World

Billions of people will disappear from the world’s population by the end of the century, according to one Doomsday scenario put forward by academics. Analysis recently published shows the number of human beings will peak around 2040 at around 8.5billion. But then over the next six decades the number will drastically fall as a result of the world’s poorest countries “breaking free of poverty”. Researchers believe as a result of having access to better education and healthcare, as well as clean energy, the population will dip to around six billion by the time calendars flip to 2100. Per Espen Stoknes, Earth4All project lead and director of the Centre for Sustainability at Norwegian Business School behind the research, said: “We know rapid economic development in low-income countries has a huge impact on fertility rates. Under the scenario, the world's poorest nations will become prosperous and have access to medicines and education ( Image: Getty Images) … [Read more...] about World’s population to peak at 8.5billion by 2040 – before falling drastically

The top diplomats of Ukraine and the United States on Tuesday jointly cautioned against giving any weight to alternate peace plans that seek a cease-fire without the full withdrawal of invading Russian forces, in a subtle rebuff of a recent proposal by China. "Ill-advised concessions to the aggressor would only encourage Russia to intensify its attacks on democracy, giving it time to rebuild its military capabilities and resume the armed offensive against Ukraine," Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, said at a virtual forum hosted by the U.S. State Department. Publicly, Kyiv and Moscow have been cautiously receptive to China's 12-point position paper, which reaffirms the "territorial integrity of all countries" without directly mentioning Ukraine, references "legitimate security interests" in deference to Russia, and calls for a quick end to hostilities on the ground. Outside of Kyiv's government, where elected officials tend to speak more freely, senior Ukrainian … [Read more...] about Blinken hints China peace plan for Ukraine is “cynical trap”

World Donald Trump North Korea Kim Jong Un Nuclear In the long view of history, North Korea getting a nuclear-tipped intercontinental missile in 2017 is the rough equivalent of an army showing up for World War II riding horses and shooting muskets. Nukes are so last century. War is changing, driven by cyberweapons, artificial intelligence (AI) and robots. Weapons of mass destruction are dumb, soon to be whipped by smart weapons of pinpoint disruption—which nations can use without risking annihilation of the human race. If the U.S. is innovative and forward-thinking, it can develop technology that ensures no ill-behaving government could ever get a nuke off the ground. Then we might be able to relax and return to laughing at Kim Jong Un for looking like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man topped by a small furry mammal. This is the argument in a new book , Striking Power: How Cyber, Robots, and Space Weapons Change the Rules of War , by international law … [Read more...] about Trump Can Destroy N. Korea’s Nukes Without a Land War

The Yankees had a huge winter, from re-signing record-breaker Aaron Judge and then naming him captain to retaining Anthony Rizzo and also adding another ace-level arm to their starting rotation in Carlos Rodon, all for a cool $562 million. But was it a big enough buying binge to guarantee there won’t be yet another October disappointment? Over the past few seasons in the Bronx, playoff failure has joined Halloween as an October constant. Three times since 2017, the Yanks have lost to the Astros in the AL Championship Series, including a humiliating sweep last year. The Red Sox have sent the Yankees home twice in earlier rounds over that same time frame and the Rays did it once. All those defeats have left Yankee fans pining for the glory of 2009 — the last time the Yankees won the World Series — and hoping that Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman can assemble a roster capable of unlocking MLB’s treacherous playoffs. Can the 2023 Yankees be the club that finally takes that joyful … [Read more...] about Scouting the Yankees: Experts weigh in on if Bombers have done enough to make World Series run

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Scottish Power has signed a £1.3 billion deal to buy 95 wind turbines for an offshore wind farm off the coast of Norfolk. The deal, with Siemens Gamesa, will build enough capacity to supply about 1.3 million homes when the wind is blowing, the company said. The East Anglia Three wind farm will be the world’s second largest and support around 2,300 jobs through its construction. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I am delighted that Scottish Power and (parent company) Iberdrola are investing in the UK – creating thousands of jobs and crucially helping millions of families keep their homes warm with cheaper, renewable energy. Recommended Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live “Encouraging … [Read more...] about Scottish Power inks turbine deal for world’s second-largest offshore wind farm

