World news
The hunt for alien life on nearby exoplanet Wolf 1061c has begun
The search for aliens on a nearby exoplanet has started, with astronomers examining Wolf 1061c to see if it has the potential to sustain life. Stephen Kane and colleagues have found the rocky planet – just 14 light years away – is within the habitable zone and could be cool enough to support extraterrestrial...
Davos 2017: Goldman Sachs boss says if Trump is against free trade ‘I’m at odds with him’
The head of Goldman Sachs warned on today (19 January) that he would oppose the incoming US President Donald Trump if he sparked a trade war with China. "If he's anti-trade, then I'm at odds with him," said Lloyd Blankfein, the chief executive of the giant US investment bank. President-elect Trump, who is...
Europe beware! Islamic State to switch tactics in Europe in 2017
As the Islamic State loses territory in Syria and Iraq, the radical Islamist group is likely to increase its focus on foreign operations leading to a heightened terrorist threat in Europe for 2017. Throughout 2016, Europe has suffered several high-profile and high-impact terrorist attacks conducted by radical Islamist...
Former President George H.W. Bush, wife Barbara hospitalized
HOUSTON (AP) — Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted to an intensive care unit on Wednesday, and his wife, Barbara, was hospitalized as a precaution, according to his spokesman. The former president was admitted to the ICU at Houston Methodist Hospital to "address an acute respiratory problem stemming from...
Goldman Sachs UBS set to move jobs from London
UBS and HSBC both warned of moving 1000 jobs out of London on Brexit, Goldman Sachs is also reportedly ready to cut staff. UBS chairman Axel Weber said that about 1000 of the Swiss bank's 5,000 employees in London could be affected by Brexit, while HSBC Chief Executive Stuart Gulliver said his bank will relocate staff...
It’s official: 2016 was the hottest year on record
It has been confirmed that 2016 was the hottest year on record since records began in 1850, official data show. The finding has been confirmed by the UK's Met Office and NOAA and NASA in the US. The full dataset for the year shows that 2016 was 0.77C above the long-term 1961-90. Last year saw global temperatures 1.1C above...
Gene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon, dies aged 82, Nasa announces
Former US astronaut Eugene Cernan, who became the last astronaut to walk on the moon in an experience that he said made him one with the universe, died on Monday at 82, the US space agency said. Cernan, who also was one of the first men to go on a spacewalk, died surrounded by his family, Nasa said in a statement without giving...
Torrential downpour resurrects alien-like prehistoric shrimp in Australian outback
Millions of crustaceans have been rehydrated by rain in Australia in normally arid desert areas, where precipitation only comes once every half a century. Floods in December 2016 were so severe that Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock), near Alice Springs, was shut to the public as extensive areas of the outback were submerged....
South Korea: Securing location for Thaad deployment may be delayed
The South Korean military's step to acquire a site from multinational conglomerate Lotte Group to deploy the Terminal high altitude area defence (Thaad) system could be delayed, the country's defence ministry said on Monday (16 January). The US missile defence system is set to be deployed on a golf course in the Seongju...
Trump praises Brexit and promises quick transatlantic trade deal in first UK interview
US President-elect Donald Trump has praised the UK's decision to leave the European Union and promised a trade deal between the US and UK "quickly" and "properly" when he comes to office. Trump said that he was set to meet with UK Prime Minister Theresa May "right after I get into the White...
Close to 100 feared dead after migrant boat capsizes off Libya coast
Up to 100 people are feared dead after a migrant boat capsized off the Libyan coast. The Italian coast guard is carrying out a search operation in the frigid waters but so far only four survivors and eight dead bodies have been found. There were about 110 people on board the vessel when it overturned about 30 miles off...
Britain hit with 50 flood warnings as heavy rains batter the country
Britain continues to be battered by extreme weather, with 50 flood warnings still in place. Flood warnings and alerts have been issued for across the east coast of England, with Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk getting worst hit. The Environment Agency has put in place 15 flood warnings, which warn that ‘immediate action is...