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  • Trump dispatches letters outlining new tariffs on foreign nations – World

    Trump dispatches letters outlining new tariffs on foreign nations – World

    United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that he was slapping 25 per cent tariffs on Japan and South Korea, in his first letters to trading partners ahead of a deadline to reach a deal with Washington.

    Trump had said on the weekend that starting from today, he would send a first batch of up to 15 letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose harsh levies that he had postponed in April.

    In near-identically worded letters to the Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said the tariffs would apply from August 1 because their trading relationships with Washington were “unfortunately, far from reciprocal”.


    Trump warned the countries, both key US allies in East Asia, of an escalation if they responded to the new US tariffs.

    But he also said he was ready to modify levies “downwards” if Japan and South Korea changed their trade policies.

    Later, Trump also announced the US will impose 25pc tariffs on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30pc on South Africa and 40pc on Laos and Myanmar in letters posted on Truth Social.

    Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Sunday that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with Washington.

    Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies on what he called “Liberation Day” on April 2, claiming the United States was being “ripped off”. Amid market turmoil, Trump then suspended the initial tariffs for 90 days, a deadline that expires on Wednesday.

    But the Trump administration has said that the duties will not “boomerang” back until August 1, apparently extending the deadline despite denials from officials.

    While the Trump administration has signalled hopes of striking dozens of deals by early July — at one point boasting of “90 deals in 90 days” — there have been limited results so far.

    Washington has unveiled pacts with only Britain and Vietnam, while the US and China agreed to temporarily lower tariff levels on each other’s products that earlier reached three digits.

    Later, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that 12 other countries will also receive letters about the new tariffs.

    “President Trump will also sign an executive order today delaying the July 9 deadline to August 1, so that the reciprocal tariff rates or these new rates … will be going out the door within the next month and those countries continue to negotiate with the US,” she said during a press briefing.

    She added that “in the effort of transparency”, the letter will continue to be posted to Truth Social.

    When asked about which other countries would receive letters, Leavitt told reporters to “keep your eyes on Truth Social”.

    ‘Change their tune’

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there would be a number of deals coming up.

    “We are going to have several announcements in the next 48 hours,” Bessent told CNBC in an interview today. “We’ve had a lot of people change their tune in terms of negotiations. So my mailbox was full last night with a lot of new offers, a lot of new proposals.”

    There was no immediate response from the White House on whether Trump would formally extend the Wednesday deadline for the tariffs to snap back.

    Asked about Trump’s letters, Bessent said these would inform partners of the tariff rate their products face when trading with the US unless they want to “come back and try to negotiate”.

    Bessent told CNBC that he would “be meeting with my Chinese counterpart sometime in the next couple of weeks”. The two sides have so far held high-level talks in Geneva and London. But Washington and Beijing’s pause on tit-for-tat tariffs is due to expire in mid-August.

    On whether he was disappointed in the number of trade deals achieved so far, Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro maintained that he is “happy with the progress we’ve had”.

    “Every country that we run a major deficit with is fully engaged,” he told CNBC.

    Trump has also threatened another 10pc tariff on countries aligning themselves with the emerging BRICS nations, accusing them of “Anti-American policies” after they slammed his duties at a summit.

    For now, partners are still rushing to avert Trump’s tariffs altogether.

    The European Commission said that EU chief Ursula von der Leyen had a “good exchange” with Trump on trade when the pair spoke on Sunday.

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  • Mediterranean Bacteria May Harbor New Mosquito Solution

    Mediterranean Bacteria May Harbor New Mosquito Solution

    Highlights:

    • Mosquitoes that carry pathogens often develop resistance to insecticides.
    • Biopesticides offer an ecologically friendly way to control the pests and mitigate resistance, but options are limited.
    • Researchers recently identified bacteria in Crete that produce metabolites that quickly kill mosquito larvae in lab tests.
    • The compounds might be useful for the development of new biopesticides, though developing the right formulations and delivery method remains a challenge.

    Washington, D.C.-Mosquito-borne diseases kill more than 700,000 people every year, according to the World Health Organization, and the mosquitos that spread the disease are difficult to control. Most species have developed resistance to all major classes of synthetic insecticides, many of which pose both environmental and health risks.

    Biopesticides, derived from living organisms, may mitigate chemical insecticide resistance and offer an environmentally friendly way forward. This week in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, researchers report that bacterial isolates collected from the Mediterranean island of Crete act as insecticides against Culex pipiens molestus mosquitoes, which can transmit human pathogens such as West Nile virus and Rift Valley fever virus. In lab tests, extracts containing metabolites produced by 3 of the isolates killed 100% of mosquito larvae within 24 hours of exposure.