Officials in Beijing this week seized on a headlining visit to China by Apple's Tim Cook and other Fortune 500 CEOs to juxtapose their warm welcome with the mounting pressure faced by TikTok in the United States. Cook and other Western business leaders attended the government-sponsored China Development Forum, which concluded on March 27 with talks led by senior members of the Chinese cabinet. Cook's first attendance at the event since the pandemic was further proof of China's ongoing dominance as a manufacturer of top-end consumer electronics. The Apple executive had announced his arrival in the Chinese capital on Friday with a smiling selfie posted to China's main social media website Weibo, less than 12 hours after Shou Zi Chew , the CEO of TikTok, was grilled by American lawmakers in a lengthy congressional hearing about the cybersecurity risks posed by the short-video app. Chinese officials and state media outlets picked up on the contrasting big tech moments after … [Read more...] about China officials use Tim Cook visit to criticize U.S. pressure on TikTok

Officials in China continued their full-throated backing of TikTok this week as the fate of the short-video app risked becoming a geopolitical football as it faces intense scrutiny in the United States. "The U.S. has provided no evidence or proof to support its allegation, yet it has been abusing its state power to block and suppress the company concerned," Mao Ning, China 's foreign ministry spokesperson, said Tuesday. A senior U.S. official had called TikTok a "Trojan horse." He said it posed long-term cybersecurity challenges linked to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. China has upped the volume of its opposition to a ban on the app, the country's most successful tech export ever, in the days after TikTok chief executive Shou Zi Chew's five-hour grilling by U.S. lawmakers. It was likely the most watched congressional hearing of the year so far. TikTok says it has 150 million monthly active users in America. The app has become a rare point of convergence between … [Read more...] about U.S. “hurting” Americans by probing TikTok, China says

The 12-year-old German girl butchered by her friends last week was repeatedly stabbed with a nail file after they lured her into the woods over a row about a boy, it has been claimed. The youngster - identified only as Luise F. by German prosecutors - was knifed 32 times before they left her for dead in woodland near Freudenberg. Though a definite motive is yet to be revealed, it has been reported that it may have been due to a spat over a boy, or as a result of one of the girls mocking the perpetrators' family. When Luise didn't return home after visiting one of the suspects on March 11, her parents reported her missing and a huge search operation was launched. The school where Luise and her killer studied ( Image: Christoph Reichwein/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images) Drones, cadaver dogs and a helicopter combed the area to find the girl's body, which was eventually discovered dumped close to a cycling path in a patch of forest. Both suspects, who are aged 12 … [Read more...] about Schoolgirl, 12, stabbed to death ‘with nail file by two classmates in row over boy’

Over the course of the next few weeks, a jury in New York will hear the story of a South African crime lord who dealt in guns and gold and the team of former military men he hired to do his dirty work. The panel may be told about a smuggling ship that sank one day in the waters off Manila or of plans to stage a rebellion in the Seychelles. There is likely to be testimony about safe houses in Africa, illegal pain pills trafficked out of Mexico and the murder of a Filipino woman who was shot in the face and then dumped from a van. Three men go on trial this week on charges connected to the murder, and the evidence is expected to tell a tale of international intrigue — one that resembles a James Bond movie, as one of the defendants was caught saying on a government recording. With its exotic locations and cast of violent characters, the trial, in Federal District Court in Manhattan, will also provide the jurors with a privileged glimpse of a rarely seen milieu: the covert world of … [Read more...] about New York Trial Will Explore the Secret World of Mercenary Soldiers

Walter Cole, otherwise known as Darcelle XV, a rhinestone-bedecked drag performer with an exuberant blonde beehive whose popular Portland, Ore., nightclub hosted what is believed to be the longest-running drag show west of the Mississippi, died on March 23 at a hospital in his hometown. He was 92. His death was announced by Kevin Cook, who performs as Poison Waters and was Mr. Cole’s co-host at the nightclub, the Darcelle VX Showplace. No cause was given. Seven years earlier, when he was 85, Mr. Cole earned an entry in Guinness World Records as the world’s oldest drag performer. Mr. Cole had been running a jazz club and working as a manager at a grocery store when, in 1967, he bought the derelict Demas Tavern in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood, which was then considered the area’s Skid Row. He reimagined the place first as a lesbian bar and, after a few years, as a drag cabaret. In the beginning, there were only two performers: Tina, a Native American whose real name was Jerry … [Read more...] about Walter Cole, Who Dazzled as Darcelle, the World’s Oldest Drag Performer, Dies at 92