UK News
View All 9More than 19,000 raging students sign petition claiming A-level maths exam was 'too hard'
More than 19.000 pupils have signed a petition claiming an A-level maths exam was too hard, comparing it to a "war crime".Pearson Edexcel's Maths 1 paper, sat on Wednesday, was criticised by students who claimed it was significantly harder than past papers and previous exams, leaving them feeling "overwhelmed" and "uncertain".The petition - which received over 15,000 signatures in just 24 hours - is demanding a "thorough review" of the A-level paper and the "impact that the paper's difficulty may have had on student outcomes across the country".The petition also referenced a poll from popular educational content creator Mr Bicen where 54 per cent of pupils felt the paper was "worse than expected, bad/awful". TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Addressed to the exam body, the petition said there was "widespread concern" from teachers, pupils, and tutors the paper was "a significant increase in difficulty" as compared to previous years.It read: "Across schools and colleges, students who consistently achieved high grades in mock examinations, past papers, and classroom assessments reported leaving the examination hall feeling uncertain and overwhelmed."Many candidates who had demonstrated strong mathematical ability throughout their studies found themselves unable to complete substantial sections of the paper within the allotted time."One woman, named Karen, told the Mail: "My son has studied so hard for this exam and came home so deflated by the content and difficulty in the exam. This will have an impact on Uni offers."Pearson said its grade boundaries would be set according to the range of marks achieved - the standard process.Another parent, Denise, wrote in the petition's comments: "It cannot be right that so many students were distressed during and after the exam and now feel that their university places are at risk."The petition raised concerns over consistency, noting that while demanding questions had appeared in previous exams, they were usually confined to a small section at the end of the exam."Many students felt that questions required multiple layers of reasoning, extended algebraic manipulation, and unfamiliar approaches beyond what had typically been expected in previous examination series," it added.The signatories have demanded Pearson take three actions.LATEST EDUCATION NEWS:Conservatives demand schools are not used as 'vehicles for migrant indoctrination'Thousands of students face major grading change after A Level paper leak linked to PakistanGCSE French exam sparks ‘woke social engineering’ row over ‘bisexual little sister’ questionFirstly, review "the balance of question styles, accessibility, and time demands" to determine consistency with previous years.Secondly, pupils have asked Pearson to "provide transparency" about how grade boundaries are determined, and - emphasising that they were not requesting grade inflation - that outcomes "accurately reflect the exceptional difficulty many candidates experienced".Pupils complained that a third of the paper was locked behind a challenging section which many could not complete, leaving them unable to advance to subsequent sections.One commenter, a pupil named Eric, said the paper was a "war crime", and another, Phoebe, said she "had an anxiety attack" during the final 30 minutes of the exam and did not write anything.Another, pupil, Yuri wrote: "This was not a paper. This was a war zone. In fact, the Enigma code was easier to crack than some of those questions."The outcry follows a similar petition against Scotland's Higher Maths paper, which was described as "unrecognisable", claiming it was "poorly worded, inconsistently structured, and out of step with every previous paper"Examinations regulation watchdog Ofqual said it was aware of the concerns raised by students and would "closely" monitor Pearson's approach to marking the exam.A spokesman for Pearson said: "We know this is an intense time for students and are committed to ensuring a fair exam experience for all candidates."Every paper is developed with input from experienced senior examiners and rigorously checked to ensure it reflects the course and meets required standards. If a paper is found to be more difficult than previous years, grade boundaries will be set to reflect that."When setting grade boundaries, we review a range of evidence, including statistical data and expert judgment. This process ensures students receive results that fairly reflect their performance and are comparable across exam series." Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Chopper's Political Podcast Episode 105 - Nick Thomas-Symonds
Sit back, pour yourself a drink and join GB News Political Editor Christopher Hope at his regular table where he will discuss the latest insider political intrigue and gossip with everyone from popstars to politicians.New episodes released every Friday. Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter
Where are all the good chippies? How London ruined fish and chips
Going Out | Restaurants Where are all the good chippies? How London ruined fish and chips The capital excels at every other cuisine and yet it’s the worst place to eat our the national dish. Why can’t you find good fish and chips in London, asks Ben McCormack Ben McCormack2 minutes ago COMMENTS London leads the way in so many culinary fields. It can’t be beaten for fine dining. We have a sandwich game second to none. And the sushi is so good people have been known to travel from Japan for it. But Achilles had his heel, and we have fish and chips. The truth of it is, the capital is the worst place in the country to eat our national dish. I should know: I wrote The Standard’s best fish and chip guide. The best in London, sure. But if anyone told me that these were the best fish and chips in Britain, I’d feel as if I’d been slapped round the face with a wet haddock. Fish and chips at Golden Union Caitlin Caprio Two of my picks for best London chippies, Golden Union in Soho and Seashell of Lisson Grove in Marylebone, were nominated for this year’s National Fish and Chip Awards. Neither were eventual winners though as York’s The Scrap Box was named best takeaway and Trenchers of Whitby won best restaurant. Why are fish and chips in London such a damp squib when the capital excels at every style of cooking under the sun? The UK’s first fish and chip shop was opened in Bow around 1860. But familiarity has fed contempt. Travel websites throw up fish and chips as the British dish tourists are keenest to try in London. Luckily for them, they will find it everywhere from Wetherspoons to Harrods. But it doesn’t mean they’re getting the real deal. Fish and chips conjures images of the seaside, not a London Wetherspoon Getty I must admit to some regional bias; I grew up in Lancashire, where a Northern chippy tea is a full spread of mushy peas, scraps and bread and butter, with a pot of gravy for dunking the battered haddock. Southern softies, alas, have poshed up fish and chips, starting with swapping flavourful haddock for blander cod. Several of the restaurants on The Standard’s list sell deep-fried lobster and Dover sole, too.
