Eastern Desert

EU wants African sunlight to power Europe’s electric revolution

BRUSSELS — The European Union is betting that the future of its energy system lies under the North African sun. On Tuesday, the European Commission pledged €5 billion of EU money to renewables projects in North Africa and the Middle East, which could feed electricity back into Europe’s grid. The dream is that solar panels in the sun-soaked Sahara Desert and wind turbines along the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean generate electricity that is then sent through high-voltage...

Fossil fishes buried in the desert reveal a missing chapter in marine history

Fossil fishes buried in the desert reveal a missing chapter in marine history Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor When an asteroid struck Earth about 66 million years ago, it ended the age of dinosaurs and transformed life across the planet. The effects of that catastrophe are visible in the fossil record on land, but scientists know far less about what happened to fishes in the seas during the first few million years after the extinction. Like many people during the...

Egypt fossils show modern ocean fish rose rapidly after dinosaur extinction

Egypt fossils show modern ocean fish rose rapidly after dinosaur extinction Sadie Harley Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor The extinction that ended the Age of Dinosaurs is best known for clearing the way for the Age of Mammals on land. Scientists have long suspected that the same catastrophe also transformed life in the seas, opening ecological space for the rise of modern marine fish faunas. Yet the timing and geography of that transition have remained uncertain because of the...

After making headlines at 15, Mohamed Semra is now making history

History-making mayor of Maribyrnong, Mohamed Semra, is only getting started Sun 31 May 2026 at 6:06am Sometimes, when the online abuse for being a young, African-born, Muslim mayor gets brutal, Mohamed Semra turns to the lesson he learnt on the back of a donkey in Sudan. He was just 10, a city kid from Melbourne on his first trip back to the country his mother fled with her six children when Mohamed was three. His family needed water, so his uncle propped up Mohamed on a donkey loaded with...

Megafire kills Joshua trees, but not fungi

Beijing deploys new missiles matching Patriots opposite Taiwan

Mainland China has equipped frontline troops facing Taiwan with a new missile, state media reported. The missile is believed to be an HQ-16F, which has comparable qualities to the US Patriot PAC2 and 3 systems. On Friday, state broadcaster CCTV aired footage of the 73rd Group Army’s first operational and live-fire assessment of the missile in the Gobi Desert.

Zorawar To TEJASTRA: PM Modi gets a look at India's next-gen arsenal

From a light tank built for the Himalayas and a battle-tested artillery gun deployed in Ladakh to laser weapons designed to counter drones, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Larsen & Toubro's Hazira facility offered a snapshot of India's rapidly expanding indigenous defence ecosystem. The showcase brought together some of the country's most ambitious military platforms and next-generation technologies, highlighting the growing role of the private sector in advancing the Atmanirbhar...

Storm Jangmi dumps torrential rain on Tokyo

Storm Jangmi dumps torrential rain on Tokyo Andrew Zinin Lead Editor A severe tropical storm brought torrential rain to Tokyo on Wednesday, swelling rivers, grounding flights, and sparking calls to evacuate for hundreds of thousands of people across wide swaths of Japan. Many trains were largely deserted in and around Tokyo, as commuters in the usually bustling megacity stayed home to escape Storm Jangmi's deluge. Some railway services were delayed or canceled in the country whose public...

China’s nuclear expansion shocks world! Is India falling behind?

Deep in the remote deserts of Xinjiang, China is quietly building what analysts believe could become one of the most sophisticated nuclear support networks in the world. Newly reviewed satellite images examined by Reuters reveal more than 80 launch pads and three large octagon-shaped military facilities spread across thousands of square kilometres near the Hami nuclear missile silo field. Major Gaurav Arya explains that the construction is aimed at enhancing China's "land-based second-strike...

80 launch pads, 3 octagon installations: 'Alarming' chinese buildup near nuke silos

Deep in China's remote desert, a massive military construction project is under way that experts believe is aimed at ensuring the country can still launch a nuclear response even if its nuclear facilities are attacked first by the United States, reported news agency Reuters. China already possesses missiles capable of reaching anywhere in the US. However, newly reviewed satellite images show Beijing is significantly strengthening the infrastructure that supports its nuclear missile force.