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13 Prime Day Kindle Deals (Plus Amazon Echo Devices)
The sale event of the summer is here, and the Amazon Prime Day Kindle deals (and other Amazon device deals!) are ones you can count on being great to shop. As someone who tests Amazon gear for a living—Echo speakers, Kindles, Amazon’s smart plugs, you name it—I’m always tracking what in Amazon’s lineup is worth buying. I have a ton of favorites, from the best of the best, like the Kindle Paperwhite and Echo Show 8, to the Kindle Scribe and Echo Spot.

It’s the perfect time to shop all of those and more. Not only is everything in this guide WIRED-tested and WIRED-approved, but it’s on sale right now. Need more deals? Try our Best Amazon Prime Day Deals roundup and Prime Day liveblog.

Updated 5:45 pm ET July 9, 2025: We’ve added deals on the Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle (11th Gen), Echo Pop, Fire Max 11, and Fire TV Stick 4K Max.

WIRED Featured Deals

Best Kindle Deals

A Kindle You Can Write On
Courtesy of Amazon

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Amazon

Kindle Scribe (2024)
This is my personal favorite Kindle. Maybe I’m biased because I love a digital notebook just as much as an e-reader, and since I’m a big reader on Kindle Unlimited and through my Libby app, using the Kindle Scribe (8/10, WIRED Recommends) easily bundles all my most-used features into a single device. It’s easy to sketch out notes and random ideas in the notebook section, and the screen is nice and large to enjoy reading my latest book of choice. The battery also lasts nice and long—in the months I’ve had it, I’ve charged it maybe three times.

The Best Kindle
Courtesy of Amazon

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Amazon

Kindle Paperwhite (2024, 12th Generation)
Run, don’t walk: the best Kindle is on sale. The 12th-generation Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (8/10, WIRED Recommends) launched last year and is a little larger than the basic Kindle. It comes with a warm light option, which is gentle on the eyes. It’s got fast and smooth performance, and overall is the best choice if you’re looking for a new Kindle, even when it’s not on sale. And it is right now!

The Minimalist’s Kindle
Courtesy of Amazon

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Amazon

Kindle (2024, 11th Generation)
Amazon launched a new version of its basic Kindle last year, and while it’s the most minimalist of its family of e-readers, it’s still a great little gadget. I’m a big sucker for the matcha green color. It’s nice and small, perfect for sneaking in a pocket or a small bag and take with you anywhere you go.

A Colorful Kindle
Courtesy of Amazon

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
If you’re looking for a color e-reader but don’t want to spend too much, good news: the Kindle Kindle Colorsoft (7/10, WIRED Review) is on sale right now for Prime Day. It’s the first-ever Kindle with a color screen, letting book covers and illustrations shine. The Colorsoft has run into some issues with performance and the trade-in program, so I’d recommend buying one new without trading in your old Kindle. Right now is a perfect time since it’s on sale.

A Kindle for Kids
Courtesy of Amazon

Photograph: Adrienne So
If your kids want a Kindle, instead of just giving them your old one, get them a Kindle Kids to get access to Kids+ for free for six months and cute covers that they’ll love. Kids+ is a subscription service that gives access to a library of books designed for ages 3 to 12, and offers books in Spanish, too. The cover designs will make it easy to tell your kiddo’s Kindle from your own (even though I want that space whale option for myself).

A Kindle Bundle

Courtesy of Amazon

Amazon

Kindle Essentials Bundle including Kindle (2024), Black Fabric Cover, and Power Adapter

If you’re planning to buy a new basic Kindle, stop right there. Instead, snag this on-sale Kindle bundle that includes the 2024 Kindle, a fabric cover, and a power adapter (because no, your Kindle does not already come with one. Sorry!). It’s a great set to keep your brand-new Kindle protected and get your first Kindle accessory.

Best Echo Deals

A Little Echo
Photograph: Nena Farrell

Courtesy of Amazon
I love this funny little speaker. The Echo Spot (7/10, WIRED Recommends) sits in between a smart display and a basic speaker. I like that it’s well-designed for a bedside table since it has a cute digital clock on the small screen (it looks like a half circle, but it’s really a small rectangle screen surrounded by a half-circle bezel) and shows you what alarm is set for the next day. I like that it’ll show you icons for the weather and the name of the song playing, but leaves out more distracting screen features. Again, perfect as a new smart assistant and alarm clock in one.

An Alexa Smart Display
Photograph: Nena Farrell

Courtesy of Amazon

Amazon

Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen)
One of the best all-around Echo speakers, whether it’s a Show smart display or just a regular Echo speaker, is the Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen). It’s a great size for just about everything it can do, and it can do a lot: stream videos, join video calls with the 13-MP camera, show you the weather forecast, control your smart home, and show widgets of your choice onscreen to customize your content. It’s got great sound too, making it a great speaker choice as well as a smart assistant. The only downside is that the constant slideshow will show ads, but you can evade that by turning on Photo Mode.

