu 2, or Jade Rabbit 2 – ... Read More »
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un warns nuclear talks at risk over US sanctions
‘I am always ready to sit together with the US president anytime in the future,’ says Pyongyang’s leader North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has said that he is ready to meet with Donald Trump for nuclear weapon talks, but that his country will be forced to “explore a new path” ... Read More »
Record number of Britons seeking Irish passports ahead of Brexit
The number of British citizens applying for Irish passports has doubled since vote to leave European Union The number of British citizens applying for Irish passports rose by 22% in 2018, Ireland’s foreign office said on Monday, more than doubling the total of annual applications since Britain voted to leave ... Read More »
Artificial intelligence demands genuine journalism
AI is coming to newsrooms, should we embrace it or resist it? Many large newsrooms and news agencies have, for some time, relegated sports, weather, stock exchange movements and corporate performance stories to computers. Machines can be more rigorous and comprehensive than some reporters. Software can import data from various ... Read More »
Trump shocks allies and advisers with plan to pull US troops out of Syria
Administration nears end of campaign to retake territory once held by Isis as Trump tweets: ‘We have defeated Isis in Syria’ Donald Trump is reported to have ordered a full, rapid withdrawal of over 2,000 US troops in Syria, declaring victory over the Islamic State, and taking allies and his ... Read More »
Lebanese Ministry of Information