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Secretive game developer codes hit 'Balatro' in Canadian prairie province

There are no photos or videos of LocalThunk, an anonymous computer programmer who lives in the vast and desolate prairies of Canada's Saskatchewan province, far from Silicon Valley.

Scientists observe 'negative time' in quantum experiments

Scientists have long known that light can sometimes appear to exit a material before entering it -- an effect dismissed as an illusion caused by how waves are distorted by matter.

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Neptune's delicate rings captured in new Webb image

The James Webb Space Telescope has turned its gaze away from the deep universe towards our home Solar System, capturing an image of a luminous Neptune and its delicate, dusty rings in detail not seen in decades, NASA said Wednesday.

Bookish Balkans hamlet a 'village of enlightenment'

Most people packed up and left the remote North Macedonia village of Babino years ago.

Theatre project aims to ease isolation of Japan's social recluses

Disillusioned by work and tired of life, Seiji Yoshida withdrew from the world for seven years, but now he's taking part in a play about the experiences of Japan's "hikikomori", or social recluses.

Flowers left for Queen Elizabeth to be composted, re-used in parks

The sea of floral tributes left in London's parks for Queen Elizabeth II will be composted and re-used on planting projects, the city's Royal Parks said Tuesday.

Israeli researchers find opium residue in 3,500-year-old pottery

Israeli archaeologists said Tuesday they had discovered opium residue in 3,500-year-old pottery pieces, providing evidence to support the theory that the hallucinogenic drug was used in ancient burial rituals.

Twilight of the Tigris: Iraq's mighty river drying up

It was the river that is said to have watered the biblical Garden of Eden and helped give birth to civilisation itself.

Four feared dead after typhoon hits Japan

Two people were confirmed dead and another two were found "without vital signs" after Typhoon Nanmadol slammed into Japan over the weekend, a government spokesman said Tuesday.

How many ants are on Earth? 20 quadrillion, study says

There are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth, according to a new study that says even that staggering figure likely underestimates the total population of the insects, which are an essential part of ecosystems around the world.

'Extremely rare' Rameses II-era burial cave found in Israel

Israeli archaeologists on Sunday announced the "once-in-a-lifetime" discovery of a burial cave from the time of ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Rameses II, filled with dozens of pottery pieces and bronze artefacts.

Tunisian 'hanging garden' farms cling on despite drought

High in the hills of northwestern Tunisia, farmers are tending thousands of fig trees with a unique system of terracing they hope will protect them from ever-harsher droughts.

In crisis zones, an urgent UN push to put millions in school

From Pakistan to Ukraine to Venezuela to vast stretches of sub-Saharan Africa, rising crises and climate disasters are taking an added toll on the most vulnerable -- children deprived of school.

Top Kenyan photographer's unseen images of the queen

Queen Elizabeth II smiling at children waving Kenyan flags and the Union Jack, alighting from the "Royal Train" or shaking hands with a curious little boy -- are all previously unseen images from an enormous archive taken by celebrated photojournalist Mohamed Amin.

Long lost moon could have been responsible for Saturn's rings

Discovered by Galileo 400 years ago, the rings of Saturn are about the most striking thing astronomers with small telescopes can spot in our solar system.

Biden administration seeks to tap into offshore wind

The Biden administration announced plans on Thursday to expand the use of wind energy by building floating offshore wind platforms.

Mars rover sees hints of past life in latest rock samples

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has detected its highest concentrations yet of organic molecules, in a potential signal of ancient microbes that scientists are eager to confirm when the rock samples are eventually brought to Earth.

Welsh turn against Prince William's new title

The faded photo shows two tiny but unmistakeable figures atop Wales' imposing Caernarfon Castle, a snapshot taken by a schoolgirl in 1969 that captured a moment in history.

Provenance probe of Nazi era trove goes on display in Bern

When a Bern museum inherited a spectacular collection of some 1,600 artworks, including by masters like Monet, Gauguin and Picasso, it spent seven months mulling whether to accept the offer.

Shy male albatrosses prefer divorce to confrontation: study

Most albatrosses mate for life but shy males who avoid confrontation are more likely to get dumped, researchers said Wednesday, adding it was the first time personality had been shown to predict divorce in a wild animal.

Sudanese recall queen's visit in years before partition

It has been more than 50 years since Queen Elizabeth II visited Sudan but there are still some who remember her tour of the formerly British-ruled territory in its first decade of independence.

Five minute walks best way to comfort crying babies, says study

Science has perfected the answer to calming a crying baby: Hold and walk with them for five minutes.

Thai pop-up wins fans with crunchless cricket burgers

There's no crunch or crackle, but crickets are on the menu at one Bangkok pop-up serving fusion bug burgers, demonstrating the latest way to incorporate the protein-rich meat into food -- direct from Thailand's farms.

New king visits a tense and changing Northern Ireland

As he tours the four corners of his fractious new kingdom, Charles III faces the most testing task of reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

NASA's Moon mission pushed back, again

NASA is now targeting September 27 as the earliest possible launch date for its uncrewed Artemis 1 mission to the Moon, the agency said in a blog post Monday.

Ex-Google CEO says Ukraine proves value of IT in war

Ukraine has been a very effective proving ground for the use of contemporary information technology in war, from satellite dishes to smartphone apps, Eric Schmidt, the former Google chief executive, said Monday.

Uncrewed Blue Origin rocket crashes in setback for space tourism

An uncrewed Blue Origin rocket carrying research payloads crashed shortly after liftoff from Texas on Monday, but the capsule carrying experiments escaped and floated safely back to Earth.

Uncrewed Blue Origin rocket crashes, capsule recovered

An uncrewed Blue Origin rocket carrying research payloads crashed shortly after liftoff on Monday, but the capsule carrying experiments escaped and floated safely back to Earth, Jeff Bezos' space company said.

Webb telescope captures 'breathtaking' images of Orion Nebula

The wall of dense gas and dust resembles a massive winged creature, its glowing maw lit by a bright star as it soars through cosmic filaments.

Israel PM heads to Berlin for fresh pitch against Iran deal

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid took off for Germany on Sunday, in his latest diplomatic effort to persuade Western powers to ditch a nuclear deal with Iran.

Queen's coffin heads to Scottish palace, historic church

The Palace of Holyroodhouse and St Giles' Cathedral in Edinburgh, where Queen Elizabeth II's coffin will rest in the coming days, are both steeped in royal history -- and anti-English sentiment.

UN chief 'never seen climate carnage' like Pakistan floods

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Saturday that he has "never seen climate carnage" on such a scale as he toured parts of Pakistan hit by floods, blaming wealthier countries for the devastation.

Trumpets proclaim Charles III as king in historic ceremony

Trumpets, cannon fire and cries of "God save the King" rang out on Saturday as Charles III was proclaimed king in a ceremony with roots dating back to Anglo-Saxon times.

Pentagon combines sea drones, AI to police Gulf region

Iran's recent seizure of unmanned US Navy boats shined a light on a pioneering Pentagon program to develop networks of air, surface and underwater drones for patrolling large regions, meshing their surveillance with artificial intelligence.

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