    Those metabolites might guide the development of biopesticides with minimal ecological side effects, the researchers noted. “They degrade more quickly in the environment and therefore don’t accumulate, and they often don’t kill such a wide range of different insect species as chemical insecticides,” said George Dimopoulos, Ph.D., a molecular entomologist and microbiologist at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (IMBB) in Crete. He co-led the new study, conducted in Crete, together with molecular biologist John Vontas, Ph.D., at the IMBB.

    Dimopoulos’ research focuses on mosquitoes that transmit human pathogens, and over the past 15 years his group has found microbes that produce metabolites that interfere with the pathogens that cause malaria and dengue, and some bacteria that can kill mosquitoes. More recently, they have been investigating mosquito-killing bacteria in the Mediterranean region as part of the MicroBioPest project, funded by the European Union.

    For the new work, they collected 186 samples from 65 locations across Crete. The samples included topsoil, soil from around plant roots, plant tissues, water samples and dead insects. They then exposed C. pipiens molestus larvae to water solutions containing some of the most promising isolates found in the samples. More than 100 of the isolates killed all the mosquito larvae within 7 days, and 37 of those killed the larvae within 3 days. Those 37 isolates represented 20 genera, many of which have not previously been identified as potential biopesticides, said Dimopoulos.

    Further analyses showed that the rapid-acting bacteria killed the larvae not through infection but through the production of compounds like proteins and metabolites. This is promising, Dimopoulos noted, because it suggests that an insecticide based on these bacteria would not depend on the microbes staying alive. The findings have implications not only for controlling mosquitoes, but also as safe biopesticides to use for controlling agricultural pests.

    The researchers have now begun studying the chemical nature of those insecticidal molecules more closely and identifying whether they are proteins or metabolites. They’re also mapping out the spectrum of pesticidal activity demonstrated by the bacteria, including screening the isolates against other strains of pathogen-bearing mosquitoes and agricultural pest insects.

    Biopesticides often degrade quickly and require multiple applications, Dimopoulos said, and finding the right way to formulate and deliver the compounds will be a challenge in the future. The new study represents the discovery phase.

    “It’s now entering the basic science phase to understand the molecules’ chemical structures and modes of action, and then we’ll shift to a more applied path, really aiming at prototype product development,” he said. “There is a major push toward developing ecologically friendly insecticides.”

    /Public Release. This material from the originating organization/author(s) might be of the point-in-time nature, and edited for clarity, style and length. Mirage.News does not take institutional positions or sides, and all views, positions, and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s).View in full here.

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  • Netanyahu to meet Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas discuss ceasefire – Reuters

    1. Netanyahu to meet Trump at White House as Israel, Hamas discuss ceasefire  Reuters
    2. Cautious optimism for Gaza ceasefire breakthrough as Netanyahu visits US  BBC
    3. Gaza truce talks end with ‘no breakthrough’, to resume in evening: Palestinian official  Dawn
    4. Hostage families rally for Gaza deal outside US embassy ahead of Netanyahu-Trump meet  The Times of Israel
    5. What’s in Trump’s ceasefire proposal and can it end Israel’s war on Gaza?  Al Jazeera

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  • Kneecap Release ‘The Recap’ Video: Watch

    Kneecap Release ‘The Recap’ Video: Watch

    In case anyone was wondering if the headline-grabbing Irish hip-hop insurgents Kneecap were backing down in light of blowback for their pro-Palestine beliefs, the band’s new video makes that answer clear: No.

    Two weeks ago, the band officially released “The Recap,” a collaboration with British drum-and-bass producer Mozey that was first heard as a “bootleg” on Soundcloud in May. The group has now followed it with a video, which further addresses the blowback the group has faced during some of its recent live shows at the Coachella and Glastonbury festivals. (At the former, a sign reading “Fuck Israel. Free Palestine” appeared behind them.)

    Over frenetic beats, the “Recap” single addressed criticism from the British government and Tory party leader Kemi Badenoch: “It’s Kneecap the Recap/West Belfast/Na na na/Disappear forever you Tories.” Referencing much-despised former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, they went on, “The writings on the walls/You like to think that you’re fooling everybody/But you’re not/Just like the iron lady/Your career is gonna rot/You’re just shit/Not in control.” The song ends with: “Onwards and upwards/Free Palestine.”

    The video, directed by Finn Keenan, takes those lyrics to the next level. After opening with a barrage of newspaper headlines (“Rapper in court over use of flag”), the clip includes surveillance-camera footage, clips of Buckingham Palace and the Royal guards, an altered sign for a statue of Queen Victoria (“A million Irish dead under her reign”), and a cartoon of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who said the thought of the group playing Glastonbury was not “appropriate.” The clip ends with a crowd chant of “Free Palestine” at one of their festival gigs.