Murder probe launched as boy, 15, dies five days after stabbing in north London
News | Crime Murder probe launched as boy, 15, dies five days after stabbing in north London Victim of fatal stabbing named : Jamal Ringrose, 15, died in hospital Met Police Matt Watts, News Editor1 minute ago A 15-year-old boy has died in hospital five days after being stabbed in north London. Jamal Ringrose was rushed to hospital after he was found with stab wounds in Dudden Hill Lane, Dollis Hill, on Saturday evening. Despite the efforts to save him, he died in hospital on Thursday. His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported . The Metropolitan Police has launched a murder inquiry. The Met said its investigation continues to progress at pace as detectives continue to work to establish the full circumstances of the incident. A 15-year-old boy was charged with affray and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place, after being arrested on Tuesday. He appeared at Willesden Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. Jamal Ringrose was stabbed in Dudden Hill Lane on Saturday, May 30 Google Streetview Officers also arrested a 16-year-old boy on Wednesday, 3 June, and an 18-year-old man on Sunday, 31 May both on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm. Jewish hotel guests faced with ‘antisemitic’ message on London Travelodge TV FTSE 100 up despite Asia-focused financials falls McDonald’s submits plans to take over east London Poundland site The boy was also arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and affray, and remains in police custody, while the man has since been released on bail. Detective Inspector Simon Ager, who is leading the investigation, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the boy who very sadly lost his life. “Officers have already charged one boy in connection with this terrible incident. However, our work continues and my team are pursuing several lines of inquiry. “We believe many people were in the area at the time and ask anyone with information or footage to come forward. In particular, we’re seeking dashcam or mobile phone recordings from the street at that time.” “No detail is too small or insignificant. Please get in touch.” Detective Chief Superintendent Luke Williams, who leads policing in the area, said: “Over the coming days, the local community will see an enhanced police presence in the area, with officers on hand to speak to members of the public who may have any concerns. “After the incident, we put in place a Section 60 order, allowing officers to stop and search people in the area to protect the public and deter further harm and criminality.
World News
View All 10Who's really at your door? App delivery drivers in California found using accounts that aren't theirs
Do you know who you're opening your door to? A CBS News California consumer investigation uncovered food delivery drivers using rented or stolen app accounts to bypass background checks, exposing a loophole that could put customers at risk. Now, in a CBS California accountability follow-up, investigative correspondent Julie Watts went to the State Capitol to find out what lawmakers can do to close that gap and protect consumers. Charles Bledsoe says he was caught off guard when a DoorDash delivery took a frightening turn. "I didn't know what he was going to do or why he was trying to get in," he said. The driver assigned to deliver his order was supposed to be a woman. Instead, a man showed up at his door and, Bledsoe says, tried to force his way inside. "I feared for my life," he said. The incident prompted a CBS News California consumer investigation. Reporter Kristine Lazar and producer Amy Corral discovered food delivery accounts being bought, sold and rented online. During a series of test orders, they found that one in four drivers did not match the photo displayed in the app. We took those findings to the California State Capitol. "Is your law still protecting folks if we can't make sure that the background-checked person is actually the one coming to deliver the food?" Watts asked Assemblywoman Laurie Davies. "It's a great question," Davies replied. Davies authored a California law requiring food delivery apps to provide customers with a driver's first name and photo when an order is out for delivery. The goal was to help customers know who's coming to their door and give law enforcement a way to identify drivers if a crime occurs. The bill passed unanimously — a rare feat for a Republican-authored bill in California's supermajority Democratic legislature. "It's a very bipartisan issue," Davies said. But the CBS News California investigation exposed what appears to be a major loophole. Accounts are being advertised for rent or sale on social media platforms, including Facebook Marketplace and Instagram. "Even if you don't have a driver's license," Corral said. The practice could allow people to bypass the background checks required to create delivery accounts, raising concerns that unqualified or potentially dangerous individuals may be making deliveries under someone else's identity. "And we have got to do something about that," Davies said. In response to the investigation, Davies says she's exploring stronger safeguards and tougher penalties for people who rent, sell or share delivery accounts. "What is the punishment if they're caught doing that?
Senate holds "vote-a-rama" on ICE funding, rejects move to ban DOJ fund
Washington — The Senate on Thursday rejected a Democratic effort aimed at permanently blocking the Justice Department's "anti-weaponization" fund, defeating an amendment at the start of a marathon vote series on funding for immigration enforcement. Republicans are pushing ahead with a roughly $70 billion package to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol using reconciliation, which avoids the need for Democratic votes to move forward. After a series of fits and starts over President Trump's White House ballroom and the Justice Department's fund, the chamber began a so-called "vote-a-rama" Thursday morning that was still ongoing as of the early morning hours Friday. Senators can offer an unlimited number of amendments and require the chamber to cast vote after vote. But Democrats' gambit to eliminate the fund failed in a 49 to 50 vote on an amendment that kicked off the vote series. The amendment would have sent the funding package back to the Judiciary Committee, with instructions to prevent money from going to the DOJ fund. Susan Collins of Maine, Jon Husted of Ohio and Dan Sullivan of Alaska, joined Democrats in favor of the amendment, which required a simple majority of the chamber. Despite falling short, the amendment vote exposed a GOP rift as Husted, Sullivan and Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana refrained from voting for more than two hours, while Cassidy appeared to negotiate with GOP leaders. Cassidy, who lost his primary last month after the president endorsed his opponent, has been outspoken about his opposition to the fund. He ultimately voted against Schumer's amendment. Shortly after, another amendment related to the fund failed to secure enough support, in a 15 to 84 vote. That proposal, put forward by Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, would have redirected the money from the DOJ fund to fraud enforcement. Among Republicans, it was supported by Cassidy, Collins, Husted and Sullivan, along with Sens. John Cornyn of Texas, John Curtis of Utah, Joni Erst of Iowa, Jerry Moran of Kansas, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Mike Rounds of South Dakota and Todd Young of Indiana. Catherine Cortez Masto, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, voted in favor. Democrats — and some Republicans — are forcing votes on a number of other amendments aimed at restricting the DOJ fund, which would provide taxpayer-funded payouts to individuals who alleged the federal government had been "weaponized" against them. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche testified before a House committee earlier this week that "we are not moving forward with the fund." But his refusal to put anything in writing, and the president's continued praise for the plan, have made some senators skeptical.
