Mysterious, intense blasts of radio energy have been detected from within our own galaxy, astronomers have said. Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, last only a fraction of a second but can be 100 million times more powerful than the Sun. Despite their intensity, their origin remains largely unknown. Now astronomers ... Read More »
Tributes paid to fearless reporter described as ‘the greatest journalist of his generation’ Robert Fisk, a veteran Middle East correspondent for The Independent and the most celebrated journalist of his era, has died after an illness. He was 74. Fisk was renowned for his courage in questioning official narratives from governments and ... Read More »
Water could be used for humans who travel to the Moon and create permanent lunar base there, as Nasa hopes to Water has been definitively found on the Moon, Nasa has said, and there are a set of “water traps” that could hold it stably. The research suggests that water could be distributed ... Read More »
A new IUCN report finds that an estimated 229,000 tonnes of plastic is leaking into the Mediterranean Sea every year, equivalent to over 500 shipping containers each day. Unless significant measures are taken to address mismanaged waste, the main source of the leakage, this will at least double by 2040. Based ... Read More »
Study team says Covid-19 patients in intensive care should be asked about hearing loss Covid-19 may cause sudden and permanent hearing loss, experts have found, adding that such problems need early detection and urgent treatment. The coronavirus has been found to affect the body in myriad ways, from a ... Read More »
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cites lack of understanding of virus and lasting health effects The head of the World Health Organization has warned against deliberately allowing coronavirus to spread in the hope of achieving so-called herd immunity, saying the idea is unethical. “Herd immunity is a concept used for vaccination, in ... Read More »
Governments from the UK, USA, Australia, Japan, India, and more are seeking the ability to read users’ messages The governments of the UK, USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, and Japan have signed a statement asking technology companies to provide a backdoor into encrypted services. End-to-end encryption lets users use messaging services without the owners of those services ... Read More »
Scientists have watched a rare blast of light from a star as it was eaten by a black hole. The unusual “tidal disruption event” was visible in telescopes across the world. It appeared as a bright flare of energy, the closest of its kind ever recorded, at just 215 million light-years away. Such ... Read More »
The virus that causes COVID-19 can survive on banknotes, glass and stainless steel for up to 28 days, much longer than the flu virus, Australian researchers said on Monday, highlighting the need for frequent cleaning and handwashing. Findings from the study by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, appear to show ... Read More »
A new discovery, just 30 miles west of London, may help transform historians’ understanding of the long process that led to the birth of England. Archaeologists from the University of Reading have begun an investigation into a Dark Age military leader whose grave has been discovered on a hill overlooking the Thames near the ... Read More »
Lebanese Ministry of Information