European Central Bank says bitcoin is on the ‘road to irrelevance’

The European Central Bank gave a strong critique of bitcoinon Wednesday, saying the cryptocurrency is on a “road to irrelevance.” In a blogpost titled “Bitcoin’s last stand,” ECB Director General Ulrich Bindseil and analyst Jürgen Schaff said that, for bitcoin’s proponents, the apparent stabilization in its price this week “signals a breather on the way to new heights.” “More likely, however, it is an artificially … Continue reading European Central Bank says bitcoin is on the ‘road to irrelevance’

China vows to ‘crack down’ as protesters clash with riot cops in hazmat suits

China threatened to “resolutely crack down” on “hostile forces” as historic protests continued overnight — including wild street battles with riot cops clad in hazmat suits. Communist Party leaders gave the ominous warning without directly mentioning the countrywide rallies, the largest show of dissent in the 33 years since protests in Tiananmen Square ended in horror and bloodshed. However, in a statement Tuesday, the party’s … Continue reading China vows to ‘crack down’ as protesters clash with riot cops in hazmat suits

SKorea scrambles jets as China, Russia warplanes enter air defense zone

South Korea said it has scrambled fighter jets after detecting two Chinese and six Russian warplanes in its air defence zone. The two Chinese H-6 bombers repeatedly entered and left the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) off the southern and northeast coast at around 5:50am local time, the country’s military said. They returned hours later from the Sea of Japan with the Russian warplanes … Continue reading SKorea scrambles jets as China, Russia warplanes enter air defense zone

San Francisco will allow police to deploy robots that kill

Supervisors in San Francisco voted Tuesday to give city police the ability to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations — following an emotionally charged debate that reflected divisions on the politically liberal board over support for law enforcement. The vote was 8-3, with the majority agreeing to grant police the option despite strong objections from civil liberties and other police oversight groups. Opponents … Continue reading San Francisco will allow police to deploy robots that kill

Elon Musk’s Neuralink Set to ‘Show and Tell’ Latest Brain-Computer Advances at Event

Elon Musk‘s neuroscience startup Neuralink Corp. is expected to give a progress report on its brain-implant technology in a highly anticipated streamed event Wednesday night.  In a tweet last week, the company teased a demo for the event, which begins at 9 p.m. New York time, with a short video that slowly spelled out the message “please join us for a show and tell.” Some … Continue reading Elon Musk’s Neuralink Set to ‘Show and Tell’ Latest Brain-Computer Advances at Event

Hakeem Jeffries set to lead House Democrats

Emboldened House Democrats ushered in a new generation of leaders on Wednesday with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries elected to be the first Black American to head a major political party in Congress as long-serving Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her team step aside next year. Showing rare party unity after their midterm election losses, the House Democrats moved seamlessly from one history-making leader to another, choosing the … Continue reading Hakeem Jeffries set to lead House Democrats

Scientists Revive 48,500-Year-Old ‘Zombie Virus’ Buried In Permafrost

The thawing of ancient permafrost due to climate change may pose a new threat to humans, according to researchers who revived nearly two dozen viruses – including one frozen under a lake more than 48,500 years ago. European researchers examined ancient samples collected from permafrost in the Siberia region of Russia. They revived and characterized 13 new pathogens, what they termed “zombie viruses,” and found … Continue reading Scientists Revive 48,500-Year-Old ‘Zombie Virus’ Buried In Permafrost

3 Nigerian stowaways found on ship’s rudder after 11 days at sea

Three stowaways were rescued from a ship’s rudder in the Canary Islands on Monday after having sailed from Nigeria 11 days earlier. The three men were found on the Alithini II oil tanker at the Las Palmas port by Spain’s Salvamento Marítimo, which reported the men appearing to have symptoms of dehydration and hypothermia. Spanish news agency EFE reported that the men were seen by … Continue reading 3 Nigerian stowaways found on ship’s rudder after 11 days at sea

A survivor of the Virginia mass shooting files a $50 million lawsuit against Walmart

A Walmart employee who survived last week’s mass shooting at a store in Virginia has filed a $50 million lawsuit against the company for allegedly continuing to employ the shooter — a store supervisor — “who had known propensities for violence, threats and strange behavior.” The lawsuit, which appears to be the first to stem from the shooting, was filed Tuesday in Chesapeake Circuit Court … Continue reading A survivor of the Virginia mass shooting files a $50 million lawsuit against Walmart

Rail unions decry Biden’s call for Congress to block strike. Businesses praise the plan

President Joe Biden was in the unusual position Tuesday of being praised by business interests and attacked by his normal allies in the labor movement after calling for Congress to move immediately to block a strike by more than 100,000 union members at the nation’s freight railroads set for the end of next week. The move was a serious setback for the unions, who say … Continue reading Rail unions decry Biden’s call for Congress to block strike. Businesses praise the plan