Small Yet Mighty
Courtesy of Amazon

Photograph: Nena Farrell
The Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) is a petite edition of the main Echo. It can do everything the main one can, and while it’s much smaller, it still packs pretty impressive sound quality, with improved bass over older models. It’s already a great speaker for the price, and that’s even more true now that it’s on sale for Prime Day.

A Bare-Bones Smart Display

Photograph: Nena Farrell

This might look like a smart display, but it’s focused on a single feature: controlling your smart home. The Echo Hub (8/10, WIRED Recommends) can still answer your questions, but every other feature you might expect on a smart display usually won’t be found on this device. I’m surprised to say I didn’t miss those features. This gadget is minimalist and works great as a hub for your smart home, with no distractions on the screen (or ads!) It has a weak speaker, but it will pair with your preferred speaker to send music requests to it.

A Pop of Color

The Amazon Echo Pop (7/10, WIRED Recommends) looks like someone sliced the Echo Dot in half. It’s a fun addition to a small room or bedroom since it comes in colors that no other Echo does. The sound quality isn’t as strong as other Echo devices, but it’s fine for casual listening. It’s a great way to pop (get it?) a voice assistant and a bit of color into any room.

Fire Devices

Photograph: Amazon

The Fire Max 11 (5/10, WIRED Review) is Amazon’s nicest Fire tablet, but it’s expensive for what you get, making a sale event like Prime Day the prime (I’m hilarious) time to buy. The screen is solid, the speakers aren’t bad, and the cameras are 1080p. It’s not the nicest Android tablet we’ve tried, but it’s affordable enough to be worth snagging.

Photograph: Best Buy

Amazon

Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation)

If you love Amazon Prime shows, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the streaming device for you. It’s focused on Amazon Prime, but you can still access other streaming apps, too, so you won’t be locked into only Prime shows. It works well with other Alexa-connected smart home devices, too.

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July 9, 2025
The diseases that could return as vaccination rates decline — and why you should care

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Measles have surged to a record high, with more cases reported this year than any year since the disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000.

This disappointing record comes amid falling childhood vaccination rates: Coverage against measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, polio and pertussis is declining in more than 30 states, according to data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some people may believe that if they’re personally vaccinated, they have nothing to worry about. But is individual protection enough when contagious illnesses start multiplying? How will falling vaccination rates result in the return of previously eliminated diseases? Will only children be affected, or could adults see an impact as well? Who would be at highest risk if there is lower population-wide immunity? And what can be done to prevent this possibility?

To get some answers, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen. Wen is an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at George Washington University. She previously was Baltimore’s health commissioner.

CNN: Can falling vaccination rates result in the return of diseases that have been eliminated?

Dr. Leana Wen: Yes. There are numerous examples around the world. Countries that were once polio-free have had polio outbreaks due to interruptions in childhood immunization programs caused by war and conflict. Measles outbreaks have occurred in countries where measles had been eliminated, due to falling vaccine coverage.

This, in fact, is what we are seeing now in the US. In Texas, 753 measles cases have been confirmed since January. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 98 of these patients have been hospitalized, and two people, both children, have died. This outbreak is believed to have originated in communities with low vaccination rates.

What could happen if childhood vaccination rates declined further? A recent study published in JAMA predicted that a 10% decline in measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage could result in more than 11 million measles infections over 25 years. A 50% decline in routine childhood vaccinations could result in 51 million measles cases, 9.9 million rubella cases and 4.3 million polio cases.

The projections also included the number of people affected by severe consequences of these diseases: As many as 10.3 million people in the US could be hospitalized, 159,200 could die, 5,400 could experience paralysis from polio, and 51,200 could have neurological consequences from measles.

CNN: Is that only unvaccinated people? If someone is vaccinated, do they need to worry if others are unvaccinated?

Wen: They should still worry for three main reasons.

First, while many vaccinations provide excellent protection against disease, there is still a chance of breakthrough infections — meaning that the vaccine doesn’t provide 100% protection. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% protective against measles infection, which is an outstanding level of protection. But it’s not 100%, so if someone is exposed to measles, there is still a chance they could become infected. However, vaccination substantially reduces the likelihood of infection and also of having severe disease if they were to become infected. The more disease there is in the community, the higher the likelihood of exposure and infection.

Second, there may be some waning of vaccine effectiveness over time. For instance, according to the CDC, immunity to pertussis — also known as whooping cough — starts to wane after a few years following vaccination. Older adults who received childhood vaccinations many years ago may become susceptible if previously controlled childhood diseases make a comeback.

