Author: Gulf News Week
A new type of giant long-necked dinosaur has been identified by scientists from remains dug up in Thailand.The nagatitan, the largest-ever dinosaur found in South-East Asia, weighed 27 tonnes – as much as nine adult Asian elephants – and measured 27m (88ft) in length, longer than a diplodocus. Like that dinosaur, it belonged to the sauropod family of long-necked herbivores.A team of researchers from the UK and Thailand identified the species from fossils found beside a pond in north-eastern Thailand a decade ago. They say the discovery sheds light on how changes in ancient climatic conditions allowed gigantic dinosaurs to…
A vessel reportedly operating as a “floating armoury” in the Gulf of Oman has been seized by Iranian military personnel, according to the maritime risk management company Vanguard.The ship is now “bound for Iranian territorial waters”, the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) organisation said.BBC Verify has checked ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic which shows the vessel – identified by Vanguard as the Honduras-flagged Hui Chuan – last broadcast its location 70km (40 miles) north-east of Fujairah in the UAE on Wednesday.Hui Chuan’s operators told Vanguard it was operating as a floating armoury which stores weapons for security firms who protect ships…
Wes Streeting has quit as health secretary after days of speculation that he is preparing to mount a leadership challenge to Sir Keir Starmer.The now ex-health secretary is brutal in his assessment of Sir Keir’s leadership of the Labour Party and the country in his resignation letter.But he stops short of announcing a leadership challenge, saying instead that the prime minister should take steps to ensure there is a “broad” contest to replace him with “the best possible field of candidates”.Here are four key excerpts from the near-1,000 word letter and what they may mean.Streeting delivers the killer blow, saying…
Warning of record global temperatures as chance of very strong El Niño growsAs El Niño develops this year, scientists are increasingly confident it could be one of the strongest on record with global consequences, as Simon King explains.1 hr ago
Japanese car giant Honda made its first annual loss in 70 years as its investments in the electric vehicle (EV) market failed to pay off.Demand for EVs has not been as strong as the company forecast, with Honda reporting a total operating loss for the year ending March 2026 of ¥423bn ($2.68bn: £1.99bn.).The firm said it was scrapping some of its EV production targets and would source parts from China, where prices are lower, to keep costs down.It cited changes in US policy as adding to its losses, including tax incentives having been taken away for US consumers purchasing EVs,…
Wes Streeting has resigned as health secretary, writing in a letter to Sir Keir Starmer that despite the prime minister’s “courage and statesmanship”, “where we need vision, we have a vacuum”.Here is that resignation letter in full:Dear Prime Minister,Labour leadership crisis: Follow live updatesAt a glance: Starmer fights to stay on as prime ministerThe potential challengers to the PMHow would a Labour leadership contest work?The only question that matters in government is whether we leave our successors a better situation than we inherited. Ambulance response times for heart attacks and strokes are now the fastest in five years. A&E waiting…
Saleh Mamman, a former Nigerian power minister, has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for laundering 33.8bn naira ($24.7m; £18.5m), a rare conviction against corrupt officials in the West African nation.Last week, Mamman was found guilty of 12 counts, including using private firms to funnel money linked to government-funded power plants.The 68-year-old was sentenced in absentia on Wednesday – according to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mamman has been “out of circulation” and “without trace” since his conviction.On Monday, the high court in the capital Abuja issued an arrest warrant for Mamman, who was power minister from…
Madonna, Shakira & BTS to headline World Cup showMadonna, Shakira and K-pop boy band BTS will headline the Super Bowl-style half-time show at this summer’s World Cup final. 27 mins agoWorld Cup
At least four people have been killed and children are among dozens wounded after Russia launched a massive wave of drone and missile strikes against Ukraine overnight, officials have said.Three of the dead were pulled from the rubble of a partially destroyed apartment building in Kyiv, police said, where a rescue operation is under way after the capital was bombarded.At least 44 people have been injured, including two children, the city’s mayor said. Twenty-one of those are being treated in hospital, including one child.It marks the third day in a row Ukraine has reported deaths, as Moscow ramps up its…
A US citizen has been convicted of helping run what has been described as the first known secret police station in the US on behalf of the Chinese government.A jury found that Lu Jianwang, 64, opened and operated the station in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighbourhood in early 2022 for China’s Ministry of Public Security (MPS).He was found guilty on charges of acting as an illegal agent of the government of China in connection with the station and with obstruction of justice for destroying related evidence.The conviction comes the same week a California mayor resigned after she was charged with acting as…