    The Belfast band, who rap in Gaelic as a political statement of its own, has been in the crosshairs this year more than ever. At Coachella in April, they started one of their sets with a screen message that read, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people,” followed by, “It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.” At Glastonbury last month, the band led the crowd in a chant of “Fuck Keir Starmer.”

    Editor’s picks

    The description of Israel’s reprisals in Gaza after the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, as genocide has been highly contentious. Humanitarian groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have used that term, as have many others; former president Joseph R. Biden and the American Jewish Committee, among other groups that support Israel, have strongly objected to this framing.

    Trending Stories

    Following the group’s set at Glastonbury, Kneecap (along with fellow festival act Bob Vylan) are reportedly being investigated by police, who will “consider all appropriate legislation, including relating to hate crimes.” Earlier, band member Mo Chara was charged with a terror offense after he allegedly held aloft a Hezbollah flag onstage last year, and the video for “The Recap” includes footage of him exclaiming, ““Glastonbury I’m a free man!”

    Two nights ago, Kneecap opened for fellow Irishmen Fontaines D.C. in London, again accompanied by screen signage that read, “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.” They once more led the crowd in an anti-Starmer sing-along, but the performance has been described as less incendiary than those in the past.

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  • Stellan Skarsgård Will Record THR’s ‘Awards Chatter’ Pod Live

    Stellan Skarsgård Will Record THR’s ‘Awards Chatter’ Pod Live

    The revered Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgård will sit down with yours truly to record a special episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast in front of an audience at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Friday, July 11. The taping will take place at 11 a.m. local time, at Karlovy Vary’s historic Congress Hall. No ticket or pass is required for entry — admission is free — but seating is limited to the first 250 people to arrive.

    The 74-year-old is at the fest to receive KVIFF’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema, previous recipients of which include Robert De Niro, Judi Dench, Michael Caine, Isabelle Huppert, Richard Gere, Helen Mirren, John Travolta, Willem Dafoe, Julianne Moore, Mel Gibson, John Malkovich, Susan Sarandon, Johnny Depp, Jude Law and Russell Crowe.

    He is being celebrated for a film career that has included standout performances in numerous Lars von Trier projects (1996’s Breaking the Waves, 2000’s Dancer in the Dark, 2003’s Dogville, 2011’s Melancholia and 2013’s Nymphomaniac), as well as 1988’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being, 1990’s The Hunt for Red October, 1997’s Good Will Hunting and 2011’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; the Dune, Pirates of the Caribbean and Mamma Mia! franchises; and several Marvel films. His TV credits include the 2019 limited series Chernobyl, for which he won a Golden Globe and was nominated for an Emmy, and the drama series Andor, which ran from 2022 through 2025.

    The honor comes at the outset of an awards season that could bring Skarsgård his first Oscar nomination. Indeed, he has received some of the best reviews of his career for his portrayal of a famous filmmaker who has a complicated relationship with his daughters (Renate Reinsve and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), but has charmed the star of his latest film (Elle Fanning), in Joachim Trier’s dramedy Sentimental Value. It premiered — and was awarded the Grand Prize — at May’s Cannes Film Festival, and will be released by Neon in the U.S. on Nov. 7.

    Feinberg’s Awards Chatter podcast is nearing its 10th anniversary and 600th episode. Past guests have included Martin Scorsese, Sean Penn, Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Jerry Seinfeld, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Lawrence, Bruce Springsteen, Snoop Dogg, Julia Roberts, Norman Lear, Sophia Loren, George Clooney, Will Smith, Carol Burnett, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Kevin Hart, Lorne Michaels, Kate Winslet, David Letterman, Lady Gaga, Eddie Murphy, Will Ferrell, Natalie Portman, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bono, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dolly Parton, Spike Lee, Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Denzel Washington, Ariana Grande, Kevin Costner, Jane Fonda, Robert Downey Jr., Olivia Rodrigo, Quincy Jones, Billie Eilish, Michael B. Jordan, Selena Gomez, Timothée Chalamet, Tina Fey, Adam Sandler, Ken Burns, Malala Yousafzai, Bill Gates, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, Kobe Bryant, Gloria Steinem and Buzz Aldrin.

    Three previous episodes of the podcast were recorded at KVIFF: Clive Owen (2024), Robin Wright (2023) and Liev Schreiber (2022).

