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Mosquitoes kill more people than any other animal on Earth, and scientists say the threat is growing. As the climate warms, mosquito seasons are lasting longer, giving the insects more time to spread dangerous diseases such as malaria and dengue. Researchers are now exploring new methods to target and control mosquito populations before the expanding range of the insects puts more communities at risk.

President Trump had dinner with Dario Amodei, chief executive of AI company Anthropic, who has previously called for a slowdown in the race to develop advanced artificial intelligence. The meeting is drawing attention because of the apparent contrast between Amodei's public caution on AI development and the Trump administration's push to accelerate the technology, raising questions about policy direction and the tech industry's evolving relationship with the White House.

The Wall Street Journal reports that companies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to help determine employee salaries, often without workers knowing it. The practice raises questions about pay transparency and whether automated systems could embed bias into compensation decisions, a concern that has fuelled debate among HR professionals and regulators.

AI companies are now competing to show that their models pose the greatest existential threat to humanity, according to a satirical report from The Civilian. The piece skewers a tech culture in which labs treat warnings about their own systems' dangers as marketing, vying to appear most advanced and most alarming at once. Readers are discussing whether the satire reflects real industry behaviour around safety claims and competitive hype.

AI company Anthropic has struck a $12 billion computing agreement with Akamai, according to a Bloomberg report. The deal would give Anthropic access to large-scale AI computing infrastructure, a growing priority for AI labs as demand for training and inference capacity outpaces supply. The size of the arrangement and its place among similar cloud and infrastructure deals drawn attention on discussion forums.

The United States is threatening to ground Iranian airlines from Wednesday, a measure that would bar Iranian carriers from operating internationally. The warning, reported by Al Jazeera, escalates pressure on Tehran and could disrupt air travel and cargo links tied to Iran. The report is drawing attention as observers weigh how the threat would be enforced and how Iran might respond.

Robin Radar, a Dutch company founded as a startup to keep aircraft safe from birds, is expanding rapidly as demand for counter-drone technology surges. Bloomberg reports that the changing global security landscape has pushed the firm into a lucrative new market detecting drones, transforming its original aviation safety focus.

Gold has fallen below a trendline that supported its rise over the past three months, while Bitcoin has pulled back after reaching a nine-month high. The simultaneous retreats in two assets often watched as alternatives to traditional markets are drawing attention from traders assessing whether the moves signal a broader shift in risk appetite or merely short-term corrections.

China and the United States have reportedly reached an understanding on Iran, agreeing that Tehran should not develop nuclear weapons and that no toll should be imposed on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil transit route. The reported convergence between the two powers on Iran policy is drawing attention amid ongoing tensions in the region.

Ukraine reports its troops have recaptured three more villages in the eastern Donbas region as its counteroffensive, dubbed Operation Vivaldi, continues. The claims suggest Kyiv is making incremental gains against Russian-occupied territory, though the scale of the advances and any Russian response remain to be independently confirmed.

A dispute rooted in World War II is straining an alliance important to Ukraine's defense efforts, according to a Wall Street Journal report. The rift touches on historical grievances between partners backing Ukraine, raising concerns in Kyiv that wartime cooperation could weaken at a critical moment in the conflict with Russia.

Anthropic has released Claude Sonnet 5.5, a new version of its mid-tier AI model that the company says delivers significantly faster response times than its predecessor. The launch lands amid fierce competition among AI labs to offer quicker, cheaper models for coding and everyday assistant tasks. Users and developers are discussing the speed gains and how the update compares with rival offerings.

Religious leaders from Sudan's Nuba Mountains, representing both Christian and Muslim communities, have jointly called for an end to the country's war. Their united appeal highlights how the conflict, which has devastated large parts of Sudan, is cutting across religious lines and prompting local faith leaders to press for peace.

Anthropic, Gamma and Clay are set to speak at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 about what actually happens when enterprises deploy AI in real operations. The session moves past hype to focus on practical deployment lessons, with the three companies offering firsthand experience from working with business customers on AI adoption.

