There is no natural border between Europe and Asia. Divisions between them are in our heads, writes Victoria White

OCTOPUSES, as I wrote in my August 24 column, are highly intelligent and learn quickly.

According to the Old Testament, a talking serpent led Adam and Eve astray, with dire consequences for us all, writes Richard Collins

We still don’t understand the real thing, so we’re right to worry about the rise of AI, writes Bella Bathurst

DNA from a Romanian who lived in a prehistoric “dark age”, when early modern humans and Neanderthals were neighbours, is strong evidence that the two groups interbred in Europe.

Did our ancestors exterminate their Neanderthal cousins and, if they did, were they acting alone? 

Sunday’s election is crucial for Ukraine but there are hopes it will also encourage a more democratic Russia, writes Carl Bildt

If Ukrainian rebels shot down the Malaysian jetliner, killing 298 people, it may have been because they didn’t have the right systems in place to distinguish between military and civilian aircraft, experts said at the weekend.

Scientists have pieced together the oldest human DNA ever recovered after extracting it from the thigh bone of an individual who died 400,000 years ago.

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said countries could learn lessons from the Irish on building peace and that, despite the economic crisis, Ireland is a resilient nation.

Coca-Cola Co, the world’s largest soft-drink maker, reported fourth-quarter profit that topped analysts’ estimates as teas and juices boosted sales in Asia.

COCA-COLA posted an 8.1% rise in third-quarter profit after boosting global sales volumes and raising retail pricing in North America.

Independent presidential candidate Mary Davis has said she acted with "total integrity" while on the board of the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI).

My worst habit is trying to fit too much into one day.

THE Portuguese went to the polls yesterday to elect a new government which will lead the nation through a period of deep austerity and recession after it received a €78 billion bailout from the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

SPECIAL Olympics organiser Mary Davis has formally announced she is to seek a nomination as an independent candidate for autumn’s presidential election.

Special Olympics organiser Mary Davis said the next Irish president must rebuild the country’s role in the world as she declared her intention to run for the post.

Mary Davis - best known for her work with the Special Olympics - will declare an interest in running for the Presidency at a press conference in Dublin.

WE return to Ireland to find the weather as sunny as that which we enjoyed on the Mediterranean during our recent visit.

JAPANESE researchers will launch a project this year to resurrect the long-extinct mammoth by using cloning technology to bring the ancient pachyderm back to life in around five years’ time.

A 30,000-YEAR-OLD fossil finger bone found in a Siberian cave belonged to a previously unknown strain of human, scientists said yesterday.

Two volcanoes have erupted on Russia’s far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, tossing massive ash clouds miles into the air, forcing flights to divert and blanketing one town with thick, heavy ash.

COCA-COLA, the world’s largest soft-drink maker, boosted third-quarter profit by 8.4% after winning more customers overseas and increasing North American sales volume for the second quarter in a row.

People are being encouraged to get out and work for charities and local groups as part of National Volunteering Day.

COCA-COLA posted a 16% increase in second-quarter profit as North American sales volumes climbed for the first time since 2007.

I HAD a close encounter with a fox the other day.

The British Red Cross is preparing to move 14,000 people in Pakistan to higher ground before torrential rains bring more misery to refugees from fighting in the Swat valley.

EXTRAORDINARY works by organisations looking after people with special needs will be rewarded with up to €40,000 under a grants scheme launched by the Irish League of Credit Unions.

A RECLUSIVE monkey discovered in Africa last year belongs to an entirely new primate family — the first described for 83 years, scientists said yesterday.

HUMANS may have unwittingly saved themselves from a looming ice age by interfering with the Earth's climate, according to a new study.

Archaeologists have unearthed the site of Genghis Khan’s palace and believe the long-sought grave of the 13th-century Mongolian warrior is somewhere nearby, the head of the excavation team said today.

The Northern Hemisphere has been getting greener, according to researchers studying satellite data.