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Put together diamonds, copper, and sulfur, and you can make the thinnest wires humanly possible. These nanometer-scale wires could help shrink electronic circuits, cramming more computing power into ever-smaller devices, and allow researchers to explore exotic material physics. A team of scientists from Stanford University and the US Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory […]

Today pop culture and high fashion feel inseparable, but in 1990, a music video by the pop star George Michael made an indelible impression by bringing the two together. Michael, who died on Dec. 25 at the age of 53, featured several of the top models of the time in the video for his song […]

Frank Sinatra had some frank words for a young, fame-weary George Michael back in 1990: “Loosen up. Swing, man.” Known more for his quips on the joys of drinking than salient career advice, Sinatra’s input on Michael’s nascent celebrity was equal parts pep-talk and fatherly chiding. “Dust off those gossamer wings and fly yourself to […]Read More

It’s been a year of smash-and-grabs, get-aways, infiltrations, intrusions, master schemes, and mad dashes. The heist economy was alive and well in 2016, and our dedicated caper correspondents have kept tabs on the most ambitious acts of larceny and loose morals in the global economy. To wit, here’s your year in heists and capers: The […]

China’s appetite for US investments is higher than ever, but China’s growing fears about capital outflow and a generally trade-averse Donald Trump administration could cause deals to grind to a halt. The country has invested some $64 billion in the US since 1990, according to the latest figures from research firm Rhodium Group. Most of […]

The last six weeks have been tough for the residents of Pakur, a district in Jharkhand, since prime minister Narendra Modi’s move to demonetise Rs500 and Rs1,000 notes on Nov. 08. “The first week the policy was announced we all rushed to withdraw other bills or trade in our newly bad notes for good ones,” […]Read More

Cape Town Global ride-hailing giant Uber has rolled out mapping vehicles in Cape Town—often rated South Africa’s most congested city. In a move somewhat similar to Google Street View vehicles, Uber’s fleet of 21st century cartographers are kitted with rooftop cameras that will record street imagery of their surroundings while they are driven around picking […]Read More

“We visited a shop where 2,000 men and women were working and everything can be bought,” wrote an Indian Muslim soldier posted in Brighton during World War I. “There is no need of asking as the price is written on everything!” The letter, addressed to his family back in India, was penned by one A […]Read More

German carmaker, Volkswagen is debuting its new ride-hailing service in Rwanda alongside larger plans to set-up car assembly operations in the East African nation, weeks after doing the same in Kenya. After inaugurating its car assembly plant in Thika some 50kms from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, the carmaker, which has been rocked by a series of […]

Singer George Michael has died at the age of 53, the BBC has reported, citing the pop star’s publicist. The “Careless Whisper” singer, known for hit albums like Faith as a solo artist and songs like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and the holiday smash “Last Christmas” with the pop duo Wham! (with Andrew […]Read More

British singer George Michael died today (Dec. 25) at the age of 53, his publicist said. The pop star started his music career as one half of the 1980s duo Wham!, and went on to enjoy a hugely successful solo career. Tributes poured in within moments of the shock announcement: He had so many great […]

“Last Christmas”—a pop song of 1980s heartbreak—never sounded as sad as it did today, after news broke that its singer and composer, George Michael, died at his home on Christmas Day. Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, the duo that made up Wham!, released the song in 1984. It rose to number two on the UK charts, […]Read More