Planet 124 light-years from Earth could be ‘teeming with life’

Scientists have detected what they believe to be a potential sign of life on a planet in a different solar system in the “strongest indicator” that life exists beyond Earth.

Researchers analyzing K2-18b, which orbits a star 120 lightyears from Earth, have found a molecule that on Earth is associated with living organisms in the planet’s atmosphere.

The potentially Earth-shattering study was published Wednesday in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

“This is the strongest evidence yet there is possibly life out there. I can realistically say that we can confirm this signal within one to two years,” astronomer Nikku Madhusudhan, a professor at the University of Cambridge and the lead author of the new study, told the BBC.

The findings could even suggest that K2-18b is covered with an ocean, home to living organisms.

His team observed large amounts of chemicals that, when found on Earth, are produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria; the quantity of these molecules found in K2-18b’s atmosphere is thousands of times higher than what’s on Earth, he said.

“So, if the association with life is real, then this planet will be teeming with life,” he told the BBC. “If we confirm that there is life on K2-18b it should basically confirm that life is very common in the galaxy.”

“It is in no one’s interest to claim prematurely that we have detected life,” Madhusudhan told the New York Times.

Mans Holmberg, a co-author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the Space Telescope Science Institute, told The Washington Post that the observations suggest the planet could boast a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and an ocean deeper than any on Earth.

“Everything about this system is quite alien. We don’t have anything like it in the solar system,” he said.

Other experts in the field remarked on the potential magnitude of the revelation, but urged caution before drawing any sweeping conclusions.

“It’s not nothing,” Stephen Schmidt, a planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University, told the Times. “It’s a hint. But we cannot conclude it’s habitable yet.”

“I think this is one of those situations where extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” Laura Kreidberg, an astronomer at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, told NPR. “I’m not sure we’re at the extraordinary evidence level yet.”

There’s an ongoing debate about the presence of the molecules on the planet as well as what they could mean, and if they are in fact there. For example, the chemicals could relate to a process unrelated to living organisms on K2-18b.

The research team agreed.

“Either we are looking at a new chemical process that we haven’t seen before … or we’re witnessing the first signs of biological activity outside of Earth,” Holmberg said.

Arsenal create own Champions League magic to script new story

Arsenal indeed “write their own history”, with the extra flourish that the only remontada was Bukayo Saka’s. The forward overcame his early penalty miss to score the divine goal that has ultimately eliminated the European champions, with Gabriel Martinelli then killing any dying belief that Real Madrid had to turn a great night into a great win. There was even the literal lovely touch of how Saka’s penalty was a lifted Panenka gone wrong, only for the forward to lift it over Thibaut Courtois in even better fashion.

Arsenal have now ascended to the Champions League semi-final for just the third time in their history. Perhaps it is fitting that they will return to Paris, where they lost their only Champions League final in 2006, to add to that sense of history building.

Belief will only grow with it, as Madrid may now be developing a complex about Arsenal. They are the only club to have played Madrid twice in the history of European competition and not been knocked out once.

That’s the kind of scale Mikel Arteta can now talk about. Arsenal may not have reached the performance heights of their pulverisation of Madrid in the first leg, but this was almost as impressive in its own way. Arteta’s side so professionally withstood Madrid’s attack to more consummately withstand all of the psychology around the remontada. The European champions never got close. They couldn’t. William Saliba’s atypical slip for Vinicius Junior to make it 1-1 stood out all the more because it was so rare in this match.

Arsenal did a number on Madrid. They also looked more than the sum of their parts. Put bluntly, they are much more of a team, with more players obviously needed. That’s even more to the manager’s credit given he was missing Gabriel Magalhaes at one end and any kind of striker at the other. For all of Madrid’s experience and expensive talent in that exact area, though, they badly missed a Martin Odegaard. He was supreme, offering one of those individual performances that are always essential parts of great team nights like this. Jurrien Timber, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jakub Kiwior were also up there, not to mention the irrepressible Saka.

No-one was up there with Declan Rice, though. He offered a career display, not just standing up in an arena like the Bernabeu but rampaging all over it. Almost every time Madrid even offered a suggestion they might work a way through, there was Rice. He was either just winning the ball or, more symbolically, winning it and driving the ball up the field. This was captain stuff, reminiscent of Patrick Vieira or Roy Keane.