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  • Hot Wheels Movie Lands Jon M. Chu as Director

    Hot Wheels Movie Lands Jon M. Chu as Director

    Crazy Rich Asians and Wicked director Jon M. Chu is set to helm the live-action Hot Wheels feature, the big screen take on Mattel’s iconic toy cars for Warner Bros.

    The screenwriting duo of Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier will pen the script, with J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, which has longstanding ties with Warner Bros., and Chu’s Electric Somewhere producing.   

    The hiring of the director and writers is a major development for the project that originated with Warner teaming with Mattel Studios in January 2019 to develop and produce a big-screen project. The action film promises to bring the iconic Hot Wheels franchise to the movies screen.

    “Jon’s ability to craft rich, elaborate worlds with a distinct point of view makes him the ideal storyteller to bring Hot Wheels to life. His films are visual spectacles — true eye candy — but what sets them apart is how he weaves unforgettable narratives within those stunning frames. Paired with Juel and Tony’s compelling storytelling, this team is uniquely positioned to capture the heart, adrenaline, and spirit of Hot Wheels, a leading brand in car culture.,” Robbie Brenner, president of Mattel Studios and chief content officer, said in a statement on Monday.

    The collaboration between Warner Bros. and Mattel Studios follows the box-office success of the Greta Gerwig-directed Warner Bros. tentpole Barbie. 

    Chu added in his own statement: “Hot Wheels has always been about more than speed — it’s about imagination, connection and the thrill of play. Bringing that spirit to the big screen is an incredible opportunity. I’m excited to partner with Mattel Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures and Bad Robot to create an adventure that honors Hot Wheels’ legacy while driving it somewhere entirely new.”

    Chu recently directed Universal Pictures’ Wicked starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. He also directed In the Heights for Warner Bros.

    The film’s producers — including Mattel as it looks to its toy properties to become a franchise-driven entertainment giant — have yet to lift the hood on the movie’s plotline. “We already felt incredibly lucky to collaborate with Mattel on this special film. Having Jon, Juel and Tony come aboard takes our excitement to a whole new level,” said Abrams in his own statement.

    Taylor and Rettenmaier have worked on projects like Creed II and They Cloned Tyrone,  which marked Taylor’s directorial debut. Brenner is producing for Mattel Studios alongside Chu, Abrams and Michael Bostick.

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  • Fisher earns maiden Test call up for Zimbabwe

    Fisher earns maiden Test call up for Zimbabwe

    Northern Districts pace bowler Matt Fisher has been called up to the BLACKCAPS for the first time as part of the 15-strong squad for the two Test tour of Zimbabwe later this month.

    Widely regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the country, the former New Zealand Under-19 representative has taken 51 First Class wickets at an average of 24.11 across 14 matches. 

    Fisher has been contracted to Northern Districts since 2018 when he began his recently completed Bachelor of Laws at Otago University. He played a key role early in the associations’ victorious 2024/25 Plunket Shield campaign, taking 14 wickets at 17.71 across just three matches, before being sidelined by injury. 

    BLACKCAPS head coach Rob Walter said Fisher’s pace was a valuable asset.

    “Matt’s someone we’re really excited about,” said Walter.

    “He’s one of the fastest bowlers in the country and we think he’s got an X-factor.

    “We’re blessed to have a large number of strong fast bowlers in this country and we’re looking forward to adding Matt into that mix now, giving him a little bit of touring experience and a taste of what it means to be part of the BLACKCAPS.”

    Red-ball captain Tom Latham will lead a largely settled squad on New Zealand’s first Test tour to Zimbabwe since 2016.

    Fisher’s opportunity comes during a transitional period for the BLACKCAPS Test bowling attack, following the departure of veteran Tim Southee, and the emergence of Wellington duo Nathan Smith (two Test caps) and Ben Sears (one Test cap), alongside uncapped Otago Volts quick Jacob Duffy. 

    Sears was ruled out of the white and red-ball tours of Zimbabwe with a side injury which will require a further two to four weeks recovery, while Kyle Jamieson made himself unavailable as he awaits the birth of his first child.

    Kane Williamson also made himself unavailable as he manages his playing commitments, while Michael Bracewell was unavailable due to his commitments at The Hundred – which was previously agreed and factored into his NZC central contract.

    Walter said he understood and respected the decision of both players.

    “Kane and Michael were up front with New Zealand Cricket about their availability for this tour during the contracting process.

    “While all Test matches are hugely special and important, the fact these Tests aren’t part of the ICC World Test Championship did influence the discussions on this occasion.

    “We will obviously miss their talent and class, but it allows an opportunity to others and we’re lucky to be able to call on the likes of Ajaz and Henry who are both proven performers at Test level.”

