Rory Mckeown

NASA has released an artist’s impression of its planned SkyFall Mars helicopters, which are scheduled for launch in late 2028 and deployment on Mars through a mid-air release. The three aircraft will use ground-penetrating radar, near-infrared imaging, visible photography and temperature sensors to locate and map shallow subsurface ice. Engineers developed a flexible polyester-and-Vectran antenna that allows the helicopters to fly close to the ground without being damaged during landings. Unlike Ingenuity, SkyFall will be able to transmit data independently to spacecraft orbiting Mars.

Research from the Surrey Space Centre suggests that severe solar storms could sharply increase radiation and electronic disruption at commercial flight altitudes, particularly on polar routes. High-energy particles may cause Single Event Upsets in aircraft systems, potentially increasing pilot workload and creating flight-safety risks, while extreme storms could also raise passenger and crew radiation exposure. The findings follow an October 2025 JetBlue incident and Airbus’s temporary grounding of 6,000 A320 aircraft after a radiation-related vulnerability was identified. Researchers propose a new aviation-specific radiation scale, along with increased monitoring, flight rerouting and grounding during severe space-weather events.

An Audi left the road in Murston, Sittingbourne, flew over a garden and fencing, and crashed into the upper floor of a terraced house in Sunny Bank. The property suffered major damage, but no one was home. Two of the three people in the vehicle were taken to hospital, while a 39-year-old woman remained in stable condition after being arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving. Kent Police said their investigation was ongoing.

An Australian tourist, Oscar Gray, reported seeing a dark green, flat-topped head followed by two humps and apparent tail-created waves at Urquhart Castle on July 21. His account and photograph were added to the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, bringing 2026’s reported in-person sightings to nine, or 11 including webcam footage—already exceeding the total for all of 2025. The report follows other alleged sightings and unexplained images near Loch Ness earlier in the year.

Liam Exley died at age 20 from stage-four mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer rarely seen in people so young. His mother, Nicola Anderson, says recurring fluid on his lungs was repeatedly treated as pericarditis, delaying the diagnosis until a swollen neck lymph node revealed the cancer. Doctors do not know how Liam developed the disease, and Queen Elizabeth Hospital declined to comment on his case. Anderson is raising funds and awareness for Mesothelioma UK while honoring her son’s life and supporting better recognition and treatment of the disease.

Aleks, a white tiger rescued from a residential yard in war-torn Kharkiv, has taken his first steps on grass after a prolonged recovery. He was severely malnourished, suffering from inflamed skin, parasites—including an unusually large tapeworm—and trauma linked to bombing before being transferred to Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in Lincolnshire after 18 months in Ukraine. His health, coat and behaviour have improved following treatment, and staff say he is beginning to enjoy activities such as playing, using a waterfall and swimming pool. The park plans to introduce him gradually to other tigers as a companion, not for breeding.

Scientists from the University of Florence identified a previously unknown multicomponent metal alloy inside a glassy particle, or hiroshimaite, recovered from beach sands in Hiroshima Bay. The alloy contains elements commonly found in stainless steel but has a novel atomic structure that formed when material vaporised in the Hiroshima nuclear fireball cooled rapidly. Analysis of 34 particles suggests nuclear explosions can create materials not formed under ordinary Earth conditions, and researchers say further undiscovered substances may remain in the microscopic debris. The finding could improve understanding of matter under extreme temperatures and pressures while underscoring the destructive legacy of the 1945 bombing.

Scientists from the University of Florence have identified a previously unknown multicomponent metal alloy in a microscopic glassy particle, or hiroshimaite, recovered from sands in Hiroshima Bay. The alloy formed when the 1945 Hiroshima atomic bomb vaporised and rapidly cooled materials including steel, glass and soil. Its unusual atomic structure does not match any previously known material, suggesting that other undiscovered substances may remain in debris from nuclear explosions and offering insights into how matter behaves under extreme conditions. The bombing killed an estimated 60,000 to 80,000 people immediately and around 140,000 by the end of 1945.

Jamie Broadmore, 41, admitted illegally dumping and burning waste on green belt land in Gravesham, Kent, where fires disrupted roads and the HS1 rail line and pigs were released onto the A2. Maidstone Crown Court sentenced him to six months in prison suspended for 12 months, alongside 100 hours of unpaid work, £1,000 compensation and rehabilitation activity. Authorities spent about £150,000 clearing the site, while Gravesham Council incurred £4,840 in investigation costs without recovering them. Council leader John Burden and Gravesham MP Lauren Sullivan condemned the sentence and called for tougher penalties to deter organized fly-tipping.

Donald Trump has announced a major redevelopment of Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC, with funding that could reach $13 billion. Conceptual designs produced by United Airlines would add about 5 million square feet, new facilities, tunnels and a vast car park, while covering much of Eero Saarinen’s celebrated 1962 terminal. The U.S. Department of Transportation and project partners say the original building will be preserved, but the plans have raised concerns because the new structure would substantially encroach on its distinctive mid-century design.

An outbreak of equine flu in the New Forest has killed approximately 35 ponies and infected many more ponies and donkeys. The virus, which has not affected the wild pony population since the early 1990s, is believed to have been inadvertently introduced by a privately owned animal. Verderers have postponed the start of the 2026 pony drifts, advised visitors and riders to keep their distance, asked the public not to leave water buckets in the forest, and said later roundups will be reviewed. Stricter measures are also being introduced at the New Forest Show.