And to think that’s where Madrid have some of their most energetic talent. That might be one of the issues.

Madrid have the fastest attack in world football, where the very names can strike fear, but there’s an obvious issue with it. They don’t currently have the other players to maximise them. The forward line can move fast, sure, but it can’t really move with much variety.

There is no one directing the play. It made the pre-game tifo of a wizened figure playing chess all the more ironic. Madrid just didn’t have any kind of grand master moving the pieces. You can really see how crucial both Toni Kroos and Luka Modric together were to their entire Champions League era. They imposed a style, and more sophisticated patterns of play. Without them – or at least without a prime Modric – Madrid just repeated the same pattern. The ball was played out wide for one of Vinicius Jr or Rodrygo to run at Arsenal’s full-backs, only to run out of space.

The weapon they seemed to be relying on most was psychology, and the idea of what might happen when they scored. When they eventually did that, Arsenal had already got one themselves, and it was telling they needed to rely on Arteta’s side suddenly being unusually casual.

It wasn’t like it came out of general play. Saliba didn’t see Vinicius coming from a slightly strange moment, and the Brazilian was left to force it into an empty net.

The 67th-minute strike represented a rare moment when Arsenal gave them anything. The entire backline had been so assured, generally keeping their positioning so well but also offering significant interventions when necessary. One Kiwior interception as the second half built was superb and, dare we say it, Rice-like.

The issue wasn’t just where Madrid’s attack moved, though. It was how they moved. Their running stats represented a huge theme before the game when it was revealed Arsenal had clocked 14km more in the first leg. Bellingham even spoke about the need to up it and put it in, which were words somewhat undercut by actions. When Odegaard typically glided past the midfielder in the first half, Bellingham didn’t chase.

Later on, as Arsenal started to build the play that eventually led to Saka’s goal, the star trio were seen strolling around up front. You could say they were waiting to use their speed in the most effective way. Except, without proper modern pressing at this level, you’re likely to be left waiting.

That was almost their entire game. One description of the Bernabeu on nights like this is of a “torture chamber”, and almost worse than the worst actually happening is the wait, the build-up. It’s how the fascinating psychology of this works. It was just as well Arteta had evidently done his research on it, and drilled his team so well.

For less focused teams, a 3-0 might not feel like a 3-0 when Vinicius is running at your goal at pace. It’s not just the threat of a goal. It’s the threat of what a goal would mean. It wouldn’t just be 1-0, it would be one less, with the wave building.

That’s how it happens. There’s an ebb and flow to these occasions, with every turn having a wider effect on what follows. That is what Arsenal so impressively withstood, which was all the more impressive given the early emotional swing with the penalties back-and-forth.

Arsenal had a slightly tetchy opening, with Rice often having to drive the ball out of defence. They were then offered the opportunity to not just settle their nerves but settle the tie. Mikel Merino was pulled down by Raul Asencio, and Arsenal were awarded a penalty after a delayed VAR check. It very much wasn’t a home-town decision, but it was impossible not to wonder if the circumstances affected Saka’s decision. He opted for a Panenka, only to undercut their value by going to the side. Courtois palmed it away.

It would have been easy for Arsenal to allow some intrusive thoughts, especially with the knowledge of how these things can go. This is how it starts. It then picked up when Madrid were awarded an even softer penalty for an adjudged Rice push on Mbappe.

They needed it, because they had been creating so little. David Raya’s most frenetic activity was running his goalkeeping coach during the long wait over VAR. It eventually overturned the penalty.

And after that, Madrid had so little. Arsenal had more to give, with Martinelli putting the crown on it.

It’s the sort of performance that will only engender belief about putting the grandest trophy of all in the cabinet. A dangerous Paris Saint-Germain come first, but that can wait. This is to be savoured.

This was exactly what Arteta wanted, in every sense.

YouTuber who ‘left Diet Coke’ for world’s most isolated tribe has bail plea rejected

An American tourist who allegedly stepped onto a remote Indian island to make contact with one of the world’s most isolated tribes was denied bail on Tuesday.