Third, there are people who are unable to receive the benefit of vaccination directly themselves. Some people are unable to receive certain vaccines because of specific medical conditions. For instance, someone who has a weakened immune system may not be able to get the MMR vaccine because it contains a live, weakened form of the virus.

Also, some people may have medical conditions that render vaccines less effective at protecting them. These individuals depend on the rest of society — those who can receive the vaccine — to do so and try to prevent these diseases from spreading.

CNN: What about pregnant people? Are there also some vaccines they cannot get?

Wen: This is another good point. Take rubella, or German measles. Pregnant individuals cannot receive the MMR vaccine because it contains live virus. But rubella can be especially dangerous during pregnancy.

In addition to increasing the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, rubella can lead to a condition called congenital rubella syndrome that can cause numerous birth defects including heart problems, brain damage, deafness, and lung, liver, eye and thyroid ailments. According to the World Health Organization, before the introduction of the vaccine, as many as 4 babies in every 1,000 live births were born with this condition. Rubella remains the leading cause of vaccine-preventable birth defects.

Pregnant patients should not receive other live-attenuated vaccines either. Varicella, the vaccine against chickenpox, is another one of these vaccines. People should receive the vaccines before they are pregnant, ideally as part of their routine childhood immunizations. And other people can help to reduce disease in the community by getting vaccinated themselves.

CNN: Who would be at highest risk if there is lower population-wide immunity?

Wen: There are three groups I would be the most worried about. First are newborns who are too young to be vaccinated. They are also among the most medically fragile; something that is a mild cold for an older child or healthy adult could send them to the hospital.

Second are immunocompromised people. This is a large group and includes patients receiving cancer treatments, transplant patients and individuals taking immunosuppressant medications. These individuals are more likely to become severely ill if exposed to disease. Vaccines may also not protect them as well, or they may be ineligible to receive certain vaccines as we discussed earlier.

Third are the elderly. As we discussed many times in reference to Covid-19, these are individuals whose age and underlying medical conditions make them more susceptible to severe illness. That, in combination with possible waning immunity from certain vaccines, could put them at higher risk if there is more disease in the community because of lower vaccine coverage.

CNN: What can be done to prevent this possibility?

Wen: Everyone should speak with their primary care provider to verify that they are up to date on recommended vaccines. Parents with young children should do this with their family’s pediatrician, and adults should also be sure to speak with their family physician or internist as well.

The reason to do this is primarily to ensure that you are well-protected. If you are eligible for additional booster doses, you may consider getting them, or, if you are more susceptible to certain illnesses because you are not eligible for some vaccines, you should also know this and take precautions accordingly.

There’s another reason: The entire concept of population immunity depends on all of us doing our part to keep diseases at bay. That protects us — and others around us, including those who are especially vulnerable to severe illness and death.

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July 9, 2025
The Parking Spot Celebrates Becoming First Major Parking Company to Launch Employee Ownership Program

Since 2011, KKR has supported its portfolio companies in awarding equity worth billions of dollars to over 165,000 non-senior management employees across more than 65 companies.

In recent years, KKR has expanded this initiative from our private equity business to other asset classes, in particular infrastructure. The Parking Spot, a leading near-airport parking company, was acquired by KKR in October 2024. Earlier this year, the company launched an employee ownership program that provides all team members, from shuttle drivers to corporate leadership, with a financial stake in the company’s long-term growth. This program aims to enhance employee engagement, performance, and retention by directly linking the team’s contributions to the company’s financial success.

In this video, watch as The Parking Spot leadership team introduces the ownership program. You can hear directly from many of the employees as they explain what this milestone means to them.

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July 9, 2025
Djokovic on 'nasty fall': 'The real impact I will feel tomorrow' – ATP Tour
1. Djokovic on ‘nasty fall’: ‘The real impact I will feel tomorrow’ ATP Tour
2. Djokovic survives late fall to set Sinner SF at Wimbledon ATP Tour
3. Wimbledon 2025: Flavio Cobolli set for match against ‘biggest idol’ Novak Djokovic BBC
4. Wimbledon: Novak Djokovic wins to set up Jannik Sinner semi-final as seven-time champion fights back from set down Sky Sports
5. Wimbledon 2025 quarter-finals: Djokovic defeats Cobolli to set up Sinner clash – as it happened The Guardian
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July 9, 2025
West Indies v Australia, third Test: All you need to know
Match details

Who: West Indies v Australia

What: Third Test (D/N), Frank Worrell Trophy

When: July 12-16 (July 13-17, 4.30am AEST first ball)

Where: Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica

How to watch: ESPN (available via Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Disney+, Fetch TV)

How to listen: ABC radio, SEN radio

Live scores: Match Centre

Officials: Nitin Menon and Adrian Holdstock (on-field), Richard Kettleborough (third), Javagal Srinath (match referee)

Highlights, news and reactions post-play: cricket.com.au, the CA Live app and the Unplayable Podcast.