To Fix Haiti, Look to Colombia
Argument An expert’s point of view on a current event. An example—albeit an imperfect one—of how to achieve a lasting peace. , a former research consultant for Chatham House, and Christopher Sabatini, the senior research fellow for Latin America at Chatham House. A man reacts during a protest march in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 18. A man reacts during a protest march in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on May 18. Guerinault Louis/Anadolu via June 5, 2026, AM In May, a Florida judge convicted four people of an extraordinary crime: helping recruit and finance a squad of two two dozen former Colombian mercenaries for the 2021 murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in his own home. The assassination and political vacuum that followed fed gang violence that has since swallowed Haiti. While the creation of a United Nations security force marks progress, the way out of Haiti’s crisis will require more than guns. Long-standing peace can only be built on truth, justice, reintegration, and state-building. In May, a Florida judge convicted four people of an extraordinary crime: helping recruit and finance a squad of two two dozen former Colombian mercenaries for the 2021 murder of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in his own home. The assassination and political vacuum that followed fed gang violence that has since swallowed Haiti. While the creation of a United Nations security force marks progress, the way out of Haiti’s crisis will require more than guns. Long-standing peace can only be built on truth, justice, reintegration, and state-building. Ironically, despite its connection to Haiti’s spiral into violence, Colombia offers such a model. To fix Haiti, look to Colombia—not because its peace is perfect, but because it knows the futility of trying to punish a country back into order. Haiti is in a fragile moment between intensifying violence and a renewed international security push. Chad has begun deploying troops to the new U. N.-backed Gang Suppression Force (GSF), with around 400 personnel already in Haiti out of a planned 1,500-member Chadian contingent. The force, intended to grow to roughly 5,500 personnel, is designed to restore basic security and help reestablish state authority. Meanwhile, Washington’s support for Haitian Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé after the dissolution of Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council has helped the country avoid an outright leadership vacuum. Yet recent attempts to address Haiti’s crisis through force alone have shown the limits of security-first responses.
How China Misperceives Itself
Sunset in front of the Forbidden City, Beijing, May 2026 Maxim Shemetov / Reuters FRANCESCA GHIRETTI is Director of the Economic Security and Resilience Initiative and Research Leader for China and Economic Security at RAND Europe. More & Download Print unlock this feature or Sign in. Save Sign in and save to read later Copy This is a subscriber-only feature. or Sign in. Chicago MLA APSA APA Chicago Cite not available at the moment MLA Cite not available at the moment APSA Cite not available at the moment APA Cite not available at the moment Request reprint permissions here. Xi has been equally blunt about China’s technological vulnerabilities. Since 2016, when China’s 13th Five-Year Plan and other policy documents signaled the leadership’s renewed emphasis on the long-standing objective of promoting domestic innovation, Xi has repeatedly warned that China’s “key and core technologies are controlled by others.” He has identified advanced semiconductors, industrial software, and precision manufacturing equipment (such as lithography machines) as strategic chokepoints. External assessments a constraint on China’s technological advancement. Beijing has been moving aggressively to mitigate its vulnerabilities through measures including state subsidies and targeted industrial policy support for strategic sectors, and it has expanded incentives for universities and firms to invest in research and development. China also established state-backed funds to finance its technological aspirations and, where feasible, sought to diversify supply chains and reduce reliance on imports. China’s leadership is aware of the country’s vulnerabilities. Recent party communiqués show a growing willingness to name vulnerabilities that leaders previously ignored or downplayed. The 15th Five-Year Plan, which sets the country’s policy plans through 2030, reaffirms the need to address three key risks: the protracted real estate downturn, excessive local government debt, and fragile financial institutions. Key party sources, including its leading journals, have started to discuss the country’s rapidly aging population as a strategic challenge that requires proactive state intervention. Beijing has adopted modest measures to contain these internal strains without abandoning its core development model. To stabilize the housing market, Beijing has lowered downpayment requirements, increased financing to complete stalled developments, and promoted urban renewal and affordable housing. In the financial sector, regulators have tightened oversight of smaller banks exposed to property and local government debt risk and encouraged them to consolidate and recapitalize to prevent localized stress from becoming a systemic crisis. And on demographic issues, Beijing has offered modest pronatalist incentives such as higher childcare subsidies, expanded parental leave, and a gradual increase of the retirement age.
Politics
View All 10House panel advances $1.15 trillion defense bill after marathon debate
The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) late Thursday passed the annual Defense policy bill, sending the mammoth, nearly $1.15 trillion measure to the full House after debating a chunk of some 900 offered amendments for 14 hours. The measure, known as the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed the panel by a 44…
Cassidy tries to drive stake in Trump’s anti-weaponization fund
Republican and Democratic senators say that Thursday’s vote-a-rama — a marathon series of votes on amendments to the budget reconciliation package — is dragging on because Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is trying to perfect language to drive a stake through President Trump’s proposed $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund. Cassidy has spoken to Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough…
Ukraine aid package passes U.S. House, bucking Republican leaders and Trump
Eighteen Republicans broke ranks to help pass the military assistance and Russia sanctions.
Ein Spaziergang mit Karin Prien
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Diesmal geht Gordon auf einen Spaziergang quer durch das Berliner Regierungsviertel mit Familienministerin Karin Prien (CDU). Abseits von Konferenzräumen spricht sie über die Herausforderungen ihres Ministeriums, das wie kaum ein anderes im Fokus gesellschaftlicher Debatten steht. Angesichts der Sparvorgaben für den Haushalt erklärt Prien, wie die beliebte Familienleistung umgestaltet werden soll und was das für Väter und das Modell „Elterngeld Plus“ bedeutet. Bei der Umsetzung der EU-Richtlinie zur Lohntransparenz plädiert die Ministerin für einen pragmatischen, bürokratiearmen Weg für Unternehmen, ohne das Ziel der Einkommensgleichheit aus den Augen zu verlieren. Und Prien gibt Einblicke, wie sie Gräben überbrücken möchte. Zudem teilt sie ihre persönliche Sicht auf die Dynamik innerhalb der Koalition, den permanenten Wahlkampfmodus in Deutschland und die Frage, warum das Land dringend eine neue Zukunftserzählung braucht. Hier geht es zu POWER LIST 2026. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook- bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren. Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: @gordon. repinski | X: @GordonRepinski. POLITICO Deutschland – ein Angebot der Axel Springer Deutschland GmbH Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin Tel: +49 (30) 2591 0 [email protected] Sitz: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 B USt-IdNr: DE 214 852 390 Geschäftsführer: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna
Business
View All 10Ireland’s Phil Hogan eyes European return with bid for top UN food job
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Heineken investors push struggling brewer to hire outsider as chief
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How much value is AI really creating?
