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  • Oil prices rise as Fed rate cut, Trump-Putin talks loom – Reuters

    1. Oil prices rise as Fed rate cut, Trump-Putin talks loom  Reuters
    2. Oil regains ground from 2-month lows ahead of Trump-Putin meeting  Dunya News
    3. Crude Oil Price Outlook – Crude Oil Continues to Struggle  FXEmpire
    4. WTI rises as geopolitical tensions ahead of US-Russia summit offset bearish fundamentals  Mitrade
    5. Crude Oil Rallies Ahead of Friday’s Trump-Putin Summit  Yahoo Finance

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  • Oil prices stable ahead of Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska – Reuters

    1. Oil prices stable ahead of Trump-Putin meeting in Alaska  Reuters
    2. Crude Oil Price Outlook – Crude Oil Continues to Struggle  FXEmpire
    3. Oil prices rise as Fed rate cut, Trump-Putin talks loom  Reuters
    4. Oil Updates — prices climb on Russia supply risks, ahead of summit  Arab News
    5. Oil Price Structure Flashes Fears of Oversupply  Crude Oil Prices Today | OilPrice.com

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  • A recipe for ionic liquids on exoplanets

    A recipe for ionic liquids on exoplanets

     

    Ionic liquids—viscous fluids made of salts—could be made naturally on other planets, according to research led by Rachana Agrawal and Sara Seager at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Janusz Pętkowski of the Wrocław University of Science and Technology (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2025, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2425520122). Like water, pure ionic liquids can stably dissolve an array of proteins. The researchers say this feature potentially makes them an alternative solvent for life on a new class of planets very different from Earth—waterless worlds with almost no atmosphere.

    In the search for life beyond our planet, there is an assumption that liquid water is the most likely—if not the only—solvent for life. That assumption means that the “habitable zone” around a star is defined as the distance where a planet could have liquid water on its surface, ruling out many discovered exoplanets deemed too warm. By contrast, ionic liquids can remain liquid at a wide range of temperatures and pressures, including conditions where water would freeze or evaporate. “If life can be based on solvents other than water, then it means that planetary habitability is not strictly tied to the presence of liquid water,” says Pętkowski. “We should broaden our search to include planetary environments that cannot host liquid water . . . [and] ionic liquids are unique candidates for planetary solvents,” he says.

    On Earth, ionic liquids are mostly made synthetically, and there are millions of potential combinations that could still be discovered. To see if ionic liquids could occur on other worlds, the team tried to create one from common planetary materials.

    The researchers began by mixing organic compounds found on meteorites and asteroids with concentrated sulfuric acid. After the organics had fully dissolved, the team removed excess sulfuric acid using a vacuum chamber, leaving behind a transparent, highly viscous liquid. The team also found that other combinations of temperatures and pressures form ionic liquids from a variety of organic molecules with a nitrogen atom, including a mixture of amino acids, aliphatic amines, and nucleic bases.

    “In principle, any positively charged organic molecule could act as a cation to various anions,” Pętkowski says. “Ionic liquids can even form at room temperature and pressure, without the need of excess sulfuric acid,” he adds.

    The team was also able to form ionic liquids under more realistic planetary-like conditions—on the surface of basaltic rocks at various settings (80 °C and 10-5 bar, as well as room temperature and pressure, both in dry air and at ambient humidity). The liquids remained stable against further reactions. “No bodies are known to have ionic liquids in our own solar system because they are either too cold for the liquid phase or lack the necessary chemical components,” says Pętkowski. “But they can conceivably form on a rocky exoplanet,” he says.

    The team says the results suggest that ionic liquids could form on a planet that has liquid sulfuric acid—possibly from sulfur dioxide and water vapor released by volcanic activity or from SO₂ reacting with basaltic or mafic rocks—and nitrogen-containing organics, which are common on many solid bodies.

    Astronomer Amaury Triaud from the University of Birmingham is cautious about the amounts of ionic liquid that could be present at any given time. “But if small amounts of water were sufficient to help life start on Earth, then ionic liquids might be equally sufficient,” he says. But he cautions that “if future research tells us that large amounts of liquid are necessary, then ionic liquids might not provide a very likely route.”