    The remainder of the squad mirrors that which took part in the home Tests against England, with additional recalls of specialist spinner Ajaz Patel and batsman Henry Nicholls.

    Patel’s last outing with the BLACKCAPS was a Player of the Match performance (5-103 and 6-57) in the historic three-nil sweep over India last November.

    Left-handed Nicholls returns to the Test squad for the first time since December 2023, bringing 56 Test caps of experience and nine Test hundreds to his name.

    BLACKCAPS Test squad v Zimbabwe

    Tom Latham (C) Canterbury
    Tom Blundell Wellington Firebirds
    Devon Conway Wellington Firebirds
    Jacob Duffy* Otago Volts
    Matt Fisher* Northern Districts
    Matt Henry Canterbury
    Daryl Mitchell Canterbury
    Henry Nicholls Canterbury
    Will O’Rourke Canterbury
    Ajaz Patel Central Stags
    Glenn Phillips Otago Volts
    Rachin Ravindra Wellington Firebirds
    Mitch Santner Northern Districts
    Nathan Smith Wellington Firebirds
    Will Young Central Stags

    *Uncapped

    The squad will assemble in Bulawayo on July 27 following the BLACKCAPS T20I Tri-Series in Harare.

    Matches will be streamed LIVE and free in New Zealand on ThreeNow, with live scoring at nzc.nz and the NZC App.

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  • Trump takes on the Fed – but he has little power over central bank, economists say | Federal Reserve

    Trump takes on the Fed – but he has little power over central bank, economists say | Federal Reserve

    For months, Donald Trump has ranted on social media and, at one point, threatened to fire the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell. Last week, he took on a new, unusual tactic: a handwritten note.

    “You have cost the USA a fortune and continue to do so. You should lower the rate – by a lot!” Trump wrote to Powell, whom he calls “Too Late” in one of his less compelling nicknames.

    That Trump has targeted the Fed isn’t surprising. In the midst of Trump’s trade war, consumers and business owners alike have expressed anxiety about the economy. The stock market tanked in April, when the president announced the highest of his tariffs, and only went on the upswing when he pulled back the bulk of his levies.

    The Fed has the ability to sway the US economy through its ability to adjust interest rates. When rates are high, as they have been for the last few years, borrowing money becomes more expensive. This means higher rates for mortgages, business loans, credit card debt and more. People are less likely to invest when interest rates are high, which can slow activity in the economy. The Fed lowering interest rates would excite investors and spur economic activity, but the price could be steep in the long run.

    But how much sway does Trump really have over the Fed?

    While Trump’s aggression toward the Fed, particularly his personal attacks against Powell, are a remarkable departure from the relationship a US president typically has with the Fed, economists say the structure of the central bank limits the amount of power Trump actually has – at least in the short term.

    Historically, the Fed has been a nonpartisan, independent central bank within the federal government. Economists have found that countries without central banks are prone to high inflation and unemployment.

    “A central bank’s independence is pretty much the only thing macroeconomists know of that’s a free lunch,” said Jason Furman, a former economic adviser to Barack Obama. “When you look at authoritarian leaders that have effectively taken over the central banks, like in Turkey, you can end up with 70% inflation rates and really, really big economic problems.”

    In late June, Trump told reporters that he has zeroed in on “three or four people who I’m going to pick” to replace Powell. When the treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, whose name has been floated, was asked if he would take the job, Bessent said: “I will do what the president wants.”

    That the White House is already talking about replacing Powell almost a year out from the end of his term has raised concerns that a new appointee would act as Trump’s “shadow chair”, or someone who has power over Powell before he leaves office.

    But those familiar with the Fed’s structure say that a powerful “shadow chair” is unlikely, especially since the Fed’s structure encourages consensus among its leaders.

    When setting interest rates, the Fed chair doesn’t act alone. The chair is one of 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), which meets eight times a year to vote on any adjustments to the interest rate.

    The amount of control Trump has over who gets on to the FOMC is limited. The committee has seven Fed governors who serve 14-year terms. Those governors are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The other five members are presidents of regional Federal Reserve banks, who are selected within the Federal Reserve system.

    During the next four years, because of upcoming term limits, Trump will have the ability to appoint two of the 12 members of the FOMC – what would be a small fraction of the committee.

    “They’re going to have a hard time persuading other people on the committee to go along with anything like what Trump wants,” Furman said.

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    Ryan Sweet, chief US economist for Oxford Economics, said that Fed governors on the FOMC already voice dissenting views on the economy in public, but come together to form a consensus during their meetings.

    “It’s built [into the Fed] that they go into a meeting and they’ve got to come to a consensus on what the outcome is,” Sweet said.

