Barack Obama has claimed new religions could arise if proof of aliens was revealed. The former US president said “new religions would pop up” if alien life were discovered, adding: “Who knows what kind of arguments we’d get into.” However, speaking to the The Ezra Klein Show, he said that such a development would not change his worldview, explaining: “My entire politics is premised on the fact that we are these tiny organisms on this little speck floating out in space”.
Hot weather could make bees angry
Recent hot weather could lead to 20,000-strong swarms of angry bees, experts have warned. Researchers say the sizzling conditions could put the insects in a bad mood, with Beekeeper Daniel Thomas telling the Daily Star: “If you see a swarm arrive it is just like horror movie stuff.” The Met Office is forecasting temperatures as high as 28C after the highest figure recorded in the UK on Tuesday was 26.1C in Cardiff.
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Tomato crash leads to ‘horror film’ scenes
A 23-mile stretch of road was left looking “like a scene from a horror film” after a lorry crash spilled tomato puree across the tarmac. After the westbound carriageway of the A14 from Cambridge to Brampton was closed following the collision between two lorries, Cambridgeshire police tweeted: “What looked like the set of a horror film was actually thousands of squashed tomatoes.” An online wag remarked: “I went pasta that. Took a while for the traffic to ketchup.”
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Taking aim at Venezuela’s autocratFeature The Trump administration is ramping up military pressure on Nicolás Maduro. Is he a threat to the U.S.?
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Comey indictment: Is the justice system broken?Feature U.S. attorney Lindsey Halligan has indicted former FBI Director James Comey on charges of lying and obstructing Congress
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Government shuts down amid partisan deadlockFeature As Democrats and Republicans clash over health care and spending, the shutdown leaves 750,000 federal workers in limbo
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Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
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Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
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China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
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How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
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One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
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What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
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Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
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Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across SyriaTHE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
