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Is the decline of oil in sight?
The International Energy Agency thinks peak oil use is in sight this decade as the world switches to renewables. What is driving this shift – and what is still standing in the way? The idea of “peak oil” – a peak in the amount of oil we can physically extract, followed by an irreversible decline…
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Niger soldiers announce coup on national TV
Soldiers have gone on national TV in Niger and announced that they have carried out a coup. They said they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the West African country’s borders. Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been held by troops from the presidential guard since early on Wednesday. US Secretary of State…
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Mastercard demands US cannabis shops stop accepting debit cards
Getty Images By Max Matza BBC News, Seattle Mastercard has said financial payment companies must stop allowing US customers to buy legal marijuana in shops with its debit cards. Because marijuana remains illegal at a federal level in the US, customers in the 38 states where it is allowed are usually forced to pay in…
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Excitement over Threads fades but users return to app
Getty Images Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has said his new social media app, Threads, is drawing more repeat users than he had expected. The app attracted more than 100 million sign-ups within days of its launch this month in a challenge to Elon Musk’s rival platform, X, formerly Twitter. But analysts questioned whether Threads would…
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Moldova expels 45 Russian diplomats in spy row
Reuters Moldova says it will expel 45 Russian diplomats and other embassy staff because of their “unfriendly actions”. The total will be cut to just 25 – a figure closer to the number Moldova has at its Moscow embassy. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 the Moldovan government has accused Moscow of…
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Sinéad O’Connor on the BBC over the years
The Irish singer and activist Sinéad O’Connor has died aged 56. In a statement, her family said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Sinéad.” Her best known song is her 1990 cover of the Prince song Nothing Compares 2 U. Speaking about her eventful life In an interview…
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Aliens and UFOs bring a divided US Congress together
Getty Images By Kayla Epstein BBC News If the truth is out there, the US Congress wants to know. The House of Representatives convened a landmark panel on unidentified anomalous phenomenon (UAPs), known more colloquially as UFOs, on Wednesday, in the most serious acknowledgement yet that mysterious sightings deserve scrutiny at the highest levels of…
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Eight Row: A US restaurant that celebrates sobriety
At Seattle’s Eight Row, the robust non-alcoholic beverage programme serves as a model of inclusivity when it comes to meeting the needs of diners opting out of alcohol. When the crab butter with ancho chilli and sea salt was placed on the table, it conjured images of a burnt orange sunset over Puget Sound, an…
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Semiconductors: Can India become a global chip powerhouse?
Getty Images By Nikhil Inamdar BBC Business Correspondent, Mumbai It has been a year-and-a-half since India announced incentives to power up a homegrown semiconductor manufacturing industry and launched a national mission, but progress has been slapdash. Days after US major Micron announced it would invest nearly $3bn (£2.3bn) in an assembly and test facility in…
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Manipur: Misleading information shared about India tensions
Reuters By Shruti Menon BBC Verify, Delhi Misinformation has been widely shared in the violence-hit state of Manipur in north-east India, despite attempts by authorities to quash it by restricting internet access. The conflict between the majority Meitei community and the tribal Kuki minority recently made global headlines after a video of a mob of…