    And even though Trump may want to replace Powell before his term is up, the supreme court signaled that the president can’t constitutionally fire him. Sweet pointed out that the court’s preemptive protection of the Fed chair has likely soothed stock markets, which had gone into a panic when Trump first threatened to oust Powell.

    Powell, whom Trump first appointed in 2018, has publicly resisted the president’s efforts to sway the Fed. He has said he would not step down if Trump asks and has said the Fed will not lower interest rates prematurely, at risk of raising inflation.

    In his most pointed statement against Trump’s economic policies, Powell said that the Fed paused interest rate cuts “when we saw the size of the tariffs”.

    “Essentially all inflation forecasts for the United States went up materially as a consequence of tariffs,” Powell said. “We didn’t overreact, in fact we didn’t react at all.”

    This article was amended on 7 July 2025. Powell said the Fed paused interest rate cuts due to Trump’s tariffs, not interest rate increases.

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  • When Theia Struck Earth, it Helped Set the Stage for Life to Appear

    When Theia Struck Earth, it Helped Set the Stage for Life to Appear

    How did Earth, alone among the Solar System’s rocky planets, become the home for life? How, among all this frigid lifelessness, did our planet become warm, hospitable, and life-sustaining? The answer to these questions is complex and multi-faceted, and part of the answer comes from cosmochemistry, an interdisciplinary field that examines how chemical elements are distributed.

    The Solar System is a busy place where everything is in motion. It was even more chaotic 4.5 billion years ago, with planets still forming and planetesimals and planetary embryos whizzing around and crashing into one another. Somehow, in all that chaos, Earth received more than its share of carbonaceous chondrites and the amino acids and other life-enabling chemicals that came with them.

    Cosmochemistry studies have shown that between 5% and 10% of Earth’s mass came from carbonaceous chondrites that crashed into the young planet. Studies also show that a large chunk of that came from the Theia impactor that created the Moon. To test these ideas more rigorously, a trio of researchers used dynamical simulations of the Solar System’s formation to see if they could replicate it.

    The research is titled “Dynamical origin of Theia, the last giant impactor on Earth.” The lead author is Duarte Branco from the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences at the Lisbon Astronomical Observatory in Portugal. The research will be published in the journal Icarus.

    One of the critical distinctions in cosmochemistry is the difference between carbonaceous chondrites (CCs) and non-carbonaceous meteorites (NCs). It divides the Solar System’s meteor population into two groups and suggests that the Solar System contains two distinct reservoirs of material. CCs formed further from the Sun, likely beyond Jupiter, and carry more volatiles like water and organic compounds with them. NCs include things like iron meteorites, and contain fewer volatiles.

    In order to test the idea that Theia delivered CCs and volatiles to Earth, the researchers ran detailed simulations of the Solar System. These were N-body simulations of the later stages of the growth of terrestrial planets.

    The simulations began in the late stages of planetary growth after the Solar System’s gaseous disk was dispersed. The available solid mass was divided into planetesimals and planetary embryos. The simulation included CCs that were scattered inward as Jupiter and Saturn were still growing and accreting matter. Because of the size distinction between planetesimal and planetary embryos, embryos have a higher possibility of interacting with the terrestrial planets and delivering CC material.

    The researchers ran three types of simulations. The first they call small only and includes only small CC objects, or planetesimals. The second they call large only and includes only large CC objects, planetary embryos. The third includes both CC planetesimals and embryos and is called the mixed scenario.

    For a subset of 10 simulations from each of those scenarios, they included the effect of the giant planet dynamical instability. This is known as the “Nice model” in astronomy and describes how the giant planets shifted their orbits from where they initially formed.

    The goal was to determine how CCs and NCs were distributed in the Solar System and to understand how Earth ended up with more CCs than the other rocky planets, especially Mars. The researchers also wanted to understand if the Theia impact could be responsible for delivering a large amount of Earth’s CC material.

    One clear result is that the role of giant planet instability, especially Jupiter’s shift to a different orbit, had a pronounced effect on Earth’s accretion of CC material.

    This figure shows snapshots from the mixed simulation scenario without giant planet dynamical instability. In early times, CC objects and NC bodies mix together where the terrestrial planets are forming. Some CCs remained orbiting between planets or were still too far to collide. By the simulation’s end, four terrestrial planets existed, including good analogues for Earth and Mars. Image Credit: Branco et al. 2025. Icarus

    When the researchers added giant planet dynamical instability, things looked even more interesting. “The giant planet instability dramatically changed the evolution of the system causing a strong pulse of eccentricity excitement, which lead to a wave of collisions and ejections,” the authors write. However, the final state of the system didn’t change much.