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Governments need to learn how to talk about debt
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Technology
View All 10Mira Murati steps back into the spotlight, carefully
Mira Murati isn’t a natural creature of the conference stage. As the CTO of OpenAI, she was present but rarely the public face of the company. As CEO of her own company, Thinking Machines Lab, she has been even harder to find. So when she sat down with Bloomberg in San Francisco on Thursday — her first major media appearance in roughly 18 months — it was worth paying attention, even if she was careful not to say too much. Thinking Machines has spent the better part of a year and a half operating largely in the background: raising capital, hiring researchers, and shipping one product, Tinker, an API for fine-tuning open-source AI models. In the meantime, the companies competing for the same talent, customers, and headlines have only grown more omnipresent. OpenAI, where Murati spent six years as CTO, is constantly in the news cycle. Anthropic’s momentum is all that anyone can talk about right now. And xAI, Elon Musk’s AI venture, has been folded into SpaceX ahead of what is expected to be its massive public offering, generating its own gravitational pull on attention and investment. In that environment, staying heads down has diminishing returns; at some point, you have to make some noise just to remind the market you exist. Murati used the Bloomberg appearance to do exactly that and not much more. She previewed what Thinking Machines is calling “interaction models,” which she described as a fundamentally different kind of AI interface. Rather than the turn-based, prompt-and-response dynamic that defines most AI products today, she told interviewer Emily Chang, the company’s models are designed to process continuous streams of audio, text, and video in 200-millisecond intervals. The idea is that they can pick up on the texture of human communication — the interruptions, the mid-thought corrections, even pauses to think — in something closer to real time. But Murati was careful to frame it as a first step, not a finished product, and she declined to put a specific release date on anything. She also answered questions about the episode that first put her more squarely in the public eye: the chaotic week in November 2023 when OpenAI’s board fired Sam Altman and she became interim CEO. Inside OpenAI it came to be called “the blip.” Murati said she felt clear about her decisions in each moment — that protecting the mission and the team was the through-line that made the choices feel obvious even as the situation appeared to be falling apart from the outside.
30% Off Canon Promo Codes | June 2026
Save StorySave this story Save StorySave this story There are plenty of other Canon discount codes and coupons live now, so you can save up to $1,600 on lens kits, printers, cameras, and more. Get a 10% Off Canon Promo Code When You Upgrade Canon has deals out on a myriad of products, and while they rarely release a “true” sitewide code, we have a few insider tips for getting a 10% discount. If you’re having gear repaired, you can get a single-use 10% off Canon promo code through the Upgrade Program (valid for 14 days). Canon wants to reward full-time industry professionals with their membership structured , which gives professionals huge discounts on and other perks on necessary equipment. To membership, you have to create a MyCanon account, register existing Canon equipment, and click the Canon Professional Service tab to submit an application. After it's been processed and approved , a Welcome Kit will be shipped within 7-10 business days. Best of all, Canon Professional Service customers get 10% off online orders. Silver tier is the free program which only requires 10 points. Get $100 Off the EOS R50 V Body If you’re in the market for a new camera, look no further than the EOS R50 V Body—and when you purchase now, you'll get $100 off plus free shipping. The EOS R50 V Body has an interchangeable lens for video shooting, with a redesigned user interface including a Vertical Video tripod mount and Front Record button—perfect for content creators of all types. Plus, there’s “Slow and Fast mode” for more creative control of the video frame rate and playback speed, along with dual pixel CMOS AF II tracking with “Register People Priority” and “Auto People, Animal, and Vehicle Subject Detection.” And even if you’re a novice, there’s easy-to-use automatic exposure and scene modes like “movie,” for close-up demo, smooth skin, movie mode, and color filters. Get New Canon Deals in 2026 2026 is well underway and the Canon deals just keep rollin’ in. Some of the best rotating Canon deals are $350 in savings when you buy a Cinema EOS C80 Series Camera Body or Cinema EOS C80 Series Lens Kit, $50 in savings when you purchase a XA75 Professional Camcorder, and $300 in savings when you buy a CR-N500 Series PTZ Remote Camera. Canon Pros and Students Get up to 30% Off If you’re really serious about upping your camera game, there’s the Gold level membership, which costs $100 a year and gets members 20% off repairs on up to 10 products and complimentary maintenance on up to 5 items.
Azure Linux 4.0 is Microsoft's first general-purpose Linux
Microsoft shipped Azure Linux 4.0 into public preview at Build 2026, and for the first time you can run it on any Azure virtual machine, not just as the host underneath Azure Kubernetes Service. That sounds like a small distinction. But, this is the moment Microsoft's in-house Linux stops being a special-purpose appliance distro and becomes a general-purpose Linux distro. I have been following this distribution since before it had a marketing name. So let me put 4.0 in context... Photos from the Azure Linux 4 session at Microsoft Build 2026 What I keep on about Microsoft has built more than one Linux distribution. Back in February 2022 I went looking through Microsoft's package mirrors and found CBL-Delridge, a Debian-based distro that powered Azure Cloud Shell. Mary Jo Foley wrote it up at ZDNet after reading that post. By November 2022, Delridge was 404: its apt repository went dark and Cloud Shell moved to Microsoft's other Linux: CBL-Mariner. CBL stands for Common Base Linux, a whole family of internal distros named after Seattle geography. Delridge was the Debian one. Mariner was an RPM one, built from scratch with spec files borrowed from Photon OS, Fedora, and Linux From Scratch. Mariner is the one that survived. In March 2024 Microsoft renamed it Azure Linux and renamed the GitHub repository to match. So when I say Azure Linux, I mean the distribution that started internal development in September 2019, went public on GitHub in November 2020, hit 2.0 in April 2022, and has been the container host for AKS since 2023. None of that history was aimed at you running it on your own VM. That is what changes now. What is actually new in 4.0 Azure Linux 4.0 is derived from Fedora, right now a Fedora 43 snapshot, rather than assembled package 1.0 through 3.0 were. Microsoft no longer maintains every spec file by hand. Instead it tracks Fedora upstream and applies declarative overlays, where every deviation from Fedora carries a written description of why it exists. The rendered spec files are checked into the repository so you can read exactly what Microsoft changed and why. The component stack moved up accordingly: Kernel 6.18 LTS, Azure-tuned, with the Hyper-V integration and GPU and AI accelerator support you would expect from an Azure cloud kernel. Microsoft maintains its own kernel fork and embeds its signing keys directly in the build. dnf5 replaces tdnf, Microsoft's lean C reimplementation of dnf inherited from Photon OS. This is the single most user-visible change. You now get standard dnf5 tooling and the full plugin ecosystem instead of a Microsoft-specific package manager. glibc 2.42, systemd 258, OpenSSL 3.5 (with post-quantum cryptography support), Python 3.14, and RPM 6.0 with a modernized database backend and stronger signature verification.