A wildfire spreading across Dunwich Heath in Suffolk grew to about 150 hectares within 24 hours, forcing the evacuation of homes and Cliff House Holiday Park. Firefighters focused on protecting nearby properties, while local residents sheltered dozens of evacuees. Officials said the fire remained dynamic and could require at least another 48 hours of work, although Sizewell B nuclear power station was not considered at immediate risk. The blaze comes amid a severe UK heatwave, drought conditions, hosepipe bans and increased wildfire warnings.

The Strokes’ 2001 debut album Is This It is presented as a defining force in the revival of guitar music and indie culture. Released first in Australia on July 30, 2001, it reached number two in the UK and number 33 in the US, while its distorted guitars, minimalist style and iconic cover helped make the band global rock stars. Producer Gordon Raphael, broadcaster Steve Lamacq, Maccabees guitarist Felix White and former NME editor Conor McNicholas describe how the album’s apparent effortlessness, careful musicianship and New York identity influenced bands including The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers, reshaped indie club nights and encouraged a new generation to form bands.

The UK-led Team Tempest programme has reached several milestones in developing the UK Combat Air Demonstrator, the country's first crewed combat aircraft built domestically in 40 years. About half of its main structure has been assembled at BAE Systems' Samlesbury facility, more than 11,500 components have been designed, and the first robotically assembled component has been completed. The Excalibur Flight Test Aircraft has also been modified for new trials of sensing and communications systems, while Rolls-Royce's Orpheus engine demonstrator has advanced propulsion development. The work is intended to reduce technical risks for the Global Combat Air Programme and support the Royal Air Force's future requirements.

Halifax’s Acapulco Club, which opened in 1961, is seeking a Halifax Civic Trust blue plaque to mark its status as Britain’s oldest operating nightclub. The venue still sells drinks for 75p before 11pm and emphasizes affordable nightlife, community events and inclusive alcohol-free nights for young people with learning difficulties or disabilities. Owner Simon Jackson hopes to raise more than the £650 plaque cost, with surplus funds going to Halifax Street Angels, while presenting the club’s survival through the pandemic and the decline of nearby venues as a sign of resilience.

The Festival of the Unexceptional at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire drew about 4,500 people and 2,500 ordinary cars manufactured 25 to 50 years ago. Gordon McNeill won with his battle-scarred 2001 Volkswagen Polo E, followed by Matt Swinn’s meticulously maintained 1992 Toyota Previa and Jake Seddon’s family-restored 2001 Ford Focus. Hosted by insurance provider Hagerty, the event also featured live music, interviews and additional awards for several rare or overlooked vehicles.

A US Air Force drone, the YFQ‑44A, carried out its first live launch of an AIM‑120 air‑to‑air missile during a test over the Mojave Desert, demonstrating its ability to execute a human‑authorized firing sequence. The trial marked a major milestone in the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, which aims to field semi‑autonomous drones that operate alongside crewed fighters. Military officials said the successful test validated the drone’s handling, communication systems, and capability to engage targets within parameters set by operators. The 412th Test Wing conducted the exercise in restricted airspace with safety oversight from engineers and military personnel.

A man who left a cardboard box beside overflowing recycling bins in New Milton received a £1,000 fly-tipping fine, later reduced to £150 after appeal. He argues that hidden signage and poorly maintained facilities make the penalty unfair and has escalated his complaint to the district council and may pursue it with the national ombudsman. The council maintains that depositing waste beside full containers constitutes fly-tipping and notes increasing problems at the site.

Advanced imaging technology from a Royal Canadian Geographical Society and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution expedition produced the first 3D scans of the Terra Nova, the ship that carried Robert Falcon Scott on his final Antarctic expedition. The wreck lies off Greenland and is deteriorating, prompting a comprehensive mapping effort that also includes Shackleton’s final vessel, Quest. Divers reported partial structural collapse but significant hull preservation. The project brings renewed attention to the historical expeditions and preserves detailed records before the wrecks degrade further.

Carol Lockwood, born shortly before her father Flight Lieutenant Alfred ‘Ginge’ Culver disappeared over Iceland in 1942, has shared letters she found after her mother’s death. The letters reveal Culver’s joy at the birth of his daughter and his hope that she would find a loving partner. Culver, an RAF Coastal Command pilot, vanished with four other airmen and war artist Eric Ravilious during a search-and-rescue mission; no wreckage, oil or radio distress signal was ever found. Lockwood later married Derek, with whom she has shared 65 years, and visited Iceland in 2014 to commemorate her father and the unresolved disappearance.

A tourist photograph showing a green mass beneath the surface of Loch Ness near Urquhart Castle has prompted renewed speculation about the Loch Ness Monster. The image, taken during a Jacobite Cruises tour, has been added to the official sightings register, with the boat’s skipper unable to explain the object. The report marks the seventh potential sighting of the year, surpassing last year’s pace, amid ongoing interest despite scientific scepticism and suggestions that some sightings may be caused by natural wave patterns.

Humanoid teleoperated robots successfully performed two preclinical gallbladder removals, marking the first operations completed by robot surgeons. Developed by engineers and surgeons at the University of California San Diego, the compact and low‑cost robots, known as Surgie, aim to expand access to surgical care in remote or under-resourced settings. While the procedures required recalibration and took longer than conventional robotic surgeries, researchers expect rapid improvement and foresee humanoid robots assisting human surgeons and enabling remote life‑saving procedures worldwide.