    This figure shows eccentricity and position snapshots over the time of the simulation, including giant planet dynamical instability. The final snapshot is the real Solar System. Image Credit: Branco et al. 2025. Icarus This figure shows eccentricity and position snapshots over the time of the simulation, including giant planet dynamical instability. The final snapshot is the real Solar System. Image Credit: Branco et al. 2025. Icarus

    A critical part of the simulations concerns the Theia impactor. Previous research suggests that Theia may have been a carbonaceous object. If that’s true, much of Earth’s life-giving habitability may have resulted from that collision.

    “In the mixed scenario with no giant planet instability, Earth’s final impactor included a CC component in more than half of all simulations. In 38.5% of simulations, the final impactor was a pure CC embryo, and in another 13.5%, the impactor was an NC embryo that had previously accreted a CC embryo,” the researchers write.

    Overall, the simulations paint a picture of the early Solar System where two distinct rings of planetesimals. An inner ring consisting of rocky planetesimals and an outer ring of carbonaceous chondrites. Later, as the ice giants migrated inward, they propelled CC material into the inner Solar System. Some of these were trapped in the asteroid belt, while more massive ones were preferentially scattered into the orbits of the rocky planets. “The late-stage accretion of the terrestrial planets
    involved a series of giant impacts between NC embryos and planetesimals, with occasional impacts of CC objects,” the authors explain.

    This scenario explains several things about the Solar System. It explains the masses and orbits of the terrestrial planets, and the orbital distribution of asteroids. It also matches the CC mass fraction of Earth and Mars, where Mars lacks the same concentrations of CC material as Earth. If the small only simulation were correct, where CC material was only in the form of planetesimals, the CC mass fraction of Mars and Earth would be roughly the same.

    This figure compares the timing of the last giant impacts in 10 mixed simulations that were run both with and without the giant planet instability. The black line represents the point where both values are equal. Each point has two halves with the left half representing the impactor type in the simulation without the giant planet instability and the right half representing the simulation with the giant planet instability. Dry NC impactors are black, CC embryos are blue and CC+NC mixed embryos are green. Image Credit: Branco et al. 2025. Icarus This figure compares the timing of the last giant impacts in 10 mixed simulations that were run both with and without the giant planet instability. The black line represents the point where both values are equal. Each point has two halves with the left half representing the impactor type in the simulation without the giant planet instability and the right half representing the simulation with the giant planet instability. Dry NC impactors are black, CC embryos are blue and CC+NC mixed embryos are green. Image Credit: Branco et al. 2025. Icarus

    The researchers set out to show that, in line with other research, Theia could’ve been Earth’s final large impactor and that it contained ample CC material. They appear to have succeeded.

    In the simulations, Earth’s final giant impact was with Theia, and that object had higher concentrations of CC material which helped make Earth habitable. That result is in line with scientific thinking. The work shows that the last impact was after between 5 to 150 million years after gas dispersal. A large fraction of those were within 20 to 70 million years. There are uncertainties in the timing of the Theia impact and these results work within those.

    The simulations also support other conclusions showing that CC embryos and planetesimals could’ve been accreted throughout Earth’s growth, but were concentrated in later phases of growth.

    “Within the context of this scenario, the last giant impactor on Earth contained a CC component in roughly half of all of the mixed simulations,” the authors write. “In the majority of these (38% of simulations), Theia was a pristine CC embryo, and in the remainder of cases Theia was an NC embryo that had previously accreted a CC embryo.”

    The research also shows that Jupiter played an important role in the Solar System’s architecture. It not only truncates the asteroid belt, but played an important role in determining the final composition of the terrestrial planets by scattering CC material from the outer Solar System into the path of the rocky planets, especially Earth.

    A million things had to be just right for Earth to become the life-sustaining world it is today. How likely it is that there are other worlds out there like it is unknown. It may take more than being in a habitable zone for an exoplanet to support life. There may be a bewildering number of variables that have to go right, including outer giant planets that migrate and deliver carbon to rocky worlds in habitable zones.

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  • Xbox Game Pass ‘damaging’ the game industry, former Xbox dev says

    Xbox Game Pass ‘damaging’ the game industry, former Xbox dev says

    Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription is likely the best deal around: For a fraction of the price of a full game, you get access to hundreds of titles every month, some of which are brand new. But when video games cost millions to make, and news of studio layoffs are constant, you don’t need to look at an Xbox balance sheet to know the numbers aren’t adding up for a service where the introductory price is a mere dollar. This dissonance is at the heart of a recent discussion on social media site X, where Raphael Colantonio, founder of Arkane Studios, has spent the last few days breaking down why the service is arguably doing more harm than good.