Science
View All 10One in four births in England is now emergency caesarean, BBC analysis shows
6 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google Catherine Burns, Health correspondentand Maryam Ahmed, BBC Verify BBC sees emergency C-sections in maternity unit A quarter of all babies in England are now delivered , BBC analysis shows - marking a significant rise over the last five years. The unplanned surgeries have increased , while the rate of elective caesareans has also increased. At the same time, the rate of vaginal births without instruments has fallen - from more than half of all deliveries to 43%. Prof Marian Knight, director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, which researches the care of women and babies in pregnancy and birth, says the rise represents a "total change in how women give birth" in England, and that it has not been replicated in other European countries. The NHS does not publish data on why an emergency C-section is performed, and experts say there is no single, clear explanation for the increase. However, some have told the BBC they are concerned a culture of fear in maternity units and among pregnant women is driving up the number of procedures. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which represents maternity doctors, says pressure on staff and operating theatres means the system is "really struggling" to meet the increased demand. NHS England says "decisions are made ". A caesarean section, or C-section, is a cut through the mother's tummy and womb. Emergency C-sections are graded from the most urgent - where there is an immediate threat to the life of the woman or the baby - to those where labour is not progressing well. BBC Verify has tracked the changes in births in England over five years. The most common way to have a baby is still a vaginal delivery where medics don't use instruments such as forceps to help pull the baby out - but that has fallen from 53% to 43% of births. Planned caesareans now make up 20% of births and there has been a steady increase in emergency caesareans - from 18% to 26%. Figures from other parts of the UK are not as up to date, but put emergency caesarean rates at 22% in Scotland, 20% in Wales and 16% in Northern Ireland. Prof Knight's unit has compared how caesarean birth rates - both planned and emergency - have changed across 42 countries. Her team ranked each country on the proportion of C-section births, from highest to lowest. In 2020, England was 14th out of 42 countries - but by 2025, it was up to 9th.
'World-first' vaccine designed by artificial intelligence
'World-first' vaccine designed 7 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on Google James GallagherHealth and science correspondent Artificial intelligence has been used to develop a "fundamentally new" type of vaccine that could protect against large swathes of viruses and prevent pandemics, say researchers. The team at the University of Cambridge say it is the first time a vaccine's key component has been designed entirely . The vaccine was engineered to work on all coronaviruses which would include all Covid variants and viruses that infect animals, but could start the next pandemic. The work is still in the early stages, but the team is already developing separate vaccines that could tackle flu and Ebola. Vaccines teach our bodies how to spot an infection to increase our chances of fighting it off. But some viruses are adept at changing their appearance – or mutating – so vaccines can quickly go out of date. It's why Covid and winter flu vaccines need to be regularly updated. "We're always behind," said Prof Jonathan Heeney, from the University of Cambridge, adding "what we're trying to do is get ahead of the curve" and so far ahead they could protect against new outbreaks or pandemics. Vaccines played a crucial role in the pandemic, but needed to be designed from scratch and then updated as the virus mutated How does it work? Normally vaccines are designed using a current strain of a virus. The Cambridge researchers took known genetic codes – the instruction manuals of life – from a range of coronaviruses that had been recorded . These genetic codes were analysed . It then designed a "super-antigen" that could train the immune system in such a way it gave protection against the whole family of viruses – even if they mutated or a new infection jumped from animals to people. Antigens are the critical components of vaccines as this is what the immune system learns to attack. Heeney said this was the first time an antigen designed . He said the technology was "surprising all of us" and it was "amazing what we can do with it for the good of humanity". Heeney told BBC News: "This is about making vaccines that protect us, not just from today's viruses, but protect us from what can cause the next outbreak or disease. "This is a fundamental shift in how we prepare for pandemics." Bats are one source of coronaviruses The trials, in 39 people, were designed to assess if such vaccines were safe.