Mykhailo Viktorovych Polyakov, 24, was arrested on 31 March for allegedly sneaking onto the restricted territory of North Sentinel in the Andaman Islands and offering a can of diet coke and a coconut to the tribe as an offering.

A court in Port Blair, capital of the federal territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, rejected Mr Polyakov’s bail application and extended his judicial custody, PTI news agency reported.

He was scheduled to appear before the court again on Thursday.

Mr Polyakov, a YouTuber, arrived in Port Blair on 27 March and was arrested three days later after he was reported to local police by some residents who saw him take a boat to North Sentinel Island.

He was charged with entering a prohibited tribal reserve area of the North Sentinel Island, protected under the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Protection of Aboriginal Tribes Regulation 1956.

He could face up to five years in prison and a fine if found guilty.

Indians and foreigners alike are banned from going within 5km of North Sentinel to protect the indigenous tribe from external diseases and safeguard their way of life.

There are only around 150 members of the isolated tribe left on the island, which is cut off from the rest of the world, and not much is known about their way of life.

The Sentinelese last made headlines in 2018, when they killed an American missionary, John Allen Chau, 27, who was trying to enter their territory to preach Christianity. He was killed after the tribespeople shot him with arrows as his boat approached the island.

In 2006 the tribe killed two Indian fishermen who had accidentally drifted near the island. When a military helicopter later flew low over the island, members of the tribe fired arrows at it.

Police say Mr Polyakov sailed nine hours in a rubber dinghy with an outboard motor to reach the island and used binoculars to survey the area but saw no inhabitants. He is said to have recorded his visit to the island, leaving a can of Coke and a coconut on the shore as an “offering” to the North Sentinelese.

Police said Mr Polyakov conducted detailed research on sea conditions, tides and accessibility to the island before launching his journey.

“He planned meticulously over several days to visit the island and make contact with the tribe,” Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, a senior police officer in Port Blair, said.

In a statement, police said that the YouTuber’s “actions posed a serious threat to the safety and wellbeing of the Sentinelese people, whose contact with outsiders is strictly prohibited by the law to protect their indigenous way of life”.

Police seized Mr Polyakov’s phone as well as the GoPro camera he is said to have used to record his trip. He allegedly filled a bottle with sand from the island and taken it away with him.

Caroline Pearce, director of Survival International, a charity dedicated to the protection of tribal groups, said the incident was “deeply disturbing”.

“It beggars belief that someone could be that reckless and idiotic. This person’s actions not only endangered his own life, they put the lives of the entire Sentinelese tribe at risk,” she said. “It is very well known by now that uncontacted peoples have no immunity to common outside diseases like flu or measles, which could completely wipe them out.”

The Sentinelese, she said, “have made their wish to avoid outsiders incredibly clear over the years”.

Robotics approved for use in NHS surgeries across England

State-of-the-art robotic systems approved for use on the NHS could transform treatment for thousands of people across England.

The technology, given the green light by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) under its early value assessment programme, offers a range of applications, from helping remove tumours to replacing a patient’s knee.

The rollout is expected to reduce hospital stays, faster recovery times, and a lower risk of complications.

A total of 11 systems have been approved, including five for soft tissue surgeries, such as removing tumours, repairing hernias and removing gallbladders and six for orthopaedics, including knee and hip replacements.

Some allow surgeons to perform operations using mechanical arms controlled from a console, while others are hand-held.

Dr Anastasia Chalkidou, programme director of Nice’s HealthTech programme, said: “These innovative technologies have the potential to transform both soft tissue and orthopaedic surgical care in the NHS.

“Robot-assisted surgery may help overcome key limitations of conventional techniques through precise movements and enhanced 3D visualisation, potentially transforming surgical options and outcomes for NHS patients.

“Both applications could benefit patients who might not otherwise be candidates for minimally invasive approaches.”

Under the guidance, the 11 systems can be used over the coming three years while more evidence is collected.

Among the issues Nice will look at are how the technology affects the length of hospital stays and waiting lists, as well as the resources used for training staff and the costs of implementing the systems.

Each of the systems costs between £500,000 and £1.5 million, according to the NHS spending watchdog, and are usually deployed in specialist centres where hundreds of operations take place each year.

