A routine medical problem turned into an extraordinary discovery in Sri Lanka. Doctors removed a 3.1kg bladder stone from a 55-year-old man potentially the largest ever recorded. The stone was removed last week at Trincomalee General Hospital. Doctors noticed the patient, who had been admitted following a stroke, was struggling to urinate. What they found
What if artificial intelligence could design an entirely new virus from scratch? It sounds like science fiction, but researchers in the US say it has now become scientific reality. Scientists at Stanford University have used AI to create 16 brand-new bacteriophages viruses that infect bacteria, not humans. Remarkably, the AI-designed viruses were fully functional and
What happens when a protest meant to spark change begins putting a life at risk? That’s the question many in India are now asking as educationist and activist Sonam Wangchuk enters the 19th day of his indefinite hunger strike. The 59-year-old, who has survived only on salt water, has lost more than 9kg. His aides
What happens when more than 10 foreign military aircraft suddenly appear near your borders? South Korea wasn’t taking any chances. Seoul scrambled fighter jets on Saturday after a group of Chinese and Russian military aircraft entered its Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ). A buffer area used to monitor approaching aircraft before they reach sovereign airspace.
A 90-foot-long dinosaur casually munching treetops in what is now Thailand — sounds like something out of a blockbuster, right? But this is real science reaching back 113 million years. Paleontologists have identified a massive new sauropod species, Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis, now believed to be the largest known dinosaur from Southeast Asia. Think long neck, enormous
How safe are Chinese researchers in the US? That question is back in the spotlight. After the tragic death of Danhao Wang, a semiconductor researcher at the University of Michigan. Found dead after what China describes as “hostile questioning” by US federal investigators. Wang’s death has sparked diplomatic concern and alarm among students abroad. The
Can just a few extra minutes of sleep or a little more walking really protect your heart? According to a new study, the answer is yes—and the results might surprise you. Researchers found that sleeping 11 minutes longer, walking briskly for 4.5 extra minutes. Eating an extra 50g of vegetables daily could cut your risk
Caught between a raging conflict and international scrutiny, Sri Lanka has taken a bold stand. It handled an Iranian naval vessel with care while walking a tightrope of neutrality. On Thursday, the Iranian frigate Irins Bushehr, which had reported an engine malfunction, was allowed to dock. It was at the northeastern port of Trincomalee. This
What happens when a country known for its strong democracy faces a sudden jolt from within? That’s exactly what unfolded in South Korea—and the fallout has been dramatic. A court in Seoul has sentenced former president Yoon Suk Yeol to life in prison. It ruled that his short-lived attempt to impose martial law in 2024
How tragic can a night at sea get? Off the Greek island of Chios, disaster struck when a migrant boat collided with a coast guard vessel. It capsized and sank late Tuesday. Fifteen lives were lost, making it one of Greece’s deadliest migrant shipwrecks in years. The boat, overloaded with at least 39 passengers, was
What’s scarier than a movie stunt gone wrong? When it almost spills into the audience. At Disney World in Florida, a routine Indiana Jones live show suddenly turned into a real-life action scene. A massive 400-pound rubber boulder broke off its track and bounced toward spectators. Gasps filled the crowd. “Whoa! That’s heading right for
What does the UK’s top spy really think about Russia? On Monday, Britain got a rare and very clear answer. In her first public speech since taking charge of MI6, Blaise Metreweli didn’t mince words. Warning that Russia remains an “aggressive, expansionist and revisionist” force on the world stage. Having taken over in October, Metreweli