Glittering star cluster image reveals missing patch of stars: 'We were not looking for the gap, but we found it'
The stunning image, taken ’s (ESA) Euclid space telescope, captures NGC 6397 — one of the closest globular clusters to Earth. NGC 6397 is a glittering swarm of hundreds of thousands of stars packed tightly together, but when astronomers took a closer look, they discovered something unusual hidden within the sparkles. A graph plotting the stars a conspicuous gap — a narrow region where certain stars should have appeared but didn't. The feature is so distinct that it stands out visibly in the data, appearing almost like a blemish in an otherwise smooth distribution of stars, according to a statement from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). The discovery emerged from observations collected by Euclid, which is primarily tasked with investigating dark matter and dark energy. Initially, the team was studying the motions of stars within the globular cluster using data from both Euclid and the Hubble Space Telescope. When analyzing the data from NGC 6397, the researchers weren't searching for missing stars. Instead, they stumbled across the feature while studying the cluster's stellar population. "The discovery was serendipitous," Andrea Bellini, one of the research paper's primary authors from STScI, said in the statement. "We were not looking for the gap, but we found it." The gap occurs among red dwarf stars, the most common type of star in the Milky Way. Researchers believe the visible void is linked to changes deep within the stars as they transition from having partially convective interiors to becoming fully convective. That shift slightly alters the stars' structure and luminosity, leaving relatively few stars at certain brightness levels. An image of the globular cluster NGC 6397, captured , shows a dense, glittering swarm of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars packed into one of the Milky Way's closest stellar clusters. (, NASA, Euclid Consortium)The idea that stellar populations can contain small “missing” ranges of stars first emerged in 2018, when ESA’s Gaia mission revealed a subtle gap in the brightness distribution of hundreds of thousands of nearby stars. Plotted on a Hertzsprung–Russell (HR) diagram, the data suggested that even in large stellar populations, stars do not always fall into perfectly smooth patterns. The new Euclid observations build on that idea by identifying a similar feature inside the globular cluster NGC 6397, which is a tightly packed, roughly spherical collection of stars bound together by gravity, often found in the outskirts of galaxies and containing some of the oldest known stars. Using a HR diagram, the team again mapped stars a narrow shortage of red dwarfs at specific brightness levels.
Scientists probe how pigeons use magnetism to navigate
Homing pigeons rely on a variety of signals to navigate, including magnetism. But it hasn't been clear how they detect magnetic cues. Researchers propose the answer may be found in the birds' livers. NPR Science LISTEN & FOLLOW Science Scientists probe how pigeons use magnetism to navigate June 4, 20264:13 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered Ari Daniel Scientists probe how pigeons use magnetism to navigate Listen · Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www. npr. org/player/embed/nx-s1-5845078/nx-s1-9797811" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Homing pigeons rely on a variety of signals to navigate, including magnetism. But it hasn't been clear how they detect magnetic cues. Researchers propose the answer may be found in the birds' livers. SCOTT DETROW, HOST: Homing pigeons rely on a variety of signals to navigate the skies, including magnetism. But it's never been quite clear how exactly the birds detect magnetic cues. A team of researchers proposes the answer might be found in a pretty unexpected place. Here's science reporter Ari Daniel. ARI DANIEL: Drop a homing pigeon somewhere it's never been, and the bird can flap its way back home. MARTIN WIKELSKI: You have to provide them actually a good home so that they want to return, and that means good food and nice, cozy housing. DANIEL: To fly home, a pigeon has to figure out where it is and in which direction to go, says Martin Wikelski, who directs the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior in Germany. They rely on odor cues, the sun, visual landmarks and magnetic direction, which is using Earth's magnetic field to orient and navigate. WIKELSKI: It would be as if you were put into a forest where you know my home is east. And then you have a compass. You end up at your cabin. DANIEL: Pigeons rely on magnetic direction under certain circumstances. WIKELSKI: That is, either at night or during completely overcast conditions. DANIEL: For decades, researchers have struggled to explain how these pigeons sense magnetic direction. Then some years back, Wikelski was attending an interdisciplinary meeting where he met someone he might never have encountered otherwise - immunologist Christian Kurts from the University of Bonn in Germany. CHRISTIAN KURTS: And in the coffee break, we talked to each other. Show me one scientist who doesn't like talking about their research (laughter). DANIEL: Kurts told him he'd been studying immune cells called macrophages when he stumbled upon something surprising.
Environment
View All 10New York State Gets One Step Closer to a Data Center Moratorium
The New York Legislature passed a one-year moratorium Thursday night on data center permits, the latest sign of pushback amid a nationwide rush to build the power-hungry facilities. New York would become the first state in the nation to enact such a freeze if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs the bill into law. But Hochul, who is up for re-election this year, has said that she believes it should be left up to municipalities, Politico’s E&E News reported last week. Maine’s governor vetoed a moratorium there in April. The bill, named the Responsible Data Center Development Act, would also require a local public hearing before such facilities are constructed and a statewide data center environmental impact report within a year and a half after the bill becomes law. The moratorium would apply to any data center with a peak energy use above 20 megawatts. “We need to make sure that we have the appropriate infrastructure and processes in place to protect communities from rising utility bills, protect our environmental resources and actually have a positive vision for what our energy future as a state should look like,” state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez, a Democrat who introduced the bill, told Inside Climate News. ICN Weekly Saturdays Our #1 delivers the week’s climate and energy news – our original stories and top headlines from around the web. Get ICN Weekly Inside Clean Energy Thursdays Dan Gearino’s habit-forming weekly take on how to understand the energy transformation reshaping our world. Get Inside Clean Energy Today’s Climate Tuesdays A once-a-week digest of the most pressing climate-, written . Get Today’s Climate Don’t miss a beat. Get a daily email of our original, groundbreaking stories written -winning reporters. Get ICN Sunday Morning Go behind the scenes with executive editor Vernon Loeb and ICN reporters as they discuss one of the week’s top stories. Get ICN Sunday Morning Justice & Health A digest of stories on the inequalities that worsen the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities. Large data centers that support artificial intelligence suck up an enormous amount of energy to power their computers. They also need water to cool them. In New York, data centers have been proposed across upstate communities, from Niagara and Erie counties along the border with Canada to the town of East Fishkill in the southeast. Local opposition to these projects, which are often proposed in rural areas, is growing. “The burden of rigorous analysis and defense against billionaires and their white-shoe law firms should not be put on volunteer planning board appointees,” said Gay Nicholson of Sustainable Finger Lakes, a nonprofit opposed to a large data center in the upstate town of Lansing. “We need state-level intervention,” she said at a recent press conference.