    Despite this, Triaud says that astronomical observers should stay alert. “Should we detect an unusual atmospheric signature on a planet that falls outside of the liquid-water habitable zone, we should keep an open mind and consider that this unusual signature might be produced by an organism being in an ionic liquid habitable zone,” he says.

    Sarah Rugheimer, who studies atmospheric biosignatures in Earth-like planets at the University of Edinburgh, says this research is just the first of many steps before starting to look for ionic liquids in exoplanet atmospheres. “For these ionic liquids, the first places to look for life are in environments in our solar system or by alternative biochemistry lab experiments here on Earth,” she says. Rugheimer hopes such experiments could answer the question of whether ionic liquids are suitable for hosting life, and if so, what sorts of biosignatures should we then be looking for in the spectra of exoplanets.

    Chemical & Engineering News

    ISSN 0009-2347

    Copyright ©
    2025 American Chemical Society

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  • Ice discs slingshot across a metal surface all on their own

    Scientists have figured out how to make frozen discs of ice self-propel across a patterned metal surface, according to a new paper published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces. It’s the latest breakthrough to come out of the Virginia Tech lab of mechanical engineer Jonathan Boreyko.

    A few years ago, Boreyko’s lab experimentally demonstrated a three-phase Leidenfrost effect in water vapor, liquid water, and ice. The Leidenfrost effect is what happens when you dash a few drops of water onto a very hot, sizzling skillet. The drops levitate, sliding around the pan with wild abandon. If the surface is at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit (well above the boiling point of water), cushions of water vapor, or steam, form underneath them, keeping them levitated. The effect also works with other liquids, including oils and alcohol, but the temperature at which it manifests will be different.

    Boreyko’s lab discovered that this effect can also be achieved in ice simply by placing a thin, flat disc of ice on a heated aluminum surface. When the plate was heated above 150° C (302° F), the ice did not levitate on a vapor the way liquid water does. Instead, there was a significantly higher threshold of 550° Celsius (1,022° F) for levitation of the ice to occur. Unless that critical threshold is reached, the meltwater below the ice just keeps boiling in direct contact with the surface. Cross that critical point and you will get a three-phase Leidenfrost effect.

    The key is a temperature differential in the meltwater just beneath the ice disc. The bottom of the meltwater is boiling, but the top of the meltwater sticks to the ice. It takes a lot to maintain such an extreme difference in temperature, and doing so consumes most of the heat from the aluminum surface, which is why it’s harder to achieve levitation of an ice disc. Ice can suppress the Leidenfrost effect even at very high temperatures (up to 550° C), which means that using ice particles instead of liquid droplets would be better for many applications involving spray quenching: rapid cooling in nuclear power plants, for example, firefighting, or rapid heat quenching when shaping metals.

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  • All Her Fault starring Sarah Snook, Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning and Michael Peña to launch on Sky and streaming service NOW on 7 November

    All Her Fault starring Sarah Snook, Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning and Michael Peña to launch on Sky and streaming service NOW on 7 November

    All Her Fault starring Sarah Snook, Dakota Fanning, Jake Lacy, Michael Peña and more will debut on Sky and streaming service NOW on 7 November in the UK. The first four episodes will run on the date of TX, followed by two new episodes every Friday through to 21 November.

    Marissa Irvine (Sarah Snook) arrives to collect her young son Milo from his first playdate, but the woman who answers the door isn’t a mother she recognizes. She doesn’t have Milo and has never heard of him. And so begins every parent’s worst nightmare.

    The series stars Sarah Snook, Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning, Michael Peña, Sophia Lillis, Abby Elliott, Daniel Monks, Jay Ellis, Thomas Cocquerel, Duke McCloud, and Kartiah Vergara.

    All Her Fault is produced by Carnival Films (The Day of the Jackal, Lockerbie: A Search for Truth), which is part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group. The series is adapted from the best-selling novel of the same name by Andrea Mara.

