JWST Sees Hints of an Atmosphere on a Potentially Habitable Exoplanet
Hints of Atmosphere on Earth-Sized Exoplanet Raise Hopes for Life A monumental sign of an atmosphere on TRAPPIST-1e could be the precursor to finally finding a living world around another star By Jonathan O’Callaghan edited by Lee Billings This artist’s concept shows the volatile red dwarf star TRAPPIST-1 and its four most closely orbiting planets, […]
How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion
The UniverseFridays How to See Faster-Than-Light Motion Superluminal velocities are common but illusory By Phil Plait edited by Clara Moskowitz The light echo around the star V838 Monocerotis as seen by the Hubble Space Telescope in November 2005. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this weekly column by Phil Plait When I […]
How Many Planets Orbit Our Nearest Neighboring Star?
New Instrument Checks on Proxima Centauri’s Planets Fresh results from near-infrared instruments foretell a bright future for finding life elsewhere in the Milky Way By Ivan Farkas edited by Lee Billings An artist’s impression of the Proxima Centauri system, with the planets Proxima b and Proxima d—the latter confirmed by the NIRPS planet-hunting instrument. Some […]
Starship’s 10th flight breaks streak of bad luck
Nell Greenfieldboyce SpaceX’s massive Starship rocket racked up some much-needed successes on its 10th test flight, hitting key test objectives and breaking a streak of failures that bedeviled the spaceship this year. The silver and black two-stage rocket, which stands about 400 feet tall, blasted off from the SpaceX facility in south Texas near Boca […]
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft After String of Mishaps
SpaceX Successfully Launches Starship Spacecraft after String of Mishaps Overcoming three recent failed tries, Elon Musk’s rocket company successfully flew its reusable jumbo booster and upper-stage Starship spacecraft By Dan Vergano edited by Clara Moskowitz An earlier SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy booster are moved to the launch pad at Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas. […]
How to Watch the Fall Bird Migration Happening Now
The Great Fall Bird Migration Has Already Begun—Here’s How to See It Birds are starting to make their way south for the winter, and you’ve got a front-row seat to the show By Kate Wong We’re only halfway through summer in the Northern Hemisphere, but for our feathered friends, fall migration is underway. The birds…
UK-French small boats pilot plan comes into force
The UK-French “one-in, one-out” pilot scheme, aimed at reducing the number of small boats crossing the Channel, has come into force with detentions of illegal migrants due to start within days. The deal will see some of those arriving in the UK in small boats detained and returned to France. In exchange the UK will…
State Department may require visa applicants to post bond of up to $15,000 for entry
By The Associated Press The State Department is proposing requiring applicants for business and tourist visas to post a bond of up to $15,000 to enter the United States, a move that may make the process unaffordable for many. In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, the department said it…
Texas Democrats block GOP redistricting plan by fleeing the state
By Liz Baker , Andrew Schneider The Texas House of Representatives is at a standstill after Democrats fled the state over the weekend to prevent a vote on a bill to redraw Texas’s congressional maps. The bill heavily favors Republicans with five new GOP-leaning districts, something President Trump has openly advocated for. Republicans control the…
Chase Stokes Subtly Shuts Down Kelsea Ballerini Breakup Rumors
Chase Stokes helped shut down rumors that he and girlfriend of two years Kelsea Ballerini have ended their relationship by sharing a photo of her beloved dog Dibs. Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini still have this feeling about one another. The Outer Banks star subtly proved that he and the “Baggage” singer’s love is still…
What higher tariffs mean for the U.S. economy. And, Israel’s plan for hostage release
By Brittney Melton here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day. A new set of higher tariffs, which the Trump administration believes will help usher in an economic boom, is expected to take effect this week. Recent economic data casts…
India snatch victory to draw dramatic Test series against England
This video can not be played India win dramatic final Test by six runs to clinch series draw Fifth Rothesay Test, The Kia Oval (day five of five) India 224 (Nair 57, Atkinson 5-33, Tongue 3-57) & 396 (Jaiswal 118; Tongue 5-125) England 247 (Crawley 64; Krishna 4-62, Siraj 4-86) & 367 (Brook 111, Root…
New Zealand to charge foreign tourists to visit most famous sites
Visitors to pay up to NZ$40 to access certain attractions in coming years amid overhaul of conservation laws The government plans to start charging foreign visitors NZ$20-40 ($12-24) per person to access some sites. Initially, those would probably include Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Tongariro Crossing, Milford Track and Aoraki Mount Cook. The fees are likely to…
What if Infinity Didn’t Exist?
