-
Webb telescope spots strong 'hints'of life on distant planet
PARIS (AFP) — Astronomers announced Thursday that they had detected the most promising "hints" of potential life on a planet beyond our solar system, though other scientists expressed skepticism. There has been vigorous debate in scientific circles about whether the planet K2-18b, which is 124 light years away in the Leo constellation, could be an ocean world capable of hosting microbial life. Using the James Webb Space Telescope, a British-US team of researchers detected signs of two chemicals
April 17, 2025 -
Cambodia eyes more China help as Xi visits
Cambodia is betting on more financial support from China, including for infrastructure, as President Xi Jinping visits the country on Thursday at the end of a three-nation trip in Southeast Asia, a Cambodian government spokesman said. The country, which is a major exporter of clothing and footwear to the United States, was hit with a 49 percent "reciprocal" tariff by United States President Donald Trump, one of the highest rates globally, before most duties were paused until July. Phnom Penh is
April 17, 2025 -
Trump officials could face criminal contempt over deportations
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Trump administration officials could face criminal contempt charges for violating a United States federal judge's order halting deportations of alleged members of a Venezuelan gang who had no chance to challenge their removals, the judge said on Wednesday. In a written ruling, US District Judge James Boasberg in Washington found "probable cause" to hold officials in criminal contempt of court, saying the administration demonstrated "willful disregard" for his March 15 ord
April 17, 2025 -
Maryland Sen. Van Hollen flies to meet El Salvador's vice president over illegally deported man
Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen traveled to El Salvador on Wednesday and met with the country's vice president to push for the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who was sent there by the Trump administration in March despite an immigration court order preventing his deportation. Van Hollen said at a news conference in San Salvador that Vice President Felix Ulloa said his government could not return Abrego Garcia to the United States and declined to allow Van Hollen to visit him in the notori
April 17, 2025 -
Trump joins tariff talks with Japan seeking deals
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump on Wednesday inserted himself directly into trade talks with Japanese officials, a sign of the high stakes for the United States after its tariffs rattled the economy and caused the administration to assure the public that it would quickly reach deals. The Republican president attended the meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, top economic advisers with a central role in his trade and tariff policies. “
April 17, 2025 -
Former New York police sergeant sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison for acting as Chinese agent
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- A former New York City police sergeant was sentenced to 1-1/2 years in prison on Wednesday over his 2023 conviction for acting as an illegal Chinese agent. Michael McMahon was charged with being hired as a private investigator to surveil a New Jersey resident who was accused by China of corruption, as part of a global campaign by Chinese law enforcement to repatriate alleged criminals living abroad, known as "Operation Fox Hunt." A federal jury in Brooklyn found McMahon gui
April 17, 2025 -
Israeli defense minister says troops will remain in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense minister said on Wednesday that troops will remain in so-called security zones in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria indefinitely, remarks that could further complicate talks with Hamas over a ceasefire and hostage release. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes across Gaza killed another 22 people, according to local health officials, including a girl who was not yet a year old. The girl’s mother, who was wounded, embraced her daughter, still wearing a bloodied blue dress,
April 17, 2025 -
Japanese brass foundry retains lustre; delights eyes with unique ornaments, decorations
TOKYO (Japan News/ANN) — With its muted shine, brass is often strongly associated with practical items such as architectural hardware. However, brass also is used to make sculptures and ornaments, and its texture increases the depth of its color over time, giving it an antique quality. An alloy made from copper and zinc, brass is rust-resistant and easy to work with. It's used to make many items, such as ¥5 coins, musical instruments and water taps. The Shibazaki alloy foundry in Sumida Ward, To
April 17, 2025 -
Mosuo ethnic people in Yunnan's 'Shangri-La' boost tourism, maintain matriarchal culture
LIJIANG, Yunnan (China Daily) — In a society where women hold the reins, what it is like to be a man? On the shores of Lugu Lake in Yunnan province, visitors from around the globe have come to explore that question in a wooden house in Luoshui village, Lijiang. Geze Duoji, 54, a member of the Mosuo ethnic people who number more than 50,000, sits in what is traditionally called a "grandmother's room," sharing stories of his group's unique culture and how it has evolved in modern society. Here, in
April 17, 2025 -
Singapore man makes a living streaming himself opening packs of Pokemon cards
SINGAPORE (Straits Times/ANN) — Ang Bin Xiu's job is a Pokemon fan's dream — he opens packs of Pokemon cards for a living and live-streams himself doing so. It started with chancing upon Pokemon cards at a convenience store in 2022, which sparked his interest in collecting Pokemon cards again in his 20s — many years after he had done so as a child — out of nostalgia. He said, "Now that I had 'adult money,' buying the cards felt like fulfilling a childhood dream." The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a
April 17, 2025 -
Hong Kong post office will stop shipping parcels to US
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's post office will stop shipping small parcels to the United States after Washington announced plans to charge tariffs on small-value parcels from the southern Chinese city, the government said Wednesday. The US government earlier announced that it would end a customs exception allowing small-value parcels from Hong Kong to enter the US without tax, slapping a 120 percent tariff on them starting from May 2. The “de minimis” exemption currently allows shipments that are
April 16, 2025 -
NATO chief reaffirms support for Ukraine
ODESA, Ukraine (AP) — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s support for Ukraine remains “unwavering,” the alliance’s secretary-general said Tuesday, emphasizing that more than 20 billion euros — over $22 billion — in security assistance has already been pledged by NATO allies in the first three months of the year. Mark Rutte spoke on Tuesday in Ukraine's port city of Odesa, where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. His visit came days after two Russian ballistic missiles struck the cit
April 16, 2025 -
US, Philippine joint combat drills show Trump not scaling back on South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — About 14,000 American and Filipino forces will take part in battle-readiness exercises in the Philippines, including live-fire drills, in a largescale deployment that shows the Trump administration is not scaling back its commitment to help deter aggression in the region, a senior Philippine military official said Tuesday. The annual joint Balikatan — Tagalog for “shoulder-to-shoulder” — exercises between the longtime allies will be held from April 21 to May 9 and invo
April 16, 2025 -
Harvard rejects US demands, but Trump adds new threat
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- US President Donald Trump threatened to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status on Tuesday and said the university should apologize, a day after it rejected what it called unlawful demands to overhaul academic programs or lose federal grants. Beginning with Columbia University, the Trump administration has rebuked universities across the country over their handling of the pro-Palestinian student protest movement that roiled campuses last year following the 2023 Hamas-led att
April 16, 2025 -
Landmark agreement reached over tackling future pandemics
GENEVA (AFP) -- Years of negotiations culminated in the wee small hours of Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding a repeat of the mistakes made during the COVID-19 crisis. After more than three years of talks and a final marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization's headquarters could finally pop the Champagne corks at around 2 a.m. Wednesday. "The nations of the world made history in Geneva toda
April 16, 2025