The sense of hollowness of the Church of the Nativity is deeper than absent tourists. The chants and prayers are pain-stricken and desperate. Down in the manger by the enshrined spot where baby Jesus was said to be born, a priest solemnly swings incense into the corners. Image: Bethlehem’s Christian community struggles to celebrate amid
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A new study has allowed physicists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and collaborators to measure the quantum geometry of electrons in solids. The research provides insights into the shape and behaviour of electrons within crystalline materials at a quantum level. Quantum geometry, which had previously been limited to theoretical predictions, has now been
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American Airlines was forced to ground all flights in the US on Christmas Eve due to an unspecified technical issue. The airline did not immediately say why it was stopping all flights, but social media was quickly abuzz with travellers worrying about getting to their loved ones for the holiday. A groundstop notice was lifted
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An Oxford University spinout which is developing a new generation of weed-resistant herbicides has begun planting a $40m (£32m) fundraising with prospective backers. Sky News understands that Moa Technology, which was co-founded by the world-leading university’s head of plant sciences Professor Liam Dolan, is kicking off a Series C funding round. Moa has already raised
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More than 13,000 people in the UK’s armed forces are “not medically deployable”, defence ministry figures show. Statistics shared by Al Carns, the veterans minister, who is also a reservist, show 99,560 people within the armed forces are medically fully deployable, while 14,350 have limited deployability. However, a total of 13,522 are medically not deployable.
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In findings shared through The Astrophysical Journal, NASA scientists have uncovered an extraordinary black hole in galaxy NGC 5084. Located around 80 million light-years away in the constellation Virgo, the black hole has been observed lying at a 90-degree tilt relative to the galactic plane. Using archival data from the Chandra X-ray Observatory and imagery
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Rising global temperatures and shifting tectonic plates are believed to have shaped the development of one of Earth’s most iconic trees, the oak (Quercus). According to reports, the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), a significant climatic event approximately 56 million years ago, created extreme conditions that influenced the evolution of diverse plant species, including the ancestors
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U.S. President-elect Donald Trump attends Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S., December 22, 2024.  Cheney Orr | Reuters President-elect Donald Trump is tapping tech heavyweights to join his new administration, continuing a trend of Silicon Valley’s growing influence in a second Trump White House. Trump said Sunday he would nominate Scott Kupor, a
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No wonder Sir Keir Starmer is going abroad “for a few days” over New Year. The economic news here in the UK is unrelentingly gloomy. The prime minister’s spokesman says the latest GDP figures show “the challenge of fixing the economy and public figures is huge and won’t happen overnight”. Too right. The figures suggest
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Former US president Bill Clinton is in hospital in Washington DC after developing a fever. Mr Clinton, 78, has been admitted to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital for “testing and observation”. Angel Ureña, the 42nd president’s deputy chief of staff, told Sky’s US partner network NBC News he is in “good spirits and grateful for the
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Actor Amber Heard has said social media is where lie becomes truth after Blake Lively accused co-star Justin Baldoni of sexual harassment. In a legal complaint, Lively, 37, also claims 40-year-old Baldoni, the film’s director, and the studio behind the movie It Ends With Us embarked on a subsequent “multi-tiered plan” to damage her reputation.
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Sir Keir Starmer is to head abroad over the New Year after spending Christmas Day at Chequers in Buckinghamshire. The prime minister is enjoying his first festive period in the role after winning the general election at the start of July. According to a Downing Street spokesperson, he will spend time with his family over
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Matt Gaetz, who was briefly Donald Trump’s nominee for US attorney general, paid women for sex, including with a 17-year-old girl, and used drugs while he was a member of Congress, a committee has said. The House Ethics Committee’s report concluded there was “substantial evidence” that the former Florida congressman violated House rules, state and
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Cadbury says it is “disappointed” after losing its royal warrant after 170 years. The chocolate maker behind festive favourites such as Heroes and Dairy Milk is among the brands that have had their warrants withdrawn under King Charles. The development was reported in a list published by Buckingham Palace’s Royal Warrant Holders Association. Warrants are
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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg tries on Orion AR glasses at the Meta Connect annual event at the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., September 25, 2024. REUTERS/Manuel Orbegozo Manuel Orbegozo | Reuters “Aut Zuck Aut Nihil” spanned the front of Mark Zuckerberg’s loose-fitting black shirt during his keynote at Meta’s Connect event in September. 
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China is looking to challenge the U.S. in artificial intelligence. China’s tech giants have launched their own AI models.  Niphon | Istock | Getty Images The Biden administration on Monday said it launched a new probe into legacy Chinese semiconductors that may go into everything from cars to household goods and defense systems. China “routinely
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Aviva has agreed a deal to buy rival company Direct Line for £3.7bn ahead of a Christmas Day deadline. The insurance firm announced the agreement with its smaller competitor a few weeks after a £3.3bn bid was turned down in November. A deal for the two firms would make them a force in motor insurance,
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