Friday, March 20

Business

‘The UK will never forget Sudan,’ David Lammy says as aid to thousands affected by war doubled to more than £110m | World News
Business

‘The UK will never forget Sudan,’ David Lammy says as aid to thousands affected by war doubled to more than £110m | World News

The UK will double the amount of aid to Sudan and neighbouring countries, providing more than £110m to those affected by the war.The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the package doubles the UK's aid commitment and will assist more than 600,000 in Sudan.In total, £43.5m in funding will be provided to support UN and NGO partners in providing food, cash, shelter, medical assistance, water and sanitation in the country.For the more than 700,000 who have fled the war to neighbouring Chad, South Sudan, Uganda, Libya and other countries, the FCDO has allocated £69.5m - for a total of £113m.The war in Sudan started last April when a transition from military to civilian rule collapsed, after disagreement about how the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) would be integrat...
China: Eight dead and 17 injured after ‘student carries out stabbing attack’ | World News
Business

China: Eight dead and 17 injured after ‘student carries out stabbing attack’ | World News

At least eight people have died after a stabbing attack at a Chinese school, with 17 others injured.Authorities said in a statement that a 21-year-old student is believed to have carried out the attack in Yixing City, in China's Jiangsu province. According to the state-owned Xinhua News Agency, the attack took place at the Wuxi Vocational Institute of Arts and Technology at around 6.30pm (10.30am in the UK) on Saturday.The outlet reported that police believe the suspect - identified only by his family name of Xu - graduated from the school earlier this year and was angry over not receiving his graduation certificate.Police say the student - who was also said to be unhappy with his internship pay - confessed to the crime.It comes days after 35 people were killed in the Chinese city of Zhuha...
Tropical Storm Sara: ‘Threat to life’ as widespread flooding hits Honduras | World News
Business

Tropical Storm Sara: ‘Threat to life’ as widespread flooding hits Honduras | World News

Heavy rainfall from Tropical Storm Sara has caused widespread flooding along the northern coast of Honduras.More than 1,000 people have fled their homes to shelters, with the government declaring a national emergency and residents urged to avoid at-risk areas in the Central American country. Some trudged through waist-deep water along streets as they carried their belongings and pets. Image: A motorcyclist in a flooded street in La Ceiba, Honduras. Pic: Reuters Image: A bridge partially collapsed after the Cangrejal River overflowed its banks due to heavy rain. Pic: Reuters Between 15 and 25 inches of rain is expected to hit the north in the next few days,...
India: Fire in neonatal ward kills 10 newborn babies | World News
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India: Fire in neonatal ward kills 10 newborn babies | World News

Ten newborn babies have died after a fire swept through a neonatal intensive care unit at a hospital in northern India.The fire, which also injured 17 other babies, spread quickly through the ward in Maharani Laxmibai Medical College in Jhansi city late on Friday, where 49 infants were being treated, according to state deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak.He said seven of the babies killed had been identified, with the authorities working to identify the remaining three."Seventeen of the injured are receiving treatment in different wings and some private hospitals," Mr Pathak said.He said the cause of the fire was not yet known."We will identify those responsible for this tragedy and take strict action. The government stands with families during this difficult time," he added.Eyewitnesses ...
China’s premier air show wows spectators – but the West won’t have liked seeing Russia’s jets | World News
Business

China’s premier air show wows spectators – but the West won’t have liked seeing Russia’s jets | World News

