Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko appears to have cast doubt on Russia’s claims that Ukraine was involved in the brutal attack at a Moscow concert hall last week. ISIS claimed responsibility for the massacre, which killed at least 139 people, and released graphic footage of the incident, but Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly suggested, without evidence, that Ukraine had helped ...

At least 12 Palestinians drowned off the northern Gaza coast near Beit Lahia on Monday while trying to reach airdropped parcels that had landed in the sea, according to local paramedics. “There were strong currents and all the parachutes fell in the water. People want to eat and are hungry,” he said. “I haven’t been able to receive anything. The ...

Around 16 million years ago, a dolphin giant cruised the depths of its watery domain. But unlike most modern dolphins, its home wasn’t an ocean; it lived in a freshwater lake in the Peruvian Amazon. And though there are Amazonian freshwater dolphin species alive today, they aren’t close kin to that ancient cetacean. Its closest living relatives are river dolphins ...

Following several failed attempts over five months of Israel’s devastating war in Gaza, the United Nations Security Council on Monday finally passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire. The United States, which had been the only remaining hurdle to such a call, decided not to strike down the resolution. The vote came as a shock to Israel, which saw ...

The melting of polar ice due to human-driven climate change has slightly slowed the Earth’s rotation – and it could affect how we measure time, according to a study. Although the disappearance of the ice has reduced the speed of the planet’s rotation, the Earth is still spinning a bit faster than it used to. The overall increase in speed ...

A “game changer” test could detect signs of motor neurone disease (MND) before symptoms appear, according to scientists. It can spot damaged cell proteins in samples of brain tissue – which are early indicators (biomarkers) of the disease. Motor neurone disease – also known as ALS – is an incurable condition that affects the brain and nerves and causes muscle ...

“Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!” wrote poet John Betjeman in 1937. The scruffy trading estate west of London may only have got uglier since. But it’s definitely not somewhere you’d want to obliterate. Slough is now Europe’s largest data hub and the second largest in the world. Nearly every foreign exchange transaction passes through a single data centre ...

Scientists have trained dogs to recognise the scent of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on people’s breath. A study, published in the journal Frontiers in Allergy, found evidence that some dogs may be able to sniff out volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – which make up a human’s “scent profile”. Certain VOCs are associated with stress, which a golden retriever named Ivy ...

Elon Musk has announced further changes to social media platform X that will see certain accounts get premium features for free. The tech billionaire, writing on the platform formerly known as Twitter, said all accounts with more than 2,500 verified subscriber followers would be able to access features that usually cost $8 (£6.30) a month. Premium features include the ability ...

It is generally understood that the appeal of living in the United States — the American Dream itself — is that anyone can be a success. That opportunity is offered evenly and anyone could take advantage to become a success. You can grow up to be president! You can become a billionaire! It’s there for the taking! The reality is ...