Some Mathematicians Don’t Believe in Infinity Can “finitism” possibly describe the real world? By Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas One question has preoccupied humankind for thousands of years: Do infinities exist? More than 2,300 years ago Aristotle distinguished between two types of infinity: potential and actual. The former deals with abstract scenarios that would…
Cardi B Reveals Her Massive Jewelry Purchases From Cartier
Cardi B showed off her jaw-dropping Cartier collection following a recent shopping spree in Paris—which also included a sweet gift from boyfriend Stefon Diggs. Bartier Cardi’s in full effect. Cardi B put her extensive Cartier jewelry collection on display while detailing her recent haul from her shopping spree in Paris, including a Patek Philippe watch gifted to…
U.S. Nuclear Energy Policy Could Accelerate Weapons Proliferation
Opinion U.S. Nuclear Energy Plans Could Proliferate Weapons By Alan J. Kuperman Recent events in Iran demonstrate that dropping “bunker buster” bombs on nuclear plants is not an ideal, or even necessarily effective, way to prevent proliferation. It is far preferable to prevent the spread of nuclear-weapon-usable technologies in the first place. A simplistic way…
Mandy Moore Calls Out Driver After Hit & Run
Mandy Moore confronted a driver on social media after they “rear ended” her family and drove off: “What kind of human does that?” Mandy Moore is not running away from confrontation. Following a frightening hit-and-run incident, the This Is Us actress—who shares kids August “Gus,“ 4, Oscar “Ozzie,” 2, and Louise, 10 months, with husband Taylor Goldsmith—took to social media to call…
I regret taking my 11-year-old to a riot following Southport attack, says stepmum
“I have no answer for it other than I’m an idiot, stupid, got caught up in the moment,” says Amy Hodgkinson-Hedgecox. She is trying to explain how she – a mother to two children who lives in Tamworth, Staffordshire – attended a riot with her son, then aged 11. Hodgkinson-Hedgecox is one of thousands of…
Why a NASA satellite that scientists and farmers rely on may be destroyed on purpose
Rebecca Hersher The Trump administration has asked NASA employees to draw up plans to end at least two major satellite missions, according to current and former NASA staffers. If the plans are carried out, one of the missions would be permanently terminated, because the satellite would burn up in the atmosphere. The data the two…
BP makes major oil and gas discovery off Brazil coast
Company renews focus on fossil fuels and believes Santos basin could be its largest find since 1999 Business live – latest updates BP has made its largest oil and gas discovery of the past 25 years off the coast of Brazil as it continues to shift its focus back to fossil fuels. The Santos basin…
Brooklyn Beckham & Nicola Peltz Beckham Renew Vows Amid Family Rift
Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicole Peltz Beckham, who tied the knot in 2022, renewed their vows in a romantic ceremony amid the photographer’s ongoing feud with his family. Brooklyn Beckham and Nicola Peltz Beckham are declaring their love for each other. Three years after the couple tied the knot at Nicola’s family’s multi-million dollar…
Why Earth Is Rotating Extra Fast This Summer, Shortening Days by Milliseconds
A Few Days This Summer Really Will Go by Faster Than Usual. Here’s Why As Earth spins through space, its rate of rotation changes. Here’s why By Meghan Bartels edited by Sarah Lewin Frasier If you haven’t accomplished as much this summer as you had hoped to, you can blame forces far beyond your control:…
Storm Floris expected to bring strong winds and disrupt travel
Storm Floris is expected to bring travel disruption to the UK on Monday, with an amber weather warning set to come into force. Some train and ferry services have already been cancelled with more likely to be impacted, including air and road transport. High winds could pose a “danger to life”, with most of Scotland…
Loni Anderson, star of hit TV series ‘WKRP in Cincinnati,’ dies at 79
By The Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Loni Anderson, who played a struggling radio station’s empowered receptionist on the hit TV comedy “WKRP in Cincinnati,” died Sunday, just days before her 80th birthday. Anderson died at a Los Angeles hospital following a prolonged illness, said her longtime publicist, Cheryl J. Kagan. “We are heartbroken to…
More than 140 migrants believed dead as boat capsizes off Yemen
Shipwreck in Gulf of Aden with 154 Ethiopians onboard leaves only 12 survivors, with the rest missing and presumed dead, says UN agency A boat has capsized off Yemen’s coast leaving 68 African migrants dead and 74 others missing, the UN’s migration agency said. It was the latest in a series of shipwrecks off Yemen…
Russian volcano erupts days after monster quake shakes region
Geoff Brumfiel A massive volcano has erupted in Russia’s far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula region for the first time in centuries, just days after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake rocked the area. The Krasheninnikov Volcano began erupting early Sunday morning local time, according to a post from the Kronotsky Nature Preserve, where it’s located. A cloud…