An Italian court has convicted three Egyptian security officials for their role in the kidnapping of Giulio Regeni, the Cambridge University student tortured and killed in Egypt in 2016. The verdict delivers partial justice, as none of the defendants were present at trial and no one has been convicted for Regeni's murder itself. The case has long strained relations between Italy and Egypt.

Market commentators are asking whether the ongoing record stock market rally can be sustained through the end of the year. Analysts highlight four key tests to watch that could determine whether the gains hold, reflecting a broader debate among investors about how much momentum remains in equities after a strong run.

At the 63rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, under Agenda Item 4 on human rights situations requiring attention, advocates argued that accountability in Sudan must extend beyond combatants to the supply networks arming both sides of the war. The appeal, made by CAP Freedom of Conscience, calls for scrutiny of those financing and equipping the warring parties as civilian suffering continues.

Hundreds of people marched through Milan, Italy, in a demonstration linking support for Palestine with housing rights. Marchers chanted against forced evictions, war and genocide, and called for a ceasefire, according to posts circulating online. The protest reflects how pro-Palestinian activism in Italy has increasingly merged with tenant and anti-eviction movements in major cities.

Mediators are continuing efforts to broker an agreement between the United States and Iran, even after President Trump rejected Tehran's latest proposal. The talks, reportedly involving intermediaries working between Washington and Tehran, remain ongoing despite the setback, with both sides still signalling interest in reaching a deal. Details of the rejected proposal have not been fully disclosed.

A new piece in Lawfare argues that public debate on artificial intelligence risks is overlooking a significant threat, which the article does not name in available excerpts. Discussion of AI dangers has intensified as governments and companies race to regulate the technology. Readers are weighing which AI risks deserve more attention.

The Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights hosted an expert roundtable webinar examining Sudan's deepening humanitarian crisis. The event brought together specialists to discuss the worsening situation on the ground, where civil war has displaced millions and created famine conditions. The organisation has published a recap of the discussion, drawing renewed attention to the international response gap in Sudan.

The United States and Iran are set to resume diplomacy through indirect talks conducted via mediators, according to a report by Modern Diplomacy. The arrangement would allow the two adversaries to exchange positions without direct contact, reviving a diplomatic channel amid ongoing tensions over Iran's nuclear program and regional conflicts. Details on timing, location, and which countries will mediate were not specified in the report.

Boris Cherny, an engineer at AI company Anthropic, is advising developers to build on general-purpose AI models rather than investing in fine-tuning. His argument is that frontier models improve so quickly that customized versions trained on specific data risk being outpaced. The advice is drawing attention from developers weighing whether to fine-tune existing models or rely on prompt engineering and general capabilities.

The Max Planck Society has released a study following the situation of researchers in Ukraine during the war and armed conflict, examining how the ideal of free scholarly mobility breaks down under wartime conditions. The publication looks at the constraints facing academics whose movement, collaboration and careers are disrupted by fighting, highlighting what open science systems cannot guarantee in conflict.

More than three dozen US sailors and Marines have been wounded this month while supporting operations against Iran, according to a report by Task & Purpose. The injuries mark a notable human cost of the American military campaign, and the report has drawn attention to the pace and risks of naval and Marine Corps operations in the region as the conflict continues.

The Foundation for Defense of Democracies is calling on NATO allies to strengthen the alliance by improving military mobility across Europe and bolstering the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure. The argument is that troops, equipment and supplies must be able to move quickly across borders in a crisis, while ports, railways, pipelines and energy networks increasingly face cyber threats that could hamper any allied response.

Nigeria has renewed its call for reform of the United Nations Security Council, arguing that Africa's three non-permanent seats give the continent representation but no permanent voice in the body's most powerful decisions. The push reflects longstanding demands that Africa gain permanent membership, with Nigeria positioning itself as a leading contender for such a role.

Legal organizations that previously won a Supreme Court victory on birthright citizenship have filed new motions in response to the latest executive order on the issue. The groups, including the ACLU, are seeking to block the administration's renewed attempt to restrict citizenship rights for children born in the United States, arguing the order conflicts with the Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment and prior court rulings.