Beyond

• Scientists using the Rubin Observatory identified over 11,000 new asteroids in our solar system. • Discoveries include hundreds of distant objects beyond Neptune, expanding knowledge of outer solar system. • This US-based telescope project enhances planetary defense and solar system mapping efforts.

NSW housing and homelessness minister says Bikram Lama’s death shows the ‘gaps’ that people without residency can fall throughGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFederal and state housing ministers have described the death of a young homeless man in Sydney’s Hyde Park as “beyond tragic” and say it reinforces the need to stop vulnerable rough sleepers from falling through the cracks.Bikram Lama, 32, was found dead on 7 December last year near the entrance to St James tunnel where he had been sleeping rough. Continue reading...

A documentary about Peter Sichel – the ‘Jewish James Bond’ who died in 2025 – includes striking mea culpas about the cost and efficacy of US involvement in the Middle EastIn New York social circles, he was known as the “Jewish James Bond”: a refugee from Nazi Germany whose gratitude to his American hosts was such that he volunteered to join the US army and became the CIA’s first station chief in Berlin as a mere twentysomething, filing early warnings about Soviet activity that have been credited with ringing in the cold war.Like 007, Peter Sichel also appreciated a fine tipple, and after leaving the US foreign intelligence service it was he who briefly turned a sweet German white, Blue Nun, into one of the best-selling wines in the world. Continue reading...

• SpaceX's Starlink division announced commercial availability of direct-to-cell satellite service to US carriers including T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T beginning May 1, 2026, expanding beyond its existing emergency SOS functionality. • The service enables SMS and data connectivity in rural and remote areas where terrestrial networks are unavailable, with initial pricing set at $5 per month for basic coverage and $15 monthly for premium data tiers. • Industry observers note this development challenges traditional carrier infrastructure investments and could accelerate satellite communications adoption, though regulatory approval from the FCC is still pending final confirmation.

Developing countries face possible shelving of crucial green action plan at IMF and World Bank spring meetingsGovernments desperate for cash to protect their citizens from the growing impacts of the climate crisis are being put in a “beyond absurd” situation this week at global finance talks: they are being urged not to mention the climate, even as they address the current oil crisis.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) spring meetings take place this week amid a fragile ceasefire in Iran and upended geopolitics. One of the priorities was to forge a new “climate change action plan” (CCAP) for the world’s biggest provider of funds to developing countries, to replace the current strategy, which expires in June. Continue reading...

• Anthropic launched specialized tools for legal, financial, and HR tasks, disrupting traditional software markets as reported on April 12, 2026. • The expansions impact partner companies in the US, challenging established tech giants. • This move broadens Anthropic's influence from core AI to enterprise applications nationwide.