Articles about Break

• China has publicly criticized Iran amid the Persian Gulf conflict, urging an immediate ceasefire and protection of shipping lanes as the Strait of Hormuz closure disrupts global energy markets. • Beijing condemned Iran's attacks on Gulf states while aligning temporarily with Europe on ceasefire efforts, though it also warned the U.S. against strikes violating international law. • This shift highlights changing diplomatic dynamics, creating a brief convergence between China and Brussels amid severe energy market shocks and stalled UN votes on intervention.

• Researchers from Binghamton University and University of Virginia developed a machine-learning system that analyzed over 55 million scientific papers and patents to identify truly disruptive research that changes the direction of science. • The new metric, published in Science Advances, measures "disruptiveness" — the degree to which a paper pulls a field away from its earlier path — and successfully identifies major simultaneous discoveries often overlooked by traditional citation-based measures. • The study addresses a critical gap in how science evaluates impact, recognizing that scientific progress occurs through abrupt changes rather than incremental steps, helping identify overlooked breakthrough moments in research history.

Stiff winds ‘spreading the smoke’ as Springs fire bears down on Moreno Valley while smaller Crown fire also burningA pair of wildfires broke out in southern California on Friday, marking the region’s first significant burns in a spring that has seen a major heatwave.The fires started in windy conditions that have caused them to spread quickly. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory for parts of southern California through midday Friday, warning of gusts up to 50mph. Continue reading...

• The MajesTEC-3 clinical trial led by UAB researchers demonstrates that a new two-drug immunotherapy regimen can lead to long-lasting remission for multiple myeloma patients. • Over 83 percent of patients enrolled in the trial remain alive and progression-free three years after therapy, supporting approval of this potentially curative treatment. • The findings represent a significant advance for multiple myeloma, a blood cancer with limited treatment options historically.

• The FDA has awarded breakthrough device designation to more than 1,200 experimental devices, including AI innovations, since 2016. • Evolving FDA criteria reflect accelerating AI integration in US health tech approvals. • Program speeds market access for transformative devices addressing unmet medical needs.

• Florida reported 143 measles cases as of March 21, 2026, with 73% concentrated in Collier County, marking a decline from 139 cases the previous week. • The state has dropped to the fourth-highest number of measles cases nationally as the spread slows, indicating a shift in outbreak trajectory. • The majority of cases remain geographically concentrated, with nearly three-quarters of infections occurring in a single county, suggesting localized transmission patterns.

• Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York, along with colleagues at the University of Virginia, published a study in Science Advances mapping innovation landscapes to identify disruptive studies and patents that challenge existing scientific paradigms. • The method, developed by Sadamori Kojaku and colleagues, helps pinpoint discoveries that reshape the course of science, such as the theory of evolution, atomic splitting, and antibiotic development. • The robust measure of disruptiveness provides a systematic way to identify simultaneous breakthroughs across scientific fields and could accelerate recognition of transformative research.

• On March 10, the University of Houston announced researchers at its Texas Center for Superconductivity broke the ambient-pressure temperature record for superconductivity, potentially enabling more efficient energy generation, transmission, and storage. • Superconductivity is a quantum phenomenon where materials exhibit zero electrical resistance and expel magnetic fields when cooled below a critical temperature threshold. • This breakthrough represents a major advancement in materials science that could have significant implications for energy infrastructure and technology development.

Thom Tillis joins McConnell in warning withdrawal would aid rivals and threaten US securityUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA second Republican senator spoke out in defense of Nato on Thursday, joining Mitch McConnell and the Democrats, after Donald Trump said that he was “absolutely” considering withdrawing from the alliance after it refused to take part in the joint assault with Israel against Iran.“Nato stood by America when we were under attack and came to our aid after the September 11th attacks. Their soldiers fought and died alongside our troops in Afghanistan,” said Thom Tillis, a Republican, and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, who co-chair the Senate Nato observer group. Continue reading...

• Researchers developed a legged robot capable of independent navigation on lunar and Martian terrain, scanning rocks and collecting data without constant human input. • The robot underwent analogue tests in the Marslabor at the University of Basel, demonstrating rapid resource identification for future missions. • This innovation accelerates prospecting for water ice and minerals, critical for sustaining human presence beyond Earth.

State and federal leaders due to discuss assistance for business sectors but petrol rationing not expected to find backingFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFarmers say the federal government must help them with tax breaks and underwriting fertiliser purchases to survive the fuel crisis, with Monday’s national cabinet expected to discuss more assistance to businesses amid ballooning petrol prices.Federal and state governments have remained tight-lipped about what would be on the meeting’s agenda but state premiers have urged the Albanese government to take a stronger national coordination role in the crisis. Continue reading...

Actor outside Kennedy Center urges Americans to ‘stand tall against authoritarianism’ and resist free-speech threatsThe actor Jane Fonda joined journalists, musicians and writers outside Washington’s John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in urging US citizens to “break your silence” and “stand tall against authoritarianism”.At a damp but defiant rally hosted by Fonda’s Committee for the First Amendment on Friday, around a hundred invited guests gathered to hear speakers and singers rail against book bans, political censorship and other threats to free speech under Donald Trump. Continue reading...

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed an E. coli outbreak with illnesses in several states including Texas and Florida, over half affecting children under age 5 as of March 27, 2026. • Three people hospitalized and one developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a dangerous kidney infection, amid ongoing investigations into the source. • The outbreak underscores vulnerabilities in food safety systems, particularly for young children, prompting heightened surveillance and public alerts.

