‘We tend to innovate first. But the Russians quickly come up with a response’

Top secret intelligence files obtained by the BBC confirm that missing American journalist Austin Tice was imprisoned by the regime of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after his abduction near Damascus in August 2012. The files reveal he was held in a detention facility and treated better than other detainees, with reports of his health issues while in captivity. Despite US government beliefs about his survival, his whereabouts remain unknown following the regime's ousting in...

The Hajj pilgrimage commenced on Wednesday, expecting 1.8 million Muslims in Mecca until June 8. Central to the pilgrimage is the Zamzam well, located within the Grand Mosque, which provides water believed to flow for over 4,000 years and is linked to the story of Prophet Abraham and Hagar. During Hajj, pilgrims drink Zamzam water and perform rituals that honor Hagar's quest for water, reflecting its significance in Islamic tradition and its continuous supply, which...

The US Navy plans to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, amid a broader effort by the Trump administration to promote a "warrior culture" and limit diversity initiatives. This decision, coinciding with Pride Month, also includes potential renaming of other vessels honoring civil rights figures, such as the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg and USNS Harriet Tubman. Critics, including prominent Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Chuck...

Germany's new government plans to implement a €46bn corporate tax break package to stimulate the economy, with Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil set to present the measures aimed at enhancing competitiveness and encouraging investment by summer. Key incentives include allowing companies to deduct 30% of new machinery costs from taxes and gradually reducing the corporate tax rate from 15% to 10% by 2028. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to modernize infrastructure and support...

SummaryWildfires in Canada have released smoke that is impacting air quality across several U.S. states, particularly Minnesota, while also drifting eastward across the Atlantic Ocean. Over 3.4 million acres (1.4 million hectares) have been burned due to unusually hot and dry conditions, with significant flames in Manitoba prompting mass evacuations. Satellite imagery illustrates the extensive reach of the smoke, highlighting the ongoing environmental crisis linked to these wildfires. Full Article

SummaryResearchers from the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science and the University of Tokyo have created a seawater-dissolvable plastic that breaks down within hours, providing a potential solution to ocean pollution. This innovative material is as strong as traditional plastics but disintegrates into harmless components that can be processed by bacteria, avoiding microplastics. Although commercialization plans are not yet detailed, interest from the packaging sector is growing as global plastic waste is projected to triple...