Closure

Scientists say decision is blow to UK astronomy as deep space observatory is home to world-leading facilitiesJodrell Bank Observatory, which runs a world-leading network of radio telescopes, is facing closure after the government’s major funder cut support for the facility.The deep space observatory, which hosts the Grade I-listed Lovell telescope, is prized by astronomers who study galaxies, black holes, star formation, planets beyond the solar system and the afterglow of the big bang. Continue reading...

• Streaming platforms including Netflix, Prime Video, and JioHotstar are launching a variety of new content during the final week of July. • The upcoming lineup features eight top films and web series, including titles such as "Musafir Cafe" and "Disclosure Day." • The releases span multiple genres, offering viewers a diverse selection of heartfelt romance, gripping action, comedy, documentaries, and anime.

• The current vulnerability disclosure model is failing as more businesses integrate AI into their daily operational workflows. • Experts argue that the process for flagging security flaws to AI providers is broken and lacks the necessary commitment to responsibility. • This issue matters because inadequate disclosure protocols leave AI-driven systems exposed to risks that could compromise business security.

Legal challenges launched over accommodation ‘adequacy’ as UK government closes more asylum hotelsHuda and her two children aged 10 and 12 had been living in two rooms in a London hotel for six months when they were told with just a few days’ notice they would be moved. The 41-year-old engineering graduate from Tunisia fled death threats from extended family and is waiting for an asylum application to be processed.The Home Office had decided that Staycity, the hotel the family was staying in, would be closed as part of a government pledge that asylum seekers would be moved out of hotels and into military barracks or other forms of shared housing. The move followed protests by anti-migrant activists, with many arguing hotels were too luxurious to accommodate asylum seekers.Some names have been changed. Continue reading...

More than 90 residents have expressed interest in contamination claim against AGC Chemicals EuropeA Pfas factory in Lancashire has announced plans to close down, just days after the Guardian revealed that more than 90 residents have signed up to be involved in a potential legal claim over contamination of the local area.AGC Chemicals Europe Ltd is consulting with employees and their union representatives about plans to cease operations at its manufacturing plant in Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire. The consultation is expected to last for at least 45 days. Continue reading...

Oliver Blume tells staff restructuring proposal includes ‘controversial decisions’ but he has broad supportBusiness live – latest updatesThe chief executive of Volkswagen has confirmed plans to cut 50,000 more jobs despite the carmaker’s supervisory board rejecting his plan to shut four factories in Germany.Oliver Blume told staff on Monday that proposals for a sprawling restructuring was “the most comprehensive realignment in the company’s history” and revolved around “12 initiatives, approximately 150 pages and 45 individual resolutions” for change. Continue reading...

Demonstrations at 18 sites set up as radical transformation plan put to board of Europe’s biggest carmakerVolkswagen’s proposal to slash up to 100,000 jobs and close factories faces a major test on Thursday as formal proposals are put to the supervisory board at Europe’s biggest carmaker, with protests planned at all plants in Germany.IG Metall, the influential staff union, has organised demonstrations involving shop stewards and union council members at 18 sites, including the company’s headquarters. It warned the chief executive, Oliver Blume, that he cannot “pass the buck for failures of recent years on to the workforce”. Continue reading...

Desks offering gift wrapping and bureau de change stations will be closed at dozens of stores nationwideJohn Lewis has put 200 jobs at risk as it plans to shut down desks operating gift wrapping and foreign exchange services.The 36-strong department store chain said it had begun a consultation on redundancies for the workers as it plans to close the desks which operate bureau de change services in 30 stores, and specialist gift wrapping in 25 stores. The closures will take place this autumn. Continue reading...

Anonymous gift of nine Britannia coins worth nearly £30,000 were discovered in a bag beneath the altarUnable to raise the £750,000 needed for urgent repairs, St Wilfrid’s Church looked likely to shut its doors after more than 700 years in the town of Melling, Lancashire.But, on Good Friday, the church was saved from closure by the discovery, in a plastic bag hidden under the altar, of a box with nine gold Britannia coins worth nearly £30,000. Continue reading...