The Unplayable Podcast will have daily recaps of each day of the Test series, so if you’re unable to stay up through the night, you’ll be able to catch up in 15 minutes right after stumps. Listen and subscribe below:

The squads

West Indies: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales

West Indies coach Daren Sammy wouldn’t guarantee 100-game veteran Kraigg Brathwaite’s spot in the side for the series finale following four straight single figure scores this series. Brathwaite’s last Test century was more than two years ago in February 2023, and he’s only passed 50 three times since.

Sammy said they did “have a couple more options” at the top of the order, which could include Mikyle Louis who opens for West Indies A and Leeward Islands in first-class cricket, or Kevlon Anderson who bats at No.3 for West Indies A and Guyana.

“All options on the table,” Sammy said. “Obviously, Kraigg just played his 100th Test match. He hasn’t looked good this series and in a team where you’re searching for performances, you get very close to saying; ‘OK, do we give somebody else a chance?’ We will really have a good discussion, myself, the selection group and the captain about that particular situation.”

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

Australia have already clinched the series after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with a 133-run win in Grenada and coach Andrew McDonald doesn’t expect any changes for the third Test in Jamaica, which will be the team’s first pink ball contest overseas.

“If the conditions were the same as what was presented in the first couple of Test matches and everyone pulls up fine, then it’s highly unlikely for any change,” McDonald said. “We’re confident the players that we’ve got here that can do the job. (There were) small steps forward last game with the top order. Do we want some more output there? There’s no doubt about that but in the context of this series, it’s been very tricky at the top of the order with variable bounce and sideways movement.”

If Australia do go in unchanged as expected, it means Mitchell Starc will make his 100th Test appearance, becoming just the second Aussie fast bowler to reach the mark after Glenn McGrath, and the 11th specialist quick overall. Starc (395) is also on the verge of becoming the second Australian paceman to take 400 Test wickets after McGrath.

Series fixtures

First Test: Australia won by 159 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 133 runs

Third Test: July 12-16, Kingston, Jamaica (4.30am AEST, next day)

Session times

First Session: 1.30pm – 3.30pm local (4.30am – 6.30am AEST, next day)

Second Session: 4.10pm – 6.10pm local (7.10am – 9.10am AEST, next day)

Third Session: 6.30pm – 8.30pm local (9.30am – 11.30am AEST, next day)

* An extra 30 minutes can be used to complete daily overs

Broadcast info

Australia’s three-Test tour of the Caribbean will be broadcast live on ESPN in Australia and New Zealand.

Given ESPN is part of the Disney stable, that means every ball from the tour will be distributed across a wide range of networks and platforms in Australia and New Zealand, including Disney+, Foxtel, Kayo Sports, Fetch TV, Sky NZ and Sky Sports Now.

The tour will be the first time the Australian men’s team has featured on the ESPN networks inside Australia, with the five T20Is that follow the Test series also live on ESPN.

For those who listen on the wireless, both ABC and SEN radio will cover the series.

Local knowledge

Steve Smith made 199 and Josh Hazlewood took seven wickets across both innings the last time Australia visited Sabina Park in 2015, but that of course, was using a red ball. The third Test against West Indies will be the Aussies’ first ever day-night Test overseas and using a different pink ball than the Kookaburra variety used in home Tests.

Australia didn’t get their hands on the Dukes-branded pink balls used in Test matches in the Caribbean until their first training session under lights at Sabina Park on Wednesday evening. “We’re going into a little bit of the unknown with this version of the pink-ball Test match,” coach Andrew McDonald said. “We’re excited by it. It’s a different format. It creates different challenges. Some players really love it, some don’t like it as much, but we’ll solve whatever problems that present.”

Smith’s recollection from 2015 was the Sabina Park surface “spun a bit as the game went on” and that was indeed the case too in the last Test played at the Kingston venue between West Indies and Bangladesh last November-December. Fast bowlers took 28 of the 30 wickets in the first three innings of the match before left-arm finger spinner Taijul Islam spun Bangladesh to a 101-run victory with 5-50 on the fourth day.

