17 h. ago NASA is prepping Mars missions for next year – a shift in priorities that will likely benefit Elon Musk

The White House increased budget funding for Mars-related projects by $1 billion in its 2026 budget proposal

Events

2 w. ago Marco Rubio announces sweeping reorganisation of US state department

Secretary of state says overhaul of department will close a number of overseas missions and reduce staffThe secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has announced a proposed reorganisation of the US state department as part of what he called an effort to reform it amid criticism from the Trump White House over the execution of US diplomacy.The reorganisation will close a number of overseas missions, reduce staff and minimise offices dedicated to promoting liberal values in a stated goal to subsume them to regional bureaus. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Rohit Ghai wants you to rethink everything you know about Indian food

From lamb shank biryani to rotisserie chicken with bone marrow sauce, the chef behind London’s Vatavaran is on a mission to show Indian food’s true depth – no shortcuts, no curry clichés. By Lauren Taylor

Events

2 w. ago Israeli military admits ‘professional failures’ over Gaza paramedic killings

IDF says it is dismissing deputy commander for giving ‘inaccurate report’ on shooting that caused global outcryIsrael’s military has admitted to several “professional failures” and a breach of orders in the killing of 15 rescue workers in Gaza last month, and said that it was dismissing a deputy commander responsible.The deadly shooting of eight Red Crescent paramedics, six civil defence workers and a UN staffer by Israeli troops, as they carried out a rescue mission in southern Gaza at dawn on 23 March, had prompted international outcry and calls for a war crimes investigation. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Trump ally pushes DoJ unit to shift civil rights focus, new messages show

Internal mission statements from Harmeet Dhillon pivots division’s priorities away from marginalized groups’ rightsThe justice department’s civil rights division is shifting its focus away from its longstanding work protecting the rights of marginalized groups and will instead pivot towards Donald Trump’s priorities including hunting for noncitizen voters and protecting white people from discrimination, according to new internal mission statements seen by the Guardian.The new priorities were sent to several sections of the civil rights division this week by Harmeet Dhillon, a Trump ally who was confirmed a little more than two weeks ago to lead the division. Several of them only give glancing mention to the statutes and kinds of discrimination that have long been the focus of the division, which dates back to the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Several of the mission statements point to Trump’s executive orders as priorities for the section. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Red planet comes alive! Minerals found on Mars signal a water and ‘possibly life

Researchers used data from NASA’s Perseverance Rover

Politics

3 w. ago Katy Perry and Jeff Bezos’ fiancee Lauren Sanchez ready for space flight with all

The Amazon founder’s Blue Origin is due to undertake its 11th flight with six women on boardTrips like these raise questions: are they anything more than joy rides – and do they need to be?Gayle King said she “had a lot of trepidation – I still do – but I also know it’s very interesting to be terrified and excited at the same time. I haven’t felt like this since childbirth. Because I knew childbirth was going to hurt. But it’s also stepping out of your comfort zone.”Mission NS-31 is historic, marking the first time since 1963 that an all-female crew has launched into space, highlighting a significant moment in space exploration and gender representation.Though billed as the first all-female crew to reach the Kármán line, the internationally recognised boundary of space at an altitude of 62 miles, it is not technically so: the cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova flew a solo mission to space in 1963.The mission features several well-known public figures, including: Katy Perry, internationa...

Politics

3 w. ago Why resurrect the dire wolf when existing animals are facing extinction? | Martha Gill

It’s not as sensational as recreating long-dead species, but conserving modern-day fauna is far more pressingThe parable of the Mars mission: we’d rather spend trillions sending ourselves to a yet unlivable planet than look after the one we have. And swiftly on its heels, the parable of the dire wolf. We’d rather resurrect a 12,500-year-old species from the dead than save our existing wild animals. Of course we would. Recycling is boring; doing the very thing 90s science fiction movies warned us not to do is fun.We are not quite on the verge of bringing back ancient species. But last week the PR campaign for doing so began in earnest. Colossal Biosciences – a company known for trying to revive the dodo, the mammoth and the thylacine – has unveiled three large adorable white puppies, claiming it has created “the world’s first successfully de-extincted animal”: the dire wolf, made famous by Game of Thrones. It invited author George RR Martin to look; he duly burst into tears. Continue...

Politics

4 w. ago Wish you were here? As Birmingham battles the rats, its MP is on a Japanese jolly in five

Liam Byrne (pictured), a Birmingham MP and chair of the business and trade committee, flew to Japan for a 'fact-finding' mission with seven other MPs on 28 March.

Events

4 w. ago Next Nasa leader says he would prioritize US missions to Mars if confirmed

Billionaire Jared Isaacman has funded his own journeys into space and insists he would not abandon moon missionsThe next Nasa leader will prioritize sending American astronauts to Mars if he is confirmed, a Senate panel heard on Wednesday.But the billionaire Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur who has privately funded his own journeys into space, insisted he would not abandon current plans to land humans back on the moon in 2027, despite placing greater emphasis on missions to the red planet. Continue reading...

Politics

4 w. ago The reason why UK seaside property is taking weeks longer to sell

During the Covid-19 pandemic, a shift to flexible working and a reassessment of lifestyle priorities led to a surge in demand for rural homes

Politics