• A measles outbreak in Washtenaw County, southeast Michigan, now includes 7 cases under investigation involving unvaccinated children and adults, with potential exposure at Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital's ER on March 21. • The latest case concerns a young child treated in Ypsilanti, raising concerns that ER visitors may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. • All confirmed and suspected cases are among unvaccinated individuals, highlighting ongoing vaccination gaps amid the outbreak's growth reported on March 25.

• Yuma, Arizona, hit a March record of 109°F on March 25, 2026, 28 degrees above normal, while sites near Yuma, Martinez Lake, Ogilby, and Winterhaven reached 112°F, tying the US high. • Sweltering conditions extended across several Southwest states and into Mexico, with Hermosillo setting a new March record at 108°F. • This extreme early heat signals intensifying climate patterns, challenging weather records and infrastructure in arid regions.

Exclusive: Parental consents in Greater Manchester up 40% as demand surges in various parts of the countrySchool immunisation services and pharmacies are reporting surging demand for routine vaccinations after the Kent meningitis outbreak in which two teenagers died.Thousands of teenagers across England have booked or received jabs in past fortnight against the A, C, W and Y strains of meningitis (MenACWY), and diphtheria, polio and tetanus (Td/IPV). Continue reading...

East Kent hospitals NHS trust says it could have acted sooner to notify UKHSA after first reported case East Kent hospitals NHS trust missed an earlier opportunity to alert the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) of the meningitis outbreak in Kent, it has been reported.According to the BBC, the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother hospital in Margate first reported a case to the UKHSA on the afternoon of Friday 13 March. Continue reading...

UKHSA says on Monday morning there has been no change since 20 cases were confirmed on SundayThere have been no new cases of meningitis linked to an outbreak in Kent reported, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.As of 12.30pm on Sunday, 20 cases had been confirmed, with a further nine under investigation. This was no change on the previous day, the UKHSA said in a statement on Monday morning. Continue reading...

• Researchers at Johns Hopkins University published findings in Nature Medicine on March 20 showing a blood test can detect Alzheimer's pathology 15-20 years before symptom onset with 94% accuracy. • The test measures phosphorylated tau and amyloid-beta levels and was validated in 2,100 cognitively normal participants followed for up to 12 years in multiple longitudinal cohorts. • Early detection could enable preventive interventions during the asymptomatic stage, potentially delaying or preventing cognitive decline in the 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease.

Three cases previously confirmed reclassified by UK Health Security Agency after further testingThe number of confirmed meningitis cases linked to the Kent outbreak has fallen from 23 to 20.The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Sunday that three cases previously thought confirmed had been downgraded after further testing. Continue reading...

How infections linked to a nightclub escalated into a public health incident requiring a national response is a puzzle experts are still grappling withTyra Skinner had already been violently sick three times when doctors at Kent’s William Harvey hospital realised something was badly wrong. The 20-year-old was rushed into critical care, racked with a pounding headache, a stiff neck and excruciating pain – the hallmark symptoms of meningitis, the disease that had already claimed two young lives in Kent.“She could hardly move, she was in a foetal position. She was so cramped up and sore,” her father, Dale Skinner, 42, told the Guardian. “It was horrendous, to be honest, to see her so helpless and in so much pain.” Continue reading...

Martinez Lake, about 145 miles west of Phoenix, reached 110F (43.3C) on Thursday amid scorching south-west heatSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA small community in the Arizona desert has broken a record for the highest March temperature ever recorded in the US, as the south-west bakes in a blistering late-winter heatwave.The astonishing temperature was recorded just outside Martinez Lake, Arizona, which reached 110F (43.3C) on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Continue reading...

Scientific advisory committee to examine impact of offering routine MenB jabs to wider range of peopleThe Kent meningitis outbreak: what is happening and why?Experts are considering expanding the meningitis B vaccination eligibility in response to the fatal outbreak of the disease in Kent.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s review comes after the health secretary, Wes Streeting, asked it to to “re-examine eligibility for meningitis vaccines” for a wider range of people than those who currently qualify. Continue reading...

• Researchers made a major breakthrough in solving the mystery of static electricity, explaining how it causes hair to stand on end and related phenomena. • The findings elucidate the physics behind volcanic lightning and other electrostatic events, providing new insights into charge separation mechanisms. • This peer-reviewed discovery advances fundamental physics knowledge with potential applications in materials science and atmospheric studies.

Spread appears to have slowed, with just two new cases reported in past day bringing total to 29The Kent meningitis outbreak may have reached its peak, after only two new cases were reported by officials on Friday.The UK Health and Security Agency said that as of 12.30pm on Thursday, there were 18 confirmed and 11 probable cases of meningitis linked to the Kent outbreak, taking the total number of people with the disease to 29. Of the confirmed cases, 13 were meningitis B. Continue reading...

What causes meningitis, what the public health response has been and how the situation differs from Covid The deadly outbreak of meningitis in Kent has fuelled concerns about how far the disease will spread and seen the return of people wearing masks and queueing for vaccines. The scenes are reminiscent of the Covid crisis, but meningitis is very different. Here we look at how the outbreak unfolded. Continue reading...

Record 171 million passengers are expected to fly this spring, even as TSA funding lapse risks longer airport linesSpring breakers in the US could see their long-awaited trips to party destinations disrupted by a trifecta of issues: airport security delays, high gas prices, and chaotic weather.The potential for flight delays comes as US airlines expect that they will see a record-shattering spring travel season. Airlines for America, an aviation industry group, said that 171 million passengers are expected to fly – a 4% increase from the 2025 spring travel period. Continue reading...

• A University of Alabama student disappeared in Spain while on spring break, with foul play fears growing as of March 19, 2026. • U.S. authorities and Spanish police are searching for the student, last seen in a popular tourist area, amid reports of potential abduction risks. • The case underscores vulnerabilities for American travelers abroad during global tensions, drawing State Department involvement.