Rapid stats
- Australia have lost only one of their last 23 men’s Tests against West Indies (won 18, drawn 4) – an eight-run loss in January 2024. They have won three of their last four Tests against them at Sabina Park (lost 1), including each of their last two after going winless across their five meetings prior (drawn 3, lost 2).
- West Indies have won only one of their last eight men’s Tests at home (drawn 2, lost 5) – a 201-run victory against Bangladesh in November 2024. They have lost each of their three matches since then and a fourth consecutive defeat in this game would be their outright longest losing run in home fixtures in their Test history.
- Australia have won four of their five men’s Tests away from home in 2025 (lost 1); the last time they recorded more wins on the road in the format in a calendar year was in 2006 (won 5).
- West Indies have lost three of their last four men’s Tests at Sabina Park, including each of their last two. The last time they recorded a longer losing run at the venue was a three-match span from 2005 to 2008.
Smith explains ‘different’ grip used in second Test victory
- Only Pakistan (38.1) have recorded a better bowling strike rate in men’s Tests in 2025 than West Indies (38.7) and Australia (38.8). Australia’s bowling dot ball rate (74 per cent) is the best of any team to play more than one Test in 2025.
- Travis Head (3927) is 73 away from becoming the 29th player to score 4000 runs for Australia in men’s Tests – if he achieves the milestone in his next innings (100*). he’ll become the fifth player overall to reach it in exactly 100 innings (Clive Lloyd – West Indies, David Gower – England, Misbah-ul-Haq – Pakistan and Rohit Sharma – India).
- Kraigg Brathwaite (5950) is 50 away from becoming the 10th player to score 6000 runs for West Indies in men’s Tests. However, he’s scored fewer than 10 runs in five of his last six Test innings (9, 52, 4, 4, 0, 7).
- Nathan Lyon (562) is one away from equalling Glenn McGrath (563) for the second most wickets for Australia in men’s Tests after Shane Warne on 708. He’s also six away (294) from becoming the second player to take 300 wickets for Australia in the format away from home (Shane Warne – 389).
- West Indies duo Shamar Joseph (74.3 per cent of 105 runs) and Brandon King (67.8 per cent of 115 runs) have scored a higher percentage of their runs from boundaries than any other players in men’s Tests in 2025 (minimum 70 runs).
What are they playing for?

Australia have extended their hold on the Frank Worrell Trophy past 30 years after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead by winning the first two Tests in Barbados and Grenada. After the Ashes, the Frank Worrell Trophy is the second oldest silverware contested by the Australian men’s cricket team.

The trophy is named after Sir Frank Worrell, who was the first black player to captain the West Indies on a regular basis.

He was appointed ahead of the 1960-61 tour of Australia where the first Test in Brisbane was the first tied Test match ever played.

After the tie, and the tightly contested series Australia won 2-1, the Australians were filled with such admiration for Worrell’s leadership that the then-named Australian Cricket Board commissioned former Test cricketer and jeweller Ernie McCormick to design a trophy in his honour.

The 12-inch trophy was topped by one of the balls used in the tied Test, which Steve Smith accidentally dislodged during the presentation ceremony following Australia’s 2-0 series win in 2022. The ball is mounted on three silver stumps set in a trophy base which features engravings of a kangaroo and a palm tree.

Captains Pat Cummins and Roston Chase pose with the Frank Worrell Trophy prior to the series // AFP via Getty

Australia and West Indies played three Test series prior to the creation of the trophy, which was first awarded to Richie Benaud’s side in 1960-61, and has been for the 25 series since.

The series will be Australia’s 16th holding the trophy aloft, while West Indies won it eight times, with three draws, including the last series in Australia (1-1) after Shamar Joseph bowled the visitors to a famous eight-run win at the Gabba.

However, Australia have held the Frank Worrell Trophy for 30 years, not losing a series since Mark Taylor’s team ended the Windies’ two decades of dominance with a 2-1 away win in 1995, with Steve Waugh hitting the only double-century of his career to help clinch the deciding Test in Jamaica by an innings and 53 runs.

The Richie Benaud Medal has also been awarded to the Frank Worrell Trophy player-of-the-series since 2016.

Players to watch

Brandon King: Two matches into his Test career and Brandon King looks every bit a Test batter and has been the only West Indian to truly put the Australian attack under pressure this series in difficult batting conditions. He has scored his side’s only half-century of the series so far with his 75 in the first innings in Grenada and it took a Pat Cummins seed to dismiss him in the second.

Mitchell Starc: Fittingly, Mitchell Starc – the most prolific Test bowler with the pink ball with 74 wickets – is set to play his 100th Test under lights, becoming just the second fast bowler for Australia to reach the mark after Glenn McGrath, and the 11th specialist quick overall. Starc (395) is also on the verge of becoming the second Aussie paceman after McGrath to take 400 Test wickets. Starc has struck four times in his opening over with the pink ball so the Windies openers will need to be on high alert at the start of their innings in Jamaica.

All 74 wickets taken by Mitch Starc in day-night Tests

What ball will be used?

