Africa: The Twelve Viruses of Christmas, and How to Make Your Own - Out of Paper

[The Conversation Africa] Viruses, as we all know, are invisibly small things that make us sick. But is that the whole story?

Africa: Religion and Prejudice: Micro-Level Evidence From Africa

[Afrobarometer] People with no religious affiliation are least likely to express tolerance of religious differences.

Miss Finland's viral 'slanted-eyes' photo stirs racism firestorm

Ex- Miss Universe contestant Sarah Dzafce has drawn backlash in East Asia and in her own country.

Taiwan says Chinese aircraft carrier sailed through Taiwan Strait

In September, the same carrier sailed through the Taiwan Strait and into the disputed South China Sea during trials.

How long can Palantir’s ‘creative monopoly’ last?

Palantir CEO Alex Karp’s description of the company’s quarterly earnings in August 2025 as “once in a generation” wasn’t far-fetched. It surpassed US$1 billion in quarterly revenue for the first time, after only turning profitable in 2022. Its surge has made it an outlier:

China’s Xi backs Hong Kong leader after deadly fire, Jimmy Lai verdict

President Xi also highlighted the “steady” growth of the city’s economy.

Billy Crystal, Larry David and More Honor Rob and Michele Reiner: ‘We Will Miss Them Forever’

Martin Short, Albert Brooks, and Alan Zweibel also signed the letter praising the couple's as "a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring"

Trump orders blockade of sanctioned oil tankers in and out of Venezuela

Trump's escalation comes after U.S. forces last week seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, an unusual move that followed a buildup of military forces in the region.

Greene says ‘dam is breaking’ on Trump’s influence on GOP

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) said Monday that "the dam is breaking” on President Trump’s influence over the Republican Party. “I think the dam is breaking. Many Republicans may not have called him out, but last week, 13 Republicans voted with Democrats to overturn one of

Former New Zealand top cop avoids jail time for child abuse, bestiality offences

Jevon McSkimming would also not have to register as a child sexual offender.

Common household rat poisons found to pose unacceptable risk to wildlife as animal advocates push for ban

Environmentalists say proposed temporary suspension of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides ‘doesn’t go far enough’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Commonly available rat poisons pose

‘Sanatorium’ Review: Irish Filmmaker Provides a Striking Glimpse Inside a Ukrainian Health Facility

Gar O’Rourke joins the likes of Frederick Wiseman with an immersive observational documentary that takes a sensitive look at a community attempting to relax under conditions of growing unease. Though O’Rourke is an Irish filmmaker, working with majority Irish funding, his

Coupang CEO fails to appear at South Korean parliamentary hearing on data breach

He declined to attend because of his overseas residence and other commitments.

India charges Pakistan-based groups in April terrorist attack in Kashmir

New Delhi’s case, laid out in a 1,597-page document, focuses on two organisations.

Gil Gerard, ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’ Star, Dies at 82

Gil Gerard, the American actor who starred as the titular hero in the 1979 NBC sci-fi series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” died Tuesday after a battle with cancer. He was 82. Gerard’s death was confirmed by his wife, Janet, in a Facebook post Tuesday evening. “Early this

Factbox-What we know about the shooting victims at Sydney's Bondi Beach Jewish event

Dec 17 (Reuters) - Among the 15 victims of a mass shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach targeting an event for the Jewish festival of Hanukkah were two who tried to thwart the attack, and others who ​died shielding friends and family, according to family members, officials and

Australian state parliament to be recalled to pass stricter gun laws

SYDNEY, Dec ​17 (Reuters) - ​The Australian ⁠state parliament of New ​South ‍Wales will ​reconvene next week to ⁠discuss urgent legislation on gun control in ​the wake ⁠of ⁠the deadly Bondi shootings ‌and consider ​protest reforms, Premier Chris Minns ‍said on Wednesday.

Eurovision facing fractious 2026 as unity unravels

The Eurovision Song Contest heads into its 70th anniversary edition next year mired in its biggest-ever political boycott, with five countries staying away over Israel's participation. Eurovision organisers announced Monday that 35 countries would take part in the world's

No price drop in Fukushima flounder found after treated-water discharge

An analysis by Shinshu University and the Distribution Economics Institute of Japan shows that wholesale prices for flounder—a key Fukushima catch—remained stable after the August 2023 ALPS-treated water discharge. Using a predictive market model based on pre-discharge data,

Proposing a GenAI chatbot framework for youth disaster risk reduction

Over the past decade, communities across the United States have faced a steady rise in severe weather events. Climate Central reports more than 193 major disasters during this period, resulting in over $1.5 trillion in economic losses and 6,403 deaths. Beyond the staggering

Vietnam’s durian export revenue grows to new highs

The fruit is the largest contributor to Vietnam’s total agricultural export value.

Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Larry David, Albert Brooks and More Remember Rob and Michele Reiner: “We Will Miss Them Forever”

A group of friends close to the Reiners released a joint statement, commemorating Rob and Michele as "a special force together-dynamic, unselfish and inspiring."

