Author: Liam Porter

As Iran’s foreign minister arrived in Moscow on Monday, President Vladimir Putin pledged that Russia would “provide assistance to the Iranian people” in the wake of US attacks. While Russia has condemned Israeli and US strikes on Tehran, experts say the conflict could work in the Kremlin’s favour. 

Orcas’ Killer Skin-Care Routine Relies on Kelp—And HelpMassaging one another with kelp could help orcas keep their skin healthyBy Elizabeth Anne Brown edited by Sarah Lewin FrasierThe southern resident killer whale J41 holds kelp in her mouth. New research suggests orcas nuzzle each other with kelp, possibly for its exfoliation effect. Center for Whale Research, NMFS/NOAA permit 27038Step aside, primates and crows. Thanks to new drone footage, killer whales have joined an exclusive club: the short list of animals that make and use tools.Scientists have discovered that southern resident killer whales—an extended family of orcas that live off the coast…

A senior British politician has called for a controversial Marilyn Manson concert in her city to be cancelled amid allegations of sexual assault by the singer.Manson – whose real name is Brian Warner – is set to kickstart the UK leg of his new tour at the Brighton Centre in October. But the concert has become a topic of debate, with campaigners urging Brighton and Hove city council, which owns the venue, to cancel the performance.Now, the MP Siân Berry has expressed concerns in an open letter to the local council leader, arguing the concert goes against “the city’s well-renowned…

Next, Zara and H&M all benefited from extra sales when their rival Marks & Spencer was forced to halt orders on its website for almost seven weeks after a major cyber-attack that weighed on its own sales.Clothing sales at M&S slumped by a fifth in the four weeks to 25 May compared with the same period a year before after the website, which usually accounts for a third of M&S’s clothing and homeware sales, stopped taking orders. Sales had soared 11.5% in the prior three months, according to the latest figures from analysts at Kantar.M&S was forced to stop trade…

US congressional staffers have reportedly been told that they’re no longer allowed to use on government devices. The House of Representatives’ chief administrative officer (CAO) is said to have informed workers on Monday that the app — including the mobile, desktop and web-based versions — is not permitted on House-managed devices.”The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption and potential security risks involved with its use,” the CAO wrote in an email, according to . Microsoft Teams, Wickr, Signal…

When season two of Squid Game dropped, fans were split in their response to Netflix’s hit Korean drama. While some viewers loved the dialled-up-to-11 intensity of everything – more characters, more drama, more staggering brutality – others found the tone relentlessly bleak. And this was a show whose original concept – a cabal of rich benefactors recruit poor people to compete in bloodsports for cash – was already plenty dark. Anyone hoping the show’s third and final season, arriving this week, will provide a reprieve should probably just rewatch Emily in Paris instead.“The tone is going to be more dark…

Name: Living apart together.Age: At least since Victorian times.Appearance: Separate beds, busy loins.Living apart together? Is that where you share a home with your partner, but you’ve become so emotionally estranged that you can feel your connection eroding on a daily basis? No. Why?No reason. Carry on! It’s the opposite. Couples who live apart together remain a couple, but each has their own home.That doesn’t sound very romantic. Or maybe it’s the most romantic thing ever.How’s that? They’re constantly having it off, for one.Are they? Absolutely. A recent study in the journal Andrology tracked 5,000 men to see how often…

Key eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this feature95th over: India 363-9 (Jadeja 24, Krishna 0) This time Jadeja nails a big shot, clattering Tongue into the crowd at midwicket. A fast-handed hook round the corner makes it 10 from two balls, and as usual he gets a single to keep strike. Useful runs, these, although I still think India should declare now and give England 35 minutes against Jasprit Bumrah. They lead by 369.Share94th over: India 352-9 (Jadeja 13, Krishna 0) Jadeja picks Woakes up towards deep square, where Duckett just can’t get his hands under…

The home secretary has said she will ban Palestine Action under anti-terrorism laws, ignoring a warning from the group’s solicitors that the proposal was “unlawful, dangerous and ill thought out”.In a statement to parliament on Monday, three days after activists from the group broke into RAF Brize Norton, Yvette Cooper said a draft proscription order would be laid in parliament on 30 June. If passed, it would make it illegal to be a member of, or invite support for, Palestine Action.The group, founded in 2020, says it aims to prevent the commission of genocide and war crimes in Palestine and…

Bacteria can be used to turn plastic waste into painkillers, researchers have found, opening up the possibility of a more sustainable process for producing the drugs.Chemists have discovered E coli can be used to create paracetamol, also known as acetaminophen, from a material produced in the laboratory from plastic bottles.“People don’t realise that paracetamol comes from oil currently,” said Prof Stephen Wallace, the lead author of the research from the University of Edinburgh. “What this technology shows is that by merging chemistry and biology in this way for the first time, we can make paracetamol more sustainably and clean up…