English-brand Dukes balls will be used for the three Tests, albeit ones that have been specifically designed for Caribbean pitches and therefore differ slightly to those used for matches in England. The pink ball for the day-night Test in Jamaica is also manufactured by Dukes, meaning it’ll be one that none of the Australians have played with before given their 13 day-night matches at home have all featured Kookaburra’s pink ball.

Pink Dukes balls have only been used in two Test matches to date, once between England and West Indies at Edgbaston in 2017 and again in 2018 in Barbados when the Windies hosted Sri Lanka.

New World Test Championship begins

Australia’s 133-run victory in the second Test in Grenada saw them take an unassailable 2-0 series lead, as well as banking another 12 valuable points to continue their undefeated start the new World Test Championship campaign.

Each of nine teams play three home and three away series in every two-year WTC cycle, with the Aussies’ first home series a blockbuster five-Test Ashes campaign against England beginning in November.

The first series win of the 2025-27 World Test Championship is already in the books with Sri Lanka beating Bangladesh 1-0 at home, while England and India have won a Test each to begin their five Test series.

The points percentage system used in the previous two editions will determine the standings with teams getting 12 points for a win, six for a tie and four for a draw.

Form guide

Past 10 matches, most recent first. W: win, L: loss, D: draw

West Indies: LLWLLWLDLL

West Indies have been on level pegging with Australia for the first two days across both the first two Test matches, until the tourists grabbed hold of the game in the second innings, bowling the Windies out for 143 in the second Test and 141 in the series opener to end up with comfortable victories on each occasion.

Despite a new direction and a fresh-looking team under new head coach Daren Sammy and captain Roston Chase, they’re still searching for that consistency as a batting unit. “We all know we are playing against the No.1 team in the world, four quality bowlers all in the top 10, but we’ve just not shown when it is tough to find a way to absorb pressure,” Sammy said.

Day 4 Wrap | Bowlers get it right as Aussies seal series

Their bowlers however have been world-class, taking all 40 Australian wickets in the first two Tests. “I don’t know when the last time we got 40 wickets against top three team in two Test matches (was),” Sammy said. “So the bowlers are doing the job … it’s just that our batting has not been up to par against a really good attack.”

Australia: WWLWWWWDWL

Australia have secured a fourth straight series win after taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series with victory in Grenada, bouncing back from their World Test Championship final defeat to South Africa with two straight wins to start the new cycle.

Pat Cummins’ side haven’t lost a series since their away loss to India in early 2023 and will be eyeing a series sweep in Jamaica as the build towards a blockbuster Ashes home summer with five Tests against England.

Qantas Tour of the West Indies

First Test: Australia won by 159 runs

Second Test: Australia won by 133 runs

Third Test: July 12-16, Kingston, Jamaica (4.30am AEST)

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

West Indies Test squad: Roston Chase (c), Jomel Warrican (vc), Kevlon Anderson, Kraigg Brathwaite, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Justin Greaves, Shai Hope, Tevin Imlach, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Johann Layne, Mikyle Louis, Anderson Phillip, Jayden Seales

First T20I: July 20, Kingston, Jamaica (July 21, 11am AEST)

Second T20I: July 22, Kingston, Jamaica (July 23, 11am AEST)

Third T20I: July 25, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 26, 9am AEST)

Fourth T20I: July 26, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 27, 9am AEST)

Fifth T20I: July 28, Basseterre, St Kitts (July 29, 9am AEST)

West Indies T20 squad: TBC

Australia’s T20 squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Ben Dwarshius, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matt Kuhnemann, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen, Matthew Short, Adam Zampa
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July 9, 2025
Palm extends gains on stronger Dalian oils, weaker ringgit

Malaysian palm oil futures rose for a third straight session to its highest in nearly three months on Wednesday, supported by gains in rival Dalian oils and a weaker ringgit, but weak Chicago soyoil limits gain.

The benchmark palm oil contract FCPO1! for September delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange climbed 0.27% to 4,159 ringgit ($979.05) a ton at closing.

Palm was supported by good gains in Dalian’s RBD palm olein and a continued depreciation of the local currency, said a Kuala Lumpur-based trader.

Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract (DBYU5) gained 0.15%, while its palm oil contract (DCPU5) climbed 1.45%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade (BOc2) were down 0.74%

Palm oil tracks price movements of rival edible oils, as it competes for a share of the global vegetable oils market.

The ringgit USDMYR, palm’s currency of trade, weakened 0.26% against the dollar, making the commodity cheaper for buyers holding foreign currencies.

Palm oil may test resistance at 4,195 ringgit per ton, a break above which could lead to a gain into the 4,219 ringgit to 4,233 ringgit range, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.