Trump uses wartime powers to dole out $700m to ‘clean, beautiful’ coal
Workers transport and organize mounds of coal on a hilltop near an Arch Coal facility in Beckley, West Virginia, in 2025. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters View image in fullscreen Workers transport and organize mounds of coal on a hilltop near an Arch Coal facility in Beckley, West Virginia, in 2025. Trump and his oil-and-coal oligarchy should face sanctions for their war on the environment | Alexander Hurst Trump is using the Defense Production Act, a cold war-era statute used to accelerate American industrial output in times of national need, to provide grants to more than a dozen existing coal plants across the US, including facilities capable of exporting coal. “As a result of the $700m investment that I’m announcing today, we will protect 14 coal plants and 42 coalmines, a tremendous number, and build two new coal plants and one massive new export terminal,” Trump said. The funds will be used to bring a new coal export terminal online in Oakland, California, and to restart an existing facility in Maryland. They will also keep online plants across 10 states: West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Arkansas, Arizona, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Wisconsin. Each of those 10 states voted for Trump, the president boasted on Thursday. “We won them all,” he said. The two new coal plants will be in Alaska and West Virginia. Trump has long been a champion of reviving the US’s ailing coal industry. Thursday’s White House event featured supportive governors and lawmakers from coal-rich states such as Wyoming and West Virginia. In the past year, the Trump administration has doled out hundreds of millions of dollars to the coal industry, signed orders forcing ratepayers to pay extra for ageing plants to stay open, and dismantled environmental rules that limit toxins from coal leaching into Americans’ shared air and water. The administration’s attempts to provide a cuddly rebranding to coal have even extended to creating a new mascot with giant eyes, called Coalie, and gushing social media posts that include an image of a lump of coal wearing sunglasses as if it were on the TV show Love Island. “You’re not allowed to say ‘coal’ within the Trump administration unless it’s preceded ‘clean, beautiful’,” Trump said on Thursday. “Complicates our life, but it’s good.” Regardless of such terminology, coal is not clean. It is the most carbon-dense fossil fuel and therefore a leading cause of the climate crisis when burned.
California and New York weaken climate rules as red states ramp up green energy
Heavy traffic in California and extreme heat in New York. Photograph: View image in fullscreen Heavy traffic in California and extreme heat in New York. Photograph: California and New York weaken climate rules as red states ramp up green energy Republican-led states growing renewable capabilities at faster rate as Texas emerges as clean-energy leader Democratic-led states are eroding their climate policies, as red states are scaling up their clean energy deployment. California on Friday scaled back its cap-and-invest program, offering more than $3bn in free pollution allowances to polluting companies. Earlier the same week, New York weakened its groundbreaking climate law, delaying a plan to regulate carbon from 2024 until 2028 and reducing emissions-slashing targets. Rhode Island’s governor, meanwhile, is attempting to roll back aggressive clean-energy programs. The moves come as Donald Trump’s administration withdraws clean energy incentives and energy savings programs, and as energy prices spike across the country amid trade disruptions stemming from the US-Israeli war on Iran. Proponents have said the changes are necessary to suppress electricity costs, but climate advocates say that view is short-sighted and misguided. “Using affordability as a cudgel to weaken climate policy is a major error that will not solve either crisis, ultimately amplifying both,” said Johanna Bozuwa, executive director of the Climate and Community Institute, a left-leaning thinktank. “Extreme weather and fossil-fuel dependency directly inflate costs – for food, energy, transportation, housing, and health – across the economy for working people.” Polls show most Americans are concerned about the climate crisis. An annual poll from Gallup, published in April, shows that 44% of American adults say they worry “a great deal” about global warming – one of the highest levels of concern since 1989, when the poll was first conducted, behind only 2020 and 2017. About 65% of registered voters in the US also think global heating is driving up the cost of living, according to a report published in December . View image in fullscreen Wind turbines in Lyford, Texas, 77. Photograph: NurPhoto/“The polling shows that climate must remain on the political agenda,” said Bozuwa. “Good climate policies provide immediate relief for families while also driving larger structural green transformation.” Red states lead clean energy buildout In contrast to many Democratic-led jurisdictions, red states have tended to dominate renewable energy deployment in recent years. In terms of growth of utility-scale renewables, states that voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election made up eight of the top 10 in the year to March, according to Energy Information Administration data.
As Energy Demand Rises, More States Turn to Virtual Power Plants
An executive order in Massachusetts and a regulatory commission action in Minnesota are among the big moves this year that highlight the growing role of virtual power plants in grid management. A virtual power plant, or VPP, is a network of resources that a central controller can call upon to send power to the grid or to reduce demand on it. Examples include batteries in homes and businesses as well as factories that can ramp down their power use when needed. With a few clicks, hundreds or thousands of points in a network can behave like a power plant, with compensation for the resource owners. It’s a cheaper and cleaner way to provide short-term electricity than the main alternatives, such as natural gas peaker plants. I spoke with Autumn Proudlove, managing director for policy and markets at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University, about her work tracking legislation and regulatory actions related to virtual power plants. ICN Weekly Saturdays Our #1 delivers the week’s climate and energy news – our original stories and top headlines from around the web. Get ICN Weekly Inside Clean Energy Thursdays Dan Gearino’s habit-forming weekly take on how to understand the energy transformation reshaping our world. Get Inside Clean Energy Today’s Climate Tuesdays A once-a-week digest of the most pressing climate-, written . Get Today’s Climate Don’t miss a beat. Get a daily email of our original, groundbreaking stories written -winning reporters. Get ICN Sunday Morning Go behind the scenes with executive editor Vernon Loeb and ICN reporters as they discuss one of the week’s top stories. Get ICN Sunday Morning Justice & Health A digest of stories on the inequalities that worsen the impacts of climate change on vulnerable communities. Proudlove highlighted actions in Massachusetts and Minnesota that stand out for their significance. Maura Healey issued an executive order on March 13 that aims to boost energy supply and affordability, including a plan to require the commonwealth to develop 3.5 gigawatts of demand-management resources by 2035, which can include virtual power plants. For comparison, the entire New England grid, covering six states, had a peak demand of 26.1 gigawatts in 2025. It’s also a lot compared to the country’s largest virtual power plant networks, such as the one in California, which generated a peak of about half a gigawatt last July. Healey’s order takes an expansive view of which resources will count.