    Megan Gallagher (Wolf, Suspicion) serves as writer, creator, and executive producer alongside executive producers Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame and Joanna Strevens for Carnival Films, Sarah Snook, Minkie Spiro, Christine Sacani, and Jennifer Gabler Rawlings.

    Notes to Editor:

    Credits 

    Writer / Creator / Executive Producer: Megan Gallagher (Wolf, Suspicion)   

    Executive Producers: Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame and Joanna Strevens for Carnival Films (The Day of the Jackal, Lockerbie, Downton Abbey), Sarah Snook, Minkie Spiro, Christine Sacani, and Jennifer Gabler Rawlings 

    Cast: Sarah Snook, Jake Lacy, Dakota Fanning, Michael Peña, Sophia Lillis, Abby Elliott, Daniel Monks, Jay Ellis, Thomas Cocquerel, Duke McCloud, and Kartiah Vergara. 

    Director (101-104): Minkie Spiro (3 Body Problem, Downton Abbey, Dead to Me)   

    Director (105-108): Kate Dennis 

    Producer: Terry Gould  

    Based on the Novel By / Associate Producer: Andrea Mara (All Her Fault)  

    Produced by: Carnival Films  

    Studio: Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group 

    Distribution: NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution     

    Format: Suburban-Thriller Series

    PR Contact: allherfault@premiercomms.com

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  • Saudi leadership greets Zardari on Pakistan's 78th Independence Day – samaa tv

    1. Saudi leadership greets Zardari on Pakistan’s 78th Independence Day  samaa tv
    2. Turkmenistan President extends felicitation on Independence Day  Business Recorder
    3. Amir sends congratulations to President of Pakistan  The Peninsula Qatar
    4. The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Congratulates President of Pakistan on Independence Day  وكالة الأنباء السعودية
    5. HRH the Crown Prince Congratulates President of Pakistan on Independence Day  وكالة الأنباء السعودية

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  • How the Atlantic Ocean circulation has changed over the past 12,000 years

    Using geochemical analyses of marine sediments, researchers have been able to quantitatively reconstruct the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation over the past 12,000 years. An international research team, led by scientists from Heidelberg University and the University of Bern (Switzerland), is the first to calculate the large-scale circulation patterns of the Holocene. Their reconstruction shows that, while the AMOC experienced natural fluctuations over millennia, it remained stable for long periods of time.

    The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is part of a global deep-ocean water system that redistributes heat and freshwater from the southern to the northern hemisphere, significantly impacting the weather, oceans, and climate. This makes it one of the key components of the Earth’s climate system. It includes the Gulf Stream system, a key driver of Europe’s climate. As part of the oceanic “conveyor belt”, it transports large amounts of heat from tropical regions to higher latitudes, playing a crucial role in balancing temperatures between the northern and southern hemispheres. According to Lukas Gerber, a doctoral researcher at the Institute of Earth Sciences at Heidelberg University, changes in the strength of this circulation can have far-reaching impacts on weather patterns, marine ecosystems, and long-term global climate trends. While the variability of the AMOC during the last Ice Age is well documented, its behavior during the Holocene – the comparatively mild period of Earth’s history that began some 12,000 years ago and continues to this day – is attracting increasing interest from researchers.

    The reconstruction of the Atlantic circulation was based on geochemical measurements of the radioactive elements thorium and protactinium taken from sediments on the floor of the North Atlantic. The ratio of these rare radioisotopes records the circulation strength over the past 12,000 years and provides insights into the environmental conditions that have prevailed since the end of the last Ice Age. Using the data they had gathered, the scientists ran a numerical Earth system model to simulate the AMOC under various climate scenarios. This enabled them to calculate deepwater circulation patterns in the North Atlantic for the current geological epoch, the Holocene.