Meanwhile, an Indonesian palm oil group said on Tuesday the country’s exports to the United States may fall due to the 32% tariffs threatened on Indonesian goods, allowing competitors in Malaysia to gain market share as they face lower tariffs.
Source: Reuters

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July 9, 2025
NASA’s Future Telescope Could Solve the Mystery of Life’s Origins

The question of how life began has captivated humanity for millennia. Now, a team of scientists are preparing to use NASA’s upcoming Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) to test different theories about life’s origins by studying planets beyond our Solar System.

Rather than searching for life in laboratories or on Mars, researchers led by Sukrit Ranjan from the University of Arizona propose using the HWO to examine patterns of life across multiple exoplanets. Their approach is really quite simple: different theories about how life begins make different predictions about where and how often life should appear. They propose that by observing enough planets, the theories can be tested against real data.

Artist Impression of the Habitable Worlds Observatory (Credit : NASA)

The research categorises origin of life theories into three main groups, each with distinct predictions. Some theories suggest life’s emergence requires so many precise conditions that it’s incredibly unlikely. They predict we might find no other life within about 33 light-years of Earth. For example, some chemical pathways to life require multiple specific environments to interact in just the right way, making successful emergence fo life from non-living matter vanishingly improbable.

Other theories, like the idea that life emerged around alkaline vents, suggest life emerges readily wherever basic conditions exist. This theory proposes that life will necessarily emerge on any planet with liquid water oceans, with alkaline hydrothermal vents and a carbon dioxide rich atmosphere because life naturally resolves the energy imbalances these systems create.

Thermal vents at the bottom of the mid-Atlantic ridge at a water depth of 3,300 metres where an ecosystem thrives (Credit : MARUM − Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen)

Many theories specify particular environmental requirements. The most developed example suggests ultraviolet light is essential for life’s emergence, with optimal conditions requiring specific UV radiation levels.

The HWO’s power lies in its ability to detect the chemical signs of life in planetary atmospheres. Even finding a single biosphere would falsify theories claiming life is ultra rare, while detecting no life on 20 to 50 planets would support the rarity hypothesis.

More nuanced tests become possible with larger samples. Simulated surveys suggest examining at least 50 exoplanets could reveal correlations between past UV irradiation and life’s presence, directly testing theories dependent on UV radiation. Similarly, correlations between biosignatures and planetary features like oceans or continents could validate specific origin scenarios.

Artist impression of Kepler 186f, a potentially habitable world. (Credit : NASA)

The research emphasises a crucial requirement, large sample sizes of 50 or more characterised planets are needed to provide meaningful data to test the theories. This finding has important implications for the HWO’s design, favouring broader surveys over detailed studies of fewer worlds.

The telescope will need to detect not just biosignatures but also planetary characteristics like the presence of an ocean, continental features, and atmospheric composition. Observations might also be needed to track how the brightness of a planet changes as it orbits the star as we view it from different angles to reveal ocean glint and continent signatures, while spectroscopic measurements would identify key atmospheric gases.

This research represents a great step forward in astrobiology. Rather than simply asking “Is there life out there?” scientists are preparing to ask “How does life begin?” The HWO won’t just catalog living worlds, it will test fundamental theories about life’s emergence that have been debated for centuries.

The implications extend far beyond academic curiosity though. Understanding how life begins could inform our search for habitable worlds, guide future missions, and help us understand our place in the universe.

Source : Testing Origin-of-Life Theories with the Habitable Worlds Observatory

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July 9, 2025
OpenAI to release web browser in challenge to Google Chrome

SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI is close to releasing an AI-powered web browser that will challenge Alphabet’s market-dominating Google Chrome, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The browser is slated to launch in the coming weeks, three of the people said, and aims to use artificial intelligence to fundamentally change how consumers browse the web. It will give OpenAI more direct access to a cornerstone of Google’s success: user data.

If adopted by the 500 million weekly active users of ChatGPT, OpenAI’s browser could put pressure on a key component of rival Google’s ad-money spigot. Chrome is an important pillar of Alphabet’s ad business, which makes up nearly three-quarters of its revenue, as Chrome provides user information to help Alphabet target ads more effectively and profitably, and also gives Google a way to route search traffic to its own engine by default.

OpenAI’s browser is designed to keep some user interactions within a ChatGPT-like native chat interface instead of clicking through to websites, two of the sources said.

The browser is part of a broader strategy by OpenAI to weave its services across the personal and work lives of consumers, one of the sources said.

OpenAI declined to comment. The sources declined to be identified because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Led by entrepreneur Sam Altman, OpenAI upended the tech industry with the launch of its AI chatbot ChatGPT in late 2022. After its initial success, OpenAI has faced stiff competition from rivals including Google and startup Anthropic, and is looking for new areas of growth.

In May, OpenAI said it would enter the hardware domain, paying $6.5 billion to buy io, an AI devices startup from Apple’s former design chief, Jony Ive. A web browser would allow OpenAI to directly integrate its AI agent products such as Operator into the browsing experience, enabling the browser to carry out tasks on behalf of the user, the people said.