Boy who was allegedly thrown into the area at a Cambridgeshire zoo has undergone five surgeriesA three-year-old boy left seriously injured after being allegedly thrown into a crocodile enclosure has undergone five surgeries and faces a long “rehabilitation journey”.His family, who provided the update, also thanked donors who had raised more than £25,000. His parents said they had been “living at the hospital” since the incident at Johnsons of Old Hurst farm and zoo, in Cambridgeshire, on 18 June. Continue reading...

• President Donald Trump executed over 21,000 securities trades during his first year back in office in 2025. • The financial disclosures reveal that these trades often occurred in intense bursts coinciding with market-shifting events triggered by his own administration. • This high volume of activity raises significant concerns regarding potential conflicts of interest and the use of non-public information for personal gain.

US president raked in more than $1bn from crypto – an industry he has sought to deregulate – and a total $2.2bn last year, documents revealAlarm bells over conflict of interest as filing shows Trump raked in $2bn in 2025Donald Trump’s money-making ventures enriched him by more than $2bn last year, according to newly released financial disclosures.The revenue was supercharged by the Trump family’s crypto projects, with the documents showing the US president made more than $1bn (£0.76bn) from crypto – an industry he has sought to deregulate. Continue reading...

Three-year-old remains in hospital after undergoing multiple surgeries but is now in a stable conditionThe family of a three-year-old boy who was seriously injured in a crocodile attack at a zoo have thanked staff at the attraction in a new statement released through the police.Last month, officers were called to Johnsons of Old Hurst zoo in Huntingdonshire over “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”. Continue reading...

Cambridgeshire police say 30-year-old man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder is not fit to be interviewedA man arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure has been released because he is not fit to be interviewed, police have said.The 30-year-old man from Norfolk has been bailed while detectives from the major crimes unit conduct further inquiries, Cambridgeshire police said. Continue reading...

Officers arrest man on suspicion of attempted murder as child is treated in hospital for serious injuries A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a three-year-old boy ended up in a crocodile enclosure at a zoo.Cambridgeshire police said officers were called to Johnson’s of Old Hurst, in Huntingdonshire, at 1.24pm on Thursday to “reports of an incident involving a three-year-old boy, during which he ended up in the crocodile enclosure”. Continue reading...

Groups cite detainee maltreatment and degradation of surrounding land as reasons to close facility permanentlySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAn alliance of environmental groups has welcomed reports that detainees have been moved from Florida’s notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration jail, but have promised to press ahead with legal action to ensure its permanent closure and the restoration of the fragile Everglades wetlands where it is located.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement late on Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and authorities in Florida “have moved illegal aliens from the soft sided facility [and] transferred them to other facilities” for their safety, citing this month’s beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season. Continue reading...

• Steven Spielberg is preparing to release "Disclosure Day," a new summer blockbuster intended to challenge the current dominance of franchise-driven cinema. • The film serves as a test to see if modern audiences will still support original, non-franchise spectacles in a market saturated by sequels and cinematic universes. • Spielberg's history with hits like "Jurassic Park" and "E.T." previously revolutionized Hollywood by proving that blockbusters could drive massive merchandise sales alongside ticket revenue.

• India has increased diplomatic pressure on Washington to ensure the safety of Indian citizens at sea following attacks on ships. • The move comes as tensions escalate between the US and Iran, with Donald Trump blaming Iran for the maritime attacks. • This development highlights India's urgent need to protect its crew members and commercial interests amidst the widening US-Iran conflict.

• Steven Spielberg’s upcoming film *Disclosure Day* depicts a cinematic scenario where 8 billion people simultaneously discover that extraterrestrial life has contacted Earth. • The article argues that a real-life "disclosure" would likely mirror the slow, rigorous process of scientific breakthroughs, such as the discovery of the Higgs boson, rather than a sudden global event. • This distinction matters because confirming alien contact would require extensive peer review and empirical evidence to avoid misinformation and ensure scientific validity.