3.0 Magnitude Earthquake Rumbles New York City Less than 2 Years After the Last One
3.0 Magnitude Earthquake Rumbles New York City Less than 2 Years After the Last One The 3.0-magnitude earthquake that shook the East Coast comes a year and a half after a 4.8-magnitude quake shocked New York City and its surroundings By Meghan Bartels edited by Jeanna Bryner Join Our Community of Science Lovers! New York…
Gunmen kidnap more than 50 people in north-west Nigeria
Latest ‘mass capture’ in Zamfara state shows banditry crisis shifting from land conflict to organised crime Gunmen have kidnapped more than 50 people in north-west Nigeria in a mass abduction, according to a private conflict monitoring report created for the UN and seen by Agence France-Presse on Sunday. “Armed bandits” targeted the village of Sabon…
Victims of mis-sold car finance could get less than £950 per deal
Victims of car finance mis-selling will likely get less than £950 per deal under a compensation scheme proposed by the financial regulator, with the first payouts expected next year. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that hidden commissions from lenders to dealers on car loans were not unlawful, meaning millions of motorists will not be…
Jessie J Hospitalized Weeks After Breast Cancer Surgery
Jessie J shared she was hospitalized after experiencing symptoms of a possible blood clot in her lung, just weeks after the “Price Tag” singer underwent surgery to treat her breast cancer. Jessie J is recovering from a recent health scare. Just six weeks after sharing that she underwent surgery to treat her “early breast cancer,”…
Natasha Richardson’s Sister Reacts to Pamela Anderson, Liam Neeson Pic
Amid ongoing romance rumors between Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, the sister of Liam’s late wife Natasha Richardson shared a sweet reaction to their relationship. Pamela Anderson and Liam Neeson’s relationship has earned the stamp of approval. Amid rumors the Naked Gun actors may be more than just costars, the sister of Liam’s late wife…
Pope Leo tells 1 million Catholic youths they are sign ‘different world is possible’
By The Associated Press In his closing blessing for the Jubilee of Youth, Leo remembered the young people of Gaza and Ukraine and other countries “bloodied by war” who could not join their celebration. “We are closer than ever to young people who suffer the most serious evils, which are caused by other human beings,”…
Family of Kenyan woman allegedly murdered by UK soldiers criticise defence secretary
Niece of Agnes Wanjiru says she thinks John Healey is ‘taking us for a ride’ The niece of a Kenyan woman who was murdered more than a decade ago, allegedly by British soldiers, has said her family now believe the defence secretary “just made a promise for his political gain” when he met them in…
Checking In With Anne Hathaway and The Princess Diaries Cast
Mia Thermopolis is back? Shut up! We’re celebrating the return of The Princess Diaries—and the anniversary of the OG film—by checking in with Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews and the rest of the cast. A queen is never late. Everyone else is simply early. So, while it’s been more than two decades since The Princess Diaries…
Ukraine drone attack sparks fire at Sochi oil depot, Russian authorities say
A massive oil depot fire raging near Russia’s Black Sea resort of Sochi has been blamed by Russian authorities on a Ukrainian drone attack. Sochi’s nearby airport has suspended flights. Krasnodar Region Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on Telegram that drone debris hit a fuel tank and 127 firefighters were tackling the blaze. Meanwhile, a Russian…
Panama files lawsuits against owner of ports at centre of US-China struggle
Comptroller general lodged two cases in country’s supreme court after failed attempt to sell to consortium Panama’s comptroller general has lodged two cases with the country’s supreme court against the owners of two ports at the centre of a geopolitical struggle between the US and China, in a move likely to be seen as a…
How the Potato Got Its Start Nine Million Years Ago—Thanks to a Tomato
The Potato’s Mysterious Family Tree Revealed—And It Includes Tomatoes About nine million years ago, a hybridization involving the lineage of another farmers market star gave rise to the modern-day cultivated potato By Nora Bradford edited by Dean Visser The new study reveals an interesting relationship between potatoes and tomatoes. Join Our Community of Science Lovers!…
Who’s the top dog? Wave-riding canines compete in the World Dog Surfing Championships
By The Associated Press Charlie the 10-year-old yellow lab likes surfing so much, he will grab his surfboard and run toward the water. His humans sometimes have to hide his board if they want to chat with friends on the beach. Charlie joined about 15 to 20 other canine wave riders in Pacifica, 14 miles…
Brains React to Signs of Illness—Even When It’s Not Real
The Brain Fires Up Immune Cells When Sick People Are Nearby When people viewed virtual avatars with coughs or rashes, their brain triggered an immune response By Katie Kavanagh & Nature magazine Brain areas that help to monitor the envelope of space close to a person are involved in firing up immune cells when infection…