The browser’s access to a user’s web activity would make it the ideal platform for AI “agents” that can take actions on their behalf, like booking reservations or filling out forms, directly within the websites they use.

Tough competition

OpenAI has its work cut out — Google Chrome, which is used by more than 3 billion people, currently holds more than two-thirds of the worldwide browser market, according to web analytics firm StatCounter. Apple’s second-place Safari lags far behind with a 16% share. Last month, OpenAI said it had 3 million paying business users for ChatGPT.

Perplexity, which has a popular AI search engine, launched an AI browser, Comet, on Wednesday, capable of performing actions on a user’s behalf. Two other AI startups, The Browser Company and Brave, have released AI-powered browsers capable of browsing and summarizing the internet.

Chrome’s role in providing user information to help Alphabet target ads more effectively and profitably has proven so successful that the Department of Justice has demanded its divestiture after a U.S. judge last year ruled that the Google parent holds an unlawful monopoly in online search.

OpenAI’s browser is built atop Chromium, Google’s own open-source browser code, two of the sources said. Chromium is the source code for Google Chrome, as well as many competing browsers including Microsoft’s Edge and Opera. Last year, OpenAI hired two longtime Google vice presidents who were part of the original team that developed Google Chrome. The Information was first to report their hires and that OpenAI previously considered building a browser.

An OpenAI executive testified in April that the company would be interested in buying Chrome if antitrust enforcers succeeded in forcing the sale. Google has not offered Chrome for sale. The company has said it plans to appeal the ruling that it holds a monopoly.

OpenAI decided to build its own browser, rather than simply a “plug-in” on top of another company’s browser, in order to have more control over the data it can collect, one source said.

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July 9, 2025
US issues sanctions against UN official investigating abuses in Gaza | US foreign policy

The Trump administration announced on Wednesday it was issuing sanctions against an independent official tasked with investigating human rights abuses in the Palestinian territories, the latest effort by the United States to punish critics of Israel’s 21-month war in Gaza.

The state department’s decision to sanction Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, comes after a recent US pressure campaign to force the international body to remove her from her post failed.

Albanese, a human rights lawyer, has been vocal about what she has described as the “genocide” that Israel is waging against Palestinians in Gaza. Both Israel and the US, which provides military support, have strongly denied that accusation.

In recent weeks, Albanese has issued a series of letters, urging other countries to pressure Israel, including through sanctions, to end its deadly bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The Italian national has also been a strong supporter of the international criminal court’s indictment of Israeli officials, including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes. She most recently issued a report naming several US giants among companies aiding what she described as Israel’s occupation and war on Gaza.

“Albanese’s campaign of political and economic warfare against the United States and Israel will no longer be tolerated,” the secretary of state, Marco Rubio, posted on social media. “We will always stand by our partners in their right to self-defense.”

Albanese has been the target of criticism from pro-Israel officials and groups in the US and in the Middle East. Last week, the US mission to the UN issued a scathing statement, calling for her removal for “a years-long pattern of virulent anti-Semitism and unrelenting anti-Israel bias”.

The statement said that Albanese’s allegations of Israel committing genocide or apartheid are “false and offensive”.

It is all a culmination of an extraordinary and sprawling campaign of nearly six months by the Trump administration to quell criticism of Israel’s handling of the deadly war in Gaza, which is closing in on two years. Earlier this year, the Trump administration began arresting and deporting faculty and students of American universities who participated in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and other political activities.

The war between Israel and Hamas began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel and killed nearly 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people captive. Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which says women and children make up most of the dead but does not specify how many were fighters or civilians.

Nearly 21 months into the conflict that displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people, it is nearly impossible for the critically wounded to get the care they need, doctors and aid workers say.

“We must stop this genocide, whose short-term goal is completing the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, while also profiteering from the killing machine devised to perform it,” Albanese said in a recent post on X. “No one is safe until everyone is safe.”

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July 9, 2025
Brooks Brothers and Prince launch tennis capsule

Brooks Brothers and Prince have teamed up for a co-branded capsule collection that captures the bold, graphic spirit of 1990s tennis culture.

Brooks Brothers and Prince launch tennis capsule. – Brooks Brothers x Prince

Drawing from the rich archives of both brands, the collection reflects a time in tennis history when tennis style collided with streetwear, creating a nostalgic yet modern aesthetic. The pieces reimagine heritage silhouettes with vintage graphics and functional materials designed for both on and off the court wear.

The limited-edition collection, now available at select stores and online, features polos, rugby shirts, graphic tees, track sets and more, with prices ranging from $24.50 to $178.

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July 9, 2025