Dr Chalkidou added: “The data gathered over the next three years will allow us to evaluate exactly how these technologies can improve patient care and help ensure NHS resources are directed toward interventions that deliver meaningful clinical benefits and long-term value to our health service.”

In 2011-12, the majority of robot-assisted procedures were for urological cancer, which can include cancer in the bladder, kidney, prostate and testicles, according to Nice.

By last year, almost half of these operations were for other conditions, with a surge in the use of robotic surgeries for bowel cancer, which now accounts for a quarter of all robot-assisted procedures.

There has also been a jump in the use of the technology in orthopaedics, with 4,000 robot-assisted surgeries taking place last year, up from 300 in 2018-19.

Making greater use of digital technologies in the NHS is one of the three shifts set to be outlined by the Government in its forthcoming 10-year health plan.

It is also expected to focus more on sickness prevention and moving care from hospitals into the community.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director at NHS England, said: “This is fantastic news for patients and shows that the NHS continues to find new ways to utilise the latest technological innovations to improve care.

“This will be a vital element of the 10-year health plan which will be published in the coming months.

“Robot-assisted surgery is crucial to the future of high-quality healthcare – and with benefits including shorter stays in hospital, faster recovery for patients and less invasive procedures, these advancements will have a knock-on effect throughout the system and help patients get treated quicker.

“This is an important step forward as we continue to work to ensure everyone is able to get high-quality care when they need it.”

Nuha Yassin, a consultant colorectal surgeon and Royal College of Surgeons of England council member, described the Nice guidance as a “significant step forward”.

“The potential for faster recovery times, reduced complications and increased access to minimally invasive procedures could transform patient care,” she said.

“It remains important that, in introducing these new technologies, NHS trusts and surgical teams ensure they are working within the guidelines set out by the Royal College of Surgeons of England, so that they are implemented in the safest way possible for patients.”

Teacher awarded five-figure payout after pupil threw laptop at her

A teacher has been awarded a five-figure settlement after a pupil threw a laptop at her head, union figures show.

The payout to the woman, who was injured and lost consciousness, was among several awarded to teachers over issues such as injuries or discrimination in the workplace.

The figures, which were released ahead of the NASUWT union’s two-day annual conference in Liverpool, revealed the teaching union secured nearly £15.2 million in compensation for its members last year.

In one case, a teacher was awarded a six-figure settlement after he was hit by a car while directing traffic in the school car park.

He sustained a fractured left heel bone, which required surgery after he was propelled over the car bonnet and hit the floor.

The NASUWT also supported a pregnant teacher with an employment tribunal claim for breaches of the pregnancy/maternity provisions of the Equality Act 2010.

The employer’s treatment of the woman was mishandled from the time she advised them of her pregnancy, the union said.

The NASUWT also assisted a teacher in securing a five-figure settlement after his employer had been unsupportive when he requested time off for a family emergency.

The member had worked at his school for 30 years and had only ever had three days off sick.

He was warned that if he did not accept the agreement, he was likely to be made redundant through a restructure that had not been announced by that point, the union said.

Patrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT, said: “If all employers took seriously their duty of care and legal responsibilities to their employees, we would not be forced to pursue legal remedies to get redress for members.

“Behind every successfully concluded case is a teacher who has suffered months, and in some cases years, of mental distress and anxiety.

“Some members are no longer able to return to teaching due to the physical injuries they have sustained or the psychological impact of the treatment they have experienced.

“We will not hesitate to pursue justice and redress for members where they are injured, made ill or suffer unfair and discriminatory treatment at work.”

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Murder arrest as woman, 93, found dead in house

A murder probe has been launched after 93-year-old woman was found dead in a leafy suburb of Manchester.

Police found the pensioner’s body inside the semi-detached home in Gatley near Stockport at 9.38am on Wednesday.

A 39-year-old woman was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and remains in custody, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.

The force confirmed it had referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct due to previous contact with the victim.

However, following an initial assessment by GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate, all officers remain fully operational.

Forensic officers were seen examining the semi-detached property which had one window broken.

Neighbours said that gas engineers had been called to the property before the victim was found dead.