Relatives of those killed on flight AI171 are still struggling to obtain answers about what happenedWhen Sagar Patel’s mother boarded Air India flight AI171 on 12 June last year, she called her son as she always did before takeoff. The flight was due to leave Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel airport in Ahmedabad, in the western Indian state of Gujarat, and was destined for Gatwick.“We always had a little traditional thing,” said Patel, a business manager from London. “Once she got on the flight, she would sit down and call me. She’d tell me: ‘Yep, I’m on the flight. See you later.’” Continue reading...

• Director Steven Spielberg has explicitly denied fan theories that his upcoming film, *Disclosure Day*, is a sequel to his 1977 classic *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*. • In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Spielberg clarified that while both movies explore alien cover-ups, they feature different antagonists. • He noted that *Close Encounters* focuses on government secrecy, whereas *Disclosure Day* centers on a "deep state contracting company" responsible for the concealment.

• A diverse lineup of new movies and web series is debuting this week across both OTT platforms and theatrical releases. • Key titles include Ali Fazal's crime thriller *Raakh*, Akshay Kumar's horror-comedy *Bhooth Bangla*, and Imtiaz Ali's Partition-era romance *Main Vaapas Aaunga*. • The slate also features a high-profile international entry with Steven Spielberg's UFO mystery, *Disclosure Day*.

• Director Steven Spielberg has expressed his belief that humanity will discover extraterrestrial intelligence within our lifetime. • This outlook coincides with the release of his new film, which explores the global societal impact of revealing the existence of non-human intelligence. • The project builds upon Spielberg's long history of exploring alien life through iconic cinema, including *E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial* and *Close Encounters of the Third Kind*.

• China has emerged as a real-time testing ground for mass AI adoption, with major tech companies like Tencent, Alibaba, and Baidu racing to commercialize AI tools at scale across consumer and enterprise markets. • DeepSeek's V4 AI model preview last month introduced Huawei-made chips, reducing dependence on US chipmakers like Nvidia, while Stanford's Human-Centred AI Institute reports the US-China gap in top AI model performance has "effectively closed." • Chinese leaders have pledged an annual average growth of at least 7% in nationwide R&D spending through 2030 and invested heavily in talent development and affordable electricity infrastructure to support power-hungry AI systems.

New owner Modella Capital, which rebranded shops to TG Jones, blames weak consumer spending Dozens of former WH Smith stores are likely to close, putting thousands of jobs at risk under a radical restructuring plan by their new owner, which had rebranded the shops to TG Jones,The investment company Modella Capital, which bought WH Smith’s chain of 480 high street stores for £76m last year, blamed “weak consumer spending” as it set out the plan to landlords on Wednesday. Continue reading...

• BioNTech revealed plans to close manufacturing sites in Germany and Singapore, impacting up to 1,860 jobs, as it shifts from COVID-19 vaccine production to oncology therapies. • The company, which co-developed the mRNA vaccine Comirnaty with Pfizer, will also repurchase up to $1 billion in shares amid a leadership transition. • This restructuring reflects the post-pandemic decline in demand for COVID vaccines, positioning BioNTech to focus on cancer treatments with greater long-term potential.

Experts report more young people with conditions such as bunions after wearing shoes that are too small or narrowParents should care for their children’s feet in the same way as their eyes and teeth, according to footwear specialists who say they are seeing more young people with painful conditions such as bunions.Bunions are bony lumps on the side of the foot. People can be genetically pre-disposed but ill-fitting shoes are seen as an aggravating factor. Continue reading...

• Los Angeles-based SimpleClosure unveiled Asset Hub, a marketplace enabling founders to sell intellectual property, source code, data, and equipment during startup wind-down operations as closures rise across the sector. • The platform addresses investor demand for structured, transparent exit processes that preserve value and minimize operational friction during company shutdowns. • Asset Hub reflects broader industry recognition that failed startups retain valuable IP assets and that organized liquidation marketplaces can recover capital otherwise lost in traditional bankruptcy proceedings.