    The team’s reconstruction shows that, after a period of recovery towards the end of the last Ice Age, the AMOC experienced another marked weakening between 9,200 and 8,000 years before present. “This phase coincides with meltwater pulses in the North Atlantic, during which large volumes of meltwater were released in a short period of time, most likely due to the collapse of the North American ice sheet,” explains Lukas Gerber. Around 6,500 years ago, the AMOC began to stabilize and eventually reached its present-day strength, according to the researchers. This is approximately 18 Sverdrups, with one Sverdrup corresponding to a volumetric flow rate of one billion liters per second.

    “Our findings demonstrate that the AMOC remained stable throughout much of the Holocene,” emphasizes project leader Dr Jörg Lippold, who studies ocean dynamics with his team at the Institute of Earth Sciences at Heidelberg University. However, projections for the future clearly indicate that human-driven climate change could weaken the Atlantic circulation to levels never before seen in the present warm period of the Holocene. Dr Lippold points to current climate models that forecast a slowdown of five to eight Sverdrups, depending on the actual extent of global warming by the year 2100. In his view, such a change could have severe and unprecedented consequences for the stability of temperatures and for global precipitation patterns.

    In addition to the scientists from Heidelberg and Bern, the project involved researchers from MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, and the University of São Paulo (Brazil). The work was funded by the German Research Foundation, the European Union, and Brazilian research funding. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications.

    Journal

    Nature Communications

    Article Title

    Low variability of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation throughout the Holocene

    Article Publication Date

    22-Jul-2025

    Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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  • Honor Magic V Flip 2 key specifications leaked

    Honor Magic V Flip 2 key specifications leaked

    Honor recently confirmed the launch date for its upcoming clamshell foldable, the Magic V Flip 2. The company also revealed the phone’s design and color options. Now, we’ve got more details regarding the device.

    Ahead of the launch next week, a tipster has revealed key specifications of the Magic V Flip 2. The handset will feature a 6.82-inch internal flexible LTPO AMOLED display that will offer Full HD+ resolution and a refresh rate of 120Hz. On the outside, the phone will get a 4-inch Full HD+ LTPO panel with 120Hz refresh rate.

    The Magic V Flip 2 will offer a 200 MP primary rear camera and a 50 MP ultrawide sensor. For selfies, the phone is said to get a 50 MP camera.

    It will house a 5,500 mAh battery with 80W wired and 50W wireless charging support. The phone will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. It will also have a side fingerprint scanner. The Magic V Flip 2 will be 6.9mm thin when closed, and 15.5mm when opened. As per the tipster, the phone will weigh 204g.

    The Honor Magic V Flip 2 will be unveiled in China on August 21. It will be available in four color options. Honor is also collaborating with Prof. Jimmy Choo for a special edition variant of the phone.

    Source

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  • Pick of the stats: Millwall v Middlesbrough

    Pick of the stats: Millwall v Middlesbrough

    Middlesbrough will look to bounce back from a disappointing Carabao Cup loss to Doncaster Rovers when they visit Millwall on Saturday (15:00 BST).

    Boro boss Rob Edwards called his side’s 4-0 defeat on Tuesday ‘unacceptable’ and will be hoping his side are able to produce something more to his liking this time around.

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    For Millwall, it’s a different story. Head coach Alex Neil was ‘pleased’ with his team’s midweek performance against Newport County and he should be – the Lions are yet to lose this season after also defeating Norwich City in their Championship opener.

    • Millwall have lost just one of their last five home league games against Middlesbrough (W3 D1), keeping four clean sheets in the process.

    • Middlesbrough have won three of their last five league games against Millwall (L2), as many as in their prior 11 encounters (D5 L3).

    • Following their 2-1 win at Norwich on MD1, Millwall will be looking to start a league campaign with back-to-back wins for the first time since 2014-15 in the Championship.

    • Middlesbrough beat Swansea 2-1 at home on MD1, but haven’t started a league campaign with consecutive wins since 1994-95 in the second tier.

    • On his Millwall debut last weekend, Alfie Doughty played 18 passes into the opposition’s penalty area – the most of any player on MD1 in the Championship.