Tom Morrison, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheadle, said: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the tragic incident in Gatley this morning, in which a 93-year-old woman has sadly lost her life. My thoughts are first and foremost with her family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.

“I have been in contact with Greater Manchester Police and will continue to support them in any way I can. I want to thank Greater Manchester Police officers for their swift and professional response.”

Detective Inspector Adam Hitchen, the senior investigating officer, said: “The priority for our investigation is understanding the full circumstances which led to this tragic incident and getting justice for the victim.

“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family, who are aware and are being supported by specialist officers.

“We recognise that this investigation may cause concern within the local community, but I want to assure the public that this is an isolated incident, with a swift arrest made, and no wider threat.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 101 quoting log number 726 of April 16 2025, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

One of UK’s largest companies sees £2bn wiped off shares through Trump tariffs impact

One of the UK’s largest public listed companies has seen its share price sink by 25 per cent on Wednesday, after reporting a lower annual forecast for 2025 and warning over the “uncertainty” caused by Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Bunzl is a distributor business which supplies other companies around the world with essential everyday goods such as food packaging and labels for supermarkets, catering equipment for restaurants, and masks, gloves and gowns for hospitals.

Having held a market capitalisation in excess of £10bn, the share price crash of the FTSE 100 company has seen more than £2bn wiped off that total in hours after CEO Frank van Zanten cited a “challenging trading environment”.

No other company on the London Stock Exchange’s biggest index saw a fall of more than four per cent on Wednesday, leaving Bunzl as a huge outlier as it battles with its biggest market operating cautiously amid potential import costs and a weak dollar.

“A profit warning and termination of a share buyback programme, the first such halt by any FTSE 100 firm since the dark days of Covid-19 and lockdowns, are both taking a heavy toll on shares in Bunzl and driving them to a four-year low,” said AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould, explaining why the tariffs had particularly weighed on the company.

“The specialist distributor had already flagged the combination of higher input costs and price pressure in the US business in particular, where sales and profit fell in 2024. These challenges have become even more acute, especially for the food service and grocery segment. Volumes have stayed soft, prices have weakened, a customer has been lost and Bunzl has invested in its sales proposition to reaffirm its competitive position in the market.

“That is all putting a lid on profit margins after a period of strong expansion and also eroding one of the key parts of the investment case for Bunzl’s shares, namely the essential nature of the services it provides for its customers, and the pricing power this brings.”

Bunzl have halted a £200m buyback programme for this year, which sees companies buy their own shares from the market to return value to investors.

No FTSE 100 company had taken this course of action since 2020.

“It’s still all connected with the concerns about global tariffs and slowdowns…there’s nervousness in the market. Any bad news or any hint of bad news is being punished severely,” added Nick Saunders, CEO of Webull UK.

Bunzl has about 27,000 employees, with more than half of its revenue coming from North America.

The company reported higher earnings for the past year, generating an operating profit of £799.3m, about 1 per cent higher than 2023. However, its profit before income tax declined nearly 4 per cent year-on-year, and total revenues came in fractionally lower at £11.78bn. Bunzl said the decline was mainly driven by deflation across the US and Europe, which led to fiercer competition to decrease prices among suppliers.

The volume of sales was also impacted by the firm switching its focus towards own-brand products in its food services division in the US.

In the UK, Bunzl flagged a more challenging sales environment leading to weaker volumes, particularly in its safety division, which includes supplying equipment for building sites, and retail arm, with packaging for luxury fashion and jewellery firms impacted by slower consumer demand.

The company said it had a record year of acquisitions, buying 13 companies in 2024 and pledging to spend £883m.

Matt Britzman, senior equity analyst for Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “It’s been a tough year; prices have been falling in many of Bunzl’s markets after a period of rampant inflation and that’s been bad news for top line growth – but it might finally be at an inflection point.

“Key markets are showing brighter volume trends, and pricing looks set to flip positive soon, setting the stage for a stronger core business, with own-brand gains and cost efficiencies promising sustainably higher margins despite last year’s cost pressures.”

Bunzl said it expects revenues to grow in 2025 “despite significant uncertainties relating to the wider economic and geopolitical landscape”.

Additional reporting by PA