Category: World
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Over 22,000 applicants for space travel (200 Special Persons and more women)
PARIS: The European Space Agency says it was “blown away” by the record number of applicants — more than 22,000 — hoping to become the continent’s next generation of space travelers, including more women than ever and some 200 people with disabilities (Special Persons). In releasing the results of a new recruitment drive aimed at…
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Ivory Coast Sentences ex-PM to life imprisonment
ABIDJAN: An Ivory Coast court on Wednesday sentenced former prime minister and rebel leader Guillaume Soro to life imprisonment in absentia on charges of plotting a coup against President Alassane Ouattara. Soro, who is in exile in Europe, was charged with conspiracy and an attempted attack on state authority. His lawyers have previously condemned the…
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Dirty laundry in space? NASA faces cleaning challenge
CAPE CANAVERAL: How do astronauts do laundry in space? They don’t. They wear their underwear, gym clothes and everything else until they can’t take the filth and stink anymore, then junk them. NASA wants to change that — if not at the International Space Station, then the moon and Mars — and stop throwing…
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Dozens of Israeli settlers storm Al Aqsa complex
JERUSALEM,: Dozens of Israeli settlers on Thursday forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem, according to a Palestinian agency. The Islamic Endowment Department in Jerusalem said in a brief statement that 76 settlers broke into the flashpoint compound under the protection of Israeli police. More settlers are expected to enter…
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Rogue elephant kills 16 people in India
NEW DELHI: A rogue elephant has killed at least 16 villagers in the past two months in central India after likely being expelled from his herd “for bad behaviour”, a wildlife official said Thursday. The mature male, believed to be 15 or 16 years old, has been on the rampage in the tribal Santhal Pargana…
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UK man tested positive for virus for 10 straight months
LONDON: A 72-year-old British man tested positive for coronavirus for 10 months in what is thought to be the longest recorded case of continuous infection, researchers said on Thursday. Dave Smith, a retired driving instructor from Bristol in western England, said he tested positive 43 times, was hospitalised seven times and had made plans for…
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UK to regulate online media giants in shakeup
LONDON: The British government on Wednesday announced plans to subject online streaming platforms to tighter regulation as part of a wider shake-up of the country”s media landscape. Under the proposals, services such as Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video would face the same level of regulation as traditional broadcasters including the BBC, ITV and Sky.…
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Heatwave hits Moscow, breaks 120-year record
MOSCOW: Moscow has been hit by a historic heatwave this week, with temperatures reaching a 120-year record due to the effects of climate change, Russia`s weather service said on Tuesday. On Monday the temperature in the Russian capital hit 34.7 degrees Celsius, according to Roshydromet, matching the record for a June day in 1901.…
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Famine threatens 41m masses in 43 countries including Afghanistan: UN
UNITED NATIONS: Famine is knocking at the doors of 41 million people in 43 countries, including Afghanistan, according to a UN report released on Tuesday. The report by the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that the threat of famine had increased dramatically over the past two years from 27 million in 2019 to 41 million…
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Taliban capture key Tajikistan border crossing
The Taliban captured Afghanistan’s main border crossing with Tajikistan, officials said on Tuesday, with security forces abandoning their posts and some fleeing across the frontier. The seizure of Shir Khan Bandar, in the far north of Afghanistan, about 50 kilometres from Kunduz city, is the most significant gain for the Taliban since the US began…