Lebanon mourns beloved artist Ziad Rahbani
By Michael Levitt Lebanon has lost one of its most beloved artists, the playwright and musician Ziad Rahbani. SARAH MCCAMMON, HOST: Lebanon this week mourned the passing of one of its most beloved artists. Musician and playwright Ziad Rahbani died a week ago. NPR’s Michael Levitt has this remembrance. (SOUNDBITE OF ZIAD RAHBANI SONG, “ANA…
Why Donald Trump Says It’s “Difficult” to Pardon Sean “Diddy” Combs
Donald Trump shared insight into why it’s unlikely he will grant Sean “Diddy” Combs a presidential pardon, one month after the rap mogul was found guilty on two out of five counts in his case. Donald Trump isn’t doing Sean “Diddy” Combs any favors. Three months after he first shared insight into the possibility…
New offence to criminalise online migrant boats ads
The offence, which the government is seeking to create under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill currently going through Parliament, would form part of a crackdown on the number of migrants coming to the UK on small boats. Assisting illegal immigration to the UK is already a crime, but officials believe the offence would…
Weather tracker: deadly floods devastate northern China
Torrential rain batters Beijing and surrounding areas, while intense heat lingers in parts of Scandinavia At least 70 people have died in northern China after another bout of torrential rain triggered flooding, the latest in a series of extreme rainfall events in recent months. Between 23 and 29 July, Beijing and its surrounding areas recorded…
Prince Harry Denies Claims He Punched Prince Andrew at Royal Gathering
Prince Harry denied allegations made in a new book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York, that he and Prince Andrew had a physical altercation over comments made about Meghan Markle. Prince Harry is setting the record straight. After a new book, Entitled: The Rise and Fall of the House of York,…
Strong Support for NASA and Project Artemis Will Advance the U.S.
Opinion Strong Support for NASA and Project Artemis Will Advance the U.S. NASA needs clear support from the White House if we want to win the new space race By Matthew Beddingfield Team members at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La. load the first core stage onto the Pegasus barge on Tuesday, July 16,…
In Gaza, more Palestinians are killed while waiting for food aid
By Aya Batrawy , Willem Marx At least 325 people in Gaza were killed by Israeli forces while trying to reach food over the past week, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. That figure includes 24 people killed on Saturday in various parts of the territory, according to health officials and morgues reached by NPR. The…
Brazil judge hits back at ‘cowardly and treasonous’ plot behind US sanctions
US put sanctions on Judge Alexandre de Moraes as an apparent move by Trump to help his ally Jair Bolsonaro The supreme court judge presiding over the trial of Brazil’s ex-president, Jair Bolsonaro, has said a “cowardly and treacherous” plot is afoot to pave the way for another attack on the South American country’s democracy.…
A jury orders Tesla to pay more than $240 million in Autopilot crash
By The Associated Press MIAMI — A Miami jury decided that Elon Musk’s car company Tesla was partly responsible for a deadly crash in Florida involving its Autopilot driver assist technology and must pay the victims more than $240 million in damages. The decision ends a four-year long case remarkable not just in its outcome…
Miniature Neutrino Detector Catches Elusive Particles at Nuclear Reactor
Miniature Neutrino Detector Promises to Test the Laws of Physics A relatively small detector caught neutrinos from a nuclear reactor using a technique known as coherent scattering By Davide Castelvecchi & Nature magazine A nuclear power plant in Liebstadt, Switzerland, hosted the CONUS+ neutrino detector. Physicists have caught neutrinos from a nuclear reactor using a…
Steve Rosenberg: Russia is staying quiet on Trump’s nuclear move
Could this be the first time in history a social media spat triggers nuclear escalation? President Donald Trump, offended by posts by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, says he’s ordered two nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia. So, how will Moscow respond? Are we on a path to a nuclear standoff between America and…
Olympian Sha’Carri Richardson Arrested for Alleged Domestic Assault
Sha’Carri Richardson, the Team USA track and field star, was arrested after allegedly assaulting boyfriend Christian Coleman at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport, according to police reports. Sha’Carri Richardson is facing legal trouble. The Olympic track and field star was arrested at the Seattle Tacoma International Airport on July 27, per a police report obtained…
Colombia’s ex-president Álvaro Uribe sentenced to 12 years’ house arrest for witness tampering
It marks the first time in country’s history that an ex-president has been convicted of a crime and sentenced Colombia’s still-powerful former president Álvaro Uribe has been sentenced to 12 years of house arrest, capping a long and contentious career that defined the country’s politics for a generation. Uribe, aged 73, received the maximum possible…