Biden’s Secret Service rental vehicles burst into flames after he left Nantucket vacation

President Biden’s rented Secret Service vehicles burst into flames in a parking lot Monday, just one day after he left his Nantucket vacation. Biden spent Thanksgiving on the ritzy Massachusetts island with his family last week. The Secret Service rented five vehicles from Hertz to carry the president and his family, and all five of them caught fire in the parking lot, according to footage … Continue reading Biden’s Secret Service rental vehicles burst into flames after he left Nantucket vacation

Virginia man accused of ‘catfishing’ teen before killing her family, police say

A former Virginia law enforcement officer, who is believed to have murdered a teenager’s family in Riverside, California, after “catfishing” her online, was killed in a shootout while trying to evade police, the city’s police department said in a news press release. Continue reading Virginia man accused of ‘catfishing’ teen before killing her family, police say

Ex-president Trump calls new Special Counsel ‘fully-weaponized monster’

Former President Donald Trump on Monday unloaded on special counsel Jack Smith, who has taken over oversight of the Mar-a-Lago probe and the Justice Department’s investigation of the 2020 election overturn effort. Trump’s attacks came after Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Smith, a career prosecutor, in an effort to provide a measure of insulation amid government probes of the announced 2024 presidential candidate.  ‘This fully weaponized monster, … Continue reading Ex-president Trump calls new Special Counsel ‘fully-weaponized monster’

Crypto billionaire killed in helicopter crash in latest mystery death

Russian billionaire, 53, is killed in helicopter crash near Monaco in latest crypto mystery death – ‘after another passenger cancelled at the last minute’. Vyacheslav Taran, 53, died after the helicopter he was travelling in crashed near the resort town of Villefranche-sur-Mer after taking off from Switzerland . They mysteriously crashed in good weather – and after another passenger reportedly cancelled last minute. Taran is third cryptocurrency … Continue reading Crypto billionaire killed in helicopter crash in latest mystery death

China Covid Protesters Become Targets of Beijing’s Surveillance State

Police fanned out across China’s big cities Tuesday in an effort to prevent fresh protests, as security services harnessed the country’s pervasive surveillance system to hunt down participants in mass demonstrations calling for an end to strict Covid curbs and criticizing national leaders. Meanwhile, China’s central public-health authorities urged local governments to avoid unnecessary and lengthy lockdowns—something that has sparked public ire after nearly three … Continue reading China Covid Protesters Become Targets of Beijing’s Surveillance State

Census: Christians a minority in England; non-religious grow

Fewer than half the people in England and Wales consider themselves Christian, according to the most recent census — the first time a minority of the population has followed the country’s official religion. Britain has become less religious — and less white — in the decade since the last census, figures from the 2021 census released Tuesday by the Office for National Statistics revealed. Some … Continue reading Census: Christians a minority in England; non-religious grow

A Book of Psalms saved a victim’s life in Jerusalem terror attack

A man who was seriously injured in Tuesday’s Jerusalem bombing was spared from what could have been a fatal fate by none other than his book of Psalms – or Tehillim in Hebrew – which blocked a shard of debris from piercing his body, said Shaare Zedek Medical Center. The victim, a 62-year-old man, arrived to Shaare Zedek hospital in serious condition and underwent a … Continue reading A Book of Psalms saved a victim’s life in Jerusalem terror attack

ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER GOLDEN TONGUED MUMMIES IN EGYPT

ARCHAEOLOGISTS FROM THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM AND ANTIQUITIES HAVE UNCOVERED GOLDEN TONGUED MUMMIES DURING EXCAVATIONS IN THE MENOUFIA GOVERNORATE, EGYPT. The discovery was made during an extension of the research area at the Quweisna necropolis, a burial site that contains hundreds of tombs from different periods in Egypt’s history. Excavations revealed a number of mummies, some of which have a golden tongue or amulet placed … Continue reading ARCHAEOLOGISTS DISCOVER GOLDEN TONGUED MUMMIES IN EGYPT

Archaeologists in Norway May Have Found a 700-Year-Old Shipwreck

Archaeologists surveying the bottom of Norway’s largest lake believe they’ve discovered the remains of a 700-year-old ship, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment announced in a statement earlier this month. Lake Mjøsa, which is situated about 60 miles north of Oslo, has been a busy trade route since at least the Viking Age; more recently, between the 1940s and 1970s, it was a dumping ground for surplus ammunition. Scientists were … Continue reading Archaeologists in Norway May Have Found a 700-Year-Old Shipwreck