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• Fifty years after the NASA Viking 1 lander touched down on Mars, scientists continue to debate whether the mission discovered evidence of extraterrestrial life. • A recent analysis suggests that Viking 1 likely found autotrophic microbial life, estimating a density of approximately 1,000 cells per gram of soil. • The debate persists because the original results were ambiguous, leaving the scientific community divided on whether the findings were biological or chemical in nature.

Exclusive: Research spanning 82 countries finds antibiotic resistance increased in every region between 2004 and 2022Harry Booth has had a rough run through Australia’s coldest months. The 13-year-old has been in and out of hospital with a range of common chest and urinary tract infections that his doctors find challenging to treat.Harry was born with kidney failure and began dialysis at six months old, before receiving a kidney transplant from his father at age four. The surgery saved his life but comes with a trade-off: he now needs to take medications that suppress his immune system to prevent his body from rejecting the kidney. Continue reading...

Spokesperson for Taylor Fresh Foods told Reuters ‌that the company was informed FDA made a mistakeThe US Food and Drug ⁠Administration said on Sunday that laboratory experts re-checked lettuce sample results from Taylor Farms in an ⁠investigation into an ⁠outbreak of the ​cyclospora parasite and concluded the finding should be considered a false positive.As of Sunday, there were ⁠no confirmed positive sample results for cyclospora, the FDA added. The FDA on Saturday had said that a ⁠sample of shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms tested positive ​for the parasitic illness that has ‌sickened thousands of ‌people in the US.Guardian staff contributed Continue reading...

Top Democrat says findings show public ‘way ahead of the politicians’ as Trump dismisses global heating as ‘hoax’Amid a summer of dangerous heat, drought and floods, a majority of Americans are connecting increasingly severe weather to the climate crisis, new polling shows, despite efforts by Donald Trump to dismiss global heating as a “con job” and a “hoax”.It’s a sign that attempts to suppress polarize climate concerns may not be seeing full success, said Grace Adcox, senior climate strategist at Data for Progress. Continue reading...

Tondra Madruga named as second victim in deadly capsizing as police continue search for two missing peoplePolice on Friday discovered the wreckage of a boat that sank this week in the San Francisco Bay after recovering the body of a missing person the day before.The body was identified as Tondra Madruga, 58, also known as Tondra Miller, the San Francisco medical examiner said. She was one of three people missing after the Volare, a 49ft (15m) cabin cruiser, sank on Wednesday afternoon with 20 people onboard after being hit by a wave and capsizing. The group was on the boat to scatter the ashes of a loved one. Continue reading...

• Astronomers have discovered an atmosphere on a nearby Earthlike planet, marking the first time a potentially habitable world has been found to possess one. • An atmosphere is critical for life as it regulates climate, protects the surface from space radiation, and allows a planet to retain liquid water. • This discovery is significant because it establishes the planet as a primary candidate in the ongoing scientific search for extraterrestrial life.

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced a new rule eliminating the "duration of status" system for certain non-immigrants. • This policy change specifically targets foreign journalists, students, and exchange visitors who previously could remain in the U.S. indefinitely provided they met eligibility requirements. • The government justifies the move by claiming the previous system allowed individuals to stay without sufficient routine government oversight.

• The Federal Reserve's internal watchdog issued a warning on Thursday regarding the central bank's vulnerability to insider threats. • The report highlights that sensitive economic information is being actively targeted by foreign adversaries seeking an advantage. • This security gap is critical because the leak of non-public economic data could destabilize financial markets and undermine U.S. monetary policy.

• Scientists have detected sugar in interstellar space for the first time, marking a significant breakthrough in astronomical chemistry. • The discovery was made using broadband spectroscopic surveys from the 40-meter Yebes radio telescope and the 30-meter IRAM telescope. • This finding is critical because it may provide key insights into the chemical precursors of life and how organic molecules formed on Earth.

Musk distributed money to three people before the 2025 election, which he claimed was critical to Trump’s agendaBillionaire Elon Musk likely violated Wisconsin law when he gave out $1m checks to voters in the 2025 state supreme court election, a bipartisan elections panel has found.Musk distributed the money before the vote, which he claimed was critical to Donald Trump’s agenda and “the future of civilization”. Continue reading...

• A new class of "entrepreneurial workers" in China is utilizing generative AI for copywriting, design, and e-commerce to survive an economy with collapsing social mobility. • These solo operators focus on frugal survival and rent coverage rather than scaling for IPOs, reflecting a shift toward grassroots economic resilience. • This trend mirrors the strategy of Chinese AI firms like DeepSeek, which prioritize model compression and architectural optimization over the high-compute, high-spend approach used in Silicon Valley.

• President Trump is struggling to secure concessions from Iran as a recently brokered cease-fire memorandum of understanding has collapsed. • Unlike other international adversaries, Iran has remained resistant to Trump's typical tactics of tariff threats and aggressive social media posts. • The situation highlights a significant challenge for the president's second-term goal of projecting global power and dominance.

• Astronomers have discovered sugar in gaseous form within a large gas cloud located near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. • The discovery was made using two dish-shaped radio telescopes in Spain, which identified the substance by comparing cosmic signals with laboratory samples. • This finding is significant as it provides insight into the chemical composition of the interstellar medium and the precursors of organic molecules.

