While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Dec 1
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Britain's Prince William and his wife Kate are making their first visit to the United States in eight years.
PHOTO: REUTERS
UK royals in new race row as William and Kate head to US
A godmother of Prince William quit the royal household on Wednesday and apologised for repeatedly asking a black British woman where she was “really” from, plunging Buckingham Palace into a fresh racism row.
Ms Susan Hussey’s resignation came just as Prince William and his wife Kate made their first visit to the United States in eight years and after racism claims from his brother Harry and mixed-race sister-in-law, Meghan.
In Boston, a spokesman for the royal couple told reporters: “Racism has no place in our society. “These comments were unacceptable, and it’s right that the individual has stepped aside with immediate effect.”
Ms Hussey, 83, is a longstanding former lady-in-waiting to Prince William’s late grandmother, queen Elizabeth II and was a courtier to Queen Consort Camilla. She is one of Prince William’s six godparents.
Two dead, dozens missing as landslide wipes out Brazil highway
At least two people were killed and dozens more are missing after a landslide ravaged a section of highway in southern Brazil, sweeping some 20 cars and trucks along with it, authorities said on Wednesday.
The torrent of mud came rushing down a steep hillside after days of heavy rain in the state of Parana, hitting highway BR 367, officials said.
“It’s hard to know the exact number of victims. A vehicle could have one to five people inside. We’re working with an estimate of 30 to 50 people missing,” local emergency response chief Manoel Vasco told a news conference.
Scientists build ‘baby wormhole’ as sci-fi moves closer to fact
In science fiction - think films and TV like Interstellar and Star Trek - wormholes in the cosmos serve as portals through space and time for spacecraft to traverse unimaginable distances with ease. If only it were that simple.
Scientists have long pursued a deeper understanding of wormholes and now appear to be making progress. Researchers announced on Wednesday that they forged two miniscule simulated black holes - those extraordinarily dense celestial objects with gravity so powerful that not even light can escape - in a quantum computer and transmitted a message between them through what amounted to a tunnel in space-time.
It was a “baby wormhole”, according to Caltech physicist Maria Spiropulu, a co-author of the research published in the journal Nature.
Argentina outclass Poland despite Messi penalty miss to advance
Argentina advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Poland in their final Group C match on Wednesday, even though skipper Lionel Messi saw a first half penalty saved at Stadium 974.
Argentina’s victory moved the South American side to the top of the group and they will face Australia in the last-16 while second-placed Poland take on reigning champions France.
Argentina took the lead just one minute into the second half when Alexis Mac Allister got on the end of Nahuel Molina’s cross and, despite making weak contact, he saw his shot creep over the line with Polish keeper Wojciech Szczesny beaten.
Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Christine McVie dies at 79
Singer-songwriter Christine McVie, a member of British-American band Fleetwood Mac, died on Wednesday aged 79, her family said in a statement posted on her official Facebook page.
Fleetwood Mac, whose name was inspired by the surnames of its founders - bassist John McVie and drummer Mick Fleetwood - formed in 1967 but had many members come and go over the years.
Born Christine Perfect in north-west England on July 12, 1943, Christine McVie joined the band as a singer and pianist in 1970 after marrying John following a courtship of two weeks.