    [BBC]

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  • Deutsche Telekom launches AI phone in Europe

    Deutsche Telekom launches AI phone in Europe

    Deutsche Telekom noted that the AI-phone integrates the Perplexity Assistant, enabling users to perform a range of everyday tasks

    In sum – what to know:

    Launch in 10 markets – Deutsche Telekom releases AI-enabled phone and tablet in Germany and nine other European countries, starting at €149 and €199 respectively.

    Everyday AI integration – Devices include the Perplexity Assistant for daily tasks, from translations to trip planning, plus AI camera tools through Picsart.

    Market trend alignment – Launch follows forecasts of rapid adoption of AI-capable smartphones, projected to make up 70% of global shipments by 2028.

    German carrier Deutsche Telekom has introduced an AI-enabled smartphone and tablet, with the main goal of making artificial intelligence more widely accessible at a relatively low price, the telco said in a release.

    The devices, priced from €149 ($174) for the AI-phone and €199 for the AI-tablet, are available starting today in Germany and nine other European markets, including Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, and Slovakia.

    The AI-phone integrates the Perplexity Assistant, enabling users to perform a range of everyday tasks — from drafting emails and setting calendar events to planning trips, finding recipes, translating text, and answering general questions. The European telco noted that users can interact with the assistant via voice or text, either by pressing a dedicated button or double-clicking the power key. The device connects to pre-installed apps for functions such as navigation, messaging, and calls, the telco added.

    “We’re bringing the AI-phone to people across Europe. It takes care of everyday tasks and quickly finds reliable information,” said Dominique Leroy, board member for Europe at Deutsche Telekom.

    In Germany, the purchase price includes an 18-month subscription to Perplexity Pro and a three-month Picsart Pro license. The Perplexity assistant will remain permanently available on the devices.

    Deutsche Telekom also said it is also making AI tools available to existing customers without new devices through its Magenta AI feature in the MeinMagenta app, which connects users to Perplexity’s answer engine and, soon, to Picsart’s AI background editor.

    Through “Magenta AI,” Deutsche Telekom is centralizing generative AI tools within the MeinMagenta app, making them accessible to all customers. The service already features Perplexity’s answer engine, with more tools to be added later this year:

    Google Cloud AI: Enables real-time object recognition using a smartphone camera.

    ElevenLabs: Converts text, URLs or documents into high-quality podcasts quickly and easily.

    Picsart: Allows users to create personalized images and apply artistic styles to their selfies.

    “Artificial intelligence is the big technology of our time. It changes a lot. But there is still some reluctance. We believe AI offers significant opportunities. To use those, people need to take part and try out AI tools. ‘Our’ AI-phone and Magenta AI features in the app give our customers compact access to various AI services and allow them to explore this technology first-hand,” said Claudia Nemat, board member for Technology and Innovation at Deutsche Telekom.

    According to a research by IDC, shipments of AI-capable smartphones will reach 912 million units by 2028, with 70% of the market using generative AI functions.

    The German telco had initially unveiled its AI phone in Mobile World Congress 2025, in Barcelona, Spain.

    During MWC 2025, Deutsche Telekom also showcased more than 30 AI-powered solutions for enterprises, government agencies, and smart cities. One example is the development of an AI chatbot for the judicial system, designed to streamline legal document searches and analysis, making court proceedings more efficient.

    The operator also introduced advanced AI-driven cybersecurity measures at MWC. The company is deploying “honeypots 2.0,” digital decoys that lure cybercriminals into simulated systems. Unlike traditional honeypots, these AI-powered traps react dynamically, creating the illusion of a successful intrusion while analyzing hacker tactics, the telco added.

    Deutsche Telekom is also harnessing AI to optimize network performance in real time. Through a partnership with Google Cloud, the company is developing “RAN Guardian Agent,” an AI-powered assistant built on Gemini 2.0 that can analyze network behavior, detect anomalies and implement self-healing measures.

    This system will enhance mobile performance, particularly in high-demand scenarios such as concerts, sports events and traffic congestion, according to the German carrier.

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