Anthropic’s Claude 4 Chatbot Suggests It Might Be Conscious
Claude 4 Chatbot Raises Questions about AI Consciousness A conversation with Anthropic’s chatbot raises questions about how AI talks about awareness. By Rachel Feltman, Deni Ellis Béchard, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura Rachel Feltman: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Rachel Feltman. Today we’re going to talk about an AI chatbot that appears to believe…
Trump moves nuclear submarines after Russian ex-president’s comments
US President Donald Trump says he has ordered two nuclear submarines to “be positioned in the appropriate regions” in response to “highly provocative” comments by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Trump said he acted “just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead…
Stevie Nicks Postpones Tour for 2 Months Due to Shoulder Injury
Stevie Nicks postponed the first two months of her 2025 North American solo tour after sharing that she suffered a “fractured shoulder” and needs time to recover. Stevie Nicks needs to go her own way for a while. The “Edge of Seventeen” singer shared that she’s postponing the first two months of her 2025 North…
Trump fires lead official on economic data as tariffs cause market drop
US President Donald Trump said he would fire the head of the agency charged with publishing some of America’s most closely watched economic data, after a weaker-than-expected jobs report stoked further alarm about his tariff policies. In a post on social media, Trump – without evidence – accused the commissioner, Erika McEntarfer, of manipulating jobs…
3 big takeaways from the NTSB hearing on the DCA midair collision
By Joe Hernandez Three days of hearings held by federal investigators this week shed new light on the deadly midair collision last January between an American Airlines regional jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter just outside Washington, D.C. Everyone on board both the jet and the helicopter — 67 people — were killed in…
Trump defends firing labor statistics chief by lying about her role in 2024 campaign – as it happened
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Donald Trump defended his decision to fire Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of labor statistics, and falsely accused her of having released reports just before the 2024 election that overstated the number of new jobs created by the Biden-Harris administration. Asked by a reporter, “Why did you fire the head of…
Why Do Black Holes Spin?
The UniverseFridays The Physics of Spinning Black Holes Explained Scientists are uncovering how spinning black holes launch jets, warp spacetime and shape the cosmos By Phil Plait edited by Lee Billings An artist’s rendition of a supermassive black hole surrounded by a swirling accretion disk. Stay connected to The Universe: Get email alerts for this…
Millions denied car finance payouts after Supreme Court ruling
Millions of motorists will not be able to claim compensation for hidden commissions paid on car loans following a Supreme Court ruling. The UK’s highest court sided with finance companies in two out of three crucial test cases focusing on commission payments made by banks and other lenders to car dealers. The decision reversed earlier…
Wildfire Smoke from Canada Reduces Air Quality in U.S. Midwest
Wildfire Smoke from Canada Blankets the U.S. Midwest in Haze of Bad Air Quality Winds from the northwest are blowing cool, dry air—but also wildfire smoke—into the U.S. Midwest from Canada By Meghan Bartels edited by Andrea Thompson Smoke from wildfires in Canada is drifting across the U.S. Midwest, leading to hazy skies and air…
Kemi Badenoch says she no longer sees herself as Nigerian despite upbringing
Conservative party leader, who grew up in Nigeria and US, says she has not renewed her Nigerian passport in decades Kemi Badenoch has said she no longer considers herself Nigerian and does not possess a Nigerian passport. The Conservative party leader, who was born in London, but grew up in Nigeria and the US and…
Princess Anne’s Son Peter Phillips Is Engaged to Harriet Sperling
Peter Phillips—the 47-year-old son of Princess Anne and equestrian Mark Phillips—announced his engagement to his girlfriend Harriet Sperling after more than a year of dating. Peter Phillips is taking a royally big step in his relationship. The son of Princess Anne and her ex-husband Mark Phillips revealed he’s engaged to his girlfriend Harriet Sperling after…
Confusion and anger in Switzerland – hit by highest tariffs in Europe
39%? For Switzerland, this is a huge shock, and worse than the worst-case scenario – these are the highest tariffs in Europe. Globally, the fourth highest, behind only Syria, Laos, and Myanmar, (although if President Trump follows through on his 50% tariff threat then Brazil will jump to the top of the list). It’s the…
Golden Bachelor’s Mel Owens Clarifies Controversial Age Limit Remarks
Mel Owens is addressing his eyebrow-raising dating parameters. Over a month after the new Golden Bachelor star sparked controversy by saying he wouldn’t date anyone over 60, the former Los Angeles Rams player clarified he is, in fact, open to meeting women from different age brackets. “My reference of dating was 39, 40 years old,”…