Month: February 2026

The New York Times collected and analyzed hundreds of videos of a crackdown on anti-government protests that Iranians shared despite an internet blackout. Sanjana Varghese explains how the Visual Investigations team at The Times verified them.Source: rss.nytimes.comRead full article

By playing pretend with an ape, scientists found a human hallmark in our closest living relative: the capacity for make-believe.Source: rss.nytimes.comRead full article

Although weakened by airstrikes, sanctions and domestic unrest, Tehran is surprisingly bullish before talks with USWhen it comes to Iran and Donald Trump, there is so much bluff, backed by military hardware, that the truth rarely makes an incontrovertible appearance.Nevertheless, it appears that a bullish Iran is going into negotiations with the US on Friday adopting maximalist positions that do not seem greatly different to those it adopted in the […]

Trump might not embody Christian values yet is the religious right’s chosen instrument to turn the tide against liberal, godless AmericaThey had come to say a prayer for the father, the son and the holy ghost.The father was Donald Trump who, despite sending federal militias to roam Minneapolis, threatening to invade Greenland and telling lies by the dozen, remains the lord and saviour of the religious right. Continue reading...Source: www.theguardian.comRead […]

PM clings to power after a day when Commons mutiny filled the air, as fallout over Mandelson appointment continuesThe most dangerous moment of Keir Starmer’s premiership came just after lunchtime on Wednesday, when mutiny was the talk of the Commons tea room.Anger is widespread across Labour – but it was at its most palpable among the party’s new MPs, as the Conservatives used a humble address to force the disclosure […]

Brain activity suggests newborns can detect and predict patterns relating to rhythm, study saysNewborn babies can anticipate rhythm in pieces of music, researchers have discovered, offering insights into a fundamental human trait.Babies in the womb begin to respond to music by about eight or nine months, as shown by changes in their heart rate and body movements, said Dr Roberta Bianco, the first author of the research who is based […]

An ape was able to identify the location of imaginary objects in pretend scenarios, researchers findWhether it’s playing at being doctors or hosting a toy’s tea party, children are adept at engaging in make-believe – now researchers say bonobos can do it too.While there have been anecdotal reports of apes using imaginary objects, including apparently dragging pretend blocks across the floor, experts say it is possible such instances have other […]

Opposition MPs urge Labour to pause public contracts with the US tech firm after attempts to probe deals blockedLabour should halt public contracts with the US tech company Palantir, opposition politicians have said, amid growing concern at the lack of government transparency over dealings with the company and Peter Mandelson.Since 2023, Palantir has secured more than £500m in contracts with the NHS and the Ministry of Defence, while it employed […]