    “I think Gamepass is an unsustainable model that has been increasingly damaging the industry for a decade, subsidized by MS’s ‘infinite money,’ but at some point reality has to hit,” Colantonio said in a reply to a post from a follower. “I don’t think GP can co-exist with other models, they’ll either kill everyone else, or give up.”

    According to a Bloomberg report in 2024, Microsoft spends a billion dollars a year to get third-party games on its subscription service. That’s in addition to the billions the console-maker has spent acquiring marquee studios like Bethesda Softworks and Activision Blizzard.

    For contrast, the most recent numbers for users set the tally at 35 million Game Pass subscriptions, some of which include the people who are only paying a dollar or otherwise bought the subscription through one of its periodic sales. The service went up in price a year ago, which means that up until somewhat recently, Game Pass was making even less money than it’s making now. At first blush, these numbers seem promising inasmuch as they suggest that the service is growing. In 2022, Game Pass had a reported 25 million subscribers. But it’s worth noting that in 2023, Microsoft shifted all existing Xbox Live Gold subscribers to a lower tier of Game Pass subscriptions. This would suggest that Game Pass has actually lost subscribers over the last few years, which coincides with an admission from Phil Spencer in 2022 that subscriptions are slowing down on console.

    Though it may appear nonsensical, this approach is a tried and true model in the world of tech. Services like Uber, for example, spend years operating at a loss until they capture the entire market. Once the competition is obliterated, the product in question can move freely in ways that might hurt the consumer. Prices can go up, the service could get worse, and so on — but at that point, users already rely on the service and there are no other viable options. Similarly, while other companies have attempted their own versions of subscription models, none of them have managed to amass the userbase Game Pass has thus far. What appears to be a good deal now may, in fact, be a ticking time bomb.

    Add in the fact that people are spending way less on games in 2025 than last year, and that Microsoft has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs that have shuttered entire studios and fired thousands of workers in the last year alone, and it starts to paint an ugly picture for an industry that’s already in crisis. It’s a worrying trend that might illuminate why publishers are greenlighting fewer games and taking fewer risks: A game can sell millions, and the studio still might be shut down. The mere existence of Game Pass cuts into those numbers, which could then motivate some studios to take deals with the service just to be safe. That’s guaranteed money and visibility over the murky uncertainty of releasing a game into the void.

    Colantonio’s post has unsurprisingly lit a fuse on social media, where developers and gamers alike are chiming in. Some creatives in the industry agree with Colantonio’s assessment. “The infinite money thing never made any sense,” responded Larian Studios director of publishing Michael Douse.

    But for the people on the other side of the equation — gamers — the Game Pass critique has gone down poorly. Some of the replies to Colantonio’s post have gotten ugly, but rather than presenting an actual argument, the exchange has devolved into potshots. Some point out that Colantonio has worked on titles that are available on Game Pass. It certainly doesn’t help that text-based social media strips away tone and makes it easy to dehumanize the person on the other side of the exchange.

    Still, Colantonio has spent time trying to reason with people who are misreading his post as an attack on people who subscribe to the service. “I understand gamers like it: it’s a great deal, but the maths don’t work for GP, it only works because MS injects billions into it to make it a good deal for the players… for now,” he wrote in one thread.

    “I understand, you can look at it just from your standpoint, but when a deal is too good, there is a reason that might reveal itself later and will hurt everyone including you,” he wrote in another. “At the moment you have access to a fair amount of good games for a fraction of the actual cost.”

    Image: Xbox

    Part of what complicates this conversation is the knowledge that for all of its shortcomings, Game Pass has been a boon to some studios that might have otherwise had trouble finding funding or garnering an audience. Becoming available on the service puts you in front of millions of eyeballs, and guarantees mention on articles that detail what’s new and noteworthy on the service. Other times, being on Game Pass gives titles another shot at finding an audience. Games like Sea of Thieves and No Man’s Sky saw an influx of players after hitting Game Pass, for example, despite already being available beforehand and largely offering the same experience once there. I know that I’m more likely to give an indie game a try if it hits Game Pass.

    Despite the trolls, there are definitely people who understand Colantonio is saying. But when games are starting to cost $79.99, the price of accessories is going up, and with no shortage of microtransactions to consider, it’s no wonder people feel so strongly about the value of Game Pass.

    “I’m sure it isn’t good for devs but if my wage isn’t going up but my rent is and so are gas prices and groceries then I’ll look for the best deal,” one user said. “And if it stops being a good deal then I’ll find an alternative.” Colantonio’s response? The underlined 100 emoji.

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