Outgoing US President Joe Biden is set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping today for what is likely to be his last time as US president.The two leaders are expected to hold talks on the sidelines of a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in the Peruvian capital, Lima. It comes against the backdrop of increasing tension in the US-China relationship with a potential trade war looming under a Trump presidency, several China hawks tapped for US cabinet positions and China's growing status among global south countries as an emerging leader of an alternative world order.This week China was focused on events in the southern city of Zhuhai.First there was a car ramming attack at Zhuhai's sports stadium which left 25 people dead. A shocking event that was heavily censored in China. ...
Scholz’s phone call with Putin opens ‘Pandora’s box’, says Zelenskyy | World News
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Scholz’s phone call with Putin opens ‘Pandora’s box’, says Zelenskyy | World News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised a phone call between German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying it has opened a "Pandora's box".Friday night's call was the pair's first since December 2022, 10 months after Russia's land, air and sea invasion of its neighbour on 24 February that year.In his evening address, Mr Zelenskyy, who has heavily relied on EU and US support to fend off what Mr Putin has branded a "special military operation" to demilitarise Ukraine, said the conversation between the two leaders undermined efforts to isolate the Russian leader."Now there may be other conversations, other calls. Just a lot of words," Mr Zelenskyy said."And this is exactly what Putin has long wanted: It is extremely important for him to weaken his i...
Frozen sabre-toothed kitten reveals ‘significant differences’ with modern lion cub | Science, Climate & Tech News
Business

Frozen sabre-toothed kitten reveals ‘significant differences’ with modern lion cub | Science, Climate & Tech News

The frozen remains of a sabre-toothed cat thought to be about 31,800 years old have been studied for the first time in history, according to a study.The cub's mummified remains, including its head, front arms and paws, and part of its chest, were found well-preserved in Arctic permafrost on the banks of the Badyarikha River in Yakutia, in Russia's Siberia region, in 2020. "Findings of frozen mummified remains of the Late Pleistocene mammals are very rare," the researchers explained, referring to the period in which it lived.They added: "For the first time in the history of palaeontology, the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogues in the modern fauna has been studied." Image: A modern day lion cub. Pic: A V Lopatin/Scientific Rep...
The X exodus – could Bluesky spike spark end of Elon Musk’s social media platform? | Science, Climate & Tech News
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The X exodus – could Bluesky spike spark end of Elon Musk’s social media platform? | Science, Climate & Tech News

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis, The Guardian newspaper, and even the Clifton Suspension Bridge have joined swathes of people deserting Elon Musk's social media site X.Millions have instead joined Bluesky, a site run by former Twitter founder Jack Dorsey that has a stronger focus on moderation. According to the official Bluesky account, a million people joined the platform in just one day this week, after Musk was given a position in Donald Trump's government. Instagram This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram coo...
Pictures show moment Israeli bomb exploded at Beirut apartment block | World News
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Pictures show moment Israeli bomb exploded at Beirut apartment block | World News

New pictures show the moment of impact as an Israeli missile hit a Beirut apartment block and exploded. The block was one of five buildings destroyed by airstrikes on Friday alone.Israel launched airstrikes in the southern suburbs of Beirut in a fourth consecutive day of intense attacks.There were no immediate reports of casualties.An Associated Press photographer captured a sequence of images showing an Israeli bomb approaching and hitting a multi-storey apartment building in Beirut's Tayouneh area. Richard Weir, a senior crisis, conflict and arms researcher at Human Rights Watch, reviewed the close-up photos to determine what type of weapon was used."The bomb and components visible in the photographs, including the strake, wire ha...
Frozen sabre-toothed cat cub reveals ‘significant differences’ with modern lion cub | Science, Climate & Tech News
Business

Frozen sabre-toothed cat cub reveals ‘significant differences’ with modern lion cub | Science, Climate & Tech News

The frozen remains of a sabre-toothed cat thought to be about 31,800 years old have been studied for the first time in history, according to a study.The cub's mummified remains, including its head, front arms and paws, and part of its chest, were found well-preserved in Arctic permafrost on the banks of the Badyarikha River in Yakutia, in Russia's Siberia region, in 2020. "Findings of frozen mummified remains of the Late Pleistocene mammals are very rare," the researchers explained, referring to the period in which it lived.They added: "For the first time in the history of palaeontology, the appearance of an extinct mammal that has no analogues in the modern fauna has been studied." Image: A modern day lion cub. Pic: A V Lopatin/Scientific Rep...