Asian markets drift as US jobs data fails to boost rate cut hopes

Novel Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe instrument delivers first-light data

Southwest Research Institute's novel Compact Dual Ion Composition Experiment (CoDICE) instrument aboard NASA's Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) spacecraft has successfully collected first-light data. IMAP launched in September to help researchers better

Acid-treated carbon nanotubes boost efficiency and stability of flexible perovskite solar modules

Flexible perovskite solar modules (f-PSMs) are a key innovation in current renewable energy technology, offering a pathway toward sustainable and efficient energy solutions. However, ensuring long-term operational stability without compromising efficiency or increasing material

Angelina Jolie on Showing Mastectomy Scars: ‘I Share These Scars With Many Women I Love’

Jolie, whose mother died from cancer at the age of 56, underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013

No Article 5-like security guarantees for Ukraine

The idea of offering unilateral US security guarantees to Ukraine is an appalling idea that risks war with Russia. It means the US is willing to go to war to defend Ukraine, and gives the Ukrainians a license to stir up trouble, instigate provocations and drag America into a

Rob Reiner’s Close Friends Billy Crystal, Larry David and More Release Statement After Director’s Death: ‘He Was Always At the Top of His Game’

A group of Rob Reiner’s closest friends and collaborators, including Billy Crystal, Larry David, Martin Short and Albert Brooks, released a joint statement on Tuesday in remembrance of the prolific filmmaker and his wife, Michele Singer. “Absorbing all he had learned from his

Quirky stationery, red ginseng: What tourists in South Korea are buying these days

The report found that tourists are now spending less per purchase but buying far more often.

Ocasio Cortez blasts boat strike briefings: 'That was a joke'

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) slammed briefings on recent strikes on alleged drug boats, calling them “a joke.” “Were you satisfied with the answers that — you’ve gotten so far today in these classified briefings —” journalist Pablo Manríquez asked Ocasio-Cortez in a

Bondi Beach shooting: Aussie police officer, 4 months into the job, survives head gunshot wound

He has lost vision in one of his eyes, a report said.

Warner Bros to reject $108bn Paramount bid, reports say

Warner Bros will reportedly advise its shareholders to vote against the offer as early as Wednesday.

Amid Colorado River 'impasse,' tense meeting comes to Las Vegas

It's down to the wire for officials to deliver a seven-state agreement to stabilize Lake Mead over the next 20 years. That's why water managers are eager to attend this year's annual policy gathering in Las Vegas.

Book prepares K-12 leaders for the next public health crisis

In a new book, a team of experts in educational policy, epidemiology and public health chronicles the challenges faced by educators, public health authorities and school officials during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers a guide to some of the lessons learned as K-12 schools

Sustainability-focused companies benefit more from audit transparency, study suggests

Companies with strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) track records performed better than their peers after being required to adopt more rigorous auditing standards. This is according to a new study from researchers at Nagoya University in Japan, which is the first

Robinhood is rolling out NFL parlay and prop bets on prediction markets platform

Robinhood announced Tuesday that users will be able to trade on National Football League games and player performances.

Slop, vibe coding and glazing: AI dominates 2025's words of the year

For us linguists, the flurry of "word of the year" announcements from dictionaries and publishers is a holiday tradition as anticipated as mince pies. The words of the year aren't just a fun peek into new slang and language changes, they also tell us quite a bit about the

A location shown in Fallout Season 2 Episode 1 got me pointing at the screen like Leo—and it has nothing to do with New Vegas

I probably spent more time there than any other spot in any of the Fallout games.

Every Fallout season 2 Easter egg so far

Fallout season 2 features a lot of hidden secrets from the game series, but only if you can find them.

House won't vote on ObamaCare amendments after heated committee meeting

Republicans on the House Rules Committee on Tuesday shut the door on amendments to extend the expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies, effectively setting the stage for a surge in health insurance premiums as Congress leaves for winter recess later this week. A group of

Alleged Bondi Beach gunman to be charged within hours, Australia PM says

Naveed Akram emerged from a coma on Dec 17 after ‍being shot by police.

Trump expands US travel ban to five more countries

The US will restrict entry of people from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria as well as holders of Palestinian Authority passports.

'Extreme melting' episodes are accelerating ice loss in the Arctic

The Arctic landscape is changing at an unprecedented rate. In addition to rising temperatures, climate change is causing episodes of extreme melting, which occurs when ice losses that previously took weeks or months occur over just a few days.

The first episode of Fallout season 2 solves the 15-year-old New Vegas mystery of the missing Vault 24

I should have guessed: commies.

The 3 Ways We Read Between the Lines

How humans infer meaning from spoken language is more complex than we thought The post The 3 Ways We Read Between the Lines appeared first on Nautilus .

Fallout Season 2 Episode 1 recap: 'The world may end, but progress marches on'

The second season premiere gets a big Vault-Boy thumbs up from me.

Trump-Kim summit more likely in 2026, with Seoul still left in cold: Report

Mr Trump’s scheduled visit to China in 2026 could revive Trump-Kim talks, dormant since June 2019.