Campaigners feel vindicated by some of report’s conclusions but are unconvinced by its verdict on VIP laneIn the slightly incongruous setting of south London’s splendid Kia Oval cricket stadium, Naomi Fulop gathered her strength to give the assembled British media her response to the damning findings of Heather Hallett’s latest Covid inquiry report.Reading a statement from her mobile phone, her voice quivering just a little, as fellow members of the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice (CBFFJ) group stood alongside her, Fulop recalled the terrible time when her mother died from coronavirus in January 2021. It was in the second lethal wave of the pandemic, a vaccine still a far-off aspiration, during the third national lockdown. Like so many other people, Fulop believes her mother died because those caring for her did not have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), a belief supported by the findings of Lady Hallett, a former court of appeal judge. Continue reading...

GenCost report contradicts parties’ claims about abandoning emissions target, and finds nuclear would be most expensive way to generate powerFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastClaims by the Coalition and One Nation that abandoning a net zero climate target would bring down power prices are contradicted in a new CSIRO report on the costs of generating electricity.Generation costs will probably rise after 2030 regardless of Australia’s policy on net zero, according to the CSIRO’s annual GenCost report, but prices should then stabilise at levels below recent price spikes. Continue reading...

Doctors and human rights experts documented hundreds of incidents from June 2025 through May 2026 and estimate true number is ‘far greater’It’s been a brutal tactic deployed by local and federal law enforcement officials time and again over the past year: using teargas, rubber bullets and pepper spray to control protests outside ICE detention centers or during enforcement operations.Now, a new report lays bare the scale of the use of these crowd control weapons during anti-immigration demonstrations across the US, including hundreds of incidents that resulted in lasting and traumatic injuries. Continue reading...

Chair criticises use of ‘VIP lane’ to prioritise PPE contracts for companies with Tory connections in damning reportBoris Johnson’s Conservative government wasted public money on a “vast” scale with flawed buying of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic, an official inquiry has concluded.The Covid-19 inquiry chair, Heather Hallett, also criticised the then government’s controversial “VIP lane”, which gave high priority for PPE contracts to companies with political connections to the Tories. Continue reading...

• A new study reveals that Singapore has the highest share of workers exposed to Generative AI (GenAI) in ASEAN, with 42.2% of its total employment affected. • Other regional exposure levels include the Philippines at 28.1%, Indonesia at 21.7%, Vietnam at 20.8%, and Thailand at 20.6%. • The Philippines' high ranking is attributed to its service-oriented economy and the prominence of its IT and business process management sectors.

• Astronomers have detected glycolaldehyde, a simple sugar molecule also found in raspberries, within the interstellar clouds of gas and dust between stars. • The discovery was made using specialized telescopes to analyze the chemical composition of space, identifying the sugar's unique spectral signature. • This finding is significant because it suggests that the building blocks of life, such as sugars and amino acids, can form naturally in space before planets even exist.

• Astronomers have detected erythrulose, a type of sugar also found in raspberries, within interstellar space. • The discovery identifies the presence of this specific organic molecule in the vast regions located between stars. • This finding is significant as it provides new insights into the chemical composition of the universe and the distribution of complex organic molecules.

• A federal court dismissed a lawsuit filed against the IRS by plaintiffs associated with Donald Trump, ruling that the parties "acted in bad faith." • The judge described the legal action as a "sham lawsuit" designed to fleece taxpayers rather than address legitimate legal grievances. • The case centered on challenges to OMB rules regarding federal funding, which critics argued could destabilize nonprofits and allow political pressure over $1 trillion in annual funding.

Northern Territory police reopen evidence boxes in bid to close investigation of horrific crimeFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastNorthern Territory police have reopened evidence boxes to uncover several previously unseen photographs from the investigation into the murder of British backpacker Peter Falconio and attempted abduction of his girlfriend Joanne Lees.Tuesday is the 25th anniversary of the outback disappearance, which still resonates as one of Australia’s most horrific and culturally defining crimes. It also carries unanswered questions for Falconio’s family. Continue reading...

State ordered to apologise after ruling finds it breached law when detaining teenagers in a Cairns watch houseGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe Queensland government broke the law and violated the human rights of three children by detaining them in an adult-only watch house without private toilet access or clean clothes, according to a tribunal judgment.The case was brought by three teenagers separately detained in the Cairns watch house between June 2021 and 2022. They were then aged between 13 and 17. Continue reading...

• The Knesset is conducting final readings of a bill designed to freeze arrests of Haredi draft dodgers as part of a coalition agreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. • A legal opinion paper suggests the legislation may face significant challenges and could be overturned during judicial review by the High Court of Justice. • The bill is a critical component of a deal to maintain ultra-Orthodox support for key government legislation before the Knesset is dissolved and new elections are called this week.

• Public-service broadcasters (PSBs) across Europe, including the BBC, RAI, ZDF, and TVP, are experiencing a significant decline in viewership and relevance. • The struggle is driven by a combination of "apathetic teenagers" ignoring traditional content and the influence of "culture warriors" targeting state media. • This shift matters because these institutions are considered integral to the political and social fabric of modern European polities.