Weather
View All 6Today: Drizzle, Minimum Temperature: 11°C (51°F) Maximum Temperature: 17°C (63°F)
This video can not be played Today will stay generally settled with an exchange of cloudy and sunny intervals. Some light showers will occasionally develop in places through the day. Turning overcast early tonight with spells of light rain gradually developing from the south-west during the early hours. Winds will also pick up by dawn. Breezy tomorrow morning with outbreaks of rain. In the afternoon, the rain will break to a few showers, some of which could be locally thundery. Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday Sunday will be breezy with a few spells of intermittent light rain through the day. A band of rain will sweep eastwards late in the day and overnight, clearing on Monday morning. The rest of Monday will continue with plenty of sunshine. Tuesday will turn unsettled and breezy with a mix of sunshine and scattered thundery showers. Average wind speed 8 Miles per hour, South Westerly8Average wind speed 13 Kilometres per hour, South Westerly13 Humidity: Humidity: 87%,87% Visibility: Visibility, not available,-- Pressure: Pressure: 1007 millibars, Rising,1007mb, Rising Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° North, 2.283° West)Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° N, 2.283° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Middleton, Rochdale EarthstarReported , Stockport sunset_twilightReported by sunset_twilight Report for Harwood, Bolton keithReported , Cheshire Dave BReported by Dave B
Saturday: Thundery Showers, Minimum Temperature: 11°C (51°F) Maximum Temperature: 19°C (66°F)
This video can not be played Today will stay generally settled with an exchange of cloudy and sunny intervals. Some light showers will occasionally develop in places through the day. Turning overcast early tonight with spells of light rain gradually developing from the south-west during the early hours. Winds will also pick up by dawn. Breezy tomorrow morning with outbreaks of rain. In the afternoon, the rain will break to a few showers, some of which could be locally thundery. Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday Sunday will be breezy with a few spells of intermittent light rain through the day. A band of rain will sweep eastwards late in the day and overnight, clearing on Monday morning. The rest of Monday will continue with plenty of sunshine. Tuesday will turn unsettled and breezy with a mix of sunshine and scattered thundery showers. Average wind speed 8 Miles per hour, South Westerly8Average wind speed 13 Kilometres per hour, South Westerly13 Humidity: Humidity: 87%,87% Visibility: Visibility, not available,-- Pressure: Pressure: 1007 millibars, Rising,1007mb, Rising Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° North, 2.283° West)Observation station: Manchester Airport (53.350° N, 2.283° W) Our favourite Weather Watchers photos nearby Report for Middleton, Rochdale EarthstarReported , Stockport sunset_twilightReported by sunset_twilight Report for Harwood, Bolton keithReported , Cheshire Dave BReported by Dave B
11 miners die after a landslide in Vatomadry, Madagascar
A landslide in Vatomandry, Madagascar that claimed 11 lives on June 2, 2026. Credit: Sophie ratsiraka Eleven miners were killed on June 2 after a landslide struck an illegal gold mine in Vatomadry in eastern Madagascar. The incident occurred in the village of Niherenana at around local time (LT). The miners reportedly dug a pit at the site at approximately LT and were illegally mining inside when part of it collapsed, burying them under the mud. Locals alerted the authorities upon discovering the incident. Search and rescue operations began at around LT and lasted until LT when all bodies had been recovered. “In this moment of pain, my colleagues and I send our deepest condolences to the families and pray for the souls of the departed to rest in peace,” Sophie Ratsiraka, the elected deputy of Vatomandry, said. Most of the victims were residents of communities surrounding the accident site. They came from Ilaka Est, Vavatenina, and Tanambao Manampotsy. According to available information, the youngest victim was 21 years old, and the oldest was 49. References: 1 Gold miners: 11 people killed in a landslide – NEWSMADA – June 3, 2026 Rishav Kothari I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
Researchers identify South Atlantic fireball as likely interstellar meteor
Bright fireball over British Columbia, Canada at UTC on April 29, 2026. Credit: Michael Roth A fireball detected over the South Atlantic Ocean at UTC on April 1, 2026, has emerged as a candidate interstellar meteor following an orbital analysis , who argue that its trajectory is inconsistent with an origin within the Solar System. The object, designated Polar-IM, is described (CNEOS) fireball database, with a confidence level above 99.9997% under the researchers’ uncertainty model. The event reached peak brightness at an altitude of 90.5 km (56.2 miles) near 41.9°S and 54.7°W, east of Argentina. Data released through the CNEOS fireball database list Earth-fixed velocity components of +3.6 km/s, -34.6 km/s, and +59.8 km/s, along with a reported radiated energy of 2.4 × 1010 J and a calculated impact energy of 0.086 kt. The database notes that the measurements are derived from U. Government sensor detections and should be used with caution because CNEOS does not independently verify or reanalyze the reported events. After transforming the Earth-fixed velocity vector into heliocentric coordinates and accounting for Earth’s gravitational influence, Loeb and Cloete calculated a heliocentric speed of 51.73 km/s (32.14 miles/s) and a heliocentric excess speed of 30 km/s (18.6 miles/s). Their calculations produced an orbital inclination of 89.4 degrees, placing the trajectory nearly perpendicular to the plane of the Solar System. They also found that the velocity component perpendicular to the Solar System plane exceeded the local solar escape speed on its own. To test the result, the researchers ran 1 million Monte Carlo simulations using an empirical post-2018 CNEOS error model developed in an earlier study. According to the researchers, none of the simulated trajectories produced a bound heliocentric orbit. The team reported a margin-to-scatter ratio of 12.82 sigma under their uncertainty model. The event was already present in the publicly available CNEOS database. Loeb and Cloete’s analysis identified it as a candidate interstellar meteor based on its reconstructed trajectory. Based on the event’s reported impact energy and inferred velocity, Loeb estimated that Polar-IM had a mass of about 150 kg (331 lb) and a diameter of roughly 0.5 m (1.6 feet). Polar-IM would join a short list of known interstellar visitors that includes 1I/’Oumuamua, 2I/Borisov, and 3I/ATLAS. Unlike those objects, which were identified telescopically while passing through the Solar System, Polar-IM was identified through analysis of a fireball recorded during atmospheric entry. Loeb compared the event with the 2014 interstellar meteor candidate IM1, which was the focus of a 2023 ocean expedition that recovered metallic spherules from the seafloor that he and collaborators have argued are associated with the object.
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