Astronomers say big cool patches on a “supergiant” star close to Earth were behind its surprise dimming last year. Red giant stars like Betelgeuse frequently undergo changes in brightness, but the drop to 40% of its normal value between October 2019 and April 2020 surprised astronomers. Researchers now say this […]
Year: 2020
Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday said it will write down the value of its assets by up to US$22 billion after lowering its long-term outlook on oil and gas prices. LONDON: Royal Dutch Shell on Tuesday said it will write down the value of its assets by up to US$22 […]
PARIS: A French court is scheduled to give its verdict on Monday (Jun 29) in the trial of former premier Francois Fillon on charges of setting up a fake job for his wife. The ruling could however be delayed by a controversy over alleged pressure on prosecutors. Fillion is accused […]
BRUSSELS: The EU and Britain launch an intense five weeks of negotiations on a deal to define their post-Brexit relations on Monday (Jun), with London keen to wrap things up quickly. The new round of talks in Brussels will be the first to be held face-to-face since the COVID-19 shutdown […]
SYDNEY: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Monday (Jun 29) said the reopening of state borders will support jobs growth despite a fresh outbreak of the coronavirus in the country’s second most populated state. South Australia and Tasmania states have in recent days confirmed their borders will reopen in late […]
JACKSON: Lawmakers in Mississippi voted on Sunday (Jun 28) to remove the Confederate battle standard from the state flag, after nationwide protests drew renewed attention to symbols of the United States’ racist past. The measure passed with a 91-23 majority vote in the House of Representatives, triggering cheers in the […]
RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil had its worst week yet of the coronavirus pandemic in terms of new cases, registering 259,105 infections in the seven days through Sunday (Jun 28), according to health ministry figures. The country also reported its second-highest weekly death toll, with 7,005 people killed. The previous week’s […]
SAN FRANCISCO: Organisers of a Facebook advertising boycott campaign that has drawn support from a rapidly expanding list of major companies are now preparing to take the battle global to increase pressure on the social media company to remove hate speech. The “Stop Hate for Profit” campaign will begin calling […]
LOS ANGELES: California on Sunday (Jun 28) ordered some bars to close, the first major rollback of efforts to reopen the economy in the most populous US state as cases nationwide soar to record levels day after day. Governor Gavin Newsom’s order for bars to close in Los Angeles and […]
SYDNEY: The death toll from COVID-19 reached half a million people on Sunday (Jun 28), according to a Reuters tally, a grim milestone for the global pandemic that seems to be resurgent in some countries even as other regions are still grappling with the first wave. The respiratory illness caused […]