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Science

A 400-million-year-old plant creates water so weird it looks alien

Researchers discovered that living horsetails act like natural distillation towers, producing bizarre oxygen isotope signatures more extreme than anything previously recorded on Earth—sometimes resembling meteorite water. By tracing these isotopic shifts from the plant base to its tip, scientists unlocked a new way to decode ancient humidity and climate, using both modern plants and fossilized phytoliths that preserve isotopic clues for millions of years. Source link

World

Ukrainian and US officials meet for emergency talks on plan to end war with Russia – live

28-point draft plan widely seen as favourable to Moscow, despite Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Welcome back to our live coverage of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Ukrainian and American officials will meet in Switzerland on Sunday for emergency talks to discuss a draft US plan to end the war that is widely seen as being favourable to Moscow despite Russia launching the full-scale invasion in February 2022. Continue reading… Source link

India

Global oil prices under pressure: What’s driving the decline and what lies ahead

Global oil markets have entered a bearish phase, with U.S. crude sliding below $60 per barrel, down over 20% from January highs. Surging U.S. output, gradual unwinding of OPEC+ cuts, and tepid demand—especially in China—have created persistent oversupply. With inventories at multi-year highs, near-term prices are expected to remain under pressure, while structural factors cap any sustained rallies in 2026.Global oil markets have entered a bearish phase, with U.S. crude sliding below $60 per barrel, down over 20% from January highs. Surging U.S. output, gradual unwinding of OPEC+ cuts, and tepid demand—especially in China—have created persistent oversupply. With inventories…

China

China’s No 3 official Zhao Leji calls for closer New Zealand trade ties

China’s third most senior official and top legislator pledged “sincere” friendship with New Zealand and called for tighter economic links between the two countries during a four-day trip to the Pacific nation. Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC), wrapped up his trip to New Zealand on Saturday, the first in two decades by the head of China’s top legislative body. The trip included a meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in… Source link

Space

Flying with Ingenuity: the Mars Helicopter – S4E7

Transcript (music) Narrator: On a cold and wind-swept December day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright flew a powered, controlled aircraft for 12 seconds – the first such flight in the history of the world. sound effect: aircraft flight Narrator: More than a hundred years later, in April 2021, another world saw its first powered, controlled aircraft flight when NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter lifted up into the skies of Mars. sound effect: helicopter rise Narrator: Teddy Tzanetos, team lead for the Ingenuity mission, says the trickier nature of helicopters made the first flight…

Science

A high-altitude telescope just changed what we know about black holes

Scientists flew the XL-Calibur telescope on a high-altitude balloon to measure polarized X-rays from Cygnus X-1. These measurements reveal details about the chaotic, superheated material swirling around black holes. The team also captured data from the Crab pulsar and achieved multiple technical breakthroughs during the 2024 mission. Another flight from Antarctica is expected to expand this cosmic investigation. Source link

Business

Ferry smashes into Hong Kong’s Central Pier, damaging structure

Hong Kong’s transport authorities have requested an investigation report after a Sun Ferry vessel carrying passengers crashed into Central Pier while docking, damaging the facility. Police received a report at 9.33am on Sunday from a passer-by that the three-deck Sun Ferry vessel “Xin Chao” from Cheung Chau had collided with Pier No 5 while docking. A part of the pier’s staircase railing was broken and bent in another section, with debris scattered across the ground. According to the force’s… Source link

Stock Market

‘Crash for cash’: moped riders target your insurance details

Fraudulent insurance policies are being taken out by scammers using details you do not need to hand over You are sitting in the car at a junction waiting for the light to go green on a dark evening. You are distracted by the children in the back seat when you feel a slight bump and realise your vehicle has been hit by a moped. When you get out of the car you can see little damage but the driver of the moped insists he takes a picture of your driving licence or insurance documents in order for any claim…

Science

Scholars say most of what we believe about Vikings is wrong

Ideas about Vikings and Norse mythology come mostly from much later medieval sources, leaving plenty of room for reinterpretation. Over centuries, writers, politicians, and artists reshaped these stories to reflect their own worldviews, from romantic heroism to dangerous nationalist myths. Pop culture and neo-paganism continue to amplify selective versions of this past. Scholars today are unraveling how these shifting visions emerged and how they influence identity and culture. Source link

Space

Artemis II: The Orion Spacecraft

From Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars, explore the world of human spaceflight with NASA each week on the official podcast of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Listen to in-depth conversations with the astronauts, scientists and engineers who make it possible. On episode 398, acting vehicle integration office manager for NASA’s Orion Program Chris Edelen discusses the spacecraft that will carry astronauts around the Moon on Artemis II. This episode was recorded August 6, 2025. Transcript Kenna Pell Houston, We Have a Podcast. Welcome to the official podcast of the NASA Johnson Space Center, Episode 398:…

Science

Scientists uncover a hidden limit inside human endurance

Ultra-endurance athletes can push their bodies to extraordinary extremes, but even they run into a hard biological wall. Researchers tracked ultra-runners, cyclists, and triathletes over weeks and months, discovering that no matter how intense the effort, the human body maxes out at about 2.5 times its basal metabolic rate when measured long-term. Short bursts of six or seven times BMR are possible, but the body quickly pulls energy away from other functions to compensate, nudging athletes back toward the ceiling. Source link

China

Italian left gathers for anti-Meloni campaign despite rivalries

Italy’s centre-left opposition is testing out a big-tent alliance, guessing it’s the best way to unseat Giorgia Meloni at the next general election. The rest is still being worked out. The alliance pulls together parties with disparate political beliefs – the centre-left Democrats, the populist Five Star Movement, the left-wing Greens and Left Alliance and several smaller groups. The goal is to rally behind single, strategically chosen candidates and consolidate the anti-Meloni vote. The plan… Source link

Stock Market

Mcap of 7 most valued firms surges ₹1.28 trn; RIL, Airtel biggest gainers

The combined market valuation of seven of the top-10 most valued firms surged by Rs 1,28,281.52 crore last week, with Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel emerging as the biggest gainers, in line with a positive trend in equities. Last week, the BSE benchmark jumped 669.14 points or 0.79 per cent. While Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), State Bank of India, Infosys and Hindustan Unilever were the gainers, Bajaj Finance, Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) and ICICI Bank faced erosion in their valuation. The market valuation of Reliance Industries jumped by Rs 36,673 crore…